(A different version of this ‘article’ was published on Jurnal Antar Budaya, Edisi V/Desember/2005, Pusat Studi Asia Pasifik UGM entitled “Cerita dari Merabu”)
The name Merabu could be not as famous as the commodity extracted from this area: the edible bird nest. This is a village located in sub-district of Kelay of Berau district in East Kalimantan. To get there, I had to
travel for about 5 to 6 hours from Tanjung Redeb, by car to the southwest of Berau. In 2005, a long dirt road would be the biggest part of the journey. This is the provincial road which used to be a logging road. After about 4 to 5 hours of long bumpy road, the car turned left and entered Kampung Merapun where I had to change the mean of transportation to Ketinting and ‘sail’ to the upstream of Lesan River. After about 1.5 hour in Ketinting, I arrived at Merabu.
I stayed there for about 5 days. In there, some of the dweller had a unique names, such as Pak Strongking who has brother Pak Lampu (Mr. Lamp); Pak Durian who had sibling called Pak Pisang (Mr. Banana); Pak Foto (Mr. Picture) was a big brother of Pak Kodak (brand of camera); and such other unique names: Pak Lapan (Mr. Eight), Pak Ketinting, and Pak Cubit (Mr. Pinch).
When I arrived at the Merabu, a rural dayak kampong spoiled my eyes. One row of houses was built along the river bank facing a 3 meters cement road. At the other side of the cement road was another row of houses. In Merabu, I stayed at a house of one of the bird nest workers. They were a ‘mix’ family. The husband was Banjar and the wife was originated from Merabu, the Lebo’ people. When I started to get to know the children of the house, I asked one of children about his ethnicity by asking him: “Kamu orang apa?” – literally “what people are you?” this 
is a common question asked by people in that area if they want to know our ethnic. The answer was quite unexpected (by me). He replied: “I am a Muslim”. I was expecting that his answer would be “I am Lebo’” or I am Banjarese”. I’ve received this kind of reply not only from him, but also from other children. To those children, religion is becoming their identity. But, when I asked the same question to the elders or the parents of those children, I received “I am Lebo’” or “I am Banjar”.
is a common question asked by people in that area if they want to know our ethnic. The answer was quite unexpected (by me). He replied: “I am a Muslim”. I was expecting that his answer would be “I am Lebo’” or I am Banjarese”. I’ve received this kind of reply not only from him, but also from other children. To those children, religion is becoming their identity. But, when I asked the same question to the elders or the parents of those children, I received “I am Lebo’” or “I am Banjar”.
On my first dinner at that kampong, my host prepared a delicious food, just the same as I usually had in Java (my origin): rice, young jack fruit curry, and sambal. The different was that I had to eat by myself. In Java, if you had a guest you had to eat with your guest to respect your guest. But the other way around in this place. I had to eat my dinner by myself before the host, while the children of the house crying because he was hungry. But their parents did not let him because I had not finished my diner. I was a bit worried that this would be last until my last day in Merabu, but luckily, the next day, for dinner time, the wife invited the girl who lived across her house to accompany me. She is not a part of the family, but someone that they know and was at the same age as I was and we were becoming friends the next morning. She was becoming a bridge between me, the total stranger, and the host of the house. The next day, we all had dinner together, without any other guest.
The livelihood of the dweller of this Kampung was supported by the bird nest. When the time to harvest the bird nest came, this kampong was suddenly devoid of men’s presence. They worked for the bird nest collector company: as pickers, porter, or just simply renting their ketinting to take all the workers to the nearest point the rocky mountains where swallows build their nest in the caves on those mountans. This bird nest is not only become the income for most of the dweller in this kampong, but also become one of the district revenue. This evoked my curiosity to learn more about the ins and outs of bird nest governance focusing on the different claims of bird nest cave ownership of those who held the permit to manage the cave issued by Ministry of Forestry and those who held permit to manage the cave issued by district government.
A nice story
ReplyDelete