Tie Dye Journal

1. What did you do?

First I thought of how I wanted to make my tie-dye product look. I thought that I would like to have diagonal lines running halfway through my piece of cloth with different colors in between the lines. Then a thought that the other half of the cloth I would fill with circles of different colors and have the same background color for that half of the cloth.

The next step, was actually tying the cloth. I tied part of the cloth by pinching up part of if then holding it a bit lower from where I pinched it and then tying it to make circles. I also tied clumped up the cloth diagonal and tied it to create diagonal lines. Finally, I tied some the already tied diagonal design, in between the rubber bands with a rubber band that criss-crossed the cloth. Next, after tying the cloth with rubber bands, I continued by actually dyeing the cloth. I died the different sections of the cloth marked by the rubber bands different colors for the diagonal pattern. However, I did not dye the cloth in the sections marked with criss-crossing rubber bands but with the same color.

Then, I died the different pinched parts of the cloth, which will make the circles with different colors. Finally, I died the area where the circles were with one color. This color was blue. The dying process in as follows: first, you pick the color you want to die your cloth in. The colors/pigments are in buckets. Lets say you pick blue. There are two buckets you have to dip the cloth into if you want blue. There is a first bucket with a lighter color which you dip the cloth into first, then a second bucket with a darker color which you dip the cloth into second. The color in the second bucket is the what the color of the cloth will turn into, not the lighter color. Next, there is a final bucket/basin filled with normal water. After dipping the cloth in every color, you dip it into this basin. This is to was off excess dye. You should take note that the longer the cloth is in one dye, the darker the color, the shorter the cloth is in one dye and the quicker you was it in the basin, the lighter the color.

After dyeing, you let the cloth dry. Then once it is dry, I undid all the rubber bands one by one. The cloth will be a little crinkly but once you unfold and straighten it, you have your tie dyed cloth!

2. What had been the success/failure?

The success was the way I tied the cloth made the circles quite good and I was happy with them. Also, the diagonal segments turned out quite well. I was happy with my product, however, if I compare it to what I had expected, it did not turn out the way I had wanted it to but instead become more unique in its own way. I believe this is one of the great things about using tie dye because even if it does not turn out the way you expected it too, it is still nice and unique in its own way.

There are quite a number of failures. The first failure took place during the dying. I had at first wanted the circles to be different colors, however, I chose the wrong color for the background of the circles. This color was blue and it was really dark. Once I put the segment of the cloth with the differently colored circles into the blue dye, it immediately covered all the circles in blue. At first I thought that because of this the circles would all turn out blue. What was interesting is from this I learned an interesting technique. Once the cloth dried, I saw that the circles had a little bit of the original color though it was dominated by blue. When I undid the rubber bands, the edges of the circles had little bits of the original circle colors which created a cool effect. This was my first failure which was actually not really that much of a failure. My next one was that at first, I had wanted to have two of the circles to overlap each other. Once I undid the rubber bands, I found out that the circles hadn’t been placed close enough together so instead made two different circles. Another failure was the criss-crossed rubber bands which I thought would make a criss-crossed technique. Instead, they made their own line pattern which, if you think about it, could have been pretty cool but sadly, wasn’t very visible because the dye was not strong enough. This was another failure. On some segments the dye was not strong enough. Finally, the diagonal lines did not turn very diagonal though they were diagonally, placed. Instead they turned quite circular. This shows that using tie dye, you can’t really get straight lines but they will turn curved.

3. What will you do better/differently?

If I ever do this activity again, I will first, make sure that the dyes seep deep enough and long enough so that the colors will be brighter. Next time, I will also like to try and experiment with different techniques. First, in order to create straighter lines or more definite shapes, I would like to use the technique that I learned where you cover the cloth with tape that can be easily removed instead of with rubber bands. Then I would also like to try tying things like marbles into the cloth to create better circles and to use other items to create other shapes. Other than this I would also like to try a technique my friend thought me which, creates a spiral patter to the cloth. What you do is first, you pinch the cloth in the middle and twisted around and around till it forms a sort of spiral. Then, you tie this spiral with rubber bands; one horizontal and one vertical. Next, you did the different segments as you wish and you can also blend the colors. Once you open the cloth it will create a spiral pattern. I would also like to try things like folding the cloth and then tying it, or dipping the cloth into a bucket filled with different dies. These are some things I would like to try if I get to do this again. I will also try dying the cloth in different ways to create different results.

Journal: Tie Dye & Silk Screening

How to do it?

The first step in doing tie dye is to have a piece the piece of cloth that you want to apply tie dye on ready. You should also have the different basins and colours needed ready for use. The first step in actually doing tie dye is to use rubber bands and tie the cloth tightly with it at different places as wished. Tying it at different places can create different patterns on the final product at the end. After tying the rubber bands on the cloth as wished, hold the cloth in your hands. To make it easier, begin at the tip. Dip the tip of the cloth into the color wanted up to the very first rubber band. There are three basins to dip the cloth into in order to get the color wanted. For example, if the color wanted is green, then you first dip into the light green, then into the dark green, and finally into the basin with water to wash of any excess die. You repeat this process till you have died the whole cloth as wanted. However, when moving on to the next part of the clothe, you don’t dip the whole cloth up to the second rubber band, but instead, you hold the cloth at the first rubber band with one hand, and at the second rubber band with the other hand. After doing this you bring your hands together so that the cloth between the two rubber bands is folded. Then you dip the this folded part of the cloth into the color wanted, repeating the process of dipping into the lighter color first, then the darker, and finally rinsing it in the water. You continue this process up to the last rubber band. For the cloth after the last rubber band, you dip it like you dip the end of the cloth you started down. This is the basic process of dipping, however, it can be adjusted based on the way you tie the cloth. After dipping, you then untie the rubber bands one at the time. After untying and unfolding the cloth, you will get the result of the tie dye you did.

To do silk screening, the first step is to have the screens ready. There is a screen for every color of the design. For example if the colors are red, yellow and black, then there is a screen for read, yellow, and black. For example the red part of the design will be isolated and then in a dark room, moved onto the screen with a bright light sort of like what happens when you photocopy something. Then, you spray a special spray onto the screen at the parts with the design for that color and what was originally this white layer will fall of. When you do this, you will see that now, paint can come through this part but no the other parts so that you can create the design wanted. The next part is to place the screen on top of the cloth (shirt, bag, etc.) and adjust it so that it is in the correct position. Then, you place the paint at the end of the screen that if furthest from you. This paint is made from a white paint base that is mixed with pigments as necessary. Then, with a sort of board with a strong sort of foamy material, you swipe this paint lightly over the screen pulling the board towards you using both hands.. Make sure the you completely cover the area with the design on the screen. This is to smooth out the paint. Then, applying even force between your two hands, pull the board from the end of the screen furthest from you towards you with force so that the paint will be pressed and will appear on the shirt. Repeat this a few times till you are sure the paint will show on the shirt properly. Then, remove the screen and using a hairdryer if available, wait for the paint to dry. Then, apply the next color with the next screen in the same manner as before. When this is all done, and the cloth is dry, you will have your silk-screened cloth product.

Materials and tools needed?

For tie dye, the materials and equipment needed are:

- cloth to be dyed (can be for a bag, a shirt and such later on)

- dyes, both dark and light for each color

- rubber bands

- basins (a number for the dyes and one for water)

- water

For silk screening the materials and equipment needed are:

- screens (where different colors of the design will be printed on to)

- machine to copy the designs onto the screen

- a sort of basin filled with water (to wash the screens when needed)

- special spray

- sprayer (a normal sprayer like ones used to spray windows)

- special basic white paint foundation

- pigments/colorings (to give the white paint colour)

- small stick (to stir the colorings with the white paint and to add the paint onto the screen)

- small containers (for the paint, pigments/colorings (can be a simple plastic cup, etc.))

- special sort of board (to press the paint past the screen and onto the cloth)

- hair drier or other things in that category that dries things (optional (you can also use things like fans, this is only to help the paint dry faster)

- table for silk screening (it has a high edge so that you can make sure the bolts from the screen are aligned to the edge of the table (there is also another bolt sticking out of the table itself to also help in alignment.)

- cloth (the screening will be done to this cloth (it can be a bag, shirt, etc.)

Tips to be successful:

For tie dye the first tip to be successful is, to make sure you tie the cloth very tightly so that none of the dyes seep onto the cloth that is covered by the rubber bands so that it remains white. Another tip is to be very careful when dipping the different sections of the cloth so that none of the other sections which have already been dyed or are still white will have colors which you do not want. In order to do this the next tip is to try to get a basin which is quite wide and not to deep so that you don’t have to dip low into the basin to dye the cloth and so avoid it from touching the side of the basins which may have a little bit of dye. Another tip is to plan out the pattern you want first so you will not be disappointed by your end result. Finally, before dying the next color of washing of the excess color, it may be a good idea to let the dye soak in for a little bit first so that the colors will be brighter and clearer and so that not too much will be washed of with the excess.

For silk screening, the first tip to be successful is to make sure that when you are about to apply the paint onto the cloth that the screen is aligned as it should be. When pressing, make sure you press with even force with both hands. Also make sure the when you press the screen does not move even the tinniest bit. Also, do not lift or move the screen until you are completely certain that all parts of that color of the design have been printed onto the shirt well. Before you press the paint onto the cloth and when you are simple covering the area of the design with paint, that there aren’t any white spots. Finally, make sure that you pull that board strait each time and you need to practice a lot before you an do it well.

What did you learn from activity?

I did not actually do the tie dye activity. However, when watching Ibu Lisa do it I learned first of all, that one way of doing tie dye is to die the different parts of the cloth with different colors. Secondly, I also learnt that it can be hard to make sure that the dye of one color only covers that specific area of the cloth. Something else I learnt is that if you dip the cloth into the dye and immediately dip it into the water, quite a lot of color comes of and so on some parts of the cloth the color is not that bright.

From the silk screening activity I learnt a lot. First of all I learnt that silk screening is not as easy as it looks. It is important to make sure that everything is perfectly aligned and that the screens don’t move while you are screening. I also learnt that you should press in a strait line and that you should always make sure the paint colors all of that part of the design so that the color remains the same denseness evenly through. Finally, I also learnt that in order to do silk screening you must be very precise and continually pressing the paint onto the cloth can result in the picture not turning out the way it was intended. Also, it is interesting to learn that silk screening is done by applying one color at a time and that you should apply the darker colors first and then the lighter ones.

How would you do it differently if you do it again?

For tie dye, if I do it some time, I will make sure that I am careful that none of the parts that I am not dyeing will get dyed and only the parts that I am dyeing will get dyed. Second, I would also let the color sink into the cloth before rinsing of the excess. To make the color even stronger if I want it to be stronger, I could even dip the same part into the same dye more than once. This is what I would do to have a good result at the end.

For silk screening, what I would do differently next time is first, I will add the colors in the actually order it should be added by. I would start with the darkest color to the lightest. For example, instead of doing red, black and yellow, I will do black first, then red and then yellow. This would give a better result, mostly if the lighter colors go over the darker colors. Next, I will also be more careful when positioning the screen and make sure that it is precisely where it should be so that the different colors of the picture are in the right place. I will also make sure that which ever color I am working on, the paint will cover the entire area of the design so that the colors will be clear, and unlike the shirt that I made, there won’t be parts where the color is only strikes when it should be fully colored. The only time I would let the color be lighter in some parts and darker in others is if I meant it to be that way or if it was meant to be that way from the beginning. Next time I will also make sure that when I am applying the paint through the screen onto the shirt, that I go over all the different parts of the design well and I will also make sure that the board is moving very straight. Finally, I will also make sure that when I am working on the screening, the screen does not move at all so that there won’t be doubles of the same thing or so that there won’t be tiny parts that stick out a bit from what the picture should be and so that if there are words or parts of the shirt that are left the original color, they will still be there and appear. This is what I would do differently next time.

West Java

Traditioinal Food:

The province of West Java has a variety of traditional foods. Some of which, are listed below.

Lalapan: This is one food found in West Java.This foodis eaten by the Sundanese, tribe from West Java. The ingredients are raw vegetables, which can otherwise be boiled. The vegetables used include cucumbers, spinach, and ‘buncis’ which is a kind of bean. One way of eating lalapan is with ‘bumbu kacang’, which islike a sauce made of peanuts that adds taste to the vegetables.

Timbel: This is dish consistsof nasi timbel, lalapan, sambal dadak, chicken, fried beancurd, fried tempe, a piece of jambal and sometimes gepuk. Nasi timbel, is rice that issteamed while wrapped in a banana leaf. Sambal dadak is a chili that the Sundanese eat. It is made from chili grinded with other ingredients. The chicken, is fried or roasted in the Sundanese stlye. Jambal is salted fish, and finally, gepuk is slices of beef mixed with herbs and fried.

Pepes: The main ingredient of this food is usually fish. The fish is mixed with crushed herbs and wrapped in a banana leaf. Once wrapped, the food is steamed. The pepes is then eaeten by unwrapping the leaf.

Dodongkal: Dodongkal is a kind of pastry eaten in West Java. This food is considered quite rare as it is not so easy to find even in West Java, moreover in other parts of Indonesia. This food is made from cornflour with brown sugar inside. It is then sprinkled with coconut shavings, wrapped in a banana leaf and then steamed.

Bibliography:

Roger.“The Specialty Foods of Bandung: West Java”whyGo INDONESIA2010.2

August, 2010

http://www.indonesialogue.com/featured-articles/the-specialty-foods-of-bandung-west-java.html

Wibisono A.“Nasi Timbel”AGUS WIBISONO [DOT] COM: BERBAGI CERITA

BERSAMAn.d.2 August, 2010

http://aguswibisono.com/2010/nasi-timbel/

Tour Kuliner.“Dodongkal”Tour Kulinern.d.2 August, 2010

http://tourkuliner.blogspot.com/2008/08/dodongkal.html

PRLog (Press Realise).“Lalapan : Penyajian Sayuran Tradisi Sunda”PRLog: Free

Press Realisen.d.2 August, 2010

http://www.prlog.org/10787765-lalapan-penyajian-sayuran-tradisi-sunda.html

Picture:

Wibisono A.“Nasi Timbel”AGUS WIBISONO [DOT] COM: BERBAGI CERITA

BERSAMAn.d.2 August, 2010

http://aguswibisono.com/2010/nasi-timbel/

Tour Kuliner.“Dodongkal”Tour Kulinern.d.2 August, 2010

http://tourkuliner.blogspot.com/2008/08/dodongkal.html

Traditional Songs:

Some of the traditional songs fromWest Java are Bubuy Bulan, CingCangkeling, Manuk Dadali, Panon Hideung, Pileuleuyan and Tokecang. Here is the lyric of the song, Cing Cangkeling:

Kleung denklek buah kopi raring geuyan

Keun anu dewek ulah pati diheureuyang

Cing cangkeling manuk cingkleung cindeten

Plos kakolong bapak satar buleneng

Bibliography:

godam64.“Cing Cangkeling – Sunda Provinsi Jawa Barat ::: Lirik Lagu Dearah

Musik Nasional Tradisional Indonesia”Organisasi.org: Komunitas & Perpustakaan Online Indonesia2005-2010.2 August, 2010

http://organisasi.org/cing_cangkeling_sunda_provinsi_jawa_barat_lirik_lagu_

daerah_musik_nasional_tradisional_indonesia

Traditional Dances:

Traditional Dances from West Java include Jaipongan, Sisingaan, Reog, Ketuk Tilu, Debus, Kuda Lumping, Banjet, Tari Merak, Tari Topeng Kuncaran, and Tari Patilaras. A famous dance from those listed above in Kuda Lumping. In this dance the most important piece or prop used is the fake horse made of plated bamboo, which the dancers pretend to ride on. This dance is very unique because it seems as if the dancers have supernatural powers. Some of the stunts or attractions that are performed during thisdance include eating glass, and peeling coconut fiber with their teeth. The dancers may also do astunt where they fill their mouth with gasoline and then, holding a thin piece of iron which is aglow, the dancers will then spray the gasoline onto the small fire on the tip of the iron.The dancers alsodo things such as rolling on the ground and jumping up and down. The musical instruments that are played during this performance include: gong, kenong, gendang, sompret and such.

Bibliography:

Editorial Staff of Explore Indonesia.“KUDA LUMPING: Kesenian Tradisional

Indonesia Bernuansa Magis”Explore Indonesia2008.2 August, 2010

http://www.explore-indo.com/budaya/198-kuda-lumping-kesenian-tradisional-indonesia-bernuansa-magis.html

‘Provinsi Jawa Barat’ fact sheet

Picture:

Editorial Staff of Explore Indonesia.“KUDA LUMPING: Kesenian Tradisional

Indonesia Bernuansa Magis”Explore Indonesia2008.2 August, 2010

http://www.explore-indo.com/budaya/198-kuda-lumping-kesenian-tradisional-indonesia-bernuansa-magis.html

Traditional Musical Instruments:

Musical Instruments found in the province are anklung, dog-dog, gamelan Sunda, rebab, kecapi and calung. Angklung, is an instrument made of bamboo. Dog-dog is a type of drum. Gamelan Sunda, is a kind of musical instrument which, would be closest to a xylophone in the Western world. The instrument known as rebab, is a string instrument. Kecapi, is also a string instrument that is played by pricking(check) the strings. The strings are arranged from short to long or the other way around. The resonation tube is a wooden box. The instrument known as calung, is made of a row of round bamboo pieces.

Bibliography:

‘Provinsi Jawa Barat’ fact sheet

Traditional House:

The name of the traditional house of West Java is Kesepuhan. An example of this house is Keraton Kesepuhan in Cirebon. There is also a replica of Keraton Kesepuhanat Taman Mini Indonesia Indah. The real Keraton Kesepuhan has a gate in front of it. Inside, it is made up of 4 rooms. One of the rooms is ‘Jinem’ room that is for the guards. Then there is the ‘Pringgodeni’ room where the Sultan gives orders to another official. There is also a room where thespecial guests of the Sultan are greeted known as ‘Prabayasa’. The final room is the Sultan’s work room as well as where he rests known as ‘Panembahan’ room.

Bibliography:

Gunadarma University.“Kebanggaan bansa Indonesia di pandang dari sudut rumah

adat”Warta Warga: Student Journalism2007.2 August, 2010

http://wartawarga.gunadarma.ac.id/2010/03/kebanggaan-bangsa-indonesia-di-pandang-dari-sudut-rumah-adat/

‘Provinsi Jawa Barat’ fact sheet

Picture:

tmii.“Anjungan Daerah”Taman Mini “Indonesia Indah”2006-2009,4 August 2010

http://www.tamanmini.com/index.php?modul=anjungan

Traditional Clothes:

The traditional clothes of the West Javanese people differ according to their place in society.

For normal civilians, they wear:

Men: The men wore pants known as ‘komprang or pangsi’, a belt, and clothes known as ‘kampret or slantreng’. On their heads they would wear what is known as ‘iket lohen’ and they also have a cloth known as ‘sarung poleng’, which is used as a sash. For their footwear, the men wore sandals called ‘tarumpah’.

Women: Women wear a long batik cloth called ‘sinjang kebat’, either ‘beubeur or angkin’ belt, a camisole known as ‘kutang’, a ‘kebaya’ (Javanese blouse) and a batik shawl. For the women, the hair is done up in a small bun, this way of doing up the hair is known as ‘gelung jucung’. The accessories worn are a bracelet called ‘geulang akar bahar’, a round earing from gold and silver called ‘suweng pelenis’, a pale ring from silver or gilded with gold known as ‘ali meneng’. Finally, for footwear they wear sandals known as ‘sendal jepit’ or ‘sendal keteplek’.

The middle class people wear:

Men: The men wear a white top known as ‘baju bedahan’, a bundle of batik cloth, a belt, and a headband. Their foot wear is a sandal called ‘tarumpah’. Accessories they wear is a watch with a gold chain that is hanged from the shirt pocket, this is used as a complement to the outfit.

Women: They wear a bundle of batik cloth with a variety of patterns as far as the ankle, a ‘beubeur’ belt, a ‘kebaya’ (Javanese blouse) of different colours, a coloured shawl, and slippers or ‘kelom geulis’. They may also do up theirhair up in a bun, wear earrings, a necklace, bracelet, and a ring of gold or silver.

The upper class people wear:

Men: The men of this class have two options.

The first is using a suite from black velvet embroidered with gold string at the edges and edge of the sleeves as wide as 2.5cm. The next part of this outfit is long pants, again of black velvet with embroidery and a gold hem around the edge of thebottom of the pants. They also wear a cloth with seven to nine folds on the right edge as wide as 6cm. This cloth is known as ‘dodot’ with a motive called ‘rereng parang rusak’. They also wear a belt or ‘benten’ that is gold, which is used to fasten or tighten other cloth. Then they wear something called ‘bendo’ with the same motive as ‘dodot’ as a head covering. Finally, they wear a sort of sock and shoe or slippers as footwear.

The second option is to use a black suite, batik cloth with a ‘rereng’ motive that is sort of bundled, a head covering known as ‘bendo’ also with ‘rereng’ motive, a belt, a watch with a chain as an accessory and black shoes or slippers.

Women: The upper class women wear a ‘kebaya’ (Javanese blouse) from black velvet with gold embroidery on the whole front side all the way to the neck. The embroidery circles the part of the hips on the ‘kebaya’ and is around the wrist of the hand. They once again also use a sort of bundle of cloth using the ‘rereng’ motive. For footwear they use shoes or black velvet slippers with gold embroidery or sequences. Some complements to the outfit would be to have the hair done up in a neat bun with a gold ‘tusuk konde’ (a sort of hairpin or stick used to keep hair done up in a bun), earrrings, a bracelet known as ‘keroncong’, a ring, necklace, a sort of pin or brooch chain, and a brooch. All the jewelry is made from gold and adorned with precious stones.

Bibliography:

Balai Pengelolaan Anjungan Jawa Barat Taman Mini “Indonesia Indah”.“Busana

Khas”Pusat Informasi dan Promosi Pariwisata dan Budaya Jawa Baratn.d.4 August, 2010

http://www.anjjabar.go.id/pakaian.htm

Picture:

Indonesia Expedition.“West Java”Indonesia Expidition2007.5 August, 2010

http://www.indonesia-expedition.com/west-java-bandung.htm

Traditional Weapons:

Some traditional weapons of West Java include keris kirompang, keris kidongkol, golok, bedok, panah bambu, panah kayu, tombak and kujang. Kujang, is a traditional weapon like a knife with 1-5 holes at its eye. The pocket that the kujang is kept in is made of black cloth. Panah bambu and panah kayu simply mean an arrow made from bamboo and an arrow made from wood. While tombak means spear.

Bibliography:

‘Provinsi Jawa Barat’ fact sheet

Climate:

The climate of West Java is tropical just as the rest of Indonesia. On Mt. Pangrango, the temperature can reach 9°C at its peak. On the other hand, the temperature can reach 34°C on its north beach. West Java receives quite a huge amount of rainfall. Each year, it receives an average of 2,000ml of rainfall, and in the mountains, the rainfall can reach 3,000 to 5,000ml each year.

Bibliography:

indonesia-tourism.“westjava: Unique Heritage and Culture”Indonesia: lets go

archipelago2006.3 August, 2010

http://www.indonesia-tourism.com/west-java/index-2.html

Geography & Topography:

The geography of West Java includes that on its north, it meets with the Java sea and Jakarta, on its west with the province of Banten and the ‘Selat Sunda’ or the Sunda Strait. On its south is the Indian Ocean and on its east, is the province of Central Java.In the north, the land is plain area and inthe south it is made of hills and beaches. Right in the middle of this is mountainous area. The topography of West Java is made of mountains in the south of over 1,500m above sea level, hills of 100-1500m and plains with 0-10m of elevation in the north. West Java is also made of a river region and is part for a volcanic belt from Sumatra to Sulawesi. West Java is around 35,746.26km².

Bibliography:

indonesia-tourism.“westjava: Unique Heritage and Culture”Indonesia: lets go

archipelago2006.3 August, 2010

http://www.indonesia-tourism.com/west-java/index-2.html

Picture:

mapsoft.net.“Java Locator Topography”maps of the world2010.4 August, 2010

http://mapsof.net/indonesia/static-maps/png/java-locator-topography

Tourist Destinations:

Some tourist destinations to be considered include the capital of West Jawa, Bandung. From the town of Bandung itself, it isn’t a long distance from the resorts at Lembang, the Boscha observatory and Tangkuban Perahu crater which you can reach by car all the way to the edge. What you will see is a sight of sulfur and it is even possible to visit 12 craters at close range with the aid of an experienced guide. A mere quarter of an hour from this site is a resort known as Crater hot springs resort. It specializes in pools of minerals which are good for the skin. Some of its other facilities includes a bar, restaurants, tennis courts and hotels in the style of cottages. The view from these cottages is of a lovely mountain landscape. Other interesting things to see while in Bandung include ‘Wayang Golek’, and to listen to an ‘angklung’ orchestra, and Sundanese gamelan and dances. Still in Bandung is the Mang Udjo Angklung Workshop. This workshop is only around 7km from Bandung in the village of Padasuka. The workshop here stages art performances with mountains, rice fields and plantations in the backdrop. Here, anklungs are also made and sold. They are kwon for their fines in tuning and the workmanship.

Petenggang Lake: On the east of the lake is a cool forest normally 10°C and is normally foggy during the day. In the north, there is a tea plantation that spreads all the way to the south and west of the lake.

Juanda Forest Park: This park, is a place for reaserch and recreation. There are indigenous or native plants here and well as those from over seas. Some places of interests here are the caves, which the Japenese dug in the cliffs during World War II. This site is also not very far from Bandung.

Maribaya: Another destination also close to Bandung is Maribaya which is just a 30 minute drive into the north. It is known for its hot water springs of sulphur in the cool mountain air. From up here, you can see a water fall of 25m high falling from a steep mountain cliff. The journey to reach Maribaya itself is also one filled with the lovely scenery of hills and villas.

Jatiluhur Dam: The tourist atractions of this dam include cottages, swimming pools, camping ground, speedboats and tennis courts. This dam was first built to generate power for this region. The dam, located halfway between Jakarta and Bandung, also helps in the irrigation of the land around it and is a place for fishing.

Bogor: This town is located quite close to Jakarta. The Dutch originally named it Buitenzorg, which means ‘without worries’. In this town, the Dutch Governer Gendral built his first palace which still stands to this day and is known as ‘Istana Bogor’. On the grounds which is part of the palace’s property, deer roam freely and old trees grow. The town of Bogor itself is famous for its Botanical Gardens which houses plants from all over the world and rare orchids. An example of these plants is the rubber tree from Brazil and the ‘Rafflesia’ flower which gives out a foul odor and is stemless and leafless. You can also visit the Presidential palace before mentioned as ‘Istana Bogor’ by the gardens with a permit. Another famous destination when visiting Bogor is Puncak, which is a mountain region. Here you will see beautiful scenes along the way and pass by a Presidential Palace in Cipanas that is smaller than the one in Bogor. Around the palace there is a garden full of flowers and colours. Something else to note is that you can reach Bandung from Puncak.

Taman Safari Indonesia: Taman Safari Indonesia is a unique zoo. It houses many animals, not only common ones, but also rare ones. Some of the animals found here are the anoa, rhinos, giraffes, bears from Europe, Asia and America, and also rare white tigers. This zoo also has recreational places inside it such as swimming pools, an artificial lake, a waterfall, a playground, merry-go-round, house of horrors and a circus arena. Inside the zoo, there are also restaurants, cafeterias and other facilities.

The places listed above are just some of the tourists destinations of West Jawa. There are so many other tourist attractions in this province. Some of the others are the Zoological Museum, Batu Tulis Clatureun, Cibodas Botanic Garden, Lido Water Recreational Center, Pangrango, Situ Gunung, Pelabuhan Ratu beach, Manuk island, Garut, Tasikmalaya, Naga village, Cirebon, Linggarjati, and Pengandaran.

Bibliography:

Indonesia Expedition.“West Java”Indonesia Expidition2007.5 August, 2010

http://www.indonesia-expedition.com/west-java-bandung.htm

Characteristics of Textiles and Care Labels

Hi there! Right now we are having an introduction to textiles. Here are some characteristic of textiles and some care labels on clothes.

Characteristics:
Warmth: The ability of a cloth to keep the body warm.
Water Absorbency: The ability of cloth to absorb water or liquid.
Shrinkage: The ability of cloth to keep its size.
Durability: How well the cloth can withstand wear.
Dye Fastness: The ability of cloth to keep its original color.
Strength: The ability of cloth to withstand force.
Elasticity: The ability of cloth to return to its size after being stretched.
Crease Recovery: The ability of cloth to recover from creases.
Flammability: The ability of cloth to resist fire.

Care Labels:


Bibliography:
http://blissfullydomestic.com/2008/fabric-care-how-to-care-for-your-clothing
Dictionary on mac

Indonesian Handicrafts

Thousand Islands

The Thousand Islands is also known as ‘Kepulauan Seribu’. It is only 45km from Jakarta Bay. The capital of the Thousand Island, is ‘Pulau Pramuka’. The population in all these islands is around 20,000 people. There are around 150 islands, in the Thousand Islands. This number though, is unsertain, because some of the islands are dissapearing. These islands are beautiful. If we don’t take care of them they might all dissapear some day, for they have become a fragile environment.

First of all, a fragile environment is an environment that can be easily destroyed. It is easier to destroy, than to restore it the way it used to be. One of the most critical things that is happening to the Thousand Islands is, what I have mentioned. The disappearing islands! Here is a picture of one of the islands, it was taken years ago. as taken years ago. Look at what is left of the island. Imagine what has happened now! What you saw is the effect of sand mining, and erosion. People take the sand from the Thousand Islands to sell. Erosion happens because of the mangrove deforestation. Without the mangroves it is easier for soil to get carried away by waves, this also ruins the ecosystem. Erosion also happens by coral mining. When people take coral, it can change the structure of the island. The soil then starts to collapse into the sea.

Other reasons for the fragile environment are, ways of land use, fishing with poisonous cyanides, taking to many natural resources, pollution from surrounding places such as Jakarta Bay, and another is tourism. An example of ways of land use that is destroying is when we cut down trees to make use of the land. Fishing with cyanides can destroy reefs. Taking to many natural resources, such as sand can have big consequences. Pollution kills animals. While many islands are tourism spots, and can get damaged because of the many people that do not care for the environment, and do irresponsibly things such as taking coral. So, we really need to care for the environment, or it will become like the Thousand Islands sad situation.

Bibliography:
Yahoo Answer (2008) what is afragile environment? http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071105001026AAW6v3W

Accessed on the 25th of May 2008.
Wikipedia (2008) Thousand Islands(Indonesia) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thousand_Islands_%28Indonesia%29

Accessed on the 25th of May 2008
Nugroho Agung S & Ira Kania Defira (2004) Reaching Environmental Awarness and Community Involvement Through Conservation Education
http://www.seaza.org/scientific_papers/reaching_environmental_awareness.htm Accessed on the 25th of May 2008
CSI (1997) The Missing Islands of Pulau Seribu(Indonesia) http://www.unesco.org/csi/act/jakarta/pulau.htm

Accesed on the 21rst of May 2008
Wikipedia (2008) Kabupaten Administrasi Kepulauan Seribu http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabupaten_Administrasi_Kepulauan_Seribu#Kawasan_Taman_Nasional_Laut_Kepulauan_Seribu Accesed on 25th of May 2008
CSI (Unknown) Causes of Ecosystem Degradation http://www.unesco.org/csi/pub/papers/mega8.htm#2.3.2

Accesed on 25th of May 2008

Field Trip to a Waterfall

On Tuesday, the 13th of May, my class had a fieldtrip. The fieldtrip was to a waterfall. Many things in this fieldtrip went differently than what I thought would happen. By the way, the reason why my class had this fieldtrip, is because it is connected to our UOI(Unit of Inquiry). Our UOI right now, is about ‘fragile environment’. During the fieldtrip, we had to look at the environment around us, and see if it is a fragile environment or not. We also had a chance to ask the guides that took us to the waterfall questions that inquire about the environment.

So, this is how it goes. We went to a mountain called Gunung Pancar. We left the school at around 8:00a.m. We went in the school bus. After some time, we reached a destination. From there we got of the bus and had a little hike. Starting at this point things didn’t go the way I planed them. First of all, I thought that we would go up a mountain, but instead we went to a waterfall at the foot of the mountain. Also, we didn’t actually go all the way to Gunung Pancar.

We started our hike, by going down from where we were, because we started on a hill. When we first started going down the path we took was steep, and there were parts that were quite dangerous, and where we had to be careful. The weather was hot. You might be wondering, why the weather is hot. Atleast this is what would come into my mind if I read this. Well, first of all, I thought that we were going to be walking through a forest. Instead, we went through something completely different. Rice fields! That is why the weather is hot, because there not a lot of trees. This is one of the examples of fragile environment. Through asking the people that guided us to the waterfall, I managed to find out that fifteen years ago, this was all still a forest! We didn’t see any animals, except one. It was an eagle souring high. It looked beautiful.

Anyway, after quite a long walk, we finally reached the waterfall. Everyone was tired! I think that one of the things that pushed us to go on was thinking of the fresh water in the waterfall! This really pushed us, because we knew we would have time to play in it! The water was cold and refreshing! It felt like we were just getting out of bed again! Unfortunately we couldn’t stay long.

We had lunch. From where I had lunch I could se part of the waterfall. It was beautiful! I wish I had a picture to show you, but I didn’t take any, because I didn’t bring a camera or anything of the sort along. After we had lunch, we asked questions to the guides. From the answers I got, and saw, it knew that the environment has become very fragile. Some things I figured out were stunning. What was even more stunning, is when a friend told me, a parking lot was actually going to be built near the waterfall! I just hope that no more damage would be done the area we went to.

Finally, it was time to go back to school. The route we took back was longer but not as steep. At first, I was ready to go again, but after sometime, I started to fill really tired, as most of us did. So, when we finally saw the bus, some of us started to run to it!

At last we could rest! We got back to school really tired! I hope that I can have more fieldtrips, like this! I have learned somethings about the environment there and I am saying again, I hope that there will be no more damage there!