My mother said You were a cute baby Even when crying.
My mother said You were a beautiful toddler Running around, Bubbling all words.
My mother said You were a cheerful girl Cycling around Climbing up trees Playing drowning in the river.
My mother said You were a beautiful woman Arguing every ideas from me Showing me your strong desires Moving to where life brought us.
My mother said You are an adult woman Enjoying life differently from me Giving me what you’ve promised to be Loving what you love with no doubt Living life with smiles and warm heart.
My mother said I love you I bless you Wherever you are. You’re loved You’re blessed However you are.
—
My mother called, we laughed a lot today. She said I laughed as I did when I was a baby. How happy I have been to be her daughter. Lots of hugs and kisses, Ibu.
The earth is loyal To the sun, and vice versa. A very good fact—
—
Note: A fact is a fact. It is neutral in its nature. Good or bad is a label given by human beings in their favour. The best option is to responsibly respond to the fact to stay in good mood.
loving sweet and savoury in the same plate & this is not neutral! this is naturally a feel-good! 🥰
Is the one flowing River? Can be flow of notes Infusing good air—
—
Never forget that music is an inseparable part of life. Put some in every part of the day. If all those in the playlist become boring, drop a pencil on to the floor and that’s music. 😊Or, drop a pan on to the floor… No no no, that is music (and louder) but too extreme to listen to. 😁
Salaam.
this album of unique compositions make this Sunday feels like a flowing river 🤗
Blooming orchids show Vibrant hues waited a while Without counting time.
—
I think so much surprise comes to us because we just do without craving for the expected result. Not 100% correct, but that is most what has happened to me. ☺️
Welcome, blooming flowers. You have been as stubborn as the gardener. God bless you! 😍
Sunday is full of cleaning, laundry and sweet surprises!
Salaam.
joyful day celebrating 4 stems of orchid buds from one pot 🤩
A path to a place Is walked through trees and uphills. A meadow is waiting Opening another path To a warm home filled with love.
—
My friend sent me three photos of our beloved “simbah” (those senior people who are considered wise or those who have grandchildren) – Javanese). Most people call these simbah “batik maker” because they make batik to earn a living. We both call them “batik artist”. More than that through what we’ve seen and heard about them, we’ve considered they are artists of their life. How they embrace their humble life gracefully and consciously has always amazed both of us. They live like calm river flowing to the sea. They don’t struggle against what others think about or do to them. They live as if there is no hindrance and disturbance in life.
When my friend told me some things about those three honourable ladies, I secretly harvested some lessons. It is very critical reminder for me who is still very much attached to a feeling of (accidentally) underestimated and (slightly) humiliated because of one petty case. These three artists of life have silently told me to let go.
What a loud shot in a quiet weekend!
No apology is needed. All is gradually let go through my own wish and willingness. This is my life and I only want to be the artist of my own life. 💝
Day and night take turn Defining wrinkles on skin, Brilliance on soul.
—
age is a surprise gift wrapped with colourful fancy paper; excited when opening it and wondering what’s inside — when the excitement sustains, 18 or 90 won’t matter
Dark night starts early In fall when red leaves sway down To earth cooling off.
—
pretty crimson leaves covering the earth somewhere (from Pinterest)
While normally talking about spirituality and self love, one day one bestie and I conversed about money. To me she appears much more calculating than all of us in the circle. She manages her money very carefully and (of course) influences her friends to do so.
“If we feel ready with both predictable and measured emergency issues, we can feel good in more time than not.” 100% agree!
She is one of two besties teaching us to save at least 12-month income for emergency, fully pay all the loan the soonest possible, stay liquid rather than fixed (assets), not lend any assets to anyone anymore even with one’s emergency reason. I stubbornly disagreed with last one.
And she said all should be done soon because 2023 seems gloomy.
I didn’t take her words until watching a bunch of YouTube videos about financial analysis and forecast by experts and practitioners for the past two years.
Not hoping the darkness happens but there is no harm to prepare the umbrella before it rains.
Opening the door, She finds books and thesaurus Stacked high to the sky.
—
What else is this life mainly but library? Read your books! 💕
“Read your books” is excepted from one Quran verse “Read your records (the word kitabaka can also mean your books or your scrolls). You alone are sufficient this day to take account of yourself” that implies self observation, self evaluation, self assessment, self correction.
Ouch! An internal audit it is — becoming the auditor and the auditee: acting different roles in the same place using different points of view. Doable and sustainable! 😍
May all beings be happy.
library in Seoul! my colleague said it is located in the same area with our office – I’m ready to go! 😁sent by a colleague this afternoon; ok then, I’m ready to be assigned there 🤤 – Korea was never in my bucket list but this beautiful place has confirmed it now is! 😍
Steps measure long roads Where historians write stories Tracking their own mind.
—
History isn’t about what’s written only but it is also about what’s tied to myths and folklores. Reading history books by ignoring what’s verbally circulated by people through myths and folklores is like describing a rose through picture: failing to experience the touch and the fragrance. People are always the actual sources of history— without them history doesn’t exist.
History versions are as many as heads on earth as all people have their own life history related to certain incidents in the world; not all of them though write. Many save their history in head and heart with different reasons— no time, no tools, no courage! My blog is my history book (that to some brilliant people looks like full of unnecessary complaints and cheap experiences). I love my history book how much ever people laugh at it. Hey! When people laugh at it, it means my comedy works. 😁
Salaam.
see you, Cordoba! this place is one of those I must revisit because of the history 💕💕see you, Sagrada Familia — I stayed for one hour outside, not being able to enter the so much crowded gate, I will be back to see if the history goes on 😍see you, Grand Mosque of Paris – I will be back to its historical garden 💝London? I’ll be back! history is well preserved theresee you? umm maybe not….
The wind brings voice of Falling leaves softly rustling About silent notes—
—
I humbly apologise for not being able to read your signs…. Or maybe they are for other addresses.
Salaam 💝
Broken Chair stands in delicate balance on three legs – the fourth having been violently blown off as if by an explosive charge. A way of showing that even mutilated, victims of warviolence are still standing tall, with dignity. (www.unadap.org)to me “Broken Chair” is also a question “can’t people sit down together and talk instead of defeating others in ignorance?” the saddest symbol I’ve seen
River flows. Wind blows. Birds perch on a twig and chirp, Enjoying good food.
—
Life is not really WYSIWYG, there are layers that can be peeled off like peeling off onions layered skins.
What is seen in a river? Its flow. What’s behind the flow?
What is felt in a wind? Its blow. What’s behind the flow?
What’s behind the singing birds? What’s behind good food?
Something looking like nothing yet there are powerful layers of realities that wrap another deeper level of reality. At the end of the peeled-off onion, what is it? The eyes see “none” that can be immediately ignored, the self sees “the essence” that can only be understood through accepting in silence.
What an experience as a human being! Maybe this is a euphoria of being alive, or being aware? This is a good time and I will always feel good no matter what. 💝
Thank you for everything. 💝
good breakfast for a tempe(h) lover 🥰good snack for a pumpkin lover – run out of honey this time
She be, Beloved, The space not the furniture, Lets all come and go.
—
If only maturity could be implanted like nose or breast or whatever, I would still choose to get mature naturally through ageing and weakening although it takes almost half of century of struggling and pain to find only its gate. Damn late!
One maturity breakthrough of my life was when realising I should be more a “space human being” (my teacher calls it “room human being”) rather than a “furniture human being”.
Come true, Beloved, Wishes colouring this life, Bringing love and joy—
—
My mini daruma dolls package arrived from Japan. Now it is time to make wishes and draw the left eye.
May all beings be happy!
arriving from trip then checking the mail box at the basement this afternoon and found these package among all letters and magazines! 🥰each colour has meaning! quickly copied them! (ignore the ugly handwriting 😁) now let’s make wishes and paint their left eye 🧿 then let them take a rest in the box to open and be drawn right eye when the wishes come true 😎
Friendship, Beloved, The sun rising so early, Pushing stars away—
—
(Very early) morning conversation that left me sleepy but so energized after talking with someone whose genuineness could kept me listening to whatever this person said— My day is always good especially when started with a cheap talk with my best friends. Today is going to be super good one!
…
BF: Still writing?
Me: Everyday
BF: Poems and ranting?
Me: Ya, you don’t read mine?
BF: Not these two weeks. Busy! You still talk to yourself in your writing?
Me: Ya
BF: You think people like it?
Me: No
BF: Why do you do it then?
Me: I do what I love doing.
BF: Even if no one cares?
Me: Even if no one cares.
BF: Are you happy?
Me: Not always
BF: Are you happy writing?
Me: Mostly
BF: What happens when you are not happy writing?
Me: I have so much in head but I don’t want to make it so obvious or it is so hard to make it concise.
breakfast please…. 💝
BF: Do you know that people reading your cheap writings might think you are madly in love?
Me: I don’t care. But yes I’m madly in love.
BF: With whom?
Me: With many different things.
BF: Name some.
Me: Oh my…. Are you interrogating me?
BF: 😂😂😂 Yaaa! You didn’t know?
Me: I just realised it.
BF: That’s how you don’t care about what people are doing to you? Don’t be silly. Put some suspicion and negative thinking to some people, even to someone that you love.
Me: I will.
BF: You’re 50 several years to come and still have mental of a £€$@$£€L!
Me: What?!
BF: Do you know who is among your friends genuine or not?
Me: Yes.
BF: But you look like not knowing.
Me: Because I don’t care. It’s my business to make sure I’m me but I can’t ask others to do the same thing to me the way I do to them.
BF: What about me?
Me: You are genuine especially when you have problem.
BF: You mean?!
Me: Yes, only I can listen to you for 5 hours non stop ranting about your problems! The same problems unsolved for years! That’s how genuine we are with each other.
BF: &$@!?890:;((@:!!!!
God bless all my best friends. See you all soon! 💕
There’s a bow, my love With which message travels down On a boat of joy.
—
even with dusty glass the beauty is still captured well: is it the rainbow itself, the light, the eyes or the nervous system or the invincible invisible? 💕
Clear sky, Beloved, Calm blue where clouds swim, birds fly Under the warm sun—
—
Javanese live their life with meaning and that makes them “effortlessly” survive even in the hardest time. They pin meaning to everything they experience. I believe Javanese are naturally philosophers whose communal humble life is richly loaded with wisdom; unfortunately fading away by the time.
Meanings easily recognised by most Javanese are those pinned to batik method and patterns. Historically batik patterns were works of art composed by either scholars from padepokan (ashram in Sanskrit) or the royals (king, queen, prince, princess or royal artists). In fact, there were few batik patterns created by commoners such as batik nitik and batik kawung. Kawung is one of the oldest original patterns of Javanese batik which has existed since 12th century. Nitik was born younger, approximately in 19th century.
Fun fact about Javanese king: aside from courses of political knowledge, leadership, palace management etc, long time before his coronation a Javanese crown prince must completely compose 3 works of art and publicly present them to the board of senior royals then announced the art pieces to people in the kingdom. Those three are batik pattern whose batik is handmade by him, tembang/kidung (sacred Javanese song) sung by him; and bedhaya dance trained to the dancers by him (a solemn Javanese dance performed by a group of dancers).
While batik nitik was initially created as secret codes by commoners to circulate among them classified information kept hidden from unjust aristocrats at that time or from the enemies (some historians said though this pattern was composed by the royals); kawung was allegedly created by a mother to dress her son who was instructed by the king to join his exclusive team due to his outstanding skill of espionage and balanced state of mind (again the historians said this pattern was composed by the royals). The said mother made a sheet of kawung pattern for him before he left as a prayer that her son could keep his current quality even after he later lived among (socially, politically, professionally) higher rank people.
kawung aka kolang-kaling, two seeds, four half-chambers (from Pinterest)
Kawung is the Javanese word of sugar palm (kolang-kaling). The symmetrical four half chambers in a fruit are used to symbolise balanced state among physical, mental, intellectual and spiritual. The clear colour of the seed is borrowed to symbolise clarity: of conscious mind, of conscious decisions, of intension, of purpose and of actions.
People also relate the word kawung to suwung that can mean emptiness: in this matter suwung is more about self alignment, absence of sense-driven wanting. A person in this suwung state in positive interpretation means someone who is already free from his/her craving for worldly interests, s/he is able to calmly and consciously prioritise among physical, mental, intellectual and spiritual proportions with no doubt or confusion. S/he is in high level of awareness of a “perfect” human being.
In Java region that kind of person is not necessarily a saint or a priest or a bikhu(ni) or a nun; s/he might be a farmer, a batik maker, a herbal seller, a taxi driver, an employee, a housewife, a leader etc, just whoever is willing to self align through what they do everyday regardless their professions. Not a few of them were “bad” people hearing the inner calling, deciding to quit their wrong doings and living “new” life.
At younger age, I met more of that type around us in my hometown. Now fewer and fewer people are interested to achieve that level because life pace is now becoming faster with the “tsunami of information” and life needs are “forcing” people to be constantly in alert mode with the high competition to “survive certain life style”.
Not much I can do this time. I try to breath more slowly, pay attention on shift of emotions through body reaction (my body will never betray me) then acknowledge the emotion whatever it is. Time flies like a wind sometimes like a storm, I choose to ride it, not to get dragged by it. Not easy but doable.
How light this head is after ranting!
batik kawung beton crafted by Mbak Arifah (25 yo), a mute-deaf female who never goes to school but is able to write and read – thank you, Mbak Arifahprimissima cotton, 250*106cm, two sided
Fun fact about the honourable batik makers: - Once a batik maker pulls the “canting” filled with hot wax on a sheet of fabric, it will start developing lines or dots as the hot wax gets dry fast and block the fabric. That is why they work very carefully to avoid unplanned error. Correcting unplanned error is more tedious in batik making process compared to drawing the patterns with canting. Zero accident policy applies. - Batik making is a highly contemplative activity (almost) like meditation. That is what makes many of batik makers especially those senior and/or with high quality artisanal works have good self alignment. - Some batik makers don’t need to draw the planned pattern with pencil on the fabric. They are the highly skilled, the artist, the master of what they are doing. - It takes approximately 5 months to complete a piece of two sided hand-made batik of 210-250cm long. Those batik makers also do household chores in between their batik making activities as they mostly don’t earn good money. If you buy hand made batik, please give extra dollars to share some comfort. - Majority of batik makers are female. Very few of them are young.
at workshop (from Pinterest)at home (from Pinterest)
Imperfection, Love: Perfection on the way. Back To imperfection.
Perfection, Beloved, Imperfection on the way. Back to perfection.
—
No one is perfect as everyone is imperfection in perfect cycles.
How perfect you are, don’t boast. You are simply “rotten body in progress”. How imperfect you are, wise up. You are the soul “shining in progress”. Your body is deteriorating, your soul is rising.
….
Only if you are willing to slow down.
Enjoy the rest of this weekend!
💝
Rawon set is Eastern Java’s specialty, perfect for weekend before all the home cleaning and ironing and this and that blahblahblah 🥰the salted egg makes it perfect for those liking extra condiment 👍🏽 oh my it was a torture to this tongue 😌mix all! lime was needed, a missing condiment this time 🙃should be a bit longer, tonight is the perfect timespring onion is the last to plunge in 🥰beef inkeluwak (black nut), kefir lime leaves, Javanese bay leaves, garlic, shallots, coriander, pepper, galangal, lemongrass
Silk road, Beloved, A bumpy road to a heart Laughing at a joke—
—
In a silk shop in Hanoi a conversation happened.
Me: (silently questioning whether the silk offered was truly silk from Dalat or “silk” 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 won’t offend you.
Shopkeeper: Certainly, Madam.
Me: Is this silk truly from Dalat?
Shopkeeper: Yes, Madam. It is from Dalat, my parents’ 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 product…. (She made a joke about “silk” 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 won’t go wrong to attend my nephew’s wedding in December! 🥰
May all beings be happy.
written history is a frame, what’s inside can be anything the writer wants to put in – unfortunately some true thing is not in the frame 😎
Cluttered, Beloved, Storing unprocessed info Too much. Declutter!
—
I love jewelry and used to love purchasing them not because of its value but more because of sentiment to its historical, cultural or spiritual loads. And that was lots of money (to me, not to others who have millions and millions of dollars). My close friends and my mother repeatedly ranted and nagged to me to buy gold than those “meaningless” jewelry. Did I listen? Of course nooooooot!!!
Until one day I realised that those things are a fantasy in a hoarder’s spirit of mine. And so I decided to stop buying things if not helping me work/study better or making this journey lighter.
I should be decluttering more and more and giving more space to moving energy. My home should be filled with more expressive sweet love than with unprocessed memories. Unprocessed memories = info that is never escalated into knowledge then insight then wisdom = rubbish!
Dear Life, please let me be with you longer so that I can unlearn more and more wisely, embrace your true meaning more and more clearly and give meaning to you more and more sweetly.
*breathing for a while for the next task of today’s decluttering*
silver “Phaistos Disc” pendant bought in Musee de Louvre, loved it so much for its historical symbol but only worn twice – lesson learnt!how many of these silver bracelets and bangles bought just because I was charmed by the meaning of the (new design) charms & dangling then I had to go to doctor because of allergic to the metal, finally just given away or stored for years – how stupid!
and other rubbish – give away or throw away!
the clutter is only allowed for kitchen before cooking for family and friends and…. (pic from Pinterest)….. garden (pic from Pinterest)
Wasted, Beloved, None. In life all’s by design With scales and measures.
—
Good morning, Saturday. Thanks for opening the weekend gate. I’m flying back home soon; can’t wait for the sweet surprises!
Salaam. 🙏🏼
not wasted, just not wanted – didn’t eat the yolk not because of health reason but because it was runny, I should have asked if it was hard boiled – in life consciously decide what’s wanted as the Designer is kindly and intelligently making wishes come true in precision and details 🙏🏼
Feel good, Beloved, No matter what. Stars still shine. Moon and earth still spin.
—
Why are you nervous, my dear? Romance is within reach, just between breathing in and breathing out. Stars, moon and earth give you so much attention while you are ignoring them. They have done their jobs; you should do yours if you think it feels good.
May all beings be happy.
Salaam. 💝
one of 10 recommended pho in Hanoi, good recommendation found through Google searchdisclaimeryes! worth strolling from the hotel in Ly Thai To street to the stall in Ly Quoc Su street 💝 just made the feel good so good!
rike jokanan 
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