my thoughts on the environment, travel and life reflections

TRASH AROUND US

January 18th, 2025

Hello, how are you today?
I hope all are well and in good shape.

Did you recently clean your house and start realizing a lot of trash that had to be dumped out?

Have you managed the trash or just dumped it in the public facility?

There was trash everywhere after the small traders’ bazaar in my city.

Many of us do not seriously consider the garbage produced in our homes or offices. Once the garbage is removed, it is no longer our concern. We leave it to the janitors to complete their work.

If all think the same, this world would have hundreds of new garbage mountains. A man results in an average of 0.5 kg of garbage per day, then a city with two million people would bear the burden of 1000 tons of rubbish.

That is an astonishingly large number!

Trash requires our attention. Disposing of it from home is insufficient. We must gradually enhance our awareness of handling trash by reducing, reusing, or recycling it.

How would you do that?

You have to minimize the garbage resulting from your house. From the beginning, you could select activities that reduce the rubbish. Simple examples such as selecting the takeaway food that uses recycled packaging or reducing food waste. Such action would help reduce the garbage and certainly save you money.

I brought up this topic because of the garbage management problem in my province. Out of 10 landfills, 6 are facing serious issues because they still use open dumping methods for garbage disposal. These landfills should implement sanitary or, at the very least, controlled landfill management practices.

In general, the managers of landfills reason that they couldn’t afford to buy soil to cover the garbage. The garbage amount is so high always increases as the population increases. While the awareness of resident to manage (reduce and recycle their garbage) is not improved.

If you love nature, you could start by managing your household rubbish.

I share this experience hoping that all my amazing friends can learn from it. Thank you for visiting my blog.
LOVE THAT REDUCES PAIN

January 17th, 2025

Daily writing prompt
Can you share a positive example of where you’ve felt loved?
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Once, my husband had to go to work, and I was sick. Our children were still very young. They were under 12 years old.

I moved to another room to rest. Beside my bed, my husband had put warm drinks, cookies, tissues (I had a bad flu), and so on. After taking the medicine, I slept very soundly.

When I woke up, I met the worried eyes of my youngest child. He looked at me with his innocent face. He had been sitting there for quite a while without making a sound.

“Mommy just needs to sleep. Don’t worry,” I said.

He asked if I needed anything and left the room when I asked him to bring more mineral water.

My oldest child, in contrast, did not show any concern for my condition. The faint sound of the PlayStation game from the living room drifted into my room. He turned on the light once or twice as if searching for something in the room where I was lying.

That’s bothering me. I shouted to turn off the light and come out immediately.

After I recovered, he admitted that he wasn’t looking for anything. He just wanted to check on me. “I came to check your breath, Mama.”

Oh, he was actually worried that I wouldn’t wake up again but did not show it at that time.

I still remember the attention ever given by my children. They showed it in different ways, according to their respective characters.

I believe that paying attention to family members who are unwell or feeling sad can help lift their spirits. Much of our suffering comes from a lack of attention. One can survive in poor economic conditions, but a lack of attention from loved ones is more painful.
GO HOME AND TAKE A NAP

January 16th, 2025

Daily writing prompt
Where can you reduce clutter in your life?
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In Indonesian, a proverb says, “The taller the tree, the stronger the wind blows.”

This means that the older you are, the more trials you have, or the higher your position, the more complicated the problems that come.

Not all chaos is caused by someone’s carelessness. You may be shocked when suddenly your boss accuses you of being incompetent without reason. In such a situation, you may panic and try to defend yourself. However, nothing can be done to repair your good name if he trusts other sources more.

I have experienced and finally learned from several incidents that made me chaotic.

When my mind feels chaotic, I prefer to go home and find calm. I usually take a short nap, eat something warm like soup, or tidy up my room and avoid talking to anyone during that time. Alhamdulillah, I can still sleep even when facing clutter, as if I have just completed a tiring task.

Discussing the chaos at my office with my husband can be unproductive. He often gets angry and encourages me to confront the situation or seek revenge on the person causing my distress. Observing his anger has prompted me to reflect on my own reactions. As a result, I have gradually become calmer and have started to reduce the chaos within myself.

Recently, I have avoided interactions with those who have created chaos in my work life. I prefer to spend more time in my small garden. Experts say that direct contact with nature can help release negative energy from the body.
ENVY OTHER HAPPINESS

January 15th, 2025

If I have set personal values for myself, do I need to envy someone whose values are far from mine?

Can I be as happy as S? (S is the initials of an imaginary figure).

Such questions often come to my mind.

She has everything a woman could dream of, a rich husband, a beautiful face and style, and luxurious goods (bags, cars, houses, etc.). Recently, she was promoted to a higher position in her office.

Everything seems perfect to her. At a young age, she has achieved all girl’s dreams. There is only one thing that is mediocre about her: her work skills. However, she was lucky to get a promotion.

Should I be envious? Or should I be angry at her luck? While my career is stagnant, her career is skyrocketing.

I feel that the working world is unfair.

But think again and take a deep breath. Who am I angry at?

I don’t think there is a good reason to hate her. She has been working on the way she believes to achieve her goals. Regarding the promotion she got, there may have been some behind-the-scenes dealings, or there may have been none. Maybe there was a factor that caused her to be promoted.

S certainly has her own life principles and values that she developed to find her own version of happiness. So do I. Every human being has their own values about the meaning of happiness. If I get angry with her, does that mean that S and I are competing on the same path to achieve happiness?

In fact, nothing is the same between S and I. Our life values are not the same.

If I have set personal values for myself, do I need to envy someone whose values are far from mine?

Nope. Everyone must be consistent with the values they adhere to. Never mix up with the values of others. You will get angry and disappointed easily.

In seeking happiness, you are spurring yourself on, not racing against other people’s dreams.

The story above is just my reflection on how to respond and behave well according to the values that I have set for myself. I am still learning to build a commitment to myself and not be envious of the happiness of others.

What about you? Do you often feel that the world is so unfair and jealous of others?
COMMUNICATION TO BOND MOTHER AND CHILDREN

January 14th, 2025

Daily writing prompt
In what ways do you communicate online?
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Many parents complain about being forgotten by their children. The children did not contact them for months because of their business. Calling or sending a message via WhatsApp is easy, yet they are not doing that to please their mothers.

What a sad.

Indeed, communication technology makes it easier for humans to connect with others because it can be done anytime, more efficiently, and at a low cost. As long as a telecommunications tower is in the area, your messages and calls reach across regions and countries.

However, online communication also has several weaknesses. Some urgent points are often missed and cause misunderstandings.

Online communication also has nonverbal limitations. The recipient cannot see your face and body language, and there is no eye contact. This makes communication very normative and less emotionally connected.

I prefer to use video calls to WhatsApp messages when contacting my children. Both live in other provinces. I need to see their faces and smiles and hear their voices at least once a week. It helps calm me down and take my mind off my worries.

No problem if I call first.
The Mother’s love is forever, right?
TOO MANY CHOICES, IS IT NECESSARY?

January 13th, 2025

Have you ever been confused about choosing a movie to watch?

It happened to me. I get confused every time I open Netflix. There are various genres of movies, scary or funny ones. Which one is for me?

It should be easier for someone to get the movie they want to watch, right?

However, too many choices and endorsements do not help. A half-hour after opening Netflix, I am still scrolling up and down.

It also happens in life. The more options available, the more complicated the decision-making process.

I remember when I was a teenager, decades ago. My parents took me to buy shoes. The popular brand then was Bata; the fashion was standard, slightly different from one shoe to another. I quickly decided what shoes I wanted.

But now it’s different. Shopping can take hours. It may end with a purchase, but mostly nothing to buy. That too many shoe models make me doubtful.

Have you ever thought that civilization would be better off getting back to the 80s when choices were limited, but humans could live with them?

That way, we can make decisions faster and save time. Our life may be less hedonistic.

Back to my Bata shoes, they were very durable. They didn’t break for a year or even more. There was a time when I prayed that my footwear would break so I could ask my mother for new ones.
LOW CALORIE SNACKS

January 12th, 2025

Daily writing prompt
What snack would you eat right now?
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I have been working hard to maintain my ideal weight for years. There are only two choices available: maintaining weight and a healthy lifestyle or letting heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune, etc, threaten my health.

I have tried many diet methods, one of which is intermittent fasting. Every day, I consistently regulate my body to avoid eating anything for 16 hours except water. During those 8 hours of eating, I can eat many types of food, but it is better to eat foods that are high in protein and low in cholesterol.

However, most Indonesian snacks are made from flour and rice and are cooked by frying in oil. Such kinds of snacks are not recommended for those on a diet.

I checked Indonesian snacks that are low in calories. There are a few. That’s including Putu, Nagasari, Pukis, and Klepon Ubi.

Among all of them, Nagasari has been my favorite snack for a long time.

Ingredients for making Nagasari:
rice flour, coconut milk, sugar, and banana
This snack is steamed and lasts longer if stored in the refrigerator.

I’m sure there are snacks similar to this in your country, especially in Asian countries.

Show me, okay?

Happy weekend to all.
BREAKFAST AT WARUNG

January 11th, 2025

My husband and I had breakfast at Warung this morning. I was a bit surprised to see the number of people. Almost all the seats were taken. Is it because it’s the weekend that people want to go out just for breakfast?

Breakfast at a small stall or Warung is increasingly popular in my city. The development of stalls like this is so rapid that it has surpassed the number of luxury and mid-range restaurants. Some famous restaurants have even closed and turned into stalls because it is easier to attract customers.

Why do people prefer to have breakfast there than restaurants? I think it’s because stalls are friendlier to people with thin pockets.

The menu at stalls is more limited than that of restaurants. There are Gado-gado, Nasi Gemuk, Lontong, and Soto, as well as boiled and fried noodles. The prices also vary, mostly cheaper. The interior is simple and open. There are no glass doors or air conditioning. The simplicity of the place makes many people interested in coming without worrying about price traps.

The difference between stalls and luxury and mid-range restaurants is probably the price of the food. Food at restaurants can be more expensive since restaurant owners must pay taxes, while stalls do not.

They only serve you for 1 hour or 2 hours. If you sit too long, the owner or restaurant staff will walk around you as if asking to leave immediately.

Warung can be a fun place to spend time together, as I did this morning with my husband. He wrote something on his phone while I read a book. There was a joy that we could spend time together, sitting at the same table. We can’t do it on weekdays.

I told my husband that the custom of having breakfast at the Warung will continue growing. This is a business opportunity for those who can cook but have not reached the level of a master chef.

The presence of Warung makes it easier for those who do not have time to cook in the morning. Family members can eat their favorite breakfast while chatting with friends.
MY SECRET FRIEND

January 10th, 2025

Daily writing prompt
Describe an item you were incredibly attached to as a youth. What became of it?
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I have known diaries since elementary school. In my place, children my age did not have diaries. Luckily, my father was a librarian. He was surrounded by books. He allowed me to subscribe to a children’s magazine, Bobo. From that magazine, I learned about diaries and how children in Europe and other developed countries used to write their thoughts in diaries.

Diaries became a solace when I was sad or happy with new experiences. My attachment to diaries grew stronger over time. Until my married life, I still routinely write diaries.

There was a funny moment when my husband secretly read my diary after an argument to find out how I felt.

Diaries are not only a medium to express feelings and thoughts and keep secrets. Diaries also encourage me to construct sentences correctly and well.

Diaries have given me comfort for years. I once tried to teach that habit to my sons, but they preferred sports to writing. I’m not sure, but I think gender plays a role here. Only women like to write diaries, while men don’t.

Am I right?
DO YOU DARE TO SAY NO?

January 9th, 2025

Oftentimes, a person has to follow other people’s wishes, but in his heart, he wants to say no. That often happens to me. Without me realizing it, my desire to be a nice person drives me to follow other people’s agendas.

The line between a kind-hearted person and the one who’s not daring to say no is very blurred.

I see signs when my mental condition is damaged because of the fear of saying no. The main signs are excessive fatigue, stress and anxiety, and feeling unappreciated or disrespected.

Have you ever experienced the same thing?

Some say that someone who faces this situation must be brave enough to say “no” without feeling worse. However, it is not that simple. Humans are social creatures, so their need to be accepted by others is quite strong.

Let’s talk about this. Do you have any opinions or experiences on how to react in such situations?