Jogja At A Time
6. Malioboro

Walk along Ketandan towards Malioboro. The scorching heat of burning the head was not felt by Seti after his Geomorphology lecture Ir. Surato.

Describe the natural structure of sand dunes on the beach Parangtritis until the lifting of the fault of the South coast of Jogja in Gunung Kidul attracts the desire to know Seti. Ir language style. The easily digestible Surato makes it easy for anyone who listens to his lecture to understand it.

Field I lecture at Parangtritis Beach for three days at the end of the semester, which is delivered Ir. Surato at the end of the lecture made Seti more curious about the world of men in his Mining department.

Not like SMA before. More individual lectures with all sorts of campus affairs taken care of each limit a more personal closeness.

Seti felt a different closeness with Muji, Dibyo, Joe and Doni compared to his college friends if it was about the issue of children boarding everyday in Jogja ... With them, Seti felt more attached to his pain.

Arriving in front of the Kimia Farma Pharmacy at the tip of Malioboro, Seti looked left right. Finding Doni's stall his Purwokerto friend who is one host with Joe.

Earlier this morning Joe borrowed the Denok and drove him to Ketandan. Tell Seti to wait for him in Doni's souvenir stalls.                                 

...----------------...

Before long flirting at the end of Malioboro, Seti saw Doni who was weaving a bracelet of yarn.

Grompol ethnic motifs similar to the shape of kawung fruit are divided into four points to the four directions of the wind that is being woven Doni seriously makes him unaware of Seti who is approaching.

Seti remembered the chat with Dibyo when talking about the grompol motif he accidentally ordered in Kota Gede when buying silver bracelets for Asri.

Grompol motif is commonly found at weddings or engagements where this motif conveys all the good wishes of parents to gather and always fill the household life of their children later.

Doni looked up and smiled as Seti's familiar clap patted his back.

"Oh you Set ... Sit down." Sapa Doni, then push the dingklik towards Seti.

Sitting next to him, Seti let keasikan Doni finish his work. Two female bulls in front of the stall seemed to enjoy the order of knick-knacks at the Doni stall.

Doni opened a stall there two years ago when the need for money to buy canvas and paint his paintings swelled unclosed monthly allowance.

Doni was Seti and Joe's upperclassman. Living in the same house as Joe. It was that closeness that decided Joe and Doni shared a boarding room to reduce expenses.

Five minutes later, Doni's hands handed over the two bracelets. Help pairing up the two female Caucasians.

"How much is it ?" Ask a green-eyed bule woman.

"Two thousand rupiahs" replied Doni.

"OK .. thank you,"

"You are welcome. Have a nice day." Doni waved at the two female bulls who left the stall, walking towards the Tugu station.

Doni then told Seti to buy coffee and a pack of cigarettes while handing a thousand pieces to Seti.                             

...----------------...

Igniting the cigarette that Seti had just bought, Doni held out the pack toward Seti ... Sungkan refused, Seti received the cigarette even though he had not smoked for a long time.

Then the domestic or bule travelers crowded the sidewalk along Malioboro which is full of five-footed stalls. Some of them stopped for a moment to observe leather wallets, bracelets, and monel necklaces in Doni's lapel.

"Wait for Joe Set ?" Ask Doni on the sidelines bargaining prices with his field visitors again.

Do not be surprised if from the price of ten thousand rupiah at the beginning, an item is finally released at a price of one thousand rupiah if someone bids. That is the art of selling and buying in a malioboro stall. Each seeks profit with his version.

"Yes Don. This morning he took me to Ketandan. I told you to wait here." Answer Seti later.

"They again I told you to buy leather near the Shoping. My wallet stock is up." Doni said, "Just wait while crocking. He'll be here any minute." Doni again ... The coffee in front of him was drunk slowly.

Seti observed the crowd in front of his seat. Time didn't seem to wait for Joe. Seems like it's nice to sit for so long on that lap.                   

...----------------...

Seti followed Doni's finger pointing forward. Joe can be heard looking at Seti after parking the Denok. A roll of leather ties together seen tied on his back when crossing Malioboro as usual jammed.

"Long time Set," Joe greets Seti after he gets to the field. The leather roll was given towards Doni.

"Lumayan. But no problem. Full coffee and cigarettes here .. hehehe ..." Seti answered while laughing.

"Snack ewu now Don," Joe's conversation turns toward Doni.

"Luckily... Rise again," Doni complained about the price of the tan skin that continues to rise per foot.

"Yes how else. We need." too." Said Joe.

"Yes anyway. But still do not need to follow the increase in the price of our leather wallets. There is still profit" continued Doni.

"Have you eaten ? I'm going to Sarkem's shop to eat. Hungry all day long in line for leather."

"Yet... Take Seti to Joe. Pack some rice for me." Doni said as he handed over another thousand pieces to Joe.

"Yuk Set we eat." Take Joe.

Seti then walked following Joe towards Sarkem near Tugu station. There are a lot of cheap shops along the way.

Sarkem stands for Pasar Kembang street which is in the village of Sosrowijayan in the South of Tugu station. There used to be many who sell flowers there before moving to Kotabaru.

Joe chuckles as Seti is astonished by the male bule embracing two women in one of the alleys between the cafes and lodgings.

"What's Joe's place ?"

"Tlembuk .. hahaha .. sometime we go there Set. The more hot the night," Joe chuckles.

"Ah fuck you," Seti laughed.

Apparently Joe deliberately took Seti to one of the alleys on the street. Before entering a food stall in front of one of the inns.                                 

...----------------...

A plate of rice gudeg and eggplant enjoyed by Seti and Joe. That afternoon the stall he was staying at was quite full. Most rickshawmen are ngetem along Sarkem and the Station.

Spending lunch and wrapping around Doni's rames, Seti and Joe turned again towards Malioboro. Two hundred and fifty dollars in change was bought a packet of blue Bentoel cigarettes by Joe.                      

...----------------...

Late in the afternoon Seti said goodbye. Leaving Joe and Doni at his trading yard.

Usually until tenpm Joe and Doni are there. Alternate if one is in college, or close if both are busy on campus.

Turning on the Denok, Seti runs down the Malioboro road to the South. Intend to stop by the Shoping that will be passed, looking for pirated books before returning to the Samirono boarding house.

 -----------------------------

*Mound: stack

*Grompol: group in Javanese.

*Autumn : kaling kolang.

*Dingklik: small wooden chair with no armrests and back.

*Seket ewu: fifty thousand in Javanese.

*Tlembuk : prostitutes in Banyumas Javanese.