Friday, January 4, 2008

Cape Town; The vacation that you wish to never end.

That title is valid when you do have a lot of money to afford all of Cape Town can offer to you. Some said ‘Money can’t buy happiness’ but it surely can bring joy in Cape Town. At the colonial era this harbor town is used to be a storehouse or stop by of the Dutch East India Company before goes to Far East (Indonesia). They controlled all of their East colonials’ area from Batavia, and in 1652 the company established the first European settlement in South Africa on the Cape of Good Hope. Brilliant, they pick a very astonishing spot. This town is on the middle of surrounding mountain and seashore, just like a bowl. Perfect terrain for defensive combating, superb region for viewing, relaxing and enjoying yourself.


The first day I get here, one of my colleague on the Indonesian consulate very nicely pick me up from the airport and take me to the Table Mountain, but before that I surely had to say hello to the Consulate, so they take me to Indonesian Residence. And to go to Table Mountain you have to be really lucky if you just got only few days in Cape Town, because this one of the must seen tourist destinations is not always open to visit. When the weather is not fine, then they will shut the road to the peak. I’m lucky, and I have my chance to experience the marvelous view of the town from the Mountain, and take a ride with Cableway (similar like ‘Kereta Gantung’ in Jakarta, but bigger and it rotate) to the top of that rocky mountain. Before went the lodge to get rest, I have a chance to go to one of the mall in town that near the shore, Waterfront.

The next day, by using the service of local driver (and he used Global Positioning System –Man, that’s cool) first stop of the day was Boulders Beach. Here, I can see African Penguin, so cute and they doesn’t afraid of us, even they seems to enjoying also to be able to see human crowd.


(picture: at the center back
male penguin : Hey honey, look at the man with red shirt, is he handsome?
female penguin : Hmm..i prefer the 25th years old with blue stripes shirt!
male penguin : What?! How do you know he is 25th?
female penguin : Ups..ok hun…let me give you my kiss!!
both penguins : Cup….)


Next Stop was the Cape Point, The Cape of Good Hope, if you want to walk to the peak tower it’s about 1,5 hours return. But I take the train to the top, its only 35 rand (US$ 6), at the peak I can see exactly where the two Oceans meet, Atlantic Ocean on my right and the Indian Ocean on my left. They said, if you have hopes, and you wish it here, then all will be come true. But my girl said, “no hun its musyrik”. She was right, this whole universe is belong to the Almighty, wherever and whenever you wish, whatever it is if God approved of then all will come true. At this peak, there was also a direction sign, how far is New York, New Delhi, Berlin, and other big town in the world. Stunning view, I just look at as far as I can, no boundaries, no limits, Thank You God for giving me the chance of living.


Next was Houd Bay. But just before reaching it, on the Chapman’s Peak Road, there was some baboons. Don’t feed them, otherwise they will encircle your car. At one part of Houd Bay you will find series of cannon, pointing directly to the sea, those were old cannon for town defenses. Not far from there, a restaurant appeared, it’s called ‘Fish on The Rock’, I order a shrimp, calamari, fish and chips, complete (you’ll never find this much and tasty food in Harare).


Next day was a historical journey, the main destination is ‘Kampung Makasar’, but before went there because that day was sunday, flea market were open, and its called Green Point. To make the contrast of it after flea market, they take me to Van Gate Mall. This mall is unique because most of the visitor was Moslem, and the population of Moslem in Cape Town is quite a lot. And maybe this was because Syeikh Yusuf, one of the National Hero of South Africa (I barely just found out either). He went to Cape Town in 1694 because the Dutch isolation along with 49 of his family and followers. Here he spread out and teach Islam, he build the Maccasar, and become the symbol of struggle to against apartheid. I happened to have an opportunity to pray at the Mosque that build by Indonesian Government closed to Syeikh Yusuf tomb. After that historical attached place, next tourist spot was Spier. A garden where you can see Cheetah (and you can also take picture with that predators), Eagle and small lake to hang around. Oom Sami was next stop before went to the biggest shopping mall in Town, Canal Walk. Oom Sami was a souvenir shop with oldies decoration, but the prices there was too expensive for me. Near Canal Walk, there you will also seen Ratangga, some kind of Disneyland or Fantasi World, and indeed this mall was so huge, but nothing exceptional when you came from ‘mall town’ like Jakarta.


To be continued….

Thursday, January 3, 2008

The Unbelievable (Inflation) Zimbabwe


Zimbabwe since 2007 experience a massive pressure on their economic field. Imagine how can the statistic told that the inflation is up about tens thousand percent per month. I can describe it this way, if on Monday you bought a bowl of Pangsit Noodle worth Rp. 3.000, and forgot to pay, tomorrow it will cost you Rp. 3.500, the day after tomorrow it will become Rp. 4.500, don’t wait until the end of the month, cause the “Abang Pangsit” will charge you ten times more expensive!!!


Zimbabwe currency is Zim Dollar, officially the government set the rate of ZIM$ 30.000 per US$ 1. But do you know how much is one loaf of bread cost in maket, it’s ZIM$ 1.000.000, which means that not so yummy bread is equivalent with US$ 33,3, if you times with Rp. 9.450 per US$ you will find that just for a loaf of bread you have to pay Rp. 314.685! Shocking! Before I left Indonesia on the last week of October, I noticed that one loaf of sweet bread only cost Rp. 6.000, I will have 52 loaf with that kind of exchange rate. But no worries, in the black market, US$ 1 is worth ZIM$ 1.000.000 (this is on the 1st month I’m in Harare, nowadays it has increase to 1,9 million ZIM$). One Problem solved! Never think that way, when you are in Zimbabwe (or even Africa). Yes, you do had the money, but you wont get what you need. The supermarket –and for your information there is no small shop (warung or asongan) in harare– is empty! How come??? Let me tell you…


Once upon a time in Zimbabwe, when the prices was going mad, the government going wild. They applied a cruel policy (for the sellers), that is price cut on June. They enter the shop, see the price label, call the manager and simply just said “cut this price into half of it” (i think if you are selling whit Chinese method, you will still be ok), and then the official wandering, “hmm..if I just cut this item for half its price then I don’t have enough money to buy another things that I want” so they will say “ok, if you don’t want to get jail, make the price of this item…..(they just say what they wanted to be…)” Shocking is it?

There was also a story about an Indian car dealer. Someday a bunch of government officials come to his showroom, you supposed to be think that the car dealer is happy because lot of costumer come. At the beginning maybe he was happy when the officials ask how much the car worth. Presume this way, one Avanza is worth US$ 10.000 (Avanza do exist in Zimbabwe), this dealer have 10 Avanza left to sell, and the officials said they will buy all of it. What a happy day, but suddenly when the officials start saying “ok…US$ 100.000 times 30.000 equal three billion ZIM$” WHAT! Counted your self. (hmm..lazy reader, ok I will count it for you that’s means the poor car seller only receive US$ 3.000, not enough if he just wants to buy 1 Avanza for himself back home in Bombay)

No one here is dare to against the Government, the President Robert Gabriel Mugabe, the ruling party ZANU-PF, and of course the army. At the time of independence struggle, they all fight for minority rule of white people’s, they demand black’s majority rule. They do rule now, but without (as long as my understanding) rule of law. I don’t know how this peoples can last this kind of condition, some one or in fact everyone must wake-up. As Harper Lee (the author of to kill a Mockingbird) once said the one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience.

That’s the negative side, but in every story you will find two sides that contrasting. For instance is my need (even basic need) to be in touch with my family (my lovely Marisha). The first two week was horrible because Telecommunication Corporation in Zimbabwe doesn’t make SIM card no more. So you can only find that SIM card on the Black Market, and it cost US$ 60. Crab! In Jakarta with that amount of money I will get 60 SIM Card! But anyway, finally I get this lousy SIM Card, and I don’t care how much it cost as long as I can hear my mom, dad, sisters and my girlfriend voice. Every night I called, at first it just for 30 minutes or an hour, but when I received the bill for this first month…. Hey, why do I hold back! After that I called every time I wanted, one hour, two hours, even all night long, that’s fine to me. (do you anxious why…or how much that bill showed?? One time I ask my girl to guest, how much my bill? She said “ok, hun, from now on you don’t have to called me, just email me”, I ask again, “just guest how much?” “a thousand dollar, ok I will pay half of it”, that’s why she is my dream girl, so sweet and caring. Well it only US$ 60, that is a lot amount of money when you consider it with Jakarta’s standard, but my wages that I earned as junior diplomat is more than enough for that.)
Though. That’s a perfect word to describe how life in Zimbabwe is right now. Food scarce, power cuts, fuel shortages, long queuing for cash, bread, milk, HIV/AIDS problem, brain drain, you mentioned it. So don’t say that you have a though life when you don’t experienced any of this. Just don’t. Sometimes when you get too comfee (comfortable), you’ll find yourself a bit of spoiled, as I do. Moreover if you are in the perfect surrounding that nothing seems goes wrong. I don’t want to believe what Simone de Beauvoir said about “What is an adult? A child blown up by age.” Child do not know responsibility, and as far as I consider my self an adult, I will take responsibility. I’ll help my self to help others. Like the Secretary of the Embassy of Indonesia in Harare, Zimbabwe often said.. "How can i help you sir/mam?"

Two cute little Sisters...

Ega Dwi Maresthy
(29 Maret 1987)

&

Prilly Priscillia Harventhy
(15 April 1995)


Imagine how happy i am with them around....

Putri Marisha Faruk




Direct and Honest



The first time I see her it was nearly nothing came to mind that I dare to even think will she be mine. So lovely, cheerful, no one will ever get bored around her. In fact I never get to introduce my self to her properly. In this phase I let destiny do their things, and it happened. Moment by moment, incident by incident, coincident that match, until all becomes smile by smile.

30 April 2007

Never thought she would return my feelings, but never doubt my feelings will bring sorrow to me. This day we both promise to care each other, take a good care of each other. And this care blossom, even though it had to through tears and pain eventually the results is always happiness.

Family...

I remember.....

when all the things was going wrong....

i always come to them, share with them,

and finally find comfort on them.

Institution that derive from God,

sacred and strong, abundant of lesson

and full of happiness

May our family always be our place to come home.

Mother's Day Poem

Tak kusangka waktu begitu cepat berlalu
Dulu ia mengizinkanku berlari kesana-kemari tanpa henti
Kini aku berlari dengan tujuan yang pasti

Dulu ketika lelah berlari aku akan berbaring dalam peluknya
Kini kepastian justru membuatku jauh darinya

Dulu ia mebuatku malu karena tak pernah ingin jauh dariku
Kini aku rindu sekedar ingin menggenggam tangannya

Aku rindu ibuku
Sosok lembut dengan kehangatan yang menentramkan

Teringat saat angin berhembus keras menghantam pilar-pilar istana kami
Senyumnya meyakinkan kami bahwa angin akan berlalu dan istana kami tetap berdiri

Teringat saat berbagai bunga tumbuh mekar berwarna-warni di halaman
Senyumnya menyadarkan kami untuk tidak terlarut dalam semusim

Dia yang tertawa terakhir
Dia yang menangis terakhir

Ya…aku rindu ibuku
Ketika senyumnya tak lagi dapat kunikmati
Ketika suaranya tak lagi dapat kudengar
Ketika aromanya tak lagi dapat kucium

Ketika keningku berkerut tanpa kecupannya
Ketika rambutku pun kusut tanpa belaiannya
Dan Ketika tubuhku lunglai tanpa pelukannya

Tak kusangka waktu begitu cepat berlalu
Dulu ia menjagaku sejak kuterbangun hingga kuterlelap
Kini aku tak akan terlelap sebelum ibu tersenyum dalam istirahatnya

Dulu hingga kapapan pun kasih sayang ibu tak kan pernah memudar
Kini hingga kapan pun aku tak kan membiarkannya memudar

Aku rindu Ibuku


dody harendro