Bookcrossing Crossed Me Today

Today is a historical day. Today I found my first bookcrossing book as a result from my accumulated good karma. As perhaps you might have found out from my previous blogs, I am a book fetish. Anything, everything which linked to the word “book” excites me. As per today, I was visiting my family in their hotel. As a restless reader, I found myself in the sad situation where I forgot my book (usually I always have a book in my bag). Almost automatically, I found myself standing in the hotel library and browsing through the huge cabinet full of cosmopolitan books.

Most covers was written in alphabet I couldn’t decipher like “и”. Options was getting limited, either the и book or Danielle Steel’s (not that I despise her work, just her current work). However destiny was smiling at me that minute for I found Olivia Goldsmith’s last book “Wish Upon a Star”. I was not a big fan but considering the option, well, I took it with me to the room.

Just after I sipped my ice lemon tea and lying on the wooden bench by the pool, I opened the first page and I yelped! The bratwurst bellied German couples beside me gave me a scary look but who cares?! I found my first bookcrossing book! WooHoo! For those who doesn’t understand my joy and have no idea what is bookcrossing, please click here.

I joined this marvelous community since 2006 with hardly any hope to find a book. But here I am now, still beaming and holding one in my hand. Why wouldn’t I be with ‘the karma of literature’ now in my possession?

Thank you jodieck, for leaving this book. You made my day :-)

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Something to Think About

However, a study of chimps in the Budongo Forest of Uganda has found that females only call out during copulation with a high-status male, but keep quiet when other females are nearby. This suggests that female chimps are using the copulation call as a way of ensuring that they mate with as many males as possible without other females knowing about it. The study found females keep quiet when other females are around but call out as a tactical ploy to enlist the protection of high-status males against aggressive high-status females, scientists said yesterday.

We are not that far off after all. Click here for the complete article.

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50 Everything

Sapimalas is really a lucky cow. She has been invited to stay over in this hotel for this weekend. However old habits die hard so instead of lingering by the georgeus pool with hill view, she went to the internet center and create a blog.

She can't help but sharing this link to everyone. 50 Best Summer Reads and 50 Best Bookshop from Independent. It's a bright blue sky outside and yet she can't help myself of sneaking a bit of blogging indulgence to this amazing day.

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Recent Treasure Acquisition

A few hour in this year B.I.W.A Charity Bazaar gave me:
a. A beautiful purple summer batik dress
b. A hippie tie-dyed flowing skirt
c. A georgeus mixed silk pillow case for just 5,000 rupiah (!)
d. and the most “expensive” things of all: Edith Wharton’s “The Custom of the Country” and Paul Theroux‘s “The Great Railway Bazaar” for 5,000 rupiah each and which I have been unable to find in any local bookshop (and extra drops of glee because I also did something for charity).

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I'll Keep Reading

Check out this amazing link I got from kimbooktu. If you are a lusty reader who happen to have a lot of free time at work and in need of some fiction injection, you must check this smartly design website. Your boss will never suspect a thing while you're lost to Emily Dickinson's poetry.

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Bali’s Best Street Food #1

Since this is the first edition of my Michelin starred street food review in Bali, I would like to give a serious warning to whoever might tempted to try the food:

1.Prepare your tongue for a serious spicy-ness
2.Prepare your digestion for seriously vicious bacteria; infamously known as “Bali Belly”

3.Most foods reviewed here are NON-HALAL (read: contain pork, unknown indigenous bacteria, occasional human hair or various local insects)
4.Just in case you’re wondering: No, sadly I don’t get any compliment whatsoever this advertising reviw.

So, here we go…

What : Warung Ibu Sri
Where : Gajah Mada Street – Pupuan – Tabanan

If you happened to found yourself in Pupuan, which I believe to be the next Bedugul and not yet attacked by serious mass tourism in buses, you would most likely to find yourself strike by hunger. I blamed it for the weather: chilly, windy and always gloomy. What other options should you having other than strolling through the street food market, right?

It also most likely that the B & B or ‘losmen’ you’re staying doesn’t know the meaning of ‘edible food’ and so you should head down to the town. Around 3pm, you’d find the Gajah Mada Street full with vendors selling all kind of cheap foods which goes well with your pocket and not so well with your cholesterol. Anyhoo, “Warung Ibu Sri” (meaning “Chez Ibu Sri”) located in a small shop.

You can tell the giggling waitress to get you: “Satu porsi nasi campur” (read: One portion of mix rice) and in three minutes they’d bring out this:

Or, you can choose from the many assortments of meats and veggies, displayed in the glass vitrine.

I seriously order you not to miss the crunchy-deep-fried pork fat (also sold in small plastic portion). For the dessert, you can order a portion of traditional Balinese “cakes”, located beautifully in front of Warung Ibu Sri. That is if you can still walk out and talk. In my case, I was only able to moo.

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Dancing Adenium

Doesn’t it looks like it’s about to go dancing? It sort of reminds me to those giant Ents in Lord of the Rings.

Taken from a recent trip to a plant exhibition in Denpasar.

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