Meatballs on Wheels

Having been living in the US for half my life, I've been adhering to the three-meal a day schedule for sometime now. I'm always surprised when, at around 4pm, different members of my family would start bringing in some kind of food that seem to appear out of nowhere. Yesterday, it was bakso (meatball soup.) I wasn't hungry at all, but a flood of childhood memories came rushing in, and I decided to join in the fun for old time sake. I followed my nephew outside to order one for myself and got to meet this really friendly guy as he was busy preparing bowls after bowls of soup.

This is different from what I was used to seeing in Jakarta where I grew up. Back then, the vendor walked around pushing a cart, instead of riding on a motorcycle. But the set up is similar: a big pot of broth with a stove underneath, a stack of bowls, spoons, hot sauce, soy sauce, and a caseful of meatballs and noodles. He has a "dishwasher" too, but it's not up to Western standard, so I thought I spare you the horror.

Every bowl is made to your preference. Check out the options of what you can have in yours.

Remembering my parents' concern about the not-very-clean bowls, I brought out my own bowl. I decided to have everything: two kinds of meatballs (one is meatier, the other more starchy), noodle, shredded cabbage, fried tofu and fried wonton. I didn't question the nutritional value. Probably not much, but who cares when it's fun. And here's my bowl.

To Market, To Market...

I first learned about how early the Ubud central market opens from the woman who made breakfast for me the first time I visited the town. She would serve a great banana pancake with fresh fruit juice by 7 am, and she mentioned that she started her shopping at 5:30 in the morning. Since then, my favorite thing to do on the morning after my arrival is going to the market, because nothing grounds me more than getting in the middle of hustle and bustle with the locals, seeing familiar food, and hearing the native language spoken. It's an instant welcome that I find very comforting. And when you're still jet-lagged, waking up super early, it's good to know there is somewhere fun to go to.

I always bring my camera along on this first day while I'm still excited about things, because after a few days, I become one of the people who go there to buy food supply and not so much a photographer on a mission. After all, who wants to lug around a camera while loading up on fruits and vegetables?

That said, I do suggest that you always bring your camera because you never know what you might encounter. And if you like your shot to have that authentic Balinese scene, I strongly encourage that you get there early, because by 7:30am, the crowd starts to shift: less locals, more tourists, and the outside part of the market becomes a parking lot for the tourist buses.

Here's a sampling of what's on offer to whet your appetite to go exploring in the market when you're here. Enjoy!

A variety of sweet snacks to go with your coffee

Freshly harvested eggs for your omelet or pancakes

Tangerines for your juice

If you need more substantial breakfast, freshly grilled pork satay is also available