Tripudiate

Sleep Is...Overrated!

2012-02-11T07:50:00.001-08:00

“Almost an Island” & Nobody’s an Island

2012-02-11T07:31:00.000-08:00

This is not an island. Pseudo-island!, I said to Mamet, Hamok, n Ricka. As fas as eyes can see, Pulau Santolo is an unlikely island. it is like a large piece of land cut off from the mainland. It is about 8 meters away from the mainland. You can cross the river by swimming or 30 seconds boat trip! But who wouldve known that the island later revealed itself in its own way.

So after a long journey that produced a pain in the ass (for sitting for 8 hrs), we arrived at Pulau Santolo. Relieved, we hung the hammocks. The sea breeze lulled us to a deep daydreaming… I gazed to the roaring south sea, and I thought, phew, a tsunami hit this area not long ago.

I put the terrifying thought to sleep and later off I went to the nearby hut-cum-resto and ordered coffee. I continued reading Nigel Barley’s shallow yet entertaining (or should I say entertaining yet shallow?) travel book, titled In the Footsteps of Stamford Raffles. I like this book. I have read it through years ago and still find some chapters entertaining. Had Raffles been here to Garut anyway? Apparently no.

That afternoon after rain, we found a hut whose owners are very friendly. They din overprice the food. So we ordered 1 kg grilled ikan baronang, ½ kg grilled squid, ½ kg deep sea dwelling crabs aka rajungan, and ½ kg rice. A feast it was! Besides I havent eaten any rajungan for decades! All tasted well and sooo delicious. We ate at a bale. A feast by the sea indeed.

At 10, nightmare began. The wind blew so strong it scattered anything that we woke up frightened. The wind literally screamed! We rushed ourselves to the nearby hut. The minute the hut owners shut their hut, I really began to panic. I felt I was left, exposed to the harsh wind. While we moved things, I saw friends looked so calm and I wondered how they did so. Have they been in this situation before? Or are they trying to look not panicked?

Oh Lord, what if a tsunami happens?

The hut to which we moved ("salmon hut") was covered only on one side. The wind slapped the plastic spread that we had to fix it. Hamok came to rescue and we were half wet. It rained, too!

I couldn’t sleep. I felt so tiny, dwarfed by the big storm…. I began to call on God’s names....I felt so exhausted that I fell asleep...

We woke up at 5 am to find that the sea particularly calm. what a relief.

I thanked the island. How did i thank it? I said to it loud, how beautiful your rocks are! The island is a huge piece of solid rock. It has a natural "extension" of rock-beach about the size of 2 football fields. So when the wave hit the night before, it crashed on to the rocky surface. It weakened the wave before it reached the shore. Thus we stayed safe all the night.

A Hen at Sacred Site

2012-02-11T07:21:00.001-08:00

Garut

Oh Baby!

2012-02-11T07:17:00.000-08:00

poor baby sharks, sold at $3 each, Garut

Puntang dan's Un Mirroir

2011-12-30T19:02:00.000-08:00

le mirroir est Kolam Cinta

"And the Mountains in Reply" Trip or "Health Tourism" Trip, or "Aishah and Pras" Trip

2011-12-30T18:15:00.000-08:00

Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing over the plains
and the mountains in reply
echoing their joyous strains:
Glooooo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-ria in excelsis Deo!

this Christmas I spent--or celebrated--it with friends. I went to Puntang to join Umi, Echi, Fitri, Indri, Lusi, Ifan, Jarir, and Hamok. We had fun cooking, eating, swimming in the ice cold river. we had fun reading too!
i finished some paragraph of The Malay Archipelago. And we had an interesting moment listening to the tale of Aishah and Pras. "Kamu kepanasan ya? Ayo buka kancingnya..." there goes the story. (and if you think it's an erotica, you guess wrong, Sem. This is a UN-sponsored book for sex education.)

Unfortunately, I fell ill on Christmas Day. I've never had this kind of embarassing sickness in my trips since August 1998! So it was nice of Echi for the accu-pressure treatment, Umi for accompanying despite the nocturnal 'music' from brave brother Hamok, and friends for cooking meals and hot drinks and well-wish. I love their noisy cheery company.

Fortunately, I recovered in the last day of our trip.

So which one should i pick to name the trip? Is it "And the Mountains in Reply" Trip or "Health Tourism" Trip, or "Aishah and Pras" Trip? :)

to dive for (again)

2011-12-10T07:21:00.000-08:00

photo by Rosa Widiyarini

Shark sign! it's a yes before the second dive. early dec 2012
weekending with ocha, rian, ricka, cupliz, olive, irene, marcia, fira, harry.

I Smell Sumpin Fishy, Too

2011-12-06T23:39:00.000-08:00

Rejected lobsters at Fish Market, Ujung Genteng
weekending with Vit, Roy, Dania, Adi, Fivi, Dea, Away, Hesty, Maya.

I Smell Sumpin Fishy

2011-12-06T23:38:00.000-08:00

Fish Market, Ujung Genteng, Sukabumi, mid Nov 2012
weekending with Vit, Roy, Dania, Adi, Fivi, Dea, Away, Hesty, Maya.

Le Playlist 3

2011-11-16T02:32:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been accompanied by:

1. Laudate Dominum
I love Hayley Westenra's n Cecilia Bartoli's versions.

2. Ritter Fruhling
the spring song never fails to cheer me up in autumn wind.

3. Wallet
"I found a wallet, I found a wallet...and like a holy relic, or a mystery novel
I thumbed them in the dim light..." Bravo, Miss Regina Spektor!

4. Riverside
If I have a chance to meet Miss Agnes Obel, I'll buy her a drink. Love this song.

5. Sea Lion Woman
by Feist. Fresh--yet forgettable :)

6. Up to the Mountain
Susan Boyle's version.

7. Chasing Rainbow
Australian Girls Choir

Oh How True

2011-11-13T06:40:00.000-08:00

I love this mall. They got great calzone (HKD 17) and Lambda pear juice (HKD 12), nice postcards, and more only nice for eyes, not wallet so to speak :) the phrase summarizes the trip.

Goodness, I feel I-dont-know-what-to-say!

Love Thy Neighbours

2011-10-10T08:52:00.000-07:00

a Buddhist holy book, a Holy Bible, and a qiblah in the drawer of bed side table at Shangri-La The Rocks.

Saint Patrick at The Rocks

2011-10-10T08:47:00.000-07:00

I went for a short walk toward the church just checking if I might get in. It was 06.30 AM. The church was empty but yellow-lit. Beautiful. I stood outside, admiring its hugeness. It is built of the rocks already available at The Rocks. Huge blocks of orange-tinted rock bricks. The church dated back to the 18th century.

I would love to enter its gates with thanksgiving. But I had to catch flight. Next time I'm going to return back there.

The Island that consists of huge Rocks

2011-10-10T08:34:00.000-07:00

inside the belly of the rock hill

on the daylight

Les Divers

2011-10-10T08:33:00.000-07:00

Moi et le grand diver!

Un Fan D'Opera: ceci est moi

2011-10-10T08:31:00.000-07:00

Before his departure, Keith Browning often visited us back home. He and his wife touched so many hearts. I love their smile. I always noticed that his nose is crooked and not straight. He was irresistibly funny. How the Australians came to know our place will forever remain unknown unless I consult Oom Darto, which I dont have any intentions to ask him. Every year he'd came and bring souvenirs for us, like calendar adorned with Aboriginal motifs and The Opera House. And kookaburras. One calendar dated back to 1983 perhaps. Oh where is it?

So when I saw The House, I remembered him fondly.

Dans La Nuit

2011-10-10T08:28:00.000-07:00

in The Rocks

From a Distance

2011-10-10T08:27:00.004-07:00

Day 1

Day 2

St Patrick 1

2011-10-10T08:27:00.003-07:00

St. Patrick Catholic Church is making its home among the towering concrete mushrooms at The Rocks.

Again: Kindness of a Stranger

2011-07-17T04:24:00.000-07:00

Setiap kali jalan, aku ingat, ada saja kebaikan orang asing yang aku terima. Aku pun menduga-duga, apakah mereka malaikat yang sedang menyamar. Contohnya ini.

Di Bukit Campuhan sore itu aku jalan-jalan sendiri. Sudah ada pavement, jadi enak jalan-jalan karena lagi pakai sepatu yang hanya cocok untuk permukaan rata. Anginnya sepoi-sepoi, ke mana mata memandang, semua hijau. Kiri lembah penuh rumput ilalang, sawah di lembah sebelah kanan. Ilalang. Padi. Sama-sama rumput. Beda guna. Semuanya terlihat indah meliuk-liuk ditiup angin.

Tiba-tiba ada yang mau lewat. Aku lihat ke bawah.

Hai! sapaku

Dia tersenyum. Benar-benar tersenyum mulutnya. Dia terengah-engah.

Hai, aku Sem. Kamu? aku jongkok, kasih tangan. Dia balas dengan kibasan ekor yang gembira.

Kita pun bercengkerama di luar bahasa. Aku nggak ngerti bahasanya (hanya dengkingan pelan dan kibasan ekor yang kubaca sebagai tanda ia bahagia). Dia pun mungkin nggak mengerti bahasaku. Baginya, aku mungkin saja hanya "orang asing yang banyak tanya", soalnya aku tanya terus: Kamu dari mana? Kok sendirian sih? Sore-sore gini kamu mau ke mana? Ke pura? Jauh nggak sampai ujung jalan?

Dia berkali-kali jilat tanganku. Aku jadi terharu. Dia menerimaku apa adanya...

Akhirnya, dia menunjukkan tanda-tanda ingin melanjutkan perjalanan. Aku bilang, aku senang ketemu kamu. Kita berdua foto yuk!

Sehabis itu, kita pisah. Dia lanjutkan perjalanan dengan ekor tetap berkibar.

Sampai jumpa, kawan! Diberkatilah kamu, seorang eh seekor asing yang baik!

Chasing Waterfalls

2011-07-07T19:49:00.000-07:00

Gak punya air terjun, bikin sendiri deh. Gede-gede pula. Enak juga denger suaranya.
Jurong Bird Park, Spore Botanic Gardens.

Drive In aka Layar Tancep!

2011-07-07T19:47:00.000-07:00

Hmmm jadi ingat layar tancep di Lapangan Segitiga! (Kenapa nggak jauh-jauh dari situ hantu-hantu memori ini?) Gimana mereka masang perkakas di sore jari, naik pickup keliling kecamatan untuk woro-woro, dan di malam harinya orang-orang kumpul di depan layar kain. Entah deh film apa yang diputar.
(Spore Nat. Museum)

Glek, Glek, Glek!

2011-07-07T19:46:00.000-07:00

Diberkatilah mereka yang memberi air minum!

Senang dapat air minum gratis. Ini barangkali alasan pajak tinggi di negeri ini. Fasilitas terjamin. Keran air minum di S.pore Botanic Gardens yang gratis alias nggak pakai bayar masuknya.

Droooool!

2011-07-07T19:45:00.000-07:00

ngiler setiap liat foto ini. sepotong ikan, sesendok sayur tumisan kacang panjang, sambal goring tomat. Semua dingin, hanya nasi yg masih ada sisa-sisa akhir kehangatan, yang jadi dingin dalam satu menit kena embusan angin di Pulau Pasir Putih. Lezat banget…ikan segarnya gurih, juicy dan dagingnya manis. Minyak gorengannya lezat, berasa campuran garam dan bawang putihnya, dan entah bumbu apa yang membuatnya sedikit kuning. Ketumbar? Sambalnya bikin nangis, tapi jadi bikin lahap pula. Menu ini jadi makanan terenak di Pulau Paput. Thanks to Kak Yoke and Team.

An Itchy Adventure (“Buy 1 Get 1” Trip)

2011-07-07T19:43:00.000-07:00

We are itchy to dive again. Our last dip was last November. That's why we nod to make trip to Ujung Kulon, ironically for….snorkeling. people change. So do budgets!

For whatever reason I till today don’t (want to) know, we almost cancel our trip to UK. But it’s said, when you say a wish, the universe will speak back to you. We say our wish and it replies. It speaks in language we dont understand.

We pack things into Sena’s car. Sena, empty navigator’s seat. Rian, moi. Ocha, Ricka. We pick Audy who's hanging out with friends, watching Mark Ronson DJ-ing. Off we go. It's almost 23.30.

Sena drives like pro in the dark of the night. Opa Rian is our occasional navigator (as he often falls asleep). The rest of us sleep like babies. We reach Sumur at 06.00.

Sena drives like pro in the daylight, on the bumpy road (most of the road is as ugly as in April 2009). Three ungodly hours later, finally, we make it to Andre’s place.

It is situated in a bay. a long long white beach, trimmed with coconut trees. When the first time I passed the area was in April 2009, I thought, it’d be lovely to spend some time here. Now here we are, at the bay. By the sea. at the foot of a green hill.

We eat fried bananas and dough-with-vegetables (bakwan sayur, sans the bak of course) and drink tea too sweet. It's a good breakfast and little do we know that the real breakfast is in the kitchen table. Anyway there’s always room for the real meal. So we eat a load before going to the beach.

Soon as we reach the snorkeling spot near Pulau (?), we plung. Only Andre and Rian plung deeper. Rian dives. Andre acts as buddy divemaster. Rian is “the traitor” for only he, this time, has more money for diving!

It takes less than half a minute to know we—snorkelers—are unwelcomed. We are stung by unknown creatures. All over our bare skin! What is it? Hey, did you get stung?

Visible to eyes are millions of mini jellyfish-like creatures. It is slightly bigger the size of a mung bean, transparent and has butterfly-like wings. We at first try to ignore the attack as the underwater reefs are beautiful and in good shape. The fishes are big and beautiful and seemingly edible. But we are stung mercilessly. Only Ricka is safe because she wears wetsuit. Oh itchy itchy itchy!

I could have ignored them if they din sting my lips! At last we give up, waving to the boatmen to pick us up.

Minutes later the divers surface. We eat lunch and some delicacy. The latter is soft, apricot and poppy seeds infused cheese from Australia with biscuit imported from Norway. The baked good is labeled Buy 1 Get 1! A good tasty yummy combination. Did I mention that there was no expiry date on the biscuit’s packaging? Perhaps it is expired. But, being 10 miles away from the mainland, who cares?

Across, we see a boat doing a mysterious thing. Its men jump into the sea, wearing masks and handing hoses in hands. Some operate an ugly looking machine. They’re poisoning reefs to harvest fish, said Andre. We approach the boat and Andre speaks to them softly and they leave.

While divers are having second dip, we dip to the second spot, hoping it is a sting free spot. it was. Some corals have been broken, supposedly from bombings. Some colonies showed signs of bleaching. It is a sad sight but fortunately, some shows recovery. I spot a big trevally, swimming alone. I guess it is taking a leave of swimming in school. I chase it until it disappears in to the dark blue water.

We surface, crawling to the white beach of Pulau (?), a tiny island that shows major signs of abrasion. There are only plastic rubbish, a leguminous tree, many trailing plants and some mangrove. Then we swim back to the boat.

We return to the mainland and run for shelter because the sun is scorching. We eat some and being, exhausted, fall asleep only to wake up and eat dinner. Yay! life's good at the beach.

We later have some talk and tea on the front porch, asking silly questions like, what do young people here do on Saturday night? What do they regard as entertainment? How they date? How can they, far from anywhere, manage to live happily? Young people here take 3 hrs motor ride to Sumur to watch (mostly) dangdut concerts and to buy DVDs.

It is a nice weather and we go walking on the beach, asking whether turtles still lay eggs here on the beach. they reply no. after some nice sitting on the sand, we go back home because it rains. We sleep well.

In the morning we wake up and take a walk to the beach again, only further. I regret we din wake up earlier to hike up the hill to see a waterfall. On the beach, we see these two big trees, standing sturdy and thriving in the water. Those must have been a kind of false mangroves. We then rush back because we have to--eat and pack.

We eat fragrant rice, fried noodle, braised eggs, fried sambal, and kerupuk. We pack and bid farewell to Andre, boatmen, and the host.

We go to the nearest neighboring village that surprisingly has a very smooth road. We go to a local crafts workshop, managed by WWF, and buy these rhino figurines.

A holiday too short, we sigh. But it is fun. And we’re already itchy to go back again.

Another...

2011-06-21T04:04:00.000-07:00

another rainy day at work or another work in rainy day? (Amatoo)

Reflection at Amatoo

2011-06-21T04:02:00.000-07:00

No Betel-Nutting Here!

2011-06-21T04:00:00.000-07:00

A message to discourage betel-nut eating (which induces spitting), Nabire Airport

A Bold Message

2011-06-21T03:57:00.000-07:00

Inside the waiting room, Kaimana Airport

Nongkojajar

2011-06-17T06:26:00.000-07:00

apples. watercress. kali biru. cold. kletak. atok. oom darto. church. camping. pine aroma. dwarf apple trees. white blooms. white flowered rheumason-aromatic rooted plant. cold dip. charisma with curled-at-salon hair. naked dip. market. hermon. nelly. old woman named saniah (not shania, sem). red hi-ace. pickup kijang. long walk. Lima Sekawan-inspired camping at schoolyard turned disaster. no money, walking to pasar, hoping to hitchhike. saved by tante yayuk. 1991. the last time i saw oom stube. the legendary horse-shoe-like bent road. what did i eat? oom (?) at kletak whose daughter (?) married an australian. oom bambang? oom kusno? pak pi'i? camping at kletak. drank fresh-yet-sour milk, coffee added. kak flora and napak tilas? was it at Bukit Gembala? mas toton? what did he do up there. i guess he wasn't even present there. did papi came along? dont remember a trip with papi. mbak astuti? where is she? apples. never ate apples. sad eh? amazed at seeing carrot plants for the first time. did oom alex mentioned going there? whose empty house it is at the top of the cliff? seeing the small pink flowers of the shamrocks plants whose leaves taste sour. semanggi? apples. apples. why din they gave me apples?

Sambal Matah a la Chef Sem

2011-06-17T06:06:00.000-07:00

once, i felt this like crazy: craving for sambal matah. the crispness of the onion, the heat of the chili, the lovely smell and pungent taste of lemongrass, the fresh and spiciness of kaffir lime... made me drool. If only i could get any nasi campur and sambal matah, i wished

Sadly, i got neither nasi campur nor sambal matah. One has to fly to Bali to get them! Oh Ibu Oka!

So when friends and i went to Cianjur, i saw these scattered on the wooden floor:

- chilies
- onions
- kaffir lime leaves
- lemongrass

suddenly the sun shone through the clouds...

i waited no more and started to cut them into thin fine slices. mixed well, the ingredients were infused with heated cooking oil, fresh from the wok. et voila.....

the smell ...heavenly... it was the best condiment for fried chicken and fish, sayur asam, and kerupuks. friends loved it too!

did i happen to mention that the floor also served as cutting board?

"Les Matines" Adventure at Pulau Macan

2011-06-13T01:37:00.000-07:00

It's midnight and I can’t sleep. The excitement is huge. I close Aesop’s Fable, not wanting to finish it. think, what book have i wanted to read yet havent bought?...am trying to recall the title. The book starts with les matines. the morning prayer. Got it: Name of the Rose.

I fall asleep and wake up early this Monday, when my Muslim brethrens say their morning prayer over loudspeakers. Les matines. I have to wake up early indeed. Today I'm ggoing to go to Pulau Macan at Kepulauan Seribu, Jakarta. The boat is scheduled to sail at 07.00 from Ancol Marina.

There I meet the friendly Ibu Agnes, my host. She arranges the trip. We survives a 2-hrs-long-noise pollution. Never has I been so relieved at stepping on a pier!

Arriving at Pulau Macan, it is already 09.30. the sun shines bright. The sky is blue, so is the sea. i fall in love instantly with its every greenery: the casuarinas (sea pines), the mangroves, the white flowered trees, and the pink flowered trees, the bougainvilleas, the hibiscuses, and many more. Gazing skyward, it is entirely blocked with branches. lovely. C’est l’amour vegetal.

The island is about the size of a football field. So it is an exercise to walk on its terra firma. I was in the middle of an island, yet feels like in the middle of a small wood. how serene!

Then I hear these birds chirping above my head. I can identify some of them: kingfishers and black corvids. The black birds remind me of the song: Morning Has Broken. It plays in my head: Morning has broken, like the first morning/Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird/Praise for the singing, praise for the morning/Praise for the springing fresh from the word

It is already 10.00 but felt like 07.00. I continue humming the song, popularized by Cat Stevens (now Yusuf Islam). I even play the other version, sung by Tithiek Sandora and husband Muchsin Alatas! Quietly I follow the black corvid until it flies away.

Every detail of the island is pleasing to eye: the furniture made of driftwood, the garden lamp cover made of plastic gallon, kima shells as containers, and so many more.They even harvest the sun for electricity.

Then i try the windsurfing board. I succeed although my ass gets wet, lol. Therefore after paddling in full clothes, I jump into the sea for a quick observation. the corals around the pier are in good condition. The island even has a program in which guests can get involved: adopting hard corals. Cool, no?

There are about 15 other guests and about 10 hosts. They are pleasant and friendly. We eat together, sit together through dinner, and exchange good gestures. We sail to Pulau Kayu Angin Bira for snorkeling in the afternoon when there is still sunlight. It is a nice adventure, especially for me, dipping with new pair of borrowed fins. It is light and I move easily. The scene under is lovely too. Matthias and Juli even spot a medium sized hawksbill turtle! Lucky them!

When the sun is setting, we gather, sipping drinks, watching the orange sun sinking. It is beautiful. The surface of the sea becomes soft like an old photograph. Lovely.

We have nice talk during dinner. The cook serves big East-meets-West meals: meat floss, nice salad (considering we are like 40 miles off the mainland, any vegetables tastes super here), fried chicken, and many more to satisfy everyone.

We are orchestrated by yoga music from the loudspeakers, the whispers of wind through the needles of casuarinas, and the song of nocturnal birds. The moon is full and so is the feeling.

We bid good night and I, being exhausted, instantly fall asleep in the wooden cabin.

I wake up early and gulped two big glasses of water and go off to the pier. Once again, Morning Has Broken and its every line comes into real scenes: the birds are singing, leaves moist with dew and the sun already a big red ball in the east. I’ve witnessed so many sunrise and each is unique. The warm rays, the warm colors, the reddish sky. Cool!

Colin and ibu Agnes are paddling their windsurf board to the Pulau Macan Gundul, 150 meter off Pulau Macan. I place my camera on the bar table and rush to the pier to get my board ready. With rustling heart, I paddle to the dark waters. I can do it I can do it. Let me enjoy it. Don't let me fall and sink! is my les matines.

The sun is still red and the heat is on my face. get shaky time and again. methink, if Bu Agnes can make it, I can make it. After minutes of struggle to find balance, I rest on the shore of Pulau Macan Gundul. Oh yes!

Confidence grows and I try some stunt, trying to stand on the surfboard. I fall instantly! So I think, better to explore the small white-sand island. It’s a small island, with many trees and many mangroves on its side. Some birds can be heard chirping and I can see some clear opening on which could fit about four tents. It will be nice camping here! Next time perhaps?

On my way back, almost lose heart. The wind blows the elated front part of the board, leading me to wrong directions every time I paddle. I grow weary. but somehow I manage to reach the pier. Sighs of relief.

What makes me more relieved is that i come on breakfast time. every palate and stomach is now happy. I love the coffee and the particular spot: the bench and table near the volleyball court.

All in all I have a good time here: snorkeling, eating, birdwatching, windsurf-boarding, taking photographs, reading (finishing Aesop's Fable) and walking barefoot on the sand...this is what's called 'island life'

On my way back, I sit on the top of the yacht with Matthias and Juli. I arrive at my room at 16.00. I sleep for hours and have a dream. in my dream I am paddling towards Pulau Macan Gundul. comes a school of dolphins, ahead of me.... I sleep well and wake up when les matines fill the air.

Semalam di Cianjur (See the World in BW)

2011-06-13T00:09:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year, friends from Wiken Tanpa ke Mall (or WTM, @wikentanpamall) executed the idea of giving family photos. For free. I agreed to join the trip. This is a serious matter: who thinks of having family photographs when buying rice is the top priority of all? thought I.

Off we went to Cianjur. Bolang drove, Umi acted as navigator. Budi, Hanum, Eep and moi acted as, what else, passengers. It was Friday night. Ahead of us was three friends from SCTV. They will tape us, said Umi. I combed my hair.

In the morning, it rained. We already reached the tea plantation. We were lost. I had to step down and asked a bunch of old womyn to inquire direction. It was 05.30, raining, and they pointed the direction, smiling--their lips en rouge! Yes they, all five of them, wore red lipstick even before the sun rose! You need to feel good at work!

I love the layers

les monsieurs. il etait 6 heures du matin

An hour later we arrived, then ordered hot tea and instant noodles. much relieved. We later prepared things and cooked at the rented house. It was a medium sized house, all build of wood and bedeck, elevated a meter off ground. We had the broadest cutting board in the world. Hanum and Budi cooked sour soup, Eep took water from the well, Umi and I prepared other meals. I had the idea of making sambal matah. Friends from SCTV joined the fun. Bolang slept. We forgave him for we can’t drive car!

mes amies

In the afternoon rain came. We split into two groups. I went along with Eep, Budi, mas (?) knocking from door to door, asking their kindness to come to the rented house the next day for the photoshoot. Eep showed the biggest patience in the world, speaking in Sundanese. The most polite Sundanese.

Later at night we ate and ate. we slept until the phone rang endlessly. It was Firman, Hamok, and Hamok’s love interest (sorry sister I forget your name!).

Came morning and we rose to feet and prepared for the photoshoot. At 09.00, people were coming. We were delighted to see them coming, wearing their best clothes. I saw friends were doing their best organizing the photoshoot. Me was more than happy to be the stylist.

“Bapak, get closer to Ibu, please. You could please put your hand on her shoulder. Yes, that’s it.” “Could you please smile? Don’t be serious. Ah yes.” “Can you please show off toothy smile?” “Could you please hug your wife please?”

It was tiring yet fun. I learned once again to “keep the customers satisfied”. One thing made me sigh in relief: I learned when to utilize “peluk” and “rangkul”, each meaning “to hug” and “to embrace”. It seemed that people here like “rangkul” better. I wish I had used the word instead of “peluk” which whenever I said it, their faces showed confusion.

The photoshoot was over and we climbed the hill. It is the biggest megalith site in Southeast Asia. The stones are big and unbelievably heavy. Yet they were carved simply, beautifully. The literature and the guides couldn’t explain the phenomenon. One suggested that it was some kind of place of worship. I gazed at the stones and kept wondering why people of ancient times labored hard to build the site. I felt, it's just wonderful to see it.

Come what May (June and July and so on)

2011-05-30T19:10:00.000-07:00

This is to summarize that May is full of happiness. First, I let myself free of Jl-Antasari-n-Fatmawati traffic jam and then this is the month in which I made trip the most to Kepulauan Seribu.

First I went to Pulau Bidadari (and Pulau Kelor), Pulau Macan (and Macan Gundul and Pulau Kayu Angin Bira), and then Pulau Pramuka (and Pulau Semak Daun and Pulau Bandeng).

That’s what I call island life. I love it. And if gratitude is in the details, here they are:

Pulau Bidadari
Last time I went here was for the first time, in September 2006. With Cika. It was morning and we made quick visit. Now it was for the whole day with Badas, on assignment. We enjoyed the island, made a short visit to Pulau Kelor and its tower (the cats were there too!) and I was sad, the island is slowly drowning and swept with rubbish. I played with the dolphins that roam the narrow and small concrete pool. Thought they were funny. They were hungry although the guard said “they’re fed 10 percent of total body weight daily”.

Pulau Macan
Again on assignment. Once arrived, I thought, I could be used to this place! Lovely place. Love the concept: eco-friendly true to the word. Driftwoods can never be sexy anywhere than here. They built huts and anything with driftwoods. They even harvest the sun for electricity. The food is great so is the feeling of being there. I enjoyed paddling, swimming, and munching. I got a very memorable acquaintance with a kind of fish (turned out to be called “ikan betok susu”). It is a small fierce fish.looking forward to just sitting at the pier, reading and sipping fruit juice!

Pulau Pramuka
The first time I went here was May 2007. It was when only a handful of 120 high school students graduated from Ujian Nasional. One can imagine how grim the air was. It was also dull. It rained the whole weekend.

Now I went back. The sun was smiling and the air was cheerful. This time with The Nature Detectives and Cupliz who co-organized the trip. The Nature Detectives are a group of high school students who has their eyes on environmental issues. They are clever, chatty, and eager to learn. It was wonderful trip: observing the mangroves, the turtles, the sea grass, and the corals. Not to mention the bandengs, the neners, the sharks, and the barramundi. I was so thrilled to spot the latter. They’re big, muscled and look very edible! Also when snorkeling, I spotted a large school of cuttlefish. Very cute creatures. Speaking of the cephalopods, I tried Cupliz’s squid-like fins, and I thought my feet smiled broadly. My legs rejoiced (I must sell my pair of ugly fins immediately!) and I am happy I made acquaintances too!

La Musique

2011-05-30T04:15:00.000-07:00

Lately I been accompanied by this playlist:

10. Dolphins (Fred Neil)

Funny that I got this song two weeks before I went to P. Bidadari early this month. There, my point finger was almost crushed by a hungry dolphin. the dolphins live in a very narrow tank. I don't blame them. They must have been stressed or hungry. Dolphins should be free!

9. Jerusalem (that choir)

When everyone seemed to pay attention only to the bride and the groom (that Royal Wedding), I paid attention to the trees inside the church and the music. this old piece is sweet: "Bring me my bow of burning gold, bring me my arrows of desire...bring me my chariot of fire!" Chariot of fire. imagine. no visa no tickets. faster than the speed of light.

8. Don’t Leave Home (Dido)

Every time I go on a trip, she sings “Oh don’t leave home…don’t leave home…”

7. Driftwood (Aselin Debison)

Love her version better than Travis’. “Driftwoods hollow and of no use…” au contraire! When I went holidaying at Pulau Macan, I found driftwoods ever useful. Lovely song anyway.

6. God Bless the Child (Shania Twain)

Lately I been falling in love with the sound of guitar plucking. This song has banjo plucking.

5. Mirando (Ratatat)

When I need something upbeat, this song wakes all nerves. It takes away tiredness and set my feet to dancing.

4. Morning Has broken (Nikita Boldyrev)

Among Earth’s phenomena, morning is the best. To witness a big red ball rising from an the “edge” of the sea, to listen to black sea birds chirping, and listen to the wind through the conifers are blissful. This Boldyrev’s version is cool: guitar plucking and violin weeping.

3. overpowered (Roisin Murphy)

The song is very biological: “your data, my data…the chromosome match”

2. Brothers (Enniol Morricone)

Taken from The Mission soundtrack. It’s another brilliant piece of guitar plucking.

1. My Friends (Red Hot Chili Pepper)

A reminder to be happy a bit more often: “prison phone…give her seven years for being sad”

The Man in the Lotus

2011-05-18T22:55:00.000-07:00

When I was very young, I often visited Emak and Engkong in Magelang. In like 10 years they moved here and there in the city. One time in the outskirt of the city, then to the middle of the city, and later not far from the previous.I loved meeting uncles and aunts too. all six of them.

Among the three uncles, Oom Jien was the most handsome. He looked like a young Hong Kong kung fu movie star, with sideburns and thin moustache. but he was my least fave. He disliked us children and we seldom talk. but i admired him. me, one time being too small to know anything, found a photograph of him. in the picture, he was inside a giant lotus flower, stretching, one leg straight, one leg bent. i was so amazed that i believed it was real.

why wasn't it real: in the morning, he'd do triangle position, as if saluting the sun. he did one pose to another. he had a sepia picture of a man ("That's his spiritual teacher," said Mami) but Oom din burn any incense like Engkong did every morning. Oom wasn't a Buddhist. He "believed in the power of the universe."

Mi would try to introduce Jesus to Oom and Oom would at the first place dismiss the attempt. it was always an amusing sight.

Little did I know of him. When Engkong died, I learned that he sold ice cream at one school. Later, he moved to Tulungagung with Tante Hwa n oom Alex. One morning, Tante Hwa called Mi, rejoicing that Oom Jien has ended his soul searching. "He's accepted Jesus as his savior," Tante said. He lived there for about two years. I know not why he chose to move back to Magelang.

Last April 2010, I went to stay at Oom Hok for 3 days. Oom Jien was there too, so did Oom Lok. My three uncles.

Like always, he spoke a few words.

"How's Cik Ing?" he asked.
"She's fine," I replied.
Silence.

"Do you talk often on the phone with her?" I asked.
He nodded.

During my short stay, I was happy, however, to see how he busied himself everyday and that he read newspaper i brought. And for the first time in life, I knew his complete name. It must have been spelled like "yien" but back then i was afraid to ask, afraid the topic wouldn't be of his interest.

"Oom, come, let's take photograph of you and me," i said minutes before I left for Jogjakarta. He dismissed the idea. I couldn't encourage him. We shook hands and parted. That was the last time we talked.

This morning Oom Jien died. I know Mami, my other ooms and tantes, are saddened by this. I too am sad.

The late Tante Hwa once said, Oom Jien had spent his whole life soul searching. Now I wish his soul find a peaceful rest.

From Up Here

2011-03-18T02:50:00.000-07:00

i can see the horizon
the straight lines which divides
the sky and the sea

it is calling the sailor
the explorer
inside me

My Nabire Diary: Day 6

2011-03-04T02:50:00.000-08:00

Aku bangun dengan berat hati. dari kemarin malamnya aku emang udh tarik napas panjang. Rasanya kurang lama di sini. Good things come to an end...

Bangun, siap-siap, terus aku minta diri. and said big big thanks.

Pesawat membumbung, pandangan masih ke daratan. i left my heart in Nabire

waktu melintas di atas pantai, terlihat pemandangan yang sangat kuharap sebelumnya: hiu paus! di bawah, seekor hiu paus sedang menganga di permukaan air... wow! dari kemarin kek! :)

Sejam kemudian, pesawat transit di Kaimana. Aku turun, begitu juga dua kenalan dari Jakarta. Mereka ajak makan. "Wah, lebih baik kita cari yang siap saji, siapa tahu pesawat cepat berangkat," kataku.

Kita ke warung bakso di seberang bandara. Mereka pesan mi rebus, sementara aku pilih kopi saja. Aku sempat cek ke penjual, "Ibu pakai kopi apa?" (takut dikasih kopi instan sachet).

"Kopi papua, bapa adik," jawab dia. lega deh.

"Kalian dari bandara?" tanya seorang yg lagi makan bakso.

"Ya," sahut salah satu kenalan baru.

"Kalian p(erg)i cepat balik ke sana!" seru dia. "Nanti pesawat tinggal kalian. Sudah sering!"

Buru-burulah kita balik. aku beli kopi papua itu (yang ternyata enak!), langsung masuk ruang tunggu.

Benar aja, nggak sampai semenit kemudian, kita disuruh masuk ke pesawat lagi. 5 menit kemudian, take off! huh, kebayang deh ketinggalan di Kaimana! Dapat salam dari kopi dan mi rebus! :)

Bon Dieu, sepanjang perjalanan, pemandangan di bawah indah pun. Negeri bahari....

Penerbangan pulang cukup panjang: Nabire, Kaimana, Ambon, Makassar, Jakarta. Pertama kali lihat Ambon dan Sulawesi, walau cuma di bandara. Lain kali, pasti lebih lama dan bisa keliling dan mengeksplorasi.

Ini pertama kali aku ke Papua. Semoga ini awal yang baik. Aku pengen balik dan mengeksplorasi Papua....

My Nabire Diary: Day 5

2011-02-20T08:20:00.000-08:00

06.00. Pagi ini asrama sepi. anak-anak banyak yg masih tidur. Hari ini libur. Libur apa, aku tanya. "Ini hari Injil Masuk tanah Papua, kaka." kata salah satu yg sudah bangun

Lucunya, pagi itu pas baca The Malay Archipelago sambil minum kopi, aku baca Wallace menulis tentang pelayarannya ke Papua. Dia mendarat dan diundang makan oleh Otto dan Geissler, dua misionaris yg datang ke Papua tahun 1855. wow, it's a coincidence!

Seperti Wallace, hari itu, aku pun berlayar... kali ini island hopping!

Nunggu kapal isi bensin lama bgt... 1 jam lebih! Untuk isi waktu, aku lihat-lihat sekeliling. Ada liveaboard nganggur di pantai. "Punya pemda," kata pemilik kapal. (Suatu hari, aku bakal keliling Papua naik liveaboard!) Teman-teman ada yg lagi asyik kumpulin benda-benda menarik di pantai. wow, ini pemandangan Stones and Sea: In the beginning, i was counting the stones on a seashore, looking for the precious things...

Saul the boxer nunjukin sesuatu yang bikin aku takjub. Dia pecahkan buah ketapang dan di dalamnya ada semacam kacang, seperti pistachio. "Coba makan," katanya. Hmmm...enak! kok bisa ya?

Aku pun coba mecahkan sendiri ketapang dan makan lagi bijinya. aaah enak! serasa pistachio goreng tanpa minyak!

Belum mecah ketapang ketiga, kapal datang. semua naik. aye aye captain!

Perjalanan 1,5 jam. Pulau Ahe di depan mata, tapi kapal belok ke pulau lain. pemandangannya indah. lagi-lagi kulihat pepohonan kelapa menjulang di antara pohon-pohon lainnya. gak kulihat tanda-tanda ada bakau, tapi tak apa.

gugusan kepulauan ini bagus banget. ada beberapa pulau kecil yang tampaknya spt limestone, ditumbuhi semak-semak dan pohon kelapa. apa mungkin ini mirip Raja Ampat? pantai-pantainya pasir putih, kontras dengan pantai di mainland yg warna hitam.

Kapal menuju pulau yang berpenduduk. Siang itu panas banget, leherku sudah tersengat. terlihat di pantai, penduduknya lagi duduk-duduk di dipan raksasa di pinggir pantai, ngobrol dan tertawa bahagia. laki-laki, perempuan, anak-anak, 20 orang lebih. atap-atap rumahnya seng. Menara gereja terlihat paling menjulang di antara bangunan lainnya.

"Ya, mereka sudah lama tinggal di sini. air tanahnya bagus sekali di sini," sahut Pak Ernest menjelaskan alasan mereka tinggal di pulau, bukan di mainland. "Di samping karena ikan banyak ..."

kapten turun dan bilang, akan ke ketua adat, minta izin masuk Ahe....15 menit kemudian dia balik, bawa kabar: ada bule sewa Ahe. ah well, aku sedikit kecewa.

kapal ke arah utara. "kita ke Pulau Paput saja," kata kak Yoke. Sekitar 20 menit kemudian, di depanku pulau yg berhutan lebat, dipuncaki pepohonan kelapa, tampak tak berpenduduk. pasirnya putih. kapal merapat. di bawah padang lamun, jernih, tapi lantai lautnya tiba-tiba menukik tajam ke kegelapan. berarti jangan jauh-jauh renangnya, Sem, kataku.

pasirnya empuk! jadi tiap melangkah, kakiku terbenam sampai semata kaki...

Semua langsung makan, mengingat ini jam 14.40. Nasi hangat, tumis kacang panjang, dabu-dabu dan ikan goreng. makanan terlezat di pulau itu! ;) emang enak bgt!!!!

Abis makan, istirahat 10 menit, langsung nyemplung. waaaaaa bagus bangett! langsung nemu bintang laut biru. gak lama, angelfish yang gede-gede, teripang, dan....ular laut!!

nemu tiga bintang laut lainnya yang blm pernah kulihat seumur hidup. Seperti gunung, dengan duri-duri tajam di atasnya. yang terakhir malah punya ratusan alat hisap yang menempel kuat di telapak tangan...indah banget!

Ah, maunya sa bawa pulang semua! kataku, berandai-andai.

"Jangan kaka! nanti ko undang hujan besar dan petir!" kata seorang anak kecil.

oh ya? kenapa?

Dia jelaskan kepercayaan orang lokal: kalau ambil biota, laut akan marah, mengirim hujan besar dan petir.

wow.... aku pun menyebutnya kearifan lokal...

15.30, kami pulang...singkat memang, tapi aku senang. lain kali, aku kembali!

My Nabire Diary: Day 4

2011-02-19T05:23:00.000-08:00

Bangun kepagian lagi. Aku masih merasa ini 3.30 WIB. Denial. Apa daya, langit memang sudah terang dan bilang, ini 5.30 WIT!

Masih lengang. Aku naik mikrolet ke Pantai MAF. Perjalanan cuma 5 menit! ini adalah pantai yg terletak di jantung kota, pinggir pantai, dan sangat tipikal pantai turis: pinggirnya dibentengi (karena ombaknya abrasif dan termasuk garang), pinggirnya penuh warung baik permanen maupun semipermanen.

Heran. Orang-orang sepagi ini juga sudah memadati pantai. beberapa jogging, anak-anak malah banyak yang berenang padahal ombak besar, lainnya bersantai di tepi pantai. aku sendiri termasuk yang terakhir. Pantainya tidak mengundang, jadi aku cari keriaan lain.

Kulayangkan pandanganku ke gunung-gunung, dari manakah datangnya...pesawat itu? Ada pesawat kecil dari arah gunung, menuju ke arah laut, terus berputar ke arah gunung dan mendarat. Keren difoto! kulihat pesawat mengarah ke ujung runway, trus tiba-tiba belok kiri....

Ke mana? ternyata pesawat parkir di halaman belakang MAF. Hahaha lucu banget. kayak mobil aja! Cita-citaku naik helikopter sudah terpenuhi. Sekarang aku pengin bgt naik pesawat kecil ke daerah2 terpencil...

Setelah bosan karena tak kunjung ada pesawat yang mendarat atau take-off, aku jalan ke arah pulang. berharap ada yang menarik utk dilihat. kira2 500 m dr pantai ada jembatan menuju ke pasar, sblm aku sebrang, ada mobil pickup biru berhenti, menghalangi jalan. "Pak Novi!" sapaku. Bapak Asrama Anugrah ini tampaknya baru selesai belanja di pasar utk kebutuhan asrama. aku pun naik ke back pickup. hepi banget...

Siangnya, aku diajak Pak Novi lihat asrama-asrama siswa yg lain, juga lokasi Rumah Kesembuhan (Rukes). Lucu sekali: Rukes adalah "rumah sakit" dengan konsep yang sangat ceria: akan dibangun di tepi pantai, banyak pohon buahnya, dan nanti pasien-pasien akan dilibatkan di program-program yang bertujuan utk bikin mereka hepi dan sehat lagi.

Setelah itu, kita ke satu TK yg juga dikelola Pesat (Pelayanan Desa Terpadu). Dari situ, aku minta tolong Pak Novi antar aku ke Pak Elia. Oom Dan bilang ke Pak Pardede, bawa si Sem ke Pak Elia. Oom Dan bilang, Pak Elia teman Pi n Mi. Aku sendiri nggak ingat dia sama sekali, tapi karena ingat pepatah, "jangan lupakan teman-teman bapakmu", aku pun ke sana.

Rumah Pak Elia rumah kayu manado, seperti banyak rumah lainnya di Nabire. Aku jadi pengen punya rumah spt ini: ringkas, artistik, dan adem! Pak Elia pernah tinggal di Malang akhir 1980-an. Kupikir, dia teman Pi wkt ke Papua di tahun 1980-an. Pak Elia cerita pengalamannya di Jawa dan menyebut nama-nama yang familier. Ternyata, Pak Elia pernah bikin kapal di Malang. Ya, waktu kecil, aku sempat ternganga dengan hebatnya melihat ada kapal yang masif (bukan kapal kayu) yg dibangun di tengah kota Malang. Kapal itu ukuran sekitar 15 m, dua dek dan kokoh banget. Sampai sekarang pun aku nggak habis pikir!

Sorenya, teman-teman ajak lagi ke pantai. Agak malas, tapi aku dengar mereka sudah nunggu aku dari pagi, siapa yang berani nolak? gelombang masih gede tapi anak-anak asrama dengan santainya lari-lari dan lompat, menerjang ombak. "Ayo kaka! mari sini!"

mereka semua ahli berenang, sementara aku nggak mau dalam-dalam mengingat arus balik ombak lumayan kencang. lucunya, kok ya ada guling jumbo yang dijadikan pelampung. biar ada lima anak pegangan, guling itu tetap ngambang. jadi, aku ikutan pegangan. seru juga dibuai ombak.

abis itu, main bola! seru juga sepak bola di tepi pantai. walau tentu aja, aku cuma nendang bola yang out. malas lari-lari! lucunya, anak-anak senang banget terjang ombak. asal ada ombak besar, mereka bisa dengan cueknya meninggalkan bola dan langsung lari ke ombak yang tinggi dan volumenya besarr! hebat bener! Ya iyaa lah, mereka besar di pantai ini. laut adalah taman bermain mereka!

sorean, laut mulai tenang. aku bangkit dari pasir dan berniat bersihkan pasir yang nempel di badan. nyemplung, kok nggak ilang juga. akhirnya aku berenang agak dalam. tiba-tiba anak-anak bersorak girang, "oooombaaak!!"

sialnya, ombak ini dua kali lebih tinggi dari aku. Di depan mata pula! sialnya, aku nggak bisa lari! jadilah aku digelandang ombak. dalam hitungan detik, aku digulung ke depan, kaki menantang langit, kepala di bawah... Aku panik cari pegangan yang tentu aja nggak ada. Duh, jangan sampai aku eseret ke laut!

benar aja, aku mendarat di kerikil pantai. tangan kanan baret-baret.

Aku buru-buru merangkak ke daratan. Bukannya dibantu, anak-anak serempak tertawa girang....

and that's how i earned their respect ... senang bisa menghibur, ha!

My Nabire Diary: Day 3

2011-02-14T08:28:00.000-08:00

Bangun jam 05.30 WIT alias 30 menit lbh duluan daripada alarm, ini bikin aku ngerasa dikhianati ;) Di luar hujan. Kata orang, bukan sinchia namanya kalau nggak ujan deras...

Turun, mandi, terus bikin kopi. Hawanya bikin ngantuk... Alex dan Kezia sudah bangun, nonton TV sambil soal rencana main ke pantai. Aku sendiri nggak yakin, mengingat hujan nggak kunjung kelar.

Debur ombak terdengar jelas banget. stereo. bikin merinding aja, mengingat laut cuma 100 meter dari asrama.

Menjelang siang, Kak Sam dan Kak Yoke konfirmasi, rencana ke pantai tetap ada. Yess! "Ayo Sem, siap-siap kita!"

Nggak tahu aja, aku udh siapkan baju ganti, snorkel, dan masker. siap kapan pun nyebur. Jam 11, masih hujan, kami berangkat dengan Rian, Obet, dan Daniel.

Aku duduk di depan dg Kezia dan pak supir yang bekerja mengendalikan kuda besinya supaya baik jalannya... ini kasih gue keuntungan utk lihat Nabire dengan leluasa.

Pertama-tama, beli jeruk nabire yang kondang itu di Wonorejo. Nama yang sangat jawa! jeruk ini istimewa: ukurannya medium, kulitnya sangat tipis, dagingnya oranye muda, rasanya manis-asam-segar. lebih banyak manis dan segarnya.

Selanjutnya ke rumah Mbak Linda yang jual kebutuhan untuk berkebun: bibit, alat-alat, pupuk dsb. Mbak Linda adalah teman Kak Yoke. Dia bawa serta dua orang lainnya.

Sepanjang jalan, kanan-kirinya hutan. Kiri ke arah pantai, kanan ke perbukitan yang penuh hutan lebat. Aku belum pernah lihat yang seperti ini, jadi aku pun berusaha mengingat-ingat di mana lokasi lain yang mirip dengan ini. tentu aja nggak ada.

setiap lewat jembatan, aku tanya, "ada buaya muara di sini?" Reptil menawan--dan menakutkan--ini ternyata sudah jarang ditemukan di Nabire.

di samping kiri, pantai sesekali terlihat di balik rimbunan vegetasi. sementara itu, gerimis masih saja awet membasahi bumi Papua...

Setelah satu jam, beberapa kali jembatan dan belokan, sampailah di pantai Nusi. Di seberang, Pulau Nusi terihat jelas. Pulau seukuran (sekitar) dua kali lapangan bola, penuh pohon kelapa yang menjulang di atas pepohonan lainnya. Ada atap rumah terlihat mengintip di balik rimbunanya pepohonan. Ah, andai aku bisa ke sana!

Sebenarnya Alex pengen ke Lagari, tapi karena sudah sore, akhirnya mobil kembali, meluncur ke entrance Pantai Nusi. Karena ini hari libur, pantai cukup ramai. Langit di atas kepala sedikit redup, sebenarnya malas juga nyemplung mengingat pasirnya hitam dan hanya sedikit yang berenang. Tapi mengingat udah jauh-jauh kemari... Ganti baju, langsung bawa snorkel n goggle masuk air yang ademmm!

ternyata visibility bagus walau pasirnya hitam. di bawah ternyata padang lamun. rumput lautnya mirip daun-daun lilium atau amaryllis: panjang dan tebal. juga berlendir. Jarak 5 m dari pantai, aku sudah nemu teripang!

belum apa-apa, aku ngerasa ada yang aneh! kenapa udara beraroma hmmm apa ya? kapur barus!!!

ternyata, snorkel pinjaman Ocha ini wangi kapur baruss..... makanya dada sesak! lepas dan bilas snorkel dengan air laut, ulang-ulang. hasilnya?? masih wangi aja!

Akhirnya aku tetap bisa nikmati pemandangan bawah laut dengan aroma asing ini :) kulihat karangnya besar-besar tapi mati, terserak luas. tapi di sela-selanya tumbuh koloni karang sebesar telapak tangan. beberapa di antaranya adalah karang api... ini adalah tanda-tanda regenerasi. ikan-ikan sangat jarang terlihat. mereka berukuran kecil! tak sampai sepanjang 15 cm! bahkan ikan-ikan kakatua sangat kecil. tak mengapa. ini pun tanda-tanda regenerasi.

Benar saja, Kak Yoke, mantan peneliti WWF konfirmasi, dulu orang suka memakai bom untuk tangkap ikan. kini sudah dilarang. bagus lah!

Setelah itu, makan siang di sebuah "warung jawa". aku pesan mujair goreng plus nasi yang di luar dugaan sangat enak. ikannya pun besar, setelapak tangan. sambalnya nikmat. lalapannya seperti belum pernah kutemui sebelumnya: terong goreng, kemangi, timun...sedap!

Setelah itu, pulang.... melelahkan, tapi seru!!

My Nabire Diary: Day 2

2011-02-13T09:34:00.000-08:00

Bangun, aku kaget dengan kecepatan beradaptasi dengan waktu Papua yang dua jam lebih cepat dari waktu Jakarta. Jam 06.00 WIT sudah bangun (tanpa bantuan alarm!). Mungkin karena kebelet buang air kecil, mengingat kipas di langit-langit berputar penuh emosi. Badan masih menyangkal, "Yang bener aja, ini jam 04.00!" tapi apa daya, langit sudah biru cerah.

Abis cuci muka dan gosok gigi, langsung ke Asrama Gilgal. Cuma semenit dari Asrama Anugerah, tempat aku inep.

Malu deh, anak-anak sudah bangun lbh duluan. Mereka berisik dengan tawa. Mereka sedang menjalani menit-menit terakhir rutinitas pagi: bersihkan halaman, sapu lantai, pel lantai, cuci piring, kasih makan itik, jemur baju-baju. Mereka pun berebutan mandi.

Morning has broken, itik has spoken...

Jam 06.30 mereka kumpul dengan manis di dapur. Semua 52 anak. Luar biasa!

"Anak-anak ini kebanyakan berasal dari Sugapa," jelas Pak Arwam, bapak asrama yang sudah 15 tahun mengabdi. Sebelum kata-kata meluncur dari mulutku, Pak Arwam menjelaskan, "Sugapa itu 1 jam penerbangan dari Nabire, lokasinya di pedalaman di pegunungan Puncak Jaya. Lokasinya sulit dijangkau dan kebanyakan penduduk aslinya kurang peduli terhadap pendidikan dan kesehatan."

jadi inget artikel pendaki yang berusaha capai Puncak Jaya lewat Sugapa. "Kota di atas Awan."

Jadi, mereka masuk sekolah-asrama (TK) di Sugapa, baru kemudian SD dan seterusnya di Nabire untuk akses pendidikan dan kesehatan yang lebih baik. Itu kesimpulan obrolan dengan Pak Arwam.

"Sa pi sekolah dulu Bapa!" salah satu dari mereka berpamitan pada Pak Arwam dengan senyum lebar. Maksudnya: sa(ya) p(erg)i sekolah...

(murid-murid SD di asrama Gilgal: habis kerja pagi, makan. not pictured: segelas tinggi susu hangat untuk tiap anak)

Di samping asrama berdiri TK yang juga didirikan Daniel Alexander dkk. TK ini terbuka untuk umum. sempat lihat-lihat, sebelum lanjut ke SD, SMP, dan SMA.

Rabu itu, murid-murid pakai baju merah-putih. Bedanya, seragam putihnya bermotif batik papua: ada cenderawasih, perkusi, dan logo sekolah. Kelasnya bersih dan penuh suara (walau bukan kategori berisik): gaya bicara mereka cepat, tinggi, dan aku suka logat mereka yang--menurutku--melodius.

Intip guru-gurunya yang lagi ngajar, juga main ke ruang guru. Di situ baru tahu, meski ini sekolah Kristen, murid-muridnya pun ada yang Islam dan Buddha. Sekolah ini punya aula gede, perpus, ruang musik, ruang komputer, dan kantin. Ada lapangan voli pun. Jam istirahat, nyaris semua anak cowok main sepakbola.

[Rendra lagi ngajar Matematika (kiri); Kak Yoke (guru senior) & Obet (calon guru asal Kalbar) di depan piala-piala yg dimenangkan anak-anak SD di berbagai events di luar program sekolah)

Abis itu, lanjut ke SMP dan SMA di depan SD. Bangunannya dua lantai, bentuk persegi, atapnya tertutup, jadi angin gak akan mengacaukan permainan badminton mereka (ada dua lapangan). Lagi jam serius, jadi berjingkat-jingkat supaya nggak ganggu...

[SMP n SMA Anak Panah, dua sekolah ini termasuk 160 sekolah model nasional se-Indonesia]
[SMP (lt bawah) dan SMA (lt atas); Chahyo (guru Fisika-Matematika) asal Surabaya]

Abis makan siang, nemu spot favorit untuk bersantai di siang yang terik: DPR aka di bawah pohon rindang. Yah nggak rindang banget sih, tapi pohon kersen ini lumayan teduh. buka The Malay Archipelago yang tak kunjung habis itu. skip dari Sulawesi ke Papua. Tampaknya, Alfred Russell Wallace punya petualangan seru di sini....

Agak sore...jam pulang. Anak-anak girang luar biasa. Besoknya libur...Itu sebabnya. Aku ngopi dan makan sagu batangan ("sago brick", begitu istilah AR Wallace).... Lucunya, aku juga baru aja selesai baca bab ilustrasi AR Wallace tentang pembuatan sagu zaman 1870-an (yang menurut Pak Ernest masih tetap spt dulu). Celup sagu, sruput kopi...

Beberapa guru gabung nongkrong di bawah pohon, sambil berbagi cerita yang bikin pipi penat akibat tertawa terus...

Malamnya, diundang Pak Novi (Bapak Asrama Anugerah) untuk gabung ke petemuan kaum pria. Ini adalah pertemuan ibadah yang pesertanya cowok only. Buat yang jarang ke gereja (moi), ini adalah pengalaman baru yang menyenangkan.

Apalagi di akhir acara, dihidangkan ikan tuna bakar, ubi kuning, dabu-dabu, tumis bunga pepaya, dan jeruk nabire yang tenar itu.... sedaaaap!! Manusia memang tak bisa hidup dari roti saja.

My Nabire Diary: (still) Day 1

2011-02-11T23:20:00.000-08:00

Sampai jam 12.00, matahari terik luar biasa. Langit biru cerah (sesuatu yang jarang terjadi di Jkt yg langitnya kerap putih). Dijemput Pak Pardede (yang ternyata suami Kak Hana "Putri Nabire") ke rumah Pak Edo.

Di jalan, aku toleh kanan-kiri. Di luar dugaan, Nabire modern banget! Ada banks, CFC, supermarket, pasar modern, jalan besar (avenue), warung lamongan, warung padang...dll. Mau cari apa aja ada! jadi inget Cilacap yang juga di pesisir.

Pak Edo punya anjing kecil yang lucu. Sebelum kenalan, dia sudah mengunyah sepatu kanvasku. sopan! :) Diajak salaman, malah gigit! Begitu digendong, baru bersikap manis.

"Ayo, saya antar kamu ke Kalibobo," kata Pak Edo.

Ada apa di Kalibobo?

"Sekolah dan asrama."

Selama bertahun-tahun, aku dengar tentang perjalanan Daniel Alexander di Papua, termasuk waktu dia diwawancarai Kick Andy bareng pilot yang jadi CNN Hero dan Anne Avantie. Tentuuu pengen lihat sendiri secara langsung.

Ini lah yang selama bertahun-tahun aku dengar:

Daniel Alexander pertama kali ke Papua tahun 1990. Sebelumnya, dia kenal Papua (saat itu Irian Jaya) dari buku-buku. Dia sangat suka alam Papua (sebagai penyuka fotografi, tentu Papua kasih banyak objek untuk diabadikan) dan pada saat yang sama heran terhadap keberadaan orang-orang Papua yang masih terbelakang di tanah mereka sendiri yang begitu kaya mineral dan subur.

Dia pun putar otak dan menyimpulkan, pendidikan adalah kunci kemajuan Papua. Bagi Daniel--seorang pendeta--mendirikan sekolah-sekolah jauh lebih relevan daripada mendirikan gereja.

Dia lihat, banyak anak nggak ke sekolah karena orangtua sering menyuruh mereka ikut berladang atau melaut.

Akhirnya, dia dibantu teman-temannya, bikin formula sekolah gratis berasrama. Gratis supaya orangtua nggak terbebani. Asrama supaya anak-anak fokus belajar saja. Hari minggu, mereka boleh pulang ke rumah. Daniel buka TK pertamanya tahun 1995 di Nabire.

Tahap demi tahap, dia buka SD, lalu SMP, dan bahkan SMA! Nama SMP dan SMA ini unik: Anak Panah. "Anak-anak ini ibarat anak panah yang perlu dibentuk, dipoles, dan diuji, supaya ketika dibidikkan, anak panah itu sampai sasaran," kata Daniel. Angkatan pertama TK itu sudah kuliah, tersebar di beberapa kampus di Jawa. "Mereka akan terus maju dan kembali untuk membangun Papua," jelas Daniel yang bersama timnya, kini juga mengelola beberapa sekolah di pedalaman Sugapa, pedalaman Memberamo, dan Freeport.

Perjalanan 15 menit ke Kalibobo, masuk lewat Gang Anak Panah ke lokasi SD Agape juga SMP dan SMA Anak Panah, juga empat asramanya. Bangunan sekolahnya dua lantai dan modern banget. "Semuanya bangunan tahan gempa," jelas Kak Yoke, pengajar dan pembina. Itu alasan sekolah tetap kokoh saat Nabire diguncang gempa hebat tahun 2004. Siang itu, pelajaran masih berlangsung, dan aku bisa dengar suara anak-anak belajar di kelas-kelas.

(lengang waktu jam pelajaran dan riuh pas jam istirahat. Don't we all love break time?)

Diantar Rendra, salah satu pengajar dan pembina, ke kamar di asrama cowok. Jam makan siang, walau arlojiku masih nunjukin jam 11.00 (belum dimajukan 2 jam).

Semua lagi sibuk dengan urusan sekolah, jadi aku dipersilahkan istirahat. Tujuh jam flight emang melelahkan, tapi rasanya ada yang manggil-manggil.

Deburan ombak terdengar jelas dari sini. Di mana pantai? Ternyata cuma 100 meter dari sekolah!! langsung ke sana.

Woooow pantainya seru! pasirnya hitam tapi ombaknya mengundang, seperti Kuta!

Nggak jauh, ada sekumpulan anak kecil yang lagi renang di dekat kapal yang buang jangkar. Haii, boleh ikut? "Boleh, kaka!" kata mereka.

Aku gantungkan tas dan kacamata. Eh ada satu bapak datang. "Sodara siapa? Mo apa?" tanyanya, wajahnya lempeng.

"Eh... saya Sem, tinggal di Sekolah Anak Panah. Saya mau berenang. Boleh ya Pak?" kataku, hati-hati.

"Oh, silakan," jawabnya dengan wajah (masih) lempeng. Lega deh.

langsung terjun...

My Nabire Diary: Day 1

2011-02-11T21:38:00.000-08:00

Nggak terlintas di pikiran, aku bakal libur ke Papua dalam waktu sedekat ini. Beberapa barang memang sudah distok di tas, dengan pemikiran untuk hemat tempat. Tapi, sore itu, waktu aku baru aja tarik selimut, telepon berdering. Oom Dan!

Aku ke luar kamar biar bisa dengar suaranya lebih jernih. Saking kaget, nyaris terpelanting di lantai yang baru dibasahi hujan. Aku hanya tertawa lepas, setengah nggak percaya. Berarti… aku cuma punya setengah hari untuk berkemas!

Ocha menyahut di telepon, berbaik hati backpack-nya dipinjam (tasnya keren bener!). Pun snorkel hitamnya. Snorkel jelekku yang kubeli karena ngiler harga murah rusak.

Semalam-malaman, aku bongkar-pasang, muat-buang sampai ketiduran. Bahagia... What have I done to deserve this?

Sekalian aku bawa dua tas besar ini ke kantor. Teman-teman pikir, si Sem bercanda sampai aku panggul backpack, pamitan sambil berterima kasih.

Jam 21.00 di konter check in. girang karena backpack boleh dibawa ke kabin walau harus mengalami kejadian lucu.

Waktu mau masuk gate, tas di-scan.

Petugas: “Mas tolong buka tasnya! Ada benda panjang di dalam.”

S: (sedikit bingung, menduga itu besi rangka backpack): Oke mas. (membuka, menarik keluar snorkel dengan napas lega) Buat menyelam mas.

Petugas: (Membengkok-bengkokkan snorkel, menyerahkannya ke satu petugas lain yang juga membengkok-bengkokkan snorkel. Snorkel akhirnya dikembalikan) Terima kasih

Hahaha. Lain kali snorkel masuk bagasi aja kali ya? Masih ada 4,5 jam sampai terbang dini hari. Kak Es isi 22 menit. Pembicaraan telepon yang menyenangkan, sejenak lupa ada backpack 7 kg di punggung. Dua gelas Milo hangat kemudian, ground staff memanggil. Dapat duduk di pinggir jendela. Yes!

Bangun. Eh sudah jam 07.00 WIT! Ada pulau sangat besar di bawah sana. Pulau itu berlalu dan muncullah pulau berikutnya. Tepiannya penuh rumah. Perahu-perahu nelayan tersebar di pantainya... indah banget. Pesawat menyusuri pulau sampai mendarat mulus di Ambon. Bergegas transit.

Dapat tempat duduk pinggir jendela lagi. Luar biasa! Pemandangan indah banget. Satu setengah jam kemudian, mendarat di Kaimana yang runway-nya pendek. Pesawat parkir. ke luar dan jalan-jalan supaya mengurangi pegel. Sambil foto-foto. Nggak sampai 10 menit kemudian, pramugari manggil, "Mas, masuk! Mau terbang!"

Satu jam penerbangan, gak lelah melihat pemandangan pulau-pulau kecil berpasir putih, dan rumah-rumah yang terkonsentrasi di pesisir, juga sungai-sungai berair cokelat yg mengular, membelah hutan-hutan lebat... terkagum-kagum. Indonesia bagian Timur sangat eksotis (mengingat ini juga pertama kali ke Indonesia Timur).

Pesawat bermanuver melingkar, pramugari bilang, sebentar lagi mendarat. Di bawah: pemandangan teluk yang lebar dengan pantai yang digarisi pohon-pohon kelapa. "Nabire, Sem!"

Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien! (Songlist Pt.3)

2011-01-24T00:44:00.000-08:00

It's funny, the more i make trip the less i listen to music. that means i had great trips and the journey was fun that i was able to chat more with travelmates and strangers as well. few songs remain favorite throughout the trips:

1. Non, Je ne Regrette Rien! - Edith Piaf
2. Through It All - Andrae Crouch
3. I only Want to Be with You - Dusty Springfield
4.How Come - Ray Lamontagne
5. Sailor - Petula Clark
6. Fat Baby - Amy Grant

Have Yourself a Merry Little Gathering!

2011-01-02T05:48:00.000-08:00

From one Christmas to another, I repeat these lines: Yes, I practice Christianity yet in my family, Christmas is not that special. We used to move from one place to another, so we never thought having a Christmas tree. Since we live in different places, we don't gather at Christmases. It's Ok. Thanks for asking. I do appreciate :)

For most of my Christian friends, coming home for Christmas is a tradition. I never knew that until I went to college and friends would ask, "are you going to go home for Christmas?" or "Why don't you go home (for Christmas)?" Why should I? I replied back then.

Soooooo I been repeating the lines ever since. Last Christmas I spent with friends. So did this Christmas. I spent it with Umi, Phie, Firman and Ipul.

After Christmas service, I went straight home, intending to continue reading The Malay Archipelago and some magazines. It was a difficult time for me.

Umi SMS-ed me, inviting me to her house. "I know you go nowhere. Come here!" Never went there before, so i sought advice.

So I took taxi, "Mister, get me to Ibu Megawati's (Soekarnoputri) house!"

There I met Phie, Ipul, and later Firman. They're friends who are active at WTM. They were gathering to edit the book they were about to publish. They wished me Merry Christmas and we lunched together. I was touched! They're all of Islamic faith. So sweet of them, yes?

Later we went to Phie's house which is nearby and we ate and be merry.

A week later, we gathered again at Phie's. Right on the new year's eve. This time, I met Hamok, Mamet, Echi, Marley, Riza, and Aby. we cooked, ate, and be merry again.

This is what I learned: people need to gather every now and then. that's what i learn the whole time. and when you regroup, you need to be a good participant. none wants critics at parties. they need good comp'ny. and it was so nice of Anast, Ms. Unicorn, Hendra n Rita to gave me this set of jellies.

So i been a good campaigner of jellies ever since. Friends love them too! the jellies not only can multiply faces, they can multiply happiness

Oh Mister Andrae, Sign This Please!

2010-12-31T04:23:00.000-08:00

funny that last week at Phie's house I watched Moonwalker for the first time! i remember friends and i were admiring MJ's poster at the movie theater when we were small. "how could he lean 45 degrees?"

it opens with Man in the Mirror. l'homme dans le mirroir! the song reminds me of This Is It and of course Andrae Crouch whose choir appears in the song. I still envy kak Es. When she went to Sydney in mid 2009, she went to Hillsong to join people singing the song for MJ's memory.

It takes me back to 2001 when i loved mall hopping to find rare albums. there was i at Plasa Senayan with this album Tribute: Songs of Andrae Crouch. i thought, who's he? but i did recognised the lineup: Take 6, MWS, The Winans. so i bought it for Rp 15.000 or about USD1.5.

when i played it, i was like, "i knew these songs! wow, all my life i been singing and listening to these songs!" of course the indonesian version.

years later in late 2008, i read that JakJazz invited Grammy winning soul/jazz musician Andrae Crouch. i was more than happy to get a free ticket to JakJazz. it was so good of Hera to agree to switch her ticket so i could attend the festival not on Friday but instead, on Sunday.

i was mighty happy to watch the show. the stadium was filled with people, singing and dancing to his music. even my friends who never knew his music found his music interesting to dance to. "he's cool. who's he, Sem?"

"You may never heard of me...Indonesia was the first country i visited as a musician. i went here in 1971!" said Andrae .

it certainly wowed everyone so did he and his whole band (including the famous bassist Abraham Laboriel)

after the show, the LO said, there are Q & A session after this.

i thought, my, i must go there! so i called Evi to lend me her ID. she said, OK.

Inside, i was more than happy to meet him. he made everybody smile. he showed big enthusiasm in everybody. he reduced the LO to laughter and tears when he said, "hey, how could you speak that fast! please do it once more. i'd like to hear that again!"

he entertained everyone with fascinating stories. "When I came here in 1971 i did shows in Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, and Denpasar. I traveled with train. I sat with mothers and children...with chickens and vegetables....

"Our opening act was a girl named Henny hmmm... (someone shouted, "Purwonegoro?") ...yes, that's her. is she around?"

it was an honor to meet him in person.

"Oh my, i look so skinny there!" he said when I handed him my old cassette.

(it reads: "To Sem, God Bless you, love, Andrae Crouch")

Lately i been listening to his songs. timeless pieces. songs that bless my whole being. how happy he must be, being a person who blesses many people though his arts!
and i just found out that even Elvis Presley recorded his song!

So now, I'd like to say, God bless you, Mister Andrae. Love, Sem

So This Is Christmas. What Have I Done?

2010-12-23T10:07:00.000-08:00

Tonight, am having a moment like what Ebenezer Scrooge had experienced. am visited by Christmas thoughts. of course i consciously recall the memories--scenes i can remember. All beautiful. For me, Christmas is a special moment indeed.

I remember singing from church to church with Moses, Delsy, Andre, Johan, Angel, Diana, Kak ?, etc in Bali. That was 1997! Then with PS POSA UI at Balairung or some churches. I dont remember any Christmases at school or at church during childhood. but i can recall one day i realized it wouldn't snow in Indonesia that i ran to fridge to create snow!

Last year, i had a good one. I was traveling with Enti, Ocha, Fit, Siti Hajar, Yudi, and Cupay, en tour to Kudus, Ambarawa, and Semarang. It was Christmas Eve. Cupay and I went to the nearest church (forget the name). It was so nice of Enti, Ocha, Hajar, and Yudi (all of them are of Islamic faith) to accompany us to the churchgate! "We want to make sure you guys don't go elsewhere!" joked Enti. It was very nice of them.

When we returned to the lodgement, they were waiting in front, surprised us with gifts and Christmas log and "We wish you a merry Christmas"! these wowed me. i got a tee and cupay a bolero. oh the log! it was amazing! even at home, we never had any Christmas log! It was one of the best Christmas experience.
i was so happy. Being in the city of Kudus, it was a real Malam Kudus!

During the trip, i stopped playing the new Christmas albums of Tori Amos and Sting in my MP3 player. theirs were melancholic tunes. they only induced gloomy mood.

vertical limit

2010-12-18T09:47:00.001-08:00

certainly, you need to learn to swim

Mecta Moya

2010-12-18T05:11:00.000-08:00

Zhelayu shto ya zhivu v svoei mectoy:
puteshestvovat' po miru
medlenno, Bozhe, medlenno
Molyush' shtoby vsegda delat' eto
v budushem vremeni
Xocu issledovat mir
etu planetu, Zemlya

S samoletami

S vertoletov

S Deva Ruci

S Spirit Madzapaxit

Molyush' shtoby vsegda delat' eto

Again, To Dive For

2010-12-05T05:40:00.000-08:00

(photo by Adrian Nugraha, Ricka Ristianti)

Phie suggested newbies to refresh diving each 6 months. except Rian and Ocha, none of us had dived since April. we could not wait to plung. So here we were again. Too bad, Anien, Cupliz, Chokin, and Maria couldn't join the wet fun.

Island hopping: Belanda, Magaran, Harapan, Kaliage, Kotok.

after the last dip, i climbed to the boat and lied exhausted. thought, ii'm going to die. but when i gazed skyward, saw a sea hawk soaring gracefully above Kotok. beautiful. thought, yesterday when i woke up , in my head was playing that song "my soul soars like an eagle up in the sky"

O Sailor!

2010-12-03T03:01:00.000-08:00

Oom Edwin Stube remains a mystery. Ever wonder what brought him here. don't recall much of him though, don't recall of meeting him. i only remembered several emails he sent me. he promised to send me some books. but the books never arrived because he passed away. our correspondence was a short one. and too bad usa.net closed its free service long long ago that all my correspondence got deleted.

now each time i opened that old old photo album, i'd ask mi, when was it? was he pleased with your cut? Mi would laugh, "Not sure, son. this photo embarrasses me. look at it!"

in the picture, Mi is cutting his graying hair with her right hand and her left palm rests on his head, preventing the hair on right side from being combed to the left direction. it looks as if Mi is anointing his head. That's impolite, Mi, i'd say. and we'd end up laughing. perhaps that was in 1991, his last visit to Indonesia (?).

many stories i heard of him are all "one day" stories. Pak Wilfried told this story: "One day, that yellow Kijang ran out of gas. He prayed and filled the tank with water. then he drove home." wow! Pak Darto said, "One day, sick and handicapped people flocked here and got healed miraculously after meeting him." wow!

and my late Oom Alex Tuarita said, "One day, Oom Stube said, Let's drink (beer) Alex! it's good for your health." Oom Alex told me, laughing, "Thee idea of drinking beer shocked me to death, thinking it was ungodly." wow and lol!

Who ever thinks he was also an accomplished musician. he left his accordion as the witness. remembering him now can rekindle this rusty restless soul. and my anger subsides. i learn to see things from a different point of view.

One song reminds me of him. i been listening to it recently. Sailor by Petula Clark. Good heavens, i know this tune well! since kindergarten i've knowned it! every time i play it, it takes me back to the big dining room where people hum the melody. I think Oom Stube owes me an explanation. who else taught them the melody?

now i know the original lyric:

Sailor, stop your roaming
Sailor, leave the sea
Sailor, when the tide turns
Come home safe to me

As you sail across the sea
All my love is there beside you
In Capri or Amsterdam
Honolulu or Siam
To the harbour of my heart
I will send my love to guide you
As I call across the sea
Come home to me...

Ok let me play the song once more. And here's to your memory, Oom Stube!

No more instant noodle during dive trip

2010-12-02T23:36:00.000-08:00

I've a hate and love relationship with instant noodle. It is one of tastiest foods. it takes less fuel to prepare it, compared to preparing rice. everybody knows hungry travelers love instant food. yet one day i realized how uncool it is.

The night before, Rian and I were in the state of can't-sleep-without-stuffing-stomach-first. Ocha, Ricka, and Sena had gone to sleep. so we decided to unpack Trangia and cook two pcs of instant noodles. we crushed some chillis to add sting to the boiling noodles. we ate and then had a good night sleep on the island."Heavenly!" I said. "Hellish!" said Rian. "Sem, it's really hellish!" added he. he was referring to the hot broth.

came morning and we rushed to pack everything. we won't be returning to this island, so better hiurry, said Ricka. again Rian and I prepared instant noodle.

in the first dive, i coughed and i could smell the instant seasoning-flavored oxygen. it was hellish. i surfaced, feeling weak. Rian did too. on the second dive, i was completely weak and all i breathed tasted like neoprene.

thus i learned: avoid it during dive trips.

Entertaining Angels Undercover

2010-11-23T07:17:00.000-08:00

Umi sent writings abt her trip home to Yogyakarta, where Echi and more other travelmates came to join rescue.

reckon i've heard about Rian, Fida, and everyone's accounts on their trip there to help the volcano eruption victims.

travelmates with big hearts, i should say of them. hope they too entertained some angels undercover.

La Vie en Rose (Male version)

2010-11-17T07:45:00.000-08:00

on last trip, i sang this song softly. and quelqu'un m'a dit the song i sang was female version.
oh really? let me change it. if still incorrect, who cares?
I'll sing my ass off

Des yeux qui font baisser les miens,
Un rire qui se perd sur sa bouche—
Voilà le portrait sans retouche
De la femme auquel j’appartiens.

Quand elle me prend dans ses bras,
Elle me parle tout bas,
Je vois la vie en rose.
Elle me dit des mots d’amour,
Des mots de tous les jours,
Et ça me fait quelque chose.
Elle est entré dans mon cœur,
Une part de bonheur
Dont je connais la cause.
C’est lui pour moi,
Moi pour lui dans la vie,
Elle me l’a dit, l’a juré pour la vie.
Et dès que je l’aperçois,
Alors je sens en moi
Mon cœur qui bat.

Des nuits d’amour à plus finir,
Un grand bonheur qui prend sa place,
Les ennuis, les chagrins s’effacent,
Heureux, heureux à en mourir.

La Mer! Quelle Belle! (pt 2)

2010-11-17T06:44:00.000-08:00

After some delay, we changed boat. it rained hard. we forgave the boat for having no plastic roof. it could speed! okay, besides we were already wet.

landed we on that island with beautiful front whose shape is the its namesake. it belongs to somebody rich of course. we asked for permission and set up tents. Mamet and Echi fried the smaller fish and the rest of us were hungry cats. Now i knew the secret ingredient missing: salt. Tetty poured a pinch and the rest was history (all fish devoured).... Think i've come to know the meaning of "you are the salt of the earth". lol

after that Tetty and Umi decided to swim. some wind blew tetty's safety vest to the sea and she urged me to retrieve it! the sea was being unfriendly and the vest was drifting further. i jumped and grab it. sadly, i couldn't climb up the pier, so i had to swim to the shore, like 30 m from the spot. iws shocked to find everyone was posing and taking pics, ignorant to my suffering! damn! :) there was nothing relieving than airing my anger while joining the posing. it was a lol moment for us.

then we stare westward. the sky was bright with a golden ball. i couldn't say it was not beautiful. it was a mere sunset. i din find it romantic or whatsoever. i found it interesting only when friends began to mount their cams on tripod and meditate on the monitors. the sky changed colors like a lizard: gold, yellow, pink, orange, dark red, blue. we watched it until it turned completely dark blue. thought, now that's beautiful.

the wind blew stronger and the wooden pier creaking. i chenged clothes and lied on the pier. Hamok and Tetty and i were talking of such and such, gazing at the starry sky. then joined Bolang. and we talked of Mars, comets, stars--bright objects Ayu Utami termed "God's lamps". then joined Eep. how the topic changed i can't recall. reckon Hamok first brout it up: crossdressers or lady-boys. he talked of Madame X. another lol moment. Daag nek!

meanwhile friends were preparing dinner. my duty was collecting firewood to keep the flame. the smell was so inviting. who could resist grilled fish with soy and chilli sauce. yummy. and the boys played farah quinn. this is it.

i washed the dishes on the beach and was awed by the plankton. they twinkled in the saline water and on the sand. beautiful!

after the happy dinner, everyone busied themselves. Tetty asked for company to the pier. she wanted to shoot the stars. so Akbar and I went along, bringing sleeping bags to the pier. the wind blew strong and the chill pierced the bones, so we rolled into the bag. up there was only one bright star. Akbar left for some jacket. we talked about things including Wallace and stereotypes. a really hard talk. a bit unnecessary. lol. i guess i was carrying the weight of the world to this short holiday. lol

couldnt stand the wind. i farted time and again. so we returned to the campground, heating ourselves with hot tea and laying near campfire. heavenly! rain came, we went into the tents. sleep time.

Morning broke. Umi cooked water and i made coffee. it never fails to "push" some sensation. i relieved myself on some secluded beach. i must say i love this experience :)

then Umi, Bolang and I plunged to the sea. the owner made many wave breakers that this particular beach was calm, while outside the borders the wave blew strong. under it was not impressive but i love the sight of millions of silvery roast. they're so tiny! then everyone joined the wet fun except for Mamet who slept again. it was a very pleasant dip.

we breakfasted on instant noodles and sandwich (bread + fake cheese + condensed chocolate milk). tasty!

we packed things and left. we bid farewell to the old guards. they were very old and nice, albeit demanding.

with that fast speeding boat we sailed to Pulau Kayu Angin Bira. suddenly i got too emotional. last november 2009, we camped there. from our tents, we had to walk 5 m long to the beach. now the spot was gone. Abrasion is swallowing. A sad scene. Last year we could easily find clams on the beach. now no longer

Kayu Angin Bira is a conservation island but unlike Semak Daun, it is not properly maintained. there's no sign of any attempt to plant mangrove seedlings.

after one hr, we left for P. Harapan. sailed to the mainland.

while we were eating, thought of this: always hard lessons i get while holidaying, especially when i heard someone, why can't you see the sign? it was talk about salt. again. lesson learnt.

all in all it was a pretty nice holiday.

La Mer! Quelle Belle!

2010-11-15T08:15:00.000-08:00

did look forward to it although i knew that quick packing would result to small disappointments. At least i leave for the sea, thought. rushed to D'Best where Budi waited. and there was Akbar. off we went to Muara Angke.

The air smelt familiar but had no complain of. it was a relief to arrive . only there was one sad scene. the ambulance behind my cab was delivering someone to his/her final place. they brought that someone into the boat and off it went possibly to Tidung.

Came Bolang, Eep, Tetty, Umi, Hamok, and Echi. as always, Mamet was struggling with her time management. the air turned a bit cheerful. and we climbed up to the roof. all of a sudden, some men in uniform came and acted uncool. we were forced to climb down. i had no probs with it since it means the boat became rather full. not overpacked. funny that after some minutes, the boat headed back to the smelly port. Mamet somehow was a lucky devil. she jumped three boats to join us.

i slept most of the time. when we arrived something weird happened. "Mister, mister, good morning!" screamed some schoolgirls. I looked around, there wasn't any bule. my, they were calling...moi! i bet it was my hat, hiding my black hair? or was it our distance of a well of 20 m? i din want to make my small audience upset. so i spoke some english and they became more excited. alas, it lasted brief. as i approached they sensed something. i could see it in their eyes :) "not bule!"

Meanwhile we stuffed our stomach with loads of rice and sweet drinks. Umi tried to contact our boatmen. the contact denied our pleasure. he canceled the boat. how rude! so we waited for an hour for the next boat. and to cheer her up, i told my two stories: about a cranky-man-in-taxi-who-forgot-his-wallet-and-forced-to-owe-some-money-to-strangers and a man-who-thought-he-was-oh-so-fashionable-that-he-wore-swimming-trunk-and-did-mall-hopping.

"Take us somewhere nice where there are nice corals," inquired we. so the boatmen took us to the middle of the sea where the corals are dull and the current was strong. "OK, better take us somewhere to buy fish!" said Umi. So we ended up on a floating house. the "keramba" was neat and clean. about the size of a unit in an apartment. it perches on a solid formation of corals with white sands as its floor. it was probably the most comfortable keramba i've ever seen.

the fishes here were expensive so we chose not to buy any but to ...swim with them instead! oh yes! the owner collects some cool looking fish like parrotfish, clonfish, "ikan roa", and a barracuda! everyone jumped into it and made some mess, the white sands flew here and there. it was fun!

After that the shopping continued....there was two boats unloading their catch and we were fortunate enough to buy 7 kg fish. 5 "ikan salem" and 2 "ikan selar". Umi, Bolang, n Mamet fried some on the boat. and i could say it was the tastiest fish i've ever tasted: juicy, fresh, savoury and in a way, sweet....

My Peruvians!

2010-11-01T09:23:00.000-07:00

i don't really look forward to go to Taman Safari, Puncak. kinda boring. sure it's fun to take a close look at the animals but i've long realized i aint really excited to see grass munching mammals such as deers, oxen, primates, goats, and the likes. I prefer birds, fish, and reptiles.

Think been there twice before. first with Cika, Roy, and Vit. The second was with Anast, Cika, Hendra...night safari when the animals' eyes are like Swarovski crystals, twinkling, reflecting light in the dark. we did plan to go there again with oh-yes-let's-buy-these-cheap tickets. the papers' expiry date was yesterday. so off we went . now with boy Nathan and his Grandma and nanny. was hard to wakte up early, but my decision to do so and have a cold shower was paid off.

I was not excited at all at first. but then, i thought, it's better than staying in my room. so was it. Cika & I kidded, we should see them through different point of view:
"Look at that llama. it's white! think the fur will make good and warm coat."

"See the zebra? love the pattern. We can ink jet it to an attache."

"Giraffe! it can make a nice overcoat."

"See the phyton? lovely! the skin makes good laptop bag!"

"Blue monitors? ah yes, they're really blue. wonder how long they're gonna grow to reach the adult size. you know, i need some exotic skin for my camera case."

"Big cats! So cute! Think of a real animal print! Boots, bag, cap, and skirt!"

"Cenderawasih? Ah, bird of paradise! my hat will look cool with its plumage, yes?"

"Even now y can make a pair of sneakers using fish skin, I tell you!"

"Don't we love animals?" yes yes yes. lol

was superexcited to see the penguins. they were the main reason I went there. they're lovely and clumsy, and funny! Humboldt* they are: 1 foot tall, with highly streamlined body, lively in black and white antiwet feathers. they swam here and there, diving up and down, and walking around in tuxedoes! even saw a pair mating...in the water! wondered how they managed to ....ah well, to mate!

I counted one two, three...twelve.... "Twenty two we've got here," said the guard. oh really? they successfully breed the Peruvian birds. perhaps to be exact: Japanese-born Peruvians, now naturalized (to be exact in 2006), holding Indonesian citizenship! I aint kidding. see the wings/flipper. they are tagged with some wire as an ID. I wonder what they should be called: a third generation penguins?

From 10, they multiplied to 22! Heaven bless them! I only heard two eggs hatched! hey, there are 10 more. "And some will hatch soon," said the guard, adding the eggs take 30 days to hatch.

Anast paid Rp 100,000 to buy some fish so that nephew Nathan could get near to feed them. "Sem, please tape us!" she said, handling her cam. oh, lucky moi! At your service!

I couldn't hide my excitement. I felt like a groupie granted wish to meet the stars.

The guard ushered us to the "backtstage". Inside the cage was cold. "We kept the temp at 15 degrees," said the guard who was wearing green coat over his green uniform. one penguin rushed to him, seeing him bringing a tray with 10 fish in it. it's cute! he knew my presence but ignored me. well, some stars have privilege to do that and still get overwhelming adoration! i forgive you!

When we entered the "main stage", other penguins rose and chased the guard. Meal time! oh they look very amazing! i watched them closely and they show no interest in me and thankfully, they were quite friendly as not to use their powerful black beaks to examine people (think of noisy ganders and some cockatoos!). I videoed Anast and Nathan feeding them. Their beaks clasped now and then, like black scissors any tailor has. funny to see they can't jump. they elongated their necks to snap the fish so quick.

they left for the water as soon as they learnt there was no fish left. Only one left to examine my camera. or was it posing? the only thing i could be sure of was that people by the pool applaud our brief onstage collaboration.

Peruvians, you made my day!

* Humboldt penguins are listed as threatened species.

The ring of Fire

2010-10-27T07:48:00.000-07:00

One thing I come to realize: volcanoes are beautiful. And scary too. And how close we are to them. Surrounded by volcanoes or in more adept phrase: full of volcanoes. I lived exactly between a no-longer-active Arjuna and the tallest volcano, Semeru. Waking up, I used to open the window to its sight. It was always white at its cone and sometimes coughed some smoke. But I’d never consider it dangerous. I wondered why it kept coughing that the trees and vegetables in my garden covered with thin film of dust. Fine gray dust. When it coughed the morning became more chilly.

When friends and I climbed Papandayan, two years before it erupted, it was my first encounter with an active volcano. Hmm, I can still recall the sulphur smell! Then I had chances to get close to Dieng, Bromo, Krakatau, Ijen, and Gede. Those pungent smelling volcanos. The smell penetrated into the deepest layer of clothes! Even those wrapped in plastic inside my backpack!

How mighty they are! How beautiful they are. Rich in vegetation. People wrote, Indonesia is blessed with rich soil. Volcanoes play huge part in it. When I climbed up, i found water is always abundant and beautiful plants are everywhere in sight. Lilies, wild berries, erica bush, sweet smelling leaves and bark, wild sugar cane, snowbells, fuchsias. everything! The birds are most melodious there and I was always awed by the sight yonder from where I stood. Yet they are also scary. Now i think I understand how people in the past developed volcano worship.

The scenes on TV are heartbreaking. The tsunami in Mentawai, the Merapi eruption, and the flood in Jakarta. For now I can’t laugh at Magica de Spell cartoon. The feline-eyed witch-duck is distilling some concoction on Vesuvius. It ain’t funny now.

Stranger in a Strange Land

2010-10-22T07:05:00.000-07:00

S: That's moi. but oh really?
K: ...and how so?
S: you know me well. think i been lulled by the song. it's bluesy. motown-y.
K: i've listened to it once. forget when.
S: don't know what it's all abt. thought it's a christmas song but then i doubted it. the title is catchy.stranger in a strange land. i'll play it.
K: when traveling, you are a strange face for others. but sometimes you do travel to people whose places and faces you are familiar with. and then wh...
S: don't think, just listen :)

Stanger in a Strange Land by Leon Russell

How many days has it been
Since I was born
How many days until I die
Do I know any ways
That I can make you laugh
Or do I only know how to make you cry

When the baby looks around him
It's such a sight to see
He shares a simple secret
With the wise man

He's a stranger in a strange land
Just a stranger in a strange land
Tell me why
He's a stranger in a strange land
Just a stranger in a strange land

How many miles will it take
To see the sun
And how many years until it's done
Kiss my confusion away in the night
Lay by side when the morning comes

And the baby looks around him
And shares his bed of hay
With the burrow in the palace of the king

He's a stranger in a strange land
Tell me why
He's a stranger in a strange land
Just a stranger in a strange land

Well, I don't exactly know
What's going on in the world today
Don't know what there is to say
About the way the people are treating
Each other, not like brothers

Leaders take us far away from ecology
With mythology and astrology
Has got some words to say
About the way we live today
Why can't we learn to love each other
It's time to turn a new face
To the whole world wide human race

Stop the money chase
Lay back, relax
Get back on the human track
Stop racing toward oblivion
Oh, such a sad, sad state we're in
And that's a thing

Do you recognize the bells of truth
When you hear them ring
Won't you stop and listen
To the children sing
Won't you come on and sing it children

He's a stranger in a strange land
Just a stranger in a strange land

A Tale of Two Cities (Semarang, Pontianak)

2010-08-29T18:35:00.000-07:00

I love crustaceans! they look like mini monsters and whatever their colors are, they turn orange in the prying pan! love them even more :)

Last Thursday, I went to Semarang on assignment, with Ramdani. Like my previous trip in December, it only last less than 24 hr. but i could enjoy every moment of it. after photoshoot, off we went to Pesta Keboen. this is a restaurant that cherishes everything from the past. if listening to Green Green Grass of Home can transport me back to the 50s, then entering this restaurant really made me feel visiting Fred Astaire's home. First the wooden horses and the iron tricycle. then i had to put off my invisible hat and mantle, letting the invisible waiter hang it before leading me to my table. "Mister Astaire will be here, soon," he assured me.

Soon a real waiter brought us this delicacy. it looked really inviting. a group of prawn, shiny, oily, orangey. the smell of cut kaffir lemon (jeruk purut) leaves filled my nostril. what an aroma! these were the juiciest prawn i've ever tasted. fried freshly, i guess. the shells were soft and crunchy that i left onlt some unchewed! just forget about Mister Astaire, I said, munching.

the magic itself lies in the spices: sauted garlic, paprika, chilli pepper, onion. very delicious!

Two days later on Saturday and Sunday, I visited Mi n Pi in Pontianak. The first time i went there, it was 10 yrs ago. This was my second time. it was a grateful moment for me to witness Mi getting stronger and better. They had prepared a surprise for me. "In the bucket, son!" said Pi.

My breakfast! i scrubbed them clean but MI said nay when i was about to cut them into halves. Mi prepared her magic formula: lots of garlic and some sauce. in 7 minutes, the crabs turn into very appealing shade of orange. lovely! and yummy too!

the meat: juicy and tender. it had eggs too! cooking them whole preserved their meat's juice. so when i cracked open them, i found the tasty golden liquid. yummmy!

I 0 RI

2010-08-16T18:50:00.000-07:00

(lift up my eyes to the hills,where does our help come from?)

"Without love of a country, one cannot create"

"Without love for a country, one cannot create"

These short quotations leave me feel “unfinished” or "wondering". I read Nikolai Berdyaev’s book—one that Menik borrowed and never returned, and quoted one line. but then I aint sure which one is right: "of" or "for". But I love to think about that “of” and that “for”. Whichever Berdyaev wrote, I love them both. I call them "quotes to ponder".

And here’s to Indonesia. To infinity and beyond.

Marley & Me(i)

2010-07-30T16:42:00.000-07:00

Marley is every backpacker's dream travelmate. He is friendly, knowledgable (having visited so many places and hidden paradise in Indonesia), and loves sharing (his) stories (meaning he can be noisy) :)

I remember our singing days back at uni. he was tenor and then expelled to lower class (of voice). I din remember who moved him to join basses :)

So after long since we sang together, we met again on to hit the road. to Ujung Kulon on last year's Easter holiday. on the pier of Sumur, I joked, somebody, snap us! do us a Marley & Me shot.

Months later, and a few singing and trip together eventually brought us .... apart. no touchy feely here. Marley is getting married to Mei ("an old acquaintance from uni years") which is an eqally friendly and smiley person. Marley & Me has become Marley & Mei! Gonna miss their big and noisy wedding!

I'm happy for you guys! :) congrats! See you on the next trips!

Four Bags, One Flowery Face

2010-07-23T03:11:00.000-07:00

Two years ago, these very times. I love the experience.

Plastic Fantastic (on "Kresek")

2010-07-23T03:05:00.000-07:00

S: what's that sight?
K: I'm hanging them. plastic bags as you see.
S: they're dripping.
K: Yes, mind you, I just washed them.
S: huh?
K: To reuse them. You can wash them using second or last rinse. Hang it to dry. Voila. You can use them again.

Closely Monitor-ed (at Pulau Biawak)

2010-07-21T08:10:00.000-07:00

One scene in Ocean movie keeps playing in my mind every time i think of the sea: lighting crashes, rain falls, it storms. one coconut tree is struck, falls into the sea. Meanwhile, a medium-sized monitor (biawak) rushed to the scene and swims to the fallen trunk, embarking on a journey to an island or a beach or ... to uncertainty.

The scene was repeated when friends and I stepped aboard a small boat on our way from Pelabuhan Karangsong, Indramayu. Destination: Pulau Biawak.

Sailing to Uncertainty

The clouds hanged heavy above our heads and the wave caused headache. (To my shock, it was a tiny boat, it don't even have a cabin. here we were, all 13 of us plus two boatmen.) sleeping was the only option. after 3 hrs, we met other boat. The boatman asked, where's the island? That way, replied the men on the other boat. and our boatmen changed the direction.

"Bon Dieu, these guys navigate by sight!" thought I. "How can they see it when all is dark blue on the horizon?" To turn back would be a defeat yet to go further seemed impossible. we were already halfway of 40 nautical miles distance.I was reminded of the scene. I was worried we were drifting to uncertainty... It was magical that the worry din keep me sitting stiff. Instead I fell asleep again. I guess Atticus was right, It's not time to worry yet.

Waking up, it rained and wet us all. fortunately, the island was at sight. large and green. with a white lighthouse, a legacy of colonial era, towering near its pier. What a relief!

Picture Perfect Holiday
The weather wasn't our friend yet friends and I could enjoy the short holiday on the Pulau Biawak. We built three tents, snorkeled around, cooked this and that menu (almost constantly), and devoured (we being "nggragas") anything before us, sang to the half moon, chasing monitors, and climbed the lighthouse up to 60 m to the top! very exciting!

While sitting near the lamp cage on the lighthouse, I observed the island. it reminds me of Pulau Rambut in Kepulauan Seribu. Both are dense with lush carpets of mangroves and palms (conifers too!) and are birds sanctuary. big water birds like ibises, herons, and cormorants were seen here.

While snorkeling, I noticed that the reefs and the fishes aren't so colorful nor plenty. I guess it's due to 2004 oil spill. It still affects the island although I can see it recovering. Perhaps that explains why the fishes are of small sizes.

(a "hi there" look from Monsieur le Monitor, photo by friend Tetty alias 'tettyyangmotoloch')

Meanwhile the residents whose identity become the entity of the islands were rarely seen. I only spotted four. Most of them are of slender features and their skin patterns are interesting. Only one is very fat! couldn't believe it. how can a reptile grows so fat? guess that's the benefit of being the only predators on the island.

(with Pak La Anang, the lighthouse keeper)

The whole journey was pleasant. Picture perfect. I even came to appreciate God's Lamps and learn to take chances. When arriving on the mainland, I texted Papi immediately, Pi, I been to Pulau Biawak (Varanus salvator), next is Pulau Komodo (Varanus komodoensis)! :)

"Menyelami Bali, Menghargai Bumi"

2010-07-20T21:11:00.000-07:00

"Menyelami Bali, Menghargai Bumi" by Sem Purba.

I love the title. It wasn't the title I submitted to the editors. it appeared on Sunday 16 June 2010 issue of daily Media Indonesia. Now the article is online at Media Travelista or http://www.mediaindonesia.com/mediatravelista/index.php/read/2010/6/13/875/2/media_travelista_headline

want to deflate and dive deeper! :)

Old Man & The Sea (at Pantai Pangandaran)

2010-07-08T10:38:00.000-07:00

and here i am standing

much awed by the mighty ocean

by the Window, Absorbed, Once More

2010-07-07T08:42:00.000-07:00

I used to go to Vit's room back then. He owned a supercool tape, a large window to sit by, and being a student of Indonesian Literature a great selection of books. he introduced me to Burung-burung Manyar, Bumi Manusia, and Catatan Seorang Demonstran among others. (I'd sit by his window, reading while Vit would played metal bands whose music I could bear like Extreme.)

I grew very fond of the latter book, colored red, written by Soe Hok Gie. i was hooked instantly. it was 1999. it was fun to read and very inspiring. he visited Mt Semeru in my hometown. not even I have climbed it. it's where he died. quite young.

Last Wednesday Deste introduced me to one online site. she was ordering a book written by her friend. i asked her, does it have Soe Hok Gie's? No, she said. meanwhile i was clicking about this book by Rudy Badil, entitled Norman Edwin. I said to her, Pls order me this one and we can save delivery money.

two days later the book hadn't arrived yet. I grew impatient. i lost my newly sown faith in online shopping!, i said to Deste in an air of a drama king. lol. i ws expecting to read it over the weekend!

this morning the two books arrived. Norman Edwin from that lazy online store and Catatan Seorang Demonstran from Adeste (she lends it.)

i had a difficulty in choosing. i want to read both. While lunching, I skimmed Norman Edwin and read through everything written about Gunung Gede, the volcano friends and i climbed last week.

now here i am, sitting by my window, renewing acquaintance with Soe Hok Gie. once again i put layers of respect for this person. ever productive, idealist, brave and honest person, activist, gentleman. (i had been looking for Gie's book for a very long time.)

then in the middle, i switched to Norman Edwin and learnt both Gie and Norman had things in common: Mapala members, UI students, conquered mountaintops, and died there.

Norman Edwin contains the travel writings he submitted to media, while Catatan Seorang Demonstran contains diary entries by Gie.

it's timely that the books arrived at the same time.

inspiring. good reads i will recommend to anyone!

Castle in the Sky ("Negeri di Awan")

2010-07-03T23:36:00.000-07:00

Last night, it was German's triumph over Argentina. but Anast, Erika, and I din care much. we chose to sing the night away in a panic room. amid the playlist, i inserted "secretly" Negeri di Awan (Land in the Clouds, its literal translation), a song by Katon Bagaskara. it was my only favorite Indonesian song because I loooved--and still do--the video. it was done by Garin Nugroho. it is very indonesian both in scenery and feel.

watching this video again, i was moved. i jumped and thought, i know this place! Ambarawa, no? i remember last December I went there with Ent, Fit, Ocha, Cupay, and Yudi, riding the train to the rice fields and Lake Rawa Pening nearby.

and while i was being mellowed out by the video and the music--and the lyric, Erika ruined it all. she exploded at the sight of Katon's mullet. Lol. Annast and i couldnt not laugh along.

"hey, you must forgive him. it was the coolest look back then," i barked :))

and now i am checking it once more.

Sometimes, I Love Getting Lost

2010-07-03T23:07:00.000-07:00

because it's fun sometimes. (never have i intended to get lost!) i have to ask people for directions. and most of the times, i receive more than just directions but also kindness. i guess, they are angels unaware.

Happy Sunday, Class of 1987!

2010-07-03T22:34:00.000-07:00

(from Abbe de Witt and Ron de Witt)

i was so sad to lose the bundle. it contained about 25 letters from other continent. they were children my age. i was 9 back then. i used to store it in the rack in the grey cabinet Papi built to cage the TV set. one day the bundle just disappeared. i was so sad.

one boy told me of his opossum pet, another told me of their siblings, and another told about their separated parents. the letters were colorful, i mean they drew pictures of themselves, opossums. it opened the world of a 9 yr old boy i was. they even said, they hanged my pic in the classroom! i was so flattered. they din even know me and i couldnt even speak english! i had no idea in which place they lived. they signed every letter. Abbe de Witt and Ron de Witt, their teachers, encouraged them to write to me. from that day, i often went to library to learn about the States and dreamed someday i'd go there.

one card survived to this day. it's very special. it reminds me of the act of kindness. would love to know who they are, what they are doing, and where they live. i've tried to search the teachers via internet but it haven't been fruitful yet.

wherever you are, whatever you do, the 9 year old boy would like to thank you once again. happy Sunday to you, Class of 1987!

In a Glade, Chasing Rainbow's End

2010-07-03T21:52:00.000-07:00

From the top of Gunung Gede, I look beyond this open space or meadow or what i consider very poetic: a clearing in the wood. seeing glade Surya Kencana from above reminded me of a scene from Finian's Rainbow.

it's as if i saw a rainbow's end.

i wonder how vast it is! very beautiful from above, lined with Javanese edelweiss bush--all in bloom! all my sorrows (headache from midday heat, dehydration) soon were forgotton.

it was bliss!

Running Water

2010-07-02T03:00:00.000-07:00

(on arrival)

when walking upon the sand and gravel path of Surya Kencana, Gunung Gede, i was already half-exhausted. time and again i sipped water from the bottles. water i fetched from the creek at Kandang Badak. i thanked myself for listening to Jainer's and Umi's advice to bring extra bottles.

then it came up to mind. two yrs ago I met Renate Steinke, the teacher, in Frankfurt. the Lufthansa strike was devastating that we were left stranded for hours (six to be exact). therefore it was nice to have a nice chat even with a stanger. i din remember how we first talked or what opener i used. she was knitting--an art very few people here master. her fingers' movement wowed me.

it turned out she was on her way to Bali. we chatted on anything and then we argued, what's the best invention in the world.

S: we were sitting right across the nose of SQ. so i said, aeroplane!
R: wrong, she said. running water!
S: how?
R: you can live without electricity but can't without wasser.

walking upon the sand and gravel road of Surya Kencana, i thanked myself for bringing 1.5 litres of water. w uncooked water. unboiled. it kept me hydrated during 5 hrs descent down to Gunung Putri. din care what particles the water contained so long i stayed hydrated. friends and i had no complain--or contamination :) to this day.

i raise my glass for you, Ms. Steinke!

what's up doc?

2010-07-02T00:24:00.000-07:00

last Wednesday, the doc told me to have some rest but the offer was too interesting to resist: friends asked me if i could join them climbing Gunung Gede.

reading their mails, i was taken back to 2000 when friends of Garda Hijau and moi tried to climb it. amateurs we were--as i still am today--we only made it to Cibereum Waterfall and camped nearby. This time i have to make it to the summit, i said to myself.

so i did quick packing and off I went to meet Umi, Mamet, Phie, Jainer, Rudy, Toto, Emma, Hanum, Adink, Jaman, Dony. happy to see them!

i only guess that the track would be as "easy" and as "short" as in Mount Ijen (3 km from Post I to the summit) in East Java.

i was shocked to learn it took 8 hrs to reach campground Kandang Badak and another 2 hrs to the summit! 1 hrs down to glade Surya Kencana, 30 min to its edge, and as if not enough: 5 hrs walking in the darkness to reach Gunung Putri.

beyond my calculation, I did it. We did it. and on the last few miles I walked in the moonlit path and thought, how can't i be ungrateful?

we made it and i felt so much healthier despite some leg fatigue :)

Songlist for Trip (Pt. 2)

2010-06-22T00:45:00.000-07:00

the last time i went on trip, i played Nine Million Bicycles and halfway Up the Hindu Kush on and on and on until the battery worn out and Maria had no chance to play the player :)

1. Nine Million Bicycles, Katie Melua
2. Crazy, Alanis Morissette
3. Photograph, Diane Birch
4. Gun Shy, 10,000 Maniacs
5. Precious Declaration, Collective Soul
6. Halfway Up the Hindu Kush, Katie Melua
7. Gone Fishing, Louis Armstrong & Bing Cosby
8. I Say Grace, Hayley Westenra
9. I Guess The Lord Must Be in New York City, Harry Nilsson
10. Window in the Skies, U2

the song

2010-06-17T02:55:00.001-07:00

out of nowhere i remember this sweet song. even sweeter when i heard Mbak Aning long ago sang it. lyrical. guess it was penned by Guruh Soekarnoputra. eighties spirit yes? :)

and i say to myself, do i love this country?

Pada mulanya hanya mitos belaka
kemudiannya menjadi nyata
Indonesia mengejawantah di dunia
Adi Nugraha Sang Maha Pencipta

Nun dari Sabang hingga ke Merauke
terhampar luas nusa nan permai
Indonesia negeri yang sangat kucinta
dengarlah bisikan patriot bangsa

Indonesia jiwaku
bersemayam di hayatku
Indonesia semangatku
kau kubela s'panjang hidupku

Romantic Tea Walk

2010-06-14T03:44:00.000-07:00

A couple was seen having a nice midday tea walk in Gunung Mas Tea Plantation, Sunday June 13, 2010.

the lady wore red 'dress' full of plumage, so did the gentleman. time after time, the couple chatted in loud voice, especially the gentleman. it seemed as if he was telling his lady about some exciting news. The lady keep nodding, agreeing on every sound he made.they even didn't care people were watching--and taking picture of--them. People thought the couple was left behind by the group (Walnut Unika Atmajaya). but then people were sure that they would find the group, thanks to the sign.

Jive & Dive!

2010-06-13T06:32:00.000-07:00

from pdf. version downloaded from http://epaper.mediaindonesia.com on Sunday June 13, 2010

Miss the Wet Fun!

2010-06-08T04:34:00.000-07:00

(love this photo taken by Phie Raditya. Yudhi caught a catfish and a transparent jellyfish. we took a closer look,
counted the catfish's whiskers and counted the stitches mark in jellyfish body,
before releasing them back to the sea)

miss the island hopping.

The Amateur Naturalist

2010-06-08T04:30:00.000-07:00

(foto: Uwice, v Ijene)

Last night I dreamt of accompanying Alfred Wallace on his trip to Gunung Gede.

City by the Ocean, Cilacap

2010-06-07T21:18:00.000-07:00

(with Dian, Enti, Maria, Santi, Madame)

Friends canceled the Sawarna trip, so I jumped on the bus to Cilacap with a group of friends. the city is of Nusa Kambangan, Tanjung Intan Harbor, and of tempe mendoan fame.

we had fun, driving three hrs up to the stream. The prime destination was supposed to be Green Canyon but too bad, the water was flooding due to heavy rain the night before. (the water was muddy that we called it Brown Canyon!)

we were happy to dip in the beaches of Batu Karas, Batu Hiu, and Pangandaran. even after the wave rolled me and i landed on my belly! we had a pleasant holiday here.

The Lake at Uni

2010-06-07T21:13:00.000-07:00

this sunday Cika, Anast, and moi went to the uni. it was their first time since long while.
meanwhile it was only months since i came to prewed shoot Lia n her then fiance.

Mamet, Budi, Rudy, Bolang, Echi, Uwice, Tetty had already hanged their hammocks and played around. they brought some bycicle. Mamet's brought her folding bike which is cute. It was tetty's bday. we had nice late lunch.

and there was a very familiar sight: Marley. he and her fiance was doing their millionth pre wedding shoot.

(Marley and Me err Mei)

(Pras n Lia)

it was fun. look forward to more hangout by the lake

Old Man and The Sea

2010-06-07T21:03:00.000-07:00

(photo by Echi Mono)

Young Man and the Sea, to be exact :)

For a Sound Judgment

2010-05-23T09:14:00.000-07:00

this morning started early so did i. after waiting for two felt-like-forever hours for Ocha n Fit, i arrived there for Jakarta Highland Gathering, a festival i had heard of many times. the sun wasn't friendly but then i needed it to warm my pale legs n hands.

happy i was at the first sound of bagpipe. it was what i came here for. men in skirt were playing the highly sophisticated instruments. their skirt was a curious thing and so were the felt bags. and most of the players are of young age and have Asian facial features--meaning they are Asian!

one by one they came up to the "stage" and played the bagpipe, caught breath, fingered the holes, and danced. sometimes a piper or two accompanied a drummer. it was a competition and there were two skirted men nearby judging the players.

upon hearing the music playing, people came. they--just like i was--were "pied piper of Hamelin-ed"! it was just good.

I said it

2010-05-14T06:47:00.001-07:00

Let there be light!

Sobirayu Voskhod

2010-05-05T22:35:00.000-07:00

I collect sunrises
precious moments of gold
how rich i am
thus my heart told

(voskhod, v Tulambene)

La peinture évocatrice

2010-05-05T22:22:00.000-07:00

it was like a slap in the right cheek when I saw it: duotone it may be, but that morning it evoked vivid memories. how brilliant!

(curious painting; Tulamben; courtesy of Rosa Widiyarini)

One Lonely Town

2010-05-05T21:43:00.000-07:00

i put the photograph inside the frame of my mind
that there millions of cheers ain't hard to find

My Photos for Justravellers Gathering

2010-04-26T04:04:00.000-07:00

am happy! these photos got selected (curated by JUST Travellers committee and Arbain Rambey) for the upcoming Justravellers gathering in May 1 and 2, 2010. moi am one of 35 photographers whose works are selected to be exhibited there.

"Morning Has Broken"
Caption: Mount Puntang in Bandung Selatan, Jawa Barat, was crucial in the time of Dutch colonialism. It's where they built the first modern communication station. All it has to offer now are interesting stories and ruins. When camping there with friends last October, I woke up to witness the beautiful and poetic morning: The sun was peeking through the slender conifer, the river was singing, and so were wild birds.

"The White Lion & How-Small-We-Are"
Caption: Everything in the peak of Mt. Ijen, East java, is in big scale: the caldera, the crater, the sulphur lake, the hills. and I felt so diminutive in the presence of the Creation. I could not be not moved by the sight. PS: it was my first hike to an elevation higher than 9,000 feet. Feb. 2010.

"For Better or Worse"

2010-04-23T18:39:00.000-07:00

Sure there are plenty of
fish in the sea
Flocks of birds on the rise
Baby, not for me
'Cause I live in paradise
(For Better or Worse, Debbie Gibson)

When buddies and I went down to the wreck in Tulamben, I felt most happiest. I can remember every second of the descent! bubbles! here's where I remembered my silent wish: to be able to enjoy it.

and here's where the playlist changed! I used to sing in mind: What a Wonderful World. but seeing the school of jacks, my archive opened that old Debbie Gibson disc and the needle played it loud :)

(not for worse but) for better, I love it!

time

2010-04-23T18:22:00.001-07:00

waits
for none

Adagio

2010-04-23T18:05:00.000-07:00

my feet sing a song or two
upon anyone's request
or upon your caressing them
the left paddles
the right one giggles
while the hair on the left
and the right
they catch bubbles
of air
it slows down the song
--and the movement

[shest, djesyat, dvesyachi tri]

Meneer Havelaar & The Fair Share

2010-04-22T23:21:00.000-07:00

“Sem, let’s meet up while I’m having holidays here!” texted an unknown number, two weeks ago. It’s +31 … Foreign number. “By the way, it’s my another number. Vina” an SMS followed a minute later.

Vina! It’s been six years since the last time I saw her. We went to the same college and sang in the same student choir. She then got married and lives with her family in the Netherlands.

So that Saturday, I just canceled a trip. I needed much energy for the following week. So instead, i went on the trip to a mall to meet her :) Now she brought along husband and two children, a boy and a girl, both toddlers. We had lunch and I then played with her children. The girl is very cute and playful. The boy got excited everytime he saw escalators. He made us got up and down for more than 30 times! “You know, we don’t have so many escalators—or malls—in Holland!” said Vina, laughing.

When we were about to part, Vina then gave me a sack of chocolate eggs from her hometown. (She always remembers I love chocolate!) After that, I did mall-hopping, heading to another mall nearby to meet my diving buddies.

It was a feast of chocolate. Ten people devoured the milk chocolate and dark chocolate eggs as we discussed the next trip. While grabbing some eggs, the words in the packaging caught my eyes: “Max Havelaar/Fairtrade”:

Max Havelaar

As children I was taught at school that Eduard Douwes Dekker or Multatuli wrote Max Havelaar, a book that helped end colonialism. As always, classmates and I were asked to memorize the title, the writer, and “1860”, the year in which the book was published. But we were never told what the book is all about. We were programmed to receive, I guess. I ran to the school library but Bu Lilik said, we don’t have the book.

Soon I forgot about it.

Fairtrade

But this time, while trying hard to understand the sentences in the chocolate package, I couldn’t sit still. I researched about Max Havelaar and fairtrade. As always, I can count on Wikipedia.

Dutch Doues Dekker "initiated" Max Havelaar. it was also Dutch Nico Roozen, Frans van der Hoff and an NGO called Solidaridad who initiated the Fairtrade certification in 1988. It is made to ensure the products I buy meet agreed environmental, labor, and developmental standards. It ensures the makers/manufacturers of the products don’t use child labor, that they pay labors well, and they use good quality of products. what an innovation!

Last October I went to Ubud, Bali. I went into a pretty shop that sells traditional cloths and crafts, Threads of Life. I fell in love with a pandanus woven bag. It’s very cute and looks durable. When I looked at the tag, it read the bag was made by local women of East Nusa Tenggara to support their fishermen families. And it’s certified “Fairtrade”.

I asked about it to the shopkeeper. She ensured me, 40% of the money will go directly to them. Oh, 40% is a lot. How many times I heard that local craftsmen receive so little amount while the resellers get a lot by skyrocketing the price.

So the next time I buy a Fairtrade product, my heart can be at ease for I know that the workers get well paid.

It's interesting that many countries is adopting the system. It's just about time: it's the time of the ethical consumers.

The Wall

2010-04-22T00:03:00.001-07:00

an awesome trip. unthinkable. how my buddies and i got through it is a wonder and we were glad we were able to enjoy each dip.

of course it will be ungrateful of me if i din thank the Lord for it. i still want to know what was on his mind when he created the life in the wall and the floor. moreover, what was on his mind when he created the universe? it's like this: where could i go? where could i run? nothing is beyond you!

as of today (earth day), I think he is thinking, what was on my mind when i created the universe?

(photos courtesy of thedivingdugongers)

The Songlist for Trips

2010-03-15T07:32:00.001-07:00

1. Smashing Young Man, Collective Soul

2. Kinderly, Mediaeval Baebes

3. A Design of Life, Manic Street Preachers

4. Son of a Preacher Man, Dusty Springfield

5. Fireflies, Owl City

6. Aha!, Imogen Heap

7. Flowers, Emilie Simon

8. Sweet the Sting, Tori Amos

9. Lost in Space, Lighthouse Family

10. Bette Davis Eyes, Kim Carnes

11. On My Way Home, Enya

12. The Big Rock, Maire Brennan

13. Everyday I Wrote the Book, Ron Sexsmith & Elvis Costello

14. Nothing Else Matters, Metallica

15. Grace, Jars of Clay

16. Stuck in the Moment, U2

17. Breath Your Name, Sixpence None the Richer

18. Bratislava, Beirut

19. Fix the World Up for You, James Morrison

20. What a Wonderful World, Louis Armstrong

By Saving The Corals, We Help Local Fishermen's Welfare

2010-03-11T19:36:00.000-08:00

My friend's Lisa Saputra and my entry for Deep Indonesia 2010 Poster Contest
It didn't make into final but I love it that we tried

the idea: campaigning against fish and coral bombings and overfishing. local fishermen can choose to preserve them instead and associate themselves with (or become!) dive operators!

on the narrow street

2010-02-19T01:30:00.000-08:00

it's not Dulux ad, it's somebody's commodity

selling dyed DOC's as pets

I believe the duck ain't working on multiple choice test

this boy intensely tries to comfort the duckling. hope he be a caring master for the duckling.

(ya v Kokosovym Ostrove v dekabrya 2009)

First Session[s]

2010-02-15T08:49:00.000-08:00

ever wonder why it did

my elongated "mouth" i bit

i laughed hard

deep down there

your hair stood in the water

like the flame of a candle

dancing, left to right

combed by the movement

of the chlorine water

my elongated "mouth" i bit

like three candles lit

i saw your hair standing

on its end here and there waving

i thought of the ghost of the Christmas Past

i thought i was grinning hard

Excuse me Mister! (Danau Singkarak, Musi, Padang)

2010-02-15T07:31:00.000-08:00

What do you know about the world Sir?

you ain't know nothin

they said, last month you were just born again

but how come? then we're older than him

while moi? moi's been around since first time i saw the world

(i heard that small, big boned boy chirping

to his two friends in the back seating)

the car stopped by the river

everyone needed meal and the car a washing

down the river went the boy, screaming

as the wide, shallow river

his naked back sweeping

with its mighty cold water

That Sir was just smiling

his grin was saying

ah li'l boy, what do you know of this world?

you know nothing

than the oversized pants you are wearing

i might be born last month

but the world i have known

(thought i have developed this thing

a talent to lip reading)

in the evening

the car stopped for a while

for heavy meal and a bathing

this time, they went inside a village

dark was it, sky clouding

and the children i saw doing something

they thought smart of doing

excuding soap to make it bubbling

applying them on their skin

to get rid of mosquitos bitin'

(i smiled at their new invention)

then to the children happened something

the big boned boy thought it wasn't worth trying

his skin got itching itching

thus he went down to the river a washing

putting his toes first, water temperature a testing

dark was it, water sky mirroring

but he still thought of shrimp catching

along the grass towering

all grown up men had just finished a washing

he was left all alone, standing

the boy decided to be friendlier

to the straight haired born again Mister

Hey Mister, did you happen to cempedak fruit tasting?

it smells nice but why i felt like sleepy when sniffing?

is it really edible or what Sir? the boy went asking

(this time i pretended not to be eavesdropping

i was pretty sure that was his way of saying

I am so sorry for ignoring)

the Mister looked down smiling

perhaps thinking of the boy he longed to have

or just remembered he once was a youngling!

before he opened his mouth answering

the boy went on saying

Mister, like your crooked nose!

and why you always go uff uff

every five minutes or three?

(Guessed the Mister had been deciding

whether to like this boy or nothing)

have you eaten Son? Mister only said one thing

the small big boned boy looked up, nodding

*of Danau Singkarak, Padang, Musi*