Ulos & Weaving, Carve & Chisel Art

Ulos or we can say muffler of Batak, it's weaving, used in ceremony of Batak or using daily. Ulos have three color's black, red and white. Ulos have motif and color is different it have means for using the color's and the motif.


In ceremony of Batak, what kind ceremony ? Prepare Ulos that you using must be befit with the ceremony.Mostly women do weaving, with using traditional weaving equipment.


Part of Sopo, Solu (Small Boat), ornament and other is sample of wood carve and chisel Art Batak. Carve and chisel art used three color's black, red, white make unique Batak carve and chisel.
source from:samosirtourism.com

Batak

Bataks is a community, one of community or ethnic in North Sumatera. While the term is used to include the Toba, Karo, Pak Pak, Simalungun, Angkola and Mandailing groups. Language and culture almost similar. Around the Lake is main of Batak's ethic, especially Batak Toba.

source from:samosirtourism.com

Cultural Tips

Samosir Island is an Christian island, ninety nine percent of the citizen are christian. Here are some basics guides for going around in Samosir Island as well as in the whole Sumatra, not to offend the locals.

When receiving and giving things, including money, always use the right hand, however inconvenient it can be at times. See bottom tip for reason. Use only the right hand for eating. Sumatrans generally use the hand to eat - no knife and fork. Rice is pinched into a ball and then pushed into your mouth with your thumb.

When eating with fingers, clean them in the water bowl provided. Wait until everyone has finished eating before you go to wash your hand.

Placing your hands on the hips, even casually, is a sign of arrogance or anger. It is rude to place one's feet in such a way that the soles are facing another person.

Take off your shoes when visiting someone's home. If a meal is spontaneously provided, it is impolite to refuse.

When leaving it is polite to thank the wife, even if she has spent all evening in the kitchen. Men touching men and women touching women is commonplace but touching between the sexes is rarely done in public.

Burping is normal. Farting is not. Don't throw things to anyone. It is more polite to hand it over, even if it means moving.

Be prepared for squat toilets and no toilet paper! Most up market hotels have westernised toilets but the sewerage system still doesn't handle toilet paper and will generally clog the toilet making a mess. There will be a basket next to the toilet for the paper waste. Yes can get smelly so try the local way - the bucket of water next to the toilet.

The Sumatrans don't use toilet paper and think it uncleanly to just use toilet paper. There will always be a bucket of water with a ladle or a hose for cleaning yourself. The left hand is used for this purposed - therefore rude to pass things with the left hand. No tips on how best to do this. Just have to work it out yourself for best technique.

As a Sumatran man asked me - if someone slapped some shit on your forehead and then offered you some toilet paper to wipe it off or a bucket of water to clean it off which would you use???

Source from: samosirtourism.com

Language

Indonesia has hundreds of languages throughout the archipelago of 13,000 islands. Indonesian is the national language. People who live around and in Samosir Island has their own language which named Batak language. Most of the people are speaking Indonesian too, as it is an official language used at school and government

Here are some basic words and phrases in Toba Batak and Indonesian, handy for traveling around Lake Toba.

English	Batak	Indonesian
1	Sada	Satu
2	Dua	Dua
3	Tolu	Tiga
4	Opat	Empat
5	Lima	Lima
6	Onom	Enam
7	Pitu	Tujuh
8	Walu	Delapan
9	Sia	Sembilan
10	Sappulu	Sepuluh
11	Sappulu Sada	Sebelas
20	Dua Pullu	Dua Puluh
100	Saratus	Seratus
1.000	Saribu	Seribu
10.000	Sappulu Ribu	Sepuluh Ribu
100.000	Saratus Ribu	Seratus Ribu
1.000.000	Sajuta / Sada Juta	Sejuta / Satu Juta

English	Batak	Indonesian
Cheers	Lissoi
Hello	Horas	Salam
I Am	Ahu / Au	Saya
You Are	Ho / Hamuna	Kamu
We Are	Hami	Kami
Yes	Olo	Iya
No	Daong	Tidak
Why ?	Boasa ?	Kenapa ?
Eat	Mangan	Makan
Just A Moment	Satokkin	Sebentar
Happy	Sonang / Las Roha	Senang / Bahagia
Delicius	Tabo	Lezat / Enak
Sleep	Modom	Tidur
Thank You	Mauliate	Terima Kasih

source from samosirtourism.com

Quo Vadis Management of Lake Toba (Ending)

Lake Toba condition is now critical. Needed for comprehensive and concrete steps in handling. In this context, the role and responsibility of local governments (around the Lake Toba) is required. The government is to issue policies on the side of the community and the preservation of Lake Toba. For the presence of industries around the Lake Toba must be critically evaluated.
Besides, people (especially those living around Lake Toba) are required to realize each of the treatment that comes from the outside on the impacts of their lives. To each community that there is a relation to the ecosystem of Lake Toba, or concerned with the future of Lake Toba, both located in and around Lake Toba for your life together to rebuild the ecosystem of Lake Toba. Included with the values and norms must be turned on the local back to the interests of the community and the ecosystem of Lake Toba. (all source from Oscar Siagian, Daily SIB)

Tor Tor & Gondang

Tor-tor is a typical dance from the island of Samosir, dedication has been used as art and culture in north sumatra especially Batak ethnic. Tor Tor (Traditional Batak Dance) play with Gondang (Traditional Batak Music). You can see Tor Tor and Gondang in Batak ceremony.

In Samosir Sigale Gale (Batak dancing with puppet Sigale Gale) play with Gondang. Sigale Gale are Batak Puppet Boy make from wooden and to make it move like dancing Tor Tor follow the music Gondang using string and move depend to puppeter. Tortor Sigale Gale do in Batak ceremony when parent or somebody was dead and not have child (generation). Old time ago the ceremony called as Papurpur Sapata. And now Tor Tor Sigale Gale are dance and music ceremony for say welcome to tourist.

Musical instruments: Flute, Tulila (type of small trumpet), Hasapi (a two-stringed kecapi, small 'cello'), Saga-Saga (a kind of harmonica), Tanggetang (a small ukulele), Ogung (gong) which includes Oloan, Doal and Panggora, one set of percussion instruments (Gordang, Tataganing and Odap), Hombung (pieces of metal tuned differently stored in a chest), Sarune (a reed instrument), etc.

The text and images taken from samosirtourism.com

Quo Vadis Management of Lake Toba (Part 5)

The Government seems to tend to have short-term orientation and very pramatis. So many policies are issued only reflect the interests of owners of capital. For example, government attention to Lake Toba and the surrounding community is minimal. As a result, the community and ecosistem Lake Toba is injured. Losses suffered not only the loss of material, but also the social loss. For example, with the death of fish fingerlings in large numbers, which first occurred in the history of Lake Toba. This certainly makes people very important. Irrespective of what factors cause, but that people have been losers.
Another loss is that the policy of Lake Toba less attention of local culture, have made the people around Lake Toba start and began to leave the affected local wisdom. Social losses have occurred. But we do not see that the grand design from the government about the management of Lake Toba. Even the public is also less involved in it.
Now, the collapse is Lake Toba extinction. One evidence is the death of hundreds of tons of fish fingerlings are kept in Keranda Jala learning (KJA) in the waters of Lake Toba. The death of fish fingerlings into the basic foothold for those who care to the preservation of Lake Toba to say that the ecosystem of Lake Toba is now in crisis. History is the history of Lake Toba "suffering". Historical Lake Toba is a history filled with various problems.