CLEOPATRA

One of the most famous women in world history was Cleopatra VII. She was the brilliant and beautiful last Pharaoh of Egypt. Historically, she became queen of Egypt in 51 B.C. at the age of eighteen. She was a Ptolemy, descended from one of Alexander the Great's generals. When she was twenty-one, Julius Caesar became her lover. Seven years later she met Antony. The romantic tragic relationship continued until they died by suicide in 30 B.C.

Cleopatra was legendary. She was famous not only for her breathtaking beauty but also for her great intellect. She had brown eyes and they were shaped like cat eyes. Her skin was in fact an olive shade, darker than Hollywood actress Liz Taylor who portrayed her in the film 'Cleopatra' in 1963. She had medium dark brown hair, about to the middle of her shoulder blades. She had a reputation as an extraordinarily sensuous woman.

Cleopatra was a woman of remarkable poise and unusual intelligence. She was highly educated. She spoke proficiently in nine languages and also skilled in mathematics. She is often considered to be a stunning seductress though she was studying to be a nun. Cleopatra was a very intelligent queen and a politician with a great charisma.

Octopus

The Octopus is a sea animal with eight powerful feet which it uses as hands. These are called tentacles. The word “Octopus” comes from two greet words that mean “eight feet”.

                The octopus, the squid and the cuttlefish belong to the same family that has no outside shells. Their bodies are covered entirely with skin. Therefore the body of an octopus is soft. It looks like a big balloon. A fully-grown octopus can be as large as 8,5 metres from the tip of one tentacles to the tip of another. It can weigh as much as 45 kilograms.

                Besides using its tentacles to catch small fish, sea plants, crab and lobsters, the octopus also uses them against its enemies. The octopus wraps its tentacles around the victim and squeezes it before eating it.

                The octopus escapes from its enemies by giving out a thick dark fluid to darken the water. It can also change the colour of its body to match its surroundings. It hides from its enemies by doing this. 

The Wax Palace

When you go to Jakarta, please visit this unique palace, “Istana Lilin” (The Wax Palace) in the Ciputat area.

                Entering the building, you will be welcomed by beautiful yellow sunflowers. They are not the real ones, of course. They are wax sunflowers. However, you will not realize it until you touch them because they look so real.

                Inside the palace, you can find many things made of wax. There are wax balls, wax fish, wax rice, wax ice cream, wax cakes, and many more. Many restaurants order models of food and drink made of wax to be put in their displays.

                In addition, to the beauty of the wax objects, you can also see the process of making them. If you are interested in learning how to make the wax things, you can join a one-day course there.

Papua

Papua is the largest province of Indonesia. It lies south of the equator and it is known as a naturalist’s paradise.

          Papua is predominantly mountainous. The Maoke Mountains run from west to east and contain the province’s highest peak, Puncak Jaya (5,03 m/16,503 ft), which is also the highest peak in Indonesia. The beauty of Puncak Jaya has amazed lots of climbers. Once in a while it shows them all of its beauty, only to be covered in the veil of mist a minute later.

          Papua is also known for its amazing forest fauna. Animal life in the province includes many species of marsupials such as tree-kangaroos, wallabies, possums, and cuscuses. There are more than 200 species of frogs and as many as 100,000 species of insects, including many beetles and spiders. Papua is especially noted for its flying fauna. Birdwing butterflies are found in many areas, and more than 600 species of birds have been identified, including the brush turkey, the bowerbird, the cassowary, and the spectacular birds of paradise.

          Indeed, Papua is a province of outstanding, natural interest and beauty.                                                                                                          

                                                                                                       (Adapted from: Microsoft ®Encarta ®2006)

My Grandmother

My Grandmother is a very gentle, loving, and caring person. She never raises her voice at anyone. She has lived with me for as long as I can remember. She takes care of me when Mom and Dad go to work.

          My Grandmother is a very neat and tidy person. She has very dry grey hair which she usually pulls up into a bun. She has dark brown eyes that twinkle whenever she sees me. I hardly ever see them wet.

          Grandmother likes to tell stories. She usually tells me brief stories of her childhood and expresses them very well with her tired, old, wrinkled hands. Sometimes, she also tells story about my Grandfather who has passed away. My dear Grandmother always says good things about him. She once told me that he was the nicest person she had ever met.

          I really love my Grandmother.

Tomb of King Tongmyong

One of the places to visit in Korea is the Tomb of King Tongmyong. He was the founder of the Koguryo dynasty.

                In this place, visitors can observe the story of the great king from the exquisite paintings in the Memorial Service Hall. In the building, the red color of the pillars dominates the scene.

                The tomb, or the complex of tombs to be exact, as there are also tombs of generals and ministers, is situated outside the city of Pyongyang. It is a verdant and cool place. There are lines of pine trees, which people believe to be being centuries-old, on the left and right sides of the tomb. Like a lot of other historical buildings, the tomb has also been renovated.

                What are special in this tomb complex are the murals on the tomb walls. UNESCO has registered the murals in its world cultural heritage list.

                                                            (Adapted from “Travelongue-Jakarta International Airport Magazine”)

Disney World Resort

Disney World Resort is one of the most visited and largest recreational resorts in the world. It has four different theme parks: The Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney-MGM Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

The Magic Kingdom theme park is the park first built in the resort. These theme park is represented by Cinderella’s castle. It has about forty-eight attractions in seven themed lands.

Unlike the Magic Kingdom, Epcot contains tunnels underneath the buildings. The tunnels are used primarily for the support facilities necessary for merchandise shops and restaurants. Spaceship Earth is the icon of Epcot. At Epcot, guests can visit Future World that offers innovative aspects and applications of technology. Guests can also visit pavilions representing eleven countries such as China, United Kingdom, France, Morocco, Japan, and Italy in World Showcase.

The other two theme parks at Disney World Resort are Disney-MGM Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. At Disney-MGM Studios, guests can enjoy rides and shows based on Hollywood movies. At Disney’s Animal Kingdom, guests can take a safari ride to see elephants, giraffes, hippos, rhinos, and lions. There are also two Disney water parks: Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. Both parks have water slides and other adventures.

                                                                             (Adapted from: Microsoft ®Encarta ®2006)