Stroopwafel in Malang

Stroopwafel is a typical Dutch treat. There’s syrup (kind of caramel) between 2 waffles. Almost every household in Holland has it. It’s very good to go with a cup of tea or coffee. The best way to enjoy it is to put it on the top of your cup of hot tea or coffee. Let the hot vapor of the tea or coffee melt the syrup and enjoy the smell of the cinnamon before it melts in your mouth.


It’s very common in Holland but not in other countries where I heard more about speculaas (spiced biscuits) and apple pie from Holland. I saw and knew stroopwafel for the first time when I was in Holland. You can find it easily in every supermarket. Sometimes a stroopwafel vendor has a stand where they make and bake it. Mostly you find them on the market day that is held once or twice a week. The inviting aroma of cinnamon will go everywhere and bring people to them. This is one of the best ways of selling it.

It also happened to me and my friend when we were in Holland for a short stay one time. As students we needed to watch our spending. So before we went shopping or going out, we always ate first at our place instead of buying food outside. Once, we went out to the market with full stomach of breakfast. As soon as we got there, we smelled the stroopwafel. We just looked at each other without saying anything and off we went to the stand just to find out that the stroopwafel was too much money for our saving.

One time after eating the stroopwafel, my friend’s 6-year-old daughter said to her mother, “Mom, not any single part of this cookie is not yummy”.

Now I have good news. This yummy treat is finally available in Malang. They sell it among others in Lai Lai supermarket, Tugu Hotel, and Gardena Resto and Bakery. So you don’t have to go to Holland for stroopwafel. Just come to Malang. Read more!

Beautiful Women

Today I felt so tired. Yesterday I went to Surabaya (no, not for shopping) the whole day and had a short sleep. Today I must get up early because there are lots of things to do.

Since getting up I was already thinking about everything I must do. Have the children had their breakfast yet? What would we have for lunch and dinner? Is there any invoice I need to pay? Do I have to go for grocery today? Do we have enough detergent, floor cleaner, eggs, milk? Has the helper cleaned the windows as I told her yesterday? Could I open my email today? Or does Pelangi need the computer? But I need to reply my friend’s and parents- in-law’s mails. And what about my sister who lives abroad whom I haven’t written for so long? Oops, what about the children’s homework? I should do something with the children or take them out because I didn’t spend much time with them the last days especially that their father is abroad. Where should I take the children out today? Do I have time to wash the car? Oh.. the gas, yes I must refill. Etc, etc.

I felt relieved that I finally could open my email after 2 days of absence. Still there are other emails I couldn’t open due to my limited time. But I am thankful that I have opened an email from a friend of KPC. The title of the email is Beautiful Women. Not because I felt that I am a beautiful woman but I’m just curious, what is it with beautiful women?

Here is the email.

A small boy asks his mother, “Why do you cry?”
“Because I am a woman,” his mother answered.
“I don’t understand”, said the son.
His mother just hugged him and said “And you will never understand it”.

Then the boy asked his father, “Why does mother cry without any reason?”
“All women cry without any reason”. That’s just what his father could say.

The small boy grew as a man but he still wants to know why women cry.
Finally he contacted God and asked, “God, why do women cry easily?”

God said:

"When I created a woman, she must be special. I have made her shoulders strong enough to support the world; but soft enough to give comfort”

"I gave her the inner strength to be able to give birth to a child and accept denial which comes often from her children”.

“I gave her the strength to make her rigid when other people have given up and to take care of her family with her pain and tiredness without complaint”.

“I gave her the sensitivity to love her children in whatever situation even when they hurt her very much”.

“I gave her the strength to support her husband in his failure and equipped her with her husband’s rib to protect her heart”.

I gave her the wisdom to know that a good man would never hurt his wife, but sometimes I test her strength and her heart’s firmness to be on her husband’s side without doubt”

And finally I gave her the tears to drop. This is special for her to use whenever she needs. Do you know that the beauty of a woman is not what she wears, the figure she performs or the way she does her hair. The beauty of a woman is visible from her eyes, because that is the door of her heart – a place of love”.

A beautiful message, story, reflection, or whatever it is called. I will also share that beauty by forwarding the email to the other beautiful women I know.

But there is one thing I would like to say. Is this beauty only for women? Shouldn’t we share it to men (read: our husband) as well? Not to debate or to get a better feeling, but this could also be their reflection. We don’t need to hear or to ask their opinion about it because it is not important as long as they do not get this email from their wife. Of course I would be happy to get a similar email about men. I would love to read it.

This email is ended with a sweet invitation.

Send this email to every beautiful woman you know today to celebrate Women History Month. If you do it, something good would happen. You would increase self esteem of women! Because every woman is beautiful.

Thanks to Julie who has sent this email to me. It really lightens my burdens and my steps today. Read more!

Wanita Cantik

Hari ini aku capek sekali. Kemarin sudah seharian pergi ke Surabaya (bukan, bukan untuk belanja pakaian). Kemarin malam cuma tidur sebentar dan tadi pagi harus bangun tepat waktu karena masih banyak yang harus dikerjakan.

Dari bangun tidur pikiranku sudah dipenuhi hal-hal yang harus dilakukan hari itu. Apakah anak-anak sudah sarapan? Apa menu untuk makan siang dan makan malam? Ada tagihan yang harus dibayar? Apa harus belanja? Sabun cuci pakaian, untuk ngepel, telur, susu masih cukup? Apa pembantu sudah membersihkan kaca dengan cara yang sudah aku jelaskan kemarin? Bisa lihat email ngga ya? Atau Pelangi perlu internet? Tapi bagaimana dengan email teman dan mertua yang belum dijawab, juga dengan kakak yang sudah lama ngga dikasih kabar? O ya, PR anak-anak sudah selesai apa belum? Kasihan juga anak-anak, dari kemarin sudah sering kutinggal apalagi papanya sedang tugas ke luar negeri, mau apa ya hari ini sama anak-anak? Dst, dst.

Aku lega, akhirnya punya waktu untuk membuka email setelah 2 hari absen. Sayangnya tetap tidak semua email sempat kubuka. Tapi aku bersyukur sempat membuka sebuah email dari teman KPC ku, yang berjudul Wanita Cantik. Bukan karena merasa, akulah wanita cantik, tapi ingin tahu, ada apa sih dengan wanita cantik?

Ini pesannya.

Seorang anak laki-laki kecil bertanya kepada ibunya "Mengapa engkau menangis?"

"Karena aku seorang wanita", kata sang ibu kepadanya.

"Aku tidak mengerti", kata anak itu.

Ibunya hanya memeluknya dan berkata, "Dan kau tak akan pernah mengerti".

Kemudian anak laki-laki itu bertanya kepada ayahnya, "Mengapa ibu suka menangis tanpa alasan?"

"Semua wanita menangis tanpa alasan", hanya itu yang dapat dikatakan oleh ayahnya.

Anak laki-laki kecil itu pun lalu tumbuh menjadi seorang laki-laki dewasa, tetap ingin tahu mengapa wanita menangis.

Akhirnya ia menghubungi Tuhan, dan ia bertanya, "Tuhan, mengapa wanita begitu mudah menangis?"

Tuhan berkata:

"Ketika Aku menciptakan seorang wanita, ia diharuskan untuk menjadi seorang yang istimewa. Aku membuat bahunya cukup kuat untuk menopang dunia; namun, harus cukup lembut untuk memberikan kenyamanan "

"Aku memberikannya kekuatan dari dalam untuk mampu melahirkan anak dan menerima penolakan yang seringkali datang dari anak-anaknya".

"Aku memberinya kekerasan untuk membuatnya tetap tegar ketika orang-orang lain menyerah, dan mengasuh keluarganya dengan penderitaan dan kelelahan tanpa mengeluh".

"Aku memberinya kepekaan untuk mencintai anak-anaknya dalam setiap keadaan, bahkan ketika anaknya bersikap sangat menyakiti hatinya".

"Aku memberinya kekuatan untuk mendukung suaminya dalam kegagalannya dan melengkapi dengan tulang rusuk suaminya untuk melindungi hatinya".

"Aku memberinya kebijaksanaan untuk mengetahui bahwa seorang suami yang baik takkan pernah menyakiti isterinya, tetapi kadang menguji kekuatannya dan ketetapan hatinya untuk berada disisi suaminya tanpa ragu".

"Dan akhirnya, Aku memberinya air mata untuk diteteskan.
Ini adalah khusus miliknya untuk digunakan kapan pun ia butuhkan."

"Kau tahu:
Kecantikan seorang wanita bukanlah dari pakaian yang dikenakannya, sosok yang ia tampilkan, atau bagaimana ia menyisir rambutnya."

"Kecantikan seorang wanita harus dilihat dari matanya, karena itulah pintu hatinya - tempat dimana cinta itu ada."

Pesan, cerita, renungan atau apalah namanya, yang indah sekali. Aku pun mau membagi keindahan itu jadi langsung aku lanjutkan mengirim ke para wanita cantik lain.

Cuma ada pertanyaan yang menggelitikku. Apakah keindahan ini hanya untuk wanita? Apakah tidak sebaiknya kita bagikan juga ke kaum pria (baca: suami tercinta). Bukan untuk berdebat atau merasa lebih baik, tapi menurutku inipun bisa menjadi renungan buat mereka. Tidak perlu mendengar atau menanyakan tanggapan mereka karena bukan itu yang penting. Asal jangan sampai sang istri yang mengirimkannya. Tentunya aku juga akan senang sekali kalau mendapat email serupa mengenai pria. Dengan senang hati aku akan membacanya, karena ini bisa menjadi masukan buat kita juga. Atau mungkin saja penulis pertama email ini adalah pria. Buatku bukan masalah.

Email ini pun diakhiri dengan ajakan yang manis,

Kirimkan ini kepada setiap wanita cantik yang Anda kenal hari ini untuk memperingati Bulan Sejarah Wanita.

Jika Anda lakukan, sesuatu yang baik akan terjadi.

Anda akan menambah harga diri wanita!
Karena setiap Wanita itu Cantik.

Terima kasih Julie yang telah mengirimkan email ini. Benar-benar meringankan beban dan langkahku hari ini.
Read more!