It Says Thanks To You – haiku

It says thanks to you
For showing true and untrue
Through this emotion.

Singapore – Jun. 1, 2020 / 22:15


Realising that a gift is not merely about a special thing wrapped beautifully but more about the true among the untrue is a gift itself. No matter how it feels inside until now, I still thank you.

What a beautiful Life!

May all beings be happy….

 

Maru & Hana – my mood

Cats and river sound:
A bit of tranquility—
What a piece of peace!

Singapore – May 30, 2020 / 21:21

May all beings be happy….

Time’s Bringing Good Acts – haiku

Time’s bringing good acts.
Places add good vibes to it.
How I miss your peace.

Singapore – May 25, 2020 / 22:29

—-

I miss two places the most right now: Bali and Ayutthaya. Once this circuit breaker is exited, those two will be my destination.

May all beings be happy.

18FA7A61-6590-40E4-8824-1A95F29F3C76

Rendang for Eid – my mood

What is one of the most delicious food in the world?

Rendang!

People think it is of Malaysia original. NO, it is not. It is originally an Indonesian food, more exactly from Padang, a place situated in Sumatera. Is it that important to debate where food is coming from? Not at all…. Yet I think I would be gracefully proud to tell people that I’m successful to cook one of the most delicious food from my own country rather than that from neighbouring country.

I present this rendang to all Muslim wherever you are…. Eid Mubarak!

All my cooking is always started with “Browse the Net, dear Self!”

392F9816-218F-4FC6-9B64-61159306A1FE
The list of treasure is found in the Net…. Guess what they are.

 

Let me boast my knowledge about spices and the rest of the “squad”: nutmeg (powder), turmeric leaf, cumin seed, coriander seed, cloves, lemongrass (I love this piece), tamarind, ginger, galangal, kefir lime leaves, red chilli (small and big ones), shallot, garlic, coconut milk (instant though).

 

6270C3F4-A2DD-4283-8883-A73B65F79C34
I was a “chilli queen” but by time I’m afraid of the burning taste on my tongue. So let’s get rid of the seeds and use only the peels.

 

A50B669D-2C1B-41F2-92B5-F1B096FA87FC
Grind!

 

I normally use traditional stone pestle and mortar but this high quantity of herbs will hurt my hands so allow me to use the food processor. Such a sin haha

 

1841CC60-6719-4225-9268-B162152145D1
Almost one kilogram of beef – not the AA grade, just a good one

 

D769DE1D-2351-4BDB-BADA-CA972ADC6557
Boil all together!

 

5EEFC689-7202-4BED-9B6B-5351699B1642
Oh no! The pot is too small, coconut milk should be poured into it in three stages. Be patient, dear Self….

 

839CD1F1-E5B0-492D-9F1C-DC634C62BFA9
After one hour on the fire – oh my

 

D0419C68-5E4A-42DF-801F-0FD1940115BA
After one and a half hour – it gets oily, almost ready

 

8A6CF632-E6D7-4830-AB1C-83DE1DA63AD7
Done in almost 3 hours (browsing the Net not included)

 

 

My rendang is accompanying me in this Eid — no home country visiting this year, no gathering in the Embassy, no friends will be visiting due to the Gov policy of social distancing. It is fine. Hope this pandemic is over immediately and leaving good memory for the rest of my life….

May all beings be happy….

Singapore – May 23, 2020 / 12:08am

Which One Is Your Sign? – tanka

Which one is the sign?
Lightning or thunder? The one
Striking you. It is?
If they know, either isn’t.
The message is what it is.

Now here —

Note to self: whether it is the lightning or the thunder isn’t significant if you can’t read the sign.

Interesting!

Nina Simone – my mood

You don’t know what love is
Until….

Even when I have lost love that yet never dies, I still don’t know what love is….

And so I’m blessed for not knowing what love is.

🥰

Celebrate your days! – haiku

Celebrate your day!
Every day! For all blessings
Poured down to your life.

Singapore – May 5, 2020 / 00:52

—-

Dear Self,
Every day is counted blessing, none of which is unworthy even if you experience unworthiness.

Never underestimate small detail. A piece of missing puzzle will break a big picture.

Thanks for all the blessed days, dear Life!

May all beings be happy. 🥰

What Is New Normal? – haiku

What is new normal?
A set of taboos maybe
Or ancient practice—

Singapore – May 1, 2020 / 20:00

I feel an acceptable level of my new normals after two months of flexible work arrangement and no business trip. I wake up almost at the same time everyday – in my old normal I woke up in different time almost everyday because either of my flight, the pick up time or time zones.

I did my groceries very rarely; now regularly and enjoyably! Oh my god, I feel like going picnic in fact just going to either wet market or to Cold Storage 😁

I used to cook only at the weekend or holiday – sometimes not even because I would prefer going to my home country for short trips to meet my family and friends; now I cook literally every single day and I love it!

I did my laundry sometimes if it wasn’t done at the hotel; but now I handwash my clothes twice a week – big fabric like towels and bedsheet will still be thrown to washing machine.

I used to wear casual or sometimes dress for work; now I wear pyjamas, rompers or even just underwear when working as long as there is no conference call for the day!

And my plants have become happier – blooming orchids and growing rhizomes. 🥰

If these are new normals, would it be my normal even after the outbreak is cured? Might not all be….

I wish I have a better life after this circuit breaker and can keep some of the good and enjoyable things as my forever normal.

May all beings be happy.

 

And Then Her Heart Broke – ranting

And then her heart broke.
Pieces of which are scattered
In this self journey.

Singapore – Apr. 23, 2020 / 22:04

You can find many pictures in Pinterest showing how human beings help and love each other but also destroy and hurt each other. Some pictures so touching remind me to childhood friends who have gone from contact list.

As a child I lived with my parents -both civil servants assigned in one remote area in the edge of a teak wood forest in East Java- working to take care of the people’s health in one dry district where we met unexpectedly poor community at that time.

I remember I had schoolmates whose parents were not able to buy them new clothes or school bags. Some students in my school wore shoes only on certain days to keep their shoes last long. Some had to help their parents sell something -snack, toys, kites, anything sellable- after school. Hey! They were laughing every day though. They laughed at their own life story, which I thought not ok to do so.

Sad? Yes, seeing the poverty. But they were happy people although others might think they were not lucky. Maybe that’s why it is easy for me to get stirred to see unfortunate situations as part of childhood memory but at the same time it takes very cheap things to make myself happy as part of lesson learned ☺️

In later age I grew up in a more structured culture, modernised and lack of empathy. I found some people act fake: fake smile, fake friendship, all fake as long as not fake money they were fine. People ground each other to win. Cruel!

Since then I promised to do all best to work in a place that promotes balance between business and people, that enables me to improve people’s welfare.

Once I taught children for free when I was in uni. I joined organisations that helped the underprivileged. I volunteered in free school programs for society. Ideal thing to fight against poverty. Me against the world! Gosh! Why was I so serious?

And now? Me against me! Realising the wicked problem is all within me…. So funny!

May all beings be happy. 🙏🏼

Universe Moves Us – haiku

Universe moves us,
Forcing life between two poles—
Swinging pendulums

Singapore – Apr. 23, 2020 / 18:00

We are constantly in motion, tracing lined-up momentum among extreme points in life.

If we think we stand still, that’s a momentum on which we meditate before pushed to the next vector.

A split second stillness,
An infinite balancing.

May all beings be happy.

Have You Seen A Saint? – haiku

Have you seen a saint
Walking on earth with no sin?
Yes? What a non sense!

Singapore – Apr. 23, 2020 / 00:30

—-

No saint—
There is never a saint.
What there is
Is someone whose soul is awakened,
Whose life is eaten away by humanity
Whose heart is shining
Through it.

At least those are saints I believe having lived in human form.

May all beings be happy. 🙏🏼

Is River The Water? – haiku

Is river the water?
Is river the flow? Either’s
Gone, it’ll never show.

Singapore – Apr. 21, 2020 / 23:16

What do you know about river?
Water?
Flow?

May all beings be happy. 🙏🏼

53AFF0E7-A876-41C0-A937-6FD9794E9075

link of picture: https://wartawisata.id/2018/06/17/bengawan-solo-mengalir-sampai-jauh-destinasi-sejarah-dan-kekayaan-alam/

Buds Are Coming Out – haiku

Buds are coming out.
Orchids bloom when they’re loved. Ah!
Best fertiliser?

Singapore – April 13, 2020 / 18:40

Once more my orchids are producing bud stems.Yay!

I believe they are happy seeing me who greets and talks to them everyday now.  Once I thought talking or singing to plants was a madness but now I think it is a medicine for madness.

Try it and you’ll find those plants happier by showing you more vibes, flowers or fruits and yourself happier for knowing that you still have friends offline during this remote work.

I wish my orchids get happier and happier and so do I.

May all beings be happy. 🙏🏼

Half Of Me Is Back – haiku

Half of me is back.
What has gone can return by
A state of boredom.

Singapore – April 9, 2020 / 23:03

After becoming someone working behind a computer with so little care of household chores, now I’ve found the old me that is almost forgotten. A gem under piles of river stones kind of–

Since this flexible working arrangement I’ve got much more time staying at home with myself and seeing what are interestingly interesting to be done. Not only cooking that’s usually done at the weekend and cleaning the house that’s usually done by a regular cleaner, now I also happily do all my laundry. What’s so special about that?

Hey! For someone like me doing household chores is not only special, it is fantastically incredible! What’s more? I don’t use my washing machine. I HANDWASH ALL MY LAUNDRY!

Why so stupid oops diligent?
Oh, Love…. The handwashing has kept me sane and happy and excited twice in a week. Imagine I will soak the clothes in detergent (note that mine is environment friendly) for some time -I’ll wait patiently- then I will rub off the pieces of clothes one by one -no brush please, it destroys the fabric- trying to clean the folds and joints and the special surfaces -you know what I mean- then rinse them several times with clean water -not only once, I do it up to four times!- then hang or line them to dry. All is by my dear two hands that mostly only dance on keyboards and keypads!!! With love….

I believe this writing will be one of the most historical turning points in life when I flashback reading this blog years later (if still alive)…. 🥰

I am in love with the half of me that’s almost forgotten. I hope I can keep it intact forever.

But handwashing forever? Maybe not…. 😄

Stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay sane.

May all beings be happy…. 🙏🏼

 

It Is April And – haiku

It is April and
Two of my resolutions
Have wildly unmet.

Singapore – April 4, 2020 / 15:00

One of my 2020 resolutions is high price of my company stock price. And in the first quarter I’ve got to accept a bitter fact that it went down to a point that I could not tolerate. It was almost 50% dropped.
I can only hope that it soars up with magical wings slowly and surely. Better future is always the best probability.

The other one is holiday.
There won’t be a short holiday in the first half of the year. September will be without long holiday as there will be more things to cover in the second half of the year after this virus outbreak — if and only if this outbreak is settled by mid of the year.
I can only hope that next year I’ve still got time to have long even longer holiday. Always hoping for the best…. 🥰

This tiny creature called virus has shattered my ego, leaving me a powerless human being with dysfunctional plans and aborted wishes. I don’t blame that virus as they probably naturally live like that. Let’s just make sure that our body is not their nice cozy home to survive.

Thanks, Virus for reminding me to stay humane with all types of broken heart yet to stay alert that the smallest thing can be the most lethal.

I’m sending love to myself and to beloved Coronavirus….

May all beings be happy. 🙏

Simple Victory – haiku

Simple victory
Is completing ironing
After the laundry.

Stay home peacefully – 2020

—-

Excessive happiness always catches me when I can finish all the laundry then iron all of them on the same day!

I’m proud of myself.

May all beings be happy! 🙏🏼

1740DE17-7ED3-44DE-BB54-B7CDADDF3FDB

What’s The Best Part – haiku

What’s the best part of
Work from home? Cook my own meal,
Eat it, no complaint.

Singapore – March 23, 2020 / 22:13

And the key is NO COMPLAINT 😂🥰

May all beings be happy. 💝

featuring my “chicken opor” 😻

 

Why Are You Afraid – haiku

Why are you afraid
Of using the word love? Yet
You said “I love cake”.

Singapore – March 20, 2020 / 19:16

Some friends asked me why I like using the word “love”. They said I’m too much about love. I’m ok with using that word because word is mutually agreed in society to express emotion and/or idea to each other. So it is either emotion or idea, OR both emotion and idea. So don’t get me wrong…. Not that I’m selling love in clearance sale everywhere but it is just me loving to love many things including what I do….! And, it is never too much to love….. only if you understand.

Some people say:
I love reading
I love apple
I love my country
I love my dress
I love pink
What’s wrong with love?
Are you allergic to love?
Can you feel love?
Maybe you only know lust, not love
Etc

Above sentences with the word love are so normal to me, should be to you if you are normal. 😌

One of my best friends said “word can become sick” – it is when the word is not used because people are afraid of being judged because of using that word; and the way we heal the word is by using it with compassion and not leaving it when we are supposed to use it. If selecting a diction has hampered you from expressing true feeling or idea, you’ve gotta look within because the word feels sick to the human beings who are sick!

If you are afraid of saying I love you to your mom, there might be a twist of emotion in you.

If you think love is only between two people romantically, you’d better start healing your own self because you may be sick…. 😁

Gotta enjoy my wonderful weekend…. with love…. 💝

May all beings be happy…. 🙏🏼🥰

😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻

Song of The Day – my mood

While working from home
You need a real break. This song
Rocks. It’s a Pop though.

😊

Working from home can be fun when it is once in a while. But no office interaction, no traveling, sitting at home in front of your machine for one full month takes not only love to your job as life dedication but also high self discipline that you can only earn with rigorous training. And this time I still need a booster. Music has worked wonder for the past one week especially this song.

Either YouTube or Music in my iPhone has been a real tool to cheer me up. And Rizky Febian, this young talent has made either of them magic!

Today I played this song I don’t know how many times – Heaven knows. If the singer had to sing live, he must have lost his voice and bored to die! 😁

Thanks for making me realise that only love can make me stay with everything — love to people, love to humanity, love to lifelong learning, love to be my own self….

May all beings be happy! 🙏💕

 

Please Stay Calm, Humans – haiku

Please stay calm, humans.
This state of fear might extend.
Hey! It has an end.

Singapore – March 13, 2020 / 21:00

—-

In current situation I find some real nature of human beings and how they cope with a stressful situation. Some glue themselves to their selfishness by excessively buying stocks of logistics in the name of saving for rainy days, some rant and nag as if whatever the Govt have done is never enough, some keep being as crazy as if nothing happens, some others keep calm, some others become calmer, some others are afraid to death, etc….

So what?
Everyone copes with stress in different way. I don’t blame them for doing what they have done. However, I prefer pushing my happiness to an extreme level. I’m happy and thankful that I’m still healthy and active now. I prefer smiling to as many colleagues/neighbours/passers-by or at least not looking so bitter, being kind to as many people as I can; and most importantly letting myself feel that however worst a situation outside of me will be, I can always go within and find peace and calmness here….

God bless all of us.

May all beings be happy. 🙏🏼

Staying Home Longer – haiku

Staying home longer
Is such a bless. She’s happy.
Thanks, trip postponement.

Singapore – March 11, 2020 / 7:50am

My March will be with less packing and unpacking. Two trips to Japan have been postponed until situation is well settled. It means a lot to me: walking more, cooking more, going to gym more, meet-up more, sketching more, reading more, all is more except eating – no eating more!

Sometimes others’ hell can be someone else’s heaven. I’m not happy with the COVID-19 but honestly it has blessed me with awareness of self health and more time to stay home. 🥰

I pray that the situation will be well settled soon.

May all beings be happy….