Assignment #11

YOGYAKARTA’S SPOTLIGHT

Malioboro is one of Yogyakarta’s many landmarks. You can say that it is the most famous street in this city. Ask any first-time visitor to Yogyakarta, and you will most probably find the street on their must-visit list. It is as if visiting this city wouldn’t be complete without coming here. Among the things to discover street vendors selling souvenirs, batik, and food; artists doing sreet perfomances; and old buildings.

Until now, this place still survives as the trade center and be one of Yogyakarta icons. Regarding to its unique naming, there are two history versions about Malioboro’s name. The first is taken from the name of an English gentleman, namely Marlborough, a resident of the United Kingdom in the city of Yogyakarta in 1811 AD to 1816 AD. The second one is taken from Sanskrit which means "bouquet", since this place used to be filled with a bouquet of flowers when the Palace held celebration. 

Near the southern end of the street is one of its oldest buildings: the Beringharjo Market.In this city’s largest traditional market, you will see a wide range of items at a reasonable price. Take a whiff of herbs, foodstuff, and local dishes at some corners, and get tempted by traditional handicrafts on display at others. Becak, or pedicab, and andong, or horse-drawn carriage, are two means of traditional transportation worth riding while you are in the city.

To know deeper about Malioboro history made us ​​end up to ask directly the one person who has worked for about forty years, named Pak Siswo, 66 year-old, a cabman who's devoted himself since the 70's on Sultan Hamengkubuwono X (HB X) period. He told us slightly about its story while sitting on his andong remembering the old Malioboro. He said, in the past andong can only parked in front of Beringharjo Market, so the street in front of it had become overcrowded with no sidewalks and no many street vendors around due to the road was used only for pedestrians. Since most vehicles were still dominated by pedicab and andong, he admitted that it was easier to earn money. Regarding the urban development, there were no attics and so many hotels, yet many large trees on the roadside still stand up for pollution avoiding. However,one-way street was already prevailed, even wider. 

In contrast to Malioboro now, we can see there are already sidewalks, so andong and pedicab are allowed to park around. More interesting, andong and pedicab are under the supervision of Sultan HB X, including licensing in putting attributes on it, or the provision of uniforms of those who want to promote the certain products. It aims to maintain the public order and also security. This makes Sultan HB X easy to control and invite the cabman to participate in the palace celebrations.

Urban development around the street depends on Mayor who reigned, for example: previous Mayor wants to plant pots along the way, but now, the mayor wants sidewalk is planted with grass, so no more plant pots for giving a better view. Mostly large trees have also been cut down for safety and there're a lot of street vendors selling batik or souvenirs.

Life goes on, and the seasons kept changing. Now, Pak Siswo considers his work not only as a way to earn money, but also as an entertainment, remember the increasing of the number of competitors such as Trans Jogja bus, taxi, etc., although he admitted that it's difficult in earning money as a cabman today.

As a city with many landmarks, Yogyakarta also has another famous place namely Pasar Kembang, known as Sarkem. People said it is an interesting place for nocturnal activity, located in the center of city, Sosrowijayan. Now, it has changed, either a matter of system or the way the prostitutes behave and dress up. For private reason, they are only given the HIV/AIDS vaccination twice a month. Skill building was even completely removed from agenda on 2010 so some of them were taken and the rest were stayed. However, they still go to school and get lessons at least until Senior High School. In time, they are fully devoted themselves to be a prostitute and no longer rely on the attendant to earn money and freely attract the visitors who are normally coming from pupils and students. By doing so, they tend to wear miniskirt and tank-top. 

So in short they seek for men, in other words, the more visitors they served the more money they got. Our interviewee is an old woman who has settled in Sosromenduran for almost 65 years. Her name is Mariyani, a widower who become the elder at Sosrowijayan Kulon RT 17 RW 03. She has five children who are working as a tailor and hairdresser. She gave us a very clear explanation that Sarkem is no more than just a name of Street around Malioboro, not place where the prostitution takes place, but Sosrowijayan back then, which has three hundreds or something inhabitans, became a boarding house complex due to University of Proklamasi established and inns for sellers mostly from Bandung and Jakarta besides as the residence of the prostitutes or place for them to get money. Mainly, they came from Jepara, East Java and Cilacap so this place also gave lodging for temporary staying. Then, they should register to Bunga Seroja and will be announced to others on the meeting later. That's how procedure is running.

The prostitutes were raised to get education like others by the local citizens and build their skill in cooking and sewing. They got regular vaccination every week to avoid HIV/AIDS. How they dress up formerly like commoners and more polite –wearing a jeans or midi-skirt combine with shirt or blouse-. They went to school in the morning and go working at night until predawn. This prostitution was already exist since colonial period. The visitors came from Indochinese people and artists. When they want to, let’s call it, be ‘served’, they must ask attendant first so the prostitute just stayed at inns and waited for the visitors. Around the 60’s, some of the prostitutes were moved to place around Kotagede but then they returned due to the government’s plan to build Giwangan Station. The situation was uncontrolled and disorganized -so many drunken got into fight and mini nightclubs were opened nonstop-.

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Liburan di Kota Apel

4 Hari di Kota Apel

Hello everybody!! How was your lately days? Hopefully fun! :D

Well, at this moment aku pengen share sedikit pengalaman my amazing vacation­ yang berjudul “4 Hari di Kota Apel”. Maybe ini bisa jadi referensi kalian yang pada butuh refreshing, relaxing,and the others. :D

So, liburan ini berawal karena kebosanan yang luar biasa, bosan dengan rutinitas hidup bisa jadi sih. Kata orang, rasa bosan bisa membunuhmu. (haha :p). Jadi, dengan alibi menghindari terbunuh dari rasa bosan itu, aku memutuskan untuk berlibur. Seketika destination yg muncul di otak adalah, yes that it is, Malang! Terbesit di benakku saat itu adalah, aku bisa “ngadem” di sana, secara gitu ya disana kan dingin dan banyak obyek wisata yg menarik. Yaudah deh aku berangkat sendiri atas ijin Papa, Mama, dan pacar naik kereta api Malioboro Express yang nggak terlalu mahal tapi cukup nyaman! (hehe). Oh iya, untuk kalian yang mungkin takut berangkat sendiri, bisa ajak temen-temen yg lain biar lebih rame. Boleh berangkat sendiri, asal banyak temen yg bersedia “menampungmu” disana, ya seperti aku kemarin. Pokoknya pastikan dulu deh semuanya.

Sedikit saran aja buat yang mau liburan di Malang sendirian:

1.       Persiapkan barang-barang yg diperlukan seperti pakaian, alat mandi, dll.

2.       Bawa jaket yang tebel (terutama untuk yang nggak kuat dingin).

3.       Bawa obat-obatan yg diperlukan.

4.       Atur jadwal dan tempat menarik mana saja yg akan kalian kunjungi disana.

5.       Pastikan kontak temen-temen kalian sebelum berangkat, biar bisa main bareng disana.

6.       Persiapan lain-lain tergantung keperluan kalian.

Nah, akhirnya sampai Malang dan ketemu temen-temenku. Tujuan pertama ketika nyampe sana adalah ke Air Terjun Coban Rondo. Tapi karena cuaca tidak memungkinkan, akhirnya batal deh. Tapi nggak apa-apa sih, soalnya waktu SD aku udah pernah kesana. (SD? Heloooo!! :p) Oke, next adalah Alun-alun Kota Batu. Mengujungi Kota Malang memang belum lengkap bila tidak singgah di Kota Batu. Kota ini memang menjadi salah satu denyut nadi pariwisata di kota yang terkenal dingin ini. Sebaiknya kalau mau kesana tuh malem aja soalnya disana banyak lampionnya gitu. 

Alun-Alun Kota Batu Malam Hari

Di tengah dinginnya Kota Batu

Trus nih, kalo lagi disana belum lengkap kalo belum nyobain ketan di Pos Ketan. Sensasi makan ketan beratapkan langit. Wihh, enak deh pokoknya.

Makan ketan beratapkan langit dan bintang

            Setelah itu, liburanku berlanjut ke Gunung Bromo. You know what? Kalo mau kesana, sebaiknya berangkat pagi buta biar bisa lihat beautiful sunrise. Disana juga ada kawah di hamparan pasir yang teramat luassssss. Kamu juga bisa naik kuda ala di padang pasir. Tapi tetep dingin kok. Dingin banget.

Pemandangan Gunung Bromo pagi hari

Dari kiri: Dea, Inorda, Risandy

Dari kiri: Ma'un, Risandy, Dea, Inorda, Windyka, Ony 

Kemudian esoknya aku berencana ke Pantai Goa China, yg ber-pemandangan yahud dan juga ber-pasir putih yang menawan, laut yang eksotis. Tapi karena capek banget, akhirnya batal (lagi) deh. Trus malemnya aku memutuskan untuk pergi ke BNS (Batu Night Spektakuler). Itu adalah tempat wisata yang menyediakan taman lampion, arena balapan, taman bermain, kuliner dan juga tempat oleh-oleh. Karena bukanya sore, jadi mending kesananya malem aja deh.

Wisata Lampion dan Taman Bermain

Kereta Lampion

Karena bertepatan pada hari Minggu, temenku menyarankan untuk pergi ke Pasar Minggu Tugu. Kalau di Yogyakarta, itu semacam Sunmor, Cuma lebih rapi dan tertata karena dibarengin sama Car Free day. Di sana kamu bisa berbelanja dan kuliner sepuasnya sampai kembang kepis. Trus  disana juga ada namanya Tugu Bunga dan Museum Brawijaya.

Sebenarnya masih banyak lagi tempat wisata yang wajib banget dikunjungi seperti Jatim Park 1 dan 2, Sengkaling, Alun-alun Tugu, Pantai Sempu, Selekta, dll. Tapi karena aku udah pernah ke beberapa tempat itu, jadi nggak kesana lagi deh.

Kuliner di sana juga sangat menjanjikan. Makanannya enak semuaaaaa dan cukup terjangkau! Dari Nasi pecel, Bakso Malang, Soto Ceker, Nasi Goreng Pasar Belimbing, Penyetan dan Lalapan, Sate, sampai es Cokelat Klasik. Minum dingin di tempat dingin, wow banget deh. :D

Dari kiri: Inorda, Risandy, Dodik, Dea, Norman di Cokelat Klasik

Okay, Yang lebih penting lagi dari semua ini adalah jangan lupa pulang karena keenakan main di sana. Belajar tetep nomer 1, main nomer 2. (Hahaha…) See you on next post, guys! :D

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Assignment #10

Review the Movie BAG IT

The sneaky plastic monster

Bag it is a documentary film about plastic bags, plastic politics, single-use disposables, how plastics are influencing the health of our bodies and our environments, which is directed by Suzan Beraza and acted by Jeb Berrier. The story starts from a guy namely Jeb who begins by asking where plastics bag from his local grocery store to carry home a single container of peach yogurt will end up and he decides to find out how plastics affect not only our environments but also our bodies.

We should be so concerned about these things since the studies have obtained that certain additives can cause dangerous developmental effects on children, potentially impacting allergies, hormones, metabolism, and more. This movie has made by consulted with scientists to show the realities about serious and dangerous effects of using plastics day by day, regarding that it causes many bad diseases for children and adult as well such as breast and prostate cancer, enlargement of the prostate, hyperactivity in children, obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. More and more studies are beginning to show that the comfortable of plastic is not worth the risk to our body health and environment anymore. Then, we can figure the unexpected consequences of using plastics and consider that using them has grown to destroy proportions on our planet earth, so that we can change the way we think, feel and act regarding plastics packaging, plastics garbage and plastics pollution.

For a moment I stuck on thinking. Remember that plastic has its role in our society. It is an important part in most everything we use on a day-to-day basis. In many daily activities we often use plastics for packaging, bringing home some groceries, container of the food we eat and the water we drink and many others. We do our best to keep our health every day. It means that we also protect our environment as well. But, it is not simple to do the right things. Your food may be healthy, but what about the containers that you’re storing it in?  This is proved by much terrible news about bad impacts of using plastics to our earth. From our dishes and properties to our food packaging, there is a reason to think twice about using plastics remember that many of them often contain toxic.

From the movie, we can find out some good solutions that we can take into our lives. The right choices and small action we make have a huge impact on our planet’s future. The good news is that there will be alternatives.

1.      Eliminate plastic produce bags and carry reusable bags.

2.      Avoid buying water bottles and trying using a stainless steel water bottle.

3.      Bring stainless steel travel mug at all times for drinks.

4.      Bring own container for takeout.

5.      Prefer natural fabrics over synthetic ones for clothes and furniture.

6.      Avoid giving plastic toys to children, especially in the case of younger children who are likely to chew or take toys in the mouth.

7.      Refuse, reduce,  reuse, recycle, rebuy.

To our better future world and particularly future generations, we should be even more aware about widespread of plastics in our culture. Then, we also learn what we can do to free our life from plastics so that we would walk away being both startled and smarter and also making our live simpler and healthier.

Read More... → Assignment #10