Author: rike jokanan

Me, now here

The Sun That Sets

Learning, life
It sets, Beloved,
When birds swoop in to the nests
And you go to bed.

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Sunset doesn’t suddenly come. It sets as a process slowly through time. Just like this life: before birth… then birth, infant, child, teenager, adult, old, end of life — aging before the great divide coming

Some wise men said to me “death should be thought of as an ordinary thing, it shouldn’t be afraid of”. Not easy, it invites fright of uncertainty to me personally, but death has become a relevant thing to ponder at my age — I’ll be 50 a couple of years soon. 🥳 Although I am not prone to heaven and hell after life, I believe there is another cycle of life after the physical death whose quality depends on how the earth life is enjoyed and celebrated. A huge enigma!

Good thought that has motivated me to see death positively is a chance to be beautifully remembered by those loving me. I’m not afraid of being disliked by some (even those that I love) because I know I am loved by those whose life I’ve touched. Enjoying life to the fullest joyfully and responsibly is both a game and a goal at the same time. I don’t regret what I’ve done because there is always lesson behind. Now I just want to be a human being around human beings who appreciate each other properly and help each other grow.

Who doesn’t want to be like a sunset whose existence is realised and enjoyed by those who can sense the scene and the moment? No one.

May all beings be happy.

Damn! I’m being melancholic for just a bit. 🥰

hey, Sun! thank you for sharing a moment and being a reminder

Mask Is, Smile Is

Learning, life, love, Poetic, This Person
Smile is a good mask
Than a mask can be. A mask
Masks a masking smile.
What masks a mask? Or who does?
Unmask! A soul has missed you.

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Sometimes she doesn’t know why she feels a blissful joy. She tries her best to find a reason but seems to fail. When people ask why she looks radiant on certain day, she will just say I love the food, I love the weather, I love this, I love that — simply for courtesy with a bit of honesty compromised due to inability to give exact reason.

Perhaps the reason is because the footprints of falling in love is greater than the scars of broken heart. Alas! It might not be. Or, it might be. Come on, it might not be. Ah! That’s not important.

Oh? She doesn’t know. And it is ok to feel that way – blissfully joyful with unknown reason like when she is falling in love, unreasonable — her love did go to that that she never ever thought of getting on the way then suddenly gone away.

Tragic comedy! 🙃

❣️

guess why happy? the salad counter is at least 50% open! eyes can’t hide a smile 🙂

Lessons

Learning, Poetic
Laughter is healing
And killing at the same time.
Lessons for two sides—

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Many people love laughing at funny jokes and at themselves. Yet secretly perhaps they feel some jokes are crossing the line. I myself don’t always tell those friends who make either impolite or improper jokes about me or about someone/something in front of me especially when I know they don’t have sensitivity to listen to others’ feedback. Bitter smiles or sharp shrugging then making effort to change the topics are my bad strategy – yes, I’m a coward and (to some extent) stupid. So far most friends know but some new people don’t (want to) know and keep acting funny with their own limits making fun of others.

There is always a limit; however some limits are not easy to define and pertaining to private life and can only be understood by the individual. Moreover, where privacy is already “co-owned” by public (celebrity, politician, spiritual leaders, etc), the limit might be vague, misunderstood or disagreeable.

Harassment, publicly, privately, verbally, mentally, physically are all not acceptable. Verbal one sounds less painful but hey! No one wants one’s family members to be fooled around and laughed out loud if it’s related to disability or illness.

And hey! A slap on the face can be medically treated especially if not severe BUT the embarrassment and resentment can sustain. Oh hey! Sometimes it can be well capitalized…. Especially in that particular place where money is the foundation of almost everything.

In a nutshell both are violence!

Punchline got punched!

Ouch! Ouch! Ooouuuch!!!

oh my God! that must have been a combination of pain and embarrassment – for both sides

Touch & Go

Learning, Poetic, Those People
Perfume, Beloved,
Won’t be enjoyed by blocked nose.
Eyes though see bottle,
But the fragrance goes away
Leaving no trace but the spray.

—————————————————————

Once I had a chat about “Touch ‘n Go” card of Malaysia. One Malaysian friend made what he called a joke “Life is like touch and go la. You touch then you go la. As long as you pay, it is ok! The problem is after touch and go, you realise you run out of fuel and there is no gas station there, then you are stranded in the middle of nowhere.” None of us laughed. He said “Alamak! You all don’t get it la! Boy’s joke, boy’s joke!’

Only today I can really get it. I should text him to confirm a fresh understanding. He must be happy receiving a message from a long lost friend who is now “smart enough”. 😁

I prefer not to live like “touch and go in nice cars” touching here and there for temporary pleasure then losing the ability to detach from irresponsible people who can only suck joy out from my only self through the excessively irresponsible exchange of memories. I prefer “going on foot” consciously although it looks less luxurious.

‘d only build precious memories with those reciprocally loving me and not playing touch and go 💝

May all beings be happy.

well understood

Memories, Scents and Elements

Learning, Poetic
Calm breeze blows her hair,
Pulls memories out of head.
Filling the fresh air—

Water soaks flowers,
Distills their fragrance slowly.
Diffusing the scents—

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Weekend is studying, doing laundry, cleaning home, and listening to things. Cooking? Not today, I’ll skip the healthful food 🦸🏻‍♀️

listen, don’t believe – then I listened to him and didn’t believe ❣️

Woman – ranting

Learning, life, This Person, Those People
Woman is human being
With exactly the same rights as man to be human being.
All her decisions should be respected like man’s decisions should be respected, too.
It is not a privilege to be a woman like it is not a privilege to be a man, too.
It is a privilege to be a woman like it is a privilege to be a man, too.

In some culture woman is discriminated based on different things, but overall the discrimination is simply because she is a woman.
Don’t worry, culture sustains when human being preserves it. So let’s change the discrimination culture by promoting a non-discriminative mindset.

In some culture though woman overdoes her fight of emancipation that makes herself suffer with no gain.

There should be no fighting between man and woman because the existence of both doesn’t generate competition. It is a complimentary and supplementary relationship for one another in different levels or fields of roles and responsibilities that are agreed without discrimination, harassment or abuse just because of being a woman or a man.

Ah! It is good for her to be a woman. And I know it is good for him to be a man.

Stop ranting! Go rest. 😀
thanks for saving me, Beloved❣️
we can adopt a cat, a dog or an underprivileged child! 😁
not less woman by being not a wife or a mother with a child
I never be in this type of changing room but yes, I get it
exotic and uniquely built
oh, I’m not either of them but yes it’s my body and I love it so I take care of it
commitment and integrity
to those underestimating me, thanks for staying away 🥰
not only happy, be joyful❣️

Dreamy Days

Learning, life, love, Poetic, This Person
Red leaves, Beloved
Gracefully fall on the lap
Of Mother Nature,
Garnishing coloured autumn
Welcoming benign winter.

Dream, dream, Beloved.
As vibrant as you wish to,
As sweet as you want.
You’re red leaves lightheartedly
Flying decorating life.

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I wish all my good dreams come true. And all of yours, too 🙏🏼

Salam.

❣️

Batik Gringsing

Bob, Learning, life, love, Poetic, This Person, Those People
Time travels with you
To where good memories sit,
Waiting to rejoice.

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When I was a girl, I got sick very often. Yet what I remember the most isn’t the pain but is how my family would take care of me. Of course they medically treated me either at home or hospitalised, but there was a unique way I can never forget what my mother, father and siblings did extra.

My father would chant Javanese mantra that would calm me down. My mother would wrap me with a sheet of batik cloth before putting the next thicker blanket. And of course siblings especially sisters would sleep with me the whole night.

What Javanese mantra chanted by father? Oh can’t remember! What batik, I definitely remember it and now own it for the same need; covering myself with batik gringsing when sick.

1.2mx2.3m batik cloth with gringsing background pattern of flower bouquets

Gringsing is one of the oldest batik background patterns in Java. It is thousands of tiny square with a dot in the center symbolising “sedulur papat kalima pancer” (literally means 4 siblings and 1 core as the fifth) the cosmic balance of human reality in Javanese wisdom. And through the philosophy it is believed that when a Javanese human is sick, s/he is cosmically imbalanced and needs to be balanced. Physically s/he is medically treated, metaphysically s/he is cured with gringsing the balance symbol.

Gringsing is an acronym of gring or gering (sick, not well, ill) and sing (not); gringsing means not sick anymore. Oh! That simple! Made by hand! Oh! Not that simple!

What a blessed human being!

wrapping body when catching fever doesn’t replace paracetamol, it’s to recall the memory of how my family well treated me when I was sick 🥰
detail of gringsing: a tiny squarish scale with a dot in the center – sedulur 4 ka-5 pancer

Across Rainbow Bridge

Bob, Learning, life, love, Poetic, Those People
Across rainbow bridge,
Wings bring a tiny light up
High to where it glows.

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I’m surrounded by animal lovers and rescuers. Every now and then I see how they struggle with animals in pain or death. It’s not easy each time those friends have to say good bye but at the same time they learn again and again that the best end is by releasing sincerely and being released sincerely.

Happy journey, Dear. Thanks for all the lessons you have taught us.

Alfatihah 💝🙏🏼

bye, Item; see you across the bridge 🥰 alfatihah 💝

Lunch Chat

Learning, life, This Person, Those People

Today I had a lunch chat with a colleague. We discussed about this and that and of course how we both grow more grey hair, more fat and of course more wisdom.

happy to work with those having courage to tell when it’s right or wrong, with objectivity

I remember when I was 30’s I said to him I was so afraid of growing old alone. Now I’m growing old alone and I’m not afraid. Today I said to him that I’m afraid of dying alone and he lightly said “No one wants to die with you or with anyone else, girl! No one!”

I laughed and said “Damn! you’re right!”

And I made a good decision right during the convo that I won’t be afraid of being alone! Everything is gonna be alright!

But he said something before saying goodbye “And you’d better be a bit stingy to those not helping!”

“Damn! You’re right again!”

Life is fair but life is also not fair so we’d better know how to surf! Unfortunately, I don’t like surfing, I’m just gonna be biking!

slow down to both directions, live and die is like drawing an ♾

How Happy Am I?

Learning, life, This Person
I laugh, am I happy?
I smile, am I happy?
What?
Happy?
What is “happy”?
Oh! I’m happy because I forgot all of his contact details.

Thanks!
Am I happy now?
I choose to be.

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Normal people choose to be happy. But do people take actions that lead them to happiness? Not always! And that’s the gap in life.

Happiness should come as a decision, with consequences and risks. To me happiness is as simple as forgetting important details of my life.

Thank you for making me forget some things. I’m blessed!

Salam. 💝

Dokdes Ryu Hasan once said….

Fun Day

Learning, Poetic, This Person
What is a fun day?
Sugar in brioche and milk
In macchiato—

macchiato, once in a blue moon
much sugar for today, it was just good to be a bit unruly once in a blue moon 🥰

Happy International Women’s Day (ranting)

Learning, life

Honestly I prefer to name it by either feminine or masculine rather than women and men. It’s not about what’s attached between your crotch that matters by being a human, it’s about the quality attached to your spirit and contribution made to society.

So, even if someone is born a woman, she won’t be able to appreciate other women as long as she only sees the other women’s physical body measurement as the indicators. And by doing so, she does discriminate other women in the essence for having non-essential indicators to appreciate them.

Whereas, at the same time I see many men around me respect and appreciate women simply because they know those women have the same opportunity to contribute for a better life. Or else, they discriminate based on sex or even any other thing attached to the women.

Ok, let’s agree though to call today as International Women’s Day and make the spirit of anti-discrimination based on anything possible be rekindled.

Happy International Women’s Day to all women who represent the symbol of femininity and to all men who become part of appreciating agent.

from one of my good friends – I’m grateful male in my inner circle are those respecting women based on what we’re capable of doing at the same time having ability to laugh at what’s funny in reality e.g.: ladies parking 😂 oops! sorry, myself 😶‍🌫️

Life of A Flower

Learning, life, Poetic, This Person

It’s about flower in its life cycle.

A flower blooms, dries to fall off or falls to dry at time in place for a given moment. It lives then dies. It blossoms or prematurely drops.

Some flowers are admired, some are not even noticed. Some are vibrantly coloured, some are dead dull. Some are meticulous, some are straightly simple. Some produce edible fruits, some the poisonous.

It’s about flower, the beauty in itself, although most view points perceive the look differently. Absolute beauty sits where it is, lingering forever as values and concepts. Relative beauty fades away through aging, some even without being remembered as memory or history.

It’s about flower, the one in a palace and that in a lawn.

Salam. Alfatihah.

prominent, admired, blessed
unnoticed, hidden beauty, blessed
fall to dry, blessed
dried and ready to decompose, blessed

Be Just

Learning
It’s the sun, not she
Who can be fair. Yet she tries
Shutting up her mouth.

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People scold at other people, while instead they should oppose the actions. People humiliate others, while they have the same evil in their own heart. What’s that? Arrogance? Ignorance?

Today’s conversation was about why I curse the war/invasion but think that that Russian guy is a decent balancing power in the world politically. Good query from not so nice friend— It’s tiring to chat with a “sinless” religious person. 😶‍🌫️

It’s so much difficult to see how a wicked person can get high appreciation; and so much difficult to witness a kind person may experience very difficult life. Should I hate the wicked? Hmmm…. I may dislike a wicked who is granted so much luxury, yet how much do I know about that person? S/he might have done so much in some way that life decides to grant huge blessings to her/him. So, how much I may dislike a wicked, being just is the only choice to treat her/him. And I’m ok with it.

I might still say something harsh about the wicked if s/he is doing something unjust to me or to those I love and/or care about. Yet, I won’t do harm to her/him. Or, if I should do so, I will try to avoid the person the best I can personally (professionally I don’t like blocking people from shining). Or, if needed, with “fair” fairness I’ll reciprocate the actions against me and/or my family. Hey! At the same time I can declare her/his good points objectively….

…. if I like or most time I will just shut my mouth up forever 😁

I’m not a religious person but one suurah in the Quran has taught me well about being just in my humble life: QS Al-Maiyah:8.


translation by Abdullah Yusuf Ali on Al-Maidah:8 O ye who believe! stand out firmly for Allah, as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to piety: and fear Allah. For Allah is well-acquainted with all that ye do.

be just. listen from two sides; otherwise, remove one ear of yours. and I’m still against war and violence, pal!

King Gets Balanced

Learning
What can a cruel king
Do when a small ant marches down
His left ear canal?

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Some bad guy can be a true balancing power. 💝

Salam. Salam. Salam.

I never agree with anyone’s making war to colonialise others, war is only legit when you are defending your country – but this very guy is a true balancing power against the “big brother” who’s been arrogantly boastfully declaring one’s self as super power, world police a**!

The Choice To Bloom

Learning, life, love, Poetic
Even though they’re weed,
They’re flower, ready to bloom.
Truly as they are.

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Respect each other as all of us have become us with no choice but traveling the paths we’ve agreed to sign up. Early termination doesn’t apply; life is about starting and completing what’s written.

Respect each other. At least….

💝

💞

Words

Learning, Poetic
I know, Beloved,
Those words are leaves falling down,
Decayed before you.

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Jika kita lahir dan tumbuh sebagai kata-kata,
saya akan selalu menggarisbawahi kamu
seperti kata yang saya anggap penting,
meski kamu nanti mencetak miring saya
seperti kata yang tak dikenal dan asing. (part of a poem by Adimas Immanuel)
7 lotus and 3 leaves in 1 clear jar

Tiny Persistent Dot

Learning, life, love, This Person, Those People
I’m a tiny dot in the galaxy, a mini tiny dot in the universe but I won’t give up praying that You will give peace in the heart of every human being on earth.

My prayer is for the children, elderly, disabled and animals where violence is hell on earth. That is the real hell.

Please, Peace grow in their heart and mine.

Beloved, please drive us to where peace survives.

Why should there be war?

Milky Way above Bromo

Pearl In The Heart

Learning, Poetic
Pearl in the heart
That will keep shining.
No matter what.
No expiration,
No boundary,
No dimension can weaken its brightness.

In silence
In the dark
No matter what.
It will shine.

It resides
Here
Now
In the heart.

song that never fails

Happy

Learning, life, Poetic, This Person
Happy, Beloved,
Return to office saying
“Hi!” to real bodies

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My first day working in office after 23 months working from remote workplace felt like my first day joining the company. Excitement and thrill, this time with clarity, calmness and strong ground

Although not many, I met people in real bodies not their avatar.

Thanks for the new day!

frozen in a huge quiet space but happy! 🥰🥰🥰
on my way to the bus stop after work, I met a jungle fowl as happy as me 🥰🥰🥰 – hello, ayam hutan!

Green Tea

Learning, Poetic
Weekend, Beloved,
A bowl of green tea nicely
Served cold and creamy—

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Give yourself reward for being a brave person sometimes. 😎

For an ordinary person setting a clear boundary is enough a bravery. Sometimes a passive person should tell arrogant people “You can step on my shoulders to reach your goal ‘coz I’ll support anyone dreaming high but you mustn’t step on my head to underestimate a human being ‘coz I have the same right to be respected. Please excuse me this time to be equal and forever be.”

Happy weekend. 🤩

this is a yummy weekend and….
…. and this, all after weekend classes ; God bless the seigaiha pattern composer

Banana Tree

Learning, life, love, Poetic
Live once, no regret,
Said banana trees. They die
After giving fruits.

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the boy, the mole, the fox and the horse – them in one
unlearn, my dear…. let go
my finding me is like finding a piece of unpolished sapphire, not diamond which is too high value nor gravel which is too low – maybe it’s gonna be unpolished forever but at least I know it’s a sapphire, not diamond not gravel

Data Points

Learning, Poetic
Listen, Beloved,
To Wind, Earth, Water, and Fire.
Metal does clank, too.

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A set of data is powerful only when the owner knows how to use it; it is equivalent to the ability of questioning leads to better result than ability of answering.

A good start is by collecting from different points. The more data points, the more valid and accurate answers will come up. One point will be misleading.

Salaaam….

good to listen to

Alive

Learning, life, Poetic, Those People
Treasure’s treasured, why
In tombs guarded by legends?
It’s secret’s secrets.

——————————————————-/

I’ve often thought that people living in this society is either living right at the bars or above the bars. It’s either we force ourselves to enjoy comfort that gives us uncomfortable consequences OR we comfortably enjoy whatever we have for comfort with just-right consequences. Today I learnt that there might be some super rich living in an area which “normal” millionaires here won’t even think as a good place to live. I read a news about a millionaire who in fact lives under their own bar with his family. Extraordinary!

So?

Ah! Life is just like that! There are choices to make and people make choices which (they think) they deserve.

Nothing is more liberating knowing that life still offers me wonderful news. It has proven me that life can be NOT-WYSIWYG. I would not imagine someone mistook my car as a grab car, while I were a super duper rich girl waiting for my friends to get on my Honda Vezel. 😃

Weekend, weekend! Happy weekend!

The Multi-Millionaire Who’d Rather Live in a Jurong East HDB Flat
finally feeling so liberated and relieved to have found this news! this city is still “alive”!

Chimney

Learning, Map It!, Poetic, Those People
Does it suffocate
Or release? Up to the sky
Or stuck in the black?
Meet the wind. Fly to the far.
Let the chimney nobly stand.

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Chimney is a symbol of industrial era like church for religiosity, tower for secularity and all kinds of stars of spirituality.

Yet I found different interpretation of mine on chimney through Japanese books reading (very very elementary, all hiragana and katakana, I can only remember 15 kanji so far, hell yeah!). Chimney can be a symbol of fairy tales, dreams, ideas and creativity emerging from the dark, beautiful stories. What else? Ya, just use imagination to find what clicks in mind until the word “chimney” meets its lighter connotation against the one in paragraph 1.

Reading the books, I can’t deny some people really get blessed with extraordinary imaginary world and ability to materialise what’s in it by intertwining the intangible blessings with the tangible ones. Like the writer whose books I’ve read.

God bless you, Akihiro Nishino (should be with ~san). Thanks for the books you’ve written.

Read. Read. Read.

Read the letters. Read the lessons. Read between the lines.

🏭

find the Chimney Town in you 🏭
dark but glowing – isn’t that paradoxically beautiful?

Perfect

Learning
Perfect, Beloved,
Will suffice only the ones
Craving for too much.

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Knowing when to take a break, at least. Nothing under the sun is true perfection. It’s all about perspective.

I miss home…. 💞

right when I felt so tired of the word “perfect”, this video was popped up through my algorithm – perfect message sent by a perfect painter at a perfect timing to a perfectly imperfect human being – thank you! 💝