Cultural Clashes: Mom's Visit to Finland

My mom spent almost 3 weeks in Finland with us and it was quite a ride. I'm thankful for the opportunity, because she's not getting any younger and coming here is such a loooooong journey. She was amazed at how bright it was during the nights and in Lapland she said that the sky felt so close (close enough to make her feel like she could grab the clouds with her bare hands LOL!). She enjoyed good weather for two full weeks (sunny and warm, about 20'C), but then the temperature took a dive and it was rainy/grey for the last week. The good thing about this was that she got to see some autumn colours (mostly some yellow colours). She also got a few chances to see some reindeer in Lapland, so that was cool, too. 

One thing I realized during her visit was that I had taken so many things for granted. There are so many things that have become my new normal that I hadn't anticipated telling/explaining to her. Case in point: the day before she was supposed to fly back to Indo, she asked me why the toilet sprayer (the small spray for your private parts next to the toilet) didn't work well whenever she used it. I had forgotten that back home at her place, her toilet sprayer wasn't connected to the sink, so it would automatically spray water whenever you press the handle. However, here in Finland all the toilet sprayers are connected to the sink, so you have to open the tap at the sink first before you're able to use the toilet sprayer. What surprised me (and made me slightly amused) was the fact that it took her that long to ask me that.

Other than those pragmatic daily stuff (like how to use the stove, how to use the shower, how to open/close the blinds, etc.), lots of cultural differences also appeared. Here are a list of things I can think of right now:

1. Sauna

During the good weather period, I introduced my mom to MIL's sauna in another village. That sauna uses firewood, so I thought it would be a different experience for her. The first time we were there, the weather was so gorgeous and warm, so I told my mom she could just take a bath there in the sauna if she didn't want to stay there too long. She did take a bath, but she said it was way too hot for her. When the weather became cooler, my mom said it was so cold that she didn't want to shower. So I offered her to warm up the sauna at our place. I told her to go inside before the sauna got too hot, so this time she managed to enjoy the sauna experience better. The next time I was warming up the sauna, she was more than ready to jump inside, especially because the weather was cold. So in the beginning she didn't understand the benefits of the sauna at all (esp. when the weather was gorgeous outside), but once it became colder, she began to enjoy going there. 

2. Crossing the Streets

We spent some time in Helsinki with my mom (we ourselves rarely go to Helsinki because it's a long journey from here and it's not cheap to travel in Finland) and in the beginning the way she was crossing the street was Indonesian style. As long as the streets looked empty, regardless of the light, she would automatically start to move forward LOL! 

3. Clearing Your Own Table At Some Places

We spent a day in Rovaniemi at a hotel that offered free breakfast and in that hotel, guests were asked to clear their own table. There were designated places for utensils, bowls, etc. In some cafes in the airport as well, there are usually carts where people can put away their trays. These things were new for my mom. 

4. Seeing Drunk People

My mom was surprised to see some drunk people in the streets/at some parks. In Indonesia, drinking alcoholic drinks isn't customary and you rarely see drunk people in public places in broad daylight (perhaps only at some bars during the wee hours of the day).

I had something else to add to this list, but it has escaped me at the moment. I'll write it down when I remember it later. Here are some photos of us in a collage. The bottom middle pic is when my mom tasted my homemade reindeer meat. :-D

Bubble Tea

Was just browsing around youtube and I found this react video, which reminded me of our last trip back to my hometown. We went to a mall, thinking that we would go watch a movie or something, but it was such a hot day, so I decided to go buy us something cold to drink. Since bubble tea isn't available here, I went to a bubble tea stand and asked R2 what he wanted. There were also other cold drinks available, so he chose a normal one, whereas I had this kind of bubble tea. Bubble tea became such a hit in my hometown when I was in High School (or early uni days) if I remember correctly. It was invented in the 1980s in Taiwan.

Watch the video first if you have no idea what bubble tea is:



You should've seen the look on R2's face as I was slurping my cold drink and the black balls ha ha ha ha ha ha...He said they looked like shit HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...

I really LOOOOVVEEEE tapioca balls or chewy stuff (such as octopus/squid), though I'd prefer not to eat sticky toffee because I lost one tooth because of it. So the chewy stuff that I like must be the types that don't stick to the teeth. Otherwise I'd prefer not to eat them anymore. You see, a few years ago I was happily eating some sticky toffee sweets and then one of them got stuck to my tooth filling and when I tried to unstuck the toffee, the filling fell out along with it. I called the dentist's office the next day and got an appointment right away. I was thinking that he'd be able to give me another filling, but no. Turned out it wasn't an option anymore, so I had to have the whole tooth pulled out and since it was my second last upper left molar, it was a bit difficult to pull it out. Afterwards, I was told not to lift heavy stuff that day. It felt very weird in the beginning to have a big gap there, but now I'm used to it. 

Have you ever tried bubble tea? If so, any fave taste? Ever had any incident with sticky stuff that forced you to go to the dentist?

Introvert Galore: Becoming More Finnish?

I think I've once written how I feel more at home in Finland compared to Indonesia in terms of my being an introvert. What's fascinating is that another expat from the USA, who's also an introvert, has felt the same way. She also feels that in her home country, society expects people to be more of an extrovert than an introvert. I think the longer I stay here, the more I feel like I become Finnish in this aspect. You see, a new expat friend of mine has noticed something funny about the Finns. She said that when she meets up with the locals that she's met many times before, sometimes when they aren't in the mood, you can literally feel a distance between the two of you. My friend's husband had even warned her beforehand about this typical shift in attitude when it came to the locals, so my friend was well prepared, even though it still baffled her a bit.

When I heard this, I started thinking of myself and how true it was. Or is it more correct to say that I'm becoming more like me because at the end of the day, I'm an introvert after all? Whichever is the case, these days there are times when I just don't feel like talking to anyone. Interacting with people can be so exhausting. No wonder I feel so at home with my hubby who can be categorized as a silent type. The longer I stay with him, the longer I stay in Finland, the more I value the sound of silence.

During the time when I was doing translations at home, once an uncle of mine suggested to my mom to try to encourage me to join a club or something like that. He just wanted me to get out of the house and mingle with people. Funny how he didn't say it directly to me, but to my mom, but anyway...I didn't feel like I needed to join any club and I was quite content with my life, but it seemed that he thought I was becoming a hermit or something? I feel that Finns understands the beauty of silence more than Indonesians so to speak, even though on the other hand it's understandable why many people say that (in general) Indonesians are warm people, whereas Finns are rather cold.



I remember trying to find as much information about getting married and getting my paperwork sorted out before moving to Finland from a Finland forum where many expats could share anything, including useful links about how to find a job and how to write an application letter. I think it was someone from USA who wrote that article on how to write an application letter, because the writer strongly suggested that applicants must NOT brag about the things that they had done, which was something that was considered normal or even expected in the writer's home country.

I feel that the Finns love it more when people tone things down. Simplicity is considered more of a virtue here compared to grandiose. Toning down is preferable compared to selling yourself (and I don't mean selling your body, but the ability to convince people to hire you by letting them know passionately about your strengths and your experiences/abilities). I even feel that over here having the necessary papers (certificates/diplomas) is more important than however much hands-on experience and knowledge that you have learnt along the way without any papers to show. I don't know if this happened way back in the old days, but this is what I feel like for today's Finland. 


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Speaking of selling yourself, I had a very intense job interview once in Indo. There were two interviewers and I still remember clearly two of the questions. The first question was: "Sell yourself to us. What do you have? What are your strong points? Convince us to hire you!"

And when I stated the things that I considered my strength, you know what they said? They said, "Anyone else can say all the things that you've said. What else have you got to sell to us?"

Blimey! I was really cornered and I knew right then and there that I wouldn't get the job because I got stuck and it was like seeing myself stumble on a rock and falling down in slow motion he he he...

Anyway, the second question was: "Imagine yourself 5 years from now. What do you want to do then?"

That was really tough to answer because what I had in mind wasn't exactly the kind of job that I was interviewing for and I felt that they really saw through me. The only thing that made me applied for the job was the thought that I would be challenging myself and I'd be out of my comfort zone and who knows how much I could grow there. Long story short, I didn't get the job, but I appreciated the fact that they sent me an email to thank me for coming and to let me know that they had selected someone else. One expat friend of mine once told me that Finns didn't let applicants know if they don't get a job, which she found strange (probably because it was a custom in her home country).

Have you ever experienced any kind of tough job interview? If so, what happened during the interview? 

I don't remember anymore if I've shared it here or not, but this is a really beautiful talk on The Power of Introverts by Susan Cain. I bet many of you have listened to it or at least heard her name, but I'm going to listen to it again, so I'll just share it here just in case you've missed it:

Indo/Singapore Trip Highlights

If you wonder why I've been quiet, it's because we just had our summer holiday and during that time, I wasn't online much. I had prepared some blog posts prior to leaving, scheduled at different dates so that this blog wasn't empty for too long. Yesterday we came back with a cold. Actually the cold had started already at the end of the trip, but it got worse when we arrived home. So trying to take it easy and rest before going back to work.

Here are some brief highlights of our Indo/Singapore trip:

1. When we booked our trip, we had no idea that it would coincide with F1 race in Singapore. So hubby was really excited about it, especially because I read that people could try on the race car simulator, though I didn't know whether one had to book beforehand or pay to try it on. 

In one mall we found a Ferrari car simulator and saw the sign saying that one had to spend at least 250 SGD (€ 150) in the Ferrari merchandise store before one had a chance to try it on. Yikes! No way in hell were we going to pay that much just to try it on. No wonder there weren't a long line of people wanting to try it out.

Lucky for us, we went to another mall where they had two Renault car simulators and turned out anyone could try it for free (just for one lap). So I got hubby to sign up twice ha ha ha...actually anyone who had the best record could win a pass to go to a kind of after-party place, but we didn't care about that because we didn't have time to attend the party anyway. All that I wanted was for hubby to be able to try it. 

The first time around was at around midday and before he tried it, there was a store worker taking photos of the contestants and right after he was done, he received a copy of the photo for free. There was also a free photo-printing booth next to it where people could take photos in front of an F1 race car for free. Here's the free photo that they gave us:

A few hours later after we had lunch at the mall, I dragged hubby back to the same place and asked the girl in charge if he could try it again and she said yes. Hubby was too shy to try it again, but I knew he wanted to try again, so I pushed him to sign up again ha ha...This time there was no photographer, so we were lucky to have come earlier when the photographer was there. :-D

2. One funny thing happened on our last day in Singapore. We went out in the morning, gave our room key to the receptionist, and when we got back in the afternoon, hubby said, "We would like our room key."

Apparently the receptionist heard wrong. She replied, "Oh, I'm so sorry, but our rooms are fully booked today."

Hubby was shocked, so he stared at her in confusion. He wondered if they had given our room to someone else or something like that. I told the receptionist, "We're here to get our room key. Room number XXX."

The girl blushed and said, "Oh, I'm so sorry. Here's your key." LOL LOL!!!!

3. A few people asked us if we had had kids and a few neighbours told me to "hurry up and make kids"

When I told hubby about it, he said, "You should have told them that your husband is your child." HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHHH...Bless him! Imagine people's faces if I say such a thing to them he he he he he he he...

4. When we got back home and hubby was unpacking his backpack, he suddenly started laughing out loud as he took out an object. A pair of tongs. Yep, when he was packing to go to Indo/Sgp, he hadn't noticed that there was a pair of grilling tongs that he had used earlier to grill in Kelujärvi in the bag ha ha ha ha ha ha...

5. While browsing through stores in a mall, we spotted a winter wear shop and decided to go in. We found some good winter jackets at least half the price of similar ones in Finland and we found two that we liked, so we didn't hesitate to buy them. The shopkeeper said that they had a discount, but I wasn't sure how much, but even a small discount would make me happy enough.

Turned out the discount was 32%. Imagine that!!! I was shell-shocked and happy when I realized that we had saved SO MUCH money. 

The price for my jacket was 159 SGD (about €95) and hubby's parka was 199 SGD (around €120). Total price: 358 SGD (around €215). Discount: 114.60 SGD (around €68). End price: 243.40 SGD (around €146).

€146 for two good winter jackets?!?!?!?! We couldn't believe our luck! :-D :-D :-D

6. I had a haircut in Indo in a beauty salon at a mall. The price for a haircut + wash and blow = 47,000 (€3.20). I think the cheapest haircut in this town is €18 - 22. 

7. Cheap full-body massages in Bandung (ranging from €11-15 per person for a 1.5 hour full-body massage) and the one we had in Singapore was €48/person for a 1.5 hour full-body massage. 

OK, I'm going to stop here for now and tell you more about our trip later. :-)

Do You Miss Your Hometown?

I've been talking to some expats around the globe about this topic. I've been asked this question many times by random people and my answer these days is "no". I remember one day a customer showed a confused face after I gave that answer. But I meant what I said. No kidding. This is my home now.


Maybe some people who have so many attachments with their home country do get homesick, but I can't say that I do feel homesick these days. Don't get me wrong! In the beginning I did miss my home country, especially my family and I most definitely missed the food (at that time Finnish food felt so bland). I also missed the comfort of being in a familiar place, of having a clear safety net, of having a set of friends, of having a job. Things like that. 


As time goes by, however, life in this small village has changed me. What I find "normal" has changed. Case in point: I still remember very clearly when I came back to Indo and got frustrated because they couldn't queue properly in public toilets. In Indonesian public toilets, one just needs to stand outside whichever toilet booth one wants to, so it doesn't follow any queueing order whatsoever. So tough luck if you're standing in front of the toilet booth where the person inside is taking a long dump. I was really shocked at that time by the amount of frustration I felt. I am getting too used to life here that what I found normal when I still lived in Indonesia feels abnormal and can even feel annoying.

Another case in point: people here sometimes ask me if I have children, but they rarely ask follow-up questions. In Indonesia, even strangers you just meet won't hesitate giving their opinions concerning stuff like that. I have a friend who has decided with her husband to only have one child and one of her yoga students (an older mother) scolded her for that particular decision, saying that it was bad to only have one child bla bla bla bla bla...This person isn't even a close friend of my friend, mind you!

These days I can't even get used to the crowds anymore. Being in a crowd in very small doses is tolerable, but not in big doses. I have grown to love having so much space between myself and other people. There's a kind of stillness that doesn't exist in the big cities, the kind of relaxed attitude that is just dear to me. No traffic jams, thank you very much. I've also talked to some people who were born in small villages. They've also told me that they can't stand being in big cities because they're so used to this kind of pace and space. Their senses get overwhelmed with the noise and the crowd and the traffic jam. 


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Other than that, my taste buds have changed, so the only thing I can possibly miss is my family and friends. Nothing else. I've been wondering why it feels easy for me to unattach myself from my parents. I get along much better with my mom, but I can't say that I had a difficult relationship with my dad, either (it could get a bit rocky sometimes but not all the time). My mom helped smooth out our relationship by being the bridge between us hard-headed people and I can even say that I have a better relationship with my mom compared to many other people with their moms, but I have no problem leaving her and my dad and my brother (my brother and I have a good relationship) behind. But anyway, it sure makes my life here easier. I think if I'm too attached with my home country (the people or food or whatever it is), it will make it harder for me to live here.

If you're an expat (or even someone who's living outside of your birth city), how much do you miss your hometown? 

Preparation Before The Funeral

In Indonesia, usually Christians in my city Bandung tend to have the cremation or burial of their loved ones a few days after. The family would usually rent a room (or two if they think there'll be so many guests) in a funeral home and the casket and the body will be laid there for three days. On day three in the evening there'll usually be the "closing of the casket" ceremony after a sermon and then the next morning the casket will be brought to a cremation place or burial place.

During the three days of "open house for guests", the family members will be ready to accept the guests from morning till night (because soon after the death is found out, they'll immediately contact a newspaper to put an ad about the details of the funeral and where you can visit the family and pay respect to the deceased). The family members usually provide drinks (water) as well as snacks (sweets, peanuts) and fruit (usually oranges). Guests will come along with a gift of money, pay their respect, talk to the family members present there, and then go back home. The whole thing is a tiring event for the closest family members especially.

If the deceased is buried, on the fourth morning usually only the closest family members and their relatives will go and escort the body to the burial place. And afterwards usually the closest family members (the wife/husband of the deceased) would treat them lunch. 

Because my dad was cremated, they had arranged a specific date and time afterwards to bring the ashes and spread it to the sea, so my Mom and bro rented a car and a driver to take them there (Bandung is in the middle of Java island so it's rather far from the sea).


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Here in Sodankylä apparently it's a whole different thing, even though I suppose things can also be done by request, but still...The funeral will be held on in a few weeks. Can't be done any sooner because the church is fully booked. Before the funeral, the church will ring the church bell on June 5th eighty times (the age of the deceased), so I'll be listening to that later on.

So we'll have a funeral service at the church, then the funeral will commence, then we'll all go to a certain place to eat. The option to eat depends on the family members: either to serve only coffee and sweet bread/cake or to serve those after serving a main course. MIL will have to talk to the catering service about what she wants.

On Wednesday first of all we went to buy the casket, then we went to church to book the funeral service. Because MIL hadn't booked any burial spot, we went there to look at the empty spots so that MIL could find a good place for FIL and herself (so she booked two plots because she wants to be laid to rest next to FIL).


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After that the funeral home director had prepared FIL and laid him down in the casket, so we went there to say our last goodbye. MIL then proceeded to put on FIL's socks, covered FIL's face with a kind of face cover that was already provided, then the three of us (me, MIL, funeral home director) put the casket lid on top and then put some screws on them. Then along with BIL we lifted the casket on to the back of the funeral home director's car. MIL sat next to him in the car, whereas BIL and I followed it with his car (R2 had work whereas BIL and I were still on summer holiday). Once the casket was put in a cooler, we went back home using BIL's car.

MIL still has so many things to think about...writing down the list of people who may come (if no more than 28 people, then we'll be able to use the small chapel in the cemetery area - but if there are more than that, we must use the church), the menu for the guests after the funeral, then what kind of hymns to sing during the funeral service, ordering the tombstone, sorting out FIL's stuff etc.

Anyway, MIL seems to be doing better today. Calmer. Yesterday she was still understandably shaky, esp. in the morning. Anyway, preparing for things like this makes me think of my own mortality. What kind of ending do I want for myself? I'd rather have the cheapest and the most practical kind available - cremation if possible, though I'm not sure one can do it here in this village. Oh well, when the time comes, it all depends on whoever is available to take care of it. :-)

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P.S. I've been browsing for flower wreaths/bouquets for hours 'coz apparently over here family members and guests would bring flower bouquets or wreaths to church. I've visited two flower shops here to find out about the models and prices, but basically speaking they can do pretty much anything per request (provided that they can get the flowers I want, because up here in the north the choices aren't as many as the south), so I really need to think of at least the colour combination of the flowers so that they can help me with the type of flowers. I also have to think of what to write on the card that'd go along with the flowers. It ain't an easy task, I tell ya (because I've never been to a funeral here and I don't really know the customs)!

Regional Language: Sundanese

While Indonesian language is Indonesia's official national language, but Indonesians have so many regional languages spoken in different areas. While I was a child, I learnt not only Indonesian but also Sundanese by immersion. Sundanese was also taught to us from Elementary School until Junior High School. I don't know how it's like nowadays at schools (not sure if they still teach Sundanese at schools), but if you come to my hometown, Bandung, you'll hear Sundanese spoken all over the place. 

As an nation that consists of lots of islands, it's no wonder that people from different islands (and even areas) had their own regional languages (this link says that there are over 300 regional/native languages in Indonsia). And even if you live in the same island, there are still differences dialects, though I guess this is a normal case for other languages in the world as well.

However, basically speaking Sundanese and Indonesian language are two different set of languages. Even if you understand Indonesian language, but if you hear me speak only in Sundanese, you would probably not have a clue what I'm saying (or maybe at the most you'll understand just a few words). If I hear someone use Javanese language or Makassarean language or Balinese language, I won't understand almost all of the words either.

Here's what it's said in Wikipedia: Sundanese Language.

Sundanese has two different forms: the "normal" form (the rather crude form) and the "polite" form. The polite form is really tough to learn (the vocabulary for the polite form is different than the normal form) and most people use the less polite form (or combining the polite and less polite form). If I talk to someone much older than me and they talk to me in Sundanese, I'd feel safer using Indonesian language rather than use the "normal" form of Sundanese. However, it's fine to use the normal form of Sundanese to speak to people your own age or younger than yourselves. 


I must tell you, though, that there are so many lovely, expressive words/phrases in Sundanese that are irreplaceable because there are no equivalents of those words/phrases in Indonesian language, so many times when I speak with my friends or Mom, I use a hodgepodge of Indonesian with Sundanese words in between - simply because those Sundanese words can explain what I'm trying to say better than any other words in Indonesian.

One friend of mine spent her childhood in the USA for a few years during childhood because her Dad continued his education there. That also resulted in the loss of those years learning Sundanese by immersion. Even though she did end up learning some Sundanese at school until Junior High, even until now she gets confused if we use too much Sundanese in our emails. Or it'd take her longer time to understand the Sundanese texts compared to Indonesian. 

Oh yeah, one more thing about Sundanese - the Sundanese scale comprises of "da-mi-na-ti-la-da" instead of "do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do". Before you get all confused, let me introduce you to some Sundanese songs then he he he he he... 
  
First song in two versions (the traditional one and the modern one) called "Mojang Priangan". Mojang = girl (if I still remember correctly it usually refers to an unmarried young woman). Priangan = the area that covers Bandung, West Bandung, Subang, Garut, Purwakarta, and Sumedang.

And another song in two versions as well: the traditional one and a more modern one (with Japanese influence and Japanese words). It's called "Es Lilin". Click here to find out a pic of es lilin.

Beauty Chronicles

I've been talking to my Indo best friends about beauty and I've found something interesting. Each of us is different: different build/height, different eye shape/facial features, different skin colour, different personalities.

I asked them if they had ever felt beautiful in their own skin in Indo (esp. during teenage years) and based on their answers, it SEEMS that those who received positive feedback/validation from lots of people during childhood can still maintain that image of theirs in their minds (whether it's cute, beautiful, pretty) during their teenage years.

On the other end of the spectrum, during childhood some who received so many strong messages about outer beauty that was the opposite of what they had still remember very well that message even until now (for example: that darker skin is ugly). They were affected by this negating strong messages (that negated their own kind of beauty) at least until their teenage years.

However, in the middle of both extremes there are also those who never really received any positive nor negative feedback on their outer beauty and that led them to having mostly neutral POV on their own beauty during their teenage years.




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This is only pure observation from childhood until teenage years and I don't claim that my POV is the right one, but I'm just wondering about the effect of messages given during our childhood. I belong to the latter group in which I had never really received any positive nor negative feedback on my outer beauty during my childhood and as such, in my teenage years, I mostly felt neutral about my outer beauty - there were times I felt beautiful, there were times I felt not too lovely, but most of the time I felt okay enough.

Now in my adulthood it's a whole different case, of course, as per what I've written down here: The Thing About Beauty.

Somewhere I Belong

The other day I was feeling really disturbed by several things (not work-related). It's got everything to do with my inner world. It's funny how loud the mind can be when one is warring with oneself. One of the things that disturbed me was the realization that I was disturbed by those things. And it made me even more disturbed. Why did I let myself be disturbed by those things? That was all I could think of at the end of the reflection.

Last night I wrote a very honest and raw post about my feelings and after saving the post, I felt more relieved, though I'm not going to publish the post due to its nature. Prior to writing the post, I just felt this huge ball of pent-up feelings about to explode and because there were several triggers, they became tangled up and I had to sort each of them out in order to figure out the whys and the wherefores. Additional note: Blogging is THE BEST kind of FREE therapy ever!!!! :-D

I'm gonna share some things that I felt (in a more logical tone of voice instead of a jumbling mess of curses and hot-headed emotions) here:

1. When we were busy with our TTC (trying to conceive) program and especially after a year went by without any result (after we joined the ranks of the infertile), I yearned so much to join the motherhood gang. Motherhood was at the top of my mind and I was envious to other people who were able to join it. There was nothing I'd love more than to be able to share the joys and pains of motherhood. It's like daydreaming about going to the moon, so to speak. 

After we decided to live "Childless Not By Choice" (CNBC), I began to search for blogs that have the same topic 'coz I don't feel like I can relate much to those people who're still trying to have babies by any means. However, there's this little voice inside me saying that CNBCers probably deem that I'm still "young enough to breed" (going on 34 this year). I was fine with that for some time, but the other day it just hit me that now I'm craving so much to be able to join this CNBC gang. Now that I've stopped yearning about motherhood, I'm yearning to belong in this CNBC gang. But now it feels like I'm waiting for my retirement period - or at least waiting for my eggs to be too old to produce an offspring. 

I wanted to scream 'coz I felt so tired. Tired of finding a place to belong. Last night I was listening to Linkin Park's "Somewhere I Belong" and I kept on listening to angsty, dark songs that I felt perfect for my mood. And last night before bed, with still some thoughts warring inside my mind, I prayed to God for healing. 

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I woke up refreshed and I feel much lighter now, though I had two troublesome dreams that I'd forgotten. I woke up earlier this morning to pee and at that time I remembered those two dreams and I was thinking to myself that they were really symbolic of my warring thoughts. I remember dreaming about my mother burning something - probably a symbol of the road to motherhood that was burnt down.

2. The other day an Indo friend wrote this in Facebook:

"It never ends, does it? When are you gonna get married? Done. When are you going to have a baby? Done. When are you going to give your firstborn a sibling? Done. Aren't you going to try to have another one? ARRRRRGGGHHHH"

Another friend commented: "Yeah, and then it continues: When are you going to have a son-/daughter-in-law? When are you going to have grandkids?"

I was really sick and tired of those kind of questions. Although I'm safe here in Finland and although my Indo family and relatives know about "our problem" and they never said anything much except "We'll be praying for you", the few times I went back to Indo after our marriage, neighbours would ask me about this baby topic. This FB wall post had poked my scars and I was shocked at how upset I felt. I was upset not just for my sake, but for the sake of all those people there who "don't fit the mold" and yet they have to endure such questions so much.

You see, the wall post reminded me of a certain exchange with my neighbour a few years ago. He (yes, he) asked me about when we'd have babies (at the time we were still TTC) and he then asked, "Is your period regular or not? If it's regular then it's good." At that time I was in a good mood (holiday mood), so I wasn't upset (I'd after all, prepared myself months before the trip for nosy questions like this). However, when I read my friend's wall post, I became upset when remembering his question. It's just so out of line. Maybe nowadays I'm getting more and more "westernized" in mind or something. Dunno.

And then I remember another encounter happening last year with a different neighbour. She said, "When are you gonna have kids?"

I said to her, "Well, it doesn't matter now. It's fine even if it's just the two of us."

Immediately she said with a shocked face, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! DON'T SAY THAT!!! I'm gonna pray for you to have kids."

I thanked her and smiled, but deep inside I felt, "You can pray as many times as you want, but if God says no, then it's no. There's no in between."

And remembering that exchange made me wonder if it would have been easier if we had decided not to have kids since the beginning or not, because two relatives that I met last year visited my parents' place on our holiday and they whispered to me, "I'm gonna pray for you both to have kids." Sighhhhhhh...

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OK, I'm gonna leave all these negative emotions here in the blogosphere. I don't want to keep carrying them around anymore in my mind...These two aren't the only things bothering my mind, but the post is getting too long already he he...

Reinventing Myself

This post below was written as a draft ages ago, but for some reason I never got to complete it and I didn't publish it, either he he...Here goes, with some additional notes...

Moving to a village in Finland has enabled me to - in a way - reinvent myself. What I mean by reinventing myself is that nobody knows my background. Nobody knows anything much about Indonesia nor what it's like to live there. Nobody knows my family. Nobody knows my family's "social strata". Nobody knows what kind of job I had beforehand and nobody has expectations for me.

It's kinda liberating, you know? I feel like so much weight is off my back. :-D Back in Indo, other people have given me different labels, but when I moved to Finland, I started my life with a blank sheet of canvas again.


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And because of the social system differences, I can be whatever I want to be without feeling that some jobs are "less than" others. Back in Indo, certain jobs are considered "less inviting" due to many different factors (mostly financial factor), whereas here in Finland no matter what kind of job you do, it doesn't matter 'coz the standard of income (among other things) is already set.

It's also liberating to know that even when you change a job here, you don't have to "suffer miserably financially" the way it'd happen in Indo. I mean, in Indo if you start all over again in a different field, you're bound to get "yucky income" and it's a no-no especially if you have kids. After all, in Indo good education that'd allow them to go to good universities that would enable them to get good jobs with good income levels is very pricy these days.

Another thing that makes me feel liberated by living here is the lack of many pressures that exist in Indo (click the link to read further info). Even though sometimes a few Finnish people (whom I don't know well) ask me whether I have kids or not, upon hearing the answer they won't continue probing about my menstrual period the way my Indo neighbour did nor ask any questions whether or not we intend to adopt nor would they give me advice about trying this and that or going to that and this gyno.

One particular "freedom" I've enjoyed thoroughly is the lack of expectation from other people from me. I can start my life from scratch and try out new jobs or training places with very little knowledge of those jobs and in doing so I've learnt so many new things. Moving to Finland has been the greatest adventure I've ever done in my life, especially for someone who "always plays it safe" like me. :-D


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The Importance of Being Connected?

One thing that annoyed me during our trip to Indo was how "important" it seemed to "be connected all the time" for so many people (mostly those below the age of 40 years old). Due to the BlackBerry booming and the fact that internet connection via mobile phones these days is getting more and more practical and cheaper in Indo, many people can "chat" easily using their mobiles so easily as well as post pictures and share anything with other people.

When we were in Bandung, we went to the movies a few times and each time even when the lights had already been turned off, there was someone sitting down there who spent a few minutes doing something with his/her mobile phone. Because we chose seats located at the very back of the theatres, it was really annoying to see bright mobile phone screens in an already dark theatre.

Couldn't they have just waited until the movie ended? What could be so important? (FYI most of them looked like uni students 'coz we preferred going to the movies on a workday to avoid the weekend rush - plus the tickets are cheaper during weekdays compared to the weekend)

When I was talking to a friend, she told me that nowadays in Bandung it was a common sight to see a family eating in a restaurant, but each one of the family members was busy with their own electronic gadget or mobile phone. For someone whose primary love language is quality time, I am TRULY bothered, concerned, and sad when I hear that. I understand that it's convenient to for example use the mobile phone to "chat" or "browse online" or whatever you want while waiting for a doctor's appointment or while being on a public transit on your own, but too much is too much.

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Another friend told me that when she went to meet our mutual friend, that mutual friend every once in a while kept on using the Blackberry or mobile phone. You know, I can understand the "addiction" once you start "being connected" that much. It's really handy these days to be connected via mobile phones and stuff, but on the other hand it's going to ruin many people's lives if they use it too much, don't you think?

My brother told me that it was "trendy" for Indo youngsters (or young professionals) to have three or even more mobile phones, especially to use "the latest gadget/application available". It's a whole different world that I feel here in this little village of Sodankylä. Now you don't have to wonder why I enjoy living here more than living in Indo, do you?

Warm and Cool?

My computer has been down due to a broken fan so I'm using R2's computer at the time being and hoping that I can get it running smoothly again soon. Yesterday my friends came over and we had so much fun - we even talked about morbid topics while laughing so much ha ha ha...Can't wait to gather with them again next week. :-D

And guess what? Today I've lived in Finland for FOUR years!!! I'm gonna apply for the citizenship on Thursday. WOOOHOOO!!! I've printed out all the necessary paperwork he he he...

Anyway, I don't want to give the wrong idea that everybody in Finland (or Sodankylä) is "warm". It's kinda hard to say whether a person is warm or not 'coz what's the standard? If I want to compare Indo people and Finnish people here in Sodankylä, then Indo people are "much warmer/friendlier" in many ways - that also means that they're much more nosier than Finnish people.

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I mean, in Indo it's very normal to drop by unannounced at somebody else's place and to ask your neighbour where he's been or where he's going to go if you happen to see him coming in or out of his place, but here? At the most we'd only say "hei" to our neighbours and talk about the weather ha ha ha...

However, the "introvert" in me kinda likes the quietness of the Finns. When I still lived in Indo, I was so used to their "warmth" and "friendliness", but now after living in Finland for 4 years, I find that some parts of Indo warmth to be "too much". I just read this Facebook status of an Indo friend who has decided to have only one child and one woman (her yoga student) insisted that one child wouldn't be enough. Duh!!! As if she'd help out pay for the child's education and help take care of the child.

Another Indo friend was once scolded by somebody (maybe a relative) in a wedding party 'coz she said that she wanted to wait before having kids.

Anyhow...before I started working in this current workplace, I did some trainings in different places. In some, I've met "cooler" people who don't smile even when you smile at them - though they do smile every once in a blue moon when the mood strikes. However, I've also met many nice people - though to be honest, there are MANY more nicer older people than the younger ones. The older people seem to be more patient and they take the time to talk to you and support you verbally, whereas the younger ones are OK, but they're not as "warm".

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I've also seen and heard about some annoying people so just like anywhere in the world there are nice and not-so-nice people here too. Anyhow...I'm just rambling here in my post hi hi...soon I've to prepare some food for hubby, so gotta go. Hope you've all been doing OK. May angels protect and comfort you all, especially those who are in trouble (such as the people in Japan).

Cultural Damage?

On Monday morning we left to Rovaniemi to spend a night there. It was on a whim that we decided to spend a night there, so there weren't many options left to find a hotel room within our budget. We stayed a night at Lapland Sky Hotel Ounasvaara (you can google it to find out where it is). It's a simple hotel with no frills, but we got a room with a sauna and the price we paid (142 Euros for the both of us) included breakfast. The other hostels in the city were fully booked and the other hotels in the city were so expensive, so we chose this one.

I feel that I've been "culturally damaged" by having lived in this small village called Sodankylä. What are the damages involved?

1. Now I'm really noise sensitive when it comes to bedtime. In Indo we lived in a small alley where there were always plenty of noise around us and then I could sleep so well even with all the noise. Now after having lived here for 4 years, I find that it's getting harder and harder to sleep when it's noisy outside (except perhaps when I'm DEAD tired).

You see, when we were about to sleep in the hotel at around midnight, some guests just started coming back and the hallway was really noisy. Our next door neighbour just came back with the whole family and they were so loud. It was hard for us to sleep and I got frustrated 'coz in the past when I still lived in Indo I could go to bed so easily even with all the noise around me.

2. Here in Sodankylä I find that my personal space is SO WIDE due to the small number of inhabitants. Wherever I go, I've never found too many people around me so I can move freely everywhere. When we went to Rovaniemi the other day, there were so many people in the mall due to tourist season and the fact that they're having big post-Christmas discounts everywhere. I've found myself feeling like wanting to shout, "Stay away from me! You're in my personal space!!!"

This is not the first time I felt something like this. I also felt it when I went to Singapore and Indonesia two years ago and last year. Too many people disturb me so easily now that I've lived here in Sodankylä. I think the longer I stay here, the harder it is for me to feel at home anywhere else - of course if I HAVE to stay somewhere else where there are many people and where it's noisy, I can always adjust to it again, but all I'm saying is that it's hard to get used to all those things after you've enjoyed the beauty of plenty of space and lack of noise around you. For me it's MUCH easier to get used to plenty of space and lack of noise after you've been surrounded by lack of space and too much noise around you.

OK, enough rambling...even though we had to pay for the hotel, I felt that it was worth it 'coz we got lovely pictures from around the hotel area. Let me share some here first and I'll continue sharing more pictures in a later post...

1st pic: Taken at around 4 pm right after we checked into the hotel. We went up the roof/deck of the hotel (there were frozen benches and tables up there - I guess they used it to eat during summer to enjoy the view). It was on a 3-storey floor. Behind me down there there was a ski lift (maybe it's not clear but you can see it in another pic which I'll post in another post).


2nd pic: Yep, the sky was really dark orange. I was amazed when I looked at the sky when we arrived at the hotel (the hotel is located a little bit up on a hill) and yes, they put some green lamps around the area and I found it weird to look at green trees he he...


3rd pic: Another shot of the sunset.


4th pic: I took this pic after we had our breakfast, at around 10.00 am. The sun was just about rise. I went up to the deck again and I was amazed when I looked around me. I'll upload some videos later on, as well.


5th pic: Another shot from up the deck. You can see the ski lift operating room down there.


6th pic: I went down again and found a path leading away from the hotel and I took pictures from there.


7th pic: The actual sky didn't have purplish hue, but I LOVE this pic anyway. It was more blue and white, though the orangey/pinkish hue in the previous photo was real. I feel like the trees are "sighing due to the weight of the snow" he he he...


OK, I have to go to work soon, so to be continued. Not sure when I'll post again 'coz I have an evening shift today and tomorrow a morning shift and I may go straight to my MIL's place to celebrate New Year there together, but I'll be back (if God still gives me breath HA HA HA HA HA...). Take care, people, and have a BLESSED New Year!!! Hopefully next year is better than this year! :-D

Reflection: The World I Knew

Most of this post was written last Friday:

I've been listening to some old Indonesian songs that I loved tonight. I have this eerie feeling of being transported back in time and space...I could almost smell the things I used to smell there and for a second I wasn't really in Finland at all. A whole different world enveloped me for that split second and it was quite an experience. The smells, the culture, the atmosphere, the custom...everything...and I feel like a different person now than the me back then. Not only 'coz of the time difference, but also 'coz I've been living in a whole different country and I've been absorbing different customs and culture and smells inside my head.

My home country is a strange country for me now. There have been so many changes happening there that I don't know. New buildings are built, new shops are opened, some old shops are closed, some old buildings have been torn down, political situations have changed, some people look older, some kids have grown so much in the past few years, some people have died, some babies have been born, some people have gotten married, some people have separated, etc. There are so many other little things that create the web of life that have escaped me.

The world I knew back then no longer existed. I guess I've known about this all along, but this time it just hit me with a bigger force than before...this wave of realization...what an experience!

Image taken from here

Perspective Change?

I've been wanting to write about this interesting topic since ages ago, but only now I remembered again ha ha ha ha...OK, imagine a tomboy girl living in Indo. She's really a tomboy that she doesn't like looking too "girly". Thus she doesn't like the idea of padded bras (any kind of padded bras). She thinks that it's disturbing if she makes her chest look bigger on purpose. She actually shivers just at the thought of wearing bras that would make her chest look bigger.

Fast forward 10 years. She's now moved abroad and she finds herself a western hubby. She's found her femininity and she becomes more in touch with her "girl powers". She now wants to look as pretty and nice as possible for the hubby, so now she likes padded bras.

However, what's interesting is that when we both saw the "before" and "after" picture of some girl who's done breast implants, she now thinks that the "after" picture is better than the "before" one 'coz in the "before" picture, the girl's chest is small.

In the past, when she still lived in Indo, the community doesn't really think that big chest is all THAT big of a deal. After all, most Asian ladies have smaller chest than westerners. However, after living in a western world for about 10 years, she has changed her perspective. She was even at one time thinking that having breast implants would be a welcome idea (though that doesn't mean she's going to have breast implants - the bottom line is the change of perspective on chest size).

Isn't it interesting how society can change our perspective? After living in Finland for 3 years and 3 months, here are the contrast of cultures I've noticed after having submerged myself in Finnish culture:

1. Indonesians "care too much" about other people's business. They ask too many unimportant questions - that are none of their business, such as: "When's your turn to get married?", "When are you going to have your child?", "When are you going to give a little bro/sis to your first child?, etc.

It is good in a way that the culture looks "warm" 'coz they do talk and chit-chat with their neighbours, whereas here in Finland it's a "colder" culture where neighbours just say hi without talking too much about their personal lives. However, too much is too much and I think Indonesians should learn to somewhat "back off" before asking too many annoying questions.

2. Indonesians are far too loud people. Yeah, 'coz Finnish people are basically MUCH MUCH quieter than them.

3. Indonesians care too much about "outer appearance". That's why it's far easier to sell a trend there than here in Finland. For example: over here not many people have iPods or Blackberries or something like that, but in Indo there are SO many people who use it. I remember when I still lived in Indo, the pressure about outer appearance was SO huge that even though I couldn't care less about all those things, but I could feel it all around me.

4. In Indo, you can visit your neighbours/relatives without asking first. You can just drop by unannounced, but over here it seems rude to do so.

5. Now I'm used to eating pulla or sweet bread with coffee; (rice or wheat) porridge with sugar, berries, and yoghurt; and ruispalat (dark bread).

6. I've never been invited to any wedding parties here - whereas if I'm still living in Indo, I bet during 3 years I'll have been invited to at least a dozen wedding parties of my relatives or friends. In Indo, the more friends/relatives/coworkers/church friends you have, the more wedding invitations you'll get.

OK, I won't make this post too long. Just wanna share some POVs and now it's time to blog-hop. Tomorrow I have to get up early to go to work and it's going to be my first long day (8-hour shift), but the good thing is that I will only work again on Fri and Sat. WHOOOOPPPEEEE!!! :-D

Culture and Life

The other day a friend and I talked a bit about the global economic crisis. She (a full-time mom) lives in Japan with two young kids (she's Indo, her husband is Japanese). She said that nowadays they wouldn't allow her hubby to work overtime. She said it felt weird to have him back home already at 6 pm. Due to that fact, as well, they have to tighten their belt since the family's income is not as much as it used to.

In Finland, I find myself missing hubby when he works overtime. Overtime = when he doesn't come home at 4 pm. I don't think overtime is a common thing here in Finland, which is actually good. That means the hubby has more time with their families (well, hopefully they spend that time with their families).

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I must admit, though, that after living here for 2 years, I'm getting used to everything here, so I kinda "forget" what it was like in Indo. Deep down I know how tough it is to live in a culture where working overtime is considered "loyalty", especially if you're high up in the company's ladder.

I know one friend's hubby who worked in Indo who used to go home around 10 pm or even midnight on most days. Sometimes he also had to go to meetings on a Sunday and there was no way he could have said no (and he worked on Saturdays too until 6 pm or even later than that). If he had always come back home on time and he refused to go on meetings, he would probably have gotten sacked right away and there would be MANY others in Indo who would do anything to get his job.

Here in Finland if you work on a Saturday or Sunday, then you'll get even MUCH more money that way...but in Indonesia, I don't think in many companies you'll get a good amount of overtime money (that's IF you get any overtime money at all!). Here in Finland if R2 has done overtime many times, he can take that time to get a short holiday from work, but can Indo people do that? No, Sirrrrrrr...unfortunately not.

Another Indo friend who's now been living in the Netherlands said that people there would think you were weird if you kept on working overtime, since it's just not the culture.

And what about the paid holiday in Finland? In Indonesia I've never heard of such a thing. Plus here in Finland the yearly holiday is MORE than reasonable IMO, because after working full-time in a place for a year, you'll get a some PAID holiday (read the notes section below this paragraph) In Indo, normally a person only gets around 12 days of UNPAID holiday per year.

Notes (I copied it based on Jamppa's comment): Holiday season starts from April and ends in March and you get 2 days for summer holiday per each done month. So if you start work on firm XX on first day on July (e.g 2008), you'll get 18 days holiday on first summer (2009). In this case it starts from July and stops to March. It stops always in March, cause April is first holiday month and in this case next summer holiday is full 2days*12month= 24 days which is full summer holiday (2010).. from April to March.

Other than that, in Indo it's hard to get a long sick leave. Here in Finland I think it's a pretty common and acceptable thing. At least I know one person who took a sick leave for at least 6 months and she still has her job. In Indo, if you're sick for more than a month, I think there's a fat chance that you're going to be able to continue working there.

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I also see a similar trend of cultural differences in terms of education. Since education in Indonesia isn't really standardized, so if you don't go to good schools, it's going to be hard for you to get a good job. Also a friend told me that she felt that the curriculum in many schools in Indo are now too stressful for kids, 'coz they try to teach the kids SO MANY subjects already since a young age. And if you go to a good private school, then you'll get tough homework, as well.

The bad thing about having such a stressful curriculum is that the kids will lose their playtime after school 'coz they must have private or group lessons so that they can catch up with the other kids. I remember that one student of mine used to complain about having to go to many different kinds of private lessons: English, Chinese, Swimming, Math. These type of lessons are sometimes done twice a week for an hour per session, so can you imagine how busy they are?

Here in Finland kids go to school at the age of 7. I once read an article that they want to let kids to play first and enjoy their childhood before they study at a real school. Another friend from my Finnish classes (who goes to a High School here) told me that in her opinion, the education system in Finland isn't too difficult or stressful. I don't know about that, but at least I've never heard of any private tutors here in Finland, unlike those in Indo (private tutors in Indo can earn really good money due to the high demands of them, especially these days as the school curriculum is getting more and more difficult).

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It's very interesting to talk about this topic. One Indo friend (a mother of two kids) once joked to me, "Hey, look at us! We didn't go to any international schools and our monthly school fee was pretty low back then and we only started learning English when we were in Junior High School (as opposed to these days where English is taught in some preschools and most elementary schools) , but don't you think we've turned out quite okay?"

I laughed.

Such is life. To succumb or not to succumb to society's pressure, that is the question. I think it's pretty tough to fight the "mainstream, the-what's-acceptable-according-to-public". But dunno...what do YOU think, readers???

P.S. I find that some of the things that I used to find "common/normal/accepted" have changed ever since I moved to Finland.

Home, Ex-Home, Future Home?

Chocolate Girl (Livingsword's wife) wants to know how I felt when coming back to Finland after our trip to Indonesia and how I feel about all the snow here.

Well, to be honest, I was HOPING that I'd get to see snow already when I landed in Rovaniemi airport. Why? Because I knew that it would be dark most of the time already and it's only going to get darker and darker (nowadays the sun rises around 8.30 am and sets around 3.15 pm so we have only around 6 hours and 40 minutes of sunshine per day, provided that the sun is shining and it's not cloudy), so having snow around would help A LOT. Thank GOD snow started to fall the day after we arrived in Finland and it kept on snowing and it didn't melt and turn to ice. I have no problem with snow, but I'm VERY afraid of icy snow!

It felt slightly weird coming back to Lapland from a tropical country, since I was used to three weeks of sunshine and heat, but it felt GOOD to be home, to have our own privacy, to be able to do anything we want without having to think of planning our schedule to meet these relatives and those friends, buying these and those, etc.

Home...mentally I've named Indonesia as my ex-home. I LOVE Indonesia, but right now my home is where R2 is. I've learnt to love Finland, but if for example God takes him away now when we have no kids and I don't know yet what kind of job I want to do here, maybe I'll go back to Indonesia since I've got family and friends there and I know what kind of job I want to do and can do there.

Life is unpredictable and I don't want to be too hard-headed in anything. There's no guarantee yet that Finland will be my home forever, but of course everything changes if there are kids already. I'd want to be there for them, at least until they're grown up and they're ready to be on their own.

Yep, these are just my ramblings about hypothetical situations. I sure hope that God gives us PLENTY more healthy years to come, especially since I haven't lived long enough with R2 in the same country or house.

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All in all, I'm not missing Indonesia, except my family and friends and the glorious food. I started crying the day I was supposed to leave Bandung by bus to go to Cengkareng airport since my SIL called me from the hospital to say goodbye. She thanked me for everything and she said sorry for not being able to escort me. I started choking and I couldn't say the words I wanted to say to her for fear of crying so loudly on the phone. I didn't want to make her feel sad.

My brother managed to meet us at the mall where the bus station was to hug me goodbye. My uncle took us there since my parents have no car now, so in the car there were my uncle, my Mom, me, R2, and my Mom's elder sister. My uncle said to my Mom's elder sister that they'd better escort my Mom for fear that she'd cry. One close friend of mine also escorted me there.

When we started hugging one by one, I almost couldn't stop my tears from falling...while waiting for the bus, my SIL called again to say goodbye and I felt choked again. When I got on the bus and sat down, I started crying, though I tried to control myself so that I wouldn't sob loudly. R2 gazed into my eyes and he rubbed my arm and pat my hand. It was impossible for him to hold me due to the seats and the fact that we have backpacks right between our legs, so that was all that he could do.

After I could control myself a bit, I stood up from inside the bus to give them one last wave of goodbye...I feel SO LOVED...my whole trip in Indonesia was showered with LOVE...I'm GRATEFUL to God who've given me SO MANY loving, caring, attentive, and understanding people. I'm GRATEFUL for my relatives who care SO much for my Mom that they're always trying to make things easier for her. I LOVE THEM ALL!!!!

OK, let me stop here as I'm getting more and more emotional...

Home...let's just see where God takes me to...I'll do my best to make the most of everything He's entrusted to me this moment...

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Trip to Indo: The Beginning

It's hard to know which story I should tell you first, so let me just choose randomly, okay? While flying to Indo, I was gripped with intense anxiety. I was afraid that I'd be shocked about the heat and the traffic jams and everything would overwhelm me. Due to the long plane journey, my anxiety dissipated bit by bit.

It felt strange to be back in Bandung, since I felt as though I had never left it. I still remembered clearly the public transit routes (provided that they didn't change) and everything seemed familiar. Maybe it's because I only left the city for 1,5 years before I visited it back. Of course there were some changes about the city, but the most surprising thing was the HEAT. Prior to moving to Finland in March 2007, it wasn't at all THAT hot. Now Bandung has become FAR hotter than 1,5 years ago.

My Mom and her elder brother were waiting for us in one mall in Bandung when we arrived there. We took a bus from Cengkareng airport in Jakarta that dropped all the passengers in one of the malls I used to frequent while I still lived in Bandung, so my Mom didn't have to go all the way to Jakarta to pick me up. These days there are FAR more choices to go to Bandung from the airport. There are plenty of bus or car rental services every half an hour or so.

Anyway, Mom and my uncle hugged me when they saw me. :-D We went to a pizza resto first to buy pizza for Arttu, since he was hungry. I ate already on the way to Bandung. We talked about many things while waiting for the food. After that, my uncle took us to my parents' house and left right away. I hugged my smiling Dad when we got back home and talked with my brother and my SIL.

We unpacked right away since we had to get the souvenirs and chocolate out he he he...My Dad was happy to get the 2-in-1 chess station. Turns out that these days he often goes out for a walk in the morning to a nearby place and then he would play chess against some people there. Then he'd go back home at around 10 am to sleep. He sleeps a lot during the day and at around 2 am he'd wake up for a few hours before he goes back to sleep.

Arttu and I took a shower right away after that. My Mom wanted us to take a family picture at a photo studio, so one afternoon we went there together. Here are the pics:




This third picture is a picture of our family when we went to a mall with my Uncle (my parents have sold their car, so my Uncle helped me go around a bit with his car - BLESS HIM!!!). There we met his daughter and her family he he he...My Uncle is the one standing on the right behind my Mom.

OK, it's enough for now, I guess. I'm gonna watch movies with hubby now he he...To be continued tomorrow he he...