Galeri Indonesia Kaya

Last week, I went to Galeri Indonesia Kaya which is located near the Blitzmegaplex movie theatre at Grand Indonesia mall. Basically, it is a place where you can know more about Indonesian culture.

The venue is a bit small but there are a few fun interactive attractions. 

From the moment you enter the location, you are greeted by screens of couples wearing traditional clothes. And then you get the chance to "try on" these clothes and even upload it directly to your facebook page.

Further along, there are touchscreen monitors which hold information on the typical cuisine, musical instruments and landmarks of various areas in Indonesia. 

 

You can also play some traditional games such as the congklak or more modern ones with augmented reality features.

 

Overall, it was a nice place to stop by - Nice alternative to spending hours at the mall ;)
Btw, Galeri Indonesia Kaya has an auditorium room with free performances on the weekends. I have seen them being advertised on Kompas newspaper.

Tex Saverio: Indonesian designer behind Katniss's wedding dress (The Hunger games)

I must admit, I didn't see the Hunger Games when it was in theatres, so I wasn't excited when its sequel came out : the Hunger Games - Catching Fire. But I had some spare time, so I decided to watch it this time. 

Maybe it was because I didn't have any expectations, but I thoroughly enjoyed the movie!! And of course, Katniss's wedding dress caught my attention - how can it not, it was so beautiful!

Source pic: http://blbride.com/?p=1652

And to my surprise, this wedding dress was from an Indonesian designer named Tex Saverio, who presented a similar dress at Jakarta Fashion Week in 2010.

Source pic: http://blbride.com/?p=1652

This was not the first time he had international exposure. In 2011, Lady Gaga wore one of Tex Saverio's design for Harper's Bazaar. I think this was also absolutely gorgeous.

Source pic: http://gagafashionland.com/2011/04/lady-gaga-for-harpers-bazaar-tex-saverio/#sthash.bFWLKSwy.dpbs

And these are the latest design by Tex Saverio at Jakarta Fashion Week 2014.

Source pic: http://photo.sindonews.com/view/4248/rancangan-tex-saverio-pukau-penonton-jakarta-fashion-week-2014#3

Source pic: http://female.kompas.com/read/2013/10/20/1551452/Jakarta.Fashion.Week.2014.Tex.Saverio.Persembahkan.Busana.Siap.Pakai

Source pic: http://wolipop.detik.com/readfoto/2013/12/04/123452/2432194/941/3/

Monas again...

It has been awhile since I've gone to Monas. But last weekend I went there to see a housing exhibition - which turned out not to be there.

Failing to see the exhibition, I walked around and it was interesting to see the crowds of people (local & some international tourists) taking photographs and just having a fun day out with their families.

Since Joko Widodo (known better as Jokowi) has been appointed as the new governor of Jakarta, various events have been held at Monas. The most recent ones were the 19th Jakarta International Kite Festival and the World Royal Heritage Carnival 2013. It's a shame though that Monas doesn't have its own website to check the events, so you need to really search on the internet to know what is/will take place there.

The downside of Monas being more popular is of course the litter. We really need to be more disciplined in throwing our trash in the trash cans. But anyways, here are a few photos of my day at Monas.

Monas

Free train to get you to Monas' entrance

Souvenirs sold by sellers on the sidewalk

Horse-drawn carriage rides