No, they're not circus members nor athletes. They're just my daughters who recently have a new hobby. This new hobby has made their mom shaking but it does not stop them. It seems that this activity is too tempting. They do it almost everyday. After arriving home from school, they change their clothes and run away to our yard and jump to the swing. No more peaceful swing. Girls, I feel there are butterflies in my stomach... *praying*
Butterflies in My Stomach
Ibu-ibu Anda
KETIKA TUHAN MERAJUTMU
Ketika Tuhan merajutmu,
tentulah Ia memasukkan banyak warna tawa
juga bermeter-meter benang ketangguhan
Pasti dirajut Nya pula helai-helai sutra kepekaan
diantara kokohnya jalinan kecerdasan dan aneka ragam corak kebaikan
Alangkah dahsyatnya Sang Pencipta
kau terbentuk sebagai mahakarya
tak tertandingi
tak terbandingi
karena tidak seorangpun yang menyamaimu
Dan aku bangga menerima 'rajutan' terindah buah tangan-Nya
A bond between a mother and her daughter is always be a special thing. Alexandra Silitonga, the author of this book is lucky since she was raised by three different wonderful mothers. The first mom was her biological mother, her Mami, but unfortunately the author only had a very short tome with her. Due to cancer disease, her Mami passed away when the author was only 4 years old.
She then was raised by her step mom, she called her Mama, and the last one is the author's baptized mom, Ma Ani. These three mothers have enriched the author's life. Each of them has different characteristic. The first mom was a business woman who run a successful garment business. From her, the author learned the value of strength.
While the second Mama was a housewife who dedicated her life for her family . The author got the gifts of warm from her. Finally the last one, Ma Ani, who influenced her with her gift of value. Ma Ani who introduced the author how to speak English when she was still at kindergarten and also influenced the author to love the books. The last chapter is closed with the story about the author herself and her 2 kids. Touching.
An inspiring book. Every chapter is presented with a beautiful poem (like I quoted above) and cute illustration. Published by Penerbit Buah Hati on June 2011. A perfect book for a mom.
A Good Book is the Best of Friends
Buku adalah napas.
Membaca adalah menarik napas untuk mendapatkan udara ke paru-paru dan
menulis adalah menghembuskan napas keluar dalam bentuk buah karya tulisan.
------Dewi 'Dee' Lestari berfilosofi dalam Seri Rumah Ide, Home Library-----
Queen of Dreams
Another great work of one of my favorite authors, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, it's just been translated by PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama on August 2011. As usual the author writes about something she knows best about the world of Indian immigrant living in America. A story about Rakhi, a divorced mother of one. Rakhi is an artist and an owner of a coffeehouse called The Chai House. She's trying to deal with her life as a single mom and the most important part is to understand her own mother who is able to interpret dreams.
All this time Rakhi always feels that her mom keeps certain distance from her. She never knows about her mom's past time in India and her mom also always avoids in telling this. Until one day her mom got killed in a car accident and Rakhi found her mom's dream journals. Through her mom journal entries Rakhi finally gets a clearer understanding about her as the dreams interpreter.
The book tells about Rakhi's current life and continued with her mom dreams journal, back and forth. The dreams journal's told in a poetic way, filled with symbolism and folklore that reveal an image of India, not the physical aspect but the cultural beliefs, the myths and the legends. It definitely will enrich our horizon and give new insights.
One amazing tale from Divakaruni.
99 Cahaya di Langit Eropa
Another traveling book written by Hanum Salsabiela Rais. Don't worry this is not ordinary traveling books that spread all over bookshops in Jakarta. This book is different. You will not only find information about places to go and what to eat with limited budget, this book gives you more.
Fasten your seat belt, let's start the journey around Europe. It's begun when the author lived in Vienna, Austria for 3 years. She was there to accompany her husband who got scholarship to continue his doctoral degree. If people always associate Europe with 'only' Eiffel Tower, Louvre Museum, luxurious palaces, and the like, not for the author. For her, Europe means a million mysteries about a very high civilization, yes it's Islam greatest civilization.
The author continued her journey in searching for the relation between Islam and Europe. This journey will bring us back to Islam history in Europe long long time a go and at last we will feel amazed to find out many shocking facts about Islam in Europe.
A very inspiring book. A book of enlightenment. This book will give you new insights about a peaceful Islam and make us proud to be moslem. The author delivers her story in a simple yet detail way. We will be curious to know the ending of every journey she took from Vienna, Paris and Istanbul.
My favorite part of the book (actually I have many) but the most unique one is a halal restaurant, Der Wiener Deewan, located in Schotentor, Viena. The most special thing about this place is its sensational tagline: All You Can Eat. Pay As You Wish (Makan sepuasnya, bayar seikhlasnya). Yes, you don't read it wrong, the place is unbelievable, you can eat as many as you want and pay as much as you wish. The owner of this place, Natalie Deewan, believed the concept of ikhlas take and give and the most beautiful part of human being is their generosity. She proved it. Her restaurant has been opened since 2003 and instead of going bankrupt, it stays there in the center of Vienna. Amazing.
There are still many mesmerizing facts delivered in the book. A small book that tells about big things. Highly recommended.
Wuthering Heights
This classic novel was written by Emily Bronte from the Bronte sisters. It has been quite long in my wish list. I have read many reviews about it and most of them said that it is not an easy novel to read. Even when it was first published in 1847 there were many mixed reviews about it. The pros and cons are still on up till now.
Wuthering Heights is a farmhouse name in Yorkshare, England. Wuthering is also a Yorkshare word for 'turbulents weather'. The story itself tells about love story between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff and how this unresolved passion eventually destroys them and many around them.
This is not a common love story. There are no 'bed and roses' here. On the other hand almost all characters appear here are a strange group of people. Therefore certain readers feel shocked, disgusted and almost sickened by details of cruelty, inhumanity and the most diabolical hate and vengeance that spread almost on every page of the novel.
After reading the author's background I found out why she could tell a very dark story vividly. It seems that some of the stories were based on her true life story. She faced hard time since she was just a little girl. Her mom was passed away when she was only 3 years old. Her 2 sisters were sent to school and got abused there while the author never got a formal education and enough attention. Perhaps that one of the reason why she was very sensitive, shy and introvert. She expressed her secret thoughts of her tortured soul in this Wuthering Heights, her only novel. Just like her other sisters, the author also died young at the age of 30 due to health condition.
Although it received mixed reviews but this novel has brought Emily Bronte as one of the respected authors in the England literature. The novel also had been adapted into films, radio, ballet, opera and a song by Kate Bush.
This novel has been translated by PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama on April 2011 with very good translation by Lulu Wijaya , but just now I also found that Penerbit Qanita also has translated this novel with a more eye- catching cover (they used the Wuthering Heights movie cover).
I have finished the novel since couple weeks a go but I am still very much haunted by it. Imagining how the author wrote this very dark story really made me scary but I also felt sympathy for her and her life. Moreover I consider the author as a genius since not every author can write a dark novel with gloomy atmosphere like this one. And I am always sure every book will give us something to learn. One thing I note from this novel is how to raise your child. Love, affection and surrounding are the ultimate aspects in bringing up the children. Definitely a worth to read novel.
Happy Eid Mubarak 1432 H
Ah...it's only passed a few days but I already missed the lebaran day and all its icons: ketupat, nastar, new dresses, mudik, traffic jam, halalbihalal, angpaw for the kids, no 'si mbak', uncontrolable eating and ended by getting more weight *sigh*
The following conversation between my hubby and I took place on our way back from Bakauheni to Merak:
Hubby: Ini ferry udah sampe Merak belum?
Me: Udah tapi dermaga penuh jadi belum bisa parkir
Hubby: Kenapa ga coba valet parking sih?
Me: Ide bagus... *samagilanya* :D
