offer

. . . 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

. . . 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

Marlow Cars offer a selection of over 60 prestige motor cars at any one time. Our range of cars consist of Bentley, Porsche, Aston Martin, Mercedes & Rolls Royce. Marlow Cars prides itself with over 30 years experience in the motor trade. Having extensive market knowledge and resources available makes our service unrivalled. We can supply finance on our cars, please visit our finance page for more information. Our web site hosts a gallery of the most significant marques we have sold. Endeavoring to buy and sell quality vehicles at value for money ranging from Aston Martin, Bentley, Rolls Royce, Porsche, Mercedes Benz, Jaguar, Land Rover & BMW.

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Land purchased 1890 & house built 1900 by Benjamin Burford, sold Dec 1907 to Otto von Rieben, offered 1944 to Burnside Council as community hospital, opened 7 Mar 1949 as Burnside War Memorial Hospital, new hospital opened adjacent Oct 1956. Original house now used as Attunga Medical Centre. Von Rieben established a large garden and aviaries around his house of 14 rooms and it became the venue for fund-raising events.

“Benjamin Burford, who at one time was a member of the firm of W. H. Burford and Sons. . . The deceased, who left a widow, recently built a large house on the Kensington road and had been living there.” [Advertiser 19 May 1905]

“Mr. von Rieben is another Barrier man who, having gone through the dust and heat, is now settled at Rose Park.” [Chronicle 6 Nov 1909]

“Mrs. O. Von Rieben threw open her spacious house and grounds at ‘Attunga’, Rose Park, for a concert in aid of Red Cross Funds, and a perfectly delightful time was spent for an hour or two. . . We gathered in the hall, on the staircase, and in the drawing room. . . to wander round the well-kept garden and admire the small zoo which Mr. von Rieben keeps on the premises. There were two magnificent peacocks, Pacific gull, Cape Barren geese, ducks of all sorts, parrots, cockatoos, emus, and all sorts of feathered creatures.” [The Mail 14 Aug 1915]

“Attunga, the residence of Mr. O. von Rieben, at Kensington road, Toorak. About 10 years ago this property, which covers an, area of about five acres was practically a wilderness, covered with wattles, and enclosed by a picket fence. To-day it is a horticultural triumph. . . The palm (Phoenix Oanariensis) . . . for many years it adorned Mr. D. M. Tweedie's garden at Tusmore Park, Knightsbridge. When that property was subdivided, Mr. von Rieben purchased blocks embracing the garden, and went to great trouble to have the mammoth palm removed to Attunga, a mile away. . . there are 25 different varieties of palms in this beautiful garden. . . the pretty blue cedar growing, and ensconced among other trees is a fine specimen of the genuine rubber tree. . . a huge flight aviary, which contains many parrots. Birds in the garden give soul to the place. Magpies and laughing tacks move contentedly about the lawns. . . Cape Barren goose, the ibis, mountain duck, Chilian pintail, Japanese teal, black duck, Manchurian duck, wood duck, Pacific and ordinary gull, and a crane.” [Observer 3 May 1919]

“the death of Mrs. von Rieben, wife of Mr. O. von Rieben, of Attunga, Toorak. Mr. von Rieben is a former proprietor of the 'Barrier Miner', but he has been living at Toorak for some years. Both he and his wife have done much good work for patriotic causes, and their beautiful residence, with its extensive grounds, has on a number of occasions been lent for fetes and other gatherings.” [Chronicle 1 Jan 1921]

“the beautiful garden of Attunga, Mr. Otto von Rieben's house in Kensington road, Toorak, will be open for the annual fete of St. Matthew's Church. Attunga has a magnificent array of trees, including many varieties of palms, and its lawns are emerald green and clipped. Birds in aviaries and various kinds of ducks are especially interesting for the visitor.” [The Mail 19 Oct 1935]

“Mr. Otto von Rieben, of Stirling yesterday handed over as a free gift his stately two-storey home Attunga, and four and a half acres of land at Kensington road, Toorak Gardens, to the city of Burnside for the purpose of establishing a hospital. . . He had lived in the house for 37 years. . . He had seen Burnside grow from a village to a city/” [Advertiser 22 Mar 1944]

“A carnival to raise funds for the new Burnside Hospital will be held at the Attunga grounds, Kensington road, Marryatville.” [Advertiser 21 Sep 1946]

“Mr. Otto Georg Ludwig von Rieben died yesterday morning at the Stirling Hospital at the age of 86. . . In 1944 Mr. von Rieben gave his two-storeyed, 14-roomed home, Attunga, to the Burnside Council for a hospital. He had lived at Attunga for 37 years. . . Mr. von Rieben was born at Morgan, on the River Murray, in 1863, and spent the early years of his life in shipping activities on the river. He afterwards went to Broken Hill, where he was a managing director and part proprietor of the newspaper ‘Barrier Miner’. He was chairman of directors of Alaska Icecream and Produce Co. Ltd., and of Horwood Bagshaw Ltd., and had directorships in a number of smaller companies. He was interested also in pastoral pursuits.” [Advertiser 9 May 1949]

“The first section of the Burnside War Memorial Hospital would be officially opened by His Excellency the Governor (Sir Willoughby Norrie) at Attunga, Kensington road, Toorak Gardens. The hospital would have 21 beds and would be for convalescent patients only. . . The staff — a matron, sister, four nurses, cook and three domestics — had been engaged or was being engaged.” [Advertiser 15 Feb 1950]

“Work on the new 46-bed Burnside War Memorial Hospital. Kensington road, Toorak Gardens, will begin early in the new year. . . the hospital would be built on the block of land adjoining the former private home Attunga, now used as a convalescent hospital, which would become the nurses' home.” [The Mail 27 Nov 1954]

Ask on sizes

New York entrepreneur J. L. Childs placed this advertisement on the inside of the title page of the November 1898 number of The Mayflower, a magazine he sent to subscribers who started their own garden clubs across the United States and Canada. Childs used the U.S. postal station on the Long Island Rail Road to distribute his seeds and publications. In order to distribute work across the calendar year, he promoted bulbs that could be planted in the fall.

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Marlow Cars offer a selection of over 60 prestige motor cars at any one time. Our range of cars consist of Bentley, Porsche, Aston Martin, Mercedes & Rolls Royce. Marlow Cars prides itself with over 30 years experience in the motor trade. Having extensive market knowledge and resources available makes our service unrivalled. We can supply finance on our cars, please visit our finance page for more information. Our web site hosts a gallery of the most significant marques we have sold. Endeavoring to buy and sell quality vehicles at value for money ranging from Aston Martin, Bentley, Rolls Royce, Porsche, Mercedes Benz, Jaguar, Land Rover & BMW.

VISIT WWW.MARLOWCARS.CO.UK FOR 24 IMAGES AND VIDEO OF THIS VEHICLE.

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Belladonna offers clothing in custom prints and designs catering to women of alternative fashion taking inspiration from Japanese street fashions. Everything is made in the USA by designers Michelle S. Ramon and Rachel M. Decker. All Rights Reserved.

Phoenix Pro Theater offers a theatrical experience brought to your living room. Sitting in the comfort of your home, you can sense the real feeling of watching a movie in an enriched theater. Any movie of choice, available in your PC or laptop, can be played in Phoenix Pro Theater.

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Johanna Annable of Johanna's Design Studio offers High-End Custom Murals, Venetian Plastering and Decorative Wall Finishes. Johanna prefers to create stunning details and wall finishes using all natural sustainable eco-friendly high performance paints, plasters and other low to no VOC materials for the health, comfort and peace of mind of her clients.

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Lime plasters are beautiful when applied, but become even more beautiful with age. Lime plasters are the real thing - the same ingredients that you will find on centuries-old walls in Europe.

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Thank you for your time in reading this blog post. I hope this helps lend an understanding of the wonderful and unique characteristics of lime and clay plasters, and how they can improve indoor comfort and quality of living in any interior environment.

An entrepreneur offers pedicure services from her home in the slums of Manila.

Here on this island nation, metro Manila is home to over 20 million people, and the inner city is arguably the most densely populated area on earth.

Photo:

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ISO 160

35mm

f/2.8

1/60 sec

My NGO/nonprofit Flickr account: PeaceGospel

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We offer seven unique heritage rooms of various sizes for meetings & events.

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For enquiries please call 028 9508 2000 or email info@titanichotelbelfast.com

This is a photograph from the second annual running of The Lough Lene Gaels Hurling and Camogie Clubs "New Year's Resolution Run" which was held in Collinstown, Co. Westmeath, Ireland on Sunday 12th January 2014 at 13:00. There were two races on offer today - a 10KM road race and a 5KM road race, fun run, and walk. This is one of the first road races in the midlands of the New Year. As this was a community orientated event families were especially welcome in the 5KM race. The race was organised to raise funding for the development of the GAA pitches for the Lough Lene Gaels Hurling and Camogie Clubs. Overall this was a very successful event with a very large field of well over 300 participants in both races combined. The great local effort was exemplified by a very big local contingent from Collinstown and neighbouring areas.

The 5KM race was an out and back course on the Collinstown to Fore Road. The 10KM was also on an out and back course with a deviation between 2KM and 7KM for the longer race. There were several tough hills but an equal amount of down-hill. The turn around on the course for the 10KM came at Doyle's Pub [goo.gl/maps/WxPSy - Google Streetview] at Glenidan.

Refreshments were served afterwards in the Lough Lene Inn where the prize ceremony was also held.

Note: Due to the inclement weather and poor lighting we had to, unfortunately, delete a lot of our photographs as there were very many blurs and fuzzy pictures. You will find lots more photographs and race results on the Facebook pages outlined below.

However, we have an extensive set of photographs from today's event on the following Flickr Photoset Page: www.flickr.com/photos/peterm7/sets/72157639654608496/

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".

Some useful Internet links

Lough Lene Inn Pub Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/loughleneinn.collinstown?ref=ts&fref=ts

Lough Lene Gaels GAA Club on Facebook: www.facebook.com/loughlene.gaels.1?ref=ts&fref=ts

Our Flickr Photographs from Lough Lene Gaels 5KM New Year's Resolution Run 2013: www.flickr.com/photos/peterm7/sets/72157632508354317/

Our Flickr Photographs from the Lough Lene Gaels 5KM Road Challenge - July 2012: www.flickr.com/photos/peterm7/sets/72157630562888662/

Lough Lene Gaels GAA Club on Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lough_Lene_Gaels_GAA

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, tablet, or desktop device will also offer you several different options for sharing this photo page on your social media outlets.

How can I get full resolution, print-quality, copies of these photographs?

All of the photographs posted here on this Flickr set are available free, at no cost, at full image resolution. 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: (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 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.

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.

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

Wishbox offers gift cards in several denominations. (L$300, L$600, L$1000, L$2000, and L$5000).

It's very easy to use. It comes boxed with the card and instructions. You can deliver it to yourself or to your recipient, since it is transferable. Just give them the box, let them unpack it and wear the card. Then, they can just come by the Wishbox store and shop the brand new vendor in the lobby.

Wishbox specializes in romantic clothing for women, medieval fantasy gowns, EGL and Gothic Lolita, rose and flower crowns and accessories, and lots and lots of sexy silks. It's no secret that ladies love Wishbox, and are bound to find something they absolutely love.

I'd like to offer this photo to viewers who might have been disappointed that the debut photo of the Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) a few pictures ago didn't show the entire critter.

Here it is again, only in its entirety. That tail isn't just to impress the girls - it's the Iguana's main source of propulsion in the water. I didn't take any measurements, but subjectively I'd say the tail is as long as the body.

And look at the size of those hind legs and feet, the length of the toes and the sharp claws.

Since Galapagos Marine Iguanas eat plant material growing on the sea floor and on rocks, the feet may be designed to hold the Iguana in place while it's feeding. Underwater, waves can create strong surges, especially near the shore and around submerged rocks. An Iguana grazing in surging water would need to hang on tightly or be swept away from its meal.

But I bet the Iguana also puts those dogs through their paces when it goes through the process of emerging from the sea.

I suppose Galapagos Marine Iguanas are sometimes fortunate enough to slip out of calm water onto a gently sloping sandy beach. At other times, however, they have to come ashore amid crashing waves, through the undertow, and onto rough lava rocks. If I had that assignment, that's the kind of footwear I'd want.

GONE

Rollei 35 SE, 40mm f2.8 Sonnar. Ilford FP4+ devloped in Ilford DD-X.

VA’s annual Brain Trust summit offers platform for innovations in brain health and head trauma

From a software platform for traumatic brain injury to a virtual reality device that assists Veterans with behavioral health issues, 15 competitors pitched a diversity of ideas during demo day at the Brain Trust: Pathways to InnoVAtion summit, hosted by VA on May 18 in Boston. The annual two-day event assembled more than 350 invited participants from the federal government, private industry, professional sports, medical research, caregivers and Veteran communities to collaborate and advance discussions around the prevention and treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and concussion. “We have an unbelievable opportunity to accelerate the speed of change,” said retired Army Lt. Gen. Patricia Horoho, CEO of Optum Military and Veterans Group, to the 15 industry and academic innovators who had come to pitch their ideas on TBI and head trauma to a panel of judges. “Today, the impossible gets challenged.”After reviewing a series of short presentations from competitors, the judges selected three winners: The Daptly Display, a gesture and voice-controlled assistant for the home or office; Save a Warrior: A peer-to-peer, archetypal approach for healing combat trauma and moral injury; and Recovery Acceleration Program for mild TBI by King-Devick Technologies. The winners will have the potential opportunity to implement and deploy their innovations with VA. “We feel incredibly honored to be selected as a winner of the VA Innovation awards, which will further our opportunity to provide services to our Veterans,” said Steve Devick, CEO of King-Devick Technologies, who explained how his project would help Veterans impacted by TBI. “The King-Devick technologies innovations are related to the fact that eye movements and vision are responsible for approximately 55 percent of brain function. “As a result, implementing our recovery acceleration program by involving these pathways leads to faster concussions and TBI recovery when used with standard remediation. Additionally, caregivers can measure defects in eye movements, which may lead to dosage changes in chronic degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease. ” During the event, VA officials announced key partnerships with several influential organizations, including: Amazon, which donated 100 Echo devices with Alexa voice service to VA’s Assistive Technology Labs to help meet the needs of Veterans; Cohen Veterans Bioscience, which is coordinating efforts with VA to integrate data across dozens of labs to facilitate breakthroughs in trauma-related disorders; Booz Allen Hamilton; Comcast; Concussion Legacy Foundation; GE; IBM; Infinite Hero Foundation; Johnson & Johnson; Optum; Outward Bound; PenFed Foundation, Philips; the Warrior Care Network and the National Institutes of Health, which is co-hosting a ‘State of the Science’ workshop in 2018 that will focus on Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy and other neurodegenerative diseases. (By Paula Paige. VA photo/ Robert Turtil)

Land purchased 1890 & house built 1900 by Benjamin Burford, sold Dec 1907 to Otto von Rieben, offered 1944 to Burnside Council as community hospital, opened 7 Mar 1949 as Burnside War Memorial Hospital, new hospital opened adjacent Oct 1956. Original house now used as Attunga Medical Centre. Von Rieben established a large garden and aviaries around his house of 14 rooms and it became the venue for fund-raising events.

“Benjamin Burford, who at one time was a member of the firm of W. H. Burford and Sons. . . The deceased, who left a widow, recently built a large house on the Kensington road and had been living there.” [Advertiser 19 May 1905]

“Mr. von Rieben is another Barrier man who, having gone through the dust and heat, is now settled at Rose Park.” [Chronicle 6 Nov 1909]

“Mrs. O. Von Rieben threw open her spacious house and grounds at ‘Attunga’, Rose Park, for a concert in aid of Red Cross Funds, and a perfectly delightful time was spent for an hour or two. . . We gathered in the hall, on the staircase, and in the drawing room. . . to wander round the well-kept garden and admire the small zoo which Mr. von Rieben keeps on the premises. There were two magnificent peacocks, Pacific gull, Cape Barren geese, ducks of all sorts, parrots, cockatoos, emus, and all sorts of feathered creatures.” [The Mail 14 Aug 1915]

“Attunga, the residence of Mr. O. von Rieben, at Kensington road, Toorak. About 10 years ago this property, which covers an, area of about five acres was practically a wilderness, covered with wattles, and enclosed by a picket fence. To-day it is a horticultural triumph. . . The palm (Phoenix Oanariensis) . . . for many years it adorned Mr. D. M. Tweedie's garden at Tusmore Park, Knightsbridge. When that property was subdivided, Mr. von Rieben purchased blocks embracing the garden, and went to great trouble to have the mammoth palm removed to Attunga, a mile away. . . there are 25 different varieties of palms in this beautiful garden. . . the pretty blue cedar growing, and ensconced among other trees is a fine specimen of the genuine rubber tree. . . a huge flight aviary, which contains many parrots. Birds in the garden give soul to the place. Magpies and laughing tacks move contentedly about the lawns. . . Cape Barren goose, the ibis, mountain duck, Chilian pintail, Japanese teal, black duck, Manchurian duck, wood duck, Pacific and ordinary gull, and a crane.” [Observer 3 May 1919]

“the death of Mrs. von Rieben, wife of Mr. O. von Rieben, of Attunga, Toorak. Mr. von Rieben is a former proprietor of the 'Barrier Miner', but he has been living at Toorak for some years. Both he and his wife have done much good work for patriotic causes, and their beautiful residence, with its extensive grounds, has on a number of occasions been lent for fetes and other gatherings.” [Chronicle 1 Jan 1921]

“the beautiful garden of Attunga, Mr. Otto von Rieben's house in Kensington road, Toorak, will be open for the annual fete of St. Matthew's Church. Attunga has a magnificent array of trees, including many varieties of palms, and its lawns are emerald green and clipped. Birds in aviaries and various kinds of ducks are especially interesting for the visitor.” [The Mail 19 Oct 1935]

“Mr. Otto von Rieben, of Stirling yesterday handed over as a free gift his stately two-storey home Attunga, and four and a half acres of land at Kensington road, Toorak Gardens, to the city of Burnside for the purpose of establishing a hospital. . . He had lived in the house for 37 years. . . He had seen Burnside grow from a village to a city/” [Advertiser 22 Mar 1944]

“A carnival to raise funds for the new Burnside Hospital will be held at the Attunga grounds, Kensington road, Marryatville.” [Advertiser 21 Sep 1946]

“Mr. Otto Georg Ludwig von Rieben died yesterday morning at the Stirling Hospital at the age of 86. . . In 1944 Mr. von Rieben gave his two-storeyed, 14-roomed home, Attunga, to the Burnside Council for a hospital. He had lived at Attunga for 37 years. . . Mr. von Rieben was born at Morgan, on the River Murray, in 1863, and spent the early years of his life in shipping activities on the river. He afterwards went to Broken Hill, where he was a managing director and part proprietor of the newspaper ‘Barrier Miner’. He was chairman of directors of Alaska Icecream and Produce Co. Ltd., and of Horwood Bagshaw Ltd., and had directorships in a number of smaller companies. He was interested also in pastoral pursuits.” [Advertiser 9 May 1949]

“The first section of the Burnside War Memorial Hospital would be officially opened by His Excellency the Governor (Sir Willoughby Norrie) at Attunga, Kensington road, Toorak Gardens. The hospital would have 21 beds and would be for convalescent patients only. . . The staff — a matron, sister, four nurses, cook and three domestics — had been engaged or was being engaged.” [Advertiser 15 Feb 1950]

“Work on the new 46-bed Burnside War Memorial Hospital. Kensington road, Toorak Gardens, will begin early in the new year. . . the hospital would be built on the block of land adjoining the former private home Attunga, now used as a convalescent hospital, which would become the nurses' home.” [The Mail 27 Nov 1954]

Pirates show Mallorca excursion offered by nofrills excursions

www.nofrills-excursions.com/excursions-tours-thingstodo/p...

world stage

harvest box, paint, stained canvas, glass fish, lead weight, poem excerpt

--

As introduction, let me offer words from the essay, “Better Speak,” by Hank Willis Thomas:

… I encountered Audre Lorde’s “Litany for Survival.” The last few lines are emblazoned on my soul:

and when we speak we are afraid

our words will not be heard

nor welcomed

but when we are silent

we are still afraid

So it is better to speak

remembering

we were never meant to survive.

“Better to speak!” echoes in my mind whenever I feel like shriveling up and hiding in the corner rather than being exposed or critiqued. There is sheer audacity required to write words for a broader audience, even more to get up and read those words aloud. I feel the same is true for contemporary visual artists. To speak is almost to say “I know,” but in most cases artists are speaking about things they don’t know, or are still in the process of knowing. I feel like poetry is at its best when it speaks to the process of knowing, dangling on your heart right before it gets to your mind.

There is sheer audacity required to put one’s work—words or marks—out for view and review. What the artist makes reveals that very process of unearthing some glimmer of knowledge or understanding. Sometimes that view appears sublime. Other times it reveals a raw wound.

Rooted and Unmoored presents a range of views in the consideration of place. The process began during a residency at

Sitka Center for Art & Ecology, near Otis on the Oregon Coast. While there I immersed myself in that physical place, a landscape

not dissimilar to Grays Harbor, which is the place that I call home. For six weeks I found myself uprooted yet grounded, and shaped ideas that reflected the view around me—from the cathedral of spruce forest to the dappled greens of an alder grove to the infinite shades of blue and gray reflected by river and ocean.

After returning home I continued to look with fresh eyes, in order to translate the familiar into visual language. A favorite walk takes me to the confluence of the Hoquiam River and the Chehalis, and turning west reveals the Harbor’s wide mouth, attuned to the sky. This horizon line, and the space above and below, with its shapes, colors, and textures, provides ample inspiration.

For me, looking outward required the balance of looking within, to reflect upon one’s internal “place.” This process mined memories, observations, and imaginings that I’d been recording in written form over the years. It also took into consideration the deep influence that reading holds over me. The Box Poem series develops such narratives.

While I still shy away from the sheer audacity required to speak, I remain compelled to do so. I hope that these works will—

like well-crafted poems—dangle upon your heart, and linger on your mind.

C. Larson

September, 2013

_______________________________________________________________

artist statement

In my art-making as a whole—even in its most abstracted forms—a sense of place is often at the root of the work. Perhaps a particular piece evokes the natural beauty of the physical landscape. Perhaps it reflects on the emotional landscape of literature. Or it may speak to a mental place, a state of mind.

I look for form to follow concept. I strive to shape a meaningful experience for the viewer. And my love for the written word means that the textual elements in my work are not secondary. I am drawn to processes and materials that invite touch, that celebrate the tactile qualities that encourage us to connect with one another. This seems a lovely counterweight to our rushed, mass-produced, twittering world.

_______________________________________________________________

artist biography

Carrie L. Larson, born in Bellingham, Washington, moved throughout the Northwest during her childhood, until settling in Aberdeen with her family. There she graduated from JM Weatherwax High School, then moved to Walla Walla, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1993 from Whitman College, where she was privileged to study art under Keiko Hara.

Since then she has practiced her calling—most recently in a chaotic home studio—sending her artwork out to juried shows throughout the region, including venues as far away as Chicago and Denver. One of her artist’s books, Red, Revisited, was included in Lark Crafts recent publication, 500 Handmade Books, Volume 2, juried by Julie Chen.

Carrie, along with husband John, currently calls Hoquiam home. There she is quietly active in her community, does freelance work as a color consultant and occasional floral designer, and operates a 5x8 Craftsmen letterpress under the concinnity press imprint. She is also responsible for a well-worn library card and a garden filled mostly with weeds and good intentions.

_______________________________________________________________

I am deeply indebted to so many who have supported my path—

To list everyone by name might require several volumes.

For now, let me offer deep gratitude to a handful:

to the college library crew, particularly Valerie, Sarah & Stan;

to Miss Swartz, 3rd grade teacher at Selah Elementary in 1979,

who set the foundation;

to my mentor, Keiko Hara, who challenged her students

while modeling artistic discipline and dedication;

to Ron Westman, gentle critic and epic storyteller;

to Paul Hunter, for graciously allowing me to borrow

his beautiful words for my own ends;

to Artist Trust for resources, and the skills that led to courage;

to the folks of Sitka Center, whose generosity renewed my spirit;

and to those grounding me at home—

my rock, John, and the gray cats, who like to investigate

works in progress.

Thank you.

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Land purchased 1890 & house built 1900 by Benjamin Burford, sold Dec 1907 to Otto von Rieben, offered 1944 to Burnside Council as community hospital, opened 7 Mar 1949 as Burnside War Memorial Hospital, new hospital opened adjacent Oct 1956. Original house now used as Attunga Medical Centre. Von Rieben established a large garden and aviaries around his house of 14 rooms and it became the venue for fund-raising events.

“Benjamin Burford, who at one time was a member of the firm of W. H. Burford and Sons. . . The deceased, who left a widow, recently built a large house on the Kensington road and had been living there.” [Advertiser 19 May 1905]

“Mr. von Rieben is another Barrier man who, having gone through the dust and heat, is now settled at Rose Park.” [Chronicle 6 Nov 1909]

“Mrs. O. Von Rieben threw open her spacious house and grounds at ‘Attunga’, Rose Park, for a concert in aid of Red Cross Funds, and a perfectly delightful time was spent for an hour or two. . . We gathered in the hall, on the staircase, and in the drawing room. . . to wander round the well-kept garden and admire the small zoo which Mr. von Rieben keeps on the premises. There were two magnificent peacocks, Pacific gull, Cape Barren geese, ducks of all sorts, parrots, cockatoos, emus, and all sorts of feathered creatures.” [The Mail 14 Aug 1915]

“Attunga, the residence of Mr. O. von Rieben, at Kensington road, Toorak. About 10 years ago this property, which covers an, area of about five acres was practically a wilderness, covered with wattles, and enclosed by a picket fence. To-day it is a horticultural triumph. . . The palm (Phoenix Oanariensis) . . . for many years it adorned Mr. D. M. Tweedie's garden at Tusmore Park, Knightsbridge. When that property was subdivided, Mr. von Rieben purchased blocks embracing the garden, and went to great trouble to have the mammoth palm removed to Attunga, a mile away. . . there are 25 different varieties of palms in this beautiful garden. . . the pretty blue cedar growing, and ensconced among other trees is a fine specimen of the genuine rubber tree. . . a huge flight aviary, which contains many parrots. Birds in the garden give soul to the place. Magpies and laughing tacks move contentedly about the lawns. . . Cape Barren goose, the ibis, mountain duck, Chilian pintail, Japanese teal, black duck, Manchurian duck, wood duck, Pacific and ordinary gull, and a crane.” [Observer 3 May 1919]

“the death of Mrs. von Rieben, wife of Mr. O. von Rieben, of Attunga, Toorak. Mr. von Rieben is a former proprietor of the 'Barrier Miner', but he has been living at Toorak for some years. Both he and his wife have done much good work for patriotic causes, and their beautiful residence, with its extensive grounds, has on a number of occasions been lent for fetes and other gatherings.” [Chronicle 1 Jan 1921]

“the beautiful garden of Attunga, Mr. Otto von Rieben's house in Kensington road, Toorak, will be open for the annual fete of St. Matthew's Church. Attunga has a magnificent array of trees, including many varieties of palms, and its lawns are emerald green and clipped. Birds in aviaries and various kinds of ducks are especially interesting for the visitor.” [The Mail 19 Oct 1935]

“Mr. Otto von Rieben, of Stirling yesterday handed over as a free gift his stately two-storey home Attunga, and four and a half acres of land at Kensington road, Toorak Gardens, to the city of Burnside for the purpose of establishing a hospital. . . He had lived in the house for 37 years. . . He had seen Burnside grow from a village to a city/” [Advertiser 22 Mar 1944]

“A carnival to raise funds for the new Burnside Hospital will be held at the Attunga grounds, Kensington road, Marryatville.” [Advertiser 21 Sep 1946]

“Mr. Otto Georg Ludwig von Rieben died yesterday morning at the Stirling Hospital at the age of 86. . . In 1944 Mr. von Rieben gave his two-storeyed, 14-roomed home, Attunga, to the Burnside Council for a hospital. He had lived at Attunga for 37 years. . . Mr. von Rieben was born at Morgan, on the River Murray, in 1863, and spent the early years of his life in shipping activities on the river. He afterwards went to Broken Hill, where he was a managing director and part proprietor of the newspaper ‘Barrier Miner’. He was chairman of directors of Alaska Icecream and Produce Co. Ltd., and of Horwood Bagshaw Ltd., and had directorships in a number of smaller companies. He was interested also in pastoral pursuits.” [Advertiser 9 May 1949]

“The first section of the Burnside War Memorial Hospital would be officially opened by His Excellency the Governor (Sir Willoughby Norrie) at Attunga, Kensington road, Toorak Gardens. The hospital would have 21 beds and would be for convalescent patients only. . . The staff — a matron, sister, four nurses, cook and three domestics — had been engaged or was being engaged.” [Advertiser 15 Feb 1950]

“Work on the new 46-bed Burnside War Memorial Hospital. Kensington road, Toorak Gardens, will begin early in the new year. . . the hospital would be built on the block of land adjoining the former private home Attunga, now used as a convalescent hospital, which would become the nurses' home.” [The Mail 27 Nov 1954]

Just for adults, this popular area offers seven hot mineral pools with views of Lake Rotorua.

The pools are fed with hot mineral spring water from two different springs!

The three Priest Spa pools (39˚C to 42˚C), offer special thermal bathing in acidic water from the Radium hot spring, long renowned for its therapeutic properties. The Priest Spa was named after a catholic priest, who in the late 1800’s gained great relief from arthritis when bathing in the hot spring waters.

Spacious changing rooms are provided and a choice of storage tubs and pay-lockers are available for your belongings and valuables.

The Adult Pools & Priest Spa is a great area for socializing!

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Tra Co Vietnam offers a tranquil retreat

10/07/07 (GMT+7)

Tra Co Vietnam, if you wilt at the thought of a seething tourist spot in the burning sunshine then a cool little spot on Vietnam's northern coast could be just the place for you.

About 180 kilometres past Ha Long Bay, or seven hours drive from Hanoi, lies the peninsula of Tra Co Vietnam.

Tra Co marks the road linking Mong Cai township, north of Quang Ninh, with the Chinese border. But most importantly for tourists, the area boasts white sands, cultural sights and a golf course.

If you're in the mood for a walk head out along the 17km coastline from Tra Vi to Mui Ngoc. In addition to the beaches and crashing waves there is a natural mangrove forest nearby.

About 6km from Tra Co beach Vietnam is Tra Vi, "Km 0" from the Chinese border. This is the starting point of the S-shape that's Vietnam. On a clear day you can look out across the water to China on the opposite shore.

This is where the tourist trail ends but don't feel tempted to stop here because just around the corner an oasis awaits - Con Mang.

Con Mang is deserted stretch of white sand, a stripe of black rocks and a shady fence of filao (Casuarina) trees acting as a shield for wind and sun. Contemplative and romantic, it's the perfect place to watch the sun go down.

On the way back from Con Mang to Tra Co Vietnam, you can't miss Tra Co Cathedral. Built in 1880 and restored a decade ago, the church is an interesting and attractive place to take a rest.

Tra Co Communal Hall is also the pride of local people. It was built in 1462 to worship six people lauded as the first founders of Tra Co Vietnam. The story goes that 12 families from Do Son, Hai Phong Vietnam, went fishing.

There was a big storm and they got lost, eventually being washed onto the shores of the peninsula. Six of the 12 were downhearted, saying the land was useless and uninhabitable. The remaining six however, were less pessimistic and decided to stay and explore.

The communal house has been restored a few times but typical features of the original architecture still remain.

Inspired by the building, song writer Nguyen Cuong composed the famous song Mai Dinh Lang Bien.

Nhung thang tram thoi gian da ghi tac hinh dang

Net cham tro phuong long uon luon tua may song

Gui vao day vao day vui buon nguoi Viet

Gui vao day vao day tam hon nguoi Viet...

(Ups and downs of time have shaped it

Carvings of dragons and phoenixes twirl like clouds and waves

Here conveying the sadness and joys of the Viet people,

Here conveying the souls of the Viet people.)

The communal hall is special for another reason; tomorrow (the first day of the sixth month on the lunar calendar) it hosts a festival.

The festival spans three days and includes a variety of activities including a cooking, competition and traditional games.

Other attractions in the area include a 18-hole 110-ha golf course, built one and a half years ago by a Vietnamese company and a Chinese company.

But if you feel in need of retail therapy with a difference, you can also visit Mong Cai township which is home to a number of different markets selling mostly Chinese wares but with each as varied and colourful as the next.

The busiest one, Mong Cai central market on Tran Phu Street, is a treasure chest of all sorts of goods from household appliances and clothes to fruit.

Here about 70% of shopkeepers are Chinese but they speak enough Vietnamese for bargaining, which is all you need. It's best if you're an early bird though, as stalls close up at midday.

However, even though there's a wild array of goods on offer, the best souvenirs you take home will be the lungful of fresh air and happy memories of peace and quiet found a bit off the beaten track.

Contact for guide :

00841249142628

www.synotrip.com/holidayinvietnam

I offered to custom build a lego mosaic for a school fundraising auction. Above is the result

Mayor Bill de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña announce the first-ever offers for 3-K for All, starting the path to providing universal, free, full-day, high-quality early childhood education for every three-year-old child. Mayor de Blasio presents to Melanie Dumas and her daughter Callie the acceptance letter for PS 178. PS 178, St Claire McKelway School, Brownsville, Brooklyn. Thursday, July 27, 2017. Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.

This photograph is provided by the New York City Mayoral Photography Office (MPO) for the benefit of the general public and for dissemination by members of the media. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial materials, advertisements, emails, products or promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the City of New York, the Mayoral administration, or the de Blasio family without prior consent from the MPO (PhotoOffice@cityhall.nyc.gov). Any use or reprinting of official MPO photographs must use the following credit language and style: “Photographer/Mayoral Photography Office”, as listed at the end of each caption.

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To the viewers’ delight, Phoenix Pro Theater offers surround sound, animated audience captured to visualize real life situation. The theater ambiance light mimics and adjusts to that of the brightness and color tone present in the movie played. The Theater is illuminated with pleasing lights, and movie can be watched either with the lights on or off, as per the liking of the viewers.

An array of choices offered are

(i) Selection of seats, in six Zones viz. Front (Left, Middle or Right) or Rear (Left Middle or Right),

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(v) Color tone of the movie played can be changed

(vi) Individual Color Theme, wherein the viewer can change the color of the dresses of all the characters in the movie offering a very unique experience not found in any main stream video player.

An impressive Control Panel has been provided to enable the viewer to select and exercise all available options and between choices. The LCD panel displays options selected.

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Phoenix Pro Theater offers a theatrical experience brought to your living room. Sitting in the comfort of your home, you can sense the real feeling of watching a movie in an enriched theater. Any movie of choice, available in your PC or laptop, can be played in Phoenix Pro Theater.

store.steampowered.com/app/1727320/Phoenix_Pro_Theater_Me...

Phoenix Pro Theater, elevates you to the ownership of a personal theater. The ambiance excels to that of a real theater. The player is provided with all facilities to choose and play any movie available in your system. It is meticulously designed to cater to your taste, comfort and convenience.

In order to improve the ambiance and magnificence of the theater, facilities have been provided to customize the theater to your liking.

To the viewers’ delight, Phoenix Pro Theater offers surround sound, animated audience captured to visualize real life situation. The theater ambiance light mimics and adjusts to that of the brightness and color tone present in the movie played. The Theater is illuminated with pleasing lights, and movie can be watched either with the lights on or off, as per the liking of the viewers.

An array of choices offered are

(i) Selection of seats, in six Zones viz. Front (Left, Middle or Right) or Rear (Left Middle or Right),

(ii) 15 types of Leather Seat Upholstery,

(iii) Movie Brightness can be increased,

(iv) Choose from any one of the 6 Colors of lights displayed on Side Walls,

(v) Color tone of the movie played can be changed

(vi) Individual Color Theme, wherein the viewer can change the color of the dresses of all the characters in the movie offering a very unique experience not found in any main stream video player.

An impressive Control Panel has been provided to enable the viewer to select and exercise all available options and between choices. The LCD panel displays options selected.

Technically, Phoenix Pro Theater supports 12 video formats. It also supports vertical video playback plus video rotation and flip options. It is Full HD, 4K & 8K supported, making it future ready. The Auto resume option, remembers the last played scene and resumes playback from the last played position.

Ideally, the viewers’ long search for an ultimate theater is likely to stop at “PHOENIX PRO THEATER”.

Supported formats : mp4, mov, avi, mkv, wmv, m4v, webm, flv, vob, ogg, mpg, 3gp

store.steampowered.com/app/1727320/Phoenix_Pro_Theater_Me...

Download on Steam !

We are proud to offer both in Stock Crystal Tattoos and Custom Sticker Tattoos design pieces, all made to the highest standards. Buzz Tattoos offers a variety of conventional and modern designs at really highly competitive prices. Each item we make is designed and produced by skilled craftsmen. We invite you to explore our site; you will find that it is our craftsmanship, materials, and quality that set us apart. They make a great set worn all together but you can easily use each piece alone to mix with any other outfit and make them more precious and stylish. They can be perfect complement to any another outfit but they can also look great as contemporary jewelry.

Sticker Body Tattoos (Crystal Tattoos, Belly Tattoos, Lower Back Tattoos, Glitter Tattoos, Crystal Pasties & various kind of Sticker Temporary Tattoos) come in different colored plastic stones and are available in all sorts of swirly patterns, flowers, tribal, butterflies, celtic and stars. They're easy to use too - with peel off backs and self-adhesives that sticks to your skin without any problem & the glue used on our Temporary Tattoos is skin friendly & lab tested. We can also provide Customized & OEM Packaging as per the need of client which makes it easier for our client to sell & promote.

We are the Manufacturer & Supplier of Sticker Tattoos, Personalized Temporary Tattoos, Crystal Tattoos, Glitter Tattoos, Belly Tattoos, Crystal Armbands, Fake Tattoos, Sticker Tattoo Manufacturer (Sticker Body Tattoos Supplier, Jewel Tattoo Makers) with a difference.

Our clients are from all over the world, from USA, Sweden, New Zealand, Russia, Italy, Canada, France, Australia, Germany, Japan, Latvia, Austria, Spain, UK, Romania & various other countries of Europe & all over the world.

We can also provide you Personalized Sticker Tattoos, Custom Crystal Tattoos, Custom Made Crystal Tattoo Jewels as per your own requirements. We will work with you, one on one, to design and create your dream personalized stick on crystal tattoo.

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Kokonut Suites offers a unique experience through luxurious and spacious suites in fashionable Seminyak, one of Bali’s most sought after areas.

The one and two-bedroom suites each come with a private balcony and are set upon 5000 square metres of tranquil land. They are designed in a modern tropical style with delightful Balinese backdrop of rice fields and coconut trees, as if stepping back in time and relaxing with the most up-to-date facilities. These facilities include a uniquely shaped swimming pool, resort spa, open concept Suka Suka Restaurant, bar and pool lounge, gym, and large parking area.

One Bedroom Suite - Room details

* Location - Three-level building

* View - Overlooking swimming pool and agricultural backdrop

* Décor - Featuring modern minimalism with simple modern furnishings, sensuous colours, and exotic ambience that personifies Indonesian art and luxury.

* Beds - King size

* Extra bed (by request) - For children under 12 years old

* Living Room

* Fully equipped kitchen, dining table, single sofa, long sofa, lazy chair.

* Bathrooms - Combined shower and bathtub

* Maximum King size and 1 twin bed

* occupancy 2 adults and 1 child

Please Visit our Official Website: www.bali-individually.com/hotels.If you have questions or need assistance with a reservation, please call or click to chat online or send us e-mail for inquiry, the best price and packages: sales@bali-individually.com | Telp. +62 - 361-7415637 | text message: +62-81338579071 | facebook:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bali-Hotel-Reservation/136414357516

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Sirowa Dental Clinic offers accommodation for its patients in a lovely recently opened hotel right near the clinic. The hotel offers the following facilities:

Five comfortable and cozy rooms, four of which are single rooms and one that is a double room;

Nice kitchen available for breakfast;

Chill out room with TV in which to rest;

Common bathroom with a shower;

We are proud that we can provide our patients with;

Convenient accommodations facilities to make their trip easier and more pleasant.

Tannlegeklinikken “Sirowas” utenlandske pasienter kan overnatte i selskapets koselig hoteller. Den ble åpnet høsten 2009, og befinner seg ved siden av klinikken. Hotellet tilbyr:

Fem komfortable og koselige rom: fire av de er enkeltrom, en – dobbeltrom.

Hyggelig kjøkken for frokost og middag.

Felles stue med flatskjerm-TV.

Felles bad med dusj og badekar.

Vi er stolte over å kunne tilby våre utenlandske pasienter en enkelt tilgjengelig ovenattingsplass, og gjøre deres opphold i vår klinikk enda hyggeligere.

Velkommen til Latvia!

Aqualand Excursion in Mallorca offered by Nofrills Excursions

Tickets: www.nofrills-excursions.com/excursions-tours-thingstodo/p...

Get information on services offered by Revivify Your Body. Learn more about the different ways Revivify can help you repair your body, call 9082732222.

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Handicrunch offer exclusive and stylish skirts at very affordable prices. Fill your wardrobe with stylish skirts. These skirts are suitable for both Girls and women. We are having a unique collection of skirts including Indian printed Skirt online, Traditional Printed Skirt, Elephant Printed cotton Girl Skirt, Unique Skirts for women, Colorful long skirt for girls, Indian Art Printed Skirt and much more.

The traditional skirt once an office staple, gets a whole new look this season. Get this must-have statement trend in florals and animal prints.

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VLCC offers a wide range of waist and tummy trim gels and creams that give you miraculous results in losing the belly fat. These product help you shape up your waist and tummy. Get the product to get the flab reduced off and get a firmer skin and toned belly. You can lose up to 6 inches in 3 weeks by using these slimming products.

Anacaona catamaran offered by nofrills excursions

Tickets: www.nofrills-excursions.com/excursions-tours-thingstodo/p...