When "Kowe Anak-e Asu" Literally Means "You, Son-of-a-Bitch!"

(*If you'd like to read this blog but do not understand Indonesian, I would be more than happy to translate it for you. Just let me know, OK?...;D)

Waktu ini gua pergi belanja di supermarket Korea yang sangat amat gua cintai

Wuih...bisa ya cinta ama supermarket?

Bisa aja kalo lo tinggal disini

Bagaimana gak cinta......pas masuk sudah diwelcome dengan bau "pasar"

Gak bau steril kayak supermarket bule

Udah gitu mengalun dentingan piano atau violin lagu classical....bikin tentram

Kadang2 malahan lagu disco.....sip kan??

Jalan masuk sedikit...dan apa yang gua temui di vegetable section minggu ini?

KANGKUNG!!!!

Iya, sampai saking gak percaya gua mesti mencubit diri sendiri

Oucchhh...kerasa cubitannya, maka itu beneran kangkung, bukan mimpi

Dideketin juga wujudnya masih kangkung....

Jadi juga bukan halusinasi gua atau sebuah fatamorgana

Sip, my dearest Kangkung...nice to meet you again, please join me in my basket!

Selain kangkung, ada cabe (cabe merah, cabe ijo, cabe rawit), tahu, singkong (yes, beneran singkong!!!)

Gua juga nemuin TERASI!!! 

Dan apa itu dipojok?

OMG...kecap manis ABC dan......disitu.........tepung hongkwe........

OMG banget kan???

Walau gua gak gitu pasti tepung hongkwe enaknya diapain....tapi gua tetep bersorak OMG!

Kalo kecap manis sih....lo gak suka kecap manis = bukan orang Indo!

Gimana gua gak cinta dengan tempat ini?

Laksana oasis di tengah padang pasir

Halahhhhh......please deh......

Anyway, yang mau gua ceritain bukan soal ini tapi kejadian di tempat parkirnya

Pas gua kelar shopping, gua berjalan keluar dibelakang bapak2 orang Asia

Dari belakang/samping kok mirip juga ya kayak orang Indo...atau bisa jadi Filipino

Nah, baru gua mikir gini dan pas beranjak ke jalan yang memisah toko dan tempat parkir

Tiba2 ada mobil melintas dengan cepat, hampir nyerempet bapak2 itu

Kita semua terkejut karena itu tempat nyebrang dan emang mobil gak boleh ngebut dijalan situ

Saking terkejutnya gua gak bisa reaksi, tapi apa yang bapak itu lakukan

Dia taruh belanjaan di aspal, neriakin mobil yang ngebut sambil ngacungin tinju

Apa yang dia bilang??

Dan inilah yang bikin gua takjub......

Dia teriak...."KOWE ANAK-E ASUUUUUU!!!!"

Wait a minute.....itu bukan bhs. Inggris but I think I understand what it means....apa ya?

Sedetik kemudian....ooooo........HUAHAHAHAHA............

Yup, teman2 that is when "Kowe anak-e asu" literally means "You, son-of-a-bitch!"

Dibatin gua.....hahaha....jowone metu! (*the Javanese appears)

Terus gua mulai mikirin......oh gitu ya kalo ditranslate ke bahasa Jawa.......hehehe.....

Tapi kalo mau marahin orang kenapa pake bahasa yang orangnya gak ngerti ya?

Atau pengin maki2 tapi takut digebukin?

Dan saking sibuknya gua mikirin soal ini si bapak udah keburu mblandang (*walked off) entah kemana

Alhasil, gua gak bisa kenalan........

When Techno Nerds Met Science Geeks

A funny thing happened at the lunch room the other day

For those who don't know me yet, I work at a medical research center

Often, topic of conversation during lunch would revolve around nutrition (nutrients, diet, etc), health, cancer, mechanisms for cell signalling (yeech! even this will put me to sleep) and such like

No gossips about who is dating/sleeping with whom, no talks about movies, none whatsoever on the latest fashion (as long as you don't come to work naked, all is good)

Most of the time, almost 100% Science Geeks (SG) topics

The other day, we were talking about the so-called Super Fruits

Usually this type of fruits contains high amounts of vitamins and antioxidants

Basically, the premise is such that the more you eat them, the better your health 

And so we believe, even though we don't know how long + how much to eat before we see a health benefit

The conversation went like this:

SG1: I am SO done with drinking vitamins in capsule forms. Too much chemicals in it. Best to get the nutrients naturally from food.

SG2: True, true...we have to start eating less meat but more fruits and vege. SO much vitamins in fruits and vege, you'll get all the antioxidants you need.

SG3: I agree. Especially, blueberry.....wow...so high in antioxidants. All you need is a handful every day. Blueberry is the most fantastic!!!

SG1: Really? Blueberry? That is SO last 2 years ago! The best one is blackberyy! Not strawberry, not blueberry......but......BLACKBERRY, simply THE BEST!!!

At this point, 2 other colleagues walked into the lunch room and joined our table.

Colleague 1: I agree with you! Blackberry is definitely the BEST!

Colleague 2: YES! Everyone should have some especially if you are in this field. How can you not have it?

Colleague 1: All the research and reviews have shown that blackberry is the best thing ever

SG1 (looking smug): See, see....what did I tell you?! Blackberry is HOT!!

SG3 (skeptical): Really? I think that is too early to say.

Colleague 2: NO, NO......so much research has been done and consistently report good things.

Colleague 1: Yes! All the reviews, write-ups....SO MANY, more than enough evidence.....what have you guys been reading? How can you not believe blackberry is THE thing to have???

SG3: OK....so what journals have YOU guys been reading?

Colleague 1 and 2: Consumer Reports, Wired Magazine, GearLog, Tomorrows Technology Today.....

SG3: Why would these kinds of magazines do a write up about a fruit?

Colleague 1 and 2: Fruit?? What fruit? I am talking about the handphone...you know, Blackberry??

SG1, 2, 3 (in unison): WHAT THE HELL, man???

And so, that was what happened when Techno Nerds met Science Geeks......

Just like a Duck talking to a Chicken............

My Mantra for 2010

Another year has gone past
Another 365 days have become history
New year, new blog
New hope, new beginning
Start afresh from a clean slate
Or continue blazing down the path to glory

2009 is officially over
Looking back the year, a lot can happen in just 1 year
Going back and forth over the roads of Arguments, Resolutions, Shortcomings, Achievements
Climbing up and down the valleys of Happiness, Sadness, Satisfaction, Dissapointment, among many others
And don't forget about the one called Confusion
Puckering up and kissing 2009 goodbye, opening my arms wide and embracing 2010

As I walk down the avenue of Life in 2010
Let these be my mantra
1) The most important thing is to know what is the most important thing. And only I can decide what is the most important thing
2) My mission in life is to make others happy, but:
a) I can only make others happy if I myself am happy
b) I cannot make everybody happy
c) I cannot make everybody happy all the time
3) I can do no great things, only small things with great love (this one is from Mother Theresa)

Happy new year, Everybody! May 2010 be kind to you.