Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Tak ada tempat duduk dalam bus!


Hari ini aku, San & JoSH naik bus dari Pasuruan ke arah Malang, hendak menuju Purwosari. Bus penuh sesak. Tidak ada tempat duduk satu pun.San menggendong JoSH, sedangkan aku meletakkan ransel berat itu di lantai, bersandar pada tepi sandaran kursi sambil menjaga keseimbangan, berjaga-jaga jika rem itu dinjak sopir tiba-tiba.

Kondektur berteriak, "Masuk ke tengah, di tengah sebentar lagi banyak yang mau turun".
Kami pun bergerak dengan susah payah ke tengah melewati space yang sempit, meminta maaf kepada penumpang lain yang sedang berdiri atau duduk ketika kami melewati mereka.

Menit demi menit pun berlalu. Seorang Bapak sepertinya hendak turun, Kondektur berteriak kepada seorang wanita yang berdiri di depan kami, menyuruhnya duduk. "Sebentar lagi ada yang turun, tunggu ya." katanya kepada San.

Tak kunjung ada yang turun. Untung JoSH tidak rewel pagi itu. Dia sepertinya menikmati suasana di bus yang berbeda dengan bus yang biasa dia tumpangi di Busan. Dia melihat sekeliling, ke bawah dan ke atas. Tangannya mencoba meraih besi pegangan tangan di langit-langit bus.

Aku melihat sekeliling. Penumpang bus beragam usia, pria, wanita dan anak-anak. Di sebelah kanan San duduk ibu-ibu berpakaian rapi. Di sebelah kirinya sepertinya pemuda yang membawa ransel berisi laptop dan seorang bapak yang sibuk menelepon. Di sebalah kiriku, ada seorang ibu yang menaruh kepalanya ke kursi di depannya, sepertinya sedang pusing. Mataku bergerak ke arah kanan melihat seorang bapak tua yang sepertinya asyik sekali memainkan game di telepon genggamnya.

Dalam hati aku mencoba menebak-nebak. Adakah dari sekian banyak orang ini yang tergerak hatinya untuk menawarkan tempat duduk mereka untuk San yang sedang menggendong JoSH?

Apakah mereka mau berdiri dan memberikan tempat duduk mereka untuk San dan JoSH?

JoSH mulai gelisah. Dia menunjuk2 kursi dan mengatakan 'dudu' berkali-kali. Maksudnya, dia ingin duduk.
Seorang ibu di sebelah kanan San, yang sedari tadi mengamati JoSH menawarkan untuk memangkunya, namun JoSH diam saja ketika San menanyakan apakah dia mau atau tidak. Sepertinya dia tidak mau dipangku oleh orang yang belum dia kenal.

Kami pun tetap berdiri. Aku melihat sekeliling untuk membunuh bosan. JoSH mulai merasa bosan. Dia memintaku menggendongnya. Aku pun mengambil kuda-kuda untuk berdiri lebih kuat dan menggendongnya. Dia mengantuk. Kulihat sekeliling sambil terus menebak-nebak akankan ada orang yang menawarkan kursinya, kali ini untuk aku dan JoSH?

Suasanan masih tetap sama. Kulihat bapak tua itu sudah berhenti bermain game dan memutar lagu Koes Plus dari telepon genggamnya.

Tiba-tiba dia berdiri. Dipersilahkannya aku duduk. San bertanya apakah dia hendak turun. Dia bilang, "Tidak. Karena bawa anak." Maksud dia, karena aku menggendong anak, lebih baik aku yang duduk dan dia rela berdiri. Ternyata dia akan berhenti di Malang. Dia mengambil resiko untuk bisa saja berdiri lama, jika tidak ada orang yang turun. Dia rela memberikan kursinya buatku. San mengatakan bahwa kami sebentar lagi akan turun, dan bapak itu bisa kembali lagi duduk tidak lama lagi.

Terharu. Bapak tua itu di luar tebakanku. Aku menebak si pemuda dengan tas laptop itu yang berdiri. Atau salah satu dari Ibu-ibu itu yang bakal tergerak hatinya. Karena kupikir sebagai ibu-ibu dia pasti tahu bagaimana anak-anak merasa tidak nyaman jika terus-menerus digendong di dalam bus yang sesak. Ternyata bapak tua yang tidak masuk hitunganku ini yang merelakan haknya untuk aku.

Terima kasih untuk Bapak dan kebaikan hati Bapak! :)

Friday, February 3, 2012

[Korea] Haewoojae, Mr Toilet House


Haewoojae (or Mr Toilet House) is the name of the house of the late Mr Sim Jae-duck, located in Suwon. Haewoojae has the meaning of a house to relieve worries and the name came from Haewooso, the toilet referred to in temples.


I visited this place with the group of World Students Korea 5th Batch last year. It was written only 'Haewoojae' in the schedule without any explanation about it, so I didn't aware that we were going to go to a house that has a toilet shape as its architecture!


 Mr. Sim jae-duck renovated his own house and named it as 'Haewoojae' in commemoration of the establishment of the World Toilet Association. After the passing of Sim Jae-duck, the family members donated Mr Toilet House to Suwon City.

He was born with a passion to develop the toilet culture movement, that is why he was given the name 'Mr. Toilet'. The house is recorded by Korea Record Institue as 'the largest toilet structure work' as the first of its kind in Korea in 2007.

Toilet culture movement itself, started when he himself as the Mayor of Suwon City was preparing for the 2002 FIFA World Cup games in Suwon. He declared that all public toilets in Suwon to be made as the most beautiful toilet in the world.


Conventional toilet and the beautiful toilet projects in Suwon

First Floor

On the first floor, you can see many pictures about the conventional toilet and improvement project around the world (including my country, Indonesia), interesting toilet story where you can see many toilet signs around the world and stories about toilet, and also toilet culture movement in Suwon.

The shape of the house is just like the shape of a toilet with the toilet in the middle of the house which bring out the central part of living (see the pink color in the middle of the 1st floor plan, it is the toilet!). 



Mr Sim Jae-duck thought that toilet should not be always at the back or hidden somewhere, dirty or should not be exposed. He has another point of view. The toilet became the space for him to appreciate the outdoor garden or spend time to think things over the frontal glass at normal times (see the picture above - Transparent Glass) . But when the toilet is 'in used' - the light is on for physical needs - the glass is turned into unclear glass design. Interesting!

Looking around the first floor.

Second Floor

Second floor is dedicated for the passionate life of Sim Jae-duck. Also, you can go to the roof top, to take picture and look around the site. There will be the first 'toilet culture park' next to the Mr Toilet House, that will be built soon.


On the roof top, you can clearly see the toiilet shape.

I received many good and cute things on the visit to Mr Toilet House:

This is an explanation about the toilet culture movement, and you can stamp any stamps you like on the empty space.

Mouse pad, post-it and 24K gold plate.

Moneyboxes

Moneybox in 'unusual' shape :) It is to remind us to become a 'Toilet Angel'.

References:
Haewoojae website
WSK 5th batch visit to Haewoojae 

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Teacher's letter

JoSH has been three months in daycare. Yesterday, I told the teacher who usually picked him up in the morning that it was his last day in the daycare since we are going to have vacation abroad. He will come back to daycare after we arrive back in Korea. Teacher showed a surprise mimic but then she remembered that I have told her about it few weeks ago.

When JoSH arrived home in the afternoon. I found a piece of letter from the teacher. I read it and touched with her words. She loves JoSH so much. I am blessed that JoSH has a teacher who love and care about him.

Teacher wrote the letter in Korean, here is the translation.

Dear Songmin's Mommy,


I am really happy and feeling good to be together with the cute and handsome Songmin.


Whenever he tries to imitate the sisters and brothers' attitude, he is really cute and lovely.
If the sisters beat his shoulder gently, the handsome Songmin also comes and gives gentle massage to sisters' shoulders.
Still fresh in my mind the scene about Songmin when the brothers give food in a small bowl and ask him to eat, he will put the fruit inside the bowl and using his two hands to receive it.
Songmin who likes to follow teacher everywhere teacher moves, listens to teacher's word and quickly do the conduct.
The handsome Songmin eats and sleeps well.


I will miss him so much!
When Songmin smiles, all of tiredness disappear in a sudden.
Everytime I miss him, I will look at his picture and feel happy.
Be healthy and be a happy family!
Have a safe trip.


2012.1.31
Teacher