Club Islander, Sentosa, Singapore on 28.10.2009.

The stamp launch for the Singapore-Indonesia Joint Issue was held at Club Islander, Sentosa, Singapore on 28.10.2009. The theme of this stamp issue is tourist attractions. For Singapore, the selected attractions are the Merlion (65c) and Sentosa ($1.10). For Indonesia, the featured attractions are Singa Ambara Raja Statue (1st local) and Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (80c).

Singapore and Indonesia enjoy warm and friendly ties. Both countries are close neighbours and each other's major trading partners. Ministers and officials from both countries work closely together bilaterally, as well at international fora such as ASEAN to advance common interests. In this stamp issue, selected attractions of both countries are featured.

1ST LOCAL: Singa Ambara Raja Statue
Singa Ambara Raja statue is the landmark of Singaraja City on the northern part of Bali. Adapted from Buleleng regency symbol, this statue uniquely depicts a winged lion holding a big corn in one of its front leg. The statue was officially inaugurated on 30 March 1971 to signify the historical struggle of Singaraja people against Dutch colony.

65c: Merlion
The iconic Merlion is Singapore's most enduring symbol. The name of the half-lion, half-fish creature is a combination of both Singapore's ancient name "Temasek" (meaning "sea town") and original name "Singapura" (meaning "Lion City").

80c: Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (Beautiful Indonesian Miniature Park)
Taman Mini Indonesia Indah or "Beautiful Indonesian Miniature Park" is a recreational spot with splendid cultural highlights of the grandeur of Indonesia. Officially opened on 20 April 1975, it covers nearly 250 acres of area at the eastern side of Jakarta. The park is a summary of Indonesian culture, with virtually all aspects of daily life of each provinces of Indonesia encapsulated in separate pavilions with collection of architectures, clothing, dances and traditions.

$1.10: Sentosa
Sentosa was a British military fortress until 1967 when it was handed back to the newly independent Singapore Government. In 1968, the Government decided to develop the island into a holiday resort for local visitors and tourists. The public was invited to suggest names for the island and "Sentosa" - meaning peace & tranquility in Malay - was eventually chosen for the island resort in 1972.

Bali Dances

This miniature sheet depicting dancers from Bali was issued in connection with Pariwisata or Tourism 1970. Balinese dances are a very ancient tradition that is a part of the religious expression among the Balinese people. In Hinduism, dance is an accompaniment to the perpetual dissolving and reforming of the world. The creative and reproductive balance is often personified as Shiva's wife, Durga, sometimes called Uma, Parvati, or Kali. This has significance in Balinese Hinduism, since the common figure of Rangda is similar in many ways to Durga. In Bali there are various categories of dance, including epic performances such as the omnipresent Mahabharata and Ramayana. Certain ceremonies at village temples feature a special performance of a dance-drama, a battle between the mythical characters Rangda, and the witch representing evil, and Barong, the lion or dragon, representing good. Among the dance traditions in Bali, Barong, Legong and Kecak deserve special mention.

For those interested, Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east. It is one of the country's 33 provinces with the provincial capital at Denpasar towards the south of the island (strictly speaking, the province covers a few small neighbouring islands as well as the isle of Bali). With a population recorded as 3,891,000 in the 2010 Census, the island is home to most of Indonesia's small Hindu minority. In the 2000 census about 92.29% of Bali's population adhered to Balinese Hinduism while most of the remainder follow Islam. It is also the largest tourist destination in the country and is renowned for its highly developed arts, including traditional and modern dance, sculpture, painting, leather, metalworking, and music. Bali, a tourist haven for decades, has seen a further surge in tourist numbers in recent years.

Indonesia - Intangible Cultural Heritage of Indonesia

The miniature sheets on this cover were issued to commemorate the “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Indonesia”. On the MS on the left is pictured “The keris” which is a distinctive, asymmetrical dagger indigenous to every part of Indonesia except Maluku and Papua, and can also be found in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, the southern Philippines and Thailand, i.e. in all regions that used to be the sphere of influence of the Majapahit Kingdom. Both a weapon and spiritual object, the keris is often believed to have mystical powers, with some blades possessing good luck and others bringing bad luck to those who possess them or come into contact with them.
The MS on the right depicts Hanoman or Anoman, a puppet version of Hanuman from the Hindu mythology “Ramayana” is very popular in Yogyakarta. Nina sent me this cover.

Indonesia - International Year of Astronomy 2009

The United Nations officially declared the International Year of Astronomy 2009 on December 20, 2007. Initiated by International Astronomical Union (IAU) and UNESCO, this resolution was aimed at commemorating the 400th years of telescope usage in the field of astronomy pioneered by Galileo Galilei. Not less than 137 countries celebrate this event with the theme of "the Universe, yours to discover".
The major goals of International Year of Astronomy 2009 are to increase scientific awareness; promote widespread access to new knowledge and observing experiences; empower astronomical communities in developing countries; support and improve formal and informal science education; provide a modern image of science and scientist; facilate new networks and strengthen existing ones; improve the gender-balanced representation of scientist at all levels and promote greater involvement by underrepresented minorities in scientific and engineering careers; facilate the preservation and protection of the world's cultural and natural heritage of dark skies in places suchs as urban oases, national parks and astronomical sites.
One of the main agendas of the event in Indonesia was the stamp series "The Year of International Astronomy 2009" issuance on May 2, 2009. The stamp design depicts the image of Galileo Galilei, Galilean telescope as well as the official event logo. The stamps were issued in se-tennant format. As a background, the sheet shows Omega Centauri galaxy. Galileo Galilei (February 15, 1564 - January 8, 1642) was an Italian physician, mathematician as well as philosopher known as "father of modern science". His observations have brought fundamental discoveries in the field of astronomy that brought about a revolutionary paradigm shift in viewing the universe. The Jupiter moons discovery has challenged previously accepted concept of geometrics. Then, the planet movement theory became crucial milestone for Isaac Newton's mechanical theory.
The original telescope designed by Galileo in 1609 was commonly called as Galilean telescope. It used a convex objective lens and a concave eyepiece lens. This telescope produced upright images and could magnify objects about 30 times. Galilean telescope could view the phases of Venus, craters on the moon and the moons orbiting Jupiter.
Omega Centauri is a ball shaped cluster of stars located at Centaurus constellation. Edmond Halley considered it as a nebula in 1677. Yet in 1830, John William Herschel, a British astronomer, regarded it as a ball shaped cluster of stars. Omega Centauri is one of ball shaped clusters that can be seen through naked eyes. This brightest and biggest cluster of stars in our Galaxy consists of approximately 10 million stars with 17.000 light year (1 light year = ~ 9,5 x 1012 km) length distance from earth. This fabulous First Day Cover was sent to me by my friend Nina.