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.