Tag: haiku

Old

Learning, Poetic
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: 😂😂😂

About the UN definition of old

Home

Learning, Poetic
A home, Beloved
Where kitchen's fun and alive,
Diningroom's smiling

—

i’ve been living away from my parents since young age and before that i loved to cook for everyone in the family; i was not a best cook but my father loved most of what i made — now i realize why i prefer home cooking (both mine and my friends’) to the restaurant food — most home cooking is loaded with fresh ingredients, less additive substance and lots of sprinkles of love

my friends are visiting soon and i am thinking of cooking for them — excited! 💕

Home

Learning
I'm flying back home
To weave a new home that's warm
And knows only you.

—-

Muraksara Nusantara — “Indonesia’s human beings” in Soetta Airport domestic arrival, in transit before Singapore

Yes, I know most of them thanks to their roles and professions in Indonesia — I respect most of them due to their integrity leaving me no doubt that human beings are created to inspire others positively, question some due to their fake impartiality whether their people or their “political promotor”

we Indonesian will never forget how these two men of two poles apart life principles fought for the birth of Indonesia that is formed from hundreds of sultanates and kingdoms — asked, I would vote Hatta first as a man of integrity for his loyalty and honesty, while Soekarno for his speech and bravery

Home

Learning, Map It!, Poetic
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? 😊💕

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

Purple

Learning, Poetic, This Person
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 💕

when light is growing prettier

Self Portrait

Learning, Poetic
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 💕

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

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 ❣️😊

Home

Learning, Poetic
A home, Beloved,
Where orchids bloom silently
Giving a surprise.

——

can you see a long spike there? how didn’t I see it before my trip? it should have been around for around 2-3 weeks 😍

a bud! 💕

Welcomed

Learning, Poetic
The goodness welcomed
Is goodness prepared. No doubt.
Enjoy all goodness.

——

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! 💕

A Pair

Learning, Poetic
You and I, my love
Are everywhere. Two extremes
Composing what’s one—

——

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?

Farewell Party

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

——

lunch on my last day in Kyoto — a set of Japanese washoku 💕

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

Tongue Twisted

Learning, Poetic
This tongue is twisted
By taste and a language
For a little while.

——

I’m having lunch now and remembering one lunch on my first day in Kyoto. Lovely!

appetiser — too lovely to eat up 😭

Yuba Sashimi (sea bream tuna) — 💕

clear soup made in an individual Dobin — no spoon is needed, you drink the soup with the lid

grilled Spanish Mackerel —- I could eat another one 💕

Yuba Oke (their specialty)

steamed tofu with vegetables — verrrry good!

rice, miso soup, pickles — still good but the least I liked 🤭

dessert – persimmon 💕💕💕

About Shozankaku Matsuyama

Colourful

Learning
Life is falling leaves
Layered colours to decay.
Colourful beauty—

——

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

household chores done for today 💕 ready for packing

Dilemma

Learning, Poetic, This Person
It’s a dilemma
Between safety and beauty.
Each is a glory.

——

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 — always a dilemma between beautiful autumn or short torture of itchy welts

I’m allergic to cold weather — 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 😂

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

Remote

Learning
There’s a vibe within
Spreading a home everywhere.
Close yet so remote—

——

most of my friends think I would always visit big cities with all the luxurious and sparkling night life when visiting Japan; yet they’re wrong as many of places I’ve visited are rural areas where no Hyatt, Shangri-La, and other big chains of hospitality brands are planted — I will usually stay in local hotels, meet humble kind genuine Japanese who don’t speak English and are willing to converse with my broken Japanese, listen to stories that impress me of how all human beings are basically struggle in life

not all Japanese are like the one I met some time ago whose rich life has formed one prouder and less kind than I thought one was 😌

feeling so blessed in a remote area in Gobo — let’s work wonder tomorrow, good people 🙏🏼

Talk to The Self

Learning, Poetic
One talk to the self.
Alone among cheering crowd.
Peaceful in the noise—

——

it was a beautiful night with myself among the crowd 💕

Tokyo at A Glance

Learning, Poetic
Tokyo at a glance
Brings me a shadow of you
Longing for a home.

——

sightseeing 😍

(affordable) sushi so far is only nice in Japan 😊

made one once and will make it again someday 😍

Deli from My Heart!

Learning, Poetic
When heart is joyful,
It radiates through senses.
Deli from my heart—

——

gudheg ayam ala Rike ♥️ — light and bright, my must-eat for all my family and friends visiting me

most of feedback: can you make it saltier 💕

tempe kemul aka blanketed tempe — yummy like in heaven!

today’s lunch box — leftover of gudheg ayam, rambutan and mini banana 💚

Coincidences

Learning, Poetic
Coincidences,
Unexplained experience
In one fast crossroad

——

‘M supposed to watch Coldplay in Japan with Vito, my nephew. We’d planned the trip since May; he passed away in July. Feeling desperate and not wanting to go alone, I was about to cancel the trip when coincidently one best friend said she wanted to visit me in Singapore in the week of the supposed-to-be-cancelled trip. I offered her a free Coldplay ticket to go with me. She agreed! And so the trip cancellation didn’t happen. 💕

I am still selecting which photo of his is the best to bring. I want to take picture with his picture before, during and after Coldplay concert and wherever we would have been going in Japan.

Sometimes we live to walk on others’ dreams and those who have the dreams must let go off their dream to be walked on by others. That’s why I always want to live my life with true dedication as not everyone has the opportunity to live this long.

For those living chasing dreams, you can!

For those leaving with some dreams behind, your dreams are cherished by your beloved!

Rest in love, dear boy.

Salam.

my life is a chain of ordinary acts, rare sprinkles of drama and magical coincidences — unexplainable except that I am blessed with all the problems and solutions 💕

Next Flight

Learning, Poetic
I wish to meet you
And greet each other sweetly
Where sun looks red round.

——

sometimes I imagine I meet a long lost friend in one busy airport and we greet each other —- “long time no see, let’s have some tea!”

(Changi Airport picture – Rain Vortex)

Hidden

Learning
What’s hidden’s beauty
Admiring silently.
Reciprocity—

——

getting off from bus #857, i saw something silently looking at me as saying “hey, sweet heart how was your day?”

it’s this beauty!

Soaked

Learning
Soak the self in love.
Treat the life with all blessings.
Every breath counts hope.

——

these ingredients will be soaked in water for two days before applied to hair after shampoo

this time: rice + ginger + rosemary + pomelo rind

False Alarm

Learning, Poetic
Evacuate. Now.
Hundreds of steps in the dim.
Sorry, false alarm.

——

this morning I felt kind of alarmed; nervous at the same time energised because of alarm going off early morning in the hotel — fire warden in action; run run run! lucky enough I stayed on 11th floor, not the highest! 👍🏽

with other guests who were (I guessed) sleepy and not ready to show themselves up to the world

no need to dress up! I just grabbed my MacBook, iPhone and my sling bag, left other stuff less important (although important) — oh my! predictably I saw many were wearing “whatsoever as long as wearing things” 😝 tired as well as entertained 😂

in the assembly point waiting, waiting and waiting — false alarm

the hotel rep said “We are terribly sorry. It is a false alarm and all guests would you please go back to your room? We will arrange a compensation for you all affected. We once again apologise to you for the inconvenience caused. Sorry, Ma’am. Sorry, Sir….”

a love letter I found arriving in the room this evening 🙏🏼

Luxury Redefined (haiku cluster)

Learning, Poetic
Luxury, my love
What makes one feel fortunate,
Feel responsible.

Luxury, my love
Not brand, not price tag. It’s mind
Bursting new spirits.

Luxury, my love
You can bluff but you can’t trade
With a true spirit.

Luxury, my love
What you’ve failed, what you’ve too learnt
About the deep wounds.

——

not the Aman Jiwo Hotel making it luxurious, it is Borobudur temple, Menoreh Hill and all the Javanese villages and tradition conserved as surrounding is the real luxury