Learn something from the DS

We've never been a big fan of those juice stores, never got tempted to try it. But once my kids had a sleepover at our friend's house and she brought them to Juice it up. My son had this drink called Melon madness. Since then he's longing for that drink again, so I brought him to Jamba juice the closest one we have in our area, and I asked for melon madness. Nope, nothing like that, he settled with watermelon and strawberry, he loves it. I was craving for some sweet that time, so ordered their blueberry pomegranate yogurt with almond on top...yuummmmm.....not sweet at all, crunchy and the frozen blueberries were an extra surprise. Since then we all are hooked, we came back 2 more time to Jamba Juice. I guess we all can learn from the youngest member of the family ;)

Summer

I can't believe I say this, but I'm kind of hesitate to start the new school year. Summer's been good, getting up late, staying up late, take everything easy, enjoying the freebies, giving excuse on anything that it is summer anyway ;)
My boy is going to be in kindergarten this fall, and his school just starts the new full day kindergarten instead of the split am/pm. I should be happy, I will have the day to myself everyday, but yet I'm not looking forward to that. Maybe once they start and I get into the sync of the routine, I will say why do I bother with summer.....

Sad news

Just got a text from close friend that one of our dearest friend's husband was just diagnosed with liver cancer. I'm sad and scared to hear that. I'm worried about my own family, sometimes just one single news all that you need to appreciate your family. Our thought and prayer for her family.

Concert

Hollywood sign from Hollywood Bowl

 Ok so this friend of mine is a big fan of Maroon 5, she was desperate enough when she found out they were doing the Europe and Asia Tour that she was asking me to go to Ireland for the concert, and of course I just say yes, yeah I wish we went, it was just crazy talk. A month later she found out they are playing at the Hollywood Bowl, perfect. I wasn't expecting anything much but I was kind of excited for the girls night out, been a while the three of us find time to go just us. This afternoon she picked us up, we all dolled up, loaded with some drinks to be enjoyed there, she got the info from the Hollywood Bowl that we can bring alcohol as long as in a plastic bottle, and camera too. Heading there around 2, no traffic, by 3pm we were in that area, stop by at a sushi take out, bought some sashimi bowl, and also some scones from Brick and Scones in that area, then head up to the Bowl. Only 3.30 and cars started to stacked already, luckily we got in the very front of one of the aisle. And  found out thru the flyer no alcohol, no cameras. Open up our early dinner in the car, load ourselves with some booze then head up. None of us been to the Hollywood Bowl, turned out we could eat inside the picnic area, and they also had some vendors (kind of pricey) too. It's a beautiful place to hang out. Got in and just figured out that the line up is Gavin DeGraw, Train and Maroon 5. Yeay, I like couples of the DeGraw's songs and love Train. And also my friend sneaked in her camera and her camcorder. My big camera stayed in the car, so couldn't really get any good picture of the stage.

Pre-concert, we were just people watching and gossiping

Train-I couldn't get anything good since no cameras are not allowed

We had couple of surprise guests, Javier Colon from The Voice, I had no idea who he was until came home and check it online. Adam Levine, lead singer of Maroon 5 did the duet with Colon singing Man in the mirror, Michael Jackson, love it, and Stevie Nick performing Leather and Lace with Levine, very cool. 

Pat Monahan, Train, did a duet of Haven't found what I'm looking for from U2 with a local girl. I had a very great time, now I feel guilty since I know my husband likes both Train and Maroon 5, and he had to watch the kids at home, came home browsed around try to check their other tour and see the possibilities of taking him next time.

The concert was done by 11 and come home around 12.30.

Happy Monday

Stop growing

I started to notice after a while either I'm getting old or my kids just grew up to fast, every time I browse around and see all the parties that some bloggers threw for their kids, they usually suits better for 4 years and under. Those cute princess, polkadot, bows parties just won't cut it anymore for my daughter who's 8 specially. Maybe I should starts doing my own theme for my daughter "still confuse age"party, not too cute and not too teenage party.

Summer trip

We are all up at 1 am right now, except for my husband, he has to go to work right after the day we came back from our trip to Indonesia.

The kids always enjoy the jet lag, my daughter always thinks stay up late is just so cool.  Usually it will take them about at least 5 days before they are completely in sync again with the time here.

Looking at the pics I have so many I want to write, but I guess I will have to break them into couple of posting later. The 3 weeks trip was short and sweet, I have to say 3 weeks is perfect. My nieces and nephews are back to school too by that week we left and everybody else can go back to their normal routine again.  We arrived on Wednesday and by Thursday we did a little trip to a city called Jogyakarta, the driving is unbelievable, in a bad way though, it took us 15 hours and it actually only about 300 miles. Jam here and there, big trucks, plus maybe we just thru an 18 hours flight 2 days before.

The Sheraton Jogyakarta

Got there around 11pm, settle down and snoozed until 5am, the kids kind of woke me up with their giggles and chats, went out to the balcony, the view was beautiful, this city just got hit by earthquake a couple of time last year, a volcano called Merapi been active and coz a lot of damage to the little town nearby Jogyakarta. I was trying to see if I can spot the Merapi from the balcony, but the fog kind of masked it. We stayed at the Sheraton, the property is sitting a little up with good landscape, and nice breeze.

The bottom rooms have their semi private pool, a balcony with door the take you step right into the pool.

The Merapi we finally spot it the next day

We didn't get to enjoy the resort itself since we only have 2 full days of visiting the other places.

So early that morning we went to Keraton, Jogyakarta is one of the unique city that is ruled by the Sultan not governor. He's a king with palace (Keraton) and all. I'm not saying a fancy palace, but it's a very sacred and traditional palace.  People who live and work in Keraton has a very rich culture and tradition, a mix of religion and believe makes the people different. They adore and admire the Sultan, which is the recent one is the tenth.  

We went to the museum with all the horse carts they use for any Keraton event, and then to the Keraton itself. We parked our car on the parking lot and bargained with couple of Becaks, a traditional transportation that I grew up with and it's my favorite. 6 adults and 4 kids hopped on into 5 becaks, 2 people is all it can take. 

Becak

One of the cart they use in Keraton

I swear my two kids tried so hard to understand the tour guide, at the end they gave up and just ask me what is it about. 

@ Keraton

In the old days, here's where they bring people who needs to be executed.
I have no idea what's with the statue, but my son feels the urge to kiss it after we took this pic.

Keraton

The Sultan usually gives speech in this particular place, no speaker,  and somehow the combination of  echo  and  openness helps people to hear him speak.  My brothers and the kids tried it with clapping their hands.

Jogyakarta has it's special food called  Gudeg, basically, rice, with chicken cooked in cooconut, some young jackfruit that's cooked with I don't know excatly what, a krecek which is beef skin cooked  in some spices, a little spicy but just a good combination to eat with the chicken.  The other staple is lesehan, this one is not  the name of the food but more of the style of the eating. There's a street calls Malioboro, a regular shops along the street during the day, and at night full of more stalls of handicraft and souvenirs, plus place to eat. They scattered some mats and put a couple of very low tables,  something like a japanese style but less fancy. The food usually either fried chicken, fried fish with rice of course, and Gudeg. So my Brother took us to this particular one in front of a store called Taman Batik Terang Bulan, so the name of the place called SBTB Sebelah Batik Terang Bulan, which means next to the Batik Terang Bulan, very clever huh. The Fried Chicken, my oh my, we came back the next day for the second time, my husband couldn't have enough of it. The place was crazy crowded, you had to wait for the table in front of the people who were still eating.  The first time we came, with so empty stomach my husband almost gave up on waiting for the table, he asked my brother why have to be this aprticular one since the others were pretty light, he's glad he wait for it.

Gudeg

I will continue with our trip to borobudur next time, hope I won't be too slow to write that one.

It's been soggy in Southern CA

We've been hit a lot by rain storm this year. Can't believe how much rain we had in these just 2 months of the year 2011. On Wednesday my husband was picking up my son for ice skating and snap a rainbow just before they left the place. Just a little beautiful thing to see among the grey clouds.

We will have booth sale tonight for the girl scout cookies, the prediction was rain from Wednesday thru Saturday. We had a beautiful day Thursday, with no rain and sunny, but Friday for sure they said storm is on it's way tonight. Our booth sale is 6 to 9, I'm beyond nervous, I have about 100 cases of cookies, and if it's pouring, I don't think we will have a good people traffic, sigh..... that means we still have to sell more after the booth sale.