Twilight From Sederet.com

Wow.... what a day today...!!!!

Last week, I've been told by Sederet.com that I was chosen as one of the finalist in their Blog Competition. Then on Dec 20, I got a news that... I WON... !!!! Even placed as Runner Up, but I am very happy for the result. I am very appreciate Sederet.com whose chosen me as one of the winner.

And today, I become much more happy to received the prize of the competition : the novel of TWILIGHT. Can't imagine how happy I am. Actually I known Twilight after watched its movie several years ago. I never read the novel myself, especially in original version in English. And today.... wow... amazing.... I got one....!!!!

Last but not least, I would like to say : Thank you, Sederet.com. You are soooo amazing and I am very glad to use your service. I believe, Sederet.com can become The Leader of Online Dictionary in the future. Sederet.com is not only a regular dictionary. It has games, articles, and English lessons. Why need other when this one is already completed?

This is The Reason Why Sederet.Com is The Most Trustworthy Online Dictionary

Ever found difficulty when you want to know how to say a word in Indonesia or visa verse? Well.... easiest (and in old-fashioned) way, is looking for the word in dictionary. But it is not easy, you know. We have to open page by page, and read soooo many tiny words that takes time. Very frustrating, especially when we are going to write a very long articles.

I also met the same condition several years ago. When wrote some articles in English, I found very difficult to find a "correct" translation from Indonesia words to English. Sometimes the words are there, but can't applicated, so I need to find another words with "similar" meaning.

About 2 years ago, when I search in Google, looking for online dictionary, I found Sederet.com in which placed on the very top of the Google Search List. When entered the web, frankly speaking, I did not quiet like it. The web's design was very simple, with blue and white combination back ground. Very amateur appearance. But when started to use it, I found that Sederet.com is not a simple dictionary web like I thought.

When entering a word, mostly Sederet.com will provide the translation of the words that we want to know, including several synonymous that might be have same meaning or similar meaning. This option give me more understanding about the uses of the words. For example, when I type "Run", the translation appears directly into Indonesia as "Lari". Meanwhile, at the bottom, Sederet.com provide several synonym such as "Tally", "Trial", "Streak", and others in which become a very good input for me.

Since then, I become one of Sederet.com's biggest fan. When I want to look for English dictionary, I will open Sederet.com. And I am very glad that Sederet.com web have improved quiet significant recently (especially its appearance), and become one of the major online dictionary in Indonesia.

Although has improved like today, I found that Sederet.com still not able to translate phrases and short sentences, either from English to Indonesia or visa verse. For example, when I type "BEAT IT" and translate it into Indonesia, it turns out the meaning is "Menumbuknya", in which "menumbuknya" actual mean is "Pound It". You can try to type other short sentences (minimum in 2 words) and most words still incorrectly translated.

Despite of above problem. I found Sederet.com is very helpful for people who just start to learn English or Indonesia  language, because it has a lot of options of translation that help people to understand the meaning of the single words. For example, when I look for the translation of "Mencari", Sederet.com will provide several meaning of the words (depend on the occasion of use), including its synonym.

This is the reason why I still use Sederet.com, because I can learn a lot from the translation of the words that I type in Sederet.com.

To make the web more exciting, interesting, and fun, Sederet.com also can be used thru mobile cellphone. Just type http://m.sederet.com, and it can be used directly, and work on almost all phones with mobile web access. Easier, faster, and can be used anywhere, anytime.

Feel bored after do the translation? There are several Educational Web Games in Sederet.com that also can be played. It is very fun can play several of them that can help to improve my vocabulary. Several games that I played before are : Type & Poop Ballons, Spelling Bee, Word Cross, and Typing Hero. You should try them...!!! It really fun...!!!

Sederet.com also have English Articles. But unfortunately, all articles are only focus on the how to learn English language, such as English Grammar Lessons, Easy Way To Learn English, and others. I think it would be much better if it also consist of the knowledge about Indonesia language (but written in English). This might be helpful for people who eager to learn about Indonesia (the words, the culture, and everything about Indonesia).

When you want to learn deep about English or Indonesian language, you don't have to buy thick dictionary or download any dictionary program. You have Sederet.com. What else you need?

The Famous Restaurant in Indonesia - Rumah Makan Padang

 If one day the officials of The Guiness Book of World Record have time to visit Indonesia, I think they will announced that the world most largest franchise restaurant in the world is Rumah Makan Padang (simply means "Padang Restaurant"). It is true and I can bet on it. According to Ikatan Warung Padang Indonesia (The Indonesia Padang's Restaurant Organization, or simply called IWAPIN), there are about 20,000 Padang restaurant establishment, and the figure is in Jakarta only. There are hundreds of city in Indonesia. Try to count them all.....

Rumah Makan Padang is one of the most well-known restaurant in Indonesia. In every street of every city in Indonesia, you can easily find it. In fact, in every five to six house that you passed, there will be at least one Rumah Makan Padang. So you can imagine, how many of them in all city of Indonesia.

So what is the specialty of Rumah Makan Padang? Why it is so famous in Indonesia?


THE HISTORY OF RUMAH MAKAN PADANG
Padang is the capital city of West Sumatera, with an area about 694.96 square kilometers,with population more than 833,000 people. Besides its beauty scenery, Padang has been well-known for its cuisine which commonly called as Padang cuisine or Minangkabau cuisine (Minangkabau is the other name for Padang). In Indonesia dialect, it's called Masakan Padang or Masakan Minang (Minang's Cuisine).

Masakan Padang is famous for its rich taste of succulent coconut milk and spicy chili, similar with Middle Eastern or India dishes.

In the past (even until today), the city of Padang is not as good as today. A lot of unemployed people from Padang were go to other city to find a better job outside their city and island. That's why they were spreading all around Indonesia city and island. When they arrived in the city, most of them can't eat the cuisine in that place because it is not suitable for them (especially in Java, because most of its cuisine were sweet and less spicy). Eventually, most Padang's male are capable to do the cooking, so they cook the meal for themselves. Somehow, their cooking skill and food admired native. This result is giving idea for Padang's people to open restaurant that sell their origin food in their new place. And since then, Rumah Makan Padang is open widely in every city of Indonesia.


THE MENU OF RUMAH MAKAN PADANG
In the present, there are dozens of menu in Rumah Makan Padang that can be chosen. Most of them are cook using  coconut milk and spicy chili. Every Padang Restaurant served different variant and different taste of meals, depend of their specialty. Despite the variant meals of each restaurant, there are standard and regular menus that always available in every Padang restaurant :

1. Rendang : 
It's made from beef (sometimes chicken, mutton, water buffalo, or duck), slowly cooked in coconut milk, spices, toasted coconut paste, and spices (ginger, galangal, turmeric leaf, lemon grass, and chillies)  for several hours until the liquid almost gone.

2. Nangka / Nangko : 
Literally, Nangka means "jackfruit". Usually it is cooked with the mixture of coconut milk, lemon grass, turmeric, curry powder, and chillies. In some place, they are adding cabbage, long bean, and french bean to make the taste different. Nangka is served together with its thin sauce.

3. Sate Padang : 
Skewered meats that served with yellow (mixture of turmeric, ginger, garlic, coriander, galangal root, cumin, curry powder ad salt) and spicy sauce. In some restaurant, they are using goat meat, and some others using cow meat.

4. Gulai : 
It is curry soup that usually made with several combinations, such as liver (called Gulai Hati or Liver Curry), cow brain (Gulai Otak / Cow Brain Curry), cow bone marrow (Gulai Sumsum / Cow Bone Marrow Curry), cow internals organs (Gulai Cincang / Cow Internal Organs Curry), and others.

5. Sambal : 
Means Chili. There are two kinds of chili that always served in every Restaurant Padang : Sambal Balado (sliced red chili) and Sambal Lado / Sambal Ijo (sliced green chili). Sambal Balado usually very spicy, and Sambal Ijo usually mild spicy and tastier. To make the chili taste different, some restaurants add anchovy and shallot in the green chili.

HOW TO EAT IN RUMAH MAKAN PADANG? 
You'll be surprise to find out that eating in Rumah Makan Padang is very different comparing with other restaurant. All dishes are displaying in the window of the restaurant. While you are planning to dine-in, there are two ways you can do to ordering the food :
1. Direct choose : 
You just stand near the cuisines, then choose whatever you like. The waiter will get and prepare it to you in seconds.

2. Ala carte : 
Confused and can't decide what you prefer to eat? Just sit at any empty table in the restaurant. In less that a minute, a waiter will immediately serves the dishes directly to your table and fill it with dozens of their dishes such as rendang, curried fish, chili eggplant, curried beef liver, curry nangko, foot tendons, fried chicken, and sambal. While the waiter bring the dishes, you will see one of interesting act : All dishes - that place on each small bowl - were put and fill his both hands, then place all of the bowls on your table without spoil any of each meal. When you eat, choose and take whatever you like. The payment will be counted based on what you eat.

While you are having dine-in at Padang Restaurant, the waiter usually serve a bowl of tap water (sometimes with a slice of lime, to give a fresh scent). It's called "Kobokan", that used to wash your hand before eat. So, don't drink it....!!!

There are two ways to enjoy the dishes : eat with bare hands or with spoon and fork. Native in Indonesia mostly prefer to eat with bare hands.

WHY RUMAH MAKAN PADANG BECOME SO FAMOUS ? 

Most people in Indonesia love to eat in Padang Restaurant because several reason.

First, the choose of cuisines. Padang Restaurant have hundreds of cuisines that can be chosen. Each restaurant also provide different of taste and variant, which make the selection even bigger and wider.

Second is the portion. Padang cuisine have also been known for its large portion of rice. Whenever we ordered for take-away, the waiter will prepare a pack of rice that enough for 2 people. So, for rice-lover, Padang cuisine can guaranteed your stomach blow.

And the last reason is the price. Although some famous Padang's restaurant (such as Sederhana, Salero Bagindo, Pagi Sore, Simpang Raya, Sari Ratu, and Sari Minang) have quiet expensive price for its meals, but in small Padang restaurant, the price is affordable. The cheapest menu (rice with curry egg and chili) will cost not more than Rp 7,000 / pack (approx US$ 0.77). With portion that enough for two people, the price is quiet reasonable.