Something Special In Bogor Botanical Gardens

Something Special In Bogor Botanical Gardens

Bogor Botanical Gardens is a paradise, too many to mention all the beautiful sights, wonders. I especially capture, mention one, an unnoticed beautiful thing there is:  i.e. Decent visitors that don’t leave their spoils, dirts behind  as in Monas Park.

Monas Park is a garbage park after every holiday.

December 2011

Does It Prove?

Does It Prove?

Does it prove that when someone gets half a million viewers visiting his blog, his videos in You Tube in a month and I, me but 20 viewers that his is worth 25 thousend times more than mine?  So I comfort myself.

December 2011

Could You Ever Choose Your Parents?

Could You Ever Choose Your Parents?

“Oh, my God, why am I not good looking, a poor, slow learner, suffer asthma, diabetes, cancer, ... I never asked to be born. Why be born if you should inherit the poor, undesirable qualities of your parents?”  So said a thouhtful young girl.

Pak Arif: “Then blame your parents. Forbid them to marry, or forbid them to have children.”

Young girl: “What if handsome men marry beautiful women, the smart, with the smart, the healthy with the healthy, their children would be beautiful, clever, healthy, ... Or have an Indonesian marry one of the West or marry a Chinese, ... Children of mixed parents are very goodlooking and they are often chosen as a model in a magazine or to play in a cinetron.”

Pak Arif: “Yet someday in the future, people would be able to give birth to children with good qualities by regulating the DNA before birth so they don’t suffer from undesirable inherited deceases, illnesses. They also would be able to determine the sex.”

“Would you prefer to be born according to your parent’s discretion or according to your own choice, wishes? Except you ever could choose your parents. What if your parents are cats? You willing-, unwillingly must be born a cat. Ha, ha.” So si Upik interupted.

Pak Arif: “But at least, I believe, Man is created that magnificent that he still could manage, be able to improve himself to become - more or less - to what he wants, desires. A blind man can learn, practise himself till he can “see” by means of his touch, and hearing.”

December 2011

On The Green House Effect

On The Green House Effect

Our world population of today is about 7 billion. I insist, it has become a serious harm, threat for all that’s living in the world.

Lower  the population for instance to 3 billion through birth control and the green house effect will certainly drop. All creatures of the earth would rejoice too. It’s just common sense, and simple as that.

Why fuss,  talk, have conferences, seminars, rules, the Kyoto Protocol, ... of lowering green house effect almost without any effect, while the world population still increases. That’s what is scaring me.

Could you forward this to one of the world leaders who are so concerned with the threatening green house effect?

December 2011

On URL Or Blog Address

On URL Or Blog Address

Knowing someone’s URL or blog address is the same as though having it as our’s. Well, I don’t need to become a follower or subscriber of someone’s blog or blog in You Tube if I know or someone told me his/her URL. I can visit it any time as though visiting my own blog. Except, I’m too lazy to visit them. Ha, ha.

Besides with Google it is sufficient just to know the blog's or the author's name.

December 2011

Charming "Antholes"

Charming “Ant Holes”

I never cared to write in Picasa and You Tube where my Pictures and Videos were located as I think Indonesia to be so small, almost unnoticed in the world. Moreover, the places which I visited during my wandering, running, biking travels into the country and took the pictures, were just  “ant holes”. No one would, could see them. Why weary my readers of my blog, viewers of my pictures, videos with their names?

But since I tried if Picasa’s “Photo Location” could ever find the places where the pictures were located, I never thought, dreamed of, it could be found, be seen, I was perplexed, dumbfounded that it could. 

I very repent the loss of my world Bos Atlas before, now not anymore. This is even far better. When you switch from “Map” to “Satellite” and zoom in, all my “ant holes” are there, even smaller ones and other places in their neighborhood I haven’t visited yet.

From now on will I gladly write them in my blog, in Picasa and You Tube. It’s fascinating to see the places almost live in the Google map.

I can pride myself in having visited running, or on my bike and all along the way those charming, captivating sceneries, even though they were mere “ant holes”, no famous sceneries in foreign countries. I hope one day to visit “Ujung Kulon” on foot or on my bike.

Fishponds In Paradise, Bojong Gede

December 2011

On The Nobel Prize

On The Nobel Prize

Wat a joy, delight to have your fancy, fantasy roaming so daringly even to the utmost impossible, unbelievable imaginations.

A very long time ago have I a cherished thought, that I always would remain the same, not become greater, nor smaller were people to praise or blame me, or awarded or not awarded me the Nobel Prize.

And I thought of all the trouble, agony, the wars of going to Oslo or Stockholm were I granted the Nobel Prize which does not make me a bit greater. A dog would never care for the Nobel Prize but I’m a man who does not want it – why flatter myself? - what if he is “forced” to. Could I have the courage to say no, to war when people,  VIP’s, even the president urge me to go, decline the most prestigious offer and disappoint the Nobel Prize comittee?

I’m so grateful, so lucky, that such a fate would, could never, ever befall me as I never aimed and never would be able to succeed. I’m happy without any granted prize whatever.

Then, how happy am I when unexpectedly to receive a reader’s letter, who thanked me warmly for my published writing. It doesn’t matter if I have no success in earning a lot of money, or never getting a Prize for Literature, but have success in a reader’s heart. That would make me feel like receiving a heavenly boon, gift. This is what I wrote in my Foreword, published in the bahasa Indonesia, 1996.

December 2011

Wonderful, Unbelievable

Wonderful, Unbelievable

Imagine how wonderful, unbelievable our Indonesian people travel in overcrowded trains for more than an hour when there’s no toilet.

December 2011

If It's God's Will

If It’s God’s Will

When I asked the Psychologist if I could be cured, recover from my heavy stress he said, “Sure, if it’s God’s will.”

If he just simply said, “Sure, according to human and medical knowledge” I would be happy but if it depends on God’s will, am I still distressed, downhearted.

So, when we always have to depend on God’s will – I’ll return to Indonesia next year if God so wills it, I’ll celebrate my 80th birthday if God so wills it -  it’s the same as having nothing to depend upon.

December 2011