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Monday, December 27, 2010

Dari Kamar 103

Semarang...

Setelah 10 tahun lamanya, akhirnya aku datang lagi ke kota satu ini. Belum sempat pergi kemana-mana. Karena baru sampai sekitar 2 setengah jam yang lalu. Sempat sih melewati Simpang Lima yang terkenal itu dari bandara menuju hotel. Tapi mungkin aku baru sempat ke sana berlama-lama malam nanti, atau besok siang.

Sayang sekali kunjungan kali ini bukan berlibur seperti 10 tahun yang lalu. Tapi KERJA. Menyelesaikan my last project di company yang sebentar lagi ku tinggalkan. Hopefully, ketika aku pergi, at least aku bisa bilang kalau aku sudah punya kontribusi ke mereka, dan ke portfolio bukuku. :)

Tapi ada bagusnya juga aku keluar dari Jakarta untuk beberapa hari. Menghindar dari kesedihan dan kekecewaan setelah TimNas kalah tanding lawan MalingSia semalam di KL. Di saat orang harus masuk kantor sambil menahan amarah mereka, aku bisa melepaskan diri dari semuanya. Paling nggak, suasana kecewa itu jadi nggak terlalu terasa. Tul Ga? Apalagi di hotel TV punya puluhan channel luar negeri yang pastinya nggak akan menyebut soal kekalahan kita....

Sendirian menulis cerita tentang setengah hari ini setelah kembali dari makan di restoran Padang di seberang hotel. Kenyang, dan ngantuk pun datang menyambangi. Padahal jam setengah dua nanti, si nara sumber buku (alasan kenapa aku di sini) bakal datang untuk interview. Masih ada waktu sekitar 35 menit lagi. Itu pun kalau dia nggak datang terlambat.

Sebentar-sebentar aku baca lagi materi interview yang bakal kutanyakan nanti. Kata bos, saat sedang bertanya, aku harus membayangkan bagaimana tulisannya nanti. Hmmmm....

Yo wes lah. Mau tiduran sebentar sebelum si Ibu datang.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Dang! Another Book Project!

The first book

I don't know whether to be grateful or remorseful about this fact.

Yup, when I was about to take a leave of absence from work, we've got an offer to write a book. It's the same company whom we wrote a book for 2 years ago.

The first book we wrote for them was called Mom's Power: An inspiring story of an ordinary house wife who can make Rp. 3.5 billions per month. The other day we found out that they had actually written the sequel (Mom's Power 2) with another writer. But now, they actually want us to repeat the success of the first book.

Well, I'm not going to tell the title of what we're going to write just yet. But it is going to be another inspiring and moving stories of women, mothers in particular, who struggle to achieve their dreams.

Hopefully, it will turn out great....!!!! Because I'm about to sacrifice my precious time for this. Hehehehe...

Monday, September 20, 2010

Sang Pencerah...


Last Saturday, I went to the movie and saw "Sang Pencerah". It's a movie based on a true history and life of K.H. Ahmad Dahlan, the founding father of Muhammadiyah, one of the two biggest Muslim Organizations in Indonesia.

It was actually a great movie... I learned a lot from it.

Because every story told in the movie was very much a reflection of what is happening in Indonesia today.

There is this one scene, where one Kiai came to Ahmad Dahlan School. That day, a school that used chairs, tables, books (other than Quran), was considered a non muslim school, or in a more harsh word: "Kafir" school. Because all those school necessities were made by non muslim people or Kafir Poeple. He then "lectured" Ahmad Dahlan how by establishing the school, Ahmad Dahlan have betrayed his faith, religion and the people.

Ahmad Dahlan in all the calmness just smile and asked the Kiai. How did he came to the village where the school located. Did he walk?
The Kiai laughed at his question and said, "I am not a fool. Only a fool who like to torture himself wants to travel far a way by foot. Of course I took the train."
Again, with smile, Ahmad Dahlan said, "Then only fools would refer this school as a Kafir School. Because obviously the train was also a product made by non muslim."
The Kiai was dumbstruck, and left the school without any words.

The situation took place in the scene reminded me of a situation happened in our country recently. How several Kiai of certain muslim communities and organizations were planning to put the "haram" label for the internet, specifically Facebook. Because it is created by non muslim (a Jew guy) which for them meant that it can harm Muslim people.

Another scene told how the other Kiai who didn't like the way Ahmad Dahlan teach his student, provoked the villagers to destroy Ahmad Dahlan's langgar/small mosque. Just because he taught differently from other senior Kiai in the village.

The scene is another reflection of what is happening in our country. How people destroy other religion's place to pray. Just because they don't like what they teach or don't understand.

These very narrow minded people are the ones who clearly don't understand the essence of Islam.

Now, I may not be an expert in Islam. I'm not even a Kiai or an Ustad. Hell, I sometimes even still missed my daily prayers. But I am a muslim. And from what I read and learned about Islam, that it is a religion of peace. A religion that is not only guiding and protecting its followers but also other people. People with different faiths and beliefs.

A religion that very much open to new science, technologies, and other modern things the world can offer. If it is useful for the improvement of umat (Muslim people), then we should and must embrace it.

Friday, August 27, 2010

TAKOYAKI


I really love this delicacy so much... It is a kind of snacks in Japan that can be found easily even in street vendors. When I googled it, I found this recipe. Haven't tried it myself (I have all the intention to do just that in the near future), but I want to share it here....

Ingredients:
4 egg yolks
2 egg white
Dashi* stock (5 table spoons (tsp) dashi + 750 ml of water)
350 gr wheat flour
1 tea spoon baking powder
3 tea spoon of salt
Vegetable oil


Content Ingredients:
250 gr of tako (boiled octopus/squid/shrimp cut in in small cubes)
Cabbage (thinly sliced)
Leek/ Green onion (thinly sliced)
Ginger (thinly chopped)


The Sauce:
200 ml teriyaki sauce (it can be replaced with an import English soy sauce) - add a little water in it so it wouldn't be so thick
200 gr of mayonnaise
5 gr of katsuo boshi
Nori leaf powder


The Cooking Process:
1. Beat the eggs, and put the dashi stock gradually while stirring. Keep stirring
until it blends. Then put it aside.
2. Mix the baking powder, flour, and salt.
3. Put the dough into the eggs mix. Dough it.
4. Prepare the takoyaki mold. Place it on the fire till it's hot. Dab the vegetable
oil or butter on the mold.
5. Pour the batter into the molds until it fills ¾ of the mold. Then add the
octopus/squid, cabbage, green onion and ginger.
6. Pour the batter again on top of it until the mold is full (a little overflow).
7. When the skin layer can be seen, toss them back and forth slowly until they form
small round (ball) shape by using a skewer. Leave it till it's done with briwnish
yellow color.
8. Lift the takoyaki off of the mold and place it on a plate.
9. Cover the takoyaki with the terayaki sauce by using a brush, and then put the
mayonnaise on them.
10.Sprinkle the katsu boshi and nori powder on top of the takoyaki.


* Dashi stock: is usually the basic for most Japanese cooking. It's usually made of katsuoboshi stock, or dried shitake mushroom.