Contemplating 2007

This is going to be my last post in 2007. In two days time, I'll be flying to my hometown and I'll be staying there for Christmas and New Year. Internet connection in my hometown sucks big time. So, I don't expect to post anything during my stay.

Okay, 2007 is almost over in a blink of an eye. But at one time, I could not wait for the year to be over. And I am so glad that it is almost over. Just a few more days to go.

Oh, right! This is going to be a long post. How I can sum up 365 days in a few sentences, well, more than a few, remains a challenge for me.

I think this year, our faith were fiercely tested when we found out about my mother's sickness. My mother has always been the pillar of strength in our family. She's our dragon lady. Yet, I can never forget her look when I picked her up in the airport and she looked at me in daze. The woman who brought me to this world could not recognize me, her own daughter. It was just so devastating.

And I just felt so helpless, for not being able to do anything for her for her! And I questioned myself, over and over again, how good a daughter I was. At one time, in her dazed and confused days, I just felt like asking her, if I had made her proud. If she's happy to have me as her daughter. The question never reached her, because I was afraid to hear the answer.

Health is truly the priceless gift in our life. And I am so grateful, that all of us in the family (Yohan and I, Ma & Pa, our children) are doing well. My mother is getting better everyday, and for it, I am more than grateful.

The big flood happened in Jakarta, and our children were there at that time. I learned about the true quality of my parents and how much they love their grandchildren. I also learned about some people who were not sincerely concerned about my children, despite their blood relation. No name is being mentioned here to protect the privacy of the accused.

Career wise, I'd say that I was doing okay in 2007. Not too many days of staying back late in the office, which was more than I could ask for. I was coping well with my current job. And just recently, I was offered the opportunity to take up new responsibility that is outside my comfort zone. Um, actually "offered" was not really the good term to use here. I was politely pushed to take up the new responsibility. I've had my reservations about my new job, but, let's just wait and see. Anyway, the effective date of the job is only in 2008. And I am supposed to be whingeing about 2007 now.

I am also guilty of not spending enough time with my children, especially big N. To their credit, they have been doing well so far. My big N enjoys his school and teacher. Making friends and learning new things. My little N began to attend her toddler class in July 2007, and she was doing equally great. Health-wise, I have been hoping that they have better immune system and not falling ill that often. Especially for my big N. Let this be my hopes for year 2008.

Personally, in 2007, I feel that I have metamorphosed into a cynical person now. It did not happen overnight of course. I just realize that I do not see the world in the rose tinted glasses anymore. I have turned into a clean freak, nature-averse kind of person. That's so different than who I was--10 years ago.

Also, I realize that I have turned into a shopaholic. My husband can testify for this. Every month, whenever he shows me (my) credit card bills, I will widen my eyes as I look at him, to give him a damsel-in-distress look. When I speak to him, I will whimper my voice to mimic a 15 year-old and ask him nicely to settle my credit card bills. This damsel-in-distress tactic, I have learned, has a great impact in deciding whether or not my husband is going to pay for my credit card bills. Of course I can pay for the bills myself. But the cheap thrill is to get the HUSBAND pay for the credit card bills. That's what husband is for!

So, let's toast to my wonderful husband, who just settled my credit card bill for this month!!

To conclude this post, I will not say that 2007 is a bad year. It's just...more challenging for me!

On a positive note to end this year, a new little addition, has joined our family on 6 Dec 2007. My sister has given birth to a cute little girl on that day. Welcome to this world, little Chloe!

I put up the picture of Ariel jigsaw puzzle here, as I find that doing the 99-pieces (that belongs to little N) was a great bonding for me and my husband. We worked together to finish the puzzle, while little N was watching TV. And I guess, it just represents our teamwork, for year 2007. Well, fear not, as our xmas present for big N is a 300-pieces jigsaw puzzle. Yohan and I can do a lot of bonding together in early next year.

Chocolate Pudding, an Indonesian Dessert?

As we're saying goodbye to year of 2007, I've got many invitations to the Christmas/year end gathering. One gathering that I went to, was a pot luck BBQ with office colleagues. The host asked us to prepare one unique dish from we come from. That's tough. I need something that's easy to make, yet universally acceptable for the multi-nation guests' palate who attended the gathering.

After long thought, I decided to bring the chocolate pudding. Indonesian style. The pudding was made of agar-agar (seaweed) powder. That defined the Indonesian-ness of the pudding. Because usually people associate pudding with gelatine/Jello or cakey-like pudding. Not for this one. Unlike gelatine, agar-agar resulted in a light texture of the pudding. And as for chocolate, who could resist its omnipresence!

For the final touch, it was served with the custard sauce, spiked with lots of rum! That's how I grew up with, eating this kind of pudding in weddings, birthdays, family gatherings.

I presented the chocolate pudding in a lovely serving dish (not pictured here), courtesy of the wonderful host of the day. The pudding looked so decadently tempting and shiny. And it prompted the question from the guests, "is it an Indonesian dessert?".

I have no idea. But I think, it is.

A wife of Indonesian colleague commented, "This is just the pudding I have always known, made of agar-agar, eaten with custard sauce with rum!"

I guess, I did not make the wrong choice with this one.

Recipe was taken from Detikfood. As explained above, the custard sauce was not mocha, as specified in the recipe. I omitted the dark chocolate and coffee powder and replaced them with 2 tablespoon of jamaican rum.

Part of Working Life Puzzle

I was in a middle of phone conversation with my counterpart in Japan, who happened to be a Japanese (surprise..surprise).

C: So Kimura-san*, can you find out the reason for the shipment delay of our unit?
K: Of course, Cindy-san. Just provide me the serial number of the unit.
C: It's TOHV005
K: So, it's T-O-H-D-005?
C: No, it's,...T for Tokyo, O for Osaka, H for Hokkaido, V for Victory, zero zero five.
K: Aahh..Sorry, Cindy-san, is it D for Dog? Dog, the animal?
C: No, Kimura-san, it's V for Victory, not Dog.
K: Aah..B for Bird?
C: No, it's V for....(fish, fly, finish..yellow,..blue..pink..I can't think of any word that start with V) Victory! You know..peace!
K: Aahh..Sorry, Cindy-san..I don't know that!
C: Oh, it's V for Victory....win..gamble, you know..V for Victoria..the queen? Queen of England?
K: Aahh..Sorry, Cindy-san, I don't know what you are talking about!
(I started to get panic. Calm down, don't panic! It's not that bad, recite the alphabet..ABCD...RSTUV.that's the V, he should get the point)
C:Kimura-san, in the alphabet..it's the RSTUV. That's the V.
K:Aah..Cindy,san..I still don't understand.
C: Do you want me to email the serial number to you?
(This didnt make sense, the reason why I had to call him was because he never replied my email)
C: Hold on, Kimura-san.
(I put the phone on mute. Knocked on my next cubicle neighbour, Colleague 1. Coll. 1 worked in Japan for 3 years. He claimed to be conversant in Japanese. By now, everyone had been intently listening to my phone conversation, since my office did not have voice absorbent facility. Everyone just could hear me, loud and clear).

C: Coll 1, what's the word that start in V in Japanese?
Coll.1: Japanese does not use letter V, Cindy!
(Thanks a lot)

Coll.2: Try..very..very bad..very very stupid!
(Good idea!)

C: Kimura-san, it's V for very..very beautiful!
K: Oh ..yes, I know..V for very very beautiful! It's TOHV005?
C: Yes..yes..yes!!!!!

After that fateful conversation ended, colleague 2 commented, " I can't wait when you have to spell out the serial number with the letter F to them!"

Oh well, just an excerpt of my daily working life!

*name had been changed to protect privacy.

Happiness found: Cheesecake Brownies

For a short period in my life, I was part of the (then) yuppies in the city area in Jakarta. I wore suits to work, I put on make up, I went to malls for lunch. The guys also put in the suits and ties. Fridays were filled with creambath sessions or foot reflexology, and also my newfound happiness.

It was in a cafe in Bursa Efek Jakarta (Jakarta Exchange Building), I found this very addictive slice. I found cheesecake brownies. I was so madly in love with it! And so did my family. There's never a weekend passed without this heavenly cake in our family. High in sugar, high in fat, high in calories. Sinful as it was, it gave us such a worldly happiness in a bite.

So, what's this thing really? It's just simple brownies topped with cheesecake. And it's so me and Yohan. I am a cheesecake person, and Yohan, a chocolate lover!

Been searching high and low for a recipe that comes close to what I had in the BEJ Cafe (can't remember the name, but sometime ago, I made an effort to go to BEJ just to buy the cake). 

And guess what, only last week I bought a new recipe book just because I wanted to come up with the evil twin of the cheesecake brownies of my past.

So, after so many failed attempts at brownies, I braced myself for this one earlier today.

I took the recipe from here. With some modifications to the original recipe.

The result was better than I expected. The cake was so lovely. The brownies was fudgy and chocolatey, while the cheesecake was so soft and cheesecakey. Pardon my poor choice of words, I am an analyst, not a food critic nor a recipe writer.

Isn't it great if we can find our happiness in a slice of brownies?

Confession of An Average Student

This year's PSLE has just been announced. The student with the record breaking high score of 294 has just been interviewed on TV.

And this has brought back the bittersweet memory of my student years.

As a student, I was never part of the elite high achiever. In other words, I was just an average student. Really, I was only 6/10 student! No exaggeration here. Usually, I would score so low during the first semester. Mom would get so upset, and started to preach me about the importance of education in my life. I would cry and promised that I would study harder.
Somehow, miraculously, in the second semester, I would score better, and somehow, I did not have to repeat the class.
The next year, I would follow the same cycle of grades volatility.
Having said that, I was not part of the top 10 in the class. But I would not be in the lowest 10 as well. I was average. AVERAGE!

I would expect, luck has something to do with my result. When I was dealing with multiple choice question, no denial, I could easily guess the answer. So, I shamefully admit, I was one lucky gal when it came to studying. That is, until the school ruled out that wrong answer should be be negatively marked. Who came up with such ruling? That was so cruel. Anyway, it turned out that such ruling could not tame me. I still moved on to next class.

These are the list of subject that I hated back then, in no particular order:
1. Math
This should include algebra, geometry, mathematical logic (logika matematika, are the Indonesian teachers just making this subject up? This is a senseless subject. Example: Budi is stupid. Budi is rich. So, rich people are stupid. Where is the logic?)
2. Biology.
I hate memorizing all those latin terminology. And since I have sworn that I would never be a doctor, no incentive for me to learn biology at all. The only latin name of plant that still sticks in my brain is: Aloe Vera. And I did not learn it from my Biology lesson. I learned it from TV ad.
3. Chemistry.
Again, I have no idea why I should remember that gold is Au for Aurum.
4. Physics.
Why should it be a closed book test? I could not remember any of the formula that I needed to memorize prior to the exams. None! Well, maybe E=MC2. Then again, everyone knows that.
5. Bahasa Indonesia
Asam kandis asam gelugur. Kedua asam di riang-riang. Menangis badan di pintu kubur. Teringat badan belum sembayang.
(Loose translation: kandis tamarind, gelugur tamarind ( I have no knowledge of these 2 kinds of tamarind). Both tamarind...something. Cry does the body, in front of the grave. When the body remembers the prayerless life)
Holly cow, I still could remember the above..what do you call it..puisi or sajak or sanjak or haiku..scarry!
6. History
We learn from the history that we've never learned anything from history. So, why bother.
7. Moral Education.
It's should be applied, not memorized! And even after having this as part of the subject in school, Indonesia is still the nation with one of the highest corruption in the world? Shame! Shame!
8. PSPB.
No idea what it was all about.
9. Physical Education/PE Theory!
The source of all my education years of suffering. PE should not be part of the curriculum, it should be part of Extra Curricular activity. Students should not be memorizing the measurement of football field, nor should they be made to memorize the shape of the football field. Gosh! I scored 4/10 for this subject, simply because the teacher could not put 0/10 in my report book! Realy a waste of time. Mentri Pendidikan Nasional Indonesia, if you read this blog, consider this as a petition to abolish this subject from the curriculum. It's just inhumane to ask a motoric moron to shoot the basket ball into the ring, even after the hundredth try, she still missed it. It has scarred my spirit! Such a traumatic experience.
10. Geography.
I was having such a hard time to come up with the last subject that I hate. Finally, I came up with Geography! Why bother memorizing the shape of a country. Then again, can't blame the old educators. There's no such thing like google earth back then.

Of course, having spent a wee bit of time studying: 12 years of basic schooling (primary to high school) + 5 years of higher learning (under + post graduate), it has entitled me the right to say the following statement: EDUCATION IS IMPORTANT! It has shaped me, and made me who I am today. I made friends, I had fun, I learned to question, I learned to ask.
I am a product of an asian rote learning education. It may not be perfect, but it has brought up the greatness in me. I had no deep respect to any special teacher. But I still respect them. If I have to live my life all over again, studying for another 17 years, I would gladly do it again. But please, no PE.

So, congratulations to Natasha Nabila Muhammad Nasir!
Continue doing what you are doing ! But please remember, there are things more important than just grades in life. Education is about learning, learning to make friends, learning to be kind to the rest of human kind, learning to question the wrong, learning to enjoy life, as well as to learn how to cook! These characteristics will survive you in your life later on!

And to my N & N, I promise, I will give you the best of education there is. So, just like me during my student days, have fun, make friends, be creative, learn problem solving, learn about giving, rather than taking, learn to cope with stress and pressure from exams, learn about right and wrong, learn to be responsible. And with your curious eyes, continue to wonder about the world, and be critical, be inquisitive, but be forgiving. Be a lifelong learner. And having been there, done that, I will make sure to turn you two into a fine all rounder, making sure that you have enjoyable study years! I don't expect you to read 320 books by the time you are 9. But reading is a wonderful experience. It will open up the world for you, part of your learning experience. And little N, if you turn out to be a motoric moron like me, I'll make sure that I come up with the petition of abolishing PE from the curriculum.

This is a note written by a student (as she is still learning up till now). An average student. But in her life standards, she thinks she's doing well as an average student!

Reminiscing - 6 years

You were born together, and together you shall be for evermore....but let there be spaces in your togetherness. And let the winds of the heavens dance between you. - Kahlil Gibran



4th Nov 2001

I remember the heat. I remember the guests. I remember how beautiful my mother looked on that day. I remember my father's tears when we gave him the slice of our wedding cake. I remember my husband and I giggling over the withered rose pinned to his jacket. I remember someone mentioned that my uncle cried when my father gave me away. I remember the priest quoting John Gray's book during his sermon, and I said to myself, "you expect me to read Men are from Mars, Women Are from Venus?...Don't you know Yohan and I were John Gray's muse?". I remember I had fried rice for my breakfast on that day. I remember my lipstick colour on that day. I remember I was crying when I read out my wedding vow.

I still remember that day as if it were only yesterday.

4 Nov 2007

Yet, today, we celebrate our 6th years together. Six years of happiness, laughter, anger, tears! Six long years, but they feel so short.
We know each other well, but not well enough to always understand each other. We love each other so much, but not so much as to avoid the silly little arguments. We spend our time together but sometimes we just did not put our heart together.
But...
Despite the differences, we are still together.
Despite the silly little arguments, we still love each other.
And if we compare ourselves with celebrities, yes, our anniversary calls for a celebration!

Happy 6th Anniversary to us!

And, in the above picture, that's us, 6 years ago..when we've only just begun!

And my 6th wedding anniversary gift: PINK KitchenAid!

First Blog

Not really! It was not my first. I forgot my password to my other blog and failed to recover it.
So, yes..my first attempt for this blog. Well, I'll get to like this blog. Sooner or later.