Food Brings People Closer
Written as part of an 801 partner visa assignment, The Social Aspect of your Relationship. This statement will help prove that our relationship is genuine and sustainable.
How do you write The Social Aspect of your Relationship with your partner?- Holidays that you have taken together.
- Party, Events and other significant social events that you have attended together.
- Important family and friends who know about the relationship, and who are supportive of your relationship.
Winter 2023 Holiday to Indonesia
It was still early morning on 12 July 2023 and some people were still asleep under warm blankets, wrapped in thick jackets we headed to Melbourne Airport. We left Melbourne for a warm land where the sun always shines all year round, Indonesia.
For 8 weeks we planned to stay in 7 different hotels around Jakarta. This time we only stayed in that town, different from our previous holiday in 2022 where we went to Bali and Manado.
We decided to go on holiday to Indonesia because my son was going back to America and this was a wonderful opportunity to meet him before he started studying and working in his country. There was one day when we were invited to have lunch at my son's girlfriend's house.
Her parents prepared delicious food that came from Central Java, where they came from. Most Central Java dishes are sweet. the Javanese cooking often includes sweet soya sauce and sugar, so it is sweet. The use of coconut milk also adds the sweetness. My son and his girlfriend will live separately, she is continuing her studies in Alberta, Canada.
While in Jakarta we tried many new restaurants the city had to offer, feeding our passion for gastronomy to the highest level. Business is starting to revive after 2 years of shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We also had grilled fish and seafood. Jakarta offers a variety of other delicious foods that we can't find in Melbourne.
In life it’s not only about the food on the table, but also the company in which you share the food with. we invited my son, my brother and his family to have lunch together at a steak restaurant in Bogor. The steaks were imported from Australia. The price of the food is quite expensive but the taste is very delicious.
We also invite the Sinyo family to meet and enjoy a meal together. Sinyo is currently the youngest among his brothers because his younger brother died several years ago.
Sinyo's family invited us to come to their house for lunch. They cooked delicious food for us. It is refreshing to share a table with people who enjoy food as much as you do. Sinyo's family comes from Manado, a province in northern Indonesia that is famous for its spicy food.
They also invited us to stay for 2 days at their house and delicious food was always on the dining table for us to enjoy. If you really want to make a friend, go to someone’s house and eat with them… the people who give you their food give you their heart.
We also had the chance to meet several friends. As usual, when we meet, we will start with eating together and then end with drinking coffee. Different from the culture in Melbourne where you only drink coffee until the afternoon, in Indonesia there are no rules for it. They can drink at any time, even at night before bedtime.
Food is often a great conversation starter, especially when there are new or interesting dishes to try. It gives people something to talk about and can help break the ice. Food brings us together and takes us from strangers to friends. Here’s how dining with family and friends can be one of the most enriching experiences of our travels.
Unfortunately, we had to return to Melbourne earlier than expected. Food was the reason we had to go home immediately without waiting for the holiday to end. Sinyo had a stomach ache from eating the wrong thing. The food in Indonesia is very delicious and spicy, but his stomach was not ready to accept food like that and maybe the way it was cooked also didn't suit his stomach. Before it got worse, we decided to immediately return to Melbourne two weeks before the due date.
That evening after checking in our luggage, we went to a restaurant in the airport area. we had dinner together with my brother and his family. Last time eating Indonesian food before leaving Indonesia.
Goodbye Indonesia.
Back Home in Melbourne
We often spend time with Meishia, Sinyo's daughter. She moved from Geelong to Melbourne and lives not far from our house. We often have lunch or dinner together, sometimes I cook or we go out to eat at our favorite restaurant.
The sharing of food has brought people together since the beginning of time. It’s how we make friends, nurture relationships, celebrate milestones, mend conflicts and feel gratitude for life.
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