Twilight

Thereโ€™s orange swirling
In the west brink, and yellow
Beautifying dark.

โ€”โ€”

welcomed by the beauty of twilight โ€” as orange as the robes of bikhus who are chanting mantras welcoming Vesak Day

good evening, dear Self

All in Store

After a long pause,
Waves of time now delivers
Pretty joy in store.

How should she welcome
A guest that greets with surprise?
A sweet smile in storeโ€”

โ€”โ€”

buds of secundum are welcoming with joy

White

How are you, dear white?
Everything looks bright on white.
Itโ€™s clear on itself.

โ€”โ€”

a white mug with ginger & honey tea ๐Ÿ’ get drunk with it and make all work excellent! โ˜บ๏ธ

sterilised or warmed? whatever! loving warm white mug in my hand ๐Ÿ’•

this champion is quiet when working and resting unlike me talking at work snoring at sleep ๐Ÿฅถ

parrrtyyy! no, no, not my party; it belongs to one favourite cleaning lady

Dreams, Given Up?

Is she giving up?
Sheโ€™s waiting for the right time.
Just another leapโ€”

โ€”โ€”

๐Ÿ’

played Coldplay all day today as if their concert is happening in my living room ๐Ÿ˜

gave up the queue because my medical treatment on May 19 was much more important; if i am healthy, i still can work to earn money for the next concerts somewhere else ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿผ happy watching, all ticket war winners! you deserve your strategy whatever it was

Essential

Essentially pure?
None. No distillerโ€™s perfect
But time. Refiningโ€”

โ€”

Smell might be my strongest sense. It gives me both pleasant and not so pleasant experiences in life. To share the experiences is of course an ultimate goal, yet it takes time to materialise it.

To start

Have you smelled the earth wetted by rain water?

Have you smelled the grass cut in the morning, noon and afternoon?

Have you smelled your parentsโ€™ clean clothes?

Try those and youโ€™ll be amazed with the sensation brought to you.

Salaam.

goal: to distill essential oils for myself and those around me โ€” this is gonna be a read-it-when-i-want-it book โœจ

Fresh

A basket of fresh
Turns into a jar of fresh
For mind to refresh.

โ€”

from this โ€” pomelo, pineapple, mango, apple, rose apple and pomegranate

to this

added with this โ€” not so spicy this time

both mixed into this โ€” 45 minutes of washing, peeling, cleaning, grating fruit + grinding the palm sugar

this final packed fresh โ€” one week + 2 daysโ€™ morning grated fruits

Quenched

Journey to a home
Through climb, prance, flow, dive and fly
Deserves a quenching.

โ€”

a glass of lemongrass tea with chia seeds is a gift for a traveler ๐Ÿ’

Happy Birthday!

What is age, dear love?
Pearls of memories of you
Shining in my mind.

โ€”-

May 12 is my fatherโ€™s birthday. He was born in 1939 but his physical body died years ago leaving memories about him.

Happy birthday, Bapak. May you be reborn a happy one wherever you are.

๐Ÿ’

mango was his favourite โ€” iโ€™ve eaten mango for 3 days to celebrate his birthday ๐Ÿ˜€ no cake this year as I prioritised my time for something more important; sorry, Bapak ๐Ÿ˜˜

All Is Good Work

What is work, my love?
Office, site visit, kitchen,
all rooms to fulfil.

โ€”โ€”

Work is both those weekdays I am paid by my employer and weekends and holidays when I spend more from what I earn on weekdays. Both I do with all my heart and soul.

Thank you for everything.

May all beings be happy.

ironed clothes make good days of mine, thatโ€™s why i iron most of my clothes even those for sleeping ๐Ÿ’ i love myself ๐Ÿ˜

late lunch after ironing ๐Ÿฅฐ my kitchen loves me ๐Ÿ˜

after lunch i finished making โ€œrujak serutโ€ for the next one week โ€” one box per day ๐Ÿ˜‡ to continue morning sliced fruit during Tapa Brata, i modify it to morning rujak serut ๐Ÿ˜

Takeaway

Bring me takeaway,
A souvenir that reminds
Meaning of a road.

โ€”

The biggest takeaway of my recent Tapa Brata:

  • Loving kindness โ€” a constant reminder in my life
  • Anicca โ€” nothing conditional is permanent

a silver bangle of ANICCA

About ANICCA

White Welcome

When home welcomes you
With unexpected colour,
Blessings are around.

โ€”-

Home again! ๐Ÿ’

Nice to say hi to orchids that I thought to be yellow but white instead!

thought yellow but white! pretty!

the second bloom after 3 years! thank you!

all are here! full team! ๐Ÿ’

Smile!

Smiling at a weekend
Makes air fresher and lighter.
A place thatโ€™s chokingโ€”

โ€”

My best friend in Ubud is an active committee member of Bali Spirit Festival; she invites me to enjoy one day free pass after my Tapa Brata for today.

She knows very well I donโ€™t enjoy crowd well yet she insisted that I try to experience an ambiance that might enrich my life. Thank you, I am now in.

I collected my wristband at the entrance, met my friend at the media center she managed then browsed around. A lot I didnโ€™t imagine before. Not only the offered activities and products but also the visitors and participants.

While the activities and products are still easy for me to digest, the way the visitors dress is more shocking to me; half-naked might not be for myself but I can still understand that many bule (the white people in Indonesian language) are half-dressed due to hotter temperature in South East Asia, but almost nakedโ€ฆ

Anyway my best friend has changed my curiosity into smilesโ€” very wide smileโ€ฆ.

I am enjoying my weekend!

the pink wristband for one day pass – got it free; thank you, De Nov!

the inner entrance inside Puri Padi Hotel where the festival is taking place

map

loving it!

another one

art is dominating the venue โ€” loving it!

hungry? never worried ๐Ÿ’ โ€” more choices other than this one

my favourite!

still heliconia ๐Ÿ’

one of those blinding me (the mildest for my eyes, that almost naked lady with backpack) โ€” this is not a beach pleaseโ€ฆ. ๐Ÿ˜Ž i donโ€™t have the heart to take more pictures ๐Ÿ˜ i know what my friend will say to me โ€œthatโ€™s why you canโ€™t live in Bali, stay in Singapore, safer for your brain and mindโ€

stage for the (spiritual) music performance later afternoon โ€” not being arrogant but after so much to learn and unlearn and relearn, to me all is spiritual without label so let me skip this spiritually-labeled music

this is the safest place for me to just drink tea and browse around aromatherapy oil in the market โ€” will spend my time here until I meet my friend again โฃ๏ธ

on a beanie bag under a young durian tree ๐Ÿ’

will i be back next time? ๐Ÿ˜ Yoda said โ€œyour path you must decide, Jediโ€ ๐Ÿ˜‚

Knowing Who

Knowing whoโ€™s within
Behind an unlocked door. Who?
Look at the mirror

โ€”

Loving kindness doesnโ€™t belong to one particular religion. It is not a domain, it is universal. Thanks for the consistent reminder about it.

May all beings be happy.

Salaam.

Pak Merta Ada with 7 of 32 students in his 881st Tapa Brata โ€” thank you, Bapak ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿผ

Back Online

Life is just like this:
A line with two ends. Circleโ€”
Choose the best angle.

โ€”-

They released us from the silence on May 5 at 11am before lunch time and gave us our gadgets back at 4pm. We were so excited to talk than to play the gadgets; we gathered in the dining hall and shared what we experienced during the noble silence.

We didnโ€™t die without gadgets, no we didnโ€™t. Yet we donโ€™t die because of gadgets, either. Gadgets are just a tool to use wisely.

Each of us couldnโ€™t thank more for everything.

May all beings be happy.

Salaam.

Pak Merta, our meditation teacher

Pak Kourma โ€” our daily instructor

Pak Souca โ€” our daily caretaker ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿผ

our last session of meditation was loving kindness meditation for daily life; the video camera was prepared for sharing session at the end

Happy Birthday, U2!

May 5 is today.

This is my second Tapa Brata and both of them are special. My first in 2018 was special because Pak Merta Adaโ€™s teacher (Merta Ada is my health meditation teacher) a Buddhist high priest visited his retreat center and gave us blessings. This second one is because we found that May 5 is his birthday! He was born on May 5, 1957 โ€” a long journey of a meditation teacher and healer.

Someone is also celebrating his birthday across the ocean. May 5 becomes more special today this time. A journey of a silent traveler.

Happy birthday Pak Merta and dear KU. Both of you have a special place in my heart.

For Pak Merta, we immediately prepared a green sarung rangrang. For KU I thoughtfully prepared a poem.

โ€”-

Alone the bird flies
From a nest on a tall tree
It knows where home is.

๐Ÿ™๐Ÿผ

May 5 2023 is when the biggest moon rises this year; Waisak (Vesak) is already celebrated in some countries (on May 6 in other countries) โ€” my meditation teacher is celebrating his birthday, another life teacher of mine is celebrating his

an โ€œemergencyโ€ birthday present for Pak Merta Ada from our class, wrapped in a beautiful fancy paper from the nearest small shop nearby to wrap a sarung rangrang I originally bought for my additional spread and table cloth โ€” what a beautiful togetherness in this meditation class ๐Ÿ’

May 6 (scheduled post)

Alone the bird flies
To a nest on a tall tree.
She knows where home is.

โ€”-

there is love in wing โ€” trust the wind and the direction ๐Ÿ’

Sanctuary

In sanctuary,
Where birds from paradise sing,
Clear mirror reflectsโ€”

โ€”

Out of office is set meaning that work is safe-kept for a while. Only silence remains. Even my boss and my motherโ€” two whose calls Iโ€™ll never reject in normal situation canโ€™t contact me. They know where I am so they wonโ€™t contact me. ๐Ÿ˜Ž

All my postings will be automatically scheduled starting May 1.

I pray that you all be blessed with good life.

Salaam.

๐Ÿ’

my goddess, Saraswati ๐Ÿ’

just wanna be offline for a while ๐ŸŒธ

i love to be with those knowing how to reflect me and themselves clearly โ™ฅ๏ธ

it is safe ๐Ÿ’

accompanied by two paradise birds in Ubud before starting my sacred silence tomorrow in Baturiti

Green

Green is what is fresh,
What is starting peacefully.
It is envy, too.

โ€”-

What is greener than our neighboursโ€™ grass? The sea that bears secret of love and avocado that bears secret of health.

Have a green weekend!

๐Ÿ’š

todayโ€™s lunch ๐Ÿ’š egg with peas in coconut milk, avocado and navel orange juice

Best Not, Better Be

Whatโ€™s best is not best.
Better is, leaving a space
For the next better.

โ€”-

I am never craving for best for me. Only doing my best to be better and to deserve whatever makes me better and/or see opportunity to do better.

Yet best seller book is the best for today. And one previously best seller for my best friendโ€”-

Salaam.

๐Ÿ’

bestseller shelf โ€” not my normal shelf but it was today

old book i did read at uni and want to check some details and so re-read ๐Ÿ˜Ž

curious whatโ€™s inside ๐Ÿ˜

seems promising for a discussion in a reading club

for my best friend who watched the movie but not read the novel yet

Cuts and Bruises

All cuts and bruises
Paint a life of a blossom
Before it decays.

โ€”

i was so young and innocent, a loved friend of many, a hated enemy of some โ€” i was so much blessed ๐Ÿ’

life has brought me travel through labyrinth of life with traps and turns that cut and torture yet i am still a loved friend of many, a hated enemy of some โ€” i am still so much blessed with cuts and bruises ๐Ÿ’ iโ€™ve lost much but i find myself

no one shall erase this happy girl within โ€” a blessed soul that travels through space and time ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿผ thank you

Time Flies

Time flies on a plane, 
Moves backwards leaving a home
To meet whom are missed.

โ€”-

Time to visit mother. Although I visit her every three months, a visit on Eid Mubarak is always the most special. It is when my brothers and sisters meet me and most of extended family members gather in our annual reunion.

It is exciting to have a full day chatting, laughing, remembering good memories, eating specialties cooked by the host, joking around and of course praying for our happiness and joy so we all can meet again the following year.

Thank you for another year.

๐Ÿ’

pink orchid in Changi Airport before my flight

pink orchid left home โ€” not merrier but fresher than the Changiโ€™s ๐Ÿฅฐ

yellowish white orchid left at home

it is gonna be broken white with purple โ€” they are always happy although left home ๐Ÿ˜

i guess it is gonna be yellow โ€” they are always happy although left home ๐Ÿ˜

Colours

Light is reflected,
Brings various sensations.
Bright colour spectrumโ€”

โ€”-

I bought rangrang woven fabric for bedspreads, table clothes and other home decoration as alternative of vibe in my humble abode other than linen, Merauke ikat and batik series.

It is always exciting to decorate home. I think this is where a home owner should be wiser as the temptation to beautify a home feels more desperate compared to owning branded things. Dead serious!

Rangrang woven fabric was once fabric for religious ceremonies, yet now it has become a cultural commodity that are liked by many.

Anyway, rangrang woven fabric offer unique colourful art. It is called โ€œrangrangโ€ because there are โ€œrangrangโ€ (tiny holes/gaps) among the woven thread. Rangrang woven fabric is allegedly a symbol of transparency. Yet technically the gaps or holes among the woven threads are because of fewer number of threads used in some lines.

This fabric also has sufficient thickness that it wonโ€™t be too flimsy to spread on the beds yet wonโ€™t be too heavy for curtains.

The dominant colours on rangrang woven fabric are brighter spectrum of red, yellow, purple, blue, green. Love them all!

The most common patterns of rangrang woven fabric are basic geometry such as curves (commonly called bianglala/rainbow patter), triangles, squares.

square

triangles

some curves (bianglala/rainbow)

rangrang = holes among the weaved threads

Rangrang used to be a prima donna back then in 2010โ€™s that made it as expensive as hundreds of USD per piece, while now I could buy it for USD50 per piece.

This woven fabric should be conserved as fewer and fewer weavers are productively making it, most of them are older women whose children donโ€™t have the same passion to produce this beautiful art work. One of the conservation effort might be for ordinary people to buy this fabric.

I am happy that I found 4 more sheets of rangrang woven fabric are needed. There is a reason to go shopping either in the market or directly to the weavers.

๐Ÿ’๐Ÿ˜

rangrang = holes among the weaved threads

About rangrang woven fabric

Maleman

Breathing the same air
Under the same sun and moon,
All pray for good days.

โ€”

Sharing is not only about self satisfaction and social support, it is also about gauging how much I dare to let go of what heavy and significant. Trust me giving will not make you poor.

This monthly food sharing is about Ramadhan odd night and night of revelation (lailatul qadar).

Salaam.

๐Ÿ’

package for some elderly people and tricycle drivers who deserve food sharing back in my motherโ€™s town ๐Ÿ’
whatโ€™s inside
while the monthly food sharing is without kue apem, this maleman food sharing is with kue apem ๐Ÿ’
5 big monthly package for nuclear family ๐Ÿ’
whatโ€™s in the big package ๐Ÿ’