Indonesia Festival 2010 in Los Angeles

The 65th Indonesian independents is celebrated in Los Angeles, USA. I was really glad that I have the opportunity to participate in this festivities. It is an incredible feelings to know that I came from such a rich and deep culture. You can go to the link I have posted by clicking on the comment link below. You can see the short version of this 12 hours long of celebration. Although I must warn you that the narrator uses the Indonesian language. I am sure however you can look for the english version from Youtube.

I am taking lesson to play the gamelan and is it to my surprise that I really-really enjoying it. I joined a musician group call the "Paguyuban Karawitan Ngesti Budoyo." I am so glad that I did. I becamme more familiar with the music of my ancestors.

This girl is only 12 years old. It is really amazing at how she moves and dance imitating a bird. There are so much diversity and deep are the cultural aspect of the Indonesian people that I can say , I am proud to be born in the country that has so much wealth in mores and traditions.

There are muchmore to say and more pictures I would like to post on this website. But I realized this is siply an impossible task. So to ensure that you are able to watch and enjoying the festifavl, I would like for you to go to link below.

Independence Day

I can not believe that we are celebrating another Independence Day upon tomorrow. Time really crept up on me like a thief in the night.

I can nt remember what happened the past six months.... hehehehe... I know there is New Years Celebration, my fiftieth b-day celebration and then suddenly is America B-day celebration. It's all become a blur for me. I guess my age is showing with the memory loss.

In the past month I spent several weeks in the field. I was so tired that I was to lazy to do anything, I wanted to sleep all the time.. and it seems that I have no energy anymore... may be this is also my age is showing... I may have to change my 30 years plan. We'll see...

CATCHIN' UP...

Well, I have not been faithful to my word in getting this blog written everyday, or may be life is not so bad any more that I have to rant and rave on my blog... hehehe... There is a lot of events that took place since I written on this medium. Hummm... let see.... my last blog was October 2009, and now is April 2010.. that's mean I have like six months to catch up... so, here we goes..

End of October or early November, I took my two weeks leave to visit the "old home country" stick aaround Jakata... the city doesn't look the same at all... and Yogyakarta to visit my parent graves site. The old city looks the same.. more vehicles on the road than I like it to be... but nonetheless it hasn't change much. All in all it was very short trip... but as always I have a blast and have really good time with my brothers and sisters. I long to stay for more then just ten days where I can really enjoy my visit.

Picture of me and my nephews and nieces after an evening of Bowling (left). I tried to start the tradition, where I tried to encourage all my nephews and nieces to play a game or two of bowling with me. I am hoping one of these days they all can come and play...

Here some of my brothers, and sister shows up to join us. Why not? the more the merrier.....

We celebrated my older brother "BOONE" birthday.. I think that what it was.. we gather and enjoy his hospitality and definitely the foods... man what a feast....he sure knows how to put on a party. For your information, the three of us carry the name "AJI." It was told to me that our Dad were given a position in the hierarchy of the Sultan, and "AJI" is a title of his position...

Sedyo-Aji; Firman Buntolo-Aji; and Susilo Heryanto-Aji. In front is our dear sisters Sri Purwanesti Nurprabaningsih "June" and Sarojini Wuryan Rahayu "Jeanie." (Right photo).

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Picture below was taken in front of our parents grave site. We gather here to talk about our parent and share some stories about them. We pray the prayer of thanksgiving for our parents and gave suplication to God for them. Although we knows that God is the outhor of life and that our existance are due to God's will, and our parents are mere instruments to bring about our existence.... nonetheless without them, we wont be who we are today.

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November 2009.. "Thanks Giving" is my most favorite day of the year... that is the only holiday that I enjoy to celebrates. It is the most unique remembrance our people has to offer. During this "thanks-giving" day, I attended the United Service Organization (USO) ARM FORCES S SERVICES day. It was really great how the people of this country supported the troops. I am glad it is so..

USO has been around a long time. They support the troops abroad as well as here at home. If I am not mistaken BOB HOPE (God bless his soul) traveled all over Europe and the Pacific to ensure that American men- (back in WWII only men) in combat got a break from their daily jobs and be entertain and refresh as they laugh and forget about their helllish experiences.... at least for a day. May all the combatants who died, in the past, present and in the future, Rest In Peace as they fight for their country and gave the final sacrifice.

I also had the opportunity to clebrate with Jay Leno- the late night talk host show of NBC, with the rest of my "brothers and sister at
arms." No, I was not the main person he interviewed.

He interviewed MEGAN FOX.... and
I was thiiiis close to the "foxy lady."


I was upset to find out that my camera battery was dead. What a bummer, believe me it will not happened again :( ... After the show, we were treated with the most extravaganza feast I ever seen served. They decked up the place and feed us like we were the lords adn the ladies. I mean you could not believe how much foods they have for us.

The culmination of my November got to be the visit from Andrew, my third son. He visited me for a week end and I was so thrilled. I had a visit from Josh the first year I moved to LA. Now, if I can get my oldest son to come, then it will be complete, perhaps this year. Andrew and I went on a little trip to SUNSET and HOLLYWOOD Boulavard... you know the usual.. got to take him to the infamous sign... and was told to get off the hill, because he climbed up all the the way and was wanting to touch the sign.

LIFE as I see IT

Life is not precious as people says they are... it is expendable. Relationship come and goes, so sudden without warning. Life can change in a heart beat, and will throw you off balance. Your friends can be your enemy.. people smile at you and yet deep in their bowel, they want you dead... when opportunity present itself they will blow you up to pieces... this is the reality of life. Some people are saved from this experience and if you asked me, they are better off. Heaven and Hell are right under your nose.. differentiate by a single hair. How you have been brought up in life and how you live your life, will determined how you see life and experience life.

OKLAHOMA

Took the trip to see my youngest son graduated from basic training last week. It was a moment of joy for me, because I also got to see my two other sons, Andrew and Josh. I have not seen Andrew in over a year (has it been that long?) It was a quick trip for me, but I am glad I went.

This graduation was somewhat different, then my two previous BCT graduation of my two other sons. Matt did not get to walk on the stage, some one forgot to pick him up from his company area. He was told to report to TMC it is short for Troop Medical Clinic the morning of his graduation day, to get clear from his 'profile'. He injured himself while he was doing the road march. We went to his graduation, without seeing him there. It was a disappointment for us, and I am sure Matt was more disappointed as well. We did not wait for the ceremony to be over. We went to see him in the company area. Later on the Company Executive apologized to us for allowing it to happened. I am sorry that you did not get to wlaked on the stage son. I am sure there will be many more opportunity for you to walk on the stage.

Taken by Surprise

Hello All, After reading the below article by Rubel Shelly, I thought I would post this and hopefully will help you as it does help me finding life's deeper meaning, because you are the one the writer talked about. And as for me, I am looking at the the quiver lip and waiting for the VICTORY!

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Life has a habit of taking us by surprise. Events catch us off guard and send us reeling. Accident, injury, family stress, divorce, job transfer, layoff - these are some of the high-stress events that can shake our poise. The danger is that these things can send people into panic mode. She makes some totally irresponsible statement. He acts without thinking. Harm is done to relationships that can never be undone. The same events can shake our theological footing. Long-resolved doubts resurface. She withdraws from Christian friends and stops attending church. He begins to blame God for what is happening in his life.

Am I just imagining that people react to life's sneak attacks in these ways? Haven't you seen it too? Is some form of it going on with you? Imagine that your scared-for-his-life husband offered you as a sexual playmate to the man he feared, that your were a teenager forced to spend years in jail because of someone's lie about you, that all your children have been killed in the same horrible storm, or that your racial identity caused some people to deny you your civil rights.

These "hypothetical" episodes are the biblical stories of Sarah, Joseph, Job, and Paul. The people whose stories we know from the Bible are not figures in stained-glass windows. They were real flesh-and-blood people like you and me. They emerged from their crisis situations in victory mode. Yet they lost precious things and certainly bore scars from what had happened to them.

If we could look into heaven at those bitter junctures of life, though, our hearts would be reassured. Looking into God's face, we would discover there is no sweat on his upper lip. Even if we are shocked and disoriented, he is not. Oh, his lip would be quivering with compassion for our pain, but he is sovereign over his universe. Nothing catches him by surprise, and he knows precisely how to get his wounded children through their most harrowing life crises.

The sounds of a howling mob, a whip ripping into bare flesh, and a hammer driving nails into hands and feet were overwhelming sounds - until the tomb was found empty. The same power that raised him then sustains us now.

So, when you feel you are about to lose it, visualize God's upper lip. Trust his promises. Know you are not alone. Wait for victory.
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For back issues and other resources please visit www.RubelShelly.com ----