sLesTa [dot] com

>> MY SMALL(ER) WORLD

2010-02-18T22:10:00.001+07:00

in another attempt to organize my blog (which i'm sooo wanting to move to different engine, since blogger will no longer supports ftp publishing soon), i ended up reading many of my previous posts. it's funny how loose and unmindful the way i wrote back then. i could go on and on describing about what i did that day or that weekend. and it seems that i always found an exciting thing to write about everyday.

then i went on reading until my present post.. it felt so.. different! i write more careful now, more serious and mostly around the same thing.. my daughter or family! wow, have my life become so boring?

maybe. after all, i'm not the happy-go-lucky single girl living in the busiest city with all the time in the world. these days, my time is about rushing to get my work done so i can be home and be with my family. even when i'm actually doing nothing .. as long as i'm with my family.

i remember, a single friend told me a while back. she hated how her no-longer-single friends have become domesticated and only talk about family or kids. on and on and on. i promised then that i wouldn't want to be that way, ever! but i can't help myself because my family is now the center of my attention, the center of my activities. i do have other things to do, my personal goals, my personal things, but somehow it's less important and not so fancy to be discussed or even to be blogged about. maybe i'm getting matured. when i really need to think about what i need to write, because i don't want to either spill too much info or giving out something unecessary on the internet. while back then, i couldn't care less. i write what i want to and i don't have to explain myself.

it's funny how i can see how my life has changed and myself maturing from my posts in blog. i do want to go back there, write about anything. but somehow, it's not as easy as i thought. my network has become very 'small' compared to when i was still in NYC and writing my hearts out. back then, only a few of people in my circle know about my blog, and most people i interacted with on the net, are just my virtual friends.

these days, my virtual friends have become my real life friends. and my real life friends also the people i would interact with on the net. there's no borderline anymore. for example, i'm having an argument with a friend. back then i would write it here and no one would know who i'm talking about. now? if i do pour my heart out, it gives people something to talk about, virtually and in real life.

are bloggers now - in her or his own right - a celebrity? i think so. after all, a social network sites like facebook or twitter, shows that everyone has a fan and a follower. therefore, you are a celebrity (with your own paparazzi & fans), in your own world.

anyway, as for my writing.. yes, i miss those days when i faced excitements every day, but i wouldn't trade my (boring) life now for anything in the world. i'm grateful to be where i am now.

ps: i also realized that my passion for writing has been exalted because i read less nowadays. as soon as i picked up that hobby back, i can't seem to contain my brain to start writing. hopefully, this will mean i would update more. who knows? one can only hope! :)

>> FIRST DAYS OF SCHOOL

2010-02-13T20:18:00.005+07:00

exactly two weeks ago, i finally admitted naia to daycare. after a second survey, we finally decided that we'd take naia to cherie hearts at bedok reservoir center. the reason why we chose it because during the survey, we find that they are very friendly and informative. the location is right near the reservoir so kids would have outdoor activity in the park or the reservoir, near our apartment and the daycare center seems very nice, clean with friendly staffs.

so at 22 months exactly, on 1st of feb, naia started school. the first 3 days i was allowed to company her. first day, i took half day off in the morning to take her to school. my parents who were in town at the time, came with us. since naia doesn't warm up to strangers instantly, she was holding my hands the whole time. she saw the kids in the class but she insists to sit next to me. after the class went for an outdoor activity to the playground and walk in the reservoir, i decided to stay outside of the classrom and let my mom inside with naia. it seems that when i'm around, naia just wanted to be near me. so as figured, naia was a bit better and can play with others when my mom was inside.

the second day, i didn't go in with naia, but mom did. she was still afraid, but at least she was willing to detach herself from her grandma. according to the teacher, it is common for a kid her age playing by herself instead of with others. they also don't have the concept of sharing.

third day, i told my mom to go outside the room. naia needs to start bonding with her teacher so she can form that trust and attachment with her. she's still afraid, though she starts getting familiar with her teacher. this day, she cried when saw me and grandma left the room, kept saying "takuuuttt... " when we stepped in front of the school door. she cried and stopped, cried and stopped the whole time. when she saw the sight of my mom or myself, she cried. but at the end of it, she was fine. it also affects how she behave at home. she clinged to me like there's no tomorrow and all she wanted was to be breastfed, eventhough she was already full with food or milk. again, it's normal for her, the teacher said. because she's afraid of the change. in her mind, when i left her at school, i won't be coming back. so the only way for her to ensure that i won't leave her is by doing the only thing that bonds her with me, through breastfeeding!

fourth day, i dropped her at school, gave her to her teacher and she just cried and refused to let me go. she screamed as i left, really broke my heart. but i know it's the best thing for her, so i have to do it. she was picked up by my parents after school and she seemed to settle down a bit.

by the second week, my parents went back to jakarta already, so i had to ensure naia settled in. i was surprised that even though she cried or made a sad face, she already familiarize herself with the teacher. she leaned toward her as we came in and waved bye bye to me as i left to work. she still made sad face and said "takuuutt.. " as we stepped in, but she didn't scream and cry no more.

i'm so proud of her. she managed to understand the concept that she's going to school to play and she'll see mommy when the session ends.

many asks why i put her to school already at such a young age. i figured, i need her to start socializing and not only playing at home with my maid or kids at the playground. at least she should start learning through fun activities. since i'm not a stay-at-home-mom, i need her to be in a place where i can trust and i can feel at peace leaving her there. she also started to pick up singing and dancing at home, so it's only good that she learns that with other kids too.

another reason is that my maid will not be with us forever, so naia needs to settle in at a daycare so when a new maid comes, i don't have to worry that she will spend a whole day with new 'stranger' (god knows what they would do, only the two of them at home, no guardian).

and as for the school.. i couldn't be happier! the teachers are very supportive and they know i need to juggle between work and taking care of naia. i made sure that i drop her off every morning before i get to work. and if i need to be at work early, i made sure i pick her up from school. and the school was soo informative to send me updates almost on daily basis. i would get a picture of naia doing activity in the classroom via mms. it's soo cool! and so far i can see that naia started to learn new things.. singing, dancing, feed and cleaned herself and even picked up some new words. things that she has learned at home before, but she gets to see more of it now, on daily basis as her routine. soon, she'll be speaking english and maybe mandarin too... :) on the last day of her second week of school, the daycare was having a chinese new year celebration, and naia was excited to be in school in her traditional chinese outfit. it was so cute!

i'm glad she's happy and settled in. and we're both proud too! my baby girl is getting bigger (oh no!).

>> OUR OWN HOME

2010-01-05T16:38:00.008+07:00

a little over a month ago, my family finally moved into our own apartment. it was excited cuz we finally have our own apartment and we can really decorate it. on a rented apartment, we always stopped ourselves from decorating too much of it since we know we'll move to another place sooner or later. this time it's different, we know we won't be moving too soon.

the apartment was actually ours since may 2009, but the previous owner didn't move out until august. we started looking for interior designer by september and finally engaged in a contract with the interior design firm by mid september. after agreeing with the work, materials, etc. the renovation work started by end of september. it took about 5 weeks until the renovation work is finished. we didn't really have that many things to be renovated but we were very particular about the work. we changed the whole kitchen to our likings, repainted the whole house, changed the wardrobe in the master bedroom, and put up a cozy corner in the living room area.

it took about 4 days to move everything. first, we started to occupy the new apartment, while our stuffs & boxes were still left in the old one. second, moving with a toddler and only 3 adults are around, means that only two people can really work at the same time. so we made sure that naia settled down in the new apartment before we really started the move. that way, on the day the mover came to help us bring the boxes from the old apartment, we were able to unpack everything on the same day. surprisingly it was done only that one day. i guess we didn't have that many stuffs :)

after everything was all settled in its place, we also started decorating the walls with the pictures. naia had the best room. full of toys! we also started her to sleep in her own bed and discipline her to only use her room to play. the guest bedroom is still empty since we haven't had guests to visit yet. but definitely, we are thankful for this apartment. and greatly appreciate our interior designer, jing ting poh from rezt & relax interior design firm who helped us to transform our dream home to reality. not only she designed, but she gave us inputs, suggestions, even ways to save our money on something we don't need. we have lived in our apartment for over a month now and we're really happy with the results. home sweet home!

>> RUNNING THE MARATHON

2009-12-11T13:39:00.009+07:00

in the beginning of this year, i made a resolution this year that i wanted to push a limit on my personal achievement in health. i'm someone who appreciates health and i was raised in family who is very health-conscious. eating healthy snacks & foods are something that is very important for my mom and somehow, i followed her footsteps. as for sports, my parents and brother always excel in it and somehow i'm the only one in the family who was always labeled as "non-sporty". even though i actually joined softball team and was chosen to be part of the junior team for DKI Jakarta back then (which i finally discontinued cuz i was more concerned about my final tests.. what a geek, rite? huff... ).

i think i was always excel in sports whenever i decide to, but i never really put it as my priority. i never really won a medal or sports competition while my brother (who played badminton then later focus more as a tae-kwon-do athlete) and my parents (in golf) who brought home plenty of trophies (especially mom). while me? i'm not an individual player. my sport was always a team sport (softball) and even though my team won many times, i never got to take any trophies home. but i did take home medals for academic competition. i guess i WAS (and probably still..) a geek! :P

over the years, i engaged in many sport activities, but never for the competition reason. i was in it because i want to be healthy. from kick boxing, yoga, pilates, water aerobics, swimming, i tried them all. on and off, i always find myself in the gym. as much as i want to be as skinny as a model (not!), i was more concerned that my body is toned and healthy.

so after i gave birth 20 months ago, i knew that in order for me to get rid of the flabby arms & tummy is by working out. even my doctor told me so. last time i visited him for a pap smear, he insisted that in order for me to get my tummy back, i have to work out. one of them is setting a personal challenge of participating in a endurance track early this year, cycle singapore. i managed to bike 21km in the event and i was so happy i can take that list off my new year's resolution.

towards the end of the year, a friend asked if i want to also participate in the singapore marathon. this will be my first marathon and i only wanted to take part in the 10KM run, just to get a feel of it. i wasn't sure at first, in fact i almost backed out at the last minute. i was excited during registration 3 months ago but due to my busy schedule in between work and apartment-renovation and moving, i didn't manage to train intensively, heck, i didn't manage to train AT ALL! a week before the marathon, i decided that i will not be going. but then i changed my mind, cuz i think it would be good for me to know my limit. who knows this will be the start of many marathons ahead? tho i didn't manage to train this year, i will need to make sure that i do it next year.

so, there i was running my first 10K marathon at singapore marathon event... and I MADE IT TO THE FINISH LINE!

i found that it was a lot of fun to run on the track that i would never be able to do on foot on a regular day. the view was awesome and the weather was perfect! my running buddies also there to support each other. and i found that so many people joining the event were very inspiring, like the girl in the wheelchair or the mommies who ran with their kid in tow.. or the whole family who took part in the event! inspiring!

>> THE URBAN MAMA (BETA)

2009-12-07T22:35:00.003+07:00

i proudly presents you, my current passion... :

it�s a site for indonesian moms, created by 4 friends who love to talk and share about their kids and parenting stuff.

the Urban Mama site is still in beta version, and will launch the full-fledge version later on the 22nd of December, which is the Indonesian Mother�s Day. in the mean time, please come and visit� and don�t forget to join the discussion in the forum!

see you there!

>> TOILET TRAINING

2009-11-20T14:08:00.003+07:00

at 19 months old, my lil' girl has learned to do her business in the toilet and not in her diaper.

during our recent trip back from jakarta, she refused to sleep eventhough i've breastfed her (which she usually falls asleep during every session). as soon as we walked inside the apartment, she took my hand and dragged me to the bathroom while saying.. "poop.. poop.. mama". i asked her if she wanted me to sit her on the toilet and she nodded.

after i took off her pants, diapers, socks & shoes (yup! she hasn't even taken off her shoes yet..) i put her on the toilet and off she goes doing her business. not to forget, she asked me to close the door and said "bye.. bye..". such a cutie!

i'm sorry if i ended up taking your picture and post it in my blog. but really, mama is really proud of you, baby girl!

next step, toilet train her for pee-pee. i think she's ready.

>> HOW DO YOU MEASURE HAPPINESS?

2009-09-10T21:32:00.000+07:00

in our society, i find different people measure happiness in different ways. when asked, "how happy are you?" most would say "i'm happy!". but how do you really measure your happiness?

i'm interested in asking this question recently because i notice that people measure it by their materialistic achievements. how much they earn, how much they can spend, the brands of their bags, shoes, etc. but is that really a measurement of one's happiness? scientists have felt that the word "happiness" has been too vague and too surrounded by the mythos of cartoon or movie views of "happy people" dancing with pleasure or about being in love.

an acquaintance of mine once said that she's happy because she has a husband who loves her dearly and would shower her with gifts and all the branded stuffs she asks. for her, that's happiness. sounds shallow, but it's her right to measure her happiness from all the branded materials. it's her life.

on the other hand, another good friend of mine once said that happines for her is when she can roam freely in her time and eat chocolate every day. sounds too naive? but that's happiness for her.

honestly, i believe that the measure of happiness is relative for everyone. one can measure her happiness by the materialistics items she can buy while another measures it through the success he has achieved. it's definitely different.

as for me, i find my happiness when all my basic needs are fulfilled and i have my family with me, healthy. i don't need to live in a mansion or wear a fancy handbag as long as i'm surrounded with family and i'm able to achieve my goals in life. although having to be able to live in a mansion and wear fancy handbag would be nice :) but not a necessity. i also believe, that one's happiness may change over time. when i was young, my goal of happiness is more of materialistic items. the more money i can save, the happier i was. the more money i make, the happier i was then. now, i guess it just comes naturally, but no longer a measurement of my happiness. i'm more concerned about having quality time with my daughter and family rather than buying the expensive stuffs, cuz i'd rather save the money for my daughter's education. or family travel. or simply, for emergency.

health is also a measurement of my happiness. i'd rather be healthy than wealthy.

personal and professional success may lead to happiness but may also engender success. happy individuals are predisposed to seek out and undertake new goals in life and this reinforces positive emotions, say researchers who examined the connections between desirable characteristics, life successes and well-being of over 275,000 people.

get happy, get successful. it's a good outlook.

personally, i think happiness should be a measurement of your satisfaction in life. in a scale of 1 to 10, i'm on 8. there are tons of achievements and goals in life i want to achieve. and an 8 is not a bad number.

so how do you measure your happiness? in a scale of 1 to 10, how happy are you? tell me!

>> MAGNOLIA'S BANANA PUDDING

2009-08-23T23:17:00.002+07:00

one of my favorite past times when i was still living in new york city is to stroll around the lower east side & soho area. the lil' boutiques, the vintage shops and particularly the different kinds of food & snacks were definitely worth the 45 minutes trip from where i used to live. one of the particular place i love to visit was magnolia bakery. located in bleecker street area, me and my friends used to stroll around the vintage shops in that street and then reached the bakery to get a couple of cupcakes, coffee and my favorite banana pudding!!

the bakery is a little store with a feeling like you just walked in to a home kitchen. the smell of cakes and frosting pulled you in right away. and looking at the cupcakes.. oh they're so pretty. the bakery is well-known for its cupcakes. they have pretty frosting and the cakes just melt-in-your-mouth when you bite into them. it was even before cupcakes was as popular as it is now, the bakery is already well-known for it. i guess, maybe they even started the cupcakes trend, who knows? one thing i know, their lines are getting longer each time i went there, especially after the bakery was featured in one of the scenes of sex and the city. the patrons were getting longer that the lines were almost a block away from the shop. later, it even get its publicity in the devil wears prada, in which the character andy says at one point that she needs to get to the bakery to pick something for her boyfriend's birthday.

it was definitely one of my favorite places and my favorite moments of new york city, and i have plenty!!

but one thing that i miss the most about the place, is not just the cupcakes, but its banana pudding!! you can't really see in the display and it doesn't come in a pretty package, just inside a regular foam cup with a plastic spoon. but once you put a spoon of the pudding to your mouth, you'll definitely fall in love! i remember my first time was just ordering a small cup and thought it'd be just like any other pudding. i wasn't sure why i ordered it, but i did. later, i dig into the cup and found myself reaching to bottom of it in no time, it was THAT good! and later i came for more and more pudding, instead of the cupcakes.

so the other day, when a friend (who's also a fellow ex-new yorker) were discussing about foods we missed in new york city via twitter, i started missing the pudding again. then, she said that she found the recipe here and shared it with me. right away, i started to think about making them. unfortunately the ingredients are not as easy to find here in singapore, particularly the nilla vanilla wafers and jell-o instant vanilla pudding. so after a week looking around, i finally found it in the nearby cold storage and right away started to make it that night. and it was a perfect time because that was the first day of ramadhan. so i was making it as the sweet part of our break-fasting meal. and.. it was DELICIOUS!! so delicious, that i made more so i can bring them to my friend's house for break-fasting gathering.

my recipe is slightly different than what grace had and due to the high request for the recipes from my friends in twitter & facebook, i decided to share it here.

ingredients:
half a can of condensed milk
2 cups of cold water
jell-o instant vanilla pudding
600ml of heavy cream
nilla wafers
banana
cocoa powder

how to make:
mix a half can of condensed milk with 2 cups of cold water until it dissolves. then pour in the instant vanilla pudding into the milk until it thickens. cover, then chill inside the fridge for at least 4 hours (but i leave it aside overnight)

after the 4 hours is up, i mix the heavy cream until it thickens. then pour in the vanilla pudding into the cream, and fold it until the texture is smooth and mixed evenly. you can chill it again in the fridge for another 4 hours. but i'm too lazy to wait for another 4 hours, so i mix the pudding together after i mix the cream and the pudding

first, i layer the pudding in the bottom of the cup (i used the individual cup or ramekin for better packaging). then layer with banana evenly (the ripe the better), then the nilla wafers. i find that it's best to crumble the wafers first (not too smooth, just break it with ur hand) then put on top of the bananas. later, top it off with another layer of pudding. sprinkle the cocoa powder on top of it.

just leave it in the fridge for another 4 hours (at least) until the wafers softens and the pudding has thicken a bit more. voilaa.. you're done!

the recipes makes about 10-15 cups, depending on the serving size.

happy trying!!

>> MY TOP 10 SKIN CARE TIPS

2009-08-21T11:20:00.001+07:00

since the first time i started playing around with make-ups, for some reason, i'm more of a sucker about skin care than the make up itself. yes, i do like playing around with the color palettes every now and then. i had my moments of picking up any cute and colorful shade of a lipstick, gloss, blush, eyeshadows, etc. then i got bored. especially when i started having pimples all over my face. then i got more worried about my skin instead of the make up. i got rid many of my unused make-ups when i moved back to jakarta from the US. since then, i prefer to look for the best skin care instead.

i always believe that any make up will look good if the medium is at its best quality. meaning, if you have a good skin care, any kind of make ups will look better on you. so, religiously, i spend more time taking care of my skin than applying the make-ups.

i stumbled upon different kinds of beauty tips for skin care on the web and i thought i'd share it. see if i have, at least, followed half of the tips listed. so here are the "Top Ten Skin Care Tips" :

1. Do not get carried away with flashy cosmetic labels
it is better to understand your skin type before trying products and recipes. you should select a skin care that is suitable for you. sometimes, you do not need any expensive or branded skin care because most of the time, you can probably get away with the drug-store items. for example, i chose garnier products for my exfoliator rather than clinique brand. i find that both has similar results and i can save money with just getting the cheaper version.

2. Follow the goodness of "water therapy".
what this means is that you should drink a lot of water as it naturally helps to get rid your body of toxins. i admit, i'm not one who would drink a lot of water. but i tried to be. in fact, i have an individual water dispenser next to my desk at work. the dispenser gives out an exact amount of 8 glasses of water. so that means, i have to finish the water in the dispenser every morning! well, yeah, i sometimes fail to do this. i change the water every other day. but to my defense, i do drink 4-5 glasses when i'm not at my desk (ie. lunch or dinner time). so i think it should be enough.

3. Cleansing is very important and should be done on a regular basis.
often dirt and grime tends to accumulate due to the harsh environmental factors on the skin, making it dull and lifeless in the course of time. dirt and sweat also causes acnes and blackheads which make our skin look ugly.

i had a fair bit of experience from this when i first moved back to jakarta after spending a long while in the US. the air in jakarta is very polluted, lots of dirt and due to humidity, i sweat a lot too. so when i found that my face starts to have small acnes (almost) all over the face, i started to worry and went to my favorite dermatologist. she, then, told me about the importance of cleaning my face. and since i live in a place with more pollution than before, i should change my facial cleansing ritual by spending more time to "dig" the dirt out of my face and not just "soaping" it. the laziness, i also have to kill. and the ritual must be performed everyday, no matter what. soon after, my face clears up (of course with the help of intense therapy of facial treatment) and the pimples never came back again. yay!

4. Do not scrub or exfoliate too hard.
you should be gentle with your skin and it will smile with health. :) i believe that no good would come from overly doing anything. so do it with care and just as its needed.

5. Moisturize
whether you stay outdoors in the sun or indoors in air-conditioned rooms, your skin is prone to getting dry, so hydrate your skin from time to time by applying moisture. if you have oily skin, it does not mean you have to avoid moisturizer, however, you should consider of applying it mildly. i have a combination skin. oily in the t-zone and pretty much normal to dry on the rest of the face. so applying moisturizer for me is quite tricky. but i always apply them because i know i spend most of my time inside the air-conditioned rooms. so i apply it mildly around the t-zone and a bit more on my cheek and especially, my neck! gotta make sure those wrinkles wouldn't form too soon ;)

6. Use sunscreen protection
same with moisturizer, you always need to put on your sunscreen, no matter what. sunscreen protection will guard you from the damaging UV radiations when you venture out in the sun. however, don't think that they won't get you if you're inside the room. the UV radiations may come and find you from through the windows, so put the sunscreen on even if you're inside the house. so always put it on and also make it a ritual to reapply. oh wear sunglasses too, to protect your eyes when you're outside.

7. Excessive smoking and drinking can be very harmful for the skin.
well anything excessive, as i said, is never be good. but for this case, i think it's much better if it's none at all. i suggest you quit smoking and cut down on drinking. i don't smoke and i also don't drink. but i used to be around people who do. definitely not good for my health or my skin.

another thing to avoid .. coffee! should try herbal tea instead. well, this is quite hard, even for me! although i'm not a heavy coffee drinker (i only drink 1 cup a day, sometimes two), but i still do prefer coffee than tea. but as long as i don't excessively drinking it, i think i should be fine.

8. Physical exercise is vital for having a great skin.
it's having the sweats out and leave your face glowing with good blood circulation from the workout. i gotta admit, i don't do this often too. but i try my best. especially that i need to start my training for my first marathon at the end of the year.

9. Too much stress is bad for your skin.
so make sure you get adequate rest. yoga is a great way to relax and delays the aging process. remember to eat healthy too.

well, with a baby girl around who's still breastfeeding, it's quite hard to get a good resting time. but i do try my best. and i definitely eat healthy cuz i need to pass on the good stuff to my baby.

10. Treat your skin to a facial to rejuvenate it.
the facial must include a massage to improve blood circulation and promote the growth of new cells. and THIS is the only one that i haven't done for a very loongg time! if i were to live in indonesia, i bet i do this regularly. but here? i chose to ignore it and use the money for something else cuz it's so expensive to have a facial here. but i must not compare the prices to those in indonesia. and yes, it's long-due but i really do start having facial treatment on a regular basis.

simple, eh? on top of the 10 tips, there's one more thing that i do religiously now. applying my eye cream, day and night!! it's so very important for me, especially that it's a luxury for me to have my beauty sleep. having a dark circle seems to be a default look on my face. so i really start taking care of my eyes and put different kinds of eye cream to reduce and slow the wrinkle process as well as to brighten up my undereye. i'm on borderline obsessed to eye creams now. i've tried so many of them, maybe i should start writing a review for it :)

pic from: www.gettyimages.com

>> PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION

2009-08-10T09:26:00.006+07:00

early on when fashionesedaily has just started, i instantly became addicted to it. i learn lots of new things from other women in the forum, especially the info on pregnancy and taking care of newborns, besides other women issues like make-ups (of course!), clothings, skin cares, etc. when hanzky, the founder of FD, made me the moderator of the forum, i couldn't say no. little did i know that it became something that i still do dearly everyday, two years down the road. as part of the team, i'm definitely proud to the success that they have accomplished so far.

in FD forum, there's a thread called "Today's Outfit" that has been evolving from just a post of the cloths to wear or wore that day to a whole other medium to share one's look! a thread that encourages the members to show it's narcisstic self and the style that they carry. i went on it a few times myself .. well, cuz i love playing dres up! and i know tons of other women do.. so that's why this thread is very popular among the members. the editors even have their own post every week to show their outfits.

so when i was trying to organize my files in this web recently, i stumbled upon all this pictures that i have taken and posted since two years ago in "today's outfit". i found it amazing how my body and style have changed (or not!) and in between there are plenty of pictures during my pregnancy too. so i put up a collage .. and wishing how i love to be back to my old figure! *sigh*

here i was after i moved to singapore. i don't think i was pregnant yet in the first picture.

these were when i started showing off my baby bumps and still managed to dress up to work and later, with big belly. i gave birth on 1st of april and i think i stopped taking picture of myself soon after feb '08. though i was still vibrant and do lotsa things, i just didn't think i looked good on camera anymore.

two and half months after i gave birth, i was called in to work because my boss had resigned. so i had to cut off my maternity leave short. the first two pictures below show how i still carried baby fats after giving birth.. and the rest shows how my body changes.

honestly, i didn't think that i could pull it off, losing weight after giving birth. but subconsciously, i did. i still think i have a few more kilograms to lose, but for now, i'm happy with my weight as long as i'm healthy, and my baby is too.

>> JURONG BIRD PARK

2009-08-05T16:51:00.001+07:00

on the weekend of the first week of august, we took naia to see her favorite animals. birds! this will be her second time to the bird park and i'm all excited to see how excited she will be. since she was still a baby, she was always amazed to see birds. she would stop crying if she sees one and she could be rocked to sleep while watching the birds in the park. when she gets a little older and able to walk, chasing birds becomes her favorite afternoon activities. she would chase them with her happy face, sometimes with a big laugh and a huge smile on her face, then she would mesmerized when she sees the birds fly off to avoid her. then she's off chasing another one again.

my dad would even get her so many bird toys, from the one that flies off on a thread hanged on the curtain rail, or those bird toys that can chirp & sing loudly every time we clap our hands. we have them all. so it's only natural that the next step is to take naia to see the real ones. her first trip to the bird park was when she is about 7 months old. at that time, she was not as excited as we thought she would. she was glad to see all the birds but i don't think she understands it yet. especially to see that there were different types of birds and sizes, and a bit different from what she sees in the book. plus they're in the cage or bigger in size, so she was mildly scared, i guess. also being outdoor in the humid weather was another thing that she couldn't stand, so she stayed quiet most of the times.

so 9 months later, at 16 months old, we took her again. this time, she was already happy (though sleepy) when she stepped inside the park and saw big birds chirping on the tree branch. she just ran and tried to have a closer look. she even tried to climb one of the rocks around the compound to get a better view.

first, we took her to see the penguins. she, literally, stopped right in front of the door and wouldn't go for another step. we weren't sure why. but it could be because the room was dark and there were some noises in the background that kinda scared her. so we did a detour and went another way. we stopped by the birds area in the cage. at first, she wasn't making any expression. i guess she wasn't sure what to do with them cuz they're all behind the cage. then, after a while, she saw that the birds were moving and flapping its wings, and she started to point and made some noise. at one point, she poke her fingers inside the cage and tried to touch the red bird who was standing near her on the other side of the fence. then she would give a big smile and tried to tell us 'stories' in her gibberish baby talk.

next stop, we went to the lory loft. this is my favorite place and i'm excited to see her reaction to see the birds nearby. lory loft is basically a huge birdcage that we can walk in and play with the lorries inside. but before we went in, we stopped by at the cafe next to the lory loft, eating ice cream next to the huge glass wall that connects to the birdcage. naia was eating her ice cream (by herself, of course!) when a little bird came to the window and just sat in front of her behind the glass wall. she was excited and started to "feed" the bird her ice cream, which of course only left an ice cream mark on the glass. she kept doing that over and over while pointing to the bird. she couldn't wait to touch the bird. so by the time her ice cream is finished, we took her in.

i think she was mesmerized to see all the birds inside. she watched how people are feeding the birds and how the birds were very friendly. so she started to chase the one that sits next to her. as she gets closer to the bird, she tried to touch it .. only to find that the bird pinched her with its beak. hurtless pinch, but i guess, it was enough to surprise her. so when her dad got a feeding cup on his hand and had birds standing on his arms and shoulders, naia refused to get nearby, let alone to touch the birds. she was watching the birds when i hold her, but that was all she wanted to do... with a very alert face. uh-oh..

so not to let her gets traumatized too long, we decided to leave the lory loft and took the tram back to the exit area. the tram was on its last ride so the attendant let us rode for free. there are plenty birds to see from inside the tram. ostrich, pelicans, flamingos, hawks, mandarin ducks, swans, etc. and we let naia see them from afar this time. by the time we get to the exit area, we took her again to the flamingo's pool where she was excitedly trying to see them for a closer look. i guess she really loves flamingos cuz just like on her trip to the zoo, she stayed quite long watching them.

soon after, we went to the exit door and stopped by the gift store where naia was choosing birds toys from the rack. we didn't get her any, but she was having fun choosing and hugging all of them and pretend as if she was trying to choose which one to take home. :D

as soon as we get to the car, naia was so sleepy and went to sleep in no time. i guess, we'll try to her again there within a month and hopefully she'll get a better time watching the birds. lovelies.

>> FIRST HAIRCUT

2009-08-04T21:32:00.001+07:00

on a day that naia turns 16 months old, i finally decided to cut her hair! yes, me :) though this will not be her first haircut, it was for me. she was born with a chunk full of hair on her head. but on her 2nd month, we went to the kiddies salon and shaved it all off. she then became a bald baby girl. slowly, her hair began to grow .. unevenly. and i let it grow longer. and it was getting longer and longer so around 2 months ago, i cut her bangs off, to make it even. i cut it while she was sleeping cuz i knew she would never sit quietly when she is awake. then, the hair grows again. and this time is, it becomes really long and annoyingly messy. when wet, her hair is as long as her back, but because she has wavy hair, it usually curls up and it looks shorter than it actually is.

so after much thought, i decided that i would just cut her hair. i never had any experience of cutting anyone's hair before, but i thought i could do this. after all, it would be a simple one. a cut on her bangs, her sides and back to make it all even. i didn't think it will worth the trip to go to the kiddies salon yet. especially because naia still cannot grasp the idea that she needs to sit still.

this time i cut her hair when she's awake and in the bathroom while she was taking her bath. at first, she was quiet and observing what i was doing. then she started turning her head to follow wherever the scissor went. my maid had to call her and tried to grab her attention so that she would look straight ahead, leaving me enough space to work her hair. at the end, it was done! it took me another two attempts to fine-tune the hair do. then it was perfect!!

somehow she looks different with her new hairdo. i gave her a super-short bangs that frames her face nicely and took all the curls at the end of her hair. here's the before and after picture. so, what do you think?

please excuse the "jutek" look. i find it hard to take a good picture of her these days. she keeps on avoiding the camera :(

>> 1ST TRIP TO THE ZOO

2009-07-26T20:11:00.001+07:00

after many failed attempts to visit the singapore zoo, we finally went yesterday. it was one hot day and we were excited cuz naia has been very alert and learning a lot about animals recently. she refused to take her naps and was excitedly roaming around the house until afternoon.

we planned to go out from the house around 2PM so by the time we're there, the sun wouldn't be too strong and we can roam around in a more friendly weather. unfortunately, naia finally decided to sleep on the way to the zoo and was in a very deep sleep when we arrived.

while waiting for naia to wake up, we went to register for a membership at the zoo so we can go there, to the bird park or night safari with no extra charge all year long. plus we can take 2 more people with us, free of charge too. so we thought that was a good deal and we definitely will go there again when grandma and grandpa are here or just a nice monthly visit (perhaps, with some friends). they took a family picture to be printed on the membership card. but since naia is fast asleep in her stroller, the picture was just myself & hubby, with sleeping naia in the background. :D

after the membership card is done, we went to get a cup of ice cream at ben & jerry's .. again while waiting naia to wake up. i got a cup of choco chip cookie dough and hubby got a cherry garcia flavor. as our ice cream hit the bottom of the cup, naia is slowly waking up. so we went in to the zoo ..

first, we went to see small crawler creatures. naia was still in her stroller with no expression. i guess she was still not sure where she was and was still a bit sleepy. then we went to see the white tigers who were taking their afternoon naps. by the time we went to see pygmi hippo, naia started to make some noise, excitedly seeing all the fish swimming around the see through aquarium, along with turtles, and of course, the pygmi hippo. it's not the 'real' hippo cuz this one's is 'tiny' so it's cute but still huge compares to the fish & turtles.

after seeing hippo, we went to see the outback animals. naia was amazed to find a bird with a size that's bigger than her, the so called ostrich. and she can't stop looking at the kangaroos being fed and was standing quite close to it. at this point, she refused to stay in her stroller and started to walk on her own. then we visited the birds section, different types of monkey and the elephants. one of her reason to come to the zoo is to see the elephants in real life. and she was amazed to see them, she sat on the bench while munching on her biscuits and keeps pointing her fingers watching the elephants walking around in the field. after a nice break at the elephants bench, we continued our journey to see .. the flamingos!!

this is when naia started to really light up and couldn't stop talking and pointing and calling us to see where she saw. she was definitely very excited and happy. she even refused to move to other areas and just stood there watching the flamingos. after a bit of persuasion (and unwillingly to be carried off) we finally off to the exit areas. had some water & snacks in the dining area then off we went to the exit. on the way, naia again stopped to watch the fish in the pond and took pictures with the ben & jerry's cows.

from the zoo, we visited the new mall at the killiney road, orchard and had dinner at the "mussels guys". naia was having fun eating the baked rice and her homemade salmon porridge while mommy & daddy had our mussels.

it was a fun family time. naia seemed to have so much fun that she was giggling and talking and calling the animals in her sleep that night. :)

>> ON "WHAT" DIET?

2009-07-16T21:08:00.002+07:00

in an attempt to lose some of the baby fats, i have started to skip my dinner for the past month. i've been wanting to start my diet and get my "figure" back (at least back in shape) after i gave birth. but since i'm breastfeeding (yes, until now!), it's quite hard to do since breastfeeding has already burned so many calories that would leave me hungry after every session. but slowly, i have started to reduce my carbo intake and skip dinner altogether.

in the past, i've taken some classes after work, like yoga. even participating in the event of cycle singapore and rode 21km. it was my personal challenge this year and i'm so glad i made it! but apparently now, my workout is chasing naia around since she's walking and (almost) running now. though, i don't think it's enough as i'm badly in need of a workout session now and then. but i restrained myself from joining any gym yet. i'll just wait patiently until we move to our new apartment, so i can swim everyday and at least, go to the gym downstairs, without any extra cost incurred. (excuse excuse)

anyway, last week, my hubby realized that i'm not eating dinner and he was quite surprised.

hubby: "you're not having dinner? why?"
me: "i'm on diet. i'm skipping dinner so i can lose some weight."
hubby: "why?"
me: "cuz i need to lose some weight"
hubby: "yeah, but why?"

hahah... it may not sound as funny when you read than hear it. but it was nice to know that my hubby doesn't really care if i lose weight or not. though, what he actually concerns more is that i stay healthy since i'm still breastfeeding. and i am. that's why i finished vegetable puffs (kue pastel) my mom made. ehem.. all four of them! LOL!

>> HAPPY ELECTION DAY!

2009-07-08T11:54:00.002+07:00

i find it funny..
that most people's motivation to vote in jakarta is to get discounts with their purple-inked finger

i find it funny..
that some still consider of not voting at all cuz they're confused on which couple to choose

i find it funny..
that i've never exercise my right to vote before...ever!

i find it funny..
that people need an invitation to vote when it's actually their right to do it

i find it funny..
that i don't have an ink on my pinky finger

i find it funny..
that i'm not going to election booth to vote, instead caught up with deadlines at work

i find it funny..
that i'm voting by mail instead

but i find it damn serious that i need to vote and exercise my right this time, for better indonesia .. however it may be, however your motivation is!

happy election day, indonesia!

whoever wins may bring indonesia to be a better country. for those who have waived your right to vote, you have also waived your right to bitch and complain about the government for the next 5 years.

-- post from my iphone

>> WHERE IS DADDY?

2009-07-03T10:17:00.001+07:00

hubby has left on another biz trip for the past two weeks. this is the first time he went away that long but will not be the last one. since hubby has moved to the new (but old) place of business, his work requires him to travel a lot and to different places around asia. i'm sure it's exciting at first, but it's also quite a strain for both of us. him, being away from his family especially his daughter. me, being both mom & dad to my daughter and to take care of things myself at home. the worse part is during weekend. cuz going out means have to bring my maid along so that my daughter can sit in the car seat with someone next to her so she could sit still.

as for the impact on my daughter, i don't think she feels any different yet. yes, she starts out by calling "pappaa.. " on the first few nights. but she doesn't show that she's missing anything. i guess she's not at that age yet. but i'm sure soon enough she would start asking where her dad is whenever he's away.

hubby is coming home tonite and will be in town at least for the next two weeks before took off to another cities. yay!

-- post from my iphone

>> ANNIVERSARY

2009-06-01T01:00:00.001+07:00

today, hubby and i celebrated another wedding anniversary. this time, we had to celebrate it separately as hubby is away on a business trip for the whole week.

nonetheless, i'm grateful for the little family we have. a healthy beautiful daughter, a roof over our head and fulfilling basic needs. i'm grateful.

we do have a lot of dreams and long journey in front of us. and for that, i could never do alone as he will be my partner in life and everything i do for the rest of my life.

luv always,
sL

>> DREAM HOME

2009-05-19T19:12:00.004+07:00

many girls dream about wedding and romance. they dream about spending time in love with that prince charming for ever and ever. girls love fairy tales. that is the reason why books, novels and movies about fairy tales never short of its die-hard fans. girls would love to see it even if the storyline is just pretty much the same from one to another.

in short, girls love to daydream on the fairy tale lives. and it's pretty much the same to all of them. live with that prince charming, in a beautiful house with beautiful well-cared gardens with beautiful kids running around. i think this stereotype is still implated inside every girls' head that many girls today still want that. beautiful house with well-cared gardens and playground. though, i'm not generalizing as i've met many girls who choose otherwise.

unfortunately, is it practical, logical or even ideal at this day and age to dream of the fairy tale life?

recently, my lil family was visited by a family friend. she grows up in jakarta her entire life and never been out of the country until that time when she visited us. during one of the conversation, she made a comment about our lives here in singapore, who must live in an apartment - away from the dream home she would imagine. she said that if she were ever to get married, she'd rather live in a house with gardens filled with beautiful flowers so he can spend her time gardening and play with her kids. does she even garden? who knows!

i do respect her dream as i too may have that same dream long time ago. i couldn't remember anymore. but i grew up to adulthood living from one apartment to another. aside from my childhood, only when i go back to jakarta to visit my parents, then i have the experience of living in a landed house.

but the question remains, in this day and age, would it still logical to live in a landed house? in jakarta, there are still plenty of spaces to have that kind of house. people live all the way in the outer part of jakarta so they can have an affordable house, landed with gardens where they can have their kids play & run around. but the consequence is that they must travel for soooo long to get to work, not to mention that the traffic is just getting worse every day. it's quite impossible to find an affordable house in the city center area cuz the price of land is way too high, unless you get it from your parents who owned that piece of land for a long time.. :P so the most ideal way to live to the city is to live in an apartment that's been popping up quite tremendously in the city center area. apartment price, of course still lower than buying a landed house, but it still doesn't come cheap. especially when you want to have the ones with nice facilities.

back to my question. if i were still live & working in jakarta.. i would still have that dream of a landed house with beautiful garden, but i'd prefer to stay in an apartment so i can be close to work. why? cuz i'd rather cut my travel time short and spend it with my family instead of dreading the long hours in traffic just to get home and found my daughter already fell asleep. after all, i am a working mother.

as for living in singapore, it just makes more sense to live in an apartment cuz landed house is too expensive and the maintenance also doesn't come cheap. at least for now, i opt to live in a nice apartment with full facilities so that my daughter can have access to enjoy the playground, the pool and walk in the park.

and slowly, my home dream is no longer a house with beautiful gardens and playground. and i've said it once before and i'm saying it again .. home is where your heart is. no matter whether it's one-storey high or twenty five-storeys high, with gardens or just a balcony, home is not just something you live, sleep, and eat. it's where you spend time with your family. quality time. no matter what, how and where it is.

>> HOW CONSIDERATE ARE YOU?

2009-05-14T12:59:00.004+07:00

microblogging is taking its storm among people now, with facebook, twitter, plurk and other microblogging sites made available to everyone who uses internet. smart phones like blackberry & iphone also made it possible for everyone to catch the fever and check their microblogging sites anytime & anywhere. one would microblog anywhere, update their status about everything they may come with.

well, i don't want to talk about what is microblogging and why it becomeS quite a phenomenon these days. but i do want to talk about a bit about ethic when microblogging.

for me, microblogging is fun. it gives an update to people about your well-being at that point in time, anytime anywhere. but sometimes, you may also remind yourself that the information you supply to people who follow you or in your friends list, may be a bit too much. they may not need to know EVERYTHING... like, well.. the result of the american idol show, perhaps? or who just won the latest amazing race?

i just think that it's very inconsiderate to put them in public, especially when some people on the other side of the world has to wait before they can find out themselves.

unlike the football games that's always shown at the same time all around the world... some reality shows, or game shows or even tv series from one part of the world may not be shown at the same time on the other part of the world.

so why being inconsiderate when you microblog?

otherwise, you may put whatever it is. even about where you live, your phone, or any personal information like what you ride is, how big your apt, or even how much your salary is. ethically, it's a bit too much to share on public. but it's your own risk. so i won't give a damn if you share them. nice to know.. but don't need to know.. kinda like that.

but when i am looking forward to watch my fave show on TV tonite and accidentally finds out about the result of the show from someone's status in facebook.. THAT, really draws the line!

please be considerate, peeps! you just stole my fun! *dang*

pic from: www.sevenclick.com

>> HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR TEA?

2009-04-22T21:15:00.006+07:00

just like people in indonesia (or other asian countries, for that matter), drinking tea is one of the most popular activities for singaporeans. they have their ways of naming it too. however, ever wonder what to order when you go to one of the kopitiam stalls and it has all these options of tea that you couldn't understand? you ordered tea, thinking it's just a plain tea, no sugar or milk. and there it comes, with sugar and milk.

i had trouble understanding how they call different way of tea servings in singapore, when i first came here. it's interesting, alright. given the different name it has.

so i'll share you a list. so next time you visit singapore, you order the right kind of drink! oh and yes, pronounce it as indonesians do .. teh. not tea.

teh (te-eh)
hot tea with evaporated milk and sugar.

teh-o (te-eh oh)
hot tea with sugar. no milk.

teh-c (te-eh si)
hot tea with evaporated milk.

teh kosong (te-eh koh-song)
hot tea with milk. no sugar.

teh-o kosong (te-eh oh koh-song)
hot tea. no sugar. no milk.

teh tarik
hot tea with milk and sugar, with froth from 'pulling' the tea with two cups.

teh halia (te-eh ha-lee-ah)
hot tea with milk and sugar, with ginger water.

halia = ginger, in malay.

and if you want to have them iced, just use the word peng at the end. so, if you want to have sweetened iced tea with milk.. simply order a teh peng! or iced sweet tea, just say .. teh-o peng or as indonesians might refer to it as es teh manis! :)

well, of course, you can use the word iced when placing an order. but just in case you want to be as local as possible, you can try using the local way to order them.

if you don't like how much sugar they put in your tea, order it with the word siew tai (syu-tay) which means less sugar. so simply order teh-o siew tai for your hot tea sweetened with less sugar. easy, right?

oh this also goes with your coffee order. singaporeans also use the word kopi for coffee. just like teh, ordering a glass of kopi, means you're ordering a glass of hot coffee with milk and sugar. so, make sure you understand the so-called formula before you place an order. you may not get right servings for your desired drink... haha!

so, teh tarik anyone? :D

>> FIRST BIRTHDAY

2009-04-21T11:31:00.001+07:00

oh my, it's been a while since i wrote. yes, i've been busy but it's no excuse. mostly the reason i haven't updated this blog because i've been wanting to give it a face lift, but apparently it takes longer than i thought. so for now, i just need to update this one before people starts forgetting that this blog ever exists :)

it's already 20 days after, but i'd like to share it nonetheless.

my baby daughter had her first birthday on april fool's day! my hubby and i took a day off to be with her on her bday. we didn't really plan any party. just invited a neighbor kid who's actually naia's playmate. we sang happy birthday song (in which naia danced to the whole time), blew the candle and ate a yummy strawberry shortcake.

we didn't really want to have a party or anything cuz we figured that naia is still too young to know anything.

we'll save it till she gets bigger and have more friends, and aware that blowing candles & eating yummy cakes with lotsa presents mean birthday celebration :)

-- post from my iphone

>> 25 FACTS ABOUT ME

2009-02-06T23:37:00.006+07:00

i was tagged by rani in facebook. didn't want to start writing in facebook, so i figured i'd post it here.

and i'm tagging whoever's reading this... yep, that's YOU!!

==============================

1. i have a typical javanese name and 100% minangkabau blood.

2. my parents gave me 4 names and no surname - a common thing in indonesia (the no-surname part) but it's quite troubling when you are not living in indonesia. to make it short i use my last name (literally) as my surname, leaving the two middle names as letters only. damn confusing! this is also one of the reasons that i'm still contemplating of adding my hubby's name to mine.

3. i consider myself a self-learner. most of my skills are self-learned, including driving and cooking.

4. i spent most of my childhood in borneo island (mostly in east borneo). i moved to jakarta when i started my junior high school.

5. i learned finance hands on. my parents had to move back to borneo when i was in the second year of high school. they left me and my younger brother in jakarta by ourselves, guarded by my aunt. but practically, i was already living by myself cuz i had to take care of my younger brother (had to drive him to school everyday) and took care of financials while mom was away, usually a month at a time.

6. that experience (no. 5) prepared me to live by myself in foreign country after high school.

7. i purposely flunked my UMPTN test. i saw no point of passing it when i knew that i already decided to have my education abroad.

8. i took care all the preparation by myself to be able to study abroad. i only asked 1 major help from my parents, to finance my education and accommodation while i was there (obviously!). mom refused cuz she didn't want me to live so far away. thank God she finally came to her senses.

9. i went to utah state university in logan, utah during my first year of college. majoring in accounting. that was the first time i step foot in US soil. i went alone (with some friends i know who would go to the same university), my parents didn't come with me. in fact, they never visited logan to this date.

10. i changed my major to finance after the first year of college, along with the university and the city i live in. i moved to providece, rhode island because i thought i would have more working opportunity if i lived closer to big city. i added a second major in marketing on my third year of college.

11. i lived on and off in new york city during 1997 to 1999. fell in love with the city and that led me to move there permanently after i graduated from college.

12. new york city is the city i live in the most years in my entire life .. for now.

13. it took me a week to decide that i'm leaving new york city. quite a short period, but i thought if i kept on thinking, the outcome will change again. 3 months later i was on my way back to indonesia, a week before that, i almost had a change of heart and didn't want to leave. but i already gave up my apartment, my job, everything. i only have 2 suitcases with me, so i just HAD to leave.

14. i went on a road trip with a dear friend before i left USA. visited the southern states. in total, i have visited 27 states.

15. i have 3 driver's licences from 3 different countries. they are all valid.

16. i arrived in jakarta at 27 years old, single and unemployed.

17. i truly believe that God 'made me' go home to meet my husband. you see, i once interviewed by a subdiary of the company that i'm working now. didn't get the job because i only held a student visa then and the company could not sponsor me for a worker's visa in the US. from that day on, i swear that i would try and join that company one day. before i went back to indonesia, i thought of moving to singapore instead. i even looked for a way to become a PR without landing a job yet, so i can avoid jakarta in the first place. at the end, i finally moved to jakarta, had my first job interview at the company i'm working now, but ended up working for another place where i met my husband. a year later, i moved to the company i'm working now to a better position than the first one offered. less than two years, i fufilled all i wanted in the first place - working for "this" company and live in singapore.

18. i never been to europe aside from the transit period in frankfurt on my way back and from indonesia, but i love to travel. nor have i been to africa. although i want to visit different places with my family, at least one new place every year. i got to travel to many different places before i got married. but now that i have a baby, it may be on pause a little.

19. i can't stand being in a crowd. it makes me dizzy and out of breath, even passed out. it happened once when i was in the traditional market when i was young and several times during subway ride in NYC. that's probably why i don't really like to be in a mall, especially in a crowded one.

20. i had 7 stitches on my chin when i was in 6th grade. i passed out in the middle of the asphalt school yard, while standing tall during pramuka ceremony. fell flat on my chin. the marks are still there, of course, but it's not the one under my lips. that one was just a scratch i got when i rode a motorbike. no stitches were done.

21. i never ski-ed ever. i went straight to snowboarding and never wanted to try how to ski.

22. i went to woodstock in 1999. camped out with my friends and brother for 3 days, no shower. listened to music under the stars and stood all day watching live concerts. one of the best experience i had.

23. i am more of a nature girl than a city girl. i'd rather do outdoor activities than going to malls. after all, i did grow up in borneo island where my backyard was filled with trees.

24. i don't like window shopping. i only shop what i need.

25. i paid my way through graduate school. it took me 3 years to finish, because i was working full time to pay off the tuition and my living expenses. that was a tough period, but i'm glad i went through it, though now i think that grad school is sooo overrated.

>> MY NEW YEAR'S EVE ..

2008-12-31T20:03:00.007+07:00

five years ago .. i was with a bunch of my friends on our way to have dinner and getting in line for a space in times square to celebrate the new year's eve. freezing our ass off, it was one of the coldest day that time of year. but we stood to our grounds, waiting in line to see the ball dropped cuz one of my best friend is leaving new york city. little did i know that it was also my last new year's eve in new york. we didn't end up staying until midnight, cuz we just couldn't stand the cold any longer. instead we joined our friends who's celebrating new year's eve in the club downtown and party the night away.

four years ago .. my first new year's eve in jakarta, only been back for two months, unemployed and enjoying life by travelling across cities in indonesia and taking pictures. i never really had a night out on new year's eve in jakarta, even when i was still in high school. and this time is no difference. i just hate the fact that it will be crowded everywhere, unavoidable traffic jams, and actually nothing to do. so i ended up in bed by 11PM. ha!

three years ago .. went out with my colleague at work. a guy from work who i've been having meet-ups on weekends for a movie & dinner for the past four months, yet i didn't call it as a date. that nite, i went home before midnight cuz i didn't want to get stuck in traffic jam, yet again. just had dinner and a movie and went home. after midnight, i sms-ed him to wish him happy new year, and wondered where our relationship stands, cuz it no longer felt like a regular friends-from-work hangout anymore. he became my husband eighteen months later.

two years ago .. i was walking along the streets in kuta, with my boyfriend then (yep, that guy from work is now my long-distanced boyfriend), and two dearest friends. we had a wonderful nite at kuta beach, celebrating the new year. the next day, he formally proposed during sunset in tanalot.

one year ago .. i was married and 6 months pregnant and have moved to singapore. had to work on the last day of the year and did not interest any party and crowd to celebrate the new year. the fact that i'm carrying heavy on my belly is good enough reason that i'd rather rest my feet on the couch and sleep in early.

this year .. still in singapore, still working on the last day of the year, and still has nowhere to go to celebrate it but home. this time, i have my baby daughter with me and i'd rather spend it with her and my hubby than anyone & anywhere else in the world.

happy new year!!

may 2009 brings all the best to all of us.

cheers,
:: sL

>> DON'T TAKE LIFE FOR GRANTED

2008-12-03T20:13:00.002+07:00

oh gosh, i'm so tight up with life that i just don't have time to update this blog. i guess, every time i posted, i had an excuse for not updating this blog. well, forgive me.

there are so much things going on in the past few months... but one thing for sure, i was just trying to cherish every moment i have with my family. cherish the moments i have with my baby daughter, cuz it would only happen once. to see her grow up and able to do things every day is just the most precious things i cannot give up for anything else. in between my work and everything else in life, it was clear from the beginning that my baby comes first. no matter what.

life should never be taken for granted.

i've heard those lines a thousand times but never really sink in. and when a good friend had to leave so sudden recently, i just had to stop and think how much i have to cherish and thankful to the life i have. he died of a heart attack at the age of 31. i never heard him complain about his health and he has so much promise in life. so it was definitely a shock to hear the news early on saturday morning. i literally had to stop to understand the text message my friend had sent, cuz it just seems... so surreal. but it was an eye opener. never take life for granted, i learn that much.

live your life like there's no tomorrow and cherish the moments you have as if you'll be gone the next day. cuz you'll never know what God has planned for us.

may you rest in peace, my friend.. !

:: sLesTa

>> VICTORY DAY

2008-10-01T00:01:00.000+07:00

my god, i am completely out of hand with updating this blog. i actually tried and had written phrases to post last month, but ended up never updating this blog after all.. and before i know it.. it's already a month since i last posted. forgive my busy self..

well, the moment is just perfect. it's the day of forgiveness. the day muslims in the world celebrate the last day of ramadhan and welcoming the month syawal, the day of the eid-ul-fitr, the day of forgiveness.

please forgive me for any wrongdoings, any mistakes for the past year that i may have done so intentionally or not. forgive me if my writings may have offended you or if any of my comments may be too harsh for you to handle. whatever it is, the bottom line is, i'm only human, even though you may only know me in the cyber world... but myself, like everyone else.. makes mistakes.

on a different note... today, also marks a very important day for me as a mom. my baby daughter turns 6 months old!!! why is it so important? well, furthering my previous post, today marks the day that she completed her exclusive breastfeeding days. although i would still feed her my breastmilk until she no longer wants to anymore (by this, i mean around 1 year old! hahaha.. ). usually baby who are exclusively on breastmilk for the first 6 months would start their solid food by then. however, eventhough she just turned 6 months today, i already started her on solid food about 10 days ago.

why so early?

well, for one reason, i have noticed that she looks like she's ready for food as she keeps watching me eating my food and would take anything that�s put in front of her mouth. although i do want to wait until she's exactly 6 months old, then i figures, she would still be exclusively on breastmilk and what's 10 days early anyways? i would still feed her baby rice cereal, banana, papaya, or avocado mixed with breastmilk. it was just an introduction to food and breastmilk is still her primary food. besides, i mix everything she eats with breastmilk.

at first she was hesitant to take the food and still confuse with the idea of spoon and other meal other than milk from bottle or directly from me, although she seems very curious about having a new taste in her mouth. after a while, she got the hang of it and eat 'em like a pro. of course, she would deny the food here and there, especially if she's already sleepy or not yet hungry. but she'll take it little by little until everything's gone.

so far i have introduced her with 5 different fruits as her first taste - banana, avocado, papaya, apple and pear. she hates banana (literally threw up after the first spoon! but i will try again soon), she loooves avocado and would cry if i took the spoon off her mouth, papaya gave her red dots on the face (dunno why! but i will try again too), and she still doesn't take apple and pear well (the taste is still foreign to her, especially with the consistency of the fruits that i didn't blend well enough).

last weekend, i introduced her to carrots and sweet potato - which apparently she loves both!

i prepared the food myself and tried not to blend them in the blender but only grind them using baby food grinder. the food are served on the spot (banana, papaya & avocado) or steamed & ground (apple, pear, carrots, sweet potato). the steamed ones are also kept in the freezer in ice cube trays, so that it'll be easier for my maid to take out during my daughter's meal time. just need to heat it up in the food & milk warmer ... mixed a bit with the rice cereal and a bit of my breastmilk... and voila! the food is ready for the little one to eat.

between 5th to 6th month, there are plenty of things my baby daughter has done and learned, besides taking solid food..

she has flown back to jakarta and met almost everyone in our family, oh and she slept the entire time she was on the plane!

she is now able to roll over and back easily

she likes to read and starting to understand pictures and colors

she has learned how to sit, still supported though

with support, she can get up from sleeping position to a sitting position then to a standing position

she smiles a lot and laugh a lot too

her cries have shifted to just screaming loudly these days

she won't stop screaming until she gets what she wants *i wonder where does she get that stubborn habit from?*

she would wake us up in the morning by rolling over to our side and smack our faces with her little hands *duh*

she is more and more aware of herself in front of the mirror or camera, hence, she cannot stop look at herself in the mirror.. where she would smile widely everytime she sees herself..

she grabs everything around her and she needs to hold onto something everytime (my hair, my hand, her towel, her toys, etc.)

she is definitely getting heaver and chubbier.. and of course, cuter!! *hahahah*

oh, how time flies so fast. before i knew it, she'll be walking, on a date, and talking back to me. oh gosh...!!

:: sLesTa