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Broomfield City Council honored National Peace Offer Memorial Day at the May 15, 2015 council meeting.
www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0310949130/ref=dp_olp_use...
Now on Amazon: Zondervan King James Version Gift & Award Bible (KJV AV Outreach Bible) with Trinitarian Bible Society Bible Word List and Romans Road Tract
INTRODUCTION
For sale: Zondervan King James Version Gift and Award Bible (retail value $6.99), with Trinitarian Bible Society A Bible Word List & Daily Reading Scheme (retail value $0.65 each) and Gospel Tract Society The Roman Road to Heaven evangelistic tract (free from the publisher for outreach/evangelism as donations permit, so no retail value). Total retail value: $7.64.
ITEMS
#1 MAIN ITEM. King James Version Gift and Award Bible (also known as Gift & Award Bible, King James Version) by Zondervan Publishing House (2011).
Amazon reviewer David M. Hodges describes Zondervan's King James Version Gift and Award Bible and its potential usefulness as follows:
The best way to characterize this Bible is as a paperback outreach Bible inside a firmer-than-paperback cover made to look vaguely like leather (the publisher, Zondervan, calls this a "Leather-Look binding." If you're looking for an outreach Bible to give away, but you'd like something that looks a little better than the paperback outreach Bibles, this product may be what you're looking for. (But be aware that the pages inside still look and feel like those in a mass market paperback.) Though the maps, dictionary, and other "Bible Study Helps" would hardly suffice for a serious (expensive) Bible, they do help make this a better-than-standard just-for-outreach Bible. (www.amazon.com/review/R2WDINZ88F4U08/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm, accessed 15 October 2012)
Other Amazon reviews (two posted as of the start of this sale, www.amazon.com/King-James-Version-Award-Bible/product-rev..., accessed 15 October 2012) indicate that the Bible gets high marks as a gift/award Bible for children. (Note that the Bible in this sale are black, not purple.) Though the seller rarely interacts with children, he notes this as an additional use for the Bible (Zondervan's primary intended use, one guesses) in case it is of interest to some buyers.
A final seller's note: The text is small but legible (see scan; though the scan is not sharp throughout, it does give you an accurate idea of what the text looks like).
Category: Books, Nonfiction
ISBN-10: 0310949130
ISBN-13: 9780310949138
Author: Zondervan Publishing House
Publication Year: 2011
Language: English
Subject: Religion & Spirituality
Topic: Bibles
Format: Leather-Look™, Black
Condition: Like New
Publisher's Product Page: zondervan.com/9780310949138 ("Product Not available" last I checked, but previously carried useful information, such as the "Publisher's Description" following)
Publisher's Description: Newly revised and meticulously redesigned to offer the ultimate in quality and usefulness, the popular KJV Gift and Award Bible is the ideal gift for presentations and special achievements. With its unmatched reputation and unparalleled features, your loved ones know: when they receive the Zondervan KJV Gift and Award Bible, you've given them the very best there is. Additional features of the KJV Gift and Award Bible include: * New interior design for enhanced readability* Clear, easy-to-follow, verse-by-verse format* Darker, larger type for maximum clarity and visual comfort* Red-letter words of Jesus* Overview of the Bible* Life in New Testament times* Famous people in the Bible* Famous events in the Bible* Lists of teachings, ministry, miracles, and parables of Jesus* Bible dictionary* Full-color presentation page* 2 full-color maps* Leather-Look binding * Quality binding opens fully, lays flat, and lasts longer.
#2 SUPPLEMENTARY/BONUS ITEM 1. A Bible Word List & Daily Reading Scheme by Trinitarian Bible Society (2005, Pamphlet)
Product details
ISBN-10: 0310949130
ISBN-13: 9780310949138
Author: Trinitarian Bible Society
Publication Date: 2005
Language: English
Publisher: Trinitarian Bible Society
Page Size: 4.7" x 3.5"
Retail Price: $0.65
Condition: Very Good to Like New
Publisher's Product Page: www.tbsbibles.org/shop.php?sess=dmAhOXllIChoeig8ZHQvPTw%2...
Publisher's Description: The Bible Word List gives brief explanations of words in the Authorized Version that are unfamiliar, no longer in everyday use, or now used with a different meaning. The M'Cheyne daily reading plan provides for reading through the whole Bible once in two years, the Psalms and New Testament twice.
#3 SUPPLEMENTARY/BONUS ITEM 2. The Roman Road to Heaven by Gospel Tract Society (no date, tract)
Product details
No ISBN
Title: The Roman Road to Heaven
Author: Gospel Tract Society
Publication Year: Unknown
Language: English
Product Identifier
Retail Price: N/A, though Gospel Tract Society welcomes donations
Condition: Very Good to Like New
Publisher's Product Pages: www.gospeltractsociety.org/salvation.asp, www.gospeltractsociety.org/images/pdf_images/the_roman_ro... (If you wish to read the tract, this second link is a better choice than the uploaded images; the uploaded images are to show the condition of the tracts included in the lot.)
Publisher's Description: According to the Bible, if you die in your sins you will go to hell. But if you confess your sins, and accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, He gives to you the free gift of eternal life and you are on The Roman Road To Heaven.
This is a photograph is from a set of photographs from the Castlepollard 5KM Road Race and Fun Run 2017, also known as the Tullynally Challenge, which was held in Castlepollard, Co. Westmeath, Ireland on Wednesday 16th August 2017 at 20:00. The race is hosted by North Westmeath Athletic Club. The weather was reasonably good for road racing. The participants had a very stiff breeze in their faces on the outward stretch and all the way to the 2KM mark within Tullynally. This then became a helpful tailwail for the final KM of the race.
Starting off many years ago the race was very much a local affair drawing runners from the sounding areas of Mullingar, North East Meath, Cavan, and Longford. However, the race has grown in stature and popularity over the years and is now one of the most well attended road races in the midlands and sees participants from all over Ireland. The race offers prizes in all categories. The Castlepollard 5KM Road Race attempts to support young runners and walkers by organising a range of underage races around the town square before the adult race at 20:00. Profits from the race go towards grassroots athletics in the region - North Westmeath Athletics, Schools Cross Country, and local community games. As summer moves into autumn the Castlepollard 5KM can be considered as the unofficial ending of summer evening road racing in the midlands as with the fading light of the late summer evenings comes less opportunities to hold races in the evening time. Castlepollard is a small town located in North County Westmeath amongst the lakes of Lough Lene and Lough Derravagh. One of the show pieces of the race landscape is Tullynally Castle which provides almost 2.5KM of the race route. The name Tullynally is an adaption of 'Tulaigh an Eallaigh' – the Hill of the Swan. The hill overlooks the mythical Lough Derravaragh. Irish folklore legend names the lake as where the Children of Lir, who were turned into swans, were destined to live for 300 years. Tullynally Castle is still a family home to this day.
One of the enduring symbols of the Castlepollard 5KM is the tireless work of Andy MacEoin of North Westmeath AC who has been a visitor to almost every road race in the Midlands and beyond over the past number of months to publicize the event. Many of the participants tonight will have seen Andy's strategically placed advertising signs around other road race routes. Certainly this work, and that of many other members of North Westmeath AC, has paid off well.
The race begins near the center of the town square and proceeds directly out the R395 towards Coole and Edgeworthstown. The first KM is flat and quick allowing the field to spread out. The race then enters the Tullynally Castle estate and proceeds up the tree-lined avenue. The gardens, like the castle are on a grand scale, taking in nearly 12 acres. This allows the race to make a big loop of the gardens with a quick downhill stretch followed by a sharp climb before the race rejoins it's outgoing path for the final 1.5KM of the race. The final 1100M from the gate of the Castle grounds to the finish is as the first - fast and flat and allows for a great finish passing the GAA grounds with finish line just outside the local Fire Station.
This year almost 400 took part in the race. It goes without saying that the Castlepollard 5KM has become one of the "must do" road race events in the midlands. Everything that is good about club road racing in Ireland can be found here.
Electronic Timing and Event Management are provided by MyRunResults and their website is www.myrunresults.com.
We have a full set of photographs from tonight's race which is available on our Flickr photostream: www.flickr.com/photos/peterm7/albums/72157684179507162
We have photographs from six of the previous Castlepollard 5KM road races - 2012 was missed. They are available here on Flickr:
Our Flickr Photographs from Castlepollard 5KM 2016: www.flickr.com/photos/peterm7/albums/72157672157788196
Our Flickr Photographs from Castlepollard 5KM 2015: www.flickr.com/photos/peterm7/sets/72157656750245820
Our Flickr Photographs from Castlepollard 5KM 2014: www.flickr.com/photos/peterm7/sets/72157646408272725
Our Flickr Photographs from Castlepollard 5KM 2013: www.flickr.com/photos/peterm7/sets/72157635070120285
Our Flickr Photographs from Castlepollard 5KM 2011: www.flickr.com/photos/peterm7/sets/72157627404031092
Our Flickr Photographs from Castlepollard 5KM 2010: www.flickr.com/photos/peterm7/sets/72157624655001130
Our Flickr Photographs from Castlepollard 5KM 2009: www.flickr.com/photos/peterm7/sets/72157622023529006
Can I use these photographs directly from Flickr on my social media account(s)?
Yes - of course you can! Flickr provides several ways to share this and other photographs in this Flickr set. You can share directly to: email, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, Tumblr, LiveJournal, and Wordpress and Blogger blog sites. Your mobile, tablet, or desktop device will also offer you several different options for sharing this photo page on your social media outlets.
BUT..... Wait there a minute....
We take these photographs as a hobby and as a contribution to the running community in Ireland. We do not charge for our photographs. Our only "cost" is that we request that if you are using these images: (1) on social media sites such as Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, Twitter,LinkedIn, Google+, VK.com, Vine, Meetup, Tagged, Ask.fm,etc or (2) other websites, blogs, web multimedia, commercial/promotional material that you must provide a link back to our Flickr page to attribute us or acknowledge us as the original photographers.
This also extends to the use of these images for Facebook profile pictures. In these cases please make a separate wall or blog post with a link to our Flickr page. If you do not know how this should be done for Facebook or other social media please email us and we will be happy to help suggest how to link to us.
I want to download these pictures to my computer or device?
You can download this photographic image here directly to your computer or device. This version is the low resolution web-quality image. How to download will vary slight from device to device and from browser to browser. Have a look for a down-arrow symbol or the link to 'View/Download' all sizes. When you click on either of these you will be presented with the option to download the image. Remember just doing a right-click and "save target as" will not work on Flickr.
I want get full resolution, print-quality, copies of these photographs?
If you just need these photographs for online usage then they can be used directly once you respect their Creative Commons license and provide a link back to our Flickr set if you use them. For offline usage and printing all of the photographs posted here on this Flickr set are available free, at no cost, at full image resolution.
Please email petermooney78 AT gmail DOT com with the links to the photographs you would like to obtain a full resolution copy of. We also ask race organisers, media, etc to ask for permission before use of our images for flyers, posters, etc. We reserve the right to refuse a request.
In summary please remember when requesting photographs from us - If you are using the photographs online all we ask is for you to provide a link back to our Flickr set or Flickr pages. You will find the link above clearly outlined in the description text which accompanies this photograph. Taking these photographs and preparing them for online posting takes a significant effort and time. We are not posting photographs to Flickr for commercial reasons. If you really like what we do please spread the link around your social media, send us an email, leave a comment beside the photographs, send us a Flickr email, etc. If you are using the photographs in newspapers or magazines we ask that you mention where the original photograph came from.
I would like to contribute something for your photograph(s)?
Many people offer payment for our photographs. As stated above we do not charge for these photographs. We take these photographs as our contribution to the running community in Ireland. If you feel that the photograph(s) you request are good enough that you would consider paying for their purchase from other photographic providers or in other circumstances we would suggest that you can provide a donation to any of the great charities in Ireland who do work for Cancer Care or Cancer Research in Ireland.
Let's get a bit technical: We use Creative Commons Licensing for these photographs
We use the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License for all our photographs here in this photograph set. What does this mean in reality?
The explaination is very simple.
Attribution- anyone using our photographs gives us an appropriate credit for it. This ensures that people aren't taking our photographs and passing them off as their own. This usually just mean putting a link to our photographs somewhere on your website, blog, or Facebook where other people can see it.
ShareAlike – anyone can use these photographs, and make changes if they like, or incorporate them into a bigger project, but they must make those changes available back to the community under the same terms.
Above all what Creative Commons aims to do is to encourage creative sharing. See some examples of Creative Commons photographs on Flickr: www.flickr.com/creativecommons/
I ran in the race - but my photograph doesn't appear here in your Flickr set! What gives?
As mentioned above we take these photographs as a hobby and as a voluntary contribution to the running community in Ireland. Very often we have actually ran in the same race and then switched to photographer mode after we finished the race. Consequently, we feel that we have no obligations to capture a photograph of every participant in the race. However, we do try our very best to capture as many participants as possible. But this is sometimes not possible for a variety of reasons:
►You were hidden behind another participant as you passed our camera
►Weather or lighting conditions meant that we had some photographs with blurry content which we did not upload to our Flickr set
►There were too many people - some races attract thousands of participants and as amateur photographs we cannot hope to capture photographs of everyone
►We simply missed you - sorry about that - we did our best!
You can email us petermooney78 AT gmail DOT com to enquire if we have a photograph of you which didn't make the final Flickr selection for the race. But we cannot promise that there will be photograph there. As alternatives we advise you to contact the race organisers to enquire if there were (1) other photographs taking photographs at the race event or if (2) there were professional commercial sports photographers taking photographs which might have some photographs of you available for purchase. You might find some links for further information above.
Don't like your photograph here?
That's OK! We understand!
If, for any reason, you are not happy or comfortable with your picture appearing here in this photoset on Flickr then please email us at petermooney78 AT gmail DOT com and we will remove it as soon as possible. We give careful consideration to each photograph before uploading.
I want to tell people about these great photographs!
Great! Thank you! The best link to spread the word around is probably http://www.flickr.com/peterm7/sets
Offered directly from Daimler AG with all benefits to be donated to the charity 'Laureus sport for good foundation'
V12
630 pk
99 ex.
Bonhams : the Zoute Sale
Sold for € 1.200.000
Zoute Grand Prix 2017
Knokke - Zoute
België - Belgium
October 2017
"The Land Rover Freelander was introduced in 1997 and aimed to offer all the off-road capability that Land Rovers were famous for, but in a more modern, practical package."
Like all cars, they had their problems, but the Freelander had more than its fair share...
Land Rover Freelander rear suspension problem (1997-2003 cars)
Some models built between June 1997 and June 1998 had problems with their rear suspension. There was an issue with the welding process, meaning the rear hub assembly could fracture. This would cause the car to deviate from a straight line on the road.
Land Rover Freelander front seat problems (1997-2003 cars)
On some Freelanders built between August 2000 and February 2001, there was an issue with the front seats. They sometimes didn't latch properly after using the tip lever, meaning the backrest could attempt to fold forward if the vehicle was brought to a sudden stop.
Land Rover Freelander engine harness problem (1997-2003 cars)
On cars built between August and November 2000, there was an issue with the engine wiring harness. The harness could chafe upon the wiring and cause it to fail. That could result in the headlights, engine management, cooling fans, fuel pumps, ignition, air-con, anti-lock braking, hill-descent control, horn or SRS system failing.
Land Rover Freelander handbrake problem (1997-2003 cars)
There was a problem with the handbrake on some Freelanders built between October 1997 and February 2001. The handbrake ratchet mechanism wasn't tight enough, meaning there was the possibility it could loosen the brakes and allow the car roll on uneven surfaces.
Land Rover Freelander diagnostic connector problem (1997-2003 petrol cars)
On some petrol Freelanders built between July 2000 and March 2002, there was an issue with the diagnostic connector. The connector didn't meet the required safety levels, and had to be changed.
Land Rover head gasket problems (1997-2003 1.8 petrol cars)
Blown head gaskets on first-generation 1.8-litre petrol models were a common problem. If the coolant level fell too low then the gasket would tend to fail. Water in the oil is a good sign of an impending problem.
Land Rover Freelander child lock problems (1997-2003 cars)
There has been an issue reported with the child lock on some cars built between July and September 2002. It was found that the left-hand rear door could still be opened from the inside even if the child lock was switched on.
Land Rover Freelander airbag problem (2003-2006 cars)
On some Freelanders built between August and October 2004, there were problems with the passenger airbag. The deflector panel contained in the passenger air-bag module was not to the incorrect specification. Some airbags wouldn't deploy properly and would therefore not be as safe as intended.
Land Rover Freelander sunroof problem (2006- cars)
Some cars built between November 2006 and January 2008 had problems with their sunroof. A failure of either the left or right guide rail could mean the sunroof detaches from the car completely.
Land Rover Freelander heater problem (2006- cars)
There were issues with the booster heater on some cars built between February 2007 and May 2008. The controller circuit might suffer from a short circuit, which could drain the battery. It could also emit a burning smell if it melts the surrounding components. In extreme cases this could cause a fire.
All these problems - apart from the head gasked issue - should have been fixed by Land Rover for free, so check the work has been done.
📷 Pest Controller Pittsburgh offers complete Pittsburgh pest control, termite control, bed bug... t.co/ZEqWxKMtd5 (via Twitter twitter.com/ajames070389/status/762806106502627328)
Nyungwe National Park offers a rare and important habitat for many species, especially primates and birds. And at over 1000 km2, Nyungwe is Africa’s largest protected mountain rainforest.
With about 310 bird species, 26 of which are endemic, Nyungwe is one of the most important — and still undiscovered — birdwatching destinations in Africa. Reaching to almost 3000 meters above sea level with Mount Bigugu the highest point in the Park, Nyungwe’s forests extend to altitudes occupied by few other forests in Africa.
Nyungwe is also home to one of Africa’s greatest concentrations of chimpanzees and a sometimes noisy, acrobatic combination of other primates such as Ruwenzori colobus and L’Hoest’s monkeys.
A variety of hiking and walking trails criss-cross the Park leading to a canopy walk, primate tracking adventures, the southernmost source of the Nile and ecotourism attractions. The park includes a colorful array of orchids, butterflies, moths and other insects.
This was advertised as containing a folded up poster entitled "Poster of the UnCola" which confused me. I think the seller missed the last 3 letters in the word "offer".
Examples of most of these images can be found in my albums and photostream.
The Mercedes-Benz 300SL was introduced in 1954 as a two-seat, closed sports car with distinctive gull-wing doors. Later it was offered as an open roadster. It was the fastest production car of its day.
Built by Daimler-Benz AG and internally numbered W198, the fuel-injected road version was based (somewhat loosely) on the company's highly successful competition-only sports car of 1952, the somewhat less powerful carbureted Mercedes-Benz 300SL (W194).
The road model was suggested by Max Hoffman. Being intended for customers in the booming post-war American market it was introduced at the 1954 New York Auto Show, unlike previous models introduced at either the Frankfurt or Geneva shows. In Mercedes-Benz fashion, the "300" referred to the engine's three liter cylinder displacement. The "SL" stood for "Sport Leicht" (Sport Light).
The 300SL was best known for both its distinctive gull wing doors and being the first-ever gasoline-powered car equipped with fuel injection directly into the combustion chamber. The gull wing version was available from March 1955 to 1957. Production of the roadster ended in 1963 with the introduction of the 230SL.
New York Mercedes distributor Max Hoffman, Daimler-Benz's official importer in the USA, suggested to DBAG management in Stuttgart that a street version of the 300SL would be a commercial success, especially in America.
The racing W194 300SL was built around a tubular chassis to offset its relatively underpowered carbureted engine. Designed by DBAG's chief developing engineer, Rudolf Uhlenhaut, the metal skeleton saved weight while still providing a high level of strength. Its unique architecture gave birth to the model's distinctive gull wing doors, as part of the chassis passed through what would be the lower half of a standard door. Even with the upward opening doors, the 300SL had an unusually high sill, making entry and exit from the car's cockpit problematic. A steering wheel with a tilt-away column was added to improve driver access.
The 300SL's body was mainly steel, except for the aluminum hood, doors and trunk lid. It could also be ordered with an all-aluminium outer skin at tremendous added cost, saving 80 kg (176 lb).
More than 80% of the vehicle's total production of approximately 1400 units were sold in the US, making the Gull wing the first Mercedes-Benz which sold in bulk outside its home market and confirming the validity of Hoffman's suggestion. The 300SL is credited for changing the company's image in America from a manufacturer of solid, but staid, automobiles to that of a producer of sporty cars.
The 300SL's engine, canted at a fifty-degree angle to the left to allow for a lower hoodline, was the same 3.0 litre straight-6 as the regular four-door 300. Fitted with a Bosch mechanical direct fuel injection system it had almost double the power of the original 86 kW (115 hp) carbureted version.
While not the first fuel-injected car - Mercedes engineers who had developed the principle for the DB 601 fighter aircraft engine had used fuel injection in the tiny 2-stroke Gutbrod they had designed after the War - it was the first to inject fuel directly into the cylinders. This innovation allowed a top speed of up to 260 km/h (161 mph) depending on gear ratio and drag, making the 300SL the fastest production car of its time.
The engine's maintenance requirements were high. Unlike the current electrically-powered fuel injection systems, the mechanical fuel pump would continue to inject gasoline into the engine during the interval between shutting off the ignition and the engine's coming to a stop; this gasoline was of course not burned, and washed the oil from the cylinder walls and ended up diluting the engine's lubricating oil, particularly if the engine was not driven hard enough nor long enough to reach a temperature high enough to evaporate it out of the oil.
Exacerbating the problem were the large oil cooler as well as the large volume of oil (10 liters), both oriented more to racing than to street driving, which virtually guaranteed that the oil would not reach a high enough temperature. In practice, many street drivers would block off airflow through the oil cooler, and the recommended oil change interval was 1,000 miles (1,600 km). Operation of the clutch was initially very heavy, later roadster having an improved clutch arm helper spring which reduced the pedal force. From March 1963 to the end of production, a light alloy crankcase was used on a total of 209 vehicles.[2]
Aerodynamics played an important role in the car's speed, Mercedes-Benz engineers even placing horizontal "eyebrows" over the wheel openings to reduce drag. Unlike many cars of the 1950s, the steering was relatively precise and the four-wheel independent suspension allowed for a reasonably comfortable ride and markedly better overall handling. However, the rear swing axle, jointed only at the differential, not at the wheels themselves, could be treacherous at high speeds or on imperfect roads due to extreme changes in camber.
Fiordland offers some of the most spectacular scenery in New Zealand, with its rugged mountainous terrain,
numerous lakes and fiords. Mitre Peak, reflected in the waters of Milford Sound, rises almost
vertically from the sea to 5560 ft. high - the highest sea cliffs in the world.
Our program, Spanish in the Rainforest, offers the unique opportunity to study Spanish in the Peruvian Amazon, in the Tambopata National Park.
Tambopata is internationally acclaimed as one of the most bio-diverse areas on earth. It is in this "green paradise" that AMAUTA offers Spanish group classes on different levels, including daily tours and all accommodation and meals. A wonderful week of Spanish immersion in Peru, in the Peruvian jungle! The Tambopata Area is famous for its unique wildlife spectacle and the biggest mineral clay lick in the world can be found here, where thousands of birds come congregate daily. This is an amazing experience! Our Spanish program in the jungle also includes a visit to a local community of native people, who live in small villages along the Tambopata River.
The Sandoval Lake is a wonderfull place for observing a wide diversity of wildlife. Here you can find, parrots, gazelles, giant otters, macaws, caimans, and turtles, among others.
The big Macaw´s clay lick – the biggest of the Amazone in Peru - is famous for its great wildlife spectacle. Thousands of parrots, parakeets and macaws meet here lick the clay! An amazing spectable! The Tambopata National Park comprises of 1.5 million hectares of the Madre de Dios and Puno regions.
Spanish Group courses are offered in combination with excursions in the jungle with an experienced Peruvian guide. Part of the conversation topics in the Spanish class will be adapted to the environment and studying the ecology of the amazing tropical rainforest of Tambopata. AMAUTA teachers from Cusco will accompany students during the whole trip.
Our lodge is located approximately one hour by boat from Puerto Maldonado and is set in the beautiful rainforest beside the flowing Tambopata river. There are a total of 24 spacious bungalows with panoramic views and private bathrooms. The lodge is in a lovely environment and there is a large common room with a bar and a swimming pool.
There is 900 hectares of land around the lodge that offers the enthusiastic explorer miles of trails to walk that traverse a variety of different habitats.
A week of Spanish course in Tambopata includes transportation from the airport in Puerto Maldonado to the lodge, accommodation, all meals, daily activities and excursions and Spanish lessons!
Starting Dates in 2013:
Apr 14, May 5, Jun 9, Jul 7, Jul 21, Aug 18, Sep 8, Oct 13, Nov 3 - 2013
It was a wet Monday and I spent some time in the market. People shooting was the order of the day and I spotted these two ladies at the fruit and vegetable stall. This was the first shot in the sequence as both girls saw me making pictures. The brunette saw me in this shot and then the blonde. I did approach the two ladies afterwards. They liked the picture and I offered them a copy.
Miller Street Studios offers the highest quality recording and mixing capabilities at low rates in the Chicago area. Our acoustic quality rivals top studios with our state-of-the-art control room featuring Pro Tools HD 8, an Alesis X2 analog 24-track console, Avalon VT737, Lynx A/D Converters, and a long list of Plug-ins. We have a large live room as well as two isolation booths. The Miller Street Studios standard is ensuring the artist is in the right vibe to get the best results possible.
Included with your session is a private parking space, a fully furnished kitchen w/ speakers linked to the control room, and all the amenities needed to make musical magic happen!
If you would like to book your recording/mixing/mastering session, rehearsal space, private listening party, studio tour, or if you have any other inquires please call 773.789.9553 and ask for Joe "Dante" Gallagher (owner/chief engineer) or John B. (business manager). We look forward to arranging your next musical experience at Miller Street Studios. Visit us on the web at millerstreetstudios.com and follow us on Twitter @MillerStStudios
Zoka offers a ton of single cup varietals brewed with a Clover so I opted for one of those. I ended up with an Ethiopian one that tastes of blueberries and cherries. The barrista said it also had chocolate notes but I'm not getting that - of coursemy tastebuds are likely also trashed by this point. While walking around the place I noticed the best latte art I've ever seen in person - a triple rosetta and something that looked like a curved sawtooth!
The Volcanic Tablelands offers exceptional bouldering opportunities, because of its unique geologic features formed by the cataclysmic volcanic eruption of the Long Valley Caldera 750,000 y.a. which left a highly dissected landscape of Bishop Tuff. Through time, this once barren tableau has evolved to support a unique and fragile environment that takes a keen eye and time to appreciate. The Volcanic Tablelands is situated at the ecological cusp of the Northern Mojave and Great Basin floristic Provinces where plants and associated wildlife species combine to make this an unusual and biologically diverse landscape. It has taken millennia for this environment to evolve and it will take responsible recreational users to preserve it into perpetuity - so enjoy and protect this place. In the early 90 s, the Tableland was visited only by local climbers. By the late 90 s, thousands of climbers were coming from all over the world to try out their climbing skills on the many boulder problems the Tableland has to offer. With this dramatic increase in use, the BLM and the local climbing community has developed a climbing management philosophy to protect the natural resources while preserving access to climbing opportunities. The Happy drainage and Sad drainage are located along the Inyo-Mono County line, approximately 7 miles north of Bishop, California. Both drainages are oriented in a north-south direction extending north from the Owens Valley. The crest of the Sierra Nevada of 14,000 ft (4,265 m) lies 16 miles (27 km) to the southwest, and the crest of the White mountains of 12,500 ft (3,800 m) is 11 miles (18 km) to the east. Both areas are in the transitional zone between cold semi-deserts of the Great Basin to the northeast and the hotter Mojave to the south.
Photo by Jesse Pluim, BLM.
We are the largest wholesale to the public Trees and Shrub Farm in Bucks County. We offer steep reductions in prices due to the credit crunch. We are having a fire sale due to the credit crunch... We grow special Plants. All our plants are special to us. We have great trees and shrubs that are well suited to NJ and Pa landscapes. This video shows many of our trees and shrubs that we grow. We have many trees including Magnolias. We also grow barriers and buffering trees and shrubs.... We deliver and Plant our trees and shrubs to the Eastern States. Yes consider planting trees and shrubs... Or use the stone and wallstone that we stock. Screens and buffers grow each year. Rocks weather all financial storms with little wear!!! Small Cypresses and Arborvitae for cheap screening. We sell trees wholesale and will also deliver and plant for you. We grow many trees and shrubs commonly found in NJ and Pa. We grow and sell many Evergreens including Arborvitae, Boxwood, Viburnums Dragon Lady Hollies and Skip Laurels as well as many other types of trees and shrubs. Our farm is called Highland Hill Farm. We are open 7days a week from 7am to 6pm. We are located in Bucks County Pa near the NJ boarder north of Phila. Our street address is 5275 West Swamp Rd. Fountainville Pa 18923. We are centrally located to service the NY to Washington DC landscape market. We have 4 trucks on the road and make deliveries of our nursery stock as well as have 2 crews that can install trees and shrubs that we raise.
To keep our costs low we pool orders for delivery. If you order less than a truck load of materials. This way we can have a minimum delivery of just 1 tree to most locations!!!!
Our sons James and Michael both graduates of Delaware Valley College with degrees in Horticulture run the planting crews.
We grow hundreds of varieties of trees and shrubs. We have many that are deer resistant for use in screens and buffers. We also can install drip water lines for our stock.
We would be pleased to help you achieve your landscaping goals. If you email pictures of your site we would be glad to review them for free. Also if have nursery stock questions we are always available to answer for free your questions about the health and care of your plants as well as answering questions you may have.
You can see our farms web sit or call us at 215 651 8329.
Thank You Marge Hirst bala cynwyd Baldwin balley red maple seedlings whips rocks boulders field fieldstone pebbles barnsboro barnsville bart barto bartonsville bath bausman beach haven bear creek lake beaver falls meadows springs land scaping bedminster Bellville belleview berlin Benton Bernville berrysburg Bensalem nigra techney Apple peach pear tree treetop firewood wood woody west eat north south road rd st street straight length wide tall short dwarf ferry Trenton mercer ewing Lambertville Frenchtown sommerville Newark beach NJ Windbreaks screen buffer buffers buffering screening screenings windbreak windy winds barriers barrier blocking privacy fencing fences dig digging plant planting plantings land landscape landscaping landscaper landscapers hardscape hardscapes arbor vitae arborvitaes arborvita haven loveladies harbor shark river inlet seaside height Nassau Camden ridley park macy tile flagstone boro sycamore oak elm thuja green giant nigra elegantissma arb arbor vitae oak maple scyamore linden burning bush westchester ny
offers complete sim/parcel design, landscaping and interior design. LICK is dedicated to creating beautiful, enchanting spaces for your home or business. Dare to Dream
/*Sky: "[TOR] DUSK - Smolder" Water: "[NB] Sparkling Depths"*/
Taken at LICK Sim Designs - The End of the World as We Know It, Oyster Bay (114, 116, 29)
Nyungwe National Park offers a rare and important habitat for many species, especially primates and birds. And at over 1000 km2, Nyungwe is Africa’s largest protected mountain rainforest.
With about 310 bird species, 26 of which are endemic, Nyungwe is one of the most important — and still undiscovered — birdwatching destinations in Africa. Reaching to almost 3000 meters above sea level with Mount Bigugu the highest point in the Park, Nyungwe’s forests extend to altitudes occupied by few other forests in Africa.
Nyungwe is also home to one of Africa’s greatest concentrations of chimpanzees and a sometimes noisy, acrobatic combination of other primates such as Ruwenzori colobus and L’Hoest’s monkeys.
A variety of hiking and walking trails criss-cross the Park leading to a canopy walk, primate tracking adventures, the southernmost source of the Nile and ecotourism attractions. The park includes a colorful array of orchids, butterflies, moths and other insects.
Thanksgiving offers us another (somewhat formal) occasion to offer our family and friends our gratitude for being an essential part of our lives ...
Although words don't always convey these sentiments properly, a warm, loving hug and a kiss, from time to time, make a world of difference to many ...
Happy Thanksgiving to you, Flickr friends, and those whom you love and cherish!
LightTothebox Offer you the best cheap Wedding Gowns. All you need is selcting your favorite color and your size. Please have look Cheap Wedding Dresses
LightTothebox Offer you the best cheap Wedding Gowns. All you need is selcting your favorite color and your size. Please have look Cheap Wedding Dresses
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This recently remodeled custom light and bright home offers 2,362 sq. ft. of living space with
a 2 car garage. Featuring granite countertops, marble & wood floors and brand spanking new stainless steel kitchen appliances, i.e. KitchenAid Dish Drawers Dishwasher, Under Counter Sharp Microwave, Professional Jenn-Air Gas Stove and a Jenn-Air Trash Compactor accompanied by a sit-up granite countertop breakfast bar/center island in kitchen.
Foyer features a marble entry, recessed ceiling and special accent lighting leading to the family room where your guests are greeted by wood floors, black stained corner built-in entertainment center, custom lit marble top dry bar, picture lighting, and surround sound speakers.
A double-sided marble fireplace with white wood mantels enhances the living room and family room with smooth ceilings, recessed lighting, crown molding and numerous architectural details with an elegant and private dining room.
French doors lead to an entertainer’s dream backyard, which includes a waterfall, pond, covered patio, fire pit, gas torches and large serving window. A spa, set back from the main residence, is a relaxing place to view your custom lit backyard with lights stemming from 6 added electrical outlets framing the backyard. A very private and secluded backyard and romantic landscaping are well taken care of by an automatic sprinkler system.
The main bathroom features a double sink vanity, shower and tub combination and ultra romantic décor. The washer and dryer in-home laundry room adds convenience.
Within an attached 2 car garage, there is plenty of storage with full-length white cabinets in addition to two storage sheds located at the back of the house, which area can also be used as
a dog run.
The master bedroom has a private dressing area, double walk-in closets and shower,
newly decorated in elegant colors.
Adjacent Walnut Acres, this home is nestled near million dollar homes on a quiet, tree-lined well lit cul-de-sac, where many have lived for twenty plus years. Within walking distance to stores, banks, movies and more… 3 miles to Woodland Hills Elementary, 2 miles to Topanga Plaza & Westfield Malls, 5 miles to Pierce College with easy access to 101 freeway 2 miles away. The home is located 10 minutes from Warner Center and 20 minutes to many local beaches.
This is a fantastic home that has been well taken care of featuring more custom upgrades than can even be mentioned in a beautiful neighborhood adjoining Walnut Acres…
one of the nicest areas in Woodland Hills.
SL Frees & Offers in Second Life
Credits: slfreeworldforall.blogspot.com.es/2013/01/rock-girl-v2.html
--> PRE-RELEASE <--
SL Fashion Week
Goth Fair @ Monster Rock
New Year Resolution Hunt
Cold Winter Nights Hunt
[Hush]
Salon de GLOW
Mayfly
Endless Pain Tattoos
[MAG]
[whatever]
SuPerBia
Phoebe's Piercings - *P*
: Amorous :
.Olive.
DADAbeiz
EarthStones
Focus Poses
An unidentified tourist offered to take our picture, and she may have gotten the best shot of the day. Do we look like an old couple having fun? We have been traveling together for 54 years. We were in Florida on our way to watch a space shuttle take off.
MOSSY'S MASTERPIECE IS PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO OFFER THESE FABULOUS CUPCAKE WRAPERS TO MY CUSTOMERS
Please note - I did not make these cupcakes, they are to display the wrappers only.
These beautiful filigree wrappers have been available since 2007 but have been hard to purchase outside the USA.
Buying international with postage made them very expensive in the past.
They are now available to Australian customers and offer a multitude of designs to suit many occasions.
If you don't see what you are looking for, let me know and I can check my supplier.
I do not keep all wrappers in stock so notice will be needed to allow for ordering and delivery where necessary.
New website
Nyungwe National Park offers a rare and important habitat for many species, especially primates and birds. And at over 1000 km2, Nyungwe is Africa’s largest protected mountain rainforest.
With about 310 bird species, 26 of which are endemic, Nyungwe is one of the most important — and still undiscovered — birdwatching destinations in Africa. Reaching to almost 3000 meters above sea level with Mount Bigugu the highest point in the Park, Nyungwe’s forests extend to altitudes occupied by few other forests in Africa.
Nyungwe is also home to one of Africa’s greatest concentrations of chimpanzees and a sometimes noisy, acrobatic combination of other primates such as Ruwenzori colobus and L’Hoest’s monkeys.
A variety of hiking and walking trails criss-cross the Park leading to a canopy walk, primate tracking adventures, the southernmost source of the Nile and ecotourism attractions. The park includes a colorful array of orchids, butterflies, moths and other insects.
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Carnival Valor next to Caribbean Princess at Port of St. Maarten offers cruise lines home
Carnival Valor Ship Stats
Crew:1,180
Launched:2004
Decks:13
Tonnage:110,000
Passengers:2,974
Registry:Panama
Caribbean Princess in Port Ship Stats
Crew:1,200
Launched:2004
Decks:19
Tonnage:113,000
Passengers:3,080
Registry:Bermuda
SL Frees & Offers in Second Life
Credits: slfreeworldforall.blogspot.com/2012/10/forbidden-love.html
Fairy Closet
Trick or Treat Trail Hunt
AngelRED Haunted House Hunt
BCC. Halloween Mini Hunt
::Modish:: / +LALA Moon+ / Mayfly / ~.:.Hysteria.:.~ / :Wicked Tattoos: / Vero Modero / Death Row Designs - DRD / AngelRED / : Amorous : / : ) BCC. / Miss Murder
WetCat
This is a photograph from the Clane and Rathcoffey Parishes annual 10KM and 5KM Road Races and Fun Runs which were held in Clane village, Co. Kildare, Ireland on Sunday 19th of October at 14:30. This year's event follows on from the very successful staging last year (see link to photographs below). The organisers offer both a 5km and 10km race and the event provides an opportunity for runners, joggers, and walkers of all abilities to take part in the event. The 5KM has a particular emphasis on family entrants. There was a wonderful atmosphere around the Village as both races started and finished on the main street outside the parish hall. The directly out-and-back routes provided an opportunity for a fast time on a good course and made for a great finish line atmosphere as runners, joggers, and walkers crossed the line. Great praise must be extended to the whole organising committee who organised a very efficiently run event. The events provide some runners with an opportunity to have a final race effort session in the week leading up to the Dublin City Marathon.
Event Management and Electronic Timing was provided by Irish company Precision Timing. Their website is here with links to results from the race www.precisiontiming.net/result/racetimer
This photograph is part of a larger set of photographs taken at today's event. Photographs were taken at the start, 400 meters gone, 400 meters to go, 1km gone, and at the 9KM/4KM mark. The URL of the full set of photographs is www.flickr.com/photos/peterm7/sets/72157636717081724/
Viewing this on a smartphone device?
If you are viewing this Flickr set on a smartphone and you want to see the larger version(s) of this photograph then: scroll down to the bottom of this description under the photograph and click the "View info about this photo..." link. You will be brought to a new page and you should click the link "View All Sizes".
Overall Race Summary and Logistics
Participants: There were about 200 competitors combined in the two events.
Weather: The weather was very changeable for all of the events. During the 10KM race there was a heavy rain shower around the area of the 6KM mark but this didn't actually fall in the town. There was a strong headwind against competitors in the 10KM on the return part of the course between 6KM and 8KM.
Race Course:
This summary includes information on both the 5KM and 10KM races.
Both races start in the same place - just outside the Race HQ on the main street of the town. The races then proceed north eastwards out the Dublin Road towards Straffan and Celbridge. Just after 400 meters the races take a left up a small local road and proceeds along this road until it takes a tight left hand turn at the end of the lane at Capdoo goo.gl/maps/aPo26 (Google Streetview). The route proceeds until it shortly meets the Clane-Kilcock Road - College Road R407 goo.gl/maps/SGcPa. Both races will divert into Clane Business and Industrial Park goo.gl/maps/EQMf0 . The 5KM turns around and returns on the same route to the finish. However the 10KM race continues (taking a left) back onto College Road. Soon afterwards it passes the famous entrance to Clongowes Wood College on the right the race takes the next left (goo.gl/maps/zUhrJ) and brings runners onto the road known locally as the 'Long Road' (R408 Between Rathcoffey and Prosperous) at this point goo.gl/maps/fHKr2. The race proceeds northward until runners meet the Clane Kilcock Road once again. With the exception of the partial run into the Industrial Estate the race returns to the finish on the main street in Clane via the same route as the outward part of the route.
Location Map:
Clane Parish Hall (Race HQ) goo.gl/maps/MgakJ
Start and Finish Location of both races goo.gl/maps/0wiZp
Refreshments:
There was a really wonderful array of refreshments provided in the parish hall after the race for all participants.
Some Useful Links Associated with this Race Event
Facebook Page of the Clane and Rathcoffey Parish: www.facebook.com/ParishOfClaneRathcoffey (May require Facebook login)
Homepage of the Parish of Clane and Rathcoffey: www.claneparish.com/2013/09/parish-run-sunday-20th-octobe...
Garmin Connect GPS Trace of the 2013 Clane 10KM Race: connect.garmin.com/activity/391624847
Garmin Connect GPS Trace of the 2013 Clane 5KM Race: connect.garmin.com/activity/381169067
Boards.ie Athletics Forum Discussion on the 2013 Race: www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057062190
Our Flickr Set of Photographs from the 2012 Clane 5KM and 10KM Races: www.flickr.com/photos/peterm7/sets/72157631820732362/
Please note: These links are provided for information purposes. Some of these links might become obselete or dead links as time passess. We cannot be responsible for the content on these external websites. All websites were checked before posting here to ensure that they 'did what they said on the tin'.
Can I use these photographs directly from Flickr on my social media account?
Yes - of course you can. Flickr provides several ways to share this and other photographs in this Flickr set. You can share to: email, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Tumblr, LiveJournal, and Wordpress and Blogger blog sites. Your mobile device will also offer you several different options for sharing this photo page on your social media outlets.
How can I get full resolution copies of these photographs?
To prevent missue of these photographs there is a watermark embedded into the images. All of the photographs posted here on this Flickr set are available free, at no cost, at full image resolution without the watermark. We take these photographs as a hobby and as a contribution to the running community in Ireland. Our only "cost" is our request that if you are using these images without the watermark: (1) on social media sites such as Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, Twitter,LinkedIn, Google+, etc or (2) other websites, blogs, web multimedia, commercial/promotional material that you must provide a link back to our Flickr page to attribute us.
This also extends the use of these images for Facebook profile pictures. In these cases please make a separate wall or blog post with a link to our Flickr page. If you do not know how this should be done for Facebook or other social media please email us and we will be happy to help suggest how to link to us.
Please email petermooney78 AT gmail DOT com with the links to the photographs you would like to obtain a full resolution copy of. We also ask race organisers, media, etc to ask for permission before use of our images for flyers, posters, etc. We reserve the right to refuse a request.
In summary please remember when requesting photographs from us - all we ask is for you to provide a link back to our Flickr set or Flickr pages. You will find the link above clearly outlined in the description text which accompanies this photograph. Taking these photographs and preparing them for online posting does take a significant effort. We are not posting photographs to Flickr for commercial reasons. If you really like what we do please spread the link around your social media, send us an email, leave a comment beside the photographs, send us a Flickr email, etc.
If you would like to contribute something for your photograph(s)?
Many people offer payment for our photographs. As stated above we do not charge for these photographs. We take these photographs as our contribution to the running community in Ireland. If you feel that the photograph(s) you request are good enough that you would consider paying for their purchase from other photographic providers we would suggest that you can provide a donation to any of the great charities in Ireland who do work for Cancer Care or Cancer Research in Ireland.
I ran in the race - but my photograph doesn't appear here in your Flickr set! What gives?
As mentioned above we take these photographs as a hobby and as a voluntary contribution to the running community in Ireland. Very often we have actually ran in the same race and then switched to photographer mode after we finished the race. Consequently, we feel that we have no obligations to capture a photograph of every participant in the race. However, we do try our very best to capture as many participants as possible. But this is sometimes not possible for a variety of reasons:
►You were hidden behind another participant as you passed our camera
►Weather or lighting conditions meant that we had some photographs with blurry content which we did not upload to our Flickr set
►There were too many people - some races attract thousands of participants and as amateur photographs we cannot hope to capture photographs of everyone
►We simply missed you - sorry about that - we did our best!
You can email us petermooney78 AT gmail DOT com to enquire if we have a photograph of you which didn't make the final Flickr selection for the race. But we cannot promise that there will be photograph there. As alternatives we advise you to contact the race organisers to enquire if there were (1) other photographs taking photographs at the race event or if (2) there were professional commercial sports photographers taking photographs which might have some photographs of you available for purchase. You might find some links for further information above.
Don't like your photograph here?
That's OK! We understand!
If, for any reason, you are not happy or comfortable with your picture appearing here in this photoset on Flickr then please email us at petermooney78 AT gmail DOT com and we will remove it as soon as possible. We give careful consideration to each photograph before uploading.
I want to tell people about these great photographs!
Great! Thank you! The best link to spread the word around is probably www.flickr.com/peterm7/sets
. . . 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.
_____________________________________
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
14 May 2017, Windhoek: Intergenerational Dialogue offered by the Rev. Martin Lal Thangkliana(Myanmar)Marcia Blasi from Brazil at the end of the service.
Thousands of Lutherans and guests gathered for a festival of worship, witness and song and word and sacrament in Sam Nujoma Stadium on Sunday, May 14th to mark commemoration of the 500th Anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation in Windhoek, Namibia. Marking the Reformation as global citizen, the worship event drew music, stories, and leadership from the churches of every continent.
The service formed a high point of the Twelfth Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation, in Windhoek, Namibia, on 10-16 May 2017, under the theme "Liberated by God's Grace", bringing together some 800 delegates and participants from 145 member churches in 98 countries. Photo by LWF/Johanan Celine Valeriano
For a while we've wanted to offer workshops for children. At the end of March we had the opportunity to do so by participating in the Artists in Action! series at The Children's School* in San Diego. The school invited local artists to campus to share their work with the students. This was part of the ten-year anniversary of the Great Artists program in which each class spends six weeks studying one artist via activities in language arts, math, science and social studies as wells as art.
During our visit we used a slide show and about three dozen creations to describe the process we go through when creating new work. Then we proposed that the students work in small groups to submit ideas for a class mascot. They sketched individual body parts and faces for four different emotions: happy, sad, surprised, and angry. We also asked the students for suggestions for the color and texture of the fabrics to be used. We spent less than an hour with each class which wasn't enough time to produce a finished product so we decided to take all the drawings, ideas, and suggestions with us.
Back at our studio, we created one plush mascot per class that incorporated some of the drawings from each of the small groups. Every mascot has four faces in the form of double-sided oval discs which allow the students or their teacher to change the face to reflect the mood of the day. Each mascot has a hand embroidered label on one foot with the year and the grade of the class.
You can see them all here:
First Grade (group two): Gaga the 3-Eyed Monster
Fourth Grade: Super Green [or name-to-be-determined-yet]
First Grade (group one): Sea Monster Vader
There were drawings of lizards and other four-legged creatures, a snail, and a polka-dot giraffe, some cyclops and a claw-legged monster. We put it all together in this Sea Monster Vader (as they called it). The two-sided removable faces can be stored in the snail shell of this creature. See more photos of Sea Vader Monster here.
*TCS is the school where Rob teaches. See his sixth and seventh grade blogs for a better picture.
. . . 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
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