Selasa, 29 Mei 2012

Fort Rotterdam in the Heart of Makassar City in South Sulawesi Island Indonesia


Fort Rotterdam was a Dutch fort built in Makassar on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia during the 1670s. It was originally known as Ujung Pandang, named after the screwpine pandanus pal which grew in the region and was used for making mats. The fort became a center of Dutch colonial power in Sulawesi during the Early Modern Period.

Said to be one of the best preserved Dutch buildings in Indonesia, Fort Rotterdam was built around 1667 on the site of a Gowanese fort built 100 years before. The black stone walls have been partly restored, as have most of the buildings within.

Inside the fort is a small museum with an eclectic collection of cultural artefacts from South Sulawesi. The museum is only open Tuesday to Sunday mornings, from 8:00 to 12:30. The fort is open every day from 8:00 to 18:00. A ‘donation’ is expected to gain entry. About 10,000 Rupiah (1.20 USD) is enough.

Standing majestically at the western coast of Makassar, Fort Rotterdam is recognized as the city’s most iconic landmark. With historical traces dating back to the Kingdom of Gowa from the 16thth century to colonization by the Dutch, this Fort has silently witnessed many episodes in Makassar’s history, playing a most essential role in its development.

Its magnificence and authenticity has always captivated those who set eyes on it. A journalist from New York Times, Barbara Crossette even described it as “the best preserved Dutch Fort in Asia”.

Originally called Benteng or Fort Jumpandang or Ujung Pandang, the huge complex was first built in 1545 in the era of Imanrigau Daeng Bonto Karaeng Lakiung or Karaeng Tunipalangga Ulaweng, the tenth King of Gowa. Initially, the fort was made from a mixture of Stone and burnt clay, and took the shape of a typical square Portuguese architectural style.
During the reign of Sultan Alauddin, the 14th king of Gowa, the fort’s construction material was replaced with black Karst, rocks from the mountain sides of the district of Maros. The fort was also expanded and took on a new shape resembling a sea turtle, thus the fort gained a new name, namely : Benteng Pannyua (Penyu) or Fort Sea turtle. The shape is not only unique, but also contains deep meaning.  For just as a sea turtle lives both on land and at sea, the glory of the Gowa Kingdom also stretched on land as well as over the seas.

Indeed, the Bugis were then a recognized and respected power all across the Indonesian seas even to the Straits of Malacca. Between 1655 to 1669, Dutch forces attacked the Gowa Sultanate, which at the time was under the rule of Sultan Hasanuddin. The city’s strategic location made it an ideal place to fully control the spice trade passage, and to become the starting point that would eventually open up the route to the seas of Banda and Maluku, the original Spice Islands.

Led by Dutch Governor General Admiral Cornelis Janszoon Speelman, Dutch forces launched a massive attack on Makassar for a full year. At this time, major parts of the Fort were devastated as the Dutch began to occupy the land. As a result of the defeat, the Sultan of Gowa was forced to sign the Bongaya treaty that gave the Dutch authorities full control over Makassar’s trade.

Governor General Speelman subsequently rebuilt parts of the fort that were destroyed.  Not only applying Dutch distinct style to the structure, but Speelman added another bastion at its west side. The fort was later renamed after Speelman’s hometown: Rotterdam. The fort grew to be the center for stockpiling of spices and an important Entrepot.  Eventually this led to Makassar becoming the center of the Dutch Colonial government in Eastern Indonesia.

In 1938 Dutch authorities established the first ever Museum in South Sulawesi, namely the Celebes Museum, located within the complex of Fort Rotterdam itself. Initially the museum occupied building no. 2 only, which was once the residence of Admiral Speelman. Its collection came from various excavations that included ceramics, currencies, gold and jewelries, and others.

By the time of the Japanese occupied Makassar during World War II, the Celebes Museum already occupied three buildings of the complex. To its collection were added wooden tools, several types of ships, farming equipment, house ware, musical instruments, weaponry, and many others.

After the War, the museum was officially re-established in 1970, bearing the name by which it is known today, namely: Museum La Galigo. La Galigo was the Pajung Lolo or Prince of the Luwu Kingdom in the 14th century who was also the son of Sawerigading Opunna Ware, a legendary Bugis hero. The name also refers to the famous I La Galigo, the world’s longest epic poem. Exhibiting various collections from the early Celebes Museum as well as other additions including the collection of the kingdom of Sawito, Wajo, Mandar, Luwu, Bone and others, the present Museum  occupies building no.2 and no.10 within the Fort Rotterdam complex.


List of Vocabularies :

Vocabulary
Meaning

Vocabulary
Meaning
Fort
benteng

Magnificience
kecemerlangan
Dutch
orang Belanda

Huge
sangat besar
Expected
diharapkan

Clay
tanah liat
Majestically
megah sekali

Reign
pemerintahan
Coast
pesisir

Expanded
diperluas
Role
peran

Devastated
dirusakkan
Traces
bekas-bekas

Bastion
kubu pertahanan

Answer the following questions.
  1. When was Fort Rotterdam first built?
  2. Formerly, before Fort Rotterdam was built, the site was a….
  3. What is inside the fort? 
  4.  How much do we pay for entering the museum inside the fort?
  5. Who first built Fort Ujung pandang in 1545?
  6. When was the fort’s construction replaced by black Karst?
  7. Why is the fort called “Rotterdam”?
  8. What was the name of first Museum in Sulawesi established by Dutch?
  9. What was the new name of the fort after World War II?
  10. Where did the words “La Galigo” originally come from?

Match the following statements with the suitable answer in the list.

Barbara Crossette
I La Galigo
Sultan Alauddin
Rotterdam
Bongaya
Speelman
Black Karst
Weaponry
Burnt Clay
Sultan Hasanuddin

1.      The material used for the first fort.
2.      The name of the fourteenth King of Gowa.
3.      The fort’s material taken from Maros.
4.      New York Times’ journalist who described the greatness of Fort Rotterdam.
5.      The last name of Dutch Governor who rebuilt Fort Rotterdam.
6.      The famous world’s longest epic poem.
7.      One of the collections of Celebes Museum after War.
8.      Governor Speelman’s hometown.
9.      The treaty between Sultan of Gowa and the Dutch.
10.  The name of sultan of Gowa after Sultan Alauddin.

Senin, 28 Mei 2012

Bantimurung Waterfall – Makassar South Sulawesi



When you’re out of options for holiday spot during your stay in Makassar, I recommend you to visit the most famous waterfall in South Sulawesi that has been known for its greatest, the Bantimurung Waterfall.

Bantimurung is located 14 km from Makassar which can be reached by local transportation and private vehicle. But if you had group of friends who also join you to visit it, private vehicle is better choice. You don’t have to be confused of how to get it because once you arrived in Hassanudin Airport of Makassar, there will be lots of rent cars that you can have. The price is also considerably cheap which is about $35 – $45 for 12 hours including for the gas and driver. You can just share the budget with your friends.

Takes about one hour, you’ll see big butterfly replica in front of the gate leading to waterfall. Besides known for waterfall, Bantimurung is also famous of various butterfly species. As regards to its richness, Alfred Russel Wallace had spent one year to particularly research the butterflies. According to Wallace, there are more than 150 different species, that’s why it called as Kingdom of Butterfly. In order to preserve it, government has built captivity just in the area of Bantimurung and it becomes one of the factors that attract lots of visitors. You can also visit the butterfly museum too that is available for public.
Now we’ve come to the biggest attraction which is the waterfall itself. With 20m in height and 15 m in width, it has huge water debit that flows every second. Even if you stand in about 15 m for the waterfall, you’ll still wet. And the good news is you can also swim or just have a bath near it, the water is so refreshing and clean because the small river that formed following stream from waterfall is based on hard stone. 

If you had a hobby in photography, both the waterfall and butterflies are perfect options to look for landscape and macro pictures. My friend had tried and the pictures were amazing. She did some particular techniques using the application provided in her DSLR camera and she made great waterfall pictures which focused in the flowing water.

The fun isn’t ended yet since you can also explore two caves around the waterfall which are the Stone Cave and Dream Cave. Once you decided to enter one of those, you should ready for hard walking because it takes about 20 to walk the stairs until you reach it. But believe, all the tiring will soon disappear when you see the beauties of the caves. They have great stalactite and stalagmite in every part of them. And even better, there is also small waterfall in Stone Cave which is very stunning. All you need to have to do the caving is traditional lamp that is available for rented and only costs about $3 to $5. 

So, what more you need when you have the opportunity to get cheap and impressive holiday in Bantimurung Waterfall? It will give you beautiful landscapes and relaxing time to just lay on the ground and listen to the voice of the waterfall.

Source:http://www.visittoindonesia.com/2011/01/05/bantimurung-waterfall-makassar-south-sulawesi/

List of Vocabularies
1.      Waterfall  : air terjun
2.      Located  : terletak
3.      Budget  : anggaran
4.      Gate  : gerbang
5.      Preserve  : memelihara
6.      Attract  : menarik
7.      Stream  : aliran
8.      Stunning  : mempesona


Grammar Line
ADJECTIVE CLAUSE
An adjective (or adjectival) clause usually begins with a relative pronoun (which, that, who, whom, whose), a relative adverb (where, when, why), or a ziro relative. Also known as a relative clause.

Examples :
  1. "He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe is as good as dead."
    (Albert Einstein)
  2. "Among those whom I like or admire, I can find no common denominator, but among those whom I love, I can: all of them make me laugh."
    (W. H. Auden)
  3. "Love, which was once believed to contain the Answer, we now know to be nothing more than an inherited behavior pattern."
    (James Thurber)
  4. The man that hit my motorcycle gave me false insurance information.

Complete the sentences below by using the suitable words of adjective clause in the table.

who
that
which
that
where
  1. Bantimurung is a place in South Sulawesi____is known for its beautiful waterfall.
  2. It is located 14 km from Makassar____can be reached by local transportation and private vehicle.
  3. According to Wallace____had researched in Bantimurung , there are more than 150 different species of butterfly.
  4. There are also Stone Cave and Dream Cave____we can see great stalactite and stalagmite.
  5. In Bantimurung, you can also visit the butterfly museum too____ is available for public.


Find 5 (five) adjective clauses in the text and write them down. Number one as the example.
  1. I recommend you to visit the most famous waterfall in South Sulawesi that has been known for its greatest.
  2.  ______________________________________________________.
  3. ______________________________________________________.
  4.  ______________________________________________________.
  5. ______________________________________________________.
  6. ______________________________________________________.

The video below is video of Bantimurung Waterfall. If you wanna see, just click the button "play" then watch and enjoy it. 

Minggu, 27 Mei 2012

Kajang Amma Toa Tribe Primitive Village One Day Tour from Bira Beach South Sulawesi



Kajang Tribe, a Unique Ethnic Black Tribe in Bulukumba Regency, South Sulawesi.
Kajang situated about 58 km north-west from Bira beach, Kajang is a sub-district from Bulukumba regency, the interest point in Tana-Toa village where live the leather of Pra-islamic called:”Amma-Toa’”.The village covering the forest conservation area according to the teaching of the;Tana-Toa,every houses inside built in natural material from plant inside the area, and not any modern material use even nail, zinc-roof and electricity, really interest to visit in the global era.

The Kajang people is sub-ethnic of Makassar ethnic who inhabited (occupied) a particular area. The area and the people the people are quite isolated from the livings of other people of Bulukumba. The head of this group is called “Amatoa” who considered holy. For those who are eager to see her, are obliged to wear a black shirt and black “sarong”, and it will be better to meet him without any shoes or sandals.
The Kajang Tribe or Kajang People or in Indonesia call it “Suku Kajang” is sub-ethnic to Makassar ethnic groups, who inhabited a particular area in the forest. The area and the people are quite asolated from other people of Bulukumba. The Head of this group who is ruled by a tribal and religious is called “Ammatoa” and their land call it Tana Toa.
Ammatoa is a person who masters of “Pasang ri Kajang” – an oral teaching of Kajang people, which inherited from one generation to the other. The life of Kajang centered to Pasang which is not only rules the relation among man, man to the Creator but it covers the relation of man with the nature. To have a person chosen as Ammatoa the congregation of elders attending the ritual will listen to the supernatural signs. It might be in a form of a buffalo suddenly come to someone house’s and stays there without precedents or a rooster fly in and stops at someone’s shoulder.
Kajang tribe divided into two groups is Kajang Dalam (Inner) and Kajang Luar (Outer) no differences between them. Kajang Luar live and living in villages outside forest and they live more open to change, while the Kajang Dalam live only inside forest with the nature, both the group live harmoniously from the past until now, they always hold fast to the teachings of the ancestors and they always maintain a balance of living with nature and the ancestors.


They live harmoniously with the nature, and they do not use modern facilities i.e. means of transportation. For that reason, no cars and they like permitted to enter this area. The meeting ceremony with “Amatoa” is very unique event.

The most famous adat community in Sulawesi, Kajang Dalam, located within the administrative borders of Bulukumba. Although the Kecamantan of Kajang has its formal structures with the camat and kepala desa, there is a parallel adat structure under the authority of the Amma Toa that exists and seems not to need formal recognition from the district government.

The size of the adat territory in Kajang Dalam is approximately 25 hectares. The territory is called rambbang seppang. This already includes 2 hectares of the Amma Toa’s land, and the rest is divided into 4 villages; Tana Toa, Malleleng, Bonto Baji, and Batu Nilamung. At present there are community mapping initiatives involving AMAN SS and others to clearly indicate the wilayah adat and to support claims over this territory.
The informal borders that separate this customary territory from the rest of the Kajang Luar are respected by everyone.

If one wants to enter Kajang Dalam, for instance, permission must be requested first, and once this is obtained various protocol have to be followed, such as the removal of ones shoes and socks, the wearing of all black clothes, and so on. While the influence of modern life has started to creep into this territory, the customs of old take precedence and life still reflects the ways of the ancestors.

In the context of nature conservation, the presence of Kajang tribe in South Sulawesi Bulukumba seems to be an oasis. Harmony of life and the lives of people with nature make it sustainable. With the belief that nature is the source of life, Kajang tribe has great respect for nature. They guard the protected forest of the past until now, although they must be anti-modernization. They feel comfortable and safe with houses and villages are not electrified. Rocky road, a house made ??of wood, bamboo, and thatched roofs, and even around the village is by foot.


List of Vocabularies




 
  • Tribe    : suku                                                     
  • Recognition    : pengakuan
  • Conservation     : perlindungan alam                         
  • Territory    : wilayah
  • Inhabited     : mendiami                                       
  • Obtained      : diperoleh
  • Eager    : ingin sekali                                    
  • Creep     : bergerak secara perlahan-lahan
  • Obliged       : diharuskan
  • Inherited      : mewarisi                                           
  • Precedence     : hak lebih tinggi
  • Congregation     : kumpulan orang                           
  • Sustainable    : terus menerus
  • Precedent    : teladan                                              
  • Rocky     : berbatu
  • Ancestor     : nenek moyang                                                
  • Thatched      : jerami
                                                                                                                 
Answer the following questions by choosing the best answer based on the text.
 
1.      What is the another name of Kajang Tribe?
a.       Bulukumba Tribe
b.      Bira Tribe
c.       Black Tribe
d.      Tana Toa
2.      Who is “Ammatoa”?
a.       People from Bulukumba
b.      Kajang People
c.       The head of Kajang Tribe
d.      The head of Kecamatan Kajang

3.      Kajang Tribe is divided into…groups.
a.       2
b.      3
c.       4
d.      5

4.      Where do Kajang Luar people live?
a.       In Bulukumba City
b.      In Bira
c.       Outside the forest
d.      Inside the forest

5.      The following statements are true about the Kajang Tribe, except….
a.       Oral teaching of Kajang people is done by Ammatoa.
b.      Kajang Tribe never use electricity in their house.
c.       Kajang Luar and Kajang dalam live everyday in a peace.
d.      Kajang Tribe use nail in building their houses.

Find the meaning of the words below and make sentences for every single word. Number 1 is example.
  1. Regency : kabupaten. --->       Last year we had an unforgettable experience when we visited a unique ethnic in a regency in South Sulawesi.
  2. Plant : …  ________________________________________________________
  3. Holy : … ________________________________________________________
  4. Elder : … ________________________________________________________
  5. Harmoniously : … _________________________________________________
  6. Initiative : …  ______________________________________________________