Bluntly Fresh Morning Overture

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....

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.....

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

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...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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!

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....

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.

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...

(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!

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.

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...