Miss Across the Sea (Eng): March 2018

How I Cope With My HomeSick

March 25, 2018

Since move to Australia at April 2017, actually I didn't feel any homesick attack because the lifestyle differences between Australia and Indonesia. It probably because the Australian lifestyle, people, until language triggered me to be survive here.

I moved a lot since I was at Indonesia. So, with moving into this really brand new place, I'm hoping I could express my self freely.

But, sometimes, as someone that born and grew in Indonesia, I missed that country. Especially the food. When I was at Indonesia, I used to see and ate three meal in a day with rice, and in Australia, sometimes it took more than a week to eat rice, LOL.

So, my boyfriend agree to give one day for me to serve Indonesian food for our meal. And we agreed that we will have Indonesian meal every dinner at Sunday.

But, sometimes, even though I served Indonesian meal for dinner every Sunday, I also made Indonesian snack for my boyfriend for his afternoon snack. Since I still don't get job yet, and I have lots of time to do at home, so I could see why not.

Lots of things that I have to do for preparing Indonesian meal, even though it's only once every week. But, it gave you positive feed back to, beside makes you feel comfortable in the new places.

Preparing Indonesian food it's not the easy thing ( I thing). Because the spices is not as easy and as cheap Italian or Mexican food here. Yes, since Asian food is not a big thing like European food, so it is difficult to gather the spices

Also Read: Place to Go When I Miss Indonesian Food

I Become More Familiar With Kitchen

I wasn't a person that not really understand about kitchen thing, but also someone that really good at cooking. I never thought that kitchen was a great place to hang out back in Indonesia. Especially, sometimes it became a privilege place for my mother, LOL. I tried to help her but it became chaos, so I prefer didn't stepped at the kitchen.

But, since in Aussie is need more effort to find Indonesian restaurant ( I live at the suburb while Indonesian restaurant mostly at the CBD), so my chance is making it by my self. Since I have to make all the foods by myself, I have to be familiar with all the spices and all the kitchen utensils.

I totally doesn't matter if you women, and girls decided not really into cooking. Because I think it's all the choice. And man cooking? I can see why not. Even my boyfriend sometimes cook or making a coffee for me. He think it is something normal if men also able to do something at kitchen.

Making Me More Familiar With Indonesian Food

I never tried some Indonesian snacks before move to Aussie. For example, I never tried cilok, cimol, or sempol. But since I moved to Aussie, I able to taste it, not to mention lots of culinary from other places in Indonesia. Even thought I still make a simple snacks, but hey, I made it.

cimol Bandung homemade

tahu (tofu) pletok & fried siomay, also home made

Why I became more familiar with Indonesian food? Because you couldn't just made the same food every week, right?

Nowadays is so easy to find lots of recipe for Indonesian culinary. Starting from the authentic one until the modified one. So, I couldn't find any difficulty to find something to cook every week.

Making Me Creative

There were times for me to be really creative. For example when the spices that I need are not at the spice isle at the supermarket, I should know what the exchange for that.

have to be familiar and lots of mix and match too

I experienced that it still difficult to find galangal and turmeric. Sometimes if you are lucky, you will see it at the onion isle at Coles or Woolworth. If not, you will find it in powder form. As long as it didn't kill the taste, I could say any mix and match for the spices will be allright.

And, my boyfriend not always want to eat Indonesian meal with rice. And if he want with rice, usually he want it not just plain white rice. So, yeah, I also need to be creative for served rice.

Introducing Indonesia Trough Food

It always not an easy tasks for me to introducing my country. I need to be really careful not too overproud. I don't wan to be be blunder because too over proud. Telling something based on fact and datas is not as easy as it seems.

One of my facebook's friend made a blunder when she tried to "lecture" me for being proud as Indonesian. Instead lecturing me, she generalized something unnecessary like compared Indonesia and Aussie. Well, you couldn't do that when your purpose is to introducing something.

For me, the easiest way is by culinary. Because like old saying in Indonesia, "from stomach you start fall in love."

So beside treating my homesick, Indonesian food also helping me introducing Indonesia too.

Also Read: My Boyfriend's Parent Visit

Doesn't Have A Complicated One

All of Indonesian are agree that Rendang is the most delicious food in the world. But sometimes I found it's hard to cook Rendang from zero. Because it is complicated, lots of spices that really hard to find here, or sometimes it is expensive.

Simple and Quick as the First Step

"Where should I start if I want to try something like you do?"
Try to make something simple first. A simple snack that it seems easy to find at your home country, and try to made it at your new country. Like me, I started to made a simple Indonesian snacks first, something that so familiar for me.

Because fritter is easy and simple and I could find it in every corner of the street of Indonesia, so I made that as the first attempt.

potato doughnut, I made it with following Australian way

instant spices could be a great choice for a newbie

And, if you starting to made something "heavier" than snack, you could try the instant spice. I did that several times, especially when I decided to made a meal that need lots of spices.

Not Always Looks Alike the Real One

Since Asia is so well known by eating with rice, and now I am not at the place where rice is not the essential food in every meal, I have to be more creative to serve my Indonesian food.

Indonesian chicken grilled with sweet soy sauce, mix with peas, corn cub and chips

For example, I made this Indonesian chicken grilled with sweet soy sauce. In Indonesia, they served it with rice and sambal and some fresh vegetables. But in here, I change it to be served with chips and peas & corn.

one of my boyfriend's favorite Gado Gado

Or gado-gado. Gado-gado in Indonesia considered as not the main menu. Mum said because gado-gado have no rice in it (typical Asian), but don't you know that gado-gado can be a salad exchange?

Since it have fresh vegetables in it, also the vegetables fritter, it is enough to be a main meal. Especially when they served it with boiled potato. In my version, I also add grilled chicken, with salt and pepper, or not with it, and boiled egg. The peanut sauce will help it to be delicious.

Indonesian chicken rendang (made from instant spice) and rice

Not always no rice, sometimes I also served it with rice. Like this Rendang I made from instant spices. Since my boyfriend use to eat meal with green vegetables, I mix the rice with peas & corn & paprika powder plus rosemary when I cooked the rice.

The More You Serve it, The More Variation You Have

At the end, I getting used to cook something quick, and know how to use kitchen utensil in a good way. And of course it makes me able to make a creation that made my Indonesian food have lots of variation without leaving its authentication.

nasi goreng jawa (Javanese fried rice) homemade

For example, this fried rice. I made this from zero. Even though I have to called mum first to get the recipe, but I also add some things that match my boyfriend taste.

spinach soup, chicken honey grilled and corn fritter

Or match meal between spinach soup (my boyfriend's favorite too), chicken honey grilled, and corn fritter ~~that failed~~, plus white rice mix with peas & corn. Simple but since not everyday eating something like that, so it became special. LOL.

Do you know some Indonesian (an Asian) really like spicy food, and Indonesian have lots of variation of sambal? I also introduce it to my boyfriend. At first he didn't really into Sambal Terasi and Sambal Tomat since the taste is the same and only one HOT. So I tried to introduce him with Sambal Kecap and surprisingly he like it.

Balinese satay lilit & sambal matah with nasi uduk (rice with coconut milk) and scrambled egg

And, recently, I made Sambal Matah a Balinese Sambal complete with Satay Lilit too. Plus I made Nasi Uduk complete with the scrambled egg too. My boyfriend said the rice have different taste, and delicious. Plus the mix between all of it making him want more.

fried chicken with salty egg
I don't know where is the origin of this meal, but it pretty popular in Indonesia

The longest meal I ever made? Salty fried chicken. Around three week in the making. LOL. Well, I need to make the egg salty first for three week, then made the menu.

I am happy and proud that I could introducing my country to my boyfriend, and I also hope I could do that too to the other family member.

What else I should cook for next weekk? Any Idea?

travel

Have You Prepare These for Your Holiday at Melbourne?

March 18, 2018

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Hallooooooo...

Are you planning to go to Melbourne? Well my friend asked me the same question when I always asked them to "go down under." Their question is always "what is in Melbourne?" A lot peeps.

But in this post, I will share you something that you have to do when you visiting this city.

Prepare all the Documents

Before you preparing the instagramable clothes, you should prepare the most important thing, documents.

Paspport

prepare your passport, at least 6 months before your expiry date

Of course, because you will go aboard, your passport will be the other ID for you as long as you stay in one country. If you want to visit Australia, you have to have at least passport with 6 months timeline before it expired.

Visa

find the exact visa

Don't you wrong to choose your visa. If you just holidaying at Melbourne, choose visitor visa, and don't push yourself to have multiple entry visitor visa in Australia when you are the first timer visitor to Australia.

There are lots of choices nowadays to apply your visa, you could go online. Apparently some countries able to apply online, and my country [Indonesia] only this year [2018] starting able to apply online.

Some who can't apply online, you could apply by yourself trough their official partner for visa in your own country. In Indonesia, they have AVAC for helping you to get Australian Visa.

But if you can't do it alone because you have to be able mobile to give your documents (they are not required the copy documents, must be the real documents), you could ask help from the travel agent.

Also Read: My First Time Taking Care My Australian Visitor Visa

Scheduling for Lodge Your Visa

For visitor visa Australia, they have ±15 working days to work it. So I suggest you lodge it two months before your departure date. And, since their visa application not required a plane ticket, you could by your plane ticket after your visa is accept.

Plane Ticket VV

prepare your ticket and return too. Because you don't want to put yourself in trouble

If you fly from Indonesia, either from Jakarta or bali, it tooks ±6 hours to Melbourne, so I suggest you to use an airline that makes you comfortable. Doesn't matter with budget airline if you think you are okay with the long flight.

If you choose non budget airline, you will have all the entertainment for free. Like when I used Garuda Indonesia, since the flight to Melbourne always midnight, they gave me free blanket, pillow, socks, eye cover. And have snacks, and midnight drink, and also breakfast. They also have wifi on board too, I just have to pay around AU$20(if I'm not wrong) for their wifi.

Also Read: Things That I Always Bring While At Australia

Prepare Everything Based to Melbourne Season

Even though Melbourne have four seasons like most of European and American, but, you have to remember, that their date is different, and winter doesn't mean snow at your porch. Here somethings you have to know in some seasons at Melbourne

Summer

You have to be familiar with Australian Summer, like their Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek & Slide things.

Slip, on a shirt
Slop, on the 30+ sunscreen
Slap, on a hat
Seek, shade or shelter
Slide, on some glasses used to block out sun.

SOURCE

Why they have those? Because these are apparently a campaign from SunSmart Australia to prevent skin cancer. Why? Since Australia and New Zealand have the highest ratio of skin cancer in the world, How come?

SOURCE

Of course because the lighter skin you have, the easier you get the skin cancer. Because white skin means you have less melanin than the darker skin one. This melanin is the body shield to protect you from the UV.

And also, Australia is located near the ozone hole, so the amount of UV ray they accept is higher than any other countries.

If you plans to having holiday around December to February, you have to be aware about this campaign, because those months is the summer time in Australia (sometimes until March).

Beach is a right place in Summer, thin clothes is a yes for me

thongs is Aussie's word for flipflop

wear a sneaker for your journey around the city

planning for outback, wear a proper shoes and also socks

sunny, is Australian word for sunglass

moisturize, moisturize, and moisturize your skin

hat is also a fashion statement here

Always put your sunblock every time you going out in summer

Start to collect your sweater that fit the autumn color :p

As long as you have coat, it save in autumn

My fashion savior when I found no coat or jacket for my style is SHAWL

Autumn is the season where your fashion statement change very dramatic, from super summer tan to buckled up

Stocking is my favorite fashion statement at autumn

this batik dress could be a beautiful outer too, and I love it

Thick jacket is a must for winter

Snow at the peak of the mountain, yes, we have snow too

Boots, sweater, and skirt at spring, why not

Jeans and boots also can be a great spring fashion choice

one day you will find it is okay to wear thin clothes, mini skirt at spring

and one day you will find it is not too cold for mini skirt but cold enough to wear coat

Always Pay Attention to Their Seasonal Illness

Dry, dry, dry... for some who came from the place like Indonesia, this could be a trouble , especially for your skin. Because the humidity in Melbourne is not much, your skin will get dry.

vaseline petroleum jelly

Try to have this, if you think the Melbourne air make your skin dry. Just put it every night and morning before your makeup routine.

Drink lots of water

Water, mineral water, tap water, not beer, or coffee, or any alcoholic drinks, LOL.

Medicine

It is a good thing if you want to bring your own medicine to Melbourne, but I suggest you bring the medicine with the doctor prescriptions. Just to be save. But, if you don't want, there will be lots of chemist around to sell non prescriptions medicine.

Renting a Car

Are you come from English speaking and writing countries? In Victoria, you could use your own licence to drive a car. But please find the rules about it in other states, could be different.

And if you came from the non English speaking and writing country, maybe you have to use your international licence then.

Driving in Australia, means you drive at the left side, and the stirring wheel at the right. Please do remember it.

There some tips from me if you want to starting a holiday at Melbourne. Do you think I forget some tips too? If you do, please put it at the comment section.

I'll See you at Melbourne :)

promotion

Tip Top Thin Sandwich, Your Lunch Alternative

March 11, 2018

As a busy person, sometimes we think it is wasted our time when we prepared our lunch. How many of us really have no time for preparing the lunch to bring to our office in the morning? Or just too lazy to have a big lunch meal at home because it's just only you at home?

For someone like me who seldom going out for lunch, and sometimes getting confuse because don't know what to eat at lunch time. I also sometimes don't want to take a longer time at the kitchen just for cooking lunch for myself.

When I still working back in the day, It was so difficult to prepare my own lunch box in the morning, before going to office. In between doing makeup, and preparing all the office need, I always skip the lunch preparation.

TIP TOP THIN SANDWICH

One of the fastest way to prepare lunch is with sandwich. For some of us, making sandwich is the fastest way to prepare. Just toast the bread, fill it with all the sandwich filling, or jam, then you ready. Being someone who live in Australia, and sometimes think Australian's meal portion is always twice as much as I usually had, sometimes even having a piece of sandwich also feel too much for me.

Then I found this Tip Top Thin Sandwich. One of the most popular brand in Australia, Tip Top is one of the Australian bakery product that provide a great quality bake good all around Australian cafes, restaurant, schools, hotels, etc.

Their Tip Top product range it self is vary, from sliced bread, breakfast breads, lunch & roll burger bun, dinner rolls & sliders, sharing loaves & baguettes, garlic breads & pizza bases, and even crumbs. Not a strange for a product that has been around Australia for more than 50 years.

Including their Tip Top Thin Sandwich product. This new product came with three different taste, original, lightly seed, and wholemeal. As a fan of a wholemeal actually I really looking for their wholemeal product, but unfortunately I ran out when I came to Coles #sob. But I am not disappoint with the original one, tho... It is delicious.

Because it contain of gluten cereal and soy, I hope you be really careful, especially if you or your kids have a peanut allergy.

Healthy and Enough Portion for One Bread

At first, I thought this product will be as same as thick the original bread, even when it said "lighter". I admit, I was wrong. This Tip Top Thin Sandwich IS thin and light. I don't have to stack two bread in one for making a sandwich, because in Tip Top This Sandwich, they already sliced every bread inside the packaging. So, I don't need to find a knife to slice is, or stack it with another.

With only 99 calories per serve*, this sandwich is really healthy and light. Oh, do I mentioned about enough portion? Because it is. For me that sometimes having difficulty to finished the normal bread (stack into two), this is something that I barely able to finish. Says with one stack of normal sandwich, I could have two Tip Top Thin Sandwich, LOL.

(*99 calories per serving based on an average Tip Top Sandwich Thin weight of 40g (unprepared))

You Could Be Creative Too

You could put anything for your soft, light, and tasty Tip Top Thin Sandwich. And, when my boyfriend tried it, he said the bread didn't "eat" the taste of the filling. Yes, he is right, once you put Tip Top Thin Sandwich as your lunch, you will feel those filling that you put inside the brad will easily to taste inside your mouth.

My favorite one is always peanut butter. And this Tip Top Thin Sandwich makes my peanut butter filling taste more than when I have it with normal bread. We also had it with simple sandwich. Lettuce, tomato, cheese, and thinned sliced pastrami. Toast the Tip Top Thin Sandwich, and then put all the fillings. It was a delicious and full meal.

Because the bread is so soft and light, that is why any filling you put there will taste more inside your mouth. I mean, come on, once you want to put your chicken meat inside your sandwich, you really want to taste the meat inside your mouth, together with the bread too right. Well, as for me, yes, that's what I want. Not just a bread with a slightly chicken taste.

Not just for sandwich, you could do anything you want with Tip Top Thin Sandwich. Toast it and just spread it with butter? I can see why not. Or makes it like Aussie's burger? Maybe that will be a good idea too. Just be creative.

I don't have to be worried about too much portion for my sandwich anymore. Because with this product, I have JUST enough portion without making it too much.

So you, my Aussie's mate, this product could be your other alternative for lunch. I know how busy we are at weekday. And especially for someone who live in suburb but have to work at the city, and have to ride a public transport for going for work. This will help you save time to prepare lunch box.

It is easy and healthy too. And like I said, just enough portion to keep you full all day.

For other reader, I hope one day you can come and visit Australia, and don't forget, this product should be on your list :)