![1511H [KOMBAT]](http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1230225696s/2221542.jpg)
HANG TUAH & PENDEDAHAN
3 days ago
Menyudahi Delima Ranting Senja, Menunggu Lentera Mustika
Delima Ranting Senja yang ranum dan enak dinikmati. Ia kisah cinta, cinta kepada agama, bangsa dan budaya. Tetapi ia jadi unik dan indah sekali dengan baur perjuangan dari jalan politik dan sukarela yang teguh dan dinamis.
Peri penting, ia juga secara peribadi menjawab beberapa kemusykilan saya tentang "orang-orang perjuangan" sebelum ini.
Pertama:
Tidakkah orang perjuangan yang masuk politik dan dinaikkan sebagai orang kerajaan akan mengalami conflict of interest? Selama manakah mereka mampu berlaku jujur ketika anak bangsa terus melarat sedang mereka pula enak-enak dijulang dan bermewah-mewah atas nama keringat rakyat?
Persoalan ini dijawab oleh Bonda Siti Zainon melalui watak AbyRedha yang pernah dipenjarakan sebagai pemberontak tetapi lelaki Seulewah itu kini menjadi menteri dalam dewan perwakilan kerajaan Indonesia.
Kedua:
Orang-orang yang berjuang sebagai sukarelawan badan bukan kerajaan yang acap terbang ke sana-sini kononnya atas tiket membela bangsa - perjuangan jenis apakah itu? Tidakkah lebih afdal turun padang bergelumang selut bersama anak bangsa yang ingin ditolongi?
Persoalan ini dibangkitkan oleh Bonda Siti melalui beberapa kenalan Sofina dalam badan-badan bukan kerajaan yang kata mereka: "Kami sudah letih ke khemah-khemah pelarian."
Ketiga:
Bagaimanakah caranya untuk menjarakkan diri, maksud saya mencipta dua persona yang berbeza iaitu ketika di perbatasan menyelami resah derita anak bangsa dan ketika pulang menjalani rutin biasa di tempat kerja dan bersama keluarga? Perlukah berasa bersalah menghadap hidangan mewah sedang beberapa hari sebelumnya berkongsi bubur cair bersama anak-anak yang malnutrisi?
Persoalan ini jugalah rintihan AbyRedha, isterinya Sofina, Do Raman, Dr Aqran dan ramai lagi dalam naskhah hebat Delima Ranting Senja ini.
Saya sebetulnya mengambil masa yang agak lama untuk menyudahkan novel ini. Ia naskhah berat, terlampau sarat dengan elemen budaya sehingga saya terasa tepu kadang kala namun andai dinikmati dengan perlahan, kelazatannya berkekalan!
Kini saya menunggu kelahiran penuh novel Lentera Mustika karya Kak Nisah pula. Kata Pak Samad pada blurb naskhah terkini Kak Nisah yang pernah disirikan dalam majalah Aniqah itu, ia adalah kisah cinta golongan ilmuwan. Suatu pernyataan menarik yang menggamit!
Untuk Bonda Siti dan Kak Nisah, tahniah!
Detox Just to Retox
I have no doubt whatsoever that Sri Rahayu Mohd Yusop's latest novel, Kasih Nan Agung, which won the first prize in the Novel Remaja category of the Hadiah Sastera Kumpulan Utusan (HSKU) 2008 would meet my expectations. It is all that, and beyond. Kasih Nan Agung does not only entertain, but is thought-provoking and a MUST-read for those who like to be educated in a literary way.
The premise of Kasih Nan Agung is simple, in general it is a novel that counter-argues the Evolutionary Theory and the Neo-Darwinism Theory as proposed originally by Charles Darwin and later on by more contemporary scientists who are as equally deluded as him. But Sri Rahayu did not only criticize, she also offered the alternative, or as a Muslim would have it - the Ultimate Truth regarding human existence.
This is what an exceptional literary work is: you see the problem and dissect it from a chosen perspective/issue then try to SOLVE it. In today's world, we must realize that pure awareness does not mean anything if no one reacted. The reactions do not have to be a MEGA campaign with all the publicity in the world, but it could just be, let's say, a novel. This is what I like about Malaysia's literary scene, especially writers who write in Malay because they are no longer constricting themselves to some shallow-minded lovey-dovey storyline but have ventured into foreign territories that are seldom associated with literature such as life sciences, technological advancement and theology.
Back to Kasih Nan Agung, I was in for a surprise ride. At first I thought it was going to be a straight-forward enough discourse between Jaka Sulaiman Awang Safar, a Malaysian senior in paleoanthropology at UC Berkeley with his many opponents in the forms of so-called scientists/atheists like Maximilian Blake and Robert Le Frost, but man was I wrong!
This pre-notion had its own base, considering that Sri Rahayu wrote the book that won HSKU last year, Warisnya Kalbu, as an anti-plot. That means that there is no well-defined storyline - causality and consequences - throughout the novel. Story is regarded unimportant, so that substance can become the main highlight.
But she did not repeat it in Kasih Nan Agung. It is full of suspense and an original page-turner. I would totally call it an Islamic novel for its well-executed, excellently-conveyed religious messages. I also like the fact that Sri Rahayu wrote it in flawless and convincing Bahasa Melayu, meaning she did not appear to be trying too hard. For instance, the dialogues uttered by the non-Bahasa Melayu speakers in the novel sounded very natural, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, non-colloquial.
And just for the record, Sri Rahayu is an English teacher.
*Sri Rahayu's previous works include Bukan Legasi Lalang (1st Prize, HSKU 2000), Merdekakan Cinta Ratna (3rd Prize, HSKU 2002), Odisi Tanah Kencana (2nd Prize, HSKU 2006) and Warisnya Kalbu (1st Prize, HSKU 2007).
The premise of Kasih Nan Agung is simple, in general it is a novel that counter-argues the Evolutionary Theory and the Neo-Darwinism Theory as proposed originally by Charles Darwin and later on by more contemporary scientists who are as equally deluded as him. But Sri Rahayu did not only criticize, she also offered the alternative, or as a Muslim would have it - the Ultimate Truth regarding human existence.
This is what an exceptional literary work is: you see the problem and dissect it from a chosen perspective/issue then try to SOLVE it. In today's world, we must realize that pure awareness does not mean anything if no one reacted. The reactions do not have to be a MEGA campaign with all the publicity in the world, but it could just be, let's say, a novel. This is what I like about Malaysia's literary scene, especially writers who write in Malay because they are no longer constricting themselves to some shallow-minded lovey-dovey storyline but have ventured into foreign territories that are seldom associated with literature such as life sciences, technological advancement and theology.
Back to Kasih Nan Agung, I was in for a surprise ride. At first I thought it was going to be a straight-forward enough discourse between Jaka Sulaiman Awang Safar, a Malaysian senior in paleoanthropology at UC Berkeley with his many opponents in the forms of so-called scientists/atheists like Maximilian Blake and Robert Le Frost, but man was I wrong!
This pre-notion had its own base, considering that Sri Rahayu wrote the book that won HSKU last year, Warisnya Kalbu, as an anti-plot. That means that there is no well-defined storyline - causality and consequences - throughout the novel. Story is regarded unimportant, so that substance can become the main highlight.
But she did not repeat it in Kasih Nan Agung. It is full of suspense and an original page-turner. I would totally call it an Islamic novel for its well-executed, excellently-conveyed religious messages. I also like the fact that Sri Rahayu wrote it in flawless and convincing Bahasa Melayu, meaning she did not appear to be trying too hard. For instance, the dialogues uttered by the non-Bahasa Melayu speakers in the novel sounded very natural, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, non-colloquial.
And just for the record, Sri Rahayu is an English teacher.
*Sri Rahayu's previous works include Bukan Legasi Lalang (1st Prize, HSKU 2000), Merdekakan Cinta Ratna (3rd Prize, HSKU 2002), Odisi Tanah Kencana (2nd Prize, HSKU 2006) and Warisnya Kalbu (1st Prize, HSKU 2007).
I'm the Loose Bolt of a Complete Machine
What you consumed defines who you are.
I agree, and the definition of "what" should not be constricted to food and drinks only. It should also include reading materials, what you listen to and what you watch on TV. A month into my return to Malaysia, I still cannot stand the redundant abundance of one version of soap drama or the other, let alone all the hedonism-oriented entertainment programs on most channels. Hence, my staple channels so far have been Astro Oasis, which is an Islamic-oriented channel on cable, Astro Awani (worldwide news mostly in Malay) and National Geographic (self-explanatory, no?).
I usually watch TV after everyone has gone to bed, partly because what I want to watch are usually not the choice of the majority, partly because I prefer to hoard the TV all to myself. It was during one of those nights that I discovered an amazing travel-slash-adventure-slash-sociopolitical show on NGEO called "Don't Tell My Mother I'm in.."
The show is co-conceived and hosted by journalist/TV personality extraordinaire (he's even cuter than Anderson Cooper who's prior to this new found show was regarded by yours truly as the most gorgeous AND MOST IMPORTANTLY intelligent man on screen), Diego Bunuel. Some backgrounds: Bunuel is the grandson of the late famous Spanish filmmaker, Luis Bunuel. He is French by nationality, went to University of Chicago and had served in the French army. After the mandatory service to some God's forsaken country somewhere, Bunuel became a war correspondent. And the rest, as they say, is history.
The concept of the show is easy enough. Bunuel would go to a country per show, travels around, interviews a bunch of locals and tapes everything for the viewers. Easy enough, right?
NOT.
Instead of going to countries like Switzerland (the most neutral country in the world) or places like that, he ventures into war torn countries like Palestine, politically-unstable ones like Venezuela and countries so controversial like the one broadcast tonight - Iran, which took him half a year to get an entry visa.
The show is very eye-opening. It's unbiased in my opinion, and I had to chuckle along when Bunuel was scolded by a member of Iranian Parliament of Jewish descend that "you must change your perspective. I'm not the only Jew who is against Israel."
Obviously I haven't seen enough episodes to comment about the show in its entirety but I like what I've seen so far. It does not only cover the politics of the country he visited, but also the cultural and the sociological aspects. And THAT is my kind of a late night supper.
I agree, and the definition of "what" should not be constricted to food and drinks only. It should also include reading materials, what you listen to and what you watch on TV. A month into my return to Malaysia, I still cannot stand the redundant abundance of one version of soap drama or the other, let alone all the hedonism-oriented entertainment programs on most channels. Hence, my staple channels so far have been Astro Oasis, which is an Islamic-oriented channel on cable, Astro Awani (worldwide news mostly in Malay) and National Geographic (self-explanatory, no?).
I usually watch TV after everyone has gone to bed, partly because what I want to watch are usually not the choice of the majority, partly because I prefer to hoard the TV all to myself. It was during one of those nights that I discovered an amazing travel-slash-adventure-slash-sociopolitical show on NGEO called "Don't Tell My Mother I'm in.."
The show is co-conceived and hosted by journalist/TV personality extraordinaire (he's even cuter than Anderson Cooper who's prior to this new found show was regarded by yours truly as the most gorgeous AND MOST IMPORTANTLY intelligent man on screen), Diego Bunuel. Some backgrounds: Bunuel is the grandson of the late famous Spanish filmmaker, Luis Bunuel. He is French by nationality, went to University of Chicago and had served in the French army. After the mandatory service to some God's forsaken country somewhere, Bunuel became a war correspondent. And the rest, as they say, is history.
The concept of the show is easy enough. Bunuel would go to a country per show, travels around, interviews a bunch of locals and tapes everything for the viewers. Easy enough, right?
NOT.
Instead of going to countries like Switzerland (the most neutral country in the world) or places like that, he ventures into war torn countries like Palestine, politically-unstable ones like Venezuela and countries so controversial like the one broadcast tonight - Iran, which took him half a year to get an entry visa.
The show is very eye-opening. It's unbiased in my opinion, and I had to chuckle along when Bunuel was scolded by a member of Iranian Parliament of Jewish descend that "you must change your perspective. I'm not the only Jew who is against Israel."
Obviously I haven't seen enough episodes to comment about the show in its entirety but I like what I've seen so far. It does not only cover the politics of the country he visited, but also the cultural and the sociological aspects. And THAT is my kind of a late night supper.
Nobody Wants to Hear You Sing About Tragedy
I'm watching In Person on Astro Awani with Syed Farradino Omar getting up close and personal with Tash Aw, a Malaysian novelist based in London.
See, I am skeptical about writers abroad who write about their home countries for some reasons that I could never really eloquently explain. Probably because they tend to criticize their homelands, the culture and everything that comes with it. And I thought Malaysian writers abroad are the same.
But as I listened and watched how Syed Farradino prodded and poked Aw on his chosen profession as a full time writer (Farradino was surprisingly well-prepared, he even knew about Doris Lessing!!, he asked the right questions and prodded further at the right time, about the right thing), my pre-conception is falling apart, bits by bits.
Aw talked about how being abroad has brought out his inner Malaysian. He said being among people of different upbringings, skin colors and origins made him felt so foreign, so alone that it made him turned to what he knew best - being a Malaysian that he truly is. He even mentioned the burning desire to speak to strangers in public places just because he recognized their Malaysian-accented English.
To hear such experience makes me happy because I feel like I've found someone who finally understands the plight of my heart. As some would know, I just got back for good after a 4-year stint in an engineering school in the US. Being abroad has made me a better, a more objective Malaysian, I became a non-partisan when it comes to politics and it is shocking even to me to discover that I am now blind to skin colors. But these views (and many more) are not shared by many, not even by people I hold close to my heart.
I do not hate being home, but being here so far is depressing. I hate our culture of idleness (Aw called it complacency, he referred to the habit of hanging out at the mamak stalls as an example) and our tendency to judge and speculate about other people's businesses. I also find our needs to reaffirm our actions by verbosely repeating the same matter to anyone who would listen (or pretend to) are not only highly unnecessary but extremely annoying.
When I was overseas, I was looking forward to come back and serve my country. But how can I fall in love with my homeland all over again in these conditions? Maybe I am destined to love Malaysia wholeheartedly, unconditionally only from afar. Distance after all, makes the heart grow fonder (or wander, if you like, in some ways)...
Anekdot dari Jepun V: Miyajima, Pulau Mistik Yang Fotogenik
O-torii (Gapura Utama atau Grand Gate).
O-torii.
Itsukushima-jinja (Tokong Itsukushima atau Itsukushima Shrine), rumah ibadat penganut Shinto yang tertua di Jepun dinatari Misen-san (Gunung Misen).
Para pengunjung yang mencuplik kesempatan melepaskan lelah.
O-torii dari kairo (koridor) yang menuju ke morodoharaiden (balai penyucian atau purification hall) dalam remang senja.
O-torii berlatar kota Hiroshima di tanah besar.
Pagoda vermilion berlapis lima.
O-torii bersimbah mentari senja.Di pulau mistik Miyajima yang tersohor lagendanya sebagai tempat persemayaman dewa-dewi dan tradisi, saya jatuh cinta pada kepugaran alam semujadi ciptaan Tuhan dan arkitektur silam yang mengagumkan.
Sastera Islami Menurut Seyyed Hossein Nasr
"It is amazing how much of Islamic literature is really an expansion of certain sayings of the Prophet or commentaries upon certain stories in the Quran in such a way that the whole literature of the Islamic people became impregnated by the values and teachings of the Islamic religion."
(A Young Muslim's Guide to the Modern World, p. 110)
Dalam erti kata lain, gagasan sastera Islami merupakan analisa dan resolusi menurut ajaran Islam berdasarkan keperluan semasa umat. Ya, Seyyed Hossein Nasr telah mendefinisikan sastera Islami dengan ringkas tetapi padat sekali.
Dalam erti kata lain, gagasan sastera Islami merupakan analisa dan resolusi menurut ajaran Islam berdasarkan keperluan semasa umat. Ya, Seyyed Hossein Nasr telah mendefinisikan sastera Islami dengan ringkas tetapi padat sekali.
Karya Sastera Serius Cerminan Jati Diri Bangsa?
Oleh Rebecca Ilham
Memetik seperenggan pendek ucapan Kenzaburo Oe di Stockholm, Sweden pada majlis penganugerahan Hadiah Nobel Kesusasteraan yang dianugerahkan kepadanya pada tahun 1994:
"Saya ingin menulis karya-karya sastera serius yang berbeza daripada lambakan novel berkiblatkan budaya kapitalisme di Tokyo khususnya, dan juga pecahan-pecahan budaya popular lain di seluruh dunia amnya. Identiti sebagai seorang anak bangsa Jepun bagaimanakah yang patut saya ketengahkan? W.H. Auden pernah mendefinisikan peranan seorang novelis seperti berikut:
'...di sebalik debu-debu bertebaran
Berlaku adillah, biar tersepit antara kezaliman
Dan meski engkau sekadar seorang insan yang lemah; jika mampu,
Teguklah cangkir derita ciptaan kebejatan manusia.'
(The Novelist, 11-14)
Inilah prinsip saya, dengan memilih bidang penulisan sebagai kerjaya."
Saya barangkali cenderung melabel, tetapi pemenang Hadiah Nobel Kesusasteraan (yang tidak membelakangkan bangsa dan budaya pastinya) juga pernah menyuarakan perkara ini. Kenzaburo melalui ucapannya menghuraikan lebih panjang lagi tentang jati diri dan emosi unik bangsa Jepun yang diterjemahkan dengan baik ke dalam karya-karya mereka.
Jati diri dan emosi ini menurut Kenzaburo lagi adalah refleksi bangsanya sebagai bangsa penjajah yang kemudiannya terjajah secara psikologi (oleh rasa bersalah mencetus perang sehingga bertaubat untuk tidak lagi menyertai mana-mana persengketaan, hatta dengan hanya menghantar ketumbukan tentera pengaman sekali pun!). Ia turut berkait rapat dengan malapetaka di Hiroshima dan Nagasaki. Suatu introspeksi luar biasa menarik dan wajar, jika tidak pun dicontohi, untuk direnung-renung dan difikir-fikir kerana leluhur bangsa dan budaya kita pun tidak kurang gahnya untuk dibanggakan.
Baca teks penuh (dalam bahasa Inggeris) ucapan Kenzaburo di sini. Untuk makluman, kisah peribadi Kenzaburo yang mempunyai anak istimewa bernama Hikari pernah menjadi subjek cerpen "Sumur" karya Dr. Mawar Shafei.
Nota: Petikan di atas telah diterjemah dan disesuaikan kepada Bahasa Melayu oleh penulis.
Delima Ranting Senja: Definisi Sebenar Novel Islami?
Saya sedang menguliti novel Delima Ranting Senja karya luar biasa enak nukilan Prof Siti Zainon Ismail. Novel ini berkisar tentang perjuangan sepasang suami isteri, AbyRedha dan Sofina membela agama dan bangsa melalui bidang masing-masing. Si suami seorang politikus sementara sang isteri seorang pengamal media. Mereka sering dipisahkan jarak dan kadang-kala hanya bertemu lewat seminar-seminar luar negara. Indah sekali kisah cinta mereka kerana fokus keduanya bukan sekadar terhad pada lingkungan dekat, tetapi tertebar meliputi lingkungan jauh dan pengembaraan mencari leluhur.
Sebuah karya yang perlu dibaca dan dihadam sepenuhnya. Secara peribadi, saya berpendapat inilah definisi NOVEL ISLAMI yang sebenar, yang tidak disempitkan keluh-kesah ustaz/ustazah yang memengkalkan.
Anekdot dari Jepun IV: Menulislah di Mana-mana!
Tatkala menikmati calamari okonomiyaki di Emi, Fukushima.
Seusai mengunggis donut bersalut kelapa parut di Mister Donut, Soemon Cho.Salah satu kegemaran saya adalah mengusung buku catatan kerja kreatif ke mana-mana meski pun sebetulnya saya jarang menulis di luar lingkungan selesa (baca: kamar peribadi dan kafe-kafe lazim dikerapi). Tetapi saya gagahkan juga membawa ia kerana tidak rela andai ilham mampir saya tiada alat tulis untuk merakam idea yang terlintas.
Di Jepun yang mengasyikkan, kebiasaan ini terbukti tidak membebankan!
Anekdot dari Jepun III: Hospitaliti dari Timur Yang Menggiurkan!
Ruang resepsi dan komputer untuk melayari internet.
Dapur yang serba-serbi lengkap. Dua gadis Inggeris dari Manchester sempat memasak pada malam sebelumnya. Dan ya, itu komputer riba saya dan donut dari Mister Donut.
Papan putih yang sarat informasi.
J-Hoppers yang global!
Ken dan Sawako.Saya tinggal di J-Hoppers empat malam semuanya, tiga malam di Osaka, semalaman di Hiroshima. Oleh itu, saya jadi akrab dengan staf di Osaka seperti Nori yang mula-mula menyambut, Pascal yang bertugas malam, Fumi yang sepenuh masa di hostel serta Ken dan Sawako yang bekerja siang.
Tatkala saya meninggalkan hostel pada pagi 22 Mei, Fumi berkeras mahu menghantar saya hingga ke stesen Fukushima (dua minit sahaja berjalan kaki sebenarnya), sementara Ken dan Sawako pula meninggalkan meja resepsi seketika to see me off at the door.
Saya tersentuh dengan layanan luar biasa hangat mereka kerana dua tahun di Amerika (dan pernah sebulan di England dan Scotland dalam tempoh itu), meski pun dilayan baik, saya tidak dapat merasakan kemesraan luar biasa yang dirasakan sepanjang menginap di situ. Saya sempat menitip pesan agar mereka menghubungi saya andai berkunjung ke Malaysia di samping saya juga berjanji untuk merekomendasi hostel berkenaan kepada teman-teman yang akan ke Jepun dan akan menginap di sana lagi jikalau murah rezeki dapat terbang ke Kansai lagi!
Untuk memastikan hubungan itu kekal terjalin, saya telah mengutus emel di bawah kepada petugas J-Hoppers Osaka:
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
My name is Hazwani and I'm from Malaysia. I stopped by Osaka on my way back from the US to Malaysia and had stayed in Osaka J-Hoppers for 3 nights.
Simply said, I love your place. It's not just a place to stay where people come in and out and mind their own business, but it's also a hub of world travelers where exchanges of views and ideas take place. I had an amazing time knowing and having great conversations with the staff and other guests while I was there. So I would say, keep it up, and I will definitely recommend Osaka J-Hoppers to my friends. I would love to go back someday, too.
And if any of you find yourself in Malaysia, let me know. I would love to treat any or all of you to Malaysian delicacies and give you a taste of Malaysian hospitality!
- Hazwani.
Sejam kemudian saya menerima balasan ini daripada Sawako:
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Thank you very much for your lovely email!!
Yes I remember you well and it was awesome to hear from you like this.
We all enjoyed sharing a lot of time with you, Hazwani.
I got to like your attitude, atmosphere, lovely smile and the way you wore a scarf around your head, of course!
I even wished I could have talked with you more.
We all look forward to seeing you again!
And yes, please show me around when I come to your country, Malaysia.
Many thanks, Hazwani!
Sincerely,
J-Hoppers Osaka Central
Reception (Sawako Miyagawa)
****************************************
J-Hoppers Osaka Central
4-22, Fukushima 7chome, Fukushima-ku,
Osaka-shi, JPN (Post Code : 553-0003)
TEL/FAX +81-(0)6-6453-6669
Website:http://osaka.j-hoppers.com
E-mail:osaka@j-hoppers.com
J-Hoppers sebetulnya merupakan rangkaian backpackers hostel di barat Pulau Honshu. Ia mempunyai cawangan di Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima dan Takayama. Semua staf J-Hoppers boleh berbahasa Inggeris dengan sangat baik dan saya kira ini merupakan faktor utama mengapa ramai pengembara asing pelbagai bangsa (sama ada boleh berbahasa Inggeris dengan baik atau tidak perkara kedua!) menginap di tempat ini. Ia sudah jadi seakan hub di mana para pengembara yang tidak berbelanjawan besar berkumpul, berkongsi dan bertukar-tukar cerita serta menjadi kenalan. Highly recommended, mengembaralah!
Nota: Amalan menghantar thank you notes begini adalah kelaziman yang sudah jadi kewajipan di Amerika. Apa salahnya mengambil yang baik-baik, bukan?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)