3/17/2014

Happy birthday, Mama!

This date will forever be in my heart, and every year on this date it will always be a remembrance of her love. 


My mom was a really nice lady, everyone loved her. She was a kind-hearted indeed, besides caring for us of course, she also cared for others. Such a big heart she has that she cared for every being. 

She sorted our garbage and kept the recyclable for the scavenger, she would gave it to the scavenger. 

Once she came home from work in the middle of a heavy rain, she found a little bird looking cold in the corner of our porch, she took it inside, put it in a box to keep it warm and gave it some food. 

When she bought some fish from the fish seller and she found out that a fish was still alive, she kept it in a pail and let it live “a little bit longer”. Unfortunately I wasn’t like her, nobody ever taught me this, it may sound gruesome but as a child I used to like catching grasshoppers and kept them in the plastic and then I would fill the plastic with water to let them drown or just separating the legs. My mom definitely never taught me that. 

So now you know why the fish only got to live a little bit longer than its fate on the chopping board. I didn’t cut it up into pieces, I just played with it, I took it out from the pail with a fish net and put it back into the pail. On and on and on, until it met Jesus, hehe. I don’t take after my mom’s personality. I’m a cold-hearted person and I’m not as nice and kind as her.


Anyway, thanks Ma for your sacrifice, you barely have any spare time for yourself, you took care of us, you raised me for this 24 years of my life. Thanks for putting up with me.


Until this time I never truly feel that she left, often I think that she will come home from work and I want to ask her something. It never fails to give me security, it feels like mom knows best indeed, mom have the answer to everything.


I remember one time it was a school holiday, my brother and I were home but dad was out of town for work. One of mom’s friends called her to go out for a reunion. She asked us first whether she could go or not but my brother and I didn’t let mom go. I thought that I wanted to spend more time with mom at home by reasoning that no one would cook for us for the day. Then she ended up not going. Sorry mom for taking up your time and your freedom.


 Credit to whoever made this cake for his/her mom. 
That is such a pretty cake.
 I envy you because u made it for her. I wasn't that lucky.



The photo was taken at The Bund on summer 2012. I skipped my ECG rotation because I didn't get summer holiday during my internship. But glad that I spent my time with them because time is your most precious gift, when you give someone your time, you are giving them a portion of your life that you'll never get back. I showed them my life and they were literally there to be a part of it. Mom looked tired here, she was always tired because she is a career woman, a housewife and a supermom. Thanks for everything, Ma!


Happy birthday, Ma! I love you!
 

3/14/2014

The Adventure to The Ancestors' Homeland #5 : 小吃街

This was another trip I took to Shanghai with some friends while we were still in our freshmen year. Sadly, this place is no longer exist because as I remember it was located across the subway station by Marks & Spencer. And when we went again to look for this place, we couldn't find it anymore. The road where it was located has now changed a lot. There used to be only Marks & Spencer and few stores. Now, this place has changed into a commercial walking street with modern buildings and lots of branded store chains like Zara, H&M, GAP, American Eagle Outfitters.


XiaoChi Jie was located at WuJiang Lu. 小吃 means snack and 街 means street, so 小吃街 means the snack street.





You can find many food vendors of local snacks there. I am not a big fan of the snacks so when I went there I didn't really buy anything. I just enjoyed taking pictures, hehe. 





spotlight on the roast ducks


Their conversation were probably like this (in Indonesian).
Guy : Neng, ini hen haochi loh neng. Mau ga abang beliin?
Girl : Masa sih?
Pardon the wild imagination of mine.


More pics. 


Lady : Mbak, ini apa ya?


There's always a long queue in front of every stall.




That was 小吃街 that has been replaced by tall buildings. Now you can find some fancy bakeries, Korean restaurants, ramen shop, pho, Krispy Kreme, Starbucks, Yoshinoya and more restaurants with familiar names over there instead of these.



- meLLe -

3/12/2014

hi Bambi

Today's doodle!

Bambi

3/09/2014

the month of march

Here is March, the third month. Missing mom..


It's been already one year since mom left, how time flies..


It's almost mom's birthday and if she was still here she'll be turning 55 this month. 

Our lives has been very different without her because she is our sun and our lives revolved around her. 
Missing her waking me up everyday before going to work, missing her waking me up relentlessly on Sundays, scolding me to go shower, preparing breakfast, missing going to church with her, her chatting with other ladies while buying kuehs, then leading an always hard conversation where to go for lunch, shopping groceries, cooking dinner and watching TV with her. 

And recently, the mom of a friend of mine had just passed away. My heart breaks for you. Words just couldn't explain. But I know for sure, they will always live in our hearts.



- meLLe -

3/03/2014

The Adventure to The Ancestors' Homeland #4 : Formula 1

Bringing back the excitement of watching the expensive sport, Formula 1! 


I barely remember how much I enjoyed the euphoria of Formula 1. I started watching F1 probably since the season when Kimi Raikkonen was with the McLaren team and almost entitled The World Champion, only second to Alonso by slight difference. I was still in high school and I liked Formula 1 so much that I dreamt someday I had to watch it live. The dream came true sooner than I thought apparently. 

The once in a lifetime experience 2008!




 Weehee, the feeling when entering the venue! I could smell the racing spirit already!






The view from our seats. Anxiously waiting for the race to start.




Let the games begin!

That's Kimi going out from the pit stop!





It was really different watching Formula 1 live from the circuit and watching it on TV. But I think it'd be my 'first time in forever' and 'once for ever' because although the sound of the F1 car engines blaring gives you rush, it wasn't efficient going to the circuit somewhere-far-away on the city side, sitting and sunbathing to see the cars passing you for few seconds then whroom gone. You don't even have any idea what's happening in the race or who's leading, you still need to check the screen eventually. 




At this actual distance..

My vision is 6/6 but those were really hard to be seen.
 
It was very memorable tho and definitely worth seeing for once. 
Glad that I did!



Bye now! 
Thanks for the memories ~



- meLLe -