#Bo-et-Obi@NYC: Astoria Park's Eagle...

I have been wanting to share this photos for some times
And it has been staying in my draft for too long :)

I have to admit, these photos were taken on those last warm days before winter is coming..
And we do miss those warm days..
I know...Spring is just around the corner :)
Can't wait...

Aaand, as the temperature in New York is again nose-diving to minus double-digit, let's 'torture' ourselves with these oh-so-warm photos taken in Astoria Park, just two blocks from our house.

Stretching out from the Southern part of Triborough Bridge to the northern part of Hell Gate Bridge, Astoria Park surely has cast its charm spell to everyone. Come down here and enjoy the breathtaking panoramic background of Mid-town Manhattan.

Well, we keep coming back..and it's even more beautiful in winter :)

But on our previous trip, we found this mural on one of its walls.

Then you know what's next :)...
cheers from Astoria Park...


Bo was wearing Hard Rock Cafe NY kids' t-shirt, Oshkosh B-gosh short pants and Nike shoes

the mural..

shy Obi..with a tick on her hand :)

Obi was wearing Disney's princess series, Circo's purple frills skirt by Target, floral pants by Oshkosh B'gosh and Geox shoes.

So once again...wishing you all a great day...


Join us on skywatch Friday :)

WW: Indonesian flag and coin

I just added my new stamp collections
This time is the UN member States' flags and coins, including one from Indonesia :)
Yaaaay...



Join us on Wordless Wednesday and have a great bloghopping session :)

I want to diveeeee....

While enjoying winter and its never-ending snowy days here, my heart terribly misses my family and the warmth and endless beauty of my hometown. 

Okaaay..I know...
I have been complaining  about it lately. 
Sounds like a broken record...
But the weather has been very unfriendly these days, especially the freezing wind.

And sometimes, whenever I have some free time, I keep looking at my social media accounts. It make things worse..Like the more I see and look through my FB albums, the more I miss home. And whenever I look at my PC, I accidentally ended up checking my hard drive and open my underwater photos again and again :(.

What's happening to me? 

Clear blue sky, warm weather, turquoise water, salty air, great diving buddies...


jumping high in Bunaken with my diving buddies :)
Gosh I miss them all...

Especially our serene underwater world...like the one in Bunaken, Manado, North Sulawesi, as well in Lampung...

my underwater selfie ")...

I even miss its strange yet fascinating creatures, like this mimic octopus...


taken in Lembeh, Manado..
The scorpion fish...




the Frog fish...



the Pygmi seahorses...


And even this fuchsia corals...



And back home in Lampung, I certainly have a lot to miss...
From its eclectic clams to tiny lion fish...


Tanjung Putus, Lampung


From its purple anemones and corals, cute star fish, to Mr. Turtle...

taken in Tanjung Putus, Lampung..

my lovely purple at Batu Mandi, Lampung

Mr. T...taken in Tegal Island, Lampung

at Batu Mandi, Lampung...

I know I can definitely dive here in the US or the Caribbean as well, but I simply have to wait until the weather is much warmer. 

Well, It won't be that long, will it?

So I can swim along with nemo again...soon :)



Meanwhile....lemme get back to my hard drive collection...
Don't you miss warmer weather?

Happy, happy birthday, Laura Ingalls Wilder...

Look who's celebrating her 148th birthday :)..

Laura Ingalls Wilder...

Yuuup...if you clicked Google last Saturday,  you'd notice its squiggle (that's the name, right?) showing Laura's picture complete with the log cabin and the wagon.



the pic is taken from Google..

I remember reading it when they had to get back to that wagon after spending some times living on the prairie. They had built a house with their own hands and put the glasses on their windows, after Pa made a long journey to the closest city, Independence. Just because the area was the American Indian territories and at the time, the US Government had a treaty with them. Speaking of which, my current work happens to deal with this issue as well, when the UN discusses the rights of the indigenous peoples. Well, that's a bit of Laura's story in Little House on the Prairie..

Laura Ingalls Wilder...




I have written about it before here, but I'm more than happy to share more about what I love most from the famous series of Laura's pioneering life with her family.

One of my favorite stories is the Farmer Boy. Laura told us about the life of Almanzo Wilder, her husband, while he was a kid. Raised in the farm near Malone, New York State, I enjoy Almanzo's colorful days collecting berries, breaking the colts, doing his chores, taking care of animals and growing giant milk pumpkin. He was indeed a great farmer and got a knack for animals as well, especially the horses.  How they had to walk in all weather just to go to school and practically did many things from a very young age really teach me how to be independent and grateful for my life :).

I also love On the Banks of the Plum Creek. 




This is the episode where Laura lived in the dug-out, the house under ground. Very unique indeed :)...and here Laura almost got herself drowned in the creek fro not listening to Ma and Pa. She also got acquainted with funny creatures along the creek, including leeches and crabs. I can't help but smiling when she gave Nellie Oleson, her mortal enemy, a lesson for being impolite to Ma on the same river bank. And the heartbreaking grasshopper season...destroying Pa's crops just when they built new house and got new horses!

I cried as well when Jack, Laura's loyal dog, died.. And I got so excited when Laura talked about her first experience taking the train :)..

Laura already became a school teacher when she was just 14 years old. I really love the school exhibition they had where Laura presented some essays on history, one of her favorite lessons, perfectly. Or when the whole town gathered in the church to enjoy the fully-entertaining performances from the locals, including Pa's brilliant pantomime. You can read them all in Little Town in the Prairie.





Not to mention the First Four Year... Where Laura told us the story of her first 4 years of her marriage with Almanzo. Their ups and downs as a couple who's trying to strive for a better life as a farmer. And when they were blessed with Rose Wilder, their daughter. I cried when Laura suffered from the loss of their son and when the house that Almanzo built with love was destroyed by fire.


the first and the last book in the series :)

Oh my...I can go on and ooooon about Laura and her book :).

But for sure, I just wanna share the fun of reading this world-wide famous book series. 

And now while my family and I have our own adventure in the US. I am thinking of visiting the trails of her incredible journey. From her website, www.lauraingallswilderhome.com, I notice that Laura's historic home and museum is located in Mansfield, Missouri. 


The Rocky Ridge Farm...pic is taken from here

And Laura's trails are quite abundant. A lot to choose from :)


the picture is taken from here

I hope I can visit them someday :). Maybe not as thrilling as the wagon ride, but I'd like to see Pa's fiddle and more of Laura's memorabilia :).
Wish me luck, everyone....


Clear blue sky, turquoise water at Tegal Island, Lampung

Never ceased to be amazed by the clear blue sky and crystal turquoise water at Tegal Island, Lampung, Indonesia..

I usually go here for diving as Tegal Island has beautiful underwater scene, but even snorkeling and swimming around the island and enjoying the sun is perfect :), as you can see here...

And I can guarantee you will have never ending photo session, just like what my family and I did on our last trip to Tegal Island ..

How I miss it....


Bo and my cousin, Iwan, enjoying the fresh dip in the clear water...

one corner of Tegal Island...

cheeers....

My brother, Ajay, skindiving at the island...

Me...and some other family members..under the blue sky....

All photos were taken using GoPro Hero 3 :)

Join us on Skywatch Friday... 
and enjoy beautiful blue sky from different corners of the world..

Why me? Fighting Breast Cancer

"Rontok lagi, pak..."
"Udahlah...kalau memang harus rontok, kan memang pengaruh obat..
"Tapi kali ini banyak banget..sampai 2 genggam.."


Dan tubuh saya pun dipeluknya...



***



Sore itu, usai kembali dari bandara mengantarkan salah satu rekan yang akan kembali ke Jakarta, saya tiba-tiba merasakan capek yang luar biasa.



Rasanya tulang pada mau berontak, kepala super berat dan perut ngga enak banget.

Serba salah..karena badan benar-benar tidak enak, tapi saya tidak bisa istirahat.


Well, beberapa hari sebelumnya, saya memang baru saja menjalankan kemoterapi yang kedua.

Setelah sukses divonis menderita kanker payudara tiga bulan sebelumnya dan menjalani mastektomi, operasi pengangkatan seluruh bagna payudara yang terkena kanker, saya memang harus menjalani serangkaian kemoterapi. Karena kanker yang nongkrong di tubuh saya, ternyata super agresif. Dalam kurun waktu 2 bulan, sel kanker di payudara kanan mulai "jalan-jalan' ke arah ketiak, yang notabene menjadi rumah kalenjar getah bening. Bahayanya, kalenjar getah bening adalah transporter di tubuh kita. Jadi, kalau sel kanker itu sukses 'nongkrong' di kalenjar getah bening, besar kemungkinan ia akan menyebar ke bagian tubuh yang lain.
Untungnya, semua ini diketahui di tahap awal, jadi saat operasi, semua sel dan calon sel kanker yang terdeteksi langsung diangkat.


Dan saya lega...



Really, Indah?



Ya, sekarang saya sudah bisa lega. Dan tersenyum!



Walaupun perjuangan saya masih panjang sebelum bisa benar-benar dinyatakan bersih dari kanker, tapi saya sudah berdamai dengan diri sendiri.



Malu rasanya dengan Yang Kuasa kalau ingat malam-malam kelam saya.


Saat di mana vonis kanker itu benar-benar nyata adanya...
Saat saya tidak tau harus marah kepada siapa...
Saat saya mulai menyalahkan diri sendiri karena tidak bisa menjaga diri dengan baik...
Saat saya panik ketika tahu jahatnya kanker yang ada di tubuh saya...
Saat saya tergugu hanya karena melihat Bo dan Obi tidur dengan pulas...
Saat saya sadar betapa saya ingin hidup lebih lama untuk suami dan anak-anakku...
Saat saya bertanya dengan marah...WHY ME?


Mungkin untuk mereka yang tahu dan kenal saya sejak lama, selalu berpikir bahwa everything in life is fine. Saya memang selalu happy...atau mungkin tepatnya, terlihat happy.



But I'm just human.

At the lowest point of my life....at my bottomless pit.
And this silly cancer just change everything.
My life...and the lives of people I dearly love.


Terbayang ngga ole teman-teman.
Saat itu, saya dan keluarga baru pindah ke tempat baru.

Penuh semangat untuk memulai hari-hari kami. 
Penuh rencana untuk jalan kesana kemari untuk mengeksplorasi negara baru yang menjadi tempat tinggal kami.  Penuh keinginan untuk mengembangkan jejaring pertemanan dan karir yang dijalani selama ini. Penuh suka cita dengan Udi untuk meneruskan hobi-hobi dan memenuhi bucket lists kami. Penuh ide untuk memperkenalkan Bo dan Obi dengan dunia baru mereka. 

Baru 7 minggu di New York City, dokter saya menelpon untuk bilang bahwa saya positif terdeteksi mengidap kanker payudara...


Dan fase baru dalam hidup saya sebagai pengidap kanker pun dimulai.

Mastektomi, MRI, PET CT Scan, ECG, ecocardiogram, kemoterapi, insulation, breast reconstruction,  endless consultation dengan dokter onkologis menjadi menu kami hari-hari.


Waktu dokter menjelaskan segala prosedur yang diperlukan dan hal-hal yang harus saya jalani untuk menghilangkan sel-sel kanker ini, saya hanya bisa menatapnya nanar.
it sounds so scarying and painful.



There goes my plans.

Berubah semua rencana yang telah kami susun.
Everything has to change.
Priority number one: saya harus sehat kembali!


Dan saya mau marah dengan siapa? 



Mau marah dengan siapa kalau saya harus menjalani operasi besar dan pulih dalam waktu yang cukup lama? 

Mau menyalahkan siapa kalau payudara saya hanya tinggal sebelah? 
Mau benci dengan siapa kalau saya tidak bisa bangun, lemas tidak ketulungan dan mual selama 4 hari akibat kemo? 
Mau teriak ke siapa ketika rambut, alis, dan bulu mata saya rontok tak bersisa? 
Mau kesal sama siapa ketika kuku-kuku saya mulai menghitam dan mengeluarkan darah akibat terpaan racun yang dipakai untuk membunuh sel-sel kanker saya?
Mau sedih bagaimana lagi saat Bo bertanya "Mama ngga akan meninggal karena kanker mama kan?"


Tidak ada.

Tidak ada kecuali diri saya sendiri...
Lagi, why me? kenapa sayaaa? terus muncul terbersit di hati..


Mau marah dengan Tuhan? Saya ngga berani.
Dan saya selalu yakin kalau Allah SWT selalu memiliki scenario terbaik untuk hamba-hamba-Nya.
Gusti Allah tidak akan pernah mencoba umat-Nya lebih dari kemampuan mereka.



Of course, Udi dan keluarga besar, termasuk atasan dan teman-teman kantor saya, selalu mendukung penuh dan membantu saya sejak awal.


But they don't know exactly how it feels to be in my position.


Dan saya tau, kalau saya terus menyalahkan diri sendiri, semua ini hanya akan menghabiskan waktu, energi, dan emosi saya. And I desperately need it for my recovery.
Pilihan terbaik yang saya miliki adalah berdamai dengan diri sendiri dan mohon pada Sang Pemilik Kehidupan untuk bisa selalu diberi kekuatan dan semangat untuk menjalani skenario indah-Nya ini.



Ikhlas dan sabar, meskipun super duper susah dijalani, terbukti ampuh membantu saya menjalani tahap pengobatan dan penyembuhan satu demi satu. 



Tiga minggu hidup dengan wound reservoir dan selang 8 inci yang tertanam di tubuh saya ternyata bisa dijalani. Saat mual dan lemas melanda akibat diinfus AC, cairan kemo saya yang luar brasa dampaknya, selama 4.5 jam, saya pun memilih tidur dan istirahat penuh.Bahkan saat menggunduli kepala saya yang sudah pitak sana pitak sini akibat rontok berat, saya bisa tersenyum. 





breast cancer survivor
cheeers...


Dan ternyata, saya cocok berkepala botak :). 
Ya, ngga :p.



Hidup saya pun jadi jauh lebih sehaaat.
Kini saya mulai dan haris banyak mengkonsumsi buah dan sayuran segar serta olahraga. Berat badan pun turun 7 kilo! Alhamdulillaaah kan :). 



Dan yang lebih penting lagi, kalau Bo dan Obi bertanya kenapa mama botak, saya akan bilang bahwa mama terkena kanker dan will fight back!
I will definitely fight back!


cheeeers....
I might sound so cliche, tapi semua memang akan indah pada waktunya.
Dan percayalah, Tuhan akan selalu memberi yang terbaik untuk hamba-Nya.
Kita hanya perlu selalu bersyukur, bersyukur dan bersyukur lagi.
Jangan pernah lupa itu!


National Wear Red Day

As I bloghopped to NC Sue ' s blog, I just notice that the 6th of February was the National Wear Red Day.

Have you ever heard of it before?

To start with, you can check this website.

National Wear Red Day is one of the programs initiated by American Heart Association to raise awareness about heart disease and stroke that kill women. Often regarded as the men's disease, the staggering fact told us that 1 in 3 women were killed by heart disease and stroke! Well, what saddening is that all these diseases are 80% preventable...

So, since 2003, this initiative has been started and many progress have been achieved as well, including the changing behaviours towards healthier life. And this campaign of National Wear Red Day continues till now...

Here's what I copied from the official website:

"National Wear Red Day® — the first Friday each February — is our special day to bring attention to this staggering fact. We encourage everyone to wear red, raise their voices, know their cardiovascular risk and take action to live longer, healthier lives."

And here's our support by wearing red :)..

while visiting the pediatrics last Friday..Obi in Red :)

Obi et Bapak in red...
red, red, red...

Watch the video, Go Red For Women, and we can learn more about it... 



Some other things we can do to help is by donating, creating fundraiser page and getting free tools and resources about combating these diseases. Again, the complete information is available on Wear Red Day.

So, let's take care of our health...get more information to lead a healthy life :)
Go women, go...

WW: World Cancer Day

Let there be light...and hope.
Always...

#worldcancerday #fightingcancer #breastcancer

image is taken from here

image is taken from here




MyItchyFeet: Petite-France at Strasbourg

Hello again....

Mind if I continue #MyItchyFeet journey hereee :)...I hope you won't..

So, we had a glimpse of Strasbourg here in my previous post :). 
And as I said there, one of lovely landmarks that will be too bad to miss is Petite France.

Sekarang mampir ke Petite France yuuuk..




Kawasan unik di kota Strasbourg ini memang menjadi salah satu magnet bagi mereka yang mengunjungi Strasbourg. Tidak heran memang karena area ini unik banget dan cantik dan terletak di Grande Ile, atau pulau utama, yang ada di kota Strasbourg.

Located in the Grand Ile or the main island, Petite France is beautifully stretched along the Ill river with bridges and canals. 

Karena letaknya dekat dengan sungai Ill, kawasan ini jadi makin terlihat cantik lewat refleksi rumah-rumah khas dengan hiasan kayu di permukaan air. Apalagi kalau hari cerah...dapet bonus langit biru :) 




The reflections of those half-timbered houses on the river are so captivating. 
I love to see the timber patterns and its sandstone bases. Pretty!



We walked to Petite France as we parked our car near the medieval square where Cathedrale Notre Dame was located. It took us around 1 hour to walk. Well, not because it was far, but simply because we stopped here and there to take pictures :). It's just too tempting :)

It's easy to find because the sign heading to Petite France were easily spotted as well.
Dan tidak perlu waktu lama juga untuk menikmati kawasan ini, karena memang tidak terlalu besar dan terlihat cantik dari agak jauh :)



But the history of Petite- France or Little France was a bit grim. 
Why? Because it was actually built as a place to cure people with syphilis! 
At that time, this disease was known as the "french disease". 
I read on Wikipedia, it was called that way because it was spread by the French troops. Ooh my...

Anyway, despite its bleak background, Petite-France is still worth a visit.

Here are some our pictures taken during the visit.
Photos were taken by my hubby, Udi :)



love the foreground :)




most of the houses are still in great condition...



the tower and its reflection..



So if you happen to be around, don't miss Petite-France. 

What do you like best from this lovely area?