The Guardian of The White Mugs

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! 🙏🏼

Smile!

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” 😂

Saturday Night in Central Ubud

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 💝

Colours

Light is reflected,
Brings various sensations.
Bright colour spectrum—

—-

I bought rangrang woven fabric for bedspreads, table clothes and other home decoration as alternative of vibe in my humble abode other than linen, Merauke ikat and batik series.

It is always exciting to decorate home. I think this is where a home owner should be wiser as the temptation to beautify a home feels more desperate compared to owning branded things. Dead serious!

Rangrang woven fabric was once fabric for religious ceremonies, yet now it has become a cultural commodity that are liked by many.

Anyway, rangrang woven fabric offer unique colourful art. It is called “rangrang” because there are “rangrang” (tiny holes/gaps) among the woven thread. Rangrang woven fabric is allegedly a symbol of transparency. Yet technically the gaps or holes among the woven threads are because of fewer number of threads used in some lines.

This fabric also has sufficient thickness that it won’t be too flimsy to spread on the beds yet won’t be too heavy for curtains.

The dominant colours on rangrang woven fabric are brighter spectrum of red, yellow, purple, blue, green. Love them all!

The most common patterns of rangrang woven fabric are basic geometry such as curves (commonly called bianglala/rainbow patter), triangles, squares.

square

triangles

some curves (bianglala/rainbow)

rangrang = holes among the weaved threads

Rangrang used to be a prima donna back then in 2010’s that made it as expensive as hundreds of USD per piece, while now I could buy it for USD50 per piece.

This woven fabric should be conserved as fewer and fewer weavers are productively making it, most of them are older women whose children don’t have the same passion to produce this beautiful art work. One of the conservation effort might be for ordinary people to buy this fabric.

I am happy that I found 4 more sheets of rangrang woven fabric are needed. There is a reason to go shopping either in the market or directly to the weavers.

💝😁

rangrang = holes among the weaved threads

About rangrang woven fabric

My Heart Is Leaping

My heart is leaping.
It opens its windows, breathes the joy.
It celebrates parties,
As invited by beauty that pops out out of life.
It claps hands.
It taps feet.
It dances love songs.
It sings “Ode to Joy”.

My heart is leaping.
It turns my sadness
To joyous moments,
Leaving tiny gap to
Contemplation and regret.

—-

do you see that breathing the pink fragrance 👁

camellia ~ symmetrical layers

sakura near castle boulders

pink sakura ~ hanging blessings

sakura tree ~ almost end of cherry blossoms

Good Morning, Joy

Pink joy greets in breeze
Showering earth with blessings
Of cherry petals.

—-

a surprise at the gate! 🥰

trust me it made my day! 💝

showered earth 💝

neighbour’s sakura 💝

thanks for the blessings!

thanks for the blessings!

thanks for the blessings!

thanks for the blessings!

thanks for the blessings!

Pink Beauty

Their eyes see pig pink.
She sees cherry blossom pink.
Pink can be anything, anywhere.
Not anyone though sees beauty in pink.
My heart is red
Yet it feels ever pink.

—-

cherry blossoms along JR Kobe Line 😍 — almost ten times visiting Japan and this is my very first experience of cherry blossoms

Interaction

Where is sun when sets?
Where is moon in the day light?
They share love through time.

Interaction is about reciprocity; even when we are alone, we are interacting with some tool of life or with the deep self within.

When it is not reciprocated, interaction is not genuinely true.

Salaam.

a grandma with her grandson

a mother with her son

family gathering

feeding two grandsons

let’s climb!

hi, dove! said the little boy

what’s in the water? said he

bubbles!!!

what is that over there? ahh hope! ☺️

am i your headache? no, you are my universe 😂

don’t move, just smile! someone is taking our picture ☺️

she is asking her cam to see what she sees 🙏🏼

our daughter is playing, i am sitting near her

hey! clear up! i am gonna land!

electrocution my a**! 😁

Shadow

Is it the shadow
Or the real you show to me?
Distinguished beauty—

—-

i can’t remember which one is the shadow and which one is the real — i don’t want to observe further to find which is which

what i know the castle is beautiful day and night 💝

Balance

Is it tug of war
Or pendulum played within?
Two polar extremes—

—-

decision making is about choosing

winning one interest…

….and letting the other conform

there shall be a stop at one balanced point at which the momentum reaches its maturity or its exhaustion 💝

Bubble

A bubble’s bursting,
United with the free air.
Would you please join me?

Although Kyoto has a lot of impressive shrines, my favourite is not there. Mine is Izumo Taisha in Shimane prefecture about 343 km from Kyoto.

When visiting other shrines in Japan, I was so aware of being in Japan. In Izumo Taisha I got home: sunny, green, serene and unexplainably blissful. There were many visitors but my senses didn’t absorb their presence as if the hot air and bright light muffled their noise and wrapped me in a safe bubble bursting when my last step left the shrine front gate.

Romantic!

a long walk from the gate to the shrine — i remember it was a scorching hot day in August 2018 and i was humming while walking 😇

ablution, my daily ritual that i find also so soothing in Japan shrine especially in Izumo Taisha

torii 💝 a gate to the shrine yard

this is Izumo Taisha! 💝

shimenawa (sacred straw rope)

i only go to this coffee shop with my colleagues, but i wholeheartedly believed drinking Starbucks coffee was a nice thing; only in Izumo! right outside the shrine complex

Izumo Taisha, Shimane

Castle

Castles small or big
Stand on a hill among trees
Wave to the white clouds.

Matsue Castle, from afar (2018)

Matsue Castle, closer view (2018)

there is no reason to not thank life for making me me; with all the ups and downs, zig-zagging, winding roads, flood and quake, fake and genuine people around; i survive and become more and more relaxed — like Matsue Castle, my life is small, humble but strong enough and sweetly suitable for me 💝

Matsue Castle, Shimane

Jeepney

Jeepney
On the busy lanes
Tough and in style
Like a rascal
Chasing
Wild kites

What about Manila that makes me feel home other than those dedicated working partners and turon (fried banana)?

Jeepney!

My childhood town used to have public transportation exactly like Philippines’ Jeepney; we called them PC (pronounce as “pay say” in English phonetics). They were everyone’s favourite for the space, air circulation and low price. Pak Sugeng was one PC owner cum driver who became all women’s sweetheart for his patience to wait for those women doing their errands in the central market and his helpfulness to lift all the shopped goods. What a good day it was!

Now Philippines is the blessed country with Jeepney. These ex wat vehicles during World War Ii are truly reliable and strong means of transportation for the people there. I took Jeepney once when having opportunity to visit Lapu-Lapu City in 2012. I think I paid for PHP50 for the ride!

Jeepney should be kept as a social heritage. It is unique, historical and supporting the life of those surrounding.

This vehicle is relevant for those with high resilience and survival spirit like Filipino and Indonesian!

Thank you, Manila and its surrounding for the friendship and lessons.

💝

silver Jeepney

green Jeepney

turquoise Jeepney

Quezon City’s traffic: look at the fragile egg tray that is paradoxical with the sturdy Jeepney

pink Jeepney! 😍

hey, light green Jeepney!

it was so stable and confident! it is Jeepney!

Dream Weekend

What is dream weekend?
Mine is
A walk in the green,
Smiles under the blue,
Jokes with warm sun,
Chats with cool breeze,
Glanced by rice herons,
Chased by crazy ducks,
Followed by spoiled dog,
Side by side with good friends,
Wrapped up with 5-cent luxury in banana leaf
And huge thanks to
Whomever-whomever.

i rented a room in a Balinese banjar belonging to a family — it is living as a Balinese in Central Ubud 💝 hey, Pongky! let’s go to the rice field, buddy!
Mount Agung and Mount Batur from distance 💝
ducks are herded in rice field here – beautiful scenery 💝
how beautiful you are! 💝
a farmer burning the dried rice stalk to sterilize the land — don’t say what you don’t know like carbon footprint, what he does is a natural process and nothing compared to what all the industries have done to Mother Earth
turn left
turn right
go straight
follow the flow within, dear self
hi, rice herons! i was blessed to see you 💝
my best friend said “that’s your dream island in the middle of rice field!” 😝
she also said “are you sure not moving to Ubud someday?” i said “i love the rice field of Ubud but when i retire i guess it is gone, so let me enjoy my tiny greenery in Yogyakarta, we can always give friendly visit to each other” 💝
water hyacinths
pisang kipas (Ravenala madagascariensis)
big brands building their hotels in the valley – greenery, please survive 🙏🏼 or you might be gone when i retire
my breakfast was for 5 cent! 💝 nasi jinggo ubi (rice with some yellow sweet yam — clean, tasty and cheap: that’s food in Bali and Jogja 😍
also 5 cents! 💝 nasi jinggo kuning (turmeric yellow jinggo rice)

Bali, A Space In A Place

I don’t need a place.
They can build a palace
To place me.
I’m not a queen,
Please gift it to someone more beautiful and loving luxury.

I deserve just a space.
It can be a table for two
To chat with me.
I’m a traveler,
Please go on a quest with me through joy and challenges to be.

Let me clean my place
For a little space.
Now and here
With or without
You—

—-

i went melukat with one of my best friends in Pura Pacampuhan Sala on Saturday to welcome Seclusion Day and Ramadhan month — it was such a blessing for both of us

About MELUKAT

Linguistically melukat is derived from the old Javanese word “lukat” which means to “cleanse” or “purify”.

Melukat itself is understood as bathing or cleansing with water that aims to cleanse both body and mind, to refresh the spirit and dissolve away any negative influences. It is also believed to cure non medical diseases and sickness of the spirit and whether it does or not, a session bathing in holy waters will certainly make you feel good.

It is a symbol of letting go or releasing something burdening within us. It is a ritual that can be performed many times, in fact the more, the merrier as it can only lead to good things. It is also a kind of self purification that is very common by Indonesians of Hindu and Javanese Muslim in different ways as ritual.

Hindu in Bali will do it as frequent ritual, even for tourist attraction in some way.

Muslim have daily ablution (washing face/nostrils/earlobes/hands/feet) and mandatory bathing for women after menses or married couples after sexual intercourse. They also have another self purification affected by original Javanese tradition called “Adus Suran” or “taking a bath in Assyura/Suro month” in which they will do bathing in Javanese New Year’s Eve called “1st night of Suro”. Muslims are also suggested to do cleansing ritual (normal bathing with strong intension) before Ramadhan.

While in Bali why not I committed myself to self-purify? My best friend did it for Seclusion Day. I did for Ramadhan. Both of us did it for health, happiness and joy. 💝

Salaam.

walking along Sok Wayah’s rice field the whole morning on Sunday
after a long walk, Pukako’s drink and sweet potato is the best choice 😎

I’m Ready

Tell the sun rising and setting that I’m ready anytime: morning, night and day— to present what’s best in my humble life.

💗 welcoming rising sun
💗 escorting the sun to sleep
💕 you can destroy the branches but you can’t kill the tree with healthy roots
💕 so full and filled

Those Love Around

You don’t need so much love to find love around. Make it with a little love.

playing buddies
mama dog 💕
cool
like a log
slurp!
can you spot 2 cats?
one guarding a headless god
strolling
my Bob looks like this one 💗
brrr!
tux cat on carpet
ginger waiting for lunch

A Loving Visit

A loving visit beyond time and space. Salaam. Universe answers.

about the museum
beloved
beloved
beloved
when you’re loved, people still visit you even when you’re nowhere 💝
when you’re loved, you’re taken care of even when you’re nowhere
beloved – visiting him with love, see you again
beloved – visiting him with love, see you again