Los Angeles, California, United States

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Los Angeles is the second largest city in the United States, and with a
population of 3.8 million is the largest city in the state of California and

the Western United States. Additionally the city spans over 498.3 square
miles (1,290.6 km2) in Southern California and is anchored to the world's
13th largest metropolitan area with 17.7 million people spread out over much

of coastal Southern California. The Los Angeles–Long Beach–Santa Ana
metropolitan area is home to nearly 12.9 million residents. Los Angeles is
also the seat of Los Angeles County, the most populated and one of the most
multicultural counties in the United States. The city's inhabitants are
referred to as "Angelenos".

Los Angeles was founded on September 4, 1781, by Spanish governor Felipe de
Neve as El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Angeles del Río de
Porciúncula (The Village of Our Lady, the Queen of the Angels of the river
of Porziuncola). It became a part of Mexico in 1821, following its
independence from Spain. In 1848, at the end of the Mexican-American War,
Los Angeles and the rest of California were purchased as part of the Treaty
of Guadalupe Hidalgo, thereby becoming part of the United States; Mexico
retained the territory of Baja California. Los Angeles was incorporated as a

municipality on April 4, 1850, five months before California achieved
statehood.

In the 1920s, the motion picture and aviation industries flocked to Los
Angeles, with continuing growth ensuring that the city suffered less during
the Great Depression. In 1932, with population surpassing one million, the
city hosted the Summer Olympics.

In 1969, Los Angeles became one of the birthplaces of the Internet, as the
first ARPANET transmission was sent from the University of California, Los
Angeles (UCLA) to SRI in Menlo Park.

Geography

Los Angeles is irregularly shaped and covers a total area of 498.3 square
miles (1,291 km2), comprising 469.1 square miles (1,215 km2) of land and 29
2 square miles (76 km2) of water. The city extends for 44 miles (71 km)
longitudinally and for 29 miles (47 km) latitudinally. The perimeter of the
city is 342 miles (550 km). It is the only major city in the United States
bisected by a mountain range.

Climate

Los Angeles has a Mediterranean climate or Dry-Summer Subtropical (Köppen
climate classification Csb on the coast, Csa inland), and receives just
enough annual precipitation to avoid Köppen's BSh (warm semi-arid climate)
classification. Los Angeles enjoys plenty of sunshine throughout the year,
with an average of 320 sunshine days and only 40 days with measurable
precipitation annually.

Salah Siapa?

Sahabat, ini kisah tentang empat manusia.

SETIAP ORANG, SESEORANG, SIAPAPUN, dan TAK SATU PUN.

Ada sebuah tugas penting yang harus dilaksanakan dan SETIAP ORANG diminta
untuk melakukannya.

SETIAP ORANG sangat yakin bahwa SESEORANG akan melakukannya,

SIAPAPUN dapat melakukannya, tapi TAK SATUPUN melakukannya,

SESEORANG kemudian marah sebab itu adalah tugas SETIAP ORANG,

SETIAP ORANG tahu bahwa SIAPAPUN bisa melakukannya,

tapi TAK SATUPUN menyadari bahwa SESEORANG tak mau melakukannya,

Akhirnya, SETIAP ORANG menyalahkan SESEORANG sebab TAK SATUPUN melakukan apa

yang SETIAP ORANG bisa melakukannya.

Sahabat, bisa jadi, empat manusia itu sebenarnya hanya satu.
Mari kita renungkan dan mari kita terus belajar.

Sumber: Internet Joke

Seattle, Washington, United States

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Seattle is the northernmost major city on the West Coast of the United
States, and the largest city in the state of Washington. A seaport situated
on an isthmus between Puget Sound (an arm of the Pacific Ocean) and Lake
Washington, about 100 miles (160 km) south of the Canada – United States
border, it is named after Chief Seattle, of the Duwamish and Suquamish
tribes. Seattle is the center of the Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue metropolitan
statistical area, the 15th largest in the United States, and the largest in
the northwestern United States. The major economic, cultural and educational
center in the region, Seattle is the county seat of King County. As of 1
April 2009, the city had an estimated municipal population of 602,000.

The Seattle area has been inhabited for at least 4,000 years, but European
settlement began only in the mid-19th century. The first permanent European
settlers—Arthur A. Denny and those subsequently known as the Denny
Party—arrived November 13, 1851. Early settlements in the area were called
New York-Alki" ("Alki" meaning "by and by" in the local Chinook Jargon) and
Duwamps". In 1853, Doc Maynard suggested that the main settlement be renamed
"Seattle", an anglicized rendition of the name of Sealth, the chief of the
two local tribes. From 1869 until 1982, Seattle was known as the "Queen City
.[10] Seattle's current official nickname is the "Emerald City", the result
of a contest held in the early 1980s; the reference is to the lush evergreen
forests of the area. Seattle is also referred to informally as the "Gateway
to Alaska", "Rain City", and "Jet City", the last from the local influence
of Boeing. Seattle residents are known as Seattleites.

History

Archaeological excavations confirm that the Seattle area has been inhabited
by humans for at least 4,000 years. By the time the first European settlers
arrived in the area, the people (now called the Duwamish Tribe) occupied at
least seventeen villages in the areas around Elliott Bay.

David Swinson ("Doc") Maynard, one of Duwamps's founders, was the primary
advocate to rename the village "Seattle" after Chief Sealth of the Duwamish
and Suquamish tribes. The term, "Seattle", appears on official Washington
Territory papers dated May 23, 1853, when the first plats for the village
were filed. In 1855, nominal land settlements were established. On January
14, 1865, the Legislature of Territorial Washington incorporated the Town of
Seattle with a board of trustees managing the city. Two years later, after a
petition was filed by most of the leading citizens, the Legislature
disincorporated the town. The town remained a precinct of King County until
late 1869 when a new petition was filed and the city was re-incorporated
with a Mayor-council government.

Topography

Seattle is located between the Puget Sound (an inlet of the Pacific Ocean)
to the west, and Lake Washington to the east. The city's chief harbor,
Elliott Bay, is an inlet of the Puget Sound. To the west, beyond the Puget
Sound, are the Kitsap Peninsula and Olympic Mountains on the Olympic
Peninsula; to the east, beyond Lake Washington and the eastside suburbs, are
Lake Sammamish and the Cascade Range. Lake Washington's waters flow to the
Puget Sound through the Lake Washington Ship canal (a series of two man-made
canals), Lake Union, and the Hiram C. Chittenden Locks at Salmon Bay, ending
in Shilshole Bay.

Landmarks

The Space Needle, dating from the Century 21 Exposition (1962), is Seattle's most recognizable landmark, having been featured in the logo of the television show Frasier and the backgrounds of the television series Dark Angel, Grey's Anatomy and iCarly, and films such as It Happened at the World's Fair and Sleepless in Seattle. The fairgrounds surrounding the Needle have been converted into Seattle Center, which remains the site of many local civic and cultural events, Other notable Seattle landmarks include Pike Place Market.

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Vancouver is a coastal city located in the Lower Mainland of British
Columbia, Canada. It is named for British Captain George Vancouver, who
explored the area in the 1790s. The name Vancouver itself originates from
the Dutch "van Coevorden", denoting somebody from Coevorden, a city in the
Netherlands.

The largest metropolitan area in Western Canada, Vancouver ranks third
largest in the country and the city proper ranks eighth. According to the
2006 census Vancouver had a population of 578,041 and its Census
Metropolitan Area exceeded 2.1 million people. Its residents are ethnically
and linguistically diverse; 52% do not speak English as their first language


Logging sawmills established in 1867 in the area known as Gastown became the
nucleus around which the townsite grew, and Vancouver was incorporated as a
city in 1886. By 1887, the transcontinental railway was extended to the city
to take advantage of its large natural seaport, which soon became a vital
link in a trade route between the Orient, Eastern Canada, and London. The
Port Metro Vancouver is now the busiest and largest in Canada, as well as
the fourth largest port (by tonnage) in North America. While forestry
remains its largest industry, Vancouver is well known as an urban centre
surrounded by nature, making tourism its second largest industry

History

Indigenous peoples and European exploration

Archaeological records indicate the presence of Aboriginal people in the
Vancouver area from 8,000 to 10,000 years ago. The city is located in the
traditional territories of Skwxwú7mesh, Xwméthkwyiem, and Tseil-waututh
peoples of the Coast Salish group. They had villages in various parts of
present-day Vancouver, such as Stanley Park, False Creek, Kitsilano, Point
Grey and near the mouth of the Fraser River.

The first European to explore the coastline of present-day Point Grey and
parts of Burrard Inlet was José María Narváez of Spain, in 1791, although
Samuel Bawlf contends that Francis Drake may have visited the area in 1579.
George Vancouver explored the inner harbour of Burrard Inlet in 1792 and
gave various places British names.

The explorer and North West Company trader Simon Fraser and his crew were
the first known Europeans to set foot on the site of the present-day city.
In 1808, they travelled from the east down the Fraser River, perhaps as far
as Point Grey, near the University of British Columbia.

Geography

Located on the Burrard Peninsula, Vancouver lies between Burrard Inlet to
the north and the Fraser River to the south. The Strait of Georgia, to the
west, is shielded from the Pacific Ocean by Vancouver Island. The city has
an area of 114 km2 (44 sq mi), including both flat and hilly ground, and is
in the Pacific Time Zone (UTC−8) and the Pacific Maritime Ecozone. Until the
city's naming in 1885, "Vancouver" referred to Vancouver Island, and it
remains a common misconception that the city is located on the island. The
island and the city are both named after Royal Navy Captain George Vancouver
though the city of Vancouver, Washington, on the north bank of the Columbia
River opposite Portland, Oregon, is only indirectly named for Captain
Vancouver; that city's name was adapted from Fort Vancouver, which had been
the headquarters of the Columbia District of the Hudson's Bay Company and
the largest settlement in the Pacific Northwest until the Oregon Treaty of
1846.

Vancouver has one of the largest urban parks in North America, Stanley Park,
which covers 404.9 hectares (1001 acres). The North Shore Mountains dominate
the cityscape, and on a clear day scenic vistas include the snow-capped
volcano Mount Baker in the state of Washington to the southeast, Vancouver
Island across the Strait of Georgia to the west and southwest, and the Bowen
Island to the northwest.

Climate

Vancouver's climate is temperate by Canadian standards and is usually
classified as Oceanic or Marine west coast (Köppen climate classification
Cfb). The summer months are typically dry, often resulting in moderate
drought conditions, usually in July and August. In contrast, the rest of the
year is rainy, especially between October and March.

Demographics

Vancouver has been called a "city of neighbourhoods," each with a distinct
character and ethnic mix. People of English, Scottish, and Irish origins
were historically the largest ethnic groups in the city, and elements of
British and Irish society and culture are still visible in some areas,
particularly South Granville and Kerrisdale. Germans are the next-largest
European ethnic group in Vancouver and were a leading force in the city's
society and economy until the rise of anti-German sentiment with the
outbreak of World War I in 1914. The Chinese are by far the largest visible
ethnic group in the city, and Vancouver has a very diverse Chinese-speaking
community, with several dialects represented, including Cantonese and
Mandarin. Neighbourhoods with distinct ethnic commercial areas include the
Punjabi Market, Little Italy, Greektown, and (formerly) Japantown.

In the 1980s, an influx of immigrants from Hong Kong in anticipation of its
transfer from the United Kingdom to China, combined with an increase in
immigrants from mainland China and previous immigrants from Taiwan,
established in Vancouver one of the highest concentrations of ethnic Chinese
residents in North America. This arrival of Asian immigrants continued a
tradition of immigration from around the world that had established
Vancouver as the second most popular destination for immigrants in Canada
(after Toronto). Other significant Asian ethnic groups in Vancouver are
South Asian (mostly Punjabi, usually referred to as Indo-Canadian),
Vietnamese, Filipino, Indonesian, Korean, Cambodians and Japanese. Despite
increases in Latin American immigration to Vancouver in the 1980s and 90s,
immigration from Latin America has been comparatively low, and African
immigration has been similarly stagnant (3.6% and 3.3% of total immigrant
population, respectively.) In 1981, less than 7% of the population belonged
to a visible minority group. By 2008, this proportion had grown to 51%.

Vancouver has a large gay community, and British Columbia was the second Canadian jurisdiction (after Ontario) to make same-sex marriage legal. The downtown area around Davie Street, known as Davie Village, is the centre of the gay community. Vancouver has one of the country's largest annual gay pride parades.

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy (Russian: Петропа́вловск-Камча́тский) is the main
city and the administrative, industrial, scientific, and cultural center of
Kamchatka Krai (Russia). Population: 198,028 (2002 Census); 268,747 (1989
Census).

Geography

The city is situated on high hills and surrounded by volcanoes. In fact, the
horizon cannot be seen clearly from any point of town as volcanoes and
mountains are everywhere. Across Avacha Bay from the city is Russia's
largest submarine base, the Rybachiy Nuclear Submarine Base, (location and
satellite photos: 52°55′N 158°29′E) established during Soviet times and
still used by the Russian Navy. The city is located 6766 km (4204 miles)
from Moscow, taking about 9 hours for direct flight.

History

Petropavlovsk was founded by Danish navigator in the service of the Russian
Navy Vitus Bering. Bering reached Avacha Bay on July 10, 1740 and laid the
foundation stone for the harbor town, naming the new settlement
Petropavlovsk" (Peter + Paul) after his two ships, the St. Peter and the St.
Paul, built in Okhotsk for his second expedition. The town's location on the
sheltered Avacha Bay and at the mouth of the Avacha River saw it develop to
become the most important settlement in Kamchatka.

During the 1854–1855 Crimean War, the city was put under siege by the
Anglo-French forces, but never fell. The city had been fortified under the
command of Nikolay Muravyov-Amursky in the years previous, but only
possessed a small garrison of a few hundred soldiers and 67 cannons. After
much exchange of fire, 600 allied troops landed south of the city, but were
forced to retreat by only 230 Russian troops after heavy fighting. One week
later, 900 allied troops landed east of the town, but were again repelled by
the Russians. The allied ships then retreated from Russian waters. The total
Russian losses were reported at around 100 men, those of the allies at least
five times that number.

Petropavlovsk was a great source of fish, particularly salmon, and crab meat
for the Soviet Union in the 20th century. Since the end of the Soviet era
fishing rights have also been granted to foreign interests.

Tourism

The city has developed a tourist infrastructure. About twenty large tourism
companies offer a wide range of services from bear hunting to paragliding.
No roads connect the Kamchatka Peninsula to the rest of the world.
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy is the second largest city in the world that
cannot be reached by road after Iquitos, Peru. Travel to
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy is expensive but is growing in popularity because
of the remarkable scenery throughout the peninsula. The city is served by
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Airport.

Hakodate, Hokkaidō, Japan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hakodate (函館市, Hakodate-shi?) is a city and port located in Oshima, Hokkaidō
Japan. It is the capital city of Oshima Subprefecture.

As of March 2008, the city has an estimated population of 287,691 and a
density of 442.24 persons per km². The total area is 677.77 km².

History

Pre-Meiji restoration

Hakodate was founded in 1454, when Kono Kaganokami Masamichi constructed a
large manor house in the Ainu fishing village of Usukeshi (the word for bay
in Ainu). The mansion is said to have included a barricade and looked like a
box from the distance giving the area its name, box mansion.

Hakodate flourished during the Hoei period (1704–11) and many new temples
were founded in the area. The town's fortunes received a further boost in
1741 when the Matsumae clan, which had been granted nearby areas on the
Oshima Peninsula as a march fief, moved its Kameda magistracy to Masamichi's
house in Hakodate.

In 1779, the Tokugawa shogunate took direct control over Hakodate, which
triggered rapid development in the area. Merchant Takadaya Kahei, who is
honoured as the founder of Hakodate port, set up trading operations, which
included the opening the northern Etorofu sea route to the Kuril island
fisheries. He is credited with turning Hakodate from a trading outpost into
a thriving city. A Hakodate magistracy was established in 1802.

Meiji restoration

The port of Hakodate was surveyed by a fleet of five U.S. ships in 1854
under the conditions of the Treaty of Kanagawa, as negotiated by Commodore
Matthew Perry.
Lithograph entitled "View of Hakodate from Snow Peak" looking towards the
sea—artist, Wilhelm Heine (1856).

Hakodate port partially opened to foreign ships for provisioning in the
following year and then completely to foreign trade on 2 June 1859 as one of
three Japanese open ports designated in the 1858 Treaty of Amity and
Commerce signed with the U.S.

A mariner in Perry's fleet died during a visit to the area and became the
first U.S. citizen to be buried in Japan when he was interred in Hakodate's
cemetery for foreigners.

20th century to present day

Hakodate was awarded city status on August 1, 1922. The city escaped most of
the ravages of World War II. Areas around Hakodate-yama were fortified and
access restricted to the public. Many prisoners of war were interned in
Hakodate and historians record a total of 10 camps. The city was subjected
to two Allied bombing raids on 14 and 15 July 1945. Around 400 homes were
destroyed on the western side of Hakodate-yama and an Aomori-Hakodate ferry
was attacked with 400 passengers killed.

In 1976, a defecting Soviet pilot named Viktor Belenko flew his plane into
the civilian airport in Hakodate.

Hakodate's size nearly doubled on December 1, 2004 when the town of
Minamikayabe, from Kayabe District, the towns of Esan and Toi, and the
village of Todohokke, all from Kameda District, were merged into it.

Geography

Hakodate is located in the centre of Kameda peninsula.

The city is overlooked by Mount Hakodate (函館山, Hakodate-yama?), a lumpy,
forested mountain whose summit can be reached by hiking trail, cable car, or
car. The night view from the summit is renowned in Japan as one of the best
in the country, and one of the top three in the world along with Hong Kong
and Naples. An obscure local nickname of the bumpy mountain is Gagyūzan
(Mount Cow's Back), alluding to the way the mountain resembles a resting cow

The former Goryōkaku fort is now used in as a public park and is popular in
Hokkaidō for hanami (cherry blossom viewing). Since April 2006, the park has
also featured the tall, white Goryōkaku Tower. Resembling an air traffic
control tower, the structure offers a panoramic view of the park, including
mainland Japan across the Tsugaru Strait on clear days.

Culture

The city is known for Hakodate Shio Ramen, which uses sliced squid in place of chāshū (Char siu, 叉焼 or 焼豚: traditionally barbecued pork but usually a thinly sliced braised pork when used as a ramen topping). On a similar note, Hakodate's city fish is the squid. Every year (August) the city gets together for the Hakodate Port Festival. Hordes of citizens gather in the streets to dance a wiggly dance known as the Ika-odori (Squid Dance), the name of which describes the dance appropriately. The glowing lights of squid-catching boats can be seen in the waters surrounding the city.

Menyelami Samudera Kehidupan Kita

Hore,
Hari Baru!
Teman-teman.

Kengerian macam apa yang membayangi anda ketika berhadapan dengan laut
lepas? Seandainya anda kecebur laut yang penuh ombak itu, kira-kira nasib
apa yang akan anda alami? Jangankan kecebur laut, mendengar debur ombaknya
saja rasanya sudah menggetarkan, bukan? Saat membayangkan betapa luas dan
dalamnya lautan, kita sering dihantui oleh pikiran-pikiran yang menyeramkan.

Takut diserang ikan hiu. Takut tenggelam ditelan gelombang. Dan beragam
macam ketakutan lainnya yang membuat hati kita ciut. Lalu, ingatkah anda
bahwa selain untuk menggambarkan laut luas, kita juga menggunakan kata
'Samudera' untuk menggambarkan betapa luas dan misteriusnya kehidupan kita?
Kita menyebutnya 'samudera kehidupan'. Jika demikian, apakah hati kita juga
diliputi kengerian saat membayangkan betapa luas dan dalamnya samudera
kehidupan ini?

Semua kengerian tentang laut benar-benar membanjiri hati istri saya ketika
dia telah mengenakan pakaian khusus penyelam. Maklum, ini adalah penyelaman
pertama yang dilakukannya. Tetapi, kami meyakinkan dirinya bahwa dibawah
sana ada keindahan yang dihamparkan Tuhan bagi mereka yang bersedia untuk
menyelaminya. Keindahan yang tidak pernah bisa kita tatap dari permukaan air

laut yang penuh gelombang dan tamparan ombak beriak-riak. Keindahan yang
hanya bisa kita nikmati, jika kita bersedia untuk menceburkan diri, dan
menyibakkan kengerian yang menyelimutinya.

"Embaknya kok tegang begitu?" goda instruktur diving yang memandu kami.
"Tenang saja,Mbak," katanya lagi. Sembari sekali lagi dia meyakinkan bahwa
diving itu adalah kegiatan yang sangat aman. Saya memegang erat tangan istri

saya untuk mengurangi kecemasan yang mengganggunya. Bagaimanapun juga, untuk

ukuran orang yang pertama kali diving, prestasi istri saya layak diacungi
jempol. Gemetaran sedikit masih bisa dimaklumi.

"Takut ya?" tiba-tiba saja penyakit iseng saya kambuh. Istri saya hanya
mencibir sambil menambah kencang pegangan tangannya ketika boat yang membawa

kami meluncur semakin jauh ke tengah laut. Dan ketika tiba saatnya untuk
menyelam, tidak ada lagi kesempatan untuk berpegangan tangan dengan saya.
Sehingga dia harus benar-benar percaya bahwa dia bisa menyelam bukan hanya
sekedar aman, tetapi juga menyenangkan. Didalam air, saya tidak melihat
ketegangan menyelimuti dirinya. Mungkin beragam ikan warna-warni yang
mengerubutinya telah memakan habis ketegangan itu. Meski tanpa kata, saya
bisa merasakan bahwa istri saya sangat menikmatinya. Sampai-sampai kantong
plastik berisi roti yang menjadi umpan ikan terlepas dari tangannya. Seekor
ikan besar menyambar dan membawanya pergi. Untung instrukturnya berbaik hati

memberikan umpan miliknya sehingga istri saya masih bisa merayu ikan-ikan
itu untuk datang mendekat.

Setelah penyelaman itu, sama sekali tidak terlihat ketegangan yang
sebelumnya saya baca diseluruh tubuhnya. Yang ada hanya tawa dan cerita ini
itu tentang pengalaman menakjubkan yang baru saja didapatkannya. Terlebih
lagi tentang ikan besar yang memiliki dua gigi menonjol dimulutnya. Istri
saya bilang, ikan itu cantik. Bahkan dia mengatakan kalau ikan itu seperti
memiliki alis mata yang diukir. Juga tentang pesona ikan- ikan yang cantik
seolah mengenakan kosmetik. Serta sejuta kisah lainnya dalam penyelaman itu.

Diam-diam, saya bertanya pada diri sendiri;"pergi kemana semua kengerian
yang pernah menakuti dirinya?"

Tiba-tiba saja, saya jadi teringat akan Samudera Kehidupan kita. Mengingat
betapa luasnya ia, kita sering ngeri dibuatnya. Kita sering dibayangi oleh
ketakutan akan ada hal-hal mengerikan dalam hidup kita, seperti kita takut
akan ada hiu yang siap menyerang. Mengingat betapa misteriusnya dia, kita
sering khawatir atas apa yang akan terjadi esok. Mengingat betapa penuh
teka-tekinya dia, kita sering tidak berani melakukan sesuatu untuk menemukan

keindahan hidup yang sesungguhnya. Seperti ketakutan yang menyelimuti hati
istri saya ketika dia harus terjun ke laut lepas. Padahal, seandainya dia
memutuskan untuk tidak melakukannya, maka dia tidak akan pernah bisa
bercerita tentang alis mata ikan-ikan yang memanjakannya itu.

Ketika membayangkan untuk terjun ke laut, istri saya begitu takut. Namun,
setelah menyelam kedalamnya, dia seolah enggan untuk kembali ke perahu.
Karena ternyata, didalam laut yang membuat kita takut itu, terdapat
keindahan yang tiada terlukiskan. Ketika membayangkan untuk terjun kedalam
samudera kehidupan, kita sering begitu takut. Kita takut tidak bisa menyelam

didalamnya. Kita takut terseret gelombangnya. Kemudian tenggelam. Dan tidak
bisa kembali ke permukaan. Padahal, boleh jadi; dikedalaman samudera
kehidupan kita yang penuh misteri itulah keindahan hidup kita tersimpan.
Sebab, seperti kita memandang lautan dari atas; kita hanya mampu melihat
deburan ombak dan hamparan gelombang. Kita sama sekali tidak bisa melihat
keindahan yang mereka sembunyikan dibawahnya. Demikian pula halnya dengan
hidup kita. Jika kita hanya berani memandang permukannya saja; mungkin kita
hanya bisa melihat gelombang-gelombang yang mendebarkan. Kita sama sekali
tidak bisa melihat apa yang disembunyikan didalam gelombang kehidupan itu,
jika kita tidak bersedia untuk masuk kedalamnya.

Sungguh, laut itu indah. Namun, keindahan sesungguhnya hanya bisa kita
temukan ketika kita menyelam masuk kedalamnya. Sungguh, hidup ini indah.
Namun, boleh jadi keindahan hidup sesungguhnya hanya bisa kita temukan
ketika kita bersedia benar-benar menceburkan diri kedalam kehidupan itu
sendiri. Sebab, seperti apa yang kita alami sewaktu menyelam. Pemandangan
didalam air, sungguh sangat berbeda dari apa yang terlihat dipermukaan. Oleh

karena itu, untuk menemukan keindahan sesungguhnya dari hidup ini,
barangkali; tidaklah cukup hanya dengan melihat dan menjelajahnya
dipermukaan saja. Barangkali, kita harus bersedia 'menahan nafas' lalu
terjun kedalam. Meskipun beresiko. Sekalipun pada awalnya tidak nyaman.
Namun, ketika kita sudah sampai kedalam, kita akan menemukan sejatinya
sebuah keindahan. Dan begitu kita berhasil menemukannya, kita menjadi tahu
bahwa keindahan itu tidak bisa didapatkan jika kita bersikukuh untuk tetap
tinggal dipermukaan.

Mari Berbagi Semangat!

Dadang Kadarusman
Natural Intelligence & Mental Fitness Learning Facilitator
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Yokohama, Japan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Yokohama (横浜市) is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture. It lies on Tokyo
Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshū. It is
a major commercial hub of the Greater Tokyo Area.

Yokohama's population of 3.6 million makes it Japan's largest incorporated
city.

Yokohama developed rapidly as Japan's prominent port city following the end
of Japan's relative isolation in the mid-19th century, and is today one of
its major ports along with Kobe, Osaka, Nagoya, Hakata, Tokyo, and Chiba.

Yokohama's foreign population of nearly 75,000 includes Chinese, Koreans,
Filipinos, and Brazilians. Among the attractions are festivals and events.

History

Yokohama was a small fishing village up to the end of the feudal Edo period,
when Japan held a policy of national seclusion, having little contact with
foreigners. A major turning point in Japanese history happened in 1853�54,
when Commodore Matthew Perry arrived just south of Yokohama with a fleet of
American warships, demanding that Japan open several ports for commerce, and
the Tokugawa shogunate agreed by signing the Treaty of Peace and Amity.

It was initially agreed that one of the ports to be opened to foreign ships
would be the bustling town of Kanagawa-juku (in what is now Kanagawa Ward)
on the Tōkaidō, a strategic highway that linked Edo to Kyoto and Osaka.
However, the Tokugawa shogunate decided that Kanagawa-juku was too close to
the Tōkaidō for comfort, and port facilities were instead built across the
inlet in the sleepy fishing village of Yokohama. The Port of Yokohama was
opened on 2 June 1859.

Climate

Yokohama is centrally located on Honshū just southwest of Tokyo. There are four distinct seasons. Winters temperatures rarely drop below freezing, while summer can get quite warm due to humidity effects. Rain is frequent with significant rainfall occurring during both the East Asian rainy season and the typhoon season. Snowfall is limited to thirteen days a year.

Kobe, Japan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kobe (神戸市, Kōbe-shi?) is the sixth-largest city in Japan and is the capital
city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū,
approximately 500 km (310.69 mi) west of Tokyo. Kobe is a prominent port
city with a population of about 1.5 million. The city is located in the
Kansai region of Japan and is part of the Keihanshin (京阪神, Keihanshin?)
metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kyoto. Keihanshin in turn is part of
the Taiheiyō Belt, a megalopolis. Kobe is classified as one of Japan's
seventeen designated cities.

Known by the name Ōwada Anchorage (大輪田泊), the earliest written records
regarding the region come from the Nihon Shoki, which describes the founding
of the Ikuta Shrine by Empress Jingū in 201 AD For most of its history the
area was never a single political entity, even during the Tokugawa Period,
when the port was controlled directly by the Tokugawa Shogunate. Kobe did
not exist in its current form until its founding in 1889. Its name comes
from "kanbe" (神戸?), an archaic title for supporters of the city's Ikuta
Shrine. Kobe became one of Japan's designated cities in 1956.

Kobe was one of the cities to open for trade with the West following the end
of the policy of seclusion and has since been known as a cosmopolitan port
city. While the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake diminished much of Kobe's
prominence as a port city, it remains Japan's fourth busiest container port.
Companies headquartered in Kobe include ASICS, Kawasaki Heavy Industries,
and Kobe Steel, as well as over 100 international corporations with Asia or
Japan headquarters in the city such as Procter & Gamble,
Boehringer-Ingelheim and Nestlé. The city is the point of origin and
namesake of Kobe beef as well as the site of one of Japan's most famous hot
spring resorts, Arima Onsen.

History

Origins to the Meiji Era

Tools found in western Kobe demonstrate that the area was populated at least
from the Jōmon period. The natural geography of the area, particularly of
Wada Cape in Hyōgo-ku, led to the development of a port, which would remain
the economic center of the city. Some of the earliest written documents
mentioning the region include the Nihon Shoki, which describes the founding
of the Ikuta Shrine by Empress Jingū in 201 A.D.

During the Nara and Heian periods, the port was known by the name Ōwada
Anchorage (大輪田泊) and was one of the ports from which imperial embassies to
China were dispatched. The city was briefly the capital of Japan in 1180
when Taira no Kiyomori moved his grandson Emperor Antoku to Fukuhara in
present-day Hyōgo-ku. The Emperor returned to Kyoto after about five months.
Shortly thereafter in 1184, the Taira fortress in Hyōgo-ku and the nearby
Ikuta Shrine became the sites of the Genpei War battle of Ichi-no-Tani
between the Taira and Minamoto clans. The Minamoto prevailed, pushing the
Taira further.

As the port grew during the Kamakura period, it became an important hub for
trade with China and other countries. In the 13th century, the city came to
be known by the name Hyōgo Port (兵庫津). During this time, Hyōgo Port along
with northern Osaka composed the province of Settsu. Later, during the Edo
period, the eastern parts of present-day Kobe came under the jurisdiction of
the Amagasaki Domain and the western parts under that of the Akashi Domain,
while the center was controlled directly by the Tokugawa shogunate. It was
not until the abolition of the han system in 1871 and the establishment of
the current prefecture system that the area became politically distinct.

Hyōgo Port was opened to foreign trade by the government of the Bakufu at
the same time as Osaka on 1 January 1868, just before the advent of the
Boshin war and the Meiji restoration. The region has since been identified
with the West, and many foreign residences from the period remain in Kobe's
Kitano area.

Modern era

Kobe, as it is known today, was founded on April 1, 1889, and was designated
on September 1, 1956 by government ordinance. The history of the city is
closely tied to that of the Ikuta Shrine, and the name "Kobe" derives from
kanbe" (神戸), an archaic name for those who supported the shrine.

Geography

Wedged in between the coast and the mountains, the city of Kobe is long and
narrow. To the east is the city of Ashiya, while the city of Akashi lies to
its west. Other adjacent cities include Takarazuka and Nishinomiya to the
east and Sanda and Miki to the north.

The landmark of the port area is the red steel Port Tower. A giant ferris
wheel sits in nearby Harborland, a notable tourist promenade. Two artificial
islands, Port Island and Rokkō Island, have been constructed to give the
city room to expand.

Kagoshima, Japan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kagoshima (鹿児島市) is the capital city of Kagoshima Prefecture at the
southwestern tip of the Kyūshū island of Japan, and the largest city in the
prefecture by some margin. It has been nicknamed the "Naples of the Eastern
world" for its bay location (Aira Caldera), hot climate and impressive
stratovolcano, Sakurajima.

As of 1 January 2010, the city had an estimated population of 605,855 and a
density of 1,107.49 persons per km². The total area is 546.71 km². In 2003,
the city had an estimated population of only 554,136 and density of 1,911.41
persons per km². The total area was 289.91 km².

The city's total area nearly doubled between 2003 and 2005 as a result of
five towns—the towns of Kōriyama and Matsumoto, both from Hioki District,
the town of Kiire, from Ibusuki District, and the towns of Sakurajima and
Yoshida, both from Kagoshima District—merging into Kagoshima on November 1,
2004.

Kagoshima is approximately 40 minutes from Kagoshima Airport, and the city
features large shopping districts and malls, is served by trams, and has
many restaurants featuring Satsuma Province regional cuisine: kibi (a kind
of tiny fish), tonkatsu (caramelized pork, as opposed to the breaded version
encountered elsewhere in Japan), smoked eel, and karukan (sweet cakes made
from steamed yams and rice flour). A large, modern aquarium has been
installed on the old docks overlooking the volcano. The Senganen (Isoteien)
Japanese garden is just outside the city.

One of the best places to see the city (and the active volcano across the
bay) is from the Amuran Ferris wheel on top of "Amu Plaza," the shopping
centre attached to Kagoshima Central Train Station. The wheel has two
completely transparent gondolas which give a 360-degree view from 91 m above
the ground.

History

Kagoshima was the center of the territory of the Shimazu clan of samurai for
many centuries. It was a busy political and commercial port city throughout
the medieval period and into the Edo period (1603–1867) when it formally
became the capital of the Shimazu's fief, the Satsuma Domain. Satsuma
remained one of the most powerful and wealthiest domains in the country
throughout the period, and though international trade was banned for much of
this period, the city remained quite active and prosperous. It served not
only as the political center for Satsuma, but also for the semi-independent
vassal kingdom of Ryūkyū; Ryukyuan traders and emissaries frequented the
city, and a special Ryukyuan embassy building was established to help
administer relations between the two polities and to house visitors and
emissaries. Kagoshima was also a significant center of Christian activity in
Japan prior to the imposition of bans against that religion in the late 16th
and early 17th centuries.

The 1914 eruption of the volcano across the bay from the city did spread ash throughout the municipality; but relatively little disruption ensued.

Jeju City, South Korea

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jeju (Jeju-si) is the capital of Jeju province in South Korea and the
largest city on the island of Jeju. Its geographical location is 33°30' N
126°31'E . The city is served by Jeju International Airport (IATA code CJU)


Located in a southern island where the weather is mild even in winter, the
city is a famous resort with public casino facilities. Jeju welcomes over 4
million visitors from mainland Korea, Japan, and China every year.

Geography

In its former boundaries, Jeju City was 19.3 kilometers from east to west,
and 10.2 kilometers from north to south. To the north, it looks across the
Korea Strait at the southern coast of South Jeolla Province. To the south,
it meets Seogwipo City at the top of Hallasan, the island's sole mountain.

History

The area of the city has played a central role in Jeju since before recorded
history. The Samseonghyeol, holes from which the three ancestors of the Jeju
people are said to have come, are located in downtown Jeju City.

The city has grown quite rapidly since the 1970s. Shin Jeju (신제주), or "new
Jeju", was created some decades ago, up the hill from the airport and houses
many government buildings. The thatched roof buildings that were common
throughout the city until the 1970s are gradually disappearing.

The city was separated from Bukjeju County in 1955. However, in 2005 Jeju Province voters approved a proposal to merge the city with Bukjeju County, also merging Seogwipo with Namjeju County to create two large cities directly administered by the province. That change was put into effect in July 2006.

Tianjin, People’s Republic of China

 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tianjin's urban area is located along the Hai He River, which connects to
the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers via the Grand Canal in Tianjin. Its ports,
some distance away, are located on the Bohai Gulf in the Pacific Ocean.
Tianjin was once home to foreign concessions in the late Qing Dynasty and
early Kuomintang (KMT) era. The municipality incorporates the coastal region
of Tanggu, home to the Binhai New Area and the Tianjin
Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA). Tianjin Municipality borders
Hebei province to the north, south, and west; the Chinese capital Beijing is
to the northwest, and the Bohai Gulf to the east.

History

The land where Tianjin lies today was created in historical times by
sedimentation of various rivers entering the sea at Bohai Gulf (渤海湾),
including the Yellow River, which entered the sea in this area at one point.

The opening of the Grand Canal of China during the Sui Dynasty prompted the
development of Tianjin into a trading center. Until 1404, Tianjin was called
"Zhigu" (直沽), or "Straight Port". In that year, the Yongle Emperor renamed
the city Tianjin, literally means "the Heavenly Ford", to indicate that the
Emperor (son of heaven) forded the river at that point. This is because he
had indeed forded the river in Tianjin while on a campaign to scramble for
the throne from his nephew. Later on, a fort was established in Tianjin,
known as "Tianjin Wei" (天津卫), the Fort of Tianjin.

Tianjin was promoted to a prefecture in 1725. Tianjin County was established
under the prefecture in 1731. Tianjin was established as a municipality of
China (直辖市) in 1927.

Geography

Tianjin is at the northern end of the Grand Canal of China（大运河）, which
connects with the Yellow River （黃河） and Yangtze River （长江）.

Tianjin Municipality is generally flat, and swampy near the coast, but hilly
in the far north, where the Yanshan Mountains （燕山） pass through the tip of
northern Tianjin. The highest point in Tianjin is Jiushanding Peak on the
northern border with Hebei, at an altitude of 1078 m.

The Hai He River （海河） forms within Tianjin Municipality at the confluence of
the Ziya River（子牙河）, Daqing River（大清河）, Yongding River（永定河）, North Grand
Canal, and South Grand Canal; and enters the Pacific Ocean at Tianjin
Municipality as well, in Tanggu District. Major reservoirs include the
Beidagang Reservoir in the extreme south (in Dagang District) and the Yuqiao
Reservoir in the extreme north (in Ji County).

The urban area of Tianjin is found in the south-central part of the
Municipality. In addition to the main urban area of Tianjin proper, the
coast along the Bohai is lined with a series of port towns, including Tanggu
（塘沽） and Hangu（汉沽）.

Tianjin's climate is a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Koppen
climate classification Cwa) characterized by hot, humid summers, due to the
monsoon, and dry, cold winters, due to the Siberian anticyclone that are
still above -3C. Average high/low in January and July are 1.8 °C (35.2
°F)/−7.5 °C (18 °F) and 31.0 °C (87.8 °F)/22.7 °C (72.9 °F) respectively.
Spring is windy but dry, and most of the precipitation takes place in July
and August. Tianjin also experiences occasional spring sandstorms which blow
in from the Gobi Desert and may last for several days.

Culture

People from urban Tianjin speak Tianjin dialect, which comes under the
Mandarin subdivision of spoken Chinese. Despite its proximity to Beijing,
Tianjin dialect sounds quite different from Beijing dialect, which provides
the basis for Putonghua, official spoken language of the People's Republic
of China.

Shanghai, People’s Republic of China

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Shanghai is the largest city in China and the largest city proper in the
world, with a population of nearly 19 million.

Originally a fishing and textiles town, Shanghai grew to importance in the
19th century due to its favorable port location and as one of the cities
opened to foreign trade by the 1842 Treaty of Nanking. The city flourished
as a center of commerce between east and west, and became a multinational
hub of finance and business by the 1930s. After 1990, the economic reforms
introduced by Deng Xiaoping resulted in intense re-development and financing
in Shanghai, and in 2005 Shanghai became the world's largest cargo port.
Shanghai will hold the Expo 2010, the largest event to be held in China
since the 2008 Summer Olympics.

The city is a tourist destination renowned for its historical landmarks such
as the Bund and City God Temple, its modern and ever-expanding Pudong
skyline including the Oriental Pearl Tower. Today, Shanghai is the largest
center of commerce and finance in mainland China, and has been described as
the "showpiece" of the world's fastest-growing major economy.

Etymology

The two Chinese characters in the name "Shanghai", (上, shàng; and 海, hǎi)
literally mean "up, on, or above" and "sea" The earliest occurrence of this
name dates from the Song Dynasty (11th century), at which time there was
already a river confluence and a town with this name in the area. There are
disputes as to how the name should be interpreted, but official local
histories have consistently said that it means "the upper reaches of the sea
. Due to the changing coastline, Chinese historians have concluded that in
the Tang Dynasty Shanghai was literally on the sea, hence the origin of the
name. Another reading, especially in Mandarin, also suggests the sense of
go onto the sea," which is consistent with the seaport status of the city. A
more poetic name for Shanghai switches the order of the two characters,
Hǎishàng (海上), and is often used for terms related to Shanghainese art and
culture.

Shanghai is commonly abbreviated in Chinese as Hù (沪). The single character
Hu (沪) appears on all motor vehicle license plates issued in Shanghai today.
This is derived from Hu Du (沪渎), the name of an ancient fishing village that
once stood at the confluence of Suzhou Creek and the Huangpu River back in
the Tang Dynasty. The character Hu is often combined with that for Song, as
in Wusong Kou, Wu Song River, and Songjiang to form the nickname Song Hu.
For example, the Japanese attack on Shanghai in August 1937 is commonly
called the Song Hu Battle. Another early name for Shanghai was Hua Ting, now
just the name of a four star hotel in the city. One other commonly used
nickname Shēn (申) is derived from the name of Chunshen Jun (春申君), a nobleman
and locally-revered hero of the Chu Kingdom in the 3rd century BC whose
territory included the Shanghai area. Sports teams and newspapers in
Shanghai often use the character Shēn (申) in their names. Shanghai is also
commonly called Shēnchéng (申城, "City of Shēn"). The city has also had
various nicknames in English, including "Paris of the East".

History

During the Song Dynasty (AD 960�1279) Shanghai was upgraded in status from a
village (cun) to a market town (zhen) in 1074, and in 1172 a second sea wall
was built to stabilize the ocean coastline, supplementing an earlier dike.
From the Yuan Dynasty in 1292 until Shanghai officially became a city for
the first time in 1297, the area was designated merely as a county (xian)
administered by the Songjiang prefecture.

Under the Republic of China (1911�1949), Shanghai's political status was
finally raised to that of a municipality on July 14, 1927. Although the
territory of the foreign concessions was excluded from their control, this
new Chinese municipality still covered an area of 828.8 square kilometers,
including the modern-day districts of Baoshan, Yangpu, Zhabei, Nanshi, and
Pudong. Headed by a Chinese mayor and municipal council, the new city
governments first task was to create a new city center in Jiangwan town of
Yangpu district, outside the boundaries of the foreign concessions. This new
city center was planned to include a public museum, library, sports stadium,
and city hall.

Geography

Shanghai sits on the Yangtze River Delta on China's eastern coast, and is roughly equidistant from Beijing and Hong Kong. The municipality as a whole consists of a peninsula between the Yangtze and Hangzhou Bay, China's third largest island Chongming, and a number of smaller islands. It is bordered on the north and west by Jiangsu Province, on the south by Zhejiang Province, and on the east by the East China Sea. The city proper is bisected by the Huangpu River, a tributary of the Yangtze. The historic center of the city, the Puxi area, is located on the western side of the Huangpu, while a new financial district, Pudong, has developed on the eastern bank.