I love camping, in fact I'm kind of addicted. Unfortunately, in the last few years, I could not camp as often as I wanted due to: (1) My 15 year old tent desperately needing repairs, (2) limited time that because of my studies and (3) we enjoy sleeping in our 4WD camper too much. However, last month, David and I decided that it is time to go camping again, but first of all we need some new gears. So, I went to Bivouac Silvia Park and had the most exciting shopping experience ever.

Choosing our new tent
It was really sad to say good bye to my old tent as it had a really good design, it was light but reasonably strong. This made it really difficult to choose a replacement tent that meet our high standards and small budget. I searched on the internet for a two to three person tent that was under 3.5 Kg, since my old tent weighed only 3Kg, and found various results. Unfortunately only a few were within our budget. Here is a comparison of the top four.

Positives:
+ Good size for two people.
+ Has two great vestibules
+ Two doors
+ Fully closed fly for wet weather
+ Free standing.

Negatives:
- The fly colour is not suitable for freedom camping in the wild.
- Uses long sleeves to attach poles to tent.
- Needs two people to erect it.
- Not enough ventilation when doors are closed
​- Weighs 3.5 Kg

Positives:
+ Light weight - 2Kg max
+ Strong
+ Easy to erect

Negatives:
- A little bit too small

Positives:
+ 4 season tent, strong and very durable
+ Little and light tent with so many extra features

Negatives:
- a little bit too small, floor area 2.86m2 (220 x 130cm)

Positives:
+ Can be erected by 1  person easily
+ High-low ventilation for better breathability
+ Guylines included
+ Guarantee: Lifetime Warranty

Negatives:
​- None

So finally we decided to go with Talus 3 due to more room and good ventilation.

Choosing our sleeping mats
Because we are planning to build the tent on sand, we need sleeping mats to be able to sleep comfortably. There are several different kinds of sleeping mats. Choose the one that is suitable for your needs. As for me comfort and warmth are my main concerns, next would be the packing size and weight.

So last weekend, I went to Bivouac Sylvia Park and tried some of the Exped Sleeping Mats before I finally bought an Exped SIM light 3.8 medium size for myself.

• ​Length:183cm (Medium), 197cm (Long Wide)
• Width50cm (Medium), 65cm (Long Wide)
• Thickness 3.8cm 
• Rolled Size
  • 27 x 16cm (Medium)
  • 33 x 17cm (Long Wide)
• Fill12kg/m3 PU foamAverage
• Weightmat/packsack and mat combined:
  • 740g / 761g (Medium)
  • 1015g / 1040g (Long Wide)
• Temperature Rating minus 5° C 
• Made FromBrushed honeycomb embossed polyester

With proper planning, and gear, camping can be very enjoyable and a great holiday escape. I look forward to our next camping trip.

Todays post a little bit different from my usual post. I will not talk about travelling or food but I want to talk about my life after the wedding in 2013.

Our second wedding anniversary is coming in a few weeks, it is probably very young for some couples that have been together for twenty years or more, but for me and David it feels quite significant. We have almost spent two years together as a married couple and I can say that it is an achievement.

Our friend asked me about the significant of being married and my first respond was it is one thing that can be explained in words but has to be understood from one's own experience. I think each person has their own expectation and different  reasons to be married, these make one's marriage experience different from others.

As for me marriage means having a team mate to tackle difficulties in life and to share the joy of life, as I always believe that happiness will multiple when we share it. Marriage comes with responsibilities, as everything we do will affect not only our own lives, but two lives or more for those who have children. So the biggest change in my life is that I am now a team player. Therefore, I think and act as part of a team.

David and I came from different backgrounds. David grew up in New Zealand, I grew up in Indonesia with different languages and cultures. However, I learnt from the very first month of our relationship, that we make a very good team,. as two are better than one.

I have learnt a lot in two years of marriage, I have learnt a lot about David and also about myself and I will keep on learning.

Every couple is unique so I think, it is really important to find what works best for your own relationship. Learning from others experiences can also be very useful. Having said that, it is important to free yourself from others' opinion that might not be suitable for you. Do not compare your relationship with others as this may result in disappointment. 

Two years into our marriage we have had joy and tears, but one thing remains, we face life together. Last year, we launched our weight-loss consultation business Lighthouse Nutritionists, we bought our first 4WD,  travelled around the North Island together, and I experienced snow for the first time. This year I finally passed my AMC examination. We also experienced some disappointments, David's grandmother passed away a few weeks ago and I lost one of my friends in Indonesia.

We are not a perfect couple, and we will never look for a perfection, but we are perfect for each other. I am looking forward to celebrating our second wedding anniversary and many more to come.

Here some photos from our wedding day in 2013.

In the last few weeks I have been busy working and preparing for my IELTS test, so our holiday preparation was a little bit neglected. However, I have managed to do a few things this week. 

Please check out my previous post about our holiday plan to Indonesia.

Starting from the most important task: David's passport, it finally arrived by courier last week. We applied through passport renewal online services. The first close-up photograph that I attached as David's passport photo, was rejected, so I had to take another photo that met the requirements: shadow free, with a white clear background. We finally did it, taking advantage of sunlight that only lasted 15 minutes before a storm hit Auckland a couple of weeks ago. We managed to get good natural light, so I was able to take the photo as required. 

New Zealand passport holders are now eligible for free visas on arrival to Indonesia, which is great news. Please check for the formal announcement attached below this post.

Next, all hotels are booked and confirmed. I was a little bit disappointed because the hotel we originally wanted to stay in Ubud is fully booked. As I do not have any experience staying in any hotels in Ubud, my only references are written reviews on the internet. Luckily my dear friend Ratih agreed to drive from Kuta to Ubud last weekend to check out four hotels that were in my short list. After visiting all those hotels she crossed out two from my list.  After considering all the pros and cons of both hotels I made the final decision to stay in Tunjung Mas Bungalow.

All flights are confirmed. I had to change our flight schedule from Jakarta to Bali. Once again Ratih helped me sort it out, yeay. I was really satisfied with the service from Garuda Indonesia Airlines who changed the flight, free of charge.

Another change to our original plan is that we decided not to climb Mt. Batur to see the sunrise, since we might experience jet-lag during our first few days in Bali. So I am organising other  activities that we can do in Ubud. I might rent a car and driver to take us around Bali for half a day. There are a few places that will be interesting to visit, such as Tirta Empu Temple, for example. Any other suggestions anyone?

One week to go, and I am so excited. Feel free to comment, make suggestions or ask questions.

I received many questions related to my experience of registering as a medical doctor in New Zealand. So I think I will share a bit of my long story here.

In March 2011, I arrived in Auckland as what they call an IMG - International Medical Graduate, a title that is affixed to every doctor who gained medical degree in different country. I have never imagined this would be the start of a long, exhausting journey. To be able to enter a New Zealand specialist program, one has to be registered in New Zealand as a doctor and have one year of clinical experience. The first step to be registered is to pass one of these exams: the USMLE step 1 & 2; AMC-Australian Medical Council exam part 1 or PLAB.

My first few months lived in Auckland went smoothly: I stayed with a nice homestay family who become my new family in Auckland, I attended a USMLE preparation course at Kaplan International and my study went really well despite the limited facilities at Kaplan-Auckland due to the Christchurch earthquake which closed the Kaplan Centre in Christchurch. 

Four months after I started my course, I begun the registration process for the USMLE that includes registering my self to the ECFMG and contacting Christian University of Indonesia, where I gained my medical degree, to release my credentials to ECFMG in America. This was a long and complicated process and took one and half years. 

By the end of my first year in New Zealand, I faced financial difficulties, I had spent almost all my saving to pay my accommodation and someone stole my credit card details which left me with additional bills to pay. I was in crisis and needed to find a job immediately, this made me step out of my comfort zone. I applied for jobs that I had never done before, to get free accommodation, and extra income, to enable me to stay in Auckland. 

There were so many things that happened in the last few years: I managed to find a job as an Au-pair that not only gave me place to stay and some pocket money, but also another family to share my ups and downs. I got engaged in 2012 after going out for a year and got married in 2013. Unfortunately, my study was not going as well as other aspects in my life. ECFMG accepted my credentials at the beginning of 2012 and I sat my USMLE exam at the end of the year, but once again I faced disappointment: I failed.

It was really difficult to find balance between study and work, so I decided to focus on working for a year which later extended to two years. Finally, In January 2015, I had a strong will to concentrate on my study to pass the AMC (Australian Medical Council) Exam as part of the New Zealand Medical Council registration requirements. I started studying from the beginning of January 2015, for at least ten hours per day while working part-time and from March 2015, a month before my exam, I dedicated all my time to study. My hard work finally paid off when I passed in May 2015.

Here some useful link for IMGs who want to work or continue their study in NZ:
New Zealand Medical Council
Eligibility requirment for NZREX clinical
Australian Medical Council MCQ
Kaplan Medical - USMLE course
USMLE course in Auckland
IELTS course with ELA

I will be glad to answer any questions about study schedule or useful materials for USMLE or AMC-MCQ.
​Also read my post about my experience preparing for NZREX here.

We started a new week and for me this means another long week of intensive study. After three weeks break I am entering that phase again - study, study and study.

Last weekend was study-free and this was a great weekend. I did not plan to do anything special, but it turned out to be amazing. It was a special weekend because it was our 21 month wedding anniversary. David and I celebrate every month that we have been together and we have done this since we started going out in 2011. We do this because we are so grateful for every month we are still together. We do not have a fancy celebration, usually only short messages via email or text is enough to make our day extra ordinary.

On Sunday, we decided to go for a walk going down Queen street, to the water front and watch the boats at the harbour. While we were looking at some ferries and speed-boats I suddenly had a thought to board the ferry and go to Devonport. I was glad that David agreed to follow my impulsive desire for adventure, so we bought two return tickets. David was so excited as it was his first time on the ferry to Devonport, although he  was slightly disappointed we could not go to the top deck due to bad weather.

It was almost dark when we arrived at Devonport so I could not take good pictures with my iphone. I was so gutted that I left my Canon camera at home but I will write more detail about Devonport in a different post and attached some photos from previous adventures to Devonport.

Most of the shops were already closed but we found a really interesting book store that was still open called The Bookmark. An old New Zealand map displayed near the entrance caught my eye, and I entered the shop. I realised that this shop is no ordinary book store as it has both antique and new books as well as ornaments from WWII. There are some comfy chairs for people who want to read their huge collection.

After we finished browsing, we went to the nearby take away shop to have fish and chips for dinner. The sign board says "since 1918", wow! The shop was small, with only one table, but they made the best fish and chips I have ever had.

We spent the rest of our time on the wharf watching the city lights before getting back on the ferry to Auckland.

Have you heard about Haggis? Haggis is traditional Scotland meal, which is consider as their national dish. It uses ox liver as the main ingredient, some recipe that I found on the internet also add ox tongue and lungs.

David and I tasted haggis for the first time a few months ago. I quite surprised, because not only we could tolerate its taste, but we actually love it - we normally hate the taste of liver.

Last Saturday, David organised some time to learn how to make Haggis with Jo, who is originally from Scotland. Although, she has already been in New Zealand for 52 years, she still hold her Scottish tradition tightly to her heart.

Jo was very kind, she not only shared her recipe with us, she also showed us how to make it and prepared all the ingredient. So I think I also will share it with you, so you can try to make it.

Haggis Recipe (easy way)
Ingredients:

• 1/2lb ox liver (I use lamb liver)
  
• 4oz shredded suet
  
• 4oz pinhead oatmeal
  
• 1 onion
  
• black pepper
  
• salt
  

How to make:

1. Cut liver and onion, place in the saucepan + 1 cup of water, boil for 15 minutes
   
2. Mince until it form consistency that you prefer.
   
3. Toast oatmeal in oven until light brown.
   
4. Mix all ingredient together + salt and pepper + 1 cup of water.
   
5. Place in a greased bowl (we use spray oil), cover and steam for 2 hours.
   

After the haggis cool down to room temperature you can put it in the fridge for a few days.

Serving suggestion:
Cut some NZ streaky bacon, fry until crispy, mix with haggis and fry until haggis turns brown, put some eggs and mix together. Serve with mashed potato and steamed broccoli.

Happy trying, hope you like it. Feel free to comment or ask me question. If you manage to make one please let me know how it turn-up, and what do u think?

Last weekend, was a long weekend in New Zealand, as we celebrated the Queen's birthday. 

It was a busy weekend for my husband, David, and I as we went to pick up my sister in law and her husband at Auckland airport on Saturday morning.  We drove to Hamilton to attend the wedding of David's cousin in the afternoon.

The wedding was so beautiful, I could see that the bride and groom were so in love and happy together, that brought back memories of our own wedding more than a year ago. 

The celebrations continued until late in the evening. Unfortunately I could not stay until the end as I was too tired.


It's almost my birthday, so on Sunday morning I organised a family brunch at Momento cafe on Victoria Street. It is a small cafe, with tasty food, great coffee, and a nice atmosphere. I ordered the big breakfast and a cappuccino, and was totally impressed. In fact, I was enjoying my food so much that I forgot to take any pictures. That explains why I have not displayed any photos of my birthday brunch. I will visit this cafe again  and will take many photos. David and his mum loved their waffles. My sister in law ordered the Mo burger, while her husband was a bit adventurous and ordered the jungle curry.

I had difficulty deciding which cafe to choose. I searched for reviews on tripadvisor, zomato and localist for the best cafe in Hamilton, and I was overwhelmed with the results. I felt like I wanted to stay in Hamilton for a week to try every cafe. There are so many cafes with amazing reputations, like: The River Kitchen, Victoria Street Bistro, Furnash Cafe, as well as many other cafes that are spread over Hamilton.

After brunch, we decided to visit the Waikato museum that is located across the street from Momento cafe. The museum is smaller than I expected and more like an art gallery because of the impressive number of art collections, especially paintings. Apart from paintings, there are also some exhibitions related to Maori history.


David snapped a picture of me wearing a Maori traditional outfit, which you can see below. Maori were the first people who came to New Zealand, their culture has shaped New Zealand culture.

I was interested in the view from the window of the museum looking out to the Waikato river, so we decided to take a stroll outside.