A bird builds a nest in what its mother describes a home. Protection—
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No one is truly detached from one’s root and that is a foundation that should not be shaken. Foundation is the last and foremost protecting part of a building. When others try to shake adult mature’s foundation principles, they are sooner or later surely destroying a construction that has been built carefully and systematically through parenting, education and culture especially in early age.
Still want to change your friends to be like what you want them to be? It is either killing them inside or killing you inside. Worse is both don’t realise that the other is dying or dead inside; even think there is a good change considered “a success to educate (wrong) friends”. Ah….! Illusion.
Solution? Eh? How would you treat a beautiful gift given to you? Don’t try changing others’ foundation principles. Instead accompany them grow to their best version as they are.
And for those not even appreciating their own or others’ roots: congratulations, you are doomed. Oops! I mean it takes longer time for you to reach true goals. 😁
Salaam.
💝
fly, achene. find a home where you rest your dreams.
White foam on turquoise sweeps back to dark blue deeper to where secrets are.
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dive more deeply to this deep sea and let yourself be greeted by the calmness and warmth of your own honesty and acceptance — there is something that doesn’t demand you to be anyone else but you 💗
The wings are flapping sprinkling blessings through the air. Breathe them. Be blissful.
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In Arabic angel is called malaaikatun or malaaikah or simply malaaikat (الْمَلٰٓئِكَةِ) literally meaning “power that governs”. In Islamic tradition the “power that governs” are grouped based on what type of assigned power they govern that are many and one of them is “power to govern protection”.
I always believe I am fully protected through the existence of the angels surrounding me although I am not interested to discuss about their form; people say angels have wings, others say they are made from light, some say malaaikah are systemic laws to run the universe, and so on and so forth. It doesn’t matter to me. That they exist and follow the assigned “power to govern” is enough for me.
Only when we listen, we will hear. We will hear the songs of the angels, the songs of universe, the songs of the heart, the songs of the soul. I prefer my angels to sing jazzy songs in this end of long weekend. 😁
Listening to heart…. 💗
Salaam.
‘ve met feathers almost everywhere walking recently; i took it as a sign that protection is everywhere and decided to always wear this silver pendant this year as an appreciation of the protection — thank you for the protection
Does heaven and earth exist other than in a lover’s smile? Yes. Dream.
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although not there, I still seek heaven and earth in you through my dream 🥰 happy new year to the other time zones until every spot on earth is covered by Jan 1, 2023
Thank you, 2022 for every single second spent together. You are a stronger part of what I’ve been building with love. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
And thanks to all years passing, too. I’ll miss you. 💝
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Life is wonderful that she is eager about it and is willing to expand and to keep up with what she is becoming. She is the pilot, she is the plane. She is the destination, she is the direction. She is the standard, she is the conformance. She is the alignment, she is the aligned. She is enough.
It is not others’ responsibility that she feels good or not good. The feel existing is because she allows it to be. And the vice versa.
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2023, be my excellent canvas of feel-good-no-matter-what. Clarity, sufficiency, integrity as in good life, beautiful love, genuine laughter 💗
Alfatihah.
💝
3 buceng (tumpeng) kuwat mini for today’s end of year blessing 💝
this type of buceng/tumpeng is made of sticky rice and grated coconut cooked in palm sugar; it is a buceng served in Javanese traditional ceremony for health and strength in physical, mental and spiritual — made it mini so i could enjoy it for today’s portion of breakfast, lunch and dinner 💝
clarity, sufficiency, integrity as in good life, beautiful love, genuine laughter
DC said “hey, 7! stop the call, firework is ready!” DC and I worked in the same office and stayed in the same rented house strictly for ladies, belonging to a rich Maduranese family in Greater Jakarta – the family always threw New Year celebration with some of us in the huge garden between their mansion and the rented house – we both were always excited because we never liked going out with some other ladies to celebrate it outside 🥰 oh my! it was me in the year 2002 welcoming 2003, calling my mother in new year’s eve from my Nokia 😀
waking up on Jan 1, 2003 morning in DC’s bedroom (hers was #4) that was full with stuffed animals — we probably only slept for 1 hour before she woke us up “ladies, wake up! pose before you even bath and brush your teeth, i will go develop the pictures today as new year’s gift for you all” and it is a true gift in 2023 for me 😂 thanks, DC! love from where i am 💝
‘m preparing and tasting homemade Vietnamese pho bo! This beef noodle never fails my day. Thanks to anyone who invented and perfect this recipe. This is main course in this New Year’s Eve. 😊
Count down continues!
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boom!
doo doo doo
doo doo doo
boil pho noodle, this time it is real pho noodle, last time i used pad thai noodle
simmer the purified beef and the herbs together. simmer. once again sim….mer…. for about 5 hours 😎
char the ginger
char the onion
this time simpler than my 1st pho
boil it in high heat to separate the beef from its impurities – oh beef inferno 😂
New year again! Thanks so much for reaching this point like a plane (an inch to) landing smoothly. Seat belt still on! Airplane mode still on! Yet the pilot is smiling widely with fire in her heart brighter and brighter, no red anymore, now almost blue to white!
There’s always blessing counted through breathing. Close eyes, the air prays for you.
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this is enough for the whole day! no rice today 😊1st plate for breakfast 💝 urap Jawa in cassava leaves, long bean, kecipir (square bean), carrot and sprout + raw long bean and damn kencur (fragrant ginger leaves)that raw leaves are leaves of kencur (fragrant ginger), fragrant and refreshing 😊 the yellow leaf was not wasted😀tempe and tofu, side dish that rocks! 😇
Days hum with a smile, Swiping hours of hunger Leaving only joy.
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opening the freezer, i found a bag of oxtail; bought 1kg even before the trip — ok, the best choice was making oxtail soup! 😎1st serving – i love delicious oxtail soup! 💕2nd one, there were 3 more — thanks god i don’t have cholesterol issue so it was a 2-day oxtail soup every meal with smiles and hums 😀
Heart should be as light as a swaying feather to enjoy life with only feel good no matter what.
In Javanese someone with heavy heart is called mbentoyong which literally means “bent and almost broken by the heavy loads”, it is associated with a tree whose branches are bent and almost broken because of heavy loads of ripened fruits”. This kind of person will not find happiness and joy in any point of one’s life; one will misunderstand alone with loneliness and so one will always find refuge among crowd; one is confused about one’s self; one will always refer to what others say about one as if their opinions are more important than one’s own. As long as one is not willing to unload the unnecessary burdens in heart, one will always be mbentoyong better and better and finally be a master of mbentoyong.
It is heavy. I know it is heavy. It is painful. I know it is painful. Be cured, dear heavy hearts whenever you feel heavy. Lightness of heart is a comfort even in discomfort. 🥰
I bless this heart which is light and swaying with the flow of clean river inside. Calm and witty and fun! Thank you for the feel good no matter what. Not easy but doable—
Salaam.
💗
“let’s go to Turkey, Rijk” my best friend texted me last week; “why not, Mbak” said i light-heartedly — it’s time for Konya 💗
Romance is a dimmed space under a dome bedazzled with glowing stars.
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dear glowing stars, let’s celebrate this light warm heart…. dear clean sky, keep being a space for this light warm heart…. dear centred earth, hug this light warm heart in a serene mood forever
I can’t know anymore what makes this area special for me, whether the Masjid Sultan or Wardah Books or two favourite restaurants here. Anyway at least two are in must-visit list at the same time. After visiting Masjid Sultan to submit charity from my fellow Indonesian, today’s preferred was Hokkaido (halal) ramen as Wardah Books was closed and the Turkish restaurant was too crowded — I don’t like crowded restaurant.
FYI, Masjid Sultan is surrounded by hundreds of restaurants and shops; it is an equivalent with old-time mosque which was always built around market place in order for people to reach it in no time.
When I meet friends in this area, it is either with a statement “let’s meet up at the mosque” or “meet at *** restaurant” or “Wardah Books this time?”. There is one question that my friends and I like to ask each other as either teaser or respect: “eating 1st or praying*) 1st?” The answer?
*) praying here is not a flash pray before starting activities like simply saying “In the name of The Gracious and The Merciful” but praying is around 5-10 minutes protocol that is normally done by fellow Muslim.
Group #1 (religious friends, they can pray “forever”, wow!): Pray first. It is more important than anything including eating. We should prioritise God who has given us everything, others can wait. Don’t make God jealous.
Group #2 (rascals, will let you pray while they start eating): Eat first. God won’t force you to pray when you are hungry. Better you eat remembering that you will pray rather than you pray and your thought is wandering around all kinds of food.
Group #3 (clown, bitter that makes all chatters jokers): Don’t ask me, I am fasting everyday because of having no food at all and so I don’t pray because I have nothing to thank for.
Group #4 (good jugglers, like Group #3 but to the next level): Why so picky? Can’t we do both at the same time? You can choose at the mosque or in the restaurant!
Some jokes are actually dead serious that the way people respond can either be considered as intelligence or harassment or abuse rather than as just fun. Yet I share mine as part of showing how religious comedy exists among Javanese Muslims (there are way more that I will never share publicly to avoid misunderstanding and misinterpretation); no harassment or abuse whatsoever. I even see philosophy in many if not all jokes. 😝
Ah! Life is so rich, why feel no good just because of one point of view?
this is how Hokkaido (halal) ramen looks – eater can select ramen with light-consistency broth that’s why I like it yet the presentation is not up to my expectation: messy kelp, wet spoon, no wet tissue 😌
The rose apple is pink enough to be harvested. It’s the right time.
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waiting for the flight home, once again looked at the pink Lucy and once again blessed this key ring “will definitely be suddenly Lucy Van Pelt to the snobbish and to the arrogant” 😇
Life pace gets faster, Food follows the same pattern. Time and space collide.
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My nephews always want fast food. They said it is good and fast. On the contrary I am not a big fan of fast food. So we always go to fast food restaurants first for them to eat then they’ll drive me to local restaurants for mine.
It takes longer time but giving fair treatment to all fellow travelers are the right thing to do.
Salaam.
😘
urap Bali 💝 is more greasy compared to urap Jawa, both are superb!
sate lilit is Balinese special skewer; the stick should be lemongrass
balado terong – not so good in the most recent restaurant but still better than French fries 😄
Morning gives her vibe with fragrance of dews to start a day that is bright.
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our view is a small pura (Balinese Hindu temple) for the surrounding villagers at Dedari river bank to pray when they are nearby and a bit far from their houses
Rain is a blessing From the sky before starting Journey to the north.
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Me: Boys, the rain seem to stay heavy. Boys, are you ok?
Nephews: Yes, it is fun! We just want to pee again!
Me: Don’t pee on your pants ya.
What a conversation!
heavy rain + heavy wind the whole day which only stopped right before until almost after Tari Kecak show, hundreds of human beings from different parts of the globe experienced the same happening that might result in different memories— a nostalgic one with these boys, splashing our bodies and bags in hugs with blessing sky water 🥰the start of show, the blessing water took a breakin Javanese and Balinese tradition Rama and Sinta is a couple adopted to depict true love — in my opinion, no! I think it was boring to be a wife of a great (almost) perfect king so Sinta purposely put Rama in a love trial to test his love by letting herself be in a kidnap trial without fighting back against the kidnapper and all its drama 😄
Rahwana came in his own buta (giant) form to kidnap Sinta and he failed
Sinta was kidnapped by an old weak polite beggar who was actually Rahwana
Jatayu, the bird that visited Sinta in Alengka’s palace
AnomanObong — in Javanese and Balinese culture Anoman is considered a monkey demigod who is very very very old butq energetic in moves and young in heart 💗 fyi, “Anoman Obong” scene should be with sunset background in normal weather 💗
almost the end of show, restart of blessing water from the sky
I left my flowers behind a closed door to be beautiful stories.
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home alone and still continuously blooming; when I am home, they will be a history of blooming flowers left behind a closed door — employ some adjectives to make a factual history an extraordinary story 💝
rike jokanan 
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