I am Home

lonely lonesome

            Well, finally I am home after finishing a year research in Lampung, Sumatra. Fiuhh.. It was amazing but also consuming for me. To know those people, to taste their traditional cuisine, to understand their habit, to learn their languages, and the important thing is to adapt with their work time. Early in the morning the farmers have already in their rice field and in the afternoon, they tend their cows, carabaos or goats. Therefore, it is just our luck if it’s so hard to interview them. The other case is one of those six villages is inhabited with rich and busy merchants. It means we have to face another challenge to ensure them that this research is worth enough to accomplish.

 

            I’m still wondering about these people, especially those who were migrated from java island years before. They were arriving in the deep forest, in the valley of uninhabited hill and mountains, with limited accommodation and facility. With patience and hard work they cultivate the land into coffee, pepper, cocoa, clove, banana, cassava, corn, rice, vegetable farmland. Some people who have coffee plantation in the hill build a small wooden hut to take a rest during the harvest time and live once a while before the harvest time to fertilize and to weed the farmland. During June to august is the season for the farmers to cultivate their coffee bean, plucking  millions of red coffee bean with their naked hand, sundry it in a bright sunny day, and deliver the bean to the nearest market by motorcycle. Moreover, it’s so unbelievable to carry 1-1, 5 quintals coffee bean by motorcycle crossing the mountains and hill in such road condition. The wide of the winding road is just about 1 meter. Therefore, it’s honestly need an expertise to cross these winding and dangerous road. If the rain falling and make the road just like a river with red soil flowing, the bikers usually put additional chain on the back tire to keep the motorcycle running instead of the muddy road.

 

            in Kalianda,  an old bugis man lives told me, it was years ago when he

waiting for ...

 was 3 months sailing on a traditional bugis ship, leaving his homeland in South Sulawesi to Kalianda, South Lampung. He said there was no compass as a navigation kit to show the right direction, they just trust the stars to guide the ship and believe to the wind blow. Now, he lives with his old wife who works as a traditional massager, while he has retired as a sailor man couple of years before. He and the other bugis people in Kalianda still keep their language, their habit and tradition and of course, their wooden house architecture.

 

            Something that amazes me is; how these transmigrants keep their tradition and culture in this new strange land? Raising their children with norms and values from their ancestors and speaking with the same dialect. Since I met so many Javanese, I speaking with ‘Kromo Javanese language’ and only the older generation who understand and speaking this ‘high’ language. Their children or grand children rarely understand this language except the ‘ngoko’ the lowest degree of Javanese language level.

 

           

pak Gito's old shoes

Could it be the way to cope with insecurity? To face new challenges everyday, to adapt with new weather, to know and understand local culture, that’s why they keep their culture, norms and habit. It is kind of establishing their identity, to keep connected with their ancestors, to show who they are, to differ from the other, to strengthen the relativity and so on. Even the ghost story and folklore from their ancestors is still well narrated.

 

            It’s so typically Indonesia, when I was visiting Bandar lampung, the biggest city in Lampung where the people wearing the newest fashion, speaking in Bahasa Indonesia, where the teenagers enjoying burgers in 24 hours McD, sight seeing in mall, and doing so many busy city business things. However, just few kilometres from the Bandar lampung city we’ll meet the rural areas where the humble people living in their ordinary life. They were wearing ordinary clothes, talking in sundanese, Javanese or lampungnese, going to fishing or farming wearing rubber shoes, just like another town in Indonesia.

 

           

o holy preprinted!

And the rest is all about the job we have to accomplish, to do the interviews, editing, cross editing, every single day except if we agree to take a day off or when we move to another villages. Honestly, it’s not as easy as we thought, repeating the same questions, visiting the same villages five times a year. The good point is they already know us, so we do not have to explain who we are, although some of them are still questioning what it is all about. Oh dear,  we have explain the purpose of this research as clear as we could and they still keep asking it every time we come to their house. Honestly, it’s very tiring. At first, I was glad to know that we will visit these villages five times a year; it means I will have the opportunity to meet the people again, to enjoy the landscape, to take good pictures again and again, enjoying the weather and so on. The truth is, boredom is just anywhere to catch me.

 

            Thanks God, we have visiting the virgin waterfall and Way Kambas

o poor tiny elephant!

 during our spare time. At least it could break the boredom we have to face everyday. Believe me; riding an elephant is an exciting experience. Most of elephants in Way Kambas have their names, like Aris, Beni, Rahmi and so on. Each elephant has his or her own tamer. Usually elephants recognize who is their tamer by smelling the body odour, voice, clothes or hat. One of the tamer told me that beside elephants in Way Kambas there are so many wild elephants outside the national park. The wild elephants have more sensitivity than those which has been tamed in the national park. As we know, elephants is a very sensitive creature and do have a good memory. They will not forget anything. It is said that one of farmer proudly said that his farm would never be destructed by elephants attack. Then few days later, the elephants attack his farm and left nothing but disorder. It means the people believe if we have any arrogant thought about elephant, somehow the elephants could feel it. I know it seems impossible, but I do believe it is the universe who taking role in this situation.

 

            Now, that entire story is turn into memory; the people, road, rice field, the blue Kalianda seashore, white sands, the misty Krakatau, the deep mountain of North Lampung, the coffee bean, and so on. Finally, it’s over, after a year journey back and forth. I do learn a lot from this journey and can’t wait for the next journey to come. But, first let’s take a deep breath and the best thing is I’m home.

 

No one is ever going everywhere until he/she is coming back home…

untukmu

Biar kuselesaikan satu putaran menziarahi matahari,

menaburi relik tulang belulang api dengan bunga lili,

dan mengusap jeram air mata dengan tenunan hari…

Biar kuselesaikan satu bab waktu sebentar lagi,

Lalu nanti,

Tunggu aku di hulu redam sungai,

tempat ikan-ikan mengecipak terumpan kekail..

Untuk mu…

semoga bisa kubawakan serta sepotong reroti

bersalut pelangi, bertabur embun pagi..

Padang Cermin, 17 Februari 2009

kala pipimu delima bersemu..

baru saja tersadar,
ranum kabut telah menyembunyikan penaku.
dan sambil mengulum senyum diambilnya serta buku harianku.

baru sedegup tersadar,
saat ku terbata-bata mencarinya.
lalu sambil tersipu-sipu
kabut genit itu bilang: ” ku pinjam dulu, kukembalikan nanti kala pipimu delima bersemu.”

yogya,
15 menit sebelum 22 januari 2009

sore di kalianda

kilau sore merajahi belikat Rajabasa
diam-diam kusimpan dalam cangkang
biar kekal menawar silam
biar rahasia menjaganya dari rayu picisan

kalianda, awal januari 2009

November is coming

 

November is coming, and I have to go back to lampung again. I have been in Jogja for a month after finishing the first wave survey. The survey it self was conducted in 6 different regions of lampung. And we had to move from one place to another, packed our survey logistics, private properties and wondered what would happen next.

It was still in lampung, but it didn’t mean that we were easy to understand the lampungnese habit. A remote village in deep pesawaran regency had different way of agriculture system with a village in way Bungur, east lampung. So did the culture, norms, ethic and every simple thing in their everyday life.

Our first destination was in Tanjungkerta, Pesawaran regency. Pesawaran was part of South Lampung regency but now it is independent as a new region. You won’t find this village in any map, even periplus map. It was located far behind Pesawaran hill. The people were lampungnese called ‘lampung peminggir’. Houses on stilts made from wood were everywhere. The brown wooden plank in the house was always making a creaking sound every time we moved. So, don’t expecting any solitude evening when all the family gather in the living room listening to the traditional lampung-Malayan melancholy songs. But the greatest thing was they didn’t have any decent rest room. Oh, they did have a well with a water pump machine, but still.. It didn’t look like a rest room at all. So, every morning we had to go to our neighbour just to take a shower or if we were dare enough we will go to the river near the back yard.

Tanjungkerta’s people were farmers and their rice fields depended on the rain falls. So, they had to store the rice grain and used it wisely or sold it if they need cash money. Some of them also had clove, pepper, cacao or coffee plantation. But mostly, they were temporary labourers with cheap payment everyday.

From the deep side of pesawaran we moved to its coastal area. Sidodadi, Padangcermin had coastal ponds, but most of its villager lived in the hilly side near the protected forest. They lived from banana, coconut, cassava, cacao, coffee, and clove as their harvests and the sweetest thing was some of them made brown sugar palm in their yard. So, just imagining, when you were walking through the coffee and cacao plantation, enjoying the virgin fruits hanging on its branches then suddenly you were seduced with the odour of warm melted brownie sugar palm which was still stirred on the hot massive wok. It’s almost like heaven dear….

This village was inhabited with Javanese people, especially central java people like kebumen and some sundanese, one or two lampungnese family, and the coastal area you will find people from BUgis, South Sulawesi who work as fisherman. Some Javanese Buddhists were living in Sidodadi too. They built a humbly simply vihara near the protected forest. It’s so peaceful… (namaste…)

From coastal area we moved to the heart of Way Kanan regency. We travelled almost 6 hours by car. We could drive via ‘jalan lintas sumatra’ passed through tanjung karang-bandarjaya-terbanggibesar-kotabumi-bukit kemuning. But our first experience was we went to Way Kanan via alternative route (somewhere in pringsewu-way ratai) just because the driver didn’t have any legal certificate of the car. Ooh.. Poor us, and he drove as if we were in Need for Speed race.. *sigh*

There were two villages we had to visit. First was Taman asri in baradatu and rantau jaya in Banjit. The first village was honestly not a village at all, because located in ‘jalan lintas Sumatra’ and near to central market. So, it’s like a little town occupied with Javanese as a major and several Sumendo, Komering, Ogan people (those were name of tribes from South Sumatra who migrated to north lampung).

Most of the people worked as merchants, farmers, and labourers. I think this region didn’t have good scenery. And it was so hot there, green trees were rare, all you could see is just houses everywhere. It’s nothing special in this region, no beautiful landscape to be captured with my camera. Though, indeed we’ve met so many good people. Even though we had to accept some rejections, they were too busy or maybe too suspicious to be interviewed as a respondent. But it’s okay; it’s time to test our patience…. By the way, compared with other 5 regions we have to research, Taman Asri had well educated people, under graduate and post graduate.

From Baradatu we moved to the south, to the deep hilly side of way kanan region. Actually it’s not far from Baradatu, but because it’s awfully bumpy road we had to drive and got a dizzy head until we reached the remote village.

However, it’s a lovely village. Fresh air, green tress, cows, rice field, rice mill, vegetable plants, river, wooden bridge, brown wooden houses, red soil, morning dew….

Last august was the time when the abundance of precious coffee and cacao beans were harvested, dried, stored or sold and Clove and pepper plucked in. so, if you were not standing near the street where the motorcycle gas polluting the air, you will smell the rich odour of fresh cacao, coffee, clove and pepper at once. (Not mentioning if you were close to cows or goat’s shits, which is unfortunately everywhere! So watch your step!)

Javanese were everywhere, the names of the places were in Javanese like Dusun Jogja, Sidomulyo, Badransari. And some of the people were very glad to hear that we’re from Yogyakarta. Since, they were transmigrating from Dlingo-Bantul regency to way kanan in 60’s. So almost every household had relativity with each other because for more than 40 years they were living, struggling, surviving together and of course they married to each other and became families. I found a family who just moved to Rantaujaya a week after their house in Dlingo Bantul was destructed by the May 2006 earthquake in Jogja-klaten. They built a humbly house made from wooden planks. And now the father works as a carpenter.

It is said that we were lucky to be in Rantaujaya not in Rantautemiang, the nearest village. They said rantautemiang was inhabited with sumendo people. And it’s not just because their language was difficult but also there was a rumour that everybody should be careful if drinking their water, it might have been poisoned!!!

Honestly, most of the people were rich after the harvest, especially from coffee, cacao and clove. They bought new motorcycle or car, but unfortunately they sold the vehicles during the famine season.

While we were there, some of the farmers were suffer losses because the infestation of mice in their rice field. There’s nothing left. Even for their family rice barn. So they have to be in debt to continue their life.

3 kilometres from rantaujaya was BAnjit Market, this is the place where I bought 2 kilograms of genuine Sumendo grilled coffee bean for my friends who were addicted to coffee as if it was almost like a religion for them (honestly, it’s for me too…) hahaha.. And the taste was great.. I like dark bitter hot coffee and sometimes mixed it with brown sugar to taste the luxurious flavour. And I believe in Sumendo people who processed the coffee beans. They didn’t mixed the coffee with anything, just genuine coffee beans from the trees, dried, fried until certain cooked level, and grinded it. Meanwhile, as far as I know, some of the Javanese who lived in lampung, usually processed the coffee beans differently. Sometimes they added other ingredients like dried corn, ginger, rice, and some might say that they splashed some kerosene while fried the coffee beans in purpose to reach better cooked level. And it’s beyond my imagination….

So, coffee it wasn’t just about the beans but also how it’s processed. And since coffee was everywhere, each family had their own family recipe. And the taste was surprisingly so much different though …

Rantaujaya, for me and my friend considered it as just like our hometown in jogja, the places, the harmony, the hill, and we felt sad while leaving this lovely region. I hope I will have the opportunity to visit the ‘Kampung Bali” near BAnjit. And I can tell some story about bali hindunese people who live there.

Again, we had to move again to the fifth region in Toto Mulyo, Way Bungur, East LAmpung. And trust me.. This village was so vast and it means we had to walk quite far to visit the households. Almost every household had 1250 m yard, so just imagine the distance between each house could broke our legs.. (lebay!!)

While we were there last September it was the peak of dry season. The well was dry. So many people had to find water in their neighbour’s well. And it was in fasting month. So, just enjoy it! (We decided not to wash our dirty clothes)

It was so hot, dry and so far to walk. The respondents were easy to meet because during the dry season they weren’t in the farms as often as in wet season. Then suddenly, in the 3^rd day we were there, the rain was coming down to the dusty earth. It was so beautiful.. The odour of wet soil was in the air. Leafs, trees, roofs, roads and every single thing on earth were so fresh. Oh, Dear Lord, how can we replete our thankfulness?

The next day after the first rain, we were told that everybody went to their farms to plant corn and cassava. And the impact was.. There’s nobody at home.. We couldn’t do the interview in the morning and had to wait until the lunch break. The streets was so quiet, the houses were empty, no motorcycle on the streets. We were almost frustrated to get respondent. Hiks, since we were racing with target and time. We just want to go home as soon as possible before the Idul fitri Day and gather with our family. Yet, we were still in the 5^th village, and there’s a village left to survey. Hiks…

The great thing is we were living in Pak carik house (the village secretary) who plant organic rice. Every single day, we ate the organic rice and the taste was so rich and no other rice compare. Vegetables were so cheap and available. From Eggplant, spinach, kangkung, mustard greens, legume, green beans until genjer (edible riverine plant), just mention it and Pak carik’s wife will cook it for us.

In the middle of September we left Way BUngur and went to our favourite village, maja in Kalianda. Yup, we’re in Kalianda. Have you ever heard about that place? It was lovely seashore with Bugis and lampung boats or canoes, white sand beach, Blue Ocean, windy day, clear sky, Rajabasa Mountain with cacao plantation on its slopes. We live in Pak Jaro house. In Kalianda the village chief called Jaro. And the house just about 5 meter from the seashore! Just imagine, everyday we saw the blue ocean, wave, canoes, fisherman with their casting net and the horizon from the balcony. If we’re lucky enough we would see the sun set to the west and it was so religious for me.. And we have the moon, the full moon, with her golden gleam reflected by the ocean.

In May 2006, about a week before the Jogja earthquake, kalianda was also damaged by the earthquake. Fortunately there’s no tsunami. Since then, every 9 am, 3 pm and 9 pm each village had to report the situation like the wind, the wave, and all about the weather to anticipate the unpredictable condition and to organize the evacuation if there’s something happen in kalianda. Krakatau just few hours sailing by boat, it means if the gigantic mountain explodes it would damage the kalianda seashore. But a ship’s captain told me that the kalianda seashore was covered and protected with sebuku and sebesi islands from the Krakatau. And he just believes if something happen with the sunda plaque, those two islands will decrease the impact to kalianda. Amen…

The village was small and nice. The people were consisted of lampung pesisir people, bugis, and few Javanese. They were fisherman, cacao farmer, or fish merchant. Mmhh… the sea wind is relaxing, but sometime you’ll sniff the dried fish smell in the air… and it’s tortured me.

Would you believe that maja, kalianda is such a sacred region? The village staffs told us that the house and the big trees in front of it, the Batu Kapal beach, the Way Maja Bridge and some other places in Maja were haunted and spooky. Even the sea was also haunted with white crocodile and Nyai Roro Kidul Myth. Hohohoho…

Well. In 22^nd of September our duty in kalianda was accomplished. It was so sad but glad at once. We had to leave the blue sea and the rose-apple fruits which were everywhere, but we were going home, crossing the sunda strait by ferry, taking a rest in Jakarta and on the train bound for our beloved Jogja.

Sometimes, during our survey, we’re just so bored and tired. Finishing our job as good as we could, dealing with new person and new personality everyday, to behave, to taste the different kind of cooking that not always suit for us, to adapt with the bloody hot sun in Lampung. And so on. And it’s truly a journey for us. Since we’re nomad, move from one place to another place. We’re packing our properties, organize it in the bag and live as simple as we could. I still use my 80 litre DODY carrier bag which I used to climb mountains. It’s 10 years old blue carrier, yet it’s still strong and full of memories even though some might say that the design was out of date. Hehehe, no, for me it’s not out of date.. Its classic!!!

Fiuhh.. So many things to write but I just couldn’t remember, sometimes we miss our family, our hometown, our ordinary life without such a rush. Sometimes, we just so sad and sometimes we just so glad. And all we have is this moment. That’s the deepest thing I’ve learned during my journey. We’re in a rush but we have to enjoy the moment and move on…

14 oktober 2008

sudah sepantasnya kesunyian mencabikmu
atau keriuhan membenamkanmu
dan kau akan terlunta-lunta diperbudak kata
yang tak sanggup menanggungnya
hanya sekedar tau 
bahwa tinta sekental darah
bahwa dengan luka kita ada...

perpus antro UGM

dalam kereta..

 

Lambat laun nanti matamu berubah kelabu

Saat matahari terperangkap di kamarmu

Sinarnya melenting-lenting dari lubang kunci

Pendar merayapi jendela berkisi besi

Dan semua sudah begitu terlalu untukmu

Saat matahari terperangkap di kamarmu

Dan matamu menjadi kelabu

 

Ranifajri dalam kereta,

on the way to JOGJA,

25 september 2008

sunyikopi

kutitipkan sunyi di dinding kayu rumah panggung yang wangi

kuselipkan sepi di derit keriutan lantai yang tak tau diri

lalu ibu, saat kau membalik biji kopi siang tadi

barangkali kau temui

satu dua biji yang begitu dini

yang mengerjap-ngerjap kegelian ditimpa panas mentari

biji kopi itu ibu..

terlalu dini untuk disangrai, ditumbuk dan diseduh sore ini..

karena dia begitu sendiri, begitu sepi…

way lima, lampung

5 juli 2008

be seeing you…

tomorrow, 29 june 2008 i’m gonna leaving jogja and going to lampung for a research project.. so… maybe this blog will be off for a while…

hope to see you soon…

good old friends…

           

For those who were studying at anthropology Department, Gadjah Mada University, year of 2000, I hope you still remember her. She is Della, my first friend in anthropology and along with Bayu Aji, three of us always help each other to meet Prof. Pascalis Maria LAksono our lecturer, to get his signature for our subject of studies approval for the next semester.

            The first time I saw her, I was amazed by her. It was like a beautiful creature made By God came down to the earth. Hahaha, I’m kidding. The truth is she is very beautiful and smart. Unfortunately, she had only a year in anthropology and couldn’t finish her study. Since she had dealing with her marriage and sons. Yup, now, she has 2 handsome sons, Daniel and ariel. Both of them are in elementary school right now.

            I met her last week, after I called her, asking for rendezvous, because we were not meet each other for about 5 or 6 years. So, I was just wondering, how is she right now? Then we met at malioboro mall 9.30 am before she picked up her two sons at 12 o’clock. She was amazed looking at me, I was totally changing, she said. And for me… she was still as beautiful as she used to be even though she is a bit skinnier. So we talked about our first time in anthropology. All those funny memories, finding the super duper busy Prof. PM. Laksono with Bayu aji in the wrong building. I and della were confusing to get his signature as soon as possible, while bayu aji was just smoking his cigarette religiously with the expression –I-don’t-know-what-am-I-supposed-to do- face. Hahaha… and we talked about the old anthropology colleagues, and she was almost forgetting all of her friends faces. And I have to remind her…

            So, all those years she was struggling with her life, family, business, sons etc. she is a strong lady, after everything she has been through. And she said that, she didn’t know where was the strength came from, what she really believe that she will struggle for her beloved sons. She took the risk just to make sure that her sons will not live their life just like she used to be when she was a little girl. Maybe she was regretting all of the mistakes she had done before, but she said that, she would not regret her two beloved sons. They are the source of power to face her life.

            So, life is about choosing choices. And she showed me that her humble choice will give her a great strength. You go girl!!