Today's post is a summary of Our Favourite AJB Instagram Pics of 2017. Having posted an image every day of 2017, we certainly have a substantial bank of photos to choose from.

It was interesting when it came down to the crunch as to which photos we each selected as our favourites. What distinguished them for the rest? Well, ultimately it was all about how they made us feel and what memories they evoked. Photos that celebrate humanity & artistic ability as well as images of the less glamorous routine of everyday life definitely struck a chord with us both. In fact as you'll soon see, our favourite pics aren't necessarily examples of high quality photography. But, what they do share in common is the fact that each captures a moment that made us go 'aah' or made our hearts' feel a bit lighter (or maybe even a bit heavier).

As you scroll through Our Favourite AJB Instagram Images of 2017, you will see that we have included the Instagram link for each. Click this and you will go directly to the actual photo as posted on Instagram. Here you will see the context of each image and the conversation that each generated amongst our ajb Community.

We hope you enjoy our photos and please let us know which one/s were your favourite in the Comment Section below.

Oh, and incase you're wondering, the first 5 pics are Jo's and the last 5 are Liz'.

Happy Viewing :)

Why this Photo?
Okay.. so you might not have expected to see our beaming faces quite this early in our list of Favourite Images (hope we didn't scare you!), but a pic like this reminds us of the many reasons we love living here in JTown. But I'll admit that there is another reason why I selected this pic:
Do you know how hard it is to get a good selfie together? One of us is always talking (me), or blinking (me) or talking and blinking (me), hence, what was meant to be a spontaneous event can take a few minutes. So please accept our apologies for our wonky selfies throughout our Insta feed - but for us they are a great memory of times shared and adventures had.
This selfie was taken mid-way through a walking tour of Chinatown in North Jakarta. Please note that eyes are open and we are looking (approximately) at the right place. When it comes to selfies, near enough is good enough!

Instagram link: You've got to love a selfie!

Why this Photo?
Oh my goodness, this photo surely has brought a smile to your face. Snapped by our dear friend Anita, this unlikely sight caught her attention whilst she was near Jl. Kemang Timur in South Jakarta. Luckily for us, Anita was quick to capture this epic photo of a unicorn inflatable strapped to the roof of a bajaj.

It’s sights like these that warm our hearts and make us giggle. These little 3 wheel taxis are known for transporting all sorts of things - in fact, we can attest to seeing a double bass strapped to the roof of one.

Instagram link: The Bajaj and the Unicorn

Why this Photo?
How could you not adore this face! Pak Mur directs the traffic in my neighbourhood, just in front of my favourite florist in the Dalams of Kemang. He stops the traffic to allow you to cross and always greets you with a beautiful warm smile. On this particular day, I stopped at the florist to buy some flowers for Liz. Pak Mur greeted me and I suddenly realised that I didn't even know his name. How crazy, especially considering this man is a part of my community. As our conversation drew to a close, I asked Pak for his photo. He agreed on one condition; that he was able to hold Liz’ flowers whilst I took his photo - not a bad deal, I'd say!

Instagram link: A smile and a bunch of flowers

Why this Photo?
This photo means a lot to me. Most apparent is the coffee. Liz and I share a preference for Aceh Gayo beans, and over the past 3 years, have spent a lot of time blogging and generally catching up over coffee; a cappuccino within reach for Liz and a latte for me.
But look more carefully. Obscured in the background are two people - Michelle & Patricia. Two people who have become a part of my Jakarta week - not due to blogging (although both are great supporters of ajb), but because they run with me, negotiating every broken road, the odd squashed frog (and rat… eek.. or is that squeak!). These runs give me a boost and lift my spirit when it needs a bit of a pick me up.

Instagram link: Coffee, Friends and dash of Running

Why this Photo?
This photo is all about the person. In the early days of AJB, our beautiful friend Nita accompanied us on numerous expeditions across the city. With a camera always at the ready, Nita captured so many memorable images for us, including our original AJB ‘About Us’ photos (note to self: 2018 is the year to update these!) But sadly for us, Nita has now moved to the UK with her family and our photography is in our hands. We’ve learnt a lot from Nita and have much more to learn as we continue to seek images that capture ‘Our Jakarta’.

Instagram link: Our precious friend, Nita

Why this Photo?
This photo makes me smile … it’s a simple image yet for me it speaks volumes of the universal love a father has for his child as well as being a snapshot of life in Jakarta. This young man’s name is Pak Wahyudin and he works in my street. Every morning around 7am he attaches his young child to himself, using a traditional Indonesian baby carrier whilst completing his house duties. I like the contrast between the traditional baby carrier and Wahyudin embracing a modern approach to being a father.

Instagram link: Pak Wahudin and his baby son Denis

Why this Photo?
This photo was taken in my neighbourhood about 7.30am when I was out on my morning trot. This is Ibu Ida, her husband Pak Usup and a friendly ‘massage man’ who had just purchased his bubur ayam breakfast from Pak Usup and Ibu Ida. Every day Ibu Ida and Pak Usup serve breakfast, snacks, cigarettes and phone credit to drivers and people on their way to work. By 7.30 am the morning crowd is subsiding and it’s a chance for them to take a break. This image is a representation of work, life and culture for many Indonesians living in Jakarta and I was happy to see it in action!

Instagram link: Pak Usup, the massage man and Pak Usup's wife Ida

Why this Photo?
I love this photo! It’s such a great visual of places and things that are important to Jo and I; our native Australia, our adopted country Indonesia and our shared hot drink of choice … coffee. If I were to caption it I’d call it ‘two women from Australia meeting in Indonesia and sharing stories of their journeys and adventures in Jakarta, fuelled by good strong local coffee. This batik takeaway cup is also a favourite of ours!

Instagram link: A wall map of Australia and Indonesia and a table on which to share a good local coffee

Why this Photo?
Curiosity got the better of me the day I stopped, got out of my car and took this photo. A young man selling pineapples on Jl.Radio Dalam. What was his story? and Why were there 4 other pineapple sellers on this same street selling from the same beautifully presented carts known as ‘Tukang Nanas”? I was curious to know … Using my best Bahasa I chatted with this young man who introduced himself as ‘Aryo’ He told me he was one of 5 pineapple sellers on the street, and that they were selling not ANY pineapple, but the famous ‘Nanas Madu’ from Subang. (One of the best pineapple producing areas in West Java) Wow! What a scoop! ;)

Instagram link: Pak Aryo selling pineapples on Jl. Radio Dalam

Why this Photo?
I’m going to conclude with this shot of Jo and I and report … I think we finally started to get the hang of ‘the selfie’ just in time for our last big blog photo shoot for the year, which also happened to be our 150th Blog Post. Woo hoo! In this pic there is relief and a sense of satisfaction in our eyes … our Holiday Gift Guide' was complete; which meant the end of the year was near, and we were also on the ‘home stretch’ to enjoying the holiday season with our families. My caption for this image is ‘Sepenuh Hati’ ‘With a full heart’

Instagram link: Sepenuh Hati

So what did you think of this post? We truly hope you liked it :)
And guess what? This is our last ajb Blog post for 2017. How fast has this year flown! We're off on holidays soon but would love you to continue following our adventures on our ajb Instagram page. We'll be back here at ajb Blogging Central come mid- January 2018. So as you don't miss out on our first post for 2018, why not subscribe? You can do so here. In the meantime, wishing you a happy & safe festive period.

Words: Jo Stevens & Liz McClean Photography: a journey bespoke