Text 11624, 105 rader
Skriven 2011-06-01 15:51:00 av Glen Jamieson
     Kommentar till en text av Michael Loo
Ärende: BARSTOOLS 391  10601
============================
 -=> Quoting Michael Loo to Glen Jamieson <=-

 ML> your own individual physical examination?
 GJ> In theory that could be done, but ABV comes under AusAID, which is
 GJ> part of Australian Government Foreign Affairs and Trade, and to try to
 GJ> introduce any change or exceptions to a bureaucracy like that is far
 GJ> beyond my capabilities.

 ML> An irritation no doubt. Is there no domestic agency to
 ML> which you can offer your services: you could perhaps be
 ML> flown to Coober Pedy or somesuch place to have your expertise
 ML> taken advantage of.

There is an organisation run by the Institution of Engineers
Australia, but it is mainly for young graduates who want to get
experience doing something useful while learning to become engineers.
I have been to Coober Pedy, which is a rather rough mining town where
most of the residents live underground to avoid the extreme summer
heat.  They have occasional murders, with the victims thrown down old,
worked-out diggings.  Every few years the police station gets blown
up, so is re-built cheaply in corrugated iron.  I much prefer Vanuatu.
 
 GJ> allowance to keep me provided with those items that fussy Australians
 GJ> were thought to require to make life for them bearable in primitive
 GJ> living conditions.  In my last assignment, in Sumatra, my allowance
 GJ> was the Rupiah equivalent of US$100 a week.

 ML> That would pay for a fair amount of beer at local prices. I think
 ML> I must have had my first Bintang in January '06 and have avoided
 ML> it ever since (too sweet) except for during one misguided trip
 ML> to the Indonesian islands with friends from Singapore making the
 ML> journey just for cheap alcohol. Funny going to a Muslim country
 ML> for cheap alcohol.

Although there are more Muslims in Indonesia than in any other
country, it also has many Buddhists, Christians and Hindus, and is
generally religiously tolerant.  That tolerance extends to not
objecting to alcohol drinking and pork eating by non-Muslims.

On checking my Sumatran notes I see that Anker beer was also sold in
the Jambi supermarket.  On asking about local alcohol, I was brought a
milky palm wine in 2 plastic bags.  Named "tuak", it cost $2 a litre,
and was still fermenting.  It was undoubtedly the worst alcoholic
drink I have ever tried, with slight bitterness and sweetness
overwhelmed by the revolting aroma and taste of rotting hessian wheat
bags.  It got worse over night, and the plastic bags were swelling and
threatened to burst, so to prevent a disaster, I poured it down the
sink, which is something I have only done on one or two other
occasions in my life.

The Balinese distilled coconut spirit, Arak, is a far nicer drink.

 ML> ==
 
 ML> prefer to take care of a few free standard drinks at the club,
 ML> which provide an equal if not superior boost.
 GJ> The free drinks can be had on the plane.  If enough of them, the
 GJ> horizontal break is particularly welcome, or even essential.

 ML> Speaking of which, I discover that the President's Club, which
 ML> used to serve Dos Equis amber on tap for free, now serves the
 ML> somewhat odious and Budweiser-like Dos Equis lager. Luckily, it's
 ML> still free and will provide me the equivalent of a horizontal
 ML> break this night.

I sympathise with your suffering...

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05
 
      Title: ARAK COOKIES
 Categories: Biscuits
      Yield: 1 servings
 
    450 g  Butter; softened
    125 g  Sugar- icing
      4    Egg yolks
    750 g  Flour- plain
    1/2 ts Baking powder
    225 g  Almonds- blanched;grnd fine
      6 tb Wine- arak
 
  Arak, which originated in the Eastern Mediterranean, lays claim to
  being the very first liqueur, created when aniseed berries were added
  to distilled palm wine as far back as 800 BC. The first historical
  mention of arak occurs 2,500 years ago, and it spread rapidly through
  the Middle East and North Africa. Ouzo may be substituted, but arak
  is the real thing.
  
  Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Mix together the butter, sugar and egg
  yolks until creamy. Mix the arak in well, then sift in the flour, and
  baking powder. Knead into a firm dough, then add the nuts and knead
  again. Press the dough into small cookie shapes about 5cm (2 in)
  across and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle with a little
  more icing sugar and allow to cool.
  
  From: COOKING WITH BOOZE By: GEORGE HARVY BONE ISBN13: 9781905005659
  Typed by: KEVIN JCJD SYMONS, JUNE 2008
 
MMMMM
 

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 * Origin: Braintap BBS Adelaide Australia (3:800/449)