The Khataman Ceremony

  The "Khataman" ceremony in Riau is one part of the a series of traditional wedding ceremonies. Generally the "Khataman" ceremony is performed at the house of the would be bride prior to the "akad nikah" ceremony. At the "Khataman" ceremony the bride obliged to read the Juz (section of the Qur'an) Ama, starting from Al-Fatihaah (first chapterof the Qur'an) to Adh-Dhuhaa.

  To prove that in her girlhood she had finished reading the Qur'an so that she can be considered as having received sufficient education in morality adn is it fit to become a pious mother, an example for her future children. At the same time a traditional procession is held to the house of the "Cekgu" or the religious teacher with the purpose that the would-be-bride should pay homage and thank the Cekgu, who had provided her with very valuable knowledge.

  The "Khataman" ceremony was performed sometime ago at the Riau Pavilion, Taman Mini Indonesia Indah. The ceremony was preceded by a procession of the bride. Accompanied by her two parents, her religion teacher and friends, the would-be-bride stepped up a raised platform from the procession. Three pieces of rugs or carpets have been spread out on the platform for the participants of the procession to sit on.

  Several ambassadors of foreign countries for Indonesia who were present at that time were also invited to come up the platform to watch from nearby the performance of the "Khataman" ceremony. Forming as semi-circle, the participants of the ceremony sat cross-legged on the floor, around a "bunga telur" (a flowerpot or a vase with flower made of paper and eggs). The would-be-bride sat in the middle, next to her parents and her Cekgu or religion teacher. While in front of her, the Qur'an was laid open, ready to be read. Then the "Qasidah" (religious chants in arabic) players started to sing songs with Islamic themes. A series of "Khataman" ceremonies were held at the bride's house, before the "akad nikah" ceremony next day.

Drugs And Their Effects

Marijuana

  Marijuana is a dry, shredded green / brown mix of flowers, stems, seeds, and leaves of the hemp plant, cannabis sativa. It usually is smoked as a cigarette or in a pipe. Marijuana smoke has a strong and distinctive, usually sweet and sour odour. There are countless street terms for marijuana including pot, herb, weed, grass, widow, ganja, and hash. Long term marijuana use leads to an addiction. The short terms effects of marijuana addiction can include problems with memory and learning, difficulty in thinking and problem solving, loss of coordination and increased heart rate. Smoking marijuana increases the possibility of developing cancer of the head or neck. Marijuana use also has the potential to promote cancer of the lungs and other parts of the respiratory tract because it contains irritants and carcinogens. In fact, marijuana smoke contains 50 to 70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons that does tobacco smoke. Depression, anxiety, and personality disturbances have been associated with marijuana addiction. 

Cocain

  Cocaine is a powerful addictive drug that is snorted, sniffed, injected or smoked and directly affects the brain. It is also called by the streets name coke, snow, flake, blow, and others. Cocaine usually makes the user feel euphoric and energetic. Cocaine is generally sold on the street as a fine, white, crystalline powder. Street dealers generally dilute it with such substances as cornstarch, talcum powder, sugar, or with such active drugs as procaine (a chemically related local anesthesic) or with such other stimulants as amphetamines. Adults 18 to 25 years old have the highest rate of current cocaine use, compare to other age groups presumably because it is very expensive.

  Common health effects include heart attacks, respiratory failure, and strokes. In some cases, sudden death can occur in the first use of cocaine or unexpectedly thereafter. Physical effects of cocaine use include constricted blood vessels, dilated pupils, and increased temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure. Different means of taking cocaine can produce different adverse effects. Regularly snorting cocaine, for example, can lead to loss sense of smell, nosebleeds, problems with swallowing, hoarseness, and a chronically runny nose. People who inject cocaine can experience severe allergic reactions and, as with many injecting drug user, are at increased risk for contracting HIV and other blood borne diseases.

Oldest Material in Solar System Found

  

  Pea-size minerals inside a meteorite are the oldest known material in thesolar system, a new study says.

  At 4,568.2 million years old, the minerals push back the birth of the solar system by as much as two million years—and suggests that an exploding star injected key materials into our system as it was being born, researchers say.

  The 3-pound (1.5-kilogram) parent meteorite, dubbed NWA 2364, was found in 2004 in Morocco and is believed to have originated from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. 

But the tests reveal that telltale mineral lumps inside—called calcium-aluminum inclusions—are from a time before that asteroid belt existed. The minerals may have formed just after part of an interstellar gas and dust cloud, or nebula, had collapsed and formed our sun, as one sun-formation theory goes.

  "Soon after the collapse of the solar nebula, matter started to condense as the temperature went down, and these inclusions started forming," said lead study author Audrey Bouvier, a research associate at Arizona State University's Center for Meteorite Studies. 

Bouvier and co-author Meenakshi Wadhwa, also of Arizona State, measured ratios of lead isotopes—lighter-or-heavier-than-usual versions of an element—in a single "pristine" inclusion to uncover its birth date, she said. 

"This revised age is between 0.3 and 1.9 million years older than previous estimates," she said, "making it the oldest on record."

Supernova Blasted Solar System Into Existence?

  Two million years is a drop in the bucket in cosmic time, but it could have major ramifications for how scientists think the solar system was born. 

Again, it comes down to isotopes—in this case, iron-60, which forms when massive stars go supernova, exploding at the ends of their lives.

  Previous studies by other scientists of iron-60 isotopes in mineral inclusions in meteorites found that the inclusions had formed roughly two million years after what was thought to have been the birth of the solar system.

But because the solar system is now apparently up to two million years older than previously thought, the abundance of iron-60 estimated from the inclusions must be extrapolated back another two million years. Since iron-60 degrades by half every two million years, the revised initial quantity of iron-60 in the solar system is almost double previous estimates.

  The only thing that could have put so much iron-60 into the nascent solar system, she added, is a nearby supernova.I

f true, the finding supports a theory that a supernova seeded the ancient solar nebula with heavy metals and possibly triggered its collapse nearly 4.57 billion years ago.

  "I think it is important that people understand that this matter now present in our solar system has been brought in by other stars," Bouvier said.

  "Massive stars may have exploded nearby but not close enough to destroy it—but instead brought in these key elements for planet formation and life."

(National Geographic)

Actions To Reduce Global Warming

  

  Global warming already disrupts millions of lives daily in the forms of destructive weather patterns and loss habitat. What is already happening is only the tip of the melting iceberg, for it is our children and grandchlidren who will suffer the greatest from the impact of global warming. This article outlines some ways that you can act to prevent the Earth's atmosphere from warming. While humankind has the ability to destroy the planet, we also have the capacity to protect and sustain it.

  Reducing your carbon and greenhouse gas emisions will not only make your personal living space more sustainable but it will save your money in both th short and long term. Global warming is occuring more rapidly than it was originally expected to -- only forty years ago, the big worry was global cooling. Even if you remain a cynic, however, and believe that the makority of scientist are wrong, you will benefit from reduced pollution, a healthier lifestyle and increased savings from enacting these simple activities that will not reduce the quality of your lifestyle.

• Get educated. Educate yourself about global warming. The more facts you have the more you can persuade others to make simple but effective changes in daily behavior. Energy saving technique are either initially expensive (for example solar power), or take extra time (for example recycling), so many people need convincing that their efforts matter.
• Recycle more. Recycle more using recycle bins, composing, etc.
• Use compact fluorescent bulbs. replace three frequently using light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs / lamps and save 135 kgs of carbon dioxide.
• Use recycle paper.
• Unplug unused electronics. Even when electronic devices are turned off, they use energy. Save over 450 kgs of carbon dioxide per year by unplugging them.
• Grow fast growing plants. Plants like bamboo grow faster and require less chemicals and care. Make sure that the plants are appropriate for your area.
• Take public transportation.
• Ride a bicycle. Taking the bike instead of the cars is a very simple solution. 

From Padang to Bukittinggi

  From Padang to Bukittinggi, 92 kilometers to the north, the roads leads through West Sumatra's scenic countryside. It takes little imagination to see why The Dutch, during their colonial days, chose to have the seat of their administration in this cool and pleasant little town which they called Fort de Kock.

  Built at an altitude of 921 meters above the sea level in Agam highlands, Bukittinggi is cool and clean, and the setting is magnificent. The average daily temperature is 21 degrees celsius. Because of its pleasing character, it's cool climate and strategic location. Bukittinggi is the center of tourism in West Sumatra. One never has to go far to be awed by the province's majestic scenery of cultural wealth. Imposing canyons, cool mountain resorts, clear rivers, caves and craftmens villages, all are within easy walking or driving distance from the center of the town.

  The Bundo Kanduang Museum is located in the heart of the town. The Dutch architect J.J Mandelaar built the museum, in the shape of a building in grand traditional style, in 1935. In it are kept some of the best samples of West Sumatra's cultural legacy. The museum adjons the Bukittinggi Zoo, which is formally known as the Putri Bungsu Park.

  In the center of Bukittinggi is the Tri Arga buliding, in 1947 during the war of independence, Vice President Mohammad Hatta at one time led the struggle in Sumatra. In the front of the building stands what is perhaps Bukittinggi's best known landmark, the Jam Gadang - a clock tower built at the Dutchman Bookmaker in 1872. Nearby is the Bukittinggi Market, where browsers will find many items that are unique to the land of the Minang, including handicraft and foods, such as spicy Sanjai Chips, which are cassava chips dipped in red pepper sauce.

Bukittinggi

Museum Bundo Kanduang

Some of the scenery in Bukittinggi

Freedom From Pain

 
  William Morton was studying at Harvard Medical College in Boston In 1844. In those days no special training was required to pull teeth. The great pain that his patients had to suffer bothered Morton. A patient would scream with pain when his tooth was being pulled. He often had to be tied to the chair so that the dentist could work.
  As he walk through the hospital, Morton could hear the screams of patients in operating rooms. He listened to the lecturer tellind sadly to students that sometimes the pain of surgical operating was so great that a patient would die from shock. The young Morton was concerned with the problem of pain. One day he visited Dr. Charles Jackson, who was both a geologist and a chemist. he often experimented with gases, particularly nitrous oxyde and ether. He told Morton that once he had accidentally inhaled some ether had become unconsciuous. But after a few minute he had recovered conscious without any memory of what had happened while he was unconscious.
  From his medical books, Morton learned that Sir Humphry Davy had experimented with nitrous oxyde and it had the same effect as ether. He had observed that some people who had inhaled nitrous oxyde had become insensible and were unable to feel pain. For this reason Davy thought that the gas might be useful in surgical operations. But he did not carry his work any further.
  Morton decided to test Davy's conclusion. He poured some ether into a cloth and put it near the nose of his dog. In a few second the dog slumped to the floor. Morton examined the dog's breathing and heartbeat. They were normal and after a few minutes tha dog awakened and watch him. The next day he experimented on other animals and the results were the same.
  His final step was he inhaled the ether himself in his room. He breathed the ether fumes and soon he lost consciousness. When he awakened, he felt numbness in his arms and legs, but gradually he felt all right. He was happy with the success of his experiment. Two days later a man who was in a great pain from a bad toothache came to Morton's office. He tried to experiment with the ether and the patient lost consciousness, he was surprised to find that the tooth had been pulled and he had felt nothing.
  Dr. John Collins Warrens, a surgeon agreed to a demonstration in front of an audience of doctors and medical students. After applying ether to the patient, Morton said, "Your patient is ready, Doctor." Dr. Warrens operated the patient quickly. He removed a large tumor from the neck of the patient. No movement of patient, no loud screams was heard, a twisting of arms and legs interfered with the surgeon's work. Everybody cheered as Dr. Morton shook hands with Dr. Warrens. Freedom from pain in surgery had been born.

Culture Shock

 
  Each society has its own beliefs, attitudes, customs, behaviors, and social habits. These give people a sense of who they are, how they should behave, and what they should not do. These "rules" reflect the "culture" of a country.
  People become conscious of such rules when they meet people from different cultures. For example, in some cultures, being on time can mean turning up several hours late for an appointment, even for a bussiness meeting. Also, the rules about when to eat vary from one culture to another. Many North Americans and Europeans are used to having three mealtimes a day and organize their timetable around them. In some countries, on the other hand, people often do not have strict rules like these people eat when they want to, and every family has its own timetable.
  When people visit or live in a country for the first time, they are often surprised at the differences that exist between their own culture and the culture in the other country. The most common way of comparing two cultures is in terms of heir differences - not their similarities. For some people, travelling abroad is an exciting experience; for others though, cultural differences make them feel uncomfortable, frightened, or even insecure. This known as "culture shock". Here are several things to do in order to avoid culture shock.

Learning how to adapt to a new culture

1. Avoid quick judgements; try to understand people in another culture from their own point of view.
2. Become more aware of what is going on around you, and why.
3. Don't think of your cultural habits as "right" and other people as "wrong".
4. Be willing to try new thing and to have new experiences.
5. Try to appreciate and understand other people's values.
6. Think about your own culture and how it influences your attitudes and actions.
7. Avoid having negative stereotypes about foreigners and their cultures.
8. Show respect, sincerety, interest, acceptances, and concern for things that are important to other people.

  Understanding and appreciating cultural differences can help people avoid misunderstandings, develop friendship more easily, and feel more comfortable when traveling or living abroad.

The Keris Culture

 

  If you are willing to observe Indonesian cultural history carefully, evidently the keris culture is a prominent feature in Indonesian social life in any era period, in any part of the Indonesian archipelago.

  The keris is an art product made of iron as the raw material. Therefore it has been established that Indonesian forefathers in the Iron Age originally made the keris. In this country there are large deposits of iron, so it is no wonder that products of this metal developed very fast.

  And Indonesian is proud of that great legacy left by their ancestors, rather than being overawed by foreign culture. To be sure, part of Indonesian past was gloomy and gray, owing the period of colonization. But this fact should not reduce Indonesia to a petty nation; on the contrary, they have to wake up from the 350 years of lethargy inflicted by colonialism. They must rally to look into mistakes their forefathers made. The black pages of history must not kill their ambition to attain a bright future. It is for the future that they have got to do something; they must exhibit the herritage of their ancestral culture.

  In every era, the keris setting has adapted it self to exigencies of the times and the needs of the keris masters in different eras. Not only the models of this objects developed, but also what is more important, also the esoteric values which went with it.

Keris Nogo Sosro

Tana Toraja and Torajan People

  

  For many people, a funeral is a time of great sadness, but not for Torajan people of the central South Sulawesi. For them, a funeral is an important event and a time for celebrations. The Torajan's, who have their own religion, believe that after we die, our soul will became angry and jealous if we do not perform special funeral ceremonies for the dead person. If the ceremonies are not performed it will bring bad luck. That is why many of the Torajan people today still do ancient funeral ceremonies.

  Sometimes Torajan is not burried immediately after death. the dead body is preserved in a special way in a coffin and kept in the house until the family is ready to perform yhe special ceremony. This maybe two or three years after the person's death. Until the time of the funeral ceremony, the person is thought of as a sick person. When the time comes for the funeral, the coffin is taken out of the house, wrapped in beautiful cloth, and placed inside a special structure, which is built to carry the coffin. It is shape like Torajan house, with a beautiful pointed roof. Near by a carved wooden statue of the dead person sits waiting to be carried with the coffin to the burial place. This statue is called Tau-Tau. Now the village people dance around the Tau-Tau and the coffin, singing ancient Torajan funeral songs. Later the coffin will be buried. Often this is a hole high up in the side of a cliff. When the coffin reaches the burial place there are many more dances and ceremonies. Bulls and pigs are killed. The Torajans believe that this will make the soul of the dead person more pure. These ceremonies often last several days. Finally the coffin is carried up to the burial place in the side of the cliff. The coffin is placed in the hole and the Tau-Tau is placed in front of it.

  Today thousands of tourist from all over the world visit Sulawesi to visit Tana Toraja (the land of the Torajans) to see and learn about these interesting people with their ancient and unusual ceremonies and beliefs.

From alchemy to Science

 
  There was a Swiss doctor who called himself Paracelsus. He was an alchemist but not an ordinary one. He didn't think it was at all important to find methods for making gold. He thought that alchemist should search for medicine to cure sickness. He was not a great scientist and some of his idea were entirely wrong. But he wanted to put an end to ancient beliefs and start over. There he was right. He was also right in wanting to test ideas by experiments.
  In the beginning of 1580's an Italian scientist named Galileo showed that it was very important to make accurate measurements. More could be learned in this way than in any other. His work in physics and astronomy helped to establish modern science. Lavoisier, a French chemist, explained that a candle didn't really disappear if it burned. The carbon and hydrogen it in combined with the oxygen of the air. They formed carbon dioxyde gas and water vapour. If the candle burned in a clossed vessel, the weight of the candle and vessel did not change.
  Chemists tried to arrange the elements in the order of their atomic weights. The most successful arranger was a Russian chemist, Dmitri Mendeleev. In 1869 he arranged the elements in rows and columns. He published the first periodic table, which became the basis of theoritical chemistry. The periodic table provides an easy way to show the dividion of the elements into two : acid and base.