The Papaya

The Papaya

How sweet, refreshing was the papaya and it didn’t look beautiful. It was almost green. And I saw the plant on poor soil with its fruits so high up above hanging on a very lean stem. No one planted it there in the garden and it grew up wild. It was lucky that it was unobserved till it got big, sweet fruits. How grateful I was for its goodness.

And there was another papaya, very beautifully colored. How pleasing, what a joy to the eye, but it wasn’t savory and sweet No one planted it in the garden and it grew up. It was lucky that it was unobserved till it got those beautiful fruits, so graceful. How grateful I was for its beauty. Was it wrong of the papaya that no one liked eating it? Should this papaya tree be cut down, even were the papaya not beautifully colored?

May 2009

Extraordinary, Brave!

Extraordinary, Brave!

When I was teenager in the forties I said: “only if I could pass the higher secondary school I would be content, happy” as it seems so far away and difficult to master it. But as I passed, I just feel it’s very ordinary. In the fifties I said “if only I could get my university degree I would be proud and happy.” But as I succeeded I don’t feel it to be a very extraordinary achievement. Now, in 2009 almost every young man, young girl has passed the higher secondary school A university degree is easier to get were it within one’s purse.

But there were still higher grades, of being doctor and they seem so high and very far away, especially as I think of those who compete and pass cum laude or even summa cum laude making you feel so very small.

And I mused that perhaps that that was not very extraordinary, beyond the brains of a normal person that one certainly also could reach, achieve it, perhaps it would take a longer time, ten years, more efforts. And I would readily do it were it really of much importance to me. Besides, the knowledge wouldn’t be necessarily less, it could be even more. And I thought of the comforting TV program ‘are you smarter than a fifth grader?’ And there’s no one, no successful person yet, who could claim him-, her-self to be smarter than a fifth grader.

“Just sour grapes, ha, ha” I said, to Pak Arif.

“I also wouldn’t be tempted to compete for the sake of winning the highest degree with flying colors, even were it my favorite subject.” He said. “They certainly are extraordinary talented, they’re praised and sought after as bibit unggul (superior seed) and N.B. supported with a scholarship (‘won’, they said) for higher study with bright prospects for the future. But I never would sacrifice, sell, waste my time, energy, joy for it. It is the knowledge that is important, not the superior grades, degree. I’m happy when I still could surpass myself.

“With internet in the future, higher study is welcome, open to anyone There’s no need for competition, flying colors, high, superior grades. We love Mozart, Beethoven, Gershwin, … for their beautiful works, not whether they got a superior doctor’s degree in music. They would never compete with each other. That’s so stupid, so degrading. Besides, they would never copy each other.

“To stand on one’s own, something like incognito, anonym, without showing off one’s successes, merits, achievements, honors, testimonials, that’s brave, daring.”

“Or proclaim, uncover one’s bad, wicked, criminal behavior without having to hide oneself, that’s brave ha, ha.” Si Buyung interrupted.

“And I remember invalids, who not with a plus of a high intelligence talent but with a minus, a handicap of having no arms, still could paint with their mouth or feet and N.B. without financial support stand on their own. What do you think?” said Pak Arif.

April 2009

Related Posts:
Wonders Of Human Potentialities
Ranking Humans

The Right To Allocate The Earth

The Right To Allocate The Earth

It’s the owner who has the right to allocate the earth. But the Creator who is the owner did not say, this part is for America, that part for China, Russia, Indonesia, this part for lions, that part for snakes, birds, fish, insects, plants, … But as He said nothing, people, all the creatures think that no one owns the earth. So, just go ahead everyone, settle, occupy, take, prey on it, beat, kill the enemy, revolt, ....

Something like that is the birth of a state and so for as long as time. The victor then proclaims his sovereignty, determines the borders of his state and set up his government.

“This is my land inherited from my ancestors” said the aborigine “They hadn’t any education, there were no borders. In the beginning they just settled here, there was no one who complained. We, my people can’t set up a government. Have we no right to this, our own country?”

And I thought of Chechnya, Indonesia, India, Palestine, … What was the United States before? And what will it be in the future? There’s no nation, state could claim a greater right to the earth than another. Any one, every creature, even an ant has a right to the earth. But it’s the victor who decides, divides, takes a greater part of the ‘cake’. “The Creator didn’t say anything. Ha, ha, ha.” said the winner.

While the Creator said: “Am I your servant? Go ahead! Invade, fight, war, oppress, destroy, get the headache yourself if you have lost your mind, your common sense, you fool. Ha, ha, ha. I created earth including the sun, the moon, the stars for all being, not for you only.”

April 2009

The Choir Conductor's Invitation

The Choir Conductor’s Invitation

Warning!
We’ve nothing to offer to impress, no superior qualifications, no memorable achievements to recommend our selves.
Our ten members are 50 -, 60-, 70-ers and some almost 80.
They have never had music, singing lessons before.
We started singing, training, aged, over 50 years old.
My organist had never been to a school for music, neither me.
We exercize without a singing, music teacher.
Etc, etc, … as not to bore you.

We have no committee for this concert. We do, work, bear the costs ourselves which happily amounts to almost nothing. Ha, ha. We only have our boldness to present this concert in our own church. This is how we sing after 10 years of hard training.

It’s great when we also could sing the most beautiful pieces, even though they’re above our abilities with all the risks involved. We don’t just have to reach the F but reach so high as the B. So don’t you be terrified to hear a shrill long Bes or a B we almost couldn’t reach.

Yet, we’re grateful, proud to stand on our own to have this concert, despite our relatively old age, despite the difficulties and accidents that may occur.

And we would record it on VCD, so we will live “for ever” as long as when we replay it again on the player.

Lest you should regret, be sorry after such a lot of dissuasions and still insist to visit my concert, phone me, I’ll send you the invitation free.

The Choir Master

To me, he (this Choir Master) confided: “So do I know that my invitation is send to some one extraordinary whom I never would forget. That’s my secret and he musn’t know.”

April 2009

Mickey And The Landlord

Mickey And The Landlord

Mickey said: “Why do you chase me away? Is this your land?”

“This is my house, my land. I’ve bought it. Here is the certificate.” So said the landlord.

“Sure,” said Mickey Mouse, “but I am also an inhabitant, citizen of the earth. I have also a right on a part of it. I haven’t sold my right to you or anybody. Why then do you have your house on a part of my land? Has the seller or the government the right to own the land and sell the land that belongs to all the world inhabitants without permission? What do you say? Ha, ha.”

April 2009

The Gelatik Bird And The Farmer

The Gelatik Bird And The Farmer

“ Hi, Gelatik. Don’t eat, steal my paddy,” said a farmer.

Said the Gelatik. “Sure you bought and planted the paddy but the paddy is not yours but of the paddy plants and they present it to anyone who would like to take and eat them. If you forbid, then you should guard, watch over it. I don't steal your paddy. You have no right to forbid me.”

April 2009

Memory Of An Invitation To A Dinner

Memory Of An Invitation To A Dinner

On New Year’s eve I was invited to have dinner in a first rate restaurant. My host would introduce me to the sophisticated art of eating. The guests came in Mercy’s, luxurious cars and were welcomed as VIP’s. The dining hall was lighted as though in a palace. The men serving were wearing coats the women dressed as charming stewardesses

With the first round came a giant dressed lobster. Only its head was imposing, impressive, large and frightening but could not be eaten. Next came the most expensive Chinese shark fin dish, then came the “scallop” dish with champignon, decorated with broccoli .

After the fourth round of “Lazy Fish” I was more than full and still more was served before me and it became a torture. There’s no dog that could be persuaded to eat more but the others still ate. Then as a New Year’s “dessert” we were surprised, served with deafening blasts of new years trumpets blaring shrill sounds in the dining hall and so my suffering was complete.

So, what is nice, delicious, I wonder. Calculated, only its price is most delicious, with a sum of “only” two hundred thousand Rupiah (that was at the end of 1994).

And I remembered the so appetizing dish of just roasted petai (stinking beans) with kecap (soy bean sauce), or goat legs soup with a lot of rice. Seeing, smelling food that’s still warm in food stalls along the street, so cheap. If I were so lucky, some one send me a draft for two hundred thousand Rupiah as present, my family could have twenty feasts eating very delicious food. Or I could buy me a mountain bike!!!

Sure, people say that common, petty folk has a poor taste. They don’t know the art of eating. Invited in this first class restaurant has indeed a lot of pluses. Then pak Arif with naughty eyes whispered: “the pluses are in the unforgettable very bad, stupid way of eating. Instead of enjoying, it became a punishment. More over if you have to pay the bill. A government clerk would be forced to fast a whole month, you know?”

Regularly done is a sure, effective exercise to make you like it and drown, kill your good taste. Who ever was so innovative to invent this art of eating for those who don’t know what to do with their money? And it’s still praised, admired. Ha, ha.

Jayakarta, June 15, 1995