The Diary Game 26 January 2026 : Instant noodles have a thousand stories

I spent a day at my friend's place in East Aceh, a place called Langkahan. It was very meaningful, even though it contained many stories of sadness experienced by the residents of Gampong Langkahan, East Aceh. I might not have wanted to accept the invitation of my best female friend, Mutia, but my heart couldn't hold it in. For several days now, my friend has been inviting me to see the conditions and life in her village.

Instant noodles save residents affected by flood disaster

Since last night, I've been thinking about her. This friend always helps me. During the floods in my area, she always warns me to be careful. No... I couldn't ignore my friend's invitation. Moreover, my friend begged me to accompany her because her parents had gone to her mother's house to clean up the flood damage. Today, I was devastated by the state of East Aceh. Every village looked like a dead village.

Every day, the people of East Aceh are miserable, sometimes without a place to rest. Acehnese people said after the devastating floods a few months ago, "Those of you who have a home are still grateful." There are also those who have lost everything; they deserve to be stronger and more grateful for everything. Ask the people of East Aceh and find out that instant noodles are a very popular food these days, cheap and a perfect accompaniment to a variety of dishes, such as rice.

I spent a lot of time listening to stories from my friend, Mutia, the youngest child. When I heard stories about the floods, all her possessions were swept away in the blink of an eye, and her daily diet was instant noodles. There were even worse cases, where residents whose possessions were lost received no assistance from the government. I spent a lot of time listening to friends' stories. Their only salvation was instant noodles, which they relied on to fill their stomachs because there was no other food.

Catfish

This fish was caught using traditional tools. While I still have time, I'd like to share a little more about a fish called "Semilang," or as the locals call it, "moustache fish." So, all my fellow Steemians. This fish was caught in the river by my friend's uncle. Because it's been raining constantly lately, the river is full of fish, like this one, the "Semilang" fish. So, my friend's uncle, Mutia, always takes his fishing team to the river every morning and evening. He's old, but his spirit and spirit are unwavering.

Every morning and evening, it's his daily routine to catch fish in the river. If it rains at night, the river will certainly have several fish gathered, especially since the water is salty. Semilang fish often appear, as they live in both fresh and salt water. Semilang fish are one of my friend's daily breakfasts. Besides, earning money these days is very difficult, so this is a huge help to his economy.

The atmosphere as the evening approaches in East Aceh

I spent a day and a night accompanying Mutia at home because her mother had gone to the village to visit her relatives. It felt easier, despite the difficulties, because, in my experience, the houses here are sparse, quiet, and silent. Sometimes, the internet connection is also often lost. This afternoon, approaching nightfall, I had to return to my residence immediately. Knowing the conditions in Aceh now, it would be very dangerous to return home too late at night. Besides, I don't have a motorbike. Mutia drove me home.

When I came home with my friends, I found the counter was still open.

At 8:00 p.m., I set off home with Mutia. We hoped for a smooth journey, as the roads in Aceh are currently in dire straits, truly terrible, with deep potholes. We drove along a quiet stretch of road, with Mutia riding her motorcycle, taking great care because the roads were so bad. Finally, midway through my journey home, I asked Mutia to stop because I saw a small kiosk on the side of the village road that was still open. I simply topped up my phone credit just in case my card ran out of validity.

I bought some phone credit to keep my card from dying or running out of validity, as it's very difficult to find kiosks or kiosks where I live. Luckily, I found a small kiosk that was still open on the way home.

Thank you for stopping by my post, See You...Bye, bye!