Do you still remember an Hollywood box office hit--Blue Lagoon?The film tells the story of two young children marooned on a tropical island paradise in the South Pacific. With neither the guidance nor the restrictions of society, emotional feelings and physical changes arise as they reach puberty and fall in love.
Get back to reality, not that far from the South Pacific, there’s a small remote island, inhabited by a single couple; the husband’s name is Daeng Abu, he is blind and suffers from lepra, and his wife who goes by the name of ‘Cantik’ (meaning beautiful) is deaf. This is the story of the island, a beautiful paradise in which genuine love prevails outside of modern society, a love story that might never make it on the Big Screen, but is real and heartfelt nonetheless.
Cangke Island, Daeng Abu and Cantik’s Blue Lagoon?
Cangke island is located near Makassar, South Sulawesi. This small paradise is inhabited by a couple of runaway lovers who retired from the cacophony of a civilization that they don’t really understand and doesn’t really understand them. Cangke’s landscape certainly serves their purpose, the white sandy beaches, radiant blue sea, and colorful coral reefs would do well on any travel brochure. Youngsters used to come here to camp, trying to survive with the limited resources the island has to offer. It is like a magnet that drags adventure seekers there, a forsaken island “outside” of civilization: there are no commercial cottages or other luxurious services, no restaurants, shops or cafes. Those who come here have to set up camp and provide for themselves.
The Love Story of the Castaways
Turning their backs on civilization, Daeng Abu and his wife are prime examples of people who refused modernity. Around 1972, Daeng Abu, then still in his twenties, suffered not only from lepra, but also from society’s prejudice against the disease. During that era, lepra was considered a ‘curse’ and the bearers of this curse were often discriminated, avoided and/or ignored. Sitti Maidah, who later became known as ‘Cantik’, tried to have hope and continued to stand by her beloved husband. Eventually they both decided to leave their villages due to the negative backlash from their own community. They settled on the no man’s island of Cangke, where they live until now.
After leaving their community with bitterness, they managed to survive in a relatively subsistent way of life. Love and sharing are their natural principles. They would surely agree with a quote from author and free-spirit Henry Miller: “I have no money, no resources, no hopes. I am the happiest man alive.” Except that Daeng Abu and Cantik, do have hopes. They hope that the natural habitat of the sea and the ecosystem that surrounds them will not be destroyed. They hope that civilization stays far-away from them. They take from nature what’s necessary, without making excessive use of resources out of greed.
Of course, in modern times it is nearly impossible to live in that remote area and kept secluded with the world. But it's true that people never give up on finding their true love. Now that with Asiame.com, it's far more easier to find an Asian wife who's more loyal and devoted than everyone else.
