JB #4: Caramelised Pear Rice-cooker Cake

I just made a cake and post it in social media... YUP!! We are addicted to social media.. I am guilty at charged hehehehe

Anyway, since quite a lot of my friends ask for the recipe, here it is ^^

- Peel and cut pears (or apples); thinner is better (I prefer to cut it at 2 cm max thickness)
- Melt 2 tbsp of butter on a pan and cooked the pear
- Add 3-4 tbsp of sugar; cooked until it caramelised and the pear is tender
- Grease the rice-cooker pot and arrange the pears inside (also don't forget to pour in the caramel)
- For the cake; beat 2 eggs with 30 gr of sugar until light and fluffy ( I don't like it too sweet, since the caramel from pear is already sweet enough. But you can add the sugar up to 50 gr).
- Stir in 70 gr of all-purpose flour, 3 tbsp of melted butter, 1 tsp of baking powder, a pinch of salt, 50-100 ml of milk (depends on how smooth you like your cake be). You can also add cinnamon or vanilla essence for additional flavour.
- Pour the mixture to the pot over the pear.
- Put back the pot into the rice-cooker, and press ON
- Depends on your rice-cooker, you can cook it for 2-3 times continuously. I just need 2 times (17 minutes and 12 minutes)
- And here you go!!

ENJOY !! ^^
 

The Tale of a Boy in a Coffee Shop #45

There was a silence hanging in the cold air. The young lady was a little bit agitated and pushed once again.

"What did you mean, Boy?" The young lady asked again with an impatient tone.

"Why do you think it's easy, Lynn?" The middle-aged man asked her back.

The young lady shoved her glance to the right, directly to the eyes of the middle-aged man in front of her. She then turned her head to the left, seeking help from the old lady. However, she found a smiling face there, even bigger than before. The young lady couldn't believe it.

"Am I the only one who thinks that fraud is an easy money?"

The other three looked at her without answering. The young lady sighed, she started doubting her own reasons.

"First, they don't actually work their selves to the point of sweating. They don't have to deal with customers, recessions, capital lost, and so on. They just need to lie and deceive people. " The young lady answered indifferently

"How many people do you think would easily buy a lie?" The old lady asked back.

The young lady frowned her eyebrows. She wasn't sure how many people. She never gave a proper concern about fraud before.

"I am not sure," she finally said.

"Do you want to listen to a story from a former swindler?" The middle-aged man suddenly said.

Everybody in the room was looking at the middle-aged man. Did they mishear it? Did it mean that the middle-aged man sitting with them was a former swindler? It sounded like that.

"Hahaha, of course it is not my own story, if that is what you all are thinking right now. But indeed, it's from someone I know closely, hahaha," the middle-aged man kept laughing while rubbing his tummy.

"Someone close to you, Pizza Owner?" The young boy stared with sparkle on his eyes.

"Yes, Funny Boy! Someone realllyyyy close to me, hahaha!" He rubbed his rough hand wildly on the young boy's head.

"Hem, where should I start?" The middle-aged man brushed his greyish hair.

The sun was getting higher, but the story was just about to begin.

JB #3: Nagoro - the Village of Dolls / 案山子の里 - 名頃

I just had my summer holiday, and for my last summer in Japan, I went to Shikoku as I dreamed!!
Initially I had 7 missions to carry on to Shikoku, but due to a change in flight schedule upon various reasons, I took out 1 mission.
The missions are Dogo-onsen in Matsuyama (Ehime), Ritsurin Garden in Takamatsu (Kagawa), Naruto Whirlpool in Naruto (Tokushima), Awa-odori Festival in Tokushima (Tokushima), Kazura Bridge in Iya Valley (Tokushima), and the final one!! Nagoro the Village of Dolls in Iya Valley (Tokushima).

Now, I am thrilled to share a story about how stupid was my 'trip' to Nagoro.

It started from early morning in Tokushima. Me and my travel Buddy was a bit lethargic after spending a night at a manga-net cafe (we didn't book any hotel / guest house.. and it was the last day of Awa-odori Festival... what could we expect??!! hahahaha). We decided to take a train to Awa-ikeda (阿波池田) station at 9.45 in the morning. It costed ￥1,640 plus ￥1,180 for unreserved seat. It supposed to take approx. 2 hr, but the train was late for nearly 10 min. Luckily, the next train heading Kochi waited the delayed train, so we managed to hop in and continue to Oboke (大歩危) with additional ￥450. Around 20 min later, we arrived at Oboke... and this was where all the stupidity started.

It was nearly 12.30 and we planned to take a bus at 13.08 directly to Kubo (久保), but we didn't expect that the bus only reaches until Kazura Bridge (蔓橋). The one reaches Kubo was the one at 14.08. We thought, "Ow, OK.. maybe we can take a look the bridge first, and walk to Kubo." Yeah right....!!!

It took around 20 min from Oboke to Kazura Bridge by bus, and it costed ￥660. The bridge is around 300 m from the bus stop. To cross the bridge, you need to pay ￥500. The bridge is 45 m long, 14 m to the river down there. So, if you cross it, walk as slow as possible, enjoy the every moment, since it cost you approx. ￥11,11/m hehehehe

Well, afterwards, we thought of walking to Nagoro, since the guides in internet mostly said it takes another 40 min from Kazura Bridge to Kubo by bus, another 15 min by shuttle bus, and 10 min walking to the village. 'It might take us 4 hr walking from here,' said our super stupidly optimistic mind.
We asked for direction to a security guy and he said, "Better drop the idea. It's 30 km from here, with elevation and there is no pedestrian. It normally takes one and a half hour by car. Many foreigners think of walking there, but it's a no joke." We gulped. It sounded serious.

Fortunately we just needed to wait for around 30 min for the next bus to come. This bus was the one departing at 14.08 and arrived at Kazura Bridge around 14.30. Actually this bus came from Awa-Ikeda (departed around 13.26 or something)... so you can actually take the bus without continuing the train to Oboke.  
We hopped in and arrived at Kubo around 15.16 with additional ￥880. We checked the last bus back to Oboke... 16.36..
When will the shuttle bus to Nagoro comes? 16.38
CRAP!!! 'We will definitely miss it!!'
We looked around, 'Hem... there is a bench here... maybe we can sleep here after we come back.'

'OK, where is the direction?'....
Living so long in a comfortable-Japan... has turned us into such naive kids.. NO SIGNAL!!! GoogleMap couldn't work!!
But fortunately, my travel buddy checked the village just to estimate the location when we were at the bridge. FIUH!! We were relying on the direction mode only.
We just couldn't estimate the distance... and nobody to ask to too...!!!

We walked a bit and found a house with elderly couple talking... they said we were in the right direction, just around 4 km from here. We were glad...!!!
I estimated under the rain and the walking speed, it would take us one and a half hour walking to reach 4 km.

After being drenched for the first 30 min... we passed the shuttle bus from the opposite direction. We felt hope!! (Well, the bus driver and the one and only passenger looked at us with alienated stare though...)
'But maybe by the time the shuttle bus comes, we are already at Nagoro..' we thought... well, it wasn't even 16.00 yet. We were still optimistic.
However, another 10 min walking, we heard a warning echoing through the valley...
"Due to the heavy rain, please beware of flood, especially those heading to Nagoro, ... etc... etc.."
We turned pale and the rest of the other villages' name just fading behind...
What should we do??!!!

Go back to Kubo?
USELESS... by the time we arrive, the last bus must have already departed.
Stop?
BUT WHERE WILL WE SLEEP??!!

No other choice but to continue our walk... even though the warning bell roaring like crazy.

We walked for another hour and reached a bit of habitation.
I read.. Nagoro..

"Hey, we are already here. It's written Nagoro," I said to my buddy.
"Yeah, but the Nagoro Dam is still another kilos!!"

"But hey, this looks like a bus station. Wanna wait for the shuttle bus? It will come around 16.49, just another 10 min?" He asked me.
"OK..I am tired anyway."

While we were waiting with hope, there were 4 other foreigners passed us with their bicycles, drenched under the rain, with minimal clothing... Maybe another stupid travellers like us.
We exchanged greetings in... Japanese hahahaha .. Konnichiwa.. we said each other.

A bit after, our hope, the shuttle bus came.
We hopped in and in a short 10-15 min, we exchange conversation with the bus driver...

"We are going to Nagoro exactly, the dam? There is nothing there."
"No, we would like to go the village of dolls."
"I see, it's getting famous lately. Where will you stay, then? You already missed the last bus back to Oboke, you know."
"Yes we know, we were thinking of either staying in the village or back to Kubo."
"But there is no place to spend the night, either in the village or Kubo..."
Silence...
We were dumbfounded... OK!!

"Do you want me to take you back to somewhere with lodging?"
"Can you?"
"Where do you want to stay?"

I looked the price list in the bus... there was Kazura Bridge written. Hem, might be a good option.

"How about Kazura Bridge?"
"Which Kazura Bridge?"
"Is there any other Kazura Bridge?"
"Well, I usually take customer there, but it's not the tourist attraction one, if that was the one across your mind. There are 2 Kazura Bridges here, the one I usually go is the one on the dam side."

GREAT.. We are DOOMED!!

"How about if I take you two to Kyoujou (京上)? At least there are some ryoukan (旅館 - Japanese style hostel, not always cheap!) over there."
"Ah, here we are.. the village of dolls"

"Wanna think about it? I will turn my car.. You can drop here and take a look while thinking."

We got down the car and paid ￥230.
All the worries were gone for a moment... we were too engulfed by the village... Dolls everywhere!!!

It wasn't longer than 10 min. After satisfied...

"So?"

We didn't want to risk our only chance to head back... and definitely didn't want to steal a place to sleep from the dools.

"We will go with you to Kyoujou."

The shuttle bus ran on the wet asphalt for quite a long time. It took nearly 25 min only to reach Kubo, and another 20 min to Kyoujou. By the time we reached Kyoujou, it was already 18.10. We paid him ￥500 each, and he generously pointed several ryoukans to us.

We got down and said a bunch of thanks to him and he left.

Kyoujou looked nice. We tried to knock a ryoukan.

"Excuse us"

Silence...

"Hey, Flo.. are you sure there are people here?"
"Dunno..." I doubted myself..

"Yes"
Finally somebody went out the door.

"I am sorry, but do you have any open room?"
"I am very sorry, but we are currently on holiday."

???????!!!!!!!

OK...as a note... Japanese ryoukans DO take holiday...

"OK, sorry.. please excuse us."

We walked and took a look to the surroundings. No light was ON..

"I think they are all closed. Let's just sleep at the bus station," I said.

Well, honestly.. the bus station was a brand new!!! It wasn't bad at all!! Wanna proof??!!

So, we stayed there. On the next day, we caught the first bus back to Awa-Ikeda at 7.40. No kidding, we didn't want to miss it since the next bus will come after another 5 hours!!!

"Good morning, due to the heavy rain last night, this bus will not go to Oboke," said the bus driver.
"But you will go to Ikeda, right? Awa-Ikeda?"
"Yes, that's the last station, we will take another route avoiding Oboke, there was a land-slide around there."

GULP.. OW, whatever.. as long as we could reach Awa-Ikeda..

The road was super narrow for the big bus. Even sometime, there is only 1 lane for 2 ways, that the bus or cars have to stop to give a way to each other. In addition, just after the thin-metal roadblock, there is a nearly vertical cliff directly falling to the river. My soul was nearly out from my mouth, looking down the depth...

After a long, thrilling, 2 hr ride, we reached Awa-Ikeda at 9.25 and it costed us ￥1,580.

YAY!!!!! I had never been that happy, seeing a train station!!!

For additional info
Oboke --> Kubo ￥1,240
Awa-Ikeda --> Kubo ￥1,790

I am really sorry, I forgot to take pictures for the bus schedule for Awa-Ikeda --> Kubo, Oboke-->Kubo, and Kubo-->Nagoro... super duper sorry >.<






 
    

The Tale of a Boy in a Coffee Shop #44

As those two gentlemen left, the tension in the shop was lessen by half. Every bated breath was once again exhaled. The old lady stood up and walked closer to the bar, bringing the cup of tea and the plate of pie on each hand. She found a place on the right side of the little boy. As she put the cup on the bar, the young lady poured another serving reflexively.

"What will you do now, Lisdelle?" The middle-age man nervously drank his lemon tea. The soft smell of lemon and a spark of sourness managed to calm him down, but he was still hesitant to look directly to the old lady.

"Like I said, I will wait." She calmly ate her last bite of pie and gave the plate to the young lady.

The faint sound of flowing water became the background of the uncomfortable atmosphere. The young boy played the spoon on his half-empty bowl. The awkwardness made him lose his appetite.

"Is there a bad guy harming your family, Owner?" The young boy finally opened his mouth. He couldn't pretend like he didn't care.

"Well, there is one particular group trying to claim our family land by using lies and twisted fact." She rubbed her hand on the young boy's head.

"In short, there is a group of swindlers trying to conduct a fraud and steal our inheritance, Granny? How could you not tell me? I am not an outsider, am I?" The young lady came back from the kitchen, sat heavily on a tall stool behind the bar. It was obvious that she was hurt.

"Swindler? Fraud? Those words are not in my knowledge yet."

Suddenly the middle-age man burst in laughters, "You never fail me, Funny Boy, never," he continued laughing and pat the young boy's back exceptionally hard.

"A fraud, is an act of stealing other people's possession by using lies, tricks, and disguises. And..., swindler is the person who do the fraud," the young lady answered the unstated questions.

"Why do people do fraud?" The young boy continued.

"Because it's easy money, Boy," the young lady answered impatiently, she was still a little bit angry to the old lady.

"I don't think there is anything easy in stealing by lying," the young boy stared at the cup in his hand.

"What do you mean?" the young lady turned her eyes to the young boy. The middle-age man stopped laughing, and the old lady smiled faintly.

Indeed, the little boy had another opinion.

  

The Tale of a Boy in a Coffee shop #43

The boy grasped and held his breath. He knew the word, detective. However, he didn't have enough idea about what is a detective actually, what does a detective do. He would like to ask and his hand nearly reached the sleeve of the middle-aged man who sat just beside him. However, he was hesitant and stopped his hand mid-air. This is too serious, I should wait until they leave, he told himself.

The middle-aged man stared deeply to the two gentlemen. He leaned his back to the bar and put his left arm on the top. His right hand held a cup of lemon tea, his favourite for all year round. But this time, he ignored the cup in his hand completely. His sole mind was in the conversation which he openly showed his interest.

The young lady was agitated when she heard the word detectives. Her mind dashed to her parents house in a small village next to the neighbouring city, approximately 50  miles to the south east. They said something about family inheritance, a telegram to Granny Lisda's sister whom must be my own grandmother, a fraud... The young lady's world was spinning in front of her eyes.

"I know," said the old lady, without being taken by surprised.

"I figured it out as you knew the fact there is another party claiming our family's land. We agreed to not telling anybody about this, until today, when I told Harold. Even my granddaughter over there didn't know anything until just a moment ago."

She sipped another mouth full of her tea and took a small bite of her pie.

"The fact that you both came here trying to convince me to cooperate is an enough proof that you are from the headquarter, and... with a pretty high rank. Since you only came as a partner, there is only one possibility."

The chubby man was pleased and smiled, "You yourself, have a very good deductive ability, Mrs. Lisdelle."    
The young boy didn't like the smile, he smelled something fishy and he definitely couldn't predict what would the chubby man do next. He didn't like anything he couldn't predict.

"And..." The crocked-nose man left a question mark in his tone.

"And I can't give you any further response for the moment. No matter how urgent it is, it is still a family matter. Please wait until the day after tomorrow. I believe I will get a telegram from my sister by that day."

"I don't think we can wait that long," the crocked-nose man snorted impatiently but the chubby man saw it differently.

"Very well then. We will come again on that day, Mrs. Lisdelle. I hope it will be a good conversation," he took his black bowler and put it on.

"Young lady, could we take these nice pies away?" He brought the two plates of pie to the bar.

"Ah, sure. I will wrap it up," as the young lady took the plates to the kitchen.

"How much?" The crocked-nose man stood up wore his ascot cap, "The pies and drinks?"

"No need, gentlemen. It's on the house," the old lady smiled at him.

The crocked-nose man put two crowns on the table as he left, "We will take it as a payment when you agree to cooperate."

The bell chimed as the two gentlemen walked out the coffee shop. The day wasn't ended yet, but the energy in the room was totally drained out.

   

  

JB #2: An open letter to Mr. Prabowo Subianto - in Indonesian Language

Hi, guys... My readers !! How are you?
It's been quite a long time since my last post and I just found a new topic to write about.
SO, Welcome to another mess in my head !!!!

You guys might know... (of course some of you will not even bothered to check the news though)..
Currently, my beloved country is counting the result of direct presidential election. All the ruckus has been starting since the campaign period, and NOW... the counting is on another level of mess. 

Seems like this whole mess is very interesting to the point of even BBC interviewed one of the 2 candidates, Mr. Prabowo Subianto. You can try to check about the issue... We also have some news in English. Ow, and the other candidate is Mr. Joko Widodo.

In this post, I personally would like to give a comment regarding the interview between BBC and Mr. Prabowo. You guys can check the video here...
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvJ25vwt9lo
(I don't own the video, it is free from youtube)

Since this is about my country, I would like to write the rest of my open letter in Indonesian. I will do my best to write in proper Indonesian, so if you are curious enough about my comment, you can try to translate it.

~~~~~

 
Sebelumnya, saya mengucapkan permintaan maaf yang sebesar-besarnya apabila ada pihak yang merasa tersinggung dengan tulisan saya. Bukan maksud saya untuk menghina satu pihak tertentu. Semoga tulisan ini dapat menjadi bahan renungan bersama dan bermanfaat di masa mendatang .

~~~~~

Saya selalu berusaha menahan diri untuk tidak mem-post berita-berita simpang siur dari berbagai sumber yang kurang bisa dipercaya. Alasannya sederhana, karena saya tidak mau turut serta menjadi agen fitnah. (Semoga sampai sejauh ini) Tidak ada satu pun posting-an saya yang menunjukkan sikap keberpihakan saya terhadap salah satu calon, walaupun saya juga tidak termasuk ke dalam golongan putih. 

Saya telah menggunakan hak pilih saya dan berharap yang terbaik dari hasilnya. Saya bukan pendukung fanatik dari kubu manapun. Kedua kubu memiliki nilai baik dan buruknya masing-masing. Bagi saya pribadi, pilihan kita harus diputuskan berdasar risiko mana yang lebih sanggup kita tanggung sebagai akibatnya. Atas dasar tersebut, saya memutuskan untuk memilih kubu nomer 2. Alasannya jelas, saya tidak bisa mempercayai orang-orang di balik kubu nomer 1; terutama karena sebagian dari para petinggi koalisinya terlibat dalam kasus-kasus pidana. Perlu dicatat, saya juga bukan pendukung Bapak Joko Widodo - Jusuf Kalla secara personal, melainkan pendukung tim nomer 2 secara keseluruhan. Terlepas dari dukungan saya terhadap tim nomer 2, saya tetap menghormati tim nomer 1; dan terutama Bapak Prabowo Subianto - Hatta Rajasa, sebagai pasangan kandidat yang diusung tim nomer 1. 

Namun sayang kali ini, dan semoga cukup kali ini saja, tangan saya terlalu gatal untuk tidak mengetik komentar. Selama ini, saya selalu berusaha berpikir positif mengenai Pak Prabowo sebagai seorang individu. Hingga saat ini, belum ada bukti mengenai masa lalu 'kelam' yang selalu digunakan oleh simpatisan kubu sebelah untuk menjatuhkan nama beliau. Di sisi lain, kubu nomer 1 juga tidak luput dari dosa menghina kubu nomer 2. Berkali-kali tersebar 'gosip' tidak menyenangkan bahwa kandidat dari kubu nomer 2 hanyalah boneka dari kekuatan ambisius di belakangnya. Komentar tidak mengenakkan tersebut, katanya, tidak hanya keluar dari para simpatisan tetapi juga keluar dari Pak Prabowo sendiri. Saya tidak suka dengan kata 'katanya' dan berusaha berpikir positif, "Ah masa iya, seorang dari militer dengan level tinggi seperti Pak Prabowo menggunakan kata-kata tidak simpatik seperti itu?"


Saya pribadi menganggap adalah sesuatu hal yang lumrah bagi simpatisan untuk membela 'tim kesayangan'-nya. Masih sangat wajar apabila simpatisan saling mengolok tim lawan. Semua perilaku simpatisan koalisi hingga saat ini saya anggap tidak berbeda dengan perilaku simpatisan klub olah raga; panas dan kurang berpikir panjang. Asalkan kata-kata tidak baik tersebut bukan keluar langsung dari mulut kandidat, saya anggap itu hanya 'anarki verbal' simpatisan belaka.

Akan tetapi, ternyata 'gosip' itu akhirnya terbukti. Berhubung kali ini barang buktinya jelas berupa rekaman video dengan wajah dan suara Pak Prabowo tanpa sensor (dan semoga tanpa edit-edit jahat juga) saya terpaksa menuangkan kekecewaan saya.

Kepada Yth. Pak Prabowo,
 
Pak Prabowo, mengapa anda harus mengeluarkan kata-kata tidak simpatik seperti itu, terutama di hadapan media asing? Sebagai seorang pemimpin dan seorang calon presiden, apakah menurut anda perkataan tersebut layak untuk terlontar dari mulut anda? Itu bukanlah bentuk ketegasan, melainkan bentuk penghinaan. Penghinaan tersebut bukan hanya ditujukan kepada lawan politik anda, melainkan juga kepada anda sendiri. Kata-kata tersebut hanya menunjukkan betapa rendah kemampuan pengendalian diri anda. Kata-kata tersebut tidak ada bedanya dengan perkataan yang keluar dari orang yang kurang berpendidikan.

Saya percaya, bukanlah sebuah langkah yang bijak untuk mengatakan lawan politik anda hanyalah boneka penuh pencitraan, apalagi di hadapan pers internasional. Saya juga percaya, bahwa justru dengan menghimbau simpatisan anda untuk berhenti menghina lawan politik anda, menunjukkan sikap kesatria dan kualitas seorang pemimpin. Pemimpin yang baik harus bisa 'mengendalikan' bawahannya, bukan? Apabila anda sendiri yang berada di puncak mengatakan hal seperti itu, bagaimana dengan orang-orang yang bapak pimpin? Bukankah perilaku anak selalu merujuk kepada orang tuanya?

Bapak Prabowo yang saya hormati, bagaimana kriteria seorang pemimpin yang baik menurut anda? Apakah anda yang sekarang sudah memiliki kriteria-kriteria yang anda patok sendiri?

Bagi saya pribadi, pemimpin yang baik adalah pemimpin yang bisa menginspirasi, memberi contoh yang baik, mendampingi proses tumbuh kembang orang yang dipimpinnya, dan mendorong semuanya ke arah yang lebih baik. Sederhana saja.

Jelas menurut saya, sikap anda yang dengan gamblang menunjukkan ketidak sukaan terhadap lawan politik anda, tidak termasuk ke dalam kriteria pemimpin yang baik. Sikap tersebut hanya menginspirasi simpatisan anda untuk semakin menghina lawan politik anda, mendorong bertumbuhnya kebencian yang semakin dalam.

Sudahlah, Pak. Biarlah anjing menggonggong , khafilah berlalu. Pemimpin yang baik akan mampu bersikap tenang menghadapi euforia. Jika memang anda yakin akan memenangkan pemilihan ini, tidak perlu panik.

Saya pribadi tidak suka dengan langkah Ibu Megawati dan koalisis nomer 2 yang telah menyatakan kemenangan hanya berdasar hasil penghitungan cepat. Terlalu gegabah! Dan kalau ternyata kalah, mereka (mungkin) bermaksud menggunakan hasil penghitungan cepat untuk menuduh tim anda curang dan menuntut banding. Menurut saya itu permainan politik yang busuk (kalau ternyata benar).

Akan tetapi, apakah tim anda juga perlu bersikap reaktif dan melakukan hal yang sama? Bukankah hal ini malah menjadi bahan tertawaan? Bukankah sikap anda dalam wawancara dengan BBC justru telah mempermalukan diri anda sendiri di hadapan publik internasional? Masihkah anda menilai anda pemimpin yang baik? Pemimpin yang baik bukanlah pemimpin yang tidak pernah salah, melainkan pemimpin yang menyadari saat dia melakukan kesalahan, berani mengakui kesalahannya dan meminta maaf dengan tulus dan lapang dada.

Biarlah keputusan akhir ditentukan oleh KPU. Biarlah waktu yang membuktikan siapa yang memenangkan pemilihan kali ini. Bersabarlah, Pak Prabowo. Sikap tenang akan menunjukkan kualitas anda sebagai seorang pemimpin.

Pepatah mengatakan, tong kosong nyaring bunyinya. Siapa yang berseru paling bising, bisa jadi hanyalah seekor anjing yang menggonggong mengancam namun dengan ekor di sela kaki belakang karena ketakutan.

Salam damai,
dari seorang rakyat Indonesia


 

JB #1 : Mt. Nantai, Nikko - 20140524

FIRST, I have to tell you that.. I am definitely... definitely... DEFINITELY NOT an expert, but I have to admit, I like to hike mountains casually. No heavy and special equipments, no properly specialised clothing, no 'formal' experiences ... NO. I just have cheap-discounted shoes, normal backpack, and cheap easy-dry cloth. Luckily, Japan provides me massive chances to do casual mountain-hike. The tracks are mostly known, with precisely predicted hike time, proper huts at the stops, and proper direction signs. In short, it is not suitable for hikers who love to get lost. 
Mountain-hike is kinda a 'hip' outdoor activity amongst Japanese. If you think that fashionable girls and women can only be weak and afraid of sun light, than your thought will be totally invalid here. Mountain-hike is an outdoor activity for everybody. By everybody I mean... EVERYBODY. It is not only for healthy men at their prime age (let say 18-55), but also for kids (I am serious here..kids like kindergarten age), men and women (yup, even for those women who wear high-heels and fake eyelashes on normal days), and elderly (60++).  No kidding, guys... NO kidding !!! I know.. I know, shame on us who said we are too weak to hike mountains. We are defeated by kindergarten kids, grandpas, and grandmas.   

Anyway,

On May 24th, 2014... after such a pretty long break since my last hike (what the heck did I do to waste my time before??!!), I and my crazy-best-buddy decided to hike Mt. Nantai (男体山) at Nikko, Tochigi-ken. After checking several possible weekends, we went on that day which was predicted as a perfectly bright day (which was luckily true!!).

We used the Tobu Nikko pass which is available for Tobu Skytree Line from st. Asakusa to st. Tobu-Nikko. This pass also cover the bus fare around Nikko (click here for more info). The journey started from Kita-Senju at 6.31 a.m., the earliest train available, and we reached Nikko around 8.20. We waited the Tobu bus at stop 2A for 8.48 a.m. bus. We arrived at the Futara-san Jinja Mae stop (二荒山神社前バス停) around 9.30 am.

        

The front gate of the Jinja

 

                           

After the front gate with Mt. Nantai as the background

The hike is basically divided into 3 courses (according the information from the Jinja); a 40 min hike of pines-covered dirt track, a 20 min car-road track, and a final 180 min of keep-changing track. In total it is a 4-hour hike on average speed (the time usually includes some short rest-stops).    

 

The first gate for the hike

After paying entry fee for ￥500, we started our hike at 9.55 a.m.The slope was nice, covered by dense planted pines (or might be cedar, I am not sure), although at some parts it was quite sharp. We did it kinda slowly but surely with one short-drinking-stop and reach the car road after 20 min walking.

 

                 This is where we got out and met the car road,  though no car passed by 

We walked around 20 min on the asphalt. Afterward, we reached the next gate and that was where all the fun begun !!

 

The gate to the final stage (feels like playing an RPG)

   

The course was started with some dirt stairs for around 10-15 min, followed with sandy-rocky track for another 10-15 min. I have to say, I HATE stairs.. like A LOT !! And sand-ft-small rocks is my weakness. I couldn't handle it well, so I was kinda slow on the first 2 challenges. However!! After we reach the 6th stop （六合目), it turned to be a lovely lovely LOVELY course. It was a rocky-humid coniferous forest. Well, I will just show you guys some pictures since I can't describe how lovely it was (at least for me and my buddy).

 

It was like a tropical forest at the beginning, with several weathered woods

(oh, that's my best-buddy) 

 Afterward, the track became more and more rocky

(yup, that's me. Credit pictures to my buddy)

 And, it was suddenly an open air. Who wouldn't fall in love to those beautiful rocks?

We can even see the Lake Chuzenji and other mountains.

The course was a constant rocky track until we reached the 8th stop （八合目）. There is a small altar beneath the rock at the 8th stop. Afterward, it was another 5-10 min rocky track where it suddenly turned into a wet-muddy dirt track (again), with a constant sharp elevation and some snow left.

 

The small altar at 8th stop.

(Another courtesy to my buddy)

 It was sharp, it was a bit snowy, but for sure, it was muddy

And YES... the dirt track was followed by another endless staircase to heaven (literary.. or probably it was due to my personal issue towards stairs)

 

The snowy stairs to heaven

After a long fight with the stair... VOILA!! A red-dusty-rocky open air appeared out of nowhere (OK.. a bit exaggeration here..but I want to keep it exciting through the whole story!!) The bushes are so low that we could see the whole surrounding panorama

 

(my buddy's picture)

Another angle of Lake Chuzenji

The last fight was a struggle to me, since I (like I said) am also not very friendly with sand-ft-small rocks. However, all the fight was worth!! The view from the peak is priceless!!!

 

Entering the gate of the peak, we were welcomed by the signs

 

I am not so sure what is this, but probably the Izanagi's plate?

 

And also about this one. Is it possible that this is the Totsuka-no-Tsurugi?

The sword that Izanagi-no-mikoto used to execute Kagu-tsuchi?  

 

Also, this might be Izanagi-no-mikoto's statue?

In short, this long story (half) ended as we reached the peak at 12.50 p.m. It was a paid-off-3-hour-hike. Why? Because of this

After half an hour lunch break, we descended the slope in 2 hours. Absolutely right in time to catch a bus at 3.46 p.m. in front of the Jinja. We took a relax seat on the station while waiting for the last train at 5.36 p.m. (which we could ride by using the Tobu pass without paying additional ￥1030). We reached Kita-Senju around 8 p.m. with fulfilled heart.

  Thanks Buddy !!!!

  

BDC #34 - Pica: How could we have appetite over non food items?

Yesterday was a boring day in the lab. I had done my to do list, but it was still a broad daylight. Kinda weird to go back home too early. Then, I re-watched 'My strange addiction' from TLC via youtube (I know.... I know... I am bad!! But, who cares?? I really didn't have anything to do in the lab!!). 
At the end of my surf, I eventually bumped to an episode of a person with a particularly disturbing appetite over pottery and cigarette ashes. I thought, "OK, human appetite has overcome real food!!" It was such a bizarre idea for me. 
I watched the whole episode with dry eyes and throat. It was highly disturbing, as the child started to mimic her mother's eating habit. I felt like slapping that person for showing her unnatural habit in front her infant kid. 
 
Suddenly, I remembered I saw a similar case from my own country, broadcasted in national TV, about a girl who loves eating red brick. It irked my sense and made me searched more about it. Later I found that it's one of eating disorders. 

If you love eating, licking, and tasting non-nutritious (but still edible items such as baking soda, starch, ice) and/or non-food items (such as chalk, clay, plaster, paint, glue, rust, coffee grounds, cigarette ashes, etc), and you have been doing it for at least 6 months in regular basis (at least twice a week), then most probably you are suffering an eating disorder known as Pica.

Pica is considered as a mental disorder phenomenon, a spectrum of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), where people would feel anxious and powerless if they stop their routine. Schizophrenia and autism patients, or people with poverty or childhood trauma history may also lead to pica behaviour. 

Pica acts may also happened due to cultural reason, called culture-bound syndrome. In some cultures, pica is practiced for medicinal purposes and may actually have some value. For example, people in some parts of Nigeria eat kaolinite (a form of clay) to combat diarrhea. The clay actually forms a protective coating in the lining of the intestine and binds bacteria there, thus relieving diarrhea.

However, most of the pica cases, which are unrelated to cultural or mental problem reasons, are happened due to mineral or vitamin deficiency. The easiest example is pica on pregnant women due to iron or zinc deficiency.  This deficiency sometime hooked together with the socioeconomic condition, create a new cultural behaviour. For example, pregnant women on some region in sub-Saharan Africa also eat clay as mineral supplement (check it here or here).

The prevalence of pica is difficult to be estimated, not only due to the fact that pica is highly bound to cultural system, but also because not every people will admit they have an odd eating habit. Pica is usually observed on infants up to 36 months-old, and the tendency will decrease as the age gets older. However, around 10% of those will keep their pica habit until around 12 year-old.       


The complication of Pica is highly related to what kind of non-food item the patient eats. 

• Certain items may contain toxic substances and eating them can lead to poisoning. Certain poisonous material might increase the risk of complications including learning disabilities and brain damage. This is the most concerning and potentially lethal side effect of pica. Co-existing developmental disabilities can make treatment difficult.
• Eating non-food objects interferes the patient to eat healthy food, which usually lead to nutritional deficiencies.
• Eating objects that cannot be digested causes constipation or blockages in the digestive tract, including the intestines and bowels. Also, hard or sharp objects can cause tears in the lining of the intestines.
• Bacteria or parasites from dirt or other objects can cause serious infections. Some infections can damage the internal organs.

There is not specific guideline to treat patient with pica. We have to firstly determine the main cause of the behaviour. Looking at the bigger picture, we have to approach from various aspects; including developmental, behavioural, and environmental therapy along with family education. Sometimes treatment can succeed when the individual experiences negative consequences after eating a non-food substance, and then gets positive reinforcement for consuming proper food.

On the other hand, certain tests can be a good start toward determining physical treatment; including haemoglobin to check for anaemia, poisonous material level,  and gastrointestinal track test. As a first step, treatment should replace missing nutrients if applicable and address any other health issues.

 In short, if you  are OR you know somebody who might have pica disorder.. PLEASE SEEK FOR HELP.. for (at least) physical health purpose.
 
Reference
http://www.something-fishy.org/whatarethey/other.php
http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/mental-health-pica
http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/articles/update-pica-prevalence-contributing-causes-and-treatment
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1284110/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1070964/
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/brain-sense/201109/little-known-eating-disorder-is-the-rise

The Tale of a Boy in a Coffee Shop #42

The old lady just looked at the crooked-nose man in a gentle look.

"I am not in a hurry, dear gentlemen. You can take all the time you need."

The crooked-nose man looked at his partner and sighed once again.

"I don't think we actually have as much time as you think, Mrs. Lisdelle. However, indeed, I was the one who gave the offer." The crooked-nose man left his words hanging in the air. He slant his head to the left, thinking all the possibilities. Out of all, he was definitely not happy with any option.

"I prefer to explain it in short."

The old lady just stared at him in a deathly silence. However, the crooked-nose didn't back off the threat. He stared back at the old lady and continued his ice cold monologue.

"This group is notorious across 10 countries. The police across the continent has been practically chasing after them for nearly a decade. Even if they have been known well enough, strangely, the police still couldn't figure out how many of them, who is the master mind, and else."

The little boy stared at them as he listened to the story. His pupils widened and sweat started to flow out of his pores.

"I don't like this. Pizza owner, what are they talking about? Is the owner in danger?"

The middle-aged man didn't answer the young boy's questions. He wasn't sure either. Who are they actually? He asked to himself. The silence nearly killed everybody there with heavy tense.

The young lady looked at her grandaunt, wasn't sure what to do nor was it related to her too. Those men said something related to their family's inheritance. Should I help her? She was hesitant.

Finally, the old lady broke the ice-cold air, "Lynn."
  
The young lady grasped with surprise, "Yes, granny?"

"Could you please bring me a cup of milk tea? And... three slices of spinach pie, please?"
"Sure, in a flash, granny."

The young lady came back with a tray full of pies and a cup of tea. She put the cup in front of the old lady and the pies to each of them, the old lady and the gentlemen. The old lady took the cup and sipped it with composure.

"If... the police couldn't do much for this past decade, how will you help me, my dear gentlemen?"

The chubby man and the crooked-nose man looked at each other. Seems like they hadn't introduced their selves properly enough.

"We are, Mrs. Lisdelle, detectives from the headquarter," said the chubby man.

They sun rose higher as the clock ticking. The air got hotter and everybody in the coffee shop felt uncomfortable. 




  

The Tale of a Boy in a Coffee Shop #41

"Is it a bother to talk now, Mrs. Delaney?" the chubby man asked again.
"Not, it's not a bother, Mr. Thaw. Let me put my coat and hat first, and I'll come to your table," the old lady smiled and walked through the chubby man as he opened the way.

The middle-aged man walked to the bar, sat at a high chair just next to the young boy, pouted.
"Who are those guys, Pizza Owner?" the young boy reached the middle-aged man's cloth on the elbow.
"I'm not so sure either, funny boy.. but I hope they won't give any problem to Lisdelle." The middle-aged man rubbed the young boy's head roughly.    
"What problem?"
"I don't know, boy, I don't know...yet."

The silence rubbed them awkwardly. The young boy took a peek nervously through his shoulder, he was shrouded in worry. The three of them sat in a heavy mood, trying to eavesdrop the conversation.

"Pardon us for coming at inconvenient time, Mrs. Delaney, but please try to understand that timing is important... and we are surely running out of time," said the chubby man in a serious tone. He changed his attitude into a more business-like.
"By the way, this is my partner, Cole H. Hersslom."

The crooked-nose man offered his hand and the old lady held it firmly. She looked surprise as the crooked-nose man replied her shake in a warm gesture.
"Please call me Cole, Mrs. Delaney. My surname is certainly troublesome," he said in a flat tone, in contrast with his warm hand.

"Mr. Cole, Mr. Thaw. Then please call me Lisdelle, to make this conversation more relaxing." The old lady smiled politely and took a seat with them.

"As you may already know, Mrs..." the chubby man stopped awhile and glanced to his partner, "Mrs. Lisdelle, there are some people who suddenly claimed that some of your family's properties are theirs. We believe that they are doing some frauds, as there is a sudden rise in complaints over properties ownership during these past 3 weeks." The chubby man stopped again, letting the emergence of the issue sunk down deeper in everybody's mind. 

"Now, Mrs. Lisdelle, we would like to ask you to let us help you."

The old lady stared at the gentlemen in front of her without blinking. She was deep in thought and considering the chance of loosing her family's inheritance.

"How?" She finally opened her mouth, in a surprisingly cold tone.

The three of them stopped in a killing silence. Two...three...four...five seconds passed and the crooked-nose man finally said, "I take it as you don't believe us, Mrs. Lisdelle."  

The old lady landed her sight to her right side, a certain question mark hung on her eyes.

The crooked-nose man sighed impatiently, "It will take quite a while to explain. Now... do you want me to take a long run or make it short and simple?"

The crooked-nose man stared coldly to the old lady, and the young boy held his breath unconsciously. 
   

The tale of a Boy in a Coffee Shop #40

As they started digging the soup, the bell chimed once again. They threw their eyes to the door and there were 2 figures standing on the door, one was taller and slimmer than the other.

"Are you open for business?" The taller one dragged his left feet awkwardly as he entered the shop. He sounded a bit cold and sharp. The young boy could see a pointy chin under pouted mouth and crooked nose under the grey ascot cap. He crouched his body slightly, he didn't like what he saw.  

"Yes, we are. Do you want to sit near the bar or on separated table?" The young lady put her hot chocolate down and walked out the bar.

"Separated table, please," the shorter one answered in a light tone. He looked more cheerful with slightly chubby cheeks separated by a nice sharp nose and thick moustache underneath.

"Sure," the young lady smiled and led those 2 men to a table near another heater and cleaned it a bit with damped cloth.

"Do you want to order now? We have some breakfast sets if you would like to."
"I think I want a cup of earl grey tea with a dash of milk first," the chubby man smiled as he put off his black bowler.
"Black coffee, 2 cubes of sugar," said the crooked-nose man as he put off his ascot cap.
"Be right back, Sir."

The young lady soon disappeared behind the kitchen. The young boy continued his breakfast as the bell chimed once again, followed by a familiar voice.

"Are you sure Lisda? This place has been your family's since ages?!" the loud voice asked.
"I am not sure, Harold. That's why I sent that telegram to my sister." another voice answered calmly.
"But..."

"Mrs. Delaney." Suddenly the chubby man stood before the old lady.
"Pardon us as we came before you." He offered his right hand for a shake to the old lady. She was hesitant at first, she wasn't prepared for early meeting.
"Mr. Thaw, what a surprise." She reached the hand with a warm gesture and shake it firmly.

It was a nice weather to start the week, but the smile on the old lady's face was cloudy.




    

The Tale of a Boy in a Coffee Shop #39

It was a cold winter with cruel blizzard hitting the small region mercilessly. The young boy started to feel agitated as he couldn't go to the coffee shop. The snow pilled up to his full height and it took a full week of hard work for the villagers to open the way to the town.

However, that day was considered lucky. It was a sun shiny day even though the temperature was still below freezing point. The young boy was finally able to visit his beloved coffee shop again. He was whistling while walking heavily on his thick boots, with a basket full of rhubarb and snow peas from his mother for the old lady on his shoulder.

It was a normal working day as he strolled down the deserted road in the midtown. He pushed the door happily and the bell chimed tunefully. He smiled slightly as he heard the sound.

"Hello, boy. It's been quite a sometime," the young lady said as she saw the silhouette of her guest.

"Yeah, it was quite a cruel snowstorm last month. I can't believe it, the snow even pilled taller than me!" the young boy put the basket in a heavy sound on the bar.

"What is this?" The young lady open the basket with a curious smile.

"Just some rhubarbs and snow peas, my mom asked me to bring it here."

"Thanks! We can make delicious jam and soup with these. Your mother is always a green thumb," the young lady brought the basket to the kitchen.

"Where is the owner?"

"She will come soon, I think. She said she would like to send a telegram to my grandma. She just went before you came."

The young boy pulled the heater near the bar and sat on one of the chair. The young lady came back with a full tray. She put 2 bowls of sweet potato cream soup and 2 cups of hot chocolate.

"Thanks," the young boy seemed to get used to the young lady.

The young lady smiled lightly and sipped her hot chocolate.