Who doesn’t love them?  Sweet, delicate, juicy, aromatic… all the qualities one would look for in a fruit.  Truth to be told, it is not my first pick for a favorite fruit.  But when they are in season, like RIGHT NOW, I can't help but to be enticed in all things mango.  Not when they are everywhere you look and radiate that pungent sweet aroma as you pass them by.  So, I gave in and decided to partake in the madness of the season.  MANGO season, that is.

There are several species of mango available here in Indonesia, but there are a couple that come quite highly recommended and popular among the locals.  Well, at least where I live.  They are GEDONG GINCU and HARUM MANIS.  We call them Mangga Gedong Gincu and Mangga Harum Manis.

‘Manga’ is the Indonesian word for ‘Mango’.  ‘Gedong’ is the type/variety of mango.  ‘Gincu’ is a local Javanese village-word meaning ‘lipsticks’.  Almost all mangoes here in Indonesia are of green skinned.  This Gedong Gincu variety is one of only two varieties that are not.  At times, its skin color may turn reddish-orange.  And so its colorful skin is referred to as ‘Gincu’ to assimilate the colorful perception of lips or lipsticks.  Meanwhile, ‘Harum’ means ‘aromatic’, and ‘Manis’ means ‘sweet’.

With one look you can tell the difference between the two.  Harum Manis is always green skinned, large, and oval shaped, with top end circumference larger than the bottom end.  Gedong Gincu is about half the size, rounder, and greenish pale orange in skin color when ripen, but at times reddish-orange.

But the preference people have between the two has got to do with the flesh inside.  Gedong Gincu when fully ripen has a deep and vibrant orange color in flesh, more so than Harum Manis.  Many a times, Harum Manis comes close, but they generally are slightly more yellowish than Gedong Gincu.  Some people say Gedong Gincu has a much better aroma than Harum Manis, as Gedong Gincu tends to smell sweeter.  Harum Manis has a slight green/sour hint to the aroma, however, Harum Manis is more delicately smooth in texture than Gedong Gincu.

Due to the ‘fibrous’ nature of Gedong Gincu, I personally favor Harum Manis.  Hands down.  I dislike the fact that each time I eat Gedong Gincu, some of its fiber would get stuck in between my teeth.  That’s a turn off right there.  But people’s preference always different.  Every one has their own reason for what makes a certain variety of mango better than others.

Here is a pic of the seed of Gedong Gincu mango.  Notice the many fibers from the flesh of the mango still firmly attached to the skin of the seed, even if you try hard to clean it off with your teeth, which I did.

Here is the pic of the seed of Harum Manis mango.  Notice there is much less fiber attached to the seed.  I just love munching the left over flesh attached to the seed to get it as clean as I possible can.  This is the best part of eating a mango.

Alas, it is a messy job peeling mangoes and all, but when you get lazy peeling and slicing your own mango, you can easily go to a fruit market and have the seller does the dirty work for you.  OR do what I do, go to a boba-tea place that sells mango desert.  I have recently found one that does and I have paid a visit to that place twice, just for their mango dessert called LOVERS PARADISE.  Oh! sweet mother of all mangoes, one taste and I was hooked.

Lovers Paradise consists of a bed of smoothly crushed ice, topped with silky mango pudding, delicate fresh mango pieces (Harum Manis), a scoop of creamy mango ice-cream, and drizzles of sweet mango sauce.  Now tell me you won’t drool over that!

thanks to @buddy71 for sharing the link on his blog, i came across something that i'd like to share with you all.  in this day and age it is unfortunate that we are still living in a society that questions, judges, and condemns those who think or live differently from what considered to be the norm.  i just hope more people would live life to be as open minded as this girl...

link:  25 Things You Don’t Have To Justify To Anyone

25 Things You Don’t Have To Justify To Anyone:

1. Your job. Yes, even if you’re working something that other people condescendingly term “not a real job,” such as retail or service. If you have a job of any kind in this economy, you’ve already won.

2. Whether or not you have debt. If you managed to get out of your education debt-free, that doesn’t mean that your life is a financial walk in the park that you constantly have to be apologizing for. If you are in debt, it doesn’t mean you got a “worthless” degree and now deserve to be shamed for struggling to find work after you were convinced by your school that you were making a good decision.

3. The kind of food you enjoy eating, or why you enjoy eating. (No matter how “uncultured” or “boring” or “gross” someone else might deem your favorite food.)

4. Your decision to have children, or not have them, or to not be sure if you even want them.

5. Your dislike for marriage as an institution — and even if this one day changes, you don’t have to justify having grown as a person and moved into a new point of view. No one should be telling you “I told you so” over something as enormous as your decision to commit for life to another person.

6. Your sexuality, or your desire to experiment with it. You are allowed to have “phases” or “try things out” or be “confused,” and can take as much time as you want figuring it out.

7. Your gender presentation.

8. Your income level, and what you can and cannot afford. If you are having trouble keeping up with friends because you are not able to spend as much as them, there is no reason to risk financial ruin to try and keep up appearances.

9. Your body. The only person whom you need to talk to about with it is your doctor; everyone else can else can go kick rocks.

10. Whether or not you want to go out on a weekend night, or ten weekend nights in a row. The amount of time you spend in a bar or at a club does not directly correlate with how cool or worthy a person you are.

11. Your relationship status. If you’re single and happy, that’s great. If you’re in a relationship and happy, that’s great. If you’re either of those and not happy, you are more than allowed to be, and it’s no one’s business how you should “fix” it unless you ask them for their advice.

12. How many friends you have. One is enough. A hundred is enough. And there is no need to falsely upgrade acquaintances to “friend” status in your mind simply to fill out the ranks. A true friend is rare, and we don’t need to make it a competition for who has the most.

13. How much you drink when you go out, or if you drink at all, or why you choose not to drink if you do.

14. What kind of music you enjoy listening to.

15. What kind of an education you have or don’t have, or if you intend to go back and finish what you’ve started. If continuing your studies is something you want to do, good, but don’t be forced into saying that you want it just because it’s what people expect of you.

16. What you happen to be turned on by. If you like slash fiction, you like slash fiction. If you like people recording videos of themselves popping balloons, that’s awesome for you. It’s all good, and as long as you’re not hurting anyone, have at it.

17. Whether or not you know to cook, even if you’re a woman who “should” know how to do those things.

18. If you stay at home to raise your children, or if you hire someone to help you do so because you have a full-time career. Neither of those choices are more or less feminist, no matter what Elizabeth Wurtzel tells you.

19. How many people you have had sex with.

20. Whether or not you are a virgin, and whether or not you want to wait for marriage to lose said virginity.

21. Whether or not you believe in God, and what you think God actually is. (As long as you’re not imposing any of your beliefs on others, in which case we’d have a bit of a problem. But I trust that you’re cool and wouldn’t do that.)

22. Who you voted for and why. If you want to talk about it, you’re free to. But no one should ever make you feel like you have to tell them.

23. If you have sex on a first date, if you kiss on a first date, or if you won’t even hold hands on a first date. You’re allowed to do whatever you like when you’ve just met a new potential suitor.

24. Whether or not you choose to use dating websites.

25. Not knowing exactly what you want to be when you grow up, even if many people would already put you in the category of “grown up.” If you are considering going back to school, or changing careers, or moving, or starting a family, or doing charity work — it’s all good. And none of it has to be followed up with a longwinded explanation about why it’s a good idea and they should believe in you. If you need to justify what makes you happy to someone in your life, perhaps you should ask yourself why you even care about their opinion in the first place.

...and for my own personal defense, i'd like to add another:

26. why you choose to buy and/or use a fountain pen

it's november!  YAY!

HAPPY FOUNTAIN PEN DAY, guys.

it's been too long.  i have neglected you and for that i am truly sorry.

to plead for forgiveness, here is a new posting.  pics of a quill and ink set i got last year from my sis for my b-day.  their time to shine is overdue and i shall show them off today, though a year late.

Your array ignites my heart.
Your flavors tantalize my tongue.
I’m salivating.
Can't you tell?
Your fiery spiciness like a bear hug to my belly.
Sending trickles of salty rain on my cheeks n chin.
I’m soaked by the bucket.
What spell am I under?
Delicious witchery power you possess.
I desire more.

Assessing through my blog archive, I came across one particular blog that I had posted back in 2009. It still has the power to crack up even if I have seen it numerous times before. Many of you probably have seen it. But given it is Friday, and it is lunch hour, and the weekend is right around the corner, AND I am in no mood for work, I am inclined to post something silly for a change. So here you go, hope it’ll put a smile on your face.

Link:
You Don't Know Jack!

Incase you haven't heard, it’s been two weeks since bad haze started to terrorize the people of Malaysia and Singapore, due to the burning of forests in the northern region of Sumatra Island of Indonesia.

As I understand it, the burning was done to clear the land to make way for new crops for the palm oil estates, owned by several private companies. Due to the lack of restrictions from the Indonesian government side to regulate the practice of forest burning by private sectors, the smoke resulted from this burning severely polluted the air of Malaysia and Singapore, as the wind brought the smoke north-west direction.

links:
the haze
palm oil companies

The result is one of the worse hazes in air pollution history for Malaysia and Singapore, resulting in closing down of schools and a halt in many regular daily activities, as people are advised to stay indoor. Many who have to venture outside would need to cover themselves with a face mask, prompting a speedy sales of the said masks, despite the escalating price in tripled to quadrupled from the original over-the-counter price.

links:
closing down schools
singapore mask sales
malaysia mask sales

Air quality reading is measured on regular basis and it is said that some parts in Malaysia had it as bad as PSI 800, while Singapore had it up to PSI 400. PSI readings become the regular daily concern that it is all the people of Malaysia and Singapore talk about. A friend from Singapore even jokingly sent me this picture, to show how regular people would measure PSI reading in their neighborhood.

I’m hoping this air disaster will soon pass and with legal reprimands given to the companies responsible for the burning. All these talks on the haze is giving Indonesia a bad rep.

Those who have been stalking me on Xanga know that I’m a fan of fountain pens. I’d like to believe that a style of handwriting reflects closely to the character and personality of the writer that the handwriting belongs to. Some are loose and free spirited, some are orderly and proper, some are elaborate and loud, some are tiny and private, and some are just down right complex and incomprehensible.

In the spirit of ‘writing’, now that Xanga may be shut down for good, I started to look back at my past blogs and reminisced the joys and sorrows I have shared by way of written words. An important aspect in being a part of a community is to share what affects you and what residues memorable and/or important to you. This past year, I had opportunities to meet up with some of my fellow Xangans in real life, and shared with them a part of who I am; my fondness for fountain pens.

During these congregations some of them had an chance to write something on paper with use of my fountain pen. I am truly grateful for those who took the time to try it out, even just to get a feel of using one. What they DON’T know is that I have kept their handwriting samples with me all these times, including those that were written to me outside these gathering occasions.

The following are pictures of handwriting samples from some of our fellow Xangans. All were handwritten on paper, and almost all with use of a fountain pen, though may not necessarily be mine. I wonder if you can guess the writers that these handwriting samples belonged to.

Tagging @beowulf222, @christao408, @currypuffy, @jitiam, @stepaside_loser, @zsa_md.

Now, I am NOT apt in guessing people’s traits from looking at their handwriting, but if a handwriting style blueprints the writer’s true persona, may this post does justice to display how approachable, brilliant, generous, laidback, responsive, supportive, and tolerant Xangan folks really are. Even if they don't like to admit it themselves.

If Xanga really is going to be shut down for good, I’m gonna miss them a ‘lottle’ (it's like a little, except a lot). I sincerely hope I can continue to become acquainted with them, and allowed the chance to READ many more of their life adventures for years to come. Fingers crossed.

When I say ‘Korean rice cake’, I meant the sweet steamed kind, NOT the savory boiled kind. When someone mentions ‘Korean rice cake’, most often people would immediately thought of tteok-bok-ki. It is understandable, for it is a very popular street food that consists of boiled cylinder-shaped plain rice cake cooked in a red spicy-hot sauce.

One can easily find it by street side tents all over Seoul, especially at night. Those who are followers of the Korean drama series know what I’m talking about, though they may never tasted some. Tteok-bok-ki is a very much-loved Korean food and many night owls enjoy stuffing themselves with such spicy delicacy, while drowning them down with some so-ju. Personally, I can do without it, for I’m not a big fan of spicy food. No offense to tteok-bok-ki fans out there. Sorry, @beowulf222

Ok, back to my rice cake. I have a sweet tooth and so it’s only natural that I’d go for the sweet kind. These sweet steamed rice cakes are available everywhere in South Korea. They come in various shapes and sizes, as well as colors and flavors. They are quite an important food item, especially in ceremonial functions and other celebrations, where they can be seen beautifully arranged in large platters. But they are available to be purchased individually, and are made fresh on daily basis, for they don’t last for too long.

Now, Korean steamed rice cakes are quite different in comparison to Japanese mochi. Mochi is almost always very sweet and very sticky, which I am a fan. Korean rice cakes are less sweet and has a consistency of somewhere between a cake and a mochi. They are not sticky, nor they are light and fluffy. Somewhat dense and steamed-bread like, I think they are the perfect companion to teas and rice wines. But of all of the various sweet steamed rice cakes I’ve tried during my travel to Seoul, there is one particular kind that I am a BIG fan of. One that I had a chance to try when I visited Seoul for the very first time in 2004. It was love at first bite. The very same rice cake that I searched for days, upon my return to Seoul this past May. The rice cake I’m referring to is JEUNG-PYEON.

What sets jeung-pyeon apart from many of its cousins all over Korea is that it is made with fermented rice wine, mak-geol-li.

Mak-geol-li has a very distinctive flavor. Milky white in color, it imparts an acidic yogurt-like flavor with a hint of sweetness behind its fizzy alcohol taste. It is most often can be seen enjoyed together with many kinds of savory street foods. Especially those that is either fried or spicy. I had an opportunity to try it out for myself straight from a bottle, and I can confirm to you that it is not and won't be my first pick for an alcoholic beverage. I’d vote for baek-se-ju any day. Hands down.

But while it may not be the best beverage to be enjoyed all on its own, mak-geol-li is a God-given gift as the perfect ingredient for making jeung-pyeon. I for one will vouch for that fact. It is said that in the making of jeung-pyeon, mak-geol-li is to be added to rice flour, along with some water and sugar. Then this dough mixture is left fermented to allow it to rise, as one would in making breads. Then it is portioned out and steamed. The result is milky-white-colored cake called jeung-pyeon.

Jeung-pyeon is often sold as several small round-shaped white cakes topped with black sesame seeds, on a Styrofoam and plastic wrapped. Low in sweetness, they are considered quite plain in comparison to other sweetened rice cakes. But its lack in sweetness allows one to enjoy more than one at a sitting. Pillow-soft to the touch, it beckons one to quickly sink one’s teeth deep into it. When one does, the cake imparts its unique acidic-sweet like flavor with a subtle whiff of alcohol. It is almost like biting into a dense yeasty cloud that sends one into a mellowness state of self.

Now that I have found the very flavor that haunted me for almost a decade, I can relax, knowing that it has always been around and will stay around for more decades to come. The existence of jeung-pyeon, along with mochi, is enough to affirm me that rice cake is one of the greatest man-made inventions on earth. Ever. And I’m pretty sure many would agree with me whole-heartedly.

The decision was made prior to any of us hopped into a plane to fly all the way to Seoul. @beowulf222 proposed it and I obliged to it. We all agreed to stay overnight in Bu-san during my one-week holiday in Seoul. Pronounced with a ‘P’, as Pu-san, it is a port city that is well known for its sandy beach and fish market. Naturally, those two were our main destinations during our one-night break from Seoul, in the second biggest city in South Korea.

It was a bright sunny Wednesday May morning. @beowulf222, @jitiam, and I gathered at the Seoul main train station. Bags ready and cash in hand, we purchased ourselves tickets to board on the high-speed express train KTX that would get us to Bu-san in a couple of hours time. Being our seat class was a step-up from a regular economy class, we were allowed complimentary water bottles from the vending machine on the train.

The ride was smooth. Plenty of legroom, headroom, and large wide glass windows, for us to gaze out to the scenery of South Korea’s country side landscapes along the way. But the one thing that had me impressed, is the fact that KTX provides free Wi-Fi on board to all passengers who ride on KTX. Sweet!

Our day in Bu-san started out nice and easy. Upon arrival, we headed straight to our hotel for check-in and then went out for lunch. We had puffer fish soup, a specialty of the area. Right after, we lead our feet to the famous Haeun-dae beach, which located just right behind our hotel. The beach was almost devoid of people. It was a weekday and so it was expectedly bare and quiet. Few people can be seen here and there, along with some kids playing catch and throw.

The walk along the beach was a pleasant way to enjoy the afternoon. Windy climate had us zipped our jacket all the way up to our neck. We marched all the way to the other end of the beach where the sandy beach ended and the rocky shore of Dong-baek park began. From the park’s rocky shore, one can relish the distant view of many high-rise buildings along Haeun-dae beach.

We continued on our walk to the other side of the park until we got to a point where the view presented us with a distant scene of Gwan-gan bridge, or ‘Diamond’ bridge. It is called ‘Diamond’ because of the lights covering the entire bridge at night. When lighted up, from afar Gwan-gan bridge looks nicely sparked, which I got to witness after we returned from our Korean sashimi dinner and trailed back to Dong-baek park for an evening stroll. It was a great way to end the day.

The next morning, we went to the famous Ja-gal-chi fish market to spend our day there. The day got warmer. The bus ride was so packed we could barely breath and ended up sweating underneath our layered clothes. We were ready to confront the outdoor wind but we were not expecting the heated temperature inside the bus, packed with people squeezing in for their ride to go to Bu-san main station, where we headed to store our belongings in a locker. The three of us sighed in relieve as soon as we got off from the bus, happily parted ourselves from the many pushy 'aji-mae' (Korean word for ‘aunties’) that cramped our space in the bus.

Ja-gal-chi fish market was a nice distraction from the uncomfortable bus ride. We took the Bu-san metro to get there. As soon as we stepped out from the subway exit, I saw a truckload, literally, of dried enormous black seaweeds, piled high and tied in batches. The scent of fish was in the air. Located right by the fisherman port, many 'aji-mae' can be seen right behind their display of fresh catches of the day, along with many odd-looking live sea creatures. There were plenty of fish hung in rows to dry, as well as vendors cleaning and skinning their live catches for sale.

The fish market was also lined with many food vendors at one end of the market. Some were selling deep-fried fish cakes, or spicy marinated crabs, or grilled pressed-dried squids, or pan-fried fish of various species. We stayed at the market for late lunch and rewarded ourselves with some of the mouth watering pan-fried fish. They were very fresh.

Pan-fried at perfection, the flesh of the fish we had was still succulently juicy, with a natural salty flavor of the sea. The fish was accompanied with side dishes, as most eating-places in Korea similarly do. We were served clear seaweed soup and several pickled/marinated dishes in small portion, including the staple kim-chee. But all that only AFTER we visited a different food vendor, to savor some stir-fried pork skin in spicy red-hot sauce and spicy pork-blood tofu soup with bean sprouts. An odd type of food to sell at a fish market, and the more reason why I just had to try some, much to the detriment of both @beowulf222 and @jitiam.

Despite the various interesting culinary adventures we had in Bu-san, the most memorable one for me was actually the fresh strawberries sold in boxes, at a street side fruit vendor we encountered nearby the subway exit to the Ja-gal-chi fish market. Bright red in color, these large strawberries caught my eye from a distant. They are probably the best tasting strawberries I ever had. Available also in Seoul, these local strawberries are always large, juicy, fragrant, and sweet with almost no trace of acidity that one would regularly get from tasting strawberries. A must-have when one is visiting South Korea. Both @jitiam and myself gorged down a box-full of them. Yum.

Alas, we couldn’t stay long. The trip had to come to an end. I was this close to getting another box of them strawberries, and to maybe eat them on the train-ride back, but decided against it instead. We were obligated to get back to Seoul pronto, where a Korean friend of ours would be waiting at the main station to pick us up, and to take us out for some street-food dinner. Such a great way to be welcomed back, as food is indeed and forever be a man’s best friend.

Just thinking about it ensuing me to feel as if I should plan for another trip in the near future. It was only my second visit to the city of Seoul, and yet it felt like the long-gone familiarity, that I once fell for, came back to bestow me with unsurpassed warmth and friendliness.

Meeting up with old Korean friends played a part in the enjoyment of the trip. One from college days in Providence, Rhode Island, and another from high-school era back when we shared the same room at a boarding school in Perth, Western Australia. In addition, a couple of our very own Xangans also joined in for the fun and made my entire trip more memorable than I had expected.

Together we walked along the peaceful Cheong-gye stream right in the heart of the city, ventured into a jam-packed alley full of street food vendors and red-faced locals drowning themselves in so-ju, visited the ever-popular Korean sauna and learned to relax like a pro, wandered up the hilly public park right by the Seoul Nam-sam Tower, leisured with live cats of various breeds at a cat-theme café, hopped into South Korea’s high-speed train KTX to visit the nearby city of Bu-san, and last but not least, gorged ourselves with endless variety of local delicacies.

There were plenty episodes of us eating and drinking. To say that I ate well was an understatement. Boy, did I eat. It is safe to say that I experienced an equivalently satisfying food coma day in and day out, just like I did when I went for a Xangan gathering in Hong Kong. @beowulf222 and @jitiam can vouch for my greediness and unrelenting attitude to search for more delicious goodies to stuff into my mouth. I owed them my thanks for putting up with me. Even my belly gave up complaining and learned quickly to just enjoy the culinary ride.

It wasn’t difficult to stuff oneself to oblivion when there is an abundance of good food everywhere you go. Now I drool at night recalling the many tempting morsels that got me hooked; rice stuffed chicken ginseng soup, icy cold noodles, sweet steamed rice cakes, perfectly made European-style pastries, spicy medley of bi-bim-bap, fried chicken with cold beer, various sweet and savory street foods, and the sweetest and least acidic strawberries I’ve ever tasted.

Ever since my return, my mind has been wondering endlessly to the thought of me once again experiencing such a happy travel. One week apparently was not enough. There were still plenty of them goodies I have yet to taste. There’s still that stewed beef ribs that I missed, along with the charcoal grilled eel, sweet fried walnut cake, and various snacks and beverages available at LOTTE Mart. Yeah, I AM greedy. Can't you tell?

But for now, I’d settle for the memory of the chewy softness of rice cake made with fermented rice wine, the pungent vinegary mustard broth of a cold noodle dish, the perfect tender flakiness of puff pastries at a local franchised coffee shop, the aromatic whiff of hot freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, the sweet nostalgic taste of banana milk, the delicate sticky-sweet of the humble sun-dried persimmons sold at street side, and the smoky smell of burning charcoals slowly grilling slivers of marinated pork.

Ahhh… the city got my heart pumping and my soul singing. How I long to be back in Seoul and to once again make a Buddha-smile with my protruding belly. Now THAT is happy smile.

Back in the month of February, I received an interesting e-mail that reads…

> Subject: I read your blog.
> Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2013 16:05:32 +0900
>
> Hello. My name is Yuka. I'm a Japanese and an editor. My company mainly publishes news and books for school kids.
>
> Now I'm making a manner book for kids. In the book I would like to introduce foreign people's opinion about Japanese manner. It tends to decrease that Japanese young people pay much attention to manners, though many of them are still polite. When they hear that foreign people appreciate our manner, it will encourage them to keep it, I think.
>
> I read your blog about "itadakimasu." If possible, would you give me a comment about Japanese manner.
>
> My company's HP is as follows:
> http://www.schoolpress.co.jp/
> Japanese only. Sorry.
>
> Recently my team has published this set of picture books.
> http://www.schoolpress.co.jp/book/karadawasugoiyo/karada_set.htm
> This series tells kids how great our bodies are.
>
> Thank you for your reading.

So basically, this Japanese editior was interested in communicating with me, for she believed I have a good enough knowledge to share for the completion of her book, all based on what I wrote on my blog ITADAKIMASU, posted back in November 2012.

Intrigued by her interest, I started to email her back with my general opinion on Japanese mannerism, based on my limited experience visiting the country as well as doing business with Japanese companies. That one reply resulted in more emails from her and thus more replies from me. We emailed back and forth for weeks. She had more questions to ask which she included in one of her later emails…

>Subject: a few more questions
>Date: Fri, 1 Mar 2013 14:18:03 +0900
>
>Dear Rudy-sama,
>
>Hello. Rudy-san.
>
>As I said in the last e-mail, I'd like to ask a few more questions. If you have time to answer me, I'm really happy.
>
>The questions are follows:
>
>1. When you visit Japan, what do you want to do? or What is the most enjoyable thing for you in Japan?
>2. What do you think is the general character of Japanese people?
>3. Do you think that there is a common character among non-Japanese people who like Japan?
>4. Is there any good point for Japanese which we haven't noticed?
>5. From now on, what kind of ability should Japanese people strengthen?
>
> Thank you for your reading. If you have time, would you give me your opinions?

To cut the story short, she was happy with my willingness to collaborate with her on her project, and made a promise that she would send a copy of her book once it’s all done and printed for publication. Well, I’m happy to announce that about a month later she kept her promise by sending me a copy of her book, complete with a hand-written thank you note. And in the book she mentioned my name, along with all of the people who have collaborated with her on the book, as well as our answers to all of her questions. All nine pages in length and all written in Japanese.

This is the third time I’ve gotten myself involved in a publication project. First time for a Japanese publication. It is always nice to see that my effort is appreciated, especially when used for an educational purpose. Now, if only I read Japanese…

This past week I went out of town for a couple of days of business trip, to accompany my Japanese guests to visit our customers in the city of Bandung, in the western region of Java island. On our second day, we had some free time in the morning for some sight-seeing. We left our hotel early after breakfast and headed up to the nearby mountain region of Lembang to visit a volcanic site called Tangkuban Perahu, an hour ride out of the city. It was a clear sunny morning and we had ourselves a little hike to enjoy some fresh mountain air and a scenic view of the volcanic area, complete with its sulfur smell.

After a while, we decided to rest for a little bit at one of the many huts of vendors selling charcoal-grilled corn and charcoal-grilled glutinous rice cakes. We ordered ourselves some bottled tea and local raspberries to quench our thirst. The raspberries were a pleasant surprise. It was my first time trying them local-grown raspberries. They were as delicate as the raspberries I’ve tried overseas, but with a better tart-sweetness that came with a hint of floral scent that I never tasted before. We ended staying at the volcanic site for about an hour before we decided to head back down to Bandung.

Feeling hungry, on the way down from Lembang we stopped by at a local tofu factory/shop/café for some snacking. There were various kinds of local dishes available using the tofu made on site. We ordered only a couple of fried tofu dishes, for we still had a lunch appointment to go to later in the city. The cool mountain air and the exhaustion from the hike made the piping hot fried tofu seemed like a gift from God. They were scrumptiously addictive. Crisp outer skin, delicate interior, combined with sweet-spicy dipping sauce, made it tasted like the best tofu one could ever have. It's not much of a surprise, really, for Bandung is also know for their tofu products. My Japanese guests gave their approval for how their morning turned out. I’m just glad they were able to enjoy the brief sight-seeing session, which made the whole business trip seemed more worthwhile.

I got curious. I pointed my finger to them red round things that caught my eye and said “What are those?”
“Plae Teuk Dah” he answered.
“What?” I frowned. “Say that again?”
“PLAE TEUK DAH” he repeated.
I looked at my tour guide with confusion written all over my face.
He read my expression and understood, and said “Star Apple, or sometimes named Milk Fruit”.
“I see, well, I want those. I want to try them. I never seen them before. Could we? Just for a little bit. And we could get something to drink as well” I said enthusiastically.
“Yes” he nodded.
And so he followed me across the dusty orange street to the street stall selling beverages, where on their table lay a large bowl of red round fruits.

We got ourselves a spot where there was an empty wooden table and bench. The sun was blazing away. It was scorching hot. We just got out from one of the many Angkor temples we visited that day, and we were tired. I had us ordered fresh coconut to quench our thirst. It was what the doctor ordered. Then I went to touch the fruit.

It was firm, but not hard. It had a slight softness to it when I pressed it firmly. It was the size of slightly smaller than a tennis ball. The lady vendor picked one for me and quickly cut it open and served it with a toothpick, and in a plastic bag. I took it out of the bag and examined it. It didn't smell much, other than a slight fruity sweetness. But it looked familiar. This burgundy-purple-pink-red fruit resembled few tropical fruits I’ve had before.

I took a bite. The texture resembled that of a peach and a sapodilla. Solid softness with a touch of juiciness that one can feel as one’s teeth dig deep, with no crunch factor. Flavor wise, it’s a cross between a mangosteen, a persimmon, and a plum. Sticky sweetness that is not sugary nor it is fragrantly strong. But it was pleasantly sweet and juicy, enough to make me wonder why we don't get to see this fruit more often in South East Asian regions.

I googled this fruit upon my return from Siem Reap trip. What I found explained that the fruit when cut up half way horizontally, the inner flesh middle section resembles the shape of a star. That’s why it’s called Star Apple. But many of its cousins are found with milky white interior flesh, thus called Milk Fruit. Another name for this fruit that I came across from the google search is Madagascar Plum. I like the sound of that. Very sophisticated, yet still tropical. I began to wonder what nutritional benefits might this fruit have, as many fruits do. If only we could get this where I live. Such a pleasant fruit to savor to kill time.

The following are images from the various Angkor temples in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Those that I had a chance to visit include: Angkor Thom, Angkor Wat, Bakong, Bayon, Banteay Kdei, Banteay Srei, Beng Mealea, Preah Khan, Preah Ko, Ta Keo, Ta Promh. All of these temples represent a cultural exemplary of the Khmer Empire (now known as Cambodia) in South-East Asia during the 9th-14th centuries.

A friend of mine, an American who lives and works in Singapore, flew back to his hometown in USA for a holiday, and Whatsapp me this picture to my cell phone just this past Sunday…

What with my then SF roommate told me over Facebook that she missed hanging out with me, @christao408 posts on San Francisco eats these past few weeks, @vsan79 visited the same city just a week ago and sent me pics, and now this photo. Sigh… is it any wonder I keep having San Francisco in mind?

It’s been a dream of mine for the longest time. One of those dreams that seemed to be a far-fetched goal at first. Like visiting the Great Wall of China or the Grand Canyon of USA. But there I was, standing on a sacred land with its centuries of rich architectural history. Dusty wind blew softly against my face. Beneath me, orange earth colored the heat of the blazing sun, intensified by the many months of dry season. Here and there giant trees stood proudly showing off their ancient roots. Huge long winding toes firmly grasping the same dry dusty ground. I was mesmerized by the sight and also by the vastness of the open space. I caught myself saying ‘Me love you long time’.

Cambodia is the country, Siem Reap is the town, and Angkor is the much respected and visited temple ground in the country, as UNESCO protected World Heritage Site since 1992. Another one of my many dreams came true. I am very blessed to have had the opportunity to witness the majestic and most sculptural and archaeological Hindu temples I have laid my eyes on. I felt calm, light-headed, and utterly speechless.

If you asked me what I remember most of my trip to Siem Reap, I'd say… prehistoric ruins, superb carvings, lava rock, tuk-tuk ride, orange dust, golden silk, and US Dollar bills.

It came very unexpected to find most of the locals there able to communicate in English, and that the currency of choice is US Dollar, though they do have their own, Cambodian Riel. One must remember that it is very much a tourist town. It’s economy relies heavily on the visitors of the Angkor temples. Without them, there is nothing else in Siem Reap but a slow and lonely town surrounded by rice fields.

There were many youngsters at each and every temple site trying their best to entice you to purchase a souvenir. May that be bracelets, or hats, or t-shirts, or booklets and dvds on the temple sites, all were offered in US Dollar price. You’ll often hear “Please, sir. Only one Dollar, sir.” And when a polite refusal is the returned response, they’ll go “But why, sir? It’s only one Dollar, sir.” And so many hands can be seen reached deep into pockets and Dollar bills are exchanged for a memento or two. Not because they wanted them, but because the faces of the innocence implored them to.

Despite its typical touristy draw-back, such as the many choices of bars and foot-massage parlors, Siem Reap still able to maintain its charm as a simple little town with BIG promises. The splendor of its Angkor temples simply unbeatable and unforgettable. The four-day trip was barely enough as an introduction to what those temples have to offer. It was definitely too short of a trip to such a beautiful place, especially when combined with some of the best iced coffees one tongue can savor. The experience begs for my return. And someday, I will.

To think I would have a strong enough will to resist Kit Kat. Boy, was I wrong. Especially when it comes to Japanese Kit Kat. I can't help but salivating when I see the many flavors of Japanese Kit Kat bars. I have tried their cheesecake, pear, and matcha (powdered green tea) flavored ones, but they kept coming up with brand new flavors. It is impossible NOT to fall for them. Once again, Japanese Kit Kat won. I had to give in. I had to. I mean, just look at the flavors; apple, brown sugar, cinnamon, citrus, green beans, red beans, roasted tea, and taro!!

They all come with a different type of chocolate coating. Some coated in white chocolate, some in milk chocolate, and some in dark chocolate, depending on the flavor. From these choices, my favorite would have to be the citrus flavor. Not only because I love all things citrus, but also because I think this one has the strongest flavor profile, enough to stand out from the sweetness of the chocolate. Although, cinnamon and roasted tea came close. Everything else just tasted sweet on my palate. Or maybe I just ate too much that I could no longer tell the difference. Oh, well

I heard they already came up with the cookies-n-cream, dark chocolate, sakura flower, strawberry, and wasabi flavored ones. I wonder what new flavors they’ll come up with next.

Fluffy pillows
Soft sheets
Warm skin
Wet kisses
I long for you
To take me down
Put me back to one piece
Whole and complete
Lips to heart
Touch to soul
Craving you
I do

At first, I thought it would be impossible. That I would have no choice but to accept my fate that my year-long wait would become an even longer one. The website never provided an option for a shipment to Indonesia. But with new items popping up on the its site this past year, I just didn’t want to wait any longer.

I have been eyeing this particular pen brand TWSBI. Ever since I purchased their 2010 Red Dot design-award winning piston-filler fountain pen, called Diamond 530, I have been following their progress on new designs and new products. A year ago the creator came up with an upgraded design of Diamond 530, and called it Diamond 540, which comes with a larger ink reservoir. Then came an ink jar designed for refilling Diamond 530/540 pens, called Diamond 50. Not long after that came their brand new designed fountain pen, called Vac 700, using a vacuum-filler system. Then an ink jar designed especially for refilling Vac 700 pens, called Vac 20. ALL advertised on Fountain Pen Network, a web forum for fountain pen enthusiasts, discussing all matters pertaining to the subject, including inks, paper, penmanship, and pen brands from all over the world.

I rechecked their sales and shipment policies. I retried my luck by ordering from their website. I got the same result as last year’s. No shipment to be made to Indonesia. After several attempts of emailing back and forth by inquiring on the possibility for them to ship to Indonesia, they finally agreed to make an exception for me and to have their products shipped from Taiwan. My credit card came in handy that week. Less than a week later, my order of a brand new fountain pen and its accessories arrived.

My new toys include:
- an additional nib for my Diamond 530 fountain pen.
- Diamond 50 ink jar (usable with my many fountain pens of various brands).
- Vac 700 fountain pen in smoke black color.
- Vac 20 ink jar.

Needless to say, I’m one happy fella. Feels like a dancing bunny right now.
*boink *boink (shake that booty) *boink *boink

I grew up learning to consume avocados as a dessert beverage; blended with crushed ice and flavored with mocha/coffee syrup and sweet condensed milk, both the white and the chocolate variety. It resembles milkshake in all its goodness and comfort, but deep green in color. It was not until I went to USA for education that I was first introduced to avocado as savory food. It took a while for my palate to adjust to the change of flavor profile, but I have come to love avocados as something you bite and eat.

The easiest and best way to really appreciate the true flavor of avocados, for me at least, is to press-spread chucks of the delicate yellow-green flesh onto a piece of toast and sprinkled with coarse sea salt. It is like biting into a soft savory jade colored butter that happily melts on your tongue. Green heaven in a mouth.

Now it’s the season for avocados. My cousin bought me a bunch of them, knowing how much I love avocados. I had some at work for lunch a few days ago, but one can only have so many avocado sandwiches in a week. With so many of them lying around at home I decided to spend my lazy Sunday to do some lazy food preparation. I decided to make me some guacamole.

There is no right or wrong recipe for making guacamole. Every one has their own preference. I heard once that the best way to make tasty guacamole is by adding sour cream. YUM. Well, I had no sour cream in my fridge, and so I made mine with some ready-made freshly squeezed local lime juice, green onions (chives), brined capers, and some Himalayan pink rock salt I happened to have lying around. I placed them all in a large bowl, and added in a touch of pepper for an extra kick in flavor. I pressed them together into a mush using a fork until it turned into the consistency that I preferred. Easy-peasy and no cooking involved.

I wanted to enjoy the guacamole with some corn tortilla chips, but I was too lazy to go out and buy them. And so I enjoyed it with some store bought croutons instead, that I had initially saved for snacking with Boursin cheese. I put the left-over in a glass container and placed it in the refrigerator. But let me tell you, it didn’t stay long in there. Yeah, I’m such a pig when it comes to guacamole