Bule Situations: Igor’s Rapture

By Wombat | February 4th, 2006 | 5 Comments »

Allow me to tell you about Igor (that’s what I nicknamed him!). Believe me, the name is fitting. I was in Surakarta (the old Javanese name for the city of Solo) Central Java.

In one of the old-style markets which I was happily walking through, I came across this man that made Goliath look like Tinkerbell!. He was a big lad, strapping in features. Standing six feet plus, he had a beard splattered over his face and it was just as long as his height. Igor was a Becak (three-wheeled trishaw) driver.

Give me a break here!. Most Becak drivers are skinny fellows and, their Becaks about as ancient as their culture. Igor was the Rasputin of Indonesia. Getting the idea?.

I had just finished buying fruit and vegetables and needed to get back to my losmen. Igor grunted, and I decided, for fear of my body being crushed, to use his Becak. He was a scary man but, a real gentleman and a great conversationalist. If you ever get the chance on your travels, learn ‘grunt’ language!. We were hastily speeding along this back alley going the wrong way, when suddenly Igor stopped. So did my heart from fear of what I didn’t know was about to happen. Igor practically fell of the seat of the Becak, hit the ground and burst out laughing. You know how contagious laughter can be!. Igor was pointing towards two youths standing in a shop doorway with their backs to us. It wasn’t until I read the slogan on the back of one of the young lad’s T-Shirt, did I realise what had amused Igor so much. The slogan read: ‘Phartomin – good for your Baby’. Below the words was a picture of a large tin of powdered milk!. I grunted, Igor grunted, and we proceeded on our way to the losmen.

I keep a special section in the back of my travel journals that I carry everywhere with me where I write all these funny and crazy things down. Besides being great for a laugh with friends, it can also be a memory jolt when writing an article.
By Barrie Lie-Birchall