Tea Plantation

My Indonesian Heritage group organized a walking/hiking trip to a nearby tea plantation yesterday. It was wonderful to spend 3hrs walking outside, breathing in some fresh air while working up a sweat. The workers of the plantation get to live on the grounds while they are able to work. Thus, the little village is jam packed with young children. It's always so nice to meet local kids and put a smile on their face by something as simple as taking their picture and saying "hello". We had a nice local lunch at a nearby resort restaurant after our hike. Unfortunately the day ended on a sour note as I spent 4hrs in the car coming home - traffic everywhere! I think I'll stay away from that area for while - it's left me a bit scarred.

Lombok

We've just returned from a relaxing holiday in Lombok, an island near Bali however a lot more quiet and pristine. We decided to take our wonderful nanny along this time to enjoy the evenings. Our resort room was perfect for our needs - 2 bedrooms, living/dining room and kitchenette, all for just over $100 CAD. Josh and Jen met up with us on day 2 with their amazing Thailand and Bali stories. We spent the next 2 days just hanging out, catching up, and watching Maya in the pool. The kid cannot get enough of hopping, swimming, splashing and anything else you can do in a kiddie pool. She is not so keen however on the ocean, a little too messy, loud and scary. The following day we ventured out on the "Dolphin" to the Gili islands. The highlight of our trip was snorkeling off the coast of Gili Air. We saw tons of beautiful, colorful fish, huge lobsters and a sea turtle! We ate like kings, enjoyed the sunshine and enjoyed each other's company ... it doesn't get better than that! Until next time Lombok (which may be sooner than later).

Things that make you go hmm ...

How is it possible that you show up at a Japanese restaurant and they are out of sushi but yet serve you cooked fish? Why is it when you ask for no sugar in your drink, it comes instead with a sugary syrup? When have you ever gone to a bank that rejected to buy your American bill because it has a fold in it? What would you do if people constantly tried to touch your child and take pictures of her? Who would you complain to when no one understands what you're saying? Where does one start to help the countless mouths begging for food and money? These are some of the frustrating elements about living in Indonesia. Some we have come to grin and bear, trying to stay composed in times of frustration. Yet others, the ones that really matter, are so difficult to see and understand. The key to living happily here, is to acknowledge to ourselves each and every day how extremely lucky and blessed we are to have all that we have. If there is one thing I will take away from this experience, it is that.

Our little actress

There comes a time in every child's life when they fall in love with themselves through their own reflection. Maya loves nothing more than staring at herself in the mirror, making all kinds of faces, especially after bath.

Peter Visits Indonesia

Our 2nd visitor has just come and gone. It was a great few weeks spending more time with my brother than I have ever done before. Maya certainly loved spending time with her "Wojo Peter", especially playing her favorite game of "What's your name?". Peter and I were able to get away for a few days for a wonderful trip around Bali. A few days chilling at the beach was followed by an extremely rocky boat trip to Nusa Penida Island. Despite having amazing snorkeling, unfortunately did not impress us due to the rough waters to and from the island. We took a breathtaking bike tour through the rice paddies and villages of Ubud and were extremely lucky to come across the early celebrations of the Balinese holiday Nyepi. After some shopping, we drove to the second largest volcano on the island, Mount Batur. The drive to and from the volcano allowed us to visit a number of Balinese temples, coffee plantations, and local markets throughout central Bali.

The morning after arriving back in Jakarta, we drove to the Puncak (embassy owned cottage approx. 1hr outside the city), where the boys got to enjoy another game of golf. A relaxing weekend by the pool led us back to the city for more dinners out, movies and of course massages.

Thanks for the visit Peter and hopefully you will look back fondly at the new experiences and memories made.

Maya turns 2!

I'm sure every parent feels this way, but I cannot believe that the little baby I rocked to sleep not long ago is now a little girl. Two years have just flown by and when I look at Maya`s baby photos and videos, I have a hard time remembering her being so small.

Maya had a wonderful 2nd birthday party last Sunday. We ended up with a full house, 14 adults and 8 kids altogether. She especially enjoyed the Dora balloons, Dora cake, Dora decorations ... yes, the theme was Dora. A huge highlight of the party was an Australian friend of ours who once has a guitar in hand, calls himself Aussie Bob, serenaded the kids with fun songs which they all sang and danced to. A belly full of pizza and cake, Maya crashed afterwards and didn`t wake up until 7:30 the next morning! Birthday was a success, although many people were dearly missed. Now ... on the potty training!

Long Weekend in KL

With this past Thursday being Chinese New Year and Sunday being Jared's birthday, we decided it was a great idea to get away from Jakarta for a few days.

Kuala Lumpur was the perfect destination for what we needed and wanted to do. No traffic, sidewalks to push the stroller down, parks, good food and of course culture.

We began our holiday with a visit to Chinatown. We were expecting bustling parades veering through the streets with many onlookers on the sidelines. Instead we were led through crowded streets with vendors selling knock-off purses, watches and the worst replica of Tiffany bracelets I have ever seen. Not what we expected, but nonetheless, an experience.

The following day was spent at a beautiful butterfly park which was like a scene out of the Enchanted Garden. Hundreds of butterfly species whisked around, sometimes even landing on us, all the while the sound of water fountains trickled in the background. Following the butterfly park, we visited the largest outdoor bird aviary in the world. A bit louder, but still amazing to see that many birds, most of which were freely flying around your head! Jared especially fell in love with a little parakeet that took a liking to his forehead sweat.

One of the highlights of KL, was a short 15km drive outside the city to a Hindu shrine called Batu Caves. After climbing the 272 steps to the top (yes, Maya too, although she had some help), we entered these breathtaking limestone caves where Hindi worshipers have been coming to pray for over 100 years.

Last but certainly not least, we got up close and personal with the Petronas towers which are still the tallest twin towers in the world. Maya however had more fun running around the water fountains and away from Daddy.

All in all, a great 4 days away in a great city.