The Beauty of Cisayong

“How great was the power of God Almighty that He was able to destine Ecky  from Cisayong, Indonesia, with Sam who came all the way from Australia to meet and spend the rest of their lives together as husband and wife.”

It was what the MC of Sam and Ecky’s wedding had said before they got officially married, and I agreed wholeheartedly. Looking at Cisayong and all its terrace padi fields, the fish ponds and the small roads where some parts were not even touched by electricity, I couldn’t help but think whether it had ever crossed the mind of Ecky’s mother – who had spent her life in the very village that I was standing in – that  her daughter would end up marrying someone from a country that is a thousand miles away from Indonesia.

And that was where I was, last Saturday. When I received the invitation to Ecky’s wedding in Tasikmalaya, without hesitation, I’d already decided that I wanted to go. I had never been to Tasikmalaya, and I was in desperate need of a holiday too.

I’d known Ecky from her blog, which has its unique name that already indicated where she came from.  Working in an advertising agency made her postings fun and thoughtful to read. She always kept things light and easy to read, which was why I decided to keep her blog in my regular to-read list. It was also a surprise to know that she was in fact best friends with Anita McKay whose blog I’d started to read during the same time that I’d started reading Ecky’s.

So off I went, with my fiancé who had kindly volunteered to drive – the whole five hours drive from Bekasi to Tasikmalaya via Bandung, to and fro! – as well as Parvita, who I bet must be keen to take some interesting photographs. Toni and Elyani were also coming, because they were the official photographers who were appointed to capture every special moment of the whole wedding process.

Since Ecky’s wedding was a traditional one where the bride and groom must go through cultural rituals and such, it was an interesting process to watch. I was there during the Ngeyeuk Sereh, a ceremony being held the night before the wedding where the bride and groom were given sex education through symbolism using Indonesian spices and fruits.  Before that, there was also Siraman which I missed because while the ceremony was being held, we were still on our way to Tasik. You can read more about the whole ceremonial process in Parvita’s blog, because she explained it much better than I do.

What I thought was very sensational was the wedding day itself. There were dances and parodies to begin with, and then more dancing to follow after Sam and Ecky had been officially pronounced as a married couple. Ecky looked her most beautiful, even though I could imagine how tired she must be after the whole day and night process, she was an all-smiling bride who couldn’t hide her happiness. It was then that I saw how Sam must be captured by a real Indonesian beauty. Even underneath all that heavy make-up, Ecky’s natural beauty shone right through.

Those who are close with Ecky must already know that she is very proud of her hometown. And it was some place to  be proud of – I could see how people might be very well taken by its simplicity. Even at one point Parvita made a joke that you would never find a thug who originated from Tasikmalaya because in this place, they already had everything they wanted; good food, good climate, courteous people and a quiet life to enjoy – what more could you ask? It was what people who slaved themselves earning their living in the city of Jakarta would dream of escaping to.

If only what I wrote here could capture the essence of Ecky’s wedding, but I guess we all just have to wait for the result of Toni and Elyani’s shots – the photographer duo who worked their magic fingers in capturing all those special moments and what made Cisayong a special day that day.

Right now, let’s all wish Sam and Ecky a beautiful and happy married life to look forward to, may those smiles will always be shown wherever they are, and whatever they do. Congratulations!

Photos are courtesy of Ralph Walker (first photograph) and Toni Wahid (second photograph).