the flavor of homeland food

Today I felt like want to cook something homie and I decided to cook soto (spices curry soup) and opor ayam (chicken curry). All curries and chicken stuff because these were all I have on the freezer almost a month and today is the time to get it over. Unfortunately there are still 1/2 kilo left. fufufuf...

I invited my room mate to eat the stuff because I could not handle this, too much. I felt like happy to cook these but eat em all is not a very good idea for sure, it is so greasy! It was proven that my stomach is accustomized with Dutch simple food and I just felt my stomach went wrong after I had lunch. oouch.

Apart from getting sick a little, I recalled again my real culture and the flavor of my homeland by making and eating this food on the table. It was nice and in the same time wierd because usually I ate this soto under the tent on the street somewhere in Jakarta or Bandung with humid whether and of course the temperature of the whether is more than 30 degree celcius. But today, I ate this with the snow rain outside and I suddenly missed my homeland for a while.

With simple stuff, I reconnected again to the place where I belong, the place where some people were expecting my presence today. I feel grateful.

Yaldâ

Shab-e Yaldâ or Shab-e Chelleh is an ancient Iranian Festival originally celebrated on the Nothern Hemisphere's longest night of the year, that is, on the eve of the Winter Solstice.
Today I have an honored to celebrate it with my Iranian room mate. We went to the market to buy some food, fruits, a cake. I just followed as I felt really lazy to go out to 50m away supermarket because of snow is everywhere. Wet and slippery.
After working for almost 10 hours for university stuff that I need to catch up before having long holiday in Spain, finally I decided to stop and start the celebration. We "cooked" our dinner, as in fact my friend just heated up the pile of rice and mince meat that he cooked for couple meals and I boiled spruitjes (sprouts), typical of a Dutch vegetable, and waved bapao (chinese steam bread) for my dinner.

Spruitjes (Sprouts), as small as meat balls.

It was nothing specially except the meaning of the celebration and some good musics. After eating out "fast food" and fruit. My friend, Farzad suggested to have a cup of tea for accompanying the cake. I was amazing after almost forgetting how good is the taste of the cake. Honestly, the food was too much for me today since I have not eaten that much these days. But I felt enjoying it so much.

After we finished the cake, all of sudden, the food topic was served on the table and Farzad referred me to the video about Persian food. Waooo... amazing to know how they made the food. I just remember how enjoyable to work with the slow food and how exotic the different kind of food in different part of the world. I wish I could make it part of my work. I really wish someday this will come true. But for today, this is enough.

In the end, I show also how does the Indonesian cuisine looks like. My friend said, it was a pity that the people in Holland do not know how to appreciate the food because they have breakfast food for three times a day. Haha... sometimes this might be true. People have less and less time to eat, to spend the most important time for chew and swallow substance that make they still alive.

It was funny and I really appreciate it as my treasure of the day.

wet and dirty road, dark winter, thick snow, and happy face

Wet and dirty road
dark winter

thick snow

and HAPPY FACE!? it is happy face in the very severe snow rain! :)

a cup of positivism and a spoon of discipline

A recipe of a hard tiring day with many responsibilities and most probably killing deadlines: a cup of positivism and a spoon of discipline.

I did not know why yesterday, the world was so heavy, even my own shoes felt like 2 kilos of sand. Maybe it compensated a nice long chatty night with friends. Yesterday, I woke up and felt like in hell, with a little headache, neck pain, and the worst... waiting deadline with none of them I could understand how to start...

I just passed yesterday with faith and took a stance to start disciplined my self as my wise friend said, "try to sleep always before 12 and set your body clock at 8." I am trying. It was not perfectly set today. But I am sure I will be. Somehow this body needs adjustment something positive to be able to function well, run and think faster.

He is totally right. I woke up today at 9 with better energy (yes, I set my sleeping time from 1 - 9am instead of 12 - 8am) and I add a cup of positivism instead of tea. I guess it is still fine and it is even better for me, remembering the sun in holland these days is also late.

I start my day with cold milk and honey (how sweet is that..) blanket to heat up my body and newspaper to heat up my brain. Oh.. geee.. climate change, euro was going down, chavez and ahmadinejad were hugging each other and pissed some other leaders, sport stuff, not really into it, stock and financial pages (fiuh, not for me now).. and finally.. my gmail... some friends, work stuff, my facebook (nothing)... and time to work..

After few hours I did not realize how progressive I was, in killing the killing deadline. Yeah... a cup of positivism and a spoon of discipline are healing my day, make my days lighter and happier.

What a recipe.

wine, candles, friends, and jazz melody

When a bottle of red wine, french fries, biscuits, peanuts, raisins, small candles, nice friends, jazz melody, a warm bricked stylish room, random interesting topics, and jazz melody meet together suddenly tiring and cold day was melting. For me today, those are enough. Enough to me and to melt frozen heart, break boundaries between new people and sweep away all doubts and fears about the near future.. aka deadline.

One of my greatest people I know came to the apartment since I invited him to come and also I invited my room mate to join the light talk party in an empty bedroom, which is supposed to be a living room. I do not know how to formulate a good ambiance to have a nice feeling, but today it was really there, naturally be there somehow.

Talking about sports we did, we do, how do we like it, debating about countries, religions, war, peace, invention, imagining an ideal job, from working in a restaurant in the shore side, cooking and running a restaurant, or maybe achieving big stuff to become important person, criticizing presidents, leaders, even ourselves as selfish human beings, root of all problem in the world, rating the movies and making comments for any kind of movie we like, until imagining new innovation with digitizing and materializing...

I wonder if there are really people who are so nice like today to discuss anything that open our mind to new things in life and also our feelings...

It was a rare moment, simple but sophisticated, many strong propositions with humble attitude. I was a really great evening and I really miss to have a day with you two again. Thank you to make my day.

brand new white spirit

puff... arrghh.. so cold today in the morning. Hmmmhh.. I felt too lazy to get up. I heat one the heater to the max, while dutch people turn it off during they are sleeping. Still, It can feel the air in my room bite my skin and bones.

Hmmm.. lovely pink bear cotton bed sheet and two thick blankets wrapped me in the middle and I shook my body to get a little bit warmer. But all of sudden, mr. Alarm Clock shouted in my ears and pulled me out of my bed... walked out from the room to wash my face and brush my teeth with warm water. Thanks God, Holland has water heating system in almost all sinks. Hmm.. feel fresh. (noted that take a shower is not an obligatory in winter time)

I rubbed my laptop, heated on and gee, so ironic that i knew it was snowy outside because my friend's photos in facebook told me so. After I had opened my life's window through the computer screen, then I realize I need to open my real window at my room. WAOOOO it is first snow of this year, so whiteeee... lovely.

Last year, I arrived in Shanghai in the middle of winter storm. So it is my second time to see the snow, but it is so different since Shanghai is like mixed ice syrup with dust as its topping, so disgusting! Today I see pure white snow and little snow rain in the morning. I decided to bring a bottle of soup for my lunch and also to heat up my body.



With an ipod sing along in my ears, whispering "White Christmas" song. I feel happy and were recharged again after disappointing day before. I stopped a while in the long entrance to my university. So beautiful even though I see it almost everyday. I feel as if I walked in for the first time. It is a nice start a brand new day with new scheme and new setting. I feel my spirit lifted up by the new day.

and I walked to the new spirit and whisper tenderly, "welcome the new spirit, I open my heart and embrace you with love"

who sayz "ten children only" can not be spoiled

Today, a strong proposition just hit me as a person. Realizing that I am the only child, one judges me easily that I am spoiled. So far, what I realize is that I am an independent person. "Can one who highly independent categorize as a spoiled person?" I just figure the answer by this self-reflecting discussion. The answer is of course Yes!

There are so many things to spoil humans. Attention, love, money, material support, parents protection, service, even McDonald a.k.a. fast food can spoil people in many ways. These things are not bad as may be other people agree as well. What I confuse is "where is the thin line between efficiently utilize what we can get or access as a person and excessively overused and become so spoiled by these stuffs?

This is a hard question. Don't you agree? I realize people often misuse these lovely offers because they make us feel so good and we start to forget what are the objectives of their existences. Today, in my presence, I realize the most important point to answer the question which people may encounter in daily life, especially in judgmental setting, The Hard Question as I mentioned before is under attacked.

I dedicate this idea to the one who lifted up this discussion and made me day.

free coffee machine in Holland? Wao!!

Since I just arrived in Holland, today is the first time I saw free stuff for public. As people know, except me long time ago. I did not know how far the holland people go with NOTHING IS FREE. In this country even we need to pay for a TOMATO sauce in the restaurant. But the I can accept that later on since the people here are also thirst of stuff that they can take for free. Even not free stuff like Bikes too. No wonder, the police have thousand cases of lost bikes in this country, where number of bikes is more than the total number of the population.

Having this fact and experience, I start adjusting myself to the reality. In the beginning, it was tough though. I hardly could accept to pay 20 cents just for a sachet of tomato sauce. It was ridiculous. the fact, it is ridiculous. Even more, they pay 50% tax out of their salary and they still need to pay 50 cents to go to the public toilet. How stupid is that. The land where all risks are insured even to cancel the insurance is also insured, nobody want to secure and invest for the place where we spend the most important cycle of our body which is in the toilet.

Whatever. Today. 14th December 2009. Right after 111 days in holland, finally I have found a free stuff. What made me surprised that this is a coffee machine, which usually we need to pay fucking 1.5 euro for 3/4 cup of chocolate or coffee. I went to AON office to ask for insurance (yes, as I mentioned, I want to insure my possibility for having no money and want to go to the public toilet please!). Then I saw a coffee machine in the lobby. WaaaooO!!! so surprised! After having a cup of choco deluxe. My transformed-ducth way brain thinks that for sure I must come by sometimes, take a cup and enjoy holland a little bit more.

Sit up + Push up: Up my life. No more Screen up

Sit up and push up are the ways to relief stress now. How strange is that? It is not mentally healthy but physically, it is.

Lately, I am so wanna off from the computer screen, the ultimate cause of my stress. Why should I get trap in this whole damn world and have the only window to the whole world through my screen. Love it in the beginning but now.... I start hating it soooo much. My room mate, Piere, said, "It is hell killing my eyes". It kills what I feel as a a human.

Working, typing, watching movies, video clips, TVs channel, listening to the music, checking recipe, sending text, email, playing games, playing love, doing lousy research, serious research, love research, looking for new friends, cute friends, talking to parents, to strangers, to myself... like now.. everything!!! arrghhh... tired.

Ok.. that's it. I AM OFF NOW.

CLICK APPLE LOGO...

CLICK SHUTDOWN...

Computer ask, "are you sure want to shutdown your computer now?"

option: cancel or shutdown

Just if there were an option: HELL YES, SHUTDOWN NOW!!!

just be yourself or just be people selves

Who is wrong here?

The judgmental person who always think we should act right according to our environment and our circumstances, like age, male, female, fat, ugly, short, tall, blond..

or

people who want to become themselves?

or maybe the clique statement "just be yourself" has become obsolete these days.

Today, the alarm has rung again. I just wonder I live in a very judgmental environment where people are valued based on their physical attributes and not by their personal quality. Again this topic pops up in my mind and I think this topic will not ever become obsolete. Unless our society stop judging other people. In which it is impossible.

Staying in Holland for about 3 months now, I have found one more treasure of my day.

In Holland, people's words shaped other people opinion and I, personally, had been killed by these words and reborn again as a stronger person. I can say a free person who has fully control over myself and sensibility for others' opinion. While back there in the east, people's words carve people's choices for their body shape, hair style, attitude, and even remade faces. In this situation, I unrealized that I had been killed many times, felt apart, try to follow these words and end up with self-pity. Wao! What a difference.

There will be a time to come back to this pond and I need to be ready for it. It is a treasure of the day for appreciating the presence when and where the physical judgment at least does not applies to me.

It has been a long time.. like never

Hmmm.. being the only child is a life-time experience. In born experience. Not optional. It was just yesterday, I feel my self opened up for new fragrance in my life. Wao! Since a long time ago, seems like never, I have a new fragrance besides mine next to me. Interesting and challenging but in the same time feel so warm and tender.

for people who read this and get confuse because this paragraph above is vague. It is intentional.

What I can say today I went to Una's dinner for celebrating anything and my special and kind friend, Alex. He has a birthday for his 25th and we were there for him. Then, a fun part, I encountered a person who is the only child too and we have a nice chat and chat and chat... and a nice chat until felt asleep.

In between balkan kindda food, bulgarian snack, my own salad, Alex's salad and finally bottles of wine. Good food, good talks, good wines, and what you can expect more. It is just a perfect prescription for a nice moment in life. Sometimes we need that. Many times I searched for it, but ended up with disappointments. Deep one.

yesterday, I did not look for one. but it came to me. I guess yesterday case taught me to be "expectless", means expect nothing and enjoy.

healthy food collection

Mix Fruit (Mandarin Oranges, Banana, Mixed Peanuts, and Oregano)

Orange salad with natural dressing and Salmon sandwich in French Baquet

Fiber Flakes, low calories Milk, and 0% fat Plain Yogurt

Bacon, garden salad and an egg

It has been a week, since I have started a health life with not only healthy but also fashionable food. Hereby I present the recipes for those who pursue healthy life and pleasing food.

see laughs and smiles around

Wao! Today my team in PPI (Persatuan Pelajar Indonesia) has just finished and closed the big event. We finally did it. Inviting the representation from embassy of Indonesia in The Hague to come to Rotterdam and helping the Indonesian students registered in Embassy.

Only one thing that I did not expect. I saw laughs and smiles around me, they were everywhere before, during, and after the event. I, as the chairman, did not do much actually. I just prepared the food and helped to direct and give some suggestions for action steps. My beloved team mate, Floren, did many things, from wrote the invitation letter to called for a coordination. She did a really good job and I am so happy for her because she realizes that she learned a lot from the process.

It was a super late event. 1 hour late. it supposes to start at 6pm but then the representation from the embassy were late and all people who want to register need to wait for a little bit longer. Then finally it started. We filled in the form and I slipped my time to talk and chat with the representatives from the Embassy. They are really fun and appreciative. Important people came and go, left good mark for me they said, "I see you get the talent. Long time ago, It happened and I felt so far from it but now I feel the nerves are on me. It is coming and getting clearer. It is seemed like I was born to do this kindda job. To lead, to facilitate people.

There were some important people talked and we just did not really prepare for the formal run-down and everything just came up in the last minute. But it was just smooth and fine. There are no payback that are bigger for me to do this event than big laughs, meet new people, and smiles of waiting to see each other again.

just 0.05 mm difference

Since 1 year ago, I have tried to find the lid for my camera lens to replace the broken one. I do not why suddenly I connected with my feeling in soul mate searching, real and true friendship, or love, which has not appeared.
After finished long presentation session in university, I decided to go back home, changed my clothes to the casual outfit. ahhh... felt so good to just let the formal side of me get rest and stay there at some point.
Then I just felt wanna go somewhere with my bike and let my bike showed the way. Hmmm.. let me think... confused for a while. Thinking to buy some stuff in the far away supermarket for the God sake of cheaper price but then my bike led me to the lens store.
I just remember with my broken lid of my camera, hey surprisingly they have this stuff with various brands. So I went back, grabbed my camera, and back to the store. After a mid-age guy tried to match my camera with different available size of the lid. Then he suddenly said "aha!, it fits". When I pulled it just a little to check whether it is really fitted or not , it suddenly was off. Juuuuuuust 0.05 mm difference is enough to rip off my heart and to twist my mind to write this story. Does friendship, love, and relationship works in the same way? Does 0.05 mm difference in the path of life and serendipity enough to change the entire scenario of our life?
I almost get what I am looking for a year, but it is just 0.05 mm that says I am not in the finish line yet. I guess it has been the same for friendships, loves and soul mates searching. Love, friendship, and good soul are everywhere, but they are just too loose to be caught. 0.05 mm too far, we could not get it, 0.05 mm too short, we might lose it.
It is too complicated for me. I need something exact. Stated. Cristal clear.

I guess today is not my day yet. I will keep searching, while now my bike just led me to the supermarket. The place where as far as you can see is clearly stated. The price, the composition, the type of stuffs, the name of the staffs, the section product, everything is stated. Well somebody are standby too if you want to get more information.

I wish soul and love searching can be as clear as supermarket without loosing the sense of its romance and beauty.

play hard to get

If I can only mock one thing about Holland, I will be strait to the point. It is about the men. Forget about the fuckin' windy cold rainy weather or about the "Hi", "How are you", and "good bye" or "see you later" kindda people. So far, I have managed those things. No Problem.
But this one, the men, in majority, puffff... occhh.. so tired of 'em. I have experienced nasty play hard to get considerably. How could I possibly survive and stay here for another 8 1/2 months in this kind of love and attraction bargaining.
In the beginning, I admit that I closed myself for a short term relationship because I was just stupid to follow my brain all the time, while women suppose to follow their heart (This is still sounds better than men's stories that they somehow follow their dicks all the time).
Last two months, I like a guy from far Brazil who stays in Paris, he had came and he went back to Paris. Ok. I accept it. It is understandable. Then I start to open myself to mingle and enjoy the rhythm. I surprise. Some guys are getting closer with me and when I give a sign that I like them, they are seemed to keep the distance and get even farther. Is this the test or rules of the game they are playing here in Holland. Or is it just not my luck to see many ass holes and not see love holes opening for me.
Not in the bars, in the dance floors, even in the classes and in the university, this social convention sort of applies everywhere in Holland. Hmmm... I am thinking. Do I against this social convention or I am turned to become part of it? Or this is what things that come back to me because I did this all the time without realizing how much pain one should endure to deal with these kindda social rules and treatments.
Oouch..

the power of being powerless and JUST TRY!

somehow I value myself for being toooo judgmental and so powerful that I resist to try and just guess the outcome with my power and self-authority. I guess it is very human. Yes a very bad human habit and nature. Yesterday I see how a person acted differently.
This person tried a thing that I said possible but I think impossible, to stand an egg vertically, just right after I spoke to him and he did it, YES he did it twice after 2 minutes and again after 4 minutes. WAOW! I keep saying this is possible because a person told me so, but honestly I have never tried. What a lame.
Since a man told me about a business training with this stupid exercise, standing an egg vertically and just like that by your hand. He said, "in the beginning from 100 people in the training, all of 'em said this is impossible to do"
Know what, after 20 minutes there was a guy could do that. Yes a guy made an egg stands vertically. Five minutes later, 80% of the training participants could do the same. The fact that told them is possible that changes their unconsciousness and translate it into being real and happening. I guess it works completely the same with dream, vision, you name it.
Ok. that's inspirational but somehow, yesterday and today I am being reminded by this magic of moment. It is good to try before I just take it like that. For any bad words and judgments, many times I took em just that way without examine them later on, try em and prove em. He gave me the most important lesson by just doing this in front of me with the egg that he just boiled.
Waooo.. I guess being powerless and not taking authority over ourselves and just do it, prove it before the judgment and words killing me or us can be very very very important and meaningful.