::mmka.cafe::

the weather turns autumn for the weekend, so you decided to go museum again.  you drove an hour east bound to a border city for the modern arts. it's not a big museum but it's free entrance with museum year card that you recently purchased.

you were hungry when you arrived, so you check out the museum cafe immediately.

 it's annex to the museum main building, the floor length window provide a superb view of the surrounding, the cannal and the lake ahead, it's a pity the weather is not up for the scenery.

meanwhile, inside the cafe, you notice the table is quite artistically done...

  you like the sketches print on the table

 while enjoying your cuppa and waiting for your food to be served...

 your  brown bread with crab salad, it's fine but nothing beats his

tomato mozzarella salad, the leaves are fresh, in fact all ingredients are fresh and feel like organic

and the home made pesto sauce is unbeatablely yummy... you later exchange your bread and devour in the salad... 

and when your stomach is satisfied, you check out the outdoor installation... it's cold and windy but you want to see anyway...

you're amused by these, they come in different sizes and colors... quite amazing!!

a wooden craft apple

and some romans ruins lying around, apparently romans was once here... the outlook and view from the compound is really unbeatable, it's a shame the weather is not up for it.... otherwise you would spend time exploring the garden.

it's just too cold to enjoy the outdoor sculptures or public arts, so you quickly retreat to indoor (to be continue)...

lomo.friday

 finally friday and you are in the lomo mood again...

 browsing a art movie magazine at the cafe

 discussing about the re-do and the design of the garden, and finally reached the consensus. surprisingly you never got this really discussed at home.

a corner table full of leaflets and information about arts and museums and what's on right now...

you pick up a few to read while enjoying your cappuccino and sharing a dutch apple tart.

you just like the rustic look and feel of the photos, it's your personal taste and preference to have digital lomo through an apps in your cell phone. it's add a different dimension to life ^^.

 

!!happy friday!!

::hope::

march supposed to be a very busy month for you, you were fully booked, the first three weeks in frankfurt and this week you are supposed to be at san fancisco bay area attending a training. but the project in frankfurt got postponed to late april/may, the training got canceled, or rather you never got your seat confirmed.
you are in between projects, then there's talk from the management to get you to london for another project but that also got delay or rather you hear no news until today.
you are getting bored and almost socially disoriented on weekdays. there's is no need for you to go to office, after all people you interact with are not in your office. this is the joy of regional role, you have got the freedom to work wherever you want but yet lack of human contact somehow. you have enough to do, but those things are just different from working in an action packed project environment. last night, out of the boredom you started to pray to God, yes, the economy situation may not be optimistic and companies are slow in making decisions, but all you ask for is project where you can work on. you seriously prayed to God last night.

and this morning you woke up, an email regarding the project in north america sit in your inbox and your client said things have been sorted out and you can come.  when you're about to check with your management, you got an email confirmation from your internal contact who is responsible for this deal and followed by a personal phone call. wow! you are speechless but yet deep in your heart you rejoice and give thanks to the Lord for the things He has done.

it's like the cherry blossom that you saw yesterday when you went to city center yesterday, full blossom, always symbolizes hope and new life, and in deed in Christ there's always hope. you are now excited and motivated again, and really looking forward to this trip to america, a trip that once you have canceled mentally out of hopelessness of the contract negotiation situation and now is reinstate.

thank you, Lord!

gado.gado.tonight

second day of daniel fast, so far so good.  you have not crave for meat.

tonight a simple gado-gado with some grilled tempeh as protein and a generous drizzle of peanut sauce, that's it!

chinese.paella

this is what you had last week. this week you are starting your daniel fast as part of the church initiative when possible stick to vegetarian and fruits diet. in line with the preceeding holy week and various biblical principles around the daniel fast, you do want to fast until something happen. so the coming two weeks, your diet will be healthier and greener whenever your body allows...

back to this particular chinese dish, you like to call this chinese paella.

 it's a variety of clay-pot chicken rice of your homeland except you cook this in the rice cooker.

 besides chicken strips, there are ample of chinese chorizo sausage and some smoked meat that made by your MIL, along with mushrooms and other...

 it's bad for your heart and artery but this is a very rare occasion that you indulge in such food...

and it's yummy especially when you eat this with soy sauce soaked in the spicy chopped chili.  the taste of the "smoked" chinese sausage and smoked meat are heavenly.  you guess all things are permissible but not all things are beneficial to you.
so starting today daniel fast is the way to go...

strawberry.days

you have been feasting on strawberry daily. they are abundance in the supermarkets and came all the way from spain.  you started eating them plain, they are big, juicy and sweet. you turned strawberries into the japanese spring mochi. then you mixed them in oozy and boozy pink cocktail, you baked a batch of english scones and eat them with generous drizzle of whipped cream and strawberry (of course).

you baked a plain soy milk chiffon cake a night before...

 and eating them with strawberry and mango as breakfast today.

 the cake is so fluffy and airily and the combination is just too colorful to mark the arrival of spring.

europe turned the clock forward today, so the sunny days will only get longer and you are thankful to enter your favorite season of the year.

have a blessed sunday everyone.

seminar.and.a.seafood.dinner

the first ever warmer weekend but you chose to go to the church for there is a seminar to attend. you were glad that you had the best of both worlds. you rekindle the visions and teachings of G12, the teaching from pastor rob is humble and yet profound. you had your moment to enjoy the afternoon sun by lunching just outside the church on the grass ground, with a picnic mat, you just sat down enjoying your brief lunch and fellowship with others.

the plan was to go to the beach after the seminar but seminar only ends at 5pm and being early spring, the temperature drops drastically in the evening, but that couldn't stop you from driving to the beach but only to a famous seafood restaurant. so with a few people you dine at this noisy restaurant or rather canteen. 

you tried the half lobster with cheese for the first time. it doesn't look pretty or appetizing but it's delicious only the portion is a little of the smaller side compare to their normal deep fried fish plate. 

his deep fried cod fish(lekkerbek) came with two huge fish and a generous portion of fries. and you munched on this too to compensate the smaller portion half lobster...

S had the same deep fried cod fish...

while the rest had something slightly different but all made of seafood.

you came here quite often, but usually eat your portion of seafood and go, but today perhaps you're not sitting inside or perhaps it's the company, you sat here for more than 3 hours until almost the restaurant closing time. you had so much fun, chatting, sharing and a few rounds of drinking until you called it a night.

::daffodils::

daffodils are very dominant in the early spring, their presences basically declare the spring is coming in the still cool and windy late wintry days.
daffodils are short life, and they are almost at their prime at the moment, you love the yellow flowers

happy friday and blessed weekend ^^!

spring.stroll

the temperature hit the highest 20c! what a surprise spring temperature

 you went out for a stroll/walk in the afternoon around 5pm. it can't be too late as the temperature will drop once the sun goes down...

 it's a refreshing and you are thrilled to see the flowers popping on the ground and on the trees...

 magnolia is blossoming in the neighborhood, you walk a little bit further to the edge of the lake

not exactly the same place that you been yesterday, but you will never tired of your little man made lake on weather like this.

spring also brings on the changes on your diet....

 you welcome cold dish suddenly and made yourself a portion of edamame dip and eat with raw carrot sticks....

 you chuck carbohydrates (no rice or pasta) but drink your carrot potato oxtail soup from yesterday with delight....

all because you have to account for the dessert that you are eying for, the english scone with more strawberries and whipped cream *yum*

and this is seriously heaven and makes you happy. strawberry = happy fruit in your dictionary

you have another pack of strawberry in your fridge, you mind is running wild what you are going to make tomorrow to celebrate the weekend, japanese strawberry shortcake, charlotte, or may be strawberry roll cake? hmmm... the choice is endless, let's hope that you have the mood to bake tomorrow.

::spring::

it's officially spring today, the sunshine and the temperature are doing the justice.
you work from home today, well in fact you work from home most days unless you have to go to the client's site or have meeting at the office.

you went for your scheduled medical appointment today. something is growing inside you (no you are not pregnant). it's some sort of tissues that keep growing and increase in size on each ultra sound check up. the doctor couldn't determine the actual size and so a mri is planned for next month. you are not worry, knowing that every "storm" is allowed by the Heaven above and you cannot avoid them.  "storm" will only make you stronger because you know that the "storm" is obedience to the Heavenly God and when you remain obedience in the Lord, situations and circumstances will work out in His will.

in the afternoon, the weather is so superb (not exactly warm but hey it's only the first day of spring).  you took advantage of the sun and went out for a short wandering at the nearby man made lake. little you know that you are not the only one with this idea, the area is full of cars and the little cafe by the water is packed with people.

 trees are still barren but the sky is blue...

new leaves are sprouting, in no time, the tree with be filled with baby green leaves... new season, new life.

 there's not many flowers as yet, well at least not at the lake area, so you are musing with other things...

 many people actually take their time to sit and relax, you wish to do the same, to enjoy the nature and quiet time, do some reading but only found out that the beach mat that usually sit in the car is no longer there... so you just wonder around, let the fresh and crisp air kiss your face. it's refreshing. relaxing too. but you can't stay too long out there, it's a normal work day for you.

back home, with a pack of fresh and moist strawberries, you quickly whipped up english scones.  your mind travel back to many years ago when you first had the taste of freshly baked scone with whipped cream and strawberry in england. those were the university days, but it's amazing how far food can travel and journey down the memory lane. that first bite of the scone was heaven for you.  today you do the same, quickly compose the scone dough and bake them....

and in no time you are enjoying your english scone with whipped cream and strawberries. that's a lovely impromptu afternoon tea.

you are totally refreshed and satisfied.  what a lovely start of spring season, a season that full of colors, new life and new hope.

journey.experience

you had an early start and drove to belgium yesterday morning.
you started with defrosting  your car, there's a light layer of frost and embark on your journey
you drove past rotterdam without much traffic but then you had a up close and personal encounter with the thick mist as you proceed southbound.

just before the ring of antwerpen, you have to stand still completely for more than an hour. there's no accident or special cause, just the thick mist and monday morning rush hour.

you finally detour to the antwerpen city knowing that if you couldn't get moving you're not getting anywhere nearer to your client's site and the clocking is clicking...

a good detour through the city, it's not any faster but at least the traffic is moving, from one site of the city you exit another side and proceed to brussels...
after the good 3 hours, you finally arrived. phew!

anyway, it's a pleasant journey despite of the long drive and traffic situation. it's the first time you drive on a long distance in your new lease car.

it's comfortable with everything that the manufacturer could think of, it's a smooth journey, you have nothing to complain, it's just a pure blessing from the Heaven above that you "own" this lease car, and the true bliss is you got to enjoy the luxury car without paying for it, that's blessing.

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set aside yesterday's traveling i am extremely tired today.  the good thing is the weather is getting brighter and warmer, it's about time to hit outdoor. weather wise, i experienced the four seasons in a day yesterday, but spring is officially coming tomorrow ^^
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