Official Website of the North Sulawesi Tourism Promotion Board (NSTPB)

Introduction

Local Time Manado:

	North Sulawesi is "coconut country" - it has a larger concentration of coconut trees than any other part of Indonesia. North Sulawesi is a land of magnificent coral reefs protecting virginwhite beaches, mountains and active volcanos, reminding the islanders and the world of the potential power of one of the earth's most awesome forces. It is a land of vast coconut plantations fringed along the coastline, which is why the area is also known as "Bumi Nyiur Melambai" or "The Land of Waving Coconut Palms." The origins of both the names Sulawesi, which has only become common after the Indonesian Independence, and the island's original name Celebes are not clear. Celebes is said to come from the Portuguese, who landed as the first Europeans on the island. When they sailed around it they called it Ponto dos Celebres which means point of the notorious/ill-famed/ill-reputed. This might refer to the many pirates that were sailing in Sulawesi (and Indonesian) waters those days, or to the strong Monsoon winds which caused many ships to sink. A local myth says that when the Portuguese first landed on the island, the captain of the ship met a man who was busy working as a blacksmith. The captain asked the man - in Portuguese - what the name of the island was. The blacksmith, not understanding, thought the captain had asked him what he was doing, and answered "sele besi", which means "heat iron" or "work with iron". The captain was satisfied with the answer and registered Selebesi as name of the island in his logbook. The modern name Sulawesi is said to be derived from the two words sula (island) and besi (iron), referring to the rich sources of iron on the island.		BAHASA INDONESIA Indonesia is united more than anything else by its common language Bahasa Indonesia, which uses romanised script. The millions of people who live on the nations many thousands of islands, each with its own local language or dialect, are able to communicate effectively using their national Bahasa. As a traveller, being able to speak a few words of Indonesian will assist you in your endevours to get around, and will certainly endear you to the local people you meet. Greetings and civilities Good morning - Selamat Pagi Good afternoon - Selamat Siang Good evening - Selamat Sore Good night - Selamat Malam Goodbye - Selamat Tinggal How are you? - Apa Kabar? I am fine - Kabar Baik What is your name? - Siapa nama anda? My name is... - Nama saya.. Nice to meet you - Senang berkenalan dengan anda See you later - Sampai jumpa lagi Goodbye (said to people leaving) - Selamat jalan Goodbye (said to people staying) - Selamat tinggal I do not understand - Saya tidak mengerti I do not speak Indonesian - Saya tidak mengerti bahasa General Yes - Ya / Tentu O.K. - Beres No / not - Tidak / bukan Thank you - Terima kasih You're welcome - Kembali Please - Tolong / Silakan Please help me - Tolonglah saya Excuse me - Permisi. Sorry - Ma'af What time is it? - Jam berapa? This - Ini That - Itu Dari mana? - Where have you just come from? Tuan asal dari mana? - What country are you from? Mau ke mana? - Where are you going? Be careful / attention - Hati Hati Source and more examples:  Bahasa Indonesia Very handy tool:  Online Dictionary
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