Back into College Years...

My fellow friends back then in 1992. We were the class of 1992. We are now surely living in our separate and different ways since we graduated years ago. In front of PBB (Pusat Pelatihan Bahasa UGM), right after we had our first class that day. September 1992.  

Look at my left eye. It was swollen with red bruise on it. I just got an accident just two days before I had to be a liaison officer for an international seminar on Batik. The show must go on. Seen from the flower and the round table we were at, yep..it was the farewell dinner of the seminar. 

Another time we had after a small seminar held by our department. My fellow classmates and seniors. Imelda, Meity, Meicky, Dyah, Deddy, me..and...? 

Wait..Meity? Yes, she's my wife now. But, back then..we were just friends. 

Borobudur Temple with our classmate. This was the first field trip we had in 1992. Lukas, Susan, Srikandi, Yeny, Imas, Mahfud, Ita, and others...

The rain did not stop us from enjoying our happy days.  

\

Gunaedi, Me, Lukas, Mugi, Nina, Ita, Wiwik, and Yenni...^-^ 

Can't stand my hair....is that really me? How come that I have no hair at all now.^^ (chuckles) 

We went on a picnic with our fellow friends to Dieng and how I love those times we had on our road trip.

College Years...

College years in the late 1990s I guess. Wait..I am sure this was back then in 1996. We were having a party in Kaliurang with our fellow friends from UCLA. Our friends from UCLA were studying Indonesian language and culture from 6 months to a year at our PSI (Pusat Studi Indonesia- Center for Indonesian Studies), Gadjah Mada University. 

We were attending the coronation of Surakarata Sultan. All of us must wear the traditional Javanese attires in order to attend the ceremony. We still vividly remember that. Oh, what a happy day that was. 

This is me when I was attending the International Night where international students would show their capabilities in Indonesian dances they'd been learning for the past months during their stay in Jogjakarta. 

And this? 

Well, what would our life be without going to be beach?

Well it takes only an hour or so from our college to the nearest beach. I guess this is in Sundak Beach. 

What about this one? I felt like a James Bond since the girls were all circling me....^-^Anyway..it was a great time we had back then in Jogja Village Inn. 

The smiles we had on our face.

When we were kids...

This is my brother, Wawan. I think he was about 8 y.o. or something. He's cute. I remember playing along with him all day long, fighting over something. And..yes..I do remember vividly the Puma T-shirt he was wearing in this picture.  

Wawan, Nana, and me.  

Time flies so fast. Each of us has our own children now. Wawan has three! Nana has two, and mine's two. I guess we've become a large family now. I miss them for sure. Bismillah, I do hope that we'll meet again. In the meantime I have to finish my PhD in Korea in 2 years time (around 2015-Bismillahirrohmanirrohim)and then I am ready to be back to Indonesia. Or, during Winter or Summer vacation, I am sure I'll be heading back home for a vacation in between. 

and..just look at this. This is Wawan and Nana who were ready for school. Hmm...I think it was in the late 1980s I guess. I still remember those times. Oh, at the back our auntie Eko was sitting. She now has three children, too.

"Good Morning, Nana & Wawan"

My Daddy, Mom, and me in the 70's

Judging from the picture, it is clearly visible that these pictures must have been taken years back probably in the 60s or 70s, well, 70s to be exact. I also stumbled upon my Daddy's picture when he was young. 

Then, another collection of pictures I compiled. My Mom and Dad and of course, it is me when I was a baby. A naked Suray? well, most babies are. Once in their life they probably had one of the pictures taken naked.^.^

My Mom in her 20s

I just called my Mom this morning. And I miss her so much. It's been 1,5 years since the last time I saw her back then in Kediri in 2011. Gosh, I've been living in Korea and never been home since. Bismillihirrohmanirrohim I can go home this year to meet her during Summer or Winter Vacation 2013. Bismillah.

That's why I am so happy when I found the old pictures of my Mom again. 

I scanned her pictures so as to make it everlasting and evergreen.^^

She's so beautiful. 

I feel like I am looking ino myself. There is something in her that resembles me. I mean..I have resemblances that I got in her. Sure...cos I am her son. 

The pictures do indeed show the 70's look she had back then. The hair-style, the looks and ...everything in this picture ...I adore.

I love you , Mom. Hope to see you this year.

Amiiin. Ibu sehat dan bahagia selalu, ya.

Back in the 80's

I did not have anything to write about so....when I was searching my files, I found these treasures, i.e.

the old files of my pictures when I was a kid. Gosh..Could not remember (for sure) as to when the picture was taken. What a broad forehead I had back then. Well..the same appearance applies for me, too now. 

I was in the kindergarten and I remembered this vividly. I was taking a drawing competition back then. I was drawing a cho-cho train..that's what I used to call it. My teacher was standing right at the back of me...figuring out what to do with me? ^-^ 

Oh, just look at those shoes I was wearing. And the sweater.

Gosh..Although it was years ago, I still could feel the fleece and the warmth even the smell of those days...

I got a prize for participating in the drawing competition.

Congratulations, Suray.^^

Cooking Lesson from the Expert

Sangjin Ko was here! The ibu-ibu or ajumma learned from the best about making cakes and cookies from one of the best cooks in Korea. Well, Sangjin Ko speaks Indonesian very well. In fact, he studied in Indonesia as well. I did not know that he would be willingly teaching the ibu-ibu about cake making right from the skilled hands of his.

We came to mbak Vina's apartment at Gangnam area where she resides in. Today, the ladies were listening attentively to what Sangjin Ko was telling them what to do.

Four cakes-to-make were the agenda of todays' afternoon meeting. It was my first time visiting this home-made cookies event held once or twice a month. I guess the ladies enjoyed it very much.

They were learning how to make some dough good and tasty enough for the whole process of cookies making and for the sake of good taste.

Mbak Ulfa was trying her might to smash the dough into the table.

"Why did it stick into my hand?" she wondered.

Well, that's why we invited Sangjin Ko to come over and tell us what to do with it and show us how to do it right. Sangjin Ko loves to share what he knows about food making and food industry, especially to Muslims living in Korea. 

Then, the host's turn to do the same process. 

Then, mas Chairul's wife to do the turn. 

This is the whole family who attended today's lesson of home-made cooking from the expert Sangjin Ko.

Lots of babies, kids, and only three males in the pictures? Well, not all husband could come to today's event. Well, after all, it was supposed to be an all-female domestic activity where they could share some stories and fun while living in a foreign country.

Pororo: The Racing Adventure (The Movie)

As I promised the kids, well...actually...they and all Korean kids across the nation asked for it, I took the kids to CGV Cinema at Wangshimni to see one of their beloved characters: Pororo 뽀로로. This made-in Korea character has transfixed and bedazzled lots of kids ...glued them every day on TV or on internet or on any other platform to enjoy the excitement that Pororo and his friends bring about to their world.

This time....this is on BIG SCREEN. The Pororo Racing Adventure hit theaters since January 24 and I booked the tickets in advance so that we could see it on Sunday (January 27, 2013).

It was a good decision to do so since lots of parents do the same thing for their kids.

Waiting in line before entering the cineplex. 

I was prepared to encounter lots of kids with their parents or parents with their kids thronged into the theaters across Korea and I am sure any other countries, too.

A glimpse picture I took when the movie's over. 

Overall, the kids loved the movie that they begged me to let them re-watch it again.

What? No.!

It's expensive, dear..to watch a movie on cinema.

That's why I decided to take the kids to see the digital movie only, not necessarily the 4XD cinema where the seat could move along with the story of the movie.

hmmm...it woud've been fun but...surely it would've cost more, as well.

The good thing was that...Eyra and Freya loved the movie although it was not the 4XD cinema.

Public Design Chair Bench

On our way to go to CGV Wangshimni Station to take the kids to watch "Pororo: The Racing Adventure".

Well, on our way up to the exit, we encountered again this cute bench.

I also wrote about this on my other entry. But, this time..since I took the kids along, I asked them to be there and let me freeze them in camera.^^

This is the green Brontosaurus bench.

Jejudo Group Meets Again @ Ashley, Gangnam

So, after more than a month or so, wait....after more than a year...!!! because the last time we met was on December 2012. Well, of course most of us were still curious of what we've been doing. 

Btw, we were the Korea Brand Communicator group who went to Jejudo together last year.

We hang out a lot and since we did not meet for quite sometime, we decided to give it a go again this time.

After a looong over-due talk via Kakao Talk about where to go: we finally decided to go to Ashley, dubbed to be American Buffet Restaurant in Seoul. 

Lee Byeong-hyeon, Hwang Ji-sang, Parvina, Lee Chae-yeon, Heekyung, Jung Yu-jeong, and me...^^

Well, we met at Sinnohyeon station at about 5 pm with some drama from me since I took the wrong exit..(gosh..a 10-minute walk in the midst of the cold)

But...it all paid up....after I had a perfect dinner (well, at least to my vegetarian standard)^^

First, how could I not be so excited when what I encountered was rambutan!! yes..yes..yes rambutan. This has been one of my wish to eat rambutan in Korea. Well, being an Indonesian in Korea, having a tropical fruit is like a privilege in itself. So, upon finding this fruit, I just grabbed three for my appetizer. 

And..yes..pineapple.

Being a vegetarian, the Ashley buffet provided me with lots of vegetables and salad and 4 different types of rice that I could simply combine into my favorite edible dinner.^^

To top it off, the cheese cake and the brownies and of course the fruit salad were all my favorite.

I think this was a worth-it dinner.

Wanna go there again sometime? You Bet.

Thanks my friends for --finally--decided to have dinner there.

We could've asked someone else to take our picture, but as usual, we just make a selca for ourselves. The one having the longest hand did the job of taking the picture. Lee Byung-hyeon did it this time. He's cute;) 

This was another example of group selca (Self-camera) we took after getting out of Ashley with full stomach. Well, Hwang Ji-sang did it this time and that's why he's the one's with full frontal face on the camera. As the rest of us...we were just supporting roles. 

Another one we took. Wait..I think this picture's the same with the one I already uploaded at the start of this entry. Oh, swell....Ok, I'll comment on the wines. See the wines? Well, in Ashely all-you-can drink wines are served to the guests' heart's content. 

The photo-shopped + edited + brightened version of earlier picture of us.

Let me comment on something else: Full Dinner Buffet could indeed make people full and happy. 

But..I was wrong about being full. I was surprised to find that...my Korean friends continued their meeting to have the 2nd dinner!!! What? Well, it's the 2nd course for them. It's a kind of culture right here in Korea to have another small dinner, drinks, snacks, coffee at coffee shops even after big and sumptuous dinner.

Well, I left them early and did not join them....

Just got a picture from Kakao-Talk that they HAD this. ^^

what a wonderful and happy night.

See you again, guys.