The Diminishing Value of Mother
Hilangnya Nilai Seorang Ibu
(english translation available below)
Artikel ini menceritakan pandangan aku terhadap kehidupan warga Ban Panthom di Bangkok. Ban Panthom, salah satu daerah di Bangkok, di mana bangunan - bangunan tumbuh dicelah terusan Rop Krung. Banyak lorong yang sempit, rumah - rumah dibina rapat, berbaris menghadap satu sama lain berkongsikan satu ruang sama di sepanjang terusan itu.
Hampir seminggu aku di Ban Panthom, memerhati gelagat dan kerenah komuniti di situ yang mempunyai hubungan erat sesama sendiri. Rutin hidup (harian) mereka (seolah-olah) menjadikan mereka seperti sebuah keluarga (besar), di mana semua orang kenal satu sama lain.
“We need to treat our city like our mother” – Prof. JW
Warisan yang sebenar adalah soal manusia sekeliling, bukan harta. Ianya soal empati, advokasi, pemberdayaan, hormat dan rendah diri. Warisan bukan sahaja soal binaan kayu mahupun konkrit, ianya juga tentang pemahaman akan cara untuk mengekalkan artifak-artifak ini daripada hilang dihanyut masa. Ibu (bandar) kita, merupakan salah satu warisan yang patut dijaga namun nilainya semakin pudar dek pembangunan sekarang. Sebagai contoh, dua buah rumah di dalam kawasan di Ban Panthom yang masih mempunyai nilai asalnya, kurang mendapat perhatian dari segi penjagaannya.
Hari ini hari terakhir untuk aku dan yang lain ambil maklumat sebanyak yang boleh dari sebuah rumah di celahan lorong yang berliku. Lukisan terukur di sebuah rumah imigran - yang membuat kraftangan untuk dijual di Khao San pada waktu malam. Kawasan yang agak sempit untuk lebih 10 keluarga tinggal dalam satu rumah. Dalam satu kawasan, dua buah rumah untuk menampung sebanyak itu, berkongsikan ruang legar, tempat mandi dan tempat memasak. Setiap bilik yang ada hanya mampu mengisi 4-5 orang. Juga daripada rumah asalnya, bilik tambahan di bahagian depan rumah yang berdindingkan pagar rumah dan papan simen fiber untuk mengisi lagi penduduk di rumah itu. Terlalu banyak penambahan dan tampalan bahan yang berbeza serta perubahan dan kerosakan pada yang asalnya. Rumah yang diteguh tampalan asbestos dan papan kayu menggantikan kerosakan yang ada, sisa nilai asalnya - senibina rumah tradisional di Thailand, mirip rumah melayu tradisional di Malaysia.
Hari kedua aku sempat masuk ke dalam salah satu biliknya, tinggal seorang wanita yang amat gemar akan “Hello Kitty” dan haiwan belaannya seekor burung, menemankan makan tengahari. Pada pandanganku, untuk sebuah rumah, lebih kurang 8 bilik untuk 8 keluarga dikongsi bersama berjaya menarik perhatian aku. Ruang bilik mereka yang sempit itulah di mana mereka tidur, makan, belajar dan berehat. Walaupun begitu susah dan payah pada zahirnya, namun senyuman mereka tak pernah padam dari wajah mereka dalam menjalani kehidupan sebegitu susah.
Asalnya diberi 2 jam untuk mengambil maklumat, kerana 3 hari berterusan kami ‘ceroboh’ privasi mereka. Pukul 1:00 tengahari, kami mula mengambil semua ukuran yang kami mampu tetapi cuma dari luaran sahaja. Hari mereka mula pada tengahari buta, pagi kita seperti tengah malam mereka. Tak lama kemudian, kami difahamkan cuma tiga orang sahaja dibenarkan masuk dan aku salah seorang daripadanya. Tak sampai satu minit, kami dihalau keluar oleh penduduk rumah itu. Agak mengecewakan kerana tak mencapai tujuan hari ini.
Akhirnya, kami terpaksa pulang awal dengan perasaan kecewa dan penat. Tetapi bagi aku, ini merupakan salah satu pengalaman yang menarik yang boleh dibuat pengajaran untuk masa depan. Semua yang berlaku ada hikmahnya, jangan cepat mengeluh dan jangan cepat mengalah. Berdasarkan pemerhatian aku terhadap kehidupan di Ban Panthom, warisan asal – binaan, cara hidup perlu dijaga dengan baik untuk dikekalkan ke masa depan.
This article tells my perspective on the lives of the people of Ban Panthom in the city of Bangkok. Ban Panthom, one of the districts in Bangkok city, where buildings are located at Rop Krung canal. There are many alleys/lanes in which many buildings are constructed close to each other, sharing one space along the canal and the alleys/lane.
I am in Ban Panthom for almost a week now, observing the community that has close relationship to one another. The daily routine of their lives seemed to make them like a big family, where everyone knows each other.
I was intrigued when Prof Johannes Widodo said, “we need to treat our city like our mother” in one of the lectures delivered few days ago.
In my view, real heritage is about people and their surrounding, not property. It poses questions on empathy, advocacy, empowerment, respect and humility. Heritage is not solely about knowing how material or building work, but about understanding how to sustain/maintain these artifacts rather than leaving them rot and decay with time. Our ‘mother’ (city) is one of the heritage that should be taken care of, as their value has been fading through out the new development these days. As for example, our buildings for measured drawing in Ban Panthom, still have some of their original value, yet it is still lack of attention in terms of its preservation.
Today is the third and last day for me and others to get information as much as possible from an old house in the winding alleyways. Doing field measurement in a house cramped with people from northern Thai region and even some from neighboring countries is hard. It is even harder when their day to day living lifestyle - selling ‘crafts’ and ‘snack food’ at Khao San area at night time - gets interrupted by our voices and activities inside and outside the house compound. The space is quite limited for more than 10 families to live in. In the same compound, two houses share the same common space, bathrooms, and a living space. Each room can only fits 4-5 people and they have added one extra room attached to the original house – adding cement fibre boards as a wall. There are too many additions and repairs done without respecting or even maintaining the original condition. Use of asbestos boards and wooden strips replacing the original material seems to affect the historical value of Thai traditional house which has similar character to traditional Malay timber house in certain regions in Malaysia.
On the second day I managed to get access into one of the room in which its occupant an elderly lady - who is fond of ‘Hello Kitty’- lives with a pet bird having her lunch. From my observation, for a house that has eight rooms for eight different families is something that is extremely unique. Their little rooms are the space where they sleep, eat and rest. Despite such hardship and difficulties, the smiles on their faces are always there.
For 3 continuous day we have been ‘invading’ their rooms and privacy. At 1pm (on the third day), we have only managed to get measurement from the outside space. From my brief interview with them – assisted by Thai speaking student – their day actually begins at late afternoon so in the morning time when we were there, it was like their midnight time. Later, we were informed that only three students are allowed to enter and I was one of them. However, in less than 1 minute we were asked to leave the compound by the occupants/residents. I was a bit frustrated for not able to continue with the measurement activity.
At the end, we had to leave early with the feeling of disappointment and tiredness. But to me, such an experience provides good learning in the future. Everything that happened has reasons - don’t easily sigh and never admit defeat quickly. Based from my observation of the life in Ban Panthom, the original heritage – built construction and way of living needs to be cared of in a good way in order to preserve in near future.