I made lots of grammatical errors on my previous posts but what the heck...

It's d-5 before vacation and we're heading to spain!!!

Blast from the past

The 2 pictures were taken during our java bali tour in 1988. One in kintamani bali and the other in parangtritis jogjakarta.
I was 8 at the time, big bro was 11, and lil bro was 6.
I remember dad's car was a daihatsu hijet 1983, and a bed was laid on the back of the car so we got to sleep on it.
I remember almost every detail of the trip like how we used to throw quizes, guessing the car police ID region, asking bapak to stop in the middle of a forest to pee (me!!!).. how we stayed at pretty lame  hotels to cope with the tight budget (thank you bapak and mamah for creating the budget!), how mamah dealed with everyday laundry (yes, she washed each and everyone's clothes by herself, with her very own hands). How it was so much fun to play ball in the beach, to eat street food as we passed them by..
To fight each other especially when i'm the only girl and big bro preferred playing with boys!
I'm being nostalgic, yet grateful for those fun time we had. Bapak went working at remote sites for a long time, for so many times, i couldn't recall. One of his goal is to take his family on this trip. To see the other side of the island. To go cross the bali strait and see by our own eyes the  very famous paradise island. He couldn't afford an airplane trip so he drove all the way, all those thousands miles by himself.
I remember having my first airplane flight on the 2nd month post employment. It was to balikpapan. I remember smiling during take off and said to myself, thank you bapak for that trip. The trip that opened my eyes. The value that it taught me since..hopefully forever.
Now it's my turn to pass them on to your grandchildren. It's not an easy thing to do but i will give my best shot. As you did with the trip.

While for this girl, the game is simpler. She just couldn't stop staring at the santa claus climbing on the top of the board 😅

The nanny put some christmas decoration at her place. Don't get her wrong, she's a hajj already, she wears hijab, there's nothing less moslem than what she's been practicing. She and her husband accept babies from multi race and multi belief back ground. They don't mind feeding the non moslem babies with pork (prepared by the parents off course). She taught my baby how to say salaam and she prays in front of her.

Isn't just a blessing to be able to deal with differences in a peaceful way..

Being minority

Today we gave our son 3€ for him to bring to school as they're having a year end bazaar. We reminded him (like several times) not to buy anything with pork in it.

So tonight as he got home.. he told us that he didn't buy any food cause everything got pork in it so he decided to use the money to play freesbie. He said he won the game and got a present. The present was marshmallow which he couldn't eat either...cause it contained pork.

I am touched and proud at the same time. It's never easy being a minority and he's got to deal with it quite early. So felicitation Kak, for nailing another challenge in being a minority in a country that is care less to some people who are trying to cope with their beliefs.

Hope this experience will shape you to become a more considerate towards your surroundings, to have empathy towards the minority, and by still practicing your belief.

So i'm here at midnite in a hotel room in lagos. Quite tired but yesterday was worse. I arrived in nigeria having suffered pain in my ears for some thirty minutes before landing. Twice as i made a transit before final destination.
Today despite the fact i had to wake up very early to catch morning flight to lagos, i think i made the right decision to take some medicines before flying that i ended up sleeping the whole flight.
Days are packed. Exhausted.
In the other side of the ocean, husband is surviving with a kid and a baby. That's not easy that is. Guess we all are struggling.
Hang in there us. I'm coming home soon enough to be with you once again. That what makes all struggle worthwhile. That what makes everything make sense.