Eric Setiawan’s Journal

I have never been through such a colourful month in my life like this June. Life which was filled with life and death. Happiness and sadness. Birth and marriage.

Starting on the first of June, my wedding day. After months of preparation, I was relieved that everything went smoothly. People told me that a wedding day is a tiring day. I believe them now. I wanted to invite all my family and friends. And they did come. That day wouldn’t exist without the help of my wife and all my friends who help organizing the schedule, played the music, taking wonderful pictures. Remembering today, that day was like a dream, too good to be true.

Right now - almost a month from then - I’m trying to live a life - a good life I hope - that’s different than before. There are several words to describe it. Different, difficult, mind-absorbing, emotional. Yet I can also add happiness, thankful, caring each other, and togetherness.

Just yesterday, I went to a funeral. Just like any other funeral, it’s full of tears especially from the family and close friends. I remember I also have some friends of my age who have gone - as most people said it - too early. Death is interesting. Everybody knows that it was destined to happen sooner or later. The feeling is almost like when you play against Michael Jordan. You know he’ll going to take the last shot before the buzzer, yet you can’t stop him from scoring. Or when you see David Beckham running on the wing, you know he’ll going to give a cross, yet you couldn’t stop him from assisting the score. I also remember a scene from Akira Kurosawa movie, Dreams, when people are celebrating the death of their love one, with a colourful dress. If we know it coming, should we celebrate it just like we celebrate birth?

There’s a saying that you should live your life by the way of what you want people to think of you on your funeral. And by how much people coming to your funeral. I believe by seeing yesterday funeral that she’s a good person. Hundreds of people came and more than 200 flowers were sent to the funeral. Then I realize that what’s matter is not only what you did in life but also what you did to others and your life seen through your parrents, your husband/wife, your children, your grandchildren for they’re also a reflection of your life. She’s 75 - if I’m not mistaken - and I’ve never knew her before. I came because I knew her sons-in-law and her grandchildren. Yet I know that everybody loves her.

My grandfather (from my mother side) was sick a week after my wedding day. I heard that he can hardly breathe, so my family took him to a hospital. I’ve never been close to him like I was close to my late grandmother (from my father side) but I always remember him as a strong person. Even in his old days - several years ago - he was still driving his small truck and delivering goods to other city. He’s a merchant and I think he will always be. Now he’s lying in bed. He looks so fragile and I can see how a man age. I feel sad but at the same time also amazed by the mystery of life. Just like death, aging is inevitable. He’s already passed his 90th birthday. It’s rare today to life your life that long. Rare but not impossible. I wish he can live to his blessed and happy 100th birthday.

Three couple, all are my friends, are expecting their first child soon. What a pleasant news! Congratulation, Budi and Linda, Handi and Kim, Kie Sheng and Nancy!

A friend - who live far away from here and never met before, just talk through e-mails! - are going to have his first solo exhibition. Photography exhibition of course. I’m one of the admirer of his photos and his passion for photography. I’m sure there will be more to come from him. Congratulation, Roberto!

Now that the ripple in the water of my life has calmed again, I’m thinking to do more in what I love, photography. Yes I know that I have mostly do what David Alan Harvey says as “random” pictures. Pictures that I took while I was walking, while I was in a car, while I was in the zoo. The pictures I took just because I found it interesting. These pictures can be seen “just” as a snapshots. But I say nothing wrong with it. In fact, I love most of my “random” pictures. I don’t have to put a box or a label in what I do. In a way, I find it good just depend on how you see it or how you put it in a story or how you put it in a series along with other photos. Just need to find different perspectives. See it in different point of view. And when it fails, perhaps we should see it in different point of time.

Ketika pemerintah mengumumkan penurunan tarif telepon, ah lega rasanya. Saat ini hampir tidak ada orang yang tidak menggunakan fasilitas telepon. Terutama handphone.

Ketika penyedia jasa layanan telepon seluler saling banting harga, ramai-ramai perang tarif dan fasilitas, ah seharusnya pengguna semakin diuntungkan. Harga terjangkau, fasilitas baik.

Saya sudah cukup lama menggunakan XL. Lebih dari 2 tahun. Alasannya sederhana. Dengan XL Bebas saya dapat gratis 100 SMS per hari ke sesama pengguna XL. Cukup untuk menjaga kontak dengan Lita, calon istri, tanpa boros pulsa.

Belakangan XL sedang gencar-gencarnya promosi. Cukup berhasil jika dilihat dari jumlah orang-orang di sekitar saya yang beralih ke XL. Sayangnya tidak diikuti dengan bukti atas janji-janjinya.

Sudah seminggu terakhir ini saya sulit menghubungi nomor lain. Nomor yang saya putar salah, katanya. Yang benar saja. Emosi ini rasanya meninggi ketika kata-kata yang sama berulang hingga tiga empat kali sebelum akhirnya benar-benar tersambung.

Sudah berapa kali pula SMS saya gagal terkirim. Perlu usaha beberapa kali sebelum akhirnya benar-benar terkirim. Benar-benar menguji batas kesabaran saya, apalagi di saat-saat saya benar-benar perlu menghubungi orang tersebut.

Ngobrol sepuasnya dengan tarif murah. Promosi ini benar-benar menggiurkan dan memang terbukti pada awal-awal saya mencobanya. Lebih baik telepon daripada SMS, itu pikir saya dan saya yakin kebanyakan orang yang beralih ke XL. Tapi patut diingat bahwa ini berlaku jika telepon Anda tidak terputus di tengah pembicaraan. Untuk bicara sejam, tergantung kapan kita menelepon, kita cukup membayar 600 rupiah saja. Tapi jika setiap 10 menit terputus, maka biaya akan menjadi 3600 rupiah. Entah sudah berapa kali pembicaraan saya di telepon terputus hari ini, hanya untuk kemudian berjuang lagi untuk menghubungi nomor yang sama. Nomor yang saya tuju salah. Panggilan sedang dialihkan. Tulalit. Apa yang harus saya lakukan?

Langkah paling baik yang ada dalam benak saya adalah telpon 817, customer service XL. Sudah sejak seminggu lalu saya mencoba menghubungi mereka. Tidak ada hasil. Jangankan berhasil mengeluh, komplain. Saya bahkan selalu dijawab oleh mesin penjawab bahwa mereka sedang melayani pelanggan lain. Tanda bahwa banyak yang komplain? Yang artinya XL sudah tidak sebaik dulu dan tidak sesuai dengan janji-janjinya. Lita yang mengisi pulsa bersama-sama di tempat yang sama di jam yang sama, tidak mendapat fasilitas gratis 100 SMS seperti yang dijanjikan. Saya dapat. Apa perbedaannya? Kelalaian toko? Karena customer service yang saat itu dihubungi meyakinkan bahwa pulsa yang diisi bukan Xtra, tapi pulsa Bebas biasa. Dia bilang sudah dilaporkan dan kami disuruh menunggu - entah menunggu apa. Hingga saat ini? Tidak ada perubahan.

Untuk XL. Saya kecewa. Benar-benar kecewa. Saya tunggu hingga akhir bulan ini. Tidak ada perubahan artinya selamat tinggal dan saya akan mencari pilihan lain yang lebih baik. Adios!

This is not a new idea. Especially after seeing 44 times two which is inspirational. But this is just for fun. One provide a photo for the other to complete and vice versa. Hopefully we can do this once a week. This is only the beginning.

44 times two:

Over the next 44 weeks, twice a week we will pair two photographs together of random images we have sent each other. There will be no consultation – the randomness of the pairings will be total. This is a visual site, a way of connecting two people with a desire to see where haphazard art can lead, across two countries, two backgrounds, two styles, two personalities. One will photograph in colour, the other in monochrome. One will photograph in macro, the other in wide angle. There will be no thematic investigations, but we are keen to see how the inherent themes of our lives interact with the photos we take and choose to submit.

A very interesting idea. Love the pairs of photos. Love the site design too.

My first interview with Radio Singapore International. The topic is about photoblog. I was nervous and can’t say a lot but I hope I can encourage more people in Indonesia to make a photoblog. You can also download the MP3 if you want to hear my lousy voice.

Will you ever quit taking pictures? No, I will take pictures until I die.

Our meeting was only 5 hours but at the end of today I have learned so much, a lesson in photography and in life. I feel that’s the kind of person Tay Kay Chin is. One of 2003 Hasselblad master. Whose works are acknowledged by a wide range of people. But let’s forget about it for a moment. Right now, he’s a friend who is visiting my hometown, Bandung. I think he is a simple man who knows exactly what he wants. A man with great ideas, I hope he gets the time to make it all happen. And no Kay Chin, you’re not old.

What did I get from him?

Encouragement. I know I’m easily touched by a song or a movie. But this is different. I actually found a new spirit. Eventhough he didn’t tell me what to do but I now know what I want to do. Well, at least I’m hoping I will head toward the right direction.

Finding what matters most to us. Sometimes we get inspirations from around us. Very close to us. Even from our home. Our daily life.

Do what we love most. Don’t do it for others or what others want or like. Do it because we like it. And if there people who don’t like it, so be it. If I do what I don’t like, I know I will regret it.

Free our mind. Photography is so free, the only limit should be our imagination.

A Panoramic Singapore book, a full stomach, and an open mind. What a night! Thanks for everything, Kay Chin!

So from today, I will not try to take pictures, I will tell stories through pictures. Talking pictures. I will not look for great exotic places to shoot, I will start from my home, my city. I will not try to be like other photographers, I will just follow my heart. And I definitely will not stop taking pictures because, just like him, I love doing it.

In 2005 I found Flickr. Through Flickr I have met - virtually - a lot of friends. One of them is Wout Folmer - a.k.a Woody or woodypix or budibass - a loving father, a good photographer, a great friend. He is also a musician in real life, playing his bass guitar as good as his camera. From the 3 years friendship I learn that he has some connection to Indonesia, you can see that he can speak some Bahasa Indonesia on Flickr. Now his connection are even stronger since he send me two CDs of two bands. Boystown and Piet Visser Band. What’s so special about it? He played in both band.

I have been dreaming to hear him play. To hear his music. Today, my dream come true. And Wout Folmer’s music is now officially playing from Bandung, Indonesia.

And to thank Woody, nothing better than to take these photos with my cameraphone. Well, this is not the same cameraphone that I used in 2005 but this will bring back some old memory indeed.

Thank you, Woody!

Lost Robert Capa, David Seymour and Gerda Taro negatives discovered

January 28, 2008—The International Center of Photography announced the discovery of a cache of over 3,500 negatives of the Spanish Civil War by Magnum Photographers and Founders, Robert Capa, David Seymour and Capa’s former partner Gerda Taro, three of the most significant war photographers of the twentieth century.

The negatives, created between 1936 and 1939, portray Spanish Republican soldiers, civilians in daily life and in battle and portraits of artists and writers such as Frederico Garcia Lorca and André Malraux.

The rolls were in small cardboard boxes, as well as some short strips of negatives. Some images are identified by photographer; other attributions are based on comparison to known works by the three photographers.

The negative archive (referred to as the “Mexican Suitcase,”) was left by Robert Capa when he fled Paris in 1939 to come to America, and was presumed lost until it mysteriously appeared in Mexico in 1995. Exactly how the negatives reached Mexico is not definitively known.

As soon as the newly discovered “Mexican Suitcase” work is available for reproduction, it will be added to Magnum Photos on-line archive. An announcement will be made on Magnum’s website (www.magnumphotos.com) when available for viewing and licensing.