Somewhere Only We Know

Halo halo halo,

Caught up in many ways and somehow forgot to write anything in here.

I read somewhere, Writing can be a therapeutic journey because a blank paper (or blog) can’t judge you.

I do feel a glimpse of happiness everytime I wrote something in this blog. Even though not sure anyone but me reading 😁

Blog diary it is we should call it. Aren’t we.

If anyone ask a question of what I want right now, I will say without a doubt, I want to take my boys all around the world.

Living in difference country, learning and growing in different environment.

A girl (and mom) can dream.

I believe Life is a journey and there will be ups and down in it.

Whether you choose to like it or not.

I also believe, GOD, Allah SWT will always give something unexpectedly.

Keep praying that it’s for the best.

Our life can be tricky, can be enlightening, can change beyond imagination and fairy tale but also can stay the same in idle stage for a while.

I learned that accepting is still the hardest thing to do but also the best.

Somewhere only we know.

Somehow things are coming unexpectedly.

Someday somewhere.

Xo,

Ana

And her random thought 😅

Is it too late to say Happy New Year?

New Year,

New Hope,

New Challenge,

New Changes,

New Beginning,

New Excitement,

New Experience

Happy New Year.

Reflecting back to 2017, it’s not easy for us, but hey we made it!

So I am proudly saying that we are ready for this year.

My personal wish for this year is to be productively manage my life, whine less and happier.

Health will be the focus too.

Hope to take care of me and my family better.

Much better.

Month of love,

Happy February

Happy New Year once again!!

All the best for us

Birthday Wishes 🦄

Happy Belated Birthday to me!

Yes, last week is my birthday. On United Nation’s day, I celebrate it.

I am not getting younger, but I know i am wearing my scar proudly.

Grateful that I am making this far, giving a proper pat on my shoulder and yell inside. Alhamdulillah, Thank GOD for giving more years to breathe and live!

Talking about young and younger and age, I write down in my head, a few wishes in my new ages.

Not gonna share all, but my favorite will be written here as a reminder for me.

1. Embrace the happy feelings.

Being not young any longer definetely change my point of view about happiness.

Grateful is my new mantra. It is not easy but trying is the only way to survive.

I might not be the happiest person in universe, but I know I am responsible for my own happiness.

2. Share the love

I cried here and there in my life. But sharing the love is my new inner voice. Sharing it to everyone with no exception.

Crazy difficult especially you might not get the respon that you want.

3. Forgiving

They said that forgive other people for you, yourself. Not for other. Keeping hate is the last thing that you want to do if you have bigger plan.

So let’s practice to forgive each other.

4. Alive

Start balancing out my life, be grateful and knowing that we are ALIVE.

Healthy and ALIVE.

Be silly but serious in planning your future.

Be spontaneous but keep organizer in checked.

Be cheerful but sharing deep empathy with others.

Be crazy but stay sane while cooking.

Be yourself because other has been taken.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

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 –

Spring Cleaning (or other seasons)

Time of the year again. To clear up space and clean up the clutter, particullarly my wardrobe.

Over the year, the question and situation remains the same.

Between

“I don’t need this or this one should go”

VS

“Wow, a treasure ”

Neverending dilema and few days later.

Piling up some goodies (that I secretly hope it’s goldies) LOL.

And after a few days and cups of coffee later, I want to share some tips to make the Spring Cleaning Process easier.

1. If it doesn’t fit anymore, it should go.  Forget the idea “If I do some diets, It will fit me and bla bla bla”

If it doesn’t fit, means it doesn’t fit. If somehow our size is changing and become smaller, that will be a good reason to start shopping 😁
2. If you are not wearing it more than 2 years, It should go.

Sorry to say, If you did’r remember the existence of this particular item, then It is not important.

Bye bye outfit.

3. You have few similar items.

What’s the point of having 5 tutu skirt for God sake? Oh well, that’s me.

I decided to keep 3 out 5 (which is still a lot). But some needs to go.
4. Out of date.

Some outfit are worth to keep, but some not. Please do not insist to keep a syntetic fur jacket that you bought when you were at Junior High. It’s definetely out of date.

Junior High, pleaseee

5. Too Short – Too long – Too Tight- Too ….

Everything that start with too, means it is not suitable for you anymore.

We should let it go.
So, how it goes ladies?

Pretty easy On the paper right?

We are on this together, so please give your outfit a fresh start and look. Let them go.

Let some of them find a new home.

Happy Cleaning Ladies
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.

You Write when You Miss it

I am still missing KL all day, everyday. Not that I can’t move on or continue our life, but I do miss KL. 

So, here I am, listing my fave things to do when we were in KL.

What I love the most :

1. Parks with sparks

I haven’t found any park in Jakarta that give me sparks. I could spend hours on my “so called me time” in one of those park in KL. Sitting, sip a cup of coffee, juice or ais teh tarik. 

Picture perfect. 

Taking my boy to park is also fun. We could walk around it and chat and play with the sun.

2. Yarnsholic heaven

All those craft store, from local craft store at sungei wang or pasar seni, to Spotlight. 

Did I mention how much I love yarns? It was the first thing that I check when our cargo was arrived. 

I also missed my fellow handmaker there who’s been so nice to me. Missed hang out with them

3. Supplies and supermarket

Grocery shopping is my thing beside craft. My fave grocery store is Village grocer, they have everything that I need. My fave is located at Bangsar Village, nearby our aparment and the local food banana leaves resto. 

Then followed by Cold Storage, Jaya Grocer, Isetan and Sams and local market of course. 

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4. Bangsar

Yes. Spefically I missed Bangsar. 

I missed the Nirwana Maju resto, Chawan, Mikey Pizza, plan B, snackfood shop, smalls fashion boutique, lego stores,nasi kandar, massage place and cziplee stationery store too! 

Bangsar is a homey area. It’s not located in the center of KL but it’s reachable (excuse my geographic skill). If you are familiar with KLCC, Bangsar can be reached by LRT/MRT/Monorail. 5-10 minutes only from KL sentral station. 

Bangsar is housing area too. If you are wondering about the ground house area in KL, Bangsar is one of it. 

I always love to spend my day at Bangsar. 

5. Trains 

When we were living in KL, we always enjoy taking train everywhere. It’s just our thing. 

Monorail, LRT, KTM komuter, all of it. Now they have a brand new MRT, unfortunate we got no chance to try it out.

Ah ya, we also like to take KLIA transit to putrajaya and hang out there. Simply because we enjoy the train ride very much.

I remember one time, my son requested to take bus to Melaka and he wants to ride KLIA transit too. We suppose to take KLIA transit to Bandar Tasik Selatan/Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (the place where we can take the bus to Melaka) but then we decided to take longer ride to KLIA 2 instead and continue the journey to Melaka from there. 

It was a long trip but we are having fun. A winning indeed.
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6. The Foods 

I can’t believe I put this on the list. Few months when we first move to KL, I hate all the food, everything seems to “curry-ish”. But now I love it! 

From Nasi Kandar (pelita), nasi lemak antarbangsa, Banana Leaf rice, kwetiau, mee mamak, canai, chicken rice, tosai, kuih2. All of it. 

I am drolling just thinking about it. 

Oh how I missed it. 

Kwetiau at Food Republic Pavilion

Canai Teh Tarik Palace

Kale Salad

Laksa

Mee Tarik Warisan

Ais Cendol

Nirwana Maju Banana Leaves
I could write thousands more about how much I missed KL. 

It will always be our second home and I secretly hoping to be able to spend some life in KL again. 

Hope so. Pray for me? 😁😘
xoxo

A

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.

❤️❤️❤️