A month most awaited by Muslims is able to open new hopes as well. This month of Ramadan, the weather in Trenggalek shows sunny days without rain. From 6 o'clock in the morning, the sun was seen shining its light strongly as the cool Trenggalek breeze hit me when I go out. Activities are still going well as they should. I always look forward to certain times in Trenggalek. However, during the pandemic, there are several activities that suppress and reduce the usual amount of event number. In one year, the activities in Trenggalek are quite promising. There will be activities related to culture, anniversary celebrations, to certain customs following the specific moment. I was able to feel the atmosphere that enveloped the month of Ramadan every year with all the uniqueness that was expected in anytime.
In
connection with the time of Ramadan, Trenggalek will clearly appear crowded in
several locations, especially markets. Two years ago, Trenggalek set up a
market large enough to replace the old market which was hit by a big fire. The
market is called Pasar Pon which is located in the middle of Trenggalek city,
not far from the Alun-alun. Based on the Alun-Alun, I needed to go around the
location because the one-way street then went straight through the afternoon
market until I found the Basuki Store intersection. From there, I immediately
turned left and found Pon Market. It is very easy. Easy access also makes me
frequent Pon Market for some reasons. This Ramadan is no exception. What is
eagerly awaited during Ramadan is the number of takjil food sellers around
Trenggalek Square. However, now the location has been moved to Pasar Pon, which
has a wide space outside.
I went to Pon Market from home which took about
7 minutes. During the trip, Trenggalek is surrounded by trees and small houses.
Recently, the city has also started to open many cafes initiated by young
people. After arriving at Pon Market, I chose a very accessible and spacious
parking lot. Either using a motorbike or a car can be a flexible consideration.
I was quite easy to use the existing infrastructure at that location. Happily,
I immediately entered the courtyard of the Pon Market, which is a place where
takjil food is sold during Ramadan. Some of the traders who sell their wares
are old sellers who have been used to selling during the month of Ramadan in
the square in recent years. With the attention of a trend in food and beverages
advancing, many other sellers arrived among young people which came to the
bustling bazaar during Ramadan. I think the weather in Trenggalek is starting
to become erratic, because suddenly clouds cover the entire sky and I'm worried
that it will rain and disrupt existing activities. With that said, I suggest
keeping a raincoat or umbrella ready. There are several policemen on guard
around the area to secure any possibility. There are also free vaccines and
blood donations there which are available after iftar. After striding there, I
found a drink and snack stand. The sellers still wear masks so that product sterility
is well maintained. Basically, most Trenggalek people like coconut milk and
thick soup, using vegetables that are available around. It is natural for
people to hunt for similar foods for iftar.
However, upon closer inspection, I found that with
the many variants of viral food and drinks on social media, sellers are now
starting to dare to start new things in terms of new types of uniqueness. In
the past, if you pay attention, the color of the type of food will only look
simple and tend not to be strange. Green, red, brown for gravy and fried foods
such as tofu and tempe. When I look in more detail, now takjil looks more
millennial to compete with another broader style. The snacks that are sold are
not only from Trenggalek but have begun to spread to Korean, Japanese and
western copies. This clearly spurs visitors to come to look for iftar food.
Without a doubt, people who visit have high expectations for enjoying the
various food supplies.
Every day, many people come from various
backgrounds. I can see office workers who don't have time to prepare iftar
menus at home choose to buy at this location to save time and energy. The
variety of choices is able to provide an opportunity for those who are bored
with home-cooked food. I also like how many families and young people are
enthusiastic to come to spend time waiting for the adzan Maghrib. Unfortunately,
slowly along with the ticking of the clock, a drizzle of rain came. The sellers
are still in place while covering their goods with the plastic they prepared
beforehand. Not to dampen the enthusiasm of shoppers, many of them still arrive
and then wear coats or umbrellas to get what they have been waiting for. I was
able to feel joy even though it was drizzling. Closing for my arrival at Pon
Market today was quite pleasant with enthusiastic visitors. Even though the
afternoon ended with rain, I was able to buy some of the food there such as
Takoyaki and fried food.
Trenggalek, 16 April 2022
