So, one sunny afternoon when i was at sby and wanna see more of it, i decided to take a ride on a becak, slowly exploring the city, seeing (both with my own eyes and with my camera's lenses)
different corner of the town. and then somewhere along the ride we (the tukang becak and me) change place, me on the saddle and he on the passenger seat, thats right, i was once a tukang becak.....
it was 3.30 in the afternoon and i walk on the street trying to find myself a ride and a tourguide, i know i need a good tukang becak, good personality and good knowledge of the town. I stop the 1st tukang becak i saw and i couldnt have pick any better...meet pak Supiyanto, a good man....
so i tell him i need him to bring me around the town for like 1.5hour and he only asked for Rp.20.000!!! in Medan going from A-B that take 15 minute only would have cost you Rp.10.000 already. I hopped on without bargaining of course, and here are some of the shots i got
the becak force of surabaya
one of the corner of sby
reflection of my becak
I know for Indonesian this stuff is not news to us, we know how some of the under privileged people live in this country, but looking at it with your own eyes still make you go wow and probably yucks too. Look at those kids bathing and playing while a few meters from them is this guy taking a dump, they literally soaking themself in shit water!!
another tukang becak
The gelora 10 nopember stadium, home of the Persebaya Surabaya. Once the champion of the indonesian football league, i'm pretty sure they won the league more than once, but i cant remember how many times. And they got the most hostile group of fans base in indonesian football, the so called Bonek or bondo nekad (modal nekad) and im just glad that it wasnt match day.
hotel sahid surabaya
Train cruising through
happy riders
another tukang becak
The gelora 10 nopember stadium, home of the Persebaya Surabaya. Once the champion of the indonesian football league, i'm pretty sure they won the league more than once, but i cant remember how many times. And they got the most hostile group of fans base in indonesian football, the so called Bonek or bondo nekad (modal nekad) and im just glad that it wasnt match day.
hotel sahid surabaya
Train cruising through 
happy ridersSome other becak rider that was on their "station" waiting for passenger, we stop to ask them to take a few shot of me and pak supianto, and it wouldnt be right if i didnt offer to take a few of them either and they were very happy to, as you can see in the photo
Going againt the current and trying to cross, scary stuff
trying to be cool
Going againt the current and trying to cross, scary stuff
trying to be coolthe whole ride end up being much longer than what i planned, but all the while pak Supiyanto didnt make anything out of it, he was just happy to show me around and tell me stories, but midway through i ask him to stop at a waroeng to have a drink, 2hour of riding a becak must be tiring, and he was surprised that i actually want him to join me inside the waroeng for a drink, i guess there just never been a chinese guy who did this before, we all cruised in our sedan and when we actually take a becak ride we are too proud to be close to the rider.
about 15minute before we reach home i ask him to switch me with, that i wanted to ride it. So down he goes, pak Supiyanto sitting on the passenger seat and im up on his saddle. Let me tell you that it was actually not an easy thing to do at all, it was heavy and hard to control. Different from becak in Medan, here in Java its rider at the back and passenger in the front, so the becak is actually wider in the front than the back, and you need a real strong arm to keep the front balance, especially when you are going fast.
All the time my heart was pumping, not because just about everybody that we passed look at me all weird and some even laugh but with my rookie skill in controlling e becak i might just crashed into something, or someone.
Pak Supiyanto told me that for the 23 years he ride a becak never once he is the passenger, he keep saying that this was god given gift to him that he was to meet me on that day, he was just so happy.
A hero (just the one in the yellow shirt, the one in blue is just your standard loser)
after we reach jack's place i ask him to take a few photos of us, i would kill myself if i don't have the picture of me as a tukang becak. The whole ride took 3 hour, and i pay pak Supiyanto Rp.100.000. He took it without even looking at it, he never think about the money, he was just having a blast and shared a genuine good time with me, a truly nice guy. And he make me see tukang becak differently now
about 15minute before we reach home i ask him to switch me with, that i wanted to ride it. So down he goes, pak Supiyanto sitting on the passenger seat and im up on his saddle. Let me tell you that it was actually not an easy thing to do at all, it was heavy and hard to control. Different from becak in Medan, here in Java its rider at the back and passenger in the front, so the becak is actually wider in the front than the back, and you need a real strong arm to keep the front balance, especially when you are going fast.
All the time my heart was pumping, not because just about everybody that we passed look at me all weird and some even laugh but with my rookie skill in controlling e becak i might just crashed into something, or someone.
Pak Supiyanto told me that for the 23 years he ride a becak never once he is the passenger, he keep saying that this was god given gift to him that he was to meet me on that day, he was just so happy.
A hero (just the one in the yellow shirt, the one in blue is just your standard loser)after we reach jack's place i ask him to take a few photos of us, i would kill myself if i don't have the picture of me as a tukang becak. The whole ride took 3 hour, and i pay pak Supiyanto Rp.100.000. He took it without even looking at it, he never think about the money, he was just having a blast and shared a genuine good time with me, a truly nice guy. And he make me see tukang becak differently now
6 comments:
Come on it has been your dream job since you were little to become a tukang becak wasn't it? ;)
They are just honest men doing their best to feed their family. It boggles the mind how some people think they are too good to be eating on the same table with the tukang becaks, or their housemaids etc.
Giving up on your dream of playing for ManU issit?
The abang becak must have thought you're his long lost brother.
You are a good-hearted man. I'm glad I know you.
~Lydia
ohhh lydia...thank you for such a good hearted comment :p
dare to try that in medan? isdofahdoisahfoidsahfoihdsaofihdoisa
yeah you are good hearted bar.. sometimes... hhehehe..
CNG
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