Why buying original handmade Ikat not the one made in factory

Mostly ikat in NTT is hand made by women in the village, many of them doing that is not only to provide clothing for family but make as a property of family. My grandma was made for every single woman in our family for all her daughter, daughter in law and grand daughter, other than that she made ikat as a gift that family might need during custom ceremony in the village so when someone married or passed away in other family then my grandparents can used that as a gift to help those who has that occasion. My grand parents as many family in Flores and NTT wasn't come from rich family but the passion of helping others is really big in every person in society. They don't have money to donate to help other who will have children get married or a member of family passed away so they used ikat as value too to share or donate to others.

Motive of ikat is depend on family or tribe history, those who had their own pattern comes from family and tribe can not make or copy others pattern, they are believe if their producing other pattern it will bring bad thing for family and the person who make that. Ikat is part of culture they need special ceremony before create one sheet of ikat fabric.     

There are many of ikat now you can find cheaper out in the market easily, but when you see the motive pattern it doesn't have special story behind it, just abstract and look a like original ikat.

Now days ikat use to help family financial, Ikat used as a product that can producing money to help family send their kid out of village to have better education, better work and better future. 

Making ikat is not easy, it takes days to have 1 piece of ikat for size around 1x2 meter, that is why ikat is expensive and that is why when we buy ikat made in big factory to give a big profit to company which is that ikat will look just same like regular fabric except for the pattern it means one family might have hard time to provide food on their table or some kid has to stop continuing their school because they don't have enough money to continue it. The motive of pattern every single tribe is their heritage, is their property, when those ladies who might never feel school can understand why they are not suppose stealing or using others tribe motive why as educated person we would do that. 

Lets just buying original ikat to support a lady who provide food on their family dining table 

Products from original ikat that you can find in ETSY

https://www.etsy.com/listing/190353033/ethnic-jacket-made-from-ikat-woven-hand?ref=listing-shop-header-0

https://www.etsy.com/listing/190351038/ethnic-jacket-made-from-ikat-woven-hand?ref=listing-1

https://www.etsy.com/listing/190423434/ethnic-jacket-made-from-ikat-woven-hand?ref=listing-6

ANA TIMOR

I have been busy with taking picture of my products, it taken almost a week now just to make it publish in Etsy after Facebook.
I chosen Ana Timor as a name for product and shop.
It's 11.48 pm now and I need to sleep but I think I have to finish this first.
After two months worked in Indonesia to prepare all my stuff now I continuing working in here to make it publish, I am glad some people start to order my stuff, I need to make this more publish and more if I want to get good market.
Most of my stuff made in Indonesia and made from Indonesian ethnic stuff, culture and fashion
Ikat is my favorite since I adore it since I was lil kid. Expensive yes...because it is hand made, but I have to make this happen.
If you looking for ikat product like jacket, scarf or bedding plus batik pants in USA please feel free checking on my etsy and Facebook it's world wide shipping and FREE SHIPPING for USA
lets check some of my link on Facebook and easy to giving you idea about my products

here is link to my etsy's shop
https://www.etsy.com/shop/AnaTimor?ref=pr_shop_more

here is link to my Facebook fan page don't forget to cklik like on that ;)
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ana-Timor/236204013245376

Coconut water/juice comparing between 2 brands (real coconut water and sun tropics coconut juice)

The first time when I moved to USA my husband really excited for that, days before I get to California he bought like 3 box package of coconut water, he was so worry about I will missing Indonesia and coconut water/juice. So the first day I was here he gave me with proud a can of coconut juice, I was looked at the can with weird face because never imagine will have that in can, so I given tried and for sure I spited it out right away, taste so bad!!!!
After months I staying in California I realize many californians are coconut water/juice addict, most of mike's friends drink that everyday and for sure you will find easy in any market in California. Mike and I, well especially me love to shop in Asian market since you know I am Indonesian where I can find any kind of Indo food easily and for sure coconut water too plus according to mike philosophy it's cheaper compare to regular market, and it's true for many kind of food that asian consuming is cheaper there, except for western or american food like cheese, bacon, pork, and many western veggies it's away expensive in asian market.
Since I am from tiny island in east Indonesia call Timor where beach only 5 minutes away from my parent's house of course I grew up with drink fresh coconut water straight from the coconut fruit and even better sometimes we got straight from the tree. My dad has 1 coconut tree in his yard, my grandpa has piece of land with full of coconut trees so my standard of coconut water is kinda high, like american standard about their shoes or clothes. When I was little kid coconut only 10 cent/piece so you get coconut water and coconut pulpy jelly from young coconut fruit, now days it cost 50cent/piece, we never know about coconut water in can until last few years we have isotonic drink booming in Indo, and still it's an isotonic drink for us not real coconut water/juice.
2 months ago a friend stayed in our house and shared information about which is the best coconut water in California, when we talked about it and I complained about coconut water in here. She pointed in one brand which is for her is really good cause fresh and no sugar adding like many coconut water can in here, it's almost 2$/small bottle for 2 grams/280 ml coconut water with lil pulpy, it's expensive for me but yeah better taste I think than others that we always got from Asian market.

1.50$-2.50$/bottle for 280 ml

 
Well of course we always have coconut water cans in the house cause mike love them so much, I drink sometimes but not that much because I am not really enjoying them, when we got them few days ago we added some cans from new brand and today I drank that new brand to give a try and boo yaahh, it's really good, packed in Thailand, and distributing from san Ramon, CA with brand Sun Tropics, no added sugar and the taste really good just like real coconut water sure with pulpy, for 520 ml in can it's only cost 99 cent in Asian market, very recommended for taste and price. As mike always said all the expensive brand from healthy Asian food in here, they are only change the package and price so it will look good for them but the content just as same as regular cheap one in Asian market
Thank you Mikey for picked this up

99 cent/can for 520 ml (photo from the web)

this is the one we bought, and I am enjoying it right now

 

Maca Green Tea

if you a big fan of "bubble green tea" at tamansari food court at Ambarukmo plaza Yogyakarta like me, you absolutely should buy this one, it's all the secret of that green tea, and this is the best one, I had tried some similar products of green tea like in starbucks Bali and a cafe in Yogyakarta but nothing comes perfect like tamansari's one and this MATCHA is the secret, just made mine and it comes perfectly like I want and the tamansari's one. US $7 for 1 oz in here, I bet better price in Japan, you can get one from Gali A Setyawanwho's now there and will come back soon to Yogyakarta. You only need half tea spoon of this MATCHA powder, some milk and ice cubes and tararrara comes perfect and just add some bubble jelly then your a big glass of bubble green tea ready for your summer. Thanks to Stephanie Saito-Tyson who taught me about this secret powder oooohhh I love this

ACICIS tentang tenun songke Manggarai

Menemukan link ini tentang kain songke di Manggarai, mungkin terlihat biasa bagi teman-teman tapi bagi saya makalah ini sangat menarik dengan beberapa alasan berikut ini
1. Membahas tentang tenun songke di Manggarai
2. Manggarai adalah tanah kelahiran mama
3. Ditulis oleh salah satu anak Acicis dalam bahasa Indonesia yang baik dan benar
4. Saya punya banyak sekali teman dari ACICIS dan saya sekali menjadi relawan pendamping bagi teman2 ACICIS
5. Selama ini teman2 ACICIS banyak melakukan studi lapangan hanya di universitas2 atau daerah2 di Jawa dan jarang yang saya temukan melakukan di NTT
6. NTT tanah kelahiran saya
7. Yang sangat menarik adalah sistem penulisan yang dilakukan adalah sistem penulisan makalah yang banyak dipakai di universitas2 di Indonesia
http://www.acicis.murdoch.edu.au/hi/field_topics/ulla1.pdf

PINTEREST

here is I gave you a favorite capture that I took from her pinterest

I bet you know this insane web www.pinterest.com, I think this web is really brilliant, I love pinterest so much giving me so much idea about stuff. I have been pinning a lot but not many of my stuff got pinned or repinned by others, but my record was fall outfit, I got about 20 pinned and repine, woohoo.....!!! always excited when I got notice that someone pinned from my board or following me.
Yesterday even better, I had a pic of myself and friend that I pin as Indonesian girls and one gal repinned that pic of us into her board call "" woohoo....well I like that so much got notice that I am one of that beautiful face one hahahhaha but as you know camera and photo sometimes lied to you, it won't showed to you what is real hahhahaha. The board "beautiful faces" is about all the beautiful female faces from all over the world. Anyway here is the link of the board that I am talking about, really interesting one, I like her choice. Anyway i tried to put that icon "PIN" in my blog pictures but I haven't figure it out yet how to do that, if any of you has idea how please help me, I found one but seems too complicated to me to do it, it didn't work :(
Happy pinning guys and enjoy being addict to pinterest

HALLOWEEN

my favorite spot after decoration

Halloween is coming, I have been prepared decoration from last week, start from searching for bat shape in internet, this one actually came with yellow eyes, but i think will be a hazel to add tiny eyes on tons of bats not to mention to copying it manually and cutting. All the skulls and spiderweb we got from dollar store and thrift store last year.

already looks creapy just by spreaded on the carpet

I bought some black crafty sheets from dollar store only 65 cents/sheet, the 1st sheet went to friend's kids who visited us right after we bought from dollar store, she was happy spent time in our house doing some crafty and brought home about 15 bats for her own halloween decoration. Take a week for me to finish 3x21 bats, well actually it is fast but with all the domestic work plus lazy kinda make me had some lack. Since yesterday everything is set up, I tag bat with double tape, which is I am really surprise with the price almost 5$, remind me when I am back to Indo to bring some double tape from there. Here is our house now with halloween decoration, seems like our neighbor enjoying it. Oh we don't buy any pumpkin the tiny one we have is belong to friend who left for us plus who is gonna finish  the big pumpkin, there are only both of us at home.

Looking for the light in the end of the tunnel

DREAM

I don't know you but I always have problem with my dream not because it is a bad dream or  nightmare but many of my dream always tried telling me what's gonna happen which is really torture me.
I am barely can tell what will be happen not specific but I know bad or good and when it's come to bad thing, it is just killing me because I will keep worry until something happen.

There are about maybe 5 things from what I can remember that if I had in my dream then I know what's gonna happen. They are will be dream about: poop (shit), party, snake, wedding party, lost of something, dream where I can't move my body, dream about people who I love around me and from those what I can remember only dream about snake is about good things going to happen. I always wish I don't have to have any dream every single night just let me sleep.

When I had one of that dream then the next thing I know when I wake up in the morning was scare and paranoid or afraid for something and it makes me feel stupid. Is any of you have problem like I have? please let me know what your solution is... I just wanna be normal just let's thing happen as surprised either bad or good. Been like this for maybe 10 years maybe more but I just don't really realized that before but for last 10 years I really notice that.

I am tired being afraid of scare knowing something gonna happen

BUMBU GENEP (BALI) *http://wongbalireceipy.blogspot.com/2009/05/bumbu-genep.html

http://wongbalireceipy.blogspot.com/2009/05/bumbu-genep.html

AAAahhhh akirnya nemu sejak di Bali beberapa hari kemaren jadi sakau sama masakan Bali yang akhirnya nemu di Jakarta bukan di Bali hehehehehe, akhirnya google deh resepnya setelah nanya kiri kanan ga berhasil wwuuiiihhh siap2 masak masakan Bali, bakal seru kali ini di Cali hehehhee

1. Bawang Merah
2. Bawang Putih
3. Empon-empon berupa ; Laos, Jahe, Kunir, dan Kencur
4. Cabe besar
5. Cabe kecil
6. Kemiri
7. Merica
8. Garam
9. Trasi
10. Minyak goreng
11. Sere
12. Daun Salam
13. Daun Jeruk

Yang tersebut diatas adalah hal yang wajib ada di dapur anda. Karena dengan itu akan sangat mempermudah untuk memasak hidangan apa saja.

Dalam masakan bali di kenal dengan berbagai macam bumbu. Ada yang disebut dengan bumbu genep/lengkap serta bumbu cekuh/kencur.
Sebagai pelengkapnya ada juga sambal matah/mentah dan sambal goreng.

Ok, sekarang kita akan mengolah BUMBU GENEP terlebih dahulu.

250 gr bawang merah
125 gr bawang putih
170 gr empon-empon, dengan perbandingan : 
45gr Laos, 65gr Jahe, 40gr Kunir, dan 20gr kencur
125 gr cabe besar buang bijinya hingga bersih
50 gr cabe kecil
40 gr kemiri
50 gr trasi
1 st ketumbar
½ sm merica
Garam secukupnya 
100 mlt minyak goreng
200 mlt air
4 lembar daun salam dan 3 lembar daun jeruk
2 batang sere

Potong-potong semua bumbu lalu masukan ke dalam blender, tuang minyak goreng 50 mlt dan air secukupnya lalu blender. Bila lebih menyenangi bumbu halus maka blenderlah hingga halus.

Setelah itu, panaskan sisa minyak kemudian tumis bumbu tambahkan air, daun salam, daun jeruk dan sere yang telah dimemarkan. Tambahkan sisa air.
Tumislah hingga asat dan berbau harum.

Angkat dan dinginkan.
Setelah dingin simpanlah di kulkas. 
Perlu diketahui, bila anda menyimpannya di freeser, bumbu ini bisa bertahan paling lama 1.5 minggu.