I thought I am kind But no, Dogs are kinder. I thought I am strong But no, Dogs rock my heart. I thought I am me But not Yet. Dogs know who they are, They live as dogs As they are. I live as what I want to be, Even When being inhumane human Is what gives me benefits.
—-
watched this movie in today’s flight and cried — how dogs’ life is more genuine than mine🙏🏼
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 😁
Jeepney On the busy lanes Tough and in style Like a rascal Chasing Wild kites
—
What about Manila that makes me feel home other than those dedicated working partners and turon (fried banana)?
Jeepney!
My childhood town used to have public transportation exactly like Philippines’ Jeepney; we called them PC (pronounce as “pay say” in English phonetics). They were everyone’s favourite for the space, air circulation and low price. Pak Sugeng was one PC owner cum driver who became all women’s sweetheart for his patience to wait for those women doing their errands in the central market and his helpfulness to lift all the shopped goods. What a good day it was!
Now Philippines is the blessed country with Jeepney. These ex wat vehicles during World War Ii are truly reliable and strong means of transportation for the people there. I took Jeepney once when having opportunity to visit Lapu-Lapu City in 2012. I think I paid for PHP50 for the ride!
Jeepney should be kept as a social heritage. It is unique, historical and supporting the life of those surrounding.
This vehicle is relevant for those with high resilience and survival spirit like Filipino and Indonesian!
Thank you, Manila and its surrounding for the friendship and lessons.
💝
silver Jeepney
green Jeepney
turquoise Jeepney
Quezon City’s traffic: look at the fragile egg tray that is paradoxical with the sturdy Jeepney
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 😎
The sun rises, sets At two ends to tell the time To the open eyes.
—
I always become guilty when my nieces say they want to be like me after breaking up romantically. They might think being single is the best choice in that situation, which is true yet nothing is permanent. Don’t be too sure about what you think, that’s what I always tell those young ladies.
The wedding of my niece recently was truly one miracle to witness after so long she thought she would not trust marriage institution. She finally trusts a man, a lucky one as much as my niece is lucky to be married by that funny guy! 💝
Behind the wedding scene one of my nieces approached me and asked me questions and here is the interestingly funny abridged conversation.
N: Auntie, you still hope to get married?
Me: You?
N: You know what happened. I believe mother told you. She said to me you disagreed with my decision.
Me: Of course. You are young. No reason to not getting married.
N: You? Tell me.
Me: I am slightly different.
N: Old?
Me: Yes.
N: Are you abnormal?
Me: Like what?
N: Homosexual.
Me: No.
N: You hate men?
Me: No
N: You are afraid of being poor?
Me: I am not. But I won’t want to be poor.
N: So what makes you single for so long?
Me: The same as you.
N: Trust?
Me: Yes.
N: Do you think I can get my trust back faster than you?
Me: Yes. Look at Dan. It took her only some years to finally getting married.
N: I hope I can.
Me: When you still talk about hope, it means you will get it.
N: But I hope you get married first before I do. Please…
Me: I hope….
N: (she smiled and went to fetch some snack)
Sometimes you’ve gotta show your beloved how much hope you have to make them keep hoping for the best. To me although I have to pretend…. 😝
N: (she got back with some snack on a plate) Do you really hope? It’s been 16 years!
Me: 😂
—
never give up, dear kids — everyone has love to share
This tongue says What belly doesn’t. Under par, Tongue shouts Then never stops complaining. Above par, Belly says Then waits until the next par. Is it fondness or fullness The ruler? Up to you, Said the Tongue Who whines about the taste.
Beloved, You’ve raised a double agent.
Ha!
—
what an excessively oily aglio olio, said I — but I was sooo happy that I slept earlier 💝
I said to angels Near me,”Tell my love there’s love In your flapping wings”.
—
I was about to send some pictures containing angel numbers (twin/repeated numbers) to a friend who has been in love with especially 333, 3333, 33333 and all the repeated angel number 3 when realising that that friend was not in the list. Where was she? Maybe she unfollowed me? But why?
When checking in other friends’ lists this person was not there either, both in follower and following ones. Ahhh! Maybe she was deactivating herself?
As I don’t have her mobile number, I checked it with her best friend and he said “Yes, she has done it now and then. You don’t realise sometimes your list shortens? It might be her.”
Ahhh! Ok, ok…. 😊
She’s not lucky. The photos with her angel number are now for you all. 🙏🏼
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 💝
Sweet surprises march Silently following a season Bringing colours to the sight. Don’t hold breath, They stay quite long To give more space For wow! and whoa!
—
I think I don’t give my orchids enough attention that I always see the bud rather late— only when they are long enough to stand out.
Sorry….
And thanks much! for giving me surprises after several years not blooming.
rike jokanan 
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