Tag: blessings

Gurindam is a form of ancient poem of (old) Malay.

Gurindam 12 (twelve gurindam(s)) is a set of gurindam composed by Raja Ali Haji in 1847. Raja Ali Haji was a poet born in Pulau Penyengat, Kepulauan Riau, Indonesia in 1808. He is one of national heroes of Indonesia.

I read it back then in junior high school when comprehension was not really well obtained. I wish to fully understand this gurindam before time is up.

Enjoy….

Saturday Night

Saturday night, Love
Keeps her radiant and calm
In a place called heart.

I became hungry and decided to slice carrot, beet root and chayote for salad.

For this Saturday night’s calm vibe, I sliced shallot, chili, lemon grass and kefir lime leaves then sauté them in coconut oil added with shrimp block.

Alhamdulillah yum yum❣️

Satellite

Learning, This Person

Will it be possible to not long for you? I'm a satellite following you with measured distance, a constant give-and-take or push-and-pull.

Am I a moon to you the earth? Are you the earth to me the sun? Am I the sun to you the centre of the galaxy? Are you the galaxy to me the black hole? Or are you the moon to me the earth? Am I the earth to you the sun? Are you the sun to me the galaxy? Am I the galaxy to you the black hole? So and so.... We are revolving each other through layers or orbits just to find one self.

How beautiful how we position to each other truly is! Traveling together in a journey that we both silently know, religiously follow. It's the you that's me, it's the you that's you.

Father

Learning, love, Poetic, Those People

May 2 is a special day. It is Indonesia’s National Education Day at the same time the date when my father passed away.

I pray for him always. Yet on his birthday and on his death day I recite special prayer for him.

My father
Is a book mark
With which I remember
Where I should restart.
He is not part of the book,
But with him reading would feel so light.

It’s All Yours

Learning, This Person

At times it's hard to deal with what's factual
Yet I talk to the face in the mirror:
Aren't all these present by your previous decisions?
Or do you regret of taking what considered best by then?

Nothing is in vain.
There's always a trail I can trace back: choices and decisions I made.

What lesson?
Now don't regret. Tomorrow don't repeat the same mistakes. Yesterday is always valuable lesson. Never (again) blame others.

Is that what's truly it? Maybe just for me, not for everyone.

Timed

It's timed, Beloved
That that evolves. It won't last.
How blessed I'm mortal.

Silence

Learning, love, Poetic, This Person


I admire
You
Beyond words.
When you demand more,
I use thick dictionaries and thesaurus across the universe to praise
You.

The silence is more eloquently accurate than any word can say.

Refreshed

Redreshed, Beloved
By love sprouting from within
A mother called Earth--

I often freshen and refresh my body by drinking “jamu”, the Javanese herbal medicine or herbal drink that I mostly concoct with my own hands.

The Life List (movie)

Learning, life, Poetic, This Person

Life list, Beloved,
Not about glory or lost.
It's what truly costs.

I used to list what I wanted to do. Every year I made the list longer until I stopped as I’ve found primary list that I won’t forget to make come true.

One of them is writing my own book (I’ve written with friends in anthology books) so I’m working on it.

Another one is having a home where family and friends feel the true selves in them. My first house was but as it is located not in a preferred place, I decided to make a new one. Working on it–

Many more and I’m working on all of them.

They might come true or not as age is not predictable yet at least I’m working on all of them.

Sooner or later

Amen

If Life/Love is A Parabola

When I am in love, I feel like traveling in a parabolic track and passing by its vertex, a turning point.

Vertex is either the highest or the lowest point of a parabola. It is a point in which a mirror perfectly reflects left and right sides of a parabola. It is where a journey turns to climb up or glide down depending on what direction the parabola faces.

The vertex always lies on the axis of symmetry of a parabola, which is a vertical line that divides the parabola into two equal halves. It’s no different from life journey: only when all phases are gone through, the energy will repay. When the negativity is reaching its peak, life glides to the positive side and the other way around. Life will not let someone stay too long in one side of the story. Fair. Karmic. Cause-Effect.

Loving one person with a start and an end can be a perfect parabolic line with a vertex well found: balanced, symmetrical and fair. It’s not about reciprocity at the same time about reciprocity. It’s not about a broken heart, at the same time about a broken heart. It’s a line of perceptions that bounce back and forth mirroring each other until lesson is learnt (maximum/minimum value of a vertex).

From a cone I also learnt versions of love: Circle is a perfect love. Ellipse is full love with inclination. Hyperbola is love of one person to/for more than one person. It can be romantic or not.

A lame analysis; just for fun while enjoying Jakarta (heavy) traffic ☺️

Origami

What's origami?
Paper in a pair of hands,
Finding its beauty--

Ho’oponopono

Learning, love, This Person

Today I contemplated a lot about friendship.

I value friendship, as it is the best I can gift to those I love. Yet some of mine didn’t work well. Just recently one friend sent messages to someone to tell me that she no longer wanted to befriend with me. Her messages were big anger described through words that to me sounded like unreasonable accusations: that I only needed her in need, that she didn’t trust my intension of not inviting her to the hotel where I stayed, that I was not her true friend, that she would not contact me anymore, and so on.

I was upset and said to the “messenger”: Thanks for reading me her messages, please don’t forward the written messages to me, please help delete.”

I got hurt with the hurting accusations. I began to calculate what and how much I had done for her versus what she had done for me. 15-year friendship ended with a message without clarification…. What a tragic comedy!

I got hurt. A short drama started to mount within me….

Until….

Today I met someone who happened to be her friend and mine, who informed me that her mother just passed away after the Idul Fitri. Innalillaahi wa innaa ilaihi rajiun.

And that’s when I knew why she became so sensitive.

She never informed me that her mother passed away. it’s probably her fault.

One time in Ramadhan she sent one message of asking for a call but I was in a massive headache so I didn’t even reply to anyone’s messages including hers. So maybe I also missed some updates from her. It’s probably my faults.

I don’t know; I don’t want to prolong the drama.

I sent her a condolence message. I don’t hope anything but her acceptance of what is.

I’m telling myself that I’m good and play the Ho’oponopono repeatedly to let go off what’s not.

I’m sorry, my own self for being negative. Please forgive me. I thank you. I love you.

Head Piece

Head piece, Beloved
What I've kept in head and heart.
Always about you--

Bulang Mandailing – a head piece for woman of Mandailing ethnic group

Suntiang Gadang – a head piece for woman of Minang ethnic group

Home, Dear Home

Learning, love, Poetic, This Person

Dear Home,
Welcome me
With your warm heart
That beats with love,
And trust.

Do you know how I miss
You?
Your walls with my paintings,
Your ceiling with the down light,
Your floor with shine after vacuum,
Your roof after washed by rain,
Your fragrance that is me.

How are you?
Are you as spacious as before installed with furniture?
I won't add more.
Are you serene after some music played?
I won't play more.
Are you bright after curtain hung?
I won't put those too thick.
I hope you're still a home
Even after I come.
Even I hope you become more homey
After that.

Please know
I only wanted those loving to be here
But then that's not fair.
So you'll see bad people around,
I promise that won't be long and make sure one will only visit once,
And only very few.
Vibe clear!
So only those with clarity want to stay long.

Please know
I want fireflies to be around at night
So you'll be pretty with the tiny bright dots blinking cheerfully.

Please know, dear
Home
That you are built now
By this wandering self
With a loving hope
To meet
You
Very soon.

Dear,
Home.

listening to this song this whole day; yes I can do it to any song that builds a good mood

Sal Priadi’s songs sound like romantic mantra to me especially this one

The strength is his lyrics: simple yet poetic

Lyrics

Kita usahakan rumah itu
Dari depan akan tampak sederhana
Tapi kebunnya luas
Tanamannya mewah, megah

Kita usahakan rumah itu
Dari depan akan tampak sederhana
Tapi dibuat kuat
Dirancang muat, lega

Urusan perabotan dan wangi-wangian
Kuserahkan pada s’leramu yang lebih maju
Tapi tata ruang, aku ikut pertimbangkan
Kar’na kalau nanti kita punya kesibukan

Malam tetap kumpul di meja panjang
Ruang makan kita
Berbincang tentang hari yang panjang

Kita usahakan rumah itu
Dari depan akan tampak sederhana
Tapi penerangannya
Diracik begitu romantis

Urusan perabotan dan wangi-wangian
Kuserahkan pada s’leramu yang lebih maju
Tapi tata ruang, aku ikut pertimbangkan
Kar’na kalau nanti kita punya kesibukan

Malam tetap kumpul di meja panjang
Ruang makan kita
Berbincang tentang hari yang panjang

Boleh kamu keliling dunia
Dan temukan banyak tempat-tempat ‘tuk singgah
Sementara

Kamu boleh namai itu rumah
Selama ada m’reka yang kamu cinta
Di dalamnya

Kita usahakan rumah itu

Blue on Green

Blue on green, my love
Is where air is thick as blood.
Peacefully given--

when visiting my mom’s place, I’ll at least go once to where rice field spreads from road to river

how about having a painting of this view?

Breathing

.
Breathing is about circulating CO2 and O2 scientifically. Breathing is about welcome and sayonara mentally. Breathing is about the rhythms and rhymes chosen by one to sing the life path. Breathing is about slowing down and racing on the chosen way.

Which one have I chosen?

My breathing is a center that I'll go back in any daily situation. When happy, I'll go check my breathing. When angry, I'll do the same. When calm, I can feel my breathing slow and soft. When this and when that, I won't let myself depart without managing my breathing. How much fast or slow the breathing is, I will make it calm and long.

My breathing is my anchor that I should release or retrieve based on need.

Dear, Breath.
Never leave me behind, or
Let me walk ahead.
We should travel side by side.

Lucky

Lucky, Beloved
I'm walking the path to you.
You're waiting for me?

🍀

Just a while ago I realised that luck is not solely given, it can be requested with terms and conditions applied. I feel lucky when these conditions are met: believing on what’s not sensible, connected to and loyal with the conscience and not reluctant to share what I’ve got. What about the terms? I leave it to you; you’re the determiner.

I’m the bearer of conditions; you’re the bearer of decision. We both are interchangeable pre-condition.

So I’m lucky to have you, your luck won’t matter without me.

☘️

The Image of A Solitary Woman (my paper)

A treasure, my love
Has rung behind a closed door
To welcome the light.

I found some part of my final paper in the Uni online library. Reading it, I felt amazed and ashamed.

Amazed that I finally found it online (of course the hard cover edition is sitting in my personal library) + that I was able to produce that original thought about my future self through a reflection on Lucy Snowe in Charlotte Bronte’s Villette

Ashamed: many grammatical error and immature thoughts (I still produce immature thoughts nowadays but not that immature)

the novel — I read this novel (around 600 pages) 7 times to understand the content + 2 books below twice + many others I forgot the titles once

that year consumed this body especially eyes ☺️

Sweetness

Sweetness, Beloved
Shows on the plates, wok and wrap
In one sweet dinner.

veggies, rendang and deep fried (sweet potato balls & banana) — sweet

rendang I prepare for Eva next Thursday’s ifthar in a Japanese restaurant — what a sweet mix 😁

today’s sweet herbal chocolate

Mother to Child

Learning, life, love, Poetic, This Person, Those People

Dear, Child.
Look at the stars
Blinking their signs;
The shooting star
Burning their directions;
The glowing sky
Telling their histories.

Dear, Child.
Listen to the old songs.
See the old galaxies.
Touch the swirling dusts.
Taste the sweetness of comets.
Smell the expanding universe.
All no limit
But your definition.

Hug me
As we travel.
Trust me
As we wander.
Like I hug
You,
Like I trust
You.

Dear Child.

body and soul is like a female and a male in a marriage as discussed in classes of spirituality

in Javanese tradition body is symbolizing the female that is also the earth — accepting, submissive and intuitive; while soul is symbolizing the male that is also the heaven — giving, powerful and guiding

yet to me it’s not always that way; to me yes body and soul is like a mother and a child — the mother holding an infant (can be a girl or a boy) in a state that the mother is making sure the child is purely happy

I personally believe as long as the soul remains childlike, the body is not suffering — accepting what is is the key

about this life I sometimes don’t want to define as definition is a limit

and so I don’t force my understanding to anyone even to those I love the most because spiritual experience is very personal, cannot be forced, can only be synchronised through mutual journey

that’s why spiritual journey is called silent path; even when we’re in the same discussion room, the expansion of understanding might be different from one another

let’s accept our own silent path with no judgment

❣️

Notes: it’s my personal thought, doesn’t mean to influence anyone, a ranting of a life traveler

Yummy!

My mouth doesn't say it
But it feels like drooling.
The charm of kitchen
Isn't the set,
It's the colours and taste
And love that fits.

today’s breakfast of day #22 at 7:15pm – prepped & ready to enjoy 😍

there is a bowl of mango and some rice crackers but photo not taken

bamboo shoots and red bean in coconut milk – so Javanese 💕

yes I love chicken heart 😁

sweet yam and mung bean stew a.k.a. kolak 💗

beltfish a.k.a. ikan layur 💗 deep fried

Look

How do I look, Love
Before the mirror of heart
Talking honesty.

Who doesn’t want to look young or beautiful at the longest time? Looking young and beautiful is one of the best feelings in life. But how far can human beings stretch themselves to stay young?

Today I bumped into a movie in the flight from Hanoi to Singapore: The Substance in which a woman (played by Demi Moore) is struggling of being not wanted in the industry because of not looking as young anymore. The horror of doing so much to stay young gave me a wake-up call that liking it or not, I who looks younger than her age will definitely age and weaken through time.

How long can I stay young naturally?

I won’t look young all the time especially as I decided to not do expensive facial and body treatment. Factually that’s very not necessary (for me).

Truly at 65 this body is weak and can’t work as now. By then I hope that I can appropriately function as a wise soul staying in a relatively healthy body that does light works everyday until time kindly escorts me to the next gate of life.

Dear, Life.

Thank you for taking care of me.

Please always guide me to stay in the path of human being in the making as long as time allows. I might not get everything grandiose but I don’t want to lose anything precious.

Please give me big heart enough to always experience joy through all senses and to share it everyday.

Happy weekend❣️

Sun Quickly Sets

Learning, Map It!, Poetic

Who doesn't love it?
Sun that quickly sets with joy
To rise tomorrow.

sunset in the West Lake

sunset in the West Lake

sunset in the West Lake

sunset in the West Lake

after a long week, with the team enjoying sunset, the ladies always like to take photo ☺️ (near the West Lake)

closing the day around Hoan Kiem Lake

the music that sweetly hurt the heart

How Clear? (Language #1)

How clear, Beloved
Do messages show to you?
As clear as clear glass--

About language that is claimed to make things clarified. My ranting just now…..

Language is a tool in the form of spoken, signed/gestured or written symbols structured and agreed by a group of human beings and used by them to communicate and express opinions, emotions, experiences. In the growth language is also to reflect cultural and social identity.

Once I wrote that language is logic of a nation. The way a nation structures the language proves the way one positions itself before nature or other human beings. That’s why the first person is using a capital letter (I) in English in which individuality is prioritised, while formal form of second person is Anda (with a capital letter A) in Bahasa Indonesia in which individuality is second prioritised in a group. It also explains why some language categorise their nouns into genders (male, female), while other language don’t. Do you know why Subject is less important than Predicate that the doer won’t be mentioned in a sentence? Why do some languages have level of honorific (Javanese has 3 levels), while others don’t? Logic of a nation is introduced as early as how the nationals speak the idea: through language. How interestingly do Eskimo have many words for “snow” of different form, time, size; as the Arab have many words for “horse” of different type, movement, emotion, sound of gallops, etc?

The logic of a nation aka language is indeed born through the interaction of nature, culture, nurture!

I wonder though how well a language can convey a message. Which language can convey the message the most clearly? Is it the one with the best grammar? Is it the one with the most vocabulary? Is it the one with the most beautiful intonation? Is it the oldest one? Is it the simplest one like binary code? Which one?

Maybe each language excel in one subject. English and German excel for science. Arabic and Javanese excel for literature. Language with script like Sanskrit, Japanese and Chinese excel in developing strong cognitive with their intricate writing. And so on. Please don’t quote my limited knowledge and analysis that is based on my limited education.

As much as I admire those who master many languages, I still doubt if they can convey their emotion clearly and honestly through the logic of their nations. Maybe scientifically and logically they can speak or write about something. Yet there is one deep emotion that will fail all languages in many occasions.

What can fail any language? LOVE.

Look at Rumi. Do you think Rumi talks about his wife? No. He talks about divine love. But can Rumi stop others to use his poems and quotes to admire other human beings. No. Freedom of expression. Unclear boundary, failure of accuracy. Dishonesty. Honesty.

How would you trust the sentence “I love you” even if someone truly loves you with no reason? How would love be conveyed with language if “I admire you” can’t even convince the other?

Yes. In general language is a tool to convey messages; but in some cases language is a blocker of a true message.

Some message won’t be strong enough articulated in any language but silence.

Silence is truly the highest level of communication.

Again please don’t quote me because I didn’t review my writing before uploading: typo and immature thought is everywhere.

❣️

Knot

A knot is a safe
For love to bind a promise
Until time is up.

I bought the gold knot stud earrings in Madrid, a place making me realise that a most stunning place can be the least safe one

when buying it, I didn’t know the meaning of knot: they just looked stunning

only when ending the 20-day solo travel in some EU countries, I know the knot stud earring means love and unity

beautiful!

Sun Flower

Following the sun
Travelled by the earth no end
Just slowly or fast--

sun flower facing the sun until the sun is no more shining

Ripples on The Heart

Ripples on the heart
Is smiles decorating days,
Starts every morning.

your laughter is my morning ripples

Sunday, Fun Day