Teh Susu

...or tea with milk. Today I had a cup while doing some school hunting for my son. And oh...down I went to memory lane where my beautiful enchanting childhood treasures are kept.

My late grandpa was a people's person. He had lots of friends from different background, profession, and nationalities. He often hosted parties at his house, Teuku Umar 32. Me and my dearest cousin, Kleting, were always encouraged to take part in those parties (the best thing was.. we got to stay up a bit late....yeehaw!) Our job was to serve drinks to the guests. Coffee, tea, but of course were not allowed to get anywhere near the liquor section. We had tons of fun. Our faces would turn red everytime a guest thanked us for the drink and praised our performance as drink servers :) When they were all happy and satisfied with their drinks, and then it was our turn. Put the tea bag in the cup, press the thermos button for boiling hot water, add four teaspoons of sugar, and last...pour milk until the color of the tea turns whitish brown. Hmm...yum..yum...!

I am gonna shine

Recently I came across the tyra banks show on TV. I really like the theme song, it's from India Arie. It's about being positive towards life, let everything flows and just have faith in yourself. It's not often that I just click to a song...this one caught my attention from the very first time. I felt a strong connection both to the music and lyrics....Enjoy!

JUST FOR TODAY (I AM GONNA SHINE)

Just for today
I will not worry what tomorrow will bring
gonna try something new
up through the state
act like I got nothing to prove
Although I have the best intentions
can't predict anyone's reaction
So I just do my best
I put one foot in front of the other
Keep on movin' forward
let God do the rest

I don't know what's gonna happen
that's alright with me
I open up my arms
and I embrace the mystery

Just for today
I'm tellin' the truth
Like it's goin' out of style
Gonna swallow my pride
Be who I am
and I don't care who don't like
I feel,
Feel that I do it anyway
Won't let it stand in my way
I know what I must do
There's no guarantee it'll be easy
But I know it'll be fulfilling
and it's time for me to show and prove

It's okay
that to know
exploration
is how we grow
It's okay
to not have the answers
'cause sometimes
it's the question that matters

I am gonna shine...shine...shine....

the supernanny trick

A week ago, I watched oprah show and it featured jo frost, the supernanny. There was a story about a family who was having difficulty making their children go to bed at night. "Oooh...this is something I can relate to," I thought. The trick is to try to (once again) detach from the child. My wonderful son, Akram has been sleeping with me since he was born. I need him to sleep in his own room because he's getting bigger now and going to start 'real school' soon.

So yes, I have and must follow the trick. Oh my God the first night was horrible! We usually cuddle until he falls asleep, but no more cuddle from now on, baby! I tucked him in, read him his favorite bed time story (which I made up myself...it's about a boy who's about to get bitten by a shark and then his heroic father rescues him...hehehe). And then, I sat on a chair by the bed, avoiding eye contact (this is an essential part). So he cried and cried and cried...all night long...begging me to sleep with him, to cuddle him. Gosh...I almost lost it. After about 2 or 3 hours of crying and tantrums...he finally gave up and slept. Well, Akram is a fighter alright! I ended up crying myself because I was sad, angry, and tired at the same time. It went on for three days...but after that, he understands this routine. Akram finally realizes that his mom is not going to cuddle him all the way to dreamland...but he knows that I'm there, I'm sitting there beside him, looking out for him. That's the most important thing for him.

I'm glad I followed this trick. I wasn't nice at first, but every tears paid off. Right now, Akram is able to sleep without cuddling, just a simple hug, kiss and story telling...and he's off to some good night sleep. Thank you Supernanny!!!

Malu Aku...

Hari ini aku malu jadi orang Indonesia. Tadi aku ke supermarket seberang rumah, ketemu seorang pekerja RT dari Indonesia. Mulailah dia cerita soal penderitaan para TKW. Soal mereka disiksa sama majikan itu sudah biasa. Tapi yang paling menyakitkan dan menyedihkan, kalau mereka lapor ke KBRI atau konsulat sering tidak ditanggapi. Kabarnya ada oknum-oknum yang suka membajak 2 bulan gaji pertama perempuan-perempuan malang ini. Duh...kok tega-teganya sama bangsa sendiri begitu, ya?

Belum lagi begitu sampai tanah air, sederet 'preman-preman' bandara siap menagih pungli. Belum cukup, dalam perjalanan pulang menuju kampung ada juga orang-orang nggak tahu malu yang minta jatah. Jadi total para pekerja itu harus mengeluarkan jutaan rupiah untuk urusan yang nggak jelas. Padahal mereka itu hasil kerja penuh cucuran keringat selama 20 jam sehari.

Kenapa begini ya??? Beda banget sama perlakuan Filipina sama tenaga kerjanya. Pahlawan Devisa, begitu julukannya. Setelah aku pikir-pikir, bagaimana Indonesia bisa dihargai sama bangsa lain, wong menghargai bangsanya sendiri aja nggak bisa. Iya nggak sih? Tapi kejadian ini (sebelumnya aku nggak pernah ngobrol sama TKW, cuma baca atau dengar-dengar beritanya saja) membuat aku berkaca pada diri sendiri juga. Jujur, kadang-kadang aku juga suka tidak menghargai PRT yang kerja di rumahku. Mereka makan terpisah, makanannya lain, kita 'refer' mereka sebagai "orang belakang". Memang ada ya orang depan sama orang belakang? Aduh, jadi malu sendiri. Pokoknya aku janji sama diriku sendiri, kalau aku nggak bisa memperlakukan PRT sejajar, berarti lebih baik aku mengerjakan semuanya sendiri dan biar tahu menghargai beratnya pekerjaan itu (udah sih).