Welcoming Chinese New Year : Bad Weather, Bad Health, Bad Road

Hujan selalu turun lebih banyak dan lebih sering menjelang Imlek. Tapi kayaknya tahun ini luar biasa..

It rains a lot and more often as the Chinese new year approaching. But this year we have been having one hell of a remarkable one..

Banjir melanda Jakarta dan beberapa kota lain di Indonesia.

Flood hit Jakarta and other towns in Indonesia.

Pilek, batuk, diare, typhus merajalela bukan hanya di tempat-tempat yang terkena banjir.

Flu, cough, typhus are raging not only in those towns.

Dokter dan rumah sakit kerja keras deh..

Doctors and hospitals are working hard..

Sewaktu saya menginap di rumah sahabat saya di Jakarta, Santi mendaftarkan anak bungsunya ke dokter anak langganan mereka.

When I stayed at my bestfriend’s place in Jakarta, Santi called their pediatrician to have her youngest child registered.

“Emang si Kenzie sakit?” tanya saya.

“Is Kenzie sick?” I asked her.

“Gue mau minta obat alergi yang lain. Yang dia pake sekarang ini sudah ga mempan” jawab Santi.

“I want to get new allergy medicine. The one he takes now don’t work”

Kenzie alergi pada udara dingin. Gejalanya persis seperti orang pilek.

Kenzie has allergy to cold. The symphtoms are similar with flu.

“Dapat nomor antrian berapa?” tanya saya.

“What is his waiting number?” I asked.

“42”

“Buset” saya tertawa “Dokternya praktek jam berapa?”

“Hell” I laughed “What time does the pediatrician’s clinic open?”

“Jam 6 sore”

“6 pm”

Suami Santi membawa kami pergi makan malam. Kami memperkirakan kira-kira 2 jam kemudian nomor antrian sudah makin dekat dengan nomor Kenzie.

Santi’s husband took us out to dinner. We assumed 2 hours later the waiting line would get closer to Kenzie’s number.

Jam 8.30 Santi menelpon klinik dokter anak itu.

At 8.30 pm Santi called the pediatric’s clinic.

“Baru sampai nomor 12” katanya.

“It got to number 12” she said.

Santi, suaminya dan saya saling bertukar pandang dan hampir bersamaan kami tertawa.

Santi, her husband and I glanced at each other and we laughed.

“Berarti pasiennya datang semua” Santi nyengir.

“All patient are obviously present” Santi grinned.

Kami pun melanjutkan acara makan tanpa terburu-buru. Sambil mengobrol dan bercanda. Hampir jam 9.30 ketika kami selesai.

We went on with our unfinished dinner. We took the time. Talking and joking. It was nearly 9.30 pm when we left the restaurant.

Santi menelpon klinik dokter anak itu.

Santi called the pediatrician’s clinic.

“Baru sampe nomor 18”

“It got to number 18”

“Yailah!” seru saya antara kaget dan geli “Giliran si Kenzie jam berapa? Bisa jam setengah sebelas nanti”

“Damn!” I exclaimed in surpriseness and tickled “What time would it be when it came to Kenzie’s number? Ten thirty?”

“Banyak orang sakit” kata Santi “Cuacanya kayak gini”

“Lots of people get sick” said Santi “In this kind a weather”

“Ya, apalagi besok hari libur” saya menambahkan.

“Yes, and tomorrow is a public holiday” I added.

Jadilah kami akhirnya pulang. Dan malam itu Kenzie terpaksa minum obat alerginya yang lama.

So we went home. And that evening Kenzie took his usual allergy medicine.

Hujan membawa penderitaan lain.

Rain brings other suffering.

Hari Kamis, 23/1 saya sampai di kantor jam 8.15 pagi! Gelo! Saya berangkat dari rumah jam 6.30.

Thursday, Jan 23^rd, I got at the office at 8.15 am! Nuts! I left home at 6.30 am.

Jalanan penuh lobang. Hujan merusakkan jalanan.

The road is full with holes. Rain destroyed the road.

“Kubangan sapi” teman saya menjuluki satu spot yang jalanannya rusak parah.

“The cow mudpuddle” that’s how a friend called one spot where the road is badly damaged.

Masalahnya adalah daerah tempat tinggal saya jalanannya tidak lebar tapi karena disitu sudah dijadikan areal perumahan serta perdagangan maka lalu lintasnya jangan diharapkan sepi.

The thing is the area where I live is the suburban area but the street is narrow and with many housing complex and business area, can't expect to have less traffic there.

Lalu dengan jalanan yang hancur.. ya pasti lalu lintasnya mampet.. pet.. pet..

With the holes on the road.. the traffic jammed..

Dalam keadaan tidak hujan saja, macetnya bisa parah. Apalagi kalau hujan..

The traffic could badly jammed in sunny day. Worst in rainy day..

Perjalanan dari rumah yang normalnya bisa ditempuh dalam waktu hanya 15 menit bisa jadi 1 jam dan malah pernah 2 jam waktu macetnya parah banget.

What normally takes only 15 minutes from my house to get to the office would go to one hour and once it took 2 hours when the traffic jammed.

Hati saya sudah kebat-kebit saja hari Kamis itu. Dasar apes. Jalanan kok macet parah di hari ketika senior saya ada di kantor.

I was so nervous that Thursday. Just not my luck. The road badly jammed on the day when my senior was in the office.

Soalnya dulu si babe pernah menegur saya. Padahal waktu itu saya tidak terlambat banget-banget. Saya orang yang bisa dibilang tidak pernah terlambat sehingga kalau saya sampai terlambat maka pasti ada sesuatu yang benar-benar menghambat saya di jalan. Tidak heran saya bisa cemberut seharian kalau ada yang ngomelin saya ketika saya terlambat sampai di kantor.

About a year ago he protested at the time when I wasn’t really came late. I rarely came late to work so when I did, something must have stalled me on the road. No wonder if I frowned my face the whole day if someone at work yelled at me because I came late.

“Mending ga usah masuk aja” kata seorang teman “Dari pada sudah dibela-belain datang tapi masih diomelin karena sampai di kantor telat”

“Better skip work” said a friend “Than went on to work and got yelled at for coming late”

Saya tertawa “Maunya sih gitu. Tapi ga ah”

“I laughed “I would. But nah, I better not do that”

Untunglah hari itu tidak ada yang ngomel ke saya.

So glad no one yelled at me on that day.

‘Adik’ saya mengatakan istrinya juga pernah akhirnya pulang lagi ketika terkena macet di jalan.

My ‘brother’ said his wife went home after has been stuck in bad traffic jam.

Dan teman saya cuma tertawa karena teringat seminggu sebelumnya dia sampai harus mengambil rute yang berbeda untuk menghindari macet.

And my friend just laughed as he remembered last week he had to take another route to avoid traffic jam.

Tapi yang terpenting adalah senior saya tidak mengomel.

Most important thing is my senior didn’t yell at me.

Jadi selama jalanan belum diperbaiki karena hujan masih sering turun, saya terpaksa harus berangkat dari rumah lebih pagi.

Before the road is fixed because it is still raining, I have no other choice than to leave early for work.

Ada pilihan rute lain yang bisa saya ambil tapi itu berarti saya harus berganti angkot tiga kali. Pengeluaran saya jadi bertambah dong untuk ongkos transport.

There is other route I can take but I have to change angkot three times. I would have to spend more money for transportation fares.

Jadi begini inilah yang terjadi menjelang datangnya Imlek.

So this is what have been happening as the Chinese new year approach.