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

The Richest Man In The World

The Richest Man In The World

The richest man was Adam, not Bill Gates. Though he had no money, no education at all. He’d got Eve and the whole world to himself.

April 2009

Opa Johan's 17th Birthday Present To His Granddaughter

Opa Johan’s 17th Birthday Present To His Granddaughter

Opa Johan’s 17th Birthday Present To His Granddaughter

You promised that you would kiss your grandpa on your 17th year, not before. Tomorrow is the day.

Now will I tell you a secret what you, your pa and ma, grandma, your aunt and uncle who witnessed, didn’t, couldn’t know. There never was a grandpa who was so lucky, that his grand daughter, such a funny little baby then, would ever steal a kiss, or forced him, her grandpa to be kissed. You’ve paid me, far more than what you ever could pay me with your promise. I certainly am proud, grateful for what I’ve got. That’s what all of you didn’t know.

So now, will I free you from your promise to kiss me on your 17th year as you never could know how you would feel when you’re a sweet 17. That would be unfair, cruel. This is now your 17th birthday present. It was just a bet teasing you, between a little girl and a grown up.

But if you insist, want, now you’re grown up, to still enforce yourself a kiss on me, go ahead and don’t you ever repent, regret, grieve, be sorry afterwards. Ha, ha.

That’s Opa Johan’s e mail to his granddaughter in the future.

March 2009