Ranan Samanya Photography
fashion runways, portraits & personal branding, environment, and documentary photography
2010 in a tiny nutshell
2010 has been a very dynamic year for me. It started off slow and a bit sad. There was parting at the very beginning of the year (come to think of it, it also happened, time and again, at the end of this year). But then things went off pretty smooth, and quite a number of KPIs were achieved, if not exceeded.
As you have noted from my earlier posts, my trip to Vietnam did me good. Not only did I meet great new friends, the trip also opened new perspectives. And it definitely was a great photo hunting opportunity. But it was my experience with more great new friends during the Merapi eruption that enriched my soul a lot.
Gadget-wise, I said goodbye to my beloved palm Centro (which was stolen in Hanoi), and opened my heart to my sexy Legend, currently updated to Android 2.2 a.k.a Froyo. And although I am still using a palm TX, I am preparing it to rest in peace, so I can completely depart from my 7 years of palm computing. It is also evident that I have finally moved back to shooting with SLR, this time with a D. It adds a lot of ease, and opens miriads of new possibilities, but also challenges (if not weight!).
After a few years of silence since I closed my main blogspot.com site (not counting the few posts I attempted after that), I started blogging again, here. And it feels good, especially combining it with my photography in a more serious way, and with you as my audience.
It also feels good to be free from my addiction to Zynga’s Mafia Wars. It was good when it lasted with almost four missions completed, but not anymore. If you are a fan of those kind of games, try to quit. You may find it relieving.
These past three months have also been very challenging for my psyche. But you, my dear friends, made me keep on smiling (afterall, isn’t that what friends are for?), and move on.
So yes, this has been a year filled with abundant of meaningful events, some with you in. Thus allow me to humbly take this opportunity to thank you all for your companion, in real and in mind, through distance and time.
2011 is guaranteed to be another challenging year for me. At least two focus projects will dominate my working days, and perhaps I can capture a few nice frames from the projects to be posted here. It will also be a tough heart-bending, mind-boggling, soul-searching year, as I continue to chase my Dream in my surreal world. Maybe, like the wisdom of Ganesha, I can somehow convert perceived disadvantages into advantages. And I wish you, my friends, be given such wisdom for a great 2011.
Let the day of a new beginning start.
Let the storm pass by.
Let the sun shine in.
Let’s rock!
Ganesha is a Hindu God. He represents, among others, saviour from obstacles, source of intelect and wisdom. This half finished ash-covered Ganesha statue was taken 15km from Merapi after it erupted, outside an artist house.
Vietnamese Pho
When in Vietnam we have got to try its traditional noodle soup, phở. So on one starving day, I entered what seemed to be a crowded local pho resto in Hanoi. Only after ordering did I realize it was one of the Pho24 chain, with more than 5 outlets in Jakarta alone! Nonetheless, the food arrived, and it was satisfying. The place was clean and the plates were shining, just like Frommer’s review said. It has got plenty of noodles and assorted beef cuts, and the side dish consisted of fresh basil, bean-sprouts and one other unidentified leaves. The meat could be done more tenderly, but hungry hath all the fury, and the bowl was completely empty after 10 minutes.
I was lucky the table was made from dark glass. Taking the pictures from an angle was apparently enough to minimize the light reflection. As a matter of fact, it created a nice black background.
Humanity: standing out from the crowd – Merapi 2010 experience
It is easy to be humane. We just need to open our hearts. Add a little spice of unity, and most likely we will have synergy. Zillions of voluntary workers around the world have been doing this. So have we been in Indonesia. It sounds odd, but whenever we have natural disaster, we tend to unite and leave our differences behind. As a matter of fact, we live within our differences, if only for a while.
For the students, volunteers, and refugees in YKPN, their humanity stood out from the crowd, in my opinion, because they gave it 200%. They did it with all their hearts, minds, bodies and souls (and with some financial aids). Similarly with pak Yudhi Hermanu and his GAIAcorps in Momento Cafe; just like him standing out from the other volunteers in the Cafe, with his different manifestation of feelings.
Truly, remarkably nice people with sense of humanity in capitals.
Behind the synergy – Merapi 2010 experience
Earlier I have mentioned how the volunteers in Momento Cafe synergised to produce and distribute thousands of meal packs every day to Merapi refugees in distant locations.
Behind this synergy lies the core group of equally dedicated workers. Yan Parhas (a.k.a. Peye) ran the daily operation with two blackberries. Somehow he always had part of his hair pointing upwards, maybe an indication of his alertness to changing situation. He was also in the Distribution Control, together with Mono, and Mohamad Aulia Rahman (a.k.a. Aan). Mono and Aan also did fleet pilot cover duties whenever needed. Aan is now working on a fully auto-garlic-peeler invention, as he had enough of peeling garlic during the last days of operation due to shortage of volunteers (or maybe not!).
Raw materials need for the kitchen was under Idung. He arranged the daily shopping (read: hunting) of vegetables and spices in the market. He also helped chopping, cutting, and slicing of vegetables. He also did cooking. Recently he shaved clean his moustache, maybe it got burnt in the kitchen.
And then we have Ari Nurfadilah: treasurer, document control, and other logistics. She was accompanied by her equally small netbook, which needed to be brushed (with a make-up brush!) from time to time due to the ash rain from the roof. Behind them we have Difla Rahmatika, who was also looking into account receivables (and looking after Ari). She also helped making a nice sticky rice dessert that Goyo brought after his tour of duty on one hot day. She got a turtle-shaped talisman around her neck. Her blackberry is her dearest, and she smoke like a steam train.
It was great working with you guys!
Yan Parhas
Mono
Mohamad Aulia Rahman
Idung
Ari Nurfadilah
Difla Rahmatika
Bits & pieces #3 – Merapi 2010 experience
What is there left to be told, looking from these pictures? They are perfect couple, Putra and Yetti. Oh, and if I haven’t introduced Yetti (apart fom the fact that without her and Ratna I might not have known all the great people in Momento), she was the volunteer coordinator during Momento Cafe’s public kitchen period. She also helped wrapping all those meals, in between her cigarette sessions, or cutting vegetables.
Like Putra, Yetti is very fluid whenever a camera is in front of her face. She is not shy, and expressed herself explosively. If you ever need a model, try her!
Bits & pieces #2 – Merapi 2010 experience
Goyo is little bit on the opposite of Putra. During Momento Cafe’s public kitchen period, this masculine guy was one of the fleet pilots. He also cut vegetables whenever he was not facebooking, tweeting, or playing online games on his Lenovo. Oh yes, he is a big fan of Zynga poker.
Goyo thinks that it is difficult to take a nice picture of him. I hope I can proof him wrong. So here’s for you, Goyo Nugros!
Bits & pieces #1 – Merapi 2010 experience
Meet Putra. In Momento Cafe, he cooked, a few times helped chopping vegetables (and he really shines – no pun intended- in this), and he posed for the camera. I have like 30-50 frames of Putra. Alone. Portrait and close ups. So much attraction!
He would have his blackberry’s ear-plugs on his ears all the time. And I mean all the time. Music or not, sweat or dusty, plugs on. All time.
A real friendly, cutie, sexy, photogenic guy. I almost fell in love with him (boy was I lucky I didn’t!). Here he is posing for you gals.
Meal packs synergy – Merapi 2010 experience
You’re a drop in the rain
Just a number not a name
And you don’t see it
You don’t believe it
At the end of the day
You’re a needle in the hay
You signed and sealed it
And now you gotta deal with it….
Those were lyrics from the Scorpions, talking about the fall of human civilization. Although I like the song, I’m glad to say that it is not happening here in Indonesia. The synergy given by people to help others were very prominent. Merapi was just an example. And again, I feel honoured to witness and be a part of this effort.
So here are a few from the lots who helped during Momento’s time being a public kitchen, who gave 100% of their time for the meal packs synergy. They came from all walks of life: students, housewives, husbands, employees, and lone riders.
Friends, you are not drops in the rain, nor needles in the hay. I salute you.
[click on any image to go to a gallery with higher resolution images]
Ranan Samanya Photography 
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