What A Joy Is Learning 7.1 Crickets

What A Joy Is Learning 7.1 Crickets
(from observations)

As I think of biology during my school years, oh, it’s dull, dead, lifeless learning, study. What a joy it is to learn, to study, observe them live in nature. To see, watch how they look like, how they walk, jump, fly, swim, creep, fight, eat, sleep, mate, lay their eggs, spawn, …

And I think of crickets especially the seriringan we call it. To hear its delightful chirping drunk with joy all night long, the triumphant chirping after a fight, or softly chirping, courting, wooing, coaxing the female cricket and she climbs upon him and they make love. I don’t know how they laid their eggs how they grow up except when they’re full-grown.

Cautiously, with a throbbing heart hunt for a chirping cricket on the grass by hearing its song, now here, there and anywhere to mislead the hunter, while he was at the same spot.

To see an invasion of seriringan crickets to the street-, shop-, Monas garden-lights and hear thousands of them chirping in Monas Park together as a wonderful choir sounding from all around early in the morning. It was about ten years ago that I saw, heard them for the last time.

There are many kind of crickets, jangkrik tepekong, kalung, gasir, … I don’t know their names. Many of them I don’t see, find anymore. It’s a pity if they’re extinct. They all chirp differently. You should hear them, see them chirp, walk, fly and fight. I don’t care how many feet it has, about feelers, to which class it belongs, I don’t care to be so clever. You don’t have to learn, to study, yet remember, love them for as long as life. And this is just one instance.

October 2010



Live Open-Air Concert

In spite of annoying, roaring motor vehicles passing by, a very rare, exquisite, live open-air concert can be heard free every day at dawn.

It is staged by hundreds of singing crickets on the new grassy strip in Jl. Majapahit in the very heart of Jakarta. Choirs no less wonderful than Bach’s and refreshing as a mountain breeze. And seen through a frame of gate of a pair of trees, which look like giant sized Bonsai, grand and old with age, with perching, flitting birds, they have the Palace Park, the Monas Park and the glorious rising Sun as their wondrous background décor.


Indonesia Times, March 19, 1987








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For A Dog, No Difference Between A Kang And A Servant

For A Dog, No Difference Between A King And A Servant

It’s different for a man, For a dog there’s no difference between a king or a servant. He’s never awed. He only honors and loves his master.

September 2010

Opa Johan The Smart Buyer

Opa Johan The Smart Buyer

“Keep the change, I said to the ‘angkot’ (opelette) driver and I got, bought me a smile worth much more than the change, ha, ha. Aren’t you proud of your husband?”

September 2010

All I Want Is To Live My Own Life

All I Want Is To Live My Own Life

I was baptized, was a scout, akela, am legally married, … I have freed myself of meditation, of the thoughts of the masters. I want to live my own life. I don,t want to be true, be faithful, hold on to the sacred creeds, dogma’s, doctrines, be chained by promises, vows before God, of what people think is good or evil.

Opa Johan confided this to me.

September 2010

What A Joy Is Learning 6

What A Joy is learning 6
(Volley Ball)

I never thought of ever learning volley ball were it not for my boys and their friends who were relatively short. They loved playing volley ball and tried to join a well-known club to improve their abilities. They were not openly rejected, instead they were very humiliated by the manner the trainer treated them as though empty air, not caring, exercising, and neglecting them, so they would feel uncomfortable, unwelcome and would draw back themselves.

“Well,” I said “let’s start a volley ball club ourselves.” I never selected them it’s just for those who love, like to play volley ball.

Psychologists suggest that one should choose the sport, the work, the subject, which most fits him according to his talents, to have success. If you are short, don’t play basket, or volley ball. But I insist to choose the sport you most love, you like though it doesn’t correspond to your potentials, talents to really enjoy. And I thought of Sitting Volley Ball for the disabled. What a very humane thought.

I learned a lot and exercised them, without having a trainer’s license, degree or by following the rules about good playing volley ball while I myself can’t play volley ball. “Just observe, use your wits and common sense.” I said to myself.

I have no strict rules how to pass, to set up with fingers, or pass the ball with the hands, I don’t mind their standing positions. Each one did it their natural way, which is certainly all wrong according to the accepted rules of the respected coaches, but my boys eagerly played and did relatively well.

I devised my own exercises in very simple form of the play, for example: receive, set up, over, vice versa in pairs or trio while the players rotate and we could make a match of it. We never have a show of tremendous spikes,- even if we could -, as my boys of 14 - 16 years old were relatively small 1.50 m – 1.70 m with respect to the official net height of 2,43 m for men. I have my own way of analyzing a match.*

With the height of world players of over 1,90 m it.s too easy to effect a killing spike on a 2.43 m net height. It’s not a feat to be proud of. There was a boy of 1,53 m could accomplish a lightning spike, then an international player should do the same on a net height of 2,80 m – not on a net of 2,43 m – to prove, were he an outstanding spiker.

International, world volley ball becomes a dull sport, because of the dominance of killing smashes, there’s almost no play at all, no more exciting rallies as in tennis, table tennis or badminton. I don’t very respect a coach of a champion team. He didn’t coach his team from zero. Other coaches did, he only selects, chooses them, only the very best, not the way I coached my boys from zero without ever “borrowing, hiring, skilled, talented players” for a match.

It’s stupid, We could device lower net positions for shorter players according to height-, age-classes**, have a “two times playing” the ball instead of “three times playing” and I think of chess with all the opening moves which is learned by heart. I would device a duel when the starting position is symmetry or with other starting positions or device a handicap for a strong player against a weaker player.

Sure the highest volley ball officials, authorities have no courage, no imagination, no philosophy.

September 2010

* A Way To Analyze A Game Or Set
** Classified Volley Ball
Memories Of A Volley Ball Coach

Communication In The Future

Communication In The Future

I imagine a time when one day we could have an international language as an intermediate language, which makes communication with, translation to, other languages via this language possible, as via the dollar we could exchange money to whatever foreign money. Now Google can translate English into many foreign languages and vice versa within seconds.

But in the future we could master telepathy and communicate, converse even without words, a telephone, e mail with anybody, foreigners, … and yet understand what any being says.

September 2010

Quality

Quality

It’s quality that counts.

September 2010

Respect

Respect

Real respect, reverence is involuntarily enforced.

September 2010

Which Makes A Happy Living

Which Makes A Happy Living

Suppose you suffer from diabetes, or high blood pressure, or asthma, or double vision, cholestrol, cancer, aids, depression, anxiety, mental disturbance,… I don’t believe you could enjoy your work, your meal, your sleep, your favorite occupations, your living unless you could overcome them. Healthy, being free (not “bound”) makes a happy living.

September 2010