Indonesian and Vendors

Saya masih ingat bagaimana herannya Andre ketika melihat bahwa hanya dalam hitungan tidak sampai 5 menit, bergantian berbagai pedagang lewat di depan warung saat dia, saya dan teman-teman kami sedang makan.  

5 tahun sudah lewat sejak pertama kali dia melihat tukang bakso, tukang es cendol, tukang sayur, tukang perabot, tukang sol sepatu dan berbagai tukang jualan lainnya, tapi masih saja dia heran dan kagum melihat para pedagang itu.

Andre tidak hanya senang memperhatikan para pedagang itu. Dia terkagum-kagum melihat beragam jenis media yang di pakai untuk berjualan. Ada gerobak dan ada yang memakai pikulan. Gerobak tukang bakso beda dengan gerobak tukang mie pangsit, lain pula gerobak tukang ketoprak.

Yang di pikul pun berbeda antar satu pedagang dengan pedagang lainnya. Pikulan tukang sayur beda dengan tukang sol sepatu.

Lalu ada pedagang yang memakai motor, sepeda atau gerobaknya di buat sedemikian rupa sehingga mirip seperti sepeda, misalnya tukang roti. Andre terheran-heran dan kagum melihat kemampuan tukang bakso dan tukang siomay membawa-bawa segala macam jualannya berikut piring, sendok dan kompor dengan motor atau sepeda.

“How could they carry all those things on their bikes or motorcycle?” sekali waktu saya mendengar dia menggumam sendirian saat melihat seorang tukang bakso yang mengendarai motor melintas di depan kami. Gimana caranya ya mereka bawa semua itu di atas sepeda atau motornya?

“I don’t know, you gotta ask them” Ga tau, kamu harus tanya ke mereka, jawab saya pada waktu itu tanpa mengira pada suatu waktu kemudian saya sampai berteriak antara kaget dan takut melihat dia menaiki motor tukang bakso!

“Honey, what in the hell are you doing?!” saya melotot tak percaya. Astaga, say, kamu ngapain?!

“Oh, I just want to give it a ride” Oh, saya pengen nyoba aja kok, jawabnya santai, tersenyum manis sewaktu dia mengendarai motor itu melewati saya. "aren't you gonna take my picture?" kamu ga mau motret saya?

I searched the internet & found a
photo of meatball vendor on
motorcycle almost similar with the one
Andre decided to have a test drive

Bah! Boro-boro kepikiran buat motret dia ketika lagi mengendarai motor si tukang bakso, saat itu rasanya saya baru berani bernapas setelah dia turun dari motor. Saya tahu dia bisa mengendarai motor dan bahkan pernah mencoba mengendarai motor balap serta melakukan perjalanan jarak jauh dari Seattle ke LA dengan mengendarai motor Harley Davidson. Tapi naik motor tukang bakso lengkap dengan kompor dan perlengkapan jualannya adalah perkara yang berbeda. Kalau dia hilang keseimbangan dan jatuh, aduh, bukan hanya resiko tertimpa motor berikut kompor dan segala barang yang ada di atas motor itu, tapi nantinya pasti di todong minta ganti rugi sama tukang baksonya dong.

Saya pikir setelah sekian tahun berlalu pastilah dia sudah menjadi terbiasa melihat berbagai pedagang itu tapi ternyata tidak.

“You gotta admire them” kamu harus mengagumi mereka, katanya “the creativity, the spirit and the struggle to live. I know I admire them. You don’t find anything like this in the US”. Kreativitasnya,  semangatnya dan perjuangan hidup. Saya mengagumi semua itu. Kamu ga bisa nemuin yang kayak gini di Amrik.

Tidak hanya dia mengatakan tentang keunikan yang ada di negeri ini tapi dia juga menemukan filosofi tentang kehidupan melalui para pedagang kecil yang nyaris tidak lagi memiliki arti penting bagi saya karena sudah terlalu terbiasa melihat mereka.

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It is still fresh in my memory the amazement shown in Andre’s face when he saw that less than 5 minutes, many street vendors passed the food stall where he and I along with our friends had lunch.

5 years have passed since the first time he saw meatball vendor, ice cream vendor, vegetable vendor, convenient stuff vendor, shoe repairman and other vendors and his amazement remains to the present day.

Not only that he likes to watch those vendors, he admires the media they use to carry their merchandises. Some use cart and other use carrying pole. And the cart used by meatball vendor is different with the one used by noodle vendor.

It goes the same for vendors that use carrying pole. The one used by vegetable vendors are different with the one used by shoe repairman.

Other vendors use bicycle, motorcycle or tricycle like the one used by bread vendors. Andre amazes and admire the ability those vendors have when they carry their merchandises on those vehicles. The meatball or dimsum vendors carry not only the dish but also plates, bowls, fork, spoon, bottles of ketchup, sauces, vinegar and of course a small stove!

“How could they carry all those things on their bikes or motorcycle?” I once heard him muttered that question to himself when he saw a meatball vendor passed us.

“I don’t know, you gotta ask them” was my reply, not knowing that moments later I would get a shock when I saw him riding the meatball vendor motorcycle!

“Honey, what in the hell are you doing?!” I couldn’t believe my own eyes.

“Oh, I just want to give it a ride” he said it calmly, smiled when he passed me with that meatball vendor’s motorcycle. "aren't you gonna take my picture?"

You gotta be kidding me! Would I think about taking his picture riding on the meatball vendor's motorcycle??. Man, I held my breath until he got off that motorcycle safely. I know he can ride motorcycle, infact he once rode on a racing motorcycle and rode from Seattle to LA on his Harley Davidson. But riding a meatball vendor’s motorcycle that carries not only the merchandise but also a stove, I mean, good heavens!.., if he lost his balance and fell, the motorcycle could fell on him along with all the stuff on it, including the stove. Not to mention that the vendor would ask him to pay for the damages.

After all these years I thought he’s got used to see those vendors.

“You gotta admire them” he said to me “the creativity, the spirit and the struggle to live. I know I admire them. You don’t find anything like this in the US”

Not only that he told me about the uniqueness in this country but he also found life  philosophy from those vendors, the kind of people that don’t attract my attention because they have become too much of a regular view.

Since I didn't have time to take pictures of those vendors by myself, I searched the internet & found 
the above photos.