Garden

Colours, hues, shades, tints
In a garden strike the eyes
Wandering within.

I am on an emergency short leave to visit my mother as my mother is sick. A sister called saying “she doesn’t want to eat”, “she can’t sleep well”, “she doesn’t want to visit her doctor”, “she thinks it is her time”, blahblahblah…. Alamak! Although sometimes we think she can be a drama queen, we start to think seriously when she can’t sleep well.

The second day of my visit she already watered her plants that line along my sister’s narrow garden. She sang along while walking in her house. She ate one big chunk of fast food’s fried chicken that my nephews insisted taken away for her. She has been back to her nature after meeting her children and grandchildren whom she missed who are now laughing with her at every breakfast, lunch and dinner time.

This morning she happily greeted the newspaper lady delivering her favourite “Jawa Pos”, the lady said “good morning, Ibu, you look radiant again”. She also had a short chat with her front neighbour about rain, cats and plants.

I think sometimes you just need to meet someone to be healthy. 💗

Yesterday morning I joined her watering the plants and took pictures of some of the blooms that have always made us all smile.

Salaam.

java tea — we call it “kumis kucing” here
jasmine sambac, everlasting fragrance — her favourite
zinnia, the humble beauty
white bougainvillea, the tough beauty
orchids at the left side of the gate — “your sister is a good gardener, she has made your orchids happily bloom!” she said
the one at the other side
the one squeezed between leaves

A Gift

What can a gift do?
Dance in the heart of friendship,
Rest in the friends’ soul—

Kinokuniya has much bigger collection than the bookstore in Changi airport; yet the books I buy for my friends are all from this airport. Is it because my search of books wanted by friends is always ready here? Or is it impulse buying? 😂

It doesn’t matter which one as long as it is for a good friend.

Salaam.

a gift for a friend

Sufficed

Sufficiently served—
Each season presents a gift
That is grateful for.

once upon a time a healthy lady
slightly less healthy another day
then sugarrr! 😘

Cooked

Rice is cooked to be rice. It’s the same name, yet not the same. Raw then cooked—

sometimes you know someone is cooking you; just pretend you don’t know that you’re being cooked and feel your own love

(In)Visible Monster

Not under the bed, it’s what she’s slept with since she was a cute baby.

I am obviously my own monster; haunting, hunting me forever will be 💝 the best company ever

Singing Heart

This heart sings. Its notes witness through pitch and tempo. Genres of the soul—

whatever the story is, i’ll tell it musically

Well Done

The wind flies dry leaves to where travel’s light and memory’s full. Well done—

big lunch before big laundry — well done!
ready mussels
done!
roasting potato
on medium fire, don’t add water
sauté
(not so) fresh green mussels
carrot & celery
garlic & ginger
big basket of laundry after big lunch 😊 well done!

Greed

All have right to live, yet some by greedily eating up others. Sigh.

the rose apple leaves in my front yard are helplessly eaten up by locusts
the tree is not as productive as before but the fruits are still sweet and fresh….
….and so many flowers are coming out, ready to bloom

Broken

What’s broken’s broken until connected again. Never be the same—

one of my gorgeous ceramic plates was broken; now i’m thinking of learning how to fix it

Floating So High

Keeping afloat, buoyant freely swaying playing the waves in the sky—

Coldplay never fails me

Library

Curated sources of knowledge is a vast deep ocean to dive in.

A few from Topkapi Palace

construction inscription
dome inside
reading quarter
reading quarter

Those Love Around

You don’t need so much love to find love around. Make it with a little love.

playing buddies
mama dog 💕
cool
like a log
slurp!
can you spot 2 cats?
one guarding a headless god
strolling
my Bob looks like this one 💗
brrr!
tux cat on carpet
ginger waiting for lunch

Journey

A journey starts. A journey ends. A route is colourful when observed—

up!
up!
up!
up!
down….
ready to land!

A Loving Visit

A loving visit beyond time and space. Salaam. Universe answers.

about the museum
beloved
beloved
beloved
when you’re loved, people still visit you even when you’re nowhere 💝
when you’re loved, you’re taken care of even when you’re nowhere
beloved – visiting him with love, see you again
beloved – visiting him with love, see you again

Written

Written on this soul, your footsteps making sweet songs sung by the green birds.

a calligraphy about ‘Izzah (honour, dignity, respect) in Ulucami Grand Mosque, Bursa
standing firm with a blessed smile
a short visit is ok 😯
and then riding cable car to Uludag Mountain

CNY Is An Inch Away

Another new year with another long weekend. Added holiday—

most of us will take a leave to have a longer break esp combined with CNY holiday — i’ve gotta start packing 😍 Happy (another) New Year! dream come true!
seeing solanum in a flower arrangement is rare blessings
2023 is my year; major dreams come true! 💝

Charlie Chaplin to Us

Laughter is the breeze caressing the hair waving to the morning sun.

A posting landed on my Instagram’s Home, it was Charlie Chaplin’s small details that are meaningful to me who love to laugh but often fail to make jokes. Most of my jokes are garing (crispy-dry, not funny; Bahasa Indonesia slang). 😁

Salaam.