The 2011 Jakarta Kite Festival

A boy and his airplane-shaped kite

I went to the kite festival on Sunday, with who else but cousine Dina, hahaha. Since I had to do other stuffs in the morning, we left for Monas around 1.30 p.m. Thanks to the new commuter line, we arrived at 2.10 p.m. Sunday afternoon was sunny and windy, a perfect time for flying the kite.

Giant ondel-ondel (effigy) kite

Waiting for its turn to roam the sky

The octopus-shaped kite probably thinks,"Oh look, so many humans I can eat, muahahaha."

Reaching for the sky

Me and the 100 kites:)

The last photo is not kite-related. But I like the laid-back atmosphere, the barefoot guy and the pigeons in his backpack cage

The highlight of the day was most likely the MC who announced the next batch of kite participants and teased people doing activity around Monas.

On Announcing
MC: The next participants are ...(announcing the names)...
[A few minutes later]
MC: Pak Ahmad from Monday [he mispronounced Senen district of Jakarta as Senin as in Monday], could you please come forward? I beg you, come forward pleaaseeee. We are tired waiting for youuuu...

On Teasing
MC: Participants, please be careful with the traffic here. Traffic, please be careful with the kite's ropes. Traffic, again I warn you, be careful with the ropes.
[A mini truck was passing and upon hearing the announcement, suddenly the driver stopped]

MC: And next...we will have a lovely couple riding a tandem bike in front of us. Audience, would you please give a round of applause?
[All of us, including Mbak Dina and I clapped our hands, while the couple turned to red]
MC: Don't be shy, dear couple. Keep calm and carry on.

[Not long afterwards, a three-seater bicycle passed. The girl sitting in the middle did not pedal the bike.]
MC: Mbak (referring to the girl in the middle), you look so comfortable while your friends work hard. Come on, pedal the bike. Smile, please, you're being photographed.

I took this one earlier, so they were not the exact person the MC teased. But look, the girl on the back does not pedal the bike. Come on girl, move your feet!

The First Bicycle Lane In Jakarta. Finally!

Cyclists use the new bike lane at the Ayodya Park in Jalan Mahakam, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta. The one-part lane that opened on Sunday and stretches to Melawai is meant to encourage Jakartans to cycle more to reduce pollution and traffic congestion. JP/NURHAYATI. Source: The Jakarta Post

Inspired By Indonesia's Region Names (Ha!)

Found in my friend Windy D. Indriantari's Facebook photos

Lombok is the name of the island on the eastern side of Bali. And this signage was photographed by my friend when she was cycling across Groningen, the Netherlands. But of course, it is not a surprise since Indonesia and the Netherlands have a long history that dated back to the 1600s.

If you have the time and the opportunity, you really should go to Lombok the island in Indonesia.

Another place that bears Indonesia's region names is Suriname, an African country that also has a large number of Indonesians (particularly Javanese) living there.

Working On A Sunday

A boy on his bicycle watches the egrang show (bamboo stilts) in front of the Jakarta History Museum in Kota, West Jakarta, on Sunday. The show is part of the Car-Free Day in the area known for its heritage sites.(Source: The Jakarta Post)

 

Sunday morning saw me walking along Jl. Sudirman to find sources for my bike trend article. It was a Car Free Day and everyone celebrated the cars' non-existence by biking, playing futsal or simply walking around. Should you want to join the crowd, please note that Jl. Sudirman - Jl. Thamrin would be car-free on the last Sunday every month.

I met a man riding a mountain bike and his two sons (the sons happen to be good looking, LOL, but I swear I didn't notice their face before I approached them), a man who has passion for antique bike and a boy who likes to do extreme stunts with his BMX. It was fun to meet and talk with nice people.

Although I did meet a man, who refused to be quoted and directed me to talk to the bike community's leader. Oh dear. Was he afraid of me? I was sure I had put my innocent face on.

I like writing in solitude, so I quickly went back to office and typed away the words. (Hm, if it is solitude I need, perhaps it's time to buy a laptop?) 

I'm typing this while listening to The Temper Trap's Sweet Disposition. It's an Australia-based band, but the vocalist Dougy Mandagi is Indonesian. The song is featured in (500) Days of Summer, one of my favorite films. Hope you'll like it.