Message from the Best-est of FRienD who is oceans apart

BE THE COFFEE (ARE WE NOT BROWN?)

A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee...

You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again. A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word. In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see." "Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied. Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft.

The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water. "Which are you?" she asked her daughter.

"When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?" Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart? Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor.
If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean? May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy. The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches. When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.

You might want to pass this message to those people who mean something to you; to those who have touched your life in one way or another; to those who make you smile when you really need it; to those who make you see the brighter side of things when you are really down; to those whose friendship you appreciate; to those who are so meaningful in your life. If you don't send it, you will just miss out on the opportunity to brighten someone's day with this message!

It's easier to build a child than repair an adult. This is so true.

May we all be COFFEE.

From distance I could see the green islands of the Bangka Belitung Province.. as the plane was lowering, reaching to the local airport, the green began to be decorated by the colorful ponds... ponds of the illegal mining sites, leaving a major destruction to the environment...hhhh...

The city of Pangkal Pinang reminds me of a small town where everyone knows everyone elese. It has just enough facilities to let the local dwellers to have bit fun in between their routines as retailers. However, still you can see the airlines from/ to Jakarta is fully booked at all time.

Bangka, as a mixed place of Malay, Tionghoa and Palembang, performed a unique culture. The languange of "Peranakan" is heard all over town, mixed with Indonesian and Mandarin. This could be the only place in Sumatra where you can see Mandarin.

I witness a great mix and relations among the Tionghoa and Malay. As most of them mentioned that "I am part of them, they are part of me - there is always Tionghoa blood in the Malays, and Malay blood in Tionghoas"

But again, all this beauty and natural resouces will not be seen when not digged up and promote well.. the natural beauty will definitely die when we, the local, who lives in Indonesia, and those out there, do not make any action to save it from the environemntal destrcution.

Bangka Belitung is such a rich province. It is standing in the world tin belt for God sake! Do something to make change. Think of the future of our children.

All 'd boyZ in my junior high class (by Rachma)

Coba.. pada masih kenal kaga???

Berdiri:

Rudy, Pahala, ..., Yudi,...,..., Abdi (semi jongkok..what?, ....

Jongkok:

Ma'mun, Ari, Ari (lagi), Ricky

A-OK 2007 calendar nominations

Dasha Shamira Putri finally proved that her artwork is considered by the Department of State as one of the best drawings to be printed for the A-OK 2007 calendar... and she was only 4 when she did the drawing.... Her drawing was even used as the cover!!!! Go girl!
Nostalgic overview: This reminds Amie Uni of the time when she won first place at St. Joseph school, beating the elementary students for her 3 colored scenery drawing. And from that they she believes strongly on the power of Al-Fatihah and Al-Ikhlas... as Dasha's Neni always said, that time " Be confident adek (that time was meant for Amie Dasha)... work hard and pray ask for Allah's blessing... Insya Allah good things will come to you" and.. it worked before... it works now..

So Dasha.. and Aqila.. and 'another one' if ever going to arrive at our Rumah Batoe Puteh bunch.. this hopefully will teach you that as long as you have good and strong will, you focus, you work hard and believe in Allah.. it will come to you..

Congratulations Dasha! Keep up the good work...
[Note: A-Ok Calendar Competitions is a pretty challanging drawing competitions of children of American and local staff who works at the foreign mission. The theme was "Living Safely Overseas" Dasha was joining the competions among thousands of this group of children around the world. End Note]

Going to Meulaboh.. by small airplane..MAF airline,

see the lining of the coconut tree - I thought to myself.. my what a potential.. but then again.. nobody really cared.. or is it just the slow changes that we can do?

Labaik Allahuma Labaik

Ketika panggilan untuk beribadah telah berkumandang, terasa gigil kulit mengingat penggalan penggalan kisah hidup - kemaafan itu telah ada Ia berikan, nikmat yang berlimpah, masa yang penuh rasa... tapi apa kami sanggup untuk selalu menjaga?

Ummi, atau yang dipanggil Neni oleh dua peri kecil kami, dan kedua sepupu mereka yang seperti hilang ditelan lautan.. jauh... tak berbekas... - pergi menghadap panggilan ibadahmu ya Allah - begitu juga dengan Jaddi dan Jaddati...

Sore itu terasa kehangatan, ada keluarga, adik, tante, om, sepupu. Ada tawa, foto bersama yang sepertinya tidak pernah habis - ada kekosongan di hati, Daddy..atau Bucik, yang mungkin jika diberi kesempatan oleh Allah, mengintip kami dengan senyumnya yang khas dari Syurga... Insya Allah

Tikar yang terbentang dilipat, waktu kunjung yang telah habis... seandainya mereka tahu banyak jiwa yang berharap bukan untuk kebaikan mereka saja yang pergi, tetapi akhir yang baik buat kami semua dalam menghabiskan masa.. selagi ada kesempatan diberikan Allah.

Kalau saja semua yang tahu warga Rumah Batoe Puteh, apa yang mereka rasa dan pikir...

There are times for Angels..