Interview with bukit

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SO LETS GET TO KNOW YOU A LITTLE BIT, HOW OLD ARE YOU BUKIT?
30 YEARS OLD.

HOW MANY SIBLINGS DO YOU HAVE?
NONE

DO YOU HAVE ANY CATS OR DOGS?
ONE CAT NAMED PINKY (IT’S A MALE).
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WHERE ARE YOUR PARENTS LIVING?
MY FATHER IS IN JAKARTA, MY MOTHER LIVES NEAR LAKE TOBA. I SOMETIME VISIT MY MOTHER BUT NOT MY FATHER, HE LIVES TOO FAR AWAY. PLUS, I’VE BEEN LIVING WITH MY GRANDMOTHER SINCE I WAS 2 YEARS OLD. AT THAT AGE, MY PARENTS SPLIT AND I NEVER SAW MY FATHER AGAIN. I DIDN’T REMEMBER HIM AND DIDN’T KNOW A THING ABOUT HIM UNTIL I SAW A PICTURE OF MYSELF AS A CHILD ON HIS FACEBOOK PAGE. I MESSAGED HIM TO KNOW WHO HE WAS AND WHY HE WAS POSTING PICTURES OF ME AND HE SAID HE WAS MY FATHER. I DIDN’T BELIEVE HIM AT FIRST BUT THEN HE HAD PROOFS THAT MADE ME BELIEVE HIM. I AM NOT IN CONTACT WITH HIM ANYMORE.

THAT'S INTENSE, TELL ME MORE ABOUT YOUR GRANDMOTHER?
SHE IS 78 YEARS AND STILL STRONG. SHE HAS A GARDEN AND SELLS THE FRUITS. SHE LIVES CLOSE TO BAHOROK. I LIVED WITH HER FOR 24 YEARS. SHE IS NEVER ANGRY AND SOMETIMES MAKES JOKES. BUT KNOW THAT SHE IS GETTING OLDER, SHE MAKES LESS JOKES AND IS GETTING A LITTLE CONFUSED.

WHAT DID YOUR GRANDMOTHER TEACH YOU THAT IS STILL IMPORTANT FOR YOU NOW?
SHE TAUGHT ME TO BE HONEST ALWAYS. ALSO TO WORK HARD AND TO BE LOW PROFILE.
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ARE YOU MARRIED? KIDS?
YES, I HAVE A 3 ½ YEARS OLD DAUGHTER NAMED AYUDIA AND A 1 ½ YEARS OLD SON NAMED ZHEIN. MY WIFE’S NAME IS DESI PERMATASARI. SHE IS 25 YEARS OLD. WE GOT MARRIED WHEN SHE WAS 21 YEARS OLD AND I WAS 26. MY FAMILY NOW LIVES IN MEDAN, ABOUT 4H FROM HERE. I TRY TO VISIT THEM ONCE EVERY 2 WEEKS.

DID YOU EVER TAKE WILDLIFE OR FRUITS FROM THE JUNGLE AND WHY.
NO, NEVER. EVEN WHEN I HAD NO JOB.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE/DISLIKE ABOUT YOUR JOB HERE?
I LIKE EVERYTHING, I WANT TO STAY HERE! I LIKE TO HELP THE COMMUNITY, I LIKE TO BE IN THE JUNGLE AND I LIKE LEARNING ABOUT NEW THINGS. I ALSO LIKE MAKING FRIENDS FROM EVERYWHERE AND MEETING NEW PEOPLE. I REALLY WANT TO KEEP THIS JOB FOR A LONG TIME.

WHAT WERE YOU DOING BEFORE YOUR JOB AT SW?
I WORKED IN A FACTORY, IN PALM OIL PLANTATIONS, AT ORCHID BUNGALOW CLEANING ROOMS AND COOKING. AFTER MY MARRIAGE, I HAD NO JOB FOR A LONG TIME, ABOUT 4 MONTHS. THEN I STARTED WORKING HERE.

WHAT DO YOU THINK NEEDS TO BE CHANGED IN YOUR COMMUNITY FOR A BETTER FUTURE?
EDUCATION ABOUT WILDLIFE NEEDS TO BE BETTER FOR THE KIDS AND THEY NEED TO GO TO SCHOOL LONGER AND LEARN ENGLISH.

DO YOU ALREADY TRY TO TEACH THIS TO YOU KIDS?
YESS! I GO IN THE JUNGLE WITH THEM AND TEACH THEM WHAT TO DO OR NOT TO DO, WHAT IS GOOD FOR YOU AND WHAT IS NOT.

​WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR FREE TIME?
I SPEND TIME WITH MY FAMILY. I GO IN THE JUNGLE WITH THEM BECAUSE THEY ALL LOVE IT AND WE GO TO THE ZOO. I ALSO VISIT MY GRANDMA AND MY MOM.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU HAD A LOT OF MONEY?
I NEVER HAD MUCH MONEY SO I WOULD CRY AND DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT! (LAUGHS) I WOULD PROBABLY MAKE A BUSINESS. MY WIFE DREAMS OF HAVING A SOAP SHOP. SHE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SOAP AND SELL THEM. SO I WOULD MAKE HER DREAM COME TRUE.

AND WOULD YOU SELL SOAP WITH HER?
NO, I WOULD STAY IN THE JUNGLE AND WE WOULD BOTH HAVE OUR JOBS!