Toraja Coffee

によって Community Collaborationストーリー

I love to drink coffee. When I go to sleep at night, the last thought that would come to my mind is that as soon as I wake up, after a short prayer and meditation to the universe, I will then have my coffee meditation.

I love my coffee done this way: boil one and a third mug of water, then drop two tea spoon scoops of coffee, leave to boil some more. Pour it through a sieve into one of my favourite mugs (depending on my mood: when restless, I use my celadon green mug; when listless, I use my orange Harris Hotel mug; when angry, I use my white with blue clams mug; when peaceful and in Batutumonga, I use my Scottish friend’s “You can’t beat the system” mug-please see picture!). To complete off the flavour, I put a tea spoonful of sweet condensed milk straight out of a can! I have to admit, though, that most of the time, Irah, my maid prepares my coffee this way. Step by step, according to my order.

Unfortunately, even though Toraja is famous for its Arabica and Robusta coffee, I haven’t found any cafe, warung (side walk food stalls) or restaurant in the whole Toraja that makes passable coffee, let alone a to die for coffee. Most of the time, the coffee beans or coffee powder is burnt to a black consistency that tastes like charcoal. Then a lot of sugar is stirred in. I have a headache of sugar overdose simply by taking a sip! It’s really different from Aceh, which is also famous for its coffee. Over there, they know how to boil the coffee then ‘pull’ the coffee, by pouring from its boiling hot bronze container thirty centimetre away to a heated cup. Now and then, they will put some marijuana leaves, or so the locals tell me. I believe them, because after a cup of Acehnese coffee, instead of being perked up, you will feel more relaxed or even sleepy. Worse, you will want more and more coffee.

Toraja Coffee

によって Community Collaborationストーリー

I love to drink coffee. When I go to sleep at night, the last thought that would come to my mind is that as soon as I wake up, after a short prayer and meditation to the universe, I will then have my coffee meditation.

I love my coffee done this way: boil one and a third mug of water, then drop two tea spoon scoops of coffee, leave to boil some more. Pour it through a sieve into one of my favourite mugs (depending on my mood: when restless, I use my celadon green mug; when listless, I use my orange Harris Hotel mug; when angry, I use my white with blue clams mug; when peaceful and in Batutumonga, I use my Scottish friend’s “You can’t beat the system” mug-please see picture!). To complete off the flavour, I put a tea spoonful of sweet condensed milk straight out of a can! I have to admit, though, that most of the time, Irah, my maid prepares my coffee this way. Step by step, according to my order.

Unfortunately, even though Toraja is famous for its Arabica and Robusta coffee, I haven’t found any cafe, warung (side walk food stalls) or restaurant in the whole Toraja that makes passable coffee, let alone a to die for coffee. Most of the time, the coffee beans or coffee powder is burnt to a black consistency that tastes like charcoal. Then a lot of sugar is stirred in. I have a headache of sugar overdose simply by taking a sip! It’s really different from Aceh, which is also famous for its coffee. Over there, they know how to boil the coffee then ‘pull’ the coffee, by pouring from its boiling hot bronze container thirty centimetre away to a heated cup. Now and then, they will put some marijuana leaves, or so the locals tell me. I believe them, because after a cup of Acehnese coffee, instead of being perked up, you will feel more relaxed or even sleepy. Worse, you will want more and more coffee.

Toraja – what happened in 1989

によって で コメントなし News / Updatesストーリー

One night in October 1989, my Bear, that’s how I called my man, a Toraja man, took me by his trail motorcycle (years later, I found out, that it was not even his.  It was rented by using his meagre student pocket money!) through the dark night to his father’s village. Batutumonga, a hamlet, dotted with big, black rocks among the green rice fields, high above the clouds.

 

We spent the night in the wooden house of my Bear’s auntie (picture of view from her window).  She hastily heated a tin of sardine for the four of us (we rode with two other friends) and some rice.  Exhausted, we slept-the four of us on the wooden floor of the sitting room. It was soooo cold. Since then, I cannot stand the smell or to eat tinned sardine.  Since then, I know, that one day, I have to stay in Batutumonga. A yearning so strong, that I carry in all the cells of my body, every day. Until today, this is my three pronged dream: I want to live with my Bear, in a house in Batutumonga and then to share my experience.

 

Thus the purpose of this blog, to share with all of you out there!

Toraja – what happened in 1989

によって で コメントなし News / Updatesストーリー

One night in October 1989, my Bear, that’s how I called my man, a Toraja man, took me by his trail motorcycle (years later, I found out, that it was not even his.  It was rented by using his meagre student pocket money!) through the dark night to his father’s village. Batutumonga, a hamlet, dotted with big, black rocks among the green rice fields, high above the clouds.

 

We spent the night in the wooden house of my Bear’s auntie (picture of view from her window).  She hastily heated a tin of sardine for the four of us (we rode with two other friends) and some rice.  Exhausted, we slept-the four of us on the wooden floor of the sitting room. It was soooo cold. Since then, I cannot stand the smell or to eat tinned sardine.  Since then, I know, that one day, I have to stay in Batutumonga. A yearning so strong, that I carry in all the cells of my body, every day. Until today, this is my three pronged dream: I want to live with my Bear, in a house in Batutumonga and then to share my experience.

 

Thus the purpose of this blog, to share with all of you out there!

コンサルティング

によって で コメントなし from founders

TORAJAMELO has been featured in many online and printed publications.  We have received many awards. We have been asked to share our stories in many events.  We have been asked to be Mentor and to give advice in various issues, i.e. culture, culinary, tourism, film making, eco-tourism, etc. It is a nice surprise, that several young people have come to TORAJAMELO office in Jakarta from as far as Atambua in West Timor, Tanimbar in Maluku, Ende in Flores, Manado and Mamasa in Sulawesi – they have been inspired by TORAJAMELO and want to go home to their villages to build a local economy.  After meeting us, all of them have resigned from their 9 to 5 jobs, which freaked me out! In fulfilling these invitations, we put priority in sharing with the young generations, in line with the message embedded in the third circle of our logo: to sustain the legacy across generations to come.

Based on these experiences, against the backdrop of deepening poverty and continuous environmental damage, we plan to conduct our activities being the Mentor for the Young.  In the rural communities and in the urban setting. We plan to continue working with people who care and who are willing to be “unreasonable”. So 2018 and beyond will be our “Sharing Period”. TORAJAMELO 3.0

We know it’s not going to be easy, but it’s going to be exciting!

Please stay with us.

Please contact  Dinny, if you want to know more about:

  1. Community Based Social Enterprise
  2. Collaborative Product & Fashion Design Process
  3. Community Based Travel Management

Thank you and warmest hugs,

Dinny Jusuf
mother-wife-dreamer

Community Based Travel (CBT)

によって で コメントなし from founders

One finding over the years is that Community Based Travel (CBT) in the form of locally owned home-stays supported by locally run tour programs and hand-crafted souvenirs by the community members can help the communities earn a decent living.  

Looking at the growth of tourism in Toraja and the pride of the Torajanese in wearing the handwoven textile, it’s time for TORAJAMELO “sule tondok” or to go home. I have moved my base from Jakarta to Toraja.  In Toraja, we plan to open a TORAJAMELO Gallery with an education corner or community center, where a small gathering can take place.

Since 2009, we have been receiving guests in our house. In 2018 we have formally launched our CBT in Toraja by continuing and strengthening our partnership with the Cooperative of Weavers of Sa’dan, which TORAJAMELO helped establish.  Additionally, we have started our partnership with the Lembaga Desa Wisata (LDW – The Tourism Village Body) Suloara’, which happens to be the sub-district of Batutumonga village where I live. LDW Suloara’ members have been trained for four years in various subjects (i.e. Community Organizing, Financial Management, Homestay Management, etc.) by SwissContact (swisscontact.org), a business oriented independent foundation for international economic cooperation.  In Toraja, SwissContact developed the website for tourism (www.visittoraja.com) and left a legacy in the form of Toraja Destination Management Organization (DMO) and the LDW Suloara’.

In 2018 alone, we have been making plans to receive guests from France and Culinary tours by the famous Indonesian Master Chef, William Wongso.

After Toraja, we will introduce CBT in Mamasa and Adonara & Lembata.  We will continue to grow this income stream by making sure, that the community will receive their fair share.

Toraja

によって Product Location

Toraja is a beautiful mountainous area in South Sulawesi Province, which consists of two Kabupaten (Regencies) Toraja Utara and Tana Toraja.  To reach Toraja, you can fly to Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi. Then drive for ten hours through a beautiful coastal and mountain scenery,  stopping in Pare-Pare for lunch, onward to Enrekang and then Bambapuang for coffee break. For a shorter journey, you can take a 45 minutes flight from Makassar to Palopo or to Rantetayo, Makale.  Then drive between one to two hours to Toraja.

TORAJAMELO has trained around 250 weavers, who live in Sa’dan area, about 30 minutes’ drive north of Rantepao. A weavers cooperative “Sa’dan Siangkaran” was established on 17 April 2015. Their products are sold in the local markets, in To’barana’ weaving centre and in Banua Sarira-Dinny Jusuf’s house in Batutumonga.

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