When the evil giant is in danger, What will he do?
I see the giant beats the air like a storm. The giant kicks the trees blindly. The giant screams on the top pitch with anger. The giant pushes down all fences around him and stomps on everything and everyone on his way.
The giant rages wildly forgetting the land isn’t only flat plateau. Hidden canyons can put things to an end.
Hey, evil giant! Why don’t you open your eyes? No one steals your food. It’s you having stolen their food and now they’re taking it back from you! And open your eyes! A deep dark canyon full with poisonous snakes, sharp dagger-like thorns and hungry fire ants is far more dangerous than the bear, tiger or T-Rex. With those creepy crawly you simply don’t see them coming.
Hey, evil giant! You’ve created too many broken hearts and broken hopes. You’ve torn apart many other creatures’ pride and property. If you don’t stop, See what’s coming.
The evil giant doesn’t listen. There’s something about his pride nobody can understand. There’s something about his greed nobody can accept. He still walks in rage, this time with hidden fear and shame. He knows he’s going to fall but he denies any fact to it.
I know he’s going to fall.
Soon.
Very very soon.
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God rescue and protect the weak, the ill-treated, the oppressed from the oppressors.
War? Yes it is also about war; but not only that. It is about those who are the victim of any kind of oppression, harassment, abuse, discrimination.
Alfatihah ❣️
Mahesasura, the evil giant in Javanese shadow puppet — he wants everything, at the end gets killed by Subali the white monkey king
A tree was a seed Nurtured through time. Some is missed, Killed before sprouting.
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I had some conversation about friendship with a friend. She said she just experienced an underestimation. I said to her that it is not a new thing, people like us should befriend with it; that underestimation will never negatively affect her if she does two things, one of which is staying calm.
In many cases underestimation is like manure thrown on to soil, looking and smelling bad but triggering growth of natural fertilisers. What happens next is predictable: what won’t grow beautifully? Just know that with the growth of flowery plants, annoying weeds will also be around.
Don’t let others’ negative actions ruin your good characters, my friend. I’m here silently always a friend.
Then at the end of the convo she asked me “Why you never reply my comments in Instagram?” Bloody hell! 🥸
I want to not eat But get full. My palate says “Go talk to the wall”.
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My palate is greedy yet very loving and worth loving. It tells me to eat more tasty food although I’m not hungry. In Ramadhan it whispers to me, coaxing me to “collect good-looking food” on the day to reward my good deed through breakfast (ifthar). Damn good influencer!
Dear, Ms Palate. At least please support my weight loss program. 😚
pizza, good when rather hot — ordered at lunch time in the office at 1:25pmheated pizza at home at 7:12pm — good? slightly dry but good!
Those of men, women and children who are weak, ill-treated and oppressed be rescued and protected from the oppressors. Amen.
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I see many curse one specific invasion, raise the flag and upload country symbol to take side of the one whom they consider the weak; however, they ignore the bigger part of those invaded by another giant who has invaded way more places for so many years.
I don’t blame them cursing and taking side, understanding that for some people life is about losing, winning and guarding pride. Just that that type of people should be —excuse me— considered intelligent-but-ignorant. Intelligence is the highest pride of that type of people, yet they miss the point that —excuse me— ignorance is the root of all evil.
Once I heard one of my teacher talked about “history of fart’ in which this old wise man talked about a person farting and blamed and cursed and laughed at without everyone’s thinking over what chains of events have preceded the fart: what the person eats, why one eats it, when one eats it, who gives that food to one, and so on and so forth….
But yeah, who wants to think about fart? Almost no one! Maybe only that particular teacher did then he reminded all of his students to be careful not to judge from what’s readily accessibly sensible only. There is history to be considered. In fact, history is very complex that many people claiming to be historians have missed the true points. Why? Because they are attached to history written one-sidedly, while missing other sides which are almost always forgotten or the least accessible, buried with the death of the weak and the holders of the next generation.
Alfatihah for the weak everywhere you are. 🦋
those kings and aristocrats don’t care about those underprivileged, don’t you realise?
is he still a representative or just a name of fame?
Intoxicated Without drink, just dream of you. Sensing from afar— From a distance it is you. The true you? A perceived you?
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I learn about fasting gradually, starting from child’s fasting to earn presents then knowing it as shoum then as shiyam. All refer to the same activity but have different level of loaded meanings. In Arabic when word is added with one letter, the type of word changes, the voice changes and the depth or load of meaning also changes. The word صوم (shoum) has three letters, while صيام (shiyam) consists of four letters. Therefore, the word shiyam has a deeper meaning than the word shoum. There are even some circles that distinguish the meaning of the two words.
The word shiyam means to refrain from things that cancel (eating, drinking, sexual intercourse) performed with good intention, while the word shoum means leaving things that cancel fasting or not talking. In the Quran the word shoum can be found when Maryam the mother of Prophet Isa (Jesus) intended to stop eating and talking after the birth of him. While shiyam can be found as an instruction to do fasting in Ramadhan month.
I wish my fasting flies to the place where even Angel Gabriel (Jibril) can’t go in then my fasting goes back bringing me better understanding of how a human being should serve the living.
Sweetness, Beloved, A limit everyone sets. She has for good words, Not for sugar. It is fine. World gives space to all tastes.
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Life can be seen from many different perspectives. It can look bitter, sometimes sweet but the level of bitterness and sweetness is not standardisable. If someone wants to set a standard of bitterness based on her/his limit, s/he will suffer for her/himself. 😁
May all beings be happy (with different level of sweetness)❣️
there is a limit of sweetness that everyone can tolerate – don’t judge ❣️…. to this! sweet boba!from this: tapioca starch, cocoa powder, brown sugar
There is a crystal clear ribbon Flying through a cavity Bringing a message About love To whom I say “This painting is made for you from the first stroke to the last dot in the artist’s signature.”
I’m mixing colours to find the best hue to paint you. I’m balancing the real and unreal to find the vibe of you. I’m panning my own work to find if this is truly a gift or stolen relic from you.
I keep these hands engraving But eyes focusing on you. All to find you.
And every second I can see myself reading another message on another ribbon: “Is this a hide-and-seek? Or simply a peek-a-boo?”
Ahh! You maybe only smile, enjoying the scene of how funny this could be.
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won’t stop learning how to depict what’s in mind on physical media 🖼
Up and down the hills The feet walk, the heart stands still. Journey of the nights—
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Nights and days are the consequences of sun and moon fixed courses. Or is it the other way around: sun and moon fixed courses are existing due to the need of nights and days in this particular planet.
Many say day is for activities, night is for resting. I don’t deny but I have my own interpretation of activities and resting. Activity is when all my concentration is for transactional economy, resting is when my concentration is for relaxation and personal. Rest day? Of course all my rest days will become nights. 💞
No! It is not unlucky number. 13 is a number indicating productivity, optimism and life long education. Who said so? Me! 😁
13 ladies —1 master and 12 false beginners— compile their writings in one book after completing a writing online class. Most of the main characters in the stories are female who fearlessly face the reality of life. This book is about how tough yet simple daily life is portrayed through special angles that others will agree that simple can be special.
Simple but special! That’s the key!
May all beings be happy. 💝
cover of our first anthology – more projects to go❣️
Regret and sorry Not easy to feel and say, Yet flushing the guilt. Look! It’s rain water pouring On the roof, sweeps away dirt.
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Ramadhan is starting tomorrow, it’s my 38th year in which I do full fasting. I’m so grateful with this achievement. Achievement? Yes! Imagine for one full month during the day we don’t drink, we don’t eat, we don’t smoke, we don’t sex, we don’t let out uncontrolled emotion, we simply hold whatever we normally let out easily with no delay. We are human beings though, we can do all those at night. Ahem!
As a Javanese Muslim welcoming Ramadhan is as special as the fasting itself. We welcome the Ramadhan with a small celebration called megengan which literally means holding (esp. the breath).
In megengan a Javanese family will deliver a basket of rice with dishes to neighbours and extended family members living separately. While each family can choose what they share, there is one must specialty in this occasional delivery so called “apem” in Javanese or “kue apam” in Bahasa Indonesia or Malay.
Apem is steamed cake whose ingredients are rice flour, coconut milk, coconut water, yeast, sago starch and some sugar.
The word apem is derived from the word “afwun” (an Arabic word) meaning apology. Why apology? In Ramadhan when a Muslim is fasting, s/he is not only holding her/himself from hunger, thirst, lust, uncontrolled anger, and exercising her/his integrity; but s/he is also recommended to contemplate her/his own “action records” for the past one year. It is not easy for one to bear the guilt during the contemplation, so it is recommended for a Muslim before Ramadhan to apologise to their family and friends or to whomever s/he did wrongdoing, to ease the contemplation process. As it might not be easy to say sorry through a naked word, Javanese Muslim will include a symbolic apology in the food called apem when they deliver the whole food package. Everyone knows what it is, what it does— it is up to each person whether or not to accept the apology. And there they go starting the fasting month with a light heart to physically, mentally and spiritually exercise her/himself for one full month.
I used to think that that celebration was a waste of food. For one week I used to see sooooo many plastic and bamboo baskets piled up in our dining table and shelves — all those megengan packages which would be eaten just a bit and end up given to our chickens at the back yard. Fyi, the apem is never wasted though as every family has different taste and ways of how to make their best apem – maybe it’s a symbol that everyone is taking the apology seriously. I used to say to my mom that megengan was more about chickens celebrating than human beings celebrating. However after I understand what is symbolised through those simple deliveries, I highly appreciate the way we Javanese hold the integrity through our humble tradition.
I used to tell my mother to not do it, but now I’ve always been a reminder to her to not forget doing it and done it myself although I’m living around those not familiar with this tradition. I normally cook some simple food for the cleaning ladies and the gardeners who are assigned in the block two days before Ramadhan. Unfortunately minus the apem, simply because I am not confident enough to make my own apem. Tried this year though and failed 🙃
I promise to myself that this year is gonna be a good Ramadhan.
Welcome, month of holding, month of exercising integrity. It might not be always easy but doable.
I’m sending out apology to all the people having felt hurt by me. I’m sorry with my heart and soul in naked words. 🙏🏼
May all beings be happy.
my private megengan in 2022 minus rice, the white one is my own first apem in life – taste good but imperfect texture 🥰
This cool boy is Indonesia’s sweetheart! The other one is comedian, the Indonesian women’s public enemy! The boy’s father is named “Indonesian’s Father of The Year” and “Father of YouTube”, he’s raised this boy since the divorce and almost everyone in our country consider he has raised his son successfully.
So hilarious and satisfying boxing game of the year! 👍🏽
What a great victory against a playboy! Thanks, Azka!
It sets, Beloved, When birds swoop in to the nests And you go to bed.
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Sunset doesn’t suddenly come. It sets as a process slowly through time. Just like this life: before birth… then birth, infant, child, teenager, adult, old, end of life — aging before the great divide coming
Some wise men said to me “death should be thought of as an ordinary thing, it shouldn’t be afraid of”. Not easy, it invites fright of uncertainty to me personally, but death has become a relevant thing to ponder at my age — I’ll be 50 a couple of years soon. 🥳 Although I am not prone to heaven and hell after life, I believe there is another cycle of life after the physical death whose quality depends on how the earth life is enjoyed and celebrated. A huge enigma!
Good thought that has motivated me to see death positively is a chance to be beautifully remembered by those loving me. I’m not afraid of being disliked by some (even those that I love) because I know I am loved by those whose life I’ve touched. Enjoying life to the fullest joyfully and responsibly is both a game and a goal at the same time. I don’t regret what I’ve done because there is always lesson behind. Now I just want to be a human being around human beings who appreciate each other properly and help each other grow.
Who doesn’t want to be like a sunset whose existence is realised and enjoyed by those who can sense the scene and the moment? No one.
May all beings be happy.
Damn! I’m being melancholic for just a bit. 🥰
hey, Sun! thank you for sharing a moment and being a reminder
Smile is a good mask Than a mask can be. A mask Masks a masking smile. What masks a mask? Or who does? Unmask! A soul has missed you.
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Sometimes she doesn’t know why she feels a blissful joy. She tries her best to find a reason but seems to fail. When people ask why she looks radiant on certain day, she will just say I love the food, I love the weather, I love this, I love that — simply for courtesy with a bit of honesty compromised due to inability to give exact reason.
Perhaps the reason is because the footprints of falling in love is greater than the scars of broken heart. Alas! It might not be. Or, it might be. Come on, it might not be. Ah! That’s not important.
Oh? She doesn’t know. And it is ok to feel that way – blissfully joyful with unknown reason like when she is falling in love, unreasonable — her love did go to that that she never ever thought of getting on the way then suddenly gone away.
Tragic comedy! 🙃
❣️
guess why happy? the salad counter is at least 50% open! eyes can’t hide a smile 🙂
Laughter is healing And killing at the same time. Lessons for two sides—
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Many people love laughing at funny jokes and at themselves. Yet secretly perhaps they feel some jokes are crossing the line. I myself don’t always tell those friends who make either impolite or improper jokes about me or about someone/something in front of me especially when I know they don’t have sensitivity to listen to others’ feedback. Bitter smiles or sharp shrugging then making effort to change the topics are my bad strategy – yes, I’m a coward and (to some extent) stupid. So far most friends know but some new people don’t (want to) know and keep acting funny with their own limits making fun of others.
There is always a limit; however some limits are not easy to define and pertaining to private life and can only be understood by the individual. Moreover, where privacy is already “co-owned” by public (celebrity, politician, spiritual leaders, etc), the limit might be vague, misunderstood or disagreeable.
Harassment, publicly, privately, verbally, mentally, physically are all not acceptable. Verbal one sounds less painful but hey! No one wants one’s family members to be fooled around and laughed out loud if it’s related to disability or illness.
And hey! A slap on the face can be medically treated especially if not severe BUT the embarrassment and resentment can sustain. Oh hey! Sometimes it can be well capitalized…. Especially in that particular place where money is the foundation of almost everything.
In a nutshell both are violence!
Punchline got punched!
Ouch! Ouch! Ooouuuch!!!
oh my God! that must have been a combination of pain and embarrassment – for both sides
Perfume, Beloved, Won’t be enjoyed by blocked nose. Eyes though see bottle, But the fragrance goes away Leaving no trace but the spray.
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Once I had a chat about “Touch ‘n Go” card of Malaysia. One Malaysian friend made what he called a joke “Life is like touch and go la. You touch then you go la. As long as you pay, it is ok! The problem is after touch and go, you realise you run out of fuel and there is no gas station there, then you are stranded in the middle of nowhere.” None of us laughed. He said “Alamak! You all don’t get it la! Boy’s joke, boy’s joke!’
Only today I can really get it. I should text him to confirm a fresh understanding. He must be happy receiving a message from a long lost friend who is now “smart enough”. 😁
I prefer not to live like “touch and go in nice cars” touching here and there for temporary pleasure then losing the ability to detach from irresponsible people who can only suck joy out from my only self through the excessively irresponsible exchange of memories. I prefer “going on foot” consciously although it looks less luxurious.
‘d only build precious memories with those reciprocally loving me and not playing touch and go 💝
Woman is human being With exactly the same rights as man to be human being. All her decisions should be respected like man’s decisions should be respected, too. It is not a privilege to be a woman like it is not a privilege to be a man, too. It is a privilege to be a woman like it is a privilege to be a man, too.
In some culture woman is discriminated based on different things, but overall the discrimination is simply because she is a woman. Don’t worry, culture sustains when human being preserves it. So let’s change the discrimination culture by promoting a non-discriminative mindset.
In some culture though woman overdoes her fight of emancipation that makes herself suffer with no gain.
There should be no fighting between man and woman because the existence of both doesn’t generate competition. It is a complimentary and supplementary relationship for one another in different levels or fields of roles and responsibilities that are agreed without discrimination, harassment or abuse just because of being a woman or a man.
Ah! It is good for her to be a woman. And I know it is good for him to be a man.
Stop ranting! Go rest. 😀
thanks for saving me, Beloved❣️we can adopt a cat, a dog or an underprivileged child! 😁not less woman by being not a wife or a mother with a childI never be in this type of changing room but yes, I get itexotic and uniquely builtoh, I’m not either of them but yes it’s my body and I love it so I take care of itcommitment and integrityto those underestimating me, thanks for staying away 🥰not only happy, be joyful❣️
Time travels with you To where good memories sit, Waiting to rejoice.
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When I was a girl, I got sick very often. Yet what I remember the most isn’t the pain but is how my family would take care of me. Of course they medically treated me either at home or hospitalised, but there was a unique way I can never forget what my mother, father and siblings did extra.
My father would chant Javanese mantra that would calm me down. My mother would wrap me with a sheet of batik cloth before putting the next thicker blanket. And of course siblings especially sisters would sleep with me the whole night.
What Javanese mantra chanted by father? Oh can’t remember! What batik, I definitely remember it and now own it for the same need; covering myself with batik gringsing when sick.
1.2mx2.3m batik cloth with gringsing background pattern of flower bouquets
Gringsing is one of the oldest batik background patterns in Java. It is thousands of tiny square with a dot in the center symbolising “sedulur papat kalima pancer” (literally means 4 siblings and 1 core as the fifth) the cosmic balance of human reality in Javanese wisdom. And through the philosophy it is believed that when a Javanese human is sick, s/he is cosmically imbalanced and needs to be balanced. Physically s/he is medically treated, metaphysically s/he is cured with gringsing the balance symbol.
Gringsing is an acronym of gring or gering (sick, not well, ill) and sing (not); gringsing means not sick anymore. Oh! That simple! Made by hand! Oh! Not that simple!
What a blessed human being!
wrapping body when catching fever doesn’t replace paracetamol, it’s to recall the memory of how my family well treated me when I was sick 🥰detail of gringsing: a tiny squarish scale with a dot in the center – sedulur 4 ka-5 pancer
Across rainbow bridge, Wings bring a tiny light up High to where it glows.
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I’m surrounded by animal lovers and rescuers. Every now and then I see how they struggle with animals in pain or death. It’s not easy each time those friends have to say good bye but at the same time they learn again and again that the best end is by releasing sincerely and being released sincerely.
Happy journey, Dear. Thanks for all the lessons you have taught us.
Alfatihah 💝🙏🏼
bye, Item; see you across the bridge 🥰 alfatihah 💝
Today I had a lunch chat with a colleague. We discussed about this and that and of course how we both grow more grey hair, more fat and of course more wisdom.
happy to work with those having courage to tell when it’s right or wrong, with objectivity
I remember when I was 30’s I said to him I was so afraid of growing old alone. Now I’m growing old alone and I’m not afraid. Today I said to him that I’m afraid of dying alone and he lightly said “No one wants to die with you or with anyone else, girl! No one!”
I laughed and said “Damn! you’re right!”
And I made a good decision right during the convo that I won’t be afraid of being alone! Everything is gonna be alright!
But he said something before saying goodbye “And you’d better be a bit stingy to those not helping!”
“Damn! You’re right again!”
Life is fair but life is also not fair so we’d better know how to surf! Unfortunately, I don’t like surfing, I’m just gonna be biking!
slow down to both directions, live and die is like drawing an ♾
Honestly I prefer to name it by either feminine or masculine rather than women and men. It’s not about what’s attached between your crotch that matters by being a human, it’s about the quality attached to your spirit and contribution made to society.
So, even if someone is born a woman, she won’t be able to appreciate other women as long as she only sees the other women’s physical body measurement as the indicators. And by doing so, she does discriminate other women in the essence for having non-essential indicators to appreciate them.
Whereas, at the same time I see many men around me respect and appreciate women simply because they know those women have the same opportunity to contribute for a better life. Or else, they discriminate based on sex or even any other thing attached to the women.
Ok, let’s agree though to call today as International Women’s Day and make the spirit of anti-discrimination based on anything possible be rekindled.
Happy International Women’s Day to all women who represent the symbol of femininity and to all men who become part of appreciating agent.
from one of my good friends – I’m grateful male in my inner circle are those respecting women based on what we’re capable of doing at the same time having ability to laugh at what’s funny in reality e.g.: ladies parking 😂 oops! sorry, myself 😶🌫️
rike jokanan 
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