In the past, Endah Lasmadiwati had been a famous Balinese dance trainer at seven dance studios in Jakarta. But in 1980, life took a bad twist when all the studios went bankrupt, leaving her depressed, sick and almost paralyzed. In this desperate situation she prayed to regain her strength, through meditation and fasting. She learned to let God’s will direct her life. Now, the 60-year-old is the proud owner of Taman Sringanis, a park of medicinal herbs and a center for the development of natural health remedies in Cimanengah village of Bogor, West Java.
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Famed as one of the country’s pioneers of contemporary dance, choreographer and dancer Sardono Waluyo Kusumo has nothing to prove, yet he continues to be impeccably disciplined in his work. The rector of the Jakarta Institute of the Arts had returned from a two-day trip to Yogyakarta in the morning, then sat through back-to-back meetings, which had taken him through to his interview in a South Jakarta mall.
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“Berbilah-bilah rencong/dengan sarung dan tangkai berkilap/tak lupa kami selipkan/pertanda /martabat/dan keagungan/betapa pedih hati kami/dari Jakarta/kalian hujamkan mata rencong itu/tepat di jantung kami” (Blades of rencong/with their shiny sheaths and handles/we do not forget to put on/as a sign/of dignity and greatness/how our hearts bleed/from Jakarta/you stab the rencong/right into our hearts.) The poem is among Acehnese poet Fikar W. Eda’s favorites and he regularly reads it at events across the country. Aside from “Rencong”, Fikar is noted for other works like “Seperti Belanda” (Like the Dutch, 1996), which dwells on the “greed” of Jakarta. Both “Seperti Belanda” and “Rencong” point out the sadness felt by many Acehenese for what they see as the unjust and arbitrary treatment of the Indonesian government. Aceh experienced almost three decades of bloody conflict which ended only when the government signed a peace deal with the Free Aceh Movement rebels.
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The unfortunate side to the demise of Soeharto is that abject poverty and slum areas have increased immensely and the gap between the rich and the poor, worsened. Even more intolerable is the apathy of the Indonesian government and those in private organisations making any headway to solve this crisis. It is all left to NGO’s who, incidentally, are sadly lacking in financial support. Poor sanitation is one product of this crisis. So what has actually gone wrong in the new democracy of Indonesia?. There are a thousand arguments and discussions that could be brought forward, but, until poverty and poor sanitation is eradicated in Indonesia [or near enough to] then feet will be dragged on and on infinitum.
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The late Sutan Takdir Alisjahbana, who was born in Natal, North Sumatra on Feb. 11, 1908, is recognized not only as one of Indonesia’s great writers but also as a philosopher whose ideas still exert a considerable influence in Indonesia’s contemporary literary studies and the development of modern Indonesian Language. Many, including the younger generation, would only know him as the author of the famous novel Layar Terkembang (Open Sail) and the founder and editor of a literary and linguistic magazine, Pudjangga Baru (The New Writer).
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Islam is an easy target for misrepresentation. It has been misunderstood and misused for centuries by its ignorant followers as well as its “enemies”. It is no surprise then that questions about the nature of the religion have been reiterated over the past three decades. Does the faith recognize human rights? Is it compatible with democracy? Does it respect women? Is it tolerant? Can it cope with modernity and adopt its modern institutions? A bulk of scientific, philosophical articles have been written to answer these indicting questions, but the prejudices against the faith persist.
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Traditional miniature boat craftsman Djuhhari Witjaksono is happily spending his retirement days creating models of old ships alongside jobless youths. In his residence on Jl. Brawijaya in Mojokerto, East Java, he keeps dozens of books on traditional boats from all over the world. His library collection also includes books on the history of the Majapahit kingdom and Adrian Horridge’s The Prahu, a book on traditional sail boats of Indonesia. Once an active scout, the 77-year-old remembered the words of world scout chief Robert Baden Powell: “Walk until you come to a land, sail until you come ashore.”
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Farmers in Nangkojajar, a hilly area in the Bromo-Tengger national park in East Java, grow an abundance of fresh produce that is sold in markets across Java and in Bali. Some of the best vegetables grown in the area include cabbage, broccoli, carrot, potato, lettuce, aubergine and beet varieties, to mention a few. But despite the fertile soil and fresh mountain air, farmers in Nangkojajar, it seems, have given little attention to growing fruit varieties. That was before Subagyo came along. Subagyo, a 67-year-old researcher from Pasuruan, in East Java, managed to establish his own strawberry farm. Speaking from his strawberry fields in Nangkojajar regency, Subagyo said he decided to start a strawberry farm after hearing complaints from tourists and visitors over the limited varieties of fruit from the area. Subagyo, who has a passion for research into high-yielding fruit hybrids, said he knew this open niche in the fruit market required a fast-yielding crop with sustainable output over a fix period of time.
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From the long white hair to the sarong-style trousers and leather sandals from the West Java town of Garut, everything about Godi Suwarma says “artist”. But the Sundanese writer does not care what people think. He believes in his choice to become an artist, a decision many people find hard to accept. In a writing career spanning more than three decades, perhaps Godi’s greatest achievement has been winning the Rancage Literary Award three times.
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Homesick for Bali in 1956, Ida Bagus Kompiang and his wife, Anak Agung Mirah Asthuti Kompiang, sold their successful export business in Surabaya and used the proceeds to purchase a hectare of land on Bali’s Sanur Beach where they constructed 25 traditional bungalows and a small restaurant. A half century ago, Sanur was very much a sleepy seaside village with little grasp by anyone of what tourism actually entailed. In those early days, the Kompiang’s only neighbors were a Belgium painter Le Mayeur, a Dutchman and a local cemetery.
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