Jakarta...Oh Jakarta...

Moved to WordPress

2006-12-23T00:01:00.000+07:00

Hi, everyone! I've moved to WordPress with a little help from my friend :) Please update your link to www.jakartadailyphoto.com Some pictures are still not showing up correctly and I'm fixing that as I go along. Hope to see you all in my new place!

Mother's Day

2006-12-22T08:34:00.000+07:00

Mom, I love going to the beach...I love playing with sand...I love you, Mom. It's Mother's Day here today.Cheers to all mothers around the world! :)

Crackers

2006-12-20T19:28:00.000+07:00

indonesians love snacking. and one of the most favorite snack would be crackers. there are many types of them. sweet, salty, spicy.. as long as they're crunchy. the picture above shows a small kinds of crackers sold in the traditional markets.

Teh Sosro Crates

2006-12-19T19:20:00.000+07:00

as posted before, teh botol sosro or sosro's bottle tea is the most favorite tea in town. i recently passed a distributor of this bottle tea and couldn't help but take pictures of the empty crates, ready to be filled and distribute.

Typewriter

2006-12-18T21:26:00.000+07:00

these days, we're more familiar with keyboards and monitor screen than typewriter and a piece of paper. typewriter is pretty much old school now and more like antiques compare to computers.
that's why i could not help but take pictures when i found the displays of typewriters being sold in the flea market near one of the traditional markets in south of jakarta. they look well maintained, right?

Cloudy Day

2006-12-17T20:56:00.000+07:00

now that the rainy season has come, dark clouds are always hanging over jakarta. though the sun is covered by the clouds, the hot temp is still unbearable cuz just before it pours, the humidity caused a 'sticky' day =)
pardon me on the quality of the pic, i took it with my camera phone.

How to plant a Mangrove

2006-12-15T15:51:00.000+07:00

continuing my previous post.. do you wonder how to plant a mangrove? well, considering that the plant lives in a swamp. few weeks ago, i get to see it firsthand. the guy in the picture above was planting one, as part of community program. he just stick the plant inside the swamp and tied it to a stick of bamboo that was previously planted on the site. so that the plant will be able to grow despite of the high tides. pretty interesting, eh?

Mangrove Swamp

2006-12-14T22:53:00.000+07:00

in jakarta, coastal zone is located in the northern part. however, due to the rapid development within the city, it affects the natural balance causing a quite serious erosion along the coast. one of the effort to overcome this issue is to preserve habitats for mangrove trees. mangrove lives in a swamp as pictured above. mangroves provide significant value in the coastal zone as a buffer against erosion, storm surge and tsunamis. more and more awareness on this significant contribution of mangrove is being implemented to help the erosion in the coastal zone of jakarta. hopefully, it helps.

Stripes

2006-12-12T15:08:00.000+07:00

The shop is called Bread 'n Breakfast, located in Kemang. I find those stripes interesting, especially with that tree on the foreground :)

Hot Afternoon

2006-12-11T15:00:00.000+07:00

Stopped by on the sidewalk and got myself a bottle of cold tea. Oh, look at those cars lined up!

KFC - Playland

2006-12-10T00:01:00.000+07:00

This is probably why people choose to celebrate their kids' birthday parties here. We certainly couldn't entertain them like this at home. But hey, what happens to traditional games and playing around on the backyard? I don't have a backyard, but board games, puzzles, sing and dance could probably do the trick, don't you think? :)

KFC

2006-12-09T00:01:00.000+07:00

My daughter got invited to her friend's birthday party at KFC in Kemang area. It's popular among young parents in Jakarta to celebrate their children's birthday parties at fast food restaurants. I've tried it once for my daughter's birthday and was not too happy about it. The place got overly crowded, not convenient at all for the parents. I personally think it's so much better to have it in your own house. Everyone would be more relax as we wouldn't need to worry about finishing up quickly to let other people use the party area. Just more cleaning up to do, that's all :)

A Welder

2006-12-08T09:49:00.000+07:00

Came across this sidewalk shop in Taman Puring area. The man was working on some steel or iron. A welder is tukang las in Indonesian language.

Blok M Bridge

2006-12-07T09:36:00.000+07:00

One of the bridge in Blok M area of south Jakarta. There used to be somekind of shelter to keep people protected from sun and rain. Don't know what happen to it now. But that one guy still kept his cool by sitting on the edge there! Don't worry be happy? Well, it's kind of scary to me!

Bird Cage

2006-12-06T15:05:00.000+07:00

Didn't have the time to shoot some pics, so here's an archive from my trip to Barito street. I wish those cages stay empty...

Golden Bracelets

2006-12-05T14:57:00.000+07:00

Are you a fan of golden bracelets? They're not actually my style, although I might like the really thin ones. Anyway, if you do like them, Melawai Plaza in Blok M area of south Jakarta is a place to go. They have various designs of golden jewelry. The place is popular for people who would like to buy affordable wedding rings as you could use your bargain skills here. And some of the shops offer custom made jewelry and repair. Oh, please excuse those white dots... they came from lights above the counter :)

Tukang Kunci

2006-12-04T14:55:00.000+07:00

I've taken a similar picture before. sLesTa took this one. Funny how both pictures raised the same question: 'where did the keymaker go?' :)

School Kids

2006-12-03T00:03:00.000+07:00

These kids goes to a school near the cemetary,during the break, they play under the big tree..I wonder what would they say ,when they see this picture again,on the next 40 or 50 years :)( Location : TPU Karet ). Both today and yesterday's pictures look so much better when you click on them and view the larger size. Am getting really frustrated with blogger for not allowing me to make my pictures bigger! Well, I'll do something about it once I have the time :) photo taken by Nick

Cemetery

2006-12-02T00:03:00.000+07:00

Saw this kid playing alone with his toy,under a big tree on a local cemetery. Location : TPU Karet (cemetery in Karet area). photo taken by Nick

Daily Photo Theme - A Photograph from the Waist Down

2006-12-01T08:14:00.000+07:00

Another challenging DP theme! This time I opted to show a touch of Indonesia. As some of you might know, Jakarta is the capital city of Indonesia which is full of different ethnic groups from all over the island. On this picture you can see the lady wearing a nice Javanese kain or sarong, with a Balinese gate on the background and Indonesian flags. The picture was taken in one of the schools in Jakarta when they were having a cultural festival. Discover what other cities have come up with for this month's theme by clicking on the links below: 1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6 -7 -8 -9 -10 -11 -12 -13 -14 -15 -16 -17 -18 -19 -20 -21 -22 -23 -24 -25 -26 -27 -28 -29 -30 -31 -32 -33 -34 -35 -36 -37 -38 -39 -40 -41 -42 -43 -44 -45 -46 -47 -48 -49 -50 -51

Clean Up Worker

2006-11-30T14:23:00.000+07:00

This ibu works as a street cleaner. She contributes a great deal in making the streets of Jakarta spotless. I haven't done any research, but I'm pretty sure that workers like her do not receive a good enough benefit from the government. Sad, really. It's such a tough job. picture taken by sLesTa

Mulia Tower and BRI II Building

2006-11-29T07:56:00.000+07:00

Taken from below and inside a cab, the reflection of Mulia Tower on BRI II Building. Location: in Sudirman area. photo taken by Nick

Pendopo or Bale-Bale

2006-11-28T07:54:00.000+07:00

This Pendopo or Bale-bale is also inside the Kite Museum. It wasn't being used for the wedding, but I just thought I took a picture of it.

Rumah Jawa

2006-11-27T14:46:00.000+07:00

Still on the wedding series... We call this Rumah Jawa (Javanese House) as it has a uniquely Javanese architechture. Here's where the bride and groom being made up. They had to change into two different traditional outfits. One for the afternoon ceremony and another for the evening reception. To Jazzy: I've tried making the code identical to no avail :( I used to be able to tweak the size, but blogger's so mean nowadays! Perhaps I need to find the time to move to WP!

The Wedding - Akad Nikah 3

2006-11-26T00:04:00.000+07:00

Another angle... I love that lamp! :)

The Wedding - Akad Nikah 2

2006-11-25T00:03:00.000+07:00

Following yesterday's post, here's a wider view of where the wedding took place.

The Wedding - Akad Nikah

2006-11-24T16:50:00.000+07:00

Akad Nikah is required in a Moslem wedding. Those who need to be present here are the bride & groom, father of the bride, two male witnesses, and a penghulu (same as priest in a christian wedding). What you see in this picture was the groom helding his future father in law's hand as he expressed his intention of marrying the love of his life. Father of the bride will then accept and the ceremony continues to marriage advices from the penghulu and official paper signing. sorry, still can't get large pics! :(

Prayers for the Wedding Couple

2006-11-23T14:52:00.000+07:00

First of all, Blogger wouldn't allow me to enlarge the picture today. Not sure why. It's one of those Blogger's bad mood probably. Anyway, these two ladies were saying prayers for the wedding couple. The lady in white read a few lines from the Holy Qur'an, and the one beside her read the translation in Indonesian language.

Seserahan

2006-11-22T07:25:00.000+07:00

Seserahan is a Javanese tradition during a marriage ceremony, where the bride & groom's family exchange gifts as a warm gesture to express their joy of uniting the two families. Here you can see the groom (at the front) wearing Javanese traditional outfit, guided by his parents to walk toward the ceremony area. His family brought baskets filled with gifts for the bride. In the old days, the bride didn't know what to expect in those boxes of presents. Some would find things that they're not fond of. But now it's common for the bride to choose the gifts she likes, so that nothing will be left unused. The gifts are mostly clothings, batik, lingerie, perfume, shoes, bags or may also be fruits and food.

Kite Museum

2006-11-21T07:40:00.000+07:00

The carriage, or delman as we call it, was made from thin paper which is used to create kites. This was taken in Jakarta's Kite Museum (Museum Layang-Layang) in Pondok Labu area. Here you can find so many artistic and more traditional type of kites. Besides having weddings and other gatherings, the museum often have kite festivals, kite-making course for kids, etc. The museum meant to keep the culture of traditional kites alive. Unfortunately the website is not available in English. Perhaps you were wondering why they put up those elegant white tents? Because a wedding was being held there! More pictures tomorrow :)

Meet with Tanty from Stavanger Daily Photo

2006-11-20T07:51:00.000+07:00

Goodie! I got to meet with one of the DP family as well! Tanty was visiting Jakarta to celebrate Idul Fitri with her family here. She was busy meeting her relatives, and I was quite tight up with work lately. But we finally found the time to meet last weekend. We met at Cilandak Town Square and Bella had a quite exciting experience in the arcade place, Timezone :) It was great fun! The first time I met with her adorable princesses, Bella and Brenda. Tanty and I actually knew each other from awhile back. We worked in the same company in 1995 and has been keeping in touch again recently. I sent her my Jakarta Daily Photo link and she then had an idea of creating her own Stavanger Daily Photo, which we all love of course! Anyway, let me know if anyone of you DP members would like to come visit Jakarta, ok :)

Steak Anyone? :)

2006-11-19T21:53:00.000+07:00

by now you probably wonder, is there anything else but fruits sold in the traditional market? :) well, of course there is. there are tons of other stuff. besides fruits and vegetables, people would go to the traditional markets to get fresh meat. unlike in the supermarket, here, the meat is not sold in packages. but as you can see at the picture above, the meat is hung and sliced as you request it. you can get anything you want off the beef. skin, heart, brains, lungs, liver, tails, and of course, the meat. and yes, they do sell them all.. and there are always someone who's looking for these parts. in fact, ox tail soup is one of the most favorite dish here. beef brain curry is also a delicacy as well as fried lungs. sounds weird? well, it doesn't taste as bad as it sounds. makes you rethink of those crazy food they show on fear factor, doesn't it? i guess, there are more to it than just a piece of steak out of the beef, don't you think? ;)

Tropical Fruits

2006-11-18T16:49:00.000+07:00

following yesterday's post, i'm showing the pictures i took on my visit to traditional markets. since i wouldn't want to post a picture of every tropical fruits i found, might as well share it all in one shot. i'm sure you've all seen the tropical fruits pictured above. these are the typical fruits you would find in the traditional markets in jakarta, cuz they are the fruits that grow abundantly in this part of the world. however, many of you may not seen it live, or even taste it. all of them taste sweet and refreshing, perfect for the tropical hot & humid weather we have in this part of the world. we may eat them fresh, juiced, eat them with peanut sauce, make them a salad, whatever it is, they all taste wonderful. just in case you don't recognize them, the above pictures -- starting from the top left, clockwise -- are papayas (in bahasa = "pepaya" / puh-pah-ya), guavas (in bahasa = "jambu klutuk" / jahm-boo cloo-took), rose apples (in bahasa = "jambu air" / jahm-boo ah-eer), and starfruits (in bahasa = "belimbing" / buh-limb-bing)

Snakeskin Fruit

2006-11-17T11:33:00.000+07:00

yesterday's post delivered a great opening on the traditional market series that i will do for the next few days. so be prepare on stuff you will find inside jakarta's traditional markets. have you seen or heard this fruit pictured above? well, if you've lived in asia, you most probably have seen, heard, or might even tasted it. we call this fruit "salak", or also known as the snakeskin fruit. it can be found almost all over indonesia. and during its seasons, you will find it easily in any markets in jakarta. the skin is actually pretty thin, but it can be pretty sharp sometimes. there are numerous of times i've cut myself when peeling it. :)

Traditional Market

2006-11-16T10:16:00.000+07:00

It's all blurry, I know. I guess it could represent the busy movements of that place :) Hehe.. Anyway, it's one of our traditional markets in Jakarta. I promise to show you better shots of it next time!

Jakarta at Night

2006-11-15T07:28:00.000+07:00

The shot was taken from the World Trade Center building in Sudirman, Central Business District Jakarta. Even though it's not a day-ly photo, Jakarta at night is also beautiful :) Picture taken by Nick

XS Project - Jakarta

2006-11-14T14:09:00.000+07:00

XS Project has such brilliant idea to help reduce waste and overcome poverty in Jakarta. They buy unused plastics from the trash pickers, develop the plastics into bags, wallets, trash bins, lunch boxes, etc. More information on their website and their catalog. I bought the large handbag and it's so useful, long lasting and unique. I use it for when we go to the beach or the swimming pool. It's great cause you could just wipe it if it ever gets wet. The one thing I remember when I first bought the bag was the wonderful smell! Because the plastics are mostly from detergents or floor cleaners. Hats off to everyone in the XS Project! I think they're doing a fantastic job :)

Ambassador Mall

2006-11-13T00:01:00.000+07:00

Here's another mall in the Kuningan area. Ambassador Mall. Not sure why they picked that name. I think the ad on that building looks pretty cool. Don't you think? Out of topic from today's post: Are you into politic discussions? There are many protests going on in Jakarta right now due to George Bush's visit. Here's a not-so-serious-politic-discussion presented by Indonesia Anonymous. Quite a few interesting references as well. Also, Eric from Paris Daily Photo asked about the bombing in Jakarta and yesterday I couldn't find any online news about it. But I have it today. The incident happened quite far from where I live.

Yellow Cab

2006-11-11T00:01:00.000+07:00

Aha! I found a yellow cab in Jakarta :) Taxi CAB? ok, it's a taxi taxi :) LOL! Hope you all have a good weekend!

Pecel Lele

2006-11-10T09:38:00.000+07:00

Aah... a typical warung (street food stall) which you will find in many streets of Jakarta. This particular one serves home cooking food such as pecel lele (fried fish served with rice and veggies with spicy peanut sauce), ayam goreng (fried chicken), soto ayam (Indonesian style clear chicken soup), sambal (Indonesian chilly sauce), etc. Happy Friday, everyone! So, are there any street food stalls where you live?

Kemang - Furnitures

2006-11-09T14:21:00.000+07:00

Nope, those chairs are not to be thrown away. You are actually looking at a furniture store. You'll find many furniture stores along the Kemang area. Prices might be a little higher than other places though. But if you're good at bargaining, you might get yourself a good deal.

Kemang - Barbados

2006-11-08T07:15:00.000+07:00

Barbados is a unique restaurant in Kemang. You get to see that huge part of ship at the front entrance. The food is ok and they have live music performances. The area is quite large and often used as birthday parties or other gathering events.

Kemang Square

2006-11-07T07:39:00.000+07:00

Those cute rattan baskets are sold near the Kemang Square. So, how about buying one of them after having your Starbucks coffee or Haagen Dazs ice cream :)

Kemang - Kem Chiks

2006-11-06T08:46:00.000+07:00

Kemang is quite a funky and hip area in south Jakarta. It has various entertainment places, restaurants from Indian food to Vietnamese, Japanese, Italian, American, Indonesian... fast food, street food stalls to fine dining. Cafes and clubs with all sorts of different types of music. DJ's spinning music or live performances? Your choice. It's a place that never sleeps. Many changes have happened in the streets of Kemang. But I remember Kem Chiks supermarket being there for years. This place is quite popular among the expatriates community because it's one of the places in Kemang where they could find imported products from canned foods to meat and wine and cheese. Kemang sometimes held a festival called Kemang Street Festival, where the streets are closed for a number of vendors to sell their products such as Indonesian crafts, clothes, food, etc. I haven't heard of another one coming up, but will try to post pictures of it later. If you come and visit Jakarta, do take your time to experience Kemang. It's fun! Oh, sorry about the weird angle. It was just a very hot day, I guess :)

The Mascot

2006-11-05T21:55:00.000+07:00

if disneyland uses a mouse animation for a mascot, Dufan uses a monkey figure as one. though we do not know exactly what the mascot is called (i can't seem to find the info anywhere, any input from would be much appreciated!), it is based on a character figure of a proboscis monkey, pictured above. it's a popular mascot and anyone in indonesia, particularly in jakarta, would recognize the mascot right away. and most kids wouldn't miss an opportunity of a shot with the mascot when they come for a visit. :)

Halilintar

2006-11-04T22:03:00.000+07:00

hey guys, i'm back. santy and i are trying to arrange a schedule so we both can post regularly. though she will still be the main contributor, i wouldn't mind sharing my pictures more often than usual, i hope you don't mind too. unfortunately, you might get confuse on whose picture that's currently featured ... so sorry about that. now if you don't mind, i'd like to continue the series on my last posting on amusement park, here's another ride we have in Dufan. this is just another roller coaster ride, like any other in any amusement parks. we call it "Halilintar" which means "thunder" in bahasa. although this is one of the old rides, this is my favorite. it operated since 1987. it has 6 cars and can carry a maximum of 24 riders. until now it still works pretty well and still my favorite, even though they have new rides in the park.

Political Graffiti

2006-11-03T07:13:00.000+07:00

In Jakarta there is much graffiti, most of it is very artistic and colorful. This old fashioned, politically oriented graffiti appeared on a city wall soon after the soldiers were kidnapped and the Israeli army invaded Lebanon. Though far removed from the middle east, Islamic solidarity is evident in Jakarta. photo and text by Mike

Plastic Bottles

2006-11-02T07:23:00.000+07:00

This photo is of plastic bottles being prepared for recycling. People scour the city streets for plastic containers that can be sold to companies who will reprocess the plastic. There are many bottles to pick up, but the pay is small. For a fully loaded handcart a collector may earn $2.00. Long, hot work for little profit is the way of life for many in large urban areas. photo and text by Mike

Daily Photo Theme - Something About to Disappear Soon

2006-11-01T07:39:00.000+07:00

I consider this month's theme to be very challenging. I actually couldn't find the time to shoot something, but I sure don't want to miss participating in the theme! My friend gave me this picture of a house made from wood and stone, which you wouldn't find around Jakarta anymore. To me, it looks like architechture in the big city of Jakarta is going toward minimalist or european models to suite people's lifestyles. And I think this type of house is much more difficult to maintain compared to concrete and steel. Although you will still find a house like this being built in a higher ground closer to the mountain, where it's cooler, and people use it as a place to get away from the hectic city. So I guess, this isn't about to disappear soon altoghether... just disappearing from the crowded city and being exchanged by tall apartment buildings :) Want to know what other cities have come up with for this month's theme? Check out these links below to find out: 1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6 -7 -8 -9 -10 -11 -12 -13 -14 -15 -16 -17 -18 -19 -20 -21 -22 -23 -24 -25 -26 -27 -28 -29 -30 -31 -32 -33 -34 -35 -36 -37 -38 -39 -40 -41 -42 -43 -44 -45 -46 -47 -48 -49 -50 -51 -52 -53 -54 -55 -56

Giant Ferris Wheel

2006-10-31T21:17:00.000+07:00

If America has Disneyland, Indonesia has Dufan (short for "Dunia Fantasy" or Fantasy Land). It's an amusement park located in the northern part of Jakarta, near the beach, inside the complex called Ancol Bay City. Ancol has Seaworld, Water Park, and Amusement Park among other things. Although Dufan is not as grand as Disneyland, it offers quite a variety range of rides, including "Bianglala" Giant Ferris Wheel above.

Packed

2006-10-30T11:56:00.000+07:00

Here you can see how Jakarta is packed with houses and ruko (office/store spaces).

Higher View

2006-10-29T00:01:00.000+07:00

You all must be bored with all the Idul Fitri pictures by now. Here's just a little view from above.

Ketupat

2006-10-28T00:01:00.000+07:00

It is in our tradition to eat Ketupat on Idul Fitri day. Some people say celebrating Idul Fitri without ketupat is not complete. I personally will feel okay with or without them :) Oh, today's supposed to be my father's birthday... another sad moment for us :(

After Shalat Eid in Bintaro

2006-10-27T08:03:00.000+07:00

We had our Idul Fitri prayer in Bintaro's mosque. The usual is to bring your own used newspapers to cover the streets. When the prayer's over, you'd see newspapers all over the place. People will most likely leave the newspapers behind for beggars to gather and sell later.

Shalat Eid in Bintaro

2006-10-26T07:29:00.000+07:00

Hi, everyone! I'm back :) Thanks to sLesTa who's been posting in my absence. It was certainly a different Idul Fitri this year for me and my family, because it's the first time that we celebrate without my father. So the days have been quiet with not too much excitement. We went to pray at my father's grave after shalat Eid. That was good. Anyway, I didn't take too many pictures during my break. I'm just going to post pictures from Idul Fitri to fill my gaps :)

After Shalat Eid

2006-10-25T22:58:00.000+07:00

after the eid prayer, people would rush to go home and greet their family. to ask forgiveness from the elders, parents, siblings, friends and each other. the day marks the start of the new muslim year hijriah with a clean slate.

Shalat Eid

2006-10-24T23:35:00.000+07:00

eid mubarak! selamat idul fitri! today marks the first day of the celebration after a full long month of ramadhan. as early as 6am, we have walked out of our houses, headed towards the mosque to do the eid prayer (shalat eid). my family had our prayer in the Pondok Indah Mosque, just like previous years. since the men and women are in separated areas, my mom and i got the spot in the parking lot area, with the rest of the women. nonetheless, it was a nice spot under the tree, away from the heat of the morning sun. :)

Batik Shirts

2006-10-23T23:32:00.000+07:00

today marks the last day of ramadhan for us in jakarta, though some have celebrated the eid today too. it's one of the traditions to celebrate eid mubarak or idul fitri by shopping for new clothes, just to look best on the eid. even though the most favorite clothes are the muslims attire, batik shirts are also an option and sold throughout the shopping places. there are different variety of them, with different price ranges also, depending on the quality of the fabric and the batik. so, which one would you like? ;) on behalf of jakarta daily photo family, i wish eid mubarak, 1 syawal 1427 H to those who celebrate it. minal aidin wal faidzin. let's start the new year with a clean slate, and forgive us for any wrongdoings or sayings we may have done. sincerely, jakarta daily photo family

Gorengan

2006-10-22T23:14:00.000+07:00

this is another popular snacks among indonesian, generally called "gorengan" (means fried stuff). it would include anything from fried tofu, tempe, banana, sweet potatoes, cassava, or mixed veggie ball (bakwan), deep fried after coated with flour-mix. they usually are sold on the street by the vendors, like pictured above. sometimes eaten with fresh chili, it tastes good (mostly salty), just the way it is, especially when still hot and crunchy. it's sold all year long, but for me, it's one of the good thing to have for buka puasa (breaking the fast), good compliment to a sweet hot tea or any sweet drinks.. :)

Es Cincau

2006-10-21T13:53:00.000+07:00

this is another popular drink in indonesia. the traditional ones are sold by street vendors and most of the times, are the best ones. this is called "es cincau" or grass-jelly drink. it's sweet, mixed with syrup and shaved ice. it's a refreshing drink, perfect for buka puasa (break-fasting time).

Ngaso

2006-10-20T23:48:00.000+07:00

ngaso in bahasa means "resting", and that's exactly what this guy was doing in the picture above, taken somewhere in downtown jakarta. i guess the humid weather and location don't really matter when you're really tired.. especially when fasting. in that case, his own carriage will do. ;)

Peeling Jackfruit

2006-10-19T17:25:00.000+07:00

jackfruit, or nangka in bahasa, is one of fruits quite popular in many parts of the world, including indonesia. it's one of the delicacy that we put inside our dessert mixed with slices of young coconut meat, avocado, and jelly in sweet syrup, usually called es teler (bahasa: es=ice teler=drunk, but it actually translate as "mixed", due to the variety of ingredients). it is quite popular during the month of ramadhan, a refreshing drink to break our fast with. but i won't put the picture of the drink here as yet.. :) cuz it's too much of a view during fasting period.. :D however, ever wonder how the jackfruit is peeled? the fruit has so much sap in it that it takes one to know a good trick to take the fruit out. picture above was taken from a corner of a traditional market in jakarta. the guy in red hat was expertly peeling the jackfruit to be sold. usually they would cover their hands & knife with oil, so they would take the fruit easily, without collecting sap. i tried it when i was young.. it was fun, but quite messy ... :(

Lebaran Parcels

2006-10-18T23:10:00.000+07:00

it's also one of the customs to send parcels to relatives or friends before Idul Fitri (or Lebaran in Bahasa). but the above picture is not the regular kind of parcels. it's actually part of the tidings or zakat for the muslims to give to the unfortunate ones. usually, zakat can be given in the form of cash, directly to the unfortunate ones. but it's also common to give them in the form of basic needs, such as pack of rice, sugar, fry oil, soy sauce, milk, etc. due to the rise of prices before Idul Fitri, they usually unable to buy them in large amounts, sometimes they just cannot afford to buy them at all. getting them as gifts like these would really useful to lighten up their burden before Idul Fitri and they can celebrate it like other families.

Mudik

2006-10-17T20:35:00.000+07:00

Lebaran or Idul Fitri marks the end of Ramadhan for the Muslims. It's only a week away and it has been the tradition in Indonesia, that people would rush to any means of transportation they can afford to go to their village, hometown, and so on.. so they can celebrate Idul Fitri among their loved ones. Indonesia is a country with the majority of people are Muslims. Usually a week before Idul Fitri, stations are getting filled with people who are trying to go home. The above picture is taken by my friend, Tonny (thanks Tonny for sharing your picture with us!), in Stasiun Jatinegara.

Condolences

2006-10-16T17:44:00.000+07:00

late last nite, santy asked me to back her up for this week's posting because her dad was admitted to the hospital again. i didn't get to reply her text message until this morning. this morning, i told her that i'd be happy to and i wish her dad to get better soon. just about half an hour ago, santy texted me. she said thanks for backing her up for this week, and her dad passed away this morning. i was shocked. my deepest condolences for santy and her family. may her dad rests in peace. whatever picture i wanted to post today, doesn't make any relevance upon hearing the news. i want to dedicate this posting for santy and her dad. i'll be back with jakarta pictures tomorrow.

Shopping for Idul Fitri

2006-10-15T00:01:00.000+07:00

Malls, department stores and markets are getting more and more crowded every second closer to the Idul Fitri day. It is in our tradition to buy new clothes, new shoes and other new things as a symbol of cleansing oneself and hopefully being a new and better person religiously. I personally believe that you don’t need to have new things in order to grasp the true meaning of Idul Fitri. I do shop like everybody else only because it is our custom, but I try not to spend too much and I don't do it every year. Some people spend their money buying food for the needy and clothes for the orphan kids, and I think that’s a better way to celebrate. Looking at that full parking lot, I just remember that one thing you need to avoid in Jakarta during the Ramadan month is having dinner out, cause all the restaurants on every corner of the streets (especially ones at the mall!) will be so packed starting 5 pm. You'll end up being put on a waiting list. So, it's best to make a reservation beforehand.

Full Parking

2006-10-14T00:00:00.000+07:00

Looking for a place to park in Jakarta is quite a challenge, especially at the malls or exhibition center during weekends.

Indonesian Wind Chime

2006-10-13T07:35:00.000+07:00

Our version of wind chime is made from bamboo. They create a pleasant angklung sound when moved by the wind. It's nice to have them in your house. You can sit on the porch and listen to the soothing sound of it. This house with that cute little garden is not mine, unfortunately :) Happy Friday, everyone!

Ice Machine

2006-10-12T13:53:00.000+07:00

I had this sweet juicy dessert called Es Campur, which has all sorts of different fruits including avocado and coconut milk. The yellow fruit on the foreground is Nangka (Jackfruit). The icy part on top is my favorite! And this particular place used that blue and red machine to shave the ice. Terribly sorry to that lady on the background for not capturing her very well :)

Road Construction

2006-10-11T10:15:00.000+07:00

This picture was taken by Mike, a good friend of mine who wanted to contribute his pictures of Jakarta to the Jakarta Daily Photo. Here's what Mike has to say about the shot: Road construction seems to be a constant in our large metropolis. Though the projects are big, resources for workers are minimal. These men are part of a crew tasked with widening the road. Though the task is large, they work only with hand tools, cutting each individual brace to hold up the form used to support the concrete. Yes, these men are working outside during the fasting month of Ramadan. Their goal is to finish the project so they can be paid and go on leave before the Idul Fitri/ Lebaran holidays. I am humbled when I look at their work load compared to mine. Great shot, Mike. Thanks for sharing it with us! :)

Inside Senayan City

2006-10-10T09:32:00.000+07:00

Remember Senayan City? Well, I got a chance to picture the inside. That stiletto escalator is the longest one in all our Jakarta malls! I guess the architect had a wild idea when creating it. Standing on it feels like going up on a rollercoaster, except here you're not sliding down :)

Gelora Bung Karno - Ticket Booth

2006-10-09T09:54:00.000+07:00

I've shown the gate on my previous post, and now you see the ticket booth of Gelora Bung Karno. The word 'Selamat Datang' on the blue banner means Welcome. There's a quite funny thing on this picture which I didn't realize when I took the shot. It's how the bicycle went through the motorbikes lane on the left :) And yes, there goes the blue taxi again. What a coincidence, eh? Large blue sign, blue banner, and blue taxi! :)

Warung Si Doel

2006-10-08T00:01:00.000+07:00

Here's a wider view of the restaurant from my yesterday's post. Some of you might noticed the name 'Doel' and wondered how to pronounce it. Well, it's like when you say 'pull'. In the old days we spelled 'oe' for the letter 'u'. Remember this post a while back? :)

Another Look of Ondel-Ondel

2006-10-07T00:01:00.000+07:00

This huge puppet called Ondel-ondel is the icon of local Jakartans (Betawi people). The shot was taken in front of a restaurant called Warung Si Doel which is owned by a famous Indonesian actor, Rano Karno. Doel was his character name on a TV series (or sinetron as we call it) entitled 'Si Doel Anak Sekolahan' (Doel, The Graduate). The sinetron was very popular in the year 1996. Although the restaurant isn't quite as busy these days. I have posted a picture of Ondel-ondel before.

Apartment Living

2006-10-06T09:23:00.000+07:00

Are you an apartment person? Well, here's a fairly new one in south Jakarta, The Pakubuwono Residence. Apartment living is getting more and more popular for the upper class Jakartans. I personally like living in a house with my own back yard, where I could have relatives come over without having them left their IDs on the front desk and being checked by security :)

Fruits

2006-10-05T07:16:00.000+07:00

Here's one of our fruit stalls. Don't know where the fruit seller went though :)

Daring Men?

2006-10-04T07:19:00.000+07:00

I know it's not a sharp enough picture, sorry. It was taken late afternoon from inside my car (no, I wasn't the one driving!). I was quite intrigued by the way those men managed to stay on top of that moving truck with a load of leaves! Not safe at all.

Jakarta's Future Monorail

2006-10-03T07:48:00.000+07:00

This is what currently looks like along Senayan street in south Jakarta. An ongoing construction of Jakarta's first monorail. Well, it's a way of overcoming our terrible traffic. We shall see what result comes out of this. I hope it's a project that could make Jakarta a more convenient city. And hopefully it's not one of those things that will discontinue in the middle of construction and being ignored without any follow ups.

On a Hot Sunny Day

2006-10-02T10:09:00.000+07:00

I am fasting, he's fasting. I'm working in a nice comfortable air conditioned room all day, and he's out there in the hot and humid. Anyway, fasting month or not and regardless of what your believes are, sometimes it only takes a good look around to feel more grateful of what you have.

Daily Photo Theme - Taxis

2006-10-01T00:02:00.000+07:00

Daily Photo Theme is now back with... taxis in our country. When you're in Jakarta, choosing a good taxi is important. Some taxis cheat on their meters or have filthy interiors, there even some taxi drivers who mug their passangers! One reliable taxi company which has a very good reputation of being a safe and convenient public transport, is the Blue Bird Taxis. People trust them so much that they don't want to get into taxis other than the Blue Birds. Which then gave ideas to other taxis to paint their cars the exact same blue color. During the night, you can't really tell the difference. Another thing that applies to all taxis here is the fact that it's better for you to know your way if you don't want being driven around and around just so your meter gets really expensive. Because there are two possibilities: first, the driver really doesn't know the way (weird, but that's how it is sometimes), second is if he knows a straight way but knows that you don't know it and then drives you in circles! I know it's hard for tourists, but I guess try to bring someone with you who knows the city, or at least a good map :) Come and find out about taxis in other countries by clicking on these links: 1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6 -7 -8 -9 -10 -11 -12 -13 -14 -15 -16 -17 -18 -19 -20 -21 -22 -23 -24 -25 -26 -27 -28 -29 -30-31 -32 -33 -34 -35 -36 -37 -38 -39 -40 -41 -42

One of the Props

2006-09-30T00:02:00.000+07:00

And, here's one of the comedian's wig, all clean and bright waiting to get dry. I'm not sure if they're wearing wigs all the time like clowns or just on special performances. I shot the pink and red wigs as well, but my daughter loves this one and so there you go :)

Comedy Cafe

2006-09-29T07:11:00.000+07:00

Still the same location as my previous post, here's another place called Comedy Cafe. The people who work there were busy cleaning their props. It has the sign Makan Minum (eating, drinking), Nyanyi Nyanyi (singing), Ketawa Ketiwi (laughing). I've never been there so I don't know whether they're actually funny or not. I personally prefer live music than comedy in a cafe :). Do you have a comedy cafe as well in your country? Anyway, Happy Friday everyone! A laugh is always good for the soul. And I think Ame from Santa Clara DP probably have a VERY healthy soul, right Ame? ;)

Ayam Bakar Wong Solo

2006-09-28T08:03:00.000+07:00

The restaurant, Ayam Bakar Wong Solo, located in Tenda Semanggi of Sudirman street in downtown Jakarta, is now being renovated. There was a very controversial story behind it in the year 2004. The owner of Ayam Bakar Wong Solo did a press conference once and declared himself as a man who strongly believe in poligamy. He has four wives and ten children. He encouraged other Indonesian men to follow his lead. He even named one of his beverages as 'poligamy juice', and also created a poligamy award (huh?). The food, which is specialized in grilled chicken served in traditional Indonesian way, actually tastes okay, but ever since his public announcement people stopped going there. Many women do not approve of him (including me!). A friend of mine who's totally against poligamy said that she would never ever go to that restaurant again. :) What do you think of a man having more than one wife?

Bicycles

2006-09-27T07:18:00.000+07:00

Pasar Rumput from my previous post also sells a variety of bicycles with reasonable prices. They're not those fancy geared bikes, but most of them are in good condition. They provide used and new ones too.

Limited Budget?

2006-09-26T07:26:00.000+07:00

How about buying used sinks or toilets? With heavy duty cleaner and polisher, they will come out as good as new. The place where they sell this is called Pasar Rumput, in Manggarai area of Central Jakarta. If you can't afford new ones, then this is a suitable place for you to work on your bathroom with a small budget. Bargain hard, be very careful, pay attention to details and check everything to make sure it's still working well. But if you have the cash, why bother with such a hassle? Just buy new ones! :)

Breakfast?

2006-09-25T08:02:00.000+07:00

No, it's not breakfast. It's break fasting time for the moslem community. Fresh coconut tastes incredibly delicious after approximately thirteen hours of no food or drinks! During the fasting month, many coconut sellers appear all over the sidewalks. There are also other vendors selling juice, sweet traditional drinks or cakes. By 5 pm, these vendors are busy attending customers. I think that young lady only had some dust in her eyes and not because the coconut had some funny smell :)

Fountain at Downtown

2006-09-24T00:04:00.000+07:00

This shot taken on Medan Merdeka street looks as if there were only those two high rise buildings in downtown Jakarta. Well, actually you'd see more of them if you go further down the road. I like this part though, cause you get to see more of the sky :)

Wood Carving

2006-09-23T00:03:00.000+07:00

This was taken from my mom's antique wooden table. I think it's a beautiful piece. So much respect shown by those ladies with hair tied up in buns, bowing to each other. Although it might as well be a scene where a helper met the land lady. My late grandmother used to say that a helper was forbidden to stand or sit on the same level as the lady of the house, and they must not say a word unless a question being asked to them. In the old days, they have to sit on the floor and never look at their land lady in the eyes. I have a helper and enjoy daily conversations with her and treat her as part of my family, although my mom still believe that her only job is to mend the house, period. Hey, she's human too. And freedom of speech is entitled for her as well, right? Anyway, what do you think the story is?

Security

2006-09-22T11:23:00.000+07:00

How's security around where you live? We have these little huts called Pos Satpam, which are posts for when the security guards take their break. These posts are spread out in every few blocks. The guards take turns in checking the neighborhood on their bicycles. They always carry pentungan, a small hollow wooden block which they hit on certain time during the night to let people aware of their presence. It's interesting how they hit it accordingly... One hit at 1 AM, two hits at 2 AM and so on. I guess they're meant to tell the time as well :) There are good and bad side of having security guards around. My friend's house was broken in one day while the whole family's gone out of town. Apparently, one of the security guards knew that no one was in and he worked together with the burglars to swept the house empty. Cases like that don't often happen, but I guess it's better to always keep your house look like it's occupied. You know, like turn the lights on or even the radio. Perhaps mannequins? Nah, let's not be too paranoid :)

Terong, Pare, Timun

2006-09-21T14:54:00.000+07:00

I contacted my dear friend sLesTa yesterday and asked if she wanted to post a picture today. Unfortunately she's not feeling well and has to visit her doctor. She must be working too hard. But we still get a little bit of sLesTa today, which is one of her shots from the market: Pare (foreground), Terong or eggplants (the purple one), and Timun or cucumbers. I know a lot of people are familiar with Terong and Timun because they exist in many countries. I'm not sure about Pare. It tastes very bitter. Do you have a similar vegetable where you live?

Water Delivery

2006-09-20T07:31:00.000+07:00

Here's another use of motorbikes in Jakarta. Oh, gosh...we run out of water at home. Hey, just call your neighborhood's grocery store and they'll deliver.

A Lazy Afternoon...

2006-09-19T07:21:00.001+07:00

This is a quiet scene around Pondok Indah neighborhood. During rush hours, this street can not escape the flooding cars. As a result, people who live here close their main road at certain times. Some might say 'these rich people think they own the streets! they can't just close the road!' But I personally can relate to the fact that it sucks having your neighborhood full of cars day and night, with honk noises and dirty fumes coming out of them. Having said that, I now feel grateful to live in a small alley :)

Donuts

2006-09-18T07:29:00.000+07:00

One happening thing in Jakarta right now are donuts! Jakartans are being spoiled by Krispy Kreme and J.CO Donuts. You wouldn't believe the line of people trying to buy these donuts. A friend of mine stood in line for half an hour. It's crazy! The picture you see here was the other donut place that I went to (can you guess where?). I picked up my donuts in 5 minutes there, my daughter was happy and I didn't have to waste my precious time. Next time I will try to grab a picture of those people lined up. It's totally mad, I tell you! I saw the look in their eyes after carrying dozens of donuts. They looked so satisfied as if they've accomplished something big. It's like me when I managed to bargain for a nice blouse! Maybe those people would say that I miss out on something. Oh, well...guess I'm not a true fan of donuts :)

Pasar Pagi

2006-09-17T00:01:00.000+07:00

Pasar pagi = morning market. Basically a flea market which shows up only in the morning, usually during weekends. They sell various things from traditional food, clothes, shoes, toys, kitchenware, all sorts of stuff. And children can have a ride in one of those carts pushed by a horse which we call delman. When me and my daughter go there on Sundays, she will definitely ask for a delman ride and a bottle of bubbles. It's our favorite place :)

The Veggie Man

2006-09-16T00:01:00.000+07:00

There are still some who walk and push their vegetable carts around the neighborhood. This guy is making his life easier and he's lucky to have a motorbike.

Teh Botol Sosro

2006-09-15T07:59:00.000+07:00

Now here's a survivor! Teh Botol Sosro is a bottled tea, a non carbonated drink. Teh Botol to Indonesians is like Coca-Cola to Americans. It's been around for ages, even before I was around :) Sosro, the long established company, manages to win the local market in the brutal competitive world of softdrink. Happy Friday, everyone. There's nothing like a cold Teh Botol on a hot afternoon! Ok, now they need to give me a year's supply of bottled tea! :)

Three in One

2006-09-14T08:43:00.000+07:00

Three in one? I should say 'four in one' with that box on the front. But then they also have plastic bags on the front and back. This is an everyday sight in Jakarta. You can even find a motorbike with three children! Somehow they're able to squeeze them in. Dangerous, eh? It's actually quite a sad view especially with children being cramped in, inhaling dirty smokes, battered by the wind, sun and rain. Why not use public transports? I know our busses are not convenient enough, but I think the reason people use motorbikes is mainly to avoid the hideous traffic.

Senayan City

2006-09-13T07:31:00.000+07:00

Ok, here's the front look of Senayan City. The taller part on the right is an apartment building attached to the mall. Looking at tall apartments made me remember my mom's comment about not wanting to live in any apartment ever, because she would definitely miss calling the tukang roti, tukang bakso, tukang kelontong, tukang cendol and other door to door sellers! well, she got a good point. I wouldn't want to miss them myself :)

Sidewalk Senayan City

2006-09-12T07:10:00.000+07:00

This is the sidewalk along the new mall, Senayan City which is located just across Plaza Senayan in South Jakarta. Apart from my bewilderment on these newly built shopping malls (as if we need another one!), I'm so glad they planted those new palm trees. Can't wait for them to create nice comfortable shade.

Socks and Uniforms

2006-09-11T09:57:00.000+07:00

My daughter was so delighted to see all the pink socks. She can still enjoy wearing colorful socks to school. When she gets to grade school, she'll most likely need to wear plain white. The majority of our schools here require students to wear uniforms and white socks with black shoes. Although not as strict for the socks and shoes. Usually they apply the 'white socks black shoes' on Mondays. As a former student in this country, I feel that wearing different uniforms each day can somehow help build self organization. The use of uniforms itself can show that all students are there for the same purpose, which is to learn and therefore avoid the gap between students with branded outfits and those without. Yep, some kids here are still brand minded, thanks to their parents :) and it could sometimes be a quite peer pressure. Anyway, what do you think about wearing uniforms at school?