Of Pengamen

A Man with Ukulele singing What a Wonderful World

I’ve got to make this very quickly for there are monsters looming large and their shadows are hovering ominously above us.

In a long and boring commute, people would do anything to occupy their mind. Some are busy reading paper, some are listening to audio player, a few stare vacantly to the window outside, but most prefer sleeping.

One phenomenon that are striving in Jakarta’s shambolic but unique transportation system are a group of street performers called Pengamen.

They are ever present in every big buses and trains traveling to and from the metropolitan area.

During my short experience on buses from Jakarta to Bekasi, I have made some classification over these street smart band.

The best would be a group of men, in an ensemble, using more than one music instruments such as guitar, violin, and even percussions. They range between good and very good. Often times they are enterprising and entertaining with songs selection from the latest Indonesian top forty to rock classics. At one time they performed Vanessa Mae's Toccata & Fugue which blew passengers out of the water.

The second ones is a single adult male performer with a guitar or ukulele. In this group you can sometime stumble upon a select few with very good musicality. They have astonishing voice and several even have this unique ability to communicate with their audience ala radio DJ. These are rare breed though and you wouldn’t hesitate to spare some thousand rupiahs for these street entertainers.

The third ones and they currently make the most frequent appearances, are pure incomprehensible noises. Typically they are tone deaf underage and teenagers. You gave them spare change out of compassion and or primordial preferences, depend on whether they are singing your religion’s song book.

The fourth group are beggars and muggers masquerading as pengamen. From clapping hands and pleading money for their sick friend, or claiming to have just got out prison. They’re in short a disgrace to their kind.

Recent sudden fame of Aris (Januarisman), pengamen turned finalist of Indonesian Idol, shot to stardom from his incredible rendition of ST12 hit, would encourage fellow pengamen alike cracking to improve their fortune.

Like it or not, they will always be there, when the employment field and opportunities in the big city still difficult to find.

As for me, they have been an interesting company in my long and winding road home.

Of Day Job

Been thinking about how to make some extra cash on the side by doing what I love. It's not going to be the first time. I’ve had some moonlighting episodes in the past.

I just stopped doing that these couple of years. I figure quality time for myself is just so priceless, and I didn’t want to waste it merely for a few extra bucks.

Some people have the luxury to do things they love full time. I used to love what I do, it’s just years gone by and it became a bore, a ritual.

First, I have to figure out what it is that would inspire me most and will chase it later. I just don't have the guts to quit my day job to pursue it - not yet.

I've got some ideas. One of them is quite good - it involves making money by turning my hobby into a part-time job. Which will be nice.

The dreadful part is that, since this economic turmoil won’t be stopping anytime soon, I may eventually end up doing the hobby full-time and my 'job' part-time. Not exactly a first-rate scenario.

In the end the hobby will eventually be totally boring and I’ll be back to square one. Vicious cycle really.

Part and parcel of life.

Well, I’ve got to do my homework. Lay down the grounds and doing some networking. In just a few months, I figure I would be ready. I have to stop stalling and decide what to do about it.

Maybe I have to ask someone who knows the ropes for some advice. Problem is, all of my close friends are nine to fivers like me.

Surely there’s somebody else out there, It’s that time to open my year book again.

Bantimurung

Some of Alfred Russel Wallace – The famous British Naturalist – most pleasurable moments in life were spent in Bantimurung. It is no overstatement as the name of the area itself, Bantimurung, loosely translated as a place to overturn sadness.

Notes of his alluring account in “Malay Archipelago” prompt many archeologists and lepidopterists to visit and observe the kingdom of butterflies he mentioned in his writings.

Bantimurung has long been known as a magnet for tourist, local and foreign. It was located about an hour northeast of Makassar, Sulawesi. The area has been stapled as a prime natural reservation but, sadly, that doesn't mean much in Indonesia.

Many wildlife species in Bantimurung are endangered by fervent collectors and locals who treat them as profitable souvenir. It is a popular weekend resort for families and couples who seek cooling in the river under the waterfall.

A lot has changed since Wallace roamed there in 1856-57.

The place once was the habitat of around 250 different types of butterfly. Recent research found only 100 left. It’s a rarity nowadays to see them flying around freely, so if you decided to visit, August and September would be the best season for a trip.

Papilio androcles
The largest and rarest swallow-tiled butterflies, often seen wander around Bantimurung

Back in 1999 was the last time me and friends rove this beautiful waterfall. Butterflies were all over the place at that time especially after the rain stops.

The magnificent view and the relaxing sound of surging water was comparable to the feelings I had when staring Pantheon’s rooftop or the tranquility of Sacre Coeur.

All that has led to Sir Wallace considered it paradise on earth.

I encourage you to come, time and money permits, before all the butterflies have gone.

Of Love and Growing Up

Was having a major crush with someone in my 1994 batch. Three years I think it took me to get over her. During those darker days I am so sure it was love. I was such a hopeless romantic back then. Ah, the level of naivety still have me chuckle and purple until now.

I remember she asked me during one outing, what gets me attracted to a girl. My answer was … “the hair” ! What kind of dimwitted lame answer was that? No wonder she opted to go out with somebody else.

Should have went for something more cerebral you know. Personality, sense of humor, quick wit, and a selection of better answers masking my apparent shallowness.

To be fair though, she actually has gorgeous hair.

During my junior high, I have this feeling with the prettiest girl in school (well, at least according to me and some friends). Three years went by and the only time I was able to really talk to her was when we're on our separate ways after the graduation. We kept being pen mate for several years after.

I think if there’s a book for teenager to overcome the awkwardness of growing up, that will be a best seller.

I’m happy to report I haven’t grown out of it. The awkwardness, the uncontrolled blush, and the brain short circuit is still there.

Here’s a question for those of you who are, or have ever been, in love. If the object of your affection doesn't feel the same way, would you still be in love with them, despite the hopelessness of the situation, or would you rather rid yourself of these feelings?

Back then, I used to linger in those feelings … far too long. Not so much after the new millennia when something turn me into this pragmatic self.

Maybe it’s true that love is overrated, romanticized by those who've never known it and those who manage to profit from it like Hallmark and De Beers.

Growing up and growing old made me realize that care and affection is what matters. Not that glorified bio-chemical reaction called Love.

As you can observe from the picture above. I look happier now albeit slightly wider horizontally :)

Of Sinden and Blue Eyes

I was just toying with the remote control, changing the channels, when something very peculiar shown on the TV. A woman, complete in her authentic Javanese Kebaya, was singing as a sinden. What’s amazing is that, she is not a Javanese, not even Indonesian. She is in fact a leggy Caucasian woman born in Wisconsin, USA.

She was sitting there among the other sindens and belted some pitch perfect Kromo Inggil (Javanese Language of the highest caste - according to my wife who is from Malang). She also dance and mime in a flexibility often attributed to the most veteran of dancers.

My wife and I were just sitting there with our collective jaws hit the floor.

Now being a sinden is not like your run of the mill singing technique. It requires theatrical ability, wide range of pitch control with atypical (pentatonic?) notes, and most importantly the comprehensive grasp of Javanese language and folklore. That made the achievement of one Karen Elizabeth Sekararum all the more remarkable.

The number of professional sinden across the nation has been in a steady decreasing trend for quite sometime now. This is inline with the decreasing number of Wayang Show – Indonesian traditional puppet, confirmed by Tribun Indonesia, a local newspaper.

With young ones like us pursuing careers that would make all of our parents proud. Working as engineer, IT geek, architect, and other field deemed more promising financially. Even those into art, prefer western type of art such as hip-hop, R&B, and break-dance. Traditional heritage has been neglected over the years. It is encouraging to see the attention is now gaining momentum.

After some Google research, I found out that there are other budding foreigner sinden around, apart from Mrs. Sekararum. One Briton by the name of Esther Wilds, a Chinese descendant Meyling Sri Bowo. and another American, Susan Pratt Walton.

Several shows has been a sell out, with people intrigued by the sight of white women singing Babad Tanah Jawa. They could even let slip some English during the show, with the audience all laughing and amused. It was fantastic.

If Karen Elizabeth could fall in love with Indonesian art and culture. Indonesians should be even more proud that our traditional art can be as admirable as that of foreign culture. Hopefully not only our government authority but the private sector able to seize this opportunity to introduce them to broader audience.

With the world having a better appreciation of our cultural history, might as well become a counter balance of all the negative issues that has blighted our nation’s journey.

Note:

• Photo taken and edited from http://www.mangun-dharma.com/

Of Putting from The Rough

Everyday I go to the office using a commute called omprengan. We’ll venture more about omprengan in the coming days. Right now, I’d like to share with you a rather uncomfortable experience in my ride to the office these past few days.

Basically omprengan is a mini van type of car, like Suzuki Carry or Daihatsu Zebra. Two sit in front with the driver, four in the middle, and six in the back. I know, it’s totally crowded. People are bumper to bumper in the most inconvenient way possible. But it’s miles better than running for the buses from my place in Bekasi.

The six persons in the back are sitting face to face, knee to knee, if you please. In one fine day you’ll got a companion of some skinny and pretty ladies, so there’s room to spare. At worst you can end up with 6 rather large men like me with sweats pouring, as more often than not, the omprengan doesn’t have air-condition.

Anyway, there’s only a few cars operating to each direction, mine is Sudirman. So it’s inevitable you’d meet the same people over and over again.

There is this one particular guy, probably around 35, whose being friendly to me, sometimes in the threshold of being too friendly. Previously, we were just nodding to each other, sometimes chat a little bit about the driver being careless and what not.

I was beginning to be suspicious when his hands frequently touching my sitting knee. Too frequent and just landing there far too long for my liking. One time he tried as far as rubbing my thighs. I was in total shock and abruptly move my feet away from him. That was Wednesday.

On Thursday, I got up early and tried to change my habit, exchanging my usual favorite ride. Yet there he was again. This time his hand held my knee, and he tried to make conversation. I was being polite and immediately putting my iPod on to avoid any further contact.

People are stopping off in front of BRI and all of a sudden it was just me and him in the back. Now this is what makes me real mad. When I wanted to get off the car, as I bend there to drop my right foot, he spank me right in my ass. It was totally humiliating and I was just standing there speechless like an idiot.

What would any guy do in a moment like this?

I told my friends and they were just laughing their socks off. It’s not funny guys, well maybe a little bit, but they're not helping. I still don’t know what to do if next time he repeat his act.

I’m a very bashful person. Always trying to shun attention away. I’d be caught dead before I could make a scene, let alone inform a guy to get his hands off me.

Am I homophobic? I guess not. Being branded as a homophobic in these PC days, close many doors for you. But let’s just say this is not the first time for me. However we'll talk abut that some other time.

Of Red and White

You know that unavoidable moment when your wife asks you to be a little more frequent in saying that you love her. I wonder if my country Indonesia could speak, She'd asks the same out of all the people who born, live, breathe, feed, and love in Her bosom.

From now on, I promise to proclaim my love for Indonesia a bit more often. For no particular reason really. I just love this country so much, the people, the beauty of the land, the culture (I mean we have 400 different tribes, and 400 or more languages for God sake), the never ending promise, pride, and joy this land has given to me. To us.

I don't really care what people may say.

This high time is exactly the reason I get so angry to see politicians, time and again, fail to live up to the pride of our flag. Politics have been such a dog eat dog arena, and have drag this great nation to places She isn’t suppose to.

I can’t do anything about that now. We can’t do much more about that now. Nevertheless, there’s nothing wrong in showing your love to your country from time to time.

In this troubled times we might want to remember the old cliché asking about what have you done to your country. I wish in the end I could die and be able to proudly say that I've given everything that I could to serve my country.

( This is for all my high school friends who serve in Lebanon, I envy you guys! )