Pic.1 Saigon river with developing city center as background

After arriving at Tan Son Nhat international airport, the panoramic view of Ho Chi Minh City is analogous to one of Indonesian’s city, in my opinion. While I am sitting in taxi on the way to our rented house, I see so many motor bikes pass through. They can even get on ride by three people in one motorcycle. It amazed me so much. Here, in Vietnam, it has only one license plate number at the back side of two wheel motorized vehicle. And old type of motorcycle such as Honda type c70 produced on 1970 still exists here as well.

Motorbike is the most favorite vehicle, so the number of motorbike is increasing every year. City bus takes important role as public transportation with inexpensive price for all communities. At noon, all Vietnamese people will protect their skin and face by wearing light jacket; mask for protecting face, gloves, and shocks. Some friends said that they are afraid of sun light at noon because it will make their skin look darker.

Two years working in Vietnam cannot explore all cities of Vietnam, because of few days’ national holidays. The longest holiday is Chinese New Year around last January or February with 2 weeks holiday, but it depends on the company we work for. You can travel around Vietnam with sleeping bus (for long distance), train, and either airplane which have reached to some celebrated cities for most wanted destination.

Vietnamese cuisine seems really healthful, because they do not use too much oil; they even do not really like a deep fried food. Boiled, steam, fry with little oil in high temperature are the common type of culinary procedure of Vietnamese cuisine. Lots of restaurant put lard (pork) to their culinary because it is believed that will make better taste. For Muslim, you would rather go to vegetarian restaurant or Muslim restaurant spread around city center with reasonable price.

Most of Vietnamese have breakfast with French style sandwich called ‘bánh mi’ and it is very well-known among employees. And the most favorite beverage is coffee milk and black coffee.

City center of Ho Chi Minh City is still called Sai Gon with lots of fork road like a labyrinth. In district 1 and district 3 you will see lots of old buildings but there are five most outstanding old building among tourist:  city hall, opera house, ben thanh market, cathedral, and post office. While the new city is still being developed in district 7 and district 2 with better environment for living.

Walking around city center at wide pedestrian and enjoying the juxtaposed building between old and new as tourist is the most impressed things for me. That kind of feeling won’t ever forget from my mind. Thanks Vietnam for unforgettable memories!

pic.1 was taken june 2011 from Thu Tiem bridge

Raden Ajeng Kartini, Indonesian National Heroine, with her husband wear kain kebaya and sarong batik

Indonesia has various kind of cultures, customs, folk language, and traditional costumes as well. One of the most popular of Indonesian national costumes is kebaya or kain kebaya for more correct. Kain kebaya is a long blouse worn by most of women in Java and Bali as traditional costume. The term of kebaya derived from the word “kaba” from Arab, middle east which means “clothing” then introduced to Indonesia via Portuguese around 16th century. In the contrary, another resource said that kain kebaya was originated from China. Before 16th century, kain kebaya was only worn by aristocrats and nobilities when the other woman coming from low class walked publicly uncovered-chest. As time went by, kain kebaya became a famous costume and be able to be worn by any women all of Java and Bali. Slowly it naturally spread to Malaysia, Mindanao, Sulawesi, and also Borneo.

Component of kain kebaya :

Generally, there are two types of kain kebaya, transparent kain kebaya and untransparent kain kebaya. Before wearing transparent kain kebaya we have to wear torso wrap called kemben, then un-stitched sarong is twisted into form of tube, held in place with a string and folded this string at the waist. Then held with a belt which may hold a decorative pocket. The wearing methode of untransparent kain kebaya is the same way as transparent kain kebaya.

kebaya size

Creativity and Modification of kain Kebaya :

Nowadays designers of kain kebaya has been modified, harmonized with modern element designs such as : kain kebaya is able to wear with jeans in apperance, blending kain kebaya with modern brocade that make it more elegant and beautiful. All of these efforts which are developing and improving continously in design, try to make an equality between kain kebaya and imported western gown. Even modification and creativity take a significant place as preservation way to our heritage, it won’t lose its originality and purity of kain kebaya itself. They still keep a basic style of kain kebaya, size, and proportion as well in order to preserve the original one. Now everypeople from various classes choose and wear kain kebaya as a costumes when celebrate wedding ceremony, gradution ceremony, and religious activities.
Differences of Java’s kain kebaya and Bali’s kain kebaya:

Generally, Java’s kain kebaya and Bali’s kain kebaya are similar in size, style, and apperance. In Bali’s style, there is a long shawl or stole twisted in a waist called selendang, then it looks like a belt that we can not figure it out in Java’s style. Differ from Bali’s, Java’s shawl or stole is worn over on shoulder or diagonally across body. Not only do dedicate for Javanese and Balinese, kain kebaya is Indonesian Heritage, our heritage, that we have to proud, preserve, and of course wear it in special occasion.

Referensi :

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kebaya&action=edit
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Raden_Adjeng_Kartini.jpg
http://www.kebayas.com/kebaya_size.html

外国語の勉強をすることがとってもおもしろいと思います。今回このブログはインドネシア語を勉強している日本人やインドネシアに旅行してるツーリストのために作られました。インドネシア語と日本語は発音がだいたい同じで、母音明瞭度も同じだと思います。まず、やさしいインドネシア語の会話を習って、友人ができたりおもしろい体験もやってくると思います。インドネシアに旅行している日本人にもインドネシア語を習ったら「いいレストラン」や「安いショップ」を見つけることがやさしくなりますよ。さあ、インドネシアでどこでもインドネシア語を使ってみよう！！

あいさつ

どう思いますか？やさしいですか？勉強はじめてなんですから、たぶんむずかしいかもしれませんね。外国語は毎日練習したら、上手に外国語が話せるようになるとおもいます。外国語の勉強を一生懸命頑張りましょう！！

Many people do not know that in general, Javanese and Japanese language are similar in degree of speech and some vocabularies. In Javanese, there are ngoko and krama, that used in daily language divided into many more types. Same as in Javanese, Japanese (in general) has similar 2 types degree of speech called futsu and keigo. We can assume that keigo in Japanese and krama in Javanese are similar in degree of speech, both of them are used in order to express a respectful to people who is older than the speaker. While, futsu and ngoko are similar used in either family talks or best friends community. In Japanese keigo is divided into 3 more types, there are : sonkeigo, kenjoogo, and teineigo.

Sonkeigo, equal to krama inggil in Javanese, is used in expressing a respectful to people who is older than the speaker or to people who has higher position in job position. Kenjoogo, equal to krama andhap in Javanese, is used in expressing a humble feeling to people. Then, teineigo in Japanese are more flexible than the other types. It is not related to ages nor higher position nor humble feelings, teineigo is general krama in Javanese that majored polite expression to people. Teineigo can be used in any occasion, whether from superior to subordinate and on the contrary.

Some vocabularies in Javanese have a similarity to Japanese’s vocabularies. It is caused by buddhism religious factor which in the basic way used Sansekerta as main language, so that there are many loan-words taken from Sansekerta into Javanese and Japanese. For example, the word “neraka” ヌラカ, often pronounced as neroko in Javanese (in English : hell) come from Sansekerta “naraka” ナラカ, then come into Japanese as “naraku” ナラク. Not only does Sansekerta influence Javanese’s vocabularies, but also does influence Indonesian vocabularies in a large amnount of words. In Indonesian language, the word “cendana” チュンダナ  based from the Sansekerta’s word “candana” チャンダナ and change into “sendan” せんだんin Japanese expression. Many experts and researcher in language considered that besides Sansekerta, Austronesian language also has a relationship to both Javanese and Japanese. In Javanese, the word “dog” in English, is “asu” アス, in old Japanese called “oso” オソ. The word “fish” in English become “iwak” イワッ in Javanese, in Japanese become “uo” ウオ. the research, that told Austronesian has a big relationship between Javanese and Japanese, is no evidence in archaelogy field and still being researched.

References:

Nise Samudra Sasanti, perbandingan futsu-keigo dan ngoko-krama verba bahasa Jepang dan bahasa Jawa, seminar linguistik UNESA, 2004
Sudjianto; Ahmad Dahidi, 2004, pengantar lingistik bahasa Jepang, Kesaint Blanc
ISHIZAWA Takeshi, bahasa Jawa dan Jepang, http://joewono.tripod.com/sastra-budaya-jawa/id2.html

Before designing a building, an architect or master planner usually study about site analysis first, view orientation for instance. As designer, study of view orientation become the significant point while analysis is being planned. Which potential view can be explored, and which one is less to be explored. Beside view taken from pedestrians, view taken from motorized vehicle user is also highly significant. Then, what will be happened to the site when its traffic has been already changed? is there any relationship about site of view and traffic changing? for me yes. We can take an example case in downtown of Surabaya city located in Jembatan Merah area. Jembatan Merah has long journey of architecture history, and become a unique old city area.

One of the buildings that we can still observe was located in the corner of Jalan Veteran and Jalan Cendrawasih. It was built around 1914, almost one hundred years a go, designed in art nouveau architecture style (now utilized as private bank). It was designed in tipically corner design with tower and city clock in the top. Surabaya had so many city clock at that time united with its building design. Everyone could see to the top of the building while walking or riding a bicycle, because it had still enough space and distance to see till the top. Jalan Veteran was two ways which always crowded of bicycle, dokar, old car, electric train, and people who was walking around through the city. Beacuse of the development of the city of Surabaya, and increasing of huge number of motorized vehicles, two ways of Jalan veteran became one way only, from Jembatan Merah to Jalan Pahlawan by way of Jalan Veteran. As an impact, present people can not see and enjoy the facade and city clock as well, neither you are driving a car, public transportation, nor motorcycle. When we pass through Jalan Veteran by public or private transportation, we have to turn our head in order to see the building. Only by walking you can still stare at the details of the facade.

How big the effect of traffic changing? agree with the title above, building could lose its facad. Many people will not recognize the facade of the building, but can it be forgotten as well?, it can be. We can not avoid this traffic changing, traffic will be changed when the density of motorized vehicles are growing higher and higher to preventing traffic jam.

Reference

1. Old Surabaya City Map (scanned from book titled ”Surabaja Beeld Van Een Stad”),

Present Surabaya City Map (downloaded from http://maps.google.com accessed in July 2009)

3. Old Photograph ( scanned from book ”Surabaja Beeld Van Een Stad” )

New Photograph (downloaded from Internet, accessed in 2006)

4. Sequence from Jalan Jembatan Merah to Jalan Veteran ( Private Collection, photograph was taken in September 30, 2006 )

AISN seen from the topview

Left: Old Map of Surabaya showed where the location was

Surabaya city development history told that after the government had actively built downtown area of Surabaya, government and developer decided to develop the eastern and southern part of Surabaya into dwelling houses. At that time the name of jalan Panglima Sudirman was Palmenlaan (the name Palmenlaan came from the words Palm and Laan. Laan means the wide street which in the left and right of the street are planted with lots of shady trees.). To attract customer’s and or buyer’s attention, developer designed a garden in the middle of the housing estate. It was prestigious and stylish living in front of  or near the garden at that time. Around 6 months, all of the facilities and residences had already built. Then they named this district with word Embong (Embong Gayam, Embong sawo, Embong ploso, ect). Not long after the housing estate of Embong district had been formally opened, in 1906 this district became a prestigious real estate of Surabaya and the southern border of the city.

Old view of the park

2006

Previously the basic form of the garden was divided into 4 parts which each part was in rectangular shape. Because of high mobility, population density, and government’s plan to widen the street, then the basic form of the each part had already changed into triangular shape. Now, in the center of the park is established a monument of bamboo’s spear as a central orientation and one of the dominant elements of the city. In shaping urban public space, dominant elements are used to give a sign of significant place. Dominant elements could be a tower, monument, cupola, ect.

Why did people not recognize AISN park? When we passed through the jalan Panglima Sudirman, we could not feel the existing of the park because each parts of the park were separated with a wide street, so there is no intimacy and unity for each other parks. Some people knew about the park, some people did not know that AISN was the prestigious park in early 1900s, some people did not know anything about AISN because there was no intimacy space among the parks. And, What’s about you, reader?

Reference

Ir.Handinoto, Perkembangan Kota dan Arsitektur Kolonial Belanda di  Kota Surabaya 1870-1940,

http://maps.google.com/surabaya (accessed in 2006)

AISN’s present Photograph (taken in January 22, 2006)

Indonesia has a long history of Alun-alun (bahasa Indonesia of town square). Alun-alun itself has already included in book of Negara Kertagama, hundred years ago. Long time a go, people believed that before they cultivated the land they had to make a worship to Goddess of land (dewi tanah) by making a wide sacred field in rectangular shape, here the story was beginning. In Kingdom Era, alun-alun was used to train soldiers, prize contests, royal word space, commercial space, and entertainment. Till now alun-alun is utilized as urban facilities such gathering space, society socialization, music concert, culture event, and so on. Alun-alun of Surabaya’s nowadays is Taman Surya, located in front of Surabaya’s Municipality Office, eastern section of Surabaya. But do people know where the location of old Alun-alun of Surabaya is?

urban development of Surabaya

Long before the city expanded to eastern section; center of activity of the city was located in surrounding Jembatan Merah (now this area is known as Old city of Surabaya). Around 1800s, a proposal was submitted to government to make green the urban space of Surabaya. The government approved and designed a city garden which was started from the corner of boeboetanweg (jalan bubutan) to regenstraat (jalan kebon rojo). The wide shady a city garden was surrounded by four streets, there were regenstraat (now jalan kebon rojo; according to the source reference there were a regent’s house in front of the alun-alun; but I do not know where it was the exact location), halteweg (the street has being closed), boeboetanweg (jalan bubutan), and passar besarweg or called aloen-aloenstraat as well (now jalan pahlawan). It also said that Mosque of Kemayoran was in the town square area before it moved to jalan Indrapura (present existing).

location named Tugu Pahlawan in early 1900s

Always located in the center of activity of the city, the surrounding buildings of alun-alun have an important role to the city such as civic building, governments, official’s residence, and worship buildings. According to book of Soerabaia tempo doeloe which describe Surabaya in around 1910, in the northern alun-alun were a regent’s residence. While the corner of northwest alun-alun was drama and performing arts building called komedie. Mosque of Kemayoran also could be seen from the northwest alun-alun (the mosque already moved in jalan indrapura). Western alun-alun was a trade and commercial area, pasar turi. Along with the development of Surabaya, In order to appreciating and remembering the former heroes  who had struggled to defend an independence of Republic of Indonesia, the government of Surabaya designed and built a monument of Tugu Pahlawan, and city garden beside the Alun-alun. By the year of 1990s the government added a museum into the complex of monument Tugu Pahlawan. And how is the alun-alun today? In around 1960s, in the location of alun-alun was built a building of Bank of Indonesia and old alun-alun was going to the vanishing point. There is no remaining of historic evidence of old alun-alun that we could observe. They only leave over the stories, memories, and nostalgias.

http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alun-alun.htm

http://maps.google.com/surabaya.htm

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Peta_soerabaja_1897.jpg

Widodo, Dukut Imam. 2002. Soerabaia Tempo Doeloe chapter 2.

Map of Surabaya 1940, scanned from Soerabaja 1900-1950, Asia Maior

White and Black Post card photos of Aloen-aloen, courtesy of Priambodo Prayitno http://djawatempodoeloe.com

Wayang, Indonesian Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity

 Wayang is the Indonesian original cultural heritage which was admitted and designated by Unesco, United Nations as Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Wayang or the shadow puppet theatre has various kind, there are Wayang kulit, Wayang wong, Wayang golek, Wayang klithik, Wayang beber, and Wayang wahyu. But I think the most popular one is Wayang kulit which spread around Jogjakarta, Central Java, East Java, and Bali. The performance of Wayang is always accompanied by gamelan, traditional music instrumental.

Wayang, the oldest indigenous storytelling in Indonesia was created about hundreds a go. It is assumed that Wayang existed long before Hinduism came to Indonesia, but there is no evidence to prove it. When the Hinduism came to Indonesia and adopted slowly the local belief system called Animism and Dynamism. By using classical stories from Mahabharata and Ramayana, they used Wayang to spread their religion. It also happened when Islam began spreading in Indonesia, by adopting and adapting, moslem used Wayang to spread Islam. In Islam, display of God in human form is prohibitted, therefore to keep performing the theatre, Moslem leaders converted wayang golek in wayang purwa which made by leather and displayed only the shadow instead, here is the birth of Wayang kulit. Wayang nowadays is not belong to one of religion, Wayang is a Indonesian cultural heritage and belong to Indonesian people.

The term of Wayang, “Bayang” come from Old Javanese language  which means “shadows”, actually the meaning is not only about shadow, but also “the spirit”. Wayang performing theatre usually starts the show at 8 p.m until the early morning (around 4 a.m), played by the only one Dalang ( person who played the Wayang) and one assistance of Dalang. Wayang itself has a hundreds characters, so the Dalang have to remember each character’s voices and attitudes.

What could I do for Wayang? I had a great opportunity to introduce Wayang, Javanese traditional puppet theatre in farewell party of Short-term training Architecture and Arts program in Osaka, Japan. I brought two Wayangs which are called Arjuna and Srikandi (There is different spelling of those characters’s name in Indonesia and among Hinduism countries such as Nepal, India) came from classical story Mahabharata. Arjuna is physically powerful, strong, robust, has a high-desirability, and has many wifes. Srikandi, one of Arjuna’s wifes is a strong and powerful woman, beautiful, and skillful. By introducing Wayang to the global community as Indonesian Cultural Heritage, I wish Wayang could attract International attention and show proudly to the world that Indonesia has masterpiece of heritage, Wayang. Let us save our heritage!

  Reference

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayang.htm  

Wayang Kulit, picture is taken from http://128.32.250.47:8080/folkartandlit/2007/04/27 .htm

conservation design project for graduation work

model of design project

When the land cost is getting higher and higher in old city of Surabaya, people should think deeply about re-using the existing building. Yet, some owners of old historic building choose to renovate totally into the new design. Actually by adapting, reusing the existing old building and doing some conservation processes, those buildings are potential to be old city tourism.

Considering the condition of the old building, quality of architecture, and current purpose, I chose BPN building which built in 1811 located on Tunjungan, the downtown of Surabaya city. By giving new utility as Museum and Gallery and renovate partly in interior, it will increase the quality of architecture of the building. Different from other museum in Indonesia, Surabaya Museum of History explains about history of Surabaya city development. By adaptive reusing the old building into the new utility as historical museum, the visitor can feel an atmosphere of the past on the present situation.

 This research project is based on two main concept designs, there are: “Create a dialogue between the old and the new one” means that the old building could adapt with the new utility and new function.  I added new buildings behind the old building in order to keep balance between past and present, no contradiction. The second concept is “Respect to the Old” means that all of activity starts from the old building as respectful expression.

Bangunan-bangunan lama di kota Surabaya sekarang seperti hanya sebuah gedung kosong tanpa fungsi. Pemerintah memang telah melakukan kegiatan pelestarian, tapi beberapa masih merupakan sekedar pelestarian yang berarti pengawetan, melestarikan dan menjadikannya museum-museum kota. Sebenarnya yang lebih penting adalah menggiatkan kembali aktivitas yang ada dalam bangunan (revitalisasi), dan menggunakan kembali bangunan lama dengan fungsi baru (adaptive-reuse).

Adakah manfaat dari semua kegiatan di atas? Jawabannya adalah pasti ada. Pelestarian dengan menggiatkan kembali aktivitas akan membangkitkan kembali nilai arsitektur bangunan. Masyarakat akhir-akhir ini juga gemar akan kafe-kafe, galeri, dan atau butik yang dulunya merupakan bekas bangunan lama. Mungkin menurut mereka, ini menyimpan sebuah nilai tersendiri dan beberapa orang malah beranggapan ini sebuah romantisme. Saat bangunan tua dimanfaatkan kembali menjadi fasilitas umum, masyarakat akan tertarik dengan nilai sejarah, keunikan arsitektur, dan nilai nostalgia yang dimiliki bangunan tersebut.

Sebenarnya tidak hanya itu, pelestarian sebuah peninggalan kota melalui kegiatan konservasi yang dinamis akan memberikan dampak positif bagi kota yang bersangkutan, yaitu nilai sosial dan ekonomi masyarakat. Coba kita tengok negara-negara maju, lewat pelestarian kota lama, mereka dapat menarik jutaan wisatawan. Akankah kota kita dapat menjadi seperti itu? Jawabnya, pasti bisa.