Pandoraspace

 

Dear Uncle G,

On our first day in Jakarta, I tried Onde-Onde.

Onde-Onde is probably the Indonesian version of buchi, which according to this article, is a stick rice ball “filled with sweet bean paste, rolled in sesame seeds and deep fried to form a crunchy crust”.  Unlike buchi, however, the crust of the Onde-Onde is lighter, crunchier and airier.  I tried the green tea flavored Onde-Onde. Following Tita D’s example, I flattened the Onde-Onde by sandwiching it between my palms before taking a bite off of it.  The taste of green tea tempered whatever oily taste the Onde-Onde had and added a new layer of taste to the sweet bean paste.  Yummy!

I do not usually like green tea because it has a grassy flavor.  On this one occasion, however, I loved the flavor that  green tea brings to Onde-Onde.  This is another thing we should try together.

Love, Pandora

I feel God in Masjid Istiqlal

I am in Masjid Istiqlal in Jakarta, Indonesia.  I do not know why it is that I found myself here. It certainly was not my plan to visit this place, which until now I knew nothing of.  Initially, I thought that my presence would not be tolerated here.  After all, I am a Catholic and a woman.  Yet, I have been allowed through the gates of Masjid Istiqlal and in the sacred premises of this mosque.

As I explore this mosque, I am accompanied by a person of this faith.  This person is genuine, gracious and welcoming.  He is interested in my thoughts, and at the same time, he takes pride in showing me this place.

As I climb the steps of this mosque, I am moved to tears and surprised that I feel God’s presence so intensely.  Why do I feel God now when I am not looking for Him?  Why does He make  His presence felt in this place?  I am shocked.  I am perplex.  I am awed.  I am grateful.

Perhaps I thought that I would not find God in this place. After all, I did not come here to look for Him or to pray. I do sense Him everywhere.  I feel God in the corridors of this mosque.  I recognize Him in the people of this faith who I watch as they cleanse themselves before prayer and as they sit in quiet corners of this mosque to pray.

As I walk bare-footed in the corridors of Masjid Istiqlal, I find solace and peace.

A note about this post:  I wrote this article right after I visited the mosque called Masjid Istiqlal. I felt that it should be written in the present tense to convey how affected I was by the experience.