maudy's journal

I was asking one guy at my office's kitchen if he was a fan of Kaka, a soccer player. He was wearing Brazilian soccer team shirt number 8 with Kaka written on the back. An old lady with totally white hair interrupted by saying that in Bulgaria, her country, kaka means older sister. I told her that in my country, kaka with "k" at the end, means older brother or sister. What a coincidence! She asked what country I came from. I said "Indonesia". Instantly, she moved closer to me and started singing, "My mother land is Indonesia...oh land of beauty that I love so well.....". Then she didn't remember the lyrics. I didn't get what she sang at first, maybe because I didn't expect what I heard. She sang that song with "Nyanyian Pulau Kelapa" lyrics! Hearing a western old lady with trembling voice singing my national song was so touching. She said she loves that song , and she learned that song first in Bulgarian, then she found the English version.

It was 8.20 PM, my friends and I were busy for the office closing. We just had Brazilian night downstair, and were tired. I poured out the coffee from the coffee maker, my friend poured out hot water from the pot. When we got back to the coffee table, the same lady asked for water.
Lady: I want water
JY (my friend): Oops, I just poured it out, but you can get it yesterday.
L : But I need it now.
Me : There's fountain right there, and if you want it warm, you can warm it in the microwave.
L : No, I am a physicist, and I know how microwave can harm how body
Me : Is it really?
L : Oh yeah, that's why I never use microwave
Me : Even to warm food?
L : Yes, I don't even want to have one. Do you know that if you warm bread with microwave, it will become smushy? If you warm itwith oven, it will become crunchy. From that you should know there's a big difference.
Me : Ok (puzzled)

The case was closed, I thought. The lady went to the TV room, checking the election result. Couple minutes later she came to us and asked:
L : Why did you pour out the coffee and water at 8.30? (The office close at 9.00PM)
JZ (my other friend): It's 8.45 PM
L : (checking at her necklace watch) but my watch says it is 8.30
Me : Oh, we follow THAT clock (me pointing at a clock on the wall in front of us)
L : Ah, you fast forwarded it, didn't you? so you could go home early
Me : Well, that means we have to get here EARLY then! (#*&!&@*#!!)

Then she left for not too long. In one minute, she came back.
L : I was joking about the fast forwarding clock!

I couldn't go through this day without thinking about what was happening thousand miles away in my college town. I could picture him, wearing his best tux, displaying his smiley funny face but his eyes showing his earnestness at his most-loved one while saying "I do".

Easygoing, handy, humorous, smart, and artistic, are his attributes in addition to his personality that makes people love him. He was my classmate at my last semester in college, and since then we became best friends. I'am so blessed to know him; and definitely upset for missing his greatest moment.

On International House, the office where I work at, every staff has to do one trip project. I proposed trip to Mayfield dairy farm and Chattanooga aquarium. I picked the fall break to do my trip because on Mayfield, there is no ice cream production on weekend. When I submitted my proposal in the beginning of the semester, my boss told me that on fall break, the time I suggested for my trip, we already had event. He also mentioned that our task was only to submit proposal, and the proposal is not always accepted. I thought since the time I proposed was already taken, I didn't have to do my trip.

Last Friday, on staff meeting, my boss said that I should do my trip, but he needed to check with his other staff. I didn't get the decision until Monday, three days before the day. It means that in two days, I had to make the publication, do the preparation, and get people to register by Wednesday evening. My human perspective said that it's almost impossible, people had plan already, and the price to go might be pricey for some people. I checked the weather.com that said that there's chance of raining on Thursday. Uh oh... My boss told me that if there were six people, we could go with a van. If there were more than fifteen people, we could go by a bus. The problem is if the total is in the middle. We had to use two van, but there was only one driver. I prayed so that we had people interested to join the trip and get enough people to do either way. Moreover, so that this trip will bring joy to people who joined the tour.

On Tuesday evening, I came to the office and checked the sign-up sheet. I was turned down. There were only three people signed up. After I checked, apparently the first paper was already filled up. So there's eleven people signed up. Oopps...that's between six and fifteen. I didn't have time to worry about the trip the next day because I was preparing presentation for my class. All I could do was just prayed and be still. Evening after presentation, I came and saw there were 20 people signed up for the trip. Fiuh..... that meant we could go by a bus. The next day, three more people registered for the trip. Since there were still place in the bus, we let them join.

The trip was great, and the weather was perfect. We saw the ice cream and milk making. I purchased a giant single scoop ice cream for $1.5! We went to aquarium after that. The trip took about two hours one way. I like the trip program from International House. Some international students may don't have car or don't know the places to go around the city. Student practically only pays for the admission ticket plus $3 for transportation. By doing this program I know that $3 is far from enough to cover the transportation fee. The rest is subsidize by the International House.

I was so relieve when we got back to Knoxville safe and sound. Thanks God much for guiding us and fighting my battle.

Hubby reminded me at the end of last week that I get angry easily now. I didn't deny that, since every time he picked me up, I grumbled to him about too many things that happened that day. My busyness has made me get too sensitive and insecure.

This Thursday and Friday were my fall break. That means that I've been thru a half semester. There were days when I felt like I couldn't do anything correctly, and that made me mentally tired. The more I tried to do better, the more tangled I was in an uncomfortable situation. I knew I did everything with my own strength and always found an excuse to escape from my spiritual activities. I was always tired and almost felt a sleep on the bible study class, if not skipped it.

Last days before fall break were the busiest days since I became a student. I had exam on Tuesday, and several assignments and final project due on Wednesday. In addition to that, I also had many pressure from people surround me. I was so frantic and couldn't do my house work. Thanks God for my hubby. In the middle of my weariness, I was reminded that I shouldn't do everything alone. The opening song that we sang at church last Sunday that says: "Be still...God will fight your battle be still..." felt like ice water poured on my head when I was walking on a desert. I wasn't still this past days when I wasn't pleasure with what my friend did to me. All I did was to make that person know that I wasn't happy with not doing what that person needed. "God will fight my battle", means that in everything I do, I am not alone.

Tempe, or some people pronounce it tempeh, is not very common in the city where I live. We could get tempe from oriental market or organic market, but the price is more to the expensive side for me. For that reason, I rarely cook tempe.

When my parents visited us, they brought tempe yeast for me from my uncle. Best time to make tempe is when the weather is hot and humid. The temperature has dropped this past days. I couldn't wait any longer to make tempe, so I did my project this week.

I got 2kgs soy bean from organic market. It takes about three days from soaking to the end of fermentation. Surprisingly, making tempe is not as hard as I thought. The hard part is to remove the soy skin. I am so happy that I can make tempe myself.

If you are in USA and interested of making it but can't find the yeast, send me your address. I would be happy to share my yeast with you.