WW: Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon, Myanmar

Welcome to Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar

Here comes more photos from my previous trip to different parts of the world.

This time, I have Shwedagon Pagoda which is located in Yangon, the former capital city of Myanmar. I actually visited this place back in 2013, in one of the senior-official meetings of the bilateral consultation between the two countries.

READ: Myanmar, the Land of Gold: Shwedagon Pagoda

I suddenly came across this folder as I rummaged my external hard disk looking for "untouched photos". And trust me, I got tone of them LOL.

Well, as you can see, Myanmar is rightly coined as the land of Gold. At least as you stroll around in the famous temple of Shwedagon, which is known for its gold-plated domes and gilded stupas. Impressive. 

Despite the political situation and conflicts that happen in some part of the country, I do believe Myanmar has the potential to be a wonderful destination.

Here are some snaps I took in Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon, Myanmar.

Our entourage.. late in the evening

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Ramadhan with the Kids

Have a blessed Ramadhan!

"Ma, why do we have to fast? Who created Ramadhan? 
Does everyone do it like us? 
I saw my friends eating pizza in front of me at school when we were in New York."

My daughter Obi bombarded me with all these questions after we finished doing sholat maghrib, the fourth sholat or daily prayer Moslems do, at home.
My husband and I smiled and before we answered those questions, my son, Bo, explained to his sister that we are fasting because it is one of the pillars of Islam, the obligations for Moslems to do it, just like sholat. 

And we are fasting so that we can share the feeling to those who are less fortunate than us, having the sympathy to those who have to struggle just to have enough food in a day. 

We discussed further that night and that's one of the beauty of Ramadhan.
We spend more time with our family and we share a lot, while learning from one another at the same time.
Alhamdulillah.

****

Ramadhan is here and I'm so happy to be able to observe this blessed Holy Month at home, in Indonesia, once again.
We spent five Ramadhan in New York City and I have to say that 2018 was the last before we were heading back home to Indonesia in summer 2018, a few month after Ramadhan. 

And 2020 is super special because of the Corona virus epidemic. Most of us are confined at home and implement social as well as physical distance. Schools are closed, some offices are closed as well, and many of us #stayathome to help curbing the spread of this virus. Spending most of the time at home can be quite a big challenge as well, especially since we are so accustomed to actively engaging with our communities and social groups. But this is actually perfect for Ramadhan. At least for me and my family.

And back to the fasting rituals. Although we have done it several times in New York City and other cities like Geneva and Melbourne, it doesn't mean it get easier.
Especially for my kids.

Bo, my 14-year-old son, has started fasting since in the kindergarten when he was 6 years old. Of course it was a gradual process as Bo initially started fasting for a few hours, a half day then full day.
The same goes to Nadine, my almost-10-year-old daughter.
She has been a picky eater so she's kinda love fasting although she's easily tempted by sweet smell of cookies and bread.

As you know, we have different period of time in terms of the duration of our fasting. As we use the sun as the guidance, from Subuh (before sunrise) to Maghreb (sunset), the length of fasting varies and pretty much depend on where you are staying.

To know more about how long we fast, there are a few infographic explanation that shows the length of time in various countries. Scandinavian and European countries are usually the longest.

source: https://www.statista.com/chart/17874/ramadan-daily-fasting-hours-selected-cities/

More infographic below was from 2018, when we had our last Ramadhan in NYC. 
It showed you that fasting in Oslo will be super long (19 hours and 26 minutes), while New York City has 16 hours and Melbourne is only 11 hours and 33 minutes. And as summer days get longer, so does our fasting.  As in NYC, fasting started at 3.45 AM and broke fasting at 8.28 PM. Almost 17 hours.

picture taken from: https://www.statista.com/chart/13924/ramadan-fasting-times/

Back in 2019, fasting in New York City is  slightly shorter but still longer than the fasting time in Indonesia. And many places in the world have to endure long hours from sunrise to sunset. 

photo: https://www.thelivemirror.com/ramadan-2019-shortest-longest-fasting-time-world/

For adults, long hours of fasting should be manageable.
At least we know what to expect and we have been so accustomed to it and trained along the years.
But for kids, it's another story. 
Hunger and thirst are not the only things we need to control, as we have to work on our emotion, patience and compassion as well. 
Well, you know how cranky one can be when one is hungry, thirty, tired and sleepy!

So, how do we prepare our kids for Ramadhan?
Here are a few things we do, as parents, in order to observe the long hours of Ramadhan, , with the kids, wherever you are.

Discuss with them, tell them what Ramadhan means

Ramadhan is a blessed month and fasting is one of the main pillars in Islam.
Meaning, when the kids reach akil baligh or puberty, they are obliged to fully observe the main pillars of Islam, which consist of Syahadat, sholat or 5-time daily praying, fasting during Ramadhan, paying zakat , and hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca. 

By telling them what Ramadhan is and why it is important, we can make children understand that Ramadhan is more than just refraining yourself from eating and drinking. It goes way more than that as we share the feeling and the needs for those who are not so fortunate. It builds the compassion within them, as well as being grateful for having enough food on the table on daily basis. We can also explain about the health benefit of fasting, giving our body a break it desperately needs.

My kids learn to fast step by step.
Since they were 5 or 6 year old, they had been introduced to this exercise. We started it easily, with them only joining shaum or our early morning breakfast, then breaking the fast  in the morning. Gradually, they are strong enough to hold the hunger and thirst so that they can fully do it in a day.

Be a model

There is no way you are asking your kids to do fasting while you are freely eating and drinking in the daylights during Ramadhan. 
Show them that you are doing it as well.
Show them that you are with them, and so are millions of Moslems around the world.
Show them that fasting is a good thing and not the end of the world (kids can be a bit overreacting sometimes :)).

Find activities that they love

Fasting month can be long, strenuous and tiring. Even for adults. I usually try to make it 'easier' and more fun for the kids by asking them what they love to do during the day and it will help them focus on doing the things they love instead of feeling hungry and angry. I know most kids, just like mine, love to play video games or stuck with their gadgets. But obviously, we have more interesting activities such as reading favorite books, crafting. learning how to cook, gardening, calling or video calling friends and families and more. In addition to that, we learn more about Al-Quran and hadists as well as watching or listening to videos about Ramadhan.

Involve them in Iftar and Sahur

I always need help before and during ifthar as well as sahur, when we have our early morning breakfast. I usually ask for assistance from my kids & my hubby, so that we can provide everything together in a short period of time. I ask my kids what food and drinks they would love to have for ifthar and they will help me prepare them. The same goes with sahur, although it might be a bit tricky because we wake up at 3 AM in the morning and prepare the food, but at least by having what they love to eat and drink, they feel much better and it will help.

Make them proud

Fasting or shaum is one of the pillars in Islam. It's an obligation. Something that we have to fulfill and hold dear. No matter where you live or whatever you are doing. It is not always that easy as Ramadhan itself is a journey, but we believe that the sooner we understand the beauty of it, the more faithful we become. Appreciate their efforts, no matter how slow it is. Encourage them to try the fasting until they are comfortable with it. Remember that it is a process and it's only natural that the kids need some times to adjust with the concept and this obligation. I'm sure Allah SWT will help us all and they know what they have to do. 

So that's a little tips from #thefrakarsas for enjoying Ramadhan with the kids.
I sincerely hope this Ramadhan will bring more blessings to us all.


Don't forget to stay safe, happy, and healthy, wherever you are!

Wonderful Wednesday with My Purple World, Oh My Heartsie Girls and Friends

Marhaban ya Ramadhaaan

It's almost a week of Ramadhan and how we gratefully embrace it every day.

Fasting month is always be comfortable when we do it at home in Indonesia, although this year everything is different due to the social and physical distancing polices that have been strictly implemented in our city. Well, it help improve the situation although here and there we heard many complained about the confinement and they simply don't obey the prevailing regulations from the government. Even simple things like wearing mask and staying at home unless you go out for something extremely important are difficult to obey. 

There is a huge debate about our rituals during Ramadhan. Many of us are so used to gather at the mosque to pray together and do various rituals like reading Holy Quran and discuss more about fiqh and issues related to Islam in a group. But since the pandemic, the Government as well as many Islamic organizations and religious leaders have strongly urged people to stay at home and continue their Ramadhan rituals at home, which is as blessed as the ones done at the mosque. Moreover, mudik, or the tradition of going back home for Eid-al Fitr or the victory day at the end of Ramadhan, is also prohibited. It is of course done in order to cut the wide spread of Corona virus and to control the situation so that we can all go back to our normal life soon. I sincerely hope people will listen to that and obey the rules for the benefits of all.

Anyway, I do enjoy my time with my family and we do spend so much time together, doing things that we love together. For me who has been spending so much time at work and traveling around, staying at home, feeling fit and healthy, is really a huge privilege. And I am totally grateful.

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WW: Cooking time during the Quarantine

What is your favorite pastime during the quarantine?

Besides finishing my assignments (not really my favorite, obviously) and helping the kids with their Zoom meetings, home works and more assignments (frankly, it's a bit burdensome indeed), I do spend so much time in the kitchen.

Well, it's my favorite spot at home after my purple-infused bedroom.

Another simple cooking video at my YouTube channel :)

I have been back to my old 'backyard' which has been quite abandoned since I was pretty much occupied with works and traveling.

Super happy to create various dishes that my family and I love, although some of them are pretty simple.

My brownies cooked with rice cooker :)

I do miss my big oven in NYC though. I don't have one here in Jakarta as it costs us a lot. So I'm trying to work with what I have, cooking at the stove, microwave and rice cooker. I even made brownies in rice cooker and it worked fine! You can watch it in my YouTube channel here.

Let's cook!

During this blessed month of Ramadhan, I also cook simple yet delicious munchies for our Ifthar, breaking time. My kids have been fully observing the fasting month as well and they have been eating a lot lately. That becomes sort of a motivation for me to cook all those delicious food. Well, at least for us LOL.

Here are some photo and videos I took form my cooking session during this pandemic. Some recipes will be shared on separate posts.

Most of the time I was helped by my kiddos, Bo et Obi.
They both love to eat so they are quite adventurous and helpful in the kitchen as well.

the famous premixed brownies

Can you guess what it is? Sambal terasi :)

Our favorite chicken noodle!

Freshly squeezed oranges

preparation for our mini omelette..

 Some cooking processes have been shared in my Instagram Stories as well. 
Check out @insav and @hiddentreasure081 at the Instagram, 

Stay safe, happy and healthy during the pandemic!

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Marhaban ya Ramadhan

Marhaban ya Ramadhan

Nothing else to say but wishing you all, my dearest Moslem sisters and brothers,  a blessed and solemn Ramadhan

Ramadhan will always be the special one.
This is one holy month which is better than 1000 other months.
This is the month when we can surrender fully to the Almighty, reading and listening to the beauty of His words in the Al-Quran and whispering those prayers to the sky and His paradise.
This is the high time to purify. To bring back our heart and soul to its blessed path.
To share kindness and patience, to forge the virtues we all hold dear in our hearts.

To me, Ramadhan is the reflection. 
Time to take the journey back to my deepest soul.
To admit my wrongdoings and refrain myself from repeating them.
To fully realize how blessed we all are.
To share more happiness and kindness to others.
To be honest and stay true to ourselves.
To set the real priorities in this so-called life.
And more importantly, the After-life.

And this year, Ramadhan is even more special, thanks to Corona virus.
No sholat jamaah, or praying together at the mosque.
No gatherings in places of worship as well as other public places.
No rituals like hunting for takjil or the special food for breaking your fasting, or buka puasa bersama, breakfasting together, except with your nuclear family. 
No mudik, going back home for Eid-al Fitr, the victory day, as we have to stay put in our home to fully observe social and physical distancing and flatten the curve, to avoid wider spread of the virus.

But that, should not dampen our spirit to seek His blessings and guidance.
To cleanse our heart and soul in this blessed month.
To return to our fitr.
To win our battle against our own demon.

In this trying time, never forget that Allah SWT will always give us the best scenario in life.

"Verily, with every difficulty, there is relief" Quran (94:5)

May Ramadhan bring you peace, pure joy and happiness, in Allah SWT's blessed path

Happy Earth Day

Happy Earth Day, people!

Happy Earth Day, people!

I sincerely wish we all getting more and more aware of the condition of the earth we are living now. How many damages we have caused and how suffering the earth is :(. 

Well, I am not trying to blame anybody, any governments, any industries, or whatever. But as we see those piles of garbage, dirty rivers and oceans, polluted air, melting ice, deforestation and many more environmental damages,  don't we all have to do something? 

I know there are many movements and concrete actions being put forward and implemented in oder to save our planet. Our one and only earth. 

This Corona pandemic has somehow presented an opportunity for all of us to think and rethink of what we can do to 

The earth has been our home!

And in this Earth Day, I made a note of what we had done and what we should do to help the earth. I couldn't help but write this little note, not necessarily a poem, in Bahasa Indonesia. I really love to see the beauty of mother nature and I firmly believe that it is our obligation to keep it clean and beautiful. Alas, we are doing exactly the opposite!

Nevertheless, I know deep down inside we all want to do something to help the earth. Something simple that we can try ourselves and teach our children. Something concrete like using no or less plastic, using less energy, planting more trees and plants, avoiding littering and separating trash, bringing tumbler and environmental bag everywhere, and so many more.

Here's my little video, a little self-reminder to myself and how I hope I can continue to take actions to keep the earth beautiful and clean.

Happy Earth Day! Untuk bumiku tercinta... Maafkan hati dan akal kami.. yang kerap dangkal memahami cinta dan ketulusanmu menjadi rumah indah nan nyaman tempat kami berlabuh dan sandarkan harapan Kecantikanmu yang memikat seharusnya kami jaga erat agar tetap lekat untuk anak cucu kami kelak. Biru lautmu dan juga langitmu harus terpatri di kalbu agar cinta ini tak jadi sendu dingin membeku Bumiku sayang... Terima kasih untuk semua cintamu dan keindahanmu yang getarkan kalbu Meskipun ku tau ini akan jadi perjalanan panjang penuh liku Izinkan kami 'tuk terus mencintaimu Just a little note for my dearest earth! Selamat Hari Bumi Mari kita jaga dengan segenap hati Photos and videos were taken at Yonkers, NY; Bear Mountain, NY; Astoria Park, NYC; Washington Square, NYC; Central Park, NYC; Tokyo, Japan; Teluk Lampung, Lampung; Atambua, East Nusa Tenggara; Tanjung Benoa, Bali; Jayapura, Papua, Indonesia.

Happy Earth Day and let's keep our earth beautiful!