Tourist Spots in the Philippines

Of the eleven Southeast Asian nations, I've only been to one. And that is the country I live in—the Philippines. Although I've lived here all my life, I have not yet roamed every part of this country. I've been to places like Laguna, Baguio, Bicol. Now and then, I get to go to other provinces. Basically, though, I've lived in Manila all my life—Manila with its jeepneys and tricyles, people and buildings.

When I was in high school, my Social Study books often advised us to visit the Philippines' most well known tourist spots. Out of all those, I've only been to two: Mayon Volcano (in Bicol) and Taal Lake (in Tagaytay).

Mayon Volcano

(Photo from: Travel and Tour with Pari)

Banaue Rice Terraces

(Picture from: Cultural Property Law)

Chocolate Hills of Bohol

(Picture from: John Duffy's Places)

Taal Volcano

(Picture from: Vox Budget Travelers)

Hundred Islands

(Picture from: Gemzies Philippines)

"Death of a Nation" (East Timor)

On December 7, 1975 Indonesia secretly - but with the complicity of the Western powers including the US, the UK, and Australia - invaded the small nation of East Timor. Two Australian television crews attempting to document the invasion were murdered.

In 1993, with the Indonesian army still occupying the country, John Pilger and his crew including director David Munro, slipped into East Timor and made this film. In the intervening 18 years, an estimated 200,000 East Timorese - 1/3 of the population - had been slaughtered by the Indonesian military. The C.I.A. has described it as one of the worst mass-murders of the 20th century.

Pilger tells the story using clandestine footage of the countryside, internment camps and even Fretlin guerillas, as well as interviews with Timorese exiles, including Jose Ramos Horta and Jose Gusmao, and Australian, British, and Indonesian diplomats.

Nixon had called Indonesia the "greatest prize in southeast Asia" because of its oil reserves and other natural resources. Even though Indonesia had no historic or legal claim to East Timor, it was convenient for diplomats to declare that East Timor, just gaining its independence from Portugal, would not be a viable state.

However the lie was given to this argument when Australia and Indonesia signed the Timor Gap Oil Treaty and carved up the huge oil and gas reserves in the seabed off East Timor.

None of the politicians from that period - President Ford, Henry Kissinger, Daniel Moynihan, Margaret Thatcher, John Major, Gough Whitlam - has clean hands. The Indonesian military used US and British planes to bombard the island, while the defense ministers proclaimed ignorance.

As Pilger gets an Austrlian diplomat to admit, East Timor was considered "expendable."

But no one watching the massacre in the Dili cemetery can excuse the geopolitical machinations that led to this genocide.
- DeEnlightener

The Merlion

(Picture from The Flying Kiwi)

They say you haven't really been to Singapore if you haven't gone to Merlion Park. It's the home of the famous Merlion, the "lion head with a fish body resting on a crest of waves," after which the park is named.

The Merlion was designed by Mr. Fraser Bunner, a curator of the Van Kleef Aquarium, as an emblem for the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board. The lion head represents the lion that Prince Sang Nila Utama spotted when he rediscovered Singapore. The fish represents the ancient city of Temasek (which means "sea" in Javanese), which was what the island was known as before the Prince named it "Singapura" ("singa" means "lion" and "pura" means "city"—in Sanskrit).

The Merlion stands 8.6 meters tall and weighs 70 tonnes, built by Mr. Lim Nang Seng, who also built a smaller Merlion statue (its cub). It is made of cement fondue, the skin of porcelain plates, and red teacups (for its eyes).

Originally, the Merlion and its cub was located at the mouth of the Singapore River. In the year 2002, they were moved to where they stand now, at Merlion Park, adjacent to One Fullerton Park.

Resources

Uniquely Singapore - http://www.visitsingapore.com/publish/stbportal/en/home/about_singapore/the_merlion.html

Did You Know? (Random Facts About Brunei)

(Image from Applied Language Solutions)

Brunei's official name is Negara Brunei Darussalam (meaning "Abode of Peace").

The capital of Brunei is Bandar Seri Begawan.

Brunei, a monarchy, and has been ruled by the same family for over six centuries.

Brunei is an Islamic state, and the Sultan is the head of the Islamic population. There are also Buddhists, Confucianists, Daoists, and Christian minorities.

Malay is the official language, but English is widely used. Chinese dialects are spoken as well.

Etiquette in Brunei is very conservative? (That means no "loud" or "showy" clothes, no public display of affection, etc.)

Businessmen in Brunei are called "Haji" or "Dato" while businesswomen are called "Hajah" or "Datin."

When visiting a house in Brunei, it is polite to remove your shoes before entering the house.

People do not point with their index fingers, but with their thumbs. People do not beckon with their fingers either, but rather with their whole hand, making sure that the palm is facing downwards.
The right fist should never be smacked into the left palm.
Bruneians shake hands lightly and bring their hands to their chest.

Resources

Brunei Facts - http://www.tgmag.ca/ap/country/apbru.html

Culture of Brunei Darussalam - http://www.everyculture.com/Bo-Co/Brunei-Darussalam.html

World Info Zone - http://worldinfozone.com/facts.php?country=Brunei

World Travel Guide - http://www.worldtravelguide.net/country/43/general_information/South-East-Asia/Brunei.html

Borobodur Temple in Indonesia

(Picture: Discover Indonesia - Temples of Java)

In the garden of Java, near Yogyakarta, stands Borobodur, the largest temple in the world, and the oldest in Southeast Asia. 11 centuries ago (775 A.D.), anonymous artists decided to begin building it. They knew, though, that they would not finish, but they hoped that, along the way, some people (other artists) would pick up the work they left behind. It was finished in 856, but abandoned soon after, as a political revolt swept through the land.

By the 10th century, less and less people were visiting the Borobodur temple, as it was in the midst of jungle. Vegetation blocked the paths and the numerous volcanoes that surrounded the temple covered it in ash.

It was in 1814 when a British colonel first discovered the temple. It took about a hundred years for Borobodur to be uncovered and completely restored. In 1990, a team was appointed to maintain and preserve Borobodur.

Today, Borobodur stands tall and proud and majestic in the midst of valleys, volcanoes, hills, mountains, and rivers...

"Some moments in life make one feel as if there were no longer any distance between Heaven and Earth, and in the creative blending into the whole, the sense of life is being revealed.
Such an emotion is experienced when one ascends the stairs of Borobudur, Buddhist marvel of stone, in a full tropical moon-night."

References - Discover Indonesia: Temples of Java

WISH: To Visit a Dayak Longhouse in Sarawak, Malaysia

Imagine...you're traveling across one of the countries in Southeast Asia, rowing through the still waters of a river, when, along the banks, you spot a house on stilts—or so, it seems like one, except that it is incredibly long—and out of curiosity, you decide to investigate who might be living there.

You are warmly welcomed by a very hospitable people. They even have their young men and women perform a traditional dance (usually the Ngajat) and sound their traditional gongs to welcome you. They offer you tuak (local rice wine) invite you to stay for the night, but not before you eat a wonderful dinner of their local delicacies.

Such is the way of the Dayak, in Sarawak, Malaysia. The Dayak are an ethnic tribe who live either on Land (Bidayuh) or at Sea (Iban). In the last century, the length of their houses was 110 meters (360 feet) long, but today, they range from 10-70 meters.

(Image from Lawatilah Malaysia)

(Image from Linguistic Field Methods)

At the center of each longhouse is a public area for social life and rituals. Also at the center of the house here is a main post which is the first thing to be erected when the longhouse is built. This main post symbolizes the ancestor who founded the house. It is sacred and is seen as a link between the underworld and the upper world. This is why longhouses have decorations of rhinoceros birds and water snakes. The rhinoceros birds symbolize the good spirits of the upper world, while the water snakes are associated with the spirits of the underworld.

***

I kinda think it would be fun to live in a Longhouse (provided, your neighbors are people you like :P). I hope I can visit one some day, as in really visit one, not just through pictures and stories. :D

***

More pictures here. And here.
Much more detailed information on longhouses here.


Resources:

• Artasia - Traditional Houses
• Ibang Longhouse
• Malaysia Site - Longhouses

The "Yang di-Pertuan Agong" and the "Yang di-Pertuan Negeri" of Malaysia

Malaysia is a country which practices Parliamentary Democracy with Constitutional Monarchy. Quite a mouthful, isn't it?

In Malaysia, there is a king (or a raja, a sultan) and a prime minister. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong—sometimes called the Yang di-Pertuan Besar—(or the king) is the "paramount ruler" and the head of state at the state level. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong does not inherit his role. Rather, he is elected from nine hereditary state rulers for a five-year term. The prime minister, called the Yang di-Pertuan Negeri, appointed by the paramount ruler, is the head of state where there are no rulers. The government leaders are the Chief Ministers: Menteri Besar and Ketua Menteri.

Who leads the people of Malaysia? According to a website, "whatever action is taken by an authority is executed in the name of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong who acts on the advice of the Government." The king, however, has no substantive power. According to another website, he is a symbol of the sovereignty of Malaysia, and serves the formal/ceremonial role.

Malaysia's current king is Mizan Zainal Abidin.

(Picture from Wikipedia)

The current prime minister is Najib Tun Razak.

(Picture from Wikipedia)

Resources:

• Encyclopaedia Britannica
• Virtual Tourist
• Yang di-Pertuan Agong

Movie: Anna and the King

Our class watched Anna and the King (1999) for one of our sessions about Thailand.

Anna Leonowens is an Englishwoman who travels to Siam to teach the eldest son of Mongkut, King of Siam. At first, she insists on having her way. She doesn't follow the customs and etiquette of Siam, but as she spends more time with the children, she begins to see Siam has its own way of doing things.

Throughout the film, we see glimpses of Thailand's rich culture, along with its etiquette and customs, the expecations and roles of men and women, rich and poor, slaves and freefolk. Women are not allowed to stand in the presence of men, which is why, during their first meeting, the Prime Minister of Siam addresses Anna as "Sir." When the king comes into view, everyone must bow, as they have the belief that "no head must be higher than the king's."

When the king finds out that one of his concubines, Tuptim, is in love with another man and has run away to the Buddhist temple to be with him, he orders the execution of both Tuptim and her lover.

At first, Anna does not understand. She fights for justice, even going against the king's orders sometimes. But as her stay lengthens, she begins to see and understand.

UPG: The Pear of Cambodia

(Image from JoshuaProject)

Six small groups in Cambodia are linguistically related. These are the Chong, the Por (Peur, Pear), the Samre, the Saoch, the Somary, and the Suoy (Suy).

This post is about the Por, which we will refer to as the "Pear." This people group live small, isolated villages near big forests. Their houses are short-stilted, one-room houses with roofs made from leaves, bamboo, and sometimes, wood.

The Pear farm rice. They plant their fields some distance from the forest and move them after every couple of years or so. The Pear also grow bananas and a few other vegetables. They sometimes gather products from the forest, such as resin, charcoal, and firewood. The Pear depend on the monsoon rains for their crops. They are a very sturdy folk, even when it requires facing food shortage during drought or flood.



Khmer is the national language, and most Pear dress in a similar custom to the rural Khmers, which is western style.

The Pear are animistic. They believe in powerful spirits that can harm them, to which they offer sacrifices to appease them. They are very superstitious and live in great fear of the spirits. Those who live next to the Cardamom forest have specific rules how to collect the cardamom.

They are also extremely poor. The Khmer majority looks down upon them. They don't have much education and health facilities.


Prayer Requests:

• The Pear are one of the least reached people in Cambodia. Pray that someone will go to them and take to them the good news of salvation.
• Pray that the Bible will be translated into their language/dialect.
• So far, there is only one known church, and for the past 2 years, there has been no active church planting. Pray that missionaries will be able to establish churches in this area.

Resources:
http://www.joshuaproject.net/peopctry.php?rop3=107961&rog3=CB

UPG: The Stieng of Cambodia

The Stieng are a people group of Cambodia. There populations is approximately 6,000, although there are nearly 50,000 Stieng living in Vietnam. They are located on the Vietnamese border between Memut, Snoul, and Kao Sema.

Most of the Stieng live near Snoul, Kratie in Cambodia. They do not grow rice, as is the main means of livelihood in Cambodia. Rather, they own plantations of black pepper, cashew nuts, and durian. They also rely on hunting and wood cutting in the jungles near their homes.

Traditional houses of the Stieng are made from palm tree leaves, and because their roof strutcture is different from those of other tribes, theirs is easily recognizable.

The Stieng live very close to each other, and sometimes even intermingle with the Khmer. As a result, it is difficult to spot them.

The Stieng are animistic. Some have adopted Khmer Buddhism, but most retain their animistic practices. There are around 1,000 Stieng Christians in Cambodia, and more in Vietnam.

The Stieng are not appreciated or respected much. They live near major groups, such as the Khmer, and most speak the language fluently. Current land-rush in Cambodia has caused the Stieng their ancestral lands once more, as sections of the jungle are being given to private companies. It's sad, because the Stieng deeply rely on the jungle for their livelihood. Stieng villages have no schools or medical facilities.

Praise/Prayer:

• Thank God for reaching the Stieng earlier this century. Pray the Stieng believers would be fully committed and would turn away from their former animistic ways.
• Ask God to prevent the Stieng church from being inward-focused and ethno-centric. Pray many Stieng evangelists would be sent to the unreached all over Vietnam and Southeast Asia.
• Pray the Bible would soon be translated into both Bulo and Budip Stieng languges (two distinct dialects of the Stieng).
  

Resources:
http://www.joshuaproject.net/peopctry.php?rop3=109552&rog3=CB
http://www.peoplegroups.org/MapSearch.aspx?country=Cambodia
http://asiaharvest.org/pages/profiles/nonChina/Vietnam/Stieng.pdf
Picture from: http://www.joshuaproject.net