Candi Sukuh (Sukuh Temple), Central Java, Indonesia

This is Candi Sukuh at dusk.

The main temple area of Candi Sukuh

The relief at Candi Sukuh

I visited Candi Sukuh or Sukuh Temple with my cousins who came to visit Indonesia. Candi Sukuh is located near Tawangmangu, a mountain resort in Central Java, Indonesia.

The first time I visited Candi Sukuh was when I was in primary school. My parents took me there when they used to bike a lot. I didn’t remember much about the temple because I was more interested in the surrounding scenery that was so beautiful.

This time while visiting with my cousins, we had a guide to help us understand more about the temple. It is very interesting because this temple has lots of sexual references but they are disguised by symbols. There is another temple in the area called Candi Cetho where the sexual references are displayed in full.

If you want to know more about it, please come and visit these two temples. Please get a guide to learn more about the site.

Learn and Grow!

One of My Favorite Series

Yesterday I found one of my favorite series – She Tiao Ying Xiong (Sia Tiau Eng Hiong) in DVD format. I was so happy to finally found it because I’ve been looking for it for years. Although it is a bit expensive, but it is definitely worth it.

Although there are many re-make of this series, with better sound effect, younger stars, but I simply love the original. I don’t know how to describe the feeling but I am sure that classic movie lover out there will understand the feeling. I think it is because the images and sounds just bring me back the treasured memories of my younger days. 

I remember the first time I watched it was when I was in primary school, about 20 years ago. My friends and I usually watched together after renting it from our local video store. The format back then was still Betamax video tape (ancient…ancient…HAHAHA). We would sit in front the TV watching it with full concentration. Sometimes we didn’t hear our parents’ calling us because we were so engrossed in it. After watching, we usually played and acted out the characters…it was our favorite game.  

When I think about it, playing pretend-to-be is really beneficial. It exercises our imagination and it develops the skill of modeling. Nowadays, mostly during NLP training, we are taught about modeling success, act as-if…the same skills as what we have naturally when we were young, just more directed and focused. It’s like re-learning what we used to do naturally when we were young, and I wonder why we are willing to pay so much money for the training HAHAHAHA

Advice for parents, let your children play pretend-to-be as long as they want, just direct them to play more positive characters.

Learn and Grow!

Pay It Forward

Have you ever watched the movie “Pay It Forward”? This is the review from Amazon.com

Pay It Forward is a multi-level marketing scheme of the heart. Beginning as a seventh-grade class assignment to put into action an idea that could change the world, young Trevor McKinney (Haley Joel Osment) comes up with a plan to do good deeds for three people who then by way of payment each must do good turns for three other people. These nine people also must pay it forward and so on, ad infinitum. If successful, the resulting network of do-gooders ought to comprise the entire world. Trevor's attempts to get the ball rolling include befriending a junkie (James Caviezel) and trying to set up his recovering-alcoholic mother (Helen Hunt) with his burn-victim teacher (Kevin Spacey), who posed the assignment.

Basically the concept is when you do something good for others, you do not ask for something in return, but you ask them to do something good for other people. Hopefully they will continue to pay it forward and making a lot of differences in people lives.

Yesterday I experienced this pay-it-forward principle first hand. When I was eating at Nini Thowong in Solo, I met my dad’s friends there. Then there was someone who took the initiative to pay for my dad’s friends’ meals, and in turn they paid for my meal. The baton of pay-it-forward has been passed to me…Now I am looking forward to an opportunity to pass it on.

If you read this post, I’d like to ask you to take the initiative to start this pay-it-forward action today. It is really a small thing that make a big difference.

What will you do today to start this movement going?

Learn and Grow!

Inge Santoso

Coaching - Listening With Purpose & AHA

When I have a conversation with my friend, I usually just listen and talk. Today I tried to listen to what my friend was really saying. I tried to notice her choice of words and underlying values. It was really enlightening and interesting. It’s like having a new level of conversation.

During our conversation, I started to notice certain words that she used over and over again. I could see how these words affect her life until now. For example, she said she was afraid to speak in front of people since she was very young (kindergarten). She also told me some events in her life that support this belief. She could mention easily many instances when she had this fear.

I tried to put my coaching hat on and I asked her: ”Have you ever felt courageous? Have you ever done something that is really brave?” When I asked her these kind of questions, she really found it hard to remember any instances that support this notion. The fear clearly has more supporters than faith HAHAHA

There was an AHA moment for her when I tried to help her to realize how courageous she was when she went to study overseas. I also told her that if she wants to be more courageous, she should ask herself those kind of questions and let her subconscious mind search for those supporting instances in her life.

I feel a very deep satisfaction when someone experiences an AHA moment. It is a very enlightening experience, especially for those who never experience it before. I consider myself very fortunate because during my 32-year life, I’ve had many AHA moments…lots of small AHAs and some big AHAs. I hope I can help many people to experience inspiring AHA moments in their lives.

Learn and Grow!

Meeting Friends in Bookshop

Yesterday while I was browsing, looking for books at Kinokuniya Singapore I met my friends from Perth, Ferdinand, Carol and their daughter. In the morning, I have had a feeling that I would meet someone that I knew and it really happened.

This was not the first time that I met them in a bookshop. In September last year, I also coincidentally met them at Borders, Perth Australia. Imagine meeting each other in different bookshops in different continent

Carol commented that we kept bumping into each other in bookshops. Perhaps it is because we all love books. HAHAHA People with the same interest tend to go the similar places.

Anyway, you have better chances meeting me in bookshops, library, computer or electronic stores than any other places. My hangout places in Singapore are Borders, Kinokuniya, Times News Links, and Funan IT Mall.

Learn and Grow!