Thank You 2017 Welcome 2018

Since I am now way too uninspired to wrote on blog (I can write two pages long in instagram caption, however all the ideas seems disappear once I open the blog).

Why eh..?

THANK YOU 2017

Even though I claimed myself super busy like hell, there are not much story I could recall.

1. We are finally able to cool ourselves down. The biggest thankful ever.

2. We picnic a lot between playgrounds and parks.

3. I start my study again, finally. And thank you to my other half for funding it (I LOVE YOU)

4. I have depression attack.
5. I manage to bring down my weight back to 55 (yaiy...) and maintain it there...
6. I made myself joined baking class, and I think now I could teach my Dad to bake his own bread (lol)

 HELLO 2018

I wont stress myself with lot of resolutions and anything stressful. But here i have a PLAN for the whole year ahead.
1. Playgroup twice a week.
2. Weekdays Forest walk once a week.
3. Weekend Outdoor walk once a week.
4. Meeting friend once per two weeks (not promise).
5. Continue my study


Am I ready for 2018...?
Ready or not, it will come..

Happy New Year.

Walkies at Bukit Nanas Forest Research

We had Weekend walkies Bukit Nanas today,

*walkies...? sounds like walking a dog

Ha Ha, lol...

yes, I call it walkies because ït is a WALKIES

We walk for her and let her stop, admire, observe, enjoy every single weird thing on the way.

The photo booth at the entrance

I was thinking to visit KL Tower mini zoo for weekend but for price of RM 36/pp for tiny zoo,

I think its not worth to visit.

I am a fan of anything below RM 20/entrance... yes I do.

Anything friendly enough to touch, feel, sniff and (probably) kiss too.

Not a fan of visiting something too wild, because Marcella is in the stage where everything way too dangerous. She couldn't really control herself to poke, touch, eat. And she is now way too strong to push me away.

Walk in kid friendly jungle is the best option for time being.

I like this forest so much. Its in the city center, easy to access by monorail, car, taxi.

The walkway is properly build easy for kid, stroller and even disable people to explore around.

The small trail took us about 15 min walk (with Marcella too busy wandering about ants, snails, rocks and collecting every single leaves she found make it 40 min)

The end of the trail which are the entrance of KL Tower.

We had short rest and she enjoy her water.

Then we make U-turn via canopy walk

Biarlah screenshot, malas edit... haha

Enjoying the trees...

It was so relaxing (for me)

Very quiet 

 Then we went it to the information center for free air-condition and water.

Reading some information which make her amaze about everything

Waaa... Woooowww... Waaaahhh whenever she saw animal pictures

Ooohhh Sea Turtle...

and..

oooooh... playground

with loads of puzzle, books, coloured pencil, crayon and lego (duplo).

It was a great setup beside of the mini-museum (information center) they save a little corner for younger kids whom might turn bored very easy to kill their time while the elder people getting information in the area.

Definitely will visit again, with proper shoes and backpack.

School For My 2yo

Do I really need to send her to school?

Does SHE really need the school?

was it about ME or about HER?

After whole of 2017 living between 2 countries, 2 airports and lot lot lot of travel. I was feel worried that my tot a bit isolated with people and surrounding. 

As the only kid at the moment, she has no sibling to share her day with. We weren't really have play dates in Kuala Lumpur too, I wasn't have enough friend who have kid at similar or nearly age with her. Mostly our day was only me and her, and during the weekend with additional people, which are her Dad, my sister in law, and our cleaner.

I kept thinking if she will be able to socialize enough because she seldom met kids (we are living in condominium, and  even though I brought her to the play ground and communal area daily, city kids in KL seems to be not playing outdoor or most of them will stay in day care)

Should I send her to day care too couple times a week just for her to mix around with people, or should I just send her to playschool.

I've been searching several playschool and playgroup that suit her age and the curriculum seems making sense to my nerve. But I feel that all were too extreme to me. When the curriculum good, where it taught toddler to play instead of force them to sit and read. the price is amazingly expensive. When the price is cheap enough, the other students there worry me a bit (haha... yes.... not the teacher, but the other students that worry me a bit)

So here I am, worrying if my 23 mo socialize enough with other kids.

But after several research and talk with other Moms, I think I made good conclusion that:

1. Its OK to send kids to school at age 3 or 4

and spend their earlier days just at home with Mom.

2. Socialize with other kids for below 2 yo is not necessarily important

at that age is more important to socialize with their parent. To learn about love, attention, moral, routine, feelings, talk, language and so on.

 3. Play, play and play

Its her world, all about play. Indoor and outdoor.

picking flower in the park

play at the cafe

Play at friend's house

Picking flower in the park

helping the cleaner sweep the playground

Play in the kitchen, helping me cut boiled egg for brekkie

4. Play-date twice a week

its actually about me, more than her. She doesn't really care who she played with.

But for me, when she has play buddy to interact with, I can just sit around and relax a bit. 

Scroll on my smartphone and sip my coffee slowly without feeling guilty for not interact with her.

Bumped into event, and we were shamelessly joined them having fun

Playgroup at Ibu Family House

kids at satay stall and kids at the river catching toadpole

Enjoying the nature

I guess I'm doing alright as Mother.

And I guess she is doing alright as a kid.

Hopefully nobody accused me for neglected her and being too busy with my smartphone :')

Homemade Banh Mi

Banh Mi adalah sandwich khas Vietnam yang isinya lebih ke sayuran daripada daging.

Walaupun berasal dari Vietnam, bahan-bahan pembuat Banh Mi meruapakan fusion (campuran) dari berbagai budaya.

Roti Perancis (Baguette) yang berasal dari Perancis, di isi dengan aneka sayuran dan daging panggang khas lokal. Sebenarnya Banh Mi tidak memiliki resep khusus. Daging dan sayuran bisa mengikut kegemaran masing-masing.

Kunci rasa Banh Mi adalah daun ketumbar segar (coriander), acar carrot, dan mentimun segar. Isian daging, ayam, ikan bahkan tahu bisa ditambahkan sesuai selera.

BAHAN

Roti Baguette / Roti Perancis, belah memanjang (jangan sampai putus)

1 Dada ayam (bumbuin dengan garam, merica, bawang, gula pasir sedikit)

1 Wortel/Carrot, iris korek api

1 Timun, iris korek api

1/2 Bawang Bombay, iris tipis

Daun ketumbar secukupnya

1/2 cawan air panas

1/4 cawan gula pasir

1/4 cawan cuka

sedikit garam

ACAR /PICKLE

Panaskan air, gula dan cuka hingga semua bahan larut.

Dinginkan.

Rendam wortel dan bawang ke dalam larutan cuka (min 30 menit)

simpan dalam lemari sejuk jika ingin disimpan lama.

Panggang ayam (kurang lebih 20 menit)

iris tipis.

CARA MENYUSUN

Belah Baguette memanjang, tapi jangan sampai putus.

Keruk bahagian tengah untuk memberi tempat pada daging dll.

olesi roti dengan mayonais pada kedua belah.

Susun daging, acar wortel, acar bawang bombay, irisan timun, dan daun ketumbar.

peras jeruk nipis di atasnya.

hidangkan dengan saos pedas dan mayonais.

Why Do We Love Picnic

Piknik dalam bahasa saya mungkin sedikit berbeda dengan bahasa Indonesia pada umumnya. Yang lebih mengartikan PIKNIK = BERLIBUR = VACATION

Piknik dalam pemahanam keluarga kami adalah makan di atas gelaran  tikar di tempat terbuka (biasanya bawah pohon yang rindang).

Bahasa Malaysia memanggil kegiatan ini "berkelah"

orang jawa memanggil kegiatan ini "lesehan"

tetapi istilah "Lesehan" lebih cenderung ketika kita makan berbayar di restoran, baru dipanggil lesehan.

Kalau makan di tikar, di alam terbuka apa dong?

NGGAK TAHU.. NGGAK PERNAH...

GENDENG APA MAKAN DI RUANG TERBUKA... KURANG KERJA

Meja makan di beli puluhan juta kok mau makan  lesehan di kebon.

Bagi kami, acara lesehan atau piknik memang sudah menjadi bagian dari hidup. Dulu waktu kecil, rumah kami sangat panas. Jangankan Aircond (AC), kipas angin termasuk barang mewah. Sehingga, ketika pulang sekolah, setelah ganti baju, Ibu sering menggelar tikar di bawah pohon mangga yang adem dan semilir. Mengajak kami makan disana. Habis makan, kami akan leyeh-leyeh sambil mengerjakan Pe-eR.

Beda dengan bapak, yang lebih suka makan siang di tempat setrikaan (sambil nungguin ibu yang nyetrika baju), atau makan di dapur (sambil nunggu ibu masak), tidak jarang juga makan di dekat tempat cuci piring (sambil njagongi ibu yang sedang cuci piring).

Iya, njagongi doangan... bantuinnya kagak... *haha

Jadi begitulah, kebiasaan ngeleseh alias piknik, ditambah dengan bergaul dengan orang Malaysia yang memang gemar makan, gemar lesehan (dirumah, di kebon, maupun di taman-taman terbuka), dan suami yang juga menyukai budaya piknik. Maka hobi duduk dan makan pun menjadi-jadi.

Apalagi kami tinggal di apartemen (condominium) yang kiri-kanan-atas-bawah semua adalah tembok. Tidak ada kemewahan berupa kebun atau ruang terbuka. Satu-satunya cara untuk menikmati udara luar adalah dengan berpiknik.

Kenapa menikmati udara luar harus sambil piknik mbak? tanya salah seorang teman.

Kalau mau keluar kan, tinggal keluar aja.

Ya, habisan kalau haus atau lapar... mau ambil makan dan minum jauuuh... hihi.

Makanya di bekal terus.

Mau beli.. hmmm.. taman di Malaysia banyak yang penjual dilarang masuk, karena cipratan minyak gorengnya suka bikin kotor.

Jadi beginilah...

kekadang saya dan anak, yang memang dua orang dirumah saja.

kebosanan, kesepian, terkurung di dalam apartement.

Selesai masak, bukannya terus makan. Tapi kami pak di dalam wadah-wadah.

(Mau bawa rantang tupperware kok ya kebesaran... hihi... yang makan dikit)

Kami bawa semua makan, nasi, roti, teh, kopi, dan tikar ke taman di bawah rumah.

Sambil bermain,

sambil makan,

sambil duduk dan bercerita.

kadang kami malas bermain,

hanya duduk dan membaca buku cerita yang isinya (sangat memuakkan....)

entah berapa ribu kali kami membaca buku-buku itu.

Lain hari, kubawa buku Financial Management yang banyak pages.

Jadi kalau dibaca nggak ada habisnya... haha *tampar juga*

Kadang-kadang dalam weekend tu kami drive agak jauh dari rumah.

Pergi ke pantai, atau taman yang lebih besar agar Marcella berjumpa dan bergaul dengan anak-anak lain.

Hopefully she growing up happy....

I hope we give my time enough for her...

I hope we play with her enough...

I hope she knows how much she meant to us

Picnic in Port Dickson Beach

When the world change from conventional laptop into tablet and smart phone,

there I got sore eyes whenever I stare at the tiny screen to long.

In result, Mak pun dah jadi malas nak menulis.

Idea tu banyak, time nak tido ke... nak mandi ada ja hasrat nak menulis.

Den bungkus badan dengan tuala,

buka laptop... HAAAA SUDAAAH

anak pun ikut duduk sekali, 

pas tu merengek nak Didi la... nak Baby Shark la... Nak Old McDonald la....

Bertukar lah kami,

Mak pegang tablet.. anak pegang laptop.

But I just couldn't stand with ipad and phone to do my work.

Id rather wrote it on a piece of paper.

So begini lah...

Bersawang blog Mak..