Dutch Cultural Heritage in Indonesia: Jakarta & Bandung Revisited

By: Peter van Riel

Dutchman Emile Leushuis' recent book 'Guide Historic City Tours in Indonesia 'isa must have for wanderers. Through practical composition and design, the book is an ideal tool to search for physical traces of the colonial era. The book presents walking trails in several Indonesian cities. We chose Jakarta and Bandung, the two largest cities with colonial buildings.

An almost sad feeling comes over you at a first sight at the ruins along the Kali Besar in Jakarta, the former Molenvliet. Bats, mold, vermin and vagrants have taken possession of the premises, often 19th century buildings with details that suggest long gone beauty.

Ornaments and inscriptions leave little to guess about how the former Handels Maintz & Co looked in full glory, when the canals were still clean and tidy. Not far away are the remains of the Dutch-Indies Handelsch Bank. Again in a deplorable state of preservation. The properties of Ghijsels virtually collapsed in 2008 during, sometimes caused by construction works of a large nearby hotel.

Art in Jakarta: Cultural Hotspots in Jakarta

By: Beatrice

The traffic is horrible, the streets are absurdly flood-prone, and the pollution is suffocating. Yet Jakarta is hardly ever boring, especially event-wise.

Admittedly, it is a bit tricky to find out where the happenings take place, although there is almost always something artsy going on in Jakarta. Knowing the usual spots would be a very good start.

Jakarta based Beatrice shows you where to go for your weekly dose of art.

Love, Sex, and Harmony: Bedtime Stories from the Heart of Java

Most of us have heard of India’s Kama Sutra and Tunisia’s Perfumed Garden. Every ancient agricultural society has its own celebration of fertility, sensual pleasure, and romance.

Java is no exception. But with the advent of sociopolitical conservatism in Indonesia, it is hard to imagine the existence of a Javanese sex bookthat “keeps it real” without losing its civilised finesse and religious compass.

My House

By: Thomas Weber Carlsen

Thomas Weber Carlsen is a Danish architect and industrial designer who has been living with his family in Siem Reap, Cambodia for more than ten years. My House is the last of three articles to appear on latitudes.nu. All articles are excerpts from chapters of his recently finished book Third World Man (Out of Denmark), which he is now looking to have published. You can read more about Thomas and his adventures on his website http://www.angkor.dk

There is something soothing in the air of this country which stimulates a desire for making art and other things aesthetically pleasing. S’aard means beautiful in Khmer, the Cambodian language, and that is one of the most frequently used and certainly most popular words here. These people are obsessed with the notion of s’aard to an extreme degree, and I believe that it has had a very significant influence on my ability to create good and visually impressive architecture.

I love to design buildings in this tropical climate with the use of the local hardwoods, which must be the most luxurious in the world. But also with the use of much more humble and prosaic materials such as bamboo, straw mats, concrete or iron. It is the combination of these materials and their correlation with the natural surroundings – the lush tropical flora – that produces truly magnificent results. When I see good architecture I wish I could eat it, and that surely must be the ultimate perversion.

Ha Noi’s Old Coffee-Houses, Sip Back & Let the Mind Wander

By: Phan Thanh Truc

Recently, I was lucky enough to take a field trip to Ha Noi, in which I had the opportunity to explore many interesting things. In my experience, the most amazing way to discover Ha Noi’s unique culture was not to visit its historic museums, or wander about the street, or visit famous pagodas. In fact, it was taking a sip of egg-coffee in an old house that proved a perfect introduction to the ancient capital.

Turn back to the old days in a coffee house

The first time visiting a coffee house in Ha Noi, my curiosity grew when I was led to an extremely small and low-roofed house. The more than 100-hundred-year old house looked like an old and cranky chair which had not been used for a long time and was left alone in a corner of an antique store. There was neither a signboard nor any visible signs telling people that this place was a coffee house. Surprisingly, it turned out this place was one of the four most famous coffee houses in the capital.

Village of a thousand homes, Kampung Cempaka near Kuala Lumpur

By: Diana van Oort

It’s not easy for my taxi driver to find Kampung Cempaka, even with my map and the directions of numerous people. Driving through spaghetti type highways and many newly build neighborhoods, there is no sign of any planning in the area. After we follow another taxi driver, we finally arrive.

Kampung Cempaka is a Chinese shanty town close to upscale Petaling Jaya in Kuala Lumpur. It’s surrounded by modern development. The original settlers were relocated here soon after the 13 May 1969 race riots. They lost loved ones and were given land to resettle. It was the new home for exactly 1000 families.  The early settlers were mostly from the Sai Vooi clan and formed an association. The roads are narrow and houses are built haphazardly. The town houses many little factories, where the business practices of some are cause for concern regarding safety and the environment. Kampung Cempaka still feels like a small town where people know each other. It has kept it roots and identity, amidst a city with impersonal, huge apartment buildings where most people don’t know their neighbors. It makes the city feel impersonal, distant and cool. Here there is a sense of community with just a single karaoke club and a well visited temple.

Ledjar Subroto: The Story of a Yogya-based Puppeteer & a Small but Smart Deer

By: Sita Magfira

“Come in. Take a seat, please!” a white-haired man told me after I came in to Ledjar’s house. Ledjar is Yogyakarta-based puppeteer. Located in one of the most crowded streets in Yogyakarta, Mataram Street, his homely house has a small shop with shadow puppets in the front part. “Could I meet with Mbah Ledjar?” I asked after sitting down. “Of course! Mbah Ledjar is me,” as he laughed his friendly eyes sparkled behind his glasses. Then, conversation flowed between us.

Stories that Determine Choice

Great choices in one’s lifetime never come without any stories behind them. That’s also the case with Ledjar’s choice of becoming puppeteer. Ledjar was born in a family close-to-the-arts. His father was an artist in his hometown, Sampuran, Wonosobo, Central Java. He was also a member of Ngesti Pandawa, a Semarang-based puppeteer group which was fostered by Ki Narto Sapdo.

Tahu Isi Recipe

By: Chandra Drews

One of my favourite childhood snacks, this stuffed tofu dish is one of the main starts of Indonesian fried street food (gorengan). I mean think about it for a minute, it's fried tofu, hollowed out in the middle, stuff with veggie goodness, sealed up with batter, and then deep fried again for a second time. Indonesian street food at its finest...

And since we at Latitudes are oh-so-nice people, here is the recipe for you to try at home:

Si Phan Don, an Island Experience in Landlocked Lao

By: Isaac Olson

Si Phan Don or the 4,000 Islands are nestled in the Mekong River in the Champasak Province of Southern Lao (Laos) near the Cambodian border. Whether or not there are actually 4,000 islands is unclear, but three principal islands cater to tourists with others remaining largely free of visitors.

Introduction to Solo: the Online Solo Travel Guide!

By: Umi Lestari

As an eternal rival of Yogyakarta, Solo or Surakarta is arguably the epicenter of Javanese identity and tradition along with Yogyakarta. Both cities share many similarities, but if we look deeper, Solo is more westernized than Yogyakarta. This 44-km² city can be explored with at least on overnight visit. This city famous for its batiks offers an elegant keraton (Royal Palace), backstreet kampongs, traditional markets and gleaming malls. Solo is an excellent place to witness the traditional performing arts and a great place to buy traditional crafts.