Posts

Showing posts from May, 2012

Pedestrian rights violation?

Image
THOUGHTS?  This photo was taken next to the National Police headquarter on Jl. Trunojoyo in South Jakarta, in March. There is a sign stating that pedestrian is barred to either cross the street, or walk through that way. But, it left my mind in puzzles.  As long as I remembered, I saw no sidewalks along the street. Nor I saw zebra cross or elevated bridge to cross the highway. So, where are pedestrians supposed to walk? How can I as a pedestrian cross the street?  I have no answers either.

The Avengers | Movie Review

Image
Movie Poster (from Wikipedia ) On Tuesday night, I finally got the chance to watch a long awaited movie for superhero movie maniacs,  The Avengers . I wished I had watched it in the brand new IMAX theater in the city. But yes, I was satisfied to watch in 2D, not 3D, theater. The Avengers which features Marvel's greatest superheroes such as Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Black Widow and Hawk Eye has become one of the highest selling movies.  According to Wikipedia, the movie budget is US$ 220 million. But, at the opening alone, it managed to gather US$207.4 million, pushing the last sequel of the Harry Potter movie saga from the top of the chart. Simply narrated, the movie follows Thor's story line. But it does not mean that you have to watch Thor before watching The Avengers . You can follow the storyline even if you have never watched Thor. The movie tells about Loki, Thor's expelled adopted brother, who tries to invade the earth after he has made a pa

Picnic amongst tombstones

Image
This post's title may sound weird. Who wants to hold picnic amongst tombstones? Well, I will ... if it is hold in Museum Taman Prasasti. Located at the heart of Jakarta, Museum Taman Prasasti offers its visitors with unique experience. Visitors will not be seeing diorama or charts of Indonesian history. Instead, visitors are presented with tombstones! Entrance of the Museum Taman Prasasti This 1.3 acre museum was actually a cemetery for noble Dutchmen when Dutch occupied Indonesia. After Indonesia's independence, the Jakarta administration turned it into a museum in 1977. Since then, it has become one of rare green areas in the city.  Don't worry if you will wake the death. All deceased bodies were procured by their families during the museum's construction. Some were also relocated to other cemeteries.  It is very easy to get to the Museum Taman Prasasti, by either using Transjakarta buses or public minivans.  If you decide to go with the former, ch

In Pondok Labu, a museum for kitelovers

Image
Dozens of kindergarten students, accompanied by their parents, lined up in front of a wooden building at Jl. H. Kamang No. 38, Pondok Labu, South Jakarta, on a cloudy Friday morning. Then, the students entered the building, orderly following their teacher’s instructions.   “Mommy, that kite is so weird. I have never seen one like that. Can it even fly?” four-year-old Ali asked his mother, Erlina, 37. Ali was surprised at the Pegasus-shaped kite installed on the ceiling of the Indonesian Kite Museum. Other students were also mesmerized by the various forms of kites displayed there.  Established in 2003 by beautician turned kite-preservation activist Endang W. Puspoyo, the museum houses dozens of kites. “I established the museum solely because I love kites. It is heartbreaking to see how rarely kites are flown in big cities like Jakarta,” she said at the museum, which is also her home.  About 20 years ago, Endang decided to gradually opt out of her former profession to indulge he