{Winter Sale | At the time we were Millionaires}

When we were living and working in Indonesia we instantly became Millionaires too. At the time we resided there, it was 2,000 Indonesian Rupiah to every US Dollar. Adding three digits to our salary made us feel rich indeed! By the end of 1998 it went even as high as Rupiah 8,500 to every US Dollar. So when we did arrive from the USA in Jakarta, Indonesia on one of our consulting trips, we did go SHOPPING. Winter Sale was a bargain for us. 

We just had arrived the previous day in Jakarta, Indonesia. Here we are at the Hyatt Aryaduta hotel for a coffee/tea after we went to the Leprosy Project in Tangerang with our driver. That is about an hour to the west from the capitol of Jakarta, Indonesia. We always hand delivered cash that got raised by the Dublin Rotary Club and by some private donors. That time we safely handed over US $ 9,600.00 to Father Binzler, a German Jesuit that was the head of the compound. Sadly he got killed by a car in Jakarta a couple of years later...

We went to Plaza Indonesia for our shopping.

Just back from the Sogo Department store in Jakarta. Sogo used to be a Japanese department store in Indonesia and targeting the upper-class market. Its name has now changed and we have not been there since 2001. From niece Maartje in The Netherlands, we had a very sweet drawing and a note on bear stationery, the morning before we departed from the USA. So we did stop at the Versus Versace boutique and found her a beautiful Young Versace jeans in black, that was marked down from Rupiah 940,000.00 to Rupiah 470,000.00. Maartje got lucky! We also found her a nice hibiscus dress at Sogo and matching hair bows for all outfits.

Wearing my Majorica 14mm pearls.

Brother Martin made a picture of her dress, without the matching top that we bought with it.

Rupiah 940,000.00 for half off is only 470,000.00

BUT that was no more than US 58.78...

Weird for having to deal with that many numbers!

Sogo Department Store at Plaza Indonesia in Jakarta Center

This was for the dress...

Not too bad for the dress, converted back into US $

Sogo Department hair bows and barrettes

Hair bows and barrettes converted into US $

We have always traveled with suitcases full of things to Indonesia, to give to the poor Leprosy patients and to the deaf children that visited our home frequently from the boarding school.

When traveling to the Netherlands we had always one suitcase full with GIFTS for nieces and nephews etc. 

Weight in the luggage and number of luggage pieces was not that restricted as it is now. 

 Coach Class did allow Two (2) pieces of 70 pounds / 32 kilograms each!

At that time we also frequently did send parcels but with the very high postage, that is no longer possible.

We both loved to be generous and make others happy.

Even though once we stopped arriving with full suitcases to give to family members, they stopped being interested. 

We seldom hear from them... 

Sorry, but living off just one pension with three people, we no longer can afford playing Santa Claus.

Related links:

{AJOUR KNIT JACKET FOR MY NIECE MAARTJE} previous post by me

{Giovanni Raspini Silver Safety Pin Necklace}

In the Italian VANITY FAIR, silver master Giovanni Raspini, Italy shows this Silver Safety Pin Necklace. Sorry, I'm not a VANITY FAIR model... but I just had to show you this!

Thirteen 925 silver Safety Pins make a fabulous necklace!

Got enough pins at my Zen Cart powered on line boutique Mariette's Back to Basics.

Link you find below post...

Spille da balia montate a collana (Safety pins made into necklace)

Giovanni Raspini 

Pubished in the Italian VANITY FAIR 

Shown on Giovanni Raspini's FB Page, see link below post

Sure I cannot compete with such a VANITY FAIR model... Photo taken with flashlight.

Natural light...

Funny idea for wearing your silver safety pins like this!

My Mom would pin up to four safety pins on my cotton diapers... but not silver ones!

I also wear one on my Burberry kilt.

Leave it to the Italians for inventing such unique jewelry pieces.

I only tried to show it to you, as I do have 13 solid 925 silver safety pins available!

Anyone interested? GOT them for you!

Sure you can be conservative and wear them pinned on your kilt or as a brooch on the lapel with any silver or gold charms.

Those are also 925 silver charms by Giovanni Raspini, Italy.

Would you have more ideas for wearing them?

Maybe for holding a knitted shawl together...

Love to hear your suggestions!

Sorry, sold out...

Related link:

Giovanni Raspini Facebook Page with VANITY FAIR Safety Pin Necklace

{Epiphany and our visits to the Shrine of the Three Magi in Cologne, Germany}

January 6 is the Feast of Epiphany and I thought let me share with you our visits to the Cathedral of Cologne, Germany where the Shrine of the Three Kings is inside gilded and decorated triple sarcophagus. The remains of the Three 'Magi' (Persian) are in there: Merlchior middle aged from Persia, Caspar young European, Balthasar an elderly from Ethiopia. There is a lot of information out there about these biblical figures and millions of people have visited this Shrine in Cologne, Germany.

Here you see the triple gilded sarcophagus with the remains of the Three Magi.

This is the largest reliquary of the Western World.

Because of the value of he gold, pearls and intaglia + the relics it is well protected as you can see. 

This visit was in 2005, with our German 'son' as our guide (r) and our Dublin, Georgia friend (l) and me in the center. Husband Pieter took both photos. Here we are standing outside of the Cathedral of Cologne.

It is impossible for capturing this mighty building. The foundation was laid in 1248 and it took over 600 years to complete. Below this post, you find a video about Cologne Cathedral, Germany.

Cologne Cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This photo from November 2008, shows more of the LARGEST CHURCH FACADE IN THE WORLD!

To the left is our German 'daughter-in-law', me with little 'granddaughter' and our foster-daughter Anita from Indonesia.

Cologne Cathedral is also the world's tallest Gothic building!

When it got completed in 1880 it was the world's tallest building for 4 years till the Washington Monument in DC, USA did beat it by 4 meters .

Inside of the Cathedral with 'daughter-in-law', 'grandson' and me to the right...

The space inside compares to over 600 houses. 

It also houses the world's largest free-swinging Church bell; the Saint Peter's bell weighing a massive 24 tons.

There are a total of 11 bells. You can hear the big Saint Peter's bell and 8 of the 11 bells ringing in two Youtube videos, linked below post.

When I was still in my early 20s I actually did CLIMB up the stairs and here I took this photo by standing on my toes and holding my camera out of the tower. You see the famous bridge over the River Rhine.

They now seem to have a platform at the south tower for standing on and you can reach that with 533 steps. Not at that time...

The Cathedral of Cologne got mostly spared during WWII but it still got damaged.

Dad told me when I returned from climbing its tower that Grandpa, my Godfather and Dad's Father had worked on the renovations after WWII

Yep, I had to rest before moving on.

Wearing my Salzburger rose Dirndl here...

Did you ever visit the Cathedral in Cologne, Germany?

Guess what? Living here in the USA, in the Southeast we MISS those majestic Church bells that always would ring when a wedding is going on, for festivities or for sad days like a funeral... 

It was kind of hard adjusting to, when we moved from Europe.

May many more visit here...

Just an example of how vast the Persian Empire used to be during biblical times...

From biblemapper.com

Red Sea ←click link to WorldAtlas showing Ethiopia

Related links:

Cologne Cathedral, Germany Youtube vide

Cologne Cathedral, largest swinging bell of the world | Sound of Saint Peter's Bell
The Bells of Cologne Cathedral, Germany Here you hear 8 bells of the South Tower with spectacular view of Cathedral by night
Magi in Iran Information on the Magi
Where Do the Biblical Magi Rest? How the Shrine of the Three Kings Made it to Cologne Cathedral |  History and information
Christians in Persia video about Churches in Iran where one of the three Magi were buried

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