think archipelago, V4 Nov 2013

think!archipelago human interest cityscape landscape architecture art

V4 Nov 2013

Cinema la strada Life seen by few lived by many

think!archipelago is a quarterly publication owned and run by Purnadi Phan Photography.

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INDONESIA JAZZ REVIEW Read before listen

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________________________________________________ Barry Likumahuwa, Ireng Maulana, Idang Rasjidi, Indra Lesmana, Margie Segers, Maliq & d’essentials, Ermy Kullit, Tohpati, Syaharani, and many more...

Contents EDITOR’S NOTE QUARTERLY REVIEW  Mass culture at local campaign  Mid-Autumn Festival  Dieter Mack marks it again ARTICLE SECTION  The Tuk Tuk Village  Cinema la strada  Yes, we can!  The Sunday orchestra  The window of words WORLD SECTION  The old man in pajamas and a bowl of magic  Night at the cruise ship THE ROAD LEAST TRAVELED  What lies beneath the highway

Editor’s note

During the last quarter of the year, our team has been unintentionally preoccupied by the vibrant city life in Jakarta that seemed to relentlessly provide arts and cultural indulgences. The annual Q Film Festival in early October had concluded without much fanfare to avoid anti-gay sentiments like that of several years ago. Also organised in the same degree of quietness was the Mid-Autumn Festival in September. Cultural activities find their place, albeit not so perfectly, in Jakarta, owing to the melting-pot society. think!archipelago observes a reality that the minority groups are impacted by their decision to celebrate their cause of existence and everything that entails it. Moving to another context, park visitors in some ways share similar fate to that of minorities in Jakarta. A decision to frequent public and green spaces is a struggle to make them lively and welcoming spots.

Diversity affects all groups of people everywhere, and most do not have any idea how thin the line is that separate peace and conflict. But the essential form modern city is more than mere concrete structures, but the intelligent organism inside it: the people. If so, then what is the role of arts in building a city? What is the importance of culture? Do they only end up in song lyrics, motion pictures or paintings?

To quote a line from Kenneth Powell in his book City Transformed, “The most fundamental quality of the successful 21st-century city is diversity— of form, activity and humanity. The arts never fitted into narrow planning definitions. They will continue to play a key role in forming the liveable cities of the future.”

Purnadi Phan

We thank these terrific people whose contributions have helped make the volume possible

Mia P. Tanujaya, a full time dreamer and reader, is now working as a marketer in Vietnam. df

Elizabeth Tan is a long-time globetrotter who grew up in the city of Jayapura, Papua. She has lived in Singapore, Malaysia, and the Netherlands. The world in her eyes has been translated into unique images that will continue to fill many volumes to come.

Jeane Sheimano captures great images of her hometown, Medan, and some of which revealed her unremitting effort to show new angles at many places of interest.

Toba Lake has always been one of those places she visited everytime she returned home. She lives in Jakarta.

P5 Quarterly review September

August

Mid-Autumn Festival

Mass culture at local campaign

Chi Xing Xiang is an important person in the Chinese community in Jakarta for his deep knowledge of the Mid-Autumn Festival. The majority of people his age knew little of the intricacies that formed an ancient tradition and had barely changed in modern times. He led the ceremony using key points on the small piece of paper, as his memories regarding this part of culture had slowly faded. “This is the identity of our people, but time washes away everything, including my best will to preserve this,” he said.

What if a city planner runs for mayor election?

In the eve of the election day on 18 September, ten candidates heat up the race to become the mayor of Makassar, the capital city of South Sulawesi. One of them was, and still is, the person behind the urban planning that has reshaped Makassar into a better-looking city.

The story also appeared in the Jakarta Post, October 2nd. Click the link below to read full article.

October Dieter Mack marks it again The German composer orchestrated the Latin Night concert at Goethe Haus in late September, coinciding with Salamander Big Band’s 7th anniversary. Dieter has for decades cemented his love for Indonesian music, particularly Balinese music and local instruments such as Gamelan in particular.

His exuberance stole audience attention in the whole show that night.

His dedication, on the other hand, has gained him unparalleled recognition in the country, making him a household name in the country’s indigenous music learning and development.

P6 Article section

THE TUK TUK

VILLAGE The host of this year’s Toba Lake Festival

Photography by Sally Condro

The welcoming gesture In Samosir, the world’s biggest island that is surrounded by lake, a group of villagers performed the Bataknese traditional Tor Tor dance. The ritual dance dated back before the arrival of Christianity and Islam in North Sumatra.

The versatility of the dance serves for several primary occasions such as in the funeral, wedding, blessing, and last, welcoming important guests. It was performed more frequently for the latter these days due to its increasingly important element to bring regional income from tourism sector.

Local people in Tuk Tuk Village are aware of the key aspect of their civilisation that can potentially generate incomes for them: the Tor Tor dance. it is amplified by the high officials in the central government with the claim that Tor Tor dance is the most important cultural commodity from the western Indonesia.

And as the Minister of Economy Hatta Rajassa pointed out during the 2013 Toba Lake Festival, Toba region will become world’s top travel destination. One of the plans is to hold festivals like this.

Tourists are treated like honorary guests with a traditional welcome dance. The tradition has now included tourism factor as the local’s best-selling commodity.

Culture for money What was once a ritual to expel negative energy or bad luck now has become a regular show to outsiders in an open square across the Hutabolon Simannindo Museum, Tuk Tuk Village, Samosir Island. Some men and women donning traditional Ulos fabric demonstrated the monotonuos, simple movements of the dance circling a buffalo which was tied to a small tree, and together they formed a symbol of good yields and wealth.

Globalisation dictates the way to monetise such an intangible product like culture. Some helplessly deride the trade, citing a sell-off of holy values. The country’s most famous travel destination, Bali Island, has encountered the same issue as well. But apparently its people have come to terms with it.

A number of people find shelter from a hot afternoon in front of the train station exit door, which have been locked permanently. For various reasons, the difficulty to find formal jobs causes people to be seen on the streets without much things to do. This is commonplace in the city’s public places.

A street vendor reclines on a sidewalk near train station in Jatinegara, South Jakarta. He displayed a few pair of footwears on a tarp. With a very small number of commodity to sell in a day, he can move and sit around in most parts of the city without any hassle. But it is not so difficult to guess how small he could earn in one common day.

At dusk, A man waits for a bus ride as he watches the traffic from the crossing bridge across the train station.

Depending on the severity of the traffic, a wait like this can last for hours. Making the bad to worse, the city’s public transportation is underfunded and in short supply. Waiting can be very exasperating, something that is commonly felt in Jakarta.

Cinema la Strada Life lived by many Seen by few

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P13 Article section

Motorcycle taxi drivers at Jatinegara, East Jakarta, helplessly waited for passengers at the railroad crossing gate. One of them, stepping down from his parked motorcycle, enthusiastically amused a photographer he saw wandering around Jatinegara train station. Not far from there, throwing his back against the wall that separates railroad and pedestrian precinct was a street vendor selling as many shoes as he could carry in his bag. Some meters away, in the same realm of misfortunes, but just slightly better, a man stood in front of his street kiosk. He slipped his hand into a pocket and pulled out a handful of cash he earned that day. Meanwhile a busker passed by fast as he stood at the front door of a bus. He was looking at what was ahead of him. Stopping ahead of the bus was a man on his motorcycle, lighting a cigarette when the day had fallen to dusk. At the other side of congested street, a tailor refused to finish his usual day amid the noise and dust. He kept on operating his small sewing machine. An order like this kept him survive another day filled with heavy pollution. On a row of shophouses in the vicinity, the overcrowded sidewalk had gradually become empty as commercial activity closed. An old man with his black glasses walked past the closed doors alone at dusk.

The solution to RTH is right under our nose â–ź So what do we miss?

P16 Article section

Yes, we can!

There is not much left anymore for the naysayers to say anything pessimistic about parks in Jakarta.

Despite the common negation that parks will never take more than 10% of the city’s 740 square kilometers size, and that the goal to eventually make it 30% a pipe dream, expansion of green areas in Jakarta runs at an impressive rate.

The consistency of Jakarta’s new administration has paved the way for the creation of new parks in Pluit and Pulogadung, which used to be dingy backyards on two of the city’s neglected reservoirs.

Currently the energy is centered on revitalisation of green spaces.

Menteng Park in Central Jakarta facilitates playing ground and sports courts.

Feel alive Regardless the recent revival campaign involving several blocks and other overlooked backyards, there was a success story that came from the initiative of the previous administration.

Menteng Park was built to replace the emptied football stadium and completed five years ago at one of the prime districts in Central Jakarta.

When it was opened, very few people frequented the park.

But five years later, the park got regular visitors each day and peaked in the afternoon.

Lots of small communities of young people based their activities here, from jumping stilts to Star Wars movie fans wielding their lightsabers at night. The park is alive with sports and drama rehearsals even until 10PM.

Open field in Menteng Park is used to various public activities, from Capoeira training and wedding photo session.

The transparent structure with ascension roof at its top resembles a glass house. This building was originally intended to grow plants. Now it is used for exhibition

Extreme solution Not so long ago, every discussion to maintain green areas will end with sighs, let alone the dream of creating new ones. Now once again people dare to exchange thoughts. Misused open spaces for mobile stalls, parking lots, or even illegal housings, like in river banks, has become extreme situations that require extreme solution. The introduction of strict measures to put the city of over 10 million population in order indicate that the current top ranks in the municipality dares to walk the talk.

P19 Article section

THE SUNDAY ORCHESTRA

think!NOW The story as it happens

There is more to string instruments than just classical pieces.

To those who regularly frequent Suropati Park on typical Sundays, Johann Sebastian Bach or Beethoven are just symbols of aspiration on their foreheads. It is their minds that give inspirations to a variety of compositions which come from the modification of folk songs or those songs from their childhood, short and memorable ones.

Accidental orchestra On Sunday morning, kids attended an open course at the park.

They formed a group of musical ensemble playing some children songs, conducted by their teacher. Making it a perfect place to share his knowledge after he could tolerate the traffic noise around the park, the teacher presented a unique mixture of public loudness and a well-orchestrated string ensemble that could reach the entire block. After repeated pauses for corrections, they could finally carry out a short piece correctly into a harmony.

Play it solo As the simple tunes from amateur ensemble constituted by young learners still echoed, solo violists across the park staged their own shows for unattentive visitors, and mostly, for themselves only.

One of them, sitting under lush trees, showed his skill in playing American-style country song. Although the people around him did not seem to pay attention, his play was a head-turning one. It showed that the casually-dressed violist has what it takes to play such fast tune, rapid and accurate fingers, excellent memory and improvisation. Apparently he spent his holiday quite seriously.

Across him, another person impressed a visitor who listened with a certain degree of joy a long composition of his. Its melody seemed to be resemble that of Javanese traditional music. At the other corner, a man showed his friend how to make pop songs applicable to violin play.

P21 Article section Di jendela tercinta ia duduk-duduk bersama anaknya yang sedang beranjak dewasa.

Mereka ayun-ayunkan kaki, berbincang, bernyanyi dan setiap mereka ayunkan kaki tubuh kenangan serasa bergoyang ke kanan ke kiri.

Mereka memandang takjub ke seberang, melihat bulan menggelinding di gigir tebing, meluncur ke jeram sungai yang dalam, byuuurrr….

Sesaat mereka membisu.

Gigil malam mencengkeram bahu.

“Rasanya pernah kudengar suara byuurrr dalam tidurmu yang pasrah, Bu.” “Pasti hatimulah yang tercebur ke jeram hatiku,” timpal si ibu sembari memungut sehelai angin yang terselip leher baju.

The window of words Komunitas Salihara continued to host Literature Biennale this year, from 20 September to 27 September, with a major theme Literature Circus.

A tradition since 2001.

Di rumah itu mereka tinggal berdua.

Bertiga dengan waktu. Berempat dengan buku.

Berlima dengan televisi. Bersendiri dengan puisi.

“Suatu hari aku dan Ibu pasti tak bisa lagi bersama.”

“Tapi kita tak akan pernah berpisah, bukan?

Kita adalah cinta yang berjihad melawan trauma.”

Selepas tengah malam mereka pulang ke ranjang dan membiarkan jendela tetap terbuka.

Siapa tahu bulan akan melompat ke dalam, menerangi tidur mereka yang bersahaja seperti doa yang tak banyak meminta.

Jendela (Window) by Joko Pinurbo at a poetry reading in 2013 Literature Biennale, Teater Salihara, Jakarta.

Clockwise from left: Joko Pinurbo reads some of his selected poets. Poet enthusiasts crowd the front side of Salihara. Organisers run a final check at the venue’s entrance door.

The crowd returned in this year’s Literature Biennale since it was last held at the same place in 2011. This time, the muchanticipated poetry reading featured Joko Pinurbo among many other poets. But it was obvious that Jokpin was the magnate power in bringing the youngs and olds due to the

carefully –chosen words and efficientlyconstructed verses of his poems. Jendela (Window) was notably the most compelling poem he read that evening.

The poet who half-jokingly claimed to always be nervous on stage filled his voice into the

silence of 10 P.M. The audience, on the contrary, kept up high enthusiasm despite the cold air that surrounded them inside the 300seat auditorium. As now one of the mostsought poets in Indonesia, his presence boost the popularity of the literary festival in Jakarta.

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P24 World section

The old man in pajamas and a bowl of magic Text and photography by Mia P. Tanujaya

In Vietnam the Mid-Autumn Festival (Tet Trung Thu) is the country’s second most important holiday after the Vietnamese New Year (Tet).

Tet Trung Thu usually takes place on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. The best place in Vietnam to observe Tet Trung Thu is Hoi An ancient city in Quang Nam province. The town’s Old Quarter is densely packed with shops, thus attracting the lion dancers. The river is teemed with floating lanterns, and the atmosphere is magical.

Since the town is so small, groups of lion dancers often encounter each other. They will put on fierce dance battle in an attempt to establish dominance. In the end this holiday is all about fun, and it is great to see groups of people marching and dancing through the streets, following the lion dancers’ way to every stop. Weather could be quite tricky at this time of the year as wet season approaches, but it would not stop the people from carrying out the tradition. They would still make it through the rain and visitors are excitedly joining in.

Cao Lau

Clockwise from above: Flower for offerings. A lady burns joss paper for ancestors. Phuc Kien assembly hall.

Visitors to Hoi An always remember Cao Lau, which is considered by Quang Nam people as a special symbol for Hoi An. It is rice noodle served with thinly-sliced, soy-simmered pork, crispy fresh lettuce, assorted herbs such as basil, cilantro and mint, and crackly squares of deep-fried flour cracker.

It is said that Cao Lau cannot be made well outside Quang Nam. The secret lies in the water. Authentic Cao Lau is prepared only with water drawn from ancient Cham (ancient ethnic group) wells hidden around Hoi An and across Quang Nam Province.

The colourful corner of Hoi An narrow street

Hoi An is also famously known as Lantern Town

Chinese chess is particularly attentiongrabbing in Hoi An. Two old men in their old-fashioned pajamas sitting face to face on the sidewalk played in silence.

Passersby would stop to watch them.

Some even stayed until the game is over.

For those who miss the Mid-Autumn Festival, they can always make time on every 14th day of the lunar month which is a Buddhist day of worship.

Residents place offerings and burn incense on their ancestral altars and visit one of Hoi An's many pagodas. The scent of incense and the sounds of people singing add to the town's enchanted atmosphere. On the evenings, visitors will get a rare glimpse into another era. These nights are warm reminders of life's unforeseen beauty..

P26 World section

Night at the cruise ship

Peace talk A few men isolated themselves on the deck of Costa Atlantica from over 2,500 passengers, most of which have just boarded the ship two hours prior to departure. A small group remained stuck in the crammed lobby to get through time-consuming but necessary boarding arrangements. Most others had started discovering every interior part of the lavishly decorated ships. Many stayed in their rooms to get a break from the mass tourist. On the deck, the gathering place at the top level of the ship where only very few people have had the thought to look at, the peace in vacation was found.

Under the dark sky and facing dark seas, people did not notice that the ship had just departed the Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore. The main engine was hardly heard or felt. Their conversation was louder than the sound of waves.

Recently boarded passengers chat at one of the deck’s bars.

Business hour Costa Atlantica picked Singapore as the port of origin in one of its cruise line maiden journeys in Southeast Asia. In the late evening that does not differ much in temperature than in daylight, it set sail to two cities along the Strait of Malacca—the city of Malacca and Penang—and ended its journey in Phuket Island. The visit to three ports and return trip southward to Singapore took five days to complete. The Strait of Malacca was barely challenging, as calm waters and windless days remained so for the entire vacation on board. Crew members were on duty the entire day and they made up around a third of the total number of passengers.

A crew member walks past the panorama deck as the ship begins the 5-day itineraries across three Southeast Asian countries.

An affordable luxury Due to the economic slowdown in the western continents, cruise business activities have shifted to the east. People in the region with curiosity for the experience and cash are more than willing to fill the vacant rooms. And for that reason, Costa Cruises Group operates their Asian cruise lines from Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal. They become the pioneer in international cruise lines making Asia as homeport. People in the region now can take a cruise vacation without having to fly to European ports beforehand. Nonetheless, this is still a luxury vacation, but at a relatively affordable rate considering the cost the Asian riches had to pay to get such a holiday at the time when cruise lines operations were concentrated in far-flung regions.

La Dolce Vita atrium and lobby is the centerpiece of Costa Atlantica.

Cruise staff seemed leisuring in the glitzy lobby. “Cruising in Italian Style� makes them able to mix professional on-duty hours with relaxing attitude.

Costa Atlantica sails off the Strait of Malacca.

Crew members keeps the panorama deck clean round the clock, while kitchen staff makes sure that the restaurant downstair is always open to serve the mass tourists.

New business frontier The ship looked empty on day as most passengers disembarked to quick visits at one of the ports of destination along the Strait of Malacca. Cruise journeys benefit the coastal cities situated along the course. Money spenders of Asia make the tourism and hospitality businesses all the more promising. Budget flights and hotels gain a strong foothold in Asia. These are some instances underlining how the region creates a new business opportunity for the likes of Costa Cruises Group.

The ship garners some success in its new venture in Asian territories due to the operator’s ability to align themselves with Asian behavior in terms of meticulousness in leisure spending. To many, a ticket purchase includes hotel accomodation and visits to cities abroad. This all-in-one offer entices the typically rich-but-frugal spenders of Asia.

Do you mind?

Tiziano Restaurant offers not only fine dining experience and exquisite interior lightings, but also a pleasant surprise by the well-clad waitresses who show a love of Italian rhythm and melodies. More than just a gastronomic indulgence, Italian culinary feast on an Italian cruise is a mixture of delightful taste and vacation life style. This is a culture that celebrates every bite of food, every musical note, and each colorful moment in life.

WHAT LIES BENEATH THE HIGHWAY

P29 The road least traveled

A section of Kapuk Toll Road in North Jakarta.

A small passage under the highway, passable only by motorcycles.

An alternate road that cuts the distance to and from the poor and heavily populated area of Kapuk.

A man heads home by taking the toll road on foot, a violation of traffic regulation on daily basis.

A road built at your convenience There are cases when highways are laid out at the expense of existing frail connections of particular areas. The toll road between Jakarta and Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, for instance, separated the vast and living space in Cengkareng. The solution was building crossing bridges available to transport people and goods on motorcycles.

A similar case is the highway that connects Jakarta with Bandung. Commerce in Bandung took a great benefit from the direct access to the capital, in which travel can now be made

possible in just two hours. But some sections of the highway had to cross exisitng villages, splitting them into two sides. Due to the characteristics of an area—size, interaction, and movement—seeking generic solution of building bridges does not necessarily replace accessibility like it used to be. But interestingly, people always have the ability to adapt with changes in their living spaces. Such a landconquest merit in the modern context is clearly shown in the way people make access to move around, finding means to support their homes, trade goods and services, and so on.

In Kapuk, one of the areas that constitute Cengkareng district, North Jakarta, a long section of highway crossed by without an offramp. This backyard of Kapuk can be described as the deserted area by the river where housing is unorganised, wild plants grew naturally, and access to anywhere cut-off. And the surrounding people at the dead-end part of the village managed to create a way of their own, a reliable dirt road passing under the highway, capable of getting them on bikes to main avenues at the west. This is one of the few open and unmapped networks in Jakarta.

think!archipelago

Integrated road management system Talking about the integration of city transportation modes, one can find an extraordinary case in the backyard of Kapuk that will let many engineers dumbfounded. This is an example of an actually functioning and time-tested integration of land and water transportation means.

The less than 100 meters length of dirt road will end up at a riverside.

There, a man in his usual working days offers river-crossing mode by boat where two ends of a rope are tied on each side of the river and crossing from one side to another is made possible by relying on the manual labor.

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