I jinxed it

So my last blog was about how I love to ride my motorbike.... Big mistake I jinxed it.

Three days ago, me and my friend were on my motorbike on the way home. We were both really happy after spending a good night watching my friend play in a band. So anyhoo, whilst driving through the campus of a University, a bike started to drive really close to us, so close i could touch his bike- All i thought was " how weird is that" but a second later, i see that the two boys are trying to steal my friend bag from her, and as a result were also pulling my bike. The boys were thankfully not successful in getting my friends bag, but were successful in pulling me and my friend off the bike and making us fall and my bike slide down the road. The most scary experience I have had.

After we fell, I went into panic mode, screaming and crying. Thankfully my friend totally calmed me down, a kind fisherman helped us, and then the police came but nothing they can really do for us.

My injuries are not serious, a sprain, grazes and a dislocated knee. I now walk a little funny until i start to heal. Today in an effort to speed up the recovery my boyfriend took me for a traditional massage- I had to no idea what to expect, i thought maybe a light massage to release the tension- How wrong i was, i was led into a really dark and dingy room, where my blind masseuse proceeded to try to click my knee back into place, oh the pain. I screamed so much, and cried for the whole ten minutes of the hellish massage. Thankfully now, i am walking much better so that's a good sign that the pain was worth it.

I have learnt one lesson this week, don't jinx good luck.

x

Dont Think just do

Ok so driving in Jojga may not be the safest of places to drive but I have been successfully driving my motorbike for a couple of months now, and touch wood I haven't had a problem yet. I was driving yesterday in total mayhem and i started to think how the hell have I not had an accident?! I mean if you have seen these roads then you know that its total craziness.

So here are my top tips in order to survive the roads of Jogja or anywhere else in Indonesia.

1. Do not at any time be polite and let people go in front of you, or come out of a street- just charge on.
2. Consider cars the enemy, they beep, they are faster and bigger- We hate them.
3. Don't get yourself stuck behind a bus, coach or becak, if you do expect to use your brakes every second.
4. If coming out of a small street onto a main road, don't stop just go go go, even if you can see lots of traffic they will move.
5. Have no fear of being nearly squished by a lorry and a coach on either side of you. It always works out.
6. Make sure your mirrors are positioned to see the sky and not the road, or better yet- don't use your mirrors at all- just swerve into the lane and hope nobody is in your way.

Ok so I am being super English and using amples of sarcasm here, because here in Indonesia well my sarcasm isn't understood... So i am applying lashings of it here.

Although totally dangerous, driving my motorbike gives me a real sense of freedom, I truly enjoy riding around with the wind blowing in my face. It makes me proud that I have learned something else here, how to ride the roads with confidence.

Everything else fine over here, just plodding along doing what I do. My job is going well, my health better and my social life 100% better, I now have friends that i trust and care about( and who sometimes get my humor too). Guitar lessons are going well, I am now in process of learning a whole song- Its a really cool Indonesian song called Pelan Pelan saja- Slow Slow only( not a great direct translation). I hope one day i can play and sing at the same time, that's my ultimate goal.

Okelah gotta go!

Niketa xxx

Beauty comes from Within

A year ago i was totally obsessed with the way I looked- Clothes and Makeup. I obsessed about it so much, as i was totally lacking in confidence people may have thought that I was this confident person because that's the way I acted. How wrong.

I find that since i have moved to Indonesia I have become so less obsessed with the way I look, I am comfortable in my own skin, if people don't like the way I look then that's their problem. But i think more than anything i have come to realize that beauty isn't how you look but how you are as a person. Cliched as it sounds but do you have a beautiful heart?

At first we are attracted to a person by the way they look, but after a while you come to find out that the beautiful person is not such a nice person. I am told daily how beautiful i am, because of my unique look( not so white, not so asian), maybe a year ago I would have been so happy to hear those comments, but now( yes of course I like) but always think about how beauty is only skin deep, what about me as a person. Am i beautiful too? I wish someone would just say that to me.... Oh Niketa you are such a beautiful person. But then I start to think, Am i a beautiful person inside?

I start to think what I could to make myself a better person... I look through all my flaws, and i decide yeah maybe a i could be a better person. More so a better sister and Friend, I could be a little more understanding, interested and thoughtful. I could make more time and effort with new and old friends. I love my sisters and friends so much, so why not show it more...? I love you! ha ha.

I don't know why I have gone all spiritual on this blog, I suppose Indonesia has mellowed me out a little. I am not the same person as I was in England. My priorities have changed, I am more concerned about my health, my future and when I will see my sisters again( i miss u so much). I think also when I was doing my modeling shoot thing, I realized that been young and looking young doesn't last forever, but been a nice person does. I suppose I also have a lot of time to think as there are lots of moments when i am alone and free to think.

At the moment, i am feeling a little scared here, i mean there are moments where i feel super confident and will happily chat away with anyone in Indonesian, but right now I feel a little lost and shy. I feel like this small fish in one huge bowl... Totally lost and directionless. It's a phase and it will pass I know.

But overall I feel happier than I have done in a while, i have started to get my appetite back, and can actually see my curves returning, I feel stronger and determined to get my health back on track. After last weeks week long sickness, I have realized if i don't eat then I will be in serious trouble soon.... so eat, eat and eat!!

Thanks guys for reading my blog, i am always happy to hear from people, and I hope that you guys enjoy reading my feelings and new life.

Love to everyone.