(Below is the result summary of my study while I was in World Forest Institute's fellowship program. This was also a paper material that was already accepted for IS-River conference in France-2015 which unfortunately I was not able to attend. I just want to share it again here on my personal blog.) 

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Public Engagement in River Management, Lessons Learned From The Willamette River in USA to Indonesia’s River

Sudiyah Istichomah

Indonesia,  nonette262@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

There is an obvious need for the public to be involved in the management of natural resources, including forests, rivers, and resources. There are major challenges in Indonesia around river management such as floods, pollution, land conversion, and low community participation. The Minister of Environment stated that in 2014 75% of the large rivers in Indonesia were contaminated. This study aimed to explore how rivers are managed in the US, using the Willamette River in Portland as a case study. The focus was especially on public involvement  and how that can be applied to Indonesia. Many things can be learned from the Willamette River are 1) Government agencies are actively involved in community programs, the public are also actively involved, and there are nonprofit organizations that oversee government management, 2) Things like dam removal, installation of LWD for fish habitat, and re-meandering rivers are all management tools that would benefit Indonesia, 3) The use of an iconic species such as salmon as the impetus to restore the river is an excellent idea. Indonesia can look for an iconic  species  of their own , 4) Using the river as part of urban ecotourism. The Willamette River is a great Portland attraction for things like jogging, sailing, swimming, etc.

KEYWORDS

Public engagement, involvement, river, USA, Indonesia

1           Introduction

      Indonesian River and Challenges

There is an obvious need for the public to be involved in the management of natural resources, including forests, rivers, and resources. Today, water and river management  is an important issue around the world. There are major challenges in Indonesia around river management such as floods, pollution, land conversion, and low community participation. The Minister of Environment stated that in 2014 75% of the large rivers in Indonesia were contaminated.

This study aimed to explore how rivers are managed in the US, using the Willamette River in Portland as a case study. The focus was especially on public involvement  and how that can be applied to Indonesia.

Why this study is important:

1. Water is necessary for all life on earth. Rivers reflect the level care that is put into managing water resource and they need to be cared for.
2. Learning how developed countries use public involvement in river management  in important so that developing countries can learn from these models.
3. The Willamette River is an important river in Oregon. It flows through the city of Portland and has a complex management, influenced by the urban environment with many different governmental and interested parties engaged in its management.

For 6 six months fellowship program in World Forest Institute, June – November 2014, writer did a study to learn about river management within the USA, with case study of the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon State. The study’s objectives are to know about the general condition of the river management and to find lessons learned that can be applied in Indonesia.

Four main questions for this study are,

1. What is the current state of management of the Willamette River in Portland?
2. Who are the actors that play a role in the management of the river and what are the roles?
3. Is there a forum that brings together those parties?
4. How does it compare with the situation in Indonesia?

The research was conducted in two ways: interviews and literature studies. Interviews were conducted with government agencies, experts, non-profit organizations and the general public in random. Literature was reviewed from websites, journals, news and other sources. A number of  fieldtrips with the World Forest Institute also allowed me to gain knowledge about the management of natural resources, especially rivers of PNW in general.

2. RESULT

2.1 Willamette River – Portland, A river with a long history

The Willamette River Basin is the largest watershed in the state, covering more than 11,500 square miles. Portland occupies only a small fraction of the river’s drainage basin, about one-half of one percent, but is the most urbanized area. Native salmon, steelhead and other fish and wildlife species live within Portland’s urban boundary, and also  migrate through Portland to other parts of the Willamette River Basin, Columbia River Basin and beyond.

The Willamette River faces a lot of problems, including pollution and water quality. In 2000, the federal government established that the river has become one of the Super Fund site cleanup projects because of it’s heavy pollution. This program involves many stakeholders: governments, private companies, numbers of environmental organizations, and also the general public who actively care for the implementation of the programs.

Restoration carried out in upstream rivers and creeks also provide a major influence on the Willamette River in Portland. Restoration of the Willamette River, and generally in the PNW, is closely related to salmon, which has been included in the category of endangered species. Salmon migrations connect the downstream and upstream of river systems and salmon habitat restoration has proven beneficial for the restoration of the river as a whole. Various restoration programs are conducted with the involvement of the general public, such as  volunteer-based tree planting, cleaning streams of garbage, and invasive species removal.

2.2 Actors in Willamette River Management

Who are the actors in river management?

In general, there are four groups that play an active role in management: Government, Private companies/ land owners, nonprofit organizations, and the general public.

Government plays the largest role in river management. They set the policy and develop the manage plans. They engage the public throughout the entire process using various means. Some of these are: transparency – letting the media and public know of their plans, public comment periods for each program so they know what the public wants, providing public field tours, and creating advisory groups.

Nonprofit organizations such as Willamette Riverkeepers or watershed councils can play a complimentary role to government organizations. Through their programs and campaigns, they raise awareness about the river and encourage public to be more. They also can monitor the work of government.

Private companies and land owners typically use a lot of water resources for their business and do have a voice in management of the water. They can support the government and nonprofit organizations that works for river by give fund or have partnership. Landowners usually do the stream restoration and conservation in their property.

The general public is the most important part of this system. The public can actively participate in river management in many ways: read the news and updates about government programs, give active responses during public comment periods, and volunteer in events related to the river.

There are of course many divergent opinions about and interests in the Willamette River. Public engagement is one way to help the various groups work together and understand each other interests in the water. However, developing  discussion forums and consensus on ideas and is difficult and requires a lot of work to have all the parties come together.

Are there forums that bring together interested parties?

Advisory councils and watershed councils provide a forum for people to meet and discuss their concerns about the river.

Watershed councils are locally organized, voluntary, non-regulatory groups established to improve the conditions of watersheds in their local area. They bring together local stakeholders from private, local, state, and federal interests in a partnership, to help plan restoration. In Oregon, there are at least 74 watershed councils that build a big network of people dedicated to supporting the work of river protection and restoration throughout the state.

2.3 Lessons Learned: From Portland to Indonesia

River management in Indonesia is led by the government. There are at least 14 ministries related to water management with the Ministry of Public Work being the main ministry in charge of infrastructure and management of the river. There are also several NGOs that are actively involved in water issues. But there is  a lack of participation by the general public.

In Indonesia, there is also a Water Resources Council, a forum of river management parties at the national or provincial level. They don’t function well however  because coordination is lacking and not everyone’s interests can be accommodated. The most interesting thing is the trend of community volunteer organizations like River Defenders which recently formed all around Indonesia as an expression of concern from a small number of the public for the poor condition of the river.

Many things can be learned from the Willamette River:

•  Government agencies are actively involved in community programs, the public are also actively involved, and there are nonprofit organizations that oversee government management.
• Things like dam removal, installation of LWD for fish habitat, and re-meandering rivers are all management tools that would benefit Indonesia.
• The use of an iconic species such as salmon as the impetus to restore the river is an excellent idea. Indonesia can look for an iconic  species  of their own.
• Using the river as part of urban ecotourism. The Willamette River is a great Portland attraction for things like jogging, sailing, swimming, etc.. Urban rivers in Indonesia have not been widely used for leisure purposes.

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img source: here 

Serayu River - Central Java (2011)

"If you have what it takes to make a big change in the environmental condition in this country, what would you want to do?", one of my friend asked me that question. And now, I am still thinking about that. A simple question doesn't always need a simple answer. It can be so much complicated. But, the simpler is the easier to understand, even for the answerer. So, I think that I would just to answer it in simple way.  

It was all started with my 'accidental' interest in river and water management issue that leads me to know a little faction of this big issue. What I know all this time is that there's something wrong with the water management in this country. And, just like everybody else, the easiest way to do is blaming the government. I said, "They should or shouldn't do this and that, bla bla bla...!". I always ask for action from others with justification that that's all their job and I do not have enough power to do it myself. Then, the question hit me for a second!  

If I have all the resources I need (fund, time, team) in order to change the current poor condition of the river in this country, what would I do? What I want to do? Hahaha.. It really hits me. I didn't have confidence answering it in a blink of eye.  Unexpectedly, I need more time to think. Whoaa...! I got something on my mind that really interest me. Maybe my confusion is just the same thing with what the government has. They have resources, they have power, but maybe they don't any confidence too, just like me. Or, is it just me who lack of imagination? Who knows?

Well, I will try to answer it here.

In this case, I will create a team whose members are credible and expert in the field.  “The right man in the right place”, they said. Every single person on earth has what they can or can’t do by themselves. To do something that we able to do is one of the ways to gain success in our work. Do not make mistake like put someone in the wrong place. Do not make me a singer while I am a tone-deaf person. Just like, do not make an economist to do some conservation jobs. It’s not about if they can’t do the work or vice-versa. Like in an Indian movie ‘3 Idiots’ I watched several years ago, “Can you imagine if Mariah Carey became an Engineer?!” It doesn’t mean that she can’t but her best is to be a singer.

My position? Of course, I would like to choose to be the leader. Why? My experience when I was chosen as a class representative in SD (elementary school) still lingers in my mind and I think it is not a bad idea to do it again. Post power syndrome! (Lol)

Then, I will just ask them the same question, “What would you like to do if you have what it takes to…”.  The right person in the right place and time will know the answer. We will work together as a perfect team! (Somehow, it feels like Multi Level Marketing.) 

As simple as that!

Further question? Let’s wait for the expert’s answer. Maybe ‘The Fish Goddess’ Riska Darmawanti has an answer regarding the river ecology, or the activist of Ciliwung Sudirman Asun has answer about people’ voluntarism, etc. The names I mentioned here just several names that came to my mind when I was writing this. So, it doesn’t mean anything actually.

How would I know the best person? How can I manage all of them? How to ensure everything is okay? How this and that? (OMG! Why this ‘How’ question is so complicated? How many ‘Hows’ are there? 

I am laughing to myself again. Maybe I am not qualified to be a good leader like I said. It’s a half joke! I would prefer to be one of the team members who work for the river. What can I do? Social Research maybe…. I am still learning too. 

And I don't think that this note can give the real answer to the question itself.

You?

img source: here 

Hutan TN Gede Pangrango dilihat dari Desa Cimande bersebelahan dengan Desa Pancawati, Caringin, Bogor. 

"Ya, di situ di DAS.", kata Pak Jamil (bukan nama asli) - seorang warga desa sambil menunjuk jurang tempat Sungai Cimande mengalir. Dalam hatiku aku was-was. Kenapa? Terdengar lagi satu istilah yang sempat membuatku berkerut : DAS atau Daerah Aliran Sungai. Jangan-jangan,.... Mari disimak apa yang terpikir olehku saat itu. 

Hari ini, aku mengunjungi Desa Pancawati, sebuah desa di Kaki Gunung Pangrango yang diapit oleh rimba yang kini telah berstatus Taman Nasional Gede Pangrango dan daerah-daerah industri terutama Pabrik Danone Aqua yang boleh dikatakan sebagai perusahaan air minum dalam kemasan terbesar di Indonesia. Di desa yang katanya merupakan daerah yang dekat atau malah memang daerah 'recharging area' - kawasan untuk serapan air tanah, berbagai kegiatan yang melibatkan perusahaan air itu pun menjadi bagian dari kehidupan sehari-hari masyarakatnya. Danone telah menggelontorkan dana CSRnya dan mungkin dana lainnya juga di sini. Melalui LSM lokal setempat, perusahaan itu telah membantu masyarakat setempat baik dalam bidang ekonomi ataupun pembinaan tentang lingkungannya. Tak lupa pula, ada peran taman nasional yang juga ikut kecipratan 'rejeki' dari adanya perusahaan besar ini. Nah, apa hubungannya dengan Pak Jamal dan DAS? Aku bukannya akan membahas tentang program ataupun untung rugi adanya interaksi ini. Aku hanya ingin menggaris-bawahi penggunaan istilah populer, terkesan scientific, cerdas, dan sering sekali disalah-pahami, yaitu DAS. 

Interaksi yang intensif antara masyarakat dengan golongan akademisi, peneliti, perwakilan perusahaan dan aktivis lingkungan yang kadang menggunakan kata-kata dan istilah tertentu, pasti akan menulari pula penduduk dampingan. Karena ini terkait air, maka istilah DAS ikut-ikut terbawa. Bagus di satu sisi. Tapi, jika terjadi kesalah-pahaman tentu menjadi kurang bagus. Nah, ini pula yang aku kuatirkan terjadi dengan Pak Jamal. Ketika dia menyebut kata DAS sambil menunjuk sungai dengan yakinnya, aku mulai ber-dejavu dengan pengalamanku dulu saat aku menemui permasalahan yang serupa. Orang seringkali aku temui menyalah-artikan definisi DAS dengan wilayah kanan-kiri sungai yang dibatasi garis sempadan sungai. Padahal, dua hal itu jelas tidak sama. (Ups, istilah bantaran dan sempada saja ternyata artinya beda. :O) 

"Daerah aliran sungai adalah suatu wilayah daratan yang merupakan satu kesatuan dengan sungai dan anak-anak sungainya, yang berfungsi menampung, menyimpan, dan mengalirkan air yang berasal dari curah hujan ke danau atau ke laut secara alami, yang batas di darat merupakan pemisah topografis dan batas di laut sampai dengan daerah perairan yang masih terpengaruh aktivitas daratan." (UU no. 7 tahun 2004 tentang Sumberdaya Air). 

Sedangkan garis sempadan sungai adalah garis maya/khayal di kanan dan kiri palung sungai yang ditetapkan untuk perlindungan sungai (PP 38/2011 tentang Sungai). Nah, daerah antara garis sempadan dan palung sungai itu yang mungkin seringkali disalah-pahami sebagai DAS. Silakan disanggah jika asumsiku kurang tepat.

Apa yang membuat dua hal ini sering disama-artikan ya? Ada yang tahu? Monggo kalau mau urun suara bisa dikomen. 

Dengan perkataan Pak Jamil di atas tadi, aku berasumsi bahwa dia salah paham. (Aku akan coba cek lagi kapan-kapan. :) ) Pertanyaan lanjutannya adalah, darimana dia bisa salah paham? Ada dua kemungkinan, yaitu: dia memang salah paham sendiri atau jangan-janan memang pendamping masyarakat yang mengenalkan definisi DAS itu pada Pak Jamil sudah salah paham duluan. Tidak mustahil terjadi kemungkinan yang kedua. 

Nah, lalu yang menjadi perhatianku adalah penggunaan istilah dan bahasa-bahasa tertentu ketika berbicara dengan masyarakat umum. Kenapa ada jurusan khusus komunikasi dengan masyarakat di kampus-kampus terkenal, misalnya saja IPB yang punya KPM (Komunikasi Pengembangan Masyarakat)? Pasti karena berkomunikasi dengan masyarakat itu bukan perkara mudah. Karena itu diperlukan keterampilan khusus yang mumpuni agar apa yang kita sampaikan benar-benar pas dipahami oleh mereka, tidak kurang dan tidak lebih.Jangan sampai salah paham apalagi salah langkah. :)

Aku dulu sempat jengkel terhadap seorang kawan yang punya hobi ngomong dengan 'Bahasa Dewa' - suatu istilah untuk bahasa yang susah dipahami konteks maupun maknanya tapi terdengar 'wah' karenan banyaknya penggunaan kata-kata asing, serapan, dan akademis. Ampun banget orang-orang kayak gini! Pernah aku katakan langsung bahwa bisa saja bagi dia indikator seseorang itu cerdas adalah dari semakin tidak dipahaminya apa yang dibicarakannya. "Semakin orang gak paham, maka lo semakin keren dan cerdas!", kataku saat itu. Tapi, masa ya gitu sih? 

Aih, aku tetiba jadi teringat video rekamana Vicky Prasetyo saat pidato pemilihan Kades dengan bahasa Inggris ngaco-nya, yang diiringi para tetua desa yang manggut-manggut entah kagum, entah ngerti, atau entahlah. Jangan sampai kita seperti itu. 

Lhah kok, nyambungnya sama salah konsepsi DAS apa? Coba kamu sambungkan sendiri, lagipula semua ini hanya asumsiku.

Aku di TKP :) 

Hit the right spot! 

Itulah yang terpikir olehku ketika mendengar kata 'pisang'. Hehehe... Ops! Jangan ngeres dulu ya. Pisang yang akan kubahas di sini adalah benar-benar yang berwujud buah, bukan buah yang lain. Hee.. Apa yang ditembak pas tepat sasaran oleh si pisang? Ada yang bisa tahu? Yup! Itu adalah rasa lapar yang kadang hadir di saat atau tempat yang kurang pas bagi kita untuk lapar. Misalnya, saat jam 10 pagi, sesaat setelah kita sarapan. Rasa lapar yang menggebu kala waktu jam makan siang belum datang, menjadikan pisang sebagai penyelamatmu. Atau, saat kamu sedang berada di lapangan, sedang dalam perjalanan hiking menyusuri jalan setapak di hutan yang tidak memungkinkanmu untuk sekedar berhenti makan. Tidak perlu khawatir! Ambil pisang, makanlah, dan kamupun akan terselamatkan. 

Begitu juga pagi ini, aku terselamatkan oleh si panjang kuning yang nikmat. Terimakasih pisang. 

Ada beberapa hal kenapa pisang menjadi buah penyelamat di saat darurat. Sejumlah alasan berikut ini adalah hasil pengalamanku sendiri dan juga pengamatanku terhadap sejumlah teman-temanku si penggila pisang. 

1. Pisang mudah dibawa dan ringkas. Yah, meskipun harus hati-hati karena cepat benyek. 

2. Harga pisang murah-meriah dan mudah dibeli dimana saja dan kapan saja. 

3. Rasa pisang enak meskipun ini sangat relatif tergantung masing-masing orang.

4. Pisang mudah dimakan, dikunyah dan dicerna. Ini bisa membantu bagi siapa saja yang punya kesulitan atau masalah dalam kunyah-mengunyah, misalnya bayi dan orang sakit gigi. 

5. Pisang bergizi tinggi lho, dan 

6. Pisang bisa menembak tepat di sasaran lapar. 

Masih banyak lagi kelebihan-kelebihan pisang yang lain. Kenapa pisang menjadi buah andalan saat lapar menjelang di saat yang kurang tepat. Ataupun seperti saat ini, saat gigi bungsuku merangsek naik dan memaksa rahangku untuk tidak terbuka terlalu lebar dan gusiku membangkak. Banana is my saviour. 

Damn, I love Banana! 

Kenapa harus jalan?

Pernahkah mendengar kalau orang mau lebih nasionalis harus sering jalan-jalan? Pasti sering kan? Kalau kamu seorang yang suka jalan atau seorang traveler, kamu pasti tahu yang kumaksud. Tapi, kalau kamu yang jarang jalan atau bahkan tidak pernah jalan, nah di tulisan ini aku akan ngajak kamu sedikit mikir, kenapa orang yang sering jalan-jalan biasanya lebih nasionalis.  

Kemana kita harus jalan-jalan agar bisa lebih nasionalis, lebih mencintai negeri ini? Ada dua pandangan yang berbeda dan saling melengkapi. Apa perlu keliling Indonesia dari Sabang sampai Merauke, dari kota metropolis Medan, Jakarta hingga ke pedalaman Papua sana? Ataukah, kamu perlu berjalan lebih jauh ke mancanegara, menjelajah negeri orang yang kadang tak kita pahami bahasanya dan asing rasa makanannya, mulai dari metropolitan dunia seperti New York, Tokyo, Paris hingga negeri antah berantah di jantung gurun-gurun negeri Afrika sana? Well, apa pendapat kamu teman? 

Aku, meski tidak seluruhnya, beruntung pernah melakukan keduanya. Aku pernah beberapa kali jalan-jalan (atau lebih tepatnya kerja) di jauh-jauh pedalaman Sumatra, Kalimantan hingga Sulawesi sana. (Ah,aku belum berkesempatan ke Papua) Aku pun beruntung sempat menjelajah (kerja juga) di negeri Paman Sam yang termahsyur itu dan sekedar berjalan-jalan di beberapa negara tetangga Asia. Apa yang kudapat kemudian? Nasionalisme kah? Mungkin iya jika rasa cinta ini disebut demikian. Tapi ada rasa yang beda antara keduanya meski berujung pada satu cinta pada Ibu pertiwi, pada sang Mother land.

Meskipun beberapa kalipun aku jalan-jalan di Indonesia, aku selalu saja terkejut dan menemukan hal-hal baru. Seperti waktu itu, aku jalan ke daerah Simpang Hilir, sebuah kecamatan cukup terpencil di Kalimantan Barat. Di salah satu desanya, aku tinggal lebih dari seminggu, menginap di rumah penduduknya. Desa yang berada di antara perkebunan sawit luas dan hutan tropis Kalimantan yang terlihat lebat, aku menyadari bahwa banyak hal yang selama ini tidak kuketahui tentang tanah yang katanya adalah tumpah darahku ini. Tidak hanya keindahan alam yang mempesona tapi juga kenyataan yang tidak seindah poster wisata. Aku melihat sendiri betapa negeri yang katanya gemah ripah loh jinawi ini tidak selamanya indah. Selalu ada cerita sedih di sela-selanya. Kerusakan lingkungan dan kisah sedih penduduknya seakan memberiku gambaran lain akan negeri ini yang tak akan kutahu jika aku tak merasanya sendiri. Aku sempat menuliskan kegalauanku akan hal itu di tulisan ini (klik: Batu Barat dan Melinsum). 

Tak hanya cerita pilu, cerita indahpun masih banyak kutemui. Suatu waktu, aku sempat berjalan-jalan ke Lembah Bada, suatu lembah hijau nan indah yang dikelilingi bukit dan gunung di tengah-tengah Kabupaten Poso, Sulawesi Tengah. Di sana, aku menemukan wajah lain dari Indonesia. Sumpah, pertama kali ke sana, aku benar-benar merasa terpesona. Bagaimana tidak! Di dalam komunitas yang masih menjunjung tinggi adatnya ini, aku merasa bagai di negeri antah-berantah namun masih berasa di rumah. Ya, di sini, masyarakat adat Bada memiliki banyak tradisi unik, bahasa yang beda dan tentunya keramah-tamahan khas negeri kita tercinta. Meskipun di Poso sering terdengar berita kerusuhannya, tapi di Bada semua begitu berbeda. Orang-orang di sini hidup damai berdampingan satu sama lain dan mereka sangat terbuka terhadap kedatangan tamu dari luar. Ah, pokoknya aku betah banget di sini. Langit biru Bada bahkan menginspirasi menulis sebuah puisi cinta untuknya, coba cek ini (klik: Langit Bada). Segala keunikan ini seakan membuatku semakin bangga menjadi bagian dari tanah air ini. 

Aku dan anak-anak di Batu Barat, Simpang Hilir, Kalbar (2013)

Alam Bada yang indah dan langit birunya yang memukau (2013)

Setelah sekian kali aku berjalan-jalan di tanah air, aku pun berkesempatan menginjak tanah di benua seberang. Amerika adalah salah satu negara di mana aku sempat selama 7 bulan mencoba menggaulinya. Apa yang kudapatkan? Semua serba wow! Wajar saja, negeri Paman Sam ini konon adalah negeri paling kuat sedunia, Superpower katanya. Iya memang! Di Amerika, aku menemukan banyak hal baru, suasana baru dan temuan-temuan baru. Masyarakat yang lebih perlente, kota yang lebih besar, gedung-gedung tinggi yang lebih megah, jalan-jalan yang lebih bersih dan teknologi yang lebih canggih. Hampir semua yang lebih ini dan itu aku jumpai di sini. Tapi, apakah aku lebih suka tinggal di sini? Ah, jujur saja iya. Siapa sih yang tidak ingin tinggal lebih nyaman dalam lingkungan yang lebih rapih? Tapi apa iya cukup sedemikian halnya?

Ternyata tidak selalu demikian. Semakin jauh dengan kampung halaman malah membuatku semakin memikirkannya. Huru-hara di negeri tercinta yang kadang tak pernah terjamah meski hanya sekedar lewat berita, malah kucari-cari dari negeri yang jauh di sana. Apa yang terjadi dengan rumah ya? Bagaimana orang sini memandang Indonesia? Bagaimana ini dan itu segala rupa tentang rumah jadi ingin kuketahui. Segala rupa tentang Indonesia yang dibahas di luar sana selalu ingin membuatku berkata, “That’s my home country and it’s very beautiful! I am Indonesian!”. Di setiap kesempatan, aku selalu menyampaikan betapa negeri kepulauan tropis terbesar di dunia itu adalah rumahku, kampungku, dan ibu pertiwiku. Kadang aku merasa aneh juga. Ketika di rumah sendiri kadang aku merasa kesal dengan segala rupa masalahnya, namun di luar sana aku selalu membanggakan tanah airku. Ah,.. memang benar ya. Kadang jarak itu penting untuk membuat kita menyadari betapa berharganya apa yang kita miliki. Begitu pula negeri ini. Kita bisa saja menjadi sangat mencintainya, merindukannya ketika kita jauh darinya. Kalau kamu gak percaya, coba saja! Dan rasakan, betapa hanya Indonesia tempatmu untuk pulang kembali. Bahkan sambal terasi pun akan membuatmu rindu setengah mati.

Di tengah rimba Redwood di California pun aku ingat rumah (2014)

Melihat di seberang Sungai Sumida, Tokyo Skytree yang termahsyur pun
aku masih ingat rumah :)

"That Indonesia is my beloved home country!", I said. (Oregon, 2014)

Banyak hal yang bisa kita temui jika sering jalan-jalan. Cinta pada negeri salah satunya. Entah itu di dalam negeri atau di luar negeri, semua akan membuat kamu mencintainya, mungkin dari sisi yang berbeda. Ya, memang demikian karena wujud cinta bisa berupa apa saja dan datang dari mana saja. Makanya, sering jalan-jalanlah. Temukan diri sendiri, temukan dunia, dan temukan cinta pada rumah kita. 

Damn, I love Indonesia!

Sambil berkaca-kaca, mengingat kembali suatu musim gugur di benua seberang sambil bersenandung rindu,...

“...Tanah airku tidak kulupakan

Kan terkenang selama hidupku

Biarpun saya pergi jauh, tidak kan hilang dari kalbu

Tanahku yang kucintai, Engkau kuhargai

...Walaupun banyak negeri kujalani

Yang mahsyur permai dikata orang

Tetapi kampung dan rumahku, di sanalah ku rasa senang

Tanahku tak kulupakan, Engkau kubanggakan.”

(Tanah Airku - Ibu Soed)

- Tulisan ini disertakan dalam lomba 'jalan-jalan nasionalisme' yang diadakan Travel On Wego Indonesia- 

Kampung Halamanku, Boyolali di Kaki Merapi-Merbabu yang selalu kurindu 

Kenapa sih orang traveling? Kenapa orang harus meninggalkan zona nyamannya? Kenapa juga orang harus melihat dunia  luar yang mungkin asing dan tidak menyenangkan? Apa kamu hobi traveling? Yah, kalau kamu sudah punya hobi itu, maka tidak akan sulit untuk menjawab pertanyaan di atas. 

Atau mungkin sebaliknya jika kamu anak rumahan, mungkin akan sedikit sulit mengerti bagaimana juga menjawabnya. Traveling bukanlah sesederhana jalan-jalan atau plesiran ke tempat-tempat wisata. Traveling adalah satu esensi di manusia yang musti kudu dilakukan. Kenapa? Karena manusia itu tidak diciptakan di satu tempat untuk menjadi lengkap. Dia harus mencari pecahan-pecahan, bagian dari dirinya di seluruh dunia. Selama dia hidup dan seterusnya begitu. Seperti juga jodoh, tidak diciptakan langsung di dekat kita. Kita harus menempuh perjalanan untuk mengetahuinya. 

Traveling juga begitu, kita bisa ketemu diri kita hanya kita mencarinya. Tapi, untuk menemukan apa yang dicari, tak semua orang berani. Kenyamanan telah menjadi belenggu yang mematikan gerak dan nyali. Kenapa? Apa orang belum bisa dikatakan lengkap dengan dirinya sendiri? Bukan begitu juga. Yang terpenting sebenarnya adalah perkembangan diri. Perkembangan dan pertumbuhan itu yang dimaksud dengan pecahan diri. 

Tak akan puas seseorang mencari apa yang dicarinya. Kepuasan itu hanya bisa dicari jika kita berjalan. Ujung-ujungnya orang mencintai pencarian daripada apa yang dicari. Orang menyukai traveling dibanding destinasinya. Orang lebih suka rebutannya dibanding permen yang direbutkannya. Kesenangan, adrenalin, kepuasan batin, itulah yang paling aku suka saat traveling. Berapapun biayanya, apapun resikonya, berapapun lamanya, traveling seakan tak terasa menuntut satupun itu. Bahagia tanpa syarat. Hahaha.. Karena itulah aku suka hidup, mencintai kehidupan. Karena di situlah aku bisa terus berjalan dan menempuh perjalanan. 

Let's go on a travel guys!

(Tulisan 10 menit ngacak lagi nih. Mikir tema traveling tapi malah lari kemana-mana. Hehehe... )

The poster of TNR

Title : Tenno No Ryoriban / The Emperor's Cook

Genre : human drama, romance, biography

Episode : 12

Broadcast time : Spring 2015

Theme song : Yume Miru Hito by Masashi Sada

Cast:

Sato Takeru as Akiyama Tokuzo

Kuroki Haru as Takahama Toshiko

Suzuki Ryohei as Akiyama Shutaro

Kiritani Kenta as Shintaro Matsui

Tasuku Emoto as Tatsukichi Yamagami

Kobayashi Kaoru as Asami

I thought that Kimura Takuya's I'm Home was the best dorama for spring 2015. I was wrong. The best dorama for the season is undoubtedly Tenno no Ryoriban (TNR) aka Emperor's Cook. It portrays the life of Akiyama Tokuzo - the  legendary head chef of Emperor Hirohito. The lead role, Sato Takeru once again proved that he is one of the best young actors in Japan. Together with Kuroki Haru, Suzuki Ryuhei and other perfect casts, Sato Takeru makes Tenno no Ryoriban becomes not only the best but also most heartwarming and inspirative dorama ever. "Never give up on your dream and believe in yourself and love of all the people around you.", I got this line in my mind after watching TNR. If you are really a Jdorama fan, you should not miss this wonderful dorama.

Review, Peeling the Dorama

Story

Based on non-fictional biography novel by Hisahide Sugimori, Tenno no Ryoriban depicts the life of Akiyama Tokuzo. I haven't read the novel but after watching TNR dorama, I begin to search about this great chef in real life. I really wanted to know about him as the result of watching the dorama. Akiyama Tokuzo died in 1976. This dorama successfully portrays Akiyama's life in beautiful way, from his teenage days in early 20th century to his old days when he retires being the emperor's cook in 1972. I found it is funny, sad, warm, encouraging, and emotional while watching this dorama.

Plot

The story is started with 15 years old Akiyama Tokuzo who is sent home in drunk condition by 2 monks of a Buddhist temple where Tokuzo has stayed for several months trying to be a monk. It is not the first time Tokuzo failed to become something. He is such an easy bored person who can't stay in one job more than 3 months. He used to tried various jobs, from Kendo instructor, soldier, and even a rice market spectator. He is easyly absorbed in his job but also bored in a short time, 3 months. His older brother - Akiyama Shutaro  who is a diligent law student in Tokyo said that Tokuzo has just yet found something he's interested in, yet found his calling. That is so true, isn't it? When we haven't found our life calling, we'll always be bored and get tired of everything. But, not a lot people struggle for their calling. How about you? Me? I think I haven't found all of it tho. :(

Worrying about their son's condition, Tokuzo's parents makes Tokuzo gets married into Takahama family in Sabae,. He get married with Takahama Toshiko - a soft hearted girl in the same age as him. Not long after his marriage, Tokuzo met  Tanabe Yukichi , a cook of Sabae Army Infantry Regiment who also introduces Tokuzo to culinary world. The western style beef cutlet is a first key for Tokuzo to know his life's calling. With that, his adventure has just begun. The road to the world-class chef, the best chef in Japan, the emperor's cook has started.

Tanabe Yukichi (Hideaki Ito) who introduced Tokuzo to french cuisine

First cutlet that changed Tokuzo's life (Oishii!)

Tokuzo then moves to Tokyo, leaves behind his wife and new family, to get training about western food.  (Frankly, I really do not understand the way he thinks. How could he leave his family without saying nothing?!)  Through his brother's connection, Tokuzo is accepted as an apprentice or kitchen helper in Kazoku Kaikan, a western restaurant for aristochrat in Tokyo. The chef leader who will also next become Tokuzo's teacher is Usami san. Here, Tokuzo also will meet his best friends - Shintaro Matsui who  and Tatsukichi Yamagami - another kitchen helper at Kazoku Kaikan. Here, Tokuzo starts to realize that path toward his dream is a tough and difficult. And, the most important thing  to be a good cook is a sincere heart.   

Tokuzo's first time visiting a western restaurant in Tokyo, (Just after this, he will cut his lips! lol)

Toshiko divorced Tokuzo so he can pursue his dream. (so sad here)

Due to some accident, Tokuzo is fired from Kazoku Kaikan. This makes his family angry and his in law family in Sabae wants him to divorce Toshiko.  Next, he starts to stay and work at Banzai-ken,  a small traditional japanese restaurant. While Tokuzo is busy with his problems, he doesn't realize that his older brother is sick from a serious illness and Toshiko has miscarriage of his baby. Toshiko then divorced Tokuzo, to free him achieving his dream. Never give up of his calling, Tokuzo leaves Tokyo and goes to Paris, France to get more serious training, with support from people around him especially his sick older brother.

 The path toward his dream is not that easy. He must face hardship for being an only Asian in his new workplace. Even, he is called with the nickname 'monkey'. But, with patience and hard work he proves that he has the best talent to be the best cook. Then, he is acknowledged as the first Asian cook who has legal certificate as a professional  cook and work for Ritz Hotel- one of the best restaurant in France. There, Tokuzo works under supervision of the best cook at the time.  Tokuzo's success story makes the Japanese Empire wants to hire him as the Imperial cook. Then, Tokuzo goes back to Japan.

Shshhhh... He's cooking with a very serious expression!

Tokuzo in France (img source: here)

I almost forgot to mention that while in Paris, Tokuzo falls in love with a woman named Francoise. He also meets his best friend Shintaro who is hoping to be a great painting artist there, but fails.

Tokuzo's life as the Imperial cook then begins. His first job is a big success and the story about him becomes the family's pride. His older brother, Shuntaro  dies with a peaceful smile knowing Tokuzo now is a great person. Tokuzo also meets his ex-wife - Toshiko and they starts a new family again. His life as the emperor's cook and head of his family continues. He has 2 sons and 1 daughter. So many things he goes through. The saddest thing is when Toshiko died and leaves him. Soon, he realizes that Toshiko would never leave him. She is always around him wherever she is.

Time passes by and then difficult time has come. It is the war time and post-war. As the country that lost at the war, Japan is in very hard situation. Even, Emperor's situation is in danger. The destiny of the country is on the America's hand. Tokuzo, with all his might, wants to protect the emperor. He does so many things even he must swallow his pride and temper. And, together with colleagues he serves the  emperor and the Japan empire splendidly. Until then, 1972, when he is retired as the emperor's cook.

Actor

OMG! I love Sato Takeru so bad. He improves his skill in acting. He portrays the life of a legend cook heartfully. How do I know? I feel it. I feel the warm feeling by watching this dorama. You deserve an award Sato! And Haru is also very good. I don't know why, but I think that she is very good in portraying a good japanese housewife in that era with the low voice, the smile, the attitude, etc. She's a lovely woman. How she devotes her life for her family is really awesome. One more stunning character is Akiyama Shutaro - Tokuzo's nii yan. You will never ask for more for a kind brother like that. I was always cries when the I put my self in Shutaro's side. So sad but beautiful. Suzuki Ryuhei deserves an award too! :D

Suzuki Ryohei as Akiyama Shutaro, a very special character that deserves more attention

I want to mention one by one all of the best casts of this dorama but that seems too much. All I wanna say is that all the casts are awesome. Good job for all of you! Oops,... I need to say that only one cast that I think is not good enough. The cast for Francoise, the French girl who Tokuzo falls in France. How can I say but she's not the type that I can call beautiful or cute or whatever. I'm so sorry, but for me, she's not a good match to SatoTakeru . Or, is it me that got jealous? Lol

How can I not jealous with her!!!

 Setting and Costumes

Nothing to complain. I love both the scenes in Japan or France. Thanks for taking me a walk around Tokyo almost 100 years ago. The main street that shows Tokyo that time and the now condition that shown in ending song is very memorable. Is that the main road near the government building centers? I think I have visited that place in my trip last year. They look similar.

And the costume, ehm... Do you have complaint? Me, not! Maybe because other aspects are good so the detail becomes not a matter anymore. Does it? Or may be, it is really good? I think the last one is the answer. I like the most the women's costumes. I like the kimono or yukata or whatever it like. They are just so cute and girlish. Ahhh... I want to wear it too! Yeah, next time for sure. Hee...

OST and theme song

Awesome! I like the OST and theme song. The music did a really good job in dramatizing the story. Whenever the sad music was played, I was always almost to cry. In the last episode, I cried for along time tho. And the song, Yume Miru Hito sung by Masashi Sada, its lyrics is so meaningful. I love it! It really defines what is the meaning of pursuing a dream and follow the our passion in life. It suits well with Akiyama Tokuzo's life. Well written lyrics, it is!

Check this out! MV for Yume Miru Hito by Masashi Sada

Last but not least ( I think I will add some points to this review in my next free time), I just want to say that this dorama is awesome! Look at my high score for TNR! :D

9.5/10