No Day Without Tree Planting

This billboard with a picture of the President handing over a tree to the Mayor can be seen in several places in the city. The writing on it says "No Day Without Tree Planting".

The billboard is part of the nation's wider campaign for Planting 1 Billion Trees Movement (called OBIT -- One Billion Indonesian Trees) which began in 2006.

The movement, which becomes part of Indonesia's commitment to curbing global warming, is commemorated every year on November 28. This year, the President launched the tree-planting-month-of-December campaign to speed up the achievement of 1 billion tree target and to encourage every citizen to take part in the movement.

This year's commemoration theme is "Hutan Kota Mendorong Terwujudnya Indonesia Hijau" or Urban Forest for Green Indonesia.

Another Example of Bandung's Funny English

Many of us (want to) use English because it's considered classy. Unfortunately, instead of being classy, some of us sound funny - like the English used on this billboard.

Funny English

English has become a fashionable language in this city of ours. Many people use it as a matter of fashion or because they want to look fashionable and classy. Unfortunately, even an advertising agency with enough money to put up a huge billboard like this in the prime area of Pasupati Flyover can't afford but looking careless, underclassed, and stupid with this kind of English.

Why don't they just use Indonesian and be proud of it? Most of the people passing and reading the billboard would be Indonesians anyway.

Urban Jumble

Billboards advertising donuts, an 18 hours cafe, beer, and LCD TV juxtaposed with electric and telephone poles and cables, all in a hodgepodge ... What do they have in common? What do they create?

Taken on Jalan Setiabudhi in the north of Bandung.

What's Success?

Text and picture by Eki Qushay Akhwan

What's success?

According to this billboard, the equation of succes is this: Math + English; and that means the school whose name is advertised there. Does it make sense?

Perhaps.

English, although not a language with the largerst number of speakers, is the most widely spoken language worldwide. Logically, one who can speak English has access to all the information there is to succeed and compete anywhere.

As for math, it's the ultimate language of science.

Speaking of science, Indonesians, I think, can be proud of the achievements of their students and scholars. This year, Indonesian high school students ranked 36 out of 97countries participating at the recent International Mathematics Olympics held in Spain, with one silver and two bronze medals plus an honorable mention title.

At the International Biology Olympics, Indonesian team received two silver and two bronze medals.

In Chemistry, our team performed even better, winning one gold, one silver, and one bronze medals at the recent International Chemistry Olympics held in Hungaria.

The best science olympics achievements of our high school students yet, however, is in physics. Indonesian International Physics Olympics team has consistently won a respectable place for many years now. This year, for example, it won two gold, two silver, and one bronze medals at the 2008 International Physics Olympics held in Hanoi, Vietnam, in July.

Baby in the Air

Text and picture by Eki Qushay Akhwan

It would certainly be horrifying to see a baby in the air. But this is what I see almost everyday on my way to work at the Pasteur Exit of Padaleunyi toll road. This sight never fails to amaze and amuse me. Come rain or shine, the baby has always been there, waving and smiling in the air. So, one day, I deliberately stopped my car and took this picture, so that when it's (or he's) gone, I can still smile and be amused just by looking at this picture.