A Flock of Flamingo at Ocean Park Hongkong

A Flock of Flamingo at Ocean Park Hongkong

A House of My Childhood Memory, Sukabumi West Java

This is a house where I spent my childhood in Sukabumi since 1964 until 1979. This house iwas located at Jalan Tjipelang Gede now its is called Jalan Jenderal Sudirman. In 1979 I went to Bandung to attend the University. In this house I learned how to drive a bike and playing kite, climbing the trees and the roof top when I was in elementary school. This house has along history and saga. I took this picture 30 July 2008.

Ahmad Mikami Sumawiajaya, the youngest Pupuhu of Kampung Sindangbarang

Born in Bogor in 1970, Achmad is a pupuhu (traditional chief) in Sindangbarang Cultural Village. He is also the grandson of the late Etong Sumawijaya, a traditional elder in Bogor who had a street named after him in Sindangbarang.

Raised with a strong sense of Sundanese culture, Achmad has been working to ensure that the values, customs and patterns of Sundanese life are sustained. One of the ways in which he has done this has been to build a cultural village in Sindangbarang, Tamansari, Bogor.

The Interior of Sultan Siak Sri Indrapura Palace, Riau Province

In 1889, The Palace of Siak Sri Indrapura was built with Germany architect. This palace stand up luxury till now with gateway decorated by a couple eagles pounce with their eyes shining sharply accompany the visitors who come to The Palace.Inside The Palace we will see various high valuable collection like The Throne of Sultan wrapped by gold.

High quality and luxury marble tile on the floor.

Glass cupboard with sultanate heritage collectible

If we come to other room of the palace, we also will find various desks and chairs, made from wood, glass and crystal, arranged so natty below sophisticated crystal lamps hang-on from the palace plafond, And there are also various cupboards, and many form and type of arms made from iron and copper. There are also various presents from friends and neighbours around Siak Territory.

High quality wood works of table set.

A very luxurious dining room with gold plated chairs.

At the other side there are also made Comet castanets by hand-made in German which has disc’s radiant about 45 cm comprises classic Mozart and Beethoven songs. Somesays said that there are only two pieces of this model in this world, one is in Germany as and other was in Siak Palace.

The Comet, an antique gramaphone.

A luxury staircase to the second floor.

A corner of a room.

The Siak Sultanate's Official Meeting Diorama

This is a picture of Sultanate Meeting Diorama in the Sultanate Siak Palace. It shows the situation when the Sultan held a meeting or discussion with his chief staff.

Siak Sri Indrapura was the centre of an Islamic Malayan kingdom, which enjoyed its golden age from the 18th through 20th century. Sultan Abdul Jalil Rakhmad Syah founded the kingdom in 1725. He was the first in a family tree of 12 sultans who would reign until 1945. In November 1945, the last sultan, Sultan Syarif Kasyim II, sent a cable to the president of Republic of Indonesia stating his loyalty to the republic, and he contributed his properties to the struggle of independence.

The Sultanate Siak Sri Inderapura Palace in Riau Province Sumatera, Indonesia

Location of Siak Sri Indrapura palace is near to the bank of Siak river which used to call Jantan river in the past. Its distance is about 125 km from Pekanbaru flange to the east to Malacca strait. It can be reached through the land or river. The Siak Palace was constructed by Sultan Syarif Hasyim, who was crowned in 1889. The building was completed in 1893. Siak Palace`s official name was "Asserayyah Al Hasyimiah" and it was also called the "Palace of the Eastern Sun." Its architecture was a combination of Spanish, Arabian and Malay styles. The wall of the palace were decorated with ceramics from Europe. The palace had two floors.

The kingdom of Siak Sri Indrapura is a the biggest islamic kingdom of Malay in Riau. This kingdom achieved its golden era from 16 to 20 century. Since the beginning of its establishment in 1725, there were 12 Sultan has led this country. One of its inheritances which still stand up firmly is kingdom palace. The palace which was built by Sultan Assyaidis Syarif Kasim Abdul Jalil Syaifuddin ( 1889-1908) is called Assyiratul Hasyimiah.


Sultan Abdul Jalil Rakhmad Syah founded the kingdom in 1725. He was the first in a family tree of 12 sultans who would reign until 1945. In November 1945, the last sultan, Sultan Syarif Kasyim II, sent a cable to the president of Republic of Indonesia stating his loyalty to the republic, and he contributed his properties to the struggle of Indonesia's independence.

Picture of Sultan Syarif Kasim II, the last Sultan of Siak Kingdom.


Nowadays, this palace become a place to keep kingdom's collection objects, such as kingdom chair which is covered by gold, the duplicate of kingdom crown, kingdom's saving box, kindom's umbrella, kingdom's lance, and a comet [big gramophone] as a rare equipment. It is said that there are only two of the same equipment in the world. One here, and another in Germany. Besides, there are also other ancient equipments.

A view from the palace to the front yard of the palace. The background was the Siak River.

Energi Mega Persada Malacca Strait Management Commitee were invited by the Governmet of Kabupaten Siak and made courtesy visit to the palace.

One of The Interior of Sultan Siak Palace

The Birth of Keluarga Aranya Giri Sakta

As a follow up of series of meeting among the members of Alumni SMA Mardi Yuana Sukabumi who are also the member of Aranya Giri Sakta, finally we declared the birth of Keluarga Aranya Giri Sakta as a continuation of Aranya Giri Sakta. Aranya Giri Sakta is a club of Woods and Mountain Lover that ever existed in Senior High School of SMA Mardi Yuana in Sukabumi. For some reason Aranya Giri Sakta or AGS does not exist anymore in SMA Mardi Yuana Sukabumi. Eventhough the AGS members, who has been alumni of SMA Mardi Yuana, has a strong interest to get to gather and continue the outdoor activities as a friendship and brotherhood community. Once we love nature, it will be there in our blood.

In 9-10 May, we had a family gathering in Situ Gunung Camping ground Sukabumi. During that gathering we declared the birth of Keluarga Aranya Giri Sakta. a family of Woods and Mountain Lovers. At almost 01.00 AM in the morning on 10 of May 2009 we declared the existence of Keluarga Aranya Giri Sakta.

The Medeu. It is the roof of Almaty

The Medeu (Kazakh Медеу, which would be more properly spelled Medew to suit the correct pronunciation), or Medeo (traditional Russian: Медео), outdoor speed skating rink is one of the most famous ice rinks in the world. It is located in a mountain valley (Medeu Valley, or the valley of Malaya Alma-Atinka River) on the south-eastern outskirts of Almaty, Kazakhstan. It sits 1,691 metres above sea level and utilizes a sophisticated freezing and watering system to ensure the quality of the ice.



The Medeu Dam, built in the late 1960s, stands immediately south of the skating rink, protecting it - and the city of Almaty itself - from potentially devastating mud flows. Viewpoints on top of the dam provide great views of the stadium.

Medeu has seen many world records in all the speed skating distances from 1951 through the 1980s: 500 m, 1000 m, 1500 m, 3000 m, 5000 m and the 10000 m. In 1972 the rink made a very succesfull transition from natural ice rink to artificial icerink.[1] After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the costs to uphold the arena as a top speed skating rink have proved too costly for the independent Republic of Kazakhstan. The last great championship event on this ice rink was held in 1988 -- the Men's World Speed Skating Championship -- which was won by the American skater Eric Flaim.







In the early 2000s, Medeo's future status as a competition rink is uncertain. However, it was proposed as the speed skating venue both for Almaty's unsuccessful bid for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games and the successful one for 2011 Asian Winter Games. Kazakhstan government plans to renovate the facility in time for the 2011 games.[2]

The rink has also been used a

Zenkov Cathedral at Almaty, Kazakhstan.

In March 2008 I visited the city of Almaty in Kazakhstan. During that visit I went to Zenkov Cathedral.The Zenkov Cathedral was in the area Panfilov Park.

The story of Zenkov Cathedral started back in the early years of the twentieth century.The Zenkov Cathedarl Ascension (Russian: Вознесенский собор), also known as Ascension Cathedral，is a Russian Orthodox cathedral located in Panfilov Park in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Completed in 1907, it is the second tallest wooden building in the world.

In the late 19th century the first bishops of the Turkistan eparchy discussed the need for a Russian Orthodox Church in Almaty. On September 26, 1903 the bishop of Turkistan and Tashkent, Paisij (Vinogradov) consecrated the foundation of the church. Construction lated between 1904 and 1907. The belfry was erected on September 14, 1906. The cathedral survived the 1910 earthquake with minimal damage.

The inner structure of cathedral was made in the artistic workshops of Moscow and Kiev. The iconostasis was painted by N. Khludov. After the Russian Revolution the cathedral was used to house the Central State Museum of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic. From 1930 to 1940 it was used by important public organizations. The first radio transmitters in Almaty were situated in the cathedral's belfry.Restoration work on the cathedral began in 1973 and lasted until 1976. In May 1995 control of the cathedral was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church,