The 13rd our anniversary

Walaahh... piye toh, kok kita ini dua2nya malah lupa !!, Today is our big day and both of us forgot ! about this 13rd anniversary. This morning Dudi, Farah and me were watching TV in our room, then the couple in the movie celebrated their anniversary, finally we remember. A few days before, Dudi reminded me about the gold bracelet that I want to have it. I told him not only gold..with diamonds off course then he asked me "when will you buy it then ?". Ha..ha..ha.. thanks for asking that. As a person who manage and control the budget in the family, off course I know when is the perfect time to buy this one. Surely not now, hopefully next month ?. I like to shop but wise.... Hemm... I know which one I like.... I really want that "cartier" bracelet. Soo.. simple yet elegant. Mudah2an ada rejeki buat beli yang ini. Amin.

Dining out

Yes, still had time !! for us (Ita, Arry and me) to have dinner with Indri. Thanks Indri for your last minutes (since they will leave Pattaya tomorrow morning).

We went to Gulliver tonight. Me and my family, Indri (minus Mika -was having farewell party with his co-workers), Ita and her girls and Arry family.

When Arry and family came we were not finished our dinner yet, off course, because we ordered big dinners, since everybody was hungry. Arry seemed to have trouble ordering her food, thinking...and thinking... oh come on...., apparently she wasn't hungry, she did brake her fasting at home, no wonder.. no wonder.. (she had stolen the start, ha..ha..ha..).

After the kids finished their dinner, the smaller kids enjoyed played together, Natasya was seen playing billiard with her dad. My friends and me still busy talking each other.

How are our homemade cookies Indri ??, yes, she already tried them, Ita gave her the kaastengels.

Hemm... yumm..yumm...

From Gulliver, we didnt't want to go home soon. Fortunately my husband and Didi (Arry's husband) were OK with our suggestion. So we headed to have coffees at Mccafe ( inside the newest and coolest mall in Pattaya). We talked a lot. Thumbs up for the husbands !!, they just so patient with us, waited till we were tired ??, but ha..ha..ha... I'm getting older now, wanted to go home soon. Ita needed to go home soon too, her husband was on the way home from the airport. Arry took Indri home.

What a great night.

Gulliver's pictures

Cookies for Lebaran !

Today, at Ita's kitchen.

Ita, Arry and me were so busy !!

Look !!

We're planning to make kaastengels, nastars, and putri salju. Please come to our houses when lebaran. Guarantee you won't be dissapointed !, i/ Allah.

To The Ollikainens

We got invited to have dinner with Mika and Indri tonight.

After we broke our fasting at home, we headed to Benihana Restaurant. This might be our last dinner together in Pattaya, they will leave for good soon. Mika has got a new assignment in Jakarta -Indonesia. Oohh...they will be missed !!.

Indri is my good friend, she's the youngest (and the coolest and the branded one) of us -our gang-. For the last 6 months Mika and Dudi often play golf together.

Back in December 31st, 04, at night, just few hours before new year 2005, me with the whole Hermantos were doing groceries shopping at foodland. Suddenly a cute young lady approached me and Farah then she asked me very politely (oh come on.... she called me ibu, inget nggak ndri) weather Iam an Indonesian. Then we quickly introduced ourselves and our families. I still remember them, they were still very young, young couple. Sure, they are !.

We congratulated New Year 2005 each other thru the text messages. I sent e-mails to Indri and other Indonesian girls ( only few people - back then ) that night, then soon Nia, Indri and me have been very close. We went everywhere togethr, Catuchak (yeah ...baby ! hayoo... siapa yg pertama kali showed you the famous chatucak, hi..hi...biarin yah gw geer!), PILC's events, and so on ... so on.. , you name it. Wow ! I start crying now, even Indri was the first ever who bought our dagangan batik, (remember this Nia, one day in your living room, you just came back from Indo with your luggages full of batiks ??) and she didn't even want to try to bargain !!. How about this one, do u still remember the day when we tried the spa, which looked like nice from outside but was not comfy ??, I forgot the Spa's name.

Indri, who's gonna make the best empal goreng in town ?, I will miss it, and you off course, ha...ha..

OK Mika and Indri, wish you all the very best. We are happy for you. We know for sure, the best friends to meet and visit when we go to Indonesia.

Have a safe trip back...

The Hermantos

Ramadhan Kareem

Rasanya beda, kalau ada yg perhatiin ttg agama kita di kingdom ini. Terharu. Beberapa hari sebelum puasa, suatu siang, sehabis dari Bkk, gw sedng bersama Indri di dapur, tahu2 supir gw (khun Akhom) tanya : "madam, kapan madam mulai romadhon (padahal dia buka org jawa lho), katanya ?. Hebat nggak. Ada orang sini ngerti puasa. Yah dia sudah menjadi supir kita selama hampir 4 tahun, sejak hari pertama kaki kita menginjak thailand. Memang sebelumnya dia penah kost sama haji selama 15 tahun. Tadi, dah selesai buka dan setelah selesai makan malam, semua sedang sholat. Tahu2 ada yg ngebel rumah. Ya diabiarin atuh, dah lama....banget, selesai sholat. Gw iseng lihat ke luar, siapa tahu masih ada orang yg ngebel tadi. Eh rupanya pembantu gw. "Madam, ini masih hangat untuk madam habis buka puasa. Dia ngasih panganan sejenis kue nagasari. Coba, gimana gw nggak cepet laporan sama suami, ttg kelakuan para staff kita. Terharu. Memang staff di rumah kita, Alhamdullilah, sampai saat ini, i/Alloh seterusnya, pada baik2 dan jujur itu yg penting. Pembantuku malahan karena tinggalnya dibelakang rumah kita, deket masjid. Tetangganya Islam deh rata2. Setiap datang ke rumah kita, selalu bilang Assalamualaikum. Sampai nyokap, mertoku, kakak2ku, sampai heran, kok kamu bisa dapat pembantu agama Islam. Yah bukan, cuman karena dia aja tinggal disini di kampung orang2 beragama Islam, jadi bisa salam. Enaknya lagi kalau aku minta tolong beli makanan, wah dia yg ribut sama yg jual, no moo!, khun islam. Pokoknya kalau beli apa2 dia dah tahu yg ada lambang halal. Supir gw tiap ada rest baru lambang halal aja dia yg kasih tahu. Sayang semuanya di Pattaya, dan biasanya warung2 kecil, mana nih rest besar. Belum lagi satpam di perumahan ini, lha yah kebetulan beragama Islam. Dah gitu kok yah rumah kita ini no1. Jadi pas diujung pintu gerbang, pas didepan si satpam jaga. Jadi setiap mobil gw mau masuk, dia pasti yg buka pagernya, bukan tugas dia lho. Supir gw jadi keenakan, hi..hi.. nggak pernah turun mobil, tunggu si satpam aja. Jadi kita mah disini sering banget disapa Asslammualaikum. Beda lho rasanya kalau tinggal di negri yg mayoritasnya bukan orang yg beragama Islam. Serasa di Indo. Yuk semoga kita bisa menikamati indahnya bulan ramadhan. Ayo pada shaum.... !!. Ibadah.. !! Taqabalallahu Minna Wa Minkum Shiamana Wa Shiamakum.

Bangkok-clean !

This is in Bangkok not in Singapore. Thai people adalah penganut kebersihan adalah sebagian dari iman, he...he...he... kayaknya slogan ini gw sering denger waktu di Indo.

The girls

Ita, me, Arry, Indri.

Went to Bkk, today. Before puasa, before Indri for good (move to Jakarta, Indonesia). It's nice, isn'it. Go back and living in Jakarta as an expatriate. Ha...ha..