Dae Jang Geum: Korean Food in Batam

It's not about Korean Drama or anything like that. It's more about Korean food restaurant in Batam where you can satisfy your gastronomical desire! Well, I went to Dae Jang Geum again last Saturday night, and chilled out with my peers there. It was fun as you know, Korean food are somehow are unfamiliar to most of us. At least, some of the menu. Alright, let's go to the table for the dish.

We had Bibimbap, Ramen noodle (Mie Ramen), Korean Sushi and 3 bowls of rice on the table, that's it! Maybe you will say "What? That's it?" as we were 7 persons gathering and craving at the same time. Just so you know that Korean food is a big family portion. I ordered Bibimbap, Korean tea and rice. My friends ordered Korean Sushi, Mie Ramen, Bibimbap and another Bibimbap and another rice along with it. After 20 minutes of waiting, the condiment was served. There were kimchi and the other 5 things I don't even know what it is. It' okay anyway. Only 3 of us apparently like kimchi like very bad. The rest said it tasted different. When they asked me why I liked kimchi so much I just said as it tasted good even though it's rotten vegetable and they're just like "....okay....".

Some moment later was time for the pancake. I think, it was the most "making sense" dish for all of us as it tasted familiarly Indonesian, even for Korean food with NATIVE Korean Chef working on it. Now let's go to Bibimbap.

After searching in Wikipedia, it's said that Bibimbap is "mixed rice". It is served as a bowl of warm white rice topped with namul (sautéed and seasoned vegetables) and gochujang (chilli pepper paste). A raw or fried egg and sliced meat (usually beef) are common additions. The ingredients are stirred together thoroughly just before eating.

Yes, that's what laid right before my eyes on the table. There were mushrooms and the other kinds of "green", carrot (?), mushrooms, nori (seaweed), and they covered the rice (cold rice, not hot rice) underneath, with the fried egg on it's peak. Not to mention the paste that was served on a separated plate. All we have to do was just to stir and mix it all like crazy before eating. You can add the paste if you like but I don't recommend it (it's weird). Maybe the proverb saying that "When the people is craving they will even eat garbage" is right. I mean, it looks so much like garbage, but this one is a delicious garbage. Next!

Korean sushi is GOOD! I mean, the sticky rice with crab inside and the nori wrapping up. It's just gone less than 10 minutes. Like Godzilla found fish! You gotta try!

The Mie Ramen is more like any other ordinary instant noodle. But it's much much much bigger portion! All is just the same. I mean, like, you eat 5 Indomie at once. That's it!

Anyway, it was fun having some quality time with friends with good dishes.

Sure I'm gonna come back again for more delicious Korean food.

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Explore Batam's Princess Island: Indonesia's Frontier In The World's Busiest Waters

Have you ever heard Princess Island aka Pulau Putri? It's not Pulau Putri in Kepulauan Seribu (Thousands islands) in Northern Jakarta, instead, it's the frontier island in Singapore Straits, between Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia's Johor Bahru.

I went there yesterday afternoon, just right before sunset and it was amazing! It's only 5 minutes away from Batam's Nongsa. You can reach the island less than 10 minutes from Nongsa on boat. You do not need to worry as the wave is just good (not rough waters) so it'll be joyful. We started the trip from Nongsa and we took a boat for 6 persons. It's less than 5 minutes were on boat. However, we have to take a walk for about 50 meters to get the shore as the tide was at its lowest. Anyway, it was fun. Once you get there, you'll find yourself like stranded. I mean, okay, there is a lighthouse but that's the only thing on the island, plus, a wrecked dumped ship. Yes, a wreck!

Pulau Putri is in Indonesia's territory. The island is just 50 meters in length and 30 meters in width. It seemed like there's 3 different island in Pulau Putri. When the tide is low, you can reach the next island on foot and there is another tiny island in the northernmost. When the tide is high, the rest two islands will be flooded by waters and look like a floating green.

I really wanted to go up to the peak of the watch tower but it was not allowed. So sad. Anyway, you could see and enjoy the sunset and have Singapore view (silhouette of the Harbor Front and the Marina Bay Sands) and it was beautiful! Not only is it. You can see Nongsa Point Marina in the North-East (it looked like a heaven in disguise!), Batam Centre in the South-East, and of course, Malaysia's Johor. As The Straits is one of the busiest strait in the world so lots of cargo ships just pass by like all the time. It's such a busy strait indeed.

Nothing much we can find in the island. There is only a food stall that operates in the certain time. A wreckage of a ship, and local settlement. I mean, the guards placed in the island. You know, it's a frontier island so there is patrol by marine guards sometimes. Afterall, it was a beautiful moment when we can--at least--see the life in the frontier. Not really felt isolated or something, it's just...different...and exciting!

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Mengatasi Rasa Bosan Di Tempat Kerja

Hoaaaaaaam...

Belum berapa jam kita masuk kantor kok bawaannya pengen tidur aja ya? Udah berasa mati bosan sampe ngantuk-ngantuk. Nah, ini nih yang bikin kerja kita mundur, regress, dan produktivitas menurun. Banyak sekali, mungkin nggak hanya saya saja yang merasakannya. Terlepas kita bekerja di bidang apa, di kantor mana, anything, yang namanya semangat positif itu harus tetap dijaga, kalau bisa semakin ditingkatkan. Harus lah!!!

Nah, sedikit curhat aja gimana sih ngatasin rasa bosan ketika lagi kerja? Well, let's just...start!

What is boredom actually?

Boredom (kebosanan) sendiri sebenarnya adalah rasa jenuh yang muncul akibat kita yang sudah sangat terbiasa dengan pekerjaan dan lingkungan kerja. Jadi, nggak ada yang namanya bosan kalau kita masih dalam masa adaptasi atau malah nggak cocok dengan lingkungan kerja kita. Rasa antusias or curiousity pada hal-hal yang baru (like it or not) akan memacu kita untuk berpikir, menganalisa dan bertindak sehingga tanpa kita sadari kita menikmatinya. As the time goes by, however, rutinitas (yang berawal dari curiousity, then being repeated again in the same way) seperti itulah yang nantinya membuat kita stuck. Why? Karena kita sudah nyaman dengan pekerjaan dan lingkungan kerja dan akhirnya bosan deh. 

Okay, I'm bored. Then what?
Karena sudah menjadi rutinitas, pekerjaan bisa diselesaikan dengan lebih cepat. Tapi, ada orang-orang yang cenderung meremehkan pekerjaan dengan bersikap "Ya udah, nanti saja. Gampang kan." And it's no good, at all. Instead of working on the daily things (or maybe one two new things), we are so busy console ourselves or whatever it is to avoid boredom. It's no good. 

First thing first: Priority!

Kita masuk office, hal pertama yang harus kita prioritaskan adalah pekerjaan. I mean, selama kita bisa selesaikan pekerjaan secepat mungkin kenapa harus dilama-lamain hanya karena kita bosan dan kita sudah terbiasa dengan pekerjaan itu? Padahal, semakin cepat pekerjaan selesai, semakin banyak waktu yang bisa kita manfaatkan untuk hal-hal lain. Misal, belajar bahasa (enhancing our linguistic skills for better communication with clients), baca dokumen-dokumen, atau mungkin sekedar browsing di internet. Terserah. Intinya, kita selesaikan pekerjaan dulu, baru miscellaneous. Who knows, ketika kerjaan sudah selesai ternyata ada hal-hal yang missing, ato mungkin ada masalah lain yang tidak diduga-duga. kalau pekerjaan sudah selesai, we can allocate time to those things possible. Bayangkan saja, kalau kita keep being under boredom, leave the works undone, then suddenly the problems come. Hello? Anyone here???!!! I NEED HELP! You gotta get soooooo panic and messed up, everything. And most importantly, you waste the time. The things undone. Much more problem then.

So?

Banyak hal yang bisa kita explore di manapun kita berada, dan tempat kerja bukan pengecualian. Keep positive, itu pasti. Mungkin dengan banyaknya waktu luang di office, kita bisa belajar skill yang lain dan meningkatkan skill kita yang sudah ada. Make it fast and take the rest!

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