Simply My Notes

From all the countries, I've visited, Saudi Arabia is probably the country with the most hassle on visas. It's quite difficult to obtain a visa to enter the country without a definite sponsor. If you work, you also want to make sure that the visa and iqama (residence permit) is in accordance to your contract. Also unlike other countries, which offer tourist visas or visit visa by invitation, as far as I know, up to now KSA only issues visit visa for immediate family of the resident who work. So, it is more difficult to invite my mom, than it is to invite my hubby's. At first, I thought, people can just come with some invitation visa, so that while we're here, our relatives and friends can come over to our place for holiday and perform umroh. Totally wrong.

Finally, setelah empat kali gagal liburan, berangkat juga mid August kemaren kita bertiga ke Jakarta. Salah satu pasalnya sih, gara-gara aku yang ngidam pangsit GM :D. Tapi juga, terus terang butuh juga nih sama yang namanya refreshing. Penat rasanya di rumah mulu. Sumuk pula. Padahal AC serumah diidupin semua 24/7. Juga pengen 'cuti' rasanya dari kerjaan sehari-hari. So, walaupun cuma tiga minggu, berasa banget deh liburannnya. Hari-hari di Jakarta diisi apalagi kalo bukan wisata boga. Pertama dateng, kebetulan lagi pas acara tahlilan setahunnya Papi (udah setahun aja, ga berasa. Apalagi, rasanya Papi tuh masih ada aja), jadi for dinner, bakso mami n satenya Rusli. Besoknya langsung nyatronin bakmi GM. Hore, si calon baby kesampean juga dapet pangsit GM. Tiap hari beda-beda makanan. Bener2 deh si calon baby yang ini indulged banget.  Ga heran, 2 minggu di Jakarta beratku naek 5kg.

Maunya buat utk 1 meal, ternyata bisa utk 3 kali meal, apalagi kalau cuma utk appetizer. Healthy option... :p Couscous Tuna Salad 2 sm couscous 1 bh tomat besar, potong dadu sedang 3 sm biji jagung, dari kaleng, atau fresh corn yang rebus 3 sm red beans, dari kaleng, atau rebusan 1/2 bh paprika hijau, potong dadu sedang 3-4 lbr lettuce, potong/sobek kecil/sedang sesuai selera 2-3 btg mint, ambil daunnya saja, cincang 2-3 btg seledri, ambil daunnya saja, cincang 2 sm tuna kaleng, drained 2-3 sm perasan lemon 2 sm olive oil 2 sm low fat fresh cream 1/2 st black pepper 1/2 st witte pepper a pinch of salt Buat: Campurkan couscous, daun mint dan seledri dan dengan boiling water (biasanya banyaknya air 3/4 dari couscous), aduk rata dan biarkan kira2 5 menit supaya mengembang Untuk dressing salad: aduk tuna, cream, olive oil, pepper, salt, setelah rata, campurkan perasanan lemon Masukkan semua sayuran/sisa bahan, couscous dan tuna dressing, aduk rata

(After eating brik di La Goulette...) Back from Tunisia from our honeymoon in 2004, yang keinget adalah Briknya. Rasanya beda di lidah. Kalo dibayangin mungkin terasa aneh, tuna pake telor gitu loh. Tapi setelah dimakan, mmm... Makanya sekarang setelah punya kompornya gas, mau experimen bikin. Bedanya, instead of telor utuh (ceplok), telornya aku kocok dulu kyk utk omelet. Takut dalemnya ga matang, salmononella datang... TUNISIAN BRIK (5 buah) Bahan 5 helai spring roll pastry 5 sm penuh tuna kaleng, drained 2 btr telur ayam (brik aslinya telornya utuh, brik ala Vica: telornya dikocok dulu) 1 btg dn bawang (lente ui), cincang 1 bh lemon, potong jadi 5 wedges/slice minyak utk deep fried white pepper secukupnya Cara untuk tiap brik Lipat pastry seperti segitiga, buka kembali lipatan Spoon tuna di paruh atas pastry, bentuk bundar dengan sedikit cekungan untuk tempat telur, sprinkle sedikit merica dan dn bawang Taruh telur di dalam cekungan, pokoknya asalkan telornya ga lari keluar pastry ...

Seminggu home alone kemaren, yang ada bikin2 easy cooking, yang penting ga kelaperan hehehe. Sehari sebelumnya bikin Tuna Couscous salad , lalu besoknya Bikin Tunisian Tuna Brik . Trus masih ada aja tuh sisa canned Tunanya, so, pasta it is, mate... Tuna n Tomato Cream Pasta (1-2 servings) Bahan n Bumbu 100 gr small sized pasta (elbow macaroni/shell/farfalle etc) -- kira2 segenggam cukup 3-4 sm penuh tuna kaleng (water drained) 1/2 bh bw bombay, iris melintang 1 butir bw putih, crush/parut 1/2 bh tomat besar, potong kotak kecil/dadu 1/2 bh paprika hijau besar, potong kotak kecil/dadu 2 sm penuh low fat/lite fresh cream 2 sm saus tomat (tomato ketchup) 1/2 st of ground white and black pepper 1 st dried italian spices (oregano, thyme, rosemary etc) a pinch of sugar 1 st margarine utk masak 1 sm extra virgin olive oil a splash of fresh milk (seperlunya) Cara buat: Masak pasta al dente, tiriskan, sisihkan In a pan, tumis garlic smp harum dengan api sedang, lalu masukkan bw bombay, paprika, ...

Seorang teman Belanda yang baru pulang dari Amerika mengeluh. Katanya orang Amerika (Serikat) bermental "tipping". Sedikit2 harus keluar tip, naik taksi sampai makan di resto. Lain dengan teman dari Amerika (Serikat) yang bilang pelayanan di Belanda payah. Yang lelet, yang kurang senyum, ga tanggep dll, dsb. Aku cuma bisa manggut-manggut. Habis kalau disini emang kalo makan di kaki lima or resto biasa (not the fancy ones) emang pelayanannya yah gitu, biasanya cuma minta "Mas, ga pake lama ya". Abis makan, ya langsung pergi, ga nerusin ke " een kopje koffie " dulu sampe berjam-jam.

After enjoying a full week of traffic-jam-free Jakarta, last night I experienced the "beauty" of Jakarta at night. There were lots of light from the many cars trapped in the crammed roads. Then some music from the horn of a high rank police officer car, trying to get free from the traffic by zigzaging the other cars. Well, maybe his urge to pee was soooo great :p. Not to mention the "charming" black pool made by the rain on the main road of Sudirman. Maybe that pools were the main cause of the jammed road, not the lack of discipline of the people calling themselves intelligent urban people.  This just adding a bigger line of my disappointment smile. I just went to Papi's cemetary and found out that his grave was neglected. And it was just a week after the last time we paid a visit there. It turned out the cemetary official who supposedly had received payment didn't tend the lot. We supposed to go to unofficial cemetary caretaker to tend the grave. When I...