Best wishes from Sumunar to all our friends of gamelan music and Indonesian dance. We hope you have a happy and peaceful holiday season. Thanks for your support throughout the past year. Keep tuned ; we have a number of exciting performances and events coming up next year.
NEWS FLASH!! SUMUNAR is a winner of the Knight Foundation St. Paul Arts Challenge!! This grant, plus matching funds from other sources, will support a unique collaboration of Sumunar and Green T Productions in 2015. We will produce a “Minnesota Mini-Wayang,” based on the traditional Indonesian shadow puppet play but with an original Minnesota story, played out by puppets, live actors, dancers, and a gamelan accompaniment. It will be entertainment for all ages, with an emphasis on fun-for those presenting and for those watching. We’ll keep you informed as plans unfold after January 1.
Sumunar’s annual membership meeting and picnic was held in Falcon Heights, MN on Sunday afternoon, September 14, 2014. It was a beautiful afternoon, and everyone had a great time. A new Board of Directors was elected, including Daniel Furuta and Aaron Victorin-Vangerud, who represent a valuable new perspective from the performing gamelan group.
The Friends of Sumunar award was presented to Vince Wharton and Anne von Bibra, who were among the charter members of the gamelan and dance ensembles, and who have supported Indonesian music and dance in Minnesota in many crucial ways including serving on the board of directors, hosting meetings in their home, providing financial support, and being leaders over the years.
Date: 21-Jan-14
Source: Environmental News Service
Author: Kanupriya Kapoor
Monsoon rains have inundated parts of the Indonesian capital, forcing more than 30,000 people to evacuate and posing a challenge for its wildly popular governor, Joko Widodo, a possible presidential candidate.
Soldiers were deployed to help nearly 50,000 residents in the sprawling city of 10 million people, as floodwaters reached three meters (9.8 ft) in some districts, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency said.
Last year’s rainy season brought Jakarta to a standstill, causing a river in the city to breach its banks and swamp the central business district, leaving thousands stranded and causing $580 million in damage to property and companies.
Heavy rains are forecast this week, potentially worsening floods which have killed seven people, mostly from electrocution, and forced thousands to seek refuge at temporary shelters, including schools and mosques.
Jokowi, as the governor is known locally, came to office in late 2012 with promises to improve the city’s creaky infrastructure, strained by chronic floods and traffic. The presidential favorite has since launched a number of initiatives to alleviate flooding, including clearing riverbanks of illegal housing and rubbish, and creating more green spaces and drainage to absorb rainwater.
But until those efforts show results, he could face criticism over flood management, especially if the waters rise and more districts are affected. The floods have already caused about $80 million in damage, said the Disaster Mitigation Agency.
“Last year we started clearing the riverbanks and dredging the canals to allow water to flow more smoothly, but it’s a slow process and the results will only show in five or 10 years,” said Eko Hariadi, spokesman for the city administration.
Immense popular support has put Jokowi far ahead of rivals such as former general Prabowo Subianto and tycoon Aburizal Bakrie in opinion polls. But Jokowi has not declared his candidacy, nor has the party he is affiliated with, the opposition PDI-P, said whether it will back him. That decision rests with former president and party leader Megawati Sukarnoputri, daughter of the country’s founding ruler.
Heavy rains also hit other parts of the archipelago, including North Sulawesi province where flash floods left 18 dead and more than 80,000 homeless last week.
Would you like to learn some practical, every day Indonesian? Even if you don’t have immediate plans to visit this fascinating country, your experience of Indonesian music, culture, and even food can be enhanced by knowing a few simple words. Here’s a beginning vocabulary and a few useful words and phrases for everyday life.
Numbers:
1= satu, 2= dua, 3= tiga, 4= empat, 5= lima, 6= enam, 7= tujuh, 8 = delapan, 9= sembilan, 10= sepuluh, 11= sembalas, 12= dua belas, 13= tiga belas …
tens = puluh: 20= dua puluh, 30= tiga puluh, 31= tiga puluh satu (3 x 10 +1), 40= empat puluh,
hundreds = ratus: 100 = seratus, 200= dua ratus, 300= tiga ratus, etc.
thousands = ribu: 1000 = seribu, 200=dua ribu, etc.
Forms of address
Father: Bapak (or Pak), Mother: Ibu (or Bu), Brother: Mas, Sister: Kakak
Time
Morning = pagi, Midday = siang, Afternoon = sore, Night = malam
Selamat is derived from the Arabic Salam, meaning “May your action be blessed”
Good morning: Selamat pagi; Good night: Selamat malam; Good journey: Selamat Jalan
Good bye: Selamat tinggal (if you’re going); You’re welcome: Selamat datang
Good sleep: Selamat tidur.
Apa kabar? How are you?
Kabar baik: fine or bagus (great)
Silakan: please
Terima kasih: thank you
Kembali: you’re welcome (literally, return)
Sama-sama: You’re welcome (literally, the same)
Ma’af: I’m sorry, excuse me
Permisi: excuse me, permit me