The day of our arrival at Jakarta from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia via Brunei, I was already feeling excited. We were now just an hour’s plane ride away from Palembang, the once capital of the great Sri Vijaya Empire. This is more exciting than having it read in the books. I’ve read a bit about Palembang from history books. My dream of visiting the place would soon become a reality.
 
Home to almost 2 million people, Palembang is Southeast Asia’s second oldest city. As the capital of the Sri Vijaya Empire, it once held vast power and influence over most parts of Southeast Asia, including current Malaysia, Solot (Sulu archipelago) and Brunei.
 
To me, this trip is my chance to journey back to the past.

I was travelling with Pak Widodo, Pak Andhika and Pak Toso from the Indonesian Consulate General in Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. My friends from the media as well as the travel agents and travel operators group were with us as well. We were there for Familiarization Trip 2016, a trip organized by the Ministry of Tourism Indonesia and Consulate General of Indonesia in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. I can’t thank them enough for this trip. In Jakarta, we were warmly welcomed by our trip organizers Ibu Serena Pane, Pak Wisnu and Pak Eka.

Going to Palembang, we took a flight via Garuda Indonesia in the morning of 13 May 2016.  While flying over the place I looked through my plane window, trying to make something of the vast, green scenery below. This was my first time flying to Palembang. As one of the most mentioned historical places in Nusantara, I couldn’t wait to see how beautiful it is.
 
I was overwhelmed listening to our eloquent tour guide, Bapak Latiff from Indonesia Tour Guide Association. While listening to him about history, culture, culinary, tourist destinations and other ancient beautiful places in Palembang, I was observing a large construction site along the road. I was informed later that it was a construction site for a new LRT rail. The project is part of the Indonesian government preparation for Asian Games 2018, which Palembang is hosting along with Jakarta.

In the bus, Pak Latiff talked about the nearby Musi River on the east coast of South Sumatra. One of the major landmarks there is the Ampera Bridge, which connects the two regions of Palembang--the Seberang Hulu from the south and the Seberang Hilir from the north.
 
The Ampera Bridge was built during the time of Soekarno, Indonesia’s first president. It used to be named Bung Karno Bridge after him but was later renamed Ampera Bridge, short for Amanat Penderitaan Rakyat, which means the mandate of the people's suffering. The construction was part of a Japanese war reparations program. Designed as a vertical-lift bridge, it had a mechanism that could allow it to open to let ships pass below it. For a few years after it was opened, the center span could be lifted to allow ships to pass underneath. However starting 1970, the government stopped allowing ships to pass through.

The day after arriving in Palembang, we went cruising the Musi River. I couldn’t stop clicking my camera to take pictures of villages beside the riverbank.  All those uniform looking houses with red or brown roof bricks seemed to make a fine contrast against the greenery around them. Children were playing happily, jumping and swimming by the riverside. Ladies were washing clothes while some men were fishing. Docked quietly at another side of the river are several colorful, uniquely designed wooden boats. It seemed to me that life here is easy and enjoyable.

Near Kampung Kapitan just along the river is a village called Arab Al-Munawar, which is home to many Arab descendants from Yemen. I felt at home there. The community welcomed us with the soothing music, flute and dance. At the house of the village leader, we were served Yemeni traditional foods such as Nasi Kebuli (a spicy rice dish) and other viands blended with local taste. The leader, Habib Ahmad Al-Kaff, is 65 years old.

He told me that the village got its name after Abdurrahman Al-Munawar, a Yemeni who married a local Malay lady and lived there with his family since 1700’s. Sitting near the verandah, the wind blowing through my face, I continued asking Habib about the village’s houses and how old they are.

Habib smiled, seemingly nostalgic while talking to me. According to him, there are about eight houses in the village that are estimated to be more than a century old, but the village itself is about three hundred years old. The houses are made of rocks, cement, and a special kind of wood material known as Merbau or Unglen, which is water resistant. Most of the houses are pyramid-like in structure with a touch of Middle Eastern and European motif. Carvings and ornaments are combined of Malay and Chinese in style.

At Pulau Kemaru, I sipped coconut juice with Pak Ruben, Subdivision Head of Familiarization Trip for Southeast Asia and Pak Widodo (from the Indonesian Consulate General, Kota Kinabalu) together with Ruzaini (from Metro, Kota Kinabalu), Maya (from Utusan Borneo), and Mbak Mia (from Ministry of Tourism Indonesia).

Prior to this, I was interviewed by a reporter from Metro TV News, a local TV station. I was asked about my opinion about the place. I told her that the place is calm and suited for someone who wants to write song lyrics. It is also a good spot to write poems and short stories.

Before the interview I was roaming around the island looking at a giant Pagoda and a Beringin tree known as Pohon Cinta where people flock to for its coldness and serenity.  Pulau Kemaru is also known for the love story of Prince Tan Bun An, a Chinese prince, and Siti Fatimah, a Malay Princess. As I have written some poems here, I am looking forward to writing more poems and stories about the place, culture, people, foods and history.
 
After two days in Palembang, it was already time to go. I was with the group expecting Ibu Irene Camelyn Sinaga, Head of Culture and Tourism of South Sumatra to arrive the morning of May 15. When we talked at Arista Hotel, one of the best hotels in Palembang, I felt that she confirmed my thoughts about poems when she said, “We have poets and poems here and legends as well as culture and history. When you hear of Palembang, it is synonymous to Sri Vijaya”.

Palembang is not only a place flooded by river water, as its name comes from “pa”, which means “place” and “lembang” which means “flooded by water”. It is also a place flooded with local exotic foods, ancient megalithic stone carvings, and legends. Almost everything that I need there is easy to be found. Exotic foods are easy to find in the city. It is found in every corner of the roads and buildings, like all different kinds of Pindang Ikan or boiled fish. The megalithic stone carving are found in the State Museum Balaputra Dewa where the Rumah Limas, the house imprinted in the Ten-Thousand Indonesian Rupiah Bill, can also be found.
 
As I was thanking the team from the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism, Indonesian Consulate General, Kota Kinabalu and Indonesian local travel partners, I want to quote Pak Ruben’s reply: “Thanks are due to the time that we have spent together, the time we were able to know each other and enjoy the beauty and wonders of Indonesia. We are especially grateful for the chance of establishing brotherhood and friendship among us all. We hope to see you again.”

I also want to thank Pak Andhika. I still can remember sitting with him inside the bus.  Before the trip to Palembang ended, he humbly said, “I am grateful to have our guests from Kota Kinabalu and these are one of the best places that we can offer in Indonesia.” This is what Wonderful Indonesia is all about.
 
I hope to come back again there. If you haven’t been there yet, I recommend that you go. There are direct flights from Kota Kinabalu to Jakarta. From Jakarta, you can take a one-hour flight to Palembang. There are also many tour packages that arrange your trip to Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia. Inquiries could be made through the Ministry of Tourism Indonesia and through local travel agents. Before anchoring our sail, let us read one of my poems I wrote at Arista Hotel, on 15 May 2016 at 7:48AM.

HATI DAN JIWA WARGA
 
Tidak sah datang ke Palembang
jika tidak menatap Ampera
jembatan dibina ada cerita
dari hati dan jiwa warga.
 
Amanat Penderitaan Rakyat
namanya diambil dikenang ummat
sejarah tidak harus dilepas
kerana itu hidup terbebas.
 
Bung Karno namanya dulu
dari Jepang mula dibantu
seksaan Perang Dunia Kedua
penderitaan warga diberi makna.
 
Jembatan ini tanda kesatuan
tiada siapa bisa menentang
terbina benar luahan hati
datang kemari mendapat erti.
 
Kami di sini menyusur sungai
tempat laluan di Sungai Musi
kapal berhias indah berlabuh
penduduk maju bersatu padu.

I love you, peace. Let’s sail together. Layag Sug!

Local Travel Agents:                                                  
 
Connie Chong, General Manager                                 
Fun Holiday Tours and Travel SDN. BHD                    
Lot 8, 3rd Floor, Block H, Sadong Jaya Complex,   
88200 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, East Malaysia            
Tel: +6088250092                                                                       
Fax: +6088250093 / 729301                                                    
Email: conniechongphuiyun@hotmail.com
Website: www.sabahfun.com
 
GH Mulia Travel
Jalan Veteran No. 173 A, Palembang
Tel: (62-711) 351587, 353377
Fax: (62-711) 3513382
Website: www.gamahitaindonesia.com
 
Tourism Office:
 
Jalan Demang Lebar Daun Kav. IX,
Palembang, Sumatra Selatan, Indonesia
Tel: (62-711) 356661, 311345, 357348
Fax: (62-711) 311544
Email: info@diparss.go.id
Website: www.sumsel.go.id

One afternoon on 25 April 2016, I was with my old friend Prof. Nur Danial, sitting by the beach overlooking the Zamboanga side of the Sulu Sea. It was not too cold that day. I enjoyed the sea breeze touching my face and arms while conversing with Prof. Nur about creative writing for Tausug audiences. We talked about the idea to hold a poetry-reading session on a Tausug poem called Tarasul, which means a correspondence, a handwritten piece, a speech or spoken piece containing metaphorical words and expressions that are elusive.

Without hesitation, we decided to hold it at Dennis Coffee Garden in Block 2, Lot 8, San Jose Road, Baliwasan, Zamboanga City, because we thought poetry is best experienced with cups of deliciously brewed native coffee. My friend Marj Imran was to join us in this poetry session. Marj Imran is my high school classmate and our valedictorian. She and I already discussed the idea a few days before when I handed over to her my book ‘Sulug in Sabah’ with a message in Bahasa Sug - ‘mataud kahanungan ha gulangan’, which means ‘more peace in the wilderness’ in English. Her brother, my friend Atty. Adzlan Imran was also there and shared his insights during the discussion.

Girillia Tarasul or Poetry Guerrilla was to be the title of our poetry-reading activity that night.  The invitation I posted on my Facebook wall featured Prof Nur himself as the Tausug poet who has written many poems and short stories in Bahasa Sug using his pen name Lahir Batin. During the activity, friends from different backgrounds came to join us, including the author of ‘A Taste of Culture’, Tuan Hadji Alfrazer Ahalul.

Prior to this activity, I had been visiting Dennis Coffee Garden to share thoughts with many friends. Some of them were old friends, some I just met in person after befriending them on Facebook while campaigning for ‘Right to Hijab’ a few years back. 

Dennis Coffee Garden has been in my heart since it started its operation in Zamboanga City in 2015. Its branch in Jolo, Sulu has been known to me since 1994. It is perhaps the only coffee shop in town (or perhaps in the whole of the Philippines) that allows customers to order a half-cup of coffee. There, people enjoy their coffee alongside delicious Sulu pastries called Bangbang Sug.
 
During my recent stay in Zamboanga, I’d visit Dennis Coffee Garden almost every night.  I consider the place as my own Coffee University of Thoughts. It has become so familiar to me now that even if I close my eyes I could see every tiny details of its furniture and decors, even the light green and violet colors of its facade on a black-and-white photo, which I took through my smart phone.

Dennis to Greeks means ‘god of wine’, while to the Turks it means ‘sea’ (they spell it  ‘Deniz’). These meanings coincide with the idea of crossing the legendary Sulu Sea and becoming the den of coffee and thoughts in Zamboanga City. Since expanding in Zamboanga, Dennis has slowly become not just a coffee haven in this southern side of the archipelago but also a place where Tausugs can proudly embrace their identity and where non-Tausugs can experience the warmth of Tausug culture.
 
With its furniture and interiors carefully crafted by skilled Tausug artisans, Dennis captures the pride of Sulu. Visiting the place, one could catch a glimpse of the history, culture, tradition, customs, arts, music and social world of the people of the Sulu archipelago.
 
I can easily relate to the thought of Raz Itum, a Tausug musician-lyricist who posted this line in his Facebook wall on 22 April 2016: “Time will come when everyone in my tribe will declare themselves as Tausug instead of being Filipino. The gap is fast widening.”
 
He pointed out that “The Filipino identity might soon become a point of question followed by crisis and ultimately, amnesia. Filipinos are more divided now in almost all aspects and axes of society - values, income, perspective and life goals. The resulting difference is slowly compounding towards indifference which slowly kills patriotism and soon, humanity.
 
He ended his post with the short statement of prayer, “Thank God, I still am and ever will be, Tausug.”
​
The thoughts shared by Tuan Hadji Alfrazer Ahalul while chewing his mama’  (betel-nut) reminded me of something from the past--that the Sulu archipelago once had its own self-government and statehood.  Hadji Al, as he is known to me and other friends, is the in-charge of Dennis. He shared to me how Dennis started as a coffee ambassador in the past. The venture was started by an eight-year-old girl, Ubbaisa from Patikul, who was born in 1920s. Ubbaisa spent her childhood near the village with lumbaan or pasuhan kura’, a horse racing field. As a young girl, she started picking coffee berries in their backyards.
 
As the first child, she was taught the knowledge of coffee by her mother. She came to learn how to prepare coffee after boiling, grinding and filtering them with a piece of cloth, and then serving them to both local and Japanese horse racers and coffee enthusiasts before the Second World War. Back then, she didn’t see the need to commercialize their coffee, as it had been part of their culture to drink coffee every day. It took time and a lot of effort to establish Dennis and get it to where it is now.
 
Today, Dennis Coffee Garden is not just Zamboanga’s best place to enjoy coffee but also the city’s best place to experience authentic Sulu culture and tradition. With a staff of young people from different religious background wearing light green and violet uniforms to represent diversity, Dennis continually makes me proud as a Tausug.  
 
And one thing that makes me smile is the fact that behind this amazing kahawa sug venture is a woman. True as what everyone here believes: ‘misan biyadiin kusug sin usug, aun pikilan sin babai’. No matter how powerful a man is, there’s always a woman’s thought behind him.  
 
To Grandmother Ubbaisa who started it all, to my mother, and to all mothers out there on this special day, may you continue to be strong for your families and those you love. And may you continue to succeed in whatever venture you’re doing right now. Happy Mothers’ Day!
 
I love you, peace! Let’s sail together. Layag Sug!