Turning Javanese

But wait there's more! More bits from Indonesia..

The art of Batik making.

Batik is a cloth which traditionally uses a manual wax-resist dyeing technique. Due to modern advances in the textile industry, the term has been extended to include fabrics which incorporate traditional batik patterns even if they are not produced using the wax-resist dyeing techniques. Silk batik is especially popular.*

Javanese traditional batik, especially from Yogyakarta and Surakarta, has special meanings rooted to the Javanese conceptualization of the universe. Traditional colours include indigo, dark brown, and white which represent the three major Hindu Gods (Brahmā, Visnu, and Śiva). This is related to the fact that natural dyes are only available in indigo and brown. Certain patterns can only be worn by nobility; traditionally, wider stripes or wavy lines of greater width indicated higher rank. Consequently, during Javanese ceremonies, one could determine the royal lineage of a person by the cloth he or she was wearing.*

The Puppet Show

Wayang is an Indonesian word for theatre (literally "shadow").[1] When the term is used to refer to kinds of puppet theater, sometimes the puppet itself is referred to as wayang. Performances of shadow puppet theater are accompanied by gamelan in Java, and by "gender wayang" in Bali.*

Music is her life.

Singing is her passion.

The puppet master.

Wayang golek are wooden doll puppets that are operated from below by rods connected to the hands and a central control rod that runs through the body to the head. The simple construction of the puppets belies their versatility, expressiveness and aptitude for imitating human dance. Little is known for certain about the history of wayang golek, but scholars have speculated that it most likely originated in China and arrived in Java sometime in the 17th century.*

Wayang Golek

UNESCO designated Indonesian batik and Wayang Kulit, a shadow puppet theater and the best known of the Indonesian wayang, as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity on October 2, 2009 and 7 November 2003, respectively. In return of the acknowledgment, UNESCO demanded Indonesia to preserve their heritage. *

*courtesy Wikipedia

Introducing the SAILOR MAIL

"You're not normal if you don't have a problem.."

Life at sea could really be challenging if not particularly lonely most of the time, and I must say most of us sailors retreat to the comfort of our cabin (or someone else's)to listen to music, watch a movie, chat online and write e-mails.

That's basically what I'll be doing in my SAILOR MAIL entries. I'll be writing rants, opinions, problems and impulsive momentary emotions that might need to burst out whenever the need arises..

Emo stuffs..

You see, life at sea is a roller-coaster. It could be fun and exciting but it could also be very difficult and really demanding.

And this is how I cope.

STUPA LOVE

I have yet to see China's Great Wall but I was glad I took the $40 crew tour to see Indonesia's most famous monument, hidden deep in the jungle, the mysterious temple of Borobudur.

Borobudur Temple, Indonesia

Borobudur is a ninth-century Mahayana Buddhist monument in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. The monument comprises six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues.[1] A main dome, located at the center of the top platform, is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues seated inside perforated stupa.*

The Stupa

Each stupa is bell-shaped and pierced by numerous decorative openings. Statues of the Buddha sit inside the pierced enclosures.*

An exposed Buddha

Reaching and touching Buddha's hands for good luck!

The first circular platform has 32 stupas, the second 24 and the third 16, that add up to 72 stupas.*

A circular row of stupas.

Forest view.

Of the original 504 Buddha statues, over 300 are damaged (mostly headless) and 43 are missing (since the monument's discovery, heads have been stolen as collector's items, mostly by Western museums).*

Temple Buddhas

Borobudur contains approximately 2,670 individual bas reliefs (1,460 narrative and 1,212 decorative panels), which cover the façades and balustrades. The total relief surface is 2,500 square meters (26,909.8 sq ft) and they are distributed at the hidden foot (Kāmadhātu) and the five square platforms (Rupadhatu).*

Amazing Relief Sample

My friend Natalie.

More reliefs.

My friend Sean.

The monument is both a shrine to the Lord Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage. Borobudur is Indonesia's single most visited tourist attraction.*

A carved gargoyle-shaped water spout for drainage.

A gate.

The lion gate guardian.

Pilgrims and tourists

My friends Lucy and Rean.

Josh, Anthony, Club HAL girl :), Maria and Patrick

Photo Op :)

Borobudur lay hidden for centuries under layers of volcanic ash and jungle growth. The facts behind its abandonment remain a mystery. There is no written record of who built Borobudur or of its intended purpose.*

Borobodur Temple, Indonesia (√)

*courtesy Wikipedia

It's All Coming Back To Me Now

There's been not much going on lately except that next month will be the celebration of a whole year of unemployment for me, and this must end!

The past few months wouldn't necessarily be a waste since I was able to do a considerable amount of traveling specifically around the Southeast asian region.

I'm still quite lazy to write about the whole experience so I'll just post some of the highlights of the places that I visited..

Well at least for now..

Ok go.

Victoria Harbour, Hongkong

ms Volendam

Sandy Beach, Danang Vietnam

The Marble Mountains, Danang Vietnam

Hoh Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Koh Samui, Thailand

The Royal Palace, Bangkok Thailand

Merlion Park, Singapore

Sihanoukville, Cambodia

Borobudur Temple, Semarang Indonesia

Uluwatu Temple, Bali Indonesia

Kuta Beach, Bali Indonesia

Finally, I have good news..

Pinoy Sailorboy will be sailing again soon.. Yey! :)

P.S.

Thanks Sean for the trip. Where to next? Haha!