Selamat Idul Fitri 2015

...from Seoul with warmest heart.

Open House @ Indonesian Embassy

It's Eid Mubarak or Lebaran we call it in Indonesian. The Embassy held an open house to celebrate it.

Three high officials of our Indonesian Students Association  (PERPIKA): Puteri, Rio ~our president~, and Cresti.

Menu utama...apalagi jika bukan sate dan opor dan berbagai masakan tradisional Indonesia lainnya.

Tapi....since I'm a vegetarian. ..this was the only thing I could savor.but...boy...it's deliriously delicious^^

...some desserts...

We had also some ceremonial ...since a high rank official from Jakarta also happened to be in Seoul. Hint: the banner.

Two Indonesians received award for being outstanding citizen in Korea in terms of achievements in their fields.

Rio...our PERPIKA president...one of them.

some of the attendees to the feast.

what would a gathering be without wefie: ^^

Like this^^

The dress code of the night was BATIK.

Clad in our lovely batiks, me, Diko (ICC president), ms Kwon Rosy, ms Riema Lee, and our new friend....were taking in the moment.

It's about 10 pm ....when we're going back home.

Eid Mubarak Gathering After 2-Weeks!

Yes, as I promised to my students, I invited them all to our home this week. They come from other cities like Daejon, Gangneung, Jeonju, and Incheon. Yes...they're studying at other cities so..it's not easy for us to meet on a weekly basis. 

I am glad to realize that although I never officially teach them, I feel like having a close attachment to them and so do they. Yes, that's the power of "...." I don't know what thta is. But..the fact that they're being Facebook friends ..on and off the air...is a blessing in itself. 

Indri, Henry, Nida, Andri and the gang were all here. There should've been more though. 

but..having them in Seoul like this ..I didn't have to do anything but...being thankful.. 

Some are going to be in Seoul until next semester, and some are leaving at the end of this summer. Well, students come and go to Seoul every semester and...

our home has become sort of a meeting point or a temporary home whenever they have something to do in Seoul.

More Students Are Coming to Town...

On the 3rd day of Idul Fitri, my students, Lina and Norwegia, came to our open house dinner. No..it's not a real dinner...just in time when we're about to have some dinner, Lina and Norwegia..along with their newly-met friend, Tenry, from Semarang.

At around 8 pm, they were just in time for us to have dinner..so...why not just ask them..I mean invite them all? 

Lina, Norway and Tenry were..I think-- a bit sleepy--after having Lontong Opor Ayam. 

Yes...they were many other students currently studying @ Korea.  

and this time around, those three girls were the ones who came to our home.

adn next week....more are coming.

Happy Eid, everyone.

A Decent Meal for Dinner

 Decent, simple, yet...irresistible for some. Okay..once again ..I am a vegetarian...so ..having a feast in Eid does not give me any huge difference of what I could intake into my body..in term of meals.  Last night, Mbak Ulfa generously cooked for us dinner. 

She invited some of us to her house to have mi bakso fiesta. Yes, mi bakso or meatball noodles.

Veggies, shredded chicken meat, pangsit or dumplings, sambal or spicy sauce, soy ketchup, and tomato ketchup...and others...(unseen on the pic). 

Oh...and..I got this Lebaran gift from my KBS crew. It's Lebaran and we usually eat lots and lots of cookies. So..what's the closest rendition of Lebaran cookies right here in Korea? 

They found this Pan-Fried Cakes that I love.

Sure...I brought along these cookies to mbak Ulfa's house...

and have them shared with others. 

As for this one, it is another home-made cookies. What a Lebaran or Eid Mubarak would be without cookies? Unimaginable. 

At least there should be one or two. It's all a cultural thing.  

Back to the meatball noodle I was talking about earlier. This is the picture. A combination of meatball, dumplings, vegetables, soy sauce, tomato sauce, and noodles (beneath all of these ingredients), and of course...

with hot chicken broth that surely comes along with it.

But...No...I did not eat it, well..at least in a complete style. The only thing I could eat was the noodle and veggies + dumpling (veggie filled).

Being a vegetarian.....always help me 'detach' myself from devouring myself into this kind of meal. No matter how delicious the food be. 

"Thank you, mbak Ulfa...for preparing the dinner for us"

*Then...we're still waiting for other invitations from other friends...to have lunch, dinner, or any other meals ....^^

Idul Fitri/Eid-ul Fitr/Aidil Fitri/Lebaran/Eid Mubarak @ Seoul Central Masjid (part 2)

Arriving early even before the prayer started gave us a chance to be 'inside' the Masjid without having to worry of being exposed to the summer heat outside. 

We got there at around 9.30, enough to find a cozy space for us. 

'Selamat Lebaran yang ke-2 di Korea, Mama, Eyra, Freya'

This is our 2nd year of Eid in Korea. 

After the prayer, we met our students from UGM. I am sure this is their 1st Eid in Korea. 

Being among other friends and acquaintances like this...eliminates or at least 'lessens' the homesickness of being away from families back home.

Right? Yes....! 

Then..we met other Indonesian families, too.
Well..we are all students who live and study right her in Seoul, Korea.

Along with our families, we live in Korea and call Korea our home for 2 up to 4 years. (or more for others^^) 

For some...this is one of the happy times we have in Korea.

Eid Mubarak in Seoul. 

Let's see how many families there are. Hmm at least 7 families.(mine, Mas Purba, Mas Khoirul, Mas Wawan, Mas Eky, Mas Iwan, mas Sulis'....) 

Oh, some of our married friends got to celebrate the Eid without their wives or husbands since they don't live together in Korea. It must be ..well..a bit sad..for them....I don't know. It could be, though. 

But..with the Eid occasion in mind...along with other friends like this,

we'd need to think of only one thing: happiness of being blessed with the fact that we are celebrating Eid together.

Once again..

"Happy Eid" Eid Mubarak. 

Mohon Maaf Lahir Batin....May We Live Prosperously and Happily. Amen. 

Eid-ul Fitr /Idul Fitri/Aidil Fitri/Lebaran/Eid Mubarak...........in Seoul Central Masjid (part 1)

Happy Eid Mubarrak, Selamat Hari Raya, Selamat Lebaran.

After 29-day long fasting month, Muslims in Korea celebrated the first day of Syawal Month or better known as Eid Mubarak.

We, Indonesians, call it 'Lebaran' or Idul Fitri. 

We went to Seoul Central Masjid in Itaewon to have our morning prayer and then..meeting with other friends to 'congratulate' on passing the Ramadan Month. 

I think thousands flocked into the Masjid. Not sure how many..but I am sure that Masjid was full..over capacity^^...so many that (as it happened in previous years) people were praying on the parking lot of the Masjid. 

After the prayer, they surely did not want to miss a one-year only chance of meeting with other fellow Muslims from around the world to greet and congratulate one another..

 and..yes...taking pictures. oh, well....

I wonder what Mbah Wir is doing now...

His name is Mbah Wir. That's how people would call him (gosh I am so terrible at memorizing names). He is still strong in his late 70s. Despite his on going routines, he keeps showing his true love to the only job he's ever known, that is collecting garbage from each household in the neighborhood. I feel somewhat ashamed to learn that he never even complained or got irritated when someone called out his name just to have him get the dirty and smelly garbage out of a house. For sure, it is not because that's what he does for a living, but as I learn more ..he's been through all of his life meeting diverse faces of people with their own tempers and attitudes..surprisingly....these are the things he cherished the most, so he said one day. Only by loving what one does and eager to meeting people are the only reasons why Mbah Wir keeps doing his job lightheartedly and with a smile on his face regardless of his age.
(now that I am in Korea, I never have a chance to meet him lately). 
The last time I saw him was during Lebaran/Eid Mubarrak two years ago... when he was busy preparing the preparation at Masjid.
I am just praying for his health.....someone who is as low profile as he is should be cherished. 

Lebaran 2012

What? yes..yes..yes.I should have put these pictures months ago. Now that I have time, I just want to make sure that these pictures are right here on the blog.

it was during Lebaran or Eid Mubarak last year (2012). 

We were at Indonesian Embassy in Seoul where most of Indonesian citizens flocked to the venue to perform the annual Eid prayer. Well, I did not perform mine--a loooooong story. 

All I could say is that...I came, I saw, I met some students, and then...enjoyed the festivities.Looking at these pictures...oh...how I miss summer^^

( well, it is a chilling winter now.)

Eid Mubarak in Jogja

I just learned that my daughters did go to the Mosque where the celebration of Eid Mubarak or Eid ul Adha was held. From the pictures that my wife sent me, I could see that they enjoyed looking at the sheep and cows. Well, the sheep and cows are the symbols of sacrifices that Muslim do. The meat from the cows and sheep are to be given to the poor and those in need.
Back to the pictures:

I bet Eyra and Freya's Mom kinda wanted them to take these pics.
I found it funny to see the them carrying their Shaun the Sheep dolls.......^^
I wonder what Freya might have thought of this situation...^^

I just love the way they are so innocently in the festivities....^^

Idul Adha (Eid Mubarak) 2011

Got up at around 6 and took a shower.

even the consulate office was turned into a prayer venue...since lots of people did come to celebrate the occasion

So cold.

It was raining.

6 degrees Celcius. 

That was what I learned.

It was Idul Adha, Hari Raya Haji, Eid Mubarak...

Instead of going to the Mosque at Itaewon, Wawan, Jobirson, and I went to Indonesian Embassy at Youido. 

aning and me

Pak Yuda, Jobirson, me and Sidum
Pak yuda: on a recharging program at SNU
Jobirson, our friend from Uzbekistan
Sidum, Embassy officer --my old time friend back home in Indonesia

It was 7.20 or so in the wee morning of cold and chilling Autumn. Not many people were seen on the street...and it was the first time ever..that ...we could sit on the Metro to our heart's content..since not many people were present. hahaha.

It took us about 45 minutes from HUFs to Daebang station where we're supposed to stop.

But, I did not know what got into me that all of a sudden I got this crazy idea of transferring at the newly established station (line number 9). I thought that the new line would stop at Saetgang station which lies only 200 meters away from the Embassy. But, instead of stopping there, it went straight to Yoiudo station which was of course way far off than the Embassy.

taking a rest after the commotion ^^

Since we did not want to be late....we took a taxi and rushed ourselves into the embassy..only to find that lots of people had already filled in the room. Even, all floors were packed with people.

Had we arrived later, we would not have gotten a better place to pray.

Thank God that we made it in time for the prayer time.

As the number of jamaah exceeded the expected number, the Idul Adha prayer was carried out in two shifs to accommodate those who came late or those who could not get enough space to pray.

It was a good decision.

Then....even after the prayer was over, ...it was time for the to take another challenge..: taking a queue at the men's room

Then, that was not all..since I got to wait for another 1 hour or so to take my breakfast...^^

I thought that there would be something that I could eat, e.g. tempe or something: O dream on, Suray....

but....what I got were spicy eggs, cucumber and meat(?) that of course I could not enjoy since I am vegetarian.

Ok. then...it was time to settle down and relax.

Jobir and me in front of the Embassy

Oh, lets see what happened, too..today. I met my student, Aning, who's about to leave for Indonesia in two days' time. She said that she was happy since her treatment goes successfully.. She is now fully recovered from blood-related disease that had been perturbing her life so far. 

She must be so pleased and thankful for having received such a warm life here.

Then, off we went home..

we were standing all the way from Daebang to HUFS stations....it's OK.

then...it was not OK.. actually simply because we needed another meal. So, we went to a restaurant to have dolseot bibimbap--my fave dish right here in Seoul.