#belajarzerowaste Menuju Rumah Minim Sampah by DK Wardhani
Awalnya tertarik karena baca review buku ini dari Kakak Ocy. Karena penasaran akhirnya pinjam dulu lah, hehe. Eh, ternyata isinya banyak pengetahuan baru dan tips-tips praktis yang dapat langsung diemplementasikan. Akhir minggunya bikin komposter, hari ini akan membuat eco enzyme. Kelebihan dari buku ini adalah, membuat usaha untuk meminimkan sampah itu mudah & bisa langsung dimulai. Dan itu menunjukkan bahwa pesan yang ingin disampaikan berhasil, karena pesan terbaik menurut saya adalah menjadikan gagasan menjadi sebuah aksi nyata.
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Ini kali kedua saya merasa menemukan drama Korea yang memuaskan hati & pikiran. Yang pertama adalah Healer, sedangkan yang kedua adalah The Good Wife. Mungkin bukan kebetulan kalau keduanya memiliki tokoh yang diperankan oleh Yoo Ji Tae. Bisa jadi ini tentang kemampuan akting yang mumpuni dan perihal kecerdasan memilih skenario yang bernas sekaligus kompleks.
The Good Wife adalah drama remake dari serial Amerika Serikat yang berhasil dan tayang cukup lama selama 9 musim. Dalam versi Korea sendiri hanya ada 1 musim (sampai saat ini) dan mengikat hati pemirsa mulai dari jajaran bintang papan atas sebagai pemeran sampai ke pilihan detail kostum/wardrobe yang mengundang decak kagum. Saya sendiri merasa puas dengan serial ini karena wilayah abu-abu yang terbentang luas di masing-masing karakter. Tidak ada tokoh yang sepenuhnya benar atau betul-betul salah. Logika dan keputusan yang diambil tiap karakter dapat dipahami, bahkan ketika harus bersikap antagonis. Hal ini membuat cerita yang disampaikan humanis dan tak berjarak dengan pemikiran penonton.
Ulasan lain mungkin akan bercerita bagaimana Jeon Do Yeon sukses mengawal tokoh Kim Hye Kyung sebagai ibu sekaligus pengacara amatir. Atau bagaimana Yoo Jitae menjadi sosok yang tak bisa ditebak, ingin kita benci tapi sekaligus mengiris hati di saat yang sama. Tapi saya betul-betul terjerat dalam hal-hal kecil yang dimunculkan dalam serial ini seperti pilihan wardrobe, setting background dalam tiap skena dan bagaimana printilan itu bermakna jauh lebih luas dari sekadar dialog yang diucapkan oleh aktor.
Saya suka bagaimana lift dipilih sebagai tempat Hye Kyung dan Joong Won berinteraksi. Ada 3 skena utama dengan lift dimana secara gradual menunjukkan bagaimana hubungan mereka dari sekadar cinta bertepuk sebelah tangan, lalu perasaan resiprokal dengan timing yang meleset kemudian the makeout kisses. Pun juga dengan pink-fuschia stiletto dan lipstick (crayon type) yang dipakai Hye Kyung saat dalam keadaan hatinya ragu-ragu atau menghadapi kasus yang besar dan berat. Saya sangat menyukai bagaimana warna fuschia dipilih, dibandingkan merah, misalnya. Karena tone yang dibawa lebih ke start fresh & anew, menunjukkan konfidensi dan youth spirit.
Serial ini juga membawa optimisme dalam dunia drama Korea yakni membawa trend drama yang tokohnya tidak hanya berani memilih, tetapi juga cerdik dan bukan tipe drama upik abu semata. Trend dengan variasi genre ini secara konsisten digaungkan TvN sebagai stasiun tv kabel yang menayangkan Misaeng, Reply series, Signal. Dengan deretan drama yang menyenangkan untuk diikuti ini, I'm a happy viewer!
1. I Have a Lover
It's my friend's word that made me want to give a look at this drama. She said, "Aah, I wonder if this is how life after marriage. We have a totally different problems, aren't we? You know, I just watched a drama..." and her story lingered. Then I decided to give this 50 episodes drama a go, a really rare decision. I used to watch drama in 10-20ish length, so it's a kind of stamina drenching to watch them, even before started! *ikykwim* I already sensed makjang (exaggerated) typical scenario-tone-expression, so I put my expectations at the lowest. Surprisingly, it turns out good enough for me. The chemistry between lead characters really stole my heart. I somehow absorbed by the simple things such a gesture, diction and the character's growth.
It's my friend's word that made me want to give a look at this drama. She said, "Aah, I wonder if this is how life after marriage. We have a totally different problems, aren't we? You know, I just watched a drama..." and her story lingered. Then I decided to give this 50 episodes drama a go, a really rare decision. I used to watch drama in 10-20ish length, so it's a kind of stamina drenching to watch them, even before started! *ikykwim* I already sensed makjang (exaggerated) typical scenario-tone-expression, so I put my expectations at the lowest. Surprisingly, it turns out good enough for me. The chemistry between lead characters really stole my heart. I somehow absorbed by the simple things such a gesture, diction and the character's growth.
Well, sometimes I should read recap of some episodes, when the antagonists just being true evil like s/he's not even human. But I returned to watch all of the episodes, anyway. If I should give a reason for you to watch IHAL, it must be Ji Jin Hee & Han Hyojoo's act.
Rate : 7/10
2. Reply 1988
Rate: 8/10
3. Another Miss Oh (Oh Haeyoung Again)
Presumption; I don't like Eric as an actor. Don't ask me why. For me, he's more variety type than acting one. But I love Seo Hyunjin, so I decided to watch the early episode.
Fact: I love the drama! Eric's act too! Well, blame my age, now I love how "adult love story" than the "shy-pit-a-pat youth love story". I love how the girl character, where she's brave, straightforward, know what she wants & what she feels and love herself. I love the characterization and the soundtracks. And the greatest part: the chemistry & the physical attraction between the leads, daebak! Give them a chance, if you like rom-com and a bit splash of mystery.
Rate: 8/10
4. Lucky Romance
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| Ryu Junyeol & Hwang Jungeum for Marie Claire |
Rate: 7/10
5. I Remember You (Hello Monster)
This underrated drama should have a spotlight and standing ovation for the plot, storyline, cast, act and chemistry! If you like Sherlock-ish series, you really should watch this. I like how the character grows, how they made a mistake and solve them maturely. I also love how the loveline built, it's honest and somehow raw, just fit as the character developed in every episode. Seo Inguk acting is spread in broad emotion spectrum, Jang Nara also portrayed the detective character perfectly. Really recommended!Rate: 9/10
Kesan pertama yang menyenangkan membuat saya tertarik untuk
menggunakan Uber lagi. Saya donlod aplikasinya dan memasukkan kode promo dari
kawan agar mendapat Free Ride sebesar 50ribu. Kalian juga bisa mendapatkannya
dengan memasukkan kode qbmjn5jeue Dengan rute dari Raya Lingkar Timur –
Sidoarjo hingga Karang Menur – Surabaya, di hari Sabtu siang, Cuma habis 70ribu
saja loh. Lumayaaann.. banget! Setelahnya, saya mengajak Tiwi, teman saya untuk juga donlod
dan memanfaatkan promo Free Ride. Ia memasukkan kode qbmjn5jeue dari saya dan
otomatis langsung mendapatkan Free Ride sebesar 50ribu. Kemudian, setelah ia
menggunakan Free Ride tersebut untuk perjalanan pertamanya/First Trip, saya pun
mendapat keuntungan yang sama. Such a win-win happiness!
Tapi, bukan berarti tidak ada pengalaman tidak menyenangkan
ya dengan Uber. Ada beberapa hal yang perlu dicermati & hati-hati dalam
menggunakan Uber. Uber menerapkan cancellation fee atau biaya pembatalan
sebesar 30 ribu rupiah, jika kalian membatalkan pesanan setelah 5 menit. Saya
pernah order, saya SMS drivernya untuk alamat lengkap & perkiraan letak
rumah, dan kemudian karena harus menyiapkan beberapa hal saya tidak mengecek
lagi gerak unit mobil di layar handphone saya. Setelah beberapa waktu berlalu,
baru saya cek dan ternyata mobil yang mengambil order saya tidak bergerak dari
tempat. Saya telpon ternyata driver tersebut mengatakan mobilnya sedang di
bengkel, dan dia tetap mengambil order saya karena takut terkena denda oleh
Uber. Dia meyakinkan saya agar membatalkan pesanan, dan meski saya berargumen
bahwa sudah lebih dari 5 menit, dia bersikeras bahwa tidak akan kena
cancellation fee karena belum 5 menit. Which is so not true, saya akhirnya
tetap kena cancellation fee dan dibayarkan ketika saya mengorder perjalanan
selanjutnya.
Untuk itu, di bawah ini adalah tips untuk menggunakan
layanan Uber dengan nyaman:
- Download/unduh apps Uber di iOs atau Google Playstore
- Setelah terpasang, isi data diri kemudian masukkan kode qbmjn5jeue untuk mendapatkan Free Ride untuk perjalanan pertama senilai 50ribu (kalau ternyata lebih dari 50ribu, kalian cukup membayar sisa selisihnya saja)
- Untuk mengecek apakah promo tersebut sudah masuk/berlaku, cukup cek opsi menu “PROMO”, di sana akan tertera nilai free ride dan masa berlakunya
- Ketika order, setelah mendapatkan driver beserta nomor teleponnya, langsung SMS alamat dan perkiraan letak rumah/tempat penjemputan. Jika setelah 3 menit tidak ada respon, bisa langsung ditelpon untuk konfirmasi. Driver yang proaktif untuk menelpon/SMS lebih dulu juga banyak, tetapi tidak semua.
- Jika tidak ada respon, segera batalkan order. Tunggu beberapa menit untuk melihat driver/mobil lain yang tersedia di dekat kalian. Uber ini sistemnya siapa driver yang paling dekat adalah yang mendapatkan order klien, jadi tidak rebutan. Jika langsung order lagi setelah cancel yang sebelumnya, besar kemungkinan akan “nyantol” di driver yang sama.
- Dari 5 kali perjalanan terakhir dengan Uber, rata-rata pengalamannya menyenangkan, sopirnya sopan dan saya nyaman bahkan untuk menyusui Hayu. Jadi, silakan coba juga ya. Jangan lupa kodenya qbmjn5jeue untuk free ride gratis
Pernah dengar dupe yarn, benang yang serupa tapi tak sama?
Kalau teman-teman penggemar atau pemerhati perkembangan tata
rias, pasti lumayan akrab dengan istilah dupe dalam perkosmetikan jaman
sekarang. Utamanya dengan merek-merek impor dari luar Indonesia . Sebut saja untuk
lipstick, kita bisa cek instagram @dupethat atau website-nya yang melampirkan
puluhan (bahkan ratusan) warna lipstick yang dioles, dicoba, dibandingkan satu
sama lain untuk mengetahui apabila ada kemiripan, kekurangan dan karakteristik
yang membuat lipstick tersebut layak dibeli.
Bagaimana dengan benang? Selama ini kalau benang impor, kita
terbantu dengan yarnsub misalnya yang membandingkan dengan teliti dan rinci
(system checklist point & prosentasenya itu membuat saya kagum, aduh enak
betul ya, tak ada merek yang A ya B aja, wong ga beda jauh!), bahkan sebelum
kita pernah memegang benang-benang tersebut. Penjualan & pembelian via
online tentu sangat terbantu dengan situs semacam ini, karena ada ulasan serta
penjelasan yang detail sehingga mempermudah keputusan pembeli atau informasi
yang diberikan penjual juga semakin lengkap.
Itu benang impor, kalau benang lokal? Nah, ini yang bikin gemas-gemas
jengkel. Sejauh pengalaman saya yang cekak dalam merajut dan merenda, benang
lokal seringkali “gundulan”, tanpa label tentang komposisi penyusun benang,
berat/klas benang, gauge/tension, jarum yang disarankan dan lot pewarnaan
seperti layaknya label benang impor pada umumnya. Ada sih yang cukup lengkap seperti benang
signature dari Poyenghobby, tapi ya sejauh ini cuma Poyeng saja. Belum nemu
contoh yang lain. :’D
Dari kegelisahan & keresahan (tsah!) itulah saya pengen
memulai untuk bikin review benang yang telah saya bikin
swatch-nya. Jadi paling tidak ada bayangan atau hitungan kasar untuk
disesuaikan dengan proyek-proyek yang ingin dimulai oleh teman-teman. Saya juga
ingin teman-teman mengalami perasaan yang sama seperti ketika saya mencoba dan
dapat jackpot: benang lokal yang ternyata “rasanya” persis kayak benang impor.
Saya beberapa kali sudah menemui benang yang “Loh, ini kan persis benang impor X!”. Atau ada juga
benang impor dari negara berbeda, dengan bahan penyusun yang beda, harga juga
beda, tapi hasil ketika dirajut bisa miriiiiip banget.
Saya ingin mencoba benang sebanyak yang saya bisa, tapiii… karena
belum jadi milyuner, daya beli yang terbatas ini juga bisa jadi kendala. Itulah sebabnya saya juga menjual benang-benang yang saya temukan dupe-nya. Tapi jual benang memang tidak seperti jual beras. Tidak semua orang butuh benang & satu orang tidak mungkin beli benang sehari 3 kali, ya kan? Jadi niatan saya ini masih sangat membutuhkan bantuan dari teman-teman. Kalau ada yang berminat untuk urun rembug, urun
benang, yarn swap, atau provide yarn test, boleeeeeeh banget lhoo.
Urun rembug kayak apa? Bisa dengan kasih info saya: eh Vin,
aku pernah coba benang A, beli di Z, kayaknya mirip dengan benang D yang beli
G, coba gih. Info seperti ini bisa membantu saya untuk bikin watch-list, jadi
kalau duit sudah ngumpul ga bingung mau coba benang yang mana.
Bisa juga yang jualan benang, kalau males bikin swatch, bisa
saya bikinkan. Yarn test yang di-provide oleh penjual tertentu pasti akan
mencantumkan si penjual/provider dengan jelas.
Lho, katanya kamu juga jualan dari benang yang kamu tes Vin?
Terus gimana dong posisi penjual yang benangnya kamu tes tadi? Ya gakpapa,
penjual tetap dicantumkan, saya juga bisa jual benang yang sama, teman-teman
perajut bisa pilih beli di mana. Lumayan, jadi ada pilihan untuk beli di tempat
yang terdekat dari teman-teman (bisa hemat ongkir kalau dekat! =D). Toh, paling-paling saya juga kulakan di penjual tersebut. Hehehe. No worries, rejeki ga bakal ketuker. ;)
Kalau yarn swap gimana? Ya tuker-tukeran benang: Vin aku
punya benang A, kayaknya belum pernah kamu swatch, mau ga? Tuker benang yang
menarik/oke buat topi atau blablabla dong. Kita bisa ngobrol biar dapet best
deal buat kedua belah pihak yaa.
Aduh, ga usah ribet. Nih aku punya benang sekeranjang
nganggur, sok atuh di-swatch semua! Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh, ya ini yang
ditunggu-tunggu. Hehehe. Untuk teman perajut yang berjauhan dari domisili saya,
apalagi yang nyumbang gini, saya mau banget tanggung ongkos kirimnya. =D
Di postingan selanjutnya, saya akan cerita benang yang sudah saya swatch. Yang
pengen urun rembug atau dukungan yang lain bisa komen di bawah atau email di vinkamaharani@gmail.com. Happy
knitting & crocheting, fellas!
Disclaimer: Tentu setiap orang memiliki gaya
*dalam tulisan ini banyak istilah rajut-merajut. Bagi yang penasaran, boleh bertanya lho. Shoot me the question at comment! =D
Wah, senang sekali rasanya bisa menyelesaikan rajutan dalam KAL atau Knit ALong. KAL biasa diadakan oleh para perajut dimana mereka bersepakat untuk menyelesaikan satu (atau dari rangkaian karya desainer tertentu) dalam rentang waktu yang ditetapkan. Saya seringkali kurang percaya diri untuk dapat berkomitmen menyelesaikan project dalam waktu yang terbatas, padahal rentang waktunya juga tidak terlampau ketat. Tapi, karena sedang menjalankan discipline fitness, saya merasa tertantang untuk dapat bergabung dalam KAL yang diadakan oleh Papiput Shop // pemiliknya Mbak Amelia Putri. Apalagi dalam pola ini ada beberapa teknik yang ingin saya pelajari tetapi belum kesampaian. Hehe.
Saya memulai cast on pada tanggal 20 November 2015. Kesulitan yang menguji keteguhan niat langsung datang: jarumnya nggak cocok. T_T Dalam pola, terdapat teknik magic loop yang disarankan untuk digunakan (agar lebih mudah), eh ternyata jarum circular saya yang sesuai gauge kaku banget & kurang panjang. Walhasil harus bersabar pakai DPN dan merajut pelan-pelan. Setelah ujian tentang jarum, rajutan relatif lancar. Saya memang beberapa kali mengulang proses pick-up, karena belum pernah melakukannya sebelum ini. Hitung-hitung ongkos belajar sih.
Saya menggunakan benang DK Robin warna kuning cerah. Total habis 2 gulung untuk ukuran "Small Adult". Keuntungan pakai benang ini adalah masih oke dirajut meski sudah bongkar-pasang beberapa kali dan hasilnya lembuuuut banget. Saya menggunakan jarum DPN & circular ukuran 5.0mm, disesuaikan dengan test gauge-nya.
Kalau diringkas, pola ini punya beberapa titik kesulitan yang bisa ditaklukkan:
- Teknik magic loop. Pastikan jarum circular anda cukup panjang & cukup lentur ya.
- Teknik cable. Untuk kenyamanan, cable needle memang membantu, tetapi pakai DPN juga bisa kok.
- Pick up evenly, with skipping some stitch. Karena memang jumlah stitch yang tersedia dan yang akan dipick up berbeda. Ada selisih.
- Twisting yarn untuk talinya. Awalnya agak jiper karena bahasanya agak asing untuk penjelasan bikin tali ini, tapi ternyata setelah diikuti dengan seksama, hasilnya baguus! Bisa rapi jali ala-ala tali pengikat korden. =D
Jadi, simpulannya, merajut pola ini menyenangkan. Pompom raksasa itu juga membawa kesan fluffy dan bahagia. Entah lah ya, untuk saya bikin pompom itu memang bikin hati happy. Coba deh kalau tidak percaya. Selamat berkarya!
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| Sebelum ditambah tali |
After I look over my blog, several last post looked pathetic. So let's restart with something neutral. Here is my book review, as published on c20-library.net. Enjoy!
The first thing caught after you
opened Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World
book is a map: The End of the World map. It brought
questions to the mind and made the readers put some expectations:
Will it be a challenging journey through the places described in the
map? Is it medieval era? And other map-related questions that popped
will be crushed to the 1st chapter detailing description. It’s
just like Murakami said greeting warmly to the readers, “Welcome to
my surreal (book) world.”
Tips: Try to get patient and keep the pace until 5th chapter in one go. Then I bet you can’t stop slurping the story even you’re not completely sure about the vocabulary.
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| The superb storyline illustration comes from here. Click the picture to enjoy. |
In this book, Murakami brought us
into an absurd and adventurous storyline. The feeling of thriller and
detective stories twisted with a lot of science explanations in every
chapter’s corner. We could feel like having musical scene by the
rifle of songs’ line here and there, but at the next flip we
started the absolute silence; the indefinite solitude. Even the
protagonist had polarized character: easygoing but a loner, dreamer
yet realistic.
After all of the detail and
complicated story that bring awe to the readers, somehow Hard-Boiled
feels quite Hollywood-ish. The Western culture which Murakami
attached was like foamy milk part in a cup of cappuccino; it
dissolved, blended and felt in every sip. The ending was quite easy
to guess and the heroic tale seems fulfilled the story gauge. Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End
of the World was the exact previous work of Norwegian Wood, the
notable mega-bestseller of Haruki Murakami, among Japan and other
countries. Perhaps, Hard-Boiled didn’t have as much exposure as
its kohai* but the Tanizaki Prize (received in 1985) could
show how the books had a respected value in Japanese literary.
This is my first Murakami’s. I
chose the title based on the date of first edition printed. It’s
the oldest in c2o library’s collection. It’s my bad for thinking
too deep in each word that made me lost the bigger picture till the
5th chapter. After trying to re-read again in once sitting, I
got my nerves back and the thrills began.
Best part for reading this was
know that the author participate in translating & adapting the
book in English. It made every open-dico-and-thesaurus-regularly paid
off, yet understand how the native language disparity vanished in
every un-rhyme sentences which linked beautifully.
*kohai : junior
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| Proudly present Hubby's vest by me! |
After 3 months passed, finally the vest that I knitted for my hubby was done! Yeeaaaaayyyyy! It's my longest journey in knitting project anyway [till now], so you probably could imagined how my feeling was. I smiled ear to ear when he finally wore it to go to work. I received many questions and compliments: "How long you did the vest?", "how could you keep the patience for doing big project?", "how long you learned knitting to be ready to knit the big project?", and so on. Somehow, I really want to write how you could keep the pace and curiosity in knitting, but since I am a very beginner and only learned since 4 months ago, I feel that I am not qualified to do so. Then, today, I just want to tell you how the story behind this knit project. =D
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| back-detail |
First thing first, asking the people that you will knit what s/he want. I asked my hubby, what piece of knitting that he really want. He said, something wearable, not too difficult to me to knit and looks good on him. I've a thought for making him a sweater, like what mbak Ajeng did here, but I realized that how to seam the sleeves and other part will be a tough challenge to me. Then I chose vest and start looking some patterns and my eyes got stuck to this! It looks classic yet do-able, because I've already learned cable knitting before. My hubby also liked it directly, so we move to another step: YARN!
Yarn is quite a tricky part of knitting, in my own opinion. It's the main ingredient of your knit-project, then almost every aspect will relate to yarn. At a glance, I looked for the price of the same yarn as cited at the pattern, but then the budget will go gaga. That's why I should do a bit research for yarn-hunting. Most of the knitters who had the pattern used import yarn, I simply can't afford the same yarn with the same price in Indonesia, then I narrowed my preference to local yarn. If I talked about local yarn, then I turned my sight to Poyeng first. Perhaps you've already read my previous post about me introduced to knitting by met this cute hobby shop, since then it's hard to find the rival of the same kind shop. Poyeng had their signature yarns and the latest [at June, it just came out] was Hand-Dyed Rayon. The colors were lovely! Especially for the Vintage series, I just want to grab them all. Huhuhu. My husband let me chose the color, and after a deep thinking process, I took maroon. In several times of buying, for total I bought 10 skeins, each 100gr. The vest only took almost 7 skeins though. And in the end, I bought the Light Magenta color too, 2 hanks and 2 skeins. Please, it's simply irresistible. =P
Once I got the yarn, I made the gauge, but then I realized that the pattern wouldn't match. I had to double it up to match the gauge mentioned there. What I feel relieved was, even though I did double-ply-ing, but the Hand-dyed Rayon just keep smooth and fitted perfectly to the pattern. I was afraid it will look awkward and not good in his appearance, but the result turned out very nice. The Vintage series also had irregular pattern and color gradual, it helps showing the smooth texture of the knitting. The only thing that surprised was the dye color of the yarn faded to my bamboo needles, huhuhu. My needles turned red-ish now. It seems they need to evaluate more in that, but for the price I paid, it still made me content. =)
If you're missing your favourite colour or always left empty handed in Poyeng's yarn, it's a sign for you that you have to be keep-updated. Follow the owner's twitter account, its Facebook page and their website. A little tips anyway, try to diligently click here, my happiness shortcut for their giveaway. Hihi. They usually give knitting tidbits that always encourage us to keep knitting on.
For finishing this project, somehow it was like a milestone for my knitting journey. It challenges my resilience, patience and procrastinating habit. Knitting sometimes just like a one side-started war with myself, with the needles as a weapon, pattern as a tactic map, yarn as the battlefield. The winning comes very sweet & delightful in the end. It is the reason why I want to knit more and more.
Quoting an old Norse-Viking saying:
"From his weapons on the open road, no man should step one pace away."
Keep knitting fellas, and Hurrah!
I thought it was a spark of missing a location called restaurant, last place where I worked for, but my chemistry with this book definitely beyond “missing”.
C2o library classified “Kitchen Confidential, Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly” by Anthony Bourdain into business/management section, but I personally disagree. It’s a memoir. I didn’t said that the book doesn’t told us how to manage a restaurant, yes it is, but the real sensation is how Bourdain made the reader as his fellow traveler to traverse an up-down yet magnetizing adventure at his chefdom life.
In a narrative way, Bourdain start to steal attention in his Appetizer part. He promised nothing of this book, which become more appealing because of my triggered mind with “the nothingness”. Then flowing nonstop as a sushi bar, the journey begins and every part of food and restaurant revealed. Bourdain used, and repetitively overused, tons of adjective word to describe as vivid image as he could for every part of the book. You will unconsciously salivating for reading menu description and having goosebumps for a story of savage owner.
Don’t be surprised for the amount of cursing along Kitchen Confidential. It is harsh, maybe, for some readers but it also shows the honest side on how the stories being delivered. You will meet the hard part of being a chef: your uncontrollable cooks, fussy but mega-billionaire owner, customer complaints, sassy purveyor, and of course drugs and sex. It is amazing how he brought all of these smoothly and enjoyable to read.
My favorite part is Second Course where Bourdain even give you step-by-step on How to Cook like A Pro! Through the book, Bourdain give whole clue involving food, not only for restaurateur, chef, or any people who involved in restaurant business, but also for a real stranger who never heard what demi-glace is. He could show many aspects that we could learn from food: politic, strategy, joke, romance, game, ambition, etc.
When I read Kitchen Confidential, I burst in laughter, my heart skipped a beat, and I do evaluating myself again and again. I have a lot of fun reading this book, I hope it’ll be yours also!
I read Garance Dore's city guide last night, and opened the newest update of Ayorek at the same time. Am suddenly thinking, yes, people usually brings tourist or guess into a place that maybe touristy, but actually doesn't very comfortable, the food doesn't good enough, etc. Dore's version is more daily place where you can't live without, the reason(s) why you do keep sane in living there.
So I decided for having my own version of city guide. I'm not a fashionista, or a socialites, then you maybe won't have my favorite shop/place list as reliable enough. I'm easily fascinated by books, comfort & beautiful places, and good gourmet. Then, here we go!
How would I describe Surabaya to someone who has never been?
Surabaya is busy bee. A transit place where people come and go.
Surabaya is a city in a move.
What does that term actually means?
As the city itself, now Surabaya is moving into the better one. In infrastructural and structural, Surabaya does many things. Traffic jam, flood in rainy season, pollution, billboards until the green zone is changing now. So, never listened too much into people whose went to Surabaya 2-5 years ago. Surabaya's better, I guaranteed!
What is Surabaya’s philosophy?
Surabaya's
hot, baby. =D It doesn't only because the weather, but how's the
people. They could changing degree instantly because of dishonesty or
any negative manner, but they're really warm at their heart too. =)
Okay, let's start the tour. What is your perfect breakfast?
Perfect breakfast would go in Sunday morning, because I don't do it in other day. I would love to have a big glass of STMJ (an abbreviation for Susu Telur Madu Jahe: Milk, Egg, Honey and Ginger) in aside of Dharmawangsa street. I'll drink it while having a lovely chat with the seller, and of course, reading a newspaper. I don't know why, but in every STMJ seller in Surabaya which I know, they always have newspapers there. If I feel starve to death, then I'll have Nasi Kuning in traditional market or Sate Ondomohen in Walikota Mustajab street. Have a big heart for the queue. Hehe.
How about brunch?
Absolutely SMA kompleks cafeteria in Jimerto street! There is a block where you could find 4 high schools in it. School means a lot of snacks and foods. I'll choose Mie Pitik by bang Azat (Noodle with Chicken) with special addition Quail eggs or chicken wings. It will be completed with special Orange Ice from Pacar.
Where is the best place to unwind?
Unwind means escape from the routinity. I'll choose to go to c2o library in dr Cipto street. A private library where you could feel homy. I love to sip an Earl Grey here and read Enid Blyton's or Hitchcock's for my once-seated-book. You could find my Gathotkaca Studio's merchandise here also. Hehe. If I want a bigger place to bear and several scoops of gelato for melting my mind, then I go to Hallo Surabaya in Bubutan street. Don't forget to bring your camera!
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| Me and Rida at Hallo Surabaya, almost 3 years ago. =) |
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| Rida & Sheila. Sheila has her marriage reception here, at Hallo Surabaya! |
What are the things that you HAVE to eat in Surabaya? Where to find them?
Duck and Penyetan! The best (and the cheapest) fried duck comes from Surabaya. Every area almost have their best fried duck, you name it. Bebek (duck) cak Sandy, Bebek Bratang, Bebek Kayu Tangan, Bebek Tugu Pahlawan, Bebek Tugu Pahlawan, Bebek Item Pak Sayeki, Bebek Express. Just choose. My favorite are Bebek Bratang at Bratang district and Bebek Item Pak Sayeki at Dharmahusada Street. For Penyetan, which is basically everything fried and goes with steamed rice and -- definitely -- chilli sauce (sambal). I'll have Ho-Ha at Dharmawangsa street, because its delicious sambal will burn your tongue and you can't stop eat it till done.
Tell me about your favorite shop...
I don't have any actually, but I usually get my Wondershoes shoes or boyfie's shirt in Garlick store, Bawean street. If I need some unique outerwear, then I go to Bigbox Complex, Sumatra street. I'll meet Robe de Noerm coat and KuyaGaya footwear here, and sometimes several dresses.
And what about the vintage?
The one and only: Tugu Pahlawan Sunday's market! Dress, tops or several cute pieces such as vest, cropped jacket and sweater. Get ready for the heaps, anyway.
Your favorite beauty habit, how and where?
Facial. I always do that in Larissa, Bali street. If I want some body massage or milk bath, then I go to Alfalfa, Menur street. The last is girl only, fyi.
Where is the best place to get in a good work out?
I don't do gym and I'd like to practice yoga by myself. But there is one place for my muscles to be exercised: Class 5 Recreational Climbing Center, at the complex Plaza Graha Famili. It is indoor wall climbing ever in Surabaya and East Java. I don't feel like exercising there, I'm just having fun. =D
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| At Class 5 |
Could you have any romantic scenes in Surabaya?
Yes, of course. My version will be a picnic style. I would love to bring chocolate, having snacks and drinks from street hawkers such as sugarcane juice or soy milk ice, bakpao Chik Yen, etc. My boyfie brings his guitar and we go to lovely park. Surabaya has many beautiful park nowadays. My favorite goes to Surabaya-Korean park or Prestasi park. Both of them never too crowded or too quiet. If you want to have a romantic dinner, go to Loops at Plaza Graha Famili complex or Citilites in Java Paragon hotel. Unfortunately I haven't had chance to feel the last two places with my couple. *curcol* =P
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| Surabaya-Korean park |
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| Prestasi park |
Where is your absolute favorite restaurant?
BonCafe!
What is the best old and chic restaurant?
I found it as ice cream shops. The old: Zangrandi, the chic: De Boliva Gubeng.
Where is the best place to have a coffee and watch people go by ?
I like to watch people go by in Surabaya Town Square (SuToS), a boutique mall, where there are many coffee shops too. I was a coffee addict couple times ago and sober lately, that's why now I choose to have J-Cool frozen yoghurt in J.Co or having my Lemon Crush in Tator, when I go to SuToS. The 2nd choice will go to Dapur Cokelat in Biliton street. I love to have a cup of Hot Chocolate here, with a slice of Opera or famous Rainbow Cake, while watching how people passed by on the road and doodling in my notebook.
The super non-fashion place you like to go is...
House of Sampoerna, a museum of cigarettes. Sometimes several exhibition were there. You'll definitely love the tour also. HoS made Surabaya Heritage Track tour for public, with different routes for weekdays and weekend. You should try these, at least once when you're in Surabaya. You will feel riding the time machine, back to colonial time with many European buildings in Surabaya. The 2nd is Institut Francais-Indonesia (IFI), where I really love the bibliotheque or the library. The ambience is nice. IFI also have several exhibition, usually in art, photography, or even science. Good place for realizing that the world is vast and explorable.
How do you go around city?
By motorcycle, if you really could ride it well. Use the standard utilities: helmet, jacket, then masker and gloves if you try avoiding ultraviolet effects. The most important about going around the city is the time. You will be fine riding motorcycle in 8.30am, 3.30pm and 8.30pm. The road will be friendly, and comfortable enough for travel in Surabaya.
Do enjoy Surabaya, fellas!
Minggu lalu, di ruang tengah kos, saya ngobrol ngalor-ngidul dengan Novi a.k.a Ming. Ming ini suka banget ama sinetron, mengikuti beberapa lah minimal. Yang dia paling suka sih Cinta Fitri, tapi sejak pindah stasiun televisi, ceritanya mengalami degradasi, menurut Ming. Nah, yang sedang ada di layar televisi saat itu adalah sinetron "Calon Bini".
Sinetron produksi PH yang lagi naik daun ini, Screenplay, memang bergenre komedi. Meskipun slapstick, tapi saya masih menolerir karena dialognya tetap tergarap dengan baik. Nah, di saat ngobrol dengan Ming, ada satu scene yang sampai sekarang masih terngiang-ngiang di kepala saya.
Jadi ceritanya, Akbar (Vino G Bastian), ini sedang menjalani tes dari Pak Said, bosnya yang juga ayah dari tokoh yg diperankan Marissa Nasution (saya lupa namanya, maaf). Nah, Pak Said ini punya hubungan friend or foe dengan Pak Rojak, ayah dari Nurlela (Marsha Timothy). Nurlela dan Marissa sendiri berteman & bersahabat sejak kecil. Celakanya, mereka berdua sama-sama menyukai Akbar. Situasi lain yang juga menjebak adalah, Pak Rojak ini mati-matian membenci & menolak Akbar, perkara pekerjaan dan beberapa hal lain.
Di episode itu, ditunjukkan bagaimana perjuangan Akbar untuk menjalani tes terakhirnya: mendapatkan tanda tangan pengacara Pak Said yang sedang dalam perjalanan menuju bandara, dalam waktu kurang dari 2 jam. Singkat cerita, Akbar berhasil mendapatkan tanda tangan tersebut. Di akhir perjalanannya, mendadak pak Rojak menghadang Akbar. Alih-alih menghalangi, ternyata pak Rojak berniat membantu dan menasihati Akbar agar bisa lulus tes ini. Sikap Pak Rojak dapat dimengerti sebenarnya, ia ingin agar Pak Said tidak merasa menang.
Di meeting point, dalam film ini adalah lapangan kampung, tokoh-tokoh itu berkumpul, menanti Akbar. Karena Akbar berhasil, ia pun dinyatakan lulus tes dan dapat naik jabatan ke level managerial oleh Pak Said. Sebagai respon keberhasilannya, Akbar langsung melamar Nurlela saat itu juga. Nurlela menerima dengan gembira, Pak Rojak meloncat-loncat heboh. Ia merasa menang dari Pak Said, karena Akbar lebih memilih Nurlela dibanding Marissa. Percakapan yang jadi topik di kepala saya adalah berikut ini:
PAK ROJAK
Yeyeye, akhirnya Akbar milih anak gue. Gue menang kali ini. Udah deh Id, ga usah sedih-sedih.. (tertawa)
PAK SAID
Iya Pak Rojak. Selamat untuk Nurlela atas lamaran Akbar. Mungkin kali ini Pak Rojak memang menang, tapi jika Pak Rojak membenci hadiahnya, lalu buat apa? (tersenyum)
Saya pamit dulu Pak Rojak, assalamu'alaikum.
PAK ROJAK
(terlongong-longong) .... iye juge ye, masak gue terima lamarannye.. (muka bingung)
Saya otomatis tertawa terpingkal-pingkal. Aish, mantap sekali ini yang garap naskah. Secara otomatis di kepala saya terdengar Jojo bernyanyi..
....But you don't like me
You just like the chase
To be real
It doesn't matter anyway (You know it's just too little too late)
Love is not (ever) a trophy anyway... =)
I love to share my point of view, my favorite things. And for this week, I have several things labeled "HOT". It means, it successfully fulfilled my days and my mind. No babble anymore Vinka, just show it up!
1. #HelpAlanda
I've already know this girl from years ago, by her writing. She got a bad tragedy, related to this country bad law management & maintenance. You could read my previously post, Surat untuk Alanda Kariza.
2. Pink! Videos
It's quite late actually, but I just know two of Pink!'s latest video. Both of them awesome. I always love the diction in her songs. And they always proud & loud of being truthful. Honest. =)
Pink! - Raise Your Glass
Pink! - F**kin' Perfect
3. Great Articles
Thanks God I found two guhrrrrreeat articles.
The first was Kakek Pram's, titled Best Story; The Book That Killed Colonialism. It published 12 years ago in New York Times, but I found it is very essential. The second is Andy Kessler's, Geopolitics a la Google - Lessons for the world from a "horizontal" company. I read it in Newsweek January edition. Viva Horizontal! \m/
4. Poetography by Fajar Nugros & Hasan Aspahani
I followed @captainugros and @haspahani in Twitter, and yesterday both of them collaborate to make beautiful things called Poetography. You could read it by clicking the link above. It is totally romantic in a beautiful way. C'est tres belle! =* =* =*
5. Elle! Indonesia edisi Februari 2011
I feel like I want to do a special review for this magz.
Man issues and full of H.O.T Guys!
#salivating
6. My babies from Kulkith...
Just got text that mentioning my new babies had already sent. Yay!!
Can't waittttttt..... =3
7. A Brief History of Time
Call me a lovey-dovey now, not only to my boyfie, but also I'm really into Hawking's book. Haha. I know I'm a communication studies (graduated) student and I don't look that sci-fi enough to discuss about physics, but believe me, I fall in love to his writing. Now I believe that love should be described in 4-dimensional, space-time unit must be included! =P
8. My HOTtie
He's HOT. Period.
=* =* =*
That's my HOTlist for this week. Don't bother to click every link to explore. Enjoy! =*
