graphs of my Universe
Green is what is fresh,
What is starting peacefully.
It is envy, too.
—-
What is greener than our neighbours’ grass? The sea that bears secret of love and avocado that bears secret of health.
Have a green weekend!
💚
today’s lunch 💚 egg with peas in coconut milk, avocado and navel orange juice
It almost arrives.
A blessed day,
The one when
A generation is born
To share what may
And
To bear what shall.
Happy birthday!
—-
a prayer is recited — health and happiness with the loved ones 💝
What’s best is not best.
Better is, leaving a space
For the next better.
—-
I am never craving for best for me. Only doing my best to be better and to deserve whatever makes me better and/or see opportunity to do better.
Yet best seller book is the best for today. And one previously best seller for my best friend—-
Salaam.
💝
bestseller shelf — not my normal shelf but it was today
old book i did read at uni and want to check some details and so re-read 😎
curious what’s inside 😍
seems promising for a discussion in a reading club
for my best friend who watched the movie but not read the novel yet
Quiet and noise
Are both luxury
Which cross clarify
And cross verify.
Both cost so high
In each phase.
At times each is a spy
To bug each other
To find when the best time
To be quiet
Or
To be noisy.
—
I am doing a sacred silence retreat next week. Called Tapa Brata, this retreat is where we will meditate most of the time in a day. Pak Merta is a devoted Buddhist who has been opening this meditation center for years to promote self health and at certain level herbal medication teaching. I am not a Buddhist but I feel that this retreat has helped me a lot to calm my mind.
There won’t be any interaction with others directly during the retreat. No talking. No reading. No writing. No listening except to the meditation guidance and sound of nature in Forest Island. All gadgets will be safe-kept by the organiser so we will be totally offline human beings.
It is about communicating with one’s self.
The interaction is primarily within. I remember how hard it was for me in my first Tapa Brata in 2018 just to not say good morning and good night to my roommates on the first day. Hope this one is easier for me.
💝
that joglo (the building with terracotta roof) is the meditation hall, two jinengs (Balinese rice storage) are sleeping quarters (only for male), 9 bungalows are located behind the joglo for meditators to sleep, the dog is in front of the dining joglo
the dog? he was with whom everyone wanted to talk after lunch in silence — he would just stare at us and yawn and sleep seeing us talking without saying things, he probably understood 😃 hope to see him again
All cuts and bruises
Paint a life of a blossom
Before it decays.
—
i was so young and innocent, a loved friend of many, a hated enemy of some — i was so much blessed 💝
life has brought me travel through labyrinth of life with traps and turns that cut and torture yet i am still a loved friend of many, a hated enemy of some — i am still so much blessed with cuts and bruises 💝 i’ve lost much but i find myself
no one shall erase this happy girl within — a blessed soul that travels through space and time 🙏🏼 thank you
That flower is born
By wind and gardener’s love.
Celebrating life—
—-
the pretty zinnia in my sister’s garden are all wild, she never intentionally grows them, they just popped out of the soil, she believes they were spread from the neighboirs’ as some of our neighbours have them in their garden — we don’t know if our neighbours also unintentionally grow them with the same reason as ours 😁
I said
I want to eat sushi.
Let’s go
She said.
We lend each other’s ears.
I like listening,
She likes to be listened.
What a perfect scene.
I’ll take the mushroom, you take the eggplant
She said.
I said
I prefer eggplants, that is nice.
Haaaah!
Hahaha wasabi!
She laughed.
Anything to share?
She asked.
No
Said I.
She drove me home and hugged me good bye.
Her son said “See ya again!”
Then I walked the path home
To write stories of my own.
I regretted to share bad stories with anyone,
It made good food taste stale.
I won’t,
Until there’s the best sushi to offer.
—-
iftar with a best friend yesterday — one of the best sushi in Singapore 😘
Time flies on a plane,
Moves backwards leaving a home
To meet whom are missed.
—-
Time to visit mother. Although I visit her every three months, a visit on Eid Mubarak is always the most special. It is when my brothers and sisters meet me and most of extended family members gather in our annual reunion.
It is exciting to have a full day chatting, laughing, remembering good memories, eating specialties cooked by the host, joking around and of course praying for our happiness and joy so we all can meet again the following year.
Thank you for another year.
💝
pink orchid in Changi Airport before my flight
pink orchid left home — not merrier but fresher than the Changi’s 🥰
yellowish white orchid left at home
it is gonna be broken white with purple — they are always happy although left home 😁
i guess it is gonna be yellow — they are always happy although left home 😁
Light is reflected,
Brings various sensations.
Bright colour spectrum—
—-
I bought rangrang woven fabric for bedspreads, table clothes and other home decoration as alternative of vibe in my humble abode other than linen, Merauke ikat and batik series.
It is always exciting to decorate home. I think this is where a home owner should be wiser as the temptation to beautify a home feels more desperate compared to owning branded things. Dead serious!
Rangrang woven fabric was once fabric for religious ceremonies, yet now it has become a cultural commodity that are liked by many.
Anyway, rangrang woven fabric offer unique colourful art. It is called “rangrang” because there are “rangrang” (tiny holes/gaps) among the woven thread. Rangrang woven fabric is allegedly a symbol of transparency. Yet technically the gaps or holes among the woven threads are because of fewer number of threads used in some lines.
This fabric also has sufficient thickness that it won’t be too flimsy to spread on the beds yet won’t be too heavy for curtains.
The dominant colours on rangrang woven fabric are brighter spectrum of red, yellow, purple, blue, green. Love them all!
The most common patterns of rangrang woven fabric are basic geometry such as curves (commonly called bianglala/rainbow patter), triangles, squares.
square
triangles
some curves (bianglala/rainbow)
rangrang = holes among the weaved threads
Rangrang used to be a prima donna back then in 2010’s that made it as expensive as hundreds of USD per piece, while now I could buy it for USD50 per piece.
This woven fabric should be conserved as fewer and fewer weavers are productively making it, most of them are older women whose children don’t have the same passion to produce this beautiful art work. One of the conservation effort might be for ordinary people to buy this fabric.
I am happy that I found 4 more sheets of rangrang woven fabric are needed. There is a reason to go shopping either in the market or directly to the weavers.
💝😁
rangrang = holes among the weaved threads
About rangrang woven fabric
Breathing the same air
Under the same sun and moon,
All pray for good days.
—
Sharing is not only about self satisfaction and social support, it is also about gauging how much I dare to let go of what heavy and significant. Trust me giving will not make you poor.
This monthly food sharing is about Ramadhan odd night and night of revelation (lailatul qadar).
Salaam.
💝
When a lady goes,
Two dogs race with her, saying
See you again, friend!
—-
Completing the mosque night in Jakarta, I hopped to the next island. I have a holiday in lieu as I was working outside Singapore in its public holiday so why not meeting my friend in Bali to spend my Monday?
This good friend is a Buddhist, a devoted pupil of Dalai Lama. She has met him four times in person in Dharamshala. So it is a good thing to discuss about the news circulated about him; the sooner, the better for me to clear my hazy mind.
I explained to her my understanding about sexual harassment and abuse and the video that has made what might be called framing or true case depending on what brings to whom. She listened to me patiently. Then she explained to me quite long and clear about the Tibetan culture of “tongue eating” not “tongue sucking” and mostly about what kind of person Dalai Lama whom she has met and shaken hand with. She also asked me to watch the complete video, not only some part of it so I can build clearer context.
We had a long talk. Based on the chat l decided to delete my posting about Dalai Lama, not because I totally agree with my friend but simply because I don’t want to make things more unclear. Resting my case—
Waiting doe my flight with a light heart—
Salaam.
Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali, my friend’s dogs
Sleeping under dome,
Reciting signs of wisdom,
Ramadhan odd night
—-
Some friends of mine and I stayed overnight in Istiqlal Mosque on Apr 15 (25th night of Ramadhan) to focus on “sleep less, pray more”. We did much earlier as high schooler when we stayed overnight at school in 2 Ramadhan nights to sleep less and pray more to gain lailatur qadar that my friends and I believe is special night to reveal truth within our own selves.
This very time in Istiqlal 3 things were emphasised by some teachers to all of us.
Thousands of muslims stayed in the mosque and we didn’t know each other, we just followed the scheduled activities mostly in silence or very casual salaam except talking in low voice to few friends going together as groups.
Thanks for giving me one night to sleep less and pray more.
💝
with girl friends in senior high school class — me with 2 besties 💝💝💝 night for (crazy) youngsters
Ramadhan Odd Night in Istiqlal Mosque, me and 2 good friends slept under the 3rd pillar in the female chamber (left side of the hall), there is partition between male and female chambers — felt like staring hundreds of star clusters 💝
Who are friends, my dear?
The perfumers? The blacksmiths?
Whoever, they smell.
—-
Disclaimer: I am not spreading Islamic teaching. I am just telling how fragrance and good friends have manifested in my life.
—-
The most frequent gift I give to my closest female circle is fragrance, either perfume or soap. Yesterday morning before meeting my best friends, I decided to browse some fragrance. As normal there is never preferred brand about perfume. It is always about a click in the heart.
Indeed happiness can cost some $/c although it might be too small and can be an insult if given as currency; yet it must cost attention and/or time to appreciate the same. So perfume is a best option — no one has complained so far.
What about soap? Only to those preferring soap to perfume
I am happy to make myself happy by making my circle happy because they have been making me happy. Imagine your friends feel good and be scented at the same time.
This I do because I follow literally beautiful hadith by the Prophet as below.
Abu Musa reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Verily, the parable of good and bad company is that of a seller of musk and a blacksmith. The seller of musk will give you perfume, you will buy some, or you will notice a pleasant smell. As for the blacksmith, he will burn your clothes, or you will notice a bad smell.”
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5534, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2628
Authenticity grade of hadith: Muttafaqun Alayhi (authenticity agreed upon) according to Al-Bukhari and Muslim
couldn’t help smelling all
Is there a space
For happiness in an angry man’s belly?
Simple joy can cure hunger.
It draws smiles.
It brews laughter.
It dampens dry heart.
It cheers up weary soul.
Is there a space
For unhappiness in an angry man’s belly?
If he knows joy is as simple as
A pattern on matcha latte,
He should say “Sorry for breaking your heart,
But loving myself is a priority”.
Simple joy is not that simple
For those knowing no simplicity.
—
we asked the barista in our office to draw flower on on the matcha latte but he said it was too difficult “this time this lah, flower needs more training haha…. sorry ya” 😁 thank you, that is pretty, too
Why they’re so grumpy?
Error happens all seasons.
Just take lessons learnt.
—-
Instagram and Twitter are full of angry people who are not able to express their anger in such a way to be well understood.
WordPress is an ideal— a peaceful sanctuary❣️
his name is Grumpy
It takes good backgrounds
For stories to come alive.
Time, place or colours—
—-
this is the finally-decided colour for the background; just the background after many months, making sure this gift is loved by the birthday lady — thanks for your patience and understanding, Mbak ☺️💝
Not only fruits,
It might be flowers, seeds and seedlings.
It might be leaves, woods or saps.
It might be barks, husks or roots.
It might be more.
Whatever beneficial—
What is this tree harvested for?
None—
No. Either
One:
Good deed or good time.
Harvest from life, Beloved.
Remember to sow before the next reap.
Her heart and soul is her best seeds,
And she is the farmer and the crop.
biggest lessons taken from this — not so much relatable yet good lessons indeed
a bit of hilariously heroic – good to build good mood 😃
enigmatic and dark
Time knocks on a door of life saying
“Would you travel with me?”
And a journey begins.
Time hugs its travel buddy knowing
That she might be off of the track.
Time talks to her hoping
That she is aware of the walk.
Time prances with her knowing
That she is on to where it heads.
—-
dark and bright in one frame ♥️ time is a mystery
No billowing smoke
Of incense she’s whispering
Melodies that free.
—-
i prayed that all that i love are happy and healthy wherever they are 🙏🏼
i prayed that their soul is reborn free and dedicated to humanity wherever they both are 🙏🏼
Standing in front of you,
I see love.
It is clearly reflected—
A face of mine smiling at itself.
When you look at this mirror,
What do you see?
I wish you know
You are love reflected by a clear mirror.
I wish you see
This water clearly reflects you,
A love that exudes fragrance.
—-
a pond behind Himeji Castle 🏯 i could breathe drizzles and pine freshness while seeing a school of fish swimming in clear water reflecting acceptance
Growth is happening,
Vectors might turn to balance
Good time everywhere.
—
when i was away working, she was happy blooming 💝
and she has been preparing 💝
There’s always a room
For a smile to fully bloom.
It’s called day and night.
—-
Thanks for being part of this journey. Without you I won’t be a full version of a human being. 💝
hope you are healthy and happy with your loved ones 💝
today’s Ramadhan breakfast (ifthar) — cooked by myself for myself with love ❣️
If home’s made of dreams,
It’s green, warm and musical;
Or nothing at all.
—-
exhausted like heaven! the toilets and cleanliness imprison me, the railway system bids me a farewell — not a perfect home of mine 💝 Singapore and Indonesia is the best home of mine 💝
home is where new dreams are ready to come true 💝
dandelions ready to fly 💝
There is great mountain
Not deserved to climb
How much ever best view will be up there.
There is good hill
Deserved to walk up
How much ever others give up its ordinary view.
She decided to walk up the hill
And found some big trees
With singing birds and hopping squirrels
Enjoying the breeze.
There is enough space to have a picnic
Until the sun sets beautifully.
—-
there is elevator in Osaka Castle so i should not skip climbing the castle as in Himeji Castle (said my colleague); yet i still didn’t as the queue was too long — walking the garden then having a fine dining with a good friend was a much better choice 🌸
thanks for your Osaka vibe; proven that Osaka is much warmer than Tokyo 💝 see you again in June
My heart is leaping.
It opens its windows, breathes the joy.
It celebrates parties,
As invited by beauty that pops out out of life.
It claps hands.
It taps feet.
It dances love songs.
It sings “Ode to Joy”.
My heart is leaping.
It turns my sadness
To joyous moments,
Leaving tiny gap to
Contemplation and regret.
—-
do you see that breathing the pink fragrance 👁
camellia ~ symmetrical layers
sakura near castle boulders
pink sakura ~ hanging blessings
sakura tree ~ almost end of cherry blossoms
Healthy sight sees bright
That blurs by cloud of the heart.
Clean it with blessed soul.
—-
Osaka Castle behind the bush 💝
Osaka Castle back side 💝 before short rain
Osaka Castle behind the pine tree 🙏🏼 after short rain
Busy explaining
Busy pretending
Busy threatening
Busy flexing
Busy building what’s hiding
Forgetting what’s to be true.
Ah!
That’s normal
As I’m a human being.
Time has come to being human
Maybe one more week
Or one twilight
Or months
Time can be so biased
For me who is
Busy being someone else.
—-
Rike, try this one! you’re too busy with the deep fried, this one is healthier and there’s egg your fave 🥢
The longing has gone
Too far left by trueness.
No plate is prepared,
No wish is grown,
No intelligence is to decipher message
As heart is numb by laughter
And ridicule.
No number symbolises,
No alphabet pronounces,
All are faded away.
There’s only mine on its way.
Dandelion,
Bring it fly
To where it roots beauty,
Peace and eternity.
Only love remains
For the journey
That appreciates
Not a point
That fades away.
—-
i’ve met dandelions in many different spots; all of them are blooming new dreams, totally new, leaving the blur ones — prayer heard and soon coming true 💝
All are grown blessing,
Making days more radiant
Without prejudice.
—-
Flowers don’t envy others just because of colours, shapes, fragrance and/or sizes. They just bloom without prejudice blessing whoever seeing, smelling, touching, feeling, listening to the description.
Be blessed by flowers even those of grasses.
Salaam.
💝
gerbera, ranunculus and the gang 💝
💝
💝
💝
💝
💝
💝
Pink joy greets in breeze
Showering earth with blessings
Of cherry petals.
—-
a surprise at the gate! 🥰
trust me it made my day! 💝
showered earth 💝
neighbour’s sakura 💝
thanks for the blessings!
thanks for the blessings!
thanks for the blessings!
thanks for the blessings!
thanks for the blessings!
rike jokanan 
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