Bogor Elderly People Find Such Good Places as Doea Tjangkir for Gathering
Reported by: Liu Setiawan
Bogor, 5 Pebruari 2024/Indonesia Media – The rain had barely fallen in the city rain, Bogor, west Java, when some elderly people, mostly of Chinese descent, gathered at an old building in Sawojajar street, just several hundred metres from Bogor Botanical Gardens established by the Dutch East Indies Government on May 17, 1817. Some of them have known each other since the 1970s, as they went to the same school in Bogor, namely Catholic school Regina Pacis (RP). “Not all of us graduated from RP school, Bogor. But all of us live in Bogor, originally from Bogor,” said one of them, Mr. Hardi or 黃忠興 (Oey Tjong Seng)
They gather together once a month in many places in Bogor. They name themselves Bogor Friendly Club (BFC) , which consists of 44 (forty four) members. Some of them are married couples. BFC has been established for twenty years, and the members often share with each other by collecting money, for those who happen to be in need (of money). “we decide to find such good places as Doea Tjangkir (literally, two cups) café for gathering. Some of us are fond of singing, and some are fond of dancing. We just gather to foster our good friendship. I personally realize that such gatherings as today in Doea Tjangkir (literally, Two Cups) restaurant are helpful to relieve anxiety, boost our happiness, etc. most of us are above 70 (seventy years) old, so we believe that age is a case of mind over matter. If we don’t mind, it doesn’t matter,” said Oey Tjong Seng, an alumnus of University of Indonesia (UI)’s accounting department.
The gathering lasted two hours, when most of them felt happy dancing together. One or two, sang his/her favorite songs which includes Indonesian, Chinese, western pop songs. The songs she/he sang, such as Mamma Mia by ABBA (Swedish pop supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972), classic songs of Teresa Teng Teng Li-chun/鄧麗君; a Taiwanese singer, actress, musician. “I do not sing, but I dance with my wife. We do not attend dancing class, but we just dance spontaneously. As long as we feel happy when dancing, that is the point,” said Hardi. (LS/IM)
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