think archipelago, V6 May 2014

think!archipelago human interest I cityscape I landscape I architecture I art

Human contemplation

V6

May 2014

think!archipelago is a quarterly publication owned and run by Purnadi Phan Photography. The content is entitled to Purnadi Phan Photography’s intellectual property, including but not limited to text, photographs, graphics, design and arrangement. Contributors retain copyright interest in their respective stories, photographs and other proprietary contents. Regardless having verified and published articles of utmost accountability, neither owner nor contributors can accept responsibility or liability for reliance by any person on any of the information written in this publication.

P2 Contents

EDITOR’S NOTE

Contributors

QUARTERLY REVIEW

The caldera The Qingming Festival The outpost in city park

ARTICLE SECTION

The contemplation of St. John Borobudur revisited The old port

WORLD SECTION

Well-planned perspective The capsule city Makati The elevation

THE ROAD LEAST TRAVELED Mountain forest

P3 Editor’s note

As I continued to speak my doubts on the significance of religion as a social cohesion in this increasingly diverse environment, I delve into what all the existing religion share in common.

Contemplation, meditation, or samadhi, is practiced in human civilisation across all culture.

This is a strong argument to support a belief that apart from hostile differences in religion, we actually resort to one single supernatural entity, popularly referred to in current times as god.

In this respect, I find a relevance on the recent canonization of Pope John Paul II and John XXIII for their persistence in the harmony across faiths.

While the former made a first papal visit to a mosque among a hundred more visits to foreign countries, the latter cemented the relations with other religions through convening the Second Vatican Council. The current Pope Francis’ speech “I believe in God, not in a Catholic God” intends to address differences issue in this modern and open world we now live in. Also in this edition we introduce a new black-and-white photography works under a separate brand MONOMAT, which is exhibited in some articles, including the cover story.

Purnadi Phan purnadi.phan@gmail.com

Contributors

Agus Chang is a writer who now works as an IT professional in one of the fastest growing banks in Indonesia. He has an interest in sports, technology and culture. He believes that intellectual and moral side of humans should work together in harmony to create a better world.

Ika Warastuti loves exploring words. She has great respect to Pramoedya Ananta Toer for the man’s grandiose artistry in narrating monotonous, ignorable occasions in life into emotional passages that blow her away.

She works as an analyst and occasionally manages a blog at warastuti.com.

Ayu Wijaya Sari is a mandarin teacher who is passionate in capturing every precious moment of her family and friends. She loves to explore Indonesia with her camera as her best partner.

She has a big interest in history, culture and music.

Yenny Wongso is a bachelor of Chinese Language in Beijing who now pursues another degree in English Education. In her recent tour to Western Europe and Italy, she captured many remarkable pictures.

She now works and studies in Jakarta.

P4 Quarterly review

March The caldera

Photography

I

Sally Condro

April

The Qingming Festival

Photography and text

Danau Toba Caldera, North Sumatra, is the latest entry into the list of 100 Geopark sites around the world.

See more pictures online.

May

The outpost in city park

Meet four personnel in a security post near Lapangan Banteng, one of the biggest and most historical public parks in central Jakarta. Go to our website.

Paying homage to the deceased in Qing Ming on 4 April is an important commemoration ceremony in Chinese culture. In overseas Chinese community in my parent’s hometown, Sambas, West Kalimantan, Qing Ming starts 2 weeks earlier. In addition to this unique custom is that the tradition has to be done before sunrise. Families will go to the cemetary early in the morning when the sky is still dark. They will lit candles and place them around the tomb to mark the path for the dead souls. The candle lights on the cemetary present a beautiful scenery, meanwhile leaving a sense of creepiness that is usually felt in a large cemetary.

I

Ayu Wijaya Sari

INDONESIA JAZZ REVIEW Album and artist

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

P7 Article section

THE CONTEMPLATION OF ST. JOHN

’

John Climacus was an exceptional person in the history of Western theology because he was revered to as a saint by Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Church even though there was no any records about his life. His study about the stages in contemplative prayers was part of his teaching that lasts until today’s practice of Christianity. On any given day, some people would come to the church in search of self-fulfillment.

In Jakarta Cathedral, they found consolation to their sadness, a brief and solemn retreat to invigorate mental state. Human contemplates on many things for hundreds of years without much difference in its degree of intensity.

Since ancient times, contemplation is said to involve the recitation of words in whispers, or muted.

In their solitude, sheltered from the outside world, two men are aware that God is a living reality.

Samadhi, a term in Buddhism and Hinduism which similarly refers to a state of deep meditative contemplation.

Is it important now to contemplate as suggested by Thomas Aquinas? Many centuries ago, the definition that entails this divine activity is to have the vision of god. In his Ladder of Divine Ascent, which was drawn in the 12th Century and now resides in Saint Catherine’s monastery, Mount Sinai, Egypt, Saint John Climacus is depicted to have led his followers on a narrow stairway to Heaven, where god awaits.

In a religious society, where god functions as the answer to humans’ plight, praying for a solution is a banality.

But the increasing complexity of modern life creates necessities beyond the promise for an eternal afterlife or a wishful thinking to witness the biblical prophecy.

Striving in today’s world requires humans to face constant and inevitable problems. But when one seeks meditation to free the mind and focus on finding a solution, perhaps it indicates too the transcendental significance that still persists in modern society.

A Catholic nun in Jakarta Cathedral during daily prayers.

Location Jl. Katedral No.7B, Sawah Besar, Jakarta

Share it online via www.thinkarchipelago.com

See also the Contemplation of Kelapa at https://thinkarchipelago.jux.com

P11 Article section

BOROBUDUR REVISITED N

Photography and text

I

Erwin Supandi

Tour de Borobudur This photograph proves how capable the mirrorless camera—some said mirrorless DSLR—in making a competition with the already established DSLR cameras. This was taken while the photographer was driving. The left hand held the steering wheel while the other hand held the camera. The action is surely a tough call for DSLR users.

The noiseless detail With just a little know-how in doing landscape photography in Borobudur Temple, Central Java, from the higher surrounding platform, I left the nearby hotel at 03:45 AM. I got lost and finally able to overcome the situation by asking the local motorcycle taxi driver for an escort. The extra expense proved to be worthwhile with the spectacular view that slowly reveals as the sun began to rise.

This photo was cropped to clarify the detail of the temple. Most commonly people use telephoto lens—at least 70-200 mm—to get a perfect result. However, seeing the remarkable crop result proves that mirrorless camera does an excellent job in reproducing noiseless details. It is taken with Fujifilm X-E1 paired with 18-55 mm kit lens.

1814

The year of rediscovery of Borobudur Temple amid volcanic ash and resurging jungle, ten centuries since its date of build. British governor for Java administration Thomas Stamford Raffles was largely credited for it.

Seeing the sunrise from the highest platform of the structure.

P15 Article section

THE OLD PORT

An underaged crew gazes out through the bow of a Phinisi ship.

Anchored ships with not so much activities on one lazy afternoon at the old port of Sunda Kelapa.

Sunda Kelapa Port is still functioning as it had been since seven hundred years ago. It now accommodates only the wooden Phinisi ships, due to the relocation of the main harbor to Tanjong Priok, which was built in 19th century to keep up with the Suez Canal-induced maritime trade increase. It was this limitation that made the old port a relic of the past.

5 kn

The approximate maximum speed for modern motorpropelled Phinisi in mild sailing condition.

But the faces of the hopefuls and hopeless are intertwined on the decks of these typically archaic ship models.

Their wooden hulls left an impression that these ships are unable to stand the test of time, nor able to handle the burden with which the modernity carries.

The exasperation on the ship crews faces reflected the atmosphere at the old port of Sunda Kelapa. The people and the ships have touched their limits, even though the work load shows only a small fraction to that of the modern port activities. Nevertheless, the old ways of seafaring and trade refuse to surrender to the surge of time in this northend of Jakarta’s old section.

Location Pelabuhan Sunda Kelapa, Jakarta

See the slide show at Purnadi Phan Photography

See also the Old Port of Sunda Kelapa at https://thinkarchipelago.jux.com

P20 World section

WELL-PLANNED PERSPECTIVE T

Public transportation is a crucial point to be noticed by government to grow prevalent economic scale throughout the city. In Hong Kong we can find various types of it, such as MTR, buses, taxis and street trams (only in Hong Kong island), provided to support its citizen to go to all district.

Photography and text

I

Agus Chang

People strolling around every corner of this city is a common view. It becomes a habit for Hong Kong people. There are many youngsters and senior citizen mingle on the sidewalk.

Even past midnight on weekdays, the crowd still fills the streets looking for food or just enjoying the city’s atmosphere.

$4,328

The average annual retail rent per square foot in Hong Kong, the world’s highest.

The city population daily needs are provided by ubiquitous retail spaces starting from groceries, restaurants, mini markets, famous brands outlets to shopping malls. These stores are placed side by side with the neighborhood.

Apartments are often placed between stores.

Click below and share Agus Chang’s story via MONOMAT:

Traffic jam frequently occur on regular days, but it is very light compared to the traffic city of Jakarta. Jay walkers are sometimes spotted.

Hong Kong’s street is not too wide so when a bus stop to drop off and pick up passengers, it occupies the left lane which quickly creates bus queue behind.

P24 World section

THE CAPSULE CITY MAKATI

T

Photography and text

I

Ika Warastuti

The taxi driver nodded following my request and took the right line of the road, taking us through the fly over toll road heading to Makati City of Manila.

The view below us was complicated and dense: Flocks of residences intersected by a railway and minor traffic jam in several spot. The view indicates a conglomeration of those with economic dependence to the existence of the city.

The toll road brought me to a contrast view when I arrived in Ayala Avenue, the nuclei of Makati, many people said. The skyscraper of Bank of the Philippine Islands stood on the right side of our way. Another pivotal institution, the Philippine Stock Exchange, is also located on the avenue. Most of individual spaces are built vertically in a massive number of towers so that it forms concrete jungle which can block the sunlight due to its heights.

400k

The estimated number of people dwelling Manila.

The weather was good during my visit. So I and friends could enjoy an evening at the Ayala Triangle, a spacious park where people can jog, meet up with friends or just sit and sip a cup of coffee. The oasis.

Similar parks are rarely seen outside the city. It was like entering a capsule city, where the quality of the air, the anthem and the habits of the people are completely different with the supporting regions around it.

Makati has its own circadian cycle.

The life in the city is lit up by the white collars marching to their offices and dimmed when the office hours is over. Around 400,000 people are estimated dwelling the city. The number is boosted on weekdays to become one million due to the incoming workers from the surrounding Manila.

The local government has implemented advance policies to regulate the city dwellers. The ban on plastic bag usage has been effective since around a year ago. Each shopper needs to bring their own non-plastic reused bag for loading their groceries at supermarket. Smoking is also strictly regulated. These two policies have classified Makati high above the other regions of Manila where environmental concern remains low.

A friend, who has spent her last three years in the city, said however live in the city is quite pricey. The living cost in Makati is relatively higher compared to other Southeast Asia’s metropolitan hubs like Bangkok and Jakarta. The rent and property price are 1.5 higher than in other big cities. The electricity supply in Makati is managed under private entity, which eventually leads to 2-3 times higher price.

Perhaps, due to mixed culture and international network which are based in the city, the city dwellers have more intense exposure to the foreign culture.

Many of the youths who are raised in the city no longer speak Tagalog language.

If I can describe Manila in two-sided coin, Makati represents the side of 21th modern century while the rest regions seem stuck in nineties. Will this sophisticated civilization be contagious to the surrounding? Otherwise the capsule city will remain a contrast, like a winner who stands in loneliness.

Read Ika Warastuti’s broad topic of works on her website www.warastuti.com, or simply click her website logo below.

P29 World section

THE ELEVATION

T

Photography and text

I

Yenny Wongso

The journey to Mount Titlis is one of the most memorable ones in Europe that is full of beautiful scenery with an eternal snow on the top. People can go skiing down the vast slopes on winter or even summer. It is actually range of mountains that is located on the western part of the Alps, the primary tourism icon of Switzerland. It is also the highest summit in the Urner Alps section, although it pales in comparison with the Dammastock of the adjacent valley, or the most famous Alps crest, Mont Blanc.

In this picture, although barely seen, there lies the EngelbergTitlis cableway that facilitates the world’s first revolving cable car. From inside, I enjoyed the spectacular view of the mountain. As the cable car ascends, I saw the scenic parts of the mountain, from the cliff, the rocky mountainside, and the snow-covered slopes as we were reaching the peak.

3238 m

The elevation of Mount Titlis, far behind Mont Blanc, the highest peak of the Alps at 4810 meters.

The scenery was just like a painting that caught my eyes, so beautiful and unforgettable

The hillside of Mount Titlis is a perfect scene to remember the long journey to Mount Titlis. Clear blue sky with a small village sitting under snowy mountain make a peaceful picture.

P32 The road least traveled

MOUNTAIN FOREST

Rocky path near a crater of Mountain Patuha, around 50 kilometers off Bandung, provides an easy trail for visitors who plans to enjoy natural sceneries on the weekends. But the crater lake is the main place of interest that attracts the majority people, if not all. The short walk is mostly overlooked, and that is what makes this section of forest hidden from outside presence. It is known mostly among locals, but ironically taken for granted.

2 ha

The annual rate of deforestation in Indonesia mainly due to the need of land for residential and agricultural zones. Slashand-burn technique to open new fields is an apparent reason.

The forest at the crater of Mountain Patuha can be reached by driving further up from Ciwidey, a tourism spot famous for its cold climate. By taking the alternate road instead of following the sign to the sulfur crater, what was thought an off-limit area appears to be a rocky path that reveals an unexpected wilderness.

A deeper walk into the forest will bring an encounter with a variety of plants, some of which are hundred years old trees. The leafy branches that prevent direct sunlight, thus causes high moisture, has created a conducive environment for an equally wide variety of moss.

The natural cycle of life and death in Mountain Patuha makes its lush forest alive. The dead tree gives way for the growth of new ones that will continue the life span of this forest for another century, provided well-preserved. So far, the preservation of Mountain Patuha helps keep the tropical view pristine in a relatively cramped space on the outskirts of Bandung, West Java.

Missing previous volumes?

We will reopen archives at your request. Send us email.

think!archipelago Jl. Kemurnian Utara No. 42 Jakarta, Indonesia 11120 +62 21 6344361 +62 81513219978 www.thinkarchipelago.com purnadi.phan@gmail.com