Archive for June, 2008
SURABAYA -Batik masih diminati. Buktinya, kain motif ini masih menjadi komiditas andalan gerai-gerai pakaian di berbagai mal kota ini.
Menurut Toetik Hastoeti Ganiadi dari Nice Collection, Royal Plaza, peminat batik kini tidak hanya orang-orang tua. Anak-anak muda juga makin senang mengenakan pakaian berbahan batik.
”Yang dicari anak-anak muda kebanyakan memang yang kasual. Biasanya yang bisa dipakai untuk jalan-jalan atau acara santai lainnya,” ujar Toetik kemarin.
Meski demikian, batik formal juga tak kehilangan peminat. ”Untuk busana formal begini banyak yang mencari untuk ke kantor atau acara resmi seperti undangan pernikahan,” jelasnya.
Susi Adikantari dari Bandara Batik menambahkan, motif yang dipilih juga tak melulu yang berkesan kuno dan rumit. ”Motif simpel seperti motif flora dengan warna cerah banyak juga senang,” ujarnya.
Sedangkan untuk jenisnya beragam. Kebanyakan memang atasan. Tetapi yang memilih untuk bawahan juga ada. Biasanya bawahan batik itu digunakan sebagai alternatif kain panjang.
Toetik menyatakan, tingginya minat terhadap kain khas Indonesia itu bisa jadi karena daya jual batik yang terbilang miring. Di butuk-butik, batik dijual berkisar Rp 60 ribu-Rp 85 ribu. ”Makanya, banyak orang cari batik karena harganya terjangkau, kualitasnya tidak diragukan,” katanya (ign/ari)
Source: Jawa Pos Online
June 30th, 2008
SURABAYA - Pengunjung Hypermart Cito kemarin (29/6) berebut hot dog yang dijual supermurah. Tak heran, 590 roti berisi sosis itu langsung ludes diserbu pengunjung. Hot dog tersebut dijual Rp 1.000 per potong.
Sebelum diserbu pengunjung, makanan asal Amerika itu sempat dipamerkan. Bila diukur, panjangnya mencapai 118 meter. Panitia pun mengklaim deretan hot dog tersebut sebagai hot dog terpanjang yang pernah ada di Surabaya.
Meski dijual murah, pengunjung hanya boleh membeli dua potong. ”Supaya bisa dinikmati lebih banyak pengunjung,” ujar Hendry Iskandar Putra, store general manager Hypermart.
Untuk membuat 590 hot dog tersebut, panitia harus menyiapkan 60 kg tepung terigu. Untuk isinya, dihabiskan 15 kg sosis, bawang Bombay dan lettuce French (masing-masing 8 kg), mayones dan saus (masing-masing 2,5 kg), serta tomat dan salad (masing-masing 6 kg). Pembuatannya dilakukan mulai pukul 22.00 hingga pukul 06.00 di bawah komando baker Agus D.K.
Menurut Hendry, pihaknya berani menjamin hot dog itu tetap fresh, meski dibuat malam sebelumnya. Sebab, waktu delapan jam pembuatan hanya untuk membuat rotinya. Untuk topping, penataan isi hot dog, dilakukan pukul 07.00 hingga pukul 09.00. ”Jadi, ketika disajikan, kondisinya masih hangat, fresh,” tegasnya.
Beberapa pembeli mengaku penasaran pada hot dog supermurah tersebut. ”Harganya murah banget sih, jadi pingin membuktikan bagaimana rasanya,” ujar Ani Susilawati, pengunjung asal Waru, Sidoarjo.
Jajaran hot dog terpanjang tersebut digelar untuk meramaikan ulang tahun pertama Hypermart Cito. ”Karena itu, harga hot dog dipatok hanya Rp 1.000,” kata Hendry. (ken/ari)
SOurce: Jawa Pos Online
June 30th, 2008
IDE-ide baru tercetus dari para mahasiswa se-Surabaya ketika mengikuti kompetisi mempromosikan Surabaya yang diselenggarakan MarkPlus Inc, Surabaya Tourism Promotion Board (STPB), dan pemkot. Kompetisi itu bertajuk Sparkling Surabaya Award, ”Place Marketing: Attracting Tourists to Surabaya” Student Marketing Strategy Competition 2008. Itu merupakan rangkaian kegiatan MarkPlus Festival, 10 Juli.
Kemarin adalah babak final. Ada enam finalis yang harus mempresentasikan paper mereka. Yaitu, dua tim dari Universitas Airlangga (Unair), Institut Bisnis Manajemen Terapan (IBMT), Universitas Ciputra, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh November (ITS), dan Universitas Surabaya (Ubaya).
Mereka dinilai oleh Dr Sonny Nursutan Hotama SE MM (ketua IMA Jawa Timur), Drs Suhartoyo (kepala Dinas Kebudayaan dan Pariwisata Surabaya), Drs Yusak Anshori (direktur eksekutif STPB), Azrul Ananda (wakil direktur Jawa Pos), Dito (Hard Rock FM), Agus Giri Santoso (MarkPlus Inc), dan Suwito Sumargo (member council of MarkPlus Club). Chairman and CEO MarkPlus Inc Hermawan Kartajaya dan wakil wali Kota Surabaya menjadi dewan juri kehormatan.
Yusak Anshori menyatakan, ada lima kriteria penilaian kompetisi itu. Yakni, orisinalitas ide, metodologi penelitian, program-program unggulan, nilai aplikatif program, dan data-data. Menurut dia, persaingan cukup ketat. Tapi, ada dua tim yang dianggap paling menonjol oleh dewan juri. ”Tapi, kami belum bisa mengumumkan pemenangnya. Namun, secara umum ide-ide mereka cukup bagus,” ungkapnya.
Bahkan, kata Yusak, ada tim yang presentasinya lebih bagus daripada tulisannya. ”Ide yang bermunculan bisa menjadi referensi STPB dan pemkot untuk mereplikasinya,” jelasnya.
Salah satu konsep yang diungkapkan kemarin adalah Taste Surabaya milik tim Unair. Konsep itu menyinergikan kota tradisional dan modern di Surabaya. Mereka menggambarkan kota ini sebagai kota historis, pesisir, dan satelit (modern).
Tim Universitas Ciputra mengusung Surabaya Splendid Card (SSC). Manfaat kartu itu dikupas tuntas oleh tim yang digawangi Yanuar Pribadi, Lilin Iman Raharjo, dan Relix Rulof Adi W. Kartu mereka, katanya, bisa sangat bermanfaat bagi orang yang mengunjungi Surabaya. Berbagai fasilitasnya, antara lain, masa berlaku lima tahun dan bisa dipakai untuk bertransaksi di semua hotel berbintang lima di Surabaya. ”Termasuk, pemegang kartu itu akan mendapat pelayanan 24 jam. Juga memudahkan mengurus imigrasi,” kata Yanuar.
Kemarin, Wawali Arif Afandi menyerahkan sertifikat tanda penghargaan kepada seluruh peserta. Sementara itu, Hermawan Kartajaya menyatakan bahwa kompetisi tersebut punya tiga tujuan. Pertama, memberikan masukan kreatif bagi pengembangan pariwisata Surabaya. Kedua, meningkatkan peran intelektual generasi muda Surabaya di bidang pemasaran. Terakhir, melibatkan peran serta kalangan kampus dalam pengembangan kota.
Hermawan yakin, Surabaya memiliki banyak potensi. Sebagai kiblat Indonesia Timur, Surabaya harus melakukan pembenahan-pembenahan agar tidak tertinggal oleh kota-kota besar lain. Contohnya, Makassar yang saat ini sedang menyiapkan pelabuhan baru. ”Tapi, saya optimistis Surabaya tetap jadi hak Indonesia Timur,” tegasnya. (kit/dos)
Source: Jawa Pos Online
June 27th, 2008
SURABAYA - Para biksu dari berbagai negara kemarin berkumpul di Surabaya Supermal Convention Center (SSCC) Supermal Pakuwon Indah. Mereka menghadiri pembukaan Buddhist Festival 2008, festival keagamaan Buddha yang cukup besar di Indonesia. Acara itu juga dihadiri duta besar beberapa negara dan ketua Buddhist Education Center (BEC) Taiwan Hai Tao Fa Shi.
Biksu dari Myanmar berjumlah tujuh orang. Selain itu, ada lagi dari Thailand (5 orang), Taiwan (20 orang), Nepal (3 orang), dan Srilanka (9 orang). Festival kemarin dibuka Budi Setiawan, Dirjen Pembimbing Masyarakat Buddha. Festival itu juga memancing minat ratusan umat.
Salah satu yang diinginkan umat adalah bertemu dan memohon berkat para biksu dari beberapa negara tersebut. Hai Tao Fa Shi mengungkapkan rasa hormatnya atas terselenggaranya festival ini. Dia juga mengajak agar semua umat manusia bisa bersatu dan menciptakan kedamaian. ”Meskipun memiliki budaya yang berbeda-beda,” katanya dalam bahasa Taiwan yang dibantu oleh penerjemah.
Pembukaan festival kemarin dimeriahkan tarian dari India, Odyssey Dancer dari Kedutaan Besar India (Jawaharlal Nehru Cultural Center). Dalam acara itu juga diserahkan dua sertifikat Museum Rekor Indonesia kepada BEC Surabaya (Buddhist Education Centre). Rekor yang dibuat adalah reclining Buddha dan stupa terbesar di Indonesia. Meski sertifikat sudah diserahkan kepada ketua BEC Surabaya Sutanto Adhi, para pekerja masih membenahi patung Buddha yang belum selesai dirangkai.
Di salah satu sudut festival itu terdapat kitab Tripitaka yang ditulis pada daun lontar dalam huruf Myanmar. Daun lontar berbentuk persegi panjang tersebut diikat menjadi satu dengan tali. Ada beberapa bagian tulisan yang terlihat hampir hilang. Menurut salah seorang panitia dari BEC kitab tersebut sudah berusia ratusan tahun.
Selain menampilkan benda-benda yang menggambarkan sejarah agama, beberapa perkumpulan umat Buddha mendirikan stan. Mereka menampilkan buku, film dan lukisan-lukisan tentang Buddha. Juga terdapat pameran foto human interest karya Peter Wang, Lendi, Mamuk Ismuntoro, dan Tjahjani Retno Wilis.
Sanjaya Kanginnadhi, humas acara, mengungkapkan, festival itu untuk menggali peninggalan budaya Buddha yang ada di Indonesia. Selain itu peninggalan tersebut juga mengandung unsur seni. Sehingga festival ini bisa dinikmati oleh semua orang, tidak hanya umat Buddha. ”Di tengah kondisi negara yang panas, kami berharap orang bisa menikmati seni budaya Buddha,” kata Sanjaya. Hari ini di festival tersebut ada workshop zen meditasi oleh Guo Jun (Singapore), pergelaran seni, dan dharma talk Pengendalian Bathin dan Pikiran oleh Hai Tao. (jan/dos)
Source: Jawa Pos Online
June 27th, 2008
Thomson Financial News
JAKARTA (Thomson Financial) - ArcelorMittal is seeking license from the Indonesian government to build two multi-billion-dollar steel plants in Indonesia, the head of Indonesia’s National Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) said Wednesday.
‘ArcellorMittal executives came to my office last week. They said they will go ahead and invest in this country, whether the privatization of Krakatau Steel happens or not,’ BKPM chief Muhammad Lutfi said at a luncheon with foreign journalists here.
‘They (ArcellorMittal) asked for a license to build two (steel) plants, one in Banten in the western part of Java and one in the East Java town of Pasuruan,’ Lutfi said.
ArcelorMittal had earlier offered to buy a 49 percent stake in state-owned steelmaker PT Krakatau Steel if the government were to proceed with a plan to divest the company through a strategic sale.
The plan for a strategic sale, however, sparked widespread protests from the Krakatau Steel workers’ union, supported by some quarters of society. They called on the government to privatize Krakatau Steel through an initial public offering (IPO).
ArcelorMittal is one of several companies that have signified interest in buying into Krakatau Steel.
Australia’s BlueScope Steel and Tata Steel of India are also reportedly in the running for the government’s stake in the company.
State-owned enterprises minister Sofyan Djalil said recently that the government may opt to sell its stake in Krakatau Steel through an IPO.
BHP-Antam nickel project
Lutfi also said his office will ensure that the nickel project on an eastern Indonesian island that is to be developed by Australia’s BHP Billiton (nyse: BBL - news - people ) and Aneka Tambang will proceed as planned.
He said the 50-50 joint venture involves investments of around $4 billion and will include a mine on environmentally sensitive Gag Island off the western tip of Papua.
‘We will do it responsibly and my board will do whatever it can to make sure that (the joint venture) materialises,’ Lufti said.
‘I understand that Gag Island is environmentally sensitive and that’s why we have to think about developing the smelting and refining not on Gag Island but on the Halmahera side,’ he said, referring to a large island in nearby North Maluka province.
roffie.kurniawan@thomsonreuters.com
rk/zr
– by Roffie Kurniawan –
hkp/zr/zr
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Source: http://www.forbes.com/
June 26th, 2008
JAKARTA: Teams from East Java Province will take on teams from Western Australian State and the Perth Glory Football Club in exhibition matches to further boost 18-year long relationship between the sister state/province.
West Australian State will clash with the East Java All-Province under-23 team on Wednesday evening, June 25, while Perth Glory will play two of East Java’s four Indonesian Super League clubs, Persik Kediri and Deltras Sidoarjo, at the latter’s home stadiums on June 29 and July 4, respectively, the organizers said in a statement sent to the Jakarta Post.
Australian Idol 2006 runner-up, Jessica Mauboy, will perform Advance Australia Fair at the opening ceremony, and East Java’s singer-actress Ervyl Revylda will perform Indonesia Raya. –JP
Source: The Jakarta Post
June 25th, 2008
Mulai Besok, Pamerkan Stupa Raksasa dan Diorama 108 Meter
SURABAYA - Delapan negara akan mengikuti Buddhist Festival 2008 di Surabaya, 25-30 Juni. Pengunjung dapat menyaksikan beragam artefak sejarah agama Buddha serta mengikuti seminar yang menghadirkan, antara lain budayawan Goenawan Mohammad, Anand Khrisna, Budi Darma, dan Sapardi Djoko Damono.
Buddhist Festival kedua itu dipusatkan di Supermal Ballroom dan Supermal Convention Centre. Selain pameran artefak Buddha dan seminar, panitia menyiapkan pameran dagang dan panggung hiburan pada penutupan yang menghadirkan penyanyi Trie Utami dan dua pianis Malaysia, Ou Yang Yao Chih dan Cha Seng Tiang.
Artefak Buddha yang akan dipamerkan meliputi replika reclining Buddha (Buddha tidur) sepanjang 23 meter dan replika Tugu Asoka yang merupakan simbol perdamaian antarumat beragama. Yang tak kalah spektakuler adalah replika stupa setinggi 8 meter. Begitu besarnya, stupa raksasa itu mampu dimasuki 25-30 orang sekaligus.
”Di dalamnya pengunjung bisa menikmati lukisan benda-benda alam semesta,” jelas Ketua Panitia Buddhist Festival Soetanto Adi kemarin (23/6).
Turut dipamerkan kitab suci agama Buddha, Tripitaka, yang ditulis dalam enam bahasa. Juga relik (sisa pembakaran jenazah) sang Buddha Gautama beserta murid-muridnya. ”Festival ini juga menghadirkan 45 diorama sepanjang 108 meter. Diorama ini menceritakan riwayat hidup serta perjuangan Buddha Gautama,” imbuh Soetanto.
Menurut Soetanto, festival itu merupakan kegiatan agama Buddha di Indonesia pertama yang melibatkan negara-negara tetangga. Yakni, Malaysia, Singapura, Thailand, Taiwan, India, Sri Lanka, dan Nepal. ”Ada yang diwakili organisasi. Ada juga yang merupakan perwakilan dari negara itu,” jelasnya.
Berbagai aliran serta komunitas Agama Buddha dari seluruh Indonesia turut diundang. Ada sekitar 28 komunitas. Menurut Soetanto, melalui festival seni budaya itu, umat Buddha ingin berperan serta menyumbangkan pikiran dan tenaga dengan cara mengingatkan kembali nilai-nilai kebajikan dan keluhuran bangsa yang semakin luntur.
Festival tersebut, kata Soetanto, juga bertujuan memperkenalkan dan menyegarkan warisan-warisan kesenian dan budaya Buddha asli Indonesia. ”Karena itu, kami mengundang masyarakat luas untuk menyaksikan festival ini. Festival ini tidak hanya untuk umat Buddha,” tegasnya. (ign/ari)
Source: Jawa Pos Online
June 24th, 2008
SURABAYA –Tubuh anak kecil tersebut sangat kurus hingga tulang-belulangnya terlihat menonjol. Dia duduk di pangkuan seorang wanita yang memberinya segelas air. Anak itu begitu menderitanya.
Itulah potret dalam lukisan Yudi Osasi bertajuk ”Virus Kapitalisme”. Lukisan itu merupakan satu dari 65 lukisan yang ikut dalam kompetisi pelukis muda Jatim 2008 Bang Wetan yang dipamerkan mulai kemarin (22/6) hingga 29 Juni mendatang di Gedung Utama Balai Pemuda.
Mengusung tema Alam Sahabat Manusia, Manusia Sahabat Alam, 65 karya nominasi para pelukis muda hasil seleksi dua tahap tersebut menyajikan bentuk-bentuk kepedulian terhadap alam dengan gaya masing-masing. Tidak hanya style yang berbeda, media dan aliran lukisannya juga beragam. Ada yang mengandalkan media cat minyak, acrylic, crayon, pensil hingga kertas koran dan daun jagung.
Salah satu pelukis yang menggunakan mix media (beberapa media) adalah Khusnul Mufaidah. Lukisan bertajuk Wonder Women miliknya menggunakan cat minyak di bagian atas (gaun dan tubuh wanita). Untuk roknya, Khusnul menggunakan kertas koran yang dibentuk menjadi ban pinggang rok. Sedangkan rok itu sendiri berasal dari serabut daun jagung yang diberi warna hijau dan kuning.
Lukisan milik Muhammad Arifin bahkan menggunakan media yang terbilang tidak biasa. Dia menggunakan fiberglass, oil, pasir di atas sebuah papan hitam. Fiberglass tersebut dibentuk menyerupai bentuk wajah, tangan, dan kaki, serta sebuah kupu-kupu. (ken/ari)
Source: Jawa Pos Online
June 23rd, 2008
Tattoos symbolize the positive and negative sides of life. On the one hand, professionals are trying to change the negative image that tattoos come hand in hand with criminality, prostitution and narcotic abuse. On the other, thugs and commercial sex workers maintain their power through these symbolic skin drawings.
The Tattoo Festival took place in Tunjungan Plaza, Surabaya, in early May. Though not the first ever held by the local tattoo community, the event this time drew far greater public interest.
Apart from Big Bodyguard club owner Libhed Ronald Kayado, 33, getting his sturdy physique punctured by 15 tattooists at the same time, organizers also offered tattoo price discounts of up to 50 percent off the normal rates of between Rp 250,000 and Rp 3 million.
“Tattoo aficionados as well as newcomers to the art wish to have their bodies permanently tattooed,” Surabaya’s Tattoo Community Chairman Yoshua Jimmy said.
He said this festival recorded an average of 20 tattoo customers daily, unlike last year, when no more than 10 were served each day.
“Tattoos are increasingly in vogue. Almost 70 percent of our customers are women,” added Yoshua.
“Lia”, 19, an employee of a state telecommunications company, is a long-time tattoo buff.
She was among those in the queue to be tattooed.
“You can take a picture of the tattoo on my chest but please don’t show my face,” she said to The Jakarta Post.
Lia claims that tattoos could enhance her body’s beauty and that she feels sexier with flower motifs on her skin. Lia has been fond of tattoos since she was 16. Besides her chest, she also has flower motifs on her right arm, back and upper thigh.
It was not easy for Lia to secure her family’s acceptance. Her parents voiced their strong objection, but through an intense approach they finally consented to her tattoos so long as she did not go showing them off.
“The image of tattooed women is that they are close to prostitution and drug abuse,” she said.
Some circles in Indonesia indeed hold such a negative view, while in fact this image is not entirely correct because not all commercial sex workers are tattooed particularly in Surabaya. Nonetheless, a number of call girls said that their bodies were covered with tattoos for various reasons.
“For me, tattoos become a means of sexual arousal. Many of my customers like my tattoos,” said Erni, one of the sex workers operating in a star-rated hotel in Surabaya. Erni, a private college student in the city, has two tattoos, one on her breast and another on her upper thigh.
To avoid the biased image, a lot of women and parents choose to shun tattooing. Antok, 44, a senior journalist of a Jakarta daily, himself bearing a tattoo on the right arm since his youth, forbids his daughter from having the same.
“Unlike Europe or America, Indonesia still follows traditional values and norms. I don’t want my child to get isolated from society,” he said.
Compared to women, men have greater freedom to expose their tattoos because they are less restricted than women as some women cover up their bodies for religious reasons.
Arief Julianto, 38, a security guard at Sahid Hotel Surabaya, is one of the security men in the city with revealing tattoos while on duty. Two motifs on the leg and back are covered by his suit but the others on his arms have nowhere to hide.
“My tattoos are not meant to show macho pride or the fierce appearance of a security officer, but rather they are only fashion accessories, like a piece of jewelry,” said Arief, sticking out his tongue to expose a piercing.
Arief, who had his back tattooed as a high school student around 1990 in Surabaya and his left leg a tattooed in Bali in 2005, said the hotel management did not mind that he that exposes tattoo exposure while working.
“Once my superior asked why I had these tattoos, but I convinced him that it’s the brain that determines one’s quality.”
He said that in the 1980s, thousands of ex-convicts were mysteriously shot dead in various cities in Indonesia, with most of their bodies bearing tattoos.
Former president Suharto in his autobiography (published in 1989) said the shooting was purposely done as a treatment, a strict action against criminals disturbing public peace.
“I must admit that up to the present a lot of criminals have tattoos on their bodies. But I’m not one of them. I just want people to be aware that tattoos do not always belong to the world of vices,” Arief said.
Several ex-prisoners said most recidivists were tattooed because the skin drawings became symbols of their groups. A group can be formed in prison and as a sign of the group’s initiation.
Police sources also said tattoos could serve as a means to identify criminal suspects or murder victims. The police have lists of criminal groups with specific tattoo designs.
A new three-man musical band, Blingsatan, in its second album gives prominence to different forms of tattoo art. They openly promote tattooing as part of the band members’ lifestyle. The band members love peace and stay away from criminality.
Similarly, the rocker and vocalist of Boomerang musical group, Roy Jeconiah, always displays his tattoos at his concerts to indicate that this art is also shared by rock music fans who are complete strangers to drug abuse.
Source: The Jakarta Post
June 23rd, 2008
PETALING JAYA: Mohd Nashar Mat Hussin whose daughter Sharlinie disappeared from a playground near their house in Taman Medan here in January has personally expanded the search to Indonesia.
“I had a strong intuition to look for her there. So, with the help of a friend, I left for Surabaya with three friends and stayed there for four days.
“While at Kota Malang, I searched for Sharlinie along the five-foot ways guided by a friend who knew the city well but I did not see any child resembling Sharlinie,” Mohd Nashar, 30, told Bernama yesterday.
Despite that, he was still hoping the public would not stop helping in the search for his five-year-old daughter or at least giving him leads as to her possible whereabouts.
“I will certainly act on any new information but over the past two months, we have not received any,” he said.
Sharlinie’s mother, Suraya Ahmad, 28, said her two other daughters were beginning to accept their sister’s disappearance.
But her gut feeling said Sharlinie was still alive.
“I can only submit to God. Never mind how long it will take as long as my daughter is found.
“The prayer and Yassin recital will continue every Thursday night and we also still see religious experts for advice and guidance,” she said.
Source: http://thestar.com.my/news
June 20th, 2008
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