Monday, June 30, 2008

New language discovered

Be the first to decipher the new script which seems to be a very old and long forgotten language. Become the Champollion of the 21st century!

Photo from in
Bunaken, Manado, North Sulawesi, May 2008.

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Sunday, June 29, 2008

Walking fish menu

What's on the menu today? Baby shark as shown above or dorado as shown below.

Photo from Padangbai, Bali, June 2008.

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Saturday, June 28, 2008

Bule gila in a Korean restaurant

Photo of a 'bule gila' (literally translated as crazy white foreigner) from Jakarta, June 2008.

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Friday, June 27, 2008

Goal but for whom?

Quite amazing how a thunderstorm in Austria made the whole EURO 2008 watching world suffer. During the first semi-final in Basel, the coverage was interrupted and we missed two goals. Fortunately, some folks received news via the internet and informed us that something had happened. People jumped up but most of us had no idea which team scored. Fortunately, we saw the third German goal. Then, interuption again. We didn't know exactly when the 90 minutes were over in Switzerland, home of all kinds of precision instruments.

Photo of the Nivea-sponsored crowd in Front Row, Jakarta, June 2008 (3AM or so in the morning).

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Thursday, June 26, 2008

Rural headgear

Photo somewhere close to Ubud, Bali, June 2008.

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Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Beauty queens of the night

A long night for dog 'Salza'.

Early morning picture from one of Ubud's bars, Bali, June 2008.

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Tuesday, June 24, 2008

When you travel in Indonesia these days ...

... then you see such mushola building campaigns very often. I wonder if such donations include loudspeakers or not?


Photo somewhere between Bogor and Pelabuhan Ratu, West Java, June 2008.

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Monday, June 23, 2008

Javanese village impressions - Part 1 -

Photo from a village close to Pelahuhan Ratu, West Java, June 2008.

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Sunday, June 22, 2008

Too young to die

Photo of baby tresher sharks, Pelabuhan Ratu, June 2008. So sad...

If you want to see large versions of threshers alive, then travel to Malapascua, Philippines

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Saturday, June 21, 2008

Bathing in the fault line: river hot springs

Photo above: The boiling river at Cisolok.
Photo above: Trust me, it's hot. You better duck under water. Don't think that the hot stream comes out regularly.

OK, no need to visit the Cisolok Hot Springs on a Sunday...

Anyway, I am in the middle of the crowd in the above picture and really enjoyed it.


Photos from Cisolok Hot Springs, West Java, June 2008 on a Sunday.

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Friday, June 20, 2008

HIV-infected brothels seeing RED in Papua

The following story is just unbelievable. Therefore, no picture for today!
I don’t even place a picture of a used condom in reference to (the RED part of) the story onto the blog.

The following story was published in the Jakarta Post, 10 June 2008, p8. I only highlighted a few quotes and still hope that the reason for such nonsense was a dreadful telecom connection between Papua and Jakarta.

JAYAPURA, Papua: In a bid to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS, the National AIDS Commission (KPAD) in Merauke has marked red light districts and entertainment centers employing workers infected with HIV/AIDS with red flags.

"Red light districts and discotheques whose owners send their workers for regular medical checkups are given blue flags to show they're safe," Joseph Rinta, head of the Merauke health office, said Wednesday in a phone interview.

The decision to mark out establishments was reached by owners of the entertainment centers, non-governmental organizations and the KPAD, Rinta said.

The choice of color was purely arbitrary, he said, while the crux of the exercise was to protect the public from the dangers of HIV/AIDS.

"Anyone visiting a brothel and intending to have sex is advised to use a condom if the brothel is marked with a red flag," he said.

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Thursday, June 19, 2008

Shortly before the shark fin soup

Photo of a shark without fins, Pelabuhan Ratu, West Java, June 2008.

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Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Steel Stork


Storks have no syrinx and are mute, giving no bird call; bill-clattering is an important mode of stork communication at the nest. However, Steel Storks are different as can be observed and heard in the video above.

Video from Jakarta, May 2008.

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Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Haircut

Photo from northern Jakarta, May 2008.

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Monday, June 16, 2008

Flying bikes

The bikes didn't always fly, but why to show photos of pain when the occasion is fun.

Photos from old Batavia, Jakarta, June 2008.

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Sunday, June 15, 2008

Kaki lima at night

Photo of a five footer (just count the feet) at night in Ancol, Jakarta, May 2008.

BTW, for readers not living along the equator, darkness/night starts around 6:00PM every day and not just in the winter.

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Saturday, June 14, 2008

Fish and bike

Back from the fish market.

Photo from northern Jakarta, June 2008.

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Friday, June 13, 2008

High tide in Jakarta's harbor

The high tide of June 2008 was less severe than envisaged, but the real one is expected for 2025 when global sea levels will have risen to about 5 cm. In Jakarta, however, a difference between 40cm to 60cm is expected due to deep groundwater extraction and a largely misguided building boom. The sea will have reached the presidential palace, which is around 5km inland and the historic old city of Batavia will have become the Venice of the East.

Photo from Sunda
Kelapa Harbor, Jakarta, June 2008.

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Thursday, June 12, 2008

Breakfast in the U.S.A.

Photo from a hick town, somewhere in Arizona, U.S.A., September 1997.

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Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Balancing Act

Photo from the highlands of Puncak (close to Bogor), West Java, June 2008.

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Tuesday, June 10, 2008

€uro 2008 in Jakarta

May the Euro 2008 tournament offer the same fun as the last World Cup...

Photo from Batavia, June 2008.

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Monday, June 09, 2008

Sufficient business?

I placed quite a number of such resting photos onto my blog in the past months. Life is extremely tough when you are on the riceline (or waiting line) and lead a hand to mouth existence.

Photo from northern Jakarta, May 2008.

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Sunday, June 08, 2008

Balochistan's Beauty

Balochistan, Pakistan has so much to offer. Too bad that nobody knows. One example is the pictured computer bag or briefcase in the typical 'Baloch style'.

Hope somebody reads this and starts making a business producing/selling such bags (this one was handicrafted in Sibi)

Photo from Jakarta, May 2008.

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Saturday, June 07, 2008

Night travel bridge

At least the car in front drives on the 'right' side now....

Photo of holes in a bridge somewhere in Lampung, Southern Sumatra, June 2008.

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Friday, June 06, 2008

Contemplation

Photo of a mushola or prayer house (different to a mosque) without any loudspeakers (a rare sighting), Glodok, Jakarta, May 2008.

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Thursday, June 05, 2008

Javanese whirlpool


Photo from Merak, Java, June 2008.

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Wednesday, June 04, 2008

Jakarta beach at night

Can't get enough of the 'night stuff'.

Photo from Jakarta's beach front at Ancol, May 2008.

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Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Car Spa

A great treat - your car deserves it!

Tender Moments (90 min.)..................Rp79,000
Wheel weights with brakes massage, includes aromatic front and back tyres stretching.

The Essentials (3 hrs.).........................Rp135,000
Deep-pore cleansing clutch parts, and engine hood,

Total Ecstasy (1 hr. 45 min.)...............Rp92,500
Your car will enjoy a 13 minute 13 seconds back massage, followed by a headlight bulb tender treatment and an aromatic front and back tyre massage.

Relaxing Sensations (1 hr. 45 min.)..Rp73,000
Your car shall indulge in a 20-minute aromatic front suspension massage and hydrating radiator treatment featuring a 15-minute massage of the x4reup bolts.

Anti Stress Marine Treatment (1 hr.)....Rp85,000
A warm detoxifying seaweed pack followed by a relaxing starter massage with the added luxury of an aromatic hood, front and back door pumping.

Cleansing Body and Soul (2 ½ hrs.)..Rp159,000
Sea salts facilitate a dry exfoliation, followed by a massage with essential oils chosen to complement your car color. Oil and salts are removed with warm towels, the car will be enveloped in thermal blanket while a New Guinea or Batak hood therapy massage melts any remaining tension. The pampering package ends with a valve cover gasket treatment using rain forest mud, a sumptuous blend of selected herbs that relieves stress and fatigue.

The Great Escape (3-4 hrs.).............Rp228,500
Allow the vital elements from the ocean to infuse every cell of your car parts. We begin by caressing the car's front door (left side) with a warm, effervescent seaweed pack, then the pampered friend will enjoy a rainforest mud rebalancing SS painted grill massage while the tyres are immersed in a warm, hydrating, paraffin pack. The owner might join and will indulge in a 30-minute aromatherapy massage. For the owner the session culminates with a cleansing pedicure, a replenishing sea water spray and the nails will be filed and finished. This total treatment will leave the car and its owner feeling fresh and nourished at every level.

Photo from Jakarta, March 2008.

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Monday, June 02, 2008

Wayang Kulit or how to bring an ancient epic into the 21st century

It would take more than a year of nightly wayang performances to complete the telling of the Mahabharata.

Below are some photos and films of a wonderful evening at Dharmawangsa, Jakarta. The Wayang were superbly performed by Dalang Ki Purbo Asmoro. The story ‘Sesaji Raja Suya’ or ‘the Grand Offering’ deals with a topic as old as mankind, usurpation and tyranny or how best to rule a territory.

Video above: The 'shadow' side of the play.

Video above: The front side, i.e. the dalang with singers and gamelan orchestra.

Photo above: Dalang Ki Purbo Asmoro.

B
esides playing the puppets, telling the story, singing, and setting the rhythm for the orchestra, the Dalang also makes references to current affairs. Up to his audience to interpret them as they like.

Photo above: The singers.

The story:

‘A vengeful and bitter king, King Jarasandha, is amassing territories at a frightening rate and has managed to imprison 97 respected and benevolent kings in his fortress. He is looking for three more to add to his den, as this will fulfill the “heads of 100 great kings” requirement in a black magic ceremony he is planning. It becomes evident that the three remaining kings will be found in the kingdoms of the Pandhawa and their mentor Kresna.

In the meantime, the Pandhawa are planning their own ceremony—a blessing of their newly founded kingdom of Amarta. Their ceremony, by contrast, requires the support and friendship of 100 neighboring kings, as well as evidence of their working toward good in the world.

Although the story may appear to be a simple battle between good and evil, black magic and white, in the end it appears much more complicated. We come to understand the difficulties in King Jarasandha’s life that led him to be so bitter, as well as, by contrast, the weaknesses in the Pandhawa and Kresna’s character that lead them to not always make the correct choices in their lives.

This is a story that examines human nature—its potential for both weakness and strength.

The story, which was simultanously translated into English ended as follows: 'We hope for nothing but the health and tranquility of the kingdom. And for the justness and rightness of each citizen so that all can work towards a prosperious and a strong country that is just.'

So true, also in 2008, it seems.

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Sunday, June 01, 2008

Total protection for old Chinese houses

Between 1965-68 Egypt's Abu Simbel temples were moved to a higher location for the construction of the Aswan dam. The dam created Lake Nasser and would have left the temples only for scuba diving activities. Jakarta has not much to offer when it comes to real old monuments, however, some old Chinese houses are now being protected by using a 21th century approach of constructing a shopping mall onto them.

Photo of Candra Naya, supposedly from the 17th century, Glodok, Jakarta, May 2008.

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