BANDUNG DAILY PHOTO

S-28 Cafe

2012-01-27T22:59:00.000+07:00

I like coffee and going to cafes to enjoy it.

Like many urbanites anywhere, I go to cafes not only to have - drink and enjoy - coffees, but also to socialize or, quite the opposite of it, have some quiet time on my own. Sometimes I also do my blogging from one of these places.

Of all the cafes that I have frequented, I can probably say that S-28 on Jalan Sulanjana 28 is one of my favorites.

Unlike some other cafes which are popular among teenagers, it has a quieter and more relaxed atmosphere: no loud music, no ‘buzzing’ chatters, and – best of all – it is strategically located between my office and home. So, whenever the traffic is bad and I don't feel like driving through it, I can just stop by the place, have a piece of pastry and a coffee, read a book or write a post for my blog, and wait till the congestion is easing.

The decoration of the cafe is quite nice too. I like how they put a bag of coffee beans and jars containing different kinds of coffee beans that they serve at the counter.

And I didn't know until quite recently - when I accidentally met an ex-student of mine - that the back room of this cafe is actually also a "Rent Office & Meeting Room." These rented offices and meeting room, according to him (who happens to have his office there), provides shared office facilities and even a private secretary and office staff. This can save a lot of overhead and operational costs for a small or a start up business like the one he is trying to start.

Curious, I asked if I could have a peek into his office. It's a nice three square meter office space. It looks like a decent office of a company executive.

Enjoying Young Coconuts

2012-01-12T18:44:00.001+07:00

People enjoying young coconuts on the road side at Babakan Ciamis, near Jalan Aceh, Bandung.

Young coconut is a favorite drink, especially on a hot day. Coconut contains water inside that tastes mildly sweet and fresh. The soft flesh also tastes very good.

A Friendly Handshake with A Mascot

2012-01-11T18:24:00.002+07:00

A little girl is shaking hands with a friendly Super Mario mascot. I snapped this photo at "Rumah Mode," a factory outlet on Jalan Dr. Setiabudi, in the north of Bandung.

Al Imtizaj Mosque

2012-01-10T23:26:00.000+07:00

The Al Imtizaj mosque is a small mosque attached to a trade center on ABC Street (Jalan ABC). It is one of the two mosques in Bandung that have a touch of Chinese traditional architecture. The other one is the Lautze Mosque No. 2 on Jalan Tamblong.

Bust Mannequin

2012-01-08T23:40:00.001+07:00

Three bust (head only) mannequins wearing hijab used by a street vendor selling Muslim woman's head cover at Alun-Alun Bandung.

Located in front of Bandung Grand Mosque (Mesjid Agung Provinsi Jawa Barat di Bandung), Alun-alun Bandung is a busy market place where one can find almost anything from foods and drinks to clothes and accessories to toys and games.

Super Scooter

2012-01-07T23:57:00.034+07:00

This punk-style, self-modified scooter looks astonishing, doesn't it?

Modified old scooter punk-style like this one is quite a popular statement among the members of punk communities here. Some of the modified scooters look somewhat aesthetically nice and curious like this one. But many, in ~~many~~ my opinion, look just like a moving trash bin. I think most of them are not safe and road-worthy either.

Strangled Skateboarder

2012-01-06T23:54:00.000+07:00

Oh, oh ... what happened to this skateboarder? He didn't see a cable in front of him and was strangled in his action.

Fortunately he's not a real living skateboarder. He's just a statue. I don't know if its placement near the electric cable was deliberate. It might be. As far as I know, the electric cable had already been there before the statue was put in the front yard of the building next to the one where the cable was. Perhaps the maker of the statue was very much aware of it and deliberately put his/her work there. It might also be possible that he/she was not aware of it. Either ways, it creates a funny scene.

Hideous Grotesquerie

2012-01-05T23:34:00.003+07:00

Is this a Hollywood horror movie character?

Perhaps! But this hideous character was found nowhere near Hollywood. It is in fact just a wax (or polymer?) figure put at a store front of a clothing shop (or 'distro'/distribution outlet as it is called here) at Cihampelas Street.

Scary, isn't it? But in spite of its appearance, this figure and a couple of other have attracted passers by to the store.

Here is another one:

Bubble Man

2012-01-03T15:24:00.000+07:00

A bubble seller (bubble man) demonstrating how his merchandise (bubble-making liquid and equipment) works on Dago Street one Sunday morning.

As I reported in some previous posts labeled Dago Car-Free Day, the street is closed for motorized vehicles every Sunday from 6 to 10 a.m. to allow citizens to use the street for some leisurely walk, exercise, socializing, and different kinds of creative and/or entertaining activities. It's always a fun experience to walk this street during this time of the week.

New Year's Trumpets

2011-12-31T12:52:00.000+07:00

Colorful trumpets of different shapes and sizes are the staple of New Year's celebration here. Made from paper with - I must say - remarkable craftsmanship, they have already been offered for sale on the streets since a few days ago.

As anywhere else in the world, tonight revelers will get together on the streets and in many other public places here to celebrate the coming of the new year. Trumpets like these are what many of them would bring to help them in the noise-making hullabaloo typical in new year's celebration.

Being a person who doesn't like crowds and noise, I would just be celebrating it at home, having a barbecue with family and friends and then some reflective moments on my own about the year that has passed and the resolutions for the year ahead.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Jumping, Walking Stilts

2011-12-26T16:38:00.000+07:00

This young man was striding towards my direction just like that, briskly and fast, when I was taking pictures at Dago Car-Free Day last week. Frankly speaking, I was quite surprised by the gear he was walking on: stilts!

These stilts were not quite like any I'd seen before though. A friend of mine told me later that they were jumping-walking stilts, which he said was becoming a trendy curiosity among some young people here.

Book Wrapper

2011-12-22T23:23:00.000+07:00

A book wrapper at work at Palasari Book Market. This man and a couple of others in the area would help you wrap (put paper and/or plastic jackets) on your books for a small fee.

Does Dog Like Coke?

2011-12-21T23:56:00.001+07:00

Apparently it does.

Like humans, dogs like sweet drink like coke. Unfortunately, coke is bad for dogs. It can cause tooth and other serious health problems for them.

Photo taken at Alun-Alun Bandung (Bandung City Square).

An Eager Customer

2011-12-20T23:22:00.000+07:00

A street vendor offering colorful balloons, a mom and a child. What's going to happen next?
Photo taken at Dago street on the Car-Free Day last Sunday (18/12/2011).

Stage Act From Bandung Youth Band Festival 2011

2011-12-19T15:47:00.000+07:00

The stage act of an independent-band singer taking part in Bandung Youth Band Festival 2011 held at Cihampelas Walk (Ciwalk) yesterday (Sunday, December 18, 2011).

Bandung Ice Skating Ring

2011-12-16T22:21:00.000+07:00

Back in 2008, I posted a story about ice skating in Bandung. The ice-skating ring that was located in Istana Plaza featured in the story was unfortunately closed in 2009 and so for a while Bandung did not have an ice-skating ring.

However, that did not last long. In September 2010, a new and bigger ice-skating ring was opened. Located at the roof top of Paris van Java or PVJ on Jalan Sukajadi, this new ice-skating ring occupies a floor space of 40 x 20 meters. This facility is bigger than the previous one. It is also better equipped. Called "Garden Ice", the premise is home of Bandung Skating Academy - a training facility for those who are interested in doing ice sports. Two kinds of ice sport are are taught here: Figure skating and ice hockey.

Bicycle Market

2011-12-15T16:02:00.000+07:00

Looking at this photo, you might think that this place is a bicycle parking area. No, it isn't. It's a road-side bicycle market. Located at Jalan ABC (ABC Street) at Banceuy in the center of the city, the open air market sells all sorts of bicycles: new, used, and reconditioned. If you know how to ask, you can even find old vintage bicycles. As in any traditional markets here, prices are negotiable and are usually less expensive that those at regular bicycle shops.

Mobile Recycler

2011-12-14T11:04:00.000+07:00

A private trash collector? A mobile recycler? A scavenger?

I suppose you call him all that. This man collects garbage - well, the useful part of it - and sell it to a collector for recycling or reprocessing. Photo taken at Andir market area.

Kopi Aroma - Bandung's Coffee Heritage

2011-09-25T20:36:00.001+07:00

For a city whose past glory was intimately linked with tea and coffee plantations, Bandung is well known for its cafes and tea and coffee processing plants. One such places that has survived the time and is considered to be a heritage coffee institution is Paberik Kopi Aroma (lit. Aroma Coffee Plant).

Located on 51 Banceuy Street, Paberik Kopi Aroma was established in 1930 by Tan Houw Sian who ran it until 1971 when it was passed to his son Pak Widya Pratama, a friendly guy who would gladly give you a tour of his coffee processing plant, warehouse, and shop and explain the entire process of coffee bean processing.

The whole process begins with the select coffee beans that his shop acquired from local farmers as well as those from many other parts of Indonesia. (He says that he bought his Arabica beans from Aceh, Medan, Tana Toraja, East Nusatenggara, and Java; and Robusta from Central Java and Lampung.)

The already dry beans will be sun-dried for at least one day. They will then be stored in the warehouse for five to eight years depending on the type of the bean. (Robusta coffee beans need longer storage time to get rid of their acidity.)

The 'mature' bean will then be roasted traditional way. Here, Paberik Kopi Aroma only uses red warm fire produced by old rubber tree woods. Pak Widya says that red warm fire is essential in the production process because if the temperature is too high, the beans will get burned and it will destroy the aroma of the coffee.

When the processing is complete, the beans are ready for sale. You can buy them in the form of coffee beans or powder. The store will gladly grind the beans in front of you with its old coffee grinding machines (some of them dated back from the 1900),

And here is a tip about coffee storage that you'll find on Kopi Aroma the packaging:

Wilt U heerlijke Koffei drinken?
aroma en smaak blijven goed, indien U de Koffei van de zak direct in een gesloten stopfles of blik overplaatst.

Niet it de zak laten staan!

Maoe minoem Koffie selamanja enak?
Aromanja dan rasanja tinggal tetep, kaloe ini Koffei soeda di boeka dari kantongnja harep di pindahkeun di stopfles atawa di blik jang tertoetoep rapet.

Djangan tinggal di kantong!

(The top paragraph is in Dutch, the bottom is in old or colonial style Indonesian.)

Translation:
You want to keep/preserve the taste of your coffee?
To preserve the aroma of your coffee, put the coffee in a tightly sealed container once you open the package.

Do not leave it in the package!

Pictures by Myke Jeanneta, a Bandung Daily Photo regular contributor.

Under-The-Tree-Shade Barber

2011-09-09T19:01:00.000+07:00

You might wonder what these makeshift tents under the trees by the road side are. But if you look closer, you'll find this:

Yes, they are barber kiosks. We call them DPR (di bawah pohon rindang or under the tree shade) barber.

They are pretty good, and inexpensive. The barbers are very friendly too.

Photos by Aries Rachmandy, a free-lance photographer, journalist, and Bandung Daily Photo contributor. You can see more of his works here.

Brass Music

2011-08-18T22:55:00.001+07:00

A number of young people playing brass musical instruments on the road side in front of SMA Negeri 1 (State Senior Hight School No 1) during the Car-Free Day.

As I said before, Car-Free Day is held every Sunday morning along Dago street. During the event, the street is freed from any motor vehicles so that citizens could walk, exercise, and/or simply enjoy the various attractions offered by their fellow citizens.

Photo by Alda Agustine, a Bandung Daily Photo contributor.

Flags, Banners, and Bunting

2011-08-16T15:37:00.000+07:00

A couple of street vendors selling flags, banners, and buntings on Sukarasa Street in the north of Bandung.

Flags, banners, and buntings sellers like this are thriving in the weeks prior to the celebration of Indonesian Proclamation of Independence Day on August 17th.

Palasari Book Market

2011-08-14T04:53:00.000+07:00

Palasari is the name of a book market located on the street which becomes its name. This market is very popular among students and book lovers. They love it not only because they can find almost any books here (textbooks, new and used books, local and imported books, and even vintage old books) but also because the books sold here are offered at prices that are much lower than those offered by large chain book stores.

I like this book market because the atmosphere is very relaxed and friendly. The owners of the kiosks are always ready to help you and seem to be very knowledgeable about books. You can always ask them for a title or an author, and they will produce it in no time. If they don't have it, they would always know where to find it and direct you to a kiosk that may have it.

If you are a book lover, it's a place you would not want to miss when you visit Bandung.

Mechanical Toy-Bird

2011-08-11T21:05:00.000+07:00

A father is trying to help his son set a mechanical toy-bird to fly at the Alun-Alun, Bandung's city square.

Indonesia Channel 2011

2011-08-06T21:20:00.000+07:00

These are a couple of photos that I took at Indonesia Channel 2011 held at Eldorado Family Club in the north of Bandung on July 29, 2011.

Indonesia Channel is the name of Indonesian art and cultural event which has been held every year since 2003. The event is organized as part of the Indonesian Arts and Culture Scholarship, a program sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs to demonstrate Indonesia’s commitment in advancing social cultural cooperation among countries in the world through direct contact and sharing of cultures amongst youths involved in the program.

The Indonesia Channel is the finale of the program in which the grantees collaboratively plan and stage a grand performance and exhibition of Indonesian art and culture which they have learned for the three-month duration of the program.

This year, the scholarship was given to 50 grantees from 31 countries. They were spread in four different cities with four different cultural heritage, namely Denpasar in Bali, Surabaya in East Java, Surakarta in Central Java, and Bandung in West Java. In each of the cities that hosted them they learned the Indonesian language (Bahasa Indonesia), different aspects of the Indonesian culture, including the local traditions and performance arts, and visited the country's significant historical places. In addition to these, they were also given the opportunity to introduce and promote their respective countries at local schools and colleges.

Surveillance Video Camera

2011-08-05T01:53:00.000+07:00

More and more surveillance video cameras (or CCTV as it is more commonly known here) are installed outside important public premises here for security purposes. This one outside a family club house in the north of Bandung attracted my attention because it is housed in a unique, bird-house like housing.

This post is Bandung Daily Photos's participation in Skywatch Friday. Please check what other participating blogs have posted.

A Fun Attraction

2011-08-03T11:31:00.000+07:00

At Bandung Car-Free Day, you can find a lot of different fun attractions offered by individuals, groups, and members of the city's numerous creative communities. Here's one of them that Sudarmanto Edris, a Bandung Daily Photo contributor, captured last Sunday: A number of young people (students?) put on cardboard boxes to cover their heads and hand in hand they walked together along the street.

Can you read the letters written on the boxes?

August 2011 Theme Day: Kawah Putih Revisited

2011-08-01T23:05:00.000+07:00

Back in August 2008, I posted two stories about Kawah Putih (White Crater): here and here. The pictures shown in those posts were taken during the peak of the dry season and the crater lake looked shallow. I visited the crater again early this year during the wet season when the water was higher and took some more photos. This is one of them. I am sharing it with you today to show you a different view of the lake.

This photo and post is Bandung Daily Photo's participation in this month's CDPB Theme Day: Postcard-worthy. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Marhaban Ramadan Kareem! (Welcome the Holy Month of Ramadan)

2011-07-31T22:28:00.000+07:00

As the sun sets today, Moslems in this part of the world is entering the holy month of Ramadan. Beginning tomorrow morning, we are going to observe daily fasting from dawn to dusk for the whole month. So, let me wish my fellow Moslems around the world, happy Ramadan. May the God's blessing be upon us all.

Photographers' Outdoor Gallery

2011-07-30T12:42:00.001+07:00

A number of young and talented photographers displaying their works at Dago Street on Bandung Car-Free Day. They said that they displayed their works there so that people would take notice of their works.

Car-Free Day is held every Sunday morning from 6 to 10 a.m. along the upper part of Dago Street from Cikapayang junction in the south to Simpang Dago in the north. During this time, this part of the street is freed from cars and motor vehicles so that the citizens can use it to exercise or simply stroll and relax while enjoying a lot of different attractions offered by their fellow citizens.

Photo by Myke Jeanneta, a Bandung Daily Photo contributor.

Sunset at Gunung Masigit

2011-07-29T13:58:00.000+07:00

Two weeks ago, I went on a short hiking and climbing trip to Gunung Masigit (lit. Mt. Mosque, 2078 meters above sea level), a limestone mountain near Padalarang in West Bandung Regency. The trip was part of a one-day tracking tour of pre-historic Bandung organized by our friends at Mahanagari (I'm going to write a complete story about it later).

It was near sunset when we got to the top, and rainy, which was quite a disappointment because we had wanted to enjoy the beauty of the sunset from there. So, while waiting for the rain to stop, we took shelter in a makeshift hut prepared by some previous climbers. Some twenty minutes later, the rain subsided and the sun began to appear again on the horizon. This is one of the photos I could manage to take from the hut before the rain completely stopped.

This post is Bandung Daily Photo's participation in this week's Skywatch Friday. Please follow the link to check other participating blogs' posts.

Saguling Lake

2011-07-27T11:22:00.000+07:00

The tranquil water of Saguling amid the backdrop of the blue ridges of Bandung's southern mountain range seen from Cikadu, Sindangkerta, West Bandung Regency.

Saguling is a man-made en-catchment lake made for a hydroelectric power plant dam of the same name. It was built in 1985 and is located on the upstream of the Citarum River about 40 kilometers to the southwest of the city of Bandung at the elevation of about 650 meters above sea level.

The Saguling Dam currently produces 700 megawatts of electricity. The capacity can, however, be increased to 1400 megawatts when required. The dam is part of a system of three dams along the Citarum. The other two, located further downstream, are the Cirata and the Jatiluhur.

This post is Bandung Daily Photo's participation in Watery Wednesday.

West Java World Music Festival 2011

2011-07-26T11:08:00.000+07:00

An African musician with his ethnic acoustic musical instrument is performing in tandem with a local musician at West Java World Music Festival 2011 held at Monumen Perjuangan Rakyat Jawa Barat from July 16 to 17 last week.

West Java World Music Festival (WJWMF) is an annual event held by The West Java Tourism and Culture Office. Musicians from 11 countries and four continents took part in this year's festival. Among them were Patrick Shaw Iversen (Norway), Andy Hiroshi Suzuki (Japan), Zakaria Kone (Burkina Faso), Mahmud Fadh (Egypt), Savada (USA), Mohar and Ramli (Malaysia), and Maribeth and Band (The Philippines).

This post is Bandung Daily Photo's participation in MY WORLD TUESDAY. Please follow the link to see posts from other participating blogs from all over the world.

Photo by Alda Agustine, a Bandung Daily Photo contributor.

Driver's License Test

2011-07-24T23:56:00.001+07:00

Like in any other countries, you need a driver's license (driving licence) to operate a motor vehicle in Indonesia.

Surat Izin Mengemudi (SIM) or driver's license is issued by the Police. To get it, you need to pass a written test and then a driving practice test.

The driving practice test is conducted both at the police station ground and on the streets. This picture shows how a motorbike rider takes the riding skills test at the police station ground.

Washing the Train

2011-07-23T18:09:00.000+07:00

Trains too need be washed and kept clean. I just didn't know how until I saw it being done sometime ago when I got off the train at Stasion Hall, Bandung's main train station, from a trip to Jakarta. Some workers use long hoses to spray the cars, some apply soap/cleaning agent, and some scrub them using brushes with a long arm to reach the top parts of the cars.

Caramel Grilled Banana

2011-07-21T22:45:00.000+07:00

This 'sumptuous' photo of caramel grilled banana served with roasted peanuts and fresh strawberry has been sitting in my hard drive for quite a while. I remember having it as a dessert in a restaurant in the north of Bandung.

'Candy Land'

2011-07-19T16:59:00.000+07:00

A lot of varieties of candies from different parts of the world are sold at this kiosk under the escalator at King's Supermarket on Kepatihan Street in the center of the city.

Not being a candy lover, I never quite remember what the name of the kiosk is. 'Candy land' are the words that come to my mind every time I pass by it. Perhaps next time around, I should really check what the name is.

Shoelaces for Sale

2011-07-18T11:55:00.000+07:00

Shoelaces for sale at the alun-alun in front of Mesjid Raya Bandung (Bandung Grand Mosque).

Different types, shapes, and colors of shoelaces are offered by this street vendor. All you need to do is pick and choose the ones you need.

PERSIB Lovers

2011-07-17T10:42:00.002+07:00

A mother is trying to fit a Persib merchandise hat to her son in front of Jalak Harupat Stadium prior to a football match between Persib and Persija sometime ago.

Persib is Bandung, and Bandung is Persib. I think that much can be said about the relationship of Persib and Bandung.

Persib the acronym of 'Persatuan Sepakbola Bandung' or Bandung Football Union is the apple of the heart of Bandung's football lovers or the people of Bandung for that matter. It was established on 14 March 1933 as a result of a merger of three previously existing football clubs, namely Bandoeng Inlandsche Voetbal Bond (BIVB), Persatuan Sepak bola Indonesia Bandung (PSIB) and National Voetball Bond (NVB). These clubs were formed partly because the Dutch (the Indonesian colonial ruler at that time) would not allow the 'inlander' (the Indonesian indigenous people) to play football with them and because football played by the Indonesian indigenous people were considered as second class games. Considering its history, Persib is considered to be an important means of struggle for a national identity and independence.

Photo by Aries Rachmandy, a Bandung Daily Photo contributor, a journalism student and freelance photographer. More of his photo stream can be found here.

A Post Note:
As soon as I published this post, I was alerted by some friends that today was the 18th anniversary of Viking Persip Fans Club. What a coincidence.

Persib's fan club is called Viking. I don't know why they call themselves by that name. Perhaps the name can explain to you why the merchandise hat that the mother is trying to fit on her son's head has some sort of horns and spikes like the head gear worn by the Scandinavian Viking.

HAPPY 18th ANNIVERSARY, VIKING!

Waiting for Mid-day Prayer at Bandung Grand Mosque

2011-07-16T02:20:00.000+07:00

Moslems are waiting for the zhuhur (mid-day prayer) to start at Masjid Agung Bandung (Bandung Grand Mosque).

After the latest renovation, which was completed on January 13, 2006, this is what the interior of the main hall of the mosque looks like. It is more spacious and looks brighter with sunlight coming from the windows around the base of the dome. The mihrab has also been remodeled. Now it has an arch that is typical of a mosque with golden Koranic verses inscriptions on it. Previously the mihrab did not have an Arabic-influenced arch like this one.

Vila Isola Obelisk Against the Sky

2011-07-15T08:02:00.000+07:00

This is one of the two obelisk-shaped structures at the southern garden of Vila Isola. They are placed on either side of the building, one on the west and one on the east of it. I don't know what they were originally for. But today they are used as lighting post.

This post is Bandung Daily Photo's participation in this week's Skywatch Friday meme. Please check other participating blogs' posts from around the world here.

Plastic Wares at Cihideung Sunday Market

2011-07-14T23:50:00.000+07:00

Plastic wares for sale at Cihideung Sunday market held on the vicinity of Graha Puspa housing complex.

Sunday market is a popular phenomenon in Indonesian cities, including Bandung. It is usually held on Sunday morning in a public area, usually a park, a field or a sport track to coincide with people going there to do Sunday morning exercise. The most popular these days are those held at Lapangan Gasibu (Gasibu Square) and the car-free day on Dago street. The one in the picture is held at Graha Puspa, a suburban upscale housing complex in the northern hills of Bandung.

Photo by Agus Wahyudi, a Bandung Daily Photo contributor.

Car Breakdown

2011-07-13T22:32:00.000+07:00

Having an engine breakdown in the mid of a heavy traffic - like what these men were experiencing - is certainly not fun. But what can you say. It's an old car and the heavy traffic must have been too much for its ailing engine.

Road Side Tire Patch-er

2011-07-12T22:01:00.000+07:00

A road-side tire patcher at work on Dr. Setiabudi Street in the north of Bandung.

There are many tire patchers like this on the road side of Bandung. They are a convenience for motorists who have a flat tire and need their tire repaired or those who just need to add air pressure to their tires.

There is no word 'patcher' in English dictionaries that I know of. That's probably because there is no trade of this kind in their world. I made up the word from the verb 'patch' to name a person whose job is to patch tires. The Indonesian word for it is 'tukang tambal ban'.

This post is Bandung Daily Photo's participation in MY WORLD TUESDAY meme. Please check other participanting blog posts from around the world here.

Bandung Go Skateboarding Day 2011

2011-07-11T23:17:00.001+07:00

This belated report of "Bandung Go Skateboarding Day 2011" is made possible by the generous contribution of Aries Rachmandy, a freelance photographer and a journalism student at STIKOM Bandung.

"Bandung Go Skateboarding Day 2011" was held on June 21, 2011 at Gelora Saparua (Saparua Sports Arena). The event was attended by hundreds of skateboarders from all over the city and showcased different skateboarding attractions as you can see in these photos. It was also used by the skateboarders to demand that the municipal government provide them with more decent skateboarding facilities (see the banner they displayed in the last photo).

Skateboarding is increasingly becoming a very popular sport among the city's youths. But the lack of decent facilities for skateboarding have forced some of them to practice and do their actions in unlikely places like the sidewalks, which of course are not a safe place to do it. Quite a few times, I've seen them practice and do their actions along the Asia Afrika street and the sidewalk of Perintis Kemerdekaan Street, some of the city's more popular locations among the city's skateboarders because they are wide enough.

Lawn Trimmer

2011-07-10T21:40:00.000+07:00

A worker trimming the lawn at the northern garden of Vila Isola or Bumi Siliwangi in the Indonesia University of Education (UPI) campus in the north of Bandung.

News-stand

2011-07-09T20:04:00.000+07:00

A news-stand at the corner of Dr. Setiabudhi and Gegerkalong Girang streets near the campus of Indonesia University of Education in the north of Bandung.

This news-stand has been in business for more than twenty five years. I used to buy newspapers and magazines from this news-paper stand when I was an undergraduate student some twenty five years ago and it is still there today. Nothing much has changed about it, except that in addition to selling newspapers, magazines, and tabloids, it now also sells prepaid cell phone vouchers. I think the number of publications it sells have also increased since the Era of "Reformasi" when Indonesian press became freer and it became easier to publish newspapers and periodicals.

"Nangka" Vendor

2011-07-08T23:48:00.001+07:00

A 'nangka' (Artocarpus heterophyllus or A. heterophylla) vendor at the road side of Jalan Dr. Otten.

Nangka or jackfruit is said to be native to southern part of India, but is widely spread and cultivated in southeast Asia. It is the largest tree-born fruit known today. The fruit can weigh up to 36 kg (80 pounds) each and can be as long as 90 cm (36 inches) in length and 50 cm (20 inches) in diameter. You can see the whole fruits with their green peel on your left hand side of the picture. This vendor peels and slices the fruit and sell its bright yellow flesh by the kilogram.

Purplish Pink Evening Sky

2011-07-08T12:06:00.000+07:00

I took this photo some time ago at Setiabudhi street in the north of Bandung on my way home from work. The sky that day was magnificently purplish pink. I stopped by a nearby supermarket and tried to capture the light of the sky from different angles. I think this one (with the supermarket's neon sign and the silhouette of a tree as the frame) works best. It enhances the color and light of the sky.

This post is Bandung Daily Photo's participation in this week's Skywatch Friday. Please check out other paricipants' posts here.

Salted Fish

2011-07-07T21:55:00.000+07:00

Different kinds of salted fish sold at Ciroyom traditional market.

Salted fish (Indonesian: ikan asin, Sundanese: lauk asin) is a popular side dish in Bandung and among Sundanese people. It is usually eaten with different kinds of sambal (chilli-based sauce) and lalap (raw vegetable salad). Together with steamy rice, they are popular daily staples among Sundanese people.

Because Bandung is not located near the sea, most of the salted fish in this city is imported from the coastal areas on Java island. Some are even imported from Sumatra and other coastal areas in Indonesia.

Bandung Batik

2011-07-06T22:38:00.000+07:00

There are several cities in Indonesia that are renowned for their batik, namely Pekalongan, Surakarta, Yogyakarta, and Cirebon. Each of those cities has their own unique batik motifs that can be identified as their own.

Not being a city that is traditionally associated with batik, Bandung is not generally known as a batik center, much less a city with its own batik tradition and motifs. But Bandung does have its own batik tradition and unique motifs.

There is no historical record that says exactly when Bandung batik began to exist. But currently the term Bandung batik (or Batik Bandung in Indonesian) is usually associated with particular motifs that were introduced and promoted by Hasanuddin, a lecturer at Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), in the late 1970s. His Bandung batik's motifs generally combine geometric patterns and a variety of traditonal design elements adopted from traditional batik motifs from other parts of Indonesia.

Hasanuddin established his own batik studio and shop in 1980 and has, since then, been actively creating and promoting a unique characteristic of Bandung batik. The studio, called Batik Hasan (located at Cigadung Timur in the northeast of the city), is also an important batik learning center where visitors who are interested in learning to make batik can take workshops in the art of batik making.

The above photo is taken and contributed by Myke Jeanneta, a housewife and a photography anthusiast who lives in Bandung. Thanks, Myke.

Gift and Souvenir Hawkers at Cihampelas Street

2011-07-05T23:56:00.001+07:00

Gift and souvenir hawkers/street vendors at Cihampelas Street.

A Leisurely Game of Chess

2011-07-04T23:42:00.002+07:00

A Malaysian visitor observing how often he found people playing chess on the streets of Bandung once commented in his blog post that the people of Bandung seem to like playing chess a lot. I don't know if it is true, but his observation is quite accurate.

These two men are leisurely playing a game of chess after the busy morning is over in front of their shops at Ciroyom.

Parking in The Wrong Place

2011-07-03T23:16:00.000+07:00

Oh oh, what's going on here?

A car is parked on the sidewalk in the corner of Purnawarman and Wastukencana streets blocking pedestrians from using it.

Parking is a big problem in many parts of this city especially those near commercial areas and during the weekend and on holidays. The car was parked there on a busy Sunday afternoon. The owner was probably going to Bandung Electronic Center (BEC), could not find a place to park his car in a nearby parking lot, and decided to park there so that he did not have to walk very far from the mall. It's very sad that he did not realize that what he did endangers pedestrians who had no option but to step onto the road and risk being hit by a motorist to pass this corner.

When I took this photograph, an illegal parking man was busy directing stray cars to corners and road sides that were not supposed to be used for parking and took parking fees from them.

Rubber Plantation in The West of Bandung

2011-07-02T23:35:00.002+07:00

I was driving back from Jakarta yesterday. Instead of taking the Cipularang toll road all the way to Bandung, I got out at Cikampek exit and took the ordinary road from there. The trip took longer time wise, but the view along the road was worth the while. I could also drive at more leisurely pace without having to worry about the minimum speed limit and could stop the car whenever I wanted or found anything interesting.

The Cikampek - Padalarang route is a meandering road with paddy fields and rubber, cocoa, and tea plantations along the way.

About half way enroute I spotted a road-side coffee shop by a rubber plantation and stopped to have a coffee and take some photos.

As you can see in the bottom photo, the rubber tree sap (the natural rubber latex) is tapped and collected by making a diagonal incision into the bark. The sap would then be let to drip into a small container through a spout planted into the bark. The plantation workers would then collect the latex from the containers and bring it to the processing plant.

Indonesia currently produces nearly 3 million tons of natural rubber annually from about 3,4 million hectares of plantation areas. This production is equal to about 26.5 percent of the world's total natural latex production.

Theme Day: Save Energy and Be Green

2011-07-01T14:04:00.023+07:00

A garbage bin with a green message attached onto it that says "Conserve Energy and Save the Earth". The garbage bin was put on an old bicycle parked on Dago street during the Car Free Day which is held every Sunday morning here. This campaign was sponsored by PT PLN - the state-owned Indonesian Electricity Company.

The old bicycle, the green sticker on which the message was written, and the event in which they are place all speak about being green.

This post is Bandung Daily Photo's participation in this month's City Daily Photo's Theme Day. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.

Photo by Alda Agustine, a Bandung Daily Photo contributor.

Directions

2011-06-30T22:16:00.000+07:00

A sign post attached to an "alternating alternates" amber traffic light near Ledeng Bus Terminal indicating the directions to Sapulidi and Imah Seniman (lit. Artist/Artisan House). Both of them are cafes, resorts, and galleries owned and managed by the same company.

Sapulidi is located at Graha Puspa, Cihideung Village, on Sersan Bajuri Street. Imah Seniman is located further away at Cikahuripan village on Kolonel Masturi street.

Many direction signs in this city are what can probably be called "commercial directions" because they don't give you direction to a general area or location, but to a specific commercial venue. I don't know if this is quite common in other cities. I also don't know if this practice is being regulated here.

Road Side Shoes

2011-06-29T14:14:00.000+07:00

A vendor selling shoes on the road side of Jalan Gunung Batu in the western part of the city. Different models of shoes are offered here. According to the seller, he and his friends came all the way from Sidoardjo, an industrial city near Surabaya in East Java. They claimed they had brought the shoes directly from the factory and therefore they could sell them for a lot less than any shops or supermarkets.

I once bought a pair of walking shoes for a little more than six US dollars. They looked good, but did not feel as comfortable as those that are more expensive. They did not last long either.

Delman

2011-06-28T18:02:00.000+07:00

Delman is a horse-drawn carriage or buggy like the one pictured above.

You would probably think that delman is no longer in use as a means of transportation in a big city like Bandung. But it is. In several parts of the city, particularly on streets/roads that connect the city with its suburban areas, it is still very much in use as a popular means of transportation. The one pictured above, for example, serves the route of Cimindi and Gunung Batu area.

A delman looks like an environmentally friendly means of transportation. It burns no fuels and hence produces zero carbon emission. However, without a special lane allocated to it, it often causes a long queue of motor vehicles behind it. In small roads and during rush hours, a single slowly-moving delman can turn what is already a bad traffic into an even more annoying congestion. Hence, what on the surface looks like an environmentally friendly means of transportation can actually be a significant - albeit indirect - contributor of air pollution.

Photo by Agus Wahyudi (a freelance photographer and Bandung Daily Photo contributor).

Dancing Orangutan

2011-06-27T11:44:00.000+07:00

Can orangutan really dance?

While it is known to be one of the most intelligent primates, there are no references that I know of that say that orangutan can dance. Atim - a captive orangutan at Bandung Zoo shown in this photo -, however, would sometimes display what looks like a dancing act when asked to pose for a photograph.

Atim has been placed at the park in the center of the zoo by his caretaker/handler every Sunday to entertain visitors and those who want to have their photos taken with him.

This photo was taken and contributed for Bandung Daily Photo by Alda Agustine, a teacher at TBI Bandung. Thanks for the contribution, Alda.

'Sol Patu' - The Traveling Cobbler

2011-06-26T13:34:00.000+07:00

This is a traveling cobbler at work with a customer in an alleyway.

A cobbler is called 'tukang sol sepatu' here. A traveling cobbler usually travels from place to place shouting "sol patu!" touting the service he's offering. A customer who needs his/her shoes or sandals repaired would then halt him and both negotiate the fee for the work that needs to be done.

Most traveling cobblers in this city come from Garut, a regency about 60 kilometers to the southeast of Bandung.

Tall Iced Cream Caramel Latte

2011-06-25T13:01:00.001+07:00

Summer or dry season is in full swing here. It's been warm and sunny with a lot of clear blue sky these days. It's great to be out and enjoy the outdoors. But when it gets too hot, you can always hop into a cafe and have something cold to drink, just like what I did.

A tall iced cream caramel latte, everyone?

"Kukuyaan" at Cikapundung

2011-06-20T23:30:00.000+07:00

If you are not Sundanese, chances are you won't have any idea what 'kukuyaan' means.

'Kukuyaan' is derived from a Sundanese word 'kuya' which means 'turtle'. Hence, 'kukuyaan' means playing turtle. Of course it's not a real turtle that's being played. It's just the name that the Sundanese gives to playing inner tube in the water.

The mass and national record-breaking 'kukuyaan' in these pictures was held last Sunday (19/6/2011) at Cikapundung river as part of the campaign to clean up the river.

Photos were taken by Sudarmanto Edris, a local photographer, and were used with his permission. Thanks Pak Sudarmanto.

Telephone Booth

2011-06-19T23:34:00.000+07:00

This bright red telephone booth in front of a store on Jalan Sulanjana is very eye-cathing. It looks somewhat like a British phone booth, a kitsch of it. Our ordinary telephone booths don't like this, of course. It has probably been placed there to attract customers to the store.

Like in many other countries, phone booths have become a rarity here since the boom of cellular phones. With more than 180 million cell phone subscribers (that's about 80 percent of Indonesian population) according to 2010 statistics, most people here now have and use cell phones more than they do fixed phones. Hence, most phone booths or pay phones have now become obsolete.

Reading and Creativity Cafe

2011-06-18T23:10:00.002+07:00

Today I was invited for a photography exhibition and discussion at S-28, a bookstore cafe and an 'oleh-oleh' store (oleh-oleh = gifts/presents one brings home from a trip) on Sulanjana street.

The exhibition displayed the works of very young photographers aged between 8 and 15 years old. The discussion was on how children express themselves through the medium of photography and how photography education could benefit and help them explore and express their creativity. It was an interesting discussion.

But no less interesting was the place where the exhibition and discussion were held. It was filled with young people who came there not just to enjoy the coffee or snacks but to do some serious stuff too. I saw a couple of groups engaging themselves in what looked like creative project discussions - one over a laptop and the other over some posters of some sort. Then I also saw quite a few 'loners' reading books and scribbling what looked like some serious academic notes.

Frankly speaking, I was surprised and pleased to see this. The scene reminded me of some American university towns that I have visited, where cafes were not only a place for relaxing and socializing but also a place where students would come together to read books and have some serious discussions about their academic projects.

Then it came down upon me that this cafe was located near ITB (Bandung Institute of Technology) and a couple of other university campuses. That might explain why many of its visitors are engaged in what looked like some academic activities.

That aside, I was once informed by some students of mine that there were actually quite a number of cafes in Bandung that are quite popular among the creative youth communities: musicians, bloggers, web designers, and photographers. I have yet to explore them. But this and a couple of other cafes that I have often visited convinced me that cafes in this city are the nursery of creativity. It is part of the engine that makes Bandung one of the most vibrant creative cities in Indonesia.

By the way, here are some of the children's photographic works exhibited at the cafe.

Vila Isola at Dusk

2011-06-17T23:57:00.003+07:00

Some buildings are called an architectural heritage not for nothing. They are beautiful from whichever angle you see them, whatever the time of the day and whatever the season is. I think Vila Isola is such a building. I have photographically explored this building from many different angles and time of the day, and I never get bored with it.

I took this photo from the front gate of my office, which is located just across a small in-campus road from it, at dusk a couple of days ago just as I was getting out of the office. The the light of the early evening sky shining upon it gave me another photographic opportunity to marvel at its beauty. The silhouetted arch framing is that of the entrance columns (?) into my office building.

Since some of my friends and this blog visitors have sometimes asked me what camera(s) I use, I'd like to this opportunity to say once again that I don't usually use fancy or expensive cameras. I took this photo (and many others I have posted here) with a small, inexpensive pocket camera that I always have with me where ever I go. I'd rather not say what the brand is, but if you want to know you can email me.

This post is Bandung Daily Photo's participation in this weeks Skywatch Friday meme. See more sky-related photos from participating blogs from around the world here.

Villa Isola Fish Pond

2011-06-16T23:00:00.000+07:00

A father with his daughters enjoying the fish pond at the southern garden of Vila Isola on a Sunday morning.

I have previously posted several photos and stories about this villa before. As you may remember from those posts, Vila Isola is one of Bandung's most iconic art-deco architectural heritage. Built as a private residence in the early 1930s for an Italian-Dutch media tycoon Dominique William Berretty, the founder of the Aneta press-agency in the Dutch East Indies, Vila Isola was turned into a hotel just after his death in 1934. Then it became the Bandung headquarters of Japanese occupational army in the early 1940s when Japanese Imperial Army occupied the Indonesian archipelago and an Indonesian resistance army militia headquarters during the wars for independence. After the Indonesian Independence, it was renovated and made as the central piece of the newly established Teachers' Education College or PTPG campus in 1954.

The name of the college in which this building stands has changed several times since then: Fakultas Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan (Faculty of Teacher Training and Pedagogy) or FKIP of the newly established Padjajaran University in 1958, Institut Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan (Institute of Teacher Training and Education Science) or IKIP Bandung in 1963, and Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (Indonesia University of Education) or UPI in 2004.

Since 2010, the building and its surrounding gardens have been renovated to revive its past grandeur. The renovation of the park that you can see at the background of the picture was completed this year and is now designated at Vila Isola Heritage Park.

Bandung Daily Photo's 3rd Anniversary - Interviewed and Featured by The BBC

2011-06-13T23:48:00.088+07:00

Today Bandung Daily Photo (Bdg DP) is celebrating its 3rd Anniversary and also an honor which it has recently received from the BBC World.

Early last month, I received an email from the BBC's correspondent in Jakarta stating interest in Bandung Daily Photo and its resourceful content and asking if I would be interested in having an interview with their crew who was making a documentary film about Bandung for one of BBC's documentary programs, One Square Mile.

The filming took place a week later and the film will be aired worldwide this week. What an anniversary gift for Bandung Daily Photo! Thank you the BBC crew for having this honor of helping you in the making of the movie and for being featured in it.

Like in the prevous years, I would like to use this anniversary celebration opportunity to also thank our friends and visitors who have commented on Bandung Daily Photo's posts, given links and other kinds of support to make it more visible in the cyberspace. Last but not least, of course, I would also give a special thank to City Daily Photo for linking us - city daily photo bloggers - together and Eric of Paris Daily Photo who started this wonderful community.

Here are some photos I took of the film making.

Ciroyom Railway Station

2011-06-12T12:20:00.000+07:00

Passengers waiting for the train at Ciroyom Railway Station.

Ciroyom is one of the smaller railway stations in the city of Bandung. Located about three kilometers to west of Stasion Hall - Bandung's main railway station - Ciroyom mainly serves economy class and commuter trains that connect Bandung with its suburban areas and neighboring towns.

Ciroyom is also the name of one of Bandung's largest central wet markets, which is located just behind the station. Many farmers from the neighboring towns and villages often use the train to carry their produce into the market.

Bandung's Trraffic Jams

2011-06-05T17:59:00.000+07:00

Long weekends and holiday times are especially difficult times to get around in Bandung. Like I said before, traffic congestions can be very bad at those times that even the Pasupati flyover - which on a normal day would be quite free of congestion - would sometimes be jammed packed with motorists.

Flier-man

2011-06-01T23:31:00.000+07:00

A man distributing fliers to motorists on Jalan Cihampelas, a street in Bandung that was once known as Indonesia's denim capital and now a street packed with stores and vendors selling different kinds of apparels and fashion accessories.

ATM Guards

2011-05-27T23:08:00.000+07:00

Look who are guarding an ATM (Automated Teller Machine) booth in front of this shop at Cihampelas Street?

Yes! They are superheroes!

Leather Jacket Repair

2011-05-21T14:53:00.001+07:00

Your leather jacket is torn or worn out and need repainting or rewaxing?

No need to worry. In Bandung, you can have it repaired and reconditioned in a road-side kiosk like this one at Ciroyom area. For a relatively small fee, you can have your leather jacket stitched, repainted, or rewaxed.

Rollerblading in Bandung

2011-05-20T14:46:00.000+07:00

Rollerblading is quite a popular sport among youths in Bandung. They have a number of places to hone their rollerblading skills. One of them is the track at Gelora Saparua (Saparua Sports Arena) where these youngsters were practicing one Sunday morning a few weeks ago.

The above photo was taken by Agus Wahyudi, a freelance photographer and regular contributor of Bandung Daily Photo.

Bandung's Central Post Office

2011-05-14T07:46:00.000+07:00

This is the aerial view of the corner of Asia-Afrika and Banceuy streets. The big building in the foreground is Bandung's Central Post Office (Kantor Pos Besar Bandung). The tall building at the background is Pasar Baru (lit. New Market), one of Bandung's oldest and biggest markets.

Jalan Asia-Afrika

2011-05-10T22:58:00.003+07:00

This is the aerial view of Jalan Asia-Afrika (Asia-Africa Street) to the east of Alun-Alun Bandung or Bandung's City Square. The street runs from west to east and is the main thoroughfare of the city. It is also part of the Grote Post Weg (The Great Postal Road) that was originally built by the Dutch East India Company (V.O.C.) - then the colonial ruler of the Indonesian archipelago - in the early 1800s. It is here that Bandung's kilometer zero is located - the location being determined by the pole that V.O.C. Governor W.H. Daendels is said to have stuck near the Cikapundung River when - upon inspecting the construction of the Grote Post Weg - he declared that he wanted to see a new city built in that very place when he returned.

Being the first proper street of the city, Jalan Asia-Afrika is very historic and has the most heritage landmarks. Among them are Gedung Merdeka (now the Museum of the Asia-Africa Conference) - the fourth building on your left - and the Preanger Hotel - the fourth building on your right.

Alun-Alun Bandung - The City Square from The Top

2011-05-09T21:44:00.003+07:00

This is the partial aerial view of Alun-Alun Bandung (Bandung's city square) today. I took this photo from the same tower where I took the photo I posted yesterday. The colorful little squares are roofed benches and the big square is the fountain. This is the view of the square in the southeastern direction.

Aerial View of Bandung: Southwest of The Grand Mosque

2011-05-08T22:23:00.000+07:00

Here is an aerial view of Bandung looking to the southwest direction from the city center. I took this photo from one of the towers of West Java Provincial Grand Mosque or Mesjid Agung Propinsi Jawa Barat. In the foreground, behind the minaret, you can see Plaza Parahiyangan, one of the first shopping malls built in the city in the early 1980's.

Andir Night Market

2011-05-04T21:22:00.001+07:00

Pasar Andir (Andir Market) is one of Bandung's central wet or traditional markets. It's located on Andir street in the city center. Its busiest operating time is at night from about 9 p.m to about 4 a.m.

Various kinds of fresh meat, fish, vegetables and fruits are brought here from the farms in the countrysides and towns adjacent to Bandung. Traders and resellers from the smaller markets and hotel and restaurant caterers come here to pick their supplies.

Over the years the Andir market has grown beyond its original boundaries and for some years now it has spilled onto the adjacent streets. As you can see in these pictures, the farmers even use the body of streets to offer their produce. Fortunately, the market's peak hours only take place at night and are usually over before 5 in the morning so they do not add more snarl to the already congested traffic in the city center.

Today's photos are contributed by Agus Wahyudi - a photographer friend of mine, an employee of PT. Pos Indonesia (Indonesian Postal Company) and a freelance photographer. Pak Agus (that's how I call him) has agreed from now on to become one of Bandung Daily Photo's regular contributors. Thanks, Pak Agus.

Biertje

2011-04-17T22:01:00.000+07:00

A man was passing by a Popeye cartoon figure lifting a glass and saying "biertje" - the Dutch word for beer - in front of a closed bar on Jalan Braga.

One of Bandung's icons for its historic past, Jalan Braga (Braga Steet) and its vicinities have a number of bars that mostly serve foreign visitors (tourists). Most of them only open at night.

Beer is called by different names in different places. It's biertje in Dutch, bir in Indonesian, Malay and Arabic, la biere in French, and birra in Italian. It's called serbesa in Filipino, serveza in Spanish, and serveja in Portuguese. What is it called in your language?

Kampung Daun, Culture Gallery and Cafe in The Jungle

2011-04-03T11:25:00.000+07:00

Can you really dine in style and enjoy cultural performances in the jungle?

In Bandung, you can.

And here's the place that has received so much rave from critics and cafe connoiseurs: Kampung Daun .

Kampung Daun (lit. leaf kampong), claimed by the owners as culture gallery and cafe, is located on Jalan Sersan Bajuri, about 4.7 kilometers to the northwest of Setiabudhi street in Bandung. It is literally a cafe nested in a valley amidst the jungle. The design of this gallery and cafe is such that it retains much of the natural elements and atmosphere that the valley has.

Let me take you in a visual tour of the place.

Here's the entrance to the place.

And as you enter, here's what you're going to see.

Further inside, you'll see the path branches. These paths lead you to the huts where the visitors are seated like you would in a restaurant.

And here's one of the huts that's located by the stream.

This is what the smaller huts look like inside. As you can see, you won't be sitting on a couch, bench, or chair here. Instead you'll be sitting on mattresses and pillows.

And here's the waterfall creek/stream that's located further inside the this cafe. I took the photo from one of the bridges that crosses it.

Lunch

2011-03-27T15:14:00.000+07:00

This is the lunch we had today: a basic set of meals that Sundanese people would typically have.

In the bamboo container and wrapped in banana leaf is rice, our staple food which without which we can't call a meal a proper meal. The side dishes we had were fried tofu and tempe (or tempeh in English), grilled fish (the protein sources), and some vegetables (we had stir-fried labu jipang or chayote shoots). The red and brownish things in the small 'saucers' are sambal (chilly sauces) in which we dip the the chunk of fish before eating it with the rice. We had two types of sambal today: the red one is chili and terasi based called sambal terasi and the deep brownish one is sweet soy sauce based called sambal kecap.

Cookie Cutter Woman

2011-03-19T02:14:00.000+07:00

A woman selling refurbished balance-type weighing scales and different traditional cookie cutters at her kiosk in Ciroyom market.

Road-side Motorcycle Repair Shop

2011-03-17T17:35:00.000+07:00

A road-side motorcyle repair shop at Cimindi in the western part of the city. Small businesses like this are an important mover of the city's economy. However, they also raise concerns of pedestrian safety because they often occupy/use the pedestrian sidewalk for their activities. There are regulations about this, but the enforcement is very slack.

Despite its monochromatic tone, this is not an old photograph. I just like doing my 'street photography' in monochromatic tones.

coffee tables

2011-03-12T00:05:00.000+07:00

I don't always take photos for reporting purposes. In fact, most of the time, I take photos for the fancy of it, like this one: the neat rows of coffee tables and chairs at a local cafe on Jalan Ranggamalela.

Banana Caramel

2011-03-04T18:22:00.001+07:00

Thank God it's Friday evening! Time to stretch legs, enjoy a personal time with a cup of coffee and a good book. And this delectable banana caramel served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream is an extra treat. Have a good weekend, everyone!

Pinhole Ideas Over A Cup of Coffee

2011-02-22T02:38:00.000+07:00

Once a month, a group of photographers in Bandung get together for a late afternoon talk of nothing in particular in a forum called ONGKOSS (Omong Kosong Sore-sore), a name which literally means Afternoon Chatters. I'm a 'member' of the group (well, sort of, because this group has no formal membership; any photographers or people interested in photography can come and join the chat).

Last week, the gathering was held at Bengawan Coffee Shop on Jalan Bengawan 54 where a pinhole photography exhibition was being held as part of Komunitas Kamera Lubang Jarum Bandung (Bandung Pinhole Camera Community) efforts to introduce and share their works with the public.

I was there, and the topic being discussed that afternoon was Pinhole Challenge to The Established Photography Practice. It sounds serious enough. But believe me, the atmosphere was very informal: the coffees and the comradeship (camaraderie?) were not less important that what was being talked about.

Coffees, so it seemed, were the source of good friendship and ideas. A good flow of one is a good flow of the other.

The Petromax

2011-01-25T00:39:00.000+07:00

How many of you know or even remember this kind of lanterns?

I had not seen this kind of lanterns for a long while, so I felt somewhat nostalgic when I saw it at the Jatayu flea market recently.

Yes, it's the Petromax or lampu petromaks as we call it here. Not many people use them anymore these days. But in the old days when electricity was not as widely accessible as it is today, the Petromax was extensively used as the preferred lighting in the villages because it produces brighter light and consumes less fuel than the ordinary lanterns.

The Petromax was invented by Max Graetz (1851-1937), the President/CEO of the Ehrich & Graetz firm in Berlin, in the early 20th century. It is basically a pressure petroleum lamp, hence the name Petro (from the word petroleum) and Max (the name of the inventor).

Chicken Butcher

2011-01-22T03:22:00.000+07:00

A chicken butcher at Ciroyom, one of the largest traditional markets in Bandung.

Crisp Chilli Salmon

2011-01-19T23:07:00.010+07:00

And this is what I had yesterday at the dinner with our Australian students: Crisp Chilli Salmon.

lighting fixtures (luminaire)

2011-01-18T23:08:00.000+07:00

Yesterday night we had a welcome dinner for our new Australian students at Roemah Keboen restaurant on L.R.E. Martadinata (Riau) street. Occupying an old heritage building, it's a cozy restaurant with a very nice interior. This is one of the things I like about it: the lighting fixtures (luminaire).

Presidential Book Signing

2011-01-16T23:52:00.000+07:00

I went to Gramedia - a four-story and the biggest book store in the city - on Merdeka street this afternoon. I was just browsing through the books I was interested in when suddenly there was this bit of commotion. Frankly, I was a bit disturbed. But then there was the smooth and pleasant music of angklung. I began to get curious and asked a nearby shop attendant what was going on.

Apparently, there was a book signing, and the author doing the signing was BJ Habibie, Indonesia's third president, who had just recently launched his second book after he retired from presidency. The book, entiled "Habibie & Ainun", is about his true-love story with his wife, Ainun.

He wrote the book after Ainun, his wife for 48 years, passed away in May last year, and out of deep bereavement he was diagnosed with severe pyschosomatic malignant. His doctor suggested three options to treat his illness and one of them was to write what later became this book.

Handcrafted Guitars

2011-01-15T23:06:00.014+07:00

These handcrafted guitars are locally made. They are made in Bandung. The company that makes them is called Secco. It makes electric as well as accoustic guitars.

The accoustic guitars in the bottom photo are made of mahogany, spruce, and rose wood.

The Sky of Yesterday

2011-01-14T23:28:00.000+07:00

This is what the sky looked like over the north of Bandung as I got out of my office to go home late afternoon yesterday, January 13, 2011.

Other skywatchers from all over the world are also posting the pictures of their skies this week as they do every Friday. Please check them out here.

Gedung Pakuan

2011-01-12T23:16:00.000+07:00

This is Gedung Pakuan (lit. Pakuan Building or Mansion) on Jalan L.R.E. Martadinata No.1.

Gedung Pakuan is the official residence of the Governor of West Java Province. It was built in 1864 upon the order Van der Moore (then residen or governor of Priangan) when he decided to move the capital of Priangan from Cianjur to Bandung.

This piece Indische Empire Stijl (Indian Emperial Style) architeture was said to be designed by the head engineer of Departement van Burgerlijke Openbare Werken (Department of Public Works). Unfortunately, of all the books I've read about it, none mentioned the name of the person.

Gedung Pakuan is considered to be one of the most important pieces of Bandung's architectural heritage and, being the official residence of the governor of West Java, one of the best preserved.

Many head of states and important public figures have stayed in this mansion. The list includes the King of Siam (Thailand) Somdet Phra Paramendr Maha Chulalonkorn (1901), the Prime Minister of France Georgeos Clemenceau (1921), Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands (1971), the President of Yugoslavia Josip Bros Tito, the Soviet Union's President Voroshilov, The United States' Attorney General Robert Kennedy, and even Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford.

Look who is (are) watching?

2011-01-09T14:28:00.000+07:00

Do you sometimes feel that you're being watched by invisible eyes when you're walking pass a narrow urban alleyway at night?

That's eerie!

But look for the invisible eyes no more. In one of the alleyways on Kebon Sirih street, Bandung, the watching eyes are visible; and they belong to funny cartoon figures painted along the walls.

I don't know who painted them, but I think they add a nice touch to the otherwise grey urban concrete scene.

Here's another one:

Holiday Aftermath

2011-01-08T15:21:00.000+07:00

Bandung is a favorite holiday destination for local as well as regional holidaymakers. In fact, a large chunk of its economy is based on tourism and tourism-related industry. However, the city's infrastructure, especially the roads and public transportation system, can only sustain so much that during the holiday seasons, the city's streets can become so packed with motorists that in some places they can literally become jammed.

Here are a couple of pictures I took on Sunday, 2 January, the day before the long weekend and new year holiday ended. Jalan Cicendo (Cicendo street), the street that leads to Stasiun Hall - Bandung's main railway station, the airport, and Pasteur Toll Highway exit, was packed with cars trying to get out of the city.

In a situation like this, even motorcyclists can't get through and the naughtiest of them were tempted to invade the sidewalks.

Terminal Ledeng

2011-01-07T00:49:00.001+07:00

Terminal Ledeng (Ledeng Bus Station) is one of the stations for the city buses and angkot minibuses (the main mode of public transportation in Bandung). It is located in the northern end of the city on Dr Setiabudhi street.

As you can see in the picture, old city buses like this - some as old as 25 years - are still operating in the city. Comfort and pollution are out of questions. Indeed this city direly needs to overhaul its public city transportation.

A Baby Cuddle

2011-01-04T21:54:00.000+07:00

Iteung, a female cat that a friend of mine asked me to adopt last year, gave birth to three cute little kittens a few days ago. Here's one of them. I haven't given them names yet. Any ideas?

Selamat Tahun Baru!

2010-12-31T23:58:00.000+07:00

Selamat Tahun Baru!

It's 10 minutes before the top of the hour that marks the end of 2010 and the beginning of 2011 at the part of the world where I am when I'm writing this post. So, happy new year to all of you dear blogging friends and visitors. I wish you all a happy, healthy, prosperous, and peaceful year ahead.

I must admit that I'm not much of a new year's reveler. I don't like crowds and would usually spend the new year's eve quietly and privately at home with friends and family. I went out earlier this evening though just to see what it was like on the streets. And here are a couple of pictures I took of the crowds getting ready to welcome and celebrate the new year.

Trumpets and fireworks are the stuff they were looking for and what the street peddlers are offering as you can see in these pictures. Once again, Selamat Tahun Baru!