The green yard behind
Is where greets and smiles soft-land
On the plate and glass.
β




graphs of my Universe
The green yard behind
Is where greets and smiles soft-land
On the plate and glass.
β




Wondered about home.
Has wandered finding a home.
Sheβs learnt sheβs a home.
β
Feel good is feel home wherever she is.



Just in case my kitchen is resting, here is a list of Javanese heaven on earth for my hungry stomach.
π
GUDEG
SOTO
SATE
AYAM
BEBEK
GADO2/PECEL/LONTONG
BAKSO/PEMPEK
And many more….β€
Terraced hilly fields
Build levels, reduce runoff.
Beautifully strongβ
β


Good roots are strong roots
Supporting those on the soil.
They wonβt be betrayed.
β
This trip is incredibly beautiful. Meeting best friends is more than anything. We talk. We laugh. We eat. We visit places. We engage with people.
One of my best friends who will be my neighbour in my humble abode is one of best human beings Iβve ever known. She lives to humbly serve humanity. She dedicates her life to help the underprivileged. She is so patient about what others do to her and always in understanding mode. She is so passionate in doing what she is doing to help others.
Among all her non profit projects that are my favourite is opening library in a small village that is functioning as youth center at the same time and supporting buruh gendong (traditional female labours who are paid to carry things either by sellers or buyers in Yogyakarta traditional markets, most of them are senior) in some traditional markets in Yogyakarta. If time allows me to live as long as I wish, our agreement is I will teach free classes of English, Japanese, leadership and management system in her youth center, while occasionally going with her from one market to another to greet the buruh gendong. Yet as an artist she is also teaching (mostly) women on how to make artistic products for sale to support themselves financially.
In this trip we discuss a lot about what we should do to ourselves and others but we canβt because of immovable blockages. We also talk about how we can feel good no matter bad a situation is. We talk about what will happen if the youth are not aware of what lies in their future at the same time we concern about how children around us get mature faster than we did before. And all always last long although with only a glass of tea, a cup of Javanese coffee and some pieces of local snack.
Life is too precious to focus on what doesnβt serve us good anymore. Life is too short to lament of any loss that is truly never loss. Life is too grand to just be sad of how that that we love disrespects us. Life is just too beautiful to consider what is not real.
So thankful for how real my best friends are in helping others. So thankful to be part of their spirit. So thankful that we are ordinary people in this grand life. So thankful that we are a grain of sand in the vast shore. So thankful that we accept who we are. So thankful that we are strong roots for each other.
Thank you, dear friend. It is good to always have a question βso what is our plan and action?β π
Alfatihah.

What will you do on one bright day? Anything but feel no good.
β

Always love this city
Where work is in moving cars,
Finished in toll gates.
β
What is Jakarta about? Heavy traffic? Better in some way. Flood? Better in some way. People? Always happy, optimistic and witty no matter what!
Nothing beats feel home. π


A dream is shadow
Who is loyal to the light,
Acting as the dark.
β
Weekend is always the second best after everything even when it is cloudy and full of rain everyday. π

Lines of orange trees
Tell stories of a city
With its bright fruit juice.
β

Opening the door,
She finds books and thesaurus
Stacked high to the sky.
β
What else is this life mainly but library? Read your books! π
βRead your booksβ is excepted from one Quran verse βRead your records (the word kitabaka can also mean your books or your scrolls). You alone are sufficient this day to take account of yourselfβ that implies self observation, self evaluation, self assessment, self correction.
Ouch! An internal audit it is β becoming the auditor and the auditee: acting different roles in the same place using different points of view. Doable and sustainable! π
May all beings be happy.


Silk road, Beloved,
A bumpy road to a heart
Laughing at a jokeβ
β
In a silk shop in Hanoi a conversation happened.
Me: (silently questioning whether the silk offered was truly silk from Dalat or βsilkβ from somewhere in China)
Shopkeeper: How do you like it, Madam?
Me: I love it. But to help me make decision, would you mind answering my question? I hope this wonβt offend you.
Shopkeeper: Certainly, Madam.
Me: Is this silk truly from Dalat?
Shopkeeper: Yes, Madam. It is from Dalat, my parentsβ hometown. Why, Madam?
Me: Not from China?
Shopkeeper: (laughing) We received the same question from another customer before. I am not surprised. Trust me it is Vietnamese silk, not Chinese productβ¦. (She made a joke about βsilkβ then continued her long explanation of silk industry in Vietnam and her family business history and brought some samples of old silk that had been kept since her grand grand parents started production.)
She was able to convince me relatively well and my decision was buying one pretty white piece. White silk wonβt go wrong to attend my nephewβs wedding in December! π₯°
May all beings be happy.

A guest, Beloved,
Makes host happy yet confused.
Smile sweet and thank, too.
β
Iβve met hosts with different types of personality or characteristics. When the host is a person, itβs just about that particular person. When the host is a company, it shows me the company culture or local culture.
Iβve got a few βcuteβ treatment from some hosts.
One company in Koka was informed that Iβm a Muslim. My colleague told them βRike eats halal, please find the food source from now.β They didnβt clarify to me and just followed that pranking colleague blindly. And in my 3-day visit they fed me halal food they ordered online and had to be delivered long trip to that remote area.
βIs it good, Rike-san?β The host asked me on the last day.
βDo you expect honest or polite answer?β said I laughing.
βBe honest please ha haβ¦β
βI tried NN-sanβs food from your canteen. I love your food much much better. This online food tasted good but didnβt taste fresh.β It was impolite like hell for most Japanese host I guess. π
βOur canteen food is not halal. Iβm sorry about the online food.β He must have wanted to commit suicide after that. π
Then I started preaching what halal meant to me. And they said they would not order the halal food for me anymore and give me their canteen food the following years. π

β
The second was one company knowing Iβm a Muslim as informed by the branch in Malaysia. So they knew I pray although they never knew I only pray when wanting to.
So they brought me to a small room to do afternoon prayer. I asked if they have Muslim employees so they had the room, they said it was prepared for me. They moved out table, chairs and other cultural ornaments. ππ»ββοΈ
The first day I prayed, the other days they asked if I would pray. I said no. Then again I preached what type of Muslim I was and they nodded heads looking confusedβ they might think how would a human being can be this obedient yet disobedient to her God.

β
The third is also about being a Muslim. I came with 6 other people for 2 days and the company gave me fruit salad while giving nice beef/chicken/pork, egg, vegetable, rice lunch to others. They said they only had salad as halal food and no restaurant near the industrial area cooks halal and non halal food separately.
My colleagues explained that I could eat this and that but βnot pork onlyβ. So the next day they provided my favourite Vietnam spring roll with βvegetable and porkβ not βpork onlyβ. I left the lunch box untouched and went back to the yummy salad. Iβll come back next year, please give me pho. π

β
Some people are so naive not knowing what to do and deciding to do their bestest best to respect the guests. God bless them.
I enjoy being a (not so good) Muslim. Misunderstood but still well treated by those willing to respect others. God bless you! π
Salaamβ¦.

Guessing, Beloved,
The least inaccurate points
Of mangosteen seedsβ
β



Thatβs what we call βtebak buah manggisβ, guessing game to decide whether the number of sections at the bottom of the fruit accurately matches the number of seeds inside. Mostly matching, yet this time it is not! π Life is sometimes unpredictable even with good database; anomaly is a rule whose patterns are not yet formulatable oops formulated by human beings β please excuse my English, Iβm not a native. π
Like someone we love. We thought they are 6, in fact they are 5.
Fair enough to say: seldom expect accuracy in estimation; better be sufficiently into the least inaccuracy so it wonβt drop one down to abyss when finding inaccurate things. Iβm trying to be wise as myself for myself about myself. π₯°
Oh dear, mangosteens!
Playground, Beloved,
Where crickets find the shelters,
Light heart run aroundβ
β
Back to my playground β am I the crickets hiding from the stomping feet of the children playing? Or the the light-hearted children stomping their feet around?
Comfort comes in different ways to different people.
May all beings be happy.

Partners in crime, Love
Sail from torii to torii.
A ship of good friendsβ
β

Little bird, dear love,
Telling her to soar then go home
To where her heart isβ
β
Home. Is it a what, a who, a whom, a whose, a which, a when, a where or a how? She knows hers and it doesnβt always the same as othersβ. π

Greeting, Beloved,
Cool breeze sweeping the valley
Moisturised by dewβ
β

Daruma city
Youβve witnessed left eyes were drawn.
Wish me the right ones.
–
A group of people in Takasaki wished me a happy birthday in an online meeting. A real surprise that made my day! I almost cried of happiness! π₯Ί
This evening one of them went back to Tokyo and she sent me messages with photos taken in Takasaki station. Another sweet surprise!
γγγγ¨γγγγγΎγ, AWγγγγΎγζ₯εΉ΄γδΌγγγΎγγγοΌ
Looking forward to a set of daruma dolls of different colours I ordered from Amazon (because of cancelled plan to buy them in its original city). Not a real surprise but hope the dolls give me a little shade of surprise! π€©
Salaam.


Dream home, Beloved,
Sitting with all senses on,
Capturing momentsβ
β
Lunch break + very very heavy rain = early wish of birthday getaway to come true!





To be continued with more destinations in 2028, 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032, 2033, 2034, 2035, 2036, 2037, 2038, 2039, 2040, 2041, 2042, 2043, 2044, 2045, 2046, 2047, 2048, 2049, 2050, 2051, 2052, 2053, 2054, 2055, 2056, 2057, 2058, 2059, 2060, 2061, 2062, 2063, 2064, 2065β¦. As if I knew how long I will wander around here? I hope to live as long as time is mentally and physically enjoyable with family and friends without bothering them.
Long life, fresh and sane!
Then came the calculation partβ¦. A lot of coins to spend to comfortably celebrate that way in those particular places. Easy! Just need a clover pendant to make it happen. π

Thanks for the rain and daydream. I know there is more than meets the eye! Life is so rich and I accept all the gifts.
Dream home, Beloved,
A place where nature meets hearts;
Hearts warmly greet soulsβ
β
The conversation with a long lost friend came to a topic of βwhere we want to live if ending living alone?β
Living in Singapore was never part of my dream. A visit in 2010 gave me impression that I would die of hunger in a week with Indonesia salary. π
Now this city is a lovely second home; my impression has changed. I wonβt die because of hunger but I will die because of loneliness if I stay single retiring here. I still canβt find enough friends like those in home country. There are three but all of them will retire in Bali and New Zealand sooner than me.
Residing in a landed property where gardening and backyard dining is affordable is a preference, yet I donβt have the luxury of living in such place here. And I donβt want to die alone in a locked condo found rotten after days or even weeks. Oh God, please protect me from such horrible thing. Amenβ¦.
F: Iβve always wanted to live in Ubud and it will happen very soon. Iβll open a spa with all traditional herbal from all over Indonesia. Iβll quit my job soon. I want to live my own life as me, no one can tell me to do this and that anymore! No bloody politics anymore! Visit me often! Youβll find my spa super special! Iβll give you discount! Be a regular customer! Hey! You once wanted to live in Thailand?
Me: Someone informed me about a good property in low price near my favourite hotel in Ayutthaya. Yet Thai have controversial life style Iβm not comfortable with in a way. Iβm too simple, sometimes too honest and can be against those status-oriented that I might not be able to adapt well. Not a true dream! Hey! Actually love to live in Kyoto!
F: Youβll die in three months after you complete second round of shrine, temple and ancient house hopping! π
Me: Dying of walking! π
What a refreshing conversation! And yes, Iβll visit her spa soon! π
Lesson learnt: Will only live with those I love and loving me where home is a real feel. No excuse.
Salaamβ¦. π


In harmony, love,
The art, the breath, the weather
With the city vibeβ
β
I prefer enjoying the artistic vibes of a city to enjoying the crowd of its party or clubbing. Peopleβs effort to entertain others through art on the street while at the same time earning a living is more humane than peopleβs effort to escape from their allegedly humdrum life by forgetting who they really are (my humble opinion).
May all beings be happy. π



Lover, Beloved,
With whom air and joy is shared,
By whom tears soon driedβ
β
Being excited about solo travel wished in near future has made me remember places visited alone years ago. One of them is Madrid. Exciting one! Also ridiculous one! This trip was where I had: Korean food for lunch (my hunger came earlier, while people in Madrid have lunch at around 2pm so the most recommended Madrid restaurant was not open yet), Chinese silk bought (order from my beautiful best friend who was craving for it), lapis lazuli earring studs purchased for β¬80 (found them only S$40 in Lucky Plaza, might be only IDR300,000 in Jakarta), walking around the same street 4 times to find one place that was shown very clearly in Google Map…. I was lost in mind because of too many handsome faces on the road π
Madrid though wonβt be a city I will go alone anymore. This place is too romantic to go without a lover.
One more thing, be careful of pickpockets! Too many, too many!
Salaam. π

Dove peace, Beloved,
Not doveβs! Itβs ours projecting
What we canβt achieveβ
β

Peaceful, Beloved,
Sitting remembering you
In this sweet silenceβ
β
Sometimes just donβt get it why Japanese is like that but now accepting it as it is a culture with which a nation is built and shaped based on nature and history; like a Korean being a Korean, a Javanese being a Javanese, an English being an English, a Vietnamese being a Vietnamese, etc. As long as it doesnβt disturb loyalty and integrity, itβs ok. π₯°


Forbidden city not.
Imaginary power
Ruined through historyβ
β
Whatβs built on weak foundation will collapse. Lies, betrayal, tyranny, iniquity adorn the strong marble slabs and zhennan wood logs, remembered through time.
Life is undeniably karmic: what is sown is what is reaped.
So satisfying to see time reveals the truth!
Salaam.

Point zero, my love
Here now, unshakeable ground
After the earthquakesβ
β
Iβve been a full time thinker for the past one weekβ¦. Thanks to the physical weakness brought by the virus! π₯° And here is the ranting abridged π
Life has always suggested me to walk through places where paradoxical situations exist and has made me weigh what life path should be chosen. Luckily life has always sent me angels (fallen angels included π) who remind me that life isnβt only about exploiting whatβs considered lucrative and physically pleasant; itβs also about exploring whatβs wising-up and spiritually enriching.
When I was young; books, courses, lectures, workshops were kind of βsubscriptionβ I had to shape a level of mental toughness. Yet there was exhaustion and anti-climax for intensity every now and then (good deed included π). Losing faith, difficulty to trust human beings and skepticism to almost everything triggered me to deconstruct my own mindset.
Another βpoint zeroβ came and brought a decision to take a course inspired by one friend named Eva (not one of my close friends but she is definitely one trusted human being). I promised to myself that this would be my LAST course to finally be unshakeable me.
I flew to Edinburgh and was driven from the airport to a place called Chisholme House by Mr Brix who became an excellent opening of my self re-discovery. He introduced me to the richness of self re-discovery even before the course started. That was when I felt so lucky to have read Ibn Arabi, Rumi and English literature although not extensively and to have learnt Javanese wisdom that is considered βlocalβ by many of my friends (which I always disagree) as Mr Brixβ languages were using all those keywords in the repertoire from my literature reading and cultural wisdom. Indeed Mr Brix was a βgateβ welcoming me to a true friendship or fellowship bonded by humanity.
The course was simply daily schedules for us to an experiencing life or βhuman beings who workβ β physically, mentally, spiritually, socially in connection with their own self, other human beings and nature. Of course the classes was the superb! Collins, Hiroko and Aaron were excellent facilitators and to me they are role models of ordinary yet impressive human being! Collins was a loving husband and father cum the best administrator. Hiroko was a loving mother and wife cum an excellent painter! Aaron was an excellent chef cum wise philosopher! π
It was so normal a life that I felt so blessed. We woke up in the morning then took a bath or at least took ablution. We started the day with a group meditation β everyone: the course participants, kitchen staffs, office staffs, garden staffs, etc except those who overslept. Then we had breakfast β English breakfast! After that we started the class; the staffs started their duties. After that we had tea break then WORK! Work meant doing the assigned chores (garden, kitchen, house, laundry). After that class again then English lunch! Then lunch break for one hour. Class again. Mediation again. Work again. Afternoon tea. Personal time (we could go to the hill, forest, sleep, talk to staffs or participants, whatever). English dinner. Discussion time. Free time. Sleepβ¦. Repeat.
Completing the βself re-discoveryβ, I found that life is like riding bicycle, balancing while moving. I lose, I win. I fall in love, I break heart. I get sick, I get cured. I trust, I distrust. I think, I feel. I work, I take a rest.
Balancing is about knowing the limit. I lose against someone/something but I gain wisdom. I fall in love at the same time I have to accept the unpredictable responses. I get sick then I will be cured. I trust with or without reasoning yet can also distrust because of the true or false reasoning. I think based on logic yet when logic doesnβt count, only feeling of acceptance will neutralise the situation. And, when I am tired, I should take time-out. Just like that!
And I actually graduated with flying colours from many βextraβ lessons: doing laundry, washing dishes, house keeping, potato harvesting, making bread, cooking English lunch, preparing dining table, raking dry leaves, going up and down the hills in the rain, walking in the moorland, listening to silence, listening to othersβ opinions, identifying and recognising true intelligent people, trusting the right people at the right time in the right place, respecting stupid idiot (myself included π), taking a bath in the cold morning, and more and more!
And yes, that was the last course in my life. Ordinary yet impressive, like what I always want myself to be to and for those having in touch with me.
I want to be back there not as a participant but as a guest in the English breakfast or lunch bringing a best friend who deserves an ordinary yet impressive life.
β¦. π
Thanks for today! π΄
Salaamβ¦
β




Shanghai, Beloved,
A pearl wrapped in gloomy smog,
A dream with no sleepβ
β
Dear World, youβll get better. Or else, please hide your ugly faces from me for just a while.
Sending warm regards to MZ, RL and other Shanghainese ladies that I know in the modern Shanghai.
Happy weekend!
May all beings be happy.
π

Duhai, Indonesia. Serupa apapun engkau, kau adalah tempat lahirku. Walaupun saran dan nasehat bertaburan untuk menjadi pemegang status PR di rumah keduaku ini, aku tak goyah. Nggak papaβ¦. PR atau bukan PR passport-ku tetap Indonesia. Hanya cinta dan hidup-mati saja yang boleh membuatku jadi PR atau pindah kewarganegaraan. Selain itu, no way!
Indonesiaku, terima-kasih telah menjadi tempat lahirku dan tempatku belajar hal-hal pokok untuk menjadi manusia utama. Kalau aku dilahirkan dan dibesarkan di negara lain, mungkin aku jadi orang yang bermewah-mewah dan tidak down to earth.
Indonesiaku, kemanapun aku pergi, kamulah darah yang mengalir di tubuh ini. Dimanapun aku tinggal, engkau tetap menjadi tujuan pertama pulang atau liburanku (ya setahun satu atau dua kali deh). Dengan siapapun aku bergaul, kamu tetap warna primerku.
Kecintaanku padamu bukan pada para pejabat buruk yang mengurusi ketatanegaraan. Kecintaanku tulus pada tanah, air, udara, rakyat dan makhluk di sekitarnnya.
Merdeka!


Journey, Beloved,
Counting every blessed milestone;
Deletion of doubtsβ
β
My personal definition of Australia: where beer is consumed more than water. It might be wrong to others but that was what I saw with these very eyes with no doubt. π

Tulips, Beloved,
In joy they sway by the wind.
Daffodils do, too.
β
Hi, tulips. Hi, daffodils. Miss you, miss youβ¦. πππ

You must be logged in to post a comment.