Sunday, the 20th of May, 1908: A handful of young Indonesians, led by Wahidin Sudirohusodo, and supported by Soetomo, Gunawan and Suradji — declared the formation of “Boedi Oetomo”, laying the foundations for our independence. The movement would awake Indonesians to Indonesia — to its rich cultural heritage, and age-old values. It was not a decision made in haste. The group had made a thorough study of our history to find the missing thread that could possibly reunite us into one nation.
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Being Visit Indonesia Year 2008 it was only obvious that passenger arrivals would increase steadily and especially to the safe tourist island of Bali. When I was over in Bali recently, there was an increase in domestic travellers and although this is good to see for the economy of such a small island, it is the other islands in the archipelago that desperately need the tourist dollar. According to Communications Minister Djusman Syafii Djamal predicted the number of air passengers in the country will rise 18 per cent this year from 36.13 million last year. Djusman said his prediction is based on the past performance, pointing out the past seven years have seen a four-fold increase in the number of air passengers in the country. Travellers hate to go by car or bus, with badly battered roads in most parts of the country having been damaged by rain triggered floods in the past several months, he said.
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If you are in Pontianak in West Kalimantan between the dates of March 21-23, then I suggest you check out the Bumi Khatulistiwa Cultural Festival. This festival is held twice a year to commemorate the natural phenomenon of the city of Pontianak which lies right on the imaginary Equator line. Events during the Bumi Khatulistiwa Cultural Festival will be traditional West Kalimantan art, tourism and cultural exhibition and traditional sport competitions.
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Traditionally, Imlek, Indonesian for Chinese New Year, celebrations last for 15 days. This year Imlek fell on Feb. 7. The first day is usually reserved for welcoming gods. Over the next few days, people pray to gods and visit relatives. The fifth day is usually spent at home to commemorate the god of wealth, while, on the eighth day, people pray for happiness and luck. The 14th day is spent in preparation for the final day of Imlek celebrations.
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The Javanese traditional kris — a wavy, double-blade dagger, sometimes spelt keris — has a significance that goes beyond its role as a weapon. A kris can be a symbol of a man’s social status and power. Some kris are believed to possess supernatural qualities and only certain people are allowed to make them. Only master craftsmen are believed to have the skills and knowledge required to make a kris with special magical powers. Banyu Sumurup kampong is famous for producing kris — both souvenir kris and kris that possess magical powers. The kampong, which is located in Imogiri, Bantul, 25 kilometers south of Yogyakarta city, is home to 70-year-old master craftsman Djiwo Diharjo. Djiwo is well known, not only among government officials around Indonesia, but also with foreigners.
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As most of you know, my two passions in life are the environment and wildlife, especially orangutans. I received an email yesterday about Orangutan Outreach, a non-profit organisation based in New York that works closely with Borneo Orangutan Survival and supports several projects in Kalimantan. I had a look at their website – redapes.org – and was pleasantly surprised to read just how much excellent work this organisation does. Saving the orangutans in Sumatra and Kalimantan should be one of the priorities of the Indonesian government and also to protect the environment in which these beautiful creatures live. Alas, this responsibility falls in the hands of non-profit organisations like Orangutan Outreach.
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It is a well-known fact that orangutans are one of the planet’s most endangered species. According to statistics, Orangutans about 90 percent of those left are living in Sumatra and Kalimantan, with the remainder in Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysia. Many have been abducted and sold in the black market. Illegal logging negatively impacts on ecological systems and so does the world demand for palm oil. This has increased by 32% over the last five years with the advent of the rapidly expanding food and industrial manufacturing industries. The aim of the former Suharto government was to create a total of 13.5 million acres of palm oil plantations by 2000 - by 1999 the figure had reached 7.4 million, which is nearly five times the size of Bali. The sudden increase in palm oil use has led to the clearing of Indonesia’s tropical forests to create monoculture palm oil plantations according to the Orangutan Foundation International organisation.
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The concern over the world’s endangered indigenous languages is not a new issue. In 1951, UNESCO held a convention on the language of education on a worldwide basis. Its main purpose was to promote and preserve indigenous languages from extinction. Attended by a committee of language pundits worldwide, the convention produced a general consensus that a child’s mother tongue should become the medium of instruction.
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The Kuin River in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, is an age old river that functions as a market for traders. The Kuin River, which is located on the mouth of the vast Barito River, has been the heart of the Banjarmasin community for hundreds of years.The traders deal with each other while on top of their vessels, which are known as jukung. The market starts getting busy just before sunrise until sunrise, or from 5 to 7 A.M. Tourists may enjoy the panoramic view from the vessels accompanied with hot cups of coffee or tea according …
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Rujak (roujack) or rojhak is a sweet sour salad made from fruits and vegetables and is mostly eaten as a snack between meals throughout Indonesia. The fruit and vegetable variations are many. Some regions even have rujak in their array of ceremonial foods.
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