Cempaka Culture and Tourism: Semarang to revive former glory

"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy, Recalibration Lectures, God / Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it), Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse), Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) - (Text version)

“… The Shift in Human Nature

You're starting to see integrity change. Awareness recalibrates integrity, and the Human Being who would sit there and take advantage of another Human Being in an old energy would never do it in a new energy. The reason? It will become intuitive, so this is a shift in Human Nature as well, for in the past you have assumed that people take advantage of people first and integrity comes later. That's just ordinary Human nature.

In the past, Human nature expressed within governments worked like this: If you were stronger than the other one, you simply conquered them. If you were strong, it was an invitation to conquer. If you were weak, it was an invitation to be conquered. No one even thought about it. It was the way of things. The bigger you could have your armies, the better they would do when you sent them out to conquer. That's not how you think today. Did you notice?

Any country that thinks this way today will not survive, for humanity has discovered that the world goes far better by putting things together instead of tearing them apart. The new energy puts the weak and strong together in ways that make sense and that have integrity. Take a look at what happened to some of the businesses in this great land (USA). Up to 30 years ago, when you started realizing some of them didn't have integrity, you eliminated them. What happened to the tobacco companies when you realized they were knowingly addicting your children? Today, they still sell their products to less-aware countries, but that will also change.

What did you do a few years ago when you realized that your bankers were actually selling you homes that they knew you couldn't pay for later? They were walking away, smiling greedily, not thinking about the heartbreak that was to follow when a life's dream would be lost. Dear American, you are in a recession. However, this is like when you prune a tree and cut back the branches. When the tree grows back, you've got control and the branches will grow bigger and stronger than they were before, without the greed factor. Then, if you don't like the way it grows back, you'll prune it again! I tell you this because awareness is now in control of big money. It's right before your eyes, what you're doing. But fear often rules. …”

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Semarang to revive former glory

Suherdjoko, The Jakarta Post, Semarang

Once upon a time, when Indonesia was still ruled by the Dutch, Semarang, the capital of Central Java, was host to an event of international standards.

In 1914 and long before the country gained independence, the city showcased artworks from all over the globe, comprising carvings, silverware, bronze statues, gold jewelry and handicrafts.

More than 200 large and small buildings sitting on 17.7-hectares of picture-perfect rolling hills and eye-catching lowlands were used to exhibit some of these never-before-seen pieces of art.

So Mayor Sukawi Sutarip, Semarang's current mayor, is today looking forward to reviving the grand international fair as he prepares his city to celebrate its 460th birthday -- along with the start of a new tourism program that should see the city restored to its former glory.

The entire municipality is making efforts to transform Sumarang's Kota Lama (Old City) into a clean, beautiful and peaceful area representative of a Dutch colonial town of yesteryear.

"Other cities -- like Jakarta, Medan, Surabaya and Yogyakarta, refurbished themselves years ago -- so Semarang must not be left behind," said Sukawi last week during the launch the city's 460th anniversary, The Beauty of Asia tourism program and a celebrationary art exhibition.

"Let's turn Semarang into a beautiful, peaceful and clean city to attract visitors from all around the region.

"Let them feel at home by presenting them with arts and culture and business opportunities."

Sukawi said the peak of the program would take place from August 10 to 12, when organizers would hold a number of events, including Asian arts and cultural performances, sports competitions, tourism exhibitions and international seminars.

Organizers will build a giant stage measuring 50x60 meters and equipped with a modern lighting system, at the Pancasila Square, in the Simpang Lima area in the heart of the city.

The stage will host various performances involving 10 ASEAN member countries as well as China, Japan, Korea, India and Saudi Arabia.

The spectacular event, called Breaking Through Cultural Limits, will include hundreds of dancers and musicians.

The municipality will set aside a large budget for the event and it is expected it will become an annual tradition.

A city official reported the city needed around Rp 21 billion (US$2.3 million) and supporting funds of Rp 3 billion.

A number of venues in Semarang will stage live performances, including the Simpanglima Square, the Tugu Muda monument, the historical Lawang Sewu building, the PRPP Development Promotion Fairgrounds, the Central Java Grand Mosque and the Sam Poo Kong Temple in Gedung Batu.

"We have procured a 15-hectare plot of land to focus activities for the Semarang Beauty of Asia exhibition in 2008," Sukawi said.

"We will build a grand building to house arts performances there ... and the site is located in Gunungpati, a hilly area with a cool climate, southwest of Semarang,"

So while the city administration counts its rupiah in the lead-up to the inaugural event, trash bins are being attractively painted with animals, plants and shadow-play characters and the streets are being fastidiously cleaned.

The municipality was also more than anxious to evict squatters who occupied old buildings in the slum area in Kota Lama (Old City) three months ago.

And the area adjacent to the Tawang railway station, notorious for its red-light district, will soon be rid of its lower class sex workers.

Sukawi said President Soesilo Bambang Yudhoyono will kick off the event and it will be attended by foreign ministers from 11 Asian countries as well as foreign ambassadors and mayors from across the country.

The idea of staging the Semarang Beauty of Asia event came up during an official tour with the President to the China-ASEAN Expo in Nanning, China, at the end of 2006, said Sukawi.

The next step was to foster public participation before gathering subdistrict heads in Semarang and urging them to familiarize the public on the event.

Suakwi then floated the idea of homestays -- so that foreign visitors could stay in residents' homes and experience the lives of the local people.

Residents in Central Semarang district are considering the idea -- but even if this doesn't work, there are 35 star-rated, modest hotels in the district employing 698 of the city's workforce.

The Kauman area and its surroundings will be prioritized for visitors from Muslim countries, including Malaysia, Brunei and Middle-Eastern countries, while Semarang's Chinatown area for visitors from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Japan.