Footnotes in Black and White

Meet Some Friends #1

2009-12-06T19:34:00.008+07:00

Benny sent me message that he would be in Jakarta after Idul Fitri so asked me whether i could care to join walking together with him on the street of Jakarta.

I called everybody that I thought still in town and not mudik. Appointment was made to gather in Fastfood restaurant in Kota on Saturday. Yuwono, Kikih, Imam, Alex and Aga replied positively. The time was set to 9:00 AM

Unfortunately, I got influenza, woke up late and I forgot that train schedule from Bogor to Jakarta during weekend was reduced so I could only jump the 9:20 AM train and arrived at 11:00 AM.

When I quickly ran to Drop Zone; I saw Benny sat alone on fastfood restaurant with Yuwono, Kikih and Imam grouped on other side, without knowing each other.

Then after greetings and drank a cup of coffee, we walked down to take picture

Sempur: Reprise

2009-12-06T19:00:00.004+07:00

Last month, I took a picture of my friend pre-wedding.

Amazingly the location that couple chose was Sempur and other usual locations in Bogor. In the middle of session, I saw children, after school, buying ice cream and playing with lizards they hunted on bushes nearby.

I took three frames and back again to the session

Sempur: Epilogue

2009-09-07T18:00:00.000+07:00

Some were not changed after all these years.

Sempur: The Flag of Our Ancestors

2009-09-06T18:00:00.001+07:00

Red and White raised everywhere.
Large and Small flags hoisted

Sempur: The Children

2009-09-05T18:00:00.000+07:00

Children, with their mothers, grandmother and families

Sempur: Prologue

2009-09-04T18:00:00.001+07:00

Independence Day 2009.

The same middle aged people, with old but always new destination, Sempur. For some people Sempur will be their third or fourth visits, but for Tigor and Tono (Yes, Tono, our long lost friend now back again to the right track) this would be their the first time. The Team was me, Purwoko, Riza l I Sjahid, Tigor Peetosutan and Gunarto Wibisono

Based on SMS days before, the time is set for Independence Day, Monday 17th August 2009. I bought also copies of Badai Pasti Berlalu for these gentlemen (for some person, Badai Pasti Berlalu means nothing, for few people, it means everything).

As the independence ceremony will be conducted on Lapangan Sempur, then we parked our car on Taman Kencana and walked down. We met and greeted some LVRI member who will attend the ceremony with their proud face and smile. We let Tigor lead the way and crossed the bridge.

Sempur is separated by Ciliwung, there were at least two elementary school and three cable stayed bridges; for photographer, bridges, elementary school, sellers, dwellers are more than enough to capture pictures more over on independence days, flags were raised and there were games for everybody to celebrate it, we could not ask for more.

Sempur means name of tree, but some source stated it came from San Poor – bathing place and was dedicated for Dutch dweller during colonialism while some part of it were still undeveloped, and here are the pictures

Cianjur: Epilogue

2009-09-03T18:00:00.001+07:00

Our journey stopped to the place we started; place we parked our car, in front of Klenteng.

Cianjur klenteng was surrounded by shops and located in small and dense street, it's small compared to the klentengs we visited (Bogor, Jakarta and Sukabumi) but neat.There were administrants with a cat taking care Klenteng.

Cianjur Market Part 5

2009-09-02T18:00:00.000+07:00

The end of series, the potpourri of the market

Cianjur Market Part 4

2009-09-01T18:00:00.000+07:00

The Flesh and The Meat, Fishmonger to the cattle slaughtered

Cianjur Market Part 3

2009-08-31T18:00:00.001+07:00

The barbershop, placed on the corner, hiding from market hectic in the morning

Cianjur Market Part 2

2009-08-30T18:00:00.000+07:00

No, it's not Disneyland After Dark (DAD, which later on facing a lawsuit) this is Market after school.

I was quite shocked when i saw the necklace of the young boy

Cianjur Market Part 1

2009-08-29T18:00:00.000+07:00

Viking – The Jak , it’s like water and oil, it won’t mingle even in this market

Cianjur Market: Prologue

2009-08-28T18:00:00.001+07:00

The market had an extended form, it protruded the Cianjur railway station and literally no space between the tracks and the shops, but since train is scheduled twice and people aware so they do trading peacefully

We walked aimlessly inside Cianjur Market and to our surprised we went back to first time we parked the car

The Fruit and Vegetables were in abundance that day

Cianjur Railway Station

2009-08-27T18:00:00.000+07:00

There is only economy train stopped on Cianjur Railstation, Ciroyom (Bandung) – Cianjur with one diesel locomotive and two passenger cars. However, local stated this train as Argo Peuyeum (fermented cassava) since many Peuyem seller boarded on this train heading to Bandung.

The trip is scheduled twice a day, morning and midday and one trip is approximately 3 hours. Originally the trip was from Ciroyom (Bandung) – Cianjur – Lampegan, but since Lampegan tunnel collapsed (however it was fixed, but no announcement when the trip is to be extended to Lampegan again) then it stopped on Cianjur.

As a comparison, the train fare is around Rp. 2500 against Rp. 15000 for bus fare

Street of Cianjur: The Death of Movie Theater

2009-08-26T18:00:00.000+07:00

In the advent of a company which hold theaters and importing movies and compounded by the era of VCR, VCD, Laser Disc, DVD and you name it.

Small theater with inadequate capital will have to join the majority or dying out

Street of Cianjur: The Seller on The Street

2009-08-20T17:08:00.003+07:00

Fishmonger and ring seller, both can be found on the street of Cianjur

Street Of Cianjur: Brunch!

2009-08-20T17:05:00.006+07:00

Jajanan Pasar, I can not find the similarity in English, can be found anywhere on the alley in Cianjur

Street of Cianjur: Transportation

2009-08-20T17:01:00.003+07:00

Similar to other cities in West Java, Becak and Angkot (Angkutan Kota - City Transportation)are the main mode of transportation

Street of Cianjur: The Tailor

2009-08-20T16:54:00.004+07:00

And in front of Barber, there was a small tailor

Street of Cianjur: The Barbershop Cum House

2009-08-20T16:46:00.003+07:00

On the empty street near railway station, there is an old house.
The style of the house can be tracked back to fifties, the main room now changed to barber activity

Street of Cianjur: In Front Of Their Home

2009-08-20T16:41:00.006+07:00

The wireless telecommunication age holds a significant influence to friendship

Cianjur: Prologue

2009-08-20T15:32:00.008+07:00

Four middle aged person, (Me, Rizal Sjahid, Evodius Purwoko, Tigor Peetosutan and Jusuf Arief) who appeared that didn't have a real hobby except taking picture of trivial items on neglected and unnecessary pieces of history, gathered on Saturday morning.

The aim of wandering was Cianjur, to visit the Klenteng (hope this is a correct term), fulfilling the four Klenteng Brotherhood (Jakarta, Bogor, Sukabumi and Cianjur) as people told us.

Nights before, Map opened, internet surfed, distance measured and found that there were market (supposed to be traditional one) and railway station and elementary schools. That's more than enough for a half day trip, as they are the holy trinity of Transportation, Education and Religion which in our reckless, irresponsible and wild grand theory of humanrace was the significance factors contributing the progress of culture of human race.

In the morning, we gathered on Purwoko house, enjoying morning tea and chit-chat and apparently I am the one who still smoke cigarette now. Then we go to Cianjur A.S.A.P. The Klenteng was easy to find, we parked in front of it and walked only to find Chicken Porridge.

Finished meal, we tried to find the elementary school which we thought a old school with thick building from Dutch era, but thought's gone as we saw three stories building. We set course to Cianjur Railway Station and found that some of the equipment inside the station is using solar cell. Inside in station we had a good Es Cendol, Es Campur and Ice Tea; when the officer said that in few minutes the train from Bandung will arrive we set a walk to crossroad near the market as we thought it was the best spot for taking pictures.

It is only Bandung - Cianjur vv, officer told me, the Cianjur - Sukabumi still impassable as one tunnel is closed and no plan to fix yet.

We continued walking inside the market and back to Klenteng to have a small talks and not to forget to buy Cianjur specialties for our family who gave us permit to wander around.

Reprise: Pulo Geulis – After School

2009-08-19T16:50:00.004+07:00

After School is considered as holiday, and tomorrow is probably another holiday
What else?

Reprise: Pulo Geulis – Morning Breakfast

2009-08-19T16:38:00.006+07:00

Morning had started in Pulo Geulis, the same ritual in every morning, the breakfast with famous chicken porridge

Election, Election and Once Again Election

2009-08-19T10:36:00.004+07:00

As far as I can remember, there were holidays due to election in Indonesia; and to make things complicated, I work in Jakarta when stay in Bogor (West Java) legally my workplace and my home are on different provinces.

In West Java, at least, I have 4 major elections. Mayor Election for Bogor, Governor Election for West Java (both will be on Sunday), General Election for representatives and Presidential Election (both are not conducted on weekend thus considered as holidays). For representative I had to choose parties for my City, Province and national and not to forget to choose senator (or similar concept to that) to represent me in Jakarta.
Jakarta Governor Election is conducted on weekdays, and considered as holiday by office.

Quite lucky that these activities were conducted in every five years, but the boringness is clear as I had go to same places over and over again.

Post Script 12.20 Local Time 18.08.2009
Inside the room, I found that it is too small, narrow and dark for examining the ballot. This is the first time for Indonesian people to mark the number of the party or the picture of the representatives, previously only party which to be marked by putting a hole (usually with nail). As consequences, the ballot is almost like A2 size paper with name and picture and representative's party and I had to choose for Bogor, West Java and Indonesia. You can imagine the small font, the picture, the party symbol all in one places and the table is not high enough for person taller than 160cm so you can imagine how worst the ergonomic side of this election. I can not remember which party, which representative or which Senator that I choose that day.