Stranger in a Strange Land

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)

I love crustaceans! they look like mini monsters and whatever their colors are, they turn orange in the frying 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!

Marley & Me(i)

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

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

Plastic Fantastic (on "Kresek")

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)

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 hung 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.

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"

"Menyelami Bali, Menghargai Bumi" by SemSPurba.

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! :)