Thankful, Grateful and Appreciative

When I feel thankful, grateful and appreciative, I will say thank you to the person who make me feel that way. In Indonesian language "thank you" is "terima kasih"

Terima = receiving
Kasih = love

I literally say : "receiving love" when I become a recipient of a good deed.

I have received many good deeds from many people.
I am grateful that you make time to read my blog
I am thankful that some of you buy my books
I am appreciative that you leave a positive comment about my posts
and gave me thumb ups in my facebook page

I wish you all "Happy Thanksgiving Day ! "
                        Terima kasih.

American Thanksgiving Feast and IndonesianThankfulness Menu

In USA, Thanksgiving holiday will come soon.
People will be busy cooking for the thanksgiving gathering.
There will be turkey, ham, gravy, cranberry sauceand the side dish such as mashed potatoes, green bean casseroles, sweet potatoes casseroles,stuffing, salad, etc. There are usually plenty of dessert too such as pies, jell-o pudding, cookies, ice cream and such.

Indonesians have something similar like thanksgiving menu. It is called Nasi Tumpeng. This menu usually comes out during celebration as a symbol of thankfulness. Indonesians usually cook Nasi Tumpeng for celebrating the coming of newborn babies, birthdays, independence days, opening a new business, etc.

photo by Jeremy Hadidjojo

In USA, the star of thanksgiving menu is the turkey or ham. In Indonesia, yellow rice takes the center stage. The rice was cooked in tumeric, coconut milk and other spices which give the color yellow, then shaped into a pyramid. It is put in the bamboo tray, decorated with banana leaves. The side dishes are piled on the bottom. Vegetables are also shaped to decorate the pyramid rice. It is quite a work of art.

You will find a picture of Nasi Tumpeng in Golden Cucumber book !

taken from "Golden Cucumber"

Store Opening

Just so you know, I just opened an online store...

Open for business !

How to get there ? Easy. 

Go to this link 

https://www.etsy.com/shop/KomodoPrint?ref=hdr_shop_menu

I sell Golden Cucumber books in my shop. It's a good stocking stuffer for Christmas

Hope to meet you in my shop. 

 

TEA, Indonesian Style

Today I am in the mood of writing about Indonesian teas.
And why is that? I think because of this photo

Indonesian president, Mr. Jokowi and Mr. Prabowo, a prominent politician

That is what I called "High Tea" !

Tea, Indonesian style is usually black and dark.
It could be plain tea or sweetened with much sugar.
It could be mixed with Jasmine petals ( Hmmm , fragrant ) or not.

Indonesians like their black sweetened teas
You can find Teh Botol ( or Bottle Tea...and that is brand ! )
which is sweetened black tea in put in bottles
You can find Teh Kotak (or Box Tea ... that is also the brand !)
which is sweetened black tea packaged in a box
There are also fruit flavored teas
The base is mostly black teas

Teas here which I found rather similar to the teas back home are
Red Rose Tea, Lipton black tea, English Breakfast tea and Earl Grey tea
And Indonesian don't usually put cream or lemon in their teas

If Australian like their bushwalking and Americans visit their apple orchards, Indonesians like their tea walk. Tea walk is walking around leisurely in the tea plantation, which usually in the mountain areas. Corporations and organizations do the outings in the tea plantations.

Ok, so much about Indonesian teas. I need a cup to warm myself in this cool autumn evening.

GOLDEN CUCUMBER, my new book

As an Indonesian living in USA, I realize that my kids miss the knowledge of Indonesian culture. Fairy tales and fables are part of culture. Mu kids know about Jack and the Beanstalk, Pinnochio, or Rapunzel, but they are not familiar with Jaka Sembung, Malin Kundang or Bawang Putih dan Bawang Merah.

There is a dream in me to create Indonesian fairy tales. After so many years, the dream finally came true. Dear All, introducing my book, Golden Cucumber.

I am not alone in creating this book. I wrote the story of Timun Mas, which I heard from my mom, when I was a little girl. My American friend, Grace Stanczak, edited my writing.

Bambang Gunawan Santoso, made the illustrations. I knew Bambang or Bambi when we worked together in Asiana Wang Animation of Indonesia. He is now a big name in Indonesian animation. He was also helped by his team. Ali Asman, is one of them.

After the illustration's done, Handy Atmali, an graphic designer who lives in California, combined the illustrations and the text into a book.

I had the printing done in an American printing company in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

So, all in all, this Golden Cucumber book has been through a collaboration of many hands.  I hope when it reaches your hands, it will open up a new world for your kids. It will also help you to remember a childhood world which you have left some times ago.

China Has Mulan, Europe Has Cinderella, Japan Has Princess Kaguya and Indonesia Has ...?

Golden Cucumber 

painting by Tirsa Tanaraga

This was a story about a heroine.
She fights for her life.
She has her own support system .
She has her own arsenals.

Just like us, her beginning was not perfect.

Just like us, she has obstacles.

Just like us, she has the enemy.

Just like us, she doesn't give up.
She is Golden Cucumber,
a heroine from Indonesia fairy tale.

Lamentation of a Batik Lover

I am a Batik lover
People collect memorabilia,
I collect Batik

My closet is full of Batik,
I have Batik tops, bottoms, accesories, even footwear
But still;

Whenever I see a beautiful pattern of Batik fabric
I could not contain myself
Batik, come to papa !
I will open my wallet to get that Batik

Whenever I am in bad mood
I go Batik shopping
When my shopping bag is filled with Batik
I feel my enthusiasm coming back
Batik, I love you ! I truly do

But lately, there is a sorrow in my heart
And the cause of my sorrow is printed Batik patterned fabric
I call them the imposters
And those imposters are dangerous for Artisanal Batik Industry
They makes the Batik artisans have lower sales

Lower sales = less money = less enthusiams = change profession = no more batik

Let me tell you some facts about imposters
1. They cost cheaper than the average painted or stamped batik
2. They are printed by machines
3. Usually the patterns in fabric are perfect
   ( because they are the product of machines not human )
4. The patterns are duplicated from classic or modern Batik
5. The real Batik are usually made in silk or cambric/batiste,
6. You won't find a tinge smell of wax in mechanized imposters

So,I beg you to buy hand painted Batik or stamped Batik
They may be more expensive, but consider them an investment of humanity
Remember those Batik Artisans , remember their kids, their community

Batik is a process;a technique. That's not my saying. It is what the dictionary, the wikipedia said a technique of wax-resist dyeing applied to whole cloth, or cloth made using this technique. 

So, when you buy the imposters, you kill the real Batik.

I hope my lamentation pleads into your heart. 

AA, a Batik lover and collector

Me and My Mommy

I am a small orangutan

I live in the rainforest of Sumatra

Most of the time I stay up in the trees

With my beloved mommy

My mommy is homeschooling me

She teaches me geography and topography of the rainforest

I should learn the fruiting cycle of the trees

She teaches me to make some tools

I should use them to fish for termites, get some honey and crack open the fruits

Today we went to pick durians

Yummy yummy yummy, durian is better than honey

Suddenly it rained

My mommy and me were looking for big leaves

After we found them, we picked them from the branches

And voila… we got ourselves the leaf umbrellas

We kept going to find the durian trees

We did not walk, we were swinging from tree to tree

And finally...we found durians

Ah sweet, delicious, rich, creamy, pungent, durians

My mommy picked a huge one and taught me how to crack it up

It’s not easy peasy lemon squeezy, but she could do without a knife

Yummy yummy yummy, I ate the durian as much as I could

But mommy said not to much

She wants me to eat a balanced meal of bark, leaves, fruits and insects

Not just durians

Ok mommy, here is my last bite

My mommy takes care of me for eight years

After that she is not responsible for me, but she will allow me to hang around her

When I am 15 years old, I am free to roam the jungle and live the life that I dream

But not now, now I am still have many things to learn about the rainforest from my mommy 

picture and text by Tirsa Tanaraga

A Letter from Mr. Komodo Dragon

Dear Overseas Indonesian,

Greetings from Toronto Zoo.

My name is Mr. Komodo Dragon. 

I am originally from Pulau Komodo in Nusa Tenggara Timur. 

Now I live in Toronto Zoo. 

Staying overseas doesn't change my love to Indonesia.

I still miss Indonesia, the emerald of equator!

Now let me tell you more about myself. 

I am10 feet in length and 300 lbs in weight. 

I have long, flat heads with rounded snouts, scaly skin, 

bowed legs, and huge, muscular tails.My tongue is fork shaped. 

It helps me to detect the smell of dead animals which are my favorite food.

Back when I live in my natural habitat, 

due to my carcass eating habit, my saliva is toxic, 

full of bacteria which can easily give some infection to my prey. 

Beside that I also possess, venom glands in my lower jaw. 

Once I bit an animal or human (please beware dear readers), 

my venom will make my prey lost much blood and lower its (his/ her) blood pressure.

When I glance at my reflection in the water, 

I think I’m kinda look like Godzilla minus the spiky spine. 

You may find me hideous. I don't always look like that. . 

Actually when I was newly hatched 

( took me 8 months to be hatched )

I looked kinda cute. My cuteness and small size, 

make me vulnerable to the predators. 

So for the first two years I lived on the trees. 

My baby food  was insects, birds, and eggs. 

Enough about myself now, I don't want to make you bored. 

If you happen to be in Toronto area, come and visit me! 

It would be nice to meet overseas Indonesians. 

I would like to hear about yourself too. 

It always nice to get to know others. 

Have to go now, snack time for me. 

From your fellow Indonesian,

Mr Komodo Dragon 

(picture and text by Tirsa Tanaraga)