WW: Les Miserables in Wellington

 

How I miss Broadway!

One of the things that I miss the most from NYC is their all-year-round entertainment, particularly Broadway. Well, at least before COVID-19 pandemic.. and now, as it starts kicking back after the pandemic is a bit manageable. 

I remember vividly those musicals and plays my family, my dearest friends and I watched in Broadways. Kinky Boots, the Rain, Beautiful, On Your Feet, Phantom of the Opera, Sponge Bob, the Book of Mormon, Dear Evan Hansen, Jersey Boys, Chicago  and more..


So when I heard that St. James Theather in Wellington was reopening after years of renovation and series of plays and musicals will be showcased, I directly hunt for the tickets. Together with Stella, my colleague at the office, we got the tickets for Les Miserables. Super excited indeed!

welcome to St. James Theater

Les Miserables is indeed a famous play that has been performed in many corners of the world. Perhaps you are already familiar with the stories of Jean Valjean, Fantine, Cossette,Marius, Eponine,  Javert and even the hillarious crooks, the Thenardiers. We even have the last Hollywood version of it starred by Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway.

The show was packed and St. James Theater looks beautiful indeed. We cozily sit for 3 hours plus intermission and the play was amazing. The production troupe, which is mostly based in Aotearoa, New Zealand, is amazing! I really enjoyed the played and the songs, including the hits I had a dream. 

The stage..

Well, all in all I had a wonderful night and I hope I can soon go back for more performance here. Here are some photos showing you the lovely theater.

Les Miserables in St. James Theater Wellington
happy me posing with the program book

the ceiling
the ceiling

Les Miserables in St. James Theater Wellington
the best seats indeed

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Happy 77th Anniversary of Indonesia's Independence from Aotearoa New Zealand

 Happy 77th Anniversary of Indonesia's Independence from Aotearoa New Zealand


๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ  M E R D E K A.. ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ 

Happy 77th Anniversary of Indonesia's Independence.

Auguat 17th, 2022.

I woke up feeling so excited.
Wellington has been freezing, windy and wet for the last 2 weeks.
Well, probably for the last 2 months, as winter hit this capital city.

There was no wind outside at 6 AM so I thought we would be able to celebrate the 77th Anniversary of Indonesia's Independence outside, with flag-hoisting ceremony.
I had everyone woke up and got ready to head to the Embassy, where the celebration would take place. Breakfast was ready, so were all the uniforms, kebaya, and suites for my gentlemen.

Yet, at 7 AM, it started drizzling and the rain got harder by the time we arrived at the Embassy at 8.30 AM. Nevertheless, our spirit is still soaring high as this is the day when we celebrate the 77th Anniversary of Indonesia's Independence!

Di KBRI Wellington,  Upacara Peringatan Detik-Detik Proklamasi Kemerdekaan RI ke-77 pada tanggal 17 Agustus 2022 berlangsung secara khidmat dan meriah. Meskipun Wellington diguyur hujan dan angin dingin sejak pagi, namun itu semua tidak mengurangi semangat kami untuk datang dan menghadiri upacara penting ini. Demikian pula beberapa masyarakat yang bahkan datang dari tempat yang lumayan jauh seperti Whanganui, Tawa, dan sekitarnya. Sayangnya, karena hujan, upacara yang biasanya dilakukan di luar terpaksa dilakukan di dalam ruangan untuk tahun ini.


Acara syukuran kali ini memiliki makna yang istimewa karena merupakan acara syukuran yang digelar untuk pertama kalinya bagi Dubes Fientje Suebu sejak beliau menjabat di awal tahun 2022. 

Untuk kami The Frakarsas, acara kali ini pun super istimewa karena selain ini kali perdana kami merayakan hari jadi Indonesia di Aotearoa, tahun ini my baby bunny Nadine terpilih menjadi salah satu anggota PASKIBRA or pasukan pengibar bendera. Bangga rasanya melihat gadis kecilku terlihat gagah dan penuh konsentrasi saat latihan menjadi Paskibra. Way to go, Obi!



Being chosen as one of the members of the flag raising troupe is indeed an honor and it requires a lot of discipline, responsibilities and perseverance. Together with 2 other boys, Herald and William, the three of them have undergone quite a rigorous training in order to prepare for the big day. So kudos fo you three!



Too bad due to the unfriendly weather, we did it in the room instead of outside. We had the practices outside and the general rehearsal had been done outside as well. Nevertheless, it's been a rewarding experience for Nadine and us all.


my baby bunny Nadine


Sebanyak kurang lebih 100 peserta yang terdiri dari WNI dan sahabat Indonesia di Selandia Baru turut meramaikan jalannya acara. Cukup banyak yang datang dan banyak yang hadir dengan mengenakan busana bernuansa merah putih. Warna sakral bagi bangsa Indonesia. 

Aku sendiri untuk upacara bendera mengenakan kebaya brokat merah kutu baru hiasan mote yang dipadu dengan selendang warna emas dan kain Songket Bali. 


Later, I changed my top with Batik Chic's elegant embroidery top in royal blue. I reall love it!






Usai upacara peringatan detik - detik proklamasi yang berlangsung kurang lebih 30 menit, acara dilanjutkan dengan syukuran. Awalnya, kami merencanakan untuk menyelenggarakan Pesta Rakyat dengan menghadirkan banyak pertunjukan dan hiburan, termasuk Band KBRI yang baru dibentuk dan beranggotakan keluarga besar KBRI Wellington. Namun mengingat KBRI masih dalam suasana berduka karena kehilangan salah satu anggota keluarganya, maka pesta rakyat pun disederhanakan dan acara hanya fokus pada perayaan detik - detik proklamasi dan syukuran bersama. 

tumpeng of the day


Acara syukuran diawali oleh pemotongan tumpeng yang diberikan kepada 3 wakil sesepuh yang tinggal di Wellington dan para anggota Paskibra. Selain itu, ada pertunjukan Tari Persembahan dari Bali yang ditarikan dengan gemulai oleh mba Putu Evie Suyadnyani dan penampilan Tari Sajojo oleh Perwakilan Masyarakat Indonesia di Whanganui.
They are indeed amazing! Mba Evie, my dance mentor and gamelan guru, gracefully performed Tari Persembahan which marks the special occasions, while Sajojo dance, one of the popular social dance from Papua, the homeland of our Ambassador, were energetically performed by 5 members of Indonesian communities and their Kiwi families from Whanganui. Senang rasanya bisa berkumpul dan melihat antusiasme masyarakat yang cukup tinggi dalam mensukseskan jalannya acara dan menunjukkan kebanggaan mereka terhadap budaya dan keindahan tanah air.

Meskipun singkat, acara makan siang bersama dengan nasi kuning komplit dan kue - kue khas Indonesia seperti pastel, lapis ketan, lemper dan kue ku membuat suasana menjadi makin istimewa. 


So, in a more serious note, 77 years of Independence and we are progressing!

The pandemic has been a huge stumbling block for everyone but we sincerely hope we can continue to fight, recover stronger and prosper together. 

77 tahun and masih banyak pekerjaan besar yang menanti untuk mewujudkan Indonesia yang adil, makmur, sentosa dan maju sebagaimana dicita-citakan para leluhur dan pejuang yang telah mendahului kita. 

Bangga bisa menjadi bagian dari bangsa besar ini… menjadi salah satu punggawa penjaganya hingga titik darah penghabisan. 

Semoga cinta, semangat, dan pengabdian kita semua bisa memberi manfaat untuk bangsa dan tanah air tercinta, INDONESIA ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ. 
Dirgahayu, Indonesiaku ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ 




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



What a week we have here!

We celebrate the 77th anniversary of Indonesia's Independence on August 17th and in the weekend before that, we had our last sport activities, the bowling tournament. We all went to Bowlarama and my son Bo got the 3rd prize in the teenagers category. As for the National Day, we had a ceremony inside of the room as the weather didn't permit us to do so outside. 




Too bad as my daugher Nadine was chosen as one of the members of  Paskibra, Pasukan Pengibar Bendera or the flag - hoisting troupe, and they had practices in the last two months. Nevertheless, we had a wonderful celebration with some special performance from the Indonesian community in Whanganui. 

We cut down the celebratory part as well at the same time, as our big family in Wellington Embassy is grieving. One of our staff has just lost his wife. She was very young, at 29, when she got the heart attack and passed away at Wellington Hospital. Our deepest condolences for almarhumah Anggi and her bereaving family.




Days before that, I celebrated my 45th birthday with family and friends. Yup, I am officially 45 years old now. I am so glad that my hubby has arrived from Indonesia on August 10th so that we can spend some times together in windy Welly. We had a gathering at the office so the birthday cake was presented to me during that day. Later in the evening, we had family dinner and this time we went to BurgerFuel, one of my kids' favorite food corner. We went to the one in Lower Hutt and had a good laugh together. Well, all and all, it was a super busy week, a bit of emotional roller coaster, yet it's also very fulfilling. I will definitely share more stories on the 17th of August celebration but for now, let's have a Wonderful Wednesday with My Purple World, Oh My Heartsie Girls and Friends.

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ASEAN Day Dinner Reception in Wellington New Zealand

Happy ASEAN DAY!

Are you familiar with ASEAN, Association of South East Asian Nations?
It  comprises 10 Member States, namely Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam. It is surely one of the leading regional organization in South East Asian region.


 

This regional platform was established on August 8, 1967, so this year we are celebrating the 55th anniversary of the ASEAN.


In Wellington, there are six ASEAN member states’ missions, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam. The ASEAN Head of Missions, Ambassadors and High Commissioners, established ASEAN Committee in Wellington and us, at the technical level, established the Working Group, or famously known as the TWG.

the members of ASEAN TWG in Wellington taking pictures the ASEAN Way

So for the celebration  of the ASEAN Day 2022, Indonesia, as the ACW Chair for July - December 2022 period, organized the preparation of the dinner reception. It was celebrated on the 8th of August in Wellington, New Zealand. This year, we have the Embassy of the Thailand as the venue. 

As the guest of honor, Minister for Pacific People and Associate Minister for Foreign Affairs, Honorable Aupito Sio came and joined us that night. We welcomed him to the venue as he came right on time, while other guests joining us slightly late. We had around 60 guests representing the counterparts from Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ASEAN Dialogue Partners, community leaders, academics and more. 

Head of Missions of ASEAN in Wellington posed with Minister Sio ASEAN Way

It was truly a celebration of friendship, collaboration and optimism for our future. It’s heartwarming to have friendly conversations with the big family of ASEAN and friends in Wellington, along side delectable signature food and joyful performances.




In the beginning, opening speeches were given by Ambassador Fientje Maritje Suebu of Indonesia as well as Minister Aupito Sio, followed by toasts.



It was also amazing to see Tari Joged Bumbung performed by mba Putuevie from Mekar Bhuana Bali, Indonesia, jazzy tunes from Umar Zakaria and Laura Munan from Malaysia, Praewa Kalasin Silk dance from Thailand, as well as Elian Pagalilawan and Becka Tiangson, the tenor and the pianist from the Philippines. 



Not to mention the food! From Indonesia, we brought salad pengantin, Indonesian salad with peanut, chilli and dried shrimps paste, and lapis legit or the layer cakes. Super yum!



Salad Pengantin from Indonesia


We also decorated 6 tables in the venue with the touch of each of ASEAN Member States missions in Wellington. For Indonesia, we use the combination of Ulos from North Sumatera, Songket Palembang from South Sumatera and Barong from Bali.



I proudly wear my red kebaya encim, adorned with Burung Hong or the hong bird and flowers, along with Songket Bali and Tais for my sash that night ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ. 

All in all, it was a successful event and a memorable night.
I hope everyone had a great time amidst the cold, freezing weather in Wellington ๐Ÿ™
Long live ASEAN!