2007 - Jarkata Snippets 2.

On the way back to the airport we were caught in a bad traffic jam and the car was practically at a standstill inching its way forward amid the dust and the heat. It offered me the chances to take a few more photos.




Once the vehicles slowed anywhere in the highways, they came out from the woodworks. They carried their wares hawking them from vehicle to vehicle. Anything from newspapers, magazines, drinks, snacks, daily wares etc. This is a tough life eking out a living amid the heat, dust, fatigue, monotone, disappointment and hazards. Each day is a struggle and if you don't work that day, there is no income.





If you look at their facial features, there are some similarities. It is their steely eyes, their solemn yet determined expression that enables them to bear the hardship. Their options are few. They and their family need to be fed. They have to do whatever necessary to survive. For such men, you can see a common stoic look that stared at hardship with resignation but not defeat. They suffer but they would not break. It is not a pretty sight. We can choose to look away and pretend we do not see. Can we?




Our car passed by this ramshackle hut that is like many common eateries for the poor. The most common food for them besides instant noodles is “Nasi Padang” which is the Indonesian version of economy rice. They are basically pre-cooked vegetables, meat and seafood cooked with lot of spices and curries. Every shop has a very wide range of varieties and they go well with rice. You pay only what you eat. Thank God for spices and curries that can make even the most basic food palatable. They pamper the rich but they sustain the poor.




The front of the eatery was shared with a basic sundry shop selling mainly edibles. Despite its dilapidated state, it even has a bench for its customers. How many Malaysian shops except those in the village provide such a service?




The reason for the jam is that they are laying pipes on this section of the road – how like Malaysia, isn’t it? This picture is of one worker welding the pipe and the other squatting behind him. He is probably on his break waiting his turn. But where can he to go and what can he do with vehicles trundling by both sides and it is too exorbitant to while away his time in a coffee shop? So he squat behind his mate and looked at vehicles passing by seemingly oblivious to the heat, noise and dust. This is their life. And it is a hard one. Count our blessings.

2007 - Jarkata Snippets 1.

Sometimes when you are traveling in a car in another country and you came across the unfamiliar and do not know what it is and there is no one to ask. Often you were also moving through so fast that you would not even have time for a shot even though you may have your camera ready. Of course I could not have my camera ready on this trip with my boss in the front seat.

However, when the car stopped after the toll to wait for the others to catch and my boss was engrossed in a conversation, I saw a few scenes that I could not help shooting to share with you. They raised more questions than answers really, so make your best guess.

Saw this advertisement for toilet by the highway but it is all fenced up and inaccessible from the road. Perplexing?

Okay. There is a sign further up pointing the direction. That is the way to go, right?

Except it is over a rickety wooden bridge, and then through a hole not higher than 3 feet. You have to bend more than double to squeeze through under a W.C. sign. You can see steps leading up to…? Make your own conclusion.

Further ahead is a T-junction but with all the signs pointing in one direction. A street child was dragging his feet across the road heading towards the signs and against the directions. He is in the middle of a busy of a highway. Wonder where he is going? Somehow this scene evoked in me a deep sympathy.

This is another confusing scene. A tilting large umbrella with an attached plastic table and a bottle of mineral water on top. There is a red plastic chair and a couple of carton at the foot but nobody around. What is it doing there? The umbrella and chair is in a most dangerous corner of the highway. Surely it cannot be selling mineral water to speeding trucks at dangerous corner? Anyone want to try guessing?

On the way back from the ground breaking ceremony, we stopped over to a Chinese restaurant in Cilegon named “Kartika”. It is not decorated like any Chinese restaurant you’ll come across, though there is a “Fu” (prosperity) calendar in the picture below. I really like the wall bricks with hollowed patterns that let in air and sunlight as well as giving it an unusual atmosphere. Note the beautiful ceiling which is reed patterned mat. I loved them but they were spoilt by hanging plastic balloons and airships – an incongruous blend of classic design and modern kitsch.

This table was taken up by the four drivers that drove us from Jakarta. The Chinese food served was watered down and not very authentic or rather had been modified to suit local taste. However, they were quite palatable. One interesting dish I remembered was small round thin beef patties that had been deep fried. It went very well with the sauce.

After the heavy lunch, we parted company and made our own ways back to Jakarta. In our case, it is straight back to the airport. Next year, I will probably be traveling more often there for this project and hopefully more stories.

Jakarta: Flowers For My Boss.

When you are traveling with the boss, you cannot be whipping out your camera at every opportunity and shoot! But whenever I was alone or he was distracted, I tried to capture the moments. Here are some of the images I captured (under duress).

We came down early and it was still half-dark. And flashes are a dead give-away. While waiting for our guest, I snapped this shot of the lovely flowers arrangement in the lobby of Shangri-la Jakarta. Not such a great shot but I was shooting from the hip glancing over my shoulder. I was supposed to behave like a professional not a shutterbug. Those of you who are regular visitors of my Ghostwise blog would know of my love for flowers, many of them you saw there are grown in my garden.

This was the girl who was doing the flowers arrangement. She must have been up very early as she was already finishing before the sun is fully up. If I was alone I would have approached her to ask her about her job. Anyone who is creative with beauty fascinates me. But I was still looking over my shoulder. But let me show you more pictures of beautiful flowers.

See how elegant this arrangement is – simple yet striking, economical yet arresting, you cannot miss it. One of each is placed on the tables of the lounge and really accentuates the place. This is what good interior decoration should be about.

This next series of flowers arrangement are at the entrance of their new night club – "Red" if I remember it correctly which is the reason for the selection of red and pink flowers. They aimed to project a different image – flamboyant, exuberant, passionate, fashionable, classy – like a beautiful woman in a lovely evening gown attending a ball.

However, I prefer the more subdue and elegant arrangement in the main lounge. It is quieter but to me more beautiful. It being deserted this early in the morning presented me an excellent photo opportunity to take pictures without disturbing anyone. My boss was sitting in the guest lounge reading the morning papers and looking out for our guests. I continued shooting quickly.

Love this arrangement. An Indonesian puppet on an empty drawer top. A single inexpensive figurine that managed to convey the culture of a nation and speak volumes by its silent solitary posture.

The beauty of flowers spoke directly to all who have the eyes to see. They are one of the few rare objects that received universal praise and love by all who appreciates beauty.

I will dedicate these flowers to my boss (he doesn’t know the existence of my blog). Very often, the person who receives a gift is the last person to know about it. I believe in – if you really want to do something for someone, the other person does not have to know about it. After all, I would not be able to show you all this if he had not asked me along. Gratitude is one of the greatest but most underrated virtues. And I like giving flowers, if you want to know why, click on this: “The Hand That Gives Flowers”.

So these flowers are for my boss. You can share in the appreciation. By the way, have you given any flowers to your boss lately, ha.

A Ground Breaking Ceremony In Jakarta.

Recently I went for a ground breaking ceremony. This was a new experience for me as I’ve never been to such an event in Indonesia. My boss is the company’s representative and he was kind enough to ask me to accompany him.

Jakarta is now developing very fast with construction round the clock. This is the night view from my hotel. There is skyscraper and huge modern shopping complexes being built next to more modest buildings.

This is what it looked like early next morning. Air pollution is quite bad and the traffic is even more atrocious than KL. Some of the new complexes are really impressive though. Many Malaysians have a rather misleading opinion of the situation there.


Some things are the same though. There is a railway line running parallel to my hotel. I can see many people risking their lives walking along the railway track – not across but along it.

We were up early the next morning as we have to travel about 2 hours to reach the port city of Cilegon which is at the northern tip of Java Island opposite that of Sumatra. It was an excellent highway as good as any in Malaysia. The place where the new factory will be situated is in a relatively new industrial estate.

This is the piece of land on which a new factory will be built. In just one and a half year, a factory will be standing in this empty land and it will be bustling with activities. Notice that forlorn buffalo in the background? It is there for a purpose.


They have erected a reception area and a main tent for invited guests and guests of honor. It was already well occupied by the time we reached there though it will be quite some time before the actual ceremony starts. Most of the guests wear either sarongs and songkoks, or were in army uniforms.

The owner’s representative gave a short speech on the project. Though it was a very hot day, he declined the umbrella offered to shield him. He talked about the aspiration of the new company and its commitment to help both the people and the economy.

Next, the administrative chief for this region took the stand. He is a good speaker and gave in parts a humorous delivery. He is comfortable with his speaking and need no notes to give a smooth delivery that have the audience in stitches at times.

The village representative was up next. He made 3 requests. Firstly, he hoped the company will take care of the environment during the construction and running of the factory. He hoped that they will provide employment for the community in the village. Lastly, he hoped the company will help with the repair and renovation of the local mosque. I thought that was very reasonable.

Then the first foundation stone was laid at what will be the edge of a new building. A right angle ditch has been dug and stone and cement were provided to place the stone and plaster the cement on. The owners and guests of honor took turn to place and cement the stones. I was surprised when I was invited to also lay a stone as well. As I laid my stone, I could not help feeling a little proud as this is the first time I had laid a foundation stone. A year later when I will be back there again, a building will probably be already standing in its place.

When that was over, it was prayer time. The ulama then chant a prayer blessing the project.

I looked at the buffalo in the distance and felt kind of pity for it. It is the sacrifice for the ‘korban’ ceremony, a local tradition which we have to respect. When Indonesian moved to a new house, they would sacrifice a chicken instead and sprayed the chicken blood to cleanse the place.

The man in the picture is digging a hole in which they will bury the buffalo’s head. The villager would probably cook the buffalo and shared it among themselves. I did not stay to watch as I do not have the stomach for such thing. At the same time, I have a lot of respect for local culture and tradition so I’m a bit torn in this case. We left this to the villagers who are better versed in handling this.

As we drove to the airport, I reflected back on the day’s event. How, soon our fate will be tied with the local people since we have chosen to invest in their place and wonder how this will all turn out. There is no guarantee in business. Guess we will just have to put in our best effort and hope for the best.


But for that poor buffalo to be sacrificed for the good of human beings, there is a smack of unfairness in there somewhere...