WE HAVE FINISHED AL BAQARAH!

For those who have read along Al Baqarah's translations and various tafseers at AT TAQWA since March, would have noticed that we have just finished Al Baqarah! Alhamdulillah!

Thank you for joining me and may we gain baroqah from Allah swt. Special thanks to Crimsonskye for the audio of recitations by Mishary Rashid al-Efasy. Jazakillah hairan kathira!

Insyallah next, we will embark on Aal Imraan!

....and you keep a part of them with you forever: An Indonesian experience, the finale

Kenakelayan quoted this in one of her entries:

...you will come across people who will leave you increased in some good way or other, and you keep a part of them with you forever. These are baraka people.

Anang, the driver who took care of our trip from day 1, fits the above bill very well. A well mannered and mild-tempered person, he forever spoke with a pleasant tone and expression. Never did we see him once, losing his temper or showing his annoyance towards anyone. He tried his best to answer our queries, answering to our barrages of questions left and right.

Always wearing a sincere smile, he is ever polite in his ways. When eating with us, he chose not sit too near, perhaps in fear of disrupting our privacy, eventhough we felt so comfortable with his presence. Once at the hill at Parangtritis, as he was imparting valuable knowledge to us ladies, an old woman who was on foot, greeted him and made some query, to which he answered with a smile. Others would probably brush the woman aside but not Anang!

He completed high school and started working immediately without acquiring tertiary study. But let not that make you think poorly of him! His knowledge of his motherland is to be praised. His knows ancient history of the Hindu and Budhhist power colonising his homeland as much as he knows of the whole gamut of the present day politics. And he even read serious books like Hamka's!

Patience is written all over his face especially when following us around bargaining for things at the market or when we had to wait for the sun to set its best crimson color at Parangtritis or when the guys were in a state of despondence for not able to capture Merapi at its best. As if reading the guys' mind, he made a detour, taking a route with a better view of Merapi.

Here are some exerpts of our conversations with him (retrieved from my memory box, thus, some distortions might have occured)

"Yang bahayanya, awan panas, dihasil dari proses letupan gunung itu. Di sini dipanggil Wedus Ghembel. Panasnya bisa capai 2000 darjah. Ia bisa gerak laju sekali"

"Biar saja saya yang bawanya" and off he took all our shopping goods and we walked around hands free.

At Parangtritis, we were amazed on how the villagers managed vegetable farms by the beach. "Iya. Sayur bisa hidup di pasir. Cumanya, perlu ada air yang di lalukan ke situ."

I could rave on and on about this guy who is a walking encyclopedia in his own unique way!

From day one, Anang had carried an unspoken motto that says: I am here to make your stay worthwhile!

Anang is one of those people whom you keep a part of them with you forever! May Allah swt give him His blessings constantly, insyallah.

PADANG FOOD GALORE. OF SPLEEN AND BRAIN! : AN INDONESIAN EXPERIENCE PART 3

On the final day, we made a last sight-seeing around Jogjakarta and as expected our two 'National Geographic' photographers wannabe, couldn't have enough of the city! They giddily snapped every interesting subject and object in sight and even made Anang slow down or even stop the Kijang amidst the traffic. (sabor jek la!!) As usual, Anang provided us with good info about the historical background of the buildings and places, political details included too.

From Borobodur to Jogja, we had glimpses of Merapi's peak along the way as the clouds cleared off and on. The guys especially were still frustrated of not getting a good close-up of it. Hence, Anang made a special detour to Babadan, another route up the Merapi. The first instant we could view Merapi clearly, the guys made Anang stop and off they scurried to a nearby paddy field to begin their picture-taking spree. Whilst listening to Anang's 'lectures', I eyed the earnest two guys in various awkward stances, wanting to capture the best of Merapi! (squatting, kneeling and even lying supine, I think, hehe)

Then we entered Kota GedikGede, a Kraton belonging to the Mataram Sultanate back in the 1500s and 1600s. As Friday prayer was approaching we went straight to Masjid Agung Mataram. Outside the compund were dwellings of those who worked there. One of which sold various keris Mataram which are greatly coveted by keris lovers. Boogey owns one and was excited to view the collection there. Besides the usual keris Mataram, they have the Sultan's keris which is much better in design and is very intricate, with gold lining the 'lok's, delibrately made for enemies who are 'kebal' to iron. Of course, it comes with a steep price of several juta rupiahs! Later, Ikelah, later!

The Masjid Agung of Mataram

The Friday prayer's sermon was given by someone with a crisp clear voice and we understood him eventhough it was in Bahasa Indonesia. However the text was very general with no specific message except to be a good Muslim. But Alhamdulillah that we managed to pray in an old masjid built by a strong ancient Muslim Empire!

Next, we ventured next door to the royal graveyard of the Sultans of Mataram. There were several 'gazebo's where the Juru Kunci were stationed. They are the officials who take care of the makam. With big trees shading and constant cool breeze blowing, the place was absolutely balmy and peaceful. The Juru Kunci were all fully attired in the traditional Mataram costumes with their keris stuck into their sarung waistline at the back. They sat serenely on the floor in the gazebo, queitly, doing almost nothing, hehe (some were smoking kretek, I think). This made me make a witty remark to Boogey's wife, " Senang nya hidup dia orang, relax betul. " And she replied, " Ha'ah. And I thought my job was the most relaxed on earth! Rupanya ada yang lagi relax! This I must tell my friends who envy me! Hehe"

The Jurukunci sitting cross-legged in their full costumes

Admiring the fine intricate wood-work of the door to the Makam
(hands of Paul Mossanother photographer blocking)

Apparently they still perform an ancient tradition of exalting the sultans by doing some ancient rituals at the graves every Fridays. Just a simple ado but intriguing, no doubt. It was done in a quiet and sombre mood with no fanfares whatsoever, so a visitor like us could have missed it easily. I managed to see the Jurukunci walk in file carrying yellow cusions. The person in front was shaded with an old parasol, probably he was carrying something sacred or something. A lady wearing a 'kemban' attire trailed behind and I caught her performing a strange gesture upon entering the grave-yard: she touched the stone-steps twice with her bare hands, probably an act exclusive for a woman entering the sacred ground?

(I have left out an important thing regarding this trip i.e. our eat-outs and the food. Our first lunch was a stop before reaching Jogja. A Javanese eatery selling gastronomical array of dishes. There was Gudek, nangka cooked with dry spicy gravy. Ikan bakar with sambal served on a flat stone plate. I saw some people 'tenyeh' bird chillie and ate along with the fish. The look on their faces shows how scrumptious the dish is. Perhaps the stone plate, very much like flat lesung enhances its flavor, that's why! But the guys felt that Javanese dishes were not for their taste-buds, hence it was Padang food all the way after that!

The Padang restaurants had this unique way of serving. They would fill up small plates of every dish they have and spread them on our table. Once you touch a dish it's considered taken! The boys loved Padang cooking. Once Boogey feasted on goat brain cooked masak lemak and Ikelah kept topping up on the spleen dish till the restaurant ran out of it!! Horror! They might think that Malaysians are big-eaters! Anyway I have my reservation on Padang dishes. I felt that they were too spicey and flat. At one point I even thought that a dish tasted like the Jamu I had after giving birth!)

Finally, we headed for the two and half hours journey back to Solo. Since we needed to do some last minute shopping, we had to rush straight to the batik market before it closes at 5pm. Batik Solo is apparently different and some say has better design. Since we were rushing, my myopic impression was that their choice of color was limited to only various shades of brown and I found them boring, much to iKelah's annoyance! So, no, I didn't find anything realy interesting to buy. Nor did I find any shop that sell good collection of tudung as suggested by QOTH.

After checking in a hotel for the night, we rested and had dinner in yet another Padang restaurant. Ikelah and I opted for a trishaw ride to a nearby shopping mall and bought some books in a book-shop. The Indonesians are truly cultured and earnest people, confirmed by their dilligent work in translating popular english novels, like those by Tom Clancy and many others. Even National Geography was sold in bahasa Indonesia! Fancy that! Still on that note, Boogey made an observation worth mentioning here i.e. the Bahasa Indonesia has about the same amount of vocabulary as Bahasa Malaysia but the Indonesians use substantially more of their vocab than we do!! And I do agree. That's why when an Indonesian person verbalize, they tend to do it smoothly with fluidity with not much stammering nor pauses in contrast with many of us who love to interject with 'aahhh', 'hmmmm', 'apa tu' etc as if trying hard to retrieve a word, :))

Three days were not enough to savor all the goodness there but enough for us to say that we loved the place and the people. An amazing trip full of knowledge, fun and banter and of course sampling a piece of an Indonesian life! Alhamdulillah!

Special note: I think it is unfair to let these entries go without inviting Boogey's wife a.k.a. Mrs Moss to leave her comments regarding the trip. So Mrs Moss, please drop in and say your dues!

Next: (ada lagi ke???) My special tribute to Anang, our trip driver there. He deserves a special mention!

ITU BUKAN MERAPI PAK!!! :AN INDONESIAN EXPERIENCE PART 2

On the second day, after checking out, we headed for Chandi Prambanan , the biggest ancient hindu temple complex there. Scattered over the area are also many smaller chandi (s). We didn't enter the temple but only viewed it from the outside as the entrance fee was high for foreign tourist, 10 USD, compared to 5,000 rupiahs for the locals (though I don't think we looked any more foreign than the locals! If we keep our mouth shut , that is!). Prambanan is higher than Borobodur but smaller in size and the deco, idols and etchings are also markedly different as Borobodur is a buddhist temple. At night when the weather is good, an open air staging of Ramayana is conducted at the grounds next to the temple. We initially entertained the idea of watching the show but since iKelah wasn't keen, we dropped it. Anang was made to stop at various spots to satisfy the whims of the two photographers in their bid to get the best shots of Prambanan from afar.

Next, Anang drove us to Ketep Pass to view the erupting Merapi, closer. The journey up took almost an hour and as I was nursing a splitting headache, sleeping through it was the best. At Ketep Pass, we could see the two great mountains, Merbabu and Merapi side by side. Merbabu is higher but is currently inactive. The guys had mistaken Merbabu for Merapi and unknowingly had taken incessant snap-shots of Merbabu instead. We later went to watch a short movie on Merapi at the museum theater and on exiting the place, we took shots of us with Merapi on the background. Only then did the guys realized that they had mistaken Merbabu for Merapi! We had a good laugh at their grave error. Imagine their dispair should they only realize the mistake at home! So, we had to patiently wait for them to redeem their lost, taking more shots of the 'real' Merapi.

Posing with a cloudy Merapi behind.

As the weather was cloudy, Merapi's peak was not visible that morning. But we could see that the mountain was heavily populated with villages strewn all along the terrain, marked by rows of green vegetable farms. The Merapi lava must be providing the ground with good soil and thus good produce. No wonder, the villagers were reluctant to vacate their homes despite the danger.

Candi Borobodur

Next on their list was to capture sunrise at Borobodur. Again, the entrance fee was steep for foreigners and doubled if you enter to catch the sunrise. To optimize cost, we checked into a hotel in the premise of Borobodur that included the entrance fee. The hotel rate was much more expensive but since it included the entrance fee to Borobodur, it evened out. Unfortunately it didn't include entrance for sunrise and as we felt that the price was stupendous, the guys agreed to forgo it. The Manohara Hotel, as it was called, comprised of single storey rooms scattered over the grounds next to Borobodur with absolutely serene ambiance. Big shady trees and scented-flower plants like Kenanga, Cempaka etc contributed to the natural beauty of the sprawling garden.

Down the stairs of Borobodur. Look who are holding hands!!

Borobodur is a huge ancient pyramid-like structure, built into 4-5 levels, on top of a partly leveled hill. On each levels are many bell-like sturctures called stupa with Buddha statues sitting inside, apparently attaining Nirvana. From the top we could again view Merapi and Mt Sumbing. Ikelah made a second mistake of misidentifying the two and again we had a good laugh.

Checked out early to make one last trip round Jogjakarta. We visited Kota Gede (Mataram Sultanate Kraton), the Makam Mataram and prayed Friday's prayer at the Masjid Agung Mataram. Next entry: On Kota Gede and Solo.

Bargaining is our forte! A shop-owner even remarked : Kok Bapak bisa menawar bagus sekali!

You are absolutely right, Kenakelayan! A true budget holiday (shoe-string) would mean sleeping in dormitaries ala YMCA or even in make-shift tents but I don't think that is feasible in Jogjakarta. I guess ours catered more for couples who prefer cheap accomodation with some privacy. Furthermore, if we decide to pitch a tent in the middle of the city, we might induce a 'riot'! As it is, they have enough 'happenings', what with the Merapi eruption, the workers demonstrating, grafts etc. We wouldn't want to add " Empat pengunjung dari Malaysia bikin rapot: tidur di jalanan!" in their headlines!!

Nope, Mama Sarah, we did'nt go there for volunteer work. Eventhough Merapi is erupting albeit 'softly', the people are still put in the 'siaga' state i.e. only those living up high on the mountains are vacated but not those below at the foot. In fact, from the news yesterday, many farmers are fed-up waiting and had stubbornly threatened to return to their farms to tend them. Mynn, as Boogey had put it, the sky did turn purple! :))

QOTH- I think that phrase is truly apt for them! :))

Anggerik, Edward, Simah: it was indeed an adventure for someone like me!

Pycno- Thank you for praying for us. A true friend is one that make dua for another! No , 'wedus ghembel' is only formed when there's profound eruption.

Hiyoshi- there must be concrete reasons that your parents are erupting like volcanoes! :))

OF TRUE-BLUE BUDGET HOLIDAY AND A GRUELING PHOTOGRAPHIC EXCURSION: AN INDONESIAN EXPERIENCE

I have never stepped foot on Indonesian soil before, unlike many of you out there who are not only blog-hoppers but jet-setters as well. Thanks to boogey and his wife, who managed to secure us 4 cheap return air-tickets to Solo, last Wednesday, now I can proudly tell my kids that I not only endured the grueling hours of photographic excursions ala National Geographic but also a life-time sighting of a majestic volcano erupting!

No, we didn't know that Merapi was going to throw up it's lava when we agreed on this trip which was planned late last year. Thus, when I heard of it's inevitable eruption coinciding with this trip I was particularly apprehensive and had mixed feelings. But the guys (being their macho selves , of course!), were so excited and had envisaged themselves scrambling up the active crater with their cameras and tripods and had even toyed with the idea of being chased by a hot stream of flowing lava! All these were before we found out about the phenomena of 'wedus ghembel' (uttered with a thick Javanese accent, please) which are the extremely hot clouds (up to 2000 degrees celcius) formed after a volcano eruption, that can travel at an astounding speed of 200 km/hr and can cause severe burns on those overwhelmed by them! Anang, our very amiable and knowledgeable driver, had seen a 1994 Merapi eruption survivor
who had sustained burns of the limbs inflicted by the vicious 'wedus ghembel'. Furthermore, tourists are not allowed beyond a certain distance and we can only view Merapi from several sighting points, much to my relief but to the guys' chagrin, of course!

Upon touching down at Solo's (a.k.a. Surakarta) airport, we were greeted by the ever-pleasant Anang, whom I daresay, represents the people of Java, who are ever so polite and humble in their ways (sadly, I can't say the same for our Malay society, here). Immediately, we were driven in a Kijang (equivalent to Unser but much better in its suspension) for a two and half hours journey to Jogjakarta. Along the way, our eyes feasted on beautiful landscapes of systematic green paddy fields, with scattered small brick houses and majestic mountain ranges as back-drops. intermittently we see shops selling brick and stone tiles in various shapes and also sculptures of idols in myriads of forms (this being the ancient hindu influence).

In accordance with the theme of our trip: 'A budget holiday with fruitful returns', we checked in a budget hotel smacked in the middle of Jogjakarta. It is squeezed in between myriads of other small hotels and spas. It may be small and quaint but it has a small swimming pool, nontheless!

Not to waste any second, we ventured to the batik market after our dzuhur-jama'-asar prayers. We passed through a Kraton (a large, walled, old palace ground/court) and sauntered through a pasar burung which got the boys busy snapping away. On hindsight, we (Boogey's wife and I) now realized that the early shopping indulgence was a deliberate tactic by the guys to prepare us for their first big photographic rendezvous which unknown to us would entail a grueling uphill drive and moments of true patience! (We even stopped by a spa to enquire of its service, planning to pamper ourselves the next day but alas, the plan was abandoned). Sunset at Parangtritis was our, or more accurately, their next agenda. Another hour and a half journey through narrow roads amidst paddy fields brought us nearer to the coastline.

Parangtritis has a hill with a cliff by the beach and it boasts of excellent sunsets which are being sought after by avid photographers. The sight was breath-taking but the road uphil was not. Half-way through, the meandering road turned ugly and we bopped up and down as the poor Kijang negotiated with all the crevices and holes encountered along the 'rocky' path. Almost reaching the plateau summit, Anang gave up as the path got more vicious and the guys had to suffice with a small grassy plain to station their tripods. The view was nevertheless beautiful, encompassing the rocky cliff on our left, the vast village below and the sea-line covering the horizon.

We, the ladies and Anang, ambled around an open dilapiated shack near the parked Kijag and made small talks. Whilst the guys prepared themselves for the 'exact' moments of shots of the coveted sunset, we attained valuable lessons on the historical and geographical facts of Parangtritis from Anang. Needless to say, by the time it was over, we had more knowledge of the place than the sunset-hard-up boys! For more an hour we enjoyed the stillness of the serene hill albeit the occasional odd sounds produced by geckos amidst the constant background sounds of crickets and watched the sky slowly turned into an orangey-reddish hue which would make a fantastic subject for canvas painting. Off and on, we could hear fits of laughter from the guys as they 'fought' for the best 'seat' to capture the 'moments'. Ahh! Boys will be boys! Apparently they were fighting for a spot near a coconut tree that would give a nice silhouette to their picture!

Finally, when we thought the eager photographers would never cease in their endeavor, up the trail they climbed, with cameras and tripods , adorning satisfied looks of mission accomplished.
I can't help but sarcastically remarked, "Eh, that was fast. Aren't you waiting for the sky to turn purple or something??"

Next morning, after breakfast of nasi goreng which consists of reddish fried rice strongly flavored with their thick caramel-soya sauce, garnished with slices of tomatoes, cabbage strips, sliced omelete and strips of shicken fillet (there's only one type of nasi goreng, so dont ask for NG CIna, Kampong, USA, etc!. Also, don't dream of teh tarik here. Ikelah, onced asked for teh susu and all he got was a diluted tea with lots of milk. You should see the exasperated look on his face!), we checked out and headed for the chandi (s) and another chain of photo sessions.

As this entry is long, I will relate the details of the chandi (s) and our viewing of Merapi in another entry.

Alhamdulillah, we were given this opportunity to travel together, the four of us, to a great country with cultured people and vast heritage. A truly memorable trip to cherish. Thanks to Boogey and wife for being great company and making this trip possible. Thanks also to Pang5 for sending us to the airport in the wee hours of the morning and to Khin for fetching us back.

* for photos see iKelah and Boogey