Bogor Botanical Garden

At the moment, Najla and Nayzea landed on Bogor Botanical Garden, they screamed altogether, "Wow...bagusssss banget!". They run, played, laughed cheerfully. Looking at their happy faces made me promise my self that instead of going to shopping mall frequently, it's time for me to consider taking my girls more on outdoor activities...:)

Home Visit 2009

Najla's school, TK Seruni has a special program called Home Visit, it means students and their teachers visit one of their classmates' home and study there. Last Tuesday was Najla's turn. There're 18 classmates and 2 teachers came to our home for studying, playing and eating together. It's absolutely fun. Looking at their innocence, curiousity and happiness were really something. Perhaps, if we deal with children everyday, it will make us younger.

Just check the pictures above, they're lovely, aren't they???

Mary and Max

Sometimes perfect strangers make the best friends. That's the statement written on the cover of this DVD. This is a unique movie of a claymation animation that based on a true story. Yes, this great movie is talking about an almost-20-yr-old-friendship between two very different people, Mary, a lonely-8-yr-old-girl living in Melbourne, Australia and Max Horowitz, a 44-yr-old-Jewish-man, who is obese, suffers from Asperger's syndrome, and lives all alone in New York City.

• Mary and Max are penpals. There're a lot of stories told in their letters about their feeling and people around them. Sometimes it is sad, other time it is funny. Beside sharing stories, they also always attach their letters with other's favorite things, such as: chocolate. They both really care for each other. Once, Max tells Mary that he has difficulties to express his feeling and Mary finally puts her tears in a bottle and sends it to Max, whoaaa...this time not only Max who cries, me as well.

• A highly recommended movie. You'll find a lot of touching screen and humor also. No wonders, this movie received many awards. I love one of Max statement about life in his letter, sort of like this:"Life is like a sidewalk. Some are well paved, others --like mine and yours-- aren't, there are cracks, smoke butts, banana skins and many more, here and there. I just hope that someday our sidewalks will meet and when that time comes, I want to share a can of condensed milk with you."

The Art of Giving

Doing nice things for others makes you feel warm inside
Why?
Because when you give, good things come back to you

(Starbucks Coffee 2008 Planner)

Have a Little Faith

The latest book of Mitch Albom, inspiring, heartwarming, beautifully written, nothing's left to say but a highly recommended book. This one is a true story, remind me of Albom's other remarkable book Tuesdays with Morrie.

It's a story about an unusual request of an 82-yr-old rabbi from Albom's old hometown who asked him to deliver his eulogy. It took 8 years of beautiful journey before Albom could finish the eulogy. In preparing the eulogy, Albom needed to know the rabbi better, he visited him many times, talked with him and his family, and received many great lesson during their conversations.

Beside talking about Albert Lewis, the rabbi, at the same time Albom also tells about Henry Covington, a pastor --formerly a drug dealer-- who preaches to the poor and homeless in a decaying church with a hole in its roof.

From these two men, we learn two worlds, two faiths, two communities that will inspire us in many ways.

Love

Love --the infatuation kind 'he's so handsome, she's so beautiful' -- that can be shrivel. As soon as something goes wrong, that kind of love can fly out the window.

On the other hand, a true love can enrich itself. It gets tested and grows stronger.

("Have A Little Faith" by Mitch Albom)

After 7 Years

There's a Warung Pecel Lele nearby my parents' home. Last weekend, my hubby and I had dinner there.

Hubby: I remember 7 years a go, we had our first dinner together here. And you know what, it's all still the same

Me: You mean the taste of the food. Yep, they're good in maintaining their quality

Hubby: I am not talking about food. I am talking about you. Yes...you, after all this time, what I feel inside about you is still the same. Nothing's changed

Me: *speechless, touched, flattered, grateful*

Thank you Ayah, for all great moments that we share together. You rock. Love you more and more each day.

Midnight's Children

Pffiuhhh.....finally I could finish this big, thick, heavy, yet enchanting novel (689 pages) that make me deeply fall in love with. Certain facts related to this novel are:

• This novel is the 2nd novel written by Salman Rushdie in 1981. It won The Booker Prize in 1981 and then awarded the "Booker of Bookers" Prize and the best all-time Prize in 1993 and 2008 to celebrate the Booker Prize 25th and 40th anniversary.

• The story is about Saleem Sinai, who then tells his story in a fictitious autobiography way. Started by a nurse switched two babies who were born on August 15, 1947, similar with India independence day. The nurse thought that her heroic action would change India fate, that at that moment was so chaotic with religious and ethnic riot. The consequences were, Saleem Sinai, who actually a Hindu baby, was raised by a wealthy Muslim family, while Shiva, the real Muslim boy, was raised by a Hindu family in a slum area.
  

• Midnight's Children is a bright and complex text. Rushdie mixed a lot of genres here -history, fantasy, myth, tradition and classic text- and packed them in a humorous and bright way. Apart from the controversy of the author, I have to admit that this book is so rich. Every sentence is meaningful. You have to carefully read it with full concentration, otherwise you will lose the essential meaning.
  

• Already translated by PT Serambi Ilmu Semesta on August 2009. Good translation. In fact, I am amazed by Yuliani Liputo (the translator) and Anton Kurnia (the editor) work, who could transform Rushdie's writing stlye into Bahasa Indonesia, so I can enjoy reading this story and even love it *put this book in my all time favorite book list*.
  

Wimpy Kid: Dog Days

Yay...Wimpy Kid series is back. This is the 4th book. Be ready to keep laughing at all ridiculous yet hilarious journal of Greg Heffley.

It's about a 3 months summer vacation and all activities done by Greg. This summer break, he gets to be around his beloved family all the time. Salute to Jeff Kinney, the author, who could perfectly tell the story from a junior high school student's perspective.

A very entertaining book. Especially for a stressful-with-jobs-and-office-stuff-mom like me. This Wimpy Kid book series soon will be adapted into movie and planned to be released on April 1, 2010.

The 5th book also will be published in 2010. Can't hardly wait.

Quote of the Day

Everything you do in life will leave a mark
So try to be conscious of that in your every action

("Like the Flowing River", Paulo Coelho)