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Rain Chudori: At the age of 16, Rain Chudori has solidified herself as one of Indonesia’s best up and coming writer. Having multiple articles and stories published in media such as The Jakarta Post, Tempo Magazine, and Jakarta Globe. Her writing ranges from short stories to film reviews, showing versatility and a wit not many could match. With such distinction at a young age, the future is bright for this writer.

If your answer is E, never mind reading this article till the end..You know the best, already!But if you never thought that traveling could be so profound enough to inspire yourself and others, keep reading it. I will take your tongue tasting the genuine flavors of Vietnam, a country where motorcycles are street kings and Ca Phe Sua Da* is their Teh Botol!

I suffer a lot knowing that there are not many positive images of Indonesia coming from random friends whom I met during my travel experiences around the globe. Earthquakes, volcanoes, and terrorists in Indonesia are three main issues that were aroused during our talks. So sad, no? I swear by the name of Rendang Padang**, my country is DOPE! I want to tell as many people as I can about this, so I took a leap of faith when I decided to travel with friends to Vietnam, not only to conduct a food pilgrimage, but also to introduce the beautiful Indonesia to local residents of Hanoi. I asked my local friend about this idea, and she was really excited.

So here we were..Summer time, 70 km away from Hanoi, in a suburb neighborhood. A small alley with convoluted electricity cables hanging 50 cm just above your head, dusty road, and stray dogs welcoming us. I saw a beautiful fence made from beige bricks resemble like bee hives pattern, and fortunately, we will be having lunch there. The house resembles a traditional house with teakwood pillars, beautiful carving, and intricate ornaments. Awesome!

Our local host is a warm hearted couple. He used to be one of respectable general during Vietnam War and his wife is a beautiful school teacher who cooked the most authentic northern Vietnam cuisines for all of us. I never seen or ate those foods before, even though it was my third time visiting Vietnam. I guess, home-made cooking is simply the best of all. With attendance from several members of Hanoi Kids Tour, we sat on the floor covered by old newspaper, somehow I wonder why they didn’t use banana leaves like we always use in Indonesia, but well..different culture defines how we sit on the floor, right?

Foods were served starting from appetizers, main course, and desserts. Simple, yet provocative!

For appetizer, there was Banh Duc, a rice cake with peanut, served with sugar cane sauce. Rice is soaked in water for 2-3 days, it was dried well, then milled to become powder. A small amount of lime water was poured into rice powder to make it gristly and sticky. The texture was kind of crisp chewy but not sticky, with a sweet after taste. Then, we had Nom Bo Kho, a mixed salad of chopped carrot, green papaya with a perfect concoction of lime juice, fish sauce, palm sugar, garlic, lemongrass and chili. Thin sliced dried-beef tossed over the mixture. The taste balanced so well in my mouth, with a mixture of crispy and soft textures of vegetables with a meaty taste.

We moved on to main courses, starting from Oc Chuoi Dau: a kind of food that is considered as tonic, with a mixture of some special fresh vegetables which is good for health. This combination of snails, tofu and green banana with a subtle yellow broth really did taste great with rice noodles or hot steam rice. My favorite, already – somehow the green banana did an overwhelming pairing with snails. Brilliant! Besides the snails, we had Pho Cuon: rice paper to roll the sautéed beef, bean sprouts and fresh vegetables. dip it in fish sauce which we enjoyed so much. It was so refreshing to consume lots of greenies in our Vietnamese diet. Vietnam has enormous collection of vegetables with distinctive fragrances that after you eat all of those, you feel like you want to kiss 1.000 men with confidence!

We did an amazing travel by enjoying great foods but at the same time we did good and we felt good too.You can do the same way like I did! I challenge you to be a participatory traveler by not only enjoying sightseeing or consuming heavy dose of hedonism during your travel. Bring postcards of Indonesia, Indonesian CD music, or even Indonesian small snacks. Hand it over to random people whom you have met during your travel, it can be your concierge, hotel reception, taxi driver, tour guide, waiter, or your holiday romance partner..You might be surprised how small actions can bring big impact towards your life.

Ca Phe Sua Da = Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk
Rendang Padang= West Sumatra spicy caramelized beef

*Source: Wall Street Journal

Let’s begin with Asia Art Archive in Hong Kong. The name says it all. Obtaining rare materials directly from artists and exhibitions, Asia Art Archive has built an extensive (and exclusive) collection throughout the years. It is widely celebrated as an exceptional destination for scholars in South and Southeast Asian contemporary art.

*Source: Art Coop

Analytically crisp, jargon free and packed with fresh illustrations; The Brooklyn Art Library is an equally effective platform for those who seek a lucid and honest perception of the universe. One will find numerous moleskin sketchbooks—from the highly praised Sketchbook Project—that will enchant even the most disenchanted of us. I truly admire Art House Co-Op for their innovative program and unique collecting initiative. So kids, get your library cards ready!

*Source: New York Times

As much as I hate to admit, it is mind-boggling how easy it is to give in to my compulsive urges and purchase publications rather than do research in an institution. However, despite the hard-to-resist temptations of art, architecture and design bookstores, it is always wise to think twice before dropping bills. Whether you are strapped for cash or simply snooping around for a good read, St Bride Library is one of the finest havens that shelters books in the realm of printing, typography, and graphic arts. You will be on your knees when you see the collection of materials they have on their shelves.

*Source: Inaya Graciana Yusuf

If I really have an itch of “owning” something, there is one spot I would occasionally look into. The leading light of art bookstores is undoubtedly Printed Matter, Inc., which specializes in artist-made publications across all visual art, design and performance art practices. Commencing debates on contemporary art as well as being a full supporter to artist-lead discussions, Printed Matter offers its services on a silver platter. This year, they are moving on to their 6th year anniversary in hosting the NY Art Book Fair, an annual event for the intellectual literary aesthetes.

*Source: Flickr

In other instances, I would likely turn to vintage artwork and material goods. After Gallagher’s Paper Collectibles in Manhattan close down its doors back in 2007, I never really found a shop that lived up to Michael and Mary Gallagher’s taste. However, it was not until recently that a trip to Paris lead me to discover Les Archives de la Presse, a sacred place housing awe-inspiring collections of periodicals from the 19th century to present. It is common to find both old and new occupying the same space, providing an exciting juxtaposition in which to examine the thriving contemporary art culture.

*Source: Il Museo del Lourve

Il Museo del Louvre in Rome is another genuine find described by my boyfriend as a goldmine for vintage photography. As soon as you walk in, you would feel like you have hit the mother load. There would be rows of old photographs loosely organized, either by size or subject; and some others, are mounted in a fashionable manner. The shop is modestly curated out of pure love and above all means, it is owned by a very pleasant Italian couple extremely knowledgeable and dedicated to photography.

*Source: Flickr

If you enjoy gastronomic adventures and are motivated to expand your taste palette by experimenting in the kitchen, look no further. Tucked away in a charming, 1815 brick townhouse, it was a miracle that I stumbled upon this hidden gem. Yes, it is that easy to walk past this antiquarian shop after going through the hustle and bustle of Soho. Joanne Hendricks Cookbooks is an eccentric street-level shop in downtown Manhattan that specializes in antique cookbooks and cookware. The most unsettling part, in my opinion, is the pricing. It is sometimes unaffordable but on the other hand, the romantic experience of browsing through old recipes and traditions or taking a closer look at book design and collectibles from the past just evens it out.

*Source: Black Gold Records

Moving on to other random but equally alluring localities, I stumbled upon a place called Black Gold Records, Coffee and Antiques. Situated in the heart of Carroll Gardens neighborhood in Brooklyn, this spot is an enticing proposition overall. It’s a one-stop-destination for inspiration seekers and thrill hunters. Sadly, I was not geeking out on the record collection—I was drooling over the old school cover designs.

*Source: Inaya Graciana Yusuf

When it comes to vintage European furniture, mirrors, chandeliers, antique decorations and rare collectibles, I must admit, I am quite a sucker for it. Pinsheerlijk Antiek in Amsterdam is a prominent family-owned spot to find elegant, historical and rustic pieces. Hands down one of the best antique shops I have encountered in my short life thus far.

*Source: Wandering Danny

Lastly, since my typography and letterpress professor in the past raves how graphic arts came about, it would be a shame for me not to pay tribute to The Basel Paper Mill. Also known as the Swiss Museum for Paper, Writing and Printing, this divine institution takes us back to the world of letterpress printing. The center has been around since the 18th century! Unmistakably, it is a crucial resource that educates us on the history of writing, paper production, printing techniques and the art of bookbinding.

This puts an end to my condensed bucket list. Drawing upon a rich array of examples, I have come to a conclusion that it is not wisdom that enables us to create (or destroy), rather the right mixture of intuition and inspiration. Bon chance!

Fortunately, my family always instilled in me a love for Indonesia, which at times I misunderstood. Having spent most of my life in New York, at one point I truly considered myself American. But there was always a nagging feeling in the pit of my soul, gnawing at me, whispering to me, telling me that I could never be a part of any other country but Indonesia. It is this inexplicable, deep-rooted love that always brings me back to the country I admire and cherish, yet also lament for all at once.

In the three and a half years of Indonesian education, I experienced the harshness of life. Granted, I was only nine when it all first started, but the kids at school were very mean to me. It was not just my peers who treated me like a sack of rotten potatoes, though. My teachers also played a part in making me feel unwelcomed in my own country. It was unfortunate, but true. I was beaten with wooden 18-inch rulers, had books thrown at me, was slapped in the face once, and was given other less savory punishments by those who were supposed to have been my guides and inspiration.

Before those three years, I went to school in Switzerland where kids were treated like gods, so you can imagine the culture shock I received upon returning to an Indonesian school system. That was why I welcomed the day my father took us to New York, where at least, there were laws on how to deal with children abuse at schools. And then I swore that I would never return to Indonesia, that I would never love an Indonesian, that I would never trust my country ever again.

But then, after 17 years of New York life (believe me, the United States ain’t all it’s cracked up to be either), that nagging feeling came back, knocking even harder than before. I still had trepidations about living in Indonesia in general, but the dawning of a new era was around the corner. The old Indonesian regime had toppled and a new breed of young, fresh, and broad-minded society was taking over. I could feel the change seeping through the cracks. Or maybe it was only me with a renewed sense of confidence. Perhaps it was only my imagination, but I was willing to embrace it either way.

To be honest, after a while, life in New York can get jaded. I saw it all, partied up, raised the roof, fell flat on my face, and experienced all the highs and lows a woman possibly could in the city that never sleeps. It was truly the time to move on, so I took that 18-hour flight to Jakarta and decided not to look back.

However, in the end, the Indonesian people helped me persist. Yes, you could argue that I was subject to estrangement by these same folks in my younger days, but then again, I had to realign my mindset and admit that alienation is a personal construct. I did not have to blame an entire country for the acts of a few individuals. And it was partly my own fault for feeling dejected and cornered.

With perseverance and a new-found understanding, I was able to fill in the puzzles piece by piece. I discovered a sweetness in the Indonesian people, though I’m afraid of generalizing once again. Their curiosity, warmth, and acceptance contributed to my enjoying this journey. With apologies for sounding like a slogan from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, this country is truly only a smile away. In this place, I found people who enjoy being with others, who open their doors to their friends, and who willingly share happiness with each other. Or perhaps it was just me.

To put it simply, the combination of my own personal growth and the openness of the Indonesian soul resulted in a strong foundation. I don’t claim to understand the Indonesian psyche completely. There are always exceptions to the rule, and sometimes Indonesian people’s reluctance to be “upfront” about unpleasant truths really confuses me. But overall, I have learned to work around the smaller details.

And thus the journey continues, which like all other roads sometimes pass through stony paths. But along the way, I’ve met many fascinating people with amazing stories who have made me feel welcomed. It’s a feat in itself that I can finally say “I am at home.”

*Source: New York Times

Let’s begin with a venue. A favorite has to be Tonic. This club in the Lower East Side became legendary during its lifetime, known for housing some of the world, certainly New York’s, most creative music personalities. Tonic was a humble looking place, I can’t really say anything about the décor other than it’s pretty bare, but I have seen plenty of great, creative musicians there and that’s really all I can ask for in a venue. Everybody from John Zorn, Acid Mother Temple, Cibo Matto to Yoko Ono have performed there, and I was very lucky to watch what perhaps is my favorite group, Yura Yura Teikoku, perform their first US show there. It has sadly closed its doors in 2007. My gratitude, Tonic, you have curated some of my favorite shows there.

*Source: South East Review

The Nuyorican Poets Café is a historical place in alphabet city, where a number of great poets (duh!) made it their stomping grounds. I first visited the place to watch Braggin’ Rites, a regular freestyle battle program that became a staple of the independent hip-hop circuit in New York. This was also the place where I first saw Saul Williams perform his uber-charismatic slam poetry at a random night. After a couple of visits there, I found out The Nuyorican Poets Café’s rich history, how it started in the 70s and continues to support the local art scene until today.

*Source: Disco Salt

For the more current wave of independent bands there is no better place than Cake Shop. This two floor Lower East Side bakery/record shop/bar/venue has a string of really good bands playing there regularly. It’s the place where I got to see groups such as Crystal Stilts, Gang Gang Dance, Zs, and the Long Blondes. You can really find an excellent performances here on any given night, and now they have opened a sister venue out in Brooklyn, Bruar Falls, so be sure to check that place out as well.

*Source: Light in the attic

My week is not complete without visiting at least one record shop. Now there are plenty of great music shops all around the city, but there is one particular store I visited regularly for a decade, and that store would be Other Music. A record shop with a selection of the popular and the obscure is not uncommon, but this shop between Broadway and Lafayette seem to select their records pretty carefully in comparison to others, and luckily for me what they carry in their store 90 percent of the time I would enjoy so when I enter I never really have to dig (I sometimes would just walk in and pick up a random record and would be happy with the purchase). The staff is very friendly and very knowledgeable about music so you can trust their recommendation and get schooled about music all at in the same conversation. Don’t skip this store when you visit New York.

*Source: Marie Claire

Moving on to my favorite eateries! One that really doesn’t need mentioning is Taisho! a St. Marks, mainly yakitori-serving joint which sometimes seems like a mecca for many Indonesians (the last couple of years, every time enter there would be a group of Indonesian kids there haha). The menu there definitely revolves around comfort food, with portions relatively large at an affordable price. I forgot when exactly, but in the 2000s they opened a second Taisho! on the same street, which is great because the restaurant seems to attract larger and larger crowds as the years went on; I sometimes had to wait an hour on weekends for one seat before the second place opened. Be sure to order the chicken skin (Kawa) yakitori when you dine here, and don’t forget to ask it to be made extra crispy!

*Source: NY Mag

Do Hwa, oh Do Hwa, how I love you. This Korean restaurant in the West Village is probably the one place besides home I frequented the most in recent years. They serve up some of the best Korean food in the city (certainly the best in the west village) and the presentations of the dishes are quite nice. The amount of Dak Teegim I’ve eaten there is sort of ridiculous. The décor is quite stylish but not in that cold-detached sort of way, a very comfortable place with a very warm wooden black colorway accentuated by splashes of red and off white. The staff is a super-friendly and knowledgeable bunch that I miss dearly, and my favorite activity when dining or drinking there is to just sit at the bar and stare at the films they always project on a wall.

*Source: Me so hungry

Great New York Noodletown is not the best noodle place in Chinatown, but is my favorite place to get roast pork or barbeque pig. Open late, my fellow Whiteboard Journalist and lover, Mar Galo, used to take me there after watching shows at Knitting Factory when it was still located on Leonard Street. I loved their fine pork treats so much that I sometimes would buy a pound of those succulent dishes to take home then fill my belly with piggies for about a day.

*Source: NY Go

Now shopping, a place I often entered mainly due to our editor-in-chief is consignment store – Tokio 7. This shop selects their apparel very carefully so you will definitely find something you will like when you enter. The prices are relatively cheap compared to their original retail prices, and if you are patient enough the prices slowly becomes more affordable, if another shopper hasn’t snatched the item up, that is.

For books, head to Strand, this book store off Union Square is as gigantic as your favorite Barnes and Nobles with twice, perhaps thrice the amount of books. It can be a little hectic in there with the foot traffic, and the often-disheveled bookcases can be a little over-whelming. If you’re lucky enough you will be able to pick up some pretty rare books in there, perhaps even 1st prints!

*Source: The Scout

The Whitney Museum is an excellent place to look at fine art. Their permanent collection is quite small; the main attraction here is their exhibits, which often revolves around modern and contemporary works. I always try to attend their Biennial, which has the Whitney select works from the finest artists currently producing work.

*Source: NY Architecture

Now, one of the greatest museums on the planet is the Metropolitan Museum. This humongoid museum has permanent collections from all around the world that will leave you in awe. With works that date back to something-thousand BC, this is the place for you to see art history in person.

There are plenty more places I love to visit in New York City (I haven’t even mentioned places in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island) but we’ll have to save those places for another day. As I was writing this article, every time I wrote of a place I thought of another place in close proximity I’d like to write about, so if I kept on going this will never end hahaha. Point is, there are plenty of places which caters to different groups of people in New York worthy of mention, so be sure to head there and experience it for yourself.

In fact considering those benefits, there is nothing in any of that to be ashamed of is there? Well, the point is that personally I don’t, but I draw attention to the fact because despite reports that show growth in the market, culturally in the UK, even more so in the US (but interestingly actually less so on mainland Europe) organic food would seem to have something of an embarrassment factor for the masses.

Despite this, organic food companies seem to deliberately set their produce apart from the rest of the fare on offer in our supermarkets and food halls. It is clear from their packaging that they have done their best to make themselves attractive but if the general opinion of the average punter is to be trusted then they have also alienated themselves, becoming something for them over there, the well to do, the alternative crowd, the hippy throwbacks…but resolutely not for the everyday consumer. Read any health reports and it will be abundantly clear that organic food is a healthier option. From personal experience there is no doubt that in a taste test organic produced food will win every time, yet they still struggle in a marketplace saturated with processed food. As something of a visual communicator myself, I can’t help but wonder how much of this negative public perception is down to the food itself and how much is actually down to presentation. Could the lack of majority take-up actually be a design issue?

Branding culture dictates that a product needs to stand apart from the crowd to stand any chance of succeeding in an ultra-competitive marketplace. To break the stranglehold of processed food is a tall order and so organic food seems to have turned to graphics to help. Junk foods are so ubiquitous that organic products including have remodeled themselves as ‘authentic’, ‘wholesome’, ‘real’ and countless other applicable adjectives in order to succeed. It is noticeable that organic brands very often choose a self-consciously cool aesthetic seemingly inspired by high-end fashion, gallery culture, and the music industry. The resultant vernacular is one of contemporarised rusticity whereas processed food prefers the sheen of the plastic and modern. We must congratulate the designers for attempting a representation that is true to the stuff itself but for the average consumer, ‘normal’ food is not that which looks more earthy and natural. Based on this current appearance, one could be forgiven for thinking that organics are a new invention but of course organic food is essentially the same as has been eaten throughout human history. The point of difference today is that thoughts of sustenance have been replaced with suspicion.

Consolidating the problem is that anything organically grown is forced to have a higher price-point through the perversity of a system where certain produce is more expensive to farm than another, even though they are literally the same object. For a public suffering under recession food decisions are being made for them, but most probably societies consumption of processed food is being dictated by a force of habit built up over fifty years. For a start up organic brand their style choice becomes simple economics. Organics must target higher socio-economic grades in order to survive. They need the section of the public with more disposable income and therefore a willingness to pay the necessary higher premiums. Inherent in this market is a certain amount of aspiration and social mobility and therefore the promise of higher cultural capital offered by a stylish looking product becomes an added boon.

By promoting themselves as a lifestyle accoutrement, organic brands are alienating the very audience that they should really be trying to appeal to. The chosen solution to real foods problem is perhaps actually creating a difficulty that transcends the original. It is clear that for the health of our society the benefits of eating organic need to get to the masses but if the present choices keep on being made then this will not happen. I propose that for an organic industry that rivals or surpasses that of the processed food lines, companies need to go against established branding theory. The temptation to shout about their products must be ignored. From a pure design point of view, appearing as mundane and ordinary as a supermarket’s own brand could be the key to acceptance. It may seem a radical move but something needs to be done.

Without it the organic industry will eat itself.

Mrs. Wulf was on point though, we humans are master inventors but most of our man-made contraptions and gizmos only isolate us further from the pulsing, vibrant, beautiful thing called the living environment. And what about lifestyle?  That intangible human invention almost in equation to concrete dreams, electricity high, and consumption addiction?  We just get sucked in. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against technology and development it has helped to solve many problems and increased our quality of life, right? We can’t go back to being cavemen but I can’t help thinking we’ve gone way too far from a balanced co-existence with the planet. Quality of life and cultural advancement should not simply be equated to shiny new technologies and economic growth.

Let’s break down nature’s way of living and compare it to our modern slash industrial existence. In nature there is no waste, every by-product of a natural system is a supplement for another, our society on the other hand generates enormous amount of waste –and we don’t even know what to do with it. We live in standardized reality where everything is mass produced – today around the world people watch the same TV shows, buy the same products, and have the same consumer ideals of what they call ‘the good life.’ Nature on the other hand is in a torrid love affair with diversity and uniqueness: no two leaves or snowflakes are the same, every zebra and leopard has different marking patterns, even the most identical of twins have different characters.  And what about social well being? Nature relies on working relationships for its sustainability, the bee helps to pollinate the flowers, the worms help fertilize soil; the trees produce oxygen and provide housing for other critters (right about now, The Lion King soundtrack would be blaring ‘it’s the circle of life…’). Forget the circle of life; we on the other hand are advancing on a linear path to achieve maximum income, higher GDP’s and material wealth, all at the expenses of the planet and our own sanity.

Modernity has proven though that we are highly intellectual beings, capable of shaping and designing our own reality. It takes that highly intellectual being to step back, analyze the distortions, and make the necessary changes to regain that balance. Everything we consume, buy, eat, drink, wear, ride reflects our relationship with the planet. The money in our pockets is actually a voting tool. As consumers, we have a great deal of power by supporting the ethical companies and products and withdrawing our support from the ‘bad’ ones. Awareness of global poverty, animal welfare and green issues are at an all time high.

We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us.  When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.  – Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac

Environmentalists may shout out demands of change, and a revolutionary change is exactly what the world needs right now. But change cannot be achieved if it isn’t based on the most fundamental and logical reasons: Love. It is love, appreciation, and respect towards the living environment that is missing from most of us today. Not surprising, as development systematically pushes aside every natural element and experience out of our daily realities, nature sadly has become regarded only as an input to the economic system, its existence quantified and measured to be exploited for our needs.

We all own a pair of red rubber rain boots in the daily instruments and luxuries we surround ourselves with. We all adore and marvel at the ability of these boots to provide comfort in our daily lives, both functionally and visually. But these rubber boots have slowly disconnected us from the spiritual and physical bond we share with the earth. The grass and earth feels foreign to our bare feet and we are no longer confident in walking bare sole to stone.

When you find yourself next confronted with a patch of grass, an open field or a stream of water, don’t look for ways to walk around it. Feel the freedom in kicking off your ‘red rubber boots’ to take time to reconnect. Go on a nature trek or an open door adventure, take time to recharge and rebuild that relationship you have with Mother Nature. Take time to allow your senses to fall in love again or maybe for the first time. In the robotic reality we have allowed ourselves to be trapped in, feeling human again in our most natural setting is really what sets us free. Once you are again in that love affair with earth, you will find it’s the most natural thing to protect it. Your behaviour and your decisions will mimic that deep affection you let yourself feel again.

We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.  – Native American Proverb

The weather is always cold this time of year, and it’s part of what makes the IMM COLOGNE experience rather unique.

As the first to start in the ring of European furniture show, it is also the longest, it lasted 7 days with 4 days for business visitors and the weekend reserved for the public – where businesses can showcase their newly released products directly to the public’s eye.

This time I’m here with the delegation of Indonesia Rattan Pavilion, a project that is spearheaded by the Ministry of Industry of Indonesia with AMKRI, the rattan furniture association in order to rejuvenate and stimulate the rattan industry for the next 5 years.

In general the IMM COLOGNE show is known as the “serious one” compared to the French; Maison de Objet or Italian siblings; Salone del Mobile, where things seems to be more of a spectacle of endless presentation by companies in order to wow the media, public and buyers from all over the world. They presented a new concept of special presentation they call PURE, where designs are well presented with heavy curation by the who’s who in the furniture design world.

The most interesting part is the D3 Design Talent area, where young designers showcase their work, with its endless of new discovery and atmosphere of excitement that exude from this area, where you see the designers themselves explaining their work and trying to secure a deal with companies who can see their vision and turn it into a real product.

This year they also hosted the Living Kitchen show, a spectacular kitchen industry show, showcasing the latest in food and kitchen technology, from kitchen counter top to sink and oven, it’s all here, with celebrity chefs performing live cooking in the latest model kitchen designed by celebrity designers.

Considering Germany as being one of the strongest economy in Europe now, at the most part it’s still a recovery process, after a big economic downturn, things are not back to where it was 5 years ago, you can almost read between the lines, companies are not

presenting much products, everything almost feel too safe, but it could also be that the companies who are not represented, reserved their new product launch for the Milan Show, for whatever reason, 2011 doesn’t look so optimistic for European furniture industry.

Leonard Theosabrata Born in Jakarta, July 26, 1977. Graduated from the Product Design Faculty at the Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, CA in 2002. Leonard is currently the head of the Jakarta-based LTD. Leonard Theosabrata Design studio, which focuses on interior and product design. His love for furniture has led him to build Accupunto for which he received the Red Dot Design Award in 2003, and Good Design Award Japan, 2005, and the recent Wallpaper Design Award 2009 for his collaboration with Michael Young for Accupunto.

Got the clue now?

I must confess that I have never been to a Lapo for almost 29 years. I simply resist visiting this *food sanctuary that sells many authentic Batak cuisines, thanks to my mom who successfully etched a traumatic memory in my head by telling : “You know, Batak people like to kill dogs and eat them at Lapo.” She said that to me when I was six years old or so. I was crying out loud, knowing that my dog’s neighbor had been missing and never came back.

Lapo is out of my food navigation radar for all this time until I was brave enough to be a Nanilu for one day. Nanilu in Batak language means being a Batak people wannabe. As a creator of Underground Secret Dining event series, I have this exclusive veto right to decide which food is going to be the star of the month. My fortuitous encounter with an energetic Batak woman, Butet Sirait, made me brave enough to say: Let’s have Batak food this time, but no cute doggie as the main ingredient.

Yes, I want to be a Nanilu even for a day, I want to absorb their genuine brave heart, I want to learn how to become one of them, even if most of us might think they are rude and have no manners – referring to most of Metromini drivers are from Batak tribe. I HEART the iconic Metromini though.

Naniura is vibrant in its yellowish color. Being absconded from the fact that it is a raw fish, yet you can be cajoled by its elasticity texture of the fish meat. There is no trace of strong putrid odor because Naniura involves strong herbs. I was blown away, this time not by the exotic fugu sashimi, but by a lethal luscious carp fish.

Another delicacy is ikan mas arsik : carp fish cooked with torch ginger flower, kefir lime juice, red chilies, and other herbs then topped with long bean and chives. I could still see the actual fish body with its ethereal small bones attached. Significant contrast colors entertained my sight.