Poori, my favorite Indian Food

Eleven months staying in India, I had my privilege to taste colorful yet spicy Indian cuisine. Ranging from North India vegetarians , Hyderabad birianies to the vast numbers of South Indian foods and snacks.

And I can say, Poori is my most favorite food followed by Biriyani. It is a plain simple snack, and it definitely has robbed my mind especially when eating it. How to describe? It is thin, oval, empty inside, tasty, crispy, and blended perfectly when eaten with potato curry. Ehh, just see my pic below..

Usually served as breakfast meal, it can be found anywhere in India as it has transformed into a somewhat unofficially national (popular) Indian cuisine/snacks along with vada, idli, and samosa. From the snack stalls located by every street in India cities, small food centers, cafe, and high-class restaurants. The cheapest, by the street, usually cost Rs 3-5 per piece, and the big one at restaurant usually cost Rs 25-35 per piece, plus potato curry.

However, personally I enjoyed almost EVERY Poori I have eaten regardless of from where I bought it. That’s why I really love this snack. I have difficulties enjoying vada or samosa and other snacks on the street, but not Poori. I enjoyed eating Poori everywhere, even with high-tense pollution or crowds passing by me. And maybe it’s weird but I seemed lost some problems in my head at the time Poori’s pieces were floating inside my mouth 🙂 . Delicious! Very delicious. I never get bored eating Poori

Now I’m back to Indonesia and it’s been almost 8 months since the last time I ate Poori. I should have been searching for Indian restaurant over here. I really miss it badly! 🙂

Maybe the biggest marriage in the world?

As a young boy grew up in nineties fed up with news about one of the biggest love story’s break up (Prince Charles and Lady Diana), my mind can still remember their majestic marriage with kissing in front of millions of people around the world. That party, even I wasn’t introduced with TV yet, were always shown during the nineties especially when the famous partying ways rose to prominence in worldwide televisions.

So it is now 2011. The most awaited marriage in the New Millennium comes to life in the beginning of the year. No need to tell you about how eventful this marriage all around the world, you must know it better how it was in your country than me.
In my country, almost all the TV stations show everything about the event, and broadcasting every live appearance of the high-profile marriage preparation, including the security deployment and the classic horse-riding. Infotainment, reality shows, and of course news channel all did talks, discussions, and gaining opinions about the gorgeous William-Kate couple.. Yes, everything.. I should have got bored, but instead I am also stood in waiting to see how the thing goes for William and Kate 🙂

(photo courtesy of Magnus D : Flickr – The royal family on the balcony)

And even I or my country have nothing to do with this couple :), most of us eagerly awaited for the momentous event. So when the ceremony took place and got broadcasted through one of our television channel, there were so many Indonesians watching that, partially or full. And of course, it came as no surprise that most poor girls in my country dream their dreams about hoping to get a proposal from the young Prince Harry and lucky to do the royal marriage like William and Kate. Pff!

My Top 10 Best Hard Rock Vocalist

TOP 10 BEST HARD ROCK VOCALIST
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1. Steve Perry
The Angel’s Voice. I think it is not an exaggerating praise for such a talented Steve Raymond Perry. His voice is very beautiful especially when singing those lovely ballads. Pure magic, emotion, a very deep voice, and how he melt and play his voice in such a high range to carry with the melody is very out of this world. When singing rock songs, he had such powerful deliverance and bring the audience to nuts. HIs stage performance is also very entertaining, very actively moving from one side to another and communicating with the crowds. Watching him on DVD is enough to make me standstill and listening Journey concert from the beginning to the end.
Best performance : Open Arms, Only the Young

2. Freddie Mercury
How can you argue? I believe he delivers it every night. Powerful, consistent, melodic, soaring, and what else? Queen’s songs actually is simple, but they become so mega when Freddy sang them.

3. Ronnie James Dio
Perhaps the most consistent rock vocalist ever. Watching his Heaven & Hell DVD of New York’s live concert, I couldn’t believe that he was 65 when. His delivers are absolutely out of this world. Well, if in 65 he could reach the top, no need to research his performance in the 70’s and 80’s. If it is not because I do not like his songs very much, maybe he will top my list. His death in 2010 was absolutely devastating for the world of rock music. Rest in Peace Dio!

4. Glenn Hughes
Second to Ronnie Dio in consistency. Check his You Tube videos. How Glenn Hughes keep his voice shining and strong after all these years is difficult to answer. So many high notes in his concerts but he delivered them all flawlessly. One mistake I think he should had joined an established band, because by having a solo career not so many people will know him. Right now he is joining BBM but I’m afraid with his age now the band will not survive more than 10 years.

5.

6. Roger Hodgson
That very high-pitched distinctive voice. A really master of singing.

7.

8. Chris Cornell
A different kind of rock vocalist, who is not trying to be melancholic or structured while singing. He performs the quite difficult lyrics of Soundgarden music and the aggressive arrangement of Audioslave’s music. a very unique characteristic which at first we wil feel unfamiliar, but by the time we can start admiring his talent. It seems in concert, he is the main actor because of his voice which can reach high notes so fluently, a rare occasion for modern rock singers.

9. Steven Tyler
Perhaps the most extravagant singer in the world of music. No music observers or experts will give a warm review about t his singing ability. contrast many of them stated that Tyler do a wrong approach for singing or using false technique. But he never gives a damn about it and continue to entertain the audience all over the world with Aerosmith poppy but rocking songs. Aerosmith is a bunch of damn good musicians but it is Steven Tyler voice that the most interesting thing about this band…hey, where can you find 50-years old singer attract both old rock lovers and young guys to sing along their songs like ‘Crazy’ or the anthem ‘I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing’

10.Matt Bellamy
The modern Freddie Mercury. Just manage to watch one Muse show and you will realized how extraordinary a Matt Bellamy is. Playing his mind-blowing guitar skill and also can have a knack with piano, it is his voice that bring Muse to the limelight. More of a seriosa singer ala Pavarotti, he creates a magic in Muse’s music whose concept are about pictures beyond imagination. Hearing him singing Hysteria, is just like caught inside a spiritual palace. While he is still young now and of course wonder how will he do in his 40 or 50, he is the greatest modern rock singer today.

North Sumatra Trade Fair 2011, in my review

This is an annual events in North Sumatra Province, Indonesia, and is always held by the North Sumatra Province Government with partnering Event Organizer. Yet this event still apparently get a big popularity among North Sumatra citizens, I called it modest/good and not bad in term of popularity and results.

The goal of this event is actually to introduce the wide variety of North Sumatra cultures and traditional/modern products courtesy of more than 30 districts and towns, and the second is to attract traders and investors to commit their moneys and values onto the province. However it seems that the stronghold of this event is always about the first one. It can be seen from 2 perspective, the visitors to the Fair and the stakeholders, the Local Governments (districts, towns). From the official statistic issued by the government, most of the visitors looking for a cultural entertainment in visual or knowledge, paying attention to what are exist in a particular district/town by visiting each local stand. That’s why students and families dominated the 28 days event. That is one successful story for this event. But then you can’t say they want to invest, don’t you? Second, from the event organizer and stakeholders point of view. People can see that the event is a really trade fair and not investment fairs. All areas are focusing on presenting the products, the pictures, and everything to introduce about their culture and place, but with a few information about what is potential and how is the procedure to invest. If exist, then they would be just a banner with potential areas and some local regulation with nobody inside the stand can explain about those two explicitly and detailed. The stand-guys and receptionist plus some civil servants only know about their products, cultures, traditions, development progress, but they are not ready to answer specific questions about trading, law, and investments.

So yes, the event is more of a culture tourism place for North Sumatra citizens. The number of visitors, yes it is growing year by year. The Event Organizer prepared it well, adding some performances and contests plus providing more spaces to traditional traders and brands to sell their products surrounding the main place where the local area stands are located. In the evening, the place is very crowd and of course a lot of money circulating during the event. Maybe in 5 years, a more strategic approach from the government can be expected to raise a lot of investments to every region in North Sumatra. I think we North Sumatra people just enjoy the event as an entertainment.