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Last updated at 7:27 PM. Monday 7 December 2009

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Go to comments December 07, 2009

Lisa Siregar

Musician Jacko Hendrick Ayub Bullan wearing a traditional hat and clothing as he plays the sasando. (Photo: Lisa Siregar, JG)

An Indonesian Musican’s Plucky Tale of Fame

The sasando is believed to have been created on Rote Island, East Nusa Tenggara, in the 18th century. It is made from bamboo, metal and wood (usually from the Cendana tree).

There are two known types of sasando: a sasando gong, with 10 strings, and which, according to Jacko, can only be used to play traditional music. The second type is a violin sasando, with 24 strings, and which can play any style of music, from national anthems such as “Kulihat Ibu Pertiwi” (“I See Motherland in Sorrow”) to religious songs.

A couple of years ago, Jacko started to design his own sasandos. He creates the individual parts of the sasando in case someone orders one or wants to replace a broken part on their own sasando. He uses Cendana wood, which he sources from East Nusa Tenggara — he claims that he can’t find the right type of wood anywhere else. When he performs, he uses his electric violin sasando, which he also designed.

“I created this electric sasando because the traditional one does not produce a loud enough sound, and that becomes a problem when I perform in a hall,” Jacko said.

On Rote Island, the sasando is usually played to celebrate a harvest, at a religious ceremony in a church or at a funeral.

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism will hold a Sasando Music Festival in Kupang in December, and Jacko has been invited to perform. According to Jacko, the festival is part of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s first 100-day program.

If you are a Jakarta resident, Jacko is your only chance to hear a live sasando player. The other seven known players live in Kupang and are too old to travel.

Jacko’s next performance will be at an exhibition at the Jakarta Convention Center on Dec. 10 and 12, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The man in front of the coffee-sipping crowd is holding a sasando, a traditional musical instrument. The audience’s chattering dies down as he begins to pluck the strings. The melodious tune of “Bolelebo,” a traditional song from East Nusa Tenggara, fills the room.

“It means good or bad, the land in the east is still the best,” he says, explaining the meaning behind the piece of music.

He continues with a classic song by Maywood, “Mother, How Are You Today?,” which the crowd recognizes. Some people hum the tune as he plays, and the applause crescendoes as he finishes.

Although his first name recalls the late King of Pop, that’s where the similarities end between Jacko Hendrick Ayub Bullan and the late Michael Jackson. When he performs, the 37-year-old wears a tiilangga , a traditional hat made from lontar leaves, and traditional clothing. His ability to play the sasando has made him an important figure in preserving the nearly-extinct instrument. Jacko is one of only eight sasando experts known to exist in the country, and is the youngest among them.

The sasando is a stringed instrument from Rote Island, East Nusa Tenggara. Similar in shape to a harp, the sasando is slightly smaller and the strings are attached to a main cylinder, which is usually made from bamboo or wood. The tube is held in place by a larger curve made from lontar leaves.

To play the instrument, Jacko uses both hands. The left hand plays the melody and bass, and the right hand plays the chords. The result is a harmonious sound reminiscent of a guitar mixed with a harp.

“Although it is a traditional instrument, I can play any song on it,” he said.

Jacko was born on Rote Island but grew up in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara. He learned to play the sasando from his grandfather. He was 13 when he started to learn, but his grandfather was initially reluctant to teach the eager Jacko.

“According to my grandfather, musical instruments were only for unemployed people with nothing to do,” Jacko said. “He told me to start working, taking care of the rice fields and the animals.”

But Jacko never gave up his passion for playing the sasando. One of his relatives was able to travel the world playing sasando, and forged numerous friendships with foreigners thanks to the instrument. Jacko vowed that if one day he could master the sasando, he would marry a foreign woman.

“Motivation is a funny thing, but I was only a teen, so it kept me practicing,” he said.

“I used to put a sasando next to my bed and every day, as soon as I woke up, I would spend half an hour just playing.”

He surprised people in his hometown by becoming the youngest man to learn the instrument. Word of his talent spread and he started to receive requests to perform at local hotels, where he met a girl from Sydney and dated her for a year.

“So, yeah, the sasando made my dream come true,” Jacko laughed.

When he was 19, he was invited to perform at the governor’s office in Kupang, a privilege for the young man. His parents recognized his talent and began to support their son as he received requests to play all over the country.

In the late ’90s, as the monetary crisis hit Indonesia, many hotels in East Nusa Tenggara closed down. In 2000, forced to seek work elsewhere, Jacko moved to Jakarta and has lived in the capital ever since.

“Although I had the ability to play the sasando, it was not easy to become well known in Jakarta,” he said.

He took a job working as a personal bodyguard for a top lawyer and received a good salary, which enabled him to engage in activities that he had previously considered sinful. Jacko soon found himself living what he considered an unhealthy lifestyle, so he quit his job.

“I am a Christian, and I believe that if we want to change, God will show us the way,” he said.

In search of a good, virtuous job, Jacko worked as a cleaner in a church at Gunung Sahari. He believed that it was the right thing to do, as he was no longer earning what he considered “dirty money.”

“I already knew how it felt to earn a lot of money. It’s no good when it’s basically the same thing as being a scammer or a thief,” he said.

At the church, he was paid Rp 225,000 ($24) a month. It was barely enough to live on, but Jacko was determined to follow his principles. After work, he would play the sasando in front of the church to unwind after a long day spent mopping floors. The melodious tunes always attracted a crowd, until one day a representative from the church asked him to perform for some visiting foreign guests.

This became another turning point in his life, and more and more people started to recognize him. Once again, Jacko started to receive invitations to play for audiences across the country.

He also has traveled overseas and performed at cultural events in Singapore, Malaysia, England, Spain and recently at the headquarters of the United Nations in New York. He was also able to visit Niagra Falls, a crowning moment in his life. Jacko said he was amazed at the direction his life has taken.

The chance to make a living by playing sasando has also inspired Jacko to modify the instrument.

“I like to draw, and I designed my own sasando so it can be electrical,” he said.

He said it’s useful for performances in large venues, so that the sound can be projected to the whole audience.

Jacko also often receives requests to teach sasando, mostly from foreigners living in Jakarta.

“Right now, I earn more than enough just playing sasando, which is good for a pengamen [street musician] like me,” he said.

The Origins of the Sasando and a Chance to Meet the Musician

The sasando is believed to have been created on Rote Island, East Nusa Tenggara, in the 18th century. It is made from bamboo, metal and wood (usually from the Cendana tree).

There are two known types of sasando: a sasando gong, with 10 strings, and which, according to Jacko, can only be used to play traditional music. The second type is a violin sasando, with 24 strings, and which can play any style of music, from national anthems such as “Kulihat Ibu Pertiwi” (“I See Motherland in Sorrow”) to religious songs.

A couple of years ago, Jacko started to design his own sasandos. He creates the individual parts of the sasando in case someone orders one or wants to replace a broken part on their own sasando. He uses Cendana wood, which he sources from East Nusa Tenggara — he claims that he can’t find the right type of wood anywhere else. When he performs, he uses his electric violin sasando, which he also designed.

“I created this electric sasando because the traditional one does not produce a loud enough sound, and that becomes a problem when I perform in a hall,” Jacko said.

On Rote Island, the sasando is usually played to celebrate a harvest, at a religious ceremony in a church or at a funeral.

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism will hold a Sasando Music Festival in Kupang in December, and Jacko has been invited to perform. According to Jacko, the festival is part of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s first 100-day program.

If you are a Jakarta resident, Jacko is your only chance to hear a live sasando player. The other seven known players live in Kupang and are too old to travel.

Jacko’s next performance will be at an exhibition at the Jakarta Convention Center on Dec. 10 and 12, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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5:31 PM | Prita Cites ‘Right To Criticiz...

I like that part about Prita being detained on May 13th and on May 18th prosecutors got "FREE MEDICAL TREATMENT at Omni. Hey! isn't that grounds for a "corruption deal?" ...

5:20 PM | Indonesian Activists Deliver N...

Then suddenly there appeared before the people a host of 'WANNABES" saying..."behold on this day, unto you is born, saviours who will rid this nation of corrupt and sin" ...

5:11 PM | Public Rally to Pay Off Prita’...

Can't you see them backtracking a little? Somehow, justice has a noble way to move things.

4:58 PM | Indonesian Vigilantes Ready To...

Roland, great comment. I agree 100% with you. no need to be arrogant because you are not leaving in a slum. Who knows, the wheel of fortune can spin and the ...

4:47 PM | Public Rally to Pay Off Prita’...

It is like an old Chinese story of a beggar brought to justice because he ate his bare rice with the helping of cooking smelled from a restaurant. Then the ...

4:36 PM | Indonesian Activists Deliver N...

lawmaker Ali M. Ngabalin? it should be "former lawmaker" from star crescent party.

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• http://thejakartaglobe.com/world/merkel-applauds-gorbachev-at-anniversary-celebrations/340666'>20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall</a>. (Reuters Photo)">

• 

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Last updated at 7:04 PM. Monday 7 December 2009

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Go to comments December 07, 2009

Lisa Siregar

‘Committed’ is the Elizabeth Gilbert’s exploration the values and difficulties of marriage. (Photo courtesy the author)

Author Elizabeth Gilbert Explores Marriage in ‘Committed’

Three years have gone by since Elizabeth Gilbert published her blockbuster memoir, “Eat, Pray, Love,” and its successor, “Committed,” will be launched today at Times bookstores in Jakarta.

“Committed” picks up 18 months after “Eat, Pray, Love” left off, and recounts how Gilbert came to marry Jose Nunes, whom readers will know as Felipe — the Brazilian-born Australian lover she met when visiting Bali.

When Gilbert wrote “Eat, Pray and Love,” she was 34. Her first marriage had ended in a bitter divorce and she was sure she would never marry again. She is now 40, married to Nunes and living in Frenchtown, New Jersey.

Whereas “Eat, Pray and Love” was about what can happen when you claim responsibility for your own happiness, “Committed” is a meditation on the significance of marriage. Different cultures have their own attitudes toward matrimony. Gilbert discusses some of these in “Committed,” while being careful to point out that her values regarding marriage have been shaped by her experiences growing up in Western society. From the beginning, Gilbert makes it clear that she wants to focus on the history of the monogamous Western marriage.

The book starts with a short description of how things are going with “Felipe,” post-Bali. Gilbert has taken him back to the United States and they have settled in Philadelphia, but Felipe must leave for a few weeks every three months to extend his visa. After some time, immigration authorities spot a pattern, which they see as an attempt by Felipe to live illegally in the States. Felipe is ordered to leave, returning to Australia where he holds citizenship.

Gilbert soon meets him for what turns into 10 more months of travel through Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand.

She explores these other cultures in the book for guidance and wisdom about the institution of marriage.

Her first observation is how Hmong women in the mountains of northern Vietnam find their husbands and marry. The author is contemplative when describing how the selfless women sacrifice their personal contentment to fulfill their role in the tribe.

There is also a chapter on the history of matrimony in the book. Here, Gilbert catalogues the purpose of marriage over the centuries, from economic independence to physical safety.

For those of you who, like Gilbert, don’t find it easy to accept the concept of marriage, reading this book is like having coffee with a lawyer-friend who gives you an interesting mix of traditional and religious (particularly Christian) values on marriage.

Gilbert skips back and forth between the facts on marriage and her life with Felipe.

After expressing facts and her thoughts for almost half the book, she also includes the challenge of dealing with Felipe during his worst moments and her own reckless tendencies. She also honestly conveys how writing the book could not fully drive her doubts about marriage away.

Bali appears again in the book as a place for the couple to plan their future together in the United States, despite the unknown return date.

“Committed” is for those who crave a brief analysis of marriage, incorporating as many values as possible. Everything is delivered with witty narration, complete with anecdotes of cultural interactions Gilbert had throughout the journey, exhibiting her talent as a writer cum journalist. The book is a collection of stories about people from different places, showing a deeper understanding of life, and a more mature side of the author.

Road to Success Paved With Rejection Letters
Lisa Siregar

Elizabeth Gilbert was born in 1969 in Connecticut in the United States and grew up on her family’s small Christmas tree farm. She has worked as a short story writer and as a journalist.

Gilbert states on her official Web site that writing should be regarded as a holy calling. “I became a writer the way other people become monks or nuns,” she said.

She has also said that she initially had no clue on how to be a writer and that she “just began.”

Gilbert, who travelled around the United States and overseas after she graduated from college, was 19 when she started sending out short stories for publication.

It took her more than five years before she finally broke onto the literary scene. At first, Gilbert said she had low expectations and her only goal was to publish something before she died.

“I collected only massive piles of rejection notes for years,” she said. “I sort of figured I’d be rejected,” Equipped with patience and a belief that it was not productive to doubt her own abilities, Gilbert finally had her chance when Esquire magazine published one of her short stories in 1993.

After that, the offers to buy her work started to flood in.

Her first book, a collection of short stories called “Pilgrims,” was a New York Times Notable Book, a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award, and received the Pushcart Prize. Her second book, “Stern Men,” is a novel about lobster fishing territory wars off the coast of Maine, which was also a New York Times Notable book.

“The Last American Man,” a Eustace Conway biography, was a finalist for The National Book Award and The National Book Critic’s Circle Award in 2002.

“Eat, Pray, Love” is not her first written work to be turned into a Hollywood movie. A memoir about her bartending years became the movie “Coyote Ugly.”

While writing “Eat, Pray, Love,” Gilbert admitted that she experienced high levels of stress and feared that the book would not be good enough.

“I just had a strong mantra of ‘this sucks’ ringing through my head, as anyone does when they write anything,” she said.

However, she finally managed to shake off her doubt and finished the book.

“I never promised the universe that I would write brilliantly; I only promised the universe that I would write. So I put my head down and sweated through it, as per my vows,” she said.

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5:31 PM | Prita Cites ‘Right To Criticiz...

I like that part about Prita being detained on May 13th and on May 18th prosecutors got "FREE MEDICAL TREATMENT at Omni. Hey! isn't that grounds for a "corruption deal?" ...

5:20 PM | Indonesian Activists Deliver N...

Then suddenly there appeared before the people a host of 'WANNABES" saying..."behold on this day, unto you is born, saviours who will rid this nation of corrupt and sin" ...

5:11 PM | Public Rally to Pay Off Prita’...

Can't you see them backtracking a little? Somehow, justice has a noble way to move things.

4:58 PM | Indonesian Vigilantes Ready To...

Roland, great comment. I agree 100% with you. no need to be arrogant because you are not leaving in a slum. Who knows, the wheel of fortune can spin and the ...

4:47 PM | Public Rally to Pay Off Prita’...

It is like an old Chinese story of a beggar brought to justice because he ate his bare rice with the helping of cooking smelled from a restaurant. Then the ...

4:36 PM | Indonesian Activists Deliver N...

lawmaker Ali M. Ngabalin? it should be "former lawmaker" from star crescent party.

Photos

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• http://thejakartaglobe.com/world/merkel-applauds-gorbachev-at-anniversary-celebrations/340666'>20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall</a>. (Reuters Photo)">

• 

The Week in Photos

In-line skaters in Javanese opera costumes taking part in a parade along Yogyakarta's famous Jalan Malioboro on Tuesday to celebrate the city's win in a provincial sporting competition last month. (Photo: Boy T Harjanto, JG)

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Last updated at 1:33 PM. Monday 7 December 2009

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Go to comments December 06, 2009

Lisa Siregar

Brightspot is a curated market where organizers invite unusual brands to bolster the commercial ambience. Photos courtesy of Brightspot.

Brightspot Market An Emporium of All Things Cool

Brightspot Market is no ordinary bazaar. This event is a curated market, held every three months, with a different concept at a different venue. The Christmas edition, is set to open on Friday at Plaza Indonesia.

At their last event, 12,000 visitors packed the four-day market at Grand Indonesia in September. They either came to shop at the more than 20 booths that sold things such as clothes, books, bikes and cupcakes, or just hang out.

The booths at Brightspot are personally designed by tenants. At the last event, Katallog, a T-shirt seller, displayed its products on a pile of boxes and sloppy wooden racks. Instead of the brand’s name, “Sorry for the mess …” was written on the wall. Melissa, the popular brand of jelly shoes, glued giant lollipops on the bright pink wall in their booth, while a DJ booth was constructed from blackboards with the name of whoever was playing at the time chalked on.

When the organizers describe Brightspot as “a four-day market of all things cool,” they mean it.

“It’s a hip place because we also have a DJ on the spot,” said Nazyra Noer, who works in public relations for Future 10, the company which organizes Brightspot.

“People can feel the ‘cool’ ambience when they come.”

Future 10 isn’t interested in mainstream brands either. From the beginning, they decided the event would be a chance for creative local entrepreneurs to sell their wares. “Brightspot is a curated market, which means we choose every tenant for this event,” Anton said.

About 10 people in the organizing company, all with backgrounds in art, retail and music, are involved in selecting the tenants.
Having organized various events from music gigs to sales events for 14 years now, the crew from Future 10 all have their fingers on the pulse of their target market — Internet savvy young people aged from their teens to 35.

When the eX mall offered space and asked them to hold an event this year, Brightspot was originally intended to be a music gig.
“But we realized that that’s been done very often,” Anton said. And so the Brightspot market concept was born instead.
The Future 10 crew is mostly interested in artsy and quirky, unusual items.

“We wanted to offer a different shopping experience that made sense,” Anton said. “It’s not like going to a big mall and see similar things everywhere.”

Details to create ambience are also an important element. Tenants may decorate their own booths as they like, though the organizers give some direction and advice.

“We tell them that it is a form of trade show, which means people from large retailers from foreign countries will also visit as well,” Anton said.

“We want visitors to appreciate the creative ambience when they enter the market, the booth is a blank canvas for [retailers] to express their brand,” Nazyra said.

This time, more than 30 brands will participate in the market, including Cleo Awards finalists from the recent Jakarta Fashion Week showing off their collections.

Keeping with the fashion theme, Nina Nikicio will launch a signature dress that can be used to create up to 25 different looks. There will also be limited edition accessories by Nikidee on sale.

Other brands to make an appearance are Aksara bookstore, which is giving discounts on all books at the market, and Seba men’s footwear from Bandung.

Brightspot will also feature Scooter99, a company specializing in reconditioning scooters and building sidecars. The market will introduce scooters that have never been shown or sold in Indonesia before.

“Basically, we try to provide everything that has something to do with lifestyle,” Nazyra said.

Brightspot Market

Dec. 10-13
From 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

3rd floor Plaza Indonesia (next to Jade)

Retailers include:

Aksara
(books and gifts)
Danjyo Hiyoji (women’s and men’s apparel)
Monday to Sunday
(women’s and men’s apparel)
Seba Shoes (men’s footwear)
Melissa by 707 (women’s shoes)
Feiyue by 707 (men’s shoes)
Katallog
(gifts and accessories)
Cotton Ink (women’s accessories)
Scooter99 (scooters)
Koi restaurant (food and beverages)

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12:32 PM | Donations For Prita Mulyasari ...

How much longer Javanes want to see this country ruin?we need a second though to pick leader from different tribes.its been 64 years since Independent and still going nowhere.

12:12 PM | Thousands Gather for Indonesia...

I was in Temanggung a couple of years back and watched kids put these lanterns to flight. Afaik, these lanterns are not normally on sale and are produced only during ...

12:00 PM | A Shot at Shaping Earth’s Futu...

More hogwash about CO2. Why won't people read up on the science instead of relying on a few dozen scientists in the IPCC (most members are not). CO2 makes up 2.5% ...

11:58 AM | Indonesian President Lashes Ou...

Simon , this is one of those moments we seem to have the same "drift." He's got loads of $$$$$$$ to spare!

11:29 AM | Prita Mulyasari to Seek Damage...

who would defend common people like Prita? I think the other common people who have the same fate - skewed justice system, discrepancies between the haves and the have nots ...

11:11 AM | Indonesian President Lashes Ou...

And I'm sure old Red Beret is lurking in the background too.

Photos

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• http://thejakartaglobe.com/world/merkel-applauds-gorbachev-at-anniversary-celebrations/340666'>20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall</a>. (Reuters Photo)">

• 

The Week in Photos

In-line skaters in Javanese opera costumes taking part in a parade along Yogyakarta's famous Jalan Malioboro on Tuesday to celebrate the city's win in a provincial sporting competition last month. (Photo: Boy T Harjanto, JG)

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Lisa Siregar and Trish Anderton

Maru's unusual toppings include black sesame seeds and red beans. (Photo: Lisa Siregar, JG)

How Jakarta's Frozen Yogurt Got So Cool

After fried chicken, bubble tea, fresh bread and donuts all had their turn tempting the fast-food taste buds of Jakarta’s on-the-go diners, yogurt is taking its shot at dominating the city’s quick-bite market.

These days, every large mall in Jakarta has at least one frozen yogurt shop, varying from small counters with no seating that sell different flavors of the dairy offering, to donut and burger outlets that include frozen yogurt on their menus. At least one major cinema chain also sells the frozen treat, alongside nachos, popcorn and other movie-time snacks.

Jane, a bank employee who graduated from college last year, said she eats up to three servings of frozen yogurt a day.

“First it was only Sour Sally, but then I got so addicted that I couldn’t pass a single day without having it, and any brand would do,” she said.

Although frozen yogurt has been available in Jakarta for many years, Sour Sally, a local company started by businessman Donny Pramono, popularized the treat when it opened a small yogurt shop at Senayan City in May of last year. Long queues are now seen at most of its tiny, candy-colored shops, which number 21 across the country, with two more due to open in December.

Within a year of Sour Sally’s debut, other yogurt shops began to appear to compete with its striped-legging icon.

To see what the fuss is all about, a colleague and I taste-tested four yogurt shops at two malls in South Jakarta.

Our first stop was Smooch, a large store on the fourth floor of Grand Indonesia’s west mall. Smooch serves eight different flavors of yogurt, and offered the largest number of topping variations we saw on our taste tour.

We shared a small mixed cup of mojito and plain sour yogurt, topped with fresh peaches and a tiramisu bar. The yogurt was neither creamy nor sour. The mojito was rather sweet, and even the plain version on its own was not very sour. If you are eager to try as many flavors as possible, however, with lots of self-serve toppings, this is the place for you. They also have nutritional information posted.

Samuel Oetoro, a clinical nutrition specialist at Siloam hospital, said that yogurt is a healthy food choice, as it can be a source of probiotics, which people can also get from taking supplements.

“Probiotics means good bacteria, and we need that to keep our digestive systems well,” Oetero said.

Dr. Widodo, a digestion expert at Bunda Hospital, though, said theoretically all yogurts should contain probiotics, but it depends on the how the processing is handled.

The nutrional value of the treat can also be affected by the toppings, Dr. Widodo said. “We should pay attention to the freshness of the fruits and the sugar content in toppings like candies and cookies.”

However, there is no way to check the accuracy of the nutritional information of a cup of yogurt other than to test it in a lab. Generally, Oetero said, the trend to eating more yogurt is good, especially when it is part of a healthy lifestyle.

“Strictly speaking, it is only good if we opt for plain yogurt, because it is fat-free and sugar-free.”

From Smooch, we went downstairs to Red Mango, which according to a promotional banner is Leonardo DiCaprio’s favorite yogurt provider. It offered three flavors — plain sour, strawberry and blackberry — and customers can mix the three to suit their tastes. Toppings included chocolate cornflakes, Oreo cookies, almonds, brownies, KitKats, M&M’s, chocolate chips, fruit and mixed mochi — Japanese-style sticky rice cakes. We ordered a small cup of blackberry mix twist, a mix of plain and blackberry yogurt, with mango topping. The yogurt was richer and sourer than at Smooch, athough the blackberry was rather sweet, and to me, its dark purple color looked scary rather than appealing. The fresh mangoes were of good quality, but, unfortunately, no nutritional information was available in the shop.

At Red Mango, we were more confused about where to sit than what to eat. Only a few tables were available and they were all full. We saw a mother ordering cups of yogurt for her children, and another group of people who stayed at their table even after they finished their desserts.

Rizaldi Parani, a sociology lecturer at Pelita Harapan University, said female customers and children made up the majority of consumers of sweet treats, which include frozen yogurts as well as other kind of snacks, such as bread.

He said healthy living was a recent lifestyle trend for Indonesians and frozen yogurt companies, many of which advertise their products as fat-free, are tapping into that trend.

“Frozen yogurt brands have also done a good job especially in approaching the female and children target market, which explains why sales have been good,” he said.

His observations were proved when we headed to a Sour Sally outlet, just a few steps away from Red Mango, where the clientele was mainly female.

There we sampled the pinklicious flavor, a sour yogurt with a slight berry taste, which staff said was their most popular variety at present. We also tried the bubblegum version, which didn’t taste like bubblegum to either of us. Instead, it had a strange cardboard or rubber-like overtone that reminded my colleague of athletic shoes.

Sour Sally originally offered only plain and green tea flavors, although toppings include cereals, chopped fruit and biscuits. We also ordered the classic, plain yogurt, which had a creamy texture. The choco mochi were rather hard to chew, though, and had little chocolate flavor.

Nutritional details are contained in a newsletter booklet we picked up at the outlet, along with other information about the company. We were disappointed that there is no seating available at Sour Sally’s Grand Indonesia outlet, although others of the brand’s shops, including branches at Mal Taman Anggrek and Pacific Place, have tables and chairs for customers.

Marcus Kandou, the director of marketing communication for Sour Sally, said the chain had the advantage of being a pioneer in the business.

“We are a local brand and we’ve conducted surveys with many of our customers and they admitted that they try other brands only to compare it with our yogurt, as if we’ve set the standard for frozen yogurt [in Indonesia],” he said.

Our last stop was Maru, a local brand located on the third floor of the Plaza Indonesia extension, which serves its yogurt with Japanese-style toppings.

Hardie Widarma, the director of Maru, said each brand of frozen yogurt had its own unique qualities that made it incomparable to other brands.

“Maru provides traditional Japanese-style toppings, such as mochi, and I planned on starting my brand way before the frozen yogurt madness hit the city,” he said.

Other than mochi, we were happy to find black sesame and red bean toppings at Maru, neither of which were available at other yogurt shops. Those were our choices, on a small cup of kiwi and original yogurt flavors. You couldn’t really taste any kiwi flavor but the toppings were tasty. An individual nutritional analysis on Maru’s receipt deserved extra points. We wanted to try their mochi-covered ice cream and yogurt, but it was sold out.

“I think all frozen yogurt brands should be like this,” said Mira, a college student, referring to the Japanese-style fro-yo, a nickname that has resulted from frozen yogurt’s recent boom. “Frozen yogurts, I think, are best served with traditional Japanese treats.”

After our informal taste test at four different shops, we both agreed that Maru’s fresh-tasting, creamy, smooth yogurt was the best we had tried.

We know where we’ll head for our next yogurt fix.

With additional reporting by Irvan Tisnabudi.

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November 18, 2009

Lisa Siregar

Poor body alignment can cause lethargy and irritability, decreasing your ability to work well. (Photo: Lisa Siregar, JG)

Iyengar Yoga Works Out Stiffness at Work

When your job keeps you hunched over a computer, it can eventually start to pull your body out of alignment, making you feel lethargic and irritable and causing stiffness and fatigue in your back, neck and shoulders.

We asked Riana Singgih, head of the Iyengar Yoga Association for East and Southeast Asia, to simplify some complex yoga poses for the workplace using everyday office furniture — ideally without wheels ­— as props.

The Iyengar approach to yoga focuses on correct body alignment, which makes it particularly suitable for people with “office desk posture.”

Riana studied Iyengar directly under the grandmaster of yoga, BKS Iyengar, at his Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune, India. Her yoga center is the only one in Indonesia certified by the institute.

Riana gave five yoga positions suitable for an office workout:

Ardha uttanasana with desk

Ardha means half and uttana means intense stretch. The advanced version requires pressing your palms or fingertips into the floor, but as pictured, using a desk can help you achieve a good stretch if you are less flexible.

This one should be done standing about a meter behind your desk with your feet parallel and hip-width apart.

Raise your arms above your head. Slowly bend forward from the hip joints, not the waist, and lean your upper body toward the desk, pressing your palms into the desktop.

Straighten your legs, keeping the muscles tensed, and lift your sternum up and away from the floor.

Hold this pose for 30 seconds to one minute.

Bharadvajasana with chair

Sit sideways on your office chair, pressing your feet into the floor. Sit tall and grab the backrest of the chair with both hands. Inhale and turn to look over one shoulder, lengthening the spine as you twist. Keep your shoulders rolled back and your feet firmly pressed down.

Stay in this pose for five breaths, then repeat on the other side. This exercise is good to relieve the lower back, reduce stiffness around the neck and shoulders and work the abdominal muscles.

Adho mukha virasana with chair

Adho means downward, mukha means face and virasana is the hero pose. Generally, virasana poses are done sitting on the floor, which requires flexible leg muscles.

Using a chair makes the pose easier. Sit tall in your chair with your legs apart and gently lean forward. Reach back between your legs and hold the base of the chair as you gaze at the floor between your knees. Breathe normally and try to relax your neck muscles.

Stay in this pose for one minute. This pose is good to relieve the tension around the neck and the lower back.

Baddhanguliyasana

Baddha means bound and angula means finger or thumb.

To do this pose, stand tall and keep your back straight throughout the exercise. Interlace your fingers and slowly raise your arms above your head.

Bend your trunk sideways and stay in the pose for 30 seconds. Return to center and bend the other way, also for 30 seconds.

This pose is good to stretch the trunk and release stiffness around the shoulders and hips.

Trikonasana with a chair

Trikona means three angle or triangle. Without a chair, beginners usually find it difficult to do this pose correctly. It is important to have a chair that will not move for this exercise.

This pose definitely requires you to take off your shoes. Stand side on, about a meter away from your chair, with your feet about a meter apart.

Raise your arms to shoulder level with your palms up.

Turn your right foot away from your body in a right angle and point your left foot forward.

Exhale and bend sideways to right, feeling the stretch through your left leg. Place your left hand on your hip, open your chest and lean down, pressing your right palm into your chair. Make sure you keep your trunk straight and don’t drop your hip.

Stay in the pose for about 30 seconds, then repeat on the other side. This pose is good to reduce stiffness in the legs and hips, relieve backaches and neck aches, and strengthen the ankles.

To learn more about Iyengar Yoga:

info@iyengaryogaindonesia.com

Iyengar Yoga Center, Simprug
Ruko Simprug Galleri 10W
Jl. Teuku Nyak Arif, South Jakarta
Tel. 021 739 6930

Iyengar Yoga Center, Serpong
Jl. Raya Villa Melati Mas Blok L V No. 8
Villa Melati Mas Residence, Serpong-Tangerang
Tel. 021 537 3323

 

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