Simple sundress

I saw my sewing machine inside the cupboard by accident this morning. Then just out of sudden I was in a huge need to make something. I know I have to make Iki's small bags, apron, etc before he starts school in less than two weeks, but I made a dress for me instead (^___^). Well, I still have time - less than two weeks- for that LOL.

I saw a simple yet pretty sundress this morning and fell in love with it. So after lunch, I decided to TRY to make it!

I use SARONG we got as a farewell gift from Hiro's colleague at Karebbe. The checkers pattern is just so familiar to my eyes, and the fabric is comfortable to touch. Sarung Gajah Duduk gitu loh! :p

Look....Not bad, right? Eventhough Hiro said that he doesn't want me to wear it whenever I go out with him (#_#). Dasar laki cerewet!

Would be like this in the summer:

Hmmmm....I look fat......!!

Our Weekend

It's cold outside. I call it a wintery spring :p.

This is how we spent weekend TOGETHER in the dining room. In our own different world (>.<)

Note: I sit between them. In front of the little white computer.

Welcome, cute little boy!

My goodfriend Tomomi gave birth to this handsome little boy last Monday. Iki loves him and whenever we went to visit them he just can't get his eyes off him. He kept calling him Haya-chan (he's been wanting a baby girl and decided to name her Haya :p - too bad I'm afraid that it won't happen!)

Welcome unnamed baby (they haven't decided the name yet!!), we sure will spend a lot lot of times with you (^____^)

Visiting Mbak'e (^_-)

Iki is having spring holiday now. It's time to bring him around to visit friends then! So today we went to visit mbak Maria and her two children Rui & Rei. Nova and Kiyo also joined, so we were just perfect!!

As usual a visit to mbak Maria's house is a special treat. She always prepare yummy Indonesian food, that I don't cook much now. First because stupid me forgot to bring here the most important ingredients: CHILLI!, and also you know, cooking Indonesian require so many spices and preparation that backed me off sometimes. In other words: Lazy hehehe

So today I forgot my weight watching. I forgot my calorie intake. I forgot anything about reducing my weight. Pokok'e makan terus!!

I've been craving for tempe, and look what she prepared. Oseng oseng tempe. OMG, yummy!! Nambah'e sampe gak terhitung lagi hihihi

And I know that this Babi Tinoransak has my whole week calorie, but it was soooo delicious I can't stop eating it again and again and again.

Even Nova brought this best Risoles ever!

Mbak Maria has two kids, which for me is quite an impossible thing to do in Japan :p, but still she baked this yummy orange cheese cake

Thanks a lot mbak'e. Bisa makan makan enak juga bisa ngobrol ngalor ngidul pake boso jowo. Yuk main lagi mumpung anak-anak masih liburan (^_^)

The life back in Japan

It's been a month here. I have been trying my best to fit in, but so far.....still difficult.

We live in company apartment complex, almost all my friends when we lived here 2 years ago are all over the world now. Only one left, thanks God she's still here.

Iki is good now. He can adapt to his new school already and told me yesterday that he loved it. He also goes to swimming school once a week (just started yesterday!), and he enjoyed it.

Which is good. Very good.

But not me.....yet.

I am stuck with houseworks. never ending one. I guess living in Indonesia spoilt me a little bit too much. I had a maid, a cook, and a gardener. I almost did nothing for the houseworks. I am still trying getting used to it, though. But it upset me me when papa-chan told me that houseworks is an easy job, and he couldn't understand why would I need almost the whole day only for that.

I wished he could see from my point of view, not his :(. I feel like not appreciated.

I couldn't make friends yet. I have Tomomi, but I don't want to bother her too much. She has many friends and lots of activities. She introduced me to some of her friends though, but we have communication problem that we couldn't be connected....yet? My japanese is really bad now! i can't believe it, that I can't even communicate.

Every afternoon after picking Iki up at school I have to wait for him playing together with other kids. There're also other mothers waiting but I couldn't get into their world. I feel that they are afraid to talk with me because I don't speak Japanese well. I always could see their irritating eyes, if I don't understand something and someone had to explain really slow to me. At the end, I was just standing there, being ignored. One woman is really nice, though. She knows some English words so she helps me a lot. I really appreciate it, but she can't help me all the time right? :D.

I feel like I'm an alien among those mothers. Some really like to look at me from top to toe. Sometimes I put on "extreme" clothing and enjoyed their shocked eyes hahahaha.

I don't understand why would it be different this time. Last time it was pretty easy for me to get new friends. But maybe because they were from various backgrounds, meanwhile that Iki is going to company school now, all the fathers work for the same company. I don't know....I dont know if it makes any difference.

I spent almost every night alone after Iki's sleeping. Hiro has to go drinking almost every night and he said that it's also work for him, that he can't possible say no. It started right away, left me no time to tell him how I feel or cope with the life here. When he is home he would be too tired because of the alcohol from the previous day, or busy with his hobby, with his gadgets. I feel like I don't have quality time talking with him for ages. I miss those times in Sorowako, when we spend midnights talking at the veranda.

This is a big culture shock for me. Before this he always spent more time at home until I got settled in. But this time I feel like I have to fight with the situation by myself. I feel really lonely.

Alright. I'd better sleep now. It would be another looooong day tomorrow. I hate to go to bed alone.

I know I will be fine. I need more time, but I hope wouldn't be too long.

Wednesday Bento: Anpanman

Every Wednesday I have to prepare bento or lunchbox for Iki to bring to school. Previously I just put rice balls, veggies and fruits inside, but lately he's been complaining. He saw his friends' cute bento and wanted the same for his too!!!!

So this was his bento for today

Anpanman face: Rice with abon ikan haruan, ham, tomato, nori

Clockwise: strawberry, mini tomato, rolled ham and cheese

"how about mama?"

Yesterday night, when Iki and papa-chan were taking a bath.

Iki: Papa, look!! (touching papa-chan armpit hair)

Papa: It's armpit hair

Iki: wow, that's a lot

Papa: Yeah....a man has a lot of hair under their arms.

Iki: How about mama?

Papa: mama is a woman so she doesn't have it.

Iki: No!! she has it. You know? she always do this: wiiingggg wiiinggggg

(while making shaving movement under his armpit)

(>.<)

Goodbye

It was exactly a month now.

This is how Sorowako said goodbye to us

This was when Hiro just heard that we're leaving. He called Mat and told him that he wanted to drink that night. We had a good drink and dance with our friends. Thanks for the supports!

Crafting/Sewing group.

Thanks for the super yummy seafood lunch in Lampia, and the beautiful kebaya :)

I should have been packing when Juno came with a bottle of African alcohol (hey, can't remember the name!). Hiro ended up having dinner in Karebbe again that night haha.

It was supposed to be a surprised farewell party. Too bad Jeff sent me an email that he wouldn't come hahaha. Thanks for arranging this, Mariko & Miwa!

And this was really a surprise! - with SWL ladies

With Hiro's colleagues and staffs in Karebbe

Our last HASH - and circle

How the school said goodbye to Iki

Thanks for sending us at the airport

Salonsa area - where we lived- from INCO's airplane :p. Thanks God we got flight!!!

There were even my lovely friends saying goodbye to us in Manado

And I think this would be my last post about Sorowako...... Goodbye...... :)

Things I'm glad I did in Sorowako

We moved out of Sorowako for almost a month already. How time fled away!

Sometimes I wished that I am still dreaming. That when I'm awake later, we would still be

in our green house in Melati 40. Would still see our maid Maria first thing in the morning cleaning up my kitchen. Boy, she is one thing I miss the most about Sorowako!!!

I didn't write much about our lifein Sorowako when I still lived there. too bad!!! I always used "too busy" as

an excuse, but now I regretted. I want to be able to read our memory living there in the next ten years just simply by reading this blog again ;p

This would be a long post, I bet. Because within 1.3 years our life in Sorowako, there were sooo much things happened, unwritten :(

Partying. They all were lots of fun, eventhough most of the parties are actually farewell parties. Seriously, I didn't expect such party in the middle of jungle like sorowako!!!!

I miss the monday morning coffee, when the ladies gather to share some stories or planning of the week. The wives Gin and Tonic o'clock, when usually Hiro had to have dinner in Karebbe because I was too drunk to cook for him. The unique Baby shower. Canasta cards game, though I just came for coffee because I don't play cards. Also the house crawl, when wives 'crawl' from one house to another for afternoon cocktails. Boy, it was soooo much fun.

Not to mention the kids' party, usually birthday parties. Iki had his birthday twice in Sorowako. I had birthday surprise for Hiro last october at TAB (where the community have dinner together every wednesday). Where else in the world two toddlers could sit on the bar drinking soda, eating peanuts, while talking to the bartender?!

The SWL (Sorowako Women League), a community where all women - expatriates and locals- gather to party haha! Living in the jungle can make women very creative!!

The mining tour, with the SWL ladies. I am really glad I joined them to visit the INCO mine!! It was really once in a lifetime experience!!! Breathtaking view, and amazing experience. Eventhough then our bus got stuck in the mud and we had to wait for about 1 hour under Indonesia"s midday sun for help.

Sewing/Crafting club, which is held every Tuesday. At first I only came for coffee and chit chat, but then i started bringing my jewelry making kits and enjoyed making beautiful pieces there!!

I learnt to make a pretty handbag too from Mariko, and yes I did finished it in a month!!

Sorowako Volunteer Community (SVC). We did a lot together, ladies! Milk run, school visit, garage sale, and all the meetings. I won't forget waiting for the always-late-for-one-hour bus for the milk run. I won't forget when our bus got stuck in the mud during school visit in Malili. I won't forget the meetings (eventhough boring sometimes :p). I won't forget little Abrar and Sisfriani.....

Golfing

I started golfing in Sorowako. It was damn 10,000 IDR for 9 holes game. Where in the world you could play golf with such price?!?!?!

I miss mariko and juno now, and our morning golfing together. Also the super talkative Christina Andersen who always brought camera during golfing. Too bad I didn't get the pictures from her before she left....

I am not a good player but I miss golfing...

The food.

*drooling mode: ON*

Mie ayam and bakso Pak Untung, coto makassar in Pasar F, pisang ijo, kepiting saos padang n cumi black pepper saucenya Lampia, and KAPURUNG!!!!! I miss Rud and his best kapurung. I really love kapurung, so million thanks to Rud and Anisah to cook it for me just before I left Sorowako :)

Sports.

I did a lot of sports in Sorowako. Boxercise, jogging, hashing, golfing, belly dancing, touch rugby and basketball. I was in good shape there. There's always Maria or Marhana taking care of Iki so I had all the time for exercising!

Our vacation.

We were always nervous before vacation, because we always didn't know until the day before if we could get flight from sorowako-makassar or not. It's INCO's flight, and our company is only contractor so we could only get leftover seats. It was only 45 minutes flight to makassar, but if we dont get flight, it would be at least 12 hours drive!!! Iki always got car sick whenever we had to drive....!

Anyway we were glad we went to Bali, Moyo Island (Amanwana), and Kuala Lumpur for our vacation during our staying in Sorowako. Iki and I also had short holiday together with the ladies from Sorowako. It was my first time shopping after drinking wine. Boy....felt sooo good, though the next day I was pretty surprised to see how much I shopped hahaha

Rafting.

We really miss our green raft. We went to the lake like almost every weekend!!

We spent new year's eve on the raft. It was beautiful day, breathtaking sunset, and perfect full moon, but then thunderstorm came after dinner time. Scary. Really scary. I was thinking if we were really crazy. Floating on a steel boat in the middle of the lake during thunderstorm?!?!?!

we got sooo much mosquito bites. How stupid, we didn't bring insect repellant in the jungle!!! But then we had the most beautiful sunrise. Japanese has to see sunrise on New Year day, so it was definitely an unforgettable New Year for Hiro. Especially to be able to eat Japanese new year food like ozouni and osechi on the lake. Too bad I left the soba for New Year's eve at home!!! (I just brought the soup haha)

We did our last rafting, and I was really really glad to (at last) jump from our diving range. Well, I used floaties, but hey....Matano Lake is one of the world's deepest lake!!

And I miss our green house on Jalan Melati 40. I miss the flowers from our garden and the tree house too. Look at the picture, Hiro could even play golf in our garden LOL. And most of all, I miss having my pretty nails!!!!!!!

I miss sorowako. It was our home for 1.5 year only, but it has a very special place in our heart.

Tante2 belajar ski :p

Just got back home. My whole body is painful, from toes to my fingertips!!!......We went to Shiga, Nagano again for one night ski and onsen trip. After spending my birthday freezingly waiting for Hiro training Iki skiing again, at last today morning Hiro made me did my first ski ever.

So I am 30 and just started ski. Of course I fell down for sooo many times, and the Almighty Trainer kept shouting at me impatiently. I completely understood iki's feeling now. All his pain and tears during his training with Hiro. I felt like crying too. At the end I was all sweating and had no power to stand up anymore. All my OLD bones and muscles are screaming now :p

I am too scared to imagine our next ski trip. On our way home Hiro mentioned it already, perhaps sometime pretty soon. I usually strongly said no to ski until last night, when he said that he went up to top of the mountain alone, and see a breathtaking view. View he wanted to share with his family. He said that he hoped someday the three of us could go up there to see it (and the only way to fulfill it is that me skiing down with them). Hopefully he won't be too old by the time me and Iki could ski properly hahaha

The Big THREE

It's now 00:03. I turned 30 exactly 3 minutes ago. OMG, 30!! though whenever I look at the mirror I still think that I'm 27 hahaha!

Just finished manicuring my nails. With no color anymore now. This never ending houseworks will just ruined it the next day. It's good to spend the last seconds of my 20's doing something I enjoy: cleaning the cuticles :p. At least tomorrow morning I will have clean nails :D.

I don't know how it feels to be thirty. Last year me and my good friend in Sorowako whose birthday at the same month planned to have a tequila party at my place. Because according to her, turning 30 is a BIg thing, that MUST be celebrated hahaha. But alas now we are in Tokyo. Instead of partying all night long, I said goodbye to my being 20's alone in my cold living room. But this way I get more chance to think of how life brought me up to this point, and wondering where would it bring me next.

We are going to Shiga, Nagano again for ski tomorrow. Hiro and Iki, I mean. I can't ski, so I will spend my big thirty birthday waiting and watching my beloved ones skiing. I kept saying that I would wait inside a restaurant, but at the end I just enjoyed being frozen while watching how my little boy learnt and got better.

Anyway, Happy Birthday to me. No cake, no party, but full of surprises from my bestfriends. Thanks God for the great 30 years of life. Bye bye 20s, I am now ready to be 30's (with 20's appearance! hahah)

mommy's bike

this kind of bicycle is all around tokyo. its like one of main transportations, esp for mommies. with childseat and basket to put on groceries.

its my first time riding it today. i cant remember when was the last time i rode bike. perhaps in junior high school?!, but amazingly i could safely brought iki on it today haha. we went to kumon's trial class and then public library with my friend tomomi. too far to walk, so she lent me a bike from her friend. i cant believe i did it, pretty good! i should have asked a bicycle for my birthday gift!

ski

today was iki's second real ski, and he is pretty good already. he could slide by himself already. his problem is that he cant stop! which is a very big problem hahaha!

he loves ski as much as hiro loves it. i think he would be even better ski player than his father? :p

tomorrow they will ski again. and me? poor me is always freezing waiting for them. well, i cant even walk properly on the snow haha

yochien

its iki's first day at school today. at first he was shocked and shy to see a lot of children (the school in sorowako was a small school), but then suddenly he started to talk talk and talk in english. i knew he would be fine so i just left him afterwards. he was fine. when i picked him up later at 2pm, he just said hi, gave me a hug and then ran away with his friends.
he told me at home that he loved school and made many new friends, but he couldnt remember any name haha. oh boy...

first night

we moved in today. to the same apt building where we used to live before, on the lower floor. we've been busy unpacking the whole day and now the house is still a total mess.
iki can't start school yet. his leg was injured in manado and he can't walk at all now. i regret that i left the stroller in sorowako @_@. i have to carry him everywhere.

oh well...time for rest now. tokyo is snowing on our very first night in this house.but i think i am ready with my thick pajama,wool socks, dawn blanket and of course electric blanket too!!!!

Packing (again!)

So...it's packing day now. Its been hectic so far, I didn't have time at all to write anything here @_@.

We are almost ready to leave Sorowako now, I can't believe I didn't write much about this place! There are definitely LOTS to tell, I will hopefully write things down once we settle down in Japan. Hopefully!!!

OK, must go back packing now. I thought I am used to it already after all these years, but mannnnn its tiring!!!

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Our Christmas Surprise

So last Friday was a shocking day for us. We are going back to Japan, next month, for good.

This is not surprising actually, we knew this would happen last september when a new boss came here bringing his right hand, whose same position with hiro. Two men in one position?! It won't work for sure :). We just didn't expect it this early. We thought it would be like in april or may.

Anyway, we are good now. After one night drinking with our good friends here in Sorowako. Again, life is about hello and goodbye...we have a great great one year in this jungle paradise. I love my friends here, they are like my family; love all my activities here, love all the fun too for sure. I will really miss this place. But I am satisfied and ready to go :)
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Iki's first Christmas Concert

So at last Iki did it. Well, I couldn't hear his voice at all, but he was there, on the stage. Panicky trying to find my face at first, then started to move his hands, making little little movements. His other friends sang loudly and did the action excellently of course, they did an great job. Iki was shy, I knew. It was his first time and standing on a stage is a huge thing for him. But he did look very cute, trying to hide his face while doing the actions following the song :p. He was too busy trying to hide his face that he forgot to sit nicely and showed everyone his underwear instead (>.<). Preparations:



The little shepherds:



First song: Mary's Boy Child



"Trumpets sound and the Angels sing..."



Second song: We Wish You a Merry Christmas and Selamat Hari Natal



But I am so proud of him. He'll do better next time, I am sure!!

Can he make it.....?

Every year Iki's school has Christmas Concert just before the long holiday. This year Iki's class (the preschooler) will open and close the concert by singing.

The first song would be 'Mary's Boy Child" and the other one is 'We wish u a Merry Christmas' also with the Indonesian version.

Iki learnt both songs in a day and he sings while playing. So cute, that I was pretty sure things will work out well during the concert. But I am fully awared that Iki is very shy and an introvert boy so I am pretty worried too actually.

And last Friday Iki's school teacher called me. She said that Iki always doesn't want to stand up and sing together during practice so he'd better only sing one song during the concert. She thinks that singing on the stage makes shy iki stress....and also if suddenly Iki doesn't want to sing at that day, he will disturb the performance!

I was so sad and dissapointed to hear that. This is the first time in Iki's life so I am sure its a huge thing for him, for shy Iki to sing in front of many people in a concert. But shouldn't he get the chance????
And if he really doesn't want to sing, what is so difficult to move the kids formation a bit?
And why the heck she told me about this just few days before the concert?? Shouldn't it better be told before so I could talk to Iki?

I talked to Iki. He said that he didn't sing because he didn't want to get the sticker. Apparently the teacher gives sticker to every kid who could sing during practice, and shy Iki just simply is. not interested on sticker! But when I told Iki that Santa Clause won't come if he doesn't sing, then he promised me to sing! See?!

There are still 3 days practice for Iki. I am crossing my fingers now. Teacher said that she will see on Iki's performance during practice, if he really can sing on the concert or not. So I am crossing my fingers now and hope, that my shy boy would really make it....

Ganbatte ne, Iki-chan!

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