50

(Thank you Bu Dina Mustafa!)

Here is a pray from my beloved friend on my 50th:

ya Allah, pada hari ini dan hari-hari selanjutnya,

jika ia sedang tidur, jagalah tidurnya

jika beribadah, terimalah ibadahnya

jika berdoa, kabulkanlah doanya

jika bekerja, ringankanlah pekerjaannya
jika usaha, hasilkanlah usahanya
jika sakit, sembuhkanlah
jika susah, gembirakanlah
jika malas, gugahkanlah agar ia rajin
jika musafir, selamatkanlah
jika cemas, anugrahilah rasa aman
jika khilaf, sayangi dan ampunilah
jika lupa, ingatkanlah dan maafkanlah

Ya Allah limpahkan rizki, barokah, iman, ridha, rahmat, mulia, sakinah, sehat dan bahagia kepada Paulina dan keluarga on her 50th.

How lucky I am to have such a thoughtful friend. Thank you God.

21012011

The Ladies of Baron Beach

(Baron Beach, 2008, personal collection)

Baron Beach is very famous beach in the southern part of Yogyakarta, in addition to Parangtritis Beach.

The ladies of Baron Beach (Gunung Kidul, Yogyakarta) are the local fishermen's wives who will sell the fish obtained by their husbands in the sea. The fish are sold in the Baron Beach fish market. Usually, the trade will only last some hours in the morning until the fish are gone. Nevertheless, when there is leftover fish or shrimps, they make them into fish chips, fried fish, and shrimp chips (rempeyek udang). In addition , they also cater the fish for the local restaurants surrounding the beach
.

In 2008, I was sponsored by APEC and SEAMOLEC to conduct a research and development project to introduce ICT to the ladies of Baron Beach - considerably marginal rural women. The project was started by developing instructional materials - as simple and interesting as possible to introduce ICT to the ladies of Baron Beach. Coordination with local authority and schools was also established to provide ICT access to the ladies of Baron Beach.

Then there was a training for local teachers to be local resource persons to the ladies.

For the ladies themselves, a training was designed for three days - to aim at developing ICT skills of the ladies of Baron Beach - up to the capability in setting their own individual email account, and surfing the internet.

Wow, it worked out well!

One year after, the APEC project team came to Yogyakarta for a final seminar of the project. We did visited the ladies of the Baron Beach. They were of no access to ICT at that time, that they told perhaps they might have forgotten all the skills they obtained through the training.

Two years after the training, I came back to Baron Beach and meet them. With me, I brought a new laptop, a wifi modem, and a printer. All the equipments are for them to use, so that they can get access to ICT at their fingertips. Laptop is chosen because it can be used in turn by the 11 ladies.

When we tried out the equipment, it only took a minute for them to remember all their ICT skills. And they were so happy....

The APEC project team - Indonesia (2008-2010):

• Paulina Pannen
• I N. Baskara
• Dina Mustafa
• Hari Wibawanto
• Dyah Astuti
• Anti Rismayanti
• Loethfiana

(All images are of personal collection)

Evolution ,,,,,...

Evolution ........ 2008 - 2009 - 2010

... the most difficult time in my life, until I embarked in a new journey in 2010.
A new color of my balloon!
Thank God, I can smile ... always!
(02052010)

Flowery Pain

(personal collection: Gunung Kidul, Yogyakarta, 2009)

Flowery pain

Flowery pain in my heart

Piercing into my blood artery

All birds are flying away

And you want me alone

Pricking pain and hurt on me

But you want my harvest

To keep the honey and sugar

Still puncturing me with your flowers

The flowers of pain

It is a meadow of pain you give me

Impaling my blood

Crowning my head

Bonding my ankles

Flowery pain in my heart

A bed of your suspicion

Uncaring

You are knocking me off

You are no different

than the devils in the twilight

Hovering my life

Embracing me with the pricky, flowery pain

I’ll do it my way!

My revelation!

30 April 2010

a Smile in the Morning

(persoonal collection: Senggigi Beach Mataram, October 2009)

a Smile in the Morning

It was the opening of a new day

The sun blushing from its sleep

Sending its warmth and glittering shine

Touching georgous maiden in her cheeks

Aglow

Blowing the scented hairs softly

Touching the full lips

cuddling to its fullest love

In heart

After the olden days of pain

Hatred, jealousy, and hurt

There was a smile in the morning

Contented

radiated in the warm embrace of the sun

exquisite smile

In the morning of a new day

Passing through the weary faces

A smile in the morning

With hopes and dreams.

29 April 2010

Special Quote

Quote for today............

while I was meeting someone, but there were two of them....... in a special room...

here is what I remember from Maria Rodrigues (Joke-of-the-Day.com)

I've learned that when "friends" use you, the best thing to do is drop them. They’re not your friends. True friends don’t use friends but help and support and laugh with you.

Have fun, and enjoy the freedom while it lasts!

There Is Only One Sun in The World

(image: personal collection, Paris, France, May 2009)

There Is Only One Sun In The World

There is only one sun in the world
No other sun is there, and no other sun will be there
Only one sun that shines, and gives its shine to everything
Only that sunrays give light to every life in the world

But, alas… there is a lovely flower shining there
Its radiance makes the butterflies come closer
The sweet kisses of butterflies and ladybugs
The delicate touches of the winds
Gives the flower more vigor to shine
And send out its fascinating smells around
Its beauty is not taken by the storm
The flower is still shining in the dark
Penetrating the hearts of the meadow
Radiantly shining every life around

Oh, but there is only one sun in the world
The flower is shining too, radiantly
Is the flower the sun?
There is only one sun in the world
The flower is shining because of its beauty,
its white petals, its green leaves, and sweet smells
The flower is shining because of its warm life
with the butterflies, ladybugs, winds, and the sun
The flower is shining because of its virtue
The shining flower makes two suns in the world?
Or millions suns in the world?
But there is only one sun in the world
The flower smiles wavily and sends out its penetrating,
wholeheartedly, yet unintentionally shines.
Glittering away.

Jakarta, June 12, 2009.