World Beyond The Rainbow

KOMODO ISLANDS INDONESIA

2011-11-16T01:22:00.000+07:00

Komodo is one of the 17,508 islands that make up the Republic of Indonesia. The island has a surface area of 390 km² and over 2000 inhabitants. The inhabitants of the island are descendants of former convicts who were exiled to the island and who have mixed themselves with the Bugis from Sulawesi. The population are primarily adherents of Islam but there are also Christian and Hindu minorities.

Komodo is part of the Lesser Sunda chain of islands and forms part of the Komodo National Park. Particularly notable here is the native Komodo dragon. In addition, the island is a popular destination for diving. Administratively, it is part of the East Nusa Tenggara province.

It is considered as one of the New7Wonders of Nature, together with the Amazonia, Halong Bay, Iguazu Falls,Jeju Island, Table Mountain, and the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River since November 11, 2011

HISTORY

The earliest stories of a dragon existing in the region circulated widely and attracted considerable attention. But no one visited the island to check the story until official interest was sparked in the early 1910s by stories from Dutch sailors based in Flores about a mysterious creature. The creature was allegedly a "dragon" which inhabited a small island in the Lesser Sunda Islands (the main island of which is Flores in East Nusa Tenggara).

The Dutch sailors reported that the creature measured up to seven meters in length with a large body and mouth which constantly spat fire. Hearing the reports, Lieutenant Steyn van Hensbroek, an official of the Dutch Colonial Administration in Flores, planned a trip to Komodo Island. He armed himself, and accompanied by a team of soldiers he landed on the island. After a few days, Hensbroek managed to kill one of the strange animals.

Van Hensbroek took the animal to headquarters where measurements were taken. The komodo was approximately 2.1 meters long. The shape of a komodo is very similar to a lizard. More samples were then photographed by Peter A Ouwens, the Director of the Zoological Museum and Botanical Gardens in Bogor, Java. The records that Ouwens made are the first reliable documentation of details about the Komodo dragon.

Ouwens was keen to obtain additional samples. He recruited hunters who killed two dragons measuring 3.1 meters and 3.35 meters as well as capturing two pups, each measuring less than one meter. Ouwens carried out studies on the samples and concluded that the komodo dragon was not a flamethrower but was a type of monitor lizard monitor lizard. Research results were published in 1912. Ouwens named the giant lizard Varanus komodoensis, more commonly known as a Komodo Dragon. Realizing the significance of the dragons on Komodo Island as an endangered species, the Dutch government issued a regulation on the protection of Komodos on Komodo Island in 1915.

The komodo dragon became something of a living legend In the decades since the Komodo was discovered, various scientific expeditions from a range of countries have carried out field research on the dragons on Komodo Island.

LOCATION

Komodo lies between the substantially larger neighboring islands Sumbawa to the west and Flores to the east

For more information about Komodo Islands , please visit :

www.komodonationalpark.org

Dangdut Original Music Of Indonesia

2011-06-16T16:20:00.000+07:00

Dangdut is one of a growing genre of musical arts in Indonesia. This musical formrooted in the Malay music in the 1940s. In the evolution to contemporary forms are now entering the influence of elements of Indian music (especially from the use of the tabla)and Arabic (on crooked and harmonization). Changes in the flow of Indonesian politicsin the late 1960s opened the inclusion of the strong influence of western music with the inclusion of the use of electric guitars and also a form of marketing. Since the 1970'sdangdut be said to have matured in a contemporary form. For popular music, dangdut very open to influences of other musical forms, ranging from keroncong, style, gamelan, harp, rock, pop, and even house music.

Origin of the term

The mention of "dangdut" is a sound game onomatope of tabla (drum called dangdut in the world of course) Indian music. Putu Wijaya was originally called the issue of Tempomagazine May 27, 1972 that the song Doll from India is a mixture of Malay songs, the rhythm of the desert, and "ding-dang-dut" India. The name is then condensed into a"dangdut" only, and by the magazine used to refer to the form of Malay songs that are affected by the song of India.

From music Malay to Dangdut

Contemporary dangdut has been different from its roots, Malay music, though people can still feel his touch.Malay Orchestra (commonly abbreviated as OM, which is still frequently used term for a group of dangdut music) the original use of musical instruments like acoustic guitar, accordion, tambourine, harp, and flute, even a gong. In the 1950s and 1960s, many developing-orchestra in Jakarta Malay orchestra that plays songs from the Deli Malay Sumatra (around Medan). At this time the experiment began to enter the entry of Indian elements in the Malay music. The development of world cinema at that time and anti-Western politics of President Sukarno becomes fertilizer for these groups. From this period can be noted names such as P. Ramlee (of Malaya), Said Effendi (with the song Seroja), Indoku (the style of the stage like a dancer of India, the creator of the Dolls from India), Husein Bawafie (one of the songwriters Lamentations Stepchildren), Munif Bahaswan (creator Expense Asmara), and M. Mashabi (creator of the film score "Lamentations Stepchildren" is very popular in the 1970's).

Or tabla drum, one of the major musical instrument dangdut.This period of musical styles continues to survive through the 1970s, although at that time also been major changes in the Malay music scene that was driven by Sonnet Group leader Rhoma Irama. Some names from the 1970s can be called is Mansyur S., Ida Laila, A. Rafiq, and Muchsin Alatas. Malay popular music can be seen from the release of several albums by the group of Malay pop music pop Koes Plus in its heyday.Modern dangdut, which developed in the early 1970s in line with Indonesian political culture that is friendly to the West, include musical instruments such as the Western modern electric guitar, electric organ, percussion, trumpet, saxophone, oboe, and others to increase the variation creativity as a musician and land-musicians. Mandolin also entered as an important element. The influence of rock (especially the guitar) is very thick felt on dangdut music. The 1970s were the scene of 'battle' for dangdut music and rock music in the market seize Indonesian music, concert ever held up to 'duel' between Sonnet Group and God Bless. Practically from the time of this Malay music has changed, including the pattern of musical business.In the latter half of the 1970s also developed variations of "dangdut humor" that was driven by the Pancaran Sinar Petromaks OM (PSP). This orchestra, which departs from the style of music melayu deli, helping dangdut dissemination among students. This subgenre forwarded, for example, by OM Pengantar Minum Racun (PMR) and, in the early 2000s, the Pemuda Harapan Bangsa Orchestra (PHB).

Building songs

Although dangdut songs can accept a variety of other musical elements easily, buildingmost of the songs dangdut very conservative, mostly composed of eight units ofmeasure 4 / 4. Rarely found dangdut to measure 3 / 4, except on a few songs during the 1960s such as Nuri Birds and Lotus. Dangdut too poor improvisation, both melody andharmony. As a dance music, dangdut rely heavily syncopated beats and tabla.
Building form dangdut song in general is: A - A - B-A,
but in most applications have a sequence like this:
Intro - A - A - Interlude - B (Reffrain) - A - Interlude - B (Reffrain) - A
Intro can be either vocal or a game without the accompaniment of flute, the rest is playguitar or mandolin. The length can reach eight-bar intro.
The initial part consists of eight bars, with or without repetition. If there is repetition, can be interrupted by a line break game (interlude). This section is usually lyrical introduction to the song, the situation faced by the singer.
Dangdut standard has no chorus, but has a second part with building a different melodywith the first part. Before entering the second part there are usually two times eight barspause without the lyrics (Interlude). The second part is usually along the eight-bar twicewith one line was interrupted by a pause with no lyrics. At the end of the second part is sometimes found along the four-bar coda. The second part usually contains the lyrics ofthe consequences of the situation described the first part or the singer's actions taken to address the situation.
After the second part, the song is repeated full from beginning to end. Dangdut songends on the first repetition. Rarely dangdut song ends with a fade away.

Interaction with other music

Dangdut is very elastic in the face and affect other forms of music. Western songspopular in the 1960s and 1970s many didangdutkan. Kasidah lute music genre and is slowly drifting in the current way of dangdut music. The same thing happened to the music of Tarling Cirebon, so that still exist at the moment is the form of mixtures:tarlingdut.
Rock, pop, disco, house bersenyawa well in dangdut music. The flow of a mixture ofdangdut music & rock unofficially named Rockdut. The same happens with music areassuch as jaipongan, gamelan, Tarling, keroncong, Java style (known as a musical formcalled congdut juice mixed, with the character Didi Kempot), or Zapin.
Easily dangdut receiving element 'foreign' make it vulnerable to other forms of piracy, as is the case of the songs of Bollywood-style films and latin songs. Kopi Dangdut, for example, is "pirated" a popular song from Venezuela.

Dangdut Rhoma Irama making as a means of preaching, which is visible from the lyrics of his songs as well as the issuance of the statement itself. This has become one of the triggers polemic in Indonesia in 2003, due to stage his protest against the style of dangdut singer, among others, Inul, who shake ngebor labeled decadent and "moral damage". Much earlier, dangdut has also been invited debate and ended with a ban on the stage in celebration Sekaten dangdut in Yogyakarta. The debate appears again due to the style of a stage singer (female) was considered too "open" and bad taste, so it does not fit with the mission Sekaten as a religious celebration. Dangdut is agreed upon many circles as the music that carries the aspirations of lower class society with all its simplicity and kelugasannya. Characteristic is reflected in the lyrics of the song and buildings. Stage a sensational style is inseparable from this breath. Stage a campaign of political parties also do not miss exploit the popularity of dangdut to attract the masses. Dangdut issue as a political tool also burst when Basofi Sudirman, then as the Golkar functionaries, singing dangdut. Although dangdut associated with the bottom of society who are poor, it does not mean popular dangdut only the lower classes. In any event entertainment, dangdut certainly participate enliven the situation. Dangdut stage can be easily found in various places.Entertainment venues and special disco play dangdut songs are often found in large cities. Radio stations broadcast that states itself as "radio dangdut" is also easily found in various cities.

Reog Ponorogo Indonesian Original Dance

2011-05-25T23:56:00.000+07:00

Reog is a traditional Indonesian dance form. There are many types of Reogs in Indonesia, but the most notable ones are Reog Ponorogo (East Java) and Reog Sunda (West Java). Although both share a similar name, there is no connection nor similar theme among these traditions. Reog Ponorogo seems to be the kind of dance that demonstrate physical strength and extravagant lion-peafowl mask and costumes, while Reog Sunda is a lot more like a traditional musical comedy and dance.

Reog Ponorogo

Reog is a traditional dance that become the main identity for Ponorogo Regency. Reog National Festival is held every years along the anniversary of Ponorogo regency and Grebeg Suro celebration. Reog dance is also staged full moon nightly in paseban, Ponorogo town square. Reog told about the struggle for a prince who will propose to a beautiful princess.Reog Ponorogo tells the story of a mythical battle between the King of Ponorogo and the magical lion-like creature called Singa Barong. Singa Barong is a large mask usually made of tiger's or leopard's head skin, upon the mask attached a large fan adorned with peafowl feathers. The Singa Barong mask was notoriously heavy, the dancer of Singo Barong bear the mask about 30 – 40 kg weight and supported by the strength of their teeth.

Dance performance

The leading figures in Reog Ponorogo performance includes:

Klono Sewandono, A men in regal attire wearing mask in proud and pompous dance, play the role as the King of Ponorogo
Bujang Anom, rough youthful men wearing red mask, they performed acrobatic dances and sometimes also involved trance.
Jatil, the youthful handsome horsemen riding horses made of weaved bamboo, similar to Kuda Lumping dance. Today Jatil usually performed by female dancers.
Warok, played as Singa Barong, the mythical creature. The one that allowed to performed this mask dance is called warok. A warok is the hororary title of local hero or strongman of the village that possessed both exceptional spiritual and phyisical strength. The dance itself is demonstration of phyisical strength of the dancers.

Reog Ponorogo usually consists of three sets of dances; each dance is performed by several dancers:

The first dance is the opening dance, performed by Bujang Anom, male dancers wearing black costumes. The costume describe rough men with intimidating moustache and other masculinity symbols.
The second dance is the Jaran Kepang dance performed by Jatil; it is originally performed by a gemblak, a handsome and youthful teenage boy wearing colourful costumes. Today the female dancers were usually played this role.
The third dance is the main attraction of the show; it is performed by all the Reog dancers. The warok as the main male dancer, wearing a large and heavy lion mask, dances in the centre of the stage while the other dancers dance around him. To demonstrate the warok's extraordinary strength Jatil or female dancers riding on top of lion mask and being carried around.

Culture and traditions of Reog Ponorogo

The dance describe Klono Sewandono the king of Ponorogo on his journey to Kediri to seek the hands of Princess Songgo Langit. On his journey he was attacked by a vicious monster called Singa Barong, a mythical lion with peacock on its head. Historians trace the origin of Reog Ponorogo as the satire on the incompetence of Majapahit rulers during the end of the empire. It describe the innate Ponorogo liberty and its opposition on centralist Majapahit rule. The lion represent the king of Majapahit while the peafowl represent the queen, it was suggested that the king was incompetent and always being controlled by his queen. The beautiful, youthful and almost effeminate horsemen describe the Majapahit cavalry that have lost their manliness^.
Reog Ponorogo dancers traditionally performed in a trance state. Reog Ponorogo displays the traditional Kejawen Javanese spiritual teaching. Next to physical requirement, the dancers—especially the Warok—required to follow strict rules, rituals and exercises, both physical and spiritual. One of the requirement is abstinence, warok is prohibited to indulged and involved in sexual relationship with women, yet having sex with boy age eight to fifteen is allowed. The boy lover is called Gemblak and usually kept by Warok in their household under the agreement and compensation to the boy's family. Warok can be married with a woman as their wive, but they may kept a gemblak too. This led to Warok-Gemblakan relationship that similar to pederastic tradition of ancient Greece. Anybody who is in touch with the traditional way of life in Ponorogo, knows that there are these older men called warok who, instead of having sex with their wives, have sex with younger boys.What Warok and Gemblak did is homosexual act, yet they never identify themself as homosexuals.
Today this Warok-Gemblakan practice is discouraged by local religious authorities and being shunned through public moral opposition. As the result today Reog Ponorogo performance rarely features Gemblak boys to performed as Jatil horsemen, their position were replaced by girls. Although today this practice might probably still survived and done in discreet manner.

Reog Sunda

Reog Sunda is very different than Ponorogo one, reog Sunda did not incorporate a large lion mask adorned with peafowl feathers like Reog Ponorogo, and did not incorporate trance state. The Reog Sunda performance combines comedy, joke, music, and funny comical movements and dances of the performers. The performers usually consist of four personnel, one called dalang directing the shows, similar to dalang in wayang performance, one called wakil or vice-dalang, the other two were the performers that interact and do the order of the dalang. Each performers carying and using musical instruments such as dogdog, beungbreung, gudubrag (types of traditional drums), and kecrek (similar to maraca) or tambourine, other instruments such as kendang, gong, kacapi might also used. The performance usually took one hour to one and half hour of music, dance and jokes, filled with social messages or religious wisdom.

Controversy

The origins and cultural ownership of the Reog Ponorogo dance have been the subject of a dispute between the neighboring countries of Indonesia and Malaysia, whose ethnic, cultural and religious histories overlap and share many similarities. Mostly because there is numerous descendants of Javanese immigrants in Malaysia, especially in Johor state, and they brought many Javanese-origin artforms such as Wayang, Reog and Kuda Lumping.

Batik, Indonesia's unique culture

2011-05-25T18:44:00.000+07:00

It would be impossible to visit or live in Indonesia and not be exposed to one of the country's most highly developed art forms, batik. On your first visit to a batik store or factory you will undoubtedly experience an overwhelming stimulation of the senses - due to the many colors, patterns and the actual smell of batik. Only through repeated visits and a bit of study will the types of designs and their origins become apparent.
The word batik is thought to be derived from the word 'ambatik' which translated means 'a cloth with little dots'. The suffix 'tik' means little dot, drop, point or to make dots. Batik may also originate from the Javanese word 'tritik' which describes a resist process for dying where the patterns are reserved on the textiles by tying and sewing areas prior to dying, similar to tie dye techniques. Another Javanese phase for the mystical experience of making batik is “mbatik manah” which means “drawing a batik design on the heart”.

A Brief History

Although experts disagree as to the precise origins of batik, samples of dye resistance patterns on cloth can be traced back 1,500 years ago to Egypt and the Middle East. Samples have also been found in Turkey, India, China, Japan and West Africa from past centuries. Although in these countries people were using the technique of dye resisting decoration, within the textile realm, none have developed batik to its present day art form as the highly developed intricate batik found on the island of Java in Indonesia.
Although there is mention of 'fabrics highly decorated' in Dutch transcripts from the 17th century, most scholars believe that the intricate Javanese batik designs would only have been possible after the importation of finely woven imported cloth, which was first imported to Indonesia from India around the 1800s and afterwards from Europe beginning in 1815. Textile patterns can be seen on stone statues that are carved on the walls of ancient Javanese temples such as Prambanan (AD 800), however there is no conclusive evidence that the cloth is batik. It could possibly be a pattern that was produced with weaving techniques and not dying. What is clear is that in the 19th century batik became highly developed and was well ingrained in Javanese cultural life.
Some experts feel that batik was originally reserved as an art form for Javanese royalty. Certainly it's royal nature was clear as certain patterns were reserved to be worn only by royalty from the Sultan's palace. Princesses and noble women may have provided the inspiration for the highly refined design sense evident in traditional patterns. It is highly unlikely though that they would be involved in any more than the first wax application. Most likely, the messy work of dyeing and subsequent waxings was left to court artisans who would work under their supervision.
Javanese royalty were known to be great patrons of the arts and provided the support necessary to develop many art forms, such as silver ornamentation, wayang kulit (leather puppets) and gamelan orchestras. In some cases the art forms overlap. The Javanese dalang (puppeteer) not only was responsible for the wayang puppets but was also an important source of batik patterns. Wayang puppets are usually made of goat skin, which is then perforated and painted to create the illusion of clothing on the puppet. Used puppets were often sold to eager ladies who used the puppets as guides for their batik patterns. They would blow charcoal through the holes that define the patterns of clothing on the puppets, in order to copy the intricate designs onto the cloth.
Other scholars disagree that batik was only reserved as an art form for royalty, as they also feel its use was prevalent with the rakyat, the people. It was regarded an important part of a young ladies accomplishment that she be capable of handling a canting (the pen-like instrument used to apply wax to the cloth) with a reasonable amount of skill, certainly as important as cookery and other housewifery arts to Central Javanese women.

Selection and Preparation of the Cloth for Batik

Natural materials such as cotton or silk are used for the cloth, so that it can absorb the wax that is applied in the dye resisting process. The fabrics must be of a high thread count (densely woven). It is important that cloth of high quality have this high thread count so that the intricate design qualities of batik can be maintained.
The cloth that is used for batik is washed and boiled in water many times prior to the application of wax so that all traces of starches, lime, chalk and other sizing materials are removed. Prior to the implementation of modern day techniques, the cloth would have been pounded with a wooden mallet or ironed to make it smooth and supple so it could best receive the wax design. With the finer machine-made cotton available today, the pounding or ironing processes can be omitted. Normally men did this step in the batik process.
Strict industry standards differentiate the different qualities of the cloth used today, which include Primissima (the best) and Prima. The cloth quality is often written on the edge of the design. A lesser quality cloth which is often used in Blaco.

Batik Design Tools

Although the art form of batik is very intricate, the tools that are used are still very simple. The canting, believed to be a purely Javanese invention, is a small thin wall spouted copper container (sometimes called a wax pen) that is connected to a short bamboo handle. Normally it is approximately 11 cm. in length. The copper container is filled with melted wax and the artisan then uses the canting to draw the design on the cloth.
Canting have different sizes of spouts (numbered to correspond to the size) to achieve varied design effects. The spout can vary from 1 mm in diameter for very fine detailed work to wider spouts used to fill in large design areas. Dots and parallel lines may be drawn with canting that have up to 9 spouts. Sometimes a wad of cotton is fastened over the mouth of the canting or attached to a stick that acts as a brush to fill in very large areas.
For close-up pictures of canting.

Wajan

The wajan is the container that holds the melted wax. It looks like a small wok. Normally it is made of iron or earthenware. The wajan is placed on a small brick charcoal stove or a spirit burner called an 'anglo'. The wax is kept in a melted state while the artisan is applying the wax to the cloth.

Wax

Different kinds and qualities of wax are used in batik. Common waxes used for batik consist of a mixture of beeswax, used for its malleability, and paraffin, used for its friability. Resins can be added to increase adhesiveness and animal fats create greater liquidity.
The best waxes are from the Indonesian islands of Timor, Sumbawa and Sumatra; three types of petroleum-based paraffin (white, yellow and black) are used. The amounts mixed are measured in grams and vary according to the design. Wax recipes can be very closely guarded secrets. Varying colors of wax make it possible to disguise different parts of the pattern through the various dying stages. Larger areas of the pattern are filled in with wax that is cheaper quality and the higher quality wax is used on the more intricately detailed sections of the design.
The wax must be kept at the proper temperature. A wax that is too cool will clog the spout of the canting. A wax that is too hot will flow too quickly and be uncontrollable. The artisan will often blow into the spout of the canting before applying wax to the cloth in order to clear the canting of any obstructions.

Cap

Creating batik is a very time consuming craft. To meet growing demands and make the fabric more affordable to the masses, in the mid-19th century the . cap. (copper stamp - pronounced chop) was developed. This invention enabled a higher volume of batik production compared to the traditional method which entailed the tedious application of wax by hand with a canting.
Each cap is a copper block that makes up a design unit. Cap are made of 1.5 cm wide copper stripes that are bent into the shape of the design. Smaller pieces of wire are used for the dots. When complete, the pattern of copper strips is attached to the handle.
The cap must be precisely made. This is especially true if the pattern is to be stamped on both sides of the fabric. It is imperative that both sides of the cap are identical so that pattern will be consistent.
Sometimes cap are welded between two grids like pieces of copper that will make a base for the top and the bottom. The block is cut in half at the center so the pattern on each half is identical. Cap vary in size and shape depending on the pattern they are needed for. It is seldom that a cap will exceed 24 cm in diameter, as this would make the handling too difficult.
Men usually handle the application of wax using cap. A piece of cloth that involves a complicated design could require as many as ten sets of cap. The usage of cap, as opposed to canting, to apply the wax has reduced the amount of time to make a cloth.
Today, batik quality is defined by cap or tulis, the second meaning hand-drawn designs which use a canting, or kombinasi, a combination of the two techniques.

Dyes

Traditional colors for Central Javanese batik were made from natural ingredients and consisted primarily of beige, blue, brown and black.
The oldest color that was used in traditional batik making was blue. The color was made from the leaves of the Indigo plant. The leaves were mixed with molasses sugar and lime and left to stand overnight. Sometimes sap from the Tinggi tree was added to act as a fixing agent. Lighter blue was achieved by leaving the cloth in the dye bath for short periods of time. For darker colors, the cloth would be left in the dye bath for days and may have been submerged up to 8 - 10 times a day.
In traditional batik, the second color applied was a brown color called soga. The color could range from light yellow to a dark brown. The dye came from the bark of the Soga tree. Another color that was traditionally used was a dark red color called mengkuda. This dye was created from the leaves of the Morinda Citrifolia.
The final hue depended on how long the cloth was soaked in the dye bath and how often it was dipped. Skilled artisans can create many variations of these traditional colors. Aside from blue, green would be achieved by mixing blue with yellow; purple was obtained by mixing blue and red. The soga brown color mixed with indigo would produce a dark blue-black color.

Design Process

The outline of the pattern is blocked out onto the cloth, traditionally with charcoal or graphite. Traditional batik designs utilize patterns handed down over the generations. It is very seldom that an artisan is so skilled that he can work from memory and would not need to draw an outline of the pattern before applying the wax. Often designs are traced from stencils or patterns called pola. Another method of tracing a pattern onto a cloth is by laying the cloth on a glass table that is illuminated from below which casts a shadow of the pattern onto the cloth. The shadow is then traced with a pencil. In large batik factories today, men usually are in charge of drawing the patterns onto the cloth. Click here to see the step-by-step process of making batik.

Waxing

Once the design is drawn out onto the cloth it is then ready to be waxed. Wax is applied to the cloth over the areas of the design that the artisan wishes to remain the original color of the cloth. Normally this is white or cream.
Female workers sit on a low stool or on a mat to apply the wax with a canting. The fabric that they are working on is draped over light bamboo frames called gawangan to allow the freshly applied wax to cool and harden. The wax is heated in the wajan until it is of the desired consistency. The artisan then dips her canting into the wax to fill the bowl of the canting.
Artisans use the wax to retrace the pencil outline on the fabric. A small drop cloth is kept on the woman. s lap to protect her from hot dripping wax. The stem of the canting is held with the right hand in a horizontal position to prevent any accidental spillage, which greatly reduces the value of the final cloth. The left hand is placed behind the fabric for support. The spout does not touch the fabric, but it held just above the area the artisan is working on. To ensure the pattern is well defined, batik is waxed on both sides. True tulis batik is reversible, as the pattern should be identical on both sides.
The most experienced artisans normally do first waxings. Filling in of large areas may be entrusted to less experienced artisans. Mistakes are very difficult to correct. If wax is accidentally spilt on the cloth, the artisan will try to remove the unwanted wax by sponging it with hot water. Then a heated iron rod with a curved end is used to try and lift off the remaining wax. Spilled wax can never be completely removed so it is imperative that the artisans are very careful.

If the cap method is utilized, this procedure is normally done by men. The cap are dipped into melted wax. Just under the surface of the melted wax is a folded cloth approximately 30 centimeters square. When this cloth is saturated with wax it acts like a stamp pad. The cap is pressed into the fabric until the design side of the cap is coated with wax. The saturated cap is then stamped onto the fabric, leaving the design of the cap. This process is repeated until the entire cloth is covered. Often cap and canting methods are combined on the same piece of cloth.
Better quality batik may be waxed utilizing canting in one part of Indonesia and then sent to another part of Indonesia where the cap part of the process is completed. On better quality cap fabric great care is taken to match the pattern exactly. Lower grade batik is characterized by overlapping lines or lightened colored lines indicating the cap was not applied correctly.

Dyeing

After the initial wax has been applied, the fabric is ready for the first dye bath. Traditionally dying was done in earthenware tubs. Today most batik factories use large concrete vats. Above the vats are ropes with pulleys that the fabric is draped over after it has been dipped into the dye bath.
The waxed fabric is immersed in the dye bath of the first color. The amount of time it is left in the bath determines the hue of the color; darker colors require longer periods or numerous immersions. The fabric is then put into a cold water bath to harden the wax.
When the desired color has been achieved and the fabric has dried, wax is reapplied over the areas that the artisan wishes to maintain the first dye color or another color at a later stage in the dying process.
When an area that has been covered with wax previously needs to be exposed so that it can be dyed, the applied wax is scraped away with a small knife. The area is then sponged with hot water and resized with rice starch before it is re-immersed in the subsequent dye bath.
If a marble effect is desired, the wax is intentionally cracked before being placed in the dye bath. The dye seeps into the tiny cracks that create the fine lines that are characteristic of batik. Traditionally, cracks were a sign of inferior cloth especially on indigo color batik. On brown batik, however, the marble effect was accepted.
The number of colors in batik represents how many times it was immersed in the dye bath and how many times wax had to be applied and removed. A multicolored batik represents a lot more work that a single or two-color piece. Numerous dye processes are usually reflected in the price of the cloth. Nowadays, chemical dyes have pretty much replaced traditional dyes, so colors are endless and much more liberally used.

Special Treatments to the Batik Cloth

Prada or Gold Cloth

For special occasions, batik was formerly decorated with gold lead or gold dust. This cloth is known as Prada cloth. Gold leaf was used in the Jogjakarta and Surakarta area. The Central Javanese used gold dust to decorate their Prada cloth. It was applied to the fabric using a handmade glue consisting of egg white or linseed oil and yellow earth. The gold would remain on the cloth even after it had been washed. The gold could follow the design of the cloth or could take on its own design. Older batiks could be given a new look by applying gold to them. Gold decorated cloth is still made today; however, gold paint has replaced gold dust and leaf.

Batik Designs

Although there are thousands of different batik designs, particular designs have traditionally been associated with traditional festivals and specific religious ceremonies. Previously, it was thought that certain cloth had mystical powers to ward off ill fortune, while other pieces could bring good luck.
Certain batik designs are reserved for brides and bridegrooms as well as their families. Other designs are reserved for the Sultan and his family or their attendants. A person's rank could be determined by the pattern of the batik he/she wore.
In general, there are two categories of batik design: geometric motifs (which tend to be the earlier designs) and free form designs, which are based on stylized patterns of natural forms or imitations of a woven texture. Nitik is the most famous design illustrating this effect.
Certain areas are known for a predominance of certain designs. Central Javanese designs are influenced by traditional patterns and colors. Batik from the north coast of Java, near Pekalongan and Cirebon, have been greatly influenced by Chinese culture and effect brighter colors and more intricate flower and cloud designs.
High fashion designs drawn on silk are very popular with wealthy Indonesians. These exceptionally high-quality pieces can take months to create and costs hundreds of dollars.

Kawung

Kawung is another very old design consisting of intersecting circles, known in Java since at least the thirteenth century. This design has appeared carved into the walls of many temples throughout Java such as Prambanan near Jogjakarta and Kediri in East Java. For many years, this pattern was reserved for the royal court of the Sultan of Jogjakarta. The circles are sometimes embellished inside with two or more small crosses or other ornaments such as intersecting lines or dots. It has been suggested that the ovals might represent flora such as the fruit of the kapok (silk cotton) tree or the aren (sugar palm).

Ceplok

Ceplok is a general name for a whole series of geometric designs based on squares, rhombs, circles, stars, etc. Although fundamentally geometric, ceplok can also represent abstractions and stylization of flowers, buds, seeds and even animals. Variations in color intensity can create illusions of depth and the overall effect is not unlike medallion patterns seen on Turkish tribal rugs. The Indonesian population is largely Muslim, a religion that forbids the portrayal of animal and human forms in a realistic manner. To get around this prohibition, the batik worker does not attempt to express this matter in a realistic form. A single element of the form is chosen and then that element is repeated again and again in the pattern.

Parang

Parang was once used exclusively by the royal courts of Central Java. It has several suggested meanings such as 'rugged rock', 'knife pattern' or 'broken blade'. The Parang design consists of slanting rows of thick knife-like segments running in parallel diagonal bands. Parang usually alternated with narrower bands in a darker contrasting color. These darker bands contain another design element, a line of lozenge-shaped motifs call mlinjon. There are many variations of this basic striped pattern with its elegant sweeping lines, with over forty parang designs recorded. The most famous is the 'Parang Rusak' which in its most classical form consisting of rows of softly folded parang. This motif also appears in media other than batik, including woodcarving and as ornamentation on
gamelan musical instruments.

Washing Batik

Harsh chemical detergents, dryers and drying of fabrics in the sun may fade the colors in batik. Traditionally dyed batiks should be washed in soap for sensitive fabrics, such as Woolite, Silky or Halus. Fine batik in Indonesia is washed with the lerak fruit which can be purchased at most traditional markets. A bottled version of this detergent is also available at batik stores. Be sure to line dry batik in a shady area and not in direct sunlight.

Modern Batik

Modern batik, although having strong ties to traditional batik, utilizes linear treatment of leaves, flowers and birds. These batiks tend to be more dependent on the dictates of the designer rather than the stiff guidelines that have guided traditional craftsmen. This is also apparent in the use of color that modern designers use. Artisans are no longer dependent on traditional (natural) dyes, as chemical dyes can produce any color that they wish to achieve. Modern batik still utilizes canting and cap to create intricate designs.
Fashion designers such as Iwan Tirta have aggressively introduced batik into the world fashion scene. They have done much to promote the Indonesian art of batik dress, in its traditional and modern forms.
The horizon of batik is continuing to widen. While the design process has remained basically the same over the last century, the process shows great progress in recent decades. Traditionally, batik was sold in 2 1/4 meter lengths used for kain panjang or sarong in traditional dress. Now, not only is batik used as a material to clothe the human body, its uses also include furnishing fabrics, heavy canvas wall hangings, tablecloths and household accessories. Batik techniques are used by famous artists to create batik paintings which grace many homes and offices.
Fine quality handmade batik is very expensive and the production of such works is very limited. However, in a world that is dominated by machines there is an increasing interest in materials that have been handmade. Batik is one of these materials.
During your stay in Indonesia, take advantage of your time here to learn more about the fascinating world of batik. Have a batik dress or men's business shirt made for you by a seamstress or tailor. Visit batik factories in Jogjakarta, Surakarta or Pekalongan to see for yourself how the intricate process is conducted or ask questions of batik artisans giving demonstrations in stores such as Sarinah or Pasaraya in Jakarta. You will come away with sense of wonder over the time, effort and patience put into the creation of each batik cloth. You too may soon grow to love the distinctive waxy smell of batik and your batik acquisitions will provide many memories of your stay in Indonesia. Your support of the batik industry will also ensure that this art form grows to even greater peaks.

Batik Home Furnishings

One of the distinct pleasures of living in (or visiting) Indonesia is the opportunity to purchase some truly magnificent home furnishings made of batik. As the fabric is truly unique to Indonesia... this is definitely the best place to purchase batik! Batik factories can product batik to your order, with custom colors and designs in large rolls, ready to use for your home decoration projects. The 100% cotton fabric is usually preshrunk in the batik dying process and other fabrics are usually available with the batik design, should your design requirements warrant. Higher end shops also have design consultants who can help you with the layout of the room you are planning to design with your batik fabric and work with you on additional furnishings (pillows, bed covers, and cushions) to complete your color scheme.

Additional informaiton on Batik in Indonesia

http://www.expat.or.id/info/batik.html

We Are The Same

2011-05-25T18:04:00.000+07:00

The land that I stepped on just like you
The sky's what I stand for just like you
I'm no different from you

The air that I breathe you breathe too
Cold do you think I feel the same
We do not look different

Sun would not look different from mine
The moon and the stars look the same right from your place
will provide light, similar to our

The color of your clothing that looks different
Same tone that you sing beautifully
Harmony, the world symphony

We're the same you should know
I was you
God also knows

Despite the different spoken Benediction
The same grace we receive
I am the same man you

Enchantment of Indonesia

2011-05-24T22:30:00.000+07:00

Visit Indonesia
http://www.indonesia-tourism.com/

KERATON KASEPUHAN CIREBON ( PALACE KASEPUHAN CIREBON ) Ciebon , West Java , Indonesia

2011-05-24T22:20:00.000+07:00

Kasepuhan Palace is the grandest and best preserved palace in Cirebon. Meaning in every corner of the architecture of this palace was the most famous historic. The front page of this palace surrounded by red brick walls and there is a hall therein. Palace has a museum which is quite complete and contains a collection of heirlooms and paintings of the kingdom. One of the sacred collection of trains Singa Barong. This train is no longer in use and only issued on every 1 Shawwal to be bathed. The interior of the palace consists of a main building which is white. It poses the living room, bedroom and the king's throne.

History Kasepuhan Palace was founded in 1529 by Prince Mas Mochammad Arifin II (grandson of Sunan Gunung Jati), which replaces the throne of the Sunan Gunung Jati in 1506. He lives in the Great dalem Pakungwati Cirebon. Keraton Keraton Pakungwati Kasepuhan formerly, while holding the title Prince Mas Mochammad Arifin Panembahan Pakungwati I. The name comes from the name of Queen Pakungwati Goddess Pakungwati bint who married Prince Cakrabuana Sunan Gunung Jati. He died in 1549 in the Great Mosque Sang Cipta Rasa in very old age. His name is perpetuated and glorified by Sunan Gunung Jati nasab as the name of the royal palace royal palace which is now called the Palace Pakungwati Kasepuhan. In front of the palace there Kesepuhan plaza at the time of the ancient town square named Sangkala Buana, which is where military exercises are held on Saturdays or call at the time was Saptonan. And in this plaza was once held various kinds of punishment against any people who break the rules, such as caning. In the west there is the Mosque of Sultan Kasepuhan quite magnificent work of the guardians of the Great Mosque Sang Cipta Rasa. While in the plaza east of the former is where the market economy - is now the market is very famous kesepuhan pocinya. Model forms palace overlooking the north by building mosques in the west and the market in the east and the plaza adjoining the palace models at that time was mainly located in coastal areas. Even today, these models are much followed by all districts and cities mainly in Java that is in front of government buildings are square and on the western side there is the mosque. Before entering the gates of the palace complex Kasepuhan there are two of the pavilion, the west called Pancaratna who formerly was a gathering place of the palace courtier, headman or in contemporary times called the civil service. While the marquee to the east called Pancaniti which is where the officers of the palace when the holding of military exercises in the square. Entering the palace complex way on the left there is a fairly tall building with solid brick wall around it. The building is named Siti inggil or in the language of his daily Cirebon is weak duwur the high ground. As its name suggests this building was very tall and looks like a temple complex in the time of Majapahit. The building was founded in 1529, during the reign of Sheikh Sharif Hidayatullah (Sunan Gunung Jati). In the front yard there inggil Siti rectangular stone table place to relax. This building is an outbuilding that was made in the 1800s. Siti inggil has two gates with the motive of the Majapahit era architectural style moment. At the north gate called Adi whereas in the south called the Gate Bull. Under this gate there is Candice Sakala Bull with Bull's writings Tinata Bata Kuta which if interpreted was in 1451. saka which is the year of manufacture (1451 saka = 1529 M). Northern wall of the complex Siti inggil pristine while the south has ever experienced restoration / renovation. On the wall there inggil Siti complex wall plates and porslen-porslen originating from Europe and China by the year of manufacture 1745 AD Inside the complex there are 5 Siti inggil building without walls that has a name and its own function. The main building is situated in the middle named Malang Semirang with 6 units of the main pillars that symbolize the pillars of faith and if the aggregated total of 20 pillars that symbolize the fruit of 20 attributes of Allah SWT. This building is where the sultan saw military exercises or see the implementation of punishment. Building on the left side of the main building named Pendawa Lima with a number of pillars that symbolize the 5 pillars of Islam. This building where bodyguards sultan.Bangunan to the right of the main building named Semar Tinandu with 2 of the pole that represents the Two Sentence Creed. This building is where the Sultan's advisor / prince. Behind the main building named Mande Pangiring which is where the Sultan's entourage, while the adjacent building is the Mande Mande pangiring Karasemen, this place is the place accompanist tetabuhan / gamelan. In this building is still used to ring the Gamelan Sekaten (Gong Sekati), gamelan is only rung 2 times in a year ie at the time of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. In addition there are 5 buildings without walls is also a kind of stone monument called Linga Yoni is the symbol of fertility. Linga means men and Yoni means female. The building is derived from Hindu culture. And on top of the wall around the complex Siti inggil have Candi Laras for harmonization of these inggil Siti complex.

What I do ?

2011-05-09T13:25:00.000+07:00

Warna-Warni Dunia

2011-05-09T11:40:00.002+07:00

Tanah yang ku injak sama sepertimu

Langit yang ku junjung sama sepertimu

Aku tak beda darimu

Udara yang ku hirup kau hirup juga

Dingin yang kau rasa ku rasakan sama

Kita tak terlihat beda

Matahari takkan terlihat beda dari tempatku

Bulan dan bintang kan terlihat sama dari tempatmu

Kan memberikan cahaya , yang sama untuk kita

Warna busanamu yang terlihat beda

Nada yang kau dendangkan sama indahnya

Harmoni , simfoni dunia

Kita sama kau harus tahu

Aku adalah kamu

Tuhan juga tahu

Kendati Do’a terucap beda

Anugerah yang sama kita terima

Aku adalah kamu manusia yang sama

OKSIGEN

2011-05-09T11:33:00.000+07:00

Aku bisa hidupkanmu di hari ini

Segarkan ingatan saat menghirupku

Resapi rasa hadirnya diriku

Aku bisa membakarmu hari ini

Terhisap panas dan terbakar

Lalu cemari udara dan trotoar

Aku bisa terbang melayang

Ke awan dan menghilang

Datang dan pergi sendiri

Teriknya hari ku terlahir kembali

Daun dan mentari ajakku menari

Aku bisa datang dan pergi

Tak Terkendali . . .

Yang Maha Busuk

2011-05-09T11:26:00.000+07:00

Keputusan yang tak terputuskan walau jalan telah tunjukkan

Jika dapat aku ingin menghilang

Aku Ingin menjadi hujan

Bila tidak aku ingin menjadi awan

Aku tidak tahan dengan segala omong kosong logikamu

Dengan segala emosi dan ambisimu

Aah . . tapi waktu kian berlalu

Tetap saja aku bertahan dengan cinta busukmu

Dunia .. Oh dunia

Mengapa engkau hadirkan iblis berwajah malaikat yang menipu biji mataku

Mengapa engkau begitu menyita perhatianku

Dengan segala akal keindahanmu

Waktu . . Oh waktu

Bagaimana bisa engkau hadirkan malaikat bersayap iblis yang tulikan celah telingaku

Mengapa engkau terlalu bodohi aku

Dengan segala egomu

Oh Tuhan Yang Maha Tidak Buta

Tuhan Yang Maha Segalanya

Aku harap Engkau dengar lengkingan hatiku

Yang Maha Busuk

Informasi Penting Buat Penggila Transformers

2011-05-07T16:14:00.000+07:00

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Release Date: July 1, 2011 (3D/2D theaters and IMAX)
Studio: DreamWorks Pictures (Paramount)
Director: Michael Bay
Screenwriter: Ehren Kruger
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Kevin Dunn, Julie White, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, Ken Jeong, Patrick Dempsey, Alan Tudyk, John Turturro, Leonard Nimoy
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
MPAA Rating: Not Available
Official Website: Transformersmovie.com
Review: Not Available
DVD Review: Not Available
DVD: Not Available
Movie Poster: Not Available
Production Stills: View here

Plot Summary: "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" features Sam Witwicky (LaBeouf) taking his first tenuous steps into adulthood while remaining a reluctant human ally of Optimus Prime. The film centers around the space race between the U.S.S.R. and the USA, suggesting there was a hidden Transformers role in it all that remains one of the planet's most dangerous secrets. The villain of the third film will be Shockwave.

Announcement Trailer (12.8.10):
Flash Player

Super Bowl Spot (2.6.11):
Flash Player

TV Spot 2 (2.20.11):
Flash Player

Trailer (4.28.11):
Flash/HTML5 Player

Yang Muda Yang Berusaha , Yang Muda Yang Kaya Raya

2011-05-07T15:21:00.000+07:00

Entah apa yang membuat saya menjadi tertarik untuk membuat postingan ini . Saya hanya berpikiran bahwa banyak sekali remaja-remaja di sekitar lingkungan saya setelah mereka lulus sekolah mereka tidak tahu harus menuju ke arah mana , ingin kuliah tidak memilikki biaya , ingin bekerja tidak tahu ingin bekerja apa dengan pendidikan terakhir SMA , ingin usaha tidak punya modal .Karena saya pun sempat mengalami seperti apa yang mereka alami , di saat saya telah membangun angan-angan saya untuk berkuliah di luar kota namun harus hancur berantakan karena kurang biaya .Namun di suatu hari saya berpikir sampai kapan saya akan bersandar terus-menerus dengan orang tua , saya ingin memiliki penghasilan sendiri .

Sering kita mendengar bahwa seseorang yang putus asa mengatakan kata-kata seperti ini , "Saya tidak punya uang untuk memulai usaha .Saya belum memilikki cukup modal untuk berbisnis .Mungkin Inilah yang sering dijadikan alasan oleh banyak orang yang menunda memulai usaha sendiri. Ternyata kita tidak perlu menunggu sampai modal besar datang. Usaha bisa dimulai dengan modal ”dengkul”. Apa memang bisa modal dengkul dijadikan sebuah modal untuk memulai berbisnis??? Jawabannya adalah "YA" karena untuk memulai usaha tidak melulu hanya uang yang dijadikan sebagai modal , melainkan modal yang terpenting adalah modal keyakinan , ketekunan , keuletan , serta semangat kita untuk menjadi pribadi yang sukses , dan yang terpenting adalah dalam usaha orientasikan diri anda berusaha untuk berkarya bukan untuk uang .Karena jika orientasi anda untuk uang anda akan kehilangan keyakinan ketika usaha anda mengalami kemunduran.

Berikut adalah beberapa tips untuk memulai usaha dengan modal dengkul :

Ide

ini lah yang ternyata menjadi tumpuan awal untuk berbirnis karena dengan ide kita bisa melakukan apasaja dan Semua usaha berawal dari sebuah ide yang kemudian dijual. Jadi, asal kita sudah punya ide bisnis yang baik, walaupun belum punya modal, kita bisa menjual ide bisnis kita tersebut untuk kemudian dijadikan uang. mungkin kita sudah mengenal dan tahu sejarah Bill Gates, kaisar kerajaan Microsoft, juga memulai usahanya dengan modal ide. Setelah drop out dari Harvard, Bill Gates berani bermimpi untuk memiliki bisnis yang dapat menjadi saingan IBM. Mimpi ini dipupuk terus sehingga membuahkan keberanian untuk bertindak. Dengan keberanian ini, Bill Gates menjual ide briliannya yang menawarkan solusi bisnis di bidang teknologi informasi ke berbagai investor, sampai akhirnya ia mampu menggalang dana yang cukup untuk memulai usahanya.

Kemitraan ala Restoran Padang
Jika kita punya keterampilan tapi tidak punya uang, mengapa kita tidak bermitra dengan orang yang punya uang, tetapi tidak mempunyai keberanian dan keterampilan yang kita miliki. Strategi bisnis dengan prinsip kerja sama win-win ini ternyata sudah lama diterapkan oleh para pelaku bisnis yang menekuni usaha restoran Padang. Tim manajemen dan pemilik modal bermitra untuk menjalankan bisnis ini. Tim manajemen tidak digaji melainkan diberikan bagian keuntungan (sesuai dengan prosentasi yang disepakati bersama) yang diperoleh dari menjalankan bisnis restoran tersebut. Strategi kemitraan seperti ini tentunya bisa juga diterapkan di industri yang berbeda.

Bayar di Muka
Dasar dari sebuah bisnis adalah kepercayaan. Jika orang lain telah menaruh kepercayaan kepada kita, tentunya akan lebih mudah bagi kita untuk melakukan bisnis dengan modal dengkul. Misalnya saja, jika kita mendapat pesanan untuk mengekspor barang ke luar negeri, tetapi kita tidak punya cukup uang untuk memproduksi barang yang akan diekspor tersebut, kita bisa mencoba untuk meminta pembeli untuk membayar di muka sebagian. Uang yang kita dapatkan ini bisa kita gunakan untuk memproduksi barang yang telah dipesan. Untuk mendapatkan uang muka tersebut, kita juga bisa mencoba mengajukan aplikasi kredit ekspor ke bagian Trade Services di Bank, dengan menunjukkan sales contract yang sudah ditandatangani untuk mengekspor sejumlah barang serta dokumen lain yang diperlukan. Dengan menunjukkan kepastian pembelian barang dari mitra di luar negeri, akan lebih mudah bagi kita untuk memperoleh fasilitas kredit dari bank. Cara ini banyak dilakukan oleh pelaku bisnis yang mengekspor barang ke luar negeri ataupun yang mengimpor barang dari luar negeri.

Perantara
Tidak ada modal bukan merupakan alasan bagi kita untuk tidak memulai usaha. Ada banyak cara yang bisa kita lakukan untuk memulai bisnis dengan modal dengkul. Salah satunya adalah dengan bertindak sebagai perantara. Di sini kita bertindak seperti perantara antara produsen (pemilik barang) dan konsumen (pembeli barang). Kita bisa membantu orang yang memiliki barang untuk menjualkan barangnya kepada konsumen. Lalu kita bisa menjualkan barang tersebut di tempat usaha kita (dengan cara konsinyasi). Setelah barang terjual, kita bisa mendapatkan komisi dari hasil yang terjual. Uang yang berhasil kita kumpulkan, bisa kita gunakan untuk mengembangkan bisnis kita lebih lanjut. Cara ini digunakan oleh Charles Scwab dengan bisnis pialangnya yang menjadi perantara dalam penjualan saham dan surat-surat berharga lainnya.

Jual Keahlian
Jika kita memiliki keahlian ataupun pengalaman berharga di suatu bidang yang jarang dimiliki orang lain, kita bisa mencoba menjual keahlian dan pengalaman kita tersebut untuk membantu orang lain dalam melakukan bisnis mereka. Jika kita memiliki pengalaman dan keahlian di bidang IT, kita bisa menawarkan pengalaman dan keahlian kita sebagai solusi bagi bisnis orang lain. Jika kita memiliki keahlian dalam bidang bahasa Inggris, kita bisa menawarkan jasa terjemahan dokumen, interpreting dalam seminar ataupun pertemuan bisnis, maupun pelatihan bahasa Inggris bagi pelaku bisnis apalagi jika anda terjun ke dunia maya anda bisa menjadi penulis konten bagi yang memerlukan atau bagi yang berkecimpung dalam dunia review. Jika kita memiliki keahlian dalam musik, kita bisa menawarkan keahlian kita untuk menghibur orang lain di berbagai acara, ataupun melatih orang lain untuk memainkan alat musik yang bisa kita mainkan. Para konsultan bisnis, konsultan pendidikan, artis, dan olahragawan profesional menggunakan strategi ini untuk meraih sukses.

Pada prinsipnya, jika kita sudah bertekad untuk memulai sebuah bisnis, uang bukanlah modal utama. Yang perlu dimiliki adalah keberanian, keyakinan, dan ketekunan. Setelah itu, untuk memulai usaha, kita tidak perlu menunggu sampai modal besar terkumpul. Kita bisa mendapatkan modal dari berbagai sumber, antara lain dengan menjual ide, menerapkan manajemen ala restoran padang, memenangkan kepercayaan mitra bisnis sehingga mereka bersedia bayar di muka untuk jasa yang kita tawarkan, menjadi perantara ataupun menjual keahlian kita sebagai solusi bagi orang lain. Jadi, siapa bilang kita tidak bisa memulai usaha dengan ”modal dengkul”?

Menabung

Jangan lupakan menabung , akan lari kemana hasil usaha anda jika anda tidak menyisihkan sebagian penghasilan anda untuk di tabung .Apabila anda telah mengumpulkan uang dari hasil usaha modal dengkul anda , mungkin anda dapat menjadi pengusaha mandiri yang sukses.

NB:Tips di atas merupakan langkah-langkah yang telah saya tempuh dan hasilnya cukup memuaskan , jadi anda mau coba ?

Akankah Punah Para Pahlawan Tanpa Tanda Jasa ?

2011-05-07T13:56:00.000+07:00

Pendidikan Indonesia selalu gembar-gembor tentang kurikulum baru yang katanya lebih oke , lebih tepat sasaran, lebih kebarat-baratan atau apapun.Yang jelas, menteri pendidikan berusaha eksis dengan menguji cobakan formula pendidikan baru dengan mengubah kurikulum.

Di balik perubahan kurikulum yang terus-menerus, yang kadang kita gak ngeh apa maksudnya, ada elemen yang benar-benar terlupakan yaitu , GURU! Ya, guru di Indonesia hanya 60% yang layak mengajar sisanya? Masih perlu pembenahan. Kenapa hal itu terjadi? Tak lain dan tak bukan karena kurang pelatihan skill, kurangnya pembinaan terhadap kurikulum baru, dan kurangnya gaji. Masih banyak guru honorer yang kembang kempis ngurusin asap dapur rumahnya agar terus menyala.

Guru, digugu dan ditiru , masihkah? atau hanya slogan klise yang sudah kuno. Murid saja sedikit yang menghargai gurunya sedemikian juga pemerintah.Banyak yang memandang rendah terhadap guru, sehingga orang pun tidak termotivasi menjadi guru. Padahal, tanpa sosok Oemar Bakri ini, tak bakal ada yang namanya Habibi.

Dapat dibayangkan bagaimana jadinya bibit-bibit pemimpin bangsa di masa mendatang apabila negaranya tidak memilikki guru yang berkualitas .

Keluh Sang Pendosa

2011-05-07T12:57:00.000+07:00

Aku , aku adalah seorang pengembara jalanan yang sedang terombang-ambing di lautan gelora
Aku , aku adalah seorang hamba Tuhan yang baik sekaligus pendosa
Tidak pernah lelah aku keluhkan rasa peluhku ini kepada Tuhanku yang ku percayai bahwa Ia tidak tuli
Tidak pernah lelah aku rasakan nikmatnya penderitaan yang Tuhan berikan

Hmmh . . Namun kini lelah rasanya kaki ini untuk berlari
Jangankan berlari , untuk berjalan pun rasanya tidak kuat langkahku ini
Dapat bertahan menapakkan kaki di tanah hitam ini pun sudah bagus rasanya
Sempat aku pikirkan ingin sekali rasanya aku beristirahat dan berbaring
di balik tanah yang merah itu

Tuhan . . Oh Tuhan
Seakan bermimpi untuk merakit mesin penenun pelangi
Aku berharap dapat menjadi yang lebih dari mereka di hari nanti
Lebih dari mereka yang meludahiku hari ini

Yaah . . Kini harapan tinggalah harapan
Untuk bertahan bersama ambisi pun rasanya aku tak sanggup
Aku tidak akan kuasa menolak segala skenario Sang Pengusa
Yang dapat aku lakukan hanya menjadi aktor yang Tuhan inginkan