Christmas Holiday - Day 2

All our hotel rooms were twin beds room.  So, in my room, I shared the bed with Renni, and Nico was using the other bed.  One time at night, I suddenly heard a 'bump', I looked at Nico's bed. It was empty, so he must have been fell. So I waited to see if he would cry.  But unexpectedly, he stood up, put a big grin on his face, climbed back to the bed, and continued his sleep.  I just could not help to laugh if I remember this incident.

Morning activities

In the morning, Nico was waking up early, about 5.30 (I wonder if he remember the falling experience).  He was very excited, using the binocular to see some monkeys at the tree accross the street from our room's window. Then he ran outside to see Yudhis, who was already waking up too. After a while in Yudhis' room, he went to the other side to wake his aunt up.

There was not much in the morning plan. We freshened ourself, then went down to the breakfast area. After breakfast, some of us went to the swimming pool while the others to the parking area to fly the kite.

For Nico, it was his first 'real' swimming experience (discounted the playing at the pool-side in our apartment at Kelapa Gading when he was only a few months old). At the beginning, he was excited but also afraid to go in the pool.  But when he was accustomed to the water, he started to enjoy playing in the pool and splashing water.

 Yudhis and Vitvit played with the slide

 Water splashing

 Shower after swimming

Check-out and Lunch

At about 11am, we packed our things and ready to check-out from the hotel. Still, the check-out process took us some time. Then we proceed to our next check-point: LUNCH.

We went to Bandar Djakarta, which is just beside the hotel.  It is a seafood restaurant, where you can choose your own food -fish, shrimp, shellfish- before they are cooked for you.  This restaurant is very well placed.  The atmosphere is just right.  You can smell the sea while you are eating since it IS very close to the open sea.

 Choose your own seafood 

 Posing in the restaurant

After the lunch, we took a ride in a boat.  There are two boats available for the visitors of Bandar Djakarta restaurant. The boat will go with a minimum of 6 person on board, since there were 12 of us, we took one boat just for our family. It was just a quick round, but we could really feel the wave when the boat took us to the open sea. A really great experience!

 

Preparing to board the boat

In the boat

Closing the holiday

The boat trip was our last activity in Ancol.  After the trip we all got back to the cars and left Ancol.  The next and last stop to close the whole holiday trip was Pondok Indah Mall.  It was chosen because it is just located in our way home.  From the mall, we went on separate ways to our own home.

Christmas Holiday - Day 1

Our family started the christmas holiday today. The plan for this holiday started from the beginning of this year. The original plan was going to Bali, but since the economic crisis hit Indonesia and increase all costs, the plan changed.  

First stop : Kite Museum

There were three cars that used for this trip, one from Parung, one from Bintaro, and one from BSD. Our first destination, and also the rendezvous point, is the Indonesia Kite Museum located at Jl. H. Kamang Pd Labu - Jakarta Selatan.  

In the museum, the guide showed us the video of the story of kites around the world, then we were taken to see the sample of kites.  There were so many forms of kites from Indonesia and the whole world, even in form we had never seen before, like the form of a ship, chariot, and bicycle.  There are also kites that looks like cylinders, and a very small kite which only about 2cmx2cm!

 Different kind of kites from around the world

  Very small kite!

After we saw the kites, it was time to join the workshop.  We made our own kites!  The museum guide showed us how to make our own kites, while the smaller kids colored the drawings in smaller kites.  These activities proven to be a lot of fun for all of us.  For the children it was even more exciting since they might have never seen a real kite before.  After we finished making the kite, it was time to try it.  We all tried to fly the kites, but none of us was successful.

 Coloring and creating kites.

 Kids trying to fly the kite,

We also had our lunch in the museum.  We brought the food from home, so it was plenty of food for all of us.  We even have some leftovers to take to the hotel.

The hotel : Mercure Ancol

The next stop was the hotel.  We got some rooms at the Mercure Hotel in Ancol area.  It is a holiday season now, so almost all the rooms in the hotel had already occupied. Luckily we had our reservation a month ago and we could get four rooms for our family.  But since the hotel was considerably crowded, it took some time just to check-in and get our keys, and took a short rest.

Night activities

It was not clear what was the original plan for dinner, but the final decision was going to Pizza Hut located not very far from the hotel. Some pizzas, chicken wings, salads, spaghetties, and soup sure made our stomach full.  Even Krisna and Nico who were just had their afternoon meal at the hotel still enjoying the dinner.

After dinner, we went to visit the wedding of a family of a friend. Then we planned to go to the 'Kota Tua', but since the children had already exhausted and they were falling asleep in the car, we just drove back to the hotel and decided to called it the night.

Christmas Mass at St Ignatius Church - Atang Sendjaja Airforce base

Saint Ignatius L church located in Atang Sendjaja Airforce Base, in an area known as Semplak, which is an area close to Parung.  This year, the christmas masses for the catholic people in a large part of Bogor District area was concentrated in this church.

Actually there should be another Catholic churches in this district.  But their activity had stopped for this christmas time, since there are rejection from -what so called- the surrounding citizen.  Some churches also 'under supervision' of the Religious Community Communication Forum (or FKUB - Forum Komunikasi Umat Beragama) who tells these churches to stop their activities.  This problem had arose from the last Easter time, when some people came to one of the church and forced the church to stop the Good Friday mass.

So, this St Ignatius church is the one that was still having massed this christmas.  That's why there were so many people in every mass.  All the 'indoor' seats had already taken even about 45 minutes before the mass begun.  

But all the masses had running well this year, thanks to the security provided by the airforce personnels. 

Christmas in Parung

This year, we spent the christmas in Parung, just like last year.  Nico was picked-up by his auntie two days before christmas, while I and Renni went on the 24th.  We stay on Nico's grandma's home. There were increase of activities can be seen a day before christmas in the house, which mostly were the cooking.  

Christmas Eve

At night, on christmas-eve, after we all went to church, the children were playing with fireworks... lots of fireworks.  Nico and his cousins and friends were playing and running around in front of the house, holding and throwing the fireworks. They played until exhausted. On about 10pm, Nico got back into the house, cleaned up, hit the bed and went to sleep almost instantly.

So, after the kids went to sleep, we started the 'santa's job'.  Wrapped the presents, put on the name of the receiver on the presents, and arranged them under the tree.  And then hit the bed.

Christmas Day

On Christmas morning, everybody got busy. We all prepared ourselft to go to church. Nico, who was not going on the christmas eve mass, was also joining the mass for christmas morning, since it was the 'children' mass.  All the children were bringing a present for the infant Jesus.  

We were going for the 9am mass at Atang Sendjaja's St Ignatius church. After the communion, the children were queue for the blessing, and then went to the nativity scene to present their gifts.  After the mass, every child got a goodie bag!

Opening the presents

The kids could not wait to get home after the mass.  They knew that the presents were waiting under the tree. So, as soon as they got home, they were looking for their name on the presents and opened it.  They all seemed excited, even though they didn't get all of their wish list, they were all happy. Even the dogs have their present!

Christmas feast

What everybody waiting for were the christmas feast.  It would not be christmas without the christmast feast. At this time,  there were no diet applied :)  Since the relatives could not came for some reasons, there were an abundant supply of foods, so we could bring them home :D.

Gramedia Grand Indonesia

We were visiting Grand Indonesia today, because there's 30% discount for books in Gramedia during the grand launching this December.  Actually there was not much in the 'shopping list', since we have already visiting the re-opening of gramedia Citraland last month and spend much money back then. 

The store is really 'grand', there are enough spaces for visitors. So, the one who enjoy the day was Nico. He sat on the carpet near the book's stacks and browsing the books about cars and tractors.

One of the interesting spot is the windows facing the 'Bundaran HI', where Nico saw some tow-trucks passing by.

Nico at Pondok Indah Mall

This afternoon, instead of picking up mommy at the usual 'pickup point' near the BSD post office, Nico picked up mommy at the Pondok Indah Mall.

Arrived at the mall, we went to Pizza Hut and ordered a Personal Pan of Meat Lover pizza, which have so many -- Nico's favorite--sausages.  Nico seemed to like the cheesy crust and --of course-- the sausages. 

Mommy came and join us at the restaurant.  After finishing the meal, we all went down to see the miniature trains displayed at the atrium.  Nico was very excited when he saw the displayed trains from above, but when he actually arrived at the scene he seemed to afraid of the sound of  'coal-powered' train.  

He prefer to see the other toys that are displayed along the mall.  He even took one of the toy of a fire-truck, car, and an ambulance.  And I had to negotiate to make him put that toy back to the shelf.

SHS Teacher's end of year feast

To close the year of 2008, the Senior High teachers of Saint John's gather together and had lunch at Pondok Seafood BSD.  This event started by games lead by Mr Robbet, which mostly were guessing games. 

After the games, we started the 'feast'.  The food were exceptional. We have crabs, fishes, and other seafood.

Then the exchange of gifts took place after the lunch.  This was the interesting part, since we have to say something about the gift or the person who will received the gift.

The whole event was closed by (christmas?) message delivered by Mr Jack, Mr Severo, Mr Julius, and Mr Ansel, and a 'give thanks' song.

Nico had a haircut

We went to Nico's grandpa's house today.  And when grandpa saw Nico's hair, he took Nico to the barbershop not too far away from the house. 

Nico is a 'regular customer' for this old and nice barber.  When he was taken for the first time, he was still afraid and start to cry after a while.  But today, he seemed to 'enjoy' the haircut. Occasionally, he suddenly laugh because the razor tickled him. 

The haircutting was not take long, since it only used the razor to do the work.  To ensure safety, no scissors was used.  And after the barber finished the work, grandpa took Nico to the supermarket accross the street where he got the Dinosaurs toys.

Nico with the new 'shaolin-style' head!

Visiting School for Children with Special Needs

One social-act program of Saint John's School this year is a visit to a school for children with special needs (SLB) and an old-folks' home (panti jompo). And today, I was assigned to accompany (and take pictures) of the SLB visit.

This SLB visit was an event for students from grade 11 and 12, accompanied by Mr Mario as the program director, Ms Joice, and me.  We departed from BSD to Pamulang using a military truck. The students were quite excited, even though some of them had to stand all the way to the SLB.

At the SLB, each student (or with a partner) was assigned to a class. They had to assist the children in that class.  When the students saw the disable-kids for the first time, there were signs of fears and doubts in their faces.  It was a view that they have never seen before.  Children in this facility have mental retardation conditions.  Some of them have also other disability, they have speaking and/or hearing problems. Some even have to stay in a wheelchair.

After Saint John's students mingled for a while, they eventually get used to interact with the kids. Some of the students even seemed to have fun together!

One thing for sure if you see this kind of school, the children with special needs... is that you should be thankful for what you are now with all your abilities.

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Junior High Pre-reunion Meeting at PIM

Group photo after the meeting. The boys' photo is "a little" blurred, thanks to a 'non-professional' photographer, hahahaha....

Allen, Bowo, Mothe, Anti, Willy.

Richard, Boyke, Stevie -- Defina and Ardi, who always argue on something that is not important -- Tutie and Alvin who is busy on the phone.

St Antonius Junior High Class of 1989-1992 pre-reunion meeting at Bistro Delafrance Cafe Pondok Indah Mall.  Most of us have not seen each other for 16 years.  So the 3 hours meeting was mostly used to share stories and exchange phone numbers.