Shopping down the ages in Surabaya<\/p>\n
Indra Harsaputra
\nThe Jakarta Post\/Surabaya<\/p>\n
Surabaya, Blauran market, food market<\/p>\n
We arrived in a horsecart, coachman and horse
\nMartabak, putu, mutton and chicken satay
\nIt was joyous walking at night
\nThe moon was bright in the rainy season
\nMy wife bought herself a new brassiere<\/p>\n
That was how Dutch poet Theodore Donsellar, who was born in
\nSurabaya in 1945, portrayed Blauran market in a poem published in
\nDe Indo Belanda magazine.<\/p>\n
Novelist Suparto Broto, whose books often deal with the
\nhistory of Surabaya, said markets used to be not just places for
\nbuying and selling goods, but also places to find a husband or
\nwife. Markets were a meeting place for all levels of society, be
\nthey Javanese nobility, commoners or members of the Dutch elite.
\nAlmost everyone enjoyed traditional Surabaya fare such as
\nklanting and es puter (ice cream).<\/p>\n
The markets were crowded with people ahead of Islamic
\nholidays. Single men would use the opportunity to meet members of
\nthe opposite sex, because it was not common in those days for
\nwomen to be outside of the house. It was said that men used the
\nmarkets as a chance to brush up against women.<\/p>\n
"Many of them eventually got married following their first
\nencounter at the pasar senggol (a market where people often
\nbrushed up against each other)," said Suparto.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, Suparto said, this sort of market atmosphere no
\nlonger existed. Traditional markets in Surabaya have changed.
\nSome have been turned into large buildings while others have been
\nleft in a state of neglect.<\/p>\n
Suparto cannot hide his disappointment over the Surabaya
\nmunicipality's decision to demolish the Wonokromo market to make
\nway for a new shopping mall, the Darmo Trade Center. The market
\nwas in the 1950s considered the grandest in all of Southeast
\nAsia.<\/p>\n
"I was further disappointed when they changed its name. It
\nused to be a Surabaya landmark," he told the Post.<\/p>\n
The Wonokromo market, which suffered a huge fire in 1992, was
\ndemolished in 2003 to make way for the new modern shopping
\ncenter.<\/p>\n
The author of Soerabaja Tempo Doeloe (Historic Surabaya),
\nDukut Imam Widodo, regrets whenever the government changes the
\nnames of old places, such as it did with Wonokromo.<\/p>\n
In his book En Werd Een Stad Goberen (A City is Born), GH von
\nFaber wrote that the Wonokromo market area was the first
\nresidential area in Surabaya in the 19th century.<\/p>\n
He said the first residential area was named Pulau Domas and
\nwas located near what is now Surabaya's Joyoboyo bus terminal,
\nnot far from Wonokromo market.<\/p>\n
Another historic market in Surabaya is Kaputran market, which
\nduring the time of the Hindu Mataram kingdom in the ninth century
\nwas the home of descendants of Surabayan royalty.<\/p>\n
One of the old markets that no longer exists is Winkel Galerij
\nPassar Baroe, also known as the black market, located on Jl.
\nPasser Besar, now called Jl. Pahlawan.<\/p>\n
Those that are still present are the Kaputran, Tembok, Kupang,
\nNyamplungan, Pabean, Rungkut, Turi, Bong (now Slompretan) and
\nAtom markets.<\/p>\n
Dukut Imam Widodo wrote in his book that some of the
\nmerchandise sold in the markets were bicycles (Wanderer, Simplex,
\nFongers, Ariel en Coventry and Eagle brands), fabrics, blankets,
\nsarongs, udeng (head scarves) and underwear.<\/p>\n
A woman from Mojokerto who is in the catering industry, Endang
\nSriutami, said that despite the presence of numerous modern
\nshopping centers in Surabaya, she preferred to buy her supplies
\nat Kaputran market because things cost less than in supermarkets.<\/p>\n
"But my children do not want to come with me because they
\nprefer to do their shopping in supermarkets, which are cleaner,"
\nshe said.<\/p>",
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