I love batiks, I love Indonesia! (yuuuk...)

Some of people thinks batik is old fashioned dress and it is figure out like mommy and daddy's dress. I dont know it is thought of most of people or not. I am just assuming. Hope my opinion are wrong. Any reason why I am thinking like that? This morning some of my friends asked me to go shopping on Saturday on famous mall in my city but I refused as I had appointment with another friend to visit batik exihibition. Did you know what my friend comment? "Hey, you are so heroic!!So Indonesia. Love that kind of batik. You like my mommy! Or you plan to do trading? " OMG! oh my God! Why she said like that? She doesnt like batik? She doesnt like Indonesian culture? Wondering why? She is Indonesian, how come? Or maybe she likes staying in the city of Indonesia but no need to love Indonesian culture. I dont mean to be rasis. Oops! I don’t want to judge them. People have their own style and appetite. But at that moment when they say that I feel hurt so much and suddenly hate their word and hate them. Hyperbolic! Please forgive me to have such a feeling.

BAtik is our culture. Lets keep and take care. Don’t let our culture lost and grab by another country, like Malaysia, you know…Eventhough batik is come from Java but it is now become a national outfit for Indonesian people, not only in big events or party but also as uniform in school and stated owned company. And lately, it is used as outfit for informal session, hang out (hmm… Thanks God for the pride of Indonesians to wear batik till the present day has preserve this art of textile ) and the accessories like table cloth, bedsheet, pillow cover, coaster for glasses and plates, and so on.

Eventhough I seldom buy batik outfit due the price is quite expensive especially for hand made writing batik ( another way to make batik is print it out, more cheaper as batik maker make in big quantity of fabric) but I am proud of it. Likes batik doesn’t always mean we have a lot collection of that, at least we admit, know, and care of it. Right??

Brief story about batik (Javanese language means writing) is given to you, just to memorize you again, especially everybody who has not been familiar with batik, especially Javanese batik like Solo, Yogya and Pekalongan batiks.

Discover Indonesia on their web said that although the process of decorating cloth through the process of batik is found in several regions in Africa or India and even in some South East Asian countries, the batik of Indonesia is unique and unequaled. Indonesian Batik is made in several regions, but the center of the art is Central Java, in cities like Yogyakarta, Solo, Cirebon, Pekalongan and Indramayu, west Java.

The beauty of Batik is a tribute to the patience, creativity of the woman of Java, the main island of Indonesia. Credit should be also given to men who prepare the cloth and handle the dyeing and finishing process. Batik is generally thought of as the most quintessentially Indonesian textile. Motifs of flowers, twinning plants, leaves buds, flowers, birds, butterflies, fish, insects and geometric forms are rich in symbolic association and variety; there are about three thousand recorded batik patterns.

Yogyakarta is the capital city of the most powerful and respected Kingdom of Java, is also at the heart of the Batik art. All the old Traditions and customs are observed and still find many symbols that are related to Hindu-Javanese culture. The combination of motifs in Yogya batik is unique, and there is a tendency to combine a number of large geometric motifs and mostly in dark brown color.

Solo, as one of capital city of powerful and respected Kingdom of Java, besides Yogyakarta, also has design are related to the Hindu-Javanese culture: the Sawat symbol of the crown or highest power, the Meru (mountain) symbol of mountain or earth, the Naga (dragon) symbol of the water, the Burung (bird) symbol of the wind or upper world and the Lidah Api (Fire tongue) symbol of the fire. In Solo there were special rules about wearing of batik. 1) the social position of the wearer, 2) the occasion on which the batik was worn or used. This was in connection with the meaning and hope or wish symbolized by the motif. (http://discover-indo.tierranet.com/batikpag9.htm

Different with Pekalongan, a small city and regency on the northern coast of Central Java. It lies arround 100 kilometres west-ward from Semarang, Central Java's Capital, most of these batiks were sarongs, perhaps because Dutch settlers found them easier to to wear. In this group of batiks we find the buketan motifs, depicting flowers and fruits that grew in Holland, like chrysanthemums and grapes, and flowers arrangements in European style. Next influenced is by Moslem (like scattered flower on hexagonal background..) and Chinese (for hong bird, dragon motifs, red color..).

So, can it change your mind a bit?

Short Jaunt to Malang Tempoe Doeloe...

1st day: 21 May
Used public trasportation, express bus (bis patas) from Surabaya, Bungurasih to Arjosari, Malang. Paid Rp 15.000/person. Bus run freely. No traffic jam. Good. Arrived 1.5 hour later, took small car (angkot) AMG line and stopped at Citanduwi street. Met old friends, little chit chatting, laughing, eating traditional tempe penyet while waiting for rain stopped. Malang was not cold at that time. Maybe it was because of rain dropped lately.

Mainly purpose was Festival of old Malang in Ijen street (Malang Tempo Doeloe). Ijen steet was famous street, big street, old street. Most old and big house were stayed here. Since we went on Opening day at afternoon around 3 pm, we could not enjoy it at all. So many people came and walked around that street. My thought about this event is not very fascinating. Just said not bad. Maybe it because a lot of session we could not see in short time.

Various stage, store, exhibition and workshop could be seen there. But some were not available everyday. There were schedule for that.

On food zone we could find some food seller with old tradisional food, like gulali (sweet candy on stick), tiwul (from cassava), dodol, the rest are traditional food like nasi pecel, fried chicken, etc.

For entertainment we could see stage for wayang (puppets), ludruk (east java traditional drama with dance and some poets), Malangan topeng (local dancer mask), song exhibitions like keroncong (Portuguese influenced) gambus, keroncong, qasidah, sholawat (Moslem influenced).

Stage of rice field, complete with cow and their wagon. Duplication of the village rice fields and gardens and traditional farming tools, traditional irrigation system of rice field, the traditional fishery tools,forests and sugar cane plantations, traditional red sugar factory is also available. It is good idea. Some visitor took a picture in front of it, pretending they were on old and village atmosphere.

On zone of the Malang’s industrial Villages in 1950 we could learn about making of Brown Sugar using Cow’s Power, making of traditional ‘semprit’ cake using ‘press’ machine in 1950’s, household from Clay, irons tools and weapon, Batik, mats from ‘mendong’, and tools from bamboo, manual timber lathing, the washing and cleaning of ancient instruments.

Another parts was seller of old books, old calculator, old long gun, old photos, old playing tool for children, workshop of drawing Javanese Islamic Calligraphy and traditional games (dakon, semprengan, layangan, umbulan, engklek, srigendem, tekongan, uyek-uyek rante, jumpritan, krupukan, otong-otong bolong, kaki klek-klek, jamuran) , carved wood , japin dance, also petan (finding small insect in hair of human) & rasan-rasan (gossip )tradition. Pyuuhh..do not know it was about what! Just seeing all in schedule.

Tired of walking, we went to bakso bakar (barbeque meat ball) to fill up our stomach and took some rest. Then went on buying some gulali and little cup of Oen (named of old store of ice cream, famous in Dutch era) ice cream. After that we walked again through a thousand people on that area. We felt uncomfortable anymore, so we decided to move out very quickly.

Our journey that night was ended by eating (again? Eating?yup! as some energy was used up on walking and walking) ronde (traditional hot drink mixed by ginger and some accessories like peanut, jelly, flour) and bought famous noodle called “mie gang jangkrik”. Halal! Permitted, no pig flavour. Delicious!

2nd Day: 22 May
Woke up lazily, breathed fresh air for a while, prepared ourselves to go home. No breakfast was available then chips crackers became our breakfast. Ha,ha,ha…Walked on foot for about 10 minutes to Sanan handycraft center. We wanted to buy some gift for our lovely family and friends. Not much but enough for making them happy. So sweet!! We bought kripik tempe (soybean chips crackers) and kripik buah-buahan (fruits chips crackers) at some store. After that, we went by small car, public transportation, to Alun-alun (big field) Malang for a while, had a lunch then continued again to Oen store, spent a time for an hour, drinking es campur (mixed fruits, syrup, ice) before went back to Surabaya. Yummy!

Migraine, hot topic lately!!

I hate when I got migraine. You know migraine, half headache! It is very painful. When I felt strongly uncomfortable, when I just eat less, when I sudden wake up, when I late lunch or dinner, when I drink a lot of cold water or ice, when I got hot sun shines then changing to cold air, when this, when that, when these, when those…

Nothing can cure it unless I avoid it. Just sleeping? It cannot fix my problem. I still have to drink medicine. Paramex is my drug. Eventhough I know the cause but sometimes I cannot avoid it. So, drink medicine is the last way. But I realize that it is not good to make paramex as the only solution. Lately I try the best not to always drink drug. So, being happy, eat much, regular exercise are some of solutions.

Some articles say about common headache and when I read it I think the cause is almost same with cause of my migraine, like these...
1. Feeling worry so much.
2. Relaxing the eyes as strong light of sun, lamp, TV monitor or computer can stress the eye muscles.
3. Pre menstruation syndrom can affect fluctuation of the estrogen hormon.
4. Some hard physical exercise can make muscles in head, neck and head skin nees more blood supply for better circulation. It cause fluffy blood circulation.
5. Do not have breakfast or fasting program without planning or preparation.
6. Lack of sleep.