on that day

on that day you taught me some new words. so that i could understand, listen and speak in a language that you use. to me those terms are foreign. even though my daily work is dealing with foreign affairs, but those words you taught me are foreign in a different way. i shall not elaborate here what kind of foreign that was. but the point is, i am glad to learn about them. and i know now how to react or just to response when i hear, or read, somnolen, soporous, or even jamhuur...

thank you for sharing.

because of a few tales

because of a few tales, which i haven't been able to complete so far; and some paper assignments i have yet to accomplish by the weekend; as well as two or three additional pages i must prepare for an article in a magazine due in this month; plus one photo album that has become my responsibility to assemble since two years ago; i have neglected so many minutes i could have otherwise used for sitting here, and reading my new books, that of noam chomsky and some russian authors, playing my favorite pc games, rearranging and decorating my room, going to my hometown and visiting a library there with my dearest old friends, listening to vangelis or mark knopfler in the afternoon, sleeping until midday, eating instant noodles with egg, washing my shoes, watching quality movies avec mes amies, watering my small garden, chatting with little birds, singing some old tracks of bob dylan, tony bennett or just anything that jazz... dum de dum, tum te tum...

because of a few tales.

for travel's sake

in a writers' museum in edinburgh, november 2005, i found this sentence written on a wall, close to the ceiling of a small bathroom.

by a man who once traveled for travel's sake...

this sentence is short. but i can picture the man's face when he wrote it. and this impression stays in my head ever since.

this short sentence has since then traveled far within my mind. it escapes its original place in scotland. i took it home. i store it in my notebook. i reread it. and here it is. it comes again as a new page, for anyone who has interest in traveling for its own sake.

blinded by rainbow

...try to make a saint of him.

café au lait - part ii

and 24 hours later. friends come in bringing surprise. spicy sti, hardy (le japonais), the q's, bouncing bonnie, riando, ajeng as well as imran. all of them came into this place and suddenly my double expresso tastes somewhat richer.

happy new years!!! again!!!

café au lait

happy new year, melon juice. watching at you on this table, i can see you're cold but as well green and sweet. i am glad that your white straw doesn't make loud noise like those trumpets outside. the clock is ticking, the streets are jammed. they all go to the national monument square to watch the new year eve party. i heard there will be some artists to perform there. two hours forty minutes to go before the fireworks start. i prefer to sit here with you. if you're a kind of tired, please drop your sweats on that tissue i put under you so that my notebook wont get wet. thanks.

happy new year, cikini street. happy new year, sofa. empty chairs. paintings on the wall. magazines. lamp bulbs. black and white pictures. ash tray. happy new year kitchen. happy new year old shoes. my loyal bag. mobile phone. fans on the ceiling. red wallet. happy new year messages in my inbox. happy new year mouse. happy new year to each and everyone...

in friendship

some collect the cards; some compile the stamps; some enjoy the stories; some appreciate the efforts to send; some share the news with others; some prefer to keep it for private; some smile upon receiving it; some shed tears; some do it for the sake of proving something; some do it for paying back; some write on it quickly; some think hard to arrange the words; some have the addresses in their heads; some have to memorize them with the aid of pencil and paper... and even though i might not be able to send them all, by post, still you need to know my friends, that they are all there for you. in friendship from me.