I met this humongous snail las year, on Nov 28, 2011, after my lunch. Yes, it's the beginning of the rainy season. When I heading back to my office, I spotted this huge snail wandering around at the pathway. Actually there was 2 big snails, but this one is bigger. See the comparison of my fist and the snail. I know my hand is quite petite, but this snail is definitely not small.

One (or two) is fine, but I'll freaked out if I surrounded by this giant snails.

• bokchoy
• egg
• minced beef
• tofu
• gochugaru
• garlic
• gochujjang
• freshly grounded black pepper

As I am going back to hometown today, I went to Ubud market last Sunday to buy something for my sisters, a close neighbor and my granny some gifts. It was raining hard that day, actually it was raining from the day before. So, before I went to Ubud center, i decided to visit Delta Dewata at Jalan Andong and hoping the rain will stop. It does stop for a nick of time and started to rain again and didn't stop until the very next day. Good thing that when I was strolling, it was only drizzling.

I am happy as I was walking in the rain. Walk around the little town with my silver umbrella and stopping by at every little store that caught my sight. That was my imagination. Thanks to the shop attendants who ruined the supposed-to-be-my-happy-moment.

People in Ubud, well, in Bali, usually wrongly guessme as an East Asian tourist... either from Japan, Korea, China, Singapore or Malaysia. So they usually speak to me in English. That day was the same. So when I entered the store, they always welcome me warmly in English..with a very warm gesture, mimic and tone. But, suddenly after I asked or spoke to them in Indonesian, they always change their attitude. In bad way.

They was treated me friendly as they think I am a foreigner, but then they warm attitude changed coldly... easily... like you were just flipping your hand. I don't feel respected at all, like I was not even welcomed at the shop, which not even theirs.I can read from their face that they just wanted me to leave the stores rightaway. I felt they yelled "Go away and never come back!" When I asked things, they will reply reluctantly, in a very bad manner. It was actually pissed me off, but I keep calm all the time and carry on... (and in my heart I said, let me write this on my blog later)

It was actually my second experience to be treated not as a valued customer in Ubud Center. I heard from the others that it also happened to them. Even worst, one of my guest once complained that when she was in one of the cafe in Ubud Center, the waiter/waitresses didn't served her like her expectation. She described it just like what I experienced and she felt offended.

My point is, come on, you are selling your stuffs... But, with your crappy attitude? I am working in tourism industry, in one of the 5-star resorts in Ubud. Why would you treat your customer differently just because they have different skin, language, race? Just because I am an Indonesian you think that I cannot buy/afford your product? Just because I am an Indonesian I am no good to use your goods? Not suitable for your things? Or maybe you are not allowed me to use it as you think foreigner are better than locals? Money is money. You still eat from my money if I buy from your store anyway. Oh, Puh-lease!

Here a little piece of writing, hope you, the business owners in Ubud Center, read it....


Dear business owners,
Please take care and operate your business seriously. I hate when I got different treatment (in a bad way) just because I am Indonesian. If you still loves money, you have to teach your staffs so they did not treat your (potential) customers badly. Treating a customer in a bad manner and make them uncomfortable is a big no-no. So please keep this in mind or you will loose some market share.
Thanks for reading and hope you/your customer service management could be improved.
Best Regards,
chisa


*****

PS. The only shop attendant who treated me like a valued customer was the shop attendant at Periplus at Monkey Forest Street. I stopped by for quite sometimes, when I asked about a book that out of my reach, he was willing to help me. I ended up bought three books. Definitely will come back to satisfy my thirst on books. :)

fresh from the stove

Today's dinner menu was Japanese Hamburger Steak with rice... and of couse I cook it just like I want. (I made a hambaagaa rice last July, yet it's different!)

This menu required me to make four dishes before served it as one. It took a while to cook because I only have an electric stove and a teflon pan.

Rice
I used medium small grained rice for this menu. The rice was brought by my dad when he came to Bali recently. It is an organic rice harvested from my dad's friend's backyard in Central Java. It's growth for personal consumption only and not for sale.

Hamburger Patty
This patty was made overnight premade). I made it with (approx) 100g lean ground beef, 1 medium size shiitake and some onion leaves chopped finely, 2 tbsp of cornstrach, 1 tsp of soy sauce, salt (to taste), and freshly ground blackpepper. The whole things were mixed and shaped into balls then pressed with my hands. It's about 1cm thick. I pan seared it with olive oil until it got really done (dark brown). As I put cornstrach in it, it will be tender no matter how long it being cooked (corn strach can be substituted with all purpose flour or bread crumbs).

Sauteed Vegetables
I'm running of vegetables and need to stock more of it tomorrow. So, I just take whatever left on my fridge. The sauteed vegetables side made of chopped baby long bean (abt 3 cm) and about 5 mm chopped onion leaves, celery stick, shiitake mushroom, and garlic. All of the ingredients were sauteed in teflon with a tsp of olive oil, in high heat. I added about a tsp of oyster sauce, soysauce, and freshly grounded blackpepper. Mixed it thoroughly and set aside.

 Hambaaga Sauce/Gravy
Onion is the main ingredients of this part. Finely chopped onion (both red and white) was sauteed with olive oil. I waited it until it got brown (caramelized). After that, I added some finely chopped garlic and shiitake mushroom and mixed it. Next, I put about 1 tbsp of corn starch and let the corn starch cooked. Longan honey, oyster sauce, and soy sauce were poured into the pan and mixed with the other ingredients. Finally I added some water and freshly grounded blackpepper. I stirred the ingredients and made sure no corn starch was mixed well and let it simmer. I poured the sauce all over the other sides and the Hambaagaa rice is ready to be enjoyed. 

Since I like it hot, I sprinkled some gochugaru (chili powder) on my set. Oishii!

sprinkled chili powder over the hambaagaa rice

it was my last night dinner...

















consist of a bit of:
* egg noodle
* egg
* diced beef
* bok choy
* dried bean curd sticks
* corn kernels
* Campbell's cream of chicken soup

seasoned with
* garlic
* fried shallot
* light olive oil
* freshly ground black pepper
* salt
* soy sauce
* oyster sauce

and i want to eat it again tonight as it's raining hard now.. :)

It was my luch yesterday...
I thought it was not this big. I already munched some bread stick, bun, and a portion of Caesar Salad, so I didn't eat the french fries. :)
--> yet I ate Pecan Nut Pudding for dessert...

The Milanese Beef consist of sunny side up egg, breaded beef with tomato puree and mozarella cheese on top, completed with a portion of vegetable salad. It served with a portion of french fries and ketchup.


The beef is very tender which I love.
--> This place never disappoint me.. The meats always served tender. :)

Which I don't like is the tomato. I don't know if the tomato mix on top of the fried breaded beef is that much. It's quite thick! But if you like tomato, it'd taste like heaven for you.

Egg was cooked too long for me, so the below side is overly cooked for me. I always like when the yolk is melted everywhere.

With a glass of a real iced lemon tea, it's a good lunch afterall...

--> i'm very picky if it comes to food.. we are all, aren't we? :p