CONGRATULATIONS Rafi!

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Rafi celebrating his 10th Birthday in Pejaten…. May all your dreams come true..

Today I am thrilled to announce we have received confirmation that Rafi has been invited to attend Festival Indonesia in Melbourne, which is an absolute dream come true.

This year, Festival Indonesia will hold a series of events leading up to Festival Weekend on 22 and 23 September at Queensbridge Square, Southbank in Melbourne.

The 2012 Festival series will showcase Culinary, Fashion, Travel, Culture and Business from Indonesia.  At the beginning of spring season in September, Festival Indonesia will fill the city with Fashion Exhibitions, Indonesian Culinary Workshop with two leading Indonesian chefs, ANZ Business Forum, a Travel and Tourism Networking, a Regional Investment Forum, a vibrant cultural program, an interactive theatrical production – The Balinese Princess and The Funky Monkey, and our highlight cultural night, Indonesia Night – a showcase of the Colours of Indonesia.

The series of events will then end with the Festival Indonesia Weekend 2012, bringing together over 150 local and international performers in a dynamic program. The weekend will bring the diversity of Indonesia to Melbourne – from vibrant performances, handicraft workshops, food bazaars, travel exhibitions and creative fashion.

If you are in Melbourne in September, make sure you go along to join in a celebration of Indonesian culture at Festival Indonesia 2012, and to support the incredible talent of Indonesia’s youngest Fashion Designer, Rafi Ridwan.

Train Spotting in Bandung

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A Ticket Inspector on the economy train from Jakarta to Bandung 

Children waiting for a train at Cikadongdong Station

Me, beside ‘Miss Heni’ and his friend at the warung in Cikadongdong after my random radio interview

Children on the packed Economic train heading to Bandung

A tahu seller squeezes through the tightly packed carriages hoping to make a sale. The same lady also had everyone staring at my nose on the return to Jakarta the next day….

Security travelling on the packed Economic train, filled with passengers and food supplies heading to Bandung

A train crossing the railway bridge in the early evening

Train by the railway bridge in the morning

A railway worker checks the tracks near Sasaksaat

There’s no way I was going to cross that bridge by foot…

Rail workers crossing the bridge heading towards Bandung

I love spontaneous adventures and riding on trains so I couldn’t resist an opportunity to head to Bandung with Tri to take photos of trains crossing the bridge out in the countryside, and to enjoy a short respite from the chaos of Jakarta.

I have travelled by car and train to Bandung several times over the past few years and have viewed the bridges from the Tol Road and when passing them by train, but I have never had the chance to get up close and enjoy the scenery, so this was a rare opportunity for me, too good to be missed, and ended up being a very entertaining adventure.

Arriving at Gambir Station just after sunrise we realised that the train timetable had changed without warning, in true Jakartan style, so we had a few hours to kill before setting off on our journey. As soon as the train arrived and we settled into our seats and got over the initial excitement of the impending trip and prying eyes of fellow passengers, I fell asleep, only to wake up as the train passed through beautiful green rice fields and lush forests far away from the city and traffic.

To reach to our destination we had to change trains at Cikadongdong (this has to be the best town name I have ever heard of), which was such a funny experience. After a couple of hours travelling with no a/c or circulating air in the stifling carriage, we decided to cool off with a glass of Tehbotol at the local warung at the station while we waited for our next train to arrive. The warung owner, who introduced himself as ‘Miss Heni’ explained to Tri that I was only the second foreigner to visit Cikadongdong and that’s why I was attracting so much attention. Just as I began to enjoy my drink, Miss Heni handed me his mobile phone which I had assumed must be a friend of his that could speak English that he was smiling about, but when I spoke into the phone, suddenly I heard my voice coming from the radio blaring inside the warung. Adddduh, I was now on the local radio station being interviewed ‘live on air’ but I was so confused from the feedback that I had no idea what was going on! As we waited for our train, the DJ continued to make comments in Indonesian about ‘Shasha from Australia’ and he dedicated a song about falling in love to me, which was absolutely hysterical.

We had to squash onto the next economic train that arrived – there was not an inch of spare space inside the train as passengers sat on sacks of rice and other goods, half hanging out the open doors, but still the satay and other various sellers managed to continue to squeeze their way through the crowds to sell their wares. It was incredibly hot as we stood in the covered section which joined the two carriages together and I had to be careful not to get my feet crushed between the carriages.

After passing through a long and dark tunnel, and feeling the sweat as it dripped from my entire body, we finally arrived at Sasaksaat Station. Ah, sweet relief to have some air again, albeit, incredibly hot Indonesian air. We enjoyed a little ‘basa basi’ with the Station Masters and took more photos, before beginning the walk along the railway line to our final destination. Fifteen minutes later we arrived at a bridge and my internal panic mode automatically turned on. I could never cross that on foot, not in a million years! There was a road which passed beneath, followed by a deep valley, and the gaps between the wooden tracks were just enough to make me suffer instant vertigo. Not to mention the fact that I had no idea of the train timetable and I was afraid of what would happen if we were half way across the bridge and a train turned up. We wanted to reach the next bridge along, which was much more impressive and scenic for taking train photos, but how to get there without crossing the bridge?

After climbing down to the road below to stop for a drink of fresh coconut milk, we were told there was no other way to reach the second bridge without crossing over the first, but after a look of pure terror on my face, the coconut seller laughed and advised there was actually an alternative route, to walk across the valley.

We descended through a small village on the side of the hill to the excitement of young local children, passed over a small river and up the other side of the valley and headed towards the second bridge. The scenery was quite spectacular with rice fields to one side and many trees and bushes hiding another small river down below, where a small group of boys sat fishing in the serenity. Not long after we settled on a spot to watch the trains, a farmer crossed the railway bridge carrying a large load and then to my horror a train appeared from between the mountains and started to cross the bridge. We watched as the farmer turned back and luckily made it to a small safety ledge at the side of the track just as the train passed him. It was a huge relief to see him still standing there once the train has passed, but it confirmed my wishes of definitely not wanting to pass over any bridges.

The next morning was spent back at the bridge taking more photos of trains in the beautiful surrounds, and watching and chatting to railway workers who were stabilising the lines. Once again, not knowing the train timetable it seemed that every time I went to sit under a tree or go for a walk for some relief from the sun, a train would appear and I missed my opportunity to take photos, but it was still a great way to spend time outside of Jakarta’s macet.

The economic train from Sasaksaat Station to Bandung on our return journey revealed many more ideal locations and stunning bridges for taking photos but it seems the main attraction for passengers was my ‘bule’ nose, as the satay seller had everyone laughing and staring at me and making me wish for a speedy exit!

The Executive train back from Bandung to Jakarta felt like such a treat after spending a day sweltering in the heat, it had a/c turned up full blast so we were actually shivering, foot rests, power stations to charge our batteries, and enough room to have another good sleep before alighting from the train and straight back into the hustle and bustle of the streets of Jakarta as though we had never left…

Pejaten Performers

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Every year, students from the Australian International School in Pejaten (AIS Pejaten) hold an art exhibition and theatre production for parents and fellow students at the prestigious TIM in Cikini, which I have attended for the past two years, thanks to my beautiful sister Treen being one of the many teachers who dedicates their time to the shows success.

Delicious food is provided by both the school and parents before the actual show, and it gives everyone a chance to socialise and view the art exhibition, and it’s a time for the youngsters to fill the auditorium with excited giggles and nerves as they prepare to both perform and watch their friends up on stage.

The ‘Pejaten Performers’ is a very talented group of students who dance, sing, act, play instruments and put on an entertaining performance to end the semester before the mid year school break. The show also usually involves a couple of students and teachers who will be leaving the school to relocate to another country, as is the life of an expat in Jakarta, so the finale is both a happy and emotional time for those involved.

Most students appear in a number of performances and both the students and teachers involved dedicate many hours of preparation before the show, and the result is always very touching.  I loved to see the traditional Korean and Indian dances and also the more modern dancers of the gorgeous Korean girls strutting their stuff up on stage, and also the amusing play which received many laughs throughout, and I was in hysterics to watch them finish by shuffling together!

Being very shy by nature myself, the confidence these students show up on stage always leaves me awestruck. Not only can they sing like angels, they can play a range of instruments beautifully, and leave us laughing after their theatrical play, and not to mention their exceptional talent as artists also.

I would like to extend my congratulations to not only to the students, but to the wonderful teachers at AIS whose passion and dedication shone brightly during this show as always.

Beautiful colours on stage during the Korean Fan Dance by students and their teacher

More amazing talent shown by one of the Korean students

Another student with a lovely voice!

Performing a traditional Indian dance

So much talent at AIS..

A light hearted and funny play about two girls wanting to find out if they are smart or not..

Such beautiful girls and appearing so mature for their age up on stage

A very confident performance which involved a walk out to the audience – very entertaining!

Very sweet violin players

Singing Christina Aguilera’s song ‘Beautiful’ and sounding like an angel despite being in recovery from laryngitus

Gorgeous Korean girls dancing on stage

Happiness at the finale. Another year, another successful show..

 

Mini Fashion Show by Rafi Abdurrahman Ridwan – ‘Lovely Moment for Lovely Kids’

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Young deaf models after getting their hair and make-up done

Yuan getting her hair braided for the show

Rafi’s garments ready for the show

Rafi and his father being interviewed by the media before the show

Models on the runway for Rafi’s show

Yuan on stage in one of Rafi’s gorgeous designs

Rafi’s gorgeous younger sister Rafa on the catwalk

Rafi’s best friend Rafa in one of his dresses

Rafi on stage to take a bow after his show finished

Street music performers wearing Rafi’s t-shirts after performing on stage

Rafi with his parents Shinta and Mohammad, younger sister Rafa and brother Rafif

Indonesia’s National Children’s Day was celebrated earlier this week on 22nd July and I would like to acknowledge all the children I know that have touched my heart and brought sunshine to my days and I would especially like to dedicate this day to a very special friend of mine, Indonesia’s youngest Fashion Designer, Rafi Abdurrahman Ridwan.

Rafi celebrated his 10th birthday on July 20, 2012, and this date also marked the anniversary of his first fashion show held at Canteen in Plaza Indonesia, Jakarta.  His second Womenswear collection was shown at Jakarta Fashion Week last November which is a very prestigious event and an incredible accomplishment for someone of his age.

To mark his 10th birthday, Rafi aspired to show his first Childrenswear collection and to involve all his dearest friends in making his dream a reality.  This was to be no ordinary show, but an extremely special event, where the models would be chosen from his former classmates and best friends from SLB Santa Rama Cipete Deaf School, as well as Rafi’s younger sister, Rafa.

Rafi has such huge compassion for a child his age and he is grateful for all the people that have believed in him and given him the opportunity to realise his dreams and overcome his illnesses throughout his life.  His aim is not for success alone, but to also involve his friends and community to share his happiness and give them inspiration to follow their dreams, as well as to help other disadvantaged and ill children.  So with the help of his wonderful parents Shinta and Ridwan, his grandmother and the special people in his life, he set about preparing for his mini show to be held at the Hijabersmom Community ‘Lovely Moment for Lovely Kids’ event held on July 22, 2012.

Rafi not only sketched the garments for this special show, but he also designed the textile patterns for the fabrics to be used, which were filled with his trademark use of many colours and bold graphic elements for his theme of flowers and nature.  With the assistance of fellow members of his deaf community, Nada Sirait and Nathania, the sketches were transformed into graphic elements for printing onto fabric and the Hijabersmom Community and fellow friends had the honour of transforming Rafi’s sketches into wearable garments.

Arriving at the Auditurium Sosrobahu at The H Residence in Cawang on the morning of the show, the atmosphere was filled with excitement and nerves as Rafi arrived with his family and friends.  An exhibition of artwork from children in the community as well as Rafi’s fashion illustrations, were hung on the walls and t-shirts printed with Rafi’s amazing sketches were sold at the front door and were worn by a special group of young street musicians who performed for ‘Hari Anak Nasional’ (National Children’s Day), so the venue was filled with bright colour and laughter.  There were media interviews held as the final decorations were put in place and the models waited patiently to have their hair and make-up done and were adorned with gorgeous accessories made from clay in the theme of nature as per Rafi’s wish.  Indonesian model Laura Mulyadi selflessly volunteered her time to practise the runway steps with the children, as she has been involved with the Ridwan family since Rafi’s first fashion show, where she was one of the models chosen for the catwalk.

A video presentation of the two ill children who Rafi would be sending donations to from the proceeds of the event was shown, and a clay making workshop, musical performance, prayer reading and talk show were held before Rafi’s Fashion Show, so the children were filled with smiles and happiness before taking to the stage.

There were 14 outfits showcased and included silk dresses, shorts and jackets and the mini show itself was adorable to watch as nerves got the better of some of the young children whilst others took the spotlight in their stride and confidently walked the runway looking beautiful in the colourful designs.  Rafa, who is very shy by nature, shone on the stage as she walked alone wearing one of her older brother’s gorgeous yellow floral dresses and Rafi took to the stage to loud cheers and smiles from the audience, his nerves finally disappearing and replaced by a huge grin.

Following the progress of the show with the Ridwan family from design stage to choosing models, meetings with sponsors and a trip to the printers in Bandung, to the final event has been filled with so much emotion, tears, and a learning process for all involved in putting together a Fashion Show in such a short time frame.

To Rafi’s parents, and all those that volunteered their time and resources into making Rafi’s dream a reality, I know for certain he will be eternally grateful, and will continue to give back to the community all the love and support that he receives from so many people in his life, and he will continue to help those in need while he fills this world with colour and magic through his wonderful visions and designs.

Motor Motor Cinta

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Enjoying a little cinta on the Pasar Minggu flyover

Taking in the view and Jakarta’s city lights

Enjoying a meal together as traffic passes over the bridge

Stopping to watch motor cinta on the flyover

Here in Jakarta where public displays of affection are not widely accepted it is very unusual to see anyone holding hands or sharing an intimate moment with their husband/wife/lover.  In Australia, especially during the warmers summer months, the parks are filled with young love, and the streets are filled with happiness as couples stroll hand in hand laughing and sharing intimate glances with eachother.

So for me, I have found that motorbikes are the most romantic thing in this crazy city.  As you cruise around the streets it is not unusual to see whole families on a single bike, squished tightly together and often one or more of the children are asleep in their parents arms or with their head resting on the steering panel.  Then there are the married couples or young lovers with their arms placed around their partners waists – even if it just for safety, for me I like to think of it as the only time that people can be carefree in their affection for eachother whilst out on the streets.

A visit to the Pasar Minggu flyover to watch motor cinta was a new experience for me.  I didn’t want to get too close and ruin couple’s special moments together as they stopped on the bridge to eat a meal together or just enjoy their time without prying eyes from families or friends.  It was so sweet as motorbikes stopped by the side of the road as the traffic went by, and trains passed underneath.  The city lights were only bright enough to illuminate the night sky and not show the surrounding mess and filth on the streets, it’s like been transported to another place where couples can momentarily lose themselves in the moment and enjoy the time to chat together and just be at peace in each other’s company.

As I ventured to read the messages of love written on the railings, I couldn’t help but laugh at the scenes happening on the streets below.  Jakarta seems to be a city of no road rules where a red traffic light just means that everyone can continue to travel in every direction, where a petrol truck passed us with people dancing and singing on the top of the barrel, and buses stopped in the middle of the road in moving traffic to let off passengers and their luggage… I am always perplexed by the crazy scenes that I see here every day and that no rules seem to apply to anything, except perhaps the concept of public displays of affection..

So to all those lovers that stop by the flyover, I hope that you find magic in your time together, that you can also laugh at the scenes around you and feel a moment of freedom to be yourself and enjoy your emotions, we are all only human after all.

 

 

Antasari Flyover in South Jakarta

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Construction of the flyover beginning at Blok M

A section of road is added to a flyover beam in South Jakarta

Construction of the flyover in South Jakarta

A night scene as a new section of the road is added while workers sit inside the cement block being raised

The lack of any safety clothes and harness for the workers while they were welding and constructing the road made me so nervous to sit and watch the work in progress

Hard at work in the middle of the night

I have been watching the construction of the new Antasari Flyover for several months now in South Jakarta.  I have watched in awe as the beams were erected and the workers were lit up in the night sky standing on metail railings.  Coming from Australia where Work Safety practices mean that there are standards to which all builders must follow, it is frightening to see the workers without helmets or any shoes on in most cases, and just bambboo scaffolding as they work all through the night.  I have often wondered how many work place accidents happen here that I never hear about, or perhaps Indonesians know something we don’t and there aren’t any fatalities or injuries, but I don’t believe this could be possible?

It has been magical to see the progress and also frustrating during the day as the traffic has become so chaotic with detours and extra congestion in Jakarta’s narrow back streets.  It can take hours to travel only a short distance and even catching ojeks can mean that you can be stuck in gridlock as footpaths and every spare piece of road is crammed with commuters.

One thing that really confuses me about this new flyover is that it is being built to help with the ridiculous traffic on Jakarta’s roads, but in Kemang they have built a whole new village with a new school and apartments which is only going to add to the current problem.  I thought the aim was to ease the traffic flow, but instead they are building new places that will bring extra traffic to the area which surely will create new problems for residents of this city.

It would be great to see some money go into the upgrade of public transport here, as travel on the current kopaja, metro mini’s and angkots hardly makes it appealing for people to take public transport rather than congesting the roads with private car owners.  Apart from the Transjakarta buses, these vehicles currently have no a/c which means that you will arrive at your destination hot and sweaty and tired, and full of cigarette smoke from people travelling beside you which hardly makes for a pleasant journey.  Most of the time the metro mini’s don’t even come to a complete stop when you want to get off which means you have to jump and pray that you will avoid passing traffic or falling flat on your face after your trip.  At 8 months pregnant even my friend had to jump from a moving bus    and I wonder how on earth do the elderly ever make the journey accident free?  Added to the already packed transport there are buskers getting on and off which means having to scramble in your bag for any spare change you may have, and a feeling of intense guilt if you are not able to give something to everyone who asks.

On the plus side, I am happy to see that at least something is being done instead of just talking about it, and hopefully a balance can be found between private vehicles and public transport on the new flyover before the traffic here comes to a complete stand still.. Happy macet everyone..

 

A Heart of Gold – Ages Biola and Taman Suropati Chamber

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Practise begins at Taman Suropati in Menteng at 10am each Sunday morning

Happiness at the park

Students range from young to old, experienced and those who want to start learning from the very basics

Ages at Taman Suropati

A lovely young student at the park

Hendra Surya Agustian teaching students

Beautiful melodies coming from the classes

 

If you live in Jakarta, it is easy to get distracted by the mess of the city; the mind-bending traffic, the corruption, the pollution, the mind-blowing poverty; it feels like a city that is about to self-combust while you can only sit and gape and wonder, who is doing anything about this mess?  Does anyone care?  And then one sunny morning you find yourself meeting a person who gives you a little hope, who journeys into the cracks of Jakarta, who isn’t thinking, “How can one person make a difference?” and who is instead taking action to improve the lives of the people around him without the expectation of fanfare or personal gain.  Hidden amongst the mayhem of Jakarta there is a tranquil, clean, green and lush park, where the birds sing along with the melodic tunes of a group of talented musicians lead by Ages Biola.

Ages was born in a small village on the outskirts of Jogjakarta on 7 May 1970 and has led a colourful life of teaching and expanding his skills and knowledge in different areas, always trying to make his father proud and somehow feeling like he had failed, until he discovered his true passion, music. He joined Keroncong Tugu and is a member of the tenth generation of Keroncong in North Jakarta. Ages also attended Pono Banoe Music College in Banten where he completed his Bachelor Degree in Music after only two semesters of the four year course, due to his talent and previous accomplishments.

Whilst attending a workshop in Den Haag Keroncong in Holland in 2006, he noticed that European people appeared to have a keen interest in folk songs and he was curious as to why Indonesians weren’t as enthusiastic about their own music. He realised that the younger generation of Indonesian’s knew little about traditional Keroncong songs and he decided he must do something about its conservation.

Jakarta has a wealth of talented musicians, many of which are street performers who are regularly picked up by police for disturbing public spaces, but no solution has ever been given to providing them with a platform for showcasing their talent to raise money for survival, they are just caught and released and the cycle continues. Ages had the idea that if he taught these street performers how to read music and play Keroncong, he could help them to secure a better future and so in 2006, Taman Suropati Chamber was established by Ages and three musicians he had taken from the streets.

With the introduction of shopping malls in Jakarta, so grew a new consumer lifestyle for Indonesians, with families spending their spare time and weekends indoors at the mall. Ages wanted to provide families with a better option that would allow them to spend quality time together and decided he would provide free lessons to children in the park as a cheap alternative to the mall culture. Taman Suropati was chosen for its strategic central location to the city and also for the fact that it has so much security surrounding the area as it’s location in Menteng is also the home base for the US Embassy and the Governor and General of Jakarta. The park provides a beautiful natural environment for learning and the trees and fountains provide a perfect oasis from the chaos of Jakarta’s traffic filled streets.

One morning, whilst jogging around Taman Suropati, a journalist from the BBC heard the sweet melodies played by the Taman Suropati Chamber as they practised in the park. Not recognising the tunes he went to investigate and after discovering it was traditional folk music which had been written by Ages, he decided to cover the story and share the music with a wider audience. A week later, many Indonesian media arrived at the park also keen to report on the incredible musicians and shortly after Taman Suropati Chamber grew to 200 members, which made a total of 400 people when they joined with the evening musical community Kota Seni. The students of Taman Suropati Chamber consist of a wide range of people, from children to adults, college students, office workers, and those who don’t have any musical background. They held their first concert in May 2007 at the Jakarta Convention Centre to an audience of 600 people, followed by another concert at Gedung Kesenian Jakarta which they now play at annually, and also at TIM.

In the beginning, Ages financed the whole of Taman Suropati Chamber himself but as the group has grown he now has 9 assistants to help with teaching every week and there are volunteers who print brochures and make a regular tabloid for the group. Those that can afford it, pay a small fee each month, but those that are unable to, receive the lessons for free. Through the fees they are able to photocopy music sheets for the students and provide transport for the teachers to attend the park every Sunday morning from 10am-12pm. As they have no money to pay for wages, Ages’ wife Yasminka helps to run administration and PR and his twin sons Vino and Visco along with his daughter Vanessa also assist with the teaching. Other teachers include Prapto, who is a violin maker and former street performer, Hendra (Prapto’s brother), and Dwi (Prapto’s cousin). They all live together in Ages’ house where he has taught them to be teaching assistants and members of his band who play regular gigs at Jakarta’s cultural events.

Ages’ lessons concentrate on traditional Keroncong songs, the national anthem, and heroic songs from the past as today’s younger generation are not familiar with this music and he wants to conserve the music created in that era. His first priority is the conservation of traditional music and the second priority is to provide an option for people in jakarta to have an alternative to spending time at the mall. Taman Suropati Chamber provides a recreative, educative and creative environment for its members. Recreative in that they can still be together with their families in the park, educative as it provides lessons about traditional music and a creative and new environment for people to enjoy.

In 2008 and again in 2010. Ages was invited to play music in the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, and as the leader and founder of Taman Suropati Chamber he was awarded a grant to play in the US in May 2010, visiting areas such as Washington DC, New Orleans and San Fransisco where he gained many new supporters of Keroncong music.

Taman Suropati Chamber is a non formal school and for those who aspire to a higher level of learning, there is the option to sit an informal exam with the teachers. Ages’ vision is for Taman Suropati Chamber to become a registered outdoor Music College where he can prepare his own curriculum and books for students and his dream is to be able to integrate an exam each 6 months for members, where students would receive a certificate upon completion. Currently there are five levels of learning at the park which are:

1. Bibit – Seeds

2. Akar – Roots

3. Batang – Stem

4. Dahan – Branch

5. Ranting – Twig (Concert level)

Ages would not only like to be a musician but also a humanist cultural campaigner as he also knows about gamelan, puppet playing, painting and he is able to both play and teach Karawitan (traditional javanese songs). His songs are currently in the recording process and there are plans for a video clip to be made in the near future. Taman Suropati Chamber is very important to Ages and because of his passion there are now Park Music Communities in Bandung, Medan and Makassar who teach traditional Keroncong music to Indonesia’s young generation with the assistance of Ages’ online mentoring.

It is through Ages’ true heart of gold that the traditional music of Indonesia is being kept alive, and if you feel like either partaking in the classes or just sitting and enjoying the music, then head down to Taman Suropati on a Sunday morning and leave the worries of Jakarta’s chaos behind you for a couple of hours as you experience something truly magical in this city.

 

Orphans at the Ridwan’s

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Every so often you meet people that make a big impact on your life and make you see life from a new and fresh perspective.  The Ridwan family have been incredibly generous with their kindness not only to me, but to many people that surround them.  Rafi is always thinking of others and how he can help to make their lives better as so many people have been there to support him through his ups and downs.

Each month, Rafi and his family buy meals and distribute them to people living on the street and they also support the orphans living in their community by praying together, providing them with a meal and donation and I was blessed yet again to meet these children on a visit to the Ridwan’s home last month.

Nothing beats seeing the smile on a small child’s face and knowing that Rafi and his family are really looking after those less fortunate and providing inspiration to young children in Jakarta is incredibly touching for me.

Orphans at the Ridwan’s home

After praying and eating together, Rafi hands out a donation to the children

Sharing the love

More beautiful faces

Rafi and his family at home with their incredibly special community

Saying goodbye for the morning

Sweetness

Cantik sekali

 

Jakarta Fair 2012 Flora and Fauna at Lapangan Banteng

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A brief visit in the searing Jakartan heat to Lapangan Banteng was a new and slightly strange experience for me…. after entering and walking through a beautiful section of native plants and colourful tropical flowers, which made me momentarily wish for a garden of my very own (the reality is I would kill the plants in less than a week with a lack of a green thumb), we entered the fauna area… There were glass cages filled with lizards, huge snakes and tortoises which I was too afraid to get too close to.. I actually felt sorry for the snakes curled up and unable to move in their surrounds, and I wondered how they can actually survive in such an environment, without trees and grass and room to move.  There were also roosters, turkeys, and owls for sale and monkeys in clothes in tiny cages which people kept hitting and poking for attention and I wanted to set them all free so they could be in peace again!  The strangest thing being that there were owls and rabbits sitting on top of their cages and they could have easily escaped, but perhaps it was the crazy heat that made them too lazy to run or fly away or perhaps they were frightened at the big crowds of hands reaching out to touch them all day long.

I think it’s great that people can see these animals up close but would love to see them in a slightly more natural environment and see people show a little respect rather than yelling and banging on cages for a reaction.

Overall it was a fun adventure and ended up perfectly with a visit to the nearby incredibly popular Ragusa Ice-cream for a chocolate sundae.. a great way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon.

This is the biggest rabbit I have EVER seen!!

Rabbits for sale at the Fair

This little monkey was trying to sleep while people banged on his cage

I want to set you free!

Little owls too sleepy to move

Beautiful flower girls at the fair