I still remember when I was moaning and complaining about Dar when I just got here. Cannot find this or that..all the things I need are extremely expensive and so on and so forth. Now, a year later and I’m still here in Dar and start to feel comfortable and know my way to go places. Just when I’m start to feel better about this place, we have to face the reality that we have to shift…again!! I know that life as an expat isn’t easy but shifting once a year, really too much when you start to have kids. Even though I don’t love this place so much but this is the home my family has and after all the “too much” travelling this year and James & I said to each other, “That’s it for this year, we won’t be travelling again until at least feb next year.”

Well, we never know where life lead and take us. That really annoyed me from moving is the packing! We have to pack our stuff all over again and once all this furniture and other things go into container who knows when (and where) we can see them again. I’m start to get tired living by suitcases. Feels like almost this 7 years at least I’ve been turned into a packing expert.. even packed my families clothes when we travel!

The only people I’m worried the most are my twins, coz they’ve been around so much that they might get confuse which one is “home”.  And with travelling that means routines are disturbed which is a disaster for kids…their life is all about routine. Wake up in the morning, go to school, come back n have a nap, lunch, play outside, shower, watch The Wiggles, dinner n bedtime. On and on every single day but when we move to another play we have to re-schedule their routine all over again and takes time for them to get familiar again. Oh dear…

So even though lots of my friends saying enak banget yah travelling terus, jalan2 kemana2..believe me guys, nothing good about travelling when it’s too much! besides, travelling nowadays is really far from comfortable. with the liquid and aerosol limit to strip-yourself-to-almost-naked you really don’t wanna travel more then twice a year.

Where are we going next? I don’t know and that’s very annoying. Is it going to be another “screwed-up” place like Bangladesh or Karachi or Zimbabwe…or more “civilized” place like Singapore or New Zealand or OZ? Wait for the premier!

Gosh, this year is really MY year…and it’s more complete by this end of the year coz sucha a great news (for me) has hit again. Yup, Take That, my most fav music group in the world is finally return to showbiz! I have been their loyal fans (and still) for 13 years so of course their return is sucha blast. I can’t wait to have their new album "Beautiful World"..and pattetic enough I haven’t heard their lattest single "Patience" which has been the no.1 of all charts in
UK.

Wah,capek juga pake inggris…gak bisa menggambarkan betapa excitingnya gue dengan berita ini. gua masih gak percaya bahwa setelah 10 tahun mereka bubar akhirnya mereka bisa balik lagi walau tetep tanpa Robbie. Gua masih inget nangis2an di telepon ama temen gua Olen yang sama2 fans beratnya TT waktu tau TT mutusin untuk bubar…pas rumah gua waktu itu lagi kebanjiran berat setinggi paha org dewasa! masih inget bubarnya pas bday-nya Robbie tgl. 13 Feb 1996. Bener2 nggak nyangka banget deh…sekarang I’m really looking forward to meet them again somehow…don’t know how but must!!!!! sayangnya semua memorabilia TT yang gua kumpulin selama bertahun2 habis kena kerendem banjir dahsyat tahun 2002 (kalo gak salah). It’s time for me to start collecting back those stuffs, might be easier now to do that since we have Ebay or other online internet shop.

Pokoknya gua seneng banget…hidup Take That!! jangan bubar lagi yah…pls!!!!!!

After my long so-called "disappearance", here I come again with new update that most of my friends have been asking about. Well guys, hope this update can satisfy your curiosity (not sure if that’s the right spelling??). What’s new with my life now..of course, my twin boys! yap. ladies and gentlemen..our (James & I) beautiful looking twin boys had arrived safely to this world on 2nd of November 2006 in Jakarta at Pondok Indah Hospital through C-section. Alexander Maheswara Eric Blewman & Ethan Daneswara Patrick Blewman was born at 4.35 pm & 4.36 pm respectively with weight 2.7 kg & 1.78 kg. They’re now still live with me & my mum in Jakarta and gonna stay here until they big enough to travel to join their daddy overseas. James & I really proud of our boys..they’re obviously spitting image of their old man. Don’t expect they gonna look like me..for now, I don’t have any share in their good looks at all..hahahaha!!!

Yesterday I had my babies control again for echo..they seemed love the echo process coz everytime we go for that their movement become more severe..hehehe! Well, I’m really happy with their development so far. Predicted weight are 1,1 kg and 1,4 kg and since I did it with different doctor he confirmed again that we gonna have boys (doesn’t really matter what the gender..as long they’re healthy, perfect n normal). But one thing that made me (a bit) sad was the doctor confirmed that according to babies’ positions I’m gonna have to choose c-section for labour. To be honest, even vaginal birth make the hair of my neck stand..both are equally pain and I’m not a person who’s doing good managing pain..oohhhh, what to do?

Well, I just had an exciting weekend with James..we spent our last weekend in Venice! beautiful and romantic city..and not just that, we were blessed with beautiful summer weather too (about 27 degrees). First impression when I saw the buildings in the floating city, to be honest, I didn’t like it coz many of them really run down and in totally bad condition..but that’s what happen to 500 years old building. The goverment try to keep the originality..doesn’t seems like good idea tho.

Anyway..imagine this, you wake up in the morning with bright sunshine through your room window, smell a lovely coffee in the morning, you hear people singing traditional italian song with accordion and when you open your window you see gondola traffic on a small river just outside your room…what a life eh?! That’s the view we had from our hotel room which facinate me..really true when people say it’s a romantic city, you just gotta do it with your love ones..

Among all the beauty and facination, I gotta admit that this "short" trip was really a physical challenge coz I’m in my almost 7 months, big and heavy belly, backache and still have to went through town by foot (coz no choice..only mode of transport was boat or gondola..no car, no motorbike, no any means of vehicle). But that’s the beauty of second trimester coz no matter uncomfortable it is me & my babies still physically strong enough to do this trip. My babies seemed to enjoy it as well.. I still could do a long walking, climbing stairs, gondola and boat riding..not bad for a heavily pregnant woman.

@ small alley by the river..u can see how’s the building condition that I talked about .

a view from the top…from Piazza San Roma’s tower.

My gondola ride..with a handsome gondolier man at the back..hi 5x!!

Rialto bridge as our background..the most famous bridge in the city coz it’s the oldest and very first bridge ever built across the canal among 2 others. Always really crowded and almost look like market with all the souvenir shops. To get a good photo spot, be ready to "fight" with other tourists!

To enjoy Venice, I have to admit…not cheap at all!! I was angry most of the time to see our meal’s bill..have to spend at least 80 euro (coz the 12% service and gov tax..ridicilous!). Nearly everything was so so expensive. And what I hate the most about this city was the people..Italian people…rude rude rude!! Only the old manager at the hotel where we stay was nice. I couldn’t believe how rude these people could be…they don’t realize that their life in this city depend fully on tourists..so arrogant!

But other than all that..no regret what-so-ever about visiting this lovely city. The clear water, beautiful weather, gorgeous food, unique buildings..definitely a "must come back" in the future.

-Cabuttzzzz-

Minggu ini ke dokter sampe 2 kali gara2 dokternya laen..emang susah di belanda ini mo dokter yg sama aja gak bisa. katanya pake shift lah, ada yg liburan lah..ada2 aja! tapi gua seneng ama hasilnya. Menurut dokter anak2 gua sehat dan pertumbuhannya normal tapi sekarang posisi mereka masih bridge alias belom di jalan lahir. Gak papa kata dokter..nanti lama2 juga muter sendiri. Berat masing2 700 gram & 550 gram..iiihhh,kecil banget ya! cuma setelapak tangan kali ukurannya. Tapi gua tetep bersyukur, yang penting pertumbuhan mereka bagus & normal..kata dokter sih. Yah, gua cuma bisa berdoa supaya sampe lahir nanti mereka sehat & normal. Gak sabar nih sampe mereka keluar..tapi ngebayangin proses ngelahirinnya kayaknya gua dah serem duluan! Dan hari ini terjadi miracle di Rotterdam..setelah sekian lama panas gak karuan..eeehhh,hari ini ujan deres! lumaya lah adem dikit..hihihih!! udah deh..out dulu.

Another monday is here..I didn’t say I don’t like it or what so I just say another monday..hihihi!! Weekend kemaren diisi dengan acara bobo ria alias gak kemana2. Gara2 James yg ngeluh capek sepulang dari Inggris jadi dia menghabiskan sabtu kemaren dengan bobo sepanjang hari dan adanya gua yg bete karena gak tau mo ngapain. Akhirnya malem jam 8 gua paksa bangun takutnya malem dia gak bisa tidur. Setelah bangun kita nonton "Legend of the Fall"-nya Brad Pitt di TV sampe pas filmnya abis kita gak tau mau makan apa..mana udah jam 10 lewat. walhasil pesen delivery pizza..gua mo ngomel tapi gimana emang gak ada makanan. Habis makan..bobo lagi deh :-C

Minggu..bukannya ke gereja malah bobo sampe jam 12!!! mau marah gak kebanyakan tidur gitu. Jam 2 kita lunch terus jam 7 nonton "Pirates of Carribean" yang ternyata gak se-ok yang kita kira..ceritanya rada gak ngerti jadi yah cuma ketawa2 aja pas bagian lucunya. Kayak babies gua seneng juga pas kita nonton karena mereka gak berhenti2 gerak2 n nendang2 sepanjang film..apa mereka ngerti sama filmnya yah???? kecewa deh ama filmnya..

Yeah..finally,another monday is here and that means another day for my boys and counting down to the big BOOM! can’t wait…

Weekend is a rugby day..not for me but for my hubby! All Blacks vs South Africa..we know who surely win so I told him why watch anyway if you know who would’ve won..but he said he won’t miss it for the world..hahaha!! Dan seperti biasa,gua ditodong untuk ikut nonton juga tapi karena aslinya gua males jadi gua alesan aja bahwa duduk di bar gak bagus buat gua karena terlalu banyak asap rokok..gak bagus buat orang hamil. So I escape this time from watching rugby ;p bukannya gak seneng sih sama gamesnya tapi asli..gua gak seneng nongkrong di irish pub pagi2 sambil ngisep asep rokok..malem aja gak demen apalagi pagi. Pengin juga sih benernya nonton tapi ya ntar ajalah nonton ulasannya dr internet lagian gua juga belom ngerti2 banget soal rule nya. Skrg musti mandi nih..musti nyusul hubby ke pub buat lunch. daaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!

Huhuhuhuhuhu..kangen berat ama makanan indo nih!!! mana sekarang selera makan gua dah mulai nambah, tiap menit yang kepikir cuma makanan melulu tapi kok makanan indo semua..mo cari dimana coba. Kangen ama ayam kuning, nasi kuning, rawon bikinan mami, bakso, bubur ayam yg sore2 suka lewat rumah, pempek,kembang tahu, soto ambengan TIM, lemper, sayur asem, siomay, batagor, bakmi karet, dendeng balado, cabe ijo-nya nasi padang, daun singkong….banyak amat yah!! bosen disini makanan gak ada yg enak, jajanan aja gak ada. kalo mo jajan musti makan di resto..yg kayak model warung aja gak ada (warteg kali ya??). Bikin bete nih..kok malah selera indo semua yg keluar yah, mungkin dah bosen kali anak2 gua ama makanan bule jadi skrg mintanya makanan indo. Tadinya kepikir pengen masak sendiri aja apa yah tapi males juga masak cape2 cuma buat dua orang tar udahnya gak tau James suka apa gak..kalo gak doyan khan cape gua makanin sendirian. Benernya ada sih deket rumah resto indo tapi modelnya rijstafel gitu yg sekali makan 1 org aja musti abis 20 euro..itu aja dah paling murah! gimana donk…TOOOLLLOOONNGGG!!!!

Finally friday lagi deh..besok James libur jadi ada temennya lagi buat di rumah. Sepi n bete juga tiap hari siang2 pasti kesepian..paling ngomong sendiri ama baby2 gua. Kasian amat kayaknya besok rencana sih mo ke Amsterdam naik mobil..habis mo naik kereta mahal banget tiketnya 26 euro. gak abis2 deh kalo mo ngomong soal mahal disini..paling gak kalo naik mobil gak bayar bensin (khan company-nya James yg bayar). Dari kemaren2 udah manas2in James pokoknya kalo ke Amsterdam harus makan di Wagamama..kangen ama bakminya!!!

James dari kemaren adanya ngomel melulu gara2 mobil gak pernah ada beresnya. Mobil yg kemaren kuncinya copot terus jadi fungsinya gak karuan..mo nyalain mesin eh malah buka bagasi. mo buka bagasi eh malah alarm nyala..wah,pokoknya gak karuan deh! Sekarang udah diganti baru tapi setelannya malah gak enak..katanya dibawa lari gak mantep..bete nih emang Budget ngasih mobil kok gak karuan gitu. Gak papa deh, tar pulang kerja James mo gua masakin bakmi ayam buat pelipur lara..dia seneng banget mo dimasakin mie katanya dah lama gak makan mie tapi karena ini pertama kali gua mo bikin mie ayam jadi maklum aja yah kalo rasanya rada gimana gitu..ya sayang???