Pondok Kelompang Gubuk

Pondok Kelompang Gubuk was a pre-war house situated at 35, Upper Weld Road. It was the first home in Singapore for most of the Boyanese who originated from the village Kelompang Gubuk in Bawean Island. This Pondok was able to house up to about 20 families at a time.

(The main enterance of Pondok Kelompang Gubuk - 1980s)

During the years before the 1970s, there were many visitors from Bawean who came to this Pondok to stay during their visit in Singapore. There were also many Boyanese sailors who rested at this Pondok for few days before sailing off to other destinations. These sea-men normally would bring news to the residents of this Pondok about their relatives living in Kelompang Gubuk village in Bawean island. They also acted like middle-man, transporting gifts from relatives in Bawean and vice-versa.

(The main enterance of Pondok Kelompang Gubuk - late 1950s)

Gradually, the number of visitors from Bawean Island decreases as time goes by. By the time it reached the 1990s, there was not even one around. The Pondok is now no longer in existence. My maternal aunt and her family was the last to move out from it in the late 1990s, before the premises along the whole stretch of Upper Weld Road were taken over by the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore (URA) for re-development of the Jalan Besar area.

My Maternal Grandparents

Life in a distant land away from the village atmosphere of Bawean was not easy for my maternal grandparents. Together they faced the roller coaster of life against all odds during the British Colony in the Malay Peninsula. They also experienced the terror of the Japanese occupation in Malaya, witnessed Malaysia's independence, the separation of Singapore from Malaysia, the racial riot in 1964 and finally Singapore's independence on 9th Aug 1965.

(My maternal Grandma was doing her marketing at the old Tekka market of the 70s. Her image was captured by a photographer for the 'Singapore this Week' magazine.)

Even though my maternal grandparents' marriage was an arranged one, they had a wonderful life together. They were happily married and blessed with eight children. The eldest child was born in Ipoh, the second, third and fourth in Johor Baru while the last four were born in Singapore. They lived in Pondok Kelompang Gubuk at Upper Weld Road and became a prominent couple among the Boyanese in Singapore. My maternal grandfather was well respected for his honesty, trustworthiness, kindness, sincerity, and bravery. He had a remarkably outstanding personality and was born a leader. Due to these qualities in him, he was elected by the Kelompang Gubuk residents to be a Pak Lurah, the Head of the Pondok.

(My maternal Grandfather, Hj.Siddik bin Ismail, also known as Hj. Ali - in his sixties )

According to my maternal grandma, my maternal grandfather was a responsible husband to his wife and loving father to his children. He was a pious man who disciplined his children well. On the other hand, according to my maternal grandfather, my maternal grandma was a very kind soul who cared her family very well.

(My Grandmother, Hjh Ramlah Binte Morsidi, as a young grandma)

My maternal grandparents grew old together gracefully. My maternal grandfather passed away due to old age on 5th November 1981 at the age of 72, while my maternal grandmother passed away five years later on 1st December 1986. They never returned to Bawean after they first left the island.

My Roots

(Photo in Bawean island taken in the early 1960s. The second man from the left was my grand-uncle, the youngest brother of my maternal grandma.)

The Boyanese or Baweanese are virtually Muslims. Hence, their customs and traditions are those influence by Islam. Previously, stretching back as far as in the 1950s, it was still the culture of the Bawean people in the Bawean Island, to get married at a very young age.

(My relatives in Bawean island in the early 1960s. The old women in the photo was my father's paternal aunty, the elder sister of my paternal grandfather. )

Once a girl regardless of her age, experienced menses, according to Islam, she had attained the age of puberty. Thus, she is no longer considered a girl but a young lady ready to be married off by her parents. That was exactly happened to my maternal grandmother. She married at a tender age of 10 to my maternal grandfather who was then about 10 years her senior. This happened somewhere around the 1930s.

(My grandparents on board a vessel performing Haj Pilgrimage in 1960s)

After marriage, my maternal grandparents lived in their own home in Bawean. My granddad was of a noble birth. He came from a generation line of wealthy family that owned huge lands in the Bawean Island. Due to some misunderstanding on the distribution of estate left by his deceased father, my maternal granddad decided to leave the island for good to a distant land in the Malay Peninsula to build a new life. He settled in Ipoh for few years before living in Johor Baru and finally migrated to Singapore in the 1950s.

(My maternal grandparents on board the ship to Makkah )

My Heritage

Baby Endah

I am a Singaporean by nationality. By race, I am a Boyanese, an Indonesian ethnic group. My father was born in Bawean, one of the many small Indonesian's islands situated in the Java Sea. When my father was about two years old, his family migrated to Singapore.

My father (on the right) was 15 years old

On the other hand, my mother, a Boyanese descent like me, was born in Johor Baru. Her family migrated to Singapore when she was about eight years old. The family of my parents was from the village Kelompang Gubuk in Bawean island. They lived in Singapore at the same Pondok named Kelompang Gubuk. This happened during the British colonial days.

My mother in her teens

My parents grew up in the same vicinity. They were friends during childhood and got married during the later part of their teenage lives. They were blessed with six children. I am their second child.

My beloved parents

My parents had a wonderful marriage life. They made a perfect couple meant for each other. According to me their marriage was heavenly sent and I had a splendid childhood life. However, the happiness was not meant to last. I became orphan before I could repay my father's kindness in bringing me into this world. My mother continued to raise her children, taking the duties of both father and mother.

My mum as a young widow doing tailoring work to earn some income

On this coming 6th February, is the date my father passed away. My mother has been a widow ever since his death in 1982. My father was her only and true love that could not be replaced by any other man.

My siblings and I - we were once orphans

Introduction In Bahasa

Jawa Timur adalah sebuah provinsi di bagian timur Pulau Jawa, Indonesia. Ibukotanya adalah Surabaya. Luas wilayahnya 47.922 km², dan jumlah penduduknya 37.070.731 jiwa (2005). Jawa Timur merupakan provinsi terluas diantara 6 provinsi di Pulau Jawa, dan memiliki jumlah penduduk terbanyak kedua di Indonesia setelah Jawa Barat. Selanjutnya >>

East Java

East Java (Indonesian: Jawa Timur) is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the eastern part of the island of Java and also includes neighboring Madura and Bawean islands. The administrative center of the province is located in Surabaya, the second largest city in Indonesia and a major industrial center and port.

According to the 2000 census, East Java has 34 million inhabitants, second only to West JavaChinese, Indians, and Arabs. In addition to the national language, Indonesian, they also speak Javanese. Javanese spoken in the western part of East Java is indistinguishable from the one spoken in nearby Central Java, with its hierarchy of high, medium, and low speeches. But in the eastern cities of Surabaya, Malang, and surrounding areas, the people speak a more egalitarian version of Javanese, with much less regard for hierarchy and a richer vocabulary for vulgarity. among Indonesian provinces. The inhabitants consist of mostly Javanese. Native minorities include migrants from nearby Madura, and distinct Javanese ethnicities such as the Tengger people in Bromo, the Samin and the Osing people in Banyuwangi.

While Madurese is spoken by around 15 millions of Madurese, concentrated in Madura Island, Kangean Islands, Masalembu Islands, Eastern part of East Java, and East Java main cities.

The major religion in East Java is Islam. This comes from earlier history, when Islam spread from northern cities in Java where many traders from Gujarat, India visited, bringing Islam. The eastern part of East Java, from Surabaya to Pasuruan, then following various cities along the coast line, and turning back in Banyuwangi to Jember, is well known as the "horseshoe area" in context with earlier Muslim communities living there.

As a big area, East Java has several tourist object locations which is described as follows :

Sedudo is a waterfall and tourist object which located in Desa Ngliman Kecamatan Sawahan, Sub-Province Nganjuk, East Java. The distance around 30 kms southward capital of regency Nganjuk. Stays at height of 1.438 metre dpl, height of this waterfall around 105 metre. Place of this wisata has good facility, and transportation line which is easy to be accessed. Local public still trusting, indium waterfall haves the power of supra natural. This tourist location which is crowded in nature is visited by the people in Suro ( Calendar Of Java). It is said the myth since era Majapahit, in that is believe to brings ageless benediction for everyone taking a bath in the waterfall. Every Year Java Has just, waterfall Sedudo utilized for ceremony ritual, that is bathing arca in ceremony Parna Prahista, which then rest of its(the water sprinkling for family to get benediction of safety and ageless. Until now the side of Permkab Nganjuk routinely executes event of ritual Mandi Sedudo every date of 1 Suro.

Ngerong is a cave and place of wisata in Kecamatan Rengel, Tuban, East Java. In the place visitors can see thousands of fish in river which the water is very limpid. Usually the visitors gives kapok seed randu into river to the fishs floats for scrambling of food. Because its water, most of member around the place also exploits it as place of bath and cleans.



Grape is name a place of wisata forest in Kabupaten Madiun, East Java, Indonesia. This recreational park resides in teak;core forest edge which is region KPH Madiunhektar. The facility in this wisata garden among others is place of jackstraws, and auditorium for place of meeting with broadly area around 1,5




Bromo is a mountain which still active and most famous as tourist object in East Java. This is the famous tourist objek in East Java. As a tourist object, Mount Bromo becomes a great view because its status as volcano which still active. Bromo having height of 2.392 metre above the sea level stays in four regions, namely Kabupaten Probolinggo, Pasuruan, Lumajang, and Kabupaten Malang. Form of interdependent Gunung Bromo body between dales and ngarai with kaldera or sand ocean with a width of around 10 kilometre square. Mount Bromo has a cauldron with diameter ± 800 metre ( utara-selatan) and ± 600 metre ( timur-barat). While its radian with radius 4 km from center cauldron Bromo.

According to a local folk tale, at the end of the 15th century princess Roro Anteng from the Majapahit Empire started a separate principality together with her husband Joko Seger. They named it Tengger by the last syllables of their names. The principality did prosper, but the ruling couple failed to conceive children. In their despair they climbed Mount Bromo to pray to the gods, who granted them help, but requested the last child to be sacrificed to the gods. They had 24 children, and when the 25th and last child Kesuma was born Roro Anteng refused to do the sacrifice as promised. The gods then threatened with fire and brimstone, until she finally did the sacrifice. After the child was thrown into the crater, the voice of the child ordered the local people to perform an annual ceremony on the volcano, which is not held today.

Notes : It's a fairly easy 3-km hike from Cemoro Lawang to the foot of Mount Bromo. Alternatively, you can hire a pony to do the drudge work for you, or have it even easier and do the trip by jeep. Private cars are not allowed inside the caldera. You can join the jeep package at Rp40.000 per person at the Probolinggo entrance office. On the next morning 4am, the jeep departs from hotel to catch the sunrise at Mount Batok (costs Rp40.000 per person for entering the compound). After the sunrise, go down to Mount bromo. You can hire a horse (Rp50.000) to bring you up and then You walk thru the last stair-case to reach the top of Mount Bromo.


Jatim Park is a place of recreation and learning garden which is located in Kota Batu, East Java. This tourist object stays around 20 kms westside Kota Malang, and now becomes one of icon of East Java. This tourist object has 36 meanses, between of giant swimming pool ( with reasoning of statue Ken Dedes, Ken Arok, and Mpu Gandring), spinning coaster, and drop zone. Education means becoming an eye-catched are Volcano and Galeri Nusantara which are also exist crop agro, diorama of rare animal, and temples miniatur.



Popoh, is a coast tourist object which located in coastal area Samudra Hindia Kabupaten Tulungagung, East Java, Indonesia. This coast is one of object wisata pledge Tulungagung. Popoh stays around 30 kms side town south Tulungagung. Area Popoh resides in tip of east Pegunungan Kidul.


Umbul is ommission garden of Dutch for resort. Located in countryside Glonggong, district of Dolopo and distance 20 kms from town Madiun toward south ( Ponorogo). The tourist object facility in this area consist of, brimstone water swimming pool, mini zoo, guesthouse ( meeting house) with capacities for 500 chairs, lodging with number of 28 room;chambers, restaurant, booth, chlid playground, some culture ommissions of Hindu & Budha which in the form of ox statue and source of sulfur water.


WBL or stands for Wisata Bahari Lamongan is a place of maritime tourist object which located in Kecamatan Paciran, Sub-Province Lamongan, East Java. This place opened since soft opening date of 14 Novembers 2004. Some pre-eminent meanses place of this wisata for example Istana Bawah Laut, Cave Insectarium, Space Shuttle, and Anjungan Walisongo. This wisata object resides in line pantura Surabaya-Tuban, and resides in near by a number of objects wisata pledge in East Java, between of Gua Maharani, Mausoleum and Museum Sunan Drajat, Mausoleum Sunan Sendang Duwur, and Pantai Tanjung Kodok. Not far from WBL, around 5 direction km of east, will be developed bonded warehouse recognized as Lamongan Intregated Shorebase ( LIS). Meanwhile, around 6 kilometre occidental direction there is port of fish Brondong with place of auction of a real fish recognized in East Java.

pic source : east java




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