Archive for July, 2008

Stolen Identity

Saturday, July 26th, 2008

    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….

I Found My Friend!!!

Monday, July 14th, 2008

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…!!!

For Everything Else There is

Sunday, July 6th, 2008

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…..:)

Sapih

Thursday, July 3rd, 2008

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…….!!!

Berita

Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008

    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…?!!!!