Just Because......

Just because of a rumor spread like a fire among West Sumatera people that a very powerful earthquake and massive swells will hit Padang (the capital city of West Sumatera) very soon, it is suddenly like a Dead City! People who live near beach have started to move to the higher land while some of them take a drastic action by moving to another cities, like Jakarta and Pekan Baru. Leaving all their lives behind and starting a new one.

Every day, if I go to the wet market or taking Attar and Puan to go to the playground, it is their favorite topic ever. It seems all of people in West Sumatera have the same nightmare every time they sleep. They become paranoid of everything and hey... it must influence their daily life for sure.

I know West Sumatera people are trauma of last year's earthquake, I was here when it was occured. My parents's home was just about 500 meters from the sea and it was destroyed my home. Me and my whole family became refugees for three days since there were no electricity and clean water. I was also here when the recent earthquake and tsunami occurred. I have my own reason why I do not like the sea. You can read it Here. 

Should we be afraid of something like this rumor? Should we live in fear forever, worried of something that we absolutely do not have ideas will be happened? Okay... some of geologist have "predicted" it will be happened, but hey... they are human beings like us, too. No human beings but God can predict what will be happened in the future or even in the next second. The only thing we can do is always be ready of anything. Know how to deal with it.

I can feel what they feel and I am traumatic also but I choose to live of my life. The life must go on. It makes me remember the wise words of Mac Taylor, The Head Investigator of Crime Scene Investigation, New York (my new favorite serial movie), "We will be death someday. That's for sure. So I am not afraid of it."

Attar, Puan and I will be back to Jakarta, soon, 24 November 2010, 8.45 AM by Garuda Indonesia. It is definitely not because of the rumor but because it is time for us to back home. I have warn my family to stay alert and learn the evacuation map if it is occurred. We have agreed to meet at a meeting point at the higher land, just in case we are separated. Above anything, we still live as our routine normally. Just more alert of our surrounding.

I really want to know your  opinion about this. Share a though or two. I will be love to know them. Staying strong, my friends... 

- Amelia -

Me and the Sea

Even though I live near sea for years, actually I never enjoy the sea. I feel nervous to hear the wave sound hit on the beach sand or to see the calm sea becomes the wildest one just in seconds. I know this is a childish feeling, but I can not help it. I have tried to overcome my feeling years ago, but still, there is a time my nervous of the sea comes and make me uncomfortable.

My parents told me that I was almost drawn at the sea when I was 5 years old. I was off my parents guard when played with the sea wave. I do not remember the detailed but I remember my struggling in the sea for the air and thanks to God, the wave had taken me back to the beach. Well, lucky me. It was not my time yet. That is why I believe every children in this world guard by angels.

I never blamed my parents of this accident. The accident itself had made them  feeling guilty.  I guess I was too protected as a child and never got a warning  that playing with the wave on my own was very dangerous. They think can supervised all the children all the time feeling and not necessary to warn them of the dangers. So, when they did not pay attention of me playing with the sea wave just seconds, the accident happened.

Anyway, I try my fear of the sea is not affected to my children. If we are in Padang and the weather is good, we will take them to the beach and they can play with the sand and sea waves. We will never let them play by themselves. Once is enough. 

It is very important to teach the children to avoid danger. If you play with  a knife, there is a possibility you will cut yourself. If you play with fire, you may burnt. If you play with the electricity, you may get shocked.  Something like that. So in the future, they will be careful of what their doing. We can not supervise them 24 hours. Be independent.

I have a new friend from Australia, a blogger like me: The Rambling Expat, who love to fish. Someone who love to fish must love the sea also, I guess. I hope someday I will be comfort to enjoy the sea, just like him. But first of course, I have learn to swim. Lol. Is there anyone have the same experience with mine? I would like to know your story then.

- Amelia -

Breaking Dawn

I have lent a book from the library for ME Time!: Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer. Actually I am not the big fan of The Twilight Saga (Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn), but my sister, Ola, is. I am just curious to see her emotion every time she read it, so I have to read it also.

Unfortunately, I did not get the English version, but in Bahasa Indonesia version. I actually prefer the original one, but this is the best I can get. There are 862 pages. My mother joked that I do not need pillow since the book itself is already like one. Lol.

Just like the other sanguine character, I read it from the last pages to make sure it has a happy ending. I can not bear a sad ending story because I will cry and have bad mood for days. I have to finish it before the end of this month since we will be back to Jakarta soon.

Anyway, I have read to 133 pages. Still long way to go, Amigo, but I know now why Ola likes it. The novel is great. I am in love with Edward Cullen and Bella Swan character. When I read it, I feel like I were there. What a great book it is!

I have watched Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse movies. I prefer the books than the movies, but I can not help myself from Robert Pattinson who has acted as Edward Cullen. Sometime I think Robert Pattinson and Edward Cullen are the same person! Lol. Read the books and watch the movies, you will find out that my words are true. It is an alternative to enjoy your ME Time!.

- Amelia -

Memoir of My Senior High School

My former home was our class official destination.

Through Facebook, I finally have found my long lost friends at the Senior High School in Padang. I have lost my school year book when I moved out to Jakarta, so you can not imagine how happy I am when one by one I can find them all. Whoa, is it true we have passed fourteen years without keeping in touch? It feels like yesterday! You can see how happy we were on the picture above. Time really flies, doesn't it?

I find out that Lia already has two children, Riri has two boys, Eliza is expecting her  second child, Atik is a volunteer in Nias Island, North Sumatera, Iza and Yuli has moved out to Jakarta. Some of them are still in Padang like Doni, Hamda, Dia and Edward. When I chatted with them, I feel like seventeen years old again. Oh, I miss those times!

I really had a great time at the Senior High School. How about you, my friends?

Our Class Members.

- Amelia -

           

Long Distance Relationship: Will It Work?

A friend of mine has asked me whether a long distance relationship will it work. In my case: It works. I have met Abi (my husband) in Y!messenger 10 years ago. I was 22 years old at the time, already had 2 side-jobs, as an English-Indonesian Translator for Oracle Implementation Team in Padang, West Sumatera, Indonesia and a Radio Broadcaster, while trying hard to accomplish my study at the university at the same time. I have no time for having a boy friend and hanging out with my friends since anytime I got a spare time, I would use it to study or to sleep.

Abi was 27 years old, has established his job as a consultant in Manila, Philippines. He got my name from "search friend" engine in Y!Messenger. He was quite surprised to find me almost online for 24/7 and sent me  a message, just to say "Hi". By the way, we used Y!Messenger  at the office to keep in touch with the other team member at another floor. More practical.

What I have in my mind, it was just a practical joke of my colleagues. They always had fun of me since I was the only female colleague in the Oracle Implementation Team and I had simply answered the message, just to pay them back. I did not have ideas at all it was a real one.

When Abi had started to ask my address, phone number and permission to visit me in Padang when he got holidays in December, I still had though it was a joke. A plan ticket was expensive because of the new year festive, he had none that he knew in Padang but me, just have a week for holidays before going back to Manila... and he still wanted to visit me? It was impossible. Nonsense. Why would he do that for a girl that he met online? I still had tough it was a big practical joke ever of my colleagues.

Abi really came to Padang! He meant what he had said to me, not a joke. Then we met. We spent some days to know each other (of course with my parents supervision) and decided we gave a chance to develop our relationship furthermore.

Do you think it was so soon? We did not think so. I did not have time to know any men with my full schedule and so did he. Nothing to loose. If we were not match, at least none got hurt. That was we though.

We were in long distance relationship for four years before making a decision to get married and staying in the same city. If we count how many days that we had met face-to-face in four years, maybe only six months more or least. We always tried to inform what we have done a day, sent many e-mails, chatting after the office-hours, made phone calls from Manila to Padang (because it was cheaper than Padang to Manila) and most of things was to find out whether we have the same point of view in this life.

On my marriage day.

Here we are now. We have got married for six years already, have two charming children and life. So, if someone tells you that your long distance relationship will not last forever, just remember this blog of mine. Keep the faith, my friends...

- Amelia -

Honesty is Hardly Ever Heard

I had taken the children to their regular check up to the dentist some days ago. We waited at the cozy waiting room when suddenly Attar told me he was sorry for a guy who sat in front of us. He felt sorry because maybe all of the guy's face scratched of some wild cats! Then I looked at the guy and found out that it was obvious the marks on his face caused by the chickenpox. Whoa! I felt ashamed of myself  for a moment because of Attar's comment and asked for the guy apology directly. Thanks to God the nurse called my children names not long after the awkward situation. Attar can be too honest sometime. Lol!

It makes me remember the song of Billie Joel, "Honesty". Honesty is hardly ever heard. That's true, Billie.... I completely agree with you. Even though Attar just tried to be honest, he put the guy in awkward situation. He did not even know how to react  to Attar's comment. Poor guy.

We always teach our children to be honest. Sooner or later, parents always know if their children lies. Look at Pinokio. His nose becomes longer and longer because he lied to his father, Pepito.

But being too honest like Attar did is not polite in society, even though the words came from a 5 years old child. His parents will be accused not teaching their child  good manners properly by others. I will try to explain him it is okay being honest but not that way. First, I have to anticipate his questions. Ehm... This must be confused him. Honest, but not too honest? Can we say not too honest as a lie? Whoa... even me get confused! Then I decided, if he wants to give such a comment in the future, please whispering to my ears or just keeping  it to himself. Yep, my friends..... Honesty is hardly ever heard, isn't it?

- Amelia -

Teaching Our Children With Reality

Have you ever experienced taking your children to the toy store for buying their friend's birthday gift? Most of their reaction is demand for a toy also. The chance is 100% happened. So, almost adult will not do such a silly action, because we do not want ruin their mood before the party. It will be embarrassed us if they keep screaming for the toy if we do not fulfill their demand. At the end, they will win because we do not want to hear any longer screaming.

I have deal with the situation once with Attar. His friend's birthday party was held in the fast food restaurant at the mall, so for saving my time, I looked for the gift before the party with him at that mall. I have anticipated if Attar also asked for a toy. Actually I can afford if he asked for it but I have a commitment with my husband, not easy to agree of what our children demands, especially for secondary demands like toys. But what happened then? Attar even did not asked anything! He just picked one for his friend's birthday gift to wrap without much words.

On the other time, my parents came to Jakarta for holidays and take Attar to a toy store. They allowed him to pick anything he wanted, but he thanked them and refused the offer politely. Attar said he already has a lot of toys. My parents wondered how could he reacted like it. Most of children could not hold the temptation buying toys. He already has a lot of toys so does not need the newest one. It is better for him to save the money for something else in his "yellow-piggy bank".

It does not mean we are stingy of buying our children toys. That is not the point. We want they learn that we will not fulfill their demand easily. Must have reason, is it worth it to buy or not. There are some occasional time we will be happy to buy them toys, like on their birthday or as a reward for their achievement. We realize Attar and Puan are still young, but there is no reason not to educated them the value of money earlier. We want them learn in the simple way.

We also educate them to respect people whom are poor. Do not ever labeled poor people because of their condition. They wear used clothing  and live in the dirty place not because they want it, but they have to. We even take them to the orphanage and eat lunch together with all the children over there. We want to show them not everyone in this world live in comfort as they are. Some of them does not  even have parents to support their life. So they have to grateful and live in frugal way. Thank to God, they can take the value. Age 1 to 6 years old is the golden period of the children, we have to educate them properly for the future.

Attar, Puan and some of the orphanage children after lunch.

Frugal Down Under is my new blogger friend who has the same value as mine. How about yours, my friends?

- Amelia -

My Blindness of Direction: Is it Right or Left?

Dear friends, I really want to make a survey in this blog whether it is only ME who has this habit.  The habit is I always say my right side as left and my left side as right!! Maybe this is funny for some people, but it does annoy for other people, like my husband. I do not do this on purpose, it is just spontaneous.

Here is the story, I had made him take a long route once when we had holidays and we got lost. It was only because I asked him we had to turn left while it supposed to turn right. Oh no! If you think this happened once, you have mistaken because it happens almost every time he asked direction to me. I wonder why he keeps asked me direction while he knows well will get the wrong one. Love can be blind sometime.

The funny thing is I ever answered him to turn left, but he did turn right and it was correct! How humiliate I was. He said that he will remember this all of his life as a long-lasting joke, so he can tell it to our children in the future. Then we found a solution for this habit. From now on, please do not say right or left if others ask. Just point it, to the right or to the left. But still, when I point to the left, my mouth says to the right! Ughh.. is there any cure for this bad habit?

So, my friends... I do hope if you or your family or your friends have the same habit of mine, please please share with me. I want to show to my husband that I am not the only one in this world who have this habit. Will you help me then? Thanks in advanced.

- Amelia -

The Resemblance of We

Our "Sponge Bob"

Time really flies, doesn't it? I still think that my children as babies, but tonight, when I see them sleeping peacefully, I do realize that they are growing up fast. Giving birth to them was just like yesterday, but hey... Attar will turn to 5 years old and Puan will be 2 years old next December. Day by day, they start to resemblance of we. Time do really flies, at least for me.

Physically, Attar resemblance my husband. He got his eyes, nose, cheek bones... even his "Joker" smile. If we compared the childhood photograph, Attar and him,you will find those similarities. But not as a character, he definitely just like me, a sanguine - choleric one.

He is an easy going child, talkative, makes friends easily, a leader in his playgroup class and always cheerful. Even though he get a high fever, he can still run around  the hospital and does not care at all about the fever! It seems the world is his personal playground. Sound just like me. My husband call him "Sponge Bob" because his characters are so "Sponge Bob", a famous cartoon movie character. I can predict that he will be a famous boy among girls in the future. Lol.

His sister, Puan, is a copy-me physically. Her eyes, ears, nose, even her skin color  are the same as mine. Her smile is still the same as my husband. She is a Mini-Me, that is what my big family in Padang call her. I must stay four days in the hospital for giving birth to her spontaneously. Really something to remember.

The Little Princess

But  as a character, Puan resemblances his father, a melancholy - sanguine one. Even though she is one going to two years old, we are as her parents, can see that she is a perfectionist. For example, she will re-brush her hair if she thinks her hair not just like she wants. Puan needs time to get a long others, a moody girl. Sometime using her cries to achieve what she wants.

It is amazing, isn't it? How our children resemblance we are. Every day, I thank God for giving me this opportunity: having children. Learning their characters is my way to deal with them. Each of them are unique, so we also need a unique way to raise them well.

We hope so.

- Amelia -

Last Earthquake in West Sumatera

Earthquake something common has occurred in Padang, West Sumatera, since I was a little girl. Just like the earthquake for Japanese. At that time, we had known ideas or knowledge of what a tsunami was or how to rescue ourselves if it came. My parents home was less 1 kilometer from the beach. Earthquake was just an earthquake for us. If it has occurred, we went out of the building, waited after it was over and then continued our activities just like it never happened. End of story.

Me and my children has been in Padang for holidays and we felt how powerful the  last 27 October earthquake was. There was a hard rain when the earthquake happened, around 10 PM. I was reading a bed-time story for Attar and Puan.

It was 7.7 -magnitude quake. A 13-foot tsunami that swept away homes, killing at least 431 people in Mentawai Island, West Sumatera and hundreds of people are still missing till present.

Last year on 30 September, when a powerful earthquake struck off the West Sumatra coast in Indonesia, measuring 7.9 -magnitude quake; me, my husband and the children were also in Padang for holiday. It was followed by another two deadly earthquakes which triggered landslides. The earthquakes left a trail of destruction and caused the death of at least 1,117 people and severely injured another 1,214 people. No tsunami  was occurred that time.

So, if I compared between those two earthquakes, the last year was harder than the last  one. We got shocked when found out that there were tsunami occurred in Mentawai Island. Yes, there  a rumor spread among the West Sumatera people that there will be a very powerful earthquake coming soon, but we can not live in fear just because of that reason. What we have to do is always being alert because we do not have knowledge to predict when or how the disaster will coming through us.

Thanks to God because all of my whole family are safe. My parent's new home is about 5 kilometer from the beach, so it was became a shelter for other relative who live near beach. Attar and Puan had no traumatic memory of those earthquake. So, I do hope in the next future we will be prepared to deal with the natural disaster like earthquake and tsunami to minimal the effects. We live in Indonesia which has thousand of islands and the longest beach lines in this world. Please Pray for Indonesia.

-Amelia -

ME Time!

Full-time mothers who have young children like me know that it is hard to get a spare time for ourselves. 24/7 you devote yourself for family. I do not mean to complain or regret to be a full-time mother, but sometime I  need time to recharge myself to deal with these routine. From morning to the next morning, the days are just the same for me. So, I divide a week as weekdays and weekend. Lol.

Maybe you can feel what I feel. I feel like a robot. Not fun anymore. When I shared how I feel to Attar's schoolmate mother, she suggested me to leave the children to my husband and went to beauty salon for spa from morning to afternoon. Free from the children for a half day.

I can not do that. I absolutely would not enjoy the spa. Must feeling guilty because of neglected them.  I will keep thinking about the children meals, how will loud their screaming for their mother, will their father be patient with their never ending questions (Attar keeps asking WHY to anything he does not understand and Puan is in her period of imitating her brother action) or else.

My parents and in-laws lived in another cities, so I can not ask for grandpa-grandma's help to babysit their grandchildren. I practically bring them wherever I go on weekdays. The solution is I have to find time for myself that make me suitable with my husband and children.

Princess Hours, 25 eps.

Yep, I call it: ME Time! It is a time after Attar and Puan going sleeping. It is around 9 PM. I can do anything I want, like reading novels, watching my favorite Korean drama or even trying a new recipes in my kitchen. When my husband back home late at night, I will share ME Time! with him. We usually drink some cups of tea and talk about our day till we are sleepy.

In the morning, I will be a fresh mother who can deal with my routine. My body may lack of sleeping but I have giving "food" to my soul. Ehmm... I will watch this Korean Drama tonight. Can't hardly wait.

- Amelia -

A Place I Called HOME....

There is a wise man of Padang have ever said  in my native language that "Dima bumi dipijak, disitu langik dijunjuang". Meaning, where we live, it is our home. It is suggested that we have to adapt to our new neighborhood even though it has different culture, no matter what.

I remembered when the first time I came to Jakarta after getting married. The truth is I get used to live with my family. Feeling comfort in my family warmness. In Padang, it just took some minutes to go every where  since it is just a small city and no traffic at all, plus I can asked my brother to drive me , free of public transportation charged. I am the first person in my family live far from Padang. Jakarta was definitely a "new jungle" for me.

Jakarta is a very big city for a "girl" like me.  I had no friends here, had to learn new map (such as the nearest market, where to go to eat, the public transportation routes and fares, etc) just by myself since my husband had a project in another town for three weeks right after getting married. So, I was alone in Jakarta. I spent a lot of money for making a long distance phone calls to my mother, feeling homesick.

Later on, I started to make friends around my neighborhood. Going to the mall for spending time if I did missed my husband, trying to make my new home homey... anything to make the homesick go away and I succeeded. Jakarta is now my home, just like Padang. Even thought Jakarta is still too crowded for me, traffics every where, there is a thing that make me miss Jakarta if I must leave the city for some days.

My favorite CD.

Hey, I actually have found some songs about home:  Michael Bublé - Home, Brian McKnight - Back Home, Christ Daughtry - I'm going Home, Lynard Skynard - Sweet Home Alabama, John Denver - Take Me Home, Carrie Underwood - Home Sweet Home, Westlife - Back Home. Whoa! There are still more. I am sure you have your own story about what is a HOME for you.

- Amelia -