Coming back home

It's just planned earlier this month that all of us would come home together. "Home" here for me means Jakarta, Indonesia. Many of you thought that Singapore was my born country as I'm a Singaporean now, but it wasn't.

There is no place like home (Pic source: Google.com)

Jakarta is a place where I was born. I grew up in big families (there were 5 of us altogether). My parents' house was where I spent most of my childhood to teenager time. It'd been renovated at least once due to the flood.

The grown up us!!! ♥️♥️♥️

This time we spent few days together here - All ladies (sisters and mom). Dad was uninterested to join us and brother had returned back home :D And due to limitation period of stay, we selectively chose our food and eating place everyday (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). Those thing we requested before reaching (like asking Mom to make dumpling, cook this and that) was all forgotten.

Li Yen - Chinese Hakka food

What we loved eating most were local Indonesian and Chinese food. Many had been eaten since we were very young. It just gave us the nostalgic taste and feeling to eat them again.

Nasi Padang is very famous here. Even my son loves it so much, especially the green chili. To take it away is the best way of buying as it usually contains more portion and the curry and chili sauce will be absorbed better by the steamed rice. It was even wrapped using the banana leave before to give the additional fragrant.

Kedai Bu Joko - Muara Karang

Noodles, mutton soup, turtle soup, fish soup, Hakka food, and many local traditional dishes were among our main choices ^^

When we met for the very first time, we exchanged gifts from one to another as we now lived in different countries. We also exchanged red packets for our nephews and nieces as good luck wishes for them.

Batik print

We shopped many local produced clothes and pants as it's not only cheap but we were also proud of where we were from (Indonesia is famous for its Batik patterns clothes). And Mangga Dua is a must visit shopping place apart from many other shipping malls near from where we stay.

We couldn't really go to faraway place as traffic jam was horrible in Jakarta. There was once we spent 2 hours and 25 mins on the road from one shopping mall at Semanggi area and back to our house at north Jakarta. That's crazy ya!!! And the driver's knowledge about the road is really important too. With the same distance but driven by two different drivers could give different results. My sister and her friend reached home in less than an hour using different route. That's why I didn't want to reside here. Wasting too much time inside the vehicle due to traffic. Better use the precious time for other activities.

Supper @Ropang Plus Plus ^^

Visiting families and friends were in our schedule too. Our families treasure friendship very much. Many of my sisters' friends became my friend because they never mind if I tagged them along to their outing. For them, the more the merrier :)

For us ladies, visit to traditional and/ or reflexology massage parlor, facial place, and hair salon for creambath, cut hair, manicure/ pedicure, etc. is a must!!! It's considered cheap to have things done here. The quality was very good too!!!

My Diary (1997-now) ^^

And for me, visiting my old room has always brought me with unlimited memories from the past. My diary celebrates 20 years old now (started since year 1997 and still not yet full. Occasionally I'd fill them up on every of my visit here. Re-read them back would unfold so many memories (good and bad). Many I'd prefer to leave them in the past as what it was and happy with the present moments. Those were things that had formed me to who I am now. And it never failed to make me feeling grateful. Thank you, thank you, and thank you SB for everything!!!

Quote by Chogyam Trungpa

"Good or bad, happy or sad, all thoughts vanish into emptiness like the imprint of a bird in the sky." - Chogyam Trungpa.