Family Photo

As usual, at the beginning of academic year, Ariq and Aza have to submit personal and family photos to their classes.

Our previous photos did not have Kyra in them, so, we decided to have new photos taken with Kyra included! At first, we thought about going to a photo studio, but due to the busy days we are having this weekend, we changed our minds and had the photos taken, in the morning, at home, with Mother as the photographer.

What a challenge!! (Kyra, that is.. not Mother, of course..)







Yes, yes, you guess right... It was nothing like having family photos taken in a photo studio.. Hahaha..




Below are the photos from this morning..

Aza: Look, I can make my fingers pose for the picture!

Ariq: But you won't know when Grandma hits 'click'!

Kyra: Let me down, Mum! I want to see Aza's fingers!

Aza: When will it be over? It's too hot!
Ariq: I'll hide behind Kyra's dress..
Kyra: Oh, come on boys! Get a grip!

Trust me.. it was a challenge.. but also lots of fun!!

-Saturday, 23 July 2011-

New additions to our home..

When you walk around your home long enough, you will start catching sights of the things you never thought existed around you..


Like this cheerful sunflower..


Then, you will start thinking about what you want to change or add or.. capture with you camera.. and keep the memory for as long as you want..


That is what we do here.. Mother and my husband love to find new plants to grow, and I love watching them grow, observing the creatures residing around the plants, and capturing them all with a camera, I can get a hold of..









These are pictures of some of the new additions in our front and back yards..

The short-lived Morning Glory

The new white flower outside the widow

The new bush of purple flowers

The pretty plant that is having breakfast with a little bee..

A little lizard that quickly became Aza's friend

The lovely white orchids

The beautiful purple orchids

The pretty white plant that is saying 'hi' to the sun

The baby dragonfly

..and..

The giant cricket

My most surprising find was in the pond that was meant to be a fish breeding pond. While the fish is not using the pond, another family is happily occupying it, and it looks like they are building an empire in it..

The frog family

Last but not least, my best find was the little creature hiding among the leaves up on the mango tree, which brought a specific song to me..

HUSH A BYE BABY

Hush a bye baby on the tree top
When the wind blows the cradle will rock
When the bough breaks the cradle will fall
Down will come baby cradle and all..

Sleep tight, little bat

Having this world of nature around me, and being able to enjoy it every day, makes me less jealous of those wild life photographers.. :-P

Have a nice day, Everyone.. :-)

Graphium Agamemnon: My patience is finally paid off..

A few months ago (or it might be over a year ago).. I saw this beautiful butterfly and I quickly ran to take a picture of it. It was black, with bright green dots and patterns all over its wings.. simple but very beautiful..

After a few runs around the front yard, I decided that the butterfly was far too fast, both for me and my camera! I didn't give up, though.. I loved it and I wouldn't stop until I had its pictures!

I started searching on the internet about this beautiful butterfly. At first, the search didn't come up with anything at all, except some pictures. After a few months, I did another internet search for this black and green butterfly, and my determination was finally yielding a great result!

The beautiful butterfly is GRAPHIUM AGAMEMNON and it is a very active type of butterfly. It is harder to catch by camera compared to other butterflies because it moves around a lot and it flies fast and often high.

Through the search, I also found a blog owner who was a student studying about butterflies and I asked her what I should do to be able to catch a Graphium agamemnon on my camera. She said that I needed to catch it early in the morning when the butterfly was not so fast yet.

I did as she suggested.  There were two Graphium agamemnons that were flying around our front yard almost every day, and I ran after them every time I saw them. Soon I realised that my camera was not the best in the world, it wouldn't win any race against the beautiful butterfly I love. I still refused to give up.

Very soon, I never saw any of the Graphium agamemnon again, I almost didn't see any butterflies at all, for a few weeks after that. Then, I found dead butterflies in the bushes near the front porch. I realised that their 'time' has come and I would have to wait for the new ones to come out of their cocoons, although I had no clue of where their cocoons were.

About two months ago, I started seeing butterflies in the front yard again. A large black one (which Ariq managed to take a picture of with my camera), A black with white and purple pattern, a little white one and a brown one... but no Graphium agamemnon..

I know that there are birds around our house, and I'm sure they always eat worms, caterpillars, and maybe even butterflies. If the birds ever came across the Graphium agamemnon caterpillar, I doubt I would ever see one so close to home again. However, deep inside my heart I was still keeping a tiny ray of hope for the sight of the beautiful black and bright green I love so much.

Then, it happened!

One morning, I was walking around the front yard with my camera in one hand, taking pictures of the morning glories, sunflowers, and other blooming plants, and suddenly, it was there, flying around the bushes outside Mother's window.. Graphium agamemnon..!! I believe it was a young one. It was slightly smaller and it didn't move as fast as the two I previously knew.

I quickly readied my camera in my hand and started 'talking' to the butterfly, asking it to stay quietly on the leave. I manage to get a few shots, but those shots are not as good as I expect them to be. I know that my 'hunt' is still on!

Finally, two weeks ago, Mother asked me to document a community gathering at home with her camera. I still had the camera the next morning because I didn't have time to transfer the pictures to the computer yet. Miraculously, the Graphium agamemnon was flying around the front yard. I quickly ran inside the house to fetch Mother's camera.

Once I was back in the front yard, the butterfly was already gone. I quickly hoped it had gone to the back yard, so I quickly rushed there, and there it was! flying around the plants above the fish pond!

I deactivated the digital zoom and maximised the optical zoom. Then, I quickly directed Mother's camera towards the butterfly. I took as many pictures as the camera's speed allowed. Then, I transferred the pictures to the computer.

The pictures may not be perfect, but, considering I am not a professional photographer, the camera was not a professional camera and the Graphium agamemnon was not as young as the first time I saw it and it was moving around fast, just like the first two I knew, well, I consider these pictures are absolutely gorgeous..

After one year of effort and patience, I now have beautiful pictures of a very beautiful Graphium agamemnon.. The black and bright green butterfly that I love so much..

Morning Glory.. Only in the morning..

They are very pretty, although they only bloom early in the morning a while after the sun rises. Then, they wither...
I love them, despite their short blooming life, because they give me an incentive to appreciate every little beauty by looking ay them in the morning..
Created with PicSay on my GT-S5570

Aza and snake.. again..

Today was Lazuardi Smart Day.. and the theme was.. 'Let's be Animals' Friends'..
Someone (a higher level student), had an idea to bring her/his pet (a snake and a tarantula) to school..
Aza saw the snake, and as can be guessed, he wanted to have his picture taken with the snake.. :-)
Ariq was also having a good time.. He played the drum on stage.. :-)
A very nice day.. ;-)

New Legs for My Spider

This post was supposed to be published in February 2011.. I thought I had published it, but the other day, I found out that it was still a draft.. :-P 

The same article in Indonesian .. "Kaki Baru untuk Laba-Labaku"

Around the new year, I started spider watching again. This time, it was a little one on the front porch. She built a web between the plants and one of the pillars on the porch.

The little spider was unique. It only had five legs..

I felt sorry for the spider, and wondered how would it survive with only five legs. Suddenly, my husband shouted from inside the house, "Don't worry, the legs would grow back!"

I replied, "Yeah, right! Legs can grow back!"

My husband shouted again, "Spider legs can grow back."

Knowing my husband's taste for making jokes, I just grinned and talked to myself, "Sure sure.. That will be the day.."

For a few days, I watched the spider, making sure that it was still in its web. Until one day, I was so surprised to see that I saw a little white thing coming out of each spot where the legs were.

My husband was not joking! So, I called him at work and told him about that.

He said to me, "I told you. I wasn't joking. Just check on the internet!"

So I did, and I found out that spider legs can grow back as long as it doesn't lose too much fluid in its body. WOW! That is a very interesting fact to learn.. ;-)

I took some pictures of the spider to put here..

Before The Legs Grew Back

Hunting with Five Legs

After The Legs Grew Back

Hunting with Eight Legs

I was really amazed, finding out that spiders can survive with only five legs, although having eight legs, definitely made its life so much better.. (judging from the number of flies it caught after its legs grew back!)

A few days later, the spider was gone. The web was deserted. I guess, since it had all its legs back, the spider wanted to build a bigger and better web. I just couldn't find where the new web was.

I just hoped that the little spider was well and happy.. :-)

Sausage Rolls & Cheese Sticks

My favourite Australian food.. Sausage Roll.. :-)
Ooo.. I'm sure there are other countries where sausage roll is a common favourite, but it became my favourite when I was living in Australia.
In Australia, sausage roll can be found at any corner and everyone I know can make it! So, I consider it an Australian food.. ;-)
I'm uploading this post using my mobile phone, so the recipe must wait until I can use the computer.. ;-)


13 April 2011

I finally find time to sit down in front of the computer and write down the recipe for the sausage rolls.. ;-)

Here it is..

SAUSAGE ROLLS

Ingredients:
1 pack of PUFF PASTRY (4 sheets, 20 cm x 20 cm in size)
250-300 gr. minced meat (can be mixed with corned beef, sausage or minced chicken)
1 pc. of medium size potato
1 pc. of medium size carrot (or 2 pcs. of small size carrots)
1 pc. of small size onion
3 cloves of garlic
1 chicken egg
salt (1/2 - 1 teaspoon flat)
white pepper (to taste)

How to make:
1. Grate or finely chop potato, carrot, onion and garlic. Then mix them together.
2. Add salt and pepper to taste
3. Add the egg. Mix it together with the mixture.
4. Take 1 sheet of puff pastry and cut in half (approximately 10 cm x 20 cm).
5. Spread about 3 spoons of the mixture in the middle of the long way of the puff pastry.
6. Close the puff pastry by joining the two sides and pressing along the edges with a fork. Once this is done, it will look like a 20 cm-long pipe.
7. Cut the pastry into 3 equal rolls. Make 2 cuts on top of each roll using a knife.
8. Apply some milk or egg yolk using a soft brush to the rolls.
9. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees for 10 minutes.
10. Apply some margarine to the oven tray. Put the rolls on the tray and put it in the oven.
11. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes.
12. If you want the outside to be a little crispy, you can change the oven setting to 'grill' for 5 - 10 minutes after the filling is well cooked (it usually takes 20 - 30 minutes for the filling to be well cooked).
13. Sausage rolls are ready to serve.

Notes:
1. You can add other vegetables in the filling: spinach, mushroom, broccoli, etc.

Ariq's First Performance

I really don't know what to say.. My heart feels like a mug full of hot chamomile tea.. happy, warm and content..

The first time Ariq asked me to enroll him in drum lesson, I wasn't sure if it was going to be a long-term thing. He was only 3 years old then, but he kept asking every week, until I took him seriously and finally started searching for a music course which would accept a child his age.

While Ariq was half way his KG-1, I finally found a music course that was close to home. It was not too expensive and had a reasonable length of sessions for children. Each weekly session was 45-minute long (they aimed for 30-minute learning time, allowing 15 minutes to keep the student/child comfortable and happy). I thought it was good!

At first I was worried about Ariq running around the place (the music course). He would enter each room and try every type of musical instrument he found. To my surprise, the staff said to me to let him be. The place was meant to make children interested and happy in learning music.

My memory of taking music lesson when I was about Ariq's age was that music learning was a 'serious business'. It was about hard work, pride and achievement. For 6 years, I had to come to weekly lesson without ever having any examinations or having any performance/concert because my development was considered 'out of schedule'.

I was just a child and having to do something repeatedly without ever seeing an appraisal or achievement was eventually becoming a burden. After 6 years of what felt to be an unbearable burden, I finally got my chance to 'escape' from my music lesson because I was facing Elementary School Final Exam.. :-(

I still liked playing the piano and guitar after quitting my lesson, but thinking about music lessons would make the hair at the back of my neck stand up! It was a thought that could make me feel more than uncomfortable. That was partly why, I had to take some time to prepare myself to enroll Ariq in his drum lesson. That was also why I was really worried about Ariq wandering around his music course place.. I was so relieved seeing the attitude of the staff at the music course, and I started to feel more comfortable being in the music course place.. :-)

Anyway.. after some time, Ariq was confident enough to ask his drum instructor to show him how to play the piano, the guitar and the violin. His instructor showed him all and Ariq was very happy.

Ariq had been going to the drum lessons for almost a year, when we (my husband and I) made the decision to move to Mother's house. It was impractical for Ariq to keep going to the music course since it would be quite a distance from where we would be living. So, I asked him to be patient until we could find another music course. I was relieved when he agreed..

After one year living in Mother's house, Ariq felt that he was settled at school. He started asking me to start his drum lesson again. So, I started searching for a good place for him, and I found one, which was very close to home.

This time, Ariq was a little older. He was already in Grade 1 of Elementary School. He was excited to start drum lesson again. I was also very happy, taking a one-year break from drum lesson did not make Ariq feel relieved, instead he was really missing his drum practice. I was relieved that drum lesson was not a burden for Ariq. He enjoyed it a lot, and I started to realize that he loved it!

This music school is slightly different from the first one Ariq went to. Here, the lessons are only 30 minutes/session, once a week. It would've been a struggle if Ariq doesn't like his drum lesson, but since he loves it so much, he is always eager to go to every lesson (on rare occasions, we have to rush him when he enjoys playing with Aza too much nearing lesson time, but most of the time, there is never a big problem getting him to).

After the first three months of lessons, I asked Ariq's instructor about how Ariq was doing. The instructor told me that considering that Ariq was still very young, he was doing well. I asked if Ariq needed to start using music books, the instructor said not yet. Ariq's instructor said that, for the time being, Ariq was learning much faster by listening to the beat. All Ariq's teachers at school always say the same thing. It doesn't matter whether Ariq is looking or not, reading or not, paying attention or not, as long as he is listening. He understands and absorbs everything well.

The following six months, Ariq's instructor was aiming for Ariq to be able to count musical rhythm. It was a process of putting logic and feeling into the music, something that would definitely bring Ariq to the 'next level' of playing the drum.

Amazing! Once Ariq could count musical rhythm, he could find the beat of many songs by himself, as long as the song is not too difficult for him to follow by listening. He also became more confident in adding some of his own combinations when he was playing.

Two months ago, before Ariq's aunt (Sinta) departed to Italy, she saw an invitation at the music school's wall for all students of the music school to join the year-end concert and suggested that Ariq be included in the concert. I asked the music school staff about it, and Ariq's instructor agreed to let him perform.

At first, Ariq's instructor planned to play duo with Ariq on stage, but after a couple of week practices and saw Ariq's progress, he decided that Ariq was ready to play solo and he (the instructor) was just going to stand next to Ariq during his performance.

Around the same time, Ariq has been asked a few times at school to play the drum at school events, but he kept refusing. When I asked Ariq about this, he said that he would only perform at school after he's done his first performance with the music school. I guess he was not completely sure about his confidence playing in front of a lot of people without his instructor's presence.. :-)

Last Saturday (11 December 2010), was Ariq's final practice for the concert, at the music school. During that practice, there were a few spots where Ariq was really struggling to keep his timing right. After practice, my husband continued helping Ariq practice at home until Ariq was comfortable and confident playing the song he was going to perform.

Sunday morning, on the day of the concert, Ariq woke up and practiced straight away. He smoothly did his song in one go. I was still nervous, remembering how he was struggling during his final practice at the music school. However, we had to go, and I couldn't waste time worrying..

We arrived at the mall where the concert was held at lunch time, and we were hungry, so we quickly had lunch. Mum, Dad and Aza were meeting us there. My uncle came too. Mother stayed at home because she was still having a bit of cough and didn't want to risk a more serious flu. Kyra stayed home with Mother, as we thought the concert would be much too loud for her tiny ears.. :-)

I was really hoping Mother would come to the concert, because Mother is always very excited about Ariq's progress in playing the drum, but Mother's decision to stay at home was somewhat a relief for both Mother and me, because Kyra would be home with her grandmother, not only with the maid and the nanny...

Anyway.. Mother must come to Ariq's next concert!

Back from lunch, Ariq's instructor was already at the concert area. Ariq was happy and confident of having him at the concert, especially when Ariq saw him testing the drum set on the stage. I guess, for children at Ariq's age, the presence of the people who are parts of his 'world' (in this case, his drum 'world') was everything to him. I could clearly see that Ariq was so proud of himself to have his family and instructor there for him and his performance.

The concert started out with all keyboard and piano performances, then the guitars. After that, it was finally the drum performances and Ariq was the third to go on stage. During the second drum performance, I set up the camera to sit nicely on one of the keyboards off stage, facing the drum, while I was holding Mum's mobile phone, ready to capture the event from a different angle.

I was holding my breath almost all the way throughout Ariq's performance, especially at the spots where Ariq was struggling during his final practice. I was finally exhaled when Ariq completed his performance without any noticeable mistake.. ;-) (He missed one beat at the beginning of the song, but he smoothly corrected it, and played beautifully throughout the rest of the song)..

Beautiful! Extremely beautiful!! Well, for me, it was.. :-)

We often reminded Ariq that he shouldn't come late to his drum lessons, and he has to be disciplined himself in practicing at home, but he pushes himself harder than we do. I'm often worried that he would feel burdened and decide to quit, but it has been about three years since Ariq first started going to drum lessons, and he never looks bored. He always looks more and more enthusiastic..

I'm so happy seeing Ariq doing something that he loves doing. I'm also relieved that my experience  does not become the same kind of experience for him.. :-)

Aza and Kyra might have different talents and interests, and I will surely observe them first before helping them decide what they should do outside school. It is always nice to have a special thing that we love and enjoy doing.. like Ariq and his drum practice.. ;-)

Finally, here is the video of Ariq's performance at the concert. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.. ;-)

Note: the concert was held at Depok Town Square, on Sunday, 12th December 2010.

Aza's trip to the tofu factory (pabrik tahu)

Last Thursday, Aza's class went to a tofu factory as a class excursion. The kids were allowed to bring Rp 5,000.- (US$ 0.50) to buy some tofu. When Aza got home, Mother asked him about his trip to the tofu factory..

Mother: Wow, Aza.. You went to the tofu factory?
Aza: (excitedly) Yes, I did!
Mother: So, how was it?
Aza: (serious look on his face) Well, it was pretty hard..
Mother: (holding back a burst of laughter) Wow! I'm sure it is very hard for me, because I don't know how to make tofu..
Aza: Well, Grandma, it was really quite difficult..
Mother quickly left the room, not to worry Aza further..

The next morning, while having breakfast, Aza was having breakfast with the tofu he bought at the factory. So, I asked him about the trip.
(Aza is 4 years old and sometimes still confused with similar words)

Me: The tofu you bought is nice.
Aza: Is this the tofu I bought?
Me: Yes, this is it. So.. What did the factory look like?
Aza: It was big and there was a lot of 'keledai' (donkey)
Me: Wow, a lot of 'kedelai' (soybean)?
Aza: (grinning) 'ke.. de.. lai..' Yeah.. The soybean was blended, then stirred, then boiled, then made into boxes, then put into plastic bags for us to take home..
(It sounds too simple to be true, but Aza actually got it right!)
Me: Sounds like a lot of work..
Aza: It was!
Me: Well, thank you for bringing some home.
Aza: THREE.. Everyone had exactly three pieces to take home.. Not four, not five, not one and not two.. But exactly THREE!
(Yes, you guessed right.. Aza is in that phase where he loves to show off that he can count properly)

The picture above was of the tofu after being cut into quarters and shallow fried.. ;-)

Lomba Blog Depok - Top 10 -

Artikel yang sama dalam Bahasa Indonesia

I didn't make it to the TOP 10! But I'm not disappointed at all because through this event, I have met many great bloggers and it means so much more to me than winning the competition.. :-)

However.. Mother made it to the TOP 10! And she is rounding everyone up to vote for her.. well, I AM rounding everyone up to vote for her.. ;-)

Don't vote blindly.. Go to her BLOG

and read her POST that is in the TOP 10..

Then, you can VOTE for her in the competition website.

Mother's post being competed under the group 'IBU RUMAH TANGGA' and her post title is "B.H. Yess." It is shown like this on the voting list:

http://binmas.blogspot.com/2010/02/blog-post.html 

By voting for mother's post, you are not only supporting her to win the competition, but also supporting the activities of the Senior Citizens Group 'Dahlia Senja.' Mother always posts activities of the group on the blog. So far, the blog has intrigued the interests of the local government and elderly care support organization. Your visit will spread the interests further and hopefully will bring new and brighter future of elderly care program in our country.

Happy voting!

My New Camera..

FINALLY!!! I have a new camera.. :-D

It is not the best camera in the world, but for something that is very inexpensive, this camera really has a complete function..


Last Thursday, as I was browsing the internet, I came across a camera advertisement from the brand 'Brica'.

The newest product of Brica had many functions; auto (general photo), daylight, night, program (for manual setting) and UNDERWATER!!

The most appealing factor for us was of course the price.. second, there were five colors we could choose from.. and Ariq and Aza chose the purple one. So, we decided to give it a try, and here are the results..

(left and above are outdoor photos with daylight and macro settings)

(outdoor photo with daylight setting)

(outdoor photo with night setting -this gecko was behind a large painting on the back porch wall)

(left and below are photos with underwater setting)

I haven't mastered all the functions, and I still forget to change the date again everytime I recharge the batteries.. but, for the price I paid -which is less than $70.00-), I'm very happy with this camera..

We are still saving up and planning on getting a camera with long range and better focus, but for now, this Brica camera is perfect for our family use, and we don't have to worry about the kids using it.. ;-)

The only funny thing is.. I have read the manual and turned the box around many times, and I still couldn't find where the camera was made.. so, I can't tell you...

Museum Tour

"Where do you want to go to this holiday, kids?" I asked my sons with a 'slightly' worried tone.. and I was quite relieved with their answer.. "You promised us to visit the museums! That's where we're going!"

My husband and I were glad that the boys chose the museums for their holiday activity. Amusement parks were surely packed. It would be the same with picnic areas -which are few  around Jakarta-.

I quickly discussed with my husband about which museums we should visit. We came up with two well-known museums; The National Museum and The Museum of Jakarta History. We thought Aza would be excited to see the National Museum as there are lots of statues, while Ariq has been curious about The Museum of Jakarta History, as the other name of the museum is Fatahillah Museum.

Fatahillah originally came from Gujarat, India. He became a resident of Jakarta, and he fought against the Dutch soldiers occupying Jakarta. We gave the name to Ariq as his middle name. We hope it would lift his confidence, knowing that he was named after a hero from his hometown.

We were taking Kyra on the trip, so didn't have to worry about her feeding times.. ;-)

We were a little worried about whether Kyra should come inside the museums. I suggested -since I am the one who loves history-, if the museum looked to dusty or scary, Kyra would stay outside with my husband. My husband agreed, so the biggest problem was solved.

We were staying at my parents' home during the last week of holiday. Therefore, it was half the travel time to the museums, compared to if we were staying at home. We departed at 9.00 and arrived at the National Museum about 9.30.


NATIONAL MUSEUM

We entered the museum from the entrance door and went straight to the open area display, then we headed to the main display section. Both sections are the same as the last time I visited -it was about eight years ago-. While I was taking the boys around and explaining things that they were interested in, I saw something familiar.. my husband and Kyra, who were supposed to be waiting at the foyer.

It turned out that the foyer had started to be very hot -being outside-. Moreover, as more cars passing by, the air was not as fresh anymore. My husband didn't stay in the old section of the museum. He took Kyra straight to the museum new section, which was cleaner and better air-conditioned.

These are pictures from the museum's old section:

After the boys had had enough of looking around, asking questions and having their pictures taken, we went to the new section. This was very different from the last time I went. It was completely renovated into a modern-looking building. All the information was displayed both in Indonesian and English, the same with the signs and directions. It was beautiful.

The new section had five floors; floors 1-4 were displays, and floor 5 was office and admin.

On the first floor, we saw various fossils that were found in Indonesia and the hanging posters with information about each fossil. There was also a display stage with pre-historic family mannequins having dinner.. :-)

On the second floor, there were displays of various equipments and vehicles from different eras.

On the third floor, there were displays of various social/cultural structures and an 'Asia' section.

On the fourth floor, there were displays of various ceramic and jewelry from the old kingdoms' royal families.

Unfortunately, on the 2nd and 4th floors, we were not allowed to take pictures. I couldn't see any potential harm, but I was sure the museum had reasons. So we didn't take any pictures on those floors.

A normal visit would take about 3-4 hours around the National Museum. However, since it was a 'children' visit, the fact that Ariq and Aza were still excited after an hour, was a great thing. They would not object staying longer, but lunch time was coming up and most museums in Indonesia close at around 3 p.m. I shifted the boys' interest to lunch, and we were ready to leave the museum in a few minutes.

These are the pictures from the new section:

We had lunch at a seafood place on the way to the Museum of Jakarta History. The place was very busy, but other places are busier -especially fast food outlets-.

After lunch, we quickly continued our trip to the Museum of Jakarta History.


Museum of Jakarta History

This museum is located in the Fatahillah Square, which was the actual 'city square' during the Dutch occupation. The museum was the home of the Governor General, with an underground jail underneath the museum. The guards' hall was located across the museum's backyard.

When we arrived at the museum, it was about half an hour before closing time. There were many people there, and the sky was getting dark -ready to rain-. Being considered a late entry, and coming in with two young boys -which meant the visit would be a quick one-, the attendants gave us a discount on the entrance fee.. Haha..

It was only Rp 200.00 discount -a few cents-, but I found it funny because it wasn't the first time I had a discounted entrance fee at a museum. A few years back, my sister and I visited the Reptile Museum in Canberra. We took the wrong bus and arrived at the museum half an hour before closing time. The attendant suggested us to come back the next day, but we explained that we came from overseas and was only staying a few days. He, then, gave us a discount on the entrance fee.. :-D

Anyway.. we quickly proceed to the upstairs part of the museum, as the attendants suggested. While we were walking up the stairs, Ariq made a comment, "Wow, Mum! These stairs are strong.. They've lasted a long time with so many people walking up and down everyday.."

Every room on the second floor was kept as it was when the museum was still a home of the Governor General. I wanted to take many pictures there, but there were just so many people in the museum, while Aza was asking to go to the bathroom.

The museum was originally built as an office and a house. Therefore, it has many windows and when the windows were open, the air was very refreshing. That was why so many people came to visit the museum nowadays. More than that, the building is an old one with Dutch architecture, which makes it a lovely site to take pictures -even when you are not a big fan of photography-.

After taking Aza to the bathroom, the boys instantly found the old cannon in the backyard, between the museum and the guards' hall. The cannon used to be placed right in the front of the museum, between the two punishment ponds. When the government declared Fatahillah Square a culture reserve and did a major renovation of the site, the cannon was moved to the museum's backyard.

Yes, you read right! There used to be two punishment ponds in front of the museum, but there were not there anymore now. The ponds were about the size of two bathtubs sitting side-by-side with chest-high depth. The current government was probably worried somebody would fall into the empty space by mistake and get injured. In some ways, I was glad the ponds were not there anymore. They always gave me an eerie feeling, whenever I went to the museum..

As the boys requested, I took their pictures with the guards' hall as the background, with the cannon and with the underground jail cell. I never really felt nice seeing the jail, but I thought it was an important point to show the boys, as it was a part of the building and a part of history.

When they had enough for the day -with a promise for a second visit-, we decided to exit the building and took some picture in the Fatahillah Square. There are several other museums around the Fatahillah Square -the area is maintained as culture reserve-, so we will go back there, we just haven't planned it yet.. :-)

When the wind started to blow harder and sky turned darker, we quickly went to the car where my husband was waiting for us with Kyra -Kyra was asleep when we arrived at the museum, and we saw a lot of people at the museum window, so my husband decided to stay in the car with her-.

Phew.. I was glad our first museum visit last year was so much fun that the boys were asking for another trip. Children learn from everything they experience and museums are places where they can learn about things that are not normally present in everyday life.

From the Museum of Jakarta History, we went straight back to my parents' home. Ariq, Aza and Kyra fell asleep right away  car. They were exhausted and so were we.

We slept well that night and planning to rest the next day, but... unexpectedly something else happened.. and we had to make another museum visit.. I'll write about it tomorrow.. ;-)

See you later!

Idul Fitri

picture by: Ariq Fatahillah Ahmad

Selamat Hari Raya Idul Fitri

Mohon Maaf Lahir dan Batin

Achmad/Tanjung, Indri, Ariq, Aza & Dinda/Kyra

Father and Daughter..

Can you see the resemblance?

Can you go shopping, honey? I'm very busy..

Yes, Mum.. Sure I can.. I just hope the guys in the supermarket are bigger and taller than me..

Aza is back at school..

For over 2 weeks Aza had to stay at home, due to a very bad allergy case, coupled by bad flu..

This week, Aza was already feeling better and he was bored at home..

So yesterday he was back at school.. And he was very happy..

The big boy 'Ariq'..

Ariq is now 7 years old, and I'm starting to notice that he is changing a lot.

A few months ago, he surprised me with his enthusiasm in learning to play Monopoly. I still remember that I didn't handle the game too well, the first time I played it when I was his age.

Ariq is still as energetic as always, but he is far more responsible now, and he is more aware of people and situations around him. With a little hint, he is usually ready to act accordingly. When he senses that I am being tactful with Aza, he will follow my lead. Whenever I need to do some things quickly around the house, he can be relied on to keep Kyra entertained for up to an hour -even longer when he is in the right mood.

Last night he amazed me with his impromptu coloring competition with Aza. Well, it wasn't really a competition, they just happened to like this one picture -in Kid Pix- and decided to color it in their own style. Ariq did it first and came up with this result..

During the time Ariq was coloring his picture, Aza kept complaining that Ariq was taking too long, and that he wanted to color the picture. Ariq responded calmly to Aza to wait until he was done.


As soon as Ariq finished his picture, he left the computer to let Aza start coloring his picture. Aza happily started from scratch -the same picture without any color-. He sat quietly for a few minutes and when he was done, he announced it and asked me to save the result, which was this..

As Ariq was watching Aza coloring this picture, he said to me, "Wow, Mum! Aza's picture is much better than mine!"

I said to Ariq that Aza is better in coloring because coloring is Aza's hobby. I also told Ariq that he was better in other things, like playing computer games and handling electronic appliances.

Ariq was happy with my explanation because he knew it was true. However, even without my comment, Ariq was sincere when he complimented Aza's picture. I saw it as a good thing that, Ariq was happy about Aza's ability without being jealous of it.

Ariq is growing up and soon he will not be a little child anymore. I'm happy that he is more mature now, but sometimes I miss his childish mischief. I hope he is not growing too fast..

Flowery..

I was only playing around with this picture.. But it came out nice.. :-)

Photo time..

Dad: I've got you, Aza.. You can't runaway..

Aza: Move your head, Dad.. It's heavy! Haha.. I've got your hand, Kyra!

Kyra: No.. No.. Aza, don't bite my hand! Ariq, move your fingers! I want my face in the picture..

Ariq: Take TWO! Quick, Mum.. Before Kyra cries..

Mum: Hold still, guys! Stop talking! Stop moving! This one has to be perfect..

Dad: Be still, Aza!

Aza: I'm bored.. Glad that Kyra's hand looks nice..

Kyra: Oh no.. He's going to chew on my hand..

Ariq: I've run out of smile here..

Mum: 'click' .. Ugh.. Can we do it one more time?

Everyone: Not a chance!

Mum: Ah, well.. At least I have the four of you in one nice picture now.. ;-)

The awaited wedding.. at last.. :-)

After all the hectic days following Sinta and Joe's unique engagement ceremony.. (which felt almost like living without breathing for days..)

Finally, the bride came home two weeks before the wedding and the groom came home one week after her.

Thanks to the confident management skill of the bride and grooms parents' and the high expertise of everyone involved (family and friends who were in the wedding committee), Sinta and Joe's wedding successfully took place on Friday, 30th of July 2010.

Our home was brilliantly turned into a spacious and beautiful hall for the wedding ceremony. The ceremony went well and not much off from the scheduled time (despite the very bad traffic near home that morning).

After the ceremony, The newly-wedded couple, Mr. and Mrs. Jauhary Arifin, were greeting all the guests with a happy smile.

Sinta and Joe were wearing semi-traditional Javanese outfit for their wedding day. Sinta designed the dress herself (after she was home) and the dressmaker successfully made it in one week! (I can't think of anyone else who ever had their wedding dress made in one week).

The wedding ceremony was quite simple and straight forward and early lunch was served afterwards.

Wedding procession was followed by the wedding reception on the Saturday noon, 31st of July 2010, at the reception hall (Gedung Serbaguna Senayan).

For this occasion, Sinta had chosen for both of them to wear 'Solo-Basahan', a traditional Javanese outfit that is always worn by the Javanese royal family in their weddings. This outfit, with several layers of cloths covering waist down and a thick black velvet top with gold embroidery, shows grandeur. The accessories (the groom's crown and the bride's head ornaments) are made of gold-colored material, but in a real royal wedding, they will be made of real gold.

Everyone (the wedding committee and family) has been ready at the reception hall for a few hours, so, the procession started on time and everyone (family and guests) was having a great time.

Oh.. It has been a few years since our own wedding.. but, we couldn't resist the temptation to have our picture taken and have it displayed here.

We -and all other family members- were wearing simple traditional outfit. The men's outfit was completely traditional, while the women's outfit was semi-traditional.

This picture was taken in the dressing room, after the reception, before we changed back into our everyday clothing.

The whole wedding procession was really nice, and was definitely worth waiting for..

Congratulation on your wedding, Sinta & Joe..

All our best wishes for the future throughout your married life..