Dad, you would have turned 71 today and we [your kids and grandkids] would have planned a little surprise celebration with a candle-lit cake like we did last year and the years before. You would have acted to be surprised but genuinely showed appreciation.

Making you happy was easy. All you wished to have was us around you on your special day or any given day. I just wish that I had spent more times with you. I just wish I could make you happier and prouder of me.

Today, with tears running down my cheeks, I sent you a long prayer wishing you not to be so lonely there. I know you can hear me, Dad. You are not physically here, but I sense your presence. So I want you to know that I love you more than you had ever known. I love you 'til the end of time. Just wait for me there, Dad. Until then, I send you my love through prayers. Happy Birthday to you in heaven.

***

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THE HISTORY

On July 4, 1776, the thirteen colonies claimed their independence from England, an event which eventually led to the formation of the United States. Each year on July 4^th, also known as Independence Day, Americans celebrate this historic event.

Conflict between the colonies and England was already a year old when the colonies convened a Continental Congress in Philadelphia in the summer of 1776. In a June 7 session in the Pennsylvania State House (later Independence Hall), Richard Henry Lee of Virginia presented a resolution with the famous words: "Resolved: That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved."

Lee's words were the impetus for the drafting of a formal Declaration of Independence, although the resolution was not followed up on immediately. On June 11, consideration of the resolution was postponed by a vote of seven colonies to five, with New York abstaining. However, a Committee of Five was appointed to draft a statement presenting to the world the colonies' case for independence. Members of the Committee included John Adams of Massachusetts, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, Robert R. Livingston of New York and Thomas Jefferson of Virginia. The task of drafting the actual document fell on Jefferson. On July 1, 1776, the Continental Congress reconvened, and on the following day, the Lee Resolution for independence was adopted by 12 of the 13 colonies, New York not voting.

Discussions of Jefferson's Declaration of Independence resulted in some minor changes, but the spirit of the document was unchanged. The process of revision continued through all of July 3 and into the late afternoon of July 4, when the Declaration was officially adopted. Of the 13 colonies, nine voted in favor of the Declaration, two -- Pennsylvania and South Carolina -- voted No, Delaware was undecided and New York abstained. John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress, signed the Declaration of Independence. It is said that John Hancock's signed his name "with a great flourish" so England's "King George can read that without spectacles!"

Today, the original copy of the Declaration is housed in the National Archives in Washington, D.C., and July 4 has been designated a national holiday to commemorate the day the United States laid down its claim to be a free and independent nation.

***

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I love getting lost in the woods where there is no cellular signal detected, only me, my husband, trees and creek around me. The hell with civilization out there.

*****

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Jakarta, the capital of the Republic of Indonesia, is the only city that also holds the status as a Province. Located on the northwest of Java Island, Jakarta was also previously known as Sunda Kelapa (prior to 1527), Jayakarta (1527-1619), Batavia (1619-1942) and Djakarta (1942-1972).

Present day Jakarta’s land area is 664.01 km2 wide and inhabited by 9.988.495 people.⁽¹⁾

THE HISTORY

Starting out as a little harbor and military outpost at the estuary of Ciliwung River 500 years ago, Jakarta rapidly grew into an international trade center. The earliest findings of Jakarta history were collected from the hieroglyphs found around the harbor area. However, almost no record to date has been found on how and when precisely the European traders arrived Jakarta and when they eventually took it over.

A report written by a European author in the 16^th century mentioned a town called “Kalapa,” which seemed to be the main harbor for a Hindu Kingdom named “Sunda” with “Pajajaran” as its capital and located in the remote area approximately 40 kilometers from a major city presently known as Bogor.

Portuguese sailors and traders were the first sizable European occupiers to land at Kalapa harbor.

Taking exception to the presence of these invaders a young man named Fatahillah from a neighboring kingdom then attacked the town with a small army of followers on June 22, 1527, later changing its name to Jayakarta. Since then, this date had been the official birth date of Jakarta.

During the 16^th Century Dutch colonizers arrived and quickly conquered Jayakarta, changing its name to Batavia. It was strikingly similar to their country, Batavia being mostly covered by swamps, and they built canals to protect the town from the floods that have inundated it yearly for millennium. The center of governmental activities was approximately 500 meters away from harbor where they constructed an elegant City Hall which became the headquarters for Batavia Governmental Officials.

In the following decades and indeed, centuries, Batavia expanded to the south. Rapid, unregulated development soon caused environmental damage and increased flooding to the town, eventually forcing the Dutch colonists to relocate their headquarters to higher ground. This area was named Weltevreden.

It was during the early 20^th Century that Indonesian students in Batavia began the Indonesian nationalism campaign.

A historical pledge was declared in 1928, which is known as “Sumpah Pemuda” (Youth Pledge) and consisted of three pledges: One Land, One Nation, One Language: Bahasa Indonesia.

During World War II the empire of Japan attacked Indonesia, driving out the Dutch and replacing them as overlords in Indonesia (1942 – 1945). During this occupation the Japanese changed the name of Batavia to Djakarta.

In 1966, Djakarta was officially voted the capital of the Republic of Indonesia, leading to the rapid construction government offices and foreign embassies.

In August 1972, following the Enhanced Indonesian Spelling System, Djakarta’s spelling changed to Jakarta.

The rich culture and traditions present and on display in Jakarta along with the history of its dynamic development and ongoing modernisation make it one of the most interesting and exciting destinations for business investors and foreign visitors in both ASEAN and for that matter, the world.

***

Sources:
(1) Permendagri Nomor 39 Tahun 2015
(-) Kemendagri Site

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During the late 1800s, labor leaders decided that hardworking Americans deserved a holiday of their own. After 1894’s monumental Pullman Railroad strike, Congress decided to federalize this holiday.

The Pullman strike had such wide-ranging implications that less than a week after it ended, then-President Grover Cleveland signed Labor Day into law. Considering that both U.S. soldiers and federal law enforcement officers killed a number of strikers, this was the least that he could do.


Prior to the organization of labor unions, blue collar workers were subject to gruesome employment. Their jobs in the mines, in the factories, or under the burning sun left them exposed to considerable danger. Minimum wage laws were a long way off, and health insurance was non existent then.


Then there is the Gilded Age’s near-total lack of workplace sanitation and fair pay standards. Scores of long-pressed laborers eventually got together and formed unions. As individuals, they were all but powerless to bring about positive change. In large groups, though, they managed to secure the American Dream not only for themselves, but generations to come.

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There is peace, even in the storm ~ Vincent Van Gogh

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      I might not have everything, but I have a loving husband for over 12 years who stands by me no matter what, a loving understanding family and crazy friends whom I love hanging out with, and that - to me - is EVERYTHING. I know I am LOVED. And for that, I am very thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!!!

** The above photo was taken on my last thanksgiving celebrated in the U.S.

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Happy United States Marine Corps Birthday!!! I am proud to be a Marine's Wife!!!Semper Fi!!!

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There are still thousands of slides we keep from those days when digital has not yet been invented. These slides I used to use to learn my first photography lesson. Love them.

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Walking down the small paths among rice fields brought back all nice childhood memories. Although I was born and raised in the city, I spent most of my holidays in this small village in Garut, West Java, where my grandparents lived. The house they owned was modest, but large enough to have six grandchildren to stay for a week or two. They made us a swing made of a used tire on the backyard. They fed us with veggies, fishes and chicken meats from their own farms.

I loved coming along with them to work on the farms, helping them picking cloves, chilies, fruits and veggies while the boys helped grandpa fishing or carrying firewood for barbeque. Life was simple back then: we just ate what we planted. And for a city girl like me, that was called luxurious.

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          I "bribed" these baby squirrells with bagels to take some pictures of them... LOL... they can't be any cuter than these!!

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In days like this, 100.4 ^o F with 82% humidity here in Jakarta, all I've been wishing for is to dip in to the icy cold natural pool like this.

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