no-stranger island (31st December 2011)

here we are on our last day in nias. we are quite free today. we had nothing to do till this afternoon to fly back to medan. but there's a nudge telling us to spend some time in mega beach, but we can't find some guts to go for it. in the end, we give up to the name of boredom and collect some guts and call a becak (local transportation-motor rickshaw) and go to mega beach.

the feeling was great to own life (yes, i know, it sounds arrogant, how can we possibly own life?). but the feeling after so many days of constraints, dummy plans, takabur thoughts; it feels so great to own freedom! yes, freedom! it's yummm.....y!

mega beach offers amazingly green view and friendly welcome

anyway, it's been a great trip. thanks nias for your beauty and all the people who are willing to be bothered by us. can't thank you guys enough.

beaches baby (30th December 2011)

lahewa here we come! finally we can spend some times soaking ourselves in salt water. lahewa indeed is a beautiful beach. sadly, there's no facilities or services or anything to support the beauty. there's no proper changing room, no proper waste dump, no clean water, and the most important is no act to preserve the beauty. it's such a waste. enough of complaining, we don't wanna let ourselves gloomy all the time s0 we just enjoy it. thanks God, though there's the mighty sun watches us, the heat doesn't sting us. of course we get some tanned, but it isn't burning. fiuh...

then, we head to pantai merah. it is crowned pantai merah because the sand is red. but actually it's brown, for my color perspective. the wave is wild, yet beautiful.

another side of Nias (29 Dec 2011)

finally we can be free, just three of us. finally... but not long after that, we get some tails again. in the end, we can't just be strangers in this island. we head to the museum (yeah, wen xiang sends us there). but he can't join us to walk around there (did i hear "thanks goodness"?) due to hectic schedule. he explained to us that we come at the wrong time. it's one of the busiest time in whole year. but he kindly drives us around and gives interesting info about nias, which we appreciate it a lot.

the entrance to the restaurant, but it's closed. too bad we can't try the food there

this slide brings us directly to the ocean

while enjoying our time alone at the museum, alvin phones us to say he'll bring us around the beaches. we give up our free will and obligedly follow him. first, we drop at the new hotel national. it is still in the progress, there are many logs, nails, and hammers flying everywhere. and the most amazing thing is that they have this, i don't know what they call it - a bridge?, it is extremely shaky and i still don't know the function of it. but when we try it, it's truly a fear factor thingy. i can't make it to the end, but Irene did. then we go to malaga beach, which is 5 mins drive from the new national hotel.

this beach boy passes the should-be-a-fear-factor bridge cheerfully

mr. crab becomes our fave friend on the beach

photograph of the month: february 2011

yes, i know i'm late again. and yes, i'm kinda narcissist, am i?

you've got letters!

when was the last time did you send or get a letter? a long time a go, i guess. i miss to get one too even it's just a greeting card! too desperado, huh?

Indonesia government tries to relive the great legend of letters, to show how important it was in connecting people in old days and to remind how it is still relevant today.

my students had a chance to write a cny greeting card to their parents. they were all excited because they had not done it before. they know what postman and post office are, but they haven't seen one face to face, or have a conversation with one. they pass post offices many times, but i don't think they do realize that it was post office. sadly the postman didn't have time to come, instead a admin staff lady came to explain the procedure of sending letters.

i fully support this program although i will still use emails, blogs, texts or whatever modern way of communication. but i will creatively find a way to write letters, i promise :)

Keeping the Tradition

it's been almost two weeks since the awaiting Chinese New Year. now the spirit has lowered down. no more red stuffs. no more buying cookies. no more preparing the great dinner. no more cleaning the whole house. the spirit speedily fades away.

as i looked back when i was young, a month before the celebration i would be busy choosing fancy red clothes. i must wear new attires: new clothes, new shoes, new bag, new hair accessories, and most importantly new underwear! i happily followed my mom cramped among people to get the things to "chinesen" (chinese+en= make sb to become Chinese) my look!

this year i didn't get the feeling of busting malls or markets to buy new clothes for the celebration. my mom indeed kept pushing and reminding that i hadn't bought any clothes yet. i told her that i still had a couple of clothes that i hadn't worn before, so i guessed i could wear them then. then she asked what color of clothes i had. i said "white". she was shocked and told me that it's not a good idea to wear white on cny day. she pushed me to go markets and malls to buy one (only one, at least) new clothes. so i agreed. after bumping many markets and malls, i wasn't satisfied with the clothes (yes, i have a weird taste of clothes). she finally gave up. i could wear my not-fresh-from-the-store-but-it's-still-new clothes.

i totally understand how my mom insisted me to buy new clothes. it's to keep and pass on the tradition to me. if she didn't or i didn't pass the tradition, the tradition itself may die and forgotten. younger generations may not know about it. however, one should not push the tradition to hard, otherwise it'll become annoying, hated, illogical and forgotten eventually. one should have respect on the meaning of the tradition at the first place. older generations may loosen up or adjust the strict and stiff tradition; younger generations may respect the history of the tradition.

in the end, i just wanna wish you happy Chinese New Year (isn't it a little bit too late? but we are still in the period of it, rite?).

A temple around my neighborhood had a wishing tree. hundreds people wrote and put up their wishing cards on the tree.

"i want to get the first rank, so my mom will give a present"

1. buy a two-story house 2. my fish grow in number 3. good health 4. get a car 5. own gold bullion
it seems greedy, but in the end, God wants us to be specific!

to get good health and life. to have the most beautiful mate.

Yenty persuaded god of fortune to share a pinch of his fortune

photograph of the month: january 2011

i make a new resolution in the beginning of the year that i will be more diligent in taking pictures and updating my blog, which leads me to make photograph of the month. taking (hopefully) many pictures daily and pick one (many) best and upload it.

i know it's way too late for january. not a good start, i guess. i apologize. nevertheless i present you an introductory picture of the year 2011. hopefully i'll enjoy more moments of taking pictures and you enjoy more moments of looking at the pictures and giving comments/ positive feedbacks.

PS: hopefully i'll be on time for the following months.