A little note on Istanbul: Trails of civilization #When the night comes....

Selalu menarik untuk melihat suatu tempat di kala malam tiba :D....

Apalagi di Istanbul ....

Well, I guess I have shared quite a lot and it's time to sit back for a while and relax :D..

The skies are clear...
And the air is crisp...
Then night has fallen....

Dan ketika itu, saya menyempatkan diri duduk manis di 2 tempat ini....

1. Taksim Square

Kalau teman-teman sempat menyimak kerusuhan yang terjadi belum lama berselang di Turki, maka tempat ini sempat beberapa kali disebut. Ya, Taksim Square..yang identik juga dengan Ataturk Monument...

Ataturk Monument...taken with my 4S :D...

As you rose from the underground Metro, you will be welcomed by the Ataturk Monument. 
The Metro station here is lovely to look at as well..I mean, they have many wall-mozaics and artistic pieces being put around the stations, like these ones...

aren't they cute....

love it...

in the tram station..heading to Taksim Square...

take me to Taksim square, please...

There, you would find a lovely fountain being lit by colorful lights...
I stayed there for some times...trying to capture those rays of rainbow..
Beautiful...

Tempat berkumpulnya tua muda di Istanbul ini  juga perpaduan antara dunia kuno dan modern di Istanbul...


Bagaimana tidak...dikelilingi oleh bangunan tua,  kawasan ini juga menjadi pusat pertokoan maupun restoran masa kini...

Saya sempat panik dibuatnya dengan jejeran diskon saat mengunjungi tempat ini di awal Januari 2013...

panic attack in one of the shops :D...

Ooh nooooo...Shopping in Istanbul was indeed one great experience for me...not really breaking my bank, as Turkish Lira is faaar cheaper than Swiss Franc, but I really had to work my charm to get extra kilos from my airline hihihi..

one of the corners of Taksim Square...

the later the merrier :D....

Then if we walked further, you will see more restaurants and street food vendors, like this...

yang lapaaar...jajan dulu yuuuuk...

I tried this lovely traditional food ..or rather snack, of Turkey...and I have no complaints :D...They also have roasted chestnuts and steamed corns on carts like this...

my favorite :D...love it...it's the fountain near Ataturk Monument ...

Another interesting thing we can do here in Taksim Square is taking the tram ride around this area...not just a tram, but more like an antique one...love it!

traditional tram...ready to take you around...

2. Sultanhamet Historical Area

Tak lain dan tak bukan, inilah tempat yang banyak dikunjungi oleh para turis...:D...

when the dusk comes....

Well, since most of the ancient architectures in Istanbul are centered here, no wonder the area is buffed with people, souvenir shops, great eating places and hotels...and of course money changers as well as free wifi..yaaaay :D...

Tidak heran, saat malam tiba, tempat ini memang penuh pendar lampu dan hura-hura keramaian ala ibukota (halaaah..orang ini bukan ibukota :D...)

And apparently, fountains are people's favorite..I just notice they have some here and there..with similar colorful lightning arrangement :D...Wanna see them?  It was taken from the same spot, with different colors ...

And  different kind of blue "D...

Well, that's about it...night in Istanbul is surely colorful "D...
And all you need to do to see it is just by sitting back and relax...
Cheers...

A little note on Istanbul: Trails of Civilization #Topkapi Palace - The Harem

Aren't you intrigued...
Sumpah saya penasaran...

Reading this writing on the wall...
Baca tulisan yang ada di dinding saat menyusuri kompleks Istana Topkapi di Istanbul...

The writing on the wall...

I can't help but wonder...
What's in there?

Beneran... setelah membaca dari berbagai sumber, tanya sana-sini, saya dan Udi, my hubby, langsung celingukan mencari tempat ini...

HAREM

THE HAREM

Situated on the north part of the second courtyard of Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, I certainly have tons of questions in my mind as I paid the extra ticket to get into this section...

What so special about it?

My guide book described how this place has attracted so many visitors just to hear the name :D...
Well, to my limited knowledge, the word Harem is originated from Arabic and it means forbidden...
So, are those living in this place 'forbidden'?
Hmmm...I have no answer to that...

Open the door and welcome....

But for sure, the establishment in this area is just amazingly beautiful...
Of course, we are talking about the Sultan's wives and concubines..The Harem..
I imagine drop dead gorgeous and beautiful ladies lived here for the Sultan's pleasures, under the command of Queen Mother!

Starting from the very first corridor as we stepped into, we have wowed by beauty of it... Well, to those who have read my previous postings on Topkapi (click here) or even Hagia Sofia (click here) and Blue Mosque (click here), might be bored with this 'wowed' thing..

one of the lounges...I really wanna sit here :)...

Long narrow hallways will welcome you, adorned with its blue-dominated flower ceramic tiles that has been galvanized as Turkish specialty. Rooms after rooms are there for you to see...and to imagine how it was in its heyday...

one of the hallways....

one of the rooms...

Again, lines of most beautiful women in Istanbul, or maybe even in Turkey, dressed in traditional costumes and smelled wonderful with bright smiles filled my imagination. 

I overheard a guide mentioning Roxelana, one of the legendary powerful women in the history of Ottoman empire, who started her days in the harem before becoming the legally wedded wife of Sultan Suleiman, the Magnificient and being the mother of 5 of Sultan's children, including his heir. Hmmm...I have to check for more juicy details for that :D...

The illustration in one of the rooms...kebayang para wanita cantik ituuu :D...

Kalau mendengar kata Harem, terus terang saja, saya langsung membayangkan deretan wanita-wanita cantik pilihan untuk menemani Sang Sultan. Don't ask me further, karena 'selir' alias 'wanita simpanan', yang notabene menjelaskan arti concubine, langsung terlintas :D. Tak heran kalau tempat ini memang cantiiik sekali..karena penghuni juga wanita pilihan. Dan pada masa itu, sah-sah saja Sultan memiliki begitu banyak 'teman' wanita yang memang bertugas untuk menyenangkan hatinya

Dan khusus di bagian ini, ruangan yang tersedia pun banyaaaak sekali...Kalau menurut buku petunjuk saya, ada sekitar 400 kamar khusus di bagian Harem, karena di setiap masa pemerintahan satu Sultan tertentu, kamar-kamar baru pun ditambahkan. Tidak heran kalau bangunan tambahan itu seperti memiliki gaya arsitektur yang berbeda.

beautiful windows....the detailed corrugated metal used are lovely

Satu hal yang pasti, keramik cantik khas Turki dengan motif bunga mendominasi berbagai ruangan indah di bagian khusus untuk para wanita pilihan Sultan ini. Sangat feminim, dan juga mewah! Pinggiran cat emas melengkapi cantiknya kamar-kamar yang tersedia di sini. Pokoknya seneng deeh liatnya :D...

the fireplace...not only the tiles, but the  metal craft is also amazing...

Not only the rooms with their amazing details, even the bathrooms and toilets are interesting to see :D...

the royal bathrooom :D....

a comfy stool for you, ladies :D...

I want one at home :D....

need to freshen up? here's the place :D...

That's just the toilets :D....

toilet jongkok :D...

Let alone the Sultan's couch...the one that you see above...

And the Courtyard of the Favorites :D....I like the name :)..apa ya rasanya jadi favoritnya Sultan #aduuuuh....

The courtyard of favorites...Like the name! imagining pretty ladies smiling, hoping the Sultan would pick her :D...

Dan seperti saat melihat bagian lain dari istana ini, rasanya memang tidak selesai-selesai rasa kagum ini...takjub dengan keindahan sekaligus sejarah kompleks ini...

Jangan bosen ya kalau Mama Bo et Obi masih berbagi cerita tentang Istanbul :D...

Cheers..

A little note on Istanbul: Trails of civilization #5: Topkapi Palace (photo gallery)

What do you have in mind when you hear the word Royal Residence?

Huge, beautiful palace? 

Intricately adorned pavilions?                 

Golden statues?

Vast courtyard with fragrance orange trees and flowers?

Beautiful garden filled with roses? 

Giant chandeliers?

Well, that's what I have in mind :D..

I guess you will see them all in Topkapi Palace, Istanbul..

After some warming up here, I still have some more to share...

So….Let’s explore more of this amazing place, shall we…
And tell me what you see....

These are some of the pictures that my hubby, Bo and I captured...
Hopefully you enjoy them as much as we do...

Bo et Obi's Diary: #bedtime story...

If there is one lovely activity that I enjoy so much with the kids, then reading bedtime story will be on top of my list ...of course besides cooking, swimming, snorkeling and shopping with them :D..

Cuddling comfortably in bed, choosing our favorite books...

Hmmm...so relaxing...

Fantasizing how it's like to be in fairy tale...or how busy it was in the garage...or how we have to save the planet...and sooo many more...

Bo et Obi enjoy that pretty much..although sometimes I have to join their pillow fight and jumping-on-the-mattres session before we can even have a decent time to hear some stories :D..really admire their energy, by the way...after a day full of school and play time with friend, near bed time and they are still in playful mode :D..

Bo usually chooses the book ...and Obi will follow...

Wanna know their favorite books?

Here they are...

1. Busy Garage, written by Melanie Joyce, illustrated by Sue King...

Lovely story about Sam the mechanic and Sid the apprentice...I dunno why, but Bo seems to like everything abour cars, including repairing them..is it a sign? well :D...

2. Juz'amma Bergambar untuk Anak, edited by Hariyadi and illustrated by KeMot

I just recently introduced this colorful book to Bo et Obi since we moved to Jakarta, Indonesia. I love it! Colorful pages filled with short Surah from the Holly Qur'an...teaching us (including Mama et Bapak) about all the good things through the meanings of those surah....Kids friendly and highly recommended!

3. Jimmy's Snow Book by Paul Dowling

How Bo loveeees snow...well, Obi was only a baby when we had our snowy chapter in Geneve :D..Through this book, he tries to remember how it feels to live in winter...snow everywhere and fun, fun, fun...well, mama misses it, too, Bo :D....


4. Touch and Feel FARM, published by DK Book

And here comes Obi's favoriteeee....touch and feel...and make mommy make those funny sounds of animals hehehe...I am never that good in mimicing or imitating animals' sound..but I do try hard haha...Udi, my hubby, is faaar better than me in this department :D..

5. Clemence and his Noisy Little Fire Engine, written by Jessica Spanyol

Whooaa there...this book is noisy indeed :D..Full of nenaah, nenaah, neenaaah..beep beep ...the sound of fire engine! Clemence has successfully brings noisy lil Mama Bo et Obi who can get too excited in the bedroom while reading this book. Love the illustrations as well :D...


6. Moi, la chenille, by Tim Weare

This is one of the not-so-many-books in French that Bo wants to read...Well, Bo used to speak French very well as we spent some time in Geneve, but he's too shy to speak in French again..I know he still understands it, just shy, hiks...well, this baby book tells us about the journey of a caterpillar, before it turns into a lovely butterfly. Then we usually talk about what Bo et Obi would like to be when they grow up. Quand je serai grande.....

7. Earthy Love, by Gavin Coates

This book tells us about beautiful things we love in this planet! How we love the skies, the sun, the clouds and the rain...trees and flowers, animals...people as well. I bought this book in the UN bookshop and instantly love it :D>..Kids are aware of the importance of loving and preserving the planet, as well as loving different kind of people. AT the very end, there is a one special page with mirror-like sticker, so we can see ourselves..and the page says I love you,..Usually the kids will say that....aaaah, so sweet :D,,,

Well, those are only a few books that Bo et Obi love to have for bedtime stories...

I keep them in our bedroom since they seem to be my kid's favorite. I know, there are moreeee books they also like to read :D. And I introduce more of books in Bahasa Indonesia for Bo as he can read by himself know. It's a bit confusing sometimes as I still read them those English and French books, while at school, Bo is using Bahasa Indonesia more frequently. I promise myself to get Bo et Obi more books in Bahasa Indonesia. I notice there are many of good Indonesian books for kids nowadays...

I gotta to admit, though....
Since coming back to Jakarta, my works get busier and busier. Sometimes I am drop dead tired and have no energy to read them stories. Thanks to the works and traffic (most of the time), I arrive home quite late and all of us are tired already or it was way passing bed time. But whenever I can, I will always try to do it. Good thing that Bo can read now, so sometimes he showed my his home works and books he likes and read them to us :D...

Hopefully we can keep this good habit for more...

Okay, Bo et Obi....choose one of your favorite books now :D>...

Sehari tanpa gadget: siapaaa takuuut :D...

"Abaaaaaang.....

Tolong ambilin hape mama doooong..." Jerit mama Bo & Obi pagi itu..

"Hmmm.okeee ma....di mana maaaa hapenya...," balas si Abang...

"Kalau di meja ngga ada bang, liat deket komputeeer ya naaak...."

Pagi-pagi dah jejeritan aja coba ya :D...

Pagi itu, hari minggu memang benar-benar berkah buat kami...bisa bangun santai siang-siang, bisa kemulan dengan anak-anak, bisa'beraksi' di dapur, bisa ngecek restoran virtualku, bisa janjian ke sana ke mari, bisa....aaah, pokoknya banyaaak deh :D, termasuk urusan cek-mengecek smartphones...

Demikian pula hari itu...

Dan ternyata saudara-saudara, setelah dicari-cari...itu hape ngg ketemu hiks hiks.

Dan setelah diingat-ingat, ternyata HP mama Bo&Obi tercinta sukses nangkring di mobil yang sedang dibawa suamiku berdownhill ria dengan grup sepedanya di Telaga Warna sehari penuh. Cerita tadi pagi cari sarapan dan numpang mencharge HP, terus kelupaan diambil lagi sebelum suami berangkat.

So, gimana dooong...

Jadi hari ini kita libur dari gadget kesayangan ini?

si ungu kesayangan :D...

Well, sehari tanpa gadget, siapaaa takuuuut...

Walaupun awalnya sempet panik dan bete karena ngebayangin bakal ribeet banget ngga ada si HP, tapi akhirnya justru aku, Bo et Obi jadi asyik membuat berbagai rencana...

Pertama, kami akan masak bareng...

Iyaa...menjajah dapur judulnyaaa...soalnya semua pada lapeer :D...
Bo langsung sibuk dengan menu spaghetti kesukaannya. Dia sendiri yang ambil dan mengisi penggorengan dengan air untuk merebus si spaghetti tercinta. Sisanya mama yang kerjakan, soalnya rada-rada bahaya kan nyuruh Bo ngupas bawang bombay dan numis daging cincang untuk saus spaghettinya :)).

Selama kami asyik di dapur, Obi juga ngg mau kalah lhooo..Obi bawa segala perlengkapan main dapur-dapuran miliknya dan asyik sendiri dengan kompor dan wajan mininya :D...

See...simple things yet so muuuch fun....

selesai masak, mari kita makan bareng..

Hihihi... langsung selesai dari dapur, hasil masakan pun digelar di meja makan dan rame-rame kita santaap...

sisa-sisa kejayaan hihi...

Otomatis yaaa…selesai masak, langsung makaaan…Walaupun makanannya sederhana alias yang masaknya gampang, tapi terasa lebih seru dan nikmat karena hasil masak bareng ama anak-anak. Beneraaan lho "D..

Udah kenyaaang, Bo et Obi sibuuuk ngajak mamanya main bareng...

Well, sebenarnya dengan ada gadget di sekitar kita pun, kami juga selalu bermain bersama :D. 

Tapi memang harus diakui bahwa tanpa gadget, mainnya bisa benar-benar konsentrasi hehehe…Apalagi anak-anak senengnya main ‘fisik’…maksudnya main sumputan, sepeda, or even kuda-kudaan dan perosotan. Tanpa gadget, tangan dan badan bebaaaas bermain bersama anak-anak.

Puas bermain, sambil istirahat, anak-anak pun mengajak mamanya prakarya…judulnya asah kreatifitas bareng...

Heboh deeh, mulai dari buat dinosaurus dari kertas (coba kayak apaa :D…) sampai latihan origami et buat boneka kertas...

Siapkan pernak-pernik yang dibutuhkan, liat contekan plus instruksi di buku (biar jadiii hihihi...) 

Susaaaah juga ternyata...dan mama Bo et Obi kudu berjuang "D...yang ada, anak-anak udah ngajak main yang lain, mamanya belum bereees hehehe...

ini lhooo...anak cantik yang suka jailin mamanya :D...

Dan ngg kerasa, sehari pun lewaaat dengan manisnya... 

Yang membuat ini semua berbeda adalah alpanya si gadget tercinta. 
Dan ternyata, kalau kita tidak sibuk dengan gadget, anak-anak pun akan melakukan hal yang samaa...
Biasanya, kalau mama check HP, abang Bo pun ngg mau kalah dengan tablet (punya Mama)nya :D... Mama ngecek restoran virtualnya (ketahuan deeeh...), Abang Bo et Obi asyik juga dengan minecraft-nya. Kalau mamanya asyik masak beneran, anak-anak pun ikut membantu. Like mommy like son and daughter judulnya :D... Bercanda bisa pooolll pokoknya...

Plus, asyik juga seharian tidak mendengar dering telpon atau bunyi-bunyian sejenisnya..entah itu ping atau sekedar notifikasi dari social media ini dan itu :D..Suka ngg suka, kalau si gadget ada di depan mata, bawaannya pasti pengen ngecek lagi dan lagiii...

Dan pastinya...hemat listrik :D...Iya lho, beneran....walaupun mungkin tidak terlalu signifikan, tapi karena ngg sibuk mencharge gadgets yang bejibun (cuma beberapa aja siiih) mustinya listrik pun (sedikit) lebih hemat :D...

Tapiiiii....ada tapinya niiih...
Saya harus akui, hidup tanpa gadgets berat..

Bener lho! Jujur aja ...

Setelah pengalaman sehari tanpa gadgets, terasa sekali betapa tergantungnya kita dengan benda-benda ini. Mulai dari komunikasi dengan umat sedunia (aaah…lebay sekali), kontak dan nomor-nomor penting, dan juga foto-foto, baik deviceny maupun tempat penyimpanannya. 

Belum lagi urusan eksis-mengeksis di dunia maya! 

Let see…most of the activities are conducted through these savvy devices..at least for me yaaa…FB, Path, Twitter, Flickr, dan tentu aja email-emailan dan blogging, you name it :D. Bahkan, banyak aplikasi bagus, selain games :D, juga sangat bermanfaat.

But then again, bukan berarti hidup kita melulu tergantung gadgets kan. 
Toh tujuan utama diciptakannya gadget-gadget itu adalah untuk membuat hidup kita lebih mudah (dan lebih seruuu :D> )...tapi, gadget is not everything! Banyak kegiatan asyik yang bisa kita lakukan, baik sendiri maupun bersama anak-anak dan keluarga, yang insya Allah mempererat kehangatan keluarga. Banyaaaak banget hal-hal sederhana namun sering terluput karena perhatian kita yang tersita dengan peralatan-peralatan itu. Saya perlu mengaku dosa niiih sepertinya :D...

Satu hal lagi yang saya nikmati saat tidak disibukkan dengan gadgets adalah kita jadi lebih banyak ngobrol dan bercanda, karena ngga sibuk mengecek gadgets tercinta. Seruuuuu kaaan...

Jadi, sehari tanpa gadget, siapaaa takuuuuut....

"Tulisan ini ikutan GA keren Sehari Tanpa Gadget di blog Keajaiban Senyuman lhooooo"