Today is the anniversary of my town, and the streets were alive with a big carnival to celebrate.
The preparation started a few days before, and when the day came, the carnival passed along the main road. There were three different spots for the attractions so people didn’t gather in just one place. This way, traffic could still move and the town didn’t get stuck in a jam. Well. that's the plan!
Along the road, food sellers also joined in. Most of them sold snacks and drinks, which was perfect, because during a carnival people love to snack while watching the show.
To be honest, I was a little worried. In Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, there were demonstrations and chaos around parliament. People are losing trust in their representatives because they feel the job is not being done well. I wondered if that kind of unrest might reach my small town and disturb the celebration.
Because of that, I didn’t stay too long. I watched for about half an hour before going back home. Luckily, everything went smoothly until the end. No problems at all—very different from the situation in the capital. My daughter, who watch from different location stayed until the carnival ended. There was no problem at all. She enjoyed watching the carnival with her friend.
As for the carnival itself, it was colorful and full of life. I saw youngsters wearing traditional costumes from different regions of Indonesia, and even some from China, showing how cultures can mix and grow together. There was also a group of local models—beautiful young girls proudly introducing local culture through modeling. Another highlight was a group of students from Tri Atma Jaya University. They dressed neatly as kings, queens, princes, and princesses in traditional outfits, looking elegant and graceful.
In the spot where my daughter watched, it was more exciting. A lot more people stood by the street as they watched many of the attraction. I have some pictures of the crowd sent by my daughter who watched the carnival at the main town center.
