Unseen Bandung: Kampong Party at The Cikapundung River Bank

This is a scene that many visitors to Bandung would not probably see:

Just across the river where I took the fishing photo (see previous post), I saw a small party going on. The party, with dangdut music and dancing, was apparently part of a political campaign held by a candidate of the municipal legislature who sought votes from the slum river bank community in the recently held general elections.

As you can see from the picture, sanitation at densely-populated kampongs along the Cikapundung river is a big environmental issue in Bandung. Open sewer and garbage flow into the river which in turn flows into one of the dirtiest river in the world: The Ciliwung.

Fishing at Cikapundung

Photo caption: a group of men fishing in a makeshift pond set at the bank of the Cikapundung River.

The Cikapundung is the main river that cuts across the city of Bandung from the north to south. It flows and merges with the Citarum, the longest river in West Java, that flows to the Java Sea.

Ballot Casting

Caption: A voter casts her ballot at a polling station in West Bandung in today.

Today Indonesian voters went the polling stations to elect their representatives in the regional and national legislative councils. "Pemilu Legislatif" (Legislative General Elections) is the first of the two-phase elections. In the second phase, Indonesians will cast their votes to elect their president and vice president for the next five year term.

Stained Glass Window at Bandung West Java Grand Mosque

Photo caption: The pattern of stained glass window of the West Java Grand Mosque in Bandung.

Carpet Rolling

Caption: A worker rolling the carpets at West Java Grand Mosque in Bandung.

To keep them clean, carpets in the West Java Grand Mosque at Asia-Africa Street are rolled in when they are not in use. They are rolled out again for Friday prayer or for halaqa (Quranic recitation and studies).

Mobile Skateboarding Boutique

A mobile skateboarding boutique parked near Bandung Skateboard Park. A place where a community meets is also a marketplace for their needs -- a proof that the existence of themed parks is good for the city's economy. :)

Bandung Skateboard Park at Balubur

Photo caption: Bandung's skateboard park at Balubur last Saturday night.

Bandung Skateboard Park is one of the newest parks in Bandung. The park, which is located under the Pasupati flyover adjacent to 'Taman Jomblo' (single's park), was dedicated on 4 January 2014. This park is said to be the first instalment of a more extended facility promised to Bandung's skateboarders' community. A more elaborate facility that meets international standard is to be dedicated later this year, according to the current mayor.

Bandung has quite a significant number of skateboarder communities. Prior to the construction of the park, many skateboarders used to practice their skills at the road sides, which of course was unsafe.

From Spaces to Places

Photo 1 caption: Pidi Baiq, a prominent multitalented artist from Bandung, performing at the launching of "Bandung From Spaces to Places", a photo book by a photographer friend of mine Galih Sedayu, last night.

Last night I was invited to "Bandung From Spaces to Places" photo book launching by Galih Sedayu, the author of the book, a photographer friend of mine and one of Bandung's leading creative community activists. The launching took place at a community park under the Pasupati overpass at Balubur area.

Galih Sedayu's book can possibly be called a pioneering work of his generation of photographers working on the topic of Bandung.

Old Brievenbus at Bandung's Main Post Office

An ornamented steel 'Brievenbus' (the Dutch word for mail box) like this used to be quite a common sight in many places in the city when I was a child. It's where we drop our stamped mails to post. Now we don't see them much. Many of them have long been replaced by a simpler mail boxes or disappeared all together as fewer and fewer people send snail mails these days.

Some of these ornamented mail boxes have become a museum exhibit, some -- like this one -- have become a decorative ornament put at some post offices as a reminder of the past.

Location: Bandung's main post office on Asia-Africa street.

Satpol PP Patrol Motorbikes

Patrol motorbikes used by Bandung's Satpol PP (Municipal Police) to enforce municipal regulations and public order. These motorbikes are parked near Dalum Kaum street that I told you about yesterday.

The Orderly Dalem Kaum Street

This is what Dalem Kaum Street looks like now: green and more orderly.

Not long ago, this street in the center of the city was notorious for its crowded and chaotic look. Unruly street vendors known locally as 'pedagang kaki lima'(PKL) occupied both sides of the streets and the sidewalks making the already dense and narrow street congested, dirty, and unsightly.

The revitalisation of the street was part of our new mayor's program to regulate more stringently the city's street vendors and make the city cleaner and more orderly.

This banner at the end of the street reminds everyone that it is against the city's regulation to buy from street vendors in this area. This banner reads:

"It is forbidden to buy from street vendors in the red zone." The fine for violators is 1 million rupiah (about US $80).

Garbage Recycler at Work

A middleman collector sorting out garbage for recycling in his small workshop in West Bandung.

Unlike in developed countries, garbage recycling is a labor extensive business in Bandung and in Indonesia in general. Recyclable garbage -- that with plastic, metal, or glass components -- is collected from homes or the streets by traveling scavengers. These scavengers typically sell their 'harvest' to a middleman who then sell them to a wholesale collectors. These wholesale collectors do the sorting, cleaning, and packaging before selling it to the recycling factories.

The government is not involved in the process. Everything is done by individuals and private entrepreneurs. Garbage recycling is a big business that provides a source of income to many who are involved.

Twin Boats at Situ Ciburuy

Two row boats that look like twins parked by the side of Situ (lake) Ciburuy in Padalarang, West Bandung Regency.

I have previously posted another photo from this lake here.

Braga Culinary Night

This is what Bandung's most renowned street "Jalan Braga" looks like now every Saturday night. Since 11 January 2014, a weekly event called Braga Culinary Night has been and will be staged here. The event is part of a wide range of new initiatives taken by our new mayor Mr Ridwan Kamil to revive and improve the charm of the city that was once proudly called the Paris of Java (Parijs van Java).

The colorful umbrellas are not a permanent fixture. They are part of the monthly thematic decorations that will be changed on the monthly basis. The umbrellas have probably been chosen because January falls within the rainy season in Bandung.

Bandung Culinary Night (BCN) is held every Saturday evening from 6 PM until 1 AM Sunday. Different food stalls representing a wide range of Bandung's rich culinary traditions are erected here. Visitors can choose whatever foods they like from the variety offered from "jajanan rakyat" (folk snacks/food) to the more classy hotel and restaurant class ones.

Today's photo was contributed by my friend Irvan Ariandi, a photographer and a member of Bandung's creative community forum.

Bandung Senior Citizens Park (Taman Lansia)

Under the direction of our newly-elected mayor, Mr. Ridwan Kamil, Bandung is currently undertaking some bold revitalization projects to revive and improve the city's deteriorating public infrastructure. One such programs is the revitalization and thematisation of the existing public parks and the creation of new parks in desolate and squalid areas.

Under this program, public parks are revitalized and given themes, and their management given to community groups relevant to the themes.

Pictured above is the LANSIA Park. Lansia stands for lanjut usia (senior citizens). Located near the West Java gubernatorial office mansions Gedung Sate, the Lansia Park is an existing park that has just undergone a makeover. As the name indicates, the park is dedicated to the city's senior citizens. However, as a public park it's open for everyone, young and old alike.

Today's photo is contributed by Agus Wahyudi, a photographer friend of mine and frequent contributor of Bandung Daily Photo.

Bubble Seller at Alun-Alun Cimahi Park

A bubble seller selling his ware at Alun-Alun Cimahi Park in the west of Bandung.

Bandung's New Angkot Design

Under the leadership of our new mayor, Ridwan Kamil, one of Indonesia's most prominent architects and city planners, Bandung has got a new hope and gradual facelift. Among the things he recently introduced is this: the new design for its ubiquitous and 'notorious' Angkot.

Instead of the plain colors designating the angkot's routes, the new design puts images of Bandung's most cherished heritage and attractions, and writing that says "Bandung, City of World Tourism" in Indonesian (Roman alphabets) and Sundanese alphabets.

This new design is part of the campaign to strengthen the citizen's awareness of the city's heritage and image so that they will be more active in taking part in keeping their city's cleanliness and beauty.

These photographs were taken by Agus Wahyudi, a photographer friend of mine and frequent contributor of Bandung Daily Photo. Thanks, Pak Agus.

Pertamina Fuel Transporter Truck

A Pertamina fuel transporter truck with all its safety signs and warnings stopping at a traffic light. I took this photo sometime ago from behind the windshield of my car.

Pertamina is Indonesia's national oil, gas, and energy company.

Bandung Heritage Festival 2013

This photo of a girl walking among banners featuring Bandung's architectural heritage was taken by Alda Agustine, one of Bandung Daily Photo's frequent contributors. The event she's reporting is that of Bandung Heritage Festival that took place last June.

I missed the event because I was out of town for an assignment.

Bandung Heritage Festival is a new annual event organized to raise the citizens' awareness of Bandung's rich and important historical heritage, many of which have been destroyed to make ways for the development of new commercial spaces. The two-week event at the end of June consisted of different programs like exhibitions, a photo contest, an art festival, and a campaign to save Babakan Siliwangi, a small patch of urban forest in the center of the city.

Jajan

These children are buying a cake from a snack seller/vendor traveling in their kampong near Situ Ciburuy (the Ciburuy lake) in West Bandung.

"Jajan", the title of this post, is an Indonesian word for snack (as a noun), eating snack, or buying snack.

Kambing Guling (Grilled Goat)

A grilled goat being prepared for our office year-end gathering in December 2012. We did not have a gathering last year (2013). Grilled goat is called "kambing guling" in Indonesian. It literally means rolling goat to describe how it is prepared, i.e. by rolling it over the cinder.

Vegetable Seller and Buyer

A traveling/mobile vegetable seller and a buyer in the neighbourhood where I live in West Bandung.

A traveling vegetable seller like this usually walks door to door and touts his merchandise. A buyer who thinks she/he needs the merchandise touted would come out of their house, stop him, and bargain before the transaction is made. Many kinds of merchandise and services are sold in this way in my neighbourhood.