Wednesday 27 August 2008

Summer Holiday 2008 - Camping Trip ... 2nd Day

The next day, we went to Bohinj area. Our first destination was Savica waterfall. It was about 25 minutes drive from our camp. Savica Waterfall occurs at the source of the Savica (little Sava) river. Its water bursts from the underground of the Dolina sedmerih jezer (The Seven Triglav Lakes Valley) in the walls of Komarča as Savica Waterfall, which is the most famous Slovenian waterfall.

The Savica runs over 38 m long level and falls almost 51 m deep. Total difference in height is 78 m. Another smaller waterfall also falls 25 m deep. Both waterfalls together form the two-part waterfall in the shape of the letter A. Right after the pool, which is artificially supported, is a small dam. To get to the waterfall is about 20 minutes walk from the entrance.

The Savica waterfall can easily be reached from Bohinj by road. However to enjoy the beauty of Savica waterfall is not free. Parking space is 3 EUR and entrance fee is 2.40 EUR per person. We went up to the waterfall for about 20 minutes walk. Quite tiring though. But it is worth after you see it. It's like picture in the postcard!

After Savica, we went to enjoy the view of Lake Bohinj.

Lake Bohinj is the largest permanent lake in Slovenia.Its located in the Bohinj municipality in the north-west of the country, and is inside Triglav National Park. It is 4.2 km long and 1 km at its maximum width. And the deepest part of the lake is 45 m. The lake was made by a glaicer.
The largest of the streams that flow into the lake, the Savica ("little Sava"), is fed from Črno jezero (Black Lake), the largest lake in the Triglav Lakes Valley. The outflow is the Jezernica which merges with the Mostnica to form the Sava Bohinjka (which in turn merges with Sava Dolinka to become the Sava river). The area is associated with the legendary "Zlatorog", a white chamois with golden horns. A statue of the creature stands beside the lake.

We rent a small boat to go around the lake. It was 8 EUR/hour. Actually I was a little bit scare going around to deep water, also it was the first time for me to do it. So I have to put a life jacket just in case something bad happen ... Thank God nothing happen. In fact I really enjoyed it, eventhough it was really a hard work to pedal the boat :-D

Monday 25 August 2008

Summer Holiday 2008 - Camping Trip ... 1st Day

This holiday we decided to do some camping trip to Bled and surrounding, for 3 days ... from 1st to 3rd of August. I am really excited since it would be my first time since my last camping trip. So we went at 1 of August, in the morning. Luckily the traffic was not so crowded. We came to Bled around 9. But unfortunately it was full because summer holiday is started and Bled is one of main tourist destination in Slovenia. Lot of people from Europe (especially from Nedherland, Germany and Austria) come to have a vacation here. And we didn't know that we actually can reserve the space in advance. So we decided to camp in nearby camping area, ŠOBEC in Lesce. It was a nice place, and facility is also complete. To get a space we need to pay 12 EUR per person, and if you need an electricity you need to pay extra of course. For more information, you can check here www.sobec.si. First space we found there, not so good. Grega couldn't make the tent because there are stones and big root from the tree around the land. And he only has a small tool with him :-) Then we went around a bit and finally we found a good spot to make our 'house'. It didn't take so long to do it.

After set up the tent, we went around the camp a bit then went to Bled lake. Here you can do a lot of thing ... You just park your car for 6 EUR/day then you can do swimming, biking, kayaking, taking around the lake with small ship, or going to the bled island with 'Pletna'. Per person is about 12 EUR. Quite expensive ... I already visited the island and the castle first time I was here, so this time we just swam and enjoyed the view. After that we walked around the lake and had a lunch in Villa Ajda. They have a restaurant with view of the lake. The food is also good ... after walked for hours I was so hungry that I need big portion of food, hahaha ... So I took fish with potatoes and spinach ... ehm yummy!! Anyway, I really like the view of
the lake ... the island ...the castle ... and the mountains. Can't help myself to take lot of pictures of it from different angles .... They are really beautiful!


Monday 18 August 2008

63rd Indonesia's Independence Day

18 Agustus 2008. Yesterday was 63rd Indonesia's Independence Day. Back to the country, they have interesting things to celebrate it. They have different kind of fun games like eating crackers, football saroong, put nail in the bottle (of course not so easy as it sounds :-)), marble game, sport games, etc. Then they also have a bazzar where people selling food and stuffs, and of course independence stage where people can perform dances, musical drama, dan other things. So what did I do to celebrate it here? Well, since there are no Indonesians around who I could ask to play fun games or to celebrate it ... then I came up with idea to make 'Tumpeng Kemerdekaan'. If you don't know what is tumpeng ... well nasi (read: rice) tumpeng is often prepared for special occasions like communal feast or we call it 'selamatan'. It made from rice, cooked in coconut milk tinted yellow with freshy-granted turmeric, then steamed. Then after it cooked, it is shaped like a cone. Depending on the scale of the selamatan, the rice may then colourly adorned with number of dishes like fried chicken, omelet strips, fried dried anchovies, whole boiled eggs fried in a sauce, sweet and sour pickled vegetables, cucumber slices and red chillies cut into flower shapes.

Ok, back to my 'mission' during Independence day ... as I mentioned before, I decided to make nasi tumpeng. Well, usually this kind of meal is for many people because it needs extra effort and also time to cook it. But since nobody around to celebrate ... so it was just us :-) Saturday night I made a simple model of cone - since I don't have the real model made from alumunium here. So I just made it from thick paper then padded with alumunium foil. Then I made also the flag from small white paper, then coloured the half part with red marker. Just as simple as that :-)

Then next day, Sunday - on Independence day ... I started cooking at 9:30 ... I prepared all by myself ... I cooked the fried chicken, sambal goreng ati ayam (spicy chicken liver), perkedel kentang (potatoes croquettes), telur bumbu ( boiled eggs fried in a sauce), acar kuning (yellow pickled vegetables), and of course the yellow rice. I finally finished the whole cooking session at 1 o'clock. So I cooked more than 3 hours. It was quite 'extreme' for only 2 people, hehehe ... Oh well the important thing is the spirit ... I want to make something different for my country's Independence day ... no matter where I live I carry the spirit. And what make me happy and proud is ... this was my first Nasi Tumpeng I ever made ... and it turned out well! Great job, Tatie! hehehe ... When I was still in Indonesia, I used to participate during the celebration ... the games, the perform or helping around to prepare the celebration. And here, no one I could ask to celebrate it. Not so many Indonesians living in Slovenia, and they live in different region. And going to Indonesian embassy in Vienna is quite far as well.

Anyway, for my lovely country, INDONESIA, I wish you 'DIRGAHAYU KEMERDEKAAN ke 63 ... MERDEKA!! dan JAYALAH SELALU!

My Indonesian Cooking Website


Here's my cooking website Tasty Indonesian Food
All recipes here already tested in my kitchen. Please feel free to check and support it. This website I created because I want to introduce Indonesian Food all around the world. That's my biggest dream ...

Hello ... I'm Back!!!

It's been a while I didn't update my blog. I missed it! Well, if anyone wondering where was I ... well actually I am still around ... but I was busy building my new site. Yup!! New Site!

These past 3 months I 'dedicated' myself to build it ... from gathered some informations, created the contents, learned how to make the traffic, etc. Luckily I have a wonderful husband that always there to help me around. Well I am not a computer-nerd who knows everything about website, while he knows better than me :-) Anyway, now I am back! Hopefully I am going to get back on my feet for updating my life story here.

Thursday 1 May 2008

One year already ...


1 May 2008. Today is one year already I've been staying in Slovenia. Can't believe time went so fast. People says 'If you feel time goes so fast, means you are having a good time'. Well, many things happened during a year here, bad and good things. In general, I am having a good time mostly ... been doing some trip around Slovenia, and even abroad, eventhough just some closer countries. At least, I got some nice memories to see other countries and culture. It was very difficult for me first time I got here. Worried what I am going to survive ... living in a strange country where everything is totally different. After a while, slowly I managed to adapt, step by step ... with the people, the environment, the rules, the culture and the foods. Slovenian people in general are nice and very welcome with the foreigner. So far I haven't got any bad experience with them. Eventhough I still get 'the look' from them. I guess my physical look is unsual for them since not so many asian live here, especially in the town I live. I only see few chinese. Sometimes when I meet some kids, they look me with curious look ... not like an adult, they stare at me curiously like I am an alien :-) And when I smile at them, they give their adorable smile. very cute!! :-) For me living in Slovenia is like living in a modern village. The country is so small, yet well organized. The nature is clean and fresh. The country is surrounded by hills and mountains. Just like in the village, where everything is green and fresh. For me is a big change since I grew in big town like Surabaya where all around is just skycrapers, houses, and traffic jam was a daily view. Means high pollution, no fresh air.
As the law and rules here, it's pretty strict here since the goverment want to have everything in order. I spent a year to take care all the papers I need, from residence permit, diploma, health insurance, and working permit. Luckily there's no 'money' talk. You only pay what you need to pay. No 'tip' or 'uang lelah'. Especially no 'special' price if your spouse is a foreigner. All you've got to do is fulfill all the requirents. So if you intend to live here, prepare yourself to deal with all the birocracies or they will kick you out :-)
Culture ... ehm it's definately different than Indonesia. Can't explain one by one. Small example, it's rude to point something or someone. While in Indonesia, when I want to make sure, sometimes I use my hand to point thing what we are talking about :-) Or, on birthday, they always sing, but not a birthday song, but traditional or national songs. They sing all along during the celebration.
The foods, first time I had problem to adapt because I never used to with western meal. I had digestion problem in my first week. Now, alhamdulillah I already found some Indonesia spices, also some friends I knew from internet kindly sent me some Indonesian spices that I don't find them here. I cook mostly Indonesian dishes, but sometimes I also make western meal so that won't be bored. Luckily i have a husband that not so picky with the foods, as long as no chillies :-) Some Slovenian dishes are delicious, but mostly their specialities are made from pork. And I can't eat or cook it at home.
My only problem after a year here is the language. I can say it's my biggest problem. And since 2 months ago, my father in law teach me because I don't take any course. Sometimes its frustruated me beacuse it's so diffucult to learn. I know lot of words, yet I still can't speak. I only understand a little when people are talking. Because I don't know the language, it's hard for me to get a job. Only time will tell when I will be able to speak fluently. I wish I live in a place where english is the language ...


Pic source : http://www.cartoonstock.com/lowres/cey0036l.jpg

Thursday 24 April 2008

Spring is already here ...

Some pictures taken from garden in Bresno. Now everything is blooming and colourful ... new life begins as a sign that spring is here ... It's beautiful !!

Finally my working permit is on hand

21 April 2008. Finally I got my personal working permit. Yet I got the copy instead of the original one since they somehow lost it when they sent it via post. And instead of sending it with registered post, they sent it by normal post. And when it got lost they don't know how to trace it. Very stupid and irresponsibility!! It pissed us off because for this permit we paid tax for 74 euro and we got nothing!!! When Grega asked them to send the duplicate, they sent copy instaed. I mean it wasn't our fault that they lost it, and they should give me the original instead copy with some note 'copy is the same as the original'!!!

pic source : http://www.anyworkanywhere.com/maps/gm_slovenia.gif

Monday 21 April 2008

Grand Opening Bali Massage Centre - Zreče













19 April 2008. Last weekend, we were invited to grand opening Bali massage center in Zreče. The owner is Grega's friend from high school, Mitja. We somehow helped him to take care the papers for the Balinese massage girls. I was happy that I finally met them, Wayan and Kadek. I don't know their complete name :-) We chat a lot. They told me how its so diffucult for them to adjust with the situation, especially with the time difference and the foods. They can't sleep or eat anything, especially Wayan. She said she barely eat anything and when they wanted to make rice, turn out they cooked it with too much water and become bubur instead :-) Poor girls! Living abroad is really hard indeed for the first time. Especially you can easily can get a meal in warung outside your house in Indonesia, cheap and good :-) So I told them how to cook rice properly without using a rice cooker (most indonesians have it in their home). I really admire them ... they are willing to come so far just to make a better life ... leaving all the loved ones. Back home, Wayan is a housewife with 2 children, 8 y.o girl and 4 y.o baby boy. Her husband is a policeman in Sukawati. She said she wanted to go out from her village cause somehow she feels sick with everyone there who are so envie and always have gossips. And also do magic. Whataver her family do, they always talk about it behind her. Never appreciate it. That's why she wanted to prove them that she can do better than their think. While Kadek, she has to leave her family and her boyfriend. Im sure its really hard to make a decision to leave our loved ones. I just hope they will enjoy staying in Slovenia. I told them if they miss Indonesian foods, they can come to our house and I will cook for them :-)
Anyway, as for the Bali Massage Center, it is located in Zreče, close to ski resort, Rogla. Very strategic place for this kind of business cause lot of people going there for some holidays, especially during the winter. Also there is a big thermal spa near. Here's the address

BALI BATU Masažni salon Cestna na Roglo 4c Zreče -Slovenia

As for the price, it's quite competitive since here massage and spa treatment, especially like Thai or Indian is expensive. At least for 60 minutes massage you need to pay 40 euro. With that price we can actually get 2 or 3 times massage in Bali :-)
You can click the price list picture to make it bigger.

Wednesday 9 April 2008

Going out to the seaside ... PORTOROŽ

5 April 2008. Our next destination after Izola was next town, Portorož. It was my second time here. Too bad the weather was not so good. During the summer, this place pack with tourist, laying down in the beach for sunbathing. This town is one of main tourist place in Slovenia. Lot of hotels and if you want to try your luck you can go to casinos as well :-D Some people said its like French Riviera (Code D'Azur), only in small version :-)
Portorož (Portorose in Italian, mean "Port of Roses"), but it has been labeled Portobeton ("Port of Concrete") by Slovenian wags, is a coastal town in Slovenia and one of the country's largest tourist areas. Belonging to the Municipality of Piran and inhabited by 3,000 people, Portorož is home to a marina, casino, and numerous sporting facilities. There is also a small international airport in nearby Sečovlje.