Gigi Graham Patah

 Hello Year 2023 

Tepatnnya di bulan terakhir yaitu Desember Tahun 2023, Aku mengalami patah Gigi pada gigi Geraham belakang bagian atas. Alhamdulillah permasalahannya sudah diselesaikan dengan berkunjung ke Doker Gigi di Poliklinik PUPR. Alhamdulillah juga kantorku ada fasillitas Poliklinik yang lumayan bagus. Deg-degan sih, karena sudah bertahun-tahun tidak pernah ada masalah besar dengan gigiku. Paling yang ada ya patah bagin pinggirnya atau istilahku mengelupas saja tapi itu tidak sampai harus pergi ke dokter gigi. 

Ruang Praktik Dokter Gigi 

Kenapa patah? 

Dokternya tadi menjawab pertanyaanku, menurutnya patah karena mungkin tekanannya berbeda. Ya, baru-baru ini sih aku makan makanan yang agak lumayan keras. Tapi itu menurutkku hanya pemacu cepat patahnya saja. Karena menurutku gejalanya udah agak lama sih sebelum aku makan snack itu (tidak perlu di sebut ya). 

Tadi sewaktu dicabut, aku diolesi dulu sama obat bius (tidak disuntik) lalu pas pulang diberikan obat pereda nyeri. Hari Rabu harus kembali karena akan diobservasi, kalau tidak sakit katanya akan ditambal bekas bagian yang patahnya. Oh ya khan bekas bagian yang patah itu bolong, nah sama dokternya ditutup sama sesuatu bahan warna putih. 

Obat pereda nyeri 

Dokternya tadi hanya menyarankan tidak minum dulu selama 30 menit. Tidak minum dulu air panas. Kalau makan sih boleh dan tambalan giginya tidak boleh dimain-mainkan dengan lidah. 

Ya itu cerita akhir tahunku. 

Kamu bagaimana? 

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Hello Year 2023 

To be precise, in the last month of the year 2023, December, I experienced a broken tooth on my upper back molar.

Alhamdulillah, the problem was resolved by visiting a dentist at the PUPR Polyclinic.
Alhamdulillah, my office also has pretty good polyclinic facilities. I was nervous, because I haven't had any major problems with my teeth for years.
The problem (of my teeth) was most of the edges or some parts are broken or in my words just peeling, but that doesn't mean you have to go to the dentist.

Why is it broken?
The doctor answered my question, she said it was broken because maybe the pressure was different. Yes, recently I've been eating pretty hard food. But in my opinion, that's just a driver that breaks quickly. Because I think the symptoms had been going on for a while before I ate that snack (no need to mention it).
When it was removed, I was smeared with anesthetic (not injected) then when I left the room I was given painkillers.

On Wednesday I have to go back because I am going to be observed. If it didn't hurt, she said the broken part would be patched.
The doctor just suggested not drinking for 30 minutes. Don't drink hot water first but I can eat.

Yes, that's my end of year story.
How about you?

From Numismatics to Iron

As you already know, Numismatics is my hobby.  I kept my small change or my remaining money from my traveling around the world as a part of my numismatics hobby (money collection hobby). But as time goes by, I can't keep all that money especially when in need situation. I forced myself to sell that money to money changer. Recently, I went to money changer and sold my only 5 euro and my RM, SGD etc. 

From money changer I got IDR180K more or less.

Next, After I received the money, I directly went to The Electronic Store in Blok M Square. I looked for a new Iron. I doubted there would be no stock, but surprisingly the stock are there.

 

That Iron is typical new one. It is sold about IDR185K. I am so happy finally I got new one, and especially, I am grateful that I made my idle money became beneficial.  

Berita Acara Serah Terima (BAST) Unit Apartemen Pondok Kelapa

What's upp! 

Year 2022, surely will end. The achievement in this year 2022, is I moved out from my rental house to my own apartment that I bought last year 2021. Before I moved out to my apartment, I had to sign the minutes of hand over or BAST (Berita Acara Serah Terima) which was held on last Wednesday, 02 November 2022, at Gallery Marketing of Nuansa Pondok Kelapa. 

Before we signed the document of BAST, we checked the apartment condition just like: 

Window

Light Switch 

Exhaust Fan 

KWH or  Kilowatt-hour

And many other things, just like water meter, the water flow in my bathroom. I did not have any special request for my studio condition. There is no make over at all. I agreed with all the condition and I signed the document and received the key. On 04 November, I officially moved in to my own apartment. I am very grateful for what I have achieved right this moment.

Does Your English Score Increase after Graduating from University Overseas?

I was so excited to know the relationship between the study overseas with English Spoken and Our English Score Result. That's why I took the English test last November 6, 2021. Another reason I took the English test is just for future preparation. 

In this Covid-19 era, the English test is going online, and of course, the price is higher than the offline test. For example, the online test price for an ITP test is about IDR 550.000-  I took the English test from IES. 

The Institutional test online is consisted of three tests: Listening, Structuring, and Reading. 

Here is my Score from the ITP test: 

Listening Comprehension= 53

Structure and written Expression= 54

Reading Comprehension= 55

That's the Score after I return from Japan finishing my Master's Degree. Let's Compare my ITP Score before going to Japan: 

Listening Comprehension= 52

Structure and written Expression= 57

Reading Comprehension= 55

After I compared it, I could conclude that my English score is relatively stable even though the Structure and Written part is decreased. 

So, my question right now is How My study in Japan? And how is the relationship between the English Score and my study? 

I can answer that; sometimes, yup, the English Score clearly shows our English ability, again practice makes perfect. I have a hobby to sharpen my English writing skill; this hobby is "writing my daily life story in English," so I can make sure that I don't have any severe difficulty in English writing. Because, when I was in Japan, there were so many English Paper writing. This hobby helped me a lot. So once again, do not be worried about the English Score but please practice a lot in writing. 

Next, how about the English speaking skill?  

I can say that I do not have any severe difficulty in the English speaking part because language is a blessing.  The barrier to me is just about the vocabulary. Limited vocabulary makes our understanding also little. 

Oh yeah, I took the ITP Test without preparation. I just prepared myself by taking one day off from the office. So all I need is my mental health. So that will do to cope with my anxiety during the test. 

In the end, I just wanted to say that reading a lot of English articles is needed, and if we found the new word from the articles, directly we looked for its meaning from the dictionary. We also need to train our hearing. 

That's from me today. 

Bicycle Buying Procedure in Japan

 

I am very sure that some of you possess a bicycle. So my question now is how do you buy a bike?

Of course, first, you go to the supermarket or any market, then select the bicycle you wanted most, and when you fell in love, you directly buy it, pay it and bring it to your home. Later, you can go bicycling.

In Japan, when you want to buy a bicycle, there is a procedure that we must follow. Here is my experience when I bought a bike while I was studying in Japan:

1. I looked for a bike  from the amazon website (actually, I could buy it from the home center near my Campus);
2. I selected and bought it;
3. The delivery service  sent the bicycle package to my dorm;
4. I brought my bicycle to the home center near my Campus and registered my bike to get the number. In Japan, we call it “ Bouhan Touroku.” It means the bicycle registration with the prefectural police. Bouhan Touroku is mandatory for possessing a bicycle in Japan.
5.  I reported my registered bicycle to my Campus, so I got my campus label as well.

After I completed all the procedures, I could go bicycling. Though I was studying in the countryside, we still had to enforce the law, no exception for a bicycle. 

Here are some pictures capturing the moment when registering my bicycle. 

At the Home center, I had to bring all the documents needed. At that time, my friend, Rafli, accompanied me.

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The female checked my bicycle.


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She attached the label. 

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My Bicycle with the label 

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Let's go bicycling 

Nameko is in Your Miso Soup

 

What is Nameko?

Yup, it is a name for a type of edible mushroom in Japan from the kingdom of Fungi, well known by the name Pholiota Nameko. But, people call it, Nameko. Previously, I did not see the name of the mushroom. But, it is Nameko that we usually eat in the Miso Soup.

The first time I discovered about the Nameko, from the hiking activity with IUJ friends and Japanese communities to mount Botan in the Fall of 2019 (September 2019) when I was still in Japan.  One of our tour guides showed us Nameko mushroom growing on the dead trees or bed logs when we climbed down the hill.

These pictures show what Nameko looks like:

 

It is surprised me that Nameko actually can be cultivated in the wild. After discovering Nameko, every time I cooked Miso Soup, I would not forget to add Nameko.

The description of Nameko

Here is the description of Nameko:

• It is edible 
• It grows in bed logs/dead deciduous trees/mossy tree trunk
• It is the gelatinous coat
• It is sticky, but I like it
• It is available in the supermarket 

The price of Nameko in the local store at my time was about 400 yen.

All About MISO

 

What is Miso?

Miso is such a kind of ingredient made by fermenting soybeans and other components.  Miso is used primarily for cooking a Miso Soup. It is very well known in Japan and has been a part of the dietary life of Japanese people for more than 1300 years. In other words, Miso is a fermented food and created by the activity of microorganisms. I found 2 (two) kinds of Miso. First, Miso contains alcohol. Second, Miso without alcohol, and recently I also found Certified Halal Miso. Miso is available in the supermarket in Japan. Later I knew that Miso not only can be used as the main ingredient for Miso Soup, but it can also be used for cooking any saute. 

From the official Miso Company website, I get the information that Miso is divided into 4 (four) categories:

• Rice Miso: Made with rice, soybeans, and salt. White Miso is also a type of rice miso.
• Barley Miso: Made of barley, soybeans, and salt. Main producers are located in the Chugoku, Shikoku, and Kyushu regions.
• Soybean Miso: Made of soybeans and salt. Main producers are located in the Chukyo region.
• Blended Miso: Made by blending two or three types of rice miso, barley miso, or soybean miso. Blended Miso can also be made from rice koji, barley koji, or soybean koji. Miso other than rice miso, barley miso, and soybean miso are also categorized as blended Miso.

When I was studying in Japan, I used to shop at the local supermarket, Cupid Yamato. We usually call Cupid Yamato a Supa. In my second year, I intensively cooked Miso Soup. 

See the picture below is a kind of nonAlcohol Miso that I bought in Japan. For as long as I remembered, the price of this Miso is not been over 500 yen.

The type of this miso can be checked here. The type of the Miso is : KOJI BIJIN MISO 650G

Made with 100% Japanese rice and a lavish amount of rice koji, this additive-free Miso is mildly sweet and deeply savory.

Ingredients: Rice, soybeans (non-MGO), salt

They also announce if this Miso is Additive Free, No MSG added, and vegetarian.

This is the recently known Certified Halal Miso from Website Cupid Yamato. 

How is the Taste of Miso?

From my experience, the taste of Miso is unique and flavorful because I add it with soy sauce and broth. But, according to the website of the Miso Company, Miso flavor is created in a complex combination of sweetness, saltiness, umami, sourness, bitterness, and astringency.

• The Sweetness Miso : Starch in the rice is broken down by amylase in the koji. A higher rice koji content will result in sweeter Miso. When Miso is allowed to age for a long time, the yeast and lactic acid bacterium consume the sugar content. If the sugar content is dramatically reduced, it creates a so-called "dry" state.
• Aging and Umami: Umami of Miso is influenced by amino acids (mainly glutamic acid) formed when the soybean protein breaks down. The umami increases with aging. Umami is not formed solely by glutamic acid but is formed when saltiness, sourness, and sweetness are blended, and a pleasing aroma and moderate viscosity are added. As aging progress and the soybean continues to break down, the stimulation felt on the tongue softens, and the Miso develops a broader and richer taste.
• Saltiness of Miso: The extremely salty Miso in the early stages of preparation loses some of its saltiness as it matures. This phenomenon, in which the salinity perceived by the tongue decreases even though the salt concentration does not change, is called "shio-nare" and is the result of the sour and umami components. Lactate, peptides, and amino acids are all substances that cause "shio-nare."
• Additive-Free Miso: Additive-free Miso is prepared without adding alcohol to the kuradashi Miso (removed from the aging tank). It is directly filled into the container. The container may expand during the distribution process since the yeast activity continues and promotes fermentation.

That is the explanation about the process how the taste is made for Miso.

I have my recipe for cooking my miso soup. I just knew another ingredient from youtube to make my Miso Soup is more delicious.

Here is my recipe:

Broth:

1. Acnhovy
2. Dried Seaweed

Vegetables:

1. Nameko (Type of mushroom)
2. Chives 
3. Tofu

Ingredients: 

1. Soy sauce 
2. Miso 

How To Make : 

• First, I will make broth from anchovy and dried seaweed. Then, we boil it with water for about 15 minutes. After the broth is made, I take out anchovy and dried seaweed from the water.
• I  add the tofu that has been cut into small pieces and Nameko into the broth.
• Add soy sauce and Miso. Wait until it is boiled and is ready to serve.

The broth makes the taste of the miso soup stronger—no need to add salt. You can also look for another recipe for making the broth from YouTube.

When I returned to Indonesia, I also brought 1 (one) Miso from Japan. Then, I am so happy when I found Miso in Indonesia Supermarket with the halal label.  I can keep cooking with Miso.

Here is the Miso that I found in Indonesia. I found it in All Fresh. 

The ingredients of this Miso are: 

• Water 
• Soybean 
• Rice 
• Salt 
• Rice Starch 
• Aspergillus Oryzae
• Potassium Sorbate (as Preservative)

Yup, unfortunately, there is a preservative in the ingredients while

In Japanese Miso, there is a type of additive-free Miso.  But, It just okay for the moment to me enjoying Indonesia food.

 Another source