Olá amigos,

A volta ao mundo está no extremo oriental da antiga União das Repúblicas Socialistas Soviéticas, hoje simplesmente Rússia. Vladivostok é o nome da cidade visitada. É a segunda vez que a Volta ao Mundo passa pela Rússia. No Trecho 20, o T29 esteve em Kursk (no continente europeu), vindo de Hanko, Finlândia. Este fato ilustra bem as dimensões continentais da Rússia.

Diário de Bordo: decolagem de RJAA (Tóquio, Japão), dia 26/11/2009,  às 05hs52min (hora local, +12 hs em relação a Brasília – DF) com destino a UHWW (Vladivostok, Russia). Distância percorrida: 595,4 nm, HDG: 329; FL080; velocidade média 235 kias. Pouso às 8hs30min. Foi a primeira vez em toda a Volta ao Mundo que não foi necessário fazer correções na proa do avião. As condições climáticas foram muito boas: wind variando suavemente entre 140/350 e direção entre 01/06. Pouso no aeroporto Knevichi foi às 08hs30min. Apenas nos últimos 30 minutos de vôo um denso banco de nuvens, na altura dos 5,5 mil pés prejudicou a visão. Mas, com o auxílio do radar de bordo do T29, bem como do FSNavigator, o pouso foi tranquilo. Mais uma vez não registrei qualquer presença durante todo o vôo.

O Super Tucano taxiando no aeroporto Narita Internacional, em Tóquio, ainda antes do sol nascer

Uma esplêndida visão aérea do moderno aeroporto do Tóquio durante a decolagem do T29

A Volta ao Mundo se despede do Japão durante a alvorada

O T29 visto de cima ao sobrevoar o Japão

A alvorada encontrou o Super Tucano mais uma vez sobre o oceano: 12 hs de diferença no fuso horário

Um denso banco de nuvens na altura dos 5,5 mil pés reduziu a visibilidade a zero na aproximação da Rússia

O T29 faz curva para buscar a cabeceira da pista do aeroporto Knevichi

O aeroporto simples de Vladivostok já é visível: pode-se perceber a presença de neve ao lado da pista

O Super Tucano com a carlinga aberta e o motor desligado: fim de mais uma etapa bem sucedida

 Como escrevi no início deste “post” a Rússia tem dimensões continentais. É de longe o maior país do mundo em extensão territorial, localizado em dois continentes: Europa e Ásia. Sua língua oficial é o russo, mas outras 31 línguas são faladas em seu território. A Rússia é a sucessora da antiga União das Repúblicas Socialistas Soviéticas, se bem que, a decadência econômica do regime comunista no final de sua existência tenha prejudicado em muito o desenvolvimento do país, que atualmente necessita de auxílio econômico das nações mais desenvolvidas.

Localização da Federação Russa no mapa mundi: maior país em extensão territorial do globo

Catedral de São Basílio em Moscou: magnífico exemplo da arquitetura religiosa russa

Soldados soviéticos em batalha nas ruas de Stalingrado: a vitória nesta cidade significou o início da derrota nazista na Segunda Guerra Mundial

Vladivostok é a maior cidade portuária da Rússia no Oceano Pacífico. Possui quase 600 milhões de habitantes (censo de 2002). Foi fundada em 1860 e tornou-se capital da região em 1888. Numa tradução livre, seu nome significa algo como “governar o leste”. Além do importante porto marítimo, conta também com um terminal da ferrovia transiberiana. Suas maiores indústrias são de pesca e transportes marítimos. Abriga ainda a Frota Russa do Pacífico.

Para conhecer um pouco mais sobre esta fascinante cidade russa recomendo o site Vladivostok News, link já disponível, na seção “Cidades do Roteiro”.

Vista parcial do importante porto de Vladivostok com suas florestas de guindastes

Fokin Street, em fotografia tirada em 2004: rua localizada no centro de Vladivostok

Bem amigos, espero que tenham gostado de visitar Vladivostok. Nossa próxima parada será em Yushno-Sakhalisnk, a caminho da Sibéria Oriental.

Um grande abraço,

Robson

English Version

Hello friends,

Around the world is on the eastern edge of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Russia today simply. Vladivostok is the name of the city visited. It is the second time that the World Tour is in Russia. In Excerpt 20, the T29 was in Kursk (on the European continent), coming from Hanko, Finland. This fact illustrates the dimensions of continental Russia.

Diary: takeoff from RJAA (Tokyo, Japan), at 11/26/2009, 07hs52min (local time, +12 h in relation to Brasília – DF) bound for UHWW (Vladivostok, Russia). Distance traveled: 595.4 nm, HDG: 329; FL080, average speed 235 Kias. It was the first time in all the World Tour was not necessary to make corrections in the bow of the aircraft. The weather conditions were very good: wind gently varying between 140/350 and direction between 01/06. Landing at the Knevichi’s airport at 08hs30min. Only in the last 30 minutes of flight a dense bank of clouds, at the time of the 4 thousand feet impaired vision. But with the help of radar aboard the T29, and the FsNavigator, the landing was quiet. Again did not log any presence throughout the flight.

 As I wrote earlier this “post” Russia has continental dimensions. It is by far the largest country in area, located on two continents: Europe and Asia. Its official language is Russian, but 31 other languages are spoken in its territory. Russia is the successor of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, though, the economic decline of the communist regime at the end of its existence has, by far the country’s development, which currently requires economic aid from more developed nations.

Vladivostok is the largest city of Russia in the Pacific Ocean. It has almost 600 million inhabitants (2002 census). It was founded in 1860 and became the capital of the region in 1888. In a free translation, his name means something like “rule the east”. Besides the major sea port, also has a terminal-Siberian railroad. Its major industries are fishing and shipping. It also hosts the Russian Pacific Fleet.

To learn more about this fascinating recommend the Russian city Vladivostok News site, link already available in the “Cidades do Roteiro.”

Well friends, I hope you enjoyed visiting Vladivostok. Our next stop is Yusni-Sakhalisnk, in eastern Siberia.

Best wishes,

Robson

NaNoWriMo: National November Writing Month is a worldwide phenomenon

It’s not the first time writers have pulled all the stops out and thrown their lot in with the Muse, but I believe the organization behind the idea is creating an ‘umbrella of achievement’ which is hard to resist.

Besides, won’t it be nice to read your own hard-typed flow when the 30 days are up and you can slip into ‘edit’ mode?

That’s what NaNo suggests: don’t stop to edit as you go along. Take the keyboard into the bath or into bed if you have to, but just keep punching the keys until something like one-and-a-half-thousand words are on the page. Then you can stop for that day. And add some more tomorrow.

Some people knew about this ahead of time, but even if you were one of the 21 people in San Francisco who took part in the first NaNoWriMo ten years ago in November 1999, it is no help really, because everyone starts afresh at the beginning of the month – no WIPs (works-in-progress) allowed.

This is how NaNo puts it:
‘On November 1, begin writing your novel. Your goal is to write a 50,000-word novel by midnight, local time, on November 30th. You write on your own computer, using whatever software you prefer.

‘This is not as scary as it sounds.

‘Starting November 1, you can update your word count in that box at the top of the site, and post excerpts of your work for others to read. Watch your word-count accumulate and story take shape. Feel a little giddy.

‘ Write with other NaNoWriMo participants in your area. Write by yourself. Write. Write. Write.

‘If you write 50,000 words of fiction by midnight, local time, November 30th, you can upload your novel for official verification, and be added to our hallowed Winner’s Page and receive a handsome winner’s certificate and web badge. We’ll post step-by-step instructions on how to scramble and upload your novel starting in mid-November.

‘ Win or lose, you rock for even trying.’

Well, it’s a little more than that:

November has 30 days: so 1650 words x 30 = 49,500 words, with a little bonus of an extra 500 if you are in your stride.

While some of us are already a week into the project, there is no reason on earth why you can’t sign up right now and join us. One of the best reasons is, even if right now you don’t think you’ve got a novel in you, you have. And with half the agents and editors and publishers on the East and West Coasts watching the site, there is a little more of a carrot dangling before our glazed authors’ eyes than the usual solitary typewriter-bashing which goes on at all hours of the day and night anyway.

We’re technically currently at day number 7 (Europe just moved into day 8, but we’re talking local time here). Worldwide writing is split into regions: like United States : Illinois : Chicago or Europe : Scotland : Elsewhere or Europe : Elswhere (mind boggles). You can choose which region you wish to be affiliated with and you can pick two or more regions if you like: so you can be Europe : Elsewhere as well as Europe : Finland, for example.

By the end of the first week of writing worldwide, some of the wordcounts are already looking quite impressive:

United States :: Washington :: Seattle is in the lead with a total of nearly seven million words written (6,952,796 to be exact).
Canada :: Newfoundland is in at 221st place with a wordcount of 473,031; Europe :: Northern Ireland has 438,876 and counting.

At first I thought I didn’t have another novel in me – I’ve been struggling a little lately just to get the right combination of synopsis, query letter and presentation on my completed novel ‘Shasta’ in front of the ‘right’ agent, editor, publisher. But by midnight on November 1st, I decided: what the hell. There is something about the concept of allowing words to flow despite oneself, without the inner editor getting too much of a controlling finger out to wave in one’s face, that makes the NaNoWriMo appealing.

We have a great author and go-with-the-flow guru to emulate.

Jack Kerouac decided in the late ‘fifties to write what turned out to be his masterpiece ‘On the Road’. He had an idea that if he psyched himself up to writing all at one go, he’d be able to put on paper (days of steam-driven typewriters, remember) all the lovely sidetrack thoughts that go along with a main thought: the flow that his work shows so magnificently.

Jack Kerouac produced 'On the Road' in three weeks

In those days ‘uppers’ were available over the counter in drug stores. He laid in a supply of those, plus several pre-ground bags of coffee, a percolator, milk and sugar and some pretty basic food – I heard it was mostly bread and butter with maybe some salami or jam or jelly to spice it up a little. And he started.

In three weeks he’d written ‘On the Road’ and we all know how that worked out.

So now you see why it might be worth your while dipping your toe into this NaNoWriMo thing? The world is poised, fingers on typewriter and computer keys from Vladivostok to Tierra del Fuego, with some pretty amazing places you’ve never heard of in between. And they’re all bending their heads daily over a little keyboard, from which miracles might appear.

If Jack could do it, there is absolutely no reason on earth for the rest of us not to try.

1) I had an extended conversation with a Russian in Chinese for the first time since we used to talk to Jacki’s roommate Katya.  It was with the new guy in my class from Vladivostok, Ivan.  It turns out most of the Russians in my class are all from the same Confucius Institute in Vladivostok.

2) I am sick.  I thought my throat was sore from karaoke Friday night but the only other ones who are sick are Jacki and Jenny.  Jenny says half of the Mongolian students are also sick, so I guess I got it from them.

3) Charlotte Gainsbourg apparently isn’t a cure for illness abroad.  Maybe she only helps with swine flu.  I watched Prête-moi ta main last night and it was good, but I am still sick.

4) I took a taxi home from campus again this evening because I figure I should spend less time in the cold when I’m sick (hopefully I can move onto campus soon).  Anyways, the taxi driver put on his seat belt halfway through, and I thought wtf! I think it was the second time I saw anyone wearing a seat belt in my entire time in China, and the first time, I was putting my seat belt on in Serena’s car and I felt that she was slightly offended by it.

En medlem i Kulturkommitténs trio bestämde sig för ett tag sedan för att göra något otippat och börja läsa Ryska. Sedan länge hade nyfikenheten på ryska språket varit stor hos medlemmen, utan att kunna mer än något enstaka ord och utan att någonsin ha satt sin fot i landet.
Varför ryska?
Varför inte?

 ”Ett tjusigt språk!”, blev motiveringen.

…. 

Den tredje ryskalektionen bjöd på ett plötsligt skifte av tempo. Det var som att klassens ryskafröken, en mycket fin kvinna från Vladivostok, tyckte att det gått bra långsamt när klassen nu i två hela lektioner bara kämpat med att uttala de krylliska bokstäverna, och säga ett ryskt ”hej”. Så hon bestämde sig helt enkelt för att öka takten.

Hon löpte amok kan man kanske säga. Helt plötsligt. Hon fyllde whiteboarden med krylliska bokstäver av alla de slag, en mängd meningar som var olika frågeställningar och vägbeskrivningar. En vit tavla proppfylld med, för eleverna, slumpvis utvalda krumelurer. Ett språkligt kaos som ingen hjärna hade en chans att memorera den måndagskvällen.

”Da, paschalosta, ge en vägbeskrivning….”

Detta var alltså ett ganska drastiskt hopp från ”hej”, ”hej då” och ”jag heter…”.
Eleverna tittade på varandra med fasa i blicken. Det gick heller inget vidare att ge en vägbeskrivning. Men tappra som klassens elever var, (dvs. pensionärerna, affärsmännen och Kulturkommittérepresentanten), så kämpade de med att få fram något som åtminstone var nästan rätt. Ingen visste vad den gjorde.
Fröken kunde i alla fall inte dölja sin lätta besvikelse när klassen fallerade med att ens kunna säga ”rakt fram”, ”till höger” eller ” är det långt borta?” på korrekt ryska.

Eleverna skulle nog fortfarande ha hållit sig till att uttala några vanliga och lätta ord i övningsboken. …De klassiska språkglosorna:

Tunnelbana. Biljett. Restaurang. Frimärke. Soppa. Kaffe. Te…
… Asfalt. Betong. Atom. Asbest.

Atom? Asbest?

Ryssland är ett spännande land… men valet av glosor i det första kapitlet i ryskaboken var fullkomligt magiskt.
Hårdkokt och rått ska det va, kamrat. Grå betong, asfalt och asbest; här är dina drömmars Moskva!….

Diskret undangömda låg orden. Ibland de väldigt vanliga första språkglosorna, som var allt ifrån ”tunnelbana” till ”mamma” och ”pappa”, så fann man Asbest.
Logiken fattades. Men komiken fanns där.

[Minja Zavót Asbest. Da Svidanja.]

Ryska är vackert… och överraskande.
Och tydligen; hårdkokta ryssar lär sig tidigt säga asbest.

Vladimir Poutine, premier ministre en déplacement  en Extrême-Orient russe est arrivé à Vladivostok où il tiendra une réunion consacrée à la préparation du sommet du forum de coopération Asie-Pacifique  – APEC –  qui se tiendra dans cette ville en 2012. Vladimir Poutine, s’initiera à la création de l’infrastructure nécessaire dans l’île Rousski qui accueillera le sommet. Deux grands ponts reliant l’île au continent, la modernisation de l’aéroport local et l’approvisionnement de la ville en eau.

If you’ve ever been on a Russian train, you’ll know that Grishkovets gets it exactly right, from the wood-burning tea urn by the wagon conductor’s cabin to the sleepy Russian who without fail remarks on the monotonous beauty of continental Russia and its birches.  The train is still the most important form of transportation in Russia, even though it takes over a week to cross the country this way.  I’ve spent at most two-and-a-half days on a Russian train in one stretch, but I can picture what an eternity seven would be … so you really have to note how strong the dread of the unknown that pervades the author’s imminent entry into naval service is, that he would rejoice in each little stop …

How I Ate the Dog
Yevgenii Grishkovets

continued…

I remember how we traveled seven days from the “Taiga” station to the Vladivostok station on a passenger/mail train.  We traveled slowly, stood at each crossing, and I was grateful to the railroad workers for these tiny delays….  We were going…, and interestingly, you could be going anywhere, to the east, to the south, to the north, and the whole time it would be the exact same scenery, in the sense that, it changes, of course, but the feeling remains that it’s the exact same: This means not very thickly growing birch trees, those uniformly spaced white-black trees, everywhere….  Well, in general, the kind of scenery, looking at which a Russian is obligated to say: “My God… what beauty!”  It happens like this: The Russian has woken up, comes out from the sleeping compartment into the corridor of the wagon, on his shoulders hangs a towel, like so, in his hand a toothbrush with toothpaste already on it, he’s a bit blinded by the morning light (in the compartment it had been very dark), he stops at the window, like so, holding onto the handrail.  In the corridor the rattle of the train is stronger.  Someone draws water from the tea urn.  The train: tuduk-tuk-tuk, tuduk-tuk-tuk.  The person who has just woken up: “Ssssoooo, where are we by now?”  The person with hot water in his mug, swaying with concentration, slowly walking and because of this swaying even more, says: “Who knows…”

The person who has just woken up: “Yeah?! Well, all the same, what beauty…!” Tuduk-tuk-tuk, tuduk-tuk-tuk…

Two sailors took us, they wore white dress uniforms and really looked after their appearance.  Both were short, one had a moustache that he really loved and obviously was very proud of, you couldn’t make it out immediately, but if you so desired, it wasn’t hard to count all the tiny hairs he had on his upper lip, and the other was, I for some reason recall, from Tambov, he was bowlegged and right about here he wore a medal “For faraway deployment.”  They got out at every station and walked around the platform with an old cassette player, glancing to the sides, meaning – Are they looking at us or not?  Aha…they’re looking!  Very good!  I was surprised at the time by how their sailor hats stayed on the back of their heads, it was obvious that they should have fallen off, but they stayed on, all the same…. Without any sense of idiotic metaphor, they hung like haloes….  I only found out later, how they stayed on… sailor hats.  And that there’s no secret, they simply stay on, and that’s it.

The sailors were entertaining….  We came up to them with questions about how it is, and they gladly told us how…: “Well, we went through La Pérouse Strait, then we went to Cam Ranh, we stopped there…, then we went to New Zealand and they didn’t let us come ashore, but in Australia they let us come ashore, but only the officers went and…”

And I was thinking: “Geeeeee whiz… After all I studied English in school…  Why?”  Well, there were countries where they speak this language, there was Europe, well somewhere there… Paris, London, you know, Amsterdam, there were those, and leave it at all that.  What’s it to me?  They sometimes vaguely disturbed you in that they nevertheless kind of existed…, but they didn’t draw out any concrete desire.  The world was huge, like in a book….

And these sailors had been, my God, in Australia, New Zealand….  And the same awaits me, just put me in that same uniform….  And little by little, already quickly, the train takes us to Vladivostok, and there is still a little left – and some sort of sea, some sort of countries….  Reluctance!!!!  Because even though I didn’t know anything concrete, I suspected that, well, of course, it wasn’t quite that simple, Australia, New Zealand, and still some other place like that, the essential of what I didn’t want to know, of what I was afraid, of what I was very afraid  and what would very soon come up… without fail….

Quando il «pericolo giallo» è un’opportunità

Pechino, Tokyo, Seoul: appesi sulla parete nell’atrio dell’hotel Baia dell’Amur, invaso dalla luce lattea del Pacifico, quei tre orologi sincronizzati sulle grandi megalopoli d’Asia dicono già tutto. Un quarto punta le lancette su Mosca, ma non è che una formalità quaggiù, al capolinea della Transiberiana, nella città più lontana al mondo dalla propria capitale: 9 ore di volo, 7 fusi orari, in mezzo c’è la Siberia. Tutt’intorno, a pochi passi, è Oriente, la frontiera scorre nel dna e il futuro, qui nessuno ha dubbi, è là. Grupponi di turisti cinesi arrivati in autobus si godono il sole in terrazza, affacciati sull’immensa baia del Corno d’Oro. «Sì, come a Istanbul» annuisce in perfetto mandarino la guida bionda. «Di fronte a voi, è Mar del Giappone». In spiaggia ragazzi e ragazze, windsurf in braccio, si affrettano per afferrare l’ultima onda della sera. Più tardi un rave su uno degli isolotti della zona, un tempo off limits. È questa Vladivostok, finis terrae dell’Urss, fortezza militare segreta e chiusa fino al 1991? Per anni ne giungevano solo notizie di black out energetici, contrabbando, criminalità. Oggi nel porto stanno ormeggiate ancora le vecchie navi da guerra della Flotta del Pacifico, prima sovietica e poi russa. Ma al molo accanto attraccano navi da crociera da Tokyo e Seoul, e ferry boat quotidiani approdano a Don He in Sudcorea, la prefettura nipponica di Tottori.

I businessmen scendono al quattrostelle Hyundai, devoti a un’equazione elementare: «A noi servono materie prime, a loro braccia e spirito imprenditoriale. Matrimonio perfetto» sintetizza Javver Jiang da Lingqiao, 180 km da Shangai, che ha aperto qui una ditta di cartone pressato impiegando locali. Da Tokyo arrivano le auto usate che fanno l’80 per cento del traffico cittadino, insieme a veicoli cinesi mai visti: si guida con il volante a destra. «E mangiamo il borsh con le bacchette » scherza Oksana, 22 anni, giornalista in erba. Come le sue amiche non ha mai messo piede a Mosca ma ha visto Cina, Corea, Vietnam; va a tagliarsi i capelli a Suifenhe o Harbin, trova trendy pranzare nelle bettole del mercato Sportivnaja, dove si comunica in uno strano pidgin russo-cinese: «Fanno la cucina migliore in città». Un futuro di bimbi dagli occhi blu a mandorla non le pare fantascienza. A Mosca chiunque la guarderebbe come un’aliena, per non dire schifato. Là la diffidenza per lo straniero è regola, qui il “multietno” è tradizione da almeno un secolo. E la Cina in boom un vicino della porta accanto, che ai giovani non fa paura. «Per noi» ammette «esotico è l’Occidente».

I nativi, immigrati anche loro un tempo da Caucaso e Ucraina, amano paragonare la propria città a San Francisco: c’è l’Oceano, e bei palazzi eclettici antichi sulle vie a saliscendi solcate dai filobus. Krusciov vi volle pure una funicolare: ancora funziona, porta al tempio buddista sulla collina. E presto Vladivostok avrà il suo Golden Gate. Nel 2012, per il summit tra i paesi del Pacifico, quando qui sbarcheranno i pesi massimi dell’economia mondiale, Usa inclusi. Un’idea di Putin, che vuol farne motore di sviluppo per tutta la regione. «È la nostra assicurazione sul futuro» gongola il governatore di Prymorie di cui “Vladi” è capoluogo, Sergey Darkin: «Oggi siamo l’unica città in Russia, con Sochi olimpica, dove con la crisi i cantieri non si sono fermati». Ma primo business resta il porto commerciale, sublime porta verso gli affamati vicini dell’est, immune dal ghiaccio e dominato dai grandi cargo della Far Eastern Shipping Company (Fesco), prima compagnia locale. Tutto export: legname, carbone, acciaio, pesce, e presto energia quando il nuovo gasdotto da Sakhalin alla Manciuria sarà completato. «Con il summit avremo anche un nuovo terminal, ma si può fare di più» incalza Aleksey Dovbysh, capo ufficio stampa del porto. «Chiudere le frontiere non serve, Mosca l’ha capito anche se continua ad alzare barriere ai commerci di frontiera. Cento anni fa questo era un grande porto franco. Il nostro destino è tornare a quel passato: un grande hub di trasporto Europa-Asia con zona duty free, come Hong Kong, Singapore, Shangai» è sicuro Andrey Voronoy, editore di V-City, prima rivista dedicata interamente alla città. Voglia d’indipendenza? «No. Serve solo un po’ di autonomia economica, magari uno status speciale». Per qualcuno è un incubo, per altri l’opportunità del secolo. Ma tutti sono d’accordo: la sfida più grande per la Russia degli anni a venire, si gioca qui.

Lucia Sgueglia

http://www.corriere.it/esteri/09_settembre_17/vladivostok_io_donna_f97740a2-a3a0-11de-a213-00144f02aabc.shtml

“ Sekali menyelam, maju terus – tiada jalan untuk timbul sebelum menang. Tabah Sampai Akhir “ Bagian pidato Presiden Soekarno di atas kapal selam RI Tjandrasa pada 6 Oktober 1966 di dermaga Tanjung Priok, Jakarta.

Tabah Sampai Akhir atau “ Wira Ananta Rudhiro “ adalah moto kapal selam (KS) kita, moto yang dikenal sejak ALRI mengoperasikannya tahun 1959. Pengoperasian KS ini adalah keputusan politik yang jitu, sebagai negara maritim KS adalah sesuatu yang mutlak diperlukan. Untuk itu sejak Agustus 1958 Indonesia mengirim 110 personelnya ke Eropa Timur, berangkat dari Surabaya dengan kapal laut Heinrich Jensen berbendera Denmark.

Sesampainya di Reijeka (Yugoslavia), tombongan meneruskan perjalanan dengan kereta api ke Polandia lewat Ceko dan Hongaria secara nonstop. Selama 9 bulan mereka dilatih oleh personel Rusia agar menjadi awak kapal selam yang andal di Gdanks, sedang praktik berlayar dilakukan di Laut Baltik.

Selesai pendidikan mereka diangkut dengan kereta api Trans Siberia selama 9 hari menuju Vladivostok. Di sinilah dua KS kelas Whiskey menunggu untuk dilayarkan ke Indonesia lewat Samudera Pasifik. Dalam pengiriman ke Indonesia, kedua kapal selam tetap berbendera Rusia, sebagian besar ABK adalah orang Indonesia.

Pada 7 September 1959 sore, dua KS Panjang 76 meter bersenjata 12 torpedo merapat di dermaga Surabaya. Setelah berlatih lagi selama satu minggu di bawah instruktur Rusia, kedua KS resmi masuk jajaran kekuatan ALRI pada 12 September 1959 dan diberi nama RI Tjakra/S-01 dan RI Nanggala/S-02. Sejak saat itu Indonesia mempunyai KS yang berarti genaplah kemampuan angkatan laut, yaitu mampu beroperasi di atas air, di bawah air, di darat, dan di udara sesuai dengan konsepsi angkatan laut masa depan.

Bukan hanya dua KS yang dipesan Indonesia. Sebanyak 10 KS baru dari kelas yang sama juga didatangkan dari Rusia.

Untuk gelombang berikutnya, para ABK berlatig di Vladivostok, tempat di mana terdapat pangkalan kapal selam terbesar milik Rusia di Pasifik. Gelombang kedua sebanyak 4 KS datang pada Desember 1961 dan diberi nama RI Nagabanda, RI Trisula, RI Nagarangsang, dan RI Tjandrasa.

Sejalan dengan kampanye Trikora, satu tahun setelah itu tepatnya pada Desember 1962 datang lagi enam KS batu yang dipersenjatai torpedo jenis SEAT-50. Torpedo fire and forget ini merupakan torpedo terbaik pada zamannya dan hanya Rusia serta Indonesia yang memiliki torpedo jenis ini. Keenam KS tersebut diberi nama RI Widjajadanu, RI Hendradjala, RI Bramasta, RI Pasopati, RI Tjundamani, dan RI Alugoro. Semua nama itu mengambil nama senjata dari dunia pewayangan.

Langsung bertugas

Kedatangan 12 KS ini langsung diterjunkan dalam recana operasi Jayawijaya, bagian dari gema Trikora. Dalam operasi yang dramatik tiga KS melakukan infiltrasi di pantai utara Irian Barat, tetapi ketahuan kekuatan laut Belanda. Hanya RI Tjandrasa yang dinakhodai Mayor Laut Mas Mardiono berhasil mendaratkan 15 anggota RPKAD di Tanah Merah, 30 kilometer utara pelabuhan udara Sentani pada 21 Agustus 1962.

Atas keberhasilan ini semua ABK RI Tjandrasa mendapat Bintang Sakti berdasarkan Keppres No.14/1963. Baru kali ini Indonesia menganugerahkan Bintang Sakti bagi seluruh anggota, biasanya bintang tertinggi ini dianugerahkan kepada perorangan atas jasa luar biasa di luar tuntutan tugas.

Memang tugas KS jauh dari publikasi dan jarang terlihat lawan maupun kawan. Selama dioperasikan Indonesia, satuan KS selalu dilibatkan dalam berbagai operasi senyap, termasuk tugas negara ke Pakistan pada 1965. Pada 17 Oktober 1965, dua KS, yaitu di bawah komandan Kapten Pelaut Basuki (RI Nagarangsang) dan Kapten Pelaut Jasin Sudirdjo (KS Bramasta) ditugaskan berangkat ke Pakistan dalam kesiagaan tinggu.

Hal ini merupakan tugas yang sangat mencekam, mengingat Indonesia baru saja dilanda tragedi G-30S. Antara Pakistan dan India waktu itu sedang terlibat perang. Kedua KS hanya diperintahkan secara lisan untuk menuju Karachi menyusul Gugus Tugas X yang telah berada di Chitagong, Pakistan Timur, yaitu dua kapal cepat serta sejumlah prajurit KKI (kini Marinir TNI AL).

Setelah kedua KS merapat di Sorong untuk mengisi bahan bakar dan makanan sebelum ke Pakistan, masuk dua perwira dari Pakistan Navy yang akan bertindak sebagai liaison officer. Kedua perwira tersebut yaitu Mayor Malik di RI Nagarangsang, sedang Kapten Senior M Sultan di RI Bramasta. Kelak Mayor Malik menjadi Commander in Chief Pakistan Navy sedang Kapten Senior M Sultan menjadi Commander in Chief Bangladesh Navy.

Hanya dua kapal selam

Saat ini TNI AL hanya mengoperasikan dua kapal selam kelas U-209 buatan Jerman Barat, yaitu KRI Cakra/401 dan KRI Nanggala/402. Kapal selam yang datang tahun 1981 ini terasa sudah uzur di tengah tuntutan tugas negara yang padat.

Keinginan TNI AK untuk menambah dua kapal selam lagi masih memunggu alokasi anggaran yang dijanjikan baru akan mengucur pada 2011.

Jenis apa, dari negara mana, dan dengan harga beraoa kapal selam baru nanti dibeli cukup petinggi negara yang tahu. Rakyat juga tidak perlu tahu di mana kapal selam TNI AL beroperasi. Yang terpenting mereka bertugas dalam senyap dan penuh dedikasi tinggi. Tugas mereka yang berat hanya mendapat perlakuan lebih dari negara, yaitu kenaikan gaji berkala yang datang setiap tahun, sedang prajurit TNI lainnya datang setiap dua tahun.

Selamat ulang tahun emas tanggal 12 September 2009 buat korps Hiu Kencana, mereka bertugas dalam senyap jauh dari publikasi … Wira Ananta Rudhiro, Tabah Sampai Akhir … !

Sumber  :

50 Tahun Kapal Selam, Mengabdi dalam Kesunyian – F Djoko Poerwoko | Pemerhati Militer
Kompas, 09.09.2009

The world’s longest railway, the Trans-Siberian Railway in Russia, is 5,777 miles (9,297 kilometers) long. It runs from Moscow to Vladivostok. If the auxiliary route to Nakhodka is included, the distance becomes 5,865 miles (9,436 kilometers). The Trans-Siberian Railway was opened in sections. The first train transporting goods reached Irkutsk on August 27, 1898.

The Baikal-Amur Northern Main Line, which began operating in 1938, shortens the distance from Moscow to Vladivostok by about 310 miles (500 kilometers). The journey takes approximately 7 days, 2 hours, and crosses 7 time zones. There are 9 tunnels, 139 large bridges or viaducts (bridge carrying a railroad over a valley), and 3,762 smaller bridges on the whole route. Nearly the entire line is electrified.

10 years ago last week I arrived in Russia as Peace Corps Volunteer.  It is hard to believe that it was that long ago.  It feels like yesterday. Though I don’t miss the uncertainty of some of it, I miss the sense of adventure in going forward to something new and undiscovered.  I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately.  Perhaps, thinking isn’t the correct word but simply wishing I were still there.

Today, I went for a walk with a MeetUp Group in the Bucktown neighborhood of Chicago.  One of the houses had this orange ornate steel grate in front of their bay window on their porch.  It seems out of place somehow but totally right in that neighborhood as well.  It took me away to the far away city of Vladivostok to the top floor apartment of my first Russian host mother, Elena.  I remember sitting in my room or in the kitchen, looking out the window staring out the window. She had a great view of the sea once you could get past the bars.  I would sit there and wonder why there were bars on the 9th floor.  I figured it wasn’t the best question to ask in our conversations with her limited English and my limited Russian.  And maybe it was just my lack of cultural understanding and perhaps everyone in Russia had bars on their windows.  Most people were keeping people out but here they were keeping us in…safe.

I think back to my apartment in the dorm for my first 2 years in Blagoveshchensk, Russia.  It was on the first floor and it had bars on the windows, of course.  I used to think of them as sunbursts because there a small 3/4 circle in one corner with lines coming from the circle to all the edges.  Sometimes I’d look out those windows and think about how awful they were because you couldn’t see anything clearly out of those Russian windows.  You had to move and try and look past the bars to get the entire picture.

WTF Kim Jong Il, Japan is the other way!

Oh shit, sorry. A Russian warship accidentally fired a dummy artillery shell into the courtyard of an apartment building in Vladivostok. The warship was rehearsing mock battles for the annual Navy Day Holidays when the incident happened. Lucky for the idiot who “pressed the button” it wasn’t live or there would have been a lot of covering up explaining to do.The apartment building didn’t suffer any structural damage but did lose a few windows on impact. Counseling may be necessary for some of the residents….sheez, who am I kidding….what artillery shell?

I only just realized that today is my last day in Russia. I had been avoiding thinking about it, because I was expecting the worst RE my Chinese visa. But here it is – a bit over 11 weeks after I flew into St. Petersburg and was overwhelmed with its beauty and history, I’m about 10,000 km east, on another ocean, in another lovely historical Russian city – though one less enchanting.

I just stopped at the little shop downstairs to buy a couple of final Russian beers. I’m proud to say that the whole exchange, though extremely basic, took place in full-sentence Russian. (“Two Sibirskaya Korona Klassica, please” “Klassic?” “Yes” “Two?” “Yes” “58 roubles, please” “Here ya go” “Um…” “Oh! Didn’t I give you two roubles?” ” “Ay! Here you go.” “Thank you, goodbye.” “Goodbye”)

My neurotic feelings about neurotic Russia have not changed. I’m very sad to leave – and already plotting my return – despite the disappointing (and needless) failures I’ve had in many of my attempts here.

This country has *so* much potential. It’s overwhelming. Forget oil & gas – this country possesses abundant and beautiful nature-al resources. Enough to keep eco-tourists, adventurers, culture addicts, and most anyone occupied (and spending money) for a long, long time. But Russia is squandering this natural resource.

And then there are the people. They are deeply cynical about politics. They are frustrated by bureaucracy that is so all-pervasive that they can’t even see most of it. They must choose which rules to follow and which to ignore, because it’s impossible to follow all the rules and still live a life. They are not cheerful, but they know a thousand jokes.

The Russian people that I’ve met are deeply thoughtful and engaged with the world around them. Some are very ill-informed and/or susceptible to conspiracy theories – I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked if the CIA was really behind 9-11, or if the Fed deliberately caused the current global economic crisis. But still, they are much more curious and “informed” than the typical American.

What they lack is optimism, a topic I’ve been thinking a lot about lately. It’s a noticeable characteristic of Americans. It’s the reason I think the US can climb out of the econ-crisis faster than most other countries. It’s the reason we Americans are willing to take risks – as entrepreneurs, as investors, as home-buyers. It’s the reason, I think, that I was able to divest myself of my New York life and hit the road, with only a small amount of trepidation. I believe that “Things are going to be OK.”

Optimism can change your life. It can change your country. It’s necessary for democracy. It’s what’s behind civic action and civil disobedience. It’s what got Barack Obama elected, and it’s in this speech he gave at a Russian civil society conference while he was in town.

If Russians, somehow, find some optimism….watch out. It could be the next China!
——-

Meh, now I’m babbling, so I’ll stop. This is what you get when I can’t edit because my poor little HP is broke!

I’m going to pack. Then, if I can get back on the computer, I’ll write another post about Vladivostok, where the bus drivers all look like ex-Marines, smoke like chimneys, and have Barbie stickers on their speedometers. (I’m not kidding.)

This morning (yesterday evening, your time!) I was chatting on IM with my friend Henry. The gist of the conversation was, “Where are you? What have you been doing? When the hell are you going to post again, you no-account layabout?”

The short answer is: I’m still in Vladivostok, waiting for my Chinese visa, which should be ready tomorrow morning. That means if all gos as planned, I’ll leave for China Saturday morning and arrive in Beijing Sunday evening local time.

[The trainspotting types among you might be wondering why it takes 36 hours to get to Beijing. "There's a direct train, isn't there?" you must be wondering. In theory, there is. Only it takes a gobsmacking 40 hours just to get to Harbin, the transport hub of northeast China. I could get halfway through Siberia in that time! The reason for the time delay is shrouded in mystery. Evidently on this route the Russian and Chinese officials each take about 8 hours to do their border thing (that's 16 hours on a train, without a toilet). Plus the wheels of the train must be switched out (or something?) because Chinese tracks are a different size. So what should take about 20 hours, takes 40. No one can explain why trains on the Trans-Manchurian line, which enters China further west, don't suffer the same delays. Either no one knows or they don't feel like telling me. Personally, I blame the North Koreans.

Instead, I will take a ridiculously complicated bus/train route and save myself about a day: I'll go northwest from Vladivostok to Ussuriysk by bus - 2 hours. Then west from Ussuriysk (RUS)/Suifenhe (CN), the Chinese border town, by another bus (3ish hours, depending on the border process). Then I have to hang around Suifenhe for about 5 hours waiting for the overnight train to Harbin (8 hours). Finally, if I make the tight connection, I can take a fast day train from Harbin/Beijing (8 hours), arriving around 5:30 pm Sunday. Crazy!]

So, what of Vladivostok? My initial good feeling about the place is still there. It’s a pleasant, surprisingly green city on gentle slopes that jut at odd angles into various bays of the Pacific. The city center is especially nice, featuring pre-revolution architecture, some of which has been restored.

But the weather! I can barely see anything, the fog is so thick. I only know I’m by the ocean thanks to the unmistakable scent of salt water and sight of statues splattered with seagull shit. It’s damp and cool. Sometimes the fog becomes rain, ending any attempt at wandering. Then suddenly the fog lifts, and for a few hours I can scurry around in the bright sunshine, taking photos and climbing to viewpoints. And then, just as suddenly, the fog sweeps in and all is grey once again.

Since I’ve been here I’ve spent quite a bit of time with Eugene, the just-graduated Russian student I met on the train from Ulan-Ude. His mother grew up here and he spent his first 10 or so years here. When his mother lost her job the family – parents and two boys – was forced to live in a one-room flat. After a few months of that, they decided to move to Tomsk, where they had family, though the father didn’t want to go. Now Eugene, his brother and his mom are here putting the papers together so they can sell their old one-room flat.

There’s a lot that’s interesting about Eugene. He’s remarkably focused, for a 22-year-old. At the moment he works for Gazprom, the Russian oil & gas company, doing some sort of logistical project management. But he wants to work for a foreign company, because they have a clear career path laid out. At Gazprom, I guess, your promotions are left to the mercy of the moods and popularity of your direct boss. But Eugene is going places, and wants to see exactly where his job will take him, and how long it will take to get there.

I was shocked when I met his mother, who looks Buriyat (ethnically similar to Mongol). He must, I thought, take after his father 100% – this very tall, very blue-eyed, very white Russian betrays no Asian blood. In fact, his mom is only half-Buriyat: her father was Buriyat and her mother, believe it or not, was Jewish. So this little Asian woman is a Russian Jew, and only recently told her sons that they, too, are Jewish. It’s as outlandish as some Irish guy from the Bronx named, say, Patrick Canavan, being Jewish. Oh wait…

For his part, Eugene seems proud and excited and curious about his Jewish heritage, and is planning a visit to Israel. He wants to get his Israeli passport.  I could be wrong – I’m neither Jewish nor Russian – but I have a feeling he hasn’t quite grasped the discrimination that I fear is coming his way. I hope I’m wrong.

So I came all the way to Vladivostok expecting Russian sailors, concrete ugliness, and lots of Chinese & Korean immigrants (and illegals). Instead I found American sailors, European architecture and Russian Jews. That’s Russia!

OK, I must run out and get some fresh air and groceries. I promise to post again today, at least once. I’ve had various things running around in my foggy head, only some of which are at all interesting. I’ll try to pick only the interesting bits to write about.

I’ve been in foggy Vladivostok for 5 days, with great wifi internet access, but for some reason I haven’t posted. There’s so much to say about my train ride here, about this beautiful city full of American sailors (!), about the people I’ve met here.

But I’m afflicted with fog of my own – unable to write, to concentrate. It’s hard to be “always on” – to be constantly figuring out where to go and how, meeting new people from different countries, becoming acquainted with a new city, planning future itineraries…and writing, too. Every once in a while I’ll need a break.

So for the past few days I’ve been laaazy. Yeah, I applied for my Chinese visa (ready on Friday!). Yeah, I met American navy guys who are here for a week on a sort of friendship-exchange mission. Yeah, I met up with my new friend Eugene, who I met on the train, where he played interference between me and various vodka-fueled Russian army recruits. Yeah, I stayed out late drinking beer with a couple I met here in the hostel while they waited for their 3 am train. And I’ve wandered around a good bit of Vladivostok as well.

I might write about these people and experiences in a later post. In the meantime, though, I’m going to read about Steve McNair’s sad end and Sarah Palin’s ineloquent Nixon impression and other trash.

I’ve hardly seen it, but…it feels right. It’s much more beautiful than I thought – I expected lots and lots and lots of Khrushchev Specials, but instead I find slightly crumbling 19th- and early-20th-century structures on rolling tree-green hills. All surrounded by the Pacific.

Of course, this is an initial, sleep-deprived impression. We shall see what’s what tomorrow.

In completely off-topic news, how about those LogMeIn guys ? I’m too sleepy to wait for the market to open, so I’ll just say: Good luck with the IPO, my dear Magyar (and Magyar-inclined) friends! As someone who’s trying to spend her life Remotely Anywhere, I’m terribly excited for you all. (I probably only think that joke is funny because of sleepy delirium. So off to bed.)

PS – Did I mention that I spent the last almost 3 days in a train half-filled with Russian army recruits? It was…smelly. More l8r.

Russian police kill Caucasus gang who robbed Chinese.

Russian police shot dead 3 people from the Caucasus region of Central Asia, who they said had robbed and killed Chinese nationals in Vladivostok this month, the public security authority of Heilongjiang Province (simp黑龙江省;trad黑龍江省) said Wednesday.

The province borders Russia.

Five masked men broke into an apartment rented by 7 Chinese in Vladivostok, Russia, at about 5 a.m. on March 6 and robbed them. The Chinese fought back and the gang opened fire, the Heilongjiang Provincial Public Security Department said, citing a report from China’s Consulate General in Khabarovsk, which administers Vladivostok.

Three injured Chinese were hospitalized, with one later dying. The other two remain under observation. All the Chinese were natives of Mudanjiang City (牡丹江) in Heilongjiang.

Russian police found the gang in a residential building on March 14 and shot 3 dead after negotiations failed. The local authorities in Vladivostok, bordering Heilongjiang, were working on measures to protect foreigners.

bron: www.chinadaily.com.cn [18-3-2009]

It’s after midnight in Ulan Ude. I’m back from my frustrating journey north. I’ve had two large beers, so I’m calm.

The bus dropped us at the train station instead of the bus station ( “It’s Russia!”), but this time Russian logic worked to my benefit. I walked in and bought the first ticket to Vladivostok. Yay!

So in 12 hours I will be boarding train number 8, heading east. Sixty-two and one-half hours later (that’s almost three days) I will debark in Vladivostok, home to the Russian Pacific Fleet. It was a carefully closed-off city during Soviet times, and more recently the most wild of Russia’s Wild East. I will apply for my Chinese visa, tour the city while waiting, and then leave Russia. I think I’ve had enough.

I’m kinda delighted that I’ll be spending July 4 in such a place.

See ya’ll on the East Coast.