White holiday

This week, he will be home on Wed evening. Not many activities in the plant he said, I'd better work from home. I don't think he can work from home with 2 kids bugging him around all the times, espesially Rafee.
Weather wise, this weekend, we'll have sunny day, lucky, with white ground enough to make people who celebrate X'mas in classic mode excited than with dry brown grown. Warm enough for people staying outside waiting for electronic shop doors opened in the early morning on crazy boxing day sale. I am still sane, never willing to do that.

We have two gathering invitation, one dinner from Rashed's friend and one luncheon from my Indonesian girlfriend. Last year we got none.

2009 almost ends. Welcome 2010, I am so excited about it, many plans to arrange.. Rafee will start his playschool, I need to extend my PR card, register him to preschool, preparing for vacation to Indonesia, get back to my study. And so on... 

Incredible April

It's just ten days of April. We had a long Easter Holiday weekend, from Friday to Monday, with nasty weather. Only got one sunny tolerable day. Remaining, just dull days with rain and everlasting snow. For kids, they had new Easter experience, searching for fancy eggs on snowy grass.

I personally keep expecting whenever snow falling, that's gonna be last snow day. One day last week, I was on the busy to downtown, I overheard teens sitting next to me. They sounded full of complaints. I was giggling and a bit surprise too as they are Canadian born so they should be okay coping with "funny" weather. Of course not like me coming from other part of the world.

Enough complaining about weather!! we am as a passenger of this so-called the wonderful earth, we need to be ready to live in no matter happens in climate whether is gonna change or whether becoming warmer, or cooler we got to deal with it. Anyway, what we got now is consequence of what we have done in this world.. you can name it what is all about, mostly become hot political agenda for all those guys who sit in the government of all countries around the world.

Talking about government, April is taxing month. Great, we completed the tax report. This year we spent a bit of money to ask tax expert for calculating the tax refund as this year just a bit more complicated with presence of Rafee, and other things. What the expert found .. we will get less tax refund!! My husband was surprised, then he raised many whys to the expert. In fact we can't really claimed expense on Dependant.. but he gave some legal tricks if we wanna get some more refund tax.. we need to run home business. The point is we will pay less tax on our business income as we spend some of the income for paying the electricity, phone bills or can insurance (in case we need vehicle to run the business). Basically everything that used to run the business, though in fact we use it as well for daily life. It's very tricky, but many people here apply it otherwise you will feel so so bad after you money is gone being sucked by the govt. Services what we got here sometimes still is far below of most people expect here. Like, we still need to pay ticket for public transport, we still need to pay if you wanna go to university (not like in most European countries). The govt still misuse the money for political program like sending troops to Afghanistan. Anyway, part of the legal trick, my husband is planning to run small consultancy at home for project management, quality management as part of his expertise etc. Let's see...

Part from that tricky tax, I think this week I am ready to sow vegetable seeds I brought from Jakarta . It's been long I don't do gardening since I moved here. We just can't wait to harvest vegetables from own garden for the dinner..

Lagi..lagi tentang weather...

Kupikir benar adanya, orang bilang nga ada habis-habisnya deh kalo bicara tentang cuaca, apalagi tinggal di negara 4 musim, seperti di sini. Sepertinya, checking the weather before you go outside is a must do.

Eh, kenapa juga ya aku koq ngotot sih.. iya gimana nggak weekend kemarin kami termasuk si kecil Rafee lho girang banget menyambut musim semi yang sepertinya datang lebih awal. Ya karena dia bisa keluar rumah, jelas di bosan sekali dirumah selama winter. Wah dia girang bukan kepalang saat kuajak main ayunan untuk pertama kalinya di taman dekat rumah. Terlebih suamiku, lega karena dia ngak perlu bersihin driveway dan footpath di depan rumah kami kalo saat salju turun. Itu wajib dilakukan, kalo nggak kena denda.

Hari Sabtunya aja kita sudah harus merubah jam dirumah satu jam lebih awal, yang berarti musim semi dah akan mulai. Hari Minggunya, cerah, matahari bersinar, Rafee sempat dibawa keluar main-main di beranda rumah, menikmati siraman matahari. Seusai makan siang, kenapa nggak ya kami pikir keluar rumah mengunjungi Elbow fall, yang tak terlalu jauh dari Calgary cuma 45 menit driving. Antrian mobil memadati jalan-jalan menuju keluar kota, ya tentu aja orang-orang tidak mau kehilangan kesempatan untuk keluar rumah menuju taman-taman menikamti cerahnya cuaca bersama keluarga. Wuah.. puas sekali mata ini memandang sekitar kita tanpa ada warna putih yang menutupinya..

Tapi, sayang keceriaan kami cuma berakhir hingga Senin sore, karena Mr.White masih ingin mengunjungi kami disini. Waduh, malam itu salju tak henti-hentinya turun hingga saat ini pun. Kira-kira hampir 10cm tumpukan salju di beranda rumah. Haha. suamiku, saat dia sebelum berangkat ke kantor ya mau nggak mau harus shovel the snow.

Kira-kira jam 8 pagi tadi, dia menelponku dari kantor, dia bercerita dia hampir terpeleset saat turun dari bis karena black ice (es transparan di atas aspal). Dia sekalian mengingatkan aku kalo aku ada rencana keluar rumah dengan mengendarai mobil, bisa slip.

Mudah-mudahan keadaan ini cuma sementara, katanya sih akhir pekan ini bakal bagus cuacanya.. tapi aku sih ngak terlalu berharap banyak, unpredictably change!! Or maybe Mr Whte wanna give a bit more snow for us before he really leaves us.. (^~^)

Warm Weekend!!

It's been a week, the weather here is so cold and dull, enough to make me bored staying at home. Oh yeah, who wants to wander outside with -20°C in chilly wind. Almost everyday snow falls. It's too much for March. Normally we have less snow.

In fact, being in Calgary, I should be blessed as we have quite mild winter compared to the one in the Eastern region. They have impact of the late winter snow. They have complexity of snow with storm. It's not only snowfall, but also rain, freezing rain, and worse thing also with strong chilly wind. Imagine, it must be tough for the commuters who have to drive to office as they have to cope with the unpleasant road conditions. Also for them who need to wait for public transit at uncovered bus shelter. HOOO..., that chilly wind is quite strong to penetrate your bones though you have put on layers of clothes. I have experienced that. In one dark cloudy morning, I sat on the cold bench inside the bus shelter, I still felt cold. Great, my bus came late.

Winter this year is really unusual. The eastern region got late winter. They had brown Christmas, they never have that. It is always white. British Columbia had even worse than usual condition. They had snow and storm which made a big mess in their Stanley Park. They claimed this park to be one of the great parks of the world! Environmentalists state this as impact of the global warming, so the climate changes. I think it's not only in Canada but happens globally, include what happened in my beloved home country. Ugh..weather has been always unpredictable, everywhere.

OK, enough about Mr. Weather... it's now about Mr Chinook , who will gladly visit us tonight here in Calgary to cheer up our weekend. It's gonna be sunny, with 11°C .. convenient enough to walk on snow under the sun. Thanks Mr Chinook, please come again.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

Ha-il

Siang ini seperti biasa udaranya puanas, rasanya gerah sekali. Rafee mulai menunjukan ketidaknyamanannya, mulai rewel, merengek minta dicopot bajunya. Akhirnya dia tidur tanpa baju, hanya diaper melekat di badannya. Tak lama angin sejuk berhembus, dan mulai mendung. Wah kupikir Tak lama kemudian, hujan turun.. tapi koq ribut sekali bunyinya .. pletak-pletok. Saat itu aku masih di kamar dan tanpa ba-bi-bu, aku langsung melesat ke beranda. Wuih.. aku ternganga hujan es batu (hehe maklum baru kali ini melihat hujan es batu - hail).



Lumayan besar butiran esnya, kurang lebih dengan
diameter 2cm-an. Masih terbengong, terlintas di benakku andai saja aku diluar rumah... owala, kebayang sakitnya pasti seperti ditimpukin orang kali ya. Saat itu juga aku langsung teringat mobil kami yang diparkir diluar. Waduh bagamana rupanya nanti, apa kacanya akan retak, atau bodi mobil itu akan penyok-penyok. Aku cuma bisa melongok ke bawah mencoba untuk melihat dari kejauhan. Aku tak punya niat untuk turun hanya untuk mencek keadaan mobil. Akhirnya aku putuskan untuk menunggu setelah reda, mudah-mudahan mobil masih utuh dalam bentuk seperti semula.

One hot summer day

Yesterday, oh gosh ! It was really hot summer day. It was only 27°C but it felt like 35°C due to humidity.
It was okay, in the morning when I went out with Rafee. It was sunny and a bit windy. Our outing program was quite hectic. First, I drop some bric-brac of stuffs that no longer used at Thrift shop, then to Public Library.
At library, I picked up a book of Mitch Albom " Tuesdays with Morrie" that I requested to hold. This book in fact was referred by Slesta. "This's a great book", said one library staff at the checkout. I can't wait to read that. Other things, decorating books. Why so?
This is part of our big plan this year. Hooorayy finally ... we will be moving to our new house end of this July. I have been dreaming to decorate my own house. To gather ideas for the project, initially I visited website of my favourite TV shows - HGTV . Then, I was thinking why not getting the books from the library. So here we are.. I have got some projects to do for the house.

Around noon, I headed to one mall to meet my officemates at the foodcourt. Well, they are new mom too. Bronwen, a geologist with a 10-month baby girl and Debbie, an environmentalist with a 9-month baby boy. So, 3 moms and 3 babies met together. We chatted, shared stories, asked each other about plan to go back to office. Oh.. typical mom talks. I had a wonderful time and also Rafee as he had chance to see and maybe also to learn what big babies were doing.
When, I went to the parking area, ready to drive home. I realised the day got hot. Phew.. hot..hot.. hurry to get on the car, turned on the AC otherwise Rafee would cry all the way. I just can't concentrate to drive when he starts crying at the back seat - I have to put his car seat at the back seat. Finally, we got home. Though, I opened the window and door in our room, it was still hot. Rafee was crying, I guess because of the heat. I took off his cloth. He was smiling at me, happy .. then fallen to sleep.
I can't believe I will do that here. As since he was born, we always try not to let him be exposed with cold weather. It was the first time my baby sleep, just with his nappy on.

Summer is on now

Akhirnya setelah ditunggu-tunggu datang juga. Dua minggu yg lalu cuaca masih tak menentu, selalu mendung, akhirnya diakhiri dengan hujan disertai kilat.
Sejak Rabu lalu, musim panas mulai mewarnai hari-hari di Calgary sini. Hm.. sangat mengasyikan, nyaman sekali untuk melakukan aktifitas di luar.

Uniknya disini, cuaca buruk adalah berat untuk disampaikan oleh pembawa sesi ramalan cuaca di TV lokal. Karena biasanya mereka seperti dituntut untuk menyampaikan keadaan lebih baik walau sesungguhnya bakal terjadi seperti misalnya storm, atau angin dingin berhembus atau hujanpun.

Ya begitulah tinggal di negara dengan 4 musim, tak kecuali ramalan cuaca ya harus dicek dulu sebelum pergi, sebelum membuat rencana piknik, kegiatan apa saja. Walau di saat musim dingin pun, berapa derajat suhu diluar penting untuk memperkirakan berapa lapis baju kita kenakan. Waduh, kebiasaan ini sama sekali tak masuk hitungan, dulu saat masih tinggal di tanah air. Ya mau hujan, mau mendung, mau panas, tak apa lah. Paling parah ya basah kuyub.

Imagi diekstrak dari sini

I am coming, weeked!

TGIF

Thank God it's Friday again.
I didn't realise it until I see this little guy showing "Friday" in his shirt.

Oh yeah, that's his daily suit I always put on him, kinda a reminder for me who easily forget days due to routinity as a full-time mom.

Though, today the weather is still not promising to enjoy being outside I and my little boy tried to do fun with the computer.
This weekend not much to do I guess, though we will have picnic with Indonesian community here but again I don't think they can make it due to gloomy, rainy weather.

Look below here, just click the video box, nice way to share video huh!



Note : This video was taken on March 14, 2006.
Normally, when I need to make up the bed I put him in his bassinet.
I had a chance to record him.. he is so adorable..
watch his action!

GLoomy week, but it's OK (^_^)

World Cup vs Stanley Cup

Weather this week is so gloomy, uncomfy for me to walk outside. It has been three days, morning are always cloudy with cold wind. At night, mostly shower pours sounded by thunder.
On Saturday, last weekend my hubby so panicked as he thought he would not be able to watch the World Cup games. He was mad at the TV cable provider we subscribe. They don't air live matches of the World Cup, they only air the recorded ones. Worstly, when he knew that CBC Sport program (note Canadian National TV) and other TV channels here prefer airing live matches of Stanley's NHL so called Canadian Sport to World Cup. Well, it is so obvious, they would rather cover the hockey because Edmonton team from Alberta (one Canada's province) is the winner of the West Region and will be playing in final play off with the East Region winner which is North Carolina (USA).
I still wonder why they don't cover the World Cup, I believe they know that World Cup is World sport, played and faved by all nations in this world. Moreover, we know that population of Canada are occupied by immigrants from various nations. FYI: Canada is known as the second favorite destination country for immigrants after USA. So if the Canadian TV channels take the chance to air the World CUp I believe they will collect more mony from commercials.
Anyway, my hubby is finally happy enough found that ABC covers most of the live matches. That's American channel. For sure they won't miss the chance to air the matches indulging the American which are mostly 50% from South America as one continent where the best football player are from.

Vacation goodies

One of it is passport. Its application was sent yesterday. First for Rafee, then for my expired passport. It was not so complicated to apply one for Rafee.. I can't believe he will bear Canadian passport while mine is green Indonesian passport. We just need to provide birth certificate then whoala he will get one. Yes, for thsi vacation, I will be flying solo just with him. Imagine when I land at CKG airport, I will be in the Visa on Arrival line, holding him. Hm.. I bet an officer will come toward me cynically tell me "Mam, what for visa?? You don't look like foreigner". This happened to my hubby when he came to Jakarta two years ago (his face is a typical Indonesian face). Well, possibly when I line up I need to show up Rafee's passport which is not a green one.
For mine, luckily it can be extended in the Consulate General office in Vancouver. I also ask them to put my address here in Canada so I can be free from paying fiscal fee when I return to Calgary. Talking about fiscal.. I think it's too expensive for Indonesian to pay 1 million rups just to go overseas. I heard Govt will revisit this regulation. Hope they did.

Got an extra cash

Why not, while I can manage doing it at home. Yum huh! making extra money to shop souvernirs for my siblings back home. This morning, when I checked my emails, I got one from the secretary of the office where I worked. She asked to call the chief geologist. I wondered what's up. I talked to the chief. He told me they are working on Buton's project (one mining area in Eastern Indonesia). To generate report, they have logs from previous report but need translation from Bahasa Indonesia to English. Yupe, they surely remember me. I am so pleased to do the job. I think I can manage my time. Importantly, they don't mind to pay me cash.

First Trisemester

Yes, my dear Rafee is 3 months now. Time flies like rocket. Look the pictures below showing how he is on his tummy, though he can't really flip over by himself.

Additionally, he becomes good at cooing-gaggling-gurgling. Well, those sometimes make me smile. I wish I could I understand what he says. I believe I can hear he can pronounce 5 vowels, also some important consonants for calling his mom-dad.

Today, real winter finally comes

Woala!! What we are waiting for finally comes. It actually started yesterday. We had big leap of 20°C. Before, we hardly had below 0 deg when it was so bad we could have -10C. Anyway, I felt so frozen yesterday. I complained to my husband about it. He said to me - Welll we'll see what's gonna happened to you tomorrow when it feels like -41°C with windchill. Hah!

Inevitably, I had to go to office this morning. I was a bit prepared, yesterday I parked the car at the backside of our apartment so at least I don't need to wipe the snow as the parking area is covered. But still, I had a nice welcome from Mr.Cold which gave me a bit runny nose.. sluurrp :( coz I had to unplug the cord of heater cable, heat up the car for about 5 minutes, enough exposure with coldness before ready to drive.

Why I complained? I thought this is part of the consequences that I have to cope with living in place with this extreem weather. I was fine las winter..
I wondered.. possibly because of indulgence of "summer-like in the middle of winter" I had at the beginning of this winter makes me hesitant to face the reality of winter o(^_^)o

Summer in middle of Winter

Well, don't get confused, possibly it's just my expression. It's been almost in the middle of winter, but this year it appears we have a mild winter.
This weekend when the weather was quite nice, we had chance to come to one viewing spot nearby our neighborhood so we can see downtown, Bow River and range of the Rockies from distance.Wow,can't believe with the view, brown ground not white speck at all on the ground. Comapred to summer, we have no leaf trees o(^_^)o

Chinook : Wind of the rockies

what a magnificient Nature is! experiencing the powerful of chinook in my new home really makes my first winter a "nice thing to hear" update to all my friends back home