dicembre 28, 2006

La Befana

http://www.italiansrus.com/articles/befana.htm

La Befana is one of Italy's oldest and most celebrated legends. Each year on January 6 the children of Italy awaken in hopes that La Befana has made a visit to their house. This is a significant day to Italians because it marks the end of the Christmas season and the day that the three Wise Men arrived at the manger of the Christ child. Over the years the Epiphany has been a more celebrated holiday for the children of Italy than even Christmas.

Semua foto di bawah ini diambil menjelang tengah malam di Piazza Navona, Roma. 26 desember 2006 :






dicembre 26, 2006

Perugia & Spello

PERUGIA


Palazzo dei Priori, Perugia, in all its splendour. Err, more precisely, in all its blanket of mist (a quite common phenomenon these days given the cold season)

+++

SPELLO


Town centre, Spello. Too pretty for your eyes? You got it, babey.


Enveloped by the fog

dicembre 20, 2006

Perugia, città antica bagnata in luce

Seperti yang dijanjikan, foto "Perugia bathed in light" berikut ini.

Komentar s'il vous plait :)


Perhatikan, selain atap dan warna façade kota antik di Italia, di latar belakang hembusan kabut Umbria yang terkenal. Dan, tidak bohong, itu fenomena mengagumkan luar biasa saat kabut mulai turun melenyapkan kaki bukit hingga hanya puncaknya saja yang tersisa tampak. Hari itu, kami pun bergurau, ah itu danau Trasimeno (karena, saking tebalnya, sang kabut bak uluran air danau) padahal danau Trasimeno tidak terlihat dari Perugia─tapi mau bagaimana lagi, Italia adalah il bel paese (the beautiful country) kata para Italians sendiri loh!



dicembre 15, 2006

Buon Natale e Buone Feste!


Forum Romanum, Roma, Italia

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°
Mau tau origin kata Natal dalam bahasa Indonesia?

Yang pasti dapat kita bilang, bukan diimpor seperti biasanya dari bahasa anglosakson -sebab "Christmas" berbunyi sangat jauh dari Natal.

Pun bukan dijiplak dari bahasa suku Franks, sebab di Perancis Natal menyebut dirinya "le Noël".

Maka pilihan terakhir, dan tak salah lagi, ternyata bahasa Indonesia kadang sangat mirip, sangat dekat, dengan bahasa Latin. Atau dalam hal ini, bahasa Italia.

Italians menyebut Christmas, il Natale.

Il Natale kurang lebih berarti, the birth.

ps. lupakan dan maafkan atas teori ngaco di atas. sayangnya, saya bukanlah seorang linguist, apalagi menguasai bahasa belanda, yang sangat berkemungkinan telah memberi influence atas kata NATAL kepada bahasa Indonesia.


°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Natal di Eropa memang spesial. Terlalu berkilat. Banyak cahaya gemerlap di setiap penjuru (mungkin untuk meng-buffer kegelapan panjang dan temperatur dingin tak bersahabat). Toko-toko yang merancang display hingga sangat mengundang nafsu berbelanja. Café yang mengepulkan kebulan asap cacao dan aroma biji kopi, mmmmhhh...

Jikalau Christmas markets sangat terkenal di Jerman sana, maka Italia pun tak kalah.

Il mercato di natale sejak dua minggu terakhir ini menjamur di setiap kota di Italia yang indah ini.

Tak ketinggalan kota di mana saya berada, Perugia. Kota antik ini bak menjelma menjadi peri bersayap, memberi kerlip di antara gelap lorong-lorong medievalnya. Centro Perugia, sang walikota telah menggantung ribuan cahaya di atas corso vannucci, jalan utama kota ini.

Saya ingin menyakinkan anda, pemandangan yang menakjubkan di tengah malam.

Allora, SELAMAT NATAL DARI saya. SELAMAT BERPESTA DENGAN HATI RIANG.

Nikmati gambar
bits&pieces dari Italia di bawah ini - foto courtesy dari seorang gadis Indonesia, seorang teman baik saya :

ps. komentar dari Anda semua ditunggu yah!



Piazza Navona, Roma, Dec 2006


Palazzo dei Priori, Perugia, Oktober 2006


Pisa, Toscana, Summer 2006

dicembre 11, 2006

Castel Gandolfo, Lazio

12 dicembre 2006.

Addendum : masih foto edisi yang sama, dari Castel Gandolfo, Italia, tapi telah di-retouched.



Fontana


Sagra delle castagne (sagra = pesta rakyat; castagna = chestnut)
Bapak-bapak Italia ini tengah membakar chestnuts di tungku raksasa. Dengan satu Euro kita mendapat sekantong kacang dan segelas vino bianco (anggur putih).



Gatto del Castel Gandolfo
Kucing menikmati panorama danau di Castel Gandolfo

°°°

Perlukah kata-kata untuk menyatakan betapa menawannya negeri pasta, Italia?

Foto-foto saja yang angkat suara.


Castel Gandolfo, Lazio, Italia.






ps. komentar yah please jikalau foto-foto ini menyenangkan, jelek, tidak layak dimuat, etc. ciauzzzz

dicembre 09, 2006

Addio ad un'amica perugina

Monica (en haut); Valentina, Francesca, Gregoire (belge), ..., Guiglielmo (Spaniard) et l'indonésienne Anna.

Salut les amis


Je n'ai que une nouvelle, terrible e très triste et j'espère que vous compreniez la raison pour la manque de nouvelles de ma part.


Alors ca concerne d'une des étudiantes indonésiennes ici à Perugia, elle s'appelais Anna et bien sûr vous l'avez vue dans une des photos queje vous ai envoyées. Donc Anna a décidé de prendre une vacance en Allemagne en visitant une amie, je l'ai aidé d'acheter le billet d'avion, Verona-Francfort, et elle devait retourner fin novembre.


Le matin, exactement, du trente nov, on a reçu un coup de téléphone d'Allemagne, mauvaise nouvelle vraiment que notre amie, Anna, avait eu un accident. Et qu'elle était morte.


On pouvait pas y croire naturellement, nous tous on n'est pas allé à leçon en attendant plus informations plus définitives. Enfin, quelqu'un de l'ambassade indonésienne de Rome nous a appelé.


Affirmation. C'était vrai. Elle n'était plus avec nous. Absurde. On pleurait tant ce jour-là. Moi, je restais triste vu que je l'avais connue bien depuis cinq mois, mais les autres c'est vraiment tant plus difficile pour eux, ils sont amis avant déjà depuis Djakarta.


Les circonstances jusqu'ici quand-même restent peu clair, l'autre jour le consulaire indonésien de Rome nous a donné un avis que la police allemande continuait leur investigation. Les théories sont qu'elle a trompé le train à Führ, elle devait
prendre son avion à Francfort et avait décidé de reprendre le rail (the trackway) pour y arriver en temps à l'aéroport. L'autre est peut-être, semble plus terrible, au moins pour nous, qu'elle a suicidé ou était été morte ou violée. Enfin, sa famille attend en angoisse, si tout va bien vendredi soir le corps arrivera à Djakarta. Et nous ici à Perugia, on essaie de faire tout ce que l'on peut, on a parlé avec un responsable de l'unversité et ensuite «la padrona» une madame très froide qu'au début pensait qu'on se jouait le con, une mensonge terrible, elle nous répétait ses demandes, "mais c'est vrai?"


Et bon je laisse jusqu'ici.

ciao ciao

novembre 24, 2006

Cesena, Emilia Romagna

And I finally set foot in that special corner of "central Italy".

Perugia-Cesena via Ancona. And that's a pretty crap route, my friend. See, there's a direct bushway (thru the vineyards, so it should have been a scenic route too) between Perugia and Cesena or let's be more macro, between Umbria and Emilia Romagna, problem is (1) I got no car and (2) the train (courtesy of trenitalia of course) doesn't run between A and B in my agenda, most possibly given Umbria's little importance economic wise.

So there ya go buddy. Four bloody hours for a trip of just below 200kms. Fantastic. The anticipation, fortunately, buffers the boredom and worry.

Worry? What worry? Aint they say no worries mate.

Cesena is sandwiched between other "giants", eg. Bologna, Ravenna, Rimini, and Ancona.

I aint no expert on Cesena's historical bits. So would it be alright to pass the bucket now to the Indonesian romagnola: Tari. tarivancollem.blogspot.com

Enough to say that Cesena was a dominion of the Malatesta family (literally: headache; an aristrocrat who settled Cesena and Rimini in the 1500s) and true enough, the noble belligerent family gave enough headache as it warred with their neighbours the Sammarinese (of San Marino). Later on San Marino.

And to add the region is flat (landscape wise) no problems having a bike for any poor student (like moi!), dotted with numerous industries, big enough to feel half of western Europe, excellent access to the sea, beach, and generous portions of belle città (beautiful cities).

And enough to give a mention to the specialty of the region : the piadina romagnola. A nordic version of the pizza (of origin napolitain, of course, that one) easy enough to serve as jack of the trade tucker, good enough for lunch (fillings: cheese and salame, traditionally) or snack with more audacious, though popular with the ragazzi, toppings eg. nutella, or for that pre-dinner much with mates.


Bizarre menu in a Cesena restaurant, offering err... steamed naked men amongst other more normal dishes.


Cesenesi in bike


Fontana di Masini, Centro Cesena


Centro Cesena

ps. un caro abbraccio alla famiglia di V.Collem di Cesena. Grazie mille, of course, per tutta l'ospitalità e soprattutto dei tuoi cibi succelenti durante il mio breve soggiorno da voi. Era un gran piacere di avervi conosciuti. A dopo, magari in Umbria alla prossima. ciao ciao al piccolino, scimmia italo-indollandese vostra.

novembre 20, 2006

Gli Umbri, ma che combinano?



Housemates, dinner, bermain kartu dan teman-teman mereka.

Dan sebenarnya bukan saja gli Umbri (penghuni regione Umbria) tapi di foto tersebut juga ada seorang Siciliana dan seorang Calabrese.

novembre 18, 2006

Prof bau ketek, anybody?

...

Satu pertanyaan simpel, yang harus saya konfrontasi hingga enam minggu ke depan :

apa yang terjadi jikalau professor kamu bau ketek?

--- dan saya kebetulan duduk di baris terdepan, tereksposi oleh ketek sang professor saya.

dan bagaimana memberitaukannya?

...

postscriptum. padahal selama ini jarang banget loh nemuin orang Italia yg bau badan, sialnya kali ini prof history saya.

novembre 06, 2006

Mangia!

Moah ...

Si vive bene in Italia.

As goes the saying here in the land of pasta. And boy, do the Italians eat!

+++

Tidak seperti suku Franks (si Kodok, the frogs) dari Utara, orang Italia tidak pernah berkoar bahwa la cucina italiana (the Italian cuisine) itu paramount dalam hal segala hal.

Memang, Italians seringkali berujar, di antara mereka sendiri, sangat tipikal bahkan, cuisine mereka lebih superior dari Perancis.

1. lebih simpel tapi tetap elegan
2. lebih mudah dipersiapkan (eg. pasta - si makanan delapan menit itu!)
3. lebih mendunia dan merakyat (IT restaurants cost less than French ??? Eh certo!)
4. lebih sehat (pasta tidak menggemukkan menurut semua ahli gizi di Italia yang telah tampil di televisi!)
5. tidak sok chic, tidak sok elegan, tidak sok harus beli vino DOC seharga ratusan Euros seperti i Francesi (the French) sana.
6. kualitas makanan dan vino Italian pun tidak kalah, walau mungkin kalah prestige (?) - terbuka untuk diperdebatkan yang pasti

Anyhow, beberapa catatan untuk menunjukkan betapa seriusnya mereka dalam urusan perut :

§§§--- di televisi, antara jam enam dan delapan pagi, selalu ada sisipan rubrik pagelaran makanan in stagione (in season) ... suatu ketika, buah pir, maka studio RAI (TV nasional Italia) pun disulap menjadi kingdom of pear, plus petani pir dengan senyum lebarnya, ahli-ahli gizi dan pakar nutrisi, tak ketinggalan ibu-ibu rumah tangga biasa yang bersiap membagikan resep rahasia keluarga temurunnya kepada seluruh nation Italia.

§§§--- weekend, lebih parah lagi. Dari pagi hingga siang ada banyak acara travel dan makan. Si jurnalis beruntung itu maka pura-pura mengembara hingga ke pelosok dan pedalaman Sicilia atau Sardinia, namun tentunya ujung-ujungnya sang jurnalis akan menemukan seorang local chef, atau si nelayan, yang memasakannya santapan seafood segar. Bayangkan perasaan pemirsa!

§§§--- setiap region, atau bahkan setiap kota selalu mengklaim punya specialità yang menurut saya sedikit dieksagerasi. Contoh, di region saya, Umbria yang terkenal adalah salame Norcia, saking terkenalnya bahkan Norcia masuk peta gastronomi Italia. Namun, Norcia, desa kecil di tepian provinsi ini dianggap, hmm, mungkin kurang pantas mewakili region, maka di dekat rumah saya pun, Perugia (capoluogo, atau "ibukota") bisa ditemukan deretan gantungan salami di salumeria di centro, semuanya tak malu-malu diklaim "produk terbaik" padahal salame perugino itu tak beda rasa dengan salame biasa à la supermarket. Tapi mau bilang apa lagi, mereka sangat bangga dengan produk lokalnya. Viva il slowfood!

Buon appetito!

ottobre 30, 2006

Buona sera, festeggiamo!

Monica (atas); Valentina, Francesca, Gregoire (Belgian), ..., Guiglielmo (Spaniard) dan Anna.

Foto teranyar dari Perugia.

Saya dan conquilini (housemates) dan teman-teman kami.

Makan malam: tortilla spanish dan vino italiano.

...

Boh, che ne so?

ottobre 24, 2006

There's no such thing as free chocolate ???

Ike, Tantri, Heti ...


Satu foto lagi dari Perugia.

Kota Etruska yang menginternasional oleh proyek Jazz dan Chocolate.

Umbria Jazz - lihat entri lama.

EuroChocolate ... hmmm, event yang dicap oleh Perugini (penduduk lokal) più commerciale - paling komersial.

Ya iyalah, gimana ngga.

Ide awalnya mungkin novel yah. Tapi tahun ini, dengan mata kepala sendiri, saya menyaksikan ini hanya ajang mencari duit.

Stand Perugina mendominasi setengah piazza dan corso Vannucci.

Perugina memang pabrik cokelat lokal dan kebanggaan seluruh Perugia dan Umbria. Tapi mereka curang. Mereka bahkan tidak mengizinkan kehadiran Ferrero Rocher, salah satu produsen cokelat (lezaaaaaaaaaaat) besar Eropa.

Dan event ini disebut EUROCHOCOLATE. Mamma mia!

D'oh!

+++

Sedang saya sendiri cukup menikmati. Ada satu stand cokelat TOGO yang berbaik hati membagi kebahagian kepada setiap pengunjung. Dan jadilah saya menguyah tujuh batang Togo dalam tempo 10 menit. Yang penting harus rajin menghampiri stand dan ngga malu untuk minta.

There's no such thing as free chocolate!

Euuh .... ???

+++

Selamat Idul Fitri juga yah!

+++

Posting berikut, semoga saya pun ada waktu untuk menuliskannya:

WEEKEND lalu, dari Roma sempat ke zona Castelli Romani, ke dua desa kecil (yang nb. bisa disebut dominion the Pope)

Castel Gandolfo - lunch cucina tipica romanesca (Roman cuisine) yang sangat mengeyangkan luar biasa, pfff....
Rocca di Papa - sagra della castagna

ottobre 13, 2006

Eccomi, mi faccio vivo

« Farsi vivo! » = make yourself heard (eg. tell us how things are going etc.)

Frase Italian yang berguna, kan?

Tutto normale. Perugia, dan seluruh semenanjung Italia, masih hanging on kepada sisa-sisa kehangatan matahari musim panas. Sayangnya, saya ngga bisa mengambil keuntungan ... sebab, jadual università terlalu padat. Padahal rencana jalan pun masih panjang, tertunda dan ngga terlihat cahaya di ujung terowongan?, Napoli, Bologna, Sicilia, Milano, Venezia.


Oaaah...

Via Appia, Perugia, Italia
Senja, Adit, Heti, Macchiato, Indri dan Tanti

Rumah baru pun perlahan-lahan mulai mematerialisasi menjadi "casa" (rumah). Housemates baru empat orang.
Kamar tiga.
Dua double.
Satu single.

Dan lagi-lagi diperlukan toleransi. Dalam dosis besar.

Housemates saya semuanya merokok. Dan saya ngga. Solusi: buka jendela lebar atau menyingkir ke kamar sendiri (setidaknya menjadi zona netral).

Bagno (WC) satu, penghuni lima. Solusi: untungnya kelas saya mulai pagi semua hingga selalu pasti duluan bisa menggunakannya. Atau, ini ngga pantes diceritain sih sebenarnya, berangkat dan tiba lebih awal ke università untuk pinjam WC-nya yang nyaman itu.

ciao ciao...

ps. Tinggalkan pesan, mi raccommando ragazzi! Bukan kenapa-napa, tapi kalo ngga pesan dari kalian, jadi males nulis blog ini loh.

Selamat Puasa & Lebaran euy!

ottobre 02, 2006

Buka Puasa pertama dengan students RI di Perugia


Salah satu foto teranyar, buka puasa pertama dengan studenti RI di Perugia.

Menu sederhana:
Teh Manis Tjap Botol
Pizza tuna
Spaghetti
Bubur Kacang Hijau


Dan menu buka puasa pertama kamu apa? heheee

ciao ciao
macchiato

settembre 22, 2006

Al cuore non si comanda

The Italian language has a decent proverb regarding amore, love, etc:

Al cuore non si comanda.

=One does not command the heart=

Oooh how ironically justified.

ººº


And the expected was delivered. The frase was : non essere innamorato.

Chi?

The love of your existence stated, not enamoured, sorry baby.

And you gotta swallow the bile.

To get better?

Speriamo bene, amore mio.


...

settembre 19, 2006

ciao da Perugia

Kelas Italian saya akan berakhir minggu depan. Dan tentunya masih akan melanjutkan kelas berikutnya, 4º grade.

Ah senang ati, tampaknya akan lebih besar tantangan sebab selain kelas grammatica pun ada kelas pilihan elektif: story, translasi, dll.

Pun moga-moga bisa ketemu lebih banyak temen yang menyenangkan.

Berita terakhir: saya akan pindah rumah lagi akhir bulan ini, Sept. Kali ini, rumah baru lebih kecil, penuh keuntungan dan ketidakuntungan: lebih deket ke universitas, lebih deket ke centro, sehingga ngga perlu terlalu bersusah payah di musim dingin menjelang, plus prospek (akhirnya) tinggal dengan locals, empat student Italian. Sewa yang harus dibayar pun tampaknya akan lebih ekonomis tapi tentu aja apt ini karena dekat centro, pusat kota, maka keciiiiiiiil sekali, satu kamar mandi dibagi untuk total lima penghuni oooaaah ... dan, ngga ada mesin cuci, hingga nanti harus ke lavanderia (landromat).

Hidup bukan cuma item dan putih melainkan gradual warna.

settembre 12, 2006

Il Vaticano

Fontana, Io

Egyptian obelisc robbed by the Romans


ººº


Katedral termegah dan termewah(? ─sebab ia penuh dengan karya seni tak ternilai) sejagat. Dan TERBESAR pula.

Ngga salah lagi, ia terletak di State terkecil di era modern kita.

Home to the Pope.

The Holy See, The Vatican.



Columns

The Vatican

La catedrale di San Pietro, Inside : ANGELO

La catedrale di San Pietro, Inside : ALTARE

La catedrale di San Pietro, Inside : BERNINI?



Swiss Guard, five hundred years old


Swiss Guard, five hundred years old


The Vatican, Piazza San Pietro

The Cathedral of San Pietro, Façade




settembre 08, 2006

Saat seseorang menjadi ekstremis agamis. Boh ...!

Entah mau nulis apalagi di halaman blog ini, rasanya makin males ajah euy. Pun ngga banyak ide untuk dituangkan selain (mau gampangnya aja) memposting foto travelogue di negeri dongeng Italia ini.

Namun, buat intermezzo, bisa dibilang kehidupan saya di Italia melaju dengan beberapa drama (che casino, kata orang Italia).

Selama bertahun-tahun terakhir ini, saya sedikit bertemu dengan compatriots RI. Di Sydney banyak warga Indonesia namun bisa dibilang kecuali teman-teman terdekat, saya bisa dibilang hilang kontak.

Di Perugia, Italia, ada sekitar selusin students RI yang kebanyakan tiba akhir bulan Juni, seperti saya. Tidak disangka, saya di sini pun harus menemukan kebenaran peribahasa di bawah ini:

L'abito non fa il monaco (IT)
L'habit ne fait pas le moine (FR)

Don't judge a book by its cover

Selama ini saya selalu berusaha berpikir lugas, namun setelah bertemu dengan beberapa orang «religious» saya harus angkat tangan.

Ngga sanggup lagi. Cape ati.

Apalagi mereka yang ekstremis.

Ada seorang classmate, seorang Tunisian, yang selalu berceloteh betapa agama yang dianutnya adalah sempurna, bahwa ialah satu-satunya Saint di Italia, sementara yang lainnya adalah sampah dunia bergelimpang dosa duniawi.

Sementara seorang student Indonesia yang saya kenal sekitar sebulanan lebih parah lagi. Awalnya semua tampak normal, namun saya pun harus bilang saya bergidik saat mengetahui revelasi pandangan politik dunianya.

Seorang wanita, student RI yang mendapat beasiswa di Italia, dan suatu hari saat kami tengah duduk di dapur, terpaku ke layar TV, melihat berita perang Libanon-Israel:

Ia: «aduh ... orang Yahudi itu semua jahat, pantas mati. Hitler itu sudah benar, coba seandainya ia berhasil menghilangkan orang Yahudi, dunia akan lebih baik saat ini.»

Saya (dalam hati) .............. holy crap, this is unfuckenbelieavable, this woman person is mad!

Dan semua respek dan toleransi saya terhadapnya hilang, termasuk hangusnya keinginan saya untuk bersahabat bersamanya.

Saya ngga bisa bergaul dengan mereka yang ekstremis, picik dan berpandangan sempit seperti itu.

E basta, no???!

settembre 05, 2006

Crocodile Hunter, died doing what he loved most.


Perdana Menteri Aust, John Howard, mengomentarinya, bagi Australians kematian Steve bak Princess Diana.


Tepat sekali julukan (dan kampanye anti imigrasi) Australia sebagai negeri paling berbahaya. Natura dan faunanya memang ngga bisa dipungkiri unik, namun mematikan.

Setiap tahun pasti ada korban hiu, stingrays, jellyfish, stonefish, spiders, snakes.

Dan saya pun tengah terduduk di dapur sendirian menghadapi beberapa teks yang harus dibaca (untuk kelas), tv nyala dan kebetulan siang itu 3pm tengah ada news.

Mendadak, dan dalam sekejap, saya ngga bisa percaya, tewasnya Steve Irwin si Crododile Hunter, personage Aust paling populer dekade terakhir ini bak berita dari rumah.


+++
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/irwin-didnt-intimidate-stingray/2006/09/05/1157222098946.html

Police have viewed video footage of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin's final moments
and ruled out that he was intimidating or threatening the stingray that killed
him.

Surf Life Saving Queensland has said it is vital not to swim over
rays as their barbs can inflict a fatal sting on the trunk of the body.

Irwin died after being stabbed by the ray's barbed tail as he swam over
it yesterday during a film shoot on tiger sharks at the Great Barrier Reef.

Authorities say stingrays only flick their barbs upwards in an
involuntary reflex action if they feel threatened.

Superintendent Mike
Keating said today police had viewed footage of Mr Irwin's death.

"There
is no evidence that Mr Irwin was intimidating or threatening the stingray,'' he
said.

"My advice is that he was observing the stingray. There are no
suspicious circumstances in relation to the death of Mr Irwin.''

Coroner
yet to rule out inquest

But a spokeswoman for the state coroner said
investigations into the death were continuing.

"Queensland police are
continuing their investigation into Mr Irwin's death on behalf of the Cairns
Coroner,'' she said.

"Once police finalise their investigation, a report
will be provided to the coroner, who will then determine whether a coronial
inquest is required. It is not possible to speculate on the duration of the
police investigation.''


Death in 'quintessentially Australian
circumstances'

Prime Minister John Howard told Federal Parliament today
that Steve Irwin died in "bizarre, tragic and in some respects quintessentially
Australian circumstances".

He said the death had shocked and horrified
people and "brought forth an outpouring of grief and an outpouring of emotional
expressions of regard for this remarkable man around the world".

His
comments came as Irwin's body was flown to the Sunshine Coast from far north
Queensland.


Irwin's close friend and manager, John Stainton, said
earlier that underwater video footage of the incident was "shocking".

He
told reporters earlier the underwater video footage, which he had handed to
police, was the worst thing he had ever seen, Sydney's 2GB radio reported this
morning.

"I have seen the footage and it's shocking," Mr Stainton said.

"It's a very hard thing to watch because you're watching somebody die
and it's terrible."

Mr Stainton, also a producer and director of Irwin's
popular television shows, said the footage showed Mr Irwin pulling the barb out
of his chest before losing consciousness.

'The tail came up'

"It
shows that Steve came over the top of the ray and the tail came up, and spiked
him here [in the chest], and he pulled it out and the next minute he's gone.

"That was it. The cameraman had to shut down."

Mr Stainton, who
was aboard Irwin's vessel Croc One when the tragedy occurred, said it was most
likely the television star and naturalist died almost immediately as a result of
the stingray's blow.

"[He was] probably a metre coming over the top of
it," he said.

"He was underwater. I think, and the coroner's report will
say what happened, but I think he died fairly instantly."

Mr Stainton
said he was still in disbelief that a stingray could claim his close friend's
life.

"He was always on the precipice," he said.

"He always
pushed himself to the very limits but I thought he was invulnerable and I think
he did too.

Close shaves

"I think we all had that belief that
we'd pull through whatever situation we were in and he has been in some very
close shaves with snakes and crocodiles.

"I would never imagine it to
come from something like a stingray."

A post-mortem examination has
confirmed Irwin died after being speared in the chest by a stingray's poisonous
barb.

Mr Stainton said Irwin's crew was struggling to come to terms with
the death.

"Devastated," Mr Stainton said when asked at a news
conference in Cairns today how Mr Irwin's crew was coping with the loss.

"As you can imagine, you guys shooting stuff and someone you're filming,
for years, has died in front of you, is shocking.

"It's a shocking
thing, traumatic, it's one of those things you don't expect and you have to deal
with it."

Politicians pay respects

Quoting actor Russell Crowe
to the House, Mr Howard said: "The Crocodile man Steve Irwin was the Australian
many of us aspire to be."

He described Irwin as a talented showman who
used his skills for good.

He praised his involvement in a highly
successful Customs campaign.

"His willingness to front the high profile
program Quarantine Matters was a great contribution to the quarantine cause and
the clean, green protected image that this country wants to continue and
represent to the rest of the world," Mr Howard said.

Mr Howard said
Irwin also made an important contribution to the Australian tourism industry.

The NSW Parliament paused in silence today as a mark of respect to
Irwin.

NSW lower house MPs today briefly suspended their deliberations
after party leaders expressed their sadness at Irwin's death.

Premier
Morris Iemma said Australia would seem like a smaller place without him.

Crikey fund announced

Irwin's conservation work would continue
despite his death yesterday, a close friend said today.

The executive
director of Irwin's Australia Zoo at Beerwah, near Queensland's Sunshine Coast,
pledged today that Irwin's work to protect wildlife would go on.

"We
have an obligation now to do more, and through his legacy we hope more
Australians and more people around the world will get into conservation,"
Michael Hornby told Channel Nine's Today program.

"Things like the
culling of wildlife, which Steve was very passionate [against]. That has to
stop. We've got to create safer habitats; we've got to carry on the mantle."

Irwin made a great contribution to the conservation movement around the
world, Mr Hornby said.

"I don't think we'll ever come to grips with his
impact," Mr Hornby said.

"It's not just the direct stuff, the land that
he has purchased to create habitats, the money he has invested, the motivation
that he has provided so many people.

"But it's because of him that other
people have now taken up a career or taken up a passion in conservation, and he
has directly influenced them, and hopefully many, many people to come."

Irwin was also a great friend, he said.

'Lovely guy'

"He's a lovely guy, you know. If you didn't know him, he kind of
polarised, I guess, some people. You know, the tall poppy syndrome; but as a
person, so genuine," Mr Hornby said.

"What you saw on TV was how he was
as a guy - always up, always motivated always inspiring, but always there for
you."

Earlier today, the American TV company that made the Crocodile
Hunter a household name in the US - Discovery Networks, which owns the Discovery
and Animal Planet channels - announced it would continue Irwin's legacy with the
creation of the Steve Irwin Crocodile Hunter Fund, nicknamed The Crikey Fund.

The fund will "honour Steve's passion and exuberance for conservation
and the animal kingdom" and will fund programs around the world.

It will
also aid Irwin's Australia Zoo as well as provide educational support for his
two young children.

State funeral offer

Queensland Premier Peter
Beattie says Irwin will get a state funeral if that's what his family wants.

Mr Beattie today said Irwin put Australia on the world map.

"He
will be remembered as not just a great Queenslander, but a great Australian," Mr
Beattie told Channel Seven.

"Whenever I travel overseas, particularly to
countries like the United States, he was certainly the most well known
Australian.

"People didn't know who our Prime Minister was, or who our
Premiers are, but they certainly know Steve Irwin."

Asked if his
Government would honour Irwin with a state funeral, Mr Beattie replied: "We will
honour Steve Irwin in whatever way his family wants."

But first it was
important to let his wife, Terri and two young children, who recently returned
to Queensland from Tasmania, deal with the tragedy, he said.

"Our first
thoughts have to be with Terri and the children and I don't want to say or do
anything that will make their grief worse because they are a wonderful family,"
Mr Beattie said.

"We will approach the family and we would obviously be
keen to honour him in some sort of way from the Queensland Government point of
view, from the state's point of view, but we would only do that with the
family's approval.

"They have to deal with this terrible news which has
shocked everyone."

agosto 29, 2006

Sistem Edukasi Aust se-superior itu kah?

Dan pendapatmu?

Saya, dan banyak students lainnya, yang telah lumayan makan asem garem dunia edukasi kangguru, belum bisa berkoar banyak karena tidak tau sistem UK.

Tapi mau gimana lagi, sistem (dan budaya) Anglosakson saat ini sangat berpamor dan bermanfaat untuk kompetitas di dunia kerja.


Knowledge of the English language. Perlukah dikomentari?
Tapi ngomong2 ex-housemates saya di SYD selalu bilang, you should learn more English. Boh ...
Dan sistem pendidikan RI? Rumus demi rumus, hafalan demi hafalan, sistem kebut semalem suntuk?
___

Australia, NZ education Mecca for Brits

Increasing numbers of British students are heading to Australia and New Zealand to further their education, a newspaper says.

The Times reported the number of British students travelling to the Antipodes to take up undergraduate and postgraduate places had risen by more than a third since 2002.

More than 6,250 British students were studying in Australia and New Zealand last year.

"Sports sciences, health sciences, and Asian studies have attracted British students in the past," Kathleen Devereux, from the Australian Trade Commission, was quoted as saying.

"But now people who want to study medicine or veterinary science but have failed to gain a place at a university in Britain are considering the move.

"You'd think of the UK market as being a fairly mature market, but we have had 12 per cent year-on-year growth from 2002 to 2005."

While university fees are more expensive in Australia than in Britain, lower living costs and the pound's strength against the dollar make studying abroad an attractive option.

The newspaper said another drawcard was the position of 13 Australian and three New Zealand institutions in the world's top 200 universities, according to the Times Higher Education Supplement.

Kejal Patel, a 22-year-old student from Charlton, South London, hopes to undertake postgraduate study in psychology at the University of New South Wales after struggling to find the work experience needed to secure a place in Britain.

She plans to return to Britain as a chartered clinical psychologist in half the time it would have taken her at home.

"It's really exciting, the standards are very good and it's based on a British education system, so I feel that I would slot in really well," Ms Patel told the newspaper.

"It's also a really dynamic, vibrant country."

Ms Patel expects to work part-time during her two-year course and has applied for a graduate scholarship offered to UK residents wanting to study in Australia.

agosto 28, 2006

Siena, Toscana



Ungkapan kasarnya, Siena adalah kota nomor dua di Toscana. Pamornya redup ditelan oleh kepesatan ekonomi dan guliran ide Renaissance tetangga, pun ex-musuh, si kota bunga Firenze (Firenze).

Dan sejarah Toscana menorehkan Siena dan Firenze keduanya bak dua “sisters” yang beradu sikut selama berabad-abad. Siena sempat unggul pre-Renaissance, bahkan hampir menaklukkan free comune Firenze. Belum lagi, setiap kali tersiar kabar, Ooh the Fiorentini (habitants of Florence) are to knock up a grand cathedral, of the most grandeur in the whole of Europe, make para Senesi (habitants of Siena) pun tak mau kalah, Well we’ll show them we have a prettier, bigger and grander Duomo – lihat photo Duomo Siena!

Saya tiba di Siena jam 10 pagi tanggal 16 agustus. Alasan pertama untuk melihat keramaian yang ada. Il Palio di Siena, yang terkenal global, warisan 500 tahun persaingan antar contrade (districk). Pacuan kuda yang selain menghormati la Madonna (Mary) pun penuh intrik licik mempertahankan gengsi mendapatkan the Palio (latin. Pallium) banner kehormatan bagi si pemenang plus pesta semalam suntuk bagi tim contrada. Salah satu aturan uniknya adalah, si jockey haruslah orang non Siena, katanya untuk menjaga fairplay. Boh!





Namun, harus diakui, seperti kata orang Italia, che confuzione, che casino! Siena, ketika Palio, adalah kota sibuk tak kepalang. Ribuan orang mengalir bak air bah ke Piazza del Campo di Siena. Piazza ini dijuluki oleh banyak travel guides sebagai piazza terindah sedunia. Benar atau tidaknya relatif bagi setiap visitor, tapi memang tak bisa dipungkiri Piazza del Campo bukan saja bagus mencengangkan pun unik (dengan shape trapesium, umumnya Piazza di Italia hampir selalu persegi).

Jam satu siang saya pun mabur dari kerumunan spektator dengan hasil pampasan foto berikut di bawah ini.

Sampai jumpa di Palio tahun depan, July 2007, mungkin???
Ciaoooooooo …. macchiato






Il Duomo, Siena