Chipping in

Passing the torch: Rockin' girl blogger award

[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.

Grants for innovative business ideas

[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.

Kindness

[Bahasa Indonesia]

As usual I have this 'belief' that anything that happens to me, or passes by me, twice carries a message for me personally.

This week's word is: kindness.

That's all I can say right now. Kindness. I am still digesting what this message might mean.

Another day at the office

[Bahasa Indonesia]

It was not my best day yesterday at the office. Too many people missing too many deadlines. And some who did meet the deadline, submitted less than ideal quality of work.

There was even one point when I got a bit speechless. (me? speechless?). Instead of asking my favorite series of "why" questions, the only statement that came out of my mouth was "Oh for God's sake." Me stop asking questions, I supposed that is when you (and I) need to start worrying.

Time for a coffee break.

post script: The best moment yesterday was as I was leaving the office, that entertaining receptionist of mine was making her usual (or unusual) gesture of saying goodbye with her usual wide (a bit on a naughty side) smile. She probably did not realize how that has ended my day at the office on a high note.

The bestest moment however was when I went to my sis's new house last night after work and hanged around with my family. The most loving and lovable weird bunch of people. And always with good food.

The best sound in the world

A friend was talking about about picking up her seven years old daughter. "On the drive home," she said, "I reached her and tickled her bare leg. She laughed ... the best sound in the whole world!"

:)

How do you treat a person?

[Bahasa Indonesia]

How you talk about a person when that person is around is important.
How you talk about a person when that person is not around is more important.

How you treat your friends is important.
How you treat your enemies is more important.
(not to mention interesting).

Because that is what defines your characters.

Whatever you say about a person, you should be able to say the same thing to that person directly. If not, then consider yourself out of line.

Don’t say it is difficult to change. Don't give me the excuse that "it's human nature". It's a matter of practice. A matter of habit.

Arfan Pradiansyah. Trijaya FM. Earlier today.

PS: Thoughts lead on to purposes; purposes go forth in action; actions form habits; habits decide character; and character fixes our destiny.--Tryon Edwards

Sush

[Bahasa Indonesia]

What do you do when you know something that no other does? What do you do when (you know) you cannot tell anybody about it? You keep your mouth shut. Thank you for your trust. You.

But btw, Mr. Thich Nhat Hanh, I think I might need your refuge island of Sati, Smarti, and Panya.

Persona: Mbak Lina

[Bahasa Indonesia]

I love meeting inspiring people. I met one when last week: Mbak Lina my yoga instructor from Balance Yoga, Yogyakarta. She came across very humble, just like any rather young Javanese mother. But this impression quickly grew stronger as I was listening to her stories.

I shall just share one story with you. Her child has downsyndrome. She did not give up though. She kept her positiveness and went here and there to help her child grow.

The child did grow into a marvelous kid. But Mbak Lina did not stop there. She established a foundation to help other families with downsyndrome children.

She rightly put it that in cases like this, the key is the mother. It is the mother who will break or make the child. (Salute to all mothers, hugs and kisses to mine).

I told my friend about Mbak Lina. I told her that what crossed my mind was the fact, the realization, that I am nothing, still a long way to go, compared to Mbak Lina. My friend’s response was that she often felt that way with just about anybody. Slap Slap to me.

Silence

[Bahasa Indonesia]

I have this belief (or superstition) that if something happens or is spoken to me twice, especially when one occurrence happens right after the other, then it is a message to me, it is something I need to think of.

This week, it was the topic of pure silence. The inner silence.

On Thursday night, I was listening to a radio talk show that happened to discuss this inner silence. Then there was another conversation with my friends last night which brought up more or less the same topic.

Anyone who read my blog or know me would know that I am into spirituality, whatever the word may mean to you. So the topic of silence is nothing new, theoriticaly speaking. Practically speaking, my life has been, and is still, full of hustle and bustle.

I sent a question through the sms to the radio station. It came late in the hour, so they just rushed through reading it. The only respond that I had from the speaker was “that’s technical.”.

It was a perfect response. Probably I have been too hung up with technicallities, when I should have just let me be. In complete silence.

-Then off I went to search the word “silence” in google and wikipedia. Looks like I have a long way to go. -

A yoga weekend retreat at Losari

I went to Losari Coffee Plantation last weekend for a Yoga Weekend retreat arranged by Yogya-based Balance Yoga.

Wow. That was the first word that came out of my mouth when I first got there. Followed by a long sigh. Second word: HUNGRY. It was about 3pm and I had not had my lunch. And you know how I feel (and behave) during late lunch.

But then things just got better. This neat resort surrounded by eight volcanoes is just a perfect weekend getaway. In three phrases: great view, great activities, great friends.

Great view – imagine this: hectares and hectares of green spaces made of gardens and coffee plantation, ethnic village-type houses, blue clear swimming pool, with a view of eight volcanoes. All well maintained yet not over the top manicured. Enough said.

Great activities – The yoga sessions were great. But I have to admit the MASSAGE is better ☺. Chat with friends were great. The best thing to do, sometimes though, is NOTHING. Just sit there, breathe. Let nature exhibit its best entertainment.

Great friends – that open up, that just let me be how I want to be, that listen, talk and laugh together, and that share the same dream: how about making a spiritual healing center that embrace everybody and anybody (or in Anne Marie’s term: a spiritual supermarket).

I will hand over the floor to the pictures to describe the experience better.

Again. Wow. Followed by a long sigh.

Education and SMEs

[Bahasa Indonesia]

I remember passing by a riverbank one day, where all the small wooden huts reside. I asked my friend how we can eliminate them. He simply responded, by erradicating poverty. So true. How?

Education and SME development. I really truly believe those were the two things that will revive my country. Don’t ask me to give you the comprehensive logical argument on why I believe it, I just do.

Education. No further argument needed.

Small and medium enterprises. The majority of companies in Indonesia is considered to be a small or medium companies. The majority. Can you imagine if most of them grow? Can you imagine how strong the economy would be?

Again, how to do that?

The million dollar question. I will quote another friend when I asked him, “What can we do?” He said: just do what we can. Spot on, babe. You're thinking too much. Stop thinking, start doing.

What can we do? A lot of things. Look at the family of those who work for you. The office boy. The driver. The maid. The street hawker that pass by your house everyday.

Do you have time to spare, skills to share? Volunteer. Support any type of social activities around you, whichever you are comfortable with, does not really matter.

Do you like to write? Then for God’s sake start writing. Anywhere.

Do you have money? Donate. Give up those four cups of Starbuck's coffee a month and give the money to the needy instead.

Be a true professional at what you do, whatever it may be. No corruption. No complaints. If you are a consultant, consult well. If you are a business planner, plan it well. If you are a teller, count well. You have a job? Consider yourself lucky.

Smile and say hello to those who open the door for you, to those who clean up your desk, to those who take you to work, to those strangers whom you meet at the lift everyday.

If you can’t do all the above, at least please do not make the condition any worse. The signs are everywhere. What are you waiting for?

Start doing something. Anything.

What a nice weekend

[Bahasa Indonesia]

I was supposed to go with some friends. They cancelled on the last minute. I just said the usual “Oh well.” And I am off to Plan B: spending time with my best friends. I knew they just so happened to go to the same destination. What a ‘coincidence’.

[I’ll post our pics later]

“Aren’t you upset” some asked.

How can I complain, when my plan B was being with my best friends? Perhaps I should even thank those who had made the last minute cancelation of the trip.

What a nice weekend it turned out to be. Thank you.

Never ever "I don't know"

[Bahasa Indonesia]

I read this more than ten years ago in the Scottish's Daily Mail zodiac column. But the words stick in my mind even until now. It went something like this:

"For you the hardest word to say is not "sorry". It is "I don't know".

Not sure whether to laugh or to be offended by it. Hits right between the eyes. The oh-so-familiar statements of "Sure, I know", "Oh I know somebody who knows", or "I am not sure, but let me find out".

Things I do to make my life more complicated.

APRIL BABY

Suave and compromising. Funny and humorous. Stubborn. Very talkative. Calm and cool. Kind and sympathetic. Concerned and detailed. Loyal. Does work well with others. Very confident. Sensitive. Positive Attitude. Thinking generous. Good memory. Clever and knowledgeable. Loves to look for information. Able to cheer everyone up and/or make them laugh. Able to motivate oneself and others. Understanding. Fun to be around. Outgoing. Hyper. Bubbly personality. Secretive. Boy/girl crazy. Loves sports, music, leisure and travelling. Systematic. hot but has brains.

-from a chain email titled What baby are you?-

Hot but has brains. I like that ;)

Note: Mi'raj— 2nd and 3rd stage (By A. Chodjim)

[Bahasa Indonesia]

After discussing the Adam stage, which reflects our effort to dettach ourselves from the world, we are on the second stage.

During the mi’raj, on the second sky, Muhammad met Isa and Yahya. Yahya means life, while Isa is able to bring the dead back to life.

On the second stage, we learn how to—try to—put meaning to our life, and even give life to other people.

Several things that we can learn at this stage:
* Complete surrender to God.
* Not taking side, except to the Truth.
* Ability to face challenges.
* All are His.
* Free from material attachment.

Only by doing this we can start giving life to others. And only by going through this, we can enter the third stage: Yusuf; where we can see the beauty beyond the beauty.

There are seven things which reflect Yusuf (or Joseph)’s wisdom:
* See beauty beyond the beauty.
* Better to be in jail than to humiliate others.
* Choose to save a lot of people than just himself.
* Forgive and not hold grudges.
* Accept only tasks in which he is really capable of.
* Always talk kindly.
* Conduct religion in its purest way.

All these are processes. But we need to start. From ourselves. If not us, then who?

Only people who understand the meaning of life and give life to others (pass the Yahya and Isa stage) can see the beauty beyond the beauty (Yusuf stage); and only people who have passed the material life (Adam stage) that can give life to others.

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.

27 years of managing school for needy children

[Bahasa Indonesia]

These kind of people--people who actually dedicate their time, their life, for other people in need--have often put me to shame. And put my life back to perspective.

I have just visited a school managed by my mom’s friend, Ibu Su’dan. She and her late husband established the school in 1980 under the name Ittiqon Foundation for needy children in North Jakarta.

They started with less than 10 students in old wooden house. They literally had to visit the houses in surrounding area and asked parents to let their children go to school. “What’s the use, they will end up being a garbage collector, like me,” they said.

Twenty seven years have passed (My God, twenty seven years!). Now 800 elementary and junior high school students go to that school. For free. Some students who want to pay are a allowed to pay at will. Some students actually save their money to pay for the school as best as they can.

Forty-two amazing noble people teach in the school, with ‘salary’ way below the minimum regional wage. They even cook for the students, if need be. The head of the school once stated that they were free to leave if they wanted to look for better job, but they said they liked it there.

On rare occasions, the students receive milk, rice or even cheese bread. Ibu Sudan said that some never had tasted cheese before and they threw it away because they said it was salty. The milk gave them indigestion at first because they were not used to it.

I was so proud to hear that a student from the school was in the top five best score for final exam among all students in North Jakarta.

Some graduates from the school receive diploma scholarship from UIN Syarif Hidayatullah. Upon receiving the diploma, they return to the school and teach. A full beautiful cycle has been accomplished.

Now the school has just finished building two more classes. They are about to receive support from an organization to build 15 more classes with . Yet there are a lot to be done.

Here’s my wish list:

Weekly milk or some sort of nourishment.
Regular health check up.
Book or educational tool supplies.
Better wage for the teachers.
Occasional bonuses for the teachers.
Better school building.
And that these children will grow to be greater people, more than you or me.

Any one?

start doing something. anything.

Note: Mi'raj--the first stage (A. Chodjim)

[Bahasa Indonesia]

Mi’raj has often been discussed as a journey that Muhammad has taken from Jerusalem to the seven layers of sky. In each layer of sky (do we call it heaven?), Muhammad met different prophet.

Rarely the mi’raj has been discussed in its more esoteric meaning, as implementation in human life, despite the fact that it is actually a journey to God. The seven heavens are the stages that we need to go through.

In the first heaven, there was Adam. In Arabic, Adam means soil, or earth. It represents the attachment we have with this physical world.

To pass this stage, we need to realize how this attachment has hampered our journey as human. This would is just a facility for us to grow. Happiness does not come from outside; it grows from within.

Hopefully we realize this without we come face to face with death. And we hope we can continue our journey to the next stage.

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.

Signs

[Bahasa Indonesia]

Do you believe in subtle signs we receive from nature? I do.

When I went home last night, I was listening to a radio talkshow. The topic was "Time to quit your job." Nice topic for the state that I was in. So I thought, hm.

I kept listening to the show. At the very end, at the closing of the talkshow, the announcer said "but if you hold on and stay throughout the thicks and thins of your company, then it would be good for you(r portfolio)."

Hm. Things you learn when you stay (tune) until the end.

Thanks. Friends.

[Bahasa Indonesia]

Yesterday a friend (and a mentor) emailed me to respond to my previous thread. She said, "Have a nice cup of coffee, put on your ipod while watching people passing you by. Life is beautiful." Thank you.

Another friend whom I often confide to asked, "When was the last time you sat down with a friend and poured your heart out?". Good question. I cannot remember. That is just not how things work for me now.

She suggested, "Why don't you have a cup of coffee with your close friend(s) and do that?" She did not realize, in my mind, that was what I was doing with her.

That evening I decided to do what I had not done for a long time. My 11pm nightly appointment with You. I prayed. I confided. For a short while. As I walked out of the room, my cat rushed in and laid down on my prayer mat. So I sat down again. And I meditated. This time for a longer while.

Today is weekend. I am off to yet another forgotten ritual of mine. Saturday's breakfast at a nearby coffeeshop, with only myself, my books and some passer-bys (how do you spell this word btw) as companies.

Thank you. All of you.

And to You: I did not realize how much I have missed my conversation with You. I should have come to You sooner. A lot sooner. Every second of my life. I am so sorry. But I am here now. And I hope You let me, You help me, be here all the time from now on.

Tired

I wish I have something wise to say. I wish I have more contemplative words to convey. I wish I have something positive to tell. But I don't. Not now. I am just simply plainly tired.

There are times when you start wondering what is around the corner. There are times when you start looking for that silver lining in every cloud, any cloud. There are times when you ask yourself which way to go. Or start questioning why, how. My time is now.

I know I am blessed. I know I am so so so lucky. I know things are just the way it should be, the way it needs to be. Life is one great big plan to improve oneself. But what I know and what I feel can be two different things.

And I feel this to my bones. I am just simply plainly tired. Help.

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