I remember using this song as Lightening comprehension test to my students at Lia in midst 80s.

May she rest in peace…

I believe the children are our are future
Teach them well and let them lead the way
Show them all the beauty they possess inside
Give them a sense of pride to make it easier
Let the children’s laughter remind us how we used to be
Everybody searching for a hero
People need someone to look up to
I never found anyone who fulfill my needs
A lonely place to be
So I learned to depend on me

[Chorus]
I decided long ago, never to walk in anyone’s shadows
If I fail, if I succeed
At least I’ll live as I believe
No matter what they take from me
They can’t take away my dignity
Because the greatest love of all
Is happening to me
I found the greatest love of all
Inside of me
The greatest love of all
Is easy to achieve
Learning to love yourself
It is the greatest love of all

I believe the children are our future
Teach them well and let them lead the way
Show them all the beauty they possess inside
Give them a sense of pride to make it easier
Let the children’s laughter remind us how we used to be

[Chorus]

And if by chance, that special place
That you’ve been dreaming of
Leads you to a lonely place
Find your strength in love

CANDI ARJUNA
Desa Dieng Kulon, Kecamatan Batur, Kabupaten Banjarnegara
ARJUNA TEMPLE and KALIASA MUSEUM – The Mysterious Peaceful Three-Headed Shiva Palace

Cultural relics as the witnesses of the past greatness scattered in every corners of the archipelago. The example is the Arjuna Temple, one of the oldest temples in Java. In this complex, only five of more than a thousand years old temples that still stand sturdy. The temple was pretty crowded with visitor both domestic and international that evening. They walked around for a closer view of the temple. The atmosphere was relaxing and peaceful. A group of young people took an advantage of terrain on the right temple to play football.

These temples were first discovered by a British soldier named Van Kinsbergen in 1814. Unlike the other temples that mostly found buried underneath the land, the temples on Dieng plateau were found on a water swamp. The drying process started more than 40 years later. There is no clue about who named the temples after the puppet characters. The main temple is Arjuna which is facing a smaller temple with an elongated shape that is often called Semar Temple.

Srikandi Temple, PuntadewaTemple, and SembadraTemple stood in line on the left of Arjuna. Puntadewa has a shape that is almost similar to the Arjuna, while Srikandi Temple and Sembadra Temple slightly smaller and shorter. Based on the folklore, Puntadewa Temple is in the midst of Srikandi and Sembadra as a mediator for the two sisters who both became the wife of Arjuna.

Beautiful gardens with pine trees and flowers around the temple complex presented the beauty in the midst of peace and serenity atmosphere. On the distance, white smoke is billowing endlessly from numerous volcanic craters. The hills and mountains surrounding added a peace in to our mind. Many young people took advantages of the beauty and serenity of this temple by spending the times with their spouse or partner. YogYES walked slowly on the grassy land surrounded the temple, while admiring the natural beauty of God’s creation and breathe fresh air that is almost impossible to find in the middle of urban areas. The turf felt soft and bouncy. It was bouncy. The complex was once a swamp, so the ground around the temple contained a lot of water. As a result, walking on the ground felt like walking on foam.

Trimurti Gods at Srikandi Temple

Arjuna temple complex is the oldest Hindu temple in Java Island which was built in 809 AD and was a place of worship of Shiva. This can be seen from the Lingga and Yoni in the main temple, and the statues of Goddess Durga, Ganesha, and Agastya on the building. The statues are now placed in the Kaliasa Museum near the temple. Architecturally, Arjuna Temple was influenced by the Indian culture. The shape is similar to a temple in southern India called Wimana. Meanwhile, Semar Temple was likely copied the form of Mandapa, which became part of a temple in India as a place for the pilgrims and festivals.

There is not many temple reliefs found in this complex. There was only a relief depicting the Trimurti Gods; Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma, strengthens the evidence that this temple is a Hindu temple. But strangely, these reliefs were not carved on the main temple. Depictions of the three Gods were found on the walls of the Srikandi Temple. While the walls on the other temples were plain. None of the 12 inscriptions found in Dieng explain about this. There was only Kala decoration at the entrance of temples and niches where statues were placed.

Three-Headed Shiva in Kaliasa

After enjoying with the beauty and peace fulness of Arjuna Temple, we followed the path toward the southwest. Approximately 10 minutes walking, we arrived at a small temple called Gatotkaca. Rows of shops and stalls lined nearby, provided a variety of souvenirs, traditional food and drink of Dieng.

Across the street, on the slopes of a hill stood a museum called the Kaliasa Museum. There are 4 buildings in which two showrooms functioned to display variety of objects and artifacts of historical heritage. Most items on display are statues and stones from the complex of temples in Dieng. The most interesting item is the three-headed Shiva statue often referred as Shiva Trisirah. Shiva Trisirah is known as the oldest form of worship to Shiva. In addition, the museum is also displaying various information about the typical life of the indigenous Dieng people, traditional arts, as well as information about the phenomenal of the dreadlocks children. There is also a theater space to play the documentary film about Dieng’s natural and cultural potential that would be played for at least a 10-visitors group.

Exiting the museum, we walked up the stone steps leading to the building located at the highest. It turned out that this building serves as a cafe. While unwind after going around the temple and museum, sat in the cafe, sipping hot drinks and enjoy the breathtaking view of the Dieng Plateau is just amazing.

Dieng has an extraordinary natural and cultural wealth. One of the icons is Telaga Warna (the Colorful Lake), a beautiful lake with natural forest around it.

TELAGA WARNA
Desa Dieng Wetan, Kecamatan Kejajar, Kabupaten Wonosobo
TELAGA WARNA (the Colorful Lake) – Beautiful Twin Lakes

Hidden among the rows of hills at an altitude of more than 2000 meters above sea level does not make Telaga Warna (the Colorful Lake) lack of visitors. Its beauty and mystery always attract anyone who visits Dieng. Entering through the main gate, us was greeted by a path that has been slicked up by the paving blocks with dense forest on either side. Culminate in a T-junction, Color Lake outspread ahead. Greenish water looked calm, no ripples at all. The sound of the wild birds chirped and the thick forest which is wild maintained present a reassuring atmosphere of peace.

Followed a road that branched off to the right, us found another intersection. Paving road towards Semar Cave and a muddy trail. Driven by a curiosity, we took a dirt road trail straight ahead. Jumped on the slippery ground formed by the rain on the previous night, we fought hard to avoid the mudded ground. And suddenly a broad meadow emerged, reminiscent to the movie Little House on the Prairie. Although we were a little in doubt, we kept on walking. Voila, suddenly another lake appeared in front of us. The water was very clear that reflected whatever image was on top of it. Well, it felt like in a different place. Paving road was somewhere out there, meadow was on the other side, and tall trees were all around.

Although we were fascinated by the beauty of this crystal clear lake, but the desire to explore Telaga Warna finally brought us back to the first lake. This time the exploration carried out by following the road that leads to the left. In some places the surface seemed bubbly and pulled out the small bubbles. It caused by the sulfur that contained in the water. Unfortunately, as far as we could see, the entire surface was remained green without a touch of other colors.

Apparently there is a trick to enjoy the beauty of this lake. At the back door, there is a trail uphill towards one of the hills that enclose the lake. This dirt road is very narrow, just enough to pass one person. The climb is not so steep, but slippery enough considering Dieng area frequently hit by rain. After a few hundred meters climbing, we reached the top of the hill which surrounded by the views that would make anyone spellbound. Down below, outspread a beautiful lake surrounded by thick forest with beautiful purple color of water on the edge, shaded in green in towards the middle, and pale green in the center of the lake. On the other side, a narrow meadow separated it from another lake called Telaga Pengilon or lake which reflected like a mirror. Further ahead, Mountain Prau and Mountain Pakuwaja rows in circle, formed as if to protect these two beautiful lakes from anyone who wants to damage it.

Despite centuries of sleep, Dieng has several volcanic craters that are still active until now. One of the most interesting is Sikidang Crater, a heaven for sulfur miners which supposedly likes to jump and move.

KAWAH SIKIDANG
Desa Dieng Kulon, Kecamatan Batur, Kabupaten Banjarnegara
SIKIDANG CRATER – The Jumping Volcanic Crater

Sikidang Crater gives another nuance on Dieng’s natural beauty. Fresh green landscape suddenly vanished as we entered this crater complex. As far as the eye could see, there was jwet a barren stretch of land surrounded by hills with a smoky pond on the other side. A few meters from the entrance there is a warning sign for you to be careful in moving, as well as a fire ban and throwing cigarette butts.

Walking in this crater mwet be very careful. we had to jump around and look for dry ground to put a step. Crater holes were everywhere. In some places the ground looked wet with bubbling water. These lands are dangerowe to be stepped on becawee it’s very fragile and prone to landslides. The smell of sulfur was getting stronger. The farther we walked, the smell got even stronger. A middle-aged woman was standing in the middle of the barren desert, wearing a traditional hat and covered her nose. There was a lying sack in front of her with brimstone on top of it. She was going to sell the stones to the visitors as souvenirs from Sikidang Crater. Yes, this crater is still a heaven for the residents who make a living on brimstone mining. Despite the strong odor, the steam contains sulfur that is believed to smooth the skin and eliminate acne.

Sikidang crater lay at the end of this complex. A large pool of water mixed with gray mud kept bubbling. We were not able to see another side of the pool becawee of the thickness of puffy white smoke. It is said that the water and mud has a temperature of 98 degrees Celsius, and maybe even more. Bamboo fence was built around the crater for the safety of visitors. Nevertheless there were violations of this safety limit. There weed to be a visitor who dared to take pictures at the crater’s edge, he stuck his leg and fell. When he lifted his leg, the skin had melted and only the bone left. This place is unique and exciting, but you mwet always be very careful as the crater is still quite active.

There is a magma chamber beneath Sikidang Crater. This magma chamber produced heat and energy with a very strong pressure. If this pressure reaches its peak, there will be eruptions and formed a new crater. Sikidang name is taken from the word “kidang” a Javanese word means deer. The uniqueness of this crater is the main crater is always on the move, as if it’s jumping to find a new place. A big hole right in front of the complex is the former main crater before it got “bored” and jumped to move to another place. If you’re lucky, you can also see some sulfur miners bwey looking for chunks of sulfur. If you want to experience standing on a pot of magma of the earth, Sikidang Crater is the place. But remember, be careful in moving and do not light a fire. Good luck!

Meditation has many more benefits than I’ve listed here, but these are some core reasons why it is beneficial and why it’s recommended for everyone. That’s the thing about meditation; it’s never a bad idea. Meditating once a day has no negative consequences, assuming you don’t do it while driving or at a work conference. After a while, you’ll feel sharper, refreshed, and more mindful of your thoughts and actions. Simply put, meditation allows you to know yourself better.

Stillness
Things move quicker and more intensely at this point in history than ever before. There are tons of distractions like TV and the internet to make sure we have constant stimulation. It’s rare that our minds ever get a rest. If you feel overwhelmed, as many of us so often do, meditation will help. It will probably be difficult at first; sitting in silence sounds less enticing than eating a tasty snack or watching a sitcom. But once you start meditating, you’ll come to appreciate stillness and tranquility. If you practice meditation for a long time, you’ll find you can retain your stillness even when the world around you is harsh and chaotic. There’s a reason why meditation coaches have been so popular among companies with generally high-stress employees, like investment banks and law firms– meditation helps keep people grounded. Your surroundings may be crazy, but over time meditation allows you to feel secure and at peace internally, in basically any situation.

Focus
Recent studies show that meditating just 5 minutes a day improves focus. That’s pretty impressive. 5 minutes is less than .5 percent of your day. You’ll find that the time you spend meditating is anything but wasted, since the benefits affect you 24/7. Improved focus makes us better at our jobs, our studies and more engaged as conversationalists. Meditation promotes productivity over distractions, and the focus is results in is not stressed-out focused, but diligent, calm focus. That’s a pretty huge benefit.

Decision-making
This ties into the previous two, but I recall one time I was a little kid and couldn’t make a decision, and my teacher told me to stop and count to ten, and then try again. Meditation in the morning is like stopping and counting to ten, but sometimes it lasts for the whole day. The clarity of mind that develops over time will undoubtedly improve your decision-making skills.

Non-attachment
When you first learn meditation, the breath is the most important part of your practice. Breathing is your anchor, meaning it serves as a support you can count on when distracting thoughts pop into your head while you’re sitting. When a thought comes up, just go back to the breath. Distraction? Back to the breath. Focusing on the breath is subconscious training for non-attachment, which is a hugely important part of Buddhism, and also of happiness. When we attach ourselves to thoughts, people, things, etc, we stake our happiness on the possession of them. Meditation teaches us to let go of thoughts; this translates into action in our daily lives, and once you meditate for a while, you’ll find yourself less attached to outcomes and possessions.

Posture
Sitting in Zen meditation promotes upright posture, which not only improves the way you feel physically but also helps with self-confidence and body image. Zen aims not to concern itself with appearances, especially physical appearances, but chances are, if you’re feeling better, you’re looking better too.

Brain power
Not only have studies revealed meditation’s benefits on focus; brain power might improve, too. People who meditate frequently tend to have a thicker cortex in certain parts of their brain. Granted, according to that article, these are people who meditate 20 minutes twice a day, but you can always start small and work your way up to a regimented long-term meditation schedule. Like anything, it just takes practice.

Creativity
The most interesting example here that I’m aware of is legendary film director David Lynch’s wonderful book, Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness and Creativity. In it, Lynch discusses how his meditation has influenced his filmmaking style and artistic philosophy. In clearing the mind and reaching into the subconscious, we can come up with new ideas that could have been left undiscovered without the aid of meditation. Doesn’t matter if you’re a painter, writer, or businessperson– new ideas and a new perspective can aid you in anything you do. I’m currently reading Steve Jobs’ biography, and it’s cool to see how many of the ideas he had for designs and business models came from his Zen meditation and Eastern-inspired personal philosophy of minimalism.

Discipline
Lastly– and maybe most importantly– is a benefit of meditation that ties into every other benefit. When you consciously commit to do something for a specific amount of time every day (like meditate twice a day for 10 minutes) you’re training yourself to have self-discipline. This attitude will ideally carry over into other aspects in your life, like work, study and personal problem-solving. Since I’ve started meditating, I find I have more patience and get less frustrated with issues, both personally and professionally. I have a newfound self-discipline that allows me to set deadlines for myself and work things out. I truly think that if you give meditation a try, you’ll find you achieve similar benefits.

Taken From Daily Zen

I know your eyes in the morning sun
I feel you touch me in the pouring rain
And the moment that you wander far from me
I wanna feel you in my arms again

And you come to me on a summer breeze
Keep me warm in your love
Then you softly leave
And it’s me you need to show
How deep is your love?

How deep is your love
How deep is your love
I really need to learn
‘Cause we’re living in a world of fools
Breakin’ us down
When they all should let us be
We belong to you and me

I believe in you
You know the door to my very soul
You’re the light in my deepest, darkest hour
You’re my saviour when I fall
And you may not think I care for you
When you know down inside
That I really do

And it’s me you need to show
How deep is your love?
How deep is your love
How deep is your love
I really need to learn
‘Cause we’re living in a world of fools
Breakin’ us down
When they all should let us be
We belong to you and me

And you come to me on a summer breeze,
Keep me warm in your love
Then you softly leave
And it’s me you need to show
How deep is your love?

How deep is your love
How deep is your love
I really need to learn
‘Cause we’re living in a world of fools
Breakin’ us down
When they all should let us be
We belong to you and me

Front and centre
I don’t know how it happened then
I can’t explain it
What was she thinking of when
Mother Nature
She put us both together, and
The way she touched me
And I ran that red light and so I
Said I love her
She tell me I don’t matter
I try to kiss her
But every dream is shattered
No early warning
Except the morning after
Look in the mirror like a rabbit in the headlights

She keeps on coming back for more
She keeps on coming back for more
She keeps on coming back for more
Champagne and roses
Breakfast in bed
Wrapped in each other
And out of my head
She keeps on coming back for more
She keeps on coming back for more

Oh no
Oh no
Yeah
Oh no

She ain’t no Cleopatra
I ain’t no Julius Caesar
I ain’t no Casanova
She ain’t no Mona Lisa
She charm a nation
She send you out to die
And we were flying when she ran that red light
I ain’t no Valentino
She ain’t no Greta Garbo
No Aphrodite
I’ll never be Apollo
But when we come together
There’s no one else can follow
There’s no tomorrow when we run that red light

She keeps on coming back for more
She keeps on coming back for more
She keeps on knocking at the door
Drunk on desire
Erotic delights
Sooner or later, she’ll kiss you goodnight
She keeps on coming back for more
She keeps on coming back for more

Oh no
Oh no
Oh no
Oh no

Midnight
Die in the arms of a lover
Hold tight
I close my eyes and she’s gone
Dream time
She’s mine
Always here
Small town
Daytime
Disappear

She keeps on coming back for more
She keeps on coming back for more
She keeps on coming back for more
Drunk on desire
Erotic delights
Sooner or later, she’ll kiss you goodnight
But she keeps on coming back for more
She keeps on coming back for more
She keeps on knocking at the door
She keeps on coming back for more
She keeps on coming back for more

In recent weeks the star has appeared in public looking increasingly frail.
He was taken to hospital last week following a 999 call from his £8million 12th-century home in Oxfordshire.

I’ve seen the story
I’ve read it over once or twice
I said that you say
A little bit of bad advice
I’ve been in trouble
Happened to me all my life
I lie and you lie
And who would get the sharpest knife

You know I shouldn’t be somebody like that
I’m not the kind of man to throw his hat into the ring and
Go down without following through
The day turns into night
Go down without following through
The day turns into night

Ohh
Ohh
Ohh
This is just where I came in

Hope rides on
But I’ll go anywhere
Yes, I’ll go anywhere with you
Time has gone
But I’ll go anywhere
Yes, I’ll go anywhere with you

This is the danger zone
This is where I came in
They know not what they do
Forgive them of their sins
They know they cannot take away
What you have given me

Ohh
Ohh
Ohh
This is just where I came in

Fade into colour
Colour into black and white
Under the bedclothes
Everything will be alright
I know that you know
Nothing ever stays the same
Said so, I said so
The love will never speak its name

Never gonna find somebody like you
Beauty with a brain and a body too
I could never make a move on a woman that leads me on
She’s got a little bit of something for everyone
It’s a little too late and the wolf is on the run

Hope rides on
But I’ll go anywhere
Yes, I’ll go anywhere with you
Time has gone
But I’ll go anywhere
Yes, I’ll go anywhere with you

I always told myself
I would regret this day
That I would fall apart
And watch you walk away
That you would cry out loud
And I would stand beside

Ohh
Ohh
Ohh
This is just where I came in

I can fly
But I’ll go anywhere
Yes, I’ll go anywhere with you

This is the danger zone
This is where I came in
They know not what they do
Forgive them of their sins
They know they cannot take away
What you have given me

Ohh
Ohh
Ohh
This is just where I came in

Ohh
Ohh
Ohh
This is just where I came in

Ohh
Ohh
Ohh
This is just where I came in

She calls out to the man on the street, “Sir, can you help me?
It’s cold and I’ve nowhere to sleep. Is there somewhere you can tell me?”
He walks on, doesn’t look back, he pretends he can’t hear her
He starts to whistle as he crosses the street, seems embarassed to be there

Oh, think twice, it’s just another day for you and me in paradise
Oh, think twice, it’s just another day for you, you and me in paradise
Just think about it

She calls out to the man on the street, he can see she’s been crying
She’s got blisters on the soles of her feet, she can’t walk, but she’s trying

Oh, just think twice, it’s just another day for you and me in paradise
Oh yes, think twice, it’s just another day for you, you and me in paradise
Just think about it, uh – huh, just think about it

Oh Lord, is there nothing more anybody can do
Oh oh Lord, there must be something you can say

You can tell by the lines on her face, you can see that she’s been there
Probably been moved on from everyplace, cause she didn’t fit in there

Oh yes, think twice, it’s just another day for you and me in paradise
Oh yes, think twice, it’s just another day for you, you and me in paradise
Just think about it, uh – huh, just think about it

It’s just another day for you and me in paradise
It’s just another day for you and me in paradise
It’s just another day for you and me in paradise
It’s just another day for you and me in paradise
It’s just another day for you and me, it’s another day for you and me
It’s another day for you and me in paradise
In paradise, oh, oh, oh, oh yeah