Yesterday was Indonesia Independence Day (62 years).
So I thought I’d put in the spotlight one of the many exotic fruits we have back home: durian (duren so we say back there). I love this fruit, uh huh, all of it (smell, taste, texture) .. LOL!
The first time I saw people selling durian here in Toronto was in Chinatown. The fruits were frozen .. so they only looked like durians, but they didn’t smell like ones (I got “poked” by the thorn when I was trying to smell it  ). Back home, they have fresh ones .. honestly, we could smell it from FAR away! I must say even the frozen ones have that distinctive smell. Hahaha. Some people (yes, even some Indonesians) don’t like the smell. I love it. 
To open one, I remember when I was little I stood on it (LOL), just to get that first crack .. then we just cracked it open. The actual fruit can be a bit firm, can be a bit mushy. Although I like a firmer one better, I’ll eat the mushy one too! Sweet … *drool*
Hehe .. I ordered a durian drink one time. One of my non-Indonesian friends tried it and she had this look on her face .. but she didn’t say anything. She waited to see my reaction when I took a spoonful. I like the drink, although it could be stronger (more durian taste please!!). She thought I didn’t know what I ordered .. and was anticipating a strange look on my face .. haha. (No, she didn’t like the durian drink).
My grandparents used to keep the skin after we ate the fruit, and we used it to wash our hands with (we used soap too, yes) — the white (inside) part, not the outside part … they said it helps to get the smell off our hands. I do that now too. Does it work? I don’t know .. but I don’t mind having the smell on my hands .. so .. haha!
They grow on trees .. tall trees too! So, be careful when walking under durian trees …
There’s an idiom that says “bagai tertimpa durian runtuh” (“as if getting a durian falls on you”) which means getting lots of fortune. But please don’t sit under a durian tree, it hurts (you) when it (the fruit) falls on you.
Anyway, yesterday I wanted to finish writing this post. But I didn’t, because yesterday, fruityoaty gave me a couple of links to this site that happens to talk about the city I grew up in, Jakarta and some of the street food there. TWO posts .. and I spent the rest of the evening drooling and wanting to go home…………
Toronto Street Treats happened earlier today from noon to 2pm @ Nathan Phillips Square .. so I went and checked it out. They had little tents for the participating restaurants to cook/sell their food/samples ranging from $1 to $6. I was looking for Cava — who supposedly had Florentine Tripe Stew for $2 — but I couldn’t find it! Hmmm!
There were LOTS of people lining up to try the food .. I didn’t even try lining up ..
These guys in the next pic had a better idea though .. rather than lining up for a long time, spending $3 for a sample dish, they spent the $3 to get a sausage. I would’ve done the same thing (I didn’t since I brought lunch), and yes I know, I know, it’s a different kind of food and experience and stuff (hehe):
I love street food (and soon Toronto will have more street food than just hotdogs and sausages — or so I heard). In Indonesia we have lots of street vendors with “shops” on the side of the street (literally) or going around pushing/pulling/carrying their carts/stuff or on a bike (we just call/stop them in front of our house if we want to buy the food  ) .. and there are some really good ones (nasi goreng kambing, nasi goreng pete, siomai, singkong, combro, bubur ayam, martabak, etc — Gosh, now I’m hungry). One note though, if you’re a picky eater, not adventurous in eating, or have a weak stomach, don’t try it. For me, I love it.
The last two pics were taken back home about 3 years ago.
August 17th is Indonesia's Independence Day.
On this day at 10am some 61 years ago, Bung Karno and Bung Hatta told the whole world that we are free:
Kami bangsa Indonesia dengan ini menyatakan kemerdekaan Indonesia.
Hal-hal yang mengenai pemindahan kekuasan dll diselenggarakan
dengan cara seksama dan dalam tempo yang sesingkat-singkatnya.
So they said it (and you bet we had to memorize the above in school!) …. MERDEKA!
So, every year on the day, there's always this ceremony in the morning to celebrate the Independence Day, followed by some competitions (different kinds .. interesting and fun stuff).
Of course, in school, we had no choice .. we had to go outside (in the sun) and followed the ceremony. That's why I joined the school red cross – so I could walk back and forth to the building taking care of sick people (and staying in shades). HAHAHA! No, that's not it, I thought I could be more useful doing that than just standing in rows for a couple of hours.
Or if I wasn't doing that, I was one of the flag bearers .. 'coz then we got to stand on the side usually in shades (and not wear that hat and tie). HAHA! No, that's not my reason either .. I loved that task. Seriously.
But today at 10am, I'll be at work .. working.
Happy Birthday, Indonesia!
*SIGH* Indonesia got hit again by an earthquake… another tsunami .. another natural disaster. 
I can’t even write what’s in my head after hearing it.
My thoughts are with them ….
Update (7/19/2006): Another earthquake today (centered somewhere in the Sunda Strait) .. no tsunami .. apparently not as strong as the one on Monday, but my sis said she could feel it in Jakarta (maybe ‘coz the centre was closer) .. :/
I hope there’s no more … the country (and people) need to recover.
Update (7/24/2006): Hmm .. yet another one off Sulawesi island yesterday. Sigh!
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