A 3-year-old proposed to call me mum

Today a 3-year-old boy proposed to call me "mum" instead of "miss". It's not that he doesn't have a mom, but still his words threw me out balance a bit.

"Mum!"

"Eh? Do you miss your mum?"

"No. Mum (is) you." *pointing at me with that adorable finger*

"Haha your mum is at home."

"Nono..that my mum and you mum too. May call you mum, please?"

"Hahaha.. It's Miss Fiona, you silly!" I ruffled his hair quickly and walked away.

How in the world a boy proposed to be my son before anyone proposed to be my husband hahaha *cry*

It was cute, but I bet he won't even remember me three years from now.

My First Birthday in the Big Old City

On Monday, September 28th 2015, I turned 24.

I thought I was going to spend my birthday the adult way. It means going to the mall after work, taking away some noodle (for wishing a long life) and other favorites (chocolate/potato/cheese/seaweed based foods) to fill in my happiness tank, watching a movie I downloaded while eating the noodle, then going to sleep. However, apparently..God had something else prepared in store.

Sunday night I was sleeping peacefully until I heard fierce knocks on my door. It was the kind of knock you can't ignore, it was the kind of knock that will not stop until you open the door. I thought that might be about what the elders back then told their kids, that answering midnight knocks brings you illness and bad luck (usually there is no one when you open the door). Or..these could be the boarding house fellows. There was only one way to find out. I opened the door. Only to see this:

 It was dark outside. What are these things? Floating souls? Why are they floating in front of my face? Then I realized that these people were giving me a surprise. I didn't see that coming at all so I wasn't ready to respond. I guess I made weird gestures and smiles to anything. I didn't even remember to cut the cake nor how to do it. So awkward. I didn't even hug any of them. 

Yeah, dude, what's with that arm pose?

 

Smile here, smile there, smile more and nod.

WHO ON EARTH CUT A CAKE LIKE I DID?! lol, no regret.

The morning came and I got ready for work, bringing the fancy cake along. At school, I got happy-birthdays and hugs here and there. Quite amazing how words spread. After Bible Story, still in the middle of class, a friend teacher came in holding a cake and other 4 other teachers suddenly sang Happy Birthday! The highlight though, was in the children's faces.
So shocked, no one sang along they stared blankly with mouths half open. Haha, they were more shocked than me.

Just how these people know I like chocolates?

At lunch I got some face treatment. By face treatment I meant whip cream all over my face and hair.
.
.
After work, my bestie from uni, Elizabeth, came and offered to go to a massage place together, but unfortunately I needed to go back to my place to wash my hair. Yep, 3 hours with dried cream all over your head was not easy to wash. So the plan changed to just going to the mall eating noodle after I washed up. While eating ramen (close enough to noodle), 2 unexpected friends appeared and joined us.

Two of us eating before Valianda and Rudi made their appearances.

More cake! This one is unique, all layers are different chocolates. Isn't that amazing!










To be honest, I don't remember what I wished for, unless for good health. I mean, I am 24, happy, healthy, employed (not yet the best job but I'm on my way), and surrounded by good friends. What else could I ask, despite all the struggles?

Meet all of us!

...and that was how they closed my day perfectly.


Ah yes. I don't check my social media a lot, so I saw this late, only after a friend captured it and sent it through Line. Virtually, this ladies are the winner.

Jenny currently works in Semarang, and Jessyca is now working in Bali. Seeing them holding notes from different cities..Is it just me or this is really cool!

It's Diane and Shiro the dog. Ona was my small name in uni.
The last but not least, is Tiwi. Both pictures are taken in Salatiga. :')











I still need to check what does Tiwi's paper say, though. Hehehe peace, Tiwi!

New Preschool Teacher in Town: Me!

Life begins at the end of your comfort zone, they said.
.
.
I don't like children. I don't like teaching. And I don't like pink.
Here I am teaching preschoolers in my pink uniform 5 days a week, and here is how that life begins. :)

My first month was all like, dear God save me...these weird little ducklings are chaos!

They could cry so hard they puked or peed or both. You may sing and dance all you want they will just stare blankly at you (and that was the most crickety 20 minutes of my life, btw). However, after that, they could came out of nowhere running to you to give you boogie or try to lick your toe or pull your arm off -but sometimes got distracted by the urge to smell your armpit. They like to climb up your back, then your legs and before you know it, they were all over you. I think they were trying to kill me by burying me alive with their little bodies.

I learned that sometimes I can make them go away with a quick hug, a little lift up and down, high-five or ten, some tickling, or compliment. Even though there are times when none of them works. I mean, like, who would know "Wiwing" means "Piring" (plate) and "Badu" means "Sepatu" (shoes)? There is this kid kept saying "Wiwing" and I said "Good job" and he didn't go away until he got his plate, haha. Oh, I also learned that now my name could be Ms. Pyona or Syonah at its best. It's hard for them to sound "Fiona".

With this second month still on going, I realized one thing..that I have a laugh issue.
I am so easy to laugh, especially at their mistakes or misery. There is this kid playing with his plastic bag by repeatedly slipping his right hand in and out of it during snack time. Then one of the teachers, saw the kid's been tricky all day, caught him and asked him to finish his meal with his hand in a plastic bag. I needed to run to a toilet just so no one can see me laughing. I came back to the class only to see the teacher had put a rubber band around the kid's hand with the plastic bag, and the kid just had to continue eating that way, and he did.. I just had to run to the toilet again. I swear it's funnier seen than told.

September is the month for Fruit, Vegetables, Meat, and Fish as topics. On each week we brought in some samples for the kids to try, like banana, papaya, fruit soup, salad with mayo, "otak-otak" (made of fish) and sausages. There is kid who doesn't like fruits, veggies, or sausages. Every single time he saw a teacher brought in a bowl or two to taste, he would immediately raise his hand saying, "I wanna pee..." with sweats and tears all over his face. That wide eyes and rapid nodding movement obviously saying, "LET ME GO! PLEASEE!! NOW!!!" histerically. Well..This month is surely traumatic to him.

It's funny how these kids always ask for me when they need help on something that scares them instead of other senior teachers. I guess they know I'm not as strict as them. I smiles a lot, compliment small details, and not forcing their limits in the first try. Easy target, am I not? haha.

As much as I think I will enjoy this eventually, I don't think I will stay more than a year. Let this be the only group of preschoolers that I might grow affection for.

A Keloid Story of My Life (written in mostly Indonesian)

Chapter 1

Pembicaraan antara om dan tante di mobil:

"Jadi tadi dokternya bilang..keloid itu bisa muncul kalo orangnya punya bakat keloid."

"Jadi Yona ini punya bakat keloid."

"Iya dia ternyata ada bakat keloid."

"Bakat keloid ya dia ternyata."

"Betul. Bakat keloid ternyata dia."

"Keloid ternyata dia bakat."

Intinya gitu, diulang-ulang beda kalimat aja terus sepanjang jalan. Aku jadi mikir,

"Bakat keloid ya. Hmm.. Baru kali ini ada bakatku yang diakui secara verbal sama mereka. Tapi memang sih itu bakat yang menonjol (pun intended haha..they literally are "standing out"). Mungkin ini harus ditulis di CV juga. BAKAT: KELOID.

Chapter 2

Check-up kedua: "Anda baru? Sakit apa? Sebentar saya cek riwayat...

OH! Yang keloid itu ya!"

 

Check-up ketiga: "Fiona..hmm...baru ya.sebentar saya cek riwayat anda..

OH! Yang keloid ya!"

 

Check-up keempat: "Fiona ya..yang mana ya.. Sebentar saya cek di...

OH! Yang keloidd!"

 

Check-up kelima mulai malesin nih kayaknya: "Sore dok, saya Fiona yang keloid."

"Fiona? Hmm sebentar.. Eh bilang apa tadi? Yang keloid? OH! Ya ya ya gimana gimana?"

 

Check-up keenam udah mulai biasa: "Sore dok, saya yang keloid."

"Ohh! Baik baik baik. Gimana perkembangannya?"

 

Selanjut-selanjutnya: "Sore dok! Saya si keloid! Hahaha!"

"Ah! Sini sini dengkulnya" *ambil lampu meja*

Interesting semi agak sialan emang dokter kulit satu ini..