Pay Cash, So Ancient

Pay Cash, So Ancient
April 13, 2018
By Aryzull

I'm a freak.
The last two days. So ancient people.

For example last night. When I take a walk in a busy alley in the city of Amoy. Also called Xiamen city. The city of Hokkien tribe.

I stopped by to buy cakue. On the edge of the alley. In street vendors. It turns out that I'm the only person who pays with money. This is in the hallway. On the pavement.

I accidentally stood about 15 minutes. In the alley. To calculate the buyer. Especially those who still pay with money.

Apparently it's just me alone. Other buyers pay by hand phone: WeChat or AliPay.

Take a look at some of the photos I've included here. People who buy food in the fifth is the only weapon hand phone. No longer a wallet.

Though the price of the food was only one renminbi. Or about Rp 2,000. No small money is really needed in China.

That night I ate at the restaurant. Also so weird. Ancient people. The only one who was paying with the money.

The next day I took the bullet train. Its speed is 300 km / h. From Xiamen to Quanzhou district. As far as 200 km. Only 25 minutes.

I again imagine from Surabaya to my village in Magetan. 25 minutes. I was also the only person who bought tickets with money: 25 RMB. Around Rp 50,000. Much cheaper than the new toll ticket between Surabaya-Kertosono.

Only Kertosono

This bullet train station was out of town. The tax charge is 60 RmB. Twice more expensive than the train ticket price.

Last night I returned to Xiamen. This time choose the fast train: 200 km / hour. Not a bullet train. Ticket is more expensive: 35 RMB. This is because it can stop at Xiamen city station. There is no need for expensive taxi fares.

Once again I became the only person who bought fast train tickets with cash. Although only 35 RMB. Three pieces of tenth and one fifth sheet of renminbian.

The officer put three of my money into the machine. Only 35 RMB. Checked false or not. Up to two times.

Apparently the officer had not seen the money for a long time. His finger sensitivity had apparently changed. Can not finger the difference between original and fake sheets.

In Quanzhou I had lunch. In my favorite noodles: Lanzhou Lamian. Lanzhou tug noodle. As I started to sit down, his maid pointed at the corner of my desk.

That's where the barcode is taped. He said: pay him later in the corner of the table. I said that I would pay money.

He looked surprised. Then report to his boss. "Okay," the waiter replied. After consulting his boss. For business pay with cash!

When the time came to pay, what happened again did I see at the station. The cashier had been watching the money for a long time. False or not. Inverted reverse. Just ok.

So, I was once a modern man: paying by credit card. Now credit cards are becoming old-fashioned. Even the money sheets have become obsolete.

Quangzhou is a district. One district in Fujian province. The harbor was once one of the largest in the world. In Mojopahit times.

I do not know how many tens of thousands of Hokkien (Fujian) people have used this port. That time. And the next age. For the xia nan. Looking for a new life in the south. In the 1900s the region was called Indonesia.

Now the port is still there. Formerly. It's very outdated. It's quieter than the Donggala port. Only fishermen boats are available on site. With a form that is not enthusiastic.

Times are moving. The modern is so old-fashioned. The big one became extinct. Life goes on. Leave anyone who does not agree.

       Indonesia

Saya jadi orang aneh.
Dua hari terakhir ini. Jadi orang kuno.

Misalnya tadi malam. Saat saya jalan-jalan di sebuah gang yang ramai di kota Amoy. Disebut juga kota Xiamen. Kota besarnya suku Hokkian.

Saya mampir beli cakue. Di pinggir gang. Di pedagang kaki lima. Ternyata sayalah satu-satunya orang yang membayar dengan uang. Padahal ini di dalam gang. Di kaki lima.

Saya sengaja berdiri sekitar 15 menit. Di gang itu. Untuk menghitung pembeli. Khususnya yang masih membayar dengan uang.

Ternyata tetap saja hanya saya sendiri. Pembeli lainnya membayar pakai hand phone: WeChat atau AliPay.

Lihatlah beberapa foto yang saya sertakan di sini. Orang yang beli makanan di kaki lima itu senjatanya hanya hand phone. Bukan lagi dompet.

Padahal harga makanan itu hanya satu renminbi. Atau sekitar Rp 2.000. Benar-benar uang kecil pun tidak diperlukan di Tiongkok.

Malamnya saya makan di restoran. Juga jadi orang aneh. Orang kuno. Satu-satunya yang saat itu membayar dengan uang.

Keesokan harinya saya naik kereta peluru. Kecepatannya 300 km/jam. Dari Xiamen ke kabupaten Quanzhou. Sejauh 200 km. Hanya 25 menit.

Saya lagi membayangkan dari Surabaya ke kampung saya di Magetan. 25 menit. Saya juga satu-satunya orang yang membeli tiket dengan uang: 25 RMB. Sekitar Rp 50.000. Jauh lebih murah dari karcis tol baru antara Surabaya-Kertosono.

Hanya Kertosono

Stasiun kereta peluru ini ternyata di luar kota. Ongkos taxinya 60 RmB. Dua kali lebih mahal dari harga tiket kereta pelurunya.

Malam tadi saya balik ke Xiamen. Kali ini pilih kereta cepat: 200 km/jam. Bukan kereta peluru. Tiketnya lebih mahal: 35 RMB. Ini karena bisa berhenti di stasiun kota Xiamen. Tidak perlu ada ongkos taksi yang mahal itu.

Sekali lagi saya jadi satu-satunya orang yang beli tiket kereta cepat dengan uang kontan. Meski hanya 35 RMB. Tiga lembar sepuluhan dan satu lembar lima renminbian.

Petugas memasukkan tiga lembar uang saya itu ke mesin. Hanya 35 RMB. Diperiksa palsu atau tidak. Sampai dua kali.

Rupanya sudah lama petugas itu tidak lihat uang. Kepekaan jarinya rupanya sudah berubah. Tidak bisa lagi meraba perbedaan lembar asli dan palsu.

Di Quanzhou saya makan siang. Di mie favorit saya: Lanzhou Lamian. Mie tarik Lanzhou. Saat mulai duduk pelayannya menunjuk sudut meja saya.

Di situlah tertempel barcode. Dia bilang: bayarnya nanti di pojok meja itu. Saya bilang bahwa saya akan bayar pakai uang.

Dia tampak kaget. Lalu lapor ke atasannya. “Ok,” jawab pelayan itu. Setelah berkonsultasi dengan bosnya. Untuk urusan bayar dengan uang tunai!

Saat tiba waktunya membayar, terjadi lagi apa yang saya lihat di stasiun. Kasirnya lama sekali mengamati uang itu. Palsu atau tidak. Dibolak-balik. Baru ok.

Begitulah, saya pernah jadi orang modern: membayar dengan credit card. Kini credit card sudah menjadi kuno. Bahkan lembaran uang pun sudah menjadi usang.

Quangzhou adalah kabupaten. Satu kabupaten di provinsi Fujian. Pelabuhannya pernah menjadi salah satu yang terbesar di dunia. Di zaman Mojopahit.

Entah berapa puluh ribu orang Hokkian (Fujian) yang pernah menggunakan pelabuhan ini. Zaman itu. Dan zaman berikutnya. Untuk xia nan yang. Mencari hidup baru di wilayah selatan. Yang kelak di tahun 1900-an wilayah itu bernama Indonesia.

Kini pelabuhan itu masih ada. Bekasnya. Sudah sangat usang. Sudah lebih sepi dari pelabuhan Donggala. Hanya perahu-perahu nelayan yang mangkal di situ. Dengan wujud yang tidak bergairah.

Zaman terus bergerak. Yang modern jadi kuno. Yang besar jadi punah. Hidup terus maju. Meninggalkan siapa pun yang tidak setuju.