Holiday journal is coming up..

Our family holiday journal -for the Idul Fitri holiday- is coming up.. so please stay tuned.. :-)

By the way.. if anyone of you have any suggestion for a good translation tool for my blog, would you please let me know? So I don't have to worry too much about writing each post in two languages.. ;-)

Thank you so much.. :-)

Linux For Kids

You should know what you give your children, Mum!

A story about Linux for Kids

Glory In The House of Past Evil

With all due respect for all Gryffindor admirers.. I am probably one of the rare people who thinks of Severus Snape as my favourite character in the Harry Potter series and that combination of emerald and silver looks brilliant as coat of arms..

I wrote this poem inspired by the ending of the 7th book, which gave me the imagination of what might happen afterwards.. I hope I'm not upsetting J. K. Rowling with this poem (if she ever came across this poem one day) because I love the series..

For all of you.. I hope you can enjoy this poem as much as I do..

Glory in The House of Past Evil

It was the first night of new school year in Hogwarts

Twenty-one years after the darkest eclipse of wizarding world

The final battle of good and evil

Where lives started at their ends

Carving shame on the House of The Serpent..

As the sorting ceremony went on, loud and clear a name was called

And Lily Potter walked confidently towards the hat of wisdom

Accompanied by her brothers’ cheers, she was ready to face her destiny

Intense gaze of Scorpius Malfoy followed her every step

Not knowing the reason why, she looked very special in his eyes..

It was the longest sorting in Hogwarts’ history, for even Albus Severus was Gryffindor at heart

She possessed qualities to fit each house,

Yet she presented no preference, at least not in her conscious mind

For she was well taught of the glory of them all

Truly she was a Hogwarts girl

The old hat frowned as it finally met its biggest challenge

“I see courage and loyalty.. excellent for Gryffindor,”

“I see depth of mind and thirst for knowledge.. best matches for Ravenclaw,”

“I see perseverance and kindness.. perfect for Hufflepuff,”

“The stronger yet.. I see glory in fairness and balance.. mostly needed.. mostly needed..”

“Cunning.. witty.. driven.. A very interesting combination for a Potter”

“Dad says I’m resourceful.. Mum says I’m inquisitive,” replied Lily

“You know my decision and have unknowingly accepted it.. How about your family?”

“They will accept it. They love me.”

“Indeed they do.. Then it is decided.. SLYTHERIN!”

The dining hall was full of gasps followed by complete silence

All eyes were fixed on the girl who calmly walked away from the now silent hat

Scorpius Malfoy was the only one standing, and clapping

As he saved a seat for her right next to his

Then the room broke into cheers and applause for the first Potter in the House of Secrets

.. Now seven years had passed. The sky was full of stars on graduation night

“Do we have your father’s blessing?“ asked Lily

“Not that he liked any bit of it, he knew it was bound to happen,” replied Scorpius

“The next five years won’t be so hard, then..” said Lily

“It won’t,” said Scorpius as they looked deeply into each other’s eyes.. in happiness..

Even with blessings from their families, life was always full of challenges for them

Courage, strength of the mind, perseverance.. all were put to tests

Loyalty, knowledge and kindness.. were the most powerful shields and weapons

Fairness and balance were the sources of happiness in the long journey to protect love

And their love echoed at every memory conjuring their glorious phoenix patronuses

.. Finally the time had come for another event of history to take place

The wedding that marked the new era of Hogwarts and wizarding world

A room covered in ornaments of Emerald and Silver, full of cheering Potters, Weasleys and Malfoys

Perfect sight of balance in harmonious co-existence

At last, glory had returned to the House of Past Evil..

(24 August 2009)

This Week's Update

1. I have new poems and stories posted in my storyland blog
2. I have also put some news in my journal blog

I am hoping to put up some new pictures and more news.. I have also invited new authors for my favourite and bersama kita sehat blogs. I hope the new authors will accept my invitations and start writing at their first convenience :-)

I will put up more posts in my other blogs as soon as I have ideas and the time permits. So, please bear with me..

Thank you and see you later!

Welcome Ramadhan..

Ramadhan (fasting month) is starting tomorrow..

It is the time for muslims to forgive each other, cleanse oneself from past mistakes and do better in the future..

If I ever do anything that make any of you feel uncomfortable, or even angry.. at this moment I will ask you to forgive me, so I can enter the month of Ramadhan without any burden from my past..

Hope our fast will be full of blessing.. :-)

This Should Be It..

Thank you, everyone, for your patience.. :-)

I have now come to a decision about how to structure my blog. I really need to move on to doing other more pressing things, and I am quite happy with how the blogs look now. So.. here is what I'm going to do:

All my old posts will stay where they are now, in this blog. I only changed the blog title, from 'Colourful Days of Orcalion' to ' Orcalion's World' to better reflect the general theme of my blog series. This blog, will now be my 'home' page. There are 5 blogs linked to this blog;
1. Orcalion's Journal
2. Orcalion's Storyland
3. Orcalion's Favourites
4. Space for Sharing
5. Freelance Flash

'Orcalion's Journal', from now on, is where I will be sharing my colourful days with you. This blog will most likely be the one I update the most often.

'Orcalion's Storyland' is where all my writing pieces, will be posted. I might re-post some or all of my old pieces here to this new blog if there is a need for it.

'Orcalion's Favourites' is where all other people's blogs on my 'Blog List' will be moved to. This is also where I'm going to post reviews and comments on all the things I come across and like in my life.

'Space for Sharing' is a blog that I maintain with my best friend(s) -some writers are still in progress-. There are topics about everyday living, and everyone is welcome to send us a topic/article to share to our listed email addresses. Posts are currently presented in either English or Indonesian and we are progressing towards presenting all posts in both languages.

'Freelance Flash' is my new blog about internet freelancing. I will put interesting updates and links that will be valuable to everyone interested in internet freelancing.

You are more than welcome to browse through all of my blogs and links. You might find one you really like, but you might also end up loving them all :-)

Please leave a comment or a shout. I would love to know what you think.

Thank you all for visiting my little world :-)

Between The Past and The Future

Please speak..

I want to hear you

I want to find you



Don't hide..

I want to see you

I want to know you



You've been around for so long

But my days have been clouded by uncertainties

Too thickly fogged to let me recognise any faces



Please stay with me..

Hold my hand as I walk on my uncertain path

Lead my way to find my destiny in life



Don't look back..

I don't regret the past as it led me to you

But the future will be better as I will be with you



-05 April 2009-

Everything Has Its Purpose

Fairies belong in fairy tales
In the shiny colourful forests

Monsters belong in great epics
In the gloomy dark caves

They exist to emphasise on the existance of the heroes
To complement the presence of battles of values

Human mind belongs in the world of reasoning
Matching all actions and reactions

Human heart belongs in the world of conscience
Making sense of all causes and consequences

They co-exist to balance the strength of human instincts
To make up for the limited power of human senses

-28 March 2009-

My Blogspot Makeover Coming Soon.. :-)

I finally found the book that I needed when I was in the book store yesterday, 'Teknik Makeover Blogspot' (in Indonesian), by Dominikus Juju. The Book gives a few examples of little things we can do to our blogspot account to make it look a litter nicer.

I have always thought that blogspot has very good basic templates and I have seen the modified versions that people have. Those modified templates look really good with the combination of Blogspot's original simple but professional look basic template and the individual makeover that makes the blog represents the owner's personality.

The biggest problem that I have is that I don't have any knowledge about HTML or CSS. However, this problem can be solved (in the most basic ways) with a little codes provided in the book. Once I am familiar with these simple codes, I can always learn the more complex ones.

I really like my current template, as it provides the widest post area. However, I would like to try to make some modifications to make it look more 'ME'. All of you are most welcome to give me any comments about the changes that I make.

Have a good day!

You Don't Need to Be

You don't need to be nice all the time
In fact, I want to see you angry some time
That way.. I know you trust me with your problems

You don't need to be strong all the time
In fact, I want to have a chance to protect you some time
That way.. I know that you feel safe with me

You don't need to be perfect all the time
In fact, I want to see your flaws some time
That way.. I know that you are human just like me..

-27 March 2009-

Dark Shadow in The Water

The sun feels so nice and the water is very warm. I am swimming with my eyes closed, enjoying the sun as it is warming the water.

As I open my eyes, I see it, dark shadow growing beneath me. I know that I have to swim faster. No, I don't want the dark shadow to catch up with me.

I keep swimming.. faster and faster.. Whatever it is behind me, it is not going to get closer to me..

I try to steady my breathing. Keep my arms and legs move in rhythm. I cannot stop, I cannot have cramp, I cannot drown. I have to survive.

A little more.. Just a couple more breaths.. And I was there, holding on the edge. Away from the danger.

I look into the water. The dark shadow is still there. No crocodile, no shark, no monster. Just a faint mirror image of the clouds..

The water is now still. I am still alone as I look around.. But this is just a pool. Not the river, not the open water..

Ah, no wonder I never swim well..

-24 March 2009-

The Same Things in All Differences

The gestures..

The expressions..

The spoken words..

Often cause misinterpretation..

The look..

The appearance..

The conversation..

Often cause disagreement..

When we see deeper..

Through what is seen in the outside..

Far into the inside..

The heartbeat..

The senses..

The human instincts..

Always tell the same things..

To live safely.. peacefully.. and.. happily..

In balance and harmony..

-23 March 2009-

If I Had Wings..

If I had wings..

I would have run and taken off

If I had wings..

I would have asked the wind to lift me up

If I had wings..

I would have raced the planes across the sky

If I had wings..

I would have closed my eyes to feel the clouds on my face

If I had wings..

I would have flown to where you are, and kiss your smiling face for the first time..

-21 March 2009-

This poem is for my newborn nephew (my cousin's son) who arrived to this world this morning.. :-).. Rashall Maliki Nugraha..

A Beautiful End

Some people are worried about beginnings

Some others about the journeys

And the rest about the ends

I believe that it all comes back to the intentions

When we put aside regret

Or hatred

Or revenge

Love will be found in many forms all the way

The beginning will be as bright as the sunrise

The journey will be as colourful as the rainbow

The end will be as beautiful as the moonlight in a starry night

And love will flow like an endless river..

-17 March 2009-

I wrote this poem as soon as I read a poem of more senior writer in www.blogit.com. The inspirational poem was called 'How The Story Ends' ...

Silence

Would you give me one second..
Just to let me breathe

Would you stay patient for a minute..
Just to let me think

I am not angry..
I am not disappointed..

Not really.. seriously..
I just really need the silence..

To understand what's happening
To find out what I am really thinking

To acknowledge that my mind still works
To believe that I still exist

-05 March 2009-

Life Achievement

I shake my head and bite my tongue
I hold my breath and blink my eyes
To distract my thoughts..

Calming my heartbeat and my heated mind..

I open my clenched fists and feel my fingers
I count my breathing and smell the scent of fresh dew
To gather my thoughts..

Focusing on my visions and intentions..

I take a deep breath and close my eyes
I feel the flow of my mind and feelings
To direct my thoughts..

Leading them to where they should be going..

The future..
The bigger picture of all separate events put together..
The result of the struggle I have been in for..
The achievement in the life I have been determined to succeed..

-05 March 2009-

Ariq's Herbie Stories (Introduction)

Ariq always wants me to tell him 'scary' stories (sometimes he wants some funny ones too) at night. I can't remember exactly how, but one night, I remember one movie the we used to have (when we still needed to use wall-projector to play movies).. The movie was Herbie, the car that could move by itself..

So, now, I have to make up a new Herbie story each night.

I'm really hoping I can come up with a new name for the car (that Ariq would agree to), so that I don't have any legal issues!

Anyway.. I will share with you all the stories I have come up with.

At The End of The Rainy Season

When I opened my eyes this morning
I realised that rainy season was ending very soon

I missed waking up to the bright morning
I missed walking under the warm sun
I missed the feeling of being alive

This morning came as a note
That the rain was not going to fall today
That the sun would be smiling happily all day
That the day would be glowing brightly

Human's heart is not strong
It changes with the seasons

It happily welcomes the coolness of the drizzles
At the beginning of the rainy season

Then it excitedly cheers the bright sunshine
At the beginning of the dry season

But human's heart is not weak
As it lives on throughout the seasons

It sparkles with each raindrop
As much as it shines with every sunlight

-02 March 2009-

Welcome.. dry season.. :-)

Friends and Friendships

The concept of friends and friendships always change throughout our lives..

When we were babies, friends mostly mean the people we had around us when we were awake; parents, grandparents, siblings, nannies.. Friends made us laugh, gave us food when we were hungry and lulled us to sleep when we were tired.

When we were toddlers, friends meant the people we played with; shared their toys with us, and enjoyed the toys we shared with them.

As we entered pre-school, our friends were our classmates and other kids in the same year with us. We would do activities in groups and visit places together in outing days.

During school years, our friends were the ones we discussed school assignments with, talked about teachers, and shared thoughts or problems we had with our parents, and confided in about our crushes.

Once we started working, friends were the colleagues who often have lunch with us and could occassionally go into discussions about matters outside work.

Finally, when we have a family of our own, friends are the people we can call up to say 'hi' to every once in a while.. or other parents in our kids' school who we can talk about our kids and school events with..

Friends may come in different shapes and sizes, but they always make us happy just because of their presence. Even before they lend out an ear to listen to us, or a hand to reach out to us.

A lot of people would think that school friends are the ones they rememberred the for the longest time.. because most changes that we experience happened during school years.. but, it doesn't close the possibility that we come across best friends outside school years.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that whenever we remember that we need a friend, there is always someone who might need us to be a friend too; to listen and to reach out.

Sometimes it is hard to keep a close contact with all our friends all the time, so it is worth to remember that saying 'hi, how are you? haven't seen you for a long time' is always better than saying 'why should I care, when you haven't called for so long!"

Growing up makes me understand that life often requires me to focus on myself and let others follow at their own paces. This makes friends become smiling images on the back of my mind during my hard time, as being away from them saddens me and shaping me to be a stronger person at the same time.

Therefore, friends.. never give up on me, because I never give up on you.. I might come in and out of your lives every so often, not because I forget, but because I love you and don't want to lose you..

-27 February 2009-

Rainy Season..

Waking up to the fog in the morning..
Sleeping with the sound of the rain at night..
Shutting down all electrical appliances when thunders and lightnings strike..
Placing umbrellas in the car, on the porch, in the bag..
Wearing rubber sandals or sneakers where ever we go..
Flooded roads, muddy pathways..
Undried washings..
At the same time.. harvest time!
Longans.. Rambutans.. Mangoes.. Durians..
Well.. Welcome Rainy Season..

-31 October 2008-