MORNING sun in Bulungdaya, Selemadeg, Tabanan, greets us with its distinctive warmth. The aroma of freshly brewed Balinese coffee mixed with the smell of wet soil after the dew last night, creates a symphony of smells that can only be found on the Island of the Gods. In the middle of the expanse of green rice fields like a carpet, a group of tourists in complete trekking clothes look enthusiastic following Mr. Komang, an energetic local tour guide.
“Good morning everyone! Ready to experience the sensation of trekking across Bali’s hidden paradise?” said Pak Komang with a wide smile.
Among the group, there was a male tourist wearing thick glasses named Kevin. He was holding a sophisticated selfie stick with a mini drone attached to the end. The drone, which Kevin named “SelfieBot 5000”, has a unique artificial intelligence (AI), tends to be narcissistic, and a little dramatic.
“Oh, what an instagrammable view!” said a female tourist while brandishing her cellphone.
SelfieBot 5000, who heard the compliment, immediately developed its propeller proudly. “Of course! With a 4K lens and automatic beauty filter feature, every shot I take is a masterpiece!” he exclaimed in a mechanical voice that sounded a little arrogant.
Their journey along the narrow rice field embankment began. Kevin occasionally directed SelfieBot 5000 to take pictures from dramatic angles. The drone flew nimbly, avoiding the hats of farmers who were working with slightly exaggerated acrobatic movements.
“Be careful, Kevin! Your drone almost hit Mr. Wayan!” another tourist scolded.
“Don’t worry,” Kevin replied confidently, “This SelfieBot 5000 is equipped with the most sophisticated anti-collision sensor. It is smarter than a sparrow.”
Suddenly, when SelfieBot 5000 was busy taking close-up pictures of a dragonfly perched on a rice flower, the wind blew quite hard. The drone wobbled for a moment and unexpectedly, hit a capil (a traditional Balinese farmer’s hat) worn by a middle-aged female farmer who was diligently planting rice.
Brak!
The capil fell into the mud. The female farmer was shocked and stared at the drone that was now lying helplessly near her with a confused look.
“Ouch! I’m sorry, Ma’am!” Kevin exclaimed in panic as he ran over to the farmer.
The SelfieBot 5000, which seemed to be in a bit of shock, made strange beeping sounds. “Oh, fate! My smooth lens! My mighty propeller!” he wailed dramatically.
The female farmer, who turned out to be named Mrs. Ayu, only smiled at Kevin’s panic and the behavior of her drone. “It’s okay, son. It’s just a regular capil,” she said softly as she cleaned her capil from the mud.
However, a miracle (or perhaps AI’s strangeness) happened. The SelfieBot 5000, which had been lamenting its fate, suddenly fell silent when it saw Mrs. Ayu smile. The sunlight that penetrated the leaves made Mrs. Ayu’s face look calm and warm.
“What a… charming smile,” muttered SelfieBot 5000 in a different tone, sounding softer and… amazed?
Kevin managed to retrieve his drone. Oddly enough, after that incident, SelfieBot 5000 became quieter and no longer bragged about his greatness. He was even seen often “glancing” at Mrs. Ayu who returned to her work.
After walking for about an hour, they arrived at a small hut in the middle of the plantation. There, a table was provided with fresh young coconuts neatly arranged and various kinds of traditional Balinese cakes such as wajik, bubuh injin, and pisang rai.
“Please enjoy, Sir and Madam!” said Mr. Komang kindly. “All of this is included in our trekking package.”
The tourists enthusiastically rushed to the fresh drinks and delicious cakes. Kevin sat near Mrs. Ayu who was taking a short break near the hut buk.
“Once again, I apologize for what happened earlier, Mrs. Ayu,” Kevin said sincerely.
Mrs. Ayu smiled again. “I told you, it’s okay, son. It was funny to see the drone hit my capil.”
Suddenly, SelfieBot 5000, which was attached to Kevin’s selfie stick, made a soft sound. “Excuse me, Mrs. Ayu… Your capil… is very artistic.”
Kevin was surprised. Since when could his drone give such sincere compliments?
Mrs. Ayu chuckled. “Thank you, Son Drone.”
While enjoying the young coconut and wet cake, SelfieBot 5000 continued to make strange but funny comments about Mrs. Ayu’s capil. Starting from praising the “unique and sustainable woven design, to admiring the “down-to-earth and authentic” color.
“It seems… my drone is in love with your capil,” Kevin joked with a chuckle.
Mrs. Ayu and Mr. Komang laughed when they heard Kevin’s words. “Maybe, Kevin. Love knows no form,” said Mr. Komang wisely.
After resting and enjoying local dishes, the group continued trekking. SelfieBot 5000, which was usually always actively taking pictures, was now more often silent and only occasionally made a soft beep whenever Ibu Ayu was seen nearby.
At the end of the trip, before parting, Kevin approached Ibu Ayu once again. “Thank you very much for your hospitality, Mrs. Ayu. And sorry again about my rude drone.”
Mrs. Ayu nodded with a smile. “You’re welcome, Kevin. Say hello to your drone that is in love with me.”
As the group of tourists boarded the bus to return to the hotel, Kevin looked towards the rice fields and saw Mrs. Ayu waving while wearing her simple capil. Suddenly, SelfieBot 5000 made a clearer sound than usual.
“Goodbye, Enchanting Capil…”
Kevin could only shake his head with a smile. It turns out that a vacation in Bali not only provides beautiful scenery and delicious food, but also an unexpected love story between a narcissistic selfie drone and a simple farmer’s capil. And who knows, maybe in the future, there will be a tour package “Romanticism of Drones and Capil in Ubud Rice Fields”. (*)
