Beringas is an Indonesian adjective word that means: in a constant state of anger fluctuation, fierce, having a spiky temperament, capable of finishing a work or a life quickly, swiftly, crudely and devastatingly, always on the edge emotionally, and, lastly from me, have the capability or the desire to eat a whole homo sapiens alive. I don’t know the origin of the word, it might be an archaic Malay or Java. But that is my impression of Jakarta in the first month. Jakarta, Jakartans, and everything in it, them, are quite “beringas”. From the streets, the people, the things, and down to the mosquitoes. They all suck bloods out of you. I have nothing but my conscience. And everyday I have to trade it away to live. A Dutch painting of old Jakarta, Batavia Castle, at the Rijk Museum in Amsterdam still represents quite accurately everyday life (or butchery) today. The coconut trees sway tall and elegant like the rows of highrises on Sudirman-Thamrin and Kuningan. The market stalls on the left are the many hectic commercial places ranging from the tiny shed under a plastic tent to a gigantic upscale Grand Indonesia mall. The tropic clouds are still deceptively soft and 'cushionee' until the annual rain peak when they pour down the water and drown the city. I call it the Baptism Day. The river Ciliwung is the unattended bride of the city. The castle on the background is carefully and intentionally screened. It is all the unseen forces, the power centers, and the master puppets that each control one or few of the millions (8.8 to be exact) of strings below. Now the people scene in the fore-and-midground is the part that is more interesting to me. It represents all hues of richness or poorness of life. A rich man might have a poor heart (in health and in deed) and vice and versa. That is Jakarta, charming but dreaded. Beringas.29 May 2009
Batavia yang Beringas
Beringas is an Indonesian adjective word that means: in a constant state of anger fluctuation, fierce, having a spiky temperament, capable of finishing a work or a life quickly, swiftly, crudely and devastatingly, always on the edge emotionally, and, lastly from me, have the capability or the desire to eat a whole homo sapiens alive. I don’t know the origin of the word, it might be an archaic Malay or Java. But that is my impression of Jakarta in the first month. Jakarta, Jakartans, and everything in it, them, are quite “beringas”. From the streets, the people, the things, and down to the mosquitoes. They all suck bloods out of you. I have nothing but my conscience. And everyday I have to trade it away to live. A Dutch painting of old Jakarta, Batavia Castle, at the Rijk Museum in Amsterdam still represents quite accurately everyday life (or butchery) today. The coconut trees sway tall and elegant like the rows of highrises on Sudirman-Thamrin and Kuningan. The market stalls on the left are the many hectic commercial places ranging from the tiny shed under a plastic tent to a gigantic upscale Grand Indonesia mall. The tropic clouds are still deceptively soft and 'cushionee' until the annual rain peak when they pour down the water and drown the city. I call it the Baptism Day. The river Ciliwung is the unattended bride of the city. The castle on the background is carefully and intentionally screened. It is all the unseen forces, the power centers, and the master puppets that each control one or few of the millions (8.8 to be exact) of strings below. Now the people scene in the fore-and-midground is the part that is more interesting to me. It represents all hues of richness or poorness of life. A rich man might have a poor heart (in health and in deed) and vice and versa. That is Jakarta, charming but dreaded. Beringas.