Unforgettable Childhood Memories Part 2

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Unforgettable Childhood Memories Part 2


This time I will share an unforgettable childhood memory in places that always evoke a sense of emotion every time I pass them.

The People's Struggle Monument of West Java (Monju)

After the construction of Pusdai, I settled in the house of Embah, which is located not far from the University of Padjadjaran Bandung, Jalan Dipatiukur No. 46. The rapid structuring of the city makes many issues blow up, especially since there are still many HGB, or Building Fund Rights, that are vulnerable to eviction, especially in areas close to Gedung Sate.

And this also happens to the village of residents located right in front of Unpad. Some school friends settled in this village, so I know the ins and outs of alleys in this area. Moreover, Embah often told me to shop at the only nearby traditional market. Armed with a tear of paper that contains a list of items that must be purchased, I traced every alley of the market. I still remember the location of the seller's stall, including the seller Kupat Tofu Petis and my subscription meatballs.

Once upon a time, Embah wrote something I didn’t understand, ‘hurang.’ After a few searches, I found out that the ‘huang’ was ‘cloud,’ even though I had passed the seller many times but was embarrassed to ask.

I also cried, not bloodily, because Embah wrote a list of groceries on the uproar of the Study Plan Card (KRS), which must be an important file.

Unfortunately, all these unforgettable childhood memories were lost when this pointed bamboo-shaped monument was built as a form of appreciation for the struggle of the people of West Java. In a layout, Monju, which has an area of 72,000 m², is in a straight line with Gasibu Square and Gedung Sate Bandung. Since its inauguration in 1995, Monju has undergone repeated renovations, the last of which was at the end of 2023.

Once used as a closed garden, then a garden area surrounded by fences and finally turned into an open area, Monju still got a place in my heart. In the past, Monju was always used as a performance stage attended by top-tier artists at the turn of the year.
I personally never follow the New Year series because the sound of this frenetic can be heard directly from the house of Embah. Occasionally, because I was woken up by the boisterous atmosphere, I took the time to come out just a few minutes before midnight just in bed and flip-flops.

I went to college not far from Embah’s house. Since almost all college friends choose boarding school around the campus, I have gotten used to staying at a friend’s boarding house when completing the task.

One of the memorable moments was when we hung out in the Monju Museum area after a culinary hunt for the night. Because it was fun to chat, we didn't realize that the entrance was locked in the clock when the curfew passed. And finally the five of us went up the fence that was soaring and pointed so that it could jump down out.

West Javanese Folklore Monument

Bandung Zoo

Just like Taman Hutan Raya (Tahura) Dago Pakar, which was established in the Dutch era, another icon of the City of Bandung located on Jalan Taman Sari has been established since 1933. It is 1.4 km from the Cikapundung River and opposite the Bandung Institute of Technology campus.

Although not as wide and not as complete as Ragunan Zoo, Jakarta, Bandung Zoo is an alternative tourist destination of Bandung and West Java in general. I myself just found out that Bandung Zoo has not been owned by the government but by a foundation since 1957.

As a child, I was often invited by my father to ‘take’ the animals. I remember asking Dad to hold me because of the fear of seeing the goats that just wandered around. In addition, I always meet a group of middle-aged women with amelia or phocomelia at the entrance gate of the zoo.

Amelia is a condition of a person who does not have perfect legs from birth due to genetic disorders that affect the development of fetal motion tools. Al Fatihah for all of him.

When I was a kid, I never had the guts to board a boat because I saw the darkness of the water base that was visible from the surface. After adulthood, I realized that the depth of the pool is only limited to the knees of adults.

Having visited the zoo so often, I memorized the location of every animal. The zoo is also where we ‘run away’ when we are overwhelmed with campus assignments. Sometimes we deliberately attack the road just for healing students on a minimal budget by going around the zoo. This hobby was stopped because the elephant mount that we rode has the exact same name as my name.

There was a riot about the disputed land and the skinny animals were not maintained. Bandung Zoo began to clean up and rise. This unforgettable childhood memory is what makes me feel incomplete if I do not visit Bandung Zoo every year, especially in the Eid holiday. But this idea is now often rejected by Zauji because he could not bear to see the animals that were confined, especially because (in the past) bad news had blown in well because of the lack of income of the foundation.



Many places always hit my memory when I went through them. Including Gasibu Field, which every Friday we use for relaxing exercise. In the past, I always led the hand of Embah to perform the Ied Prayer in this place. Now with Zauji, I sometimes climb again, reliving unforgettable childhood memories while telling stories along the way. What about Menong's friends? What childhood memories are still remembered today?
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