BANDUNG DAILY PHOTO

Bandung E-Store

2012-05-22T23:29:00.000+07:00

The unique architecture of Bandung E-Store at Cihampelas Walk (Ciwalk).

E-Store is a premium re-seller of Apple products in Indonesia. Currently it has its outlets in four cities in Indonesia, namely Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta, and Tangerang.

The Al Irsyad Mosque at Kota Baru Parahiyangan

2012-05-19T23:54:00.000+07:00

This is the mihrab of the Al Irsyad Mosque at Kota Baru Parahiyangan in the west of Bandung. Instead of the traditional niche in the wall facing the direction of the Kaaba in ~~the direction~~ Mecca, this mosque's mihrab has the shape of an open "tunnel" with a pond surrounding a pulpit in its center. At the other end of the tunnel, there is a globe with an inscription of Allah in Arabic.

This is what the mihrab looks like from the other end of the tunnel.

The Al Irsyad was completed and dedicated in 2010 and was declared one of the "Building of The Year 2010" in the religious architecture category by the National Frame Building Association. The mosque was designed by Ridwan Kamil, an Indonesian top architect living in Bandung.

Shanty Dwellings

2012-05-18T22:46:00.000+07:00

A plot of shanty dwellings in Geger Kalong Girang area in the north of Bandung. The residents here are mostly migrants who have come to the city to work or find a living in the ~~formal~~ informal sectors of the economy. This kind of scene is not something that visitors or tourism-oriented websites would want you to see.

A Graceful Legong Dancer

2012-05-15T23:04:00.000+07:00

A statue of depicting the graceful gestures of a Balinese Legong dancer in front of a fountain at Rumah Mode, a famous factory outlet located on Jalan Setiabudi in the north or Bandung.

To give you an idea of how a real Legong dance looks like, you can visit Bandung Daily Photo's sister blog Bandung Daily Video.

A Horror Welcome

2012-05-11T02:14:00.000+07:00

It is very common here to decorate the gate or entrance to an alleyway, especially during special occasions like the celebration of our Independence Day or before Ied Ul-Fitr - a major Moslem Holiday, and one of the most important holidays in the country. The decorations usually contain elements that mark the occasion. The decorations on this gate to an alleyway on Jalan Kebon Sirih at Babakan Ciamis area that I saw a few days ago, however, contains an unexpected element that I don't think is relevant to any occasions. To me, it looks horrific: a baby doll is hanged just below the sign that says "Selamat Datang" (Welcome).

I don't know if it was a prank. It may have been. The message it sends might be ironically funny to some people. But personally, I don't think it is. It's horrific.

Padalarang Railway Station

2012-05-06T23:56:00.000+07:00

This is Padalarang Railway Station viewed from a pedestrian crossing bridge on the west side of it.

Padalarang Station is the western most destination of Bandung's east - west (and currently the only) commuter train lines. It is located in the town of Padalarang at the elevation of more than 695 meters above the sea level and about 20 kilometers west of Bandung's city center. The station was built towards the end of the 19th century and has retained most of the original structure, including -- as you can see from here -- the wooden walls of the roof.

From this station westward, the railway tracks branch out to two different directions: northwest to Purwakarta and Jakarta and southwest to Cianjur and Sukabumi.

Fried Chicken in A Spaceship

2012-05-05T23:30:00.000+07:00

This spaceship-like structure is a famous American fast food restaurant at the gate of Cihampelas Walk. Nice piece of architecture, isn't it?

A Midget Car

2012-05-04T23:59:00.000+07:00

You might wonder what car this head lamp belongs to. But look at the photo below:

Yes, it's a three-wheeled Daihatsu Midget.

According to Wikipedia, the car was first introduced in 1957. The original (the first or the DK) model of this car had an air-cooled, 2-stroke 250 cc engine which produced 10 hp (7 kW). In 1959, the second model (known as the MP model) was launched with a slightly bigger engine, 305 cc, which can produce 12 HP (9 KW). A variety of DK models had since then been produced until 1972, when Daihatsu, the manufacturer, decided to stop the production. By that time, nearly 350,000 units of it had been produced.

In Bandung and many other cities in Indonesia, the car was popularly called Bemo and used mainly as means of public transportation. Hence, the word 'Bemo' became for a long time synonymous with public transportation mini buses.

Antique Radio

2012-05-03T23:30:00.000+07:00

One of the collector communities that took part in last weekend's BDG Mooi! Fest was the Bandung Antique Radio Community. Here are some of their collections -- grandma's (or grandpa's) radio receivers. These are not replicas but real antique working radio. According to chairman of the community, some of them are available for sale to those who are really interested. They are not cheap though.

A Vintage 1957 Red 3600 Chevrolet Truck

2012-05-02T23:29:00.000+07:00

One of the things exhibited at BDG Mooi! Fest was this vintage 1957 Red 3600 Chevrolet Truck. The owner said that the car was all in its original condition except for the paint. It was well-maintained, ready to drive, and that it was for sale. I didn't ask how much for. It's a very nice car.

Outdoor Jazz Performance

2012-05-01T19:50:00.000+07:00

A jazz performance at BDGMooi! Fest last weekend. I forgot to check who these musicians were, but their performance was really good. I enjoyed it.

BDG Mooi!

2012-04-29T23:50:00.003+07:00

A young graffiti artist (graffitist?) at work at BDG Mooi! Old Bandung Festival held in Kota Baru Parahiyangan in Padalarang, West Bandung, yesterday and today (April 28 - 29, 2012).

The graffiti contest was one of the events that make up the festival that was held to showcase the charm of the old Bandung. Other events include music performances, carnivals, food bazaar, and exhibitions by different 'Old Time Communities' (Komunitas Djadoel) -- communities of collectors of vintage and not-so-vintage items from cars to radios and cameras to memorabilia from the old days.

Here are some of the things I saw at the exhibition:

Old typewriter, old movie camera, some old brass musical instruments, a gramophone, an original copy (I don't know what it means) of Stradivarius violin, etc.

I'll show you some more pictures in the next few days.

Give Way, Please!

2012-04-28T20:09:00.001+07:00

Passengers trying to get off the commuter train meet -- and are blocked by -- those who are trying to get on it. Queuing and giving ways are manners that many of us are yet to learn. Unfortunately, only very little deliberate efforts have ever been made to do so. The situation is much worse with the commuter trains because the number of passengers far outnumber the available cars and trips. Out of panic, most passengers would rush to the platform as soon as the train is approaching and try to get on it before those inside can get off. It's a dangerous stampede-like experience especially for children, women, old people, and people with disabilities.

Public and mass transportation transportation system is long overdue homework for the city's government. There is virtually no working, well-coordinated, safe and convenient system of public and mass transportation system in this city.

Empty Pond

2012-04-27T03:50:00.001+07:00

I don't know why the shallow pond in the northern garden of Villa Isola (Bumi Siliwangi) is kept empty most of the time. My guess is that it's leaking or the pump and the circulation system are not working properly so that the water cannot stay long or, if it does, it would soon turn green with algae.

A Peddler's Cart in An Alleyway

2012-04-24T01:10:00.000+07:00

A street peddler selling snacks in an alleyway in the crowded Geger Kalong Girang area in the north of Bandung. Geger Kalong Girang is the name of a small street that is located adjacent to Indonesia University of Education (UPI Bandung) campus. Many students coming from outside the city lodge in this area in small boarding rooms that is locally known as kos. Because of this this area is also good for small businesses that cater to the students' daily needs.

A Woman with Two Children

2012-04-15T14:47:00.000+07:00

A woman with her two children in the crowd watching the Cap Go Meh carnival on Jenderal Sudirman Street some time ago.

Cap Go Meh Boy

2012-04-13T22:08:00.000+07:00

A boy holding a dragon doll on his father's shoulders watching the Cap Go Meh festival attractions on Jalan Sudirman Street some time ago.

Cap Go Meh in the local name of 15th day of the Chinese New Year festivities.

Prison Cell F-5

2012-03-20T23:18:00.026+07:00

This is the present condition of prison cell number F-5 of the Banceuy Prison where Soekarno, Indonesian first president, was jailed by the Dutch Colonial Government from 1930 to 1931 for his involvement in the independence movement. As I said in the previous post, the whole prison has now been demolished and replaced with a shopping area, and this cell and a guard post are the only things that remain of it.

This is the 2.5 x 1.5 meter cell up close. It was in this cell that Soekarno composed his famous defense entitled "Indonesia Menggugat" (Indonesia Sues) with the help of books and other reading materials smuggled by his wife Inggit Ganarsih.

Considering this place's significance in the history of the nation's struggle for independence, this monument's condition is very pathetic and dirty. It is another example of how Bandung's government has no respect for history or historical sites.

The Historic Banceuy Prison

2012-03-18T22:55:00.001+07:00

This guard post is one of the things that remains of the historic Banceuy Prison in the center of the city.

Banceuy Prison (Penjara Banceuy) is one of the most historic places in the city of Bandung. It was here that Soekarno, the first President of the Republic of Indonesia and one of the signers of its declaration of independence, was jailed -- from 1930 to 1931 -- for his role as a leader of the PNI (Indonesian National Party). PNI was one of the political parties that explicitly and actively advocated Indonesian independence from the Dutch.

There is no clear historical record when exactly this prison was constructed. But it may have been built towards the end of the 19th century, probably in the year 1871. In 1983, this prison was demolished and in its place was built a shopping center (called Banceuy Permai), leaving only this piece of relics and the prison cell in which Soekarno was jailed. The correctional facility has since that been moved to a new location to the south of the city.

The Banceuy Prison is a prominent examples of how historic buildings in this city have been demolished and replaced by new buildings in the name of development, an indiscriminate practice that unfortunately is still continuing today. Some fear that at the rate the heritage buildings are currently torn down, the city will very soon only have a little of its history left. Bandung will then become a city without (much) trace of its history.

Cotton Candy Man

2012-03-16T21:25:00.000+07:00

A customer is eagerly waiting for her cotton candy to be made by the seller at Alun-alun Bandung (Bandung City Square).

Socks

2012-03-14T21:46:00.000+07:00

Being a busy market street, Jalan Dalem Kaum offers a lot of things to see. And for a photo enthusiast like myself, this is a perfect place to do street photography. But if you have keen photographer's eyes you can get more than what you can imagine. Like this one: how a street vendor displays the socks that he sells.

So, this place may feel like a chaotic place for some; but isn't there always an orderly beauty in chaos? All you need to do is to have a pair of keen, observing eyes and the right attitude.

Road-side Spectacles

2012-03-13T23:46:00.016+07:00

Customers inspecting and choosing glasses (spectacles) offered by a street vendor on the pavement of Dalem Kaum Street in the center of the city.

Dalem Kaum is probably one of the densest and most crowded streets in Bandung. It's a shopping area where different kinds of street vendors offer different kinds of things on the pavement and in front of the shops and supermarkets that line the street.

The Kacapi

2012-03-12T23:53:00.035+07:00

A young man playing the kacapi (or kecapi) on the pavement of Dago Street one Sunday morning some time ago. He is the member of the same group that plays the cilempung in the story that I posted yesterday.

Kecapi is a traditional Sundanese string musical instrument of the zither family. If you want to know how it is played and what kind of sound and music it produces you can check it here.

The Cilempung

2012-03-11T23:39:00.042+07:00

A young man playing the cilempung.

Cilempung is a traditional Sundanese bamboo musical instrument. If you want to know how it is played and what kind of sound it produces, you can go to Bandung Daily Photo's sister blog Bandung Daily Video and check it out.

Although both are Sundanse traditional musical instruments and the names are nearly the same, cilempung should be differentiated from celempung. The former is a percussion type of instrument, the latter is a string musical instrument. And while the former is made entirely from ~~Bandung~~ bamboo, the latter is made of wood and strings.

Clay Limbs

2012-03-10T00:22:00.000+07:00

I spotted these clay limbs at the corridor in front of the sculpture studio at the Department of Fine Arts of the Indonesia University of Education (UPI) Bandung. Although they did not look perfect yet, they way they were placed looked somewhat intriguing. I snapped this photo with they toy camera on my cell phone and present it as it is without any editing.