Beyond the Pinhole

 (Created as an assignment for The Urban Writers)

The year is 2031. A decade ago, we would never expect that human beings could reach this place, 173284 Eros, an exoplanet orbiting a double-star system in the M51 Whirlpool galaxy. Well, no one was ever expected to end up like this, leaving the Earth after 75 percent of its population was swept away by the plague. I became one of 32 astronauts sent on a mission to find a new Earth after 21 countries that survived the plague agreed to spend all of their military budgets on this mission. There’s no use to weaponized the military anyway, as there is no reason left to fight against each other. It’s our mission now.

The last memory I had was closing the hatch of the cryo-chamber after setting the spaceship on autopilot mode and expected to land on 173284 Eros in three years. The cryo-chamber was opened as I opened my eyes, and I was surrounded by six oddly-looking creatures. They look like a human, but with a large head and green fur covering their body. They seem like a hybrid of humans and The Grinch.

“Who are you?”

I startled. They spoke our language!

“Who are you?” I asked them back.

“Are you from Earth?”

“Yes.”

They helped me out of the chamber without answering my question.

“Who are you?” I asked again.

Still no answer.

I stood up carefully. The instruction says my feet will feel trembling after years of staying inside the cryo-chamber. To my surprise, I didn’t feel it at all. I stood up straight right after I came out of the chamber. It felt peculiar.

“Please follow me,” said one of them.

I slowly walked out of the spaceship and felt the soft grass touching my feet. Outside, I saw the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen, not even on Earth. There were two suns on top of my head, but they were not as bright as our sun. I am standing on a field, a beautifully landscaped field sprawl with lush vegetation.

Suddenly, I felt something soft brushing my right leg. I looked down and, to my surprise, I saw a pair of dodo birds walk past by. Yes, dodo birds. The bird went extinct in 1662.

“Look to your right,” one of the green creatures said.

I looked to my right, and, lo and behold, three northern white rhinos were eating the grass under the tree. On the tree branch, eight Spix macaws were chirping and enjoying the nice weather. Both of these species were declared extinct decades ago.

“We saved them.”

The green man pointed his finger to the tree. Two Spix macaws flew and landed on his hand.

“They were never extinct. We saved them.”

“What do you mean you saved them?”

“If you think your mission was started two days ago, you were wrong. They secretly started it in 2022. We were the first ones to be sent on that mission. We landed on this planet, found a source of water, then built an environment.”

“So you were here since 2022?”

“Yes. Six of us have been here since 2022.”

“But these animals were extinct way before that.”

“Once we built an environment, we went back to Earth and traveled back in time to save them.”

“Why did you do that?”

“Because they deserve it. They need to leave the planet filled with greedy people and live freely here.”

“Wait, so you are a human being?”

“Yes.”

“But what happened to your body? Also, what do you mean my mission was started two days ago? I was set to land here in three years.”

He smiled.

“They also told us that we will reach this place in three years. They don’t know that there’s a pinhole portal at the exosphere that will launch every object directly to this galaxy within seconds. It was so small, no one knew it existed but us, the only human beings that survived through it. Although...”

He paused.

“...it will change us forever.”

He sighed. His eyes are gazing towards the fields.

“It will mutate our DNA, transforming our body into a green alien with thick fur covering our body.”

“Why do the animals still look the same?”

“That… we still have to find the answer. We’ve been through years of research, but nothing has come up. At least, they are safe now. Save from the cruel human and their greediness. Thanks to that pinhole in the exosphere, we could travel back in time and save them.”

We walked further into the fields. An Araucarioxylon arizonicum tree stood tall on my left side as if it never left the Earth since millions of years ago. The tree towered as high as 60 meters and measured more than 60 centimeters. A group of Passenger Pigeons perched on its branches. Mass deforestation in North America took away their habitat. Millions of them died after their meat was commercialized as a portion of cheap food for the poor. In the early 20th century, they were officially extinct.

“One more thing.”

He looked at me and sighed. His eyes are staring deep into my soul.

“Whoever entered the pinhole will live forever.”

“That includes me?”

“Yes.”

“You are safe with us here. You are part of us now.”

“B-but… if you were mutated after you passed through the pinhole, why didn’t it happen to me? Nothing changed in me.”

He smiled and said, “It will happen slowly in a few days. Now, come with me. We have prepared a dinner for you.”

He grabbed my shoulder, then led me to a big hut on the side of the field.

***

Inside the hut, five green creatures gathered around a cauldron. Saliva drips down from their mouth. They haven’t tasted human flesh in a year. On the wall, there was an astronaut helmet. Inside it, a human skull belongs to an astronaut that landed last year.

I guess I will never leave.

Deaf and mute young Indonesian fashion designer Rafi Ridwan, who held first his show when only nine, now wants to help other disabled children

This article was published in the South China Morning Post, August 3, 2020.

Also appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as:

Young disabled designer’s plan to help children dealt a severe blow

Link to article

Rafi Ridwan became one of the youngest fashion designers ever in Indonesia at the age of nine when he held his first fashion show in collaboration with one of Indonesia’s most famous designers, Barli Asmara, in 2011.

He was all set to launch his latest project earlier this year – a fashion and culinary workshop for disabled children – but the now 18-year-old’s plans were scuppered when floods struck several parts of Indonesia in January, just a few days after he had returned from a fashion show he had held in the US state of Texas.

His home in Bekasi, a city on the eastern border of Jakarta, was submerged in waist-high water. Rafi and his family spent almost a week cleaning up their home, but the building where the workshop was to be held, close to his house, had almost sunk below ground.

“When we got in [our house] after the flood receded, everything was in disarray,” says Shinta Handayani, Rafi’s mother. “Metres of traditional fabrics we bought from all across Indonesia were destroyed. A computer was lying on the kitchen floor. The worst part was Rafi’s award certificates and media clippings were drowned in mud. It broke my heart to see my son trying to hold back his tears.”

Rafi’s certificates, sketchbooks, and other memorabilia, destroyed by the floods in Indonesia.

For Rafi, those items had marked his tough journey through thick and thin.

Rafi was born deaf and mute. One day, he asked his mother: “What is sound?” She explained to him that sound is just like colours: there are many variations, some bold, some soft. Rafi then started to apply intense, contrasting colours to his drawings.

“Then one day, he watched The Little Mermaid and asked, why Ariel doesn’t wear proper clothes?” Shinta says. “So, I told him to make some for her. He created sketches of dresses inspired by Ariel and that’s when his journey into fashion began.”

Rafi at Jakarta Fashion Week 2012.

Many sketches later, Shinta and her husband, Ridwan, decided to show Rafi the professional side of the fashion industry. They took him to fashion shows and met some famous Indonesian designers who shared their insights on the fashion world. His sketches drew Barli’s attention, who then asked him for a collaboration for his next fashion show. Rafi’s sketches became reality for the first time, in the form of beautiful dresses worn by models.

Only a few months after the show, Rafi showed his collection at Jakarta Fashion Week, gaining more attention from Indonesian and international media. In 2013, he was chosen by American TV host Tyra Banks to create a collection for an America’s Next Top Model photo shoot in Bali. “That was the most memorable moment from my journey as a fashion designer,” Rafi says.

Rafi and his mother Shinta (left) preparing for a fashion in El Paso, Texas.

It hasn’t all been glitz and glam, though, with Rafi often facing discrimination for his age and disability. “Some people thought his fame and achievement happened not because he’s talented, but only because he’s young and deaf,” Shinta says.

In 2014, for example, one of Rafi’s shows was scheduled to be the finale at one of the most prestigious fashion events in Jakarta. Before the event, however, officials swapped the line-up and gave the spot to a senior designer. They were worried that no one would come to a fashion show from a child designer, according to sources. But despite the schedule change, Rafi’s show still attracted the biggest audience of the event.

Undeterred by discrimination, Rafi has continued to build his career. Besides Jakarta, he has also showed his designs in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, Melbourne in Australia, and California and Texas in the US.

Having successfully built a fashion career from a very young age, Rafi wanted to share his knowledge and empower disabled children through his now on-hold workshop.

“We’re concerned about the fact that disabled children will have limited career options once they graduate from school,” Shinta says. “We’re trying to help them to learn new skills that are beneficial for their future.”

The workshop was supposed to be launched on Rafi’s 18th birthday this July, but after the flood, and the Covid-19 pandemic, the plan has been pushed back indefinitely.

“I feel wrecked, stressed out,” Rafi says. “Sometimes I think it’s a sign from God that this is the end of my career. I don’t know how to get the funds to rebuild the workshop. But I keep reminding myself how I worked hard since I was nine to reach my dream as a designer. It would be a waste if I quit.”

Despite the incident, he will continue to inspire more disabled children in Indonesia.

“No matter where we came from, no matter what disability we have, it’s important to work hard and reach our dream,” Rafi says. “So don’t be afraid to dream big.”

The Fashion Heroines

(This article was published in Female Magazine Indonesia, April 2015.

Link to the original article.)

They challenged the obstacles to contribute to Indonesia’s fashion industry. With limitless creativity, imagination, and sincerity, they became our very own fashion heroines. These are the story of Shinta Ayu Handayani, a loving mother who raised her deaf son to be the youngest fashion designer in Indonesia; Irna Mutiara, a fashion designer who mentors students in Kudus; and Julia Hadi, a designer who brought back memories through jewelry.

SHINTA AYU HANDAYANI: TEACHING SOUND THROUGH COLOURS

Having a child with special needs is not the end of the world, said Shinta Ayu Handayani, mother of Rafi Ridwan, the youngest fashion designer in Indonesia. When Shinta was pregnant with her child Rafi 12 years ago, she was infected with the Rubella virus in the first trimester of her pregnancy. Doctors gave her a choice to continue the pregnancy with the risk of having a disabled child or abort the baby. She only had three days to consider until she finally decided to continue the pregnancy. July 20, 2002, little Rafi was born with hearing and speech impairment. Even so, Shinta was grateful to know that the virus doesn’t affect his sight. “I was hoping that Rafi has healthy eyes so he can explore the world,” she said.

Rafi grew up to be an energetic and cheerful little boy until one day, he asked a question Shinta will never forget. “Mom, what does sound like?” asked Rafi with sign language. “It saddened me at first, but then I finally explain to him that sound is like colors; there’s plenty of them. Some are cheerful, some are dark,” said Shinta. Rafi’s introduction to fashion began with his obsession with watching The Little Mermaid. He then asked another question, why Ariel doesn’t wear any clothes? Shinta encouraged Rafi to create a clothing design for the mermaid princess. He took his colored pencils and started to draw costumes in all shapes and colors. Blends of bright colors and detailed prints became the identity of his design up to this day. For Rafi, colors seemed to be his voice through silence. It is how he communicates and expresses his feelings.

Rafi’s further introduction to the fashion industry continued when he was nine. He won the I Got Talent contest organized by the I-Hear Foundation, a foundation for children with hearing loss. Within the same year, Shinta invited Rafi to Jakarta Fashion and Food Festival. “He was very enthusiastic to meet famous designers. We spent the day taking pictures with them,” said this mother of three.

Indonesian celebrity designer Barli Asmara, heard about the young boy’s passion for fashion. He organized a trunk show as a debut for Rafi and invited his clientele. Although the show only features seven of Rafi’s designs, it helps him reach some prominent people in the business. It took a year for him to finally stand on the runway of Jakarta Fashion Week, in a fashion show created in collaboration with Nonita Respati from Purana Batik and Ariani Pradjasaputra from Aarti, an ethnic accessories brand.

It doesn’t stop there. Rafi was invited to showcase his designs in Kuala Lumpur and Melbourne. Even Tyra Banks chose him to design some outfits worn by the contestants of America’s Next Top Models cycle 20.

IRNA MUTIARA: FINDING TALENTS IN KUDUS

She is one of the most prominent Muslim fashion designers in Indonesia, but she doesn’t want to enjoy success all by herself. In collaboration with Djarum Bakti Pendidikan from Djarum Foundation, Irna Mutiara shared her knowledge through education programs for fashion students at SMK NU Banat Kudus, Central Java. In a dress-making class for high school students, Irna acted as a mentor for the teaching staff and assisted in improving their fashion curriculum in September 2014.

The fashion department of SMK NU Banat Kudus is equipped with new and upgraded tools and materials, including Optitex Fashion CAD, a software for fashion design and pattern making in 3D, which is also widely used by top designers in Indonesia. Irna, who has been a designer since 1996, revealed that she wants to find the next big talent by giving them adequate equipment. “We have a growing number in the fashion industry, especially in the Muslim fashion. We can develop so many things in the Muslim fashion business, creating new clothing, veils, and accessories. As long as they can understand the ins and outs of the process, they will improve,” she said.

Irna started her career after getting her degree in fashion major from the Institute of Teacher Training and Education (now Indonesia University of Education) at Bandung in 1990. She worked as a designer in garment companies, then built her fashion brand in 1996. In 2006, Irna founded Trimoda Uptodate Group, the home of Indonesian Muslim fashion label Up2date. A year later, she released Irna La Perle, a bridal line with modest bridal gowns mixed in Western-style.

Through the fashion education program in SMK NU Banat Kudus, Irna hoped for more new designers from Indonesia that will compete in the global fashion industry. “I believe, one day, there will be a talented designer from SMK NU Banat Kudus who represents Indonesia to compete in the global fashion industry,” said the designer, a member of the Indonesian Fashion Designers and Entrepreneurs Association (APPMI).

JULIA HADI: OLD JEWELRY, NEW TASTE

“I am not a jeweler. I am a jewelry designer and an artist,” said Julia, opening our conversation. “I started designing for 12 years, while the business itself has been going on for 26 years since I was in college.”

It started from helping her mother organizing social gatherings, where she often met some of her mother’s socialite best friends. “My passion for jewelry started since I was a child. I am used to seeing my mother wear jewelry every day. I also wear jewelry at school and I got reprimanded a lot."

Her love for jewelry has grown bigger than she developed a boutique located in the Menara Batavia office building in Jakarta that houses a collection of luxury jewelry. She sells jewelry that she designed herself, also provides custom design and reconstructing old jewelry. “I saw some friends who spent a great deal of money to buy jewelry to match their outfits or wear old jewelry from their grandmothers on their wedding day. I said, give me your jewelry, and I will make it shine like new.”

Julia also saw a rising trend of custom-made jewelry. She believes custom jewelry should be made based on the client’s character. “There are three important things when making custom jewelry: education, satisfaction, and pattern. Just like clothes, jewelry also has its pattern. An earring, for example, should be designed based on the user’s ear shape,” said Julia, who moved to the United States in 2010.

There is a reason why she decided to manage her business from her office, not shopping malls. She wants to spend more time with her children. “Many people told me to open a boutique at the mall, but then I will have to leave my children for hours, following the store’s operational hours,” she said.

Now that her children have grown up, she has more time to manage her business, but she still doesn’t want to expand her business by renting spaces in shopping malls. Her boutique stays in Menara Batavia, a 32-story building in Central Jakarta, facing the incredible views of Jakarta’s skyscrapers. “I love to enjoy the city view while working. It feels relaxing,” Julia said.

The Fashion Collectors

(This article was published in Female Magazine Indonesia, July 2015

Link to the original article.)

For some people, fashion is about how you adorn your look according to the latest trend. But for these connoisseurs, fashion is art, designed in highly aesthetic value, and should be taken care of for generations. Sandy Thema and his centuries-old heritage fabrics; Gendis Trihatmodjo and her ethnic accessories; and Bob McCubbing and his luxury watches share their experience hunting new items for their collections and keeping them for generations.

Sandy Thema: Heritage Fabrics from 18th Century

Visiting Pistos jewelry show a few days ago, there was something that caught my eyes. A ballroom in Dharmawangsa Hotel was adorned in traditional Indonesian fabrics consisting of batik and ikat in multiple colors and patterns. Most of it shines like new, but some of it already fade away. Turns out, some of these fabrics came from centuries ago. “In this exhibition, I brought out 130 traditional fabrics, out of more than 2,000 fabrics I collect for years,” said Sandy Thema, the owner of Pistos jewelry and also a traditional fabric aficionado. “I collect all kinds of traditional fabrics, such as woven, ikat, songket weaved in golden threads, batik, and many more. They came from all across Indonesia, from Sumatra, Java, Flores, Moluccas, to Papua.”

He is not the first generation of his family who collects antique fabrics; most of his collections came from his parents. “Their devotion to Indonesian culture was the reason why they started collecting fabrics. My parents already keeping their collections way before I was born; it was more than 30 years ago. Meanwhile, I just started four years ago,” he said. Out of more than 2,000 fabrics he owns, he couldn’t choose a favorite one. “Most of these are so hard to get because they came from hundreds of years ago, mostly from 18th to 19th century. But if I have to choose the highlight of this collection, I would choose these antique ikat clothes and an Iban skirt from the Dayak tribe. It has antique beads that decorate the whole look. I would also choose this batik Prada and songket fabrics that were made in golden threads,” he said.

For him, this is not just keeping the tradition in his family. Collecting heritage fabrics is also a way to learn the details and complicated process of making traditional garments. “I feel blessed. I feel so close to our ancestors. These handmade fabrics were made very delicate and had gone through months of dyeing in the natural coloring process to create a masterpiece. This is so rewarding to be able to enjoy the result,” he said.

Try This Hobby!

Sandy shared some tips and tricks for you who want to try collecting traditional fabrics.

• He never washes or dry-cleans his fabrics collection. For him, washing means rinsing away the history that comes with the fabrics. To maintain his collection, he will display it in the outdoor area, but not in direct sunlight as it could fade the color away. Repeat the process twice a month.
• Do not fold the fabrics, especially the ones with golden threads. Folding the fabric will break away the threads. For proper storage, use a medium-sized pipe, layer the pipe with clean fabric and sponge, layer the traditional fabric in oil paper on both sides, then roll it on the pipe.
• Store the fabrics inside a glass display in a room with 22-25 Celsius temperature. Put a few peppers inside the display to avoid insects and fleas that can damage the fabrics. Make sure to soak the pepper first, throw away the floating ones and use the ones sinking in the bottom. Dry it, then put it inside the display.
• Do proper research about collecting heritage fabrics. Start your hobby by getting materials that suit your budget, then you can expand it into something rare and exclusive.
• It takes patience in collecting heritage fabrics. No need to be hurry as it can bring harm in a lot of ways. You should also be patient in hunting for rare items and maintaining your collection.

Bob McCubbing: Limited Edition Luxury Watches

If diamonds are women’s best friend, men choose luxury watches as their best buddy in style. Not just keeping track of time, watches are also essential in complementing men’s fashion, said Bob McCubbing, a luxury watch enthusiast. “If I don’t wear a watch, I feel like naked. I love to match it with the clothes I wear, just like how a woman takes a while to find the perfect shoes to match their outfits,” he said. Bob, a Canadian diplomat who stays in Jakarta, collects almost 40 pieces of watches from all around the globe.

His passion for collecting luxury watches started when he was a little boy. “My father only had one watch, but I really love to observe the way it works, the complicated mechanism. I have this Bvlgari watch that was made only 1,000 pieces in the world, and it was the very first chronograph designed in carbon composite and rose gold,” he said.

The first watch he bought was also the most expensive among his collection, an IWC Portugieser Chronograph. “I like its versatile design; I can wear it on casual or formal occasions. I bought it in Hong Kong in 2002,” he said. This USD55,000 watch was designed with a moon phase display and doesn’t need a daily reset. For Bob, price doesn’t matter in choosing a perfect watch. Design, feature, and convenience are his priorities.

“My favorite watch is Rolex Milgauss that was originally made in the 1950s but re-released in 2011. This watch was designed by CERN scientists using an anti-radiation layer and green sapphire that is stronger than diamond,” said the man who has been living in Jakarta for three years. Unfortunately, this watch got in an accident while he was on a flight. The display was scratched and leaving a mark. Bob was curious about how it happened because only diamonds can scratch the green sapphire watch. “I can fix the scratch by polishing it, but if it’s gone, then the memory of it will also go,” he said.

This 36-year-old man admits he still wants to add his collection; therefore, he creates a bucket list of watches that he saves on his phone. Even though he’s open to any option, there are a few brands that he prefers the most. “I like Rolex. They have a subtle design but are very versatile and created in a high-quality process. I also like IWC. Many critics said their watches are too big, different than any other classic watches. The watch nerds call it ugly and tasteless, but I still like it.”

Try This Hobby!

If you want to start collecting luxury watches, here are some tips from Bob:

• Do research before deciding which watch you are going to buy. You can start by choosing based on your personal style, such as military, vintage, sporty, and many more. “Watches are not just fashion, do not follow the trend. If the trend is over, it will be useless for you to spend a lot of money to buy it. Also, don’t just buy it and store it for years. Why do you buy it if you don’t wear it?”
• Store your watches in its dedicated box separately so they won’t get scratched. Bob recommends using a watch rocker storage box to keep the stability of the mechanics.
• Bring your collection to their official store once a year to get cleaned. Bob also took all his collection to get complete repair and replacement for damaged components every four years. If you can’t find an official repair service in Jakarta, opt for a service in Singapore, even though the process can take months.

Gendis Trihatmodjo: Ethnic Accessories of Nusantara

Sandy is not the only one who collects traditional antique fabrics. Gendis Trihatmodjo has a fair share of obsession with Indonesian heritage fabrics and also ethnic accessories. Bangles, necklaces, jewelry boxes, even a hairpin made out of tortoiseshell can be found within her collection. The daughter of Bambang Trihatmodjo and Halimah Agustina Kamil decided to start this hobby after joining Wastraprema, an association of Indonesian traditional fabric enthusiasts, two years ago. Wastraprema is taken from Sanskrit, ‘wastra’ means fabric, and ‘prema’ means love. Growing up in a Javanese family, ethnic fabrics and accessories have been part of her life since she was born. “I collect fabrics from Padang, Java, Java Tiga Negeri, batik from Solo, Jogjakarta, and sequin woven garments. I purchased some of it, and there are also some items I obtained from my mother,” said Gendis, who’s also a classical Javanese dancer.

Among her collection, an earring and pendant designed in mamoli shape, a symbol of fertility from East Nusa Tenggara. Mamoli is the shape of the female uterus as a symbol of fertility and respect towards females. In the past, mamoli was made in gold, given by the Dutch colonials to the king of the allies. Gold is considered the center of Marapu, a local religion that originated from Sumba island. Not only mamoli, but Gendis also adores other accessories from East Nusa Tenggara. “My favorite is this hairpin made of tortoiseshell; I can use it as a hair comb too. For fabrics, I like Nitik batik. I saw it while visiting Solo. It is made in a highly skilled process,” she said.

As a National Foster Parent Movement (GN-OTA), Gendis often traveled to other regions in the country. “While going out of town, I always find some time to hunt for fabrics and accessories from local artisans. I don’t have any criteria; it all depends on my mood. If I like it, I’ll buy it. Quality is also a priority,” she said. “I also love haggling; this is one of my favorite parts of shopping. If we’re good at haggling, we can get anything we want. We can also learn the making process.”

Try This Hobby!

What should you do to collect ethnic fabrics and accessories? Here are some insights from Gendis:

• Maintain carefully. Regularly wipe the dust off jewelry and accessories, do not put in a wet room to prevent mold, and avoid high temperature so it won’t get sticky. Naturally dry fabrics in the outdoor area to prevent dust. For Javanese textiles, use ratus fragrance. Hang the materials, then burn ratus aromatherapy underneath. Do it once a year.
• Bazaar and exhibitions are the perfect places to hunt for new fabrics. You can meet local artisans, fabrics suppliers, and ethnic jewelers. You can also get special prices and limited collection items.
• Haggling is acceptable, as long as you don’t do it too much.