I named it Arpan Family (AF) derived from my father's name, Arpan bin Muhammad Tabri bi Hasan bin Quraish Hasan as a complete family lineage. Such as my name officially only one name, Ahyoni, apparently, Jambian as a Malay descendant to some extends influenced by Arabic culture, for example in family lineage system, with always refer to patriarchy system. Unfortunately, they seldom using complete name with father name behind their given name even in official civil record. A daily simple call or almost a nickname impacted on official record that most of their name with only one name. They used or mentioned family name as "bin....." only for several cultural or religious ceremonies that include; marital ceremony, burial ceremony and praying etc.
Although I found in Font Tramphenaar's book on cultural management wrote that Indonesian with only one name mostly from lower class level, some time this is incorrect, there is imply name in hidden family name in their names. However, I concluded that awareness on family lineage record was neglected apparently brought about by level of education, but traditionally Arabic culture always record family threes which than acculturated into Malayan was not intact.
AF started from a boy born in a small and slightly remote village called Betung Bedarah Timur or Bleeding Bamboo in 40s in Jambi province of Sumatra. A polygamy father's boy born solely from a marriage with then his father and mother divorced and re-married another woman and man respectively.
Unlikely common child of divorce, which community experiences and sees common neglected child which usually super naughty, Arpan was fortunately a good boy. He has no serious act or conducts that disrepute him and his family among community that made him accepted to marry a daughter of the village religious figure called Mai which then surprised both families that both Arpan and Mai still have the same lineage known last minutes when they wanted to get married. Arpan Grandfather was young brother of Mai Grandmother.
They both earned living by cultivating paddy fields inherited from Mai’s family and Arpan’s family, land clearing to start new rubber plantation, shepherd water buffalo and sheep, and sometimes Arpan as a head of family had to switched his livelihood source depend on season and trend in the village . Among common trends at that time besides mentioned livelihood were; mining gravel from Batang Hari River sold to Toke (a middleman nickname almost across Sumatra) and what the most prohibited nowadays, illegal logging which was at that time legally acceptable done by villagers usually by a team consisting of close families with a very simple tools and equipment. The tools and equipment was disappeared even we cannot find it in Museum Jambi. This blog will also try to collect photos of all traditional tools and equipments used by villagers prior to electronic and others advance technologies replaced them.
Arpan was a persistent figure. Without education, or he has only went to school up to second years of Sekolah Rakyat, which then almost equal to Sekolah Dasar or SD for elementary school in Indonesia nowadays. He can read but not likely. He is hard worker, future oriented father, love family especially his son and daughters.
To explore what AF look like in the past and how can AF reached what they have now. Simplicity AF have and even his story on his friendship with a Chinese boy in the village reconnect again after they had been lost contact or separated for about forty years!. There will be several articles to come.
