WW: Bali Democracy Forum 2018

Whenever you have meetings in Bali, then for sure you will enjoy all the best things that Bali, the island of Gods and Goddesses, can offer.
No wonder Bali has been coined as one of the most favorite venues for meetings and international conferences, be it within the framework of United Nations, ASEAN, IMF - World Bank, IORA, WTO and so many more.

Bali Democracy Forum 2018
the team, after the meeting..
Here are a few snap I took during Bali Democracy Forum 2018, our annual gathering focusing on the  development and implementation of democracy in the world. This is the 11th time such event is held and the theme for this year is Democracy for Prosperity. Being a unique platform, we have many countries participating. This year, in total, we have 98 countries and international organization participating and joining us. At the same time, we also have Bali Democracy Student Forum and Bali Civil Society and Media Forum. It was great indeed!

Bali Kecak Dance
Kecak Dance, Bali..


Bali Democracy Forum 2018
My mini - me enjoying BDF 2018

Bali Democracy Forum 2018
the panel discussion..


Dear gods and goddesses...

The offerings...

Don't you just love it

Join us on (almost) Wordless Wednesday and have fun with the link party!

Cooking with Children and Tips to Enjoy It



“Ma, what's next? salt? pepper?"
My son, Bo, was holding the wok with sauted onion, scrambled eggs and steam rice, busy mixing them all with spatula.
I was cutting the sausages and bakso, Indonesian meat balls, that would be added to nasi goreng, Bo's favorite dish.
"Okay..add a pinch of salt and white pepper, then pour some kecap", I instructed him while adding those sausages and bakso to the wok, cooked it for a while and .
"Hmmm..I love the smell, bang! This will be perfect!" I said.
"Yes ma.. and I'm gonna eat them all!" he said, grining widely.

**

Cooking with Bo is one of the usual scenes we have at home lately.
Well, since we live in NYC, Bo has been showing big interest on cooking or helping me cooking his favorite food, to be exact.
Simple thing like martabak, telur dadar, pancakes, and nasi goreng, are some examples of food we love to cook at home together.

I love cooking!
And I guess my son loves it, too.
Of all the household chores I love,- or rather have to do, at home, cooking is on top of my list.
And that’s the question for #BON30dayChallenge as well.
What is your favorite household chores?

There is something relaxing about cooking.
When you are challenged to create something delicious with your bare hands, you have the power to use your imagination. Doing it with your kids make it even more fun!
Both Bo and I are foodies as well.
We love delicious food and instead of spending so much money eating outside, we love cooking at home using whatever ingredients we have.
Sometimes we revive my mom or my grandma’s recipes and try to compare it with our own creation.
There are time when we peep on YouTube to see certain cooking process.
For sure, cooking is quite a bonding experience for both of us.

And now, here are some tips for you who like cooking with children.

Try something simple

I always try to cook simple things with Bo before I can be sure that he’s up for this chore.
Cooking requires certain procedures that might be complicated.
So instead of confusing our kids and make them traumatic in the kitchen, better try something simple like scramble eggs and fried rice. Then if the kids seem to enjoy it, we’ll make martabak or soup which require more preparation.

Teach them about safety in the kitchen

This is really important! There are so many dangerous items in the kitchen, starting from the stove and the oven, knives and aharp objects, and hot, spicy.
Teach them how to handle those things and if they’re not sure about it, tell them to stop for a while and let us handle it. I always remind Bo that kitchen is not a playground. We can certainly have fun but we have to be fully aware.

Don’t critize them too much

Kids do make mistakes, just like us. 
And cooking can be complicated.
Sometimes we forget that they’re still kids and they easily mess things up. Of course we have to tell them what’s right and what’s wrong, but if we criticize them too much they will get discourage and loose their enthusiasm in cooking. We don't want this to happen, do we?
Let them create, make mistakes, mess things up. 
Then teach them to clean up with you and make things better next time.

Enjoy the process

That will be my last tip!
Don’t forget to enjoy the whole process with them.
Sometimes we focus too much on the results but we forget how fun the process is!
Don't forget that you are spending your precious times with your loved one.
It should worth the effort.

Wishing you all a happy cooking session with your kids and have fun!

Five Simple Things You Can Do to Relax in the Weekend


Here comes the weekend, yeaaah!
Do you have any plans for your lovely weekend?
Or just relaxing at home with your loved ones doing noting?
Sounds like a plan to me.

Sudah lama aku merindukan akhir pekan yang tenang.
Akhir pekan yang benar-benar aku nikmati tanpa harus memikirkan bahan pertemuan, rancangan pernyataan atau butir wicara untuk para pimpinan.
Tiga bulan terakhir ini hari-hariku memang dipenuhi dengan berbagai kegiatan dan jadwal pekerjaan kantor yang luar biasa banyaknya. Mulai dari perjalanan ke luar negeri untuk berbagai sidang sampai pertemuan-pertemuan di berbagai kota di Indonesia yang jadwalnya pada merayap. Dalam tiga bulan, saya bertugas ke tiga negara danentah breara kota di Indonesia.
At one point I love it but I cannot deny that I am tired.

Makanya, saat ahir pekan tiba, I am sooo excited.
Kalau hari libur atau akhir pekan, biasanya aku punya banyak cita-cita.
Mau inilah, mau itulah. Ke sana, ke sini...
Padahal sebenernya butuh istirahat dan recharge.
Plus menghabiskan waktu dengan keluarga tercinta atau melanjutkn hobi yang mungkin sempat tertunda saat di hari kerja.
Jadi, mau ngapain kita di hari libur?

That’s the question for the 20th day challenge of the #BPN30dayChallenge2018.
Then it makes me think of 5 simple things we can do to relax in the weekend.
Well the question is during the holiday but I take weekend as my holiday.
Most of the time, I try to focus on relaxing or recharging myself.
So here are five simple things you can do to relax in the weekend.


Getting a massage - Pijat

Ini salah satu kegiatan favoritku akhir-akhir ini.
Pijat memang benar-benar bikin ak relaks banget.
How I love getting massage and this is what makes me miss Indonesia terribly
This is the place where you can easily go to one of the traditional spas or massage parlour or even order the therapist online and she will come to your house!
Go massage is one of the most -used apps I have in my phone and I'm super happy!
With Rp 110.000,- or less than USD 10 before tip, you can get 1.5 hours full body massage.

Listening to music and sing - Dengerin lags favorit dan nyanyi

Aku tuh paling seneng dengerin musik dan ujung-ujungnya pasti nyanyi!
Ini cara paling sederhana untuk boost up my spirit dan murah meriah, karena hanya bermodalkan Spotify or playlist yang kita punya, sambungkan ke speakers dan bisa nyanyi sambil bégaya. Pokoknya judulnya suka-suka deeeh!

Put on your favorite playlist, link it up to your speakers and voila, enjoy you favorite songs and sing them out loud! For me, music has a healing power and listening to those lovely beats and lyrics will bring back my energy and good mood. Don't forget to sing them! Let it out and sing it! You will feel much, much better and relax after that. 
Trust me :).

Watching TV at home with my family - Nonton TV bareng keluarga

Whenever Netflix or whatever paid TV you have at home has new movies or series suitable for you and your kids, make sure you watch it together with your family.
I rarely watch TV on weekdays so I try to catch up on my favorite series of movie during the weekend. It is much better and fun if you do it together with your loved ones.

Buatku bisa tonton TV bareng anak-anak dan Suami or keluarga itu adalah suatu kemewahan tersendiri. Beneran lho! Karena itu tidak bisa dilakukan setiap hari. Terasa istimewa banget saat kami sudah menyiapkan minuman dan cemilan favorit plus bantal untuk nonton film or seri kesayangan di TV saat akhir pekan or liburan. Priceless!

Cooking your favorite food - masak makanan kesukaan

For me, cooking is somehow relaxing!
Indeed!
Regardless the fact that cooking requires  preparation and follow certain protocols or process, for me, cooking is relaxing because I love it! 
Especially if you are making one that your family love so that they will devour it once you got it ready.
During the weekend, I usually cook something easy and fast but my family loves it. 
You know, like pancake, mie goreng or fried noodles and fried rice, soup then martabak.

Sleeping - tidur

Obviously, something sleeping is the only thing you need.
During the weekend or day off, you have the privilege to have some extra time for sleeping. I won't think twice and will certainly use my time to sleep for a while. 
A short deep sleep is what we need. 

So, that's five simple things you can do to relax in the weekend.
Do you have anything else in mind?
please let me know :)


Have a great weekend!

Morning Beats to Keep You Energized

Morning beats to keep you energized

"Buddy you're a boy make a big noise
Playin' in the street gonna be a big man some day
You got mud on yo' face
You big disgrace
Kickin' your can all over the place
Singin'
We will we will rock you
We will we will rock you.."

My hands were busy banging the dashboard while I sang We Will Rock you with all my heart that morning. My hubby did the same thing and people outside the car who happened to take a glance at us would be wondering what we had for breakfast to look that crazy and fierce.

Then the tune changed to Maroon Five's This love.
Oh I sang along with the sexy Adam Levine, holding my brush which unceremonially turned into a fantasy mike. 

This love has taken its toll on me
She said goodbye too many times before
And her heart is breaking in front of me
I have no choice 'cause I won't say goodbye anymore, 
hoooooaaaah, hoooah, hooooah.."

Done with it, my hubby put Bob Marley on the list.
Then our karaoke session in the morning continued, with Is This Love, Buffalo Soldiers, Three Little Birds, No Women No Cry and Redemption Song beautifully and loudly played from our player.

Traffic outside was crazy.
We were jammed packed with lines of other cars, buses, motorcycles and more.
All heading to the same directions apparently, making us trapped in daily traffic jam.
Jakarta, this is when I don't like you at all!
let's hit it!

But anyway, there are ways to beat the traffic jam for sure.
And music is always on top of the list as it has proven to be  helpful.
I am so used to having upbeat music in the morning to pump up the spirit.
My 9-year experience in the radio even gives me more privilege of memorising the lyrics of hundreds of top-40s, current hits, even the oldies.

So, as the 19th day of #BPN30dayChallenge2018 asks about ten songs I have on my playlist, I will certainly be more than happy to share my favorite tunes.

I have been musically raised up by my parents with hits of the 60s, 70s, and 80s, while I myself enjoy the 90s and beyond.
So, don't blame me for loving Queen, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Tony Bennet, Elvis Presley, Ella Fitzgerald, Michael Franks, the Wham, the Supremes, and more.
I can go on and on and on remembering those great times listening to those golden tunes and singing them with my dad.
Really a melange of incredible and talented singers of their times!
I can say I learn English for the first time from those songs!


Then I love female vocalists, like Sheryl Crow, Lisa Loeb, Amy Winehouse, Lisa Stanfield, Macy Gray, Tracy Chapman, Christina Augiliura, Natalie Imbruglia, Pink, Adele, Frente, Alicia Kara, Katy Perry, Lady GaGa and more.
As my hubby is a great musician (he mostly plays bass but he's a great guitarist and drummer as well), we usually sing the acoustic songs and we have lists of our favorite songs.
And as my hubby's favorite bands are also awesome, we both enjoy Aerosmith, Stone Temple Pilot, Blues Travellers, Vertical Horizon, Bush, Oasis, Bon Jovi, Guns n Roses, Metallica, Sound Garden, Radiohead, U2, Imagine Dragons and more, besides the legendary BB Kings, Eric Clapton, Sting, and more.

Well I also love the latest singers like Shawn Mendez, Bruno Mars, The Weeknd, Ariana Grande, Cardy B, Justin Bieber and more. But again, what stay in my heart are those I love so much.

Oh my...I just can't stop talking about music!

So, before I forgot, here's the ten song I always have on my playlist in the morning

We Will Rock You - Queen
Thunder - Imagine Dragons
This Love - Maroon 5
We are Young - Fun 
Crazy - Aerosmith
I Try - Macy Gray
Ironic - Alanis Morisette
Valerie - Amy Winehouse 
Redemption Song - Bob Marley
With or Without you - U2

Surely I have more song I love to play in the morning.
I know they might have different beat and ambience but I just love 'em.
Don't ask me why I love them 'coz I just can't get enough of 'em!
Now, how about you?
What do you like to hear in the morning?
Tell me and let's sing together!




Lima Youtuber Favoritku




Siapakah 5 Youtuberku favoritku?

Continuing our #BPN30dayChallenge, here comes the 18th day of the challenge and today’s question is who are my favorite youtubers? I can only list 5 so again, I’m looking at my long list of favorite YouTubers here.

I love YouTube accounts which are entertaining, fun, and awesome.
Who wouldn't like those hilarious, viral contents, right?
I also love inspiring videos, be it on daily life, health, beauty, and beyond, - and religious contents which help me and my family learning more about our religion.

Well, nowadays YouTube has been bombarded by soooo many creative people with their out-of-this box ideas, contents and creations. I really salute those people who dedicate themselves in providing such world-class entertainment. Sometimes I feel ashamed of claiming myself a YouTuber if I take look at my super simple and modest videos. Well, but then I said to myself that I put my video in Youtube for my own memories and hopefully it will be beneficial for others as well, not for  mere publicity.

Of course we do have some bad and negative influence in YouTube so we really have to filter those ugly, hideous contents and protect our children.  I am also trying to find great YouTuber who will be as entertaining for my kids as for us adults. It's not always that easy but there are many family-friendly contents out there. 
Hopefully we can be persistent in protecting our children from YouTube bad influence!

Anyway, here's 5 YouTubers I love to watch 

Zach King

He's the king!
Kami sekeluarga seneeeng banget dengan Zach King karena memang videonya itu luar biasa> Keren, menghibur, dan kebayang buatnya susah, hehehehe! Rasanya idenya memang ngga habis-habis dan semuanya asli keren. Anak-anakku juga suka bangeeet nonton videonya Zach yang heboh-heboh dan selalu membuat kami tersenyum. Aaah pokoknya favorit deeeh!

Huda Beauty

Call me old fashioned tapi di tengah gempuran banyaknya beauty blogger yang asli keren-kereeeen, Aku masiiih tetap setia dengan Huda hehehe.
There is something about her yang membuat Aku ngga mau ketingga;an video-video terbarunya. Aku juga suka dengan berbagai tutorial yang dishare di akunnya. Huda tuh terampil banget dan kayaknya semuaaa gampang deh kalau dia yang dandan :).

Pinodita

Papin Pinot and Mamin Dita are our favorite! We can always watch their videos again and again. Besides, they are our neighbours! Literally loving a few blocks away from my house in Astoria, NYC. At this point, they share a lot of Ditut’s sketch book works and bwlieve me, they are amazing! 

Aku suka banget liat Dita gambar.
So effortless yet beautiful!
Her strength works are with watercolors and she did a lot of amazing works. And now she has produced a lot of stuff such as scarf and tote bags.

Raditya Dika

Kalau ngga mau pusing dan pengen ngakak ya pantengin ajaaa channel Raditya Dika :).
Hal-hal sederhana aja bisa jadi super lucuuuu di tangannya.
Aku sebenernya kenal akun ini dari suamiku yang sudah lebih dulu suka menonyon stand up comedy. And he is now very famous indeed.

Marischka Prudence

I love to see her diving videos!
Asli bikin mupeng beraaaat! Dan juga perjalanan lain yang ia lakukan.
Dan videonya pun kereeen- kereeen.
Quite inspiring!

So that’s my favorite YouTubers so far.
I bet you know them all.
Which one is your favorite?


What's In Store for Me in 2019



2019.

We are officially counting our days in 2018 as December is here.
Goodness Lord, how time flies!
So, do you have any plans for the coming year?

My hubby and I have been talking a lot about our plans for 2019 and 2020 as a matter of fact. We are trying to be better prepared and considering the situation at home, we might be around for sometimes. Dan saat berada di tanah air seperti ini, biasanya Aku dan suami punya banyak cita-cita :). Boleh kan? Apalagi karena biasanya kami hanya tinggal beberapa saat di Indonesia, jadi jangan sampai waktu selama di sini tidak dimanfaatkan dengan baik. Semoga selalu sehat dan diberi rezeki serta kesempatan oleh-Nya untuk menjalani semua rencana ini.

Then, what's in store for me in 2019?

Umroh

Aku dan suami pengeeeeen banget umroh.
Pengen haji juga tapi kami merencanakan untuk berangkat haji saat kami penempatan di luar tanah air supaya tidak terlalu lama antri menunggu giliran.
Kami sudah mencoba merencanakan pergi umroh at least 2 kali tapi memang belum rezeki jadi belum kesampaian sampai sekarang. Waktu pulang dari Jenewa, kami sudah berencana mampir untuk umroh tapi ternyata kami pulang bawa bayi 6 bulan, Obi putriku yang lagi di Jenewa. Saat mau pulang dari New York City kami sempat menghidupkan kembali rencana untuk mengunjungi rumah-Nya. Namun ternyata kami harus mengubah rencana karena perpanjangan masa tugas dan jadwal sekolah anak-anak. Memang terlihat seolah-olah belum rezeki, makanya aku dan suami selalu kembali merencanakannya. Doakan kesampaian yaaaa.

Skydiving and paragliding

I am dying to try it!
Anybody has tried skydiving?
How does it feel?

Kayaknya kok seru bangeeet cobain sky diving deh..walaupun udah kebayang  bakalan heboh. Yang pasti, aku akan periksa kesehatan dan fisik supaya jika memang ada rezeki mencoba skydiving atau paragliding, aku bisa melakukannya tanpa kendala yang berarti. Aku ngebayanginnya bakal jejeritan heboh campur deg-degan plus semangat untuk mengabadikan semuaaa ini. Kira-kira bisa ngga ya? Aaah kalau rezeki ngga akan ke mana kaaan :)

Keliling Indonesia Timur, termasuk Raja Ampat

Ini salah satu cita-cita dan mimpiku dan Rudi. 
Cantiknya Indonesia Timur, yang sebenarnya sudah saya jelajahi sebagian, memang masih menyimpan banyak misteri buat kami sekeluarga.
I really enjoy going here and I wanted Udi and the kids enjoy the same thing.
Rencananya kami akan anak Bo dan Obi juga, 


Kembali Belajar Menari tradisional

Sebenarnya aku pengen Obi belajar menari tradisional, seperti waktu aku kecil.
Inget banget jaman masih SD saya ikutan latihan menari tradisional di garasi sebelah.
Kami pun sempet manggung beberapa kali di acara sekitar rumah.
Saya dulu belajar tari Yapong, Lenggang Nyai, tari Piring, dan ada beberapa tarian lain yang aku lupa namanya.
Walaupun mungkin hal ini biasa dilakukan, namun buat kami yang seringkali tinggal di luar Indonesia bisa menari tradisional itu sangat membanggakan.
Aaah semoga Obi bisa menikmati latihan menari bersama si mboknya ini.

Well, itu dia rencanaku di tahun 2019.
Kalau kalian punya rencana istimewa apa?
Share yaaaa.


Wonderful Wednesday with My Purple World and Oh My Heartsie Girls

December is certainly creeping in and we will soon welcome 2019, right?

I have been presented the opportunity to widen the scope of my #itchyfeet and last week, I visited Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso for the first time. It was quite an experience, involving delayed luggages, reviving my French, and beautiful transit in Istanbul. 


Traditional handcraft of Burkina Faso

A lovely encounter indeed. As usual, I will share more stories about Burkina Faso so stick around! I have shared some photos for my (almost) Wordless Wednesday.

Selamat datang di Burkina Faso

But now, party time!
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