Layag Sug
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Busong: Poetry on reel

8/11/2016

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When I came to the Kota Kinabalu International Film Festival last July 13, 2016, my only intention was to watch Heart of Gaya Street, a local documentary about life in Gaya Street. But, at the hallway outside the cinema, I met Ms. Jude Day, one of the festival's organizers. She introduced me to a guy from Palawan, who turned out, amazingly, to be the director of one of the films being screened during the festival,  “Busong - Palawan Fate”.
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Some of the films screened during the KK International film festival last July 13, 2016

What immediately caught my interest was the word “Busong”. It has a special place and meaning in my culture. In Orang Suluk or Tau Sug,  it means retribution, a curse, or divine punishment for people’s disrespect of their tradition, culture, and ancient belief.

In the Malay world, the word refers to an edema believed to be caused by a curse from someone’s ancestors. It is often associated with black magic.  To cure someone with “busung”, a shaman has to be called to recite some chants or administer treatment.
Curious now, I decided to check the film out. The film wouldn’t start until 8:00 pm. I was early.

I found my seat at the middle of the cinema. I forgot what number it was. Inside, the air conditioner was blowing cold air like the Arctic. I was shivering, but I decided not to mind the cold. It was my fault anyway for not bringing a sweater or jacket.

When the film was about to roll, they dimmed all the lights inside the cinema. The big screen in front of me started to come alive. As if on cue, everyone immediately became quiet. I couldn’t hear a single sound from anyone’s lips.  In my tiny space I relaxed quietly, my eyes focused on the screen. I didn’t want to miss any single bit.  

Busong tells the story of a girl named Punay (played by Filipina actress Alessandra de Rossi) who was born with mysterious wounds all over her body and whose feet had wounds so raw they keep her from walking. Her brother, Angkarang, carries her around, and together they roam the island in search for a cure. Along the way, they meet three people. Each of them also had their own sad stories to tell.

Busong’s storytelling is slow-paced, almost lyrical you’d feel like watching a poem unraveling itself on reel. And in the backdrop you’ll find Palawan. So mysterious, so unbelievably beautiful it makes you wonder if such a place really exists.

Busong’s director is an internationally acclaimed, multi-awarded filmmaker from Palawan. I was only introduced to him less than an hour before. But he didn’t seem to be a stranger to me at all. He told me that in Palawan, his tribal name means the ‘hunter of truth’. I also found out when I researched online later that it means ‘hit it with a powerful pierce’ in Malay, Indian and Tagalog.
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Me and the director at the lobby before the screening

In a way, the film is like the director’s name, capturing your interest at first and then hitting you next with the powerful truth.
​

I didn’t know until I was told that he was actually Aureus Solito, the director of the multi-awarded film Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros. That film was one of the wittiest, most astounding I’ve seen in 2005.

Busong is similarly astounding, but in a different way. In Busong, you’ll smile, get angry, and maybe cry at the same time.

Busong is not just the story of Punay and the people she and her brother meet while looking for a cure. It is also about Palawan, a land that is now in danger of dying because of people’s abuses. Busong is a silent protest over massive destruction of the environment, of people’s ancestral lands, and of native culture in Palawan, which, according to Punay, is a mountain that, like her, is bleeding and in pain. Thus the film is a warning to natives that if they don’t resist cultural invasion, they will be cursed by their ancestors accordingly.

Palawan’s predicament is not unique, as it happens to most places touched by colonialists. Once colonialists come in, they don’t just rob people of lands; they also strip and crush native culture, replacing it with their own.
​

The beauty of the film is not only in the big things, but also in the tiny details, such as that line from a man who says his pain has become too big it has grown enormous like the sun. The touching way in which he delivered this explains the gravity of his emotions. Even a person who isn’t familiar with the plight of natives in Palawan will understand.

I wasn’t very surprised that the cinema was almost filled during the screening. Everyone seemed to have connected with the place and the characters. Perhaps most everyone understood that Palawanons are interconnected with Sabahans in many ways--by culture, by ancient beliefs, by a shared sea and ancestors.

Watching the film, I felt myself immerse inside Punay’s and her brother’s world.  Everything I saw reminded me to always keep myself intact and deeply connected to my origin and identity.
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The director and Ms. Jude Day, one of the event's organizers
In the end, I saw the hand of the director throughout the film. After all, he may have just told his own story too as it seems to have blossomed from his  backyard. His film reminds us about the value of authenticity in being. This last part seems to be exemplified by his own tribal name, Kanakan Balintagos.

I love you, peace. Let’s sail together. Layag Sug!
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Can't be solo in Solo

8/11/2016

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Note: This is Part 2 of my post regarding our travel to Jogjakarta and Solo as part of the Familiarization Trip sponsored by the Indonesian Tourism Ministry. You can read Part 1 here.
It’s 31st July, 2016. On this day, I can’t be solo in visiting Solo. I need to have someone with me to help me understand the different narratives and epics of the Solo kingdoms, the Sultanate, and the Sunanate. I can’t properly take notes of interesting rules in the past while visiting the Mangku Negaran (Sultan’s Palace), like those that have to be followed when the wife or husband is away from their homes. ​​
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Mangku Negaran from the outside
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​
I can’t enjoy all these delicious food alone--the Tumis Wara Wiris, the healthy stir-fry dish, Djangan Ndeso, the native veggies and Carang Gesing or traditional banana sweets.
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Yummy food
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More yummy food


​I was told that in the old days here, one way for the Sultan to restrain himself and avoid committing sins when away from his wife is by sheathing his phallus. Likewise when the wife is away, she’d put a covering plate on her fanny too. Those sheaths and covering plates were not ordinary. They were made of heavy gold with different designs and shapes.    
1st August 2016. Earlier, the organizers told us we were going to Mount Merapi. I thought there was going to be heavy rain as the organizers gave each of us raincoats. I didn’t actually mind the rain. How heavy it would be, I had no idea. In my mind I was only thinking about the mountain and the villages we’d pass by going there. 
​
I quickly tied my head with my kandit siyabit, a Suluk weaved shawl, before going inside our jeep. I also took jamu, a herbal tonic very popular in Indonesia.  There are different kinds of Jamu. I chose the one for muscle pain and drank it with sugar syrup because it was too bitter for my taste. 

From the city, it took us about an hour to reach the villages at the foot of the mountain. Along the way, we passed by the Alien Stone (a rock that looks like an alien) and took some photos for souvenir. 
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Alien Stone (Locals say this stone behind me may have come from the sky)

​We then tried the siomai sold by locals before heading to the Sisa Hartaku, a mini-museum that reminded us of the mountain’s last eruption in 2010. 
​
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Sisa Hartaku Mini Museum

​The museum is actually an old house with a collection of belongings from people who used to live near the area. I felt sad imagining how it must have been during the deadly eruption. How people must have ran to save their families. How they must have rushed to save the last of their  animals and belongings. At the museum, I saw among the display some houseware, utensils, skeletons of cows, even a molten clock which showed the dials frozen to that day of the eruption, a reminder that from then on, time in this village would be divided into two: before and after.
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Found an old bike and some animal bones in front of the Sisa Hartaku


​Going back to the city, we passed by the Merapi River. We had to cover ourselves so we won’t get wet as the jeep was crossing the river too fast. Now I know what the raincoats were intended for.
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2nd August 2016. Dawn had come. It was time to go the airport. It was hard to go, but I told myself this is not the last chance for me to be here.

​As we waited for our flight to Jakarta, my phone buzzed.  I grabbed it and typed some words. They were not goodbyes, because I don’t recognize goodbyes. I just wanted to save my words of happiness and thanks to the people who were instrumental in bringing us near their hearts during this Indonesia Familiarization Trip. I continued sipping black coffee in a small, white cup. Brother Lano Lan and brother Ruzaini aka Ahmad Dhani II were sitting near me beside a square, white table while looking at the runway where different planes passing by every minute.


I said in Malay, “God willing, we will meet again. There are many stories that we need to share together.” The reply in Malay came very fast. “Definitely, definitely, Brother. History is the past. Let’s do a new story.” And I said, “A new story is coming, Pak”. I was no longer expecting a reply from Pak Ruben as I knew he needed sleep, having flown directly to Jogjakarta after catching up with his work in Batam Island.  He has not had sleep since he arrived. But he promised to be with our group for this trip.
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No goodbye
As I enjoyed my last few minutes here with friends from the Indonesian Tourism Ministry, Pak Ruben, Mas Bondan, and the team of event organizers, Mbak Vian, Mas Eka, Pak Wisnu, and Mas Fitri, the team from Indonesia Consulate General, Kota Kinabalu, Pak Widodo, Ibu Wulan and Pak Daru, I realized that another page filled with historical moments had been carved on pages of my tiny notebook. I need to cuddle these memories and inscribe them in my bosom for future journeys ahead.  

Before the flight took off, I thought of writing a poem. And I did. Please help me by reading gently, word by word, while I sleep quietly before arriving at Kuala Lumpur.  I wrote. I am now asleep. Stop listening. Don’t move. And take hold. Here’s the poem:


I don't recognize the phrase "goodbye".
I really don’t.
Upon departing from the place I go,
I avoid “goodbye”
Saying such word is the saddest thing to do.
This wide ground is but a symbol.
A signal that I will be here again.
Again and again, I will come.
I will return.
The historical and cultural visits are waiting.
​
I love you, peace. Let's sail together. Layag Sug!


For travel and tour inquiry please contact the numbers and address below:

FAUZIAH JELSON
Tedar Tours and Travel Sdn. Bhd
Managing Director
Mobile: +60168322339
 
Lot, No. 7, 1st Floor, Block C, Metro Town
88300 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Tel:  +6088389337
Fax:  +6088432830
Email: tedar_tours@yahoo.com
 
SALLMA ABDULLAH
Al Furqan Travel and Tours Sdn. Bhd
Branch Manager
Mobile: +60193671919
Email: sallma@alfurqangroup.com
 
Lot 1-32A, 1st Floor, Star City North Complex, Jalan Asia City
88000 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Tel:  +6088268730
Fax:  +6088269730
Email: info.bki@alfurqangroup.com
 
PT. EDEN GEMILANG
Komplek Agave Raya,
Blok A1 LT. IV No.40 Kedoya Selatan,
Kebon Jeruk, Jakarta Barat 11520
Tel: +6221 5800815 / +6221 5807590
Fax: +6221 5828969
Mobile:  +62811999931(Serena)
Email: edengemilang@yahoo.com
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Jogjakarta: A prosperous city of knowledge

8/7/2016

1 Comment

 
"Jogjakarta” always sounds like a song of romance to me. Its rhythm evokes a feeling of warmth and acceptance. Like an unfinished poem, it beckons one to come in and fill missing lines. Some things here beg for experience.

I’ve been here once, in 2012. During that time, the places we went to were the most common ones, like Borobudur and Prambanan Temples and Malioboro Street. We also went to the Zero Kilometer Point of the city, which is near the Malioboro Street.  I didn’t stay at five-star hotels, but I remember all my accommodations felt like palaces meant for kings. 

Today is my second time to step on this ground. It’s 29th July, 2016. The sun shines over a bustling and busy city. I see many changes have occurred since last I was here. Now, I see taller buildings standing high. The streets are more crowded with faces of varying colors and degrees of beauty.  
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a view of the city from my hotel room
​
​The city seems to be teeming now with more modern and taller buildings, but what I am excited about is meeting people here again. I couldn’t forget the warmth and cheerfulness of everyone I met from my last visit.


My hopes and dreams have been answered. I’m back again as I’ve always wanted. ​
​

​It is not hard to make friends here. Everyone seems kind, respectful, and helpful. Not to mention learned. Jogjakarta is known as the ‘Students’ City’ or ‘Cultural City’. It may not be incorrect too if I call it the ‘Knowledge City’ or Kota Ilmu. Everyone seems to be fully aware of their own history and their ancestors’ contributions to Indonesia’s nationhood.
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very friendly local

​

​Some history and politics

On August 1 while visiting the Kraton Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat, a palace complex which also serves as a museum and cultural center, we learned more about the region’s politics and history.  ​
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entrance to the Sultan Palace

​Jogjakarta is a special region in Indonesia. It has His Highness the Sultan sitting as the city governor. This political organization is similar to those of sultanates in Malaysia where Sultans still rule their own states as heads of state, although in Malaysia they don’t function as heads of government.       


With the Sultan as its head of state, Jogjakarta is the only region in Indonesia that is still governed by a pre-colonial monarchy. This same monarchy has existed for hundreds of years and survived through Dutch and Japanese invasion.
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at the Sultan Palace

​Jogjakarta is just like other sultanates in the ‘Malay World’ like the Patani, Sulu and Maguindanao. But unlike the three, it didn’t bite the political hooks of colonialists. Maguindanao and Sulu continue to exist until now, but only as faint shadows of their glorious pasts.

​
Note to self: When I go home, it will be a good point for me to study how the city held up against the colonial Dutch until Indonesia’s de facto independence in 17th August 1945, exactly seventy-one years ago on Malaysia’s Independence month--the same month of my birth and my visit.
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me at the Sultan Palace


​Art and culture

Batik

Batik is the art of decorating cloth and creating beautiful, intricate patterns using wax and dye. If you go around Jogjakarta, you will find lots of stores selling beautiful batik fabric, dresses, bags, and others.

​​People here must be very proud of their batik designs. They all look very beautiful. I’ve seen lots of Batik in other places as well, but here they’re bolder and more colorful.

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Batik of Jogjakarta
I was told that the word “batik” comes from the phrase ‘amba setitik demi setitik,  which means “to write drop by drop”. In Indonesia, there are batik designs that are meant exclusively for members of the royalty, while there are those reserved for common people.

Millions of batik designs are exhibited in the Batik Danar Hadi and Batik Omah Laweyan at Solo or Surakarta. In Jogjakarta, you can see them everywhere including the Ullen Sentalu Museum, a culture and art museum located on top of a hill, and about thirty minutes from the city.
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woman selling Batik clothing
Today we went to the museum, passing by native villages and green canopies along the way. It was a refreshing sight.  When we arrived, I jumped off the bus immediately, only to be greeted by a gush of air chillier than that inside our air-conditioned bus.
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entrance of the Ullen Sentalu Museum

​A bunch of local women selling the Salak Madu or the honeyed snake fruit approached us. Salak Madu looks scaly like a snake on the outside, but the inside is very sweet, maybe sweeter than honey. It’s everyone’s favorite fruit in Jogjakarta. Everywhere in the city or even in the countryside you can find people selling or eating Salak Madu. People also sell them along the art streets near the gate to the Buddhist Borobudur Temple, one of the World Heritage Sites in Indonesia together with the Hindu Prambanan Temple.
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local women selling Salak Madu
Inside the museum, there are paintings, old photographs, poetry pieces, letters, and narratives written in Javanese and Malay language and translated into English and Dutch. I saw a lot of representations of old Javanese culture. But what amazed me the most is the striking similarity between Javanese culture and Suluk culture. For instance, they have this xylophone-like instrument called “gambang”, which is exactly the same as the Suluk “gabbang”, only bigger. Early Javanese use writing scripts called the Aksara Jawa, which are similar to Suluk scripts called Luntarsug. And they have these chants called uyon-uyon/klenengan  (which I overheard being played in the background), which sound almost the same as the Suluk chant called “lugu”.
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A "gambang" like this is displayed at the Ullen Sentalu Museum, looking strikingly similar to the Suluk "gabbang", only bigger

​Nevertheless, I had my time touring around Prambanan Temple in 2012, wondering how it was greatly designed, how it comes in precise measurements. How it was built with such advanced level of engineering that even until now, scientists and archaeologists are still baffled by it. 

Sugeng Rawuh
​

Sugeng Rawuh was the phrase that welcomed us upon our arrival at Jogjakarta’s city airport. It means ‘welcome’ in Javanese and ‘selamat datang’ in Malay, or in English, ‘You’ve safely arrived’.

At the museum earlier, we found one of the letters of the Sultan addressed to the people. A word struck me there. ‘Dumateng’. While reading the letter, Pak Wido told me what it means in Malay--to or toward. The root word of ‘dumateng’ must have come from the word ‘datang’ which means ‘arrive’ and ‘reach’. It is also similar to the Suluk word ‘dumatung’, which also means ‘to arrive or to reach’.


It’s not surprising to me that the city of Jogjakarta is an integral center of the ‘Wonderful Indonesia’ program. It is the perfect representation of an authentic Malay world. Thus we’re fortunate that despite the difficulty of having to wake up early and jump from one airport terminal to another (a total of five all in all including Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Jogjakarta), we still arrived here.
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stupas at Borobudur
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Ramayana epic play
We walked around a friendly city, witnessed a play of the Ramayana Epic. We learned about Jogjakarta or Yogyakarta originating from Ayodha, the ‘proper, fit, suitable’ city from Ramayana Epic and karta which means prosperous and flourishing’. Jogjakarta is indeed ‘a city that is fit to prosper’.

In a way, I see some connection between Ayodha and the word ‘ayura’, which in Bahasa Suluk means ‘to take care’. In Spanish, there's a word called ‘ayuda’ which means ‘help’. Thus, Jogjakarta flourished when the leaders and people help one another in taking care of the city.

There's many more to
talk about. But I can’t just simply capture Jogjakarta in one poem or article. It’s not enough for me to capture all the beauty and wisdom I’ve learned here. I can only thank the good people who invited me to this Familiarization Trip and for letting me truly experience Wonderful Indonesia.

In my next article, I write about Solo, Mount Merapi and the Sisa Hartaku Museum. But before you read that, let me first thank the Indonesian Tourism Ministry, Pak Ruben, Mas Bondan, and the team of event organizers, Mbak Vian, Mas Eka, Pak Wisnu, and Mas Fitri, the team from Indonesia Consulate General, Kota Kinabalu, Pak Wido, Ibu Wulan and Pak Daru. Without them, this whole experience would not have been immensely  enjoyable.
​

I love you, peace. Let's sail together. Layag Sug!
Picture
me, my friends and organizers of this Familiarization Trip

​For travel and tour please contact the numbers and addresses:

FAUZIAH JELSON
Tedar Tours and Travel Sdn. Bhd
Managing Director
Mobile: +60168322339
 
Lot, No. 7, 1st Floor, Block C, Metro Town
88300 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Tel:  +6088389337
Fax:  +6088432830
Email: tedar_tours@yahoo.com
 
SALLMA ABDULLAH
Al Furqan Travel and Tours Sdn. Bhd
Branch Manager
Mobile: +60193671919
Email: sallma@alfurqangroup.com
 
Lot 1-32A, 1st Floor, Star City North Complex, Jalan Asia City
88000 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Tel:  +6088268730
Fax:  +6088269730
Email: info.bki@alfurqangroup.com
 
PT. EDEN GEMILANG
Komplek Agave Raya,
Blok A1 LT. IV No.40 Kedoya Selatan,
Kebon Jeruk, Jakarta Barat 11520
Tel: +6221 5800815 / +6221 5807590
Fax: +6221 5828969
Mobile:  +62811999931(Serena)
Email: edengemilang@yahoo.com
1 Comment
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    About

    Nelson Dino. Tau Sug inside and out. Former university lecturer. Peace fighter. Loves writing, taking photos, researching things.

    To get in touch, email nelson.s.dino@gmail.com.


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