The Journey of Ichi's Family

I am Proud To Become A Down Syndrome Sister

What? Are you serious about that? Yes, I am! If many people around us have always looked down on their special family member, in contrast, I am proud to become a down syndrome sister!😊

If he can choose, of course, my brother would pick the path as a normal boy. Based on bloodline, my father was an intelligent person, persistent, and had never stopped to learn something. I inherit all those lines just like twin mirrors. Meanwhile, my brother had a different fate that grows up as a down syndrome child. Well, we could not change fate, for instance, to be born into a rich family or poor family, born as a normal child or special one. In my brother's case, that's what I call fate to grow up as a special child. However, whether we are regular or disabled people, the future is a mystery and what we can do is start work on the future from now on. What I have believed is when people work hard and never give up, they are able to reach a good life. The key is education. That is why I have always encouraged my brother to go to school and study hard. Yes, I met a couple blind people who are become independent people to this day. They took courses and learned to live independently by staying in the dorm, learned a skill that they could use to get money for a living. Who's know with that skill they were able to buy a house, motorcycle, have a good life, and having healthy two beautiful boys! So, people who look down on disable and do not believe in the importance of school, you must learn so many things in this life. Fate, we can't change it, but the future, it remains a mystery. With study at school, we can change our life for better one.

Talking about fate, sometimes some or many people misunderstood what fate is. One of our relatives said, "Just accept the fate that he can't do anything and going to school. Giving him food and drink, it's more than enough for him to live." Well, I disagree about that. We were a big family, having lots of aunties, uncles, and cousins. But only my father and I have always believed that school has the capability to change our lives in the future. As far as I can tell, not only my brother, when people around me whether neighbors and family or relatives knew that I went to high school then set sailing my journey by studying at university to get a degree, most of them also said, "Your father is poor, so you do not belong at school! Your life will never succeed!" Another said, "Look at your father, he doesn't have money if you feel pity you should not study at university!" They treated me poorly, but they treated my brother even harshly and rudely. Cousins only passed by our home, none of them asked him to play together by riding a bike around. They came only on purpose, one minute then left without even say "Hi" to my brother. My brother who sat at the terrace had always the one who saw them wandering. Like our cousin who lived in the city when came to my father's house with their parent and stayed for vacation, they didn't share their coco pie with my toddler brother; hiding around my father's garden and ate the snacks. What kind of manner is that?🤷‍♂️ People looked down on him, furthermore, they avoided to close to my brother because in their eyes my brother was a stupid boy. For them, embarrassing to have a cousin like him and stayed close to him. It was the reason why people said that he should stay at home, just gave him food and drink, accepted fate.

When we lived in the village, I do remember that my brother loved to ride a bike, going to a regular primary school on his own. Coming back home at noon, took a rest for a while, and at late noon he went to study in another class (unformal school); he was willing to take a course. As far as I can see, he was able to determine what he wanted even though a down syndrome child. Compare to other villager children who most of them didn't take any serious attention in school and drop out. Without any credentials, no one hires them for jobs, as a result, they just wandered around and relied on their parents. Many of them became stealers who stole fruit, chicken, duck from their neighborhood.

Unlike me who had never bought snacks and lunch at school, my brother's pocket money was the same as me and loved to buy veggie fritter, ice, or any snacks at the school canteen. After went back home, he still ate some snacks. He just looked like other children and wanted to go to school and socialize in the community. Sadly, most people around us rejected him. People said he was an unintelligent, brainless kid just because he could not catch up in the class. Especially my father's partner, she didn't accept that my brother was a down syndrome child and felt embarrassed to have a child-like him. Practically, she didn't want him going to school because she thought he had no future. Similar to others, for her, "giving him daily food and drink just more than enough for him to live." Something that much more tragic, she said my brother was crazy and sent him to the treatment for crazy people. I could not forgive this kind of action even until this day.

Maybe my brother was unlucky, my father lost his decent job and everything when he needed full support. He didn't have any opportunity to get the proper school. That time, my father fought for justice in court for a year or more after his colleagues set him up for something that he didn't do for the company. Meanwhile, my father's partner objected to sending him to a down syndrome school in the city. Moreover, she even raised her voice when my father convinced her. Sadly for my father, after he encountered the hardest event in his life; losing a decent job, zero saving money, he pulled back which meant his partner took over on every decision in the household since my father was not able to give her money like before. Divorcing my father wasn't a good move because many eyes watched her. Moreover, she knew I love my father even though he didn't have money anymore I would like to sacrifice myself to take a job after school. Well, after 3 years, every day, told me the stories of her ex-boyfriend with the hope I would take her side and so that she could marry her ex, all her effort was futile. Therefore, she decided that my brother went to a regular elementary school nearby. Luckily, the headmaster was a kind and gentle person, he encouraged my brother. However, by the end of the day, my father's partner pulled off my brother from school before he got a credential because for her it was wasting time and money. I was disappointed with her act.

After my father passed away, my brother's situation got even worst. None of the family offered me help to sending him to a down syndrome school in the city where I tried building my career. They were worried I wasn't able to pay back the debt to them if they lend me money for my brother's tuition fee. Unlike my father who cared for his entire family by helping them when he was a successful career man, what I can say, my father's family just a bunch of jealous people who loves to spread hatred. They hated and insulted me because I was outstanding, they insulted and bullied my brother because he has down syndrome. Meanwhile, my father's widow just had been busy finding a new husband, using my father's money to provide for her lifestyle, took all of my father's properties (a house with big yards and garden, crop field) to secure her life without working. Not even once she cared to send my brother to a down syndrome school. What a poor boy, by looking at the fact I am the one who inherits all my father's endless money and the properties as well, I should able to send my only brother to school that day after my father died. Unfortunately, I don't hold that money not even one cent even until today. I wasn't able to send my brother to school at that time.

Luckily, a person who gave me monthly school assistant took my brother as one of her employees since he didn't do anything at home because my father's widow dragged him down from school. My brother was happy to have a job and wage that enough for his living. Tragically, he got accident at work because all his co-workers threatened him, bullied him physically and verbally while he was working hard, and just grateful to have the job. He stayed at this job for around a year or less than a year ( I forgot it). It was not a safe environment for him.

I tried to send my brother back to school. That time was a more likely private school. The school's owner was a kind and gentle couple who initiative to build a school from scratch in our lovely hometown to provide an affordable school for families who lived in poverty. They wanted children from low-income family got a chance to get an education. They had had around 30 students (or more) when they were willing to take my brother as one of their students. I was grateful and delighted. In return, I helped them financially by paying tuition fees for about 10 students monthly (until today I didn't know whether the school owner received that money since my father's widow held my brother monthly money that I send for him regularly). Sadly, less than 2 years, suddenly my father's widow pulled off my brother from this private school. It was too obvious, as far as I can see, she made trouble with my brother's teachers, I assume it was about tuition fees. Once again, my brother didn't have a chance to get a credential.

I was tired of all the drama that my father widow created, and all of the trouble she developed not only with my brother's teachers but also people who cared a lot about my brother's future. She ditched my kindness aunty, and also my grandma. This is it, I must decisive by taking my brother under my wing after more than 2 years I repaid my "debt" every month to that my father's widow. What a "debt" is it? Not long after my father buried in the ground, his widow forced me to pay all the money that my father spent to send me to a university. In front of my kind aunt, she said I had a "debt' to her and I should repay. Well, I paid for it, and said: "goodbye." Since that day, I took him out from all the chaos which means he's with me. I sent him to a down syndrome school.

Gradually, my brother develops his confidence. He has met lots of people on his journey. Having many friends, meeting a new family, and experiences wonderful events in his life. His life is colorful like a rainbow after the storm. He has learned to live independently by staying at the school dorm. Making a bed after waking up in the morning, cleaning the dorm, helping to prepare food at the kitchen dorm, doing laundry & folding his own laundry, is just his daily routine in the school dorm. Meanwhile, in class, the teachers have taught him many subjects. And because it is a down syndrome school, it has another program to develop skills such as making snacks and sells them, creating handmade beautiful fabric and sell them, do gardening, making another handmade handicraft, et cetera. Particularly, my brother loves music and art, therefore he likes singing and drawing. Just like our father who loved drawing and singing, we both, my brother and I are also like music and art. He has always excited to sing in front of the audience at school events. All day long, my brother has always been busy at school since he wakes up before the crack of the dawn, going to the classes, and the school finishes at 3 PM. What a long day for a down syndrome boy!😊

All my hard work is paid off; my brother attended his graduation ceremony about 2 weeks ago. Since that day when he walked on the stage with head up, he has held a credential that equivalent to regular high school. I am so proud of him as he has always worked hard in school. He starts his study from scratch again around 9 or 10 years ago after twice hadn't chanced to finish school. I do not want to give up on him and he also doesn't want to give up either. As a result, finally, he got an achievement. I think it is the best present for the 64th birthday of our father in June this year and the best gift on Father's Day for our beloved father. I bet if he still around today, he would have the biggest smile on my brother's graduation day same as when I got my Bachelor's degree many years ago. A decade ago, people said it was too late to send my brother to a down syndrome school, waste money, and time as well. Even my father's sister who had a job as a teacher said that it was useless brought him back to school and waste money. I wonder, what kind of teacher she is; objecting to a boy who needed school. In my view, late to study is far better than never. Furthermore, going to school is an investment for our future.

I do still remember a decade ago, one of our cousins insulted and bullied him verbally. She said my brother was an uneducated boy, a stupid poor boy, and no future at all. After years, while my brother has gone for adventure and study to get achievement, she has just stayed on the same stage, hasn't got her Bachelor degree (a big possibility is never ever to get it), career hasn't gone anywhere, and plain life. Nothing extraordinary has happened to her since the last time she harshly bullied my brother. Like others who looked down on my brother because he has down syndrome, she thought that she was a normal smarter girl that definitely far better than a disabled boy to climb up her life higher especially her life and career brightly. Year by year she tried hard to get her dream career but it hasn't come. None of her siblings get Bachelor's degrees either, and their life just average. What I have learned about our life in the past is that the future hasn't written yet, we do not know how the future come out. But one thing for sure, we can work hard for a better outcome. By insulting and bullying others would never lift up our life in the coming time. The choice is yours, rolling in the mud like a pig, or work hard, walk with your head up for a great future.

Now, what the plan for my brother after graduation? Well, my husband and I have discussed the next step for him. I am very excited to see him in the next few years, what achievement he will get and how far he can go. Life is an adventure!🤗

Note:

Written by Acik Mardhiyanti
Do not copy this article without permission

Treat People Like You Want To Be Treated

I believe, what kind of the seed we sow today, we'll harvest it someday. Some people say you can't expect to harvest bright sweet cherry tomatoes if we plant chili seeds. In this case, how our attitude toward others would reflect on how people treat us. For this reason, it is a wise move for us to treat other people nicely by giving them the best gratitude and gesture.

Not long ago someone asked, why I didn't reply to her message and assumed that I got mad. Back a few years ago, this person with his brother bothered me almost every day to get as much as information they needed and asked for help with their issues about university matters. After getting what they wanted gradually both of them just disregard me even I wasn't able to contact one of them when I needed hands. After some time, they showed up because one of them desperately asked for help to solve the crucial problem. Although we were disappointed with them, one more time we helped him. At first, I just thought they were busy with their life so I didn't pay any serious matters to it since they were my relative. However, my friend concern about those people on how they behave toward me, and my friend said, "You know what, they just want benefits, not a sincere relationship." Since that day I have started to open up my mind widely to see their acts carefully. First, they disrespected me, second is came to me only for benefits and wanted something, third is suddenly became friendly and cared for by using my brother. Well, they knew I love my brother, so by asking how's my brother doing, his school and hopefully, they would get my attention. But after years of observing their attitude and manner, I must decisive and make a bold decision. In another word, I don't want to associate with them anymore, no more help, no more information, no more a favor. Because of this, they said I am angry with them. I bet after I ignore them back, they would roll out a story to their entire family and friends that I treat them badly. Doesn't make an effort to plant a beautiful flower yet demand to cut splendid blossom in the garden?🤷‍♀️

Another case was far more amusing to pen down in this article. I had always treasured everyone who said that they were my friends or family. Because of this reason, I often checked them by sending messages. The answer that I got was this; "Who's this?" and it repeated in another month. It's too obvious that this person had never saved my number (my number hasn't changed) which meant I was not important. The interesting part was how she did remember me after did not able to identify me before. This person recalled me when she would get married. Of course, after getting a package that full of presents she disappeared. A few years later this person showed up again by alluring me about her daughter's birthday and hoped I would send a birthday package for her daughter. I just took no notice of it and the next happened was she developed a drama that I forgot an old friend. Another person acted the same thing, asked for a favor, got what she wanted, then disappeared. A few years later came to me asked for something again, and I ignored her back. What happened then, this person got angry and a year later begged for forgiveness. What I can say, I had had enough.

Life is beautiful when we choose positively and staying drama-free. The case that similar had often emerged for years and all of them had the same goal; they wanted benefits whether asked me about crucial information, goods or stuff, or even money.🤷‍♀️

The reason why I had always tried to be nice to people who disrespect and ignore me was that my father taught me to have always treated others gently. Therefore, I had been trapped with this mindset for so many years until 4 years ago my friend opened up my mind. Actually, there is nothing wrong with what my father wanted. He just made sure that I would become a kind person in the future. And I am glad about it. However, I think we do not need to waste our time just to bond with people who just want benefits from us. They do not deserve our attention. It would better to keep people who try and make an effort to keep us. By building a healthy relationship, we can grow a strong connection, and the most important thing is to hold hands together to support the dream we have.

We can't expect others to become friendly with us if we have never shown a good gesture. In my view, to build up relationships we need an effort to maintain time by time. In my experience, We just need to do the simple thing continuously. For example: during my time living in my village when there was no smartphone and internet, I wrote letters to my friends. After moving to another city and abundant sources I used to write an e-mail to my friend. Nowadays, I have internet and a smartphone, at least once a month check my friend by sending a message about how are they up to. On special occasions for instance birthday, Christmas, Chinese New Year, and Hari Raya, et cetera; I send a proper message not emoji. Another we can do is by sending a card, gifts, or a package. And do not think when I say gift, this gift or present must expensive. What the hell no! In my opinion, it would great if we create the gift by ourselves. In my case, I have always made handmade flowers for my friends it could be brooch or hair accessories. What about my male friend? At this point, I often send something for his children, it could be a children's book, stationery, et cetera. Just like that? YES! Sometimes we do not realize by doing a small thing could be valuable to someone. For example, people would absolutely delighted to receive birthday messages, Christmas cards, or presents at a special event especially when we make handmade gifts with our hands. That's my friends on how to decipher their feeling when getting my handmade brooch and hair accessories, they have always loved my work and appreciate how much time that I have to spend to make the present. Price is nothing compare to the warm heart that we offer to tie up the relationship.😊

Despite the event that I encountered, I have been met with kindness and carrying people wherever I go and stay. Sometimes a stranger at first but then becomes more like a new family to me. I do still remember when I decided to study at a university in a faraway city from my hometown. People around me mostly assumed that I would not survive since they thought I didn't have any friends and I had never traveled to any cities. In contrast, the achievement that I have made washing them away even further. Because in reality, I made a friend from overseas since I was in the third year of high school and made lots of friends during my university life even local people. I do not have any difficulties bonding with the people surrounding me. Like nowadays, many foreigners who live in Singapore have always said that it wasn't easy to close to their neighbors; most of them do not know their own neighbors. In contrast, I have made friends with my neighbors and have exchanged foods during festive seasons such as Chinese New Year, Christmas, and Hari Raya. By treating others nicely we will get good things in return that surrounded by good people who have always support us.

Life is beautiful if we spread kindness and happiness. Instead of making trouble, we can create the best world we live in by giving the best gratitude and gesture, also we have always grateful for our life. We should treat other people like the one we want to be treated. That's what I call a wonderful life.

Note:

Written by Acik Mardhiyanti
Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti
Do not copy this article without permission
Do not reuse this photograph anywhere else without permission

The Benefits of Cooking Our Meal at Home

The Journey of Ichi's Family: simple yet tasty and healthy meal - Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti

Cooking at home? Why not? Some people keep saying that their life is busy and do not have time to cook meals at home. But, do you realize there are some of the many benefits we will gain if we change our mind and habit so that enjoying much more time in the kitchen has become a daily routine.

Gladly, I was born and grew up in a remote village where people cook their own meals every day. Many of them grew vegetable and fruit trees in the yards so that provided food sources without spent more money to buy ingredients. Most of the villagers went to work in the field at 5.30 AM and came back home at 5 PM. Yet, they were able to cook their meals daily without absence. So, naturally, it is not my habit to buy food from a food stall, take away food, or dine-in in the restaurant. I admit, when my father was a successful career man, we often buy food from a food stall for our dinner in the market. However, this habit was suddenly gone in our circumstances after my father loses everything. Since that day, my habit had gradually changed and it leads me to what I am today.

Vegetable Japanese curry serves with linguine and veggie fritter. The recipe is on Ichi's Fusion Recipe - Photographed by RDZ

For some people cooking is not easy and consumes much more time in our daily life. Meanwhile, others have been busy with their routine so cooking is barely impossible. Another, they just love to buy food from outside and don't want to associate with "dirty" work in the kitchen. A "dirty" work? Yes, they afraid their beautiful nails will break and has an awful body smell. I think people have their own reason why prepare a meal sounds tough. Whatever other people think, I found there are some benefits we will get if we cook our own dishes at home.

1. Saving money

As cheaper labor, my father only earned about $ 4 a month. We could not survive until a week with this little money. We did not buy foods from food stalls anymore and making our meals daily instead. The main reason was household income could not support our old lifestyle. Simply, cooking every meal at home was the only way to throughout a month; you can say "struggling." When we had additional money, my father saved it for an emergency or another purpose that important for instance to support my education in the future. That's how it worked by cooking at home we managed to get through the rough situation.

After married, I do intent to cook daily in order to save money and I wanted to make sure that we did not over budget in foods. We had lived in a small city after married for about 6 months. In this city, one portion meal would cost IDR 3,000. So, about at least IDR 9,000 just for 2 meals and drinks for 2 people. Meanwhile, with IDR 10,000 I could buy ingredients and fruit (banana or papaya) that enough for our lunch and dinner. Believe me, it was not that simple as you thought since my cooking knowledge was limited. I learned one by one recipe every single day; starting from the easier dish in the kitchen. Our married began from scratch; our bank account was zero. Yet, we were able to move to Singapore. Most of my friends think that my family helped me out. As you know, moving to another country needs an act of courage and brave enough to endure all the costs. And because our lifestyle has always eaten at home, we succeed to save money. And, since 2018 we have been planning to move to another country again to pursue our academics. If we ignore the importance of cooking at home, making our own meals routine, we are not here today.🙂

Chicken breast sate serves with homemade rice cake that made from Japanese rice and boiled spinach. You can't find chicken breast sate like this in any food stall - Photographed by RDZ

Here in Singapore, a portion of Japanese curry would cost about $7. But making it at home, buying a pack of Japanese curry paste only costs $6 - $7 and it's for 12 serving! Can you believe that? Carrot only costs about $ 1 until $ 2 and it's enough for a week. A pack of Australian potatoes is about $5 a week unless we want a baked potato. Moreover, I can cook healthier Japanese curry by adding carrot, potato, kale, or tofu into my curry sauce. Believe me, even though the restaurant said Japanese curry but there is no sign of vegetables in the curry sauce. 🤷‍♀️😅 At home, I can make tempura tofu or tempura tempeh, veggie fritter, or boiled egg, to accompany my Japanese curry. In the restaurant that we visited, they do not make "tempura yassai" or known as tempura veggie.

Pan-fry salmon; recipe on Ichi's Fusion Recipes - Photographed by RDZ

Another example is the Salmon dish. You guess, how much 1 portion dish of a salmon menu? In the food court is about $12 for one meal or even more expensive when you go to the restaurant. But when I cook salmon at home, generally, 4 slices of frozen salmon is about $ 19, and $ 13 for 4 slices of frozen salmon when a discount! 4 slices of salmon which mean 4 portions. Moreover, the taste of my recipe much more great and delicious than from the food stall. It's the reason why I would rather eat at home and cook our meal!

I love saba or you call it mackerel fish. In the food court in any mall one portion saba menu is about $6,5. It's the cheapest one. Like always, it serves without any vegetables at all.🤷‍♀️ On the contrary, I can make a healthier set saba menu at home. The taste? My saba is delightful and no fishy smell. Besides, the vibrant vegetable on the plate is served with my saba. Guess, how much the price of one pack of saba that contains 3 slices of fillet saba? It is about $ 6 for 3 slices of frozen fillet saba! I often buy saba and cook this menu at home which means I can make 3 portions of the saba menu at home!

Pan fry saba cook with butter & onion, boiled carrot, and kale, fresh radish, Japanese rice with furikake on top of it, grape. Recipe on Ichi's Fusion Recipes! - Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti

By looking at the three menus above, you can count how much money that I can save by cooking at home. This number is huge when we are talking about dining out at the restaurant and food court in Singapore. My Japanese friend said, "dining out is expensive, isn't it? Here Japanese prefer to make their own meal rather than dining out because expensive." It definitely involves lots of monthly income. And I do not want to waste our money on that, and I would like to use it to upgrade our degree, helping others who need help, or any kind of important matter like. My Indonesian friends have always said that living in Singapore is great that we can go to the cafe, restaurant, or it could be bar more often because it is a vibrant city. But if you ask me, am I often spending my time at those places? nope, not a chance! Unless there is any strong reason or purpose. 😉✌ Personally, I would like to invite over friends for dinner at my home so that they can bring their family (husband/ wife and their kids).

2. Better Food: Healthy Food, Healthy Body

As I mentioned in the first point, buying Japanese curry from one of the restaurants that we visited, we could not find any trace of vegetable on it. I can't believe because Japanese loves vegetable on the daily meal, so why this restaurant is not able to provide this essential element? Are you sure it is a Japanese curry restaurant? 🤷‍♀️

For me, I think it's hard to find a menu that contains vegetables on it if I want to buy from outside which means a food stall. the ingredient they use is much more likely to give me health issues, for instance, sore throat just after an hour ate fried rice from one of the food stall nearby. Another is diarrhea right away after eating some of the particular foods from the food stall. There are just some effects of eating food that I do not know what kind of ingredients the food stall use and how they prepare and cook. At home, all my recipes do not contain sugar, I also only use low sodium salt, canola oil, or olive oil. Moreover, I substitute coconut milk with cooking cream and I avoid chili because those two ingredients make my stomach upset. Sort of to say, home cooking is healthier than takeaway food. The reason is we choose the ingredients cautiously, clean the ingredient before cook intentionally, and we plan our meals thoughtfully.

Fried Hokkien noodle from my kitchen recipe, using low sodium salt, no sugar, olive oil, with a ton of vegetable - Photographed by RDZ

Look at the first picture in this article, it's simple yet tasty and healthy. I cooked rice cake made from Japanese rice, vegetable soup with meatballs, and tempura tofu. You could not find a menu like this at the food stall. When we cook our own meal at home, we consider and choose the ingredient carefully, clean, and cook with thoughtful. As result, we will gain a healthy body. And I am proud of myself when many of my friends have health issues like high blood pressure, diabetes, and many of them have sight problems and wearing glasses, meanwhile, my husband and I are just fine.🙂

3. Upskilling cooking talent

The great news if we choose to cook our meal at home is we will sharp our cooking skills by learning every day in the kitchen. Day by day, week by week, finally after years we can master it. The only matter is are you willing to learn?

Some of my friends said, "Oh, you can cook?" Another said, "Yeah, you are clever so no wonder you can cook like that." I think it is a wrong perception on how someone could master on skill. Do you think if you have always been dining out, or just simply hire a maid and let her cook for you daily, then you can upgrade cooking skill? Well, like I mentioned before that I learn my cooking skill from scratch by making my meals daily and I am still learning today!😉 There is no instant move in every step to reach something. We have to move forward and do not ever think that we can't do it. We must embrace the difficulty upfront and pass it.

Tempura tempeh and tempura tofu from my kitchen made using Japanese batter - Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti

By making the daily recipe at home, creating new dishes, finding another way to cook, slowly but surely we can improve our kitchen technic and taste better and better. What I have believed is our hard work will be paid off someday or another day. Who's know we can open a food stall someday or selling food and become a business owner. It sounds great, doesn't it?

4. The Opportunity to Open Business

I just said on point 3, there is an opportunity for us to open business by selling food. That's a golden door! From a small thing could become a big one in the future.

For you who do not have any restriction to open food stall at home, you can try to take this opportunity. Cooking for the family yet we can sell it and get some money. Sometimes we underestimate our own skill, but if we are able to see it deeply, the fact is our ability to make food is a natural flow on our DNA. We just need to sharpen it until getting the best taste. And do not ever think if we fail, it does mean a doomsday. There is someone that I know who start the business even before she masters it. While opening a home-based business, she is learning how to cook some particular foods.

My fried rice! My recipe has always used low sodium salt, no sugar, no MSG, using olive oil or canola oil, and full with veggie. The rice itself is Japanese rice - Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti

I had learned from the people in my village that some of them were business owners. Most of them were a food stall and sold a simple menu, for instance, "pecel" known as Indonesian salad. Indonesian salad was comfort food for many residents in the tiny village. Everyone could easily make it at home, but why there was still a door to open a food stall and sold it? what I could say is the business owner was a courageous person. She made this particular salad at home for her family. She spent lots of time in the kitchen and intended to learn how to stew, grill, bake, et cetera. As result, she made money by selling "pecel" from home. Just like that? Yes! It just only one of example how cooking at home can open the opportunity to make money. Sometimes, a business idea comes from our daily basis, one of them is food, our comfort food at home.

There are some benefits to cooking at home. First is saving money, then better food, and it could upskilling our cooking skill, the last is the opportunity to open business. There is my preference that preparing our own meals can lead us to get benefits.

Note:

Written by Acik Mardhiyanti
Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti and RDZ
Do not copy this article without permission
Do not reuse these photographs anywhere else without permission

Hari Raya in Singapore: Maintain Relationship with Neighbor Through Food

Hari Raya in Singapore; my little gifts for my neighbors - Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti

When we move to another country and start to live with locals, the first question is how your relationship with neighbors? At least it is the question that I have received even before moving to Singapore. "How we can adapt" "how we can survive in an alien land" et cetera... We didn't know anyone in Singapore, it was completely strangers around us. However, we managed to make a new book and write a happy story about it!.✌😊 Knowing the people, culture, and tradition, it is my wonderful journey, including the Hari Raya celebration in Singapore.

Thousand layer cake from our neighbor - Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti

When I was 16 years old I moved to another province and live in an unfamiliar city to pursue my academics. Since that day, I have always learned how to adapt to a new environment, meeting new people, learn their culture et Cetera. It wasn't easy at first because the city where I completed my Bachelor's Degree was different where the place I came from, their people, behavior, culture, and tradition, language, and so are the foods. But I am proud of myself that I survived. In order to survive, I had to live like locals. And I am glad, because of my positive attitude, I have family friends there! Whenever I visited (before the Coronavirus situation) that city, we also made a visit to this special family.

A rainbow cake from our neighbor - Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti

Talking about Hari Raya in Singapore, it is a Muslim celebration in Singapore after fasting a month! Many say it is Hari Raya Puasa, "puasa" means fasting. Or we can call it "New Year for Muslims." Last week, 13th May 2021 was Hari Raya Puasa. The interesting thing is how to celebrate this special occasion during the pandemic?

Fruity cake from our neighbor - Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti

If you are following The Journey of Ichi's Family, instantly you know our tradition with our neighbor. We do exchange foods/ snacks/ or another gift to celebrate 3 different festive seasons, there are Chinese New Year, Christmas, and Hari Raya. In general, I prepare 3 times gifts for my neighbor on each occasion. Basically, cookies or cake is a common gift and people would love it. However, it doesn't mean we can't give another present, for instance, fruit, tea or coffee, noodles, or handicraft. All those options are acceptable in our community. In another word, it is a proper gift.

My neighbor gave us custard puff - Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti

Who would the first person start to give a gift? It doesn't matter, whether my neighbor first or I am first. I think a week before Hari Raya one of my neighbors knocked on our door. She sent us 3 distinctive cakes! Wow! 3 cakes! She said, "Happy New Year!" Of course, we received these cakes with happiness and we were thinking about how we would finish those special cakes because our big eater (my brother) couldn't go home this year.😅 A few days later, another neighbor appeared at the front door when we ate dinner. She brought a bottle of syrup, a cake, and macaron! I was surprised and a little bit worry because I didn't have anything at home to give her back. Well, no need to worry, after all, we are neighbors, when we want to give something to our neighbors, it means we just want to share and spread happiness and joy during a special occasion. That's what I call to maintain our relationship with neighbors through food. I had learned about it a long time ago when I lived in my hometown where exchange foods between neighbors were a common tradition to celebrate special occasions, regardless of race, religion, and language. The next day, another neighbor visited us and brought cakes for us. So, we had lots of cakes at home!😅😄

Mangoes, syrup, cake, and a macaron from our neighbor - Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti

2 days before Hari Raya, we went to the hypermarket nearby and found out if any ideas to make a gift for our neighbor who lives on the same floor. Why only on the same floor, what about another friend? Well, before the coronavirus year, we made a visit to our friend's flat who lives in another district. Nowadays, if we are able to send a cake then we send it, but if the situation quite hard, we just send a message. Why? Due to the COVID-19 situation, the government advises to stay home as much as possible since the case in community rises and among them is a new variant from India. To be honest, my husband and I go out only to buy groceries, and sometimes medicines. Back to the topic, so we decided to make a little gift; there was the apple, tea, and hair accessories & brooches that designed by me. Those hair accessories are headbands, hair claws, and also brooches. Additionally, we gave pork meat to one of my neighbors. That was our little gift for our neighbor.

Mocca cake from our neighbor - Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti

How we sent our gift during the pandemic since our government makes strict rules to control the spread in the community? Of course, we just hang it out at the door and sent a message; or we knock on their door, gave the gift, a few minutes of chat to ask how they do, then went home. That's is? Yes! We didn't enter their home, just enough on the front door, and practice safe distancing. I know, it looks awkward, but we want to play our part to keep our community (friend and family) safe and healthy. To win this battle we have to fight together, that's the spirit in Singapore.💪🙂

This was how Hari Raya in Singapore this year. We do not look at the background, we just want to spread happiness with others. Like another celebration, we exchange food/ cake/ snacks as a gift in order to make this special occasion more colorful; just beautiful like a rainbow!🌈 Moreover, by sharing foods we can maintain relationships with neighbors!🌞🥰

Note:

Written by Acik Mardhiyanti
Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti
Do not copy this article without permission
Do not reuse these photographs anywhere else without permission

Simple Breakfast, yet Healthy

Simple and healthy breakfast - Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti

What your breakfast today? I would like to eat something simple, quick, and easy to prepare in the morning for our breakfast. Indeed, it is not something special, however, the breakfast menu is still important to start the day. So, what kind of simple and healthy breakfast that easy to prepare without consuming time because basically morning has always in a rush?

I have always mentioned my father because he taught me to eat and choose foods, gardening, drawing, et cetera. What he had believed was eating a half-cooked egg every morning was good for children because they would grow up healthy and become smart. I assumed he often read the news, books, and sharing knowledge with his collages in the office that improved his ability and intelligence including nutrients and vitamins in the food source. Whether a half-boiled egg is can increase intelligence in children or not, it is quite promising since we all know that egg has B vitamins, vitamin D, Omega, protein, et cetera. It is the fact about the egg that rich in nutrients.

I bet when I was a toddler, eating half-cooked eggs was my routine every morning. I didn't remember about it. 🤨 However, since I grew up I wanted to eat a cooked boiled egg because I found it just not right to eat a boiled egg that looked like mountain lava, eww😅🙄 Since I realized about "lava" I left a half-cooked boiled egg behind my life story. Whatever it was, as long I ate an egg for breakfast whether omelet or boiled egg, my father approved. It is my story about eating a boiled egg in the morning for a long, long time ago. My father was the one who educated me to eat well and healthy.

Breakfast or lunch? 😅🤨 Toasted white bread with tuna, mozzarella, and butter, an apple, and a glass of tea - Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti

Making healthy breakfast is easy and do not consume our time in the kitchen. Sometimes I boil the egg at night so in the morning the egg is easy to eat. In general, while cooking for lunch box or bento, I boil the egg for our breakfast. Yes, the reason why I wake up early morning is to cook bento not prepare breakfast.😅 Why? Because breakfast in our home is simple, for instance, a boiled egg and banana, or when I buy Japanese sweet potato; we eat boiled sweet potato in the morning. Another menu is white bread with butter or any kind of cakes that I buy from a cakes shop or baked the bread with tuna or mackerel cans.🤗 That's it? YES! My favorite is to drink soya in the morning. Actually, I love cocoa drinks for my breakfast, but this product is not available in hypermarket nearby anymore. So, technically, there is no special preparation to make breakfast. I do remember when I worked a long time ago, I bought a slice of bread or bun while walked to the place where I waited for the bus. And definitely eating my breakfast while walking to the gate of my office.😅😐

We eat the same breakfast menu every day. I think there is a reason why I do not write breakfast recipes on Ichi's Fusion Recipes since the menu has always been the same every morning. Someone asked my husband, "every day eating eggs? you are not bored?" or why I have stock of eggs for at least a week. It is a good food source and can boost our energy in the morning, there is no word "bored." Of course, nowadays we choose low cholesterol eggs to maintain our health because we are not children anymore.

I think if my father still around, he would be very happy to see that I still hold this "tradition" to eat a boiled egg for breakfast which meant I learned from him how to eat well. I hope that I can pass down this family custom to my children someday when we have children. Simple breakfast, yet healthy and affordable. That what can I picture about the boiled eggs.

Note:

Written by Acik Mardhiyanti
Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti
Do not copy this article without permission
Do not reuse this photograph anywhere else without permission

The Moral Behind "Choco Pie"

The Journey of Ichi's Family - Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti

Looking at the choco pie pictured above, for many people, I think there is nothing special about it; it just a children's snack. However, for me, personally, it has touched my heart and I learned about morality, humanity, on how we suppose act toward others especially those who need our help.

My father had siblings, brothers, and sisters. Among them, only my father had a beautiful success in his career and built a happy family. It was the reason why his parent had been prised him a lot, especially his mother which meant my grandma. My father loved his sibling and everyone who needed help would run to my father especially when they needed money. Without hesitation, my father gave the money to them and had never asked to pay it back. What he believed was by helping his sibling, someday if his children (my brother and me) needed help, his sibling would help me too. Well, I think that a good thought on how family supports each other, right? I admired my father's intention.

There is not always a rainbow every day, sometimes a storm comes; it is how I pictured my father's situation. He lost his decent job and everything, he needed a hand who could hold it. But someone who gave it hand was a stranger who did not have any connection or relation to us. This stranger family gave me a school assistant every month since I was in the first year in secondary school until I graduated and hold Bachelor's degree. With this monthly assistant, my father could think and planned what he could do to survive without worry about how to pay my monthly school fee. And me, I started working at 11 years old and earn some money to buy anything I needed for school such as school shoes, a bag, stationery, books, et cetera. Even though someone helped us, but we still worked hard every day.

After my grandpa passed away, a year later my grandma died. This sad event occur when I was at secondary school. And the next thing that happened was my father's sister and her family had come to my father's house, once a year. They lived in the city on a different island, and what my father proud of her was this sister had a successful life. My father had always been happy every time this sister came and treated them like a noble and we were just servants.🙄

Someday when I raked my father's big yard I found an interesting red plastic. I picked it and I read it "Choco Pie." I knew by looking at that plastic that this snack was tasty and good because I saw remaining chocolate in the plastic. We villager children had never seen chocolate nor eat it. Like a lightning struck my head, instantly I remember something about this morning. After finished house chores and prepared breakfast, I went to the house front terrace. I saw my cousins in the yard and suddenly looked shocked when I showed up from nowhere and saw them. They hid one of their hands and left without saying anything to me, typically the cousins who did not have any interest in villager children like me. 🤷‍♀️ So, this was the snack that they hid this morning from me. Maybe they afraid that I would ask for their snacks. I assumed their mother told them to eat snacks secretly outside the house where my brother was not around, and I had been busy in the kitchen. Well, while I was busy doing house chores in the morning and prepared their breakfast, they ate snacks. What my concern was my brother, what if my brother saw them ate a snack and they did not share it with my brother? What a poor boy😢 My brother loved snacks, cookies, or crackers. He sometimes cried when really wanted something. He was a little boy at the time and he did not speak much. That what I was concern about this "Choco Pie" plastic I found in my father's yard.

Comparing those cousins with my friends, my friends had always been thought about others before them. If you read my article before about the Physalis story, my friends gave me 2 physalises that left in the bush. They let me and asked me to eat it and taste it even though they knew the fruit was only 2 left. At another time, when one of my friends had a cracker, this cracker would end up divided into 5 pieces, everyone ate it and just felt happy. Any kind of food in my friend's hands, without asked they would offer it to others. Thinking about those cousins' acted, what I learned was that we should think about others, and share happiness with others.

Many years later, this "Choco Pie" is just an ordinary snack to us that we could easily find it. In the past, I took a job volunteer by helping one of my father's neighbors to make cookies and cakes when the biggest celebration came. After school, I went to make cookies at my neighbor's house until late at night; usually 9 PM. I worked was not for money but for a plastic cookie that my neighbor gave me after helped her. She did not pay me but offer a plastic cookie instead. Every day I felt happy to do it because I could give this cookie to my brother at home when I came back from work. So, yes, remembering the day when I found "Choco Pie" plastic in my father's yard made me sad because they did not share it with my brother and hid it instead.

Nowadays, I can buy any kind of snacks that my brother wants. We can also take him to the restaurant to eat something special like a Japanese restaurant. Sometimes I grab too many snacks & crackers for him, until he says, "too much."😂 What a funny thing!😅

The moral behind the "Choco Pie accident" is definitely something that I have always remembered. Instead of hiding our hands, we should use our hands to share with others. Sharing happiness will make our heart feels peace, isn't it? That is the reason why I like to give cakes or cookies to our neighbor for celebration. Before moving to Singapore, I would like to share the food that I cooked with our neighbor. That is how we suppose to live toward others by giving our gratitude.

If we have something today, it would better if we can share it with others. For instance, today we have a good life, sufficient food, a decent house, enough money, what we can do about it is grateful to our lives and help others. Why? Because we do not know how the future comes out, it is a mystery. What we have is today, so we should start to work on it today!👊🙂

Note:

Written by Acik Mardhiyanti
Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti
Do not copy this article without permission
Do not reuse this photographed anywhere else without permission

Eating Fruit Daily Because We Need It

The Journey of Ichi's Family: fruit in our home - Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti

Do you like to eat fruit every day? Do you eat fruit because following the crowd about healthy lifestyle campaigns or your body needs it? I have believed fruit is good for our health and could support our immune system. And I think many people try to have a healthy lifestyle by eating fruit so that their body will gain the benefits from it. However, in my view is that eating fruit daily because we need it not because of lifestyle.

Since I was a child, I used to eat fruit that we could easily pick from my father's garden. My father grew many fruit trees in his yards and garden. His house was surrounded by plants, flowers, fruit trees, and commercial goods for instance cassava. We also sold our garden harvests such as jack fruit and pineapple. When the mango season came, we ate mango every day even shared it with neighbors and family because we had lots of mangoes! Sometimes, our pineapple bloomed and we could not eat them all, then we sold them. Yes, our neighbor used to make pineapple jam for pineapple tart. Sometimes bananas, starfruit, guava, rambutan, also bloomed at the same time which meant we had any kind of fruit at home without spending money to buy them all. Papaya plant was easier to grow even we did not need to grow and maintain them, they would grow everywhere in my father yards. Our papaya plant was really amazing when we could pick papaya flower and leaf, young papaya for our dishes, but when it riped we could eat as dessert. Another fruit was soursop. Talking about soursop, it unwanted fruit because no one in the household ate this. This fruit just popped out in my father's yard, without any special maintenance this fruit grew well and produce plenty of fruit! As result, it just me who loved sour fruit including soursop, then the fruit just fell down every day. Some neighbor who wanted it just grabbed it! We were never sort of fruit even if my father did not have money. We had abundant fruit! Thanks to my father who loved gardening!

Besides learning to eat fruit every day at home, at the same time, I also learned what kind of vitamins in fruits that I ate at school. I started collecting my knowledge about fruit, vegetable, and vitamins, since I was at an elementary school, in the second, third, or fourth grade. I read the textbook, I also listened to what my teacher told us in the class. No wonder I knew that papaya is a source of vitamin A and if someone has constipation just eat papaya then the problem will solve. Mango, guava, pineapple, all of them are vitamin C sources which means can boost our immunity. Based on their color, I could easily identify what vitamin inside the fruit that I eat. For example, if the color is yellow then it is the source of vitamin C, red color is the source of vitamin A; it was the way how my elementary teacher taught the students about fruit and vitamin by using color to make the students easily understand and so is about vegetable! I really remember that about it until today.

What I can learn from my life in the past is our body needs vitamin, so basically, eating fruit routine is because we need it and not following the campaigns about healthy lifestyle. My teacher in secondary school and the senior school asked the students in front of the class, "Do you study every day because of your duty as a student or because you need to study every day for your future?" Most of my friends said, "I study every day because it is our duty as a student." But when it came to me here was my answer, "I study every day because I need it. I have a dream, without studying it is impossible to catch my dream and have a better life in the future." And my teachers, both from secondary school and senior school told us that we need to study every day because we need it and not because of our duty as students. The word "duty" and "need", well it is hard to make difference and looks similar. However, those words completely have different meanings. "Need" means we do it without any forces and it is under full awareness. Meanwhile, "duty" means under circumstances that we have to obey. No one asked me to study every day for at least 2 hours, no one not even my father. Whenever I had an opportunity to study, I just grabbed my book and started read it. On the bus when went and came back from school, when waited for the bus, in the street while walking home from school, at home while eating dinner or late lunch; everywhere I studied because needed it. Sort of story, I have applied the word "need" when consuming my fruit. I eat fruit every day because my body needs it. It is not because a part of a healthy lifestyle like many people say. If I say that eating fruit daily is a part of my healthy lifestyle, I feel just not right, even something forcing me to do it. And because my body needs fruit, I buy a bunch of fruit every week. Yes, after the coronavirus situation, I buy our fruit once a week, and within 5 days all the fruit finishes; like the picture above, there is our fruit for 5-6 days for 2 people at home.

The Journey of Ichi's Family: this is our fruit for a week! - Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti

So, what the benefits that our body gain if we eat fruit daily? I often buy orange, apple, and mango when the mango season comes. Sometimes I choose orange, pear, and dragon fruit. Or it could be orange, grape, and any other fruit such as watermelon, longan, et cetera. I would love to buy bananas, however, the banana that we want is not always on the market. Orange, mango, and dragon fruit, they are can strengthen our immune system since all of them are vitamin C sources. Dragon fruit can help us to lower blood sugar, orange can protect our cells from damage and heals the wound. How about the pear? Pear can help us to lower the risk of diabetes and anti-inflammatory. An amazing thing is about mango; it has antioxidants and so is dragon fruit. The bottom line is the fruit has lots of vitamins and nutrients in it to protect our body.

For me, personally, since I have consumed fruit routine, I rarely catch colds and flu. What I can remember is that I get colds or flu sometimes caught after traveling. Usually, when we travel I could not control what I eat since the foods buy from the food stall or restaurant. In general, I can not maintenance to eat fruit daily, why? Traveling has always been in rush; going here, visit there, et cetera, that explains why I do not like traveling.🤷‍♀️😅

That's what I think about eating fruit every day. We eat fruit because our bodies need it. When we realized that how much we need vitamins and nutrients for our health, then we must consume foods and fruits to protect our healthiness without any force or just lifestyle.😊

Note:

Written by Acik Mardhiyanti
Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti
Do not copy this article without permission
Do not reuse this photograph anywhere else without permission