+ World I See

:: Whereabout Me

2006-12-17T16:08:00.000+07:00

ampenan australia amsterdam antwerp austria anyer abu dhabi bali biliton-belitung batu bajawa bangka barcelona belgium bandung british-museum bogor berlin banten borobudur brisbane bena beeston bath clifton cyprus cannes cambridge cakranegara carita cirebon cilacap cibulan cimahi cipayung depok dufan disneyland-usa dubai dusseldorf denpasar euro-disney eiffel flores frankfurt france firenze gilimanuk gili meno gili trawangan germany gold coast grand canyon hawaii italy imogiri indonesia jepara japan jimbaran jakarta kasongan kuta-bali kuta-lombok kuala lumpur khayangan-anyer labuan bajo las vegas london leicester la coruna-spain la jolla-usa los angeles legian lincoln louvre lombok madrid milan monaco monas-jakarta malaysia mataram malang magelang mangsit-lombok mendut mexico nusa dua nederland nottingham notting hill-london paris puncak pulau seribu prambanan rembang san diego sagrada familia san fransisco sierra nevada singapore santa monica santa barbara sade solo saachi-uk senggigi st. tropez switzerland surabaya st. peter spain semarang stone henge-uk tokyo tangkuban perahu tanah lot tanjung aan taman sari tijuana tate-museum of modern art united arab emirates ubud united kingdomuniversal studios-gold coast usa venice vatican vienna wolotopo westminster abbey yogyakarta zurich zoologi-bogor.....[to-be-continued]

:: The Camera: NIKON F70

2006-12-13T03:33:00.000+07:00

I was using my dear old Nikon F70 for almost all the picture here.

Actually, I don't know much about photography techniques and helped a lot by natural light source, my sense of composition and the camera itself which works wonder to me :)

Anyway, from one of Nikon's website I've found that the main features of it are:

+3D Matrix Metering using 8-segment Matrix Sensor
+Built-in retractable Speedlight with 3D Multi-Sensor Balanced Fill-Flash
+Vari-Program [P] system
+Large, informative LCD, coordinated in shape and color with the control buttons
+F70D features built-in Panorama (13 x 36mm) mode and data imprinting
+Two 3V CR123A (or DL123) lithium batteries

Well... just enjoy the pictures, hopefully as much as I enjoy it:)

Cheers!

Mira Siregar-Meulia

:: Prambanan Temple - Central Java

2006-12-13T03:26:00.000+07:00

:: Detail

:: Jogjakarta

2006-12-11T13:24:00.000+07:00

:: Details from Taman Sari's

Jogjakarta is one of Indonesian greatest tourist destinations. And also, it's my mom homeland, so I came there quite often once in a while. Among its amazing places like the great Borobudur, Keraton [The Palace], Malioboro: the street of heavenly crafts, there's one place I'd never seen before: Taman Sari.

So, one fine day, I was going there with my cousins from Prague and we've got one of becak's driver as our guide there. He showed us the secret passage to it. It's mysterious and fascinating. Dark alleys, people with their roosters, beautiful ruins....

......and whispers from the past....

:: Taman Sari - Secret Passages

2006-12-11T13:18:00.000+07:00

:: Secret Passage [01]

2006-12-11T13:16:00.000+07:00

:: Secret Passage [02]

2006-12-11T13:11:00.000+07:00

:: Secret Passage [03]

:: Taman Sari - Get Closer

2006-12-11T13:04:00.000+07:00

:: Gate through the past

2006-12-11T13:02:00.000+07:00

:: Ancient

2006-12-11T12:54:00.000+07:00

:: Details [01]

2006-12-11T12:38:00.000+07:00

:: Details [02]

:: Taman Sari - Inside Beauty

2006-12-11T12:30:00.000+07:00

:: Main Facade - Innercourt of Taman Sari

Taman Sari functioned as the king's wife[s] bath place. The main innercourt now already renovated by the government. I was there before it happened so we can see the original ruins from the photographs I took then.

Personally, I like it better as it is because the renovation also took away the place's mysteries. The modern-look renovation cut the messages from the past...

:: Taman Sari - Hidden Mosque Underneath

2006-12-11T12:28:00.000+07:00

:: Ancient Stairs

2006-12-11T12:19:00.000+07:00

:: Stairways to Heaven

2006-12-11T11:58:00.000+07:00

:: For Praying

:: Banten

2006-12-11T11:51:00.000+07:00

Banten located near the Famous Krakatoa's. It got mysteriously dark and beautiful surroundings...

.....witness of the great eruption hundred of years ago.

:: The Old Palace of Banten

2006-12-11T11:49:00.000+07:00

:: One Sunday Morning

2006-12-11T11:26:00.000+07:00

2006-12-11T11:25:00.000+07:00

:: inside

2006-12-11T11:16:00.000+07:00

2006-12-11T11:14:00.000+07:00

:: People of Banten

2006-12-11T11:02:00.000+07:00

:: Morning activities at Palace's Square

2006-12-11T10:56:00.000+07:00

:: Kids with their precious playground

:: The Tower - Banten Great Mosque

2006-12-11T10:23:00.000+07:00

:: The Gate

2006-12-11T10:19:00.000+07:00

:: The Tower - Banten Great Mosque

2006-12-11T10:14:00.000+07:00

:: The Tower - Banten Great Mosque

2006-12-11T07:19:00.000+07:00

:: The Tower - Banten Great Mosque

:: Whereabouts Me

2006-12-08T10:28:00.000+07:00

:: ampenan australia amsterdam antwerp austria anyer abu dhabi bali biliton-belitung batu bajawa bangka barcelona bromo belgium bandung british-museum bogor berlin banten borobudur brisbane bena beeston bath clifton cyprus cannes cambridge cakranegara carita cirebon cilacap cibulan cimahi cipayung depok dufan disneyland-usa dubai dusseldorf denpasar euro-disney eiffel flores frankfurt france firenze gilimanuk gili meno gili trawangan germany gold coast grand canyon hawaii italy imogiri indonesia jepara japan jimbaran jakarta kasongan kuta-bali kuta-lombok kuala lumpur khayangan-anyer labuan bajo las vegas london leicester la coruna-spain la jolla-usa los angeles legian lincoln louvre lombok madrid milan monaco monas-jakarta malaysia mataram malang magelang mangsit-lombok mendut mexico nusa dua nederland nottingham notting hill-london paris puncak pulau seribu prambanan rembang san diego sagrada familia san fransisco sierra nevada singapore santa monica santa barbara sade solo saachi-uk senggigi st. tropez switzerland surabaya st. peter spain semarang stone henge-uk tokyo tangkuban perahu tanah lot tanjung aan taman sari tijuana tate-museum of modern art united arab emirates ubud united kingdomuniversal studios-gold coast usa venice vatican vienna wolotopo westminster abbey yogyakarta zurich zoologi-bogor.....[to-be-continued]

:: Paris

2006-11-28T01:53:00.000+07:00

Paris is one of the most beautiful city in the world.....
It's clean and bright, literally. The golden accents in their city sculpture obviously touched and cleaned periodically, show us that the local authority don't have financial issues at all.
Sometimes I feel that even the smell of it was GREAT. It's flowery and fresh coffee.... or was it just my imagination since I was so happy and too excited being there....

I wish I could go there someday with Iwan and Rangga. I'll show them the best museum, gallery and the cute coffee shop in the corner or just browsing around inside Louvre all day long.

The day will come.

:: The Great Eiffel

2006-11-28T01:47:00.000+07:00

:: Eiffel 01:

The Structure

2006-11-28T01:37:00.000+07:00

:: Eiffel 02:

Spectacular View From Above

2006-11-28T01:31:00.000+07:00

:: Eiffel 03:

The Shadow

2006-11-28T01:24:00.000+07:00

:: Eiffel 04:

The River

2006-11-28T01:16:00.000+07:00

:: Louvre-01:

Le Fountain

2006-11-28T01:11:00.000+07:00

:: Louvre-03:

Dramatic Looks

2006-11-28T01:05:00.000+07:00

:: Louvre-04:

Stand Wisely

2006-11-28T00:55:00.000+07:00

:: Louvre-05:

Old and New

:: Lombok: Our Honeymoon

2006-11-23T08:47:00.000+07:00

We're going to Lombok for our honeymoon. We're staying at this very nice place called Santai Beach Inn at Mangsit Beach, several kilometres up from Senggigi. the place was great for one who loves adventure life. Our room shaped like traditional Lombok Barn. It got "living room" on the lower floor and the bedrrom above it, without door. The bath room was an open air space shower annexed with the previous rooms. So cool!

The amazing things are that we're just spending about only Rp. 500.000,- [about $400 US] for a week staying+breakfast, including our lunch and dinner outside. More over, we've got very good price for the airline tickets after browsing it from the internet. It's just about Rp. 900.000,- for both of us, return tickets: Jakarta-Lombok-Jakarta.

Another tourists that we've met are from various countries such as Australia, USA and Netherland. We've met Hub and Tini, a very nice couple who also stayed in the same place and were having good dinner-conversations cross culturaly. They're from Netherland and they love paintings. Another tourists was a couple from Down Under. They're also cool and great dinner companion, while we're all eat delicious modified Indonesian food dinner at the comfy dining room there.

Anyway, Lombok is the perfect place for honeymooners. It got a whole lot of beautiful places and not too crowded as Bali. A group of gilis is a must seen if we're there: Gili Trawangan, Gili Air and Gili Meno [even though we have to beware of jellyfishes, it's quite stingy].

I'm looking forward to visit Lombok with my family in the near future. There's still a lot of places that I've got to see like Mount Rinjani or other gilis: Gili Rengit, Gili Layar and Gili Asahan. Our guide told us that we can feed beautiful fish there and they'll surround us excitingly, so colorful!

Well, wish us luck!!

:: Lombok: Sunset at Senggigi Beach

2006-11-23T07:58:00.000+07:00

:: Phase 1

2006-11-23T07:50:00.000+07:00

2006-11-23T07:47:00.000+07:00

2006-11-23T07:18:00.000+07:00

:: Lombok Details

2006-11-22T22:54:00.000+07:00

:: Pottery Barn

2006-11-22T22:53:00.000+07:00

:: Spice Island

2006-11-22T22:50:00.000+07:00

:: Fresh Fish

2006-11-22T19:53:00.000+07:00

:: gasoline, anyone???

:: Lombok Original ArtWork

2006-11-22T18:55:00.000+07:00

I was walking on the Gili Trawangan's beach and found this amazing creation. I stopped and watched the artists do more things to perfect it.

......................under the sun light.

2006-11-22T18:13:00.000+07:00

:: One of The Artists

2006-11-22T18:10:00.000+07:00

:: Piece by piece, under the sunlight

2006-11-22T18:05:00.000+07:00

:: Literally: From Scratch

2006-11-22T17:26:00.000+07:00

:: Magnificent ArtWork of Gili Trawangan's Children

:: Barcelona a.k.a Gaudi

2006-11-21T19:55:00.000+07:00

Gaudi is one of my favorite, should I say, artist? Inspiring me in the whole aspect of being one. The magical organic form that he created shake through the core of me. He fulfilled his dream with supported from his influential friends, creme de la creme of old Barcelona.
On the other hand, it remind us all the un-romantic facts about being an architect or an artist. They have to pairing up with the most powerful people [meaning: money with capital "m"] they could ever get to supported their wildest life and dreams [ouch!!....reality bites, isn't it?]

However, it never made less of him [or whoever the artist/architect was] as long as we just quietly observing their work and we can feel its magical aura flows inside our soul.... give us each their very own unique vibration....

In this case, Gaudi is Barcelona's spirit.

:: The Phenomenal: Sagrada Familia

2006-11-21T19:52:00.000+07:00

:: Toward the Holly Spirit

2006-11-21T19:49:00.000+07:00

:: One of Sagrada's Multi Facade

2006-11-21T19:22:00.000+07:00

:: Organic Wave

of Casa Milla

2006-11-21T19:17:00.000+07:00

:: Magical Sculptures on The Roof

:: Casa Batllo

2006-11-21T18:31:00.000+07:00

I love this pretty building so much. It's like a giant [blue] sapphire stone in the middle of busy Barcelona.
They wouldn't let us take pictures inside this building. I found the answer later on, while I was inside it. All details of this building, like most of Gaudi's, are splendidly gorgeous. It's like as if we're accidently push the button of our camera, it will captured something perfect for a postcard no matter what. There’s so many beautiful-hand-made-details there like: door handles, green glass windows with organic shaped wooden frame, cave-like fireplace, mosaic tiles walls, which maybe too precious to share freely. That's why we have to buy the book or postcards for the pictures of its inside details. Well, fair enough, since this kind of building also need loads of fund to keep it charming through time.

In brief, Casa Balto is priceless…..superb….and me gone speechless……

:: Front Facade

Fabulous!!!

2006-11-21T18:24:00.000+07:00

:: Lovely Window

2006-11-21T17:29:00.000+07:00

:: One Piece of Gaudi's Gems

at Casa Batllo

2006-11-21T17:24:00.000+07:00

:: Blue Mosaic Glass of Casa Batllo Facade

:: Parc Guell

2006-11-21T17:18:00.000+07:00

:: Organic Roof,

Parc Guell

2006-11-21T17:07:00.000+07:00

:: The Amazing Ceiling of Parc Guell

:: Flores 2002

2006-11-20T19:00:00.000+07:00

I was there with a group of students from Architecture Dept, University of Indonesia.
My travelling partner was Ria Butarbutar [miss you, girl!!]. She's one of my best friends, great companion.

I've found a lot of interesting facts, people and places. It was great and wonderful.
At the last part of our journey, we took the bus from Bajawa to Labuhanbajo for about 12 hours long. The driver was a Flores-born-Chinese man who drove the bus as if it was just a bajaj. He's very lively and full of spirit. Speeding and talking altogether, all the way from one place to another.

In this fascinating trip, we've met a woman who I thought she's the real wonder woman [sorry Dian, it's not you honey....eventhough you keep told me that when we're in college...lol...].
She's just standing there, in the middle of nowhere, with her THREE children, all under five years old, all boys. The bus stopped, and she got inside right away. She sat right beside my huge back-pack with her precious and once in a while she tried to make a conversation with me [that's why I remember her vividly]. The most memorable part was when all of sudden she threw up near our luggage. I couldn't say a thing and push my self to smile politely......and couldn't take my eyes off the thingy. She ate only green leaves....yet she so strong to carry all of those children around.....More than 5 hours...... With one of the most challenging vehicle ever and the crazy-chatty driver.

Anyway, we reach Labuhan Bajo safely,
...and strangely,
I was peacefully happy...

:: Spacious Wogo

2006-11-20T16:28:00.000+07:00

:: Row of Houses at Wogo

Flat and spacious land

2006-11-20T16:22:00.000+07:00

:: These are the symbol of gender [fertility and so on]

and the people there using it for ceremonial purposes

2006-11-20T16:19:00.000+07:00

:: Children Playing at Wogo Great Square

:: Wolotopo Village

2006-11-20T16:07:00.000+07:00

:: Children at Wolotopo

2006-11-20T15:00:00.000+07:00

:: First Surprising Glance

View of The Village

2006-11-20T14:58:00.000+07:00

:: The Elegance of Chief's Houses:

Located on the highest ground of the village

2006-11-20T14:33:00.000+07:00

:: Sacred Chief's Tomb at Wolotopo's

:: Beautiful Bena

2006-11-20T14:24:00.000+07:00

:: This scene reminds me of Gaul's Village in Asterix's

The white light above was never there when I took this picture...

2006-11-20T14:22:00.000+07:00

:: Behind the Sacred Stones

2006-11-20T14:20:00.000+07:00

:: Row of Houses

2006-11-20T14:17:00.000+07:00

:: Fabulous View of Bena Village

:: The People

2006-11-20T14:07:00.000+07:00

:: Natural Beauty

A girl in Wolotopo Village

posed up on the hill, in front of the lake and mountain.

2006-11-20T14:01:00.000+07:00

:: Babysitting Grandma

Once I joined a photography exhibition and I put one similar like this titled: Jauh [far away]

2006-11-20T13:52:00.000+07:00

:: Children at Wogo [01]

They're all live in a simple hut like this.

Their smile brighten us all.

2006-11-20T13:45:00.000+07:00

:: Children at Wogo [02]

They're happy and healthy.

Even healthier than Jakarta's.

:: Chief Houses

2006-11-20T10:00:00.000+07:00

Chief House :: Wolotopo Village, Ende

Chief House :: Wogo Village