Rice Field

Long story short, after the tragedy yesterday, I decided to go back to the east to check my mom. She finds it difficult doing basic everyday tasks and I am back to visit her until she recovers. I found the earliest train possible and I ended up boarding a station that I have not visited for a long time. The station only serves economy class trains where people are crammed together in a small seating. But luckily, I got to board a better part of the train where I was sitting alone and was able to also enjoy the scenery along the way.

Where I mostly live, the weather has been dull and it’s pretty depressing. It rains almost everyday with nothing to see but shopping malls and tiny parks. As I am growing older, I quite enjoy surrounded with nature and always jealous of those who live in villages. Like in a recent tweet, I mentioned that I wanted to do a homestead and live in the village. Yet @liveofdalla took me back to reality by mentioning that I can’t live without starbucks. Funnily enough, before boarding the train, I stopped by starbucks to get the beans and coffee before I am living with my mom in a city without any starbucks in sight.

As far as I remember that place above is a part of the air-force military base in Yogyakarta. It's such a beautiful way to that area and thankfully boarding this train, I get to see it.

The train moves at a slower speed compared to what I normally board. It has a full view but not panoramic enough. The window was slightly dirty but as soon as we reached the east, I was in awe of the view of rice fields and the mountain range. The sun illuminates it perfectly and I decided to read a book before I am going further east with even better views.

That book above is Brave New World. I have to be honest that it was almost difficult to read because I was distracted with the views but because I have committed to read, I continued reading for another 20 minutes before I eventually gave up and just lost in the view.

It’s the planting season in the country where throughout the way, I was seeing farmers rhythmically moving from front to back planting the rice. In this country, planting rice is still manual labor and machinery is only involved in the end-process from grains to packaging. I thoroughly enjoyed the trip as the train moves at a slower speed and I was able to enjoy the scenery. It is certainly unlike the experience when I am boarding the speed train where I can not even take any pictures. The trio today comes with another realization that everywhere in the east has better weather. They have better views, better weather but certainly hotter. Maybe after all, no matter where you go as long as you go east, you will find good weather and view.

For me, the most awesome part was when I got to see the peak of the mountain range before it was shrouded by the clouds. Then, as soon as we get to bigger cities in the east, the tracks were no longer showing me a beautiful rice fields but once again, range of houses and clutters of civilization.