Sperm Whale Beached in Bunaken, North Sulawesi

Location of Bunaken, where the sperm whale was found.

There is little information on this story, and none in English, so we're providing what is known so far.

The carcass of a sperm whale has been found beached on the shore of Bunaken, an island off the coast of North Sulawesi.¹ Although it's possible that the whale was stranded before dying on the beach, Kompas suggests that it has been dead for a week. Azalea, a local resident, reported finding it in the morning and hypothesised that it must have washed ashore the previous night, presumably already dead. The fact that it is dead now can be confirmed in the image below.

The beached sperm whale. Locals are currently trying to remove it from the shore.

Mt. Merapi Threat Level Raised, but Eruption not Imminent

Location of Mt. Merapi. Larger map: maps.google.com

In the wake of a raise in the threat level¹ on Wednesday, April 30, tensions remain high in the shadow of Mount Merapi. In a press release posted on YouTube², Center for Research and Technology Development of Geologic Disaster (Indonesian: Balai Penyelidikan dan Pengembangan Teknologi Kebencanaan Geologi; BPPTKG)³ head Subiandro cited the increase in seismic activity over the past two days as the reason.

Earthquake activity beneath a volcano tends to increase before an eruption, as magma and volcanic gas is forced through underground passageways and fractures⁴. This causes further breaks and, consequently, vibrations—volcanic tremors or low-frequency earthquakes.

The implication, from both BPPTKG's raising of the threat level from normal to alert and the report of low-frequency earthquakes, is that an eruption is likely to occur. To this effect, Ganjar Pranowo, the Governor of Central Java, is calling⁵ for increased focus on the deprecated state of the region's evacuation routes. Quarries populate Mt. Merapi, its volcanic rock mined and hauled out everyday in large trucks. Over time, these trucks have warped and cracked the roads and bridges, reducing their efficacy. Travel along the volcano's upper regions is already impossible in anything but off-road vehicles.

Mt. Merapi Continues to Rumble

Location of Mt. Merapi. Larger map: maps.google.com

Mount Merapi showed some activity early on Sunday morning.

According to Triyono, the officer at the Mount Merapi Observation Post in Ngepos, Srumbung subdistrict, there was rumbling around 04:25–04:35 local time (22:25–22:35 BST; 17:25–17:35 ET).¹ Sri Sumarti, head of the Mt. Merapi division at the Center for Research and Technology Development of Geologic Disaster² (Indonesian: Balai Penyelidikan dan Pengembangan Teknologi Kebencanaan Geologi; BPPTKG) in Jogja, reported tremors to have started minutes earlier.³
“Tremors were recorded for around 20 minutes at 04:21 local time on Sunday, and our observers began to hear thunder at 04:26,” she said.

Locals were startled by the rumbling, said Ismael, the village leader of Babadan, Dukun Subdistrict, who also claimed “red-coloured material spewed from the mounts [sic] peak” after the rumbling. Observations made from the Mount Merapi Observation Post in Sewukan, Dukun Subdistrict, found billowing smoke, whereas the post in Ngepos was unable to make any visual confirmation because of fog. There were no evacuations.

A reported 12–15 km (7.4–9.3 mile) radius was affected by the ejection of volcanic ash, particularly on the southwest, south, and southeast of the peak. Head of the Data and Information Center of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (Indonesian: Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana; BNPB) Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said ash fell in subdistricts that included Dukun, Srumbung, Muntilan, Sawangan, and Mungkid. In Jogja itself, however, it seems to have barely registered.

New Evidence of a Śailendra Presence Found in Central Java

A depiction of the Śailendra royal court on one of Borobudur's bas reliefs. Source: wikimedia.org

After a week of excavation, in Ngreco hamlet, Kesongo village, Tuntang District, Semarang Regency, possible evidence of a Śailendra presence in the area has been found by a team archaeologists comprising members of the National Research Center for Archaeology (Indonesian: Pusat Arkeologi Nasional), Gadjah Mada University's Archaeological Center, Bandung Institute of Technology’s Geomorphology Department and the French Cultural Center in Jakarta.¹

Location of the finding. Larger map: maps.google.com

The discovery of a foundation adds to previous findings of a jaladwara—a water sewage system—along with pieces of bricks and artifacts. The foundation may be that of a since-demolished temple, and according to National Research Center for Archaeology team leader Indrajaya Agustijanto, exceeds 3.6 meters (11' 9'') and was made of brick.

Combined with the jaladwara, one can paint a picture of a temple and waterway in the area, and with it an ancient civilization.

Initial evidence that this area was inhabited by people during the Śailendra period came from the discovery of a plaque near the current excavation site in Tuntang. The plaque was inscribed with the number “685”. Because the Śaka calendar², which starts in 78 CE, was used in Java during this period³, this plaque would have been inscribed in 763 CE, 15 years before the inscription linked with Candi Kalasan, which is the first⁴ in Indonesia to mention the Śailendra dynasty. Indrajaya notes, “When compared to the Canggal plaque in Magelang, the time span is between 20 and 40 years, so it can be said that the finding in Ngreco is quite old when associated with the Sailendra period.”

A Blow-by-blow Review of The Raid: Redemption

Original title: Serbuan Maut
English title: The Raid: Redemption (reviewed version); The Raid (elsewhere)

Writer: Gareth Evans
Director: Gareth Evans
Producer: Ario Sagantoro
Cinematographer: Matt Flannery & Dimas Imam Subhono
Editor: Gareth Evans
Composer: Fajar Yuskemal & Aria Prayogi (International version); Mike Shinoda & Joseph Trapanese (North American version)
Cast: Iko Uwais, Joe Taslim, Donny Alamsyah, Yayan Ruhian, Pierre Gruno, Tegar Setrya, Ray Sahetapy

Released: 23 March 2012 (Indonesia); 23 March 2012 to 16 June 2013 (everywhere else)



Film, just as all other forms of storytelling, is a portal into human society. By simple virtue of its themes, it exposes the facets of our culture that say more about us than we think, from what we find funny and interesting to what we consider inappropriate. As Impressions of Jogja progresses, reviews of films made in Indonesia will play in a role in introducing you to little-known gems, along with helping us learn about Indonesian culture.

That isn't to say that The Raid: Redemption says anything significant about the Indonesian identity, however, considering its international success. Nor does its appearance as the first film we decided to discuss mean it warrants special attention, the reasons for which will become clear as you read further. We were hesitant to call this a review, because what it is instead is a running commentary of the film, done through Skype.

Why did we decide on this format instead of an actual review? Well, you will learn that soon enough, but for those who wish to skip to the conclusion (stop reading here to avoid spoilers!): neither of us enjoyed The Raid, and trying to analyse it did not seem terribly appealing. However, with its popularity in mind, tackling it seemed like the apt thing to do. Midway through the film, we came upon a solution: paste our conversation, providing readers with a blow-by-blow account. After all, what better way to analyse something with no depth?

Below you can read along as we watch The Raid: Redemption, dragging our patience along, one facepalm at a time.

Introduction

The initial idea behind Impressions of Jogja came about during a motocycle trip around Yogyakarta. Seeing a restaurant or warung makan along every street, and numerous penjaja keliling on the street, made me realise just how daunting it is to decide what to eat. Even when talking to someone who has lived in Jogja their entire lives, the question of what to eat is not simple. At the very least, one should know what type of food they're in the mood for, to narrow down the enormous selection. Without a guide, even yours truly was lost, for knowing that I like gudeg is not enough to know where to go.

Further evidence was presented during later discussions with other "bules". In one case, a couple arriving late at night asked where to get a quick meal that didn't contain meat. A later discussion regarded the health issues presented by Indonesian cooking, which is predominantly oil-based, along with how to find food that catered to more fragile palettes or religious and health concerns. Significantly, in the cases of both encounters, Indonesian food was being critiqued using a western standard.

In truth, for those with fragile stomachs, Indonesian cuisine will be a challenge. It is rich in spice and well-known for burning many a bule's tongue. Eating food not prepared in a big restaurant is also likely to present hygiene concerns, which the aforementioned fragile stomachs will also find disagreeable. Many unprepared bules are therefore faced with the need to stick to only the largest and most expensive restaurants.

But, we ask, why visit Indonesia at all if not to sample its true character? The true Jogja is not found in its extravagant hotels and restaurants.

Nevertheless, for whatever truth one hopes to find in Jogja, food is but one challenge and example we use here. The final experience to convince me of the need for Impressions of Jogja was, once again on a simple trip across the city, the sighting of a street sign written in Javanese followed by a discussion of the rationale behind street names. This facet of a city is so integral to its character, yet often ignored because there is no perceived value in it. Why would a tourist care about a street sign?

This is where Impressions of Jogja will differ. We do not wish to serve as a directory of hotels and restaurants, with static pages that tell you nothing more than their locations, nor do we wish to sell you the city as a product. We are not a tourism portal. Instead, we will attempt to give you an honest portrait of Jogja and Indonesia, written with the inquisitive individual in mind. With so much to see and do, what better time to start than now?