LKB Saraswati in TIM

This is a hot sunny day afternoon, on the fasting month of Ramadhan. In my limited time during my recent visit to Jakarta, I spent view hours to ride to Cikini - Jakarta, to visit Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM).
It's really a hot afternoon, on Ramadhan, and furthermore it's on Friday (at muslims Friday noon prayer hours), the phase of the day (to my feeling) is slower than usual. Maybe I should spend my afternoon on the bed with air-condition like this cat

But, it's a normal day in TIM like another day. Activity run as usual; exhibition, events, discussion, training, etc. Lucky on the day I can witness LKB Saraswati on their training.

LKB stands for Lembaga Kesenian Bali (roughly can be translated into: Bali Arts Institute), which from the name we know what this institute about. They are have several branch teaching Bali's dance and Bali's gamelan (Gamelan is Indonesia's traditional music instruments. Java, Sunda, and several region Indonesia - which mapped to certain culture - has their own gamelan)

It's the young who has spirit to learn more (and fast)

Students observing the training, it's not their turn yet...

For every successful performance, there is always long hard training preceded it

That's all for LKB Saraswati in TIM. Enjoy your days.
(Now blabbering) I still remember when I'm kids, I "voluntarily" admitted to one of dancing institute in my hometown. That time I think that dancing is easy and fun. Lot of friends, jump here and there, not locked in the room. But it's not. The teachers (of dancing class) is very demanding, and they are shouting at you if you are not serious and at the end, I quit after only... 3 weeks? Luckily I never try wushu when one of my best fried admitted to wushu class. But years later, in my final years in primary school, this time the school forced me to take another dance lesson. It's not fun at all, and I must memorize two different dancing sets with running time each around 15-20 minutes. At the end my teacher said I'm more like doing morning exercise instead of dancing... Now when I told my friends I got two dance lessons during my childhood, they responded in disbelief. Until now I also still surprised that I'm not hurting myself that time.

KFC With Rice

Did you know?
That I mostly got a KFC with rice when I go back to Jakarta?

Tay Kak Sie Temple – Semarang

I grown up in the small city in Central Java, Kudus. Around 1.5 hours from Kudus is the capital of Central Java Province, Semarang. Semarang is an old city, rich of cultures and history. One of historical building that can be found in Gang Lombok, is a Chinese's temple, Tay Kak Sie. Following pictures taken at July 2009 (Yes, I tried to clear my backlog).
First, I never drive in Semarang (although quite near from my city), and soon I arrived in Semarang, I lost. After view stops to asks for direction, I finally reach Gang Lombok and found the temple. Not that big as I thought...

-- The Temple --

So, I stop, and take some rest from 2 hours+ of motorcycling. There is a foodcourt beside the temple's complex. I take my time, and order for swike soup. For your info, swike is made from frog's meat... and it's very delicious (one of my favorite, to be precise... I missed Jepara's swike). Then here I come, the real excitements... take pictures.

-- Temple's Interiors --

After that, I go to GPIB Immanuel (Gereja Blenduk) and Old Town area...

(Angels) In Taman Prasasti

When I park my motorcycle, I ask the parking guy, "Is it open?"
"Yes, it's open." He answered.
"Opened at 10AM ?" I asked more.
"No, at 9AM." He said.
"But why so quiet here?" I asked again. I doesn't need his answer, since I know the answer myself. Taman Prasasti Museum or Museum of Memorial Stone Park is a museum located in Tanah Abang I, Jakarta. The museum was formerly a cemetery, built by the Dutch colonial government in 1795 as a final resting place for noble Dutchmen.
I paid an entrance fee of two thousands rupiah (US$ 0.2) to enter this museum. Here, you can find angels everywhere.

-- Angels --

-- Grief and Loss --

-- I am the way and the truth and the life --
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

I saw a couple enter the museum (you can say: cemetery), and within 5 minutes, they leave. Well, this place is not "romantic place" to "spend time together".

-- More Angels --

-- Tombstones --

Until now I realized that I already spent 1 hour+ in this cemetery museum. Time to go...
But I found this cute cat, who completely ignoring me take her picture (well, she's aware, but just continue sleep)

-- Sleeping... --

Sweat dream, little one.

The museum open Tuesday to Sunday from 09AM to 3PM, Close on Monday and public holiday
Not many visitors, I wonder how the parking guy "survived"

Fatahillah Square

"Is there any ojek here?" a guy asking the parking guy (Tukang Parkir). Ojek is a kind of public transport in Indonesia, normally using motorcycle. There is a conversation between the guy and the parking guy, the guy asking on behalf of his friend. The customer (the guy's friend) is a tall, beautiful, and skinny lady who (I believed) most likely a model.
"Yes, there is." The parking guy answered.
"Where?" The guy asking.
"Wait." The parking guy go somewhere, and back with two helmets.
"The ojek it's me" The parking guy declared.
That's the opening scene when I'm visiting Fatahillah Square in Jakarta's Old Town (Kota Tua) for the second time.

-- Fatahillah Museum --
The Centre of Fatahillah Square, previously is city hall of Batavia (Batavia is old name of Jakarta). If you can read the words in the building, it's in Dutch; Gouverneurskantoor which mean Governor's Office (doesn't mean I understand Dutch, this words absorbed into Indonesian language)

-- Bicycle For Rent --
You can rent a bicycle to explore Old Town for (estimated) about 30 thousand rupiah (about US$ 3) per hour.

And you choose your own hat, colorful hat

"Hello, how are you?" a guy called me in English.
"I'm Indonesian." I answered in Indonesian.
"Oh, sorry. I thought you are a Korean." He apologized.
Hmmm, maybe because of my camera (sure not because of my hairstyle), the guy maybe a seller or want to offer his service to tourist. Then I saw a crowd surrounding the square. Oh, there is a shooting for a movie (or sinetron - Indonesian's drama) in progress. I joined the crowd. And since everybody with camera take pictures, I also take one shot (okay, maybe two, or three...)

The cloud is there the whole day, raining is only matter of time. Time to go back, but before that I took this pic of

-- Museum Wayang --

And when I reach my motorcycle, the parking guy already back...

Jakarta Cathedral Museum

"Can I take picture here?" I asked the lady who stood in the 2nd floor - museum's - entrance.
"Yes you can." The guy behind the desk answered me.
"Even in inside the church itself?" I asked more.
"Yes no problem." the guy assured me.
I saw a donation box, I thought I will do something later.
"Where are you come from?" The lady asking
"From Central Java." I answer her. Yes, my hometown is in Central Java.
So, I proceed to the museum, and take some pictures

-- Museum's Interior and Collections --

-- Cup of Pope John Paul II --

-- Church's Altars taken from Museum's Bridge --

-- Rosa Mystica --

"Thank you." I thanks the lady
"Please fill our guestbook." she said.
I write my name and my comments about the museum, I saw records before me are tourists from Japan and Korea. I thanks again, and go down to the church (level 1) to take more pictures - as in previous post.
Arrrgh, I remember about the donation box when I reach carpark...
Jakarta Cathedral's Museum open every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10AM-12PM (only two hours)

Jakarta Cathedral

8 Years I lived in Jakarta (1998-2006), but never once I visit this building. Then now, when I’m staying overseas, during my short trip to Jakarta, I finally visit this landmark. It's raining in the morning, and still cloudy when I reach Jakarta Cathedral. In Indonesian; Gereja Katedral Jakarta, is a Roman Catholic Cathedral in Jakarta, Indonesia, which is also the seat of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Jakarta.

-- Mother Mary --

And now, the church's interior:
-- Pietà --

-- The Saint --

This church open their door for pilgrims and prayers, or just normal visitors (like tourists)

-- Pipe Organ --

-- Main Altar --

If you able to see, the words below are: Photographer dilarang naik di panti altar (English: Photographer not allowed to enter this altar). Interesting, they'll able to warn Indonesian's photographers, but how about tourists who doesn't understand Bahasa Indonesia :p
And yes, the person captured on the right is a cleaner.

And before go back, I still snap another picture of this building:

Since the sky now clear, actually I planned to go to nearby building, Istiqlal Mosque. But since now I'm hungry, and I need to meet someone in Mangga Dua, I called it a day (well, I almost spent two hours in Cathedral)
Information about Jakarta Cathedral can be found in their website, and also from wikipedia and "another" wikipedia (Indonesian)