Bluntly Fresh Morning Overture

Island Getaway Unsung: Tidung

2012-01-12T01:04:00.002+07:00

"Hey, let's have a beach getaway!"

"Sounds great. Where to?"

"Jakarta!"

I was about to strangle my friend who proposed this idea, but then it hit me. Jakarta is not all about an over-crowded, over-polluted city. Jakarta is also about the high criminal rate and endless floo... err, that's not it. What I was trying to say is that Jakarta also has Kepulauan Seribu (Thousand Islands) under its administration. The chain of islands are located north of Jakarta's shoreline and they have a lot to offer.

So after a long time of preparation, me and my friends went to Pulau Tidung, one of the islands in Kepulauan Seribu. We left from Bandung only a few hours after midnight, and we arrived in Jakarta really early in the morning. To take the ship that would take us to Pulau Tidung, we went to the pier in Muara Angke. OK, so the place smelled bad (it's a fish market, d'oh). But I was just glad that the place didn't really live up to its name (Muara Angke = carcass estuary).

Hm, something smells. Oh, it's Muara Angke in the morning

Sardines ready to leave for Tidung

I seriously thought that the ship carried more people than it can handle, we were all packed like sardines. But since I was with friends it wasn't so bad. We arrived on the island after approximately 2.5 hours, just like what people told us. I was feeling a bit under the weather at that time, but the promise of an enjoyable vacation gave me strength. White sandy beach and clear blue water, just what the doctor ordered!

After we've finished unpacking in our homestay, there were some funny moments as we tried to get familiar with our rented bicycles. God, when was the last time I rode a bicycle? But somehow we managed, and that afternoon the residents of Pulau Tidung saw six city geezers on their bikes going to the beach. From there, we took a boat to Pulau Ayer to do some snorkeling.

Sore eyes and sea water, perfect!

It was really a wonder to see the coral reefs teeming with all sort of underwater creatures in the shallow waters of Pulau Ayer. The clear water didn't hide anything, the fish went about just like they didn't care about us being there. Lucky for us, we have some pictures of our visit to the underwater garden courtesy of Phebe's camera. After a satisfying session of snorkeling, we went back to Pulau Tidung.

The fish didn't run away when they saw us. Maybe because we smelled fishy?

There were various activities offered on the beach, we chose banana boat and canoeing. The banana boat ride turned out to be a so-so experience, but I somehow enjoyed canoeing. Yes, me. The lazy bum who hated sports. I might regret writing this in the future, but let's leave it at that for the moment.

Going bananas... nah, not really

Of course, there was also the legendary Jembatan Cinta (Love Bridge) that connects Pulau Tidung Besar (Big Tidung Island) and Pulau Tidung Kecil (Small Tidung Island). Did I jump off of it? Oh yes, I did! I even have a video to prove it. But I haven't got anything out of it yet. Aren't I supposed to meet the love of my life by now? What? Wrong legend?

Can you see the Love Bridge in the distance?

Ah, yes. I was expecting the food to be expensive, as usually they have the tendency to rip you off in touristy areas. But in Pulau Tidung, the price range was normal and the people were friendly. I remember thinking, "There's nothing 'Jakarta' about this place!"

All in all, it was a nice experience in Pulau Tidung. Despite all my aversion to the capital, I'm convinced that you can actually go to Jakarta for a vacation. The trick is; don't actually go to Jakarta. Ha.

Only in Indonesia: Iftar for Idiots

2011-08-26T16:59:00.000+07:00

As Ramadan will soon be drawing to an end, I'd like to share a story about Ramadan in my country. In Indonesia, Ramadan is the time to make rooms in your agenda for having iftar (breaking of the fast) together with friends and colleagues. Even if you are not Muslims and not fasting, you'll find yourselves with iftar invitations. Something that most Indonesians wouldn't want to miss since it's a perfect time to meet old friends or just to have those moments of bonding with your colleagues.

This story is about a friend of mine. He already has it written in his blog, but I think he wouldn't mind me making an English version of it (right, Tom-tom?). So let's just get started!

Once upon a time, there was this handsome ~~sex~~ sales executive. He was working on his daily chores when he received a call from a friend of his. Here's an excerpt of their conversation (real names withheld):
Ruhut Sitompul: Yo-yo-yo, Gie. Whaddup?
Kwik Kian Gie: My man, Ruhut! How about having iftar together this evening?
Ruhut Sitompul: Sounds terrific! I'm in!
Kwik Kian Gie: Kewl! Let me contact some of our friends.
Ruhut Sitompul: See you later, alligator!

*You think this conversation's lame? Wait until you meet the actual person. He's so lame, he makes Carrot Top look cool. Kidding! He's an awesome kid.*

To make a long story short, all of the invitees arrived at the designated eatery. After carefully inspecting all of his friends, Ruhut Sitompul came to a conclusion. "None of us here are really fasting huh, Gie?"

Wishing you all a Happy Eid-ul-Fitr 2011! Selamat Hari Raya Idul Fitri 1432H, Mohon Maaf Lahir dan Batin! Taqabalallahu Minna Wa Minkum, Shiyamana Wa Shiyamakum, Kullu'aalamin Wa Antum Bikhair...

Ullen Sentalu: A Homage to the Women of the Javanese Courts

2011-07-14T14:35:00.010+07:00

In the golden era of Indonesia's history when mighty empires flourished, Javanese women could be everything they wanted to be. High priestesses, admirals, governors, and even queens. Hell, they could even be swashbuckling maniacs ransacking foreign ships every other Sunday if they really wanted to. A few centuries ago, however, things changed for the worse for them. With the advent of Islam, women no longer have the right to ascend to the throne. As time goes by, more and more of their roles have been put aside, and now the idea of a Javanese woman is one who is docile and obedient. Javanese women are described as "konco wingking" which is Javanese for "a friend who walks right behind you," something that the society have become accustomed to.

Indeed it was a hard time for Javanese women. It was even worse for the women of courts. At least the commoners had their own freedom, their girls are free to make friends and even meet boys. Sounds a lot like your high school? That was the reality, even though their life was hard, at least they were free. The women of the courts had to follow strict rules that made them suffered even more. Sure, as noblewomen they had some access to education, they could even immerse themselves in art. Several royal batik motifs and court dances are believed to be created by women. Unfortunately, everything they created had to be attributed to the ruler and their names remained unknown. That's a really bright concept, isn't it. Just leave it to a delusional man to lead the people, no wonder these courts weren't very successful with the Western colonialists. In the end, you can not hide true beauty, even if you really try hard to. In most museums in Yogyakarta, the sultan is the focus and the women around him are all but ignored. It's like everybody is conspiring to feed his huge ego. But one particular museum in Yogyakarta takes you to the world behind the centuries-old veil to expose the true source of the light, the world of the women of the Javanese courts.

Ullen Sentalu stands for ulating blencong sejatining tataraning lumaku (Javanese: the light of the lamp is the light of the life). Located in Kaliurang Village, on the slopes of Mount Merapi, the museum blends in harmony with nature. The building which is built with natural stones is sheltered by trees, creating a serene atmosphere. Walk in cool shades of the trees as you go through lush gardens and courtyards. The museum's surrounding is inviting as it is, but the real attraction lies underground. The friendly and hospitable (and not to forget; English-speaking) guide will take you to Guwo Selo Giri, a fascinating stone labyrinth that kept the most inspiring tales of the princesses of the Mataram kingdom. There are sad stories, but there are happy ones as well. The women were repressed, but in no way they were silent observers. With their subtle whispers from the background, the women influenced the most important decisions made by the courts. Strong figures fought for what they believed in, resisting petty and old-fangled customs. After all, they might walk behind you. But that's a very strategical position. They drive you to a promised land, or they could shove you to the deepest demise.

This is an adventure which takes you to the past, which gives you a perspective on the present and the future. Women are the most important part of our society, the success of any nation depends on the roles of the women. Adults should come to educate themselves, and you should also take your children here to introduce them to local wisdom. Needless to say, a visit to this museum is a must when you're in Yogyakarta.

Adopt Your Own Tree

2011-07-14T12:02:00.001+07:00

With only Rp.50,000, you can adopt your own tree. You can even plant it yourself, like what we did a couple of months ago. My friends and I took a train from Bandung to Cicalengka. For a a very cheap fare (only Rp.5,000), the train is quite decent. Unfortunately, I can't say the same thing about the passengers. From Cicalengka we had to continue by a pickup truck to reach the Mt. Masigit Conversation Area. The ride was kinda bumpy, but it really paid off when we reached the conservation area. We absorbed the beautiful green scenery surrounding us for a moment, and then we're off to become tree guardians.

Why do they call it "tree guardians"? Apparently, the process is a bit like adopting your own child. The trees that we plant will become ours. We reserve the right to name them, we can even create our own mini-forests if we plant numerous trees. We will get our tree guardian certificates and you will act as foster parents for the trees you planted, even though in reality it's the residents of the area who will take care of them. Imagine, with only Rp.50,000 you'll get your own seed and it will be taken care of for the rest of its life! If the tree dies, we are entitled to ask for a replacement with the same species and age with the previous one.

There was this sense of satisfaction after we planted the trees. We felt like we were actually doing something for Mother Earth, when in fact what we did was leaving our "children" to total strangers hahahaha... But this is actually a part of the program. By involving the locals, the guys at the Mt. Masigit Conservation Area hope that they can be more successful in saving the area from deforestation.

Aside from the tree-planting, we also had fun feeding the deers and exploring the river with canoes. They also have some tree-houses that we can rent. You can spend the night there for only Rp. 150,000. The house is pretty cozy, and it got the most important thing in the world: a bathroom with proper plumbing. There was also this flying-fox, but we didn't have the time to try it out since we had to catch the last train to Bandung.
Overall, it has been a wonderful experience. We're definitely going to go back to visit our "children"! Maybe next time you can join us to play our small part in caring for the Earth. Remember, we have only one Earth. So we better care for it if we don't want to lose it!

Special thanks to Imoel, Yosef, and Fitri for the wonderful pictures!

Fantastic 4? What About Fantastic 1, 2, and 3?

2011-07-13T18:58:00.000+07:00

My high school friends are so cool. Although we've left high school for like millions of light years ago, but each time meet it's always exciting and we feel like teenagers again (read: shameful), and for some reason, there is always a story to tell.

One of them is as follows (their real names are hidden to respect their so-called private life):

Michael "lipstick" Jackson: Let's watch something!
Catwoman: Hmmm, what should we watch?
Michael "lipstick" Jackson: How about Fantastic 4?
Catwoman: Oh, but I haven't watched Fantastic 1, 2, and 3.
(Note: This is a true story, honest!)

The story immediately spread to our other friends all over Indonesia. And of course as a good friend I felt the obligation to tell this story with great enthusiasm to practically anyone in every opportunity.

Actually this is an old story really (just imagine, the Fantastic Four was still in). But it suddenly came to our attention again, when a friend of mine in Jakarta suddenly sent me a message on facebook. She told me that she heard the same story which was broadcasted by Jakarta's Radio Gen FM. "How to tell if your friend is socially backward" was the name of the show.

Having consulted with others, we finally decided: There's no way you can find anyone else in this world who's as weird as our friend, and that story that was broadcasted by the radio was hers. If our assumption is right, isn't it a small world after all?

Marriage: Natural or Artificial?

2011-07-13T18:36:00.001+07:00

I've just read an interesting article from a link given by my Ms. Raden that makes me want to write. I have the urge to write it even more when I heard a friend of mine who fell sick because of the stress after being asked the same question over and over again by her parents.

Unfortunately I also feel kind of weary, and I do not have the right mood to make a proper writing good my blog. So for now I am just going to write just to share my thoughts with some friends. About what, you ask? About marriage.

What's up with marriage, anyway? Clearly, back in pre-historic time human did not have this weird thing called "marriage". If you liked someone, you could just cut to the chase and have your way in an instance. After done with your business, you could each continue with your own lives. If a woman was pregnant and eventually gave birth to a child, the only bond the child has was with the mother. In this way, women became a central figure for her descendants.

But then one day men suspected that they had a role in the phenomenon of proliferation. This arouse the desire to claim their descendants. At one point during the ancient civilizations such as Mesopotamia, men increasingly asserted their power by forming an institution where men can pay an amount of dowry and provide for women's lives, and in return they get an exclusive sexual access.

So the idea of a marriage according to the major religions in the world today is nothing new at all. Centuries before, there were already various arrangements to restrict women so they won't be "mischievous", daughters to be always under the authority of their fathers and wives must obey their husbands. If the women resisted and rebelled, they will be given the label of "prostitute" and thus considered to be vile.

Whatever the reason (social, emotional, economic, spiritual, religious, legal, etc.), even people in the most modern societies these days are still being pressured to marry and start a household. Actually there is nothing wrong with it all. The problem is when for some reason people still have to fuss about marriage. Many have become extremely intolerant, condemning, and judgmental to other people who have the kinds of relationship that does not fit the norm that they believed in themselves. Yet the forms of marriage that they believed in are something that is subject to relativity , something that might have a parallel nature in many communities today but to consider it universal would be exaggerating.

If recently some people in Indonesia insisted on maintaining unregistered marriage or polygamy (or rather polygyny, one husband with multiple wives), I wonder if they can also accept the fact that there are a group of people in a not-so-distant part of the world that embrace polyandry (one wife with many husbands), or other group of people that allow women and men to mingle outside of wedlock?

Women of Mosuo ethnic group (PRC) has a very important role in their society. Couples in this tribe are not bound in wedlock. Every woman who are considered to be of age are allowed to have a separate room in her house in which she can let her lover come and visit at any given time. If the girl ever feel bored, all she had to do was to close the door and her lover would stop visiting. If a child was born out of this relationship, then the child would become a part of the mother's family and inherited his/her mother's family name.

And then there is another ethnic group named Nyinba Tribe that lived in southwestern Nepal. This tribe practice polyandry in which a woman can marry not just a man, but also his brothers.

The conclusion? What was the reason for me to write this lengthy note? There is no special reason, really. I just wanted to remind my dear friends who may be feeling pressured by society or family, that although it has become a solid institution for a long time, in the end marriage is just another manmade concept. As other manmade objects, these institutions are not perfect and they might not be suitable for everyone. Like any other human creation, these institutions can bring good and bad. I would like to remind also, that there are many ways and methods to establish a meaningful relationship. Just because something has become a custom for most people, it does not mean we should mindlessly concur just like that, just because we thought that we won't be happy if we don't follow them through.

But that does not mean I want you to stone pro-marriage people to death either! I just want to implore to you to seek your own happiness, your own way :)

Perempuan

2011-07-13T18:28:00.001+07:00

Kisah ini ditulis oleh Tasaro GK, penulis novel bestseller “Galaksi
Kinanthi”, ketua FLP Jawa Barat saat ini. Semoga kita bisa mengambil kebaikan dari cerita ini. Terima kasih kepada Sdr Lubis yang telah berbagi kisah ini kepada saya.

Di mana lagi aku temui perempuan semacammu?
Tilawahmu tidaklah terlalu merdu, keimananmu pun seolah bersandar
kepadaku.
Tapi, di mana lagi aku temui perempuan seikhlasmu?
Wajahmu tak cantik melulu, masakanmu pun tidak lezat selalu.
Tapi, katakan kepadaku, di mana lagi aku jumpai perempuan seperkasamu?
Kau bahkan tidak biasa berbicara mewakili dirimu sendiri, dan acapkali
menyampaikan isi hatimu dalam bahasa yang tak berkata-kata.

Demi Tuhan, tapi aku benar-benar tidak tahu, ke mana lagi aku cari
perempuan seinspiratif dirimu?
Ingatkah lima tahun lalu aku hanya memberimu selingkar cincin 3 gram
yang engkau pilih sendirian? Tidak ada yang spektakuler pada awal
penyatuan kita dulu. Hanya itu. Karena aku memang tidak punya apa-apa.
Ah, bagaimana bisa aku menemukan perempuan lain sepertimu?

Aku tidak akan melupakan amplop-amplop lusuhmu, menyimpan lembaran
ribuan yang kausiapkan untuk belanja satu bulan. Dua ribu per hari.
Sudah kauhitung dengan cermat. Berapa rupiah untuk minyak tanah, tempe,
cabe, dan sawi. Ingatkah, Sayang? Dulu kita begitu akrab dengan racikan
menu itu. Setiap hari. Sekarang aku mulai merasa, itulah masa paling
indah sepanjang pernikahan kita.

Lepas maghrib aku pulang, berkeringat sebadan, dan kaumenyambutku dengan
tenang. Segelas air putih, makan malam: tempe, sambal, dan lalap sawi.
Kita bahagia. Sangat bahagia…..

Aku bercerita, seharian ada apa di tempat kerja. Kau memijiti punggungku
dengan jemarimu yang lemah tapi digdaya. Kau lalu bercerita tentang
tingkah anak-anak tetangga… Kala itu kita begitu menginginkan
hadirnya buah cinta yang namanya pun telah kusiapkan sejak
bertahun-tahun sebelumnya.
Kita tidak pernah berhenti berharap, kan, Honey?
Dua kali engkau menahan tangismu di ruang dokter saat kandunganmu mesti
digugurkan. Aku menyiapkan dadaku untuk kepalamu, lalu membisikkan
kata-kata sebisaku, "tidak apa-apa. Nanti kita coba lagi. Tidak
apa-apa."

Di atas angkot, sepulang dari dokter, kita sama-sama menangis, tanpa
isak, dan menatap arah yang berlawanan. Tapi, masih saja kukatakan
kepadamu, "Tidak apa-apa, Sayang. Tidak apa-apa. Kita masih
muda." Engkau tahu betapa lukanya aku. Namun, aku sangat tahu,
lukamu berkali lipat lebih menganga dibanding yang kupunya. Engkau
selalu bisa segera tersenyum setelah merasakan sakit yang mengaduk
perutmu, saat calon bayi kita dikeluarkan. Kaumemintaku menguburkannya
di depan rumah kita yang sepetak. "Yang dalam, Kang. Biar nggak
digali anjing."
Jadi, ke mana aku bisa mencari perempuan sekuat dirimu?

Kaupasti tak pernah tahu, ketika suatu petang, sewaktu aku masih di
tempat kerja, hampir merembes air mataku ketika kauberitahu. "Kang,
Mimi ke Ujung Berung, jual cincin." Cincin yang mana lagi? Engkau
sedang membicarakan cincin kawinmu, Sayang. Yang 3 gram itu. Aku
membayangkan bagaimana kau beradu tawar menawar dengan pembeli emas
pinggir jalan. Bukankah seharusnya aku masih mampu memberimu uang untuk
makan kita beberapa hari ke depan? Tidak harus engkau yang ke luar
rumah, melawan gemetar badanmu, bertemu dengan orang-orang asing.
Terutama … untuk menjual cincinmu? Cincin yang seharusnya menjadi
monumen cinta kita. Tapi kausanggup melakukannya. Dan, ketika kupulang,
dengan keringat sebadan, engkau menyambutku dengan tenang. Malam itu,
tidak cuma tempe, cabe, dan lalap sawi yang kita makan. Kaupulang
membawa uang.

Duh, Gusti, jadi bagaimana aku sanggup berpikir untuk mencari perempuan
lain seperti dirinya?
Ketika kondisi kita membaik, bukankah engkau tidak pernah meminta
macam-macam, Cinta? Engkau tetap sesederhana dulu. Kaubelanja dengan
penuh perhitungan. Kauminta perhatianku sedikit saja. Kau kerjakan semua
yang seharusnya dikerjakan beberapa orang. Kaucintai aku sampai ke
lapisan tulang. Sampai membran tertipis pada hatimu.

Ingatkah, Sayang? Aku pernah menghadiahimu baju, yang setelah itu kautak
mau lagi membeli pakaian selama bertahun-tahun kemudian. Baju itu
seharga kambing, katamu. Kautak mau buang-buang uang. Bukankah telah
kubebaskan kau mengelola uang kita? Kautetap seperti dulu. Membuat
prioritas-prioritas yang kadang membuatku kesal. Kau lebih suka mengisi
celengan ayam jagomu daripada membeli sedikit kebutuhanmu sendiri.

Dunia, kupikir aku tak akan pernah menemui lagi perempuan seperti dia.
Sepekan lalu, Sayang, sementara di rahimmu anak kita telah sempurna,
kaumasih memikirkan aku. Menanyai bagaimana puasaku, bukaku, sahurku?
Siapa yang mencuci baju-bajuku, menyetrika pakaianku. Bukankah sudah
kupersilakan engkau menikmati kehamilanmu dan menyiapkan diri untuk
perjuanganmu melahirkan anak kita?

"Kang, maaf, ya, dah bikin khawatir, gak boleh libur juga gak papa.
Tadi tiba-tiba gak enak perasaan. Tau nih, mungkin krn bentar lagi."
Bunyi smsmu saat kudalam perjalanan menuju Jakarta. Panggilan tugas.
Dan, engkau sangat tahu, bagiku pekerjaan bukan neraka, tetapi komitmen.
Seberat apa pun, sepepat apa pun, pekerjaan adalah sebuah proses
menyelesaikan apa yang pernah aku mulai. Tidak boleh mengeluh, tidak
boleh menjadikannya kambing hitam. Membaca lagi SMSmu membuatku semakin
tebal bertanya, ke mana lagi kucari seorang pecinta semacammu.
Kaumencintaiku dengan memberiku sayap. Sayap yang mampu membawaku
terbang bebas, namun selalu memberiku alamat pulang kepadamu. Selalu.

Lalu SMS mu itu kemudian menjadi firasat. Sebab, segera menyusul
teleponmu, pecah ketubanmu. Aku harus segera menemuimu. Secepat-cepatnya
meninggalkan Bandung menuju Cirebon untuk mendampingimu. "Terus kamu
kenapa masih di sini? Pulang saja," kata atasanku ketika itu. Engkau
tahu, Sayang, aku masih berada di dalam meeting ketika teleponmu
mengabarkan semakin mendekatnya detik-detik lahirnya "tentara
kecil" kita. Ketika itu aku masih berpikir, boleh kuselesaikan
meeting itu dulu, agar tidak ada beban yang belum terselesaikan. Tapi,
tidak. Atasanku bilang, tidak. "Pulang saja," katanya. Baru
kubetul-betul sadar, memang aku segera harus pulang. Menemuimu.
Menemanimu. Lalu, kusalami mereka yang ada di ruang rapat itu satu-satu.
Tidak ada yang tidak memberikan dorongan, kekuatan, dukungan.

Lima jam kemudian aku ada di sisihmu. Seranjang sempit rumah sakit
dengan infuse di pergelangan tangan kirimu. Kaumulai merasakan mulas,
semakin lama semakin menggila. Semalaman engkau tidak tidur. Begitu juga
aku. Berpikir untuk memejamkan mata pun tak bisa. Aku tatap baik-baik
ekspresi sakitmu, detik per detik. Semalaman, hingga lepas subuh, ketika
engkau bilang tak tahan lagi. Lalu, aku berlari ke ruang perawat.
"Istri saya akan melahirkan," kataku yakin.

Bergerak cepat waktu kemudian. Engkau dibawa ke ruang persalinan, dan
aku menolak untuk meninggalkanmu. "Dulu ada suami yang ngotot
menemani istrinya melahirkan, lihat darah, tahu-tahu jatuh pingsan,"
kata dokter yang membantu persalinanmu. Aku tersenyum, yang pasti
laki-laki itu bukan aku. Sebab aku merasa berada di luar ruang
persalinan itu akan jauh lebih menyiksa. Aku ingin tetap di sisihmu.
Mengalirkan energi lewat genggaman tanganku, juga tatapan mataku.

Terjadilah. Satu jam. Engkau mengerahkan semua tenaga yang engkau tabung
selama bertahun-tahun. Keringatmu seperti guyuran air. Membuat mengilap
seluruh kulitmu. Terutama wajahmu. Menjerit kadangkala. Tanganmu
mencengkeram genggamanku dengan kekuatan yang belum pernah kurasakan
sebelumnya. Kekuatan yang lahir oleh kesakitan. Engkau sangat kesakitan,
sementara "tentara kecil" kita tak pula mau beranjak.

"Banyak kasus bayi sungsang masih bisa lahir normal, kaki duluan.
Tapi anak ini kakinya melintang," kata dokter. Aku berusaha tenang.
Sebab kegaduhan hatiku tidak bisa membantu apa-apa. Kusaksikan lagi
wajah berpeluhmu, Sayang. Kurekam baik-baik, seperti fungsi kamera
terbaik di dunia. Kusimpan lalu di benakku yang paling tersembunyi.
Sejak itu kuniatkan, rekaman itu akan kuputar jika suatu ketika
kuberniat mencurangimu, menyakitimu, melukaimu, mengecewakanmu. Aku akan
mengingat wajah itu. Wajah yang hampir kehilangan jiwa hanya karena
ingin membuatku bahagia.

"Sudah tidak kuat, Kang. Nggak ada tenaga," bisikmu persis di
telingaku. Karena sengaja kulekatkan telingaku ke bibirmu. Aku tahu, ini
urusan nyawa. Lalu kumerekam bisikanmu itu. Aku berjanji pada hati,
rekaman suaramu itu akan kuputar setiap lahir niatku untuk
meminggirkanmu, mengecilkan cintamu, menafikkan betapa engkau permata
bagi hidupku.

Aku mengangguk kepada dokter ketika ia meminta kesanggupanku agar engkau
dioperasi. Tidak ada jalan lain. Aku membisikimu lagi, persis di
telingamu, "Mimi kuat ya. Siap, ya. Ingat, ini yang kita tunggu
selama 5 tahun. Hayu semangat!"
Engkau mengangguk dengan binar mata yang hampir tak bercahaya. Aku tahu,
ini urusan nyawa. Tapi mana boleh aku memukuli dinding, menangis
sekencang angin, lalu mendongak ke Tuhan, "Kenapa saya, Tuhan!
Kenapa kami?" Sebab, Tuhan akan menjawab, "Kenapa bukan kamu?
Kenapa bukan kalian?"

Aku mencoba tersenyum lagi. Mengangguk lagi kepadamu. "Semua akan
baik-baik saja." Maka menunggumu di depan ruang operasi adalah saat
di mana doa menjadi berjejal dan bernilai terkhusyuk sepanjang hidup.
Seandainya aku boleh mendampingi operasimu…. Tapi tidak boleh. Aku
menunggumu sembari berkomat-kamit sebisaku. Aku sendirian. Berusaha
tersenyum, tetapi sendirian. Tidak … tidak terlalu sendirian. Ada
seseorang mengirimiku pesan pendek dan mengatakan kepadaku, "Aku ada
di situ, menemanimu." Kalimat senada kukatakan kepadanya suatu kali,
ketika dia mengalami kondisi yang memberatkan. "Apa kepala bebalmu
tidak merasa? Aku ada di situ! Menemanimu!"

Lalu, tangis itu! Rasanya seperti ada yang mencabut nyawaku dengan cara
terindah sedunia. Tangis itu! Tentara kecil kita. Menjadi gila rasanya
ketika menunggu namaku disebut. Berlari ke lorong rumah sakit ketika
tubuh mungil itu disorongkan kepadaku. "Ini anak Bapak…"

Tahukah engkau, Sayang. Ini bayi yang baru keluar dari rahimmu, dan aku
harus menggendongnya. Bukankah dia terlau rapuh untuk tangan-tangan
berdosaku? Dokter memberiku dukungan. Dia tersenyum dengan cara yang
sangat senior. "Selamat, ya. Bayinya laki-laki."

Sendirian, berusaha tenang. Lalu kuterima bayi dalam bedongan itu. Ya,
Allah….bagaimana membahasakan sebuah perasaan yang tidak terjemahkan
oleh semua kata yang ada di dunia??? Makhluk itu terpejam tenang semacam
malaikat; tak berdosa. Sembari menahan sesak di dadaku, tak ingin
menyakitinya, lalu kudengungkan azan sebisaku. Sebisaku. Sebab, terakhir
kukumandangkan azan, belasan tahun lalu, di sebuah surau di pelosok
Gunung Kidul. Azan yang tertukar redaksinya dengan Iqomat.

Mendanau mataku. Begini rasanya menjadi bapak? Rasanya seperti tertimpa
surga. Aku tak pedul lagi seperti apa itu surga. Rasanya sudah tidak
perlu apa-apa lagi untuk bahagia. Momentum itu berumur sekitar lima
menit. Tentara kecil kita diminta oleh perawat untuk dibersihkan.
Ingatanku kembali kepadamu. Bagaimana denganmu, Sayang? Kukirimkan kabar
tentang tentara kecil kita kepada seseorang yang semalaman menemani kita
bergadang dari kejauhan. Dia seorang sahabat, guru, inspirator, pencari,
dan saudara kembarku. "He is so cute," kata SMS ku kepadanya.
Sesuatu yang membuat laki-laki di seberang lautan itu menangis dan
mengutuk dirinya untuk menyayangi bayi kita seperti dia merindukan
dirinya sendiri. Sebuah kutukan penuh cinta.

Setengah jam kemudian, berkumpul di ruangan itu. Kamar perawatan kelas
dua yang kita jadikan kapal pecah oleh barang-barang kita. Engkau, aku,
dan tentara kecil kita. Seorang lagi; keponakan yang sangat membantuku
di saat-saat sulit itu. Seorang mahasiswi yang tentu juga tidak tahu
banyak bagaimana mengurusi bayi. Tapi dia sungguh memberiku tangannya
dan ketelatenannya untuk mengurusi bayi kita.

Engkau butuh 24 jam untuk mulai berbicara normal, setelah sebelumnya
seperti mumi. Seluruh tubuhmu diam, kecuali gerakan mata dan sedikit
getaran di bibir. Aku memandangimu, merekam wajahmu, lalu berjanji pada
hati, 50 tahun lagi, engkau tidak akan tergantikan oleh siapa pun di
dunia ini.

Lima hari, Sayang. Lima hari empat malam kita menikmati bulan madu kita
sebenar-benarnya. Aku begitu banyak berimprovisasi setiap hari.
Mengurusi bayi tidak pernah ilmunya kupelajari. Namun, apa yang harus
kulakukan jika memang telah tak ada pilihan? Aku menikmati itu. Berusaha
mengurusmu dengan baik, juga menenangkan tentara kecil kita supaya
tangisnya tak meledak-ledak.

"Terima kasih, Kang," katamu setelah kubantu mengurusi kebutuhan
kamar mandimu. Lima tahun ini apa keperluanku yang tidak engkau urus,
Sayang? Mengapa hanya untuk pekerjaan kecil yang memang tak sanggup
engkau lakukan sendiri, engkau berterima kasih dengan cara paling tulus
sedunia? Lalu ke mana kata "terima kasih" yang seharusnya
kukatakan kepadamu sepanjang lima tahun ini? Tahukah engkau, kata
"terima kasih" mu itu membuat wajahmu semelekat maghnet paling
kuat di kepalaku.

Mengurusimu dan bayi kita. Lima hari itu, aku menemukan banyak gaya
menangisnya yang kuhafal di luar kepala, agar aku tahu apa pesan yang
ingin dia sampaikan. Gaya kucing kehilangan induk ketika ia buang
kotoran. Gaya derit pintu ketika dia merasa kesepian, gaya tangis bayi
klasik (seperti di film-film atau sandiwara radio) jika dia merasa tidak
nyaman, dan paling istimewa gaya mercon banting; setiap dia kelaparan.
Tidak ada tandingnya di rumah sakit bersalin yang punya seribu nyamuk
namun tidak satu pun cermin itu. Dari ujung lorong pun aku bisa tahu itu
tangisannya meski di lantai yang sama ada bayi-bayi lain menangis pada
waktu bersamaan.

Ah, indahnya. Tak pernah bosan kutatapi wajah itu lalu kucari jejak
diriku di sana. Terlalu banyak jejakku di sana. Awalnya kupikir 50:50
cukup adil. Agar engkau juga merasa mewariskan dirimu kepadanya. Tapi
memang terlalu banyak diriku pada diri bayi itu. Hidung, dagu, rahang,
jidat, tangis ngototnya, bahkan detail cuping telinga yang kupikir tidak
ada duanya di dunia. Ada bisik bangga, "Ini anakku… anak
laki-lakiku. " Tapi tenang saja, istriku, kulitnya seterang dan
sebening kulitmu. Rambutnya pun tak seikal rambutku. Kuharap, hatinya
kelak semembentang hatimu.

Kupanggil dia Sena yang berarti tentara. Penggalan dari nama
sempurnanya: Senandika Himada. Sebuah nama yang sejarahnya tidak
serta-merta. Panjang dan penuh keajaiban. Senandika bermakna berbicara
dengan diri sendiri; kontemplasi, muhasabbah, berkhalwat dengan Allah.
Sedangkan Himada memiliki makna yang sama dengan Hamida atau Muhammad:
YANG TERPUJI… dan itulah doa kita untuknya bukan, Sayang? Kita ingin
dia menjadi pribadi yang terpuji dunia akhirat. Kaya nomor sekian,
pintar pun demikian, terkenal apalagi. Yang penting adalah terpuji…
mulia…dan ini bukan akhir kita, bukan, Honey? Ini menjadi awal yang
indah. Awalku jatuh cinta (lagi) kepadamu.

(persembahan buat setiap perempuan, dan ibu yang hatinya semembentang
samudra)

Silakan membagi kisah ini kepada orang-orang terdekat Anda, karena kita semua adalah anak dari seorang ibu yang pantas dijunjung tinggi. Khususnya silakan dibagi kepada para suami agar lebih menyadari arti seorang istri.

Southeast Asian Masterpieces

2010-07-15T13:25:00.001+07:00

Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity

The Proclamation of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity was made by the Director-General of UNESCO starting in 2001 to raise awareness on intangible cultural heritage and encourage local communities to protect them and the local people who sustain these forms of cultural expressions.

Several manifestations of intangible heritage around the world were awarded the title of Masterpieces to recognize the value of the non-material component of culture, as well as entail the commitment of states to promote and safeguard the Masterpieces. Further proclamations occurred biennially until 2005.

To date, a total of 90 Masterpieces from 70 countries have been proclaimed. It's a long list, but I would like to focus on Southeast Asian masterpieces.

Cambodia

~
The Royal Ballet of Cambodia

Sbek Thom, Khmer Shadow Theatre

Indonesia

~
The Wayang Puppet Theatre

The Indonesian Kris

The Indonesian Batik

Malaysia

~
Mak Yong Theatre

Philippines

~
The Darangen Epic of the Maranao People of Lake Lanao

Vietnam

~
Nha Nhac, Vietnamese Court Music

Space of Gong Culture

The Quan ho folk songs

A Message of Peace on the Holy Month

2009-08-21T16:11:00.000+07:00

Look at this building and have a guess... What do you see? A Hindu temple? Or a Buddhist one, perhaps? In fact, this is an Islamic mosque. The name is Masjid Menara Kudus located in Kauman Village, Central Java, Indonesia.

This old minaret of the mosque built by Sunan Kudus (one of the '9 Saints' credited for the spread of Islam on Java island) in 1549 adopted traditional Javanese architecture of that time, which was heavily influenced by Hindu and Buddhist styles. Sunan Kudus was very gentle and tolerant to the local culture. He made good use of the symbolisms in Hinduism and Buddhism such as Noble Eightfold Path ('Ārya'ṣṭāṅga mārgaḥ' in Buddhism) and manifested it into architecure (especially for mosques, minarets, entrance gates, and place of ablutions).

To respect the Hindus, on one occasion he deliberately tied his cow on the courtyard of his mosque. The Hindus who revered cows soon felt sympathetic after listening to his explanation. To this very day, there are still a lot of people in the area (most of them are Muslims) who refused to slaughter bulls and cows out of respect to his teachings.

Isn't it a wonderful world if respect each other and maintain peace? As the new moon begins to reveal itself in the nightsky, we would like to wish our Muslim sisters and brothers Ramadan Kareem, Happy Ramadan! May this holy month shower blessing upon you and the entire world. Let peace be your guide! Selamat Menunaikan Ibadah Puasa Bulan Suci Ramadhan!

Hospital Blues

2008-05-23T15:34:00.000+07:00

Setelah menghabiskan beberapa hari di dalam RS, saya tiba-tiba disadarkan tentang nikmatnya kesehatan dan mahalnya biaya perawatan di tanah air. Saya masih merasa beruntung karena dikelilingi oleh keluarga dan teman-teman yang peduli dengan saya. Menghabiskan hari kebangkitan nasional di RS, miris rasanya membayangkan masih banyaknya saudara-saudara kita yang menderita karena penyakit mereka namun terhalang oleh biaya yang mahal. Tuhan, beri kekuatan bagi bangsa ini untuk bangkit, seluruh jiwa dan raga rakyatnya dan juga pemerintahnya untuk mengatasi segala kesulitan dan menyongsong hari esok yang lebih baik.

Agak terlambat, tapi tak lupa saya ucapkan Selamat Hari Trisuci Waisak 2552 bagi yang merayakannya.

Our deepest respect to the great teacher, may peace be bestowed upon our earth, blessing each and everyone of us. Sabbe Satta Bhavantu Sukhitatta. Semoga Semua Makhluk Berbahagia.

pic credit: national geographic

Chinese Names for Indonesian Cities

2008-05-09T10:45:00.000+07:00

It started a few months ago, when Fanni, a best friend of mine who is working in Guangzhou at the moment, wanted to send me some things from China. So off she went to the post office to send the package. Everything went normally up until the point where the guy who works at the post office asked her, "What is the Chinese name for this city?" to her surprise, because even though she's a Chinese Indonesian herself she doesn't know the Chinese name for any Indonesian cities except for Jakarta.

Yes, China has her own way of calling places around the world, and the name could be the Chinese pronunciation of the place, or a historical and symbolic name. Actually, Chinese is not the only country with this kind of behavior, there are other countries with the same way of thinking. For example, Vietnam refers to Indonesia as "Nam Duong", which means "Southern Country" (if I'm not mistaken). Or French which has the term "Allemagne" for Germany. Or how we Indonesians call Egypt as "Mesir", or how Malaysians call Morocco as "Maghribi".

Anyway, would you like to know the Chinese names for some Indonesian cities? I have some of them, provided that the list is not complete, but it would surely be helpful and not to mention interesting to know too. If any of you caould provide me with additional information on Chinese names of other cities and places in Indonesia, please let me know. Thank you in advance.

-Bandung = Wanlong.
-Binjai = Minli (from Hokkien pronounciation "Binle"), and Mengge (Teochew).
-Bogor = Maowu (from Hokkien pronounciation of Bobut, "Bo" from Bogor).
-Cirebon = Jingriwen.
-Jakarta. The Chinese name for Jakarta is Yajadia, which is the Chinese spelling for it. But it used to be called Pashia and Yecheng. Pashia comes from Batavia (Bashia = "Ba" City), while Yecheng refers to Sunda Kelapa (Yecheng means Coconut Port or something like that).
-Magelang = Majileng.
-Medan = Mienlan.
-Palembang = Jugang (Hokkien "Kukang"), which means "big port". Palembang as the capital of Srivijaya Empire has already been acknowledged by the Chinese since the Tang dynasty.
-Pontianak. Some of you who knows people from Pontianak, might have already know the Chinese name for it, which is Khuntien. Khun might be derived from Kuntilanak (Indonesian ghost which got something to do with the city's history), while Tien means settlement.
-Semarang = Sanbaolong. From Hokkien pronounciation of Sampolong which means "tomb of Sampo". Sampo is an honorary title for Zheng He.
-Singkawang = Samkhewjong/Samkhouwyang
-Solo = Suolo.
-Surabaya = Sishui (Hokkien Sucui, from "Su" in "Surabaya").
-Yogyakarta = Rire.

Credits: Chinese Culture and History Discussion Forum for the names and rembulanfajar at flickr for the image of Semarang's Sampokong temple.

Saving Our Earth: Now Only One Click Away

2008-04-22T17:38:00.000+07:00

Happy Earth Day!
Each passing day, our earth is suffering from our wrongdoings. Don't you think it's time for all of us to act? Now you can participate in fighting the effects of global warming by planting your own tree, and the best part of it, you can do this from the comfort of your own home!

Visit [url=http://www.mybabytree.org/]http://www.mybabytree.org/[/url] now to find out how easy it is to plant your own tree in the deep forest of Kalimantan (Borneo). You can even monitor your tree's growth with Google Earth! Now how cool is that!

You can do this either with your PayPal, or through your BCA ATM. Very cheap, very convenient, no more excuse. Plant your own tree, today!

Rest in Peace, Auntie Elly

2008-03-12T11:41:00.000+07:00

t...and then there was none....

First, it was my mom, then it's Auntie Isna, a while back it was Auntie Iyin, and this morning... Auntie Elly has passed away... the four sisters are no longer here with us, their family... Rest in peace, Auntie. May God bless your soul, forgive your wrongdoings and acknowledge all of your good deeds. Rest in Peace, Auntie. Our prayers with you......

Nyepi

2008-03-08T11:01:00.000+07:00

March 7, 2008 the Hindus in Indonesia are celebrating Nyepi in tranquil atmosphere. Don't bother to try to look at Indian calendars, as it's only a national holiday in Indonesia. Hindu in our country have its own version, distinct versions which are very different from Hindu in India.
Nyepi is a day of seclusion where people meditate and remain in silence to welcome the Saka New Year, a lunar year's cycle. The island of Bali especially is in peaceful silence all day long. Not only the Hindus who are in silence, because the non-Hindus also keep to themselves out of respect, even the tourists are no exception.
Days before the actual Nyepi, people do all kinds of ritual, from cleaning, fasting, etc. At the actual day, people follow the condition of: Amati Geni (no fire), Amati Karya (not working), Amati Lelungan (not traveling), and Amati Lelanguan (no entertainment). This long chain of rituals end with the coming of Saka New Year.
For all of you who are celebrating, I'm wishing you a Solemn Nyepi and a Happy Saka New Year!

The Beautiful Meaning of "Nusantara"

2008-03-06T11:31:00.000+07:00

I wonder about how a country known to the world known as "Japan" proudly call their own country as "Nippon", just like Germany call their country "Deutschland", or Moroccans with their own "Al Maghribiyya". What about Indonesians?

Where did the name "Indonesia" come from? In the old colonial time, there were times when the people in this territory were called as Dutch East Indians. The term somehow wasn't favored by intellectuals, some of them tried to find other terms which they thought more agreeable. In 1850, an English ethnologist came up with the name Indunesians and Melayunesians to replace that term. "Indus" means India, and "nesos" means island. Actualy he preferred the term "Melayunesians", "Melayu" which means Malay and "nesos" which means island.

Not surprisingly, academics from the Netherlands were not really fond of these terms, but they couldn't do anything as the term "Indonesia" became really popular in academic circles outside of the Netherlands. Nationalist groups from the island looking for ways to express their political standings finally adopted the name. Ki Hajar Dewantara (Suwardi Suryaningrat) was the first Indoensian scholar to use the name "Indonesia" in his press bureau Indonesisch Pers-bureau in the Netherlands (1923).

Let's put aside the fact that "Indonesia" has already been established as our official name. The name "Indian islands" is a very incorrect way to call our archipelago. Even "Malay islands" would not suffice either, as the people in the eastern part of Indonesia has got nothing to do with the Malay. What is the right way to call our beloved archipelago, then? Didn't we have any term to call our cluster of islands back then? When you ask an Indonesian what alternative names does s/he got for Indonesia, you might come up with "Tanah Air" (which means Land and Water) and Nusantara. Now, what is the meaning of Nusantara?

To find the answer, we might have to dig into the ancient feudal times of our islands, to the history of the glorious Majapahit Empire to be exact. The Majapahit Empire which had a very big power over the islands had special terms for the areas under their sphere of influence. These terms were made famous by an otah made by a prime minister of Majapahit Empire, Gajah Mada, who vowed to unite "Nusantara". The terms are:

1. Negara Agung , the grand state, the core kingdom which covered the whole East Java and its surrounding areas.

2. Manca Negara, countries surrounding Negara Agung which receive strong influences from the Javanese culture that could even be perceived even today. This includes the entire Java island, Madura, Bali, and maybe some parts of Sumatra (such as Lampung and Palembang).

3. Nusantara, "nusa" means island and "antara" means other. It referred to the areas under the influence of the empire but were not exactly under its government, kingdoms which paid tribute to the empire.

Even though areas under the term "Nusantara" consisted of almost all of the areas now parts of Indonesia (and beyond, as it included parts of what is now Malaysia and the Philippines too), it still couldn't satisfy the need of a proper term as this term had a negative expansionist nuance in it and it doesn't cover the whole Indonesia either.

Still, "Indian islands" remained an annoying term. In 1920, Ernest Francois Eugene Douwes Dekker (who preferred to be called Setiabudi) introduced a new term for the country which had no word "India" in it, the name presented was "Nusantara". But this term is not the same with the 14th century one, it has a new spirit and meaning in it. Dr Setiabudi used the term in a non-agressive way, "Nusantara" is just the way he referred to the archipelago from Sabang to Merauke, an area of extend what is now known as Indonesia.

Furthermore, his version of Nusantara has a new meaning, as it does not have the meaning of "other island" like the one in Majapahit's time. His Nusantara is derived from the Javanese word "nusa" which means island, and the new "antara" was not taken from Sanskrit "antara" (which is a foreign word), rather, it came from a Malay word which means "between".

A fusion between the Javanese word and the Malay word created the new meaning of Nusantara, "islands in between". Yes, our archipelago are islands in between, between two continents (Asia and Australia), between oceans (Pacific and Indian), between cultures....

And what a beautiful name he came up with! A name that we could proudly and full of affection say to ourselves: our islands, our country, our beloved Nusantara :)

Kalimantan or Borneo?

2008-03-05T16:37:00.000+07:00

For Indonesians like me, "Kalimantan" is simply the name we use to call the entire island known in international world as "Borneo", just like how we call your "banana" as "pisang". But apparently, some people actually thought that "Kalimantan" as merely the name of the Indonesian part of the island. It's understandable that foreigners to have this way of thinking, but what disturbing is the fact that even few Indonesians thought the same way. So I think it's important for us to discuss about the origins of these names.

Borneo is a corruption of the word "Brunai" as the British tried to pronounce it. In time, they use that term to call the entire island even though the Sultanate of Brunai Darussalam covered only the northern part of the island. Colonial Dutch occupying part of the island in turn caught on calling the island as Borneo too, a name they took from their fellow colonialist, the British.

While Kalimantan is the name that is closer to us, the natives of Kalimantan. According to the history, while the Portuguese called the island as "Borneo", the natives called the island as "Pulo Klemantan". According to Crowfurd in Descriptive Dictionary of the Indian Island (1856), "klemantan" is the name of a sort of mango, he added that the name had a quality of a folk tale. While according to C. Hose and Mac Dougall "klemantan" came from the names of the local ethnic groups; Iban, Kayan, Kenyah, Klemantan, Munut and Punan. In Natural Man, a record from Borneo (1926), C. Hose explained that "klemantan" is a new name used by the Malay. W. H. Treacher had a different opinion, he thought that the name came from "Lamantah" which means raw sago. Lastly, Prof. Dr. Slamet Muljana in his book Sriwijaya had a theory that "Kalimantan" was derived from Sanskrit "kalamanthana" which means "an island so hot it burns".

A 1857 record says that in his correspondence with the Dutch Resident, Prince Tamjidillah of Banjar Kingdom referred to the island as "Kalimantan island" and not "Borneo island". This shows that even though the name Borneo was preferred by the Dutch Colonial government, the term Kalimantan was more popular among the natives.

Conclusion:
We could not do anything about how foreigners define "Kalimantan", the important thing is that we as Indonesians should realize that the term has always been used by the natives of Kalimantan and has a long history. Thus, we have the obligation to use it correctly. Now I don't understand why Malaysians stick to the name given byt heir colonialist, nor do I want to force English speaker to change the way they call the island, and I couldn't even do it if I wanted to.

We can't force them to call "Cologne" as "Koln", or "Greenland" as "Kallaalit Nunnaat", so I can't expect them to change for us too. Let's just call the island according to our own ways, but with it'd be nice if they acknowledge that "Kalimantan" is Indonesians' way of calling the whole island.

On the side note, though. There are few languages that refer to the island as "Kalimantan" rather than "Borneo", and I really appreciate them! Some examples: Eesti, Иронау, and Русский.

Traditional Architecture of Banjar People (South Kalimantan)

2008-03-05T09:17:00.000+07:00

The black color on the Banjarese house in both South Kalimantan and Banjarmasin's coat of arms represent the high culture of Banjar people. As a Banjarese, it's my duty to appreciate and promote our own heritage. So from now on I will try to write about our culture.

For the first article I choose to do an overview of Traditional Architecture of Banjar people, the reason is because I've written parts of the article about this specific matter in Wikipedia, so it's easier for me. These types of houses could still be found in South Kalimantan, but unfortunately they are in a bad shape to say the least. Such a shame, because their existence resonates the glory of our past.

Not only we should preserve it for the sake of our heritage, but because this type of houses was built with great consideration and expertise. Traditional dwellings in Indonesia have developed to respond to natural environmental conditions, particularly Indonesia's hot and wet monsoonal climate. Banjarese traditional vernacular homes are built on stilts. A raised floor serves a number of purposes: it allows breeze to moderate the hot tropical temperatures; it elevates the dwelling above stormwater runoff and mud; allows houses to be built on rivers and wetland margins; keeps people, goods and food from dampness and moisture; lifts living quarters above malaria-carrying mosquitos; and the house is much less affected by dry rot and termites. "Modern" houses which most Banjarese prefer nowadays don't have that kind of sensibility.

Bubungan Tinggi:

Among the 4 Kalimantan provinces in Indonesia, South Kalimantan is the only one that depicts our traditional house in our province's coat of arm. The house in those particular coat of arms is the one named as "Bubungan Tinggi", the style of "kraton" (royal palace) with its signature 45º steep roof. In the days of our kingdom, this was the type of house that a royalty would live in (although in time this type of house were also built by commoners). The house is built with the philosophy of harmony between the upper world and the under world.

In time, Bubungan Tinggi became the symbol of Banjar culture that represents both palace and vernacular traditions. But there are other types of traditional house in Banjarese community other than Bubungan Tinggi. Fortunately, not many Banjarese know these types of house, but it's already explained in old Banjarese poem:

Bubungan tinggi wadah raja-raja, Palimasan wadah emas perak, Balai laki wadah penggawa mantri, balai bini wadah putri gusti-gusti, Gajah manyusu wadah nanang-nanangan, raja-raja atau gusti nanang

Gajah Baliku: this particular style of house was intended for the closest relatives of the ruler.

Gajah Manyusu: the type of house of the nobles or "pagustian", the ones who bore the title of "gusti".

Balai Laki: the type of house for high officials such as the ministers.

Balai Bini: they type of house for the ladies of the court, such as women of nobility and nannies of the court.

Palimbangan: the type of house for high clerics and big merchants.

Palimasan (Rumah Gajah): this type of house was where gold, silver and other precious belongings kept.

Anjung Surung (Cacak Burung): This is the type of house of commoners. The shape of this house if seen from above is the shape of a cross(+), that is why it is also known as Rumah Cacak Burung.

Tadah Alas: A development of the Balai Bini style.

Rumah Lanting: raft house which floats on the rivers of South Kalimantan.

Joglo Gudang: This type of house has the roof that is similar to Joglo (Javanese-style house), hence the name. While the name “Gudang” (which means "storehouse") was given because the lower part of the house is usually used to store things. This feature makes this type of house is the preferred style of the Chinese-ethnicity who live in South Kalimantan.

Bangun Gudang: a type of traditional house in South Kalimantan.

My biggest and endless thanks to Alamnirvana for giving us such precious photos. Semoga tuntung pandang ruhui rahayu, dingsanak lah!

Happy Birthday, Mom

2008-02-06T11:04:00.000+07:00

Di waktu ku masih kecil, gembira dan senang
Tiada duka ku kenal, tak kunjung mengerang
Di sore hari nan sepi, ibuku bertelut
Sujud berdoa ku dengar namaku disebut

Di doa ibuku, namaku disebut
Di doa ibu ku dengar, ada namaku disebut

Seringlah ini ku kenang, di masa yang berat
Di kala hidup mendesak, dan nyaris tersesat
Melintas gambar ibuku, sewaktu bertelut
Kembali sayup ku dengar namaku disebut

Sekarang dia telah pergi ke rumah yang senang
Namun kasihnya padaku selalu ku kenang
Kelak di sana kami pun bersama bertelut
Memuji Tuhan yang dengar namaku disebut

Lunar New Year Delicacy of Indonesia

2008-02-06T10:48:00.000+07:00

Lunar New Year is celebrated in various ways all over the world. Today I want to share a special kind of food Chinese Indonesians have in the 15th day of Lunar New Year (Cap Go Meh). The name is "Lontong Cap Go Meh". Whatever stereotype you have for Chinese food, Lontong Cap Go Meh will surprise you because it has no typical Chinese food's characteristic. The reason is because the food is not Chinese in origin, rather, it's actually a fusion of some Indonesian cuisine combined in one.

The composition may differ according to the place. In Semarang (Central Java) for example, it is consisted of Lontong, Opor Ayam, Lodeh Terong, Telur Pindang, Satai Abing, and Sambal Docang. While Chinese Indonesians in the capital of Jakarta enjoy their Lontong with Sayur Labu/Pepaya, Telur Pindang, and sprinkles of Bubuk Kedelai on top of them.

Chinese Indonesians choose the food which have symbolic meanings of "prosperity", longevity", "safety", and/or "happiness".
Wishing you all a prosperous year!

RIP Auntie Iyin

2008-01-29T14:16:00.000+07:00

Just minutes before lunch my sister gave me a call, telling me that our aunt had died. Ma Iyin is only a few years older than my sister (I also have a nephew who is only a few years younger than me), so I guess it's a bigger deal to her than it is to me. Still, I can't help but to feel sad.

Her journey through life was not an easy one, especially the last few years of her life. The sad part is, we, her family, couldn't give her the kind of support she needed as each of us got our own problem. I remember my late mother often saddened by the fact that she couldn't do anything to help her sisters. She really wanted to, but she couldn't (and the sad part is, sometimes people just won't understand your reasons and refuse believe your words).

My mother is the oldest of 4 sisters. Ma Isna died a few years ago. Now Ma Iyin, the youngest sister. The only one left is the 3rd sister, Ma Elly. People die, I know. It's just that I feel really sorry for her, I feel that we could have done something for her. And her daughter... my cousin Eci.... I hope God would grant her with strength to go through this, and to carry on living a dignified life, the one that would make her mother proud.

Good bye, my aunt. May God forgive all of your faults, and multiply your rewards for every good things you have done throughout your life. Rest in peace, Ma Iyin. Send my regards to my parent and Ma Isna. God bless your soul....

Farewell, Pak Harto!

2008-01-29T12:04:00.000+07:00

Monday, January 28, 2008

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono lead the state funeral of former President Haji Muhammad Suharto. "We have lost one of the best people in our nation - a person who was a real and loyal fighter and a person that has been respectful to the nation," said Mr Yudhoyono.

Suharto died on Sunday in Jakarta at the age of 86 after suffering multiple organ failure. The Indonesian government has also declared seven days of mourning for the general who ruled Indonesia for 32 years with an iron fist.

Dignitaries and regional government representatives are scheduled to attend Suharto's funeral at the family mausoleum, the Astana Giri Bangun, at Karangamnyar near Solo in Central Java.

Though he left a mixed legacy, especially a dubious human rights record, Asian leaders praised Suharto for having built the Indonesian economy.

Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has extended his heartfelt condolences to the Suharto family and the Indonesian people.

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo noted Suharto's critical role in building the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which has grown into a 10-country bloc and increased the region's influence in global politics.

''As one of the founding fathers of ASEAN, President Suharto was among those who had the pioneering vision of establishing a more peaceful, progressive and prosperous Southeast Asian region founded on respect and understanding,'' Arroyo said in a statement.

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong flew to Jakarta on Sunday night and paid respect to the late Indonesian leader, saying, ''Suharto's leadership, vision, and statesmanship enabled all ASEAN countries to grow and prosper in peace, and made ASEAN a respected player in the Asia Pacific.''

"Younger people do not know how disastrous was the economic situation in Indonesia before September 1965 when hyper-inflation was drowning Indonesia's economy," Lee Kuan Yew said in a condolence letter to Suharto's daughter.

"Under Pak Harto's leadership he turned the country around and made Indonesia an economic success story," he wrote.

Singapore's Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew in his condolence letter summed it up in these words, "I have no doubt that history will accord Pak Suharto a place of honour in Indonesia's history when his life's work is studied in calm perspective.

Indonesia's President Bambang (centre) and his wife (left) were among early mourners at the Suharto home in Jakarta.

Indonesian President Yudhoyono gives the national flag to Siti Hardianti Rukmana, the daughter of former leader Suharto

Bambang Trihatmojo, a son of former Indonesian President Suharto, holds his father during the burial ceremony

Cemetery workers use a bamboo pole to lower the coffin at Astana Giribangun cemetery in Karang Anyar,Central Java.

Children of former Indonesian President Suharto scatter flowers on the coffin during the burial ceremony

(photos: Channel News Asia)

Fascination: Panji Cycle, El fuego del amor (Part 1)

2008-01-28T16:05:00.000+07:00

I am fascinated by the great love story of Panji Cycle, a very long set of stories which intertwines with real history facts. I was lucky enough to get one of Indonesia's great artist, Li Julian, to be interested in the story too, and now we're planning to make a project on the cycle.

I was never good with making a resume out of a story, so when people asked me about what the story in Panji Cycle is about, I couldn’t came out with anything. I can say that it’s a very long cycle of story, each part has its own branches of story, and to add it up there are a lot of versions of it. Connected to the cycle are some of familiar folktales to Indonesians, such as Keong Mas, Ande-ande Lumut, etc. Still, I can’t give out the story in short. So instead I will tell you the version I know.

In the Hindu-Buddhist era of our history, our archipelago was dominated by an empire named Srivijaya which was based on the island of Sumatra. Kingdoms in Java too, were influenced by the empire. But there was a kingdom strong enough to resist Srivijaya, its name was Medang (929-1006). Medang succeeded to make colonies out of Bali and part of western Kalimantan. This Javanese kingdom was quite influential, proven by the mention of its name in a Malay inscription in the Philippines (which is believed as Srivijaya’s).

At one time (year 990), Medang kingdom under King Sri Teguh Dharmawangsa (985-1006) of the Isyana dynasty was confident enough to attack Srivijaya and tried to overtake the capital Palembang but failed. The empire wasn’t going to let this go, and apparently started to plan something with its ally in Java, Worawari kingdom with their king, King Sri Jayabupati.

Princess Mahendradata Gunapriya Dharmapadni of Isyana dynasty was married to the king of Bali, King Udayana of Warmadewa dynasty. They had a son named Airlangga. Prince Airlangga lived in the court of his uncle King Sri Teguh Dharmawangsa, and by the custom of that time was engaged to the king’s daughter, his own cousin, Princess Dyah Sri Laksmi. When he was 16 years old the kingdom rejoiced to celebrate their wedding. Too bad, their time of joy was disturbed because it was the time when Srivijaya retaliated with its ally Worawari kingdom. The capital Turyyan was completely destroyed, Watugaluh palace was burned to the ground, and even the royal temple Tajung Muang couldn’t withstand its fate. The king, along with Mahendradata and other nobilities were killed in the ambush, but Airlangga, Dyah Sri Laksmi and a friend named Narotama were lucky enough to escape through a secret passageway.

In Makutho, they learned about a lot from the knowledgeable hermit Mpu Kanwa. Three years later, Airlangga decided to rebuild Medang kingdom with the support of Mpu Kanwa and his disciples, and so the capital was built in year 1019 and named as “Kahuripan” (also known as Koripan), which means “life” as a sign of the rebirth of Medang. A new royal temple was also built and named as Tajung Muang Anom (“Young Tajung Muang” in reference of the old Tajung Muang in Turryan).

Airlangga and Dyah Sri Laksmi had a daughter named Kilisuci. Kilisuci was the crown princess and she was supposed to be the heir of the kingdom. Everybody loved her as she was a wise and good-mannered princess and sure that she would make a good queen, but she herself was more interested in learning about religion and faith. So when it was time for her to take upon the throne, the good-natured princess refused as she preferred to live as a hermit in Selomangleng cave. This caused a succession crisis as this left the throne to her 2 step brothers Mapanji Garasakan and Samarawijaya. The 2 brothers were known as ill-mannered princes, but as the rule went they were the legitimate heirs in line after the crown princess declined. So Airlangga, with the advice of his counselors decided to divide the kingdom equally to the 2 brothers;

1. The area south of Brantas River including Penanggungan Mountain (where Airlangga went to become a hermit) was given to Samarawijaya, with the name of Kediri/Panjalu Kingdom with its capital Dhahanapura (Dhaha).
2. The area north of Brantas River including Selomangleng cave (where Kilisuci went to become a hermit) was given to Mapanji Garasakan, with the name of Jenggala Kingdom with the old capital Kahuripan.

The decision was thought as a good decision for some times. But after Airlangga died, the two brothers let hatred and envy got the better of them which lead to war between the two kingdoms by the year of 1052.

Amidst this chaotic relationship between the sisterly kingdoms stories and legends emerged. So was the case of Panji story. According to the story, Panji Asmara Bangun or Raden Inu Kertapati was the son of Prabu Lembu Amiluhur, a king of Jenggala, while Galuh Candra Kirana or Dyah Sekartaji was a princess of Kediri, daughter of Kertamerta.

Asuang Steals Fire from Gugurang

2008-01-28T15:06:00.001+07:00

Sebuah dongeng rakyat dari Filipina. Selamat menikmati! A folk tale from the Philippines. Enjoy!

Story: Damiana L. Eugenio (From The Myths: Philippine Folk Literature )

Long ago when the world was still young the good and evil gods were not yet enemies as they are now. They were friends, each living separately in a mountain (Bolod, Bicol). One report even said that they were brothers. Gugurang, the good god, was living inside Mount Mayon, and Asuang, the evil one, inside Mount Malinao. As gods they had control of the welfare of the people. But Gugurang was more powerful than Asuang who was merely a subordinate; the former was the chief deity (cagurangnan) of the Bicols.

Now Gugurang was given full control over the people, who learned to look up to him for protection or for advancement. Whenever the people disobeyed his orders or wishes, he would cause the pit of the Mayon Volcano to rumble terribly. The people in time took this as a sign of warning, and accordingly, mended their foul ways. Or if their sins were beyond forgiveness Gugurang would make the volcano erupt to wipe out the sinners.

Gugurang then became the symbol of the good (an mga marhay) ready to punish the bad (an mga maraot). When the people saw fire (calayo) flowing out of the crater of Mayon, they would grow afraid. They would then offer a sacrifice (atang) to him to appease his wrath. The Baliana, priestess, officiated in the ceremony. Always when they committed wrong, there would be loud moaning of the earth followed by an eruption of fire and lava (abo).

Now, Asuang had no fire in his abode inside Mount Malinao (to the north of Albay). He wanted to be as powerful as Gugurang, at least. If the people aroused his wrath, he wanted to subdue them by a fire or rumbling in Mount Malinao (this was still whole then). He entreated Gugurang to give him some fire but Gugurang emphatically refused.

"How dare you ask for my fire! " Gugurang thundered. The earth trembled. "Don't you know that when the fire in my seat is carried by hands such as yours the whole world will be set on fire?"

"But I will be very careful," replied Asuang.

"Be careful! I myself with all my power cannot handle it."

"But how can you threaten the people with it?"

"It is not my will that does it. It is someone else's that you or I do not know nor will ever know. But the rainy days are coming and I need fire to make me warm in Mount Malinao."

"Why," answered Gugurang, "you have lived there for many years and this is the first time that you have asked me for it, what will you use the fire for? Look at your people; they can live without it."

"Well, it is time for you to give them fire now."

"Give them fire!" burst Gugurang. The earth shook and the people were more afraid. But soon Gugurang quelled the commotion. Asuang himself was frightened. He never saw him that way before.

"They are not fit to have it yet! They must make themselves worthy."

"Well, am I not worthy?"

"You! you lay god! Look at your ragged mountain and compare it to Mayon which is the most beautiful in the world."

Asuang argued with him for a long time but Gugurang would not budge an inch. Asuang suddenly discovered, which before he had not, that Gugurang was all-powerful. Asuang narrowed his eyes and smiled with sinister import. He decided to oppose him from now on.

"You want to be the omnipotent power," Asuang cried. "But between us two there is not much difference. Why must I live in a humble place like Mount Malinao while you sit here gloating over your power unlimited and unchecked?"

"Stop!" The earth shivered as Gugurang stamped his feet on the ground. Asuang only smiled this time. That made Gugurang angry all the more. He struck out but before his blow could land, Asuang had vanished already. Gugurang was greatly amazed at this—the new power of Asuang in making himself invisible.

Then from a short distance in the room came the voice of the evil one, "If I cannot get fire in good will, I will in bad—I will steal it."

"Try—and before you can do that I will cut your mountain in twain."

"Then let there be war between us," countered Asuang. Thus the good and the evil became enemies from that time on. Motives were many to prove that Asuang was ambitious. It could not be doubted that the power to rule intrigued him. He determined to oppose every move of Gugurang. He gathered around him evil counselors and evil spirits whom he sent to the earth to turn the people to evil ways. After that, there was much immorality, lawlessness and crime. Gugurang in no time found out that it was Asuang who was causing all these things.

He sent pestilence to the barrios and for a moment the people turned to the omnipotent for protection. Gugurang asked them for another atang or sacrifice and warned them to follow his commandments strictly or be exterminated by floods or eruption. Against Asuang himself Gugurang was powerless to do anything. It seemed that in the twinkle of an eye Asuang came to possess hidden powers hitherto denied him.

Gugurang particularly guarded his fire lest his enemy make good his threat of stealing it. He assigned his trusted helpers (catambang) to guard the symbol of his power. He was afraid, besides, that if the fire were to go out of its confines the world would be consumed in a mighty conflagration.

But in spite of the precaution taken, Asuang was able to enter and locate the guarded object, and with many guiles and wiles, he bribed the guards with gold (bolauan). The temptation (sogot) was too sweet to be denied. Hence Asuang obtained possession of Gugurang's fire. Putting it inside a coconut shell he started with it.

Gugurang in his throne suddenly noticed that everything around him turned black, and that there were cries in the bowels of the volcano. But outside, the world was on fire. Every barrio that Asuang passed caught fire. Asuang!" Gugurang cried. And with this he flew into the air pursuing the thief. While terror reigned among the people who were powerless against the conflagration, Gugurang and Asuang raced for supremacy. Gugurang must get the fire back, or else he would be left without any power at all. All the air around grew hot but still they went madly on. Asuang was nearing his seat and if he could get there before Gugurang, it would be lost for the good god would then be under the spell of the devil.

Asuang braced up for the last stride and just as he was about to descend Mount Malinao, Gugurang caught up with him, snatched the fire in the coconut shell, and vanished with it. Asuang was greatly surprised. He could not make himself invisible, as he would. Gugurang on reaching Mount Mayon returned the fire to its place, and everything was bright again inside. Now before doing anything else he set about stopping the conflagration. He bade the heavens (calangitan) to rain continuously. And there was rain. And the big fire was under control. The people at once offered atangs, because they were convinced it was Gugurang who had caused the fire because of their wickedness.

Then Gugurang punished the guards by chaining them to the precipices. Then for his revenge on Asuang—he ordered Lightning (Linti) and Thunder (Dalogdog) to strike hard against Mount Malinao that was defying him. Asuang attempted to bribe Linti and Dalogdog. What is the use of your serving a master when you don't even receive any reward?" Asuang asked. "Why don't you join me? Here you can have what you want. You can be your master."

Linti, quite taken, asked, "You mean what you said?" Sure," the wily Asuang answered. It is true we are driven like slaves," said the thunder.

At this Gugurang sent his thunderbolt. Boom! Crash! For several minutes the world sank and bobbed and sank again. All the mountains creaked. Then a mighty crashing was made amid the din. Gugurang then ordered the lightning and the thunder to stop. All was over in a few minutes.

Then the people noticed that what was once Mount Malinao was but half now. They thanked the omnipotent for destroying the abode of the devil. (To this day one who sails the Tabaco Bay will still see that Mount Malinao seems to have been cut while Mayon stands majestically unimpaired.)

The people for a time believed that Asuang was killed, but later his influence was doing havoc with the populace. Incidentally, the people got fire, for the enterprising few kept some embers to keep themselves warm during the rain that followed the conflagration.

Common Myth and Tales Part 2: Ramayana

2008-01-14T13:41:00.001+07:00

I think everybody in this region is familiar with the ancient Sanskrit epic Ramayana, albeit we know it with slightly different names in each of our languages.

Cambodia

Indonesia (Javanese)

Indonesia (Balinese)

Laos

Myanmar

Thailand

The great epic inspires us so much that each of us adopted it as our national epic. Each nation adjusted the story to fit their own tradition and culture, resulted in unique varieties we find all over Southeast Asia.

Khmer people call it by the name Reamker. Indonesians have various versions including the Javanese Kakawin Ramayana and Balinese Ramakavaca. Phra Lak Phra Lam is what it's called in Laos. Burmese people has their version which is called the Yama Zatdaw. Malaysian version was adjusted to Islamic teachings in Hikayat Seri Rama. While people the Philippines got Maradia Lawana and Darangen. And of course, Thai people have Ramakien.

The epic inspires not only in the area of literature, but also in other areas such as drama dances and puppet theaters. People adores the characters so much, they name their children with the names of the characters from the epic. Go on, look around you and try to find people whose names have connection with Ramayana, it shouldn't be hard.

Common Myth and Tales Part 1: Kinnari and Kinnara

2008-01-14T13:31:00.000+07:00

Goombaking, a Khmer friend on AF sent me a PM the other day, asking me to translate an article in an Indonesian blog. It turned out the story is about Mekhala and the origin of thunder. Goombaking thought the tale was only famous in Cambodia and Thailand, he's quite surprised to see that it's more widespread than he ever thought. I began to think, there are a lot of similarities between us that we just don't know about. We thought we're so different, but if we look closer we're actually quite alike. I would like to start a series on our common myth and tales, beginning with the Kinnars.
Kinnaras (male) and Kinnaris (female) are mythical half-human half-bird creature found in Hinduism and Buddhism. The kinnars are often depicted of having the head, torso and arms of a human and the wings, tail and feet of a bird or swan. There are a lot of stories in SEA which features these celestial beings. One of the most famous story is about the love story between a kinnari Manohara (Manora in Thailand) and Prince Sudhana (the story is featured on the reliefs of Borobudur temple, Indonesia).
In Thailand and Cambodia, the Kinnars are often used as decorations in temples. In Java, Indonesia the kinnars are often depicted guarding the divine tree kalpataru (kalpavriksha). Burmese depiction of Kinnaris are unique as their breasts are covered. Meanwhile, the Kinnars in Sari temple, Indonesia have their wings on their back which makes them look like the angels in western culture.

Recollect and Rejoice

2007-12-21T16:59:00.000+07:00

Posted on my DeviantArt page, but decided to upload it right here as well.
Specially made for Ms. Vel Yusa in the land of dreams.....

Dear friend,

I can still remember just like it was only yesterday,
How we spent the days together,
There were laughter to share and tears to shed,
I thought those days would last forever....

But here we are,
Separated by the vast ocean,
Striving to live our lives in spite of our youthful whims,
Realizing we can't forever paint our world with rosy colors

The truth is, my friend,
I still hold onto the past in spite of today,
I cherish the days we spent together,
And wish that tomorrow, we can meet again,
Still in the same spirit but more mature in every way

For that not so distant future,
I pray to God that we'll be wiser,
That we'll be able to cherish what we have,
That we'll be able to be better than yesterday and today.

Our journey begins today,
as we walk a new beginning,
Keep me in your heart as you brave into the wind and rain,
For I will surely do the same.

I wish you a Merry Christmas 2007 and a Happy New Year 2008
Selamat Hari Natal 2007 dan Tahun Baru 2008

Missing you and wishing you were here.

Listen...

2007-12-14T16:16:00.000+07:00

It may only be a song, but please listen to what I'm trying to say... please, before it's too late...

Listen to the song here in my heart
A melody I start but can't complete
Listen to the sound from deep within
Its only beginning to find release

Ohh the time has come for my dreams to be heard
They will not be pushed aside and turned
Into your own, all 'cause you won't listen

Listen
I am alone at a crossroads
I'm not at home in my own home
And I've tried and tried
To say whats on my mind
You should have known
Now I'm done believing you
You don't know what I'm feeling
I'm more than what
You've made of me
I followed the voice, you gave to me
But now I've gotta find my own
You should have listened

There was someone here inside
Someone I thought had died
So long ago
Oh I'm screaming out
And my dreams will be heard
They will not be pushed Aside or turned
Into your own
All 'cause you won't listen

Listen
I am alone at a crossroads
I'm not at home in my own home
And I've tried and tried
To say whats on my mind
You should have known
Now I'm done believing you
You don't know what I'm feeling
I'm more than what
You've made of me
I followed the voice, you gave to me
But now I've gotta find my own
You should have listened

I don't know where I belong
But I'll be moving on
If you don't, if you won't

Listen to the song here in my heart
A melody I start, but I will complete

Now I am done believing you
You don't know not what I am feeling
I'm more than what you've made of me
I followed the voice you think you gave to me

But now I got to find my own - my own

Preah Ko (a tale from Cambodia)

2007-11-16T15:51:00.000+07:00

Hi everyone, today I'm posting my favorite folktale from Cambodia. The story was provided by Goombaking of AsiaFinest (thx bro!), and the illustrations was given to me by my friend (an Indonesian artist), Li Julian. It's quite a long story, so brace yourself! The post was taken word-for-word from Frank Smith's Khmer textbook (Kamlang Phiasaa by Frank Smith, 2006, www.studykhmer.com).

The tales unfolds as follows: there was a peasant couple, and the wife had a dream. In this dream, a holy man in white gave her three rings, which she soon lost. The man told her that the rings represented three types of BON . Intrigued and puzzled by her dream, the woman sent her husband to a fortune teller. He told the husband that the dream meant his wife was pregnant with a child who would have great spiritual power or BON BARAMI . The fortune teller also warned her to avoid eating unripe mangoes at all costs (it’s very common for magical powers to be dependent on the avoidance of a taboo of some kind; for instance, if KRU KHMER walk under a woman’s skirt hanging on a clothesline, they lose their powers). Mangos also happen to be a food that Khmer pregnant women are commonly thought to crave (the Khmer version of “pickles and ice cream,” or something like that). So of course, the woman got a craving for them. When her husband was off working the fields, she shimmied up a mango tree to try to pick one. While high up in the tree, she reached out for a lone fruit on a far branch. The branch she was perched on broke and she fell to her death. As the woman hit the ground, her belly burst open and out came a baby - Preah Kaew- and his older brother, a calf, who was born able to talk: ‑Preah Ko. The father returned and was of course distraught at the scene. But the villagers reacted in a worse way. They were convinced that the death of a pregnant woman (bad enough to begin with, if you’ll recall!) out of whose belly came an animal could not be a good omen, and they chased the man and his children out of the village. The father foraged for them the best that he could.

Meanwhile, after moving on to another village, while talking with some village boys tending cows, the now young lad Preah Kaew is taunted for being poor and having no food to eat. At this, Preah Ko moos and from his mouth comes forth silver and gold dishes with all sorts of delicious food on them, so his brother could eat in style. When he was done eating, Preah Ko swallowed the dishes again. The cowherd boys run and tell their parents about the cow who had coughed up and then swallowed the gold and silver plates. The villagers formed a posse to cut open ‑Preah Ko's belly and take the riches for themselves. At that point in the story, we’re introduced to yet another of ‑Preah Ko's powers. He commands his younger brother to grab hold of this tail, and takes to the sky flying to escape.

Eventually ‑Preah Ko and ‑Preah Kaew‘s father dies in the forest of starvation, for Preah Ko explains that he was not allowed to provide magical food for their father, only for ‑Preah Kaew. After ‑Preah Kaew grows into a handsome young man, one day he stumbles upon the king’s daughters bathing in a pond, and falls in love with the youngest, Neang Poev. ‑Preah Kaew complains to his brother that there’s no way he could court a princess in his ragged and destitute state. ‑ Preah Ko once again opens his mouth, and this time produces an entire palace for ‑Preah Kaew to live in, and splendid, regal clothes for the younger brother. A bit of flirting ensues between ‑Neang Poev and Preah Kaew, which is seen by her older sisters. Jealous, they report her “scandalous” behavior to her father the king. He is furious, and orders Neang Poev executed (in some versions of the story, he simply banishes her to the forest). The royal guard drags her out of the palace and beheads her.

Luckily for all involved, Indra (Preah Ehn) takes pity on the princess and magically restores her head back to her neck and breathes life back into her body. After wandering in the forest for a while she is seen by Preah Ko, who gives her the same kind of fabulous royal clothes he gave his younger brother. Then he performs a marriage ceremony for the two. Now, here’s where the historical part of the legend comes in. It seems that the king of Siam has designs on Khmer land. So he challenges the king of Cambodian to a cockfight. If the Khmers lose, they must cede land to the Thais. The Thais put up their fiercest rooster and the Khmers theirs, but alas, the Thai bird is victorious. Before giving up Khmer soil, the Khmer king asks for a rematch, which the Siamese king agrees to. The Khmer king then scours the kingdom for a suitable fighting cock with which to beat the Thai champion. Preah Ko hears of this and agrees to help. He transforms himself into a rooster and easily whups the Thai rooster. Of course, the Thai king then wants a rematch himself, but this time with elephants. Once again, Preah Ko uses his magic and this time changes into an elephant, and trounces the Siamese pachyderm.

All’s not well that ends well, though, and the Siamese get suspicious. Their royal fortune teller discovers the existence of Preah Ko preah kaev in particular Preah Ko, who has within him all the mystical, scientific, artistic, military and literary knowledge that the Khmers learned from the Indians. The Thai king then hatches a plot with his ministers and advisors to abduct Preah Ko for his own uses. Now you can start to see the large-scale metaphors in this tale, right? Preah Ko —or more accurately, the magic contained within him, which is in fact the third type of BON spoken of by the fortune teller who Preah Ko Preah Kaew‘s father consulted when his wife first related her dream to him—symbolizes all of the high knowledge that the powerful Khmer kingdom learned from Indian sources and put to use in their rise to ascendancy in the region. The Siamese desire to usurp the Khmers as the premier mandala in the region is
symbolized in this story by the their desire to acquire Preah Ko. This reflects the actual Thai desire to acquire all of the high knowledge of the Khmers, something they did with the sacking of Angkor in 1431, when they carted off most of the learned religious figures, artists, dancers, diviners, etc. to Ayutthya. After that, the Thais did in fact rise to a position of dominance in the region, rising well above the Khmers in almost every way, a state of affairs that continues to this day.

So here’s how all of this historical reality is played out in the story: the Thais decide to challenge the Khmers to an oxen fight next, knowing for sure that Preah Ko will be the Khmer combatant. But the Thais don’t put an ox of their own into the battle. They instead build a mechanical or robot ox, emboldened by their fortune teller’s prediction that Preah Ko will soon meet with misfortune. Sure enough, the mechanical ox is too much for our hero, and rather than face defeat and capture by the Siamese (the match is being held on Thai soil), he yells for Preah Kaew and Neang Poev to grab onto his tail, and off they go. Unfortunately, as the trio is flying over Cambodian, Neang Poev loses her grip on Preah Ko‘s tail, and falls to her death. Indra shows up again, this time not to bring her back to life but rather to turn her into a mountain, which is supposed to be in the province of Kompot . Preah Kaew is of course distraught over the loss of his wife, but with the Thai army in hot pursuit, the two brothers must continue running—er, flying. The Thais pursue the duo all the way to the Khmer fortress of Longvek, which was for a time the Khmer capital (in real life). At that time, according to the legend, Longvek was surrounded by a thick grove of bamboo, which served as its major defense. Soldiers attempting to penetrate the bamboo forest, presumably, would have to move quite slowly, and would easily be picked off by Khmer soldiers guarding the actual fortress.

The Siamese general got a brilliant idea, however. Instead of shooting cannonballs at the fortress, he had his men load their cannons with silver coins, and fired those into the dense bamboo cover. The Siamese army then retreated back to Siam. The residents of the city then rushed out into the forest and hastily chopped down all the bamboo in their rush to gather up the coins. You guessed it, once the bamboo was gone, the Thai army returned, easily overran the fortress and captured Preah Ko Preah Kaew. Once again, this event echoes an actual historical occurence, as the Thais really did overrun Longvek, in a significant battle in 1594. The larger significance of the way they manage to capture the fortress—and our two heroes—is an implicit accusation that the people of Longvek were not good Buddhists and only thought of and acted on their desire for impermanent riches. This lack of “right thought” and “right behavior” leads to the loss of the Khmers’ most precious resource—the knowledge contained in Preah Ko—which of course ultimately means their right and ability to dominate the region. This point is not lost on tellers of the oral version of the story, who invariably point out this “moral” when they get to the bamboo-cutting episode. The story sometimes ends there, but in many tellings it continues. In some versions, including a verse version published in the 1950s, copied from palm leaf manuscripts, Preah Ko Preah Kaew are first held prisoner by the Siamese but soon escape and return to Cambodian. The Siamese army pursues them again, and this time they seek refuge among a herd of water buffalo. Preah Ko transforms both himself and his brother into krabey and of course the Thai soldiers cannot tell them apart from the real krabey. Time for another ingenious Thai trick, of course. The Thais use a prout, a kind of rope made out of leather—in this case, water buffalo leather—to create a magical boundary or seymea around the herd. The ordinary water buffalo have no problem with walking under (in some versions, over) the leather rope to get away from the soldiers, but Preah Kaew and Preah Ko can’t pass under or over the rope, especially Preah Ko. If he did, he would lose his powers.

Such taboos are common for those with magical powers in Khmer belief, as mentioned in Chapter Three. For instance, kru khmae, traditional ritual specialists, are not allowed to walk under speu `trees, women’s clothing hanging on a line, and various other things, lest they lose all their magic (saabaselb). The Siamese were thus able to capture the pair. They took them back to Siam, where they imprisoned them in a fortress with seven successive sets of walls, under constant guard. And from that time until the present day, the legend holds, Preah Ko Preah Kaew are under control of the Thais. That is what has enabled the Thais to prosper while Cambodian continues a steady decline. Various other details are told in some oral versions of the story. One postscript is that Preah Ko Preah Kaew turn themselves to stone when they realize they can’t escape from the Siamese, which supposedly limits the enemies’ access to at least some of Preah Ko's powers. Related to this, some Khmers—although admittedly, it’s not a large number—believe that it’s possible for a Khmer to free the two magical brothers even today, if s/he can manage to enter the place where they’re being held in Thailand, and splash some soy sauce—some say vinegar—on the brothers! It’s easy to see the place that the tale continues to play in Khmer feelings of loss and anger over their current social and political place vis-à-vis the Thais, especially in light of the way history has played out with the Thai rise in power going hand-in-hand with the Khmer fall. Preah Ko also continues to loom large in the Khmer imagination, as reports come in from time to time—and they’re duly covered by the newspapers—of rural people
claiming to have seen Preah Ko. Some people even claim to own a cow or ox who is inhabited by Preah Ko’s spirit and can perform healing of the sick and other acts.

Denith: Preah Ko is also known as the Keeper of Khmer culture for some reasons: the loss of Preah Ko results in today similarity of Khmer and Thai culture. Actually, Preah ko is a statue containing Khmer records on religions, traditions, cultures, knowledge, study, history... King Chan Reachea managed to keep all of these records in Preah Ko in order to secure it from being lost. But...

Vietnamese Cuisine: Our First Experience

2007-11-16T14:35:00.000+07:00

Ga Tam Uop Nuong

Me and my friends love to try out different kinds of cuisines. We live in Bandung, a town with cool climate about 3 hours from Indonesia’s capital Jakarta. It’s not a metropolitan like the capital, but we are happy to say that we can always have a taste of international cuisine.

Banh Cuon Ga

After Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Korean and Thai, we decided to visit this Vietnamese restaurant. Neither one of us had the experience of eating Vietnamese food, so we didn’t know what to expect. This is kind of sad, as we live in the same region and our countries are partners in ASEAN.

Goi Cuan Rau

It took us quite a while before we ordered, because we have to ask the waitress about the food first. At last (to our waitress’ relief I’m sure), Bayou ordered Banh Cuo Ga and Ga Tam Uop Nuong, I ordered Goi Cuan Rau and Thit Bo Bam Xao La Hung, Julian ordered Pho Bo, and Mel ordered Mien Cua. For the drinks, we ordered Lemongrass Tea and Mint Tea.

Mien Cua

You know what? All of us enjoyed our meal! Although the names sounds foreign and the way they use the ingredients are a bit unusual for us, the tastes really fit our taste. Regardless if they were good examples of real Vietnamese food or not, they were spicy and hot, it suits our Indonesian palate well.

Pho Bo

Maybe this experience is not such a big deal for most people, but somehow I think these kinds of small, personal and trivial things that could bring us feel closer together.

They're TOTALLY right this time!

2006-03-27T18:59:00.000+07:00

The Keys to Your Heart

You are attracted to those who are unbridled, untrammeled, and free.

In love, you feel the most alive when things are straight-forward, and you're told that you're loved.

You'd like to your lover to think you are stylish and alluring.

You would be forced to break up with someone who was emotional, moody, and difficult to please.

Your ideal relationship is comforting. You crave a relationship where you always feel warmth and love.

Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment.

You think of marriage as something precious. You'll treasure marriage and treat it as sacred.

In this moment, you think of love as commitment. Love only works when both people are totally devoted.

What Are The Keys To Your Heart?

Weird stuff

2006-03-24T18:11:00.000+07:00

Found this in ihmbombay91's blog:

1. Coca Cola was originally green.
2. The most common name in the world is Mohammed.
3.The name of all the continents end with the same letter that they start with.
4. The strongest muscle in the body is the tongue.
5. There are two credit cards for every person in the United States.
6. TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row of the keyboard.
7. Women blink nearly twice as much as men!
8. You can't kill yourself by holding your breath.
9. It is impossible to lick your elbow.
10. People say "Bless you" when you sneeze because when you sneeze,your heart stops for a millisecond.
11. It is physically impossible for pigs to look up into the sky
12. The "sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick" is said to be the toughest tongue twister in the English language.
13. If you sneeze too hard, you can fracture a rib. If you try to suppress a sneeze, you can rupture a blood vessel in your head or neck and die.
14. Each king in a deck of playing cards represents great king from history.
Spades King David
Clubs Alexander the Great,
Hearts Charlemagne
Diamonds Julius Caesar.
15. 111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321
16. If a statue of a person in the park on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in the air,the person died as a result of wounds received in battle. If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.
17 What do bullet proof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers and laser printers all have in common?
Ans. All invented by women.
18. Question This is the only food that doesn't spoil.
What is this? Ans. Honey
19. A crocodile cannot stick its tongue out.
20. A snail can sleep for three years.
21. All polar bears are left handed.
22. American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating one olive from each salad served in first class.
23. Butterflies taste with their feet.
24. Elephants are the only animals that can't jump.
25. In the last 4000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.
26. On average, people fear spiders more than they do death.
27. Shakespeare invented the word 'assassination' and 'bump'.
28. Stewardesses is the longest word typed with only the left hand.
29. The ant always falls over on its right side when intoxicated.
30. The electric chair was invented by a dentist.
31. The human heart creates enough pressure when it pumps out the body to squirt blood 30 feet.
32. Rats multiply so quickly that in 18 months, two rats could have over million descendants.
33. Wearing headphones for just an hour will increase the bacteria in your ear by 700 times. 34. The cigarette lighter was invented before the match.
35. Most lipstick contains fish scales.
36. Like fingerprints, everyone's tongue print is different
37. And finally 99% of people who read this will try to lick their elbow

So...I'm a...Kermit?pouts

2006-03-24T17:13:00.000+07:00

You Are Kermit

Hi, ho! Lovable and friendly, you get along well with everyone you know.
You're a big thinker, and sometimes you over think life's problems.
Don't worry - everyone know's it's not easy being green.
Just remember, time's fun when you're having flies!

The Muppet Personality Test

Friends:Lost and Found

2006-03-24T15:10:00.000+07:00

I got too many free time. Really. It's not a very good thing, I know. But it gives me time to think about my old friends frong a long time ago. In each stage of my life, I've been blesses by a good friend to share my world with. Now I wonder where they are. I'm sure most of them are already married and or has a job and or has finished their study. Too bad, I don't know how to look for them. Of course, I've tried my best with the internet. And I actually found an old friend way back from my elementary school by Friendster. And I thought it's a useless site. But I'm still left craving for my buddies from the past. If you know anyone of them, please give me a holler=

-Artha Widyo Kusucahyo : Last time I met him, he was in Surabaya, would really love to meet him again.

-Triyoga Puja Permana : Same with the above

-Rachmat Kusnandar : He moved from Banjarmasin a long long time ago, and I've lost track of him since my early elementary school days.

Why do I post these names here?Because I have great expectations and hopes for the internet. Just like when I found Yudhi, maybe somehow, if God permits, I will be able to find them, or the other way around.So if anyone of you know any of these guys, please contact me. I'll be so grateful I could give you a night one stand, hehehehe....

Narnia, The Lion, The Witch, the Wardrobe and...MY ASS!!

2005-12-20T16:53:00.000+07:00

written on Dec 15, '05
If I think about the long line I have to go through to see this movie...gyaaaargghh!!My head spins around like mad.

Is it that bad?Well,it's not actually. I love the creatures, I love the costumes, I love the scenery...I must say that they really do look better than I expected after reading the book.

Why is it bad then?It starts very well, with a beautiful scene that explains the kids' situation. The feeling is oh-so-right, from the chaos of war-age, to the serene village. And I just love the mansion. Neat.

But when as the story goes, it gets lame. Not only there isn't enough character development (you urge you to read the book to prevent any misunderstanding on the characters), even the scenery becomes uglier and uglier. There are scenes whrere the casts are just standing there, with crappy backdrop behind them. Ouwmygawd!!!This is not a still photograph with stupid backdrop from stupid and cheap photo studio for crying out loud!!!

All is not lost though. It gets better through the end. Lavish environment, wonderful costumes and sets, and the battle!!Ooh, I love the battle!It's not your Lord of the Ring style, mind you, but it's also nice in it's own way. Maybe one could call it cheesy, but I fancy it. I think it's just right for children.

I woudn't mind watching it again, I'm just going to watch the first scenes, sleep, then wake up for the finale.

I just hope if they're going to make the sequels (and prequels) they'd be able to fix the flaws. I don't think there's much to Narnia since it's only Kid's novel, but I do fond of it and I won't like it if it's ruined.

Nice 'Ol Babylon Tower

2005-12-20T16:48:00.000+07:00

Written on Nov 25, '05
I'm so glad that we live in a world that is rich in cultures, arts and of course, languages...and where would we be now if that damn Babylon Tower hadn't been destroyed?I mean, no offense Babylons and Persians, I love your civilisation and all, but that gotta be the silliest idea (beside Sesame Seed Flavored Ice Cream that I've tried out recently).

It's just too bad that nowadays, the vast variety has been decreasing. More and more great languages and literatures vanished. Ancient Persian has been replaced by Arabic, Ancient Japanese has been replaced by Kanji and Kana, and even in Indonesia, we've been embracing latin alphabet and forgetting about our own traditional scripts. It's such a shame, really.

I love the feeling when I see a chinese character, it's like centuries of history and civilization looking back at me. I just love it...although it doesn't necessarily mean I get it...

Check out this neat webpage of languages of the world:http://www.omniglot.com/ , and behold the mighty will of God and let's rejoice in His/Her love...

Li julian's First Experience...with me!

2005-12-20T16:26:00.000+07:00

(Written on Nov.23 2005)
For you ignorant people out there, Li Julian is my best friend, my soulmate, etc, etc. He's the illustrator of Archi&Meidy, and the Chief Illustrator of Megindo which publishes Cinemags, Gamestation, Animonster, Gadget, Kiddo, etc etc.

That’s right, last night it really was Jul’s first time, and it really was me who had the honor to be with him.

On the way home from Cihampelas Walk, Jul was going at medium speed with his motorcycle and I was quite relaxed in the back, when suddenly I hear Jul mumbling something like “Oh fuck!”. Out of nowhere, another motorcycle passed in front of us and we were undoubtly going to crash at him.

And it happened. Jul’s first fuck, actually it’s his first fuck up with a motorcycle, but who cares about details anyway?

We fell on the cold asphalt. I was on my feet at instant, furiously looking at the other rider who seemed really healthy for a careless bastard the he was. Busy with my death glare and all, I suddenly realized that Jul’s still on the road, moaning and kinda dumbfounded with his first time. People had gathered all around us, including the bastard who did this to us.

As soon as we get Jul on his feet again, I was busting out on the foolish jerk, “What the hell?Why didn’t you give any sign with your lamp?”. The guy, who is kind of lumpy now that I had a good look on him, and that face, ooh don’t even get me started on his face, answered with the same amount (or even more)of rage “I did!Don’t you dare you say I didn’t, ‘coz I did!”. And to my surprise, one of the men who gathered around us had to interfere and said “Yes he did”.

Great. Just great. First we have to experience an accident, and second, I just have to make it worse by saying blatantly stupid accuse. I didn’t know what happened, so I just assumed that it was that guy’s mistake.

I was so ashamed that I tried to get Jul to get out of there as soon as possible. Luckily, the people were really helpful, so we get back on the road again in an instant.

I only have minor wounds from the accident, and as soon as I go home, I tried my best to take care of my wound. I checked my First Aid pouch, and I couldn’t find any Betadine!But there was this other iodine-blablabla thingie, so it should do. And although it’s the worst dressing a person could have (hey, I’ve never been a member of International Red Cross), I’ll live.

But Jul is having more difficult time. Even as I write this journal, he still have this pain in his hips and both of his legs. The left one is worse, he said. Vel and I are trying to get him to go to the hospital, but he’s not all very excited about it. Can’t really blame him, I’m not a big fan of hospitals myself. I just hope he gets well soon...

Well, there you have it folks!Jul’s first fuck!With me!Enjoy the rest of your day!

How Holy Goddesses of the Past Relate with Modern Gyms

2005-12-15T10:11:00.000+07:00

The health history of my family is not a very amusing topic, but I know I have to deal with it sooner or later (preferably sooner). My Mom died after suffered a heart disease and let me tell you, it ain't a walk in a park for my family. The grief...and the bills...say no more, it really pays off to live a healthy life, guys. There are also history of diabetes and athsma in my family, but let's talk about that later on...
What I need to talk about is mainatining our health for a better tomorrow. Easier said than done, huh?There was a time in our life when we are a bunch of robust and healthy children. Not eating ragularly, yet we have all the power to run away from our angry mothers with vitamin bottles in their hands. Eating with dirty hands, yet our stomach are always ready for another round of sweet cooton candies from those kind-of-gross street vendors.
We are such carefree human beings. Maybe it helps that every afternoon we're having fun in the local park with our friends, playing games and other physical activities. But as we get older, we tend to hinder from those healthy games and practically engraved in our desks, working worthless shit just to go on with our life.
It's not like I'm saying it's a bad thing altogether, but we really are obliged to take care of the great gift and blessing from God; our health.
I certainly don't want to be 35yo and carry around insulin in my purse(??). I know I have to do something about my lifestyle (if you call spending all the time in front of the TV playing silly RPGs "lifestyle").
Hence, I try to play tennis. But the place where I practice was too far away from where I live. Swimming is the next in mind. I always like to play with water, so it's a good choice, I thought. Then, I realize that I'm not really good with swimming that I spend more time drinking the pool's water than actually make my muscles work.
After all the failed ideas, suddenly it hits me; why not working out in a gym?It's a no-brainer and easy to access since it's literally all over the town. And so, I enrolled into this really fancy gym with splendid facilities. I feel really good about myself for a while. I think this is the best idea I ever had for years. My body actually got the benefit from working out. I feel healthier and stronger (and broke for that matter, but it's okay since I'm healthy and all).
But after some months, I got bored. I didn't have any gym buddy and it's getting sour. And just like that, I am slowly retreating....to my old unhealthy life.
Now, I have finally decided to give it another go. I have a very enthusiast pal now, it's maybe just the thing I need. My buddy-buddy Li Julian has always wanted to pump some iron, and I am ready to take a chance on healthy lifestyle, again.
Yesterday we go to this gym quite near form Jul's office. I was petrified. It's full of men, and only men!For god's sake, where did all the women of the world went?
I get dicouraged. I mean, a place where there are only sweaty and smelly men, how the hell should I get healthy from that kind of place?Left alone physical health, what about mental health?

I mean, there's nothing wrong with men, I am myself is one and I have to say I'm a fine creature with enough decency to be with. It's just that..I always have the need to see nice amount of ladies in every occasion. There;s something about women that gives comfort and balance in the world of men. With their beautiful form and delicate virtues, they are always a light in the dark, the rain in the drought, the star in a porn...
Let's face it, if this world only contained men, it'd be a very ugly world to live in. Back in the time of Holy Godesses before patriarchal religions, women rules the earth with their keen wisdom. And all is fine in the world, because the men and women were harmonically intertwined. For short, balance is good.
In my previous gym, it's a balance amount of men and women. So it's all good. But a gym full of sweaty and smelly men, all aiming to bust their testoterone to the max....it's too much for me.
Jul on the other hand, is all fired up and ready to give his all. I guess, I'm going have to be a good sport and play along. Who knows, it would turn out to be good.
And while saying this bullshit hope to myself, I pray for the Goddeses with all their glory to watch over this "war to achieve health" of mine.

Trisexually yours...

2005-12-14T15:47:00.000+07:00

What's up with this blogging hype, anyway?I really couldn't get the hang of it. I've tried it out once in Multiply and still, I don't think I'm up to this. But hey, life's about trying right?Maybe, just maybe, I will enjoy it here. Mind you, it's not always fresh news, it will be somekind of secondary blog for now, but I will try to keep on posting. Who knows what lies in the future?

I've never been the type of guy who keeps a journal. But as I grow older and wiser (sometimes, really), I realize that everytime I get nostalgic about my past, I am having a trouble with some of the details, which is often the best part (for they includes much of the cheeky and cheesy stuff).

So here I am, determined to write my current life, everything from the music I hear, the meal I'm having (and maybe throws out), etcetera2...

So when I'm old and my tits are on my shoes(??), I can say "Damn, I was such a knucklehead!". Or something like that. I think something is wrong here, how did I get those tits in the first place?Man, I'm kinda confused.

Oh well, this is exactly why I need to write things down, I can't think for a very long time and people can't really hold me responsible for what I say or do, because well, I can't do this thinking stuff very well.

So bare with me, err...bear with me guys, I'm going to do this journal thingie from now on, so that in the future, I couldn't fucked up (much) in the process of remembering my past. At least until I get bored and decided to spend more quality time in my bed anyway...

And as my dear friend Suppi once told me:
"It's a nice thing to do, blogging.Imagine this:[On Judgement Day, amidst the frying sulfur and smoldering coals.]GOD / YAHVEH / ALLAH / THE ALMIGHTY(or whatever you choose to call THE BIG GUY): So, Ari, what have you been doing all your life?
YOU: .........
HIM: Well?
YOU: You can visit my site at sukma-bhaskara.blogspot.com. It's all in my journal. And you can find some pics and music, too. It's free. Don't forget to leave a comment or a link back"
I don't know how would HE respond to that kind of answer, though. So please don't try to do this at home. It's verryyy dangerrrouss...