when rainforests get slashed and burned
it releases tons of carbon into the air we breathe
it changes our climate
it hurts...
every bit of rainforest that gets ripped out over there
really hurts us over here
May 30, 2008
May 29, 2008
Salah Siapa?
"Ribuan Hektar Tanaman Padi Terancam Kekeringan"
Begitu headline yang tertera di harian Kompas hari ini, Kamis 29 Mei 2008. Sebuah gambar hamparan sawah yang retak-retak kering turut menghiasi berita ini. Petani mengeluh. Pemerintah pun mengeluarkan sejumlah data statistik. Tanpa prediksi. Tanpa solusi.
Salah siapa?
Belumkah tersadar? Belum juga terbangun? Masih saja saling menyalahkan?
Berdasar kebutuhan dan kepentingan ekonomi, kita telah membuka jutaan hektar hutan kita untuk persawahan, perkebunan dan pembangunan. Fungsi pepohonan untuk menyerap air ke dalam tanah melalui akar-akar kokohnya lenyap sudah. "Layanan" cuma-cuma dari Ibu Bumi tak lagi bisa dinikmati. Di musim hujan, air kini hanya numpang lewat dalam jumlah yang terkadang terlalu banyak sehingga menyebabkan banjir, serta mengakibatkan erosi dan longsor. Di musim kering... air sudah kembali ke pelukan bahari atau menguap tanpa jejak.
Salah siapa, kau bertanya?
Jangan sedih!
Ini salah kita sendiri!
Leave our forests alone, you idiots!!!
Begitu headline yang tertera di harian Kompas hari ini, Kamis 29 Mei 2008. Sebuah gambar hamparan sawah yang retak-retak kering turut menghiasi berita ini. Petani mengeluh. Pemerintah pun mengeluarkan sejumlah data statistik. Tanpa prediksi. Tanpa solusi.
Salah siapa?
Belumkah tersadar? Belum juga terbangun? Masih saja saling menyalahkan?
Berdasar kebutuhan dan kepentingan ekonomi, kita telah membuka jutaan hektar hutan kita untuk persawahan, perkebunan dan pembangunan. Fungsi pepohonan untuk menyerap air ke dalam tanah melalui akar-akar kokohnya lenyap sudah. "Layanan" cuma-cuma dari Ibu Bumi tak lagi bisa dinikmati. Di musim hujan, air kini hanya numpang lewat dalam jumlah yang terkadang terlalu banyak sehingga menyebabkan banjir, serta mengakibatkan erosi dan longsor. Di musim kering... air sudah kembali ke pelukan bahari atau menguap tanpa jejak.
Salah siapa, kau bertanya?
Jangan sedih!
Ini salah kita sendiri!
Leave our forests alone, you idiots!!!
May 28, 2008
I DARE YOU, MARA!
hey Mara,
i guess it’s pointless to say “Namaste”
as you are never needing courtesy
yet i’m here at your door
because as you’ve promised
when God fails, i’ll wind up with you…
hey Mara,
i’m still a prisoner of temptations
i’m still a hostage of fear
i still hate diseases and death
and i’m not ashamed of all that
i love all the illusions of this world
that is why i came to you
show me your four faces
and keep my prana going
hey Mara,
i guess it’s pointless to say “See you in hell!”
since i already am… in hell…
you are not as much a devil as i am
show me what you can do
not just by causing destructions
but also by granting wishes that
God thinks we have to wait…
hey Mara,
my desires are known to you
grant them and my soul is yours…
i dare you!!!
i guess it’s pointless to say “Namaste”
as you are never needing courtesy
yet i’m here at your door
because as you’ve promised
when God fails, i’ll wind up with you…
hey Mara,
i’m still a prisoner of temptations
i’m still a hostage of fear
i still hate diseases and death
and i’m not ashamed of all that
i love all the illusions of this world
that is why i came to you
show me your four faces
and keep my prana going
hey Mara,
i guess it’s pointless to say “See you in hell!”
since i already am… in hell…
you are not as much a devil as i am
show me what you can do
not just by causing destructions
but also by granting wishes that
God thinks we have to wait…
hey Mara,
my desires are known to you
grant them and my soul is yours…
i dare you!!!
May 23, 2008
It’s Hard to Love, There’s So Much to Hate
and it's hard to love, there's so much to hate
hanging on to hope when there is no hope to speak of
and the wounded skies above say it's much too late
well maybe we should all be praying for time
- George Michael -
Today, I’m 39. I have gone through so much. I have learned so much. I got pregnant and married by the age of 20, raised a family while trying to earn a college degree in a foreign country, had another child while finishing a Master degree in another foreign country and finally became a Catholic. Thankfully, school always came easy for me. No matter how disobedient and wayward I was, I always managed to complete each level of my education on time and with flying colors. Full credit to God. Thank You God, for this brain.
Then, when life seemed to finally be on track – great career, wonderful husband, two lovely daughters and enough money – I lost my dear husband. He died at the age of 30, leaving me with a 10 year-old and a 6 year-old. That was 20 September 1999. The darkest day of my life.
Don’t be sorry for me, because I’m perfectly fine now. It’s amazing how resilient a human heart is. It’s amazing how I could pick up the pieces (of course after having a complete nervous breakdown for a year and nearly lost all my faith in God… again…) and moved on. It’s amazing how I could survive 9 years without him, my childhood sweetheart (I dated him since I was 13), my best friend, my lover, my everything. It’s amazing how I could raise two kids on my own. My oldest daughter, Cassey, is off to college soon. My youngest, Sky, will start high school in a couple of months. It’s amazing that I’m still here…
I have gone through so much. I have learned so much. And I have been so blessed with many wonderful things, despite some tragedies that I had to endure. I am a little bit wiser now (just a little bit) and less confrontational. My relationship with my parents is still not perfect and they still pretend not to know about my religion (I’m sure they know). But at least now we talk, not argue. At least now we have a relationship. But my frustration remains. This time, I’m frustrated at people. The more things I’ve gone through and the more things I’ve learned, the more frustrated I am at people.
People who secretly hate other people, judge other people, hurt other people, even kill other people, in the name of religion and God. People, who are like my parents, think that their faith, their religion is the best one, while others are crap. People who are still stupid and are not able to learn anything, while I’m sure they’ve surely had incredible life experiences too.
Here’s one common example. In the holy Qur’an (yes, I still consider it holy), it is said: “Innad diina ‘indallahil Islam” [Chapter 3 - Al Imran : Verse 19]. Behold, the only [true] religion in the sight of God is Islam. And nearly everyone I know, who claims to be a “good” Moslem, holds that verse dearly and thus believes that other religions therefore are not true religions. Against God's wish, they use this verse against any other religion. Clever. Just clever. NOT!!!
It took me several years asking around, poking around, reading every religious literature I came across (I worked in my campus library, which turned out to be another blessing), earning a few more enemies and more bad reputations along the way. But finally, I found the answer. My God! People! They have translated every single word in that verse except for one. “Islam”. Most people treated this word like a brand name or a marketing tagline! They treated it like the word “Coca-Cola” or “Kodak” or “Nike”. It is NOT a brand name, people!!! It’s an Arabic word. It too has meaning. It too must be translated in order to grasp the full meaning of the verse. Islam means “surrender”. In Bahasa Indonesia, it means “pasrah”. The full translation of the verse is: Behold, the only [true] religion in the sight of God is [man’s] self-surrender unto Him.
Now, please tell me. Is there a religion that doesn’t fall into THAT category? Is there a religion that doesn’t teach its followers to surrender completely to the will of God? NO! Even old religions that do not recognize God still teach their followers about self-surrender through various types of meditation and self-reflection. Get it??? It is those of us who surrender to the will of God that are considered the ones with a true religion. Never leave home without it. Never sleep without it. Never do anything without it. Certainly never die without it.
The Catholics and the Christians also have a similar verse from the bible that they hold dearly and use against other religions. Oh for Heaven’s sake, dear Father, my One and Only, my Savior, do I have to explain this too??? People, call me. I’ll explain it to you personally.
Where are You, God? Why do You let us be so stupid? Why do You let us hurt each other? What do You want us to learn from all this? Is this Your will too? Do I have to surrender to this too? Forgive me, Father. I do love You. I do trust You. But I will never stop questioning You. Hope You don’t mind and hope You’ll answer me one day (while I’m still alive, please). This is me, Father. I’m Your rebellious daughter, knocking helplessly at Your door. These days, I find it so hard to love and there’s so much to hate… Help me…
MOTHER EARTH AND PEOPLE
I have successfully inherited my passion and love for animals and other elements of nature to my kids. Thank God for that. My oldest daughter cried the first time she saw a horse carriage. She thought it was cruel to make a horse transport us around in a carriage. My youngest daughter has even taken things to the next level. She joined and supported many causes for nature conservation and wild animals preservation. But it has been years since we last had a pet. My kids were nagging about it, but fortunately they now understand my reason.
We moved back with my parents because I needed to save money to pay for an apartment that’s still being constructed and would not be ready until the end of next year. And while we live at my parents, having pets means having fights. And I don’t want to fight them anymore. As much as I love animals, I know better now. I know I should never be cruel and hurt others, especially my parents. Just like I ignore the fact that they ignore my religion, I let them believe what they want to believe about animals. They’re old and they’re my parents. They deserve it. That’s my reason for not having pets. Hopefully, when we move to our new apartment, we can at least have a cat or a dog. I promise I won’t have a snake slithering around in my apartment. So it’s safe to visit me. Really.
But as hard as I try to be wiser, my frustration remains. This time, I’m frustrated at people. The more things I’ve gone through and the more things I’ve learned, the more frustrated I am at people.
People who throw rubbish everywhere. People who waste energy. People who cut down rainforests and turn them into oil palm plantations. People who bomb and poison coral reefs. People who over-fish. People who cut down mangroves to make buildings and roads. People who kill endangered animals. People who capture and sell endangered animals. People who consume endangered animals. People who hate nature and animals. People who are ignorant about the environment and insist to remain ignorant. People who don’t realize that we are facing major disasters. People who realize that we are facing major disasters but choose not to care. People who say that they care, but don’t act like it.
Is it really THAT hard to understand? Is it really THAT hard to fall madly in love with Mother Earth? Am I THAT weird? Have I really gone insane?
Apart from the fact that everything in nature is so visually and remarkably stunning (and I can’t understand anyone who can’t see this), is it really so hard to understand that we can’t live alone? The human race can’t survive alone. We need other living beings to survive this crazy, crazy world.
We need trees. Just in case you don’t know, they are living beings too. Not just the pretty-looking ornamental trees in our gardens, but more importantly the huge, bushy, leafy and tall trees in the forests. We need them to produce oxygen for us to breathe. We need them to capture the poisonous carbon we continually produce from our pleasure-seeking lifestyles. We need them to control soil erosion. We need them to prevent floods. We need them to provide us with high-quality fresh water deep in our soil. We need them regulate our climate. WE NEED THEM. What’s so hard to understand?
We need animals. Especially the ones that live in the forests. They are part of a healthy balance that keep the forests lush and fertile. From the humble earthworms that keep the soil rich and productive to the giant orangutans that disperse seeds throughout the forests to grow more and more trees on that rich soil. From the disgustingly slimy frogs to the intimidating tigers. From the scary to the ugly. From the yummy to the beautiful. Everything in the forests has its own important task and works side by side to complete those tasks in order to achieve a common goal: to keep the forests healthy and happy.
We need coral reefs, mangroves and sea grass beds. We need them because these are the nurseries for lives in the sea. Without them, we’ll have no sea creatures at all, except probably the really, really eerie ones in the darkness of deep oceans. We need those sea creatures. Not only because a lot of them are yummy, but also because they are important to keep the oceans healthy and happy. And we need the oceans, because healthy oceans, just like healthy forests, also produce oxygen and regulate our climate. Additionally, the reefs and mangroves are actually God’s “soldiers” put on Earth for us. They help prevent and hold back big waves that can easily destroy us. Yes, like the tsunami. Impacts of a tsunami could be minimized if the reefs and the mangroves in the area are still intact and healthy.
Get the connection now? The trees need animals and we need those trees. So therefore we need animals too. The sea creatures need coral reefs, mangroves and sea grass beds. The oceans need sea creatures to be healthy. We need healthy oceans. Therefore, we need coral reefs, mangroves and sea grass beds. PLUS, we also need them to protect us from angry waves. WE ARE ALL CONNECTED! We can’t live without them. They can’t live without us. And they certainly can’t live if we keep ransacking every single habitat where they live. They can’t live with us killing them all the time. We are the ONLY element of nature that doesn’t want to work side by side with them.
You see, we can’t upset that balance, because it is us that are most at risk in the end. It is us who will pay the hardest consequences. Irregular and unpredictable climate. Horrible water quality. No water at all. Too much water or flood. Landslide. Diseases. Death.
If we really, really, really have to disturb that perfect balance because we too need to develop and grow, then please don’t be greedy. Please be wise. Please be considerate. Thoroughly study everything you need to know first about what you’re about to do, then make a careful plan to minimize the environmental impacts and to manage the unavoidable impacts. There WILL be impacts. But if you are wise, hopefully Mother Earth is also wise enough to let us have our ways. And we can all work together and share this planet and live on it happily.
Otherwise, Mother Earth will be angry and we’ll be left with irregular and unpredictable climate. Horrible water quality. No water at all. Too much water or flood. Landslide. Diseases. Death. What’s so hard to understand?
Where are You, God? Why do You let us be so stupid? Why do You let us hurt each other? Why do You let us hurt Your other creations? What do You want us to learn from all this? Is this Your will too? Do I have to surrender to this too? Forgive me, Father. I do love You. I do trust You. But I will never stop questioning You. Hope You don’t mind and hope You’ll answer me one day (while I’m still alive, please). This is me, Father. I’m Your rebellious daughter, knocking helplessly at Your door. These days, I find it so hard to love and there’s so much to hate… Help me…
*****
so you scream from behind your door
say what's mine is mine and not yours
I may have too much but I'll take my chances
'cause God's stopped keeping score
and you cling to the things they sold you
did you cover your eyes when they told you
that He can't come back
'cause He has no children to come back for
and it's hard to love, there's so much to hate
hanging on to hope when there is no hope to speak of
hanging on to hope when there is no hope to speak of
and the wounded skies above say it's much too late
well maybe we should all be praying for time
- George Michael -
*****
20 May 2008. There was supposed to be a full moon today. I searched the cloudy night sky. I could barely see traces of moonlight behind curtains of clouds. I wished I could summon the moon, invite it to become twilight to the door of my mind, and ask these questions… What has this world become? What have we become? Where’s God? But in all its sad beauty, the moon didn’t answer me, yet something seemed to be written there mockingly. The human race seems to have failed every single one of His tests. We’re all just waiting around for that judgment day to come.
GOD AND ME
One evening, 1978. I was 9 years old. I came to my Mom with one burning wish.
“Mom,” I said. “Can I become a Catholic?”
She frowned. Maybe trying to calm her heart and to find the right words to answer her 9 year-old daughter.
“Why?” she finally asked.
“I don’t know. I just feel like it. I think Catholicism fits me better than Islam,” that was my honest answer.
She frowned again.
“No,” she said slowly but firmly. “Not now.”
“Then when?” I insisted.
“You must learn Islam first for now, because that’s the religion that I believe in. Then when you become an adult, you can choose your own way,” she said again.
Fair enough. So I shut up and walked away. But soon after that, everyone in my big family knew about it. Young and old, men and women, boy and girl. They were all talking about it. About how dare me asking such question, making such request. Then Mom held family meetings several times (I wasn’t invited of course), just to discuss it and to seek advice from her elders. What was the big deal? I had no idea. The result was astounding. They decided I should quit my piano lessons, my track practices and all other activities, so that I could attend Islamic studies at Al-Azhar three times a week after school and private Qur’an recitation classes at home twice a week, also after school. There went my social life, at the age of 9. Along with that little rule, I also started to earn a reputation: the family rebel. For what? For something that came straight from my heart, I wanted to follow another path, the path of a Catholic.
What is religion? Is it an organization? Do we need memberships to belong to it? Do we automatically have to inherit it from our parents? Can’t we choose our own way? Is it so bad and so wrong to belong to one religion instead of the other? At only a tender age of 9, my heart was consumed by hatred towards God.
Bismillahirrahmaanirrahiim. In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. I was taught to say that before doing everything. Before I ate, before I went to sleep, before I rode my bike, even before I brushed my teeth. Alhamdulillahirabbil ‘alamiin. Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds. I was taught to say that after doing everything. After I ate, when I woke up, after I rode my bike, even after I brushed my teeth.
Yet what is so gracious and so merciful about God if He split us up into different boxes, labeled “Islam”, “Catholic”, “Protestant”, “Hindu”, “Buddha” and so on? What is there to cherish and praise? Which worlds does He actually sustain? This world? Really? Why does it matter if we believe in one religion and not the other? If He loves us so much, if he’s so gracious and merciful, then what does He care? It should be just the same, shouldn’t it?
Questions were swirling in my head with no answer. The more I asked, the more I was scolded, the more Mom cried and held family meetings. And I earned even more reputations: radical, ungrateful, extreme, selfish, stubborn and impossible, among many other reputations. Just because I wanted to become a Catholic? Just because I questioned God? Oh, come on!
So I did the only thing I knew. Might as well make all those reputations worth it. I became the most rebellious, most stubborn, most radical, most selfish, most ungrateful, most extreme and most impossible kid to handle. At the age of 11, I dared my Mom, who was and still is a doctor, to prove to me that pork meat was actually dangerous for us. We had many heated discussions about this. Well, they weren’t actually discussions. They were more like shouts and screams. But in the end, she gave in. Holding on tightly to her faith, she was sure she would be able to prove that there was something wrong with pork and that was why we weren’t allowed to eat it.
So she reluctantly bought some pork meat (while repeatedly praying to God to forgive her) and took me to a lab in her office. She put a tiny piece of that uncooked meat under a microscope. She peered through the microscope, then she looked at me and smiled triumphantly.
“Here,” she said, still smiling. “Have a look.”
“See those small white dots moving around vaguely? Those are worms,” she added.
“But Mom,” I replied quietly, being dangerously calm for an 11 year-old. “It’s raw meat. People don’t eat raw pork, Mom.”
“Let’s cook it first. Then we’ll have another look,” I said insistently.
We did. We cooked it and took another look under the microscope. This time, I smiled triumphantly. Mom took another look, then another, then frowned.
Frustrated and annoyed, she finally said decisively, “Look. It is NOT our place to question God’s rules. We need to believe that every rule God made for us is for our own good. Have faith on that.”
That was it. That little scientific experiment returned my faith to God. Not to Islam or Catholicism or any other religion. But to God. I no longer hated Him. Because I believed (and I still do to this day, even though I’m now a Catholic) that the Qur’an did contain the words of God, I also believed that He must be most gracious and most merciful. I suddenly understood that it wasn’t Him at all that created all this mess. It must be us. It was US who were so stupid that we couldn’t understand His rules and His will. And because we didn’t understand, we could never explain anything correctly. Everything was only as good or as bad as our own interpretation. It had nothing to do with God.
And because I was sure with all my heart that God wouldn’t mind if I chose to become a Moslem or a Catholic or a Buddhist or a Hindu or anything, my rebellion became worse. No longer hating God, I turned my hatred towards my parents and my entire family. At the age of 13, I started smoking. Then I started drinking at 14. Then marijuana and pills at 15. Then car racing. Then late night partying. Then rock n roll. Then sex. By the age of 16, my parents gave up scolding me. In fact, they stopped talking to me unless it was really, really necessary like “Hey, Rin… there’s a phone for you” or “Rin, here’s your allowance” (thank God they still gave me allowances). In a little ceremonial-like event, they silently gave me a copy of our house key. That was the beginning of my absolute freedom. Sex, drugs and rock n roll!!!
If it wasn’t because of Mother Earth, I would probably be dead by now. This is another story. Bear with me, please.
MOTHER EARTH AND ME
Until now, I still can’t figure out who taught me or influenced me to love nature. Especially animals. I love all kinds of animals, including the ones I’m afraid of and never dare to come close to. None of my family members is particularly fond of animals. But they did take me to the mountains or to the oceans every once in a while when I was a kid, especially during school holidays. I used to love those trips. Maybe that’s why. Can’t be sure. But animals? They definitely never taught me to like animals. They never even allowed me to have pets.
My parents hate dogs. Like all good Moslems, they think dogs are “haram” or forbidden. They don’t hate cats but still, they prefer not to have them around either. Nor any other animal. And of course, their attitude towards animals could never stop me.
I brought a stranded dog home when I was 9 (I don’t why, but all my antiques seemed to start at the age of 9). My parents were angry, but since I threw horrible tantrums at the idea of giving it away, they finally let me keep it as long as it didn’t enter the house. It must remain in the garage or in the garden at all times. I was happy enough. Until one day… My dog was sleeping in the garage. Our driver came that morning and didn’t check underneath the car. He started the car, backed it up out of the garage and accidentally ran my dog over. The dog was dead instantly. When I found out about it, I cried and screamed all morning, refusing to go to school. I also did the unthinkable for a 9 year-old. I fired my driver on the spot. I refused to do anything else until he agreed to leave and never come back. My parents were furious, yet couldn’t do anything to stop it. I said things that badly hurt my driver’s feeling and he left without a word. I was cruel. I regret that. I do. But even today, I still miss that dog.
After that incident, I decided never to have dogs anymore. There was no point of having a dog if it was going to have to sleep in the garage again and face another risk of being killed. So I had cats instead. No, not those furry and cute pure-bred cats, but again… stranded, cold, sick and dying cats I found on the streets or in the gutters. My parents were speechless.
Then I had a couple of rabbits. In a week, they were both eaten by my cats. I cried endlessly too, but I didn’t “fire” my cats like I fired my driver. I just never had rabbits anymore. I was cruel. I loved animals more than I loved human beings. I fired my driver, but I didn’t have the heart to punish my cats. I regret that. I do. But even today, I still miss the dog and the rabbits.
Then in high school, I had a snake. A friend of mine, who was quite knowledgeable about snakes, found it during one of our many hiking trips to Mount Salak in West Java. He immediately recognized that it was a baby boa constrictor and it wasn’t venomous. He said it was a girl. I had no idea how he knew this, but decided not to argue. It was November. So we kept her and passionately named her “Novi”. We took turn taking care of her. Sometimes she stayed with me and sometimes she stayed at my friend’s house.
I knew my parents would have a fit, if not a heart-attack. So whenever Novi was with me, I carefully hid her in my bedroom. I made sure that my bedroom door was always locked. Then I used to hunt for geckos to feed her. I hunted geckos everywhere. In my bedroom, behind wall paintings in the living room, in the kitchen, in the garage, even in the mosque nearby my house. Luckily, no one asked or protested. I was such a strange and rebellious kid by then that everyone figured it was just one of my antiques and it would pass in time. Remember, my parents didn’t talk to me much during my high school years.
When Novi started to get bigger, I had to change her diet. I fed her little chicks that I bought at the market. Again, no one asked or protested. Sometimes, I even took her to school (hidden in my big backpack) to scare other girls. I was cruel, but in this case I’ve never regretted it. I hated those girls who only cared about their looks and their hair and their clothes and their shoes and their cars and shit like that.
Eventually though, my parents did find out. One Sunday morning, I had to pee so badly that I jumped out of bed and ran to the toilet, forgetting to lock my bedroom door. Novi casually slithered out into the dining room where my parents were sitting and enjoying their breakfast. Mom screamed on top of her lungs. Dad was panicking too for a couple of minutes, trying to decide what to do. That’s when I came out from the toilet. Realizing what had happened, I immediately picked Novi up and cuddled her, softly soothing her and telling her not to be afraid. Seeing that, Dad lost his temper. He started shouting at me angrily, telling me that I had gone totally insane. I probably had gone insane, because my first reaction to Dad’s anger was getting twice as angry, shouting twice as loud, telling him that Novi was harmless and he was a coward. But when Dad ran to the garage and came back with a huge axe, I realized he was REALLY angry. I took off. I managed to save Novi from my Dad’s axe. Since then, she was cared by my friend who found her. His parents were rarely home, so Novi was safe. She got very big and eventually decided to wander off. We lost her. And today, I still miss her.
Those are only a few examples of how crazy I am when it comes to animals. There are many more, but less interesting to tell. The point is, I love animals and everything else in nature. So in high school, I joined this club called TRUPALA. A nature society. The members must all go through tough physical exercises and master various survival skills before being officially inducted and earning the right to wear the prestigious orange jackets, the jacket that I still proudly own and put on every time I venture in the wilds.
It was those rigorous exercises that saved me from my partying, rock n rolling, drug addictive days. I still partied and rock n rolled, and occasionally took a few drags of weed, but it wasn’t done in an uncontrollable and suicidal manner anymore. My passion for the great nature and my undying hope of animal encounters in the wild saved me. Mother Earth saved me.
GOD AND PEOPLE
GOD AND ME
One evening, 1978. I was 9 years old. I came to my Mom with one burning wish.
“Mom,” I said. “Can I become a Catholic?”
She frowned. Maybe trying to calm her heart and to find the right words to answer her 9 year-old daughter.
“Why?” she finally asked.
“I don’t know. I just feel like it. I think Catholicism fits me better than Islam,” that was my honest answer.
She frowned again.
“No,” she said slowly but firmly. “Not now.”
“Then when?” I insisted.
“You must learn Islam first for now, because that’s the religion that I believe in. Then when you become an adult, you can choose your own way,” she said again.
Fair enough. So I shut up and walked away. But soon after that, everyone in my big family knew about it. Young and old, men and women, boy and girl. They were all talking about it. About how dare me asking such question, making such request. Then Mom held family meetings several times (I wasn’t invited of course), just to discuss it and to seek advice from her elders. What was the big deal? I had no idea. The result was astounding. They decided I should quit my piano lessons, my track practices and all other activities, so that I could attend Islamic studies at Al-Azhar three times a week after school and private Qur’an recitation classes at home twice a week, also after school. There went my social life, at the age of 9. Along with that little rule, I also started to earn a reputation: the family rebel. For what? For something that came straight from my heart, I wanted to follow another path, the path of a Catholic.
What is religion? Is it an organization? Do we need memberships to belong to it? Do we automatically have to inherit it from our parents? Can’t we choose our own way? Is it so bad and so wrong to belong to one religion instead of the other? At only a tender age of 9, my heart was consumed by hatred towards God.
Bismillahirrahmaanirrahiim. In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. I was taught to say that before doing everything. Before I ate, before I went to sleep, before I rode my bike, even before I brushed my teeth. Alhamdulillahirabbil ‘alamiin. Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds. I was taught to say that after doing everything. After I ate, when I woke up, after I rode my bike, even after I brushed my teeth.
Yet what is so gracious and so merciful about God if He split us up into different boxes, labeled “Islam”, “Catholic”, “Protestant”, “Hindu”, “Buddha” and so on? What is there to cherish and praise? Which worlds does He actually sustain? This world? Really? Why does it matter if we believe in one religion and not the other? If He loves us so much, if he’s so gracious and merciful, then what does He care? It should be just the same, shouldn’t it?
Questions were swirling in my head with no answer. The more I asked, the more I was scolded, the more Mom cried and held family meetings. And I earned even more reputations: radical, ungrateful, extreme, selfish, stubborn and impossible, among many other reputations. Just because I wanted to become a Catholic? Just because I questioned God? Oh, come on!
So I did the only thing I knew. Might as well make all those reputations worth it. I became the most rebellious, most stubborn, most radical, most selfish, most ungrateful, most extreme and most impossible kid to handle. At the age of 11, I dared my Mom, who was and still is a doctor, to prove to me that pork meat was actually dangerous for us. We had many heated discussions about this. Well, they weren’t actually discussions. They were more like shouts and screams. But in the end, she gave in. Holding on tightly to her faith, she was sure she would be able to prove that there was something wrong with pork and that was why we weren’t allowed to eat it.
So she reluctantly bought some pork meat (while repeatedly praying to God to forgive her) and took me to a lab in her office. She put a tiny piece of that uncooked meat under a microscope. She peered through the microscope, then she looked at me and smiled triumphantly.
“Here,” she said, still smiling. “Have a look.”
“See those small white dots moving around vaguely? Those are worms,” she added.
“But Mom,” I replied quietly, being dangerously calm for an 11 year-old. “It’s raw meat. People don’t eat raw pork, Mom.”
“Let’s cook it first. Then we’ll have another look,” I said insistently.
We did. We cooked it and took another look under the microscope. This time, I smiled triumphantly. Mom took another look, then another, then frowned.
Frustrated and annoyed, she finally said decisively, “Look. It is NOT our place to question God’s rules. We need to believe that every rule God made for us is for our own good. Have faith on that.”
That was it. That little scientific experiment returned my faith to God. Not to Islam or Catholicism or any other religion. But to God. I no longer hated Him. Because I believed (and I still do to this day, even though I’m now a Catholic) that the Qur’an did contain the words of God, I also believed that He must be most gracious and most merciful. I suddenly understood that it wasn’t Him at all that created all this mess. It must be us. It was US who were so stupid that we couldn’t understand His rules and His will. And because we didn’t understand, we could never explain anything correctly. Everything was only as good or as bad as our own interpretation. It had nothing to do with God.
And because I was sure with all my heart that God wouldn’t mind if I chose to become a Moslem or a Catholic or a Buddhist or a Hindu or anything, my rebellion became worse. No longer hating God, I turned my hatred towards my parents and my entire family. At the age of 13, I started smoking. Then I started drinking at 14. Then marijuana and pills at 15. Then car racing. Then late night partying. Then rock n roll. Then sex. By the age of 16, my parents gave up scolding me. In fact, they stopped talking to me unless it was really, really necessary like “Hey, Rin… there’s a phone for you” or “Rin, here’s your allowance” (thank God they still gave me allowances). In a little ceremonial-like event, they silently gave me a copy of our house key. That was the beginning of my absolute freedom. Sex, drugs and rock n roll!!!
If it wasn’t because of Mother Earth, I would probably be dead by now. This is another story. Bear with me, please.
MOTHER EARTH AND ME
Until now, I still can’t figure out who taught me or influenced me to love nature. Especially animals. I love all kinds of animals, including the ones I’m afraid of and never dare to come close to. None of my family members is particularly fond of animals. But they did take me to the mountains or to the oceans every once in a while when I was a kid, especially during school holidays. I used to love those trips. Maybe that’s why. Can’t be sure. But animals? They definitely never taught me to like animals. They never even allowed me to have pets.
My parents hate dogs. Like all good Moslems, they think dogs are “haram” or forbidden. They don’t hate cats but still, they prefer not to have them around either. Nor any other animal. And of course, their attitude towards animals could never stop me.
I brought a stranded dog home when I was 9 (I don’t why, but all my antiques seemed to start at the age of 9). My parents were angry, but since I threw horrible tantrums at the idea of giving it away, they finally let me keep it as long as it didn’t enter the house. It must remain in the garage or in the garden at all times. I was happy enough. Until one day… My dog was sleeping in the garage. Our driver came that morning and didn’t check underneath the car. He started the car, backed it up out of the garage and accidentally ran my dog over. The dog was dead instantly. When I found out about it, I cried and screamed all morning, refusing to go to school. I also did the unthinkable for a 9 year-old. I fired my driver on the spot. I refused to do anything else until he agreed to leave and never come back. My parents were furious, yet couldn’t do anything to stop it. I said things that badly hurt my driver’s feeling and he left without a word. I was cruel. I regret that. I do. But even today, I still miss that dog.
After that incident, I decided never to have dogs anymore. There was no point of having a dog if it was going to have to sleep in the garage again and face another risk of being killed. So I had cats instead. No, not those furry and cute pure-bred cats, but again… stranded, cold, sick and dying cats I found on the streets or in the gutters. My parents were speechless.
Then I had a couple of rabbits. In a week, they were both eaten by my cats. I cried endlessly too, but I didn’t “fire” my cats like I fired my driver. I just never had rabbits anymore. I was cruel. I loved animals more than I loved human beings. I fired my driver, but I didn’t have the heart to punish my cats. I regret that. I do. But even today, I still miss the dog and the rabbits.
Then in high school, I had a snake. A friend of mine, who was quite knowledgeable about snakes, found it during one of our many hiking trips to Mount Salak in West Java. He immediately recognized that it was a baby boa constrictor and it wasn’t venomous. He said it was a girl. I had no idea how he knew this, but decided not to argue. It was November. So we kept her and passionately named her “Novi”. We took turn taking care of her. Sometimes she stayed with me and sometimes she stayed at my friend’s house.
I knew my parents would have a fit, if not a heart-attack. So whenever Novi was with me, I carefully hid her in my bedroom. I made sure that my bedroom door was always locked. Then I used to hunt for geckos to feed her. I hunted geckos everywhere. In my bedroom, behind wall paintings in the living room, in the kitchen, in the garage, even in the mosque nearby my house. Luckily, no one asked or protested. I was such a strange and rebellious kid by then that everyone figured it was just one of my antiques and it would pass in time. Remember, my parents didn’t talk to me much during my high school years.
When Novi started to get bigger, I had to change her diet. I fed her little chicks that I bought at the market. Again, no one asked or protested. Sometimes, I even took her to school (hidden in my big backpack) to scare other girls. I was cruel, but in this case I’ve never regretted it. I hated those girls who only cared about their looks and their hair and their clothes and their shoes and their cars and shit like that.
Eventually though, my parents did find out. One Sunday morning, I had to pee so badly that I jumped out of bed and ran to the toilet, forgetting to lock my bedroom door. Novi casually slithered out into the dining room where my parents were sitting and enjoying their breakfast. Mom screamed on top of her lungs. Dad was panicking too for a couple of minutes, trying to decide what to do. That’s when I came out from the toilet. Realizing what had happened, I immediately picked Novi up and cuddled her, softly soothing her and telling her not to be afraid. Seeing that, Dad lost his temper. He started shouting at me angrily, telling me that I had gone totally insane. I probably had gone insane, because my first reaction to Dad’s anger was getting twice as angry, shouting twice as loud, telling him that Novi was harmless and he was a coward. But when Dad ran to the garage and came back with a huge axe, I realized he was REALLY angry. I took off. I managed to save Novi from my Dad’s axe. Since then, she was cared by my friend who found her. His parents were rarely home, so Novi was safe. She got very big and eventually decided to wander off. We lost her. And today, I still miss her.
Those are only a few examples of how crazy I am when it comes to animals. There are many more, but less interesting to tell. The point is, I love animals and everything else in nature. So in high school, I joined this club called TRUPALA. A nature society. The members must all go through tough physical exercises and master various survival skills before being officially inducted and earning the right to wear the prestigious orange jackets, the jacket that I still proudly own and put on every time I venture in the wilds.
It was those rigorous exercises that saved me from my partying, rock n rolling, drug addictive days. I still partied and rock n rolled, and occasionally took a few drags of weed, but it wasn’t done in an uncontrollable and suicidal manner anymore. My passion for the great nature and my undying hope of animal encounters in the wild saved me. Mother Earth saved me.
GOD AND PEOPLE
Today, I’m 39. I have gone through so much. I have learned so much. I got pregnant and married by the age of 20, raised a family while trying to earn a college degree in a foreign country, had another child while finishing a Master degree in another foreign country and finally became a Catholic. Thankfully, school always came easy for me. No matter how disobedient and wayward I was, I always managed to complete each level of my education on time and with flying colors. Full credit to God. Thank You God, for this brain.
Then, when life seemed to finally be on track – great career, wonderful husband, two lovely daughters and enough money – I lost my dear husband. He died at the age of 30, leaving me with a 10 year-old and a 6 year-old. That was 20 September 1999. The darkest day of my life.
Don’t be sorry for me, because I’m perfectly fine now. It’s amazing how resilient a human heart is. It’s amazing how I could pick up the pieces (of course after having a complete nervous breakdown for a year and nearly lost all my faith in God… again…) and moved on. It’s amazing how I could survive 9 years without him, my childhood sweetheart (I dated him since I was 13), my best friend, my lover, my everything. It’s amazing how I could raise two kids on my own. My oldest daughter, Cassey, is off to college soon. My youngest, Sky, will start high school in a couple of months. It’s amazing that I’m still here…
I have gone through so much. I have learned so much. And I have been so blessed with many wonderful things, despite some tragedies that I had to endure. I am a little bit wiser now (just a little bit) and less confrontational. My relationship with my parents is still not perfect and they still pretend not to know about my religion (I’m sure they know). But at least now we talk, not argue. At least now we have a relationship. But my frustration remains. This time, I’m frustrated at people. The more things I’ve gone through and the more things I’ve learned, the more frustrated I am at people.
People who secretly hate other people, judge other people, hurt other people, even kill other people, in the name of religion and God. People, who are like my parents, think that their faith, their religion is the best one, while others are crap. People who are still stupid and are not able to learn anything, while I’m sure they’ve surely had incredible life experiences too.
Here’s one common example. In the holy Qur’an (yes, I still consider it holy), it is said: “Innad diina ‘indallahil Islam” [Chapter 3 - Al Imran : Verse 19]. Behold, the only [true] religion in the sight of God is Islam. And nearly everyone I know, who claims to be a “good” Moslem, holds that verse dearly and thus believes that other religions therefore are not true religions. Against God's wish, they use this verse against any other religion. Clever. Just clever. NOT!!!
It took me several years asking around, poking around, reading every religious literature I came across (I worked in my campus library, which turned out to be another blessing), earning a few more enemies and more bad reputations along the way. But finally, I found the answer. My God! People! They have translated every single word in that verse except for one. “Islam”. Most people treated this word like a brand name or a marketing tagline! They treated it like the word “Coca-Cola” or “Kodak” or “Nike”. It is NOT a brand name, people!!! It’s an Arabic word. It too has meaning. It too must be translated in order to grasp the full meaning of the verse. Islam means “surrender”. In Bahasa Indonesia, it means “pasrah”. The full translation of the verse is: Behold, the only [true] religion in the sight of God is [man’s] self-surrender unto Him.
Now, please tell me. Is there a religion that doesn’t fall into THAT category? Is there a religion that doesn’t teach its followers to surrender completely to the will of God? NO! Even old religions that do not recognize God still teach their followers about self-surrender through various types of meditation and self-reflection. Get it??? It is those of us who surrender to the will of God that are considered the ones with a true religion. Never leave home without it. Never sleep without it. Never do anything without it. Certainly never die without it.
The Catholics and the Christians also have a similar verse from the bible that they hold dearly and use against other religions. Oh for Heaven’s sake, dear Father, my One and Only, my Savior, do I have to explain this too??? People, call me. I’ll explain it to you personally.
Where are You, God? Why do You let us be so stupid? Why do You let us hurt each other? What do You want us to learn from all this? Is this Your will too? Do I have to surrender to this too? Forgive me, Father. I do love You. I do trust You. But I will never stop questioning You. Hope You don’t mind and hope You’ll answer me one day (while I’m still alive, please). This is me, Father. I’m Your rebellious daughter, knocking helplessly at Your door. These days, I find it so hard to love and there’s so much to hate… Help me…
MOTHER EARTH AND PEOPLE
I have successfully inherited my passion and love for animals and other elements of nature to my kids. Thank God for that. My oldest daughter cried the first time she saw a horse carriage. She thought it was cruel to make a horse transport us around in a carriage. My youngest daughter has even taken things to the next level. She joined and supported many causes for nature conservation and wild animals preservation. But it has been years since we last had a pet. My kids were nagging about it, but fortunately they now understand my reason.
We moved back with my parents because I needed to save money to pay for an apartment that’s still being constructed and would not be ready until the end of next year. And while we live at my parents, having pets means having fights. And I don’t want to fight them anymore. As much as I love animals, I know better now. I know I should never be cruel and hurt others, especially my parents. Just like I ignore the fact that they ignore my religion, I let them believe what they want to believe about animals. They’re old and they’re my parents. They deserve it. That’s my reason for not having pets. Hopefully, when we move to our new apartment, we can at least have a cat or a dog. I promise I won’t have a snake slithering around in my apartment. So it’s safe to visit me. Really.
But as hard as I try to be wiser, my frustration remains. This time, I’m frustrated at people. The more things I’ve gone through and the more things I’ve learned, the more frustrated I am at people.
People who throw rubbish everywhere. People who waste energy. People who cut down rainforests and turn them into oil palm plantations. People who bomb and poison coral reefs. People who over-fish. People who cut down mangroves to make buildings and roads. People who kill endangered animals. People who capture and sell endangered animals. People who consume endangered animals. People who hate nature and animals. People who are ignorant about the environment and insist to remain ignorant. People who don’t realize that we are facing major disasters. People who realize that we are facing major disasters but choose not to care. People who say that they care, but don’t act like it.
Is it really THAT hard to understand? Is it really THAT hard to fall madly in love with Mother Earth? Am I THAT weird? Have I really gone insane?
Apart from the fact that everything in nature is so visually and remarkably stunning (and I can’t understand anyone who can’t see this), is it really so hard to understand that we can’t live alone? The human race can’t survive alone. We need other living beings to survive this crazy, crazy world.
We need trees. Just in case you don’t know, they are living beings too. Not just the pretty-looking ornamental trees in our gardens, but more importantly the huge, bushy, leafy and tall trees in the forests. We need them to produce oxygen for us to breathe. We need them to capture the poisonous carbon we continually produce from our pleasure-seeking lifestyles. We need them to control soil erosion. We need them to prevent floods. We need them to provide us with high-quality fresh water deep in our soil. We need them regulate our climate. WE NEED THEM. What’s so hard to understand?
We need animals. Especially the ones that live in the forests. They are part of a healthy balance that keep the forests lush and fertile. From the humble earthworms that keep the soil rich and productive to the giant orangutans that disperse seeds throughout the forests to grow more and more trees on that rich soil. From the disgustingly slimy frogs to the intimidating tigers. From the scary to the ugly. From the yummy to the beautiful. Everything in the forests has its own important task and works side by side to complete those tasks in order to achieve a common goal: to keep the forests healthy and happy.
We need coral reefs, mangroves and sea grass beds. We need them because these are the nurseries for lives in the sea. Without them, we’ll have no sea creatures at all, except probably the really, really eerie ones in the darkness of deep oceans. We need those sea creatures. Not only because a lot of them are yummy, but also because they are important to keep the oceans healthy and happy. And we need the oceans, because healthy oceans, just like healthy forests, also produce oxygen and regulate our climate. Additionally, the reefs and mangroves are actually God’s “soldiers” put on Earth for us. They help prevent and hold back big waves that can easily destroy us. Yes, like the tsunami. Impacts of a tsunami could be minimized if the reefs and the mangroves in the area are still intact and healthy.
Get the connection now? The trees need animals and we need those trees. So therefore we need animals too. The sea creatures need coral reefs, mangroves and sea grass beds. The oceans need sea creatures to be healthy. We need healthy oceans. Therefore, we need coral reefs, mangroves and sea grass beds. PLUS, we also need them to protect us from angry waves. WE ARE ALL CONNECTED! We can’t live without them. They can’t live without us. And they certainly can’t live if we keep ransacking every single habitat where they live. They can’t live with us killing them all the time. We are the ONLY element of nature that doesn’t want to work side by side with them.
You see, we can’t upset that balance, because it is us that are most at risk in the end. It is us who will pay the hardest consequences. Irregular and unpredictable climate. Horrible water quality. No water at all. Too much water or flood. Landslide. Diseases. Death.
If we really, really, really have to disturb that perfect balance because we too need to develop and grow, then please don’t be greedy. Please be wise. Please be considerate. Thoroughly study everything you need to know first about what you’re about to do, then make a careful plan to minimize the environmental impacts and to manage the unavoidable impacts. There WILL be impacts. But if you are wise, hopefully Mother Earth is also wise enough to let us have our ways. And we can all work together and share this planet and live on it happily.
Otherwise, Mother Earth will be angry and we’ll be left with irregular and unpredictable climate. Horrible water quality. No water at all. Too much water or flood. Landslide. Diseases. Death. What’s so hard to understand?
Where are You, God? Why do You let us be so stupid? Why do You let us hurt each other? Why do You let us hurt Your other creations? What do You want us to learn from all this? Is this Your will too? Do I have to surrender to this too? Forgive me, Father. I do love You. I do trust You. But I will never stop questioning You. Hope You don’t mind and hope You’ll answer me one day (while I’m still alive, please). This is me, Father. I’m Your rebellious daughter, knocking helplessly at Your door. These days, I find it so hard to love and there’s so much to hate… Help me…
*****
so you scream from behind your door
say what's mine is mine and not yours
I may have too much but I'll take my chances
'cause God's stopped keeping score
and you cling to the things they sold you
did you cover your eyes when they told you
that He can't come back
'cause He has no children to come back for
and it's hard to love, there's so much to hate
hanging on to hope when there is no hope to speak of
and the wounded skies above say it's much too late
well maybe we should all be praying for time
- George Michael -
- George Michael -
May 18, 2008
CAN'T WAIT FOR THE TRIP TO THE SPICE ISLANDS!!!
Father in Heaven…It’s on these islands I’ve seen beauty
and I wanna dance in the rain…
With a hint of smells of coffee
it fills my dreams again…
Father in Heaven…
I know my fate is in Your Hands
and destiny is written beneath the sands…
It’s on these beautiful islands of Maluku
star lights and dew drops are waiting for me…
The sounds of the rude world fade away
lulled by moonlight upon the clear shades of sea…
CAN'T WAIT FOR THE TRIP TO THE SPICE ISLANDS!!!
May 16, 2008
Warisi Warisan Dunia: Taman Nasional Komodo
Usia saya kala itu baru 6 atau 7 tahun, saat mama bertanya, “Kita ke Puncak, mau enggak?” Tentu saja mau! Dan saya pun meloncat-loncat kegirangan.
Untuk apa saya bercerita tentang Puncak di Jawa Barat, padahal judul di atas menyatakan bahwa kisah ini seharusnya tentang Taman Nasional Komodo di Flores sana? Sabar dulu! Penting sekali untuk menceritakan ini. Anda akan mengerti nanti.
Sebuah Warisan yang Hilang
Sebagai anak Jakarta, Puncak bagai taman bermain di akhir pekan yang berhawa dingin, berbentang sawah, berhias cemara dan perkebunan teh. Sepanjang jalan dari rumah saya di bilangan selatan Jakarta, hingga memasuki kawasan Puncak, saya tak berhenti bernyanyi. Mama dan papa pun turut bernyanyi…
Naik, naik ke puncak gunung… tinggi, tinggi sekali…
Naik, naik ke puncak gunung… tinggi, tinggi sekali…
Kiri, kanan, kulihat saja, banyak pohon cemara…
Kiri, kanan, kulihat saja, banyak pohon cemara…
Sekelumit kebahagiaan masa kecil di tahun 70-an yang tidak mungkin terlupakan! Indah dan sejuknya Puncak yang selalu saya rindukan. Liburan singkat yang selalu saya nantikan. Pepohonan rindang dan sawah membentang. Cemara menari dan hijaunya perkebunan yang menenteramkan. Semua kini hanya tinggal kenangan…
Belasan tahun kemudian, saya menikah. Sangat muda untuk ukuran anak Jakarta. Di usia 20 tahun, saya sudah memiliki seorang putri. Empat tahun kemudian, putri kedua pun hadir di tengah-tengah keluarga. Namun, dalam perbedaan usia yang sangat dekat itu, hanya 20 tahun dan 24 tahun saja, saya tak lagi bisa mewariskan keindahan Puncak yang telah memperkaya masa kecil saya kepada mereka.
Hanya dalam 20 tahun saja, Puncak tak lagi berhias rimbun cemara, melainkan warung, restoran, toko dan sejumlah penginapan yang ditata seenaknya. Puncak tak lagi berbentang sawah dan berhawa sejuk, melainkan panas, berdebu, padat dan selalu macet! Satu-satunya yang masih tersisa adalah hamparan perkebunan teh di Puncak Pass. Itupun kecantikannya kian memudar, atas nama pembangunan, atas nama kebutuhan rakyat, atas nama entah apa lagi… Anak-anak saya mentah-mentah menolak diajak ke sana. Untuk apa? Tidak ada yang dilihat… Tidak ada yang dinikmati… Ah, sebuah warisan alam, hilang sudah…
Kisah di atas sungguh-sungguh pengalaman pribadi yang membekas dalam di sanubari. Sebuah rasa bahagia yang berganti sedih, prihatin dan seringkali marah dan frustasi. Hanya dalam 20 tahun saja! Mengapa manusia begitu mudah mengabaikan, melukai dan merusak alam yang telah memberikan kehidupan dan kebahagiaan? Atas nama pembangunan, atas nama kebutuhan rakyat, atas nama entah apa lagi…
Mengertikah Anda kini? Kisah ini saya ceritakan agar hal serupa TIDAK terulang lagi di salah satu kawasan Warisan Dunia yang spektakuler, Taman Nasional Komodo.
Selamat Datang di Kerajaan Sang Naga!
Terletak di ujung barat Pulau Flores, Provinsi Nusa Tenggara Timur, Taman Nasional Komodo (TNK) megah berdiri sejak 1980 untuk melestarikan binatang unik Komodo (Varanus komodoensis). Namun yang kerap luput digaris-bawahi, TNK lebih dari sekedar habitat bagi kadal purba yang legendaris ini, melainkan juga rumah bagi begitu banyak keanekaragaman hayati, baik di darat maupun di laut.
Dengan luas sekitar 1.817 km2, area Taman Nasional ini bertaburan pulau-pulau gersang yang seringkali memamerkan warna merah menyala disinari mentari Flores yang terik benderang. Bentangan savana dan hutan kering, hutan awan dan bebatuan, berbaur dalam lansekap indah tiada tara, unik tiada bandingannya. Pulau Komodo, Pulau Rinca, Pulau Papagaran, Pulau Padar, Pulau Gililawa Laut dan Pulau Gililawa Darat, hanya sebagian dari puluhan gugusan pulau besar dan kecil yang teronggok cantik di bening biru Laut Flores.
Warisan Dunia, Warisan Anak-Cucu Kita
Di sini, rusa-rusa Timor berkelompok di tengah savana, merumput dan berlarian riang. Di sini, sekawanan babi hutan sesekali melintas sambil mengais-ngais tanah merah kering dengan kaki-kaki pendeknya. Di sini, kerbau air berkubang nyaman, kuda liar berderap cepat dan monyet-monyet bermain di pepohonan. Di sini, sejumlah reptil melata, berdesis dan mencari mangsa. Dan beragam jenis burung mengepakkan sayap-sayapnya, gagah namun gemulai di angkasa raya. Inipun belum seberapa!
Area bahari di TNK membentuk kerajaannya sendiri. Bagai istana bawah laut yang amat megah, berlantai taman terumbu karang aneka warna, pasir lembut kemerahan, dinding-dinding curam yang kerap juga berlapis beragam karang, “kerajaan” ini dihuni satwa laut bermacam jenis dan rupa. Bersama hutan-hutan bakau dan padang-padang lamun, gugusan terumbu karang di TNK bersatu padu, bekerja sama tanpa diminta, membentuk jajaran ekosistem terpenting bagi kelangsungan kehidupan bahari di Indonesia.
Inilah habitat-habitat yang menjadi home sweet home bagi lebih dari 1.000 spesies ikan, 385 spesies pembangun terumbu karang, 70 spesies sepon, serta 19 spesies paus dan lumba-lumba. TNK dengan perairannya yang berarus kencang, juga merupakan ”ladang” plankton bagi binatang laut yang teramat eksotis, sang Pari Manta (Manta birostris). Jika Komodo menjadi ikon TNK di darat, maka Pari Manta adalah ikon di kawasan baharinya.
Tidak mengherankan jika kini tujuan-tujuan pelestarian telah berkembang untuk juga melindungi keanekaragaman hayati di kawasan ini secara keseluruhan, baik di perairan maupun di daratan. Taman Nasional inipun dideklarasikan sebagai Cagar Manusia dan Biosfir serta Situs Warisan Dunia pada tahun 1986. Ini warisan kita bersama, bagi anak cucu kita kelak! Mari menjaganya, jangan tercemar, jangan dirusak, jangan dimusnahkan dan jangan sekali-kali dilupakan begitu saja. Mari ikut saya menapaki keindahannya dan larut dalam perjalanan yang tak hanya menyegarkan mata, namun sangat membelai hati! Sebuah perjalanan spiritual yang begitu memperkaya jiwa. Selamat datang di Taman Nasional Komodo!
Mentari Pagi di Bukit Sulphurea
Loh Liang, Pulau Komodo, Taman Nasional Komodo. Pagi baru saja beringsut malas, sama seperti saya yang masih ingin bermalasan di buaian hammock kuning kesayangan saya. Namun saya segera teringat, jam 6 pagi, naga-naga prahistoris yang bisa mencapai panjang 3 meter itu sudah mulai aktif lagi, mencari sarapan setelah tidur lelap sepanjang malam di lubang-lubang persembunyiannya. Meski saya tak rela jika binatang berwajah naga dengan lidah menjulur-julur bak ular itu punah, saya pun tak rela jadi santapannya.
Maka pagi inipun saya putuskan untuk mendaki santai, mencari kedamaian di puncak Bukit Sulphurea, sebuah teritori kawanan burung kakatua berjambul kuning yang disebut Cacatua sulphurea. Ditemani seorang jagawana dan “tongkat sakti”-nya yang bercabang dua untuk menghalau Komodo, saya memasuki Hutan Asam. Seperti namanya, hutan ini dipenuhi pohon asam (Tamarindus indica), rimbun menaungi diri dari sinar mentari yang kian tinggi. Pohon-pohon gebang (Calophyllum spectabile) yang tinggi menjulang turut menghiasi hutan ini, di mana beberapa burung pergam hijau (Ducula aenea) bertengger menyambut pagi. Anggrek-anggrek hutan pun menyembul anggun di sana sini. Damai, damai, damai.
Setelah berjalan setengah jam menembus hutan, saya tiba di daerah terbuka, berumput semacam ilalang panjang, membentang sejauh mata memandang. Savana menghijau di musim hujan maupun kering kecoklatan kala kemarau selalu menyajikan panorama luar biasa. Jalan setapak mulai menanjak. Namun napas anak kota yang terengah lelah ini terbayar lunas saat kaki menginjak puncak Bukit Sulphurea. Saya pun duduk beristirahat di salah satu batu besar dan pemandangan itu menyeruak begitu saja. Mata ini mau tak mau lurus menatap hamparan biru cerah Laut Flores pagi itu. Dermaga panjang Loh Liang tempat perahu-perahu menurunkan penumpang terlihat jelas bermandi mentari. Sementara kalau kepala ini menoleh sedikit saja, ke kanan atau ke kiri tidak masalah, maka lembah-lembah dan savana luas bagai karpet di atas gundukan-gundukan raksasa adalah panorama yang tersaji indah. Kakatua sulphurea yang dinanti-nanti pun mulai berdatangan. “Kaak,” dia hinggap. “Kaak… Kaak,” dia bertengger sejenak. “Kaak, Kaak,” dia pun terbang. Ah, lucunya!
Bapak jagawana yang mendampingi saya tiba-tiba mengajak saya untuk turun sedikit ke sudut bukit. Ternyata, di tengah savana seekor Komodo sedang berjemur memanaskan darah dinginnya. Wajahnya bodoh sekali. Tubuh besarnya rata dengan rerumputan dan kaki-kakinya yang memiliki cakar panjang mengerikan teruntai santai di sisi-sisinya. Tapi jangan sekali-kali terkecoh! Meski tampak lamban dan ceroboh, malas dan bodoh, naga Komodo ini bisa mendadak berdiri di atas tungkai kakinya yang kuat seperti batang kayu berkualitas tinggi dan lari mengejar mangsa hingga kecepatan 18 km per jam! Mereka pun perenang ulung. Selain itu, naga-naga yang masih muda bisa pula memanjat pohon.
Waspadalah selalu, karena mereka adalah opportunistic feeder, yaitu tipe pemangsa yang mencari kesempatan. Tak seperti predator lainnya yang giat berburu, mereka cuma menunggu. Begitu mangsanya lengah, kesempatan pun terbuka, dan mereka menyerang tanpa disangka-sangka. Karena itu, selalu gunakan pemandu atau jagawana yang berpengalaman, ke manapun Anda bertualang di kawasan sang naga ini. Selain itu, ikuti semua peraturan Taman Nasional, demi keselamatan Anda!
Surga Para Penyelam!
Bagi para penyelam, keanekaragaman kehidupan di laut menjadikan Komodo salah satu destinasi selam terbaik di dunia. Diperkirakan terdapat 17 kilometer persegi terumbu karang di TNK, berdasarkan perluasan daerah rataan terumbu dan daerah dangkal yang mempunyai kedalaman kurang dari 20 meter. Selain itu, TNK terkenal sebagai salah satu tempat yang memiliki arus tercepat di dunia, yang kadang menyerupai sungai yang sedang mengamuk. Penyebab gerakan air yang cepat adalah karena Komodo dan Rinca membentuk lintasan leher botol antara dua badan air yang besar dan dalam, yaitu Samudera Pasifik di utara dan Samudera Hindia di selatan.
Selama perubahan pasang surut, sejumlah besar air harus berpindah dari selatan ke utara saat pasang naik, atau utara ke selatan saat pasang turun. Karena lintasan air utara-selatan yang ada di Kepulauan Sunda Kecil jumlahnya terbatas untuk pertukaran ini, volume air yang sangat besar terpaksa melewati lintasan sempit di TNK dengan kecepatan tinggi. Namun hal ini justru menjadi tantangan yang menggiurkan dan sulit dilewatkan oleh para penyelam. Keahlian menyelam yang memadai (minimal sertifikasi Advance Diver) dibutuhkan untuk menyelam di sini. Selain itu, seperti juga di daratan, pastikan Anda selalu ditemani oleh pemandu, dalam hal ini seorang dive master, yang berpengalaman. Para penyedia jasa selam (dive operators) banyak terdapat di Labuan Bajo dan bisa membantu Anda merencanakan perjalanan selam yang aman dan nyaman.
Pantai Merah, Gililawa dan Karang Makassar
Lokasi selam (dive site) di TNK ada puluhan, bahkan mungkin ratusan kalau menghitung lokasi-lokasi yang memiliki tingkat kesulitan sangat tinggi. Namun 3 yang paling populer adalah Pantai Merah, Gililawa dan Karang Makassar. Pantai Merah yang terletak di Pulau Komodo adalah teluk kecil dengan pantai berpasir kemerahan akibat perpaduan pasir dengan serpihan karang berwarna merah darah yang bernama latin Tubiphora musica. Tak hanya untuk menyelam, pantai ini juga kerap disandangi wisatawan, terutama wisatawan asing, untuk ber-snorkeling ria maupun sekedar berjemur di pasir lembutnya. Cukup dengan snorkeling pun, taman terumbu karang yang indah dengan aneka ragam satwa laut menawan sudah bisa dinikmati. Namun, bagi seorang penyelam, tidak pernah ada kata cukup sebelum membenamkan diri di kedalaman 20-an meter dan menyaksikan keindahan bawah laut yang menakjubkan.
Maka saya pun bersiap memakai perlengkapan selam dan dalam sekejap terjun ke air jernih perairan Pantai Merah. Arus agak kuat di titik entry, jadi saya harus berenang melawan arus untuk mencapai daerah coral wall yang lebih tenang. Namun setibanya di dinding terumbu karang yang menjulang itu, rasa lelah lenyap segera. Mata dimanjakan dengan panorama mempesona. 2 ekor penyu menyusup diam-diam di antara karang, segerombolan bumped-head parrot fish berukuran amat besar melintas cuek, tak peduli kehadiran saya dan teman-teman penyelam lainnya, blue-spotted stingray mendadak muncul dari balik karang dan menyelam menuju kedalaman, kawanan emperor angelfish anggun memamerkan kecantikannya, seekor puffer fish bersembunyi di bawah naungan karang, coral trout, moorish idols, anthias dan masih banyak lagi!!! Tempat ini meriah dengan begitu banyak ragam kehidupan, indah bagai dalam lukisan, megah, angkuh dan spektakuler. Tak mungkin menceritakan setiap sudutnya. Anda harus datang sendiri!
Sedangkan lokasi selam yang sering “disingkat” dengan nama “Gililawa” sesungguhnya adalah dua pulau kecil di utara Pulau Komodo, yakni Pulau Gililawa Darat dan Pulau Gililawa Laut. Di perairannya, beberapa lokasi selam andalan bersembunyi di bawah riak beningnya. Sebut saja Crystal Rock, Castle Rock dan Golden Gate, yang merupakan surga bawah laut bagi Anda yang menyukai penyelaman laut dalam (deep dive), aktivitas drift dive atau menyelam dengan mengikuti arus dan night dive, yaitu penyelaman malam hari. Ikan-ikan besar banyak bercokol di sini, termasuk beberapa jenis hiu, seperti white-tip dan reef sharks, serta beragam ikan kerapu (grouper) yang juga berukuran besar. Di sini pula (saat drift dive di Golden Gate), saya berjumpa beberapa Napoleon Wrasse yang dilindungi dan giant sweetlips yang punya bibir lucu dan “seksi”. Senang sekali!
Karang Makassar merupakan dive site yang populer karena keberadaan pari manta yang legendaris sekaligus iconic itu. Penyelaman harus dilakukan saat arus sedang lumayan kuat, supaya kita bisa drifting mengikuti arus dan juga memiliki kesempatan yang lebih tinggi untuk menemukan manta. Perairan Karang Makassar yang kaya plankton ini amat disukai oleh pari manta yang senang berenang melawan arus sambil membuka mulutnya lebar-lebar dan menyaring plankton-plankton makanannya ini. Karena arus kencang itu pula, dasar Karang Makassar lebih banyak ditumbuhi karang lunak ketimbang karang keras, dan seringkali visibility atau tingkat penglihatan jadi kurang baik karena air yang keruh dipenuhi plankton. Meski begitu, penyelaman di sini sulit diabaikan karena hewan eksotis bernama keren “manta ray” ini sungguh menakjubkan. Lebar sayap luar biasa besar dan bisa mencapai 4 meter, namun hewan ini sangat harmless. Pari manta tidak memiliki “senjata” untuk membela diri seperti kebanyakan jenis pari lainnya yang punya “sting” di buntutnya. Karena keunikan inilah, karakter pari manta seringkali digambarkan sebagai hewan laut yang cantik, gemulai dan baik hati. Nah, dengan gambaran seperti itu, tentu saja para penyelam selalu berusaha mencarinya!
Saya pun tak ketinggalan. Saya pun menyelam. Bintang keberuntungan sedang berada di pihak saya rupanya! Baru saja turun, mungkin baru sekitar 8 - 9 meter, seekor manta sudah menyambut, menari dengan sayapnya, tak jauh di bawah saya. Dan dalam sekitar 30 menit, dengan kedalaman rata-rata 15 meter, hari itu saya menemui sekitar 25 ekor manta. Ada yang jauh dan cuma samar terlihat berenang pelan, ada pula yang sangat dekat. Bahkan, sebagai “bonus”, saya juga melihat manta yang dijuluki “the zorro”. Manta ini keseluruhan tubuhnya berwarna hitam kelam, sedangkan manta lainnya biasanya hanya hitam di bagian atas badannya dan bagian bawahnya putih. Sungguh, sungguh beruntung! Sebuah akhir yang menyenangkan dari perjalanan selam saya kali itu.
Mari Warisi Warisan Dunia Ini!
Petualangan kali ini tak bisa mewakili keindahan dan keunikan TNK seluruhnya. Taman Nasional ini sangat luas dan menawarkan berbagai “atraksi”. Selain di Pulau Komodo, naga-naga purba Komodo juga bisa Anda temui di Pulau Rinca. Datang saja ke Loh Buaya dan pilihlah salah satu kegiatan trekking sesuai minat dan kemampuan. Anda bisa juga mengunjungi kampung-kampung nelayan tradisional yang berada dalam kawasan TNK, seperti Kampung Komodo, Kampung Papagaran, Kampung Rinca dan Kampung Kerora. Atau ingin bersantai saja di salah satu pantai cantik yang juga berpasir kemerahan di Pulau Padar yang sunyi tak berpenghuni? Lalu singgahlah di Pulau Kalong menjelang senja dan nikmati sunset menawan, sekaligus saksikan ribuan kalong buah (flying foxes / fruit bats) terbang menembus langit malam untuk mencari makan.
Last but not least, ingatlah selalu, TNK adalah salah satu dari keanekaragaman hayati terbesar di Bumi! Jangan sampai nasibnya sama dengan kawasan Puncak di Jawa Barat dan juga begitu banyak kawasan lain di Pertiwi tercinta ini yang rusak, tercemar, hancur, salah kelola dan kemudian dilupakan begitu saja. Ini Warisan Dunia untuk kita. Mari warisi Taman Nasional Komodo, sekarang dan di masa depan. 20 tahun mendatang, 40 tahun mendatang, 100 tahun mendatang dan selama-lamanya!
Untuk apa saya bercerita tentang Puncak di Jawa Barat, padahal judul di atas menyatakan bahwa kisah ini seharusnya tentang Taman Nasional Komodo di Flores sana? Sabar dulu! Penting sekali untuk menceritakan ini. Anda akan mengerti nanti.
Sebuah Warisan yang Hilang
Sebagai anak Jakarta, Puncak bagai taman bermain di akhir pekan yang berhawa dingin, berbentang sawah, berhias cemara dan perkebunan teh. Sepanjang jalan dari rumah saya di bilangan selatan Jakarta, hingga memasuki kawasan Puncak, saya tak berhenti bernyanyi. Mama dan papa pun turut bernyanyi…
Naik, naik ke puncak gunung… tinggi, tinggi sekali…
Naik, naik ke puncak gunung… tinggi, tinggi sekali…
Kiri, kanan, kulihat saja, banyak pohon cemara…
Kiri, kanan, kulihat saja, banyak pohon cemara…
Sekelumit kebahagiaan masa kecil di tahun 70-an yang tidak mungkin terlupakan! Indah dan sejuknya Puncak yang selalu saya rindukan. Liburan singkat yang selalu saya nantikan. Pepohonan rindang dan sawah membentang. Cemara menari dan hijaunya perkebunan yang menenteramkan. Semua kini hanya tinggal kenangan…
Belasan tahun kemudian, saya menikah. Sangat muda untuk ukuran anak Jakarta. Di usia 20 tahun, saya sudah memiliki seorang putri. Empat tahun kemudian, putri kedua pun hadir di tengah-tengah keluarga. Namun, dalam perbedaan usia yang sangat dekat itu, hanya 20 tahun dan 24 tahun saja, saya tak lagi bisa mewariskan keindahan Puncak yang telah memperkaya masa kecil saya kepada mereka.
Hanya dalam 20 tahun saja, Puncak tak lagi berhias rimbun cemara, melainkan warung, restoran, toko dan sejumlah penginapan yang ditata seenaknya. Puncak tak lagi berbentang sawah dan berhawa sejuk, melainkan panas, berdebu, padat dan selalu macet! Satu-satunya yang masih tersisa adalah hamparan perkebunan teh di Puncak Pass. Itupun kecantikannya kian memudar, atas nama pembangunan, atas nama kebutuhan rakyat, atas nama entah apa lagi… Anak-anak saya mentah-mentah menolak diajak ke sana. Untuk apa? Tidak ada yang dilihat… Tidak ada yang dinikmati… Ah, sebuah warisan alam, hilang sudah…
Kisah di atas sungguh-sungguh pengalaman pribadi yang membekas dalam di sanubari. Sebuah rasa bahagia yang berganti sedih, prihatin dan seringkali marah dan frustasi. Hanya dalam 20 tahun saja! Mengapa manusia begitu mudah mengabaikan, melukai dan merusak alam yang telah memberikan kehidupan dan kebahagiaan? Atas nama pembangunan, atas nama kebutuhan rakyat, atas nama entah apa lagi…
Mengertikah Anda kini? Kisah ini saya ceritakan agar hal serupa TIDAK terulang lagi di salah satu kawasan Warisan Dunia yang spektakuler, Taman Nasional Komodo.
Selamat Datang di Kerajaan Sang Naga!
Terletak di ujung barat Pulau Flores, Provinsi Nusa Tenggara Timur, Taman Nasional Komodo (TNK) megah berdiri sejak 1980 untuk melestarikan binatang unik Komodo (Varanus komodoensis). Namun yang kerap luput digaris-bawahi, TNK lebih dari sekedar habitat bagi kadal purba yang legendaris ini, melainkan juga rumah bagi begitu banyak keanekaragaman hayati, baik di darat maupun di laut.
Dengan luas sekitar 1.817 km2, area Taman Nasional ini bertaburan pulau-pulau gersang yang seringkali memamerkan warna merah menyala disinari mentari Flores yang terik benderang. Bentangan savana dan hutan kering, hutan awan dan bebatuan, berbaur dalam lansekap indah tiada tara, unik tiada bandingannya. Pulau Komodo, Pulau Rinca, Pulau Papagaran, Pulau Padar, Pulau Gililawa Laut dan Pulau Gililawa Darat, hanya sebagian dari puluhan gugusan pulau besar dan kecil yang teronggok cantik di bening biru Laut Flores.
Warisan Dunia, Warisan Anak-Cucu Kita
Di sini, rusa-rusa Timor berkelompok di tengah savana, merumput dan berlarian riang. Di sini, sekawanan babi hutan sesekali melintas sambil mengais-ngais tanah merah kering dengan kaki-kaki pendeknya. Di sini, kerbau air berkubang nyaman, kuda liar berderap cepat dan monyet-monyet bermain di pepohonan. Di sini, sejumlah reptil melata, berdesis dan mencari mangsa. Dan beragam jenis burung mengepakkan sayap-sayapnya, gagah namun gemulai di angkasa raya. Inipun belum seberapa!
Area bahari di TNK membentuk kerajaannya sendiri. Bagai istana bawah laut yang amat megah, berlantai taman terumbu karang aneka warna, pasir lembut kemerahan, dinding-dinding curam yang kerap juga berlapis beragam karang, “kerajaan” ini dihuni satwa laut bermacam jenis dan rupa. Bersama hutan-hutan bakau dan padang-padang lamun, gugusan terumbu karang di TNK bersatu padu, bekerja sama tanpa diminta, membentuk jajaran ekosistem terpenting bagi kelangsungan kehidupan bahari di Indonesia.
Inilah habitat-habitat yang menjadi home sweet home bagi lebih dari 1.000 spesies ikan, 385 spesies pembangun terumbu karang, 70 spesies sepon, serta 19 spesies paus dan lumba-lumba. TNK dengan perairannya yang berarus kencang, juga merupakan ”ladang” plankton bagi binatang laut yang teramat eksotis, sang Pari Manta (Manta birostris). Jika Komodo menjadi ikon TNK di darat, maka Pari Manta adalah ikon di kawasan baharinya.
Tidak mengherankan jika kini tujuan-tujuan pelestarian telah berkembang untuk juga melindungi keanekaragaman hayati di kawasan ini secara keseluruhan, baik di perairan maupun di daratan. Taman Nasional inipun dideklarasikan sebagai Cagar Manusia dan Biosfir serta Situs Warisan Dunia pada tahun 1986. Ini warisan kita bersama, bagi anak cucu kita kelak! Mari menjaganya, jangan tercemar, jangan dirusak, jangan dimusnahkan dan jangan sekali-kali dilupakan begitu saja. Mari ikut saya menapaki keindahannya dan larut dalam perjalanan yang tak hanya menyegarkan mata, namun sangat membelai hati! Sebuah perjalanan spiritual yang begitu memperkaya jiwa. Selamat datang di Taman Nasional Komodo!
Mentari Pagi di Bukit Sulphurea
Loh Liang, Pulau Komodo, Taman Nasional Komodo. Pagi baru saja beringsut malas, sama seperti saya yang masih ingin bermalasan di buaian hammock kuning kesayangan saya. Namun saya segera teringat, jam 6 pagi, naga-naga prahistoris yang bisa mencapai panjang 3 meter itu sudah mulai aktif lagi, mencari sarapan setelah tidur lelap sepanjang malam di lubang-lubang persembunyiannya. Meski saya tak rela jika binatang berwajah naga dengan lidah menjulur-julur bak ular itu punah, saya pun tak rela jadi santapannya.
Maka pagi inipun saya putuskan untuk mendaki santai, mencari kedamaian di puncak Bukit Sulphurea, sebuah teritori kawanan burung kakatua berjambul kuning yang disebut Cacatua sulphurea. Ditemani seorang jagawana dan “tongkat sakti”-nya yang bercabang dua untuk menghalau Komodo, saya memasuki Hutan Asam. Seperti namanya, hutan ini dipenuhi pohon asam (Tamarindus indica), rimbun menaungi diri dari sinar mentari yang kian tinggi. Pohon-pohon gebang (Calophyllum spectabile) yang tinggi menjulang turut menghiasi hutan ini, di mana beberapa burung pergam hijau (Ducula aenea) bertengger menyambut pagi. Anggrek-anggrek hutan pun menyembul anggun di sana sini. Damai, damai, damai.
Setelah berjalan setengah jam menembus hutan, saya tiba di daerah terbuka, berumput semacam ilalang panjang, membentang sejauh mata memandang. Savana menghijau di musim hujan maupun kering kecoklatan kala kemarau selalu menyajikan panorama luar biasa. Jalan setapak mulai menanjak. Namun napas anak kota yang terengah lelah ini terbayar lunas saat kaki menginjak puncak Bukit Sulphurea. Saya pun duduk beristirahat di salah satu batu besar dan pemandangan itu menyeruak begitu saja. Mata ini mau tak mau lurus menatap hamparan biru cerah Laut Flores pagi itu. Dermaga panjang Loh Liang tempat perahu-perahu menurunkan penumpang terlihat jelas bermandi mentari. Sementara kalau kepala ini menoleh sedikit saja, ke kanan atau ke kiri tidak masalah, maka lembah-lembah dan savana luas bagai karpet di atas gundukan-gundukan raksasa adalah panorama yang tersaji indah. Kakatua sulphurea yang dinanti-nanti pun mulai berdatangan. “Kaak,” dia hinggap. “Kaak… Kaak,” dia bertengger sejenak. “Kaak, Kaak,” dia pun terbang. Ah, lucunya!
Bapak jagawana yang mendampingi saya tiba-tiba mengajak saya untuk turun sedikit ke sudut bukit. Ternyata, di tengah savana seekor Komodo sedang berjemur memanaskan darah dinginnya. Wajahnya bodoh sekali. Tubuh besarnya rata dengan rerumputan dan kaki-kakinya yang memiliki cakar panjang mengerikan teruntai santai di sisi-sisinya. Tapi jangan sekali-kali terkecoh! Meski tampak lamban dan ceroboh, malas dan bodoh, naga Komodo ini bisa mendadak berdiri di atas tungkai kakinya yang kuat seperti batang kayu berkualitas tinggi dan lari mengejar mangsa hingga kecepatan 18 km per jam! Mereka pun perenang ulung. Selain itu, naga-naga yang masih muda bisa pula memanjat pohon.
Waspadalah selalu, karena mereka adalah opportunistic feeder, yaitu tipe pemangsa yang mencari kesempatan. Tak seperti predator lainnya yang giat berburu, mereka cuma menunggu. Begitu mangsanya lengah, kesempatan pun terbuka, dan mereka menyerang tanpa disangka-sangka. Karena itu, selalu gunakan pemandu atau jagawana yang berpengalaman, ke manapun Anda bertualang di kawasan sang naga ini. Selain itu, ikuti semua peraturan Taman Nasional, demi keselamatan Anda!
Surga Para Penyelam!
Bagi para penyelam, keanekaragaman kehidupan di laut menjadikan Komodo salah satu destinasi selam terbaik di dunia. Diperkirakan terdapat 17 kilometer persegi terumbu karang di TNK, berdasarkan perluasan daerah rataan terumbu dan daerah dangkal yang mempunyai kedalaman kurang dari 20 meter. Selain itu, TNK terkenal sebagai salah satu tempat yang memiliki arus tercepat di dunia, yang kadang menyerupai sungai yang sedang mengamuk. Penyebab gerakan air yang cepat adalah karena Komodo dan Rinca membentuk lintasan leher botol antara dua badan air yang besar dan dalam, yaitu Samudera Pasifik di utara dan Samudera Hindia di selatan.
Selama perubahan pasang surut, sejumlah besar air harus berpindah dari selatan ke utara saat pasang naik, atau utara ke selatan saat pasang turun. Karena lintasan air utara-selatan yang ada di Kepulauan Sunda Kecil jumlahnya terbatas untuk pertukaran ini, volume air yang sangat besar terpaksa melewati lintasan sempit di TNK dengan kecepatan tinggi. Namun hal ini justru menjadi tantangan yang menggiurkan dan sulit dilewatkan oleh para penyelam. Keahlian menyelam yang memadai (minimal sertifikasi Advance Diver) dibutuhkan untuk menyelam di sini. Selain itu, seperti juga di daratan, pastikan Anda selalu ditemani oleh pemandu, dalam hal ini seorang dive master, yang berpengalaman. Para penyedia jasa selam (dive operators) banyak terdapat di Labuan Bajo dan bisa membantu Anda merencanakan perjalanan selam yang aman dan nyaman.
Pantai Merah, Gililawa dan Karang Makassar
Lokasi selam (dive site) di TNK ada puluhan, bahkan mungkin ratusan kalau menghitung lokasi-lokasi yang memiliki tingkat kesulitan sangat tinggi. Namun 3 yang paling populer adalah Pantai Merah, Gililawa dan Karang Makassar. Pantai Merah yang terletak di Pulau Komodo adalah teluk kecil dengan pantai berpasir kemerahan akibat perpaduan pasir dengan serpihan karang berwarna merah darah yang bernama latin Tubiphora musica. Tak hanya untuk menyelam, pantai ini juga kerap disandangi wisatawan, terutama wisatawan asing, untuk ber-snorkeling ria maupun sekedar berjemur di pasir lembutnya. Cukup dengan snorkeling pun, taman terumbu karang yang indah dengan aneka ragam satwa laut menawan sudah bisa dinikmati. Namun, bagi seorang penyelam, tidak pernah ada kata cukup sebelum membenamkan diri di kedalaman 20-an meter dan menyaksikan keindahan bawah laut yang menakjubkan.
Maka saya pun bersiap memakai perlengkapan selam dan dalam sekejap terjun ke air jernih perairan Pantai Merah. Arus agak kuat di titik entry, jadi saya harus berenang melawan arus untuk mencapai daerah coral wall yang lebih tenang. Namun setibanya di dinding terumbu karang yang menjulang itu, rasa lelah lenyap segera. Mata dimanjakan dengan panorama mempesona. 2 ekor penyu menyusup diam-diam di antara karang, segerombolan bumped-head parrot fish berukuran amat besar melintas cuek, tak peduli kehadiran saya dan teman-teman penyelam lainnya, blue-spotted stingray mendadak muncul dari balik karang dan menyelam menuju kedalaman, kawanan emperor angelfish anggun memamerkan kecantikannya, seekor puffer fish bersembunyi di bawah naungan karang, coral trout, moorish idols, anthias dan masih banyak lagi!!! Tempat ini meriah dengan begitu banyak ragam kehidupan, indah bagai dalam lukisan, megah, angkuh dan spektakuler. Tak mungkin menceritakan setiap sudutnya. Anda harus datang sendiri!
Sedangkan lokasi selam yang sering “disingkat” dengan nama “Gililawa” sesungguhnya adalah dua pulau kecil di utara Pulau Komodo, yakni Pulau Gililawa Darat dan Pulau Gililawa Laut. Di perairannya, beberapa lokasi selam andalan bersembunyi di bawah riak beningnya. Sebut saja Crystal Rock, Castle Rock dan Golden Gate, yang merupakan surga bawah laut bagi Anda yang menyukai penyelaman laut dalam (deep dive), aktivitas drift dive atau menyelam dengan mengikuti arus dan night dive, yaitu penyelaman malam hari. Ikan-ikan besar banyak bercokol di sini, termasuk beberapa jenis hiu, seperti white-tip dan reef sharks, serta beragam ikan kerapu (grouper) yang juga berukuran besar. Di sini pula (saat drift dive di Golden Gate), saya berjumpa beberapa Napoleon Wrasse yang dilindungi dan giant sweetlips yang punya bibir lucu dan “seksi”. Senang sekali!
Karang Makassar merupakan dive site yang populer karena keberadaan pari manta yang legendaris sekaligus iconic itu. Penyelaman harus dilakukan saat arus sedang lumayan kuat, supaya kita bisa drifting mengikuti arus dan juga memiliki kesempatan yang lebih tinggi untuk menemukan manta. Perairan Karang Makassar yang kaya plankton ini amat disukai oleh pari manta yang senang berenang melawan arus sambil membuka mulutnya lebar-lebar dan menyaring plankton-plankton makanannya ini. Karena arus kencang itu pula, dasar Karang Makassar lebih banyak ditumbuhi karang lunak ketimbang karang keras, dan seringkali visibility atau tingkat penglihatan jadi kurang baik karena air yang keruh dipenuhi plankton. Meski begitu, penyelaman di sini sulit diabaikan karena hewan eksotis bernama keren “manta ray” ini sungguh menakjubkan. Lebar sayap luar biasa besar dan bisa mencapai 4 meter, namun hewan ini sangat harmless. Pari manta tidak memiliki “senjata” untuk membela diri seperti kebanyakan jenis pari lainnya yang punya “sting” di buntutnya. Karena keunikan inilah, karakter pari manta seringkali digambarkan sebagai hewan laut yang cantik, gemulai dan baik hati. Nah, dengan gambaran seperti itu, tentu saja para penyelam selalu berusaha mencarinya!
Saya pun tak ketinggalan. Saya pun menyelam. Bintang keberuntungan sedang berada di pihak saya rupanya! Baru saja turun, mungkin baru sekitar 8 - 9 meter, seekor manta sudah menyambut, menari dengan sayapnya, tak jauh di bawah saya. Dan dalam sekitar 30 menit, dengan kedalaman rata-rata 15 meter, hari itu saya menemui sekitar 25 ekor manta. Ada yang jauh dan cuma samar terlihat berenang pelan, ada pula yang sangat dekat. Bahkan, sebagai “bonus”, saya juga melihat manta yang dijuluki “the zorro”. Manta ini keseluruhan tubuhnya berwarna hitam kelam, sedangkan manta lainnya biasanya hanya hitam di bagian atas badannya dan bagian bawahnya putih. Sungguh, sungguh beruntung! Sebuah akhir yang menyenangkan dari perjalanan selam saya kali itu.
Mari Warisi Warisan Dunia Ini!
Petualangan kali ini tak bisa mewakili keindahan dan keunikan TNK seluruhnya. Taman Nasional ini sangat luas dan menawarkan berbagai “atraksi”. Selain di Pulau Komodo, naga-naga purba Komodo juga bisa Anda temui di Pulau Rinca. Datang saja ke Loh Buaya dan pilihlah salah satu kegiatan trekking sesuai minat dan kemampuan. Anda bisa juga mengunjungi kampung-kampung nelayan tradisional yang berada dalam kawasan TNK, seperti Kampung Komodo, Kampung Papagaran, Kampung Rinca dan Kampung Kerora. Atau ingin bersantai saja di salah satu pantai cantik yang juga berpasir kemerahan di Pulau Padar yang sunyi tak berpenghuni? Lalu singgahlah di Pulau Kalong menjelang senja dan nikmati sunset menawan, sekaligus saksikan ribuan kalong buah (flying foxes / fruit bats) terbang menembus langit malam untuk mencari makan.
Last but not least, ingatlah selalu, TNK adalah salah satu dari keanekaragaman hayati terbesar di Bumi! Jangan sampai nasibnya sama dengan kawasan Puncak di Jawa Barat dan juga begitu banyak kawasan lain di Pertiwi tercinta ini yang rusak, tercemar, hancur, salah kelola dan kemudian dilupakan begitu saja. Ini Warisan Dunia untuk kita. Mari warisi Taman Nasional Komodo, sekarang dan di masa depan. 20 tahun mendatang, 40 tahun mendatang, 100 tahun mendatang dan selama-lamanya!
May 08, 2008
Birthday Wish
Ini aku, Tuhan… masihkah Kau di sana? Bersama kualirkan tiap-tiap doaku di dekapan rembulan. Seperti persetubuhan antara pekatnya malam dan jelitanya pagi. Saat mimpi-mimpi keabadian membumbung dari asap pengharapan. Belai lembut hatiku yang tercipta merayu. Terbisikkan kata yang entah terhayati entah tidak, entah terdengar entah tidak, entah terasa entah tidak. One thing I ask… I ask it now… Please let us have our time…Mungkin aku hanya bisa buat syair. Lantunkan liris-liris romantis dalam gerimis. Terdengar angin tertawakan puisiku. Tapi aku hanya tersenyum sembari melirik. Karena selalu terlihat sebayang wajah di semua dinding hati. Kembali ungkapkan rahasia dengan lirih. Mengalir… Dari gejolaknya dan berputar-putar di antara lembah dan bukit. Kemarilah… Kemari hampiriku… One thing I ask… I ask it now… Please let us have our time…
I wish for a brighter time that will clear the way. I wish for waters that will run bright. I wish for hopes that are bound to be realized. I wish for dreams that are bound to come true. I wish for joy and happiness and peace and quiet that are joined in one happy moment. I wish that dreaming has not become too much to afford. I wish for a remake of a part of life that is gone forever. I wish for what remain in memories for the body and also for the soul. One thing I ask… I ask it now… Please let us have our time…
Happy birthday… I guess…
[I'm 39 today. No, I'm not gonna lie about my age. Not anymore. I'm glad I'm 39 and I'm gonna embrace this life, continue to shed my skin, regrow a new skin and walk away. This is me.]
May 05, 2008
Rapuh
aku ingin bisa menterjemah
gerak daun yang tergantung di ranting letih
aku ingin bisa membaca
arti sebuah kata yang tertera di kaca bis kota
aku ingin bisa mengerti
malam yang rebah di punggung sepi
hari yang makin surut dan bibir yang habis kata
kamu, di mana, siapa
pekat tanpa lentera
gerak daun yang tergantung di ranting letih
aku ingin bisa membaca
arti sebuah kata yang tertera di kaca bis kota
aku ingin bisa mengerti
malam yang rebah di punggung sepi
hari yang makin surut dan bibir yang habis kata
kamu, di mana, siapa
pekat tanpa lentera
hanya sesak memenuhi rongga
dalam lorong dusta
berkali-kali melempar damba ke angkasa
melangkahkan rindu di antara subuh dan kilat senja
mengadu kala malam mendesah panjang
melambung jauh mencari arah mentari
di ruang kelam
ada kehilangan yang mengaduh pedih
tak mungkin bersandar terus pada angin
karena mentari menerbitkan satu kenyataan
bahwa aku harus terus berjalan
seribu pertanyaan menginginkan jawab
siapa menyapa kala fajar menyingsing?
siapa menari di atas panggung bayang-bayang?
siapa mengintip dalam pekat kabut pagi?
siapa berbisik pada angin di ujung senja?
siapa biarkan dirinya kehujanan dalam derasnya siang?
siapa biarkan dirinya kehujanan dalam derasnya siang?
siapa berkaca pada aliran sungai?
siapa pastikan bisa jawab siapa?
tak ada yang menyahut
hanya gerimis gaib yang terdengar lirih
pahit yang tersimpan dalam senyum kecut
melulur hati di kubangan lumpur
bukan aku?
tak ada jawaban
bersujud, bersimpuh
rapuh
Eli, Eli, lama sabakhtani…
hanya gerimis gaib yang terdengar lirih
pahit yang tersimpan dalam senyum kecut
melulur hati di kubangan lumpur
bukan aku?
tak ada jawaban
bersujud, bersimpuh
rapuh
Eli, Eli, lama sabakhtani…
May 04, 2008
Prayer No. 6
dear Father,
from the simple fact that it never existed
and now the confusing fact that it’s here
stubbornly hanging around in my heart
stirring wildly in the corner of my mind
i know, it’s You who put it there
so please don’t let it go
and instead, let it grow
grant this prayer, as only You can
this would better not be another joke
dear Father,
from the simple fact that the more i attempt
to expel that particular image from my head,
the more i’m confronted by those laughing eyes
playing in the dim light of memory,
i know, it’s You who let it be
so please let it mature
and please let it nurture
as in now, my time.. not Yours..
because waiting is like a slow poison
that slithers through my blood
this would better not be another joke
dear Father,
that poison melts in my soul like heated butter
numbs my senses like hot ice
leaving me adrift on an empty, endless ocean
drowning in the intoxicating freedom of dreams
this would better not be another joke
dear Father,
lately… i find it difficult to separate the two
him and the heavy blue of a watery sunset
him and the sweet sadness of the fading day
him and the mysterious serenity of the morning sky
both come to tease my heart
only to return to their dark origins at the end of day
leaving me tormented and unfulfilled
laying with my face against the warm sand
this would better not be another joke
dear Father,
this is prayer no. 6
thanks for today’s sweet surprise
but this would better not be another joke
from the simple fact that it never existed
and now the confusing fact that it’s here
stubbornly hanging around in my heart
stirring wildly in the corner of my mind
i know, it’s You who put it there
so please don’t let it go
and instead, let it grow
grant this prayer, as only You can
this would better not be another joke
dear Father,
from the simple fact that the more i attempt
to expel that particular image from my head,
the more i’m confronted by those laughing eyes
playing in the dim light of memory,
i know, it’s You who let it be
so please let it mature
and please let it nurture
as in now, my time.. not Yours..
because waiting is like a slow poison
that slithers through my blood
this would better not be another joke
dear Father,
that poison melts in my soul like heated butter
numbs my senses like hot ice
leaving me adrift on an empty, endless ocean
drowning in the intoxicating freedom of dreams
this would better not be another joke
dear Father,
lately… i find it difficult to separate the two
him and the heavy blue of a watery sunset
him and the sweet sadness of the fading day
him and the mysterious serenity of the morning sky
both come to tease my heart
only to return to their dark origins at the end of day
leaving me tormented and unfulfilled
laying with my face against the warm sand
this would better not be another joke
dear Father,
this is prayer no. 6
thanks for today’s sweet surprise
but this would better not be another joke
May 01, 2008
In This City...
in jakarta...
in this city...
we only breathe clean healthy air for 22 days in a year
while the rest of the year...
welcome to my city... welcome to jakarta...
the number 3 most polluted city in the world...
and you still think we are not in a state of emergency?
*sigh*
in this city...
we only breathe clean healthy air for 22 days in a year
while the rest of the year...
- we breathe 223 days of mildly polluted air
- we breathe 95 days of highly polluted air
- we breathe 25 days of dangerously polluted air
welcome to my city... welcome to jakarta...
the number 3 most polluted city in the world...
and you still think we are not in a state of emergency?
*sigh*
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