It never really occurs to me to have gardening as a hobby. It crossed my mind slightly after I watched Si Unyil years back, when Pak Raden or whomsoever started Apotik Hidup. I thought it’s kinda cool to plant plants that have medication/remedy effect. But I never really plant anything since then.
I didn’t take much thought about gardening. Not until I stayed in Bali. I saw men have startling passion about plants. They even exchange plants among them! I know women go to their neighbor to share their cookies, and in return they have another cookies from the neighbor. It’s a common practice among women. I noticed men, if they happen to go to their neighbor/friend house, they end up bringing home plants from their friends’ collection. And in returns, they give their collection. Let me make this clear: we’re talking about man here…
Okay, before it’s going to be a discussion about gender… I only want to tell you that I was a bit surprised knowing men have such passion about gardening.
Back in Bali, I was a little upset when one of my colleagues, who was supposed to pick me up from the office, came late because he had to shower his plants first. Annoyed, I snorted that he could ask his sister or mother to do it. And he said it’s his job, and those were his plants. So he had to do it himself.
One day I noticed one of a man in the office (still in Bali) once surfed the net. And it was the Adenium website. And he was so stunned with the pictures of all pretty colorful adenium (until that moment, I didn’t know that flower’s name). He even screamed excitingly over a purple-centered pink-circled adenium with “Ihhh gemesssss warnanya..”
Hadn’t I known him, I would have thought he was a gay.
“Don’t you like flower?” he asked
“Yeah… I just like looking at it, not fancy nourish it or anything….”
“How come..? he added
Then without realizing it, I stayed with him browsing other sites: euphorbia, crysantenum, anthurium...
Back in Jakarta I didn’t have much encounter with flower world. Until one day, on the nice cool evening after office hour, my friend, a guy, asked me to walk from jalan irian menteng to diponegoro instead of taking the bus in front of sarinah. I thought its kinda nice for a change. I bet not many Jakartans, especially the yuppies, have ever enjoyed the evening walking. So we walked side by side, with his eyes wander from house to house. When I asked what he was looking at, he said he was looking at the trees and plants in the houses we passed. Then he started telling me that he’s now fancy gardening. Jaw dropping, I listened attentively while he enthusiastically explained about the kind of plants he liked best, his new collection and… most of all.. how he GOT them!!
I didn’t take much thought about gardening. Not until I stayed in Bali. I saw men have startling passion about plants. They even exchange plants among them! I know women go to their neighbor to share their cookies, and in return they have another cookies from the neighbor. It’s a common practice among women. I noticed men, if they happen to go to their neighbor/friend house, they end up bringing home plants from their friends’ collection. And in returns, they give their collection. Let me make this clear: we’re talking about man here…
Okay, before it’s going to be a discussion about gender… I only want to tell you that I was a bit surprised knowing men have such passion about gardening.
Back in Bali, I was a little upset when one of my colleagues, who was supposed to pick me up from the office, came late because he had to shower his plants first. Annoyed, I snorted that he could ask his sister or mother to do it. And he said it’s his job, and those were his plants. So he had to do it himself.
One day I noticed one of a man in the office (still in Bali) once surfed the net. And it was the Adenium website. And he was so stunned with the pictures of all pretty colorful adenium (until that moment, I didn’t know that flower’s name). He even screamed excitingly over a purple-centered pink-circled adenium with “Ihhh gemesssss warnanya..”
Hadn’t I known him, I would have thought he was a gay.
“Don’t you like flower?” he asked
“Yeah… I just like looking at it, not fancy nourish it or anything….”
“How come..? he added
Then without realizing it, I stayed with him browsing other sites: euphorbia, crysantenum, anthurium...
Back in Jakarta I didn’t have much encounter with flower world. Until one day, on the nice cool evening after office hour, my friend, a guy, asked me to walk from jalan irian menteng to diponegoro instead of taking the bus in front of sarinah. I thought its kinda nice for a change. I bet not many Jakartans, especially the yuppies, have ever enjoyed the evening walking. So we walked side by side, with his eyes wander from house to house. When I asked what he was looking at, he said he was looking at the trees and plants in the houses we passed. Then he started telling me that he’s now fancy gardening. Jaw dropping, I listened attentively while he enthusiastically explained about the kind of plants he liked best, his new collection and… most of all.. how he GOT them!!
“I saw a plant I like around this neighborhood. Wait… there it is!” he said
“What so special about it? You can find it everywhere..” I said over a large green leaves with ivory dot scattered in the middle. Later on I was told the name was Dieffenbachia “No.. it’s not the same. See the pattern of the dot.. it’s not the same with what we often find.”
“Really?”
“Yeah… hey listen! I’ve been longing to take this plant. I don’t think the owner would miss it. Beside, he has some collection like this. I just take the smallest one. Will you cover for me?”
“WHATTT?”
We were in front of the big house in Menteng area, where mostly they have SECURITY officer!
“Just relax. We talk casually, pointing at the plant as if we discussing something, and just grab it. Done!” , by the time he finished his word, the plant is already on his hand.
“Do you happen to have plastic bag?” he said calmly.
Still jaw dropping, I rummaged inside my bag try to find some kind of bag. Found a bread bag and handed it to him.
“Will you do it quick and let’s get out of here!”, I said.
“Relax…”
We went on walking to the bus station, but dropped by in the Menteng Park. He explained many things about plants and flowers in the park. Offered me some plant that I might like, that he would gladly tug it for me. Isn’t it romantic? Walking down the park during sunset and get a gift of stolen flower right through the akar from a man who stole it in front your very eyes!!
“No, thanks…” I said with wry smile.
Anyway, he then told me about his new hobby. About his effort with the villagers to get their collection. About his spy work in some residence to search certain variety. About his stealing collections. About the different sensation he got after stealing certain plant. …
Man! I thought gardening is the safest-most harmless-most peaceful hobby in the world!
I mean, you wont die or get hurt because of gardening… right?
it’s not like you get decompression while you go on diving, or broken bone like when you go on horse riding…
The worst thing that could happen with gardening is you get some scratch from the rose thorn…
It never occurred to me being beaten up by furious crowd because you were caught in the act stealing some plant.. only because your gardening hobby!!
Ih, mati kutu!
Mati gaya pula…
“What so special about it? You can find it everywhere..” I said over a large green leaves with ivory dot scattered in the middle. Later on I was told the name was Dieffenbachia “No.. it’s not the same. See the pattern of the dot.. it’s not the same with what we often find.”
“Really?”
“Yeah… hey listen! I’ve been longing to take this plant. I don’t think the owner would miss it. Beside, he has some collection like this. I just take the smallest one. Will you cover for me?”
“WHATTT?”
We were in front of the big house in Menteng area, where mostly they have SECURITY officer!
“Just relax. We talk casually, pointing at the plant as if we discussing something, and just grab it. Done!” , by the time he finished his word, the plant is already on his hand.
“Do you happen to have plastic bag?” he said calmly.
Still jaw dropping, I rummaged inside my bag try to find some kind of bag. Found a bread bag and handed it to him.
“Will you do it quick and let’s get out of here!”, I said.
“Relax…”
We went on walking to the bus station, but dropped by in the Menteng Park. He explained many things about plants and flowers in the park. Offered me some plant that I might like, that he would gladly tug it for me. Isn’t it romantic? Walking down the park during sunset and get a gift of stolen flower right through the akar from a man who stole it in front your very eyes!!
“No, thanks…” I said with wry smile.
Anyway, he then told me about his new hobby. About his effort with the villagers to get their collection. About his spy work in some residence to search certain variety. About his stealing collections. About the different sensation he got after stealing certain plant. …
Man! I thought gardening is the safest-most harmless-most peaceful hobby in the world!
I mean, you wont die or get hurt because of gardening… right?
it’s not like you get decompression while you go on diving, or broken bone like when you go on horse riding…
The worst thing that could happen with gardening is you get some scratch from the rose thorn…
It never occurred to me being beaten up by furious crowd because you were caught in the act stealing some plant.. only because your gardening hobby!!
Ih, mati kutu!
Mati gaya pula…
1 comment:
"I thought gardening is the safest-most harmless-most peaceful hobby in the world!"
wakkakkaakkk
nath
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