You're Just Boasting Again

You’re Just Boasting Again

“When I cycle to Pantai Indah Kapuk, pass by the marketing office of the real estate, I stop and look from a distance for a long time at her. She didn’t get angry or wasn’t being offended for that. She’s so beautiful, so fair, so slender as only a feminine heavenly being could be, standing in a corner waiting for me. Now, don’t you be jealous. Anyone could see her, but there’s not even a man who would care to see her. Isn’t it a shame? What do you say,you little fool?” So spoke Opa Johan to his wife.

“You’re just boasting again.”

February 2010

Souvenir From The Australian Open 2010

Souvenir From The Australian Open 2010

I remember Elena Dementieva, Maria Kirilenko who played tennis so well. Besides, they’re so beautiful. But when Sania Mirza of India was being interviewed on TV recently, I was astounded, perplexed that he, the interviewer was perhaps blind as he wasn’t dumbfounded, enchanted, fascinated by her dazzling beauty, charm.

Were I in his place would I appologize: “Oh, I am unable to interview, as you are too bewitching. No man ever could, except he is not a man. You should have a woman do it.”

January 2010

The Scare-crow And The Little Girl 12

The Scare-Crow And The Little Girl 12

I’m worried, what if, how embarrassing, how stupid, how is it possible, what a disaster, calamity, misfortune - pray God to prevent it - that despite all your efforts not to like me, you one day, loaded with a thousand kisses really would like me. Fie upon you, you little donkey!

January 2010

The Scare-crow And The Little Girl 11

The Scare-crow And The Little Girl 11

“What a lovely garden. How did you make it?” So I asked the Gardener and he said:

God granted me a little plot of earth. The rain came, the sun shone and the wind carried seeds. Then the soil became a seedbed, tiny plants were germinating. I dug a well to water them and they changed into ferns, chevelures, plants with beautiful flowers and some even into big trees. I haven’t expensive, special roses, only wild roses, wild flowers and wild plants. Sometimes I took back home seeds of plants which I liked to have in my garden. Sure, you could plant any plant you like if your plot of earth has sufficient room to support, you diligently water and care for it.

I made a little pond, connected it with a ditch. Water plants, – I planted a wild water-lily, a lotus, a willow -, fish, freshwater shrimps, crabs, frogs, a little turtle, dragon-, damselflies settled there. Butterflies, bees, crickets, cicada’s, lizards, squirrel and in the evening, bats, fireflies visited while birds were nesting in my garden. I have built my self a little cottage, - my nest - and am so grateful, my little plot of land changed into a paradise.

“Well, how able you are,” I said, “though you haven’t got a proper education, never studied gardening or bought expensive flowering plants, yet you managed to create a paradise.

So am I congratulating myself, as I’m myself that gardener. Don’t you think I’m courageous saying it?

January 2010

What A Prerequisite For Being A Good Writer

What A Prerequisite For Being A Good Writer

“How awe-inspiring they write on lofty topics, so subtle, so hard to understand. And it was published by well-known publishers and translated into foreign languages. Is that what is called transcendental, something outside the human mind who is not born a poet or a philosopher? What a prerequisite for being a good writer. I am but capable of writing about daily life, in plain, easy language and I haven’t succeeded to find me a publisher.” So I said to Pak Arif.

“But if there were some people who loved your home-page,” he said, “though it was just one or loved just one of your writings - as you once said before -, you should be happy as he loved it despite the simple topics on daily life, in common language. That’s a lot. Good, beautiful writing could also be expressed in plain language and written by an unknown author.”

And I was comforted.

January 2010

The Gardener

The Gardener

“What a lovely garden. How did you make it?” So I asked the Gardener and he said:

God granted me a little plot of earth. The rain came, the sun shone and the wind carried seeds. Then the soil became a seedbed, tiny plants were germinating. I dug a well to water them and they changed into ferns, chevelures, plants with beautiful flowers and some even into big trees. I haven’t expensive, special roses, only wild roses, wild flowers and wild plants. Sometimes I take back home seeds of plants which I like to have in my garden. Sure, you could plant any plant you like if your plot of earth has sufficient room to support them, you diligently water and care for it.

I made a little pond, connected it with a ditch. Water plants, – I planted a wild water-lily, a lotus, a willow -, fish, freshwater shrimps, crabs, frogs, a little turtle, dragon-, damselflies settled there. Butterflies, bees, crickets, cicada’s, lizards, squirrels and in the evening, bats, fireflies visited, while birds were nesting in my garden. I have built my self a little cottage, - my nest - and am so grateful, my little plot of land changed into a paradise.

Back home, I thought, though this gardener has but a little plot of earth, even not very fertile, he so loved his little plot, that’s why it became so beautiful, so loved. Suppose someone who was granted a larger plot of fertile earth but wasn’t grateful for it, left it to neglect, it would become a dreary desert.

January 2010

It's The Money That Has Got Smaller And Smaller

It’s the Money That Has Got Smaller

Buyer: “Well, your croquettes are becoming smaller now.”
Seller: “What you didn’t see is that the money that has got smaller and smaller.“

January 2010

Opa Johan's Suffering

Opa Johan’s Suffering

I was warned never to pee on the road side in Australia. When we decided on a far trip from Adelaide to Melbourne in a car I asked whether there were public toilets along the way. “Be assured, there are plenty and they are free.” So someone said.

Could you imagine my agony, horror when after more than an hour, we met almost no homes, no shops, no supermarkets, no public toilets. I saw no man walking on the road, except cows, sheep, horses in the fields and these could pee without fear of being fined or being watched.

You plan to have a nice, comfortable trip and it’s so very offensive to take a pee-pan or an emergency empty aqua bottle and urinate in the car or go out of the car and do it as a thief in a hidden corner, behind a bush. How fine is it in a country as Indonesia, which is not very civilized as European countries. You could pay and pee in a toilet, or just pee somewhere in the open behind a tree or hide yourself in a corner for free if you want to. No one would be offended.

“Never lose your wits I say. What do you think?” So said Opa Johan to his wife.

January 2010

Don't You Be Angry

Don’t You Be Angry

Now, don’t you be angry as I suddenly do remember the Jamu vendor (seller of bitter-sweet hot drinks for good health) some two, three years ago – she could be my granddaughter - riding with me in an angkot (car for public transportation) to her village on my way to Tenjolaya in the mountains. You won’t find it on a map.

She was so lovely as a flower, sitting silently in a corner. For the first time I regretted as I lost this chance. I’m almost always slow in deciding something. It’s more easy to do things in your mind. She was so beautiful, I hadn’t the nerve. I could but I didn’t buy me a cup of jamu in the car. It’s so cheap and she could keep the change and be happy to take an unexpected extra earning home. I have never regretted anything before, you know?

So said Op Johan to his wife.

January 2010

How Nice

How Nice

“You cooked it for me, you lazy woman” said Opa Johan to his wife.

January 2010