Dear, day. Do you know that I never stop waiting for you? When my watch ticks a second, My heart drips a note, My pulse vibrates softly, I know I am closer to you.
Dear, day. Do you know that every part of you blesses me? When morning breaks, Noon flares, Dusk fades to night, I know the next you is waiting For me.
Day oh day Many I canβt understand, Much I canβt decipher, Little I can see, Very few I can give Yet I still hope To meet you again.
Dear, day. How I am blessed with family, Gifted with friends, Sufficed with this self, You are still the one Sung by this heart. Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday All have been today And never faded away.
I am blessed, day With another you In the best way.
And for you I am grateful.
β
as dark as serene night
as shadowy as calm dusk
as bright as each and every morning
she is well protected under the shade of glorious sunflowers π
dear sunflower π
and the white drops of details
when all glass vases are prioritised for orchid roots, fondue pot be todayβs best choice π
all must be got rid of in order for the flower arrangement to get a spacious and βcleanβ background β there is always thing to prioritise; if it is not you, donβt feel bad β itβs just like that everyday so just be blessed with becoming either 0 or 1 in this binary world π
This life is a library Keeping all collections, Reference to public, Exclusive to a lover, One lover. The Belovedβ
Read, Beloved Any scrolls In this library.
Read, Lover The diaries In the secret dungeon.
Read, Beloved With naked eyes, or With any glasses on the shelves.
Read, Lover Through letters and numbers, Shapes and colours.
Read, Beloved This library is open As long as you are awake.
Read, Lover Before you sleep When Iβll be reading you through.
β
my earlier diaries are true stories through naked eyes; the later are colours, shapes, numbers, words in various styles and figures of speech needing some tricks and tips to sense layers of meanings and information β we are all writers, librarians and readers π
In a bright corner sheβs seen. The sun sends her light reflecting bright life.
β
this is more than enough to put me in a good mood after a long trip; she delivers a stem of buds after moved to a corner where sun greets her directly β thank you!
Friday, this bright light blinks to the eyes not stopping staring at the heart.
β
Masjid Istiqlal β after more than 10 years
shollu βalannabiy π
waiting for a friend who said βletβs meet up in Istiqlal Mosque, Thursday night welcoming Friday would be a good night to pray for beautiful 2023β π
Thereβs home thatβs missed lingering around the heart. Let it in with joy.
β
slightly boring, yes β back home is the happiest π i miss the kitchen, the orchids, the bikes, the books, the canvas, the paper and all that I can do in that tiny space
oooh and time to bring my luggage to its repair center π
There is memory shared around a round table at a starry night.
β
so blessed to meet friends β they said βChinese food for dinner ok lah, Rijk, no pork lah no pork!β ok lah, everyoneβ¦. π thank you! ππΌ
Towers will mostly collapse of weak foundationβ¦. Or the strongest quake
β
Petronas Twin Towers from taxi ππ½
solanum on the reception table π
no one can make me feel not good if I donβt allow myself to – itβs a commitment as strong as tower with solid foundation, not only a lip service. KL, see you soon π₯
She brings a few packed And you, in a locket Kept safe with a chain Worn around the neck Reminding the traveler That nothing is left.
β
dear river, this is my empty jar with which i keep your water before it flows back with you to the vast ocean – nothing is wasted, nothing is left π
White foam on turquoise sweeps back to dark blue deeper to where secrets are.
β
dive more deeply to this deep sea and let yourself be greeted by the calmness and warmth of your own honesty and acceptance β there is something that doesnβt demand you to be anyone else but you π
I always believe I am fully protected through the existence of the angels surrounding me although I am not interested to discuss about their form; people say angels have wings, others say they are made from light, some say malaaikah are systemic laws to run the universe, and so on and so forth. It doesnβt matter to me. That they exist and follow the assigned βpower to governβ is enough for me.
Only when we listen, we will hear. We will hear the songs of the angels, the songs of universe, the songs of the heart, the songs of the soul. I prefer my angels to sing jazzy songs in this end of long weekend. π
Listening to heartβ¦. π
Salaam.
βve met feathers almost everywhere walking recently; i took it as a sign that protection is everywhere and decided to always wear this silver pendant this year as an appreciation of the protection β thank you for the protection
Does heaven and earth exist other than in a loverβs smile? Yes. Dream.
β
although not there, I still seek heaven and earth in you through my dream π₯° happy new year to the other time zones until every spot on earth is covered by Jan 1, 2023
There is always first. A tree greeting breeze and sky Comes from minute seed.
β
1st breakfast to make
1st movie to (re)watch in 2023 – an energizing movie! always love Sandra Bullock
1st chore while 1st movie rewatch after 1st breakfast completed β more 1st things on Jan 1st of 1st long weekend in 2023 β iβm gonna love 2023 much π
Thank you, 2022 for every single second spent together. You are a stronger part of what Iβve been building with love. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
And thanks to all years passing, too. Iβll miss you. π
β
Life is wonderful that she is eager about it and is willing to expand and to keep up with what she is becoming. She is the pilot, she is the plane. She is the destination, she is the direction. She is the standard, she is the conformance. She is the alignment, she is the aligned. She is enough.
It is not othersβ responsibility that she feels good or not good. The feel existing is because she allows it to be. And the vice versa.
β
2023, be my excellent canvas of feel-good-no-matter-what. Clarity, sufficiency, integrity as in good life, beautiful love, genuine laughter π
Alfatihah.
π
3 buceng (tumpeng) kuwat mini for todayβs end of year blessing π
this type of buceng/tumpeng is made of sticky rice and grated coconut cooked in palm sugar; it is a buceng served in Javanese traditional ceremony for health and strength in physical, mental and spiritual β made it mini so i could enjoy it for todayβs portion of breakfast, lunch and dinner π
clarity, sufficiency, integrity as in good life, beautiful love, genuine laughter
DC said βhey, 7! stop the call, firework is ready!β DC and I worked in the same office and stayed in the same rented house strictly for ladies, belonging to a rich Maduranese family in Greater Jakarta – the family always threw New Year celebration with some of us in the huge garden between their mansion and the rented house – we both were always excited because we never liked going out with some other ladies to celebrate it outside π₯° oh my! it was me in the year 2002 welcoming 2003, calling my mother in new yearβs eve from my Nokia π
waking up on Jan 1, 2003 morning in DCβs bedroom (hers was #4) that was full with stuffed animals β we probably only slept for 1 hour before she woke us up βladies, wake up! pose before you even bath and brush your teeth, i will go develop the pictures today as new yearβs gift for you allβ and it is a true gift in 2023 for me π thanks, DC! love from where i am π
New year again! Thanks so much for reaching this point like a plane (an inch to) landing smoothly. Seat belt still on! Airplane mode still on! Yet the pilot is smiling widely with fire in her heart brighter and brighter, no red anymore, now almost blue to white!
Thereβs always blessing counted through breathing. Close eyes, the air prays for you.
β
this is enough for the whole day! no rice today π1st plate for breakfast π urap Jawa in cassava leaves, long bean, kecipir (square bean), carrot and sprout + raw long bean and damn kencur (fragrant ginger leaves)that raw leaves are leaves of kencur (fragrant ginger), fragrant and refreshing π the yellow leaf was not wastedπtempe and tofu, side dish that rocks! π
Heart should be as light as a swaying feather to enjoy life with only feel good no matter what.
In Javanese someone with heavy heart is called mbentoyong which literally means βbent and almost broken by the heavy loadsβ, it is associated with a tree whose branches are bent and almost broken because of heavy loads of ripened fruitsβ. This kind of person will not find happiness and joy in any point of oneβs life; one will misunderstand alone with loneliness and so one will always find refuge among crowd; one is confused about oneβs self; one will always refer to what others say about one as if their opinions are more important than oneβs own. As long as one is not willing to unload the unnecessary burdens in heart, one will always be mbentoyong better and better and finally be a master of mbentoyong.
It is heavy. I know it is heavy. It is painful. I know it is painful. Be cured, dear heavy hearts whenever you feel heavy. Lightness of heart is a comfort even in discomfort. π₯°
I bless this heart which is light and swaying with the flow of clean river inside. Calm and witty and fun! Thank you for the feel good no matter what. Not easy but doableβ
Salaam.
π
βletβs go to Turkey, Rijkβ my best friend texted me last week; βwhy not, Mbakβ said i light-heartedly β itβs time for Konya π
Romance is a dimmed space under a dome bedazzled with glowing stars.
β
dear glowing stars, letβs celebrate this light warm heartβ¦. dear clean sky, keep being a space for this light warm heartβ¦. dear centred earth, hug this light warm heart in a serene mood forever
I canβt know anymore what makes this area special for me, whether the Masjid Sultan or Wardah Books or two favourite restaurants here. Anyway at least two are in must-visit list at the same time. After visiting Masjid Sultan to submit charity from my fellow Indonesian, todayβs preferred was Hokkaido (halal) ramen as Wardah Books was closed and the Turkish restaurant was too crowded β I donβt like crowded restaurant.
FYI, Masjid Sultan is surrounded by hundreds of restaurants and shops; it is an equivalent with old-time mosque which was always built around market place in order for people to reach it in no time.
When I meet friends in this area, it is either with a statement βletβs meet up at the mosqueβ or βmeet at *** restaurantβ or βWardah Books this time?β. There is one question that my friends and I like to ask each other as either teaser or respect: βeating 1st or praying*) 1st?β The answer?
*) praying here is not a flash pray before starting activities like simply saying βIn the name of The Gracious and The Mercifulβ but praying is around 5-10 minutes protocol that is normally done by fellow Muslim.
Group #1 (religious friends, they can pray βforeverβ, wow!): Pray first. It is more important than anything including eating. We should prioritise God who has given us everything, others can wait. Donβt make God jealous.
Group #2 (rascals, will let you pray while they start eating): Eat first. God wonβt force you to pray when you are hungry. Better you eat remembering that you will pray rather than you pray and your thought is wandering around all kinds of food.
Group #3 (clown, bitter that makes all chatters jokers): Donβt ask me, I am fasting everyday because of having no food at all and so I donβt pray because I have nothing to thank for.
Group #4 (good jugglers, like Group #3 but to the next level): Why so picky? Canβt we do both at the same time? You can choose at the mosque or in the restaurant!
Some jokes are actually dead serious that the way people respond can either be considered as intelligence or harassment or abuse rather than as just fun. Yet I share mine as part of showing how religious comedy exists among Javanese Muslims (there are way more that I will never share publicly to avoid misunderstanding and misinterpretation); no harassment or abuse whatsoever. I even see philosophy in many if not all jokes. π
Ah! Life is so rich, why feel no good just because of one point of view?
this is how Hokkaido (halal) ramen looks – eater can select ramen with light-consistency broth thatβs why I like it yet the presentation is not up to my expectation: messy kelp, wet spoon, no wet tissue π
The rose apple is pink enough to be harvested. Itβs the right time.
β
waiting for the flight home, once again looked at the pink Lucy and once again blessed this key ring βwill definitely be suddenly Lucy Van Pelt to the snobbish and to the arrogantβ π
Life pace gets faster, Food follows the same pattern. Time and space collide.
β
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 theyβll 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.
π
urap Bali π is more greasy compared to urap Jawa, both are superb!
sate lilit is Balinese special skewer; the stick should be lemongrass
balado terong – not so good in the most recent restaurant but still better than French fries π
rike jokanan 
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