One Year Travelling: A Scent of Paris

End of January 2011,

Paris, finally! The girls and i departed from Rotterdam late at night. Literally late at night, 12.oo! We’re quite insane for staying outside late at night at the end of winter time. Our bodies chilled due to the cold temperature and the wind blow. Our sleepy eyes kept starring from distance, searching for any bus that looked like the one we saw on the website (Milotreizen.nl)! At Zuidplein, we were desperately waiting for the 32 euro round ticket bus and so happy when the bus was finally arrived picking us

Paris… Paris… Paris. Eiffel was looked so grant with the ray of light from late sunrise. Public toilets are a way too arrogant for they can only be used after  somebody activated them through a computerized system. So, when it’s not their working hour yet, there is no use for pushing all buttons on the toilet panel, nor praying that the toilet door will open when you really wants to pee :-p Wise word i would say to foreigners in the strange land where natives only willing to speak their French language: find Asian look, you can ask them anything in English   Ah for ladies, we admits that saying “beauty kills” in the form of heels In Paris, it really kills you :-p Stairs… stairs… stairs. I wonder how those french ladies manage their steps with heels, step up and step down the stairs, chase the metro in an ellegant style :-p And i must ask, why must women wearing veils (Muslim, arent they?) beg for money almost in every corner of Paris? Like telling the world that Muslim are poor, sad But I was so happy when i walked together with some French Muslim to the Great Mosque of Paris

Paris in black and white, on that late winter day…

Eiffel Tower

Musée du Louvre

The Grande Mosquée de Paris

Arc de Triomphe

Basilique du Sacre-Coeur de Montmartre

It’s funny how we met again

Perhaps this is just another story of my life, yet i’m praying it to be forever part of my life, part of the present and the future, not to be the past only…

It’s funny how we met again after years

Yes, it’s been years and for those period of time, we’re nobody to each other. I remember we never went hanging out together, not even once, nor that we had any conversation. I knew you-you knew me-we’re classmates-we’re flatmates-we graduated-we came back home-end of the story!

Then, i’ve got a message! It was during my busy days on my new stage of life, another new city, another new school. Nothing, but you’re asking me about this scholarship and (again) I was too busy and being akwardly excited with my new life, hence i was just being straight forward to your question and not intended to ask even a “how are you”. Well, i don’t really remember, forgive me, dear…

Time flies by. Again, i was too busy with another new terra incognita, another new school, insanely excited with new countries i’ve visited, and -sadly admit- a series of heartbreaks I guess so were you ? Each of us was busy living one’s life. Not even a short message during that year, and both don’t really bother… not at all

I came back from that terra incognita which is now no longer a terra incognita for me. I was happy to be home again. Yet, i was sad to have another failed relationship… Well, things were just not run well for me Being unemployed after sometimes, i played a lot with my social account. It’s weird how all of sudden your social account appeared on mine. I don’t remember seeing any updates from you, not even once. There i found out you’re in the city where i have once been

And i found myself typing that short message “what?? you’re there?” and i left you my number. I guess that’s how we met again after years?

We’re lost in numbers I kept texting to your old number and got no reply. And so did you, kept texting to my number but got no reply Each of us were wondering why wouldn’t you reply to my message? Each of us had this “owkay, he/she doesn’t really want to see me” in our minds Later we found out that you no had longer used your old number that’s why i got no reply, and you have misstyped my numbers that’s why i never received any of your text :-p

Nonetheless, i met your friend in an event and my message was well delivered to you You accompanied me during my last minutes there untill my train was ready to go.

Ever since, our story flows. There is distance between us, literally distance, we both admit. Don’t we? Me myself, i feel like i’ve popped up into your life from out of nowhere, in the middle of your big plan. You shocked me with your every text about the future, where you included me on that.

Therefore, dear.. I need time to convince myself. Forgive me for responding and behaving akwardly like a kid I ask the Almighty, seeking His blessing for what seems to be a very nice future plan. I ask his blessing for the plans that you have for me. We both need to convince ourselves, don’t we?

“O Allah, I ask You to show me what is best, through Your knowledge, and I ask You to empower me, through Your power, and I beg You to grant me Your tremendous favor, for You have power, while I am without power, and You have knowledge, while I am without knowledge, and You are the One who knows all things invisible.

O Allah, if You know that this undertaking is in the best interests of my religion, my life in this world, and my life in the Hereafter, and can yield successful results in both the short term and the long term, then make it possible for me and make it easy for me, and then bless me in it.

If not, then turn it away from me, and make it easy for me to do well, wherever I may happen to be,  and make me content with Your verdict, O Most Merciful of the merciful.’”

We’re competing with time. Me myself is competing with your papers, discussions, research, to get to know you better… A great journey ahead is waiting for you. I know you’re longing to it though you said several time that you’d like me to be there accompanying you. I asked you “whose journey is that going to be?” and you replied “it’s ours, isn’t it?”. I’d love to, dear… I do love to

In the meantime, we have to make this relationship works… It says good relationships don’t just happen, it will take time, patience, and two people who truly want to be together. I know it, as you have promised me that you’ll do your best to make ours works

 

Ceritanya lirih seperti hujan ^_^

Hujan diiringi kilatan petir dan sahutan guruh di sore hari tadi seperti tak akan berhenti untuk waktu yang lumayan lama. Saat menyimpan selimut-selimut tebal yang baru kuambil dari laundry tadi, mataku memandang ke arah jendela kamar depan. Ada bocah yang berlarian bernyanyi di bawah hujan, riang sekali sepertinya. Mau tak mau aku tersenyum melihat tingkah polah si bocah, he was like getting tranced under the rain, so happy with the rain

Owh, apa itu ? Si bocah ternyata menggendong karung sampah! Sigap tangan nya memeriksa kantong sampah di depan rumahku yang sampai sore ternyata masih tak diambil petugas sampah komplekSelintas data thesisku mampir di memory ku, tentang salah satu respondenku yang mengawali karir memulung nya saat anak-anak hanya karena orang tua nya tak mampu memberi uang jajan. Aku pun teringat box di atas kulkas yang penuh recehan, receh yang biasa kupakai untuk menyudahi nyanyian asal pengamen yang suka mendadak mampir di minggu pagi. Bocah itu pasti mau deh dikasih recehan buat jajan, pikirku.

Dari balik jendela ini aku melihat mereka mengais sampah di bawah deras hujan

Setengah berlari aku mengambil box itu dari atas kulkas dan segera membuka pintu depan. Lohh.. kemana bocah tadi ?? cepat sekali menghilangnya? Beberapa menit kemudian kembali terdengar suara nyanyian riang nya Itu dia! Segera kupanggil “Jang, ke sini!”. Ia mengangguk dan menghampiriku. “Mau uang receh ga?” tanyaku. Sambil menggigil kedinginan ia mengangguk, kuberikan kantong plastik yang kuisi receh itu. Ia pun berucap terima kasih lalu kemudian berlari lagi menghampiri karung sampahnya.

Tak berapa lama, suara bocah lain memanggil namanya. Owh ternyata sore ini ada dua pemulung cilik yang “bermain hujan” di tempat sampah rumah-rumah blok ini. Pintu depan masih kubiarkan terbuka. Sambil melihat bocah satunya lagi, aku teringat pengalaman bersama anak-anak jalanan saat di Jogja dulu. Mas Cilik temanku pernah bilang, sebagai volunteer, aku harus berlaku adil pada semua anak, tidak boleh membeda-bedakan anak. Uhmm… kupanggil bocah satunya lagi itu, sambil memberikan dua butir apel. Aku bilang padanya untuk memanggil temannya tadi.

Hujan masih terus  turun, petir masih terus berkilatan. Dua bocah pemulung itu masih berteduh di teras rumahku yang nyaris basah semua. Mereka sibuk melahap apel-apel yang kuberikan Pasti lapar sekali, bekerja mengumpulkan sampah di tengah rintik hujan yang deras… Karena hujan yang tak kunjung mereda dan lantai teras yang basah, akhirnya aku ajak mereka masuk ke rumah. Maafkan aku ya Tuhan, karena masih saja “tidak rela” tubuh-tubuh mungil mereka yang basah kuyup duduk di sofa rotan ku Kejam sekali membiarkan mereka duduk di lantai yang dingin, sementara aku berpiyama hangat dan mengenakan kaos kaki yang hangat pula duduk santai  di sofa itu Untung karpet tua lungsuran tanteku masih kulipat dan kusimpan rapi, kugelar dengan lipatan yang lumayan tebal di lantai ruang tamu, kubiarkan mereka duduk di sana Setidaknya tidak sedingin kalau duduk di lantai… Maafkan aku ya Tuhan… sebersit rasa tidak ikhlas masih saja ada hingga mereka harus duduk di karpet di lantai…

Sambil menunggu dan berharap hujan segera reda, bocah-bocah itu menjawab pertanyaan-pertanyaanku. Bocah pertama yang kupanggil itu namanya Wildan, umur delapan tahun, bersekolah di salah satu SD, masih kelas satu. Bocah yang terakhir namanya Apuk, umurnya 10 tahun. Apuk bilang dia belum pernah bersekolah. Saat aku tanya apakah dia bisa membaca, dia menggeleng. Kukejar dengan pertanyaan “kenapa engga belajar membaca sama Wildan?” dengan ekspresi lucu dia menjawab “dia nya juga belon bisa baca” Wildan yang dari tadi sibuk mengunyah apelnya, dan sebagai “tersangka” yang dibilang Apuk belum bisa membaca menimpali obrolan kami itu dengan sedikit pamer “kamu bisa berhitung sampai seratus engga? aku mah bisa” Hahaha bocah-bocah

Apuk bilang sehari-hari ia dapat uang 4 ribu rupiah dari sekilo sampah. Wildan meralatnya, satu kilo sampah itu harga nya dua ribu saja Owh mungkin karena Apuk belum bisa membaca dan menulis ya? Aku bilang Apuk bahwa dia harus belajar membaca dan berhitung, biar dia tidak dibohongi soal timbangan dan harga sampahnya Apuk juga bilang dia punya sepuluh adik! Huwaaa umurnya 10 tahun tapi punya 10 adik? secara matematika sederhana tidak masuk akal bukan, kecuali adiknya kembar semua? akhirnya kembali lagi: mungkin karena Apuk tidak bisa membaca dan berhitung…

Diumur sepuluh tahun Apuk belum bisa membaca dan berhitung sama sekali. Dulu aku umur 6 tahun sudah menerima surat pertama yang dikirimkan via pos oleh pamanku, dan bangga disuruh membacakannya di depan teman-teman satu sekolahan seusai upacara bendera. Di umur 6 tahun itu pula aku terbiasa membaca majalah anak-anak sambil berdiri di bagian depan vespa papa saat beliau membawaku pulang dari playground: Ananda, Tom-tom, Aku Anak Saleh… dan diumur 12 tahun aku sudah dipercaya mama mengatur pengeluaran ku sendiri, kelas 1 SMP aku sudah membuat pembukuan uang masuk (uang jajan dari mama), uang keluar (kupake buat jajan dan ongkos bis) dan menyisihkan sedikit buat tabungan.

Wildan terlalu asik dengan apel nya hehehe Kutanya lagi Apuk soal uang hasil menjual sampahnya, apa temuan thesisku dulu juga berlaku padanya (anak pemulung berusaha mendapatkan uang saku sendiri dengan memulung). Apuk bilang uangnya dipake buat beli beras… Wildan mengiyakan ucapan Apuk “iya, dia mah uangnya dipake beli beras. kalo aku mah ada cengcelengan (tabungan, red)”. Kutanya lagi Apuk apakah dia punya kakak. Apuk menjawab “punya, tapi kerjanya di Irian”. I bet he has no idea how far Irian from Sukabumi is “jauhnya? pernah diajak ke sana engga?”. Apuk kembali menjawab “kan kerja nya di kapal, si teteh yang diajakin mah”. Owh berarti dia punya dua kakak. Kakak, lihat ini adikmu harusnya bersekolah…

Kutawari mereka biskuit yang sekarang susah sekali habisnya (i’m not on diet! no, i’m not :-p). Apuk bersemangat mengambil beberapa keping sekaligus biskuit verkade dari wadahnya, Wildan menolaknya sambil terus asik menggigiti apel yang sudah mau habis Dari pintu depan yang kubiarkan terbuka, kulihat ada cacing yang terbawa percikan hujan di lantai teras. Melihatku bergidik ngeri melihat cacing itu, Apuk pun sigap menangkap cacing itu dan melemparnya jauh-jauh. Lalu sigap pula tangannya meraih kantong yang berisi biskuit tadi. Aku bilang pada Apuk untuk mencuci tangannya dulu sebelum memegang makanan, dia pun menurutinya

Bocah-bocah itu lalu larut dalam diskusi kecil mereka sendiri, mungkin sedang mempertimbangkan apakah akan tetap menunggu hujan reda sambil berteduh di ruang tamu ku atau menerobos derasnya bersama karung-karung sampah mereka. Apuk bilang hari ini dia belum berhasil menjual sampah sedikit pun. Aku ingat box recehku tadi masih terisi setengah, sebaiknya memang untuk Apuk. Senyumnya lucu sekali saat aku menyerahkan recehan dalam kantong kecil untuknya Lalu setelah berbisik-bisik lagi, Apuk yang jadi juru bicara pamit hendak pulang, menerobos hujan yang memang sepertinya enggan berhenti…

Kulihat di teras tak ada sandal mereka… jadi mereka mengais sampah dari satu rumah ke rumah yang lain tanpa alas kaki! Ada untung nya juga temanku yang kupinjami semua perlengkapanku saat kost di Jogja dulu membawa kembali pulang semua milikku, dari karpet, setrika, hingga 3 sandal jepit yang biasa kupakai di rumah Srikaloka terlalu banyak sandal jepit menganggur di rumah ini, sementara penghuni nya cuma hanya ada aku. Kuberikan dua pasang sandal jepit episode jogja itu kepada mereka, tidak apa-apa kegedean daripada mereka tidak memakai sandal sama sekali, padahal lingkunga kerja pemulung adalah lingkkungan kerja yang lumayan vulnerable.. mulai dari segala macam kuman penyakit di tempat sampah, hingga barang-barang rongsokan yang bisa membahayakan kaki dan tangan.

Akhirnya dua bocah pemulung itu pulang sambil berucap terima kasih. Padahal di luar sana masih saja hujan deras dan gelap senja mulai menghampiri. Semoga saja Apuk punya kesempatan untuk bisa belajar membaca, menulis dan berhitung, dan semoga Wildan juga bisa terus melanjutkan pendidikannya.

Dua bocah pemulung dan derasnya hujan, terima kasih untuk pembelajaran sore tadi

Carrot cupcake filled with raisin

My neighbour bought me some new muffin cups! It’s a yaaiiiyyy since i’ve been looking for it and it was always like sold out from any bake shop :-p So i started googling recipe, a simple one, less sophiticated yet tasty

And here it goes, i tried this recipe from Recipee World. But i modified it by filling some raisin into the dough

Ingredients:

* 4 eggs
* 200 grams of sugar (7 ounces) –> you can add a bit coz using this amount, it doesnt taste so sweet :-p
* 1/2 teaspoon of Ovalet (Cake enhancer)
* 100 ml of fresh milk
* 150 grams of carrot, peeled and shreded
* 200 grams of medium protein flour (7 ounces)
* 1 tablespoon of corn starch (maizena)
* 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder
* Some salt
* Some orange food colouring and some raisin for filling

Directions:

1. Stir the eggs, sugar and ovallet until they swell and all white. Then add in the flour, corn starch, vanilla powder and salt. Mix well.
2. Pour the milk little-by-little while mixing the dough.
3. Add the carrots, stir well.
4. Take 1/3 of the dough, then add the food colouring.
5. Pour the basic dough (not coloured) in a muffin cups that had been coated with oil, then pour the orange dough on top of the basic dough. then put some raisin on the top of it before you steam it. Steam it for about 20 minutes or so, until they’re done. Take it away.
6. Get them out from the muffin cups, decorate, and serve.

Owh please noted that you have to take out the water from shreded carrot. I did it this way: put the shreded carrot into a sieve and then punch it with your palm until the water goes out too much water will screw your cake :-p

Owyaa, if you steam the cake, it’s better to use cooking oil for coating the cup instead of margarine. And..who called me when i was about to steam my cake? Dear, next time we’ll bake the cake, and you’ll help me coating the cup with margarine hehe

And here they are, carrot cupcakes filled with raisin

carrot cupcake filled with raisin

And if you don’t like raisin, you can put another dried fruit into the dough. Owkay readers, you can give it a try

An amateur tropical gardener and her tulips bulbs

Last week end, my curiousity had caused me a broken heart ! I was wondering about a recipe i found on the internet: opera cake. So, in the evening i was trying hard to give that recipe a try but failed Sob sob sob…but i brought that failed cake to the office and surprisingly my colleagues finished it up They said it’s tasty though the texture was not soft as it supposed to be huhuuuu

And before that recipe stories what did i do? Haha A series of activities i like I went swimming (still learning!  but i’m sure i’ll beat up the water just like i beat up the fear of riding on the wheel–>bicycle :-p). And.. I planted tulips!

I know it’s a way too late to grow the tulips. There in Netherland, they are already blooming in this spring breeze Yes, stubborn is my nickname I plant the tulips though people predict it will fail since the environment is a way too different from Netherland. But i’m trying really hard to grow the 10 seeds i brought from Netherland. I have kept them for sometimes in the fridge (as it’s said on some articles. Yes, i googled some articles on growing tulips). Then i found out they started growing! Voilaaa! Me, happy!

So the next day i went to a homeware supermarket and bought two plant containers. This time my curiousity only cost me 2 plant containers, fertilizer, a cute sprayer (like a cute bear haha), and of course tulips bulbs (i bought a package in Delft, contained 10 bulb, cost for 5 euro or something). I read on the package that tulips shall be planted on january and they will start blooming on april or may (april shower brings may flower, i noted). Yet, i also read that there are also late blooming tulips So i wish mine is that one, late blooming tulips

Here are the pictures from last week…

it has to be kept in the fridge for a while before it's ready to be planted

Let's gardening, let's growing tulips

Here they are, 3 bulbs in a container before i cover them with the soil

I thought it will take some times before they show (normally it’s planted in January and will bloom in april or may) but it’s not that long This afternoon i was busy with household chores. After storing all of my groceries in the fridge, replace the new fragrance in the bathroom, cleaning up my kitchen.. and there! I saw this green tiny petal! I don’t own a big house so i put this tulip containers in the kitchen corner where they get enough sushines but not the rain coz it will make the seeds rotten. Owh my God!! So happy to find out that i finally grow a tulip! so excited that this tiny bulb is fighting to grow in a tropical country ! hahaha i guess i was smiling like a fool this afternoon I called my Mom telling her i grow a tulip! I texted some close friends telling them about my tulip Me, happy!

Sweet surprise today! see this tiny petal in the circle! it's fighting to grow in the tropical country ! welkom thuis, tulip

I know this is just to early to burst out into such happiness of having the real tulips at my petite house I know Perhaps the other nine bulb will not grow as this early one, perhaps they willl grow but they will never bloom. I know.. But just keep planting to find out which one grow

Who knows they might grow and bloom just like in their place of origin who kows they will grow well? remember about the dying Hyacinth that i kept in weenapad? It grows and has flower! even untill now !I cherish that i never giving up on my plants like that Hyacinth, it’s still growing well, even after being adopted by a friend o’mine. Yes, i asked a friend to adopt my plants instead of throwing them away when i left Netherland

Uhmm.. and i found myself talk to my plants again! just like the old good days haha So, dear tulips, grow well jaaaa! I’ll give my best care for you

and finally i would say this: i’m longing to be in this country again, someday

to the country where tulips grow so very well, amin

Night Night, Sweet Dreams

At the time of the day when our night nights are said, 

when hugs are hug-huggled and stories are read…

One little bear said, “I won’t go to sleep, I won’t close my eyes – all night I will peep!”

“No sleeping, just peeping ?” said Mum bear.  ”Oh Dear, you don’t know sleeps’s secrets. That’s seems very clear!”.

“Sleep’s an adventure, sleep’s slept by the wise, sleep’s far from boring… sleep’s one long surprise!”

“Your bed is a boat that sails wild and free,

Through island of stars with the sky as its sea…

Over oceans of night you set sail for the day…

With a heart full of happiness guiding your way…”

Little bear gasped “I had no idea… I must go to sleep. Right now and right here!”

So bear snuggled down after cocoa and cuddles

And sailed gently away

From all of life’s muddles…

But now  it’s your turn, so – eyes closed and prepare!

If you’re ever so quick

You might catch little bear…

Don’t forget little one, 

As you travel the night that my love travels with you…

Safe journey

Sleep tight…

(story from foreverfriend)

*****

Look, cuppy cake! aunty De sent teddy bear and mister rabbit to play with you they will arrive by tomorrow, i guess

Aunty De laughed when she listened to grandma’s story about you, my dear cuppy cake Why wouldn’t you let mommy, daddy, grandma and grandpa slept well last night ? You asked them to stay awake with you. Holding you in their arms, cuddling you And when Aunty De talked to Grandma, you said hello with your baby’s cry hahaha I love you sweety pie, my cuppy cake Sleep well tonight, ask mommy not to sing that Linkin Park’s song

my baby niece, my cuppy cake she's so cute, sweet and adorable

Aunty De used to see this video when she couldn’t sleep, when she got homesick and the nights in NL were too cold

Grinzing, where i was not allowed to taste wine

My favorite birthday gift ever is still that 2011 spring holiday i granted myself Owh the party was also one of my favorites. It’s a garden gathering arranged by my aunt at her place. Together with some friends, we departed the day after my birthday. First itinerary was Praque (Czech Republic), then Vienna (Austria) and last Budapest (Hungary). We shared the trip responsibilities during that holiday: everyone would handle one city! Every city’s coordinator responsibled for group’s safety, determining the destinations, route and of course reading map :-p Well, (some) girls are bad at reading map, i admit

my aunt & some of my friends on my birthday

Praque was so nice. The trip was awesome though we spent too much time in Praque, getting a bit bored on the last day. Hahaha We’re just making ourself “lost” in Praque transportation route :-p We went east to west, south to north, enjoying the beauty of Praque from trams windows, enjoying the ice cream somewhere in the city suburb. So lazy too walk around, too exhausted and the truth is that we had to check out in the morning and take the night bus! That was because we wanted to cut the trip expenses :-p So we barely had any place to stay from morning to midnight on that last day, simply temporarily homeless Then we decided to seize the day by becoming a group of “trammie”, newbies in the homeless world :-p

another view of Praque from tram window, owh you can only see it if you tried to be "homeless" like us

Owh, when we were waiting for the bus on the bus station, my friend tried to get some sleeps on the bench in the waiting room. We had no idea that sit and close your eyes was not allowed there! A scary man ( if i could say, like those schizoprenic killers in the movie), bald, big and could not speak English, came and asked my friend not to sleep in the station! Gosh! So, you have to stay awake while u’re waiting for midnight bus on the bus station waiting room! Huh, where on earth do they have that stupid rule? In Praque! Well, perhaps that was also for safety reason, i’m not sure. But our sleepyhead required some sleeps before the bus arrived haha

Vienna, the second destination! I was honored to be Vienna trip coordinator I was so happy that, on behalf of my friends, i could decide places to visit when we were there. Yes, Danube, Mozart & Strauss, and schnietzel and wine.. Errhh, don’t missunderstand the last thing :-p Like that  guy who misunderstood me, partly because of his bad English and partly because of my uhmmm… let’s say “something” was watching over and guarding me

Before we departed, i have googled (so now google is definitely a verb :-p) about Vienna’s sightseeing. I came accross an article about Grinzing, a village that famous as Austria’s wine tavern. Imagining the beauty of an european village, a serenade, and vineyard, so i put Grinzing on the top of the list for Vienna. I was so eager to visit this village! Owh i also brought that flowery hat since i was imagining i would take my picture perfect in the beautiful vineyard whatsoever :-p

We took a night bus from Praque and arrived early in the morning. My sleepyhead woke up when my eyes saw a blast of bright yellow and green view reflected on the morning blue sky, so beautiful! That was just perfect! I heard the inside me said “owh this is a dream coming true!”. I wanted to hurry up to the hostel, shower and explore Vienna but too bad we had a li’l trouble at the station :-p We know Austrian doesn’t speak English but never had any idea that it would be so difficult to communicate with them (sometimes).

this was taken from train window, vienna to budapest

First, when we hop off from the bus, we had to figure out how to buy the metro ticket from ticket machine: instructions were in alien language :-p Then finding out in which hall in that Vienna central station was our metro was another story. Nobody (again) speaks English! A lady was mumbling to me saying that it was forbidden at her time to learn English, that’s why she could not speak English. And how did i understand what she was saying ? Let’s say i have that special linguistic ability Nope, i just read her mind, errrh? hahaha ) Somehow I understood what she was saying, that’s it

Finally we managed to get to the hostel, Wombat Hostel (sounds like something Mortal Combat yabaa dabaaa doooo  ) A nice youth hostel and thanks God, the hostel’s employees speak English! So i asked him about this Grinzing. He told me where to go and how to get there. He gave me Vienna city map which i crosschecked with my list of places to go, and both showed Grinzing ! Owkay, i was too excited but first of all we had to shower, get some sleeps (owh this happy feet need rest) and meal before exploring the city.

So, we went to Grinzing when the sun shines cheerfully We had to hop off on the last station of that route. Errh, trams in Rotterdam is nicer than those in Vienna :-p Spring monring in Vienna was nice I was enjoying the view from tram’s window till we finally arrived at that last station (which i couldnt remember its name now).

Grinzing, finally. frankly i don't understand what was written on this board all about :-p

Grinzing village, finally. But i did not see any sign of wine tavern and vineyard nearby! owh i gotta find a clue where on earth was that wine tavern. We only saw some kiosks (kiosk is Dutch, not an English. Is it ?) selling wine. So first i asked a kebab vendor nearby that station. Yup! He could not speak English He pointed a young guy, he asked me to ask him. And i asked him, i explained to him that we would like to see the wine tavern, vineyard in that village. He understood what i was saying, that’s good. But then…

With his limited English he straightly told me that i was forbidden to taste wine! Owh mine! I told him that i’m not looking for wine nor to taste it, but i’m looking for wine tavern! He kept blabbering THAT I should not taste any liquours, THAT GOD will be angry because that is a sinful thing to do bla bla bla bla. And he pointed at my HEAD SCARF! Argghhhh… felt it would be useless to ask him, i left him, mumbling what on earth would make me taste liquours? :-p

I’ve seen brewing machine at Paulaner Munchen. A friend of mine was the sous chef there. He invited me to have lunch before my departure to Netherland and he showed me their beer brewing machine. But wine and beer are just two different things, and i really want to see the wine tavern though i don’t drink any liquours. Anyway thanks to remind me, man I know some people who can not refuse the temptation to taste liquours. Helloooo, you are in Europe, liquours just a common acceptable things! But not for a Muslim like me Liquours doesn’t make me look cool or smart anyway :-p

at Paulaner Munchen which has its own beer brewing machine. and i drank orange juice

Not to waste our limited time in Vienna, we decided to stroll around the main street in that village, who knows we might find this wine tavern or vineyard whatsoever We got in to a post office. We saw so many postcards with the wine tavern pictures. So we asked the postman where on that village where were those picture taken. Andddddd that was also stupid thing to do! That man could not speak English and was a bit rude :-p And that young girl who helped him did not have any idea where those pictures where taken but thanks God she could speak English a little bit But that was no helpful anyway Here you can enjoy some of pictures of Grinzing village. All taken from my pocket camera, so forgive me for the quality of my pictures, digitally edited by using Picasa.

This is how the village main entrance looks like

another view of old building in Grinzing

the only clue stating this village is a wine tavern : weine

Since i was the city coordinator for Vienna’s trip, i asked the girls what to do. And so sad we had to decide to leave that village and go to another places in Vienna. Grinzing, you shall make your people speak English, and you shall put a big map on your entrance showing where the wine taverns are! I ;:?was so disappointed that my dream of walking under the grape tree, breathing the fresh air and enjoying the serenade in vineyard, and seeing how grapes turn into wine dissapeared just in a moment

wine tavern supposed to be like this :-p

But that’s allright Perhaps, someday i’ll come back to Vienna and find where the wine tavern and vineyard really are and have that picture perfect of me in the vineyard! CHEESE !

happy & healthy without liquours Cheesseeeee

*****

Even tonight we still talked about that “mysterious unknown” wine tavern

Deary

hahaha  ini lg nulis ttg vienna,  praque lain waktu deh hehe

Safitri

Yg cakep dsn sp?

Deary

mas2 yg nglarang aku minum wine :-p

Safitri

Hahaha….aq dah lp mukany tuh!

Deary

xixi  knapa ga da yg motret dia yaaa?

Safitri

Hbs pd bingung soal kebun anggur itu

Xixixixi

Deary

iyah! aku masih penasaraaaaan mpe sekarang ! pinginnya balik ke sana lagi huhuuuu

Safitri

hayuuuuuks….

Deary

nyokkkk

And in Budapest we also had a funny and hillarious story (still) about liquors I might tell you about that later

Leuwipanjang, suatu pagi

Leuwipanjang, suatu pagi…

****

Damri, bus ini sudah tua sekali. Suara mesinnya lebih cadas dari group music metal sekali pun. Rasa-rasanya menutup kuping dengan headset dan mendengarkan playlist lagu-lagu India Arie adalah perbuatan konyol dan sia-sia. Hampir tak ada pula space yang luang di antara barisan bangku-bangkunya. Dan coba lihat itu, mungkin cuma bus ini saja yang menggunakan slot panjang, yang semestinya milik pintu pagar, untuk mengunci pintunya. Dua ribu rupiah saja, dari Leuwipanjang menuju jalan Merdeka, nyaris dua jam!

*****

Seorang ibu paruh baya, menawarkan roti sobek selai coklat kepada perempuan muda yang duduk di sampingnya. Perempuan muda itu menolak dengan berucap terima kasih, ingat bahwa di ranselnya masih ada dua tangkup roti bakar yang ia persiapkan subuh tadi sebelum berangkat. “Saya berangkat dari Soreang pukul 6 tadi, jam segini baru masuk Bandung. Macet” ujar si ibu paruh baya. Si perempuan pun membatin “Saya berangkat setengah jam lebih awal dari Ibu, untuk jarak tempuh yang jauh lebih jauh”.

*****

Sepasang mata tua nya sibuk memperhatikan-barisan kalimat di koran pagi itu. Selayaknya sedang bersantai di teras depan rumah sambil menikmati hangat mentari pagi, bapak itu tak peduli dengan bisingnya bus itu, pun dengan pedagang-pedagang asongan yang tak henti menawarkan dagangannya. Mungkin nyanyian pengamen dengan irama mendayu bak lagu melayu tentang seseorang yang ingin mengungkapkan rasa suka tapi tak bisa itu terdengar di telinganya seperti lagu Fur Elise yang dulu selalu menjadi opening siaran berita dari RRI di tahun 80-an.

*****

Entah darimana ia datang, sibuk menceracau tak jelas, tiba-tiba sigap ia melompat ke salah satu bus lain yang tepat akan melaju. Tidak ada yang peduli untuk menyuruh si pria tak waras itu untuk turun. Pun penumpang-penumpang di bus itu, seperti tak mempermasalahkan harus berbagi tumpangan dengan seorang pria tak waras yang masih sibuk menceracau tak jelas.

*****

Bandung, 15 maret 2012, saat buruknya kondisi lalu lintas menjadi pembenaran bagi mereka yang kesiangan dan menjadi penyelamat bagi mereka yang tak suka terlambat. I was throwing up after 3 hours bus travel back home! Call it an achievement after years :-p

op de valreep

aan onze repatrierende landgenoten

…

Ge zegt vaarwel aan het land waar ge hebt gewerkt, gestudeerd en gestreden, waar ge u voorbereid hebt voor het werk dat u nu wacht. Ge brengt een laatste groet aan het volk in wiens midden ge hebt vertoefd, wiens gastvrijheid ge hebt genoten en met wie de droefheid en vreugde hebt gedeeld. Ge neemt afscheid van hen, die nog hier moeten achterblijven, totdat ook voor hen de tijd gekomen zal zijn om hun Nederlandse jaren af te sluiten. En met bekwame spoed volgt ge de anderen, die u reeds voorgegaan zijn, naar huis…

DD7 UGM-IHS Erasmus

landgenoten, een goede reis en veel succes!

**in het land van de overheerser: Indonesiers in Nederland 1600-1950, Koninklijk Instituut voor Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde, Leiden 1986**

Olienasbollen

Dulu, pertama kali makan oliebollen ditraktir tanteku, di centrum Rotterdam. Waktu itu musim sudah berganti winter. Tanteku bilang, oliebollen ini cuma ada pas akhir autumn hingga penghujung winter. Oliebollen itu sejenis roti goreng dengan taburan kismis di dalamnya, kulit luarnya dibalur tepung gula. Renyah, manis dan seger dari kismisnya. Lucu deh makan oliebollen di centrum Oliebollen dimasukkan ke dalam kantong kertas, lalu kantong nya ditutup rapat dan di-shake gitu sampai oliebollennya belepotan tepung gula. Nah, begitu digigit, tepung gula nya bakal bikin mulut belepotan hehehe Oliebollen jadi jajanan favoritku waktu itu, maklum di Rotterdam mana ada tukang gorengan. Adanya ya paling lumpia vietnam, oliebollen, appleflap dan apple pie…

warung gorengan ala Belanda langgananku yang ini cuma ada pas autumn-winter. 1 oliebollen harganya 80 cents

Waktu masih di sana siy aku pernah coba bikin, cuma kayak produk gagal gitu deh hahahaha Soalnya luarnya udah coklat mateng ehhh dalemnya masih basah alias mentah Nah, kemaren aku coba cari lagi resep original nya. Nemu dari web nya Koopmans http://www.koopmans.com/recepten/ (sejenis produk bahan makanan instan gitu, kalo di Indonesia semacam Pondan gitu lah), cumaaaaa…. Uhhh ternyata adonannya pake bir! Setelah telpon mbak Ita, terus tanya mbak Pipi soal penggunaan bir dalam makanan, lalu terlibat diskusi seru dengan cowok-cowok di bidangku (akhirnyaaa cowok-cowok ini juga rame klo diajak berdiskusi soal masak-memasak, biasanya aku yang bengong dengerin mereka ngobs soal motor :-p), lalu google resep-resep bandingannya, terus aku kira-kira aja deh :-p Birnya diganti susu hangat yang dicampur ragi. Lebih sehat dan halal tentunya

Ini dia bahan-bahan oliebollen ala aku. Btw, bukan oliebollen deh, tapi olienasbollen soalnya aku nambahin sedikit ananas alias pineaplle dalam adonan kali ini. So, oliebollennya jadi OLIENASBOLLEN

Ini dia bahan-bahannya (i measured and noted everything just like Maddie and Daniel in that Kitchen Musical ):

• 250 gr tepung terigu
• 250 ml suhu hangat (jangan terlalu panas ya, soalnya nanti ragi nya malah mati, suam-suam kuku aja)
• 1 butir telur
• 150 gr kismis
• 200 gr nanas (dibuang tengahnya, dipotong kecil-kecil, renda air garam sebentar lalu tiriskan)
• 1 sdt garam
• 1 sdt ragi
• 1/2 sdt essens vanilla

Benodigdheden alias bahan-bahannya

Lalu bereidingswijze alias cara memasaknya, begini ya:

• Hangatkan susu sebentar lalu tambahkan ragi dan aduk rata.
• Tambahkan susu hangat plus ragi tadi ke dalam terigu
• Tambahkan telur, kocok sampai rata. Jangan lupa garem & essens vanillanya yaa. Owyaa, kalau adonan base buat roti seperti ini dan sejenisnya, gunakan pengocok yang berbentuk spiral karena dough atau adonannya lebih kaku dibanding adonan kue/cake
• Tutup adonan dengan plastik, biarkan sekitar 30-60 menit (biar ragi nya bekerja di adonan tadi)
• Cetak dengan menggunakan 2 sendok (ambil adonan satu sendok penuh lalu celupkan ke dalam minyak panas, lalu gunakan sendok satunya lagi untuk melepas adonan dari sendok sebelumnya sambil dibentuk bulat)
• Goreng sampai berwarna coklat keemasan (bukan coklat gosong )
• Angkat dan tiriskan (alas wadahnya pake kertas roti, biar minyaknya nyerap di kertas rotinya)
• Kalo udah agak dingin, taburi gula teppung di atasnya (masukkan gula tepung dalam saringan, terus shake di atas olienasbollennya)

Owkay, there you go! Olienasbollen ala aunty De

olienasbollen aka oliebollen with ananas

Selamat mencoba, and it will be my pleasure to receive any critics on this recipe