[Bahasa Indonesia]
I felt so tired today at the office. I thought I was going to be ill. All I wanted was to go home and meet my family. Then I went home. The drive home was slow. Yet I felt better, bit by bit.
I got home. And somehow, relieved. Like a huge weight has been llifted up from my shoulder. I chatted with my family. We laughed. We had dinner.
It is good to be home. Good to have a place we can call home. Thank You.
I have just returned from a five day yoga 'retreat' with Ann Barros. One of the nicest short getaway I have ever had.
I just want to say that at the moment. Will write a bit more later. First thing first. Reading Harry Potter.
[Bahasa Indonesia]
A friend of friend was working his b*tt off. He stayed at the office until late night after night. One day he sms-ed his manager, "I am so tired". He SMS-ed twice. He went home. Late. Again.
The next thing they heard about him was that he had passed away. Makes you wonder doesn't it? Is it all really worth it? Let's see..
[Bahasa Indonesia]
My friends (let’s say a male, “he”) is quite well off. An advantage that leads to dilema. An advantage that are often misused, abused, by other people.
People then think of him as a source of unending wealth. There are always ‘friends’, family, relatives who come to him to borrow or ask for money. With various reasons/excuses. Illness. School tuition for the children. Pay the rent. Payment for other debts (with interests). Opening a business.
When this happens, my friend is always confused, should he help? Not that he is a scrooge, he is just uncertain. How does he know that that person is honest and not playing around with him? What's with the excuses? Especially when it is not the first time that that person comes to him.
I understand the confusion. I too am unsure. Should he help?
[Bahasa Indonesia]
I always love to hear my friends’ dreams. I do believe that everything starts from a dream. But we cannot stop there. Let's turn them into objectives, targets and think of ways to achieve them.
That is why every time a person told me about his/her dream, I tend to say, “That’s great. Make it real.” Sometimes I think I have more faith in them than themselves.
Life often make us afraid to dream. We choose to make “pragmatic” decisions, with all the “logical” reasons. We end up with status quo, although not without eruptions of complains here and there. Useless.
Then my brain starts to think of ways to help turn the dreams into reality. By giving ideas, or finding people who might be able to help.
A friend wants to open a coffee shop. Let’s do it. Establish a spiritual healing center out of town. Ok. Similar center in the city. Sure. Initiate a movement that reminds us of forgotten social values. That sounds great.
Have a tuition-free school. With pleasure. Establish a company that helps other companies improve their social activities. Cool. Become a writer. Why not? (Yes, I am talking about you). One friend even wants to be a governor. That too, the country needs a person like him.
One is only limited by his/her dreams. So keep the dreams alive.
Start doing something. Anything.
I was attending a friend’s farewell party at a hotel. I was early, so I sat in the hotel lounge. Next to me was a group of people, cosmopolitan socialités. I could not help hearing their conversation.
They were talking about setting up a party. A real party from the sound of it. The rave music they want to use. The glitzy lighting. The avant garde decoration. The drinks. The food, or should I say hors d’oeuvres.
Wow. I did not realize how distant I am now to that life now. I could not remember the last time I attended that kind of party.
It is not that it is good or bad. It is just what it is. I have just realized how different my life is now. Moving on.
[Bahasa Indonesia]
Do you have a place where you can freely cry and pour your heart out without anybody making judgement about you? I do. Or at least I used to have one. The catholic churches.
If you see my ID card, I am not catholic. Yet I find this place welcoming. I used to come there often. At one time, everyday. Perhaps historically speaking, churches are safe havens. It is my safe haven. It used to be.
But here, now, where the religion is not exactly the majority's, where you feel like you know everybody (and they all know you), and where you know that people are sensitive with inter-religion practices, suddenly safe haven is not so safe anymore.
I miss that.
[Bahasa Indonesia]
Still continuing on the same topic. From another angle. When I arrived home, I turned on the TV. My mother said that a lot of people attended Taufik’s funeral. Praise the Lord. Such a huge amount of attention put on the passing of one Taufik Savalas.
As the TV show was over, I flicked to another TV channel, Metro TV. Headline News. A ship accident somewhere in the Eastern Indonesia. 120 passengers. They have found 30 so far, two died.
120 people went missing and most probably would not survive the accident. I wonder how much attention people would put on these 120 missing people. Or the 30 million people living below the poverty line in Indonesia.
[Bahasa Indonesia]
This morning people were taken back by the news that comedian Taufik Savalas has died from an accident. The guy was known for his sense of humor, kindness and humbleness. All comes from God and will eventually return to Him.
I was touched by all the impressions Taufik made among his friends – as his friends were interviewed by the TV channels. The sympathy that he had received was overwhelming and was obvious, judging by the TV and radio news coverage.
“He is not a big guy, but he is kind,” said Ulfa, one of his best friends. Patience and pleasing for everybody.
Pleasing for everybody. That was the topic of today’s radio talkshow. Looks like that is the message of the day for me.
The death of someone, anyone, always makes us think of our own death. What kind of impression will you leave behind among friends and family when you die?
[Bahasa Indonesia]
I have heard this many times. Too many. The problem is people seldom feel that they are rich enough, never enough. We are always too busy with 'other priorities' so they end up never doing any deeds for other people.
Back to the "being rich" issue. I think we all know that helping is not equal to money and, hence, no need to wait for us to be rich. I have just discussed this with another friend this afternoon. And I told her a story..
I have a friend named Prita. She likes to distribute meal for the homeless. Shec cooks it herself. It is more cost effective, and itjust makes it 'a total effort' for her.
One day her neighbor came to her. The neighbor is by no means rich. She (the neighbor) said, "I don't have much money, so I cannot chip in any money to this effort."
She added, sincerely, "But can I help cook and distribute the meal?"
It really does not need money. We can give our time and a hand. Or thoughts. Or intension. Or even a smile.
.start doing something. anything.
[Bahasa Indonesia]
Next week the school season starts again. Are your kids or nephews and nieces going back to school?
Now let me ask, are your maid's, driver's, security guard's, neighbor's, office janitor's kids going back to school as well? Have you asked?
Pic: Bu Sudan's Istiqon school.
.start doing something. anything.
I have just returned from a business trip in Semarang. It was a good trip. I have good friends in Semarang. It was a nice trip.
Pic: overlooking Simpang Lima, from the 7th Fl of Ciputra Hotel.
A lover has four streams inside,
of water, wine, honey, and milk.
Find those in yourself and pay no attention
to what so-and-so says about such-and-such.
The rose does not care
if someone calls it a thorn, or a jasmine.
Ordinary eyes categorize human beings.
That one is a Zoroastrian. This one a Muslim.
Walk instead with the other vision given you,
your first eyes. Bow to the essense
in human being. Do not be content
with judging people good and bad.
Grow out of that.
The great blessing is that Shams
has poured a strength into the ground
that lets us wait and trust the waiting.
Taken from p174 of Coleman Barks's A Year with Rumi.
-snif-
post script: I like the way he called "the other vision" our first eyes, instead of the third eye as we often refer to it. These eyes are indeed our first eyes, the ones we should use when we look at the world. The ones that see things as they are. As beautiful as they really are.
[Bahasa Indonesia]
We like to do things that we like, and not what He likes. We like to do our fasting, night prayers, but we keep hating, not giving to our people, and we keep lying. We like to make ourselves pretty yet we seldom clean up ourselves.
A hadits kudtsi said that (God says that): if a person trying to get close to me by doing what I like, I will like him back eventually. And when I like him, My sight becomes his, My hearing becomes his, My arms become what he use to reach out with, and My legs become what he use to walk with.
Thus, it is important to know what He likes. According to the Quran, two of his most favorite people are those who are:
- Just. The kind of justice that can make everybody happy.
- Kind, even to those who have done him wrong.
Complete note of this discussion (In Indonesian) can be downloaded from here.
Accept what can be accepted. Appreciate the difference among us. Each with her/his own’s needs and stage of growth.
[Bahasa Indonesia]
I am quoting a quote taken from Mbak Lita’s pages. The thread was originally posted by Ira Lathief in August 2006. The posting was titled “"Don't know what I've got until it's gone..."
It is in Indonesian, so allow me to translate it to English:
One and a half year ago, my mom passed away. There are so many things that I have not told her.
"Mom.. at last I have been accepted for a job. This is due to your prayer.”
“Mom.. here’s my first paycheck. I should give it all as a present to you.”
“Mom.. I will receive a bonus soon. When I receive it, let’s go on a trip.”
And, when the time comes, I will not be able to tell her..
“Mom.. meet my future husband.”
“Mom.. please give me your blessings, I want to get married.”
"Mom.. this is your grandchild, teach my how to be a great mother like you.”
A mother is like air to breathe to human life. It is so grand yet rarely we notice it, until it is gone.
Here’s to all the mothers in the world. Huge hugs, kisses and love to mine.
Postscript: I forwarded this to a friend. His response was “So, love ur mum, while she is still with you, Va.”
[Bahasa Indonesia]
Still from the interview with Yos Luhukay. A person is only limited by her dreams. How brave are we to dream? Perhaps the majority of us are being pragmatic, realistic. Trapped in our current condition.
Don’t be. Let’s start from the end. Try to imagine, have a vision, of what we want to achieve in certain stages of our lives, in terms of career, personal, family and spirituality. After that, back track to what we should do to achive it. What we should do now.
Does what we are doing right now support our vision? Decide on how long we should stay in our current place, what the end target in this place is.
These words have made me think. I can imagine what I want to be. I am questioning whether I have done enough to achieve it. Perhaps not.
I became sad. But sad is not what I should be. I should try. I should do my best. I should be what I want to become.
[Bahasa Indonesia]
A brilliant suggestion by Yos Luhukay, during an interview by Trijaya FM last Friday. Wherever you are, make yourself obsolete. Train your people to do what you do, so that you become obsolete (and thus are free to go your merry way whenever you want to).
I recently helped manage an event in my project. All I did was give a bit of suggestions here and there. The rest was my colleagues’ doing. I felt happy and proud to see the event went very well. I felt that I have become obsolete. And I felt happy.
-Perhaps now I can go my merry way. Perhaps I should. Second sign.-
[Bahasa Indonesia]
Last week my mom lost a close friend, Bu Zul. The last time I met Bu Zul was about a couple of weeks ago. My family (about 12 of us) had just had a family breakfast in a restaurant. Mom insisted we visited Ibu Zul, bringing her some pancakes from the restaurant.
Bu Zul was lying on her bed. She looked weaker than usual. I was a bit stunned. She looked.. Anyway, each of us kissed her by her cheeks. And to each, she gave us her prayers, different from one to another.
Still, the news came as a surprise somehow. The night before she still called some of her friends. At midnight, her sister called all her children to come to the house.
She had a fall out recently with one of her daughters, but they had reconciled. To her, she asked her forgiveness. The daughter said, “no mom, it was my mistake. I am the one who should apologize.”
Bu Zul asked her to recite a prayer. The daughter did and Bu Zul said amen to every phrase. Then Bu Zul recited her own prayer, in Javanese, and that was it. She passed a way. What a beautiful way to go.
May God grant her with peace and His light for the rest of her journey. Thank you for being such a good and loyal family friend.
[Pic: jasmine, her favourite flower. Taken from here.]
[Bahasa Indonesia]
Thanks, Han, for passing the torch of the Rockin’ Girl Blogger Award. Five females, in no particular order.
My first choice, is you ☺. Hanny with her berada di sini. I used to own a book titled “Write from the heart”. What I only read, Hanny has already done: writing from the bottom of her heart.
Second, same with Hanny’s, Mbak Lita with her precious moments. The blog is a mother’s dedication to her child. I seldom come across a blog that can make me shed a tear. I guess a mother’s love is really like no other. Precious.
Third, another Han(n)y. Suryatmaning Hany with her matahari dan bintang. All is fun and interesting. Life is easy and leisurely. Even fried banana sold by the small shop next door sounds so good if Hany says so. Nothing important yet so intriguing. Crazy girl.
Fourth, might not be accessible to all because it is in friendster. Anne’s Tequila shot for the soul. Can you guess what it is all about? Cool name. Cool pics. Cool girl.
Fifth (starting to do a little bit of thinking here), I would go for Dee. But not her serious blog. Dee as a contemplative figure needs no introduction. But Dee with her unessential thoughts, that is more interesting. Still a new blog but such a great idea. It shows you how many little jokes in life that you just pass by without even noticing, or enjoying, or giggling about. What a waste of entertaining opportunity.
Pass on the torch, girls. Keep blogging.
[Bahasa Indonesia]
Some things are worth promoting.
SENADA, a USAID-financed project on Indonesia’s competitiveness, has launched a 1,000,000 USD grant fund today for firms, institutions and organizations that have innovative ideas for a more competitive Indonesia.
Proposed innovations may be in the form of new products or services that add value or reduce costs, initiatives that capture or retain customers or provide new services, and an idea that creates a more business friendly environment.
No matter what innovation specifically is, it should benefit not only the grantee, but should also have a wider impact that will improve the competitiveness of its industry value chain.
Check out the SENADA Business Innovation Fund's website.
.start doing something. anything.
