Places That Interest Me...

Random photos of some of the places that intrigue me here in Sydney and overseas...

[arjuna-vallabha]

Men as Semara, the God of love (Kama Deva), Bali

[jasfhercallejo]

“We travel because we need to, because distance and difference are the  secret tonic to creativity. When we get home, home is still the same, but something in our minds has changed. That changes everything.” - Jonah Lehrer

Bali is a living postcard; an Indonesian paradise that feels like a fantasy.

The rich and diverse culture of Bali plays out at all levels of life, from the exquisite flower-petal offerings called canang placed everywhere, to the processions of locals, shutting down major roads as they march to one of their temple ceremonies, to the otherworldly traditional music and dance performed island-wide. Almost everything has spiritual meaning.

On Bali, you can lose yourself in the chaos of Kuta or the luxurious pleasures of Seminyak, surf wild beaches in the south, or just hang out in Nusa Penida. Ubud is the heart of Bali, a place where the culture of the island is most accessible, and it shares the island’s most beautiful rice fields and ancient monuments with east and west Bali. At the end of the day, Bali’s rich culture, many amazing sights and truly lovely people are what takes Bali’s sheer delight to another level.

Bali is more than a place – it’s a mood, an aspiration, a tropical state of mind.

If you want a quaint and stylish getaway in Ubud, this is the perfect place for you to check in. 

Our experience at Naja’s Villa was fantastic. Not only is the space beautifully designed, but Naja himself, along with his wife, are outstanding hosts. Naja’s wife can also prepare traditional Balinese food. She cooked for us Nasi Goreng, Mie Goreng, and prepared us fruits fresh from her garden. They are communicative, friendly, knowledgeable, and thoughtful. They were also flexible to our schedule. 

This home combines luxury features with traditional Balinese architecture. We had our own fully equipped kitchen to cook our food, but food can still be delivered (we ordered pizza, pasta, fries and chicken nuggets from a nearby restaurant named Pizza Bogus). The place was very clean and the quality and ambiance were comparable to high end hotels. The rooms are spacious and fully air conditioned, and are just beside the pool for an invigorating dip at any time of the day.

Villa Caro, our third accommodation, is a true Balinese haven within walking distance of Seminyak’s most stylish dining and shopping choices. It is also a few meters away from the beach. Each bedrooms has air conditioning, painted in calming white walls, decorated with wood furnishings, and complete with en suite bathrooms. There is a flat screen TV, a DVD player, and a large comfortable couch to lounge on. Their kitchen is fully equipped as well. This is a  nirvana for me who liked cooking mie goreng (read: pancit canton indonesian style), considering all of us are usually too drunk to function. Haha. 

During our first night, the girls slept early so us boys decided to watch a horror movie to pass the time. We watched “The Fourth Kind” (I think the movie wasn’t scary at all) while eating local chips and drinking whisky (King Roberts aka a brand of cheap, nasty, mass-produced alcohol. totally would not recommend haha). In sum, despite the bad movie, we all got drunk and started shouting babi guling randomly at each other, danced to Shanti Dope’s Mau, laughed for almost three hours, and remembered all these craziness through videos only the next morning. 

It was quite a boy’s night out. Haha!

[arjuna-vallabha]

Mounting progress of the immense bronze statue of Vishnu on Garuda in Kencana, Bali

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Flinders Street Station, Melbourne, Victoria

A look at Melbourne’s forgotten Flinders Street Station ballroom…

It’s one of the busiest train stations in the country, but the ballroom above Flinders Street Station sits completely empty.

The upper floors of the hectic station used to be a hub for the community, with neighbouring rooms also including classrooms, a billiard room, a library and a gym.

But after decades of near abandonment, the forgotten rooms over the station are not what they used to be.

More than 100,000 commuters pass through the station every day, yet few go up to the dilapidated room on the building’s third floor.

Last year 20 people scored “golden tickets” to visit the historical room, and a handful of others would have poked their heads in from time to time, but otherwise it has been virtually untouched. The once grand ballroom has been left to ruin since it was closed off from the public in 1985.

When the station opened in 1910, the grand room was a lecture hall of the Victorian Railways Institute geared towards the “betterment of railway staff.”

It is heyday, the ballroom was a cultural hub for the Victorian capital, playing host to concerts, meetings and dances.

The dances of the 50s and 60s were known to pack out the hall, but the raucous affairs always finished on time so party goers could catch the last train home.

As the iconic Melbourne building is refurbished by the Victorian government, many are wondering what will become of the old ballroom.

The current $100 million project to renovate the 107-year-old building doesn’t include the now derelict room.

With works on the outside of the building set to put a stop to water leakage over the ballroom, the Victorian government is reportedly putting together a business case to bring it back to its former glory.

Let’s hope they can pull it off.

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Dust storm over the Domestic Airport, Mascot, Sydney My Photos October 17, 2013

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Manila Zoo, Manila, Philippines (2 of 2)

Web Photos 2018

The zoo had been criticized due to its inadequate animal care and dirty surroundings. The zoo responded with efforts to make the animal habitats as comfortable and natural as possible, such as by adding trees and vegetation, and expanding the enclosures.

“Treatment of Mali the Elephant”

Mali is the only Elephant in the Manila zoo, known as the world’s loneliest elephant and the only captive elephant in the Philippines, and she is the subject of a campaign from animal rights organization, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PeTA). A report issued by PeTA points out the numerous issues regarding Mali being kept in captivity.

“Calls for the closure of the Zoo”

In 2007 PeTA called for the boycott and closure of Manila Zoo as part of its global campaign against zoos claiming that zoos are never beneficial to animals. The animal rights group supported proposals to convert the zoo into a sporting coliseum to be used by the Philippine Basketball Association. Some local vendors operating in the zoo opposed PeTA’s calls citing its negative effect on their livelihood and then Mayor Alfredo Lim said calls to close the zoo, which he described as a city landmark, were unwarranted and claimed that the zoo’s animals were well taken care of.

“Rehabilitation”

A total of 1.5 billion pesos will be allocated for the rehabilitation of the 5.5 hectare botanical park. The rehabilitation of the Manila Zoo will be implemented through a public-private partnership with a Manila Zoological and Botanical Incorporated. This rehabilitation project aims to make the park a world-class recreational spot, the project began in July 2015 and it took six months to finish.

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Manila Zoo, Manila, Philippines (1 of 2)

My Photos September 2017

The Manila Zoo, formally known as the Manila Zoological and Botanical Garden, is a 5.5-hectare (14-acre) zoo located in Malate, Manila, Philippines that opened on July 25, 1959. The Manila Zoological and Botanical Garden is home to about a thousand animals from 90 species as of April 2015. The zoo’s most popular resident is Mali, an Asian elephant who arrived at the zoo in 1977 as 3 year old calf transported from Sri Lanka, after being poached from the wild. Other Animals residing in Manila Zoo includes a Bengal tiger, Malayan civet, monitor lizard and hippopotamus. Many of the animals of the zoo were born in captivity with three month-old juveniles recently born in April 2015. The zoo management is planning to transfer many of its animals to a separate breeding area or sanctuary outside Metro Manila due to over congestion in the zoo. The zoo is planned to be just an exhibit area. The Wildlife Rescue Center serves as temporary shelter and repository for confiscated, donated, retrieved, sick, injured and abandoned wildlife species. The Wildlife Rescue Center has been the subject of public scrutiny in regard to their animal welfare standards. The Manila Zoo by law must operate in accordance to the Animal Welfare Act of 1998 (also known as Republic Act 8485). The purpose of the Act is to ensure that all terrestrial, aquatic and marine animals in the Philippines have their physical and psychological needs met in ways that promote well-being. Inquiries have been made into the compliance of the Manila Zoo with this Act.

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The Bali Bombings Memorial, Kuta, Bali My Photos 2015/17 A permanent memorial was built on the site of the destroyed Paddy's Pub on Legian Street. (A new bar, named "Paddy's: Reloaded", was reopened further along Legian Street). The memorial is made of intricately carved stone, set with a large marble plaque, which bears the names and nationalities of each of those killed. It is flanked by the national flags of the victims. The monument is well-maintained and illuminated at night. The memorial was dedicated on 12 October 2004, the second anniversary of the attack. The dedication included a Balinese Hindu ceremony and the opportunity for mourners to lay flowers and other offerings. The Australian ambassador and Indonesian officials attended the ceremony. The Balinese mark their commitment in a nine-day-long event. After major cleansing ceremonies, establishing a memorial for the lost lives, and paying respect to those who left loved ones behind, the people of Kuta look forward to restoring Bali's image through an event named "Kuta Karnival — A Celebration of Life". The community event consists of traditional art performances such as Balinese Sunset Dances, sports on the beach as well as in the water for young and old plus rows and rows of culinary displays along the one kilometre of sandy beach. In line with the return of tourism to Kuta, Kuta Karnival has grown into a tourism promotional event with major coverage from television and newspapers from across the globe. Companies, embassies, Non-Government Organizations, associations and even individuals come forth to get involved in the various events such as a Balinese dance competition presented by a surf-wear company, an environment exhibition presented by an embassy, a fun cycle presented by a group of individuals, a seminar presented by an association and a parade on the streets presented by an NGO. Tourists and locals alike, more than ninety thousand people participates in the numerous events, year after year. A repeated tragedy in Bali in 2005 did not reduce the Kuta community's determination to carry out this annual event. Kuta Karnival is conducted to commemorate and give respect to the victims of human violence and show the world the true spirit of local community survival despite terrorism attacks. On 12 October 2010, Australian and Indonesian survivors of the 2002 bombings attended a solemn commemoration service to mark the eighth anniversary of the devastating attacks.

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The Sydney Entertainment Center (Demolished)

Shared Photos From The Net

Sydney Entertainment Centre (later known as Qantas Credit Union Arena) was a multi-purpose arena located in Haymarket, Sydney, Australia. It opened in May 1983, to replace Sydney Stadium, which had been demolished in 1970 to make way for the Eastern Suburbs railway line. The centre was owned by the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority, which administered the neighbouring Darling Harbour area, and managed under a lease.

It was one of Sydney’s larger concert venues, licensed to accommodate over 13,000 people as a conventional theatre or 8,000 as a theatre-in-the-round. It was the largest permanent concert venue in Sydney until 1999, when the Sydney Super Dome opened at Sydney Olympic Park. The venue averaged attendances of 1 million people each year and hosted concerts, family shows, sporting events and corporate events. It was demolished in 2016.

As part of a redevelopment of the Darling Harbour precinct, the Sydney Entertainment Centre was demolished in late 2016. The Darling Square residential development replaced the Centre. Replacement facilities were built closer towards the harbour surrounding the Darling Quarter and contains a larger theatre with a seating capacity of 8,000, an exhibition centre and convention centre that is expected to be the largest in the world. The opening of the new facilities occurred in late 2016.

It was originally to be demolished in 2013, along with the surrounding buildings, but was granted a reprieve. The final concerts were played by Cold Chisel and Elton John on the weekend of 18/19 December 2015. Demolition began in January 2016 and was replaced as an inner city venue by the nearby 9,000-seat International Convention Centre Sydney Theatre, as part of a $3 billion redevelopment of Darling Harbour.

In December 1983, Cold Chisel played its final Last Stand concert.

In April 1985, Queen performed four shows as part of The Works Tour.

Elton John has played numerous concerts there over the years, including eight dates in 1986 with an orchestra at Haymarket Arena. The latter shows were the last he performed prior to throat surgery. He has played 46 shows at the venue and was final artist to perform at the venue before its demolition in December 2015.

John Farnham finished his run of a record 76 concerts at the venue over three decades with a farewell gig December 16, 2015. He joked he got to take home the 6-foot entrance sign to the green room, dubbed ‘The Farnham Room’.

The Wiggles gave 84 performances at the venue, including the classic lineup’s final show on 23 December 2012.

In 1986, Dire Straits finished its 1985–86 world tour by playing 21 consecutive shows at the venue.

Also in 1986, Elton John performed the last leg of his Tour De Force with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at the venue, playing 12 shows. Part of the last show, (performed on 14 December) was to be made into his next album, Live in Australia with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

Genesis played nine dates at the 1986 leg of the Invisible Touch Tour (25–27 November and 15–20 December). Some of the songs were performed with an Australian string section. Archives 2 – disc 2 holds a version of “Your Own Special Way” recorded at SEC.

Billy Idol performed here in September 1987 as part of The Whiplash Smile Australasian Tour.

David Bowie recorded his performances on 7 and 9 November 1987 from his worldwide Glass Spider Tour for release on video and CD at the Entertainment Centre.

In 1990 Belinda Carlisle performed her Runaway Horses tour at the SEC.

On 16 and 17 November 1990 Eric Clapton two sold-out concerts in front of 26,500 people during his Journeyman World Tour.

On 12 March 1994 Depeche Mode performed their last show from the Australian Exotic Tour/Summer Tour ‘94, as of 2015, it has been their last concert in the country.

Janet Jackson performed on 10, 11, 12 and 15 February 1995 for her Janet World Tour, and again on 16 December 1998 for her The Velvet Rope Tour.

American rock band Pearl Jam played two nights in 1995 (10–11 March) during the Vitalogy Tour, three nights (9, 11, 12 March 1998) during the Yield Tour and another three nights (11, 13, 14 February 2003) at the venue during the Riot Act Tour.

Two of The Beatles have performed at the venue, Paul McCartney for three sellout shows in March 1993, and George Harrison made a surprise appearance at a Deep Purple concert in 1984.

Gloria Estefan performed 4 shows in November 1991 for her Into The Light World Tour and on 10, 12 and 13 April 1997 for her Evolution World Tour.

On November 16 & 17 and December 17 1998 John Farnham, Olivia Newton-John and Anthony Warlow performed sold out shows as part of their combined nation-wide tour The Main Event.

Mariah Carey performed on 2 and 6 February 1998, for her Butterfly World Tour, a one off concert in January 2013, and again on 10 November 2014 for The Elusive Chanteuse Show.

Shania Twain performed there on 12 and 13 February 1999, for her Come On Over Tour.

The cream of Australian music, almost every major music act of the time, including INXS, The Angels, The Divinyls, Dragon, The Saints and Roger Waters performed two shows during his In The Flesh Tour on 5, and 6 April 2002.

Cher performed three shows during her Living Proof: The Farewell Tour on 3, 4 and 7 March 2005.

Kylie Minogue has played 25 concerts there, she finished her On A Night Like This Tour, after playing 11 nights there and kicked off her Showgirl: The Homecoming Tour in November 2006. On 20 March 2015, Minogue performed as part of her Kiss Me Once Tour.

Pop rock superstar P!nk performed (a then record-breaking) seven shows there during her 2007 I’m Not Dead Tour. In 2009, with her Funhouse Tour, in support of the number one album, she played a record 12 shows. She recorded her current live DVD at the SEC.

It also hosted international circuses and shows, such as Disney on Ice and Hugh Jackman's The Boy from Oz.

Billy Thorpe’s (Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs) Memorial Service was held here on March 4,2007. A crowd of 7000 family, friends and fans gathered to hear Speeches and bittersweet yarns from the musician’s friends and musical tributes came from Max Merritt, with a rendition of Slipping Away from Me and Olivia Newton-John with Over the Rainbow.

It was used annually for the Schools Spectacular, which features over 3,000 young performers from across NSW as well as the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge.

Asian pop legend, “God of Songs" Jacky Cheung on 1 October 2011, as part of his Jacky Cheung ½ Century World Tour.

In 2011 and 2012, it played host to the Sydney judges’ audition stages of the Seven Network singer search programme The X Factor.

In June 2013, the venue was host to four sold out performances of the Andrew Lloyd Webber Rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar.

In December 2013, the Centre was to host a Bon Jovi concert. It was the band’s first show in the Sydney Entertainment Centre after many stadium concerts across Australia.

In January 2014, Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire performed the second headline show of its Reflektor world tour at the venue to a sell-out audience.

On 8 March 2014, American pop star Bruno Mars performed at the venue in front of a sold out crowd for his Moonshine Jungle Tour.

On 12 and 13 of September 2014, American rapper Kanye West performed at the venue for his The Yeezus Tour.

On 14 February 2015, Laura Pausini made her first visit to Australia with The Greatest Hits World Tour.

As a sporting venue, the SEC was best known as the home venue of the Sydney Kings who play in the National Basketball League (NBL) over 3 stints. The Kings moved from the smaller (5,006 capacity) State Sports Centre in Homebush in 1990 and remained until moving to the Super Dome in 1999. The Kings then returned to the SEC in 2002 and would enjoy immediate success winning the NBL championship in 2002–03, 2003–04 and 2004–05. The team remained until 2008 when they folded due to financial difficulties, but when the club returned to the NBL in 2010 they again made the SEC their home which lasted until the centre’s closing in 2015.

In 1995, the Entertainment Centre hosted Game 4 of a 5-game international basketball series between the Australian Boomers and the Magic Johnson All-Stars in front of a sellout crowd of almost 12,000 fans. Despite the All-Stars being a collection of former NBA players, and with Magic Johnson not playing due to a calf injury, the crowd was actually behind the All-Stars on the night. They were treated to a game that went into overtime with the All-Stars keeping their unbeaten record intact with a 97–94 win. Before the game Magic Johnson apologised to the fans from centre court for not being able to play and called the SEC "A good sized gym that they can be proud of”.

Other sports such as boxing, professional wrestling, tennis and indoor motor-cross have also been held. Australian boxer Jeff Fenech won a number of World title matches at the centre during the 1980s, While in July 2011, the IBO Cruiser-weight title match between Antonio Tarver and Danny Green took place at the SEC.

The SEC hosted the 1991 World Netball Championships, as well as games during the 1994 FIBA Women’s World Championship including all Finals games and 3rd place playoff game.

In the 2000 Summer Olympics, the SEC was the venue for volleyball.

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The Hero Of Waterloo Hotel, The Rocks, Sydney

Shared Photos 2015-2017

The Hero of Waterloo is one of the oldest surviving public hotels in Australia, in continuous trade since 1845. Stories of colourful characters from the convict days and beyond surround the hotel. It is said that it has a tunnel which leads to the harbour, used for shanghai-ing sailors. The Hero of Waterloo runs ghost tours, on which you can learn more. In the present, while you may still sense its convict past, the Hero of Waterloo is an award winning hotel and restaurant.

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St James Anglican Church, Sydney

Shared Photos 2011-2017

St James' Church, commonly known as St James', King Street, is an Anglican parish church in inner city Sydney, Australia, consecrated in February 1824 and named in honour of St James the Great. It became a parish church in 1835. Designed in the style of a Georgian town church by the transported convict architect Francis Greenway during the governorship of Lachlan Macquarie, St James' is part of the historical precinct of Macquarie Street which includes other early colonial era buildings such as the Hyde Park Barracks. The church remains historically, socially and architecturally significant. The building is the oldest one extant in Sydney's inner city region. It is listed on the Register of the National Estate, and has been described as one of the world's 80 greatest man-made treasures.

The church has maintained its special role in the city's religious, civic and musical life as well as its close associations with the city's legal and medical professions through its proximity to the law courts and Sydney Hospital. Its original ministry was to the convict population of Sydney and it has continued to serve the city's poor and needy in succeeding centuries.

Worship at St James' is in a style commonly found in the High Church and moderate Anglo-Catholic traditions of Anglicanism. It maintains the traditions of Anglican church music, with a robed choir singing psalms, anthems and responses in contrast to the great majority of churches in the Anglican Diocese of Sydney where services are generally celebrated in styles associated with Low Church and Evangelical Christian practices. The teaching at St James' has a more liberal perspective than most churches in the diocese on issues of gender and the ordination of women.

St James' Church is located at 173 King Street, Sydney, in the legal and commercial district, near Hyde Park and adjoining Queen's Square. The church forms part of a group of notable colonial buildings along Macquarie Street, which runs from Queen's Square to Sydney Harbour. At the time of construction, the church and the buildings nearby were "Sydney's most distinguished structures ... on the highest ground, and, socially speaking, in the best part of the city".

The geographical parish of St James' is one of the 57 parishes of Cumberland County, New South Wales, and it initially shared responsibility for an area that extended as far as Sydney Heads. St James' acquired its own parish in 1835. It’s boundaries have since remained essentially unchanged.

The underground St James railway station is named after the church. The precinct around the church is informally known as St James'.

The building of St James' Church was commissioned by Governor Lachlan Macquarie in 1819, designed by the convict architect Francis Greenway and constructed between 1820 and 1824 using convict labour. Governor Macquarie and Commissioner John Bigge laid the foundation stone on Thursday, 7 October 1819. The building was originally intended to serve as a courthouse as Macquarie had plans for a large cathedral to be built on the present location of St Andrew's Cathedral but they were put on hold by the intervention of Bigge who had been appointed to conduct a Royal Commission into the colonial government. Bigge initially approved of the courthouse project but by February 1820, less than four months after his arrival, he strongly recommended its conversion into a church.

"The reason for Bigge's change of mind may be found in the appointment, three years later, of his brother-in-law [and secretary], Mr TH Scott, a wine merchant, as Archdeacon". The design of the courthouse was modified before construction with the addition of a steeple at the western end, to serve as a church, while the adjacent school buildings were put into use as a courthouse. The first service was held in the unfinished church on the Day of Epiphany, 6 January 1822, the text being from Isaiah, Chapter 60: "Arise! Shine, for thy light has come. The glory of the Lord has risen upon thee". It was anticipated in the Sydney Gazette's report of the event that the church, when fitted out with stalls and galleries, would hold 2,000 people. The church was consecrated by the senior chaplain, the Reverend Samuel Marsden, on 11 February 1824.

In 1900, the Governor, Earl Beauchamp, presented to the church a number of embroidered stoles made by the Warham Guild of London, along with copes and chasubles. The centenary of the laying of the foundation stone was celebrated in October 1919 with a program of events that extended over nine days. Festivities included services at which the Bishops of Armidale and Bathurst were special preachers, music, processions, a lantern lecture on "Old Sydney" by the municipal librarian, and social events such as a ferry outing and a luncheon at which the chief guest was the Governor Sir Walter Davidson accompanied by his wife Lady Davidson. Also scheduled was a welcome to soldiers returned from the Great War. An illustrated historical memoir was produced and sold for two shillings.

The celebrations for the centenary of the Oxford Movement occurred during the tenure of the eighth rector of St James', Philip Micklem. However, "they were not centred on the cathedral, but on St James'", Sydney being the only Australian diocese that "failed officially to observe the occasion". Micklem chaired a rally on 19 July 1933 in St James' Hall that was attended by governor Philip Gameand Lady Game, "and five bishops representing three states." The 180th anniversary of the Oxford Movement fell in the 21st century, and the rector of St James' preached at the commemoration.

Micklem was "a pioneer advocate of the preservation of early colonial architecture". As the century progressed, there were a number of threats to the church's historic environment, which includes Greenway's Law Courts and Hyde Park Barracks. In spite of the threats to these colonial era buildings, they survived to form an important Sydney precinct. Both the building and the organisation continued to serve the city. During World War II, for example, the crypt was used as a "Hostel for Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen" and the ninth rector, Edwin John Davidson, incumbent during that period, "gained fame" for the church with his "pungent sermons on current affairs". The eleventh rector, Frank Cuttriss, had an ecumenical outlook – he was a member of a meeting of the World Council of Churches at Uppsala and an observer to the Second Vatican Council.

St James' was the locus of many notable events throughout the 20th century, including weddings and funerals of famous, significant or notorious people, visits from theologians and senior clerics, and when needed, services for the Lutheran communities. At the wedding of singer Gladys Moncrieff and Tom Moore on 20 May 1924, the crowd in the streets nearby was so large that traffic was brought to a standstill, several women fell and two were so badly hurt they were taken to hospital. At the time Moncrieff was appearing in The Merry Widow and returned to the stage on the night of her wedding. St James' was represented in the opening ceremonies of the Sydney Harbour Bridge by a float in the form of the church building. The church was "packed to the doors" when the seventh rector, W.F. Wentworth-Sheilds, officiated at the "impressive funeral" of Walter Liberty Vernon in 1914. In 1950, four thousand people were reported to have lined the streets after the State funeral at St. James' of the first Minister for Sweden in Australia, Constans Lundquist, who died suddenly at the Swedish Legation in Sydney. Controversial former Governor-General, Sir John Kerr had a private funeral and memorial service in St James' in 1991 rather than a State funeral because of his fall from favour as the result of his decision to sack the Whitlam government in 1975. Delivering the sermon at St James' during an ecumenical event on 14 October 1993, Archbishop Desmond Tutu thanked Australians for supporting the struggle against apartheid.

During the 20th century both choral and organ musical components developed to a high standard and were integral to the liturgy at St James'. In addition, music was offered to the wider community in the form of recitals, often in ways that elucidate the liturgy and take advantage of church acoustics and sacred settings. Weekday recitals, such as the organ recitals given in 1936 of music by Bach, continued in addition to the music played on Sundays.

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Home Compound, Tabanan, Bali

My Photos March 24, 2015

Balinese traditional house refers to the traditional vernacular house of Balinese people in Bali, Indonesia. The Balinese traditional house follows a strict ancient architectural guide which is a product of a blend of Hindu and Buddhist beliefs, fused with Austronesian animism, resulting in a house that is "in harmony" with the law of the cosmos of Balinese Hinduism. As most traditional houses in Indonesia, spatial orientation and hierarchy are crucial considerations in Balinese architecture. The concept is based on the Hindu dharma principle: every objects in the universe is conceived as having an ideal location; this must be correctly aligned at all time in order to achieve harmony with the universe, and thus moksha – the point of liberation where a human achieves a perfect state of being – can be achieved. The placement of objects in Balinese architecture naturally plays an important role to achieve this. The principle of Balinese architecture — such as the proper size, location, and alignment of building types — is written in the Asta Kosala Kosali. The Asta Kosala Kosali are eight guidelines for architectural designs originally inscribed in ancient Javanese on a lontar (palm-leaf manuscript). According to the Asta Kosala Kosali, the universe is divided in three: buhr (underworld, realm of the demons), buwah (human realm), and swah (heaven, realm of the gods). This cosmic division is reflected in the geography of Bali: the central mountainous area (especially Mount Agung) is seen as the abode of the gods, while the sea is associated with malevolent spirits; the in between coastal plains and foothills represent the human realm. This hierarchy of realm is reflected in the Balinese cardinal direction. There are two main cardinal directions of Balinese universe: kaja and kelod. Kaja means "to the mountain" (Mount Agung) and refers to anything that is higher or sacred. Kelod means "to the sea" (abode of the demons) and indicates low and profane places. As most of Bali's population live to the south of Mount Agung, the main cardinal direction corresponds to a north-south axis running between the central mountain range (Mount Agung in particular) and the sea; however this can be different with the northern Bali Aga. The secondary directions of Balinese cardinal direction are kangin (where the sun rises, East) and kauh (where the sun sets, West), in this instance kangin is associated with life, and therefore sacred, while the kauh is identified with death and is considered profane. Thus the northeast (kaja kangin) is regarded as the most auspicious direction where family shrines are built, while the southwest (kelod kauh) is the most impure. This cardinal direction concept plays important roles in organizing many aspect of Balinese culture including a Balinese house layout. Other orientation concept is also used. The Balinese compass (nawa-sanga) stems from the four cardinal direction, their intermediaries and the central area. Each point is linked to a particular Hindu deity and has symbolic ritual associations, such as corresponding numbers, colors, magical syllables, and mystical attributes. The symbolism also includes metaphorical representation of the compound and its various structures in terms of the human body. Thus, the family shrine is identified with the head; the sleeping quarters and pavilion for receiving guests, with the arms; the central courtyard with the navel; the hearth with the sexual organs; the kitchen and lumbung with legs and feet; and the refuse pit in the backyard with the anus. The Traditional Balinese House museum in Tabanan is a good example of a typical compound.

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Rizal Park, Manila, Philippines

My Photos September 2017

Rizal Park (Filipino: Liwasang Rizal), also known as Luneta Park or simply Luneta, is a historical urban park in the Philippines. Located along Roxas Boulevard, Manila, adjacent to the old walled city of Intramuros, it is one of the largest urban parks in Asia. It has been a favorite leisure spot, and is frequented on Sundays and national holidays. Rizal Park is one of the major tourist attractions of Manila. Situated by the Manila Bay, it is an important site in Philippine history. The execution of national hero José Rizal on December 30, 1896 fanned the flames of the 1896 Philippine Revolution against the Kingdom of Spain. The area was officially renamed Rizal Park in his honor, and the monument enshrining his remains serves as the park's symbolic focal point. The Declaration of Philippine Independence from the United States was held here on July 4, 1946 as were later political rallies including those of Ferdinand Marcos and Corazon Aquino in 1986 that culminated in the EDSA Revolution. Luneta is situated at the northern terminus of Roxas Boulevard. To the east of the boulevard, the park is bounded by Taft Avenue, Padre Burgos Avenue and Kalaw Avenue. To the west is the reclaimed area of the park bounded by Katigbak Drive, South Drive, and the shore of Manila Bay. The park is divided into three sections beginning with the 16-hectare (40-acre) Agrifina Circle adjoining Taft Avenue, where the Department of Tourism and the National Museum of Anthropology (formerly the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Finance respectively) are located, is the Northeastern section; followed by the 22-hectare (54-acre) park proper that extends down to Roxas Boulevard is the Central Section; and terminating at Southwestern section which includes Burnham Green, a 10-hectare (25-acre) open field, the Quirino Grandstand and the Manila Ocean Park along Manila Bay.

[someofmyfavoriteplaces]

Hyde Park, Sydney

My Photos March 2018

Hyde Park, the oldest public parkland in Australia, is a 16.2-hectare (40-acre) park in the central business district of Sydney, New South Wales. Hyde Park is on the eastern side of the Sydney city centre and is listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register. It is the southernmost of a chain of parkland that extends north to the shore of Sydney Harbour via The Domain and Sydney's Royal Botanic Gardens. Hyde Park is approximately rectangular in shape, being squared at the southern end and rounded at the northern end. It is bordered on the west by Elizabeth Street, on the east by College Street, on the north by St. James Road and Prince Albert Road and on the south by Liverpool Street.

[someofmyfavoriteplaces]

Sydney Mint, Macquarie Street, Sydney

My Photos February / March 2018

The Sydney Mint in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, is the oldest public building in the Sydney central business district. Built between 1811 and 1816 as the southern wing of the Sydney Hospital, it was then known as the Rum Hospital. In 1854 a mint was established on the site with the hospital building used to house mint staff as well as providing a residence for the Deputy Mint Master. A coining factory was built at the rear. Both of these structures have exceptional heritage significance and have been associated with major events in the colonial history of New South Wales. Located in Sydney’s central business district at 10 Macquarie Street, it is near many other famous Australian historical buildings including Hyde Park Barracks, St James' Church and Parliament House. The building is now the head office of the Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales and is listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register. Sections of the building are open to the public.

[someofmyfavoriteplaces]

Government House, Sydney

My Photos 2014

The Government House is the vice-regal residence of the Governor of New South Wales, located on Conservatorium Road in Sydney alongside the Royal Botanic Gardens, overlooking Sydney Harbour, just south of the Sydney Opera House. Constructed between 1837 and 1843, the property has been the vice-regal residence of the Governor since Sir George Gipps, except for two brief periods; the first between 1901 and 1914, when the property was leased to the Commonwealth of Australia as the residence of the Governor-General of Australia, and the second from 1996 to 2011. The property was returned as the Governor's residence in October 2011 and was managed by the Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales from March 1996 to December 2013