Category: Learning

Mask – ranting

Learning

I’m so bored with the surgical mask that I must wear when going out of home so I decided to find pretty face masks which has space for filter to insert. I purchased two cotton lace face mask from Uluwatu Balinese Handmade Lace online but the shipment from Ubud will be delayed. So today I bought two pretty face masks: light blue and red — the red one was an impulsive buying just because I got lured by the shop assistant saying red color is nice for the upcoming Chinese New Year.


Just sharing, this pandemic has made me an uncomfortable yet comfortable human being with mask.


Comfort sometimes comes when the anonymous feeling is integrated into activities. People don’t know who you are so you can do whatever you want, you don’t care if what you do will leave footprints in their life. You just wear your mask and go away, with devil smile and false victory.


Yet the layers of the mask can cause sense of being suffocated – at least to me. When I’m in my mask, I’ll pull my mask away from my face now and then to breath “normally”; I usually do it when there is no one around or I’m in a very very safe distance from others.


Mask gives me anonymity but at the same time limitation — both to be real. Yes- some people are honest when in mask like when the buzzers are stalking their enemies in the virtual world shouting out their deepest rage without shame, some others look awkward in mask though and the others are just the same….


Do you wear mask?


Salaam….

Constipation – laughing

Learning

Life is sometimes like a lottery, you get multiple of what you paid or not at all. Today I took a taxi whose driver made me feel like winning a lottery.


This 68-year-old driver is a smart and fun guy. At the beginning I thought he was probably a manager in a big company once when he was younger. Hey, once I met one taxi driver who used to work in my current company – at around 80’s he was offered retrenchment with good amount of severance payment due to the company financial condition. So this guy might be of the same situation before.


He told me that he used to live Indonesia then moved to US before finally deciding to go home to this tiny rich dot between Indonesia and Malaysia.


Then he asked me if I mind him talking. I said politely I was ok as I like listening to people talking and ranting as much as I love to do to them.


Along the way from Kramat Road to my home he didn’t stop talking, he shared a lot of his experience of working in trading world. He also demonstrated his ability of speaking Bahasa Indonesia. He talked about his parents, wife, children and grandchildren and one of his expertise: making jokes!


He made me laugh with at least 3 jokes but his last joke was coming as a successful punch line.


“There is a new movie, but you probably not yet seeing it.”


“What’s the title, uncle?”


“Constipation.”


“Oh, I’ll watch when it is showing.”


“But it’s not coming yet.”


“No, I mean I’ll watch when it is”.


“No, it is not.”


“What’s the title? I’ll stay tuned.”


“Constipation.”


“Oh ok, I’ll watch it for sure.”


….. a long pause


“Oh my goodness! You mean it is not coming because it is constipation?!!! Goodness! It is the best joke of the week! Hahahaha” My laughter exploded.


“Thank you, Ma’am.”


Look! Life is like a lottery. You can be gloomy in the morning but who knows what life is giving you in the evening! An old humble taxi driver in face mask and you are also in face mask but only good talk and good will have changed the day into a blessed day starting Friday welcoming weekend.


Thanks, uncle taxi driver! God bless you and family.


May all beings be happy

Let’s Start The Weekend – haiku

Learning

Me, a while ago

Drowned in detergent water.

Let’s start the weekend.


—


It was a fun day today! I met my dentist, grabbed some groceries, bought new pink and white dresses, did big pile of laundry and watched movies plus did some cooking and dish washing. Of course two hours sitting in front of MacBook to fix excel work without success was not counted.

The laundry is always the biggest challenge but when finished, it turns me into the most relaxed human being on earth.


All are done. Tomorrow is gonna be a great biking day! Or just brisk walking? I don’t know, I just wanna stay out the whole day!


Yay!

The Buckets – haiku

Learning


How many buckets?

Mine’s 3: trust, know and not know.

Overloaded not know….


—


I realise that the three buckets in my life don’t get loaded evenly. While the buckets of trust and know are not even half filled, my not know is overloaded.


Trust the the process. Never thrust on what result you expect. Just stop there until time discloses what you need to gain from what you trust. If it doesn’t come, it is simply not yours. Even if I’ve gotta cry my soul out? Yes, even if I’ve gotta cry my soul out!


Dear, Beloved. You’ve broken my heart thousands of time but I still go home to You….

Know as much as you need to respond ‘coz you need to well reason to work with Fellow creatures. Don’t state what you doubt and keep the integrity high.


Dear Self, be sure that you have enough knowledge about your decision and what you are doing. That way you don’t crave for others’ approval to feel content.


Don’t be ashamed of not knowing ‘coz the Universe is not only knowledge to boast or bluff but also mystery to embrace….


Dear Beloved, if ever knowing has made people proud; please keep me like now— not knowing, to keep me humble and happy.


Three buckets are silently sitting on a shelf in a corner of my heart….


May all beings be happy


Salam….

Hungry Caterpillar

Learning, Poetic

Caterpillar feet
March on a twig. Oops! They flip.
Scary acrobat!
It looks up to the blue skies,
Prepares to cocoon itself.

—

Butterfly is never really born. It is a natural breakthrough after the hungry caterpillar is willing to go fasting and liquidize itself in seclusion. When it is time, a butterfly comes into being.

You might be not a colourful pretty butterfly but cocooning should have taught you that your present being is the output of a long resting period after such a long euphoric period of being a hungry caterpillar. The euphoric being is gone, replaced by a winged soft being flying and dancing celebrating the moving air around its body.

Your wings might be just pitch black but they are the result of how sincere you are in a transformative sleep hanging in a weak twig, without knowing if you’ll be slapped down when the twig is broken, without knowing that you’ll be aborted because of the wet, without knowing that the end is the end or a transition point. You just don’t know but you accept your not knowing.

You might not be as pretty as the most beautiful butterfly out there but…. You’ve gone through the same quality of cycle – not less not more. Thanks to fair Mother Nature.

To be “born” winged, fly, help the flowers pollinate before fruition and magically create graceful move with super powerful effect….

Don’t be upset for being a flipping hungry caterpillar’ coz when you’re transformed, your flapping wings can blow a typhoon!

May all caterpillars be happy…..

Rike Jo

Dream of You

Learning

I saw you last night.
Where? In a dream, you came
With a pink orchid.


—-


Why do people meet others in their dream? Connection? I don’t know. I think I was just too tired of cooking. 


I’m happy though to have met someone who doesn’t even want to see my face 🤪


May all beings be happy.

Happy Day – haiku

Learning

I’m one year older.
What should I say, dear Heaven?
Thank you? Or, damn you?

 
September 6, 2020
 
—
 
Birthday is always bitter sweet. Some people will merrily say happy birthday and wish me all the best. Yet there is a group of people who will tease me about getting older and older and older
 
I love the latter one as they sound more genuine to me ahaha. They are my closest circle! This particular group is full with people who have always supported me with true friendship in my high and low, kept me insane in my hard time, laughed with me in true and false jokes, given me confidence to be just me. And I’ll do the same for them. This is the group I’d like to keep as my circle for the rest of my life; those without hidden agenda to pull me under their bloody carpet for them to show their glory.
 
Whew! What a day!
 
Today is not a special day because it’s my birthday but it is special because I realise more strongly that those I trust are true, existing and trustworthy.
 
I’m always walking happily! 🥰
 
Salam….