Tag: thankful

‘m preparing and tasting homemade Vietnamese pho bo! This beef noodle never fails my day. Thanks to anyone who invented and perfect this recipe. This is main course in this New Year’s Eve. 😊

Count down continues!

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boil pho noodle, this time it is real pho noodle, last time i used pad thai noodle

simmer the purified beef and the herbs together. simmer. once again sim….mer…. for about 5 hours 😎

boil it in high heat to separate the beef from its impurities – oh beef inferno 😂

St Elmo’s Fire

Water! Water!
St Elmo’s fire!
Water!

No.
No water for St Elmo’s fire.
A good omen.

Amen! Amen!
St Elmo’s fire!
Amen!

—

New year again! Thanks so much for reaching this point like a plane (an inch to) landing smoothly. Seat belt still on! Airplane mode still on! Yet the pilot is smiling widely with fire in her heart brighter and brighter, no red anymore, now almost blue to white!

Count down! 💗

love theme from St Elmo’s Fire movie 💝

😊

About another St Elmo’s fire

Karma Pala

Ing karma pala tan ana kang isa mlayu. Kudu ngunduh.

Nandure siji, thukule satus. Panene pitungatus.

Tan kena kinira, mung Gusti kang pirsa. Janma mung krida.

Anteping kalbu, tekating jiwa. Slamet
Ing kabeh mangsa.

Rahayu.

(geguritan Jawa)

—

cute seeds whose name i know not – hope 2023 will bring me harvest seasons with excellent crops; what? new year? again…. 😎🥰

Counting Blessings

There’s always blessing counted through breathing. Close eyes, the air prays for you.

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this is enough for the whole day! no rice today 😊

1st plate for breakfast 💝 urap Jawa in cassava leaves, long bean, *kecipir* (square bean), carrot and sprout + raw long bean and damn kencur (fragrant ginger leaves)

that raw leaves are leaves of *kencur* (fragrant ginger), fragrant and refreshing 😊 the yellow leaf was not wasted😀

Days Hum with A Smile

Days hum with a smile,
Swiping hours of hunger
Leaving only joy.

—

opening the freezer, i found a bag of oxtail; bought 1kg even before the trip — ok, the best choice was making oxtail soup! 😎

1st serving – i love delicious oxtail soup! 💕

2nd one, there were 3 more — thanks god i don’t have cholesterol issue so it was a 2-day oxtail soup every meal with smiles and hums 😀

Be Light-Hearted, My Dear

Heart should be as light as a swaying feather to enjoy life with only feel good no matter what.

In Javanese someone with heavy heart is called mbentoyong which literally means “bent and almost broken by the heavy loads”, it is associated with a tree whose branches are bent and almost broken because of heavy loads of ripened fruits”. This kind of person will not find happiness and joy in any point of one’s life; one will misunderstand alone with loneliness and so one will always find refuge among crowd; one is confused about one’s self; one will always refer to what others say about one as if their opinions are more important than one’s own. As long as one is not willing to unload the unnecessary burdens in heart, one will always be mbentoyong better and better and finally be a master of mbentoyong.

It is heavy. I know it is heavy. It is painful. I know it is painful. Be cured, dear heavy hearts whenever you feel heavy. Lightness of heart is a comfort even in discomfort. 🥰

I bless this heart which is light and swaying with the flow of clean river inside. Calm and witty and fun! Thank you for the feel good no matter what. Not easy but doable—

Salaam.

💗

“let’s go to Turkey, Rijk” my best friend texted me last week; “why not, Mbak” said i light-heartedly — it’s time for Konya 💗

Romance

Romance is a dimmed space under a dome bedazzled with glowing stars.

—

dear glowing stars, let’s celebrate this light warm heart…. dear clean sky, keep being a space for this light warm heart…. dear centred earth, hug this light warm heart in a serene mood forever

Love Eat or Love Pray? 🥰 (sharing)

Learning, Map It!

I can’t know anymore what makes this area special for me, whether the Masjid Sultan or Wardah Books or two favourite restaurants here. Anyway at least two are in must-visit list at the same time. After visiting Masjid Sultan to submit charity from my fellow Indonesian, today’s preferred was Hokkaido (halal) ramen as Wardah Books was closed and the Turkish restaurant was too crowded — I don’t like crowded restaurant.

FYI, Masjid Sultan is surrounded by hundreds of restaurants and shops; it is an equivalent with old-time mosque which was always built around market place in order for people to reach it in no time.

When I meet friends in this area, it is either with a statement “let’s meet up at the mosque” or “meet at *** restaurant” or “Wardah Books this time?”. There is one question that my friends and I like to ask each other as either teaser or respect: “eating 1st or praying*) 1st?” The answer?

*) praying here is not a flash pray before starting activities  like simply saying “In the name of The Gracious and The Merciful” but praying is around 5-10 minutes protocol that is normally done by fellow Muslim.

Group #1 (religious friends, they can pray “forever”, wow!): Pray first. It is more important than anything including eating. We should prioritise God who has given us everything, others can wait. Don’t make God jealous.

Group #2 (rascals, will let you pray while they start eating): Eat first. God won’t force you to pray when you are hungry. Better you eat remembering that you will pray rather than you pray and your thought is wandering around all kinds of food.

Group #3 (clown, bitter that makes all chatters jokers): Don’t ask me, I am fasting everyday because of having no food at all and so I don’t pray because I have nothing to thank for.

Group #4 (good jugglers, like Group #3 but to the next level): Why so picky? Can’t we do both at the same time? You can choose at the mosque or in the restaurant!

Some jokes are actually dead serious that the way people respond can either be considered as intelligence or harassment or abuse rather than as just fun. Yet I share mine as part of showing how religious comedy exists among Javanese Muslims (there are way more that I will never share publicly to avoid misunderstanding and misinterpretation); no harassment or abuse whatsoever. I even see philosophy in many if not all jokes. 😝

Ah! Life is so rich, why feel no good just because of one point of view?

Salaam.

About Masjid Sultan or Sultan Mosque

more than just a bookstore; my Arabic class was here by then

About Wardah Books

About ICHIKOKUDO

this is how Hokkaido (halal) ramen looks – eater can select ramen with light-consistency broth that’s why I like it yet the presentation is not up to my expectation: messy kelp, wet spoon, no wet tissue 😌

Sweetly Smile

Get home, sweetly smile seeing beauty greets softly. How are you, my love?

—

The Right Pink

Learning, Poetic, This Person

The rose apple is pink enough to be harvested. It’s the right time.

—

waiting for the flight home, once again looked at the pink Lucy and once again blessed this key ring “will definitely be suddenly Lucy Van Pelt to the snobbish and to the arrogant” 😇

About Lucy Van Pelt

They Call It This, I Call It That

Or I call it this, they call it that. It is it. Pronouns that fool around—

Some know, like telling. Some know, don’t tell enjoying the fun of knowing—

Some names are easy. Some are hard. All refer to one uttered many.

Some are fooled with words, some with views, lots with both. Few are clear with both

Which one is called a blessing? Ah…. Choose a door and say your oath.

Salaam.

—

they call it red anthurium, i call it anthurium

they call it golden shower orchids, i call it oncidium

they call it layered yellow alamanda, i call it alamanda

they call it fragrant orchids, i call it orchids

they call it patterned pink rose, i call it rose

Travelers


We are all
Full time travelers
Visiting space of everywhere
Staying in faraway nowhere

Oh, Beloved.
Listen to the whooshing comets
Telling you flash news
About your singing heart.

Oh, Beloved.
Look at the satellites
Showing you hopes and vibes
About your cheering head.

We are all
Full time travelers
Finding space called a home
Among houses that were loomed.

Found!
After lost—

Thank you, Love.

—

Super Charged

Learning, Map It!, Poetic, Those People

Super charged young boys can beat super charged old champs just with light laughter.

—

two boys joined our group to go river-rafting

while the adults were resting after 1-hour rafting before the next 1-hour, these boys were playing

only one succeeded 😂 the other fell down on to the boat soft floor of the swift waves in Ayung River 😀

Busy Faking

How busy you are
Both
Covering
What should not
Be covered.

I am watching
Merrily
With a sweet smile
From
My sweet heart.

If it is true,
Show the world
With no shame,
No pretension.
Or else….

You both
Live in fake
False life
Full with false
Fake smiles.

How busy you are
Both showing me
Only me
While hiding
From most of the world.

—

Shadow

A shadow haunts me.
How peaceful and safe knowing
One’s walking nearby.

—

it’s chicken and egg, who’s shadowing whom? me or you

Fastfood

Life pace gets faster,
Food follows the same pattern.
Time and space collide.

—

My nephews always want fast food. They said it is good and fast. On the contrary I am not a big fan of fast food. So we always go to fast food restaurants first for them to eat then they’ll drive me to local restaurants for mine.

It takes longer time but giving fair treatment to all fellow travelers are the right thing to do.

Salaam.

😘

*urap* Bali 💝 is more greasy compared to *urap* Jawa, both are superb!

*sate lilit* is Balinese special skewer; the stick should be lemongrass

*balado terong* – not so good in the most recent restaurant but still better than French fries 😄

Old Bone

Old bone works so hard
To chase young heart. Worth doing
For meaningful life—

—

that’s not alcohol, that’s green melon flavour syrup 😀 my two brothers could get mad at me if I feed them the R-OH substances 😊

they rock! i now be a careful rider 🙃 “where’s your young bone, Mbak?!” 😂

Morning

Learning, Map It!

Morning gives her vibe with fragrance of dews to start a day that is bright.

—

our view is a small *pura* (Balinese Hindu temple) for the surrounding villagers at Dedari river bank to pray when they are nearby and a bit far from their houses

Sky’s Blessing in Uluwatu

Learning, love, Poetic

Rain is a blessing
From the sky before starting
Journey to the north.

—

Me: Boys, the rain seem to stay heavy. Boys, are you ok?

Nephews: Yes, it is fun! We just want to pee again!

Me: Don’t pee on your pants ya.

What a conversation!

heavy rain + heavy wind the whole day which only stopped right before until almost after Tari Kecak show, hundreds of human beings from different parts of the globe experienced the same happening that might result in different memories— a nostalgic one with these boys, splashing our bodies and bags in hugs with blessing sky water 🥰

the start of show, the blessing water took a break

in Javanese and Balinese tradition Rama and Sinta is a couple adopted to depict true love — in my opinion, no! I think it was boring to be a wife of a great (almost) perfect king so Sinta purposely put Rama in a love trial to test his love by letting herself be in a kidnap trial without fighting back against the kidnapper and all its drama 😄

Rahwana came in his own *buta* (giant) form to kidnap Sinta and he failed

Sinta was kidnapped by an old weak polite beggar who was actually Rahwana

Jatayu, the bird that visited Sinta in Alengka’s palace

Anoman Obong — in Javanese and Balinese culture Anoman is considered a monkey demigod who is very very very old butq energetic in moves and young in heart 💗 fyi, “Anoman Obong” scene should be with sunset background in normal weather 💗

almost the end of show, restart of blessing water from the sky

I Left

I left my flowers behind a closed door to be beautiful stories.

—

home alone and still continuously blooming; when I am home, they will be a history of blooming flowers left behind a closed door — employ some adjectives to make a factual history an extraordinary story 💝

Challenge

Being young in heart is a challenge for those who goes aging sweetly.

—

Traveling with those adventurous always energises me. Otherwise, I prefer (mostly) traveling alone so I can do whatever crazy as I wish.

Enjoying Bali with these two young human beings bring the 5-years-ago me who would move around as if having high power unlimitedly charged. After hibernating because of the dear virus, I want to have my young fun again with my nephews like I did the same fun with myself back then.

Let’s have fun go mad, my dear boys!

Remember, boys! You can smoke cigarette. You can vape. But you can’t alcohol. 😃

💝

nephews = protectors? no, annoying boys 😘 waiting for the rental car — my official driver and navigator

Gliding

She’s riding the wave
To the North Star. She’s gliding,
Conquering her wills.

—

Love Rain (haiku for lunch)

How she loves pink rain!
Glistening in the blue sky
Swaying to the earth—

—

rain colour is pink 🙄 if you wear pink glasses 🤭

Heaven on Earth

Smile’s heaven on earth—
Circulating joy. Taste it.
An eternity—

—

*pempek* (deep fried fish cake) Palembang – love it, love it! no time to make, bought it in Indo Express 💝 trust me it’s heaven on earth

About pempek Palembang, click here.

Missing You

Missing you, dear you who might not realise that you’re you who’s dearly missed.

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“oncom” in grated cassava (*oncom di jero = combro*), Sundanese deep fried snack that in Singapore is only available in Indo Express — not a best *combro* but a perfect one when homesick

Moon to Cat

Hey, Cat. You smile cute, calming the mood. Wave to me. I am wholly yours.

Hey, Moon. You shine bright, showering the night. Greet me. My paws are all yours.

—

A Cake