Life is a mystery. Human to solve it. Not always successful, yet it is worth doing.
Life is a gift. Human to thank for it. Not always easy, yet it is worth doing.
Life is a journey. Human to travel it. Not always smooth, yet it is worth doing.
Life is love. Human is to accept it. Not always sweet, yet it is worth doing.
Life is of this or that to be experienced. Human is to keep living within the given time, a line between two points. There is so much to take and give and I thank for everything β that I know when I know, that I know when I donβt know.
Will not ignore how precious this life is. Will always be patient with this self in experiencing it.
Yellow lucky leaves Pop up unexpectedly. Answers to wishes.
β
Dream come true is not always with work only. It might be with some enchanted wishes, self encouragement, ranting when upset, sleeping when tired and beloved onesβ prayer β all acting as the x factor. In a package those can be summed up as human being determination.
Ignore those demotivating and/or disrespecting. They try to distract, but let them be out of the equation for a while. Just blow them a kiss. π
Weekend is a bridge between two islands. Walk on it slowly with a smile. Donβt forget to hum love songs. π
π
never found in my attempt to get a clover pendant to bring my birthday annual staycation wish come true; a pair of clover studs greeted me in Bangkok yesterday – wonβt let a chance be a waste π i feel lucky most of the time – thank you!
Manusia mengembarai langit Manusia menyusuri cakrawala Tidak untuk menguasainya Melainkan untuk menguji dirinya Apakah dia bertahan menjadi manusia, Tidak untuk hebat kuasa atau perkasa Melainkan untuk setia sebagai manusia.
(Emha Ainun Nadjib)
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Good morning, Surabaya. You did a lot of moulding to this human being. Thank you!!! π
thank you π for making me a human being; I wonβt give up moulding this self to be loyal to being humane
Donβt let anything and anyone be a happiness snatcher even if they hurt you unintentionally or intentionally.
β
Feel good is successfully deciphering the codes in my life.
final hunt of interior doors and window done!4 windows, 3 doors – not easy to find lovable ones in tact in high quality; thanks to an antique collector who is willing to let go off his collection to me ππΌ
There is a tall tree Greeting the sky with its green, The earth with its white.
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There is only one choice left: grow! Whatβs grown within affects whatβs grown without and the other way around β all in unison. Liking it or not, I grow as the sole way.
when feet are happily walking, eyes are happily observing π₯°
Deaccelerate, Accelerate on the road. Life is not a race.
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Fasting is a very familiar way of life to Javanese. Called pasa or poso, fasting in Javanese culture is always related to the effort to self align. Many Javanese like doing fasting with or without meditation (tapabrata or topobroto) depending on their commitment.
While Javanese Muslim do at least one month of fasting per year in Ramadhan, fasting in Javanese culture itself came even much earlier before Islam was introduced. While in Islam fasting is between dawn to dusk and the same restriction is commonly applied to all kinds of fasting, Javanese fasting is more varied both in term of period and restriction.
Fasting helps Javanese slow down the pace in their mind, regulate the speed of their ambitious behaviour upon life goals, train themselves to be patient.
There are several kinds of fasting in Javanese culture that are still practiced by relatively many nowadays.
1. Regular fasting This fasting is done only from dawn to dusk like the Islamic fasting. This is a common practice, many Javanese parents use this kind of fasting to train their children about how to manage their immediate excessive desires and concentration in under pressure situation. I remember when we were elementary and high schoolers, we were instructed by parents to do fasting on Monday and Thursday during yearly school testing weeks. Yes, I felt more focused on my study as I had to prioritise tasks to save energy. Brilliant!
2. Mutih Mutih is derived from the word putih (white in Javanese, Indonesian, Malay). During this fasting, a person is restricted to eat other than white rice and fresh water for 24 hours started either at dawn or dusk. Ordinary Javanese can do it for one day, three or seven. Yet more advanced (usually senior) Javanese would extend the period as per commitment.
3. Ngasrep or nganyep Ngasrep is derived from the word asrep that means cool or cold; while nganyep from the word anyep means tasteless. In this kind of fasting the food and drink should be all cool and tasteless. The person is suggested to eat only boiled vegetable without adding taste (salt, sugar, oil, sauces, etc) and drink fresh water. It is mostly done in three days.
3. Ngrowot Ngrowot is a word derived from the word krowot that means Javanese common carbo source except rice. The person who does this fasting will only eat carbo non rice like sweet potato, suwek (konjac), gembili, gembolo (English pleaseβ¦.), taro, cassava and other tubers.
4. Ngebleng Ngebleng means staying in; so doing this, a person will do regular fasting but very limited food intake allowed without leaving room or house, not meeting anyone, just doing meditation or doing household chores without distraction from anyone. Someone can do it three and seven days and forty days. Not many are doing this as this is a challenging one: not easy to find a place. This fasting is quite heavy because it does not allow sufficient food intake for a long time.
5. Patigeni(pati: turned off, geni: fire) It literally means βfire turned offβ. This is the highest level of Javanese fasting as the restriction applied really tests the personβs very high commitment: s/he is not allowed to eat, drink, sleep including fall asleep and see any light both artificial and natural. How long? The shortest is 24 hours, maximum unlimited. Note: if s/he sleeps or falls asleep, s/he has to restart the fasting.
There are other kinds of fasting in Javanese culture which were done by very limited people and have been left by many due to the impracticality such as pasangidang (from the word kidang or deer) in which a person is only allowed to eat raw foliage like a deer, pasangalong (from the word kalong or bat) only eating ripe fruit from the tree, pasakungkum (bathing up to chin level either in the pool, river or shallow sea) without eating or drinking, etc. There are probably other kinds of fasting as Javanese used to be very creative in βfasting engineeringβ hahahaβ¦.
Javanese believe that with fasting they will connect better to themselves and inevitably with the ultimate power of the universe. They will usually become confident people without showing off. Those fasting committed people βif doing it right and without evil intensionβ will be a highly spiritual people and voluntarily dedicated to environment and people.
Javanese believe that this type of people bring blessings to the surroundings although blessings are not always tangibly seen. The blessings can be as simple as peaceful daily life with little conflict,
Do we still have many of them? In very silent villages around Java island we might still find a few. They are traditional farmers who feel the need to connect with the ultimate power as only that can help them manage their humble farming that is now severely industrialised and exploited.
Hope we still have them in silence. Amen.
Alfatihah.
βtoo muchβ in all kinds: portion, protein, sugar, carb – never mind, itβs good! π₯° my yesterdayβs break fasting
River is flowing. Stuck, it is lack of clean air, Home of mosquitoes.
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Keep flowing and feeling good no matter what. Some people think that is a suggestion to someone weak. Nope! That is a sentence to someone who knows that life is so abundant and doesnβt offer thing except feel-good. Kindly know. π
Yet those who donβt know interpret most things only from what the senses capture in the surface.
May all beings be happy.
Dewi Saraswati, the goddess through which knowledge, sciences and art is flowing; my dewi π₯°
See you, dear neighbour. The old prays, the new welcomes. Good memories stay.
β
One of my neighbours move to a new place as they need an apartment with 3 bedrooms after having a new baby. We met at the basement carpark when they were stuffing cartons and stuffs to the Lalamove lorry.
The wife gave me their new address that is near my office so it can be easy to visit them someday.
We pray for your nice warm new home. We bless our 4-year neighbourhood. Thank you.
What truly exists is whatβs tangible. Nope. What truly exists is stories. Nope. What truly exists is belief. Nope. What truly exists is interconnection. Nope. What truly exists is mind. Nope. So what truly exists?
Weather is changing, Sky isnβt. Furniture does, Space sits still smiling.
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No condition changes space. Itβs there, might look temporarily conditioned sometimes but simply because some furniture is busy βstirring the airβ. And sky is just there being the canvas of weathers which come and go.
Itβs fun to observe and silently enjoy each moment of truth.
Salaam.
sky is unconditional, and so is space – whatever happens is just weather that is passing
The earth is loyal To the sun, and vice versa. A very good factβ
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Note: A fact is a fact. It is neutral in its nature. Good or bad is a label given by human beings in their favour. The best option is to responsibly respond to the fact to stay in good mood.
loving sweet and savoury in the same plate & this is not neutral! this is naturally a feel-good! π₯°
A path to a place Is walked through trees and uphills. A meadow is waiting Opening another path To a warm home filled with love.
β
My friend sent me three photos of our beloved βsimbahβ (those senior people who are considered wise or those who have grandchildren) – Javanese). Most people call these simbah βbatik makerβ because they make batik to earn a living. We both call them βbatik artistβ. More than that through what weβve seen and heard about them, weβve considered they are artists of their life. How they embrace their humble life gracefully and consciously has always amazed both of us. They live like calm river flowing to the sea. They donβt struggle against what others think about or do to them. They live as if there is no hindrance and disturbance in life.
When my friend told me some things about those three honourable ladies, I secretly harvested some lessons. It is very critical reminder for me who is still very much attached to a feeling of (accidentally) underestimated and (slightly) humiliated because of one petty case. These three artists of life have silently told me to let go.
What a loud shot in a quiet weekend!
No apology is needed. All is gradually let go through my own wish and willingness. This is my life and I only want to be the artist of my own life. π
Thank you, artists of life. Youβre blessed. π
River flows. Wind blows. Birds perch on a twig and chirp, Enjoying good food.
β
Life is not really WYSIWYG, there are layers that can be peeled off like peeling off onions layered skins.
What is seen in a river? Its flow. Whatβs behind the flow?
What is felt in a wind? Its blow. Whatβs behind the flow?
Whatβs behind the singing birds? Whatβs behind good food?
Something looking like nothing yet there are powerful layers of realities that wrap another deeper level of reality. At the end of the peeled-off onion, what is it? The eyes see βnoneβ that can be immediately ignored, the self sees βthe essenceβ that can only be understood through accepting in silence.
What an experience as a human being! Maybe this is a euphoria of being alive, or being aware? This is a good time and I will always feel good no matter what. π
Thank you for everything. π
good breakfast for a tempe(h) lover π₯°good snack for a pumpkin lover – run out of honey this time
A guest, Beloved, Makes host happy yet confused. Smile sweet and thank, too.
β
Iβve met hosts with different types of personality or characteristics. When the host is a person, itβs just about that particular person. When the host is a company, it shows me the company culture or local culture.
Iβve got a few βcuteβ treatment from some hosts.
One company in Koka was informed that Iβm a Muslim. My colleague told them βRike eats halal, please find the food source from now.β They didnβt clarify to me and just followed that pranking colleague blindly. And in my 3-day visit they fed me halal food they ordered online and had to be delivered long trip to that remote area.
βIs it good, Rike-san?β The host asked me on the last day.
βDo you expect honest or polite answer?β said I laughing.
βBe honest please ha haβ¦β
βI tried NN-sanβs food from your canteen. I love your food much much better. This online food tasted good but didnβt taste fresh.β It was impolite like hell for most Japanese host I guess. π
βOur canteen food is not halal. Iβm sorry about the online food.β He must have wanted to commit suicide after that. π
Then I started preaching what halal meant to me. And they said they would not order the halal food for me anymore and give me their canteen food the following years. π
delivered from Kanagawa ππΌ
β
The second was one company knowing Iβm a Muslim as informed by the branch in Malaysia. So they knew I pray although they never knew I only pray when wanting to.
So they brought me to a small room to do afternoon prayer. I asked if they have Muslim employees so they had the room, they said it was prepared for me. They moved out table, chairs and other cultural ornaments. ππ»ββοΈ
The first day I prayed, the other days they asked if I would pray. I said no. Then again I preached what type of Muslim I was and they nodded heads looking confusedβ they might think how would a human being can be this obedient yet disobedient to her God.
prayed in the prayer room specially prepared for me one day then chanting the same prayer in this shrine another day; God isnβt discriminating π
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The third is also about being a Muslim. I came with 6 other people for 2 days and the company gave me fruit salad while giving nice beef/chicken/pork, egg, vegetable, rice lunch to others. They said they only had salad as halal food and no restaurant near the industrial area cooks halal and non halal food separately.
My colleagues explained that I could eat this and that but βnot pork onlyβ. So the next day they provided my favourite Vietnam spring roll with βvegetable and porkβ not βpork onlyβ. I left the lunch box untouched and went back to the yummy salad. Iβll come back next year, please give me pho. π
special salad for me – thank yow!!! πππ
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Some people are so naive not knowing what to do and deciding to do their bestest best to respect the guests. God bless them.
I enjoy being a (not so good) Muslim. Misunderstood but still well treated by those willing to respect others. God bless you! π
Salaamβ¦.
a cute torii in Minakuchichohinokigaoka (damn not easy to read and write)
daruma doll in Takasaki station sent with a message βHappy birthday, Rike. Come on draw my eyes!β πβEnjoy!β another message with another photo π
The depth of silence is As deep As ocean of possibilities. Shaken, the ocean will splash Drops of gifts.
Time once revealed When the gifts will appear. It once said There is a moment in time.
Space once revealed Where the gifts will arrive. It once said There is a point in space.
Spacetime once revealed Why the gifts will engender. It once said There are reasons in life: Unfortunately wrapped In colours and shapes, Often times disguising things: A crow into a dove, A wolf into a sheep, A dumpsite into a garden, A villainess into a heroine, An evil witch into a kind queen, Bent into straightβ Misleading this travelerβs direction.
Once it was said There is One That she will find Somewhere some time only if She minds.
Dear, Light. Only You can reveal True colours True shapes True hearts True reasons.
Be deeply silent Even in the crowd Where ocean of possibilities Is shaken In this spacious time.
Hey! The gift is relatively fair, Beloved. Be ready.
β
π
when window nook is ready for daydreaming, no book, no paper, no gadget – just her welcoming gifts
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 papaβ¦. 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!
what a coincidence! this number is really escorting me this year
πdidnβt attend this yearβs flag-raising ceremony in the embassy because of this cute virus π next year I will, bismillah!
Counting beads of pray, An echoed name flows away Through silence of heart.
β
Have you ever prayed so silently? No one can hear. Only beads of pray click. A remembrance of love that is unseen. Beyond the ocean and beyond existenceβ
Literature is a limited tool to disclose ideas and emotions; not accurate enough to shoot one heart. Math is sharp to operate a complex equation; not sweet enough though to state naked truth.
With what then should I count this reality between two lovers? Beauty or precision?
Only beads of pray is whispered silently. Who knows the river will sail this soft voice along its flow introducing it to the estuary that escorts it to the ocean where winds push the current following the North Star to meet with you.
For granted I take The green, the blue and the red Until they turn grey.
β-
Sometimes Iβm thankful that Iβm not given opportunity to have children. I canβt imagine what playfulness and nature exploration they will have in their future with very minimum real nature around. Iβm thankful. π₯°
Sometimes Iβm broken-hearted that Iβm not given opportunity to have children. I canβt agree on how some people raise their children. I egotistically imagine how well I would raise them to be human-respecting and nature-loving generation in the family tree. Iβm selfish. π
Meanwhile Iβm always feeling lucky to be me, born when and where nature was willing to introduce her excessive bounties, grew up when and where human interaction was real and warm, working when and where human right and environment protection is a paramount topic. Iβm blessed. π₯°
β₯οΈ
just realised there is a fully shaven greenery farther across the road πzoomed in – ohβ¦. maybe not long after this the greenery around me will turn to patches of garden and playground among grey concrete π
A smile, Beloved, Not to or for. Itβs just there, A ready bounty.
β
All the lyrics and the music β lyrics were recited, music was listened to. Those lyrics and music were so beautiful that they invited the best smile of the day. A smile that appeared like a good shape coming out of a foggy morning in the moorland. Until some reality struck, telling that those were directed more to a head than a heart, and to somewhere else.
Uh oh!
Well! A smile must still be kept. It is a grace, an alms, a bounty, a gift, a bonus, an appreciation; or from hidden wisdom formed through sedimentation of things annoyed yet forgiven. Or probably a smile is a package of lyrics and music β sweetly flowing. Aaah! Must be appreciated!
Put a best smile on the face and world will smile, too.
May all beings be happy.
π
because I know any news is worth smiling – bitter or sweet
Sometimes she doesnβt know why she feels a blissful joy. She tries her best to find a reason but seems to fail. When people ask why she looks radiant on certain day, she will just say I love the food, I love the weather, I love this, I love that β simply for courtesy with a bit of honesty compromised due to inability to give exact reason.
Perhaps the reason is because the footprints of falling in love is greater than the scars of broken heart. Alas! It might not be. Or, it might be. Come on, it might not be. Ah! Thatβs not important.
Oh? She doesnβt know. And it is ok to feel that way – blissfully joyful with unknown reason like when she is falling in love, unreasonable β her love did go to that that she never ever thought of getting on the way then suddenly gone away.
Tragic comedy! π
β£οΈ
guess why happy? the salad counter is at least 50% open! eyes canβt hide a smile π
Today I had a lunch chat with a colleague. We discussed about this and that and of course how we both grow more grey hair, more fat and of course more wisdom.
happy to work with those having courage to tell when itβs right or wrong, with objectivity
I remember when I was 30βs I said to him I was so afraid of growing old alone. Now Iβm growing old alone and Iβm not afraid. Today I said to him that Iβm afraid of dying alone and he lightly said βNo one wants to die with you or with anyone else, girl! No one!β
I laughed and said βDamn! youβre right!β
And I made a good decision right during the convo that I wonβt be afraid of being alone! Everything is gonna be alright!
But he said something before saying goodbye βAnd youβd better be a bit stingy to those not helping!β
βDamn! Youβre right again!β
Life is fair but life is also not fair so weβd better know how to surf! Unfortunately, I donβt like surfing, Iβm just gonna be biking!
slow down to both directions, live and die is like drawing an βΎ
Donβt take too long a time to fix an issue. Time wisely travels with those willing to appreciate a journey through action taking along with wisdom harvesting. Otherwise, it will bulldoze whatβs not solved.
Dear January. I know youβll transform with me who doesnβt want remedial lessons next year.
Thank you, 2021. Welcome, 2022.
Bismillaahirrahmaanirrahiemβ¦.
π
nothing is forever, let go of all that are not serving for my highest good either interest or ambition
no one is perfect, accept the dark side of my own self and learn all lessons either pleasant or unpleasant
balance is feasible only when mental detachment and appropriate acceptance are achieved, I claim the balance
One of those teaching me constant gratitude is my mother. When I share my problems, she will either tell me βWe should be grateful that our problems are still solvableβ or βWe are still lucky that we are still given blessings when having problemsβ or βIt is ok, someday they will understandβ.
That lady is made of flexible rubber when hit by hard challenges. Nothing hurt her blessed heart. Iβm lucky to be born by her. I guess God has sent her to teach me patienceβ¦.
β¦. and at the same time to be patient. Hallowβ¦. It takes patience to deal with patient people. I mean it!
I used to pick up feathers met on the way to school, office, home, everywhere. Feathers have been good signs to me for years. There has been a feeling of being protected.
Superstition? I donβt know. Maybe. Maybe not.
Now? Still believing that feather present is the presence of protection, but I stopped hoarding. Just look at the feathers, pray for protection and greet the guardian angels, and walk on with a bunch of blessings.
rike jokanan 
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