Farm Visit

My son is turning 9 . Last week we talk about how we will celebrate his birthday. As a winter child these past 6 years we celebrated his birthday indoors due to chilly weather. This year we are staying in Jakarta with 29 degree almost everyday. Wow..what a life, this year we are escaping winter, no more below 0 C degree.

Anyway, I told Omar that birthday is not always about big celebration or big party. Birthday also means spending quality time with people that he loves or doing hobbies that he likes. So we talked about any possible activities we might do on his birthday.

It turned out there is a new nursery Kuntum Farm Field in Bogor that we haven't visit yet. Children can pet baby animals and feed sheep and cows with milk bottle. It's a perfect choice for his birthday since we are going to invite Omar cousins too (which are still in their toddler years).

So yesterday we went there and the children love every minute of it.

Our Last Heinerfest, 2011

Summer is a festival season. Time to go outdoors and enjoy the sun. Every year Darmstadt state hold an annual festival, first the Schlossgraben Fest - music festival and second, the Heinerfest, a celebration of being Heiners (a Heiner is a person who is born and live in Darmstadt, Hessen, Germany).

This year is our 3rd Heinerfest and sadly, will be our last. Fortunately recent days weather is great, it's about 14 - 22 C degree, so we can enjoyed both the summer cool breeze and all the festivities.

Der Heiner und Die Heinerin

The Rocket, wished I have the guts to fly up there.

The Rocket project.

As today is the last day, children fare is half price. I took Omar to toss some fun around and enjoy being ein Heiner one last time. This year my son claimed he has no interest on the normal horse riding carousel. This year he wanted to go to The Pirates House, Ghost Riding House and Laughter House. 

The Captain

The Pirate

Die papagei

The Treasure

However, once he got out from the pirate ship, he forgot he was planning to go to the ghost ride house. He said that the horse riding carousel is after all more fun than the ghostly pirate house. What do you know, he is still my toddler.

This year we didn't go to Herrngarten to watch the closing of Heinerfest fireworks. Instead we went to the rooftop of our apartment and enjoy the fireworks from afar. Below is the video of the last year fireworks, hope you can enjoy it too.


Fireworks Heinerfest 2010 from Fad Sat on Vimeo.

Kite Festival Malang 2011

The Kite Festival took place in Malang, Indonesia on 18 - 19 June 2011. About 60 giant kites were competing for the mayor award. How I wished I was there to see these magnificent kites flying. I saw this pictures of colorful kites in my friends facebook albums and ask his permission to publish it in my blog. I hope I wouldn't be wrong to share these amazing pictures with you. These pictures taken by Ambar Setiawan, they are my favorite kites by far.

Sang Naga

After a week of the Royal Wedding

One week after the Royal Wedding...the fever has already gone. What with the news of Osama bin Laden deaths and roasted Trump. Just wondering were you watching the royal TV at home or on the public spot with others ? I was happened to be in Postdam Platz, Berlin at 12 PM on 29 April 2011. So I watched the Royal Wedding thru a big screen in front of the Post Dam Theater.

Obviously people were sharing their excitement on that special day...
and of course we all wish the happy couple all the best on their new journey..
and...last piece of every woman thought this week is..

the most important thing is to calm down..Prince Harry is still single.

(source : bippity boppity bo)

Oh well..I am expecting a happy weekend this week, what with the bbq invitation and picnic plan..

hope you all have a free of worry weekend too !!

I Heart U. Today.

I've read those words on the bus advertisement today. 

What are you doing today..have you buy something for your loved ones ? 

An ice cream treat, a box of chocolate or sweet cakes that both of you could eat together?

Well, I  received these couple mugs for a treat this year..how 'bout it ?

Happy Valentine Day !!

Merry X-Mas

It started to snow heavily again here in DA, two days ago all the snow was vanished, washed away by the rain. But yesterday, persistently..the snow falling again. It's white Christmas this year...

People are staying home with their loved ones today.
Last week I saw a man bought a Christmas tree.

 I wondered how they were going to decorate it...

"Wishing you the light of faith,

 the warmth of home, the love of family-- 

all the deepest joys of Christmas."

(Hallmark e-cards)

on this date..

On this date...6 years ago..we said "I do" to each other...

On this date...6 years ago...we celebrated our marriage..

On this date...6 years ago..we are officially Mr & Mrs S...

I have always been amazed by couples who celebrate their 25th, 30th, 40th or even more 50th's wedding anniversaries. Wonder how they could reach those amazing accomplishment...wonder how they get through all those years together...how they persistently fight for any challenge they may have...how they stay together and not losing their insanity (*wkwkw)...

Six years is only the beginning of those milestones...we may not be a perfect couple nor the most romantic one and the road is still long and wild out there...but we try hard to accept each other flaws (at least i think so)..and enjoy the best of what life offers today.. savour it while it lasts...

Happy Anniversary, my hubby...

Michael in Bubble

I can not believe, it was almost a month ago that I went to Michael Buble concert in Frankfurt. This post had been saved inside my blog for that long..unpublished.

Oh well, the concert was amazing, he was as cute as ever until he announced that he was engaged to his beautiful Argentinian girlfriend. However, he sang beautifully on his concert that I couldn't love him more. Here's some pictures I took on his concert, I hope you like 'em.

He was of course in bubbles..

Can't help but I found myself capturing his cute faces all night long..

wouldn't be the same without the perfect band

the stage..the lighting..everything made the concert worthy every cents..

and don't forget about the wonderful audience...

last but not least...the closing confetti...super !!

Frankfurt Book Fair

The annual Frankfurt Book Fair was held 2 weeks ago.

 The last time I went there was in 1994, quite a long time ago. 

This time my visit was clearly on different intentions. 

This year I was attracted to the home section, cooking books and home decorations stuff....ehm.

Does anyone ever feel the same like me ? 

Being a mother change your reading directions ? oh noooo !!

If they displayed those recipes and set the table the way they did
how could not one feels hungry when they saw those delicious books..

feels like you are ready for dinner...(*chuckled)

and the cooking demo..
have you seen Nigella Lawson around ?

How I tempted to go to the Paris cook Book Fair next year....(*wink)

and what do you know...

I came home with a gardening book,

 this one will be my best friend for easing my winter this year...

Grow Herbs - Jekka McVicar - DK

So how 'bout you any favorite books you can recommend me to read this coming winter ?

Selamat Hari Kemerdekaan Indonesia !!

Cinta, cinta, cinta Indonesia
negeri bagaikan permata
persada bermandi cahaya (gemilang)

Oh tanah air beta

nan elok rupawan
inilah senandung pujaan

Cinta, cinta, cinta Indonesia
laut nan membiru terbentang
di langit bertaburan bintang (benderang)

Oh ibu pertiwiku

nan elok rupawan
inilah lagu persembahan

Ya Tuhan kudengar bisikmu
di kesyahduan suara seruling
kala malam yang hening
Menggugah jiwaku
menyadarkanku
senantiasa
setia mengabdi
berbakti
dan aku pun berseru

Cinta, cinta, cinta Indonesia
padamu beta t'lah menyatu
padamu beta kan setia (membela)

Oh tanah tumpah darah

nan suci mulia

inilah janjiku padamu

- Cinta Indonesia Guruh Soekarno Putra -

Heinerfest 2010

There are so many things going on here in DA this week. Despite the hot temperature that reach 37 C degree, we actually had a great time enjoying the Heinerfest that has been held from July 1 - July 5. If you are wondering what a heinerfest is...a Heinerfest is a festival and a celebration for a Heiner..a Darmstadt-er, therefore this festival is exist only in Darmstadt and it has been going on for 60 years now.

On this festival you can find from carousels to roller coasters, from children to grandparents, all can enjoy the games in this festival, somehow you would feel like you are in a Disneyland with all those games. The only different from Disneyland is that fare for this games are so much cheaper !! What amazes me most is that they installed all the games and a huge playground in the middle of the city 3 days before and the festival will go on only for 5 days.....after that they would wrap up again those giant spielzeug....(so much work for 5 days of fun times !!). All of this for a celebration of being a heiner..haha..

You can also try Deutsche traditional cookies and Sussigkeit (sweets) here. Bratwurst, pretzel, crepes, chocolates, mini doughnuts, hasselnuss ice cream (my favorite - *wink), lemonade...all you can eat..sluuurrp..

So many people came not only from Darmstadt but also from other cities nearby. If you are lucky you can see Deutsch traditional street performers here. You can feel that Darmstadt-ers were full of enthusiasm for this festivity and the stadt (the city government) is trying hard not to disappoint the Heiners.

On its closing day, they gather the people inside Herrngarten to view the spectacular fireworks at almost midnight. So I went to Herrngarten with my son and my friend Sella, we sat on they grass where everybody had already gathered and at 22.30, the fireworks begun. My son was excited as this is his first time watching the fireworks right on top of his head (*wink). So just like that... the festival was ended beautifully.