Medan Kota

I went on a parenting session last Friday which was a public holiday…. so two days before the day, I informed my boys of how I will not be home and that I will be going to school for a day.. Jadon being the cheeky one, then happily shouted “wow.. mama, you are going school!”. I then explained to him, “it’s only for a day, I will be going to school to learn how to be a better mummy to you boys”.. the boys got excited somehow and couldn’t stop telling everyone.. saying that I am going back to school and that I will have lots of homework etc… and insisted on sending me to my class on the day..

The truth is, it’s only a one day seminar at Aryaduta Hotel.. so on the morning itself, both boys woke up early and were readily to send me off.. and during the breakfast time, on the dining table was a pack of Chinese preserved Honey Plum.. and this was what Jadon came up with..

Me: “Elson, can you please help me put this bottle (the preserved Honey Plum) into my handbag please?”

Jadon: “Mama! you can eat in the class? my Miss won’t let us eat sweets in the classroom..!”

Me: “Jadon, the school that mama goes to is different, mine is school for adults and not children..”

Jadon: “That’s not fair!”

I then began teasing him and joke around…

Me: “actually, my school is at a hotel!.. with nice air-con, nice chairs, nice tables, nice rooms.. and we eat nice food with soup, sweets, coca cola, coffee and tea and it’s at Aryaduta Hotel..!”

Jadon: “wow, so if you are hungry, you can pick up the phone and ask the uncle to deliver food to your classroom too?..”

I find that kids these days have the abilities to come up with all the funny thoughts…

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I went on a Parenting Session yesterday, conducted by Dr Ernst Wong.. The topic was “How to Listen to your Children & Get Cooperation From your Children”

We also do Personality Test to see which number we are … it was fun.. my girlfriend and me.. we were laughing throughout the whole test and I have to agree with Dr Wong that by understanding which personality type my 2 boys will be… I will then know how to deal with them.. in a much more understanding manners…

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This must be the longest break I have taken for this blog.. I have been busy.. busy with almost all things in life.. but in a good way though..

I am now into my fourth week of my writing course.. ( I am doing a 10 weeks online ‘life writing’ course with Oxford University, UK) which I’m now a week behind schedule coz of some trouble with my internet connection… with that, 3 homework and 1 assignment are due .. both my boys loved it when I whined about how much homework I have…

and having spent just a mere 3 weeks doing the course.. I have declare myself a truly ‘sucks’ writer.. and that’s why I have not been writing at all…. things I’ve gained and learnt are just too much to absorb and to be honest.. I have no idea what to do with lots of my blogs..

next is something rather dumb to admit, but I have recently taken on a personal trainer for my gym sessions and darn.. I feel that I have wasted my last 6 months of sweats, time and energy all for nothing.. what I was doing were all shameful wrong.. however, it’s now fun and meaningful…

As for Medan?….  on March 14 is the day that marks my officially full 10 years in this ‘too much to love and too much to hate’ town.. having any local Medanese asking me how long I have been living here and my replied said “10 years?”.. I have seen too many expressions.. and each time I gave my reply.. it’s always a question back to myself …‘why am I still here’

This is hard to explain.. but I am feeling LOST.. so lost that I cannot put into words how lost and confused I am at the moment..

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We have a friend name ‘Jonsen’ who used to work for ‘Johnson n Johnson’… the company that all mothers will pick up one of their baby products sometime in the life of her child..

And he was telling us his stories..

Over a telephone conversation to one of the company’s customer.. it went like this..

Customer: which company are you from?
Jonsen: I am from Johnson n Johnson..
Customer: oh..  dari Johnson.
Customer: what’s your name?
Jonsen: Jonsen
Customer: I know you are Johnson.. but what’s your name?
Jonsen: Jonsen..

and it went on for a while before the confusion cleared up.. cute

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Some of us travel rather extensively, use the credit cards on practically all things and with all the rewards point accumulating from the airlines program or from the credit card itself.. I have come to find out that exchanging those credit card points to shopping vouchers give the lowest return.. and I find it silly knowing how some choose to exchange the points for payment of the annual fees.. (I never pay for any of my credit card annual fees, I simply demand for mine to be complimentary.. there are ways to do it and yes.. anyone can go about doing it provided you have a good clean record..)

Well.. I am going to be honest with you all here.. I use my credit cards on every chance I could.. not because I want to be on their credit terms i.e owed money to the bank and be charged ridiculous late fees and interest.. rather I exercised my rights in all possible ways to earn the reward points.. hence over some 6-7 years of my so called hard working rights, last week, I sat down and compiled all my points from all the different cards.. did some casual calculations to have it convert to Krisflyer air miles .. well well well.. voila!!! I now have enough air miles to fly on SQ for

1.    Return air tickets to Tokyo for 8 people or
2.    rtn to Sydney for 6 people or
3.    rtn to Athens/Europe for 6 people or
4.    rtn to Los Angeles for 4 people

and by me doing all the processing online, there’s an additional 15% saving on the points deduction as well..  do look out for promotion where at times, SQ do have promotion on 50% off on the rewards redemption.

so yea.. I kinda often look out for the double rewards point promo.. like currently Citibank is giving 10X for all Hotel transactions from now till 17 January with minimum usuage of Rp 2.000.000.. I was kinda of late to find out this promo over the December, else, I could have my shopping planned that would easily lead to one free return Medan to Singapore on Silkair..

Among all major credit cards in Medan, I would say Citibank gives the best rate of return on points accumulation, lots of program during school breaks and there is no expiry on points accumulated..

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