graphs of my Universe
What is dream weekend?
Mine is
A walk in the green,
Smiles under the blue,
Jokes with warm sun,
Chats with cool breeze,
Glanced by rice herons,
Chased by crazy ducks,
Followed by spoiled dog,
Side by side with good friends,
Wrapped up with 5-cent luxury in banana leaf
And huge thanks to
Whomever-whomever.
—
I don’t need a place.
They can build a palace
To place me.
I’m not a queen,
Please gift it to someone more beautiful and loving luxury.
I deserve just a space.
It can be a table for two
To chat with me.
I’m a traveler,
Please go on a quest with me through joy and challenges to be.
Let me clean my place
For a little space.
Now and here
With or without
You—
—-
About MELUKAT
Linguistically melukat is derived from the old Javanese word “lukat” which means to “cleanse” or “purify”.
Melukat itself is understood as bathing or cleansing with water that aims to cleanse both body and mind, to refresh the spirit and dissolve away any negative influences. It is also believed to cure non medical diseases and sickness of the spirit and whether it does or not, a session bathing in holy waters will certainly make you feel good.
It is a symbol of letting go or releasing something burdening within us. It is a ritual that can be performed many times, in fact the more, the merrier as it can only lead to good things. It is also a kind of self purification that is very common by Indonesians of Hindu and Javanese Muslim in different ways as ritual.
Hindu in Bali will do it as frequent ritual, even for tourist attraction in some way.
Muslim have daily ablution (washing face/nostrils/earlobes/hands/feet) and mandatory bathing for women after menses or married couples after sexual intercourse. They also have another self purification affected by original Javanese tradition called “Adus Suran” or “taking a bath in Assyura/Suro month” in which they will do bathing in Javanese New Year’s Eve called “1st night of Suro”. Muslims are also suggested to do cleansing ritual (normal bathing with strong intension) before Ramadhan.
While in Bali why not I committed myself to self-purify? My best friend did it for Seclusion Day. I did for Ramadhan. Both of us did it for health, happiness and joy. 💝
Salaam.
Start the day with positive vibe! Never with other ways!
—
There is mother whom you were born by, biological mother. There is mother where you are part of a history, motherland.
Tanah airku Indonesia
Negeri elok amat kucinta
Tanah tumpah darahku yang mulia
Yang kupuja sepanjang masa
Tanah airku aman dan makmur
Pulau kelapa yang amat subur
Pulau melati pujaan bangsa
Sejak dulu kala
Melambai lambai
Nyiur di pantai
Berbisik bisik
Raja Kelana
Memuja pulau
Nan indah permai
Tanah Airku
Indonesia
Friday, this bright light blinks to the eyes not stopping staring at the heart.
—
Super charged young boys can beat super charged old champs just with light laughter.
—
How busy you are
Both
Covering
What should not
Be covered.
I am watching
Merrily
With a sweet smile
From
My sweet heart.
If it is true,
Show the world
With no shame,
No pretension.
Or else….
You both
Live in fake
False life
Full with false
Fake smiles.
How busy you are
Both showing me
Only me
While hiding
From most of the world.
—
Life pace gets faster,
Food follows the same pattern.
Time and space collide.
—
My nephews always want fast food. They said it is good and fast. On the contrary I am not a big fan of fast food. So we always go to fast food restaurants first for them to eat then they’ll drive me to local restaurants for mine.
It takes longer time but giving fair treatment to all fellow travelers are the right thing to do.
Salaam.
😘
Old bone works so hard
To chase young heart. Worth doing
For meaningful life—
—
Morning gives her vibe with fragrance of dews to start a day that is bright.
—
Rain is a blessing
From the sky before starting
Journey to the north.
—
Me: Boys, the rain seem to stay heavy. Boys, are you ok?
Nephews: Yes, it is fun! We just want to pee again!
Me: Don’t pee on your pants ya.
What a conversation!
Being young in heart is a challenge for those who goes aging sweetly.
—
Traveling with those adventurous always energises me. Otherwise, I prefer (mostly) traveling alone so I can do whatever crazy as I wish.
Enjoying Bali with these two young human beings bring the 5-years-ago me who would move around as if having high power unlimitedly charged. After hibernating because of the dear virus, I want to have my young fun again with my nephews like I did the same fun with myself back then.
Let’s have fun go mad, my dear boys!
Remember, boys! You can smoke cigarette. You can vape. But you can’t alcohol. 😃
💝
Smile’s heaven on earth—
Circulating joy. Taste it.
An eternity—
—
About pempek Palembang, click here.
This weekend is about politics. Yuk mari….!
Swaying then rocking,
You disguise either message
Bad or good. Still blessed—
—
Productive weekend in Singapore be like….
Terraced hilly fields
Build levels, reduce runoff.
Beautifully strong—
—
Good roots are strong roots
Supporting those on the soil.
They won’t be betrayed.
—
This trip is incredibly beautiful. Meeting best friends is more than anything. We talk. We laugh. We eat. We visit places. We engage with people.
One of my best friends who will be my neighbour in my humble abode is one of best human beings I’ve ever known. She lives to humbly serve humanity. She dedicates her life to help the underprivileged. She is so patient about what others do to her and always in understanding mode. She is so passionate in doing what she is doing to help others.
Among all her non profit projects that are my favourite is opening library in a small village that is functioning as youth center at the same time and supporting buruh gendong (traditional female labours who are paid to carry things either by sellers or buyers in Yogyakarta traditional markets, most of them are senior) in some traditional markets in Yogyakarta. If time allows me to live as long as I wish, our agreement is I will teach free classes of English, Japanese, leadership and management system in her youth center, while occasionally going with her from one market to another to greet the buruh gendong. Yet as an artist she is also teaching (mostly) women on how to make artistic products for sale to support themselves financially.
In this trip we discuss a lot about what we should do to ourselves and others but we can’t because of immovable blockages. We also talk about how we can feel good no matter bad a situation is. We talk about what will happen if the youth are not aware of what lies in their future at the same time we concern about how children around us get mature faster than we did before. And all always last long although with only a glass of tea, a cup of Javanese coffee and some pieces of local snack.
Life is too precious to focus on what doesn’t serve us good anymore. Life is too short to lament of any loss that is truly never loss. Life is too grand to just be sad of how that that we love disrespects us. Life is just too beautiful to consider what is not real.
So thankful for how real my best friends are in helping others. So thankful to be part of their spirit. So thankful that we are ordinary people in this grand life. So thankful that we are a grain of sand in the vast shore. So thankful that we accept who we are. So thankful that we are strong roots for each other.
Thank you, dear friend. It is good to always have a question “so what is our plan and action?” 💝
Alfatihah.
Life is so rich that very very few of disappointments to those sitting on top of the political “food chains” are left un-healed. There are always rising young nationalist scholars in non political fields that give us the people hope at least to this nation to just stand up dignified not enslaved by foreign monsters anymore.
I wish to live long enough to see those young scholars successfully materialise their dreams at the same time continue their journey as Indonesians no matter how much others pull them out from this mother land. God bless you, dear young scholars! Know your root. Love your tree. Bloom flowers. Yield good fruits in your strong boughs! You’ve impressed us with your intelligence. Impress us with your loyalty to the nation.
Right or wrong my country? Hmmm…. There will be time for that! For now, pretty or ugly my country. 🙃
New week is gonna be more energized!
Salaam.
—
Dream home, Beloved,
A place where nature meets hearts;
Hearts warmly greet souls—
—
The conversation with a long lost friend came to a topic of “where we want to live if ending living alone?”
Living in Singapore was never part of my dream. A visit in 2010 gave me impression that I would die of hunger in a week with Indonesia salary. 😁
Now this city is a lovely second home; my impression has changed. I won’t die because of hunger but I will die because of loneliness if I stay single retiring here. I still can’t find enough friends like those in home country. There are three but all of them will retire in Bali and New Zealand sooner than me.
Residing in a landed property where gardening and backyard dining is affordable is a preference, yet I don’t have the luxury of living in such place here. And I don’t want to die alone in a locked condo found rotten after days or even weeks. Oh God, please protect me from such horrible thing. Amen….
F: I’ve always wanted to live in Ubud and it will happen very soon. I’ll open a spa with all traditional herbal from all over Indonesia. I’ll quit my job soon. I want to live my own life as me, no one can tell me to do this and that anymore! No bloody politics anymore! Visit me often! You’ll find my spa super special! I’ll give you discount! Be a regular customer! Hey! You once wanted to live in Thailand?
Me: Someone informed me about a good property in low price near my favourite hotel in Ayutthaya. Yet Thai have controversial life style I’m not comfortable with in a way. I’m too simple, sometimes too honest and can be against those status-oriented that I might not be able to adapt well. Not a true dream! Hey! Actually love to live in Kyoto!
F: You’ll die in three months after you complete second round of shrine, temple and ancient house hopping! 😂
Me: Dying of walking! 😂
What a refreshing conversation! And yes, I’ll visit her spa soon! 😍
Lesson learnt: Will only live with those I love and loving me where home is a real feel. No excuse.
Salaam…. 💝
Duhai, Indonesia. Serupa apapun engkau, kau adalah tempat lahirku. Walaupun saran dan nasehat bertaburan untuk menjadi pemegang status PR di rumah keduaku ini, aku tak goyah. Nggak papa…. PR atau bukan PR passport-ku tetap Indonesia. Hanya cinta dan hidup-mati saja yang boleh membuatku jadi PR atau pindah kewarganegaraan. Selain itu, no way!
Indonesiaku, terima-kasih telah menjadi tempat lahirku dan tempatku belajar hal-hal pokok untuk menjadi manusia utama. Kalau aku dilahirkan dan dibesarkan di negara lain, mungkin aku jadi orang yang bermewah-mewah dan tidak down to earth.
Indonesiaku, kemanapun aku pergi, kamulah darah yang mengalir di tubuh ini. Dimanapun aku tinggal, engkau tetap menjadi tujuan pertama pulang atau liburanku (ya setahun satu atau dua kali deh). Dengan siapapun aku bergaul, kamu tetap warna primerku.
Kecintaanku padamu bukan pada para pejabat buruk yang mengurusi ketatanegaraan. Kecintaanku tulus pada tanah, air, udara, rakyat dan makhluk di sekitarnnya.
Merdeka!
Good life, Beloved
Surrounded by them most loved
In green serene air—
—-
I like to tell some colleagues that I’ll be the host for our reunion dinner in my home 15 years from now. It must be a good time to talk about how we’re doing what we’re doing.
Though not soon, ‘m looking forward to a long life to make it happen.
See you in a green serene garden, fellas! 🥳
Temasek – Apr. 19, 2022 / 19:33
Time travels with you
To where good memories sit,
Waiting to rejoice.
———————————————————-
When I was a girl, I got sick very often. Yet what I remember the most isn’t the pain but is how my family would take care of me. Of course they medically treated me either at home or hospitalised, but there was a unique way I can never forget what my mother, father and siblings did extra.
My father would chant Javanese mantra that would calm me down. My mother would wrap me with a sheet of batik cloth before putting the next thicker blanket. And of course siblings especially sisters would sleep with me the whole night.
What Javanese mantra chanted by father? Oh can’t remember! What batik, I definitely remember it and now own it for the same need; covering myself with batik gringsing when sick.
Gringsing is one of the oldest batik background patterns in Java. It is thousands of tiny square with a dot in the center symbolising “sedulur papat kalima pancer” (literally means 4 siblings and 1 core as the fifth) the cosmic balance of human reality in Javanese wisdom. And through the philosophy it is believed that when a Javanese human is sick, s/he is cosmically imbalanced and needs to be balanced. Physically s/he is medically treated, metaphysically s/he is cured with gringsing the balance symbol.
Gringsing is an acronym of gring or gering (sick, not well, ill) and sing (not); gringsing means not sick anymore. Oh! That simple! Made by hand! Oh! Not that simple!
What a blessed human being!
After the moon? No.
The sun is where this heart walks
With rain that visits.
—————————————————————
Chasing what’s not clear and uncertain was an exciting thing for the hot-blooded. Dark, shadowy picture of what she once imagined has started fading away. The moon’s shift is over.
Walking in this forest, the leaves has rekindled her faith that rain is paying a short visit. When the rain stops, she will again realise that her heart is always enveloped in the warmth of clarity.
Sunbeam always opens a new chapter in which sunshine will take over what’s mysterious and frightening. Light will help her eyes see things the way they are, no assumption, no prejudice. It is what it is.
When she reaches the edge of the forest, she will step on a meadow where the moon is again sending shadow but this time there is no mystery anymore.
All is clear. All is well. What it takes is just counting the milestones and blessing all that are sensed.
May all beings be happy.
Murky, Beloved,
That pool’s full of mud and smell.
Enough to kill fish—
—————————————————————
There is a proverb in Indonesian “ada udang di balik batu” literally “there are shrimps behind the rocks” that means there is a hidden (fishy) agenda.
I’ve received some invites from “unclear” people in Instagram, most are men that I believe scammers trying to lure a victim whatever they are aiming at from me; maybe as simple as attention or most probably money. And how did I feel? Disturbed? Not at all. Scammers are equivalent with friends with hidden (fishy) agenda— they are sources of entertainment either directly connected or just ignored.
God bless you all scammers. You’ll find a way to get a big money with your work, plus the logical consequences but not from me.
May all beings be happy.
Rivers change their flows,
Meet salt, join tides, become sea
In an estuary.
—————————————————————
Eyes are a lagoon where tears are gliding through to the ocean of realities before evaporating then giving up what’s not serving anymore and turning grief into spirit to achieve the next milestones.
Soul is what’s peeping out through two windows, zooming in and out of what life presents to the self, finding the best view with accuracy and precision to gain clarity.
There won’t be anything wasted. All is flowing, without stopping. Like rivers that keep moving from soft to fast flows before finally joining a vast ever-moving force named the sea.
May all beings be happy. 💝
Life pace, Beloved
Chosen wisdom, loved glory
Of everyday life—
————————————————
I wish to retire at 52 and will be a person with not too many layers of identity, being a human being living a slower-paced life, contributing to smaller society and community with my own hands with all my heart and soul, respected as I am I am not as I am who is associated to prominent organizations.
One of good friends reminded me to get prepared for that will definitely be a much different life. There won’t be luxurious facilities enjoyed, privilege given, smiles and hand shake or bow. She says it’s gonna be a true life though loved and respected by those with genuine love and respect. No transactional courtesy, all is about friendship and humanity.
When? Still long time to go but short enough because now I live in a fast-paced life.
Time to prepare.
Once retired, I won’t want to be in contact with those who have respected me because of business or money. They should be eliminated from friendship. They will deserve others who have the capacity.
May all beings be happy. 💝
Breathing, Beloved,
Circulating to balance—
Inhale the laughter,
Exhale the wisdom. Or else,
Wise in, laugh out. Life is full.
——————————————————————————————————
This weekend is laundry session accompanied by a marathon of Indonesian comedy films closed with a documentary, Semesta from Tanakhir Film.
She won’t survive without laughing and will rot faster without contemplating; or the other way around.
How would she not be grateful with both accessible?
Welcome, a new week.
Good vibes, Beloved,
Contagious and precious
Keep it the longest.
—————————————————————————————————-
Years ago….. One teacher said “You do whatever you want to, but make sure what you do doesn’t harm….” Impatiently student asked,”Harmful to whom?” Teacher didn’t say anything, just pointed to one’s chest then head, and said “Go play and don’t harm yourself or your friends. Have fun, you’re good. You’re good, my child,”
Another teacher would just sang some traditional songs then explained the meaning that were full of wisdom when asked questions. Those silly children would ask so many questions about why religions were many and different, how many gods were there, why the teacher didn’t have religion, why, why, why…..
Another teacher just asked us to eat what one was cooking when we asked questions. We just did and enjoyed the food. It happened when our questions were about what Mr A or Mrs B did this and that for.
More teachers, more experiences…. And we all grew up becoming human beings who approach different things differently or sometimes uniquely although sometimes confusedly. How challenging life is sometimes!
All those learnings happened in the Wonderland! I hope the young get honourable and good teachers as we did before and even better so they build our land into real wonder! Not the most developed in infrastructure, yet with the most developed clear thinking. Not the most modern, yet the most dignified. Not the richest, yet the most caring and loving to the people. What a dream!
God bless my dear Indonesia and what’s in it. 💝
Freedom, Beloved,
Inner beauty blooms in time.
True celebration—
————————————————————
Celebration is a blessings enjoyed everyday. Celebrating health. Celebrating welfare. Celebrating family. Celebrating friendship. Celebrating breath. Celebrating greenery…… Celebrating anything I want to celebrate.
Celebrating stupid chats with some good friends. 😁
I love celebration in which commemoration is the core but never ever enjoy party in which entertainment is the core.
August is major celebration after September. In August two home countries celebrate their independence: Indonesia on 17, Singapura on 9. Both have unique ways to celebrate the days. For the past nine years on Singapura’s I’ve personally loved seeing all the flags hanging in apartments and along streets, in Indonesia’s except last and this years I’ve gone to the Embassy for flag ceremony combined with meeting with other Indonesians enjoying the precious moment together.
Happy National Day, Singapura! Thanks for taking care of me.
Dirgahayu Indonesiaku! How much ever the distance between us, you’re always in this heart. Thanks for gushing me some blood of great archipelago.
May all beings be happy.
flowers for celebrations of August
red, white on green
rike jokanan 
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