A bubble’s bursting, United with the free air. Would you please join me?
—
Although Kyoto has a lot of impressive shrines, my favourite is not there. Mine is Izumo Taisha in Shimane prefecture about 343 km from Kyoto.
When visiting other shrines in Japan, I was so aware of being in Japan. In Izumo Taisha I got home: sunny, green, serene and unexplainably blissful. There were many visitors but my senses didn’t absorb their presence as if the hot air and bright light muffled their noise and wrapped me in a safe bubble bursting when my last step left the shrine front gate.
Romantic!
a long walk from the gate to the shrine — i remember it was a scorching hot day in August 2018 and i was humming while walking 😇
ablution, my daily ritual that i find also so soothing in Japan shrine especially in Izumo Taisha
torii 💝 a gate to the shrine yard
this is Izumo Taisha! 💝
shimenawa (sacred straw rope)
i only go to this coffee shop with my colleagues, but i wholeheartedly believed drinking Starbucks coffee was a nice thing; only in Izumo! right outside the shrine complex
They’re flying Around colours and shapes In a garden Where the gliding fragrance And dripping nectars Invite them To celebrate One phase Before the next.
—
in Subak, Ubud wearing new clothes from Sukawati market (only for SGD30) and butterflies in my tummy 😁
Wind is welcomed Some with jackets, Some with shawls, Some with sleeveless shirts, Some naked like plants. I am amazed by the fact That they all survive.
Lend me socks and gloves, I said to a snow bear. It gave me thick fur That was hung in a tree. Wear my spare fur, Just don’t be me, It said. I nodded.
—
tulips among lucky bamboos, cordylines and bromeliad? — all are pretty!
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 rented a room in a Balinese banjar belonging to a family — it is living as a Balinese in Central Ubud 💝 hey, Pongky! let’s go to the rice field, buddy!
Mount Agung and Mount Batur from distance 💝
ducks are herded in rice field here – beautiful scenery 💝
how beautiful you are! 💝
a farmer burning the dried rice stalk to sterilize the land — don’t say what you don’t know like carbon footprint, what he does is a natural process and nothing compared to what all the industries have done to Mother Earth
turn left
turn right
go straight
follow the flow within, dear self
hi, rice herons! i was blessed to see you 💝
my best friend said “that’s your dream island in the middle of rice field!” 😝
she also said “are you sure not moving to Ubud someday?” i said “i love the rice field of Ubud but when i retire i guess it is gone, so let me enjoy my tiny greenery in Yogyakarta, we can always give friendly visit to each other” 💝
water hyacinths
pisang kipas (Ravenala madagascariensis)
big brands building their hotels in the valley – greenery, please survive 🙏🏼 or you might be gone when i retire
my breakfast was for 5 cent! 💝 nasi jinggo ubi (rice with some yellow sweet yam — clean, tasty and cheap: that’s food in Bali and Jogja 😍
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—
—-
i went melukat with one of my best friends in Pura Pacampuhan Sala on Saturday to welcome Seclusion Day and Ramadhan month — it was such a blessing for both of us
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.
walking along Sok Wayah’s rice field the whole morning on Sunday
after a long walk, Pukako’s drink and sweet potato is the best choice 😎
Lessons? Things unknown, Still unknown, maybe won’t be, Solved with acceptance—
—
Oftentimes people make the biggest mistake because they are young, because they are stupid or because they are not clear of what they aim at in life. At least that is what my core circle has agreed.
Many people reject to go for health check earlier only to find that they have really bad health problems too late to manage through life style change— too old or too weak and can only be managed through surgery and/or medication. This happens a lot around me. They would say “I am ok. I am healthy. No symptoms. It is just light headache. It is just small numb. It is just light coughing. It will get better soon. Blahblahblah.” And boom! Big troubles come (almost) late!
Do health check without waiting for intense symptoms. Don’t underestimate a pinch as it can be a punch.
Many people think buying property can be done at later age. They prefer buying cars, branded stuff, etc for the sake of high prestige. They would say “I want to enjoy my single life. I still can live with my parents. Why so hurry? My spouse will buy it for me later. Blahblablah.” And boom! Property price soars high in just some years and those branded stuff investment can’t cover the desired property.
Prioritise property (although at the same time some fancy stuff can’t wait). Of course this is not applicable to the haves who can buy whatever they want.
Certain people overshare for the sake of feeling guilty and trying to explain excessively. I am one of them— once tried to explain why and why just because I was afraid of being judged. And so I shared something that I promised to myself would keep it for VVIP circle of mine. And boom! The humiliation and disrespect that came back to me has made me feel like a biggest moron and worthless in the universe. It is taking time to accept the total stupidity about (blind) love.
Don’t overthink. Don’t overshare even with someone that you love the most if there is no clear foundation.
Aaaahhh!
Life is a school whose next classes can only be entered through a bunch of lessons learnt because of failures and wrong doings which look unforgivable but actually truly forgivable. 😘
There is no right or wrong. What is there is only acceptance and lessons learnt.
Salaam.
—-
make a beautiful string of beads from the lessons learnt; then life is counting wisdom 💝
Between green and blue There is this heart. It adorns this white soul. They adore each other. One hums melodies to the other. The other recites lyrics to the one. One by one the stones are strung. A strand, two strands, three strands— They are jewels that embelish. They beautify the beauty.
This heart is flowing fluid Filling the soul with Redness of bravery And rage; Pinkness of romance And lust; Orangeness of warmth And attention craver; Yellowness of glory And jealousy; Greenness of tranquility And envy; Blueness of peace And mourning; Whiteness of singularity, And fear; Blackness of mystery And death. When the soul blinks, A spectrum ray chutes down On to the ocean of mind, Illuminates what’s to solve.
Is your face dyed as your heart is dyed, Beloved? And your words Your footsteps Your breaths Touch?
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 can’t understand, Much I can’t 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.
—
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 💝
dear sunflower 💕
and the white drops of details
when all glass vases are prioritised for orchid roots, fondue pot be today’s best choice 💝
all must be got rid of in order for the flower arrangement to get a spacious and “clean” background — there is always thing to prioritise; if it is not you, don’t feel bad — it’s just like that everyday so just be blessed with becoming either 0 or 1 in this binary world 💕
This life is a library Keeping all collections, Reference to public, Exclusive to a lover, One lover. The Beloved—
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 I’ll be reading you through.
—
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 — we are all writers, librarians and readers 💝
The wings are flapping sprinkling blessings through the air. Breathe them. Be blissful.
—
In Arabic angel is called malaaikatun or malaaikah or simply malaaikat (الْمَلٰٓئِكَةِ) literally meaning “power that governs”. In Islamic tradition the “power that governs” are grouped based on what type of assigned power they govern that are many and one of them is “power to govern protection”.
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 doesn’t matter to me. That they exist and follow the assigned “power to govern” 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. 😁
Listening to heart…. 💗
Salaam.
‘ve 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 — thank you for the protection
rike jokanan 
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