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.

Ramadhan cooking with the Frakarsas

Ramadhan cooking with the Frakarsas

Assalamualaikum warrahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

I hope your Ramadhan goes well and this blessed month will give us ample time to reflect and revisit our journey in this life, so that we can be a better person.

Ramadhan has always successfully brought my family together. I manage to go home early, prepare the meals with my hubby and my kids, and as much as we can, we always pray together in jamaah. The sense of togetherness and family spirit really brings us together and that what makes Ramadhan special.

Ramadhan cooking with the Frakarsas

Salah satu kegiatan favorit yang kerap saya lakukan bersama anak - anak dan juga suami adalah berkreasi di dapur. 

Entah kenapa, saat Ramadhan, kami sering sekali berkumpul di pojok ini sambil memikirkan apa yang akan disiapkan dan dimasak. Mungkin karena saat Ramadhan jam kerja kantor juga lebih pendek sehingga bisa pulang lebih awal atau karena menahan lapar, jadi berbagai kreatifitas dan keinginan memasak pun muncul. Entahlah. Yang pasti, kami berempat menikmatinya dan saat di dapur ini pun kami banyak bertukar cerita, sharing berbagai hal termasuk hal - hal penting dalam Islam dan dalam berpuasa, maupun bercanda sambil menunggu waktu berbuka. 

Saat berada di Indonesia, kita seringkali dimanjakan dengan berbagai kemudahan, termasuk jajan takjil atau makanan berbuka. Bahkan sampai makanan utama pun banyak yang menjualnya dan rasanya enak serta harganya juga bervariasi. Tapi saat di luar negeri, seperti di New Zealand, kami seringkali membuat sendiri makanan yang ingin kita makan, terutama makanan Indonesia. Memang ada yang menjualnya atau membuka PO, tapi biasanya harganya lumayan banget dan juga tidak selalu ada. So, pilihannya adalah masak sendiri deh.

Nadine was preparing for kaastengels

Biasanya kami masak setelah selesai sholat Ashar berjamaah. Atau kalau di waktu weekend, selesai dzuhur bersama, kalau ada masakan atau kue yang akan dibuat, kami pun mulai memasaknya bersama. Tidak jarang kami recook atau memasak ulang beberapa resep keluarga yang banyak diwariskan dari mama saya ataupun almarhumah mama Rudi, my hubby.  There are times when we called our family back home just to have a chat or ask about the recipes. It was fun indeed!

Karenanya, saya jarang berbuka di luar rumah selama di Wellington. Selain sulit memastikan makanan yang kita beli dan santap 100% halal, berbagai restoran di Wellington tidak memiliki tempat sholat. Bahkan di mall sekalipun, yang hanya ada satu di antero kota Wellington (nanti saya cerita lebih banyak lagi ya :)), tidak ada mushola atau tempat untuk sholat. Well, tidak heran sih karena memang Wellington dan New Zealand pada umumnya memang negara sekuler. Pilihan berbuka di rumah, atau bersama komunitas muslim adalah yang paling tepat memang.

Here are some of the food that The Frakarsas managed to cook during this Ramadhan. Can you guess what they are?

Pastel for Ifthar

Besides the food for our sahoor and ifthar, we had cooked some cookies for Lebaran or Eid al Fitr as well. We usually cook kaastengels or the cheese cookies, nastar or the pineapple jam cookies, and putri salju or cookies with icing sugar.

our favorite kaastengel..

don't you just love the chilies!

And psst, my hubby is a great cook as well. He got so excited in creating his late mom's recipes that we all miss from home. Sometimes he checks the Cookpad and YouTube as well to get some inspirations. I love working with him in the kitchen. He can be super meticulous (and noisy) but the results are usually superb as well. Thanks, love!

can you guess what he was making?

Udi really loves meat.. so he's very good at preparing them

So, that's a little story from our family in this Ramadhan. We are truly enjoying our family time in the kitchen. But of course we didn't spend the entire time in the kitchen as Ramadhan is the perfect month to enhance our observance, worship and prayers to the Almighty. 

Do you love cooking as well? Any particular dishes you and your family love to make during Ramadhan? Share the stories with us at the comment ya.

See you on the next post!

Wassalamualaikum warrahmatullahi wabarakatuh

Cardrona, A Unique Stop at South Island, New Zealand - South Island, Here We Come

 

As we continued the trip in our South Island, New Zealand road trip, here's one of the special place I'd like to share to you all.

To those who have been following the stories of our travel recently, you know that we had a road trip starting from Christchurch to so many cities along the way to the southern part of South Island Aotearoa New Zealand. Some of the cities we visited include Akaroa, Fairlie, Lake Tekapo, Mt. Cook, Twizel, and Cardrona, then down to Wakana, Queenstown, Invercargill, Bluff, Balclutha, The Caitlins and Dunedin. A lot of cities indeed and we were 11 days on the road!

Anyway, on our way down from Mt. Cook area heading to Queenstown, we stopped at Cardrona. Cardrona is famously known as the ski-resort area dotted with amazing landscapes and slopes, with historic spots deriving from the gold mining era in this region. 

We drove here from Twizel, after enjoying our remarkable stay near the Aoraki Mt. Cook area and tasting various delicious salmon plates.

Welcome to Cardrona

We didn’t really stop for a long time in this city but we managed to stop at Cardrona Hotel and one unique stop, Bradona.   

Cardrona Hotel is one jewel in the middle of picturesque valley, famous for its rustic and charming setting as well as historical episodes, originating from the gold rush era in this area. 

the story goes back in 1863...

I have to admit I was so intrigued to see what's inside the hotel. Imagine throwing yourself on the gold rush era, starting from 1863, while people were flocking from different corners of the world and tried their luck. Having this hotel as one of the hubs, I can imagine the merry and colorful stories from those episodes of history.

Obi and I in front of Cardrona Hotel and its antique car.

We didn't stay here and although I was originally planning to sit down for a quick coffee or tea, we were already behind scheduled and tired. We managed to take quick pictures in front of the hotel and even when I tried to get some souvenirs, the shops were closed for a while. Well, just our luck. So we skipped enjoying this unique hotel and hopefully we will get a chance to visit this place again. 

There is an Olde School House next to the hotel and we managed to have a quick look as well here. 

Judging from the name, perhaps it used to be the school building back in the days. But now, it becomes shop, art gallery, and artisanal hub where we can get souvenirs and merchandise.

I just love this green corner

After a quick photo at Cardrona Hotel and the surroundings, we stopped at Bradrona.

the panoramic snap of Bradrona

Beautifully placed in the middle of picturesque valley of Central Otago, between Wanaka and Queenstown, the fences in Bradrona were packed with hundreds (or perhaps even thousands) of bras serves as a great reminder about the importance of taking care of ourselves and at the same time spreading the awareness about breast cancer.

Many left their bras with some writings and notes on it, telling a little story and where they are from. Some stated the countries they were originally from, some shared stories about the fight against breast cancer, others wrote the memoirs of their loved ones. So much love in there. It really warms my heart.

Posing with Obi at Bradrona :)

As a breast cancer survivor, I feel like this is the spot that I should not miss while visiting the area. Bradrona is not just a quirky place where people put and left their bras as a form of solidarity to breast cancer survivors, but it also signifies the strong support and love to all cancer fighters. In the reel that I have shared in my Instagram account @insav, you can see more of the place. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Indah Nuria Savitri (@insav)

There is a box for donation for New Zealand Breast Cancer foundation @pinkribbonnz so you are welcomed to contribute to the fight against breast cancer as well.

the donation box at Cardrona

Btw, World Cancer Day 2023 is celebrated in February each year. So when I stopped by here at the end of January and witnessed the overwhelming support to breast cancer fighters and survivors, I feel so blessed that I have received so many supports, help and assistance from my friends and family. Lucky me indeed. And hopefully, in the future, there will be more breakthrough in cancer treatment so we can witness the world with less or even with no cancer. 

In sya Allah.

Right after Cardrona, we stopped by at Wanaka and relaxed at Lake Hawea, and even briefly enjoyed Lindis Pass. Will get back with more stories on those marvelous places.

will get back to you on this...

Ramadhan in Wellington Aoteroa New Zealand - First Week

Ramadhan Kareem..

Bulan penuh berkah yang selalu kita nantikan bersama telah tiba.

Alhamdulillah ini Ramadhan kedua kali untuk kami #TheFrakarsas di Aotearoa New Zealand. Senang sekali rasanya! Tidak terasa sudah hampir dua tahun kami merasakan tinggal di negeri unik di kawasan Pasifik ini dan meskipun banyak suka dukanya, termasuk pindah rumah yang kedua kalinya di Wellington, tapi kami sangat mensyukuri karunia dan berkah-Nya hingga saat ini.

As we have experienced before, we are doing Ramadhan and fasting in the country where majority of the population is non-Moslem. So as always, we have to be able to manage our expectation and circumstances during this blessed holy month. It's not really a problem for me and my husband as adults but for my kids, who still need to go to school from 8.50 - 3.10 PM everyday, fasting is still a bit challenging. But I do trust that Bo et Obi will be able to handle all these challenges during Ramadhan. They even have many school activities and events such as sports, fun cross country and more. 

Nikmat berpuasa di negara orang tetap kami rasakan berkat keberadaan keluarga besar Umat Muslim Indonesia (UMI) Wellington. UMI Wellington adalah kumpulan para umat muslim Indonesia yang ada di Wellington dan UMI telah berdiri cukup lama,  sejak tahun 2008. 

bersama Obi, Shirin dan Tussie .. bagian dari keluarga besar KBRI Wellington 

Dari 9 pendiri asli UMI, saat ini jemaah anggota UMI sudah mencapai kurang lebih 1000 orang. Sebagian besar ada di Wellington, namun banyak juga yang pindah ke kota lain di Selandia Baru ataupun kembali ke Indonesia karena masa tugas atau belajarnya sudah selesai.

Berbagai kebiasaan unik yang kita jalani di tanah air sebagian bisa kita rasakan saat kumpul bersama keluarga besar UMI Wellington. Salah satunya adalah seperti kegiatan Tarling atau Taraweh keliling yang diruanrumahi berbagai komunitas muslim Indonesia di Wellington secara bergiliran.

Minggu pertama Ramadhan 1444H, keluarga besar Hutt City menjadi tuan rumah Tarling pertama di bulan Ramadhan 1444H dilakukan di Naenae College, Lower Hutt. Alhamdulillah .. acara berjalan lancar dan senang banget ikutan Tarling karena yang hadir di acara berbuka puasa sampai pelaksanaan sholat taraweh ramai, menambah keceriaan Ramadhan. 

mendengarkan ceramah sambil menunggu waktu berbuka

Tarling kali ini diawali dengan ceramah dari Ustadz Ali Al-Bahar yang dilakukan secara daring mengenai keutamaan Ramadhan. Ceramah yang menyejukkan dan menyegarkang kembali ingatan kita akan indahnya bulan suci ini. 

Flyer tarling dengan keluarga besar Hutt City

Selesai ceramah, kita menunggu sebentar hingga azan berbuka. Bahagianya saat mendengar azan walaupun hanya di ruangan yang kita sewa dan kami pun segera berbuka puasa. Tak lama kemuadian, kami melakukan shalat maghrib berjamaah, yang dilanjutkan dengan makan malam. Kali ini, makan malam yang disediakan antara lain terdiri dari nasi putih, daging sapi lada hitam, sup brenebon, dan ayam bakar bumbu kecap, lengkap dengan lalapan dan sambal serta kerupuk. Untuk takjil, ada bubur kacang hiaju, kue pukis, bakwan, risol, mini donat dan juga kurma. Alhamdulillaaaah, nikmat tak terkira. 

ayam bakar, anyone?

Usai makan malam, kami pun melanjutkan ibadah sholat taraweh hingga selesai. Sesudahnya, kami membantu panitia membereskan tempat pertemuan yang kita sewa dan kembali pulang untuk istirahat dan bersiap untuk sahur di hari berikutnya.

 Selama acara, tidak lupa kami mengabadikan banyak foto bersama teman - teman yang hadir dalam Tarling kali ini. Rasanya seperti mini reuni, walaupun kami kerap bertemu di pengajian, baik yang berlangsung luring maupun daring.

cheers from all the ladies yang menjadi panitia Tarling kali ini

Oh ya teman - teman... saat ini UMI Wellington sedang berikhtiar mendirikan masjid untuk mendirikan masjid Indonesia pertama di Wellington, Selandia Baru. Ikhtiar besar ini dilakukan dengan semangat tinggi dan niat baik untuk mendapat ridha  dan berkah-Nya. Memang tidak mudah dan memnbutuhkan biaya yang sangat besar namun in sya Allah UMI Wellington, bahu - membahu dengan umat muslim lainnya di seluruh dunia, berusaha menwujudkan mimpi indah ini. Saya sendiri mendapat kepercayaan untuk bergabung dengan pengurus UMI tahun 2023 dan juga bagian dari panitia pembangunan masjid UMI Wellington. Bismillahirrahmanirrahim semoga segalanya berjalan lancar ya.

Untuk informasi lengkapnya, check out our website untuk informasi tentang UMI dan juga proposal pembangunan masjid/Indonesian Islamic Center di Wellington, Selandia Baru di link berikut ini ya:

*www.umiwellington.org.nz*

Sekiranya teman - teman ingin berpartisipasi dan bergabung bersama kami untuk mencari berkah-Nya, klik link www.launchgood.com di bawah ini yaaa..

https://www.launchgood.com/campaign/lets_build_a_mosque_in_wellington_new_zealand?src=1827062&fbclid=IwAR0Q38NfCDmfLlhI8vJCXA4tm0-VE4ERpDpD6nC0ZgXDz8N60YfKFFrsK0o#!/

Selain melalui platform Launchgood, berikut Info rekening donasi

Pembangunan Masjid Indonesia di Wellington, NZ

Rekening Indonesia: 

BRI 3781-01-000007-566

Atas nama Irdan Moh Arkan 

Rekening New Zealand:

Westpac Bank: 03-0525-0022413-001

Swift code: WPACNZ2W

Stay tune for more news on this campaign, termasuk Tabligh Akbar Online bersama untuk kick-off rencana baik ini 

Mohon bantuan doa, penyebaran informasi terkait rencana baik ini, dan juga dukungan donasi untuk mewujudkan masjid Indonesia ini. Jangan bosan - bosan ya kalau aku broadcast informasi ini berkali - kali nantinya.

Let’s build Indonesian Islamic Center and mosque in Wellington, New Zealand

Wassalamualaikum warrahmatullahi wabarakatuh