Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Saturday, September 12, 2009
2009 CALADIUM FESTIVAL - SATURDAY GETAWAY, SERIES 3
TRIP TO CALADIUM FIELD - SOUTH SIDE.
In the morning we reserved for a bus tour at the Lake Placid Women's Club, 10 N. Main Ave., and paid $10 per person. Initially, we asked for the 12 AM schedule but it was fully booked so we went for the 1:00PM.
Waiting for the bus ride...but before the ride there was a video presentation and Q&A session inside a meeting behind room the red door [the red door on the right]. The presentation was given by the wife of the owner of Happiness Farms Inc., who is also our tour guide, for about half an hour.
We took the right side...and still waiting for all passengers to have their seats, Netty was looking to the Festival ground at the far side.
Leaving the town...going to County Road CR 621 East. the tour covered 10km trip. Outside the famous Masonry Tower on Hy 27 was considered the highest observation tower in the country according to the lady tour guide.
Entering the Caladium South Field...the sky was full of beautiful white birds.
White clouds were hanging in the sky and the white birds were landing on the tilled ground.
Dikes are dug as a vital irrigation system to maintain the ground wet all year.
A pair of birds...perhaps are looking at the Caladium fields...wide as fas as they can see. Noticed yellow-brownish marks on their heads, chest and backs.
The fields are so big...more than 80 types of Caladiums are grown here in hundres of plots.
The ground is covered with multicolors...predominantly red.
Now the ground changed to view of green.
Monday, September 7, 2009
15 RAMADHAN 1430 H
THE DAY OF SUNSET AND FULL MOON
"See you not how الله has created the seven heavens one above another?"
"And has made the Moon a light therein and made the Sun a lamp?"
[Al-Quran, Surat Nuuh, 71:15,16]
In Islamic calendar a day counts or starts with at the moment the Sun sets under the horizon...it is called MAGHRIB...مغرب in Arabic, which means "place or time of sunset" and "west."
In Gregorian calendar [it was named after Pope Gregory XIII, who decreed it on 24 February 1582 as the new calendar for the Roman Catholic year system with Anno Domini (AD) suffix] a new day starts from midnight at 12:00 AM. The sunset and west are called OCCIDENTIS in Latin...while ORIENT is eastern and it refers to any country found in east of Europe.
The Gregorian calendar is out of touch with nature and simplicity...?
First, how do we know if it is midnight without having a clock or watch on hand? So, because of this decision the industry of watchmaking flourished in Europe...the public was forced to have a watch everywhere.
Second, the names of each day of the week were given after the names of pagan gods or of star and planets.
The first day of the week: Domenico...the day of the Lord is for Sunday [while the English chose to name it after god Sun]. The Spanish named it Domingo...which became "MINGGU" in the language of Indonesian and Malayu whose pronounciation was derived from the influence of the Spanish explorer who came to the Orient in the beginning of 16th century.
The sun was setting on Tampa Bay few moments before Maghrib.
On this Friday afternoon the horizon was covered with clouds.
The sun gradually set...lower and lower.
The sky turned red and black...moments before the sun disappeared below the horizon.
At some hours later...the moon was rising in the evening sky from the southeast.
On this evening the moon was full and...so round like a perfect circle.
The second day in Latin and Italian is Lunaedi, named in Gregorian calendar after the moon Luna, the third day...Martedi after god of Mars in the Roman mythology, the fourth...Mercoledi from god of Mercury, the fifth...Giovedi from Jupiterr [Jovian], the sixth...Venerdi from Venus and the seventh...Sabato from Sabbath [Jewish origin].
Then, in English the Brits had their own choice...the third day is Tuesday from the war god Tiu [German origin], the fourth...Wednesday from Woden's day [Woden: a god like Mercury], the fifth...Thursday from the god of Norse Thor [Norwegian origin], the sixth...Friday from Frigg [god like Venus] and the seventh...Saturday from Saturn.
What a pagan-like and a confusion in this sensible modern world we live in?
In Islamic world it is simple and straight forward and makes sense.
The days of the week are الأحد...Al-Ahad...means The First, الاثنين...Al-Isnain...The Second [Senin in Indonesian and Malayu], الثلاثاء...Al-Tsaalatsaa-a...The-Third [Selasa in Indonesian and Malayu], الأربعاء...Al-Arba'a-a...The Fourth [Rabu in Indonesia and Malayu, الخميس...Al-Khamiis [Kamis in Indonesia and Malayu], الجمعة...Al-Jum'ah...The Gathering [for an obligatory group sholat prayer for men in the mosque] and السبت...Al-Sabt [Sabtu in Indonesian and Malayu] from Hebrew Sabbath meaning the day of rest.
A question: When is the first day of creation?
"Indeed your Lord الله, Who created the heavens and the earth in six days and then He rose over the Throne. He brings the night as a cover over the day, seeking it rapidly and the sun, the moon, the stars subjected to His command. Surely, He is the Creation and Commandment. Blessed in الله, the Lord of Al-'Aalamiin [mankind, jinnkind and all that exists]. "[Surah Al-A'raaf, 7:54]
"He manages and regulates affair from heavens to the earth. Then it will go up to Him in one day, the space whereof is a thousand years of your reckoning." [Surah As-Sajdah, 32:5]
"The angels and the Ruuh [Gabriel] ascend to Him in a day the measure whereof is fifty thousand years." [Surah Al-Ma'aarij, 70:4]
Only الله the Almighty God knows better...but it is certain in our belief that the first day of the week on Earth is the present first day...because the Prophet Muhammad SAW had accepted it as for the way of Islamic life.
A question: When is the first day of creation?
"Indeed your Lord الله, Who created the heavens and the earth in six days and then He rose over the Throne. He brings the night as a cover over the day, seeking it rapidly and the sun, the moon, the stars subjected to His command. Surely, He is the Creation and Commandment. Blessed in الله, the Lord of Al-'Aalamiin [mankind, jinnkind and all that exists]. "[Surah Al-A'raaf, 7:54]
"He manages and regulates affair from heavens to the earth. Then it will go up to Him in one day, the space whereof is a thousand years of your reckoning." [Surah As-Sajdah, 32:5]
"The angels and the Ruuh [Gabriel] ascend to Him in a day the measure whereof is fifty thousand years." [Surah Al-Ma'aarij, 70:4]
Only الله the Almighty God knows better...but it is certain in our belief that the first day of the week on Earth is the present first day...because the Prophet Muhammad SAW had accepted it as for the way of Islamic life.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
2009 CALADIUM FESTIVAL - SATURDAY GATEAWAY, SERIES 4
HOW DO YOU FIND HAPPINESS?
In this trip maybe we had encountered, here, some answers for the question above...but one of the answer is absolutely basic and natural.
It may give us a guide to find one happiness after reviewing this photo album...specially from the last four pictures.
Cruising on County Road CR 621 East...low flying white clouds were hanging above the Caladium farming fields.
Netty parked the car on the road shoulder...to let the writer take shooting with camera.
...and a tractor ran in the opposite direction.
On both sides of the road there are all kinds of Caladium varieties being grown.
The dike system is vital to a continuous irrigation to the farming because it maintains the soil wet at all time which the Caladiums are sensitive to...this plant variety originally came from Brazil.
After visiting the field...we arrived at the premise of HAPPINESS FARMS INC...the largest grower of Caladium plants in the world.
Although Holland in the Netherlands is the biggest country that are growing and selling flower and plants in the world, but...the Floridan businessmen and businesswomen in Lake Placid, Florida, dominate the world of Caladium. 98% of Caladium bulbs are exported to the world from their fields.
Happiness Farms Inc. is the biggest in Lake Placid...however, the company bought a device for counting bulbs from Holland.
The word HAPPINESS read from the name of the company is absolutely striking to notice...we hope, the word's spirit will touch over to every human being. The light ["Nuur" in Arabic] of happiness will shine upon us...with goodness and positive energy. Insya Allah!.
HAPPINESS: : سعادة.SA'ADAH in Arabic, Sanskrit happiness is AANANDA आनंद. BONHEUR in French, KOUFUKU in Japanese...GAUDIUM in Latin.
In Indonesian "KEBAHAGIAN" or "GEMBIRA" is HAPPINESS. It is a state of mind...a choice.
Only you and I made the decision to choose.
It is baseless and useless to blame somebody or something..."The Devil made me do it"... for the wrong choice of the past.
"YESTERDAY WAS HISTORY...TOMORROW IS MYSTERY...TODAY IS BLESSED MERCY FROM THE GOD AR-RAHMAAN."
Happines comes from "hap / happen"...so, it's up to us...TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
Open our arms...and SMILE...and BE HAPPY!
THE HAPPY FEELING is yours and mine...no body can take it away...as long as we hold it tightly.
In Chinese...XI means "CELEBRATION" or "HAPPY", "JOYOUS" and "TO LIKE".
Not "one happiness" but "double happiness"...that's the Chinese happiness symbol XI represents...which we should emulate.
<Another variety of Caladium...a non-colourful Caladium grown wildly on the shoulder of the road.
Yellow flowers on the same sport with wild Cladium on the side road.
The picture was taken overexposed by the writer's own mistake...oh, well...right now we don't have the opportunity to return and correct its exposure.
The pattern design of the yellow flower and its texture are very beautiful indeed.
Leaving country road and back to town...before entering the Caladium Festival ground we saw a private club sign...may be the local hanging waterhole for the guys in hunting and fishing or other gaming sports.
The Masonry Tower...the tallest in the country according to the tour operator...is in in the background.
...green and water...capture a landscape before entering the town of Lake Placid by the country road CR621.
According to a Hadith.
"THE WATER, THE GREENERY AND A BEAUTIFUL FACE
[OF WOMAN] ARE THE THINGS THAT COMFORT THE
HEART."
QALBU...is the heart in Arabic...JANTUNG in Indonesian.
To see and enjoy the water and clouds...the green leaves and grass...the vegetation...are the magical property for healing the heart...physically and mentally...for sure to happen...following Nabi Muhammad SAW's advice.
A healthy environment and an open heart are one formula for...HAPPINESS and LONG LIFE.
"DIRGAHAYU"...Sanskrit DIRGA for LONG and HAYU for AGE.
"VIVA" in Latin.
White clouds...clean water...fresh air...a lot of green...serene surround...are here for our wish...an imaginary garden of paradise? [Note: Nothing is perfect on the planet Earth.]
A dream home...in any where of such place in the world...to retire. Amiiin!
Is this one of the answers to the question "How to find HAPPINESS?"
It may be rightly so...may be found the right one or...it may happen to come to us if...we also include the acknowledgement of submission to The Almighty with:
لا حول ولاقوة إلا بالله
"LAA HAULA WA LAA QUWATTA ILLA BILLAAH"
"THERE IS NO TRANSFORMATION AND NO POWER EXCEPT WITH ALLAAH"
"TIDAK ADA DAYA MERUBAH DAN TIDAK ADA KEKUATAN MELAINKAN DENGAN ALLAAH"
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