The shocking Merapi Eruption

The people of Yogya and surrounding just got a shivering days in November 2010 where one of the most active volcanos in the world, Mount Merapi, erupted several times which brought casualties and more then 100 people died, burnt by the deadly 1000 degrees centigrade solfatara smoke gases mixed with volcanic materials which run down by 300 km per hour.
It spewed clouds of ash and gas 5 km into the sky for more than an hour on Friday November 5, 2010, its biggest eruption so far in the past 10 days. The latest series of eruptions began last Tuesday. It has produced more pyroclastic flows than any other volcano in the world. It has been active for 10,000 years.

Here are the dangerous years where Mount Merapi erupted visiously :
2010, 2007, 2006, 2001-02, 1992-98, 1972-90, 1971, 1967-69, 1961, 1953-58, 1948-49, 1944-45, 1942-43, 1939-40, 1933-35, 1930-31, 1924, 1923, 1922, 1920-21, 1918, 1915, 1909-13, 1908, 1906-07, 1905, 1902-04, 1902, 1897, 1894, 1893, 1891, 1889, 1888, ?1885, 1883-84, 1878-79, 1872-73, 1872, 1869, 1865-67, 1862-64, ?1854, 1849, ?1848, 1846-47, 1846, 1840, 1837-38, 1832-35, 1828, 1822-23, 1820-22, 1812-13, 1810, 1807, 1797, 1786, 1755, 1752, 1745, 1678, 1677, 1672, 1663, 1658, 1587, 1584, 1560, 1554, 1548, 7630 BC.

So far the 2010 eruption is the biggest  since 1870. Some big explosions believed had buried  both The Biggest Buddhist Temple in the world The Borobudur as well as the  Mystical Temple of Prambanan as well located about 50 km from the volcano.

Javanese herbs and spices

Indonesia, especially Java has a lot varieties of both herbs and spices, to be used for medications as well as seasoning which make food tasty and delicious as well. Some spices to be used in  both flavoring food and traditional medication, like ginger, garlic, chili, clove, galangal, nutmeg, lemon etc.
Clove itself had already been used for centuries in China and India to heal cough, fever, painkiller, muscle relaxant, and not to mention to escape from bad breath and still a lot more useful things.
While ginger beside to omit the stinky smell of both fish and meat, also to increase the endurance and stamina, avoid colds, headache, fever, nausea etc.
Galangal has almost the same specalty like ginger but the taste is stronger, while turmeric to be used as anti inflamatory, liver problem, skin infections/wounds cure, anti cancer and many more useful things.
So, while you taste a delicious meals, yo also benefit  healthyness as well as heal the disease.
What a wonderful world !
 Thanks God ! Bravo Java.

Yogya's regular events

The dance performance of the wayang story, taken from either fragments of the Ramayana or Mahabharata, held every Sunday 9.00 pm -12.00 noon, at the Meeting Hall of the Yogya Palace.

The peprformance of gamelan orchestra, especially 'Yogya style', every Monday and Tuesday, at 10.00pm - 12.00 n00n, at the Meeting Hall of Yogya Palace.

Wooden Puppets show, this performance was inspired by the epic from Persian, but already adopted to local culture. Every Wednesday 10.00 pm - 12.00 n00n at the Meeting Hall of the Yogya Palace.

Javanese dance and ballet performance accompanied by Javanese gamelan orchestra and song, performed every Thursday 10.00 pm - 12.00 noon, at the meeting Hall of  Yogya Palace.

Javanese poetry recital which described the history of the Mataram Kingdom, the antecedent of both Yogyakarta and Surakarta Palace. Every Friday 9.00 am - 11.00 pm at the Meeting  Hall of the Yogya Palace.

Leather puppet shadow performance which performed the fragments story from both the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Every Saturday 4.30 am - 1.00 pm at the Meeting Hall of the Yogya Palace.
It is actually also performed daily in a shorter version at Sono Budoyo museum, just in front of the Sultan Palace at Jl. Trikora, from 8.00 pm - 10.00 pm