Mommy’s World

    We met  in  freshman year of college. We were teenagers  who have so much dream, hope and expectation  for this life. I came from a small town in Indonesia. It was my first time ever away from my family. Those college years were hard on me. I wasn’t born to be independent like you. You always been tough on yourself. You do everything by yourself and always solve your own problems. In contrary,  I always have  support from my family. I always have someone to cheer me when I’m down. Thanks to my wonderful family  who always stand behind me. 

When I was away from my family, You have become my cheer leader. You always lift me up and always believe in me. You are the person who always push me to the place I did ‘t know I could reach. . You always said, "I know you can do it".

Through the birth of our children, I know how strong  and mature you are. You always be beside me when I endured the pain of labor.  Labor are not easy, but having you by my side just make it a big different. You are the best partner that I ever had. The whole experience are so powerful and beautiful that I just cannot imagine going through it without you.

On our anniversary, I just feel so blessed to have you in my life. This is the faith from Allah. He sent you for me. He made me be to be your companion. I understand my role and I hope I can execute it the best I could.. I know I need reminder every once in a while…, but I am totally realize how important my role is. I shall love you, take care of you and support you in every aspect of life. I shall become better partner for you…., May Allah help me to become a good companion to you.. For we always have the same mission in this life. We want to protect our family and ourselves from the blazng fire of naar. We want to to sacrifice our time, money and all of our life in the way of Allah. Something so divine that’s not so easy to achieve. May Allah always guide you as a qiyadah in this family…., May Allah protect us from syeitan who always has evil plan to astray us from the truth….May Allah always help us to achieve our goal.

On our anniversary, I want to thank you, for everything that you’ve done to our family. You have been great husband for me and a great dad for our children. It’s not always perfect, but I know you always try your best. May Allah  strengthen our love and  bless us with more years of happiness and rahmah.

Dearly beloved, happy ten years anniversary. I’m looking forward to many years of having you in my heart.

From your wife, your companion and your partner in life…

    I heard the case of stolen identity before. It even happen to my good friend few years ago. Someone bought a car with her check. How he can get access to her checking account??? I don’t know. But yeah.., this thing happen and we should be aware of it.

    My case is much more simple than that…but still I felt robbed.  Here is my stories..

    At home, I rarely log out from my yahoo account. It’s a family computer so my daughter, Nabila, has an access to it. One day, she creates an avatar without me knowing. Well, she mentions about it couple of time.., but I thought…Well, no harm in that, right?? One day, I just happen to look at my own avatar…OMG, you know what? It was a girl with a tank top and skimpy skirt with  her belly showing. It looks like she was in Madigra party!!!  I talk to Nabila and tell her that is SO not me. What if my friend saw it…, what will they think of me? The avatar should represent me…, not anybody else!

I tried to change my avatar couple of time. It failed and I don’t know why!! I guessed I’m just being technologically challenge. Plus, I can’t be in the computer for so long..
I said, "Could you please change it to someone looks more like me?".

Nabila realized what she did could ruin my reputation:), and said, "OK mama, I’ll change it." Then, she created an avatar with a hijab.". I said,"There you go.., that’s look more like your mama.Next time, don’t mess with my account, OK. Just do your own thing in your own account." Nabila…Nabila…Nabila….

    The second one just happen last week. Nabila was texting her grandpa, using my cell, asking for webkinz and whatnot. Then, for some reasons she just want to "say Hi" to all my friends on the address list. She sent a cute animated picture with it.., a sound " Ta Da’. and a text hi. I still don’t know what’s going on, till I got several calls and texts from my friends. They were like, " Vivi, what’s this?". Then, I checked my sent folder and saw what Nabila has sent. I was so not happy with it…Can you imagine it..?!! She even sent the text to one of the NYC masjid’s Imam. The imam even reply the text and call. I apologize to the Imam and said, " I’m sorry, it was my daughter.."

I was so so mad with her…I said never to use my cell phone again except to text grandpa. I told her that the Imam called me wondering what’s going on..".
She felt so bad and felt so embarrassed.  I think she learned her lesson, me too, of course.., I need to be careful when  granted any access to anything to my kids. They have so much curiosity and creativity  than what we could imagine. What we think harmless could turn in to something….
Hope everyone can learn from my mistakes….

Intan namanya……
Kenal Intan dari kakak kelasku, Imax….
Waktu acara "perkenalan" siswa baru di SMA,  Imax bilang ke aku, "Kamu mirip banget deh sama  Intan…." Aku yang kebetulan baru pindah ke Rumbai saat itu bingung, "Sapa sih Intan?", pikirku. Ga lama dari situ, Imax ngenalin aku ke Intan.Terus, aku dan Intan temenen deh, sampe lulus SMA. Intan anaknya baik banget, kalem dan agak pendiem waktu itu.

Tahun1993, aku berangkat ke US untuk kuliah. Intan berangkat ke Australia. Kita sempet surat-suratan.., curhat dan sebagainya. Dulu kan e-mail belum musim…tapi kita rajin banget  surat-suratan. Kadang kita suka kirim-kiriman foto juga…, hi..hi..hi…iseng banget yah…?! Well, we just wanted to be close at heart….:)

Tapi akhirnya, for some reasons,  sekitar tahun 1998 kita putus kontak….Ga tau kenapa…, masing-masing sibuk kaya’nya.

Walopun begitu, aku kadang masih suka inget Intan di sela-sela kesibukanku…"Kemana ya Intan? Apa kabarnya yah…"? Sampe di profile fsku, nama Intan aku tulis di kolom "Who do you want to meet?". Gitu tuh…saking pinginnya "ketemu" Intan lagi……

Eh, kemaren malem, pas iseng liat friends’ update, kok ngeliat ada yang baru add "Indri S". Teng…, Indri..??? Indri kan adeknya Intan…..Whoooohuuuu, langsung deh aku kirim e-mail ke Indri …terus aku liat di friends list-nya Indri….ada "Intan…". Ya Allah…, seneng banget deh. Ketemu juga akhirnya temen yang kucari-cari..
Masalahnya "circle" temenku dan Intan ga banyak  yang nyambung. Intan dan aku beda SMA-nya. Temen-temennya Intan, aku ga ada yang kenal.  Pokoknya circle of friend-nya aku dan Intan cuma Imax and the gank deh (ga ada yg friendsteran, jadi ga connected sama sekali deh:)  Tapi Alhamdulillah, setelah dua setengah tahun berfriendster.., aku nemuin Intan lagi…. I’m so happy that Intan is doing well in her career and marriage. I want to hear more stories from her….Yes.., we have a lot of catching up to do….Thank you so much friendster for finding my friend……..! It’s the best feeling…!!!

Two way ticket Raleigh - Jakarta           $ 8000 (for six people)

Second check-in luggage                       $    60  ($ 15 each)

Morgage, electricity, water bill for 2
months that still need to be paid while
we’re on vacation                                  $  2500

Creambath, massage, facial                  $      80

Eating our favorite food                       $     100

Seeing our family in Cengkareng gate
waiting for us                                        Priceless

Seeing how happy our parents
playing with our kids                             Priceless

Seeing  our old friends                          Priceless

2 months doing no laundry, cooking,
cleaning, dusting, ironing, etc              Priceless

Shopping without kids whining              Priceless

Listen to adzan 5 times a day
from local masjid                                  Priceless

Talking without thinking in our
native language to everyone               Priceless

Going to our 3rd honeymoon to
lombok on our 10 th anniversary            
while our parents take care of our
kids                                                     Priceless( Oh well plus airplane & hotel)

FOR EVERYTHING ELSE THERE IS MAS EKO’S DEBIT CARD…..:)

Honey, this is my budget proposal for our vacation to Indonesia…..:)

Hari ini aku mulai menyapih Malik, InsyaAllah, anakku paling kecil: ).  Bulan ini Malik akan berumur 18 bulan. Sebenarnya, aku belum yakin bener mau misahin Malik. Kaya’nya kasian  deh, masih doyan banget mimik..Tapi, dia kaya’nya terlalu tergantung sama aku. Dikit-dikit minta mimik…, akhirnya dengan dukungan babanya…, :), dengan berat hati Malik aku sapih. Sebenarnya sih masih pingin terus, kaya;nya enak deh bisa memberikan ketenangan dan asupan gizi ke anak. Cuma yah itu, memang agak berat juga. Apalagi Malik malem-malem masih sering bangun cuma buat mimik. Hmmmmh, gimana yah? Ga tega, tapi pingin agak bebas juga….Duh.., gimana sih aku…?!!

Tapi, Subhanallah, Malik baik banget deh. Walaupun ga dikasih mimik tapi ga rewel. Pas dia minta dimimi-in, aku bilang, "Mimik bye..bye…" itu aja aku ulang-ulang…, dia paling merengek dikit terus tidur. Aduh, baik banget yah…? Aku bilang, "Maaf ya nak…, Malik ga dikasih lagi". Sempet airmataku menetes, waktu dia tertidur dipangkuan, "Malik bukan bayi lagi", pikirku.

Kata Mas Eko, "Tiap anak kan ada fasenya, sekarang fasenya Malik untuk lebih independent..Uhhh, dasar nih si baba..he..he..he….bisa aja nyari alasan.
Saif juga agak "terpukul". Dia berkali-kali nanya.., "Why Malik can’t mimik anymore?". Aku bilang, "He’s not a baby anymore!!". Terus Saif bilang, "He s a baby, Mama. He wants you, He’s not a big boy.". Kaya’nya dia merasa tersaingi kalo’ Malik jadi "big boy". Dia pinginnya Malik terus jadi baby …..

Nabila dan Faris ikut memberikan simpati ke Malik. "Are you sad, Malik?", tanya Nabila sambil nganbilin jus. Pokoknya semua ikut prihatin dengan keadaan Malik.
Sebenarnya, kalau diliat dari pola makannya, Malik ga perlu mimik lagi, soalnya makannya dah banyak, Alhamdulillah. Susunya malah kurang karena kebanyakan mimik. Ah tau deh, mudah-mudahan aku "kuat" dan konsisten  nyapih Malik.
But, surely I’m missing my special time with him…….It’s a beautiful feeling when he’s laying down beside me….It’a a very special bond  that cann’t be describe by words. When you nurse your baby, you feel so much love for your baby. You feel so much needed.
Yeah…I am missing my baby alright…….!!!

    Anak-anak dah bobok. Hmmmh, time to relax. Biasanya, aku mulai ke dapur  bikin teh kesukaanku dan Mas Eko. Kita nyebutnya "Pakistani Tea". Tehnya pekat plus susu carnation. Hmmmh, enak bener kalo’ dinikmati minumnya.

Terus, kudengar Mas Eko, tune in ke SCTV liputan pagi? via internet. Terus terang, aku jarang sih dengerin berita dari Indonesia. Tapi, kalo’ Mas Eko rajin banget. Hmmh, sekali-sekali ah pingin dengerin berita dari tanah air, pikirku.

Tapi aku kecewa berat deh sama isi beritanya. Menurutku ga berbobot. Selama aku dengerin, yang aku denger cuma pemberitaan lokal yang aduh…, so not important. Kok berita kaya’ gitu disiarkan di national TV sih? Poinnya apa coba? ga nambah informasi orang yang nonton atau denger. Contohnya, pembunuhan yang dilakukan tukang ojek. Aduh, kalo’ gitu mah ga usah diberitakan di national TV deh. Aku bilang, ini apa karena targetnya para pembantu yah??? yang banyakan di rumah di pagi hari? Tapi kan ga semua yang nonton pembantu toh….., ibu-ibu banyak juga kan yan di rumah….Bingung aku,  emangnya di Indonesia ga ada yang lebih penting dari itu? Atau kalau ga ada berita national, berita dunia kek….
Yah, mungkin ga semua isinya tentang hal-hal yang ga penting gitu yah…, tapi selama 10 menit aku dengerin SCTV malam itu, isinya tentang crime lokal yang harusnya ga perlu diberitakan. Aku bilang ke Mas EKo, "Matiin aja yang.., ga berbobot." Mas Eko malah godain aku, " I need to know what Suparman did to his friend."
Beda kalu nonton berita CNN, kaya’nya jadi nambah wawasan deh……
Gimana ini jurnalis Indonesia…, tingkatkan mutu berita donk…?!!!!

Weekend lalu anak-anak(Faris dan Saif) camping di Lake Jordan sama Babanya. Sebenernya campingnya buat Boyscoutnya Faris. Tapi, Bapak-bapak boleh ikut sih..Ga kaya’ kita dulu Pramuka yah…, mana boleh ortu ikut!
Faris seneng banget deh camping. Kaya’nya, jadi lebih deket ke Babanya. Sekarang, selalu bilang,"I love you, Baba." Perlu emang, sesekali bonding antara bapak dan anaknya. Maksudnya, one on one. Jadi mereka  merasa special. Kalo’ selalu rame-rame pasti harus ngalah sama adek-adeknya…:)

Aku, Nabila dan MAlik, sempet ngunjungin camp di hari terakhir.  Tempatnya ok sih…dipinggir danau. Jadi aktifitas utama adalah berenang. Yang ada badannya Saif dan Faris jadi belang deh…, walaupun dah pake sunblock, tetap aja keliatan item! Ga papa deh, ntar winter mutihin  diri lagi…:)

Ternyata, saat campng Faris dan Saif independent banget. Apalagi Saif, ga banyak maunya seperti kalau di rumah. Udah gitu, nurut, gampangan, pokoknya "gampang deh ngurusnya", kata Mas Eko. EH, pas nyampe rumah….mulai deh semuanya kembali ke sifat aslinya. Semua jadi manja. Termasuk Babanya. Coba kalo’ ga ada aku, semua mandiri. Tapi kalo’ ada aku, kok jadi berubah yah. Semua kolokan. Hubby aja kalo’ ga disuguhin minum ga minum deh seharian. Harus diingetin, parahnya lagi disodorin……Makan juga gitu…, pokoknya makan tinggal makan deh:) Aduh…, gimana donk? Salah aku kali yah…, terlalu manjain…:) Ga papa tapi, I love doing it for him. I guess that’s the sign how I love him, right????

    Those who love politic must knew him very well. I’m not that into politic so much. But I try to be up to date with the political news in US. Ever since the primary begin, I believe more than a year ago, I always follow the campaign, the primary, the caucases, the debatse, the speech, the candidate and all that related to it. Last Friday, one of the influences people in US Politic die of a  heart attack. It was so sudden. It took everyone by surprise. That’s a reminder for all of us. Life is short. Nobody escapes death. You don’t know just when your time is up.

I wouldn’t say I’m a big fan of Tim Russert. I only knew him from "Today Show", which I watched every morning.  He often invited as  a guest or a correspondence on important political issues.
He is a good man, that what I heard from everybody. I think we can all learn something from Tim. He was the son of a garbage collector. He came from a poor side of Buffalo, New York. But he made it in life. He became successful in what he did. He graduated with honor, became a lawyer and finaly had a wonderful career in politic and journalism. His motto is "Work Hard". He loved his family and he was loyal to his friends. He learnt from his dad, the garbage man, that anything is possible in this world if you work hard. He never let one day without making sure that his son, Luke, not knowing he love him so much!!! This last part struck me the most, we all should learn from it. No matter how tired you are, no matter how busy and hectic your life is.., at the end of the day, tell your family how much you love them. They deserved it.

Tim’s book are  "Big Russ and Me and The Wisdoms of our fathers. Booth are best seller.

  As I woke up this morning, I thanked you, Allah for many blessings in my life. There are so many of them…, I might take them as granted sometimes. So merciful You are.., even if I sinned,  Your blessings never stop.

Ya Allah, please forgive me……I’m not worthy of your Firdaus, but I’m afraid of your Naar……

One of my many blessings is my husband. He is one of the most wonderful man I knew. I learn over the years,  that he become my lover, my partner, my best friend, my leader, my role model. He’s not perfect, obviously. But he is  so perfect for me. He believe in me, even when I don’t believe in myself. He always cheer me up whenever I’m in my lowest point. In his eyes and shoulder, I will always find love and comfort. He doesn’t have to say anything to say he cares. His actions says it all. He always work hard for his family and always make sure that we are in the right path to reach  our goal, not only for this world, but also for the hereafter. He is someone who always can be depended on.

Allah, please reward my beloved husband for everything he’s done for me. Reward him for everything he did for his famiy. I believe His ultimate intention is only to please You. He did it to get  ridha and barakat from You, Allah, The Almighty. Because You are the only One Who we should Worship and No one Else….

    "Where are you from, sister? Are you chnese?" Pertanyaan ini  suka bikin aku senyum-senyum sendiri. China, China dari mana? Wong mataku ga sipit kok!! Kaya’nya banyak orang yang menyamaratakan tampang Asia. Pokoknya yang tampangnya Asia, pasti dari China…:) Biasanya sister-sister Arab tuh yang ga bisa bedain. Anehnya lagi, pernah juga ada sister yang nyamperin aku di mall bilang gini, "Arabia?" maksudnya, "Orang Arab?" gitu kali yah…. Walah, yang ini lebih bikin bingung…., Arab dari mana bu? Jauh banget!. Dia bilang, "Abis mirip Arab!". Aku cuma bengong,"Ha..?"

Aku pernah ketemu sama sister dari Cape Town, Africa Selatan. Dia bilang gini, " Your face is very familiar. A lot of people look like you in Cape Town". Ternyata, aku baru tahu, kalau orang Melayu tuh banyak yang migrate ke Africa Selatan. Mereka menetap di Africa Selatan dan jadi salah satu etnis di sana. Suamiku pernah ketemu brother dari South Africa. Katanya, bener loh, tampangnya Indonesia banget. Tapi,pas diajak Bahasa Indonesia, senyum-senyum aja, engga’ ngerti.

Jadi intinya, orang Indonesia harus siap dikira dari mana aja. Bisa dari China, Kamboja, Filipina, Malaysia, Africa Selatan, dan sebagainya……It’s not a big deal, anyway….