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Let's Talk About Beer

I just had a bottle of beer and suddenly I feel so nostalgic and creative juice feels like flowing through my mind. Too bad I got no more beer for now hahaha.

Among all other alcoholic beverages, I like beer the most. In fact, I don't really like alcoholic beverages other than beer. Well except pina colada. But beer, it offers unique sense for your taste bud. I know, my preference might not look cool for a young woman haha.

Funny thing, I only started to grow fondness for beer a couple years ago, to be precise in 2019 or 2020. It was a simple crazy night in with my 4 friends. One of them was currently back from Germany and of course she brought the beer drinking culture with her as well hahaha. After several sips, turned out I started to enjoy it. And after that, my relationship with beer started to be better. How was life before that? Well it was fine but sometimes sucks. There was a night when I hang out with a friend in a beer garden, he ordered a craft beer, and unfortunately I couldn't enjoy it. Too bad, I know. My present self really regrets that, because she would definitely love that bottle of beer. And even that friend also gave me a big bottle of Heineken beer as a farewell gift, which you know, was a hard one to drink up.

Now, I've tasted several types of beer, even though I don't remember all those type and I'm nowhere near to be a beer connoisseur (but I aspire to be). But I had several memorable drinking memories. One of them is trying the Breman Brewery and Resto in Gianyar. It is a brewery house and they have some unique tasting beer, like mango. The beer was good.

Also, a memory of drinking craft beers at Lola's Beer in Sanur. It was a place of my first date with my current boyfriend (it feels so lovely).

To think about it, beer somehow could become a sentimental beverage for me. A lot of good memories I had was accompanied by a glass or a bottle (or even a tower haha) of beer. And it indeed gives you a sense of relax without getting too drunk (I like to stay sober).

Anyway, one of my bucket list is to go on a tour in a brewery house. I want to learn more about beer. Also, one of my managed merchant now sells brewery machine and tools, who knows I can try to make my own beer at home hahah.

After talking about all these, I want to create a dedicated post about beer introduction, but I need to do some research first. See you!

*notes: this is the kind of song that I listen to when I feel relaxed after having some sips of beer. oh I love the vibe

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I think no matter how life has changed me, that little side of me will always be there.

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I don't know yet what I want, but I know what I don't want.

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God, I don't like the job.. I know there's no such an easy job. But I feel like I'm not suited with it, and with all additional pressures and targets, it can be overwhelming. Please give me strength to go through the difficult days. And when will I get the chance, an opportunity, that will be better for me?

Sometimes I act as if I don't give a shit. But I actually do. And after some times, I couldn't bear the weigh. All of sudden I feel like I want to cry. Maybe eventually it will get too heavy. I don't know how long I can endure it.

Sometimes I think maybe it's just about mindset and mental strength. I don't know, I'm not sure. I'll try my best.

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Imagine staying in a coastal hotel in eastern Bali. At this hour still sitting on the beach, slow sipping a can of easy ale, listening to Your Latest Trick by Dire Straits, looking at the vast sea and starry sky, feeling the cold night wind gently touch your skin. Contemplating life.. or just enjoying the moment.

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We had countless fights and tears. But we also had warm hugs, passionate kisses, sunny days we spent by the beach, binge watching nights from anime to F1 races, and so many beautiful memories. Life has its own way to balance things.

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We're imperfect but now we're getting stronger.

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Another beautiful song that makes my heart aching and my mind wandering.

A night drive on a quite seaside road, all alone by myself, and just embracing my emotional state, contemplating life. That's where I am when listening to this song.

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This would've been a good start, but this particular Monday sucks.

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I love solitude. I like having a queen-size bed for myself only. I enjoy watching comedy series while laying on my bed all alone.

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I feel happy and content with my life right now, but sometimes I feel empty. Everything seems just fine but I don't know where should I be heading to, not sure what things I should fight for or let go of. Clueless.

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Let’s Talk About Bossa Nova

Few weeks ago, I was seeing a free live jazz performance named “Southbeach Jazzy Street”. The host described the event as “an evening of jazzy vibes, latin-tinged, streetside groovy soul, breezy beach, and beautiful music.” It was a very enjoyable evening for me, I shed tears in my heart because of personal reason that I had been longing to watch some jazz performances long before I got the chance to live here in Bali. That evening, the band played popular songs that some of them were pretty familiar for me, such as Girl from Ipanema, Spain, and Englishman in New York. With two guitars, one flute, and one latin percussion (looked like djembe drum), they successfully brought the vibes of southbeach that they had claimed earlier in the advertisement. As the night’s getting late, some people fell deeper into the moods and they started dancing into the rhythms. What a moment of delight.

Later on, I told a friend of mine about that joyful experience that I had. He then asked me a question that more or less sounds like this “How could they dance? What kind of jazz that can make people dance?” Spontaneously I answered “They also played bossa nova”, trying to refer to the kind of music that is more upbeat with latin-style melodies, typical southbeach music. (Now I feel bad to have given that answer because I wasn’t sure that those people danced to bossa nova songs. I think the band actually also played some reggae, samba, etc. that falls under the southbeach vibes). He didn’t know what bossa nova is, so I sent him a playlist of bossa nova songs. Turns out he didn’t really listen to it and in another occasion he asked me “how is bossa nova?”, probably expecting me to describe it through descriptive words. Unfortunately, I didn’t really know its characteristics, therefore I couldn’t give a helpful answer for him. And now, it just bothers me. Did I give a correct answer? Is bossa nova considered as jazz? Can people dance to jazz, or specifically bossa nova? So I did some research and decided to share my findings trough this post to preserve my new knowledge.

But before we talked about bossa nova, I would share the answer of this question first: What kind of jazz that can make people dance? For some people, they might think that jazz is a soothing genre that is suitable to accompany your peaceful evening or romantic dinner in a fine dining restaurant (like this song titled You Go To My Head). Turns out, there are some style of jazz that is dance-able, such as bebop and swing. Watch these videos to see how people could dance to jazz music. 

People dance to swing music  

People dance to bebop music

Yet, bossa nova as a genre that has root from jazz, can also make people dance. Here are some videos of people dance to bossa nova

A couple danced in a hall to Desafino

Some couples were slow dancing to Desafino that’s played by a band in a party

Professional couple dancer danced to Mas Que Nada 

Now Let’s Go To Bossa Nova Description

The History

“Bossa Nova began on the tropical beaches of Rio de Janeiro in the late 1950s, when a small group of mainly middle-class students, artists and musicians came together to create a new sound. Bossa Nova was a soft samba based on traditional Brazilian music and rhythms, American jazz, and a new style of Portuguese lyrics. It was a youthful celebration of romance, beach culture and sensual pleasure.”

“Bossa Nova is a type of Samba that borrows rhythmic elements from Jazz, with that Samba infused flavor and pacing being their main difference. So essentially, Bossa Nova is rhythmically similar to Samba but harmoniously closer to Jazz.”

So yes, bossa nova has a root from jazz, as well as samba.

The Characteristics

“Bossa is one of the samba styles, it’s called bossa nova samba in Brazil. However, there are quite a few differences. Bossa nova is played softer: it’s a more intimate style, with gentler vocals, played on acoustic instruments, with the nylon acoustic guitar the main reference for the distinctive bossa “sound.” Samba is usually more uptempo, with upbeat lyrics, but there are slower sambas as well such as samba-canção a styles predecessor of bossa nova.”

To sum up, here are the characteristics of bossa nova:

The development of spoken song – many songs had romantic lyrics, and used very light singing instead of the “big voice” from samba.

The glorification of natural landscapes and elaborated lyrics – the movement started in Rio de Janeiro, a city where there are so many wonderful natural monuments that it’s hard to count. With elaborated lyrics, composers declared their love for the city (as well as for the carioca women).

The richness of its instrumentation – many groups used instruments like the cello and the flute in their official ensemble, as well as piano, acoustic guitar and bass, and sometimes backing choirs.

The use of very light percussion – Contrary to techniques used in Samba, percussion features as a light musical accessory, instead of the main groove instrument.

The strong influence of American Jazz – many partnerships were made by Brazilian and American composers. The most famous and probably most successful was between João Gilberto and the saxophonist Stan Getz. However, some of Bossa Nova’s creators criticized this influence, arguing that the impact should exist only as a detail, instead of a mainstream approach.

The Examples

To make you understand it easily, here’s an example of samba music. See how they use many percussions and they sing the song out loud with “big voice”. Demônios da garoa: Trem das onze

While here’s an example of bossa nova. Listen how they use more instruments like piano, cello, flute, backing choirs, to make the music sounds richer. The singer sings in a softer and light voice.  Garota De Ipanema

And here’s an example of an upbeat bossa nova, that is more suitable for energetic dancing Quarteto do Rio & Roberto Menescal - Rio

That’s it. I hope you could get some more enlightenment after reading this post. I’m genuinely happy to write this because I also learn some new things while preparing this writing. See you on another topics.

Sources:

https://newyorkjazzworkshop.com/jazz-dance-able/

https://www.bnbmusiclessons.com/blog/difference-samba-bossa-nova/

http://www.albertonetto.com/brazilian-bossa-nova-or-samba-how-to-tell-the-difference-w-video/

https://tripsterpanda.com/culture-brazil/jazz-bossa-nova-difference/

https://www.abc.net.au/rn/features/bossanova/about.htm

P.S. Thanks to Faisal for had asked me the stimulating question. This post was born out of your (and my) curiosity.

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4. Being under the heat of the sun in a lazy sunny sunday afternoon, surrounded by vibrant flowers, feel the breeze, listening to the rock ballads.

Simple things where I find joy the most:

1. Taking hot showers at late night and listening to my fav soft rock playlist.

2. Cooking dinner in a semi-outdoor kitchen while listening to bossa nova playlist.

3. Driving in a long trip and being accompanied by my fav rock playlist.

4. To be continued...

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Simple things where I find joy the most:

1. Taking hot showers at late night and listening to my fav soft rock playlist.

2. Cooking dinner in a semi-outdoor kitchen while listening to bossa nova playlist.

3. Driving in a long trip and being accompanied by my fav rock playlist.

4. To be continued...

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Today I learned one more thing about my self: when I feel content after doing the activity I love, I can reconnect with my inner soul, I can think clearly, and I can be more at peace with my surroundings. Just like this evening, how I can peacefully letting him go, erasing my expectations, because I finally realized I've been just in love with the idea of him. And it's likely to be better for both of us to keep our distance as it is.

And I was being reminded again, that I'm totally great alone and might could be a not so good partner for anyone yet.

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I like to be kissed on cheeks

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Just had a memory with this song that I'm sure will be remembered for a long time. A memory of me driving on the newly-built highway at night, on the way home after a short trip with my fam. The passengers were tired, I was told to limit my speed and just follow my brother's car in front of ours. Steady drive, quite road, dark surroundings, soft rock playlist. Oh how I love the moment.