Mixed feelings

After 7 years in Jakarta , this December 2018 we are saying farewell to our life and friends here.

Next week will be the final week of school for Term 1. Final and last term for me and my kids.

How all my 3 girls started their early years and primary years here.

To them , BSJ is their first school. And forever it will stay embedded in their minds.

It's the first school for my eldest. She was supposed to join Standard 1 in KL. But joined Year 2 when we moved here 7 years ago.

As for Aisyah and Alya , both joined the Foundation Stage at BSJ for 2 year before moving into Primary school.

How luckily they are to be able to join this great early years programmes. One which is different from back home in KL.

Of course 2 years in Tadika bunga tulip for eldest really paid off as it helped her a lot in Year 2.

Allah is the best planner..no doubts in it. And forever and always we will stay thankful to Him.

Throughout that 7 years in BSJ, me and my girls have become the regular faces that you will see in school. Both at drop offs and pick ups.

Having all girls leave me with no choice of not sending them to school. So Alya and Aisyah used to tag along to school before they join school.

And that how Alya became that time reminder for all those we have seen in school. A reminder how time passed by so quickly . A reminder of how old we have become as we see Alya grew up from being just a 3 months old baby to a friendly 7 years old girl.

Dedicated and friendly teachers had come and gone by through that 7 years. And how they have touched and leave good memories in me and my girls.

Until now my girls still remembers Ms Deborah O'callaghan , Ms Emma Russell , Ms Jeanette Sy .

And soon we will remember all the teachers in BSJ.

These days im school you will see me long hard and long of each things . If only what I see can be straight transferred into a video or pictures that me and my girls will forever cherished in the future.

We always pass by the kiddy pool . And how I can see Aisyah and Alya swimming there for their first time.

This last 3 weeks Arissa and Aisyah didn't get to do their swimming after school activities. Luckily I had look hard and long when I had the time ..with Alya . How we both always waited and sit at the shaded swimming dock whenever her big sisters are doing swimming.

And yes , I took endless photos of it. 😢

It's hard when you have lived quater of your life long in one place. Hard to leave when you have made good friends .

posted from Bloggeroid

Friday franctic

Afraid of see what next Friday will be.

Usually we were the ones who saw sad teary faces of those school leavers and their family.

How we were the ones who witness friends hugging the leavers . And how moms also hugs their friends for the last time in school.

So comes this Friday , me and my kids will be trading our places as leavers of BSJ.

I do know for sure how it will turn up my Year 9 daughters. Deep down inside I am dreading that teary scene.

As for Aisyah my girl in Year 5 and she is just 9, she may cry at pick up or in a car. This too I just don't know what should I do or say..

And as for my 7 year old girl Alya , she might be indifferent to this..but she will join Aisyah in crying later.

And me ? Well , I wish I don't have to cry..for I wish to be the strongest one to support and hug my kids in that last bye bye moments ..

posted from Bloggeroid

Back to gym life

Don't know why I didn't start hitting the gym back when Alya was in FS ..

It took me 3 years to enrol myself again as gym member..

I have always enjoy doing the aerobic and cardiovascular classes. .those day my choice is limited as I were only be able to do it after office hours..wait! Actually more of only when my work is done which could be at 6 pm..

So since January this year , I have been going to the gym and doing all the classes that I can..

And wow!! The feeling of doing those zumba, RPM, body combat, yoga , fast fit was sureal. ..

I enjoyed every minutes of it..

And now I am worried of having to miss these classes during that 1 week of CNY school break..I will be in KL ma. .

Did strong Zumba and Fast fit which was awesome. .had me looking forward to my class this week. .

These days my life in the morning just before I need to pick up my gorgeous girls from school after 2 pm daily, it is sandwich with groceries at pasar and supermarket, gym and my kelas pengajian 2x a week. .

Alhamdulillah for the reliable house helper that I have ..just need to tell what dishes to cook or prepared the bumbu for me to cook
..

ALHAMDULILLAH. .

posted from Bloggeroid

Liberalism

Here nobody can easily identified if you are a Muslim or not. Having a local face that easily passed as non Chinese or non Indian or non Caucasian doesn't mean that that person is a Muslim.

Numerous times I had it wrong. With that I don't dare asking a person if she or he is a Muslim.

Their religion is only known to me after our small talks. Even if I see them with their jilbab mom or sisters, I still can't decide if she or he is a Muslim.

And here the Muslims take their solats seriously. Be prepared to see the women especially dressing in sleeveless , short pants or skirt , no jilbab, nails colored coming to mussola to do their prayers. Old and young they come to do their prayers . Natural things to see at shopping malls .

posted from Bloggeroid

Hikmahnya

Another plus point that I can see from me being a SAHM is that I can call my mom whenever I can at anytime of the day..

Unlike working woman, not much choices of the time when can call our parents. Sometimes at lunch time too not able to do it as we may need to do a quick groceries buy. And postpone that catch up calls at night time or next day again.

Indeed our moves to Jakarta has many silver linings . Not only to the benefits of my children but also to my parents also.

Alhamdulillah.

posted from Bloggeroid

Teh tarik

Hubby said that I have been feeling homesick as I keep on ordering teh tarik either hot or cold lately. And how I crave for Malaysian style cooked dishes even on hari raya Haji.

To be honest, I won't deny it. And thank you my dearest superb half for driving me to Ah Mei in Living World Alam Sutera. However we ended eating at Kopi O as Ah Mei was closed for renovation.

This year raya Haji was a low key one. In fact almost all raya Haji that we celebrated in Jakarta had been a low key celebration. All this because it was a school day the next day. How uncool is that..

No doubt I cooked the the rendang ayam N9 . And this year we had lemang. Luckily I managed to order it from another fellow Malaysian. So apart from those two food , I bake a gugelhupf chocolate cake which is a recipe from Chef Wan. First time baking it and it was yummy. So that's it..that was the menu for raya.

Back to my homesick, I miss being in Malaysia. Blame it also for the fact that I spent my whole summer holidays in Malaysia this year.

posted from Bloggeroid

Arts and crafts and play

One day Alya came home with this white cone decorated with different colors and shapes.

I didn't pay much noticed to it..thinking it was just another crafts from her...how they always have it in school .

But my views changed the minute I noticed that she was learning new words of shapes and colors just by doing that simple cone...how I easily forgets that that is how the school teaches them in class.

For the Foundation Stage at BSJ , they school uses EYFS. It involves a lot of arts and crafts and play and also lots of teachers observation too..

Yeah, the teacher do that so that they can help each child in their own special needs and developments. And we got this from the terms reports.

posted from Bloggeroid

BBQ

How old memories sting me like a bee tonight. More because of the presence of the people from the old memory itself.

How we used to have BBQ when my late brother in law was still alive.

I don't know how it started but what I do know is that he always do bbq even before I was married to my husband.

We always have bbq whenever he feels like too.. he did it whenever Baba Nong, Hala Pachik came all over from Singapore to visit us ..And Khuya Fazul and Kak Iz and the kids will drop over also ..

I remember the big open porch of his house where we did the bbq . How nice to have your bbq witness by the clear night skies and the twinkling stars. . Sometimes the night air was cooling..sometimes no wind at all..

But the things that never missed was the laughter and happy mood ... especially when it was Baba Nong and the company..

I don't know why all of a sudden dearest hubby said about wanting to do bbq tonight.

He only said that the girls will like the idea. . And we only went out to get the new bbq set together with the charcoal and my new yellow and red stool from Ace Hardware store at 430 pm.

My MIL is here ..so do her old maid Wiwi that came to visit Umi and us tonight. Here in my Jakarta house.

I do know for sure these two people remember those old days of bbq ... and tonight seeing Wiwi again and having her with us doing bbq , the memories is just so strong... Wiwi was there in the old memories right from the beginning. . And she was also there when my late BIL passed away..

I do love bbq ..the chicken wings ,the lamb and meat was deliciously cooked with loads of loves from my hubby..

posted from Bloggeroid

When maid goes pulkam

My maid is at her kampung now. That is since Tuesday nite I have turned myself into Cinderellaa. ..

And looking at how I sweat each day by just doing all the house chores including cooking , I think I may stand a chance to reduce my weight.

Last night the sweat after mopping the whole ground floor of my house ie from kitchen to living room ...hmm...it's like doing a sauna ..

And today more sweat after doing the laundry..

But then again , it will be meaningless if I didn't control what I eat...

And now I am on my way to pick up my Alya from school.. Today there are 3 school pick ups .. Yeah three different timing due to Arissa having an after school activities which ends at 340 pm. While Aisyah will finish school at 140 pm.. Phew !!!

More walking for me today ..

Luckily today there is no mengaji. ..

posted from Bloggeroid

Lucky me

One of my blessings in life is sending my beautiful 3 girls to school. This are among a few things that my hubby wished he could do or trade place with me.

This photo was shot during one of those mornings. I was walking behind them when the sight of them just snapped me off and what a fantastic shot this will be .

So I stop walking and gave a a bit distance to capture this special moments that I get to be in every single day .

Even know when I look back at this photo, the warm fuzzy feelings just surround me.

Oh yes ! How they all have grown up during this last 4 years of our living in Jakarta.

The most overwhelming thing about this photo is seeing Alya going to school with her two big loving sisters.

Before this, she was the one who send the two big sisters to school. And fetching them home from school with me.

But since August 2015 this year, it is she being accompanied and send to school especially by Arissa. Her Kak Arissa just love walking her up to her class and see her putting up her lunch bag , communication bag and water bottle in place .

While I will be walking up with Aisyah to her class. Once Aisyah is done unpacking her stuffs in her class, do we go and see Alya again. Kisses and hugs for Alya before we say goodbye to her.

Next it will be kisses and hugs to Aisyah who next will be running to join her friends .

And that left me and Arissa for that much precious walk of only me and her. How she loves our special morning walk to her class waiting area .

All this make my friends saying how they seldom see me at school anymore in the morning...

Well my morning routine has change because of my 3 lovely girls..

posted from Bloggeroid

Puncak Cisuaria retreat

Last week, we were in Puncak Cisuaria Bogor.School was off for a week for mid term 1 break. And as this time , we didnt go home to Malaysia, we decided to go somewhere near for a holidays. So off we drove to Puncak on Wednesday which so happned to be tanggal merah ie public holidays . We stayed for a night there . The weather was chilling as you have mountains around you. But what i and also my hubby will remember most is when we got to witness the one way traffic direction down the mountains heading to Jakarta from top..me and hubby was driving out from hotel to get dinners for ourkids and my mil too. And how we did waze up before leaving the hotel. So traffic was a bit slow and we thought that it was just normal. Little that we know that we were soon caught up and stuck in the abovementioned situation. we had to park our car by the road side. What we saw next to us were hundreds of cars mostly bearing Jakarta B plate numbers heading downwards the hills. The 2 way traffic had becomed a 1 way traffic. And all cars are moving down the hills. We had to wait by the road side as the KFC outlet that we wanted to go is in the opposite direction. i think we were stucked for almost 30 minutes. The whole scene could have started much earlier before we were there. So how do we know that the one way traffic was about to stop? Well, we only realized it after we saw one police patrol car with loud sirens and a few police motorcycles passing next to us. Shortly after that I saw many cars behind us making that quick u-turn to go up the roads. Had i not look back at that time, we would have be stuck again in another traffic. The roads was chaotic with cars and vehicles making drastic u-turn and people busy crossing roads. With that, we have become like other fellow indonesian..macet and stuck in traffic during holidays..

Friday nite must-do-list

For the sake of my kids' education , I try to remind myself to read my kids' school weekly newsletter. This I do before I go to sleep on every Friday night.

The school will published weekly newsletter and send email notification about it every Friday evening.

Parents are being updated and informed about what the children are learning during the week and also for the next week. Each Year group will have its own newsletter. Thus its a good way for us parents to keep abreast on what is happening at school. Actually this goes inhand with the school aims of wanting parents to be more involved with their child education and progress.

At least by reading the newletter, I know how I can help my girls at home with what they have learnt and what they are going to learn.

In fact , at the beginning of each term and after mid term break, the school too will give us a printout of the whole term themes of topics that will be taught. The school really wants each child to have a good exposure, extra information and early ideas of what that term theme will be.

Sometimes, I refer back to last year academic newsletters for more insight on what to expect.

I really like this newletter ideas ..its totally different from my time. But i cant compare to school back in Malaysia. My kids have never experience it for we moved here when Arissa was starting her primary year.

posted from Bloggeroid

.One day of fasting

So my dearest Aisyah, should you asked me in the future of what age that you succesfully fast for one full day in Ramadan, Mama gonna say that it happened when you were 5 and half year old.

The special day was on Saturday 27th ofJuly 2015. It was the 10th day of Ramadan ie fasting. And how I told you that it would be a great idea if you could stay on fasting until the break fast time and break it with Baba especially. All the because Baba would be returning from KL after being there for one week of workshop.

Thus when Baba arrived home at noon, I remember how Baba challenged you to break your old record of staying fasting until 2 pm. Of course you were already weak by noon. But somehow you were motivated by Baba's word and managed to continue fasting until Mahgrib..

I remember how you almost fell asleep on the black sofa in the living room with the fan blowing right at you..

And remember when I suggested to you to lie down upstairs in my room aftwewards? Yeah , we were lying down on that cooling white marble floor with the fan blowing directly at us...

Baba said that once your tummy had been tested to stay on fasting until Maghrib, then your second day of fasting would be a breeze.
How true that notion was.

Your second day of fasting came easy after the first day. So was your 3rd day too . Even when you had to follow me shopping for baju raya and your black school shoes!

Alhamdulillah. And high five to you my sweet and everhelpful girl!

Mama, Kakak Arissa , Baba and lil Alya are so proud of you..

U have been doing terawih from day one of Ramadan.. and you had been practising fasting half a day even when you have to go to school..

Love you loads dear...

posted from Bloggeroid

Religion

Real life story that I witnessed today:

In front of us there , she shared with us that she and her husband would let their children choose their own religion. Be it Islam or Christian..This coming from a lady who is married to a Caucasion and all her children are still in primary and secondary school. This too coming from a lady that did her umrah. This too coming from a lady who drinks alcoholic drinks. Of course her religion is Muslim if you ask me.

I didnt say a word let alone comment anything on it.

Everytime I am faced with this religion or principle of religion that is related to Islam, my best defence is to not say anything about it unless my views are asked.

It's hard for someone like me who is not an expert in islamic teaching nor am i graduated from islamic studies, to give my says ..

The best advice from my ustaz or from my own reading on what I should be doing is to pray to Allah so that this person will be given light and direction and guidance from Allah ... May this person will be muslim till his or her last breath..

This also is the challenges that me and husband have to face in bringing up our precious children as a Muslim in an international and multiculture societies..

May Allah keep us in His Rahmat. Amin

posted from Bloggeroid

That feeling again..

Again I have to be a single parent for almost a week as dearest husband is away on a business trip..

A feeling that most unwelcome by me!

How empty I feel inside of me. And boredom is everywhere that it got me thinking and planning of what to do for this week ! Haiya !

I wonder how others who are really a single parent either by death or divorce, do they feel the same way I do ?

Someone that is dearly to me is going through one of the unhappiest moments of her marriage.

I feel empty and bored because my husband is away. She being empty and bored because her husband is neither here nor there.

posted from Bloggeroid

Post lebaran ...maid issues

I am thankful that my maid who has been working with me just 2 months before hariraya , continues working with me 3after hari raya ended. In Java land, having maid issues of them not returning or resuming work with the same employer after lebaran break is common like eating bubur ayam as your breakfast here.. Prior coming back to J-town a few days during my raya breaks, I had received news of friends who are maidless..they have received the bad news of their maids not returning to work with them..Some have the desency to send sms to their employers to inform of the bad news..And some of the maids didnt..Leaving my friends in the dark of not knowing if the maids will return or not after lebaran break.. Up to now, some of my friends who maids quit during lebaran,have got new maids..Yeah..so easy to get new maids right..but then again all this is uncertaint. It all depends on ones luck and timing and location too.. The locals have a saying for this ..."it is like meeting your soulmates when it comes to find a good reliable trusted and honest maid" Easy come. Easy go.Maids.. Again, two things that will give anyone a stress when living in Jakarta which are maids and supir.. Macet or the famous traffic jam? That is nothing actually..almost everyone I know have been immune to it..

Our 3rd ramadan

Actually it's the 2nd ramadan that I am here fasting. This is because last year me and the girls fast in kinrara as Alya had her operation.

Nevertheless, Alhamdulillah me and my girls get to fast with their baba.

And being away from malaysia especially during this ramadan, it also means no bazar ramadan for us..huhu..

It's not like I didnt cooked at all . I still have to cook dishes for sahur. Arissa eat nasi and lauk for sahur and buka puasa. Which is good for her so that she wont be weak ..

As for me and hubby, we like to eat none of that nasi and lauk for buka puasa..

So since there is no bazar ramadan here, I have as the CEO of the kitchen, needs to cook what ever dishes we are craving...

Thank goodness, I can get kueh buah melaka or kelompang, ketayap or kueh koci from my pasar moderan...

Alhamdulillah also, even though we dont have air mata kucing and all those endless colourfull drinks ( actually I only like buying air kelapa muda and mata kucing) , we like jus mentimun and air buah blewah...it's as refreshing as our air kelapa muda too.. here, one needs to be carefull when buying air kelapa muda from the street. Hygiene matters..

Ops...need to pick up my two big A's from school..

Alhamdulillah. Arissa is still fasting..

Closure of 2013-2014 academic year

"Please do keep in touch.  Good

luck next year, the children will fly,

and if you are moving, good luck with the move, an exciting but

stressful time I know.  Once it all settles we will all look back at

this year and cannot help but smile and laugh at all the memorable

moments that made up this year."

This was taken from Aisyah's teacher's email Ms Jeanette Sy.  The last sentence was hit me hard that it's like reading a novel or like it came from a movie.

I hate last day of school. I hate hearing and knowing people that I always see each day at school leaving for another country.  I just dont like it.

And today, it hit me really hard that my eyes were wet suddenly when I said and hug farewell to Aisyah's teacher. It was so over whelming. 

Maybe because she had been a very passionate and dedicated teacher. I saw how Aisyah made amazing development in her learnings and also social skills. 

Imagine one teacher having the responsibility to teach 20 students reading skills using phonetic ..It's one tough job in making the kids to sit down and stay in focus and attention in reading.

Early this year we were amazed when we see Aisyah can read. And the progress she made was so amazing. Alhamdulillah. 

Another thing that amazed me when it comes to education system at BIS FOundation Stage is the 1-1 teaching concept.

This I noticed whenever I am at Aisyah's class. Be it morning before the class starts at 8 am or during school time, I noticed how Ms Sy was always with a kid teaching using 1-1 concept.

Back to the last day, as usual we see people leaving.

This time, Arissa's Year 4B class teacher  Mr Simon Leask and her Year 3 class teacher Ms Emma Russell is leaving BIS.

As for her classmate, Joe Sandham is leaving to Singapore.

Same for Aisyah too.  She will be missed her classmates Sofia and Sophie Young and Marko too..

Hemm... :(

Alya at 2 years old and 8 months

Thesedays I find her easily keeping herself occupied and entertained. I will see her reading outloud to herself. She will picked up a book and straight doing a book reading . Of course she cant read yet. But she will make up her own story. She may get one or two words right . I think this happened as she remembers what was read to her on each pages of the storybook.

I find it amusing and it reminds me of how Aisyah used to be when she was at this age like Alya. It is so identical. I still have Aisyah's video on this act.

Another thing that Alya loves doing is singing. The songs can be from twinkle little star , baba black sheep to wrecking balls,frozen's soundtrack song, or maroon five songs , any current hit songs that we hear in the car..

That's what you get when you have 2 big sisters aged 9 and 5 that like singing and do thier own small stage performance when at home..And not forgetting singing in the car..

Anyhow, I think I need to get some surah cd ... just to balance things out..

posted from Bloggeroid

My ever loyal companion

She came to Jakarta when she was 3 months old. And eversince that day we arrived here and eversince her eldest sister started schooling, Alya has been that part of sending and picking up her sisters to/fro school.

She has become that familiar faces that everyone sees in school. From students, teachers and the regular mommies that we always bump into from monday to Friday. 

How time flies.

Alhamdulillah she is grown much more especially after that major operation done last year.