Here Today, There Tomorrow

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Museum Pusaka Nias Part I: The Ancestors' Inheritance

Vincencia Dian February 24, 2016 6 Comments

If you are a traveler who only have one day to visit the Nias Island , I would recommend the Nias Heritage Museum a.k.a Museum Pusaka Nias as a tourist destination in representing this island . This place combines elements of natural beauty with a wealth of Nias culture. In this museum people are not only to visit the cultural museums and libraries alone ,but also the zoo, the park and the beach. Interesting, right?

Due to the many functions of this museum , thus I will share the story of my visit to this museum in two articles , namely the Museum Pusaka Nias Part I: The Ancestor’s Inheritance and Museum Pusaka Nias Part II: Beach, Park and Playground.

Pict by The Jakarta Post.

Not only inside the hall, the collections are also exhibited ouside. This is a stone chair.

A traditional house of Nias that is also used as a hall for rent.

What's inside
The exhibition hall is made up of several pavilions (4 if I'm not mistaken), which exhibits many art, cultural and historical collections of the ancestor of Nias people. Among the various collections contained in the museum, I found artifacts, traditional clothing and houses, jewelries and symbols that indicate a person's status in the past. There are also household and kitchen utensil such as knifes, axes, and banquet tools. Those collections were made of various types of material such as ceramics, wood, stone, metal, etc. In the middle of the museum, there's an open space to display various megaliths such as stone statues, stone tombs and kings throne.

How to get there

This museum is addresed on Jl. Yos Sudarso No. 134 A, Gunungsitoli, Nias, North Sumatera. It is located in a very strategic area and can be reached by various modes of transportation. Located about 2 km form downtown, 500 meters from the port of Gunungsitoli and about 20 km from Binaka Airport, the visitors usually use cars, becak motor (pedicab pulled by a motorbike), bicycles or motorbike to get here. Unlike in the big city, Gunungsitoli still does not have a means of public transportation, so that motorcycling is still the most popular way to reach every corner of the town. To get into this touris area, visitors must pay tickets Rp 2000,- per person, Rp 5000,- for motorcycle and car (they have different rate for car, but I am really sorry that I can't give that information now. I'll find out, anyway). With this ticket, visitors can enter the area of the zoo, parks, several areas of Nias traditional houses and the beach. As for entering the museum/exhibiton hall, again, visitors have to pay Rp 3000,- for children and Rp 5000,- for adults.

Final Thought

I really enjoyed my visit at Museum Pusaka Nias. Each of the pavilions were

beautifully designed to exhibit all the collections. Not only that, I also enjoyed

reading the story behind each collection written in an information card below the

display and the companion of the kind curators. This place has all the amenities

that you need to learn a few things about Nias Island and the people in the past.

But I was a little disappointed since we are not allowed to take any photo inside the

exhibiton hall, neither the collection nor the information card. There’s only one

room where we can take photos. This room displays some miniatures of Nias

traditional houses, wooden kings throne and also the story of how this museum

was established.

These are some photos that tells the story of how this museum was established.

But for people who just want to take some selfie and fun photos with friends and

family, this room is enough.

I really enjoyed every visit to this museum and the views expressed in this article

are my own opinion without any bad intention.

Ps.

For you who want to know more about this museum, the history and the collections, you should check out / http://www.museum-nias.org/

OMK Santa Maria and The Christmas Tale

Vincencia Dian February 24, 2016 2 Comments

Menjadi "barang baru, stok lama" di kampung halaman sendiri membuatku agak desperate mencari komunitas untuk bernaung. Terbiasa dengan kehidupan di boarding school yang menyediakan organisasi atau perkumpulan untuk memfasilitasi pertemanan dan kegiatanku, aku kembali ke Pulau Nias hampir tanpa teman sama sekali. Beruntung setelah hampir sebulan tiba disini, aku bergabung dengan OMK (Orang Muda Katolik) Santa Maria, Gunungsitoli.

Saat itu adalah awal bulan November dan setiap keluarga, sekolah, lingkungan, komunitas dan gereja sibuk mempersiapkan perayaan Natal dan Tahun Baru, tak terkecuali gerejaku dan OMK Santa Maria. Dan di tengah kesibukan akhir tahun di kantorku, aku diberi kepercayaan menjadi Ketua Panitia Perayaan Syukuran Natal dan Tahun Baru pada tanggal 10 Januari 2016. Apa yang terjadi selama persiapan acara ini sungguh merupakan pengalaman menarik sekaligus melelahkan bagiku.

Sebagai ketua dadakan, aku pun memilih anggota panitia dan bersama dengan mereka menyusun timeline, rencana dana usaha hingga acara pada hari H.


(From left to right) Me-Kak Chalara-Fransiska-Kak Sherly-Kak Dom. So glad to have girl friends to have lunch with and share a laugh or two.

Dana Usaha

Dalam kurang lebih 5 minggu sebelum hari H yaitu tanggal 10 Januari 2016, aku dan seluruh anggota OMK berjualan di gereja setiap minggunya. Kami membuka stand makanan di halaman gereja dan menjual berbagai jenis makanan dan minuman seperti kue-kuean,sate, jelly, agar-agar, mie dan nasi goreng, jus buah, aqua dan es cendol. Kecuali kue, sate dan aqua, kami memasak dan mempersiapkan sendiri barang dagangan kami. Kami juga melayani delivery order loohh..Anda pesan, kami antar :)


Week 1. Home made jelly for your sunny day :)

Meet the former chief of OMK Santa Maria. He was preping fruit parcels to be sold the next day.


This was our stand. Well not really a stand actually...haha.. :D

(Well, at first I was so pesimistic about this money thingy. We had literally nothing in hand back then). Terimakasih buat para pembeli dan donatur kami, puji Tuhan, dalam waktu 5 minggu saja, kami mengumpulkan lebih dari yang kami butuhkan. We had come from zero to our own hero. Yeayy...

Persiapan Misa dan Acara Ramah Tamah

Well to be honest, this is the most tiring part of all. Bukan karena pekerjaan di akhir tahun yang mengharuskanku lembur tiap malam kemudian langsung ke gereja untuk mengawasi latihan persiapan natal, namun karena berbagai “drama” yang menguras hati dan pikiran #tsaahh... :p

Tapi meskipun begitu, aku bersyukur karena pada akhirnya satu per satu dapat dipersiapkan dengan baik dan kami dapat mempersembahkan yang terbaik di Misa Syukuran Natal dan Tahun Baru (siang) dan Acara Ramah Tamah (sore). I was so lucky having such a great team.


What were we gonna do with all this plastic glasses?

And tadaaaaa...Our very own christmas tree made of plastic glasses. Pretty, creative, yet eco-friendly.

This is Herry with his- frosty the snowman- project. Come say Hi !

It was late at night night and we were still in the church rehearsing the dance for the Sunday Mass service.

The choir team.

Pardon my face, I was supposed to take the Jesus statue at the back..lol :p


The day before D day. Time to tie the banners and put some decorations. Yeay..


Lunchfie. Lunch and selfie. Cheerss..

The “D” Day

Tidak seperti acara Natal dan Tahun Baru di tempat lain, Perayaan Syukuran Natal 2015 dan Tahun Baru 2016 OMK Santa Maria dibagi dalam 2 sesi. Yang pertama adalah Misa Inkulturatif yang menyajikan perpaduan antara budaya Nias, Batak dan Flores, namun budaya utama yang diusung pada misa tersebut adalah budaya Nias. Dan yang kedua adalah acara ramah tamah yang merupakan acara hiburan, fellowship dan talent show (I should say).

Well I’m not proud to admit this, sebagai anak Nias, aku sama sekali tidak mengerti tata perayaan misa Katolik dalam bahasa Nias. Maka selain menyanyikan lagu Nias yang telah ada teksnya, aku hanya diam sepanjang perayaan misa. Namun pada akhir perayaan misa, kami mendapat banyak apresiasi dari umat. Sepertinya mereka sangat menikmati perayaan misa dengan budaya dan bahasa Nias, mungkin hal tersebut mengingatkan mereka akan perayaan misa di gereja masa kecil mereka di desa. Oooww..so sweet ..

The choir section.

This was after The Sunday Mass service. Those who wore Nias traditional costume were the dancers. So sad I don't have their photos while dancing, but I believe my friends do :)

The boys with Father Vincentius.

Kak Dom never wanted to miss a chance to have a photo haha..She is a very passionate girls, anyway :)

Setelah perayaan misa, sorenya kami mengadakan acara ramah tamah di aula Paroki Santa Maria Gunungsitoli . Acara yang berlangsung selama 3 jam tersebut berlangsung santai dan kekeluargaan. Here are some photos of the event.


Performance dari para postulan.

Kids from Monaco Orphanage.

What is the other use of christmas decorations? Yup...photo shoot property :)


The whole squad with Father Sam, Father Vincent and Sister Murni. We did it, guys. WE DID IT!!!


My groupie from Junior High School. After 8 years parted, we finally made it here again in our hometown. We aged before we even know it :)


With my best teammate ever, my biggest suporter and fan. Thanks mum :*

Bottom line, dengan pertolongan Tuhan dan kerjasama seluruh panitia dan anggota OMK, orangtua, donatur umat dan paroki, kami berhasil melaksanakan Acara Syukuran Natal 2015 dan Tahun Baru 2016 OMK Santa Maria. Aku pribadi juga tidak bisa melupakan jasa Pastor Sam, Pastor Vincent, Suster Murni, Suster Felicia, Frater Petrus dan Ibu Ina Esto atas setiap waktu, pikiran, tenaga dan doanya untuk kami selama persiapan acara ini. Bertambah satu lagi yang menjadi bukti bagiku bahwa setiap kerja keras dan kesungguhan akan selalu berbuah manis.

Jaya terus OMK. Semoga semakin diberkati dalam setiap pelayanannya.