She brought home her artworks

Another week of color clay classes for Eyra. And today, she brought home these two amazingly done hanger made out of color clay. 

two giraffes and trees and the stunning combination of color out of her imagination are what makes it even more beautiful.  

This one, too, is a wall decorative frame she made last week. The fact that apart from academic activities, Eyra still manages to find some time doing all of this...is a great relief in itself. Well, going to school in a foreign country could be a challenging feat for a girl of her age, but it looks like Eyra succeeds to blen herself in.

I hope for the best for her.

Walking Alone @ Midnight Through...

     The subway's closed. It passed midnight. 
Sure..I was dumb enough not to think of it before. I should've known that it only operates just minutes before midnight. Had I run faster...had I skipped waiting for the end credit to roll on....had I ....
     But it did not do any good to what I'd been through. Not that something 'grandiose' or 'magical' happened or anything..it's just that..last night's walking-alone-at-midnight-through-the streets-in-one-part-of-Seoul did give me an intriguing experience of what to do and what not to do.

     I guess I was walking for about 10 km at night. Yup..I was maniacally crazy. Others would just hail a cab and go straight home. But not for me. I once had to pay more than what I had to pay if it passed midnight and sometimes some drivers charged me more. I thought that it only happened in Indonesia, but it also did happen (at least to me) here.^^ But, that's another concern.
     The thing was that...walking for about 10 km from one point to where I live was a what-the-heck-had-I-been-thinking afterthought. Only the problem is...I realized it when it's all over.:-)
Some flickering lights were there. Apartments were there, calm and breezy night accompanied my solo walk. The night was a bit cool or cold I could not make out, for the only thing that mattered most was whether I would be able to find my way back home. (Sure I did, otherwise I would not be able to tell all about it now ;-))
     The taxis were there for me to grab, but my stout ignorance or rather my persistent pride-turned selfishness gave me something to pay the price for.
Thank God...the subway line was just on the straight line from where I walked. And from what I learned (or so I thought), my home would be just at the same direction as the subway line was. That's where I made the first 'well, call it big' mistake. I did not know that at times map even the online one could still 'blur' the exact location. Or was it I who was so obliviously not-smart enough to read the guide as written on my app? Oh, well...
Okay, let me get it straight...being a male/boy/man or whatever I call myself...did not guarantee that I would be brave enough to walk alone at night, let alone in the middle of nowhere....
     So here it came...
I stumbled upon an intersection where not a single person was visible. But as I learned more...it was not the intersection that I was worrying about...but..rather how I could cross this seemingly impenetrable streets because there was this huge construction projects underway that sort-of obstructed my view as where to look and go...and that was the time when I noticed that all pedestrians should go underneath the tunnel ( a long one) to cross the intersection....
....my hands trembled. I was shivering since as soon as I went down the hole (tunnel)..I saw two CCTV that shows what the tunnel would look like. Through it we could tell as to whether other people were also inside the tunnel. I felt like a chicken who turned into a pale-looking lad who seemed lost.
What I did next? I was running through the tunnel........without one single pause...until I reached the end.
     And..as I looked up into the sky that embraced me as I came out of the tunnel, a bright street full of noraebang or karaoke salons with all of their glimmering lights with here and there... girls on their mini skirts being escorted. The 24/7 convenient stores full of people....which looked like aquariums to me simply because of their glaring white neon that brightened their shops. All the too familiar scene for me.
And..that's when I realized ....I did not have to worry about anything after all.^-^
     People still went around and did their chores even at hours after midnight.
Yes...Seoul, even in its suburbs, is a city that seemingly refrains itself from sleeping.
And...interestingly..that's where I gained my courage again....
the journey still took me another 30 minutes before I reached my home...with a small twist again.
     Just when I thought that by following the subway line would bring me home...I was wrong. Not all subway lines are constructed beneath streets, at times..some of them steered a way a bit to cross-cut the distance...and that's where I lost it again.
I got to struggle again to find my way back home...
but like what many of my friends told me " Seoul is safe city to wander around, even at midnight"
And....if now I am writing this blog..it definitely means that I did make it.^^
(and that's another story)

At The Ballet from A Chorus Line

Glee has sometimes been one of my sources to let me begin my journey into the charms of myriad songs/performances/artists etc. I never knew existed.^^ The other day I listened into Glee's rendition of 'A Chorus Line's At the Ballet" that really captured my ears and eyes, sights and sounds and the glory of the past (the era of '70's). 

I did not know that At the Ballet was one of the long-running Broadway shows until I learned about it through last week aired Glee. 

Now I am hooked into devouring myself into what 

A Chorus Line has (still) to offer for newbie like me. And I am all there for it...

CGV 중계 Open Week with a Blasting Offer

Wait a sec! is this for real????

well, it is...just like what it says right there. I got to click on my cam so as to confirm and keep it for the sake of making it a historical proof (giggles^^)

well, what what not to like?

ALL movies are just for a mere 3,000 Won. That's like 70% off. It runs from April 25 until May 8, 2013.

It's 7.30 pm in the evening and I learned that there's the newest CGV theater--the one which is much much closer to where I live. It's in Junggye/Hagye station (line 7) which is just 3 stations away from where I live.

As I got into the complex, I was asking to myself as to why there were so many people queuing right in front of the elevator up to the 8 floor. I noticed something 'fishy' was going on...so I ran up the escalator to reach the 8th fl. to find out the 'irresistible' offer that was so hard to turn down.

Yes!

Since it's only 3,000 Won for each movie, I decided to watch Iron Man 3 for the 2nd time. This time on Digital screen no 3D no 4DX. Just wanna feel it on a usual screen. Oh, I almost did not make it to see it again that night...well...since all seats were sold out.

One thing to learn: just be patient and keep your eyes glued on the keep-changing screen telling how many seats were left/available. Since buying and reserving tickets in Korea secure online/real-time features, I told myself that there were chances people would just give up reserving/cancel their reservations in seconds. And so there was..I was right. Just when I was patiently waiting for another 20 minutes, 2 available seats popped out --out of nowhere--on the screen. 

Grabbed my queuing number and dashed into the ticket counter and bought the ticket for a mere 3,000 Won. 

That's a privilege of being CGV member.

Weekender's Breakfast

Horrayyy...it's Saturday and we were enjoying the most of our time being at home in the most relaxed time possible. Well, on weekdays, each of us are busy. After moving out, we live far away from campus (my case), elementary school (Eyra's case), kindergarten (Freya's case), and community center (my wife's case). So, today...we were having a lot of time to enjoy the 'real' quality family time at home^^ hassle-free.

Mama baked some cupcakes!!!!

What a treat. 

Sure the kids loved them. They even helped their Mom making them. 

It turned out that having an oven at home is an added value to our life--well in term of home-made delicacies that my wife loves making. And...that if she does have time to.

So, this weekend, we have a treat of ourselves....to have a home-made cupcakes.

What Came To My Mind As I Re-Read Again 'The Tapestry of Culture'

I read the book when I was in my Master Degree years ago. I forgot what edition I was reading, but the most recent one, its ninth edition is still a good way to start into Anthropology. Being an outsider to Anthropology, well it's not my major.....but still, I think.... reading this 'colorful book' (colorful in the sense of 'hyper-content of real cases portrayed in it) really gave me a somewhat a nostalgic kind of feeling of the old times when I was still at school learning the first stages of opening up my mind into Anthropology. 

 Okay, I’d rather say that upon reading the first 13 pages of chapter one, I was compelled to think of the movies I enjoyed. That is the way how I understood the content.  First, the role of anthropologists as mentioned in the chapter reminded me of Avatar; especially about how a botanist-anthropologist played by Sigourney Weaver weaved her way seamlessly into the life of Navi people in Pandora. Even she made a book about it. <In this case, the anthropologist has somewhat succeeded to be the ‘author’ of the society he/she investigates>. And that is what an anthropologist would have done—at least that is what I think. 

Second, when the chapter talks about the cultural rules (pg. 12) we, humans, have, but other animals do not, I could not help but to think of TLOTR (The Lord of the Ring) movie. It is said that human behavior is governed primarily by cultural rules, not by the need of immediate gratification. For instance, humans do not eat the minute they become hungry, rather they cook the food first. Animals, lions for instance, eat their prey after a successful hunt. 

This is what brought me to think of a particular scene in TLOTR. In the movie, there was a used-to-be hobbit/human(?) named Smeagol who turned into a Gollum—an animal-like creature—who liked to eat raw meat. He apparently forgot the fact that he used to cook food in his previous life as hobbit/human. When Frodo, his master, cooked the fish he gave him, he cried and yelled that he rather smashed and crushed it since it would be fresh and juicy. Well, I know that it is just a movie—a science fiction—but to some extent, it does have some traits about what separate human (Hobbit in TLOTR) and animal (creatures). In a rather ironic way, Gollum and Smeagol are the same entity (person?). <Enjoying movies and seeing the cultures portrayed in them are also ways to understand the real culture. I think it is also a good way to understand the terms or concepts that sometimes I find it hard to comprehend>.

That is what came to my mind upon reading this chapter.

Now, talking about serious stuffs, I find some notions that are worth-understanding: first, about the concept of cultural universals. Although humans posses different cultures, e.g. languages, we have fundamental similarities. Take my 4 year-old daughter for instance, she came to Korea a year ago without speaking a single Korean word, let alone sentence, she now mingles with other Korean kids being a bilingual. I wonder if this is what Chomsky meant by a theory of universal grammar which enables infants to cognitively learn the complexities of grammar (pg.13).

Now, I would like to comment on a notion about some members of society disagreeing to the analysis and the publication of information about their society as portrayed by the anthropologist (pg.2). In this case, I would like to mention a book written by a famous anthropologist, Clifford Geertz, who wrote ‘The Religion of Java’. Irrespective of the wittiness and elaborate portrayals, it is—still—considered as a bit controversial for (among) Javanese people, but surely it was and is still a mysteriously amazing book for non Javanese (other Indonesians from other ethnics, westerners, students in America, Europe, and other countries). I am a Javanese myself and happened to be a Moslem, too. So, reading this book gave me somewhat a mixed feeling. Rather than complaining about his (in)famous categorization of Javanese into three categories: santri ‘religious and devout person’,abangan ‘not so-religious(?)’, and priyayi (blue-blooded royal-like or like ‘yangban’ in Korea); I would rather say that in the 21st century, Geertz’s accounts should be seen as a classic rendition of what Javanese was all about in the 1960s or up to the late 90s.

 Most Javanese ( I say most because I am sure that some would blatantly or proudly and deliberately associate themselves with one of these) would hesitate or never consider themselves into one of those categories. Of course, I do think and acknowledge that there are abangan in Java, for sure. But I find it ridiculous at times. Even now, it is hard to find priyayis any more. Or wait, they may disguise themselves with some sort of positions so as to blur the term priyayi, oh well...who knows!!  Even, I never heard (or I’ve been oblivious) that the remaining Sultan in Jogjakarta wanted to be addressed as the priyayi. Then....?

So, upon reading this chapter, I confirm myself that culture indeed evolves and keeps changing. The Javanese people as the active agents have evolved and at the same time reworked and re-created their culture up to this 21st century. 

But then again…although I somewhat disagree to Clifford Geertz, as I read the first chapter of Tapestry of Culture, <pg.13>  I come to think of it, in this way:

 “Should the Javanese thank Clifford Geertz because he has uncovered/postulated the cultural rules that even the Javanese themselves may be unaware of?”

On Marriage & Family: Should We Change Our View?

Almost all known societies recognize marriage. Yes, almost. Different from what most people would know and believe, I learned that there is the Na people in Yunan, China where marriage is absent which thus generate no concept of husband nor father. Men are considered simply as the ‘waterer’ for the land (women) to ‘create’ children.  This simple fact alone indicates that marriage is almost a human universal.

Then, there is a term called family. Do people have to get married to form a family? Is the term ‘family’ necessarily refer to the married couple with its children? Of course not. There are way more intricate facts that constitute what family is or what families are. What about kinship? It turns out that despite the rapid industrialization in some parts of the world, kinship still play an important role in maintaining and securing what constitute a family. For example, where one resides after getting married has something to do or influence what kind of family he/she will have eventually.

Why most culture prohibit incest? Why certain cultures/societies consent poligamy or poliandry? Why certain countries have (until recently) legalized same-sex marriage? Why transnational or/and multicultural families have flourished? What about religion-based marriage? These used to be so incomprehensibly hard to grasp but now...things are changing. And other ‘whys’ that concocts our mind regarding ‘marriage’.

Based on those points of view, we really need to open up our mind to the diverse facts about ‘marriage’ and the consequences that entail its process.
For instance, the fact about postmarital residence is one of the determining factor about what kind of family a woman or a man will have after marriage. In Korea, as we know of, women are supposed to live with her husband’s family/kin after marriage (virilocal residence), but now—to what I know of—more and more married couple prefer to live separately from their parents and form a nuclear family, thus creating an independent household (neolocal residence). The reason is simple, i.e.modern couples’ reluctance to be regarded as inadequate/incapable of managing their new family.
Although less common, there is also a uxorilocal residence where the groom/husband has to move into his wife’s family. ( I was one of these examples).  Not that it is a common practice in Java, it is just that due to some circumstances, I was compelled to live with my wife’s family. Even when we have our own house, I must live with my parents-in-law  because my wife happens to be the only daughter living in the same house. Especially after my father-in-law died, the pressure of having to stay with my wife’s family could not have been greater. We must take care of our mother. And this is a common practice in Java. No matter how desperate we want to form a nuclear family, if you happen to marry the youngest daughter of a family, there are chances ( I said 'chances') that you may have to live with your wife’s family.

Now that some technological advancements have taken places in (at times) an  unprecedented manner, the way people think about their own kinship or family have also changed. Artificial insemination, surrogate mothers, adopted kids by same-sex couples (in some countries) turn out to be a challenging frontier in term of deciding as to whether ‘kinship’ or ‘families’ should be based on (pure) blood ties alone. 

On What & How We Were Brought Up To..

I thought I had known enough. It all starts with something as widely-known as a shared knowledge about infants/toddlers/children up to age of two’s unquestionable intelligence and capability of picking up and learning their native or mother language.

However, I guess I may have been oblivious to the fact that along with it they also learn about their own ‘culture’. Of course, I have realized that language is a part of culture per se. But, the chapter sorts of re-confirming and re-affirming something that has been part of my personality as an individual. As a Javanese who grew up in bilingual environment, Javanese language and Indonesian, like most Javanese, I have been accustomed to ‘position’ myself as to when/where/how to speak and even how to smile in front of others. In this case, Javanese language has similarities to that of Korean in term of honorific, formal, and informal forms. On the other hand, Indonesian language does not possess, much less acknowledge hierarchical forms.  But, since I live in Korea, my being Indonesian has somewhat overshadowed my being Javanese. At times, I forgot that I am a Javanese, because in Korea I tend to regard myself as an Indonesian who should act/talk/behave /and thus…think like most Indonesian would do, not what a Javanese would do. It is simply different. That is why I said earlier that I “may have been oblivious”.

I also thought that most cultures in this world would surely teach universal values of what considered to be—at least—good and acceptable to most people, but as I read the chapter further,  the examples as elaborated in the chapter perturbed me. One example: how could ‘lying’ be one of the must-learn values in a certain society? But it does exist.

So, I have learned/re-confirmed myself again that humans in diverse cultures around the world have ‘created’ unique pathways through which their children, even as earlier as infants, get exposed to their native language, culture, as well as values and gender roles—which turned out to be inseparable that come along with them. In other words,  different cultures indeed emphasize different ways in ‘conveying’, ‘injecting’, and ‘ingraining’ values to their own people; even starting from infants during child-rearing practise. Through the so-called ‘enculturation’ process, we have learned about how Chinese children learn from their early age about the high value of ‘shaming’; how the Chillibuani children in the highlands of Peru learn about the need to ‘respect’ to humans, deities, and all forms of life; and how the Tzeltal-speaking Mayan children in Mexico learn from early age about the importance of ‘lying’.

The values of shaming, respect to others, and self-reliance are not-that-hard to comprehend, but lying?  But then, I could comprehend the context within which this value is based on in that particular culture. It is because in my culture I learned ‘how to smile’ in many occasions, even during the funeral.  Most Javanese would do that. Even if a wife has to welcome the guests and relatives coming to her deceased husband, she should to some extent show ‘smile’ on her face. It may look so unthinkable to non Javanese. Even to other ethnics in Indonesia, Javanese culture of showing ‘smile’ could be misinterpreted as bizarre. Me, myself, I was brought up to always ‘smile’ in all occasions even when the time is hard and life is hard. That is one of the things of what being ‘Javanese’ is all about: having acquired the culture of mesem ‘smiling’.  But, at the same time, I am an Indonesian who has to face and come into contact with friends and people from other ethnics and nationalities. I guess that was the child-rearing and the personality that I have become. But now that I am in Korea I just cannot smile as much as I used to like when I was still back home. Other wise, people would misjudge me. By realizing this, if I would do a fieldwork in Korea, it would be interestingly challenging for me.

I think I have to agree that one’s body expression that the people in a particular culture have learned—which ‘defines’ that culture—does not necessarily have a universal meaning.  

To give a ‘real story’ that Javanese’s smiling culture almost ruined bilateral ties between Indonesia and Australia, I would like to refer to the following site. This is mainly in Indonesian language, but some English part within the article is enough to give a portrayal of a ‘smile’ perceived differently in bilateral ties.  http://tika-sinaga.blogspot.kr/2012/02/budaya-senyum-dan-senyam-senyum-kita.html  Another article that I would like share is an article from the Hofstede Center. One quote “They will keep smiling and be polite, no matter how angry they are inside.” http://geert-hofstede.com/indonesia.html

The 19th ASEAN Forum

An afternoon well-spent at Koreana Hotel where the 19th ASEAN Forum was held.  KISEAS (Korean Institute of Southeast Asian Studies) in cooperation with Ministry of Foreign Affairs (ROK) and ASEAN secretariat jointly held this event. 

The dignitaries circling the chairman of KISEAS and the presenters from Indonesia & Malaysia as well as other participants. The Forum dealt with the issue on Higher Education in S.E. Asia, particularly on its current situation & future prospects. 

Well, one of the reasons as to why I participated in the event was first, I got to interview the rector of my university (Universitas Gadjah Mada), Prof. Pratikno (in the middle) who happened to be one of the two presenters at the event. He came to Korea accompanied by Dr. Bambang Hudayana (Center for Rural & Regional Development Studies). It's nice to see them in Seoul. Well, it's my first time seeing them after, let's see...I guess almost two years. As for Prof. Pratikno, it's my first time meeting him after him being elected as the rector last year. He'll serve his term until 2017.

At the Forum, the other speaker was Prof Omar Osman, the vice-chancellor of Universiti Sains Malaysia. 

One thing for sure that I would remember from the Forum was the fact that I met a lot of Indonesian-ist who showed their strong interest in Indonesia-related studies. And it's interesting to know that most of them were anthropologists. Hmm..what an exciting world it was.

*just like most Forum, the event was finalized with the photo session and ...the banquet.

Where are you? I am IN the movies!!!

It's just me or my being oblivious..I don't know..

I read the news that Ironman 3 is the 1st movie to be screened in 4DX in Japan. What? I thought Japan has already set up one of these state-of-the-art cineplex coz even Thailand and Mexico have some. 

Of course since this technology is developed by Korea's CJ Group, I could enjoy this 'massage-while-watching-movie' experience easily whenever I want to in most CGV cineplex across the country.

So, I could say that Korean movie goers must be proud since they actually have already enjoyed this '4DX' theaters. I also learn that it is a privilege that a few countries have been able to enjoy, including Mexico, Thailand, China..and a few others. http://www.cj4dx.com/

Ironman 3 is the second movie I enjoyed at CGV 4DX theater. And it's worth-it if you want to enjoy a kind of different sensation that 3D movie offers. 

Guess...it'll be more and more movies to be screened in 4DX.

I am dreaming of having an IMAX 4DX...and THAT'll be so cool!!

As a movie freak, I love the fax that 4DX theater is just around the corner at my neighborhood.

*I hope that this 4DX experience will be available soon in Indonesian cinemas soon.

Come on 21Cineplex or Blitzmegaplex...pls. pls. pls. make this dream come true.

The Transformation of Seoul's Subway Tickets

Seoul has its first subway line back in 1974. Wow...it's as old as I am.^^ The other day I bumped into a very interesting ad (well, it's more like a public-service ad) issued by the authority of Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transportation itself. It tells about the transformation of tickets from its initial groundbreaking jubilee in 1974 up to the present. 

What intrigued me is the fact that the one made in 1974 is so captivating in that it has a colorful rendition of what it all started and looked like. 

I really wish I had one of these as collections.

Then in 1981 and 1886 it somewhat became simpler with less colorful touches.

But then...in 2004 up until 2009 with the coming of 'digital' age...^^ well, sort of...and I vividly remembered it since that's the time when I (once again) stepped into the doorstep of Seoul: back then..the Seoul tickets were printed on a T-Money kind of thing and also on mobiles.  Oh, wait..I also remembered the one made in 1999 since the first time I came to Seoul was back in 1998. So..it sort of a recollection of memories clamped into one ad.

That's what prompted me to 'take the picture' of this valuable ad.

Now...the interesting thing is the notion of what it'll be like in the future....

Maybe we can use our body or part of our body since we have each of us a chip ingrained or inserted into our nervous system.

Sounds so visionary but scary...at the same time.

Ironman 3 in 4DX @ CGV

Wooaaaaa...Yippieee....the midterm papers are done!!! and what could be more exciting than 'pampering' and 'soaking' myself into the world of pseudo-hyper-reality I am in love with: movieeeeeee!! Yes, and the premier of Ironman 3 was just at the right moment when I finished my papers & have them submitted.

Thanks Robert Downey Jr. for 'coloring up' my time in the wee early morning^^.

Yes...the only time available was at 10 am screening of Ironman 3 on 4DX. 

The huge neon poster adorned one section at Wangshimni CGV. 

Even a gimmicky I-am-not-sure-what-it-is-made-of Ironman robot was there to salute and welcome the movie goers. Find it if you could spot where it is!

I saw it on 4DX to fully enjoy and experience the new world of Ironman that kept me glued for more than 2 hours. 

Ok, I admitted that the first reason as to why I felt the need to watch this was that..the first installment of Ironman back in 2008 was a kind of "whoooaaa-is this straight-from-the-comic-book movie? it's cool. I love Robert Downey Jr.'s genius-arrogant-acting which turned out to be the soul of the Ironman.

And..that's how I am here. 

It's indeed a MUST-WATCH movie for any ironman die-hard or fanboys or first timers to the movie. Well I am not a fan boy but...I consider myself as someone who'd be like being tossed out of the box, had I not watched this. (sort-of). 

And I could pretty sum it like this:

This is indeed one of the best comic-hero movies that surely gives the audience a thrilling ride.

Is the story deed? Nope. No need to be. Coz what I need is that it tops off the other two (its predecessors).

After all, it IS RD Jr. who makes the movie so irresistible to watch!!!^^

Too-Pretty To Dig In...

Just look at them. I never thought that they were tteok or Korean rice-cake. My friend, Nani (a Korean), decided to sign off from KBS World since she's now a professor assistant at her department. She's busy. And what does that have something to do with these tteok? 

Well, as token of gratitude or I guess..a sort of saying goodbye ..she brought these lovely tteok to the office. We shared eating them.^^ 

It is called 증편 (jeungpyeon). It tastes just like apem or Javanese rice-tteok. Exactly the same. The difference only lies in the simple fact that I had never seen apem wrapped beautifully like this one.

Post-Presentation Dinner

The first mid semester thesis presentation just finished and as a convention, we had dinner together to celebrate the completion of presentation. Some of our friends had finally finished their 1st stage of a series of stages before the D-Day to thesis defense. Our friends from Tunisia, Tawaded, just finished her 'turn' on presenting some parts of her thesis. Well, at least she is relieved to know that the first 'stage' had just passed.

Then..it's dinner time... 

But..oh no....we went to a chicken house and I could not eat meat. Being a vegetarian and as for Tawaded, she's not a vegetarian....but surely she could not eat it as well since it is not halal. So, instead, we had veggie porridge and pumpkin porridge that --not so surprising--my friends on the same table wanted to take a chance to taste them. Oh well..it was fun.
Congratz, Tawaded and other friends.
I made a song for them (the rhythm is the same as that of 생일 축가합니다 in Korean.

중간발표 축하해         (생일 축하합니다)

중간발표 축하해         (생일 축하합니다)

논문심사때 까지         (사랑하는 뭐뭐 씨)

남은 것을 준비해        (생일 축하합니다)

And my friends burst into laughter...

Painting on the Wall

Today (April 21, 2013), Eyra and Freya were excited to participate in the 'wall-painting' program designed by Moodoo Children Library. 

Each kid was equipped with a brush(?)/rolling brush(?) beforehand. Afterwards, they were ushered into the outdoor part of their children library.... 

where they could exercise any picture they could think of....or just for the sake of having fun, they were also allowed to play with the paints. 

Wait, should it be this way or the other way around? 

the green-clad Freya and the pink-blue uniform that Eyra was wearing....are what Nicky is trying to say. They both could make a difference.

I am sure that they are proud of what they were doing there.

Lots of well-spent time indeed for them to keep up. 

Ulang Tahunnya Eyra

Just the two of us? well, not anymore. Daddy took the picture, Mom prepared the cake and Freya accompanied her sister-the birthday day girl to take a pose in front of the last night's cake.^^

Selamat Ulang Tahun, Kakak Eyra. Semoga semakin pintar, baik hati, sayang papa mama, adik..rajin sekolah dan....jadi anak dan orang yang selalu baik dalam segala hal, luar dalam. Amiiiiiiiiiiiiiin. 

Now, don't forget to blow the candles, there are 8 of them, but wait..the number-shape candle shows that it is 9?

Well, Eyra is 8 in Indonesia, and 9 in Korea. (strangely enough, it is true in both terms).

"Met Ultah ya, Kak" Freya said.

Just the two of us...

We can make it if we want...^^

yes..yes..yes...the cake's all for me. (chuckles). It's April 20 and Eyra was celebrating her 9th birthday (well, she's still 8 if she were in Indonesia). Anyway....we were about to have the 'syukuran (thanksgiving^-^)' with her Mom and sister...but they were not around... 

so, we just let the blueberry cheesecake waive its charms to us. 

Just a bit of it as a token of gratitude. Be a good girl, will you, Eyra? 

사랑해, 에이라. 

(사랑스러운 에이라에게)

Kimono & Hanbok

Kimono try-out. The Fuji Mountain picture on the back. Freya's first time ever to try putting it on. hmm..we wanna go to Japan. But first..let's try putting on Kimono.

Then Eyra's time to try it on, too. She chose the red color that she has always liked.

What? Too tied? 

Just be patient....and say cheese....

And this is when they put on their Hanbok Attire...

Oh btw....

Happy Birthday, Eyra.