Thai Spicy Pork Belly

I made thai spicy pork belly on Wednesday. My brother and I browsed cokking books on Sunday and the recipe captivated him. I decided that we need to give it a go. It was a huge success! I even managed to make soup out of the stock! But one thing to be sure, it was too spicy for both of us to handle.... I'll post the recipe next time, either here or in Facebook. For now, please enjoy the picture. ;p

Mung Bean Porridge?

Had a lazing morning and afternoon at home. Tried to fix my thai green curry and it tasted better, even if it's still not to what I expected.

Then I tidied up my brother and my room a bit. It looked more spacious now. :)

And then, I tried to make some mung bean porridge, aka bubut kacang ijo in Indonesian. I'm not too sure if I can call it that. I just tried to make it without recipe at all. But it turned out well, my housemates and my brother like it. Maybe I'll make some more for tommorow's breakfast. ^^

It's Now March 2012

Can't believe time flies that fast, March, 2012!
Maybe when I blinked, it will be April already!

First week of March, let's see.....
I had a good start, especially this Saturday, March 3rd.
Had an all-you-can-eat Indonesian beef ribs at a soft opening of an Indonesian restaurant.
I went there with my brother and my housemate. I am sure I ate the least rice, but that doesn't mean that I was actually satisfied, I wanted more but perhaps everyone else had too much rice and they did not want another serving of ribs, too bad. If only I had no shame, I would have ordered another serving, haha...

Then we went to Glen Ferrie to Crampler store, it is a bag's brand fyi.
Each of us bought ONE! But I had the best deal, 70% OFF! From $80 into $24, how good is that?
Doesn't mean that it is the best one, I had my eye on one bag but it will rip a $100 bill from my pocket and that's a big No-No.

After having enough fun in the store, we went to City, each of us shopped around a bit then sat down in Max Brenner's Chocolate Melbourne Central to wait for Church mass at 6pm. Believe me, I was really disappointed with the service there. I had to wait for more than 30 minutes for my drinks to be served, which I didn't mind actually as I had 2 hours to spare... BUT! It took them more than half an hour to serve a glass of water! Might take them longer but one of my friend just went to the counter and asked for the water himself. THEN! (Yup, it's not finished) My croissant came just few minutes after I ordered. I told the waitress that I wanted my croissant to come together with the drinks, in which I have to repeat to this waitress that seemed like the supervisor. Yet she replied, "Oh, I can take it back now and bring it later if you want, but it will be the same." with such unpleasant way of talking. I went speechless for a few seconds. A bit of secret, she is Indonesian, almost all of the staffs working there at that time are Indonesian, and I decided not to argue with this stupid waitress and just accepted my croissant that time, but don't expect me to come back with a lot of orders! I might be only ordering just ONE thing if my friends insist to go there, which I'd rather not of course.

After church, we headed to this new ramen store called "Kokoro", which means heart, in Lonsdale Street near the corner of Russel Street. First impression, everyone there is Japanese, so I expected good ramen from the kitchen. It was a bit pricey and the soup was overpowered by the stock, I can't say I didn't enjoy it but it was not that good either as it left me with unpleasant sensation and I had to buy a milk tea to cure it.

My brother said that he was tired, so I headed home ahead with him and took the 9.02 train. I was hoping that the rain, or rather drizzle, would stop when we reached the station. It turned out that I was wrong, it was still drizzles but it became worse. I was too lazy to open my umbrella and just walk in the rain. And stupid me now I paid the price by having a cold.

Now it's already Sunday evening, I am expecting good things from the coming week.
Well, fingers crossed on that!

Approaching March

Today is already the 2nd last day of February.
Time sure flied really fast this time.
I can't believe my TR application has been lodged, if only I had straight 8, it would have been PR application, damn that speaking!
Oh well, can't really complain too much now, eh?

My brother has already started his College!
I don't know but I might be more excited than he is, haha.
He bought books, looking for clubs to join, etc etc.

I do hope March will get better, and of course for the rest of the year. :)

It's 2012

Oh gosh, I decided to open my blog after such a long time and saw "Last post 23rd Dec, 2011."
Can't blame anything, I didn't have enough commitment.

After my last post, I had been busy with preparing my mental for IELTS, this is the first time I took IELTS with high target but wasn't sure if I'll achieve it. What? Of course, what would you expect from a minimum score of 8 in each band?!?! Well, some of my friends said that I'll be able to get it but I'm not sure myself, maybe not this one, I was pretty sure I messed up my speaking. I think I need to rebuild my confidence once more, to the right amount, not too much and not less than required.

Setting IELTS aside, now's the time for me to look for a new job, a decent full-time office job! I've been applying for several vacancies up to now, some rejections and heaps of silent reply. Well, to be expected of the job market nowadays. I've been hearing about the tough job hunt experiences from my friends for quite some time so I'm not surprised with what I am experiencing now. But still, it's a little bit sad, eh?

My parents have been nagging me to take Masters instead, but of course I still want to work first. On top of everything, I wish I can apply my PR ASAP. My agent said that this is the last chance for fresh graduate to be able to lodge a PR application. Starting July 1, 2012, people can still lodge their PR application but DIMIA will review applications one by one and invite applicants they think will suit more to get the PR! That means that fresh graduates without experiences will stand no chance for the PR.

I've got until this month to look for a job.
I've got until June to get my IELTS.

I wish everything will go well, fingers crossed and keep trying!

Approaching Christmas

Gosh, when was the last time I wrote here? *didn't have the courage to check*
Perhaps it's almost one month since my last post!

Well, I wrote today because I felt guilty not posting anything despite many updates I could have written.
Anyway, I won't give any of those updates yet.
Besides, it's almost Christmas, why don't we talk about it instead?

However, I haven't really the urge to write, I need to wake up at 3.30am tomorrow for work.
Due to Xmas Eve, there will be many people doing grocery shopping and it will be massive!
I was planning to take my sick leave as I'm still having cough and short breath....
But what can I say? My manager has been kind enough to give me annual leave and I still need to take one more for IELTS test!
At least I can still work, I just hope that I'll be recovered tomorrow, there are long list of things I gotta do once I am healthy.

Oh well, maybe that's all for now, I'm a little bit sleepy so I'll use this chance to sleep!

Merry Christmas everyone.
Buon Natale.
Joyeux Noël
メリ　クリスマス
Selamat Hari Natal

:)

Change in You, Change in Me, Change in Us

Time flows.

Just like cruising on a river, sceneries look the same yet different.
I didn't realise the length of my journey until I look back.

There are people who cruise much faster, leaving me behind.
There are people who cruise much slower, being left behind.
There are people who cruise with me, but until when we'll be side by side?

It's easy to see the change in others.
Yet I can't help to feel that I'm still the same ol' me somehow.

I saw my pictures years ago.
There is one album where I was a kid, I definitely changed both physically and mentally.
There is one album where I was still in Indonesia, got me a reminiscence of my high school life, and I know I changed.
There is one album where I was in College, and I know I changed as well.
Then there is this album where I was in University, just one or two years apart from the present me right now. I know my look changed a bit, but personality-wise, did I change?

I didn't realise any, until I saw a mirror and I saw my reflection there.
That person in the mirror told me, "You changed."
It struck to me, I was silent for a few second, my mind was processing and comparing the "Me" now and "Me" in the past.
It is true that I definitely change, but by how much? How different I am compared to I was?

The room was silent but between me and the guy in mirror there were some noise.
We weren't arguing, neither that we were discussing.
I was merely him telling me story in speed faster than light which explained to me years of stories in just seconds. It was just like a one-way conversation, he didn't respond to any I said, he just kept on telling these stories.

"How good the change was? And how bad?"
"How different I am now?"

With all  our conversation, it was still not enough to find out.
It's because we're dealing with the present, you can't judge any in the present and the future, you can only judge the past.
You'll find your answers if it has turned into past.

So I just smiled and told him, "I won't regret my past, otherwise I'll be denying everything I have at the moment."
Then he just smiled, his first respond to me since he started his story, and said, "See how much you've changed now. I can see a little bit of regret, but that's fine. I can see you are grateful with all you have now. I can see you not denying your past anymore."
He tried to pat my head, but unfortunately his hand couldn't reach over the mirror. Seeing that, we just giggled a little and put our hands together in the border between reality and the mirror. "We changed."

I'll close my eyes.
I'll calm myself
I'll make new resolutions.

And when I open my eyes, there will be another brand new me, changed from the boy who was here minutes ago.......