Floating Clouds

I can't wait until I come back to Jakarta to post this picture: 

 

Assalamualaikum everyone! :) I am now on a work trip to Balikpapan, a city  in Borneo island with a timber/mining town at its heart. Look and compare this picture above with the picture of Jakarta here.  So depressing Jakarta, yes? My partner and I are so happy with the town, because of its fresh air, good public transportation, and (un-intimidating) nice local people. I personally fall in love with the  seafood and the skyline of the city. Very soft and fresh. :D

Gotta go back to work again tomorrow, oh now I feel that these piles of work will never end (sigh). Even in the hotel, I still take most of the times working in front of my laptop. Well, stop complaining here, maybe this work trip will be the last before I move on to another milestone, gaining another new experience, perspective and understanding. Okay, will post more pictures after I come back home, InsyaAllah.

It's been raining pretty often here in Indonesia, hopefully it can be one of Allah's blessing to all of us here, alhamdulillah :)

Lucky Luck

Have you ever wondered that in this world there are people who always look decent and lucky to have everything they want in their life, and on the other side, there are many more people who are always be the less fortunate one? I have been around this question after realizing that I often say "Good luck!" to everyone who had told me about something they are going to do. So what's luck anyway? Does it only apply to certain kind of people? And what about effort?

So they said that if there's a will.. there's a way, even it is written in the Alquran that : 

"..Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves. And when Allah intends for a people ill, there is no repelling it. And there is not for them besides Him any patron." (Ar-Rad 11), 

so when one was born poor, s/he can change his/her life by making efforts. 

I have seen lots of poor people in my country who struggle hard to keep themselves stand strong still, to save their children from hunger, to make a better living for the family, by doing everything they could every single day. But after all the efforts why they are still unfortunate and ill-fated? Has anything wrong there with it?

This is just a random thought and I won't blame or curse any parts here. I believe that rizq has been written for every one of us and won't be exchanged, it won't be given to any other person even if you don't pick it up. Consider this as the conclusion statement I end up with.. that never surrender in embracing Allah's blessings is the ultimate key to my previous questions. Do sincere pray, make best effort, and then consign the rest to the Almighty. He knows what's the best for us. 

"But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not."(Al Baqarah: 216)  

 and He never gives any trials more than we can only afford. 

"Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity. It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned." (Al Baqarah: 286).

I remember that a friend once said that no matter how hard this life might be for you, don't despair, stop complaining, and be grateful for any circumstances you are standing at now. Luck is just the game of the world, get out of it.. Because the biggest matter to be worried about is the Life in the hereafter. Forget our ambition to be the winner in this perishable life, think of more about our preparation to win the only place where there's no more earthy problem you have to deal with.

We are actually just having a rest under a shady tree now, so we will not be forever here, will we? Make sure that we already provide ourself with good provision to arrive safe at the only final destination.. Jannah.

Though I'm still faaaaar away from being well-prepared, let's keep on learning how to be so. Good luck, everyone! :D happy friday!

The Stylish Blogger Award

Dear Zarina of Muslim Women Exposed and Jnana of Spill beans gave me the Stylish blogger Award! aaah actually I have seen this award was sent by a blogger to another recently, but I didn't really expect to receive one because I thought my blog is not stylish enough. :D Thank you so much lovely ladies :) 

There are some rules connected with these Blogger-awards and they are here:

1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you the award
2. Share seven things about myself
3. Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers
4. Contact these bloggers to tell them of their award

I already have some posts relating to things about myself here, here and here, but somehow three posts couldn't reveal all the things about one's self, yes? :)

1. My current favorite color is turquoise as you can see the color of my blog's template and the header image.

2. I bring home office's laptop and even still work on it on weekends.

3. I work as a researcher, but never think of me as a person who wears white long jacket and do science.

4. A research skill that I actually don't have, a big blank brain to the ability to use sources effectively, to gather and organize information, to analyze text, data and theory.

5. The good thing is, my workplace has sent me to visit new places I've never visited before.

6. From all the places within the country, I really want to visit West Papua, the east-most island of Indonesia! It is so naturally beautiful!

7. InsyaAllah the end of this month the office will send me to out of town again. Means that I need to work on the papers this weekend and  hopefully have everything done here in Jakarta office before I go flight again next week.

And not to forget, I would like to bestow this award to these nice sisters: A Tale of MushuThaLohari, Blueberry Girl, Blue Pearl, Colours of My Life, Diary of a Muslim Girl, Fashion by Fatima, 3F's, Kattona Taivas, Love Always, Aisha, My Lips are Sealed, Laila, Oldie Goldie and the Young Ones, Sparking Smileys, Sweet Serenity, Rose Water.  :)

Lively Little Loves

Remember when I wrote that I am going to go out of town in the first week of February? Yes this post is about those lovely days! Actually my cousin and I went to Central Java province to visit an older cousin of us who recently moves and lives there with her little family, so it was very pleasing since we always love being with her and her children. Aaah, if only I had much time to be there again, I would slightly jump there soon. Here are some of our pictures. :)

Day 1 : Jepara

 

Visiting ikat textile home industry

Day 2: Kudus

Window shopping at local fashion outlet 

 The fashion outlet has swimming pool in its backyard

 

This is my almost four year old nephew, often acts so cool but can be so sweet at times hehe

The little family invited us to join a birthday dinner party at pizza

 

High five, boy! You are now five! Happy birthday from auntieee! :)

 Day 3: Kampoeng Banaran, Ungaran

in front of Coca cola factory, along the way to Banaran

 

 

 

Day 4: Semarang
I've once visited this city back in 2010, but it was a work trip and alone, oh uncool! That's why this time it feels so different, we went to some places such as Sam Poo Kong Temple, Lawang Sewu Museum, and Paragon Mall (such a huge mall for this town!) :p All pictures taken this day are still  left in my sister's camera. This blurry one was taken using my blackberry. It's Central Java's Great Mosque. Subhanallah.

I want more! I want more! More!

It is very relieving that I finally could quietly sit down updating my blog again after the continuing 30 photo challenge postings.  Yeah, though work things are still widely open at another windows of my browser. I am actually feeling sad that this morning today I made my car hit a truck from its backside, but fortunately in slow speed, so I am okay Alhamdulillah (the car should  get some body repair still though). I learn a lesson that everything should be prepared well,  so next time before going, I should prepare enough money in the dashboard for parking coin, toll expense, etc. And oh texting, don't ever do that!

#30 i miss you daddy

Another day of remembering him is happening like every other new day's coming. I always long for his presence every morning I wake up, every night I go to sleep. Can I explain with words how I miss him? No apparently. And nothing in this world could bring him back to me. Praying is the only remedy I could do so he would be peacefully rest right beside You, God. Dear Papa, though I grew up without you, never even once I forget our moments in the time when I still could bound to you.

Sorry for the poor quality, this is a very quick snapshot of a photograph taped on the fridge door.

#29 this picture always makes me smile :)

To be honest, grooming in this kebaya dress and the thick cosmetics on my face for an office's event made me feel like a celebrity for the first day of my life. Haha.

#28 what i'm afraid of

Me; captured by my friend.

Some might say that I am a person whose exceeded stock of bravery (hmm, could we say.. reckless, instead?) I feel OK to drive on the bending roads on the hill, but not added with unstoppable heavy rain, please? This is my first experience driving a car to climb the so-called highest point in the island of Bali. Despite all those breath-taking facts happened during the drive, Alhamdulillah everything went well. Except one thing; I don't want to drive climbing roads again if it's raining! I am consciously afraid that my blind recklessness behavior would bring bad thing to come. Better to prevent than cure, right?

#27 My Cousin and I

Oh okey, I know it's unfair to play favorite when it comes to family members. Since I have so many cousins and they are all nice! :) I just pick one whom I shared my latest updates with! Say hi to my lovely sister, ladies! She was our consultant about everything related to growing up and stuff when we were still teenagers, well somehow she still is.. our motivator, our teacher, our role model. :)  I  miss playing with her boys so much!! 

 

this is a picture when I went backpacking last week to visit her town ;)

#26 my blog means a lot me

Because I have shared so many things here. It is a consolation in time of distress, it is an unspoken wall that witnesses how I have grown up, and I hope it will be the loyal caretaker of my unleashed memories.

I feel so thankful for it has brought me wonderful people from around the world who now turn out to be my good friends, including you. :)

#25 Summer Cocktails Day

a picture of my friends in my favorite day.

It was a day in mid 2008 where we celebrated a friend's birthday in her housetop. Looking back at the pictures made me feel so young. I want to feel that young again.  Forget about the worlds outside and just have fun together making pancakes. Fearless. Load-less. Restless. It's kind of frightening to know that we eventually wouldn't ever have any days like this anymore, since our life has changed thus nothing stands the same.

#24 If I Could Change that Old Feeling

image source

When I was a little, my late father insisted that I have a talent in music, just like him. So he sent me to musical school and invited piano teacher coming to our house to teach me intensively every after school. At that time, deep inside my heart I can feel that this is not my thing, I can't do music.. but for those years I kept learning music so hard just to please my father, but actually I never understood and got the feeling (though I can read black notes), therefore I ended up only memorizing many sheets of songs in my brain without feeling it with my heart. In other word, it tortured me. :(

But what kind of daughter could disobey her own father who would give everything to his little girl for good? Of course, I couldn't. And later, after he passed away, I just stopped playing. There was only a reason why I discontinued learning music, because pressing those keys reminded me a lot to my late father, which is heartrending.

Now, I really wish I could remove that woe feeling, so I could still keep continue playing piano, not to be a master, but at least just as my father have ever wished.

#23 Humaira : Mother of the Believers

My favorite book ever!

Mother of the Believers: A Novel of the Birth of Islam. This novel tells the story of the rise of Islam through the eyes of Aisha, the Prophet Muhammad's youngest wife and one of the most influential women in Islamic history. As Mother of the Believers shows, Aisha is more than the controversy around her age; she was a teacher, political leader, a warrior, and, with her incredible memory, an invaluable source of information on all aspects of the Prophet Muhammad's life.

Deep in the desert of seventh century Arabia, a new prophet named Muhammad has arisen. After he beholds a beautiful woman in a vision and resolves to marry her, the girl's father quickly arranges the wedding. Aisha becomes the youngest of Muhammad's twelve wives and her feisty nature and fierce intelligence establishes her as his favorite. But when Aisha is accused of adultery by her rivals, she loses the Prophet's favor—and must fight to prove her innocence.

Pardoned by her husband after a divine revelation clears her name, Aisha earns the reluctant respect of Muslim men when their settlement in Medina is attacked and she becomes a pivotal player on the battlefield. Muhammad's religious movement sweeps through Arabia and unifies the warring tribes, transforming him from prophet to statesman. But soon after the height of her husband's triumph—the conquest of the holy city of Mecca—Muhammad falls ill and dies in Aisha's arms.

A widow at age nineteen, Aisha fights to create a role for herself in the new Muslim empire—becoming an advisor to the Caliph of Islam, a legislator advocating for the rights of women and minorities, a teacher, and ultimately a warrior and military commander. She soon becomes one of the most powerful women in the Middle East, but her passionate nature leads to tragedy when her opposition to the Caliph plunges the Islamic world into civil war. The women of Islam view her as a hero, but Aisha is filled with uncertainty and regret whenever she considers her legacy. 

Written in beautiful prose and meticulously researched, Mother of the Believers is a compelling work of historical fiction that portrays an empowered Muslim woman who helped usher Islam into the world.

image and texts source here.

#22 Dance, Dance Revolution

I wish I were good in dancing! So I could preserve the traditional heritage of my culture. What do you think? There are lots of traditional dance we have in Indonesia, one of them is Balinese dance.

#21 if only i could forget

Despite all the bad memories and pains we've incited to each others' hearts, I really hope that we could forget all the unpleasantness that ever happened during those hard times and left only the good reminiscences if there's any. I wish I could forget that I've ever been so rude and abrupt. I wish I could erase those bad memories. I wish I could rerun my college time with them all once again, and be good. If only I could. 

This is a picture of an event where there were those sincere laughter and happiness shared I still can recall. 

p.s: It feels no good to reveal the truth that you have a poor quality relationship with your college friends.

#20 Wakatobi is Where I'd Love to Travel to

Wakatobi is an acronym for Wangi-Wangi, Kaledupa, Tomia and Binongko which are the names of the four major islands in the Wakatobi National Park, Indonesia. It must be very great to dive here and see the heaven underneath.

image source

#19 Letter for a Friend

image source

To a friend of mine,

thank you for ushering me to the door of goodness. You've accompanied me so far finding the right way to define the meaning of happiness in my own term. Now I feel so grateful that God has opened my eyes to witness all His Kindness and Greatness, through you. 

And when the time to move on has come, it is also you who drag me to the mouth of another new door to embrace the best in achieving my future life. You push me to pass through that door in order to be going in my own way, even though it actually makes our distance spread out wider. But still, if there's one thing I could keep with me on my mind about my past that there was a time when God had us stumbled across in the life of each other and brought us to be what we are today. 

The picture above tells much about the decision I have been thinking lately.  We should have known better before, that it's better to start leaving what has already behind us and focus on catching up the next good thing, soon. Another drive to begin, you said.

Adios my friend!

From now on, I believe that I could bravely face the winds by myself.  Wheresoever we will be in our own way later, praying and supporting you are the first things I would always do, be success in all of your errands making a better world and preparation to win the afterlife, my dear. Thank you for being such a protecting shelter that calm my fears during my journey, and please remember that nothing will rip our friendship apart.

Anyway, tonight I will go backpacking again for several couple of days. So I would be rarely commenting on your blog,but don't worry, some next posts for the photo challenge are already scheduled to be published. See ya again soon, insyaAllah! :)

#18 BIGGEST Insecurity of Mine

my picture above was taken in front of Kuan Ti Temple, Kuala Lumpur

I will definitely feel insecure if there is no place to go back to when the world rejects me, when there is no one to accept me in the worst circumstances I might fall in. I try to be independent as strong as I could, but never I can bear the emptiness of having nothing and living this life.. alone.