Fathan Raedaya, my youngest son, participated in Anchor (milk) NZ Challenge. He has drawn a very nice picture of New Zealand farm, hoping winning a ticket to a real farm in NZ. He dreams to go there. He’s got nice stories from his NZ teachers at his school, Al Khor International School, British Stream.
He asked me if I can help him with an appeal for voting his drawing from my blog readers
Our deep and heartfelt condolences go out to the families who lost their loved ones in the Villagio mall tragedy today. Sad beyond words.You are in our prayers
Our respect to the brave firefighters and emergency teams
I can’t manipulate my age or my age is not befriending me, in this middle to late thirties of age. As I get older I get weaker, get less stamina and can’t withstand a long sport activity.
Two weeks ago, I joined a football team in a one day fun football tournament organized by Indonesian community in Al Khor. The event, participated by 10 teams from every town in Qatar, was held from 7.30 in the morning until 7 pm in the evening. Hot weather is one thing, but for sure, though the match was only 2×10 minutes I couldn’t play for one single match straight…..sighhh. The first match, I was out due to foot ankle problem, after wrong tackling. In another match, I was out due to short of breathing. And in the last match, I pulled out due to hamstring…duhh.
So I probably need to realize my limit, to understand the consequence of non-regular exercise, and should have thought age matters.
Ouch! This tackling costed me an ankle problem 😦
I am in action to guard our opponent
Football with sunglasses!
Protect the asset!
My team – crazy sand duners football team
All players with our Indonesian Ambassador for Qatar. If you can spot me…:)
This new Indonesian restaurant, open since 1st of May 2012, sells all tofu-related cuisines.
Though tofu (= Tahu in Indonesian) is not originated from Indonesia, this side dish is one of the most important dishes due to its price and versatility. No wonder tofu comes in unlimited variety of cuisines. Indonesian must have been familiar with Batagor (BAkso TAhu GOreng = fried meat ball and tofu), Siomay (steamed tofu dumpling with vegetables served with peanut sauces), Tahu Gejrot (slightly fermented fried tofu snack with slices of shallots, chilli, and garlic in spicy-sweet sauce), Kupat Tahu (ketupat/packed rice or dumpling, tofu, rice vermicelli and beansprouts in peanut sauce), Bakso Tahu (meatball, fried/steamed tofu served with a bowl of beef broth, noodles, crisp wonton and sprinkled with fried shallot and celery) and many others.
The restaurant is founded by an Indonesian couple, long time Qatar residents since 2002, born from his tofu maker father back in West Java, Indonesia. The couple started making tofu since 2005 in very small scale for their neighbors or Indonesian friends. It was in 2010 that they started putting a brand and making it a serious business. They now supply many Indonesian groceries, restaurants and one of the hotels in Qatar.
The restaurant is, you may say that, their business expansion.
We visited the restaurant during its promotion/opening period when price was slashed in 25% discount from its normal price of QR12 per portion. Located in The Center area (behind Ramada Hotel), it is easily accessible with lots of parking spaces. If you know Great Wall Restaurant, the restaurant is located just beside it, housed within a green glass window building, on the ground floor.
Tofu & Cake Restaurant housed within that a green glass window building beside Great Wall Chinese Restaurant
The actual restaurant can only accommodate a small kitchen, a cashier and order desk, and two tables barely enough to fit 6 persons possibly. All other visitors have to be willing seated outside in six 4/6 seater table arrangements. A bit hot during summer period. A fan just doesnt help much.
An outdoor seating area – can be challenging during summer
We ordered many, for a reason. To know which one is their cerry of the cake. Our order arrived pretty quick. I finished my Bakso Tahu Goreng Kering (meatball served with a bowl of beef broth and fried tofu) very quickly. So mouthwatering that I just couldn’t stop. Their meatball seems produced without preserver or MSG-like ingredient. Unfortunately it’s not that hot enough to enjoy. Bakso wouldn’t be complete without sambal (chili sauce). The best is for you to use real bakso sambal which unfortunately not available in every table. Search around.
Bakso Tahu Basah (meatball with steamed tofu)Bakso Tahu Kering (meatball with fried tofu)
Batagor came next. It was poured with peanut sauce. The hot fresh from the fry pan made it enjoyable. Ketupat tahu came with lontong (packed rice/dumpling), and tofu served with peanut sauce and crackers. I found it pretty standard. The sauce is different than used for batagor, and apparently made fresh.
Batagor
Ketupat Tahu and Iced Tea
The restaurant also sells ready-to-cook tofu for take-away, many varieties of crackers and few other Indonesian food.
If I were to be back, I would definitely be back for Bakso in its many forms, just making hot please, and Batagor. Heard of Tahu Gejrot is also good, haven’t tried it yet. For all money spent it may be worthed to pay a visit. In the end, they are the best tofu maker in Qatar any way!
Coordinate: 25°16’25.4″N 51°30’55.2″E. Open from: 10am to 21pm.
It’s said that around 36,000 Indonesians living in Qatar, majority of whom (19,000) are labor workers, and about 6,000 professionals and their families. But Qatar is so small that you will bump into the same person in many other occasions.Eventually we’re just a dot inside Venn Diagram intersections. Some may be present at intersections of two diagrams, some at four, or even more. Chances are you are a member of your ex-company associations, your professional association, your university alumni association, or hobby/interest associations.
Okay, let me give you my example. I am a member of ex-Unocal (once an oil and gas company before taken over by Chevron) alumni association, a member of Bandung Institute of Technology Alumni Association (IA ITB), a member of Petroleum Engineer Association (IATMI) Chapter Qatar, and a member of non-formal groups like Sand Dune Community, Fishing Community, Sundanese Community (though I’m not a Sundanese) or Hajj Group. Many of them are on the same two or more associations, making meeting the same faces is not unusual. Though I’m sometimes surprised to find new facts: “Oh, I don’t know that you are from….” “Hey…how come you are here?” “Sigghh…it turns out we’re linked..” .etc.
One thing for sure is that the more diagrams you have the wider social networking you own. And it surely will be beneficial for ‘staying strong’ in this foreign soil.
Recorded today, 5th of May 2012 around 12 noon. Halfway to boiling point. “Who ask you to come to Qatar!”, said my friend. True…in fact I don’t complain, I’m just reporting the fact 🙂
50 deg C on 5th of May 2012
An explore dream discover life episode of an Indonesian family in Qatar
CGK-DOH 