IBN BATUTA AND MARCO POLO

THE HISTORY OF TOURISM (LEADER)

Marco Polo left his home in Venice in 1254 when he was seventeen years old to accompany his father and uncle on a journey to the Far East.[2] In the over twenty years that elapsed from the time of his departure to the time he returned home, Marco Polo traveled extensively throughout the Middle Kingdom, South East Asia, and the House of Islam. His travels did not take him to Africa, however, or very far into India.[3] Nevertheless, he probably traveled more during his life than any other European of his day.

Ibn Battuta, however, was a little different from Marco Polo. Ibn Battuta was born a Muslim in Morocco in 1304. When he was twenty-one, he set out by himself on a journey of the entire Islamic World. [4]Although his travels eventually took him to China, he never traveled much in Europe.[5] In all, he traveled over 75,000 miles during his journey and reported meeting over 2,000 people including sixty rulers.[6] Thus, Ibn Battuta was probably the most widely traveled person of his day and certainly traveled much further than did Marco Polo.

DEFINITION OF S.W.O.T ANALYSIS

SWOT analysis is a strategic planning method used to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses, opportunities and Threats involved in a project or business.

~ Strengths refer to characteristic of the business or team that an advantage over others in the industry.

~ Weaknesses refer to characteristic that place the firm at a disadvantages relative to others.

~ Opportunities refer to external chances to make greater sales or profits in the environment.

~ Threats refer to external elements in the environment that could cause trouble for the business.

HARVEST FESTIVAL

Harvest Festival will celebrat in 30-31 May. Harvest festival or any other name is (Tadau Kaamatan) or in the Kadazan language was “Mangavau”. It is a special celebration ceremony in honor of “Bambazon” the spirit of rice. Celebration “Mangavau” is usually held after the rice harvest. Among the interesting celebration that held the dance Sumazau. This dance is danced by the peasants made up of men and women to wear traditional dress. This dance is in tandem with the gongs. This dance was danced with both hands raised to shoulder level, and flown like a bird wing.

In addition, from dance performances Sumazau, also held a singing contest called Sugandoi, bodybuilding show, ‘Unduk Ngadau’, and type of arts and crafts show. Competition like hitting the gong and sports people also become one of the major events in the festival.Among the popular dishes during the festival were drinking fermented or “kinomol”, a type of traditional liquor. Lounge is their traditional drink made from either rice or tapioca. The rice is fermented in a “Tajau” for a week or tapioca fermented for two to three weeks. Usually mixed fermented with yeast to accelerate up the process of “feel” to the fermented. They used a small stick called “Sumbiling” to draw water from fermented in large jars. Sumbiling usually used for drinking water which is made from fermented tapioca. In addition, they also use a special glass called “Singgarung” is made from bamboo.

According to the story orally, Kinoingan (God) and his wife Suminundu had a daughter named Huminodun. Kinoingan was killing him daughter to save our people from not enough food. Huminodun killed and his body was buried according to tradition more. Supposedly, the bodies Huminodun have been producing all kinds of seed plants are the main food for us now. One such plant is the seed of rice. As part of the body that produce seeds Huminodun, it come the belief that rice has a spirit named “Bambazon”.

Starting from this event Kadazan Harvest Festival started ceremony (Harvest Festival) as celebrated today. Festivals such provision will be hoping for better future and good. Ceremony tribute to spirit of the rice paddy that the harvest is complete and has been safety placed in Ketawai (Tangkob) of the former place to store rice.

Sumazau dance

It is a traditional dance, the people of Sabah which was famous in Sabah and in Malaysia. It is a traditional ethnic dance is often performed in Kadazandusun Tadau Kaamatan that means Harvest Day celebrated in the state of each month. Dance Sumazau this seems to indicate that farmers are driving the birds from eating their rice crops. Each dancer is the implementation this dance should be moved only a few centimeters from the other without touching the dancers. Fulfill various functions of ritual dance as the dancer’s dance Sumazau say gratitude for activities related to painting and harvesting rice, and also to reject army, spirit worship and treat illnesses.

Sumazua dancers of both men and women usually wore black and decorated with attractive patterns using gold thread. The women decorated with scarves and belts (Tangkong) that made of coin silver (trade dollars). The men will usually wear ‘tajak’.

REMEMBERING DOUBLE SIX

Remembering double six is one tragedy that plane crash in Sabah and give bad tragedy. This was occurs in 6.6.1976 and involving six (6) leaders in Sabah. The plane, operated by Sabah Air, coming from Labuan crashed in the district of Sembulan in Kota Kinabalu upon approaching Kota Kinabalu International Airport. On the plane were eleven passengers, including the Chief Minister and three of his friends Cabinet.

Many of the stories related with these events. One of the stories, the plane ran out of petrol and had sharply into the swamp in Sembulan.This event is touched on the political matters. The history of this events also relate with there are certain parties that have their own agenda to remove the Tun Mohd Fuad Stephens in order to get the oil importance and resources of Sabah, including that lot of logs.

Just like an airplane landing at Kota Kianabalu Airport (old) in Tanjung Aru evening, somehow fell into the sea near the coast in Sembulan and lost near the stage-house by a meter. All eleven passengers were killed. Chief Minister, Tun Mohd Fuad Stephens (also known as Dato’ Donald Stephens) has led his party to win in political of Sabah general selection just a few weeks ago in April, defeating the party led by Commitments USNO. Tun Mohd Fuad Stephens that a half-Australian and half-Kadazan, first became Chief Minister on 31 August 1963, the day North Borneo into Sabah, after getting autonomy from England. His resigned as a Chief Minister on 1 January 1965, opened the way for Dato’ Peter Lo, that first Chinese to become Chief Ministry of Sabah.

 In this incident, have 0ne black box which still cannot be found. The black box was the only one who can expose this incident. Until now the remembering double six still give question mark to our people.

 The list of persons that killed in the tragedy :

·         Tun Mohd Fuad Stephens (Chief Ministry of Sabah)

·         Datuk Peter Mojuntin (state minister of local government)

·         Datuk Chong Tahin Vun (minister of communication and public works)

·         Datuk Salleh Sulong (state finance minister)

·         Darius Binion (assistant minister)

·         Wahid Andu (permanent secretary of finance minister)

·         Syed Hussein Wafa (director of national economic planning unit)

·         Ishak Atan (private secretary)

·         Kopral mohd Said (bodyguard)

·         Gandhi J Nathan (pilot)

·         Johari (son to the Tun Mohd Fuad Stephens)

Target Tourist Arrival 2011

The Tourism Ministry is targeting an increase of 25 million tourists visiting the country this year, compared with 24 million last year, with a projected tourism revenue of RM60 billion. 

Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said in order to achieve the target, her ministry would continue efforts to woo more visitors to visit Malaysia. 

She said the efforts included continuing discussions with local and foreign airlines to provide more direct flights to major towns in the country.

“We may be able to meet the target by increasing the number of flights from abroad to the major towns like Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Penang or Melaka,” she told reporters after attending a Chinese New year programme organised by the Tourism Ministry at the Dataran Raub, here last night. 

Dr Ng, who is also the Member of Parliament for Raub, hoped that this year there would be more tourists who would be staying up to 10 days, thus spending more in the country.

She said the ministry was targeting to woo more tourists from Russia, India, China, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Belgium, Holland and the Middle East.

GLOBAL WARMING

   Climate change is any substantial change in Earth’s climate that lasts for an extended period of time.  Global warming refers to climate change that causes an increase in the average temperature of the lower atmosphere.  Global warming can have many different causes, but it is most commonly associated with human interference, specifically the release of excessive amounts of greenhouse gases. (EPA, 2006)

    Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), water vapor, and fluorinated gases, act like a greenhouse around the earth.  This means that they let the heat from the Sun into the atmosphere, but do not allow the heat to escape back into space.  The more greenhouse gases there are, the larger the percentage of heat that is trapped inside the earth’s atmosphere.  The earth could not exist in its present state (that is, with life) without the presence of some naturally occurring greenhouse gases, such as CO₂, CH₄, and water vapor. Without any greenhouse gases no heat would be trapped in atmosphere, so the earth would be extremely cold. (NASA, 2002)
    Naturally occurring greenhouse gases (not fluorinated gases) are good in naturally occurring amounts; it’s when people start contributing excessive amounts of them that greenhouse gases become a problem.  With excessive greenhouse gas buildup, the earth’s atmosphere warms to unnatural temperatures which causes, among other things, sea level to rise.  Global warming also causes sea surface temperatures to rise, precipitation patterns to change, etc.. (NASA, 2002)

ADVANTAGES OF SINGAPORE AIRLINES

SIA used excellence technology and achievement. The seat is very comfort and can make our passengers sleep better. It also has the excellent service from Singapore girl that very beautiful, and friendly. The Singapore girl also called as stewardess for SIA, wearing the uniforms of Batik Malaysia. SIA have the good service for booking and SIA operates the new fleet planes and modern, until produce the safety for its passengers. In addition, the SIA also is the first airlines that offer to economy class the choice of meals, free drinks and headphone to passengers. Not only that’s, SIA always try to make one matter that difference from other airlines. We can see that through the use of entertainment in the airplane. The passengers enjoy the audio-video with nearly 200 entertainment choices. SIA increases all classes of cabins simultaneously and difference from other airlines that increases their cabin gradually.  Furthermore, when Asian was in economic crisis, SIA invest 100 million on Space Beds. That is the facilities which provide business class passengers with seats that can be lowered to almost 180 degrees.