Nias ( Nort Sumatra , Indonesia )

Dalam budaya Ono Niha terdapat cita-cita atau tujuan rohani hidup bersama yang termakna dalam salam “Ya’ahowu” (dalam terjemahan bebas bahasa Indonesia “semoga diberkati”). Dari arti Ya’ahowu tersebut terkandung makna: memperhatikan kebahagiaan orang lain dan diharapkan diberkati oleh Yang Lebih Kuasa. Dengan kata lain Ya’ahowu menampilkan sikap-sikap: perhatian, tanggungjawab, rasa hormat, dan pengetahuan. Jika seseorang bersikap demikian, berarti orang tersebut memperhatikan perkembangan dan kebahagiaan orang lain : tidak hanya menonton, tanggap, dan bertanggungjawab akan kebutuhan orang lain (yang diucapkan : Selamat – Ya’ahowu), termasuk yang tidak terungkap, serta menghormatinya sebagai sesama manusia sebagaimana adanya. Jadi makna yang terkandung dalam “Ya’ahowu” tidak lain adalah persaudaraan (dalam damai) yang sungguh dibutuhkan sebagai wahana kebersamaan dalam pembangunan untuk pengembangan hidup bersama.

TRANSLATE

In a culture there Ono Niha ideals or spiritual purpose in life with which termakna greetings "Ya'ahowu" (in free translation Indonesian "blessed hope"). From these meanings contained Ya'ahowu meaning: pay attention to other people's happiness and is expected to be blessed by A More Powerful. In other words Ya'ahowu displaying attitudes: caring, responsibility, respect, and knowledge. If someone being so, it means the person is considering the development and happiness of others: not only watching, responsive, and responsible to the needs of other people (who pronounced: Congratulations - Ya'ahowu), including those that are not revealed, and honor as a fellow human being as such . So the meaning contained in the "Ya'ahowu" none other than the brotherhood (in peace) are really needed as a vehicle for the development of togetherness in the development of living together.

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Indonesia's Mt Merapi Spews Superheated Flows

VIVAnews - The most volatile volcano in Indonesia, Mount Merapi, spewed pyroclastic flows yesterday starting from 5 pm.

According to Surono, head of volcanology and geological disaster mitigation center, the superheated clouds, known by the locals as "wedhus gembel" (literally "shaggy goat") had been on sight since noon.

"There was a loud sound up there. The explosion moved toward the predicted directions," said Andi Arief, presidential adviser on disaster.

Andi said that the seismic data from Mount Merapi until 5 pm showed that avalanches occurred 317 times, multi-phase tremors 371 times, volcanic tremors 227 times and tectonic tremors 3 times.

Surono stated, "Within a day, around 50 times of explosions can be heard. The avalanches poured down on almost all directions."

Dozens of people were killed during the incident including a VIVAnews journalist, Yuniawan Wahyu Nugroho, who was there under official duty.

"Our team carried nine bodies," said Iman Surahman, a volunteer at the Disaster Management Center (DMC) of Dompet Dhuafa last night. "The other team also found some more bodies," he said.

Iman believed other victims were still around the village. The are trapped inside their homes.

Most of the deceased have been transferred to Dr Sardjito Hospital, Yogyakarta. Meanwhile, those suffering from either burn injuries or respiratory distress are admitted to Panti Nugroho, Pakem, Sleman.

 

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MYTH but it is TRUE – The Twin Banyan Tree , Yogyakarta ( Translate English-Indonesia )

 

Pohon beringin yang besar dapat memberikan tempat yang teduh dan sejuk bagi orang-orang dibawahnya yang sedang istirahat. Apakah Anda pernah tahu pohon beringin yang menjadi obyek wisata yang paling sering dikunjungi banyak orang? Di Alun-alun kidul Yogyakarta yang masih satu kompleks dengan wilayah Kraton Ngayogyakarto, tiap akhir pekan selalu ramai dikunjungi para wisatawan lokal maupun domestik.
Alun-alun kidul Yogyakarta selain terdapat obyek wisata seperti dua ekor gajah milik Kraton Ngayogyakarto, juga terdapat 2 buah pohon beringin besar yang umurnya sekitar ratusan tahun yang terletak di tengah-tengah alun-alun. Dua pohon beringin ini oleh kebanyakan orang sering disebut beringin kembar. Tempat ini berjarak 1 km dari Malioboro yang dapat ditempuh sekitar 20 menit.
Yang menjadi daya tarik wisatawan pada beringin kembar ini adalah masangin (masuk di antara dua beringin). Konon katanya apabila seseorang dapat dengan mudah masuk daerah antara pohon beringin kembar, salah satu keinginannya bakal terwujud. Hmm…kelihatannya mudah bukan? Eits…tunggu dulu, jarang-jarang sekali ada orang bisa melewati tantangan ini, yang ada malah berjalan beda arah dengan beringin kembar ini. Waktu yang paling ramai dikunjungi oleh para pengunjung adalah sore hari hingga malam hari. Tata cara melakukan masangin , yaitu :

1.  berdiri lurus ke depan sekitar 25 meter dari beringin kembar tepatnya dekat dengan gedung Sasana Hinggil arah utara dari pohon beringin kembar.
2.  mata dalam keadaan tertutup, ditutup dengan kain slayer, sapu tangan atau apa aja yang penting dapat menutup penglihatan.
3.  badan harus diputar lebih dahulu 360 derajat berkali-kali.
4.  setelah serasa cukup diputar-putar, arahkan posisi badan lurus ke depan dengan jalan tengah beringin kembar.
5.  kemudian silahkan berjalan menurut feeling/perasaan tanpa bantuan orang lain.
Jika Anda sedang beruntung dapat melalui dengan baik dan dapat berada di tengah-tengah beringin kembar, Insya Allah keinginan Anda terkabul. Jika Anda sedang tidak beruntung, mungkin akan jadi bahan tertawaan teman Anda karena bisa-bisa salah arah, menabrak orang, menabrak pedagang kaki lima dan sebagainya. Apakah Anda tertarik?

 

TRANSLATE

A large BANYAN tree can provide shade and cool for people who were resting underneath. Did you ever know a banyan tree that became tourist attraction most visited many people? In the square south of Yogyakarta which is still a complex with the Kraton area Ngayogyakarto, every weekend is always crowded visited local and domestic tourists.
The plaza south of Yogyakarta in addition there are attractions such as two elephants belonging Ngayogyakarto Palace, there are also two large banyan tree about a hundred years old and located in the middle of the square. Two banyan tree is by most people is often called a banyan twins. This place is located 1 km from the Malioboro which is within about 20 minutes.
The tourist attraction is the twin banyan Masangin (entrance between two banyan). It was said that if a person can easily enter the region between the twin banyan tree, one wish would come true. Hmm ... seems easy right? Eits ... wait a minute, rarely, if ever, people can get through this challenge, that there is even running different directions with this twin banyan. The most crowded time to visit by the visitor in the afternoon till night. the way of doing MASANGIN, is :

@ Standing straight ahead about 25 feet from the twin banyan rather close to the building north of the Sasana Hinggil twin banyan tree.
Eye is closed, covered with a cloth headkerchief, handkerchiefs or anything important it can close vision.
@ Agencies should be rotated 360 degrees ahead of times.
Seemed enough after playing in circles, point straight ahead position of the body with twin banyan middle road.
@ And Then just walk by feeling or feeling without the aid of others.
If you're lucky to be through with both and can be in the midst of a BANYAN twins, God willing, your wishes come true. If you're not lucky, it might be a laughingstock because your friend might wrong direction, bumping into people, knocking over street vendors and so forth. Are you interested?

 

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Toraja ( Nort Sumatra , Indonesia )

Suku Toraja adalah suku yang menetap di pegunungan bagian utara Sulawesi Selatan, Indonesia. Populasinya diperkirakan sekitar 650.000 jiwa, dengan 450.000 diantaranya masih tinggal di kabupaten Tana Toraja. Mayoritas suku Toraja memeluk agama Kristen, sementara sebagian menganut Islam dan kepercayaan animisme yang dikenal sebagai Aluk To Dolo. Pemerintah Indonesia telah mengakui kepercayaan ini sebagai bagian dari Agama Hindu Dharma.

Kata toraja berasal dari bahasa Bugis, to riaja, yang berarti "orang yang berdiam di negeri atas". Pemerintah kolonial Belanda menamai suku ini Toraja pada tahun 1909. Suku Toraja terkenal akan ritual pemakaman, rumah adat tongkonan dan ukiran kayunya. Ritual pemakaman Toraja merupakan peristiwa sosial yang penting, biasanya dihadiri oleh ratusan orang dan berlangsung selama beberapa hari.

Sebelum abad ke-20, suku Toraja tinggal di desa-desa otonom. Mereka masih menganut animisme dan belum tersentuh oleh dunia luar. Pada awal tahun 1900-an, misionaris Belanda datang dan menyebarkan agama Kristen. Setelah semakin terbuka kepada dunia luar pada tahun 1970-an, kabupaten Tana Toraja menjadi lambang pariwisata Indonesia. Tana Toraja dimanfaatkan oleh pengembang pariwisata dan dipelajari oleh antropolog. Masyarakat Toraja sejak tahun 1990-an telah banyak berubah, dari masyarakat berkepercayaan tradisional dan agraris, menjadi masyarakat yang mayoritas beragama Kristen dan mengandalkan sektor pariwisata yang terus meningkat.

TRANSLATE

Toraja Tribe is a tribe that settled in the mountainous northern part of South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Population, estimated at around 650,000 people, with 450 000 of them are still living in districts of Tana Toraja. The majority of the Toraja tribe embraced Christianity, while some embraced Islam and animist beliefs known as Aluk To Dolo. The Indonesian government has acknowledged this belief as part of Hindu Dharma.

The word comes from the Bugis Toraja, to Riaja, which means "one who dwells in the land above." The Dutch colonial government named the Toraja tribe in 1909. Toraja tribe famous for funeral rituals, customs house tongkonan and carving wood. Toraja funeral rituals are important social events, usually attended by hundreds of people and lasted for several days.

Before the 20th century, the Toraja tribe lived in autonomous villages. They still embrace animism and untouched by the outside world. In the early 1900s, Dutch missionaries came and spread Christianity. After more open to the outside world in the 1970s, Tana Toraja district became a symbol of Indonesian tourism. Tana Toraja exploited by tourism developers and studied by anthropologists. Toraja society since the 1990s has changed much, from traditional berkepercayaan and agrarian society, became the majority Christian communities and relies on a growing tourism sector.

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Chocolate mix with Dodol ( Chocodot )

Awalnya saya sempat pesimis waktu melihat cokelat edisi baru ini sekaligus cukup senang karena ada inovasi baru dari Garut. Chocodot! Cokelat dicampur dodol garut!

Rasa cokelatnya yang tidak terlalu pahit maupun terlalu manis ternyata memberikan sensasi yag beda dan menyenangkan. Dodol garut menggeliat ketika kita mulai menguyah praline menarik ini. Mantap! Saya SUKA !

Chocodot memiliki kemasan luar yang menarik dengan besek kecilnya yang berwarna cokelat seksi, sayang kemasan pralinenya yang dibungkus kertas perak tampak terlalu biasa.

Chocodot dihargai Rp 14.000 untuk satu kotak mininya, berisi sekitar hmm mungkin 10 (maaf saya ga sempat hitung dan cokelatnya sudah keburu habis he he). Entah di supermarket Jakarta sudah ada atau belum, yang pasti Chocodot ini dibeli Ibu saya langsung di pabriknya di Garut.

 

TRANSLATE

At first I could pessimistic when I saw this new brown edition is quite happy at the same time because there is a new innovation from Garut. Chocodot! Dodol arrowroot mixed with chocolate!

Chocolate flavor that is not too bitter nor too sweet in fact gave the sensation yag different and fun. Dodo arrowroot squirm when we begin this exciting menguyah praline. Steady! I LIKE this!

Chocodot has an attractive outer packaging with a little brown besek sexy, babe wrapped in paper packaging pralinenya silver seems too ordinary.

Chocodot appreciated 14 000 (fourteen thousand rupiah) for a mini box, containing about 10 (sorry I not had time to count and the chocolate was already out he he). Whether in a supermarket in Jakarta already exists or not, that surely this Chocodot My mother purchased directly at its plant in Garut

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Primitive collection- wood bamboo (Bali, Indonesia)

 

Bamboo carving art was first developed during the Han Dynasty (206-220 B.C.) The earliest bamboo craft is a piece of colored lacquer bamboo spoon with a dragon vein carving,unearthed from Hunan Province. It demonstrates that the art of bamboo carving had achieved quite a high level at that time. Later, the special techniques of carving art were gardually accumulated. By record, in Jin Dynasty(A.D.420-465), calligrapher Wang X.Z had a very exquisite Phyllostachys bambusoides pen container; he named it "Qiuzhong". During the Six Dynasties, Qi G.Z.presented a shoot sheath crown made of bamboo root to Ming Z.S., it is thus evident that root carving art already appeared at that time.

When it came to the Tang and Song dynasties(A.D.618-1279) the carving art became more mature and fine. According to Guo R.X. during the Song Dynasty, a high ranking official's family kept a writing brush, on its bamboo tube were carved line drawing with a poem. The people and horses were expressed very clearly and vividly. Various types of carving also emerged at this time.

The Ming Dynasty(A.D.1368-1644) was a golden age for bamboo carving. Due to different art styles, a variety of schools were formed in different areas. Among them, the most famous work was from the Jiading and Jinling schools. The founder of the Jiading school, Zhu Songling and his son Zhu Xiaosong and grandson Zhu Sansong, created many masterpieces at that time. They were called "Jiading Three Zhu" by people. Zhu Songling was also good at poetry and painting. He is famous for Buddha carving. Many of his art works were kept in Beijing's Imperial Palace Museum. The bamboo carvings by the Zhu family were regarded as valuable as those made of jewels at that time. Pu Zhong qian of the Jinling school was good at carving pen containers. His kettle carved with pine made by bamboo root is kept in the Palace Museum.

In the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, WuZhifan was the most famous artist for bamboo carving. His work "Old man under the pine" is kept in the Shanghai Museum.There were several carving producing places in bamboo concentrated area.

After the Qing Dynasty, bamboo carving skills were almost lost for some time. It was only twenty years ago that some talented peasants in Zhejiang Province began to study this old art in their spare time and started to rejuvonate this art. Now this art begins to shine again. Those peasants create some very special bamboo carvings combined with old Chinese tradition and their own creativity.

 

 

 

 

 

Process of Relief Sculpture :

The operations are as follows:

1. Design

Design the picture on the object.

2. Raw Material Selection

Excellent 6-7 year old Phyllostachys pubescens (a type of big bamboo) culms should be chosen as raw material. Culm quality affects the final goods directly. While selecting, attention should be paid to the age, size and shape of the culms. The selected culm should be free of damage and be cut from November to January when the moisture content of the bamboo is low.

3. Raw Material Treatment

The quality of final goods is directly affected by the water content of the raw material. Culms are dried vertically in shade with ventilation, avoiding direct sunshine. Remove the green cuticle from the surface, then treat with chemicals to prevent damage from fungus and boring insects.

4. Carving

Polish the surface of bamboo, reprint the carving pattern on the surface with a piece of duplicating paper. Use a 2H pencil to draw clearly. After the pattern is on the surface, use a sharp knife to make the contour of the pattern. Then use a carving knife to express the relief of the carving. See picture in right.

5. Finishing

Finish with the right color on it, usually in dark-red or coffee-like color.

 

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