Circle of Friends

Sometimes I feel funny about relationships I got hold of in my life. Good friends could start from any kind of circumstances. Ten minutes in airport lounge, sharing an umbrella in one hot morning, sitting side by side in the same venue every year… The latter was my circumstance with Janice from Sydney. She works in an office that deals with words in Sydney and was anything from tour guide, maitre d’hotel, restaurant owner…

This is our second year sharing same passion about books in the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival forum. I found her two years ago in a spot at the venue. We often sat together and had a quick lunch or coffee between sessions. Back home after the Festival, we developed friendship through emails. Not often but enough to keep our friendship intact. She almost didn’t attend this year’s but in the last minute she decided to go. So it’s good to see her again. Familiarity creates comfort.

Nothing is coincidence so I didn’t take Janice for granted. I respect her as someone who is sent to be part of my life. I didn’t sit with her much this year as I had more friends I know from Jakarta. I was dragged into different activities during the day. Anyway, I decided to sit and talk with her today. We didn’t sit long as we both had errands to run but any time we had was enough to get to know each other better – offline – after two years.

It’s Monday and life resumed. I haven’t planned my week. I have done major homework before the Festival but that doesn’t mean I have less. Like diet, I will start doing again tomorrow.

Picture of an unfinished house in the middle of rice field in Ubud.