Mudik at Lamongan.

Part 2 (continuation of Holiday around Mudik 2009)

11. Depart to Lamongan (ayah’s hometown in East java), lunch with sour soup at Bojonegoro, preparing fruits parcel for relatives in Lamongan. Transit at soto lontong Karang-geneng.

12. Reunion with big family of Bani Kholil (grand pa of ayah), wonderful!! Already 150 heirs. Playing @ river side of Bengawan Solo. Visit ayah's step mother.


13. Bringing om Gofar to Hospital, the kids hiking to the mountain close by and visit mbah bu-mbah kung cemetery, enjoy bude Ir’s food, informal re-union with ibu’s friends from pabelan (Baroroh,Aisah,Luluk). Bulik Tien’s delivered a baby girl, we provide a name: Havelda Fitriana.










14. Explore Surabaya city, try lontong kupang (kerang mini/baby shell) and lontong balap, Crossing Suramadu hanging bridge (longest brigde in Asia connecting 2 airlands Surabaya and Madura), explore Bangkalan, Madura ireland, crossing the sea by Ferry. Visit Lapindo mud at Sidoarjo. Dinner with Sembilang fish (only cached by fishing way at coral seashore), back to Drajad for 2 hours nap.

15. Back to Jakarta @ 12 midnight, transit at Kudus tower mosque, Mosque of Demak and its cemetery/museum, lunch and rest at Pekalongan, Shopping and Setono batik market Pekalongan, back home arrived 2 am.

Idul Fitri At Kampung

By : Vikra Alizanovic


Lebaran this year somewhat feels a lot different from the pasts. Probably it was because we hadn’t gone to our hometown for Lebaran in quite a while. This year, we’re going to my grandfather’s in Baturetno, Solo, Central Java, and in Lamongan, East Java.

We were off from Jakarta about a week before the big day. We travel by car. The trip was fine and fun. But having a long trip while fasting is not very easy. Although there is a rule in Islam that says that travellers may choose not to fast during the travel, we choose to keep fasting. Our first destination was to my Uncle Daris in Solo, who is my mom’s younger brother. We only come by to say hello, because we’re gonna see each other again anyway later at my grandpa’s house. After that, we went straight to Baturetno. My grandpa and my step-grandmother was really glad to see us. We stayed there for about 5 days before my other cousins, uncles and aunts all gathered there. My father went to Jakarta first because his holiday hasn’t started yet. He’s coming again one day after Idul Fitri.

On our 2nd day there, we go to Jogja to meet my Uncle Ahsan, my mom’s youngest brother. We stayed there for a night. Uncle Ahsan drives us around. He knows I enjoy eating. That’s why he always managed to take us to great food places. The next day we went to Malioboro. It is a traditional shopping district in Jogja. It usually sells souvenirs, clothes, and stuff. Most are Batik. From Malioboro, we went back to my grandpa’s.

Funnily, at the road, in Wonosari, I was stopped by a police. It was a really bad luck. First, because I haven’t got my driving license yet. The officer claims that I run through a red light. Well, I might have, because the road was empty so I don’t really care if there was even a red light. I let my mom do the talking. Finally, we’re let go. Don’t know how. And then we continue on to my Grandpa’s.

One thing that I love the most about spending Lebaran in my hometown is the meal. The meal is just extraordinary. Opor Ayam, Oseng Tempe, Jangan Lombok, Tongseng. Delicious. While staying in Baturetno, I almost never missed Tarawih pray. Hehehe. And finally, the big day arrives. All my cousins have gathered. In the morning we pray Ied together. After Ied, we shake hands with each other forgiving sins we have made in the past. And then after shaking hand with everyone there, we eat Lebaran meal there. It is rice with fish or tempe or eggs, packeted with banana leaves. It was delightful.

And then when we’re back home, we start ‘sungkeman’. It is a tradition in which we kneel down before our elder and ask for forgiveness. We start from the elder, and on to the younger making a line. Mostly people would cry. Maybe I’m just not that kind of person. -____-

The next day, my dad came. We were all exhausted. Guests are coming like an endless rain, it never stops. Hahaha. But in the night we had a good time. We set up tent in front of the house. We grilled fish and cassava. It was delicious. I enjoy eating grilled fish.

And then the next day we packed and prepared to leave. None of us were excited to leave. I know that everyone still wants to stay. 4 days was just too short. But we all have our own things to do. We had to attend the other family meeting in Lamongan. Om Daris’s family must attend their other family meeting too in Solo, and Om Ahsan’s family must attend their other family meeting in Jakarta. So, we bid farewell to Akung, and off to Lamongan.

Lebaran at Kampung: Picture

Deadly Earthquake: What was it like?

Tahun 2002-2003, ayah pernah "nyantri" di Michigan Journalism Fellowship. Fellows, atau peserta program ini --dari Amerika, Eropa, Amerika Latin, Timur Tengah-- hingga saat ini terus keep in touch. Setiap akhir tahun, peserta bikin personal journal, untuk berbagi kabar. Termasuk bila ada peristiwa-peristiwa penting, seperti gempa di Jakarta Rabu lalu. Ini email ayah untuk temen-temennya:

Just want to say Hi..
Despite shocked, we are ok..
The deadly 7,3 SR earthquake (Sept 2, 09), hits us just minutes before my tv station run its regular evening (now move earlier to becoma afternoon) program. So we are in a rush.
We thought it just like other earthquake before. Light and last in second.

My office is perfectly in the top of 19 floors building. When it feels little bit longer than usual, and becomes bigger and wilder, people start screaming. Allahu Akbar! Some of us run and hide under tables. Some run to the emergency stairs.. But some other, including me, have to go on, runing the reguler program. "Where r u people?" One producer shouts in in the studio. The PD (Program director) people --audioman, cameramen, an soon), run already.

The phone and celluler suddenly didnt work. I cant reach any of our correspondents in the areas near the epicentrum (it was in Tasikmalaya, still in West Java, around 400 km south-east Jakarta. But my CDMA phone still worked. Yuni called from home. "Yes, I am OK," I said.
Hope you all well and safe too...
Muchlis

Berikut beberapa respon dari temen-temen ayah:

From Yvonne Simon (TV News Director, Idaho)
Muchliss,
I am so glad to hear you and your family are O-K. I wondered if the quake was near you. Did you ever do your newscast? Yvonne

From Ayah:

Hi Yvonne..
Its 3.30 am here now. Just wake up, for sahur.. Meal before begining fasting..
Our newscast during the quake? The show must go on, you know it. So, we run the newscast, all about the quake still happening. Studio camera, for example take not only the anchor, but the ceiling too. We played vt on what going on in the newsroom: how panic we are, people runing, screaming, hiding under thr table..

We gather all information, by any mean. Calling anyone outside, correspondents wherever they are, reaching any guy from meteorology and geophisyc...and so on. So messy. Because lack of studio cameramen, we use audioman to hold the camera.. Because fix line phone didn't work, the anchor had to call anyone directly from her cellular phone... We did what we can.. :) And anyhow the show went on.. (Muchlis )

From Ron French (Detroit News, Detroit),

Hello Muchlis, so happy to hear you and your family are OK. I would have one of the people hiding under the tables!
I see Facebook updates from Yuni and your kids - I can't read them but I can tell they are doing well. Love to all, (Ron )

From ayah:
Hi Ron.. I tried to hide too, but I found no more table left.. So I just did what I could, reciting any prayer.. But pretend to be calm..:) Hope u, valerie and girls doing well, and always safe.
Love u all too..

From Ron
there was an interesting exchange on Sue Nelson's facebook page about your experience. An engineer responded that you were safer in a 19-story high-rise than a 5-story building during an earthquake - something about the waves in the shorter building matching the waves of the earthquake and making it much worse. skyscrapers normally survive earthquakes while shorter buildings to not. I didn't understand it, but thought it might be of some comfort..

From Ayah:
Higher, safer?
Hard to understand, but sound acceptable..:) And yes, it give comfort.. And courious too.. So I have to share it to friends here..

From Ron:
here was the message:
"Skyscrapers are usually Ok in quakes as they have a low NF, it is the mid rise ones of 5 storeys or so you should avoid as their NF matches that of the quake , and resonance occurs, which is not nice if you are in the building"
As far as I can tell from the Internet, NF stands for "near-fault ground motion"
It's all over my head

From: Birgit Rieck 1 (KWF Program Manager, Ann Arbor)
Dear Muchlis,
We are all so glad to hear that you are alright. We were talking about
you wondering how you and your family were doing.
On the 19th floor? What a place to be during an earthquake....
Love to you and Yuni and the children.
Birgit

From: Scott Huler (Writer, Raleigh, North Carolina)
So glad you are all okay, Muchlis -- we have been thinking of you. Please give our love to Yuni and the children. Hope to see you . sometime soon!
Scott (and June and Louie and Gus)

From: Drew DeSilver (Seattle Times, Seattle)

Hi, Muchlis:
As soon as I heard about the quake on the radio (BBC World Service), I thought of you, Yuni and the kids. I'm very glad to hear you're all OK. We too live in an earthquake/tsunami zone, so I feel empathy when one hits elsewhere. All best to you and the family,

Drew (Mr. Lisa Lednicer) DeSilver

From: Andrew Finkel (Time magazine, Istanbul)
Goodness Gracious! I am glad you and the family are fine. It's a threat we live with in Istanbul. Thanks for keeping us up today. Love from us all
Andy, Caroline and Izzy

From: Sue Nelson (writer and broadcaster, BBC London)

Hi there .So glad you¹re all OK. How about working in a bungalow? Sue

Puasa masa kecil

Nulis bareng yuk!! Inilah pengakuan-pengakuan dosa puasa jaman kanak-kanak kami. Kesan lucu, seru, buadung dengan jujur dibuka :).

Vikra : Seinget gw, puasa itu ajang ngurusin badan. Hikmah sama pahalanya sih gak mikir-mikir amat waktu gw kecil. Kadang beberapa kali tarawih cuma ikut sebentar dan sisanya dipake sama temen-temen main petasan. Yak, bulan puasa juga identik banget sama yang namanya petasan. Gak lengkap bulan puasa tanpa denger "Ctaar!", "Degeer!", dsb. And also, what I love the most put of Ramadhan is mostly spending the magnificent Lebaran at my grandpa's house. It's full of wonderful and decent Lebaran meals. And I can eat all I want.

Ayah : bulan puasa, jaman masih sekolah sd di bluluk-lamongan, ya berarti mondok full di mesjid. rundownnya: habis sahur, udah di-obrak disuruh ke mesjid. kalo leyeh-leyeh di rumah, takut subuhnya bablas. habis sahur, ngeluyur. biasanya sudah ada mobil colt bak terbuka --ini satu-satunya mobil yang ada di desa waktu itu-- parkir depan mesjid. lalu bareng-bareng --biasanya sampek bersepuluh-- kita nyengklak ikut ke "njoblak". ini kali kecil agak keluar desa. tempat kita-kita mandi, sekaligus mandiin mobil colt itu..

gak dibayar. kita bisa ngerasaain nyengklak mobil aja udah suennengg..!

siang abis sekolah, ya ke mesjid lagi. bukan apa-apa, tidur siang paling nikmat, ya di mesjid. mesjid bluluk ini emang adem tenan. lantainya sekitar 1,5 meter dari tanah. bangunannya tinggi pula. empat tiang jati "ungkul" maksudnya bukan sambungan, yang menopang mesjid ini, gak cukup dirangkul dua tangan. tingginya? waktu itu kerasa tinggi banget lah.. :) mungkin sekitar 20 meter.

suatu siang, saat tidur abis lohor, kepala serasa diobrak-obrak. sakitnya ampunn. kite langsung lari, meraung-raung. bapak-ibu bingung. lalu dibawa ke mantri kesehatan --adanya mantri, bluluk tahun 70-an itu belum terjamah dokter.

Pak Slamet, si mantri ini, langsung ambil senter. Sasarannya kuping. "Lha iki kupingmu klebon semut Fik!"..

itu kite juga udah tahu. "Terus gimana ngeluarinnya Pak?"..
"Yo embuh!"... --Ya gak tahu!"

Wallah..Mantri semprul..!

Ntah karena saran siapa, kita lari balik ke mesjid. Langsung ke tampat wudlu. Ambil air digerojok ke kuping yang ada semutnya. Kepala digoyang-goyang... Didiemin. Nah, kok gak ada yang ndobrak-dobrak lagi..

Beberapa kali digerojok air dan digoyang-goyang, dan dikeluarin lagi. Semut item sialan itu akhirnya keluar juga...


Vinda : dulu vinda kalo ramadhan paling semangat terawehnya doang.. jadi bisa jajan sama main.. kadang ssuka juga teraweh, tapi sebelumnya beli jajanan dulu buat persediaan makanan. Kalo lagi pada solat vinda sering sama temen2 masih pake mukena makan2 ciki sama es cepek an. weleh2 mantep beeuud. terus kalo terawehnya udah selese, lipet mukena nya tuh digulung2 mirip bedongan bayi. trus main ibu2an gendong anak gitu. hahaha. (buuuuuu. nih udah selese. nonton tipi lagi yak.)

Ibu : Ghhllleeerrrrrr! Ghleeerrrrrr!! terngiang kuat suara itu hingga kini, suara dinamit pemecah gunung-gunung untuk membuat waduh Gajah mungkur. Biar orang tidak marah, dibunyikannya sebagai penanda buka puasa. Orang jadi riang, lupa telah tergusur. Langsung begitu dengar suara itu orang gembira berlarian menyerbu meja makan.

Namun ada ritual asik jelang itu, kami anak-anak sebaya sering berjajar disamping rumah mbah kakung, menghadap ke barat menyandar ke tembok dan memendeliki matahari, menghitung rambat detiknya hingga merayap menghilang. Kami berlomba kuat-kuatan tidak berkedip memelototi matahari. Mata sampai merah hati berair dikira habis menangis 4 jam. Luccuuu...Lalu begitu matahari lenyap, tersusul suara dinamit tadi , sebagai pemungkas puasa kami.

Masa kecil selalu menyenangkan. jam 5 sore ibu (aku) sudah rapi. Uti selalu bilang "wah, anakku wis thinis (rapi cantik). Iki diaturke neng mbak daleme mbah kakung putri etan kulon". Siap-siap deh menghantar lauk rutin ke dua pasang kakek nenek, lengkap lauknya dari sayur hingga lauk amis-amisan (begitu ibu menyebut protein hewani). Kalau kuat kami bersepeda menanti senja. Jadi, bedak yang miduk-miduk tidak rata sebagai tanda sudah mandi, bercampur keringat dan debu selalu membuat sore menjadi asik. Kadang bersepeda jauuh sampai Polaman atau Munggung kurang lebih 3 km, jauh untuk ukuran kaki-kaki kecil dengan jalan menanjak berbatu itu. Ingat sekali, dengan sepede mini hijau berkeranjang putih didepan, terlihat manis dan mewah sekali sepeda itu dimasanya, khususnya untuk ukuran kampung kami. Teman-teman mengantri saling pinjam, dan sangat mengasikkan.

Lalu kalau sahur jalan pagi sampai jauh juga, ngobrol dan tertawa dengan 4 sobat karib, dik Iie, mbak Lies, mbak Hepi... pulang kerumah sudah langsung haus lapar, padahal mataharipun belum terbit. tapi kok ya kuat ya... Sepanjang siang, anak-anak cowok main Long (bom bambu yang diisi minyak dan dinyalakan dg api). Saling berlomba, yang membuat Ramadhan menjadi seru. Petasan cabe juga bertebar, pemicu perang antara anak-anak/remaja versus orang tua. Siap-siap orang-orang tua di kampung kami mengomel kaget dan yang muda-muda cerah bersuka.

Ketika terawih, sambil menunggu adzan, asik menikmati bakwan sambel-nya lek Warti pedagang yang rumahnya nempel masjid, cukup dengan bekal 5 rupiah saat itu yg setara dg 5 rts rupiah kini. Satu bakwan habis, langsung masuk masjid ikut nembang puji-pujian yang di Jawa-kan, dan lanjut dg sholat terawih yang biasanya 8. Yang paling mengesan lagi, kalau capek, posisi sholat dimodif, berdiri bertumpu dengkul, tujuannya biar tidak capek. Kami menyebutnya sholat setengah. padahal kalau dipikir, bukannya itu lebih capek...tapi itulah anak-anak.... sedap dan lezat!

Unik !! Puasa dan Sholat di Negeri Orang

Puasa di Eropa saat musim dingin uenakkk. Bisa sangat pendek waktunya, sahur jam 6 masih gelap, dan buka jam 4 sore... tapi juga siap-siap kalau puasa pas musim panas, sahur jam 1 pagi, buka jam 10 malam bisa terjadi.

Masjid banyak yang bekas gereja. Salah satunya masjid Al-Hikmah Den Haag ini, dulunya dibeli konglomerat Indonesia, dan gereja disulap jadi masjid.

Kalau winter, sholat paling rumit, karena kita harus pakai mayo (stocking tebal yg berbentuk celana sekaligus kaos kaki ), wah kalau wudhu harus dibongkar semua... tantangan.

Waktu ibu di mekkah, ada nenek2 satu group yang terheran dengan sholat mengitari ka'bah di masjidil haram, "neng, sholat di mekah mah acak-acakan nya....kalau di Indonesia teh rapi, menghadap ke barat semua, lamun disini teh kunaon atuh orang menghadap ke tengah semua, tidak rapi". Tidak sadar bahwa arti menghadap kiblat ya artinya menghadap ka'bah yang guede didepannya. Pemahaman kiblat adalah barat ini , juga menjadi kebingungan orang Suriname yang aslinya orang Indonesia yang dibawa belanda ke negeri di ujung atas Amerika selatan ini. lalu orang2 Suriname ini sekarang banyak yang tinggal di Belanda. Karena pindah-pindah ini walopun beda generasi, mereka masih bersikukuh kiblat ala Indonesia. Waktu di Indonesia berkiblat ke barat, pas di suriname, mustinya kiblat kan ke timur laut, tapi mereka ngotot ke barat juga. Lalu pas orang Suriname ini pindah ke Belanda, kiblat kan harusnya ke tenggara, tapi mereka bersikukuh ke barat juga. Menarik kan? sampai ada satu teman bilang, kenapa pusing dengan kiblat, dunia bulat, jadi menghadap kemanapun akan sampai kiblat juga.

Sholat pakai mukena putih, rasanya hanya sebagian kecil negara Islam macam Indonesia salah satunya. Kebanyakan sholat negara2 muslim lain yg penting menutup aurot. COba amati waktu ke Mekkah, orang Marokko pakai kain panjang warna-warni, orang Arab pakai abaya dan kerudung yang dipakai diluar atau kain yang diubel-ubel. Waktu di Michigan sholat Ied, juga orang Afro-Amerika (jangan pernah pakai kata negro, karena itu sensitif dan merendahkan) pakai penutup kepala untuk menutupi sanggul menggunung seperti tumpeng. Dan sholat jadi warna-warni seru...

Dari riset ibu ttg ABG muslim Indonesia yg ada di Belanda, banyak yang minum wine, dan wine diluar kan banyak yag kadar alkoholnya rendah tidak memabukkan. sholat bolong-bolong, tetapi puasa sangat rajin dan sangat disiplin tidak makan babi. jadi itu penerjemahan muslim yang paling enteng. Pas ditanay kenapa masih minum wine? jawabnya, karena itu bagian dari etika..setiap pesta dan ceremoni atau dinner, selalu disediakan dan gak nyaman menolak katanya. tetapi negeri seperti Belanda memang memberlakuan masyarakatnya rasional, minum dan mariyunana dibolehkan tetapi kadar dan pemakaiannya sangat ketat. Jadi ABG mabuk sangat jarang.. pemabok kebanyakan homeless (mereka yang tidak punya rumah) lemparan imigran dari negeri tetangga.

Yang juga unik, saat idul Fitri tahun lalu, ada anak ABG bule muslim bawa anjing ke masjid. tadinya mau dibawa masuk, tapi dikasih tahu tidak boleh, dititip diluar dan begitu salam langsung lari ngambil anjingnya....

Banyak bule yang masuk Islam karena perkawinan, dan asumsi laki-laki muslimlah yang boleh mengawini non muslim biar bisa masuk Islam, ternyata tidak selalu benar. Dari forum-forum bule muslim, justeru masuk Islam karena istrinya. bahkan ada mubalig bule terkenal, menjadi muslim yang baik karena terbimbing istrinya.