graphs of my Universe
There are billions of stars
Swimming in the dark.
They are born and will die
After completing their spark.
With centers the stars travel
Flying as strong as sky larks.
They reach some terminal
Even without visible landmarks.
There’s a captain in the cockpit,
Pulled by a federation out there.
Stars won’t easily quit
Unless there’s a common end to share.
Journey of a star
—-
Captain Picard — favourite capt 👍🏽
Mr. Spock 👍🏽 — favourite crew
What is excessive?
Filling in all gaps and spaces,
Blocking the breathing—
—
my soup and fruit rujak — fresh and refreshing
chicken claws added to lunch from Kimly Dimsum — arriving late and enough to keep me full until tonight ☺️ i wanted to vomit too full 😇
Surprise!
Said she
Showing the hopeless
That
Survival is about adaptability
Welcomed by nature,
Approved by resolution,
Driven by muscles,
Enjoyed by senses.
I’m gonna be yellow!
—-
can you see the spike of oncidium (must be yellow) at the left? i saw it when sitting on the toilet enjoying my good time 😀— suddenly the beauty struck me! 😍 thank you! 🙏🏼 i’ll be patient waiting for you to bloom 💛
she used to be one of balcony gang members and was about to pass as the original media (wood bark and charcoal) started decaying; her new home is now shower room in a glass flower vase; media is sponge, charcoal and water 😍
She cleans the mugs
From which we drink,
She swipe the stains
Of tea and coffee.
She moves the mugs
To humming machine,
She unloads them out,
In to drying machine.
She smiles to us
We smile to her,
She says hello
We say thank you.
She asks me why
I drink so much,
She guesses I’m thirsty
Or the aircon is cold.
She’s a guardian
Of the white mugs.
How life is hilarious!
Among those who are serious!
—-
i like talking with certain cleaning ladies assigned in the pantries near my section and the gym, and seems that they love doing it, too. there is one particular loving it the most, a (probably) 25-yo lady with a syndrome making her not talking clearly and processing messages rather slowly yet she is the friendliest. today she told me how many mugs she has to wash (helped by machines) everyday and why there are many more on Tue to Thu. she said many employees like to use more than one mug (each mug for one tea flavour) and she’s wondering why. when i said “i use one mug for one tea flavour because i don’t want to mix the taste, i am sorry”, she said “no, no, then it is ok lah” 🥹 what a blessing to talk to a humble human being — not so much thought processed and so much fun enjoyed 🥰
thanks for taking good care of our white mugs! 🙏🏼
Life is light
When she dances
And sings.
As long as you are happy,
She says.
—
smile, dance and sing! 😀 unbeatable when she takes good care of the child within 💝
I have faith on the brighter future of Indonesia!
I’ll love
No matter what
I’ll be over anyways.
I’ll work
No matter what
I’ll be over anyways.
There is me
Or not,
It might be the same.
Yet as long as there is me,
I’ll do what I can
To add more
Meanings
And
Utility
To my life.
I’ll love
No matter what
In life.
Life is good,
I won’t skip
A thank
And
Or
Cheers.
—
listen to love; it is everywhere 💕
Bring me takeaway,
A souvenir that reminds
Meaning of a road.
—
The biggest takeaway of my recent Tapa Brata:
a silver bangle of ANICCA
About ANICCA
When home welcomes you
With unexpected colour,
Blessings are around.
—-
Home again! 💝
Nice to say hi to orchids that I thought to be yellow but white instead!
thought yellow but white! pretty!
the second bloom after 3 years! thank you!
all are here! full team! 💝
What is easy
But hard to do?
It is
To relax
Where sensations are alien,
When vibrations are not aligned.
It takes training to all muscles.
It takes experience to all moods.
It takes willingness to all senses.
It takes time to all paces.
Today she says
I need all universe
To relax.
—-
this is a super different weekend of mine — my sensitive senses really have to cope with many: voices and sounds, whispers and screams, fragrance and odours, sights and scenes, heat and humidity, calmness and cheers, quietness and crowd, curiosity and satisfaction, bitter and sweet; thanks God for the beanie bag — yet I still want to vomit 😃
Smiling at a weekend
Makes air fresher and lighter.
A place that’s choking—
—
My best friend in Ubud is an active committee member of Bali Spirit Festival; she invites me to enjoy one day free pass after my Tapa Brata for today.
She knows very well I don’t enjoy crowd well yet she insisted that I try to experience an ambiance that might enrich my life. Thank you, I am now in.
I collected my wristband at the entrance, met my friend at the media center she managed then browsed around. A lot I didn’t imagine before. Not only the offered activities and products but also the visitors and participants.
While the activities and products are still easy for me to digest, the way the visitors dress is more shocking to me; half-naked might not be for myself but I can still understand that many bule (the white people in Indonesian language) are half-dressed due to hotter temperature in South East Asia, but almost naked…
Anyway my best friend has changed my curiosity into smiles— very wide smile….
I am enjoying my weekend!
the pink wristband for one day pass – got it free; thank you, De Nov!
the inner entrance inside Puri Padi Hotel where the festival is taking place
map
loving it!
another one
art is dominating the venue — loving it!
hungry? never worried 💝 — more choices other than this one
my favourite!
still heliconia 💝
one of those blinding me (the mildest for my eyes, that almost naked lady with backpack) — this is not a beach please…. 😎 i don’t have the heart to take more pictures 😏 i know what my friend will say to me “that’s why you can’t live in Bali, stay in Singapore, safer for your brain and mind”
stage for the (spiritual) music performance later afternoon — not being arrogant but after so much to learn and unlearn and relearn, to me all is spiritual without label so let me skip this spiritually-labeled music
this is the safest place for me to just drink tea and browse around aromatherapy oil in the market — will spend my time here until I meet my friend again ❣️
on a beanie bag under a young durian tree 💝
will i be back next time? 😁 Yoda said “your path you must decide, Jedi” 😂
Knowing who’s within
Behind an unlocked door. Who?
Look at the mirror
—
Loving kindness doesn’t belong to one particular religion. It is not a domain, it is universal. Thanks for the consistent reminder about it.
May all beings be happy.
Salaam.
Pak Merta Ada with 7 of 32 students in his 881st Tapa Brata — thank you, Bapak 🙏🏼
Life is just like this:
A line with two ends. Circle—
Choose the best angle.
—-
They released us from the silence on May 5 at 11am before lunch time and gave us our gadgets back at 4pm. We were so excited to talk than to play the gadgets; we gathered in the dining hall and shared what we experienced during the noble silence.
We didn’t die without gadgets, no we didn’t. Yet we don’t die because of gadgets, either. Gadgets are just a tool to use wisely.
Each of us couldn’t thank more for everything.
May all beings be happy.
Salaam.
Pak Merta, our meditation teacher
Pak Kourma — our daily instructor
Pak Souca — our daily caretaker 🙏🏼
our last session of meditation was loving kindness meditation for daily life; the video camera was prepared for sharing session at the end
May 5 is today.
This is my second Tapa Brata and both of them are special. My first in 2018 was special because Pak Merta Ada’s teacher (Merta Ada is my health meditation teacher) a Buddhist high priest visited his retreat center and gave us blessings. This second one is because we found that May 5 is his birthday! He was born on May 5, 1957 — a long journey of a meditation teacher and healer.
Someone is also celebrating his birthday across the ocean. May 5 becomes more special today this time. A journey of a silent traveler.
Happy birthday Pak Merta and dear KU. Both of you have a special place in my heart.
For Pak Merta, we immediately prepared a green sarung rangrang. For KU I thoughtfully prepared a poem.
—-
Alone the bird flies
From a nest on a tall tree
It knows where home is.
🙏🏼
May 5 2023 is when the biggest moon rises this year; Waisak (Vesak) is already celebrated in some countries (on May 6 in other countries) — my meditation teacher is celebrating his birthday, another life teacher of mine is celebrating his
an “emergency” birthday present for Pak Merta Ada from our class, wrapped in a beautiful fancy paper from the nearest small shop nearby to wrap a sarung rangrang I originally bought for my additional spread and table cloth — what a beautiful togetherness in this meditation class 💝
Alone the bird flies
To a nest on a tall tree.
She knows where home is.
—-
there is love in wing — trust the wind and the direction 💝
There’s a song to sing
With no other notes but Do,
In two tones: high, low.
—-
keep doing it in high and low
A red hibiscus
Stares at the sun, nods at night.
Counting her blessings—
—-
red hibiscus
If time tells the truth,
What time is it? Light is dim,
Only silhouette
—-
it takes time to colour
Is there her story
In history? Or others’?
A time to ponder—
—-
relief in Rumah Makan Ayam Kadewatan
A pair of footwear,
Frictions on shining pebbles:
Road in history
—-
There’s a stop
That is full
.
—-
still the same — arriving, i felt the serenity and freshness; rain welcomed us
he is gone to heaven 💝💝💝
no one will be our chatting pal anymore — total silence in and out
this time i am given privilege to have no roommate, alhamdulillah 💝 no one will be bothered ☺️
we can meditate here put of the scheduled sessions
or here or somewhere else, there are other spots
about the Bodhi tree
there are more bungalows deeper up there
this is the tiny gong used to tell us the schedules
It is a good morning
Maybe afternoon for you.
This morning I still breathe blessings
Wrapped by songs from the bird,
Back home by hum of machines.
Both are good
In a blessed morning.
Know, beloved
That I remember you
Who might enjoy the day
And ready to welcome a weekend.
Everything is good when in Ubud,
I know everything is good
Everywhere
If we let blessings contaminate the air.
—-
when i breath fresh air, i feel more me
good morning from Puri Saraswati
not a water person but love seeing water, quiet morning in front of the pool with birds singing and voice of sweep stick raking the ground
good morning to a lazy snail
another one
good morning to the unknown neighbour that might be still sleeping
Sky invites me
To swarm around a show
That is glistened with colours
In a Saturday night.
Rain almost falls
But is held until the show ends
Simply to tell me
You are welcome.
These steps walk me
To where blessings are.
These breaths inhale me
To where peace is.
Among the crowd I find a calmness
With my own self I find merriness
All is well
All is good
I enjoy Saturday night in Central Ubud.
i normally stay rather far from city center of Ubud but this one night i wanted to stay in the city where dance performances are located in many different spots — this is the side gate of Puri Saraswati Dijiwa Ubud opening to the lotus garden
tonight’s performance in lotus garden was Tari Janger (janger dance), maybe next time 🙏🏼
i wanted to watch Legong Dance performance so i walked to Pura Saren Ubud which was 200 meters away from where i stayed
was the first to enter to get a seat in the 1st row and later found it was not at all the 1st row 😂
seeing the preps is already exciting!
musicians were getting ready
Tari Pendet (welcoming dance) — i learnt this dance as a child, felt like wanted to laugh remembering how funny i was dancing with my sister 😂
Tari Topeng #1 — sorry i don’t know the name; watching with many types of spectators whose joy might be over the limit and blocks others’ view 😂
Tari Legong – the primary show 👏🏼
Tari Legong — i wanted to watch this simply because i have a sleeping gown with legong dancer on it 😀
Tari Oleg Tamulilingan
Tari Kupu-Kupu (butterfly dance) inserted as part of Oleg Tamulilingan
Tari Oleg Tamulilingan (dancing bees)
Tari Oleg Tamulilingan (dancing bee)
Tari Topeng #2 — sorry i don’t know the name
we didn’t know who was behind the mask but he did perform so well and we enjoyed it 💝
thanks for the show! 🙏🏼 happiness is an ambiance shareable with those we don’t know and we probably don’t care to know — God bless all 💝
In sanctuary,
Where birds from paradise sing,
Clear mirror reflects—
—
Out of office is set meaning that work is safe-kept for a while. Only silence remains. Even my boss and my mother— two whose calls I’ll never reject in normal situation can’t contact me. They know where I am so they won’t contact me. 😎
All my postings will be automatically scheduled starting May 1.
I pray that you all be blessed with good life.
Salaam.
💝
my goddess, Saraswati 💝
just wanna be offline for a while 🌸
i love to be with those knowing how to reflect me and themselves clearly ♥️
it is safe 💝
accompanied by two paradise birds in Ubud before starting my sacred silence tomorrow in Baturiti
Green is what is fresh,
What is starting peacefully.
It is envy, too.
—-
What is greener than our neighbours’ grass? The sea that bears secret of love and avocado that bears secret of health.
Have a green weekend!
💚
today’s lunch 💚 egg with peas in coconut milk, avocado and navel orange juice
It almost arrives.
A blessed day,
The one when
A generation is born
To share what may
And
To bear what shall.
Happy birthday!
—-
a prayer is recited — health and happiness with the loved ones 💝
Nasi goreng (fried rice) has been declared as one Indonesia’s specialty. It doesn’t mean that only Indonesia has that food in the list; I saw fried rice in the menu list in China, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam but none of them beats Indonesia’s. Oh! Please excuse my confidence. 😀
In Indonesia nasi goreng is not only about one recipe; it is a specialty with unlimited possible combination and creativity.
I’ve tasted many Indonesian people’s nasi goreng recipes and all of them are special as they are and still delicious!
What’s the secret? The right portion of garlic and more portion of shallots and chilli!
Yummy!
💝
nasi goreng for today’s late lunch 😍 — nasi goreng a la Rike 😀
What’s best is not best.
Better is, leaving a space
For the next better.
—-
I am never craving for best for me. Only doing my best to be better and to deserve whatever makes me better and/or see opportunity to do better.
Yet best seller book is the best for today. And one previously best seller for my best friend—-
Salaam.
💝
bestseller shelf — not my normal shelf but it was today
old book i did read at uni and want to check some details and so re-read 😎
curious what’s inside 😍
seems promising for a discussion in a reading club
for my best friend who watched the movie but not read the novel yet
If charm is a bird,
It flies to where dreams reside,
When belief takes part.
—
Being an overthinker, I try to balance my thought by telling myself that dream is possible to come true and what it takes is just to believe.
Being an overthinker at the same time hard worker is not always a good combination, it has often made me believe that everything should be fought for. Nothing comes with no efforts. Yet at a point I don’t want to fight. No! No more! I want to give up all struggles. I am giving up all struggles.
I will enjoy the breeze while drawing Daruma’s right eye as my dreams come true before the departure time arrives.
Just believe, beloved.
i haven’t worn my charm bracelet for sooo long until i found a Daruma charm last week — dream come true! believe!
ladybug is good luck, hand of Fatima is protection — qualities of life having lingered since i was an infant: luck and protection
😀
rike jokanan 
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