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Exploring Bali

Burhan Abe
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Exploring Bali

The most famous of Indonesia’s 17,000 plus islands, Bali lies between Java to the West and Lombok to the East at the coordinates of 8°25′23″S, 115°14′55″E. It is one of the country’s 33 provinces with the provincial capital at Denpasa towards the South of the island. Predominantly Hindu anrd the country’s most popular tourist destination, Bali is rightly renowned for its arts, including dance, sculpture, painting, leather, metalworking and music.

Tropical describes Bali’s equatorial climate in just one word. In the lowlands, temperatures average between 21 to 33 degree Celcius. In the mountains, temperatures may dip as low as 5 degree Celcius. Humidity in Bali varies but is always present, between 60 % to 100 %.

In general, Indonesia experiences two yearly seasons of monsoon winds: the southeast monsoon, bringing dry days from from May to October, and the northwest monsoon, bringing rain normally between November to April with a peak around January/February when it may rain for several hours each day.

Rain on Bali follows a fairly predictable pattern. Before it rains, the air gets very sticky; afterwards it is refreshingly cool and the sun usually appears. The changing seasons can bring high waves which attracts legions of surfers to the isle. The dry season, May to October, is a better time to visit Bali, and especially June to August. This is the time to climb mountains or visit nature reserves; when wild bulls go in search of water and sea turtles lay eggs.

Bali lies 3.2 km East of Java and approximately 8 degrees South of the equator. East to West, the island is approximately 153 km wide and 112 km North to South (95 by 69 miles, respectively), with a surface area of 5,633 km2. The highest point is Mount Agung at 3,142 m (10,308 feet) high, an active volcano that last erupted in March 1963. Mountains cover the center to the Eastern side, with Mount Agung the Easternmost peak. Mount Batur (1,717 m) is also still active. About 30,000 years ago it experienced a catastrophic eruption — one of the largest known volcanic events on Earth.

The principal cities are the Northern port of Singaraja, the former colonial capital of Bali, and the present provincial capital and largest city, Denpasar, near the Southern coast. The town of Ubud (North of Denpasar), with its art market, museums and galleries, serves as the cultural center of Bali.

There are major coastal roads and roads that cross the island mainly North-South. Due to the mountainous terrain in the island’s center, the roads tend to follow the crests of the ridges across the mountains. There are no railway lines.

The island is surrounded by coral reefs. Beaches in the South tend to have white sand while those in the North and West, black volcanic sand. One anomaly, Padangbai in the Southeast boasts both: the main beach and a secret beach have white sand while the town’s southern beach and the blue lagoon have much darker sand. The population of Bali is 3,156,392 (at 2008).

Bali History

Burhan Abe
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HISTORIANS believe that descendants of a prehistoric race who migrated through mainland Asia to the Indonesian Archipelago first settled in Bali around3000 BC. Stone axes and adzes discovered in Sembiran, a village in Northern Bali date to the Ice Age. Further discoveries of more sophisticated stone tools, agricultural techniques and basic pottery at place people living in Cekik (far West Bali) during the Neolithic era.


Other artifacts unearthed in Cekik, indicate a settlement together with burial sites of around a hundred people from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age. The massive drums of the Bronze Age, including the most famous and largest drum in Southeast Asia, the Pura Penataran Sasih (Moon of Pejeng), nearly two meters wide, are now housed in Penataran Sasih Temple in East Ubud. Carved stone sarcophagi from the same period found on Bali and in East Java can viewed at the Museum Bali in Denpasar and Museum Purbakala in Pejeng.


The end of the prehistoric period in Indonesia can be traced to the arrival of Hindu people from India around 100 BC as determined by Brahmi inscriptions on postherds. Prasasti, or metal inscriptions, Bali’s earliest written records from the 9th century AD, show a significant Buddhist and Hindu influence; especially in the statues, bronzes and rock-cut caves around Gunung Kawi (Old Monument) and Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave).


The name Balidwipa appears in various inscriptions, including the Blanjong charter issued by Sri Kesari Warmadewa in 913 AD. It was during this time that the complex irrigation system Subak developed to grow rice. Many of Bali’s religious and cultural traditions still in existence today date to this period.


Proof that Balinese society was already quite sophisticated by this period can be found on a stone carving in the Pura Korah Tegipan near Batur of the marriage portrait of Balinese King Udayana to East Java’s Princess Mahendratta. Their son, Erlangga, born around 991 AD, later succeeded to the throne of the Javanese kingdom, bringing Java and Bali together until his death in 1049.


The Hindu Majapahit Empire (1293 – 1520 AD) on Eastern Java established a Balinese colony in 1343. The eventual decline of that empire in the 15th century led to an exodus of intellectuals, artists, priests and musicians from Java to Bali.


Though a Portuguese ship foundered off Bali’s Bukit Peninsula in 1585, the first confirmed European on Bali, Dutch explorer Cornelis de Houtman, came ashore in1597. Dutch rule over Bali came much later though they never to achieved the control they had in other parts of Indonesia such as Java and Maluku. In the 1840s, The Dutch established a presence in the island’s North, where they played off various distrustful Balinese realms against each other. The Dutch mounted large naval and ground assaults first against the Sanur region and then Denpasar.


Hopelessly overwhelmed in number and armament, but not wanting to face the humiliation of surrender, the Balinese mounted one final defense, the suicidal assault known as puputan. Despite Dutch pleas for surrender, an estimated 4,000 Balinese marched to their death against the invaders. Afterwards the Dutch governors exercised little influence over the island, generally allowing local control over religion and culture to remain intact.


Japan occupied Bali during World War II. Following Japan’s Pacific surrender in August 1945, the Dutch promptly returned to Indonesia, including Bali, immediately reinstating their pre-war colonial administration. Though Balinese rebels resisted, using Japanese weapons, by 1946, the Dutch constituted Bali as one of the 13 administrative districts of the newly-proclaimed Republic of East Indonesia, a rival state to the Republic of Indonesia proclaimed by Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta. When the Netherlands eventually recongnized Indonesian independence on December 29 1949, Bali was included in the ‘’Republic of the United States of Indonesia.’’ In 1956 Bali officially renounced the Dutch union and legally became a province within the Republic of Indonesia.


The 1963 eruption of Bali’s Mount Agung Volcano killed thousands and created economic havoc. Countless Balinese fled permanently to other parts of Indonesia. More tragedy befell the Balinese in 1965, after a failed coup d’etat in Jakarta when killings of often falsely-accused members and sympathizers of the Partai Komunis Indonesia (Communist Party of Indonesia) by right-wing General Soeharto-sponsored militias took place on Bali and across Indonesia. Estimates put the Balinese death toll at more than 100,000. Many unmarked but well known mass graves of victims are located around the island.

Ceremonies in Bali

Burhan Abe
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Galungan

It occurs every 210 days and lasts for 10 days. Galungan means “when the Dharma is winning.” During this period, Balinese believe the deified ancestors of the family descend to their former homes. They must be suitably entertained and welcomed, with prayers and offerings made for them. Those who have ancestors buried in the village cemetery, must make offerings at the graves.

Although Galungan falls on a Wednesday, most Balinese will begin their ‘holiday’ the day before, so that the deified ancestors may see them busily preparing offerings and cooking for the next day.

A long bamboo pole, or penjor, decorates the entrance to the family compound during this holiday. By late Tuesday afternoon, these decorative poles create a festive atmosphere on the streets throughout.

While the women spend days creating elaborately woven banten (offerings made from young coconut fronds), the men usually wake up well before dawn on Wednesday to join with their neighbours to slaughter a pig unlucky enough to be chosen to help celebrate this occasion.

Finely diced pork is mashed to a pulp with a grinding stone, then molded onto sate sticks prepared by whittling small bamboo stalks. Chickens may also be chosen among those chickens that roam around the house compound. Delicate combinations of various vegetables, herbs and spices are also prepared by the men to make up a selection of lawar dishes. By mid-morning, once all the cooking is done, time comes for the first of a series of satisfying feasts.

Most Balinese try to return to their own ancestral home even if they work in another part of the island. As well as the family temple, visits are made to the village temple with offerings as well, and to the homes of other families who may have helped in some way over the past six months. Balinese most often spend the following day relaxing, visiting friends, or heading to the mountains for a picnic to continue the festive spirit of Galungan without the formal festivities.

Nyepi

The Balinese “Day of Silence” falls on Bali’s Lunar New Year, in late March or early April. On New Year’s Eve families parade with a giant monster doll known as Ogoh-Ogoh to the village temple where they symbolically burn it to exorcise evil spirits for the year to come. Next the island itself must be purified, an excuse for everyone to run amok through the villages all night, smashing effigies and clanging the kulkul, a traditional bamboo bell. The next day, Bali is completely silent (no electricity, working, traveling or eating) to ‘trick’ the malicious spirits into believing the Hindu isle is now uninhabited so they will leave for another year.


Pagerwesi


Balinese people in the Northern part of the island celebrate the first four days of the new Pawukon cycle as special religious days called Pagerwesi. The word itself comes from two Javanese words, pager (fence) and wesi (iron). According to their belief, one should surround oneself with a strong fortification against the forces of evil.


Pagerwesi celebrates an ancient battle between good and evil is celebrated. Locals will put up penjors, and make special offerings for the uncremated dead bodies in the cemeteries. The offerings are usually placed at every house compound and temples.


Before Pagerwesi, celebrants will perform a series of temple rituals known as Soma Ribek. Following the celebration, Balinese Hindus will continue to celebrate Sabuh Emas Day with colorful offerings made and dedicated to the Lord of Jewelries, especially gold jewelries and Chinese coins.


Ngaben (Cremation Ceremony)


The ritual performed to send the dead through the transition to the next life begins when the village Kul Kul, a bell hanging in the tower of the village temple, sounds a certain beat to announce the departure of the deceased. No tears are shed, for he is only gone temporarily and he will reincarnate into the family.


The Priest consults the Dewa to determine the proper day for the ceremony. On the day of the ceremony, the body is placed inside a coffin then inserted into a sarcophagus in the form of a buffalo (called Lembu) or a temple structure called Wadah made of paper and light wood. Next everyone takes part in the procession to the village cremation site carrying the Lembu or Wadah.

With fire originating from a holy source, the priest commences the burning of the entombed body so that the deceased may move to his afterlife and next reincarnation

Mesangih/Mepandes (Tooth-filing Ceremony)

In the Balinese belief system, Mepandes helps people rid themselves of the invisible forces of evil. Teeth symbolize the evils of lust, greed, anger, insobriety, confusion and jealousy. Filing the teeth therefore renders someone more spiritually beautiful, as well as announcing the rite of passage for an adolescent into adulthood.

Whenever possible, a member of the highest caste, the Brahman (priest) will file which is said to feel fairly painless. These Sangging use simple tools to conduct their work – a file, a small hammer, and a carver – purified with holy water prior to the ceremony by a lay priest. Items provided by the family include a mirror, a piece of sugar cane, and some young coconut. The person having their teeth filed must remain in isolation indoors for the whole day prior to the ceremony as protection since they are still considered “immature’, prior to the ceremony, they are particularly vulnerable to evil spirits.

During the joyous ceremony held between 04.00 am to 06.00 am, before the sun rises, two gender wayang instruments play their calming sound and soothing scale. People who have their teeth filed wear highly ornamental garb with the women donning gold-gilded headdresses.

Artifacts found in the Buleleng regency have resealed that the Balinese have been holding the tooth filing ceremony for over 2000 years, hence it was not originally a Hindu ceremony.


Balinese Names

Burhan Abe
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Balinese Names

Balinese believe that naming a child can affect a child’s life. On the baby’s 12th day, the extended hold a special name-giving ceremony called ngerorasin (originating from the word ‘roras’ meaning ‘twelve’ in Balinese). They consider several factors, including the child’s sex, caste, clan, birth order and the parents’ choice. The most common birth order naming system is the ‘Wayan – Made – Nyoman – Ketut’ cycle. If the family has more than four children, then the cycle begins again, with a different personal name.

There are, however, other names to indicate order of birth. The first born could be called Putu or Gede, the second Nengah or Kadek, and the third Komang or Koming. Also, a name is given according to a person’s caste.

In the Hindu-Bali system there are four castes:

  1. Brahmana – priestly caste. Names are prefixed by ‘Ida Bagus’ for males and ‘Ida Ayu‘ for females.
  2. Ksatria – warrior, noble, king or ruling caste. Names are prefixed by ‘Tjokorda‘ for males or ‘Tjokorda Istri‘ for females. Also, ‘Anak Agung’ indicates a person is of this caste.
  3. Wesia – blacksmith, farmer, or tradesperson caste. Names are prefixed by ‘Gusti’, or by ‘Dewa‘ (male) or ‘Desak’ (female).
  4. Sudra – servant, or labour caste – about 95% of all Balinese. As well as using the birth order name indicated above, the name is prefixed with ‘I’ for males or ‘Ni’ for females.

Bright Prospects for Budget Airlines

Burhan Abe
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Bright Prospects for Budget Airlines

If Tony Fernandes, the former deputy president director of Time Warner Music Southeast Asia had not gone into the budget airline or low cost carrier (LCC) business not many people would have heard of him. Tony is aware that traveling is a major industry or business. He is also aware that many people will frequently fly. “And Asia is a huge ‘playground’, because it is a large continent, which means a promising market,” he says as quoted in the book The AirAsia Story written by Sen Ze and Jayne Ng.

AirAsia has been recognized as the most promising budget airline in Southeast Asia. By December 2002 in just seven months, the airline racked up a massive revenue of Rp 282.5 billion with a profit of Rp 48.5 billion. In the span of seven months AirAsia was able to carry about 1.1 million passengers.

The airline applies efficiency in all sectors so costs are kept to a minimum, there are, for example, no meals for passengers for flights of a short duration (maximum 3.5 hours) and no accommodation for the crew, low cost airports, paperless tickets and so forth.

AirAsia purchases its fuel by paying in advance to avoid future price increases. It covers the most promising routes and keeps on expanding so that by 2011 at least 60 aircrafts will be in operation.

As a pioneering low cost carrier in Asia the airline, which is headquartered in Malaysia, keeps innovating in its promotions and operations. AirAsia is also currently concentrating on adding routes to cover international destinations including Australia, Europe, the Middle East and soon the United States. It is also adding new airplanes, the Airbus A320, which are being sent to Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia in stages.

In Indonesia AirAsia has 14 aircraft, comprising of eight Airbus A320 and six Boeing 737-300 for 14 routes, both domestic and international. After its latest Bali – Perth route, another new route, Jakarta – Ho Chi Minh (Saigon), is being opened with four flights a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Ticket sales started on August 20 for flights from Sept. 18, 2009 until July 21, 2010.

AirAsia is actually not the first airline with a low cost carrier (LCC) concept as in Europe there are EasyJet, RyanAir and German Wings. And before these airlines there was Southwest, the pioneer of budget airlines.

In today’s global economic downturn low cost carriers have indeed become the preferred option of many passengers. Many airline companies have turned to this business albeit only for short distance flights. “A budget airline is actually saved by domestic flights that take not longer than four hours,” said General Manager and CEO of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Giovanni Bizignani, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in the middle of this year.

The ongoing global economic crisis has had a negative impact on the airline business, while at the same time global oil prices show a continuous upward trend. Therefore, airline companies have to revise their loss figures for 2009 as profits are going down by about 15 percent. The number of passengers in 2009 is also predicted to be smaller, only 2.06 billion people, compared to the 2008 figure of 2.24 billion passengers.

Mengapa Rumput Tetangga Lebih Hijau?

Burhan Abe
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Mengapa Rumput Tetangga Lebih Hijau?

Bepergian sekarang makin gampang saja. Bukan saja informasinya yang bejibun dan mudah diakses – apalagi dengan tersedianya fasilitas online, banyak maskapai penerbangan yang menawarkan tiket murah. Bepergian ke Singapura, misalnya, dengan dihapusnya biaya fiskal, kini jauh lebih murah ketimbang ke Bali, apalagi ke Papua meski masih dalam yurisdiksi wilayah Indonesia.

Bisa dipahami kalau orang Jakarta suka bepergian ke Singapura ketimbang ke Lhok Semauwe atau Merauke, misalnya. Juga jangan heran kalau di sepanjang Orchard Road sangat mudah dijumpai orang-orang Indonesia. Tidak hanya itu, Pemerintah Negeri Singa tersebut pandai mengemas negaranya menjadi tujuan wisata yang menarik. 

Sewaktu menginap di The Fullerton, eks gedung kantor pos yang disulap menjadi hotel bintang lima, yang berada di dekat muara sungai, saya bisa menyaksikan sendiri betapa lokasi itu disulap menjadi tempat yang menarik – mulai pagi hingga malam hari tidak pernah sepi dengan atraksi wisata. Mulai dari wisata museum, wisata belanja, hingga wisata kuliner di malam hari.

Yup, Clarke Quay adalah salah satu kawasan yang saya sukai. Di situ kita bisa nongkrong pagi di salah satu kafe dengan secangkir kopi, atau hang out di malam hari di klub-klub yang bertebaran di situ. Sebagai kawasan pergudangan yang telah direnovasi seluas lima blok, Clarke Quay menawarkan suatu alternatif yang beda dari tempat wisata umum lainnya, dengan berbagai restoran dan toko barang antik, ditambah aneka pilihan makan minum yang istimewa. Saat senja, sejumlah pub akan menyapa dengan musik dari tahun 1960-an hingga musik masa kini.

Singapura yang cuma 704 km2 itu memang bukan apa-apa dibanding Indonesia luasnya. Tapi negeri (tepatnya kota) sekecil itu mampu menjadi magnet bagi para wisatawan Asia Tenggara, bahkan seluruh dunia.

Tercatat 2 juta jiwa wisman yang berkunjung ke negeri itu setiap tahunnya, bahkan dengan adanya event balap F1 September lalu, tahun 2008 ditutup dengan angka 10,3 juta jiwa. Bandingkan dengan Indonesia, yang lebih luas wilayahnya dengan beragam atraksi wisata, pada tahun yang sama, hanya bisa menjaring 6,4 juta jiwa turis asing. 

Bandingkan pula dengan Malaysia, misalnya, jumlah wismannya bisa mencapai 3,8 juta jiwa (tahun 2008). Padahal Malaysia tidak punya Candi Borobudur yang katanya satu dari sepuluh keajaiban dunia, juga tidak punya Pulau Bali yang eksotis dan kaya tradisi.

Yang mereka punyai hanyalah kreatvitas yang tinggi dan upaya keras mewujudkannya, maka Malaysia pun membangun menara kembar tertinggi di dunia, membangun kawasan wisata Genting, dan seterusnya. Juga, jangan lupa, mengemas dan mempromosikan fasilitas pariwisata habis-habisan, termasuk ke Indonesia – negara serumpun yang dianggap sebagai gurunya. 

Apa sebenarnya yang salah dengan Indonesia? Negeri yang indah pemandangan alamnya, kaya seni dan budayanya, banyak peninggalan sejarah, ramah penduduknya (meski belakangan sering dipertanyakan setelah banyaknya teror), dan seterusnya, tapi pertumbuhan wisawatan mancanegaranya selalu membuat banyak kalangan was-was, alias tidak stabil. 

Indonesia memang tidak perlu meniru negara jiran, tapi sebagai negara kepulauan terbesar di dunia, keanekaragaman budaya dan kekayaan alamnya yang tersebar di 17.508 kepulauan, seharusnya menjadi modal yang lebih dari cukup. Apa yang salah dengan program-program seperti Visit Indonesia Year 2009, World Ocean Conference, atau yang akan akan berlangsung Indonesia Travel & Tourism Fair 2 – 4 Oktober nanti. 

Bisakah momentum tersebut mengembalikan Indonesia sebagai destinasi favorit di dunia dan mengembalikan citra pariwisata Indonesia yang sempat terganggu akibat peristiwa teror bom hotel JW Marriot dan Ritz Carlton beberapa waktu lalu? (Burhan Abe)

Little Secrets of a Sommelier

Burhan Abe
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Little Secrets of a Sommelier

Ketika saya memposting artikel tentang nikmatnya mereguk wine Australia di blog pribadi, seorang teman memberi komentar pedas. “Orang-orang Indonesia itu mau dibohongi, wine yang beredar di sini kebanyakan bukan dari Prancis. Kalau pun ada yang dari Prancis, di sana yang kelasnya bawah,” katanya.

Kalimat tersebut mempunyai banyak arti, tapi yang jelas teman saya tersebut berpendapat bahwa wine ada kelas-kelasnya. Ini mungkin saja benar. Tapi pengertian berikutnya adalah, bahwa wine asal negara Prancis lebih OK ketimbang wine dari negara lain. 

Ini memang perdebatan lama, apakah benar bawah wine Prancis memiliki bobot yang lebih ketimbang wine yang lain? Atau, kalau diperluas, benarkah old world wine (yang di dalamnya termasuk Prancis, ditambah Italia, Spanyol, Portugal, Austria, dan Yunani) memiliki keunggulan dibandingkan dengan new world wine (yang di dalamnya ada Australia, plus Amerika, Selandia Baru, Afrika Selatan, Chile, Argentina, Kanada, dan lain-lain).

Para ahli wine senang menggunakan pengelompokan seperti itu, karena memang gaya maupun rasa kedua grup ini dianggap cukup berbeda. Old world wine dianggap lebih elegan, sedangkan new world wine sering kali karakter yang lebih “kasar” – bahkan ada yang menganggap bahwa wine di luar old world wine bukanlah wine. Benarkah? 

Orang boleh berpendapat apa saja. Tapi nyatanya banyak wine-wine dari negara-negara penghasil wine yang disebut “baru”, banyak memenangkan medali dalam kompetisi global – yang pesertanya tidak dibatasi hanya new world wine tentu saja. Juga jangan salah, banyak wine maker top yang membudidayakan wine di negara-negara yang dikategorikan new world itu.

Michel Rolland yang ahli membuat merlot, misalnya, untuk menyebut contoh, punya banyak proyek di Amerika Selatan. Juga Christian Vannequé, ahli wine asal Prancis, kini membuka wine bar di Bali, tidak hanya merekomendasikan wine asal Prancis saja, tapi juga wine-wine dari segala penjuru dunia – termasuk Hatten, merek asal Pulau Dewata tersebut.

Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash

Tapi menikmati wine kurang asyik kalau hanya memperdebatkan dari mana wine tersebut berasal. Sama dengan musik jazz yang tidak harus didiskusikan (meski menambah wawasan) tapi nikmati saja!

Jean-Pascal Paubert, ahli wine asal Prancis, yang datang pada acara “The Battle of The Best” dalam rangka mencari sommelier terbaik di Indonesia di Jakarta awal Agustus 2009 lalu, mengungkapkan bahwa selera terhadap wine itu sangat personal. Minum wine sangat menyenangkan kalu kita tahu seninya. Jadi, lupakan sejenak perdebatan, kalau Anda merasa nikmat dengan wine yang Anda minum, tidak perlu merasa berkecil hati, meski wine tersebut bukan kategori premium. Apalagi hanya sekadar new world wine!

Saya suka pendapat penulis wine Yohan Handoyo, “Janganlah terjebak pada dikotomi old world dan new world wine karena pembagian ini semakin tidak relevan. Jauh lebih aman jika Anda memperhatikan merk dari wine yang Anda sukai.” (Burhan Abe)

A Great Place Creates Lasting Moments

Burhan Abe
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A Great Place Creates Lasting Moments

Tidak ada alasan untuk tidak mengunjungi Bandung. Selain factory outlets yang selalu menjaid langganan orang-orang Jakarta di akhir pekan, keindahan alamnya memberikan inspirasi dalam berwisata. Keindahan alam itu pula yang ingin disuguhkan Sapu Lidi Café, Resort & Gallery. 

Nama Sapu Lidi adalah nama legendaris sebagai gerai jins di Cihampelas, dan kini pemliknya, Bob Doank, mengembangkannya menjadi tempat tetirah khas Bandung, yang di dalamnya ada fasilitas kafe dan galeri. Seniman dan pengusaha ini memang concern memacu kreativitas dengan mengembangkan kebudayaan alam Indonesia yang kaya dengan berbagai potensi yang terkandung di dalamnya menjadi sebuah tujuan wisata.

Di sini tersedeia 25 cottage, yang sengaja dibangun di pinggir danau. Tamu yang menginap akan merasakan suasana pedesaan, berbeda dengan sehari-hari. Dengan perahu yang tersedia, tamu bisa berkeliling memutari danau tersebut. Harga mulai dari Rp 900.000/malam untuk Junior Suite Room dan Rp 3.500.000/malam untuk President Suite Room.

Dibuka sejak tahun 2000, Sapu Lidi Café, Resort & Gallery telah menjadi target utama para wisatawan dari Jakarta maupun mancanegara seperti Malaysia, Timur Tengah, dan Eropa. Berdiri di lahan seluas 6 hektar, resor dan kafe ini terus berbenah diri, dan baru tiga hektar yang telah terkonsepkan menjadi sebuah wisata alam. “Kami berencana akan membuat sebuah perkampungan yang di dalamnya terdapat para pengrajin kesenian daerah warga sekitar, reflexy dan spa, juga tempat bermain anak,” jelas Bob.

Kalau tidak ingin menginap, apalagi memang harus reserve jauh hari sebelumnya karena keterbatasan kamar yang tersedia, makan di kafenya pun tidak kalah asyiknya. Menyantapnya pun bisa memilih di tengah sawah atau di tepi sungai yang mengalir. Menu yang ditawarkan di sini kebanyakan masakan khas Sunda, seperti ikan atau ayam bakar, gurami goreng atau pepes. Untuk penghangat badan, tersedia wedang panas, seperti wedang ronde, wedang sekoteng, atau bajigur.

Seusai menikmati makanan dan minuman, mampirlah ke galerinya. Di sini dijual sepatu, baju, aksesoris, dan benda kerajinan tangan untuk cenderamata, juga beragam kue-kue dan camilan tradisional, yang dibawa pulang sebagai oleh-oleh. (Abe)

Sapulidi Cafe & Resort

Jl. Sersan Bajuri Kompleks Graha Puspa, Cihideung, Lembang, Bandung.

Tel: +62 22 2786915, 2786461 Fax. +62 22 2787499

www.sapulidisawah.com

Lasik Popular Way of Solving Eye Problem

Burhan Abe
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Lasik Popular Way of Solving Eye Problem

Spectacles indeed look trendy on some people, but they often cause discomfort and restrict freedom of movement. Wearing spectacles is made worse when they do not match one’s face, which is unflattering to one’s appearance. While contact lenses can solve this problem, there is a more advanced solution, namely the Lasik procedure.

Lasik or laser in-situ keratomileusis is a surgical procedure that has become a phenomenon as it can cure near and farsightedness and other eye problems in a very short time. Nowadays, many people are interested in Lasik because it is safe and effective.

There are two stages in the Lasik procedure, which are the development of retractive surgery technique. First, a tiny opening is made on the cornea and the second is to reshape the cornea by removing tissue in the cornea with a laser. The opening in the cornea is then re-closed.

The basic creation of Lasik started in the 1950s, when microkeratome was created. It is a precision surgical instrument with an oscillating blade designed for creating the corneal flap.

Over the years, the microkeratome has been redesigned to perfection so that creating the corneal flap is safe. The second technological invention was ultraviolet laser, which was created in 1980 and can be used for accurate incisions in tissues without damaging surrounding tissue.

Ten years after the Lasik operation was approved by the FDA, millions of people around the world enjoyed its benefits and were finally freed from the discomfort of wearing spectacles or cleaning contact lens regularly.

However, a small portion of the many millions have complained about dry eyes, blurred vision and bleeding colors. A few also claim the procedure impaired their vision as they cannot watch movies or drive in the evening. Based on such complaints, the FDA did a Lasik safety audit. “The technology is more sophisticated and safer, but there are still a few patients who are not satisfied with the result,” said FDA director for equipment and health radiology Dr Daniel G Schultz.

Since FDA’s approval in 1998, Lasik turnover has reached US$2.5 billion per year. Up until 2006, the FDA had received 140 serious complaints about the procedure’s side effects. However, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) studied 3,000 articles collected by its committee and found 95 percent were satisfied with the surgery results.

Although the Lasik procedure has had FDA approval for a decade, it was only in September 2007 that NASA agreed to its astronauts undergoing the procedure. US navy top gun and air force pilots are also now allowed to undergo this procedure, which is limited to I Lasik and no other Lasik procedure.

I Lasik is a knifeless Lasik technology with an unprecedented level of safety and accuracy. It is the most sophisticated combination of Intralase and VISX Advanced CustomVue and is the best there is to date.

Airborne Cell Phone Communication no Longer a Dream

Burhan Abe
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Airborne Cell Phone Communication no Longer a Dream

Each time we board a plane we hear the announcement: “Turn off your cell phone when on board the plane.”

Indeed, the cell phone radio frequency can disrupt the plane’s navigation and communication system as this modern means of transportation depends a lot on radio frequency for its various functions, including communication with the control tower. This is one of the reasons why the British Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) forbids the use of cell phones on board as a cell phone frequency can create significant errors in the display instruments and disturbing sounds on the pilot’s radio. Even on a standby mode a cell phone still radiates electromagnetic signals and the signals become stronger when the base transceiver station (BTS) is connected with another cell phone for a call or an SMS.

Therefore, for the safety of passengers you are required to switch off your cell phone when you board a plane. However, this tradition will soon end. Several European airlines now already allow the use of cell phones with several conditions. Airbus, for example, has already allowed the use of cell phones and BlackBerry, which are frequently used to send and receive emails.

Soon, with an agreement issued by the European Aviation Safety Board, passengers on Airbus, which is equipped with the On-Air system, can use their various cell phones for calls, SMS and e-mail while flying.

The first airplane with this system is the Airbus A318, which will be operated by Air France. British airline BMI, Portuguese airline TAP, as well as Ryanair have also signed an agreement to provide the On-Air facility, which has been developed jointly by Airbus and SITA, a communication service company.

For the time being the facility will only be available in a number of European countries, but soon it will most probably be expanded throughout the world. As a matter of fact, a facility similar to OnAir, which is not the first one in the world, has been made available by Airbus competitor Boeing, which is being called Internet Connexxion. However, this facility was later discontinued as there was little demand from passengers so business wise it was not so profitable.

In Indonesia, Indosat is the first operator to provide such facility for its subscribers when flying to foreign countries through a service called AeroMobile. For the time being only Indosat’s Matrix subscribers can enjoy this facility when they fly on Emirates Airlines and Malaysia Airlines abroad. AeroMobile itself is the first operator to provide such services in the world and the services were commercialized for flying on Emirates Airlines as of March 2008.

AeroMobile Limited is a company based in England with majority shares owned by Telenor ASA, the seventh largest telecommunication company in the world. In response to the market demand since 2003 AeroMobile has been developing safe communication facilities for airplane passengers who carry cell phones and PDAs.

As the market leader in this field AeroMobile started to provide international services in April 2007 when Qantas commercially launched its in-flight mobile technology. The AeroMobile system was successfully tested through over 1,000 Australian domestic flights when SMS, GSM and GPRS data services were being made available for passengers. Qantas made a commitment to apply the services fully for its flights.

Meanwhile, starting March 2008 the AeroMobile system made cell phone calls possible for passengers of Emirates Airlines. Aeromobile and Indosat jointly guarantee the safety of mobile phone communications aboard international flights. Fuad Fahrudin, Group Head Integrated Marketing of Indosat, said that there are at least three factors behind the guarantee.

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