A Guest

A guest, Beloved:
Someone enjoying your home
Then a warm farewell

it’ was either me or my friend the guest here; yet we both enjoyed today’s dinner so much

Sweet Setting

Leaving with no grudge
That giving an ugly setting
To this short story

you can be someone’s story background like those flowers and grass in this photo; make sure you make the story go more smoothly or feel more easily — keep your bitter and sour taste for yourself 😁

so much love today as all things were perfectly resolved — idem ditto for all days ahead πŸ’•

Friendly Visits

There's no other word
Better than welcome and thanks
To visiting friends.

me, Mbak Dee and Pak Soer in MRT red line from Orchard heading to my home — welcome to my humble abode! πŸ™πŸΌ

Mbak Dee and I are durian eaters, Pak Soer is social durianer πŸ˜‚

maybe it is the durian at night that has made me “fresher”, not only the medication that brings some spike of food craving 🀭

we went home at 12am with durian burp smell and promise to meet again some day

thank you, Mbak Dee and Pak Soer πŸ’•

Old

I'm old, Beloved.
Inch by inch closer to the gate
Of letting all go.

the wooden structure at the end of the bridge used to be a ryokan that is not in operation anymore, it was left with its old days’ golden era — it is now deserted and decayed

a reflection of getting old?

A conversation with best friend about definition of old and our getting old.

Me (M): By UN definition we are not old yet. Old is those above 60.

Best friend (BF): That’s just to make the working age later and later.

M: So we still have at least 16 years before officially called old by the definition.

BF: By then they define old as those above 70.

M: I guest human beings push the boundary to stay young.

BF: Young and immortal?

M: I don’t want to be immortal.

BF: You will if you have children. You will want to live seeing them grow up, get married, give you grandchildren, and so on with you healthy and happy with them.

M: They want it, too? Only if I am around without any care needed from them I guess.

Both of us: πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚

About the UN definition of old

Home

Home, Beloved,
When all faces lining up
Remind me of you.

—-

Rupa Buwana in Soekarno Hatta International Airport, Banten — faces of those people of the world who have outstanding contribution — I am still asking “why there is no Steve Jobs and Emily Dickinson? πŸ˜ŠπŸ’•

Indonesia’s 1st President and Vice President — Soekarno and Mohammad Hatta

Purple

Purple is royal,
Then royal becomes too high.
Let white be ruling.

—-

dots, lines, shapes and colours — i used to love purple until one day white looked lighter to both my eyes and head πŸ’•

when light is growing prettier

Self Portrait

How do you look, Love?
Are you as fierce as tigers?
Or as cute as cats?

—-

picture from Pinterest

selfie is a modern version of self portrait — we can be the best artist we’ve ever wanted and shown the world the best version of our interpretation of our appearance

I love selfie — it is a freedom to see myself, not always good yet that’s me πŸ’•

i tried to paint a self portrait yet the result is sooo artistic that I can’t recognise my own self πŸ˜ƒ i have a friend who is painting not really nicely but able to capture the character of the subjects — i should practice more β™₯️

I think one year is good enough to at least knowing how to capture the character, painting nicely is never my goal

goal: capture the tigerness in my catness and the vice versa ❣️😊

Forgotten

I'm a river
Forgotten when reaching the sea.
Nothing I can brag about this name.
I'm almost reaching estuary,
A transit for this memory.
I won't stop,
Home is soon to see.

—-

how great, how clear, how far the rivers can be; they will be forgotten once reaching the sea — union after separation

Picture borrowed from https://www.neefusa.org/story/water/what-estuary

Believe

What should I believe
When eyes don’t say the truth?
Should I believe that
Who dilutes tears with rain water?

Let’s sit together where we can chat
About why I should take your words and
How.

β€”β€”

this only happens when eating apple is not a luxury anymore or when apple is not considered edible β€” life runs in different laps based on what each individual believes

πŸŽ‰

Welcomed

The goodness welcomed
Is goodness prepared. No doubt.
Enjoy all goodness.

β€”β€”

they don’t allow guests to bring in durian and mangosteen to the room, yet they welcomed me with fruit incl mangosteen! I love buah manggis! πŸ’•

Good Days

I’m amazed
Of the days
Passing by like trees on a street marching fast when I ride a car,they’re forgotten.
But you came like a red tree bending down
Telling me β€œStop! I remember you.”

I’m amazed
Of the days
Passing by like white clouds in the sky swimming when I look up, they’re adored.
But you came like silver cloud sprinkling light
Telling me β€œYess…. We will meet again.”

I’m amazed
Of the days
Passing by like regrets deep
down in this heart when seeing a name, it’s untouched.
But you came like a saint forgiving me
Telling me β€œTake care and be safe.”

β€”β€”

I remember that day when I took care of 2 dogs in a construction site near my office β€” now they both are relocated to other construction sites πŸ’•

a very good friend said he remembered that I used to visit dorms whose residents took care of some dogs β€” I’m glad that someone remembers me that way πŸ™πŸΌ thank you so much

I am not taking care of dogs anymore, but only donate to no-killing dog shelters where stray dogs have their days free as dogs without abuse and starvation β€” may all dogs be happy πŸ’• and may the one reminding me of a good memory with the two dogs near my office be happy

sincerely β™₯️

A Pair

You and I, my love
Are everywhere. Two extremes
Composing what’s oneβ€”

β€”β€”

everything is a pair to sum up union

we call it antonym

we call it opposite

we call it antithesis

but we also call it paradox

I want to call it separation that missed union

what would you call it?

Life in One Single Word

Flow

β€”β€”

Based on my date of birth I live under the protection of Dewi Saraswati (Goddess Sarasvati). Saraswati is the goddess of knowledge, music, art, language and river. She protects those and inspires us studying and/or preserving those.

The most that I embrace among what this goddess is protecting and inspiring is her protection to river because river means flowing water β€” I’ve probably been forever fascinated by the idea of flowing river.

Like a river, I don’t want to get stuck in one unsolved situation not necessarily because unsolved situation is painful; it is more to me that getting stuck in one situation or being too long in an unsolved situation is boring. When it is not flowing, it is not a river anymore.

I thought someone who gets angry easily just by a small misunderstanding is scary, no.

I thought someone who gives flowers in all happy moments is romantic, no.

Dewi Saraswati on palm leaves is now hanging on the inner part of my bedroom door so when I opening it to start the day, I feel of greeting and being greeted by her after my short wish of gratitude for the sleep and for the back to wake.

the palm leaves with Dewi Saraswati is a handicrafts from Tenganan ancient village, the oldest village in Bali

I thought someone who answers all questions correctly is smart, no.

I thought someone who accepts being intimidated and humiliated is patient, no.

And so on and so forth β€” the first can be called grumpy, the second not creative, the third Ms/Mr Know All, the fourth stupid or weak…. Been there, done that. I’ve also seen a lot like that around me and I decided to step back from complimenting or approving such behaviours. No way, baby. πŸ’•

There is another nickname I give to each of them: they are all BORING, not flowing. Positively it means stability; yet on the other side of the coin it means stagnation.

Please protect me from getting bored and being boring being me. Make me loyal to life while flowing.

Salaam.

πŸ’•

About Tenganan

Mochi

Can you feel the excitement,
Dearest
Of a mochi maker
Imagining you chew what
He makes?
Mochi is
His masterpiece
Presented to life
Everyday
Through the excitement of
Your teeth!

Praise
Him.

The mochi maker

β€”β€”

a ball of mochi that I skipped as I was too full after gobbling all other dishes β€” yet I didn’t forget to bless it and the maker

I don’t know who made the mochi yet they truly a group of human beings that amazed me with the softness and roundness of this mochi

see you again! πŸ’•

Take A Break

Sleep, sleep,
Dearest
As night is welcoming,
Morning is preparing
Another day.
Breathe, breathe,
Dearest
As stars are lullabying,
Moon is cradling
You for the sun.

β€”β€”

signs of true sickness of mine is when throbbing and piercing headache stays almost 24 hours and leaves me not even care of taking off things from hair and ears after work β€” yet that is when lying down on bed is a reward πŸ’•

sleeping without even bathing is a blessing ❣️

Decisions

This path is smooth,
Many have traveled on it.
A lot of hearts were here
Singing hopes through time.

When sun goes down,
This path is glowing.
Many souls were here
Whispering love through space.

Sun will rise again,
Another day will come.
This heart is here
Promising to grow with the flow.

This heart is deciding
Every step is counted
And dedicated to grow prettier,
Making the path smoother.

β€”β€”

what’s broken can be amended and still beautiful

seeing how life is generous, I can fall in love with the same face again and again; yet when health is getting from bad to worse, I feel this heart is broken now and then

yet life is still generous, so I decide to fall in love everyday πŸ’•

Let The Rain

I was given love;
Rain of love.
I was given blessings;
Rain of blessings.
I shared
And got poor,
Losing love, running out of blessings.
I was broke,
Left out in the dark
Even by those who earned some from the rain.

I am given love
So much love.
I am given blessings
So much blessings.
I don’t so much share,
I want to play alone with the love and blessings.
I am rich,
Strolling the path full of flowers under the rain.

Let the rain pour away
To those genuinely passing my way.

β€”β€”




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Farewell Party

Farewell party
Is tasting the best of mood
That is remembered.

β€”β€”

lunch on my last day in Kyoto β€” a set of Japanese washoku πŸ’•

I won’t be back for work in Japan anymore so I will be back next year in my personal trips; yay! 😍😍😍

About Aoi-Jaya

About washoku

Colourful

Life is falling leaves
Layered colours to decay.
Colourful beautyβ€”

β€”β€”

my life is like a stack of ironed clothes: colourful!

household chores done for today πŸ’• ready for packing

Ultimate Commitment

I can only love me
As me is the closest
One
To
You.

β€”β€”

hello, bitter reality β€” I will take care of you as I commit to myself πŸ™πŸΌπŸ’•

how much hurting the sarcasm, euphemism and talking numbers people intentionally sent to me, it will just hurt themselves πŸ™πŸΌπŸ’•

I won’t send blessings anymore as blessings are free for them to earn by themselves πŸ™πŸΌπŸ’•

Dilemma

It’s a dilemma
Between safety and beauty.
Each is a glory.

β€”β€”

falling leaves on a moss garden

red falling leaves are beautiful and I want to experience them again someday yet it is always hard choice to me β€” always a dilemma between beautiful autumn or short torture of itchy welts

I’m allergic to cold weather β€” after 1 week I’m getting bad skin rash and itch that won’t let me stop scratching crazily on the itchy part; my recent Kyoto was the worst so far

I should have had antihistamine with me so all the falling leaves and moss garden images wouldn’t have been shaken by my skin-scratching disco πŸ˜‚

I still wish to be back someday πŸ’• not in an extension of biz trip, but a personal leave only 😍

Personality

It’s me.
Which me?
This me,
That me,
Me out,
Me in,
Me right,
Me left.
I want the best me
That’s happy.

β€”β€”

a temple with many statues made by a monk artist’s stone carving students

one statue represents one student’s personality β€” I guess

hundreds of them

asked to choose one, I did this one β€” laughing at myself is a best part of getting older and mature; the only one that can’t be not serious in is my work! πŸ’•

About Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple

When Lunch Is Free

When lunch is free,
I am still saying tough things.
When lunch is free,
I am still saying sweet things.
And all are real things
As I am as free as a free lunch.

β€”β€”

a lot of rice! yummy side dish in a bento β€” day #1

a lot of rice! yummy side dish in a bento β€” say #2

a lot of rice! yummy side dish in a bento β€” day #3

Released

It hurts when released.
In heart.
It hurts when kept.
In all.
And so I released.
All.

β€”β€”-

I sent blessings and prayers to those passing away not known by their family β€” whoever and wherever you are all, I am one of those remember you as a family member πŸ’• May all beings be happy

I believe they are released from any unhappiness

πŸ™πŸΌ

Bamboo Groove

A lot of smiles
Along the bamboo groove
Heading to the mountain
Where snow starts to move

β€”β€”

sometimes you just have to smile and just smile 😊

racing with the time? why not? 😊

I believe I can fly, I believe I can touch the sky πŸ¦…

Autumn in Kyoto

Red leaves that come late
And green foliage that stay
Both recite stories
Of how time flies and leaves tracks.
Every single second counts.

β€”β€”

Kiyotaki Tunnel, rather not nice if you go there alone

this is a river with crystal clear water worth the tunnel crossing β€” stunning view, clean air πŸ’•

the other side of the bridge β€” I bet you can’t see people sitting on the rocky river πŸ™‚