The Meaning of Tattos for The Dayak Kenyah People

The Dayak Kenyak people call tattoos betik. Betik means the activity where tattooist pricks the skin repeatly with wooden instrument with three metal prongs on the end. Before the tattoo is made the person’s skin is covered with soot from a cooking pot and desired design. The used tattoos is different from each social class, these being :

1. Tattoos for th nobility (paren). Tattoos made for the nobility usually consist of the a very fine design with a spesific symbolic meaning. These designs are very expensive and ma not be used by other social classes.
2. Tattoos for the middle class (panyen). Designs used by the middle class are usually larger and not so expensive,
3. Tattoos for the lower class are only done certain parts of the body and are very cheap. Occasionally they may make it themselves.

Goals of Suramadu

• Economic development of East Java Province especially for Madura Island.
• To development Madura Island as a buffer zone of Surabaya
• To increase the mobility of passenger and goods between Surabaya city and Madura Island.
• To stimulate the opportunities for employment that in line with local culture
• For Construction Technology development and training ground for Indonesia expert in Long Span Bridge

Suramadu Bridge

The Suramadu Bridge also known as the Surabaya–Madura Bridge, is a bridge with three cable-stayed sections constructed between Surabaya on the island of Java and the town of Bangkalan on the island of Madura in Indonesia. The construction contract for the building of the bridge was signed on September 24th, 2004 between China and Indonesia. And the construction work began in a year after, October 2005 Suramadu Bridge connecting Surabaya (Java Island) and Bangkalan (Madura Island). Once finished this 5.438 Km bridge will become the longest bridge in Indonesia and South East Asian (ASEAN).
Opened by President of Republic of Indonesia, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on June 10, 2009, the 5.4-km bridge is the longest in Indonesia and the first bridge to cross the Madura Strait
"Suramadu bridge is a domestic masterpiece in the field of construction technology of the 21st century. This bridge also proves that this century, Indonesia has become a developed country," Yudhoyono said in front of some 6,500 guests attending the launch ceremony. Suramadu bridge that connect Java island and Madura island is expected to gift benefit, merit and improvement to the people of Madura.
The cable-stayed portion has three spans with lengths 192 m, 434 m and 192 m. The bridge will not have a railway. But they will have a special line for motocycle. For cars, each way will be two lines plus emergency line. The first toll bridge in Indonesia, fares have been initially set at Rp. 30,000 (US$ 3) for four-wheeled vehicles and 3,000 (US$ 30 cent) for two-wheelers.
The bridge was built by a consortium of Indonesian companies PT Adhi Karya and PT Waskita Karya working with China Road and Bridge Corp. and China Harbor Engineering Co. Ltd. The total cost of the project, including connecting roads, has been estimated at 4.5 trillion rupiah (US$ 445 million).

Borobudur

Borobudur is located at Magelang, in Central Java, about 40 km North West of Yogyakarta, 1,5 km northest of The Pawon, and 3 km northeast of the Mendut. It was built in the ninth century as a shrine to Buddha, and abandoned in the fourteenth century after the decline of the Buddhist and Hindu kingdoms in Java, when the Javanese converted to Islam. After Borobudur was abandoned in ancient times it was mentioned twice in two historical Javanese texts Babad Tanah Jawi (1704) and Babad Mataram (1754). It was rediscovered in 1814 by Sir Thomas Raffles, British ruler of Java. A complete restoration did not take place however until 1907, under the guidance of a Dutchman, Theodorus Van Erp. He worked on the project until 1911.
Borobudur is a giant mountain-building. It is built entirely on a natural hill. The base is about 118 m (387 ft) on each side. Nine terraced layers rise around the hill to a height of about 46 m (150 ft), covering the entire hill. Although there is a stairway leading directly to the summit, there are 4.8 km (3 miles) of original passageways and stairways inside the monument. Exploring these and finding a way to the top is like stepping back in time 1,000 years, to when the temple was built.
This 1907-1911 restoration was established to primarily focus on cleaning the sculptures, and excavating the grounds around the monument to find missing Buddha heads and hidden panel stones. The restoration project did not address and solve the drainage problem. Within few decades, the gallery walls were sagging and the relief showed signs of new cracks and deterioration. Theodoor van Erp used concrete from which alkali salts and calcium hydroxide are leached and transported into the rest of the construction. This has caused some problems that a further thorough renovation is urgently needed (Soekmono, 1973). In 1968, the Indonesian government and the United Nations, working through UNESCO, launch the "Save Borobudur" campaign. Over the next fifteen years, twenty million dollars are raised to support a bold plan: the complete dismantling and reconstruction of the lower terraces of the monument – stone by stone. Professionals from twenty-seven countries join their Indonesian counterparts to carry out the project.
Over one million stones are moved during the course of restoration, and set aside like pieces of a massive jig-saw puzzle. Thirteen hundred carved panels are taken apart and individually cleaned, catalogued and treated for preservation. And Borobudur becomes a testing ground for new conservation techniques – new procedures to battle the microorganisms eating away at the stone. Experts in engineering, chemistry, biology and archaeology all share their skills to solve the multitude of problems. The restoration takes eight years of labor and unprecedented international cooperation to complete.
In the words of Professor Soekmono, the Indonesian archaeologist who directed the Borobudur Restoration Project: "Borobudur has resumed its old historical role as a place of learning, dedication and training. We might even conclude that the builders of the monument hoped and planned for such continuity. An excellent training program, either for the pilgrim-devotee or for the field technician, is always based on a wish, a fervent wish, that the trainee will achieve what is projected. For the ardent Buddhist it is the Highest Wisdom that leads to the Ultimate salvation, and for the technician the highest degree of expertise that leads to the appropriate fulfillment of his duty. In both cases, Candi Borobudur is the embodiment of such a deeply felt wish. It is a prayer in stone."The international character of the project now being ensured by a National Executive agency, a UNESCO Coordinator and an International Consultative Committees, the government and UNESCO signed a formal agreement in January 1973 in Paris. In August 1973 the start of the project was announced by President Republic of Indonesia, inspite of the fact that the international fundraising campaign had only just been started. The significance of Borobudur Temples has an outstanding universal value and UNESCO world cultural heritage inscribed the temple and its surrounding in the World Heritage List in 1991 no. C 592. The Vesak annual ritual is observed by Indonesian Buddhists during the full moon in May or June, by walking from Mendut, passing through Pawon, and ending at Borobudur.

Bandung (West Java)

Bandung as known as City of Flowers, is the provincial capital of West Java and Indonesia' s third largest city after Jakarta and Surabaya. Known in colonial times as the Paris of Java because of its European ambiance and sophistication, Bandung shares with Miami a fine legacy of Tropical Deco architecture dating from the 1920's. Situated on a plateau in the beautiful Parahayangan mountains, Bandung's pleasant climate and lush surroundings have offered an escape from the heat of the lowlands since the mid 19th century when it was the heart of the region's most prosperous plantation area. Host to the historic Asia Africa conference in 1955, Bandung is now a center of higher education ,commerce and aircraft industry which despite its modern amenities still retains much of its colonial era charm. Bandung is also renowned for its shopping, particularly for shoes, textiles, clothing and denims which are found in the colourful Jeans street . Easily reached from Jakarta by train , road or air (the scenic train trip is recommended), Bandung, with its cool mountain air is a popular second stop for those visiting the national capital and an essential stay-over for travellers enroute through Java.
Bandung is also known as shopper's paradise in Indonesia. There is a lot of Factory Outlet (FO) that offer both local as well as imported clothes. You can find them with no trouble because they are spread out around the city. Jl. Ir Juanda (also known as Dago), Jl. Martadinat (around Jl. Riau) and Jl Setiabudi are places for popular FO. Why they called factory outlet? The price is cheaper because send directly from factory. There are also particular shops known as Distro (Distribution Store). They offer home industry products with limited amout and the result those products become exlusive item. Each Distro usually offer only specific product, for instance shop selling only surfing equipment, skateboards, Motor Gede (Big Bike), environmentalist, Devil icon lover's and so on. Furthermore for alternatives, there are shopping malls like Pasar Baru, Bandung Indah Plaza, Bandung Super Mall or World Trade Center Bandung.

Durian Is The King

The durian is the fruit of several tree species belonging to the genus Durio and the Malvaceae family (although some taxonomists place Durio in a distinct family, Durionaceae). Widely known and revered in southeast Asia as the "king of fruits", the durian is distinctive for its large size, unique odour, and formidable thorn-covered husk. durian fruit is ready to eat when its husk begins to crack
The durian is native to Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. There is some debate as to whether the durian is native to the Philippines, or was introduced. The durian is grown in other areas with a similar climate; it is strictly tropical and stops growing when mean daily temperatures drop below 22 °C (72 °F). In its native southeastern Asia, the durian is an everyday food and portrayed in the local media in accordance with the cultural perception it has in the region. The durian symbolised the subjective nature of ugliness and beauty. The famous Durian in Indonesia is Mothong. Mothong not originally came from Indonesia but imported from Thailand. But this time, durian farmer in Indonesia try to growing Mothong because Indonesia weather same with Thailand. So delicious. You can find it in big market or supermall like Carrefour, Hypermart, Giants, or Superindo. You can find it in traditional market but for Monthing type it rare. In traditional market you will see local durian than Mothong. Because durian is famous Singapore's Esplanade building, nicknamed "The Durian"

Baso (Indonesian Meat Ball)

Baso or some people speak and write as Bakso (added ‘k’) is the famous food in Indonesia. Maybe you know it as meat ball. A meatball is simply ground meat combined with ingredients such as bread (or breadcrumbs) minced onion, various spices, and eggs rolled into a ball and cooked by frying, baking, steaming, or braising in sauce. There are many kinds of meatball recipes using various meats and spices. Actually there are various kinds of bakso in Indonesia. The small ones which are smaller than a golf ball, then a larger one, as big as a golf ball and then the super bakso tenis, as big as a tennis ball. In the largest bakso a hardboiled egg is covered with the minced meat mixture. The bakso tenis hails from East Java and in its place of origin it is also called bakwan– creating many misunderstandings for people of other regions who call corn or vegetable fritters bakwan and of course are very surprised when instead of fritters they are served gigantic bakso or meatballs. Bakso tennis is only made from minced beef. Baso not complete without sambal. Sambal is sauce made by red chilly pepper with very sharp spice. So hot…… But if you want to try sambal, you must be carefully. Because you can get stomachache or diarrhea. For Indonesia people already habitual so they stomach can accepted that taste. But for foreign people, the taste maybe like hell especially for your stomach. Many case of diarrhea cause it by eat this hot sambal. But if you want to try in small portion is never mind. On and on your stomach can eat more sambal without stomachache or diarrhea. Enjoy it