This is one of the earlier photos of my paternal family. This, is the keluarga Sanap, after my grandmother's who passed away about 7 years ago, and there she is, the matriach, sitting down 2nd from the right. I was 2 years old then, behind the huge banner. My dad, young and smart, just got a stable job finally, (toppest, right) My mom, 2nd from left holding my sister. And there are all my little cousins. Ah, I love them. This is your typical Boyanese family. Nenek Enap, (Sanap), cared for us a lot back when she was alive and she took pains to learn malay, to speak to us younger generation though its funny. Every year or so, we have, this HUGE event, called Apolong,-Polong as you can see in the banner. Polong, means hantu or ghost in Malay, but Apolong-polong in Bawean means Gathering. On the left, its my dad with the guitar!
Back in the 90s, money was hard to come by, so, apolong-polong, started in the beaches. I, remember fondly how everyone, was singing Rasa Sayang, and barbequing, Soccer, swimming and the hammocks, were great thrill. Kites, sandcastles, scooter, and family, performances, you name it. The carefree early days was so memomarable, everyone, had a good time. Most of the people in the photo, have, aged considerably and many have return to Allah but the ghosts of their laughter from the good days in the photos still lives on, and I missed the dynamics of this family. Everyone was polite and enthusiastic... I, missed those days. Slowly, as the standard of living improved, slightly, apolong-polong, became annual family trips to Malaysia: Ipoh, Perak, Melaka., This is one of the trips to Anjung Bonda (below)
We'd book a huge bus for the 40, over of us, and everyone take a week off and we.'d go stay in some village or resort along the way. The day long bus trip would be planned by my older cousins and there was, karaoke and games. And when everyone was, generally well-off,and the family grew in size apolong-polong, became banquet hall events in posh hotels where we'd, book a hall, everyone stay in the hotel for a few nights and at night in the banquet hall, there are table games, lucky draws, and buffet for the family. After, Nenek Enap passed away, apolong-polong slowly dissolved, and it is my oldest, "uncle", (Nenek Enap, married twice, my grandfather being the 2nd husband and my uncle was from the first marriage.) who held the family together, being a pious patriach, always held kenduri, doa selamat or called in foreign ustads, from, southeast asia, over to talk to us. I am so blessed to have such a great family and I thank Allah for putting me in such a family:,)
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