On June 26, we went to see the Ballet performance at Taman Ismail Marzuki. The title was Cinderella, so the story was pretty much clear. The Choreographer was Jurgen Otte, a well known international Choreographer . The reason for watching Ballet performance was simple; we just wanted to experience different kind of entertainment, not to mention we’ve never seen Ballet performance before.

As taken from the booklet, the performance was carried by Ballet Sumber Cipta (BSC). BSC was established in 1976 (34 years ago!). The founder, Farida Oetoyo, started the ballet school back in 1959 with Yulianti Parani located in Megaria Center Jakarta. Today BSC has been one of the most active Ballet schools with its extensive network locally and internationally.

The performance was terrific. We were so amazed with the dancers; their passion, movements, shapes, and colorful wardrobes. It seemed to me that they’re living their roles. I learned from the booklet that the performers have been practicing  Ballet since very young age. For instance, Olive Avena Halim (Cinderella/Fairy God Mother) started Ballet at age 5, Ann Bella Yo (Sister Boulotte) started Ballet at age 5 as well.

Tickets were IDR 50k for balcony and IDR 100k for regular view. We believe the whole experience was worth the money. Initially we thought there would be few people watching this because this performance was not advertised properly (in our opinion), but the hall was crowded with people.

I recall Annie Leibovits, my favorite photographer, mentioned that she liked to photograph dancers, because they were very comfortable with their body and expressive. It is true. I dream to photograph dancers someday, just like Annie Leibovits did.

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A temple was first built at the site around 850 CE by either Rakai Pikatan or Balitung Maha Sambu the Sanjaya king of the Mataram Kingdom. According to Shivagrha inscription that wrote chandrasengkala ”Wwalung gunung sang wiku” (778 Saka/856 M), the temple was built to honor lord Shiva and the original name of the temple is Shiva-grha (the house of Shiva).[2] Indeed, some archaeologists propose that the idol of Shiva in the garbhagriha (central chamber) of the main temple is modelled after King Balitung, serving as a depiction of his deified self after death.[3].The temple compound was expanded by successive Mataram kings such as Daksa and Tulodong with the addition hundreds of perwara temples around the chief temple. Prambanan served as the royal temple of the Hindu Kingdom of Mataram, with most of the state’s religious ceremonies and sacrifices being conducted there. At the height of the Mataram kingdom, scholars estimate that hundreds of Brahmins with their disciples lived within the outer wall of the temple compound. The urban center and the court of Mataram were located nearby, somewhere in the Prambanan valley.

After the reconstruction of the main temples in 1990s, Prambanan once again reclaim its status as an important religious center for Hindu rituals and ceremonies in Java. The religious significance revival of Prambanan was due to Balinese and Javanese Hindu communities in Yogyakarta and Central Java that annually perform their sacred ceremonies in Prambanan, such as Galungan, Tawur Kesanga, and Nyepi.[4][5]

The temple was damaged during the May 2006 Java earthquake. Early photos suggest that although the complex was structurally intact, the damage was significant. Large pieces of debris, including carvings, were scattered over the ground. The temple has been closed to visitors until the damage can be fully assessed. The head of Yogyakarta Archaeological Conservation Agency stated that it would take months to identify the precise extent of the damage.[6] However, some weeks later in 2006 the site had been re-opened for visitors. As of 2009, the interior of most of the temples remains off-limits for safety reasons.

(from various sources).

Around two weeks ago I visited Prambanan Temple for second times (the first was around 13 years ago).  The site was very beautiful with green scenery around the temple compund. The architectures, sophisticated carvings, and mystical surrounding were able to depict the grandeur of ancient Javanese. It was around 12am, so it was very challenging to the pictures of Prambanan. Nevertheless, I was able to took several pictures of Prambanan Temple.

Gears: Canon EOS 500D, Canon Lens 24-105, Hoya CPL Filter.

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It is the largest retail Batik trade center in Yogyakarta. Shoppers can find almost any kind of Batik from this place, from the cheapest to the mid-priced and fine Batik (around USD 100). Finest Batik, typically  Batik Tulis, is mostly available in boutique stores and it may cost from hundreds to thousands USD.

Outside the main trade center, still within the complex, there are so many Gold/Jewellery traders. Second floor was supposed to cater herbs and spices trading but last time I went there, those activities were sparse. Third floor was supposed to cater antiques trading but I found that Mirota shop, which is located few yards from Beringharjo market, has better managed and interesting antiques collection. Outside the market, there are street food vendors, selling breakfast, herbal, beverages, and snacks.

Beringhardjo is an exciting place for photographers, because it exhibits massive human interests and colorful subjects (fabrics and foods). The market is really crowded and surprisingly considerably clean. Although it is widely considered as safe place, but there is risk of pickpocketing. Beringhardjo is really worth to be visited, either as a tourist, occassional shopper, or photographer.

By the way, the parking fee is damn expensive. For Jakarta cars, they charge IDR 5,000.- and others IDR 3,000.-. As far as I know, the parking fee in Jakarta usually is around IDR 2,000.- and there are only 2 places which charge IDR 3,000- at the moment ; Kota (Mangga Besar, Hayam Wuruk, Gajah Mada), and Senayan.

Enjoy the pics! (Click each image to enlarge).

All pics were taken using EOS 500D and 50mm F1.8 (considering the price, this is simply the best lens in the world!).

Next post: Kraton, Losari, Prambanan, Tugu Railway, Paddy Field, and Other culinary experience

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Chinese New Year, Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is commonly called “Lunar New Year”, because it is based on the lunisolar Chinese calendar. The festival traditionally begins on the first day of the first month (Chinese: 正月; pinyin: zhēng yuè) in the Chinese calendar and ends on the 15th; this day is called Lantern Festival. Chinese New Year’s Eve is known as chú xī. It literally means “Year-pass Eve”.

Chinese New Year is celebrated in countries and territories with significant Han Chinese populations (Chinatowns), such as Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Taiwan, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand. Chinese New Year is considered a major holiday for the Chinese and has had influence on the new year celebrations of its geographic neighbors, as well as cultures with whom the Chinese have had extensive interaction. These include Koreans (Seollal), Tibetans and Bhutanese (Losar), Mongolians (Tsagaan Sar), Vietnamese (Tết), and the Japanese before 1873 (Oshogatsu).

On the days before the New Year celebration Chinese families give their home a thorough cleaning. It is believed the cleaning sweeps away the bad luck of the preceding year and makes their homes ready for good luck. Brooms and dust pans are put away on the first day so that luck cannot be swept away. Some people give their homes, doors and window-frames a new coat of red paint. Homes are often decorated with paper cutouts of Chinese auspicious phrases and couplets. Purchasing new clothing, shoes, and receiving a hair-cut also symbolize a fresh start.

In many households where Buddhism or Taoism is prevalent, home altars and statues are cleaned thoroughly, and altars that were adorned with decorations from the previous year are also taken down and burned a week before the new year starts, and replaced with new decorations.

The biggest event of any Chinese New Year’s Eve is the dinner every family will have. A dish consisting of fish will appear on the tables of Chinese families. It is for display for the New Year’s Eve dinner. This meal is comparable to Christmas dinner in the West. After the dinner, some families go to local temples, hours before the new year begins to pray for a prosperous new year by lighting the first incense of the year.

(Wikipedia)

Last saturday, I went with other bloggers (Toni, Parvita, Juinita) to Hok Tek Tjengsin Temple. It is located near Standard Chartered Building. The temple was not too crowded, so it was a good place to take pictures. However, when the night falls, they turned on neon lights which disrupt the photo mood. Nevertheless, in overall we’re satisfied with the results and yeah, the Barongsai was great! Too bad none of us has the Canon 5D or 1D to perfectly capture the Night Barongsai Show. Oh by the way, I think Yudieth is a talented photographer. She took some of the pictures here. I should start considering to buy a new camera body from now on

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Lyrics:

Du guckst mich an, und ich geh mit,
Und der ist ewig, dieser Augenblick.
Da scheint die Sonne, da lacht das Leben,
Da geht mein Herz auf, ich will’s dir geben.
ich will dich tragen, ich will dich lieben,
Denn die Liebe ist geblieben.
Hat nicht gefragt, ist einfach da,
Weglaufen geht nicht, das ist mir klar.

Liebe will nicht,
Liebe kämpft nicht,
Liebe wird nicht,
Liebe ist.
Liebe sucht nicht,
Liebe fragt nicht,
Liebe ist so wie du bist.

Gute Nacht mein wunderschöner und
ich möcht mich noch bedanken.
Was du getan hast, was du gesagt hast,
das war ganz sicher nicht leicht für dich.
Du denkst an mich, in voller Liebe,
Und was du siehst, geht nur nach vorne.
Du bist mutig, du bist schlau,
Und ich werd’ immer für dich da sein,
Das weiß ich ganz genau.

Du und ich wir sind wie Kinder,
die sich lieben wie sie sind.
Die nicht lügen und nicht fragen,
Wenn es nichts zu fragen gibt.
Wir sind zwei und wir sind alt,
Und wir sehn die Dinge klar.
Und wenn einer von uns gehen muss,
Sind wir trotzdem immer da.

Wir sind da.
Wir sind da.
Wir sind da.
Wir sind da.
Wir sind da.
Wir sind da.

Liebe will nicht,
Liebe kämpft nicht,
Liebe wird nicht,
Liebe ist.

Liebe sucht nicht,
Liebe fragt nicht,
Liebe fühlt sich an wie du bist.

Liebe soll nicht,
Liebe kämpft nicht,
Liebe wird nicht,
Liebe ist.
Liebe sucht nicht,
Liebe fragt nicht,
Liebe ist so wie du bist.

So wie du bist, so wie du bist.
Liebe, ist so wie du bist.
Liebe, ist so wie du bist.
Liebe, ist so wie du bist.
Liebe, ist so wie du bist.
Liebe, ist so wie du bist.
Liebe, ist so wie du bist.
so wie du bist.
so wie du bist.

English Translation:

http://german.about.com/library/blmus_nenaLiebeistE.htm

you look at me
and I go with you
and it’s eternal, this moment
the sun is shining
life is laughing
my heart opens up
I want to give it to you
I want to carry you
I want to love you
for love has remained
didn’t ask
is simply there
there’s no running away
that’s obvious to me

you and I that’s quite surely
like a wonderful deep rapture
of the very special kind
and we have a right to
keep meeting again and again
to keep looking at each other
when the big wide world calls
I’ll surely go with you

love doesn’t want
love doesn’t fight
love doesn’t become
love is
love doesn’t seek
love doesn’t ask
love is like you are

good night my marvelous one
and I’d still like to express my gratitude
what you did
what you said
it certainly wasn’t easy for you
you think of me in complete love
and what you see only moves forward
you’re courageous
you’re smart
and I’ll always be there for you
that I know for sure

you and I we’re like children
who love each other the way they are
who don’t lie and don’t ask
when there’s nothing to ask
we are two and we are one
and we see things clearly
and when one of us must go
we are still always there

we are there, we are there, we are there
we are there, we are there, we are there

love doesn’t want
love doesn’t fight
love doesn’t become
love is
love doesn’t seek
love doesn’t ask
love feels like you are

love should not
love doesn’t fight
love doesn’t become
love is
love doesn’t seek
love doesn’t ask
love is like you are

like you are
like you are
love is like you are
love like you are
love is like you are
love is like you are
love like you are
love is like you are
like you are
like you are

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About Parmalim

If you see people with cloth covering their head in the above pictures, they were the follower of Malim (also known as Parmalim). Malim is based on the native religion of Batak people and it has been influenced by Hinduism, Islam, and Catholicism.  Today the largest followers are from Toba Batak which reside around Toba Lake.  The largest of the existing Parmalim groups has its centre in Huta Tinggi in the vicinity of Laguboti on the south shore of Lake Toba.

In Indonesia, Malim is not considered as a religion therefore for administrative purpose, the Parmalim have to declare one of 6 religions (Islam, Protestant, Catholic, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Konghucu) in their ID. Moreover, people often perceive Parmalim as heretic, probably because of polytheism, magic practice, and animal sacrifice practice (before Christianity and Islam, the Batak made human sacrifice).  Some followers even receive discrimination from workplace despite the key messages of Malim are just the same with other religions: harmony with nature, love thy neighbors, love thy families, karma, and love the Creator of this Universe. Before Gus Dur rose to Presidency, Parmalim held their ceremonies privately but nowadays they openly held their ceremonies and their annual grand ceremony, Pesta Bius, is becoming a tourist attraction. Nevertheless, they are still fighting for their existence, acknowledgement, and more important: religious freedom.

Some useful resources (mostly in Indonesian languange):

• http://www.parmalim.com/index.php
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parmalim
• http://maulanusantara.wordpress.com/2008/05/29/parmalim/
• http://wongalus.wordpress.com/2009/06/26/parmalim-yang-tersingkir/
• http://budiawan-hutasoit.blogspot.com/2008/04/penghayat-kepercayaan-terpinggirkan.html
• http://maulanusantara.wordpress.com/2008/05/30/parmalim-%E2%80%9Ckami-bukan-penganut-ajaran-sesat%E2%80%9D/

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Dayak Tribal Tattoo

I was totally new to Dayak Tribal Tattoo so I made a little research in Google about Dayak Tattoo. I found that these articles are good enough for starters:

• In the Realm of Spirits: Traditional Dayak Tatoo in Borneo (Borneo, or Kalimantan in Indonesian languange, is around 75% is owned by Indonesia, and the remaining is shared between Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam);
• Early Photos of Dayak Tattoos in Borneo; and
• Tribal Tatoos Design.

For convenience, I am summarizing the above mentioned articles.

There are about 3 millions Dayak in Kalimantan. Most groups are settled cultivating rice and basic trading. Smaller groups still maintain nomadic hunter-gatherers and continue to follow a traditional lifestyle in the jungle. The Dayak have good techniques of rice cultivation, textile weaving, and tattooing. Physically, the Dayak have resemblance with the Chinese, but the Dayak skin is a bit darker (however, typical Hokkian people are known to have darker skin as well).

Have you seen Avatar the movie? Perhaps it is easier to compare Dayak with the Navi race in the movie. Among the Dayak, all life – whether animal, vegetable, or human – is endowed with a spiritual aspect. Spirits living in the jungle must always be propitiated and never offended. The Dayak in Borneo still use tribal tattooing to this day. When a young man makes his first hunting kill, he is thought to pass into adulthood. This occasion is marked with a variety of tattoos. The Dayak also believe that tattooing the image of a creature or object on their bodies helps them draw energy from their spirits. Like the Samoan’s, applying the Dayak tribal tattoo was deeply ritualistic. Spirits, both good and bad, exercise many powers. Spirits usually come to individuals through dreams and even tattoo artists are under the protection of a particular spirit. Dreams are believed to be revelations sent by the gods, sometimes by deified ancestors, and all Dayak are guided by them in their daily affairs.

Dayak Tribal Tattoo skill is very rare, because not many people really master this skill anymore and to be honest, there’s hardly commercial incentive for Dayak people to develop this skill. Durga is one of few people who have this skill and knowledge.

Early Photos of Dayak Tattoo in the Past

1) Dayak, ca. 1927. Credit: H.F. Tillema. Dayak woman’s hand tattoos. The black spikes that run from the knuckles to the mid-digits are called song irang (shoots of bamboo), the lines that run horizontally behind the knuckles are called ikor (lines), and the design on the wrists is ? It is possible that this is an anthropomorph of some kind and may represent silong lejau (tiger’s faces).

2) Dayak, ca. 1927. Credit: H.F. Tillema. Dayak woman’s thigh tattoo. This woman was of high rank as evidenced by the number of rings around the calves. The motif running up the thighs is called silong lejau (tiger’s faces). At the terminus of these bands you can barely make out a different pattern just above the horizontal lines on the calf. This is called nang klinge (important design) and is a degraded anthropomorph. What is unusual is that this design is usually found on the kneecaps of both men and women and this tattoo was the one reserved for the last portion of the body tattoo. The curlicues below the horizontal ikor around the calves are called tushun tuva (the tuba root motif). What is great about this photo is that the unmarked portions of her thigh are visible. These were important because if a woman decorated these areas (known as tedak danau – lake tattoo), her legs would become mortified.

3) Dayak, ca. 1896. Credit: Dr. A.W. Nieuwenhuis.
The central tattoo design on his chest represents the trunk of the garing tree; adjoining it above are two great designs depicting the wings of a hornbill. What is significant about this aesthetic is that the hornbill symbolizes speed, strength, and cunning while the garing motif represents invulnerability, since this tree is believed to never die. The tattooing that appears down the arms and over the shoulders represents the leaves of the areca palm. In a sense, then, this Dayak man is covered with a visual canopy of the creatures and plants that live within his jungle domain. Furthermore, and when combined together, they act as an indelible form of camouflage acting upon the malevolent forces encountered in the jungle – headhunters and evil spirits.

Intermezzo: Why the Old Dayak was Interested with Human Head?

Some rumors even saying that today traditional Dayak are still interested in taking the head of their enemies. I have never seen it and for sure, modern Dayak do not take heads anymore.

According to the beliefs of the Iban, one of the souls of a person resides in their head and by taking someone else’s you capture their soul as well as their status, strength, skill and power. Thus, it is not surprising that human heads, once taken and preserved, were respected in ritual; their spirits became adopted members of the group that took them and were persuaded to aid their captors in many ways.

Some Nice Pictures from the Event (Click Each Image to Enlarge)

Durga prepared his tools. Although the method is traditional (handtapping), but the equipments are hygienic (new equipments) and they wear gloves.

This is the handtapping process. Painful? He said no.

Several Dayak crafts (These Masks were usually worn in harvesting ceremonies)

Dayak Adults (See the costumes. I wondering how did the old guy get his dayak-motive Batik?)

Do you think these cute kids are taking head anymore?

Durga and his working parner (with cool ear-stretching)

Some Notes

I really appreciate the DYC’s commitment toward the preservation of their heritage. Salute for them. Not surprisingly, good references regarding Dayak Tattoo (and perhaps other Dayak Arts as well) are found in abroad, not in Indonesia.

By the way, if you’re interested to make a well-thought and special tattoo, you may visit Durga’s studio:

DURGA TATTOO
Business Hours:
Tuesday – Saturday : 12:00 – 23:00.
Sunday – Monday : Close
Studio
JL. CIKINI RAYA, 37B
JAKARTA 10330 INDONESIA
Phone: 021 3152478

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Few days ago Noel Gallagher announced his departure from Oasis. Liam, his brother, said that Oasis will go on without Noel. I think Liam’s just bluffing, big mouth, and he is a fucking joke. Oasis is Noel Gallagher bands, not more than that. I am quite disappointed because earlier this year, Oasis had their gigs in Hong Kong and Singapore and I missed the shows. I promised myself that I would see their concert next year but it won’t happen. Too bad…

I have list of my top 10 best rock n roll songs all the time and I put “Wonderwall” in it. This song is about an imaginary friend who’s gonna come and save you from yourself (some people said this is about Noel’s ex-wife).

Anyway, these are my 10 favourite songs of Oasis:

1. Wonderwall

2. Don’t Look Back in Anger

3. Champagne Supernova

4. I’m Outta Time

5. Acquiesce

6. Live Forever

7. Some Might Say

8. Don’t Go Away

9. Slide Away (I like Liam’s voice a decade ago…)

10. Stand By Me

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