Pedicab driver learns the lingo of his rides<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Widodo may not be familiar with the
\nphenomenon of globalization, but as a pedicab driver in this
\ncourt city he has gone global in his own way.<\/p>\n
His clients come from around the world and a stack of letters
\nwritten in various languages is to be found in his rented house
\nin Jogoyudan district.<\/p>\n
His modest collection of books is mostly written in foreign
\nlanguages.<\/p>\n
He started all this about four years ago on the streets in the
\ncity, famed to tourists all over the world.<\/p>\n
One can easily bump into Widodo at his usual waiting place
\naround the Tugu crossroads or in front of the Santika Hotel on
\nJl. Sudirman.<\/p>\n
Widodo likes to talk to his passengers while gently pedaling
\naway. He talks about anything; if his passengers happen to be
\nforeign tourists his talkativeness and breadth of knowledge of
\nthe city will serve as a fine guidebook.<\/p>\n
Among his friend-clients was Frenchman Kaquard who regularly
\ncomes to Indonesia and sends him letters when he is back in his
\nhomeland.<\/p>\n
Showing a stack of souvenirs, a Belgian tourist, Richard
\nSteven said of Widodo: \"He is a real nice fellow, and likes to
\ntalk about anything, he went with me for two days to places like
\nBorobudur, the Kraton (palace) Yogyakarta and Malioboro.\"<\/p>\n
His friendliness has sometimes led to problems.<\/p>\n
Perhaps captivated by his congenial nature, a young Swedish
\nwoman once became infatuated with Widodo. She wanted him to go to
\nSweden with her but on learning this Widodo's wife threatened to
\ndivorce him. He canceled his plan.<\/p>\n
Widodo is most at ease when talking about his foreign friends.<\/p>\n
\"What is funny is that when they have their birthdays, it is
\nthey who send me something and not me,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Asked what \"something\" means, he said, normally it is
\ngreeting cards or letters with banknotes of varying amounts
\nattached.<\/p>\n
\"Sometimes it is 100 francs, 100 dollars or 10 pounds,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
What is his view of his fellow pedicab drivers?<\/p>\n
He said most of them have limited communications skills and
\nsome are too money-oriented.<\/p>\n
Widodo long harbored a secret wish to be a professional guide.
\nNo sooner had he finished the Aliyah School (equivalent to high
\nschool level) than he started studying a foreign language.<\/p>\n
Initially, he joined a hotel and tourism academy but was
\nforced to drop out financial reasons and lack of moral support
\nfrom his family.<\/p>\n
He then moved to Jakarta doing odd jobs for one and a half
\nyears before going to Bali and working as a mason for 13 months.<\/p>\n
It was here that he came to know about the world of tourism.
\nTo quench his thirst for mastering foreign languages he would
\nalways hang around the most-frequented tourist spots during his
\nfree time.<\/p>\n
In 1992, he returned to Yogyakarta. While working in his old
\nbusiness line of masonry he enrolled into four language centers
\nat the same time: the Japan-Indonesia, French-Indonesia, and the
\nDutch-Indonesia institutes, and the Columbia English course.<\/p>\n
\"All my classmates at these places were university students.
\nBut I didn't feel inferior, they respected me for what I was
\ndoing,\" he said.<\/p>\n
In early 1996, he abandoned his job as a mason and applied to
\nbe an authorized guide at the tourism office but could not pursue
\nhis ambition because he was unable to pay the obligatory Rp
\n500,000 registration fee.<\/p>\n
This explains why he ended up as a pedicab driver. His reason
\nis simple: to be able to meet foreign tourists.<\/p>\n
In a short time, his amiability and good knowledge of history,
\ntourist resorts and souvenir centers won him many clients.<\/p>\n
Typical<\/p>\n
One morning not long ago an Australian tourist left a hotel in
\na hurry. He looked perplexed and was perspiring profusely.<\/p>\n
As soon as he got to the gate of the hotel, he asked Widodo to
\npedal him to Adisucipto Airport, some six kilometers away.<\/p>\n
The tourist had apparently left his bag behind by mistake when
\nhe traveled from the airport to the hotel.<\/p>\n
The bag containing a camera, clothing and books was nowhere to
\nbe seen at the airport but the tourist was grateful to Widodo
\ndespite of that.<\/p>\n
\"I was aching all over at that time. But in spite of the pains
\nI didn't have the heart to charge him more than the normal fare
\nas I understand that he was really at sea.<\/p>\n
\"I only asked him to buy me a drink worth Rp 1500. Alas, I
\ndidn't get a chance to find out his name,\" he said.<\/p>\n
That was a typical experience of Widodo.<\/p>\n
The trip from the hotel to the airport is a relatively short
\none for a motor vehicle, such as a taxi, to cover. But instead
\nthe man chose a pedicab.<\/p>\n
His longest journey, he said, was when he accompanied a group
\nof tourists for two days to Bromo in East Java and Dieng in
\nCentral Java for one day.<\/p>\n
According to Widodo, foreign tourists take delight in finding
\nunusual things and prefer to frequent resorts in rural rather
\nthan urban areas.<\/p>\n
Owing to his mastery of five languages, Widodo is quite well-
\nknown among his colleagues.<\/p>\n
When asked about a scar on his left arm, he said that he had a
\nfight with a pickpocket in Beringharjo market about a month ago
\nin defense of his client.<\/p>\n
\"My motto is during the time my clients are with me, they are
\nmy next of kin and I have to take care and help them deal with
\nany problems which might arise\", he said. (Singgir Kartana)<\/p>",
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