J'aime Tegal

Long long ago, I, as once a Pantura-frequenter, thought it'd be nice to stop by and explore the city. So when Ent, Marcia, Cupay ignited the idea, I quickly yessed it. Besides i needed to attend a wedding reception there.

that morning on third week of Nov, we hopped on Dedy Jaya. The road was loooong and it was not our brother. bumpy one moment, smooth another moment. thankfully most of the time Dedy sped.

We arrived in the city at 14.15. it has malls! We, being constantly hungry, lunched at the nearest warung. The ready-to-eat menu was like what I usually see in Jkt with an exception of sotong cooked in its own black ink. (“where do sotongs refill their ink?” joked M). And here none puts a “warung tegal” sign or call theirs warung tegal.

We explored the city on becak (Been a while since I rode the last time in Yogya). we went to Pantai Alam Indah to watch sunset. we stopped by a military museum and then to Alun Alun Poci for exra heavy dinner.

Day two. In the morning we headed to Guci. At an intersection we got off for a transit. Like my previous experience in Yogya, some thugs forced us to wait in the minibus. this time I refused to give up. we chartered a mikrolet.

The driver offered to take us on a scenic Kampung Danawarsih (?). It has a beautiful river. Someone tried to cross the pillar-turned-into-bridge and trembled that he retrieved. Lol. And it was fun to dip my feet in the thigh high cold water. It’s probably the cleanest in-the-kampong-river I’ve seen!

Off we went up to Guci, stopping by to snap some Farmville-like views. The air is so refreshing here. It was noon and cloudy. We hiked up to the hills. The good thing is it has a warm springs which we dipped ourselves in.

Mr. driver insisted on taking us to the canopy bridge. It’s beautiful, stretching like 100 m across the river. Picturesque is the surrounding. Perhaps we can go there and camp! And it was good for us to meet a man “shepherding” ducks, never been as close! He’s got black ducks too, a hybrid of entok (mallard?) and duck. It is said they make tasty grill.

Speaking of eating, i should say yes. we came to the city to devour! our culinary feast consisted of: chicken and goat satay, soto balungan, soto gambyong, and soto tauco, nasi-jinggo-like (forget the name), durian and many more, and of course, being in Tegal, gallons of tea served in clay pot or teh poci.

Singing for money (Ngamen)

"as little children we would dream of..."

i remember the days where Delsy, Diana, Ezzy, Andre, Johan, Angel etc would practice singing. Bali December 1997

Cooler Climate (on volcanos in Java)

Mi loves cool and breezy places but she says God takes me here where the sun smiles from morning to time to sleep. so i kinda like it she adds.

she goes wherever her man goes. faithful she is. heaven bless them. but think they have gone to cool and breezy places more often than i do, yes? lovely eh?

(while me don't like the hot weather, i can still tolerate. sometimes can't esp when the sun bakes my head and i will go dizzy)

Wherever they go, Mi has made peace with Pi's tendency to work the land. it's a curse or it's a blessing i don't know. but his toil is always fruitful. they brought me three manalagi mangoes from our backyard! he has the patience of a farmer--a profession his is.

so i am sending all the mountain breeze in Java to their house.

as for moi

as for meeee i will behoooold thy face in righteousness
i will be saaaatisfied when i 'm awake in thy likeness!

(love the very song)

Lift up my eyes to the hills (Puntang)

Lift up my eyes to the hills around Mt. Putang, to what I instantly fall in love with.

it's a lovely sight. the white lilies, 'netherlandische' aubergines, young coffee bushes, red rose and its hips, and of course the conifers (Pinus pinaster, probably). The wind sings through the branches of slender conifers, making the hills very much alive. Also there are many lovely ruins of kolam cinta, houses, cave, kitchen, tennis court. things must have been lively back then, yes? see the bw pictures.

Go there with my merry company.

we first hike uphill abt 100 m off kolam cinta. notice how the Dutch governed the water and the trees. unlike the 'sterile', pine-only Hutan Pinus in my hometown, i see thickets of bougenvillae, wild brambles, liliums, mats of grass and weeds, banana plants, even palm etc mashing up with the conifers. lichens and mushrooms are ubiquitous. pleasing to the eyes.

then the rain starts falling and wets us. sooo cold that we rush back to the warung and eat, eat, and eat.

Later join the rest in the evening. we build the tents of orange, silver, black and dark blue. four in all. Also the campfire is fun with DJ Echi playing, sweet potatoes roasting, storytelling, star gazing, and dinner. (long since the last time i went camping in 1999 at Curug Nangka).

the next day i go to the river with Yudhi and Echi. ice cold water runs endlessly, waking all nerves! then discover the wonder of swinging in the hammock. imagine myself wearing white shirt and pants inside green hammock (me nagasari cake!)

later we go trekking. first to the Cikahuripan ('river of life') waterfall. what a name, yes? and to the river where we dip and have a freezing fun (not to mention tent washing!). awwwwwww ice cold!

as for me, love the company and the experience.

Pack and Leave

Never felt so smart that morning. i packed light!

God Bless the Child! (Krakatau)

Ashes to Cool the Earth (Krakatau)

Note: Pinatubo erupted in 1991

Children, Go where I Send Thee! (Krakatau)

the song just kept playing in my head before I went on this trip to Krakatau-Kiluan on August 14-17, 2009. must thank Vit for the album (song sung by Natalie Merchant) i listened to in my early years of college. Now I know the meaning of the song--in my own understanding.

sawah

miss the rice fields

at Lawang, Canggu, and at Pematang Siantar/the first used to be my playground
with gigantic volcanic stones (which Arjuna randomly vomitted, sprinkling the valley near my Anno Domini 1910 house), emprit finches, and rare-and-long-awaited genjer/soo curious i couldnt rest until i found one (I begged Mami to tell her experience eating the unlikely vegetable)

my rock: my daydreaming place (i remember one day Dion and I played there, surprisingly we

managed to stay clean of the mud--well once i dipped my legs in the muddy banks with kak Lexi--and we skipped Friday school which was LBTC's prelude to Sunday school)

the small irrigating rivers/the fresh mud farmers mounted to block waters/string beans vines--which made me remember of palawija/the muddy banks/the hike to Polaman

the eels and green frogs papi brought home after some nights/protein source addition (love you, pi!)

and thank God, I never had any encounter with snakes.

Canggu's is similar to Lawang's/If I just walked the diagonal lines, crossing the pematangs, i would found home
dont remember if Yohan and I walked through it after visiting Angel at Pak Simon's house

love rice fields near ladang at my opungs'/spacious, flatlands, herons, fishes
poisonous cassavas, jengkol trees/aunt Siti and cousins

miss those rice fields much!


[trinadtsat-vosem-dvesyaci-sem]

kiss kiss

this dedication page moves me. in my opinion, it sums up the whole story--or message--of Bilangan Fu novel: "Untuk negeriku Indonesia yang dengan sedih kucinta"

how can you love [someone/something] sadly?

just don't know. i bet Ayu Utami is using her licensa poetica (?).

so here I am with my cup and a piece of lousy paper and i wonder:

do I love this country no matter what?

In the sea of Broccoli (Tidung island)

i rolled into Methods of language Research or MPB (worth 4 credits) class back in the college years. did it simply because I wanted to .... travel.

alas, the class din go to Tidung nor Cirebon for field research.....

but years later came my time to visit this Maldives of Jakarta. Maladewa!

my heart din lie so din my face. i couldn't wait to pack things into my new 30 liters backpack and went straight to Muara Angke onboard the ship. i slept at 00.00 and woke up at 05.00. the alarm cut an ending of an exciting dream (well, i woke up smiling and eager) i couldnt remember. i was also happy for my new bag and sandals, also life vest and snorkel. and goggle

arriving at 6.45 and the engine had already been coughing constantly, I was relieved to see Marley's face, also others' which I recognised from previous trip: Rian's, Nya Nyu's, Ricka's, Titiw's, Tessa's, Anin's, Ime's, and later Nugi's. I also saw new friendly faces.

SAIL AWAY
half an hour later the boat set off and i tried to amuse myself with ever unreadable The Great Gatsby. i also tried to converse with Riri. She studied sea stars and is an avid diver. but then i yawned and yawned. the conversation was interesting but my eyes just wouldnt tolerate. so i excused myself and laid asleep for the next 2 hrs. i woke up and abt 30 min later the boat kissed the pier. i made some acquaintances and got ready for lunch and bike.

BIKE
It took a boring moment for the delivery of the bikes. i felt fatigued and wanted to do it (biking) without further ado. the bikes finally arrived and everyone got one. i took the lead. the tracks were exciting: tall grasses, masses of coconut trees and occasional sharp surprises of pandanus leaves. it was fun that i din realize the front tire has flatten!

(photo Matt Rahmat)

there i went, heading to the wooden bridge. i couldnt count how many coconut trees were "sacrificed" to make it. it's in the poor condition, some planks disappeared and it is weathered down so to speak. there were workers dragging concrete columns. they are replacing the planks with those slender pieces. the water under the bridge is crystal clear and the visibility is high. grasslike vegetations thrive in the shallow water and near the orange boat grow a cluster of broocoli like reefs. superb!

PLUNG
i plunged into the sea in the afternoon, day 1. the visibility was about 1.5 m (sun was setting) and the temperature of the water varied: warm, cold, lukewarm within meters. it was great to try my life vest for the first time.


exhausted from biking and diving (I rode with front tire entirely flat!), i ate much. the grilled tongkol (of tuna family) tasted so good. crisp outside, tender and smoky inside. and the taste of the sambal was terrific! the hostess also cooked us a huge pile of scallop (kerang darah), caramelized.

DAY 2
in the morning we rode again (i got a new bike) in search of sunny side up and its golden rays. we arrived ath the bridge at 6.00 and later we got the sunrise show, followed by a morning meal delivered to us: simple dish of rice, kerupuk, and fried egg, sambal and hot tea.

we biked to the tomb of a local warrior, the first settler of the island. it was faithfully guarded by an old man people call Engkong. he's got a big cat and clean front yard. then we walked to the beach and the bladelike grass greeted my bare leg. funny though. i combed the beach with Adrian and found some spot full of sea stars! amazing. five points and all i remember was my conversation with Riri. I spotted their eyes!

Adrian and I took some plung at the edge of the reefy beach. shallow waters with full of corals, colorful and most of them were new to my eyes. love it!

despite some bruises and cuts I loved the experience. so i raise my glass again for MPB and again for the islands!

Happiness is A Warm Cup

of coffee

of your cup
which I don'tdrink of

our cups
which we talk over
on the table

it's a single cigarette
of yours
which i don't light

of smoke
which doesn't find way
to my eyes

it's cheerfulness

it's a head
of yours

and an aim
of yours

happiness is

our cups
which we talk over

is coffee
and milk te

which we sip

(sometimes, when a new friend talking about his/her journey of life, it--partially--becomes mine)

Come on In, Pilgrim

heavy doors
strong, woody
smell of rust
and oil

heavy doors
only I knock

doors of cast iron
and old wood

knock knock

somebody will hear?
the plea of the heart

i know none
will open it for me

the inhabitant lives
elsewhere
yet i can't resist
knocking

you know
I only knock
heavy doors

i only hear
return knock

someone is knocking
the door
of the heart

(on knocking on heaven's door[s], a habit i do when traveling)

Random Sadness

aching heart beautiful self lies
in no effort
can a heart hope
however set high

I saw you more than once
on the beach
on the mountain
full of heathers
but the whole thing was nightmare
since it was all illusion

dreams can be misleading
but the heart is the real guide

(when I don't travel, let my heart do)

Marley and Me (@Ujung Kulon)

(morning at Pulau Peucang)

I phone Marley, checking what he is up to. "Ujung Kulon." Excuse me, monsieur?

I am more than glad to join the trip to Pulau Peucang. Everything turns out to be beyond my expectations. And i think this sums up what K Es texted me: have a nice journey and count yr blessings.
and here they are:
I have got a company of 40 plus and they're nice people. Most of them--like Marley I guess--are seasoned travelers. I also meet my old friend's friends. how cool is that?
I've a beautiful sunset and later in the morning after a nice yellow sunrise.
I have my first dip in the ocean and doing a brief (my first) snorkeling. Think I'll add the equipment to my list soon. I feed greens to demanding monkeys, not to forget I have a nice encounter with a not-so-wild boar and a male deer. I have my lomo with me.
I have hours of nice experience.

(first in situ dip, abt 15 min sail off Pulau Peucang)

Most importantly I learn lessons unlearnt on the mainland Java. Ha!
It's a pay off especially when I missed the trip in 2000 (gulp! nine yrs ago!)

Twas great to hit the water again.

(Xem)

curious thing

why is it?
the road, unpaved
for my steps
rough and killing hope

i am a road builder

Angel Unaware

I'm happy for Angel, no doubt.
In mind, I saw the six of us bursting into laughter at bale bengong. Phew that was 11 yrs ago.

This tired old mind goes back and fro Bali these days. It pays a visit to Pak Simon's house in Tabanan, where Angel was temporarily stationed: Pak Simon, his old Mom (?), the neglected (then adopted) Kamus Inggris-Indonesia, and his lovely house with tatched roof and of course a green-snake killing near the pigs' den. And of Angel wanting to open small business.

One lazy day (as every day was back then at Jl Ratna), Angel was 'inhabited' by a crafty Spirit, that's people's term. She returned to her long lost skill: cooking traditional dessert. This time she chose dawet or cendol. She ground some big amount of rice on the cobek. The stone bowl was big--enough to grind spices for cookings fo 100 people. and she let the wet powder 'rest' for awhile.

later she cooked the dough and made it pass through syringe (a hole-y part of dandang) unto a bowl of cold water. I din remember whether I helped her. She grated some coconut to make cocomilk (super-water-diluted) and sweetener made of a mixture of cane sugar and brown sugar.

We gathered at bale bengong. Everyone celebrated the rare--indeed rare--dessert. Faces couldn't lie. There was something about it.

Laughter exploded. It tasted ... hot! Angel must have forgot to clean the cobek entirely. LOL

In just two hours, everone suffered from stomachache...
I just imagined, what if Angel insisted on us taking more of this supposedly green and white drink...
I'd answer, thanks thanks. One glass is my limit
(of course it would be a lie LOL)


Back in Tabanan (like 5 km away from Canggu where Yohan and I were stationed), Angel fretted, Sem, let's go find Simon & (?). Perhaps he can lend us some money. That's what people now call micro credit.

To this day, i still think, why couldn't I utter to them that Angel was thinking of opening small business. Simon and his friend was celebrating their discovery of naming a cat Sambal. She wanted to teach local people how to earn more money by selling desserts. what a noble heart. my mind was certainly the size of a walnut then.


Angelina Filippiana--I don't know what her name now is. I think she is now in the state of hilarious happiness. She must have adopted her husband's. "He's from Sydney, you know". Ah yes.

She's won the mental battle. There's nothing sweeter than having the last laugh.

(Visiting Pak Simon's was much delight. On the way there, I enjoyed the paddy fields. One time light green, one time dark green, and then entirely yellow. One can wax lyrical about it. So picturesque, so were the kampongs. Yohan even found a 'Pythagoras' short cut through the ripening fields on the way back to Canggu. He even noticed some string beans on the muddy tracks. think Farmers there are quite smart to use their lands to the best result.)