Rujak the Tapanuli Way - Mangarabar

November 2nd, 2007 | By Barrie | No Comments »

Rujak (roujack) or rojhak is a sweet sour salad made from fruits and vegetables and is mostly eaten as a snack between meals throughout Indonesia. The fruit and vegetable variations are many. Some regions even have rujak in their array of ceremonial foods.

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Endangered Species in Indonesia

November 2nd, 2007 | By Barrie | No Comments »

The government has said it is having difficulties identifying the number of native species in danger of extinction. Director for biological diversity affairs at the Forestry Ministry, Toni Suhartono, said much of the existing information on the number of endangered species was based on predictions made before 2000.

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Guardians of the Sacred Legong Dance: Bali

November 2nd, 2007 | By Barrie | No Comments »

A dozen beautiful girls danced together in the courtyard of Payogan Agung Temple in Ketewel village, Sukawati, near Ubud in Gianyar in early October. The dancers were dressed in gold with crown-like headdresses adorned with fresh flowers. Other girls wearing similar costumes sat patiently in a corner of the temple waiting for their turn to perform. Ni Kadek Dewi Puspayanti and the other girls are members of a legong troupe that was not formed to entertain tourists or dance enthusiasts but to serve in life cycle rites, ceremonies and celebrations. The troupe was rehearsing for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Payogan Agung Temple celebration.

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Converting Barren Land into Parks: Yogyakarta, Central Java

November 2nd, 2007 | By Barrie | No Comments »

Yogyakarta city administration plans to buy barren land plots from their owners and convert them into parks or playgrounds. Yogyakarta Mayor Herry Zudianto said the city would use funds from the city budget to gradually buy all barren land plots in every subdistrict.

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Warung Mak Beng: Sanur, Bali

November 2nd, 2007 | By Barrie | No Comments »

The 86-year-old Mak Beng, or Ketut Tjuki, is a living legend in the Balinese culinary world. She has inherited rare recipes for authentic Balinese dishes from her mother and mother-in-law. Since opening its doors in l941, the modest Warung Mak Beng has been one of the most popular places to eat in Sanur. Located near the Grand Bali Beach hotel, the eatery attracts a mixed crowd of foreigners and locals.

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Mekarsari Fruit Park: Bogor, West Java

November 1st, 2007 | By Barrie | No Comments »

Mekarsari fruit park in Bogor is striving to restore its image as a recreational site, not just a place where visitors can pick and feast on fruits of their choice. “Most people seem to think they can get fruit out of season anytime they come here. It’s not exactly right. We are a fruit conservatory, not a fruit farm,” park public relations officer Catherina W. Day.

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EU Checks Garuda Indonesia

November 1st, 2007 | By Barrie | No Comments »

The European Union (EU) Commission team will come to Jakarta to check PT Garuda Indonesia’s safety standards this November. The checking is a part of the evaluation on the Indonesian aircraft’s travel ban from flying to Europe, which has been effective since July 6. The travel ban is evaluated every three months. It is scheduled that the team from the EU will be in Indonesia between November 5 and 9 by the invitation from the Transportation Department.

Rafflesia Traders: Semarang, Central Java

November 1st, 2007 | By Barrie | 1 Comment »

Sutrisno waits for customers for his plants in the Sigar Bencah area of the Central Java capital Semarang. He and other residents claim the flowers are rare Rafflesia parasitic flowering plants, known as walur among the villagers and as bunga bangkai (corpse flower) for their foul odor. “I heard that these flowers can be sold so I search for them,” said Sutrisno, a farmer, who was selling five plants on the side of the road for Rp 25,000 each. Two high school students, Heri and Mahrus, said they spent their free time looking for the flowers in the hills around Sigar Bancah.

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Early Warning System Needs Improvement

November 1st, 2007 | By Barrie | No Comments »

The existing early warning system to detect potential natural disasters is still ineffective, especially regarding the dissemination of information, said participants at a seminar. In a seminar on the role of information technology and communication in disaster management, a participant from Padang, West Sumatra — a province especially prone to earthquakes — called for a local early warning system that was more effective and understandable by the people.

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Penataran Temple Protected: Blitar, West Java

November 1st, 2007 | By Barrie | No Comments »

style="margin-right:7px;" border="1"/>Zulaika rested under a tree near Penataran Temple in Blitar, East Java and she appeared to focus on a group of children playing on the temple’s stairs. The temple’s complex is located in Penataran district and locals said it would without doubt see some affects if Kelud volcano, which has been sitting on a top alert status since Oct. 16, were to erupt. Two other nearby temples, Sewu Temple and Ngambar Temple, would suffer the same fate, locals said.

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