Now Cooking - Hachimaki Ramen

Hello Wanderbiters! Its good to be writing and sharing more frequently as this holiday season gave me a surplus of hours to work on new post =) This blog is indeed a labor of love. Have a jolly Christmas to you all and in case we didn't get to meet, Happy New Year as well. In that spirit, please welcome a new segment dedicated solely for newly opened food place - "Now Cooking". I'll be sharing the first bites so you'll have a decent idea of it and a certain expectations before trying =)

The lucky foodplace I visited just yesterday is Hachimaki Ramen, located at Rukan Cordoba Pantai Indah Kapuk (just across the Waterbom). I googled the word and found hachi means 'a bowl' and maki means 'volume'. So doing the math, I suppose it intends to say a huge bowl of ramen? It appears to be. Judging from the photo, you'll imagine a good portion of ramen to fit the belly of a young man in puberty. But nope, na'ah, its almost 65% soup and 30% ramen noodles and the last 5% of the meal, predictably the beef and the egg.

This Karai Ramen is rated two on spicy-o-meter. Yes, you can customize how hot you want your ramen to be (hmm, reminds me of...) Lucky I didn't tried number nine as I always do at Ramen Sanpachi cause number two is pretty-darn-hot already. They have the levels until ten, I dare not to try! Meat wise it was okay despite the un-generous portion. Presentation was very disappointing, its just too far from what I see on the menu. As for the soup, the broth has a mild meaty flavor that I can barely taste having the spicyness predominates the soup. However, getting spiced up and sweaty was what I came here for. So, I'm satisfied with this one, and I'll keep my mouth shut until I tried the other ramen.

The second menu I tried was the Chuka Wakame (Seaweed). I enjoyed this as I'm always a huge fan of seaweed. On the side note though, I felt that it was too salty. Tried to tilt the bowl, squeeze the seaweed and found a good dose of sesame oil and soysauce. Aha! In my opinion, plain seaweed already bear a distinctive flavor of its own. A sprinkle of sesame seed is more than enough. I like it raw.

Last but not least, the atmosphere here is quite enjoyable especially the outdoor section where you could sit under the shades and next to the greens. Its just nice for me, and it gave me a good natural lighting to take my photos. =) I might come back to try out some more menus, until then, give it a try on your own and have a good holiday all.

Smile on, Shine on

Rubs
Snack on my tweets @captainruby.
Email me at fellexandro.ruby@gmail.com

Grilled Pork Ribs at Warung Ubud

Sekilas mendengar nama Warung Ubud yang terbayang adalah berbagai hidangan khas Bali seperti ayam betutu, sambal matah, babi guling dan sejenisnya. Namun sayangnya saya justru tidak menemukan satupun yang berbau Bali dalam pilihan menu-nya. Hanya satu yang mendekati yaitu Iga Babi Bakar. Sudah kepalang tanggung dan kepalang lapar tetap saya pesan iganya dan tidak lupa sebotol Badak. Minuman yang sudah beredar semenjak saya kecil ini memang selalu membangkitkan nuansa nostalgia yang menyenangkan. Ditambah lagi hari itu saya ditemani salah satu sahabat yang baru kembali dari Sydney. Jarum mood kembali bergerak ke tanda positif. =)

Menunggu, dan menunggu sampai kurang lebih durasi dua lagu habis akhirnya dihidangkan juga iga ini. Panas, fresh, dengan french fries sebagai side dish-nya. Setelah meneteskan beberapa remasan segar lemon, saya pun siap mencicipinya. Untungnya, penampilannya yang menarik dan membuat lidah bergoyang setara dengan rasanya yang juga cukup enak buat saya.

Daging babi-nya lembut seperti hasil presto, kaya bumbu dan rempah yang meresap, walaupun agak sedikit didominasi oleh wangi merica, namun semuanya masih flattering untuk lidah saya. Apalagi setelah dicocol dengan sambelnya. Wow. Saya harus nih ngomongin sambelnya dengan lebih detail karena fungsi dia cukup menentukan. Sambal terbuat dari potongan-potongan cabe rawit yang dihaluskan, dicampur dengan bawang, merica, dan beberapa rempah lainnya sampai berbentuk sedikit padat kemudian dilarutkan dalam saus kecap kental manis. Deliciously sinful! Haha =P

Anyway, untuk harga yang menurut saya cukup murah, 70K, kalian akan mendapatkan at least tujuh slices ribs dalam satu rack. Good value for money. Lokasinya pun cukup strategis, di deretan Rukan Cordoba Bukit Golf Mediterania, tepat di seberang Waterbom PIK. Nah, boleh tuh bermain air seharian lalu ditutup dengan iga ini, serasa di Bali yah. *ngarep.co.uk*

Overall, saya cukup puas dengan menu ini, walaupun sebenarnya masih berharap kalau mereka lengkap dengan menu-menu khas Bali lainnya. Alrighty, let me know what you think of after you gave it a try.

Smile on, Shine on,
Fellexandro Ruby
Food Blogger & Photographer
Twitter: @captainruby
E-mail: fellexandro.ruby@gmail.com

Pengampon, Gang Sempit Dengan Harta Karun Kulinernya

Menemukan lokasi ini lumayan mudah tapi enggak juga, penampakannya yang seperti gang buntu pada umumnya, tanpa banner atau penunjuk jalan, membuat mata mudah melewatkannya. Untungnya saya ingat pesan mama, "malu bertanya sesat di jalan"  =P dan akhirnya setelah diarahkan petugas parkir, ketemu juga Pengampon Gang Dua. Gangnya boleh sempit, tapi di sini tersimpan salah dua kuliner khas Surabaya yang nikmat. Kenapa salah dua? Tadinya saya kira cuma satu, eh ternyata ada dua harta karunnya, yaitu Nasi Empal Pengampon dan Kue Pancong Pengampon. Mari kita singkap satu per satu.

Nah, dasar saya emang wajah Cina, =P hehe, dan tidak mau rugi alias inginnya "sekali merengkuh dayung dua pulau terlampaui" saya putuskan untuk memesan Nasi Empal Babat. Yes! Bukan empal saja, bukan babat saja, tapi dua-duanya. In other words, two in one. Enough joke, let's get down to business.

Empal ini bisa dibilang adalah salah satu empal terenak yang pernah saya coba. Ketika melihat proses pembuatannya yang open kitchen saya sudah meliur mencium wangi bumbu dan padatnya ramuan yang dipakai untuk memasak daging sapi si cikal bakal empal. Sampai di piring, daging sudah tersuir-suir, bisa terlihat seratnya yang terasa lembut dan empuk di lidah tanpa mengurangi tekstur kasar dari daging sapi yang khas. Rasanya mirip dendeng tapi empuk dan manis. Babatnya sendiri as I expect memberikan variasi dengan kenyal-kenyalnya, tetap dengan sensasi rasa yang sama dengan kakaknya, si empal. Jangan lupa buat yang doyan pedes, dicocol sambalnya, semakin wualamak enak.

 

Yang satu ini hidden secret inside a treasure. Terjebak diantara pilihan menu yang banyak, beruntung sekali saya yang memang dasarnya Neophile memutuskan mencoba si Kol Nenek yang ternyata very pleasing to my tounge. Apalagi yang doyan pedas, ini pedesnya 'ngajak berantem' klo boleh quote istilah dari teman saya. Ditambah lagi dengan bumbunya yang seperti perpaduan tau-co dan kecap manis, membuat setiap kali nyedot si kerang selalu diakhiri dengan "aaaahh.. ssshh.. aaahh.." ENAK! Very recommended.


Belum selesai menikmati enaknya dua menu itu. Datanglah si menu dessert, Kue Pancong Keju & Coklat yang menjadi klimaks yang sempurna di sore hari itu. Lain dengan kue pancong umumnya, yang satu ini cukup inovatif dengan menambahkan rasa baru seperti coklat dan keju yang membuat sensasi berbeda. Terbayang kan, wangi kelapa, seratnya, yang panas dari cetakan, lalu diolesi keju yang memberikan aroma buttery, kombinasi yang pasti bikin drooling. Untung saya menulis post ini di siang hari, kalau malam cilaka-dua-belas. Hehe.

Wis ah, cukup menulisnya dan membacanya, tidak ada yang lebih enak selain datangi tempat ini next time kalian di Surabaya. Don't miss it, oh, satu lagi, rumah makan ini juga hanya buka di jam tertentu, pagi jam 8 sampai jam 1, dan sore jam 5 sampai jam 10. Selamat berburu harta karun. =)

Smile on, Shine on,

Fellexandro Ruby
Writer & Photographer
E: fellexandro.ruby@gmail.com
T: @captainruby

Melumat Nikmat Filipina

Melumat makanannya maksudnya =P, walaupun memang bersamaan dengan kesebelasan Indonesia yang berhasil melumat Filipina 2-0 secara agregat. Siang saya makan, malamnya Indonesia menang. What a coincidence. Tapi cukuplah sudah Filipina dengan kekalahannya, kali ini justru saya mau menceritakan keberhasilan Filipina memenangkan lidah dan perut saya. Yuk!

Kedua menu yang saya coba di bawah ini adalah hasil spontanitas ketika berjalan mengelilingi fX mall. Maksud awal hanya ingin menikmati muffin favorit dari Muffin House, eh ternyata ada restoran Filipina di dalamnya, namanya Manila Connexxion. Melihat beberapa Filipino yang duduk dan sedang menikmati makanan di resto ini menambah rasa penasaran saya. Pasti original nih rasanya, atau paling tidak mendekati original, kalau ada Filipino yang makan di sini.

Banyak pilihan menu otentik Filipin tersedia dan beragam mulai dari appetizer, main course, dessert sampai minuman. Jempol. Namun kali ini baru Beef Adobo dan Chicken Tocino yang saya cicipi. Dari segi rasa, sekilas lidah saya menangkap Beef Adobo standard, tidak ada spice khusus yang stand out. Dagingnya memang empuk namun tidak ada nuansa baru yang menandai ke-filipin-an masakan ini. Beef Adobo taste in the same level as any chinese beef stew.

Menu kedualah yang membuat saya kembali tersenyum. Chicken Tocino terbuat dari daging ayam yang dibumbui dengan berbagai macam spice yang dicampur dengan sari buah nanas yang memberikan nuansa manis asam pada lidah. Hasil gorengan daging yang merata dan meninggalkan sisa hampir burnout di beberapa bagian memberikan rasa sedikit pahit dan garing yang saya personally suka. Ditambah dengan kombinasi garlic rice yang wangi, Chicken Tocino officially menjadi salah satu menu yang akan saya sambangi berkali-kali.

Cuma satu kurangnya Chicken Tocino yaitu menunya yang cukup kecil, belum puas mengunyah nikmatnya daging ayam, tidak berasa sudah habis. Hehe. Tapi ya memang, kalau makanan enak tampaknya berapapun porsinya tetap kurang puas. =P Oh, dan telur mata sapinya juga saya masih rancu, tidak menambah keunikan apapun pada masakan, tapi dasarnya lapar dan doyan telur, tetap saya lahap. =D

Sejauh dua menu ini, saya cukup menyukai masakan Filipin, dan tentunya akan kembali lagi untuk mencicipi menu lainnya. Tapi sebelum itu saya mau melumat makanan Malaysia dulu ah, supaya niscaya agar semoga timnas Indonesia bisa turut melumat Malaysia di final AFF. Nyam! *mengunyah nasi lemak*

Tersenyumlah, Bersinarlah

Rubs
Food Enthusiast & Photographer
Snack on my tweets @captainruby

Shanghai Foodgalore (Or The Misadventures of The Chinese Looking Guy That Speaks No Chinese)

Stranded in a city where you don't speak the language but having the face looking like the locals is one hilarious torture. Things like random people on the MRT asking directions to me in Chinese and when I answered them in English, they return it with a confused and demeaning look that almost like saying "Whoa! So you're so effin cool that you only speak English? Where's your nationalism?" Seriously, I laugh at each of my encounters with the local chineses. 

However, let's put that aside for now, and allow me take you to the place where the foodventure began, Chinese Fast Food. Bump into this place halfway back from Shanghai Expo, just above Long Yang Road station to be exact, and found a long queue waiting. A good sign this should be. So I got into the line only to find myself blank for a minute when the waiter ask me "ni yao che she me?" (what do you want to eat?). For the complete sixty seconds only one thought ran across my head and sadly that is the voice of my mom mocking "I told you so many times to go and take that Chinese lesson. See? Now you've found out for yourself how important it is."

But I have no time for that, and so I used my final ammunition, the ever-so-effective-universal-language in traveling : body language! I took out my hands, stare at the waitress eyes, slowly made a one and a nine with my fingers. Good thing the waitress understood! HA! And that has granted me this:

On the left is the slow-cooked pork with what i assume was pig-innards mixed in sweet-salty soy sauce. I found this quite flat, none of the spices stood out and some of the meats were too stiff and unchewable. The other menu in contrary was awesome! A good blend of tofu, chicken broth, and eggs cooked with enough heat that resulted in a semi-moist texture that slowly diffuse once it reaches your tongue. I tasted a reasonable amount of saltiness and the good good aroma of fresh eggs. A delight. I've never met this in any chinese resto in Indonesia, so yeah, I think I'm gonna miss this. 

Off to the second spot was this resto near Holiday Inn Downtown, a medium-sized fast food with the face of an oldman as the logo. Tell you the truth, I decided to eat here because of him. He gave me a sense of security that their food gotta be good and luckily I was right. =)

The chicken rice with traditional mushroom was a feast in the midst of winter. Just swallowing that first freshly cooked rice and chicken leave a warm feeling in my belly. I feel home in instant, but transported back to reality when I look around and I couldn't find any chili sauce nearby. WHAT?! I tried complaining to the old man a.k.a Mr Lee but he just stared back at me with a smile from the corner of my plate. Oh well, on the plus side, at least their chopsticks were super hygiene (look at the chopstick-washer-machine!).  

Fed up with Chinese food, on the next day I went out for a little variety, and nothing was as exciting as seeing the Golden Arch sign just a couple block from the hotel. YAY! Finally, twentieth-century-food! I was so pumped to try for the first time in my life, McDonald's burgers-with-pork which I could never find in Indonesia. But all that hype just fade away when I stood in front of the counter and remember once again that I couldn't read any of those letters in the menu. DAMN! I should've at least learn how to say 'pork' before flying off here. Once again, body language to the rescue! But how am I suppose to explain 'pig' ? Make a groook-ing sound with my mouth? I ran out of choices, so I took a good look at each of the photos, made my wild guess and took away the burger back to hotel. Another surprise when I opened the paperbag and pull out the burger, the wrapping says Chicken Burger. --" There goes my one and only chance.

Noting the taste, it was one juicy-meaty slice of boneless chicken, the grilled soy sauce let out one tasty scent in favor of my Asian tongue. It was gooood for something coming out of McDonald's menu.

The day after, finished with all the business work, I get to visit this beautiful Yi Yuan garden, one of Shanghai's must-visit landmark, complete with it's shopping alleys that reminds me of Singapore's Bugis Junction. Here I finally found one of Shanghai's authentic hawker food, its the famous Xiao Long Pao. But unlike the normal ones, this one you have to sip it from a straw. And OH MY! It was one heavenly sip. Almost feels like sipping a concentrate of all the goodness (read: fat) of pork in one tasty juice. I recommend this! A must try! See how orgasmic I was while sipping it. =p

Right after that, I went for a quick lunch at this huge foodcourt inside the garden. I rather not talk about it though. I can't believe such beautiful looking foods can taste that disappointing. Awful. Scooch over.

It was quite late after the stroll around the garden. My feet and back are tired from walking, and on my way back my nose traced a very buttery smell coming right from a small shop. I didn't jot down the name of the street. But here's what my nose led me to. Freshly baked portuguese-style tartlettes coming right out of the oven. Its the sweet that I've been craving for. A perfect bite size snack for the afternoon. I can still recall the buttery smell arousing my nose, the hot sweet filling splendoring my tongue, and the crunchy feeling when I took the bite. YUM!

A fine dessert closed my walk that day and closed my stroll around Shanghai. And this Chinese-looking guy that can't speak Chinese has finally made his way around the city and survived with a grin on his face. My overall opinion, the food here are rather flat. It doesn't go to the extreme when it comes to flavor. Slight saltyness, slight sweetness, not spicy at all, and good luck finding chili sauce that complement the food. However, I find this as an enjoyable variety filler, a fling from tons of Indonesian food that I tasted daily in Jakarta. Above all, it was fun, and nothing beats a fun adventure.

Until our next foodventure.

Smile on, shine on. (and stay away from pork),

Chinese-looking Guy

Twitter: @captainruby

Email: fellexandro.ruby@gmail.com

I Ran Out of Superlatives to Express Your Lovingkindness

 remember tweeting this in September and amazingly unknowingly He gave me a surprise. I expected next year but He present it early. I am beyond thankful.

Last November, on an unplanned-before business trip I got the chance to visit one of the world's emerging cities, Shanghai and it was wintery! *widegrin* I've missed being wrapped in layers of clothes and jackets, having no sweat all day, travelling around city with subway metro, and freezing my ears walking against the wind. That's exactly what I got. It was only four days three nights, but it was really a blessing. On top of that I get to taste local cuisine (will review them soon) in between of work-related stuffs and took some citylights photos that I've been wanting. Here's a glimpse of what I captured. Not to boast, but to let myself and everyone of us be reminded that there's a Higher Being up there who listens and take a good care of us right to the littlest details. And He love to give us surprises.

I've simply ran out of superlatives to express Your lovingkindness. You are good and Your Grace overflows. =)

With a grateful heart,
Fellexandro Ruby

Nutrition for the Mind (Food Writing & Food Photography)

Setelah memikirkan, mengolah, dan menimbang akhirnya saya putuskan untuk membahas post ini dalam Bahasa, sepertinya akan lebih padat manfaatnya karena saya ingin berbagi kepada teman-teman bloggers Indonesia. Sudah tahu kan Jakarta Culinary Festival ? Nah, seperti post saya sebelumnya, saya diundang dinner dengan teman-teman food bloggers. Malam itu, enggak cuma soal perut tapi kepala juga diisi dengan nutrisi-nutrisi yang positif. Berikut adalah review sesi yang membangun banget buat para bloggers, terutama food bloggers, dan juga food photographer.

Yang tampak serius dan berwibawa di atas itu adalah Ivan Sielegar, salah satu pendiri food portal Goorme.com . Kudu dan mesti dilihat portal yang menurut saya breakthrough karena enggak cuma ngebahas makanan tapi juga meluaskan wawasan sampai ke semua hal yang nyambung ke makanan. Contoh: Tips Fotoin Es Krim, Cara Memasak Pasta Dengan Benar atau Nilai Historisnya Bir.

Ini adalah salah satu gagasan Ivan yang bosan dengan food portal yang membahas menu makanan tok dan ga berkembang. Selain itu, dengan Goorme.com dia juga ingin bersama-sama mengajak sesama foodies, bloggers, chefs, dan netizens untuk turut membangun dan memperkenalkan kuliner Indonesia. Kalau bukan kita siapa lagi. Terobosan berikutnya yang akan segera diluncurkan Goorme.com adalah user intelligence yang nantinya bisa menampilkan suggestion buat pengguna portal Goorme.com berbagai jenis makanan atau restoran yang mendekati selera user dengan mempelajari historis penggunaan portal Goorme.com. Asik yak? Ditunggu kalau begitu Goorme.com untuk improvement-nya. =)
 

Berlanjut ke guest speaker berikutnya (sebelah kanan di foto) yang memberikan insight banyak banget seputar food review. Satu hal yang saya suka waktu Mas Erza ST (penulis Jakarta Good Food Guide, kontributor untuk Jakarta Post, dsb) bilang kalau food review itu pasti subjektif, karena yang namanya taste itu personal. Walaupun demikian, bukan berarti tidak profesional, review makanan enggak cukup bilang enak atau enggak enak ajah, tapi perlu ditegaskan kenapa enaknya. Saya lupa contoh yang dia kasih, tapi kurang lebih seperti berikut, perhatikan perbedaan dari kedua statement ini:

"steak ini enak banget, manis!"

"steak ini dipanggang dengan panas arang yang stabil yang membuat daging matang dengan merata, alhasil tekstur daging lebih juicy, ditambah lagi dengan paduan saus manis pedas yang meresap ke dalam, benar-benar memanjakan lidah."

Jauh banget yah bedanya? Tips lain dari Mas Erza adalah pastikan kita mengerjakan PR dengan membaca / mempelajari dulu makanan yang akan kita cicipi, apa saja bahan bakunya, cara memasak, atau bahkan historisnya. Berbekal ilmu itu, kita bisa membuat penilaian yang mendasar, tidak asal. Perlahan namun pasti kita akan lebih sensitif dan semakin canggih untuk mendeskripsikan 'enak' atau tidaknya sebuah menu.

Last but not least, adalah salah satu fotografer yang juga rock star buat saya, =) Himawan Sutanto, pendiri Foodtography (kiri di foto). Banyak tips-tips basic yang dia share malam itu. Beberapa yang masih jelas saya ingat adalah:

• Kalau berniat mencari camera untuk foto makanan, pastikan cari yang ada manual setting dimana f-stop, ISO, dan shutter speed bisa diatur, megapixels bukan penentu bagusnya camera namun pastikan camera yang dipilih punya sensor yang bagus.
• White balance sangat menentukan aura dari makanan. Untuk makanan seperti pizza mungkin nuansa warm (kekuningan) cocok namun untuk dessert yang dingin pastinya tidak cocok.
• Angle juga menentukan menarik tidaknya sebuah makanan. Untuk menu yang cenderung flat bisa dicoba diambil tegak dari atas, untuk menu yang cenderung tiga dimensi, cobalah berbagai angle dari samping.

Sebenarnya masih banyak yang bisa saya share kalau bicara foodtography secara saya cukup passionate soal foto makanan, tapi untuk kali ini saya rasa tiga itu adalah poin yang cukup krusial.

Alrighty, there you go. Yang saya dapat, saya salurkan lagi, supaya pembelajaran ini tidak berhenti, dan saya sendiri pun tertantang untuk terus mengembangkan diri. Kalau readers suka obrolan makanan, fotografi, dan sejenisnya, boleh di bookmark blog ini =), atau bisa follow Food Porn tweet saya di @captainruby. 

Ah, feels good bisa sharing santai. Happy mid-week holiday!

Tersenyumlah, Bersinarlah! 

Fellexandro Ruby
Snack on my tweets @captainruby

The Value of Paying Employees to Walk Away

I've always been interested in people, passion, and connecting the dots between the two. Here's a fragment of an interview by Peter Hopkins and HP with Tony Hsieh that took my attention. He is the CEO of Zappos.com (and a millionaire by the age of 24). You'll find here one of his most original way to screen out passionate people and keep them as valuable assets in your company.

----
Peter Hopkins: Go to the first question here, Amy Nichols and she writes, “This is in reference to a very interesting and much discussed aspect of your hiring practice where you have employees do a training, a rigorous training where they learn everything about the company, and then at a period you give them a bonus to potentially walk away where you pay them you through that time, but then a bonus on top of that.” And she asks, “How often do new hires take advantage of this $2,000 offer to quit Zappos?”

Tony Hsieh: Yeah, on average it’s about 2 or 3% of people take it, so there are some classes where each class is 20 to 40 people, so some classes nobody takes it, and some classes 2 or 3 people might take it. And we started this a few years ago, and it actually started out at $100 dollars, and we keep actually upping the offer. It’s at 2,000 now, and actually at the end of the training, which is four weeks, we up it to $3,000 and extend it beyond that. And we keep upping it because we feel like not enough people are taking it, and the original motivation was to get people that…We don’t want people at Zappos that are there just for a paycheck, and we’re headquartered out of Las Vegas. Starting pay is $11.00 an hour for a call center, so it’s a pretty significant chunk of money, and our thought was we want people that really believe in the company and really want to be with the company for the long term.

And the biggest surprise was actually from the people that didn’t take the offer because they still had to go home after their weekend and talk to their friends and family and ask themselves, Is this a company that I really believe in, that I really want to commit myself to? “Is this a company whose culture I want to be a part of and contribute to?” And when they decide to turn down the easy money, when they come back to the office on Monday, they’re that much more passionate and engaged and committed. And that has been, by far, the biggest benefit.
---
The way I see it, losing those 2 - 3% candidates and the couple thousand dollar per person is worth more than having the mess later on. The mess of having unenthusiastic worker with no passion, that might snowball into numerous unsatisfied customer and explode later on with bad word-of-mouth. And by then it's already too late. Pay in advance, or pay it later. The latter in most cases are worse.

In other words, I'm on the same page with Tony. Let me know what you think. 

Cheers,

Fellexandro Ruby

Marvelous Seven (@JCF_2010 Food Blogger's Dinner)

It was around this hour yesterday, me and 32 other bloggers had the privilege to delight in 7-course dinner from amazing line up of topnotch chefs. Gracias Goorme.com and Ismaya for the invites and for arranging such a wonderful event. Not just solid food, we were feed with interesting insights on foodphotography and food reviewing, both from the experts in their field as well. However, on this post, I just want to relive that night once again with you beautiful readers, as I go through the photos and the menu.

In order of appearance:
1# Cold Appetizer // Balinese Chicken Salad with Coconut Vegetables and Sambal Matah
By Fahmi Widarte (Corporate Chef of Rotaryana Prima)
As the starter salad, the spicy taste kicks in real quick to my taste buds, and kinda jump start me to taste the next one. As spicy food lover, the hot-ness is simply yum!

2# Hot Appetizer // Braised Wagyu Beef Cheek in Sweet Miso
By Hugo Adrian (Executive Chef of Blowfish Kitchen & Bar)
Not a big fan of radish, however, I gotta say the miso complements the radish. It gives a good mix of sweet and salty, while the wagyu does what a wagyu beef does. It splendor my tongue.

3# Soup // Authentic Sultan's Tomato Cream Soup
By Agus Ishermawan (Head Chef of Ismaya Catering)
And now, we're talking. Very creamy soup (in coffee term this might close to an espresso), tasty tomato, and the surprise foie-gras! It wasn't on the description, that made us guessing, and @glister_blister got it right.

4# Pasta // Red Shell Pasta With Duck Ragout, Pine Nut and Rocket Salad
By Gianfranco Beltrame (Italian Chef de Cuisine at Casa D'Oro Hotel Indonesia Kempinski)
A plateful of pasta after a bowl of tomato cream soup is simply not the best sequence to taste them. A quarter way to this, my belly started to repulse. Sad that I had to left it halfway. However, the braised duck was a feast when munch together with the pine nut. I like the mix of soft and crunchy texture.

5# Fish // Chilean Sea Bass With Lee Kum Kee Ginger Oyster Sauce
By Sofyan Joshua (Technical Culinary Chef of Sukanda Djaya)
It was one of my favorite simply because of its lightness, kinda refresh the palate after all the creams. And again, intriguing blend of soft swirly fresh fish and crunchy pine nuts. Oh, yum!

6# Meat // Short Rib, Truffle Demi Glaze, Charcoal Oil, Glazed Carrots, Potato Hot Foam and Nuts Fake Cous Cous
By Ignacio Virgen Jimenez (Chef de Cuisine of Potato Head)
Now, this is a tricky menu for me. On the plate was five different flavor. I tried the ribs alone, was grilled with exact tenderness that I like. Then tried mixing it with the charcoal oil and the carrots. I gotta say, the carrot was truly something. Unlike any other I've ever tasted, the partly glazed skin with slight bitterness and the partly stewed carrot-meat with its full sweet taste was gooooood. However, I didn't quite get the chopped 'something', was it the nuts fake cous cous? Gotta be it, it smells weird for me. I left that part and finished the rest though. =)

7# Dessert // Green Tea Cake Ala Tropicale
By Rinrin Marinka (Artistic Chef)
Finally! The part that I've been waiting for, the la finale, the cherry on top of the cake! Yeehee! Anw, photo-wise its a very tricky food to shoot, however, I kinda nailed it, didn't I? Back to the taste, as I expected, it was a great closure for my tastebud, the sweet that I've been waiting for. You know this Asian tongue likes it that way. Dipping the sliced green tea cake with the yellow sourly passionfruit sauce was delightful. The best part for me was the crunchy biscuit covered in chocolate and the baked crispy apple slices. It was outstanding =)

---
Sad that it has to end, but with a happy belly and a stream of good foodphotos I'm twice happier a man. =))  Marvelous seven course dinner, awesome night, cheers to the beautiful people that accompanied me that night Ivan, Dessey, Michelle, Astrid, Natalixia, Imel, Selby, Daniel, and Adhi Putra. It was an honor sharing the table with you. Until our next toast together (oh sigh, we forgot to toast together, o well, save it for the next time =)

Smile on, Shine on,

Fellexandro Ruby 
Snack on my tweets @captainruby
Email me at fellexandro.ruby@gmail.com

Wine Me. Wine Me Not. (Pairing With Food)

The common and simplest rule-of-thumb is red wine to complement red meat, and white wine to complement white meat. However, as to which red wine to choose for a particular red meat, and which whites to fit a particular chicken or fish menu, that would be up to you. Yes, YOU! Why? The answer is best explained by Chef Will Meyrick & Dean:

"Everybody has their own palette, its about finding one that suits yours."

After all the recommendations by friends, or even your favorite Sommelier, in the ends its your tongue that decides, not anybody else. Of course, there's guidelines, and Sommelier knows it best, however, after trying several wines from Champagne, to German's Riesling Kabinett, to French Viognier in one streak, Chef Meyrick has got his point delivered. And that is everyone's wine experience is personal. From those selections of wine, I like the Riesling Kabinett the most while my friend like the Viognier, the rest might find Champagne most acceptable for their palette.

Same thing when it comes to Asian food. Chef Meyrick had us tried his Roasted Duck and San Choi Boi along with different types of wine. And over the years, he has concluded that when it comes to asian food, there's no such thing as red meat red wine, white meat white wine. With its spicy characteristic, wine as it come close as drinks to augment your palette, what you look for is something that suits you. Dean even stated that its almost like drinking es-teh-manis, he like it and it complements most asian food as our asian tongue usually crave for sweeter cuisine and that explains why I preferred the Riesling Kabinett which was sweeter than the rest of the wines that night.

All in all, when it comes to pairing food and wine, its about opening up your options and giving it a try with different ones. As for my conclusion, I've found that right, and I think once I find that one wine that fits me best, I'll still enjoy it even with various kind of food. Don't you think so? Its like "apapun makanannya, minumnya .... "

One final toast with my favorite Riesling Kabinett,

Fellexandro Ruby
Snack on my tweets @captainruby

Wine Me. Wine Me Not. (Tasting Wine)

Put this in mind before we start, tasting should never be frightening even for starters like me or you. I'll let you know why as we go through, in the mean time relax, enjoy this light reading, and just like chasing girls where one should never be intimidated by her beauty, as it is on wine, you should never be intimidated by its elegance. Appreciate it instead (now that's a hint for singles out there =p) and have fun with it (or her =p).

Alrighty, let's waste no time. Wine tasting is as straightforward as 123 as tried and tested in JCF Roundtable Session and another one-on-one session with Fredy.

One - Observe
Hold your glass and tilt it forward, but don't spill it. It wouldn't be cool if you spill it while having dinner with the beautiful girl. =p If it helps, put a white napkin underneath, and watch the color under the light. Not just see but also observe, compare and contrast the color. If its red, is it closer to purplish grape, red ruby =p, or maroon maybe? Also find hints such as sediments which will indicate the older wines.

Two - Smell
Take up your glass real close to your nose, don't hesitate, dip your nose in, and take a looooong deep sniff. Savor every inch and second of it. Now what you smell is what we call aroma or bouquet. These two terms usually used interchangeably, not for the advanced wine taster though. O well, forget them for a while, lets go back to sniffing. Now right behind our eyes, close to our nose, there lies this amazing sensory called olfactory bulb. It's actually part of the brain, and responsible for transmitting the scent we smell to brain. Here comes the tricky part, since it connects to our brain, it can only tells us the scents that we have smelled before and stored up in our scents-database.

This explains why if you youtubed videos of wine tastings, two people tasting the same wine can have a different hint of smell. One might say it has a hint of peach, the other says apricot just because its the closest fruit smell he can detect in his database. I remember, in one of the session, one of the participants said she smelled 'rubber' ! However, there's no right or wrong in tasting. This what makes wine experience is personal. You and I can have a sip of the same bottle and enjoy it differently. Its totally okay.

Three - Taste
Finally, after all that hustle, you get to drink it. Halleluya!  Take that sip you've been waiting for and let it wander around your mouth a while, let your taste buds savor it before swallowing it. Now swirl your glass of wine for a while, sniff it again, you'll reckon different smell as the wine meets oxygen and take out the subtle scents. And drink it again. When it come to taste, as listed by Sommelier Suyanto, there are several guidelines to describe the subtleties of wine: sweetness, acidity, tannin, body, flavors. However, that's a whole 'notha level. I don't think I have the capacity (yet) to share, but I will, if any of you kind readers be so kind to fund me for a wine study abroad. (notice I said 'kind' twice, yes, you deserve that).

Wow, its been three post already. I hope I don't bore you and help you shed some light on wine. Up on the next post is matching food and wine. Come back for some more if you share the same passion for wine. And feel free to share with your friends by clicking on the Tweet button below. =)

Until our next toast,
 
Fellexandro Ruby
Food Photographer
Snack on my tweets @captainruby
Email me at fellexandro.ruby@gmail.com

Wine Me. Wine Me Not. (The Glass)

Amazing line up at the Jakarta Culinary Festival was it? The four of them has refined my basics about wine and also allow me to conclude my own perspective which I'll share at the end. Let's waste no time.

Glass
The proper use of glasses influence your wine experience. The simplest rule of thumb is that the wider glass complements red wine while the tall-slim glasses complements the white wine. Why? Cause the wide glass allows the red wine to 'breathe' and allows the natural aroma to blossom up. So the next time you see people swirling their glass of wine, you know they aren't just playing around, they're helping the 'aeration' to release their divine smell. On the other hand, the white wine, well known to be best served cold, need to maintain their temperature with the slim and tall design.

Holding The Glass
You most probably see people holding the glass with all fingers and the palm touching the bowl of the glass. Bad news! Those images we see on Hollywood movies are misleading. --" You know you did that. Its okay, Me too. =P The best and correct way to hold a glass of wine is by the stem of the glass (see how Fredy holds it here). Why? Serving temperature is important for wines, when our hands touch the surface it will warm the wine and therefore change the taste. In general, wines are better served at a certain cool temperature (8-10 C for Whites and 15C for Reds).

Alrighty, see I've just saved you and myself the next time we have a VIP event that only serve wine, we'll surely know how to at least 'appear' knowledgeable about wine. =P More serious stuff coming. I hope you have one or two good glass until then.

Cheers with a Sauvignon Blanc
Rubs
Snack on my tweets @captainruby

Wine Me. Wine Me Not. (JCF Chef Roundtable Session)

Wine. For most people this particular beverage sounded foreign, hard to comprehend, and expensive. Me too at the start of my wine adventure! So, friends, you're not alone. However as destiny took me to the new world of wine in Australia, and further to the capital of wine - France, I finally came across my revelation at the previous Jakarta Culinary Festival. I had a chance to sit on the wine appreciation sessions (yes! thats plural, i took three session in a day =p) at the Chef Roundtable with four of the best in their field. What strike my interest was how each and every one of them has their own take and their own enjoyment to wine. I'll lay them out here in several sequential post in hope of bringing out that bright-yellow-eureka-lamp above your head at the end of each post.

Senior Master Sommelier at Four Seasons Hotel - Suyanto
Sommelier is what they call the wine specialist in a restaurant who's responsible for educating the staff about wine and assisting customers with wine selections. In his presentation, he's truly no doubt has a broad and in-depth knowledge about wine - from the winemaking process to tasting the wine. His take on wine is very technical as is required from a sommelier. Kudos. However, I'll be good to you peeps, I'll save the complicated stuff for another time.

Sales and Brand Manager of exclusive glassware & tableware brand such as Royal Doulton, Schott Zweisel and many more - Fredy
He's got a very outgoing touch in explaining wine. With his vast knowledge he tried his best to communicate it in plain language for us wine-rookies. I learned the most from him. I came back the next day to sit on a personal session with him, which I couldn't be more thankful for his humbleness in giving his time and sharing about wine.

Sarong Masterchef - Will Meyrick & The Supercool Guy - Dean
I seriously don't know about the last guy, but this hilarious dude deserve to be the supercool guy, as he and Will Meyrick changed my perspective about wine and asian food. They are the perfect couple that summed up my whole point-of-view toward wine and its world of wonder.

Enough introduction. I hope you're getting as intrigued as I was when I decided to sat on that same chair for three straight session.  Hmm, I hope you are. And as I was at that time wondering "wine me, or wine me not",  these four experts slowly shine me with revelations, I'll slowly uncover in points the light-bulb-moment that I got from them. So bear with me to the next post will ya?

Cheers with a Vouvray,
Rubs

Movie Review - Skyline

My take on Skyline the movie.

CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP
CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP
CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP
CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP

Yeah, read between the lines.
Go save your family, friends, and loved ones from wasting one and a
half hour of their precious time.

Smile on, shine on.
Rubs

Sarong - Exquisite Asian Taste at Jakarta Culinary Festival

It was love at first sight.
It was Saturday, my first day in JCF. There were many curated food stalls in the expo, however, after a couple rounds my mind was occupied by Sarong. The bali-originated resto had four menu on the day, I took my wild pick, and chose these two:

Bangkok Roasted Duck served with chicken rice, fresh cucumber and yellow bean dressing.   
San Choi Boi with minced chicken, water chestnut, cloud ear mushrooms, and homemade chili sauce.

The duck was served first and my taste bud felt that it was ordinary. I think because they cooked it in advance and let them air in the open until I came and ordered. So, it was cold, not that it wasn't good, its just pretty much as any duck I'd taste at most Asian restaurant. The second menu however was a kick! You can definitely see from the description itself, its much more intense in terms of the taste, it was served hot, the sweet salty minced chicken blend in greatly with the spicy chili. The hint of spices are just in the right level, it complement rather than confuse my sensory. Just the way my asian tounge want it. YUM!

The story didn't end there. Only when I went to wine appreciation class by Masterchef Will Meyrick that I found he is the man behind Sarong. No wonder! Now I love San Choi Boi even more. And what an honor to taste Sarong's specialties here in Jakarta. Thanks JCF and Ismaya for making that happen.
Thoughts are on my mind, pondering about chasing my love at first sight all the way to Bali. I'll let you know when that happen. =P

Smile on. Munch on. Shine on.

Fellexandro Ruby
Snack on my tweets @captainruby
Email me at fellexandro.ruby@gmail.com
 

Nastar Daily - Nastar With A Twist

Nastar pastinya sudah tidak asing lagi buat kita semua. Di berbagai event tahunan seperti Lebaran, Natal, atau Imlek berbondong-bondong orang memborong kue kering ini sebagai snack untuk dijamukan bagi tamu yang bersilahturahmi (kalau di rumah saya sih, tamu = saya sendiri =p). Rasanya yang unik dengan kombinasi terigu dan mentega yang lembut, lalu filling nanas yang khas membuatnya berada di urutan teratas kue-kue kering pilihan. Pasti langsung terbayang nastar ter-enak yang pernah anda coba bukan? 
Kalau buat saya, nastar racikan nyokaplah yang paling jempol, sampai saya menemukan Nastar Daily. Bisa dilihat dari penampilannya di foto-foto di bawah. Nastar yang fresh karena memang dibuat terbatas setiap harinya, diberikan topping cheese, strawberry jam, sampai ada yang dilapisi icing green tea and almond slices.

Skeptis. Saya cukup skeptis dan tetap menjaga ke-skeptisan saya sampai beberapa saat. Pikir saya ini pasti seperti salah satu merek makanan yang mencoba berkreasi dengan Bakpao dan memberikan berbagai macam topping pada bakpao. Dari namanya saja sudah BA-PAO. BA=Daging. Pao=roti. Sudah selazimnya diisi daging, bukan green tea, selai keju dan sejenisnya. Namun semua itu patah ketika di tengah kebosanan, saya mencoba untuk pertama kalinya.

Menurut saya Nastar Daily adalah inovasi yang tidak hanya sekedar ATM (amati, tiru, modifikasi), tapi juga membuatnya menjadi lebih baik. Secara kasat mata terlihat dua macam nastar hasil modifikasi ini, yang pipih adalah nastar yang tidak ada filling nanas, dan sepenuhnya dirubah rasanya. Seperti pada foto kedua ada nastar yang diberi topping strawberry jam, ada juga nastar yang komposisinya telah ditambahkan green tea (sehingga berwarna hijau tampilannya) dan diberikan topping chocolate. Kemudian ada nastar bulat yang mengikuti tradisi awal nastar dengan filling nanas yang diberikan icing, ada apple, strawberry, sampai green tea dengan almond slices. 

Overall, saya cukup menikmati Nastar Daily karena komposisi nya yang tidak terlalu manis, varian rasa yang memberikan twist, dan yang paling penting nastar ini freshly baked setiap harinya sehingga kualitas dan tastenya terjamin. Oh iya, harganya seperti layaknya nastar cukup pricey.  Untuk satu lusin Nastar Daily siapkan kocek 19.000 Rupiah dan untuk satu toples 59.000 Rupiah. Worth it kalau menurut saya dan sangat cocok untuk oleh-oleh bagi bule-bule yang sering berkunjung ke kantor saya.
Its not just another nastar, its nastar with a twist. Give it a try at Ruko Cordoba, Bukit Golf Mediterania (seberang Waterbom PIK).
Smile on, Shine on

Rubs
Snack on my tweets @captainruby
Email me at fellexandro.ruby@gmail.com

[Photos] #43 Jakarta Auctions - Joy Is In The House

About a week ago, we had our 43rd Heavy Equipment, Machines & Trucks Auction. Unlike the serious title of the event, I found that there's another side to it, the fun, the laughter, the love, the friendship and most of all the joy. This series is trying to visualize this other side of auction as well as the usual event details. Like my usual photos, I enjoy looking through my lens, and wait, and wait some more until that little grin or smirk comes out on people face and snap! I like capturing moments.

And the moments captured here are priceless, and honest, that's the most beautiful thing of all.
Below, you'll find parents bringing their little child while bidding. You'll find our friendly bidcatchers encouraging the bidders to raise up their hand for good quality machines. You'll find happy happy happy faces. I hope you smile as well (even the rain is pouring, and we can expect another long trafficky day in Jakarta).

^____^

Rubs
(@captainruby)



Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

When I Look Up.

"Look at the sky, look how they shine for you
And all the things you do, they were all yellow.." 

These are a collection of sunset skies. I took them in different places, different timing and different lenses. In order of appearance:

17-40mm Lens at that little dark corner, just next to the swamp where monkeys jump from trees to
trees every once in a while

50mm f/1.8 Lens on a car pacing at 80km/h, come to think of it, it was dangerous, but oh well, moments are precious. =p

50mm f/1.8 Lens on my first ever visit to Anyer

Landscape photography is not my main interest. Its not really my thing. But I definitely enjoy capturing the beautiful drawings of God. It reminds me of how beautiful our universe is if we allow ourselves to stop and enjoy the moment. And even more beautiful is The One who create all this for us to savor. In times, take some moment to be still, look up and let your surroundings on a sunset to sip into you, take the warmth, feast your eyes, then capture it.

Life is as beautiful as how you, yourself make the most of it.

Smile on, Shine on
Rubs
Catch my wanderings @captainruby

Surrender (I Need You More)

There will always be a point in your life where you feel close to numb / bored / worthless / empty / exhausted. You've tried everything but the light at the end of the tunnel is not yet seen, what you have left is your faith to His promises. And with that last beat of your heart, you scream out in one chord...

"I need You more, more than yesterday, I need You more, more than words can say, than ever before, I need You Lord. "

And in that exact moment, every guilt / problem / worry / trouble / burden is lifted out from your head and shoulder. That's the power and the grace of surrender.
If you're in one pitfall right now, put everything in your hand, surrender it to God, and lets sing out this song together. Be blessed peeps.

"Your presence is alive to me. Its the air that I breath. I need you more, everyday God."

iCompare (The End of Happiness)

You got yourself a raise. Then you turn next door and found out your friend got a raise as well, slightly on top of yours. And there and then, your euphoric moment meets a downfall. Your happiness lasted for less than five minutes.

You got yourself a car. Brand new shiny car delivered to your office. Drove them home only to find Mr. Stottlemeyer, your dear neighbour has just got himself a boat. Your brand new car feels like crap all of a sudden.

-------

I was on my way to office when I heard a familiar name mentioned in one local radio. That's my friend! I was excited and proud at the same time. But what's more exciting is what he shared, and that's what I'm sharing here.

How many times in life we bump into situations similar to the two above? We couldn't help it. I couldn't help it, I compare at times. Not on all subject though. The hypothesis is everyone must have at least one subject that's on top of his comparison list. For one, it might be shoes (and all the ladies raise your shoesss.. =p). You just can't help it when somebody has got better, shinier, more expensive brand than yours. You feel crappy when someone close to you get to walk on that pair of beauty before you do. For another it might be position in a job, bags, lenses (rookie photographer usually =p), and what not.

"Comparison is the death of happiness" - Doni Prilliandi.

What about benchmarking you ask. Aren't we suppose to have something to see our progress?

There's a line we have to draw here, between comparing and benchmarking. The latter focuses on the process (how can we make things better) while the former focuses on the results (salary, possession, etc). When we focus on results, nothing will make us satisfied.

Before we know it, those simple stuff somehow become majorly responsible for our happiness. Here's what to do .... admit it. When we admit, there's a releasing power that set us free from envy and the corresponding inferiority. Also, one thing we forget is where we were before. You might not have a car before, now you own a Honda! Screw the rest with Ferraris. You used to wear Charles and Keith, now you got a Kate Spade! Screw the rest with Louboutin.

"I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be." - Groucho Marx

So peeps, iCompare, that's not the latest gadget from Apple, it doesn't even exist in reality, and don't let it exist in you. Get the one from 'above' though, its called iGrateful. =)

Smile On, Shine On.
Rubs

[Photo Memoir] My Year With You, Taggers.

TAG = Totally Awesome Generation

I still remember clearly on day one when I was introduced to you guys, knees, feet weak, palms, hands all sweaty. Why? Cause there in front of my eyes were the future leaders of tomorrow. There's artists among you, designers, chief technology officer, detective, entrepreneurs, drummers, DJs, guitarists, writers, dancers, photographers, all with their awesomeness.

And I remember you asked me what is it that I do? My first answer was "Photographer and Entrepreneur", your reply was "Come on, be honest". I did not reply much, cause time will tell, and action is better an answer than words. Back then I've started in business but I just started to grab my passion around photography and I didn't have any pro camera yet, but I keep my vision strong. And now, a year after, I'm learning photography as much as I could with my hard-earned R2-D2, yes that's how I name my Canon EOS 7D. He's got some cool friends along the way, 17-40mm L-Lens and 70-200mm L-Lens. So here I am at this day, making a point to my answer a year ago. The lesson is: nothing is impossible if you have a clear picture of your vision along with God in it.

And nothing better to show the photographer in me who has developed in time than showing these pictures of beautiful Taggers. Took the shots in between session, its pretty hard then to get decent picture in such a short time, but well, I hope you like it.

Its been a blessing being with you guys. I learned a lot as I'm serving in this ministry. I hope I can go forward to inspire you guys.

Smile on, Shine on.
Your Mentor,
Rubs



Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Remember The Best, Forget The Rest (by Rick Warren)

Received, read, and prayed on this few days ago. Just thought I would share this. Cheers, Rubs =)
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"I thank my God every time I remember you." Philippians 1:3 (NIV)

"Paul chose not to remember the painful; instead, he focused on the things he could be grateful for. "

What do you remember about people?  The good experiences or the bad experiences?  Paul said, "I like to remember the good things about people, focus on the good times we've had, remember the positive experiences."

When Paul said this he had not had an easy time in Philippi. Acts 16 tells us that when he went to Philippi he was illegally arrested, whipped, humiliated, and thrown into prison -- before finally being asked to leave town. Yet he says, "I thank God every time I remember you."

Paul could have dwelt on the negative.  He could have remembered the painful memories.  He chose not to remember the painful; instead, he focused on the things he could be grateful for. 

Maybe you have been hurt in the past by a parent or a partner and you're still holding on to that hurt.  As a result you can't enjoy being around them today.  You're still focusing on the bad and the negative.  Be grateful for the good in people.  Pleasant memories are a choice.  I can choose what I'm going to remember about the past.

I'm not saying that you deny the hurts you've had or that you excuse the weaknesses in other people.  That is psychologically unhealthy.  But focus on the good and choose to emphasize the strengths. 

I hear wives say, "He's a good man, but ... ."  Anytime you hear "but" it means the emphasis is on the negative not the positive. Be grateful for what you've got!  Mr. Perfect does not exist! I've heard the same thing from husbands, but Mrs. Perfect does not exist!

If you want to enjoy others, you've got to focus on their strengths and not their weaknesses.  With some people it takes a lot of creativity.  But you can find something good in everybody.

Forever Once, Once and For All

we built us home
from stacks and stones
our skin and bones
forever once, once and for all
you shall paint it bright, yellowish sunshine
i shall color it right, white it is white
we put a door only us can pass
we smiled on the greens looking through the window wides
once and for all, forever shall pass
we built us a home
from stacks and stones
our skin and bones
you bring your melodies and meet my harmony
we make lullabies and stories

beautiful beautiful stories