Life on The Street

  
   He's our future. Like it or not.

    Aren't we supposed to do something about it?

    Tomorrow might be a little late though...

 

Siesta

A siesta (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈsjesta]) is a short nap taken in the early afternoon, often after the midday meal. Such a period of sleep is a common tradition in some countries, particularly those where the weather is warm. The word siesta is Spanish, from the Latin hora sexta – "the sixth hour" (counting from dawn, therefore noon, hence "midday rest").

Postcard From The Past

A warm hello from centuries gone by...

Signs Of Age

You would find this kind of signs in any old buildings. It might be tiny, but just by looking at these placards, it makes your imagination wander...

" The best part of the art of living is 

to know how to grow old gracefully "


- Eric Hoffer

Pieces Forgotten

Well, I do hope these pictures will speak for themselves.
Strange enough, I find it sad but beautiful at the same time...

" Loneliness adds beauty to life. 

It puts a special burn on sunsets 

and makes night air smell better "

Henry Rollins

Les Grandes Dames

Next to see,

is the Menara Syah Bandar the old lookout tower.

The Uitkijk, as the Dutch called it, was built in 1839 as part of a fortress. 

It started its life as a defense tower and later served as a meteorological station. 

Windows and doors always interesting to look at.

 Always saying' hi' to those who gaze, 

and gives a sense of mystery at the same time.

Toko Merah, The Grand Old Lady

 Today I got another chance to visit the old town of Jakarta, where each corner has its own story.
First to steal my eyes was the famous Toko Merah.

Aged more than 200 years old, its name (Toko Merah literally meaning red store) was first popularized in 1851 when a Chinese businessman named Oey Liauw Kong bought the beautiful building and transformed it into a shop selling food and household supplies. 

The word merah (red) was used to explain the most visible trait of the building: its red brick walls

Located on Jalan Kali Besar in Kota Tua, West Jakarta, Toko Merah is the oldest building on the street and has a long and storied past.  

A closer look at the two-story building reveals a mix of Dutch Closed, Chinese and Baroque style. 

It was built by the Dutch in 1730 during the colonization 

to serve as the residence of Governor General Baron Van Imhoff. 

Oh and if you're curious enough to read a book about it, find this: 
"Toko Merah; saksi kejayaan Batavia lama di tepian muara Ciliwung: riwayat dan kisah para penghuninya" 

written by Thomas B. Ataladjar. 

Unfortunately it's only available in Bahasa Indonesia.

Or perhaps you can read it online, here

I bought my copy at Gedung Arsip Nasional Museum's book shop.

Rainy Day

It's rather gloomy day, today. 

The rain pours the whole day and everything seems dull.

Oh, well, let's try to see a little beauty while we still can.

" And when it rains 

on your parade, 

look up rather than down. 

Without the rain, 

there would be no rainbow "

Gilbert K. Chesterton

So let's not feel so gloomy 

whether the weather  is wet or whatever, whenever it pours. 

Have a lovely rainy day,  dear friends!

xoxo

Buds and Petals

There wasn't much to tell today, just another meetings and all the yada - yada trimmings.
I will bore you to death by telling all those stuff. So let me leave you with some nice flowers,
to brighten up your day, and night.
xoxo

Anyway, Valentine's over, but it's always lovely to see and send flowers to those we dear. 

" There are always flowers 

for those who want to see them " 

 Henri Matisse

Sing Your Heart Out

Between the busy schedules, singing and /or playing music

is really a stress relieving. Some people like it karaoke-ing, 

but I prefer joining the choir. 

I'm a member of two groups: The Indonesia Choir 

and Padjadjaran University Alumnae Choir.

Time spent there are always precious: 

we sing, we laugh, we learn something new

and renewal our friendship every time!

The funny thing about most choir in Indonesia is that we use 'number' notes instead of the common notes 

( of those with dots in five bars ) in our music scores. 

Why? I still don't understand.

" If I cannot fly, let me sing "

                                ~Stephen Sondheim

Fading Glory

Whenever and wherever I go, old buildings always capture my sight. 

Something is really attractive about it.  

They're like saying 'I was beautiful and you admired me, ... 

and now when I'm old and tired, 

will you still love me or just abandon me like everybody did? '

"remember me and smile, 

for it's better to forget 

than remember me 

and cry"

chinese dwellings are really intricate and rich in details

[ pecinan area, North Jakarta ]

Typical javanese art-deco style, you'll find this kind of house abundant at northern coastal. 

That was before the malls were invented.

Hope Dies Last

" When you loose hope, you loose everything... "

A token of love for some friends:
one having chemo for her breast cancer,
two others in recovery after having tubermyoma surgery,
another one for having AIDS.

Never loose your hope, guys!

Solemn Beauty

And when it comes to flowers, hum.. I can't get enuf of it! This jasmine garlands were actually part of the headdress worn by javanese women, but to put it as a part of the chair decor was not a bad idea at all.

A closer look :-)

Food & Feast

Something that everybody really fond of, no? I took this picture during the photo session for Sekar Magazine. Oh and if you wonder, I'm doing the decor and flowers, but I do photographing just for the sake of joy and hobby :-)

A close up look of Nasi Tumpeng condiments: the grated coconut mixed with chili sauce is my all-time favorite. Yum!

There's First Time For Everything

... and it applies for me too! This is my first time blogging, and oh, how exciting it is! I will be able to share pics, nonsenses and lotsa other suffs as well. The lay out will be changed later, but here it is as for now, since I still a newbie and I really have no idea on how to make things. Your supports, dear friends, will help me make the most of it ( and me )

xoxo and cheers!

"A cup of coffee shared with a friend is happiness tasted and time well spent"