I was somewhere between gloomy and ecstatic.  I never really understood how some people tend to experience mood swings.  One minute they’re all giddy and the next they just plain depressed.  This is very odd to me because I’ve been known to be someone who’s always in control of my emotions.  This past week, however, I have experienced one hell of a mood change.  And the reason why?  A couple of things; jazz and pen.

It all got started when I was surfing through the net at work.  I was having a headache and was not in the mood to do anything.  I came across a link that announced the jazz musician Diana Krall is coming to Indonesia for a concert.  “What?!” I thought.  “She’s coming to Indonesia!”  In that instant my heart leaped for joy.  I have been an avid listener to her music for quite sometime now but I have never had the opportunity to go and see any of her concerts before.  My then tired eyes went super alert ever so suddenly and I clicked open the link to read all of the details (refer to http://www.jf-pro.com/upcoming/events/). 

The website is set to an auto mode of playing one of her many songs “Temptation” and it sounded oh so sexy.  I quickly moved my cursor down to one of the sub-title selections on the bottom of the page that says “Venue”.  What it says there, however, could not have been worse than my headache.  When I thought I just found a quick cure to my pounding headache, the page made me want to stand up, rip off my clothes, pull out my hair and scream “NOOOOO…!”  I could not believe my eyes.  It said “Sunday, October 5^th 2008.  Show starts at 8pm.”  This is BAD NEWS!  Why?  Because I will be leaving for Japan in late September and the evening of October 5^th is the same exact evening I will be just returning back from the trip, landing a mere 2 hours before the show starts.  There will not be enough time.  Even if I rush to the concert straight from the airport, the jetlag would exhaust me to a point that I might end up dozing off with my week-long unshaven face tilted back, body reeked of sweat, and mouth wide opened snoring away providing an additional soundtrack for the show.

My heart sank so low my vision got cloudy.  The whole office seemed greyer than it already was.  I wanted to grab someone and shake him/her viciously and say something profound like “I adore her.  Yes, I do.  But destiny is never on our side”, while weeping ever so dramatically.  BUT I kept it all inside, fearing that they will think I’m a loony.  Incompetent to be their manager.  I stared at the computer screen for a good 3 minutes before I woke myself back to reality and closed the website.  I could not stop thinking about it for the entire day.  “If only there is a second show on the next day.  I just need one more day”.  “If only I found out about the show way before I purchased the plane ticket”.  “If only I could split myself in two...”.  “If only…, if only…” 

After a couple of days feeling pissed, I got a text message from a pen boutique store I frequently visited.  The message said that my fountain pen has arrived and they would like me to come over to pick it up.  You see, back in April I accidentally dropped one of my fountain pens and the incident caused the nib to bend.  I brought it back to the store I purchased it from and asked them to have it fixed for me.  They gladly took it from me for a fee and informed that it will take about 6 months before I will see the pen again, because they would have to send it to the manufacturer in Germany to have it repaired.  Well, it has only been 4 months and the pen is repaired and ready to be reused.  I waited until the weekend before I went to the store with a credit card in hand.  As I inspected and tested the new nib, the manager informed me that they have just brought in Graf von Faber Castell Walden Wood Fountain pen.  I was dumbfounded.  With a mix of disbelieve and “I’m stupid and don’t understand what you are talking about” look on my face, I said “What?”.  She repeated with a smile “WALDEN WOOD FOUNTAIN PEN”.  Just like the day I found out about Diana Krall’s concert, once again my heart leaped for joy.

My days of gloom and unhappiness ceased to exist as soon as I saw this beautifully crafted wooden fountain pen being carried over ever so gently and with care.  I could sense love, lots of love.  The 2-3 seconds it made its way down the carpeted floor of the store to where I was standing, seemed like a Hollywood slow-motioned picture that lasted 2-3 minutes.  My heart went “Grab it Rudy, yes, just grab it!”, but my head said “Stay calm tiger, stay calm”.  My heart was beating slightly faster than I anticipated.  A flush of warmth surged up from my chest to my neck and all the way up to my face.  I am a big fan of wooden fountain pens and I have wanted to own this particular pen for so long.  And all of the sales staff at the store knows it, because I told them about it in the past.  What made this one so special is that not only Graf von Faber Castell Walden Wood edition is a LIMITED edition pen, but it is also originally made only as a roller-ball pen (refer to http://www.graf-von-faber-castell.com/).  The fountain pen version of this Walden Wood edition is only made for the United States market.  So unless you fly all the way to the States, you probably won’t be able to see it.  Somehow, this store has managed to get hold of one just for me! YEE HAW!

With glee I took the pen, stared at it for a few seconds for a quick inspection before I dipped its Fine-size nib into a well of ink made ready so I could test the feel of the strokes of the pen on a piece of paper.  Needless to say my credit card came in very handy indeed that day.  The pen cost me an arm and a leg but at least I have not been gloomy ever since.  I was a kid in a candy store.  There is nothing like a good day of shopping to ease a pain.  That is, if you can afford it 

reading some of the blogs from fellow xangans made me realized how much i have blocked out almost everything american in my head.  i was oblivious to the fact that IT IS 4th of july weekend!!  i had lived in the States for like a decade of my life and yet i have managed to forget one of the most important holidays there.  i guess i'm just so adaptable to wherever i live that i tend to soak up everything "local" and ended up putting everything else in the back burner of my brain.  so, to all of my american friends out there, have a great 4th of july weekend   cheers!!

yes, quite a few of you have shared your thoughts on how i should not neglect my responsibility in posting "SOMETHING" on xanga.  that i deserve fully.  believe me, it would be nothing but pleasure to be able to spend more hours surfing on xanga, but unlike some people i just do not have enough hours to share ;( 

each time i find myself with a little bit of free time, i tend to just take a nap at home or go out of town to get a way from it all.  so many things going on and so little time to actually sit down and process everything in my head to create words to describe thoughts and feelings for all to read.  for those who check out my photo-blog know that i do travel a bit from time to time and this means that i SHOULD have SOMETHING to share.  ok, my apology to all.

the truth is, apart from not getting enough free time, i have somewhat been stirred away from TYPING on computer to WRITING on paper.  since early this year, i have spent more time actually writing on paper, 'though not as much as college years.  the reason?  FOUNTAIN PEN.  i have discovered a new love for writing thanks to the wonderful fountain pens.  i started with one, just to test what it's like to write with one of those.  since then, i think i have opened up a pandora's box 'cause now i have 4 and i want more!!  yes, ladies and gentlemen, i have an addiction.  for the love of writing with a fountain pen, i stirred myself away from the computer to spend more time with a pen and a paper.  i actually force myself to make time to write, something that i have never really been fond of before. 

i am hoping that somewhere out there, there are fellow xanga members who have the same love for fountain pens as much as i do (an excuse to feel less guilty for not spending enough time on xanga).  god only knows how much monthly salaries i have spent on these pens and still i want more.  however, i promise i will try my best to post "something" on xanga when the time and energy allows.  for the meantime, here is a little tease i got a friend that i think you ought to check out.  feel free to let me know what your thoughts are on this video clip...

http://www.youmaker.com/video/sv?id=51485816d3124842bc22d463af60dc51001&f=fs

happy chinese new year you guys!!  for those who celebrate it, wish you all have thick pockets full of red envelopes like i will today

ok, i got this forwarded by a friend and it bugged the hell out of me and it might do the same to you, BUT give it a try anyway...

How Smart Is Your Right Foot ? Try This.

From an orthopedic surgeon ...........................

This will boggle your mind and you will keep trying over and over
again to see if you can outsmart your right foot, but you can't. It's
pre-programmed in your brain.

1. While sitting where you are, at your desk, in front of your
computer, lift your right foot off the floor and make clockwise
circles.

2. Now, while doing this, draw the number "6" in the air with your right hand. Your foot will change direction!

I told you so!!!! And there's nothing you can do about it. You and
I both know how stupid it is, but before the day is done, you are going
to try it again, if you've not already done so. Send it to your
buddies, to frustrate them also.

Happy New Year fellas!  Wishing you and your loved ones a great year filled with health, happiness, more food adventures and yes, a lot less stress.  I think we all could use more of that now a days.  Just recovered from a crazy 2 weeks at the office this past holiday season.  We worked non-stop 'till January the 1st, including December 25th and the weekends.  Well, I did take a day off on the 26th to chill a bit.  All employees got paid overtime, though.  We all needed the extra cash considering the price of everything keeps increasing, especially the price of gasoline.  Any who, we moved to a new building.  We moved all furniture, documents, computers, stock items from the warehouse, and had an entirely new computer system.  So you see, we all had to get things done and ready for operation again by January the 2^nd.  Some staff members had to do the evening shift in order to get their duties completed.  Thank goodness I didn’t have to.  I’m just glad it’s all done.  However, as with using any new system, few problems occurred.  We are predicting that we’ll keep encountering similar problems periodically within the first 3 months.  After that, things should return to normal, like the way things were before we moved.  Phew!

happy holidays!  forget the snow, forget the trees, forget the carols, forget the cards, forget the gifts, forget the calories and forget the gym 'cause it's time for binge-eating AGAIN!!  YEAY!!!.... ;p  don't you just love the holiday season?

i'm exhausted, mentally!!  a week ago i have just returned from an almost 2 week-long vacation in japan.  AWESOME!!  still a little bloated and constipated from eating too much and with sore legs from walking too much, i had to endure this past week with non-stop almost all-day meetings and seminars from monday to friday back to back.  next week i'll be in malaysia for a week-long meetings, presentation and factory visitation.  ERGH!!to top it all off, i just found out on friday it is confirmed that all of us managers will have to be present at work during the december holiday to organize the MOVE and get the company up and running at the new building by jan 1st.   i know i just had an annual vacation but apparently i need more.  yes, MORE.  help!!  if anyone of you planning to go on a holiday anytime soon, pls stuff me in your luggage.  don't worry, i'm short.. err.. i mean vertically challenged (to Luke... ;P), so i'll fit in there just fine.  really!! 

Part 1.

Being back
in Singapore
gave me a certain feeling of nostalgia and a melancholy attitude towards any negative
sensation that may come my way.  I was
there for a long weekend, for a single purpose of attending a wedding.  It wasn’t just any wedding, but a wedding of
a good friend I’ve known since college. 
Doug, an-all-American guy who happens to love everything Asian.  Anyone who knows him knows enough not to be
surprised when he announced his engagement to a Singaporean girl, who happens
to be a lovely and lively girl.  A great
match to his somewhat upbeat-over enthusiastic-easy going character.  To be at a wedding is not exactly my cup of
tea, though no doubt a joyous event it always is.  Somehow, a strange aura came over me as soon
as I set foot on the ground of Singapore
again.  I couldn’t wait to be at the wedding,
to see my old pal again, and to finally get to meet his wife, Alexis. 

Unfortunately
for me, airport scrutiny is something I had to deal with first in Singapore.  One that I can’t say I had a pleasant
experience of.  I was asked to step aside
to a waiting area and to wait until my name is called out while they inspect my
data on the computer.  It certainly
wasn’t my first time to be put in this circumstance at the Singapore
airport.  Sure I had a brand new passport
with me, and sure I am after all a citizen of Indonesia, a nation of the Muslims,
but for god’s sake! Do I always have to be embarrassed in front of tons of
strangers who can’t help but to look my way, as I sat and gazed blankly to the
floor and avoided their attention on me? 
I bet they all wondered “What has he done wrong?”  HELLO!! 
Can’t they see I’m as pale as Casper
and look more like a Chinese, a Japanese and a Thai all in one than a terrorist??

Immediately
I was brought back to the time I have just returned from the States and decided
to transit in Singapore for
a week before I continued my flight home to Jakarta. 
It was late.  VERY LATE.  I was probably arriving on the last flight
for the night.  I was asked to step aside
and waited for an officer to speak with me. 
There was nobody, NOBODY left at the immigration area by the time a
female officer and her male assistant came out and interrogated me.  I was asked a bunch of questions from what my
intentions were coming to Singapore
to what I was doing in the States.  I was
also asked to write down the name of the school in the States I just graduated
from.  Judging from my trip history and
all the stamps on my passport at the time, I was asked why I came over to Singapore so
often?  At first I thought “AREN’T YOU
GUYS SUPPOSED TO BOW DOWN AND KISS MY FEET FOR LOVING SINGAPORE THAT MUCH AND
KEEP SPENDING MY MONEY HERE?” but I was DEAD TIRED after the long flight from
the States with the awesome Singapore Airline (again, more money for them), and
I was ready to find a mattress and just lay unconscious ‘till the next
day.  So I decided to return their courteous
manner by answering their questions politely and added a smile or two.  I was probably delirious from exhaustion that
I just didn’t and couldn’t have the energy to be a bitch, though deep down I
was ready to scratch the heck out of the lovely face of that female officer and
brought her down to the ground and slapped her silly ‘till she begged for a forgiveness.  Yeah, that thought did cross my mind.  But as usual, I kept it all inside and just
talked about food nutrition instead.

As always,
I was cleared after a brief questioning, since I have not done anything
wrong.  The experiences I’ve had in many
airports, though, did leave me feeling like a criminal.  Thanks to those morons who caused a major
panic and many deaths on that horrible September 11^th incident.  Traveling hasn’t been the same since.  Everyone, especially those who hold a passport
of a Muslim country, will be given a hard time at any international
airport.  All of those years I have
traveled to Singapore I
never once interviewed for wanting to spend my leisure days in Singapore, until 2006, the year I returned to Asia. 

The exit
from the airport was smooth.  I got my
luggage (fully intact and no damage to the lock), exchanged some cash for the
local currency, bought a phone card and got into a taxi (loved the
ever-so-organized taxi queue).  The
smooth ride to the hotel was accompanied by a nice evening scenery of the city
lights as the taxi approached downtown area. 
I could see from the taxi window that the weather was a little damp but
fresh, still that didn’t sway me away from noticing the city has gone a few
changes since the last time I was there. 
The interior of the taxi was clean and odorless, the driver was friendly
and courteous, the ride was calm and relaxing, and cost less then S$20. 

As I entered
my hotel upon arrival, I noticed the minimalist approach of the interior
design.  It was quite a refreshing change
from the typical hotels you’ll find anywhere. 
The hotel is called Gallery Hotel (www.galleryhotel.com.sg), located on
the Robertson Quay, nearby the
popular bars and restaurants area of Clark
Quay, where you’ll find tons of tourists and expatriates alike gather on
nightly basis.  Immediately the
receptionist asked for my credit card & signature, informed me that they
have included iron & board in my room as requested, and then provided me
with the complimentary service of using their computer and internet connection
for the entire stay (Perfect!!).  It took
two separate elevators to get to my room, which was on the very top floor.  My room was very simple, just the right size,
and with a flat screen TV attached to the wall opposite from the bed.  One downside though, I immediately noticed
that the hotel didn’t provide complimentary water bottles.  I was so thirsty I was tempted to take
whatever beverage available from the mini bar. 
I looked at the price list for the mini bar items and opted to go to the
7Eleven instead.  So I went down to the concierge desk, asked
the staff for the location of the nearest 7Eleven (only a short few minutes
walk), got myself a city map also, had him showed me on the map the locations
of nearest subway stations that I could go to the next day (they call it MRT, I think it stands for Metro Rapid
Transit), and was informed that the hotel actually provides complimentary
scheduled shuttle buses to several downtown/mall locations (Nice!!).  The hotel practically made a great first
impression on me.  The walk to the 7Eleven
was calm and the weather outside was cool. 
Got myself a big-ass water bottle, went back to the hotel, fiddled with the
electronic safe box for a bit, took a nice hot shower and hit the sack right
away.  The night went by with a hush.

Part 2.

The next
morning I hit the gym.  They have a nice
gym at the hotel, equipped with the latest machines and very clean.  It turned out that 90% of the gym’s visitors
have their very own personal trainer.  I
was probably the only one there who worked out on his own, not to mention the
skinniest fella in the room.  One look at
any of the personal trainers there I could tell that they could easily snap me
in half like a twig.  Still, I put aside
my bruised ego, hopped from one machine to another, feeling inadequate each
time I reduced the weights of each machine, ‘till I sweated enough to say to
myself “Ok Rudy, you proved your point.  Now
get out of there!”  My fatigue didn’t
discourage me from wanting to walk all day finding food though.  As anyone who’s been to Singapore knows
that it’s a city that’s a heaven for food, and so it was my tummy who begged me
to leave the gym to be fed.

The day started
a little gloomy.  Rain drizzled
constantly almost the entire day I roamed the city.  I started by heading west to the Liang Court
Mall where they have
a huge Japanese supermarket that has great Japanese fast food counters.  I ordered myself a nice bowl of hot udon noodle soup topped with seaweeds,
fiddle head ferns, crunchy tempura
bits, fish cake and sweet tofu skin.  To
end a great brunch, I treated myself with some black sesame and milk-tea
ice creams, a scoop each.  Yum!  I
continued my walk by heading back eastward by the Singapore River
and down to the Chinatown
area.  On the way I immediately thought
of my favorites, fried carrot cake
(by “carrot” I mean the white carrot/daikon radish) and curry laksa (spicy rich seafood flavored curry noodle soup). 

By the time
I got to the Chinatown area, I walked passed
many food stalls, each specialized in a particular dish; chwee kueh, hokkien mie, popiah and many more finger-licking-good
dishes.  My head started to spin.  At almost every stall I would stop and
thought to myself “Should I or should I not?” 
Meanwhile, a crowd of people trying to walk pass by me and annoyed by my
hesitation.  I too was annoyed that I
couldn’t think straight.  Suddenly, I
paused.  My eyebrows rose upward.  My eyes twinkled.  An imaginary light bulb above my head just
went alight.  I remembered fondly of the
delish huge stuffed glutinous rice balls that I found at one of the stalls on Chinatown Food Street the last time I
was there, called Ah Balling Peanut Soup.
Immediately I turned around and headed towards the heart of Chinatown,
filled with a great hope and determination. 

To my
disappointment, it was closed.  It
probably won’t be opened ‘till later that evening.  The twinkles in my eyes disappeared.  I frowned.  My heart sunk so low I couldn’t think straight
again for the second time that day.  The
rain didn’t help either.  With a rampage
state of mind not knowing where to go, my wet feet managed to lead me eastward crossing
the busy financial district towards Lau
Pa Sat, a very popular and huge food court by Robinson Road, filled with stalls catered to whatever your heart
desires.  I walked passed each stall,
taking in the noise, the sight, and the smells. 
And oh, what smells!!  The fire
that died inside me just a while ago relinquished its flames.  I saw one of my favorites – grilled spicy stingray fish, then
another – stir fried carrot cake,
then another – char kway teow, then
another – roti prata with curry dip,
then another – steamed dumplings &
buns.  It was at this very stall
where they freshly made dumplings and buns that I decided to let my legs and
feet take a rest and let my tongue do some work. 

I noticed
there was a large group of young people at a semi-opened kitchen busy making
dumplings and buns.  Their skillful
fingers worked meticulously fast.  I
approached a couple of them and asked how many of those dumplings they would
have to make daily.  They both looked at
me with an odd look on their faces and then looked at each other with the same
expression.  They had no clue as to what
I was saying.  It turned out that most of
the kitchen staff there came straight from China, and so they spoke very
little English, if any.  Another staff
member, who seemed to be a Chinese Singaporean, took notice of my presence and
offered his help.  I asked him the same
question, he then repeated that same question in Chinese to the two whom I
asked earlier.  Immediately those two
staff members had a change of facial expression, gave a big smile and answered
something in Chinese.  The Singaporean
guy translated the reply to me in English...”Two thousand pieces a day”.  2000 pieces!! 
Holy cow!  Now that’s a lot of
dumplings, I thought to myself. 

I thanked
them and proceeded to order.  I noticed
another staff member made a fresh rice
noodle roll stuffed with either prawns or barbeque pork.  They looked so good and happened to be one of
my favorites as well that I just had to have them.  The noodles came out so soft and silky in
texture.  A touch of soy sauce and fried
shallots brought the flavors together smoothly. 
The noodles literally melted in my mouth and it was a great contrast to
the crunchy texture of the fried shallots that also gave a slight nutty flavor
to the noodles.  I couldn’t help but
smile.  I watched how the staff worked.  Each one of them focused their eyes on their
crafted pieces.  No one joked around, no
talking, no laughing.  I noticed an older
female supervisor walked around and checked on their work and gave opinions on
how they should do things differently. 
The whole scene made them look more like a bunch of factory workers than
chefs.  The working atmosphere in that
kitchen was unlike any that I’ve seen before. 
Yet, I was very impressed with their work ethic and their capabilities.

I left Lau
Pa Sat feeling a couple of pounds heavier. 
I decided to walk off the extra calories by heading north straight to Raffles Place.  I went down to its underground mall where it basically
is a long underground tunnel connecting different buildings that they turned
into this major shopping area filled with shops and restaurants.  I stopped by the HMV music store to sample some of the Asian music, from Mandarin to
Japanese to Korean.  It didn’t take very
long ‘till I felt the AC got too cold for me, after all I was wearing shorts
and was a little damp from the rain.  I got
back outside and to the main road, headed north to City Hall.  I didn’t mind the
rain.  The air was fresh unlike the air
back home in Jakarta.  Lush greeneries could also be seen here and
there all over the city.  There’s this
certain kind of calm freedom that you’d feel when you take a walk in the city
of Singapore.  On the way, I passed some of the historical
buildings as well as the Boat Quay
area, where another string of bars and restaurants by the river made popular by
its frequent expatriate visitors. 
Feeling a little tired, I headed back down west towards Clark Quay and made
a brief stop at the hotel for a quick shower. 

I’ve made
an arrangement with my friend, Doug, to meet up at his hotel, Hangout Hotel @ Mt. Emily, nearby the Little India district, before we’re off
for dinner.  It was great to see an old
friend again, though he looked a little different from how I remembered him.  He now wears his hair extra spiky, thanks to
his new found love for hair gel, and also wears what seemed to be a pair of
titanium plated earrings.  Added the matching
leather bag and wallet, he wouldn’t strike you with the typical look you’d
likely to find in a chef.  Then again,
his approach to cooking has always been very eclectic and international.  He’s definitely not someone who would settle
for something typical and conventional, which is probably why I liked him as a
friend in the first place.  After endless
hours of searching for the perfect place for dinner, we settled for dinner on Orchard
Road. 
First stop was an Indonesian restaurant called Sanur.  To be honest, I was
quite disappointed with the food.  I was
hoping to be able to introduce Doug with great selections of Indonesian dishes
that he probably would never find back in the states.  What we found was a mediocre cooking that
lacked in flavor intensity from what one would expect from Indonesian
cuisine. 

After
dinner, we continued our culinary adventure to a cozy and eclectic decor
looking bar, Bar No.5 on Emerald Street,
which is known for its infused vodkas; from chrysanthemum
flower to pandan leaf to preserved medicinal snake.  The best flavors were sold out by the time we
got there and so we settled for the flavors of red chili and Chinese herbs.  Both Doug and I shared both flavors of
infused vodka.  The red chili vodka was
quite potent and deep red in color.  In a
low light room such in a bar, it looked more like blood that had been dissolved
with some water and grenadine.  Chili
vodka slowly worked its burning sensation in our throat and stomach.  We both discussed how one would use this
chili infused vodka for cooking.  Doug
thought that it would be great to be added in a cream sauce.  Immediately I thought of the Italian pink lobster
cream sauce for pasta that has vodka added to it.  Chili infused vodka would make a great flavor
enhancer to that cream sauce.  Chinese
herbs vodka tasted no less potent.  Being
Chinese that I am, I’m all too familiar with the smell of various Chinese
herbal soups and this particular infused vodka smelled exactly like one of
them.  Flavor wise it had an intense
herbal sweetness that easily washed off the burning sensation that the chili
vodka gave, however it had that particular herbal aroma and flavor that both Doug
and I couldn’t think of a way to include it in cooking, apart maybe making it
into a black looking sorbet to be served along with the black herbal jello-like
pudding you’d find in many Chinese restaurants, called Qui Ling Gao.

Just when I
thought the excitement for the night was about to end, on the way to the Orchard MRT Station, Doug had us stopped
by at a shoe store called Pedro.  He asked for an opinion on a particular shoe
and asked me to try it on.  At first I
thought “How odd…”  I was wondering why
all of the sudden he was interested in shoes and wanted me to try them on, when
he confessed that both he and his best friend Nick, his other best man, already
got the same shoes to wear for the wedding and he would really liked it if the
THREE of us wear the same shoes at his wedding. 
At first I was a little surprised by his suggestion but then I thought “Of
course! This is Doug we’re talking about. 
Coming from him this suggestion is perfectly normal” I tried on the
shoes and they fit quite nicely and so I thought “Why not!”  I agreed to his request, after all it was for
his wedding.  As long as he’s happy, I’m
all for it.  Thanks for the free new pair
of shoes Doug!

Part 3.

Doug’s
wedding the next day couldn’t start earlier. 
It was a Saturday.  I had to be up
by 4am to have enough time to get ready before I had to leave for Doug’s hotel
and reached there by 5am.  By 5.30am, Doug,
Nick and I were picked up by a couple of cars decorated with ribbons and
flowers, ready to transport us to the bride’s home.  It is a custom for a  Chinese wedding in Singapore that the groom
would come over to the bride’s house to pick her up but doing so by donating
“money in a red envelope” to bribe the bride maids to open the door so he and
his best men could get in.  The bride
maids would try to make the groom submit to their silly requests and demand
more money before the door will be opened for him to enter.  What Doug had to do was to wear tight pajama
pants and red high heel shoes and danced. 
He also had to mimic the writing strokes of Chinese characters using his
butt that said “I love Alexis”.  Laughs
were plentiful and loud enough to wake up the neighbors, considering it was
only a little after 6am.  When the bride’s
maids agreed to the sum of money given and let him in, he went straight to his
bride’s bedroom where photo-taking session took place.  After a while, he led Alexis out of the room
and off we went back to Doug’s hotel for breakfast with Doug’s family and more
photo shoots at the roof top of the hotel.

 (PIC)

At 11am
everybody, including Doug’s family, went over to Alexis’ house for the tea ceremony or Phang Te.  A tea ceremony
involves the bride and groom kneeling before their parents, grandparents,
uncles & aunts, and offer tea as a way to pay respect in exchange for a
blessing and/or a gift.  It was quite a
sight to see Alexis’ family meeting Doug’s family.  It was literately a movie moment where the
east meets the west.  All of the Caucasians
sat down side by side, tried to maintain composure through out the whole event,
feeling rather out of place in a Chinese home filled with noise from dozens of
their new Chinese relatives staring at them and talking about them.  First they were presented with a soup
resembling Hong Zao Long Yen.  The warm sweet soup contained boiled quail eggs, white fungus, ginko nuts
and Chinese red dates, but I didn’t
see any dried longan fruit floating
around as I expected.  This new extended
family from the west seemed to enjoy their new traditional eastern cuisine.  So far their palate had not resisted what
their tongues tasted.  Next came platters
of sushi and Chinese steamed pastries.  I
could see big questions marks hanging over their heads as they tried to figure
out what were presented in front of them. 
I felt for them.  I knew exactly
how it feels to be in a totally foreign environment, surrounded by foreigners
and eating foreign foods.  Luckily, their
new extended family from the east was gracious and thoughtful enough to have
ordered a few boxes of pizza.  LIFE SAVER!  No doubt everyone took a slice and pizza was
gone in no time.  As a way to show
respect and to fulfill the adventurous side of their personalities, Doug’s
family members did try all of the selections of sushi and Chinese
pastries.  I was sure that really pleased
Alexis’ family to know that their new extended family had the willingness to at
least try something different.  I
personally found a whole new perspective and respect for them all. 

After the
introductions and food exploration, everybody was asked to empty out the living
room, for the tea ceremony had to begin soon due to the tight schedule.  Doug’s family was given the priority.  Starting with Doug’s parents, the
grandparents, and then his aunts & uncles. 
Then it was Alexis’ family’s turn. 
First her parents, then her relatives from her father’s side of the
family, including grandparents and aunts & uncles.  Next, her mother’s side of family, starting
with grandma (who seemed to really found joy in getting to know her new western
grandson-in-law), and then the rest of the aunts & uncles.  All of the aunts & uncles from both sides
of the family took their turn based on their rank in the family, starting with
the eldest down to the youngest.  Then
family and friends photo sessions took place.  I was the only oriental looking fella from “Doug’s
family & friends”, the odd one out. 
It was quite funny and weird at the same time.

Everybody
went back to the hotel to rest and get ready for dinner later that
evening.  I stayed behind at Alexis’ home
with Doug and Alexis, and with my suit and tie ready on a hanger for later that
night’s wedding party.  I got a chance to
chat a little with Alexis’ brother and her sister’s boyfriend.  Her parents were very courteous and friendly
and made me feel more at ease to be around them.  At 4.30pm we left for the Singapore Botanic Garden (www.sbg.org.sg).  A haven for lush tropical plants and flowers,
including countless varieties of orchid. 

(PIC)

It was the
perfect place for a wedding ceremony.  By
the time we got there, tables were fully set up, located on the ground floor of
an old historical house, one of many on this public garden.  We went up to the private changing rooms in
the second floor to get ready.  Doug showed
me the wedding rings.  They were of platinum
plated designed with tiny oval shaped holes all around.  Not exactly the conventional wedding bands
but they match Doug and Alexis’ personalities and the best looking wedding
rings I’ve seen.  He took out a piece of
paper with lines that he had to memorize for the ceremony and was having a hard
time in remembering them.  So with the
spare time we had in our hands, we decided to take a stroll around the
botanical garden, while he tried to memorize his lines. 

It didn’t
take a full half hour before we both had to make our way back to the old house.  It was almost 5.30pm and family & friends
started to show up, all glamored up.  Sparkling
wine and cocktail food were passed around. 
Everyone was chit chatting and enjoying the garden.  6pm everyone had to go to their assigned
table, all indoor but had a full view of and connected to the outdoor area
where the podium was placed.  The
ceremony was about to start.  Doug, his
best friend Nick, and I walked up to the end of the aisle to the left of the
podium, where Doug’s uncle was waiting.  I
stood next to Nick, who stood next to Doug and was carrying the rings placed on
a small bright pink pillow.  They both
were nervous.  On the opposite side, were
Alexis’ brother and sister.  Standing
straight and proud by the podium, Doug’s uncle welcomed everyone and started
the ceremony smoothly.  Alexis walked
down the aisle, Doug’s uncle read out the vows and then repeated by both Doug
and Alexis.  Nick was having a little difficulty
in untying the knots that kept the rings in place but it only took a few
seconds for him to loosen them.  The
bride and groom put on the rings on each other’s finger, kissed and a loud
clapping and cheering followed as they walked towards their table.  It was kind of a surreal experience for
me.  It wasn’t my first time to be a best
man but it was my first to do so just like they do it in the American
movies.  No sooner had they entered the
old house, several jet planes flew over carrying two humongous Singaporean
national flags.  The timing was perfect,
as if they were there to congratulate Doug and Alexis.  Those planes flew all over Singapore to
remind the citizens that their Independence Day was approaching.  The dinner went smoothly, topped with long,
and I mean LONG toasts to the bride & groom.  It seems that Singaporeans have this custom
in shouting out the word “toast” in Chinese that would take at least a full
minute long.  People ate, drank, chatted
and were having a great time.  The evening
was a success.

By the time
I got back to the hotel later that night, I was so exhausted I actually wanted
to take a bath.  I don’t really enjoy
sitting in water doing nothing, but the occasion called for it.  My feet ached, my brain was dehydrated, my
eyes were ready to given up and shut their lids for the evening.  Unfortunately, I ran out of drinking water
and had to make another visit to the 7Eleven. 

Part 4.

It was only
around 10pm and so Robertson Quay was
filled with many people still actively alert and loud.  I passed a café that was packed with
customers inside and out.  The outside
glass window had a large word written CHOCOLATE on it, and so I went in to
check out the menu.  It turned out that
the place is a boutique chocolate café & store called The Chocolate Factory (www.thechocolatefactoryonline.com).  It has a separate chocolate room where you
can select a variety of handmade chocolates without preservatives and buy to go
or to eat in.  The menu of the café
itself revolves around… what else but chocolate, from hot and cold beverages to
deserts such as cakes, torts, and frozen deserts.  They even sell imported ceramic cup and pot
pieces for hot chocolate enthusiasts. 
Feeling a little tired, I thought some sugar would help boost my energy
level, and so I ordered myself cinnamon ice-cream and chocolate sherbet.

Cinnamon is
one of my favorite spices.  Its earthy
sweet aroma always gave me a deep sense of being in a tropical paradise,
especially when I was living in the States. 
Just a tiny kiss of that sweet spice on my palate can alter my bad day
into a pleasant one.  The cinnamon
ice-cream was beyond the verge of melting when it arrived.  It felt extremely smooth and creamy on my
tongue.  The flavor itself was not as
strong as I was expected but enough to relax my brain and sore muscles.  Its topping of tiny praline sprinkles worked
wonders by adding an intense caramel flavor and a contrast of crispy crunch in
texture.  The chocolate sherbet was another pleasant
surprise.  Normally, chocolate would not
be my first pick of flavor when it comes to a frozen desert, but this one did
not have that sickening aftertaste that you get from eating chocolate
ice-cream.  The sherbet was made with pure cocoa
powder, and a real good one too.  It
didn’t have the same creaminess as the cinnamon ice-cream but still silky
smooth in texture.  I could easily smell
the aroma of the cocoa powder and a
hint of bitterness from the cocoa
went very well with the overall sweetness of the sherbet.  The sherbet was topped with a deep dark
chocolate cookie that had a nice soft crunch without all that bits of nuts that
usually get in between your teeth.  An extremely
well approach to end the night.  Before I
exited the café I got a small box of chocolates as a souvenir and headed
straight to the 7Eleven. 

When I got
back at my hotel room I did ended up spending about 15 minutes in a hot bath
before I hit the sack.  It was a Saturday
night and yet I was happier to be in bed then to be anywhere else.  The occasional shouting from a drunk out on
the street didn’t prevent me from sleeping soundly for the night.  The next morning I woke up well passed 10am
but didn’t start to do anything ‘till about 11am.  I requested for a late check out.  I didn’t see any point of spending a lot of
time at the airport when the flight won’t be ‘till 5pm.  The hotel granted my checking out at 2pm.  I went out of the hotel and jogged along the Singapore River but after only about 5
minutes of jog, rain started pouring down heavily.  Still I kept on going until I jogged a full
circle from the hotel, passed the closed restaurants at Robertson Quay, crossed the bridge to the other side of the river
and headed back towards the hotel.  Wet
from the rain and not yet satisfied from my morning exercise, I went up to my
room to grab my bathing suit and goggles and headed straight down to the
swimming pool.  If you have never swam in
the rain, it is well worth it to try.  It
was probably one of the most freeing and exhilarating experience I’ve ever had
in a long time.  The water was very cool
but the fact that no one was there meant that I had the pool all to
myself.  That’s a plus!  The pool of the hotel is designed so that it
actually sits on the very far corner. 
One side of this rectangular outdoor pool is covered with a ceramic
wall, while the other, facing the outside edge of the building, was covered
with a thick see-through glass so you could actually see the street 5 floors
down outside the hotel while you swim. 
Strangers from the street could also see you swim if they look up. 

Refreshed
from the swim, I went back to my room, took a hot shower, packed up my stuff
and went down to the lobby to utilize the free internet.  At 2pm the concierge staff accompanied me to
my room to collect my luggage.  When I
went back down to the lobby to check out, a taxi was already waiting with my
luggage in it.  Upon checking out, the hotel
made a mistake by charging me with one of the mini bar items.  I explained that I didn’t take anything from
the mini bar and so they took the charge out of my room account.  The payment was settled swiftly and I went
straight into the taxi.  To my
disappointment, the taxi charged me with a S$35 ride when we reached the
airport.  It seemed that since the taxi
was booked for my sole return to the airport made it more expensive in
comparison to a taxi that was waiting outside the hotel for just anyone.  Oh well. 
A lesson to be learned. 

I checked
in with Lufthansa Airline with no
problem at the airport.  With so much
time on my hands, I decided to do one last lip-smacking culinary
experience.  My stomach was growling
because I had not eaten anything since I woke up.  The hunger needed to be tamed.  I was heading to the food court on the second
level, thinking that I would order some fried carrot cake, but was halted
halfway when I came across a Chinese restaurant where the chef was pulling
fresh dough to make noodles, right behind a glass window for all to see.  The location was just a few steps shy from
the free internet access area.  Immediately
my legs turned sideways and led me into the restaurant.  I was expecting to see the menu focused
mainly on noodles but I was dead wrong, it offered many selections of steamed
dumplings and dishes that would go well with steamed rice.  Still, I remained firm in having some freshly
hand made noodles.  To my delight, they
offered curry laksa with the freshly
pulled noodles.  The spiciness of the curry
broth gave me a second shower but the flavor of the dish lingered well on my
tongue for hours.  I’d have to say that
what really made it a 2 thumbs up rating dish from me was the deep aromatic
fried dried shrimps combined with the flavor of the coconut milk.  Other ingredients, such as prawns, fried
tofu, chili, and even the noodles (which I found a little too soft) won’t taste
as good without those two basic ingredients. 
Alas I was ready to leave Singapore and I left with a smile
and a full stomach.

Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown.  This is a fast read for me.  Intellectual, historical and somewhat humorous yet full of suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat.  It’s part educational and part entertainment.  Those who have read this would agree with me that it’s quite impossible not to be genuinely interested in the book once you started reading the first chapter.  You don’t have to be a religious person nor do you have to be an art curator to fall in love with what the author has to share.  Wonder what the book is all about?  The Holy Grail, Mary Magdalena and Leonardo Da Vinci are all smartly and logically interconnected with a sweet (intentional or unintentional) purpose of making you question everything you’ve ever known about Christianity.  There.  Definitely a Must Read.

Here’s the thing… I’m overwhelmed, under pressure and exhausted… mentally.  I WAS going to share my moments of joy on the Chinese New Year celebration a few weeks ago, but somehow my brain hasn’t been able to function well enough to run its story telling engine and formulate sentences.   It’s well passed 6pm and here I am still sitting in the office, waiting for my cue to leave and go straight to a business dinner.  A total bore for sure, but one that’s obligatory.  And so it’s only fitting that I should kill time by trying to once again formulate sentences to entertain you all. 

I apologize if I seemed abandoning my faithful subscribers (not that there are many of you) but I barely have time to even continue updating my recipe file.  I haven’t even been able to go out on the weekends to search for more food adventures.  What I longed for is actually a moment of peace.  Well, more like a week-long of peace, where there’s no deadlines, no employees and office politics to deal with, no business meetings, no Chinese language tests to study for, no family gatherings I’m obligated to be present at, no temple I’m supposed to go to inhale the scent of what seemed like a thousand burning incense, no gym necessary to sweat my butt off, no NOTHING!!  Don’t need a message on a white sandy beach resort either.  Just need me, myself and I, with plenty of time to spare to do nothing but cooking, eating and reading at home.  Now that would be bliss.  Simple luxuries for a simple guy.

Now the excitement of Chinese New Year has worn off.  No more loud fire crackers frightening all pets in the neighborhood, no more sweet red envelopes filled with cash, no more 12-hour eating marathon, and no more meaningless chit chats with relatives you wished you wouldn’t have to talk to.  It’s back to reality.  Back to rethinking whether or not you’ll keep your second New Year resolution.  Back to facing your personal issues.  Back to paying bills.  Back to going to work.  Back to finding friends and making enemies along the way.  Back to being a mature adult.  Back to learning what living in a real world is all about.  As they say, it’s not the destination that matters, it’s the journey that counts.  Oh well…

With the much spare time I had sitting at home and unable to go out due to the flood in the city, I was able to finish reading “The Language of Baklava” by Diana Abu-Jaber. 

The Language of Baklava is a language of all nations, all cultures.  It pulled you into the world of middle eastern cuisine, unusual family relationships, and the battle of finding own self while dealing and living with a dual cultural identity.  The author clearly poured her heart and soul out for all of her readers, to give us more than a glimpse of what it’s like being a member of Abu-Jaber family.  She has a deep sense of passion and understanding on how food can and will always be a vehicle to bring back memories and to bring us closer to those we are far apart from. 

In this book, Diana described how she became the child of two cultures.  She grew up in both United States and Jordan, her father’s homeland.  During her growing up years, both countries contributed a unique life experience that, with their opposing cultures, made her into someone who always questions and analyses everything from a point of view that we probably would not normally have.  Her ways of conveying and projecting her thoughts and emotions are deliciously delivered through her memories of the food she grew up with.  Those are her tools.  And she gave the recipes too.

The Language of Baklava is also a language of mine.  Growing up in both Asian and western countries gave me a greater understanding of and an acceptance to what she went through all those years.  Like Diana, I too am able to look back at my life experiences with fondness through my evolving preferences of food.  I started with a deep love for all non-Asian delicacies, while taking for granted the absolute deliciousness of the Indo-China cuisine I grew up with.  Once I started a life in the Land of Down Under, I stuffed myself with McDonalds, Hungry Jacks (it’s called Burger King everywhere else), fish & chips, meat pies, cereals, cow’s milk (plain, coffee, strawberry & mint flavors), poached eggs, mint sauce, Vegemite (Aussie’s favorite toast spread), and weekly doses of double scoops of gelato in a waffle cone. 

As I adjusted my life in the land of America, my taste buds went through a different flavor therapy.  From the usual French, Japanese, Indian, Italian, Korean, Mexican, Thai and Vietnamese, to the interesting Burmese, Ethiopian, Lebanese, Moroccan, Peruvian, Russian, Spanish and veganism.  Ever since I started culinary school, my long buried love for Chinese and Indonesian food dig their way out of my system and little by little took over my creative self as a cook.  Now my personal recipes are a concoction of Mediterranean cooking mixed with a jolt of tropical flavors and a Zen concept.  Weird, huh?

Jakarta could possibly be the official Venice of Asia. Relentless thunderstorms flooded almost the entire city and made it into one giant public tub filled with murky brown water, resembles that of cold cocoa drink that has been mixed with too much tap water. Not a pretty sight.

The water level varies from area to area. From ankle high to knee high, depending on where you are in the city. Some alleys have it worse, all the way up from waist high to chest high. The sight of street kids swimming is typical. The flood started to proliferate through the city in the middle of the week, and by the weekend thousands of citizens had no choice but to evacuate their homes and leave their soaked belongings behind. Those who chose to station at the upper level of their houses remained helpless and bewildered by Mother Nature’s anger that befell upon them. Military rescue teams on their rubber banana boats are all over the city delivering drinking water and food to flooded residential areas.

There is nothing else on the news but the flooding incident in Jakarta and its neighboring areas. Everywhere in the city, you see clusters of people gathering, staying away from the flooded alleys, their neighborhoods. Some street food vendors still determined to open their businesses even if they have to cook while standing in water.

(PIC)

There are people need to be fed and so the business must stay open. Prices of clean water and edible goods suddenly went up to the roof. Capitalism never seemed so sweet to those who have the supply for the overwhelming demand.

To a lot of people in Jakarta, a flood has become a regular incident that they have to overcome. Floods exist on an annual basis and the worse ones occur every five to six years. The last one was in 2002, and the one before that was in 1996. It always happens in February, before Chinese New Year. This year is considered to be the worse of them all. The sky above is too gloomy for my liking and the water level outside my home has risen again by a few inches since yesterday, thanks to another thunderstorm we received just last night. The thunder roared so loud you could actually feel the house vibrated. One would think a nearby volcanic mountain has erupted. It started at around 3 am and it didn’t end until two hours after. The amplified sound of the thunder woke me up in a jolt and I could not go back to sleep afterwards.

With the absence of half of the city’s population from the road, traffic seems to be quite bearable. For once, the city seems to lack motor vehicles.

(PIC)

Like a lot of people who are still able to be present at work, I too find myself dress casually (shorts & sandals) for office work. This is no time to get dressed up all nice and formal. Just like the rest of Jakarta, I’m feeling all lethargic and discouraged.  With no internet connection for almost two weeks to entertain me, I sit and wonder if the sun would shine again and shine continuously to dry the flood out of the city. At a time like this, we all could use more than a helping hand. We need a miracle.

“Good cooks never lack friends”

– Anonymous

Those who’s been to the city of Surabaya knows that there isn’t much there to see and do, apart from doing something that everybody would do whenever they go out of town… eating.  So Surabaya does not have that many variety of local delicacies that the rest of the Java islanders know about, but they do have a few food items that they are proud of and known for.  Finding them, however, is an adventure in itself.

I had to spend a couple of nights in Surabaya with a couple of co-workers for work related purpose and this trip didn’t start too bad at all.  We flew down there from Jakarta with no delay.  The flight was typical but smooth.  We arrived at Surabaya’s newly opened airport that is only about a couple of months old.  Everything was clean and organized.  No heavy traffic of people, no weird smell, no busted AC, and best of all, the still clean and brand new toilets.  This airport is nice enough to put the country’s own capital city’s airport to shame.  In fact, the whole airport area is so brand new that even the toll way that connects the inner city to the airport has yet to be completed.  Those who come to and from the airport would have to go through the smaller local roads that pass through houses, stores, small restaurants, and industrial factories, which take a much longer time since there is a traffic to consider, especially when there are trucks and busted roads to deal with.  The first day started with what seemed to me as probably the best meal I’ve had for the entire trip.  It was hot spicy, way too hot for most people but when combined with other side dishes that were available there, it was a pretty good lunch. 

Generally, I wouldn’t be fond of anything too spicy that would make me sweat like I was taking a shower.  On this day there was no exception.  I asked for “mild”.  Of course, what’s “mild” to them means “still too hot” for me.  I think I used up a whole tissue roll to wipe off the excess moisture that poured out from my head and dripped down all the way to my neck and chest.  Nevertheless, the meal was still great.  We had Ayam Penyet.  Ayam penyet is a chicken dish where the bird has been seasoned, slowly cooked ‘till the bones almost fall out of the flesh, crushed and then deep fried.  It is then served on a bed of freshly hand grinded red chilies, all skin and seeds (this is where the real heat of the dish comes from).  They also had tahu (tofu) and tempeh penyet that were made in a similar fashion to ayam penyet.  I ordered myself a side of lontong with Pecel, which is very similar to gado-gado, with the exception that the vegetables consist only of papaya greens, watercress greens, and bean sprouts, with no eggs, tofu, tempeh or potatoes.  All dishes were eaten with steamed rice.  Right outside the ayam penyet eatery, there was a street food vender that made this wonderful dessert-like snack.  It was called Leker, a half-moon shaped thin-crispy textured warm crepe-like snack, folded and stuffed with fresh banana, granulated sugar and chocolate sprinkles.  We bought it to go and ate it in the car.  Our day just begun and we were still on the way to the office, and yet I was already thinking about dinner.

There were a few disappointments.  One of which is Kia-kia (a Hokkien word literally means “walks”).  It is an area that is a regular street with passing vehicles during the day but is closed in the evening, every evening.  The whole street is turned into an eatery place where foldable large and small tables and chairs are all spread out through out the mid section of the street.  The sidewalks are covered with street food vendors with variety of choices of both savory and sweet foods, from stir-fried, deep fried and steamed dishes to beverages and small street snacks.  A few years back when I had the chance to visit Surabaya for the very first time, I was amazed by this area.  The whole street was packed with people and enthralling smells filled the open air like the smell of a thousand working kitchens in one.  Hundreds of human voices overlapped the sound of moving vehicles on nearby streets, including the sound of singing voices from the open-air karaoke.  Smokes from hot woks appeared from here and there like dozens of open saunas.  Unfortunately, this is no longer the case.  Now the whole Kia-kia area has been cut down to half and I didn’t see the same great ambiance that I once fell in love with.  The place was dead.  There were more vendors than the actual customers.  The food was never been the greatest in the first place and now it became the worst that I’ve had for the entire trip.  The first day ended with a major disappointment. 

The second day was quite interesting, though not exciting.  After a hectic early start with work, we decided to visit a local major cigarette company’s museum & restaurant.  This company is called Sampoerna, an Indonesian word that literally means “perfect”.  What makes Sampoerna’s museum & restaurant well known in the area is not because of the restaurant’s menu or the impressive historical information of the company’s profile and photography display of past generations of the family who owned Sampoerna (now is owned by Phillip & Morris, who also owns Marlboro cigarette company), but because of the factory located right behind it that is opened for public display.  It was a nice surprise to see how Sampoerna cigarettes are made, which are still individually hand made by the local women who comprised more than 90% of the workforce.  This made the whole dining experience at Sampoerna a memorable one indeed.  In the evening we settled for a foreign flavor, a gelato parlor/restaurant that also serves brick-oven pizza and homemade gnocci (pasta dumpling).  So we went to Café Pisa.  We longed for some ice-cream and Café Pisa is considered as one of the best places in Surabaya for frozen dessert.  Thought it was not exactly a “local” delicacy, it was the best and fun way to end our last night there.  We were exhausted both physically and mentally.  Our palate demanded something refreshing and satisfying as a way to release stress, and what better way to do so than by eating some gelato.

It is funny how people tend to associate cleanliness with by the way you dress, by how organized your home seem to the naked eye, by how many zits you have on your face, and maybe by how bad your breath is.  To me personally, I’m always concerned about how my teeth looked to others.  Unhealthy looking teeth can be considered as a sign of an unhygienic condition of both teeth and gum.  Nope, I’m NOT going to post a pic of my lovely teeth and gum.  Trust me, they are healthy… I think.  What worries me is that my teeth, for as along as I can remember, don’t look as white as I think they should be.  Thanks to the constant medication I took when I was younger, the whiteness of my teeth has always been overshadowed behind a permanent film of drugs that had penetrated their way into the outer layer of my teeth.  I was sick a lot when I was young and unfortunately, the medications available in Indonesia during those days were those in a form of powdered stuff that you have to mix with water.  It’s an awful stuff.  When mixed, it forms into a sluggish-gooey-pasty-like substance that tastes so bitter even your eyelids can’t stay open whenever the tip of your taste bud touched even a drop of it.  And then there is the smell… urgh!  I remember that each time I swallowed a large spoonful of that disgusting stuff, I was rewarded with either a candy or sweet Vitamin C syrup, which I always thought as real yummy.  Anyways, ever since I started college, I have always used whitening toothpaste.  Not that it really whitened my teeth much.  I guess no whitening substance can hide the true color of your teeth, even if they are healthy.  Oh well.

My friend Ilka had to make another overdue visit to her dentist on Saturday.  An appointment she always dreaded but found it unavoidable since she has braces on.  It is supposed to be a monthly visit that somehow turned into a quarterly visit.  She is always too busy.  On that particular Saturday, I decided to tag along and had my teeth cleaned.  Also another overdue appointment.  It was both a blessing AND a curse.  On our way to the dentist, the memories of the numerous times I paid a visit to a dentist back when I was much younger came back to me like nostalgic moments, hiding the actual fact that hell is just around the corner waiting for me to return to its torture chair.  I kid you not.  When I got there, I started to get a little anxious but the feeling still seemed relaxed and mellow.  Only when I got to “The Chair” and the cleaning treatment started, that I realized why all these times I remembered the good but not the bad times of being surgically tortured by white uniformed person.  My brain apparently had a very good reason for blocking those memories but failed to warn me of what appeared to be another life experience I would rather forget. 

Just imagine, your hands, legs and feet became rigid and tense.  As you had to constantly have your mouth opened for what it seemed to be forever, foreign objects made their way into your mouth, working their way up and down, left and right, in and out.  Pain was injected every single time a drill-like instrument came in contact with my gum.  And the sound, oh, that hair rising sound, much worse than Freddy’s claws screeching along a metal pipe.  “Sorry” and “Have patience” came out of the dentist’s mouth.  She even mentioned the word “Blood”.  My thoughts started to get foggy.  She said that this is a must to get rid of the hard cavity that glued itself at the bottom of my teeth, just before the gum line.  Well, sorry and patience were not good enough.  Not only you’ve got countless fingers in there, there was an instrument that joyously gave you pain and another that hungrily sucked your overflow of drool.  You felt like you wanted to choke but you couldn’t.  You felt like you’ve been abused but you couldn’t complaint.  The whole time I was sitting there, my nails clawed their way deeper into the chair’s leather covered arm rest.  This horrible torture session did end only after the dentist could not seem to find more reason to give pain.  I guess she was tired, it WAS lunch time after all.  I gurgled so many times to spit out the weird after taste in my mouth.  My jaw was so ached and tense I couldn’t utter a single word properly, but my teeth felt splendidly clean and spankin’ new, and sharp too! 

I paid a handsomely 500,000 Rupiah for the service.  It was a much needed treatment but not one I would look forward to have again in the near future.  I did come out with a smile.  I was glad it was over.  Ilka also came out with a smile.  Her braces were pretty in pink this time.  She has tried blue, green, orange and purple in the past.  So we decided to celebrate our triumph from overcoming fear and pain, with lunch!  A normal human being would try hard to preserve the cleanliness of their newly cleaned teeth by fasting until dinner time, but not us.  We were starved.  We went straight to a nearby restaurant known for its Gado-Gado, one of my all time favorites.  Gado-Gado is the Indonesian version of salad, consists of a variety of cooked vegetables such as cabbage, long green beans, watercress, and potatoes with boiled eggs, fried tofu, fried tempeh (fermented soy bean cake), fresh cucumber and lontong (steamed rice tamale), all served with crispy fried crackers and spicy peanut sauce flavored with palm sugar.  YUM.  To complete the healthy lunch, we ordered ourselves a green juice, made with local green vegetables, pineapple and lime.  Surprisingly quite sweet and light and refreshing.  Afterwards, we went straight to the nearest mall just so we could use their clean bathroom to brush our teeth