Indonesian Culture Is a Result of Thousands of Years of Welcoming Outside Influences and Incorporating Them Into a Larger Story

In the United States, much like in Australia, people like to describe their country as a “melting pot,” a proud reference to their history of immigration and being open to all cultures and religions. It might surprise some non translation services people (and many Americans and Australians!) to learn that they have some serious competition on that score  in the country and culture of Indonesia.

Many folks assume Indonesia has a very monochromatic culture, with one people, religion, and general way of life – but Indonesia is an incredible example of a natural process of cultural diversification throughout history – which is to say that Indonesia does, in fact, have a distinct culture and identity, but it’s an identity forged from a long list of influences throughout history.

Crossroads of the World

This is all the result, really, of Indonesia being right smack at the crossroads of several ancient trade routes. This brought just about every other civilisation, first from the ancient world and later from the European and Western cultures, storming through the country on a regular basis. Not only did this result in exposure to all of these different people and their beliefs, it brought all manner of goods into the region that would otherwise remain unknown. The influence of these two factors continues to show itself in modern-day Indonesia, a country that is today defined by the concept of fusion more than anything else.

Fusion of Religions and Cultures

Indonesian culture often reflects a combination of concepts and symbols. A whole religion in Indonesia,  Abangan, which is an Islamic sect whose local practices and laws incorporate many facets of the Hindu, Buddhist, and Animist religions, making it an extremely unique belief system. Much of Indonesian folklore and art also reflects this fusion of ideas and styles; Balinese Dance, for example, are often constructed around stories involving Hindu Kingdoms, Buddhists, or Islamic societies, with no clear preference for any specific example.

There are still pockets of indigenous cultures in Indonesia, where ancient ways that existed before outside influences are still maintained. Today these cultural pockets just add one more element to the amazing tableau that is Indonesian life.

Indonesian Food

Indonesian Food is perhaps a bit more coherent, because of the natural climate and agricultural factors that limit the local diet. Rice is by far the main food staple in the country. Almost everywhere in Indonesia you will find rice as the main dish, usually served highly spiced and with meat, fish, and vegetable side dishes. Rice is a huge part of Indonesian life as it is not only their main food source but also one of the country’s main economic factors.

However, even here the influence of other cultures is clear: The famous Rice Table, a form of buffet very popular in Indonesia and often associated with Indonesian cooking, is actually a European invention, brought to the country by the Dutch in the 17th Century!

Taken from One Hour Translation

Why Listening Music Key Good Health

It's the weekend and at some point you'll probably relax to your favourite music, watch a film with a catchy title track - or hit the dance floor.

There's no doubt that listening to your favourite music can instantly put you in a good mood. But scientists are now discovering that music can do more for you than just lift your spirits.

Research is showing it has a variety of health benefits.

Fresh research from Austria has found that listening to music can help patients with chronic back pain.

And a recent survey by Mind - the mental health charity - found that after counselling, patients found group therapy such as art and music therapy, the most useful.

Here, we present six proven ways that music can help you and your family's health

1. CHRONIC BACK PAIN

How it helps: Music works on the autonomic nervous system - the part of the nervous system responsible for controlling our blood pressure, heartbeat and brain function - and also the limbic system - the part of the brain that controls feelings and emotions. According to one piece of research, both these systems react sensitively to music.

When slow rhythms are played, our blood pressure and heartbeat slow down which helps us breathe more slowly, thus reducing muscle tension in our neck, shoulders, stomach and back. And experts say that apart from physical tension, music also reduces psychological tension in our mind.

In other words when we feel pain, we become frightened, frustrated and angry which makes us tense up hundreds of muscles in our back. Listening to music on a regular basis helps our bodies relax physically and mentally, thus helping to relieve - and prevent - back pain.

The research: A new study from Austria's General Hospital of Salzburg due to be published in The Vienna Medical Weekly Journal could hold the key to back pain. In the study, 65 patients aged between 21 and 68 with chronic back pain after back surgery were divided into two groups.

One group received standard medical care and physiotherapy. The other group also listened to music and received visualisation classes for 25 minutes every day for three weeks. Results found that the group who listened to music and used imagery experienced better pain relief than the group who did not.

Clinical psychologist Franz Wendtner who led the study says: 'Music is an important part of our physical and emotional wellbeing - ever since we were babies in our mother's womb listening to her heartbeat and breathing rhythms.

'Listening to music for about 25 minutes everyday for at least ten days can help prevent back pain and also make you sleep better.'

Which type of music is best? Experts believe any type of classical music such as Mozart or Beethoven can help relieve muscle pain. Calm, slow music is also thought to help.

2. IMPROVES YOUR WORKOUT

How it helps: Experts say listening to music during exercise can give you a better workout in several ways. Scientists claim it can increase your endurance, boost your mood and can distract you from any discomfort experienced during your workout.

The research: Dr Robert Herdegen of America's Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, looked at the effects of 12 men riding a bicycle for ten minutes while listening to music on one day. He compared it to the same men riding bicycles without music for ten minutes the following day.

On the days that the men exercised listening to music, they travelled 11 per cent further - compared to the days they didn't listen to music. Researchers also found that the men's levels of exertion were at their lowest when listening to music.

Other studies show that listening to music releases endorphins - our natural 'feel good' hormones that lift our mood and give us motivation to carry on longer with exercise.

Which type of music is best? The best type of music for exercise is thought to be high energy, high tempo music such as hip hop or dance music.

3. MEMORY LOSS

How it helps: For many people suffering from memory loss the spoken language has become meaningless. Music can help patients remember tunes or songs and get in touch with their history. This is because the part of the brain which processes music is located next to memory.

The research: Researchers from Norway's Sogn Og Fjordane College compared the effects of live, taped and no music on three different groups of people suffering from post traumatic amnesia - or memory loss.

The patients were exposed to all three conditions, twice over six consecutive days. Results showed that when patients listened to live or taped music, two thirds of them showed significantly reduced symptoms of anxiety and enhanced orientation, compared to the group that didn't listen to music.

Which type of music is best? Research shows that people with memory loss respond best to music of their choice.

Taken from DailyMail

Speech Text “Say No to Child Predator”

Assalamu’alaikum Wr. Wb.

            First of all, let say thanks to Allah SWT who always gives us some merciful and greatful so we can gather in this good opportunity, actually at this place without any problem at all. Shalawat and Salam always rise up to our Prophet Muhammad SAW who had guided us from the darkness to the lightness, and from a stupidity generation into smart generations as we’ve seen nowadays.

Ladies and gentlemen,

            Honorable the judges, the time keeper, and beloved all of the participants of English Speech Competition and all of the audiences i love. In this good oppurtunity, I would like to deliver speech about “Say No to Child Predator”. My beloved friends, What should we do to face this problem? So, listen to me well.

There are many cases of violence against children in Indonesia, it’s known as “Child Predator”. Like last year Emon and Jakarta Internasional School. In case’s Emon Police said at least 113 children have claimed to be victims. In Jakarta, at least one boy was allegedly raped repeatedly by several janitors at the Jakarta International School. A case that has also grabbed headlines. This is so danger for our country if we are the young generation not care.

My beloved friends, Children are easily tricked. They are innocent, which makes them vulnerable to sexual abuse. And then do you know what the happen with the children after become the victims? When the children become sexually involved with adult men they are exposed to a devastating array of physical and emotional injuries. These illicit relationships set them up to be life-long victims who tend to view their self-worth solely in terms of sex.

Child psychologist Seto Mulyadi, however, stressed the importance of early sexual education to help prevent acts of sexual violence. Seto said sex education should start with teaching children to maintain the health of their private parts, adding that parents need to tell their children to object should anyone try to touch them in such areas and also warn them against acting so towards others.

This is some way to resolve and prevent children predator :

1.    Don't give them unlimited, unsupervised Internet access - install net-nanny or only let them use it somewhere you're around.

2.    Check to make sure you know where they're going and where they are.

3.  You could actually, you know, teach your child(ren) to recognize the warning signs of a child predator and how to avoid a dangerous situation.

That’s all my speech, I hope it will be useful for you all. For more, you can take the benefits in every vintage point of my speech. Thank you for your attention, and I beg your apologize if there are any mistakes in every word I said.

Wassalamu’alaikum Wr. Wb.

Speech Text “Preserving Our Indigenous Language, Save Our Own Culture”

Assalamu’alaikum Wr. Wb.

            Excellency the judges, the time keeper, and beloved all of the participants of English Speech Competition and all of the audiences.

            First of all, let say thanks to Allah SWT who always gives us some merciful and greatful so we can gather in this good opportunity, actually at this place without any problem at all. Shalawat and Salam always rise up to our Prophet Muhammad SAW who had guided us from the darkness to the lightness, and from a stupidity generation into smart generations as we’ve seen nowadays.

Ladies and gentlemen,

            At this good opportunity, I would like to deliver speech with the title “Preserving Our Indigenous Language, Save Our Own Culture”. My friends, if you want to know about it more. So, listen to me well.

            Friends, we life in Indonesia, as we know well, our country has many cultures. It’s include of languages, arts, tribes, traditional houses, traditional dresses, foods and etc. Our country has many kinds of heritage, one example of it had been included of 7 Wonder of The World, that is Borobudur Temple. Those are Indonesian icons. No wonder, some tourists interested to visit our country because of our culture and icon. But, how ironic, now some of our culture is extinct and decreased along the influence of the development of technology and globalization era. Those icon and culture almost extinct and changed with new culture who known as western culture, especially our language, some of our indigenous language is extinct and changed with another language.

            Preserving our indigenous language is important for us as a citizen of Indonesia, because it’s our culture and it’s our icon that we should save it. As we know well, recently our indigenous language in every province had been changed with teenagers language who known as “Bahasa Alay”, yes, many people especially Indonesian teenagers know that language. So, what’s the thing that can make many Indonesian teenagers forget with their own Indigenous language? What’s the matter with Indonesian teenagers? And why they prefer choose their own language than indigenous language? It’s must be the influence of the advanced technology. Through technology like hand phone we can open up with worldwide even we can connected with another country, but we should save our indigenous language. Because remember it’s our assets. Sure we can use a technology because it’s our right, but we still need to preserve our own indigenous language.

            Friends, we must proud with our own indigenous language, we have so much variety of indigenous language in Indonesia. Remember, it’s ours, and it’s our ancestor heritage, we are the generations who have a mission to save our own Indigenous language, it’s our challenge. If we won’t save it. So, who else will save our own indigenous language? It’s impossible if we must give it to another country for free and will be loved if it lost without any reasons. So, save our own indigenous language, and it means we save our own culture.

Ladies and gentlemen,

There is anonymous quote related with my speech, it said that “You will be the good ones if you use another country’s language, but you will be the best ones if you can speak fluently with your own country’s language”. It means that we need to love everything from our country, as an effort to love our country.

That’s all my speech, I hope it will be useful for you all. For more, you can take the benefits in every vintage point of my speech. Thank you for your attention, and I beg your apologize if there are any mistakes in every word I said.

Wassalamu’alaikum Wr. Wb.

Role of The Mass In A Democratic Society

The Mass is one of the means for citizens to issue their thoughts and opinions as well as having an important role in a democracy. Meanwhile, the essence of democracy is the opportunity for aspiration and voice of the people (people) to influence a decision of Democratic. In also required the participation of the people, who emerged from the political consciousness to get involved and contribute to the system is governance

Mass is the fourth pillar of democracy after the executive, legislative and judicial. control over the mass as the third pillar and the underlying performance of checks and balances.

possibility of freedom of the mass capital agency  by capitalism and the political interests, encouraging the birth of citizen journalism.

The face of democracy itself visible on both sides. First, democracy as a reality of everyday life. Secondly, democracy as he imaged by Western media. On the one hand there is the image, on the other hand there is the reality.

The process of democratization in a country not just rely on the parliament, but also the mass media, which is a means of communication in both the government and the people, and the people with the people. The presence of the mass media, both print and electronic category has wide variety, both in terms of issues and a range of circulation or broadcast.

Access to information through the mass media is in line with the principles of democracy, where the transformation is complete and absolute open for the country adopts democracy, so that there is equitable distribution of information. However, in practice, many factors which hinder the process of communication, mainly due to the limitations of the mass media in reaching inland locations.

The existence of community radio is one answer to the search for solutions of the problems of access and deployment of communications, a common media jobs. In the development of community radio has a lot to prove its importance in the complicated problems of access to information and communication as well as the role of social control and run four other mass functions.

Psychological Impact of Online Games Against Children

Along with the times, our lives can’t be separated from internet. In adittion to the media channel of information, the internet also has a role as a medium of entertainment, such as online gaming products. Online game itself much in demand of various ages, ranging from children, teen, and adults. In addition to its functions as a medium for refreshing, the psychological impact on the online game users, especially for young children.

         Online game is currently very flourishing in the community especially among teenagers and children. Effect of rapid globalization affects children who was in the play, which is a problem in this discussion is not about his online games but the reliance on jamming activity for some children’s games.

Online games have addictive properties or opium so much time children spent playing games online. Online game phenomenon emerged since at 2000’s, but it seems that this year is the culmination of the online gaming phenomenon. Online games can cause addiction to the players. It addiction has a psychological impact on children. The view of psychology online games can hinder social development of children.

In my own, online gaming has implications for the psychological and cognitive development of the players. There are some the positive impact on the children playing games online :

Ø  Online games can serve as a forum for children to socialize with other players. Even the players who are from different countries. It can also train child in learning a foreign language.

Ø  It broaden children, especially in terms of strategy. Some games also exist that provide general knowledge quiz that can enrich a child.

Ø  It can also serve as a medium of entertainment for children.

Ø  It can also train children to work together as team or group. An example is the dota game.

Although the game can be declared a positive impact on children, playing games also negatively impact kids. There are some the negative impact on the children playing games online :

Ø  Children learn from what they see. Violent online games can cause children to follow the characters of the game. In addition, online games often teach children to say rude and disrespectful things.

Ø  Children who are constantly playing games online can ignore the surroundings and prefer the virtual world.

Ø  Online games can cause addiction so that children like to longer in front of the computer.

Ø  It can also teach children to bet or gamble despite the money game.

Ø  It can cause emotional tension between parents and children addicted to online games.

Seeing the negative impact caused by online games on children, of course needeed a solutions to reduce and even overcome the negative impacts. Parents need to pay attention and create a good communication between parents and children. Parents need to give a sense to the child that the online games is only intended to as a pastime, not a priority.

Story of Malin Kundang

Once upon a time, on the small village near in north coast of West Sumatra there lived a poor family. They were Malin Kundang and Malin’s mother.Her mother was a single parent because Malin Kundang's father had passed away when he was a baby and he never came back. Malin Kundang had to live hard with his mother.

Everyday, Malin worked as a fisherman, Malin was a dilligent, and strong boy. He usually went to sea to catched a fish. After got fish he would bring it to his mother, or sold the caught fish in the town. Day by day passed away, but they still lived in poverty condition and they couldn’t changed their fates. One day Malin asked to his mother to work sail overseas.

“Mother, i always hardwork, but i still can’t change our fates, what if I sail overseas? if I justwork as a fisherman, we’ll always be a poor man. I want to be a successful person.” said Malin kundang to his mother.

“If you really want to go, I can’t stop you. I could only pray to God for you to gain success in life. But, promise me, you’ll come home Malin.” Said Malin’s mother and wiped her tears.

“Don’t cry mom, i’ll hardwork for our fates, and i promise to come back as a successful person.” Said Malin to his mom.

In the next morning, Malin Kundang was ready to go. He prepared his needs and came to the pier with his mother.

“Mom, I will go now, please pray for me mom, i promise i’ll come back as a successful person. See you mom, goodbye...”

“Oke Malin, take care of yourself right there. I will always pray for you my son, goodbye . . .”

            Malin, worked as a sailor worker. Everyday, he always hardworked day and night till the captain see that he was the most diligent in that ship. One day, Malin Kundang met a beautiful girl. She was the daughter of his captain. They fell in love each other and got married.

            In the other side, Malin’s mother always prayed for Malin everyday. She wished that Malin will be a successful person and could changed their fates. Everyday, Malin’s mother always felt aloned without Malin Kundang. However, she must work to fullfilled her daily needs.

One day, the sailor captain suffered because his chronic diseases, he asked another worker to call Malin Kundang.

“Worker . . .!!!” said the captain.

“Yes captain, what can i do for you?” said the worker.

“Please, take Malin to this room right now.”

“With pleasure captain.”

            And then the worker ask Malin to came to captain’s room. Not so long, not so far, Malin arrived to captain’s room.

“What...What happened to you captain.” Malin saw the captain layed prostrated in the bed.

“Malin, you see that i was suffered a chronic diseases. I will bestow all of my treasure, my daughter, my worker, and everything to you Malin.”

“Why you give that’s all to me captain?”

“Because, i...i...trust t...to you...” said the captain and died.

“Soon, i promise captain, i’ll do everything you want.” Said Malin sadly and cry.

            The day after the died of the captain, Malin’s fate changed better. Now he work as a butler, many worker admire him that he was a good captain. One day, he commanded to worker to docked the ship into Malin’s village. After several years waiting without any news, Malin’s mother was suddenly surprised by the arrival of a big ship in the pier.

“Waw…What a big luxury ship? Whose ship is that? I would see that” said Malin’s mother curiously.

Then Malin’s mother walked to the ship, when the ship finally pulled over, Malin’s mother saw a man who looked wealthy stepping down a ladder along with a beautiful woman.Her blurry eyes still easily recognized him. The man was Malin Kundang, her son. Malin’s mother quickly went to saw her beloved son.

Do you think Malin Kundang will recognize her mother?

“Malin, you’re back, son!” said Malin's mother

But, Malin Kundang didn’t show any respond. He was ashamed to recognize his own mother in front of his beautiful wife.

“You’re not my mother. I don’t know you, my mother would never wear ragged clothes.” said Malin Kundang then pushed his mother and she fell to the ground

“Malin, don’t you  recognize me? I’m your mother!” she said sadly.

Malin Kundang’s face was as cold as ice and he said. “Guard, take this old woman out of here and give her some money so she won’t disturb me again!”

”Malin, why you treat your own mother like this?”

"Go! you're annoying me and my wife, just pissing me off." he shouted.

“Supercharge you Malin! I’m your mother, but why don’t you recognize me?! You are really ungrateful child...Oh God! If he is really my son, curse him into a stone!" she said cryingly.

            Soon, when Malin’s mother said that, the storm began. Suddenly, Malin Kundang’s whole body turned into stone.

“Noooo...!!!” Malin shouted loudly.

He was punished for not admitting his own mother. What about his treasures and his wife? It’s nothing.