Ramdan's Site

As a history & culture freak also a photography hobbyist I always waiting for an event like “Festival Malang Kembali” that was held in Idjen's Street from 2-6 Mei 2007. From Jakarta I took the Gajayana train in 4 May 2007 and arrive at Malang in 5 June 2007. The character of the festival is always show old & traditional atmosphere. Big size photos during the colonial & revolutionary time (1930-1940’s) with the information about the history of Malang including the old names of the streets, buildings and other places during the colonial time are shown in the Festival. There were also traditional theaters and music performances and off course foods. The organizer & the participant wears old costume or traditional clothe and there was a suggestion for the visitors to wear old or traditional costumes although most of them neglected it, but some visitors follow the suggestion and thanks to them I could feel the old time atmosphere. I bought some old photos, postcards, stamps & T-shirt with old Malang picture.

Malang -just like the other city in Indonesia- was build by the Dutch colonial government in 1920’s. That time the official name of this huge island colony was Netherland Indiscshe. In 1942 the Japanese took over the government easily from the Dutch and after The Japanese surrender by the allies Indonesia proclaimed their Independence in August 17-1945. During 1947-1949 the Dutch tried to occupy again their colony, but the Indonesian fight back and finally the Dutch give the authority officially to the new Indonesian government. After the independence Indonesian government change the street, buildings, places and institutions names from Dutch into Indonesian names.

For me the Festival Malang Kembali is like a time machine, I felt like I came to the place where I haven’t born yet, isn’t cool?