Sukacita Hari Raya 1447H

 Eid Mubarak!

What an ausipicius day!

Happy Eid Al Fitri from us to you

Idul fitri pun tiba setelah sebulan lamanya kita mensucikan jiwa dan raga di bulan Ramadan yang penuh rahmat. Satu bulan yang istimewa, karena jiwa kita begitu tawadhu' mengharap ampunan, berkah dan ridho-Nya.

Semoga amal ibadah kita semua diterima oleh-Nya dan kelak kita dipertemukan kembali dengan bulan istimewa ini. Bulan penuh rahmat, bulan yang lebih baik dari seribu bulan. Masya Allah...

the four of us, with Abang Bo video-calling from Wellington, NZ

Alhamdulillah… Lebaran kali ini kita rayakan kembali bersama di Jakarta. This will be our 2nd time celebrating it home, after being away from 2021 and living in Aotearoa New Zealand. But then we missed Abang Bo because he was still in Wellington and celebrated Lebaran Day there.

Home is indeed the best.. and celebrating Idul Fitri at home is even better! We have sort of a custom of heading back home or mudik to Lampung for lebaran day. But after doing it for almost all my life, well at least selama ada di Indonesia,- we decided to start celebrating Eid al Fitri in Jakarta instead.

Mama dan adik-adik serta keponakanku tiba di Jakarta sejak tanggal 26 Maret 2025. 

Dengan libur dan cuti bersama yang cukup panjang, mereka bisa menikmati Jakarta lebih lama. Enaknya lagi, karena mereka datang dari Lampung menuju Jakarta, jadi kondisi penerbangan relatif lebih lancar, karena memang 'melawan arus' atau polanya berbalik dengan pola orang mudik lainnya.  Biasanya setiap kami mudik ke Lampung, kami harus memperhitungkan dengan baik waktu yang tepat untuk melakukan perjalanan sebelum terkena jebakan macet karena arus mudik. Alhamdulillah semuanya lancar dan mereka bisa tiba di Jakarta dengan selamat dan juga lumayan cepat. 

So, long story short, we have the preparation for the big days, including baking cookies, cooking special cuisine for Eid al Fitri and gathering with the big family. Here are the photos of some of the food we have on that day.

Ketupat, sambal goreng kentang, and opor ayam for Lebaran day

Rendang, sambal goreng ati, siomay dan bumbu kacang, plus semur telur

Lapis legit, lapis Surabaya, Bika Ambon, nastar, kaastengel, cheese sticks, pilus and more

My aunties and their families are also in Jakarta, along with my cousins. We planned to gather in my auntie's house, bringing our plates of food, snacks, delicacies, drinks and anything we want to bring to add the fun and the festivities of that day. 

the ketupat is ready...

getting ready for the feast..

As you know, the celebration of Eid Al Fitri is always merry, bringing people closer and together, enjoying the time when we have a fresh start as a human being, as a devoted and better Moslem. In sya Allah, all our extra efforts during Ramadhan, our praying and extra prayers, midnight duas, sadaqah, and many other good deeds, will be well received and eventually turn us into a better individual.  

Di hari yang istimewa ini, kami sempat berkumpul, saling maaf - maafan , menikmati berbagai hidangan istimewa, berfoto tiada henti, sholat bareng dan pastinya bersilahturahmi dengan keluarga besar. 

all the ladies... my mom, me, my daughter and my niece

still the three of us

Sesi foto dilakukan berulang kali, mulai dari di dalam, di luar, di dekat kolam renang, dan saat di jalan. Biasanya, saat lebaran, kita punya sesi khusus foto keluarga, karena momen inilah kita bisa berkumpul bersama. 

Namun, kali ini #thefrakarsas tidak lengkap karena Abang Bo masih di Wellington, Selandia Baru, dan tidak pulang ke Jakarta. Semoga next time or next lebaran kita bisa kumpul bareng yaaa Bang.

The Frakarsas bersama keluarga besar Indra Imam Prabu yang bisa berkumpul di Jakarta

Pokoknya, semua moment kita coba abadikan dengan baik. 

Bahagia rasanya dan super happy bisa kumpul bareng 💜. 

Tidak lupa kita juga melakukan tradisi yang selalu dinanti-nanti anak - anak di keluarga besarku, yaitu berbagi amplop atau saweran 😇. Setelah selesai makan siang dan sholat dzuhur bersama, anak - anakpun sudah berbaris rapih menunggu giliran saweran dari para tante, uwak, dan sepupu-sepupu yang sudah besar dan sudah bekerja. Heboh! 

Seru banget melihat mereka excited menerima uang saku extra di hari istimewa ini, termasuk untuk anak - anak bayi dan juga Abang Bo yang sedang kuliah di Wellington. All in all it was a great day for everyone!

Here are some photos I have gathered during this lovely day. Hope you too have great times with your loved ones during Eid Al Fitri.

photo session at my home

more photos after sholat

Cheers and see you on the next adventure!

The Hobbiton - A beautiful journey for the fans of the Lords of the Rings and the Hobbits

 Hi everyone... 

It's been quite sometimes I haven't been updated indahnuria.com! Well, life has been super fun and busy, and I haven't manage to sneak some times to write some of those adventures here in my blog. 

But, now, here I come, with some photos and stories about the Hobbiton.

welcome to the Hobbiton

Before I start sharing more, have you ever heard of this wonderful place before? or perhaps familiar with the movies?

For those who claim themselves fans of Sir Peter Jackson's works, - the Lords of the Rings and the Hobbits,-  like me, then you must be familiar with J.R.R. Tolkien's books as well as the movies.

Living in Aotearoa for a mere 2 years, #thefrakarsas are lucky enough to take some road trips around Aotearoa, New Zealand, For sure, 2 years is far than enough to explore this wonderful country.

So, our trip to The Hobbiton took place in 2022, during fall, just before winter. We went to Rotorua and had so much fun there. We stayed in Rotorua, enjoying the Skyline and luge as well as warm bath there, then head to the Hobbiton.

We drove to Mata mata, the name of the area where the Hobbiton is located. Before coming here, I have already booked the tickets for the 4 of us. So they have different time for the tour, where one tour will take around 1.5 hours. The tour started from the Shire Rest. Our slot started in 1 PM local time.

For sure, you are highly recommended to book the tickets in advance as this place is extremely popular all year long. The chances to just walk in and get the ticket is quite slim, so you better book it through their official website. It costs us around NZD 675 (including the tax) or Rp 6.500.000,- for the 4 of us.  I know it's quite expensive but it's really worth it..

I have to say we are very excited to be here!

We were there before the time and waited patiently until our group was called. We took the bus to go to the movie set and while riding the bus, there was a video about a short introduction on the place as well as the welcoming words from Sir Peter Jackson himself.  The more we heard the background story about his work, the more excited we all became to see the Hobbiton. 

Once we arrived at the exact movie set, we started the tour to see this movie set closer. Our tour guide was very patience in explaining many interesting details dan statistics regarding the place as well as the movie. Coming from Indonesia (who live in Welington LOL), we joined many tourists from different countries as well. 

We saw the unique hobbit house, with all different colors. We also saw tiny clothes, ceramics, household items and more on this place.

So we managed to walk for about 1 hour to see the whole 'village' of the Hobbitton, including Bilbo Baggin's house (you can see here with the green door), the bar, the river banks and more. It's super cute to see the mini, tiny houses with colorful doors and cute details.

Before I share more details, please check out these photos from the Hobbiton.
Fore sure, we took this opportunity to take endless photos whenever we have the chance. It's so peaceful to be here and by the time we visited it, the weather was just perfect!

So, that's out little story in the Hobbiton, Mata Mata, New Zealand. 

Do you find it interesting? Do you like it and do you want to visit this place as well?

I hope you enjoy it as much as we do and I have to say I don't mind coming back here again and have more adventures in Aotearoa, the Land of Long and White Clouds.

Minal Aidin Wal Faidzin

 ‎ﺑِﺴْــــــــــــــﻤِﺎﻟﻠﻬِﺎﻟﺮَّﺣْﻤَﻨِﺎﻟﺮَّﺣِﻲْــــــــــــــﻢِ

‎ السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُاللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ

Dearest all our friends and families..

🙏💜🙏💜🙏

 

Kami sekeluarga mengucapkan 

Selamat Idul Fitri 1 Syawal 1445 H

Mohon ma'af lahir batin

Taqobbalallahu minna wa minkum 

Shiyammana wa shiyammakum

Barakallahu Fiikum

Cheers from the Frakarsas and the extended family

Semoga Allah SWT  melimpahkan rahmat, ampunan dan hidayah-Nya kepada kita serta menerima segala amal ibadah dan budi baik yang kita lakukan. Tentu saja doa kita semua agar kita bisa dipertemukan  kembali dengan Ramadhan berikutnya. 

Aamiin Ya Mujibassailiin 🙏

Bagaimana cerita lebaran teman - teman semua? Nanti aku share di post berikutnya yaaaa

‎وَلسَّلاَمُ  عَلَيْكُمُ وَرَحْمَةُاللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ

💜 Indah, Rudi, Bo et Obi  Frakarsa 💜

A Solemn Ramadhan for All of us

Alhamdulillaaaah..

Ramadhan is here...


Sungguh suatu kebahagiaan bisa kembali dipertemukan dengan bulan penuh rahmah yang senantiasa dirindukan umat Islam di seluruh dunia.

Bulan penuh rahmat dan ampunan-Nya.

And what makes it special is that we are observing it here at home.

Di Indonesia, tanah air tercinta.

Tidak ada yang memberi kebahagiaan lebih dibandingkan menikmati segala kebaikan Ramadhan bersama keluarga besar tercinta, di tengah berbagai keistimewaan di bulan luar biasa ini.

I am humbled to share this auspicious time with my beloved family.

Semoga teman - teman di mana pun berada juga bisa menikmatinya ya.

Mari kita sambut Ramadhan dengan penuh suka cita.

Karena Ramadhan adalah bulan di mana Sang Maha Penyayang memberi begitu banyak keistimewaan bagi umat-Nya yang paham dan takwa.
Ramadhan adalah bulan di mana ayat-ayat suci Al-Quran diturunkan.
Ramadhan adalah bulan saat malam lailatul qadar, malam yang lebih baik dari 1000 bulan, menjadi bagian darinya untuk orang - orang yang dipilih-Nya.
Ramadhan adalah bulan ketika setan dibelenggu, pintu neraka ditutup dan pintu surga terbuka lebar untuk kita semua tanpa terkecuali, termasuk orang - orang terkasih yang telah mendahului kita semua 
Ramadhan adalah bulan baik yang insya Allah menjadi saat terindah ketika doa yang dipanjatkan akan dikabulkan Sang Maha Segala
Ramadhan adalah bulan yang membuat saya merindukan almarhum papa dan keluarga besar yang telah mendahului kami the most..

Ramadhan adalah bulan penuh ketenangan yang perlu dilalui dengan ketenangan, penuh rasa syukur, dan berserah diri.

Tahun ini, kami menikmati Ramadhan di tanah air tercinta dan alhamdulillah, sebelum bulan suci ini dimulai, kami berkesempatan untuk pulang ke Lampung saat long weekend. I have to admit that it's always great to be back home.  Walaupun tidak lama, kami sempat berziarah ke makam orang tua tercinta, juga kakek dan nenek. Plus bertemu sebagian keluarga besar dan menikmati kebersamaan. 

Al-fatihah untuk papah..

This is really something that we miss a lot when we live abroad, far from the big families. Sekedar makan di restoran favorit dan jalan ke mall ternyata cukup membuat hati ini hangat, senyum berkembang karena senang. Kami sempat mampir di Mie Multi Lampung, yang menjadi kegemaran kami semua, plus juga menyusuri MBK untuk melihat keseruan di Lampung dan juga Obi et Fia, the cousins, were spending some times in the playground there as well. It's just priceless. 

Semoga teman - teman juga sempat menghabiskan waktu bersama orang - orang tercinta ya. I sincerely hope kita semua selalu berada dalam berkah dan cinta-Nya.

Have a solemn Ramadhan.

 

Nga Mihi, Aotearoa

 736 days.

Two years and 6 days.

That's the time when us, the Frakarsas, stayed in Aoteroa, New Zealand. 

The land of long, white clouds is really leaving some long-lasting, wonderful memories for the four of us. 

Saying hello from Aotearoa..

Back then in November 2021, arriving in the middle of COVID-19 and lock-down, we certainly had to go through certain procedures that required a lot of preparation and coordination. By the time we landed in this land of Kiwi, we knew it was going to be another unforgettable chapter for us.

Then came along the orange setting and all the adjustment as well as protocol we all have to go through during the pandemic. I remember we all are required to have a pass to actually go out and scan the QR code to 'log in' wherever we go, including to the office and public places. I have to say New Zealand came slightly later when it comes to the obligation to wear mask whenever you are at the public places, while many countries like Indonesia has implemented that policy for quite some times. Even with all the prudent measures taken, we still got infected by COVID-19 in Aotearoa New Zealand. Well, I set the record of being positive with COVID-19 4 times,- twice in Indonesia and twice in New Zealand, together with Rudi and the kids. Not that I'm proud of it but looks like this is destined to be part of our journey here. Alhamdulillah everything went well and we all were in good condition with no further long term health concerns.

Well, back to our short journey in Aotearoa..

I say short because I am usually posted in countries longer than my designated assignments. Geneva and New York were the examples of that. Instead of 4 years,- my full terms, this time my family and I only stay for two years. Opportunity knocks and I was appointed as one of the new directors in my ministry. Originally, I was assigned until 2025 or even January 2026. But since the beginning of the procedures that I have to go through for this particular position, it has been a family decision. Well, we sat down with the kids and talk a lot about the decision and the implications if I got the job. And now, here we are.. back to Jakarta, Indonesia.

Cheers from the Frakarsas

TO BE CONTINUED

Happy Happy New Year

Hello, 2024!

Wishing everyone a wonderful year of 2024, filled with blessings, endless joy. health and happiness!

Cheers for brighter days ahead. Semoga kita semua selalu dikaruniai yang terbaik dari Sang Maha Segala. 

Cheers from the Frakarsas

It's been an unforgettable 2023 for #thefrakarsas, as we enjoyed our last year in Aotearoa, New Zealand, before moving back to Indonesia.  So many things have happened and for sure, many places visited and wonderful people,- those who became parts of our family,- we met along the way. Pertinent decisions were made in 2023 as well, including those that will change and heavily impact the course of our lives.

2023 has taught us many things as well, including how we, the Frakarsas, all depend on one another, while at the same time supporting each and everyone of us. 

one of our wonderful trips at the South Island, New Zealand

We made many important decisions this year, especially those related to the future of the kids. We have arrived at the point when we will be physically separated in order to pursue our dreams. Bo and Obi are growing up and my husband and I have to definitely work on next phase of our lives. 

will certainly miss my boy..

The plan is for Bo to continue his study in Aotearoa New Zealand and Obi for the the time being will stay with us in Indonesia. Obviously, with the help of technology and all the facilities we can utilize nowadays, space and distance won't be problems anymore. Bismillahirrahmanirrahim, insya Allah semoga semua jalan dilancarkan dan mohon doanya ya teman - teman. 

first time touching the Llama :)

I have been blessed with so many great things that I might not be able to dwell on one by one. For sure, we started 2023 at that time with a great vibe and unforgettable trip to the Northern part of New Zealand. 

Then along the year, I managed to visit 9 countries, without me realizing it. I managed to visit, among others, Samoa (for the very first time!), came back to Cooks Islands, Australia, Japan, Singapore, Turkey, Switzerland and of course, Indonesia! Not to mention many parts of beautiful Aotearoa, New Zealand.

At the same year, I also have to move to 3 houses! One of the records during my existence and career. And for the first time ever, I travelled back home with my mom and my son with 17 luggages as the same time! Hah... never have I thought it would happen to me ever!  For the first time, the Frakarsas went on 6-hour hiking and tracking. For the first time as well, we cooked layers cake or lapis legit, and it didn't work well LOL. Well, so many 'first time' that we experienced here in New Zealand and beyond. Well, so many 'first time' that we experienced here in New Zealand and beyond.

So, that's a little story I have in the beginning of 2024.

I will certainly share more about all those experiences and hope to see you around on the next post!

FIFA Women World Cup in Wellington

Do you like football?

I do! Although I don’t fully understand the regulations and the latest updates from the field but I always enjoy the festivities and the vibes during big matches and competitions.

This year, Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia are co-hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup.  Can you imagine the excitement we have here!

the match between New Zealand and the Philippines

Poneke Wellington is also selected as one of the cities in Aotearoa New Zealand which will be hosting the matches, besides Auckland, Hamilton, and Dunedin.

Obviously, the Frakarsas won’t miss the chance to see the matches! We got the tickets for the match between New Zealand and the Philippines, which was held on Tuesday, 25th of July, 2023. The match was held in Wellington Regional Stadium.  It was quite a match and we were supporting the Philippines as part of the ASEAN Sisterhood, but we also hoped New Zealand would play well on this match.

What a game indeed! For the first time, the Philippines won and beat the host New Zealand 1 - 0. There was an offside goal made by New Zealand so unfortunately it didn’t change the scores. New Zealand team was very aggressive and offensive, sent many shots on goal but the Philippines’ goal keeper or goalie is so good! No wonder she became the player of the day! 

I hope we can watch more games as the matches continue till mid August. It’s time to get more tickets. 

The three of us after the game..

Me holding the scarf of the match of the day, between NZ and the Philippines

Do you like watching football as well? How about women’s football? 

Do you like watching it directly at the stadium if you get the chance or you prefer watching it on TV? Share your experience here on the comments and see you on the next adventures!

WW: Lebaran Day Feast

Eid Mubarak!

Here's a little photo album of the food that we prepared and enjoyed during the celebration of Eid al Fitr in Wellington. 

Get yourselves ready!

Can you tell me what we have on the dining table? 

Lot's of familiar things I believe!

I bet you cook many special food as well for Eid celebration. Which one is your favorite and who do you cook it with? 

Eid Mubarak from Aotearoa

Eid Mubarak, everyone!

Happy to send the greetings from Aotearoa for the victorious day of Eid Al Fitr from my family to you all.

This year, we celebrated the Eid for the second time in the land of the long clouds. Ramadhan has been beautifully and solemnly observed and I have to admit that this year, the fasting month went so well. Busy days at the office and schools in the case of my kids didn't dampen our spirits to really enjoy the holy month. It's been colorful and for sure rewarding.

Our colorful days during Ramadhan 1444H

My husband and I even managed to join many ifthar gatherings and taraweh prayer with UMI or Umat Muslim Indonesia in Wellington. Every weekend, we had the ifthar gatherings and every Saturday, in different places that had been arranged with the committee, consisting of ummah living in particular neighborhood in Wellington.

This year has been a blessing and again, I would like to once again extend the warmest Eid greetings to all my moslem sisters and brothers, wherever you are. I trust you all are enjoying this precious time with your loved ones. Mohon maaf lahir dan batin.

By the way, nearing the D-day, about 8 days before lebaran, my hubby got COVID-19. I did the test and mine got back with 2 lines as well although I have no symptoms. Udi had been coughing and having cold, then on the 3rd day he lost the taste. That was when we took the test and it was positive. 

So, we isolated at home and probably it's like the blessing in disguise. Good thing we were not heavily impacted by the symptoms this time. So, we both had time to cook extra.

some of the cookies we made

We really ended up with kastengels, nastar, lidah kucing, and kacang goreng. Plus rendang, opor ayam, sambal goreng udang, acar dan ketupat instan. Sounds like a feast, right! A lot to cook and a lot to share as well. 

Then on the D-day, we all gathered in Karori Normal School Hall which has been rented by UMI for the venue of this year's Eid Al Fitr prayer. Beautiful shermont was given and aroun 300 of us gathered in here and enjoyed Eid. After that, we visited some houses of our seniors and elderies in Wellington. It's great to come and meet them and also keep our silahturahmi. When the time is slightly noon, as we have 5 hours different with Wellington ahead, I have a video call with my family in Indonesia. That completed our day of Eid celebration this year! 

The next day, we had some guests coming and we hiked afterwards! How's your lebaran day? Share with me in the comments ya.