Lima Warung
By: Bp Noeringtyas
Tags: Covid 19, Distributing, Helping Others, Economic Inequality, Allegory

Lima Warung

“Rombong Ijo” — writer’s private document

Tonight, I am in a dilemma to decide what I will eat for dinner. In precise, in all occasions, I am having difficulty deciding what, where and why I should eat either for breakfast or lunch (lol, I am becoming a person with a multilevel decision making process for deciding whether a particle would give my cells alive). Since I have been moving to my dorm a year ago, I have surrounded by many kinds of food stalls with Indonesian styles, from Pedagang Kaki Lima (food stalls in the street) until a mini warteg (abbreviation of ‘warung tegal’ — popularized by Tegal, a city in Central Java, people when they wandered). For me, the best food is the big portion with the cheapest price I should pay, and I have five options to go for fulfilling my tummy.

First, Rombong Ijo — Food stall with Green paint (‘Rombong’ (javanese) means cart and ‘Ijo’ (javanese) means Green). I don’t know exactly the name of the stall, the seller never told me, and I randomly call it by the color seen. They sell fried chicken with no flour, chicken’s liver and chicken gizzard, tahu-tempe, and fried egg. They added sambal for the side sauce. Several people ordered Fried Cabbage to enrich the taste as side vegetables — not so healthy but tasty. I usually only pay on average of Rp15,000 per food with white rice.

The seller comes from Klaten, Central Java, and we are always on our Javanese dialogue for just paying back our missing in my daily conversation before I am moving. Her husband has a profession as a mass cab driver that attained low income on a daily basis. On the day, the seller has accompanied her “sister-to-be” (In Indonesia it is common, when you are wandering and meeting with someone who perhaps came from the closest area where you used to, they tend to be the closest person, without consanguinity). They are very kind people to me.

Second, Warung Prasmanan di jalan menuju Pasar — Small buffet stall on the side of Market alley. This place is quite busy at lunch time. I usually must be in a queue to get mine. All food sold in this place is many; chicken, egg, stirred vegetables, tahu-tempe, and so on. The seller is one family. I saw the seller’s father, mother, and aunties. Starts in the morning until lunch is the peak hours for them for preparing dishes. Based on my experience, the price depends on how many you take dishes and who serves you. When you are served by the seller, the price, for a standard lunch; white rice, two dishes, and veggies, you must pay not much more than Rp12,000 per plate. Conversely, when you are served by her father, you will pay more than Rp15,000 for standard dishes.

Third, Warung LA Pak Imam — “LA” is commonly abbreviated as Lamongan, a small city in East Java who well-known as Soto Ayam Lamongan — Yellow Chicken Soup. The seller is a family originated from Lamongan. They have two stalls near my dormitory. I always practise my javanese in here too. The price is all about Rp13,000-Rp15,000 (for standard menu) depending on what dish you eat.

Fourth, Nasi Goreng Pak “Tegal” — Fried rice who seller comes from Tegal. Based on its name, the only dish he sells is fried rice and his friends; fried and soup of noodles. The price is about Rp13,000 for a plate full of fried rice with chicken slices, stirred egg, and meatball slices.

Fifth, Bu Lina Baru — New Mrs. Lina. The stall is near with big roads and written Lina Baru surrounded the stall. She sells a lot of food, but my favorite is fried fish. It is the only place which sells fried fish all the time that I can easily reach by walking. If you eat a fish with a tahu, it will cost approximately Rp20,000 per plate.

With at least those five alternatives, I must make a wise decision to spend my money regarding the tight budget I have. Further, I have to be smart to choose which food will give me better nutrition than others. Then, I decide to buy them all, proportionally in a several specific days and time, following my appetite yet still seems fair (read: prices and nutrition).

The message

As a student who has been facilitated by the most prestigious scholarship donor, I feel safe, mainly my financial things. It makes me have such power in the Econ class known as “Purchasing Power” that everybody as an economy agent has, calculated in PPP (Purchasing Power Parity). Unfortunately, not all people have the same power. Amid the pandemics, when all economic activities have ruined, people with the fragile purchasing power become lesser and find impasse. It evokes and encourages a new obligation for me either as human moreover as scholarship holder; redistributing function.

I obliged to keep my surrounded, my little circle to strive and get through the hardest day by buying what they sell. It is not big either, but I think if we could do it as mass action, all will be helped. I realize my act towards Go Food and Grab Food cash back and discounted items not always heading to happiness, now I am trying to control it. I am doing a simple “cost vs benefit analysis” in my every activity and I am being contented.

Is that towards to happiness? I do not know, I am feeling good, and I thought it is enough.