4/14/2014

5 Things Uniquely
Indonesia

Faisal Setia Putra (5213100155)
Friska Izza Amalia (5213100003)
Shania Olivia Zayin (5213100050)
Mega Resty Sudigdo (5213100065)
Siti Oryza Khairunnisa (5213100110)
Indonesia, with its vast differences from island to island, reflects its uniqueness not only
through the geographical characteristics, but also through the way of life of its people. Find out
the five things that make Indonesia distinctive and don't pass the chance to visit the archipelago as
part of your travel journey.

Balinese name

The majority of Balinese are Hindu and learning their names will tell you the order of birth,
the gender of the person (if you have not meet them personally!), and the caste that the person
belongs to. To differentiate between man and woman, look at the first part of the person; if it starts
with I then it indicates male while Ni female.
The order of the birth is indicated by the second part of the name. First borns are named
like Gede, Ngurah, Putu, and Wayan. Female first born name could include Ni Luh. The second-
born children are called Kadek, Made, and Nengah. What about the persons born under as the third
children? Expect to see Komang and Nyoman on their names. And the last, but not the least,
people on the fourth order are normally called with the names like Ketut.
The person's caste is also reflected on the name, starting with Ida Bagus (male) and Ida
Ayu (female) for Brahmins (holy men and priests).
The Ksatrias (the warrior caste) uses the masculine names like Anak Agung, I Dewa, I Gusti
Agung, I Gusti Ngurah, female names like Desak, Dewa Ayu, Ni Gusti Ayu and Cokorda or
Tjokorda (the old spelling) for both genders.
So if you encounter a name like Dewa Ayu Made Kirana, you are about to meet a female
second-born Balinese of the Ksatrias caste for sure. More on the Wikipedia's Balinese Names. You
can practise name recognition by visiting the Island of Gods and start looking at cheap flights to
Bali with Skyscanner.


Batik

When travelling around the regions in Indonesia, you will notice that different regions have
different sytle of batik. Two examples of the batik variations, are known as Inland Batik and
Coastal Batik. Inland Batik are identified by the Javanese courts in Surakarta (Solo City) and
Yogyakarta which emphasize the earthy colours on their patterns. While you could recognize that
batik from Surakarta has background colour of dark yellow, white colour on the background is
prevalent on batik from Yogyakarta. Compared to the Inland Batik with strong influence of the
Javanese court, the Coastal Batik was influenced by the foreign cultures (such as Chinese and
Dutch) with brighter colours and distinctive patterns. Batik from Cirebon, Madura, and Tuban are
among the Coastal Batik.
As a part of appreciating batik as the national heritage and identity, 2nd of October is
commemorated as Batik Day in Indonesia. It rightfully deserves its own day considering that it
takes more than 5 years to master the techniques to draw and make batik!


Becak

And while you are in Yogyakarta, don't forget to try becak, the traditional mode of
transport, which will take you throughout the city leisurely. The cycle rickshaw can be found in
some parts of Indonesia and most of the time are in the form of tricycle vehicles.
The speed of becak depends on the power of its peddler and you can have a chat with the peddler
sitting on the back of the vehicle while being transported around the area - albeit short-
distance. The price to enjoy the ride is normally negotiable. There is a local joke that says this
vehicle converts the power of rice (as eaten by its peddlers) into energy.





Kelimutu crater lakes

The three lakes all have different names and local people have for centuries believed that
the lakes are the spiritual resting place of their ancestors. It is said the lakes change color according
to the mood of the spirit and if that is the case then the souls moods are constantly restless.
The Lake of Old People (Tiwu Ata Mbupu) at the western point of the volcano is typically
blue. Lying apart from the other two crater, this is where it is said the spirits of the old who have
led righteous lives go to rest.
The two other lakes share a crater wall. The Lake of Young Men and Maidens (Tiwu Nuwa
Muri Koo Fai) is characteristically green. The third, the Enchanted Lake (Tiwu Ata Polo) can
often be blood red. This is the one where the bad people go, young, old, male or female. Kelimutu
itself means Boiling Lake and often visitors can see wreathes of steam rise from the surface of the
lakes.
In 1995 a Dutch tourist fell down the precipitous slope in to Tiwu Nua Muri Kooh Fai
lake. Although a five day extensive search for his body was conducted his body was never
recovered. One can only hope that his spirit joined those of the young men and maidens resident
there. People have, though, generally stayed behind the fences since then.



Barefoot boulder jumping

The stones stand roughly 2 meters high and 60 90 centimeters wide. With a running start
from not too far back, a young Nias man sprints across the short distance and leaps effortlessly
through the air. The towering, castle-like boulder is not even grazed as the young man lands
gracefully on the other side.
From the age of 7, the boys on the island of Nias practice the ancient art of boulder jumping.
As their age increases, so does the height of the boulders they dare defy. For the young men of the
Nias tribes, the time would come when they would have to prove their courage and maturity as a
warrior through a series of tests. Warriors of Nias must first be strong. Next they must be skilled
in martial arts and trained in black magic. The last and final test for the warriors is to leap over
massive stones, measuring as high as 2 meters without so much as touching the surface. Stone
jumping on Nias Island is referred to as HomboBatu or Fahombo, and is a tradition that has been
faithfully practiced and preserved for centuries.
The tradition of stone jumping first began during a time when inter-tribal wars were
widespread across the island. The tribes of Nias are a warring people, and every man a fighter.
Provoked by war, vengeance, border disputes and slavery, every village fortified its territory with
high stone walls, fringed with sharpened bamboo stakes across its top. It was through this, that
Fahombo was born the art whereby warriors could invade a rival village by means of nothing
but pure muscle, strength and skill.
In modern times, the Fahombo tradition is not done in preparation for war, but rather as a
ritual and symbol of Nias Culture. Youths who successfully achieve this skill are considered to
have reached maturity and crossed from childhood into adulthood. Completing the Fahombo
brings not only pride to both the youth and their families, but cause for great celebration and
festivities as well.