Flowers of Mount Fuji
Category: flowers
Me with my Yellow Tabebuia 💛
Tabebuia around ITS Campus
Since a few years a go we had the privilege of enjoying spring-like atmosphere around ITS Surabaya, thanks to Tabebuia trees that bloom beautifully around July – September.
The trees vary in size, shape and flowers colors.
I have also seen the bright magenta tabebuia by the roads around town but I don’t have a picture of them 😦
Then there are the bright yellow trees. I found one about my height 😅 upon closer investigation, I think I love the yellow ones because of their thin long leaves. I think the shape of the leaves brings out the flowers more.
The flowers only stays for a little while before they wither and fall leaving a lovely carpet on the ground.
Thanks for the lovely view Tabebuia, hope to see you bloom again next time!
Beauty in adversity
Flowers in my Garden
Trying to stay true to my resolution of not working one day over the weekend, I spent my morning around my back and front gardens. Since the pandemic started and we must work from home, I have spent quite a lot of time tending the gardens.
As with anything, I have successes but also failures. I loved colorful flowers and so whenever I went to the plant shops I always bought those beautiful ones without thinking about the environment. When I bought them home, they bloomed perfectly for some time, then deteriorate, and eventually die 😦
Love this purple flower, but I failed twice 
Just could not survive 
This is Ratih’s favorite, but we water it too much 😦 
Just could not survive
So, I finally accept that those beautiful flowers may not grow well in the hot and humid Surabaya. Or I just dont know how to take care of them 😦
Thankfully, I found the types of flowers that fit perfectly. They are the portulacas. They love the sun. After some time I found out that they come in different colors, forms, and sizes too! I bought different types of portulacas online. Amazingly they survived.
They have been my source of joy these days.
Fanta 
Soft Pink 
Another Fanta but different petal shapes
Each type has fantastic names, but could not remember them
Three different shades 
Orange and yellow Could not even workaout what colors these three are
Bright yellow, banana and orange 
White Pink ruffles 
Baby pink 
Salmon and Fanta! 
Salmon! 
Hybrid of fanta and white
I also loved these colorful petunias. But, nowadays they dont flower as much anymore and the colors changed when it got washed by the rain. Please survive dear Petunias!
Deep purple 
Magenta 
Red 
Pink
I am also happy that I can grow these Ginseng Jawa. Well, that’s what the shopkeeper told me. They are not like Ginseng in Korea. But, we love to stir-fry the leaves. The bonus is that they produce lovely pink flowers too!
They grow happily 
Lovely flowers
Today, we cut some of these Ginseng and cook it. Look what I have got 🙂
Remedy for the Wanderlust
It has been so long since my last post. Not that anybody in specific miss my post 🙂 Its just that I always consider writing in this blog as my own personal therapy from the hustle of every day life.
When the pandemic started, I wrote almost everyday. But, as the pandemic dragged on and on, just like everybody else, I started to feel the strain. Particularly, as the condition in Indonesia has been quite bad in the last couple of months. The second wave, complicated with the Delta Variant, hit closer and closer to home. Lots of my colleagues, and even close family are affected. So, I struggled to stay positive.
But as the vaccination ramped up, things are getting better here (finger crossed it stay this way and even improving!). Slowly different parts of the world started opening up. Euro 2020 took place despite the health issues. I watched with mixed feelings as I enjoyed the games while also thinking of the consequences. Then, The Tokyo Olympic happened. While I am sure that there were many behind the story that I know nothing of, both events really showed that it is possible to cautiously return to some kind of new normality (again touch wood).
As summer began in Europe I saw so many beautiful images all over my social media (yes I have many!). It really triggered my wanderlust. My dream is to one day visit Lavender Fields in 🇨🇵 🇬🇧, The Keukenhof Tulip Field in 🇳🇱 The Hallerbos Forest in 🇧🇪 and Kawachi Wisteria Garden in 🇯🇵 and many more distant places!
But, realistically I know that it wont happen anytime soon 😐
Thankfully, the power of social media also brought me this very nice quote
Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don’t need to escape from – Seth Godin
It is so true!
Having dreams is of course a very important drive in life. But actually living your life is paramount!
So, I started to revamp my garden with all these lovely flowers. Hope they keep on blooming 😊💜❤💗 If I cant travel to Keukenhof (yet!) I shall create my very own Keukenhof haha
Hope that I can keep this positive mind – at least until my next post
Lovely day 11.10.2020
October is a special month for me because, I was born this month and I shared it with my dad, eldest daughter and eldest nice. It used to be such a joyous month for our family as we gather together to celebrate my dad’s and my birthday – we like to save up and our birth date are so close 🙂
But, since I lost my dad 10 years a go, I would have a sombre day on the 10th October (This is my heartfelt note that I wrote yesterday). But, come the next day, I always felt lifted by my family, friends, and sstudents.
This year, the same cycle repeat. Ratih’s birthday came first…and I tweeted about my mixed feelings.
Today, she really made my day after I had a rather mellow day yesterday. Yes, she did so many things. Prepared for a gift (a custom mobile phone case) and asked her father to order the birthday cake 🙂
She also prepared this drawing.
But the greatest gift must be her card – ehm, rather a letter.
She also led her sister to write to me. Hita did not disappoint with her entertaining letter 🙂
I really am speechless. I felt so lucky to have both them as my daughters. As I wrote in yesterday’s post, I sometime felt insecure about my capability to manage my responsibilities as a mom and wife with my works. Reading my daughter’s letter really gave me the moral boost that I really need. They truly are my greatest gifts 🙂
P.S. My extended family, friends, colleagues and students also made my day with this flower, cakes, wishes and prayers. Thank you, it has been a lovely day, indeed!
A Little Note to Bapak
It’s been 10 years since you left us. But, your memory live on.
Especially this day, you would have turned 72 years old.
I would love to show you around the garden and enjoy these beautiful Teratai, Anggrek and Kamboja with you. I remember how you use to forbid us to pick any of the flowers in the garden. You wanted them just as they were.
I would love to talk to you about how Ratih has grown into a sweet and sensible girl, managed to get into a very good school and got appointed as a class representative. Or how Hita has became the joker of the family, but so shy in front of others. How both of them became so good in drawing. Then I would tell you, its okay for children to pursue other activities as long as you can still manage their time well. Something that I never got to say or proof to you. Unfortunately, they do not share your love of books. But, I hope you are proud to know, that just like you, they love to watch movies. I watched and got addicted to Animes with them, as we were addicted to Kung fu series over 30 years a go.
I would love to tell you that I have written a book based on my own research. Just like you, I have also spoken in many seminars. But, unlike you, I have been appointed to many administrative role, though I did not seek for them.
You would probably be surprised to learn that nowadays I enjoyed stitching and baking. I know you would pick up tiny little things about my baking just to annoy me, but you would also finish them all no matter how bad they taste. During this pandemic, I also like singing as much as you did. I would not be as good a performer as you, but at least we can sing together to the protest of our family 🙂
Most importantly, I would like to confide in you about how hard it is for me to be a good mother, wife and good academic at the same time. You would just joke about these to lighten things up, but I also know that you would do anything in your power to help me.
Bapak, my only wish is to hear you say “Everything is gonna be okay. You are doing well and I am proud of you”
Miss you so much, Bapak – until we meet again.
10th October 2020.
Flowers in the Garden
Lovely Frangipani
As it is spring and almost summertime in Europe, I have seen so many lovely flower pictures in my social media feeds. From daffodils, roses, poppies, and even wildflowers, they all looked wonderful
It brought me back to the time when I was living in Nottingham, Spring and Summertime are really beautiful. But, the fact that I cannot travel anywhere, anytime soon, I must be satisfied with what I have.
Thankfully, I have a great garden to keep me happy. It is so hot and humid here in Surabaya, so we must choose the right plant. One of them is Frangipani. The scientific name is Plumeria rubra but in Indonesia it is known as Kamboja.
In Bali, Frangipani is strategically placed closed to the shrines/temple. It is also used as hair pieces for women in traditional dances and wedding ceremonies. They can also be used in Balinese offerings, called canang sari.
What I loved most about Frangipani is its symmetrical shape. It normally has five petals. They also come in different colors: white with yellow center, red, pink with white center, and pink with yellow centers.
I have three of them in my gardens. I am quite lucky that they always in full bloom.
The M Ways 