Skip And Have Fun!

It was just another Thursday at The Ica Lawendatus' home. When the parents "advised" their kid to skip school to have fun and off to... LEMBANG! 😆 Why? 1. Because it was a weekday. 2. We assumed that the traffic wouldn't be crazy. 3. There wouldn't be any crowds in recreation sites or basically anywhere. 4. ... That's just how the Mister is, telling our daughter that school is not important 😅 I'm against skipping school btw. I think never in my life have I ever skipped school. Not even when I was in Hauptschule In der Krim, Vienna. I started to skip classes when I was already in Uni 😆 

So as I've mentioned before, obviously it was SiBapa's idea. Usually I said no right away whenever he encourages our daughter to skip school. But when the school announced that sadly this week is School From Home again, I thought "Oh what the hell! Okay why not!" Since the chance of our girl paying attention during online classes is less than 80% anyways... Skipping school is better than having her constantly checking on instagram and twitter behind my back. So... Let's go! 

My first choice was actually Bandung but SiBapa said there's nothing interesting (anymore). Not like in Lembang. There are so many places to visit, things to do like adventurous stuff. SiBapa told me to google it and to ask whether the maids wanted to come along or not. So I spent Wednesday afternoon googling about Lembang. SiBapa was right. There are lots of nice places! First thing first, I told kiddo about the plan. She was thrilled. Mostly about the no school idea 😝 But yeah... She was excited. Just like Dewi. It took less than a minute for her to reply my message with "Dewi mau Bu ikut" And many thanks in advance for Bapak, Ibu and Kukka 😆 Sadly though, as I've predicted, Yuli couldn't come. Not only because of her daughter but also because her mother in-law is currently spending the night at her house 😅 Yuli was very sad about it... But yeah... Even my Precious Godsend said that it was too bad Mba Yuli couldn't come along and that we shouldn't forget to bring her "Olé-olé" 🥰 That's how Kukka pronounce "oleh-oleh" btw 😊 

The trip to Lembang took about almost 5 hours. We left home around 8am. The traffic was okay. SiBapa's choice of road trip songs was nice. I had on-off naps mostly because I prefer to look out the car window. Lots of interesting stuff to see out there... Inevitable drama between SiBapa and our driver was probably the worse part of the trip 😂 But that was totally predictable. The situation went calm(er) when we arrived in Bandung. SiBapa told stories about his life in Bandung to Dewi. We all laughed about the fact that Dewi wasn't even born yet when SiBapa and I were already in highschool 😂 I think things got a bit emotional for SiBapa when he saw how Bandung now looks like... Anyways... The first thing we wanted to do in Bandung was EAT!!! 😂 Thankfully I wasn't the only one who was hungry. I was starving! SiBapa took us to Ampera, his favorite restaurant. He told Dewi to try the spicy sambel which made Dewi became all sweaty 🤪 Meanwhile I ate like a pig and could hardly breath afterwards 😂 After lunch we continued to Lembang and finally arrived in... De' Ranch

I remember I was very excited about the horses 🤩 At first SiBapa said that I shouldn't ride on a horse. Can't really remember why... Maybe he was worried I would fall down or... Oh I don't know 😆 Have a seizure while riding on one? But thankfully he said ok. Dewi didn't want to ride a horse because she was afraid. I can't remember why though... She usually says yes to almost everything. So when she politely declined and would rather take pictures of us I was a bit surprised. I enjoyed the horse ride very much. The last time I was on horse was probably in Puncak when I was still...a kid!?! 😄 

Anyways my horse was big and tall. His name is Al Cantera 😎 During the horse ride the mamang and I had a nice conversation about the horses, De Ranch and the visitors. I almost cried as I listened to the mamang's story. He told me that since the pandemic his income becomes very low. The mamang mentioned a specific number of how much money he brings home on weekdays and weekends, before and after the pandemic. I was speechless. I didn't know what to say... In my mind I was like "What??? We have more than that in our coin jug!" Maybe if the mamang didn't tell the story the way he did, I would burst in tears on the spot. On a horse. On Al Cantera's back! "Yaah sekarang mah pulang bawa segini aja udah alhamdulillah neng heheh..." Yes... He chuckled while I tried very hard not to cry 😢 All I could say to him was "Oh... Gitu ya mang..." again and again. After the ride I thanked the mamang and wished him well. With all my heart... 

The next cute thing in De' Ranch were the bunnies in Taman Kelinci. They are surrounded by wired fence and we can play with them. The bunnies were "SO FLUFFY I'M GONNA DIE!"!! And big too! They practically followed us everywhere! Some even stood up on 2 legs 😄 At first My Precious Godsend hesitated. "There's so many poop!" she said with an icky expression 😑 I think I said something like "Sepatunya nanti bisa dicuci! And the poop is not smelly! Come here!" She did. And I think she had fun playing with the bunnies 😊 While I was playing with the bunnies I thought of our furry boy at home 😺 I wondered what if Moochi was here. Would he be like...intimidated by the rabbits? Since they are as big as him 🤭 

After De' Ranch we visited the Floating Market Lembang. I don't know why but I felt like I've been there before... But it was pretty much unlikely. So I thought it was just another annoying déjàvu which I should ignore. My Precious Godsend and Dewi enjoyed the Rainbow Slide very much. You can totally see it on their faces 😄 

Next stop was Taman Rekreasi Air Panas Alam Sari Ater. Lots of people were enjoying the hot water. Some I assumed they were there to have fun while some... I don't know how to say this 😄 But I saw men who were standing and/or sitting topless right under the hot waterfall with... Serious expressions? At the end I assumed they were there to meditate or perhaps for medical reasons. Or maybe they were seriously having fun 🤪 Anyways... While in Sari Ater I was actually already very tired. I mean why wouldn't I be? I woke up at 4:30am, didn't sleep in the car, horseback riding, played with rabbits, bloated stomach, ate like a pig... this and that. So when I had my pictures taken in Sari Ater my expression already looked...weird 😅 Had a couple of minor ones in the car like cold tingling all over my body and a bit of teeth clattering. 

But the trip was worth every drop of sweat in the midst of cool fresh air. Alhamdulillah the 3 of us had another chance to spend time together. Plus Dewi. My Precious Godsend had new experiences. We brought Yuli olé-olé and a pinecone for Moochi to play with 😸 So yeah... It was another fun and blissful day for The Ica Lawendatus.

 Alhamdulillah 🥰 

Skipping School In Bali

Forgive me Blogpost for I have disappeared for quite some time. It's just my head & my fingers don't get along very well lately. And don't start with the memory problem #BIGSIGH There's actually so much going on that is worth to write but... Ow well! Let's just give it a shot with this post. About our last trip to Bali 😊

Yup! We went to Bali. Again. In the middle of the pandemic. I wasn't really surprised because it's just how he is. Yep. I'm talking about my husband, Hubster. SiBapa. With his sudden "Let's!". One day he just said "Let's go to Bali!". Nevermind that his daughter actually had school 😅 So there I was, looking for airplane tickets, official letter from The Rocksy for bringing the pills because God forbid I got arrested because of it 😂 Then of course AirBnB, car rental & places to go after it was sure that the 4 of us, Hubs, Kukka, me & Dewi were healthy - COVID-19 free. Dewi came along because Hubs planned to stay longer in Bali to be with his friends. So Dewi took care of Kukka & I. She came along also to make sure that all of us would be back home safe & sound. Of couse Dewi was very excited about it when I told her about the Bali trip. I asked whether she would mind to come with us during fasting month. Oh yeah? Did I already mention that this is actually fasting month? As predicted Dewi's answer was "No!" 😆

The 4 of us arrived in Bali on April 14th. We went straight to the villa I've found in AirBnB. It wasn't as I thought it would be. Jade Lotus Villa Seminyak was bigger than it appeared on the pictures. It's very big, clean, & nicely decorated. There are 3 big bedrooms with bathrooms which have bathtubs & showers on the open roof side. I couldn't help but wondering whenever I took a shower what if somebody jumped over the wall or as simple as took a peek 😅 There's also a nice swimming pool, an open living room & a kitchen. Kukka shared the room with Dewi. The "minus" part was maybe where the villa is located. We had to go through a small alley first to get there. But it wasn't a big deal. In short, check it out in AirBnB if you're interested. I recommend it. 😉 

Anyways not long after we took a breath in the villa, there came the magic words "Kalo mau tidur sih di rumah aja." Something like that 😁 Weeelll okaaaay SiBapa was right... We went straight to Nasi Tempong Indra for late lunch. Hubs talked about this place since the last time he was in Bali. He raved on & on about its sambel/chili sauce which is in fact very delicious & VERY SPICY. I warn you, if you're not into spicy food, maybe you should try something else or dip in the chili sauce juuuuuust a little bit 😅 I didn't even take pictures of the restaurant because 1. I was too busy eating. 2. I was too full. 3. My mouth was on fire! Next: Double Six. It was a beautiful afternoon. The picture below speaks for itself. Dewi went AWOL almost straight away, after she politely asked me to take pictures of her. Lots of pictures 😁 While Hubs & Kukka had fun in the water, I spent my time just chillin' there, sipping cold drink, listening to 2 guys on stage playing guitar & singing. I think we went back to the villa after my beloved duo had their blast. It was like they had the whole beach for themselves.  

 

Then it was time for me to rest while daddy & daughter went to have a night out with Hubs' friends. Spending time with adults has never been a problem for Kukka so yeah... She videocalled me around 9pm while I was already snuggling in bed. She told me that they're in this cafe & listening to live music. 

My baby said "They're playing indonesian songs but it's actually good. I like it." 😆 I can't remember what time they came back to the villa. I guess it was already pretty late & I assumed they didn't eat or have any snack at this place called Pison. Because daddy-daughter were very hungry & asked Dewi to cook Indomie Goreng. I ended up having very late dinner too 😂 

The next day, April 15th, we had a late breakfast at Revolver Espresso. The food was delicious & the place is nice. Dewi didn't waste much time to ask me to take pictures of her behind the bar, acting as a bartender 😂 After our tummies were full we headed off to Nusa Dua. The scenery was heartbreaking... It was practically a ghost town. I think I saw only 1 or 2 tourists? I guess COVID-19 hit Nusa Dua pretty hard... After doing some shopping we drove through some kind of a forest & ended up in Pantai Melasti. It was beautiful. No filter needed!

If I remember it correctly, I think there were more people at Melasti Beach & it was pretty hot too. Like always, I spent my time away from the water, observing people & taking pictures. We ended the day by having dinner in Pison. Check out its' instagram Pisoncoffee!

April 16th: this time I promised myself to bring back something for my beloved dr. Rocksy 😄 So when we went to Krisna I made sure I bought something for her. I was lucky to have Dewi with me because to tell you the truth this oleh-oleh thing is not...me. Mostly I bring back something from a trip because a certain person ASK me for it. Example: my BFF wanted this dodol rumput laut thingy & I got it for her. Also being inside the big store made me quite dizzy. I was surprised to see the crowd in there since outside, in the city or the beach, it was like a forgotten city, an abandoned island. I wonder if the tourists came to Bali only to shop instead of spending time at the beach. Then we had lunch in Warung Bendega. The duck was yummy! After everyone's tummies were full Kukka, Dewi & I had to take another swab test. It was a drive-through thing. All we had to do is sit in the car, open the window & "give" our noses to have them swabed. The results came back after a couple of minutes. Alhamdulillah all negative. Btw did I mention that the weather was god damn hot??? So when we were back at villa I immediately turned on the AC & just enjoyed being there inside the villa. After a tiring day dealing with oleh-oleh, coming back to a nice & clean villa felt just right 😁 My loved ones one the other hand jumped right into the pool. I guess the pool water must felt way better than just lying on the bed with clean sheets inside a cold bedroom 😅 The rest of the day I've spent packing the suitcases & made sure that I got everything. Oleh-oleh, dirty laundries, getting rid of sands from the sandals, what to put in Hubs' suitcase & others. I also had to make sure that I'd be in good condition for the flight back home. So I think I went to sleep right after everything was packed.

April 17th. Our last day in Bali. I was excited to go home & to see our favorite boy. Oh yeah! Did I mention I texted Yuli & Ari like A LOT to ask how Moochi was doing & to make sure that Ari didn't forget to give him food? Yuli also said that Moochi looked confused & meowed in front of my bedroom all the time. I think he was looking for you, Yuli said 😊 Meanwhile SiBapa seemed excited to stay longer with his friends. I think if he had a month of free time, he'd be spending it in Bali. Nevermind the fact that his wife & daughter were alone at home 😅 Long story short Kukka, Dewi & I arrived at home around 3pm safe & sound. It's true. There's no place like home. At least for me. 😉 

Yet like always, a trip to Bali never fails. All of us had a great time & I have my beloved Hubster to thank for it. Oh! And you know what??? No seizures at all!!! Eventhough the whole thing was tiring I didn't even have like what? Phantosmia? Trembling? Nope. Nothing! The saddest part about this trip was probably to see so many places like stores, hotels, restaurants & many others closed down because of the pandemic. Including my favorite italian restaurant 😢 When we were at the beach I asked a bartender what time they usually open up the bar. He said since the pandemic began there's no more morning session because "Sepiiii..." 😢 I hope everything will go back to normal for everyone's sake... Amen.

Then Bintaro, April 18th 2pm, 2:10 minutes: light seizure!!! Ooooowkaaaay... Does it mean we have to go back to Bali??? 😂😂😂

*Note: I wrote this post based on memory & pictures. Sadly it's very possible that I left something out, sequence of moments fucked up & others. But so what? Right?!

 

Kukka Merantau II: To Desa Hanjeli

December 9 - 13th was quite an adventure for my beloved Godsend. And for me actually! It was Kukka's second outing and it was my first time ever being without her and not having any communication whatsoever for so long. This time the outing was called "Merantau II: The Harmonizer - Menjadi Generasi Yang Berani, Peduli dan Bermanfaat" The destination was to Desa Wisata Hanjeli 

Kukka's adventure started right after I dropped her off at school. As you may know by now, things in Sekolah Alam Tangerang is not easy. Travelling included. There was no fancy Full-AC busses or such. The kids and their mentors had to take trains, walked on their own carrying big and heavy backpacks, on-off angkots etc. It really was a tiring adventure. The actvities started very early in the mornings, doing fajr prayers and dzikir in the mosque. They even spent the first night in the mosque if I'm not mistaken. In Desa Hanjeli the kids did lots of activities which they couldn't do in the city. It was quite impressing and I was actually happy when I saw the pictures. I mean... In this adventure Kukka did things that she probably could never do if she's travelling with her parents. She actually stayed in the local villager's house. She learned how to play wayang golek. She went to turtles conservation. She had to use squating toilettes which she doesn't like :)) She planted Job's Tears or Biji Hanjeli. She made this snack which she called "rice crispies" but I think what she meant is rengginang :p Kukka also mentioned that in the village there were lots of chickens and dogs and that the dogs like to eat tempe :)) The most memorable moment for Kukka was when she visited the waterfall in Curug Sodong. She said it was very beautiful. Oh! And Kukka also made this beautiful necklace for me from scratch!

 

There are also lots of stories, funny ones, that are too secretive to share. It involved embarrassing moments that happened to some of her friends hence the secretive. "Don't write the name on your blog!" she said. :)) I asked Kukka how much she missed me. Very much and I cried, she said. Oh baby... I did too... I cried because I missed you so much and I didn't know for sure how you were. And I didn't hear your voice for THAT long!!! It was almost impossible. The maids, Dewi and Yuli always checked up on me. Especially in the evenings. They were really worried I would get seizures and such and because it did happened once or twice. I'm very thankful for having them around :) I did use the time when Kukka was away for my regular check up with dr. Rocksy, having lunch with friends and spent some me-times.

On the day the kids were coming, the moms were very busy preparing surprises. When we picked up the kids from school we made sure that there were no cars on the school parking lots. So the kids wouldn't know that their parents were actually there. Waiting to hug and kiss them like crazy. We decorated the hall, prepared lots of food for the kids etc. 

                                                                    

And when the kids showed up... Oh my... I couldn't hold my tears. I screamed my baby's name, hugged her soooo tight and cried. I was so happy that my baby was back in my arms healthy and happy. My baby looked fresh and healthy alhamdulillah. The only thing that was different was her skin which looked a bit darker. After lots of hugs and kisses I gave her a welcome home gift from SiBapa: 1,700 ROBUX! There's nothing else she would appreciate more. In fact Kukka was probably happier receiving those Robux than being squeezed by her SiBubu :))

Kukka Goes To Hanoi

So... It started with a phone call from a number I didn't recognized. I almost ignore it like I always do to unknown numbers. But this time I decided to take it. It turned out it was from Skaci, Kukka's computer course. The first thing that popped in my head was "Uh oh... What did she do?" :)) Skaci told me that Kukka was chosen to compete in ASEAN Cyber Kids Camp 2019 in Hanoi along with Cloudine, another student from Skaci. I was like "...HUH...?" ASEAN??? Hanoi??? Kukka???" I asked her to repeat everything from the beginning. Slowly. :)) It took a bit of a time before I told Hubster about it. Because... Well... Kukka did win the Skaci Bintaro Cyber Kids 2 years in a row but I didn't expect this to happen. 

Anyways after that surprising phone call, the commotion began. Starting from discussing whether or not we should let Kukka go to Hanoi alone (with Cloudine & 1 Skaci chaperone) to finally deciding that I do have to come along with her to Vietnam. The (next) biggest problem was right on those dates when the event was held, August 12th - 15th, Hubster's schedule was packed. Really. I saw his timeline and there's no free time at all. Finding the right person to go with us was not an easy thing. Why not just me? Well... You know :) Or not? Well... There's always a possibility that I might get seizures like...anywhere? Plane. Hotel. Tourist sites. I could even get lost!!! I still get lost in the middle of my favorites malls for god sakes! This is so annoying -__- So yeah... I really had to have a chaperone of my own :)) Now... I can't really remember how this idea came and who had it first, but after lots of well-thought-out discussions Hubster and I finally decided that I should bring Dewi along to this trip. Yes. THAT Dewi. Our maid. She's been with us a long time now which means we can trust her. Dewi knows my condition and has experiences how to treat me if anything happens. She's smart, healthy and quick. Dewi also has great initiative to do this and that. Basically she was the best person to come along with me and Kukka to Hanoi. It was Hubster who told Dewi about the news. I don't really remember exactly what Hubster said but when he did Dewi surely was very surprised and obviously happy. Next was making a passport for Dewi since she didn't have one. I had the duty to find the best deals of airlines tickets and hotel. We decided to take the same planes, Singapore Airlines, and stayed at Melia Hanoi, the same hotel with the kids and Ibu Sofie, the chaperone from Skaci Pusat. And so the adventure began.

Day 1, August 12th

When we arrived in Hanoi a guy from the event picked us up and took us to Hotel Melia Hanoi. His name is difficult for us to pronounce and too hard for me to remember :)) But he is a very nice guy. The minute we all sat comfortably in the car he gave us a box of Vietnamese local cake. They look and feel sort of like mochi. But more colorful. Anyways... After exchanging phone numbers I finally understand the chaperone's name: Dan Le. But still. I couldn't pronounce it correctly. :)) On the way to the hotel we passed by some historical buildings and famous local places. Dan Le gave us informations just like a tourist guide would do. But I didn't pay too much attention because all I wanted was take a shower and just lay down on the bed. AND SLEEP!!! :)) Yes. Those were the first things I did when I finally got in the bedroom which I shared with Dewi. Kukka stayed in the same bedroom with Bu Sofie and Cloudine as she supposed to. I told Kukka again and again that the fact I was there shouldn't change a thing. That she should...pretend that I wasn't there. Just because I tagged along didn't mean that she could sleep in my bedroom and be with me all time. I told Kukka that me being there in Hanoi with her was for my (and her Bapa's) peace of mind. That...at least I was in the same city, the same time zone, the same country with her :)) Then after an evening stroll to a restaurant named Quan An Ngon and back to the hotel,  Dewi, Kukka and I decided to go to sleep. Because we needed it. Very much. Zzz....

Day 2, August 13th

Alhamdulillah I had a very good sleep. I don't think I woke up even once which I usually do since I'm taking the necessary pills. Then at 6am in the morning, when it was time for me to take my morning pills I heard "Selamat pagi Bu..." I almost jumped out of my bed!!! LOLOLOLOL!!!! I TOTALLY FORGOT THAT DEWI WAS ON THE OTHER BED NEXT TO MINE!!!! Dewi laughed and thought I was being hilarious. Well... The shock was real!!! :))) Then it was time for breakfast. My favorite moment. My baby and I met in the restaurant. She said she had a pretty okay night sleep :) BTW this was Dewi's first time enjoying breakfast buffet in a hotel. I told Dewi that she could eat whatever she wanted which was served on the buffet. She was like "Huh??? Ngga bayar Bu???" My mistake :) I didn't explain how things are working in a hotel. I guess it was because I assumed that everybody knows :D Minutes after I told her that everything is free, the food, the drinks, the dessert and other stuff, Dewi ate a lot! :)) She basically tried every single thing in the buffet, I had to remind her that we still had 3 more mornings/breakfast times. After breakfast I saw this lady on the Buffalo Tours tourist desk. Her name is Nham Thi Van and her english name is Lucy. Lucy is probably the first and only person in Hanoi who I can understand very well. Her english is excellent! Because I could understand her very well, after I booked a half-day trip to Ha Long Bay, I decided to ask Lucy about other tourist sites in Hanoi. Thanks to Lucy, Dewi and I finally had a tourist map! :)) She circled and written all the places that we should visit. Starting from the hotel and back. Meanwhile this day was Kukka's first day in ASEAN Cyber Kids Camp in the hotel's Function Room. And since I already booked a tour for tomorrow, today was the only time Dewi and I could walk around the town and buy souvenirs. Most importantly Mom's wish: a handbag :) 

But first thing first: The Vietnamese Women's Museum. It's on my list and was worth every minute of it. After that Dewi and I went to the Red Bridge on Hoàn Kiem Lake. 

The park was beautiful but the weather was too damn hot for me to be on the famous bridge. And there were too many people taking pictures on it. Just looking at the crowd made me dizzy already. So I took some pictures with the red bridge as the background. Just for the sake of having a proof that I was at least NEAR that bridge. Right??? Right???? :)) I took some time to relax on the park bench right next to Hoan Kiem Lake, enjoying the shade under the trees, looking at the people here and there. It was really nice. I think I even managed to snooze a little bit. I can't really remember where Dewi was. I think she did manage to be on the bridge after I told her to go. She made sure I was okay  and bought me a sausage stick for snack. Then the journey continued. It was already noon and I thought it was time to look for some souvenirs. So we went to this area which is apparently quite famous for buying souvenirs. Luong Van Chan Street. I walked passed lots of souvenirs shops but none of them felt right. For example, shop A is too expensive while I considered shop B's owner to be rude. Why rude? Well... I don't want to spend my money in a shop where the owner just sit around on a leaning chair, sweating and "offered" me by pointing the stuff with words that I couldn't understand. She didn't even bother to stand up. No thank you. So I continued to walk and walk again with sweat all over my body. After about 3-4 shops I finally found this souvenir shop which has nice goods and most importantly the young lady in the shop was polite and friendly. After I looked around and finally set my heart on cute notebooks for Kukka's friends and a gorgeous handbag for Mom, it was time to bargain. The bargaining was quite tough because of the language. It was hilarious too. The three of us, the shop lady, Dewi and me used everything to be able to communicate with each other. English, Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Sunda, Bahasa Jawa, Vietnamese, Google Translator, fingers, hand gestures, drawings, calculator... :)))) At the end, the young lady gave up :))) I got everything I wanted and didn't have to spend too much. At least not as much as if I went to other souvenir shops. Finally my heart was at ease so I decided to go back to the hotel. After all... The next day would be Ha Long Bay. I needed all the energy I could have. I even ordered room service for dinner so I wouldn't have to move my butt :))

Day 3, August 14th
While the girls were getting ready to impress everybody with their presentation, my destination was Ha Long Bay. Ah yes... The second you hear that name you'll be thinking of this beautiful place ALLAH has created. To be honest I was a bit worried because I did read here and there that Ha Long Bay now is not as beautiful as it used to be. That there's a lot trash in the water etc. But... When I got there........ WOW. I said good luck and goodbye to Kukka and Cloudine then I got into a luxury bus from Buffalo Tours with Dewi. The bus was full of tourists #DUH. Mostly old couples. The guide's name was... Well... I only remember his english name: Ben. Ben's english is very good. Very understandable :) He's funny too. Ben explained almost every historical building we passed by. The first stop was the pearl farm on the way to the harbour. Ha Long Pearl. OH. MY. GOD. The pearls....... EXQUISITE!!!!! I really wanted them all!!!! Even the smallest one caught my eyes but of course they're very expensive. Even the tiniest earrings cost about... Oh nevermind :)) And so the journey continued. Next destination was the harbour. We got into a cruise ship, one of Genesis Cruise. I recommend it. Worth every penny. Seriously. Anyways... Our cruise stopped at Hang Luón or Luon Cave and it was time for kayaking. Yes. :)) At first I hesitated because it was a medium-sized kayak (10 adults) but then I thought "I'M HERE!!! MAKE EVERY MINUTE COUNT!". I got in with Dewi and 7 other passengers from the Genesis Cruise and 1 kayaker. We caused quite a ruckus when we got into the kayak. It turned out it wasn't that easy!!! The kayak kept swaying left and right everytime a passenger stepped it. And all of us screamed like it was the end of the world :)) Ben said some passengers did fall down into the water and that story certainly didn't make us feel any better :)) Then we all finally sat down and the kayak moved slowly. All of us listened to Ben carefully and enjoyed the breathtaking view. The kayak moved in to Surprise Cave. When we were in the cave I wondered how it would be like to spend the night inside :D Then we passed by The Monkey Island. It was beautiful AND funny. Why? Well... First of all it's beautiful because the island itself is full of lush trees in the middle of serene water. It's stunning. Aaaaaand theeeen... The monkeys! They were just...there. Minding their own business. I saw a mother with her baby. Then there were these 2 monkeys hanging from the trees. The funniest part of it was the fact that it felt more like they're the one who are watching us. Not the other way around :)) It's like "Oh hey! Humans!!! Aaaawww..." :))) 

Next was Ti Top Island where you can climb on 400 stairs and if you get to the top of the island you can get the best view down into Ha Long Bay. You CAN. Me? I COULDN'T :)) I caused quite a ruckus here. Before we got out of the cruise Ben already warned us about the 400 stairs that we have to climb to get up. He also reminded us about the heat. So if you think you couldn't make it, just stay in the cruise, enjoy the cold drink and wait for us, he said. Dewi reminded me to think it through. I felt...challenged? I said again and again that I could make it. I would just walk slowly and take my time, I said. Dewi gave up. I think not only she was worried that something might happen to me, but also IF something happened, she would be the one who is responsible for it :)) So yeah... I joined the others and took about 5 steps on the steep stairs. Did I tell you that the weather was very very hot??? Yeah... Okay. 5 stairs more or less. Then I started to shiver. My eyes were blurry and my hands were shaking. Still I thought I could make it. But then my sane self warned me something like "Hey you! If you keep doing this and somewhere in the middle of these steep stairs you get a seizure... You are a danger to other people. You fall down, the person behind you will be next and so on. There are old people here. Think about them" ................. I gave up. I told Dewi I would wait for her in the ship. As if walking back down the stairs didn't already cause a lot of trouble... Our cruise ship already got off the dock because it would be harbouring on the other side of the island!!! It took Ben, the people on the harbour, a very loud speaker and the people on the cruise to come back just to pick me up. Sorry guys... :D Oh yes! Did I already say that IT WAS VERY VERY HOT?????? :D When I got back in the cruise ship the first thing the crew did was giving me a wet towel :D GOD! At that moment all I could think about was the bathtub back at the hotel. But the experience was totally worth every drop of sweat. So while Dewi and the rest of the gang were "fried" outside, some old couples and I were enjoying cold drinks and leaning on comfortable seats. I don't know how long it took until they came back looking like they just got beaten up by sunrays LOL!!! Dewi kept saying that it was the best decision for me to go back to the ship. By the way the most annoying part of this whole trip was the lack of communication I had with Kukka. Although I already connected to the local operator, the signal was bad. All the time I was having fun I also couldn't stop thinking about my baby back in the city. After all... Today was Judging Day....  

And theeeeen finally at 16:05 I received the news from Ibu Sofie - Skaci. "Alhamdulillah dapat SILVER". WOW!!! I was sooooo surprised and obviously proud! I mean... The fact that Kukka was chosen to be one of the kids who represent Indonesia in this event was already a big prize itself. I didn't expect her and Cloudine to win an award. Not to mention Silver!!! Ibu Sofie called and I spoke with Kukka on then phone. She sounded very happy and I think the first thing she asked me was "Are you proud of me?" My precious Godsend :* I couldn't wait to go back to the hotel and shower my baby with kisses. After taking a long bath of course :D So yeah... When Dewi and I finally got back to the hotel, my baby came to my room. I hugged and kissed her like crazy! And of course. The most important part of this winning thing was the fact that if she won any prizes, her beloved Bapa would buy her Robux -_- She reminded me again and again about this. #SIGH 

Anyways since it was the last night in Hanoi, I decided to get an extra bed for Dewi and pushed the twin beds together so that Kukka could sleep with me. While I decided to stay in the room and rest, Dewi asked for permission to go out. She said "Kapan lagi Buu..." :)) I think she came back around 11pm. We flew back to Jakarta the next day and alhamdulillah we arrived at home safe and sound. Healthy and happy :) 

Hello Turkey!

I can't really remember how it started and why... But "suddenly" we went on a holiday to Turkey with my inlaws, Ibu and Bapak, Dije, my brother in-law and his wife, Mba Dewi. For days I've practically stared at AirBnb website to find the perfect homes for us to stay and tourist sites to visit. And I must say it was quite a success :) But first we spent 1 night in Doha, Qatar at Mas Rama's house. Mas Rama is Hubster's second brother. He's a Qatar Airways' pilot and has been living in Doha with his family since...forever. Kukka was very happy there because she could spent some time with her cousins. Then finally, after a very long and tiring flight, on April 18th, 9:28pm local time - 01:28am Jakarta time, we arrived at the Ankara Esenboga Airport, Turkey. We were in awe. Not only because of how cool the airport was. But also because of the weather! MAN IT WAS COLD!!!! Not as cold as Finland but still... And the biggest problem was that we didn't pack our suitcases for cold weather!

On April 18 - 20th we stayed in a nice small hotel with a classic look named Gordion Hotel - Special Class. We stayed in Gordion for 2 nights. Anyways, I loved Ankara. It's a beautiful city. My favorite part while visiting Ankara must be the Anitkabir. It is majestic, beautiful and mysterious! I couldn't stop taking pictures. It's like there's no corner that is not worth admiring. Kukka and I also couldn't stop looking at the soldier...or guard (?) who was standing there. He practically looked more like a statue rather than a living human being :)) The guard just stood there. Body straight, didn't look like he was breathing at all and eyes wide open. I wonder... What if he wanted to sneeze? Or poop!!??!!? We were lucky because when we were there it was time for the guards to change...shift? Kukka recorded a cool video of the guards marching. It's a very interesting material to post for her vlog. Yeah... Kukka's teacher gave her an assignment. Kukka had to make a vlog about the places we visited during the trip and post the videos on her youtube channel. 

SEE!?! Don't you just want to like... Tickle him? 

Offer him a seat? Or just... Make him move juuuuust a bit? :)))

On April 20th - 22nd we drove to Ortahisar Belediyesi... Ummm.. Well it's still somewhere safe in Turkey :)) Anyways... We stayed in a unique cave house, also courtesy of AirBnB. Most importantly it's a cave house with high speed internet :p The house belongs to a man named Hayrettin. A Fairy Chimney House he called it. Meeting Hayrettin was another experience. It turns out that many Turkish people don't talk english (very much). Including Hayrettin. But we still were able to communicate and Hayrettin is a very friendly host. Now... The reason why we stayed here in the first place was because the chimney house is quite close to Cappadocia. Yes. THAT Cappadocia. The one with hot air balloons rides. Oh I wanted that hot air balloon ride so bad... Just as bad as Cersei wanted those elephants*... Long before we left Jakarta, I specifically asked my doc whether it was okay for me to hop on a balloon ride :p But I guess we have to come back again someday. Because the weather was impossible. Why?

BECAUSE IT WAS SNOWING!!! :))) Imagine how shocked we all were! Good for me and Kukka, our jackets are thick and warm and we brought long trousers. But Hubster? Most of his clothes were t-shirts and shorts :)) I think it was snowing all night long because when we woke up, snow was everywhere. The temperature was -5Celcius. While Hubs and Precious Godsend were having a snowball fight, I sat very close to the heater with the rest of the family members. With clattering teeth, I kept sipping on my hot cup of coffee, hot chocolate and hot tea! Anything that was hot!!! :)) I couldn't even stay long outside the house to take pictures or videos of my babies having snowball fight or taking pictures of anything for that matter! I was shivering!!! It was not what I've expected it would be. But of course, it was super fun.

On April 22nd - 24th we continued our roadtrip and moved in to Mr. Volkan's house in Sapanca, a 5-hours drive city from Ankara. This was our last stop before we finally flew back home. Staying at Volkan's house was another experience. To me it felt more like spending the nights at a friend's house rather than a B&B place. Why? Because when there's no guests, Volkan does stay there. So the feeling was different than any AirBnB houses we've stayed before which probably are actually being left empty when there are no guests. Volkan's house looks like a typical traditional european house, complete with a classic looking chimney. It has a very large garden with lush green grass and there are 2 big dogs, 1 on a leash and 1 in a cage. They're very friendly. As far as I can remember the dogs never bark at us even once! And they were very happy whenever Kukka came to them and petted their heads. The doggies' tails would wag here and there and their faces looked excited. Too bad I couldn't remember their names... 

Anyways we spent the last day shopping at Anatolia Bazaar to buy some sweets. To be honest this place was not on my list. I didn't know Anatolia Bazaar is apparently a must-visit place when you're in Turkey. Being in there made me dizzy. People were practically screaming and moving fast here and there. The guys kept asking you which snacks you wanted, where you come from and stuff. Not my kind of place although I did buy a box of rocks-looking chocolate. But our little family has never been the kind who buy souvenirs (Kukka said: "Olé-olé) for others, like friends and family members. Not even for my Mom and Dad. Unlike Ibu and Mba Dewi who did buy lots of stuff for themselves and others :)) I guess Hubster, Kukka and I prefer to... eat and hang out rather than shopping? :p

On April 25th at 15:37 we finally landed in Jakarta and then arrived at home safe and sound. Alhamdulillah. Kukka practically squeezed Moochi in her arms because she missed him very much. I miss my bed and my maid's sambel terasi!!! :)) I've planned to blog about this trip as soon as we got home but sadly it was impossible. Why? My eyes didn't want to cooperate! :)) All I wanted was sleep, sleep, sleep. And now as I'm writing this, I do realize that I must have forgotten and missed a lot of stuff. Sadly I could only rely on some of the things written on my notebook and some tweets. What I can say about this family trip is that I had fun. I've spent a lovely time with my inlaws. I got to know Mba Dewi, my sister in law, better. I've been given a chance to experience another phase in my life together with my preteen baby. I've seen beautiful buildings like Anitkabir and Ayasofya Müzesi. All in all, this Turkey holiday was a hit and I'm very grateful for it!

*Game of Thrones fans only

2019

Well what do you know... Another year has passed & 2019... It's here. Man... Time flies. It's been too long since my last writing too... I don't know why but I just didn't have the urge to blog. Not that there's nothing to write about. There is. A lot. For example, let's start with the most important one: my last visit to dr. Rocksy. Usually I dedicate a whole blogpost just for this particular "topic" but for now, let's just... Share. Shall we?

1. Doc Rocksy Menjelaskan:

It was a month earlier check-up than it supposed to... But I had to get a formal letter from my dear doctor which stated that I am suffering from this & that & have to bring certain medications. What for? Because we went to spend holiday in Kuala Lumpur. I forgot to record my conversation with dr. Rocksy but one thing I do remember: WHEN I GET SEIZURE, IMMEDIATELY GO TO THE DOC: I will have to get EEG (Electroencephalogram). I also remember that she was not very happy about the light seizures I got. Especially when I showed dr. Rocksy the video taken by my BFF...

2. Destination: Kuala Lumpur

Doing random stuff or going to random places is nothing unusual for us. So when SiBapa said how about if we spend 4 days 3 nights in Kuala Lumpur? I was like... Okay. When? December 27th - January 1st. So yes... We spent the New Year's Eve in KL. Lucky us there was still a room available in The Renaissance Hotel. Why lucky? Because it was high season! And we booked it literally in the last minute! Well... Not exactly minute like... Minute. But you get what I mean, right?! Days before we flew to KL I googled the places we wanted to visit & made a schedule. But as predicted, it was pretty much useless :)) We rented a car, went shopping, took pictures in front of Petronas Twin Towers, visited Colmar Tropicale French Town & my loved ones had fun in Adventure Park & Paintball Warfare. Hubster bought durian & had to eat it outside the car :)) Then we visited Village Park Restaurant, a place known for its delicious Nasi Lemak Ayam Goreng. Then we had a road trip to Ipoh. I even took a picture of the signage. Hollywood style :) On Monday we had a road trip to Penang. We crossed the very long Penang Bridge. I enjoyed the long drive. The view was beautiful. We went to The Chocolate Boutique  - Chocolate & Coffee Museum. To be honest there was nothing much to see but we bought some chocolate bars & it's delicious. We also visited Lost World of Tambun. While my babies enjoyed the hot spring, I was just chilling in one of the huts. As for the New Year's Eve... We spent it inside the hotel room. I guess we were too tired to spend it outside. Although there was a countdown party by the pool at the hotel... I could hear people partying & screaming the countdown. Kukka & I watched the fireworks from our bedroom window. It was beautiful. And loud. Very loud :D

 

Well... I guess this is all I can remember for now. I don't do New Year's Resolution thing but I do have some plans that I would like to do, avoid & achieve in 2019. Wish me luck & have a happy new year to you all :)

Forty-Two In Bengkulu

A typical day at The Ica Lawendatus. No plan, no talk whatsoever. Suddenly Hubster said "Let's go to Bengkulu!" :)) So... We did! We spent June 21st - 25th in Bengkulu City. Hubster wanted to revisit his junior highschool memories, starting with staying at Grage Horizon Hotel. He said he used to go there with the whole family. Kukka was not very impressed though. Probably the only thing she loved about Bengkulu was the beach. It was like having the whole beach to ourselves. The saddest part about the beach is the trash. There were lots of trash on the sand and in the water. How can people be so careless I simply don't understand. But yes, mostly the beach is beautiful. Kukka enjoyed her time in Pantai Panjang. Me? I enjoyed our time in Bengkulu. Delicious food, tasty coffee, beautiful view, interesting language and accent. It was the heat that was too much. Honestly I didn't think that Bengkulu would be THAT hot! I must say I didn't pack the right clothes for it :D

There are many historical sites in Bengkulu. Too bad we couldn't visit all of them. I did make a list but I threw it away because I thought the trip was canceled. So when we did go, I mostly relied on Tripadvisor. Historical buildings, culinary must-tries, tourists sites, etc. And of course we also relied on Hubster's memories. We visited his house at Jl. Indragiri and his junior high school, SD Sint Carolus. My favorites must be the Rumah Pengasingan Bung Karno (Bung Karno's Seclusion House), Danau Dendam Tak Sudah (Neverending Grudge/Revenge Lake) and Fort Marlborough. 

At Rumah Pengasingan Bung Karno I felt kinda sad. Especially when I looked at his bed... And the whole house just feels so...lonely. Who knows how Bung Karno felt when he stayed there... And I must say I was quite impressed AND happy to see that the house is very well taken care of. Everything is clean. Nothing is smelly as you would expect in an old house. I didn't sneeze at all!!! That really is a good sign! :))

Fort Marlborough. The view is definitely nice. We were lucky it didn't rain. In fact it was quite hot. But the sky was blue and Kukka had fun. She was somewhat shocked when she saw the tombs of Charles Murray, Residen Thomas Parr and Robert Hamilton. She asked "There are dead persons in there?" :)) Meanwhile I was impressed with the cannonball. I didn't know that cannonball is THAT heavy!!! I also find Fort Marlborough to be somewhat... Exotic. I don't know... Somehow I felt like I was visiting an inca temple or something :))

Danau Dendam Tak Sudah or if you literally translate it: Neverending Revenge Lake. It is mesmerizing. The water is dark it almost "got" me. I mean... I kept looking at it, hoping to see something emerging out of the water. Like... A woman's arm pulling me to the water! Or creepy face quietly grinning at me!!! :))) I know it's stupid but yes. Danau Dendam Tak Sudah is definitely a must visit if you ever go to Bengkulu. I just wished I could spend more time there. Like maybe sitting by the lake, reading a book and drinking coffee. 

Let's see... What else is interesting in Bengkulu? ... Coffee! Ah yes! I can't write about Bengkulu without mentioning the coffee. I love the coffee!!! It's so delicious and fresh. Before we went home I made sure I bought a couple pack of local brands. Yes. I will enjoy cups of Bengkulu's coffee at home beside my favorite Liong Bulan. During our short stay in Bengkulu we already have a favorite cafe which served delicious coffee. It's called Bencoolen Coffee House. We kept coming back because it has delicious ice coffee. As for the pempek, we went to a couple of supposedly famous places. What interesting was the way they eat pempek. The sizes are small, no noodles and cucumber pieces. The pempek were small I HAD to order 6 pieces in 1 go. And yes. I finished them all and sipped the cuko until its last drop. Too bad I didn't buy and bring some to Jakarta... 

As for my birthday... I received lots of messages from my friends and families. This year I even received best wishes from people I didn't expect. The messages started to fill my inboxes since June 22nd, 00:00. Right that second I felt very grateful to be surrounded by kind people. I also got cuddly surprises from my loved ones :) I didn't expect it because... I don't know... I didn't expect much from this year's birthday. I didn't think or feel special. Maybe because it isn't... I don't know... This year feels different. I must say it's kind of sad. I used to think that birthday is a special day. That it's a day to celebrate with your loved ones. A day to spend...differently. But not anymore. And the saddest part about it is to think that Kukka will probably think and grow up thinking that birthdays are not special either. It might not a be big deal but I always think that being indifferent is sad. That some days, some events are worth to make fuss about. Even if it's silly. Why? 

Just because. 

'Til We Meet Again, Sentosa

Big sigh. 

I've spent hours... No. Days! To manage this trip. From where to stay, where to go, what places to visit, until what TIME to do all those things. Completed with hour-minute! I've wrote the list on papers, saved it on my iPhone & iPad. BUT of course at the end it's all useless. Planning doesn't work that well in this little family of ours :))

Okay let me start with where we went for Kukka's midterm break & Hubster's birthday. Resorts Sentosa Island. Why? I'm not so sure... I think it was because we couldn't go too far because of Hubster's working schedule. Lots of things were uncertain so we decided to go somewhere...familiar. So Sentosa - Singapore it is! We stayed from March 26th - 29th at Equarius Sentosa Hotel. Totally recommended. It has great service, beautiful view & our bedroom turned out to be better than expected. The breakfast was kinda boring though. It was delicious but everyday it has the same menu. So if you do want to stay at this hotel, consider to have breakfast outside since there are lots of great places to eat.

Something hilarious happened when we came to the hotel. After everything was settled, the receptionist congratulated Hubster on his upcoming birthday, which was the next day. But then the guy apologized for not being able to accomodate my request. You see... A day before we flew to Singapore I sent an e-mail to the hotel & requested to have a birthday cake, complete with a lighted candle, sent to our room at exactly 00:00/midnight/March 27th. When the receptionist mentioned it Hubster was like "What?" He was confused. As for me? I practically screamed "NOOOOOO!!!! IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A SURPRISE!!!!!" Hubster & I bursted into laughter & the receptionist guy was... :))) Oh man! I still remember how his expression was! LOL LOL LOL!!!! His mouth was opened, his eyes confused & .... In short he was bewildered :)))) After that he kept apologizing whenever we met in the hotel area. The receptionist said "I'm so sorry!" like thousand times! LOL LOL LOL!!! I said it's okay but I have to admit I was kind of disappointed. The birthday cake was supposed to be a substitute of the birthday present which was left behind at home. Why was it at home? Because when we left to Singapore, it wasn't delivered yet!!!! :))) 

THIS is my birthday present for SiBapa. We've been together for sooo many years & celebrated many birthdays together I simply didn't have any ideas anymore. Then one day I came up with this mug idea & I am pretty happy about it :)) Why? Well... Because whenever Hubs uses this mug, he will see my opinion about what kind of husband he is to me. Still sexy. Yet the older he gets, the grumpiest he becomes :p But the fact that the receptionist ruined the way I was going to give the present to Hubs was quite disappointing. And that's not all!!!! I made a mistake! When I ordered the mug, I wrote the age 43 instead of 42!!! Oh man! So sorry ya Baps :D But anyways... Let bygones be bygones! Right?!? LOL!!! LOL!!!!  

As for the holiday itself... It was fun. It rained quite often but we still enjoyed it. We went to lots places such as the Universal Studios, S.E.A Aquarium, ... And others! But I must say my favorite part of the holiday was when we went to Skyline Luge. You see... Ever since I got sick I'm not allowed to drive a car anymore. It's too bad because I do enjoy driving a car. Well... It IS understandable. I mean... What if I suddenly get a seizure while driving? :D But back to Luge. It is, in their own words, is a "unique wheeled gravity cart". And yes! Just like its' tagline says "Once is never enough". It was so fun we did it twice! First time through the Jungle Trail & then the Dragon Trail. Too bad we didn't buy the pictures which were automatically taken by the cameras on the trails :(( I think I already screamed perfectly when my cart drove passed the cameras... For the Luge experience I have to thank Hubster. At first I hesitated but my babies talked me into it. It turned out to be more fun than the cable car ride. Anyways... We had so much fun in Sentosa, it would take me forever to write the experience here. At the end of the day I just want to thank ALLAH SWT for giving me the chance to spend such a lovely time with the loves of my life. 

And for you, Muniku... Happy 42nd birthday! And thank you for everything. :*

Escape To Cimaja

It was just another day us being us. The Ica Lawendatus :)) Like always. No plans. Just do it! All of a sudden Hubster said we should go surfing to Cimaja. Even if it's in the middle of the week, on school days! After a lot of arguments & long consideration (SiBubu VS SiBapa & Kukka), I gave up & finally considered the trip as our 14th anniversary getaway. The skipping school part... There was nothing I could do other than say "Okay..." Kukka was very excited. This time SiBubu finally gave up & she "successfully" skipped school! SiBapa even said "Sekolah melulu!" & then they shared laughter together -_- The difference about this anniversary getaway was that SiBapa's friends, Ipul & Hendra were also in Cimaja. They all wanted to go surfing together. Yep. These boys are into surfing lately. Soooo like always I had to search & make last minute hotel reservations. This time we chose Cimaja Beach Club. We left home on March 6th, early in the morning. Ari came along to drive the car. Obviously. Before we left I managed to give Hubster my EPIC anniversary present! I'll tell you all about it in the next blogpost. 

Now back to Cimaja! The road all the way to Cimaja was fine. No traffic jam whatsoever. Perfect day, perfect time. Kukka slept almost all the way. I think we only stopped once to eat at Rumah Makan Dapur Muara Kenari. Afterwards we went straight To Cimaja Beach Club. The cottage we stayed in was nice. It has wooden floors & glass doors. The downside of it was how to reach the cottage. We didn't know that we actually had to walk quite far from the parking lot. It was quite difficult too because we had to walk on round stones & wooden path. If we ever do come back again one day, I have to remember that it's better to use backpacks rather than a suitcase :)) But we enjoyed it nevertheless since the view was beautiful. We passed by a couple of bulls, just munching some grass on the hayfield & having a good time. On our right side was the sea. We could hear the waves rolling in & we saw lots of fishermen boats. What made me sad was the trash... There was quite a lot of plastic bags & many other things. For example I spotted a biscuit tin can & a sandal... It's upsetting how ignorant & careless some people can be... 

Anyways... After we arrived at the cottage, my babies went to the beach to surf right away. Their energies TO PLAY is amazing! I repeat: TO PLAY!! I stayed in because I had a long nap to catch up to. But I did go to the beach with them. I saw Kukka successfully stand on the board & she was very proud. I was very proud too! Kukka has always been a "water" kid. She's never been afraid of being inside a deep swimming pool or got rolled by the waves. I held my breath everytime Kukka was inside the water. I took a very very deep breath whenever I saw her little head emerging out of the water. Meanwhile Kukka jumped around happily & waved at me with a very proud face. Then she immediately went back to the water with her beloved Bapa. For a moment there I was wondering how on earth could she be more afraid learning how to ride a bike than surfing between REAL waves! :))

I've witnessed something cool when we were on the beach & it made me also laugh so loud. I was taking pictures of Hubster & Kukka while they were surfing. I also noticed there were a couple of local kids playing around in the water. At first I thought they were just swimming & surfing. But it turned out they were fishing! And what did they use??? Their bare hands!!!! They were screaming in sundanese, loudly & excitedly. It went more or less like this:

Boy A in the water: WOY! IYEU AYA HIJI!!! (Hey! There's one here!)

Boy B who was sitting close to me: HAYU ATUH KADIEU!!!! (Come here then!)

Boy A ran to Boy B, looked like he was holding something. Boy B made fire near my saung, my cottage. 

Boy B: Yeuh! Di ditu nu loba. Hiji yeuh! Kajeun nya? (Here you go! There's a lot over there. Here's one. Is it okay?)

I saw Boy B gave something to Boy A. I was very curious so I tried to pay attention to what they were doing. It turned out...

Me: Boy! Itu nangkep ikan???? Terus sekarang langsung bakar & dimakan???? (Boy! Did you just catch a fish?? And now you're grilling it & eat it???)

Boy A & B stared at me with a "Duh!" look & answered: Iyah. (Yes.)

After the boys gave me a weird look, they continued enjoying the small fish they just caught. It looked like it was very delicious.

Me: KEREN!!!!! (COOL!!!) LOL LOL LOL

It was the first time I ever saw someone catch a fish, grill it & eat it right away on the spot! Just like Tom Hanks in Cast Away!!!! It was so cool!!! I laughed so loud & gave them my thumbs up. Too bad I didn't record it. :)))))

My favorite part of Cimaja Beach Club are the super cute & friendly dalmatians dogs: Trooper & Vader. They are so friendly & wanted to be around us like all the time! Kukka, the animal lover that she is, obviously wasn't scared at all. Actually I was the one who was a little bit worried since Kukka really like to pet the dalmatians heads. And the dogs looked like they really wanted to lick Kukka's hands :)) It's not the licking that worried me. I mean... Their noses are probably as big as my fist. And those teeth!! :)) I couldn't remember who it was but one of them whimpered cutely, practically begging for some Chacha chocolate from Kukka. They followed Kukka wherever she went. Also whenever we were inside the bedroom, Trooper & Vader sit right in front of the glassdoor & waited for us to come out. Good thing they couldn't knock :)) I totally understand Kukka's excitement because I had fun with the doggies too! Even SiBapa pet the doggies a lot of times! He also let me took a couple of pictures of him riding on Trooper! Or was it Vader? :*

On the evening we had dinner at the restaurant. Finally we went to sleep with bellies full & content hearts. The next day we went home. Our one night get-away was super fun & I thank SiBapa for it. Maybe next time we can stay longer. And I have to remember to put sunblock on Kukka's face. :))