Lomography

It's only water. Rain can't never stop me to shoot rare and important event =)

I hope it’s not too late to tell you about my story of New Years Eve in my hometown =p So, check after the jump ^_ I planned to celebrating New Years Eve in town. Unfortunately the rain which have fall down from 3 P.M. didn’t want to stop to fall down.

Photo by hervinsyah

But it can’t stop me to go out to shoot the celebration of New Years Eve. I went to jalan (street) Dago to saw the first car free night in Bandung. After arrive at Dago on 9 P.M. by using public transportation named angkot (kind of car which could loaded 16 passenger), I’m very disappointed because it’s quite empty there. Only one radio station which held live music event at one spot in Dago. Maybe because the rain haven’t stop so the crowd didn’t crowded the car free night street.

Photo by hervinsyah

Then I move to Gedung Sate, the landmark building of Bandung. I went there by angkot again and the street were already crowded. After arrive at Gedung Sate, the rain still falling down on the earth of Bandung, but not like in Dago, on Gedung Sate and at Gasibu, the field right in front of Gedung Sate, it were fullfill with a lot of food stall, accecories, trumpet paper seller, etc. But there are no free entertainment that I’m looking for to shoot, so I move again to jalan Braga.

Photo by hervinsyah

After walking on foot from Gadung Sate to jalan Braga, I decided to enter Museum Konferensi Asia-Afrika at Gedung (building) Merdeka, which always close for public at reguler day. In 1955, The Museum were the conference place for hundred of non-blok country in Asia and Africa continent that were not participant in World War, cold war and recently independent from their colonized country. Nowaday the museum is the place for showing the memorabilia of the conference.

Photo by hervinsyah

It’s nearly 12 A.M. and I go outside to breathe the fresh air. Then I see the firework at the sky of Alun-Alun. The time was 11.34 P.M. not yet 12.00 A.M. But the street are very crowded and the rain haven’t stop. I’m walking to Alun-Alun with an umbrella in my hand.

Photo by hervinsyah

Before arrive at Alun-Alun, my stare goes to the parking lot of an abandoned building at former Palaguna Plaza shopping center and movie theatre. The firework are exploded at the sky of Alun-Alun but the crowd were at the parking lot of Palaguna. So I decide to seek what happened at that abandoned parking lot.

Photo by hervinsyah

Then I find the answer. It’s because the governor of West Java who will competing again at the 2013 election of West Java governor were at that parking lot. So the celebration center were taken at this place. So I choose to wait the count down moment here.

Photo by hervinsyah

When the host countdown from ten to zero, finally the “lodong” Sundanese traditional firework that shoot from bamboo were shoot to the air, but the attention of the crowd are still to the massive firework at Alun-Alun which only separated by 5 meter way from the parking lot of Palaguna.

Photo by hervinsyah

And the crowd become crazy and dancing also singalong medley song of famous Sundanese song such as Tokecang, Manuk Dadali, etc.

Photo by hervinsyah

Unforgetable night, especially for me because it was my first time shooting New Years Eve celebration. Last year I decide to went home earlier because I can’t breathe at the massive crowd at the street. This time the crowd are still massive eventhough the rain have never stop falling from the afternoon. I love this spirit of Bandungnese who love to celebrating the new years at wet hair night.

Photo by hervinsyah