"Convergence" wins Sail Banda 2010

Theyacht "Convergence" skippered by Randolph Kent Repass of the US, has been declared the champion of the international marine event Sail Banda 2010.
Randolph was therefore on Tuesday night presented with the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister`s trophy by Maluku Vice Governor Said Assagaff at a ceremony held at Tantui Nusantara Fish Port as the mooring location of the yachts participating in Sail Banda.

Convergence, a multi-hull yacht from the US, was the first to arrive at BandaIsland on Monday, July 26, 2010 at 4.45 p.m. Eastern Indonesia Standard Time(WIT) after being flagged off at Darwin`s Cullen Bay, Australia, on July 24.

The second yacht to arrive in Banda was "Pegasus" of England, skippered by Jason Charles Lawrence, who was eligible to receive the Maluku Governor`strophy.

While "First Light III" of Australia, skippered by Bernard John McGoldrick, came in third as it arrived in Banda at 8 on Tuesday morning, July27. Bernard received the Sail Banda Committee`s trophy.

The first three yachts were followed by six others, namely "Catspaw"of England which was skippered by Peter Richard Whitby, "Magnetic" of New Zealand by Trevor Clifford Clark, "Erica" of New Zealand by Erick Frederik Gray, "Umbra Luna" of Australia by Dale Lynn Clemons, and"Miranda I" of Australia by Goyffrey Philip Rawlins Birch.

Sail Banda 2010, organized by the central government in cooperation with Maluku provincial administration, is participated in by 49 yachts from five countries.

World Batik Exhibition

The organizing committee of the World Batik Summit (WBS) here hopes to record Rp22billion worth of transactions during the five-day event.

"We hope to achieve an increase in the value of transactions compared totwo years ago when the figure was Rp18 billion," Chairwoman of the WBS`s World Batik Exhibition (WBE) Murniati Widodo said here on Friday.

The World Batik Summit`s program will include a World Batik Exhibition where batik trade transactions are expected to take place.

"The number of participants is expected to be much higher than during a previous exhibition, so the quantity of business transactions will also increase significantly. Besides, the quality of batik products made in Indonesia and other countries has also improved," Murniati said.

The WBE will become a promotion forum for batik producers, practitioners,craftsmen, and businessmen.

The exhibition will have three themes, namely :"Multi-Partnership:Bringing Batik To The World", "Batik`s Contribution to the Creative Economy", and "Batik as a Cultural Heritage: Conservation and Modernization".

"Up to now, 641 people from a number of countries have already registered for participation in the summit. It is double the figure last year," Murniati said.

She said the number of participants might reach over 700.

The World Batik Exhibition is a biennial event, while the first and only World Batik Conference was organized in 1997.

The Indonesian Batik Foundation in cooperation with the government will organize the World Batik Summit which will consist of two main events, namely the World Batik Exhibition (WBE) and the World Batik Conference (WBC) from September 28 to October 2, 2011.

The event themed "Indonesia Global Home of Batik" will be officially opened by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the Jakarta Convention Hall in Jakarta

Indonesia poised to become global home of batik

Batiklovers must not miss this upcoming event - a World Batik Summit to be held atthe Jakarta Convention Center, from September 28 to October 2, 2011.

To be organized by the Indonesian Batik Foundation (YBI) in cooperation withthe government, the Batik Summit will consist of two main events: the WorldBatik Exhibition (WBE) and the World Batik Conference (WBC).

The World Batik Summit (WBS) themed "Indonesia: Global Home of Batik"will be officially opened by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, according toOrganizing Committee Chairwoman of the World Batik Exhibition Murniati Widodoin Jakarta on Friday (Sept. 23).

The biennial World Batik Exhibition will have three themes, namely:"Multi-Partnership: Bringing Batik To The World", "Batik`sContribution to the Creative Economy", and "Batik as a CulturalHeritage: Conservation and Modernization".

"Up to now, 641 people from a number of countries have already registeredfor participation in the summit. It is double the figure last year,"Murniati said, adding that the number of participants might reach over 700.

The WBE is designed to become a promotion forum for batik producers,practitioners, craftsmen, and businessmen.

The organizing committee of the World Batik Summit (WBS) hopes to record Rp22billion worth of transactions during the five-day event.

"We hope to achieve an increase in the value of transactions compared totwo years ago when the figure was Rp18 billion,"

The conference will be highlighted with a cultural night and a fashion show tobe participated in by national and international batik designers.

Some master pieces of Indonesian designer Iwan Tirta will also be displayed inthe batik exhibition to remember the noted designer who died in July 2010.

A number of photos of foreign heads of state and government who are fond ofwearing batik, will be displayed in the exhibition. The works of junior highschool students participating in a batik design contest, will also beexhibited.

First Lady Ani Yudhoyono is expected to attend the peak activity of theNational Batik Day which will be organized at Pekalongan batik center inCentral Java, on October 3, 2011.

Batik is considered Indonesia`s most famous artistic and cultural legacy andhas developed a global reputation over centuries.

Since the inclusion of batik by UNESCO in "Intangible Cultural Heritage ofHumanity" items on September 30, 2009, the government has been activelypromoting batik domestically and internationally.

Because batik is now getting popular and on high demand, the government is mullinga master plan for the mass production of batik as a culture-based industry.

The master plan being prepared by the industry ministry, would be ready in thenext two months, Industry Minister MS Hidayat said at the presidential officerecently.

The value of Indonesia`s batik market reaches only Rp3 trillion currently. Andtherefore, the batik production must be directed toward mass products if thenation wanted to raise the batik market value, the minister said.

"Once it becomes mass products, the system of our industry will run well.Now, batik products are produced individually by batik industry handicraftcenters, which sometimes prioritize sense of art rather than the publictaste," he said.

The government will issue an appeal to government and private offices toinstruct their employees to wear batik dresses/shirts twice a week at least, inorder to support the planned batik mass production.

The government offices and a number of private offices have instructed theiremployees to wear batik at least once a week, namely on every Friday.

No batik industry in Indonesia has so far made mass productions althoughprominent batik companies such as Danarhadi and Batik Keris have exported theirbatik products to several countries in Asia.

Several regions such as Yogyakarta, West Java, Central Java, and East Java willbe prepared to support the planned batik mass productions.

According to data of the Indonesian Batik Foundation, the interest ofIndonesian people in batik has increased 40 percent since 2009.

"We got the data from the number of new batik producers and the batikconsumption throughout Indonesia," Doddy Soepardi, a member of thefoundation`s advisory board, said on Friday (Sept 23).

Indonesian batik is competitive and able to maintain its market share becauseof its high production standards.

"Indonesian batik has a specific character which does not exist in othertextiles with batik designs. It has its own philosophy, production process anddesigns," Indonesian Batik Foundation Chairperson Jultin GinandjarKartasasmita said.

Because of its high quality standards , Indonesian batik continues to be inhigh demand although its prices are higher than similar products from othercountries, she said.

"Domestic batik producers must not be worried because the governmentthrough the industry ministry has set certain standards for textiles to becalled batik, print textile is not genuine batik," she said.

The standards include a ruling that the batik production process should includethe use of "canting" or paintings and stamps, or a combination ofboth. Fully printed textile is not batik, she said.

The price of Indonesian batik is comparatively high because its basic materialis cotton that has to be imported.

So far Batik is mostly produced in Pekalongan, Solo (Central Java), Yogyakartaand Cirebon (West Java), but now batik production has developed in at least 23provinces of Indonesia.

Batik, which has been developed for centuries particularly on Java Island, iscloth which traditionally uses a manual wax-resist dyeing technique. But,thanks to modern advances in the textile industry, the term has been extendedto include fabrics which incorporate traditional batik patterns.

UNESCO (United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization)describes Indonesian Batik as: The techniques, symbolism and culturesurrounding hand-dyed cotton and silk garments known as Indonesian Batikpermeate the lives of Indonesians from beginning to end: infants are carried inbatik slings decorated with symbols designed to bring the child luck, and thedead are shrouded in funerary batik.

The government has given a legal protection and identity through batik markcalled "Batik Indonesia" which has been registered at the legal and human rights ministry`s intellectual property rights directorate general, toget patent rights, according to Industry Minister Hidayat recently.

South Korean retailer Lotte Mart plans to introduce batik products to SouthKorean consumers.

Managing Director of Lotte Mart South East Asia Moon Young Pyo said that allLotte Mart employees would be requested to wear batik during the Indonesian batik promotion in South Korea next November.

"So at the same time they will introduce batik," he said on thesidelines of a Business Forum on "Indonesian Product Exhibition for LotteMart Korea" held at the trade ministry.

Merchandising Director of Lotte Mart Korea Kim Young Gyoon said he would alsowear batik during the promotion in Seoul.

"I like batik because it`s comfortable, and has beautiful colors anddesigns. I think modern batik will sell well in Korea," Moon Young Pyokatasaid.

Solo keroncong Festival 2011

Thousandsof spectators crowded the Solo Keroncong Festival 2011 in Ngarsopuro, right infront of the Triwindu Market in Solo.
They were mesmerized as Endah Laras, a traditional singer from Solo, presented“Gemes” (Carried away), a song in the langgam or Javanese-style of keroncong,which is long known as Portuguese-tinged Indonesian music.

The song, written by Anjar Any and popularized in the 1970s by keroncongmaestro Waldjinah, was jovially and temptingly sung by Endah that evening,testimony to the fact that keroncong is not always slow and soothing music.

Endah was not alone in adding color to keroncong during the festival. Earlier,the Zakaria Keroncong Orchestra offered a humorous piece entitled “Pakne Thole”(Boy’s dad). Presented in a duet, the old Javanese song triggered roars oflaughter after being modified into an intensely expressive and almost theatrical composition for the stage, leading to calls to repeat the performance.

On the first day of the festival, Congrock from Semarang appeared with a blend of keroncong and rock music to suit the taste of the youth in the audience,making the show more attractive and less monotonous, while stirring the crowds to dancing and shouting. The notion that keroncong is for retirees was also dispelled as “Rumah Kita” (Our house), a song from the rock band Godbless,spurred people to sing along in the keroncong style and wave like rock music fans do at concerts.

“Through such music, we’re trying to offer and introduce keroncong to theyounger generation. Keroncong will survive unless it’s monotonous, so there should be [new] creations. We can’t force today’s youth to enjoy keroncong in the style of olden times,” said Marco Manardi, Congrock’s leader.

For two nights the public welcomed the Solo Keroncong Festival withoverwhelming enthusiasm. Many visitors were even prepared to sit in the road towatch the performances on two big screens set up on both sides of the stage.The throngs of onlookers in Ngarsopuro seemed untroubled by the suicide bombing that had recently shocked the city.

Opened by former Transportation and Manpower Minister Erman Suparman, thesecond Solo Keroncong Festival had 18 keroncong groups from various regions asparticipants, including five foreign troupes from Italy, Hong Kong, Hungary,Malaysia and Singapore.

The event started with teenage keroncong musicians from the Putra Mawar Timur Solo Orchestra. Mostly junior high school students, they elegantly presented aninstrumental medley that displayed their musical skills. The famous keroncong hits “Kota Solo” (Solo city), “Bengawan Solo” (Solo River) and “Tanah Air”(Motherland) marked the beginning of the international festival.

Food-Stall Favorites in Jakarta's Chinatown

Glodok,Jakarta’s Chinatown, is full of surprises. Centered on Jalan Gajah Mada, it isone of Central Jakarta’s busiest commercial districts, bustling with markets,food stalls, restaurants and shopping centers, where you can find anything fromlive insects to pirated DVDs, cheap electronics, herbal medicines and shots ofcobra blood.

Shoppers here know what they want, and they know where to get it in the area’s hotand crowded marketplaces. But even seasoned shoppers in the busy streets ofGlodok need to put their feet up sometime and enjoy a cool drink or a lightsnack to keep them going.

Bordering Jakarta’s Kota Tua (Old Town), Glodok boasts some of the city’slongest-standing and most popular food stalls. Trying out these time-testedinstitutions is an essential element of the Glodok experience.

Cendol PIX, a food stall offering ice-cold jelly drinks, has been providingshoppers with a spot for respite and refreshment for 39 years. The PIX in thename stands for Petak IX, the old name for the area. Cendol is the Indonesianname for a kind of dessert usually made with coconut milk and filled with arange of bright and bubbly jelly pearls. Cendol PIX keeps things simple withtwo types of drinks on offer: es cendol , made with layers of shaved ice, andbubur kacang hijau , or sweet mung bean porridge.

Its specialty cendol comes with white, worm-like jelly pearls made of riceflour served with chilled coconut milk, shaved ice and a generous serving ofpalm sugar syrup drizzled over the lot.

While mung bean porridge is usually served warm in a bowl, here it is servedcold in a glass with shaved ice.

If sweet jelly drinks haven’t hit the spot, Gloria Alley, opposite the oldGloria Building, is the next stop for food stalls and cafes offering localdelicacies.

Not far from the main road, about a five-minute walk down the alley, you’llfind Bakmi Amoy, a little restaurant renowned for its mie ayam (chicken noodlesoup) and bakso goreng (fried meatballs).

Amoy is the name of the 60-year-old Chinese-Indonesian woman who has beenrunning the place since 1980.

But if it’s more of a Betawi dish you’re after, the best place to look is atiny blue stall at the end of Gloria Alley called Gado-Gado Direksi.

Owner Shinta Dewi said the name Direksi, or Directors, was suggested byofficials at Bank Eksim, now Bank Mandiri, who ate at the stall. The bankdirectors seem to have left their legacy not only in the stall’s name but alsoin its financial fortunes. Shinta’s daughter, Giok Lie, who now runs the stall,said she’s in no hurry to change the name. “It brings good luck,” she said.
The specialty on offer here is, of course, gado-gado , the traditionalIndonesian vegetable salad served with a generous helping of peanut saucedressing.

Indonesian Music Via Bali to the World

Indonesian Music Expo 2011(IMEX) to be held on the Peninsula at Nusa Dua, Bali November7-14, 2011

(11/6/2011) The originator of the idea for the Indonesia Music Expo 2011(Imex), Franki Raden, told a press conference in Bali on Friday, November 4,2011, that Imex is intended to serve as an inspiration for traditional musicians to help them express themselves in the challenging international music market.

“At this point in time, Indonesian music, especially traditional ethnic music,is known internationally, but few from this sector have managed to penetrate the international market,” explained Raden. Raden is proud that his country Indonesia has a rich variety of music and cultures, with each area of Indonesia possesing a distinctive style of music.

“The richness of Indonesian music, from Sabang to Merauke, if counted for itsvarieties is equal to Africa, Latin America and Europe. For this reason, Imex wants to give the widest opportunity to our musical heroes to win the hearts of the international music buyers,” said Raden.

Franki Raden is a nationally known music critic. He is also planning to publish a guide to Indonesian music for international distribution.

The Imex event at Nusa Dua will present more than 40 musical groups, includingthe Toba Ensemble (Sumatra), Kulintang (Sulawesi), Gambang Kromong (Jakarta),Samba sunda (Bandung, West Java) and Rindik (Bali). International musicians expected to perform, include TLJ Alliance (U.S.A.), Hunny Madu (Malaysia), and Jack Lee & SKY (Korea).

During the series of performance each evening November 7-14 from 5:00 – 10:00p.m., an exhibition of musical instruments and musical workshops will besimultaneously held.

Kompas.com reports that international musical icon, Quincy Jones, is expected to visit Bali on November 20, 2011, to attend Imex. Jones, an accomplished musician in his own right, has produced million-selling records for a number of musical greats including Michael Jackson. Raden told the press that Jones will come to Indonesia to explore the wide Indonesian musical spectrum.

© Bali Discovery Tours. Articles may be quoted and reproduced if attributed tohttp://www.balidiscovery.com. All images and graphics are copyright protected.

Sail Banda kicks off

The much awaited international marine event of Sail Banda kicked off in Darwin onSaturday.

Indonesian Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Agung Laksono flagged off49 of 106 foreign yachts to mark the start of the Sail Banda 2010 at Darwin'sCullen Bay, Antara news agency reported.

Spokesperson for the Maluku Culture and Tourism Office Florence Sahusilawane said participants of the event were scheduled to reach Banda Neira in on July27.

Sahusilawane said all the yachts would also participate in a series of cultural festivals at different stopovers in Indonesia in the next three months,including the islands of Timor, Banda, Ambon, Buton, Lembata, Wakatobi, Flores,Sulawesi, Bali, Java, Borneo, Belitung and Batam or Bintan.

Located about 132 kilometers southeast of the provincial capital of Ambon,Banda Islands are made up of three larger islands and seven smaller onesperched on the rim of Indonesia`s deepest sea, the Banda Sea.

A reception ceremony attended by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will beheld on Aug. 3 for the participants.

Maluku governor Karel Albert Ralahalu said his administration would ensureorder and security during the event.

At Sail Banda 2010, SBY Sees Hope For Maluku

Theheavy downpours may have battered the port of Ambon during Tuesday’s peak eventof Sail Banda 2010, but it failed to temper the excitement felt by thousands ofAmbonese residents. The port was crowded with people trying to catch a glimpseof President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his wife, First Lady Ani Yudhoyono.

In great anticipation, the crowds lined both sides of the streets, includingschoolchildren, who were dismissed early to join the throngs of people, waitingpatiently in the rain.

In his speech Yudhoyono said that with Sail Banda 2010 the country would usethe momentum to promote Indonesian marine diversity and to help develop remoteislands.

Sail Banda 2010 is an international maritime event aimed at showcasing howMaluku has overcome years of conflict.

Yudhoyono declared Maluku — long famed as the “Spice Islands” — as the“National Fish Belt”. “These areas have the potential of producing 1.64 milliontons of fish a year. This is a huge potential that will benefit the welfare ofthe people,” Yudhoyono said.

A parade of naval ships from Indonesia and the participating countries tookplace as part of the maritime event.

Joint operations have been carried out by the navies of Indonesia, Singapore,Australia, New Zealand and the United States to offer free health treatment toresidents in the run-up to Sail Banda 2010.

Also, a choir sang the song Rinduku Padamu (My Longing For You). The song,written by Yudhoyono, is the title song of his first album launched in 2007.

Sail Banda 2010 will be completed on Indonesian Independence Day on Aug. 17.

Playing Hooky in Ambon

Headingeast to the Maluku Islands, formerly known as the Moluccas, had always been onmy things-to-do-before-I-die list, thanks to the alluring descriptions intravel guidebooks and images friends had posted on Facebook. So when my editorassigned me to cover Sail Banda 2010 on an invitation from the Ministry ofMaritime Affairs and Fisheries, I believed I was the luckiest writer in theoffice.

I woke up early for a sleepy-eyed cab ride to Soekarno-Hatta InternationalAirport to catch my flight for Ambon, the capital of Maluku province.

The rushed and panicked crowd milling around the check-in counter of thelow-cost airline I was flying with made it feel more like a hectic marketplacethan an airport.

The flight to Ambon took about four hours, with a 20-minute transfer atMakassar Airport in South Sulawesi.

I took the opportunity to look around the new terminal, built in 2008, and itsbright, modern interior put gloomy, dull Soekarno-Hatta to shame.

Stepping off the plane at Ambon’s Pattimura Airport, I was immediately awarethat I was quite far away from home, both physically and psychologically.

The way people looked, talked and called to each other was different, andthat’s what I’m after when traveling. Ambonese people tend to be tall,dark-skinned and speak in fast, high-pitched voices that get even faster near the end of their sentences.

The first thing that excited me was when I heard people use the word “beta,”which means “I” in its land of origin.

"Sail Morotai" promoted in s Korea

TheNorth Maluku province would host "Sail Morotai" in 2012.

Therefore, during his visit to South Korea, North Maluku Governor Thaib Armaiynwould promote that international maritime and yachting event there, Acting Headof Morotai district, Sukemi Sahab, said.

"Governor Thaib Armaiyn are now in the Republic of Korea. During hisvisit, he will promote the Sail Morotai to the South Korean communitymembers," he told ANTARA on Tuesday.

The governor was in South Korea to join the Investment National CoordinatingBoard`s investment promotion mission. Besides that, he would also introduce theSail Morotai to South Koreans, he said.

For North Maluku, the Sail Morotai was a meaningful and strategic internationalevent because it would put the province on to the world`s tourism andinvestment maps, he said.

The comings of foreign tourists and sailors to the Sail Morotai events wouldintroduce the greatness of North Maluku province`s tourism and investmentpotentials, he said.

"For the Morotai Island district, Sail Morotai will positively contributeto tourism, investment, and infrastructure construction," he said.

In making the Sail Morotai get success, the North Maluku provincial governmenthad proposed a budget of about 200 billion rupiah to central government inJakarta.

The government`s funds would be used for preparing basic infrastructures suchas roads, bridges, airport, and public facilities to support the Sail Morotaiin a short time, he said.

This international event was initially introduced by President Susilo BambangYudhoyono when officiating the move of North Maluku capital from Ternate toSofifi, he said.

In 2010, the annual event of Sail Indonesia had a theme of "SailBanda" in which the Maluku provincial government was the host.

As part of the promotion strategies and ways to welcome the sailors, the hostdid not only organize communal festivities and cultural events but alsoprovided their guests with tourism and investment booklets.

Through this annual yacht event, Indonesia is expected to remain in the routemap of international sailors as one of the secure marine tourism destinations.

Over the past years, the Sail Indonesia`s participating international yachtsstart sailing to the Indonesian waters from Darwin, the capital of Australianstate of Northern Territory.

Among the participating skippers were from the United States of America, NewZealand, United Kingdom, Sweden, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, andSwitzerland

Maluku`s Pombo Island to be another tourist attraction

Surroundedby white sandy beaches marked by natural purity and crystal clear water, thesmall island of Pombo in Maluku needs to be turned into another touristattraction in the "province of one thousands islands."

Having a good time with family members at the beach around the efficiently andenvironmentally friendly island of Pombo will be an unforgettable experiencefor the visitors.

Since Pombo Island is part of Central Maluku district, the local culture andtourism office has undoubtedly called on investors to develop that coralisland`s tourism potential.

Central Maluku Culture and Tourism Office spokesman Mansyur Tawainela said inAmbon on Thursday that investors were expected to develop Pombo Island andpreserve its natural tourism heritage as another tourism object in Maluku.

Maluku province is a chain of around 1,000 islands, extending over 851,000square kilometers.

Some of the islands are volcanic regions covered with luxurious vegetation andthe others are surrounded with the finest coral reefs and atolls with crystalclear waters.

The beaches there are lined with swaying coconuts that make them some of thefinest in the world, and one of them is at Pombo Island.

Therefore Mansyur said he was prepared to facilitate the investors who wantedto develop that tiny island, located northeast of Ambon, into a marine andnatural tourism destination in Central Maluku district.

"Pombo Island has natural and undersea beauty that can make the visitorsfeel at home once they set foot on the island," Mansyur said, adding thatthe most interesting part of the island was its natural purity and beauty.

Pombo Island is geographically close to Liang, Waai, and Tulehu villages atSalahutu subdistrict in Ambon Island, and near Kailolo village in HarukuIsland.

Mansyur said the development of Pombo Island into a tourism object should alsobe approved by Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan because of the island`s statusas a nature preserve.

"We are ready to give a recommendation to the forestry minister if theinvestors have met various requirements," Mansyur said, adding that Liang,Waai, Tulehu, and Kailolo villagers would also be encouraged to participate inmaking Pombo Island tourism development a success.

According to him, an investor from Jakarta had an intention to develop PomboIsland into a tourism object, because a team of the investor was currentlymaking a familiarization with Liang, Waai, Tulehu, and Kailolo villagers.

Pombo Island is about 30 minutes from the coast of Waai Village by boat and ittakes approximately 45 minutes to get to Waai from Ambon City.

Mansyur said the travelers to Pombo Island could get there by boat, provided bythe local agencies.

The agencies will also provide the visitors with diving equipment so that theycan dive to enjoy the beauty and amazing Pombo Island`s underwater world.

"The colorful fishes swim across so that all divers may photograph orcapture the moment by video cameras. The complete species of fishes may be observedby observers who want to make research," Mansyur said.

Meanwhile, Din Kelilauw of Ambon residence said that not only the completecollection of fishes that would amaze the scuba diver but also its coral reefas the fishes home redecorated the scene.

The tropical sun shine will brighten the scene and give certain effect on thephotographs, so that we recommend Pombo Island as a destination for challengingfamily holiday, Kelilauw said.

Pombo Island marine recreation park comprises an area of 1,000 hectares withnothing more than sandy beaches and coral debris, covered by shrubs and nestingtrees for various big and small birds species.

But unfortunately the coral reefs immediately surrounding the island areheavily damaged, and only a small area south-east of Pombo Island is stillworth visiting.

Pombo Island marine park, an atoll with white sandy beach inhabited by seagulls, is also located just across from Ambon Island`s Honimua beach at Liangvillage.

"But Honimua beach sometimes looks desolate even on holidays or weekends,because people now prefer going to other places," said Rosny Marasabessy,a visitors from Ambon.

She admitted that holiday makers seldom visited Honimua beach because it wasrather far from Ambon while its services and recreation facilities were notgood enough.

The beauty of Liang`s Honimua beach seemed to have been grossly neglected bythe local government, whereas this tourism asset needed the attention of allparties in the region.

Liang village head Abdul Razak Opier said to take care of the facilities atHonimua beach the village administration got only Rp1.5 million for the period2009-2010 from the local government.

But now, Maluku tourism and culture office spokesperson Ima Tualeka said, therecreation and other facilities at the beach would be rehabilitated andupgraded to attract more tourists.

Maluku`s culture and tourism authorities also made every effort to do anupgrading and rehabilitating job on the facilities at Honimua beach to make itmore presentable to tourists and other visitors.

The stretch of pristine beach at Liang village in Salahatu sub-district whichin the 1990s was rated as the most beautiful seashore in Indonesia by the UNDevelopment Program (UNDP) once attracted many visitors, but somehow it becamea forgotten recreational spot.

Located northeast of Leihitu Promontory, Honimua beach facing Seram Island usedto draw numerous visitors on holidays and weekends.

There was also a restaurant, run by local people to provide visitors withtypically local food , baked fish, and so-called "Colo-Colo."

Time for North Maluku to become tourist destination

TheMinistry of Culture and Tourism will promote North Maluku as a touristdestination besides the already existing ten, an promotion official of theministry said.

Deputy Director for Promotion of Destination Area V of the Ministry of Cultureand Tourism Diah Widiati said here on Sunday that ten tourist destinationsregistered by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) are Bali, West Java,Central Java, East Java, Jakarta, North Sumatra, Lampung, South Sulawesi, SouthSumatra, Banten and West Sumatra.

Actually, East Indonesian province has the potential of cultural and tourismwhich can lure a great number of local and foreign tourists if it is introducedproperly, Diah Widiati.
"Thus, we promoted North Maluku, in the hope of attracting moretourists," she said.

Apart from intensifying tourism promotion, Diah said that her office alsorequired the provincial administration to prepare proper transportation andaccommodation facilities for the tourists.

Data obtained from the provincial administration showed that only 1,500tourists visited North Maluku in the January-April, 2011, period.

According to her, a similar problem is also facing Papua province which was notregistered by the Central Statistics Agency as one of Indonesia`s touristdestinations although Papua has fascinating undersea wealth.

One of the tourism potentials which can attract tourists to Papua province is "PulauRaja Empat". a beautiful island with fascinating undersea wealth.

Garudapassengers to enjoy special Maluku cuisine

Eastbound passengers of national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia will soon be servedwith typical Maluku foods.

In a bid to make Garuda Indonesia passengers have a pleasant flight whileenjoying special foods from Maluku, the company is currently exploring thepossibility of cooperating with the province`s culinary entrepreneurs, capableof supplying local foods to be served on Garuda flights.

On June 3, 2010 Garuda resumed its Jakarta-Ambon route with a stopover inMakassar, South Sulawesi.

The Jakarta-Makassar-Ambon route is being served with aircraft having acapacity for 14 to 16 business-class seats and 120 economy-class seats.

Garuda Ambon branch manager Hendra Sumarno said in Maluku provincial city ofAmbon on Tuesday that the possibility of cooperation with the province`sculinary entrepreneurs was being explored.

"We are currently exploring the possibility of cooperation with culinaryentrepreneurs who can produce traditional Maluku dishes for Garudapassengers," Hendra Sumarno said.

Hendra admitted that since Garuda resumed its Jakarta-Ambon route in July lastyear, he had been thinking about a concept of serving regional typical foods topassengers of the national flag carrier during its flights.

"For several domestic and overseas destinations we serve passengers withsome regional typical foods, and for Jakarta-Amsterdam flights we serve themwith Javanese typical food namely `nasi tumpeng` or rice cone," Hendrasaid.

In October 2010, Garuda Indonesia in cooperation with the Maluku Culture andTourism Office also realized Ambon-Amsterdam route by making use of"Family Trip" program.

"The most important thing is the public awareness to maintain the naturalbeauty of Ambon and its supporting facility to make foreign tourists feel athome," Hendra said.

While for Jakarta-Ambon flights, he said the Garuda passengers were served withMakassar typical food so they wanted to replace it with special cuisine fromMaluku.

"We are at present incessantly doing business transformation to easternIndonesian regions with special service and presentation of regional typicalfoods," he added.

According to him, a team of selectors from Jakarta would go to Ambon forsurveying which culinary entrepreneurs were eligible to serve their typicalfoods to Garuda passengers.

"If we find eligible culinary entrepreneurs who can meet the standard ofGaruda to serve the passengers with Maluku typical foods, we will cooperatewith them," Hendra said.

He added that reasonable service and foods with regional characteristics wouldmake Garuda`s Ambon bound passengers enjoy a comfortable flight.

Nicknamed "Ambon Manise" (Sweet Ambon), the island has views whichare never boring, because wherever one may go, he or she can see the clear bluesea, fused with the green mountains in the distance.

Ambon also has charming and very impressive beaches such as Tanjung beach atLeitimur Peninsula that boats captivating sunset views, Namalatu beach withbeautiful sea gardens at Latuhalat village, white sandy Natsepa beach near thevillage of Suli, and Liang beach at Liang village.

No wonder, Hendra Sumarno said Garuda Indonesia continued to promote the islandcity of Ambon in its cabin magazine with photos and data about tourism.

He said the cover of the magazine displayed Ambon`s marine tourism enchantmentwith "Oh, the Beauty of Ambon Manise" on it.

The magazine is made available on every seat of Garuda aircraft on domestic andoverseas routes.

"The Garuda magazine promoting Ambon tourism is bilingual, Indonesian andEnglish, in an effort to facilitate English speaking passengers to know moreabout Ambon with its hospitable people," Hendra said.

The magazine also displays photos of and data on Ambon`s marine tourism,Waisalaka egg-eating giant eels at Waai village, Amsterdam fort, old mosquesand churches, as well as typical Pantai Natsepa fruit salad of Suli village.

"We are part of Ambon tourism component and therefore, since resuming itsroute to Pattimura airport in June this year Garuda Indonesia has been tryingto make local government program in tourism sector here a success," Hendrasaid.

Airport management company PT Angkasapura-I General Manager Reggynald Kronesthas said Pattimura International Airport in Ambon was also ready to serveinternational flights from Seoul, South Korea.

Reginald has ever said that Pattimura airport had an international standardwith adequate supporting facilities, and therefore it was set to serveinternational flights from other countries including South Korea for businesspurposes.

That is the reason why the Pattimura branch of PT Angkasapura-I has preparedadequate facilities to support Pattimura as an international airport in easternIndonesia.

Reggynald said that even good coordination has been made with relatedinstitutions to support the airport`s services.

"The airport has adequate facilities because we have made a goodcoordination with related institutions such as the immigration to occupy aspace which has been made available at the airport," Reggynald said at thetime.

"So far international flights have yet to be scheduled, and if thishappened, the immigration will occupy the room prepared for it," he said.

Reggynald admitted that Dutch people of Maluku origin were also looking forwardto Amsterdam-Ambon straight flights.

"We are also ready to serve direct flights from and to Amsterdam, theNetherlands, because most of the passengers wanted to visit Maluku to meet withtheir relatives," he said.

Oirata, Favorite Tourist Village In Maluku

Oiratavillage on Kisar Island in Maluku Barat Daya (MBD) district, Maluku Province,has in the past several years been a favorite and idyllic destination forforeign tourists.

In its spice island adventure voyage of discovery from Darwin, Australia, MVOrion cruise ship, with hundreds of Australian, New Zealand, and even Dutchtourists, was again fortunate to come alongside the wharf of Nama beach port onthe west coast of Kisar island on Saturday, July 16, 2011.

MV Orion from Australia with tourists from various countries has during thepast four years made Nama beach part of its regular ports of call to visit thevillage of Oirata.

After berthing at Nama beach and completing formalities on Saturday, thetourists eventually got off the ship and made their way to a convoy of localcars, waiting to take them to Wonreli town for a welcome ceremony.

In small groups with local guides the tourists were invited to explore Kisar`shistory including the remnant architecture from the Dutch period over 400years, and then ushered to Oirata village.

As part of Maluku`s southwestern islands, Kamanasa said Kisar was in the pastone of the remotest and least accessible in all Indonesia, but now it was nolonger isolated.

To date it has basically a few facilities such as accommodations andrestaurants for visitors, but some fine beaches and snorkeling spots of coursecan still be found there.

It might be the reason why Kisar has since the past four years been a regularport of call for the Australian cruise ship.

Geographically, Kisar is closer to Australian continent and culturally nearerto Timor Leste and has a real Timorese feel to it, with villages scattered inthe dry, scrubby interior rather than along the coast.

Sights are limited to a very few colonial buildings such as a ruined old churchat Leklor village, Fort Vollenhove at Nama beach, and Fort Delftshaven atKaisama village which are the most impressive for foreign visitors.

Some of the finest "Ikat Weavings" are found in Kisar, and the bestof these are made by the people of Oirata village with some of uniquetraditional-style houses left.

Previously known as "the Moluccas", the Maluku region is truly acollection of forgotten islands located just north of Australia.

Sitting between New Guinea and Timor Leste, it is part of Wallacea, thelegendary deep water area that separates the Australian and Asian continentplates.

The southwest corner of Maluku is virtually inaccessible but is home tonumerous stunning islands with fringing reefs and ancient culture.

Very few outsiders have ever set foot on these islands and a unique experienceis guaranteed as the MV Orion`s crew members and guests discover the"Forgotten Islands" of Maluku.

Their visit in July this year was the tiny island of Kisar which serves astheir official entry point into the archipelago.

Kisar has over 400 years of European history and despite being only a fewhundred miles off the coast of Australia, its European history is virtuallyunknown.

Big ships to serve as Sail Morotai participants` accommodations

Anumber of big ships will be chartered to serve as floating hotels forparticipants of Sail Morotai 2012, the chairman of the event`s local committee,Muhadjir Albar, said here on Wednesday.

"We have a limited number of hotels and accommodations in Morotai andtherefore we will charter a number of big ships to serve as floating hotels forSail Morotai 2012 participants and guests," Muhajir said.

He said the local committee of Sail Balitung 2011 did likewise to accommodateguests and participants of the international marine event last year.

According to Muhajir, the Sail Morotai local committee would also encouragelocal people to allow their houses be used as home-stay accommodations for theevent`s participants and guests.

But he added the bedrooms and bathrooms of the houses that would be used ashome-stay accommodations must be renovated first with funds from the regionaland state budgets.

Meanwhile, chairman of the North Maluku branch of the Indonesian Hotels andRestaurants Association (PHRI) Christoper Harlin said the use of big ships andpeople`s houses to accommodate Sail Morotai guests and participants was anappropriate measure to overcome the shortage of lodging facilities in Morotai.

Christoper said he believed foreigners would prefer staying at local people`shouses rather than in hotels during Sail Morotai 2012 because they would liketo enjoy the natural atmosphere and interaction with the house owners

Indonesia's tourism ambassador to perform Mandau Dance

Indonesia’sTourism ambassador 2010 Alessandra Khadijah Usman, who will represent Indonesiaat the 2011 Miss Asia-Pacific World Competition in South Korea on Saturday,will perform the Dayak tribe Mandau Dance.

She had begun preparations to perform the Mandau Dance, which she learned atthe Central Kalimantan pavilion at the Indonesia Miniature Park (TMII) in EastJakarta a few months before the event. The dance will become a primary part ofher talent show.

She will also wear various Indonesian traditional costumes, such as exoticBatik patterns combining themes from Solo and Bali as well as Batik from ParangKencana and other clothes from the Delami Group.

“This is the first event where I represent Indonesia. This is a real challengebecause this competition does not only measure our beauty, but also talent andother skills,” she said Friday as quoted by tribunnews.com.

Bali Bohemia: The Seventh Annual Yak Awards 2011

The Seventh Annual Yak Awards 2011, with a "Bali Bohemia" theme, will feature 14 chefs and mixologist and culinary contributions from some of Bali’s leading hotels and restaurants during an evening dedicated to honoring leaders in Bali's business and private sectors.

More than 600 industry and community guests, nominees, advertisers and sponsors are expected to attend the yearly society event on Bali’s calendar set for Friday, September 30, 2011, starting at 6pm at the Tugu Hotel, Canggu.

Guests and invitees are urged to be “quirky,” dressing in a “Nouveau Trad”style that presents new slants on traditional Indonesian fashion and textiles.

The evening will also mark the debut of Bali’s new champenoise label Carat 22served with wines sponsored by Indowines and beer from Heineken.

As in past years, music and dance will mark the Yak Award celebration withperformances by “Sonic Soul,” dance and music by Mekar Buana Conservatory andNyoman Sura, Jegog Siwentra, Suarmantra, Vocal performances by Yasmin Sutejaand Yuki, and a range of top local DJ talent.

The gala evening will be hosted at Bali’s Tugu Hotel, Canggu.

The raison d'être for the evening is recognition of achievement in a number of industry categories awarded by The Yak Magazine's directors, to out standing individuals and companies in Bali.

Voting through [The Yak Magazine’s website] , closes on September 28, 2011, and will be tabulated on-line by web provider, Island Communications.

The categories for awards in 2011 are: Best Chef, Best Sunset Venue, Best Restaurant, Best Wine List, Best DJ, Yak Woman of the Year, Yak Man of the Year, Best Community Services Award, Best Bar, Best Villa, Best Spa, Best Fashion Label, Best Jewelers, Best Resort, Best Ad Campaign, Best Event and Outstanding Achievement Award.

Pre-Event Tickets are Rp. 350,000 (US$39) with pre-sale tickets available until September 29, 2011. On the door ticket price is Rp. 450,000 (US$50)

For more information please contact” [Email] or telephone ++62-(0)361-8446341.

© Bali Discovery Tours. Articles may be quoted and reproduced if attributed tohttp://www.balidiscovery.com. All images and graphics are copyright protected.

Yogyakarta celebrates 255th anniversary in Javanese style

Excitement was palpable across downtown Yogyakarta on Friday as people from all different walks of life took to the streets to celebrate the city's 255th anniversary.

Revelers ranged from city administration officials, teachers and students tocart drivers and parking attendants, all dressed in Javanese attire of batik cloth and kebaya blouses for women and of batik and surjan shirts for men.

"Happy anniversary," a teacher at a private junior high school greeted a colleague while preparing to join a school ceremony to commemorate the anniversary on Friday.

The date of the anniversary, publicly marked for the first time in 2004, wasdecided upon when the first ruler of Yogyakarta, Sultan Hamengkubuwono I, movedfrom Ambarketawang Palace to Yogyakarta Palace.

While municipal administration officials marked the anniversary at City Hall,teachers and students attended ceremonies in their respective schools. All were held in Javanese style and language.

"It's really fun to have the ceremony in Javanese. Even the state ideology Pancasila was read out in Javanese," said Salsabila, a seventh grader at SMPN 8 state junior high school after attending a ceremony at the school.

Friday's City Hall ceremony was also attended by 22 participants of the KonradAdenauer Stiftung's school for young politicians in Asia.

They came from Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Korea, Myanmar, Pakistan, thePhilippines, Singapore and Thailand.

They were visiting the city to learn more about the successes of the Yogyakartamunicipal administration, especially in development planning.

"Yogyakarta is considered the right place to learn more about local development planning. It has set a good example on that," a participant of the school, Megha Sarmah from Singapore, told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

Also held were a sub district festival involving all 45 sub districts in them unicipality, panjat pinang (tree climbing contest) and a mosaic parade held inthe afternoon from Alun-Alun Utara Square to City Hall.

The peak of the celebration will be on the night of Oct. 22, with the JogjaJava Carnival, which will present street performances on mobile stages in volving all elements of communities and international participants.

Koreato host Korea-Indonesia cultural week in Jakarta

Relationsbetween two of Asia’s most dynamic countries – Indonesia and South Korea – havebeen growing at a rapid speed in recent years. But there is a new dimensionthat is making relations much stronger and long-lasting, says Korean Ambassadorto Indonesia Kim Young-sun.

What could be that particular dimension?
“Bali is a very popular holiday destination for young Korean couples. It’s aparadise for our honeymooners. As a result, thousands of Koreans are being made in Indonesia. This is making our relationship with Indonesia not only special but also long-lasting,” said Ambassador Kim jokingly.

Last year, 300,000 Koreans visited Indonesia, with more than 50 percent of them visiting the Island of the Gods. With more than 50,000 Koreans in the country,it is the biggest expat community in Indonesia.

Kim wants to link the people of both countries not just economically and politically but also culturally.The Korean Embassy in Jakarta is organizing various events under the plat form of “Korea-Indonesia Week” at Gandaria City mall in Jakarta from Sept. 28 toOct. 3, 2011. 

“The main purpose of this Korean cultural week is to introduce our culture to Indonesians. There is a growing interest among Indonesians to know more about Korea, its products, culture, especially the popular K-Pop,” Korean Cultural Center’s director Kim Hyun-ki told The Jakarta Post.

The main highlights of the week, Kim Hyun-ki said, will be a concert of Hallyu(Korean Wave) singers, featuring heartthrobs like Lee Sun-ho (Shinhwa Group),Lee Jun-ki. Lee Dong-Geon, Choi Jin, Park Hyo-shin, Yu Seung Chan, CheongJae-il and others.Korean Wave’s energetic female percussion group Drum Cat will mesmerize fansfrom Jakarta with their energy, talent and beauty. For Indonesians, there will be a K-Pop contest, with the winner being sent to Seoul to participate in theglobal contest.Besides music, Kim Hyun-ki said, there will be also a Korean food festival, taekwon do competition, painting exhibition, film festival and much more. More than 100 artistes from Korea will take part in the event.

Miss Tjitjih Keeps Sundanese Theater Alive

Membersof the traditional Sundanese theater troupe Miss Tjitjih still take pride inbeing associated with the group, even if its glory days are in the past.

The troupe has been plagued with financial struggles the past couple of years,which has meant that the members can now only give the rare performance.

Formed in 1928 in Jakarta under the name Opera Valencia, the troupe’s heydaystretched over decades. It used to sell out theaters, with hundreds of people sitting rapt for hours as the troupe performed its trademark mix of comedy and horror. Later the troupe changed its name to Miss Tjitjih, a moniker inspired by the “primadonna” character of the group.

During the Japanese occupation of Indonesia in the 1940s, Miss Tjitjih was one of the many theater troupes used to disseminate propaganda. The Japanese believed that theater had the power to influence people.

Through it all, Miss Tjitjih has managed to stand the test of time, even after it temporarily lost its home theater to a fire in 1997. But the troupeper severed and took its show on the road.

“From 1998 to 2000 we would still get around 150 people, mostly lower-classpeople like becak [rickshaw] drivers, coming out and enjoying our shows,” said Dadan “Ude” Supriyatna, who plays gamelan for Miss Tjitjih.

But as television stations started to offer more contemporary programming in the early 2000s, the troupe’s audiences decreased significantly.

“There were just so many choices of entertainment on TV, including soap operas,”said Kokom Kusnadi, who has been a member of Miss Tjitjih for 20 years.“Whenever there is a football match on TV, we only have about 20 people coming to our show.”

And where once they would perform nightly, they cut back to twice a week and then once a week. Now they perform whenever they can.

“We have a show on Saturday night but it depends on when the subsidy from thelocal administration is available,” Ude said. “We only had 10 shows in 2011.”

Jakarta Biennale Exhibit Challenges Perceptions

Spectatorsstare at a red, circular statue standing on two stubby legs, with dozens ofhands reaching out from the surface of the sphere, each pointing a revolver. Nodirection is out of the statue’s aim, and as visitors pass by, the red orbseems to be drawing its weapon on them.

The artwork is titled “Total Survival,” a piece by Deni Rahman who said hewanted to criticize the culture of violence in Indonesia. Deni, a mixed mediaYogyakarta-based artist, is one of more than 30 participants in the “Game,Leisure and Gadget Victims” exhibition at Central Park mall in West Jakarta.

The exhibition is part of the Jakarta Biennale XIV, the largest, most ambitiousand spread out art show in the capital, which kicked off on Dec. 15. TheBiennale is an attempt to bring avant-garde artwork to the doorsteps ofJakartans rather than limiting the pieces to museums or galleries. “We want tointroduce contemporary art to the public,” curator Seno Joko Suyono said.

Another piece lurking in the Central Park mall is a mannequin of a beautifulgirl wearing pink gloves and a paper hat with the word “Heaven.” Dozens ofinfusion bottles are also attached to the girl’s hands, in an installationpiece called “Superego Trendy Fashion” by Rocka Radipa.

Game, Leisure and Gadget Victim
Until Jan. 15
Central Park mall,
West Jakarta
jakartabiennale.org

Chinese-Indonesians celebrate once-forbidden roots

Atroupe of lion dancers jerk and sway down a busy Jakarta street to usher in theChinese New Year, moving to the beat of traditional instruments and handing outred envelopes inscribed with good wishes in Chinese characters.

Such a scene would be unthinkable just over a decade ago, when former dictatorSuharto ruled Indonesia with an iron hand and disallowed any expression of theChinese minority's own heritage.

"If you opened a shop with Chinese characters on it, it'd be closeddown," said Adrian Yap, 25.

In 1967, two years after a failed coup by the Indonesian Communist Party,Suharto cracked down on Chinese art, music, literature, language and othercultural expressions.

But since the dictator was ousted in 1998, these have flowered again in theworld's most populous Muslim nation, where the mostly non-Islamic Chineseminority makes up only a small fraction of its 240 million inhabitants.

In 2003, the Lunar New Year was declared a national holiday and this year -- asthe nation marks the 10th year of unrestricted celebrations -- nearly all ofJakarta's glitzy malls are festooned for the occasion.

Red-and-gold banners with Chinese characters decorate many shopping centres,and Lunar New Year parades are scheduled around the city.

Workers at Jakarta's upscale Plaza Indonesia mall greet shoppers in traditionalChinese clothes as Chinese music wafts from the speakers.

Across the city, passersby are greeted by colourful banners wishing them ahappy "Imlek," as the locals call the holiday.

"When I was growing up the celebrations were all hush-hush, said JevelinWendiady, a 24-year-old university teacher.

"Everybody knew that during Imlek you would visit relatives at home. Butyou wouldn't go out to malls like you do now. You'd have no idea it was Imlek,it was like any other day," she said.

"Today when you walk around there is atmosphere, decorations, music.Outside, there are even fireworks at night."

The festive season is not only embraced by Chinese-Indonesians but also byretailers, who look forward to more business.

In the run up to the Lunar New Year newspapers have been filled with hotel andrestaurant adverts, offering special new year's packages and deals.