Stories of Popshie : How Does It Feel to Live in Ubud, Bali

It feels so sad to finally come back home to Jakarta. I still sometimes hearing people speaking in different accent of English during my nap. In fact, I still vividly remember my conversation with those international writers and the voice of guys who flirt with me during the event. Even the smell of their perfume.

There are so many good things in Ubud that I still want to experience and to stay with, the foods, the people, the arts, the scenery, the shops, the bars, the restaurants, the cafes, the bookstores, everything!

Now I understand why whilst in Ubud I met many foreigners who want to or some even already settled down in Ubud. They leave their modern and sophisticated cities such as California, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, to stay in a quiet yet lovely small village which is Ubud.

So, I was in Ubud for about a week, working as a volunteer for Ubud Writers and Readers Festival (UWRF) 2012. UWRF is an annual literacy festival, which invite writers from all around Indonesia and around the World (well, mostly are Australian) to discuss certain topic/issues selected.

I myself also aspiring to live in Ubud in the future, it is a real ideal place to spend your retiring moment. Though, I am not sure if Ubud will be the same in some few years. The vast growing tourist sector in Ubud has declined the local value of the society. There are so many exclusive -which of course expensive- resorts all along the way Ubud main streets these days. Tourists don’t come to Ubud for its magnificent traditional culture anymore. They start to come to Ubud simply because it is widely known for its stunning modern resort in between beautiful rice field scenery. Moreover, it also has branded product stores built right beside the traditional houses which make it a unique selling point. Construction of new buildings for tourist keeps growing incredibly uncontrollable. As the result, there is less rice fields left as people keeps selling and then building something new over it.

That is why during the events, there were many discussions evolved around the topic of how to create a sustainable tourism in Bali. As in to keep the local culture of Bali preserved while also keep getting income from tourism sector. It’s a tough question right? You can’t take something without giving something else. At least that is what Balinese people believe, it’s their philosophy.

Despite the debate over Ubud, I found that maybe that is what I actually need. That is what my heart really looking for. A quiet and simple place in where modernity and local culture are blending into one. It’s surprising that I can life there in Ubud without even have to worry about email, checking twitter and blackberry msger. When walking down the street alone, I don’t really care what I wear. I ate a lot too as I was less stress. Or perhaps it is because I was in Ubud for escaping. Perhaps…

To be continued…