bloom bloom bloom

I don't really have much time to take care of my garden

that's why I only plant easy to grow flowers

and they've been so nice to grow up without mama pays too much attention on them

aku ngga terlalu banyak waktu buat berkebun

makanya aku hanya menanam tanaman yang perawatannya gampang

dan mereka ngerti banget, mau tumbuh tanpa terlalu banyak 'mama' urus

pacar air

I don't know the name in english, nor the scientific name

euphorbia

orchid

adenium

I want comments....

Aku mau dapat komentar....


Ibit has started blogging with her page bunga matahari.
And she wants comment.
And I... oops, what can I do to help her?
Even I, myself took months before people commenting on my blog.
Can anybody show her some love, please?

Ibit mulai belajar blogging dengan bunga matahari-nya
dan dia ingin dapat komentar
dan aku... duh, apa yang bisa kulakukan untuk membantunya?
karena aku sendiri, butuh berbulan-bulan sampai akhirnya ada yang koment di blogku
ada yang bisa memberinya sedikit cinta?

black and white

I think this is a cultural thing, and in the same time is, as Kelli said, grass is always greener outside our fence. Here in Indonesia people buy whitening cosmetics, and go to skin specialist doctors and spend a lot of money to have all treatments to get lighter skin. While pale skinned people from around the world come over to burn their skin under Indonesia's abundant sunshine. Alhamdulillah that Ibit feels comfortable with the fact that she is dark, eventhough she still thinks lighter skin are beautiful.
Kurasa ini memang masalah budaya, sekaligus juga, seperti kata Kelli, rumput tetangga selalu nampak lebih hijau. Di sini, orang membeli produk kosmetik pemutih, pergi ke dokter spesialis kulit, dan membayar banyak untuk berbagai treatment supaya kulitnya kelihatan lebih putih. Sementara orang-orang berkulit putih dari berbagai penjuru dunia datang ke sini untuk mandi matahari Indonesia. Alhamdulillah Ibit meraa nyaman dengan kenyataan bahwa dia berkulit gelap, meskipun masih saja berfikir bahwa yang kulitnya putih itulah yang cantik.

When we went to Kampung Kopi Banaran, we met a lady from Netherland and had a conversation (and she said my english was very good... *cheeky*). When I introduced Ibit, she said, "She's so beautiful". Ibit still did insist she's not. The lady (oh, I forget to ask her name...) confinced her that dark is beautiful and she wanted to be dark. But Ibit just smiled...
Waktu pergi ke Kampung kopi Banaran, kami bertemu seorang perempuan dari Belanda dan bercakap-cakap (dan katanya bahasa Inggrisku bagus lho....* jadi malu*). Waktu aku perkenalkan Ibit, dia bilang, "Cantik sekali...". Tapi Ibit tetep ngeyel dia tidak cantik. Perempuan itu (aku lupa nanyain namanya...) berusaha meyakinkan Ibit bahwa kulit gelap itu cantik, dan dia sendiri pengin kulitnya agak gelap. Tapi Ibit cuma tersenyum...

I, myself, also never thought that I am beautiful. And I never wanted to get lighter either. I'm not ugly, I'm cute. That was what I always thougt of. Black is exotic. Like Naomi Campbell, or Iman, or Beyonce, or myself :D
Aku sendiri juga tidak pernah merasa diri cantik. Dan tidak ingin punya kulit terang juga. Aku ngga jelek, aku manis. Itu aja yang aku pikirkan. Hitam itu eksotis. Seperti Naomi Campbell, atau Iman, atau Beyonce, atau aku sendiri :D

Thanks for all the comments to the former post, I'll tell Ibit about these to make her be sure that all colors are beautiful, and what the truly beauty is.
Terima kasih untuk semua komentar di posting sebelumnya. Aku akan meberitahukan kepada Ibit tentang semua ini, supaya dia mengerti bahwa semua warna itu cantik, dan tentang apa 'cantik' itu sebenarnya.

the most beautiful girl in the world (reposted)

gadis paling cantik sedunia

for scrolling saturday

that's Ibit
originally posted on November 20, 2007, I've changed the pictures with some newer ones.



I and Ibit were in Ibit’s bed, talked about this and that, until we got to the part when we talked about our neighbor who has moved couple months ago.

aku dan ibit sedang ngobrol di kasur, lalu kami sampai di bagain ketika kami membicarakan tetangga yang pindah rumah beberapa bulan yang lalu

"We can visit them someday", I said.
"kita bisa mengunjungi mereka nanti", kataku


“Yes, I want to, I want to... But.... will Bim still remember me?”
"ya, aku mau... mau.... tapi... nanti Bim masih inget aku ngga ya?"


“Of course he will. How can he forget the most beautiful girl in the neighborhood?”
"ya pasti inget, lah. masa dia lupa gadis paling cantik di perumahan?'


Ibit punched me and laughed.
“Ibu, you know I’m not beautiful”
ibit meninjuku dan tertawa
"Ibu, aku kan ngga cantik"


I was shocked. Most girl will love to be told they're beautiful.
aku kaget, kebanyakan anak akan suka kalau dibilang cantik

“What do you mean?”
"maksud mbak ibit ?"

“I’m black, and black girls are not beautiful”
"aku kan hitam. orang hitam itu ngga cantik"

“What about me ?”
"trus ibu bagaimana?"

“You’re not either”
"ibu juga ngga cantik"

“But darling we’re not black, we’re brown”
"tapi sayang, kita tu ngga hitam. kita coklat"


“We’re dark, that’s just the same”
"pokoknya gelap, sama aja"

“Who is beautiful then?”
"trus yang cantik itu siapa?"

“Santa?” Santa is her friend, she has a little lighter skin.
"santa?" santa adalah temannya, yang kulitnya agak putihan

“If you’re not beautiful, what are you?”
"kalau ibit ngga cantik, trus apa?'

“I’m just, ordinary”
"aku, biasa aja"

“Do you want to be beautiful?”
"pengin cantik ngga?"

“No, I dont. I’m glad with what I am. Alhamdulillah I don’t have blemishes on my face”
"ngga. aku suka begini aja. Alhamdulillah mukaku ngga jerawatan"

I smiled.
“That’s because you’re still so young. Sooner or later you’ll have some”
aku tersenyum.
"itu karena mbak ibit masih kecil. nanti kalau udah besar ya jerawatan juga"

“Really ?”
"masa?"

“Yes”
"iya"

“That’s fine, I’m still grateful everything on my face works. I can see with my eyes, I can speak with my lips, I can smell with my nose..”
"ya ngga papa. aku masih bersyukur semua yang di mukaku ini berguna. mataku bisa melihat, mulutku bisa ngomong, dan hidungku bisa mencium"

I enfolded her in my arms.
I tried so hard not to cry, I don't want her to think I was sad to realize that we are not beautiful...
aku peluk ibit.
aku berusaha keras utnuk tidak meneteskan airmata, takutnya dia pikir aku sedih karena menyadari kami berdua tidak cantik...

I (pretend to be wise) said,“You know, there are so many things more important than the look. You are a nice girl, you are kind, caress, and smart. And that what will make people love you”
aku (sok bijak) pun berkata' "mbak ibit, banyak hal yang lebih penting daripada wajah. mbak ibit tu anak manis, baik hati, penyayang, dan pinter. itu yang bikin orang suka sama kita"




“Yeah... some girls have it all. They’re beautiful, and kind, and smart... But I'm okay with myself”
"yeah.... tapi ada yang punya semuanya. udah cantik, baik hati, dan pintar. tapi aku bersyukur seperti ini"

I hugged her tighter.I also never think I was beautiful. But I never feel so comfortable about that like Ibit does.
dan aku peluk dia lebih erat lagi. aku juga ngga pernah berpikir aku ini cantik. tapi aku tidak pernah merasa senyaman bagaimana ibit merasa tentang dirinya.

She just made me do. My beautiful angel, the most beautiful girl in the world.
dia bikin aku merasa begitu. gadis cantikku. gadis paling cantik sedunia

the lunch is delicious...

I called Ar Ir from office this afternoon, and that was what they said. what so special about it? because I cooked for the lunch, and those words touched my hart...
see I'm not a cookie mom. I only do quick simple sim salabim abra kadabra hocus pocus cooking.
but yesterday I was feeling moody to 'really' cook something. I decided to make soto in a complete recipe. well I usually don't care if I miss a spice or two...
a little bustle has brought bunch of happiness
this is the recipe for the soto ayam

(this time I'm too lazy to take a picture of my own soto and write my own recipe....)

waiting

This is the translation for those who might want to know the story I've written in Indonesian. I’m sorry if I make mistakes writing it. And it might not sound beautiful. My goal is for you to know what the story about, that’s all. Enjoy.


Her agitation was rising up. Didn’t know how many times she sat, and stood up, and sat again, and stood up again. On the bed edge, in the living room, in the dining room. Walked to and from here and there. To the kitchen, back to her room. Turned on television and left it to look out the front window. Back to the room and turned off the TV, and sat again.

kartinian

celebrating 'kartini' day
(I've linked the traditional stuffs to some resources, in case you want to learn or just know about them)

hari ini sekolah Ar Ir merayakan Hari Kartini. Jadi murid-murid pake pakaian adat.

today in Ar Ir's school they celebrate Kartini Day. so the students have to wear traditional clothes

aku bilang juga apa, aku ini mami dodol. aku inget tanggal 19 ada sesuatu di sekolah Ar Ir. tapi lupa apa. dari hari kamis udah diinget-inget. cuma berhasil inget bahwa hari ini kelas A dan B masuk pagi semua.

I told you what. I'm a stupid mom. I remembered I had to do something in 19 for Ar Ir's school. but couldn't remember what. I've tried so hard to remember it since Thursday. all I can remember is that in 19 class A and B started at 07.30.

kalo hari sabtu udah ritual antar dan jemput anak sekolah. pas sampai di sekolahan aku bengong. loh, kok pada pake kostum pakaian adat? spontan Ar-Or aku giring masuk mobil lagi, aku nelpon salon deket rumah, "Budhe... ada kostum ngga buat kembar?". Jawab budhe-ku yang centil itu. "ada sayang... udah dhe nur siapin. dari kemaren dhe nur tunggu-tunggu langganan yang satu ini, mau kartinian kok belum pesen kostum"

I'm off on Saturday so I could take the boys to the school this morning. when I got there, I was kinda dazed. hey, everybody ia wearing a traditional clothes. I was spontaniously turn Ar Ir back to the car, and called a beauty house next door, "budhe, do you still have costumes for my twin?". this coquettish Budhe of mine answered, "I have prepared two pairs for them. I've been waiting for you to come and take it, I know their school is doing it today"

alhamdulillah!

budhe nur nyiapin dua pilihan. beskap solo, dua-duanya warna merah; atau beskap lurik yogya. Ar Ir suka yang kedua.

budhe nur prepared two choices. beskap solo, both are red; or beskap lurik yogya. Ar Ir chose the second

dan inilah hasilnya, dua wayang golekku....

and these are the results, my twin wayang goleks.....

this is Ar

and this is Ir

tahun ini sekolah Ibit ngga kartinian, mungkin karena tahun lalu sudah. ini gambar ibit kartinian dari tahun lalu. seingatku mereka memang kartinian setiap dua tahun sekali

this year, Ibit's school don't do the celebration. may be because they already did last year. this is Ibit's picture from last year. what I know is they do it every other year.

dan ibit juga ikut nyinden dengan rombongan gamelan teman-temannya

and ibit also joined the sindens (javanese singers) along with the gamelan (javanese band/orchestra)