My Own Post Office Box

Yesterday was the big day I have my own PO BOX at the Post Office.

PO BOX 1100, Banjarbaru.

Post office is on of my favourite places to be so this  makes me really happy.

I have my own key! Every once in a while I will check on my box to see if I receive any mail. If somebody sent me a big parcel/package then the Post Office will call me to collect it.

Oh goodie!

A whole lot of things lined up on my bucket list...

* have all three meals in a day in three different countries
* new years eve in Paris as a teen
* go on great adventures and truly being present

These are just some of the ones that have happen to me (very grateful).

Yeah, having my own PO BOX is a huge deal to me.

Yes! There still a lot I want to do in life, big things or small.

I am ready and very much excited.

The Tree of Life, Indonesiaan Ornamental Design

The tree of life is the source of all that all that lives, of all wealth and welfare. The idea of upperworld, underworld, and the tree of life as devine unity is met in many parts of Indonesia. Pohon hayat / pohon kehidupan (the tree of life) is the symbol of the highest unity.

In some part of Indonesia we still find the tree of life as a sacred  tree planted in the centre of  the village on a small stone terrace, on the terrace are placed the skulls of sacrificed kerbau (water buffalo). At certain festivities some times an artificial tree of life is placed and decorated...

From the earliest sources of Sansekerta (Sanskrit) literature, the tree of life is mentioned. Kalpataru *in Sanskrit kalpa (menas life and taru means tree* *scientific name is Barringtonia asiatica*, is a wish fulfilling devine tree in Hindu mythology. Often described as a grand tree jeweled in strings of beautiful precious stones, Kalpataru is the tree of life, a divine tree, a celestial tree or a spiritual tree. It is told, that the king of all Gods, Indra, took a kalpataru tree and plant it in his beautiful paradise filled with many shady trees and most juicy delicious fruits at the top of Mount Mehru, Java.

Certain Dayak believe in a god of the upperworld, symbolized by the hornbill and in a god of the underworld, symbolized by the water snake. Over this two deities there is still another god which comprises both of the upperworld and the underworld and is symbolized by the tree of life. Pictured below an example, a mat of very finely woven of rattan strips, from Kuala Kapuas, Borneo.

On the woven cloth from South Sumatra pictured below, we find the tree standing on a terrace. Woven on the cloth images of horns of kerbau (water buffalo), birds, and on the terrace there are human figures with sun shades and spears (maybe symbolizing the ancestors).

Another example of the tree of life is pictured here in the wood carving, from Cirebon, Java. Here the upperworld represented by a bird, the underworld by a snake and the unity by the tree of life (more less ss a leaf) springs of a lotus and rest on a mountain.

Gunungan. In the Javanese shadow play, the wayang kulit, before the performance begins and after its end and also in between the acts   a fan shaped figure is place in front of the screen. The screen is called gunungan (mountain range), gunungan symbolizes the totality or unity, therefore equivalent to the tree of life. The gunungan may occurs in various forms and all sorts of motifs are worked up in it, but the principal motif is always the tree in the centre, the tree of life.

*most of this post is summerized from the great book of
Indonesische Siermotieven
Ragam-ragam Perhiasan Indonesia
Indonesian Ornamental Design,
By A. N. J. Th. a Th. Van der Hoop
1949

Plant Ornamentation, Indonesian Ornamental Design

In prehistoric times we find no plant ornamentation in Indonesia. Only later, in the Hindu period, this came into vogue. Since then it has become almost the principal part of Indonesian ornamentation.

Beautiful tendrils and flower designs become an expression of gratitude towards nature. *such a beautiful way to be grateful that I simply adore*
Often it is quite difficult to make sure which flower it is meant to represent: in fact, it is not at all certain that the artist in every instance really wanted to reproduce any particular flower. Perhaps the artist intended to design a general stylised plant ornamentation, for the main purpose is gratitude with a spark of adoration towards life and nature.

EARTHENWARE
On earthenware, plant ornamentation was cut into the clay before it was quite dry. Jar, incense burner, and pitcher are a few of earthenware commonly embellished with tendrils ornamentation.

EMBROIDERY
Embroidered cloth, embellishments with tendrils and flowers. Plant ornamentation embroidery is quite common at Palembang, the design is a mixture of Javanese, Chinese and Siamese influence.

WOODCARVING
Especially in woodcarving, plant ornamentation has developed artistically. The Javanese house has an open front gallery or porch. The wall between this porch and the house, which is called gebiok is usually embellished with beautifully detailed and dainty woodcarving. In the middle of this wall, gebiok, there is a double door. Above the double door there is an arched decoration of beautifully detailed openwork woodcarving.
The same house arrangement and the same way in which woodcarving is applied in Java, is customary also in Madura. But the style of carving shows local differences.

BRASSWARE
On bowl / passu of cast brass, the ornamentation is applied in shallow relief, it's background being filled with black ressin / gala.
Sirih set, another beautiful example of brassware work, consisting of a rectangular tray embellished with tendrils ornamentation in relief, but without gala. It's relief, therefore is not as shallow. Within the tray of sirih set, there are little containers to hold the sirih ingredients, and they are similarly decorated.

BRONZE
In the Hindu-Javanese period, on occasions of public worship, bronze sacrificial dishes were used in the shape of very large flat plates, called talam. The flat circular centre of such a talam embellished with tendril and flower designs.

*summarized from the great book of
"Indonesische Siermotiven
Ragam-ragam Perhiasan Indonesia
Indonesian Ornamental Design"
1949*

It's Your Life, You May Choose.

Life is a journey...
At some point in our life, we evaluate our journey in this world.
Questions starting to pop into our mind:
"How do I feel lately?"
"Is this what I really want?"
"How do I want my life to be?"

The answer is simple:

It's your life,you may choose.

"Easy for you to say, Naomi..." you may fuss.

You are right.

No, it is not easy.

But let me share you some secrets...

1. How do you see the world?

How do you see the world really affect how you live your life 

When you see the world as an awful place, chances are you are less happy and sorrow will often be with you.

When you see the world as a playground, you play and enjoy the sunshine.

When you see the world as a magical place, you amazed by it wonders and believe in everything you see.

2. You are what you eat, and so on...

You are what you eat.

You are what you read.

You are what you listen.

You are what you watch.

You are what you think.

You are what you believe.

Please, be honest...

Please, listen to yourself more.

You are responsible of your life, please be more thoughtful, for you.

Do you really need that much chips?

Do you really enjoy that coffee?

Do you really enjoy that music?

Do you really enjoy that movie?

Do you really enjoy that place?

Keep your preferences in your mind,

If people love the taste of that coffee but you like tea instead, then don't drink that coffee.

If people love that movie, but you don't really like watching movie, then don't.

If people like to hang out at that place everybody went to, but you're not comfortable with the groove there, then stay at home.

Listen to your heart.

3. You may not able to choose how you feel, 

but you may choose how to react.

Some moments happen in your life, can affect you emotionally.

In a split second you feel that raw emotion: sad, happy, afraid, excited, etc.

How to react? It's really up to you.

We may say

"I feel most happy when I'm near my friends"

"I feel most happy with a glass of wine"

"I feel most happy being outside on a sunny day"

But, what if all your friends are busy,  you are out of wine or storm clouds flashing lightnings ourside?

Then what?

Even if all the comfort in your heart has taken away, you may still choose.

That's the power you have.

That's what so awesome about living your life.

You may be sad for awhile, or even a bit longer...

But you, my dear, you have the power to be happy instead.

Anytime you are feeling down,

When everything seems blue,

Try to remember all the little things in life you are blessed with. Little things that matter alot.