Ranan Samanya Photography
fashion runways, portraits & personal branding, environment, and documentary photography
66 and life to go
17 August is our Independence Day. And at 66, we have gone through many ordeals. In spite of all the shortcomings, I am very grateful for what Indonesia has become. We could end much worse. I have seen many cultures, been to many countries, and met many people. There is nothing that I would trade for the richness of Indonesia: exotic fruits, colorful landscapes, beautiful sunsets, compromises, winterless days (ay!), diverse nature, heterogenous citizens, illegal software (ehm!), cheap DVDs (another ehm!), more than 10,000 islands (although, as my good Eritrean friend used to say, most of them are submerged during high tides), and myriads of other fascinating facts. These are some of the reasons that made me came back to this tropical paradise back in 1997. No, I would not trade it in with anything.
So here’s for a great, dynamic life in Indonesia!
the bless of Ramadhan
To many Indonesians, Ramadhan, the Moslem fasting month, is not only a matter of rebuilding spiritual srength. For many, it also helps gaining extra cash, and this is accomplished by means of selling a hell of a variety of food for the break fasting, as street sellers.
And while the usual tradition is to sell local food, at least in Jakarta this has expanded to include quite a number of other dishes such as dim sum, hot dogs, cennai bread and briani rice.
Here are a few frames from a street seller festival opened in Bendungan Hilir district, Central Jakarta.
the bold and the not so beautiful
I was expecting a more representable background, but this was the only one available, at that point in time. (grin)
the path to Domas Crater – Tangkuban Perahu
Most people visiting Tangkuban Perahu mountain, West Java, Indonesia, will only stop at the parking lot and enjoy the view of the Queen crater from above. And those who venture down to Domas crater will most likely walk noisily. If only they use their eyes and ears and noses more than their mouths, they will find the beauty of the pathway which is, most of the time, covered with thin layer of fog, with a very strong character of manarasa (Vaccinium) trees creating a mysterious atmosphere. Watch carefully, and in between those Vaccinium trees lies a diversity of ferns and flowering plants, bright green mosses beds, accompanied by that fragrant smell of a chill 17°C forest 2,000 m above the sea level.
So next time you visit this place, take your time and walk down the path. You may appreciate it more.
Pasupati graffiti
If you enter Bandung city from Jakarta toll road, and if you are not sleeping in the car, you will see this gigantic graffiti beneath the Pasupati flyover. It was not completely ready when I passed by last June, for only two or three of the Y-shaped flyover pillars were decorated. I don’t know who is doing the artwork, but they are beautiful. Here are a few snapshots from the car. If you happen to live in Bandung, do let me know when it is completed so I can return and take more shots <grin>.
Hakuna matata – the musical with Indonesian influence
When I first saw the miniature puppets of the Lion King Broadway Musical back in January 2011 at the Marina Bay Sands Singapore , I knew it would be a great show. And how could it not be, it has won six Tony® Awards in 1998, for Best Musical, Best Director of a Musical – Julie Taymor, Best Choreography – Garth Fagan, Best Scenic Design – Richard Hudson, Best Costume Design – Julie Taymor and Best Lighting Design – Donald Holder. It explodes with glorious colors using nearly 700 lighting instruments to create the show’s lighting plot, allowing us to feel the African atmosphere in an indoor air-conditioned theater.
It took more than 17,000 hours to build the show’s many masks and more than 200 puppets. Don’t be mistaken though, for the masks were taken from Indonesian art forms of topeng (masked dance/drama) and wayang kulit (shadow puppetry), created by Julie Taymor, the Director/Designer of the show, who spent 5 years in Indonesia. Musafa’s colar is a direct influence from Bali. Likewise, choreographer Garth Fagan used elements of Javanese dance and the minimalistic elegance of traditional Japanese puppetry, Banraku, in creating the stylized animal movements. Try to get close enough to the costumes and we will find that all of the corsets worn by the lionesses are hand-beaded using a range of different materials, including shells, glass, ceramics, fish bones, copper and bronze. Each bead is sewn on by hand.
At SGD 65 the lowest (plus SGD 3 for booking fee), the entrance is not cheap, but this is a 2.5 hours must-see show whenever you are in Singapore. The show has been extended until end of August 2011. Make sure you do early bookings, as the lower price ticket categories easily fly away.
Click on the gallery thumbnails below to get higher resolution images, and jump to Lion King Singapore official site after the break.
Jakarta 484 years – Cafe Batavia
If you come to this Cafe to have good and cheap meals, you are bound to be disappointed. Residing in a building in the old Jakarta city area just across the square of Fatahillah, the main attraction is the interior. It was constructed between 1805-1850, and underwent a renovation in 1993. The Cafe was established in 1930. One of my aunties told me that in the 50s this place was not as grand as today. It is a beautiful old building with a lot of history inside. Don’t forget to bring a camera (and money) when you come here.
The moment we enter the place the ambiance changed into the vintage Dutch colonial era. It is of no surprise many of the older generation like this place, bringing them back to the years of living dangerously in Indonesia.
Walls are decorated with pictures of famous persons by famous photographers.
Even toilets have pictures hanging all over the walls. Make you wonder whether you come into the right rest room or not.
The menu is a limited selection of European and Asian dishes with high price tags. Alas in the recent years the quality has gone down. New management just took over end of June 2011 and promised a better quality cuisine.
Churchill bar on the second floor was twice voted as the World's Best Bar by Newsweek in 1994 and 1996.
Passing the Churchill bar we'll enter the main dining area.
The Duke and Duchess of Windsor by Cecil Beaton, nineteen-tweenty-something.
A cozy corner on the second floor with antique mirrors and lamps.
The big windows on the second floor, sun and a little luck will get you nice portraits, like this one of my lovey wife Peggy. My lovely daughter Mara was playing with the Lumix LX3 experimenting by herself out of the frame (Ooops, I forgot to change my ISO setting, it was on 2500!).
as the sun sets in
Sebung River, Lagoi. Sony DSC-H50, ISO 80.
as the sun sets in
and evening comes to being
there’s a peace within
knowing gone are your suffering
knowing you are with Him.
[for VEPS, requiescat in pace]
Ranan Samanya Photography 
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