Elizabeth Pisani.

As a fundraiser to sponsor emerging Indonesian writers to attend the 2009 Ubud Writers and Readers Festival, the Indonesian Heritage Society is organising a lunch with Elizabeth Pisani on April 7th in Jakarta. Pisani’s life as an HIV prevention researcher has taken her from the brothels of southwest China to the gay bars of Bangkok, and in Indonesia she has worked with the health ministry to map HIV risk. She will speak about her experiences and her book The Wisdom of Whores at the IHS lunch, in a talk entitled ‘Landscapes of Desire: sex, politics and AIDS in Indonesia.’
Funds raised at the event will be used to send two or more Indonesian writers to participate in the October festival, and also to fund 5 Indonesian readers, students and aspiring writers to attend.
For more information and to buy tickets (Rp.300,000), contact IHS at +62 21 5725870.

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Their day begins as most of the city slips into slumber. The fishermen of Muara Karang have a schedule all their own. The fish market of Sunda Kelapa is their version of the business district although the dress policy may not reflect that of the ‘other’ CBD in downtown Jakarta.

If you have yet to visit the historic fish market, you truly are missing a plethora of sights and smells not seen many other places, even in The Big Durian. From what I’ve been told the district of Muara Karang has its own jurisdiction in a way, its own set of rules, and its own way of life. When entering this area, you certainly become aware of these notions.

Very fishy.

We maneuvered through the small, winding street filled with water from the heavy rains released in days prior. The streets here are prone to flooding in the rainy season, so it would be advisable to use an SUV of some sort if coming in those months. We easily found ample parking adjacent to the market. Stepping out of the car, the first observation wasn’t formed with my eyes, but rather my nose. It emits the permeating, raw stench of a working market; make no mistake, it’s not the most pleasant environment, but one worth experiencing first hand.

The rain soaked streets both absorbed and reflected the dazzling glow of the umbrellas lining the narrow path leading towards the market. Dozens of customers made their way from stall to stall perhaps searching for a fresher alternative to the grocery store, perhaps re-stocking their restaurant’s supplies, or maybe simply venturing through the market out of blatant curiosity like us.

Upon entering the warehouse-like main market, the sheer vastness of the place was nearly overwhelming. There must have been hundreds of fisherman and dockworkers engaged in the night’s work. Makeshift aisles separated each worker’s wares from another’s. From what I’ve heard, the fishermen make their way into shore in late evening, and continue to arrive well into the night. Those seeking the most action would be well advised to arrive somewhere between 8pm and 12am.

To say that the variety of sea life on display was phenomenal would be an understatement. The market was brimming with sea life so vibrant and multifarious that you can’t help but wonder how it’s possible to obtain such creatures from the murky depths of the waters surrounding Java. I won’t pretend to pull a Jaques Cousteau here – I truly couldn’t name, with any accuracy, more than a handful of the creatures on display. What I can do is provide a small amount of photography and let you figure out the rest. Shark, squid, eels, rays, and an array of fish of all colors, shapes, and sizes await those adventurous enough to enter this startling place.

A foreigner walking through this scene would undoubtedly attract attention. A foreigner walking through these aisles armed with a camera certainly attracts even more, and this is when the true characters come to life. Everywhere we went, fishermen would look around for the most gargantuan, impressive fish to represent their days’ labor and hold it up like a football star would hold a trophy; grinning and laughing the entire time. Occasionally, the odd joker would find the most meager of his lot and flaunt it with just as much pride creating waves of laughter from those around. There was a real sense of community emanating from these laughs; a zone of comfort and a sense that they were one large family.

As midnight approached, our energy waned as our appetites grew. Near the parking lot was a small warung, in front of which a makeshift grill offered welcome relief. The worker offered to cook over his hot coals, any seafood we chose from the market. The other option was even more enticing; he would choose some giant prawn himself and save us the task of bargaining. Within minutes he presented us with succulent prawn skewered and laden with a mouthwatering sauce unlike any I’ve ever had. Despite the fact that we were sitting on a picnic bench, eating on paper plates, I’ll gladly admit that it was some of the best prawn I’ve had in Indonesia. For three of us to let out another notch in out belt it cost us a grand total of Rp.70,000 including drinks!

Certainly, fishermen the world-over have a culture all their own, a language which outsiders are not privy to, and a sense of humor which may be defined by some as crude. Nonetheless, these men and women of the dock deserve respect for continuing a tradition that likely has not kept pace with the rest of Jakarta. The working conditions they endure, the night shift that keeps them from their families, and the overall tenacity of their lifestyle is something most of us will never properly relate to.

Looking for something different this weekend? Take a journey back in time, slow the pace for a while. The fish market of Sunda Kelapa is only minutes from Jakarta. Experience yet another part of what makes Jakarta special. Have a glimpse into the lives of these fishermen, have a laugh with them, and feast upon the pride of their efforts.

First published in Kabar 2006.

Write to Brandon Hoover at thejavajive@gmail.com, or visit www.thejavajive.com

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gedungDUA8

The space evolved from a project in which two existing buildings were connected, to create a most delightful and varied architectural experience. Architect Andra Matin juxtaposes the primitive with the modern, using clean lines and elegant edges with rough unfinished surfaces to create a fresh and important edifice in today’s Indonesian architecture.

Dea Sudarman, documentary filmmaker and traveller, conceptualized geduangDUA8 as a place to share the experiences of various indigenous populations from parts of eastern Indonesia, whose lives she had witnessed through her work. Through her travels, Dea has amassed a diverse collection of hundreds of everyday artifacts from about 20 different indigenous populations, and has dedicated three levels of gedungDUA8 to present these pieces and allow the visitor a glimpse into their culture and way of life. The building offers a guided tour (in English) of the galleries housing these artifacts, which is accompanied by a viewing of one of Dea’s documentaries. You can get more details on booking this tour, and on the documentaries, from www.gedungdua8.com.

Gallery at gedungDUA8.

The galleries represent an important aspect of the spaces in gedungDUA8, as does the amphitheatre. However, the variety of spaces available extends to two rooftop terraces dubbed teras Mimpi (dream terrace) and teras Mandang (contemplation terrace) as well as host of elegant multipurpose rooms and more galleries with lots of fresh light as well as a public library, galeriMandu , which carries more than 1,500 titles on Indonesian arts and culture in Bahasa Indonesia, English, Dutch, German, French and Japanese.

The many spaces of gedungDUA8 must be experienced first hand, whether through a guided tour of the various galleries or mid-afternoon contemplation at one of the terrace spaces. The structure serves a multitude of purposes and is an edifice with an energy that is set to transcend time and grow in significance.

gedungDUA8 is located at JL KEMANG UTARA 28, Jakarta Selatan.
To book a guided tour or to rent a space at the building :
t. +62 21 71702049/52
f. +62 21 71791419
For more information
e. gedungdua8@cbn.net.id
w. www.gedungdua8.com

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“This place has really good feng shui,” says Tamalia Alisjahbana as she guides me through the Gedung Arsip Nasional in central Jakarta, former home of VOC Governor General Reinier de Klerk and perhaps the city’s best maintained heritage building. She is not just referring to the 18th century property’s popularity as a wedding venue; throughout the centuries, the building has somehow survived numerous threats to its existence.

Gedung Arsip Nasional

In 1900, there was a plan to tear it down and build shops. The Batavia Society for Arts and Sciences, which had been founded by de Klerk, stepped in to rescue it, donating the furniture that can still be seen there today. The building housed the Ministry of Mining until 1925, when the first major restoration took place. Then it held the National Archives until they were moved to Jl. Ampera in 1992. That same year, there was a rumour that the Soeharto family were planning to raze the building to the ground…to build shops. This is when Stichting Cadeau Indonesia came to its defence; a group of Dutch businessmen who, as a gift to Indonesia to mark the 50th anniversary of independence, raised the funds necessary to restore Gedung Arsip Nasional and turn it into a museum.

On November 1st, 1998, the restoration was finished. Then, on May 13th, riots broke out; the bank next door was burned to the ground and the gates of the Gedung Arsip were opened to offer shelter to the bank’s employees. The rioters followed them, bent on causing more destruction, but were chased away by about 80 workmen who were still employed at the building and didn’t want to lose their jobs. “There is always something that saves it,” smiles Tamalia, executive director of the foundation that now manages the property. It is privately managed and completely self-sufficient, receiving no funds from the government.

“Funding is not a problem. It’s been self-sustaining for the last eight years. We would like to increase the furniture collection and the map collection and people can help by donating furniture or maps. Or they can donate money for us to buy more furniture and maps, that’s also possible. And then we always look for sponsors for when we have exhibitions – for extras like that we need to look for extra money. But for actually maintaining it, it’s ok.”

Reinier de Klerk became Governor General in 1777, quite late in a distinguished career with the VOC. De Klerk wasn’t entirely pleased with the tardiness of his appointment, describing it as “serving the mustard after the meat has been eaten.” Throughout his career, he had a reputation for being incorruptible. In a sense, he had no necessity of corruption, as he was married to the very wealthy Sophia van Westpalm. Sophia’s mother, Gertruida Goosens, was the prettiest lady in Batavia in her day and was married three times to rich husbands who all predeceased her. Sophia was heiress to the accumulated fortune and thus de Klerk had the means to develop this land on Jl. Gajah Mada as his country estate.

This ‘dream home’, for which he drew up the plans himself, is today rich in fascinating artefacts, from the 17th century ebony furniture to the carved wooden Allegories over the doors, to the collection of maps dating from 1541 onwards, exhibited upstairs. The buildings on the property incorporate elements of Cape Town architecture and the secretary bird, de Klerk’s coat of arms, is a recurring motif. Tales of his 150 slaves evoke a time that shaped Jakarta’s current diversity – slaves were shipped to Batavia from across the archipelago – while offering a glimpse of the lifestyle enjoyed by the city’s erstwhile expatriate community.

Exhibitions at Gedung Arsip Nasional usually target children, with themes that have ranged from historical links between Indonesia and South Africa to the topic of the relationship between Germany and Indonesia, a relationship that extended even beyond those Germans who managed to journey here in person – for instance, Goethe was an honorary member of the Batavia Society.

Tamalia Alisjahbana, Executive Director of Gedung Arsip Nasional.

“We send invitations to about 500 schools whenever we have an exhibition; maybe 5,000 children visit per year. We always make them very aware that the building belongs to them. When they come, I always say, ‘who does this building belong to?’ and they’ll say, ‘the Indonesian government,’ and I say, ‘no, it belongs to you. Indonesian government means the people of indonesia. Are any of you foreign citizens? No. Well then it’s your building! And we are very happy when the owners come to visit!’”

With this sense of ownership comes a sense of responsibility, according to Tamalia. “The best times are when the guides have come back to me and said, the schoolchildren passed the donation box and asked, ‘what is that for?’ And the guides explain, ‘well we don’t receive any funds from the government. So people who want to help support it give a donation.’ And then, without saying anything, they all give something. From a poor school, they all take out 50 rupiahs. From a rich school they all take out 1,000 rupiahs. But they’re not asked to, they just do it by themselves. And that’s when we know we’ve hit the target, that they feel they own it.”

The gardens remain open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day and residents of neighbouring kampungs, who have no outdoor facilities of their own, are encouraged to use them. “If you come here at 6 o’clock in the morning, you will see old people doing their exercises. At 4, children start coming and playing with their bicycles, flying kites, mothers bring their babies. And this we encourage, we want them to use the place. It belongs to them.”

For information on holding weddings or other events, making donations to the furniture or map collection, or simply visiting Gedung Arsip Nasional, call +62 21 6347744 or e-mail arnas@cbn.net.id.

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