Mudik Surabaya/Salatiga, 20-31 Dec 2007

20 December 2007, we took Silk Air flew back to Surabaya. At about 09.00AM we reached Surabaya and Shirley's family already there waited for us (*20 Dec is a public holiday both in Singapore & Indonesia, that is why they could come & picked us up*). From airport, we direct went to Claket for a break. Evening we went back to Surabaya.

21 - 22 December, just went to visit our grandma (seen here in the photo, she already 98 years old, but still very healthy & alert), aunt/uncle, and also went out with Hernanto/Melani. They brough us to try RUJAK SOTO, specialities from Banyuwangi.. It is really rujak petis mixed with Soto Babat.. can't imagine it, just try it. If you want to know where u can get it in Surabaya, just let me know.. I have their namecard (but I am not their marketing people ...)
Other than rujak soto, they also sell other dishes, but I still prefer this Rujak Soto.



23-25 December 2007
After Hadi finished work, at about 2 pm we departed to Semarang/Salatiga to visit Bagio's family. We went via North Road, but due to the many rain recently, the roads not so smooth, and we drove slowly.. We reached Semarang about 8pm, direct looking for NASI AYAM somewhere in Jalan MT Haryono. If you want to try Nasi Ayam, dont come after 8pm, most of them already finished and ready to pack... They start business at 6pm..!
Since, too tired, we just stay overnight at Hadi's brother at Tanah Mas.
The next morning, we proceeded to Salatiga, to visit Bagio's family.
We went to Kopeng and Coffee farm. Night time, we met Amin & family after so many years never met. We chatted until late.

Sen-sen & Ling-Ling brought us for 'lesehan' dinner at Mina Restaurang. The food is nice... Tks Sen/Ling.





Monday, 24 December 2007, Hermawan's family arrived from Jakarta after long hours drove.

Tuesday, 25 December 2007 we drove to Bandungan and then Semarang to have our lunch there. We ate at Koh Liem, traditional chinese food. Also bought pecel kangkung..

And.. of course we went to our house at Dliko Indah to harvest the mango that planted by my mother...
Every year, when we back to Salatiga, the mango is always there waiting for us....

26 December 2007

After breakfast, we proceed direct to Surabaya via Solo/Sragen.

On the half way to Sragen, we could not go on because of the flood. In the end, we had to make many turn back to avoid the flood until about 4 hours.

Is really thank God that we did not delay our trip back to Surabaya. Otherwise we could not back that day, because only about 2 or 3 hours later, many roads were block and impossible to pass it by vehicle, unless by boat.. :)

We reached Claket (Pacet) almost 10.30 pm after taken dinner on the way.

27-29 December 2007
Today we prepared simple feast to celebrate Theo's 7th years birthday (actual date is on 26th December, but since he wanted to celebrate it in Claket, then we celebrated on this day).

Everybody was busy, except the guys... haha... Since the kitchen is small, we prepared the food while sitting in the garden outside the kitchen. Very fun.. Our menu is: Sate, Corn Soup, Tahu, Mie Goreng, and of course birthday cake (the cake was bought lah, not bake ourselves).

Happy Birthday, our dear Theo..
God bless and leading you always in your future.. Amen.


Our photo in Claket and the foods that we ate there... hmmmmmm...........











30-31 December 2007

After church, we went to visit my god-sister, who is also my cousin, Vonny. She just give birth twin girls, Jennifer and Jessica, last 1st May 2007. Very cute nieces...

After that we went to some last minute shopping and lastly visit my 3rd uncle/aunt.

31 December afternoon we flew back to Singapore.
We reached our home at 10.00pm..

Happy New Year 2008............
After cleanse ourselves, we went to the dreamland with sweet memory from Indonesia.

Ipoh, 14-19 Dec. 2007

About 16 adults and 7 children by 5 cars we drove to Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.

We departed at 8.00am and stopped by at 2 resting place along the way (Ayer Keroh and Sungei Buloh Jejantas Restaurant) for lunch and restroom. We reached Ipoh about 5 pm.

Ipoh is known as "Mountain city", because its city is surrounding by the mountains. And, a lot of caves, but most of them already taken and use for religious purpose (both Chinese or Indian).

We stayed at Mee Ying's parents' house at Kuala Kuang Village, Chepor, Ipoh. Nearby there is a small river that the water flow from the spring on the mountain. The water is cold and clear. We really had a good time there... The place still original and nature. Only available one small eating place, simple toilet and changing place. This place is known as Ulu Chepor, Tambun.

Each one of us (except Bagio, who is the photographer) deep into the water and play happily.

We plan to come back here again, if there is any chance.
The cost to play in this place, if you drive is only RM 1.00 per car per entry, otherwise just walk in and dip into the water.
We celebrated Patrick birthday on 15 Dec with candle stick on durians... (as we forgotton to buy cake for him).

15 Dec 2007

After breakfast Yam Cha, we proceed to Gua Tempurung (means "Coconut Shell Cave"), located at Gopeng, Ipoh, near Kampar, about 30 minutes drive from Ipoh city.

Gua Tempurung is quite a large cave with beautiful stalagmites and stalactites.It is located inside Gunung Tempurung (Tempurung Mountain), which it is named after. The marble and limestone mountain is crossed completely by the 1.6-2 kilometer main passage with its cave river.

The cave was once used by the communist as a hideout between 1950 and 1960. They offer 4 different types of tours, both dry or wet adventures. All tour will be accompanied with tour guide, who will explain and shows us different type of formation, such as elephant, boar, car, long hair lady, Osama bin Laden, etc.

We joint the second tour, Top of the World, which is the highest point of the main passage. Here at platform five the developed part of the cave ends. The tour guide told me, why they called this part "TOP OF THE WORLD" is because in this place we can reach the ceiling of the cave (for those with enough height and at certain point only). We are at the highest point of the cave, before we turned back. The journey will take about 1.5 hours go and return, depend on how fast we walk and how many times we stopped for rest, as we need to climb the stair case that quite high.

Is worth to visit this place.

For those who understand Malay/Bahasa Indonesia, can get more story from this blog... http://www.geocities.com/dethate/guatempurung.htm

More information in English with the tour/ticket price can be seen from http://www.cuti.com.my/outdoor/caves/tempurung_rate.

17 December 2007
Morning we went to try Ipoh White coffee... is really nice! Also tried the curry cing jong fun (sometimes like horfun), very unique and nice. After that we proceed to Sitiawan/Manjung to visit the saints there..
In Sitiawan we had seafood lunch and try the famous es chendol. Look at the way the seller dressed...

The chendol very nice, only RM 1.00 per bowl... The location is near Indian's temple in Manjung.

The Ipoh food that you have to try, at least:

1. Chicken Bread at Restaurant Yau Kee ("Roti Ayam") at Kampar.

Available in 2 sizes and 2 flavour: curry and herbs. Both very nice. The price Small RM 25.00, Big RM43.00.
They also sell other dishes and chicken biscuits which are very famous snacks from Ipoh.


2. Ipoh horfun/kweetiau with taoge chicken at Restauran Ong Kee (Tauge ayam), Jl. Dato Tahwil Azar, Ipoh

The atmosphere is nice, dine on the road side with open sky (as long as no raining). At walking distance from this place you can find 'pasar malam' (night market), but you have to come after 8pm, as the night market is starts late.

3. Yam Cha at Ming Court Hongkong Tim Sum Sdn. Bhd.

They are serving small size of assorted Dim Sum. If we come with few people, we can try more varieties of dim sum. Remember to come early, otherwise has to wait very long and nothing left... as people of Ipoh like to come here to have breakfast and brunch.. especially on Weekend and public holiday.
The price per serving is about RM 2.00-RM6.00

4. White coffee at Old Town White Coffee, Jalan Persiaran Bijeh Timah

In this area, Old Town Ipoh, you can find many "kedai kopi" (coffee shop). They not only selling the famous white coffee, but also other snacks and dishes. We tried the Yong To Fu, Curry horfun, toast bread.

I like to the coffee taste from Sin Yuan Foong... very nice .. If you want to buy the coffee powder, buy the black one, not the three in one coffee. 600 gr will cost you RM 16.00, more expensive than the 3-in-1 package.
But somehow, when you do yourself at home, the taste will not be the same with if you drink it there...... any secret recipe????

5. Different types of Chinese Food
We tried: East Ocean Seafood Restaurant, Tuck Kee, Anika Selera (Dong Gu Ting), and some kopitiam and traditional market.

Happy New Year 2008

Wow.. time is flies.......
Now we are at 2008 already.

December 2007 was our good month and very enjoyable as we went for holiday to Ipoh and went back to Indonesia.....

I will write more about our experience with some pictures.....

For all of you there......... WISH YOU THE BEST FOR THE NEW YEAR 2008
MAY GOD THE ALMIGHTY BLESS EACH ONE OF US ACCORDING TO HIS MEASURE.

Robert & Katherine

Last week (27 Nov - 5 Dec) we got visitors from Surabaya, Robert & Katherine (Hernanto's sister) accompanied by Melani. They came to Singapore to seek a second opinion from the doctors here as Robert was diagnose with nasopharynx cancer (aka Nose cancer) stadium 4.
We all very shocked when we heard about this news as last October they just came to Singapore for some short holiday and everything was alright. The symptoms were only appear on 2 November and in the beginning the doctor was suspect it just a sinus problem.
After 2 weeks, suddenly his right eye's motoric was effected and can not move accordingly (deviation of the eyes) and his hearing also got problem. He went for MRI and the doctor vonnis him with Stadium 4 of Nasopharynx cancer. Further information about the cancer symptoms can be found here
The results from the doctor in Singapore also confirmed the results from Surabaya's doctor.

This case made me realize how life is really unpredictable. The life style also can cause a lot of problems if we are not careful.

I just wish the best for Robert and Katherine. May God blessing and guiding you to choose the best treatment to be healed.

Just for fun... Hady's family as Elfs..

Just found new software for fun... Enjoy it!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9550994090

Visiting from Overseas...

10 October 2007
Andreani Liem Wan Ming came to Singapore for training. We met at the lobby Grand Central Hotel for about 1 hour. Wan Ming was my boarding house mate when we were studying in UKSW, Salatiga (1983-1985). Now she is living in Surabaya, my hometown.



13-19 October 2007
Hernanto & Melani from Surabaya came to visit their daughter who is studying in Singapre, Stella.
They stayed with us while in Singapore.
I went to Vietnam, 14-17 Oct with them.

24 October 2007
Marian de Souza from Melbourne was here to visit her family. We went out for dinner with Richard & Chen2 at Toa Payoh. Unfortunately, forgot to take pictures.


1-5 November 2007
Two church friends from Davao, Phillippines (Sis. Perla and Sis. Consuelo) came to Singapore and stayed with us. Their group was 49 peoples and stayed in different houses. Others than Sis. Perla and Sis. Consuelo, Elena and John Chang (Korean but live in Manila) stayed in Bukit Gombak also.
Saturday, 3 November 2007, I brought them to Orchard for shopping and East Coast Park.




Then we went to Harvey Ave for the meeting.

Sunday, 4 November 2007, after church meeting, we brought 4 of them to Bugis for shopping, and continue with West Mall for last minute shopping and dinner at Sakei Sushi.




They flew back to Phillippines on Monday Morning, 5 Nov. 07. Bye... hope to meet up with u all again.!
God bless His Recovery.

7-10 November 2007

Fransisca from Jakarta is my bisnis partner and friend that always support me.

She came here for a short holiday and break.

I just brought her to Sentosa and VivoCity on 8 November 2007.