Indonesia – English
Los Colores de Flores
Monday, August 17, 2009
Flores memang pulau yang penuh warna. Tidak semua tempat dapat kukunjungi kali ini, tetapi dari cerita-cerita ada begitu banyak tempat menakjubkan dan tradisi budaya yang tidak dapat dilewatkan di pulau ini. Dari ritual pekan suci peninggalan Portugis di Larantuka, monumen Yesus di Maumere, danau tiga warna di Kalimutu, bekas rumah Bung Karno selama pembuangan di Ende, tari Ja’i dan musiknya yang begitu hidup di Bajawa, hawa pegunungan yang sejuk dan berpuluh-puluh biara di Ruteng, sampai pulau-pulau eksotis di lepas pantai Labuan Bajo, termasuk Pulau Komodo dan Pulau Kelelawar.
Setiba di Ende, aku menginap di rumah keluarga seorang Romo yang bertugas di Sumba. Rm. Oman memperkenalkanku ke Rm. Yanto, dan dia mengontak ayah ibunya di Ende supaya aku bisa menginap di sana. Rupanya rumah keluarga Bapak Nadus dan Mama Rina ini memang sering disinggahi oleh para imam dari Sumba yang berkunjung ke Flores. Di pelabuhan aku dijemput oleh adik Rm. Yanto, Engky dan sepupunya Ance. Di rumah aku bertemu dengan anak bungsu mereka, Ansi yang terkesan agak tomboi karena memang satu-satunya perempuan dengan 3 kakak laki-laki.
Bapak Nadus dan Mama Rina, sepulangnya dari misa minggu itu di gereja yang persis terletak di sebelah rumah, menyambutku dengan hangat seperti kenalan lama. Tidak lama kemudian datang Bruder Sil, seorang bruder Bhakti Luhur yang mengurus panti asuhan anak-anak SLB tak jauh dari situ. Kami makan siang bersama lalu Br. Sil mengajakku naik motor untuk melihat kampung halamannya. Tempatnya tidak jauh dari rumah Bapak Nadus, tetapi harus menaiki sebuah bukit dan jalan yang kurang baik. Pemandangan laut dan kota Ende dari atas bukit sungguh mempesona. Akhirnya kami sampai di kampungnya di daerah Nuabosi yang terkenal dengan singkongnya. Rumah keluarga Br. Sil terletak di sebuah perkampungan yang sangat sederhana. Di halaman rumah-rumah dijemur kopi, coklat dan beberapa hasil bumi lainnya. Bapak dan Ibu Br. Sil baru saja kembali dari berkebun dan kami berbincang sebentar. Di saat kami berpisah, Ibu Br. Sil memberiku satu kain ikat Ende, padahal itu baru pertama kali kami bertemu dan aku tidak membawakan mereka apa-apa. Aku sungguh terharu dengan keramahan mereka dan kemurahan hati mereka di tengah kesederhanaan hidup di kampung.
Aku menginap di rumah Bapak Nadus dan Mama Rina selama 2 hari. Rencana untuk mengunjungi Danau Kalimutu tidak berhasil karena cuaca kurang mendukung. Akhirnya kuhabiskan hari-hari dengan duduk-duduk mengobrol dengan mereka, ditemani kopi Flores yang harum, onde dan singkong buatan Mama Rina, dan rokok Gudang Garam. Menarik mendengarkan Bapak Nadus tentang perjuangan hidupnya sejak muda, dengan pekerjaan sederhana sebagai sopir Akademi Perawat sehingga bisa menghasilkan anak-anak yang sukses hidupnya.
Rm. Yanto, anak terbesar mereka walaupun belum lama ditahbiskan sudah membuat terobosan yang berani di Sumba. Di daerah Kodi yang terkenal keras, Rm. Yanto berhasil merangkul para pemuda yang tadinya berprofesi pencuri dan perampok untuk bertobat, walaupun secara perlahan. Jika tadinya mereka mencuri ternak beberapa kali dalam setahun, sekarang hanya satu kali dan itupun selalu diikuti dengan pengakuan kepada Rm. Yanto. Adiknya sudah menikah dan menjadi Brimob di daerah Kupang. Pengabdiannya di daerah perbatasan dengan Timor Leste juga sering berhadapan dengan bahaya dan godaan untuk menggunakan kekerasan pada warga sipil, tetapi dia dapat menjadi teladan bagi teman-temannya. Engky sekarang sedang mendalami teknik mesin di Universitas Ende dan Ansi di SMA.
Dari Bapak Nadus aku juga belajar sedikit tentang perkembangan umat Katolik di Flores. Beberapa tahun silam ada beberapa usaha untuk menghasut antar umat beragama dengan cara menyusupi gereja Katolik dan melakukan pencemaran hosti. Sang provokator biasanya berpakaian rapi dan mengikuti misa di gereja, tetapi pada saat penerimaan komuni, hosti itu dibawa kembali ke tempat duduknya dan diinjak-injak. Reaksi umat Katolik Flores sangat keras. Pengadilan massa biasanya tak dapat dihindarkan, dan seringkali tidak berhenti sampai orang itu tewas dipukuli. Ada juga provokator yang sudah sempat dibawa ke kantor polisi tetapi umat dari seluruh Ende datang mengepung dan menuntut agar dia diserahkan kepada mereka. Bahkan uskup pun tidak mampu meredam kemarahan mereka. Sebenarnya ini suatu ironi, karena dengan niat membela tubuh Kristus mereka melanggar perintah Tuhan sendiri dengan mencabut nyawa orang lain. Ternyata fanatisme agama di Indonesia tidak hanya dimonopoli oleh umat Islam, fanatisme Katolik pun bisa berubah menjadi keberingasan yang tidak terkontrol.
Dari Mama Rina aku belajar tentang lagu-lagu dan tarian Ja’i, terutama dari daerah Bajawa yang katanya tempat musik Ja’i yang paling populer berasal. Tentu saja Mama Rina berasal dari Bajawa sehingga rasa bangganya sangat kelihatan. Ketika kuputarkan video tahbisan Uskup Weetebula, mereka sedikit tertawa melihat tari dan musik Sumba yang lebih sederhana dan ditingkahi dengan pekikan yang menyakitkan telinga mereka. Aku rasa adalah hak masing-masing orang untuk merasa budaya sukunya lebih baik, tetapi semoga tidak menjadi halangan untuk menghargai martabat satu sama lain.
Di akhir masa tinggalku di Ende, Bapak Nadus dan Mama Rina dengan berat hati melepasku pergi. Walaupun hanya 2 hari tetapi mereka begitu memperhatikanku. Mama Rina mengantarku ke pintu mobil travel yang akan membawaku ke Ruteng. Beliau berpesan kepada sopir untuk menjagaku baik-baik, lalu memelukku sambil tak kuasa menahan air mata. Aku juga diberikan syal dari kain ikat Flores dengan tulisan nama Ansi, katanya supaya aku tidak melupakan dia. Siapa sangka, dari rumah keluarga yang kecil sederhana ini begitu besar hati yang dimiliki oleh penghuninya.
Perjalanan Ende-Ruteng memakan waktu 6 jam lebih dengan melewati pemandangan pinggir laut yang spektakuler di sekitar Ende, bukit-bukit dingin berkabut di Bajawa, dan pemandangan kaki gunung yang indah di Ruteng. Sesampainya di sana, lagi-lagi berkat kebaikan Rm. Oman yang mempunyai adik yang tinggal di kota itu, aku pun diantar dengan motornya melewati jalan berliku-liku dan gelap ke Biara Fransiskan di Pagal, tempat kumenginap.
Di Pagal aku disambut oleh Bruder Triyono, kepala biara yang tidak lama akan pindah tugas ke Jakarta. Karena saat itu masa libur, Fransiskan lain yang tinggal di sana hanya Pater Widi yang mengepalai bagian ekopastoral dan Pater Alo yang menghabiskan masa pensiunnya. Saat Pater Widi membawaku jalan-jalan ke sawah dan kebun ekopastoral mereka, aku terkesan dengan sistem organik yang mereka terapkan. Beragam sayur dan buah, bahkan ada zuccini berukuran besar, dibudidayakan di sini. Tujuan ekopastoral Fransiskan adalah membiasakan penduduk sekitar untuk diversifikasi pangan dan menghindari penggunaan pestisida yang membahayakan kesehatan.
Dengan Bruder Tri aku diajak untuk turun ke sawah mencari rumput untuk makanan kambing dan entok (sejenis bebek) yang dipelihara di biara. Dengan sepatu boot dan sebilah sabit kami menapaki pematang yang penuh lumpur dan mengumpulkan sekarung penuh rumput. Kami juga pergi ke kota Ruteng untuk berbelanja di pasar tradisional mereka. Sempat juga aku berkunjung ke toko milik keluarga teman baikku di LA, Denny Heribertus. Di toko Rajawali aku sempat berbincang dengan maminya, tapi karena beliau terlihat sibuk dan kami juga masih harus berbelanja, kami tidak bisa berlama-lama.
Di malam sebelum kami pergi ke Labuan Bajo untuk perjalanan pulang ke Jakarta, kami menginap di paroki Karot, dekat Ruteng. Di sini aku disambut hangat oleh Bruder Felix, yang ternyata masih ada hubungan saudara dengan Uskup Edmund yang baru ditahbiskan. Di sana aku sempat melihat perhentian-perhentian jalan salib yang menuju ke sebuah bukit tempat gua Maria.
Uniknya di lukisan perhentian sepanjang perjalanan salib ini, muka para algojo dan serdadu romawi rusak digores orang. Bruder Tri menerangkan bahwa inilah cara umat melampiaskan begitu besarnya kebencian mereka kepada orang yang berbuat jahat kepada Yesus.
Di Labuan Bajo kami menginap lagi semalam di susteran SMSJ, sebuah rumah yang dibuat dengan kayu-kayu dari Manado, tempat biara pusat ordo ini. Kesan suster yang serius dan khidmat sirna ketika kami mengobrol waktu makan siang. Mereka menceritakan pengalaman melayani di Papua dan menyaksikan tarian koteka dan tarian susu. Mereka tertawa terbahak sambil heran memikirkan bagaimana para penari bisa menggerakkan koteka mereka serentak seirama. Kami juga terbahak ketika mendengar cerita mereka tentang para perempuan Papua yang dalam acara penyambutan melepaskan kaos mereka dan mulai menari dengan mengayun-ayunkan payudara mereka. Para suster juga pandai meracik obat sendiri, terbukti dengan obat flu mereka aku terhindar dari pilek berkepanjangan.
Dari Labuan Bajo aku dan Bruder Tri berpisah. Dia akan naik pesawat ke Bali lalu Jakarta. Aku memilih jalan yang murah dan penuh petualangan, yaitu ferry dari Labuan Bajo ke Sape di Pulau Sumbawa, bis dari Sape ke Bima, lalu bisa nonstop dari Bima ke Jakarta yang akan makan waktu 3 hari. Empat selat harus kuseberangi: dari Labuan Bajo ke Sape, dari Sumbawa ke Lombok, dari Lombok ke Bali, dan dari Bali ke Jawa. Duduk selama 3 hari di bis ternyata membuat pantat pegal juga. Walaupun dengan acara mogok sedikit sewaktu kami masuk ke Jawa Tengah, akhirnya aku pun sampai ke Jakarta, berakhirlah pengalamanku
diambil dari:
http://nasada.blogspot.com/2009/08/los-colores-de-flores.html
Los Colores de Flores
Monday, August 17th , 2009
Flores was really a colorful island. I had not been to all the places this time, but from the stories there were a lot of amazing places and tradition which would be a pity to be left behind. From the ritual holy week which is the left over from the Portugese era in Larantuka, Jesus monument in Maumere, three colour lake in Kalimutu, the house where President Soekarno stayed during his exile in Ende, Ja’i dance and their lively music in Bajawa, the cool atmosphere of the mountain and tens of convents in Ruteng, until exotic islands off the coast of Labuan Bajo, including Komodo Island and Bats Island.
Upon arrival in Ende, I stayed in the family house of a Pastor who was assigned in Sumba. Rm Oman had introduced me to Rm. Yanto, and he had contacted his parents in Ende to accommodate me there. It seemed that the house of Mr. Nadus and Ms. Rina was often visited by pastors from Sumba who happened to visit Flores. In the port, I was picked up by Rm. Yanto’s brother, Engky and his cousin, Ance. In the house, I met their youngest sibling, Ansi, who was a little boyish, as she was the only female amongst three brothers.
Mr. Nadus and Ms. Rina, after their return from the church which was situated right beside the house, welcomed me warmly. Not long afterward, Brother Sil, one of the Brothers from Bhakti Luhur who took care of an orphanage SLB not far from there, came. We had lunch together then Brother Sil took me by his motorcycle to see his hometown. The place was not far from Mr. Nadus’s house, but we had to climb a hill through a not too good road. The scenery of the sea and the town of Ende from the top of the hill was really amazing. Finally we arrived in his kampong in Nuabosi district which is well known for its cassava. The Family house of Brother Sil was situated in a Kampong area which was very humble. We could find coffee, chocolate and other natural produce dried in their garden. Brother Sil’s parents had just arrived from the garden and we had a little chat. When we said farewell, Brother Sil’s mother had given me one piece of Ende cloth. I was touched with their friendliness and their kindness in view of their humble life.
I stayed in Mr. Nadus and Ms. Rina’s house for two days. My plan to visit Kalimutu Lake had failed due to bad weather. Finally I spent my days having a chat with them, accompanied by the Flores coffee which is delightful, “onde” cake and cassava made by Ms. Rina, and a Gudang Garam cigarette. It was interesting to hear Mr. Nadus’s story about his struggle to make a living since he was young, and with his humble work as a driver for a nurse academy so that he could bring his sons to success.
Rm. Yanto, their eldest sons, even though he had just been ordained but he had already made a brave maneuver in Sumba. In the Kodi district, which had been well known as a rowdy one, Rm Yanto had successfully persuaded the youth who formerly had been a thief or a burglar to atone for their mistake, even though in a very gradual manner. If they previously stole cattle several times in one year, now they did it only one time and this would be followed by their admission to Rm. Yanto. His brother had been married and now became a policeman (Brimob) in Kupang area. His service in the border area with Timor Leste often caused him to meet danger and temptation to use force to civilian community, but he can be an example for his friends. Engky now was learning Engine in Ende University and Ansi was in the secondary school.
From Mr. Nadus, I also learned a little about the development of Catholics in Flores. Some years ago there was an effort to cause enmity between religious people by secretly attending the ceremony in the church and disgracing the holy bread. The provoking person usually was well dressed and attending the holy ceremony in the church, but after receiving the holy bread, he brought back the holy bread to his seat and then step on it. The reaction from the Catholics in Flores was usually very harsh. The people usually took the justice in their own hand, and often could not be stopped until the provoking person was dead. There was a provoking person brought to the police but then all catholics from all over Ende came and surrounded the police office and demanded that he was delivered to them. Even the bishop could not stop their anger. Actually this was an irony because in their effort to defend Jesus’s body, they had break God’s order by taking out other people life. It appears that the religious fanaticism in Indonesia is not just monopolized by Moslems, fanaticism by the Catholics could bring uncontrolled cruelty.
From Ms. Rina, I learned about songs and Ja’I dance, especially from Bajawa district which according to her, is the place where the most popular Ja’i music had originated. Of course Ms. Rina had come from Bajawa, so that her pride could been seen. When I turned on the video of the ordaining of Weetebula Bishop, they were a little bit chuckling seeing the Sumba dance and music which was simpler and some shrieking could also be heard. I felt that it is everybody right to feel that their culture is better than the others, but this should not stop them from respecting the other pride and respect.
At the end of my stay in Ende, Mr. Nadus and Ms. Rina had bided me farewell. Even thought only two days, but they had taken care of me. Ms. Rina accompanied me to the travel car which would carry me to Ruteng. She told the driver to take care of me and then hugged me while shedding her tears. She also gave me neckerchief from Flores cloth with a broidered name Ansi, she said so that I would not forget her. Who thought that from a small and humble house there was a great heart owned by its inhabitant.
The journey from Ende-Ruteng took more than 6 hours passing spectacular scenery of coasts, cold and misty hills of Bajawa, and the scene of the foot of the beautiful mountain in Ruteng. Upon my arrival there, once more due to the good heartedness of Rm. Oman who had a brother living in that town, I was picked up and carried by his motorcycle passing a windy and dark road to Fransiskan Convent in Pagal, the place where I stayed.
In Pagal, I was greeted by Brother Triyono, the head of the monastery who would move shortly to Jakarta. Due to the holiday season, the other Brothers who stayed there, were only Brother Widi who headed the ecopastoral division and Brother Alo who spent his retirement there. When Brother Widi brought me to see their “ecopastoral” paddy field and garden, I was impressed by the organic system applied by them. Various vegetables and fruits, even there was a “zucchini” with big size, were cultivated here. The purpose of the “ecopastoral” Fransiskan is to accustom the surrounding people to diversify their food and avoiding the usage of pesticide which would endanger our health.
Brother Tri asked me to go down to the paddy field to gather grasses for the goat and goose food which were kept in the convent. Wearing boots and bringing the saber we could collect one sack full of grass. We also went to the town of Ruteng to shop in their traditional market. I also happened to visit my good friend in L.A., Denny Heribertus. In “Rajawali” shop, I had also a chance to have a chat with his mother, but since she looked very busy, we left them not long after that.
In the night before we left for Labuan Bajo before my return journey to Jakarta, we stayed in Karot parish, near Ruteng. I was greeted warmly by Brother Felix, who happened to have a family relationship with Bishop Edmund who had just been ordained. There I had a chance to see the stops of the journey commemorating Jesus’s carrying the cross leading to a hill where a Maria cave was situated.
The strange thing is that in every painting in the stops, we could see that the faces of the Roman soldiers were vandalized. Brother Tri explained that this was the way the Catholics express their hatred to the people who had done harm to Jesus.
In Labuan Bajo, we stayed one night in the convent SMSJ, a house made of woods from Manado, the place of the central convent of this Order. The impression of serious and solemn Sisters had disappeared when we had a chat during lunch. They told me their experiences in Papua and watching “koteka” dance and “breast” dance. They laughed heartily while wondering how the dancer could move their “koteka” in one movement and in rhythm. We also laughed heartily to hear their story about the Papua women when in a greeting ceremony they had taken out their clothes and started dancing with moving their breasts. The Sisters was also good at mixing their own medicine, as because of their drugs I could be cured from my influenza.
From Labuan Bajo, I and Brother Tri had separated. He would take a plane to Bali and then to Jakarta. I chose a cheaper way, which is by a ferry from Labuan Bajo to Sape in Sumbawa Island, then a bus from Sape to Bima, then without stopping from Bima to Jakarta which took a three days journey. Four straits must be crossed: from Labuan Bajo to Sape, from Sumbawa to Lombok, from Lombok to Bali and from Bali to Java Island. Sitting down for 3 hours in a bus had made me very tired. Even though the bus had a slight engine trouble when entering Middle Java, I finally arrived safely in Jakarta and which was also the end of my adventure.