Tuesday, February 9, 2010

No Wine-ing Allowed

Here are some facts about Cambodia:
  1. Sixty percent of the Cambodian population is under the age of 20.
  2. Cambodia is approximately 95% Buddhist.
  3. Angkor Wat is one of the 7 wonders of the world.  The temples are made from carved stone and are around 1,000 years old.  The word "magnificent" doesn't even begin to describe them.
  4. There are 3 - 6 million land mines still buried in Cambodia.  An average of 2 to 3 people step on them each day and are killed or severely injured.  It costs over $500 to locate and remove one land mine.
  5. The number of AIDS cases in Cambodia has reached epidemic levels and is the highest in Asia.
  6. 10,000 - 20,000 children live on the streets in Cambodia.  60% or more sniff glue which curbs their hunger (and causes brain damage).
  7. Cows in Cambodia are super-skinny and almost skeletal.  They are used solely for bartering or pulling carts.  Dairy and beef are not prevalent in the Cambodian diet.
  8. A favorite snack to go along with Angkor Beer is a big plate of fried, salted crickets or tarantulas. 
  9. Wine as we know it is not consumed frequently in Cambodia.  Instead, they prefer wine made from palm sugar (I tried it - it makes Gallo look like fine wine).
I've just returned from my journey and  am dragging my jet-lagged self around, trying to be functional.  Guess that explains why, when I went to the grocery store this morning, I found myself pushing someone else's cart into which I had actually loaded a few items of my own.  Oops!  By the time I realized it, no one was around and I had no idea who it belonged to so I just left it in the aisle and slunk away.  Shame, shame!

I will have a lot to say and a lot of pictures to post as soon as I recover from the 26-hours of travel.  In the meantime though, let me introduce you to my favorite drink in Cambodia.  That would be "Lime Juice."  In the absence of decent wine, this became my beverage of choice and it isn't even alcoholic!

For you jaded readers out there, I know this is basically what we know as limeade.  But it is so much more exotic than that when you make it with sugar syrup and keep it on the tart side the way the Cambodians do!

LIME JUICE

For the syrup:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water

Place sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.  Stir then bring to a boil.  Let boil for 30 seconds then turn off heat.  Let cool slightly, then chill in refrigerator until cold.  Place in a small pitcher.

To assemble the drink:
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
Thin lime slices for garnish

Fill a tall glass with ice.  Add lime juice.  Place a straw and a long thin spoon in glass (in lieu of this, you can use an iced tea spoon if you have one).  Serve with the pitcher of chilled syrup.  Add syrup as desired to the lime juce and stir well.  Garnish with lime slices.

Serves 1

Try to mend your evil western ways and add less syrup than you usually would.  You don't want this to be overly sweet or it ceases to be refreshing.

And of course, this could always benefit from a splash or two of vodka.  You could even serve it up with some fried crickets, in which case the vodka would be crucial.

Perkembangan Bayi bulan 5-6

Memasuki perkembangan bayi bulan 5-6...

Bagaimana aku tumbuh:

  • Aku dapat bergoyang, berputar dan menari.
  • Aku dapat menendang dan mengisap jemariku.
  • Aku dapat berdiri bila engkau memegangi bawah lenganku.
  • Aku dapat melompat naik dan turun, dan juga menjejakkan kakiku.
  • Aku pasti mempunyai niat tertentu bila aku meraih sesuatu.
  • Aku bahkan bisa berguling.

Bagaimana aku berbicara:

  • Aku memperhatikan bibirmu dan menirukanmu ketika engkau berbicara.
  • Aku dapat menghasilkan suara seperti eee, aah, oh, dada, bye bye, dan mama.
  • Aku berceloteh kepada diriku sendiri, kepada mainanku, dan kepada orang lain, agar orang2 memperhatikanku.

Bagaimana aku merespon:

  • Aku dapat saja menangis ketika melihat orang asing.
  • Aku tersenyum ketika melihat wajah dan mendengar suara yang kukenal.
  • Aku mencari-cari sumber suara yang kudengar.
  • Aku membuat suara dan mengganggu percakapanmu karena aku ingin diperhatikan.
  • Aku ingin menyentuh, menggenggam, membolak-balik, mengocok, dan merasakan semua benda.
  • Aku selalu bersemangat melakukan hal yang ingin kulakukan.

Bagaimana aku mengerti:

  • Aku mengetahui namaku.
  • Aku dapat membedakan diriku dengan orang lain ketika bercermin.
  • Aku dapat mengingat hal yang baru saja kulakukan.

Bagaimana perasaanku:

  • Aku senang bersandar padamu ketika engkau menggendongku.
  • Aku akan berhenti menangis bila engkau mengajakku bicara.
  • Aku sudah dapat merasakan rasa takut, marah, dan jijik.

Bagaimana kau dapat membantuku belajar:

  • Berbicaralah padaku dalam kalimat lengkap tentang apa yang sedang kau lakukan saat ini.
  • Tataplah wajahku ketika engkau sedang bicara, sehingga aku dapat mengamati bibirmu dan kemudian mencoba menirukannya.
  • Bermain cilukba denganku.
  • Memperdengarkanku alunan musik untuk beberapa saat. aku akan sangat menikmati saat2 tenang tersebut.

random facts and i wanna go to KLIA!




nak sehattt!!!

ni namanya, nak tulis mcm2 tp x de point.
biarkan saja jari ku menulis~


huhu. semalam aku agak mcm cacing kepanasan. napekah? memikirkan diri yg tak sehat lg pdhal dah nak msk hari ke-3. oh bosan! aku try peluhkan diri. lepas update blog sampai 5am semlm, aku x tdow. aku basuh kain, jemur kain, aku pasang meja kecil merah yg baru beli di ikea hari tu, aku sapu lantai bilik, aku pasang sticker dkt cermin toilet, hurm, apa lg tah, bnda2 ringan je. tp ends up aku rasa letih melampau. lama dah aku x demam cam gini ni. antibiotic tnggl 2 biji je T__T. so aku pun tdow kejap 1130am 1il 1230 pm. lunch~ pun sama je letih semcm dia.

owh ye. teramat sgt nak gi KLIA. maw hantar momoyo + hawa! mereka maw fly sudah. sob3. tp kul 4 dkt airport, 730pm dah boarding? gaaa~ sedang ku usahakan lg. kalau ada rezeki, adalah. pelik kan pagi2 buta mcm gini pon internet mcm siput...dah register streamyx pun pnya lah lmbt die org nak pasang! wahlaa. cam gane nak maju business. asyik pk nak kaut keuntungan je. but, what am i expecting? worlds nowdays it's all about the money. ish3...


btw. tiba2 menggatal nak bgtaw few facts, 2 b frank, it's about me.
1 - cpt rasa nak muntah ble tgk org lain muntah. and cpt nak muntah tgk tandas awam kotor.
2 - even tak tahan nak muntah tgk tandas awam kotor, dr sekolah rendah ada 1 habit pelik yg mama baru taw tahun lepas. iaitu mesti masuk each toilet room yg kotor, yg tak dipam, sambil ttp hidung, sy akan pamkan. ye. tak suka kotor2 tuh!
3 - taw x kalau bihun sy mesti makan berkuah, mee kuning mestilah bergoreng, cuma kuey teow je special, berkuah dan bergoreng telan semua.
4 - sukeee gi pantai!!! main air, pasir. tp suka mandi sg & air terjun! kalau mandi pantai tiba2 tuh mmg miracle yg sgt jrng berlaku.
5 - sy bkn jenis suka beli / pasang lilin2 nih dlm bilik. tp sejak semlm ye! itupun 1 lilin yg berjaya membuka hati selama hidup ni. tindra - ikea. smells like vanilla.
6 - perfectionist - in organizing things! bnda no 2 yg blh buat sy marahhh amat even bnda tu simple sgt. no 1, biasalah, timing. (tak mengenal siapa atau usia) haha.
7 - kalau tak makan licin tu, org yg dah kenal sy, akan pelik. hua3... tak kisah lah dgn siapa pun!
8 - burger / spaghetti / serunding - lg suka yg daging lembu. tp chicken chop ttp no 1~
9 - kalau sy diam, sy berfikir. sekecil - kecil bnda sampai sebesar - besar ciptaan. mcm2 lah!
10 - kalau sy marah. 2 bnda yg sy sedar kerap buat sy tersenyum + sejuk = kucing + kiddies.



oklah. sudahlah tuh! bnyk plak terkeluar. u, best of luck exam! thee. baru lepas azan subuh. jom solat! ;)) fine. aku dah solat, baru nak post. ;P





Winter Blubber...

The scale has been very depressing for a while. And with summer coming soon I decided I needed to start doing something about it. Over the past 3 years I have gained between 10-15 lbs, not cool! So now on the side of my blog I have a little weight loss tracker. I would love to lose 10 lbs. by summer! I am doing a 3 mile power walk video; at least 3 times a week would be ideal. Plus hiking on the weekends and can't forget about counting cleaning the house and shoveling the foot of snow we have now! :) I also need to get better about taking my green tea pills which help your metabolism work faster, which I definitely need!

So we shall see how this goes!

Kheema Matar (Lamb with Peas)

     
  
Have you ever tried those Indian simmer sauces that come in a jar from the supermarket?  Some are pretty good and make a fast and easy way to prepare a meal.  However, they always seem to lack the multiple layers of flavor that are hard to replicate.  Likewise, many recipes that start with a tablespoon of curry power also just don't measure up to the real thing.  However, this recipe from The Food of India: A Journey for Food Lovers will not disappoint.  Amazingly, all of the ingredients can be found at the local supermarket (except for asafoetida, I'm not even sure what it is, but a pinch of it wasn't missed here), and should be part of your pantry of spices.  Similarly, ground lamb is showing up in more and more meat sections.  The next time you see some, grab it and make this recipe.  Serves 2.
    
Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 inch piece of ginger, chopped or 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 cup oil
1 bay leaf
1/2 lb ground lamb
1/2 tbsp tomato paste
1/8 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp plain yoghurt
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/8 tsp garam masala
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
     
Description:
Put the onion, garlic, and ginger in a food processor and process until finely chopped.  Heat the oil in a heavy-based frying pan over medium heat.  Add the onion mixture and bay leaf and fry for 3-4 minutes.  Add the lamb and fry for 10 minutes, breaking up the meat and stirring occasionally.  Add the tomato paste, stir in and lower the heat to simmer.  Add the turmeric, chili powder, coriander and cumin, stir and cook for 1 minute.  Add the yoghurt, salt and pepper, stir and cook for 5 minutes.  Add 1/2 cup of water or more if desired for a looser consistency a little of the time and stir to absorb.  Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.  With 5 minutes remaining, stir in the peas.  At the end, stir in the garam masala and chopped coriander.  Cook for a further minute and then serve with rice if desired.
     

soal berat hari ini

Life is not easy as changing the clothes, hmm.
Berat ya, baru baru udah langsung begini.
Tapi, ini sebenernya kehidupan yang ada.
Berat yang harus diringankan.
baiklaaaah, gue enggak bisa menjelaskan alasan mengapa tiba-tiba gue jadi membicarakan hal seberat ini.
Tapi yang jelas gue semakin termotivasi untuk meweujudkan semua mimpi gue.
Oh iyaaaa hari ini gue menemukan kalimat yang biasa, klise, tapi menguatkan.
"No need to cry, just past it beautifully" dan "I believe, the power of pray."
Kok jadi religius amat ya anak binal macam gue? haha.
Tobaaaatkah? inikah pertanda gue tobat? Oh ya Tuhan!

Next, semakin pesimis gue dengan masa depan gue.
melihat kondisi gue doyan ngalong dan ngantuk pas pagi. 
Punya ide untuk menghilangkan kantuk?
gue butuh banget! hihi.

Aaaaah iya, shincia sudah dekat. gue menghitung hari nih.
List yang mau gue beli makin banyak aja. hmmm.
Yang pasti gue harus beli camera baru, digicam gue rusyaaaak. shit!
Hmm, dan gue sadar, skill gue dalam fotografi lumayan lah, ga bikin lumanyun deh!
Jadi gue niat memahirkan diri dalam jeprat jepret. hahah.

Ah iyaaa, gue lagi chat sama Timoti, teman gue di Think Act Change The Body Shop 2009 juga, cuma dia kategori amatir.
Gue lagi nanya2 soal alternatif jurusan, gue sadar, gue sama dia sama-sama bawel ternyata. ahaha.
kenapa gue nanya sama Timoti? Jawabannya simpel, dia anak Sosiologi UI jeng jeng jeng.

Dia salah satu film maker muda berbakat, dan menyenangkan.
Coba aja cari salah satu filmnya di You Tube yang judulnya "Ketombe Dioksida"
That's funny movie but have lotsa message.
Okay, sepertinya gue mesti tidur sekarang.
See you guys my fellas.
I don't know why, i wanna kiss kiss kiss kiss you all.
bahahahaha.
Bye.

Inspiration: Enid Coleslaw (and old pictures)

 

Ghost World is probably one of my favourite comics from all the times. First time I read it I had about 16 years old, ant it was so funny because in that time, I had a friend, and we used to bee so Enid-Rebecca (at the end, she "changed", as Rebecca... and I move away, so I think this story is so Ghost World-alike). 

In the film, we could see a gorgeous Thora Birch playing the character of Enid Coleslaw... isn't she fabulous?



 
  
  
I had my hair green too sometime ago...


At university, I met my friend Electra, and since the moment we met, we knew that we should be best friends... imagine, two Enids together! Using fake animal's ears, leopard and zebra prints and sharing different hair colors (in that time, I had my hair like sometimes in pink, blue, purple or green... I changed a lot). We made lots of crazy things together... 

 
This picture was taken last September of 2009, the last time we saw each other!
By the way, I think that I've tell you this before, but know you've got the evidence... in 2008 I had half of my hair blue!
Me at Lisbon; we went for Rock in Rio festival.
With my friend Alex!

Wasn't it cool?

And know... have you got a favourite comic/manga character?