Sunday, July 31, 2011

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



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.

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Photographers' Outdoor Gallery



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.

Friday, July 29, 2011

Sunset at Gunung Masigit



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.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Saguling Lake



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.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

West Java World Music Festival 2011



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.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Driver's License Test

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.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Washing the Train



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.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Caramel Grilled Banana



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.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

'Candy Land'



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.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Shoelaces for Sale



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.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

PERSIB Lovers



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!

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Waiting for Mid-day Prayer at Bandung Grand Mosque



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.

Friday, July 15, 2011

Vila Isola Obelisk Against the Sky



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.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Plastic Wares at Cihideung Sunday Market



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.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Car Breakdown



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.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Road Side Tire Patch-er



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.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Bandung Go Skateboarding Day 2011

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.







Sunday, July 10, 2011

Lawn Trimmer



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.

Saturday, July 9, 2011

News-stand



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.

Friday, July 8, 2011

"Nangka" Vendor



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



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.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Salted Fish



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.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Bandung Batik



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.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Monday, July 4, 2011

A Leisurely Game of Chess



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.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Parking in The Wrong Place



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.

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Rubber Plantation in The West of Bandung

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.

Friday, July 1, 2011

Theme Day: Save Energy and Be Green



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.