Friday, April 18, 2025

Sumba Nan Indah Part 3 - Cerita dari Adik di Sumba | NTT, Indonesia

Ini alasan kenapa bisa ke Sumba kali ini. Jadi udah lama aku pengen banget ikut voluntrip ke Timor, cuman suka dapet schedule yang gak pas sama aku jadi gak pergi - pergi lalu suatu hari muncul @sukaindonesiafoundation buka trip yang pas banget tanggalnya pas libur lebaran langsung lah meluncur walaupun drama di tiket pesawat dan mimin yang slowres tapi akhirnya ter-realisasi ke Sumba dan seru banget. Another experience dan ngerti kenapa ada yang kasih nama : Life Changing Journey 

Sesuai tagline #SukaIndonesia #SukaSamaSumba

Non-profit organization di Timor terutama Sumba itu banyak banget at least yang aku tau dan banyak yang kontribusi di pendidikan anak, air bersih, pembangunan sekolah, pembangunan taman baca, persiapan pengajar dan sebagai-nya. Realize gak selain air bersih sisanya relate ke anak - anak. Kenapa ya? Mungkin harus merasakan sendiri dan akan akan ngerti sendiri kenapa. Jadi ini cerita dari aku based on observe dan berinteraksi dengan anak - anak disana ya. 

Kalau udah baca cerita Sumba Part 1 aku ketemu Adik Olin, lalu di Sumba Part 2 aku ketemu anak - anak yang ngintitin kami biar dapet uang dan very annoying. 

Baca juga : Sumba Part 1

Baca juga : Sumba Part 2 

Sebelum lebih jauh, background di Sumba itu masih adat banget berasa dari dusun yang letaknya bisa 3 jam dari kota jauhnya, jalanan yang mulus itu kiri kanan hijau dan binatang yang berjalan, sisanya ya gak ada yang lain lagi kecuali pas udah deket rumah penduduk baru ada keliatan orang keluar. Dengan jarak yang sejauh itu untuk sampai ke kota udah pasti sulit. Jadi kalau anak kecil yang terlahir di dusun seperti itu kayaknya agak gak mungkin untuk bisa tersentuh sama dunia luar wawasan luar. Belum lagi kalau dusun yang adat-nya kuat dan gak ingin anak - anak-nya sekolah karena lebih berasa mending bantu kerja daripada sekolah. 

Banyak banget di Sumba yang kawin muda kalau lihat di jalanan masih ABG udah ngurus anak. Lalu adat menikah pakai belis (perempuan dibeli pihak laki) itu gak main - main angka-nya dan diputuskan dari rundingan keluarga pihak laki dengan para om si pihak perempuan, hayoo kalo om-nya banyak gimana pusing dah tuh. Nah kalau gak mampu beli istri gimana? Ada juga kalau perempuan beli suami tapi disini jadi suami itu sangat gak berharga banget biasanya untuk laki yang sangat miskin baru ada kemungkinan seperti ini. 

Dan jika meninggal pun ada adatnya harus berapa ekor hewan dan banyak lagi sehingga kalau belum adat belum bisa dikubur jadi mayat-nya di bungkus oleh kain Sumba dan tunggu sampai keluarga mampu bikin adat-nya baru dikubur. Dan kuburan disini mostly bisa keliatan di rumah - rumah ada yang jenis dikeramikin dihias, ada juga yang batu besar terus ada pintu-nya jadi bisa buat beberapa jenazah. 

Nah dengan adat yang sekental ini gimana cara-nya untuk memutus rantai-nya yaitu dengan membuat anak - anaknya sekolah dan berpendidikan jadi gak muter terus deh hal - hal seperti kawin muda, gak sekolah, gak bisa baca. 




Kalau pas ke Timor kalian akan merasakan gap yang sangat besar antara yang bagus banget sampai bisa ngobrol deep knowledge yang bisa dapet beasiswa sampai ke luar negeri dan yang masih kurang pendidikan se-simple antre, se-simple naroh piring kotor orang lain ke meja orang lain juga, aneh bin ajaib tapi nyata. 

Tapi seneng-nya adalah orang Sumba selalu punya tanah Sumba di hati-nya kayak udah pergi keluar pun mereka tetep pengen balik ke Sumba dan contribute buat Sumba. 

Kalau ditanya emang gak ada sekolah ya disana? Ada, tapi emang jauh - jauh ya shay tempatnya tuh gak bisa samain dengan tempat yang udah terjamah. Ini beneran jauh dan juga kalau denger kenapa bangun sekolah ber-asrama yang anak - anak didiknya tinggal di sekolah? Karena mereka emang harus di didik intensive sama guru - guru biar gak ke distract disuruh kerja dulu lah atau ngapain dulu dan jadi lupa kalau harus belajar. 

Jujurly pas kesana dan lihat mereka sebenernya aku bukan tipe yang suka anak kecil tapi ada beberapa anak yang udah lumayan gede kayak kelas 6SD gitu kan udah bisa ya tau mau-nya dia apa, aku pas ngeliat mereka kayak berasa ada 渴望的眼神 kayak haus untuk tau sesuatu tentang masa depan mereka. 



Lagi main quiz adiknya lagi nanya bahasa inggris-nya apa dari pertanyaan, semoga adik besar nanti bisa mengejar cita - cita sekeras kakak mengejar cita - cita kakak ya *loh jadi bingung mirip gw tar baik apa ga lol

Kenapa ada kegiatan visit dari luar ke anak - anak menurutku sebenernya dampaknya gak cuman donasi materi ya, karena donasi materi gak akan habisnya dan malah bisa bikin ketergantungan tapi lebih ke gimana sebagai jembatan buat mereka mengetahui dunia luar kayak apa dan cita - cita mereka bisa setinggi apa sebenernya. Dan terbiasa untuk berbaur sama orang asing juga mungkin persiapan ketika besar nanti atau jadi inspirasi anak - anak tersebut apa yang mereka ingin capai kelak. 

Dusun yang aku kunjungi ini seru deh karena sekolah-nya diajar sama ibu pendeta jadi gak heran kalau anak - anak ini semua hafal sama lagu gereja bahkan yang aku gak tau ges 😂 Terus aku nonton pas si ibu pendeta ditanya kenapa mau mengabdi disana katanya karena di dusun itu even belum ada lulusan SMA satupun jadi mimpi-nya adalah melihat ada anak yang lulus SMA disana. As simple as that. 

Karena pas kesana lagi libur sekolah tadinya kupikir kek kasian banget diajak ngumpul padahal lagi libur tapi ternyata mereka senang karena kalau ada yang datang mereka bisa main bareng, interaksi bareng, juga ada snack yang di hari biasa mereka gak bisa dapetin itu. 

Sampai setelahnya aku nulis 10 menit yang langsung keluar gini. Mungkin kamu juga orang yang ditolong dan di bless oleh orang lain sama kayak aku, dan sekarang waktunya kamu yang bless others. 

Disini kita pas malam bisa liat bintang di langit bertebaran keren deh, gak bisa pakai kamera lebih bisa pakai mata sendiri emang ciptaan Tuhan luar biasa. 

Seneng banget bisa ketemu adik - adik semua ❤ Pesan hari itu sama hari ini masih sama 👇

Terimakasih Sumba membukakan pikiran dan memberikan terang dari pertanyaan yang belum terjawab.


 

Tuesday, January 7, 2025

Road Trip Jawa Timur Naik Kereta Api Tut Tut Tut | Train to East Java

Actually train is one of my favorite public transportation among all, since it has fix schedule, fix route, and you will not get lost in the middle of the trip. And no macet macet is important especially during high season! It was my first ever trip to East Java, and the longest train trip I ever take in Indo, previously I only take from Jakarta to Bandung. 

Total in 2 weeks I have 7 train trip 2,283 km, 39 hours haha, so excited but yet worry about my butt😅 Let’s start to share the experience taking KAI (Kereta Api Indonesia)! 

Start from Jakarta, there are few train station that serve long-distance train : Stasiun Gambir, Stasiun Pasar Senen, Stasiun Jakarta Kota — in simple way mostly Gambir is more expensive trip and Pasar Senen cheaper one, nothing difference in high level, you just need to find your trip begin from which station. 

How to purchase train ticket? 

  1. Download app KAI Access, then you can simply buy from the app, its very easy and convenient. Even the app you can use to buy not only long-distance train but also local train and commuter line. 
  2. Thru any travel aggregator or 3rd party provider like traveloka, tiket.com, etc 
Personally I will recommend the first one (KAI Access app) unless you have some you have some voucher from the aggregator, why? 
  • No need to print the boarding pass on station, you just need to show the boarding pass QR code from the KAI Access app 
  • Order food thru the app and they will send to your seat 
  • 1 app to purchase many type of train ticket
  • Live tracking where are you now and what is the next staion and next stop station

Usually I dont like to download new app but this one works and worth! 




Detail of my train trip

How to depart and when?

Suggest to arrive in the station at least 45 minutes before train depart, the departure time on the ticket is when the train leave the station and some of it leave earlier I don’t know why also, so better arrive earlier and directly enter to the train. If you are on the first station of the trip then the train is already there so you can directly find your seat but if your station is on the middle better to wait on the platform so once the train coming you can directly enter to it, some train only stop few minutes so make sure to get on. 

When enter the gate they will check your boarding pass and ID card (KTP or passport), no need to print the boarding pass if you use KAI Access and show like below picture, but if not then you need to print out the boarding pass on the counter before enter the gate. 

And taraaa now we can use face recognation even no need to show the boarding pass or KTP, you just walk thru the gate and voila so fast! If you havent register face recognation, the staff on the ground will help you and it can use in any station that have this face recognation gate, also I found when in Malang they still use manual checking or because its different gate? Not sure thou. 

Rule inside train

  1. No smoking, yeay~ I love it. I thought its new rule by Ignasius Jonan former KAI director who lead lot of changes in KAI to make it until what people love now. Previously, train is not a good public transport option in Indo, lot of people didnt bought ticket and enter it, lot of people didnt sit in their own seat, dirty, and uncomfortable, its such a huge big game changer to see how KAI operate now ❤❤❤
  2. Sit on your own seat number, you will see your car & seat number on the ticket 
  3. You will get small eco-plastic / paper bag on the seat, its to put your trash and the cleaning staff will walk thru every some time to collect it, dont litter! 
  4. Put your luggage upside or in the luggage area (but not all train type have luggage area so if you bring the big suitcase you also need to put it upside) 

Facility inside train 

  1. Have toilet, some is basic one some is fancy one but anyway it works and clean, also have tissue & hand soap 
  2. Dining car : selling some hot-meal & beverage —- but also the crew will walkthru to sell the food. It’s not that delicious imo but eat-able and the price still reasonable around 40k for nasi goreng, ayam geprek, or you can order pop-mie for 11k —- paymeny by QRIS or cash only but you can order from KAI Access app and pay thru app 
  3. Blanket for rent : not sure how much it cost but it have 
  4. Entertainment : whole nature view from your window is your entertainment haha 
  5. Electricity socket : But most of it is Indo plug so make sure you have the converter 
Facility in station 
  1. Drinking water refill in each station, just make sure you bring your own bottle 
  2. Porter but its not free, its like pay as you wish service. A bit story of it, the porter didnt get any salary from KAI so they really based on what the customer give, you can have their service if you got more belonging, they will help to carry your belonging to the train and give them cash directly. But I see there is e-porter in the KAI Access also, kerennn!!! The fare is flat 38k thru APP but not sure if each porter already have this access since most of them already senior one. 
  3. Minimarket
  4. Toilet 

How about the seat? 

Well, I’m not sure how to differentiate the seat type based on the ticket haha I use google to search based on the train name. But here is the seat I got from different type of train. 

1 of 7 : Jakarta PSE - Surabaya Pasar Turi total 11h 30m in this 90 degree seat it has 2 & 3 seat, see the legroom for both side total 4-6 passenger share that tiny space, clean squat toilet with tissue and handsoap, manual door so if arrive at the station and door is closed the passenger inside will help to open

1 of 7 : Full seat and full luggage area upside but cold AC

2 of 7 : What so called economy next gen, so the seat for economy will change like this but still in process not yet all and it has luggage area like MRT one so I didnt put it upside, helpful for lady like me who need effort to put upside haha

3 & 4 of 7 : What can I ask for 8k ticket? Haha. It same one with the 1 of 7 kinda seat

5 of 7 : Still 90 degree seat and full seat, this legroom for 4 of us (me and other 3 stranger)

5 of 7 : No place for luggage so we just put it one side of the aisle

6 of 7 : Better one but its not economy new gen, legroom shorter but better than 90 degree one

7 of 7 : Definition of save the best for the last for me from KAI maybe 😅 The most modern and comfortable one among all the train seat type in the trip. But no luggage storage area so you need to put it upside


And the only universal socket among all train in this trip

Overall, I like how KAI now, thanks to Pak Ignasius Jonan (you may wonder he is the former KAI director who make these changes) and made me want to explore more and more. See you on next post about what I explore on each city!

Train journey to Surabaya : Kereta Api Tut Tut Tut di Surabaya

Train journey to Banyuwangi : Kereta Api Tut Tut Tut di Banyuwangi 

Train journey to Malang : Kereta Api Tut Tut Tut di Malang





Monday, April 24, 2017

Ibis Styles Bandung | Indonesia

Ibis Styles, Bandung is located in Braga. Surrounded by road of art, it has it's own style to share with you. As Braga famous for it's art, nice try to stay in Braga for vacation or business since 15-min distance to train station. 
Main entrance from parking
Take 1 for your luggage
Check-in first to get your room card & wi-fi password. 

Receptionist area
Free ice tea to get in lobby area

aisle to the room
The bedroom is quite small but comfortable and reasonable price. Suit for budget trip or business trip.

Bed area ( twin )


TV for refreshing after exhausting day


Night view from window
Restaurant & breakfast area in 2F
The porridge is a must have one, very delicious and soft taste.
Plus point of Ibis Styles Bandung for sure is the breakfast, for budget hotel, the breakfast menu is awesome, also clean environment inside and nice crew. 

Minus point is the room area quite small, should not enough if you bring kids with.