Wayang Golek : The Art Puppet Theater of Java

Wayang Golek

The painted wooden puppets on the preceding page are old examples from the still thriving and important folk art puppet theater of Java in Indonesia.  Although tourist shops now sell imitations of wayang golek puppets, the puppets illustrated on these pages were actually used for many years in theater productions--in presentations of Hindu epics, Javanese history plays and the Islamic Menak cycles. These performances were given in towns and villages on holidays and for a variety of festivals, as were the distinctive shadow-puppet plays.  A dalang, or puppet master, manipulated the puppets, spoke their parts, and coordinated the puppets' actions with music from a gamelan orchestra.

Tatang Haryana And Wayang Golek

Like so many other crafts in Indonesia, making wayang golek is a skill handed down through families. The master puppet-maker usually makes the head because it expresses the personality of the puppet. Ceremonies are performed before commencing a deity or a demon. A piece of light, local softwood, which is easy to carve and not too heavy to hold up during a performance, is sawed or chopped down to the right size, and the main features are roughly chiseled. After sanding, fine decorations such as the parts of a crown are carved in with more care and sanded. The smooth surface receives a coat of glue-based paint, which will enable subsequent coats to adhere well.  Lips, flowers and some bits of jewelry are painted red, as are the irises of angry characters. Blue is also used for eyes and sapphire jewelry. Fine black lines are painted for eyes, eyebrows, moustaches and wisps of hair....Bodies are often made by younger members of the family, and arms are attached at the elbow and shoulders with string so that they move easily. The shapes of hands also express character and role; those of nobles stretch out gracefully, but servants and commoners have large open palms. A rod passes from a hole in the base of the puppet's head and down through the body to form a handle. Costumes are usually made by wives. ...Since the stories portray historical and human rather than divine affairs, the puppets, like those used for history plays, are always fully clothed in Central Javanese traditional dress with batik sarongs.

Puppet body types can be identified across a spectrum which ranges from alus (extremely refined) to kasar (extremely rough and crude).  Refined, virtuous characters have small dainty bodies, slitted oval eyes with pupils shaped like rice grains, pointed noses and a modest downward gaze...  Vigorous or turbulent characters have a more direct and confrontational stare. As the personality of the puppet becomes less refined, there is an increase in size; the nose becomes heavier and blunter; eyes and pupils become larger and rounder and the gaze more aggressive; teeth and gums may be exposed in a snarl or a foolish sneer.  The more refined middle-sized puppets may represent courageous but impetuous kings and heroes; the coarser ones suggest an uncontrolled or evil nature. The largest puppets are used for those whose greatest attribute is physical strength.

The most frequently performed narratives derive from the Hindu epics. The Arjuna Sasra Bahu and Ramayana cycles concern the affairs of the noble Rama himself and his ancestors. Favorite stories concern Rama's marriage to Sinta; their banishment to the forest together with his brother Laksmana; Sinta's abduction by the monster king Rahwana; and her subsequent rescue, with the aid of the monkey king and after numerous battles, from  the kingdom of Sri Lanka. The Ramayana contains many episodes from the lives of these characters which are emphasized in varying degrees to form separate plays in their own right.

Pandawa Brothers

The Mahahharata tells of the conflict between the superior Pandawa brothers (Judistra, Bima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sadewa) and their hundred jealous and mendacious cousins, the Kurewas, who drive them away from their home at the court of Astina, to wander in the wild.  In the forest the Pandewas build the lovely and idealized kingdom of Amarta where the majority of the plays are set. The heroic quests, battles with vile ogres and scenes of romantic love are made all the more poignant by the knowledge that the glory and beauty are fleeting. Events are presented as taking place in Java rather than India, and the heroic Pandewas, descendants of Vishnu, are the ancestors of the Javanese kings. Many episodes have simply been invented by puppeteers over generations.

Tatang Haryana Play Wayang Golek

The court scenes also allow scope for the comic misadventures and intrigue of the Pandewas' clown servants, the Punakawans:  Semar the wise, whose identity is thought to have evolved from that of the pre-Hindu Javanese god Ismaya and his sons. The inane and melancholic Gareng, with his round drooping nose, is the butt of jokes and tricks played by the sharp Petruk. Philosophical and mystical speculations made by the refined characters provide an intellectual and spiritual dimension for members of the audience with a taste for high seriousness.

Calligraphy - The Lord's Prayer - ABANA

Calligraphy - The Lord's Prayer

Calligraphy - Abana

Calligraphy - Abana

Calligraphy - Abana

Calligraphy - Abana

Calligraphy - Abana

 

83th Woman Walks into Apple Store Glass, Sues for $1 Million

So, an 80-year-old lady walks into an Apple Store. Ouch! Sadly, however, this is no joke. CBS New York reports (via MacRumors) that 83-year-old Evelyn Paswall is actually suing Apple for $1 million after walking into the glass doors at the Manhassett Apple Store on Long Island.

Yup. That’s right! Just like a crow in one of those Windex commercials, the glass was just too clear. One thing lead to another, and now someone’s grandmother has a broken nose. The lawsuit seeks $75,000 in medical expenses, with the remainder consisting of punitive damages for “negligence”.

The Apple Store in question, pictured above (credit: makiwi on Flickr), has a front that is made entirely of glass from floor to ceiling, with Paswell’s lawsuit claiming that  “the defendant was negligent … in allowing a clear, see-through glass wall and/or door to exist without proper warning".

Of course, Evelyn Paswall wasn’t negligent at all. Because it’s not at all obvious that the front of a store was covered in something. And it’s not like the glass is actually invisible – the above image clearly shows that the glass has visible seams, and as MacRumors points out, Apple currently places white painted rectangles on each glass pane so people can see the glass.


Clearly it’s Apple’s fault for not painting their glass bright orange. Maybe Apple should stop using Windex? Seriously though, you can’t make this stuff up…

Bomb Exploded In Front Of The Indonesian Embassy In Paris

 

A bomb exploded outside the Indonesian embassy in Paris early on Wednesday, causing serious damage to surrounding buildings but no injuries, police said. The bomb exploded shortly before dawn at 5:45 a.m., when the streets of western Paris were relatively quiet, blowing out windows in a 50-meter (54-yard) radius and setting fire to two cars.

Police chief Michel Gaudin visited the scene after the blast, accompanied by his chief of staff, who told reporters that a bag had been spotted under the embassy’s windows by a worker clearing bins in the street. “He looked inside the bag, opened it and thought it must be a bomb since he saw a cannister attached to wires. He dropped it, left the area and called the police. That’s when it exploded,” Jean-Louis Fiamenghi said.

“No-one was hurt but there are people in shock in neighboring flats.”

Fiamenghi said the bomb could have contained “several kilos of explosives.”

No group or individual immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

Police and fire fighters were rushed to the area and sealed off the road where the blast occurred. A bomb disposal team was also in place to make any remaining explosives safe.

In Jakarta, Teuku Faizasyah, Indonesian presidential spokesman on foreign affairs, said the government there had been informed of an incident, adding: “We’re still looking for clarity on whether we were the target or not. “In the mid-2000s there was a case of a small bomb explosion at the Indonesian embassy in Paris. It turned out to be a local incident, and nothing to do with a national threat,” he added.

Coordinating Security Minister Djoko Suyanto told AFP: “This is being investigated by the Indonesian embassy in Paris with coordination with local authorities.”

“The Indonesian ambassador in Paris reported that the explosion took place at one of the crossroads near the embassy at 5:20 a.m. We don’t know the target of the bomb. The ambassador is at the location but he can’t go near.

“The windows were broken but there’s no report yet of Indonesian or staff casualties. We are still waiting for developments,” he added.

Indonesia Will Not Close Paris Embassy After Bomb

Indonesia will not close its embassy in France after a homemade parcel bomb exploded outside its grounds in Paris, officials said on Wednesday. “We’re quite a resilient lot, Indonesians. No, I don’t think a little explosion is going to deter us from going about our business,” Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said, before adding: “But we will be vigilant, obviously.”

He was speaking in Jakarta after a package left near the Paris embassy building — by three men, witnesses said — exploded at around 5:45 a.m., shattering windows in the vicinity.

Meanwhile, Marciano Norman, head of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN), said he did not believe the bomb was meant for the Indonesian government. “It is still under investigation, but I am not convinced that it was targeting the Indonesian embassy,” he told journalists at the State Palace.

He said the government would continue to coordinate with the French authorities investigating the case.

Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro urged people to leave speculation to the authorities, saying that because the bomb blew up on the sidewalk, “there are many possibilities.”

Deputy House of Representatives Speaker Priyo Budi Santoso called on Marty to follow up with his French counterpart.

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/update3-bomb-explodes-outside-indonesian-embassy-in-paris/506275

Sunda Kelapa, The Most Historical Port at Jakarta

Monita, Devi, Zidane and Rama at Sunda Kelapa

Sunda Kelapa is the city’s most historical port, renowned for phinisi schooners, the traditional vessels of the Bugis people of Sulawesi, still used to deliver goods around the archipelago. The phinisi ships at Sunda Kelapa are wooden vessels around 40 meters long and 15 meters wide, with two main masts with seven sails each. The boats have diesel engines they can use alternately with the sails. They can carry up to 950 tons of cargo, which varies from cement and timber, to electronic devices and appliances.

Sunda Kelapa

The schooners transport goods across the archipelago, but mainly to Batam island or Pontianak in Kalimantan. The journey takes up to three full days. Some may return laden with timber from Kalimantan but most return empty to Sunda Kelapa to reload.

Sunda Kelapa’s history dates back to the 12th century, when it was the most important harbor of the Pajajaran Kingdom (the area now known as West Java), with trading ships from China, southern India, Japan and the Middle East. In the 15th century it became the source of a conflict. The port was conquered by Fatahillah on June 22, 1527, marking the birth of Jakarta.

Tanjung Priok, a far more modern harbor not far from Sunda Kelapa, was constructed by the Dutch in 1873 and became one of the most prominent seaports in the country, but Sunda Kelapa maintains activity. For something different, tourists can take a boat ride across the Dutch-made canal. Despite being popular among foreign visitors, Sunda Kelapa is not a favorite tourist destination for locals, who prefer modern entertainment centers and shopping malls.

As part of Jakarta’s old city, the harbor attracts both locals and foreigners with its schooners, but lacks tourism infrastructure. Attended parking is available for cars but not for motorcycles.

Tourists are permitted onto schooners to get a look at the old sturdy wooden decks or a feel for the seafaring atmosphere, but first must climb a one-meter high concrete dock curb before reaching the ship.

Sunda Kelapa may serve as a loading and storage facility, but it is not tourist friendly.

Except for warehouses and a stock piling area there’s not much more for tourists to see on the dock, which is poorly maintained and partly flooded with seawater.

The important if you wanna visit Sunda Kelapa. There are no proper restaurants at Sunda Kelapa either, only street vendors selling cigarettes, peanuts and drinks. Toilets, another vital facility, are nowhere to be found. So visitor must prepare all at home.

Sea of Stars on Maldives

 

Pinpricks of light on the shore seem to mirror stars above in an undated picture taken on Vaadhoo Island in the Maldives. The biological light, or bioluminescence, in the waves is the product of tiny marine life-forms called phytoplankton-and now scientists think they know how some of these sea beasts create brilliant blue glow.

Various species of phytoplankton are known to bioluminesce, and their lights can be seen in oceans all around the world, said marine biologist and bioluminescence expert Woodland Hastings of Harvard University. 

"I've been across the Atlantic and Pacific, and I've never seen a spot that wasn't bioluminescent or a night that [bioluminescence] couldn't be seen," Hastings said. 
 
 The most common type of marine bioluminescence is generated by phytoplankton known as dinoflagellates. A recent study co-authored by Hastings has for the first time identified a special channel in the dinoflagellate cell membrane that responds to electrical signals—offering a potential mechanism for how the animals create their unique illumination.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/03/pictures/120319-glowing-waves-ocean-blue-bioluminescent-plankton-science/?source=hp_dl1_news_waves20120320

Cetho Temple (Candi Cetho), Religious and Exotic Temple on The Side of Mount Lawu

In Java language, cetho means clear or pure. Thriving over 1400 meters above the sea level on the slope of the Mount Lawu, Cetho Temple can only be reached by a narrow pavement road which is steep and curve. The anxiety and afraid would be paid off when you reach the temple complex. The mild mountain air and the breakthrough scenery would accompany your trip enjoying the temple.

A high gate standing elegantly under the sky will bring your memory to the temple's gates in the God's island, Bali. The gatekeeper statues look like pre historic statues. The temple, standing on a terraces land, was built at the end of the Majapahit Kingdom under the Brawijaya V reign. In one of the terraces, there is a rock stacked with a carved of the sun depicting the Majapahit's Sun, the symbol of Majapahit kingdom. The first scientific report about it was made by Van de Vlies in 1842. A.J. Bernet Kempers also doing research about it. Excavation (digging) for the purposes of reconstruction was first performed in 1928 by the Archeological Department of the Dutch East Indies. Based on the situation when the debris started to study, this temple has not aged a lot with Sukuh Temple. Location in the village temple Ceto, Gumeng Village, Sub Jenawi, Karanganyar District,

Until now, the temple complex is used by local residents who are Hindus as a place of worship and popular as a sanctuary for those in the original religion of Java / Javanese beliefs.

When he found the situation of this temple is the stone ruins on the plain fourteen-story, stretching from the west (the lowest) to the east, though currently living in 13 terrace, and the restoration carried out on the porch just nine. Structure terraces will make the emergence of allegations of cultural revival of the original ( “punden berundak”) at the time, which is synthesized by the Hindu religion. This suspicion is strengthened by the relief of the body such as the wayang kulit, similar to the description in the temple Sukuh.

The restoration is done by Humardani, Suharto’s personal assistant, in the late 1970s changed many of the original structure of the temple, although the concept berundak punden retained. This restoration was much criticized by archaeologists, given that the restoration of archaeological sites can not be done without in-depth study. The new building is the restoration of the magnificent gate in front, the buildings of the hermitage wood, statues Sabdapalon, Nayagenggong, Brawijaya V, and the phallus, and building on the top of the cube punden.

Cetho temple consists of nine levels to the railroad. Before the great gate of the temple-shaped moment, visitors find two pairs of statues guard. The first level after the gate into the temple yard. The second level is still a page and here are petilasan Ki Ageng Krincingwesi, Cetho ancestral village community.

At the third level there is a flat stone carvings on the ground depicting a giant tortoise, solar majapahit (allegedly as a symbol of Majapahit), and the symbol of phallus (penis, genitals male) 2 meters long with piercing jewelry (piercing) of type ampallang. The tortoise is a symbol of the creation of the universe while the penis is a symbol of human creation. There are representations of other animals, such as Mimi, frogs, and crabs. Animal symbols available, can be read as suryasengkala dated Saka 1373, or 1451 the modern era.

At the next level can be found at the stone rows of two adjacent terrain containing reliefs Sudhamala story excerpts, as there are in the Temple Sukuh. This story is still popular among the Java community as a basis Ruwatan ceremony. The next level includes two buildings flanking pendapa entrance of the temple. Until now, pendapa pendapa used as a place of religious ceremonies. At the seventh level of the two statues can be found on the north and south. On the north side is a statue Sabdapalon, and in the south Nayagenggong, two half-mythical figures (many who think they are actually one person) is believed to be the servants and spiritual advisor to King Brawijaya V.

At the eighth level there is a statue phallus (called “kuntobimo”) on the north side and the statue of the King Brawijaya V in the form of Mahadeva. The cult of the phallus statues, symbolizing gratitude, and hope for fertility of the earth’s abundant local. Last level (ninth) is the highest level as a place of prayer climbing. Here there is a cube-shaped stone building.

At the top of the building Cetho Temple, there is a building used in the past, as the place cleaned up before carrying out the ritual worship ceremony (patirtan). Near the temple, with a steep slope, was found again a temple complex by the surrounding community called Temple Kethek ( “Monkey Temple”).


http://indonesiacountry.com/2010/08/candi-cetho-temple-in-central-java/
http://www.pbase.com/rileyuni/cetho
http://travel.detik.com/read/2012/02/12/142534/1840444/1025/4/indahnya-pemandangan-candi-cetho
http://www.adirafacesofindonesia.com/article.php?id=483&msg=Rate%20Successful
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wisata_karanganyar/1668372837/lightbox/
 

Soon, The Woolly Mammoth’s Return

Good news for anyone who wishes we could revert to prehistoric times, or really, anyone who thinks woolly mammoths are awesome. Scientists in Asia have announced plans to recreate the giant creature that stomped around the Earth some 4,500 years ago.

It turns out that cloning scientist Hwang Woo-suk really meant it when he said last October that his next project would be to bring a mammoth back to life. On Tuesday, scientist Hwang Woo-suk of South Korea’s Sooam Biotech Research Foundation signed an agreement with Vasily Vasiliev of Russia’s North-Eastern Federal University to clone a mammoth.

On Monday, nine Korean and Russian scientists got together in Seoul to discuss their joint research in details including how to retrieve DNA samples from a mammoth. According to the Sooam Institute, bioengineering scientists since 2002 have discovered what they believe to be the remains of a mammoth in the permafrost of Russia. Last August, it was reported that a thigh bone of a mammoth was discovered in Siberia.

Their plan is to replace the nuclei of an elephant cell with one from a mammoth to produce an embryo with mammoth DNA. Then they are going to plant the embryo into the womb of a surrogate elephant. The institute said it would take 22 months before delivery. Though the project sounds possible only in a “Jurassic Park”-like story, bioscientists around the world, Japanese and Russian in particular, have been working hard since early 2000 to make this dream into reality.

Hwang, once lauded as a pioneer in the field of cloning, lost a bit of credibility in 2006 when some of his breakthrough human stem cell research turned out to be fabricated. However, experts have verified his work in creating the world’s first cloned dog, Snuppy, in 2005. Hwang’s next goal could also come to fruition now that portions of Siberia’s permafrost have thawed and left behind mammoth remains. Sooam officials said the foundation will launch research this year.

So how exactly does one go about cloning a woolly mammoth? The scientists plan to replace the nuclei of elephant egg cells with those of a mammoth, producing embryos with mammoth DNA. Then, those embryos will be planted into the wombs of elephants for delivery. The mammoth cells would come from internal organs, skin, bones and blood. Finding well-preserved tissue with an undamaged gene will be the most difficult task, the researchers told.

Though the initiative is quite ambitious, the researchers said they’re confident, given their previous success in cloning animals — and the success of their colleagues. South Korean scientists have already cloned animals including a cat, dogs, a pig, a cow and a wolf.

Sooam’s Director Hyun Sang-hwan told the Journal that Dr. Hwang’s team has toyed with the idea since late 1990s and that their know-how and expertise in the cloning field would, hopefully, put the Korean team at an advantage.

http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/03/14/the-woolly-mammoths-return-scientists-plan-to-clone-extinct-creature/?iid=nf-article-mostpop1
http://blogs.wsj.com/korearealtime/2012/03/13/will-be-resurrecting-a-mammoth-possible/
 http://news.sky.com/home/world-news/article/16188009

Australia and Japan Became The First People to Snap Up The New iPad

Gadget lovers in Australia and Japan became the first people to snap up the new iPad on Friday, with Apple looking to tighten its grip on the tablet market with its third generation launch.

Just before the worldwide rollout began, New York-traded shares in the company shot above $600 for the first time, as investors looked to cash in on the anticipated success of the latest "must-have" device.

Following Sydney's lead, more than 450 people queued outside the Apple flagship store in Tokyo's glitzy Ginza district to be among the first to get their hands on the new iPad. The latest version boosts a more powerful processor, increasing pressure on competitors including Google to make devices more enticing.

A key upgrade is its eye-grabbing screen resolution, or Retina display, which Apple says is the sharpest ever on a mobile device. The new tablet is being released in Australia, the United States, France, Canada, Germany, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland, Britain and Hong Kong on Friday.

Anticipation ahead of the launch saw Apple shares briefly top $600 for the first time on Wall Street on Thursday before closing at $585.56. The stock has gained more than 50 percent in the past three months alone. Australia was the first place to get the new device -- for which Apple has abandoned its numbering system, opting to call it simply the "new iPad" instead of the expected "iPad3".

Several hundred people were gathered outside the company's Sydney store when it opened at 8:00 am local time (2100 GMT Thursday). But the first of the new iPads were not collected from Apple, instead from shops owned by Australian telecom giant Telstra in Sydney and Melbourne, which threw their doors open just after midnight.

However, the hype for Friday's launch was not on the scale seen for the launch of iPad2, when people began camping out up to four days before. Only one person had staked his claim outside by mid-afternoon Thursday and he was being paid to do so.

Former truck driver Steve Parkes began his vigil on Monday after being offered Aus$950 (US$1,000) by a jobs site to line up wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the employment company's logo. The free publicity garnered by an Apple launch seems to have caught on, with others donning promotional shirts in front of the barrage of television cameras.

The new iPad also boasts an improved camera, more powerful processor and the ability to connect to the latest 4G LTE telecom networks in North America. However, in many markets it will still be stuck on the slower 3G networks. The new tablet has generated good reviews worldwide but Rob Livingstone, an IT expert at Sydney's University of Technology, said its success could be short-lived.

While the almost cult-like status of Apple shows no signs of waning among consumers, he suggested that with Apple co-founder Steve Jobs now dead the momentum could start to taper off.

Jobs, the mind behind the wildly popular iPod, iPad and iPhone devices, died in October after battling pancreatic cancer.

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/afp/apple-fans-snap-up-new-ipad/505115