On Rainy Days before Flying

A week before my flight to Jakarta, I joined two markets, in Uluwatu and Ubud. The Uluwatu market was at Ulu Fats, organized by Sekumpul. And the market in Oasis Ubud is the first weekend market by CP Lounge Ubud. At Ulu Fats, I met Suci, Iyam, and more. They are university students from Udayana and PNB, working part-time while selling products at the market. The items they were selling were businesses owned by locals in Bali. While chatting at my tarot table, they ended up having tarot readings with me.

It turned out that Suci’s tarot reading was quite serious because of her family background. Her parents live in different cities, but she has a sincere intention to reunite them. However, both of her parents carry their own wounds, which affects how they communicate with each other. From her reading, it was clear that Suci needs to focus on her own life, building her identity and career first. In a way, if she establishes her own independent life in the future, she will be able to share her stories and experiences with her parents, which could naturally improve their communication. It’s all just about divine timing. This reminded me of my story. In the past, I really wanted to help my parents’ situation, but I didn’t know how. Eventually, I realized that the best thing I could do was to accept their circumstances and focus on myself. Transforming my own life and listening to my intuition led me to natural guidance, helping me move forward rather than feeling stuck in a situation or condition.

The weather in Bali has been cloudy, rainy, and sometimes windy, so there weren’t many visitors at the market. Because of that, I had the chance to have deep conversations with the girls. After the market ended, I left some of my art tote bags with Suci in case she sells at another market in the future. I had printed my artwork on tote bags, and some of them were displayed at a friend’s sportwear store Athens Activewear in Uluwatu and another friend’s place in Ubud, Askara Sound Temple. From selling these tote bags, I learned which designs were more eye-catching for buyers because I have different styles in handmade art and digital art. It turns out that my Egyptian/Ancient/Ethnic-style paintings sell better.

The next day, I meet Defi at Kedai Hou Ah in Kuta because she was going to take me to Ubud. I used to take the red bus to Ubud for less than Rp 10,000, but unfortunately, the service was discontinued just a few days before I arrived in Bali last year. It’s sad because that bus was really useful and affordable, especially for students, elderly people, and traders who relied on it. Anyway, Kedai Hou Ah is such a unique place! The interior and music have a vintage feel, making it a cozy spot to spend time. They play old Chinese songs, which adds to the nostalgic atmosphere. Their bread and drinks were absolutely delicious. I’ll definitely come back before 8 AM when they open because, by 8:30, the restaurant is already packed. It’s clearly a popular spot for breakfast!

I needed to arrive at CP Lounge by 11 AM, but since I had already booked a hotel at Jati 3 Bungalows, I had to check in and take a shower first. Funny enough, a few days before leaving my place in Jimbaran, the water had stopped working due to water issues in several areas of Bali. Just yesterday, I had to shower using bottled water. When I arrived at Jati 3 Bungalows, I was pleasantly surprised, the room had just been renovated, so the facilities were great, and even the shower was brand new. I only paid Rp 300,000 from tiket.com app for a spacious and beautiful room and a balcony with a view of green trees and the peaceful sound of flowing river water. The hotel also has a clean and comfortable swimming pool, and its strategic location in central Ubud makes it very convenient, it’s just a short walk from Monkey Forest!

When I arrived at CP Lounge, the weather was clear, but a few hours later, strong winds and heavy rain suddenly came. There weren’t many visitors, but the CP Lounge team helped with documentation and promotion. My table was placed a bit further from the other vendors to give privacy for tarot readings. As always, my table, filled with colorful tarot and oracle cards, caught people’s curiosity. Even the restaurant staff were interested, so I invited them to sit down and have a reading with me. Since there weren’t many customers at the time, talking and doing tarot readings with the staff made the atmosphere more lively. It was better than just sitting there in silence. 

Through our conversation, I learned something new, most of them were planning to work on cruise ships or find jobs abroad. It wasn’t just at this restaurant, later, when I hung out with Defi in a cafe, we also talked to the staff there, and many of them were also waiting for job offers on cruise ships in Europe. The waiting time wasn’t short either, some had already been waiting for a year since applying.

After the event at CP Lounge, I found out that Ajeng, Kiki’s sister who involved with the restaurant, is also a Facilitator for Access Bars. I met Ajeng through Defi when she took me to Ranakami for a Qi Gong and sound healing last year, but I only know and tried the experience of access bars in this moment, perhaps at the right time. 

Access Bars is a gentle healing technique that involves lightly touching 32 energy points on the head that are believed to store thoughts, emotions, and beliefs. These points, or “Bars,” correspond to different aspects of life, such as healing, creativity, money, and relationships. The goal of an Access Bars session is to release mental and emotional blockages, allowing the mind and body to relax and reset. People who receive the treatment often feel lighter, more peaceful, and experience better mental clarity.

She has been offering classes for those who want to get certified in Access Bars. She invited me to try a session after the event. During the session, I lay down, closed my eyes, and relaxed while Ajeng gently held specific points on my head. The session lasted for 40 minutes, and I ended up falling asleep. At first, my arms felt heavy, but over time, that sensation disappeared. After the session, Ajeng told me that different parts of my body had moved on their own, especially my legs and hands. She explained that this happens because the body is releasing trapped emotions naturally through movement.

The sensation in my body felt similar to what I experience with the Sedona Method, which I’ve been practicing. The difference is in the technique, the Sedona Method works by using specific questions to access and release emotions from the subconscious, while Access Bars uses gentle touch on the head to release stored energy and emotional blockages. 

It was so interesting to have this unexpected experience just a day before my flight to Jakarta, almost like a gentle treatment before back to family. When I arrived in Jakarta, my mom and brother took me for a reflexology massage, which made my week feel so calm and peaceful. Defi also gave me a lovely insight to thank the land of Jakarta for all the blessings it has given me, once I arrived.

It feels like… when I said yes, no matter the weather, we kept moving forward and embraced what life has to offer. I’m so thankful for the wonderful people I cross paths with in my daily life, kind souls with the good intentions. I always feels that whenever things don’t go as expected, God makes up for it with something even better. It might be not be what we had in mind, but we always end up the best experiences.

Thank you,

Aninda Juni