kuala lumpur 2 May 31, 2009

My journey continues, on my 5th or 6th day there I went to Putrajaya, Putrajaya is new federal administrative of Malaysia, de jure Malaysia capital city is Kuala Lumpur, but the facto their administrative already moved to Putrajaya . Putrajaya is like 30 min away from KL, I took KLIA express to get me there, the interior of the train reminds me of Veolia train that took me from Leeuwarden to Hindellopen.

My first impression of Putrajaya is this city is similar with  Dubai, they build all the building looks like Persian capital city, like city on 1001night stories considering the diverse background of Malaysia, they should put something that show the people of their country. Anyway it was a nice walk with my boy friend we went to the Putra Mosque, saw the prime minister office on the distance, even more we met Indonesian student who had their excursion to KL!

Our journey continues to china town, this was a sudden change because at the first place I’d like to visit my brother, but unfortunately he’s unavailable. KL’s chinatown just like the combination between Hindu, China, and Malay culture. I went in to Sridevi temple on Chinatown *I forgot the exact name* it is beautiful temple, they deaorated the temple with beautiful statues, furthermore this temple is dedicated for Sri Devi, the one ehich I think her popularity is equal to Virgin Maria in Christian. I know that Hindu people is paternal society, I’m really proud to come to the temple that dedicated for a girl.

Not so far away from this Hindu temple there’s chinese temple, it’s amaze me how building in KL could be so diverse.

I continue my walk to Pasar Seni to buy some souvenir and to walk through the Petaling Street, the place where fake stuff of any brand is available.

My last day there I went to see Malaysia Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) on that day they are showing LAT’s window to the world, unfortunately no classical music today, just some music arrangement for Charlie Chaplin’s Movie Modern Times and music arrangement to honour LAT a Malaysian cartoonist, he’s famous for his character Kampung Boy.

Nothing last forever, including my holiday, so on 5th of May 2009 I went home to Netherland, and keep ask myself when I’m gonna graduate from my study here.

Baby sitting May 31, 2009

I have to admit that I really adore a fulltime mother, I never be able to imagine myself dedicating my whole time to my family.

This month I got a chance to be a baby sitter, and these are the most frequet question that my friend asked m, and it’s most frequent story I tell to my friend.

1. does the mother working? I said no, she just busy with her activities, only his *the baby* father works as dentist.

2. then what does the mother do? Well, she’s Dutch socialite, she’s even has a schedule to visit all her friends, and she put it on the fridge, my friend will make long ‘oooh..’ and I think I knew what crossed on their mind, it is crossed on my mind too

3. Details of the baby please? Baby M, boy, 2.5 years old, speak dutch or I should say weird baby dutch *Sometimes I can’t catch what he’s saying*, I spoke to him in Indonesian eventhiugh he didn’t understand it I force him to do speak to him like that.

4. Details of the job please? I spent 2-6 hours per day with him, I didn’t work everyday only 2 days a week and it’s based on the call. They paid me 5 eur/hrs

5. How does it feel? It is kinda boring, especially when the baby doesn’t response to your word and didn’t obey what you’re saying

6. Why don’t you look for another job? Well, basicly I need the money of the job, to change the money due to my spring break vacation and I spent money on my broken camera, I have to look for a way to reimburse it.

7. Do you have any photo? Offcourse.. Presenting Baby M

Kuala Lumpur May 31, 2009

Last spring break I went to Kuala Lumpur to visit my parent (they had a vacation there), my brother (whose studying there) and my boy friend (whose working there). I took wmirates flight with stop over in Dubai, I walked through the biggest airport terminal in the World, and I mean it it’s huge, and in the middle of the terminal they put super huge duty free mall *yes. it’s a mall, not a duty free shop*

Peoples asked my why did I go there? If you want to feel metropolitan just go to Jakarta and stay in Kuningan+Thamrin area, hell yeah back there in Jakarta didn’t have my precious boy friend or should I say my fiancee *blushed*

Kuala lumpur is basically the future of Jakarta, the city defenitely has same ‘aura’ for example those cities has same temperature *eventhough Kuala Lumpur is slightly higher*, same people, same type of food, same type of shopping mall, same type of house, same type of cars, same type of plants, same type of hawkers, same type of chinese products.

For your information KL has tons of shopping mall, and just like Jakarta’s malls they put like super expensive and luxurious brand on fascinating structure with beautiful interior (ex:KLCC) and they put less expensive brand on average sub urbanmall (ex:Ampang Point), although sometimes they combine average+luxurious brand (ex:Bukit Bintang)

KL definitely has better transportation system than Jakarta, they have LRT , metro  buses, all those transportation units has air conditioner *it makes sense considering the heat of the city* unfortunately they never show the schedule of the public transportation, furthermore they don’t have ‘unified’ ticket on transportation system so everytime we take a ride we have to pay for the ticket, that’s little bit turn off but it doesn’t stop me to use it *I still need it anyway*.

Everyday when I took a walk on KL I always bring my Lonely planet book as my guide, first day I went to Kolonial walk, it’s super hot walk that cover little India, Masjid Jamik, and Merddeka Square, it should take only 2 hrs for the walk, but due to the fact that I’m always lost on first day makes my walk turn into long walk for 4 hrs. but indeed it turn to be tiring walk. I walk by myself, I spotted few tourists taking the same walking path like me, and I feel that I’m not alone, especially along the way there are plenty people wearing hijab juat like me, I felt that I’m save there the good thing from KL because it has not musc different than Jakarta, every time I felt thirsty or hungry I just stopped by on a hawker and buy cold drinks or snaks.

This walk start from Asian heritage Row and ended in Merdeka Square, how do I return to Bukit Bintang *where my parents stayed* ? I walked all the way back to Masjid Jami LRT to take another train to their place, by the time I got there my parents were so angry and worries about me, basically because we should meet each other and then walk together, but eventually we were separated on Bukit Bintang LRT station right after we came out of the hotel. O my parent, I’m really sorry to leave you guys.

On my next walk I took a trip to Malaysia Islamic Art Museum, I really recommend this museum, this is like one of the best museum that I ever visited, I have to be honest and put it on below Uffizi museum *well ok, it’s not really historical* but from aspect of collection and the explanation of the item, it was really impressive. My walk start from the old train station and walk continue to Lembah Perdana, it’s like a huge park on the hill and they built a museum complex there, if I had another time I’d like to visit all museum, unfortunately I started as late as 12.00 and I spent 3 hours on the Islamic Art Museum, by the eime I got out of the museum the time shows 16.30 I took a short walk  with Planetarium but unfortunately I missed the last show, it’s really a pity. But that’s Ok coz that night I had a date with my boyfriend *joy*, ooops fiancee *blushed* to watch movies on KLCC.

As a moslem I’m really proud to have my own art museum, it was fascinating just check this marvelous entrance.

I’m affraid this post will be very lenghty if I wrote all my experience on KL, I will write on next post or in dutch word volgende posting

Japanese cheesecake May 31, 2009

Before I went for my spring break tour I was actively baking *I wonder if I used right words* The thing is I;ve been craving for japanese cheesecake since I saw it on one of the manga.

Japanese cheesecake is different with American cheesecake, it lookslike a chiffon cake but softer and more ‘heavy’.  This cake also not using pie dough as American cheesecake and the the cake use cheesecream as part of the dough.

Anyway I made this cake on before I broke my camera, so it’s kinda faewell cake with my camera.

Here is the ingredient and instruction how to make it (credits to dianadesserts)

Ingredient

140g  fine granulated sugar
6 egg whites
6 egg yolks
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
50g butter
250g cream cheese
100 ml fresh milk
1 tbsp. lemon juice
60g cake flour
20g cornflour (maizena)
1/4 tsp. salt

*Actually I’m only able to find 200g pack of creme cheese with so I reduce all ingredient*

Instructions:
1. Melt cream cheese, butter and milk over a double boiler (double boiler is like you boil the mixture on separate bowl). Cool the mixture. Fold in the flour, the cornflour, egg yolks, lemon juice and mix well.

2. Whisk egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy. Add in the sugar and whisk until soft peaks form.

3. Add the cheese mixture to the egg white mixture and mix well. Pour into a 8-inch round cake pan (Lightly grease and line the bottom and sides of the pan with greaseproof baking paper or parchment paper).

*I was running out of baking paper that day, so I just grease all the surface of the pan and dust the surface with fluor*
4. Bake cheesecake in a water bath for 1 hours 10 minutes or until set and golden brown at 160 degrees C (325 degrees F).
tips:

• to build the whites until soft peak form, you have to make sure that these whites don’t mix with water or any carbohydrate, so what I did is I whisk the egg until soft peak (with high speed mixer it’ll take about 15 minutes, remember to turn to mixer only on one direction). After  soft peak formed I add the cheese mixture

The results:

Voila…

Niet slecht  right?

PS: I took this pic using my old camera, I’m too lazy to transfer the picture that i took using my DSLR

Promise April 22, 2009

Every time I cry I promise myself that it will be the last time that I cry, tragically it never happen, everytime I cry I will eventually smile again, laugh again, and cry again.

I totally ashamed to my self

Lowest Low April 22, 2009

For all my 24-years of living

I never been in my lowest point on my life just like this time, let me tell you what happen during my past 2 weeks:

- I accidentally flushed water to my camera, the result? I have to bring the camera all the way to Schiphol to repair it and today I got the letter that indicate that my camera can’t be repaired (and then I think do the all sensor on the camera burnt? because it was burning when I try to dry the camera). The thing is I forgot to buy the guarantee when I bought the camera, dead end, I’m doomed. My Sony A200 camera that I just used for 4 days just became a nice memory to me. I’m thinking just to take the camera and bring it all the way to Indonesia, where (sometimes) some creative skillful guys could repair it (if I’m lucky enough to find one)

-I got an opportunity to do thesis on one company (yay! \(^o^)/) but when I made appointment with my lecturer they said they were busy and unable to have a meeting with me untill the 2nd week of May, so eventually it means that I have to postpone my thesis, and my graduation.

-I feel like my housemate avoid me to talk, I don’t know why, perhaps they are  the type that ‘I choose to speak outside the house than here’ i feel like my homey becomes cemetery at night and also at the day.

- I haven’t finished to work on my ANSYS assignment, eventhough it’s just 1 ects, it’s surely hell pain in the ass, especially when all I do is procrascinating

- I didn’t pass the Dynamic of Structure’s exam for the 3rd time, that’s it! I’m officially dumb,  I’m not good enough on this stuff, and for godsake now I feel regret for taking Floating Structure and Bottom Founded Structure as my specialization

- to add my miserable life now I’m having my period, it hurts so much, not only mentally but also phisically

- I feel like I’m away from my god…

I feel alone, but actually I never alone, I feel so dumb, I feel so silly, I feel I’m nothing, I feel like I don’t want to live any longer, and I really don’t know what to do with my future.

God, are you there?

teenage and cigarettes April 8, 2009

On not very distant past, by the time I still put all my ego on my heart that hard as a rock.

I did all the mistakes that could be thought by teenage girl, I did smoke, I did late night trip, I did crash my car for so many stubid times on same place, I did hate people whose I’m not supposed to, I spent night with boys, I procrascinating, I rarely went to my courses that I supposed to take.

Now, as I’m (supposed) to be more wise I still did it all except smoking and crashing my car (but I’m still able to make my bicycle broken).

Now, I really regret my decision back then especially the smoking decision, back then I did that to compensate all the sleepless night and all the stress that comes out on my mind. Now everytime I stay up late to eork or just insomnia my body starve for the nicotine, caffeine, or any toxin that includes on 4000 cigarrete’s toxin.

This feeling is kinda weird, you hate it but also like it, you miss those smoking time but also wants to forget it. It’s part of my past that always be part of my present and future.

Untill now everytime that smoking idea crossed on my mind, I try to focus myself on something else and make a mental note that I don’t want to die younger than my expected year. Untill today it’s been 2.5 years since my last butt, nice huh?

People said ‘It’s just a memory, it doesn’t have any power’

I want March 30, 2009

I browsed DSLR camera price (again!) I found that sony A-200K with price tag 294 eur,or 4.5 million rupiahs. Even in Indonesia I will never found this type of camera within this range of price.It would be more expensive in Indonesia. To be concise it’s a great deal.

I’d like to buy it, but I’m officially broke, I don’t have any job, should I ask my dad to buy it for me? Or should I just give the money to victims of Situ Gintung?

Where will you be in another 5 years? March 28, 2009

I probably want to live in Japan, taking a doctoral course about very large floating structure, while taking care of my only child, and off course I’d like to deliver my child abroad. I will prefer to live with my husband who just taking his master degree.

tinutuan porridge March 25, 2009

This week I had a terrible sore throat and unfortunately the only food that left is lasagna, I didn’t want to eat lasagna due to the oil.

I really need something to warm my throat and as an energy supply so I could study during the exam. There were several options crossed on my mind. First thing that crossed on my mind is Nasi tim (steamed rice), but I don’t have steamer so I skipped the option, and then bubur ayam (chicken porridge) I’m pretty bored with chicken so I also skipped that. My last option is Bubur Manado or Tinutuan porridge it’s easy to make and also warms my throat.

Why did those options came across my mind?My mother is a culinary adventurer, every time one of her children got cold she always gave them warm food like porridge or steamed rice, and as time goes by we knew where is the best place to buy those foods.

Afterward every time I got sick I always want to eat porridge or just warm food, now I’m living in Netherland hence I have to cook my own food even though when I am sick.

So I browsed for the recipe but eventually the ingredients is rather hard for me to find, so I make my own version of this porridge. I called it Tinutuan version lazy student

Ingredients:

300 gr bulgur (I found it on Turkish shop, I think it’s a wheat grain  it’s quicker to cook than rice)

1500 ml water

200 gr sweet potato (in Holland: rode zoet aardpellen)

10 blocks of iced spinach

2 garlic

150 gr cut sweet corn

100 gr smoked salmon (gerookte salmon) I used it because I couldn’t find salted fish

2 laurier leaves (daun salam)

1 sereh

salt + pepper + sugar according to your taste

Preparations:

cook bulgur with boiled water and occasionally stir  it so it wont stick to the pan

peel the sweet potato and cut cubically about 2×2x2 (I can’t find appropriate word for kotak2)

once the bulgur is half cooked add the potato, corn, finely chopped garlic and stir it’s cooked

add the frozen spinach and salmon, daun salam and sereh add about 100 ml water stir it

and add sugar, salt and pepper and cook until the water is fully absorb.

Serve it warm

They said that it’s best if you serve it with sambal tomat, but again I’m not into the hot and spicy food.

While you can’t the taste please enjoy the picture!