Indonesian Food, How I Miss You!

Even though I longed for Indonesian food, definitely I can find some of them here. Many of my friends are best cooks! Thanks God for knowing them hehe ^^

Making Kalguksu

Last Friday, I got a chance to join a Korean Culture Class managed by Busanjingu Culture Center. The activity that day was making Kalguksu. Kalguksu is a Korean noodle food, which is literally meaning "knife noodle". The name comes from the fact that the noodle is using hand made, knife cut noodle. It is commonly made in summer time.

I missed the first session when the teacher showed how to make the broth. It was made in the beginning since it takes a long time for the ingredients to be simmered in order to get the expected taste.

I was there since the noodle making lesson. It is my first time to make noddle from scratch, but trust me, it's not difficult at all! All class participants also tried to make their own noodle. Since the kitchen size is not big enough, the teacher were the one who made the kalguksu while we alternated watching and helping her cooking it.

The other participants all are migrant women married to Korean men. They brought their kids or babies with them, and one woman is pregnant. You could imagine how was the situation when the babies were crying while the moms were practicing cooking. Luckily, there was an auntie volunteering herself to take care of the babies. But since she is alone, she couldn't manage to take care of those babies in the same time.

So, here they are another volunteers. Thank you so much guys!

Flower Festival 2009, Centum City

Flower festival is interesting too see, at least for me. I am still new to Busan, so that any event will be able to attract me to come. Some people said that it wouldn't be so fantastic as I have imagined, since the flowers were those on pots, and people just arrange those pots for the festival.

It was true. Those flowers pots were arranged in many geometrical shapes or animal shapes such as dolphin, fish, butterfly, penguin, etc. Some were just laid on the ground, some were hung on the street lamps.

The day when I visited the Flower Festival is in the same day with Children's Day (May 5, 2009). Thus, many parents and kids came to enjoy their holiday. It's so nice to see many people were busy taking photos, playing, eating and bicycling.

There were some kiosks offering stuffs and activities for kids. The kids could try to make it by themselves. Many were queuing waiting for their turn to try. I found that it is interesting for the children to have their own hands making it. Everywhere I saw they brought their handy crafts proudly and happily.

Flower Festival

I love flower! That's why I couldn't miss the chance to visit Flower Garden Festival at Centum City on May 5, 2009. Once again I promise to write more about it later, but let's see if I have enough time. ^^

God's Love to Me

God loves his children and He will not forget them. One clear evidence of His love is his providence into my life.

In the first time I stepped my feet in South Korea, I wondered if God is still with me? I went to a place far away from home, my wife, relatives, friends and my comfort zone. "God, are you also with me there in Korea?" I asked. I started to think that 'Is God real in this country?' I ashamed that I had such a feeling like that. Do I have faith, don't I? It is not God's responsibility to confirm me about his presence to us. Our faith and Holy Spirit in us have already given His clear confirmation.

Thanks God for His blessing and kindness. In the middle of my confused heart and worry, He still gave me (A LOT) evidences which showing me that He is life, He is real!

I had many stories about those God's love:

1. THE LUNCH BOX: I have shared this before in here.

2. CLOTHES: In two days in a row, I got clothes from different person. Firstly, I got from the head office of PMF (Pusan Missionary for Foreign Labour). He called me to his office and gave me a jacket. It is not new but still in very good condition. Secondly, I got two shirts from one of the Dean at university. I didn't know him before, that's why I was surprised. He came to me and asked "Are you Indonesian? Do you want shirts?". After confusing for a while, I agreed to follow him to his office. He gave me two 'Batik shirts' from Batik Keris. I was amazed and thanked God for it. I shared one of those shirts to my dormitory's fellow.

3. MEDICAL CHECK UP: In my first month in Korea, I experienced free medical check up, included X-Rays and teeth cleaning.

4. HANDPHONE VOUCHER: I received a free handphone voucher worthed W10,000. What a surprise!

5. HAIR TRIMMING: It is free also! Amazing! The lady usually come to the organization every month to help foreigner who want to cut their hair.

6. SOAP, SHAMPOO, TOOTHPASTE: Those things were gifted to me in my first week in Busan. Some of them I received from the International Office, and the rest were from my friends. I never buy those things until now. It is sufficient until few months later.

7. SUBWAY CARD: While preparing for my wife's coming in the end of March, I thought that I need to buy a subway card for her, but I decided to wait until one or two days before her arrival. Few days before her arrival, my friends were cleaning up the garbage in the house and found a broken subway card that a fellow thrown out before he went back to Indonesia. They gave it to me to try whether it could work. I was extremely happy to know that it worked! I glued the two pieces and top-up the amount for my wife later. It is unbelievable, isn't it?

I think, it is rare to find those 'coincidence' (I don't believe in coincidence though) in Indonesia. God taught me a lot about his providence and his love to me in Korea. I hope that we as Christians can share everything that we have and love one another, just because of His love.

I couldn't count how many blessings He gave me. Those above are the blessings before my wife's coming to Busan. I will share His blessing to me after Dita's coming in the next posting.

Thanks to God!

*San*

Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done.

The things you planned for us no one can recount to you;

were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.
Psalm 40:5