Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Ivan is getting bigger, teenager

Tonight Ivan wanted me to drop him in his friend's house, Jeremi's house. Jeremy is celebrating his 15th birthday. I asked Risa to accompany me in dropping Ivan.
Risa is complaining on why I write this note in my blog.

Sharing happiness from Risa

Tuesday, 18 June 2008
This morning my daughter Risa called me in the office from home. She was so happy telling me that she got a new bible completed with song (Kidung Jemaat). She got the best score for religion, so the teacher (Bu Bunga) gave her a present with note of appreciation of the best score and signed by Bu Bunga.
She also told me that she got the highest score for other 4 lessons : math, IPS, Bahasa Indonesia, Agama. She expected to get the best score for the whole study in the second semester. She imagine that she got a trophy for the first rank that will be remembered for the whole life.
Eventhough she has a free time now, she promised to study hard especially mathematic lesson. She wants to prepare herself to win mathematic olympiad next year. For this purpose, she will do the best.
She still remember the idiom : praying the price for unhappy and hard effort to get the sweet and nice result. As a parent I just support and encourage her to be the best and stay calm, kind to all people. May God be with her always so whatever Risa does, God involves in her hard and smart efforts.

Monday, October 15, 2007

2007 Vacation Trip

This 2007 school holiday started on 8 October 2007. The school will start again on 25 October 2007.
Working holiday needs to be matched with other workers so there is no empty employee in certain date.
Daddy still has around 6 week annual leave that has never been taken yet.
Initial plan to take holoday on 5 - 17 October 2007. Unfortunately daddy's friend will take the holiday on the Idul Fitri (13 October and continued to the 1 or 2 week after idul fitri, depending on the remaining days of leave).
Considering this holiday, so Daddy has to revise the holiday starting 5 Oct - 12 October 2007. In order to make the whole family happy, this annual leave is planned to go abroad by visitting Disneyland in Hong Kong.
Mom tried to develop the itinerary so meet with Daddy's time and school vacation, and the most important thing is with amount money on hand that will be utilized to spend this holiday.
Mom contacted several travels in Pekanbaru such as Swan Travel, Ananda T&T from Batam, but the cost was really high. Then tried to get free and easy by contacting Sanel Tour & Travel for Airplane ticket (Pekanbaru - Batam, Singapore - Hongkong vv, Batam - Pekanbaru). Because it is categorized as peak season due to school vacation and Idul Fitri 1428 H, the only available airline ticket is Cathay Pacific started 6 October and returned on 10 October for flight Singapore - Hong Kong vv. Then mom booked Cathay Pacific for the cheapest ticket for 6 Oct - 10 Oct. And then mom asked Sanel to find reasonable price for Pekanbaru - Batam on 6 Oct, morning flight so the flight can be continued to use Ferry from Batam to Singapore and directed to Singapore International Airport afternoon flight to Hong Kong. Sanel could successfully getting Merpati for Pekanbaru - Batam with reasonable price ticket for 6 Oct 2007 morning flight. The problem is, flight from Batam to Pekanbaru still unavailable. But Sanel promised to get the flight on 11 October 2007.
Having this schedule, daddy browsed his computer to book a cheap hotel in Hong Kong Down Town. The intention is to find the cheapest hotel with a very good location so can access as many as interesting place in Hong Kong, not necessari pay expensive prioce for stay at night, getting clean and comfortable room to take a rest. Most of time will be spent outdoor to explore Hong Kong optimally and adjusted with physical health condition. Initially Dad ordered YWCA, unfortunately the room was not available. Then continued to search other hotels. Finally Dad got Hongkong Downtown Hotel in Chungking Mansion that is located in the downtown in 36 - 44 Nathan Road. Daddy booked 1 room for 4 people for 4 night with bathroom inside the room.
In line with this, Sanel could get Batavia flight from Batam to Pekanbaru on 11 Oct 2007 flight.
So the travel arrangement will be as follows :

5 October 2007
At 13:30 departed Duri for Rumbai, stay over night in W. Sungkai

6 Oct 2007
At 06:10 departed Rumbai for Pekanbaru SSK Airport then continued with Merpati flight to Batam. Airport Tax Rp 25.000,-/person. Arriving in Batam Airport, purchased ferry ticket to Singapore SGD $ 14.00/person. Seaport in Batam was SGD 4/person. The better to purchase the ferry ticket in Airport because the price in Batam Center is SGD 3.00 more expensive/person. Taxi from Airport to Batam Center was Rp 70,000,-
Taxi from Singapore Front Harbor Center to Terminal-1 Singapore International Airport was SGD 16.00. From Singapore - Hong Kong, arrived in Hong Kong at 22:30. Immigration and luggage for about 1 hour, then went out for bus riding from Airport to Chungking Mansion cost HK$ 33.00/person. Later will be continued in more detail.

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Moving Home to Duri

Junior High School in Minas will be unified in Rumbai for new school year in Jul 2007.
Ivan now is in the 2nd grade of Junior High School while Risa is in 4th grade Elementary School.
For Ivan, if the school will move to Rumbai, he will have to wake up very early in the morning and go home late every afternoon. He will also need to adapt with new friends, teachers and lessons in the new school when he will be sitting in 3rd grade of Junior High School.
But there will be benefit if we still stay in Minas because Ivan can continue to learn English Class in WORLDSTAR (THAMES ENGLISH CLASS).
So the best for Ivan if all of the whole family will move to Duri in school year 2007 so Ivan could start new school in Duri. In Duri the students are a lot so the spirit to improve himself is expected high. Here is the competition among student will be expected to boost-up the learning spirit of Ivan.
Also for better health, karate sport and Piano lesson can be easier, closer in Duri.

For Risa,
Risa love to be in Duri. She needs to have a good experience in Duri so the competition climate will boost her up to study harder and harder.

The constraints will be if we want to go to Pekanbaru will take more time or once in a month.
But it will not any matter because every step we decide, we must pay the bill.
When we take annual leave, we can still do sightseeing and going to shopping mall to see and possible buy something.
At least we may safe the money for the better future.

Duri, 12 June 2007