My "gado-gado" Feelings

Taking a break...

2008-07-27T15:05:00.002+07:00

update: 26 November 2008

Guys and Girls,

Thank you so much for your comments in this posts :)

I'm still taking a break in here and not so sure when I'll return but in the meantime (for those who misses me, hehehe), you can check out my food blog which I ~~seldom~~ still update it ;)

Well, hope to see you in Selby's Food Corner.

Luv,
Selba

Saving Fish From Drowning

2008-04-14T14:43:00.005+07:00

A pious man explained to his followers: “It is evil to take lives and noble to save them. Each day I pledge to save a hundred lives. I drop my net in the lake and scoop out a hundred fishes. I place the fishes on the bank, where they flop and twirl. ‘Don’t be scared,’ I tell those fishes. 'I am saving you from drowning.’ Soon enough, the fishes grow calm and lie still. Yet, sad to say, I am always too late. The fishes expire. And because it is evil to waste anything, I take those dead fishes to market and I sell them for a good price. With the money I receive, I buy more nets so I can save more fishes."
~ Anonymous~

How can we discren what is real and what is fiction, in everything we see? How do we know what to believe?

Kerokan

2007-12-10T19:45:00.005+07:00

Last week, I was sick. First, it started with sore throat then continued with flu then coughing. Well, what do we Indonesian do when we are sick? Usually, we do kerokan

What is Kerokan? Kerokan is a traditional treatment in Indonesia, using coin and balsam or minyak kayu putih (eucalyptus oil).

So, this is how my back looked after being kerok.

It looks like tiger's striped, right? hehehe.

Visit a nursery

2007-11-24T18:12:00.004+07:00

This morning, I accompanied mom to a nursery in the BSD city which is 30 km from Jakarta.
So many plants, so ~~green~~ colourful....
This plant called "Wave of Love" (Gelombang cinta - Indonesia, Anthurium - latin). It's really an unbelievable expensive plant, it cost USD 2,000.
And these little plants are called "Love Leaf" because of the heart's shape. It has flower painted on the leaf. USD 3 for each leaf.

Mom's Adenium

2007-10-13T17:15:00.000+07:00

It has been 1 year intensively since my mom’s playing with this kind of plant called Adenium. So far, there are more than 350 pots of Adenium in our house (front garden and roof garden).

Each Adenium has their own cute names such as Red lucas, Princess of darkness, Pink lines, Purple picotee, Siamese ruby, Sexy leopard, funny bunny, super brain, Harry Potter, Mister button, Super duper, Big chubbiness, Noble concubine, Scarlet O’hara, Seduction, Perfumed snow, Volcanic sunset, Painted lady, Tarantula, Black warrior, etc.

Below are only several Adenium pictures that I took from her garden. As for me, they just look almost the same, hehehe....

Peek a boo.... I can see you, mom!!! ;)

Flower Market (Pasar Bunga)

2007-07-21T16:30:00.002+07:00

Early in the morning (around 5 am), I went together with my mom and her friend to the biggest cut-flower market in Indonesia. It's located at Rawa Belong area in West Jakarta.

Still dark when we arrived there.

5 Favorite Eating Places

2007-04-03T22:05:00.005+07:00

For more food info especially for Indonesian street food, please visit "Selby's Food Corner" blog.

This is a really fun tag! Seriously! Yes, a tag of FOOD! Tell me, who doesn't love to eat nor having a favorite eating place?

The rules:
1. Add a direct link to your post below the name of the person who tagged you.Include the state and country you’re in.
Nicole (Sydney, Australia)
velverse (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
LB (San Giovanni in Marignano, Italy)
Selba (Jakarta, Indonesia)

2. List out your top 5 favorite places to eat at your location.

3. Tag 5 other people (preferably from other countries/states)[..and let them know they’ve been tagged]

For Chinese and Japanese food, there're so many good restaurants. It really makes me difficult to decide which one to put. So in order not to make me confused, I better put all my favorite restaurants.

1. Chinese Food
Huang Ting.
For those who have been also reading my other blog "My Days", probably are so familiar with this restaurant since I mentioned so many times. It's a very nice Chinese restaurant. The food is so delicious, the price is reasonable and if you dine in the evening, you can feel the romantic atmosphere ;)

Looking for the best duck in town ? Go to The Duck King.
Oh... please be aware that they usually will put a wet tissue for each person and charge for it, no matter if the guest use it or not!

The best Xiao Long Bao in Jakarta! Yes, it's in Din Tai Fung.

2. Japanese Food
I love sushi! It's quite difficult to choose between Sushi Tei, Sakae Sushi and Sushi Groove :)

Sakae Sushi

Sushi Groove

3. Penang Bistro
A Malaysian food restaurant which located near to my office.

4. Vietopia.
Looking for Vietnemese food? Then so far the best place is at Vietopia but please do not compare it if you have been to Vietnam. I remember those times before I visited Vietnam, I just love so much the food in this restaurant but after I came back from Vietnam, then the food becomes just 'ok' :(

5. Pondok Laguna
Everyone especially expatriates love to dine in this Indonesian Seafood restaurant.

Let's do the gastronomic tour around the world...
therefore don't blame me if I tag:
1. The Moody Minstrel because he lives in Japan
2. Angele because she lives in Mauritius
3. StephenLim because he lives in Malaysia
4. Olivia because she lives in England (updated: plus America)
5. Siamjai because he lives in Hungary & Thailand

The Missing Piece

2006-12-10T21:49:00.002+07:00

Regarding Maturity…

In this society that emphasizes on the packaging, we would sometimes inevitably envy other people’s good looks, and lament about our own imperfection.

But in my years of experience, I have discovered that there’s no one life that is perfect, everyone has a lack of something.

Some couples are very loving, monthly salary of 10K+, but they could have problems bearing child.
Some people have the looks and talent, but could have a rough time in relationships.
Some people have lots of money, but they don’t have filial children.
Some people look to have a good life, but their brain could be empty all their life.

Everyone’s life has been designed with imperfections,
you may not want it, but it will follow you.
I used to hate my imperfection,
but now I have learnt to accept it with open arms

Because I understand that the flaw in life is like a spike on our backs, reminding us to be humble and to emphasize with others.

If there are no hardships, we will be complacent. If there is no depression, we cannot emphasize and console those who are less fortunate.

I also believe that life cannot be too perfect, having a crack to let happiness flow to others is a beautiful thing.

You don’t have to have everything.
If you have everything, what’s left for the others?
Also recognise that life has flaws,
that I will not compare myself with others,
instead cherish what you already have.

So, don’t go around envying others, count the blessings that Heaven has bestowed upon you, you will find that there are more things that you have than things that you don’t have

And what you do not have, although not lovable, is very much part of your life,
accept and appreciate it, and your life will be much happier.

If you are a clam,
Do you want to bear all the pains to produce a pearl…..or you do not want the pearl and choose to live comfortably?!

If you are a mouse,
you suddenly find yourself captured in a rat trap and in front of you is a piece of delicious cake,
do you eat the cake or not?!

Early piggy banks are made of clay, once it is filled, it has to be broken…
If there is such a piggy bank, no money has been put into it, until today and it has become a very priceless antique…..
Which piggy bank do you wish to be?!

Everytime you think of it, note down your answers…
Until a day when your answers does not change….
Then you are mature!

Find someone who understands you…
and also hope you are that someone who understands him/her...

The intelligent like to guess people’s heart…
Although everytime they get it right, they will lose their own...

The innocent and naive love to give their hearts…
Although they get laughed at everytime but they would have won over other people’s hearts...

The fish said: I can’t see my tears because I am in the water...

The water said: I can feel your tears because you are in my heart...

Tukang Jamu

2006-11-06T09:08:00.003+07:00

Jamu is an Indonesian traditional herbal medicine.

There are a lot kind of jamu, i.e:
galian singset — weight reduction
beras kencur (from rice, sand ginger and brown sugar) — cough, fatigue
temulawak (from curcuma) — for liver disease
gula asem (from tamarind and brown sugar) — rich in vitamin C
kunyit asam (from tamarind, turmeric) — for skin care

Note:
I've been wanting to take a picture of a tukang jamu for a long time because I think it's pretty interesting but these days, it's not really easy to snap them since they become rarely (the young generation tukang jamus prefer to ride a bike while selling their jamu).
Those old generation of tukang jamu, they walk around in their neighbourhoud, carry those heavy bottles of jamu on their back and try their best to sell it.
I'm so happy when I saw this tukang jamu because when I asked her whether I could take a picture of her, she was very nice and also cooperative.

Babe's Bajaj

2005-06-01T18:57:00.001+07:00

This is one of Jakarta's public transportation. A three wheels vehicle like a Tuk-tuk in Thailand.

Almost every afternoon, this old man will come around 5 pm with his bajaj to pick up my colleagues and/or me to bring us home. He will wait at the opposite of my office building. Most of the time, I get off from the bajaj in front of a mall (my colleagues will continue using the bajaj until they reach their house) then from the mall, I use a mini bus called Metromini to get to my house.

We called this old man “Babe” which means ‘Father’ in Betawi – Jakarta dialect. Babe has been working as a bajaj driver for more than 20 years.

One trip from my office to that mall cost Rp. 16.000 (USD 1.6).

My colleagues and I are always very happy when we see Babe because we don't need to bargain or even clarify our intended route as we always do to other bajaj driver.