{Amretasgraphics Blogzine Issue 02}

Hello again everybody!

Welcome to the second issue of Amretasgraphics Blogzine! :-))

Open publication - Free publishing - More prints

The downloadable pdf file is available on issuu.com.

As mentioned in the blogzine, below are the blog backgrounds and desktop wallpapers - based on my Decoflora webset. Unfortunately the instruction for installing the blog background is not yet ready and I will include it in the next blogzine. So, stay tune!


2 columns blog backgrounds






3 columns blog backgrounds






1280 x 1024 px desktop wallpapers








1280 x 800 px desktop wallpapers








1024 x 768 px desktop wallpapers

{weekend wandering: Batavia 09.06.06}

Greetings from Batavia! Well, Batavia means the Jakarta old town, located in the northern part of the city, by the harbor. This time teaming up with my good friend Fina, I walked along the canal to the Jakarta History Museum (used to be the City Hall) then to the bus station.



We walked pass a junction where the "ojek" drivers parked their bikes. "Ojek" is motor or bicyle taxi, it's very practical for short distance rides, in an area where the streets are narrow. In Batavia, bike taxi is a popular transport. Using old style bikes, it really has a 'Batavia feel'.



The area around the Jakarta History Museum is the liveliest, most popular place in theh old town for hanging out on Saturday afternoon.



And I can tell you, whenever we're here we never failed to buy something to eat or to drink from the traditional street food sellers who stationed all along the pedestrian street and around the main square.

The green cart pictured above is a 'Cendol' seller. Cendol (pronounced chen-doll) is a traditional dessert made of sago and rice flour, cooked until thick with water and 'suji leaves' to give a natural green colour. It is served with boiled palm sugar, coconut milk and ice cubes. Yummy!

If you want to try the recipe, go here.

Until the next weekend wandering, and have a lovely weekend!

{weekend wandering: Batavia 09.05.30}

I'm all about Victoria's sfgirlbybay Sunday in the City series at the moment...so if I am inspired to create 'weekend wandering' series in my blog now, I think the credit should go to her. Huge thanks, Victoria!

So here's my own story: I live in Jakarta since 1992, I love it, it's a vibrant city with lots of possibilities, but except you are really into modern buildings and shopping malls (which often have fantastic decorations, somehow, great work!) I find it quite challenging to find interesting spots in the city, ones which have natural, authentic feel. A girl with a lust for history I am, I often found my refuge in historical parts of the city. The old town, at the first glance, may look ugly with lots of unmaintained buildings. But it has a magnetic character that I'm unable to explain. It's striving. And I'm only one of thousands who have a special fondness to this place. There's a community who's all into the history of Jakarta, and there's a special council whose grand task is to revitalize this once in the old days the lovely city of Batavia.

Yay! I think I should divide the story now for my future weekend wandering posts :-) Anyway during these past few years, I've been involved in some amazing projects which, at first, 'forced' me to go deeper into the history of Jakarta, and who knew that it now becomes somekind of obsession :-)

Now to the first snaps...(I use Kodak Z650 to have fun with, and all the pictures are intended only for my own heart's content :-)) Hope you enjoy them too.