Taman Simalem Resort, The Pearl of Lake Toba…

Taman Simalem Resort (TSR) comes to develop an area of 206 hectares with various crops. Like Biwa, oranges, passion fruit, Dutch eggplant, tea, coffee, and avocado, to fill 25 acres of the area. In fact, garden TSR biwa 5-hectare will be the largest biwa garden in Southeast Asia.

TSR build research centers and development of fruit and vegetables Karo Agrotourism Farm. Not just a research center, in Karo Agrotourism Farm visitors can buy the fruit by picking straight from the tree. You also can ask the staff here and see first hand how the development of fruit and vegetables at this location is.

Other facilities provided for pampering guests. TSR provides café overlooking three straight to Lake Toba, namely codons Café, Toba Café, and Windy Café. There is also the exclusive residential Waterfall Lodge on the banks of the river in the natural forests.

Looking ahead, other facilities in the TSR will be added by the manager, such as Pangambatan Zoopark animal parks, hotels and convention facilities dormitori, recreation area and family entertainment brands Funland, children's playground with a labyrinth, a special accommodation VIPs Owners' Guesthouse with 20 room’s capacity.

Pearl of Lake Toba

For golf lovers, TSR also established 9-hole golf course Gorat Ni Padang in the middle of tea and coffee plantations. TSR will also provide a 2000 person capacity amphitheater stage with has Lake Toba background and a Buddhist temple, a replica of a Buddhist temple in Xianmen, China, 2000 years old.

Peak TSR development is the construction of the cable car, cruise ship dock, and One Tree Hill Villa Resort in 2010. One Tree Hill Villa Resort is located far away on the hilltops and the reeds will be built around the only tree that grows and lives there.

For visitors who really miss the atmosphere back to nature, TSR provides guides who will accompany Sibuaten explore natural forests and saw the twin waterfalls. Two camping ground, each in the north and south, are available. The voices of orangutans, apes and monkeys will complement your adventure here.

So, are you interested? TSR is located in rural areas Sikodon-kodon, Sub Merek, Karo District that can be taken 3 hours drive from Medan City. If you are a backpacker, just take a bus from Medan City to Sidikalang, called “Sampri” or “Datra” with rates between Rp 20,000 (IDR) and Rp 22,000.

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Visiting Snakes Captive in Tuntungan

One of the good place that must you visit if you come to North Sumatra is the 7000 square meters snakes captivity at Tuntungan, Namu Pencawir Road No. 174 Tuntungan Dua Village, District Pancur Batu, Deli Serdang.

Actually not hard to find the location of snakes in captivity since 2005 founded Bio HETTS Lestari, a research and consulting institute in the field of agriculture and biological pesticides are. Location not far from the races Tuntungan, or approximately 30 minutes drive from Medan city.

"Do not be afraid. Snakes will not bother if they are not disturbed first, "said Darwis Harahap, Marketing Manager of HETTS Bio Lestari.

There are at least 600 of the snake's tail consists of six species, large and small stadia in the captive. The most is the type of snake fields, field’s batik snake, snakes field drum, and snakes condropiton fields. And three other species, wagleri, vasciatus and dipong.

"The plan, next year will add three more species. Is currently waiting for permission from the Ministry of Forestry in captivity," said Darwis.

According to the Darwis, a captive snake is actually a sub-division of research at the HETTS Bio Lestari, which focused on agriculture research and Bio Pesticides. However, this division eventually grew and became one focus of research in HETTS.

After through research and experiments, breeding snakes in this field has been cultivated into organic rat poison supplier that has the potential international market.

Elianor Sembiring, a researcher at HETTS, explains, organic rat poison snake rice obtained after rats were fed white. After that, the snake will produce protozoa called Saccrocytis Singaporeansis.

This protozoan later became one of the elements of organic rat poison to kill rats proved fields and ditches mouse.

In addition to the fields of snakes that have benefits for agriculture, some types of snakes, such as wagleri, vasciatus and also proved popular abroad, dipong.

The snakes that have interesting and unique color, according to Darwis, popular in the country of France, Frankfurt, Norway and Sweden.

In the future, according to Elianor, this exhibit area will developed into a snake institution. In addition, with the support of the government of North Sumatra, in this exhibit area will also be established gallery snake.

"Looking ahead, besides as a center of research, breeding area is also well become tourist sites," said Elianor.

Indeed, every time people hear the word snake, that comes to mind is a scary thing. Quite often, when people find a snake, they immediately appeared intent to kill the animals. "This is what we want to give referrals if you later this snake research institutes have been established. Hopefully, next year's standing. There'll be given a variety of education about snakes. For example, what we first do when finding a snake. Is directly away, or even kill him?" Elianor said.

Later, in the breeding area will also built a gallery that will display various types of snakes and relating to the world. "In European countries, the snake was often used as decoration. While, in our country not yet, because there is no awareness of this," said Elianor.




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Balibo Five: The Lost of Five Australian Journalists in Eastern Indonesia

At the pier, people - women and men, fathers and husbands, or the child who disobeys the father and mother - gave their lives on the horizon landscape. Restless necks ready to be slaughtered, eyes crawling on top of a gun, boots against the roar of the waves Ombai Strait, appointed in December 1975 calendar.

A white man dressed in khaki two soldiers been dragged into the lips decade. He is splitting the rancid airs port with shouts of, "I am an Australian. I am an Australian." As background, the people kneeling on the floor and remember the prayers. An Indonesian military officer with bright safari inspected among the persecuted.

The Australian, puffy and shaky, handed to the edge of the pier. He is old and fat like a pendulum swaying gently hours. Mouth rifle is only a few arms from the nose. He mumbled again ego, "I am an Australian. "And, bam. A bullet pushed to the waves below.

In situations of war, death is not something impossible. He comes with so arrogantly, as well as thrilling, as shown in the execution, which can be seen in the Australian film “Balibo Five”, by director Robert Connolly. The Australian is a reporter for AAP and Reuters Australia, Roger East (Anthony LaPaglia), who came to East Timor (now Timor Leste) to find out about the disappearance of five young Australian journalists in Balibo, Bobonaro district, 10 kilometers from West Timor.

However, the “Balibo Five” could not merely speak about the annexation. Played in the Utan Kayu and Salihara, Jakarta, after failing to JiFFest by Lembaga Sensof Film (LSF), movie audiences exert the army's brutality, in this case the military, against everything considered as the enemy. Including, the journalists who were victims: Greg Shackleton (27), Tony Stewart (21), Gary Cunningham (27), Malcolm Rennie (28), and Brian Peters (29). Here, the audience must have wisdom. Knowledge about the history of conflict in East Timor was crucial.

With the flow back and forth, this movie shows the adventures with the details and Ramos Horta East (Oscar Isaac) along the interior of Balibo to find the young reporters. "All the closed roads leading to it closed," said Horta, "we can only walk." Camera recorded the grinning faces of East. "But you're not so young," Horta said the East. "You're still young. You are the one who should set the rhythm," said the Australian.

Route Horta and East also partially traversed by the young reporter who lost it. We invited out of the screen through a different character. Then, when they arrived in Balibo, East and Horta see the landscape not reassuring: Dry land. Charred houses-quiet. Resting bodies and blood loss. Horta limp in mourning. East wiped her tears. "Barbarian!" wailed Horta in the hot afternoon giddy.

Soon, after burying the bodies, they entered the village where five journalists died young. Move the camera. We brought in a time when the military entered the village. Fretilin forces are now visible, which usually protect the journalists, topsy-turvy. "We must go," said the commander told one reporter. "No, not enough," replied the journalist. He intended to take pictures military invasion, but not perfect light to activate the camera. "Soon," he said.

With staggered, the journalists finally managed to highlight the military forces of change uniforms and rifles in their direction. Fortunately, not be achieved. They surrounded and cornered in a house called as the Australian Embassy. One of them decided to negotiate, on behalf of the profession. The gun exploded in his head. The next minute, the screen filled with the execution of four other journalists. By covering the trail, the soldiers burned the young bodies with celluloid.

"TNI did not like that. TNI Pancasila," said Sutiyoso, as quoted by Tempo magazine. “Balibo Five” is not a documentary though it shown proper cinematic documentaries. If you've seen “The Year of Living Dangerously”, Australian film about Indonesia in 1965 from the viewpoint of a kangaroo country's journalists, you'll find the same technique.

Like a movie that refers to the historical, fictional character scattered in “Balibo Five”. One of them is Juliana, a child who met Roger East in the hotel where he was staying. Juliana in the film is plot as if the “real” witness on the first day military invasion to Dili. From his eyes the audience also witnessed the execution of Roger East.

As the East, which at the end of his life in the film stressed to his Australian, East Balibo was thick with the perception of Australia. Overall, details of this movie are based on the evidence of eyewitnesses to the 7824 Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation (CAVR) Timor-Leste.

Historian Dr. Fernandez Clinton from the Australian Defense Academy at the University of New South Wales, is used to guide its historical context. A pile of documents from East Timor, Australia, England, America, to Portugal, minus Indonesia, also made as considerations.

However, we should be grateful. This film inspires more of our memories of a time when the power was so repressive. At a certain point, presumably, we can remember the words Roger East to Horta in the movie: "I had to stay. If I go, so there is no bashers who live here." Indeed, the truth is not always singular. And in the context of cinema, not history, the movie has his own truth.

See Indonesian version on this link: Balibo Five: Rasa Australia di Timur Indonesia
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“Identitas” FFI 2009 Best Picture

Wednesday (16/12), Indonesian Film Festival (FFI) was held despite successful event had received criticism from various parties. In the event, that “Identitas” had named as Best Picture.

In the nomination, “Identitas” closest competitor beat that, “Mereka Bilang, Saya Monyet!” (“They Say, I am Monkey!”), “Perempuan Berkalung Sorban”, “Ruma Maida”, “Jamila” and “Sang Presiden”,. Deddy Mizwar, Chairman of the Advisory Board of the National Film and movie producer climbed onto the stage to receive the Piala Citra.

"This is the rise of the spirit of indie film. Perhaps what ‘Identitas' to win because good ideas," Deddy said, as quoted by Detik, after receiving the image Cup in Kemayoran, Jakarta, Wednesday (16/12) night.

In addition to Best Film, the film directed by Aria Kusumadewa also won other three awards. They are, Main Actors and Best Male Best Artistic Playground.

It seems, “Ruma Maida” should be a little disappointed. From eleven nominations, who worked on the film's Teddy Soeriaatmadja awarded only for Best Sound.

And, here's a list of winners FFI 2009:

Best Film
“Identitas”

Main actors for Best Female
Titi Sjuman – “Mereka Bilang Saya Monyet”

Best Female Supporting Cast
Henidar Amroe - “Mereka Bilang Saya Monyet”

Best Male Actors Main
Tio Pakusadewo – “Identitas”

Best Male Supporting Actors
Reza Rahardian – “Wanita Berkalung Sorban”

Best Director
Aria Kusumadewa – “Identitas”

Best Music Playground
Aksan and Titi Sjuman – “King”

Best Sound
Shaft Daultsyah and Khikmawan Santosa – “Ruma Maida”

Story Writer Best Original Screenplay
Anom Sally Sari and Sammaria Simanjuntak – “Cin (T) a”

Writer Best Adapted Screenplay Story
Djenar Maesa Ayu and Indra Bondoc - “MEreka Bilang Saya Monyet”

Best Cinematography Playground
Ipung Grace – “Pintu Terlarang”

Best Artistic Playground
Kekev Marlov – “Identitas”

Best Editing
Wawan I. Wibowo – “Pintu Terlarang”

Best Long Documentary Film
“Ayam Mati di Lumbung Padi”

Best Short Documentary
“The Last Journey”

Lifetime Achievement
Sophan Sophiaan

Special Award for Best Children Film
“Garuda di Dadaku”

Special Award for Best New Director
Djenar Maesa Ayu – “Mereka Bilang Saya Monyet”


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Miyabi Failed, Other Porn Star Ready presented

"There's no cane, the roots were so". Maybe that's the right phrase is for the Maxima. Having failed to show Miyabi, Maxima will be presenting the Japanese porn stars other. Who is she?

She is Rin Sakuragi, one porn star who is popular in Japan. Reportedly, women was born March 3, 1989 is more popular than Miyabi. Until now, Rin has appeared in more than 20 porn movies. Even now, he ranks second chart of Japanese AV.

"But there, he also plays movies, too. In Japan it is more professional artists, they were ready to play in any movie," said Odi Mulya Hidayat, the Maxima in Pasar Festival, Kuningan, South Jakarta, Tuesday (15/12 ), as quoted by Detik.

Rin will appear in the latest movie Maxima "Sister shampoo". The plan, a comedy horror film genre will be released on 31 December.

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