Karimunjawa 2006

This picture is one of my favorite pictures. I was walking down to the dock with my friends Jay and Jeremy on our way to catch a boat for snorkeling. Selena, who was already in the boat with Mavis took this picture. It looks so spontaneous, yet at the same time captured the beauty of the small part of Karimunjawa.

Summer Solstice

Awan bergerak melintasi bumi
Angin bertiup menandakan datangnya masa baru

Satu persatu daun-daun berwarna hijau berubah warna
Gelap
Apakah perubahan itu sebuah keindahan?

Musim panas telah datang
Membawa terik dan debu
Angin membisikkan pesan
Air akan sirna dari bumi beberapa waktu
Apakah itu sebuah keindahan?

Global Warming??

I think this is the first time I don't like rain. It supposes to be dry season, not that I like this particular season but it's just weird! I am just thinking that it might be the global warming that plays on this change.

Looking out the window, I saw the rain pouring down so hard. It feels like a December, the month when we got a lot of rain. I am not sure when this going to stop, I hope soon because I am hungry.

The Javanese people refer rain with blessing, so whenever there is rain during the wedding or circumcision party we believe that many blessings will be poured upon the new couple or the boy. It make sense though, we live in a tropical island where sun shines throughout the year. Most Javanese rely their lives on the traditional farming and rain helps irrigate the farmlands. In the past, the dry season and the rainy season always came right on time, six months to be exact for each season. The six-month period has been existed for a long time that formed the current farm systems. The dry season is the time to plants and the rainy season is the time to harvest.

The change has been going on for a couple of years, although this is the first time I notice it. It is difficult for the farmers when rain comes during the rainy season, it will destroy the seeds they have just planted. I am not sure whether there is any solution to deal with this change. But I hope the government has some plans to help the farmer on this situation.

A Time for Everything

I received a phone call from a friend this morning to letting me know that one of my good friends died of an accident last night. It was news that I never expected to receive in such a perfect morning. I made some phone calls to confirm the accuracy of this news on my disbelieved. While I was making a phone call, my mind was picturing him vividly.

He was a fine 26 years old guy, with a contagious passion in music. One day, we were at the church practicing some songs for the church activities. He played piano and suddenly he hit tones that struck me. I was always an aspiring songwriter who wishes to be one, one day. He kept playing and I wrote some words and tried to match with his tone. He accommodated the words by modifying the rhythm and the tone. He was so patience and giving great ideas on the song. Eventually we created one and we sang that song at the church the next morning. I couldn't even remember what song it was but that was a one time unforgettable experience that I have ever had in creating what so called an "art" and I was glad I did it with him.

After several calls confirming the accuracy of the news, I finally called his brother and shared my condolences. He was in the ambulance on his way to transfer the body from the hospital to their house. The sirene was loud and there were people talking around him. He sounded strong but I knew his heart broke.

A moment before I received the news, interestingly I read an e-mail from a dear friend who reminded me that there is a time for everything. There is a time to born and a time to die; a time to laugh and a time to cry; a time to joy and a time to sad. This is life, a fact that I often forgot.