Locked Up

Two days ago, Koneng, our youngest cat locked up in a neighbor’s house for hours. I started to search in the afternoon but had no luck. My brother came home in the night and we continued searching. From our back balcony, we only heard his ‘crying for help’ sound.   

We decided to go to the office at the back of our house. The friendly security staff allowed us to enter and seek around, we didn’t see Koneng but his voice heard more clearly. We ensured that Koneng was in the back yard of the neighbor right next door. Sadly, the home was empty that night.

So, in the morning next day, I waited for the neighbor’s arrival at the terrace. Once their car came, I quickly stood up and told them about our cat. Fortunately, the lady saw frightened Koneng in the rain gutter.  Poor kitten. When I saw Koneng, he looked so scared and seemed too afraid to make any move. I had to call the cat’s name over and over again to encourage him moving and nearing me. Koneng recognized my voice; he started to move slowly –step by step.

Once the kitty’s near enough, I carried him and then he started to purr. What a relief. Koneng was dirty and smelly, but he’s fine now. Thanks to friendly neighbors!

Teasing the senior :)

I don’t have any shots related to this incident. For

 Camera Critters  and Saturday's Critters this week, I share a moment when Koneng teased Mocca once in a while. Mocca’s never angry, he just pulls to one side.  

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How to Choose and Care Original Jersey

Are you a sport fan? For the supporters or sport fans, it’s not complete if at any watching together event, they don’t wear jersey of their favorite national team or club. Anyway, wearing jersey has become one of the much preferred fashion styles. Jersey is not only hunt by many sport fans, but women and men who don’t like sport also seek and use them in non-formal occasions.

image: lifestyle.kontan.co.id

Indonesia national team jersey

If you have planned to buy a quality jersey, keep in mind that the original jersey will make the wearer feel comfortable because it is made of good quality materials. For original jersey, price per piece isn't cheap. Unfortunately, there are always producers that use the moment to get bigger profit by producing jersey unoriginal with using less good material, but selling them at high prices.

For those of you who really want to look for high-quality jersey, don’t be fooled into buying fake one. The following characteristics of original apparel can be your guide in choosing and buying original jersey (data source: Radar Bogor):

1.Material

Generally made of polyester fiber which is more subtle, comfortable to wear, soft on the skin, and can absorb sweat.
2.Production code.
The production codes of Nike and Adidas apparel can be different. For example, Nike apparel production code can be seen in the bottom left of the jersey. You can see a hologram in Nike logo.
3.Apparel logo
Logo and serial number of the jersey can be seen also behind the washing tag in the jersey.
4.Packing / polybag
On polybag of original apparel also found emblem of the jersey.
5.Price
As already mentioned above, there’s no original jersey offered at low price.

Because the price isn’t cheap, you should treat jersey with good quality so that can last a long time. Here's how to care of original jersey:
-Avoid long soaking in detergent solution
Try not to immerse more than 30 minutes. Excess detergent can result in screen printing on shirts quickly broken or chipped.
-Separately wash
When washing, it would be better to separate your jersey shirt with another outfit, especially clothes with strong colors such as blue, red, and black.
-Don’t brush jersey
To keep the fabric texture, don’t need to brush soft textured jersey.
-Dry in reverse side
Excessive sunlight can lead to color fading of shirts and screen printing. Therefore at the time of drying, make sure the printed part inside and the inner part outside.
-Don’t dry using a hanger
A hanger may cause stretchy jersey neck; due to jersey material can’t hold the load of the water in a wet shirt.
-Don’t bleach
Printed shirts should not be washed with bleach or detergents containing bleach. The chemical reaction of bleach can be easily peeled off the printing. In addition, t-shirts can also be faster thin and rough.
-Wash by hand

Jersey shouldn’t be washed with washing machine. Suggested to manually wash only, use your hands.
-Ironing
When ironing the jersey, set up the hot key on the medium level and avoid ironing the printing section on the shirt straightly. You may apply the base fabric used in it or iron the inner side.
-Stain cleaning
Once the stain occurs, wash immediately the stained spot. Apply shampoo or detergent on the stain, rub gently with hands and rinse with clean water.

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Jakarta Gems Centre

Known locally as Rawa Bening Market, the newly renamed Jakarta Gems Center (Jatinegara, East Jakarta, Indonesia) is never empty of visitors nowadays. In the past few years, wearing and collecting gems are becoming increasing trends here. Even the prices of some types of gem stones -like Bacan stones- are greatly increased.

I have some loose stones that given by my late mother. My husband planned to use the pyrus stone for a ring.  In fact we could make the ring at the jewelry store nearby, but we were curious to know the place. Moreover, a good friend of my husband has a cousin who works as a stone polisher at the market for more than 20 years. To meet him was also a reason why we visited the market. It’s nice to have a trusted man to ask about gem stones.  

Transit at the Manggarai Station

Jatinegara Railway Station. Captured from the pedestrian crossing bridge.

At first, stone traders in the Rawa Bening market only occupy a roadside around the market. But now almost the entire floors of the building contain the merchants of gem stones. It’s said that Rawa Bening becomes the largest jewelry stone market in the Southeast Asia. I guessed I saw hundreds of traders there!

 

The entrance of Jakarta Gems Centre

From my city Bogor, we took the commuter train and stopped at the transit station Manggarai. Then we waited for the train that passed by the Jatinegara railway station as the market located across the railway station. Jakarta Gems Centre provides four floors of stands and stores, each sells precious stones, semi- precious stones, rare stones or only colourful syntentic stones for necklaces, bracelets,  rings, and home decorative items. There are also available stone polishers and jewelry makers.

 

The information centre of Indonesia local stones. Wonderful wide varieties!

It is a wholesale market, but many stores allow people to buy at retail.  Here you can find agates known as akik stones and lots of other different stones. Many Indonesians believe that some stones contain mystical powers that can bring good luck and wealth to the wearer. No wonder if the Jakarta Gems Centre is most often crowded.

The first floor of the market shows more hectic situation.

If you aren’t a stone expert, please be careful there. It can be difficult to differentiate between the natural and the synthetic ones. Gem lovers who want to start collecting natural precious stones should go to the Gems Centre with others who have enough knowledge about gem stones.  The more practical way, don’t buy any stone without added certificate made by a stone lab. The price will be higher, but you won’t be disappointed.

I saw lots of wonderful stones with appealing looks. I can understand now why there are lots of people who love collecting gems as they seem screaming to my ears, “Get me, pick me, buy me!” What a big temptation :)

We didn’t buy any stone there. We just polished our Pyrus stone at a new friend’s stand and made a male ring with it. We left the market about half an hour before the leaving schedule of the train that took us back to Bogor.


Blue Monday

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