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A variety of Welsh language phrases for landscape terms
Welsh origin postcard - Judges
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Sent to:
Volodymyr (ettlers), Canada 06/03/2026 direct swap
Kai, Germany 24/02/2026 as GB-1935944
Oong, Malaysia 11/05/2017 as GB-893593
Beckie, USA 26/01/2015
Photo by Hiro Chang
The Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center opened its doors to the public on May 15 for its annual Language Day event.
The event showcased the cultures of the different departmental languages being taught here through dance, skits and fashion shows.
Exhibits were also presented throughout the school grounds with local Monterey ethnic vendors selling their local cuisines to the customers.
Nearly 2,000 high school students and teachers attended Language Day.
PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, California -- The 2018 Language Day celebration was held by the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center at the Presidio of Monterey, May 11. Language Day is open to the public and attended by schools across the nation to promote an understanding of diverse customs and cultures from around the world. Approximately 6,000 people attended this annual event featuring cultural displays, activities and international ethnic cuisine served by local vendors.
Official Presidio of Monterey Web site
Official Presidio of Monterey Facebook
PHOTO by Steven L. Shepard, Presidio of Monterey Public Affairs.
The language of the message on the card is Czech. The card is addressed to a student in "Pisek," which was a city in Bohemia (the present-day Czech Republic).
Many, MANY thanks to Olmin, who translated the text and by so doing determined where the photograph was probably taken, to whom the postcard was addressed, and that the rank of the officer in photo was lieutenant.
Olmin (from below): It is definetely written in Czech language. I'm not sure but I think it was sent from K.u.k. military unit somewhere in Herzegovina (present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina) to town Písek, Bohemia (present-day Czech Republic) because in text is written "herzegovinian horse". I try to translate it but I apologize in advance for my English.
Address:
Esteemed gentleman
Mr M. Košatka, student (maybe Kósatka but less likely)
Písek
Jeronýmova street
Text:
Our little herzegovinian horse whereon sitting a mister Lieutenant.
Love to all family.
(and at end is author's signature which is unreadable to me)
As an added bonus from Olmin's wonderful translation, I was able to determine the breed of the beautiful (although somewhat short-legged) little horse. He is a Bosnian Mountain Horse (sometimes called a Bosnian-Herzegovinian Mountain Horse). To see a modern-day photograph of a Bosnian Mountain Horse, click on the link below. cache.daylife.com/imageserve/05j69N38y29HU/610x.jpg
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Bosnian Mountain Horse
Origin: Yugoslavia
Aptitudes: Riding, pack, driving
Average Height: 12.3 to 14.3 hands
Population Status: Common
Originating in the Balkans and closely related to the Hutsul or Hucul of Romania and the Myzequea of Albania, the Bosnian is a small, compactly built horse. The small horse breeds found in the Balkans are all thought to be close descendants of the Tarpan with varying degrees of Mongolian influence. Horses of the area were influenced during the Roman occupation of the Balkan penunsula, and when the Turkish cavalry of the Ottoman Empire overtook the area, the blood of the eastern horses was infused. By the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries there were several types found within the Bosnian Breed, but not all were considered to be improvements.
Since 1900 the breeding of Bosnian horses has been selective and controlled and the rustic, hardy qualities of this small horse have been preserved. Bosnian horses are bay, brown, black, grey, chestnut, palomino, or dun in color.
This is a strongly made horse. The head is somewhat heavy with a straight profile and small ears. The eye is large and expressive. The neck is short and muscular with a full mane; withers are moderately pronounced; the back short and straight; the croup slightly sloping; the chest deep and wide; and the shoulder long and sloping. The legs are short and strong, well muscled, with broad joints and clean, strong tendons. The hoof is well formed and very hard.
Bosnian horses are bred in large numbers in Yugoslavia and are sill very much in use on farms and for transport. Stallions are strictly controlled by the state, while ownership of mares is left to private breeders. The breed has been used for centuries for transport in the mountains and is surefooted and hardy.
The breed is quite popular in Germany, where numbers are increasing steadily.
(From the International Encyclopedia of Horse Breeds by Bonnie Lou Hendricks 1995)
. . . 2. 3. 2007 - this is the first day of a funeral ceremony in Bori for a High Class Woman. She died on 18. 1. 2007 at the age of 85 years. The ceremony will last for one week. Today we will see the showing of the water buffalos, pigs, cow, horse, deer and chicken. All these animals are offered to be the servants of the died woman in her new life after death in Puya. We will see buffalo fighting. Men bet for the winner of those fightings. Two buffalos fight each other - the one running away lost the fight!
If you wonder why the quality of the pictures is a little less: these are no photographs - it all are snapshots of my videos! So sorry for the less resolution, but I think, they are worth to be shown.
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The Toraja are an ethnic group indigenous to a mountainous region of South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Their population is approximately 1,100,000, of whom 450,000 live in the regency of Tana Toraja ("Land of Toraja"). Most of the population is Christian, and others are Muslim or have local animist beliefs known as aluk ("the way"). The Indonesian government has recognized this animist belief as Aluk To Dolo ("Way of the Ancestors").
The word toraja comes from the Bugis Buginese language term to riaja, meaning "people of the uplands". The Dutch colonial government named the people Toraja in 1909. Torajans are renowned for their elaborate funeral rites, burial sites carved into rocky cliffs, massive peaked-roof traditional houses known as tongkonan, and colorful wood carvings. Toraja funeral rites are important social events, usually attended by hundreds of people and lasting for several days.
Before the 20th century, Torajans lived in autonomous villages, where they practised animism and were relatively untouched by the outside world. In the early 1900s, Dutch missionaries first worked to convert Torajan highlanders to Christianity. When the Tana Toraja regency was further opened to the outside world in the 1970s, it became an icon of tourism in Indonesia: it was exploited by tourism developers and studied by anthropologists. By the 1990s, when tourism peaked, Toraja society had changed significantly, from an agrarian model - in which social life and customs were outgrowths of the Aluk To Dolo - to a largely Christian society. Today, tourism and remittances from migrant Torajans have made for major changes in the Toraja highland, giving the Toraja a celebrity status within Indonesia and enhancing Toraja ethnic group pride.
ETHNIC IDENTITY
The Torajan people had little notion of themselves as a distinct ethnic group before the 20th century. Before Dutch colonization and Christianization, Torajans, who lived in highland areas, identified with their villages and did not share a broad sense of identity. Although complexes of rituals created linkages between highland villages, there were variations in dialects, differences in social hierarchies, and an array of ritual practices in the Sulawesi highland region. "Toraja" (from the coastal languages' to, meaning people; and riaja, uplands) was first used as a lowlander expression for highlanders. As a result, "Toraja" initially had more currency with outsiders - such as the Bugis and Makassarese, who constitute a majority of the lowland of Sulawesi - than with insiders. The Dutch missionaries' presence in the highlands gave rise to the Toraja ethnic consciousness in the Sa'dan Toraja region, and this shared identity grew with the rise of tourism in the Tana Toraja Regency. Since then, South Sulawesi has four main ethnic groups - the Bugis (the majority, including shipbuilders and seafarers), the Makassarese (lowland traders and seafarers), the Mandarese (traders and fishermen), and the Toraja (highland rice cultivators).
HISTORY
From the 17th century, the Dutch established trade and political control on Sulawesi through the Dutch East Indies Company. Over two centuries, they ignored the mountainous area in the central Sulawesi, where Torajans lived, because access was difficult and it had little productive agricultural land. In the late 19th century, the Dutch became increasingly concerned about the spread of Islam in the south of Sulawesi, especially among the Makassarese and Bugis peoples. The Dutch saw the animist highlanders as potential Christians. In the 1920s, the Reformed Missionary Alliance of the Dutch Reformed Church began missionary work aided by the Dutch colonial government. In addition to introducing Christianity, the Dutch abolished slavery and imposed local taxes. A line was drawn around the Sa'dan area and called Tana Toraja ("the land of Toraja"). Tana Toraja was first a subdivision of the Luwu kingdom that had claimed the area. In 1946, the Dutch granted Tana Toraja a regentschap, and it was recognized in 1957 as one of the regencies of Indonesia.
Early Dutch missionaries faced strong opposition among Torajans, especially among the elite, because the abolition of their profitable slave trade had angered them. Some Torajans were forcibly relocated to the lowlands by the Dutch, where they could be more easily controlled. Taxes were kept high, undermining the wealth of the elites. Ultimately, the Dutch influence did not subdue Torajan culture, and only a few Torajans were converted. In 1950, only 10% of the population had converted to Christianity.
In the 1930s, Muslim lowlanders attacked the Torajans, resulting in widespread Christian conversion among those who sought to align themselves with the Dutch for political protection and to form a movement against the Bugis and Makassarese Muslims. Between 1951 and 1965 (following Indonesian independence), southern Sulawesi faced a turbulent period as the Darul Islam separatist movement fought for an Islamic state in Sulawesi. The 15 years of guerrilla warfare led to massive conversions to
CHRISTIANITY
Alignment with the Indonesian government, however, did not guarantee safety for the Torajans. In 1965, a presidential decree required every Indonesian citizen to belong to one of five officially recognized religions: Islam, Christianity (Protestantism and Catholicism), Hinduism, or Buddhism. The Torajan religious belief (aluk) was not legally recognized, and the Torajans raised their voices against the law. To make aluk accord with the law, it had to be accepted as part of one of the official religions. In 1969, Aluk To Dolo ("the way of ancestors") was legalized as a sect of Agama Hindu Dharma, the official name of Hinduism in Indonesia.
SOCIETY
There are three main types of affiliation in Toraja society: family, class and religion.
FAMILY AFFILIATION
Family is the primary social and political grouping in Torajan society. Each village is one extended family, the seat of which is the tongkonan, a traditional Torajan house. Each tongkonan has a name, which becomes the name of the village. The familial dons maintain village unity. Marriage between distant cousins (fourth cousins and beyond) is a common practice that strengthens kinship. Toraja society prohibits marriage between close cousins (up to and including the third cousin) - except for nobles, to prevent the dispersal of property. Kinship is actively reciprocal, meaning that the extended family helps each other farm, share buffalo rituals, and pay off debts.
Each person belongs to both the mother's and the father's families, the only bilateral family line in Indonesia. Children, therefore, inherit household affiliation from both mother and father, including land and even family debts. Children's names are given on the basis of kinship, and are usually chosen after dead relatives. Names of aunts, uncles and cousins are commonly referred to in the names of mothers, fathers and siblings.
Before the start of the formal administration of Toraja villages by the Tana Toraja Regency, each Toraja village was autonomous. In a more complex situation, in which one Toraja family could not handle their problems alone, several villages formed a group; sometimes, villages would unite against other villages. Relationship between families was expressed through blood, marriage, and shared ancestral houses (tongkonan), practically signed by the exchange of water buffalo and pigs on ritual occasions. Such exchanges not only built political and cultural ties between families but defined each person's place in a social hierarchy: who poured palm wine, who wrapped a corpse and prepared offerings, where each person could or could not sit, what dishes should be used or avoided, and even what piece of meat constituted one's share.
CLASS AFFILIATION
In early Toraja society, family relationships were tied closely to social class. There were three strata: nobles, commoners, and slaves (slavery was abolished in 1909 by the Dutch East Indies government). Class was inherited through the mother. It was taboo, therefore, to marry "down" with a woman of lower class. On the other hand, marrying a woman of higher class could improve the status of the next generation. The nobility's condescending attitude toward the commoners is still maintained today for reasons of family prestige.
Nobles, who were believed to be direct descendants of the descended person from heaven, lived in tongkonans, while commoners lived in less lavish houses (bamboo shacks called banua). Slaves lived in small huts, which had to be built around their owner's tongkonan. Commoners might marry anyone, but nobles preferred to marry in-family to maintain their status. Sometimes nobles married Bugis or Makassarese nobles. Commoners and slaves were prohibited from having death feasts. Despite close kinship and status inheritance, there was some social mobility, as marriage or change in wealth could affect an individuals status. Wealth was counted by the ownership of water buffaloes.
Slaves in Toraja society were family property. Sometimes Torajans decided to become slaves when they incurred a debt, pledging to work as payment. Slaves could be taken during wars, and slave trading was common. Slaves could buy their freedom, but their children still inherited slave status. Slaves were prohibited from wearing bronze or gold, carving their houses, eating from the same dishes as their owners, or having sex with free women - a crime punishable by death.
RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION
Toraja's indigenous belief system is polytheistic animism, called aluk, or "the way" (sometimes translated as "the law"). In the Toraja myth, the ancestors of Torajan people came down from heaven using stairs, which were then used by the Torajans as a communication medium with Puang Matua, the Creator. The cosmos, according to aluk, is divided into the upper world (heaven), the world of man (earth), and the underworld. At first, heaven and earth were married, then there was a darkness, a separation, and finally the light. Animals live in the underworld, which is represented by rectangular space enclosed by pillars, the earth is for mankind, and the heaven world is located above, covered with a saddle-shaped roof. Other Toraja gods include Pong Banggai di Rante (god of Earth), Indo' Ongon-Ongon (a goddess who can cause earthquakes), Pong Lalondong (god of death), and Indo' Belo Tumbang (goddess of medicine); there are many more.
The earthly authority, whose words and actions should be cleaved to both in life (agriculture) and death (funerals), is called to minaa (an aluk priest). Aluk is not just a belief system; it is a combination of law, religion, and habit. Aluk governs social life, agricultural practices, and ancestral rituals. The details of aluk may vary from one village to another. One common law is the requirement that death and life rituals be separated. Torajans believe that performing death rituals might ruin their corpses if combined with life rituals. The two rituals are equally important. During the time of the Dutch missionaries, Christian Torajans were prohibited from attending or performing life rituals, but were allowed to perform death rituals. Consequently, Toraja's death rituals are still practised today, while life rituals have diminished.
CULTURE
TONGKONAN
Tongkonan are the traditional Torajan ancestral houses. They stand high on wooden piles, topped with a layered split-bamboo roof shaped in a sweeping curved arc, and they are incised with red, black, and yellow detailed wood carvings on the exterior walls. The word "tongkonan" comes from the Torajan tongkon ("to sit").
Tongkonan are the center of Torajan social life. The rituals associated with the tongkonan are important expressions of Torajan spiritual life, and therefore all family members are impelled to participate, because symbolically the tongkonan represents links to their ancestors and to living and future kin. According to Torajan myth, the first tongkonan was built in heaven on four poles, with a roof made of Indian cloth. When the first Torajan ancestor descended to earth, he imitated the house and held a large ceremony.
The construction of a tongkonan is laborious work and is usually done with the help of the extended family. There are three types of tongkonan. The tongkonan layuk is the house of the highest authority, used as the "center of government". The tongkonan pekamberan belongs to the family members who have some authority in local traditions. Ordinary family members reside in the tongkonan batu. The exclusivity to the nobility of the tongkonan is diminishing as many Torajan commoners find lucrative employment in other parts of Indonesia. As they send back money to their families, they enable the construction of larger tongkonan.
WOOD CARVINGS
To express social and religious concepts, Torajans carve wood, calling it Pa'ssura (or "the writing"). Wood carvings are therefore Toraja's cultural manifestation.
Each carving receives a special name, and common motifs are animals and plants that symbolize some virtue. For example, water plants and animals, such as crabs, tadpoles and water weeds, are commonly found to symbolize fertility. In some areas noble elders claim these symbols refer to strength of noble family, but not everyone agrees. The overall meaning of groups of carved motifs on houses remains debated and tourism has further complicated these debates because some feel a uniform explanation must be presented to tourists. The image to the left shows an example of Torajan wood carving, consisting of 15 square panels. The center bottom panel represents buffalo or wealth, a wish for many buffaloes for the family. The center panel represents a knot and a box, a hope that all of the family's offspring will be happy and live in harmony, like goods kept safe in a box. The top left and top right squares represent an aquatic animal, indicating the need for fast and hard work, just like moving on the surface of water. It also represents the need for a certain skill to produce good results.
Regularity and order are common features in Toraja wood carving (see table below), as well as abstracts and geometrical designs. Nature is frequently used as the basis of Toraja's ornaments, because nature is full of abstractions and geometries with regularities and ordering. Toraja's ornaments have been studied in ethnomathematics to reveal their mathematical structure, but Torajans base this art only on approximations. To create an ornament, bamboo sticks are used as a geometrical tool.
FUNERAL RITES
In Toraja society, the funeral ritual is the most elaborate and expensive event. The richer and more powerful the individual, the more expensive is the funeral. In the aluk religion, only nobles have the right to have an extensive death feast. The death feast of a nobleman is usually attended by thousands and lasts for several days. A ceremonial site, called rante, is usually prepared in a large, grassy field where shelters for audiences, rice barns, and other ceremonial funeral structures are specially made by the deceased family. Flute music, funeral chants, songs and poems, and crying and wailing are traditional Toraja expressions of grief with the exceptions of funerals for young children, and poor, low-status adults.
The ceremony is often held weeks, months, or years after the death so that the deceased's family can raise the significant funds needed to cover funeral expenses. Torajans traditionally believe that death is not a sudden, abrupt event, but a gradual process toward Puya (the land of souls, or afterlife). During the waiting period, the body of the deceased is wrapped in several layers of cloth and kept under the tongkonan. The soul of the deceased is thought to linger around the village until the funeral ceremony is completed, after which it begins its journey to Puya.
Another component of the ritual is the slaughter of water buffalo. The more powerful the person who died, the more buffalo are slaughtered at the death feast. Buffalo carcasses, including their heads, are usually lined up on a field waiting for their owner, who is in the "sleeping stage". Torajans believe that the deceased will need the buffalo to make the journey and that they will be quicker to arrive at Puya if they have many buffalo. Slaughtering tens of water buffalo and hundreds of pigs using a machete is the climax of the elaborate death feast, with dancing and music and young boys who catch spurting blood in long bamboo tubes. Some of the slaughtered animals are given by guests as "gifts", which are carefully noted because they will be considered debts of the deceased's family. However, a cockfight, known as bulangan londong, is an integral part of the ceremony. As with the sacrifice of the buffalo and the pigs, the cockfight is considered sacred because it involves the spilling of blood on the earth. In particular, the tradition requires the sacrifice of at least three chickens. However, it is common for at least 25 pairs of chickens to be set against each other in the context of the ceremony.
There are three methods of burial: the coffin may be laid in a cave or in a carved stone grave, or hung on a cliff. It contains any possessions that the deceased will need in the afterlife. The wealthy are often buried in a stone grave carved out of a rocky cliff. The grave is usually expensive and takes a few months to complete. In some areas, a stone cave may be found that is large enough to accommodate a whole family. A wood-carved effigy, called Tau tau, is usually placed in the cave looking out over the land. The coffin of a baby or child may be hung from ropes on a cliff face or from a tree. This hanging grave usually lasts for years, until the ropes rot and the coffin falls to the ground.
In the ritual called Ma'Nene, that takes place each year in August, the bodies of the deceased are exhumed to be washed, groomed and dressed in new clothes. The mummies are then walked around the village.
DANCE AND MUSIC
Torajans perform dances on several occasions, most often during their elaborate funeral ceremonies. They dance to express their grief, and to honour and even cheer the deceased person because he is going to have a long journey in the afterlife. First, a group of men form a circle and sing a monotonous chant throughout the night to honour the deceased (a ritual called Ma'badong). This is considered by many Torajans to be the most important component of the funeral ceremony. On the second funeral day, the Ma'randing warrior dance is performed to praise the courage of the deceased during life. Several men perform the dance with a sword, a large shield made from buffalo skin, a helmet with a buffalo horn, and other ornamentation. The Ma'randing dance precedes a procession in which the deceased is carried from a rice barn to the rante, the site of the funeral ceremony. During the funeral, elder women perform the Ma'katia dance while singing a poetic song and wearing a long feathered costume. The Ma'akatia dance is performed to remind the audience of the generosity and loyalty of the deceased person. After the bloody ceremony of buffalo and pig slaughter, a group of boys and girls clap their hands while performing a cheerful dance called Ma'dondan.
As in other agricultural societies, Torajans dance and sing during harvest time. The Ma'bugi dance celebrates the thanksgiving event, and the Ma'gandangi dance is performed while Torajans are pounding rice. There are several war dances, such as the Manimbong dance performed by men, followed by the Ma'dandan dance performed by women. The aluk religion governs when and how Torajans dance. A dance called Ma'bua can be performed only once every 12 years. Ma'bua is a major Toraja ceremony in which priests wear a buffalo head and dance around a sacred tree.
A traditional musical instrument of the Toraja is a bamboo flute called a Pa'suling (suling is an Indonesian word for flute). This six-holed flute (not unique to the Toraja) is played at many dances, such as the thanksgiving dance Ma'bondensan, where the flute accompanies a group of shirtless, dancing men with long fingernails. The Toraja have indigenous musical instruments, such as the Pa'pelle (made from palm leaves) and the Pa'karombi (the Torajan version of a jaw harp). The Pa'pelle is played during harvest time and at house inauguration ceremonies.
LANGUAGE
The ethnic Toraja language is dominant in Tana Toraja with the main language as the Sa'dan Toraja. Although the national Indonesian language is the official language and is spoken in the community, all elementary schools in Tana Toraja teach Toraja language.Language varieties of Toraja, including Kalumpang, Mamasa, Tae' , Talondo' , Toala' , and Toraja-Sa'dan, belong to the Malayo-Polynesian language from the Austronesian family. At the outset, the isolated geographical nature of Tana Toraja formed many dialects between the Toraja languages themselves. After the formal administration of Tana Toraja, some Toraja dialects have been influenced by other languages through the transmigration program, introduced since the colonialism period, and it has been a major factor in the linguistic variety of Toraja languages. A prominent attribute of Toraja language is the notion of grief. The importance of death ceremony in Toraja culture has characterized their languages to express intricate degrees of grief and mourning. The Toraja language contains many terms referring to sadness, longing, depression, and mental pain. Giving a clear expression of the psychological and physical effect of loss is a catharsis and sometimes lessens the pain of grief itself.
ECONOMY
Prior to Suharto's "New Order" administration, the Torajan economy was based on agriculture, with cultivated wet rice in terraced fields on mountain slopes, and supplemental cassava and maize crops. Much time and energy were devoted to raising water buffalo, pigs, and chickens, primarily for ceremonial sacrifices and consumption. Coffee was the first significant cash crop produced in Toraja, and was introduced in the mid 19th century, changing the local economy towards commodity production for external markets and gaining an excellent reputation for quality in the international market .
With the commencement of the New Order in 1965, Indonesia's economy developed and opened to foreign investment. In Toraja, a coffee plantation and factory was established by Key Coffee of Japan, and Torajan coffee regained a reputation for quality within the growing international specialty coffee sector Multinational oil and mining companies opened new operations in Indonesia during the 1970s and 1980s. Torajans, particularly younger ones, relocated to work for the foreign companies - to Kalimantan for timber and oil, to Papua for mining, to the cities of Sulawesi and Java, and many went to Malaysia. The out-migration of Torajans was steady until 1985. and has continued since, with remittances sent back by emigre Torajans performing an important role within the contemporary economy.
Tourism commenced in Toraja in the 1970s, and accelerated in the 1980s and 1990s. Between 1984 and 1997, a significant number of Torajans obtained their incomes from tourism, working in and owning hotels, as tour guides, drivers, or selling souvenirs. With the rise of political and economic instability in Indonesia in the late 1990s - including religious conflicts elsewhere on Sulawesi - tourism in Tana Toraja has declined dramatically. Toraja continues to be a well known origin for Indonesian coffee, grown by both smallholders and plantation estates, although migration, remittances and off-farm income is considered far more important to most households, even those in rural areas.
TOURISM AND CULTURAL CHANGE
Before the 1970s, Toraja was almost unknown to Western tourism. In 1971, about 50 Europeans visited Tana Toraja. In 1972, at least 400 visitors attended the funeral ritual of Puang of Sangalla, the highest-ranking nobleman in Tana Toraja and the so-called "last pure-blooded Toraja noble." The event was documented by National Geographic and broadcast in several European countries. In 1976, about 12,000 tourists visited the regency and in 1981, Torajan sculpture was exhibited in major North American museums. "The land of the heavenly kings of Tana Toraja", as written in the exhibition brochure, embraced the outside world.
In 1984, the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism declared Tana Toraja Regency the prima donna of South Sulawesi. Tana Toraja was heralded as "the second stop after Bali". Tourism was increasing dramatically: by 1985, a total number of 150,000 foreigners had visited the Regency (in addition to 80,000 domestic tourists), and the annual number of foreign visitors was recorded at 40,000 in 1989. Souvenir stands appeared in Rantepao, the cultural center of Toraja, roads were sealed at the most-visited tourist sites, new hotels and tourist-oriented restaurants were opened, and an airstrip was opened in the Regency in 1981.
Tourism developers have marketed Tana Toraja as an exotic adventure - an area rich in culture and off the beaten track. Western tourists expected to see stone-age villages and pagan funerals. Toraja is for tourists who have gone as far as Bali and are willing to see more of the wild, "untouched" islands. However, they were more likely to see a Torajan wearing a hat and denim, living in a Christian society. Tourists felt that the tongkonan and other Torajan rituals had been preconceived to make profits, and complained that the destination was too commercialized. This has resulted in several clashes between Torajans and tourism developers, whom Torajans see as outsiders.
A clash between local Torajan leaders and the South Sulawesi provincial government (as a tourist developer) broke out in 1985. The government designated 18 Toraja villages and burial sites as traditional tourist attractions. Consequently, zoning restrictions were applied to these areas, such that Torajans themselves were barred from changing their tongkonans and burial sites. The plan was opposed by some Torajan leaders, as they felt that their rituals and traditions were being determined by outsiders. As a result, in 1987, the Torajan village of Kété Kesú and several other designated tourist attractions closed their doors to tourists. This closure lasted only a few days, as the villagers found it too difficult to survive without the income from selling souvenirs.
Tourism has also transformed Toraja society. Originally, there was a ritual which allowed commoners to marry nobles (puang) and thereby gain nobility for their children. However, the image of Torajan society created for the tourists, often by "lower-ranking" guides, has eroded its traditional strict hierarchy. High status is not as esteemed in Tana Toraja as it once was. Many low-ranking men can declare themselves and their children nobles by gaining enough wealth through work outside the region and then marrying a noble woman.
WIKIPEDIA
Switzerland has four national languages: German, French, Italian, and Romansh. But SBB, the Swiss Federal Railways, wants more. All screens will now also be displayed in English. Politicians have already complained because other national languages are being pushed out. Perhaps SBB noticed that I create my photo stream in English 😉. Switzerland, June 22, 2026. (0:24)
Video Mapping Philipp Geist_Germany+Brazil 2013-2014_- Santa Marta 2014_©Fred Pacífico/Porã
„VideoInstallation by Philipp Geist“, "Philipp Geist", „Copyright 2014 Philipp Geist / VG Bildkunst 2014", www.videogeist.de, mail@videogeist.de, „Rio de Janeiro“, "Santa Marta“, „Cristo Redentor“, „Dona Marta“, „Deutschland + Brasilien 2013-2014“, “Alemanha + Brasil 2013-2014”
Photo by Fred Pacífico
©2014 Philipp Geist / VG BIldkunst Bonn
Rio de Janeiro / Brazil 2014
Christ statue (Cristo Redentor) – May 12
Dona Marta favela – May 15 and 16,2014
Light Art-Video-Mapping-Installations Philipp Geist in Rio de Janeiro / Brazil 2014
on the Christ statue (Cristo Redentor) - May 12 and in the Dona Marta favela - May 15 and 16,
2014
Installation Philipp Geist Year of Germany in Brazil 2013/2014
Concept Time Drifts May 2014
At the end of the Year of Germany in Brazil 2013/2014, the artist Philipp Geist (Berlin, 1976)
develops two light installations in Rio this year; the first one on the world-famous Christ statue
(Cristo Redentor) and the other installation in the Santa Marta favela. For the installation the
artist presents artistic-liberal and poetic German and Brazilian themes and develops a building
and floor light installation of colored words and phrases in Portuguese, German, and in other
international languages. The installation deals with cultural characteristics and achievements of
both countries and visualizes the issues of time and space, volatility and presence in a free
artistic style. The two projects are in fact a double project which is combined. The installation
on the symbol of Rio and Brazil, the Christ statue, is recorded and projected onto the small
buildings and huts of the favela. The Christ statue, which has been built to protect the city and
the sailors, is symbolically projected on the shantytown, the favela, in a protective way. The
installation in the favela will be seen not only on a facade as a large cinema projection or as a
static image, but on several winding buildings, the roofs, the floor and on the steps. Thus, the
visitor becomes a part of the installation and can immerse into the projection and the light and
introduce himself. Chalk crayons are put out on the streets in the favela and the young and old
residents and visitors can write and paint words on the street, the ground, the stairs or even on
the house walls. The residents and several institutions should be addressed to submit words and
associations dealing with Rio, Brazil and Germany.
For the installation, which was shown at the Luminale in 2012, the artist Philipp Geist won the
German Lighting Design Award 2013 (Deutscher Lichtdesign-Preis 2013) in the category Light Art.
The series 'Time Drifts' is characterized by the complex and subtle way of visualizing various
currents and voices in cultural contexts and to provide institutions and visitors with the
opportunity of substantive participation: different personalities, visitors and institutions may be
addressed in advance and then contribute words and associations. Current and historico-cultural
topics are researched in advance by the artist and then integrated in a sensitive and subtle way.
The projection dismisses the use of screens, because concepts and associations are projected on
a large area onto the floor surface on several facades and in theater fog. Over the course of two
days, the installation can be seen on-site in the favela on May 15 and 16 and on the Cristo
Redentor on May 12 for a day.
Short, tall, young and old visitors can interactively participate in the installation by tracing and
adding words with colored chalk crayons available on the streets. Thus, over the period of the
installation, a carpet of words is evolved with terms that are contributed locally by the visitors
by means of the temporary and volatile 'medium' of chalk crayons. Philipp Geist develops in this
way a dialogue between the place, the visitors and his artistic work.
The concrete, tangible projection of the architecture and the static terms on the floor area
represents the facts and visible relics that are responsible for our understanding of history. The
transparent and volatile projection in the fog reminds us that part of the history can not be
preserved and that it is created in our individual imagination in a single moment. Words are
briefly visible as a metaphor for transience and then disappear again. This interplay of the
various text and image layers in the space refers to the location and the history/-ies of Brazil
and Germany and the cultural exchange between the two countries. The visitors themselves are
part of the installation: they dive into the large floor projection. In this way, different
perspectives and experiences of space are unified. Abstract passages which are created, then
overlapped and displaced by each other symbolize the constant changes in history, the passage
of time and the transience of existence. Even the understanding of the past is in the flux. The
modern writings and formations created on the computer establish a connection to the present
and the possibilities of today's technology and show that the perception of history and culture
depends always on the possibilities and constraints of the present.
'Time Drifts - Words of Berlin' is part of a series of installations, which has been shown in recent
years by Philipp Geist, and which are always re-developed site-specifically and adapted to the
local conditions: In October 2012, Philipp Geist showed the installation on the entire Potsdamer
Platz (public square) and the Kolhoff Tower and Renzo Piano Tower skyscrapers. In April 2012
the installation was shown at the Luminale in Frankfurt where it was seen by more than 40,000
visitors and thus the main project of the Luminale 2012. In 2011, Philipp Geist presented the
'Time Drifts' installation in Vancouver at the Jack Poole Plaza, as well as in Montreal on the
Place des Arts in 2010. The 'Timing' installation was shown at the 2009 Glow Festival in
Eindhoven. In the end of 2009, on the occasion of the birthday of the King of Thailand, 2-3
million visitors saw his facade installation at the royal throne in Bangkok. Other projects
include: 'Timelines' at the prestigious Pallazzio delle Esposizioni (Rome, 2007), 'Time Fades'
at the Cultural Forum of Berlin and 'Broken Time Lines' at the old spa Kurhaus Ahrenshoop
(Germany, 2008).
Geist's projects are primarily characterized by their complexity concerning the integration of
space, sound and motion images. His video mapping installations waive screens and transform a
wide range of architectures in moving, picturesque light sculptures which challenge the viewer's
perception of two- and three-dimensionality.
www.alemanha-brasil.org/br/node/8542
www.alemanha-brasil.org/Programme/Dia/2014-05-12
www.alemanha-brasil.org/Programme/Dia/2014-05-15
www.alemanha-brasil.org/Programme/Dia/2014-05-16
---------------
Arte de luz - Instalações de Mapeamento de Vídeo por Philipp Geist no Rio de Janeiro / Brasil
2014 no Cristo Redentor no dia 12 de maio e na favela Santa Marta nos dias 15 e 16 de maio de
2014
Instalação Philipp Geist Ano Alemanha + Brasil 2013/2014
Conceito Time Drifts Maio 2014
No final do ano Alemnaha + Brasil 2013/2014, o artista Philipp Geist (1976, Berlim) desenvolverá
duas instalações de luz no Rio; uma delas será exibida na mundialmente famosa estátua do
Cristo Redentor, e a outra na favela Santa Marta. Para a instalação, o artista traz temas teutobrasileiros
de maneira liberal-artística e poética desenvolvendo instalações de luz em edifícios e
no solo a partir de palavras e conceitos coloridos em Português, Alemão e em outros idiomas
internacionais. A instalação lida com as peculiaridades e realizações culturais de ambos os países
e visualiza as questões de tempo e espaço e de volatilidade e presença no estilo liberal-artístico.
Os dois projetos em questão representam um projeto duplo que é combinado. A instalação na
estátua do Cristo Redentor, como um símbolo do Rio e do Brasil, será gravada e projetada nos
pequenos prédios e barracos da favela. A estátua do Cristo Redentor, que foi erguida para
proteger a cidade e os marinheiros, será então projetada como um símbolo de proteção em uma
favela. A instalação na favela é visto não apenas em uma fachada como uma projeção grande de
cinema ou como uma imagem estática, mas em vários prédios sinuosos, em telhados, no solo e
nas escadas. Desta maneira, o visitante conseguirá ser parte da instalação e imergir e mergulhar
na projeção e na luz. Na favela, será distribuído giz para pintura de rua, e os moradores e
visitantes, tanto jovens quanto velhos, podem escrever e pintar conceitos na rua, no solo, nas
escadas ou até mesmo nas paredes das casas. Os moradores e diversas instituições serão
convidados a contribuir com conceitos e associações que representam o Rio, o Brasil e a
Alemanha.
Para as instalações apresentadas na Luminal em 2012, o artista Philipp Geist ganhou o
'Deutscher Lichtdesign-Preis 2013” (Prêmio Alemão de Desenho de Luz de 2013) na categoria
Arte de Luz. A série Time Drifts caracteriza-se pela forma complexa e sutil de visualizar várias
correntes e vozes em contextos culturais e de oferecer a instituições e aos visitantes a
oportunidade de participar: diferentes personalidades, visitantes e instituições podem ser
contatados antecipadamente para contribuir com termos e associações. Temas atuais, históricos
e culturais serão previamente pesquisados pelo artista e, depois, integrados de uma forma
sensível e sutil. A projeção é realizada sem o uso de telas porque conceitos e associações são
projetados, em grande estilo, sobre a superfície do solo, em diversas frentes e envolvidos em
fumaça. Ao longo de dois dias, a instalação estará em exibição em 15 e 16 de maio na favela, e
em 12 de maio, por um dia, no Cristo Redentor.
Visitantes jovens e velhos podem envolver-se na instalação e traçar ou adicionar palavras com
giz colorido, que será distribuído, e assim participar interativamente na instalação. Desta
maneira, durante a duração da instalação, será desenvolvido um tapete de palavras. As palavras
serão fornecidas, no próprio local, pelos visitantes usando o giz, um meio temporário e volátil.
Philipp Geist desenvolve assim um diálogo entre o local, os visitantes e seu trabalho artístico.
A área de projeção concreta e tangível da arquitetura e os termos estáticos sobre a superfície do
solo representam os fatos e as relíquias visíveis que compõem a nossa compreensão da história. A
área de projeção transparente e sumindo por dentro da fumaça lembra que parte da história não
pode ser preservada e que ela é criada na nossa imaginação individual momentaneamente.
Conceitos são brevemente visíveis, como uma metáfora para a transitoriedade e, logo mais,
desaparecem. Esta interação entre as várias camadas de texto e de imagens no espaço refere-se
à localização e a(s) história(s) do Brasil e da Alemanha e o intercâmbio cultural entre os dois
países. Os próprios visitantes tornam-se parte da instalação: eles imergem na grande projeção
do solo. Desta forma, diferentes perspectivas e experiências de espaço são unidas. Passagens
abstratas que são formadas, sobrepostas e suprimidas pela próxima simbolizam as mudanças
contínuas na história, a passagem do tempo e a transitoriedade da existência. A compreensão do
passado também está no fluxo. As fontes e formações modernas criadas no computador
estabelecem uma conexão com o presente e com as possibilidades da tecnologia de hoje: a
percepção da história e da cultura sempre dependende das capacidades e limitações do
presente.
'Time Drifts - Words of Berlin' faz parte de uma série de instalações, que foram apresentadas
durante os últimos anos por Philipp Geist e que são sempre redesenvolvidas para as condições
locais específicas: em outubro de 2012, Philipp Geist exibiu a instalação em toda a praça
Potsdamer Platz (Berlim) e nos dois arranha-céus Kolhoff Tower (Berlim) e Renzo Piano Tower
(Londres). Em abril de 2012, a instalação foi apresentada no evento da Luminal em Frankfurt
onde foi vista por mais de 40.000 visitantes sendo o principal projeto da Luminal de 2012. Em
2011, Philipp Geist mostrou a instalação Time Drifts na praça Jack Poole Plaza em Vancouver
bem como em Montreal, Canadá, no centro de arte Place des Arts, em 2010. A instalação Timing
foi exibida no Glow Festival de 2009 in Eindhoven, Holanda. No final de 2009 e por ocasião do
aniversário do rei tailandês, aprox. 2 a 3 milhões de visitantes viram a instalação de fachada do
artista no trono real em Banguecoque. Seus outros projetos incluem: Time Lines, no prestigiado
museu Palazzio delle Esposizioni (Roma, 2007); Time Fades, no Fórum Cultural de Berlim;
Broken Time Lines, no antigo spa Kurhaus Ahrenshoop (Alemanha, 2008).
Os projetos de Geist são principalmente caracterizados por sua complexidade na integração de
espaço, som e imagens de movimento. Suas instalações de mapeamento de vídeo renunciam
telas e transformam uma ampla gama de arquiteturas em esculturas móveis e pitorescas que
desafiam a percepção do espectador de duas e três dimensões.
www.alemanha-brasil.org/br/node/8542
www.alemanha-brasil.org/Programme/Dia/2014-05-12
www.alemanha-brasil.org/Programme/Dia/2014-05-15
www.alemanha-brasil.org/Programme/Dia/2014-05-16
---------------
Lichtkunst-VideoMappingInstallationen Philipp Geist in Rio de Janeiro / Brasilien 2014
an der Christstatue (Cristo Redender) 12.5 und in der Favela Santa Marta 15./16.5.2014
Installation Philipp Geist Deutsch-Brasilianisches Jahr 2013/2014
Konzept Time Drifts Mai 2014
Zum Abschluss des Deutsch-Brasilianischen-Jahres 2013/2014 entwickelt der Berliner Künstler
Philipp Geist (1976) zwei Lichtinstallation in Rio d.J.; eine an der weltbekannten Christstatue
(Cristo Redender) und in die andere Installation in der Favela Santa Marta. Bei der Installation
greift der Künstler künstlerisch frei und poetisch deutsch brasilianische Themen auf und
entwickelt eine Gebäude- und Boden-Lichtinstallation aus farbigen Wörtern und Begriffen in
portugiesischer, deutscher, und in weiteren internationalen Sprachen. Die Installation thematisiert
kulturelle Besonderheiten und Errungenschaften beider Länder und visualisiert die Themen Zeit
und Raum, Flüchtigkeit und Präsenz in freien künstlerischen Art. Bei den beiden Projekten handelt
es sich um ein Doppelprojekt welches kombiniert wird. Die Installation auf das Wahrzeichen von
Rio und Brasilien die Christstatue, wird aufgenommen und auf die kleinen Gebäude und Hütten
der Favela projiziert. Die Christstatue die errichtet worden ist um die Stadt und Seeleute zu
schützen, wird so symbolisch schützend über ein Armenviertel die Favela projiziert. Dabei ist die
Installation in der Favela nicht nur auf einer Fassade als große Kinoprojektion oder als statisches
Bild zu sehen, sondern auf mehreren verwinkelten Gebäuden, den Dächern, den Boden und auf
den Stufen. Der Besucher wird vielmehr auf diese Weise selbst Teil der Installation und kann in die
Projektion und das Licht eintauchen und sich einbringen. In der Favela werden Strassenmalkreide
ausgelegt und die Bewohner und Besucher ob jung oder alt können Begriffe auf die Strasse, den
Boden, die Treppenstufen oder sogar auf die Hauswände schreiben und malen. Die Bewohner und
verschiedene Institutionen sollen angesprochen werden Assoziationen und Begriffe die für Rio,
Brasilien und Deutschland stehen einzureichen.
Für die 2012 bei der Luminale gezeigten Installation hat der Künstler Philipp Geist den Deutschen
Lichtdesign-Preis 2013 in der der Kategorie Lichtkunst gewonnen. Die Serie 'Time Drifts' zeichnet
sich aus durch die komplexe und die subtile Möglichkeit, verschiedenste Strömungen und
Stimmen in kulturellen Kontexten sichtbar zu machen und Institutionen und Besuchern die
Möglichkeit zur inhaltlichen Partizipation zu geben: Es können verschiedene Persönlichkeiten,
Besucher und Institute im Vorfeld angesprochen werden, die Begriffe und Assoziationen
beisteuern. Aktuelle und kulturhistorische Themen werden im Vorfeld vom Künstler recherchiert
und auf sensible und subtile Weise integriert. Die Projektion verzichtet auf den Einsatz von
Leinwänden, denn Begriffe und Assoziationen werden grossflächig auf die Bodenfläche, auf
mehrere Fassaden und in Theaternebel projiziert. Über den Zeitraum von 2 Tagen wird die
Installation vor Ort in der Favela am 15/16.Mai und die Installation am Cristo Redentor am 12.Mai
für einen Tag zu sehen sein.!
Kleine, große, junge und alte Besucher können sich einbringen in die Installation und mit farbiger
Straßenmalkreide, die ausgelegt wird, Wörter nachzeichnen und hinzufügen und so interaktiv an
der Installation teilnehmen. Über die Installationsdauer entsteht somit ein Wörterteppich aus
Begriffen, die vor Ort von den Besuchern selbst mittels dem temporären und flüchtigen 'Medium'
der Strassenmalkreide beigesteuert werden. Geist entwickelt auf diese Weise einen Dialog
zwischen dem Ort, den Besuchern und seiner künstlerischen Arbeit. ! !
Die konkrete, greifbare Projektionsfläche der Architektur und die statischen Begriffe auf der
Bodenfläche stehen für die Fakten und sichtbaren Relikte, welche unser Geschichtsverständnis
ausmachen. Die transparente, sich verflüchtigende Projektionsfläche im Nebel erinnert daran,
dass ein Teil der Geschichte nicht konserviert werden kann und im Moment in unserer individuellen
Vorstellung entsteht. Begriffe werden als Metapher für die Vergänglichkeit kurzzeitig sichtbar und
verschwinden sofort wieder. Dieses Zusammenspiel der verschiedenen Text- und Bildschichten im
Raum verweist auf den Ort und die Geschichte(n) Brasiliens und Deutschlands und den kulturellen
Austausch beider Länder. Die Besucher selbst werden Teil der Installation: sie tauchen in die
großflächige Bodenprojektion ein. Auf diese Weise vereinen sich unterschiedliche Perspektiven
und Raumerfahrungen. Abstrakte Passagen, die sich aufbauen, überlagern und gegenseitig
verdrängen, symbolisieren die ständigen Veränderungen in der Geschichte, den Lauf der Zeit und
die Flüchtigkeit des Seins. Auch das Verständnis von der Vergangenheit ist im Fluss. Die
modernen Schriften und Formationen, die am Computer entstanden sind, stellen eine Verbindung
zur Gegenwart und den Möglichkeiten der heutigen Technik her und zeigen, dass die Erfahrbarkeit
von Geschichte und Kultur immer von den Möglichkeiten und Rahmenbedingungen der Gegenwart
abhängig ist.
'Time Drifts - Words of Berlin' ist Teil einer Serie von Installationen, die Philipp Geist in den letzten
Jahren gezeigt hat, und die dabei immer wieder neu an die örtlichen Gegebenheiten ortsspezifisch
weiterentwickelt wird: Im Oktober 2012 zeigte Geist die Installation auf dem gesamten Potsdamer
Platz und den beiden Hochhäusern Kolhoff Tower und Renzo Piano Tower. Im April 2012 wurde die
Installation in Frankfurt auf der Luminale gezeigt, wurde von mehr als 40.000 Besuchern gesehen
und war das Hauptprojekt der Luminale 2012. Im Jahr 2011 zeigte Geist die Installation Time Drifts
in Vancouver am Jack-Poole Plaza, ebenso wie in Montreal am Place des Arts in 2010. Die
Installation 'Timing' war 2009 auf dem Glow Festival in Eindhoven zu sehen. Ende 2009 sahen
anlässlich des Geburtstages des thailändischen Königs ca. 2-3 Millionen Besucher seine
Fassadeninstallation am königlichen Thron in Bangkok. Andere Projekte waren u.a.: 'Time Lines'
am renommierten Museum delle Esposizioni (2007), 'Time Fades' am Berliner Kulturforum,
'Broken Time Lines' am alten Kurhaus Ahrenshoop (2008).
Geists Projekte sind in erster Linie gekennzeichnet durch ihre Komplexität in der Integration von
Raum, Ton und Bewegbild. Seine Video-Mapping-Installationen verzichten auf Leinwände und
verwandeln verschiedenste Architekturen in bewegte, malerische Lichtskulpturen, die die
Wahrnehmung der Betrachter von Zwei- und Dreidimensionalität herausfordern.
Language not only communicates, it defines culture, nature, history, humanity, and ancestry. The indigenous languages of the Arctic have been formed and shaped in close contact with their environment. They are a valuable source of information and a wealth of knowledge on human interactions with nature is encoded in these languages. If a language is lost, a world is lost. This deep knowledge and interconnections is expressed in Arctic song, subsistence practices, and other cultural expressions but especially in place names across the Arctic. Place names of the indigenous peoples reflect subsistence practices, stories, dwelling sites, spawning sites, migratory routes of animals, and links to the sacred realms of the indigenous peoples of the north. This map presents the original languages of the respective indigenous peoples, even if they do not speak their languages today. Notes: Overlapping populations are not shown. The map does not claim to show exact boundaries between the individual language groups. Typical colonial populations, which are not traditional Arctic populations, are not shown (Danes in Greenland, Russians in the Russian Federation, non-native Americans in North America).
For any form of publication, please include the link to this page:
This photo has been graciously provided to be used in the GRID-Arendal resources library by: Hugo Ahlenius
Michelle Menefee provides American Sign Language interpretation at the 2012 United Methodist General Conference in Tampa, Florida. Menefee is a member of First United Methodist Church in Houston, Texas. A double exposure for UMNS by Paul Jeffrey.
Jamie Fleeman or Fleeming (1713–1778) was better known as "the Laird of Udny's Fool" or "the Laird of Udny's Fule" in the Scots language.
Although described as a fool, he had a reputation for his clever, witty repartee and many anecdotal tales of his actions are re-capped.
He was specifically mentioned in the 1845 Statistical Accounts of Scotland and characterised in novels. Fleeman is associated with the Countess of Erroll and was used by her to carry messages to Jacobite rebels. He was probably the last family jester in Scotland.
I passed through Udny on my way to Portsoy, I parked my car for twenty minutes or so to capture a few shots of this beautiful part of Scotland, bright sunshine and a warm breeze present I enjoyed my short visit.
I plan to revisit Udny sometime soon, hence a folder all to itself to archive my photos .
Udny Green is a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, immediately southwest of Pitmedden.It is part of the parish of Udny along with another small settlement, Udny Station.
Udny Parish Church is located beside the village green with the old kirkyard and Udny Mort House on the opposite side.
On 22 September 1943, the Royal Engineers were called out to Udny Castle to investigate reports of an unexploded bomb. It turned out to be a "flash bomb" used by the Luftwaffe at night to illuminate the area for navigation or photographic uses.
A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland (1851), Samuel Lewis
UDNY, a parish, in the district of Ellon, county of Aberdeen, 4 miles (E. by S.) from Old Meldrum; containing 1450 inhabitants. This place derived its name from the ancient family of Udny, who have held possession of the barony more than 5OO years, and whose descendant. Colonel Udny, is the present proprietor. The barony, and several portions of land in the parishes of Ellon, Tarves, Logie-Buchan, and Foveran, were erected into the present parish of Udny, by authority of an act of parliament passed for that purpose, in 1597. The parish is nearly circular in form, and comprises about 12,000 acres. Of this area, 8500 acres are arable, 400 woodland and plantations, and the remainder, of which a large portion might be reclaimed, moorland pasture and waste. The surface is gently undulated, and diversified with hills of moderate elevation: the prevailing scenery is of pleasing character. Three small streams, one of which bounds Udny on the north, and another on the south, flow in a direction from west to east, and after leaving the parish, fall into the river Ythan, about six miles distant.
The SOIL is principally a rich loam resting on a bed of granite, alternated with portions of inferior quality on a substratum of clay: the chief crops are oats, bear, barley, potatoes, and turnips, with the usual grasses; and vegetables and fruit of every kind are also raised in perfection. Husbandry has been greatly improved, and a due rotation of crops is in general observed. The lands have been drained, but from the insufficient depth of the drains, the full benefit of the process has not been yet produced. Much waste land has been brought into cultivation; and from the liberal encouragement given by the proprietors to their tenants, improvements are still being made.
The farm houses and offices are substantial and commodiously arranged. On the farms exceeding fifty acres in extent threshing mills have been erected; the inclosures are kept in good order, and all the more recent improvements in the construction of agricultural implements have been adopted. Great care is bestowed on the management of the dairy, and large quantities of butter and cheese of excellent quality are sent to the Aberdeen market. The cattle are in general the Aberdeenshire, which thrive well; but on some of the larger farms, cattle have been imported from Durham with a view of improving the breed. Few sheep are reared in the parish.
The plantations, nearly 300 acres of which are firs of various kinds, interspersed with other trees, are generally in a thriving state; and around the mansions of the principal proprietors are many fine specimens of wellgrown timber. Towards the end of the last century, the Mains of Udny was tastefully laid out in inclosures of about sixteen acres each, separated from each other by double rows of beech and elm: the inner rows were cut down about twenty years afterwards; but the outer rows, which have attained a maturity of growth, still add greatly to the beauty of the landscape. The principal substrata are granite and limestone, with alternations of grey slate; the limestone has been wrought at different times, but never to any very considerable extent, the works being discontinued from the irruption of water into the quarries.
The annual value of real property in the parish is £7431. Udny Castle, the ancient baronia residence of the Udny family, appears to have been erected about the close of the fifteenth century. It is a building of four stories, and the walls are of great thickness. The two lower stories, of which the upper contains a spacious hall comprising the whole length and breadth of the building, have groined ceilings of elegant design; and the floors are neatly paved with hexagonal slabs of granite.
The proprietor began to modernise the castle in 18Ol; but the design was not completed, and the mansion is at present uninhabited. Pittrichie, the property of Alexander Milne, Esq., is a handsome house of granite, built by the late proprietor in 1819; and another seat in the parish is Tillygreig, the property of Arthur Harvey, Esq., a small mansion lately enlarged.
At Pitmedden, the property of Sir W. C. Seton, Bart., are the ruins of two ancient mansions, and also an extensive garden, planted about the middle of the seventeenth century with the choicest fruit-trees of every kind, and tastefully laid out at a great expense. The garden is still in a flourishing condition, and the apples are said to be superior to any in the north of Scotland.
There is no village. Various handicraft trades are carried on in different parts, and the several shops for the sale of groceries and other articles for the supply of the inhabitants are distributed throughout the parish. A post-office, which has a daily delivery, has been established under that of Aberdeen; and there are several good inns. Fairs, chiefly for black-cattle, are held annually at the Green of Udny on the Tuesdays after the 25th of March and May, and the Tuesday after the 21st of November.
Facility of communication is maintained by turnpike-roads from Aberdeen and Newburgh, which intersect each other nearly in the centre of the parish; and by the turnpike-road from Aberdeen to Meldrum, which passes through the western portion.
There are parish roads kept in repair by statute labour; and good bridges over the streams. Ecclesiastically this place is within the limits of the presbytery of Ellon and synod of Aberdeen.
The minister's stipend is £217. 7. 2. with a manse, and a glebe valued at £10 per annum patron. Colonel Udny. The church, erected in 1521, is a substantial structure with a low spire, and contains 750 sittings. Udny parochial school is attended by about thirty children; the master has a salary of £32 with a house and garden, and the school-fees average £20
[From Samuel Lewis A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland (1851) - copyright M
PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. – More than 3,000 students from across California visited the Presidio of Monterey on May 13 for DLIFLC’s Language Day. Students, educators and other participants were treated to stage performances, classroom displays and ethnic cuisine, highlighting the cultures of the many foreign languages taught here.
Official Presidio of Monterey Web site
Official Presidio of Monterey Facebook
PHOTO by Steven L. Shepard, Presidio of Monterey Public Affairs.
p l o t
An adult-oriented yaoi (boy love) romance sim game. JAST USA's localized release features the original Japanese language with English subtitles. Langmaor's second English-language Yaoi game of hardcore boy's love features a complex dual character system in which you choose which of the two main characters you wish to play as during game missions.
"Welcome, one and all, to our little Agency. I'm sure that at one time or another, you've felt frustrated by the actions of a certain troublesome individual, who always seems to make your life more difficult. You know the feeling -- through no fault of your own, your every step is hindered by the actions of someone who's been born onto this Earth just to trip you up?
"That's where our Agency comes in. With just one word from you, our special volunteer staff will happily lay a complex trap for the individual who causes you so much frustration, and exact sweet revenge on the troublemaker for you, turning their life into exactly the kind of living hell you want. We'll make them surrender totally to our will, force them into perfect obedience while we punish them for the crime of tormenting you. Of course, we use the word "volunteer" loosely. Payment is always required for our services, but don't worry -- we'll never ask you for money.
source: [link]
:jackdirt::jackdirt::jackdirt:
We had this shoot back in 2008.
I want to thank ~rosiael and ~kunebitt for introducing this game to me....ESPECIALLY Werner... o_o He's so much my type and I strongly believe that him and Louise is teh OTP! UKE!
NOTE: THIS IS A YAOI - BL GAME
c r e d i t s
game x Zettai Fukujuu Meirei (絶対服従命令, Absolute Obedience)
developer x Langmaor
characters x Werner Herzog + Louise Hardwich
edits done x levels, color balance, layer options
cosplayers (left to right)
x ero:de as Werner Herzog
x rosiael as Louise Hardwich
photographer x kunebitt
postprocessing x ero:de
location x Rouge's Studio
RESUBMITTED: December 2008
Town Hall Hilversum, the Netherlands
In the Town Hall of Hilversum, architect Dudok language manages the vertical and horizontal volumes, the set of masses against hollow, flat roofs floating and monumentality. This remarkable and in many ways unique structure, whose first sketches were made in 1924, is considered the masterpiece of brilliant but anti avant-garde architect’s career. When the building was completed in 1931, the public embraced this example of modern architecture, for its balance between form and function, and it seemed traditional in composition, fine craftsmen and high quality finishes and materials used. But above all, it was praised for its monumentality. Some critics, however, felt that the building had an anti – structural arrangement, which was proportionally irresponsible in their ways and accused of diluting Dudok modernist designs or be halfway modernism, playing another contemporary, rather than create a formal language itself. By insisting that its architecture lacked a specific style, critics suggested that their designs were not fluent, thus limited to a strict formula for the entire architecture. However, the end result becomes a sculptural expression of a subject composition. It is a testament to the consistent harmonic form, function, art and human need. Hilversum City Council is not only the magnum opus Dudok ‘s career, but also one of the most successful buildings in the history of the modern movement.
The structure consists of load-bearing walls, reinforced concrete floors and concrete lintels above the horizontal windows, while the roof structure in the council chamber is steel. Its balanced masses make a synthesis of functionality and romanticism. Has been criticized, however the arrangement and construction irresponsible proportions addition forms. The use of overhanging eaves, an unusual feature to the Netherlands, and a simple tree -dimensional asymmetric geometry arranged around a square courtyard provide a modern structure while reflecting the medieval municipalities historicism by the presence of a large and a tower room. It is a masonry construction, using, in addition to reinforced concrete and steel beams, yellow bricks specially made for this project, including all facades. Dudok, who also designed the furniture and interior decoration, yellow bricks ordered in special sizes. Some decorative touches were made with blue and green glazed tiles, red tiles strips, black and gold, as the wall facing the columns of the gallery entrance, covered with light blue tiles or dark details on the bases of columns and red in the upper parts. Blue was also used in other decorative details, particularly in the outer columns coating. In the thin elongated interior columns were used and refined golden tiles, highlighting the dark colour of some soils, covered with marbles combinations, like some of the walls in the lobby or the stairwell. Glass is another recurring element in the sophisticated decoration, not only in window openings where clear glass was used, semitransparent, bevelled and stained glass in some gaps, but also excels in the decorative lighting, also designed by the architect.
The building was restored between 1989-1995 by Dutch Van Hoogevest Architects. Restoration costs caused some scandal, as it was at the time the proposal to sell a Mondrian painting from the collection of the city to pay for the restoration.
PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, California -- The 2018 Language Day celebration was held by the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center at the Presidio of Monterey, May 11. Language Day is open to the public and attended by schools across the nation to promote an understanding of diverse customs and cultures from around the world. Approximately 6,000 people attended this annual event featuring cultural displays, activities and international ethnic cuisine served by local vendors.
Official Presidio of Monterey Web site
Official Presidio of Monterey Facebook
PHOTO by Joseph Kumzak, Presidio of Monterey Public Affairs
PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. – More than 3,000 students from across California visited the Presidio of Monterey on May 13 for DLIFLC’s Language Day. Students, educators and other participants were treated to stage performances, classroom displays and ethnic cuisine, highlighting the cultures of the many foreign languages taught here.
Official Presidio of Monterey Web site
Official Presidio of Monterey Facebook
PHOTO by Steven L. Shepard, Presidio of Monterey Public Affairs.
Sherborne School, UK, Book of Remembrance for former pupils who died in the Second World War, 1939-1945.
If you have any additional information about this individual, or if you use one of our images, we would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below or contact us via the Sherborne School Archives website: oldshirburnian.org.uk/school-archives/contact-the-school-...
Credit: Sherborne School Archives, Abbey Road, Sherborne, Dorset, UK, DT9 3AP.
Details: Richard Dawson Scott (1924-1944), born 14 March 1924, son of Dr Gordon Shaw Scott and Winifred Alice Scott, of 91 Wimborne Road, Bournemouth.
Attended St Wulfran's School, Bournemouth.
Attended Sherborne School (Abbeylands) September 1937-March 1942; upper 6th form; House Prefect; PT Instructor with Badge; Sergeant in JTC; member of Duffers.
School of Oriental Languages, Dulwich (where he learnt Turkish).
Trinity Hall, Cambridge.
WW2, Sub-Lieutenant, HMS Nile, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR). Commissioned in the RNVR and seconded for special service in Turkey. Died of infantile paralysis while on active service at Izmir, Turkey on 27 October 1944, aged 20.
Commemorated at:
Izmir (Bornova) British Protestant Cemetery, Turkey, Grave 167. Inscription on his headstone: ‘ELDEST SON OF DR. AND MRS. GORDON SCOTT, BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND’ www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2937635/scott,-richar...
Sherborne School: War Memorial Staircase; Book of Remembrance; Abbeylands roll of honour.
Obituary in 'The Shirburnian', December 1944: 'Dick Scott, who has recently died of infantile paralysis in Turkey, was the eldest son of Lieutenant-Colonel and Mrs G.S. Scott of 91, Wimborne Road, Bournemouth. He was at Abbeylands from September 1937 to March 1942. On leaving School he went to the School of Oriental Languages at Dulwich, where he learnt Turkish with conspicuous success. Commissioned in the R.N.V.R., he was seconded for special service in Turkey, where he remained till his death. Dick Scott had a very good brain and was possessed of a very keen sense of humour, which made him an excellent companion. Besides this he had a steadfastness of purpose which would, one feels sure, have lead him to success in whichever career he had chosen.'
Essay written by R.D. Scott about the bombing of Sherborne on 30 September 1940:
‘Sherborne. September 30th 1940. At a quarter to five on Monday afternoon, the 30th of September, I was in afternoon School, leaving Spanish. The siren had sounded some minutes before, & from the room above us – No.7 classroom, Form I had come down to join us. After the interruption which their entry caused, we worked on peacefully until suddenly about then to five the door started banging, & the windows started to vibrate. At the same time we felt the ground beginning to tremble slightly, we did nothing, until when it began to draw nearer, & we realised what was happening, we got down on to the floor by the walls, & waited, hoping that they would come no nearer.
The floor however began to vibrate more ominously than ever, & the door indulged in a frenzied opening & shutting. Each noise was louder than the last, each vibration more terrifying. Suddenly we heard a noise like an express train, followed by a terrific crash, as if the end of the world had come. The floor seemed to rise up & try to hurl us towards the ceiling. The windows in many places were broken & twisted, & dust & gravel poured in from the courts. Finally they got further & further away, & disappeared altogether. We did not however get off the floor! Then the Abbey clock struck five o’clock, & we realised that at any rate it had not been damaged.
The Headmaster suddenly appeared in the doorway, & said that we were all to go to the undercroft as there was a time-bomb near the back of the gym [now the dining hall]. We went out into the Courts. We had been told beforehand both by Mr Baker & Col. Randolph, that there were three bomb craters in the Courts, & someone had remarked, “good there won’t be any P.T. for some time!” But we were not prepared for the sight we saw. Some of the panes of glass in the chapel smashed, the slates off the Big Schoolroom, whose windows had disappeared, all that remained there being a little twisted lead. As we hurried over the Courts, - we did not like the idea of walking slowly! We looked back & saw the windows which had been broken in the classrooms, & as we climbed over the heaps of gravel, several people found pieces of bomb which were still warm.'
Ladli — which in Indian languages (Hindi and Urdu) means ‘beloved daughter.’
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LADLI - The loved one! campaign by SOCIAL GEOGRAPHIC
Photo: Firoz Ahmad Firoz
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"Worst of all, violence against women and girls continues unabated in every continent, country and culture. It takes a devastating toll on women’s lives, on their families and on society as a whole. Most societies prohibit such violence -- yet the reality is that, too often, it is covered up or tacitly condoned." (UN SECRETARY-GENERAL in International Women’s Day 2007 Message.)
“Almost every country in the world still has laws that discriminate against women, and promises to remedy this have not been kept.” (UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the eve of International Women's Day 2008)
According to one United Nations estimate, 113 to 200 million women are “demographically missing” from the world today. That is to say, there should be 113 to 200 million more women walking the earth, who aren’t. By that same estimate, 1.5 to 3 million women and girls lose their lives every year because of gender-based neglect or gender-based violence and Sexual Violence in Conflict.
In addition to torture, sexual violence and rape by occupation forces, a great number of women and girls are kept locked up in their homes by a very real fear of abduction and criminal abuse. In war and conflicts, girls and women have been denied their human right, including the right to health, education and employment. “Sexual violence in conflict zones is indeed a security concern. We affirm that sexual violence profoundly affects not only the health and safety of women, but the economic and social stability of their nations” –US Secretary of State, Condoleeza Rice, 19 June 2008 (Read more about UN Action against Sexual Violence in Conflict www.stoprapenow.org/ ).
Millions of young women disappear in their native land every year. Many of them are found later being held against their will in other places and forced into prostitution. According to the UNICEF ( www.unicef.org/gender/index_factsandfigures.html ),Girls between 13 and 18 years of age constitute the largest group in the sex industry. It is estimated that around 500,000 girls below 18 are victims of trafficking each year. The victims of trafficking and female migrants are sometimes unfairly blamed for spreading HIV when the reality is that they are often the victims.
According to the UNAIDS around 17.3 million, women (almost half of the total number of HIV-positive) living with HIV ( www.unaids.org ). While HIV is often driven by poverty, it is also associated with inequality, gender-based abuses and economic transition. The relationship between abuses of women's rights and their vulnerability to AIDS is alarming. Violence and discrimination prevents women from freely accessing HIV/AIDS information, from negotiating condom use, and from resisting unprotected sex with an HIV-positive partner, yet most of the governments have failed to take any meaningful steps to prevent and punish such abuse.
United Nations agencies estimated that every year 3 million girls are at risk of undergoing the procedure – which involves the partial or total removal of external female genital organs – that some 140 million women, mostly in Asia, the Middle East and in Africa, have already endured.
We can point a finger at poverty. But poverty alone does not result in these girls and women’s deaths and suffering; the blame also falls on the social system and attitudes of the societies.
India alone accounts for more than 50 million of the women who are “missing” due to female foeticide - the sex-selective abortion of girls, dowry death, gender-based neglect and all forms of violence against women.
Since the late 1970s when the technology for sex determination first came into being, sex selective abortion has unleashed a saga of horror in India. Experts are calling it "sanitized barbarism”. The 2001 Census conducted by Government of India, showed a sharp decline in the child sex ratio in 80% districts of India. In some parts of the country, the sex ratio of girls to boys has dropped to less than 800:1,000.
It's alarming that even liberal states like those in the northeast have taken to disposing of girls. Worryingly, the trend is far stronger in urban rather than rural areas, and among literate rather than illiterate women, exploding the myth that growing affluence and spread of basic education alone will result in the erosion of gender bias. The United Nations has expressed serious concern about the situation.
Over the years, laws have been made stricter and the punishment too is more stringent now. But since many people manage to evade punishment, others too feel inclined to take the risk. Just look at the way sex-determination tests go on despite a stiff ban on them. Only if the message goes out loud and clear that nobody who dares to snuff out the life of a female foetus would escape effective legal system would the practice end. It is only by a combination of monitoring, education, socio-cultural campaigns, and effective legal implementation that the deep-seated attitudes and practices against women and girls can be eroded.
The decline in the sex ratio and the millions of Missing Women are indicators of the feudal patriarchal resurgence. Violence against women has gone public – whether it is dowry murders, the practice of female genital mutilation, honour killings, sex selective abortions or death sentences awarded to young lovers from different communities by caste councils, rapes and killings in communal and caste violence, it is only women’s and human rights groups who are protesting – the public and institutional response to these trends is very minimal.
Millions of women suffer from discrimination in the world of work. This not only violates a most basic human right, but has wider social and economic consequences. Most of the governments turn a blind eye to illegal practices and enact and enforce discriminatory laws. Corporations and private individuals engage in abusive and sexist practices without fear of legal system.
More women are working now than ever before, but they are also more likely than men to get low-productivity, low-paid and vulnerable jobs, with no social protection, basic rights nor voice at work according to a new report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) issued for International Women’s Day 2008. Are we even half way to meeting the eight Millennium Development Goals?
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Unite To End Violence Against Women!
Say No To Sex Selection and Female Foeticide!!
Say No To Female Genital Mutilation!!!
Say No To Dowry and Discrimination Against Women!!!!
Say Yes To Women’s Resistance !!!!!
Educate & Empowered Women for a Happy Future !!!!!!
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PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. – More than 3,000 students from across California visited the Presidio of Monterey on May 13 for DLIFLC’s Language Day. Students, educators and other participants were treated to stage performances, classroom displays and ethnic cuisine, highlighting the cultures of the many foreign languages taught here.
Official Presidio of Monterey Web site
Official Presidio of Monterey Facebook
PHOTO by Steven L. Shepard, Presidio of Monterey Public Affairs.
MLC Students belong to various age brackets and come form different backgrounds and cultures, namely public and private sector employees, businessmen, international and local undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate students, housewives and many others.
Through our courses, our main concern is to focus on the four vital language skills: Speaking, Writing, Reading, and Listening. We make sure that our students are be able to speak the language effectively, fluently, and that they can interact with others and realize their ambitions.
Summer courses for high school kids constitute the backbone of our summer activities. Our summer program has a two-tier purpose: a) English teaching as the focus of our attention b) summer activities including skating, swimming, horse riding, trips by bus, and other activities. Our students enjoy both the humane and academic nature of our trips.
Housewives are usually good participants, they form social gatherings during their free time in the mornings. They get to know each other and benefit from their special conversational course with an American teacher. They feel they belong to a women’s club in which they discuss many things, including cooking recipes and most important of all fashion in English.
Adults and businessmen are welcome all the year round, and private organizations get the lion’s share. This is where they need us the most. We extend our technical assistance to them, vocational and educational expertise as well. This is a mutual cooperation so that they can fulfill their objectives.
It’s been years now since we have been teaching English to make communication easier for all of us. Now the time has come for non-Arabs to learn Arabic. The MLC has just completed an Arabic course to make it easier for foreigners to study Arabic. Please pay us a visit at the MLC, and I am sure you will not be disappointed. Certainly, you will not only love it, but you will enjoy it.
We always look forward to seeing our graduates make it through colleges & universities. Now, It is a requirement that all graduates in Jordan pass the TOEFL or the IELTS in order to obtain their degrees. The MLC is committed to our future generations to make it possible for them to pass one of these international tests. It’s through us (MLC) that they make their dreams come true.
PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. – More than 3,000 students from across California visited the Presidio of Monterey on May 13 for DLIFLC’s Language Day. Students, educators and other participants were treated to stage performances, classroom displays and ethnic cuisine, highlighting the cultures of the many foreign languages taught here.
Official Presidio of Monterey Web site
Official Presidio of Monterey Facebook
PHOTO by Steven L. Shepard, Presidio of Monterey Public Affairs.
The PCC Foreign Language Department recognized students Haywood Johnson (third from left) and Michael Winterstein (third from right) for their participation in a series of cultural presentations titled "Around the World without Leaving Campus." Foreign Language students were given passports this fall that could be stamped at the presentations. Johnson, a student in Anita Smith’s (second from left) Spanish class, and Winterstein, who is taking French 111 with Chris Deville (second from right), collected the most stamps. On hand for the recognition were Arts and Sciences Division Dean Stephanie Rook, left, and Patricia Baldwin, University Transfer and Foreign Languages Department chair.
PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. - The Marine Corps Detachment, Presidio of Monterey conducted a formation run and Field Meet competition on Jan. 13, a training-day for Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center students held prior to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend.
During each physical challenge specific teams were unknowingly disadvantaged by methods such as adding extra weight to ammo cans or creating running lanes of different length. Concluding the event Marine Corps Det. Commander Lt. Col. Edward R. Sullivan spoke to the Marines about inequality and the struggles championed by Martin Luther King Jr.
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." - Martin Luther King Jr.
Official Presidio of Monterey Web site
Official Presidio of Monterey Facebook
PHOTO by Steven L. Shepard, Presidio of Monterey Public Affairs.
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PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. – More than 3,000 students from across California visited the Presidio of Monterey on May 13 for DLIFLC’s Language Day. Students, educators and other participants were treated to stage performances, classroom displays and ethnic cuisine, highlighting the cultures of the many foreign languages taught here.
Official Presidio of Monterey Web site
Official Presidio of Monterey Facebook
PHOTO by Steven L. Shepard, Presidio of Monterey Public Affairs.
Bhaktapur (Nepali: भक्तपुर), literally translates to Place of devotees. Also known as Bhadgaon or Khwopa (Newar: ख्वप Khwopa), it is an ancient Newar city in the east corner of the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, about 13 km from the capital city, Kathmandu. It is located in Bhaktapur District in the Bagmati Zone.
Bhaktapur was the largest of the three Newar kingdoms of the Kathmandu Valley, and was the capital of Nepal during the great 'Malla Kingdom' until the second half of the 15th century. Today it is the third largest city in the Kathmandu Valley, with a population of more than 80,000, of which the vast majority are still Newars. Historically more isolated than the other two kingdoms, Kathmandu and Patan, Bhaktapur has a distinctly different form of Nepal Bhasa language.
Bhaktapur has the best preserved palace courtyards and old city center in Nepal, and is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for its rich culture, temples, and wood, metal and stone artworks. This is supported by the restoration and preservation efforts of German-funded Bhaktapur Development Project (BDP).
The city is famous for special type of curd called "Ju Ju(king) dhau(curd). It is experienced by the curd makers that the taste of curd prepared in this location cannot be found elsewhere all over Nepal.
ETYMOLOGY
KHWOPA is the ancient name of Bhaktapur. The term "Bhaktapur" (Sanskrit/Nepali: भक्तपुर) refers to "The City Of Devotees". This Bhaktapur City is also known as "Khwopa" (Nepal Bhasa: ख्वप) or "Bhadgaon" (Nepali:भादगाँउ) or "Ancient Newari Town" throughout the Kathmandu Valley. "Kh0apa" actually refers to the masks which are believed to have been worn by gods and goddesses. Bhaktapur is popular for different forms of mask dances based on lives of different deities and therefore, it was named "Khwapa" which later came to become just "Khwopa," which is also near to meaning masks.
HISTORY
It is the home of traditional art and architecture, historical monuments and craft works, magnificent windows, pottery and weaving industries, excellent temples, beautiful ponds, rich local customs, culture, religion, festivals, musical mystic and so on. Bhaktapur is still an untouched as well as preserved ancient city that is itself a world to explore for tourists.
From time immemorial it lay on the trade route between Tibet and India. This position on the main caravan route made the town rich and prosperous.
DEMOGRAPHICS
At the time of the 2001 Nepal census it had a population of 72,543. The male inhabitants of this city wear a special type of cap called the Bhadgaunle Topi Nyatapola.
LANDMARKS
LAYAKU (DURBAR SQUARE)
Bhaktapur Durbar Square is a conglomeration of pagoda and shikhara-style temples, mostly dedicated to Hindu gods and goddesses grouped around a 55-window palace of brick and wood. The square is one of the most charming architectural showpieces of the valley as it highlights the ancient arts of Nepal. The golden effigies of the kings perched on the top of stone monoliths, the guardian deities looking out from their sanctuaries, the wood carvings in every place — struts, lintels, uprights, tympanums, gateways and windows — all seem to form a well-orchestrated symphony.
The royal palace was originally situated at Dattaraya square and was only later moved to the Durbar square location. The square in Bhaktapur was severely damaged by an earthquake in 1934 and hence appears more spacious than the ones at Kathmandu and Patan.
NYATAPOLA TEMPLE
Nyatapola Temple is a 5-story pagoda located in Bhaktapur, Nepal. The temple was erected by Nepali King Bhupatindra Malla during a 5-month period from late 1701 into 1702. It is the temple of Siddha Laxmi, the Hindu goddess of prosperity.
BHAIRAB NATH TEMPLE
This is another pagoda temple of lord Bhairab, the dreadful aspect of Lord Shiva. It stands a short distance away from the temple of Nyatapola and was originally constructed by King Jagat Jyoti Malla on a modest scale. It was later remodelled by King Bhupatindra Malla, a zealous lover of the arts, into what it is now a three-storeyed temple.
DATTATRAYA TEMPLE
The temple of Dattatraya is as old as the Palace of Fifty-five Windows. Consecrated by King Yakshya Malla in 1427 AD, this temple, according to popular belief, was built out of the trunk of a single tree. It was subsequently repaired and renovated by King Vishwa Malla in 1458 AD.
Just beside temple is a monastery (Math) with exquisitely carved peacock windows. These famous windows were carved during the reign of King Vishwa Malla. The monastery is full of artistic facades of latticed windows and engraved columns.
CHANGU NARAYAN TEMPLE
Changu Narayan is an ancient Hindu temple located near the village of Changunarayan in the Kathmandu Valley on top of a hill at the eastern end of the valley. It is 6 kilometres to the north of Bhakathapur and 22 kilometres from Kathmandu. The temple is one of the oldest Hindu temples of the valley, and is believed to have been constructed first in the 4th century. Changu Narayan is the name of Vishnu, and the temple is dedicated to him. A stone slab discovered in the vicinity of the temple dates to the 5th century, and is the oldest such stone inscription discovered in Nepal. It was rebuilt after the old temple was devastated. Many stone sculptures here date to the Licchavi period. Changu Narayan Temple is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
The temple is a double-roofed structure where the idol of Lord Vishnu in his incarnation as Narayana is deified. The exquisitely built temple has intricate roof struts showing multi-armed Tantric deities. A kneeling image of Garuda (dated to the 5th century), the vahana or vehicle of Vishnu with a snake around its neck, faces the temple. The gilded door depicts stone lions guarding the temple. Gilded windows also flank the door. A conch and a disc, symbols of Vishnu, are carved on the two pillars at the entrance. Non-Hindus are not allowed inside the temple.
TA PUKHA (SIDDHA POKHARI)
Ta Pukhu (Siddha Pokhari) is a big rectangular water pond near the main city gate. It was built during the reign of King Yakshya Malla in the early 15th century and is associated with a number of myths. From this spot a wide range of snowy peaks are visible on clear days.
KAILASHNATH MAHADEV STATUE
Kailashnath Mahadev is the World's Tallest Lord Shiva statue. The height of this statue is 143 feet high and is situated 20 km from Kathmandu, epal. The statues construction work was started in 2004 and was completed in 2012. The statue's inauguration took place on the 21st of June '12. This statue stands on the 32nd position in the list of all statues by height in the whole world. It has been made of copper, cement, zinc, and steel. To make this gigantic structure possible there were many professional workers and statue makers from India.
FESTIVAL
Bhaktapur is also known as city of festivals and celebrations. The city celebrates festivals each month starting from new year festival to the Holi puni at the end of the year.
- Bisket Jatra (New year festival)
This ancient annual festival of bhaktapur takes place at the New Year of the Bikram Sambat calendar. A few days before the New Year, usually at Chaitra 27 or Chaitra 28, if 31 days in month, the goddess 'bhadrakali' and the god 'bhairab' are enshrined in their raths, or immense chariots & pulled through the narrow streets of Bhaktapur by crowds of young men.
The chariots rest at certain time-honored places in the city and people come out to throw offerings of flower, rice, coins and red sindur powder. On the last day of the old year a towering wooden pole known as ' lyesing dha: or lingo' is erected at the edge of town. Long banners hang from the pole, symbolizing snakes - Nag and nagini. On new year's day, the erected pole is brought down symbolizing victory over evil! People enjoy New year day along with victory over evils. On baisakh 5, the chariot is again pulled to narrow street of bhaktapur and brought to its origin place, Taumadhi square marking end of Bisket Jatra.
- Kumar Khasti (Sithi Nakha)
Before modern piping system, wells and kuwas were the basis for water supply in bhaktapur. In this auspicious day, people clean wells and worship Naag favoring good fall in monsoon. They celebrate by eating delicious delicacy like bara and chatamari.
- Gathamaga charya
Gathamaga is made up of straw that symbols a devil. Locals make gathamaga in their locality and burn fire to remove devils of their locality. It is also said that mosquitos loses its one leg in this day.
- Sa: Paaru (Gai Jatra)
The celebration of Gai Jatra Bhaktapur is interesting among Kathmandu and Lalitpur. In this day, Tall bamboo poles wrapped in cloth and topped horn of straw and an umbrella is carried around the town in memory of dead. The photo of dead is hung in this pole called Ta macha.
Also a colorful procession known as Ghing tang gishi is main attraction of this festival. People enjoy and dance in beats of music and play with stick in accordance to the beat. People decorate themselves in mask, paints and even in female outfits.
GUNLA
Gunla is the name of 10th month of Nepal Era calendar. It is sacred month dedicated to Lord Buddha celebrated in Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur.
But In Bhaktapur, last day of Gunla Panchadan is celebrated differently. The Five Buddhas are brought to Taumadhi square accompanied with Gunla Baja, a special musical instrument played only in Gunla and Buddhas are rounded around bhaktapur town.
- Pulu Kisi (Indra Jatra)
The son of Lord of heaven, is believed to have been kidnapped by a devil named Maisasur who then tied Indra's son in a pole and killed. Indra was shocked to hear his son's death and sent an elephant, pulukisi to find and kill Maisasur. But legend says Pulukisi couldn't find maisur till date. This jatra is a play to that legendary story where pulu kisi is rounded the town to search for Maisasur.
- Sithi Nakha
In Bhaktapur a palanquin with an image of the hindu goddess Bhagawati is carried in colorful procession through Nyatapol square this day.
- Dhanya purnima (Yomari purnima)
In this day Farmers of Kathmandu valley worship to Annapurna, the Goddess of grains, for good rice harvest and enjoy feast after all the hard work of the season. Yomari is the chief item on the menu in this day. So is called Yomari puni.
- Maghe sankranti (Ghya-chaku sankranti) (Makar Sankranti)
This festival marks the winter solstice and Newars partake of a feast. The days special menu include butter (ghyu), molasses (chaku) and yam.
In Bhaktapur, on this auspicious day samyak Dan is performed by Buddhist. The shakyas and Bajracharya gather in a samyak ground near Napukhu pond accompanied with panchabuddhas and samyak buddhas. They are offered chaku balls and rice. Bhaktapur is the only one in valley that conducts samyak Dan once in a year.
SHREE PANCHAMI
People regard this day as propitious day for starting new enterprise. Devotee throng Devi shrine to seek blessing. In Bhaktapur, People visit Sashwo:dega in this auspicious day where the idol of Buddhist deity Mahamanjushree is kept. Hindus regard it as saraswoti and worship whereas Buddhist worship it as Manjushree.
IN POPULARE CULTURE
Portions of the movie Little Buddha starring Keanu Reeves and Bridget Fonda were filmed in the Bhaktapur Durbar Square.
2015 EARTHQUAKE
The Magnitude 7.8 2015 Nepal earthquake that struck on 25 April 2015 damaged 116 heritages in the historic town of Bhaktapur. Of them, 67 were completely damaged while 49 suffered from partial damages. The quake has badly damaged the Durbar square, a significant heritage site included in the UNESCO world heritage list. The main premises of Taleju Temple here also witnessed damages in the disaster.
The building of the municipality office, temples of Rameshwor, Batsala, Narayan, Siddilaxmi, Biswaroopa, Siddiganesh, Sweetbhairav, Siva Mahadev, Degaina, sattal, pati and pujari mathas were damaged by the quake.
The reconstruction and new construction of the damaged heritages will cost over Rs 293 million, underlining the need of starting the renovation soon.
The Magnitude 8.4 (1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake) demolished several buildings that were never rebuilt, however they can be seen in the earlier drawings. Chyasilin Mandap has been rebuilt.
WIKIPEDIA
PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. -- The Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center held its 73rd Anniversary Ball on Nov. 1st, with more than 350 faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends in attendance. The event, sponsored in part by the DLI Alumni Association and Foundation, was held at the Naval Postgraduate School's historic Herrmann Hall, in Monterey. The guest speaker for the event was Ambassador Daniel Smith, Deputy Secretary for Intelligence and Research from the Department of State.
Official Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center Web site
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PHOTO by Lopez Photography
Photo by Hiro Chang, Presidio of Monterey Public Affairs
The Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center opened its doors to the public on May 15 for its annual Language Day event.
The event showcased the cultures of the different departmental languages being taught here through dance, skits and fashion shows.
Exhibits were also presented throughout the school grounds with local Monterey ethnic vendors selling their local cuisines to the customers.
Nearly 2,000 high school students and teachers attended Language Day.
VIDEO - 温哥华春节欢乐晚
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSDiAwaCpd8
The Vancouver Spring Show 2012 溫哥華春節晚會 that took place on Jan 15, 2012 had the format of a variety show that featured a multicultural cast of singers, dancers and other performers. 2012 is the Year of The Dragon in the Chinese lunar calendar and this is the 2nd annual Vancouver Spring Show. The evening’s program was held at The Centre (777 Homer Street, Vancouver BC) and the night’s event was recorded in high-definition 3D-HD for later broadcast and DVD circulation. The event was meant to promote the exchange of Chinese culture with other Canadian multicultural societies and to develop and present high level performing cultural arts from different cultures and communities to the public.
The main organizer was CCLP International Cultural & Arts Exchange Center with support from The Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Vancouver. The Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada, Steven Point, OBC, Lieutenant Governor of BC, Christy Clark, Premier of BC, Jason Kenney, federal Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, James Moore, federal Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, Ed Fast, federal Minister of International Trade & Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, Alice Wong, MP, Minister of State (Seniors), Wai Young, MP, Vancouver South, Richard Lee, MLA, Parliamentary Secretary for Asia-Pacific, John Yap, MLA for Richmond-Steveston, Jenny Kwan, MLA, Gregor Robertson, Vancouver Mayor, Malcolm Brodie, Richmond Mayor, Derek Corrigan, Burnaby Mayor and many others were either present or sent in their letter of congratulations.
The night’s event was hosted by OMNI-TV news hosts Carol Wang and Lisa Wu, together with a number of others such as Kam Razavi (who speaks very good Mandarin), Hui Chen, Harry Lee and Frank Zhang.
Performers included Harry Yang, Jessica Liu, Beijing Little Peacock School of Dance, Nicole Li, Angel Huang Dance Co., Cecilia & Kevin Music Studio, Coast City Ballet, Shou-Yu Liang Wushu Taiji Qigong Institute, Cheondoong Performing Arts Society, De Danaan Irish, Shiamak, Sheila Christie, Zhi Liao, Yvonne He, QiaoYun Geng and others.
[Media Producer: Ray Van Eng - V21 Media | www.vancouver21.com ]