agarwood

Most of people familiar with gaharu or agarwood but not many know the story behind this highly valued wood. Gaharu or agarwood is a dark resinous heartwood that forms after Aquilaria trees infected with a particular mold. It's part of the trees protection mechanism from the mold infection. This dark resin has a very distinctive fragrance that makes it highly valued to be used as incense and perfumes. It's not easy to spot which Aquilaria trees that have been infected by mold and develop this dense, dark resin. The trees could look like any other healthy tree without any sign of infection visible from direct observation. Sometimes it takes weeks for groups of gaharu harvesters to be able to find the right tree that contains mature gaharu. The hunting process itself is very interesting, a group of people will prepare and bring with them enough supplies for 2-4 weeks in the forest. The group leader usually those who has skills in recognizing Aquilaria trees and predicting the gaharu content in it. Every single decision to roam a particular area or cut down a single tree is a matter of efficiency. Wrong decision means waste of money and time. Decreased forest areas become one of main threats for Aguilaria trees and affect the gaharu hunters. Many times they have to come home without any result. Above photo is one type of Aquilaria trees (there are fifteen species of Aquilaria, eight of them are know to produce gaharu); we call it 'gaharu limau' in Indonesia language. Now, how the hell is the harvesters are able to recognize if the tree is infected or not, or predict how much gaharu it has inside the tree...

the child of the sea

He is born in this small island, his first cry was swallowed by the sound of waves, his liquor amnii was dried by the ocean wind, he is the son of the island, the child of the sea.

a house in an island

A typical house in a small island. The roof is made from wild nipah leaves, whereas wood for the wall is often brought from mainland because the villagers don't have tools to process their local log to wood. Built high to avoid high tide and wild animal, the house also has space underneath where they can put theirl boat and other stuffs.

Pineapples seller

Once my mom told me that there was a time in Pontianak where this kind of traditional boat became the only and main transport in the city and its surroundings. People in that time transported agricultural products such as pineapples or other vegetables from the city sides to the markets through rivers or canals which were widely distributed connecting places in the city. Today, these activities still can be found in several spots stretched out on the side of Kapuas river. 

It is cloves season this time in Kabung

 

I went back to the island last end of year holiday with some friends. We were lucky that time because the sea was very friendly. It is cloves season this time, December-March, in Kabung. The fragrant, spicy, earthy smell of cloves filled the air. I love the smell because it makes me felt fresh and light. I think this is something to do with its chemical content which is not only addictive but also functions as anesthetic. 

These views and smell of Kabung flashed back in my mind recently because my friend had finished his Zamrud Khatulistiwa expedition and now one of the books documenting his journey and reflections during the expedition about the social, culture, economic and environment conditions as well as the living condition of the people on the coastline and remote isles of Indonesia is ready to be launched. ‘Indonesia, Mencintaimu dengan Sederhana’ is how the book is named. It was nutmeg season when I visited the island with him, and now it is cloves. But, there is one thing that never changes there, the people are still the same, living day by day from the grace of nature and, most of the time, from the mercy of lenders when the weather is unfriendly for fishing and planting. And that is just one of which the book wants to present, our paradoxical country: astounding, gorgeous and rich but poor in the same time.  

Sun Shine

A moment before the night fall, when the sun beams shined the Akasia for the last time in that ordinary day.

Potret TKI

Dengan harapan memperbaiki nasib, Saprianto (54) dan Risky (20) berangkat ke Malaysia secara illegal lewat bantuan seorang agen perkebunan Malaysia. Lima bulan tidak dibayar, bermodal nekat mereka memutuskan untuk melarikan diri, 10 hari berjalan kaki di rimba belantara perbatasan Malaysia-Indonesia, 2 hari merakit menyusuri sungai Embaloh yang penuh riam dan arus deras, kehabisan makan dan bertahan hanya dengan minum air. Potret tragis tenaga kerja Indonesia.

Saprianto (54) asal Teluk Batang, bekerja ke Malaysia dengan harapan dapat mengumpulkan uang untuk anak keduanya yang baru menyelesaikan bangku SMA tahun ini dan ingin melanjutkan ke perguruan tinggi.

Risky (20) asal Pontianak, sempat terjatuh dan terbentur kepalanya dalam perjalanan selama 10 hari menembus belantara Malaysia-Indonesia. Tidak banyak bicara, syok dan demam tinggi akibat kelelahan dan infeksi dari luka di kedua kakinya yang membengkak.

 '...the rural poor had become the urban poor, and in the process they'd become invisible...' 

(James Nachtwey)

semut di atas daun

empty bench, quiet street

Gourd

Calabash or bottle gourds (Lagenaria siceraria) selled on night market in Kuching. It's almost 2am when we visited the market for some vegetables. I like the shape which reminds me on one my father has at home. My father one's made from the mature, dried calabash. Because of it hard woody shell, it usually uses as a water container, but, in my father case, it is used to keep arak (rice wine).

totems

India St. is one of the most visited place in Kuching, Malaysia. It likes Malioboro in Yogyakarta, Indonesia but without the vehicles traffic. We can buy many kinds of fabrics and clothes here. In this busy street, people walk through without noticing these two totems standing on the edge of the street covered by palm leaves.

Shelter

Seeing the cows shelter under the rubber trees, laying on green grass, looking back to me speeding on motorbike. So contrast but peaceful in the same time.
Photo taken from motorbike, on the way to Desa Meragun, Nanga Taman, Sekadau.

dreaming twin moons

Caterpillar in the tree
How you wonder who you'll be
Can't go far but you can always dream

Wish you may and wish you might
Don't you worry, hold on tight
I promise you there will come a day
Butterfly fly away
(Hannah Montana)

in the morning

I know 3 places in Indonesia called Ketapang. First is Ketapang in Banyuwangi, East Java, which is well known for its port used to cross to Gilimanuk, Bali. The next is Ketapang in West Kalimantan, a district on the south of West Kalimantan. The last one is Ketapang in Sampang, Madura. My travel to Sampang last September completed my visits to all 3 Ketapangs in Indonesia.
I woke early one day, hiked the small hill and took this photo from a ground perspective showing calm morning with sunrise behind the hill. I could see the sea from here, and this is how this part of Ketapang gets its name, Ketapang Laut.

Making a Ceramic

In the middle of the 17th, a huge migrants of Hakka tribe from Guandong, South of China, landed in Borneo. They worked as gold diggers in Monterado, West Kalimantan bringing with them the art of making ceramics. The ceramic known for the artistic style of the Ming Dynasty which shown by dragon carving on the smooth surface of the ceramic. Today, at least five small ceramic industries struggling to survive could be found in Desa Sakok, South of Singkawang.

Hio and The Old House of Xie

In 1901, the Dutch colonial government official granted a piece of land to Xie Shou Shi, a well known, important and successful business man of that time. Xie brought in architect from his hometown of Fujian to built a big house on the side of river of that land. Today, this East West-combined style mansion is the only and oldest building that still standing in the town of Singkawang.

On the right is the old house of Xie facing to west. The river on left was once wide and deep enough for river transportation heading to the open sea, used to ship commodities like rubber and coconut to Singapura.


Hio on the altar of the old house of Xie.

Dried salty fish

Provided by the sea, caught by Kabung's humble fishermen and dried by blazing hot of coastal sun, dried salty fish are one source of incomes of the island inhabitants.

Bagan

Bagan or termal is a small hut on the sea built to trap fishes and squids during the night. I always amaze on how the fishermen are able to build bagan in the 3-8 meters deep sea. First, they make the stake frames from bamboo in the village. Then they bring the frames to the sea with boats and embed them in to 3-8 meters deep seabed. Interlace between the frames makes it stable. It cost about 2-5 million IDR to construct a bagan and usually it can hold out for 1-2 years if not swept by big wave storm beforehand.

Soon before nightfall, the fishermen will paddle their boat leaving for bagan. On bagan, they scroll down the net into water, lit on petromaks, kind of lantern, and hang it under the hut, just before the sea level. The light from petromaks will attract fish and squid to gather under it, just above the net. Then the waiting part is began. It could stand from 10 minutes till hours, depend on how much fish and squid gathered above the net.

Each bagan need at least 2 persons to operate. When it's enough fish or squid gathered above the net, one person will roll up the net, the other will standby in the hut to pull up petromaks and then to catch the fish and or squid with a smaller scoop net with long handle from the net under.

Teluk Suak - Pulau Kabung

   

  

 

Every morning there are boats leaving for Pulau Kabung bringing household goods needed by the villagers. They are strong people (I'm referred to their stomachs). Between Teluk Suak, the mainland, to Pulau Kabung is waved sea which can reach 2 meters high in high tide season (around September-March). No, it's not only me that said so. My travel buddy also has the same thought and he is an adventurer doing an expedition from June 2009-December 2010 to visit 100 islands in Indonesia. In our way back to mainland, we even didn't manage to take our camera out to catch the beautiful sunset due to the high wave. Fortunately at the end we survived...from seasick :). 

Ps. Kabung also have very beautiful sea life, colorful fish and corals. Too bad, I didn't have underwater camera so I couldn't take pictures and share them here..