“Is this the women I married?”

Being married to another person needs lots of adjustment. Not because she or he a worse person or a better person – just a different person.Being a parents need lots of adjusment even more. Adjusting to the ever-changing pressure and responsibilities of parenthood.

If you were a “career woman” who decided to stay at home to raise your children, you’re probably not doing the same things you had been doing for years. Instead of talking about the boss, the latest sofware, wearing high heels and make-up, and confidence, you are chatting about how fuzzy your little one last night, where to find kids clothes on discount, wearing pajamas all day and uncertainty.

You may have a new set of friends (another women you have met in the day care, or play ground). You also may have sets of problems, that your husband may not have any ideas how to help you out. He may feels confuse. He may thinks that he doesn’t even know you. The professional woman who I married to, now transform into a traditional domestic woman, wife and mom.

You might be overwhelm, confused about this radical change in your lifestyle. So don’t you think isn’t it logical that your husband might be a little disorinted as well?

Word

It’ s really quite amazing

What kind a word can do

to someone who is trouble,

downhearted, sad and blue.

Life isn’t very pleasant

When tears are bittersweet,

Yet we can help those in distress

To conquer and defeat.

We can lift their sunken spirits

In a way God has designed

By following His teachings

And being merciful and kind.

Horse Riding

The day after the wedding we drove to Bandung and spent some nights at my in-laws. We took Chisia to horse riding. To our surprise, she really enjoyed it! This is an experience we can’t find here in Palembang. Well, I would say it was a ponny riding though… :)

She took the ride at Jalan Ganesha. Jalan Ganesha is a famous street where the famous ITB campus is located. The fare for one route is Rp 7500. One route is about 500 m. Chisia took two routes.Bargaining is necessary here since the jokeys usually starts offer at very high prices. When we parked our car, about 4 or 5 jokeys suddenly came from all direction and surrounded our car. They were trying to offer the ride to us. I hate to turned some of them down, and just picked one... Sigh...

Anyway, horse riding absolutely is one of the best moment she had. She keep on asking when she can rides horses again :)

Javanese Wedding Ceremony

Hello friends, how was your week? Hope you had a good one! :)

Last week we went to Jakarta for my cousin’s wedding. The bride and the bridegroom are Javaness, so there was a traditional ceremony followed by the receptions at night. The ceremony was started with gamelan – the traditional music from Java. Then the bride and the bridegroom walked slowly from opposite direction approching each other. When they were about 2 meter facing each other, they started throwing each other with small bundels of leaves with lime inside. People believe that this will keep bad spirits away. Or to prove that the bride or the bridegroom whom they will be married to is not a ghost or someone who pretends to be the one. This meeting ceremony that took place in front of the garden gate called as “Panggih”.

Traditional Javanese wedding ceremony couldn’t be done without the role of Pamaesan. She is responsible to dress up the bride and the bridegroom properly. She also should leads the ritual ceremonies.Photo below shows the Pamaesan helping the mother of the bride covers the couple’s shoulders with some kind of cloth, during the Sindur Binayang ceremony. Then the father of the bride led the couple walked to the wedding chairs while holding the corners of the cloth. It simbolized the father shows the ways of happiness. While the mother of the bride who walked behind the couple, gave a moral support.

The following ritual was Wiji Dadi. The bridegroom crashed a chicken egg with his right foot. Then the bride washed his feet using water mixed with several kinds of flower ( I think seven kinds of flowers). It showed that the bridegroom is ready to be a father – a head of the family , and the bride should submit and serve him faithfully.

The King and The Queen of the day!

Dressed in a special dress for the special day.Wearing golden and shiny jewelries.

Strong Woman vs Woman of Strength

A strong woman works out every day to keep her body in shape ...
but a woman of strength kneels in prayer to keep her soul in shape...

A strong woman isn't afraid of anything ...
but a woman of strength shows courage in the midst of her fear...

A strong woman won't let anyone get the best of her ...
but a woman of strength gives the best of her to everyone...

A strong woman makes mistakes and avoids the same in the future...
a woman of strength realizes life's mistakes can also be God's blessings and capitalizes on them...

A strong woman walks sure footedly ...
but a woman of strength knows God will catch her when she falls...

A strong woman wears the look of confidence on her face ...
but a woman of strength wears grace...

A strong woman has faith that she is strong enough for the journey ...
but a woman of strength has faith that it is in the journey that she will become strong...