Prioritizing Christ on Christmas

Since Christmas is in the air, it is worth remembering what Christmas is really all about. It is the time to celebrate and commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ, God incarnate, into this sin-laden world as human being, to finally redeem the sin of mankind by His death upon the cross.
Christmas, the birth of Christ, is really the most precious gift God ever gave us. Without this heavenly gift of the Father’s mercy, none of us can anticipate the promise of eternal life in heaven. Without Christmas, all that is in store for us is death and eternal condemnation.
Nevertheless, for the past century, our focus on the birth of Christ seems to be distracted by the presence of another figure whose commemoration is also celebrated on December. People hang more decorations of Santa Claus instead of Baby Jesus, everywhere around the city, in every city of the world.
(Even the Japanese, who mostly don’t believe in Christ, celebrate Christmas! Try visiting Tokyo on December and you’ll find it decorated in red-white-green-and-gold as much as any city in USA!)
Now, Santa Claus also gives presents, especially to children, and especially to good-behaved ones. They come in sweetly-wrapped gift-boxes, containing toys, candies and treats. Who wouldn’t want to receive such nice gifts on this special month of the year? I believe all children love Santa Claus.
It’s not that it’s basically wrong to distribute presents during Christmas-time. The underlying idea is good enough: “Kids, if you behave, be nice to others and obedient to your parents all through the year, on the last month of the year you’ll be rewarded.”
This is a sort of incentive to cultivate good-behavior in the lives of our children. The problem doesn’t lie on the giving of gifts itself, but rather in the nature of man.
It is only human to regard with more respect the things that are visible over those which are invisible. We want material presents that can be touched with our hands, smelled with our noses, seen with our eyes, and tasted with our tongues. We find it rather elusive to understand the idea of an immaterial gift that will secure our future existence after leaving this material world.
Isn’t that the case?
So, the matter in question here is not whether it is wrong or not to have Santa Claus around on Christmas. What we need to ask ourselves is: what or who are we prioritizing, the gift or the Giver of gifts, the celebration or the One whose birth we are celebrating? First thing first!
We need to understand the reason why we are celebrating Christmas, and understand it to the full! All those celebrations, presents, carols, lights and bells will mean nothing if we do not first accept the gift of salvation granted to us by the Creator of Heaven and Earth. Receive Christ and the gift of eternal salvation first into our lives. Then, we are ready to celebrate and give thanks to God for all His goodness and mercy!

Talking About Tattoos

My, my, my… don’t you think this picture is simply beautiful?
Well, I realize that not everybody will agree with me about painting a permanent pattern on their skin, but literally and commonly speaking, the “picture” within the picture above is one remarkable beauty!
I’ve always been an admirer of body art and body painting, something that would make my parents’ hair stand on ends. They dismissed body art as a sort of vulgar and indecent act of breaking the norms. Perhaps it’s due to their perception that only convicts, rascals and criminals have tattoos. They cannot see the art that it embodies. For me, having a beautiful tattoo means becoming a living-masterpiece of art.
But I’ve long decided not to have any permanent tattoo decorating my skin.
No, it’s not because Mom and Dad strictly prohibited me to.
It’s got something to do with integrity instead of child-obedience.
A long time ago, far back in ancient days, in Middle-East, God brought the Israelites out of Egypt to possess the promised land of Canaan. They were commanded to wage war against and annihilate the people of the land, do away with their practices of idol worship and traditions that so vexed the heart of the Lord, and purge the land of evil.
One of the customs of the Canaanites that the Lord commanded His chosen people not to follow was piercing and engraving their bodies with certain paintings. Tattooing!
In those days, tattoos were considered as sacred symbols carved on people’s skin to invite the natural spirits and powers into their bodies and dwell in their lives. There certainly were some rites and enchantments done in tattoo-making, and an amount of blood dripped during the making of them (blood being the “price” they paid as a sacrifice to the natural spirits they were inviting to enter their bodies).
Leviticus 19:28 says, “Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord!”
It is clear that tattooing one’s skin is an act of breaking allegiance with the Lord, a challenge against His command, and defiance against His good and perfect will.
Even when the time has changed and tattoo-making no longer has anything to do with demon-worship or paganism, the Word of God stands. We cannot break a single law of God without stirring up His fury – especially we, who know the Scripture and have devoted our lives to ministering the Lord.
That’s the only reason I deny my self-will to decorate my body.
But still, I adore body art and body painting up to this day. I love seeing beautiful tattoos and collecting tattoo patterns. The one shown above is one of the best I found in internet. A few weeks ago I sent the above picture to a good friend of mine in Jakarta. I posted it on his Facebook wall. He’s a tattoo lover as well (in fact, he’s got three already – all invite my jealousy; they’re so beautiful). I knew he would appreciate it.
He did. I was satisfied at finding out he gave the picture a thumb up.
What I didn’t know was that the next morning after receiving the picture, he went and had that pattern tattooed all over his back…!!!

Superman, X-Men, and Transformers

One indicator that shows the way the next generation has shifted in trend, frame of mind and preference is the hero they adore. The media and showbiz enterprises have given the young people opportunity to vote the hero of their time, the figure that represents them best.
Decades ago, in the late 1930’s, the eye and mind of the young generation were fixed on a superhero created by D.C. Comics: Superman. He was awesomely – and simply – perfect: he got superhuman powers, the ability to fly faster than speeding bullet, eyes that beamed like lasers, breath that could freeze fire, and impenetrable skin. Physically, he was tall, well-built and handsome – not to mention his decency, politeness and prudence. He gave his life to rescue others, save the planet, and promote the goodness of all mankind. Basically and thoroughly, he was flawless inside and out!
Why did the children and teenagers of 1930-1940’s love Superman so much?
It was because they lived in an era of broken lives and torn nations. They experienced the time of war, fright and terror. In such a difficult period of time, the young sought for a figure that might save them out of calamities, came from a place none of this fallen world, perfect in every single aspect in life, a character that could stand as a flawless hero through and through.
Nevertheless, time went on and trends changed. Teenagers grew up and wars ended. A new generation sprang up, the generation of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, a bunch of kids that defied the old dominations and fought for the freedom of mind and decision. It was then, early in 1960’s, that Marvel Comics hit the crowd with its band of superheroes. But these new characters were not termed “heroes.” They were labeled “mutants.” They were the X-Men.
Unlike D.C. Comics that had brought forth Superman, a perfect superhero coming from another planet with multi-superpowers and abilities, Marvel offered teenagers a different kind of heroes: heroes that lived among us, ordinary human beings. These characters had superpowers as they had flaws. Each superhero had his/her own power, and each had his/her own weakness and problems:
• Spider-Man was a nerdy, unpopular student at school before he got bitten by a radioactive-loaded spider and became a mutant with superpower resembling the nature of a spider.
• Wolverine was a vagabond suffering from amnesia due to excessive torture.
• Daredevil lost his parents and sight in an accident but developed into a great martial-artist.
• The Fantastic Four were a group of scientists that fell into genetic mutation after an episode of radioactive blast in space.
Why did Marvel make such a great impact on the young generation of 1960’s with the creation of these superheroes?
It was because they understood the frame of mind of the teenagers. The young people of 1960-1970’s didn’t need to be rescued as in the previous generation. They simply wanted to be accepted the way they are. They wished for their weaknesses to be understood and their talents and abilities recognized. Through X-Men (and other heroes), Marvel was telling them, “It’s okay to be different. It’s alright to be imperfect. Nobody on Earth’s perfect, anyway. But, hey! You’ve got gifts as much as you’ve got flaws. Why not use your powers to do goodness and cover up your weaknesses?”
And teenagers simply loved it!
But now, the millennium has shifted and we live in an era of fast-growing information and technology. We’ve got computers, laptops, iPODs, digital cameras, camera-phones, netbooks and symbions. Slowly but sure, our younglings begin to grow asocial due to too much interaction and exposure to gadgets instead of humans.
Do you notice what superhero-movie our teenagers love most, these days?
Yup, you’ve guessed right: Transformers!
We no longer need a Superman from another galaxy coming to our rescue, or a pack of genetically mutated individuals to be the heroes of our time. We’ve got machines as our heroes that give solutions to our problems – and the young just love them!
Can anybody predict what sort of heroes our grandchildren will look up to, 2½ decades into the future?

The Lily and the Rose

A friend of mine played a quiz on Facebook to find out what flower represented her best. She got for her answer the White Lily, the symbol of purity.
“Oh, really?” she commented. “I was hoping to get the Red Rose!”
What’s so wrong about the lily? I thought to myself, taking into mind the white-lily bouquet I held – and adored so much – during my wedding.
Why be dissatisfied with innocence and chastity when passion and flaming charm aren’t ours to keep?
Every person on Earth is unique, imperfectness is normal, and each positive trait is a gift. Nevertheless, it’s human nature to compare one’s self to others. Sometimes, jealousy opens the way for ambition, and ambition in its turn prompts people to pursue goals. And goals are the reason that turns the world and eras around.
However, success is not gained through the fulfillment of our goals. Rather, it is found in understanding that satisfaction is grasped only when we know how to make the best of our time/energy/effort not to merely reach our personal goals, but to work things out for the best benefit of others as well.
I’d love to be a lily as much as I enjoy being a rose. But the narcissus and freesia are just as beautiful, and there’s no point in feeling down when we are born to be tulips or hyacinths.
Doesn’t God rejoice over all His creations?
Let all that has breath praise the Lord!

The Origin of Santa Claus

A long time ago, in Turkey, in a city called Myra, lived a young bishop named Nicholas. Despite his age, Nicholas was a wise man.
It so happened that a father in his neighborhood was about to sell his three daughters since he couldn’t afford their dowries. The family was very poor.
Nicholas gave a thought and then came up with a generous idea. Secretly, at night, he climbed on top of the poor family’s house and dropped a bag of gold coins down the chimney to provide for the girls’ dowries. He did it for three consecutive nights. And so the three girls were saved from being sold.
This story took place some time around the 4th century. As time went on, the legend of St. Nicholas spread to other lands: Russia, Germany, the Netherlands, and England.
In the Netherlands, the Dutch called him Sinter-Klaas, a variant of St. Nicholas. And, after the discovery of America, some Dutch settlers founded New Amsterdam in the newly discovered continent. We all know this city today as New York.
The Dutch brought the tradition of Sinter-Klaas to America as they settled in New York. Plays and stories evolved and additions to the legend of Sinter-Klaas took place: they gave him another variant of name: Santa Claus, together with stories about the flying reindeer, the toy factory in North Pole, and the furry outfit he wore.
People still holds St. Nicholas Day on December 6 every year. But, seeing how close that date is to Christmas, finally the two celebrations were fused, and Santa Claus becomes the icon of Christmas as well.

Cherry Blossoms: the Icon of Wabi-Sabi

A long time ago, in Ancient Japan, during the reign of Tokugawa Hideyoshi, lived a master-artist highly respected by people of his time. The maestro’s name was Rikyu.
The influence of Zen Buddhism, the tradition of the people, and the beauty of the land’s scenery and climate prompted Rikyu to usher in the idea of perceiving and cherishing the art of nature as it existed in the present. This idea, known as Wabi-Sabi, adored the fleeting, temporal, natural, elemental and frail beauty of nature above the Chinese classical artistic values which dominated the oriental culture of the era.
The philosophic idea Rikyu suggested was a perfect representation of the Japanese soul and way of mind. He saw in nature the amazing beauty of the mortal and mundane, and the icon that represented it best was the cherry blossom (sakura).
The cherry trees only blossom for an extremely short period of time, and only in the heat of summer. Throughout the 365 days in a year, they only bloom for three days! During these precious moments, people all around Japan gather under the beautifully blossoming cherry trees and spread white sheets of cloth to collect the precious, falling flowers. Deep inside, the Japanese prize the ephemeral beauty of nature.
The significance of the Wabi-Sabi frame of mind is to fully comprehend that nothing lasts forever in this elemental world. So, let’s cherish what we’ve got at present before it fades away and be gone.
What deep philosophy Rikyu had proposed!
Unfortunately, his master disagreed with the idea. Hideyoshi’s idea of art was represented by the Chinese golden pagoda, not the Japanese tea hut as Rikyu suggested! He banned the master-artist from his service, and later on ordered the old man’s hara-kiri (ceremonial suicide).
Time passed.
Hideyoshi grew old and died, as all great shoguns that preceded him. But every year, for three days in midsummer, the cherry trees bloom and shed their flowers.
The spirit of Rikyu lives on.

Understanding Multi-Level Marketing Business

A few months ago, I joined an MLM (multi-level marketing) group that focuses its business on cosmetics and daily care. The company is known worldwide as Oriflame – Natural Swedish Cosmetics. The MLM system that runs it is called the d’BC Network. I’ve been inviting people to join the network ever since.

It doesn’t always receive favorable response, though. Many friends, neighbors, and acquaintances have stated their refusal on joining the MLM business, due to several reasons:

• They don’t really understand what an MLM is.
• They cannot see the future prospect of an MLM business.
• They are already satisfied with the present job or business they’re running and won’t bother to venture or invest their time/money/energy/concentration on something wholly new to them.
• They’re afraid of taking a risk and failing.
• They don’t think they’ve got enough resources to succeed in the business.

Alright, before I continue with refuting the above-stated reasons of refusal, please let me give you a simple illustration.

Once upon a time, in a small village, lived two brothers. Their daily task was to fetch water from the river for the villagers’ water supply. At first, both work diligently so as to run their job. But, as time went on, the younger brother began thinking that the work they’re doing wasn’t really effective. He certainly didn’t want to go on fetching water for the rest of his life! So, this is what he did: he stopped fetching water for a few days in order to make a plumb-line. He concentrated thoroughly on this effort. When the plumb-line was finally ready and he connected it to the river – voila! – there went the water rushing from the river into the village’s water tank! The younger brother then no longer needed to fetch water everyday. He simply retired young – and retired rich!

Now, this illustration in business strategy is popularly known as the Parable of the Plumb-line. The ultimate goal of a Plumb-line Strategy is to gain passive income, in other words: do the work once and get paid forever!

MLM business is basically a plumb-line type of business. You might need to pour quite some effort into it during the early phase, but later on – after the network you’ve built has grown stable and firm – it is simply the matter of earning a continuously rising income for the rest of your life!

One of my uplines, Meuthia Rizki, said, “I didn’t actually plan to work all my life. I choose Oriflame MLM business because I want to retire young – retire rich, enjoy the rest of my life living in prosperity, and go to heaven in the afterlife!”

Well, she’s a very outspoken person and she has stated her mind quite matter-of-factly. At present, she earns 8-digits monthly income, lives in a luxurious house with fancy cars, and travels all around the globe to attend Oriflame Top Leaders Meetings.

Okay, so that’s one very successful example. But, the underlying point is that Meuthia Rizki (who used to be an ordinary person as the rest of us) once started her amazing career from the very basic, too: joining the network, recruiting members, and building her team. She becomes what she is today because she dared to make a decision to take the step forward in the past – and it had changed her entire life forever!

Joining an MLM business is really an opportunity not worth missing!

• Financially speaking, you’ve got the prospect of a bright future.
• It’s got very low registration fee: with simply 40,000 IDR you can already start a business of your own. So it can be said that this business is risk-free!
• It can be handed-down to your children. Oh, yes! It really can! That is the main reason I join and set my ambition in this business!
• You don’t need to think about creating, packaging, storing, and transporting the goods. Oriflame already takes care of that – together with all costs.
• You’ve got a huge chance of expanding your relations, finding new friends, visiting great places, learning new things, broadening your horizon, improving your outlook, and having loads of fun!

Now, the d’BC Network is a group that runs Oriflame MLM business through online marketing. The members of this network promote, recruit, and distribute both the products and the business via internet connection – as well as building a solid teamwork among its members. So, it’s a good opportunity for us, web-surfers.

What’s more: every member of this group is facilitated with a personal website, support system, mail-list, forum, and free online-training. I personally call this a brand-new approach in MLM strategy.

Are you still feeling anxious and doubting to make the decision and take a new step today? A wise man once said that success stems from the courage to make the first step. Without taking the initial action, it’s likely that we’ll never get anywhere!

Shall we let our dreams evaporate at the end of the day, or are we willing to start to make money today and fulfill our dreams tomorrow?

The decision is in our hands.

How the Name of the Drink Lost Its Meaning

“I’d like a cup of Java.”

When we, Indonesians, hear such expression coming from a foreigner in a coffee shop, some of us would certainly raise an eyebrow.

Well, what the tourist is actually trying to say is, “I’d like a cup of Arabica coffee.”

What has a cup of coffee got to do with our island?

Ah, most of us don’t fully know that far back in the past, some time in the 18^th – 19^th century, during the Dutch colonization, Indonesia was well-known as the world’s most prominent coffee exporter.

The Dutch government set up coffee plantations in our island of Java, and in those days they performed an exhibition in USA to introduce the Java-grown Arabica coffee beans to the Americans. The introduction was warmly welcome and gained positive response. The Americans loved the drink and named it according to the place where it was grown. That was how the drink was later on known worldwide as “Java”.

Unfortunately, a wide-spread plant disease destroyed the coffee plantations in Java, some time after its rise to popularity. Eventually, importers shifted to Brazil in search of coffee beans, and up to this day Brazil has replaced Indonesia as the world’s icon in coffee business. But the name “Java” remains, even when its origin has been forgotten, even when we never realize what significance it held in the past, even when one of the prides of our nation has been robbed from our hands.

Ironic, isn’t it?

Raising Two Toddlers at the Same Time

One of the bright sides of having two children consecutively is that it saves more time and money in raising them both. With the rates of school fee and daily needs tend to inflate from time to time, it is definitely more economical to send them to school and provide for their needs (clothes, food, milk, diapers, etc) at the same time, compared to having another child several years apart from the first one – when everything has inflated in monetary value.

Aside from that, there’s incomparable satisfaction and joy in watching them grow together. Our children, Dharma and Sarah, are only 15½-months apart. By now, they have looked like twins! They befriend each other and do everything together. Since the two are only a little over a year apart, they learn good teamwork – and they amaze us every single day with the progress and creativity they come up with.

What about the down-side?

Oh, of course there’s a downside!

Children between 12 to 36-months old are in their exploration phase. They want to know everything and find out how stuffs work. Every day I find my wardrobe plundered, our bookshelves emptied, magazines torn into pieces, journals, papers, booklets, pens, pencils, soaps and hair-combs get scattered all over the house, plates, bowls, and cutleries end up as toys on bed, and so on.

Yes, raising two toddlers at the same time does save more time and money.

But, it costs us double the amount of energy!

Whew!

Be a Friend!

How many friends have you got?

I’ve got an ex-campus mate who’s got nearly 5,000 friends on his Facebook friend list. I doubt if he knows all of them. He might well call them acquaintances instead of friends. Just a few days ago, Paulo Coelho, Brazilian author of The Alchemist, wrote on his wall about a complaint he heard. A friend of his told him, “I feel so lonely and surreal; I’ve got 20,000 friends on Facebook, 2,000 on Twitter, but my phone never rings during weekends!”

What irony!

For me, personally, friendship is something very precious and valuable, something extremely serious. It’s nearly as serious as marital bond and, on some points, even more serious than a relationship. It comprises a great deal of commitment, loyalty, trust, and interdependence. It’s tested through hardship, sorrow, and sacrifices – as much as there are joy, laughter, and fun within it.

Jesus Himself laid out the ultimate standard of friendship in John 15:13, “Greater love has no man than this: that he lays down his life for his friends.”

How amazing! What a challenge it is to become a true friend through and through!

If we measure ourselves with the above-mentioned standard, we will realize (and be embarrassed) that our commitment to friendship really is far from adequacy. There are yet so many flaws we need to fix in order to be a good friend.

Let’s introspect ourselves – and start learning to be a true friend, today!

Chrysantemum: Flower of the Month

Is anyone of you celebrating birthday this month? Then, you should know that your birth flower is the chrysanthemum.

Chrysanthemum is a fall-blooming flower, and can only be found in four-seasons countries. For centuries, it's been cultivated and the flower extracted into herbal ingredient for making chrysanthemum tea. The fragrant, soothing chrysanthemum tea is an effective medicine to ease sore throat.

When you've got chrysanthemum as your birth-flower, then know for certain that your presence, companionship and influence bring a sense of healing and comfort to those around you.

My Mom was born on November. I always remember her as my best-friend of all seasons, my comfort in times of trouble, and my most-beloved mother till death did us part in August 2008.

Though Mom's no longer here to celebrate her 67th birthday, her memory lives on - as the chrysanthemum blooms every late-Autumn.

The Way of Eagles in the Sky

Have you ever noticed the way eagles fly in the sky? If you live in a big city, I doubt if you ever see one soar above the hills and mountains.

We’ve seen eagles in our village. They fly so high among the clouds that, many times as I gaze at them, my heart is filled with wonder and praise.

There are only two of them. Sometimes there’s only one.

Why, you ask?

It is because eagles do not fly in packs!

Unlike other birds, eagles are solitary creatures. They’re the rulers of the sky, and as the nature of all sovereigns, these monarchs of birds stand alone.

One marvelous thing about eagles is that – despite their solitariness – they are faithful to their mates to the very end. An eagle can only have one mate. That’s why sometimes I find them fly in couple. It is usually during mating season. The male eagle would fly off to find his female every mating season and they would stay together until it’s over, then returns to his own dominion. He would come back to her the next mating season. Neither of the male or female would search for another mate.

Amazing, isn’t it?

Is it a wonder, then, if God compares the walk of His followers with that of the eagles?

Is it for naught that the wise man of Proverbs said, “There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand: the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake of a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a maiden?” (Proverbs 30:18-19).

In another text, it is said, “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles: they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:31).

In our walk with God, it is important to bear the mind the example of the eagles. God has set these magnificent creatures as a paragon in our discipleship to Him. The eagles represent both strength and faithfulness. If we are depending upon God, He will strengthen us in every tribulation that we eventually may soar above all troubles, like the eagles. The only thing He demands from us is our faithfulness to Him.

Will we commit ourselves to be faithful to the Lord and have none other beside Him? If we do, strength and power from on high will be granted into our lives, and we will soar on wings like eagles!

Fritjof Capra's THE SCIENCE OF LEONARDO

Who among us has never heard of Leonardo da Vinci? As the most prominent artist and scientist of the Renaissance, Leonardo has won the recognition of people all over the globe and in every generation. We find him in encyclopedias, books on history, books on art, bulletins, journals, magazines, and so forth. In particular, with the rise of Dan Brown’s popularity after the publish of his book, The Da Vinci Code – which fictionally yet cunningly relate Leonardo’s art and existence to that of a secluded sect called the Priory of Sion – people have grown even more interested in Leonardo’s works of art.

But, so much for the art! Many of us don’t quite comprehend that Leonardo was not merely an artist. He was also an astounding scientist!

It was he who first drafted the idea of a helicopter! He was the one who dug into people’s grave and took dead bodies home for anatomy examinations! He gave invaluable contribution to the medical world by creating precise drawings on the anatomy of human body and tissues – thus laying out an essential and firm foundation for future surgeons. These are merely few of all discoveries and experiments he had made in science throughout his lifetime.

Fritjof Capra, author of Hidden Connections and the prominent philosopher of our time, unfolds the greatness and importance of Leonardo da Vinci’s efforts and discoveries in science in his latest book, The Science of Leonardo. It’s a recommended book for thinkers, scientists, writers, architects, scholars and academicians to collect.

Have you got a copy?

We have!

Thanksgiving Day 2009

I can’t believe it is two more days to November!

For us in Indonesia, the last two days of October do not hold any significance. But for our friends living in the USA and other parts of the globe, today is Thanksgiving Day. And tomorrow is All Hallows’ Eve (Halloween).

It is the time to bring in the autumn crops: the time of rejoicing and giving thanks for God’s supplication. Soon it will be winter, and there won’t be any planting and harvesting for the next three months.

Thanksgiving Day is the perfect moment to celebrate the Lord’s goodness in giving us provision before the coming of snow and frost. So, let’s gather those crops into storage and serve pumpkin pie and turkey on the dining table. It’s time to celebrate!

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

Dog Adoption

What cute little dog displayed on today’s blog picture! He’s so sweet and cuddlesome, with big, sad-looking eyes and long ears, you might even want to take him home as a pet right this instance!

You might have seen this kind of dog somewhere. Yes. It’s on the logo of Hush Puppies. If you love shopping for shoes, you will certainly know what a brand Hush Puppies is! This adorable little fellow, that becomes the logo of the brand, is called a Basset Hound.

And, take it from me: you WON’T want to take a Basset Hound home, especially when you live in a flat!

Really, you cannot judge a dog from its appearance, as much as a book from its cover. It’s not for naught that the Basset Hound gains the label “hound” as its family name.

Dogs are classified into six groups: the working dog, the toy dog, the terrier, the multi-purpose dog, the sport-dog, and the hound. Now, the hound family has many members, from the huge and tall Afghan Hound to the slim Greyhound, and it includes the sweet, sad-looking Basset Hound as well. Being a hound, the Basset Hound has remarkable sense of smelling as a natural great hunter. And you do know what a hunter does, right? He hunts! He won’t stop sniffing, chasing, scratching, and turning the house upside-down until he finally finds what his nose is looking for!

So, it’s a bad choice for us who live in flats or apartments. Basset Hound belongs to the country house or farm, where their natural instinct can properly be used to hunt down foxes or chase deer.

How do we know what kind of dog is most suitable for us?

Well, you will have to explore and get as much information on dogs as you can, then match it up with your type of personality and the kind of residence you’re dwelling in. For instance: you can’t have a Dobermann when you are a calm and fragile type of person, especially when you live in a small house. But a Pekingese or Shih-Tzu will do great. So, get the type of dog most suitable for you.

Mongrels make great companions as much as the pure-blooded dogs. The bright side is: you don’t need to empty your wallet to buy a pet when all you need is a dog to accompany your family, be a friend, and guard the house. Nevertheless, it is also important to note the parents of the mongrel itself, since a mongrel is a mix-breed between two or more breeds of dogs. Most of the time, the parents’ character and disposition are also handed down to the pups.

If you’d like to adopt a dog, make sure that the one you’re adopting is truly appropriate to your needs, personality, and residence. There’s always a perfect type of dog for every type of person. And you can always contact Dog Adoption Network in Indonesia whenever you want to adopt a dog or have others adopt the ones you presently have.

Good luck!

From Rawon to Rintewu'uk

Once again, I’m going to talk about food.

When I was a girl, I was so accustomed (as most of us are) to eating fish, chicken, scallop, beef, and pork as daily dishes served on Mom’s dining table. It was not until I was 18 that I stopped consuming red meat due to health disorder.

As I grew up and got married – my husband comes from Manado, North Celebes – I was stunned at finding out that the people of Manado (and other parts of Celebes) also include rabbit, dog, cat, rat, bat, lizard and snake in their menu! Now… I call that as jumping out of my comfort zone and walk to the extreme point! I was obliged to accept their culinary tradition and learn to cook the way they do, although up to this day I refuse to eat rintewu’uk – the Manadonese dish of dog meat (sometimes they replace the dog with a cat or fox).

Recently, I read in National Geographic Magazine how people in Africa hunted apes down to sell them as bush meat in the marketplaces. I saw the picture of a dead ape fully grilled – it so much resembled a roasted child!

(“What are they? Cannibals or something?” I silently – yet fiercely – wondered.)

Oh, alright. These are simply variations and diversifications of culture that happen all over the globe. I believe other people will be as shocked at watching us eat rawon as much as we are petrified at finding out that paniki is actually made of bat meat!

(“What are those Javanese eating? Dirt-tea?” I once heard some tourists commented on rawon.)

A few days ago, one of my friends (she’s a Manadonese, but lives and works in Jakarta) asked me on Facebook, “What are you cooking today, Shinta?”

“Ricarodo,” I replied, as thinking about the vegetables, herbs, onions and corn I still had to cook to finally serve the Manadonese dish.

“Have you already learned to cook tinorangsak?” she asked again.

“Really, I have,” said I. “But I only cook that in church on Christmas, Jane.”

Because, thought I to myself. At least I won’t be the one who’ll have to butcher the swine!

Sigh… Talking about compromising!

The Fading Jasmine

Have you ever noticed the flower engraved on a 500 IDR coin? It’s a jasmine, the Indonesian national flower.

The jasmine has long been regarded as the “sacred” flower in the tradition of our people. Jasmine wreaths decorate the bridal crowns of the Javanese and Sumatran brides. Jasmine is the most essential flower used in various rites. And it is never absent in funerals and commemorations of the deceased.

Why has jasmine been established as the national flower of Indonesia? It is perhaps due to two reasons:

• Its color: white, being the symbol of purity. As we all have been taught in school concerning the colors of our national flag: red symbolizes courage and white talks of purity, hence the white jasmine represents the purity of our nation’s character and uprightness in morality.
• Its fragrance: jasmine has been known worldwide as one of the ingredients in perfume-making. Thus, having jasmine as our national emblem signifies the good international reputation our country has.

But, frankly, do our national character and reputation these days are appropriately resembled by the jasmine?

I dare not say so.

Corruption, collusion, nepotism, bribes, human trafficking, prostitution, moral degradation, and other demeaning issues have robbed us of dignity that even our neighboring countries mock and make sport of our people. It’s quite unlikely that our reputation in the international world represents the fragrant white jasmine. If there is a flower that aptly stands to represent us, then it is a fading jasmine.

Won’t the next generation do something to refresh and revive this fading flower, restoring it to the freshness of a full-bloom white jasmine?

Sun-scorched Surabaya and Sunny Arizona

Indonesia is at the turn of the season. By the end of this month, the dry season will end and the rainy season will begin. And, as a natural side-effect, the weather has become extremely hot! October is always the hottest month of the year in this country.
Take Surabaya for example. This hottest city in Indonesia has turned even much hotter during the past few weeks. Everyday I read in Facebook statuses about how Surabaya is turning into hell or a fiery oven. And no wonder! In other months the temperature at noon is usually around 39º C (102º F) according to 2008 survey, let alone in October. The heat may go beyond that number!
Some friends of mine, who reside in Surabaya, complain about how they begin feeling uncomfortable living in this Crocodile City. In dry season, the weather is so hot. In rainy season, they’re always threatened by flood. One of my husband’s relatives calls her friend lucky. He’s moved to San Fransisco, CA with his wife and children, won a green card, got a nice job, and become a permanent resident.
“Why don’t you move to San Fransisco, instead?” I teased her.
“Oh, I don’t think I’ll adapt to the weather,” she shuddered. “Yes, we’re grilled to death in this city, but to think about moving to a four-season country… I don’t think I can stand the coldness of winter. You know it can go way beyond -2ºC (35º F) in USA.”
Oh, no. I guess she’s got the wrong idea about living in the States. They’ve got 52 states in USA, and not all of them have four seasons. The southern states in the continent have mild climate and temperature – a bit similar to tropical countries, only fairly cooler.
Take Arizona for example. The southern part of this Grand Canyon State does not experience the coldness of winter. The temperature is approximately 27º C (80º F) in sunny season. That is quite alike to some (cooler) cities in Indonesia. For other US residents, though, southern Arizona is considered warm and sunny, and many people choose to move there to improve their health.
Living in Arizona is a privilege for those who love nature and desire to gain a healthier life. Due to its warm climate and low humidity, southern Arizona is a good place to avoid pneumonia and other lung diseases. And what is more, it’s got magnificent scenery! The Grand Canyon is simply the icon of this state, not to mention the saguaro cactus (the state flower) that grows in its desert, the Colorado River, the church San Xavier del Bac, and the annual Parada del Sol (Parade of the Sun) in Scottsdale.
Real estates in Arizona are growing so as to provide comfortable housing for new residents. More and more are moving to this state since climate and scenery have stimulated tourism. Thus, many people from other parts of the USA as well as the world have been considering about migrating (and immigrating) to Arizona. The state government is working to keep a balance between preserving the natural resources, national parks and wildlife as well as providing an enjoyable place of residence for new dwellers.
So, are you thinking about moving to the USA yet desiring a climate much resembling Indonesia? Try Arizona!

Learning All Over Again

My fingers are not bleeding. They’re swelling. And over time, I begin noticing how my left hand has grown much stronger and muscular.

It’s one of the side-effect of learning how to play the bass.

The internal side-effect is much more overwhelming, and I realize this is simply a small step in a very long quest of becoming a real bassist.

Sometimes I laugh at myself, “What are you thinking, learning a brand new instrument at the age of 29?”

Why did I pick up the bass anyway?

Because God told me to?

Yeah.

I guess that’s the main reason.

The triggering event was when four of our church’s bassists moved out: two went to college in the big city, and the other two got a job in the capital. They won’t come back in the long run.

So I began thinking what will happen ahead when everybody has got new posts in other places, after graduation, after wedding, after job transfer, and so forth. “Surely God will provide replacements for the empty ministry posts,” I thought to myself.

But what if the replacements don’t come as fast as we need them to?

Then, you fill the post, said a still, small voice.

It took me quite a long time sitting in the silence of the night to take those words in. I felt out of breath, like someone who stood at the brink of a deep ravine, thinking how she could possibly jump and not fall. God simply whispered, “Fly.”

Alright.

“If You bid me fly,” I told Him, quoting John Wesley. “I’ll trust You for the wings.”

And I jumped.

For the last few months, I’ve been learning and practicing the bass – first, with a guitar. Afterward, I borrowed my friend’s electric bass (he’s got three at home) and started practicing for real. The bass is a completely different instrument from the guitar (which I have known since adolescence). It’s got different way of plucking, different range of finger-stretch, and different thickness of strings.

It’s far more laborious!

But I’ve resolved to learn because in the near future, both my husband and I have got to be able to play both the keyboard and the bass, so as to anticipate whenever there are vacuums of posts in church ministry.

Being a good music teacher, my husband taught me everything I needed to know. Aside from finger and rhythm practices, he also showed me books and music videos on bass playing. He introduced me to great bass players and guided me into understanding different styles in bass-playing.

“What’s most important – and far more important than the ability to play well,” he told me. “Is for you to have the character of a bassist.”

I didn’t actually quite catch the meaning of his words as he said them.

Those days, I was so into Jaco Pastorius, the long-gone jazz legend, who was so monumental in the history of jazz music. He set up a new standard and style in bass-playing and even claimed himself as “the greatest bass-player in the world” (which was naturally true).

But as time had gone on, I realized I didn’t find the pure character of a bass-player in Jaco. He truly was the greatest bass-player ever lived, but playing and living the life of a bassist are two different matters.

I was completely stunned when I finally found the real soul of a bass-player in Steve Rodby, producer and bassist of Pat Metheny Group.

When asked about his roles as both a producer and bass-player during an interview in Japan (1995), he explained that the two are quite alike, “It’s sort of what a bass player does: I’m there in the middle of the stage, I’m kind of the one who has to organize a lot of what’s going on. I’m mostly there just to help everybody else sound good. If everybody plays the best, then – really – I’ve done my job, as much as whether I sound good or not.”

It was like a slap on my face! His answer was so genuine, so innocent. There was no slightest trace of selfishness or narcissism, no desire for recognition or respect! It’s not like he’s nobody in the history of American music. As a matter of fact, Steve Rodby is one of the living legends of our time! But as the “leader” of the band (because that’s what a bass-player does: he leads both the rhythm and chords for others to follow) and organizer of the whole team, he chooses not to puff himself up.

And suddenly, I felt so embarrassed of myself.

Didn’t Jesus teach His disciples, “Whoever wants to be great among you must become your servant?”

As it is, leading means serving: to do away with our ego for the sake of others and for the greater good. There is no such thing as self-interest in the dictionary of a leader.

As I returned to the Lord’s feet I realized I just learned one very important lesson. I knew then, that He didn’t want me to learn to become a bassist just to fill in the empty post. He simply wanted me to be a better person, to rid me of my arrogance and narcissism. And that was one very, very precious lesson!

Offering Help, Once and for All

A couple of missionaries went to Sudan with the mission of helping to rebuild a hospital in the suffering country. During their stay, Joy Mueller found out how full of trouble the lives of the Sudanese women were. She came up with the idea of providing a pregnant she-goat for each woman. The she-goat was for the woman to keep as a source of income, but the kid would be given back to Joy. Eventually, the kid would go to another family – and so on. Joy’s idea worked! Many Sudanese women were helped by her effort of helping them financially.

What Joy Mueller did was an instance of “giving people fishing rods instead of fish,” offering a help that will last forever.

Many others stretch out a helping hand to help the poor and needy in every part of the globe, by donating and providing basic needs – such as what is taking place in West Sumatra these days. Food, blankets, clothes and medicines are daily donated and distributed throughout the earthquake-ravaged land. Volunteers and paramedics from Korea, Singapore, Australia, USA and other countries strive to evacuate the victims, search for the yet-living and tend the wounded.

But these efforts do not last forever – though at present these are the help they need. Provisions will run out. Volunteers will return to their countries. What will be left for the Sumatrans, then?

They need the sort of help that will help them rebuild their shattered lives. They need people like Joy Mueller, who would come up with the idea to give them a “wellspring” that will not run out, a “fountain” that they can draw from, anytime they need, for the rest of their lives.

Will the government offer them such help?

Will anyone does?

Batik: A Case of Defending Cultural Heritage

Yesterday, Batik (traditional hand-made painted cloth of Indonesia) had been legally and internationally established as Indonesian cultural heritage. The government of Indonesia had also issued a decree obliging every Indonesian worker to wear batik outfit to work every Monday and Friday. Thus yesterday we saw batik dresses and suits everywhere around the place: in the streets as well as offices.

It is sort of funny yet relieving to find this new regulation established - eventually. But it's rather pathetic to think that the international recognition of Batik as Indonesian cultural heritage came into reality from other nation's prior false-claim of Batik. Yes. If the Malaysian did not falsely claim Batik as their national heritage, I bet our government won't bother to go through such long way into international dispute to win the actual claim of the matter.

Why would other people try to seize what belongs to ours?

First, probably because of the richness and value of the so-disputed heritage.

And second, which is quite ironic, is the fact that our people don't really appreciate the invaluable cultural heritage that is legally ours...!

As long as we don't uphold our dignity, it is unlikely that other nations will respect us as a nation. Batik is simply a case in which we legally win due to indisputable facts of origin.

In other words: what sheer dumb luck we didn't lose the prized material...!

A Lesson from Aunt May

Recently I was reading an article on the success story of a businesswoman in a newsletter. She is an amazing fighter, who never gives up on her dreams and sticks to the fight whatever trouble befalls. In the end she is celebrated as one of the most successful women in Asia.

In the interview she emphasizes that her dream doesn't end with this achievement. There are yet more to come, more achievements to prize, more success plans to fulfill.

As putting down the newsletter, I pondered two things.

The first was how her story motivates others to possess the same spirit for struggle and success as she has. The second, was the question whether or not achieving our dream truly gives us pure satisfaction and happiness in the end.

All of us have dreams.

I believe it is our natural goal to make our dreams come true.

But, what if one day they do come true? What will we feel then?

Will we be satisfied, or will our achievement turns us insatiable, desiring more and more things, setting greater dreams and greater goals?

Will we be content and happy? Will our lives be truly meaningful, then?

I suddenly remembered a scene in the movie Spider-Man 2, a lesson Aunt May - Peter Parker's elderly aunt - taught him when he was at the brink of confusion. As Peter was trying to establish his true identity and shifting between the options of remaining as Peter Parker (the naive, ordinary student) or living out his destiny as Spider-Man (the greatly needed hero, loved and respected by the citizens), Aunt May gave him this encouraging words, “I believe there’s a hero in all of us, that keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble, and finally allows us to die with pride, even though sometimes we have to be steady and give up the thing we want the most – even our dreams.”

I sat down and contemplated.

In the end I realized I'd learned an important lesson.

I thanked God for the success story. And I was glad I kept the above quotation to myself.

Combining the two, I understood that fulfilling our dreams and reaching our goals in life will only bring us contentment and happiness when the things we fight for is not purely dedicated for self-interest, for only in sharing what we've acquired with others can we find true meaning and purpose in living.