Wild Passion Fruits
27 Apr 2011 3 Comments
in 6. Wonderful Plants Tags: Central Java, Ceplukan Blungsun, Family Property, Invasive Trailing Plant, Passiflora foetida, Wild Passionfruit
The old ruins in our family property in Central Java are fully covered with tangling, trailing plants. The invasion is dominated by a plant species with familiar flowers. I am thinking that I have seen similar flower before.
The locals in Central Java name this plant ‘Ceplukan Blungsun’ and in English it is called ‘Wild Passion Fruit’ and the botanic name is ‘Passiflora foetida”. It is also called ‘Stinking Passionflower’, ‘Mossy Passion Fruit’ or ‘Love in The Mist’ and many other names.
It is said that Passiflora foetida is native to the Amazon rainforest, but it has spread to many other parts of the world including Western parts of Australia and Indonesia.
From the distance, I can see the white Chinese geese eating the small yellow fruits. They have told me that they are edible but I cannot find the ripe ones near me. The geese have eaten them all. Other ripened fruits are too far away…. out of reach. The idea to walk through a thick mat of thorny weeds is difinitely not a good thing to do. The fruits are nothing like those passion fruits that you can buy in the shop as they are much smaller, the size of a small olive. The colour is supposed to be orange-yellow. When still green, the fruits are encased in some kind of green net. They look quite peculiar.
The three lobed leaves are quite large and covered with fine prickly thorns while the spiralled tendrils are trying to find something to hold on to. The beautiful flowers are white with purple colour in the middle.
This wild passion fruit plant aka. Passiflora foetida is a very invasive plant and the seeds are easily spread by animals that eat the juicy fruits.
Standing there, I can’t imagine how to get rid of these climbing plants if someone wants to clean up the place ……………….
Mobile Clothing Repairer
24 Apr 2011 2 Comments
in Life, Travel Tags: Central Java, Indonesia, Mobile Clothing Repairer, Unusual Sight
After leaving Java for more than 25 years, I notice drastic changes to this tropical island that used to be my homeland. It is the most crowded place in Indonesia where people will try anything to make money. In a country where there is hardly or very little social security from the government, making money is always the most popular daily conversation. Whatever people talk about there, it is always associated with money. Either you earn money or you go starving and will not be able to pay bills at all. Micro businesses and trades are growing fast and the variations are incredible.
One thing that has really caught my attention is a clothing repairer. He will patiently push his modified old bike from village to village. Attached to the front part of the push bike is a wooden box where he sets his old black sewing machine. I don’t see him push a pedal to run the sewing machine, so I assume it is run by a large battery. Perhaps it is some kind of car battery?
He repairs broken zippers, missing buttons, torn seams, simple alternations and many other clothing repairs. He charges much less than 10.000 rupiah for each repair. To change a short broken zipper he charges only 5000 rupiah which is around 60 cent Australian dollar. The job is done quickly and pretty neatly while you are waiting.
Well one day, if you travel to Java and have a broken zipper or losing a button or two, it will be handy to have them repaired quickly and neatly with a fraction of cost. Hopefully you are lucky enough to come across this mobile clothing repairer somewhere in the street.
Arca Penthung
23 Mar 2010 Leave a Comment
in Travel Tags: Arca Gopala, Central Java, Reco Gladak, Reco Penthung
Waktu berkunjung ke Indonesia bulan Agustus yang lalu begitu padat acaranya, jadi tak sempat kami pergi ke Pasar Klewer di kota Solo dan melewati alun alun yang gapuranya ditunggui oleh reco Gladak yang membawa penthung atau tongkat dalam bahasa Indonesianya. Namun waktu pergi ke kompleks Candi Prambanan, kami sempat melihat sepasang reco penthung ini yang terletak didepan candi Sewu. Seingat saya di Candi Plaosan yang tak jauh dari Kompleks Candi Prambanan juga terdapat arca penthung ini.
Arca dari batu yang berbentuk raksasa gendut dengan perut buncit, mata melotot, kumis lebat dan taring ini selalu membawa alat pemukul berbentuk penthung atau tongkat gadha. Selain dikenal dengan nama reco Gladak, arca yang berukuran besar ini juga disebut sebagai Reco Penthung atau Arca Gopala. Arca ini selalu diukir dengan ukuran besar dan dalam posisi berlutut.
Bagi masyarakat kota Surakarta, reco Gladak adalah tak asing lagi dan reco Gladak ini adalah arca penthung yang tertua dikota ini. Dulu waktu masih kecil saya sering lihat setiap malam Jumat dan hari hari tertentu orang menaruh sesajen bunga. Maksudnya jelas sesajian tersebut adalah untuk memuja dan berterima kasih karena arca ini mempunya fungsi sebagai penjaga. Nenek saya dulu bilang Reco Gladak ini menjaga supaya roh roh jahat dan dedemit tak akan masuk dan mengganggu ketenteraman.
Selama ini banyak arca baru dibuat yang merupakan replika dari Reco Gladak yang diletakkan didepan gapura gedung gedung besar misalnya pusat perbelanjaan, bank dsb. Walau fungsi patung batu ini sekarang lebih cenderung sebagai hiasan, namun saya yakin masih ada mereka yang mempercayai arti mistisnya. Bagi saya sendiri yang lahir di Indonesia khususnya kota Surakarta, reco Gladak atau arca penthung ini memberi kenangan masa kecil yang sangat khas kota Solo dan juga menurut saya merupakan peninggalan sejarah yang jangan terlupakan:)
