Some visitors might wonder why I didn’t pick a name reflective of my name or some other marketable and memorable names. Some who understands what tjandoe radjoet means might even wonder why I picked a name that contains such a pejorative word. Is it, though?
I tend to disagree.
Tjandoe radjoet simply means crochet addict. It is written in the style of van Ophuijsen Spelling System which was used as Indonesia’s official spelling in 1901-1947. As with the grammar rules of English to Indonesian translation, tjandoe means addict; radjoet means crochet. If it’s written in Modern Indonesian, it will be candu rajut, which is not sexy at all.
Van Ophuijsen spelling is very dear to me because I still use it daily with my closest confidants. I sometimes still write Whatsapp messages or notes in this style because I think it is a part of Indonesian history and shall not be forgotten. Some of my previous colleagues called me ancient because I like this spelling, which was funny that this comment came from a bunch of archaeologists.
Historically, this spelling marked a transition period in Indonesia’s history right after the Independence (1945) to become the country that it is today. Nonetheless, van Ophuijsen spelling is still in use by quite a number of Indonesians within their names to this day. I also see some emergence of local business using the style, especially those of culinary business. Don’t ask me why it is popular in that segment.
I first picked this name because I thought I would be crocheting forever and making a motherload of income from the hobby. Yep, there was a time when this blog was designed to be one of those crafty-themed blogs supporting my yarn shop. In reality, the haberdashery market has become oversaturated in Indonesia. I was out of ideas on how to stay on top. Plus, I was still juggling between archaeological field works and yarn shop, which was very challenging.
But as you know, I changed the direction of my career choice and thought I still like to keep the title. After deep thoughts and asking advice from some of my closest confidants, I chose to stay with the name. Crochet will always be my hobby, yarn will always be one of my obsessions, and I will not quit crocheting in the foreseeable future.
In conclusion, I think Tjandoe Radjoet represents me, a moderately conservative old-school, crochet-loving, yarn-obsessed, history buff, bookworm, ex-archaeologist who now owns a blog and works as an English transcriber. Voilà!
And that’s the story behind Tjandoe Radjoet.
I thank you for visiting my little corner of the web, and I hope you enjoy it.
