Around my neighborhood

There are a few interesting things going on that I intend to write for my blog entry but my brain is too tired to write a real post ... so, today I post some photos from my walking around one Sunday morning. I hope I don't bore you all too much with these photos.

Rujak anyone?

Sometimes I eat the same things over and over because that's just what I'm into at the moment. My preference when I go eating out is food / comfort food that has a lot of vegetable, vegetable and vegetable. I believe it is good for certain people and it sure feel healthy although it’s hard to eat healthy food if it’s not available or unappetising. One of my favorite comfort food is "rujak" .. a unique sweet, spicy, sour taste pungent salad with a mixture of things. Basically it is a salad dish contains fruits or veggies with the dressing made from coconut sugar (gula merah), chilli, terasi (dark shrimp paste), and ground roasted peanuts. Back in the old days, rujak is served on banana leaves plates. Oh yes, one more thing ... I'd never tried to make rujak at home because they just don't taste the same.

As for the traditional dessert, I love "es cincau" ... which is shaved ice, coconut milk, red syrup and green jelly made from extract leaves. Next to that is "es teler" ... shaved ice, with sliced of avocado, jackfruit, sweet fermented cassava, young coconut and red jelly bean. And last but not least, Teh Botol, the bottled sweetened jasmine tea that every Indonesian simply cannot live without. This sophisticated desserts is a refreshing treat in our tropical heat. Enjoy!

A few snapshots of Jakarta

Do you know any songs that are inspired by name of the places? Yes, there are a few I know pretty well such as "Siapa Suruh Datang Jakarta, Surabaya oh Surabaya, Halo-halo Bandung, and Yogyakarta. The only one that isn't a real song or I should say it's more of a cynical thing is Siapa suruh datang Jakarta or literally translated as "who asked you to go to Jakarta?". The song tells about the people from the rural villages who came to Jakarta because they see it as a land of opportunity. For example, a scavenger in Jakarta might have a steady income rather than living as a farmer back in their kampung simply because they can earn more. Jakarta is truly the centre of everything for Indonesia.

When I first moved to Jakarta in 1994, Jakarta was not exactly a big city like today but rather it looked like a grown kampungs (villages) connected one to another. Those kampungs have now disappeared and transformed into the high-rise buildings, big shopping malls, five-star hotels, modern cafes and fine dining establishments. All signs of a developing city. Jakarta today is a city of great contrasts between the rich and poor, it is densely populated, it is not cheap, it's polluted and the traffic is crazy. But it is also a modern city with decent facilities, great food, plenty of entertainment venues and very friendly people. Like it or hate it, I truly love Jakarta. And despite its many flaws and shortcomings, I can see myself living in this city previously called Batavia.

7 months later

Today is the 7 months anniversary of the passing of my beloved dog, Fatso. In case you missed it, here's what I wrote about all that a couple of months ago. Even now, it's hard to believe he has left this earth, or whatever it is that happens to dogs when they die. I will NEVER get over the absence of his in my life. He can never be replaced even though there is a cat in my live that is helping me deal with his loss. Well Fatso never liked cats, in fact he loved to chase them - what dogs don't?? ...He was territorial (a defense mechanism from his days as a stray), and he barked at larger dogs. However, he was also extremely loyal, could walk down busy streets off lead and stopped when asked to, and he was easy to be around. He never bit anyone, nor did he ever show the least bit of aggression unless he felt threatened (he once started a fight with a big dog in the neighborhood that made me screamed and threw slipper to his opponent, I think my voice scared off his enemy ...LOL!). He was the perfect dog and I loved him with my whole heart. Thank you Fatso, you were the best friend a person could ever ask for. Below is a poem I found from the net in memory of Fatso :

In My Heart

I thought of you with love today, but that is nothing new.
I thought about you yesterday, and days before that too.
I think of you in silence. I often speak your name.
Now all I have is memories, and your picture in a frame.
Your memory is my keepsake, with which I’ll never part.
God has you in his keeping.
I have you in my heart.