Lunar New Year, in Ubud (Bali Island Diary ①)

For the Lunar New Year, I'd like to spend it abroad if possible. It's a small, vague wish that my husband and I have somehow carried on. Quite a lot of time has passed since we came to Vietnam. But spending the Lunar New Year relaxing together as a couple turns out to be surprisingly difficult. There was COVID, there's work, we're spending time with friends... Sometimes it ends up being "before I knew it, this time we managed to make it work with our schedules." This time, for the first time in a while, we're off to Ubud in Bali. It's my third time in Bali. Ubud is a place I especially love, and since the last time was before COVID, it's been quite a while when I think about it. It really is soothing. Even though I came here to relax, it's the getting-here part that's never relaxing—that's life. Our preparations weren't perfect. Having booked the hotel and flights early, I let myself feel like everything was settled. Then at the last minute I panicked over the visa—the VOA. Even with the currency exchange, I stayed unsure whether to convert Japanese yen or Vietnamese money into dollars. And I set off still undecided. It seems that uncertainty isn't something you leave behind, but something you carry with you.

There were flight delays and all sorts of things, so it was already night by the time I reached the hotel. But I've come back to Ubud, to the forest wrapped in stillness and humidity, the presence of insects, the breath of birds. The forest is good. I was the one bustling about on my own, while the forest wears a face that says it was the forest from the very beginning. Right now, we're feeling more like the countryside than the sea. We're drawn to rice paddies, hills, and forests. Blaming it on our age is probably the most peaceful way to put it. When I was younger, I feel like I used to say things like "The sea!", but now my heart leans more toward the sloping paths. Ubud had more shops than before. It seemed to have grown livelier, too. Even so, when you pass through the narrow lanes and steep slopes, you're reminded that this land's harsh yet abundant character still remains. The banana trees are swaying. The insects are chirping. The birds are singing. It seems it'll rain from midday. Ubud in the rainy season is a lovely time too, its mystery only deepening. Happy New Year. This year as well, I'll keep walking forward. For now, let's go buy some water. The start of the Lunar New Year begins, unexpectedly, from something like that. And I'll probably feel a little sense of accomplishment just from going to buy water. Relocation Life Ranking