It was Sunday.  One of my many aunts called out of the blue to extend an invitation for dinner at her place.  It was the perfect timing.  Dad already left for a business trip, and left mum and me to scramble our brains to figure out what’s best to have for dinner.  We actually have settled on an idea for dining out, before luck decided to bestow us with my aunt’s generosity.

It was never planned.  Aunty went to the wet market in the morning.  She found the seafood to be exceptionally good there and decided to buy a bunch of them for a barbeque dinner, and to share them with few relatives who live nearby.  As luck would have it, we live less than five minutes away from her.

Upon arrival to her house, we saw white smoke coming out from the white painted tall steel gate that separates the main road and her open garage space.  Through the cracks of the gate I could make out someone was burning or cooking something.  I called out few words and it was my aunt who replied and opened the gate for us.

As we walked though the gate opening, I found she has started grilling with her mini barbeque box, filled with red hot charcoals.  The black metal barbeque box was stationed at the bottom of the steps that lead to the main door and house entrance, right by where her car was parked.

She then went back to her seat, sitting at the bottom of the steps lined with newspaper, fanning the charcoals with her yellow plastic heart-shaped fan in one hand, while turning food on the grill with a pair of thongs in the other.

Among the several bowls and plates of raw whole fish, jumbo prawns, and fat squids, I noticed a green plastic bowl that contained her secret weapon.  A simple concoction of many freshly squeezed limes, melted butter, salt, and hot water.

She would dip or immerse the raw seafood in this mixture right before grilling, and would occasionally brush them off with some more of this concoction when she feels the need to do so.  She likes to keep things simple and so she would stick to using only few ingredients.  The limes to give a sense of freshness and to get rid of any fishy aroma, melted butter for an additional fragrant and some sort of lubricant to prevent excessive sticking to the grill, and salt for flavor.

The lime liquid mixture won’t actually flavor them seafood in a major way.  It is just enough to bring out and complement the natural flavors.  Me and mum just stood there watching my aunt doing what she does best.  Despite the smoke, our mouths watered just by the smell and the sight of beautiful pieces of fish, prawns, and squids turned color and dripped their juices right to the bottom of the grill, creating more smokes from the burning charcoals.

And do you see this?...

Yup, this baby is ALL MINE.  You gotta love an aunt who knows what you like and makes one especially for you.  I’m feeling much of the love.

Alas, all of the seafood are grilled, plated, and brought to the dining table.

There on the table set for eight, were some accompaniments to go with the grilled seafood.  There were boiled veggies, grilled petai, spicy chilies, sweet black ketchup, and fresh limes.

But the true star from all those accompaniments are these two devils…

Fiery spicy chili condiments that would send the grilled seafood to the next level of awesomeness.  These two especially tasty when combined together with freshly squeezed limes and sweet thick black soybean ketchup we call kecap manis.

After 2-3 helpings, we were all smiling with contentment.  We chatted before, during, and after the meal.  We don’t do this often, and so it was nice to be able to gather at a single dining table, and enjoy a home cooked meal.  I think it is safe to say that I was one of the greediest.  Here’s prove...

As always, the after dinner mouth cleansing come in the form of fruits.  Tonight, my aunt prepared some fresh papaya and mangoes.

To top it all off, we had some ice cream.  Since I was invited for dinner, I thought it would be nice to bring something.  And so I got them four flavors of ice cream; avocado, durian, jackfruit, and vanilla.

My all time favorites are the avocado and jackfruit flavors.  Most of them like the strong durian flavor, as most locals do.  I’m glad I got the plain vanilla as well, for it went well with the fresh fruits.  The combination of vanilla ice cream with the papaya and mangoes made it seem as if one was eating a fruit smoothie.

Tummies visibly got rounder, pants suddenly felt super tight, and sleepiness begun to creep into everyone’s subconscious.  We all gathered at the living room.  The television was on, but nobody was really watching it.  We still chatted about this and that.  Feeling unnoticed, my aunt’s dog stepped away from us.  During dinner she begged for food.  Now she  seemed bored and lonely.  And so I got down to the floor and gave her the attention she needed.

The tile floor was nice and cool.  But the dog’s body was not, especially with such thickness of a coat.  Soon my hand felt rather too warm to stay on her for a long period of time.  Kinda like resting on a wool sweater.

She is one adorable pet.  Her coat as thick as a winter’s jacket made her seem massive, like a moving giant snow ball.  Her paws are about half the size of the palm of my hand.  While her teeth give the impression that she could tear your arms right off from your limb.

But the truth is, she is as tame as a turtle.  Doesn’t easily bark at anyone.  And she is easily calmed just by being touched.  She craves attention and loves it when one stays beside her and stroke her.  She truly is a gentle giant.  And I love touching her ears.  Soft and smooth as cotton balls.

After about half an hour keeping her company, we decided that it was time to call it a night.  Well, I did.  Being with my aunt’s dog made me feel guilty about being away from home, where my own dog sitting patiently alone, waiting for me and mum to return.  And so we left.

The evening was a welcoming addition to the otherwise a boring Sunday.  Once again, I was drenched from head to waist, thanks to fiery and tongue-numbing condiments.  My body just not good at withstanding the intense heat of spicy food.  But it was worth it.  The meal was better than what I could have at many restaurants, and the company were enjoyable to be with.

When I got home I hugged tight my baby as she excitedly ran to me and licked me.  But not for long.  She quickly moved away and be with mum.  I sensed she got a bit jealous.  She must have sniffed a competitor’s smell on my clothes.  She frequently gives me the silent treatment now.  In her eyes, I have been cheating on her.  Sigh, what to do…

When I need a little cheer-me-up or to just chill when I’m at home, I often go to YouTube and check out funny videos by FungBros Comedy.  A couple of Chinese American dudes, who happen to be real life brothers, talking a lot about Asian stuff that often crack me up.  Plus, they talk a whole lot about food, which is always a big plus on my book.

Check out the following videos…

Asian snacks –

Indonesian food -

Indomie –

Yesterday, one of my many aunts WhatsApp me a picture of sesame dotted golden-brown balls of a snack, and followed by a question “do you want these?”

I was like… “YES!”

Then she had them sent my way, right before lunchtime.  Perfect.

And what did she send me?  THESE…

A box full of them.  Freshly fried.

These little guys are what we call Cin Toi, or Jin Dui, depending on how you would like to pronounce the name.  Locally, they are also knows as Kue Bola Wijen, literally means sesame ball cake.

Chinese in origin, cin toi is made of white glutinous rice flour, stuffed with sweetened tau-sa (bean paste), rolled in white sesame seeds, and then deep-fried until golden brown.  Little fried balls of beany happiness.

When freshly made like these ones I got, they are simply irresistible.  At the first bite, you’ll hear and feel the resistance of the soft crispy-like texture of the outer skin.  It is an instant signal to the brain saying ‘comfort food’.

Then your teeth would find themselves digging deep into the soft inner skin and the hollowness of the interior.  This hollowness is part of the sublime experience.  As you bite into the fried ball greedily, the round shape of the ball starts to deflate and that’s when your teeth notice the chewy texture of the inner wall.

Next comes the sweetness of the bean paste filling.  This sweetness complements that of the fried flavor of the rice dough.  As you continue chewing, your taste buds start to notice also the smell of toasted sesame seeds, made aromatic from being deep fried.

Unlike most people, however, I am not a big fan of beans, so I tend to take the bean paste filling out.

I’m quite happy with just the skin.  It is, after all, what makes this snack addictive in the first place.  Crispy, chewy, and fried.  What could be better?  Oh, I know.  Fried sesame balls with icy cold beer!  When these babies are freshly out from the wok and still piping hot, nothing like a cold beer to cool down the throat from the heat of the crispy chewy fried skin.

YUM.

It’s October.  We are well passed the mooncake season.  The frenzy surrounding mooncake eating has subsided weeks ago.  There are no more mooncakes sold at bakeries, hotels, restaurants, and supermarkets.  Even if there are some to be found, chances are they have passed their expiration date.

Mooncake season, originated in China, is the time when an annual festival is to be held to celebrate the welcoming of the autumn season.  The day of the festival is also the day that the moon will be at its fullest and roundest and shines brightly in the evening.  The date itself will change annually, according to the calculation of the Chinese lunar calendar.  In honor of the moon, a mooncake is created.

The cake is a round shaped pastry that is made with a filling of sweetened lotus seed paste and salted duck egg yolk.  The salted duck egg yolk is added for a purpose.  Flavor wise, the addition of the slightly saltiness of the egg yolk complements that of the intense sweetness of the delicate lotus seed paste.  The second and probably most important reason is the shape of the egg yolk.  When the cake is cut, the roundness of the egg yolk will be shown, depicting the shape of the moon.

And why a duck egg yolk is used instead of a regular chicken egg yolk? Because duck eggs have that deep orange-yellow coloring to the yolk that chicken eggs do not have.

Now, mooncakes are very popular among adults and children, for the obvious reasons of taste and tradition.  However, there is another kind of food, though not as popular, that is only made for the same annual festival.  One that is a favorite of mine and that I would gladly pass the mooncakes over for.  In my Hokkien dialect it is called ang-ko-nga pia.  Most people refer it to as the mooncake cookie.

In the old days, these cookies are made flat and molded into various shapes.  Usually large in size, they would also have a red string loop attached to them.  The red string loop is made long enough that kids could put their head through it and carry the cookie around their neck and eat it as they go.  This day and age, these cookies are made much smaller in size and with no more red strings attached to them.

Mooncake cookie is neither round in shape nor flavored with any lotus seed paste or salty egg yolk.  It is a cookie that is traditionally made of flour, golden syrup, and peanut oil combo.  When baked, the cookie will turn golden brown and has a hard crunchy texture due to its lack of moisture in the recipe.  So hard that some people may find it too difficult to bite it, especially for the elderlies.

The ones I receive annually are from the same baker who makes them only once a year, for the mooncake season.  The ones she made this year come in the shape of a Buddha, a butterfly, a deity, a fish, a gun (don’t ask), a pig, and a rooster.

Each year when it comes to the mooncake season, a grandaunt of mine would send me these cookies all the way from the city of Medan, the capital of Sumatra Island, in the north west of Indonesia.  I’m probably the only one of my generation in my family who could still appreciate this traditional cookie.

It is a pure joy to receive them and to eat them all for myself.  Though I’m old enough to be an uncle or a father, my heart flutters easily at the sight of these sweet cookies.  They certainly bring a fond childhood memory, which feels like a friendly nudge to this old heart of mine.  They are nice accompaniments to both tea and coffee, and fit for breakfast or an afternoon tea or a late night snack.

These cookies also keep for a long time, especially when kept in the refrigerator.  It maybe the month of October now, but I’m still devouring my precious supply slowly, one by one.  I have to thank my grandaunt for thinking of me each year when the mooncake festival draws in near and placing an order for me to the aged baker.  I sure hope the baker would remain healthy so she would continue making these delicious ancient cookies for many more years to come.  Because the day when she no longer accepts any more orders, would be the day I weep in vain.

Upon the request of a fellow blogger dosirakbento, who has been consistent in sharing her bento box creations online, I now present to you my bento box.

Well, mine is not exactly a typical Japanese bento box per se.  Certainly not one that is comparable to the many dosirakbento has posted on her site.  But it is a lunch box just the same, and also of a Japanese brand, called Tiger.

It is a tall grey cylindrical plastic storage for food that comes with a zipped up black padded carry-on bag.  The inside lining of this food box is made of metal, for an insulation purpose, to keep food warm longer.

This particular lunch box is actually a three tier food box that includes three separate round plastic containers.

The bottom container is the smallest in size with a screw-type lid that comes with a rubber ring inlay to support a tighter lock.  It is made to carry liquid, such as soup.  The middle container is the deepest and largest in size with a simpler screw-type lid.  While the top container is slightly larger than the bottom one, and comes with a semi-transparent plastic lid.

I utilize this lunch box quite regularly.  Bringing food from home helps to save money, as well as the time spent from going out to find lunch, when it can productively be spent for other things.

The three tier invention of this Japanese bento box resembles that of a traditional Chinese-Indonesian food box, which we locals here call rantang.  A type of food box that always comes in several containers stacked on top of the other.  So, the similar design concept on my Japanese lunch box appropriately promotes the idea of me conforming to a Chinese-Indonesian diet on a regular basis.

I would almost always bring steamed rice with two different dishes in my rantang, opting veggies or a protein dish instead of soup.  Below are a few samples on what my lunch may look like.  They are presented simply, to stimulate how I would have it at home.

And yes, since the deep middle container that keeps rice mimics that of a bowl, I would use a pair of chopsticks to eat my lunch with.  Always.  Dark brown in color, the one I regularly use is locally made with coconut wood.  It is squarish in design that tapers quite fine towards the bottom end, similar to that of Japanese chopsticks, making it easier to handle and to grip small pieces of food.

I have used these rantang box and pair of chopsticks for many years now.  They are beginning to show signs of wear and tear, though not at all battered.  Although I have an oversized collection of wooden chopsticks, I have yet to search for a possible substitute for my rantang.  I may have to do just that soon, incase if this one starts giving problems.  I think I should be prepared.  Plus it is always nice to have options, no?

I got this idea from a fellow xangan ZSA_MD.  I read hers and got all intrigued to play the same game.  So here I go…

If I were a season, I would be autumn

If I were a day of the week, I would be Wednesday

If I were a time of the day, I would be 11AM

If I were a facial expression, I would be contend

If I were a pair of shoes, I would be sneakers

If I were a planet, I would be Earth

If I were a sea animal, I would be a seahorse

If I were a direction, I would be east

If I were a piece of furniture, I would be a wicker rocking chair

If I were a liquid, I would be tea

If I were a gemstone, I would be amber

If I were a tree, I would be bamboo

If I were a tool, I would be a pair of chopsticks

If I were a flower, I would be osmanthus

If I were a kind of weather, I would be windy

If I were a musical instrument, I would be a flute

If I were a color, I would be grey

If I were an emotion, I would be calm

If I were a fruit, I would be a mangosteen

If I were a sound, I would be flowing water

If I were a car, I would be a SUV

If I were a food, I would be tofu

If I were a land animal, I would be a tiger

If I were a body part, I would be a tongue

If I were a place, I would be a home

If I were a material, I would be linen

If I were a taste, I would be sweet and sour

If I were a scent, I would be fresh

Having read a few times now on the newly issued color of J.Herbin 1670 line of inks, Stormy Grey, I knew that I’m hooked.  All because I’m a big fan of grey colored inks AND this particular edition includes flakes of gold in it, just like its cousin Rouge Hematite, which I already have.

It’s been a long while since I last drool over fountain pens and inks that I come across online.  Or parading my fountain pen and ink collection by blogging about them.  Now I get all nostalgic and itching to play with my oversized collection.

While I can’t get Stormy Grey out of my head, I came to a realization that I have a group of J.Herbin ink bottles sitting patiently in one of my ink drawers, still new and unopened.  Feeling giddy like a little boy who’s about to unwrap his stash of candies and comic books, I decided that today will be the day that I shall return to my old crazy geek self.

My tired eyes quickly widen within few seconds after I found the dust covered J.Herbin ink boxes, all stacked and lined in a row.  I immediately took them bottles out of their packaging and lined them up on my desk.  I got curious and eager to find out how different the actual color of the ink content in comparison to the color label on their packaging, and so I grabbed my one and only J.Herbin glass dipping pen.

Ink bottles fully shaken, glass pen cleaned, and a supply of cleaning water and towel ready at hand, I tested each one of them French inks on a white adhesive labels, which I later placed on top of the lid of each one of them ink bottles.  I then lined up their boxes, showing the color labels side up, to compare.  Here they are side by side.

It is obvious that the color labels on the packaging are misleading.  Few are pretty close, but the rest certainly are not what the color labels exemplified.  The hair on my arms all stood up upon my panic realization that this could be the same case with all other ink brands.

I suddenly remembered that I have a stash of unopened Sailor inks.  I decided to give them a go and see how the colors would turn out on paper.  Unlike J.Herbin ink bottle packaging, Sailor color label is not as apparent on the packaging box.  Instead, the ink colors are shown on the label of the bottles themselves.  So just as I have done with J.Herbin inks, I tested all of my Sailor inks and lined them up.

Again, the actual color of these Japanese inks don’t exactly match the color label on the bottles.  However, I’m less disappointed this time.  Only because these Sailor special edition ink colors turned out more saturated than the French competitor, thus seem more interesting in comparison, though equally pricy.

Feeling all hyped with this ink testing, I decided to continue the exercise with my other inks.  I took out my collection of Noodler’s inks.  Some used, some unopened.  I gathered them together, tested the colors of the inks, and labeled them bottles.  Just like Sailor, this American ink brand produces saturated ink colors.  But when it comes to Noodler’s, one can’t ever rely on the packaging box or bottle labels to identity the real color of the ink content, because the box will always be plain white and the bottle labels will always be colorful and artistically done.

One very interesting fact about Noodler’s ink company is that they would produce a special group of colors for certain countries, which won’t be available in any other countries.  Not even in the United States, where the inks are made.  I got two bottles of Noodler’s ink that are made exclusively for Taiwan, which I purchased during my Taiwan trip a couple of years back.  Love the labels.  Complete with a drawing picture of the country, and some Chinese writings.

I have more ink bottles in my collection to go through.  Some British ones, some more French ones, some German ones, some Italian ones, and some more Japanese ones.  But only 2-3 bottles for each brand name.  I actually got my eye on more ink brands and colors I have yet to own, but decided that I should stop, considering the extensive ink collection I currently have would probably last me my entire lifetime to finish.  And I don’t even write that much.  Unless, I decided to donate at last half of my collection.  Hhmmm… this is worth pondering.

Take a look at what discipline and practice combined could result to:

Precision walking -

This makes me have respect for ancient ways of bread making:

Roti making -

Another year, another birthday.  NO, it’s not my birthday.  It’s company’s birthday.  Each year when the time comes around, we order an assortment of local cakes for the staff.  This way everybody gets in on the yummy celebration.  No sing-alongs or drinks after work, but this is good enough to release some stress, especially for the administrative ladies who tend to go oohs and ahs over sweet delicacies.

And so this year this is what we got…

These are various traditional Indonesian cakes, mostly Chinese influenced, apart from one.  We always try to get a mix of sweet and savory choices to satisfy everyone’s craving.  Plus they are great accompaniments to hot tea and coffee.

First up are the sweet kinds, because those what make the whole platter really matters

Kue Koci

Steamed ketan hitam (glutinous black rice) flour, stuffed with shredded coconut that has been sweetened with palm sugar.  This triangle shaped cake is steamed while wrapped inside banana leaf.  It is purposely shaped this way to achieve a triangle shaped cake when cooked.  I’ve always thought of this as an Indonesian style of stuffed mochi.  Just as chewy and sticky as a mochi would, but with a complementing soft crunch in the middle from the shredded coconut.  Now this cake is often mistaken for Kue Bugis, which is pretty much the same cake, except that it is a round shaped one, and often comes in a green color, instead of purple.

Kue Talam Singkong

Steamed cake made with two layers of opposing flavors.  The white-colored top layer is made with rice flour and salted coconut milk.  The brown-colored bottom layer is made with shredded singkong (cassava root), hence the coarse-texture look, and sweetened with palm sugar, which imparts the brown color.  Both layers are soft and sticky, but the white part much lighter, smoother and delicate in texture.  There are many versions of Kue Talam.  The original has no use of singkong in the recipe, making it an ultra smooth textured cake.  And so when singkong is included, the cake has to be called Kue Talam Singkong.

Kue Pepe

Steamed cake made with a mix of rice flour and tapioca flour.  Tapioca, which we locals call sagu, is the starch content of singkong (cassava root), which would be the same as calling it cassava flour.  The many layers of this cake is steamed one layer at a time, which makes it another laborious cake to master.  It has that soft chewy sticky texture that we Asians love.  Flavored with white granulated sugar and pandan leaf, to give that sweet grassy vanilla-like scent.  The extract juice of the pandan leaf gives the green hue as food coloring.  This cake is sometimes called Kue Lapis Pandan (pandan layered cake).  Many a times one may find this cake with no trace of green hue in between the layers, like the one in the picture as well.  In this case, the red and brown hues come from the use of food coloring.

Now moving on to the savory goodies…

Pastel Kentang

This one is most definitely a Dutch influenced creation.  It is basically a deep fried wheat flour-based pie that is stuffed with kentang (potato) that has been cooked and flavored with spices. The shape resembles that of little clam-like parcel. The Chinese community here tends to call it kari pok or curry puff, as it resembles a puff pastry filled with curry flavored filling.  A very simple savory snack, yet when done right and freshly made, it sends accumulation of saliva in one’s mouth upon the first bite into the soft crispness of the piping hot fried shell and the pungent aroma and intoxicating flavor of the spices.  Sadly, this one is not quite up to par.

Lemper Ayam

There are two components to this cake, the rice cake and the filling, both which are made separately.  The rice cake is made with ketan putih (white glutinous rice) cooked until they are very soft and pliable.  The filling is made with cooked shredded ayam (chicken) flavored with coconut milk and seasonings.  When done, the chicken stuffed inside an ample amount of cooked glutinous rice, then wrapped in banana leaf, and then steamed together.  This is done to create some sort of adhesiveness between the two components, as well as to achieve a cohesive blend of aroma.  Often times, they are reheated on a charcoal grill upon consumption, hence the burned marks on the banana leaf wrapping.  However, now a day the grilled marks often done for an aesthetic reason, for we almost always consume these little guys at room temperature anyways.

All these treats can easily be found at the wet markets as well as some local bakeries.  They are cheap and tasty and a great way to satisfy a mass of people.  In the past, we had baskets of these and with more varieties of sweet and savory selection to chose from.  However, as great snacks they all are, they are not my first choice for a birthday celebration.  Don’t get me wrong, I love sweet stuff.  But if it was my birthday, I’d have an ice cream party instead, with ice cream flavors ranging from avocado to coconut, jackfruit, matcha, black sesame, espresso, hazelnut, and vanilla bean.  And maybe accompanied by a humungous lemon tart and servings of freshly brewed Rooibos and Oolong teas.  Yeah, I’m picky and weird that way

I survived days of walking around like zombies.  I took pills to ease the migraine.  Tossed and turned constantly in the evenings due to the stubborn jetlag.  But, all these turned bearable only because of a gracious gesture made by one of my Japanese guests.  Suddenly, future days appear friendlier and especially more appetizing.

Now and then, we get special gifts from dealing with Japanese companies.  They are known for their gift-giving tradition.  I can do many blogs on the gifts I have received over the years working with them.  Most of which are Japanese food, which speak closely to my heart.  Few days ago I once again received one of those special gifts... rice.  Most importantly, Japanese rice.

Japanese rice is especially loved in my family.  We always long for the subtle sweeter flavor that it has over other rice varieties, as well as the plump and slightly soft sticky texture that it tends to give, as our teeth sink into each and every perfect short opaque-white grain.  This sticky perfection works well when one prefers to eat rice in a bowl and with a pair of chopsticks, like I always do.

This bag of rice I received is from the Niigata prefecture, located on the western coast of Japan, the origin in location of the company my business guest is working for.  It is a region blessed with great seafood as well as quality water from nearby mountain, as I have discovered when I went to their factory a couple of years ago.  Niigata is also known as one of the leading regions in Japan to produce a high quality of rice, many which are not exported.  And this gift in particular is not just a bag of Niigata rice, but it is a five-kilo bag of Niigata rice.  Not one kilo, not two kilos, but five kilos!!

This is not the first time I have received rice as a gift from a Japanese company.  It is also not the first time this particular company so generously bestowed a bag of rice to me.  This is probably the third time I got rice from them, about once every two years, and it had always been a two-kilo bag.  And so to get a five kilos worth of a high quality Japanese rice… well, I’m just so freakin’ blessed.  I guess this is a good indication that our business is doing just fine.

The gift makes me miss Japan even more though.  I should really go back there in the near future.  Maybe in a couple more years, when my passport expires and I get to renew it as an E-passport, which makes it eligible for multiple entries into Japan with NO VISA REQUIRED.  I think life is about to get sweeter and sweeter

It’s been a sleep deprived week since I got back and it is a problem.  My brain still functions in German time.  Feeling frustrated with being jetlagged, I turned to alcohol.  CHOYA style.

A little bit of sake, given as a gift, oh, I don’t know how long ago…

With a little bit of umeshu, purchased many years ago…

And you get this…

A balance of flavor in lightness from sake and in sweetness from umeshu, complementing each other in a clear liquid of blush-copper shade.

Long gone the high note of a slight stringent filtered rice alcohol taste of sake.  Long gone the intoxicating pungency of sweet and sour plum of umeshu.  What’s born from the marriage of the two is a welcoming gift to the night.  Bringing with it a new and mellow fragrant freshness and a subtlety in sweetness.   And hopefully a quick remedy for a good-night sleep.

Wish me luck.

As discussed the previous evening, it is agreed that we would focus more on good eating for today.  So, first thing first… eat!

First stop – Warung Kopi Kong Djie (Kong Djie Coffee Shop)

A tiny place on a street corner in downtown Belitung island, serving good strong local coffee, and happens to also serve a favorite breakfast item of mine, half boiled egg.  The coffee shop, serving mostly working class male adults, also provided several kinds of home-made local pastries, including sugar-coated deep-fried dense cake-like donuts.  Perfect with their coffee.

Second stop – Shopping.

Afterward, we continued on to a wet market located within a walking distant from the coffee shop, solely to get some local steamed cakes we couldn’t get enough of the previous day.  Then we moved on to a souvenir shop to purchase some dry snacks, such as the famous fish crackers and various things seafood related. Then back to our hotel to check out, before we off for more beach exploration.

Third stop – Pantai Bukit Berahu (Berahu Hill Beach)

The sun was mighty high and bright.  I lathered myself with many squirts of SPF50+ just to keep myself away from getting baked.  My only wish was that we should have been there after 5PM, as the beach is actually known for the sunset view.

Fourth stop – Pantai Tanjung Tinggi (Cape High Beach)

We were overheated by the sun at the previous beach stop, that by the time we got here we were in need to chill.  At the opposite side of the beach entrance there was a food vendor that sells freshly cut coconut, and so we stopped by to quench our thirst and to get a fix of rujak buah (fruit salad).  This fruit salad consists of cucumber, kedongdong (ambarella), mango, papaya, pineapple, and watermelon.  All topped with spicy-sweet peanut sauce, made with palm sugar and chilies, and served with peppered salt.

Properly fueled, we crossed the heated sandy street and greeted by large boulders at the entrance to the beach, with enough gap in between to allow us to slip through and to discover the beauty hidden on the other side.  Located on the north-west part of the island, this beach is the crème de la crème of Belitung.  It is THE spot people come to this island for.  It is the shooting location for the famous 2008 local movie Laskar Pelangi, which made the island of Belitung famous, including this beach in particular.

Fifth stop – Rumah Makan Sian Lie (Sian Lie Restaurant)

Alas, the trip won’t be complete without another finger licking feast.  Different in concept from the seafood restaurant we went for dinner last night, this place offers a less Chinese influence on the cooking part, despite its Chinese name.  It specializes on the spicy and sour fish head soup, which I devoured happily while sweating a bucket.  Other dishes we ordered include grilled chili fish, braised sea cucumber with pineapple, steamed crabs, deep fried calamari, and three types of local veggies.  All served with steamed white rice and local tea.

Last stop – Airport.

Our flight got delayed.  Apparently, we had to wait for our plane to bring in the Minister of Tourism from Jakarta, for her visit to Belitung.  Upon her arrival, there was a big welcome paparazzi going on.  I don’t know what the big deal was.  Minister or not, it wasn’t right to keep a whole flight on a delay for two hours!

Anyways, aggression and grudge aside, I’m glad to have agreed on joining this trip.  I have always wondered what Belitung looks like and now I know.  Now I’ve seen the beauty, bathed the sun, walked on the sand, swam in the water, and tasted the food.  And I would gladly recommend anyone to do the same.

Two short days.  Too brief to fully explore the beauty of the location.  Cramping a tight itinerary in an overnight stay last month at Pulau Belitung (Belitung Island), on the eastern coast of Pulau Sumatra (Sumatra Island), turned out to be the best stress reliever weekend getaway I’ve had this year.  Hands down.

With the earliest morning flight to Tanjung Pandan (Cape Pandan), a lack of sleep was to be expected.  The 7AM arrival was hectic and full of anticipation for what lies ahead.  Wasting no time, bags are dropped off at hotel, and then straight to Pantai Tanjung Kelayang (Cape Kelayang Beach) to catch a motor-run wooden boat for the day’s island hopping.

First stop – Pulau Pasir (Sand Island)

Started out nice and easy, we roamed patches of sandy islands with their shallow clear water, and explored the vast ocean view and the star fishes laying around, oblivious to the passing of eager two-legged visitors.  The location was so spectacular that we just had to take a group photo.  The star fishes made their cameo in our picture too.

Second stop – Pulau Lengkuas (Galangal Island)

The main attraction of the island is the 132 year old lighthouse.  It was quite a hike up to the seventeenth floor, before we reached a small opening that would allow visitors to take a peek outside at the incredible view from up top.  Luckily, we had plenty of bananas on the boat to fill our tummy earlier, to store up energy to combat the heat of the sun and the climb.  Let’s just say the lunges routine at the gym got nothing on the many steep steps leading to the top of the lighthouse.

Third stop – Snorkeling.

Between this island and the next, we stopped by at a couple of spots for some snorkeling fun.  Afterward, we devoured our boxed lunch right on the boat due to hunger.  The blazing sun and the exhaustion from the snorkeling prevented us all from having some patience to wait until we get to the next island to sit down and eat.

Fourth stop – Pulau Gede (Big island)

Upon arrival, we showered and chilled for a bit with some fresh coconut water and local sweet snacks, which include fried bananas, as well as steamed mung-bean cake and steamed palm sugar cake, both served with shredded coconut.  Feeling all energized after having ourselves recharged twice, we roamed around this island before heading back to the main island, where our car is awaiting to take us back to the hotel.

Fifth stop – Rumah Makan Sari Laut (Flavor of the Sea Restaurant)

It took a while to get back to the main island of Belitung.  Everyone was famished by the time we did, and so dinner must happen before we get to our hotel.  This restaurant caters a Chinese-Indonesian style cooking with seafood.  Fortunately for us, sixteen cranky tourists mean dishes to be placed on the table in a jiff.  This evening meal started out with several bags of fish crackers, then followed with fish ball soup (their specialty), beansprouts with salted fish and tomatoes, sautéed crabs, deep fried chicken, silken tofu with prawns and black bean sauce, and spicy kangkung (water spinach).  All accompanied with heaps of steamed white rice and local lime juice.

Sixth stop – Dessert.

As if the dinner feast wasn’t enough, on the way back to hotel we decided to stopped by elsewhere to get ourselves some dessert from a street food vendor.  We got ourselves a local favorite, Martabak Manis.  A thick batter pan-cooked to a crisp on the bottom, with a buttery and dense spongy consistent on top.  Topped with sweet goodies such as chocolate sprinkles, crushed nuts, granulated sugar, shredded cheese, and condensed milk.  Folded in half and cut in pieces, makes it look like thick spongy sandwiches.  I opted for a cheese topping, lightly drizzled with condensed milk, because everything else just tasted overly sweet for my liking.

Oh, this time we were civilized enough to bring the dessert back to the hotel, where we could enjoyed it sitting down, with some wine.  YUP.  We had ourselves a bottle of Chilean Shiraz and a bottle of Aussie Chardonnay, flown in with us all the way from the capital city.  Not exactly the best accompaniments for our local dessert, but everyone seemed content with a plastic cup of wine in their hand, gazing away at the evening sky by the pool side, while some chit-chatting away about what to eat the next day.

A relative of mine is a big fan of the world cup.  So much so that he recently went to Brazil to watch a match there.  In his return, he got me a souvenir.  This…

I do think it’s very nice of him to actually thought about getting something for me, and put that thought into action.  But… this?  What am I gonna do with this?  I mean, yeah it’s from BRAZIL, yes it is made of ceramic, and yes it’s only available there because of the world cup and all.  But, seriously?  I don’t even have a little private garden of my own where I could station it to scare the birds with.

Oh, I know, I’m being insensitive.  After all, it’s the thought that counts, no?  He actually had to spend money on it and brought it back all the way from the continent of South America.  He probably wanted to share his love for soccer with me.  And to his credit, he did get me something edible too.  Something from the airport’s duty free zone.  This…

Too bad I’m not a fan of chocolate candies.  I tried one.  Way too sweet for my liking, as most chocolate candies are.  Now not only I’m insensitive, but I’m also ungrateful and picky.  Sigh… someone please kick me and send me to hell already.  I’m so the opposite of what the whole country is about in this spiritual month.

He works for an insurance company and I got my medical insurance through him.  The gift is probably a little token of thank-you for agreeing to top-up my insurance plan just this past month.  He is a sweet guy.  But boy, is he clueless when it comes to shopping.  I mean, I could do with a simple t-shirt or a cap.  But he probably wanted to be a little creative.

Could someone provide me with a suggestion as to what I can do with it?  Apart from hiding it in the cabinet and giving it away to someone else as a present later this Christmas?  It comes with the colors of red and green, after all.  Any takers?  Anyone?

It’s fasting month.  Commenced from this past weekend, ongoing for a whole month.  The weekend seemed so dead.  Many shops are closed.  The roads that are normally packed and jammed, suddenly showing empty lanes more than a usual Sunday.  Where did all the people go?

The past week was surprisingly frantic and crowded everywhere I went.  The traffic was just impossible.  I missed my gym classes for days in a row because of the major traffic.  It was so dreadful that I had to turn back to go home instead.  Now the streets seemed deserted.  I wonder perhaps they were all accumulating food supply in a rush, so they won’t have to head out during the weekend, when they would feel lethargic due to fasting.

The start of Ramadan signifies the beginning of self-refrain.  But a celebration is about to be on display everywhere pretty soon, exactly a month from this past weekend.  But for now, the atmosphere is mellow.  Very mellow.  Productivity is also at its lowest, although theft and other similar criminal activities will be on the rise, as it always does annually this time of the year.  Go figure.

It’s a new month, and so it’s time for me to also look forward to a change.  A change of ink color and fountain pen to be used for the whole month of July, to be exact.  A change that I regularly do on a monthly basis.  However, instead of using a particular ink color from the array of selection I have in my ink cabinet, I decided to do something different.  Something that I have not done in a while.  Ink mixing.  Besides, I need to get rid of that purple ink I dislike anyways.

I took out my least favorite ink I have, the purple one, and combined it with leftover brown ink I have not touched in a while.  The property of this brown ink is comparable to that of the purple ink, a rather dry one.  So I would not to miss them if I was to fail on this experiment.  I was hoping to get a new color that is appropriate enough for an everyday writing, other than my usual black, blue, and brown.  Unfortunately, the color of the purple ink was so strong that the ink blend still looked rather purplish, as you can see from the stain I got on my fingers.

I then started to imagine what color I would wish to get to start the month of July with.  The colors of Ramadan are green and yellow, which are appropriate for summer season.  But I disapprove of those colors.  Certainly not for a daily note taking.  Then it occurred to me the one color I have always desired to write with, but yet to exist in my ink collection, is the color of red wine.  So I took out my red ink, which I have an excess of, and poured some into the first ink mixture, already in a bottle.

I jiggled the bottle for a little bit.  I was hoping to get a color similar to a Cabernet Sauvignon, or a Merlot, or maybe even a Shiraz.  Holding up the bottle of the second ink blend close to a light bulb, the ink liquid inside the bottle presented a rather nice purple-red hue.  I was hopeful.  But the color of ink inside a bottle almost always never matches exactly to how the color will appear on paper.  And so a writing test is essential.

I filled up six different pens with the final ink concoction, knowing how different pens with different nibs would result in a different shade of color with the same ink of choice.  I chose two Germans, three Japanese, and a Taiwanese.  From the six fountain pens, two came with a medium sized nib, while the rest all came with a fine sized nib.  The result, however, was not exactly how I envisioned it would be.

It seems on a regular paper the ink color looks more on a brownish side.  Depending on the pen and nib size, the ink color may be thicker and darker or thinner and lighter.  The finest result came from the final pen I used to test the ink with.  A German special edition fountain pen that I have acquired not long ago.  With this pen, the ink color radiates a shade close to what I was looking for in a red wine color, and it is a joy to write with daily now.

Being that it is the holy month of Ramadan, one is encouraged to think about the meaning of things, instead of focusing on the feeling of excitement over a new possession.  With this in mind, I looked at my much-needed-of-improvement penmanship and wondered if my handwriting can really reveal my true personality.  Having previously blogged about handwriting back in 2013, I decided it’s now time to research on the meaning of one’s handwriting, for real.  And here’s what I found…

Article:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2380858/What-does-handwriting-say-Study-finds-5-000-personality-traits-linked-write.html

Video:

It’s official.  I found that I am withdrawn, skeptical, overly self-critical, lazy, impatient, and very private.  OKAAYYY… looks like I have a lot to mend on my personality traits.  Not exactly a positive characteristic to retain in this spiritual month of Ramadan.  Well, maybe it’s just my penmanship that needs an improvement.

So, what does YOUR handwriting says about you?  Care to share?

I was lost for words.  Never been articulate in a verbal expression, I just stood there, staring at her from the back.  She looked like a stranger, looking all regal and alluring.  Vulnerable still, yet seemed untouchable.  Has it been that many years?  Have we grown that much older?  I felt like I was loosing something that was meant to stay put.  But there she was.  My little sister, in white.

It had not been a smooth sailing for her.  I learned that she knew the groom back in college in Seattle.  But it was not yet meant to be.  Not until they both graduated, went back to their home country, and mingled with a mutual circle of friends years later, that a spark started to ignite little by little.  It had been a long 14 years worth of journey since they first met, and finally it ended with a new beginning.

Both being the youngest member of their families, the extravagant of the wedding was not  to be spared.  The celebration was anything but humble.  Splendidly done, it was set at a rented villa overlooking the beach in the island of Bali, with a free-standing pavilion for the actual ceremony to take place during sunset.

The invitation was extended to four hundred guests.  The dinner feast featured a buffet of western style salad greens and several local dishes to go with steamed white rice, including Balinese style spicy pork satay and a generous supply of fire-roasted suckling pig or babi guling. The later was the smash of the evening.  Not much of a surprise considering the crisp outer skin, the tender-moist meat, and the fiery sambal chili accompaniment.  A much sought-after staple in Balinese cuisine, and personally picked by the bride and groom.

Despite the outdoor setting, the evening felt rather formal.  From both sides of the family, the women were in their best and newest hand-sown gowns, fit for Oscar.  Determined, the bride even went on a diet to achieve perfection in body dimension, to look her best in her wedding dress.  I looked at her and noticed she looked frail, yet perfectly fierce at the same time.  The men had all their suits custom made especially for the evening.  Mine included.  I wore a beige-cream linen suit, body fitted with a matching colored vest and silk tie, complimented with a white linen shirt, and brown leather belt and shoes.  Yes, even the shoes were new.  I have no photos to share but I can assure you I exuded suaveness through and through.  More than 007 can ever hoped for.  Trust me.

The event beautifully ended with a release of battery-lighted balloons to the evening sky, sending teeny tiny bright dots lighting the vast open ceiling, floating among the stars.

Though the celebration was filled with a glamorous setting and endless smiles and laughter, it was the take-home gifts that got the guests kept eyeing like hungry eagles.  As thank-you gifts, the couple had prepared a notebook and a cake for everyone to take on their way out.  The notebook was ordinary, but the cake… well!  The cake placed in a clear plastic box, complete with a ribbon bow, topped with a red colored faux flower, and came with a choice of two flavors, coffee-mocha or chocolate-rum.  As luck would have it, me being the tham-ciak family member of the wedding couple, I got to try both flavors of the cake.  Moist, delicate, aromatic, and perfectly balanced in sweetness, they surpassed my palate expectations.

It was a joyous occasion.  For many reasons.  For one thing, we were all thankful that rain never intervened.  We were also thankful for no one got wasted and make a scene.  I think I can speak for my sister when I say we both were thankful for our Buddhist family’s patience to endure the Christian’s way of wedding ceremony that is imperative to the groom’s family, despite our difference in religion.  I am also grateful to be able to witness the wedding of my baby sister and to gain another brother.

This is exactly the reason why I decided to return home in 2006.  To be present at my two sisters’ wedding.  In 2007 for my middle sister’s wedding, and this year for our youngest sibling’s.  I had not been much of a big brother to my two sisters when we were young, and so this is the least I could do for them both.  To be present.  After all, nothing is more important than family.

It seems not so long ago when I had my baby sister sat on my knees.  She was so light then.  Looking at her now, I come to realize she is not so little anymore.  She is a full grown woman.  An adult who’s about to take on a new venture in life as a wife, and maybe soon after, as a mother.  But I can’t help to still think of her as that little girl who once rested on my lap, leaned her head against my chest, and dozed off.  I wonder if she would have the same recollection of memory.

Do you have affection for certain food items that others think gross or weird?  Have you ever wondered whether or not those foods actually are weird and gross? Or is it just a cultural thing?  Watch how some folks react to certain ethnic foods that they come across for the first time.

Videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lK475dxZds&list=WL&index=43

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yp2oBnhtoL8&index=44&list=WL

The sun shining bright through the crack where the two curtains meet, preventing me from lazing on the bed.  It’s a Saturday, I thought.  Shouldn’t I get to lay a little longer?  Not caring what the world was up to at an early hour, I kept my eyes closed.  But as luck would have it, the heat from the sun crept in and raised the air-conditioned room a few degrees higher.  I couldn’t go back to sleep.  Not when I had to throw the blanket open to cool myself down.  I felt agitated.  Gave in.  And opened up my eyes.

The brain started to crank its engine and planned out what sweet promises the day could bring.  I took a vow, you see.  To get up early and go for some green exploration.  I had everything readied the night before.  Water bottle, check.  SPF50+ sunscreen, check.  Granola bars, check.  Small towel for sweat, check.  All stuffed in a little bag placed within a couple of steps away from where I lay like a bum.  I gazed at it and knew I had to keep my promise.

As anal as I have always been in planning, I still forgot one thing.  My Oakley Whisker brown shades, complete with its elastic strap.  I forgot to bring it with me here to Singapore.  Darn it.  Guess the brain is aging.  Something that I have to accept and get used to.

My shower was brief.  I shaved.  Went downstairs.  Greeted by my four-legged fur friends.  All five of them.  But everyone else already gone.  Coffee was offered by the house maid.  I declined.  A breakfast was suggested.  I reluctantly agreed to it.  Though not feeling particularly hungry, I still had to eat something to get a boost of energy for the upcoming hike.  And so I settled with something light but comforting…

...Medanese Bika Ambon cake accompanied by Javanese jasmine black tea.  Set at the porch of a Singaporean home, this is a bliss of a wake-me-up breakfast.

As I chewed and sipped, my eyes were drawn to the small square of luscious garden, situated inside by the front gate.  Filled with tropical greens of various kinds, the one thing that spoke poetry to me was the one huge waist-high black-brown ceramic pot placed at one corner, filled with water and papyrus-like plants shooting upward from the surface.  I felt calm.  Though probably not as calm and relaxing as the house cat, JJ, who took ownership of the outdoor sofa and claimed her throne by dozing off the way no one can ever do.  Not even by any one of her five four-legged house mates, which all happened to be dogs.

See what I mean?

Alas, it was time to move on.  Time to conquer the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve  for the first time.  Fortunately for me, I had a companion to help me face my challenge.  Together we endured the blazing heat of the sun, the forest long hike up north to the Summit Hut and down to the South View Hut.  In between, we mistakenly wondered away to Catchment Hut, as I got lost while trying to navigate our way down south bound.  Yeah, you never want me to be your guide.  Seriously.

We survived the hike and made it back to the starting point in less than three hours.  Though exhausted and fully drenched in sweat, the hike was what we needed.  We felt like champions.  Kings of the world.  Our faces graced with grins and smiles, exhibiting our satisfaction and appreciation for the nature we encountered, while masking our sense of relieve that the hike was over.  Not to mention, our heavily soiled shoes could use a breather.  Immediately, the urgency for an icy cold drink and air conditioned room was apparent.

That late afternoon our bravery was rewarded by the Chin family we stayed with, with some good old episodes of makan.  They took us to a nearby farmer’s market come international hawker center, filled with endless choices of eatable eye candies.  Placed in an old horse racing stadium The Grandstand turned food mecca, Pasar Bella is what the place is now called.  From flavored beer to cheese, to cronuts, to gelato, to kebab, to meat pies, to raw oysters, to paella, to pork rinds, to steaks, to wine, and to many more options, it certainly is a haven for food enthusiasts like myself and my companions.

Since we planned to head to a restaurant elsewhere for our Chinese fix for the evening, we settled with a simple starter – a cheese platter, from an splendid artisan cheese shop called The Cheese Ark.  We pampered our cravings with some raw cow’s milk cheese called Aarewasser, and raw goat’s milk cheese called Tome Lou Pennol.  Both of these soft cheeses were accompanied with sliced baguette and dried mulberries.

As I savored and swallowed and smiled, time ceased for a while.  The hustle and bustle of the farmer’s market suddenly came to a halt and nothing else seemed to matter.  I knew right there and then, what satiated my mouth was something awesome.  Something that I would take oath to return to in a near future.

After a delectable start for the evening, we continued on our makan journey to a Chinese joint, a favorite of the Chin family’s.  There we had another superb tongue teaser.  With eight dishes among the five of us, we were sure to leave with a bulging belly filled with savory happiness.  A great way to end the day, before a couple of us had to say hello to the airport again to reluctantly fly ourselves home the next morning.

I have to thank the Chin family for their stupendous hospitality.  Without them, my short weekend there probably wouldn’t be as blissful.

He dances to any music as soon as he wakes up, especially to Barney.  He covers his mouth with his hand and bends forward as he giggles, and he’d do it to get a laugh out of you.  He gives smiles and plays with you even when he is dead tired.  He eats anything you put into his mouth as long as he eyes are fixed on an iphone or an ipad.  Just don’t grab it from his hand, he’ll get cranky and loud.  REAL LOUD.

Ladies and gentlemen, let me present to you… my 2.5 year old nephew.

He’s got more spunk, style, and attitude than his uncle.  I have a lot to learn from this little guy.

Ok, call me crazy.  But this is by far the most exciting invention that come across my way in a long time.  Granted, it is not for everyone.  But this is just the prefect thing for ME.  There’s nothing better than this for an avid tea drinker such as myself.

Ladies and gentlemen, let me present to you… the Ocha-presso machine.  Works kinda like a regular espresso machine, but for tea.  It even grinds the tea for you.  This would be the best present.  EVER.

So, yes.  I WANT ONE!!

Video:

http://en.rocketnews24.com/2014/05/07/sharps-ocha-presso-brings-traditional-japanese-flavor-to-your-kitchen/