Holiday Destinations: Jogjakarta

Hi guys! Have your finished your final test? And… you’ll get your long holiday soon! I’m sure that you can’t wait for that. So if you don’t want to get a boring holiday, just laying down on your bed doing nothing, you can visit exciting places in Jogja. Going to natural tourism places or historic sights? It depends on you!! Don’t forget to invite your family, girlfriend or boyfriend, because happiness is required to share. So here, I have some interesting places to visit:

Kalibiru
This tourist attraction is located in Kulonprogo, a specific place in Manoreh Hills, Kulonprogo, Jogjakarta at the height of 450 m from sea’s surface. This place is suitable to be visited by teenagers, because there are so many exciting photo spots like treehouse without a roof. You can feel the cold weather while having outbond. You also can see a beautiful view there.

Nglambor Beach
This beautiful beach is located in Purwodadi Village, Tepus, Gunungkidul, Jogjakarta, about 70km from the center of Jogjakarta City. But don’t worry. Your long journey will be paid off with the beautiful scenery of this beach. If you like to go snorkling, this place can be your choice to visit. With only IDR 35.000 you can rent a set of snorkling’s equipment, including Go Pro Camera for take a picture underwater. Imagine how fun your holiday over there! Enjoy your underwater tourism with the beautiful scenery just in Nglambor Beach.

Taman Sari
It’s time to share one of historical places in Jogjakarta. This historical tourism is one of the popular destinations in Jogjakarta. Taman Sari is located in Taman Street, Kraton, Jogjakarta. This building was built in Sultan Hamengkubuwono I’s reign. This place gives some interesting spots like bathing pool, artificial lake, suspension bridge, park, underground passageway, and some buildings with European,Chinese, Javanese, Hinduism, Buddhist, and Islamic architectures. You will learn more about this historical sights. It’s not a mistake to learn while having holiday, right?

Candi Ijo (Ijo Temple)
This temple has a highest location in yogyakarta. Located in Dukuh Groyokan, Sambirejo Village, Prambanan, Sleman, Jogjakarta. This temple gives beautiful scenery because we can see rice fields everywhere, beautiful sea scenery, and Adisucipto Airport from the height. And for the sunset hunter, this temple is the best choice to visit. You only need to spend IDR 2000 for parking fees. The rest? Free!! Oh… And also, fill the list of ‘attendance’. Sometimes it’s not comparable with other beautiful views that you’ve ever visited, but that’s Candi Ijo.

Taman Pelangi (Rainbow Garden)
Taman Pelangi is the night tourism place located in Ring Road Utara Street, specifically in Jogja Kembali Monument. It’s very suitable for teenagers who like to take pictures or selfie, because there are so many colorful lanterns and interesting playground. Only take IDR 10000 – IDR 15000, you can enjoy sparkling lanterns that makes the atmosphere feels so romantic.

Always remember: Don’t ever forget to keep those places clean and don’t spoil. Not only there, but also everywhere. Show that you are the best young generation who can conserve natural destination and historical sights in Indonesia. Have a great holiday!

By: Windy Widiawan

Learning From Beethoven

Beethoven is one of the most musicians in the world. He has many symphonies and songs that make our heart feel calm, peace, and amazed about it. Do you know that he’s actually deaf? How the musician makes a symphony if he’s deaf? Well, nothing’s impossible.

He was deaf when he went to reach his adulthood. He felt so depressed about it. So, he decided to go to a village to calm him down. But one day, there was a man who knocked his door. Beethoven was surprised, and he suddenly got an inspiration to write a symphony. Based on the sound of that man knocking the door, he composed a music that later would be known as The Fifth Symphony. That symphony made him so famous.

Nothing’s impossible in this world. God has given us talent to make us feel better in the world, and make us being known by people around us. So, don’t regret your life. It’s a beautiful life that must you finish elegantly.

By: Yosef Endika Widiyanto

Griffin, A Mythical Creature

Overview
The Griffin, also spelled Griffon or Gryphon, is a legendary creature portrayed with the rear body of a lion, the head of an eagle with erect ears and a feathered breast with the forelegs of an eagle, including talons. This combination indicates intelligence and strength. As the lion was traditionally considered the king of the beasts and the eagle the king of the birds, the griffin was thought to be an especially powerful and majestic creature. In heraldry, the griffin’s amalgamation of lion and eagle gains in courage and boldness and it is always drawn to fierce monsters. It used to denote strength, military courage and leadership. Griffins were thought to be protectors of gold sources, particularly in India.

Griffin was a favourite decorative motif in the ancient Middle Eastern and Mediterranean lands. Probably originating in the Levant in the 2nd millennium bce, the griffin had spread throughout western Asia and into Greece by the 14th century bce. The Asiatic griffin had a crested head, whereas the Minoan and Greek griffin usually had a mane of spiral curls. It was shown either recumbent or seated on its haunches, often paired with the sphinx; its function may have been protective.

History
Griffins are normally known for guarding treasure. In antiquity it was a symbol of divine power and a guardian of the divine. Most contemporary illustrations give the griffin the forelegs of an eagle, with an eagle’s legs and talons. Its eagle’s head is conventionally given prominent ears; these are sometimes described as the lion’s ears, but are often elongated (more like a horse’s), and are sometimes feathered. Infrequently, a griffin is portrayed without wings (or a wingless eagle-headed lion is identified as a griffin); in 15th-century and later heraldry such a beast may be called a male griffin, an alce or a keythong. In heraldry, a griffin always has aquiline forelimbs; the beast with leonine forelimbs is distinguished as the opinicus.

In the Iron Age the griffin was again prominent in both Asia and Greece. Greek metalworkers evolved a handsome stylized rendering, the beak open to show a curling tongue and the head provided with horses’ ears and a large knob on top. Apparently the griffin was in some sense sacred, appearing frequently in sanctuary and tomb furnishings. Its precise nature or its place in cult and legend remains unknown.

Origin
The Griffin was known in Egypt before 3300 BC and is possibly more ancient still.

Pliny believed griffins came from Northern Russia; Aeschylus thought they originated in Ethiopia; and Bulfinch wrote that their native country was India. Herodotus said that legends of griffins came from the Issedonians who lived beyond the Oural Mountains. Biedermann wrote later that it has typological antecedents in ancient Asia, especially in the Assyrian k’rub, which is also the source of the Hebrew cherub.

Roles and Abilities
Because the lion was traditionally considered the king of the beasts and the eagle the king of birds, the griffin was thought to be an especially powerful and majestic creature. The griffin was also thought of as king of all creatures. Griffins are known for guarding treasure and priceless possessions. Adrienne Mayor, a classical folklorist, proposes that the griffin was an ancient misconception derived from the fossilized remains of the Protoceratops found in gold mines in the Altai mountains of Scythia, in present-day southeastern Kazakhstan, or in Mongolia. In antiquity it was a symbol of divine power and a guardian of the divine. In its body, the griffin is blessed with the speed, flight, and penetrating vision of the eagle and the strength, courage, and majesty of the lion.

Because of the griffin’s strength and powers of sight, it was believed to guard hidden treasures and in particular the vast gold mines of India and Scythia. The Arimaspians, a bold, one-eyed race of humans, constantly tried to steal their treasure and eventually drove the griffins away the mountains. Because of its association with the Holy Grail, one of the treasures most commonly guarded by griffins was emeralds.

Other popular treasures guarded by griffins were the Tree of Life, knowledge, and the roads to salvation. Greeks and Romans used griffin images to guard tombs.

Griffins mated for life and never sought a new mate if their partner was to die. According to Stephen Friar’s New Dictionary of Heraldry, “a griffin’s claw was believed to possess medicinal properties and that it’s feathers could restore sight to the blind.” By the 12th century, the appearance of the griffin had been settled upon and remains relatively unchanged in modern lore. “All of its bodily members are like lion’s but it’s wings and mask are like an eagle’s. It was not yet clear if it’s forelimbs are like a lions or an eagle’s or sometimes it is possible that they had the limbs of baby pigs.

In Media

Films

• A griffin was featured in Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra Doo with its own mythical backstory.

Literature

• In Tamora Pierce’s Protector of the Small Quartet, no lies could be spoken in their presence. In addition, wearing a band of griffin’s feathers revealed hidden things and dispelled illusions.
• In the film adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the griffins could speak the language of humans. They did not appear in the book.
• A gryphon appears in The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

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By: Ayu Anisa Budiarti
Source: Wikipedia, Wikia, Encyclopedia Britannica, DeviantArt

Rabbids Invasion

Can you imagine if our country is full of bad rabbits? Even though rabbit is a cute animal, but think again if they always disturb your environment. They always make troubles and break public facilities. I think you’ll never be safe to live there, and surely you’ll get out for a new town. But, in your new town, there are many same rabbits again. Aarrgghh!!!

Rabbids Invasion is a French/American animated television series which began to play on August 3rd 2013. The animation is created by Ubisoft motion picture. It’s one of most popular cartoon of Nickelodeon.

Rabbids Invasion tells us about the life of troublemaker rabbits. They always make troubles everywhere, and they always make people angry. They like to break a house, burn the town, and they even can make people feel afraid or hurt with their behaviors. But it’s their behaviors that make this serial looks funny. You’ll laugh when you watch this serial.

Rabbids Invasion is a comedy serial for kids or adult. But if you have a child, give them mentoring when watching this serial. If not… your children will make chaos, just like what the rabbits do

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By: Yosef Endika Widiyanto

The Magic Requiem

Mozart was a genius composer. He had written many song of opera or mini concert, quartet style or big orchestra. He had learned violin since he was five years old. So, he was already able to make a composition when he was twelve. Many composers amazed him because of his talent. He has a good carrier and began to play music in a palace.

After that, he decided to get out from his job in palace. But he came into a difficult life. He lost much money and he began to drink to waste his depression. Then, he got a rival. His name was Salieri. He was a musician too. But he didn’t like Mozart’s behavior. So he asked Mozart to make a Requiem Composition. Mozart had known that this composition was made for him. But, he still made this composition.

Finally, he could finish his composition. But he died after this, just like Salierie’s supposition. What happened next? The requiem song was sung for Mozart’s burial. So, coincidentally or not, he had made a song for his own burial.

By: Yosef Endika Widiyanto

Kiss the Rain: A Song

This song is written by Yiruma. He is the one of the most talented pianist. Kiss the Rain is the one of his famous creation.

Kiss the Rain tells us about sadness. He wants to show us that rain is meaningful. How to kiss the rain? Rain has made every fields grow, makes us calm and cool. But, in other hand, there were floods, which make people die and suffer.

Yiruma concerned about the sadness. If you listen to this song, you will feel better, happier in a peaceful way. At that time, you’ll forget your problems. The meaning of Kiss the Rain is to accept your problem as a part of your life which you have to face. You can face your problems happily.

Kiss the Rain, a very meaningful song. You can make a perspective about this song. Kiss is a word that has the meaning of friendly condition, love and togetherness. Rain is sadness, happiness, sorrow, fun and other perspectives according to each person. But, we have the word kiss to explain this song: can you tell us? Love and togetherness in sadness or happiness

By: Yosef Endika Widiyanto

The Habituals of the Indonesian according to the Japanese

Prof. Nagano, staff of Nihon University, gave intensive lecture course of Asian agriculture at IDEC Hirosima University. He always becomes a consultant of Agriculture in countries of Asian, including Indonesia. There are some things he said when he was talking about Indonesia.

1. The Indonesian likes to have meeting and creates variety of committee.
In every activity, the Indonesian always holds meeting firstly, with the consumption of course. After the meeting, they will create a committee.  Then, they discuss again and again, criticize each other, and then each of them will say that their idea is the best. Finally, that plan will be postponed, although the purpose of that program is actually good.

2. Rubber Time Culture (RTC)
When I met native speakers who came to Indonesia, I asked “What is the famous culture in Indonesia?” Spontaneously they answer, “Rubber time”. I laughed, but I actually felt so embarrassed. Is our discipline that terrible?

3. Postponing Jobs
The other principle is that people like to postpone their jobs. But it’s not the same with the Indonesian principle. “If it can be done tomorrow, why must hurry to finish it now?” they say generally. I never feel embarrassed with my Sensei who always said that the Indonesian liked to postpone their job.

4. Talk more, do less
Prof. Nagano gave an example when he came to Indonesia and gave training to the farmers. His assistance came from Indonesian Agriculture Directorate complete with his uniform, although he came with his work uniform and boots. His assistant just gave instruction but he didn’t want to get involved. Why? Because he came with his complete uniform and tie. Prof. Nagano described that the Indonesian is very well to talk much and gives instruction directly, but very few of them who want to get involved.

I only want to remind that we always lulled by the fact that Indonesia is a rich country, the people that like to work together, Pancasila, various religion, etc. It’s just a terminology. But, how about the reality?

Actually our country is in a mess. Even it’s too hard to stand back again. Where is the solidarity that makes our nation like Korea. Can we rise up again?

We can always be satisfied with things that we don’t do. But we have too much discussion. We give ideas and criticize everything, but for nothing.
We only talk too much, without action.

By: Marcellino Julius Putra
Source: LINE Official Account

 

It’s Christmas!

Christmas is coming!!! And this month is December. Everyone in the world is preparing for it. Christmas tree, Christmas decoration, Santa Claus, reindeers, all about red and white appears everywhere. Christmas is actually the birthday of Jesus Christ. 2000 years ago, he had come in the world to safe our life from sins.

Now, Christmas is the ceremony that we’re waiting for. We can make our dream come true in Christmas day. We celebrate our Christ and wait for His birthday. We will sing together, dance with our family and have dinner together.

Christmas give us many meaningful gifts. We can learn about togetherness, love and be patience to wait Jesus. Before Christmas, there’s a advent time for waiting His coming. We must make our corona that contains four candles that must be lit every week until Christmas day.

Have you ever prepared it? And… how are you going to celebrate Christmas this year?

By: Yosef Endika Widiyanto