SAILING: THE FORGOTTEN SKILL - PART #02

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May 27th, 2011 – Jakarta to Denpasar 

            We flew Air Asia, not knowing that they did not waive diving equipments. Carrying nearly 200 kilos of baggage consisted mostly of diving and filming equipments, it caused a rather hefty damage of nearly three million rupiah to our pockets. I prayed the trip would be worth it if not more. 

            Once we checked in a hotel in Sanur, the divers and cameramen double checked their equipments and discussed ‘rescue scenario’. In emergency, a lift bag carried by safety diver would rescue the expensive equipment while the cameraman had to save his own life. Pretty damn tricky. I guessed it was one of the reasons I gave up diving long time ago. I just did not see the point of unnecessary hassle to see fish.  

May 28th, 2011 – Denpasar to Ende 

            We flew propeller plane, but this time Wings Air waived diving equipments and we ended up paying only three hundred thousand rupiah. On board, my eyes feasted on the amazing aerial views of East Nusa Tenggara. My heart skipped a beat knowing soon I would be immersed in the beauty below. Fudge. Life’s good!!

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            Light rain greeted us in Ende and we had to forget the idea to see the wonder of Kelimutu Lake to be able to reach the small remote village of Watu Bara before midnight. The scenery that caught our eyes before night fell looked amazing, but after that we had to be content with inky black night. On typical Dutch colonial built road, our cars twisting and turning smoothly along the mountainous region. The air was cool and unmercifully froze the entire smoking passengers with their windows rolled down. After going uphill for at least one and a half hour, the car made a turn and I felt warmer suffocating air hit my face. We were approaching the coast line and leaving the melancholic smooth colonial built road to experience newly built one full of potholes. At one point, we even had to get out of the car either the bridge looked too rickety or potholes resembled small ponds. I knew we were approaching the so-called disadvantaged areas of NTT: the coast line. Somehow the Dutch legacy of prioritizing plantation in the high dry land continued, and fishermen were mostly overlooked.

           During the ride, our driver Nelo told us ‘heroic’ stories that gave me a glimpse of the locals’ temperament. A corrupt village headman, just last month was beheaded by the villagers. Eight villagers came to the police to submit the head and confessed guilty to protect the whole village. Nelo’s stories continued more or less in the same tone. Once blade was unsheathed, blood must spill. By then the air was so thick by humidity and it definitely did not put our minds at ease.

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            After nearly three hours of back breaking drive, we arrived at a darkened beach. Lighted by the dim torch light, I could see it was not a beautiful beach at all. Three motorized dinghies awaited us, swayed wildly by the crashing waves. That was not the first time I joined the fishing boat, I was familiar with the drama involved in getting in and out of dinghy that looked like more of a motorized fiber bucket. Afar, I could see the majestic well lit fishing boat. It gave me comfort and diverted my attention from the dinghy drama that soon would slap me in the face. Turned out it was quite a gentle slap, and we were approaching the boat under the stars lit sky caressed by sweet sea breeze.

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The boat called Pulau Mas 168, she was a simple beauty. It was a modified Phinisi around 60 gross tonnages, capable of transporting 2.5 tonnes of fish manned by 12 crews. After putting all luggage safely in captain tiny cabin (the only cabin), we hung out at the back of the upper deck where hot drinks awaited us. The memory of rough dry land journey evaporated into thin air. For me, returning to the boat was like coming home and for other first timers in the team, they were completely awe struck by the combination of calm water, stars lit sky and the comfort of the gentle giant we were riding on. Of course everyone got ambitious of where to sleep and started looking for their spots on the upper deck, while I knew I would take the captain’s bed safely enclosed within the tiny upper cabin. Open air sleeping was never my forte. That night we slept like babies.

 

SAILING: THE FORGOTTEN SKILL - PART #01

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As a citizen of the largest maritime country beyond planetary perimeter, I grew up to believe that a perfect holiday would always include a boat, a large body of water and rigorous swimming. But I found out long time ago, I was in the wrong. Three hundred and fifty years plus plus of colonialization turned the nation into dry land oriented people. Fish was no good to be imported during colonialization when freezer on board was just a far reached dream. Spices was. So, everyone was forced to cut down trees and plant. Even the fishermen. The unconvinced sailor-tribes who grew up with religion so weird telling them to sail all over the world, were the only one left who knew how to sail the unchartered water fearlessly. The song “My Ancestor Was A Sailor” (Nenek Moyangku Seorang Pelaut) became a feel good song no one really feels good about. Sailing is now a forgotten skill. Coastal villages are ruled by these unconverted sailor-tribes, blameless strangers to the idea of conserving and preserving coral reef ecosystem.

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In modern days, anything to do with sea became something of a luxury, except for the fisherman’s live. So, when an opportunity came for me to join a friend’s fishing boat to sail along the northern coast of Flores Island, I quickly ignored and discarded all my promises to the big city of Jakarta. Sailing is tragically expensive. I had to go.

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Heru is a friend whose business was trading live reef fish for Hong Kong and Chinese market. He was to sail along the coast between Ende and Maumere stopping at villages to convert fisherman’s bomb squads and cyanide killers to a fishing method that was friendly to the coral reef ecosystem. He is an unusual character in live fish trading. He is a regular young bubbly Chinese businessman, but what sets him apart from many of his business counterparts is his advanced level of ‘greed management’. He believes in long term community based business and to expand slowly while caring for ecosystem to save for future generation. (I know, I know, it sounds like the damndest cliche, but it is just something that has to be witnessed to believe and I do not want to risk sounding like an over enthusiastic Fish Prophet/Profit follower, worse still False Fish Warrior. So, read on.) Besides, whenever I joined his fishing boat, a holiday was never just a leisure time to enjoy the scenery in slow pace. It would definitely tear my heart to pieces and my big city conscience would be bruised, black and blue. I needed it after the numbing effect of fast big city life style. I needed to become human again. To be Freddie Freeloader with conscience.

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LOKANANTA - THE ABANDONED HERITAGE

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This is a story from personal experience and purely subjective. In May 2010, I heard a story from a friend who just came back from her Keroncong research. Her story captivated me and drove me to visit the company which housed invaluable master tapes of old Indonesian songs: Lokananta in Solo. Once I was there, with my own eyes I saw one of this country's biggest heritage in such dilapidated condition and employees who were still unclear of their employment status. I was dumbfounded and did not know how to react. It was even more heart breaking after I saw the grand recording studio. The equipment was still there and worked properly regardless of very minimalist maintenance. 

The mammoth work of Paul Yampolski in cataloging Lokananta's collection was still in use as guidance of the archive. However, the discrepancy between catalog and existing collection was unknown. Digitizing process to preserve the collection was happening slowly without involvement from government and definitely on no apparent budget. Clearly, Lokananta still meagerly worked because it was labour of love from the employees.

When I was there, a rumor spread that Lokananta was about to be sold and the area would be turned into a shopping mall. My heart sank when I heard it. Lokananta as one of Indonesia's greatest heritage after being abandoned for so long, would be lost without a trace. Once again, a piece of important history that shaped the very essence of national identity would be gone. Lack of appreciation and complete ignorance of own history became more and more apparent as Indonesian traits. As soon as I was out of the gate, I text a friend in Jakarta could not help myself gushing the tearful experience. 

The fact that I was powerless to do anything frustrated me. It was the sole reason why I wrote this down. I could only hope that there would be something or someone out there who would lend a helping hand and recognize Lokananta's assets as this nation's valuable heritage.

TEN DAYS FOR FIVE CENTURIES

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A ten days journey to capture the spirit of keroncong in Yogya, Solo and Semarang.

Why Keroncong?

As we all know, keroncong, is a music genre which in Indonesia known as ‘old music’, just because the listeners are predominantly above 50 years old.  Younger generation’s interest towards this genre is practically bare minimum, if there is any, usually because they grew up in a keroncong community.  At present ‘finding’ keroncong scene in Indonesia is like visiting your grandparents. You have to make the time, and do it as often as you could, before they die. So, ‘why keroncong’ is the wrong question. ‘Why notkeroncong’, now that is the right question.

 

So, What Is Keroncong?

The origin of the music dates back to the 15th century BC during the glory of Portuguese seaborne empire. Music was the only means to ease soldiers’ homesickness and it spread throughout East Asia, seamlessly assimilated with local cultures resulting in a music genre so various that the original form was completely erased. But one cannot escape the fact that keroncong is played by typical standard western string instruments: violin, ukulele, cello, bass, and guitar.  As Indonesian, we might be familiar with so-called ethnic music of ‘gambang kromong’ (Betawi), ‘kaparinyo’ (Padang), ‘langgam’ (Central Java), ‘stambul’ (from ‘opera Istanbul’) or even ‘moritsko’ (keroncong moresco) without realizing the origin of the music genres.

The reason why is not complicated, because this music has been the accompaniment of life for centuries simply because the beat was felt suitable with then rhtyhm of life: slow, melancholy, with lyrics that are socially in tuned with society. As time goes by, the music is more and more seen unsuitable with fast paced modern life style. It used to be the soundtrack of life, now it is left as a curious genre. Strangely, it manages to survive in the past four centuries in Indonesia.

LIFE REEF FISH FOOD TRADE DIARY

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A Glimpse of A Better Future – Ban On Napoleon Trade and Non Destructive Fishing Method

 

After years of over exploitation, low yields of stocks has diminished the LRFFT in western Indonesia and slowed it down in central and eastern Indonesia . To solely blame everything that went wrong to the existence of Napoleon fish is unfair, but the pattern is clear that whenever Napoleon fish exist with an airport nearby, devastation of coral reef is guaranteed. Not to ban Napoleon trade with an excuse of fishermen livelihoods are complete bollocks (sorry!), because LRFFT, can be thriving in some places that are using good fishing and handling practices and where there is high conservation awareness evident from actors in the supply chain.

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Collaborations that connect businesses and governments along the supply chain are a necessary step towards reducing overfishing and destructive fishing. These include forging trade alliances, promoting best practices for fish caught in the wild as well as increased production of reef food fish from sustainable full-cycle marine culture, as well as helping consumers and businesses navigate their way towards sustainably sourced fish. Despite resolute efforts over past decades to reduce impacts of the LRFFT it continues to pose major challenges for the future sustainable use of this resource. While NGOs and others maintain ongoing programs to address trade concerns, there remains a need for a more concerted effort to forge partnerships with those that matter; business, industries and governments to support action at a scale that matters.

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Napoleon fish could be left alone without significant decrease in fishermen’s income. It is NOT an impossible feat and it is proven. The key word is: awareness. UNLESS there is a comprehensive regional effort to create the synergistic result needed to affect the entire supply-demand chain, and bring together all the players in all countries involved in LRFFT in the Coral Triangle… THE SEA AND THE LIVELIHOOD AROUND IT WILL BECOME SILENT.