Trains (again)

Something about the train that giving strong energy towards the boys in my house.

Little that I know, my husband spend his childhood doing trainspotting or walk on the rails after school.

Now our little man become obsessed with it.

Back in KLlife, weekend means walk around the city and maximizing the usage of public transportation.

Usually free Go KL bus as starter and finish strong with KTM (and taxi ride).

And now, in creating memories about how wonderful his childhood (mama is trying hard LOL), we opted the train trip as one of the weekend checklist activity (at least once a month).

And we are HAPPY.

No matter how busy unproductive unsatisfying our weekdays went, trains will bring back the smile.

By all means, everyone is HAPPY.

Winner!

Last weekend we took train from Manggarai to Kota. It cost 3.000 rupiah/person.

2 top options that available for this route is :

Bogor/depok – Kota

Bekasi – Kota

They are available at line 1 and 3. Or you can simply ask the officer there.

Trains are passing by every minute. I feel this is the busiest station I ever seen.

Most of the train are 10 coaches long and always FULL.

Wow, as you know that Indonesia is one of the most populated country in the world and I am proudly saying that Train is doing very well now because everyone can queue-ing and lining up properly.

Anyway, back to our train trip, the boys are spending time chatting and spotting the train at the station.

Total time riding the train : 15 minutes (one way)

Total chatting at the stations : 30 minutes.

Total time that I am spending for taking pictures : 15 minutes ++ ( and walking around checking convenient store while waiting for the boys)

Speaking about Kota (our destination), this is the old heritage area. One of the main attraction in Jakarta.

Maybe I’ll explain more about it in the next post.

See you around!

Have a great week ahead

Memories

This past few days, many memories pop up in my mind and also on my phone.

A year!

I can’t believe how fast time has flown by and we are officially spend a year in Indonesia. Hoorayy.

I can’t believe that Malaysia especially Kuala Lumpur would leave a big mark on my heart.

Remembering the day when we moved there. I never visited KL or any other part of Malaysia back then and yet it felt so good to jump into an endless adventure.

And now it felt the same.

Back to beloved Indonesia, it’s like jumping to a huge pool that I don’t even know the depth.

Funny because I was living in the city for long time but the possibility of adventure is a real endless road of adventure.

I met new friends, build a handmade brand, reunited with my lovely gang and share a work experience with new partner.

My home-work is also piling up. The happy boy has no difficulties in adjusting socially. Am a proud mama.

I always feel that once you start to enjoy your life and feel the comfort zone, something always happen. So best that we keep moving, keep the memories inside, and create a new one.

I am on my way on creating more memories. How about you?

xoxo

-A-

No Maid No Problem (yet?)

A month after Hari Raya, some of my friends are still struggling to find a domestic helper. As it is a common phenomena in here.

It got me thinking that almost 5 years now I live without full time helper (of course I am hiring part timer once a while especially when the ironing is piling up to the roof)

Realizing I can survive without them, let me share a few easy tips to manage your house and yourself.

Trust me, I often want to scream too when things get overloaded.

Let’s get start with the list :

1. Get all your family member in the house to be involved. Everyone should know where is the tissue storage, oil, paper, tape and so on. Even the kitchen utensil.

Start with labeling the boxes, especially when you have a young children at home.

It is important for all adults to aware of those places, in order to help you keep things in places.

BUT! Be flexible and feasible with all the situation, especially if you have children. They need some times to know all the places and help you with house core.

At least they can tidy up their toys and be commited with it.

(My 8yo is always playing everywhere, but he’s on his way to helping us more. Practice and patience still the key 😁)

I am so lucky to have a cooperative husband (but he did some hiccup too, as normal human and we know the consequences of that hiccup is wife will bark a bit Lol)

2. Get your cleaning tools COMPLETE – handy.

I always choose the easiest and cleanest mop, even though it cost lots of money. Simple reason to get things done easier.

And always clean them when you are done the cleaning process. It will reduce the stress level when you are about to start your cleaning process.

3. Clean kitchen sink is a happy start.

It is very personal, but if in the night I get to do prioritize, clean up the dishes is a must before go to bed.

You can easily ignore if the floor is a bit dusty but not dishes.

You don’t want to wake up in the morning and facing the dirty dishes and pans.

4. The most important part, it’s okay to have a messy house once a while. Don’t overdo and let yourself too tired.

I am still working on this mantra. To be honest, I get upset easily of the house is disorganize. I could stay awake and sleep late to do some cleaning.

This is not good in long term. Because I need to rest and continue working the next day.

Keeping myself awake in the night will cause more problems the next day.

Like we all know, lack of sleep will affect our hormone and mood ladies. We don’t need to be a dragon cleaner lady.

After all it is our house, our home. With or without helper is a choice. We know what it’s best for us.

I can tell this story or surviving without helper, but I believe many people out there who has no choice to add a helper as part of the family.

Just make sure you are happy with the decision 💖

Tell me your cleaning or managing house story. Would love to read it.
xoxo

– A –

The Right Decision

It is a powerful statement. Making the right decision.

Have you ever wondered wether the choice you made is the right one. Or have you ever listen to the tiny voices inside your head that making you doubt on your own decision?

Hang on there, you are with me.

Everytime I need to decide something, I keep on questioning myself, am I making the righ decision? Is this the best? What if and so on.

Funny part, I already know that whatever the decision I made, is followed by consequences.

It is not about right or wrong.

It is about taking risk with consideration.

Afterall we are human. We have brain that help us think and intuition that send the signal of inner voice.

Sometimes our decision will lead us to the best possible situation.

Some other decision will lead us to regret.

Again, there is no right or wrong.

We have to believe in faith and destiny.

When GOD want that to happen, the best that we can do is praying for the best to happen.

Fret not, all the good things are not easily delivered and all the bad things usually comes with rainbow afterward.

I am about to make a decision as well.

I’ve heard my tiny voices inside my head and build up the anxiety as well.

Lucky I have the best partner to discuss things and friends for advise.

Wish me luck and I pray and put my faith on it.

So, tell me what’s your recently made decision?hope it all lead to a good progress.

Keep on making a ton of decision love.
xoxo

-A-

Psstt : these pictures are taken at Yats Colony. A lovely place to stay when you are coming to Yogyakarta Indonesia. I might share the details of our short getaway later. Till next time.

I Cheat!

I could not believe that I said it loud and clear!

Yes I cheat.

I cheated on crochet. I feel in love again, to weaving.

One of the good thing that happen to me when move back home, I got a chance to learn something new, weaving.

Around September last year, I took a weaving class, taught by Indonesian crafter named Nike Prima from made.by.n and I could not take my hands off my loom eversince.

Weaving is like a journey for me. Every single weave that I made tells a story (that’s also fit to me because I love to share it through my handmade)

Weaving is teaching me about patience and expressing myself. I could follow certain pattern or just go with the flow.

If I am not concentrating enough, somehow it reflected in my work.

Excuse me for being overrated about it, it’s a new love! 😁😁😁

From the smallest loom to the biggest one

From wall hanging decoration to small pouch

You can see more of my weaving story at my instagram @myflairstory or @flairstory

I am having lots of fun with my looms.

Please, whoever or whenever you feel like you want to cheat (in a good way), please do so.

Yes I cheat and I love it!
xoxo

– A – www.instagram.com/myflairstory

It’s ok to be not ok

Again and again, I haven’t posted anything. My oh my.

8 months since we moved back to our beloved country, Indonesia.

I must say I miss KL a lot. The environment, the multicultural people, the surprise that I got everyday. Everything.

Well, I do find different challenge in here. Another kind of challenge and additional title as homeschooled mom 😅 (but no, I prefer not to share the details in here since LOL)

Everytime I flip the old pictures, instantly I flew back to last year in KL. I do miss it 😁

Miss this view, miss the FOOD.

But Hey,

Don’t be so gloomy while reading it.

I am having fun also in here.

We are surrounded by family and more friends now. The best part of moving back and the unbeatable local food.

Happiness is happen when you feel it and it’s not determined by the place but by the heart.

It is ok not to feel ok in the beginning of changes but you must believe that it is all for good cause. There’s a bigger plan behind it.

Keep on believing 💖
xoxo

– A –

Home (Life in KL)

Here we are, every journey must come to an end. Our lovely life in KL has ended. Less than 2 weeks we are heading back to Indonesia.

Mix feelings. Excited but sad, look forward but doesn’t want to leave our place now, ready and not ready for next journey.

We are having a wonderful 4++ years in KL.

Kuala Lumpur, it has everything. And it surely brought happiness to us.

Had to admit, I hated this place when we first moved. Need a few months for me to adjust but now I don’t want to leave LOL.

All in one.

I could share thousands or millions lovely experience in KL.

And I know one day we will go back.

This isn’t goodbye yet.

Now off to packing and applying stress away + release.

❤️❤️❤️

Dream A Little Dream

Have you ever wondered, how time might change people.

It does change me.

I used to dream to own a small boutique

I used to dream to have my own brand

I used to dream to have a strong career

I used to dream a lot..

I am a full time daydreamer afterall

I used to dream

A lot

About everything

But then one day, I woke up, realise that I don’t have a dream anymore

Not in that way of thinking

Not in that way

I still have tons of dreams, big, bigger one..

I dream to own a coffeeshop

Where people can talk, laugh, share their moments.

I dream that I am going to sit there, behind the order table, looking, observing people.

I dream that my son will be there with my other half.

Hey, a woman can dream right?

Yup,that’s my dream.

For now.

My small coffeeshop will be completed by sweets corner and juice bar.

There will be a small books corner.

There will be a small yarn corner.

A woman can dream

For now, I am just heading to my bed.

Planning to make  happen.

In dreams of course
Xoxo

Is it okay?

warning : this piece is contain a high narcism of me 😄 and sarcasm.

Come across my mind, how far I’ve been going from what I thought “my path”.
Yes, it’s been 3 years I become a full time mom aka wife aka domestic goddess (sweetest term that makes you believe that you will feel like goddess at home LOL).

I have to say.. Naahh, Nope, No, I am not a housewife material, taking care of house, do EVERYTHING, from washing dishes to ironing, from scrubbing toilet to mop the floor, and bla bla bla.

Sometimes when I meet my friend and they don’t believe what I’ve been doing, I lied, white lies. I said yes, once a while someone is coming to help me. In reality, I guess I am just too picky to choose a maid yet to perfectionist (sorry).

Anybody who say that housewife is the most amazing job, I salute them. Because to me, it is the most challenging job I ever have (It has the fun side for sure)
Well, if you are imagining my house or should I explain, my 1500 square feet apt as Martha Steward tidy kind of apartment, well, you know you are wrong. 😄
First few months when I started, yes, I was trying super hard to maintain Martha Steward look, but then I realize my sanity is much more important.

So, I decided to embrace it, some unhappy cranky days, i will let my floor stained, piling up clothes. Much easier.

But then my Inner perfectionist (maybe only 20% left), push myself to clean all the places. Finish everything that hasn’t been done (you name it).

Then I will reward myself with somethng nice, from a pair of shoes to cup of coffee, or nice book, or anything. Of course hubby pay for it hohoho.

I was a senior manager before, lucky to have experienced at reputable retail company, lucky to meet lots of talented young people that I could call my friends now. Lucky to meet unique type of bosses and lucky to meet my family, the store team that I miss everyday.

I often thinking, do I miss my job?I do. But I miss the people more. I miss working with them. I miss being needed by them and hated as well LOL. Well I could be that b*tch that you don’t want to mess around. As a lady manager, I did create a kind of cruel to be kind image before but they know that I love them 😊👌🏻

I miss work, I miss them. I do.

It is okay not to let your inner self go. It’s okay to feel that you should be selfish. These are the things that I always tell myself.

Told you, I am narcissistic and sarcastic 😝

Now, off to ironing and put on my favourite songs in the laundry room. If you are curious, katy perry, adam levine, the haim and taylor swift are here now to accompany me. Oh well, now I am more than narcissistic, I am halusinating 😆.

Till next time

Xoxo

Oh I wish my apt is always this clean 😘

Don’t Speak or Please do

Speak your mind is very easy for most of people out there, but I find it is hard to understand that some other people just decide to withdraw themself when they don’t know what to say.

As a Sanguin open book never stop talking mama, very easy for me to speak my mind, to tell what I want, to share what I think and so on.

On my 20s, I am a very expressive and rush decision maker, sometimes impulsive and emotional. But that’s who I am. I made lots of mistakes, few I regret, the rest I am grateful for it.

As I grow older, things has changed, I am still the same open book Sanguin type, but I begin to select who are my audiences. I rarely share everything with everybody, I choose my circle, I stay with my heartwarming geng (beside my fam), and I have few secrets that I keep on my own (sorry hubs).

I am still the same person but I try to grow wisely, better and think more about the consequences of every decision. I am no longer an impulsive 20s something who was dreaming about prince charming and fairy tales, I create my own Fairy tales. I have to create my own version of fairy tales.

Either you are a Sanguin open book speak your mind type, or reserved, or choose to shut people down, one thing that I would say or I might wish,  please always think about other people’s feeling.

Some people are not comfortable with us telling them how we feel while others prefer to be told every single things that going on inside our head. Please be thoughtful of it. Simply because it might hurt people that we love.

If I may ask, whoever out there, please always speak your mind to me, tell me how you feel, it might not always pretty but I hate guessing game, I hate to be shut down by people without explanation, especially from a good friend :))

Well, it’s just me.

And again, don’t speak or please do, it’s all your decision to make, not mine.

Be thoughtful. Be kind. ❤️

We are all growing to become a better person, don’t waste your time with something that weigh you down.