A Documentary Photography Trip to Batam (Indonesia) - Part 2 - Tanjung Uma

Here goes the Part 2 as well as the last blog post on my recent trip to Batam - a visit to Tanjung Uma Village.

I visited Batam Island to explore another side to this once idyllic fishing village, visiting the quiet and quaint coastal villages of Tanjung Uma. This village is located directly opposite the Singapore has a unique landscape of fishing communities. Wooden houses, tools terjejer fishing around the house and pompong (traditional boat), which is docked can be found in every corner of Tanjung Uma. Rows of wooden houses, lined up at random on top of blue water.

Batam community used to call the villages of fishermen as the old village. On appeal to the other regions, including the village of Tanjung Uma region’s most lots have the old village. Therefore the government considers Tanjung Uma Batam has the largest indigenous community.

As the first and oldest fishing village in Batam, Tanjung Uma has historical features that are not found in other areas in Batam. Most of them are still running the culture says hello by using rhyme allusion. For them rhyme like identity, which will be destroyed if not preserved. Malay dialect residents are also still very strong and are used daily without the limited area of origin of all its citizens. So if it has been known for modernizing Batam, Tanjung Uma then the tourists can discover the city of Batam in its traditional version.

In addition to these cultural features, panorama at Fisherman Village area is also frequently used as a favorite place for tourists who wanted to get photography background surrounding the fishing activities. Then ply pompong with background support poles wooden house, coupled with the blue water is a harmonious combination that can be aimed by the camera lens. Not to mention the friendliness of the people when with tourists, could complement the theme of human life photography collection.

In Tanjung Uma also has a traditional market that became the center of economic activity. 

As i walked along the market  which is the back area of their homes, i saw where lack of education or knowledge on how to care for the environment and their own health and safety plays a major part. I found it very sad but also realise that i cannot interfere in the way they live their lives. 

I admire these people, they are the kindest people you could ever wish to meet. I never hear a cross word said between them, they are always happy and willing to smile at me. So we find it hard to accept that this is how they live ..... but who am i to inflict my standards on these people?

Am i any better?

We must learn to accept others as we find them and not judge them on their homes, their color, lack of education, money, their race or even what country they come from.

Our education standards in Singapore are much higher and so we have the knowledge available to us on how we should live and behave in our community. But honestly, I think most of us could learn a lot from the people of Tanjung Uma. They know how to share, they know how to laugh, they know how to smile, they know how to say hello and they know what living in a community means.

Take a few days to explore this beautiful area and meet some of the lovely people that call Batam - HOME !