Indonesian in North Carolina, USA

This is my city in Central Jakarta. This is a business centre, it looks paradise to everybody in this world especially for people who has a lot of money. You can find many shooping centre has 8 floor just for entertaining your shopping and eating desire.

You will love it.

In compliment to Linda Yuliana Hutabarat for taking all of these pictures:
Jl.Jendral Sudirman (Sudirman street)
pict by Linda Yuliana Hutabarat


Depan Hotel Mandarin
pict by Linda Yuliana Hutabarat

Years ago before my former city-governor forbid all of the becak (like rickshaw) we still have this kind of public transportation in this city (but probably in a certain area still have them).

In compliment to Deni Borin for taking all of these pictures:


from side1

from side2


from side3front side

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I got the picture from my friend in MP when big flood hit Jakarta. This place is near our street its about 3 miles from my house.

Yes...Jakarta got attack by flooding. My mom’s work place got hit until 4 feet height. She didn't go to work for a week. All the machines and documents were damage.

My aunt's house got until her roof. And she has 2 stories so it is about 10-12 feet…! Fortunately, my house was safe because we are in the higher ground (thank God) but still we can't go anywhere because the road is almost like in this picture everywhere.

I hope the government can solve this problem real quick so no “flooding-season” anymore in my beloved city.

Check this out...





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Sunday 7 pm, May 11, 2008 was my first experience having severe thunderstorm. We had been riding to Winton from Outer Banks and the raindrops as big as marble mighty big and hit our truck like somebody threw the stone to the truck.

It made me, my husband and my kitten scared to death. We couldn't see the road at all and we couldn't stop either. There was nothing we can do except praying. And God guard us from disaster and damaging...but...
when we got Scott's mom's house, the front and back yard were full of limps and some of the trees got hit. Thank goodness that our home and little cabin and all the Downs (Joan, Evi, Scott, Weakey, Bebee, Missy, Pedee) are safe.

If you want to see the picture aftermath, visit us:

http://viscocountrycreation.com/storm051108.html

What an experience, huh?

ps: I don't want to write a lot because I feel not good to remember this scary moment in mother's day.

Happy mother's day though!

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One day in the afternoon, we got somebody visiting our deck, at the beach-Kill Devil Hills, NC. In the picture above, it showed a little bit his face. oke contine...to see

Uppss..there he is...
He said, "I am posing."


Because he looked so cute so Scott took a picture of him and let him pose before his "eye-lens" and seems he enjoyed it.

Oh yes...he posed with our corn cob on his hand...he is not stealing because he knocked the door first to let Scott now that he will stay in a while in the deck (I wasn't at home on that time).



Now, he is ready to go...buh bye!

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Dont be so cruel, love me tender and let me be your Teddy Bear!


I knew about Elvis actually from my mom's collection. When I was kid I used to listen to my mom's cassette collection and one of them was Elvis Presley. In that time I just enjoyed the music without knowing his face at all.I didn't know anything about him until I was teenager that he was handsome and religious too. It makes me admire him more. And also in our TV station they played Elvis'movies every week. That's why my craziness about him growing?!!

Christina sent me Elvis Candy in a can and Key Chain when I was still in Indonesia (oohh I missed my mom and Indonesia very much....hey this expression is not related at all with what you write, Evi! and stop whinning...).


Okay, I think I am going to proclaimed my self as one of Elvis's fans...since then.

When I got married with Scott, I could not believe it that he likes Elvis, his mom likes Elvis...(also Cat, Scott loves cat, his daddy loved cat, his mom loves cat..oh cmon...focus with what you write, Evi!)...welll...see...how lucky I am!

Okay talking about Elvis, Mam Joan gave us the ticket to see the Elvis tribute with Sterling Riggs in Outer Banks Music Showcase, April 12, 2008-Saturday-7.30PM. I pretended that was my birthday gift from her (remember my birthdate? Is March 4th ring the bell for you?)ha ha ha...

We got J-6 and J-7 I think that was the right seat that we got. For short people like me it helped me to see and take pictures. I took some pictures of him and some video. But you know what? When Mr. Riggs came down to the aisle and he was in front of us, my digicam stopped working! I guess my digicam didn't like him or what, God knows! After all these time I took the pictures and record some without trouble at all. But when he was very close to us...the cam gave up. The funny thing was, after he went back to the stage and I tried my cam to take a picture...woallaa..its working very good!!!






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This word means a lot to everybody's life. Since I am here, I realized that friends are worth than your own family. Because they are closer (place) than your relatives or family. But it is not always easy to make a friend with somebody. You have to have lots of understanding, patient, caring and loving. If not, it won't work.

I had lots of friends even from kindergarden in Indonesia and from all over the world also before I come here. I like that and lately my mom said my friend from High School called me and it surprised me that they still have my home-phone number(It had been thousands years ago...)?! It is really cool that they are still remember me. I am not trying to show-off but I am pretty popular amongs my friends. I was very active when I was in a "young-life"...

Right now, I don't know anymore how to keep friends in this country-all I concerned about is what I am going to say without hurting someone's feelings or how I behave so I will not insulting somebody-because of the difference of culture. I just hope that what I have said or done not making people get hurt or insult....I do hope!

My friends in Indonesia told me before I come here that I have to prepare myself about individuality atmosphere in USA. On that time I didn't listen, hey nobody can't live by themselves! Human is a social creature and people has to have attention to their environment and community. They said: "It's up to you Evi, I just don't want you to get hurt."

I don't know that theory is right or wrong but here I am now, hurt, sad, sometimes lonely, feel abandoned...my mom told me, don't make those situation hold you to get success, you have friends. Probably it differences now, they don't call you just to talk to you like you were here(and that is true, when I was in Indo-I even let my mom or aunt to pick up the phone and telling them that I am not at home or I turned my cell-phone off, because my friends keep calling me just want to talk or ask me to go with them..uuuugghh-now I missed that!). "Probably the problem is not coming from what you've said or done but language." She added:"Face it and do not complain. Once again don't be bothered with your new condition. Keep making friends no matter what they will react just show your affection. And also don't be so sensitive and be tough!Move along and don't look back!"

Heeghhhh...! Can I survive? Can I keep my friends like I used to be? Can I? Can I?

So, what the friends are for you?


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You can create one too just click this and Enjoy the My Magazine Picture


That's our marriage picture. It was June 12, 2005.

Everything was so modest even my wedding dress I got it from Ms. Bunny...(you can find the journal in my link-to know who she is). It was a perfect wedding dress for me...everybody was tickled by that because it came prefectly fit on my body. In that time I have been thinking..if there is no God's will ... I wouldn't be able to have this precious wedding thing.
Not many people come, but I enjoyed it. And as usual I did speak with hundreds of words and showed how I missed my mom on my wedding day. I promise her not to cry because my mom said it will ruin my mascara but I did it anyway (I really missed my mommmm)...I cried and I ruined my make-up. I hope I am not the ugliest bride in this world.
Sometimes I ask God why I have to have wedding day without my mom beside me...it was sad...but probably it is my destiny(again) to be tough and stand by myself to face the future. So, I told my mom, I don't know how to react...sad or happy. And my mom said," I was there, I am on your heart and mind!"

I thank you to my husband, my mom and my mother in law to make this happened. And also to all of wonderful people that help about everything: Ms. Bunny, Ms. Kathy and David Spence, Ms. little Mandy Spence, Ms. Barbara Piland, Ms. Janet Scott. May God shower them with His love!

Me& Be-bee were talking-it's exquisit, isn't it?

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When we ready to take a picture together everybody ask,"where is Evi?" And I said: I am here-lost among the kids ...ha ha ha ha."

In Winton Baptist Church (I think all of the Southern Baptist Church), they have sunday school class and one of them is GA (Girls in action) class from Grade 1-7. On March 28, 2008 they invite me to come to the Association office to speak about Indonesia. It was exciting time, beside talking about Indonesia, I serve Indonesian food, that were: Satay (Chicken kebab ala Indonesia), Rujak (Fruit with peanut Dip), Sweet potato balls (but it was not round but taste okay...according adult people ha ha...ha...ha...

As I said in my link...you can see my link by clicking #7-the title kid'sm, forst I was worried that nobody understand what I said especially kids. But thank goodness, they were understand, in fact...
they give me a lot of questions, such as: Do you have turkey hunt? answer:Nope! or Do you wear clothes like we do? answer:Yes or Do the kids there play the computer game like we do? answer: Yes and many more. They were very exciting and so do I! I said that I don't like sport that's why I just have this height and also I love playing with the boy ... I said, I am a superhero girl. I did that not in a bad reason, I did it to help weak girl from the bully.

Oh yes, I told them I didn't play with doll that much when I was kid and also I told them that I cut my mom's collection of small pretty dools (six of them) which had pretty long hair into the model I like. I don't remember now, how my mom reaction exactly when she found out on that time. Anyway when I look at that dolls now...some of them look good, hey I am good as a little girl.

Okay back to the GA's. I like the enthusiasm from them. And I can't believe it that they paid attention what I was said. I thought in that age they will bussy with themselves. Not happened at all, they listened what I had said. I enjoyed it!

Once again thank you for this opportunity, Winton Baptist Church!



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Dam diram diram diram diraram (dam diraram)
Dam diram diram diram diraram (dam diraram)

Indah-indahnya negriku
Lautnya luas membiru
Gunungnya menjulang tinggi
Nusantara indah ini…

This is one of a children's song from my country by Chicha Koeswoyo(one of kid's singer in my country). I always remember this song…even with this kind of “age” (OOO..). Globally, the meaning of this song is How beautiful my country is, Blue ocean, high mountain, etc...

I didn’t pay that much attention about my country until
I got here (Winton-NC, USA). I have hard time find the vegetables and fruits and fishes, that I like the best in here. Well, I don’t blame this country for not having that even though this country is a super power country. It’s just we have different weather and condition. In Indonesia we have 2 seasons: raining and hot weather. We are in tropical atmosphere so...

we can get any kind of fruits, vegetables any time without considering the weather.


When I told everybody here that we have 5 different kind of mangoes, 7 different kinds of bananas, hundreds different kind of fishes…they just said: ”really?” Yep! I am not kidding. And also in the time that I spoke in front of GA’s, when they asked about Shopping Mall, I told them, if you like shopping you can come to Jakarta-my home town and you will find 6 different buildings (maybe more now-last time I had been there on 2004)which has 5 or 8 floor (stories) just for shopping! I am not kidding as well!

It is really sad for me that my country is not as popular as India, Japan, China, or Philippines, probably we don’t have many promotion.

If you are into history, my country is the part of historic …you can find temples which has more than 500 years old and still there. Ohhh..wish I could tell you everything about that.

Wait a minute...some of my friends that I meet them recently from Multiply.com probably can help me to show about small part of that beauty. Because they love photography. Probably they don’t mind if I took some of their picture to show you. Let me ask them first and I let you know.

I attached the example of the hundreds years old of the temple and one of our beach view!

Oh yes... some ever asked me this:"If your country has everything and beautiful also, why you are here in US? And I answered:"That might be my destiny, nobody can deny their path of life from God. I am not regret or upset about my decision coming and staying here. Actually, no matter where God "place" me I will say thankful for that! That is the important thing, I guess...





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