Swimming during Winter?

Why Not.!
and..that's what exactly what our family did last February at Vivaldi Resort.

Eyra and Freya were excited!! They were already in their swimming suit...as soon as they woke up.^^

It was at first...too good to be true...but as things got clear...I got the idea as where we could enjoy the comfort of swimming in Winter.
It was an indoor water park with warm water!
Now I remember all of the ads I saw on the subways which depict the two-worlds that Vivaldi Park has to offer. People can do both skiing and swimming at one place.










I guess..the better route would be: just do your skiing first, and then end your day with swimming in hot or warm jacuzzi inside the Ocean World...which lies next to the Skiing resort.
What a nice offer it has!












So, Eyra and Freya could not resist the temptation of having to feel the warm water inside this magnificent indoor water park.

I guess...in summer it would not be this special...but, since it was WINTER...it became so memorable!!!

Here is the main gate of the Ocean World!
See the banner? It's a Ski World + Water World in One place.

some of the unthinkable pictures on candies

well, for me, to be frank.....
opening up a box of candies or chocolates that surely come from other countries indeed gave me a jittery of excitement of what it has to offer or what it stores inside the box.

like what happened this time.
these candies and chocolates were freshly plucked out of the presents that Ilya's parents gave me.
Wow....could never believe it myself.
I mean...just look at the pairing wrappings that surely made to outlandish the sheer difference of excitement of just biting these simple looking chocolate-wrapped wafers. Yes, mostly they were wafers but--with the slight twitch of chocolate as the condiments.....
....the wafers turned to be one of the yummiest candies I've ever tasted.

They look so cool or too nice to open up and eat^^

Guava Harvest time

It was another weekend for the kids back home. While I was also on my weekend right here in Korea during the shivering cold weather in Winter, my kids were having the warm weather:) What a different world it is.
 I saw through the pictures of my wife's Picasa's blog that the whole family was going to a village where they could just buy as many guavas as they like--with much more cheaper price than that at the market. I am sure that they would never waste any chance of eating guavas.



Here they are.

As seen in the picture, Freya with her lamb toy was carrying a plastic-wrapped guava as soon as it was freshly picked from the tree. So was her elder sister, Eyra also with her lamb toy.

I bet they did have a great time 'harvesting' the guava. Hmm I wish I could just have one of those....
looks so yummy.

Put the Pictures of Eyra and Freya up Front

Got this idea of putting the pictures of my little angels right on the desk that I use most of the time.
This would be a good way for me to keep staring or looking at those two kunyil-kunyil 'lovable ones'....whom I miss so much.
The pictures will at least help me snap myself out of my consciousness....that the time when they are coming to Korea is right in our plan. Insyaallah...they are going to be in Seoul to live with me in late October or November 2011.

Posted them at my sight-level 

Another Kind of Skype

며칠 전에 했던 건데 아직 우리블로그로 업드로하지 않았기때문에 이얘기에대한 좀 나누고싶다. 보통 우리와이프하고 딸만 스카이프로 연락하고있는데다가 콘퍼런스식으로 몇명 같이 실시간에 만날 수 있는 기능을 잧은 다엠에 저는 호주에 살고있는 형이랑 스카이프을 한다고 야 말았다. 직접 얼굴도 봤고 직접 만나는듯이 소리를 잘 들을 수 있으니 기분이 얼마나 좋은지 몰랐다. 몰론, 돈을 내야 했지만...무료 일주일내에 사용할 수 있는만큼만 쓰면 된다고 생각한다. 나중에 무료 기간이 지나가면 콘퍼런스대신 두명식으로 스카이프를 하면 중분하다고 한다.
이렇게 먼곳에 있는 가족,친구들과 함께 국제 전화를 통해 만날 수 있는 순간은 몇 년 전에 상상도 못 한 일이었다는 사실을 실감하고 인정했다.(?)
거의 날마다 한번식 가족을 인터넷으로 만나기도 하고, 실시간엔 우리딸이 뭐 하고 있는지를 볼 수 가 있어서 행복하다.
(a brief translation :)
It has been a blessing that I could do Skype-ing with my family and even my hyeong down there in Brisbane, Australia. It is something imaginable  few years ago.

I think I just cut my hair or have my hair cut

Both.
It has been 10 days since I arrived in Seoul and never got my hair cut since. Well, I used to have it done once a week. Well, as you may have been aware of, I do not have that many hairs as other people do. Or...I  am bald to boldly speak. :) Well, it has been years since I've had this style.
The thing is....it would be troublesome for me if I coulldn't have it done right here in Seoul.
Out of my curiosity, I stepped into this so-called meori iyagi 'Hairtalk' as opposed to the Breadtalk we have back home:) hehehe. This beauty salon welcomes boys and girls alike to go there. Once I stepped into the place, everyone was a bit flabbergasted to see me walk into the place, even the ajumma or akassi were shocked to find me stand there. As I recollected my senses, I tried to explain the reason why I came there. It worked just fine, though.....except for the price of hair cutting...which would cost me 10,000 Won! Aha.....:) I did not have to think twice before apologizing for taking their time. So, I retreated!!!
Since then on, I put an oath that I would just wait till my hair grow a bit longer; long enough for the hair clipper that I bought from home to trim it:)
Today.....after 10 days....of letting my not-that-many hair of mine grow......I decided to have them cut or trimmed. I was so eager 100% sure of what I was doing....until I thought of doing the biggest mistake since I got here. I could not reach the back of my head; it was a bit hard and difficult for me to do.
Unexpectedly, Wawan, my friend knocked on the door and .....I was like....WOW...what a timing!
Without further ado, I asked him to help me cut and trim my hair using the clipper.
Unknowingly, it was the first time ever for him to use the clipper let alone applying it on my head!
I just convinced him that I badly needed his help, so no matter what...I asked him to be confident and just do what I told him to.
I directed the way the clipper moved and .....after one or two OUCHes and OOOps...we did it.
I got my hair trimmed. Well, not up to my expectation, though. At least, it was reduced a few mm that it made it look even.
This has been the first Saturday of the Long weekend during Chuseok in Korea
Horray.....I am now having a new hair look (at least for the moment). Thanks, Wan.

Creating Stories with Smileys:)

Never thought that Skype-ing would be more than just chatting and seeing our friends' face over the net. There is one particular advantage that I found it fun to do, especially since I realized doing it with my daughter who has been a bit indifferent to me whenever I started Skype-ing with her. It turned out that the functions of Smileys provided on the chat message are more than just adding some characters to our sentences.
We just accidentally used them as the main stories of what we are talking about.
We just put the random order of different Smileys or put them deliberately after deliberately choosing which one/ones to use to express what we want to tell without having to add any words on them.
It turned out to be quite an interesting thing to do.......since my daughter kinda got hooked on it and begged me to keep Skype-ing with me--simply because she liked the way I was creating stories with Smileys. Over a ten minute time or so, she outdid mine. She could make funnier and more interesting stories than I could. ;)
I love it.
And now she asks me to meet again on the Skype tonight.
Who would not want that?

Creating Stories with Smileys

Lotte Mart

I just found this new mart near my campus. It is just about 5 minute walk from the main gate. I found it quite interesting since the price of most of the stuffs are only 999 Won or at least it has 999 tag that entails its price; e.g. the price would be about 1,999 Won, or 1499 Won, or 2999 Won.




Well, it is just psychologically cheap for most people who may find it harder to convert their currency into Won. But, as for me...it is considerably cheap and convenient...for me...as I am a vegetarian and I can find lots of stuffs that I can eat there:)
horrrayy

Salad of the Day :)

Listening Adzan over Skype

Wow..it has been a week since I left Jogja for Seoul.
I was Skype-ing with my wife when I overheard the sound of adzan as I used to hear from the speaker of the Mosque at my neighborhood. I could tell that it was Pak Boy Assah's voice. Hmm...it is good to know that the feeling of being able to hear the sound of Adzan made me kind of shivered and home-sick in a positive way.
Good God, Subhanallah. It was a greatly mixed feeling of once again being able to hear it live over Skype.
* I was listening the adzan while helping my wife out in linking her online business website into my blog. Yippeee....it is working now.:)

My parents saw us off at the Train Station

It was a recollection of what I saw and felt during the day I went to Jogjakarta--and at the same time, it was also the day I said goodbye to my parents before leaving to Korea for four years. Well, of course we pray that we will be able to meet in between, either we are going home for a vacation or our parents coming to Korea to visit us during our 4-year stay in Korea.

These are the pictures when our parents and sister, her daughter, and her husband were seeing me off at the station. My daughters were also happy to know that they had a great time with their cousin during one-week stay in Kediri.
I hope that they will always be as close as it is right now.
I am happy that our parents' blessing will Insyaallah be with us always. Amin.
I will always remember the day when we were together back home.

Lunch & Shopping on Sunday

Lunch time
I was so hungry since I could not even heat the rice in the microwave. It was broken.
I went back to my dorm, called Wawan to ask him if he wanted to have some lunch also. He said why not.
Then, I was taking up a lift down to the 1st floor only to find Elmira--from Kazahtan--who was then asking me where I was going. Upon finding out that I was about to have lunch with Wawan, she said that she would love to join us along.
Then..off we went to the street.
First, we thought that the neighborhood at the right side of HUFs would have restaurants as the main road does. It doesn't have many. It turned out that they were quite more expensive. Then, we changed our idea to stick to the main road in front of the school. As we were walking down the alleys full of Korean restaurants, I was greeted by two students whom I met at UGM for student exchange programs. They were kind of surprised to see me here. But, I guessed that was alright since not many people know about it.
Then, they told me that if I wanted to take some rapukki (ramyeon and tteokpukki), I should go to the tteokpukki world (simply the name of the restaurant). It was an underground restaurant with nice couches and ambience. A nice service, too.
We had 즉석떡볶이 (jeukseok tteokpukki)...well..we never knew what it was until it came out as we ordered. Intentionally, we did order this one since it did not contain any pork or ham, but fish and tuna nugget and vegetables and of course noodles in it. Plus: the main ingredient of most Korean food: gojujang ( a chilly paste). the whole ingredients were mixed and boiled at a pan on the desk in front of us; so we could see the ajumma prepared the whole dish for us. Since we did not eat much, instead of ordering 3 meals, we just had 2 dishes to share--which was fine to ajumma.
It turned out that it was so delicious that we order one bowl of rice to be put and mixed into the remaining gojujang so as to make it into a bogeumbab (fried rice). We ate it all, especially the one with rice on it. It was the best part--I think I am the one who eats a lot..:)
Even, we got free soft drink--coca cola; simply because we are foreigners: that was what ajumma told us. What a treat!


Shopping
It was not a big shopping time. In fact, we were thinking of buying another pack of ottogi rice to cook/heat over the microwave.
However, aftur some time strolling inside the E-Mart, we ended up buying lots of food and stuffs. Here are the list of what I spent for 26,000 Won (US$ 27) only for one-stop-over shopping. I bought these:
1. LG detergent and softener. *(Won 7000). The big one that would be enough for six months:)
2. Lock and Lock plastic box (*2300 Won) to keep my kimchi fresh.
3. Buksunga (a fruit), (*2500 for 4 pieces)
4. Kimchi (pickled cabbage) (*1350 won, the smallest wrap)
5. Six packs of Ottogi cooked rice (*3,250 Won), an easy and convenient way to have a decent rice for meal:)
6. One can of sweet corn (* 1,300 Won) that I love so much. I used to eat it when I lived in Korea a few years ago.
7. 이마트우유 (E-Mart milk), 1 lt for 1,500 Won
8. One mug for coffee or tea (*4,000) at the dorm. I did not bring any mug from home so I got to buy one.
9. Vegetable rice seasoning (it is called like this in Korean 칼슘을 넣은 밥한그긋뚝딱 야채맛 which literally means 'seasoning made of vegetables that will instantly make one bowl of rice full of Calcium'). How interesting is that?
I bought a lot of stuffs that I got to bring two E-mart paper bag (each costs 100 Won). So, next time I go to E-Mart, I got to make sure that I bring along my paper bag so I do not need to purchase any more bags.
So, the pictures tell about the food that we ate and the shopping stuffs that we had.

It has been Sunday Afternoon in Seoul :) September 4, 2011.

On the train from Kertosono to Jogja

Daddy&his 'ngedot' angels:)

It was a trip back home to another hometown of mine...Jogjakarta.

Freya having dinner

Papa, Freya, Eyra

It was the first time ever that we took a train in the near end of Ramadan month. The tickets were only Rp 130,000 each. It was still comparatively cheap compared to the high/peak season of mudik-which would be just two days afterwards. So, we were kinda lucky to get the cheap prices for an executive class train for our round trip Jogja - Kediri - Jogja.
Eyra and Freya did enjoy their time being on the train again with us.
It was indeed a memorable time to behold, since we knew that time that we were about to leave Kediri for at least 3 years. So, we pretty much enjoyed every minute of it.
Lots of things were going on with the kids: as usual: eating, playing, screaming out loud, running, walking, and sleeping, of course.
The 4-hour trip also highlighted our Ramadan's breaking the fast on the train for the first time ever.

sunset

Freya at Tugu railway station

It was a good thing that.....and very considerate of my Mom to prepare the food for us. In fact, we did not have to buy any food to break the fast that time. Of course, the temptation to buy the famous pecel madiun when we stopped for a while at Madiun was setting in.

But, hey...it was more than enough to enjoy the food that my Mom made for us. It was more worthwhile.
Even, my kids ate a lot--as long as I recollect--which was a good thing.
The sunset view along the way also gave additional mixed eerie feeling in a good way, for sure.

At around 8 p.m. we arrived safely at Jogja Railway Station.
(Jogjakarta, August 21, 2011)

Recollections of what I saw to remember at home in Kediri

Here are pictures that I took while being at home last August (during the 3rd week of Ramadan).

my mom

I have been blessed to have such a loving family. I love my mother, for sure..and my Daddy as well. I think my Mom has always been so attentive to me, especially since I am the only vegetarian at home. So, this trip was also a special one since my mother had somewhat always been preparing some food that I could eat back home.
I took a snap shot of my Mom cooking in the kitchen:). I just want to give an idea that she loves being a Mother who she is now. She is retired from being an elementary school teacher.

wudhu place

Especially during last Ramadan, mother cooked a lot of dishes for me and my family, especially for me for sure. There were lots of edible and tasty food that I could just grab and enjoy while I was back home in Kediri.

Then...I also take some pictures while my kids (Eyra and Freya) were playing around the house.

an extended kitchen

Oh, one more thing, I took some pictures of the back part of the house where a praying room, an extended kitchen, a wudhu place, and an outdoor bathroom (for the kids:).

praying room

I guess it is indeed an important thing to do, i.e. taking those pictures. :)
Since I am now in Korea, I can check it out often...whenever I want to see how my parents' house looks like back home.
Not being sentimental....it is just being practical in remembering things.:)

De Plonthos

Agung & Fonda

It is the name of a barber shop or should I say Men's hair salon where I am its regular customer for the past 3 years or so. I come there 5 times a month since I have to keep my hair short. Well, actually I do not really have hair...I just come there to have my thinning hair or balding hair trimmed so as to make it clean or smooth. I have to do this every time or lest I would have my balded head clearly visible. Since my hair is thinning, I might as well have my hair cut short at all time.
I went there for the last time before going to Korea. So, I said goodbye to Agung, my favorite hairdresser since he has been so kind to me and understood me the most. He always gave me massage while washing my hair before and after. So, I kinda appreciate what he did to me.
I also met mas Fonda who has been a cashier for the past one year.
These are the pictures I took with them, a week before I left for Korea.
It will be a memorable moment. De Plonthos has been my regular place.
Thank you De Plonthos.

Agung & Agung

* Btw..now after a week being in Korea, I miss the salon since now I have to trim my hair by myself--which I am not sure yet as to how to do it...although my wife had bought me the electric clipper!
Just let's wait how it will turn out:)

Dinner in my dorm room

It was late at night...and I got some butterflies inside my stomach.

Not wasting any more time to wait, I rushed to the common room where a microwave is; heated the rice I bought and brought it back into my room.




 I think I was eating it with potatoes-crisp I brought from home, one box of sliced kims, and a mayonnaise. I think it was a simple, yet fulfilling dinner!

Soto Branggahan

Soto Branggahan: Pak Munir

One of the things that I would miss from Kediri is soto branggahan. I am a vegetarian? Still. I cannot eat soto? WrongJ. Well, soto has this chicken flavor in its soup. I just do not eat the chicken, but the broth is fine, especially this soto branggahan that never fails to captivates my appetite for more.

I don’t know as to why I like it. I guess it was because it is cooked in a coconut milk that makes it so tasty and yet …light to slurpJ.

So, every time I go home back to Kediri, I always take the time with my sister and brother to eat soto branggahan.  Soto pak munir, pak sumali and others are all the more palatable when it comes to talking about soto.

nasi pecel dan tumpang Kediri

Pecel tumpang

I just want to talk about the pecel and tumpang dish: two specialties from Kediri, my hometown. So, it was Ramadan and I still remembered that we had actually had our dinner already. But, the idea of going to town and having the traditional food to enjoy while being home was so intriguing and hard to put down that we just decided to go and eat.

It was pretty late and a bit windy. We were sitting on a plastic and bamboo mattress(?) on the side walk. Yes, this is a lesehan ‘ no-chair’ restaurant where we had to sit on the floor or mattress available. The kids loved it, too I guess. But, mostly..I was the one who was so excited of having this tumpang simply because I know that it will be a long time again..for me to taste this tumpang. So, it was a great time for me and my wife who turned out to be an avid lover of pecel and tumpang.

I think it was a good time to eat tumpang at the birthplace of tumpang itself. Hahaaha…I think I am being sentimental here. I guess it was pretty much a good time we did have. One more thing: tumpang has been in my life since I was a kid, I presume. So, having to eat this particularly interesting and delicious traditional meal is a feat in itself; for many people are looking to have one of those.

Mobil merah bapak

Mobil merah bapak ' My Dad's Red Car'

So, my daddy got this 1974-colt car. This is an old-type of car that I think not many people dare to have today due to its comparatively high cost of maintenance. But, my Dad keeps it as a token of the year when he managed to buy a car with his own money that he had been saving. It might not be a luxury to others, but it is to my Dad and to the family as well. This car has been a great helper to  our family, too. I was growing up with this. I am accustomed to having to smell and feel the breeze of oir that is coming into the car from its floor! What an amazing thing to happen from a car. Now that the car is fully modified, it is comfier and people would never guess or thought that it was actually as old as I am. J One more thing: most of our family members know instantly how it sounds, how it looks, how it smells, and for the most part, we would easily recognize it simply by its strikingly-looking dark-red color on all of its body. 

Buka Puasa @ SMP Branggahan

Another buka puasa or breaking the fast together.

This time around...it was my father's invitation. He asked us to join him to attend the buka puasa at his school where other teachers and their families would also be coming. It was like a pot luck party in essence because each family would bring some food to share. Daddy bought chicken satay and my sister cooked some vegetable salad and soup.
As we arrived at the school, other teachers were busy preparing the food for buka puasa. I noticed some of the things that I could eat and some that I could not. Kolak? of course. The appetizer for most of buka puasa time was there. Many kinds of soups, vegetables, chicken, beef, fish fillet and desserts were available.
I met my father's colleagues that I have known for a long time since we are like a family in itself.
After breaking the fast, we had Magrib jamaah and followed by Isya prayer and tarawih as usual.

This time I noticed that the school had been under renovation since there are new buildings and more greenery are visible around it.
My kids love to play around at the field at the center of the school.

Oh, Eyra ate 3 or 4 satays I guess. I never saw her eat that much...I guess it was because of peer influence or peer pressure. There were tens or more kids just in Eyra's age. She saw them eating with their respective parents, so I think Eyra must've wanted to taste the same situation....or was it because the satay simply delicious? Well, I never know. But, ...the buka puasa bersama has been a good rewarding experience for us.