Jplus 2015 10 04 lores

Vol. 2 No. 45 I OCtober 4 - october 10, 2015

DJENAR SHIFTS FOCUS DJENAR MAESA AYU ON MAKING HER THIRD FILM

IMPRESSIONIST GETAWAY THE SKIES OF HONFLEUR

STROBE OR CONTOUR? JPLUS SHOWS YOU HOW

PARIS WHEN IT SIZZLES AN INDONESIAN LENS

Editor's note

Check List

Turning a page We’re thrilled to bring you a cover story on Djenar Maesa Ayu, penned by our staff writer Sebastian Partogi.

Although Djenar is one of the nation’s most acclaimed authors, she’s also a talented filmmaker with two-and-a-half films to her credit.

Our story focuses on her shift from the writing desk to the director’s chair – and NAY, that "half film" that Djenar’s trying to get finished outside the studio system.

In the spirit of our cover story, we also asked the piece’s author, Sebastian Partogi (our resident bookworm), talk to five more notable authors for our “Table of Friends”.

I am a bookworm, too, I guess. However, after moves to eight different cities in the last several decades, my personal library is threadbare – which is sad, since I’m what has been called a "reading bibliomaniac", meaning that I buy many, many more tomes than I have time to digest.

In Jakarta, I look for books everywhere.

In Cikini at Taman Ismail Marzuki, I found that visual history of the Foreign Ministry – as well an Indonesian language version of The Godfather.

The National Library kindly gave me several books on the history of Indonesian film posters when I showed up at random one day, while I also found the diary of Rachmawati Soekarnoputri when browsing through one bookstore’s bargain bins in a mall in Senayan.

My current favorite haunt is the sprawling book market in the basement of Blok M Square, located amid the stalls selling polished gemstones or shoulder boards for police generals.

A few traders there specialize in old books, specifically publications from the colonial

era, including some of the original magazines published by the nascent literary scene in the 1920s (see photo).

I’ll even get around to reading all these finds one day.

I promise.

The Frankfurt Book Fair, one of the world’s largest, starts in the next few days and Indonesia’s literati are descending on the city.

People in the publishing world are excited by the exposure that Indonesia will get as the guest of honor.

We wish the best of luck to all those representing Indonesia in Frankfurt this month.

Please let’s get out there for what remains of this Sunday. As for me, I’m going to buy another book.

Enjoy the weekend!

THE EDITOR jplus@thejakartapost.com

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WANDERLUST

A small town in Normandy

good living

A JPlus beauty guide

JPlus Team

mark my words

Editor Christian Razukas

I’ve heard this song before WHEN A THEME RECALLS A FAVORITE SCENE

WORDS christian razukas

Art Director Budhi Hartono Graphic Designer Hengky Wijaya Marketing & Advertising Sales & Marketing Director Ady P. Pamungkas

ady.pamungkas@thejakartapost.com

“It seems to me,” begins the song from which this article takes its headline, “I’ve heard that song before.”

Some songs evoke a place perfectly. Or rather, some songs evoke precise memories of a place, forming what some call the soundtrack of our lives.

In San Francisco, I favored a sadlydefunct coffee house called Cafe Macondo, named after the village in Gabriel García Márquez’s 100 Years of Solitude.

The coffee house had a disused freezer that was an ersatz shrine to Che Guevara, complete with a mannequin dressed like the guerrilla leader.

There were rundown chairs and tables, including one converted from a vintage standing sowing machine, and an eclectic mix of books on the shelves, including neurosurgery textbooks, perhaps left behind by a stressed out medical student who suddenly chose to tune in and drop out.

In Macondo, the Duke Ellington Orchestra endlessly played on a looped cassette. Nothing else was ever played in the seven years I frequented the place.

For the rest of my life, hearing “Satin Doll” will take me back to California, the Bay Area and its Bohemian lifestyle.

There’s another song looming large in

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my memory: Mulan Jameela’s hit from 2008, “Mahluk Tuhan Yang Paling Sexy”, or God’s creatures are very sexy.

I first heard the tune when, with nothing of particular interest to me one bored weekend, I decided to take a travel van from Yogyakarta to Denpasar.

I like road trips. I like the isolation of in-between spaces like buses and trains. It is most definitely not broadening-the-mind type of travel, but rather, I appreciate the time to think.

It would be a 24-hour trip, said the man who sold me a ticket. Oh, how could that be true? I thought. It’s only about 800 kilometers which means that our speed would have to be about 30 kilometers an hour for the trip to be a day’s length.

I was sure that our travel van, as well as every other car and truck along the Pantura highway, would be zooming along the roads at the standard harrowing 170 kph.

Our true speed was slower. Much slower.

Presumably, the driver, chastened by the winding road and pitch blackness outside, decided he did not believe in reincarnation.

The journey did indeed take a day.

The first ten hours, they were the worst, as Douglas Adams might have said. The second ten hours? They were the worst, too.

After that I went into a bit of decline.

About that second song. The driver had a DVD of Mulan Jameela’s self-titled album on repeat for most of the trip.

The first dozen times I heard “Mahluk Tuhan Yang Paling Sexy”, I winced.

After a brief dinner at a traveler’s restaurant on the highway, the same music resumed. I squirmed in my seat. Why was there no passenger uprising? I wondered.

By midnight, it was as black as outer space. Inside the van, there was only a sensation of movement.

We neared an immense power station a few dozen kilometers from Surabaya. As the van wound its way around the station, which shone like a Christmas tree, I had a realization.

For better or for worse, the lyrics of “Mahluk Tuhan Yang Paling Sexy” were emblazoned in my memory –along with the lyrics of “Wonder Woman”, “Lagi Sedih” and more of Mulan Jameela’s faux dangdut songs than I have a right to know.

The van paused at Banyuwangi. We waited for sunrise and a ferry to take us across the Bali Strait. Walking on the pier, I heard the pop siren’s cries of “ow-ow-ow” and “hi-hi-hi”. Again and again.

I’m slightly embarrassed when people ask me about my power karaoke songs. But the lyrics of Mulan Jameela’s songs come to me naturally. I have no other option when someone hands me the microphone.

Nothing else comes to mind.

And, as I wait for my cue to start singing in the karaoke place, I’m back in the night van, in the middle of that 24-hour journey from Central Java to Bali.

Mark My Words shifts its focus between food, fashion, parenting and travel each week.

Marketing Executive Deasy Rasjid

deasy@thejakartapost.com

@JPlusSunday JPlusSunday

SundayJplus jakplus.com

ON THE COVER Djenar Maesa Ayu Photo Arief Suhardiman Stylist Ananda Adityasanti MUA Bun Lay (08159910482) Wardrobe Biasa; Kemang, South Jakarta Location Kemang Icon by Alila

talk of the town TORY BURCH ENJOYS 1ST RI B’DAY

Irony, the Apocalypse and Tugu Kunstkring

Plaza Senayan, Central Jakarta

Tugu Kunstkring Paleis, Central Jakarta

American lifestyle brand Tory Burch recently held a special event at the brand’s Plaza Senayan boutique to celebrate its first anniversary in Indonesia.

Held on Sept. 22 for a select group of tastemakers, media and celebrity guests, the event was hosted by actress Pevita Pearce, who recently attended the launch celebration of Tory Burch’s boutique in Paris.

The gathering featured music by the popular DJ Yasmin, alongside canapés, champagne and cocktails for guests. It also showcased a wide assortment of the designer’s Fall 2015 collection, including ready-to-wear, handbags, shoes, small leather goods, jewelry, eyewear and watches.

An artist created silhouette photos for guests to take home as mementos of the evening.

In a show of support for the arts, Tugu​ hotels & Tugu Dining Jakarta are presenting an exhibition of the works of famed Polish photographer Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz, also known as Witacky, at Tugu Kunstkring Paleis, which bills itself as an oasis of art and culture and culinary delights.

Titled “An Ironist in Apocalyptic Times - Witkacy’s Photography”, the exhibition was launched on Oct. 1 by Polish ambassador to Indonesia Tadeusz Szumowski and his wife to celebrate 250 years of public theatre in Poland and the observance Witkacy’s 130th birthday.

Visitors can experience Witacky’s work at Tugu Kunstkring’s second-floor Art and Performance Hall from 11a.m. to 10 p.m. until Oct. 16.

Gudang Garam holds Indonesian Art Awards

National Gallery; Gambir, Central Jakarta Forty-six artists were up for consideration as finalists in the most recent iteration of the Gudang Garam Indonesian Art Awards, held by the Indonesian Fine Arts Association (YSRI).

At a ceremony on Sept. 29 at the National Gallery, top honors went to Aliansyah Caniago and Antonio Sebastian Sinaga, both graduates of the Bandung Institute of Technology’s arts faculty, and 22-year-old Muchlis Fachri from Jakarta.

The trio will receive prizes of Rp 100 million (US$6,819), Rp 75 million and Rp 50 million, respectively.

The awards, held by the YSRI since 1994, had as their theme for 2015 “Public Space” and featured the artists at an exhibition at the National Gallery titled “Res Publica” ("Public Affair" or "Republic").

travel tips

intel, tips and things to do for travelers in motion BORA BORA ON MY MIND

It turns out that snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef isn’t the most popular idea for a travel fantasy. Nor is embarking on an African safari.

Instead, a vast majority of travelers have it on top of their bucket lists to visit the turquoise beaches of Bora Bora in Tahiti.

After looking at the most shared, liked and uploaded images on the BUCKiTDream app throughout the months of August and September, developers found that this exotic destination has been capturing travelers’ imagination over the last few months.

The platform is designed to allow users to share their travel fantasies and curate their bucket lists with fellow users. Other top fantasies include summer holidays in Santorini, Greece and road trips across the US. - AFP

FAST LANE FOR AUSSIES IN S’PORE

As a tourist, it’s never fun waiting lines in an airport.

You’re there to see things.

You don’t want to waste time with paperwork.

Thankfully, if you’re an Australian visiting Singapore, you won’t have to deal with this. An Australian passport will let you skip the arrivals queue at Singapore Changi Airport. Instead, you get an automated immigration lane.

Aussies eligible for this “enhancedImmigration Automated Clearance System” are those who have visited the country at least three times in the past 12 months, provided they’ve registered for the service.

There is no cost to apply and you’ll have access to this fast-track service for two years on your current passport. For more information, visit with Singapore Immigration & Checkpoints Authority website. -ANN/Straits Times

MAGNA CARTA FLIES FIRST CLASS

British Airways has given a copy of the Magna Carta its own firstclass seat on a flight from the UK to the US. British Airways is carrying the celebrated charter and symbol of democracy on its aircraft for the “Magna Carta 800 Global Tour”, celebrating 800 years since the famous document was signed in June 1215.

Some images posted online from the flight showed the document in its own lie-flat bed.

The tour will see the document visit China, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal and Singapore, rack up 65,000 frequent flyer miles and travel through 25 time zones over the next four months.

A British Airways spokesperson called the flight “a first for first-class”. -Reuters

KOREA names 50-best eats

Tourists in South Korea should no longer have any problem finding good places to eat, thanks to the recent launch of a new organization that has carefully assembled an unprecedented list of the country’s 50 best restaurants.

The organization, named “Koreat”, aims to provide a comprehensive and reliable ranking of restaurants annually.

The criteria is based primarily on taste, but additionally takes into account each venue’s level of recognition, much like Michelin and Zagat guides.

Its Top-50 list was selected by a panel of 100 food-related experts ranging from chefs to restaurateurs. Venues listed include Ristorante EO, which serves Italian cuisine, and the French eatery L’Espoir du Hibou. The full list is available at kor-eat. com. -ANN/Korean Herald

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table of friends

READING WRITING Since JPlus is featuring the author and filmmaker Djenar Maesa Ayu on our cover – and since Indonesia is the guest of honor at this month's Frankfurt Book Fair 2015 – we spoke with six other writers for the details on their on-going love affairs with literature. Here's what they had to say. +Sebastian Partogi

@BilanganFu Author of Saman and Larung As a kid, I read adventure stories – Enid Blyton’s The Famous Five series and Herge’s Tintin comic books have characters that resonate with me as a teenager.

As an adult, I like Ahmad Tohari’s descriptions of nature in Ronggeng Dukuh Paruk (The Dancer of Paruk Village) and Budi Darma’s depiction of agony AYU UTAMI in Orang-Orang Bloomington (Bloomington’s People).

I've read the books of psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, linguist Ferdinand de Saussure and the Bible. Both psychoanalysis and structural linguistics help me understand the amazing dynamics of human consciousness.

Later, I became a journalist. In 1994, the government banned three media outlets, including Tempo weekly. We rebelled by setting up the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI). As a result we were fired and blacklisted; some friends even went to jail. No longer able to write as a journalist, I wrote my first novel, Saman, in 1998 about government repression and the patriarchy.

@LaksmiWrites

LAKSMI PAMUNTJAK

Food writer, poet, essayist, novelist

I grew up around books. My mother taught me to read at a preternaturally early age. My father’s family owned Djambatan, Indonesia’s second oldest publishing house.

I used to spend time in their bookstore in Kramat, East Jakarta. So I always knew I wanted to be a writer.

I love Renata Adler’s Speedboat, Henry James’ Portrait of a Lady and Wings of the Dove, among others.

Speedboat completely disregards the rules of the novel and, almost 40 years on, still stands as a quiet monument to modernism at its best. Meanwhile, I love Henry James because he is one of the greatest connoisseurs of the human psyche who has ever lived, exploring all human traits and existential problems there can possibly be.

I love Goenawan Mohamad’s Catatan Pinggir (Sidelines) because it has reinvented the short essay as a genre of its own, and because every week, for many years, he has distilled the world for us.

I love thrillers too. I read Patricia Cornwell, James Patterson, Thomas Harris, Jo Nesbo. I also love Caleb Carr’s The Alienist. They may be popular and fast-paced, but there is nothing "light"about them.

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Author of Cantik itu Luka (Beauty is Wound) Since I was young, I've been reading works by Abdullah Harahap and Asmaraman S. Kho Ping Hoo, and their works have left their marks on me until today.

EKA I wanted to become a writer after KURNIAWAN reading Norwegian writer Knut Hamsun’s Hunger. I also read lots of other writers: Pramoedya Ananta Toer, Miguel Cervantes, Nikolai Gogol, Herman Melville, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Jorge Luis Borges, William Faulkner and Yasunari Kawabata.

For light readings, I go to Agatha Christie and Raymond Chandler.

I also like to read horror stories, particularly Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

These novels, aside from being entertaining, also showcase superior storytelling skills.

@richard0h @litchap Author of The Pathfinders of Love and The Rainmaker’s Daughter I had been reading plenty of English novels before I went to university. I had been lulled by the rhythms of language and enjoyed its richness. In my first year in the university, I came upon Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. I read it in a kind of fever pitch. The novella both perplexed and seriously engulfed me.

Later, I came upon Graham Greene, William Faulkner, Philip Roth, V.S Naipaul and Marguerite Duras. From Roth’s Ghost Writer, I felt the texture of a beautiful prose. From Greene, Duras and V.S. Naipaul’s novels, I gained the confidence that simplicity in language can be so powerful.

Growing up until my university years, my life was literary. I’d nothing to do with the sciences whatsoever. This all changed when I started writing. I started to read books on trees, which led to books on music, then in the last 15 years I’ve been totally engrossed in philosophy, math, science and quantum mechanics.

RICHARD OH

@leilaschudori

@okkymadasari Author of Entrok, OKKY 86 and Maryam MADASARI As a kid, I liked reading detective stories by Alfred Hitchcock, like The Three Investigators. The book's suspenseful content made me want to become a detective myself. I started reading serious literature as an adult. The most memorable one is Umar Kayam’s Para Priyayi (Javanese Gentry). After reading that book, a thought occurred to me: I must write a novel. A novel that shows how a simple family story could capture society’s condition. I also realized that a story told in a simple way, like a fairy tale, really had the force to shake the soul.

For non-fiction, I read Michel Foucault, Edward Said, Antonio Gramsci and Karl Marx. They teach me to continuously question societal norms and dominant ideas instead of submitting ourselves to what the majority says.

Reading is the simplest political activity we can do.

LEILA S. CHUDORI

Author of Malam Terakhir (Last Night) and Nadira

I wrote for the first time when I was in grade five.

When I was a kid, I read Charles Dickens, Louisa May Alcott, Mark Twain, Soekanto S.A. and Djokolelono, as well as all the Mahabharata and Ramayana comic books from R.A. Kosasih.

As a teenager I read Nadine Gordimer, Virginia Woolf, Anne Sexton, Sylvia Plath, J.D. Salinger, Thomas Mann, Franz Kafka, Putu Wijaya, Rendra, Sutardji Calzoum Bachri and Ernest Hemingway.

As an adult I read Mario Vargas-Llosa, Alice Munro, Orhan Pamuk, Julian Barnes and Umberto Eco. They are writers who believe in the power of characters while still emphasizing the importance of plotline.

techTREATS

B

laupunkt turned heads with the release its Soundphone Sonido X1+ in May. While the brand is justifiably famous, some younger people may not be aware of its reputation for creating quality sound and multimedia systems for cars.

The German-based firm’s smartphone, priced at Rp 4.8 million when launched, currently goes for Rp 4 million.

This means that you can – and should – bring this baby home.

LOOK AND FEEL The Sonido X1+ is a candy bar phone with a soft-matte back and a rubbery finish. You can easily see that the phone is not premium, due to a lack of distinguishing design features.

At a glance, you may think that you have seen this kind of design before – if you disregard the Blaupunkt mark at the top.

Regardless, the material used in the phone’s manufacturer is exceptional, especially in the use of high resistance glass for the screen.

Things get interesting when the Sonido X1+ is paired with the bundled Blaupunkt BPA-102 headphones.

In an era when smartphone makers no longer give decent earphones with their products, the Sonido X1+ cannot be separated from its soulmates.

The headphones look stylish and can easily be resized to match your head. And yes, they are very comfortable.

Features and Performance The phone has an impressive set of specifications – or would have, if it were about Rp 1 million cheaper.

In the saturated local smartphone market, price points are important. Blaupunkt must have confidence that superior audio can justify a premium price tag for the Sonido X1+ with audiophiles.

After playing with the phone for more than a week, I’m actually not impressed with its performance as a phone – but this is common for any Android phone using older software. With the recent announcement of the impending release of Android Marshmallow (v6.0), the Android KitKat (v.4.4.x) operating system inside the Sonido X1+ can’t really optimize the

potential of the powerful hardware.

Pictures and Videos The main snapper at the back is great. It is able to shoot good images, quite on par with more expensive phones. The front camera is quite impressive, too. If you are into selfies, this is a camera deserving serious consideration.

However, the use of generic camera and video recording apps means that the Sonido X1+ leaves something to be desired out of the box.

But this is easily compensated for by downloading other apps from the Play Store.

Sounds as Good as It Looks BLAUPUNKT, A GERMAN FIRM BETTER KNOWN FOR CAR AUDIO SYSTEMS, HAS MADE ITS FIRST FORAY INTO THE WORLD OF SMARTPHONES WORDS Andry Togarma Herman PHOTOS Courtesy of Blaupunkt

Bits & bytes Capsule reviews for new releases

Fujitsu Lifebook U745 US$2,999 Built for professionals who are always on the move, the Fujitsu Lifebook U745 is a business ultrabook that weighs just 1.55kg and is 19mm thick despite having a spacious 14-inch display. It is designed so that users can easily swap batteries or upgrade memory.

It also comes with Fujitsu’s PalmSecure security feature, the world’s first contactless biometric security technology that uses palm vein patterns for user recognition.

A user just needs to position his palm so that it hovers over the PalmSecure sensor to log in.

Leica S (Type 007) $27,500 (body only)

No, that is not a typo on the price tag. Meet Leica’s latest medium-format camera.

With Leica’s Maestro II image processor and a 37.5-megapixel image sensor that is 56 percent bigger than those found in full-frame DSLRs, the Leica S (Type 007) delivers stunning image quality at a fast shooting speed of 3.5 frames per second. Its 2GB memory buffer allows you to shoot rapidly without worrying about losing that decisive moment.

Audio We finally come to the one feature that pushes this phone to the top of the list.

While the Sonido X1+’s built-in speaker is mediocre, the pairing with the BPA-102 is spectacular. I can now hear the benefits of having such a high-quality sound card inside.

Using what Blaupunkt describes as 3D sound stereo technology, the Sonido X1+ played every song exactly how I wanted to hear it.

While the headphones are smaller than what I typically use, they do their job superlatively.

I felt as if I was isolated from the outside world whenever a song was played, as if I was using in-ear buds.

Out of curiosity, I switched things up by using my favorite earphones on this phone and used the BPA102 on my daily phone. The conclusion: The Sonido X1+ and its soulmate headphones should always go together.

Verdict As a German company, having the best technology is what matters most. Blaupunkt has ably channeled its audio experience into a new arena. Specswise, this is a solid smartphone, but, as with every computer, hardware performs only as well as its supporting software.

That’s what might make things a little tougher for the Sonido X1+ to compete, especially in its price range. However, if you’re an audiophile in the market for a smartphone, this is one gadget that should be on your list.

Samsung Gear S2 From $448, available from Oct 2 The Samsung Gear S2 is a smartwatch that looks like a conventional timepiece. It is only 11.4mm thick and has a 1.2-inch (360 x 360 pixels) circular touchscreen display that makes it look like any other watch.

But its bezel is rotatable and can be used to toggle through and quickly access notifications, settings and applications. The smartwatch is said to last for three days on a full charge.

The Gear S2 comes in dark grey or silver.

There is also the Gear S2 Classic ($548) model that has a more classic timepiece design. It is available only in black. -ANN/Straits Times

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cover story

WORDS

& PICTURES

THE JOURNEY OF Djenar Maesa Ayu FROM PROVOCATIVE WRITER TO PROVOCATIVE FILMMAKER Words Sebastian Partogi Photos Arief Suhardiman

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cover story

S

ay the name Djenar Maesa Ayu and people think of one of the nation’s most acclaimed authors.

The 42-year-old broke into the world of Indonesian letters in 2002, when she published the short story anthology Mereka Bilang, Saya Monyet! (They Say I’m a Monkey!), which unabashedly shoved back at the boundaries of what could be written about sexuality and violence at the time.

What you might not know is that Djenar is also a director currently working on her third film, NAY, which has wrapped shooting and is lingering in the editing phase for a want of funds.

“I never planned to become a filmmaker,” said Djenar, the daughter of late prominent Indonesian moviemaker Sjumandjaja and actress Tutie Kirana, when JPlus interviewed her recently.

ACT ONE: ORIGINS “After Monyet was launched in 2002, an investor approached me to write a film, which I had never done before,” Djenar said. “The investor promised me that I would be free to explore whatever themes I wanted.”

Thinking she would be foolish not to seize that opportunity, Djenar took a class at the Television and Film Education Center (P2FTV) in Jakarta.

“After I finished my course, I took [television presenter] Indra Herlambang to work on the script with me.”

Djenar wrote the film’s script, about a young woman who tries to escape an abusive upbringing and who finally finds solace in writing, which she adapted from three of her short stories, “Lintah” (Leech), “Melukis Jendela” (Painting a Window) and “Durian”, from her debut collection.

“When we offered the investor the final script, he unexpectedly rejected it. So we decided to find another investor, thinking it would be a shame if we stopped the project. We finally were able to raise approximately Rp 600 million [US$41,940], and released the film,” she continues.

The movie won several awards at the 2008 Indonesian Movie Awards, as well as several Citras, the Indonesian equivalent to the Oscars, at the 2009 Indonesian Film Festival.

“I knew that my strength lied in writing the script, which is the foundation of any movie. That’s why it took two years for Indra and I to develop the script for this one,” she says.

“I also learned to manage my ego while making the film. I had to regulate my emotions. When I write short fiction, I can just yell profanities when I’m frustrated, but I can’t do so when I work with lots of other people.” She laughs. “Finally, I learned to open myself up to other people’s ideas, because I needed their input.”

ACT TWO: CRISIS “The positive critique and awards given to my first movie made me experience something that felt like multiple orgasms,” she says, smiling.

The inclusion of Monyet in several film festivals gave Djenar a chance to meet several independent filmmakers and to see their works.

The experience inspired Djenar to veer into experimentation with her second film, SAIA, in 2009. “I wrote SAIA, which speaks about how our bodies respond to psychological trauma. When we go through something traumatic, we can pretend to

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cover story

When [saia] was accepted in erotic film festivals, I backtracked. I did not intend for it to be erotic. I think this is also my fault. I’m still unable to present the body as something that is not merely erotic.

laugh, sit still and act tough – but the trauma might cause us to be physically ill.”

The 80-minute film, which was made without sound, tells the story of a woman, Saia, who, on a daily basis, watches and videotapes through her window the sexual violence that she sees in the house next door.

The movie was never released. “When it was accepted in erotic film festivals, I backtracked. I did not intend for it to be erotic. I think this is also my fault. I’m still unable to present the body as something that is not merely erotic,” she says.

ACT THREE: DENOUEMENT In 2014, Djenar wrote the script for Monolog Tiga Perempuan (The Monologue of Three Women), for the actress Ine Febriyanti. The monologues were staged at the Galeri Indonesia Kaya cultural center last October.

After watching the monologue, Djenar slept over at a friend’s house and they watched the movie Locke together.

“The movie’s dominant setting is in a car, and I thought that this could be the medium for my next movie, which would be based on Ine’s monologue,” Djenar says of the origins of her third film.

A sudden rush of inspiration drove her to write the script in about a month.

The film, titled NAY after Ine’s character in the monologue, tells a story of a confused woman who has just found out that she is pregnant out of a wedlock.

NAY features as its sole actress Ine, whose character is trapped in traffic throughout the film. Other actors make voice cameos via cellular phone calls.

“It is a metaphor for a journey,” Djenar says. “A lot of times, we think that our journey will be smooth and linear, when in fact we find lots of obstacles along the way, which force us to take detours.”

She continues. “The car is a metaphor for social norms and expectations that often become hurdles in our decision-making process. But despite these hurdles we still have to make our own decisions.”

To shoot the movie, a truck was used to elevate two cars, one with Djenar the director and cinematographer and the other with Ine inside.

“We needed to raise Rp 1.5 billion for that. Initially

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I planned to raise the money in three different crowdfunding stages through wujudkan.com. Eventually, after realizing how hard it was to raise Rp 250 million during the first phase, I decided to rely on other sources,” she says.

Film critic Totot Indrarto says that Djenar might find difficulties in finding investors for her movies due to their non-mainstream nature.

“Her films are very good because they are very personal and she can capture the dynamics through which sexual violence and trauma can leave such a deep mark on a person,” Totot tells JPlus during a phone interview.

“Djenar’s films force us to confront our own ugliness, which makes a lot of people uncomfortable, because many of them aren’t ready to do that. Although sexual violence against women is a social fact, some people just choose to turn a blind eye to it,” he says.

Djenar says that all her films, along with her short stories, focus on women. “The reason is simple. I am a woman with two daughters and one granddaughter. I know the world is not a safe place for them. So I write to express my own anxieties about this issue.”

According to Totot, in Europe and America, nonmainstream movies like Djenar’s are able to be made thanks to a cross-subsidization scheme.

For example, if a commercial filmmaker earns lot of money through a movie, he will then subsidize independent filmmakers to make their movies happen.

“In the 1980s, local filmmakers like Sjumandjaja and Teguh Karya benefited from this. Unfortunately, due to the small money currently generated by Indonesian cinemas, movie makers like Djenar can’t benefit from such a scheme yet,” he says.

Djenar says that aside from the money collected through crowd funding, she gets sponsorship from Rumah Karya Syuman, a production house established by her brothers, musician Aksan Syuman and dancer Yudistira Syuman.

Mini Cooper and cellular phone provider XL have also invested in the movie.

“But I’m still looking for money to finance the production and [exhibition] permit processes, among other things. From the total budget of more or less Rp 1.5 billion, we have collected Rp 1.3 billion so far.”

When asked how she will get the money, she’s phlegmatic. “I don’t know. That’s why I’m stressed out now. Could you help me out?”

TELLING TALES Djenar says that she keeps making films despite the challenges to pursue her passion for storytelling.

“A creator’s main objective is to tell a story, be it through writings, paintings, whatever,” she says. “Through storytelling, I’m able to present facts and deal with my anxieties as a mother and grandmother.”

According to Djenar, the greatest satisfaction in filmmaking comes from seeing her ideas transmogrified into sounds and pictures. “Like seeing the results on the monitor, when yesterday these things were just ideas that we discussed,”she says. “It’s like being pregnant and feel your baby moving inside for the first time.”

While Djenar watches all kinds of movies for inspiration, Amores Peros byAlejandro González Iñárritu and A Taste of Cherry by Abbas Kiarostami are particular favorites.

She says her father, who won five Citra awards during his lifetime, remains her idol filmmaker until today.

“He taught us to create with honesty – to create things according to our own drives and desires, without caring about what the investors want. Because in the end, it is honesty that will touch the audience or readers or whatever it is,” she says.

Off screen If I was not a writer/filmmaker, I would be...

A full-time mother. I started writing as a profession after I got married, and I really can’t think of any other thing that I’m good at. I love my crazy babies [laughs] although sometimes we quarrel.

I love to cook...

All kinds of tempeh whether it’s served with soy sauce or chili. I’m a vegetarian because I love animals and don’t want to serve violence on my plate. But I don’t really like vegetables and fruits, that’s why I go for tempeh. However, I cook meat for my daughters and granddaughter because they love it.

My anxieties...

I’ve always been a fearless person since I was a kid, but the birth of my first daughter has changed everything. I start to be afraid of heights and driving on toll roads because they remind me of death. I started to be afraid of death once I realize that life is so precious, and I want to always be there for my kids.

cultureVULTURE

On the banks of the Siene ROMI PERBAWA MAKES HIS BOW AT THE PHOTOQUAI IN PARIS

WORDS Kunang Helmi PHOTOS romi perbawa

Soft-spoken but determined, Romi Perbawa spoke idealistically about his vision as a photographer at the recently opened Photoquai exhibition in Paris.

“To help all those poor Indonesian children whose parents are working abroad or earning very little to help their offspring, especially in their education,” Romi said at the launch of the biannual event organized by the Musée de Quai Branly.

Romi spent four years documenting the child jockeys of Sumbawa Island in West Nusa Tenggara, resulting in two photo books, one titled Riders of Destiny, the other self-published.

Riders of Destiny, which was published by Afterhours Books, will be on display in October at the Frankfurt Book Fair, where Indonesia is the guest of honor.

Romi first grew interested in the project after watching young jockeys race on horses bareback in Sumbawa in 2010.

After witnessing one of the children thrown from a horse, Romi said he was determined to document the life

of the boy’s peers, who typically ranged between six and 12 years of age.

The project took four years to complete, as he searched for sponsors.

Now, Romi says that he wants to travel through Asia, tracing the routes taken by Indonesians working illegally in countries such as Malaysia and documenting the lives of their children, often left behind in the care of grandparents.

Before coming to Paris for the Photoquai, Perbawa was in France for the International Photojournalism Festival of Perpignan. “Most of my work has been published in foreign magazines such as VSD, The Guardian and The Independent,” Romi said in an interview. “Only Kompas in Indonesia has published a portfolio of my photography.

I believe that this is because my work is considered

documentary and not art in Indonesia.”

The fifth edition of Photoquai, held at an open-air venue on the banks of the Siene River, was curated by Frank Kalero, aided by Fijianborn Kevin Wy Lee in arranging the Asian section, which included photographers from Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Pakistan, South Korea and Vietnam.

Kalero Lee first encountered Romi at the Foto Festival of Angkor, Cambodia earlier this year, and were struck by his documentary work.

The 40 photographers represented at Photoquai also come from nations in Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and Russia. Among the few women photographers represented, Delphine Diallo from Senegal presented a striking choice of portraits.

Born in 1973 in Kutoarjo, Central Java; Romi, who lives in Surabaya, East Java, studied accounting before taking photo courses at the Antara Photojournalism Gallery and Institute Panna in Jakarta.

Behind The Lens UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH CELEBRATED PHOTOGRAPHER RONI BACHRONI FOUZI. Words Willy Wilson

The rise of digital camera and photo editing apps have made it possible for everyone to call himself a photographer.

But few have been able to meet the expectations of both fashion editors, corporate clients and bridezillas.

Meet Roni Bachroni Fouzi, the 40-yearold photographer who’s done all of the above and then some. He’s shot the fashion editorials of all the magazines that matter, commercial catalogues and, perhaps most lucratively, wedding pictures. He recently collaborated with Hasanah Card BNI Syariah, Canon and Wardah cosmetics to shoot a model wearing colourful creations of Indonesian designers in the streets of Paris. Here, Fouzi talks art, money and the “me me me!” bridezilas.

Photography by Roni Bachroni Fouzi MUA Jho Cruzat for Wardah. Supported by Canon and Hasanah Card BNI Syariah

Question: Indonesia’s wedding industry is worth US$7 billion, of which photography is a huge part. Why do people pay so much?

Answer: It boils down to the amount of time and resources required for wedding photographs. Our job is to capture the moments that holds emotions, moods and

sentiments, and we never know when those moments arise. So we dedicate days with the families, which means we can’t take any other projects.

That wedding photography are beautiful is a given. But the trend is to have pre-wed photos, which rather corny, don’t you think?

I think pre-wed photos are essentially an outlet for the couple to express themselves, showing their personal aesthetics. It is also a matter of personal taste. I’ve had clients with good taste, and they understand the artistic inputs that I gave. I’ve also had clients who were adamant with their questionable taste. But hey, I’m not in the business to tell my clients off [laughs].

Tell us about your recent shoot in Paris.

I was supposed to cover the fashion week in Paris on behalf of a fashion magazine, but then job was called off at the last minute. I decided to just fly to Paris. I had 16 Indonesian designer outfits in my trunk, and I wanted to shoot them on the streets of Paris.

Fortunately, BNI Syariah, Canon and Wardah

cosmetics supported my trip. Upon arriving in Paris, I met a Paris-based, Filipino make-up artist who helped me set up everything for the shoot. It proved to a very enlightening journey, an artistic pilgrimage to refresh my creativity.

Sounds fun! By the way, we came across a Youtube clip of you in a dating game show.

That girl that you eventually went home with seemed to be very keen on you - she was the last girl standing. Did you guys actually date after the show?

No we didn’t. And yes, she was the last girl standing.

It was your singing that killed it, wasn’t it?

Now, listen, I am a decent singer [laughs], but obviously without rehearsal I couldn’t perform as good as I would like to. I joined the show because a friend of mine was a crew, and the show didn’t have enough participants. I did it as a favour to him. OK fine, they paid me IDR 2 million [laughs].

JPlus

October 4, 2015

9

wander lust

Painters’

Paradise A WEEKEND GETAWAY IN HONFLEUR, THE TOWN THAT INSPIRED THE IMPRESSIONISTS WORDS & Photos Pebyana Susanto

“B

onjour,” said the large greyhaired man, the owner of a tiny cafe, greeting me as I walked passed him on a narrow street of cobblestones in Honfleur.

The man was on his way to open his establishment, Travel’s Coffee, while I was about to enjoy the serenity of a quiet morning in this historically rich French village on the Normandy coast.

As an early riser, I wandered along Honfleur’s medieval streets without bumping into a single tourist – a rare occurrence.

Famous for its picturesque port – and as featured in the works of many Impressionist painters – Honfleur is a

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vibrant and busy town all year round. About three million people visit each year.

As I made my way down along Rue du Puits, the smell of a fresh, hot croissants in the distance filled my nose.

I hurried to a small square in front of Church of Saint Catherine and took a right turn.

This serene morning would not be complete without having a fresh croissant from Maison Tetard, an artisanal bakery selling delicious French pastries and delicacies, from croissants to macaroons.

With a pain au chocolat on one hand and camera in the other, I continued toward Honfleur’s port, known locally as the Vieux Bassin.

As I strolled down along the cafes and restaurants,

As the sun started to shine and bigbellied clouds spread out, the buildings were colorfully lit and the reflections on the water created an impressive scene.

I sat silently in front of the carousel, fascinated by the light and its effects in the picturesque scene.

I understood why this place is known as a painters’ paradise and I tell you, as Boudin said to Monet: “I want to show you Honfleur, I want you to see the light.”

I could not stop thinking about how enchanting this 17th-century harbor was.

Elegant boats moored at the pier, highrise colorful houses jostling along the quays and the perfect reflection of the scenic background on the still water all added a touch of charm to this beautiful old port.

During the day, you can hear sweet melodies coming from a gorgeous oldfashioned carousel tucked away in one corner of the harbor.

Founded in the 11th century, Honfleur was was created to protect the mouth of the Seine River from the attacks from the English.

In 1824, the artist Eugene Bodin was born here. The talented French painter introduced Honfleur to the world though his amazing artwork, mostly featuring Honfleur’s landscape and the ever-changing skies of the estuary.

Boudin even prompted Claude Monet, the father of Impressionism, to come to Honfleur and experience its light, which explains why the town is rich in art galleries and a muse for the Impressionists.

Nowadays, Honfluer, is famous among the French as the ideal place for a weekend getaway, offering plentiful amounts of good food, history, culture and sightseeing.

With an array of budget-friendly cafes, Michelin-star restaurants, luxurious boutiques and Normandy specialty shops, Honfleur has grown into a town that can satisfy all visitors, not just those interested in the arts.

Many are attracted by the chance to visit a traditionally authentic Norman town, with a maze of tiny cobbled streets and colorful, half-timber houses that immediately transport visitors into he Middle Ages.

One must-visit place in Honfleur is the aforementioned Church of Saint Catherine, the oldest and largest wooden church in France, made by local shipbuilders using naval construction techniques. (Its ceiling resembles the hull of a ship).

If you go..

DRIVE Located in Calvados, lower Normandy in the northwestern France, Honfleur can be by a 2.5-hour drive from Paris. The best and fastest option to reach Honfleur from Paris airport is by car, since Honfleur does not have its own train station.

Stay Le Fond de la Cour, located in a peaceful quarter of Honfleur, is a perfect choice.

The pretty courtyard, the silence of surroundings and the contemporary French interior of the two-bedroom stable we rented made us feel welcomed and relaxed, as we ended our night away from the bustle of Honfleur’s tourists.

The church was built in thanksgiving as the British left the port after the war.

Stone and masonry were expensive at that time, thus wood was used to build the church, giving a warm feeling to those who enter.

Exploring Honfleur by foot is the best way to enjoy the tiny town. If you are adventurous, hike toward the Chapel of Notre Dame de Grace and reward yourself with a stunning view of the estuary and Le Havre Bridge.

When your wandering feet need a break from the town’s small and winding streets, indulge yourself with delicious crepes or fresh seafood from one of Honfleur’s various restaurants. My favorite was Creperie des Arts, a traditional creperie that also featured a huge selection of galletes.

Must-trys are the salted caramel crepes and Normandy cider, both local specialites.

If you think you have explored every corner of this fishing town, follow my advice: Walk back to the Old Port and take time to admire the boats, colorful houses and blue skies, as I did on my last morning in Honfleur.

EAT A visit to Honfleur’s specialties shops is a must. The salted caramels, sablé biscuits, cider, Calvados and other Norman delicacies are worth bringing home.

JPlus

October 4, 2015 11

good LIVING

Contouring vs. Strobing TECHNIQUES FOR THOSE IN SEARCH OF PERFECTION WORDS Fedina S. Sundaryani PHOTOS AFP

When thinking about makeup, one usually focuses on the glamorous aspects such as which lipstick you should go for — a classic red or a brave blue? Or whether or not glitter eyeshadow is necessary (there’s never really a bad time for it). But in the past few years, everyone has been paying more attention to base makeup, specifically how it can change your face shape instantly. Although contouring has become very popular, its cousin “strobing” has recently stolen the spotlight. Though they may seem similar, there are some differences that may convince you to prefer one over the other. and meshes with your skin and foundation to give the most undetectable contour.

COLOR

CONTOURING

Contouring has been the makeup artist’s secret weapon for decades, as it gives back dimension to your face that you may have lost after slapping on some foundation and powder. It also photographs beautifully. The technique entered the mainstream for makeup lovers when Kim Kardashian started touting it as one of her beauty secrets, one that she almost never leaves home without, giving her sharp-looking cheekbones without the surgery. Since then, beauty bloggers and makeup artists have been more willing to teach the public contouring skills so that everyone, not just celebrities, can have higher cheekbones, smaller foreheads and a narrower noses.

CHOOSE YOUR MEDIUM

If you’re a beginner, then it’s best to choose a powder formula —which can be a special contour powder, a bronzer, a blush or even an eyeshadow — over a cream or liquid formula, as it is easy to blend out with some translucent if you think you’ve overdone it. On the other hand, a cream or liquid formula looks much more natural

Apart from picking a shade that is around two to three shades darker than your natural skin tone, you also have to consider the undertone of the shade. Although bronzers are usually the go-to for contouring, many are too red to create a believable shadow. Instead, you should find shades that are more taupe and have a little grey undertone to it so you can easily fool everyone in believing that you have the same bone structure as Kate Moss.

READY TO ROLL

So now you’ve got your actual contour makeup, all you need to do is slap it on! Well, hold up because there’s a method to this madness. First you have to locate which areas you want to contour. This can include the hollows of your cheekbones (make a fish-face in the mirror to locate this area easily), your temples and the sides of the bridge of your nose. Some also like to contour their jawline for a sharper look.

BLEND

The most important thing to remember is to blend! Blend until there are no harsh lines and when you’re sure you’re done, just blend a little more to avoid looking like you stepped out of a 1980s music video.

Use a narrow but fluffy brush and blend upwards toward the side of your face or else your cheekbone contour will look a little dirty. Make sure to do the same with the contour on your temple and nose. If you’re using a cream or a liquid you can use your fingers as your warmth will help work it into your skin and make it look more natural.

MAKE IT POP

Highlight with a powder or cream a shade lighter than your natural skin tone in places where you want your features to pop. This can be on your cheekbones, the bridge of your nose and under your eyes.

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STROBING

Strobing is contouring’s glowy, more ethereal cousin. With a focus on highlighting and soft, creamy and dewy textures, it can easily go wrong as you turn into an oily slick in the heady temperatures of the equator. That being said, don’t shy away just yet! When done right, people will be asking you why you’re looking so radiant. Those who enjoy strobing tend to avoid contouring as this method emphasizes softness and veers away from harsh lines.

high points of your face, or where light naturally hits first. This includes the top of your cheekbones, your brow bone, the bridge of your nose and your cupid’s bow (that U-shaped curve just on top of your lips). If you’re feeling a little adventurous then try blending some highlighter on your chin and on top of your eyebrows.

However, if your skin tends to veer on the oily side, try to avoid highlighting your Tzone as this is where you get oily first.

CHOOSE YOUR MEDIUM

Go for either creams or liquids as they look the most natural and mesh into your skin. However, if you have extremely oily skin then a powder highlighter is also ideal. The key here is to find the right texture: make sure that the shimmers in your highlighter are fine and there are no gritty glitter bits that will give away the source of your glow.

COLOR

Choose highlighting colors that complement your skin tone. A champagne suits most skin tones, but if you have extremely fair skin then pinks are more your lane and if you have darker skin then go for gold!

That being said, bronze and white-colored highlighters are also available and can suit many skin tones with a lot of blending. It’s not easy to go wrong with highlighter so go wild and experiment.

READY TO ROLL

Location, location, location. Use your fingers or a highlighting brush to place your product of choice on all the

BLEND

Just as in contouring, it’s important to blend to make sure that there are no harsh lines. So make sure that you really work in your highlighter so that it looks like it’s part of your skin.

MAKE IT POP

If you want to go the extra mile to really amp up the glow and look like you’ve done a real-life Photoshop job, then you should try layering your products. Try adding a pump of liquid highlighter with your normal foundation and apply it all over. Then, place cream highlighter on the high points of your face before placing a powder highlighter over the top to really glow.

good LIVING

Minority

report

F

or decades, most cosmetics brands didn’t go after minorities. Instead, they made products catering to a narrow margin of skin tone and color, and left a handful of companies dedicated to multicultural women to deal with the rest of the shades.

That’s starting to change, with both mainstream and ethnic beauty lines going after a more diverse customer.

It’s a profound shift: The women who were once all but ignored by the majority of the beauty market are now being wooed at every counter.

Mainstream lines such as L'Oréal-owned Lancôme are adding more complexion colors, tweaking their products to make them more appealing to nonwhite customers, and signing up nonwhite spokeswomen or models.

Meanwhile, lines that have always been dedicated to multicultural women, including Cover FX, Fashion Fair, and Iman Cosmetics, are touting that they have more shades than ever before.

Global beauty behemoths, like Avon and Procter & Gamble, have seen fewer profits in part because women are gravitating to brands that work better for multi-ethnic women, according to the Business of Fashion.

“Today a woman almost expects to go to a brand she wants to buy and find her shade," says Sharon Collier, Cover FX’s president.

"It's offensive to her when she can't find her shade. It makes her feel like she's not being recognized by the company.”

This year, L'Oréal bought Carol's Daughter, the natural beauty company that specializes in products for black women, after its stores filed for bankruptcy.

Lancôme also named actress Lupita Nyong'o its brand “ambassadress” in 2014, a first for the company (although it has used nonwhite models in past campaigns).

“Hopefully it’s a symbiotic relationship,” Nyong’o told Women’s Wear Daily earlier this year. “That I benefit from being associated with them, and they benefit from being associated with me, as well.”

Nyong’o’s first print advertisement for Lancôme, for its Teint Idole foundation (which comes in 35 shades), was

CUSTOMERS WHO WERE ONCE IGNORED

BY THE BEAUTY INDUSTRY ARE NOW BEING WOOED AT EVERY COUNTER. WORDS Kayleen Schaefer PHOTOS AFP, BRANDS

universally praised by fashion industry watchers.

Actress Zoe Saldana was also named a L’Oréal Paris spokesperson in 2014.

Over the last five years, L’Oréal had generally trailed Estée Lauder when it came to brands that appeal to diverse customers.

Estée’s Clinique makes its Even Better Makeup SPF 15 in 30 different shades, from “very fair” to “deep” (with 16 colors from “medium” to “deep”), and Bobbi Brown Cosmetics sells its foundations and powders in 20 shades, half of which range from tan to espresso.

Most experts say M.A.C. Cosmetics, the Estée Lauder-owned company which opened its first store in New York in 1991, is the only beauty brand that’s seen as equally appealing to all races, and point to its diverse spokespeople, from Lil’ Kim to Miley Cyrus to The Simpsons family, as proof.

New brands are cropping up all the time. Mixed Chicks, a hair brand lauded by celebrities like Halle Berry, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Ciara, expanded to makeup in May—its first product is a dual foundation-and-bronzer stick.

The stalwart beauty brands for women of color, which once targeted only black women, such as Fashion Fair Cosmetics (launched in 1973), Iman Cosmetics (founded in 1994 imAN by the Somali-born supermodel Iman), and CoverGirl’s Queen Collection (started in 2006 and named after rapper Queen Latifah), have also been trying to expand their appeal to women of all skin tones.

Cover FX (launched in 2000) now has 40 colors of foundation, up from 28 a year ago, and Iman has begun using Asian, Latina, Middle Eastern, and Native American models in its ads and testing its products on a wider range of women. “I was admittedly comfortable with Iman Cosmetics being identified as a beauty brand that filled the gap for black

women because it was deeply personal for . “However, as we me,” Iman wrote in gathered more information about the game we were in, we started to shift into the more holistic vision that we are known for now throughout our positioning and advertising: Women of all skin tones want to look good when they rule the world.”

Others question whether these brands are truly creating a more universal collection of products, or just making it look like they are. Lionel Durand, the chief executive officer of Paris-based Black|Up, a brand for ethnic women, thinks that some of the non-ethnic brands that sign up nonwhite celebrities as spokespeople or faces “are fake a little bit,” he says, “because they aren't specified for women of color. They say, ‘We deal with and treat all types of women,’ LUPITA nYONG'O but when you look carefully at the range, it's not right.”

But he does agree—in this new age of trying to reach everyone— the demographics brands used to market to matter less than the products they have today. “There are no boundaries anymore,” he says.

“We have a huge community of Arab people using our products because we have the right shades. At the end of the day, the woman in 2015 is looking to find the perfect shade.”

JPlus

October 4, 2015 13

at your Leisure

cairo streetside IN SHABBY BACKSTREETS, DINERS FIND A REAL TASTE OF CAIRO Words and Photos AFP

Through streets strewn with rubbish where laundry lines hang from shabby apartment blocks, the tantalizing smell of grilled kebabs lures patrons from across Cairo.

Kaber Subhi, in the Egyptian capital’s suburb of Shubra, is one of a number of eateries that have become hits across the vast metropolis decrepit surroundings.

One specializing in spicy sausage sandwiches even goes by the name Zizo Natana – the second word meaning “fetid” in Arabic.

These restaurants are becoming magnets for discerning diners, appealing not only to residents of Cairo’s poorer neighborhoods but also drawing well-to-do clients willing to travel across town.

At Kaber Subhi, the patrons may arrive in expensive cars but they sit at tables in an alleyway shooing away tenacious stray cats.

The restaurant is one of thousands in the city offering the staples of kofta, ground meat grilled on a spit, and kebab, pieces of beef or mutton, but customers say the dishes here are special.

“It is a mix of secret sauces,” says owner Subhi al-Sayyid.

As boisterous patrons finish off their

plates, no one is bothered by the run-down atmosphere.

Nearby, a worker cuts pieces of meat that are placed on the charcoal grill, also in the alley, sending up clouds of smoke.

“Everything happens in front of us,” says Walid Rashad, a 33-year-old engineer.

Evita Adib, a 30-year-old doctor, arrives with her husband, having traveled from the affluent Heliopolis neighborhood for Kaber Subhi’s molokhiya.

The Middle Eastern staple consists of a broth made from Jute leaves. Each country has its way of preparing the dish, which in Egypt is served thin and slimy, often with rice, chicken or rabbit on the side and sprinkled with a pungent mix of fried garlic and coriander.

“We could have had dinner anywhere

close to home but this place tastes different,” Adib says. “Here you feel the real pulse and spirit of life.”

Not far from Kaber Subhi, a restaurant specializing in a dish known as tagen has also grown famous well across the city.

Bibo cooks its meat and vegetable casseroles in small clay containers, which customers can order after navigating several dark streets.

Pots of mutton, rice and liver fill up the tables at Bibo, along with thin plastic cups of what’s known as “the whiskey” -- not liquor but a dressing of lemon, vinegar and cumin that customers sip.

The restaurant also spills out onto the street.

Outside the remains of Old Cairo’s Fatimid-era wall, Zizo Natana serves the capital’s most famous sausage sandwiches at tables on the street.

Hajj Zizo, the owner, has come to terms with his restaurant being known by its malodorous epithet, conceived by the legendary comedian and actor Adel Imam.

In his 2003 film The Danish Experience, Imam, who plays a government minister, asks his snooty sons where they want to go for dinner, proposing one foul-sounding restaurant after another.

“Should we go to Zizo the Fetid?” he asks in the film, and the name stuck.

“He’s my friend,” Hajj Zizo says of Imam.

“Of course I sued him.

food truck fever IN MEXICO, FOOD TRUCKS STRUGGLE TO FIT IN WORDS Yemeli ORTEGA Photos Ronaldo Schmidt

In a colorful truck painted with flowers, chef Luis Castillejos serves tlayudas – a toasted corn tortilla topped with shredded beef, avocado, cheese and hot salsa – to customers in Mexico City.

He has dubbed his truck Nanixhe, which means “delicious” in the indigenous Zapotec language, and the former accountant proposes to serve traditional food with “a gourmet touch.”

But instead of driving around the city to find hungry office workers, his vehicle is stuck in a parking lot along with other food trucks.

While the sidewalks of Mexico City are crowded with small food stands that draw big lunch crowds, it has found little space in its heart for gourmet food trucks, which have become mainstays in other major cities such as New York.

The kitchens-on-wheels are in a legal

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limbo in the mega-capital, where police chase them out of the streets while lawmakers fail to regulate their businesses, forcing them to huddle in places like parking lots or street fairs.

“We want to work in a legal way,” Castillejos said.

With the help of social media, the food trucks manage to advertise their locations to their loyal customers, publishing pictures of their menus, ranging from sushi to Lebanese kebabs.

“It’s something original and there aren’t many places to eat something different near the office,” said Miguel Mendoza, a 39-year-old accountant feasting on ceviche.

Twitter, Facebook, Periscope and Instagram are “the main engines that drive the business,” said Jorge Udelman, a Venezuelan chef with 20 years of experience who parks at drive-in movie theaters, concerts or private parties.

Udelman makes Venezuela’s

traditional arepas, corn cakes stuffed with all sorts of fillings, in a turquoise van. He doubts that the city government will ever give permits to food trucks.

“It’s more interested in votes to stay in power than allowing a nicer offering” for foodies, he said.

When food trucks park on a street, “transit police or a borough authority arrives” to kick them out, said Fernando Reyes, president of Foodtrucks DF, an association that represents dozens of the city’s nearly 300 food trucks.

While they now exist in the northwestern border city of Tijuana and

the Caribbean resort of Cancun, food trucks cannot operate freely like in other countries, Reyes lamented.

While such vehicles struggle to find a place in the city, the traditional food stands are everywhere, with their owners admitting that they pay bribes to stay open.

Several bills have been proposed in the capital’s legislature to allow food trucks to operate as long as their food quality and gas and water tanks are regulated.

Priscila Vera, a former city lawmaker for the conservative National Action Party, said the proposed legislation was killed due to “complicity” between the authorities and leaders of the street food stands.

Reyes said, the food truckers want to work legally and pay taxes, promising high sanitary standards with stainless steel stoves, water tanks and refrigeration.

His association is pushing for legislators to revive the bill to finally give food trucks a place in the capital, home to 20 million hungry people.

tasteBUD

the taste of sweet

& sour

A RECIPE FOR NO-BAKE LEMON CHEESECAKE POTS

WORDS & PHOTOS Theodora Hurustiati

A

utumn has just arrived and the life around me starts to assume yellow and orange hues, even at market stalls, with the arrivals of oranges and lemons. I’m mad about citrus fruits of any type, from limes to grapefruits. Their colors bring sunshine into my kitchen during the cold months here, when daylight is lacking. Some think of sun when they think of Italy; but where I live, in the northeastern part of the country, we’re never certain of its presence – even in summer. While I never worried about this when I lived in Indonesia, the absence of the sun does bring your mood down. When this happens, nothing beats the aroma of freshly cut lemons to lift my spirits during the rainy and gloomy days of fall at the base of the Alps.

One of my favorite recipes using lemons is cheesecake – and it takes only minutes to whip up this no-bake version. Instant joy!

•

•

•

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Serves 4 200 g cream cheese 200 g whipping cream 50 g confectioners’ sugar Zest of 1 lemon 75 g Digestive biscuits 25 g butter, melted

•

•

Place biscuits in a zip-lock bag. Crush using a rolling pin. Transfer to a bowl and incorporate the melted butter. Distribute between the four jars. Press to create about 0.5-cm biscuit base.

Grate the zest and juice the lemon. Set the juice aside to make the lemon curd and place the zest in a bowl along with cream cheese and sugar. Beat until sugar is dissolved.

Whip cream until stiff. Fold delicately to the beaten cream cheese. Divide equally into the jars. Tap the bases gently onto the kitchen counter to level the surface. Keep refrigerated while you prepare the lemon curd.

Place the curd ingredients in a heat resistant bowl. Place over a pan of simmering water. Whisk continuously until butter is melted, sugar is dissolved and the mixture thickens. Let cool.

Spread about 0.5-cm layer of the cooled lemon curd over the cheesecakes. You won’t need all of it; store the remaining curd in the refrigerator, possibly in an airtight jar. Use within two weeks.

Chill cheesecakes for a couple of hours to set and garnish with thin slices of lemon before serving.

Lemon curd 80 g sugar 40 g butter Juice of 1 lemon (about 50 ml) 1 egg

Jakarta-born chef Theodora Hurustiati, a 12-year resident of Udine, Italy, was the runner-up in the TV cooking program La Scuola – Cucina di Classe (The School: Classy Cooking) in 2011.

JPlus

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trendDIAL

MANSUR GRAVIE

In recent history of fashion, no other designer has enjoyed the fast-track rise of Mansur Graviel.

Finally, the label has hosted its first fashion week presentation at the ground floor of the Swiss Institute, creating blush walls lined with pink shelves along with models dressed atop rose-colored sofas while trying on shoes! Four simple silhouettes, available in five heel heights with 15 colorways are planned for release next season. Meanwhile, four new bag shapes were also presented, including circle bags and oversized clutches. Graviel’s has created a wonderland of the irresistible for the Spring collection.

JASON WU’S SPRING 2016

Ready for Jason Wu’s dressy yet wearable collection for Spring 2016? This time, Wu turns his original “Glamour” theme into light ruffle trench coats, bright blurry floral print dresses, a gorgeous coral pink cocktail dress, some clingy knit-mélange tweeds and more. Wu uses a minimalist approach in cutting, mixing it with softly fraying lightness and balanced with fabric folds, resulting in a bold look for necklines and shoulders. Although his cutting remains clean and light, the autumnal color palette gives the looks an airy look of romance. Suitable to pair with either flats or heels, Wu’s collection is a concoction of practicality and spring sweetness.

JPlus October 4, 2015

No girl would say no to Jimmy Choo – or to his latest collection. Featuring a vast range of colors and fabrics, Choo’s shoe series ranges from twisted leather uppers with severely sloping metallic heels, strong suedes and denim peep-toe booties to a cheerful palette of glitter-coated heels.

Taking a Los Angeles theme for the collection, Choo has developed just-right heel heights for sunny days spent as a pedestrian. Don’t worry about colors, as pieces are available in solid black, earthy brown and dark blue to more feminine shades of salmon pink, turquoise and gold.

September essentials wonderland of the irresistible

RED RAVEN

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JIMMY CHOO

Famous in the professional camera market and the camera maker behind blockbusters such as Jurassic World, Red Digital Cinema is introducing its Raven, an affordable camera aimed at indie filmmakers.

It offers quality 4K recording at 120fps and 2k AT 240fps. It is also one of the brand’s smallest and lightest cameras at just 1.6 kilograms and perfect for drone use. Whether shooting for documentaries, online content creation, or even indie filmmaking, Red Rave’s construction is ideal for any situation.

Now, this rad camera is not only accessible for those with top expertise, but for everyone.

A. Lange & Söhne

For men seeking to make a statement from watch, check out the A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Chronograph. Featuring a pulsometer scale, this series is only available in A. Lange & Söhne’s 16 boutiques worldwide. The unusual color scheme features nothing but white, silver and blue – certainly making it a head-turning essential, with a cool, crisp look. A dash of red was used to vitalize the classic dial design. The watch’s color palette and clean lines would not look out of place on the wrist of a high-end doctor. +Banyubening Prieta