Lot's of trumpets and a peasant in rubber boots

Dieng Plateau, Central Java, June 2009.

Feeding the dead

Gods material shops (神料商店) are abundant in Chinese areas throughout East Asia. These shops are specialized in supplying materials for worship related to Chinese beliefs, these often being a mix of Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, and whatever has crossed Chinese minds in the past thousands of years. Many of the items are made of paper and are effigies of the goods the deceased is longing for.

Below are some selected items for sale in Gods material shops:

A torch (below) as the souls may need more light...

... or a shirt, however it's the tropical version of cloth. Tried to find a fur coat made out of paper but it seems that the dead are not asking for it currently. It's surely a demand driven business.

An airline ticket together with God's mastercard: It's very important for the dead to stay mobil: traveling from paradies to hell and vice versa?

A nice mahjong set will provide the continuation of gambling in the afterlife.

Not one, but five different hand phones; just as in real life.

A pair of red sandales for the woman and cigars for the man, what else would make afterlife bearable?

Below some items for kids ...

... and for the 'branded' lady.

... and a house; why not to ask for more?

... like toilet items as bad breath may spoil no found relationships.

A ventilator as rightly presumed it will be a crowded place down/up there which deserves lot's of ventilation.

... and the winner is a white Rolls Royce, with driver. Just as in real life.

... don't miss the set of underwear for the lady below!

Malacca, Malaysia, July 2009.

Kampung power

One of the idyllic kampungs (neighborhood communities) in Jakarta. Loudspeakers are always there and work extremely well. If you have ever stayed close to an airport you may imagine the noise level. Differently to most Muslim countries the Indonesian imams are allowed to use loudspeakers not only for the five prayer calls but also for recitation, preaching and chanting sessions. For the less spiritual characters among us this easily translates into dozens of plane starts and landings or some kind of religious karaoke in public space.

Jakarta, July 2009.

Burning pigs: Roasting Torajan style

Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi, May 2009.

Funeral reception in Tana Toraja

Buffalos and pigs donated by guests are brought to the reception site, registered and will be slaughtered later on to feed the numerous guests.

Dancers in traditional attire lead guests to the reception hall.

The funeral party representing a family, part of a family or a village, is led by a couple in traditional dress. The mourners wear black.

Guests find their way to the main reception hall,...

... where they will be presented with betel, cigarettes, tea, coffee, and food by the family of the deceased.

Once these guests will have paid their respects, they will be led out of the main reception hall to make space for the next group of guests. This coming and going can take up to two days for a big funeral.

The deceased in his/per person is placed in a higher hall across the main reception hall and watches the ceremony.

As said before, no sudden death in Tana Toraja.

Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi, May 2009.

Walking shop

Need more brooms?

Tasikmalaya, West-Java, June 2009.

Javanese beauty

Jakarta, July 2009.

Tricycle

Cirebon, West-Java, June 2009.

Ants over Semarang

Flying ants seem to be harmless compared to what termites can do.

Semarang, Central Java, June 2009.

How to boil eggs in style

1. Find a volcano
2. Search for hot springs
3. Get your chicken out of the bag and wait...
4. Watch picture above

Tangkuban Perahu, Bandung, West-Java, July 2009.

Buffalo sacrifice Tana Toraja

The higher the status of a dead person, the more buffalo are slaughtered at a Torajan funeral. The ritualized Torajan way of slaughtering a buffalo may remind of an ancient but unequal fight between humans and animals. I know that most of us don't like to see such pictures but we somehow have to realize that modern society industrialized such processes, taking them away from our eyes. Anyway, we continue to eat meat...

Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi, May 2009.

Confusing lift

Elevator stops....

Jakarta, West-Java, July 2009.

Nightscene Jakarta

Tradition continues: Cuisine and food porter at night.

Jakarta, July 2009.

Romantic dinner

Jakarta, West-Java, June 2009.

Javanese family with grandmother

Cirebon, West-Java, June 2009.

Beauty kings...

Early morning....

Jakarta, June 2009.

Bamboo jaw's harp

Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi, May 2009.

Buffalo head

Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi, May June 2009.

Guess which one's are mine

Some kind of shoe art.

Cirebon, West-Java, June 2009