A Rare Historical Look At Old Indonesia - 25 Photos Taken Pre-1920

http://www.wowshack.com/a-rare-historical-look-at-old-indonesia-25-photos-taken-pre-1920/

April 14, 2015

A rare and very historical look at Indonesia and its people during the Dutch colonial period.

A Javanese prince with two servants (c. 1865-1870) Tropenmuseum

A man from Batavia carrying his warung (c. 1870) Tropenmuseum

Raden Saleh, a Javanese romantic painter who pioneered modern Indonesian art (c. 1872)old-indische.blogspot.com.au

The Raja of Buleleng, Bali, and his secretary (c. 1875) Tropenmuseum of the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT)

Two Nias warriors in the South Nias Regency (c. 1882-1912) Tropenmuseum

A man with traditional Dayak tattoos (c.1896) sickchirpse.com

Toba Batak head with his family in their home, North Sumatra (c. 1900) Tropenmuseum

Masked men of the theater acting in "Topéing", Java (c. 1900-1920) US Library Of Congress

A Dayak chief (c. 1900-1920) Tropenmuseum of the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT)

Seudati dance performed at Samalanga, Bireun, Aceh (c. 1907) Tropenmuseum of the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT)

A native Balinese woman spinning (c. 1910) old-indische.blogspot.com.au

A Batak family, Sumatra (c. 1910)old-indische.blogspot.com.au

Workers at a construction site for a railway tunnel in the mountains, Java (c. 1910) Tropenmuseum

Kampong residents in Batavia listen to a gramophone (c. 1910)old-indische.blogspot.com.au

A Balinese family (c. 1910-1920) Tropenmuseum

An opium dealer and a smoker (c. 1912) fareastitems.com

A Makassar man (c. 1912) Tropenmuseum of the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT)

Nias tribesmen moving and erecting a megalith (c. 1915)Tropenmuseum of the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT)

Dayak warriors from Longnawan, North Borneo (c. 1917) Tropenmuseum

Baris dancers drinking beer, Bali (c. 1918) fareastitems.com

Students of STOVIA, or "School for the Training of Native Physicians", Batavia (c. 1919)  Tropenmuseum

Wood carvers creating masks (c.1919) Tropenmuseum

A Batak farmer, Sumatra (c. 1919) old-indische.blogspot.com.au

An elderly Batak woman, Sumatra (c. 1919) old-indische.blogspot.com.au

A Dayak man with earrings and a lance (c. 1919) Tropenmuseum of the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT)

Purpose of life...

An old friend gave me the honour to partake in a religious function recently.

Sitting through the function, I came to realise that the basic tenets of all religions are the same. The common seemingly 'good values' are somewhat universal. At face value, everything appears simple but as time goes on, we soon realise that things become more complicated. A simple statement like 'Thou shall not kill any living being' sound simple enough but not when you ask, "What if that being is potentially harmful, like a Bengal tiger or a lethal Dengue spreading aedes aegypti mosquito?"

To these difficult questions, different leaders would give different explanations and rationalisation that appease different target audiences. If the target audiences accept that there could be more than one way to dance the tango, no harm done. The problem arises when each vehemently proclaim that theirs is the only accepted way and others must be reprimanded for not doing the same.

The highlight the event was the stage drama acted and directed by its youth members. I thought that it was a very relevant story affecting all members across the generation. The older generation just goes on living life blindly (or faithfully) based on what they inherited from their elders without questioning too much. They, naturally expect their offspring to follow suit. Unfortunately, the very trait that their parents inculcated upon them, that is to question things and to be learned, are the very traits that make the younger one go astray from old religious teachings. To them, religion is just a set of rituals, akin to meaningless acts of a sufferer of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

To the young, modern day popular gurus like Oprah Winfrey, Robin Sharma and Deepak Chopra seem more relevant. They speak the same language and their answers seem contemporary. Unfortunately, all the answers that the youngsters are seeking are all there in the scriptures. It is just that they are not looking at the right places. The cyberspace always gets the bad reputation for spreading devious thoughts but it can also be instrumental for finding answers for questions people have been asking for generations for the purpose of life.

Down memory lane again!

Thanks SKCL, PL, CV, SJ, SS for contribution (you know who you are)

Mamak Tongkang at work

Transport by River on a Malayan Coconut Estate

Loading Cargo by Bullock Carts, Penang

Chulia Street - Pitt Street junction

Maxwell Road mid 70s

Komtar in progress

Hin Company Bus

Penang International Airport 1970

Green Lane 1970s

Gurney Drive 1930s

Simpang Enam

Transfer Road

Penang Free School

Peel Road -legendary ala Hollywood apperance

Doyens of the silver screen in its heydays
R-L(Std: James Garner, Jack Lemmon, Charlton Heston, Sit: George Chandler, Sivaji
Ganesan, Walter Pidgeon)

Mother Teresa 

Seen at Morib Beach

Old Malaya Hockey Team

Silver chariot in KL made its debut in 1893, made from 350 kgs of silver.

He did it? Did not?

The Naked Edge (1961)

Just happened to bump into this obscure movie. It is Gary Cooper's very last film in his illustrious career. It has all the characteristics of a noir film with over-dramatisation of background movie and suspense hanging thriller right to its end.

Redcliffe testifies against a fellow worker, Heath, when his boss is robbed and fatally stabbed.

Even though the substantially large amount of the robbed money was never found, Redcliffe, invariably send Heath to serve long incarceration.

Every one moves on. Soon after the boss' death, Redcliffe allegedly 'made a killing' at the share market and goes into partnership. Five years on, he has made it.

The tranquility in Redcliffe's household in disturbed when Mrs Redcliffe receives a poison letter accusing the husband of murdering his boss, squandering the money and sending an innocent to jail as a fall guy.

One by one, everything makes sense and put the husband as the villain. Pretty soon the wife realises that her life may in danger. The whole cat and mouse game reaches a climax to end with a twist. A good relatively unheard movie.

Things you need to do for...

Over the week, encountered three related incidences...

Somebody sent me a newspaper clipping about something that happened in the UK. A high flying executive in her early 30s was devastated to discover that she was 4 months pregnant. This happened in spite of her consumption of the post-coital contraceptive pills. A month after that episode, she had an intrauterine contraceptive device inserted. 2 months later, she was told to be over 2 months pregnant when she presented to her doctor with abdominal pain. Surgical abortion was done only to discover another 2 months later that the surgical procedure failed miserably and she was still pregnant, then at 4months+! As she was not willing to give up her pursuits to greater heights in her career as well as to lose her care-free lifestyle and give up her freedom for just one man, she decided to undergo a second termination all sponsored by the National Health Service.

Somebody complained that this type of news would just be treated as a rare unavoidable clinical dilemma that comes with the job as it happened in a first world country. Conversely, if it were to happen here or another developing country, the medical services there would be sneered upon. They would also accept it at the stride as it was excepted of the medical services in a third world country.

Well over in the third world, the health workers have to deal with other things...

An obstetrician was explaining to his 38-year-old lady and her husband about her blood test results. Earlier, she had undergone screening for Down Syndrome. The good doctor was giving a rundown on its interpretation to the teacher soon-to-be mother and husband. After extensive elaboration, the obviously confused husband interjected, "Now, hold on doctor! Tell me, who is having the possibility of having Down Syndrome? My wife or my child?"
The obstetrician had two minds of telling, "it's probably you!" but against his better judgement, he decided to keep mum!

And at another medical institution...

A lady had finally picked up the courage to go under the knife after suffering for years with her female problems. The working arrangements, leave and domestic help were all sorted out to the tilt. Her gynaecologist with whom she had total confidence was also not going for any conferences or holidays.

The day of reckoning sauntered in. A pleasant doctor walked into her room introducing himself as an anaesthetist who would be minding her needs during surgery.

Poof went the plan for surgery. Having a male doctor see her in not so modest states was abominable. Surgery can wait for another day, another time.

What is life?

Fight Club (1999)

This cult film did not really hit it when it first hit the cinemas. It, however, had a resurrection of sorts after it was released on DVD. In fact, there was fear that this film may initiate copycat activities from youth just like they had in Kubrik's 'Clockwork Orange'.

The cult following is probably from connoisseurs and students of philosophy, anthropology and existentialism. The subject matter involves things which are difficult for an average Joe to grasp. It questions the futile depressive nature of our modern living through the eyes of the narrator and main character of the movie. Incidentally, we will eventually discover the real meaning of his actions with a twist at the end.

 The narrator (Ed Norton) is a disillusioned car insurance man who suffers from insomnia. His therapist suggests stints at various support groups to ease his pain. Nothing changes except his meeting with an equally individual, a Marla Singer. Along his daily duties, he develops a relationship with a stranger, a soap salesman, Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) on-flight.
One after another things fall apart for the narrator. His luggage on the flight is retained by the airport, his apartment is bombed and his performance at work takes a dive.

Left without a place to stay, he lives with Tyler and hence begin a bizarre lifestyle with mind boggling dialogue philosophy and ideas. In fact, that is the greatest selling point of the movie. Together, they start a fighting club to release their tension and pretty soon it develops into something beyond control. They and the club members, led by Tyler, indulge in various anarchic and destructive activities with special vendetta against big corporate companies. They find destroying thing cathartic. Fighting and releasing all that suppressed energy to them are therapeutic. They justify their actions by rationalising that the human design is for hunting. Now, there is nothing to kill for, nothing to overcome and explore. We are all in our comfort zone, satisfying our inner desires by consuming and overindulging. But then, that is the real reason why rules, regulations and religion came about - to give the downtrodden and outcast a chance to savour the beauty of life!

We're designed to be hunters and we're in a society of shopping. There's nothing to kill anymore, there's nothing to fight, nothing to overcome, nothing to explore. In that societal emasculation this everyman [the narrator] is created. —David Fincher

We're consumers. We are the byproducts of a lifestyle obsession. Murder, crime, poverty, these things don't concern me. What concerns me are celebrity magazines, television with 500 channels, some guy's name on my underwear. Rogaine, Viagra, Olestra.
Listen up, maggots! You are not special. You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake. You are the same decaying organic matter as everything else. We are the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world.