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.

I said it

Let there be light!

Sobirayu Voskhod

I collect sunrises
precious moments of gold
how rich i am
thus my heart told

(voskhod, v Tulambene)

La peinture évocatrice

it was like a slap in the right cheek when I saw it: duotone it may be, but that morning it evoked vivid memories. how brilliant!

(curious painting; Tulamben; courtesy of Rosa Widiyarini)

One Lonely Town

i put the photograph inside the frame of my mind
that there millions of cheers ain't hard to find

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.

"For Better or Worse"

Sure there are plenty of
fish in the sea
Flocks of birds on the rise
Baby, not for me
'Cause I live in paradise
(For Better or Worse, Debbie Gibson)

When buddies and I went down to the wreck in Tulamben, I felt most happiest. I can remember every second of the descent! bubbles! here's where I remembered my silent wish: to be able to enjoy it.

and here's where the playlist changed! I used to sing in mind: What a Wonderful World. but seeing the school of jacks, my archive opened that old Debbie Gibson disc and the needle played it loud :)

(not for worse but) for better, I love it!