Friday, January 30, 2009

somewhere in jogja


Hari itu hari kedua aku berada di Jogja. Untuk keperluan pekerjaan. Bukan untuk tamasya maupun hura-hura. Aku selalu suka berada di Jogja. Selain makanannya yang terkenal murah, orang-orangnya juga cukup ramah. Tapi Jogja pada waktu itu kelihatan berbeda.

Aku sedang berada dalam bus TransJogja yang akan membawaku ke halte terdekat dengan tempat penginapanku. Dari jendela bus, aku melihat keramaian di pinggir jalan - mengingatkanku pada demo yang sering kulihat di televisi. Ketika bus semakin mendekat, baru kelihatan jelas bahwa itu memang demo yang sedang diadakan oleh salah satu partai terbesar di Indonesia. Guess what, persis seperti yang sudah kuduga: mereka sedang demo tentang penyerangan Israel ke Palestina. Aku jadi ingat, hari itu hampir dua minggu sejak serangan Israel diwartakan di banyak media - dicaci dimaki dikutuk karena sudah menyebabkan kematian ratusan orang dan banyak lagi yang luka-luka. Bahkan di Surabaya sini, anak-anak SD dibawa keluar ke jalan untuk BELAJAR demo - dengan dalih BELAJAR peduli. Dan demo yang kulihat di Jogja itu, mereka tidak cuma demo, mereka juga membawa kotak-kotak sumbangan dan berteriak-teriak tentang kepedulian terhadap Palestina dan mengumpulkan sejumlah uang untuk membantu mereka yang di Palestina.

Seandainya.. seandainya saja pada pagi itu aku tidak melihat banyak gelandangan-gelandangan yang tidur di pinggir jalan Malioboro dan sekitarnya, aku akan sangat setuju dengan apa yang mereka lakukan. Tapi aku melihat, dan karenanya aku cuma bisa geleng-geleng kepala melihat mereka yang mengibar-ibarkan bendera partai sambil menyodor-nyodorkan kotak sumbangan - bangga bahwa masyarakat melihat mereka sebagai bagian dari partai yang peduli urusan sosial. Sementara tidak jauh dari tempat mereka berdemo, puluhan orang tidur di pinggir jalan, tidak punya uang untuk sekedar tinggal di tempat yang aman dari tetesan hujan dan desiran angin malam, juga barangkali tidak tahu mau makan apa hari itu.

Seperti quote yang pernah diberikan kepadaku: Everybody wants to save the world, but nobody wants to help their mums washing dishes.

Aku hanya berpikir, ketika seorang manusia peduli dengan keadaan di negara lain, sudahkah ia peduli dengan keluarganya? Tetangganya? Komunitas yang terdekat dengannya?


Friday, 30 January 2009
9:39 am

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

which one will you give?

If in the same time and in the same place there were people like these, will you give some of your money to

this one...

or this one?

In one place I was struck with this idea. An old woman came to our table, murmuring something like a song - only I couldn't catch what she was singing - , playing a musical instrument (we called it 'icik-icik': three or more bottle cap nailed on a small piece of wood to be shaken). I didn't give her some money. She left after a minute or so. Few minutes later, a group of young men came and they sang one of popular Indonesian songs. Quite well, I thought. Because they were singing duet (with voice 1 and voice 2, you know what I mean?). And since I enjoyed their singing, I gave them some money.

Seeing this, my hubby asked: "You gave these men some money. Why didn't you give to the old woman then?" I simply answered: "Because the old woman didn't really sing. I gave the men some money because I appreciate their effort. At least to earn some money, they did something first." My hubby replied: "Yes, but they're still young and the woman's old."

It just made me stunned straightaway. Did I do something wrong? If you were me, which one would you give?

Wednesday, 28 January 2009
11:01 am

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

semangkuk mie ujung pandang


Mie ujung pandang di tempat itu memang kesukaan saya. Karena itulah, setelah beberapa minggu tidak mengkonsumsinya, lidah ini bukan main mengiming-imingi saya, vinn dan teman kantor bersama suaminya untuk ke tempat itu.

Hari itu Minggu sore, ketika kami menggelinding menuju tempat mie ujung pandang favorit saya itu. Tiga mangkuk besar untuk yang dewasa, satu mangkuk yang kecil untuk anak saya, vinn. Saya tahu yang semangkuk kecil itu masih terlalu banyak untuk anak seumur anak saya. Tapi saya tetap pesan, karena setengah porsi tidak diberikan untuk dijual. Di pikiran saya, sisanya akan saya bungkus dan dibawa pulang.

Yang tidak pernah saya pikirkan adalah ternyata masih ada orang-orang yang memberikan komentar-komentar enggak penting - yang sama sekali bukan urusan mereka. Teman kantor saya bilang keesokan harinya kalau pada saat itu, sebuah keluarga (ayah ibu dan dua anak) yang duduk di dekat kami membicarakan kami. Tepatnya, membicarakan anak saya yang menghadapi semangkuk mie ujung pandang. Masih kata teman saya, yang pertama kali berkomentar sebenarnya adalah si anak. Lalu dilanjutkan oleh sang ibu yang kata teman saya bahkan sampai dilihat, dipandang dan ditatap sedemikian rupa - sambil berpikir FREAK BETUL MAMANYA KARENA SUDAH KASI ANAKNYA YANG MASIH KECIL SEMANGKUK MIE UJUNG PANDANG. Kenapa saya yakin sang ibu berpikir demikian, karena pikiran itulah yang keluar dari mulutnya. Lagi-lagi yang dengar memang teman saya. Untung bukan SAYA. Kalau saya yang dengar sendiri, barangkali saya sudah tidak akan pikir panjang lagi. Kemungkinan besar saya akan berbuat dosa karena bakal ngomong begini:
"Kebanyakan ya, Tante? Tolong dong bilangkan sama yang jual, masa pesan setengah porsi aja kok nggak bisa. Kalau bisa pesan setengah porsi kan kita nggak perlu diliatin tante sampe segitunya, ya kan tante? Lagian, emang tante yang mau bayarin pesanan kita yah kok sampe perhatian gitu?"

Kadang-kadang nggak ngerti sama orang-orang yang sepertiitu. Apa susahnya sih ngurusin urusan mereka sendiri? Apa susahnya sih nggak ngomongin orang lain?

Tuesday, 20 January 2009
4:07 pm

Monday, January 19, 2009

sampah.. dimana-mana sampah


Akhir-akhir ini Surabaya memang panas lagi. Kadang-kadang terpikir, good thing deh, karena sekalinya hujan biasanya di beberapa tempat langsung banjir. Tapi bayangkan kalau enggak hujan sama sekali. Barangkali Surabaya bakal meleleh karena bikin manusia-manusianya keranjingan menggunakan air-conditioner dan justru bikin udara lebih panas lagi. Persis seperti lingkaran setan.

Di Indonesia ini, orang-orangnya sudah biasa dengan adanya banjir. Barangkali karena sudah biasa itu maka mereka sudah nggak terlalu mikir lagi bagaimana mengatasinya. Lumayan kali, tiba-tiba ada swimming pool gratisan biarpun enggak sampai semeter dari tempat berenang ada yang mengapung-apung warna cokelat *hiiyyy*.

Di dekat tempat penitipan anak saya ada kali. Memang daerah situ rawan banjir. Ujan deras sedikit, lama sedikit, airnya pasti naik. Waktu saya menjemput anak saya, dari jendela mobil, saya lihat anak-anak kampung sekitar situ beramai-ramai menceburkan diri ke kali tersebut. Tidak jauh dari situ sampah menggumpal - menyumbat aliran air. Bikin saya tiba-tiba bergidik sendiri. Saya nggak bisa bayangkan itu anak-anak setelah mandi di kali itu apa enggak kudisan ya? Enggak panuan ya? Enggak gatal-gatal seminggu ya? *mulai lebay deh...*

Itu baru satu sungai/kali yang alirannya tersumbat karena sampah. Berapa banyak sih yang lain? Waktu dalam perjalanan balik ke Surabaya dari Pekalongan, penumpang mobil dengan nopol: S 1439 HB seenaknya buang sampah dari jendela. Tissue. Kulit jeruk. Sampai saking gemesnya saya catat aja tuh nomor polisi mobilnya! *gunanya apa ya? hehehehe*

Jadi kalau sampai banjir lagi. Mengeluh lagi. Nyalah-nyalahin pemerintah tapi tetep buang sampah sembarangan. Ya jangan heran kalo banjir! *nah lho.. saya esmosi lagi dah*.

Terus waktu saya survey ke tempat penginapan camp yang akan diadakan bulan depan di Kaliurang, saya juga lagi-lagi dikejutkan dengan masalah sampah. Hari itu, saya diajak berkeliling untuk melihat-lihat kamar dan tempat pertemuannya. Pada salah satu tempat pertemuan untuk 60 orang, ajubilah... saya lihat sampah dimana-mana. Kulit jeruk, kulit salak, biji-bijinya, tissue, kertas-kertas, gelas plastik air mineral. Saya tanya sama orang yang membawa kami berkeliling: "Barusan dipakai ya, pak?" Dia jawab *yang saya dengar*: "Iya. Pelatihan buruh." Saya mikir *tanpa bermaksud merendahkan kapasitas buruh ya*, ohhh ya pantes deh.... Tapi ternyata saya salah dengar. Yang betul adalah: PELATIHAN GURU. Hah?? GURU??? Teacher?? Masa jadi kayak begini? Guru loh! Guru sekolah KBK (Kurikulum Berbasis Kompetensi). Ini loh tempatnya...



Saya sampai geleng-geleng. Parah banget! Lah gurunya aja kayak begini apalagi murid-muridnya yak?? Jadi inget tulisannya Andy F. Noya tentang kebiasaan orang-orang yang makan di restoran (cepat saji, khususnya). Mereka biasanya meninggalkan begitu saja sisa-sisa makanan *tulang, bungkus nasi, tempat bekas sambal* di atas meja tanpa memikirkan jijiknya bekas makanan tersebut. Kalau bule-bule itu dan yang pernah tinggal di luar negeri mungkin otomatis beresin sisa makanan mereka dan membuang sendiri sampah itu. *saya jarang makan di resto cepta saji sih.. hehehe* Kebiasaan yang patut ditiru, saya pikir.

Indonesia... Indonesia... kapan berubah ya?? Apa harus tunggu pulau-pulaunya tenggelam dulu satu persatu? Global warming nih, GLOBAL WARMING!!!

Monday, 19 January 2009
3:02 pm

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

pekalongan undercover

Been planning to post something about my journey to Pekalongan since few weeks ago, but turned out I didn't have much time to do it. At the moment, only a little time I have, so let's get down to the business...

I was not actually planning to go home (Pekalongan is my hometown). And it was only my sentimental reason. Christmas 2008 would be the first christmas for me and my family to spend in our new home. Yet, since my mother got stroke (again), I thought it wouldn't be sensible of me not to pay her a nice visit. So, there we went, 12 hours on our blue Karimun from Surabaya to Pekalongan... in which we found that road between Juwana-Pati was still as terrible as it was few months ago *bah*.

When I stayed in Pekalongan, I wasn't too sure I would meet some friends, unless I went there during Lebaran holiday. Mostly my friends went out of town to spend their christmas holiday with their fam and friends. This time, I insisted my hubby to drive by myself when we needed to go around in town. He already refused to be replaced by me on the way to Pekalongan. And since I drove our car by myself to several spots in Pekalongan, I just realized how disorganized, how lawless most becaks were. And I also noticed, parking a car could be a nasty business if you need to get off on narrow lane. I did not see it when my dad drove ;( because usually I just got off and left him to park the car by himself.

Anyway, a group of becaks normally took nearly a half of the street, so if you drive car, you have to be very carefully, otherwise you will hit them. And once you hit them, you've got to be prepared to spend your extra fortune or their friends will hit you back (no, I'm not exaggerating, welcome to Indonesia, anyway). One or two becaks could be crueller when they crossed the street without paying attention whether there were other vehicles passing the street or not. You could possibly imagine it, couldn't you? 

When the evening fell, I still could see warung-warung standing on the left and right of the street where Pasar Banjarsari building stands. Which of course, could be advantageous for those who indeed walk to look for a place to eat some food, but annoying for those who pass the street by car. 

First day in the morning, I planned to eat soto Pekalongan with tauco (have you ever tasted it? it is veryyyy nice!). My husband loved it as well. When you one day reach Pekalongan, have time to eat this special food. And it was still as nice as I had before (months ago). Culinary days were on! Beware! Not all of the spots which displayed SOTO PEKALONGAN or SOTO ASLI PEKALONGAN do not always provide nice one. The famous one is called SOTO BANG DUL, open in the morning till afternoon and it is in the left side if you drive from Batang (a small city, near Pekalongan). I never know the name of the street, but my brother told me it is jalan Raya Kalibanger, Batang. 

What made the visit so special was our family (from my mom's fam) reunion. My uncle and his fam came from Jakarta. My cousins came as well from Surabaya and Denpasar, Bali. My auntie and her fam did too from Surabaya. So we had lunch together and took some pictures of it. It was so memorable! Been ages not to meet them. I was close enough with the cousins from my mom's fam. For your information, my granny (my mom's mom) had nine children (5 males and 4 females), one died years ago. The eight children gave 19 grandchildren for her and the grandchildren (who got married already) gave 15 great-grandchildren. Whoaa.. what a big family it is! Unfortunately, at that time only few of us gathered. But still....



Food that we were after in Pekalongan included Megono (young jackfruit with coconut and chilly - spicy yet nice), fried noodle and noodle soup ala Kustiani, Pecel Yu Mas (in front of my primary school), bakso pak Dullah (not far from it), RM Prima - specially crab (really really nice) and es durian Jalan Merak (they displayed our beloved vice-president coming over to taste their es durian). One addition item you have to grab when you're in Pekalongan is tauco. The taste is different and will be delicious to mix it with your cooking (when you should cook food with tauco, of course).



Coming home to Pekalongan gradually has made me feel like a stranger. I almost cannot recognize people I should have known during my childhood. The kids I knew years ago are now tall and dangling and change. They said I'm changed too (cuter, perhaps? or prettier? or slimmer? or more mature? whoaaa.. as if!). I am recognized no more than Lilik's (my mom's name) daughter who now live in Surabaya. And I have to be ready with repeated questions like "kapan pulang? (when did you come home?)" or "sampai kapan disini? (how long will you stay here?)". Moreover, I sometimes notice that several buildings had been broaded, the streets that could be passed by car now can't be done. 

Oh, well... all in all, Pekalongan is still my hometown, anyway. Where I was born. Where I grew up. Where I found first love. 

Thursday, 15 January 2009
3:16 pm

To my brother: I was so sorry you could not spend the holiday with us. I hope you got as much as you expect after all your hardwork.