For a Sound Judgment

this morning started early so did i. after waiting for two felt-like-forever hours for Ocha n Fit, i arrived there for Jakarta Highland Gathering, a festival i had heard of many times. the sun wasn't friendly but then i needed it to warm my pale legs n hands.

happy i was at the first sound of bagpipe. it was what i came here for. men in skirt were playing the highly sophisticated instruments. their skirt was a curious thing and so were the felt bags. and most of the players are of young age and have Asian facial features--meaning they are Asian!

one by one they came up to the "stage" and played the bagpipe, caught breath, fingered the holes, and danced. sometimes a piper or two accompanied a drummer. it was a competition and there were two skirted men nearby judging the players.

upon hearing the music playing, people came. they--just like i was--were "pied piper of Hamelin-ed"! it was just good.

My Photos for Justravellers Gathering

am happy! these photos got selected (curated by JUST Travellers committee and Arbain Rambey) for the upcoming Justravellers gathering in May 1 and 2, 2010. moi am one of 35 photographers whose works are selected to be exhibited there.

"Morning Has Broken"
Caption: Mount Puntang in Bandung Selatan, Jawa Barat, was crucial in the time of Dutch colonialism. It's where they built the first modern communication station. All it has to offer now are interesting stories and ruins. When camping there with friends last October, I woke up to witness the beautiful and poetic morning: The sun was peeking through the slender conifer, the river was singing, and so were wild birds.

"The White Lion & How-Small-We-Are"
Caption: Everything in the peak of Mt. Ijen, East java, is in big scale: the caldera, the crater, the sulphur lake, the hills. and I felt so diminutive in the presence of the Creation. I could not be not moved by the sight. PS: it was my first hike to an elevation higher than 9,000 feet. Feb. 2010.

By Saving The Corals, We Help Local Fishermen's Welfare

My friend's Lisa Saputra and my entry for Deep Indonesia 2010 Poster Contest
It didn't make into final but I love it that we tried

the idea: campaigning against fish and coral bombings and overfishing. local fishermen can choose to preserve them instead and associate themselves with (or become!) dive operators!