Socialization of our culture

Geisha (芸者 "person of the arts")

2009-07-09T18:22:00.000-07:00

Geisha (芸者 "person of the arts") are traditional Japanese artist-entertainers. The word Geiko is also used to describe such persons. Geisha were very common in the 18th and 19th centuries, and are still in existence today, although their numbers are dwindling. "Geisha," pronounced /ˈgeɪ ʃa/ ("gay-sha") is the most familiar term to English speakers, and the most commonly used within Japan as well, but in the Kansai region the terms geigi and, for apprentice geisha, "Maiko" have also been used since the Meiji Restoration. The term maiko is only used in Kyoto districts. The English pronunciation ˈgi ʃa ("gee-sha") or the phrase "geisha girl," common during the American occupation of Japan, carry connotations of prostitution, as some young women, desperate for money and calling themselves "geisha," sold themselves to American troops.

The geisha tradition evolved from the taikomochi or hōkan, similar to court jesters. The first geisha were all male; as women began to take the role they were known as onna geisha (女芸者), or "woman artist (female form)." Geisha today are exclusively female, aside from the Taikomochi. Taikomochi are exceedingly rare. Only three are currently registered in Japan. They tend to be far more bawdy than geisha. Other public figures who contributed to the creation of the modern geisha were Oiran, or courtesans, and Odoriko, dancing girls. The Odoriko in particular influenced geisha to include dance as part of their artistic repertoire.
Geisha were traditionally trained from young childhood. Geisha houses often bought young girls from poor families, and took responsibility for raising and training them. During their childhood, apprentice geisha worked first as maids, then as assistants to the house's senior geisha as part of their training and to contribute to the costs of their upkeep and education. This long-held tradition of training still exists in Japan, where a student lives at the home of a master of some art, starting out doing general housework and observing and assisting the master, and eventually moving up to become a master in her own right (see also irezumi). This training often lasts for many years.

The course of study traditionally starts from a young age and encompasses a wide variety of arts, including Japanese musical instruments (particularly the shamisen) and traditional forms of singing, traditional dance, tea ceremony, flower arranging (ikebana), poetry and literature. By watching and assisting senior geisha, they became skilled in the complex traditions surrounding selecting, matching, and wearing precious kimono, and in various games and the art of conversation, and also in dealing with clients.

Once a woman became an apprentice geisha (a maiko) she would begin to accompany senior geisha to the tea houses, parties and banquets that constitute a geisha's work environment. To some extent, this traditional method of training persists, though it is of necessity foreshortened. Modern geisha are no longer bought by or brought into geisha houses as children. Becoming a geisha is now entirely voluntary. Most geisha now begin their training in their late teens.

Sebangau National Park is inhabited 250 Orangutan's

2009-07-06T04:46:00.000-07:00

Palangkaraya (ANTARA News), Indonesia- Around 250 animal tails Orangutan mammals living in the forest national park Sebangau, Province of Central Kalimantan (Central Kalimantan) Indonesia.

"Life Orang Utan has great potential to be sold and promoted for tourism Kalteng world," said the Head of Development of tourism destinations, the Office of Culture and Tourism Kalteng, Aida Meyarti.SH, Monday.

Aida menuturkan in Sebangau national park visitors can witness the life of Orang Utan in addition to 35 other mammal species.

"Sebangau national park which covers 650 thousand hectares is easy to reach from the City Palangkraya, Capital Kalteng even still including the City of Palangkaraya in addition to including a knife and Pulang District Kota Palangkaraya," he said.

He quoted the results of research or study forest highway turf, the University of Palangkaraya (UNPAR) that mentions a little-dikitnya have 106 types of plants in national parks and some of it is typical Kalimantan.

There are 116 spicies birds are birds typical Kalimantan, hornbills and primates lutung than gray.

"Then from 35 kinds of mammals than Orangutan also have Bekantan (nasalis larvatus) is a proboscis monkey animals that have only the largest in this archipelago," said Aida.

taken from: http://www.antaranews.com/

History of England

2009-07-05T18:43:00.000-07:00

7dug8qphsj > England's history is long, diverse and interesting … the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, the Iron Age. Then, the Romans ruled England from 50 BC to 410 AD. Some time later, the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings had their day and, in 1066, William of Normandy killed Saxon King Harold II at the Battle of Hastings and so began a new chapter in English history - that of The Normans. This led on to the Middle Ages, which ended in 1485, when Henry Tudor won the War of the Roses.

The Tudors

One of the best known periods of English history - because of the exploits of King Henry VIII and his eight wives – is that of The Tudors. Henry VIII took the throne of England upon his father’s death in 1509. Religion played a major part in the politics of Tudor England as Henry broke with Rome and established the Church of England. In 1558 following the death of her father, her brother, and then eventually her sister, each of whom spent some time on the throne of England, Elizabeth I would be given the opportunity to leave her mark on English history books. Upon her death without an heir in 1603, the Tudor period came to an end.

The Stuarts

James I of England (also James IV of Scotland) joined the English and Scottish thrones for the first time and was the first Stuart monarch. It was during the Stuart era that the English tradition of Guy Fawkes Night has its roots in the plot of a group led by Guy Fawkes to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Later in this period the country would fall into Civil War which would lead to Charles I (son of James I) being executed at Whitehall in London, and Oliver Cromwell becoming Protectorate of the country. Charles II would eventually regain the crown in 1660. The Stuart era came to an end with the death of Queen Anne in 1714.

The Hanover Period

From 1714 to 1835 the House of Hanover sat on the English throne. This was a time of great social change in England with the appointment of the first Prime Minster, Sir Robert Walpole, and changes in laws such as the transportation of criminals to Australia, abolitionist movement against slavery and the creation of the United Kingdom which brought together England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

Victorian England

In 1837, a young Queen Victoria took the English throne and so began her long reign. During this period the Industrial Revolution helped the country prosper as people left traditional jobs in service for the better pay in mills and factories. The Crimea War, which set England and France against Russia, took place during this period, as did the Great Exhibition held at the specially built Crystal Palace in London. The Victorian age came to an end in January 1901 when Queen Victoria died, age 81.

Modern Times

The 20th century was a time of more change for England. There were two world wars in the first half of the century, both of which had a big effect on the social culture as women stopped their traditional roles of service and instead began to drive buses and work in factories. After World War I many women returned to their pre-war lives, but World War II saw a shift towards women working in the workplace instead of the home.

The monarchy became weaker after Victoria, but one notable King was Edward VIII, who abdicated in order to marry the woman he loved - American Wallis Simpson. Edward passed the crown to his brother and married Mrs Simpson in 1936.

Apart from wars and political intrigue, in 1948 the National Health Service was set up and in 1952 the present Queen - Elizabeth II - took the throne upon the death of her father, George IV.

In the opening years of the 21st Century England is back to war with troops in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Labour is on its third term in 10 Downing Street, and healthcare and education reforms are back on the social agenda.

Komodo National Park

2009-07-04T18:00:00.000-07:00

Komodo National Park lies in the Wallacea Region of Indonesia, identified by WWF and Conservation International as a global conservation priority area. The Park is located between the islands of Sumbawa and Flores at the border of the Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) and Nusa Tenggara Barat (NTP) provinces. It includes three major islands, Komodo, Rinca and Padar, and numerous smaller islands together totaling 603 km2 of land. The total size of Komodo National Park is presently 1,817 km2. Proposed extensions of 25 km2 of land (Banta Island) and 479 km2 of marine waters would bring the total surface area up to 2,321 km2

HISTORY :
Komodo National Park was established in 1980 and was declared a World Heritage Site and a Man and Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1986. The park was initially established to conserve the unique Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis), first discovered by the scientific world in 1911 by J.K.H. Van Steyn. Since then conservation goals have expanded to protecting its entire biodiversity, both marine and terrestrial.
The majority of the people in and around the Park are fishermen originally from Bima (Sumbawa), Manggarai, South Flores, and South Sulawesi. Those from South Sulawesi are from the Suku Bajau or Bugis ethnic groups. The Suku Bajau were originally nomadic and moved from location to location in the region of Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara and Maluku, to make their livelihoods. Descendents of the original people of Komodo, the Ata Modo, still live in Komodo, but there are no pure blood people left and their culture and language is slowly being integrated with the recent migrants.
Little is known of the early history of the Komodo islanders. They were subjects of the Sultanate of Bima, although the island’s remoteness from Bima meant its affairs were probably little troubled by the Sultanate other than by occasional demand for tribute.

DEMOGRAPHICS :
There are presently almost 4,000 inhabitants living within the park spread out over four settlements (Komodo, Rinca, Kerora, and Papagaran). All villages existed prior to 1980 before the area was declared a national park. In 1928 there were only 30 people living in Komodo Village, and approximately 250 people on Rinca Island in 1930. The population increased rapidly, and by 1999, there were 281 families numbering 1,169 people on Komodo, meaning that the local population had increased exponentially. Komodo Village has had the highest population increase of the villages within the Park, mostly due to migration by people from Sape, Manggarai, Madura, and South Sulawesi. The number of buildings in Kampung Komodo has increased rapidly from 30 houses in 1958, to 194 houses in 1994, and 270 houses in 2000. Papagaran village is similar in size, with 258 families totaling 1,078 people. As of 1999, Rinca’s population was 835, and Kerora's population was 185 people. The total population currently living in the Park is 3,267 people, while 16,816 people live in the area immediately surrounding the Park.

EDUCATION :
The average level of education in the villages of Komodo National Park is grade four of elementary school. There is an elementary school located in each of the villages, but new students are not recruited each year. On average, each village has four classes and four teachers. Most of the children from the small islands in the Kecamatan Komodo (Komodo, Rinca, Kerora, Papagaran, Mesa) do not finish elementary school. Less than 10% of those which do graduate from elementary school will continue to high school since the major economic opportunity (fishing) does not require further education. Children must be sent to Labuan Bajo to attend high school, but this is rarely done in fishermen’s families.

SOCIO-CULTURAL AND ANTHROPOLOGIC CONDITIONS :
Traditional Customs: Traditional communities in Komodo, Flores and Sumbawa have been subjected to outside influences and the influence of traditional customs is dwindling. Television, radio, and increased mobility have all played a part in accelerating the rate of change. There has been a steady influx of migrants into the area. At the moment nearly all villages consist of more than one ethnic group.
Religion: The majority of fishermen living in the villages in the vicinity of the Park are Muslims. Hajis have a strong influence in the dynamics of community development. Fishermen hailing from South Sulawesi (Bajau, Bugis) and Bima are mostly Moslems.
The community from Manggarai are mostly Christians. Anthropology and Language: There are several cultural sites within the Park, particularly on Komodo Island. These sites are not well documented, however, and there are many questions concerning the history of human inhabitance on the island. Outside the Park, in Warloka village on Flores, there is a Chinese trading post remnant of some interest. Archeological finds from this site have been looted in the recent past. Most communities in and around the Park can speak Bahasa Indonesia. Bajo language is the language used for daily communication in most communities.

MARINE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT :
The marine area constitutes 67% of the Park. The open waters in the Park are between 100 and 200 m deep. The straits between Rinca and Flores and between Padar and Rinca, are relatively shallow (30 to 70 m deep), with strong tidal currents. The combination of strong currents, coral reefs and islets make navigation around the islands in Komodo National Park difficult and dangerous. Sheltered deep anchorage is available at the bay of Loh Liang on Komodo’s east coast, the South East coast of Padar, and the bays of Loh Kima and Loh Dasami on Rinca.
In the North of the Park water temperature ranges between 25 – 29°C. In the middle, the temperature ranges between 24 and 28°C. The temperatures are lowest in the South, ranging from 22 – 28°C. Water salinity is about 34 ppt and the water is quite clear, although the waters closer to the islands are relatively more turbid.

taken from: http://www.komodoisland-tours.com

Bali Culture and Customs

2009-07-04T04:27:00.000-07:00

Each stage of Balinese life is marked by a series of ceremonies and rituals known as Manusa Yadnya. They contribute to the rich, varied and active life the average Balinese leads.

Birth

The first ceremony of Balinese life takes place even before birth. Another ceremony takes place soon after the birth, during which the afterbirth is buried with appropriate offerings. The first major ceremony takes place halfway through the baby's first Balinese year of 210 days.

Names

Basically the Balinese only have four first names. The first child is Wayan or Putu, the second child is Made or Kadek, the third is Nyoman or Komang and the fourth is Ketut. The fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth will be another Wayan, Made, Nyoman, Ketut and Wayan again.

Childhood

The Balinese certainly love children and they have plenty of them to prove it. Coping with a large family is made much easier by the policy of putting younger children in the care of older ones. After the ceremonies of babyhood come ceremonies marking the stages of childhood and puberty, including the important tooth-filing ceremony.

Marriage

Every Balinese expects to marry and raise a family, and marriage takes places at a comparatively young age. Marriages are not, in general, arranged as they are in many other Asian communities although strict rules apply to marriages between the castes. There are two basic forms of marriage in Bali - mapadik and ngorod. The respectable form, in which the family of the man visit the family of the woman and politely propose that the marriage take place, is mapadik. The Balinese, however, like their fun and often prefer marriage by elopement (ngorod) as the most exciting option. Of course, the Balinese are also a practical people so nobody is too surprised when the young man spirits away his bride-to-be, even if she loudly protests about being kidnapped. The couple go into hiding and somehow the girl's parents, no matter how assiduously they search, never manage to find her. Eventually the couple re-emerge, announce that it is too late to stop them now, the marriage is officially recognized and everybody has had a lot of fun and games. Marriage by elopement has another advantage apart from being exciting and mildly heroic it's cheaper.

The Household

There are many modern Balinese houses, but there are still a great number of traditional Balinese homes. The streets of Ubud; nearly every house will follow the same traditional walled design.

Men & Women

There are certain tasks clearly to be handled by women, and others reserved for men. Social life in Bali is relatively free and easy. In Balinese leisure activities the roles are also sex differentiated. Both men and women dance but only men play the gamelan. Today you do see some women painters, sculptors, and woodcarvers.

Community Life

Balinese have an amazingly active and organized village life. You simply cannot be a faceless nonentity in Bali. You can't help but get to know your neighbors as your life is so entwined and interrelated with theirs.

Death & Cremation

There are ceremonies for every stage of Balinese life but often the last ceremony-cremation-is the biggest. A Balinese cremation can be an amazing, spectacular, colorful, noisy and exciting event. In fact it often takes so long to organize a cremation that years have passed since the death. During that time the body is temporarily buried. Of course an auspicious day must be chosen for the cremation and since a big cremation can be very expensive business many less wealthy people may take the opportunity of joining in at a larger cremation and sending their own dead on their way at the same time. Brahmans, however, must be cremated immediately. Apart from being yet another occasion for Balinese noise and confusion it's a fine opportunity to observe the incredible energy the Balinese put into creating real works of art which are totally ephemeral. A lot more than a body gets burnt at the cremation. The body is carried from the burial ground (or from the deceased's home if it's an 'immediate' cremation) to the cremation ground in a high, multi-tiered tower made of bamboo, paper, string, tinsel, silk, cloth, mirrors, flowers and anything else bright and colorful you can think of. The tower is carried on the shoulders of a group of men, the size of the group depending on the importance of the deceased and hence the size of the tower. The funeral of a former rajah high priest may require hundreds of men to tote the tower.

A long the way to the cremation ground certain precautions must be taken to ensure that the deceased's spirit does not find its way back home. Loose spirits around the house can be a real nuisance. To ensure this doesn't happen requires getting the spirits confused as to their whereabouts, which you do by shaking the tower, running it around in circles, spinning it around, throwing water at it, generally making the trip to the cremation ground anything but a stately funeral crawl. Meanwhile, there's likely to be a priest halfway up to tower, hanging on grimly as it sways back and forth, and doing his best to soak bystanders with holy water. A gamelan sprints along behind, providing a suitably exciting musical accompaniment. Camera-toting tourists get all but run down and once again the Balinese prove that ceremonies and religion are there to be enjoyed. At the cremation ground the body is transferred to a funeral sarcophagus, this should be in the shape of a bull for a Brahmana, a winged lion for a Satria and a sort of elephant-fish for a Sudra. These days, however, almost anybody from the higher castes will use a bull. Finally up it all goes in flames funeral tower, sarcophagus, body, the lot. The eldest son does his duty by poking through the ashes to ensure that there are no bits of body left unburned. And where does your soul go after your cremation? Why, to a heaven which is just like Bali!

Bunaken National Park, North Sulawesi

2009-07-04T04:18:00.000-07:00

A flat island about 15 km from Manado, with a friendly people. The coral reefs off Bunaken island shouldn't be missed while you are in Manado. These magnificent virgin reefs are still relatively unspoiled. The drop-off walls at Liang cove is not only rare in the world, with caves, gullies and caverns, harboring an immense wealth of marine life. Spectacular formation of reefs begin with flat at about 5 m depth. These plunge downward to form underwater vertical crevices with often reach depth on several hundred meters. On these beautiful reefs, a wonderful collection of marine life thrives.

The Bunaken reef is a chain of over 40 five star dive spots. The Marine Park is spectacular with the greatest concentration of tropical fish, coral species and world famous wall diving.
Clear, warm waters (sea temperatures usually range between 27-30 degrees C), light currents and calm seas allow easy access to the underwater attraction awaiting visitors to the five-islands of the Bunaken-Manado Tua National Marine Park which sits directly offshore of Manado. Bunaken is the standout favorite, with the highest density of schooling fish and the greatest probability to see larger species such as turtles, sharks, and napoleon wrasse. There are enough sites here to keep any diver happy for over a week without going elsewhere.

Arabian culture

2009-07-01T07:46:00.000-07:00

The highlight of the festival programme during the 'Month of Giving' will feature the world's largest charity collection box measuring a staggering five metres by twelve metres located in China Court. Visitors will be able to make donations in aid of Beit Al Khair Society throughout the month into the charity box which is set to enter The Guinness Book of World Records as the largest ever recorded.

From the 5th to the 23rd of October and following Eid Al Fitr, until 7th November, Ibn Battuta has also partnered with the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding to host the Open Doors, Open Minds initiative, providing the opportunity for visitors to experience authentic Arabian culture and hospitality and meet with UAE nationals. Special mosque tours will take place three days a week at 10am with extra tours planned in the evenings after prayer times. As part of the programme, visitors will also have the opportunity to register for an exclusive invitation to an authentic Iftar dinner, to be hosted throughout the month by UAE nationals at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding in Bastakiya on Al Seef Road.

Commenting on the variety of activities lined up for visitors to Ibn Battuta Mall during Ramadan, Colin Fenton, Mall Manager commented: 'We are very excited about the range of activities which shoppers can look forward to during Ramadan. We hope to make this month special to mall visitors and offer them a true taste of Arabian culture. As Ramadan is a time for consideration and generosity it is only fitting that we should also plan a large-scale charity event - one which promises to set new records.'

'Besides the activities with the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding, we are also delighted to offer a range of daily activities for both adults and children to keep our shoppers entertained at Ibn Battuta Mall.'

Traditional Ramadan sweets will be served in India Court during the evenings. Mall visitors will also have the opportunity to be entertained with stage shows and dancing in Persia Court, while Tunisia Court will host activities for children including storytelling.

Traditional chinese festivals

2009-06-30T16:40:00.000-07:00

Traditional chinese festivals range from the quiet and dignified to colorful free-for-alls with booming gongs and cymbals and frantic dancers in dragon and lion costumes. Most are based on the chinese lunar calendar and so the actual date differs from year to year.
Confucius's birthday First we'll look at the birthday of Confucius in September. Though celebrated all over China, you can best experience this event in Confucius's home of Qufu, specifically at the Confucius Temple. Confucius is revered in China for being a thinker, social philosopher and teacher. He spent his life in poverty and relative obscurity, and his teachings were only written down and disseminated by his disciples after his death. Celebrations for Confucius's birthday start at 4 a.m. in the Confucius temple. Ceremonies are modest as befitting a man who taught moderation. Celebrants pay their respects and offer flowers at the temple altars. Festivities can also include musical performances with traditional instruments, together with dancing and the wearing of traditional costumes.

Beijing International Kite Now to Beijing for an event of a very different kind, the Beijing International Kite Festival held in April, the windiest month in the Chinese capital. Kite flying has been a part of Chinese culture for millennia both as a leisure activity and a tool in warfare. Wei Fang in Shandong province is the major kite flying area in China but Beijing holds an annual international kite festival. Starting off with a colorful ceremony, the Beijing International Kite Festival showcases fine examples of kites from the last century and experts talk about their features and regale visitors with kite lore and anecdotes. The event attracts kite-flying teams from all over the world.

Chinese New Year Finally to Hong Kong to the biggest bash in the Chinese festival calendar, Chinese New Year. It's a time of wailing Chinese opera performances, pounding drums, fireworks and feasts, writhing lions and dancing dragons, fortune telling and grand parades. Chinese New Year starts on the first new moon day of the year and ends with the Lantern Festival fourteen days later. It falls between mid-January and mid-February. It's a time when the industrious Chinese put their feet up for a few days of family reunion, thanksgiving, feasting and going to temple. People clean their homes and hang red lanterns out front. Veneration of ancestors is at the heart of Chinese New Year. On New Year's Eve, they are offered a Banquet at the family dinner table. In Hong Kong the festival kicks off with a parade between Admiralty and Wanchai, a grand firework display over Victoria Harbour, and the territory's skyscrapers are lit up more than usual and decorated with lights and motifs. The temples are busy and the red envelopes known as Lai See containing "lucky money" are given to family and friends.

If you're lucky enough to be in China on festival day, you have a treat in store. Not only will you have a great deal of fun, but you'll witness something very special in the lives of the people. The only difficulty with visiting the events in Canada might be your accommodation. Be sure to have a reservation, because Beijing hotels or Hong Kong hotels could be fully booked during the festivals. Of course the Internet offers many opportunities to book China hotels in advance.