H.O.B. MAGAZINE: My Kalimas

Life in an ocean – something man was not been created for.
When man finally realized it, he creates ship.

Text and photo by Alexander Pototskiy
Published in Jawa Pos(Surabaya, Indonesia)

WHEN DREAM COME TRUE

Being a young boy I kept staring at ships coming from all over the world to the place people called Zolotoy Rog (Golden Horn) harbor which in Russian city - Vladivostok.
Long time past since then, the world has changed and I am not a little boy anymore. Perhaps, one thing is still same – it is me staring at the ships again, but in a place people called ‘Kalimas*’ which is thousands and thousands miles away from my city. If say honestly, it is such an incredibly amazing feeling to know that it is enough for you just to step on board on the right ship and you can go to any part of Indonesia that you ever dreams of or ever read in a book. Right now you are here in the all-time crowded Surabaya, but then you enter Kalimas and after few days you can be on your way to Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Flores, Moluccas or even far away land of Papua. It will not be another boring trip inside a plane instead it will be a great journey of your whole life. It will be full of adventures and romances when you need to went through the endless ocean to the land which one you never step on before.
When I first arrived in Kalimas, I was sure that after few days I will leave for Papua on board of cargo ship but I was wrong thinking that and somehow later on Kalimas became my home for almost two weeks. When I settle down in harbor I have found friends, neighbors, ‘works’ to do and something for passing time. These things are priceless and I can never even imagine that Kalimas able to give me so much.

WHEN THE DAY IS STARTS…

…terrible smell makes you to cover up your nose, the heat which is common for Surabaya kept bothering you, annoying noises that constantly distract you and the fear of falling down into the deep water when you use unstable bridge between ships (I have lose two pairs of slipper and few pieces of note). But at the end of the day, I have got used to it. Then again, without these things, Kalimas will be not Kalimas anymore. So, people should just accept the way it is here.
When you are new in the harbor, you see only common daily activities in front of you - trucks come and go, ships load and unload, people sell and buy and local patrol rarely pay a visit. Later you started to see more… Everything in Kalimas fall asleep before the moon shows on sky and wake up with first light of sun. Through day and night, there is one thing never having the luxury to take a rest even for a while and that is Information Traffic. While staying in the harbor, I know that today a ship named INTY* will leave for Ambon before midnight, Valentine staying with broken engine not far away from Madura, there is a storm near South Sulawesi, patrol catches one person working on ship without documents and the captain being fined for 15.000.000 rupiah, Bintang Samudera 2 has not been repaired yet, the owner of Wulandari has been changed and the crew are now waiting for new order and etc. How can I know all that?
These information flows in and out 24 hours a day and finally it will get you even you will not ask anyone.
All and all, everything here is about the ships or the connection within them.

WHEN SHIPS ARE WAITING

It happens quite often in Kalimas. Ship waits for loading or repair to finish, for captain or mechanic to come back, for orders from owner or papers from Syahbandar to be sign. It can be hundreds of reason but on another hand it is a precious time for you to spend on board and searching for information that you need. The ship with color of ocean wave, color of cold metal or color of dark stone staying in silence without a move and waiting for you to come while crews wondering around with their own passing time activities. Usually no one mind to treat you as a guest because there are not many things to keep them occupy in day time. Modern commercial vessels can be rather not as interesting as these small wooden ships mainly because of its structural design. Besides, pearls of Kalimas are unique old boats from Sulawesi which are still use canvas in open sea. Pinisi, how they called it, refuse modern world marine revolution in ways to preserve their 100 years old sailing traditions. Such cruise can be rather dangerous, but crews are well-experienced who know how to win a challenge with the weather. With this, they are well-deserved to be respected.
Sometimes when people in Kalimas ask you, “Where are you from?” They did not mean the country of origin you are from but which ship you came from. I was from Wulandari – a small wooden boat with colors of 70s on it. That is why I give it a nickname – ‘Disco Ship’. The person in charge here is a huge Papuan named Anton. He is most friendly human being in harbor I met. I spend my night on board of Wulandari, but I could not sleep at crews’ cabin because roof is just 1 meter above floor and not so much fresh air ventilated. I choose to be behind the deck with my sleeping bag.
I usually have my breakfast, lunch and dinner in crews kitchen on board of Bintang Samudera 2. What we eat mostly - rice and fish. Simple food, but your stomach still can bear with it even though you will feel sick in this open ocean.
Someone said to me “time is not money in Indonesia”. I agree with him, he was right because no one would know when the ship will leave. Captain may say the ship may leave after few days but in fact it turned out to be the ship is still in waiting even after few weeks.

WHEN PEOPLE ARE SMILING

People in Kalimas have bad reputations. It is not a secret for anyone. They are labeled as cruel and dangerous. They are regards as ‘bad’ or ‘dark’ but there are all wrong. I came to the harbor and I do not sense any cruelty or danger. I see friendly human beings and hundreds of smile. They not just smile to you but also greet you. These people have one same love which they share between each other and this love is the blue ocean. Only sailors can truly appreciate its glorious beauty and no doubt there are the true sailors as well.
I personally think that we have wrong understanding about them because most of us did not realize that they are not cruel or rude. It is their specific profession as it demands braveness and coldness. They are not given much option and with that it leave scars on their personality.
Staying two weeks in the harbor I had incident only once. It was a late evening when one drunk Papuan come to me and he said in serious tone: “Lets fight!” But somehow later on we became friends.
People in Kalimas mostly are sailors from different parts of Indonesia. They bring together different backgrounds, cultures and atmospheres to this harbor. Apart from that, they bring in some sense of isolation. Kalimas –part of Surabaya, but crews very rarely allowed to leave the ship and enter the city. This explained the reason why not so much of Surabaya’s life flow into Kalimas. The truth is that the harbor separated from the city by invisible walls, but no one seems to be mind.

EPILOGUE

Finally I catch a ship to Papua when nobody would believe I can ever do it. It was a huge vessel Global Samudera owned by company SPIL. We embarked the nine-day journey from 16 of October and it too started my journey where I taste hard and happy moments of being in an open ocean. We disappear in its blue universe without any regrets. These are the nine great days of my life which can never be erased.
But it was not the end. My luck brings me to Singaporean photographer Zhuang Wubin who hold exhibition in Surabaya. I join his workshop where I need to take pictures of harbor. Subsequent to that was a project presentation in French Consulate. There were four other participants as well. Wubin gave my works a name and it sounded like...

...MY KALIMAS