Exhibition: Plaited Art From Borneo

I guess I am lucky that my office is only several hundreds meters away from Bentara Budaya Jakarta cultural center. Last week, it held an exhibition on Plaited Art From Borneo. So I took a few minutes after lunch to go there and snapped some photos. The exhibition ended on April 6. Here are the photos.

Crossing Java On Foot

Photo source

"Get out of your chairs. Turn off the computer. Turn off the TV. Go out and see the world. Really experience it, up close. Even taking a walk around your neighborhood will give you a whole new perspective. And going out of the city, either walking or on a bicycle meandering on back roads, gives you a sense of nature, the outdoors, and the people that you just can’t get from inside a car.”-- Bert Sacre, Belgian born graphic designer and art historian, who did the Cross Java Walk

Read and see photos on Sacre's 12-day trip going through the 200 km long jalanvaganza from the Java Sea to Indian Ocean, over four volcanoes (Merapi, Merbabu, Telomoyo and Ungaran) here.

P.S. About the wedding of my cousin, I came on the reception event, instead of the wedding vow, and then busily ate that I forgot to take photos. So no photos, sorry. This is why I would never become a wedding photographer :P

Have An Exciting Weekend

Teenagers dressed up as ondel-ondel (giant Betawi effigies) dance for residents in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, on Tuesday. The youngsters were hoping to make little money, but they were also helping to preserve Betawi culture at the same time. (JP/P.J. Leo, Source) 

Hello Friday!

A cousin will get married tomorrow, so I'll go there as a representative of M&D. Expect to see wedding photos and my extended families in the upcoming week. If you need some ideas, here are several events that may interest you this weekend...

-- The Annual Diving Exhibition. April 4-7. Hall A. Jakarta Convention Center
-- Photo Exhibition: Seen. April 5-26. 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. Galeri Foto Jurnalistik Antara. Jl. Antara 59, Pasar Baru.
-- Opera Concert: Verdi and Puccini. April 6 at 7:30 p.m. Gedung Kesenian Jakarta.

Metamorphosis In My Backyard

Not really sure if this is the same butterfly from the caterpillar. There are many butterflies in my backyard, the yellow ones, the white ones and this one. I wish I could show you its wings, they're in beautiful blue velvet color.

Chili Family

Low Light Photos With Pentax K-x

Last week, my colleague Can approached me to tell that he just bought a Sony DSLR. As he further elaborated on his new camera specification, he then asked me what my camera  could do.

"Can it take good photo in low light situation?"

"Is it light enough to be carried on a daily basis?"

"How many mega pixel is your camera?"

You know, the comparing questions. And I thought we're past high school, where peer pressure existed.

I've long decided to stay away from the camera question, that's why I didn't buy Nikon or Canon (two big camera brands here). I just want to have fun with my camera. If the camera is available in red, then it's a bonus:).

One thing I've learned in the three years with Pentax is every camera comes with its plus and minus. As a photographer (or aspiring phographer wannabe), you have to find which setting works best with you, play around with the camera to get yourself used to it and just have fun.

After all, it's not the camera that makes a photographer.

Responding to his first question, here are several photos I've taken in low light condition with Pentax. They're not the best photos as I'm just an amateur. But these prove that any DSLR, either a Sony or a Pentax, can take photos in low light condition.

Taken in the toilet at Qi Lounge during an event my office held last year. The dress code was Rock and Glam, but I didn't have time to dress up. 

Taken in Karimun Jawa islands last year

During the concert of Tim Knol and band in Erasmus Huis. I had a crush on the guitarist (far right) but too shy to approach him :P.

Have any photos taken in a low light condition? Do share please:)

How Are You Doing, Tifa?

This photo kinda sums up my feelings lately. Crestfallen? Yes. Struggling to live? Definitely.

That's the question several friends have been asking me since I haven't posted any status in my Facebook wall or Twitter starting this year. It's been three months and I'm still alive. Yay:).

The reason behind the socmed silence was because a small conflict between my boss and I that took place on Jan. 3. He is in Facebook and follows me in Twitter too, so I decided to limit my time in those social media and focus on Blogger, particularly because not many office people know this little corner of mine.

While I no longer post status or photos, I still check Facebook to see how my friends are doing, comment on their status and sometimes tweet some work-related stuffs. 

What first started as an escape from office people-loaded social media becomes a great thing to leave behind. I like the quiet atmosphere here. Less drama and more thoughts.

Apart from the problem at the office, I'm doing good, by the way. As for M&D, well I've been spending the last week going to the hospital for D's outpatient treatment, from consulting the doctors to doing physiotherapy. 

I can say they have their good days and bad days. They're in their 60s and still manage to go around (albeit rather slowly), alhamdulillah, there's nothing a child wishes more for the parents than good health.

With the quiet moments away from FB and Twitter, I'll try to post more original contents here. I promise I won't bore you to death with too many self photos.

Have you ever take time off the socmed? Anyway, how are you doing? :)