12.31.2013

The last bit of 2013: Experiencing home, experiencing family

The last day of the year 2013, I and several Indonesian students came to the house of Dr. Benny Tjahjono, a lecturer at Cranfield University from Indonesia. He invited us to have a lunch in his house.

It was precious to experince the hospitality of family while we were indeed away from our families. It was precious to taste home country's delicacies: the spices, the texture, the flavor. The enjoyment there was enhanced with laughters, chats, songs to sing.

 Ketoprak made in the UK

Indonesian taste

We also walked around the lake near to his house and took some pictures. To experince the last beam of the sunrays of this year, it was amazing.

The last sunset of 2013 in the UK

Furzton Lake, Milton Keynes

The last day of 2013; I felt that I was at home, with my family.

Today, I learn that a home is a thing that can be created anywhere. And a feeling of having family can be raised up with anyone. It is spirit of giving, acceptance and sincerity that make all the experiences and accompanying feelings getting real.
Thank you, Pak Benny & family.

12.30.2013

Counting hours to the new year? Stop!

In a matter of hours, old calendars will be replaced. Some people may have a plan to enjoy parties on new year's eve, while other suddenly being inspired to create resolutions. It seems compulsory to make a promise to be a better person in the following year. Or instead to make resolution, some choose to contemplate.
Maybe there are also who are counting their revenue and in-between planning strategies to get higher profit next year, while other are still struggling with unfinished tasks.
Some may think to go somewhere, while some still think how is tomorrow life.
Or there are some people think to do something different and in fact several really do and the rest forget. But, the thought of making difference are the same just they thought in previous years.
And the situation, the atmosphere repeats year by year by year....
 
What do I think?
It is a prison people, or specifically grown-ups,  create for themselves.
I see the children, they are who really independent. They can be happy no matter what day it is. They want to be victorious all the time. They tend to give all their best; whatever and whenever. They have no worries about tomorrow. They are always being optimistic and have gut for what they are doing.
Those qualities are their nature, though somewhat the world is run to takeaway those qualities from their world.
 
How am I?
Surely, I am in the whirlpool of the grown-ups' way of life. It cannot be denied that I hardly remember how I lived my childhood life. I remember the events and the accompanying feelings, but almost no idea what kind of spirits I gave to makes that events and the feeling are still lingering up now.
Was I brave? Was I loving? Was I friendly? Was I spoilt? Was I wilful? Was I ...? Was I ...? Was ...?
 
And what do I want?
I want to learn again how I used to be. I want to reunite with my childhood nature. NOW!
 

12.29.2013

This morning, being reminded

This morning, when I was going to the mosque for performing salat fajr, I saw the road and the grass were covered with flickering white crystal. It was not snow, only dew that chose to obey the nature; crystallized as the cold hit overnight. These days, the temperature here fluctuates between day and night between 10 to -3 degrees Centigrade although weather forecast might state differently.
I touched a blade of grass. It was tender like marshmallow but suddenly turned wet as the warm of my hand melted the the frozen dew on it. I walked slowly because the road became slippery.
It was incredible; such a simple phenomenon can be distinguished as a beautiful thing. The flickering on the road seemed like constellation. The cold that wrapped the atmosphere was just perfect. I thought that I was walking on galaxies. I was amazed.
Isn't it strange? To experience such a feeling of amazement, it appears just by doing simple things. To look up the skies of blue. To walk accros green meadows. To hear the sound of beaches. To think under the starry night. To feel the touches of my parents. To see sincere smiles of complete strangers.
Reflecting about it, God may want to keep me aware that I am just a simple human who love simplicity. Sometimes, I forget; pursuing complexities rather than embracing my nature.
Every achievement and opportunity I reach, surely they are not meant for the greatness, but to bring continuous humility in my mind, my words, and my actions.
O... my Lord, I seek thy forgiveness for my forgetfulness.

12.28.2013

Of tasting rice

I spend this Christmas - New Year holiday in the PhD room. I do not go anywhere as I have a deadline by 7th of January, 2014. The problem of spending holiday in campus, especially at Cranfield University, is running out of food supplies. This university is indeed in the middle of England but somewhat also in the middle of nowhere. So if you are unprepared to face holiday here at Cranfield, such problem–running out of food, may occur.
 
However, I have prepared this holiday by buying several packs of microwave-ready foods. Lucky me, sometimes my friends invite me to have lunch or dinner in his or her dormitory. This afternoon I was invited to have meal in my Iranian friend's kitchen.
 
As I saw him prepared the meal, I distinguished a different way to cook rice. He regarded his doing as the common way of Iranian to serve rice. In Indonesia, as far as I know, we just cook rice plainly with no spices. There are other ways indeed to prepare rice in Indonesia, for example nasi liwet or nasi bakar. Nasi liwet is rice that is cooked in coconut milk instead of water, while nasi bakar actually is simply plain steam rice that is treated further by grilling it with spices in a wrap of banana leaf. However, these ways of serving are done occasionally, not for every day meal.
 
My Iranian friend prepared the rice by putting some salt and sunflower oil on the rice before put water and cooked it. When the rice was half-cooked, he poured a half cup of diluted flavour. Later he also put a kind of herbs or grains.
 
As I tasted the rice, I distinguished that the texture was little bit rough and the herb give a strong sour taste. I asked what the name of the herb/grain was; he said that he did not know what the name of it in English.
 
Then, I remembered when I came to the new students welcoming celebration in the mosque at this campus. That time I was served a plate of rice and peas with greasy texture. The cook was Palestinian. When I eat rice at a cafeteria in campus which I guess this how English serves it, I taste the coarse and plain texture. Surely, Asian serves fluffier rice.
 
I also just knew that rice can be served by using microwave. As I mentioned above, I bought several packs of instant food for these days, including instant curry rice. Reading serving suggestion on the pack, I understand that rice within the wrap has an amount concentration of water.

It is little bit funny to gain a little knowledge of cooking although I do not cook here (I do not consider use a microwave as cooking). However, after tasting several type of rice-serving, I cannot weigh which one better or tastier. To eat properly here and to experience foreigner cooking (not only rice, of course) are blessing beyond compare. Sour, coarse, fluffy, greasy, plain, savoury, sweet, bitter, salty and forth are the tastes of life. Think to taste and enjoy them all!
Once again, I am just grateful for being here.

12.27.2013

New learning from Indomie

 (Source: http://www.indomie.com/Product/Category/1, accessed: 27th Dec 2013)

Most of Indonesian people must recognize the product variant of Indomie shown above. The tagline of the product, "Indomie, seleraku - Indomie, my taste" perfectly depicts the palate of Indonesian. Indomie perhaps can be considered as the most acceptable instant food for most of Indonesian.

For students, there is an anecdote about the product. It is said that Indomie is staple food for students (instead of rice, etc). It applies not only for they who study in Indonesia but also for they who study abroad. Despite of pro-con of the product related to health problems, it remains the main option for most students.

This morning, there was a chat on Riset-Pro's whatsapp group about this product. Several grantees of Riset-Pro tried to compare the price of this product between countries we are studying in. In Australia, I got  information that a colleague of mine can get five packs for AUD 3.9, while in Japan for the same amount people have to pay JPY 490. It is interesting in the UK, because the price may differ significantly between one place to another. A friend of mine in Bath only gets two packs for GBP 1, while here in Bedford I can get four packs. The price in my place is the cheapest of all when it is rated back to IDR.

I think, it just natural to compare product to our own currency, but by doing so we may necessarily found the non-linearity of the price of a product. Distance may be one factor that influence the price (in term of transport cost), but there are other factors. This is what I concluded from the discussion. In this case of Indomie, it may be peculiar to know that the price in my place is the cheapest one whereas I am living the furthest from Indonesia. In addition, we, Indonesian people, have perception that everything must be pricy here in the UK as its currency is one of the highest and the strongest ones on earth.  But the fact tells otherwise.

It is appealing that when I am out of my country, my comfort zone, I immediately learn new things. This opportunity to study abroad actually open a greater chance to have new paradigm about how the world is run in many aspects. I learn more than just the disciplines of my research. I am grateful for that.


PS:
Even though I eat Indomie sometimes, I am not so into it, btw.

12.26.2013

Eyewitnessing Boxing Day

This afternoon, I went to Bicester Village to eyewitness boxing day there. It was very crowded. Car park there was nearly full and people wandering around from an outlet to another. For several famous brands like Guci or Polo Ralph Lauren, they were even willing to queue.

I did not buy anything but it was hilarious to watch such hustle. When there is a chance to get good stuff with a good price, it is obvious people will flocked there. For me, the prices there were still high even though the products there were on sale. Moreover, I realized that I did not have the need to buy. Maybe I will someday, but just not now.

I was surprised when I was looking the price of a suit. The initial price was £700-ish before it cut down to £200-ish. That initial price, as far as I know, is enough to buy a used car with good condition here in this country (not include the insurance, of course). Sometimes, I cannot 'digest' the rationale to value goods in this country. But, maybe this is how economics should grow. Like a plant, it differs where it is being developed and how it is being maintained. As I am here, I just have to enjoy the taste of the economy of this country.

Here I share pictures I took when I was going to Bichester Village.


12.25.2013

Boxing day

Tomorrow is boxing day! Yeay...
This is traditionally the day after Christmas Day. I have decided to have day off for tomorrow and to enjoy this event. I heard that boxing day in the UK is well known as shopping holiday, and the prices will be cut dramatically. Who knows I can manage to get something with a good price :)

12.24.2013

Restart

Honestly, I don't even remember when I planned to update this blog. As these days, I pay more attention to my Instagram account. No wonder, the idea of a-picture-talks-louder-than-words is true. However, the beauty of stringing words is a different measure.
The excitements of my friends to enliven their blogs or webs, induced me to remember how the pleasure it yields. And I think this is the very time to restart.
At the beginning, it felt awkward to start writing again. The ideas in my mind were not necessarily easy to be poured into a writing worth to read. In addition, there was a sensation of strain on my back. That is a kind of sensation occurs when I get nervous. Why should I?
The reason is simple. In my opinion, playing with words is just like playing with backward sword. I should be careful. It involves skills, emotions, atmospheres, and many aspects that influence the writing. Sometimes the writing may yields to consequences. However, those are not I am concerning about.
It is being responsible!
Yes! I am fully aware that whatever my action, it will be questioned. Am I prepared for that? Surely not, but I am preparing. And now, writing (again) for public consumption means I need to weigh every single word. I realize that I have responsibility not only to myself but also to the readers of my writing.
Anyway, let start!!!