My Days In Jayapura: A Journal (4)

SUATU MALAM DI EXCELSO CAFÉ JAYAPURA

Minggu lalu seorang teman lama sewaktu kami masih di Makassar datang mengunjungi kami. Bukan mengunjungi tepatnya tapi kebetulan saat itu ia menemani adik dan seorang teman adiknya yang akan mengikuti tes penerimaan karyawan baru sebuah bank BUMN di kota ini.


Long time no see, lebih kurang dua tahun. But, when we see her, she is not changed a lot. Teman kami itu seorang wanita yang telah bersuami. Sudah lima tahun mereka menikah namun belum dikaruniai seorang anak. Kadang betapa teganya aku ketika istriku bertanya-tanya kok kita belum punya anak padahal udah setaon stengah kita menikah, aku bilang saja,”be patient, honey. Just consider about friend, Hawa, in Manokwari. Our marriage is still under 2 yrs, right”. Dan, akhirnya istriku diam tak mengungkitnya lagi, for a while.
Yes, namanya Hawa. Dia adalah mantan rekan sekerja istriku. Istriku sering cerita tentang Hawa ini. Banyak kejadian lucu yang mereka telah alami selama mereka berdua sejawat. Misalnya, pernah seorang debitur member mereka seekor ayam sebagai tanda terima kasih karena permohonan kreditnya telah disetujui. Karena kebetulan waktu itu mereka kembali ke kantor dengan naik pete-pete (Makassar, angkot red), membawa seekor ayam menjadi kepanikan tersendiri. Para penumpang yang lain jadi terganggu dengan ulah si ayam borokokok sehingga istriku dan Hawa jadi malu selama perjalanan itu.


Pas malam minggu kami sebagai tuan rumah mengajak Hawa, adik, dan temannya jalan-jalan mengitari kota Jayapura. Awalnya kita bermaksud singgah ke Happy Puppy, sebuah rumah nyanyi di kota ini. Tetapi karena malam itu malam minggu semua bilik di tempat itu fully booked sampai sekira jam 11-an malam. Waduh, selesainya sampai subuh ntar. Ya ora iso. Apalagi adik Hawa dan temannya besok pagi-pagi sekali ada tes lagi.
“so gimana e?” tanya istriku dengan aksen Jayapura yang dibuat-buat.
“tra usah nyanyi-nyanyi kalo gitu. Kita ngopi aja yuk. Kita ke excelso.” Ajakku.
Tanpa ba bi bu yang lain setuju dengan ajakku. Akhirnya mobil taksi (Papua, angkot red) yang kami tumpangi membawa kami ke café Excelso. Letaknya di Jalan Percetakan Jayapura. Waktu telah menunjukkan pukul 09 malam begitu kami sampai ke tempat itu.
Malam minggu di kota memang tidak seperti malam minggu di tempat lain. Jangankan Jakarta, di Makassar aja kami sewaktu pacaran dulu sering menghabiskan waktu muter-muter kota sampe pagi di malam minggu. Disini jam segini malam minggu sudah nyaris sepi. Toko-toko di sepanjang jalan percetakan ini sebagian besar sudah tutup. Kalaupun masih ada keramaian, paling itu didaerah pantai depan kantor gubernur atau di daerah ruko pasifik dimana anak muda Jayapura banyak yang nongkrong.
Kami mulai ngobrol sambil menikmati minuman dan makanan yang kami pesan. Kebanyakan istriku dan Hawa saling bercerita tentang masa-masa mereka masih rekan sekerja. Ah, mengenang masa-masa yang telah lewat memang mengasyikkan. Apalagi pada saat itu nyaris setiap hari ada saja kelucuan-kelucuan yang terjadi. Terbukti dari cerita-cerita maupun cekakak-cekikik yang sering terdengar selama obrolan tersebut.



Sambil ngobrol kami memesan minuman dan cemilan-cemilan. Aku seperti biasa sebagai seorang coffee addicted memesan hot expresso coffee, sementara yang lain chocolate ice. Yummy, menyeruput secangkir kopi robusta di malam seperti sekarang sungguh suatu kenikmatan tersendiri. Sudah lama hal seperti ini tidak kulakukan sejak dokter melarangku minum kopi karena penyakit lever yang kuderita.
Tapi, dasar coffee freak. Nothing or no one is ever gonna stop me to enjoy that black sweet thing!! Saya sempat berhenti karna istriku memintaku. And as a real proof of my love to her, I couldn’t say a no. Dan malam ini benteng pertahananku akhirnya luluh lantak. Aku kembali menyeruput secangkir kopi ekspresso yang sungguh sungguh nikmat. Damn, I really enjoy it!!
Maybe it’s intuition
Somethings you just don’t question
Like in your eyes, I see my future in an instant
And there it goes, I think I’ve found my best friend
I know that it might sound
More than a little crazy
But I believe...
I knew I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I have been waiting all my life
There's just no rhyme or reason
Only a sense of completion
And in your eyes, I see the missing pieces
I’m searching for, I think I’ve found my way home
I know that it might sound
More than a little crazy
But I believe
A thousand angels dance around you
I am complete now that I have found you
Sayup-sayup terdengar lagu I knew I loved you-nya Savage Garden mengalun memenuhi ruangan café mala mini. Gosh, ini salah satu lagu favoritku semasa kuliah dulu. Jadi keinget masa-masa itu. So, malam ini sekira jam 10 malam minggu di tahun 2010, kita semua kembali mengenang masa lalu kita. Very unforgettable old times.

Jayapura, February 20, 2010

My Days In Jayapura: A Journal (3)

New position

Starting February 3 this year, I was positioned as Customer Service Officer replacing Joko Mulyono who was appointed as new Head Teller officer replacing me. We had exchanged position to each other. Although being a Customer Service was not new to me, however, I should study from the start.
I had been a Customer Service Representatives for 5 years before I passed successfully the exams to be promoted as a bank officer. Frankly, I was so surprised at that time. How could I pass them as I was then an average employee. Even my junior coworker had outscored my evaluation grade. Thanks to my ex boss who gave me green light to follow the whatsocalled Senior Development program, a promotion into the manager level program in my bank. We had to undergo a series of test in it. He believed in my ability in passing through the program, and I could prove it to pay for his belief. I still remember his kindness and his confidence in me and I am so grateful for that.
It had been 2 years since I became a HTO. Consider me a newcomer CSO. Still a lot to learn. But I always believe in myself. I promise deep down in the bottom of my heart that I will work smart and hard to complete all my assignments successfully. In Allah I depend upon my hopes.

My Days In Jayapura: A Journal (2)

Take a look at my pic. You’ll be amazed seeing I was standing in front of a money mountain!! Yeah, our branch vault right now is full with money, even more. The capacity is only Rp100 billion, but we have been keeping Rp218 billion. Most of it is coming from walk-in customers. Fortunately, on Monday we will send Rp160 billion to Bank Indonesia. I do hope, we will decrease our money into below Rp39 billion, the cash in branch limit allowed by our headquarter.

My Days In Jayapura: A Journal (1)

The clock is still ticking. It was just like yesterday. Actually, I have been here for a year and 5 months. I have observed many weird things I’d never witnessed before. And many times, when I told the stories to my friends their laughter would burst out. That’s the joy of living places. However, one thing is more joyous when the name Jayapura comes to my mind, the view.
I’ve had a new pleasant activity lately. I like to jog uphill down. Yes, may be I’d prefer call it joghike because it is a mixture between jogging and hiking. It is really a sportive pleasant activity. While joghiking, my heart will beat faster and it makes my body healthier. But, some of you may wonder why on earth I call my exercise as a part of hiking activity anyway?
Allow me to start by telling you what Jayapura looks like. Jayapura is the capital city of Papua Province. Papua, the most eastern part of Indonesia, is divided into two provinces namely Papua Province and the West Papua Province. The capital city of the West Papua Province is Manokwari. Jayapura city is situated on a bay called Teluk Yos Sudarso (formerly called Humboldt Bay). On this bay there is a port called Jayapura Seaport. Almost every day many Pelni ships will anchor in this dock to transport passengers from Jayapura city to other cities in Papua or even outside Papua Island. At night, when we take a look at the port and around, the city will look like cities with skyscraper buildings. My house is about 200 m uphill, so I can see the city view almost clearly. I recalled at New Year’s night, from around the city area, many people celebrated New Year by exploding fireworks to the city sky. It was a so amazing and unforgettable moment. The dark sky suddenly became highlighted just like in the noon day.
Back to the brief history of Jayapura City. From 1910 to 1962 it was known as Hollandia and on May 1, 1963 the UN renamed it Kota Baru. It remained until 1968. From then on until present time it was named Jayapura which is derived from Sanskrit words “Jaya” means victory and “Pura” means city.
That is it for a short history of Jayapura. My days remain a long day. Although it is a bit too late, wise guys say better late than never. I will start with my exercise so-called joghiking..