After a long confusing about what to cook for Indonesian food night, I finally found this menu. It didn't mean that I don't get ideas for what to cook, but sometimes it's hard to find the ingredients around. Or even how to cook it.

For example for some Asian ingredients, we have to go to the asian market which sometimes it closed when we arrived, or they don't have it, which we have to go to my favourite Asian store at next suburb. 

And it need me to wait my boyfriend to have time. Because I don't have my own car. And wait for his time means wait for him to be free from all of his busy time, which is night time. 

And nowadays, I've got a job as an assistant cook, and I always have weekend schedule. And this time around, is the busiest time. Christmas, and things. And I spent the entire Saturday and Sunday for working. So, yeah, no time at weekend. 

That is why, when we do our weekly shopping, we do it at night. And some of the stores already close. Especially Asian store, seafood store, and butcher.

Like this time menu, I used frozen squid because seafood store already close when we arrive at shopping centre. That is why I bought and use the frozen squid that still available at Coles.

Not a bad thing actually, because I don't have to cut and clean the squid, because it already is. LOL.

There are some differences when you use fresh squid. And all already noted at the recipe below.

Best serve this while it's still hot with warm rice. And if you like, you could add Asian stir fry vegetables, or just this also delicious.

My boyfriend likes it so much. He put this menu one point lower than his favourite Indonesian food of all time, gado-gado.

Here we are at the spring in Melbourne. And one thing that I could stand of spring is it also the hay fever season. 

One day I couldn't breathe in the middle of the night, because my nose is blocked, both. I was panicking, because this was the first time I couldn't breath. 

My boyfriend then took me to the 24 hours clinic, and ended up get the nebulizer, and I had to purchase nasal spray and ventolin. Plus a hay fever tablet.

Like some people in 4 seasons countries, hay fever is common for them who had allergy for the season. Mostly at spring and summer. The medicine world called it Allergic Rhinitis. 

Source

This year was the worst year for me about this hay fever allergic. Last year I didn't feel really bad. Just a few sneeze, not even until blocked nose. But now, I have all the symptoms.

Sometimes I still confuse to differ it with a normal flu. Because almost same symptoms.

Trying to Understand Hay Fever

Since I came from the country with "always summer" country, of course this allergic is so not familiar in me. My boyfriend keep saying "it's a normal thing for some people in spring." And sometimes he said it is a spring allergic.

Even actually it is not because the spring it self, but mostly about the pollen particle that getting a lot especially in spring. This pollen is small like dust, and when it came into my nose, my body react for this, and apparently my body is not immune for this particle, and here I am, the hay fever patient. 

How I Overcome with Hay Fever

Thunderstorm Asthma

Is it Save for Tourist with Asthma?

The most thing that I really miss from Indonesia is the street culinary. Just like this Sate madura.

I remember when I was a kid, and the world problem is only the school homeworks, this culinary is one of my family favorite.

Back in that day, started from afternoon, around 3pm, there will be lots of street food vendors around our home. From them who just opened their food vendor at the front of our housing complex, or mobile.

From bakso, until mie goreng, and of course Sate Madura. They guaranteed you will never be hungry forever.

The bakso mobile vendors will be around 3 pm, then the mie goreng mobile vendor will be around 7-9pm, and 10pm until midnight, was the sate Madura vendor.

The unique of this Sate Madura mobile vendor was the name at its carts. Same name, but with the different number. Mum said it owned by only one person, but he had lots of carts. Talking about small food business, and recruited lots of people.

Since I missed this street food, I decided to make one (of course). Simple ingredients, and easy to make. 

Tips: If you already put the peanut sauce to the chicken skewers, put the leftover sauce at the stove again, and keep it warm with a small fire. And when your chicken is ready to serve, pour it while it still warm.

 

I couldn't say that my relationship with my partner is always in the good vibe. We (or me) sometimes having a hard time, especially me.

Moving to another country, different culture and people, still not getting a job. Starting a new life from the beginning is stressed me out.

It feels just like yesterday I cried a lot just because I couldn't do anything. Can't freely to buy something I like, even as simple as don't want to eat a homemade food, and just go to the KFC or maccas for my lunch/ dinner, I couldn't do it.

Slowly, after all the documents for my status started to worked well, so do my life here. Even I still not get the permanent job, but having a few working call from the place I work for, is makes me start to have life again.

Oh yes, my partner's daughter helped me to work as a casual assistant cook at her place. And it helped me to get my life rhythm.

Of course my partner giving me his best for encourage me, support me, and even helped me get out from my stress and sometimes depression.

It's hard for me to deal with the new life, and I know it's hard for him to deal with me too. My partner is the only person I know that trying to understand my situation. And not just understand, but he also tried his best to help me. I know that sometimes he also had to deal with his own problem.

And here we are, three years together. Passing the first storm we had.

And like usual, every anniversary and his birthday, I made my own card. This three years anniversary too.

Also Read: DIY Anniversary Box

What kind of card I made this time? It is more like a box actually, they called it "exploding box".

Tools

For the middle box, the measurement will be 2.5 cm smaller from the front box.
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• Inside box

Middle Part

Documents 

the requirement for reporting yourself at Indonesian Consulate if you are Indonesian citizen

Service Hour

The Result

For a note, this is how I do in Victoria State. I don't know about other state in Australia. Do they do the same thing, or not.

But, if you have Indonesian friend that has been stay in your country for more than a month, probably you could suggest them to report themself to the nearest Indonesian embassy or Consulate General. 

I admitted, that I am not one of the Indonesian community member in Melbourne, and before this year, I never came to Indonesian events at all. Just because I simply don't know about it.

So, after I joined one of the Indonesian community in Melbourne at Facebook, I saw there are some events will be held around October this year.

It was a great idea to attended the events. Especially October is the spring month. Sunlight and a little warm too. So I asked my boyfriend weather we could or couldn't go to the events. And he agreed to came to all the three events I showed him.

Anyway,

Spring in Melbourne means lots of festivals going on. Not only from Indonesian communities, but also from any communities that you could find in Melbourne.

But since we are not living close enough with city centre, so my boyfriend just want to attended Indonesian events only. Perhaps latter when I already have my own job and car I could go to any events I like by myself.

So what Indonesian Events I went to?

This event was the event for celebrating Batik as one of Indonesian heritage. Held at Indonesian Consulate General, the second Saturday in October.

We planned to go to this event too. Unlike the last one, we were in the right schedule.

Since it was for celebrated Batik, I found no difficulty for it. I had lots of batik clothes in my closet.

And, it was at Saturday (again), so I had to wait until my boyfriend finished his work (again). Almost same like the last one, I found that I lost my mood at that day. Plus even my boyfriend came home a little bit faster, we had to deal with his daughter that decided to stayed at our house, and his wife that came to took some of their son's belonging.

A bit busy, but we managed to go at 2 pm. In hurry again, because this event started at 10 am and finished at 4 pm. So we didn't have much time.

Luckily, it just took 45 minutes to the Indonesian Consulate General. And didn't face an unnecessary's traffic.

Since this was our first time to Indonesian Consulate General, we didn't know that to get inside, we had to go to the back of the building.

And when we arrived, we were super late. Because all the performances already  finished, only entertainment from the band. Of course like any Indonesian event, there always a time for a guess to sing. 

Since it was an event for Batik, I was hopping that I could find any kind of batik showed in this event. So I could tell my boyfriend what and why we are really proud of this art. And also could show him the meaning behind it all.

But, I couldn't found any of it or stall, around. Mostly just food stalls and of course there was a batik stall, but to sell it.

Perhaps Consulate member really busy to planned and gather informations about it. Oh well.

Because we were late, so not much things we saw. What can we do, I just hopped that one day we could go to this event earlier.

Indonesian Food & Trade Festival

The third event was the food and trade festival. I was hoped that we could try lots of Indonesian traditional food in this event. Beside enjoying the entertainment of course.

This is the only festival that made us had to pay around $3 each. So of course we would hope it would be great.

Yeah nah..

Food stall, probably is the most important thing in every events we've been. But, same like any other stall, we couldn't get it for free, we had to pay them. Mostly want cash.

We didn't eat any food because I made Indonesian food every week. So we skip that. So we just tried to enjoyed the entertainments. Luckily, we able to saw three or four performances that day.

 

The event started at 11 am and ended at 5 pm, and we arrived at 4 pm. And lucky we could saw some performances. Really.

So far, I could says I like going into those events. Especially for the first time. But I felt that I missed lots of things (beside no one trying to talk with us). Probably because I have to wait my boyfriend to come home, and then takes time to prepared.

Perhaps next year we could be arrive earlier.