VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Rice is the staple food of Indonesian people. No wonder, there are many various kinds of menus made of rice in Indonesia. There is liwet rice cooked with spices. Yellow rice in Java and Bali is distinctive with its yellow color from turmeric. And in North Kalimantan, there is Subut Rice. Unlike other rice menu, Subut Rice is bright purple in color due to the use of sweet potato.

Subut Rice is made from rice cooked with purple yam and corn. The sweetness of the purple sweet potato and corn blends with the savories of the rice. Subut Rice reflects the local wisdom of the people of Tana Tidung Regency, North Kalimantan, who utilize ingredients such as purple sweet potato and sweet corn that are abundant there.  This rice variant is often served at traditional events or celebrations.

Subut Rice is usually served with stingray satay. Before being processed into satay, the stingray meat is soaked first with lime juice to remove the fishy odor. After that, the fish is cleaned, seasoned and grilled until cooked. Along with Subut Rice, sate pari is also served with a dipping sauce made from tomatoes, shallots, sugar and salt. The savory-sweet combination of Subut Rice and sate pari is addictive.

Proud news comes from the children of the nation. The Reactics Chem-E-Car team from Gadjah Mada University has made another great achievement in the international Chem-E-Car competition.

Narantaka Reactics Chem-E-Car team of Gadjah Mada University took first place in the Chem-E-Car Race and third place for the best poster in the competition conducted by the Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM), on the campus of Taylor's University, Selangor, Malaysia, last 1 December. This success was achieved after competing with 32 teams from various universities around the world.

Bintang Ramadhan, leader of Narantaka Reactics Chem-E-Car team of Gadjah Mada University, explained that the team started preparing for the competition in approximately one month, from October to November 2024. The preparation includes research, car design, data collection, and routine trials to get maximum results on the day of the competition.

According to Bintang, this victory is the result of hard work, dedication, and enthusiasm from all team members. Bintang further explained that this competition not only tests the technical abilities of team members, but also hones teamwork and problem-solving skills.

The Chem-E-Car competition involves several important stages that must be carried out by the team, starting from the evaluation of the car concept and safety aspect, poster presentation, to the race competition.

Interestingly, the race competition at the Institution of Engineers Malaysia event requires the car developed by each team to be able to complete two missions, namely pushing the ball to drop the bowling pin and pushing the ball into the goal.

In addition to being required to successfully complete both missions, the accuracy of the car's distance to the finish line was also taken into account. The car developed by the Reactics team was able to get a perfect point on the goal ball mission with a high level of distance accuracy.

Photo credit: Indonesian Embassy in Sarajevo

The Indonesian Embassy in Sarajevo once again participated in the Diplomatic Winter Bazaar (DWB) 2024 at Mirza Delibasic Hall, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina on Saturday (7/12).

According to a press release from the Indonesian Embassy in Sarajevo, this event is a social event organized by diplomatic circles in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This year, DWB was attended by around 50 foreign representatives as well as 18 private vendors and sponsors,and was attended by 15,000 visitors.

Indonesia has participated in DWB since 2011, and 2024 is Indonesia's 3rd participation since the re-implementation of DWB after the pandemic. Indonesia's participation in DWB 2024 is a gastro-diplomacy effort in order to support the Indonesia Spice up the World programme.

During the event, the Indonesian Embassy in Sarajevo promoted Indonesian delights, such as chicken satay, bakso (meatball), and rendang, as well as Indonesian snacks, such as risoles, pastels, bakwan (vegetable fritters), onde-onde (glutinous rice flour balls), dadar gulung (rolled coconut crepes), banana bolen, and kue lumpur (mud cake).

In addition, there are a number of Indonesian handicrafts, such as batik scarves, batik blouses, rattan bags, fans, pencil cases, key chains, and more.

The Indonesian Embassy in Sarajevo said that the enthusiasm of the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the international community to taste Indonesian specialties was so high that the food and snacks provided had run out before the event closed. Some visitors also recognized Indonesian specialties.

The Indonesian Embassy in Sarajevo hopes that the brief experience felt by visitors can further encourage interest and curiosity to visit Indonesia.

Photo credit: kompasiana

Batujajar Bunker is a relic site found during the Dutch colonial era. It stands in a green area, namely on the banks of the Saguling Reservoir in the Manglid area, Cangkorah, Batujajar district, West Bandung regency, West Java province. This building is right in the middle of the green area of the Saguling reservoir area. Visitors can visit the historical site, while enjoying the view of the beautiful lake that irrigates the reservoir. This tourist area offers stunning natural scenery and an unforgettable travel experience. The clear turquoise-coloured water, surrounded by lush green trees, makes the lake an ideal spot for nature lovers and photographers. The trail also allows you to enjoy and see the diversity of local flora and fauna while feeling the cool mountain air.

According to local residents, the bunker located in the Army's military area has existed since the Dutch and Japanese colonial times. The function of the bunker at that time was as a storage place for Army goods such as weapons and so on. The panoramic view of the Saguling reservoir with the Bandung mountains in the background will spoil your eyes. You can also feel the sensation of travelling around the Saguling reservoir on a fishing boat by paying Rp15,000 to Rp20,000 or 1 to 1.5 US dollars. The facilities here are also quite complete with toilets, stalls, and prayer rooms.

To get to Batujajar Bunker, which is about 21 km from the centre of Bandung, it takes about 1.5 hours by car. The location of this bunker is still a hidden gem. Some of the access roads are unpaved and challenging because they are dirt and rocky. The route can only be travelled by two-wheeled vehicles. However, these obstacles can be overcome because along the way to the bunker you will enjoy views of plantations and rice fields. The dry season is the best time to visit this excellent destination in West Bandung. There is no entrance fee for visitors who come to Batujajar Bunker. All the natural beauty of the lake and this exotic old bunker building can be enjoyed for free.  Around the lake there are also many trekking trails that make it easy for you to explore the natural beauty around.