A horse is running In a round. To win it not; To serve the master—
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Am I the horse or the master?
If the horse, do I know enough who is my master so that I don’t just gallop whenever anyone other than the master whips me.
If the master, do I know enough how to appropriately engage with the horse and whether or not the horse has endurance for certain round either race or equestrian.
More importantly do I know what’s a horse and what’s a master?
Magic, Beloved, Scented, shaped, coloured. Travelled By sea, land and air—
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There are many choices of flowers and leaves imported from Down Under recently. Protea, leucadendron, silver bell eucalyptus pods, Geraldton wax flower, eryngium big blue, eucalyptus leaves, etc appear in the flower shop.
As they don’t come every month like roses, chrysanthemum and spider lily, I grabbed them fast. Greedy? Please don’t. Let’s call it excited. 😌
These flowers and leaves prove to be not only pretty but also aromatically medicative. Imagine working breathing eucalyptus for at least one week. Ya, they last longer than roses, chrysanthemum and spider lily.
I think I’ve received a lot of blessing and healing through travelling, flowers and food most time of life, particularly recently. There is nothing better to thank but breathing deeply and chewing slowly with all heart and soul.
If not because of being blessed and loved, what else are we given all these?
Sending blessings and love across the ocean to the one dearly loved. 💝
May all beings be happy.
aromatherapy in a vaseleucadendron, the florist called it differently I forgot whatproteasilver bell eucalyptus pod – just saw them and fell in loveeucalyptus leaves – I can breathe it the whole day literally
Orchid, Beloved, Surprises day with new stems. More colours to be; A gift from Mother Nature, A greeting from Father Time—
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Just learnt that my orchids are happier with rain water. There has been much rain recently that hampered jogging and biking schedule; yet now I see the rain has invited more colours and beauty.
The time of those orchids’ blossom isn’t predictable; they often surprise me when the buds stem is already prominent. My sight is really getting older that often time I don’t see when the stem is in its early stage; or they are just hidden in common green.
The plants in this tiny home have always been a consolation every now and then. Both the ones in the balcony and those in the bathroom’s bay window are best friends to this person. 💝
Thank you!
the shorter stem might have been there for at least one week but I just realised it two days ago 💝
It rains, Beloved Orange stays bright in the west. Wish you were here, Who?
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Sometimes the one that is dearly missed is that who never remembers us. What a paradox!
Paradox is beauty of life, contradictory realities that are given at the same time. There are plenty of hidden messages in between only clear heart can read.
Red shrimp, Beloved Crooked not bowing; Nature That cannot be changed—
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Lunch is an important meal; breakfast is just a tertiary “decoration”. So having nice food in the afternoon feels like seeing a green garden with fruits hanging everywhere. 🤩
the filling for today’s paper rice wrap
4 of 4 done! 1 isn’t so tidy, the 3 are excellent!
A vase, Beloved In which two seasons meet up; Two sides of beauty—
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Some flowers last longer in a vase, others stay shorter. They glorify seasons and gratify life spans differently. Here some flowers come together in a vase and enjoy the life together, decorating a corner some time away from the roots.
How would I not thank for all faces of beauty?
Live longer and enjoy the colourful life in this melting pot, dear Self. All is well. All is beautiful.
May all beings be happy.
the pink striped daisies stay longer than predicted, red roses come to sit together ⭐️
It takes basic skill To be happy and peaceful. Folding paper rice—
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Another Vietnamese cuisine came for brunch! 🍴
Thought it would be easy and fast to fold rice paper to wrap some veggies and meat. Thought it would take only basic skill of folding paper like making origami heart.
Yes, it is pre-basic skill of folding the paper yet the skill to control what’s inside the heart is not that basic. The intention to fold tidily and the urge of immediately eating nice food collided hard just because of a thin layer of helpless wet rice paper. It felt like now or never. Drama! 😂
Today’s target of eating 5 wraps didn’t happen. The rest of the filling became a bowl of salad.
Sorry, dearest paper rice. I failed you. No, no! 3 of 5 is 60%, more than 50% means winning in democracy. 😂
Weekend, Beloved, Clear, nice, fresh— How can’t it be If it’s cooked with love?
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First Vietnamese food from own kitchen. Next one should include bone to make perfect beef flavour. And the chili please, the crown of perfection should be a kick not only a tickle!
Still this weekend is delicious with a big bowl of pho bo!
If I may say Vietnamese pho is the only noodle soup that can beat my dear Indomie! Respect to the soul who concocted this recipe hundreds of years ago.
May all beings be happy.
pho bo a la Indonesia 💝mung bean sprout, ngo ghai leaves, Thai basil and lime – why Thai basil? sometimes I am wondering why some fruit and vegetables are called “Thai~” while the plants are naturally originally South East Asian! ones can find them in Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia not sure in Singapore (at least in Cold Storage imported from Vietnam or Malaysia or Thailand or Indonesia) 😎oh my, it is such a betrayal to cook Vietnamese pho using Thai pad thai rice noodle…. sorry, Vietnamese pho; couldn’t find you yesterdayand my betrayal is complete with the Thai fish sauce…. Vietnamese fish sauce, where are you? my friends in Vietnam said their fish sauce is stronger than the Thai. Fish sauce is the secret of pho bo taste!after all herbs and spices flavours are blended into boil, filter it to find the clear broth – friends in Vietnam said it takes overnight boiling to reach certain consistency and taste. sorry, didn’t have the luxury, 1.5 hours is good enough!herbs and spices – love it! 💝
Friendship, Beloved A vast ocean and its waves Sweeping all debris—
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A friend visited me at my lunch break. A short talk made the day.
About her retirement plan to hop from one city to another from one country to another with her husband, future visit to my home base, future visit to Ubud, her sons and the menace, my future plans, health and healthcare, vaccination, and everything….
Our longest talk after 2 years of not going someplace together! She brought our favourite kue from Bengawan Solo! 💝
Couldn’t believe it could happen only in one hour. We must have talked as fast as flash!
⚡️
Bengawan Solo jajanan pasar delivered by a friend today
Freedom, Beloved Is gauging limitation. How low can you go? How high can you fly? How long? Life’s integrated limits.
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There is always the next level of things. Perfection? Some say yes. Some say it is freedom, up to self, don’t care about others, want more, and everything.
No one can stop one except one’s self.
Is the end the limit? Not sure; yet it must be sun and moon the cycles integrate.
Beloved, if you allow, let me just be better than my own self before. Nothing more, nothing less.
May all beings be happy. 💝
thanks for the sugar; how many people mustn’t have sugar and I’m still free to consume it – isn’t it a blessing? 💝
Is she that clean though? No! Flower blooms from rooted trees. Dirt, bugs surround her.
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Human being is human being. No one is perfect. No one is clean. If someone looks perfect, it is just the lenses are focusing on one’s good parts or the lenses are damaged unable to see all details or one is just in a lucky blind spot. What a blessing to look perfect! — whatever the cause is
Making mistakes is a perfect description about human being. The perfection overdoes though when the same mistake is repeated — too many times will kill!
*sigh*
May all beings be full-bellied. 💝
burnt mackerel, salty veggies soup and cutie buns with some ants is a set of perfect imperfection I cooked today
Swaying gently down, Feather falls off from the wings Flapping. Angel smiles.
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I used to pick up feathers met on the way to school, office, home, everywhere. Feathers have been good signs to me for years. There has been a feeling of being protected.
Superstition? I don’t know. Maybe. Maybe not.
Now? Still believing that feather present is the presence of protection, but I stopped hoarding. Just look at the feathers, pray for protection and greet the guardian angels, and walk on with a bunch of blessings.
Time runs, Beloved Not flies. Its feet touch the ground, Planting you deeply To the journey. Feel the pace, Beloved. The end is good.
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Today’s video call with 6 best friends was at least 2 hours of stupidity in the brink of wisdom.
The talk of health of some of us and overall healthcare in our country has become both joke and contemplation.
One of us said that as a father of two he doesn’t want to be selfish thinking about his health too much. He wants to give the best to his children and if he has to leave them forever, his family won’t suffer of having too little. This oldest of all of us is always the funniest yet the wisest.
One of us said that whatever medical complaints she has, she wants to handle them now. She said she’d better know the diseases how much ever bad they are and do possible treatments soon rather than later when she is older. What a good anticipation!
Another said that he still enjoys everything freely. He called while chewing donuts with heavy chocolate and sugar toppings! What a joy!
Most of us don’t have serious medical issues except that the pandemic in the country is more happening that fear of it is more deadly than the virus itself.
Blahblahblah and hahaha continued when we talked about religions. Those who are religious made fun of us who are “not clear”. And we teased them who are “too clear-cut”.
Fun 2+ hours! Mood booster to welcome another week!
Hope we are all completing everything well.
Take care, crazy good friends! You’re blessed.
Sure we’ll still meet again in a better time! So sure!
💝
just-put-them-in leucadendron and pink striped daisy is ready to welcome the productive week 😎
How perfect you are, 99. I’m the 1 completing the reality. And so we are completed, 100!
Life is blessed when the heart is loaded and bedazzled with three gemstones of the beautiful names and attributes of God: the amethyst of Ar-Rahman (the beneficent), the emerald of Ar-Rahiem (the merciful) and the rose quartz of Al-Latif (the subtle one, the most gentle).
It’s a personal interpretation; don’t quote me.
People say that the quality of God can’t be bounded with the beauty of any but at the same time it can in order to attribute God with something sensuously beautiful at the same time symbolising some characters. I chose gemstone. Why not flowers, why gemstones? Let it be
The three qualities are those projected to be. Someday —not sure when— I’ll acceptably be. Not sure when….
Enchanting those three attributes without thinking what religions I’m holding has been helpful to cope with many challenges especially facing those contesting and/or underestimating. Forgive them, love them and keep gentle in the heart— how much ever tough the argument is, be gentle in the heart; how much ever confrontation to be tackled, be gentle in the heart; how much ever firm intonation to be uttered, be gentle in the heart. At the end it is not winning an argument that’s important; it is accepting the learning process the bounties. Gorgeous and precious as gemstones—
So thankful to be a human being, being able to wildly interpret what might be rigidly believed by others, being able to move meaning from where beauty is rigidly defined to wherever a defined beauty can be criticised. That’s a privilege only for those who have enough space for being humane — take learning step, one by one….
In this crowded world, the safest sanctuary is being one’s self where those that I know don’t really care and those that I care don’t really know.
You are you thats you The you thats not you the you I think is you Who
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There are so many yous in you You through a complex prism is able to compel one to sign an everlasting contract with no terms and conditions but saying yes to all of you
Your signature is a punctuation while mine is a dragged line called names
Youre that important that history of alphabet puts you as a technology that moves meaning
Listen, Beloved To one softest voice inside. Whisper of the far—
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This person said what sounds crispy yummy and cracks a door inside, resonating what’s the heart has believed for ages. He might be right. He might be…. Or not.
Will Smith has never failed me. He’s never…. Or not yet.
Weekend pulls me to herd immunity with love…. Or not.
One step out of gate Is a neighbour who greets you, Supports you with heart.
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‘ve always loved to have neighbours, good neighbours. Bad neighbours? Gosh! They are just those who don’t know how to thank for what they have been given and think that others are more blessed and happier. I had both back then. Now? My neighbours here are doors with numbers, cleaning service and security guards. 😁
Many want to live in a place where neighbours are those greeting and supporting each other with heart. I don’t mind to have a few rather bad neighbours among most good ones. And my home-base-to-be seems showing good signs. A good friend cum a good neighbour-to-be said that her friend owns a restaurant located near the home-base-to-be. A restaurant named “Jiwa Jawi” (literally means Javanese soul) is there right at the back of the home-base.
Wouldn’t it be nice that our backyard is looking out to a restaurant in a small jungle? When the food at home isn’t enough for visiting family and friends, just dial the number and get some to be delivered in no time. Indonesian food will always be one most favourite on the home-base’s dining table.
Another good news, this restaurant is a ground where people can eat, chat, camp, play, gather, pose to enjoy the day! When some intermezzo is needed, just step out of the gate and chill out there. Some friends said it is instagramable.
Orange horizon Warms her dusk, welcomes her night. Weekend’s over soon.
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How beautiful is the sunset in the west? The color, the shape, the impression plus the drama that it can create. That’s how poetic a natural phenomenon can be in the hand of a literary person.
How high is sun’s temperature? Burning, suffocating without oxygen, lack of blue and green all red. That’s how emotionless a sunset can be through scientific point of view.
Flower, Beloved Triggers moods or decoys dreams. You are, Beloved The beauty behind beauty. Sheer in the dark to sharp eyes—
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When seeing this flower for the first time, I was wondering if it was plastic or real flower. That particular shape in the garland of real jasmine was still plastic in my head because when browsed in the Net, it was still found as plastic flower.
Until when found in Tekka Market. Oh goodness! It is a real flower! This flower exists! The flower seller said it is not easy to find and many use plastic to replace it for flower garland. No wonderrrrrr!
Browsing browsing browsing….
Ms Wiki said it is Calotropis Gigantea! And it is not something new. It’s been a flower scattered in front of the very eyes of mine back in dear homeland! We call it kapuk duri where I grew up; it is called biduri or widuri in Indonesian language.
You simply didn’t know that flower is hidden inside its crown, Self!
rike jokanan 
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