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Café Latte + Winter Latte + sugar syrup + Salmon Quiche |
Thanks to the pandemic, travelling has become so much more difficult—near impossible and highly not recommended, really. However, it has allowed us to be more appreciative of those around us—people and places alike. For me, it has created a beautiful room for my relationship with Agung‘s family to grow. Gosh, I love them so much! In fact, during the long weekend two weeks ago I spent my time with them in Bekasi. Now, if you must know, this is a town just on the outskirts of Jakarta, which has built a reputation of being insanely traffic-jammed and not in the least interesting. However, I’d like to beg to differ.
With a little digging on the internet, we managed to find this cute corner of a café in Pondok Gede, Bekasi. It’s so reminiscent of small coffee shops in Japan, with a zen atmosphere to boot. They serve such subtly tasty kinds of coffee and delicious bites—the Salmon Quiche was superb! The baristas are so accommodating and the area is spacious, so there’s no chance of crowding. What a quaint little nook!
Thrifted button-up // hand-me-down top + skirt // IKAT Indonesia mask // photos by Agung
The place doesn’t serve heavy meals, though, so we moved on to eat noodles at Bakmi 8 Kursin for dinner. It was also such a tasty gem—although not as aesthetically-pleasing, mind you. Funny thing is, though Agung has lived his whole life in this town, he has never bothered to explore the area. He was really surprised to find such a comfortable, aesthetically-pleasing space exists in Bekasi. I wouldn’t blame him—I, too, wouldn’t know the hidden gems hiding in my own backyard.
I’ve encountered this phenomenon over and over again. Long ago in Germany, all the time in Surabaya and even at my friend’s house—who lives right across from a famous museum for decades. Sometimes it takes a completely new set of eyes to really look at a place and drag out the beauty that a native wouldn’t be able to see. That’s why, I try my best to live like a tourist whenever I can—take in everything with a sense of novelty. It makes me appreciate the little things that I would otherwise have taken for granted.
What is a hometown charm you’ve never noticed until recently?
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Café Latte + Winter Latte + sugar syrup + Salmon Quiche |
Thanks to the pandemic, travelling has become so much more difficult—near impossible and highly not recommended, really. However, it has allowed us to be more appreciative of those around us—people and places alike. For me, it has created a beautiful room for my relationship with Agung‘s family to grow. Gosh, I love them so much! In fact, during the long weekend two weeks ago I spent my time with them in Bekasi. Now, if you must know, this is a town just on the outskirts of Jakarta, which has built a reputation of being insanely traffic-jammed and not in the least interesting. However, I’d like to beg to differ.
With a little digging on the internet, we managed to find this cute corner of a café in Pondok Gede, Bekasi. It’s so reminiscent of small coffee shops in Japan, with a zen atmosphere to boot. They serve such subtly tasty kinds of coffee and delicious bites—the Salmon Quiche was superb! The baristas are so accommodating and the area is spacious, so there’s no chance of crowding. What a quaint little nook!
Thrifted button-up // hand-me-down top + skirt // IKAT Indonesia mask // photos by Agung
The place doesn’t serve heavy meals, though, so we moved on to eat noodles at Bakmi 8 Kursin for dinner. It was also such a tasty gem—although not as aesthetically-pleasing, mind you. Funny thing is, though Agung has lived his whole life in this town, he has never bothered to explore the area. He was really surprised to find such a comfortable, aesthetically-pleasing space exists in Bekasi. I wouldn’t blame him—I, too, wouldn’t know the hidden gems hiding in my own backyard.
I’ve encountered this phenomenon over and over again. Long ago in Germany, all the time in Surabaya and even at my friend’s house—who lives right across from a famous museum for decades. Sometimes it takes a completely new set of eyes to really look at a place and drag out the beauty that a native wouldn’t be able to see. That’s why, I try my best to live like a tourist whenever I can—take in everything with a sense of novelty. It makes me appreciate the little things that I would otherwise have taken for granted.
What is a hometown charm you’ve never noticed until recently?