Category: Poetic

Surprisingly Survives

Learning, Poetic
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 😍

The Guardian of The White Mugs

Learning, Map It!, Poetic, Those People
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! 🙏🏼

As Long As You Are Happy

Learning, Poetic, This Person
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 💝

Takeaway

Learning, Poetic
Bring me takeaway,
A souvenir that reminds
Meaning of a road.

—

The biggest takeaway of my recent Tapa Brata:

  • Loving kindness — a constant reminder in my life
  • Anicca — nothing conditional is permanent

a silver bangle of ANICCA

About ANICCA

Smile!

Learning, Map It!, Poetic
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

Learning, Poetic, Those People
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 🙏🏼

May 6 (scheduled post)

Learning, Poetic
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 💝

Good Morning from Ubud

Learning, Poetic
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

Saturday Night in Central Ubud

Learning, Map It!, Poetic
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 💝

Sanctuary

Learning, Poetic, This Person
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

Almost Birthday

Learning, Poetic, Those People
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 💝

Best Not, Better Be

Learning, Poetic
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

Quiet Noise

Learning, Poetic
Quiet and noise
Are both luxury
Which cross clarify
And cross verify.
Both cost so high
In each phase.
At times each is a spy
To bug each other
To find when the best time
To be quiet
Or
To be noisy.

—

I am doing a sacred silence retreat next week. Called Tapa Brata, this retreat is where we will meditate most of the time in a day. Pak Merta is a devoted Buddhist who has been opening this meditation center for years to promote self health and at certain level herbal medication teaching. I am not a Buddhist but I feel that this retreat has helped me a lot to calm my mind.

There won’t be any interaction with others directly during the retreat. No talking. No reading. No writing. No listening except to the meditation guidance and sound of nature in Forest Island. All gadgets will be safe-kept by the organiser so we will be totally offline human beings.

It is about communicating with one’s self.

The interaction is primarily within. I remember how hard it was for me in my first Tapa Brata in 2018 just to not say good morning and good night to my roommates on the first day. Hope this one is easier for me.

💝

that joglo (the building with terracotta roof) is the meditation hall, two jinengs (Balinese rice storage) are sleeping quarters (only for male), 9 bungalows are located behind the joglo for meditators to sleep, the dog is in front of the dining joglo

the dog? he was with whom everyone wanted to talk after lunch in silence — he would just stare at us and yawn and sleep seeing us talking without saying things, he probably understood 😃 hope to see him again

Cuts and Bruises

Learning, life, love, Poetic, This Person
All cuts and bruises
Paint a life of a blossom
Before it decays.

—

i was so young and innocent, a loved friend of many, a hated enemy of some — i was so much blessed 💝

life has brought me travel through labyrinth of life with traps and turns that cut and torture yet i am still a loved friend of many, a hated enemy of some — i am still so much blessed with cuts and bruises 💝 i’ve lost much but i find myself

no one shall erase this happy girl within — a blessed soul that travels through space and time 🙏🏼 thank you

Wildly Grows

Learning, Poetic
That flower is born
By wind and gardener’s love.
Celebrating life—

—-

the pretty zinnia in my sister’s garden are all wild, she never intentionally grows them, they just popped out of the soil, she believes they were spread from the neighboirs’ as some of our neighbours have them in their garden — we don’t know if our neighbours also unintentionally grow them with the same reason as ours 😁

Maleman

Learning, life, Poetic
Breathing the same air
Under the same sun and moon,
All pray for good days.

—

Sharing is not only about self satisfaction and social support, it is also about gauging how much I dare to let go of what heavy and significant. Trust me giving will not make you poor.

This monthly food sharing is about Ramadhan odd night and night of revelation (lailatul qadar).

Salaam.

💝

package for some elderly people and tricycle drivers who deserve food sharing back in my mother’s town 💝
what’s inside
while the monthly food sharing is without kue apem, this maleman food sharing is with kue apem 💝
5 big monthly package for nuclear family 💝
what’s in the big package 💝

Ramadhan Odd Night

Learning, Poetic, This Person, Those People
Sleeping under dome,
Reciting signs of wisdom,
Ramadhan odd night

—-

Some friends of mine and I stayed overnight in Istiqlal Mosque on Apr 15 (25th night of Ramadhan) to focus on “sleep less, pray more”. We did much earlier as high schooler when we stayed overnight at school in 2 Ramadhan nights to sleep less and pray more to gain lailatur qadar that my friends and I believe is special night to reveal truth within our own selves.

This very time in Istiqlal 3 things were emphasised by some teachers to all of us.

  1. Birr walidayn (doing good deed to our parents) including but not limited to making them feel in ease and peace, show respect and gratitude, talk softly, pay regular visit, cook their favourite food, buy good clothes, and other good deeds
  2. Knowing one’s self = knowing the God — interaction with one’s self is as important as interaction with other human beings as tools to clearly see the core self within
  3. Loving fellow creatures is paramount in life — no choice as human beings without discrimination!

Thousands of muslims stayed in the mosque and we didn’t know each other, we just followed the scheduled activities mostly in silence or very casual salaam except talking in low voice to few friends going together as groups.

Thanks for giving me one night to sleep less and pray more.

💝

with girl friends in senior high school class — me with 2 besties 💝💝💝 night for (crazy) youngsters

Ramadhan Odd Night in Istiqlal Mosque, me and 2 good friends slept under the 3rd pillar in the female chamber (left side of the hall), there is partition between male and female chambers — felt like staring hundreds of star clusters 💝

Maleman (Ramadhan’s odd nights celebration)

Learning, Poetic
Dear oh dear, it’s time to slide the curtain and see your face.

Crescent moon is here.
It illuminates my sky,
Showing your perfect beauty.

Dear oh dear, your love has perfectly wrapped my imperfect reality.

This dusk
To dawn
I pray.

—-

Javanese celebrate life through sharing and commemorating ancestors. They will find reasons to call a day sacred and so they can celebrate it with especially family and neighbours through sharing. One of the chosen moments is in the last 10 days of Ramadhan.

Ramadhan is believed to have 3 phases: 1st 10 days as the grace and mercy of the God, 2nd 10 days as forgiveness of the God and 3rd ones as liberation from purgatory. It is believed that one of the nights in the 3rd 10 days is called Lailatul Qadar (literally night of revelation or night of honour) whose value is more than 1000 months so if Muslim spends the night in goodness s/he will be appreciated with 1000 months of good deeds. Many Muslim scholars interpret lailatul qadar differently; I myself believe that it is the night when a human being becomes aware of one’s bearing the quality of humanity as well as divinity. No one knows which night it is but it is believed that the night allegedly falls on odd nights of Ramadhan: 21, 23, 25, 27 or 29.

Javanese think that it would be good to share joy at any of those odd nights. Those who are blessed with abundance will share more, they will invite their neighbours to dine in and make a basket of food to bring home for each of them. The less or under privilege will usually bring 2 baskets of food to a nearest mosque or mushola to share with others; as it is not mandatory, it is ok for them not to bring anything, their neighbours will give more to them.

The odd night celebration in Javanese is called maleman that comes from the word malem (dusk or twilight) and -an (a suffix added to a word that make the word a noun or a noun another noun with different meaning). Maleman means an activity that is conducted at dusk or twilight.

We hope that by doing the maleman we can be blessed with the 1000 months of good deed of food sharing. And isn’t sharing food the simplest thing to do with neighbour? 🙏🏼

There is one kue (small cake) typically present among all food shared in maleman, it is called apem— a rice cake made with yeast and coconut milk.

Apem is a symbol of forgiveness and asking for forgiveness with each other among the Javanese Muslim. It is derived from an Arabic word “afwun/afuwwun” that means forgiving. This rice cake is a special cake appearing in many Javanese celebration as a symbol of forgiving and forgiveness among people surrounding.

I am glad that the 3rd 10 days of Ramadhan is here. Time to sleep less and pray more for the sake of my happiness and joy.

Salaam.

—-

Nowadays kue apem has been creatively modified. Originally it is steamed; now many also fry it. I love this one of Javanese delicacies! 💝

Have a look of a few of the creations of our amateur cooks. 🙏🏼

we used to have this “apem conthong” either using jackfruit or banana leaves to both mould and wrap it — not many though make it due to its complicated process

the most common nowadays

this one is fried 😍

simple to cook but take long time to slice when set after cooked

💝

apem with Javanese palm sugar as the flavour — the sweetest one

apem kembang — my favourite 😍

Background

Learning, Poetic
It takes good backgrounds
For stories to come alive.
Time, place or colours—

—-

this is the finally-decided colour for the background; just the background after many months, making sure this gift is loved by the birthday lady — thanks for your patience and understanding, Mbak ☺️💝

Harvested

Learning, life, Poetic
Not only fruits,
It might be flowers, seeds and seedlings.
It might be leaves, woods or saps.
It might be barks, husks or roots.
It might be more.
Whatever beneficial—

What is this tree harvested for?
None—
No. Either
One:
Good deed or good time.

Harvest from life, Beloved.
Remember to sow before the next reap.


Her heart and soul is her best seeds,
And she is the farmer and the crop.

biggest lessons taken from this — not so much relatable yet good lessons indeed

a bit of hilariously heroic – good to build good mood 😃

enigmatic and dark

Melodic Prayer

Learning, Poetic
No billowing smoke
Of incense she’s whispering
Melodies that free.

—-

i prayed that all that i love are happy and healthy wherever they are 🙏🏼

i prayed that their soul is reborn free and dedicated to humanity wherever they both are 🙏🏼

Reflection & Fragrance

Learning, love, Poetic
Standing in front of you,
I see love.
It is clearly reflected—
A face of mine smiling at itself.

When you look at this mirror,
What do you see?

I wish you know
You are love reflected by a clear mirror.
I wish you see
This water clearly reflects you,
A love that exudes fragrance.

—-

a pond behind Himeji Castle 🏯 i could breathe drizzles and pine freshness while seeing a school of fish swimming in clear water reflecting acceptance

Grateful Heart

Learning, Poetic
There’s always a room
For a smile to fully bloom.
It’s called day and night.

—-

Thanks for being part of this journey. Without you I won’t be a full version of a human being. 💝

hope you are healthy and happy with your loved ones 💝

today’s Ramadhan breakfast (ifthar) — cooked by myself for myself with love ❣️

Dream of Home

Learning, Poetic
If home’s made of dreams,
It’s green, warm and musical;
Or nothing at all.

—-

exhausted like heaven! the toilets and cleanliness imprison me, the railway system bids me a farewell — not a perfect home of mine 💝 Singapore and Indonesia is the best home of mine 💝

home is where new dreams are ready to come true 💝

dandelions ready to fly 💝

My Heart Is Leaping

Learning, Map It!, Poetic
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