Selamat Hari Raya Idul Fitri

Wishing all Muslims a very happy and joyous Eid ul-Fitr celebration. Selamat Hari Raya Idul Fitri, mohon maaf lahir dan batin. :)

Another Drum Concert for Irza

Irza has been selected again by his music school, School of Music Clef, to perform again for another solo drum concert this weekend, after his previous concert last month. This time, his school is conducting another concert to celebrate Children's Day, which falls tomorrow on the same day as Hari Raya Idul Fitri here in Singapore.

The concert will be conducted at the same place in Suntec City Mall, on Sunday, 4 October 2008 in the afternoon. I don't have the exact time but most probably it'll be on the late afternoon.

Irza will perform two songs on the upcoming concert. In addition to Won't Go Home Without You which he already played during the last concert, he will also play another song of Maroon 5, This Love.

Kastengel ala Indra and Inka-Irza

Date: Saturday, 27 September 2008
Location: at home

Following last year's success in making kastengel cheese cookies, I made the same cookies yesterday afternoon to celebrate this year's Hari Raya Idul Fitri, before we went to the KBRI's buka puasa event.

Following exactly the same recipes as last year, I mixed 200 grams of margarine and 50 grams of butter with 2 egg yolks, and then manually mixed them with 350 grams of plain flour and 200 grams of shredded edam cheese. After shaping, I put egg yolk and shredded cheddar cheese as toppings before putting them on a tray and bake them inside the oven under 170 degree Celcius temperature for about 20-30 minutes.

During the kastengel cookies making procees, I got help from Inka and eventually Irza who also wanted to join the fun :), while my wife helped us to bake them.

Before someone is asking :), no, I don't take orders. :) I'm only making these cookies for personal and family consumption only... :) :)

Another Buka Puasa Event at KBRI Singapura

Date: Saturday, 27 September 2008
Location: Indonesian Embassy, Chatsworth Road, Singapore

Similar to last week, we attended another buka puasa event at the Indonesian embassy in Singapore, earlier this evening.

Some of the people I met there are mostly from IMAS community. Not many people turned up at this week's event compared to last week, most probably because most of Indonesians in Singapore have went back to their home towns for their "mudik" ritual.

Other pictures can also be found here:

Buka Puasa Bersama di KBRI tanggal 27 Sep 2008
Buka Puasa Bersama di KBRI Kedua

Buka Puasa Event at KBRI Singapura

Date: Saturday, 20 September 2008
Location: Indonesian Embassy, Chatsworth Road, Singapore

Thanks to Mbak Hany for the invitation, we had a very great time at "buka puasa" event at the Indonesian embassy earlier this evening.

Great friends, great food. The kids also enjoyed their time there, despite a small fighting incident earlier in the evening.

Some other pictures can also be found here:

Bukber KBRI 20092008
Bukber beratus umat..
Bukber @ KBRI 200908
Bukber di KBRI 20092008
Bukber @KBRI
Buka puasa bersama di KBRI 20 Sept 2008
Buka Bersama di KBRI
Pertama Berbuka di KBRI 20-09-2008
Bukber @KBRI
Bukber at KBRI Singapore
Bukber di KBRI

Related links:

Milis

Christchurch Botanic Gardens

Date: Wednesday, 27 August 2008
Location: Christchurch Botanical Garden, Christchurch, New Zealand

During our busy schedule in Christchurch, I and some of my Indonesian friends managed to visit Christchurch Botanic Gardens, which is located just behind the Canterbury Museum. There's no entrance fee for tourists to visit this park.

Christchurch's Avon river plies through the park, and this is the location of one of the routes (the "Park" route) of the famous Punting on the Avon attraction.

You can also hire a small boat and canoeing through the river yourself, just like what some of Malaysian students we met there were doing.

Celebrating Hari Raya in Singapore

It's confirmed. Unlike last year, we will not be able to go back for our "mudik" ritual to Indonesia for this year's Hari Raya Idul Fitri. I have called Inka and Irza's school last week and confirmed that not only that there'll be no school holiday during the Hari Raya week, they will also have their SA2 paper 1 exam for both English and Mother Tongue on the following week after the Hari Raya.

Therefore, similar to two years ago, we will be celebrating Hari Raya Idul Fitri here in Singapore. Feeling sad? Of course, but we (myself, my wife and the kids) have already accepted this as one of the consequences of hidup merantau di negeri orang. We just have to live with it. :)

Based on our experience two years ago, celebrating Hari Raya Idul Fitri in Singapore is not really too bad, after all. This is because we have many Indonesian friends in Singapore who also, mostly due to the same reason, do not go back to Indonesia during Hari Raya. I remember two years ago, we went to three different places in Singapore on one day: Hougang, Tampines and Braddell, to celebrate Hari Raya together with our Indonesian friends here. My wife even conducted our own open house on the following weekend at that time.

Therefore, we are looking forward to celebrate Hari Raya in Singapore again for this year. For friends who plan to conduct an open house event in Singapore on this year's Hari Raya, please do not hesitate to invite us along... :) :)

Love Letter

Akhirnya, "surat cinta" dari Traffic Police itu-pun datang juga...

Last Sunday, 7 September 2008, I was driving along Bukit Timah Road after picking up my wife and daughter at Bugis Junction towards Al-Azhar which is located along Upper Bukit Timah Road for us to break our fast for the day. Was held up on a red light junction while two traffic police officers were riding their motorcycles just beside our car.

When the light turned green, one of the officers then asked me to pull over on the side of the road. Apparently, he noticed that Irza was sleeping on the middle seat without properly secured by a child booster seat, even though he always wears his seat belts. The police officer explained that a child younger than 8 years old and less than 150cm in height would have to be properly secured by an approved child restraint. I had to wake Irza up so that the officer can measure his height, which definitely is shorter than 150cm.

Really didn't know that he still has to use a booster seat until he's 8 years old, since he has not been using the booster seat for quite some time. The composition amount is $120 (!!!) which I have to pay by 10 October 2008, plus 3 demerit points being given.

After the incident, Irza now re-uses his old booster seat and will do so until he turns 8 next year. He was also a bit shocked when he had to wake up and being checked by the police officer at that time.

Lesson learnt: if you have a child which is not yet 8 years old and not yet 150cm in height, please ensure that the he/she uses an approved child restraint (either a child seat or a booster seat, depends on his/her age/height) in the car.

Related link:
Tilang

Windsor Bed & Breakfast Hotel

Windsor Bed & Breakfast Hotel is the hotel I'm staying during my week stay in Christchurch. As one of the APNIC meeting fellows, the hotel cost is bourne by APNIC (thanks Sunny!) and I'm sharing a room with another fellow, Stanley Osao from Papua New Guinea.

I would have to say that their service standards are quite high for a budget hotel. The hosts (which are the owners of the hotel) are very nice and friendly, and the room is very clean, tidy and comfortable. The bathrooms are shared, but they are quite a plenty and bathrobes are provided.

Every morning, they serve a very generous English-style breakfast, which is cooked on the spot. We can choose the breakfast menu, which consists of eggs (scrambled, poached or fried), sausages, bacon, baked beans and sweet corn. I love their beef sausages, unfortunately I couldn't try the bacon since it's made of pork. On top of that, there are also toasts, fresh fruits and cereals which you can have your own servings. To be frank, the breakfast time is one of my most-waited time during my stay there. :)

They have a lounge where guests can watch TV and use some computer terminals to connect to the Internet, free of charge. On top of that, they also provide free wireless Internet connections for people like me who has laptop with wireless connection. The lounge also allows us to interact with other guests, creating a "warm" environment for the guests. Free carpark lots are also available for those who drive or rent a car.

It's conveniently located near the Christchurch city centre, just in front of Cranmer Square and only several minutes walk to the Arts Centre, Canterbury Museum and Cathedral Square. The historic Christchurch Tramway also stops just in front of the hotel.

These high standards of services for a bed and breakfast hotel makes its rates to be a bit higher than other B&Bs in Christchurch. The price for single is NZ$89 while for twin/double is NZ$128, and they have a plan to increase the rates to $NZ98 (single) and NZ$140 (twin/double) after 1 November 2008.

Christchurch Day 6: Christchurch Gondola

Date: Friday, 29 August 2008
Location: Christchurch Gondola, Bridle Path Road, Heathcote Valley, Christchurch

On my sixth day in Christchurch, after attending the APNIC Member Meeting, I joined the APNIC's social event by going to the Christchurch Gondola, which is located on Heathcote Valley, south-east of Christchurch. We took the gondola up to the summit and and had dinner at the restaurant located on top of the summit.

I had the chance to meet some of other APNIC staff and conference delegates from all around the world.

Tamaki Heritage Village and Ferrymead Heritage Park, Christchurch

Date: Wednesday, 27 August 2008
Location: Ferrymead Heritage Park, off Bridle Path Road, Heathcote, Christchurch

On the same my fourth day in Christchurch, after attending the conference, I joined the cultural night social event, which is a visit to Tamaki Heritage Village. The Maori heritage village is located within the Ferrymead Heritage Park complex located off Bridle Path Road, Heathcote, east of Christchurch.

I would have to say that it was a spectacular experience for all of us, at least for me! It showcases the indigenous Maoris who were battling the English immigrants and their musket warriors. It was followed with a visit to the English settlements using old-style trams and steam trains, and completed with a sumptuous dinner with free-flow wines and juices.

Christchurch Day 4: Walk around the City Centre

Date: Wednesday, 27 August 2008
Location: Various places around Christchurch

On my fourth day in Christchurch, in addition to attending the APNIC conference, I also took the opportunity to walk around the city centre together with my Indonesian friends.

Buka Puasa Bersama di Mesjid KBRI Singapura

Tidak sempat mengikuti acara buka puasa bersama komunitas Muslim Indonesia di Singapura, di mesjid An-Nahdhah minggu lalu (seperti saya)? :)

Jangan khawatir, rekan-rekan dari komunitas IndoSing-Mums yang dimotori oleh mbak Hany, teh Ellen dan mbak Iif akan mengadakan acara buka puasa bersama di mesjid KBRI Singapura, pada hari Sabtu, tanggal 20 September 2008, mulai jam 5-6 sore waktu Singapura. Mesjid KBRI ini berlokasi di kompleks KBRI Singapura di Chatsworth Road.

Saya pertama kali membaca pengumumannya di milis Keluarga UI Singapura sehingga tadinya saya pikir undangan ini hanya untuk alumni UI di Singapura, apalagi melihat event organisers-nya juga merupakan EO acara reuni besar alumni UI di Singapura awal tahun ini. Tapi setelah membaca postingan mbak Hany di MP-nya dan di blog-nya, ternyata undangan ini terbuka untuk warga Muslim Indonesia di Singapura, apalagi setelah melihat undangannya di-forward juga ke milis IMAS dan Indo-Sing.

Namun, mengingat mesjid KBRI hanya menyediakan tempat, tentu saja para tamu diharapkan membawa makanan dan/atau minuman untuk disantap bersama disana. Sistem potluck, begitu. :) Bagi yang berminat untuk datang dan ikut menyumbangkan makanan/minuman, silahkan mendaftar disini.

Menurut mbak Hany, selain menyumbang makanan/minuman, rekan-rekan juga bisa menyumbang sesuatu (e.g. pakaian bekas, sikat gigi, odol, dsb) untuk Mbak-Mbak yang ada di penampungan KBRI Singapura, bisa sekaligus dibawa pada acara tersebut.

Verify You Are Human

Occasionally, now I sometimes get this Captcha message when logging into my Multiply account.

---cut---
Verify You Are Human
   
Verification:
There's been a lot of activity on your account that appears to be automated. This sort of thing isn't allowed on Multiply, which is intended for humans to share their lives with their human friends!

Please enter the code shown below to verify your humanity. If you're a visually impaired human, click here and our customer support robots will help you out.
---cut---

So I would need to key in the code as displayed on the captcha image.

Not too sure why. Has someone abused my Multiply account? Anyone else encounter the same problem?

Buka Puasa Event at Pandan Valley

Date: Saturday, 6 September 2008
Location: Pandan Valley, off Holland Road, Singapore

Continuing last year's tradition, Mia and Aci conducted a "buka puasa bersama" dinner event last Saturday, at their residence.

Christchurch Day 3: Opening Ceremony and Reception of APNIC 26 Meeting

Date: Tuesday, 26 August 2008
Location: Christchurch Convention Centre, Christchurch Town Hall

On my third day in Christchurch, which is the second day of the APNIC 26 Meeting, I attended the opening ceremony and the full day conference.

In the morning, I walked from the hotel to the convention centre together with my roommate, Stanley (Papua New Guinea) and some of my hotel-mates: Dan (Cook Islands) and Etu (Fiji). At noon, I had lunch with all my Indonesian friends: Christian, Andy, Yudha, Don and Angga.

In the evening, I also attended the APNIC 26 opening reception, sponsored by Cisco, located inside the Christchurch Town Hall. There's a cocktail reception and a pipe organ demonstration by an organist, Martin Setchell.

After the performance, we were invited to go up and close to the pipe organ, for us to take pictures. One delegate from Japan even tried to play the organ.

Related links:

Day 4 - APNIC Conference

Skiing at Mt Hutt

Date: 28 August 2008
Location: Mount Hutt, Canterbury, South Island, around 1.5 hours drive from Christchurch

While in the South Island near the end of the winter season, I and some of my Indonesian friends: Christian, Don and Yudha, took the opportunity to head to one of the snow-capped mountains and learn how to ski.

We purchased a package of ski lessons for beginner, from a travel agent called Discovery Travel, located in downtown Christchurch.

We chose Mt Hutt for our ski destination, around 1.5 hours bus ride from Christchurch. The package price is NZ$204 per person, which includes almost everything: return transfer from Christchurch to Mt Hutt and vice versa, ski equipments rental including the jackets and boots, and two 1.5 hours sessions (total 3 hours) of ski lesson by a certified trainer, first session in the morning and another session in the afternoon, after lunch.

We had Wanda, a certified ski trainer, to teach us how to ski, from the very basic. She patiently taught each of us on how to ski properly. There were eight of us in a group under her care, four of us plus another family of four from Saudi Arabia.

It was indeed a rewarding experience for us. At least, for me: from someone who never touches snow before, I was able to ski downwards along the beginner slope several times without falling, albeit very slow. That was after many times of falling while learning. :)

Other pictures can also be found here:

Day 6 - Ski at Mt. Hutt
Munt Hutt (Yud, wrong spelling atuh...)