Good Day

Good day is good hope
Lining waiting for handling
By heart that sees light.
Dance, Beloved. Welcome the day.
The gate opens wide with smiles.

——

the view from in front of my door; seeing the reservoir has always energised me 💕

even 2024 looks good from here 🙏🏼

Friends

We fight
We peace
We laugh
We cry
We tease
We toast
We friend
We dance!
We grow
We flow
We age
We page!

What goes around
Comes around,
And friends
Are best to count.

——

Some of my colleagues are very good friends of mine. We genuinely talk as friends outside of work term. They invite me for drinking without making me drink what they drink. We celebrate birthdays together and deeply share some ideas of how life is.

This and next weeks we meet for work and have good chances to meet almost every day after all back to back meetings. Lunch and dinner can be the best time to insert some teasing and sharing and blessing.

We are growing old but still excited of what we are doing at work.

Thanks for pur wonderful life celebration.

Salaam.

growing old and mature is a luxury; let’s enjoy it with true friends 💕

Light Steps

There are steps prancing
On a line between two worlds
Within and without.
Lotus shows celebration,
Mud purification.

——

Twitter is getting louder and louder before election in Indonesia. Instagram is getting more and more showy with the holidays and parties coming.

I am happier not too much engaged with those two; Twitter is for me to keep abreast with political issues that help me make decision whom to vote in 2024 (I quit abstention this time after for the rest of my life) and Instagram is to tag and be tagged by family and friends. I am now even happier to have stopped stalking unnecessary accounts that made me scrolling and searching to gain nothing but sighs and shivers.

Only WordPress can hug me consistently warmly. Only WordPress can make me realise I have words to travel light, imagination to travel far, values and wisdom to travel with caution and good will to keep moving.

I am safe here.

💕

how warm and jazzy that place was; see you again, Jazz Gunung Bromo next year! I am happy to be part of your warmth and jazz! 🙏🏼

Heaven on Earth

Only by being true,
I find heaven.
They said it is after life,
Yet it is here now
Every time I see
Those who are true to me.

Good morning,
Real Heaven.

——

good bye, dunia tipu-tipu forever 💕

Surprise

Surprisingly
Life throws one surprise
After another
Of all types
To me who is cushioned
Only by submission
And genuineness.
How generous
Life is!
How intriguing it is
At the same time!

Dear, Life.
I don’t want any other way to love
You.

——

Life is full of astonishments to me. The most recent one was when I met the architect of my Jogja base home in Jazz Gunung Bromo without planning. I happened to know that she has been the bamboo stage designer of the annual jazz festival for the past 15 years! Yes, she is an architect cum bamboo artist.

We decided to ride a jeep together to see the sunrise the next morning before she returned to Jogja and I enjoyed my jazzy night.

A short fun meet up with a friend it became.

Thank you!

🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

feeling so blessed to have met so many humble human beings in my life and it has made my life even more wonderful

That Dance

That we have to dance
With beautiful souls that dance
Is sheer dance of life.
Dance, you who hope for the light;
These notes are jazzing for you.

——

the best from Jazz Gunung Bromo 💕

Night

Night is jazzy
With sparkling stars
Among the mountains
Wipe the fog down the slope
To send melodies
Of a warm heart.

——

started at 4pm — many were not yet seated yet look at the tribune 😍

Ermy Kulit, our 80’s jazz queen

Margie Segers

red for Primavera

blue

2 hilarious MC

The Second Brain

so vibrant

Yura Yunita in white 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Morning

Morning
My only time
That can be broken
But not damaged

Day and night
My only time
That can be merry
Without celebration

Life
My only time
That can kindle hope
Sweeping hatred away

——

the red in the tip of east side 💕

old jeeps to climb up to 3 spots to see the daily sunrise, this one is the lowest spot

Mount Bromo and her neighbourhood in one bright morning

the other side of the sea of sand

vertically

Mountains

Walking
Like mountains
Guarding the earth
Poking stars day and night

——

Mount Bromo, you’re magnificent — please bring up my love to my beloved 💕

Flowing

The water
Flowing
With singing ripples

The air
Flowing
With whistling whispers

The wrong
Flowing
With whirling apologies

The right
Flowing
With blessing forgiveness

The heart
Flowing
With reciting verses

The soul
Flowing
With chanting gratitudes

The music
Flowing
With dancing life

——

they bought it from amazon for me and keep it for my next visit— my prayer is flowing with never-ending ありがとう!

Relax

What is said
Can be misunderstood.
What is shown
Can be misinterpreted.
What is written
Can be misled.

Only those who clarifies
Will be clear.

Relax.

——

sometimes you just want to relax whatever whoever thinks of you 😊 ‘coz only those who really clarify will understand — those who guess too much will lose so much 😎

the seats

the door

the aisle

I’ll Keep It Secret

I don’t fully know
You
But I know your secret
That I’ll keep forever
Even if I’m unpaid.

A lovely secret about
You
And I learn myself through it
That I’ll only talk over
When it is legit.

What secret?
I won’t tell.
I can’t tell.
Although
You smell.

——

many use different ways to keep things secret — one of them: flush it!

Caution

Caution, Beloved
Walking down the hill with care.
Climbing hasn’t ended.

——

going downstairs is oftentimes more risky than upstairs — my father’s last words to me before he died was “…. be cautious”

Gorgeous

I love a girl
Within
Who excites
About life.

She naively says
Whatever
That is bitter
Or sweet.

Sometimes it hurts
However
She is worth loving,
No pretender.

This lovely girl
Furthermore
Is a loyal companion
No doubt.

——

We might look weak to some; we might look strong to the others. We might never look good to many. That’s not important.

The most important thing is we know there is honest part of us who will poke our sight again and again to keep us on the right track.

Love yourself first. 😀

Salaam.

Abby is so gorgeously naive; every one of us has one within 💕 don’t kill the child within 💕

Tragic Comedy of Blind Love

It is until
Something pokes the very eyes
That eyes believe
Facts hurtfully bite.

The eyes that glowed
Are the same eyes weeping.
The lips that sweetly smiled
Are the same lips bitterly grinning.

This heart sings an elegy to itself,
A broken heart sinking.
The head that insisted
Is the same head accepting.

The feet that stayed
Are the same feet away walking.
The hands that clasped together
Are the same hands up surrendering.

The road that sprawled
Is the same with the dead end.
Life is a tragedy
For those who love while blind.

——

this girl is me when seeing a fact yet scared to accept the fact until seeing someone I trust seeing and accepting the fact — that’s how love can make a person dumb 😀

naive is not so far away from stupid 😝 i accept me as one of those

Home (ranting)

There is a home
That no one refuses
Through series of rejection.

There is a home
That many dream as grand and proud
Through sweats and tears.

There is a home
That all thank for
Through blessings and trials.

There is a home
That one gets shelters and hugs
Through age and moment.

There is a home
That one lives in
Alone and together.

——

Disclaimer: a ranting from a head full of dreams through 2 thumbs — please read responsibly, beware of jumping contexts, connect the dots carefully

——

There are 3 homes that a Javanese should build within her/his life time. Those 3 are raga, wisma, buana.

RAGA

Raga means body in Javanese language. It is one significant aspect as it is the materialisation of life that enables life to experience life. There are senses only when life is embodied in this plane. There are emotions only when life experiences in this plane. And that life is manifested in human being body is the next level of blessings that make life live to the fullest as human being is considered the highest level of creature whereby lowest to highest qualities gather.

There are three layers of raga according to Javanese tradition: physical body, mental body and spiritual body. Which is to be taken care of? All, no exception as three are making the home.

This is the first home that should be built by a human being. Connection to her/himself is the foundation. Contribution to life is the pillars and walls. Dedication and devotion is the roof. The rest is optional.

Connection to self: with all the needs for survival, acknowledgement, justification, compliments and other external alignment; human being tends to forget to talk to her/himself, thank to her/himself, listen to her/his true self. S/he ignores the self as long as s/he feels pride and externally justified. I don’t say it wrong; yet based on my own experience connecting to self through honest conversation with my own self is the only way to realise that this very body is the safest home.

Connection to my self is a needed foundation to have more genuine and stable contribution to life. Not easy but doable—

Contribution to life: appreciate others, help others, support others, be genuinely kind, let go off others’ negative impression about self — and the like. I used to bear all those as burden until finally I realised that proper connection to myself is a key to my contribution to life.

When I was younger, I protected my ego and pride as if others would snatch them away. When I was younger, I would not tolerate others who behave slightly different from what I expected. When I was younger, I would not show genuine affection to others as I was afraid they would misunderstand me — bloody hell as if I was a perfectly beautiful or truest creature on earth 😝

It has taken almost all my life to be genuinely kind even to my own self. It took me brutal honesty and judgment and rejection and humiliation and disrespect from my own self and from others. Yet I am ok.

It has taken and will continue taking time to bring my self to where “the existence is as much as the non existence”. I will be patient with my self.

Dedication/devotion: complaining is one highest skill of many human beings where I am now living. I can say I’ve learnt this (new) skill here. Paradoxically I also learnt to be more sincere and to complain the least. The massive complaining vibe has taught me that the dedication to what we are doing regardless how hard it is is like polishing a stone to finally expose a gemstone in the core — I had verbally complained lesser and lesser until finally I can tame my self to not complain without and within.

I devote my life through what tasks assigned without thinking how much the contribution to life materially is as long as I know it is to enrich my and others’ life. I will continue doing what I am doing until I cannot so what I am doing.

💕

WISMA

Wisma means house or home.

Why wisma? Why not greha/grha (not graha)? Greha/grha refers to building, while wisma refers to both building and a place to rest.

So, wisma is a house that makes a Javanese being her/himself with those s/he commits to spend her/his true self in certain period of life time, to rest from all the outside world that might have degraded her/his being human. Whether the wisma is owned or rented, it is not a matter; the matter is it can give shelter and peace to the dwellers— both should be guaranteed.

What about being homeless? While some travel from one place to another “to find her/himself”, a home is paramount for all Javanese to finally go home; and being homeless is not a preferred condition. For common Javanese homeless is an indicator of disconnection (from self and/or from family/community and/or from environment/universe).

It might be a culture that changes over time. Young people prefer buying other things first before buying home. It doesn’t matter, they perhaps find home in those.

🙏🏼

BUANA

Buana is the world, the earth in particular as a nature.

When Elon Musk said he wanted to move to Mars, I could understand. This earth is probably not feeling home to him (and some people who know what is really happening to certain level of global situation) and so he needs to find a new home where life can be safer and more controllable.

The earth has been exploited and I’ve been part of it with my liking to clothing and paper books. The earth has been tortured and I’ve been part of it through the fossil fuel consumption and the craving of cheaper prices of almost everything.

What have I done to take care of this home? I can just do the least: using as least plastic as possible, keep my space clean and hygiene, use environmentally friendly products for primary stuff, eat organic food when possible, support animal welfare causes and plant more trees in my own garden.

Not so much I can do yet that’s a commitment to love Mother Earth.

💕

Yet I still feel dragged to be in those 3 homes. I feel like trudging with shackles around my ankles walking to where I am not feeling good and well appreciated. I am not yet prancing enjoying being home.

It doesn’t matter, I will be patient to this human side.

Happy weekend! Laundry is waiting 🥰

Salaam.

3 homes, 3 sources of freshness, 3 balancing points

Borrowed Heaven

All these are borrowed,
I’ll have to return all.
Let me borrow humbly,
So all won’t make me fall.

So much has been blessed to,
So much has been given to,
So much has been here now for,
This life.

It’s all what is,
And I accept.
I give up all struggles
To travel light.

Thank
You.

——

The Corrs

Snack for Today!

Baking that heals 💕

my productivity outside office 💕

not bad at all! 💕

with matcha as my cocoa is expired 😝

new yeast was not yet into my day, the doug didn’t rise as expected even after 3.5-hour rest 🙃

two types of flour for one recipe

feeling better with baking — trying new yeast that I’m not friendly with

Bitter Sweet

Life is bitter sweet
For sense that is alive,
Willing and happy to taste
Whatever that is served.

Enjoy.
Life is full of tastes
From all directions

Enjoy.
Life is worth tasting
Until its completion.

——

enjoy! carbo please….

healthful food is food from my own kitchen

bitter gourd with sweet chicken filling

green and fresh

Dos & Don’ts

Do what you want
Just don’t touch my thing,
Said I.

I moved your thing
But I didn’t take it,
Said wind.

Sometimes naked words
Are taken as a wrapped joke,
Said I.

No one said anything
As it is just a blowing wind
Missing me one day.

——

two days of sick leave and when i was back to work, my cats and boxed stone were re-arranged by heaven knows who

maybe my cats climbed up or jumped 😝

original arrangement 💕

Loosen Up

Loosen up,
Beloved
Between sunrise
And sunset.

Breathe in,
Beloved
Inhaling love,
The colourless.

Halt here,
Beloved
Enjoying void
That’s alive.

Breathe out,
Beloved
Exhaling blessings,
The colourful.

——

AgnesMo reminds me that whatever season it is, don’t forget to insert a space to have funthanks, Agnes although my way is so much different from yours 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Beauty

When I was a girl
I admired my mother’s beauty;
Being a juvenile,
I admired my sisters’ and girlfriends’;
When adult,
I admired my idols’;
Getting more mature,
I admired flowers’;
All of which forgetting
The beauty in front of the mirror:

Now I admire no one’s,
But I appreciate everyone’s;
All through realising
The beauty reflected in the mirror.

——

beauty after beauty

beauty refreshed

tell your beautiful self “Thank you!”

Home

A home is a breath
Haled in and out, slow and deep
Kindling sparks within.

——

Home is a house that I build very slowly with deep thought. The amount of energy put there is a number one priority about my future — I even pause almost all my personal travel plans this year in order to totally focus on this project full completion.

Bless me, dear Life.

Thank you!

💕

This is magnificent! So much money and thought must have been put to finally materialise this home. Very unique and serene! The “99 doors” must be symbolising the 99 attributes of God in Islam, the 99 names reflecting feminine and masculine qualities of God in the teaching. 🙏🏼

Do i wish to have this type of home? Javanese modern, yes but my home would be much smaller and humbler. 🙏🏼

The only resemblance of this one to my mini Javanese home is the wood that were bought from antique collectors, the greenery and the homey atmosphere. The rest is just two poles apart.

I am thankful to have a second home that shows the me in its character (my tiny home in Greater Jakarta is an industrial mass production that is definitely not me)

And I am charmed by the Javanese home belonging to Ms Farah.

High

I’m high
Of thinking of
You that hums and chants
Nature of love
Spraying peace
Around my orbit.

I’m high
Of rotating on my own self,
And revolving around
You.

——

not so high a stack but it took three hours to do so — yes, i’m slow Iron Woman 😁

Sunset

Sunset,
When you greet,
You greet with messages
To see an end
As a start,
To see brightness
Wrapped in some dark,
To feel some doubt
As a protection.

Sunset,
Not long after you
I will sleep
To dream what I can’t achieve,
To release what I can’t detach,
To kiss my beloved,
To travel to where your sister
Sunrise gives back
All what rest.

——

today’s beautiful sunset 💕

pretty wind chime from Bogyoke Market, Myanmar that has been light and sound reflector since 2018 — thank you for today!

Just Like That

I stand on a sheet of paper
Full of flying poems
That tell me
That life is just like
That.

I stand in front of a mirror
Full of dancing shadows
That tell me
That real is just like
That.

I stand across the bridge
Full of swimming hopes
That tell me
That memory is just like
That.

I stand on a piece of heart
Full of singing loves
That tell me
That dream is just like
That.

I stand next to a bucket
Full of listed completions
That tell me
That failure is just like
That.

I stand with myself
Full of cries and smiles
That tell me
That success is just like
That.

Be just right,
Not less,
Not more,
As life is just like
That.

——

I never wanted to visit Korea until one colleague sent me a photo of library near our office in Seoul. Today he reminded me again about the library and told me to go there soon as he is moving to another location soon and might need to travel long to bring me to the library.

But he also said “Library is just like that. The most important thing is its collection, not its building.”

“And the building is like in the photo? Just like that?”

“Yes. It is just like that. You’re still welcome to Korea though.”

“Sure! Scheduled.”

🙏🏼

thank you!

Colours in The Dark

I first saw his works in Amsterdam and Paris in 2017 — stunning and extraordinary! So when “Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience” came to Singapore, I didn’t think twice to go.

While there was so much to enjoy, the huge room where people can just relax within the expo before continuing their look-around or after doing it was my favourite.

This video was of my first entry to the room. After enjoying the Van Gogh VR experience, I went back there to enjoy the time before finally left the expo: children playing, adults chatting, some sleeping, even a lady dancing. There was serenity in this dark room full of Van Gogh’s colours virtually projected to the walls by technology.

I am blessed to be there.

Thank you!

Salam.

🐣

Home

Evening awaits
Trippers who miss home. Hurry.
Go home happily.

——

good evening, commuters — go home happily 💕

never bored with this angle; whatever weather, whatever colour — i love to be home 💕