Membawa Kering Tempe Ke Alaska

One fine August Saturday at the busy harbor in Seattle, the United States, a number of luxury cruise ships were waiting to take on enthusiastic people on holiday eagerly awaiting their tours of a number of sites in America and Canada. I was looking for the MS. Westerdam, a cruise ship with a capacity of 1,800 passengers and 800 crew members.
As an Indonesian used to living in the tropics, a vacation to a vast cold region where I hoped to see icebergs melting in Glacier Bay, Alaska, was an a heart-thumping adventure. There are not words to express how excited I was about setting off for new experiences.
“Good morning!” the ship’s crew greeted us. Among the Asian faces scattered among the crew, I found visages that seemed decidedly familiar. I am not sure why, but I suddenly blurted out, “Selamat pagi!”, which is the morning greeting customary in Indonesia. Several of the crew members smiled broadly and shook their heads in amazement. “You have taken us by surprise, Ma’am,” they said. “What a shock. So, you are really an Indonesian?” I smiled and shared a laugh with them before going to my quarters and letting them get on with their duties.
I had learned from research I had done about this cruise that approximately half of the crew of MS. Westerdam were from Indonesia. I assumed that the natural friendliness, readiness, diligence, and patience of Indonesian workers made them competitive of the global employment market.
While I was on the cruise, I got acquainted with Septi, who worked in a restaurant on the ship. When I noticed her nametag bore a characteristically Indonesian name, I spoke to her in the Indonesian language. After we got to know each other, Septi told me about her experiences and those of other Indonesians working on MS. Westerdam.
Septi explained that there were ups and downs about working on 85 day cruise contracts. Among her most exciting and memorable experiences are seeing the icecaps melt and whales swimming in the open sea. On the other hand, communicating and interacting with cruise passengers from all around the world, with all of their different needs and wants, is challenging, Septi says.
“What do you do if you miss Indonesian food?” I asked her at one point. I was certain that most Indonesians would not just feel “homesick”, but would certainly also feel “foodsick” with longing for dishes from their homeland when they were abroad.
“We go to eat at Chinese restaurants,” Septi answered, adding that she and the other crew members could not cook for themselves while on cruise.
Every few days, the ship docks and crew members who are not scheduled for duty on any given stop can spend a few hours off of the ship to explore and enjoy the local sights.
Occasionally, as had happened during their docking in Seattle in August, the Indonesian crew members have the opportunity to purchase lunch boxes filled with Indonesian dishes like ketupat and nasi uduk. These meals are prepared for them by the Diaspora Indonesia group, a gathering of Indonesians who live in Seattle.
“Can you find Indonesian sambal (chili sauce) in America?” I asked.
“Yes, but the taste is different from what we make ourselves,” Septi answered.
Like many other Indonesians living abroad, Septi and her friends bring certain foods and spices with them from Indonesia when they come back to work on a cruise.
Among the easy to carry and store condiments and snacks they bring along are sambal; beef, chicken, or fish floss; sweet soy sauce; and various kinds of chips. One of her work friends even brings along tomato-chili sauce prepared by her mother!
So, what does Septi bring along on her work trips? She once brought along 2 kilograms of dried crispy tempeh for a cruise. She didn’t care what anyone might say; she just wanted to have a content stomach. Because if the stomach is happy, the heart will be happy too.