Places in Jakarta

Balai Sarbini :
This building was initiated by General H.M. Sarbini Martodihardjo, the Minister of Veterans" Affairs and Demobilization at that time . It took a long time to realize this project. After it was initiated in 1963 and the building process started in 1965 (Sukarno's era) , Gedung Veteran/Balai Sarbini was inaugurated in 1973 (Suharto's era).

Gelora Bung Karno Sporting Complex :
This sporting complex was built for the Asian Games IV , 1962 . The Indonesian government got a soft loan from teh Soviet Union to build the sporting area that used be called Gelora Senayan.

Hotel Indonesia Kempinski :
Previously known as Hotel Indonesia (HI), this hotel built in 1962 was one of the first hotels in Indonesia. It was designed by the American Architect, Abel Sorensen. After its big renovation from 2004-2009, HI got a new name : Hotel Indonesia Kempinski .

Semanggi Bridge :
This landmark whose name derived from its shape, a four leaf clover, was built in 1961 . Nung Karno, the first President of Indonesia, said that the four leaf clover symbolized unity.

Jenderal Sudirman Statue :
this 12 meter-bronze statue of one of the greatest generals in Indonesia was inaugurated on August 16,2003. From 1945-1948 General Sudirman led a guerrilla campaign against the Dutch, who were trying to get Indonesia back

Arjuna "Looking For Love "

Once there was a king of evil from the kingdom of Iman Imantaka whose name is Niwata Kawaca. He was a powerful and cruel king who had conquered many kingdoms. The invincible king then had another ambition. He wanted to marry a beautiful angel from the heaven of god whose name is Dewi Supraba. He came to god Indra to propose for the beautiful angel. But the god refused. He thought that the king was not a good husband for the angel. The king was so angry that he decided to attack Kingdom of god Indra. The army of Niwata Kawaca proved to be very strong. The army of god was easily defeated. Luckily the god managed to close the gate. Then the god's palace was besieged by the army of Niwata Kawaca.

Then the god Indra decided to ask for help of human being. His choice fell into Arjuna, the third son of Pandu. At that time Arjuna was meditating in Mount Indrakila. He was meditating there to pray and to search for spiritual power that he needed to face the great war of Barata yudha (war of the Barata family). God Indra wanted to test his spiritual power to know whether he was fit for the battle with Niwata Kawaca. Indra sent seven beautiful angels to tease Arjuna. Two of the most beautiful ones were Supraba and Tilottama. They used their beauty to tease him but Arjuna was proved to be a true hero. He could resist their temptation. Indra was sure that Arjuna was the right person to overcome the problem.
 

Meanwhile King Niwata Kawaca realized that there was a hero who could be a threat to his power. That's why he decided to eliminate the potential threat. He sent a monster that could change himself into a wild boar. His name was Momong Murka. Momong Murka came to the village where Arjuna was doing ascetics. As he got there soon he changed himself into a giant wild bore and destroyed the village. Arjuna did not let him do further damage so he fought back. The wild boar was so strong that he was forced to use his new weapon. He attacked the wild boar with an arrow and it was killed instantly. But as he came closer to take a look at it he was very surprised to see another hero stood by it arrogantly.
 

Arjuna said politely:
 

'Excuse me; let me take a look at the wild boar. I just shot it with my arrow'
 

'Excuse me, did you shoot it? Look this is my arrow', the hero said.
 

'Of course I shot it. This is my arrow'
 

'But I shot it first. You just followed me'
 

The quarrel became so tense that they were both became very angry. The two heroes fought fiercely but finally the other hero could beat Arjuna. As he sat in the ground suddenly the hero changed into god Syiwa. Arjuna was shocked so he saluted the god immediately.
 

'I beg your pardon your holiness, I did not realized your presence'
 

'Arjuna, you are truly a hero. You have reached a highest level of spirituality. That's why I give you a special arrow called Pasopati. It was special because it had extraordinary spiritual power. No one could resist it. Be careful'
Not long after that Syiwa disappeared like smoke. Arjuna was then a very powerful hero. Just as he was about to go home to Indraprasta, an emissary from Indra came to see him. He asked Arjuna to help Indra fight King Niwata Kawaca. Arjuna agreed to help because he realized that it was his duty as a hero to protect anyone who needs his help.
 

In the heaven of god Indra, a discussion was held to overcome the threat of King Niwata Kawaca. Indra told Arjuna that Niwata Kawaca was unbeatable. He was very strong and he could resist any kinds of weapon, even the most lethal ones. His victims were countless. So they had to find out a strategy. Arjuna decided to find out the secret of his weakness. He ordered Supraba, the most beautiful angel, to surrender to King Niwata Kawaca. But it is only a trick to search for his weakness. Arjuna would protect her from a distant. He had a spiritual mystical power that could make him invisible.
 

Indra and Supraba agreed to the plan. So one day Supraba came to kingdom of Iman Imantaka to see King Niwata Kawaca. Arjuna who was invisible kept guarding her. The King was very happy to welcome her.
'Your Majesty King Niwata Kawaca. The Most Glorious king of Iman Imantaka. I am honored to be your servant. Let me serve you with all of my heart'
'O, my dear one. I have been waiting for this happy moment. But why you leave the heaven of Indra?
 

'I do not find happiness, your Majesty. I am sure I will find it here'
King Niwata Kawaca had fallen in love to Supraba for a long time. He did not realize that it was only a trick. Supraba kept praising him so Niwata Kawaca was flattered and he lost control of his emotion. Then Supraba asked about his power.
 

'Your Majesty, the most powerful king in the world. What makes you very powerful?'
 

'Supraba, long time ago gods gave me a special power after I done ascetics. I became very powerful and unbeatable. No weapon could do any harm to me. Except for one thing'
 

'What is that?'
 

'My only weakness is my tongue. If it is hit, I will be killed instantly'
Arjuna who stood by Supraba heard that. But he was invisible. Soon he went out of the palace and destroyed the front gate of the palace. When the soldiers were busy hunting for him Arjuna went back to the palace and saved Supraba. They fled to the heaven of Indra.
 

King Niwata Kawaca was very angry to hear that Supraba had escaped. He realized that god Indra and Arjuna were behind the event. So he immediately prepared his army to invade the heaven of Indra. He had a strong army of monsters.
 

As the army arrived in the heaven of Indra they stormed it. The army of god was no match for the mighty army of Iman Imantaka. King Niwata Kawaca who was very angry shouted:
 

'Indra, Arjuna, come out of you bedroom. Be a real man. Come on, fight me'
Then Arjuna came to fight him. Niwata Kawaca who realized that his secret had revealed fought very carefully although he was very angry. He never opened his mouth. Consequently it was very difficult for Arjuna to beat him. Then Arjuna tried a different strategy. When Niwata Kawaca hit him, he fell to the ground and cried.
 

'Please have mercy. I just followed order from my god. Let me live'
Niwata Kawaca was very satisfied when he saw Arjuna fell and then sat helplessly on the ground. He was sure that he won the fight.
'I thought you are a real hero Arjuna. I thought you are a tough enemy. I never know that you are a chicken'
Arjuna kept on begging.
 

'I am just an ordinary guy who searches for a living. I am not responsible for this. Please let me go'
 

'On one condition, do you endorse that I am your king?'
'Yes, absolutely, your majesty, great king of Iman Imantaka'
Niwata Kawaca was very satisfied. He laughed out loud.
 

'Ha, ha, ha, little coward,.......'
 

He was just about to finish his words when an arrow suddenly broke into his mouth. The mighty Pasopati arrow from Arjuna went through his mouth and hit his tongue. Niwata Kawaca was killed instantly. His army was shocked and soon they were demoralized. They had no choice but to surrender to the army of god.
 

The god Indra was very satisfied with Arjuna's contribution. So he gave him a great reward.
 

'Arjuna, Now that a threat to human and god had disappeared. You really have a great contribution to god and to all humanity. So I decided to give you a reward. You will marry the seven angels'
Arjuna married the most beautiful angels of heaven including Supraba and Tilottama. After that he stayed in heaven for seven months. But then he had to leave heaven. Finally he left them and returned to Indraprastha to serve for his country and his family.

Toba LAKE

Toba LAKE

Once upon a time there was a prosperous village in a far away island called Sumatra. In northern part of the island, lived a farmer whose name was Toba. He lived alone in a hut by a small forest. He worked on his farmland to grow rice and vegetables that he sells to local market. Once day he wanted to catch some fish so he went to a river and fished there. He was very surprised when he got a big fish. The fish was as big as human being. Soon he went home and put the fish in his kitchen. He planned to cook the fish for his dinner that night. When he got to his house that afternoon he took a bath. Then as he walked into his bedroom after taking a bath Toba was very shocked. Do you want to know what happened?

There stood in his living room a very beautiful girl. The girl greeted him nicely. For a moment Toba was speechless. When he could control his emotion he asked her.

‘Who are you? What’s your name? Why suddenly you are here in my house?’

‘Pardon me if I surprised you Mr. Toba, but you took me here. I was the fish that you caught in the river. Now that I become a human being again, I would like to thank you and I will be your servant to express my thankfulness’

‘Were you the fish?’

‘Yes, I was the fish. Look at your kitchen’.

Toba immediately rushed to his kitchen and the fish was nowhere to be seen. He saw some gold coins instead.

‘Whose coins are these? Why there are some coins here?’

‘Those coins are mine. As I changed into human being my scales changed into gold coins’

‘Ok you can live here and work for me. Your room is over there’

‘Thank you very much Mr. Toba’

Since that day the beautiful girl lived in Toba’s house. Since she was very beautiful Toba fell in love with her and not long after that they got married. The girl married to Toba on one condition that he would never tell anybody about her past. Toba agreed to the condition. Several months later Toba’s wife delivered to a baby boy. Their son was healthy. Soon he grew up into a handsome boy. Toba named him Samosir. Unfortunately Samosir was a lazy boy. He did not want to work at all. When his father worked hard in his rice field and farm, Samosir just slept. When he was awake he talked a lot and he ate a lot. Toba was very disappointed with his son’s nature. He hoped that one day Samosir would change into a diligent boy. Day in and day out but Samosir never changed.

Toba used to go to his farm and rice field early in the morning. Then at midday his wife would bring him food. They used to eat lunch at their farm. As he was a teenager Toba and his wife tried to change his behavior. They ordered Samosir to bring food for his father for lunch while her mother stayed at home to do household chores. But Samosir never did his duty well. He always woke up very late. He woke up after midday. Then one day his mother forced him to bring the food.

‘Sam, wake up. Go to the farm and bring the food for your father. He must be very tired and hungry now’.

But Mom, I am tired and hungry too’

‘What makes you tired? You just wake up. Go now. You father needs the food’

Toba reluctantly went to the farm. But he did not go to the farm immediately. He stopped somewhere in the street and ate the food. It was already late afternoon when he got to the farm. His father was disappointed. Then he was angry as he realized that his son had eaten his food. He said sarcastically.

‘O, you are stupid lazy boy. You are son of a fish!’

Samosir was hurt. He went home right away and as he got home he told his mother about his father’s words. Samosir’s mother was shocked. She was also deeply hurt.

‘O Toba. You break your promise so I cannot live with you here anymore. Now you have to accept to consequence of what you did. Samosir, now go to the hill, find the tallest tree and climb it’

‘Why mom? What will happen?’

‘Just do it, never ask any question. Good bye’

As soon as she finished saying that suddenly the weather changed. Sunny day suddenly turned into cloudy day. Not long after that the rain poured heavily. The rain last for several days. Consequently the area was flooded. The whole area became a big lake. Then it was called Lake Toba and in the middle of the lake there is an island called Samosir Island. Meanwhile Toba’s wife disappeared.

Lake Toba is located in the province of North Sumatra, Indonesia. Today it becomes a tourist destination.