CN Blue to Perform in Jakarta on Nov. 26

Korean pop-rock band Code Name Blue, also known as CN Blue, announced its Blue Storm Asia Tour on Sept. 17, which would include a visit to Jakarta.

Starlight Management Indonesia, promoter of CN Blue’s Jakarta concert, made the official announcement of the Jakarta show a few hours after the band officially announced their Asia tour in Seoul.

The band, consisting of Jung Yong Hwa, Lee Jong Hyun, Lee Jung Shin and Kang Min Hyuk, is scheduled to perform in Jakarta on Nov. 26 for a 120 minute concert in addition to holding a meeting with Indonesian Boice, the band’s official fan club, on Nov. 27.
Ticket prices are expected to range from between Rp 480,000 (US$55) and Rp 3.5 million.

CN Blue was initially established as an indie band in 2009. It often performed on streets and at live clubs in Japan before releasing its own mini-album, “Now or Never”, in August 2009.

The band began attracting music lovers after releasing its debut in Korea with a song titled “I’m a Loner” on Jan. 14, 2010. The group won their first music show chart on Music Band later on January 29.

News Source: The Jakarta Post

Linkin Park to Rock Jakarta!

Rap-metal purveyors Linkin Park will rock Jakarta in a concert, themed “A Thousands Sun: Jakarta World Tour”, on Sept. 21.

A day prior to the performance of the Californian six-piece at Bung Karno main stadium in Senayan, Central Jakarta, three bands, namely Yellow Card, Bad Religion and Panic At the Disco, will warm up the music mood in the capital.

Arief, spokesman to the concert organizers Big Daddy, said that the concert had long planned to run for two days.

“But, Linkin Park doesn’t want any other artists to share the stage in its concert. There will be no opening act, ceremony and the like. From the start to the end, there will be only them on stage,” said Arief on Monday as quoted by Antara state news wire.

The rock band is expected to arrive in Indonesia on Sept. 20, 2011.

News Source: The Jakarta Post

Indonesia Hosts International Star-Studded Musical Concerts Until Year End

In the coming months leading to year end, Indonesia, one of the largest markets for the international music industry today, will host music legends Rod Steward and Elton John and prominent names like: Paramore, The Casualties, Bad Religion, Yellow Card, Linkin Park, Sami Yusuf, Obscura, Lenka, Westlife, Sum41, Motley Crue, 50cent, Level 42, David Foster, Anthrax, and many more.

The number of international stars scheduled to play in Indonesia, as well as those who previously performed here, have marked the year 2011 as the musical year for Indonesia. Never before have Jakarta and other “musical” cities been frantic with musical agenda by world-class performers as this year. Commencing with the heavy metal legend “Iron Maiden” earlier this 2011, Indonesia’s musical fiesta continued unabated until the end of July 2011 with successful performances by Janet Jackson, Justin Bieber, Santana, Toni Braxton, 30 Seconds to Mars, Good Charlotte, Helloween, Incubus and also Andrea Bocelli. And, from this August on, musical concerts will take on an even broader spotlight.

Amazingly, the international star-studded concert lineup accommodates almost all genres and cross generations of fans. From the solemn Islamic tunes of Sami Yusuf, the teenage favorites: Paramore, the bad boys of Rock n Roll: Motley Crue, the metal horde of Anthrax, to the legend of music Elton John and Rod Steward, the lineup truly shows a wide range of musical genres.
Below is the list of upcoming concerts along with relevant information as gathered from Rollingstones.co.id :

1. Paramore
Date : Wednesday, 17 August 2011 (Bali) and Friday, 19 August 2011 (Jakarta)
Venue : Pantai Karnaval, Ancol (Jakarta) and Garuda Wisnu Kencana (Bali)

2. Empire of the Sun
Date : Friday, 19 August 2011
Venue : Potato Head Beach Club, Bali

3. The Casualties
Date : Saturday, 17 September 2011
Venue : Bulungan Outdoor, Jakarta

4. Rock in Solo 2011 with Death Angel, Kataklysm, Deranged, Enforce, Ishtar, Oathean
Date : Saturday, 17 September 2011
Venue : Alun-Alun Lor, Solo

5. Alesana and Set Your Goals
Date : Saturday, 17 September 2011
Venue : Tennis Indoor Senayan, Jakarta

6. Suicide Silence
Date : Sunday, 18 September 2011
Venue : Tennis Indoor Senayan, Jakarta

7. Big Wave 2011 with Bad Religion, Panic! At the Disco, Yellowcard
Date : Tuesday, 20 September 2011
Venue : Stadion Utama Gelora Bung Karno, Senayan, Jakarta

8. Linkin Park
Date : Wednesday, 21 September 2011
Venue : Stadion Utama Gelora Bung Karno, Senayan,Jakarta

9. Java Soulnation Festival
Date : Friday, 23 September 2011 – Sunday, 25 September 2011
Venue : Istora Senayan, Jakarta

10. Sami Yusuf
Date : Wednesday, 28 September 2011
Venue : Kartika Expo, Balai Kartini, Jakarta

11. Obscura
Date : Wednesday, 28 September 2011 (Bandung), Friday, 30 September 2011 (Surabaya), Saturday, 1 September 2011 (Makassar), Sunday, 2 October 2011 (Jakarta)

12. Lenka
Date : Wednesday, 5 October 2011
Venue : Gandaria City, Jakarta

13. Westlife
Date : Wednesday, 5 October 2011
Venue : Tennis Indoor Senayan, Jakarta

14. Story of the Year
Date : Wednesday, 5 October 2011 (Makassar) and Thursday, 6 October 2011 (Jakarta)

15. SUM 41
Date : Thursday, 6 October 2011 (Jakarta) and Tuesday, 18 October 2011 (Bali)
Venue : Lapangan D Senayan (Jakarta) and Hard Rock Cafe (Bali)

16. Everytime I Die and The Acacia Strain
Date : Friday, 7 October 2011
Venue : Bulungan Outdoor, Jakarta

17. Motley Crue
Date : Saturday, 8 October 2011
Venue : Karnaval Beach, Ancol, Jakarta

18. 50 Cent
Date : Saturday, 8 October 2011
Venue : Epicentrum, Kuningan, Jakarta

19. Level 42
Date : Tuesday, 11 October 2011 (Jakarta) and Thursday, 13 October 2011 (Surabaya)
Venue : Ballroom Gran Melia Hotel (Jakarta) and Ballroom JW Marriott Hotel (Surabaya)

20. Richard Marx (Big Daddy Entertainment Group)
Date : Tuesday, 25 October 2011
Venue : Gandaria City, Jakarta

21. Owl City
Date : Friday, 28 October 2011
Venue : Indoor Tennis Court Senayan, Jakarta

22. David Foster with Charice, Michael Bolton, Philip Bailey, etc.
Date : Friday, 28 October 2011
Venue : Plenary Hall, Jakarta Convention Center, Jakarta

23. Guinness Arthur’s Day 2011 with The Script and Mr. Big (To Be Confirmed)
Date : Saturday, 12 November 2011
Venue : Central Park, Jakarta

24. Children of Bodom
Date : Tuesday, 15 November 2011
Venue : Hall A Basket Senayan, Jakarta

25. Elton John
Date : Friday, 18 November 2011
Venue : Sentul International Convention Center, Bogor

26. Pitbull
Date : Senin, 28 November 2011
Venue : Kartika Expo, Balai Kartini, Jakarta

27. Anthrax and Hellyeah
Date : 10 December 2011
Venue : Pantai Karnaval, Ancol, Jakarta

28. Rod Stewart
Date : Tuesday, 31 January 2012
Venue : Mata Elang Indoor Stadium, Ancol, Jakarta.

The Governors’ Climate Forum Annual Meeting 2011 to be held in Central Kalimantan

The biggest underwater water imagery festival in the Asia Pacific is headed to North Sulawesi as the 10th Celebrate the Sea Festival 2011 is ready to bring the world’s underwater splendors to the shores of Manado, from 23-25 September 2011 at the Sintesa Peninsula Hotel.

Howard & Michelle Hall, world renowned film makers for the astonishing IMAX 3D productions of Deep Sea and Coral Reef Adventure, are slated to attend the September festival to share their adventures, along with National Geographic’s deep-sea explorer, Emory Kristof, acclaimed among the first to discover the wreck of the Titanic. Attendees can expect very extraordinary presentations from a host of celebrated underwater luminaries including Dr Mark Erdmann, Leandro Blanco, Eric Bettens, Amanda Cotton, Steve Jones, Michael AW, Mathieu Meur, William Macdonald and Indonesia’s very own award-winning underwater photographer Ronny Rengkung.

In association with the World Festival of Underwater Pictures, Le Festival Mondial de l’Image Sous-Marine – Marseille – now in its 37th year, the Celebrate the Sea Festival is seen as the most important underwater film and photographic event in the world outside of Europe.

Staged at ten supporting resorts, the shootout competition, held from 19 to 23 September is one of the main highlights of Celebrate the Sea 2011. Competitors stand the chance to win prestigious medals for Outstanding Achievement, Merit of Excellence awards and the coveted title for the ‘Most Influential Shoot Out Underwater Photographer of the Year’ with cash and holiday prize of USD 5000.

The Festival’s international underwater imagery competition also calls for entries from photographers and film makers to compete in the seven categories, these are: Black and White print, Color Print, Portfolio of Festival, Trio, Slide Shows, short video and feature length documentary. Highlights of the weekend also include screening of films and prints in the competition, slide shows competition, children’s painting competition, photographic workshop, dive travels, and an exhibition of marine arts & craft.

As in previous festivals, the event is the platform for Ocean and Environment Australia to launch its annual shark’s conservation campaign. Over 5000 children will compete in this year Celebrate the Sea art competition and the finalists will be invited to compete in the final round to win the prestigious Ambassador for Sharks Award.

The Celebrate the Sea weekend at the scenic Sintesa Peninsula Hotel Manado will be packed with seminars on ocean conservation, climate change, underwater photographic workshops, photographic exhibition and an international underwater film festival featuring winning films from the World Underwater Pictures Festival.

Joining the panel of speakers & judges, you will discover the splendor of underwater North Sulawesi, most renowned for the Bunaken Marine National Park. located atop the apex of the coral triangle. Oceanic walls, soft coral canyons, extensive coral meadows, and intriguing muck dive locations offer unparalleled photographic opportunities found nowhere else in the world.
For detailed information, please log on to the event official website: http://www.celebratethesea.oneocean.com/

taken from indonesia.travel

Work Is a Snap: Indonesian Maid to Show Photographs at Singapore Exhibition

Singapore. Indonesian maid Turiyah Mansur is having the time of her life after 14 years working here.

Her Swiss employers treat her like one of the family. She not only gets every Sunday off, but public holidays as well.

The highlight of her week? A two-hour photography class every Sunday afternoon, followed by ‘homework’ assigned by her teacher.

Her businessman employer and his homemaker wife paid the $30 fee for her to take the class. It is run for foreign workers by community arts organisation Migrant Voices and conducted by professional photographers from Objectifs, a film and photography centre.

The latest class project for Turiyah, who is 30 and single, is a photo series based on a theme of her own choosing.

‘It’s very difficult. I’m doing the letter boxes in my neighborhood, I have to walk up and down the street and take all the pictures the same way,’ she says happily. Her English is near-fluent from having lived here half her life.

Home is a three-story bungalow where the Swiss couple and their teenaged children live. It has a small garden and swimming pool. Turiyah does all the housework, including washing the two family cars and bathing the dog.

When free, she loves pointing her Samsung digital camera – a Christmas gift from the Swiss family – at anything that catches her eye.

Born and bred in a village in Kendal, a mountainous region in central Java, she came to Singapore at age 16, after completing high school.

She had to work as a maid to supplement her family’s income from growing rice and other crops.

Her earnings from scrubbing floors and fixing meals in a foreign land helped see her two younger brothers through high school, and the youngest of them to vocational college where he qualified as an electrician.

Her income also paid for brand new beds and a toilet. ‘Last time, no toilet, we use the river,’ she explains.

Her experiences with her employers have given her a good impression of Singapore.

For 10 years, she worked for a Singaporean teacher and her elderly mother. After the latter died and her services were no longer needed, she moved to her present employer.

She says the elderly woman was ‘a good person and very nice to me’, although her contract then gave her only one day off a month.

Domestic-worker friends in Hong Kong have told her the money is better there.

But each time, her reply is the same. ‘I say, ‘No thank you. I like Singapore, it’s safe, my employer is very good.”

The only blight on her life here are the dirty looks she sometimes gets from strangers in public.

‘People look at you, up and down. They know we are domestic workers. Sometimes on a bus, when I sit down, the person next to me moves away.

‘I think, ‘Never mind, I got more space to sit,” she says with a laugh, her chin sticking out defiantly.

Through the Indonesian Family Network, a support group for Indonesian maids, she has made many friends here.

The group is a partner of Migrant Voices and the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics, a migrant worker welfare group.

Turiyah is one of 17 participants in the 10-week photography workshop. Mostly Filipinos and Indonesians, they learn how to document their lives with digital cameras. These are either their own or donated by well-wishers.

The classes culminate in an exhibition next month, titled InsideOut, which lets audiences see Singapore through the eyes of migrant workers.

She says that when she first showed her friends her photographs, ‘they cannot stop laughing at my pictures’.

The exhibition is an opportunity for her to showcase her improved photography skills. ‘I tell my friends to come. Laugh laugh, never mind. I just try my best.’

Reposted courtesy of Straits Times Indonesia.

Paramore Rocks Jakarta

“Just Watch My Wildest Dreams Come True and One of Them Involving. . . . Paramore!” Kalimat plesetan yang dikutip dari lirik lagu “Misery Business” ini pastinya merefleksikan perasaan semua penggemar setia band Paramore di Indonesia. Setelah menunggu bertahun-tahun, akhirnya Paramore menggoyang Indonesia pada tanggal 17 Agustus di GWK, Bali dan pada tanggal 19 Agustus di Pantai Karnaval Ancol, Jakarta.

Pada pukul 21.50 WIB, setengah jam setelah penampilan band pembuka, The Swellers, di Pantai Karnaval, akhirnya Hayley Williams, Jeremy, dan Taylor – yang merupakan personil Paramore – naik ke atas panggung. Kemunculan mereka ke atas panggung membuat suasana di tempat penonton ricuh. Semua orang saling mendorong untuk mendapatkan posisi yang lebih depan. Setelah lagu ketiga, suasana ricuh penonton akhirnya kembali normal.

Paramore menyambut Jakarta dengan lagu “Ignorance” sebagai pembuka konser. Konser dilanjutkan dengan lagu-lagu “Feeling Sorry”, “Misguided Ghost”, “Where The Lines Overlap”, “The Only Exception”, “Looking Up”, “Playing God”, dan “Brick by Boring Brick” yang juga berasal dari album keempat Paramore, Brand New Eyes.

Ada pula lagu-lagu dari album ketiga band asal Amerika ini, Riot!, yang dimainkan di konser malam itu antara lain, “That’s What You Get”, “When It Rains”, “For A Pessimist”, “Crushcrushcrush”, dan“Misery Business”.

Penonton konser tidak berhenti bernyanyi bersama Hayley satu patah kata pun selama konser. Hayley sampai memberikan komentar,”You all are good singers, Indonesia!”. Tidak hanya di lagu-lagu dari kedua album masa kejayaan Paramore tersebut saja para penonton bernyanyi serentak, tetapi juga saat lagu-lagu dari album kedua Paramore, All We know is Falling, di mana Paramore belum seterkenal sekarang. Tiga lagu dari All We Know is Falling yang dimainkan tersebut adalah “Pressure”, “Emergency”, dan “Here We Go Again”.

Koleksi lagu Paramore yang luar biasa memang banyak. Selain memainkan lagu-lagu dari tiga album tersebut, lagu-lagu yang dipakai untuk soundtrack film Hollywood pun dimainkan pada konser malam itu, yaitu “Decode” – OST. Twilight – dan “Monster” – OST. Transformers.

Hampir sepanjang konser Hayley dan kawan-kawan bernyanyi dengan berdiri dan bergerak lincah di panggung. Di lagu-lagu slow seperti “Misguided Ghost” dan “The Only Exception”, Hayley dan kawan-kawan beraksi sambil duduk.

Saat sedang tidak menyanyi, Hayley selalu menyempatkan berkomunikasi dengan para penonton. Setelah menyanyikan beberapa lagu, Hayley mengucapkan rasa syukurnya karena akhirnya bisa melaksanakan konser di Indonesia setelah bertahun-tahun penundaan. Hayley yang saat itu memakai kaus tidak berlengan berwarna hitam dan celana panjang berwarna hitam di sebelah kanan dan putih di sebelah kiri ini mempersembahkan sebuah lagu khusus untuk para penggemar setianya, yaitu “Where The Lines Overlap”.

Di pertengahan konser, Hayley berteriak kepada semua penonton agar bernyanyi sekencang-kencangnya,”I want all of you show your people in your house that your voice is gone after having this concert. Sing out loud!” Kira-kira begitu tuturnya. Hayley juga sempat memakai blankon beberapa saat yang menggemparkan para penonton.

Di penghujung konser, Hayley memilih tiga penonton untuk naik ke atas panggung. Ketiga orang ini pun refleks memeluk Hayley, Jeremy, dan Taylor. Selain itu, mereka juga mengambil foto bersama para anggota Paramore tersebut. Hayley dkk dengan ramah dan bergaya asyik saat berfoto bersama mereka. Ketiga penonton yang beruntung ini pun sempat mendapatkan beberapa serapah dari penonton lainnya yang tidak mendapatkan kesempatan berharga tersebut.

Konser yang menakjubkan dan luar biasa menghibur ini pun akhirnya ditutup dengan “Crushcrushcrush” dan “Misery Business”. Ketiga personil Paramore beserta para additional player-nya menuju ke bagian paling depan panggung sambil mengangkat tangan bersamaan untuk pamit kepada para penonton Indonesia sebagai tanda berakhirnya konser.

Dari semua itu, Hayley memberikan kabar baik untuk Indonesia,”Tell your friends or families who are unfortunately unable to watch us tonight that. . . . . .WE WILL BE COMING BACK TO INDONESIA!”

Written for Good News From Indonesia by Tamar Naomi

“Menguasai” (Kembali) Asia Tenggara

Saya teringat ketika seorang teman saya dari Bangkok menulis tentang rencana Indonesia membangun pusat peluncuran pesawat ruang angkasa di Biak. Di blog-nya, dia menulis sesuatu yang membuat saya merinding,

When Indonesia comes across my mind, all I remember is about great warriors.

Sebenarnya mudah saja menelaah hal tersebut, dimana Indonesia pada tahun 70-80-90an menjadi buah bibir di Asia Tenggara, masa itu adalah masa di mana para pemusik Indonesia sering melakukan konser di Malaysia, Singapura, atau Brunei, masa dimana peluncuran satelit Palapa I menjadi bahan pelajaran di sekolah-sekolah dasar di Asia Tenggara, masa dimana Indonesia mengirimkan ribuan guru-guru ke Malaysia, masa dimana militer Indonesia adalah salah satu yang terkuat, masa dimana Indonesia selalu unggul dalam ajang Sea Games, masa dimana Kontingen Garuda tersebar diseluruh penjuru dunia, masa ketika Indonesia membawa inisitif perdamaian di Kamboja, dan lain lain.

Masa-masa itu kini seolah tenggelam dengan berbagai masalah yang mengitari bangsa ini dari waktu ke waktu. Namun yang tidak disadari banyak orang, secara perlahan, budaya, karya, dan pengaruh Indonesia kembali menembus batas dan merasuki generasi-generasi baru di Asia Tenggara. Hal ini tidak terlepas dari beberapa sebab, menghamburnya turis-turis Indonesia ke Singapura, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, dan lain lain. Saya tidak memiliki jumlah akurat berapa turis Indonesia di negara2 tersebut, tapi bayangkan saja, jumlah turis Indonesia di Singapore adalah yang terbesar dibandingkan turis dari negara-negara lain, jumlah turis Indonesia di Malaysia adalah yang terbanyak ke dua. Selain itu juga tentu saja, banyaknya tenaga kerja Indonesia yang bekerja di sektor2 swasta dan informal di kedua negara tersebut.

Di lain pihak, makin banyak negara-negara Asia Tenggara yang berkunjung ke Indonesia. Jumlah turis Singapura dan Malaysia masuk dalam 10 besar turis asing ke Indonesia, dan jumlah ini terus bertambah.

Karena faktor diatas, makin banyak saja kedai makanan Indonesia yang buka di Singapura atau Malaysia, bahkan sampai di Kamboja dan Vietnam. Warung Bali di Phnom Penh, Kamboja adalah salah satu restoran yang populer di sana. Ayam Penyet, rendang, cendol, dan lain lain, bisa menjadi begitu populer di Malaysia dan Singapore karena faktor di atas.

Dan sepertinya, lagu-lagu Indonesia tetap sering diperdengarkan di Malaysia dan Singapura, bahkan dinyanyikan dalam kontes-kontes nyanyi di negara tersebut.

Tentu sesuatu yang hal wajar, Indonesia yang begitu besar bisa memberi influence ke negara-negara lain. Namun sebenarnya, Indonesia bisa jauh lebih besar menembus batas batas negara.

Di jaman Majapahit dan Sriwijaya, konon Nusantara bahkan menyebar sampai Filipina, Vietnam, Kamboja, Thailand selatan, Malaya, dan Srilanka.

Written for Good News From Indonesia by Akhyari Hananto

 

Alesana Next US Rockers to Hit Jakarta

Digitally made stars are no longer a rarity, as the Internet has given many aspiring musicians — whether they’re talented, mediocre or just plain awful — a platform to get their music out into the world. American rock band Alesana, who will perform in Jakarta on Sept. 17, first gained a following through some good word of mouth and lots of promotion on the Web. The band’s first album enjoyed strong sales online.

In addition to its official Web site, Alesana also maintains a blog, a MySpace page and a Twitter account, where the boys keep fans updated with news and information on upcoming tour dates. In August the band tweeted: “Indonesia, we are still coming in September!”

Alesana was formed in 2004 in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is named after the Aliceanna Street neighborhood in Baltimore, where band members Shawn Milke and Patrick Thompson used to live. The band consists of six young men sporting an edgy, slightly gothy look — big bangs, lip piercings and tattoos.

Its combination of metal, rock and surprisingly thoughtful lyrics earned the band several gigs near its hometown. Alesana released its first EP, “Try This With Your Eyes Closed,” in mid-2005 on an indie label. The band toured through the United States in support of the album, including stops at several music festivals.

Alesana’s second album, “On Frail Wings of Vanity and Wax,” followed in 2006. The band was signed to California label Fearless Records later that year. Since the original release of “On Frail Wings” was only a moderate success, the label decided to re-release that album, which helped boost its sales.

After a couple of changes in the group’s lineup, Alesana put together its third album. “Where Myth Fades to Legend” introduced Shane Crump as the new bassist and backup vocalist, and the album did better on the charts than its predecessor. “The Emptiness,” released in 2010, is the band’s latest effort.

Alesana frontman Milke said in a blog post that he thought of “The Emptiness” as his “first printed story,” and said that new material was already in the making.

For three straight years, Alesana played the Warped Tour, a popular music and extreme sports festival in the United States, and made headlines offstage when some of its members were allegedly attacked by Pennywise, another band on the tour. Milke released a statement to address the matter: “Alesana is a non-violent band and always has been. We do not encourage or willingly participate in any violent activities.”

With the band’s reputation cleared, its members could focus on more important things: the recording of a new album, “A Place Where the Sun Is Silent,” which is scheduled for release in October.

Even though the band may not be as big as Paramore, Incubus or the Deftones, all of whom have played in Jakarta this year, Alesana has a loyal Indonesian fan base.

On Twitter alone, there are several Indonesia-based accounts dedicated to all things Alesana, with @Alesana_ID having the most followers at about 7,400. Fans share their thoughts on Alesana’s music, how to get tickets and excitement about upcoming shows. “I love how Alesana’s songs tell a story,” one user tweeted.

“Alesana’s new album is going to be released on October 18,” another user said. “Maybe they will play a couple of their new songs in Jakarta.”

Alesana
Live in concert
Saturday, Sept. 17
Tennis Indoor Senayan
Senayan, South Jakarta
Tel: 021 4440 4467

Jakarta’s Recreational Parks Ready for Waves of Visitors

Three of Jakarta`s favorite recreational centers – Ragunan Zoo, Beautiful Indonesia in Miniature Park (TMII), and Jaya Ancol Dreamland – are ready to admit huge numbers of visitors during this year`s Lebaran holidays.

Located in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta, Ragunan Zoo is easily accessible through the Jakarta Outer Ring Road and Transjakarta busway network.

The 140-hectare zoo is home to more than 270 species of animals; many of which are endangered and threatened from all parts of Indonesia and the rest of the world, and 171 species of flora.

Head of the zoo`s public services agency, Enny Pudjiwati said here on Monday that to anticipate the huge number of visitors the organizers have made the supporting facilities and infrastructures ready in the run up to the Lebaran holidays this year.

Enny predicted that the number of visitors during the Lebaran holidays season this year would reach 750,000 people.

“Our target is that starting from one day after Lebaran and until the weekend the visitors will reach 750 million people,” Enny said, adding that at the peak season of Lebaran in 2010 the zoo was visited by 160 thousand people in one day.

She said the admission ticket price for the Wildlife Park of Ragunan, popularly known as Ragunan Zoo, has not been raised and it remained affordable at Rp4,000 for adults and Rp3,000 for children plus Rp500 for insurance.

“We are going to open additional computerized ticket windows from originally 22 to 56 and 8 other manual ones, and we will add some more if they are still insufficient,” Enny said.

She added that the zoo has 436 permanent employees, but to serve the big number of visitors her party would recruit 750 partimers.

Meanwhile, TMII Operation Director Ade Meliala said around 300,000 people were predicted to visit the beautiful Indonesia in Miniature Park during the holiday season from August 30 to September 11, 2011.

“Our target is zero crime, so we have taken variuous anticipatory measures , especially for the security and comfort of visitors,” Ade said.

According to him, TMII offers the visitors a glimpse of beautiful Indonesia in just a single location, and also has a famous orchid garden, a bird park with a walk-in aviary, a fauna museum and recreational grounds with a swimming pool and restaurants.

Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik on Monday went of Ramadan safari to Ragunan Zoo and TMII to check the readiness of he two recreational parks to face the tide domestic tourists visiting the areas.

“My visit to the two recreational parks today is the sampling, and tomorrow the Director General for Tourism Destination Development at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism will do the same to a number of tourist objects across the country,” Jero Wacik said.

Wacik said he would like to make sure the tourism objects were ready to anticipate the surge of visits by domestic tourists during Lebaran holidays this year.

Therefore he also the managers of all tourist attractions across the country to check all facilities and infrastructure and to make sure they were safe for the visitors.

“Make sure that the facilities and infrastructures of the tourists attractions are safe for visitors. Check if there are damages, have them mended immediately this week,” Wacik said.

The minister also asked the workers at tourist attractions, hotels, and restaurants to be ready on full alert during the holidays and serve the people optimally.

“Give the best possible services to the people in the next two weeks,” Wacik said.

Especially to the management of Ragunan Zoo, the minister said they should check the infrastructures and facilities and improved them so as not to endanger visitors.

“I have also sent letters to governors, district heads, and mayors across the country to make sure the tourism objects in their respective areas are safe for visitors,” Wacik said.

Meanwhile, Jaya Ancol Dreamland Manager Sofia Cakti said on Monday that entering the third week of the holy month of Ramadan fasting month, the number of visitor slightly dropped.

“Before the fasting month the number of visitors can reach 10,000 people per day but during Ramadan it dropped to 8,000 people per day,” she said.

However, she added that the rate of decline in the number of visitors was not permanent because during the during the weekend before and after Ramadan the number rose significantly to reach 13,000 per day.

“Ancol will again be flooded by thousands of visitors from Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi (Jabodetabek), and even from Yogyakarta, Semarang, Surabaya, and Bali seven days before and after Lebaran holidays this year,” she said.

According to Sofia, the entry ticket price per person remained the same at Rp15,000 for Ancol Dreamland, Rp150,000 for Fantasi Land, Rp100,000 for Atlantis Water Adventure, Rp90,000 for Ocean Dream, and Rp50,000 for Fantastic Multimedia Show.

 

News Source: ANTARA News

Celebrating Independence Day, in Bali

While most parts of Indonesia were having subdued Independence Day celebrations as the majority of people were fasting, Bali was seeing its usual festive mood.

In the days leading up to the holiday, many buildings were decorated with the national flag, and people displayed red and white flags in front of their homes to mark the country’s 66th birthday.

Local residents had many creative ways of expressing their enthusiasm, with some adding environmental messages to events to honor the country.

Releasing newly hatched baby turtles is regularly done at Kuta Beach, but on Wednesday it was special, for the release marked the nation’s independence.

On Aug. 17, the Kuta Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center held a race with 17 baby turtles with participants from 17 countries. They also released 66 baby turtles into the sea.

For the turtle race, the center created 7-meter-long lines from the beach to the ocean as a track for the baby turtles racing in the competition.

“We saw great enthusiasm from foreign tourists taking part in this special event. This is also a unique way to attract more tourists,” said I Gusti Ngurah Tresna, head of the Kuta Beach task force and organizer of the event.

Participants came from Italy, Germany, France, Australia and New Zealand.

Bounce: In Denpasar, there was a variety of activities.
Independence Day was also used as an appropriate time to remind people to protect the environment, especially by not polluting rivers.

At the Buagan estuary in Denpasar on Sunday, locals joined in various competitions like pillow-fighting, greasy pole-climbing and duck-catching. Aside from those competitions, city officials also held a “clean river” campaign.

Thousands of residents flocked to the area to see local singer Nanoe Biroe, who has a loyal fan club called Baduda in the area. The singer performed on a raft, and discussed the importance of the environment with the audience.

The cycling group Lelasan Berseri celebrated Independence Day by bicycling to the hilly area of Kintamani.

Dozens of cyclists started from Denpasar early in the morning and finished near Kintamani’s pine forest with a simple ceremony. This was their third year holding such an event.

“We usually make a stop around the pine forest at a place that we think is suitable. Then we hold a ceremony, we hoist the flag and sing the national anthem,” said cyclist Endra Datta.

But why Kintamani? “It’s because of the challenging route. The track is hilly along the way. It is not easy, but once we arrive, we are happy,” Endra said.

Balance: On the nation’s 66th birthday, many in Bali honored the day with festivities and various competitions.
In Denpasar, the sepeda onthel (old bicycle) community held a parade around the capital in the afternoon.

They started at the Bali Museum, located in the center of Denpasar, wearing costumes resembling independence heroes or in Dutch style.

Other cycling groups spent the day going to historical places in Bali like Tanah Aron in Karangasem.

The Indonesian Chinese community (INTI) held a gathering with hundreds of veterans in Bali to honor their contribution to the country’s independence.

During the event, 125 veterans got free health check-ups. They also received packages of clothes and food.

The day before, the INTI group visited the home of Desak Putu Kari, the wife of national hero I Gusti Ngurah Rai.

News Source: The Jakarta Post