Amy's Story: short trips and educating kids- When Less is More

It has been my goal to take the kids for a short educative trips in Jakarta one a month. But at the end we were just go to less than seven places.

THE ZOO, RAGUNAN
We've been to Ragunan before, two years ago. But Malika asked to go there again as her birthday gift. And we finally went there with a complete team: ayah, amy, malika, safir, and om hanif.

But a light rain came soon we get into the zoo. Yup, rain has become the other member of our trip wherever we go. It was quite unconvenience actually to have an outdoor activities but there were black cloud above your head.

Before leaving Kalibata, I've prepared myself with lots of carrots, apples, bananas, to feed the animals. I know we were not suppose to do that, but we are not giving them snack, though. But unfortunately I didn't bring it enough because when we have a chance to have a closer contact with zebras, I've ran out supplies.
For me zebra was a magic horse with its stripes so I feel like disapointing them for not giving them the best.

There was one moment that Malika kept telling me everytime we talk about zoo. It was the moment when Safir got bitten by a rooster. Yup, we went to a zoo to see a rooster. Seeing her brother cried, Malika got angry and she kept kicking the cage, yelling "eat this, my shoe!"
We quickly tried to ease her before she really broke the cage.
The kids seemed to enjoy the trip but not the men. Because they were forced to become a 'kuli panggul' for Malika and Safir. I guess, next time bringing stroller is a must.

Other than feeding the pregnant elephant, playing with zebras and I was happy we could go there to see giraffe. Because a couple months after our visit, it died and Ragunan haven't had any new giraffe.

I am hoping that the children zoo would finished soon. Ragunan could be very awesome if it has the right management.

SEAWORLD, ANCOL
When one weekend Hery said that he need to meet a client in Ancol (because the client is the Ancol management), I asked him to come along. I promised him that we won't bother him. Because we will have fun in seaworld.

But the fact was ... It was hard to take two kids to seaworld.

Because the views were still to high for the kids, I need to hold one of them, while my eyes guarded the other. It was hard for me to take a picture, instead I was just record it. The dark room was also a burden to me because I really needed to sharpen my eyes watching Malika among lots of people in there.
She was so excited because we were just reading book about sea animal and at that time she was busy naming them and a non stop wow-ing.

I finally could ease my nerve when we went in to the mini movie. Usually Malika would scare of dark room and loud noise  big picture, but because it wasn't that loud, those sister n brother played happily.

And after a while we cathched their father near the ecopark, and quickly went home right before the heavy rain fell.

SATRIA MANDALA MUSEUM
The best object when talking about educative place is museum. And the closest museum in the neighbourhood is Satria Mandala Museum. I remembered this when I read that there will be a meet n greet with Shaun the Sheep at Central Park.

Well, because I don't always have opportunity to go out, usually I take more than one destination. That's why I added Museum Satria Mandala on my list. This time I asked om hanif to come because it was workday.

Just when we step out of the taxi, the black cloud had greeted us. I quickly asked the kids to enjoy the planes that parked at the front area. Too bad we didn't enjoy it all because, yes you are right, the rain came down.

due to the rain, we decided to enjoy the inside
of the museum. The adoramas, the weapons gallery. It was quite a dillema when trying to explain to the kids about the killings, the use of guns, the wars ... It was like saying that it was ok to hurt people to protect yourself. Which is good, but I wonder would they use it as a reason to hurt each other to protect their toys.
The museum itself was in a very good condition. At the beginning. But when we walked deeper, there were spot that looked abandoned. Maybe the management are trying to do it one by one. For me, the adoramas was quite boring. Perhaps it reminded me of my study trips many years ago. It was boring, especially when u don't have boyfriend. But the kids seemed excited seeing all the small figures. I just hope there were facilities for strollers. Because it has a couple floor and there were only stairs.
Finished enjoying the adoramas, we arrive at the back side of the museum. There was a wide open space and the planes were parked chronologically. The rain still falled down. And because the parking area was covered by a roof, we decided to hang out there.

Malika was just watching Pororo the movies and there was plane on the movie. So she felt happy finding out the plane that looked almost the same.

It was just planes that parked but we spent more than half hour outthere.
The rain is getting harder and zuhur had come. So we decided to pray first and then hopefully the rain got lighter so we can move to another destination. But it went harder and harder. Because there was no place to get a fine dining for the kids, I said we must get out of here quickly. Om Hanif, with the umbrella, went out the museum, because the building lied far enough from the main street, looked for the cab. Thank God, he could find it in a short time. And off we go.

Everytime we talked about this, Malika always says that she amazed by the mal. For months I tought she was talking about the Central Park. But a couple weeks ago I finally found that what she mean was the building of the museum. U know, galleries with air conditioner inside, that is what she called mal.

And she is waiting for the next opportunity to go there once again.

MONAS
I was obsessed of going to Monas once again. As a Jakartans I don't have a clear memory of getting there. It was a long time ago.
So during the idl fitr holiday while Hery had back to work, with only rp70000,- in my pocket, and a double fried instant noodle, I brought the kids to Monas.

We went there by cab, the bird one and I spent rp50000,- to pay it.

There were lack of people when we got there. I even didn't know where we supposed to go. My feet got hurt because the day before Safir let my guitar fell and it landed its buttons right on my foot. That condition made me couldn't able to think well. So instead of getting inside the Monas, we were just sitting under the Diponegoro's statue. And the rain fell, what the .... Malika just started eating the noodles but she didn't complain when I asked her to open the umbrella and quickly walk to the Transjakarta station. With twenty thousand rupiahs in my pocket, what can u expect?

Days after that I finally found out that actually there are more economic yet easier to get if its about transportation to Monas. Because at that time, I made a wrong decision taking the bus station near Gambir. It made us went to another sode before we finally get into the Jakarta-Blok M route.
But the positive side was Malika and Safir got a chance to ride three different colour of transjakarta. The first and the second bus were very empty, Malika was able to enjoy the outside view while Safir was busied breastfeed. After we step out at Semanggi, we need to walk very far to reach the other bus stop, I forgot the name. First, I was quite worry that Malika would ask to get carried because she was tired. But what a sweet of her, she was enjoying walking with the long umbrella pretending to ride a horse along the bridge.
It was a long waiting at that moment at the transjakarta station. We were in the middle of the big streets and the glass door stayed open. I need to repeatedly remind the kids to stay away from the door. Especially when it was a rain hard and very windy.

After eating all the noodle, the bus arrived. It was very full. Of course as a woman with two kids, the officer forced a passenger to give the priority seat. He seemed to be forced when he got up. I had refuse it but the officer insist. I know it will harder for me to explain what will happen if I sit.

Yes, Safir would ask for another breastfeeding time. I mean, hey boy, it was very full in here and your sister was barely standing straight. But ... At the end I let the kids sat on my laps, the one enjoyed the breastfeed while the other tried to hold on.

When we were finally stopped the mikrolet at Pancoran, i felt relieve. We will back home soon. And it was very soon because Malika had just close her eyes right before the mikrolet ended the journey. She even closed her eyes again when I woke her up and drag her to come out. Someone need to be awake because we have still a few hundred meters to walk before we get to our bed.

It was like a silly trip. But though we finally went there once again in a normal condition, it was the first trip that Malika kept telling me. It was a moment when she felt very proud of herself not whining during the trip though it was a hard one. Good girl.

KOTA TUA
After Hery had a new camera, weekend has become a moment to find a good spot to take a picture. So, he became less excited to go to someone else's. That's why I asked him to go to Kota Tua. I think I need more museums to see. And Kota Tua is very easy and cheap to reach.

After getting off the train in Kota, we just needed to take a walk. But I was very disapointed knpwing that the museums were closed due to renovation. So we were just hanging around at the front yard. There were crowds of people. And I amazed on how people use their creativity to get money. The colourful ontels, the human statues, and the kuda lumping show. Ok, the last one was less innovative because though it was traditional but it contain lots of violence. The sounds of the wipe made Malika and Safir stopped. At first, I really didn't want to let them see it but my mind confused of trying to inform the kids about the traditional value or about the antiviolence. But finally at the last moment I let them see it and I regreted it. Never let your kids saw that kind of attraction. Malika got scared while Safir got excited.

Because the museum Jakarta and museum Wayang were unopened, I almost felt undermood. But while we take a walk to find a place to have lunch, actually we were trying to find KFC, we found this place. Waroeng Batavia. It was a place to eat using the old building. We use the second floor and the kids got excited with the big windows and their father got happy because he could have good spots. While me enjoying the food which was very good. Beyond my expectation. I tought it will a so so taste.
That day, the sun was shining bright. But we got very tired because there were too many people around. And finally we took a cab to come back home and we all fell asleep in it.

TAMAN MAKAM PAHLAWAN
On one weekend we were bored. Didn't know whereelse we go without spending too much money. And my memory told me one place that we always failed to come. To feed the deers in taman makam pahlawan. It has been a while since the deers never showed up again in the park. But Hery said that those deers has been out of the cage now. So off we go there. I first bought some carrots but I knew then that there was someone who sold it there. And cheaper too.

By using m16, we quickly arrived at the spot. Near the red light. There were plenty of deers and our carrots got quickly eaten. Deers are surely beautiful. Especially when they have horns. Touching the horn felt like magic to me. You know, it felt like touching a tree but it moved.
Safir seemed to enjoy giving them carrots untill they were full and refuse to eat. Malika was busied telling the deer with the horn not to take the carrots that she gave to the smaller deer.

Finished with the carrots, I found out that next to the lake in Taman Makam Pahlawan there was an event been going on. It was heroes day. So we went there because the lake area didn't open regularly. We oftenly felt disapoonted seeing the locked fences after a long walk from the apartment.  But at the moment, seemed everything that has been canceled, accomplished. I hope the management of the Taman Makam Pahlawan could make it better. It was a potential spot.

SOEKARNO HATTA AIRPORT
One day, Hery needed to go to Bali and the day he went back to Jakarta I decided to greeted him earlier. Malika tought that she will be go to the museum again and refuse to go to the airport. But I finally 'forced' her to come.

But when we got there I was the one who amazed. The airport has changed. I was very left behind. That's why it took me more than a half hour to find the safe spot for the kids.
The airport surely has wide space but people with baggage were a dangerous traffic for the bouncing kids like mine.

But we got it, thanks for delaying arrival. It was the smoking area where we can see the planes are parking, landing, taking off ... And it was very windy.

After we got home, after a long and expensive ride, Malika finally is able to play the planes toys in an approriate ways. But still she chose the Satria Mandala because she can touch the plane though they are not as big as the airport.

Someday baby, we will get on the plane. Someday.


Fiuuuh ... I guess that was it. These short trips reminds me of what Donna Agnesia said, 'Parents oftenly think too hard about where they want to spent with the kids. While the kids actually just need us to play with them no matter where they are.'

2014? It will be more exciting.