Bubble Seller at Alun-Alun Cimahi Park

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

Having A Flat Tire?

Having a flat tire while you're on the road in Indonesia?

No problem! Professional tire patcher like this is everywhere. For a small fee you can get your tire fixed in minutes. They do all kinds of tires too: car's, truck's, scooter's (motorbike's), tube and tubeless tires. Some of them even open 24/7.

This one is on the roadside of Jalan Amir Machmud, Cimahi, in the west of Bandung.

Roadside Poster Saler

Posters and calendars sold at the pavement (sidewalk) at the town of Cimahi in the west of Bandung.

Cafe Kupu-Kupu at Cimahi

Here is the front facade of Cafe Kupu-Kupu I was talking about in yesterday's post. The building is relatively small, but it has nice gardens in the front and backyard.

Tampak depan dari Kafe Kupu-Kupu di Jalan Kolonel Masturi, Cimahi. Kafe ini tidak terlalu besar, tapi tamannya cukup tertata apik dan asri.

And as I said, it is a reading cafe with plenty of books and magazines that you can borrow and read while enjoying your foods and drinks. The collections seem to be rotated and updated regularly. I can always find new tittles whenever I go there.

By the way, kupu-kupu is the Indonesian word for butterfly. That's why you see butterfly ornament on the column.

Sebagian dari koleksi buku Kafe Kupu-Kupu yang bisa dipinjam dan dibaca oleh pengunjung. Buku-buku ini tampaknya diputar (diganti dan ditambah) secara teratur. Selalu ada judul-judul baru setiap kali saya berkunjung ke sana.

Pancake at Cafe Kupu-Kupu

The pancake, served with a scoop of ice cream and slices of banana, I had sometime ago at Cafe Kupu-Kupu. Cafe Kupu-Kupu is located on Kolonel Masturi street, in the scenic northern hills of Cimahi. I like this cafe because it's a reading cafe with plenty of books and magazines that we can borrow and read while we're enjoying the beverages and foods. It's pretty close to where I live too.

Kue panekuk disajikan dengan es krim dan potongan pisang yang saya pesan di Kafe Kupu-Kupu di Jalan Kolonel Masturi, Cimahi utara, beberapa waktu yang lalu. Saya suka ke kafe ini karena di kafe ini menyediakan banyak buku dan majalah yang bisa dipinjam dan dibaca sambil kita menikmati makanan dan minuman.

A Small, Street-Corner Bookstore

A small book store on the corner of Jalan Jend. Purn Amir Machmud, which is the main street, and Jalan Alun-alun Cimahi. I think it's one of the oldest book stores in the town of Cimahi in the west of Bandung. Pustaka Nasution I believe is the name.

In an era of big chain bookstores, it's nice to see a small and privately owned bookstore like this.

The store doesn't carry many books though. When I checked it out the last time, it only had school text books, some religious books, and a limited collection of how-to books.

The tents in front of it are street vendors selling various things: shoes, bags, clothes ...

Flying Bicycles

Flying bicycles at Alun-alun Cimahi (Cimahi City Square) park.

Cimahi is a municipality of about 600,000 population located about 12 kilometers to the west of the city of Bandung. It is one of the independent administrative areas that form the Greater Bandung Area(Bandung Raya) -- Other areas being Kota Bandung (Bandung Municipality), Kabupaten Bandung (Bandung Regency), and Kabupaten Bandung Barat (West Bandung Regency).

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.

Multiple Information and Telecommunication Technology Shop

Text and picture by Eki Qushay Akhwan

Access to information and telecommunication technology, such as computer, the internet, facsimile, etc., is a necessity today. However, many people, especially those from the lower income strata, still can't afford to have such technology at home. This doesn't necessarily mean that they don't have access to it though. Internet cafes (here called WARNET - the abbreviation for Warung Internet or Internet Kiosk), WARTEL (Warung Telekomunikasi or telecommunication kiosk), photocopy kiosks, etc. are available nearly in every strategic location throughout the city of Bandung and even in its surrounding countrysides where telephone lines and/or wireless mobile telephone signal are available.

The kiosk in the above photo is particularly interesting because it does not only provide internet or telephone services, but both plus a variety of other information and telecommunication technology services. As you can see from the writings on the window, it offers computer rent, data backup services, document typing and editing, photo scanning and editing, laminating, printing and photocopy services, prepaid cellular phone vouchers, and even multy players games. All in one small and unassuming shop!

I took the above shapshot photo at Cimahi, a town about 14 kilometers west of Bandung's city center.