Brilio.net/en - Shes spent most of her life going to funerals. So it makes sense that Toraja-based Olivya Bendon has made a pastime out of visiting some of the most famous tombs in the world.
Her interest in the afterlife began in childhood. Olivya, who is frequently called Olive by her friends and family, often accompanied her late father to watch the funeral processions in Toraja, a South Sulawesi town famous for its elaborate funeral rites.
Though her interest in visiting tombs waned while she tended to her studies in Jakarta, Olive rekindled her interest in the subject early in adulthood. In 2005, she began volunteering with the Plesiran Tempo Doloe (PTD), a group started by Sahabat Museum Community (Batmus). It was with PTD that she first visited Onrust, an island in Kepulauan Seribu.
One of the highlights of that trip was meeting her guide, Lilie Suratminto, author of Makna Sosio-Historis Batu Visan VOC di Batavia (The Socio-Historical Meaning on VOC Tombstone in Batavia). Olive was amazed that Lilie was able to read and gather insight about history from the tombs on the island. And the trip awakened her to a whole new world of possibility. I really like traveling, but I never had any idea that visiting a cemetery will be my hobby.
But thats what it became. Olive doesnt choose the places she visits randomly. She knows her history, and carefully selects places of great cultural and societal significance in Indonesia. Then, when she visits those cemeteries, she tends to find countless amazing tombs. Recently, shes seen the tombs of Sultan Iskandar Muda, Commander Polim, Teuku Cik Ditiro, Hasan Tiro, Sultan Hasanuddin and Prince Diponegoro. Shes also seen tombs of General AWS Mallaby, General Simon Spoor and Kings in Aceh and Sila Maluku.
And she hasnt even come close to completing her visits. Shes still planning to see the tombs of Admiral Malahayati, Raden Saleh, Olivia Mariamme Raffles and Rudolph Koler; as well as the tombs of Ursuline nunes, Dutch East Indies tombs, and the final resting place of the Vietnamese refugees on Galang Island.
Olive hasnt limited her travels to Indonesian territory. Shes traveled oversees to Fort Caning in Singapore to see the tombs of prominent figures. Some of her favorites were Captain Francis Light, the founder of Penang; James Richardson Logans, who named Indonesia in the 19th century; and Thomas Leonowens, husband of Anna, whose story became the basis for The King and I.
A history buff, Olive admits that shes learned a great deal from her unique hobby. She often finds that once shes visited someones tomb, shell become interest in their life story. And she often finds that the most interesting people are those she didnt know about beforehand. The sure thing is that one day, I want to visit the City of Date Dargays in Rusia, Cape Town to trace Ingrid Jonker and Maria van Riebeek, as well as taking a close look on the lonely trail in Rwanda. I dont know whose tombs are there, I just follow the calling of my soul and ask for permission to the owner of this life.