Indonesia Expat - Issue 151 by Indonesia Expat

FR EE ! I S S U E N O . 1 51 | 7 – 2 0 O C T O B E R 2 0 1 5

J A K A R TA • J AVA • B A L I • L O M B O K • K A L I M A N TA N • S U M AT R A • S U L AW E S I • W E S T PA P U A

W W W . I N D O N E S I A E X P A T. B I Z

INDONESIA READY TO LET FOREIGNERS OWN APARTMENTS THE ARCHIPELAGO'S WAR ON DRUGS, PAST AND PRESENT

TAKING A SPIN IN KAL-TIM WITH BIWA TALKING GROWTH WITH GUILLAUME DE GANTES OF MCKINSEY & COMPANY THE CLANDESTINE CRITIC:

QUEEN'S HEAD

INDONESIA'S FOREST FIRE EPIDEMIC

BLAZING HAZE

issue 151 Indonesia expat

Indonesia expat issue 151

issue 151 Indonesia expat

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Dear Readers,

Editor in Chief Angela Richardson

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Finance

Lini Verawaty finance@indonesiaexpat.biz

Contributors Josefhine Chitra Gail Collins J.L. McCreedy Karen Davis Lina Natalia Hans Rooseboom Eamonn Sadler Simon J. Still Kenneth Yeung

Circulation Enquiries info@indonesiaexpat.biz

In Outreach, we hop on two wheels with Balikpapan International Women’s Association’s Balikpapan Biking Babes. Made up of approximately 100 local and international ladies hailing from 28 countries, aside from organising cycling trips through kampung and rice fields, BIWA is involved with countless social activities from helping children to the elderly. Take a spin with our new contributor based in Kalimantan, J.L. McCreedy.

We’re back to business as usual, having finished our regional roundup of Indonesia, which we hope you enjoyed! We’ve got an interesting and fairly eclectic issue for you this time. We start off by taking a closer look at a topic that has been all over local and international news: the blazing forest fires and debilitating haze in Sumatra and Kalimantan. What makes Indonesia such a hotbed for blazes, and how can this annual problem be resolved? Josefhine Chitra explores.

In Lifestyle, our clandestine critic goes undercover in a review of South Jakarta’s Queen’s Head. Is it on or off with her head? Find out on page __. We also travel to Cirebon in West Java in search of handicrafts and rattan furniture bargains with Gail Collins.

In Business, we meet Guillaume de Gantes of McKinsey Indonesia and talk to him about the common myths of Indonesia’s economy. One of the main misconceptions is that Indonesia is an unstable economy, which de Gantes says is not true. In actual fact, according to McKinsey’s reseach, Indonesia’s economy has one of the most stable growths in the world. Turn to page __ for the full interview.

Enjoy this issue’s good reads!

Angela Richardson Editor in Chief

Indonesia recently announced it would commence drug convict executions next year. Hans Rooseboom takes a look at Indonesia’s war on drugs, past and present and asks the important question: is the way we fight this problem working?

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Dear Angela,

Dear Kev,

Just a short note to say I found the Bali Issue really valuable.

Thank you for your kind note.

It’s about time more light was shed on the totally unnecessary reclamation project in Bali and what the people are doing to fight it.

We're happy to hear you find the stories we publish of interest and will endeavour to bring you more valuable reads in the future.

INDONESIA. OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS PUBLICATION ARE THOSE OF THE WRITERS AND THE PUBLISHER DOES NOT ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMMISIONS, OR COMPLAINTS ARISING THERE FROM. NO PARTS OF THIS PUBLICATION CAN BE REPRODUCED IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN

I’ve called Bali home for nearly 20 years and have seen first-hand the over-development and modernisation you spoke of in your editorial. The idea of reclaiming precious mangrove forest to make way for even more hotels and a grand prix circuit is absurd. I often wonder if there will ever be an end to people’s greed.

Feel free to let us know if you have any interesting topics you think would make for useful stories for our readers.

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Thanks for publishing things that matter.

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Cheers, Kev in Sanur

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Photo by Rini SulaimanNorwegian Embassy for Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)

Indonesia expat issue 151

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Issue 151

Contents

Feature Story No More Forest Fires in 2016? Good Land Use Management Is Key

Past and Present Indonesia's War on Drugs

Expat Business

Scams in the City Playing for Rain

Featured Indonesia Ready to Let Expats Own Apartments, Hopes to Jumpstart Economy

Business Profile McKinsey & Company in Indonesia: Unleashing the Potential of the Archipelagoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Economy

Expat Lifestyle

Food and Drink Off with Her Head

Travel Cirebon Handicrafts

Clean Up Jakarta Day Businesses, Communities, Schools and Individuals Set to Clean Up Jakarta

Meet the Expat Meet Andrew Trigg: The Art of Storytelling

Expat Outreach

Sports and Associations Taking a Spin in Kal-Tim

Worthy Causes Imploring for Palliative Care, the Chance to a Fulfilling Life

Announcements

Light Entertainment Catching a Flick

Humorous Observation What's App-ening in Bandung?

Events

Business Directory

Classifieds

issue 151 Indonesia expat

haze in kuala lumpur (image courtesy of wikimedia)

bad air quality in singapore (image courtesy of sharesniv.com)

NO MORE FOREST FIRES IN 2016? GOOD LAND USE MANAGEMENT IS THE KEY Indonesia is seeing a recordbreaking number of fires in Kalimantan and Sumatra. What makes Indonesia such a hotbed for blazes, and how can this annual problem be resolved? By Josefhine Chitra

Indonesia expat issue 151

satellite image showing the smog caused by indonesia's forest fires (image courtesy of wikimedia)

FEATURE STORY Josefhine Chitra is a former communications consultant and currently a Masters student at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

umatra’s recurring forest fires in 2015 are taking their toll on people’s lives, the local ecology and the Indonesian economy. The resulting haze is not exclusive to Indonesians in Sumatra and Kalimantan, but also paralyses the archipelago’s closest neighbours, Singapore and Malaysia. In the past several weeks, Indonesia’s air quality index has surged to more than six times the level it deems unhealthy for humans. According to complaints filed by locals to the National Human Rights Commission, the haze has caused 43,386 people in Riau and 42,887 in Samarinda to suffer from acute respiratory infections, of which two children in Jambi have died.

Global Forest Watch Fires indicating fires on peatlands (blue areas)-taken on 21 September 2015

...not only has Indonesia lost tremendous treasure troves of biodiversity, but the haze also represents a step back from the Government’s voluntary commitment to a minimum 26 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020.

On September 14, Singapore’s Pollutant Standards Index clocked a very unhealthy reading. In Malaysia, the haze has been prolonged over several weeks, impacting the livelihood of citizens, with schools closed and flights delayed. Wilson Beh, a Malaysian citizen told Indonesia Expat, “I feel frustrated with the haze. I hope that the Indonesian Government can take effective action against the culprits, either plantation companies or individuals, so combating haze is not a repetitive annual promise.” The emissions coming from peatland and forest fires are daunting. 2012 data from the National Council on Climate Change shows the highest share of Indonesia’s greenhouse gas emissions – up to 76 percent – are from deforestation, forest fires, and carbon-rich peat degradation. This makes Indonesia the world’s fifth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases. As a consequence, not only has Indonesia lost tremendous treasure troves of biodiversity, but the haze also represents a step back from the Government’s voluntary commitment to a minimum 26 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. Financially speaking, the chief of information and public relations at the National Disaster Mitigation Agency estimated the haze crisis this year could reach beyond the Rp.20 trillion (US$1.37 billion) that Indonesia incurred in 2014. Notwithstanding the fact that drifting haze has occurred 12 times since the 1970s, there has been no significant effort to put an end to the irresponsible land use which leads to fires. Deep-seated economic interests in smouldering techniques, compounded by minimum law enforcement, are the key factors. Andika Putraditama, outreach officer at the World Resources Institute (WRI), explains the fires’ triggers. “Unlike in Australia or California, the fires in Indonesia are mostly

Indonesian Timber Concession Holders, Purwadi Soeprihanto, tells Indonesia Expat that sometimes fires are started outside of companies’ concessions. Even if they were started inside, he avers there is the possibility that the area was entered illegally and ‘slash-and-burn’ techniques were carried out as a shortcut to clear the land. Putraditama suggests accurate, updated and complete concessions data will help sort out the problem.

World Resources Institute's work on palm oil in Indonesia called Project Portico

intentional and man-made, due to the high demand for commodities such as palm oil,” says Putraditama. “Fire is the easiest and cheapest way to clear land of shrubs or logs before planting crops. Mechanical clearing is expensive and takes longer.” He adds, “The fires are happening in and around peatland because the nature of drained and dry peatlands are very easily burned and very hard to be suppressed [sic].”

Who are the culprits? Although the driving factors are quite obvious and the police have detained seven people whose companies are allegedly connected to the fires, there is ambiguity on where the responsibility truly lies. Non-governmental organisations tend to blame companies, on the grounds that the scale of the fires can’t be generated by small farming practices. However, executive director of the Association of

“The concession data we have on our platform Global Forests Watch Fires comes from the Government, and despite its legitimacy, is not the best dataset. A lot of commercial activity such as smallscale oil palm, and sometimes big timber concessions, are not within the dataset. They could be unregistered or simply illegal activities. This is the first problem. The second is fire alerts data. WRI is still struggling to come up with a solid methodology to track the pattern of fire occurrences to detect where the fire started – inside or outside of concessions.”

Saving both economy and environment Despite being home to the world’s thirdlargest tropical forest area, Indonesia ranks second in the world for tropical deforestation. Where have the trees gone? Apparently, between 1990 and 2010, almost 90 percent of oil palm plantations in Kalimantan came at the expense of forest cover. Considering the ecological impact, should palm oil be stopped altogether? Indonesia is the world’s number one producer and exporter of palm oil,

accounting for 50 percent of the world’s total export. Palm oil is Indonesia’s topexported commodity, with 18.97 percent of 2011’s total export. So, how can the economy and the environment be reconciled? “One of the projects WRI does is to prevent deforestation by diverting oil palm plantations away from forests and on to already-degraded areas,” says Putraditama. “We need to realise this crisis occurred due to bad land-use management in Indonesia. Highly sensitive ecosystems such as peatland and high-conservation forests should not be given out to companies to be converted into large-scale monoculture plantation such as palm oil. The significant change of the landscape has dramatically increased the risk of fire occurrences in Indonesia.” He also added that the Government and private sectors had to step up regulations and standards for a stricter environmental safeguard. Ideally, this would make production compliant to sustainable and responsible business practices. Indonesia must act on this issue urgently before it reoccurs in 2016, not least because such unsustainable business practices make the archipelago’s products less competitive, especially to increasingly environmentconscious consumers. Some products are even blacklisted in other countries, such as the United States and members of the European Union, which try to limit the carbon footprint of certain products. As such, continuous irresponsible slash-andburn practices might result in Indonesia losing market share in both crucial economies.

issue 151 Indonesia expat

EXPAT BUSINESS FEATURED Lina Natalia is a Jakarta-based journalist with degree in social science from the University of Indonesia.

Indonesia Ready to Let Expats Own Apartments, Hopes to Jumpstart Economy By Lina Natalia

The Government will allow foreigners to own apartments in the archipelago in a bid to kick-start the nation’s slowing economy before the year’s end.

arlier this month, Jokowi laid out several policies meant to bolster Indonesia’s slowing economy. The policies included two important moves in the nation’s property sector. The first one was a proposal to raise the minimum price for high-end houses and apartments subject to luxury sales tax. The second was a proposal to let foreigners own property in the archipelago. In July, land affairs and spatial planning minister Ferry Mursyidan Baldan was quoted by the media as saying foreigners will soon be able to buy commercial apartments that cost at least Rp.5 billion (US$375,000). "The state will allow foreign nationals to have apartments in Indonesia for their lifetime, and the apartments may be bequeathed to their descendants or resold," the minister told reporters. "However, the status of these apartments will fall under the right-of-use category, not the right-of-ownership category." Facts remain shaky, however, as The Jakarta Post reported on 14 September that the planned policy, which is part of Indonesia’s economic revival package, will open foreign ownership on apartments worth at least Rp.10 billion (US$697,329), a staggering increase from what the minister quoted just weeks before. The

media says finance minister Bambang Brodjonegoro previously considered a threshold of Rp.5 billion (US$375,000), but now the planned revision on housing ownership by foreigners will mandate Rp.10 billion (US$697,329) instead. Regardless of what the threshold will actually end up being, this new policy will revise the regulation on domiciles in Indonesia that previously specified foreigners can only be given the right-ofuse for a period of 25 years (a right that can be extended for another 20 years or indefinitely if the land is still used for specific, legally defined purposes). The rule currently doesn’t apply to landed property like villas on the resort islands of Bali or Lombok, for example. "The new regulation will accommodate foreign investors to own an apartment [in Indonesia]. It also complies with the Basic Agrarian Law Act that allows foreign residents to own an apartment. However, they can't own public housing," said Baldan, who is also head of the National Land Agency. Indonesia’s geographic location puts anyone living here in a good position for international trading. This makes it attractive for foreigners who want to live

and work in Southeast Asia. Foreigners who are working or running their own companies in Indonesia might also have interest in buying property, as the nation’s real estate prices are significantly lower than those in Singapore, Malaysia, or Australia. According to the Indonesian Real Estate Association, opening up the apartment market to expats could attract Rp.100 trillion (US$6,98 billion) with potential for 10,000 apartment units to be sold. From that amount, there is also potential to collect direct and indirect taxes of at least Rp.40 trillion (US$2.74 billion). "Bali, Batam, and Bintan may benefit from the revised rules as these locations have been attracting more foreigners in the past years," says Hasan Pamudji, associate director at local real estate firm Knight Frank Indonesia. However, doubts over the attractiveness of purchasing apartments in Indonesia remain in question. While overall market prices are lower, the country has higher transaction costs for property ownership than those in Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia. Often in the real estate game, ‘transaction fees’ can include, but may not be limited to the agent's commission, closing costs like title search fees, appraisal fees, and other additional payments to the Government. In order to truly capitalise on Indonesia’s potential, some say the Government needs to also differentiate between different types of foreign buyers. According to Hasan, the first category would be foreigners who have

Banten; Mandalika in West Nusa Tenggara; Maloy Batuta Trans Kalimantan, East Kalimantan; Palu, Central Sulawesi; Bitung in North Sulawesi; and Morotai, North Maluku. “We support the policy, but the policy has to be applied to special economic zones, particularly those designated for tourism, in order to guarantee investment in those regions,” Sibarani recently said. If Indonesia wants to be a more attractive place for global business people to buy homes, the Government could follow China’s example. The Chinese Government has eased property investment rules for foreign individuals and institutions nationwide. They are exempt from registration fees when taking out domestic and foreign loans for the sake of property purchases. But in order to follow in China's footsteps, the Indonesian Government would need to keep a close eye on making sure there are no double registrations, which could theoretically allow expats to snap up more than one piece of property. At the moment, the Government’s supervision on foreign property ownership is believed to be weak, as several expats reportedly get away with buying and selling homes via proxy owners. Weak supervision could increase the risks of a property bubble in the future, says Indonesia Property Watch advisory group executive director Ali Tranghanda. "Although these policies target high-class properties, the middleclass houses might follow by increasing their prices," he suggests.

While overall market prices are lower, the country has higher transaction costs for property ownership than those in Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia. attachments to Indonesia, either through marriage, relatives, or business. Hasan believes these people should be able to purchase homes under the revised rules and also be exempt from high transaction fees. The second type of buyer would be wealthy individuals who want to invest or purchase a second home in Indonesia. These people may think twice about investing, however, due to the high transaction costs, Hasan speculates. They would likely choose other countries that provide more appealing terms for foreign property investment.

courtesy of The Diary of a Hotel Addict

Indonesia expat issue 151

Investment Coordinating Board head Franky Sibarani, meanwhile, says foreigners should be encouraged to buy homes in eight special economic zones, currently under development in Indonesia. The cities that will fall under the zones are Sei Mangkei in North Sumatra; Tanjung Api-Api, South Sumatra; Tanjung Lesung,

Tranghanda thinks the Government should set a tight standard on property ownership by basing it on special zones. This could include limiting foreign ownership in big cities like Jakarta and popular tourist destinations like Bali. Tranghanda also argues it would be more profitable for the Government to simply open up all property investments to foreigners. He believes it could boost hundreds of industries across the nation, and would likely be far more useful than officials debating the foreign property ownership issue in the capital any further. “It is more beneficial for us because when big foreign investors like Keppel and AEON come to Indonesia, they bring capital and help to drive related industries,” he explains.

issue 151 Indonesia expat

EXPAT BUSINESS BUSINESS PROFILE

Unleashing the Potential of the Archipelago’s Economy

McKinsey & Company in Indonesia

Paris-born Guillaume de Gantes started his journey with McKinsey & Company 15 years ago in Paris. He mainly worked in New York, where he was elected as a partner of the firm. This Harvard Business School alumnus moved to McKinsey’s office in Indonesia two years ago and he talks to us about the opportunities and challenges in ASEAN’s largest economy. By Angela Richardson

organisational performance, shape new business models, build leadership capabilities, and accelerate economic development. McKinsey is known as the world’s leading global management consulting firm. In which industries do you consult and in what capacity? Our mission has always been to help clients make distinctive, lasting, and substantial improvements in their performance. Globally, we serve clients across all industries and sectors with capabilities to support execution and make change happen. In Southeast Asia in particular, we serve clients in all major sectors including oil and gas, mining, financial services, telecom and media, consumer industries, travel and logistics, and the public sector. I personally serve our clients in the financial services, telecommunications and healthcare sectors.

Guillaume, tell us how you’ve found working in this region so far. I love Southeast Asia as a region because there’s so much happening here. For me, the professional aspect of coming to Indonesia was really about being in the heart of what is going on in ASEAN. I was very keen to be in such an exciting country.

Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and most recently, Vietnam. We work with government institutions and enterprises in all major sectors, to translate the region’s rich opportunities into transformative economic and social impact. We also help leading multinationals build and grow successful businesses in Southeast Asia.

Can you give us some background information on McKinsey’s growth in Indonesia and Southeast Asia? We are present in most countries in Southeast Asia: Indonesia, Thailand,

We have been present in Indonesia since 1988, and the office was McKinsey’s first in Southeast Asia. We help many of Indonesia’s leading enterprises drive growth, transform operational and

Your recent work in Indonesia has included building one of the major banks here. How were you involved in redesigning the distribution process of this bank? Given my background, I am personally passionate about working with banks and the financial services industry, which is hugely impacted by digitization. We have done a great deal of work in digital – building digital banks and digitizing current processes. There is a growing recognition that banks will have to change the way they work dramatically or entire businesses will be taken over by ‘Fintech’, nimble financial technology firms. You see this in the US; you have small firms that have already taken over parts of the banking value chain. Every single part of a bank in the US is ‘under attack’ by small firms. So, there is a scenario where banks could disappear. As Bill Gates said, banking is necessary, but banks are not. Banks will have to evolve or lose a lot of what they do today. There are 118 commercial banks in Indonesia and the interesting question is: out of those banks, how many are ready for competition in the digital age?

Your latest report, Winning in Indonesia’s Consumer Good’s Market, discovered that 7 of the 16 companies you surveyed were winners in at least one of the performance areas. Only one company won in all of them – what traits must a consumer goods company possess in order to succeed in Indonesia? We did extensive customer research in a number of categories and one of the things we looked at is how consumers make decisions. Indonesian consumers tend to be very family and group-oriented when it comes to making decisions, as opposed to Chinese consumers, who are fairly individual. Indonesians like to ask family and friends if they have tried the product, putting a lot of value in their opinion. They also like products that can be shared. People here rely on their social network quite a bit, especially through social media, much more than other countries we’ve looked at. There is also a very brand-loyal culture here and shoppers take fewer risks – people typically know what they are going to buy ahead of time. Based on our study, these two things do not change with level of affluence. Indonesians also really value local brands. In our survey, we noticed a lot of Indonesian people think KitKat is a local brand, when it isn’t. Brands that can understand all of the above and market themselves well locally, as well as integrate into social media will be able to do well here. Can you please debunk some of the common recent myths of Indonesia’s economy? The first myth is that Indonesia’s growth is Jakarta-led. If we look back a few years, the economy was already driven outside of Jakarta, and even outside of Java, in Sumatra, Sulawesi, Kalimantan. In fact, 90 percent of the fastest growing cities are outside of Java. Another myth is that Indonesia is an export or raw material-driven growth, when increasingly, it is a consumption driven growth. The population of Indonesia’s

BUSINESS SNIPPETS

Expatriate Employees Severance Payment Entitlement in Indonesia Foreign citizens, as stipulated by Law Number 13 Year 2003 regarding Manpower (‘Manpower Law’), may be employed in Indonesia in certain job positions and for certain periods of time. Accordingly, foreigners can only be employed under fixed-term employment agreements instead of permanent agreements. Based on the Manpower Law, an employment agreement is made for a definite period of time (Perjanjian Kerja Waktu Tertentu/PKWT) or indefinite period of time (Perjanjian Kerja Waktu Tidak Tertentu/PKWTT). PKWT is based on either the period of specified time or the completion of specific work. Also, unlike PKWTT, PKWT cannot require a probation period on the employment. 10

Indonesia expat issue 151

By Hadromi & Partners Law Firm

PKWT is made for a period of no longer than two years and may be extended one time only for no longer than one year. After the extension period has been exhausted, the employment may be renewed for a period of two years maximum. However, this renewal can only be made after observing a 30day grace period since the end of the employment agreement extension. Under the Manpower Law, the employee may be entitled to severance pay, service pay, and compensation of rights pay in the event of termination (Pemutusan Hubungan Kerja/PHK) initiated by the employer. However, the Manpower Law requires that if PKWT is terminated

earlier than its expiration date and such termination is not caused by death of the employee, final and binding decision of court or other relevant industrial relation authority, or any other occurrence or condition set forth in the employment agreement, company regulation, or collective labour agreement, the terminating party is obliged to pay compensation to the other party in the amount of the employee’s salary until the expiration date of the PKWT. Although the Manpower Law does not state that severance pay, service pay, and compensation of rights pay are the consequence of termination designated specifically for PKWTT, it is implied that

The most interesting myth is that Indonesia has an unstable economy, when in fact it is one of the most stable economies in the world.

urban consuming class is growing by the equivalent of one Singapore every year and will grow to 86 million by 2020. The most interesting myth, however, is that Indonesia is an unstable economy. We have found that among OECD and BRIC countries, the standard deviation of growth in Indonesia in the first 10 years of the century actually makes Indonesia the most stable economy. Let’s discuss growth. You believe by 2030, Indonesia could be a global top 10 economy, surpassing the UK, France and possibly Germany. How could this be achieved and what hurdles do we face? Yes, it could be. Indonesia has strong intrinsics – the growing consumer market, becoming an international food hub, and being a lean resource provider and user. However, there are also relevant challenges. Our research shows that Indonesia needs to increase productivity by 25 percent to maintain historic growth rates. One major sector that will benefit from this is farming, agriculture and fisheries. A simple example - in Japan, people freeze fish so if the price of fish depreciates, they don’t have to sell their fish right away. Here, the infrastructure to freeze fish is not in place. There is a big need to improve infrastructure. To grow, the country will need to spend about US$2.7 trillion in infrastructure in the next 15 or so years. Indonesia also needs to have greater financial inclusion – getting people to be

the consequence of termination for PKWT is the compensation pay instead of severance pay, service pay, and compensation of rights pay. Moreover, such implication has been widely accepted in Indonesia. Since foreigners can only be employed in Indonesia under PKWT, but severance payment is only designated for PKWTT, it is commonly believed that expatriate employees are not entitled to severance payment under the Indonesian Manpower Law. Expatriate employees may, however, be entitled to compensation pay, provided they are dismissed by their employer earlier than their PKWT period.

able to save. We have 250 million people in the country but only 70 million bank accounts. Getting more people to save, access credit and use banking systems will be important towards achieving this growth and unlocking its potential. Do you think the world’s eyes are on this region at the moment? Yes, very much so. Southeast Asia is one of the fastest growing markets in the world. If it were a single country, it would be the seventh largest in the world, with a combined GDP of US$2.4 trillion. It is projected to rank as the fourth-largest by 2050. I am reminded of the opportunities in these economies by the sheer number of companies that have reached out to us to help unlock the potential – it’s amazing. For many companies, they see Indonesia as the next big frontier. When these companies reach out to you for investment opportunities, which sectors do you suggest they invest in? It’s very hard to name a sector in Indonesia which does not offer investing opportunities. We have found that there is US$1.8 trillion in opportunities for businesses who invest in Indonesia’s four priority sectors: consumers, agriculture, resources and talent. We believe this potential is going to be further unleashed and accelerated by the power of digital, whether through mobile and internet banking, e-commerce, education, manufacturing, government service delivery and more. Thank you, Guillaume.

decisions indicate that the implication of non-entitlement of severance pay for expatriate employees cannot be applied generally, but rather must be viewed on a case-by-case basis. In order to avoid potential dispute between employer and expatriate employee in regards to the severance payment entitlement at dismissal, it is highly advisable to seek legal assistance prior to recruiting and terminating expatriate employees.

The contents of this article are intended to convey general information only and not to provide legal advice or opinions. If you require legal assistance, you may contact Hadromi & Partners Law Firm info@hadromi.com

Recently there have been some judicial rulings stating otherwise. These court issue 151 Indonesia expat

EXPAT LIFESTYLE

MEET THE EXPAT

Andrew, what sparked your interest in the digital arts? I have always loved storytelling. When I was at junior high school, I loved writing short stories – horror was a favourite – and I also hand drew my own magazines and penned crazy stories in them. I also used to write radio plays and record them with my brother and friends from my street on an old cassette recorder. When I saw my first 3D computer animation on TV I was completely blown away. I realised I simply had to do computer animation, so I badgered my dad into buying a Video Genie computer and then a BBC Micro, and tried to teach myself.

Meet Andrew Trigg

The Art of Storytelling By Angela Richardson

Andrew Trigg is the president of community theatre organisation, The Jakarta Players, and a University lecturer in Jakarta. Andrew first came to Indonesia in 1987, making it his permanent home not long after. He talks to us about his passion for storytelling, the digital arts and theatre.

I did manage to write a few simple graphical video games before going on to study Computer Science at University. Unfortunately, when I got there I discovered that the leading science and technology college in the UK at the time didn’t have the computer graphics capability that my BBC Micro had – so that put my filmmaking on hold for a while! However, I did get a Master of Arts at Warwick University before studying at Sydney Film School and The Actor’s Studio Sydney. I now have a theory that finding happiness can be as simple as reconnecting in some way with what you loved doing when you were a child – which in my case was storytelling. Tell us about the Jakarta Players Community theatre. How long has this organisation been around and what is at the heart of each show you put on? The Jakarta Players has been around for 50 years or so – obviously, long before I became president! We’re a diverse group of expatriate and Indonesian theatre enthusiasts who work together as volunteers to put on two or three theatre shows in English every year. We donate any profits we make from our shows to charities that benefit Indonesian families in need. Over the years we’ve done a huge variety of productions, from serious drama and dinner theatre to short play nights, farces, thrillers, whodunnits and musical theatre shows. We’re delighted when audiences enjoy our shows – I think that’s what unites our diverse membership and is heart of everything we do. You’re currently directing a show called ‘Naked Molerats in the World of Darkness’. What is this show about and why should people come and watch it? It’s a smart, funny adult comedy about men and women – definitely not suitable for children, and anyone who’s easily offended probably shouldn’t come to see it! It’s made up of a snappy series of hilarious sketches that explore how men and women sometimes seem to be from different planets, how this can make it a real effort to stay together, and how that effort is ultimately worth it. There’s so much comedy in all this; it’s probably the funniest play we’ve done recently, but is also incredibly touching and true to life in places.

Indonesia expat issue 151

What would you say is your directing style? I do a lot of preparation – analyzing, interpreting and understanding the script as well as I can. I put a lot of thought into how to communicate what I want clearly with actors so they can understand and play the direction I give them. I try to build the world of the play in the minds of the actors so they can live the scenes rather than pretend their way through them. I never get angry with actors, as it kills performance, and I encourage them as much as I can. Above all, I’ve learnt to trust the process. I’ve realised that it really doesn’t matter if the actors aren’t doing well at the start of the rehearsal period, because they will get there in the end. You’re a lecturer at a private university in Jakarta. Tell us about your class. I teach Theatre Directing to performing arts students and TV, Film and Video production to mass communication students. In the TV, film and video classes I teach students how to make TV programs and short dramatic films. And in the Theatre Directing classes I coach the students through one major theatre production each year. I find it wonderfully energizing to engage creatively with all these young people to help them tell their stories as well as they can.

I now have a theory that finding happiness can be as simple as reconnecting in some way with what you loved doing when you were a child – which in my case was storytelling. What approach do you take to teaching and which do you find your students are most receptive to? I try to relate to them somewhat as peers and collaborators, rather than as students. I encourage them to call me by my first name, because I think too much of a focus on hierarchy can kill interaction and creativity. I put a lot of pressure on them to make the best possible film or drama production, but I also make it clear I’m there to help them in any way I can, and they can ask me anything, any time. And of course, they also respond well when I make the classes as practical as possible. I see myself as more of a coach and trainer than a lecturer. I want them to not just understand the theory, but also to be able to apply new skills in interesting ways. What hurdles do you see students of the creative arts facing in this day and age? The copy paste culture springs to mind. It’s so easy nowadays for students to Google an answer to just about anything, tweak

it slightly and then present it as their own idea. I think this makes some of them intellectually lazy; unwilling to put in the thought and hard work that creativity demands. And, of course, students who do have genuinely creative ideas are so readily copied, too. Universities need to emphasize that creativity is not just about being brilliant or gifted – though that can help – but also about focus, experimentation, hard work and persistence. Have you noticed an improvement in Indonesian cinema, and where do you think the country will be on the world’s stage in five to 10 year’s time? Indonesia has a lot of talented filmmakers like Lucky Kuswandi, Joko Anwar, Teddy Soeriaatmadja, Riri Riza and Nia Dinata. There are some great producers too, like Sheila Timothy. Lucky Kuswandi’s short film The Fox Exploits the Tiger’s Might was in competition in Cannes this year – that’s the first time that’s happened in 25 years! Unfortunately it’s really hard for great filmmakers like these to make a living from filmmaking in Indonesia. Their films aren’t seen by enough people, partly because there aren’t enough cinema screens in Indonesia and because of overwhelming competition from much more commercial, but lower quality films. With more screens and greater support from the Government, in the next 5 to 10 years, filmmakers – even the more artistic ones – could find it much easier to make money from their films, which will ultimately have a huge impact on the quality and global reputation of Indonesian films. You’re married to actress and TV anchor, Marissa Anita. What’s it like having such a high-profile wife? It’s wonderful and a bit surreal at times. Wonderful, because Marissa is an intelligent, funny, talented, kind and caring person who I’m very happy to be sharing my life with. But the surreal bit is this: I knew Marissa before she was on television, and I’ve been with her throughout as she has become quite well known. When people come up to her nervously to ask for a selfie with her, it makes me reflect a lot on the nature of celebrity culture. To me she’s the same Marissa that she has always been – and really to her credit it hasn’t all gone to her head at all. It reminds me that no one knows what a famous person is really like from their public persona; we inflate them in our minds. And the funniest thing is that even knowing all this, I’m just the same. When I met Bill Nighy and Carrey Mulligan recently, I was a nervous wreck!

Thank you, Andrew! To get in touch, e-mail: thejakartaplayers@gmail.com Naked Molerats in the World of Darkness will be staged on 13–15 November in Jakarta. Please visit www.jakartaplayers.org for more information.

issue 151 Indonesia expat

EXPAT LIFESTYLE

FOOD & DRINK

The Clandestine Critic

OFF WITH HER HEAD

Our expert epicure continues an undercover operation to bring you the truth about Jakarta’s dining scene. No spoon is left unturned in the quest for honest, balanced reviews, from longestablished favourites to the hottest new tables in town. This month, pseudo-pub, Queens Head Jakarta

h, the pub. Is there any British cultural institution more important? If you let it, the humble pub can give you everything: home, community, sustenance, diversion. There’s nothing better than a bitter by the fire after a winter’s walk, or a summery Pimm’s in the beer garden. The folks over at Queens Head chose a pub’s name, and English-inspired dishes, to bring the iconic British drinking-hole up to date in Jakarta. A great idea. Only they missed by several thousand miles – so much so that I doubt the pub concept was ever really their intention. The interior is more Seminyak than Sheffield. It’s beautiful, don’t get me wrong, but quite what it’s got to do with HRH, or her Royal head, I don’t know. A small forest has surely been cleared for the barewood-panelled walls, and a less-than-small fortune has been splurged on the rest of the décor – this place is aimed squarely at the young, rich and beautiful Jakarterati, and it means business. Most of the space is given over to the bar and lounge areas, with a dancefloor and DJ booth tucked under a glass roof. The dining area enjoys a view of the kitchen’s pass, where current Chef Blake Thornley can frequently be seen (and heard) barking out orders in Bahasa. Thornley – a Kiwi – is a graduate of Chris Salans’ Mozaic Ubud, and it shows in the intent of his food, if not always the execution. When Queens Head opened in January there was considerable buzz: the owner is Steve Collinson of Ku De Ta, so it was promising from the off. At first, the menu was straight-up pub grub, and it was great – a really welcome, new addition to the Jakarta restaurant scene. But Thornley’s appointment took things in an unabashedly ‘fusion’ direction. Gone are the pies and the fish cakes. In their place is Tom Yum soup and Beef Rendang Tortellini, furthering the Kuta-meetsKings-Cross theme. After ordering, complimentary bread appeared with a lovely herbed butter – a nice touch. Sadly the rolls were little pellets more readily found on economy-class airplane meals: possibly yesterday’s, crisped up in the oven. Still, the thought was there. Starters were Tuna Tataki (Rp.80,000) and Roast Pumpkin Salad (Rp.75,000). The tuna itself had – strangely – a very slightly unpleasant flavour, even though the longpepper crust was interestingly distinctive. It came with compressed watermelon which really just tasted exactly like cubes of watermelon, so-so soba noodles and a pleasant ponzu dressing. The salad was sparse. I enjoyed the Middle-Eastern-

Indonesia expat issue 151

spiced pumpkin and almonds, but the herb cheese was an imperceptible smear on the wooden board, and the rocket was watercress. Otherwise, this was not a bad dish for a light starter. For mains, there’s a short selection of sortof pub classics: Fish and Chips, Tandoori Chicken, steak. More interesting is their Roasts section, offering either a sharing portion or a one-person plate of belly pork, lamb, beef or chicken. This is a great idea in theory and rare in Indonesia. Just a few tweaks and it’d be really good: better cuts of meat, proper gravies and sides, and Bob’s your uncle. As it was, the miso-mustard gravy with the Belly Pork (Rp.190,000) was a little bitter and the fat-to-meat ratio was more-than-usually skewed to fat, although the crackling was fabulous. Potato gratin on the side was slightly burned but surprisingly still tasty (Rp.35,000).

“The bar is impressive: they understand that a cocktail is only as good as its worst ingredient, and therefore use top-quality liquors instead of cheating you with the cheap stuff.”

Fish and Chips (Rp.140,000) should have been better than it was. Gindara fillets were in a heavy, yellow batter that unfortunately was 95 percent soggy rather than chip-shop crispy. The hand-cut chips were chunky but seemed like they’d been cooked at two different intervals hours apart. The mushy peas were simply mashed without seasoning, but the tartare sauce was good. Desserts here used to be Victoria Sponge and Eton Mess, but now the Mozaic blueprint is evident: kemangi jellies, lime gels and curry leaves adorn the dishes. Chargrilled Bandung Pineapple (Rp.60,000) was a little bland, but well presented and a generous portion. Chocolate Curry Parfait (Rp.65,000) was intriguing and enjoyable – just a hint of the spice came through, contrasting well with the banana purée. It’s possible it was an off-day, but service – when it remembered it had a job – was achingly slow. 10 minutes for a beer, and a glass of wine failed to show up at all. I suspect this is because they actually do have talented, innovative bartenders and a comprehensive drinks list. This means wait times go up – not ideal, especially when it wasn’t even busy. There’s room for improvement but in general the bar is impressive: they understand that a cocktail is only as good as its worst ingredient, and therefore use top-quality liquors instead of cheating you with the cheap stuff. There’s also Guinness on tap. If Queens Head succeeds nowhere else, it is at least an appealing alternative to Koi for lively latenight drinks. This, however, affects the comfort level of those who come here to dine. There is a tendency for the space to feel hot, loud,

and smoky. There’s not a lot management can do about that, but installing a few more ACs would help. Overall, I would go back – the value for money is not bad. But I do wish they would pick one concept and go with it. If it’s Jl. Petitenget-style mod-Asian cuisine they

Heads Up Queens Head Jl. Kemang Raya No.18C, Jakarta Selatan 12730 +62 (0) 21 7196160 www.queensheadjakarta.com

think will bring the bucks, be my guest and compete with the myriad other joints in town offering the same. But I for one would love to see Queens Head do proper British pub grub, elevated. I guarantee the hundreds of expat residents of South Jakarta would, too.

Cheque Please Food Drinks Service Total

Rp.675,000 Rp.250,000 10% Rp.1,119,250 (inc. taxes) for two

Our Clandestine Critic has dined all over the world, everywhere from threeMichelin starred restaurants in Monaco to street stalls in Shanghai – so this discerning palate has pedigree. The quest for truth and the elimination of mediocrity in Indonesia’s emerging dining scene is finally here!

ADVERTISING FEATURE

ACTIVE KIDS = SMART KIDS “Children need to play. It’s their work!”

On a daily basis children need to manage complicated feelings – just as adults: FEAR, JEALOUSY, HUMILIATION, PANIC, ANGER AND DISAPPOINTMENT. Daily challenges at home or school stimulate feelings that need to be released through playing, which will help reduce stress hormones. Otherwise pent-up stress hormones can turn into tantrums that will be more difficult to handle, according to an article from AHA! Parenting. Experts have suggested for a long time that games like card or board and toy-based games like Lego can shape children’s understanding of concepts as well as awaken their imagination and curiosity. Studies show that playing can help a child’s brain process and assimilate information from their environment and can aid in the development of motor skills.

By playing games, children are situated to develop a sense of ownership over their creations, which aids in the growth of creative standards. The Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development recently released results of its latest assessment of students around the world. 15-year-olds who spent 20 hours over an eight-week period playing board games that require reasoning ability and processing speed saw their IQs jump an average of 13 points. According to the UC Berkeley study, visual-based games can improve hand-eye coordination, problem solving ability, pattern recognition, accuracy of estimations, hypothesis testing, resource management, quick thinking, memory, spatial perception and judgment calls. Free play or exercise amongst nine and 10-year-olds of at least 20 minutes per day (especially prior to taking tests) can significantly boost test scores, according to a study from a Swedish research centre.

“We couldn’t agree more that children need to have freedom of expression and space to be able to explore doing a lot of fun things – be it with themselves, friends or even their parents. And that’s what prompted HARRIS Hotel to create Dino Kid’s Club,” added Irene Janti, TAUZIA’s Chief Brand & Product Officer. Dino Kid’s Club is a kid facility in the form of an indoor playground, where children are free to play with their mates and with as many toys and games available in the room. All activities will be supervised by at least one guardian from the hotel.

For more info, log on to

www.harrishotels.com

issue 151 Indonesia expat

EXPAT LIFESTYLE

TRAVEL

Cirebon Handicrafts

Gail Collins writes internationally for magazines and has cowritten two books on expat life. She feels writing is the perfect excuse to talk to strangers and know the world around her better.

Words & Photos by Gail Collins

A mix of cultural influences and media on Java’s North Coast

hen one looks to Mount Ciremai, with scudding clouds against a sapphire sky, it is impossible to miss the trademark design of Cirebon’s batik. Its bright spare ground with clean, curling lines and graduated hues on fine cotton is unmistakable. The seaport town of 350,000 people on the north coast of Java has long been a trading and cultural hub. Only a three-hour train ride from Jakarta, it siphons off the overflow of Bandung tourists and has become a pleasant diversion in its own right with four- and five-star hotels. The area is renowned for its handicrafts – mainly batik, rattan and glass painting. Distinct designs and inspiration stamp them as uniquely Cirebon. With traders trekking from the inland mountains and spanning the seas, the city became a crossroads for goods and people. Indian textiles, Chinese ceramics, European silver and gold were exchanged for spices, bringing wealth and station to this port.

Cirebon began as a Hindu kingdom in 1378, but by the 16th century, Islam had secured firm footing. Sunan Gunang Jati came to power and established the city as a centre for religion and the arts, and with his marriage to a Chinese princess, began mixing Hindu, Muslim, Chinese and European influences in its handicrafts.

Beautiful Batik 700 years ago, a decree established travelling, male-only artist guilds along the coast. This spawned understated, masculine batik patterns. Before the Dutch arrived, the cloth likely was drawn and painted for royalty or religious use only, with roots in the tulisan or storytelling scroll. Over time, batik became a cloth of the people making it was an accomplished skill for women to master for marriage consideration. The term ‘batik’ means ‘cloth with little dots’, describing the fussier feminine details added to the elaborate resistance process of waxing and dyeing. Originally, the dyes were made from bark, turmeric, mango leaves and other natural substances. The pattern on batik is stamped or handdrawn with a pipe of hot wax in significant motifs like dragons, peacocks, carriages, feathers, flowers and more, revealing Cirebon artists’ geographical backgrounds and heritage. In principal, anyone can do batik. All it takes is practice, patience and a penchant for hot wax. For fine batik, venture to Trusmi, where this home industry is still practiced by a customary circle of women. With bulky, wax-spattered aprons across their laps, they deftly draw the canting in the bold lines of wada rocks, rounded clouds and jutting peaks, which signify mountains reaching for heaven.

Rugged Rattan The rattan industry originated from the flexible, strong design of bamboo and vine-jointed structures. Rattan is 16

Indonesia expat issue 151

Java Sea Jakarta

Cirebon

Bandung

Indian Ocean

Country: Indonesia Province: West Java Population: 350,000 Getting there Three-hour train ride from Jakarta Accommodation Hotel Santika Cirebon Jl. Dr. Wahidin No. 32 Cirebon 45122 Phone: +62 (0) 231-200570, 200662, 200575 Email: cirebon@santika.com Areas for crafts Trusmi for batik; Tegal Wangi for rattan

traditionally harvested from the jungles of Borneo, Sulawesi and Sumatra with the trade concentrated in Java. Several hundred species of this palm also flourish in plantations in Indonesia and beyond the archipelago. The vine-like plant has a slim stem, growing up to 200 metres in length with a consistent diameter, making it an ideal component for weaving. The bulk of raw materials for wicker furniture was once exported, but in 1987, a law established that only finished products could be shipped. Since then, demand has created a booming manufacturing business in Cirebon, showcasing these hard-wearing products worldwide. In the warren of streets of Tegal Wangi, this craft is alive and well. Baskets, cradles, settees, chairs, room screens and shelves are woven, integrating other natural fibres, like water lily roots, sea grasses and banana leaves to create neutral or vivid decoration. In open-air shops, chairs are stacked to ship and piles of baskets are coated in glossy urethane. Framing rods, slats and braided coils form piles, while hoops hang from cob-webby rafters. Browse the wide array of goods and skilful handwork and strike bargains, like we did, on a new settee, chairs and table bought for about Rp.1 million, including delivery.

Glorious Glass Painting Glass painting, or lukisan kaca, is emblematic of Cirebon and began in the 15th century. The framed work is flamboyant and strikingly deceptive. Instead of a painting behind glass, the method is worked in reverse with the glass serving as the canvas. The artist must think backwards, applying the finest details in black ink first, adding

the larger subject and finishing with the background. It is exacting with no second chances. Despite the painstaking process, the results are rich with detail. Glass painting had fallen out of practice, but it is resurging with modern techniques. Contemporary painters have added threedimensional elements through layers of gradation, glue and additional glass for complexity and grain. The subjects include traditional characters, such as wayang or Barong, as well as portraits or landscapes.

Painter Arles Sutardi demonstrated his edgy passion, brushing red and black oil paint across the glass and scraping it away with a paper wedge. His daubs, sweeps and etched lines formed a dhow, tossed at sea on a stormy night. The artist coated the back with spray paint and completed his work with a flash of flame from a torch to harden and seal the piece. The speedy show of glass painting exemplified an evolving work in progress, like the long history of arts of Cirebon.

BUSINESSES, COMMUNITIES, SCHOOLS AND INDIVIDUALS SET TO

Clean Up Jakarta

nnual gotong royong event Clean Up Jakarta Day is set to take place on Sunday, 18 October, 2015. The highly-anticipated event serves not only as a platform for individuals, institutions, and anyone wishing to see a cleaner Jakarta, but also as a way to educate people about their role in making it happen.

Furthermore, Clean Up Jakarta Day works together with the city’s sanitation department, Dinas Kebersihan DKI, who will be collecting all waste and ensuring that recyclable items are given to the city’s waste banks for further sorting and recycling. Some items will even be turned into useful items such as daily planners.

After a huge success last year, where 5,000 volunteers showed up early in the morning and participated in picking up rubbish at 27 locations across Jakarta, Clean Up Jakarta Day is looking to recreate the transformative day by having more people onboard. This year, approximately 15,000 volunteers from all walks of life are signed up to clean 50 locations around the city of Jakarta in an attempt to raise awareness about the problem of rubbish, as well as to educate volunteers about the importance of implementing the 3-Rs of Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle into their daily lives.

Volunteers, referred to as ‘Clean Up Heroes’, will all be wearing white. They will be equipped with gloves to protect their hands, reused sugar sacks for rubbish collection and pins to wear so that they can identify themselves to members of the public. Education kits are given to volunteers beforehand to educate about which items can be recycled and which cannot.

Founder of the movement, Angela Richardson, suggested that raising awareness about the issue is a primary goal that Clean Up Jakarta seeks to achieve. “Our main aim is raising awareness of littering and educating about recycling, which is why our volunteers must separate recyclable from non-recyclable as they clean. We are not a pick-up service,” Richardson adds, explaining that leaving the streets clean is a “bonus”. Rubbish has unfortunately been a major issue for the capital city. Each day, Jakarta produces 6,700 tonnes of rubbish, much of it ending up on the streets and in the rivers. What people oftentimes fail to realise is that their indifference towards the issue and their tendency to rely on street sweepers, pemulung, and rubbish men and women, will and has contributed to the undesirable condition of accumulating rubbish that the city struggles to tackle on a daily basis. The movement believes that this should be everyone’s concern. In order to engage more people to participate in the event, Clean Up Jakarta Day invites not only individuals, but also schools and institutions to help materialise the idea of a clean Jakarta. There are many open sites that individuals can register to join until the closing date of 16 October.

Volunteers will gather at their respective locations at 6am and begin cleaning for two hours from 7am until 9am. After completing the gotong royong activities, volunteers in centrally-located clean-up sites have the chance to join the Post Event. At this event, volunteers will be able to share their experiences in addition to figuring out a solution to the problem and discussing ways of making a lasting change. Former head of Business Development at Dinas Kebersihan DKI, Korel M. J. Bujung, expressed his support for Clean Up Jakarta Day by pointing out the benefits reaped from joining the event. In his words, “Clean Up Jakarta Day helps to educate volunteers about littering and how to sort waste at home because waste also has an economic value if managed properly. This also helps to shape the characters of the volunteers.” Bujung further applauded the cause by revealing that there is still hope for a clean city. He added, “It shows that we care about our city and are keen to make a change together. We can show the world that there is still hope to make this city clean through this gotong royong activity.” In keeping with their gotong royong theme, Clean Up Jakarta Day is raising funds through a crowdfunding campaign on kitabisa.com with the help of some of their ambassadors, Marissa Anita and Mike Lewis. The collected funds will be used to purchase additional gloves and continue the Clean Up Jakarta Day education outreach programme. Visit kitabisa.com/partners/CUJD for more information.

Clean Up Jakarta Day is sponsored by The Body Shop Indonesia, PT Adaro Energy, Kärcher, Coca Cola Amatil, Blue Air, and Grant Thornton. The event is organised by Indonesia Expat. Clean Up Jakarta Day was founded in 2013 and aspires to continue its journey to raising awareness about rubbish and accomplishing a cleaner Jakarta, and a cleaner Indonesia. issue 151 Indonesia expat

EXPAT LIFESTYLE

PAST & PRESENT Hans Rooseboom is a long term resident of Jakarta. He now enjoys a leisurely life, playing tennis most mornings and writing his blogs and other articles.

We are talking here about cannabis, the world's illicit drug of choice. In the USA, four states have legalised it, as has Washington, D.C., while most European countries have decriminalised its use – but not drug-dealing. Uruguay is the first country to have legalised the whole chain, from growing to distribution and the consumption of cannabis. In respect of other drugs (and there are quite a number of them) the legislation in Western countries is not as lenient, yet. Users of cocaine and crystal methamphetamine are sometimes still prosecuted, and heroin users might be jailed, but at the same time are provided with access to clean needles and methadone; a substitute to stop addicts from overdosing. In Amsterdam the policy goes one step further. Heroin addicts who can prove that they have tried to kick the habit several times, but failed, can get heroin to smoke or inject three times per day at a municipal health centre. The result is that addicts have disappeared from the streets, and those under 40 years of age are almost non-existent. 100 years ago in the Netherlands EastIndies, the main narcotic was opium. Used for either medical or recreational purposes, the substance was completely controlled by the colonial authorities through its 1893 legislation called the Opium Regie, or Opium Monopoly. Raw Indian opium was bought through an agent at the Calcutta auction with the British Government guaranteeing the quality of the product. This outsourcing was adopted as the cultivation of poppies was forbidden, for reason that in the wide expanse of the archipelago it was nearly impossible to control production. Moreover, it was

smoke opium do not kick up rows; they injure no one but themselves, and I do not think they injure themselves very much. Back in the Netherlands East-Indies, research in the mental hospital at Lawang could not find any connection between mental illness, or heredity, and the smoking of opium. And experts opined that moderate use of opium did little harm to Asians. The Lawang researchers reported that: …the typical representation of the damages of opium are highly exaggerated. The writers cite examples of coolies who took a certain amount of opium on a daily basis and were still able to perform heavy physical tasks. Singapore's coal harbour coolies, for instance, reached old age and were known as strong and industrious workers even though they smoked 10 to 20 times more opium than Javanese labourers. I don't know whether the writers were enlightened freethinkers and much ahead of their time, or trying to justify their own habits, but their statements are certainly different from what one would expect to read in a 100-year-old encyclopaedia. However, the article also contains statements and references to studies that oppose the above opinions. The authors themselves, for instance, mention that unrestrained smoking [of opium] will eventually ravage the body. But that of course refers to unrestrained smoking, rather than taking a certain amount of opium. The Opium Regie was tweaked and adjusted frequently as the Government faced the difficulty of predicting how much to import and distribute to the various lessees and opium den operators. If too little was bought in Calcutta, the

And experts were inclined to opine that moderate use of opium did little harm to Asians.

It was the Second World War that brought an end to the Opium Regie and the profits. It appears that the main reason for the lack of success of the anti-opium-smoking campaign was the profits derived from selling opium. Hence l'histoire se répète, as nowadays the big profits are still the main reasons that the war on drugs has been a failure. Only now, the profits are made illegally by large, well-organised criminal outfits who have the capital to easily buy their way around obstacles. The ones getting caught (and executed) are typically the small-fry, the little mules, or at best some low-level organisers. The heads of the large powerful groups with commercial interest in the trade are sitting back and enjoying their illicit profits.

By Hans Rooseboom

Nearly all UN members have endorsed the 1961, 1971 and 1988 conventions on the prohibition of the main illegal recreational drugs. The objective of these mandates was, in the words of William Brownfield, US Assistant Secretary of State for Drugs, to "reduce the misuse and abuse of harmful products throughout the world." And the way to reach this goal was to launch an all-out war against drugs. Now, half a century later, the belief that stamping out drugs is not the best way to manage the problem is beginning to take hold.

questioned whether local cultivation would yield a product of reliable quality. The Government was thus the sole, monopolistic importer and processor of the raw opium, taking care of packaging and shipping for resale by leaseholders, too. Like elsewhere in the world, the 19th century was fairly tolerant of opium smoking; it was not perceived as a menace to health and society. In 1884 a Royal Commission in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, questioned a girl of good family and education why she smoked opium. Her answer was: Why do people commence to drink? Trouble, I suppose led me to smoke. I think it is better than drink. People who 18

Indonesia expat issue 151

lessees – assisted and supported by large powerful groups with commercial interests in the trade – would smuggle the quantities needed to offset the shortage into the country. And when too much was distributed, the lessees would (illegally) enlarge the sales area assigned to them. In the 20th century, the drive to eradicate opium-smoking gradually got stronger, and various methods to reach this objective were used. The number of regions where opium was allowed to be sold was reduced, as was the number of opium dens. In Java and Madura, for instance, the number of dens was reduced by 20 percent, or from 1,025 on 1 January 1905 to 823

12 years later. Great care was taken not to decrease their number too fast as this would undoubtedly lead to smuggling and illegal sales. The dilemma the Government faced was immense. On the one hand the desire to curb opium-smoking was genuine. However, the revenue collected from opium was highly profitable. In 1916 revenue stood at 35,345,160 guilders, with operating costs (including raw materials, processing, packaging, shipping, cost of preventing smuggling, and pensions) at 6,933,646 guilders only, thus leaving a net profit of 28,411,514 guilders - the equivalent of about US$350,000,000 today.

An English language publication recently published an interesting Editorial Corruption Weakens Jokowi's War on Drugs, in which it is stated that the core problem of Indonesia's war on drugs is “...the corrupt officials, rotten penitentiary system and of course the judiciary system as a whole rather than just foreigners smuggling drugs into the country.” It’s high time to try an alternative approach to curbing drug-use. Legalising drugs would knock the bottom out of the market and eliminate the immense profits. It would also eliminate the need for kick-backs and other corrupt practices. Rehabilitation of drug users, together with a clean-needle programme, rather than jailing, would also be a positive first step. That, however, seems to be a distant dream as the new anti-drugs czar, Comr. Gen. Budi Waseso, wants to stop the rehabilitation services for drug users provided by his office (National Narcotics Agency, BNN). He also opined that, similar to the policy regarding illegal fishing in Indonesian waters, boats used for drug smuggling should be sunk, but with their crew!

Kenneth Yeung is a Jakarta-based editor

Playing for Rain What to do when the country is suffering its worst drought in five years and the Government yet again fails to stop the illegal burning of forests? In one village, people stage a cat wedding, before throwing the cats into a pond. Or if you claim to be more scientifically inclined, you put salt in buckets of water. Yes, the latter has been recommended by an official of the country’s leading environmental group. By Kenneth Yeung

Members of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) last month called on people across the nation to mix water with salt in order to create rain. Unfortunately, putting out buckets of salted water doesn’t create rain. Humans have some power over nature, but it is supreme ignorance and arrogance to think they can control the climate. What people can do in spades is make things worse by destroying the environment, treating the planet as a giant rubbish dump and its precious forests as something to be destroyed for short-term financial gain. International studies led by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have found that urban, agricultural and industrial pollution can suppress rainfall because fine particles of pollution inhibit cloud water from condensing into raindrops, while the remaining rain falls in greater intensity. Parts of Sumatra, Kalimantan and neighbouring Singapore and Malaysia have for over a month been blanketed in toxic haze from illegally lit fires. It is an annual problem, caused by Indonesia’s poor law enforcement. Fires are started by farmers seeking to clear land and by people acting on behalf of timber and oil palm plantation companies. The smoke causes respiratory problems and has resulted in temporary closures of schools and cancellations of flights. Walhi’s appeal for people to counter the haze by putting salt in buckets of water was widely disseminated via BlackBerry Messenger, WhatsApp and some online news portals. In Sumatra’s Jambi province, the Mayor Jambi city, Syarif Fasha, on September 12 held a meeting with school principals and education agencies to call on schools to put out buckets of salted water. Some schools could not immediately comply because they had been closed because of the haze. Schools were also instructed to hold sholat istisqo – an Islamic mass prayer for rain. The preacher leading the prayer generally requests forgiveness, as if drought is divine punishment for sins. At Jambi State Junior High School 1 (SMPN 1), hundreds of students were told to bring buckets of water and salt from home. They had to bring their own water because a teacher said the school was facing a water shortage. The buckets were left outside for a week. No rain was created.

The head of Walhi’s Organizational and Networking Division in Bengkulu province had said putting out buckets of salted water daily, preferably between 11am and 1pm, would accelerate rainfall if performed simultaneously by many Indonesians... The Principal of SMPN 1 Jambi, Nana Sunarya, later told local media that even if the rain-making activity did not work, it had been educational for students to learn about the processes of evaporation and condensation. The head of Walhi’s Organizational and Networking Division in Bengkulu province, southwestern Sumatra, Feri Van Dalis, had said putting out buckets of salted water daily, preferably between 11am and 1pm, would accelerate rainfall if performed simultaneously by many Indonesians, as millions of cubic metres of water vapour would be created. He said each bucket should hold about 10 litres of water and half a kilo of salt. The state-run Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) quickly issued a statement explaining that buckets of saltwater don’t break a drought. Tri Handoko Seto, a meteorologist who heads BPPT’s artificial rain unit, said creating rainfall is not simple, as many factors, such as mountains and wind patterns, influence precipitation. He said seawater off the coast of Jambi, South Sumatra and Riau is evaporating but wind patterns are sending the condensation north and northeast, so clouds are forming in northern and northeastern regions of Indonesia. BPPT has in the past attempted cloud seeding, an attempt at inducing rainfall by dumping silver iodide or dry ice into rainclouds, but the practice has only a 30 percent success rate and some scientists doubt its efficacy. Singapore has not done

any cloud seeding this season because there are no suitable clouds. Tri said haze is best tackled by stopping people from burning off land and forests in the dry season. He said communities should form fire-fighting movements and must immediately report arsonists to authorities.

Hello Kitties

In a village in East Java province’s Tulungagung regency, locals stage a ‘Cat Wedding’ (Mantu Kucing) in the hope of summoning rain. Despite the name of the ritual, the pair of cats involved do not actually get married or even mate. The ceremony is called a ‘wedding’ because it involves a splendidly colourful and noisy procession, in which residents of Palem village dress in their finery. There is often a choir, a percussion band and dancers. A male cat and a female cat, also dressed in finery or just batik shawls, are carried by human attendants at the front of the parade, which concludes at a spring or a pond or a waterfall. The felines are blessed upon thrones, undressed, sprinkled with magic potion and then hurled into the water. They invariably emerge extremely quickly. Legend has it that hundreds of years ago, Tulungagung was afflicted by a terrible drought, which had dried up rice fields, a river and a lake. Prayers for rain went unanswered, until one day an old woman went to the local spring for a bath. A tortoiseshell cat jumped in with her. Suddenly, rain started pouring. Since then, superstitious locals have believed that immersing a cat in water will create rainfall.

In 1926, the area suffered another drought. Locals claim two tortoiseshell cats were taken from the eastern and western ends of Palem village and doused at nearby Coban waterfall, and a few days later the drought broke. In the 1980s, locals began dressing the cats in fancy wedding attire, while attendants would carry elaborate umbrellas over them. At one time, it was difficult to find tortoiseshell cats, so villagers started using regular cats of any colour. While the cats do not seem to enjoy the conclusion of the ceremony, some locals leap into the water, as they believe it has been blessed by the cats and may bring good luck and even ward off old age. In other parts of Java and Bali, rain-making rituals often involve fights between two combatants wielding rattan sticks. It is believed that when blood starts to flow from welts, it will symbolize the coming of rain. At Mount Slamet volcano in Pemalang, Central Java, there is a rain-making dance called sintren, which must be performed by teenage virgin girls. While there’s no harm – apart from annoyed wet cats and wounds inflicted in stick fights – in keeping ancient traditions alive, environmentalists and schools should not be encouraging communities to believe in pseudo-science or superstition. Instead, communities may be better off protesting outside the homes and offices of officials who fail to punish those responsible for illegal forest fires.

issue 151 Indonesia expat

EXPAT OUTREACH SPORTS AND ASSOCIATIONS J.L. McCreedy is a travel addict, cycling enthusiast and attorney who prefers writing stories over legal briefs. She currently lives in Kalimantan and can be visited at www.tongatime.com

Taking a Spin in Kal-Tim

Cycling adventures through kampung, rain forest and sandy beaches with the Balikpapan International Women’s Association’s (“BIWA”) cycling group. By J. L. McCreedy

old ferry terminal off Samarinda Road, and 30 minutes later, a short break ensued inside of a tofu factory where an extremely hospitable employee provided an impromptu demonstration of the tofu-making process! Whatever comes next is almost always an unexpected delight, and throughout the whole experience, cyclists are greeted with cheery salutations of “Hello, mister!”, high-fives and the giddy laughter of children. While all of this is undeniably fun, it should be added that it is also a lot of work. Balikpapan is a hilly town, so even with a 15-minute tofu-tour break, climbing those hills ensures an incredible workout, regardless of the route or speed of travel. And for those wary of joining because of their personal skill level, fret no more. Cyclists of all levels participate, from beginners on up, and if all else fails, getting off and pushing one’s bike up that hill is always an option. Even better, Pak Yayan is excellent at on-thespot quick fixes should equipment go awry – a comforting fact when one’s tire goes flat in the middle of the forest!

n 1974, the Terracotta Warriors were discovered in Xi’an, China, the American author Stephen King published his first novel, Carrie, and in the town of Balikpapan, Indonesia, a group of transplanted spouses from the Huffco Petroleum Corporation formed an organisation to better serve their adopted East Kalimantan (‘Kal-Tim’) community. 10 years later, the Huffco Women’s Club expanded its membership and became the VICO Women’s Club. Another decade later in 1994, this group of altruistic ladies became the Balikpapan Expat Women’s Association, but, realising this moniker was a bit exclusive and more or less against the spirit of intent, the organisation changed its name to Balikpapan International Women’s Association (BIWA) in 1998. Regardless of when BIWA officially became BIWA, one thing has remained constant: the level of community engagement BIWA facilitates. BIWA’s roster of long-term Balikpapan supported projects include three orphanages, one specials needs school, one home for the elderly, bi-annual community dental days and various other ventures addressing unmet needs. Additionally, BIWA is the place where ladies from all walks of life can enjoy a sense of community and receive invaluable information about life in Balikpapan. Today, this association, comprised of 15 hard-working board members and approximately 100 local and international ladies hailing from 28 countries, bustles with activity. From teaching English to orphans or socialising with the elderly, to attending local art classes, bowling leagues, book clubs and tee-off times, BIWA’s got you covered. The fees for yearly membership go back into the organisation’s heart and soul: the orphanages, schools and special needs establishments that rely on BIWA’s support.

Indonesia expat issue 151

What is it?

“Within an hour, cyclists will have traversed bamboo shaded forest trails, paved roads leading past sea vistas and long, rickety bridges spanning for meters over mangrove swamp.”

All of that is well and good – fantastic, even – but in my book, I confess falling prey to BIWA’s charms for another reason altogether: the cycling. More specifically, the mix of urban and off-road cycling that BIWA’s informal biking group, the Balikpapan Biking Babes (BBB) has to offer. That might sound trite, but first hear me out – it won’t take long – because cycling in Balikpapan can be described in three short words:

So. Much. Fun.

And while it is true that Balikpapan is a cycling heaven that remains largely undiscovered, what makes the BIWA cycling group such a special experience is the interaction between individuals who might never otherwise cross paths. It doesn’t matter where you are from, what faith or politics you adhere to, or even what language you speak. All you need to share in the camaraderie is to show up with a mountain bike, a helmet and sense of adventure.

Although BBB is often referred to as a cycling club, technically, it isn’t a club at all. There are no matching shirts, no exclusive parties; there isn’t even a membership fee. While BIWA does help promote, organise and support the cycling group, it is open to anyone. Currently the group rides are run on a week-by-week basis, with the destination predetermined a few days beforehand via email chain or group SMS. Participant numbers vary weekly as well, with some weeks seeing as few as three cyclists while others have nine or more. Each week, the cycling route is different, but the ride usually lasts around two hours. Because rides often start at more far-flung places outside the city proper, most participants arrive at the meeting point via vehicle, and then have their driver pick them up at the end. For those who wish to join but don’t have transportation, car-pooling is often possible when planned in advance.

How does it work?

Every Wednesday morning at 8.30am, BBB meets somewhere in the vicinity of Balikpapan for an approximately twohour ride. From there, the stupendous local guide, Pak Yayan (who is a cycling champion in Indonesia, by the way, routinely winning first place in national cycling competitions for his age group), leads the group through all sorts of terrain and circumstances one would never otherwise put together in a logical sequence of thought. For instance, BBB might start at a nondescript dirt parking lot just outside of a housing complex, and within an hour, cyclists will have traversed bamboo shaded forest trails, paved roads leading past sea vistas and long, rickety bridges spanning for metres over mangrove swamp. Take last week for example, when the ride began at an

In summary, the BIWA cycling group is all about discovering the amazing wonders of Balikpapan, of exploring villages and fish farms, tapioca plantations and jungle reservoirs. It’s about climbing that hill you never thought you’d be able to climb and meeting the friendliest people on the planet who don’t seem to mind a single jot that a troupe of sweaty women happen to be cycling through the narrow concrete alleyway that more or less serves as their front porch. It’s about trying out a new Bahasa phrase as you make friends, stopping for photographs and learning about soft shell crab farms or how to make arak, should the need arise. The BIWA cycling group is about a lot of things – exercise included – but perhaps the best thing about BBB is that it isn’t about how good you are on a bike.

How to join the fun?

Just let someone in the group know you’d like to come along, or if that’s not an option, simply contact BIWA at the below email address. It should also be noted that BBB is not exclusive to women; it happens to work out that way as most spouses/partners in Balikpapan on dependant visas are women, but men are certainly welcome to come along as well.

What to bring?

Cycling in Balikpapan is hot and hilly, so a mountain bike or at least a hybrid is necessary for the types of rides BBB does. In addition to the bike, bring a helmet, gloves, sunglasses, cell phone, some money, at least a litre of water (water is usually easy to purchase at kiosks should one need more), athletic shoes and wicking clothing. For pants, padded cycling shorts/pants or tights work best. Also, be sure to wear heavy sunscreen. Last but not least, don’t forget your camera, as photographing along the way is half the fun! So, who’s in? Contact information: info@b-iwa.com or visit www.b-iwa.com

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Smooth Grooves in the Paris of the East By Nadhira Ananta

TP Jazz Night is a very much underrated jazz performance that takes to the stage every Friday and Sunday night in one of Bandung city’s most recognized luxury hotels, The Papandayan. Strategically located on Jl. Gatot Subroto, this hotel put on a show of rich, deep, harmonious jazz melodies that were soothing to the soul – not that I know a lot about jazz and blues to begin with, but to gain firsthand experience from the performance was truly a wonderful experience. While travelling by train from Jakarta to Bandung is a relaxing and scenic journey, it is not always suitable, especially for those on a tight schedule, which is why I opted to travel by shuttle car. The journey to Bandung itself took an excruciating five hours by CitiTrans from Jakarta at peak traffic time: Friday night. Luckily, the Papandayan Hotel had arranged transportation upon my arrival from the bus station, and while I was almost late for the show, I reached the beautifully-lit hotel just in time. As I entered the lavish building, I was greeted by the guest relations manager who welcomed me warm-heartedly – she became my patron for the night. A friendly and humble person, the manager walked me through every section of the hotel. To begin with, I was taken to a restaurant adjacent to the reception desk called Cantigi, a fine dining, dinner only restaurant with a huge selection of wines showcased in an elaborate glass compartment for everyone to see. I found myself entering another restaurant called Pago, with its extensive food selection from Japanese fusion sushi, contemporary Western and Southeast Asian cuisine. The best part was by the pool area where Pago’s dining experience extended to feature a pasar malam (night market). This concept is held every Friday and Saturday evening, where traditional Indonesia specialties are served in food-carts for a more authentic dining experience. We headed to the infinity pool and HB Grill Garden that serves snacks and canapés in a relaxed, outdoors setting with a stunning view of the city. Be on the lookout for their signature dish of prawns served with hot stones – I hear it’s the best. Beside the HB bar lays the tranquil area that houses the hotel’s pampering facilities such as the royal Edelweiss Spa (the rooms smelled amazing with its traditional aromatherapy scents), reflexology, massage rooms, Jacuzzi, saunas, steam rooms, salon and gym.

The Papandayan Hotel

On the 5th floor is the Ambassador Lounge; an exclusive lounge that can only be accessed by guests who are staying on the same floor. Guests are able to experience complete privacy and serenity at its finest – a perfect place for business meetings or to read a book in your spare time. This exclusivity offers guests breakfast, afternoon high tea and cocktail hours in the evening. For dinner, I chose buttered roast potatoes with grilled fish, complemented by sushi and corn soup. The food was exceptionally delicious, not forgetting to mention the steamed succulent clams that came with assorted seafood, grilled to order. While dinner was delectable, so was the room, with deluxe décor and a grand teak wood desk. The bed was king-sized, and I felt tiny sleeping in such a big white space. The bathroom featured a big overhead shower and a bathtub, should the need to soak your worries away arise. Once refreshed, I headed down to Mirten Lounge, opposite Cantigi, where the TP Jazz weekend began. Imelda Rosalin and friends had already taken to the stage, her powerful set of vocal cords and intricate sounds of the saxophone ceased to amaze me. The lounge was packed to the rafters, and three guests from the hotel got involved and took turns to sing with the band. The first to play after Imelda was Fathur, an upcoming pop artist. Next up was a young and talented 12-year-old named Viko who played the keyboard while jazzing to Maroon 5’s ‘Sunday Morning’. Think of him as a young Jamie Cullum – he was that talented. Finally, to close the evening of fine jazz performances, an elderly man sang a few 70s jazz numbers and impressed the audience with his profound vocal skills. The audience was as much a part of the show as the band was. I had a lovely evening filled with laughs, good conversations and a sing-song. The following day, I explored more of the untapped features Papandayan Hotel has to offer. The botanical garden would probably be my highlight of the hotel. Situated a few steps away from Mirten Lounge, this magical world filled with green bushes, sounds of birds chirping in the air, bountiful trees and waterfalls is complete with a deli. For couples who would like a romantic candlelit dinner, this could be the ideal place to share with your significant other. The atmosphere was serene and calming, making this garden a haven for meditation and yoga. Great hospitality, friendly and helpful staff, and delicious food coupled with the best jazz performances in town, The Papandayan Hotel offers numerous ways to entertain guests by looking beyond the norm to satisfy and please.

Jl. Jendral Gatot Subroto No.83, Bandung, West Java 40262 | Tel: (022) 7310799 | www.thepapandayan.com issue 151 Indonesia expat

EXPAT OUTREACH WORTHY CAUSES

Imploring for Palliative Care, the Chance to a Fulfilling Life As a paediatric palliative care service, Rachel House treats poor children diagnosed with cancer and HIV in Jakarta. They are currently working on a campaign called the Living Wall to raise awareness for palliative care and give voices for children who live in pain. Words by Caranissa Djatmiko | Photos by Rachel House

For some people, palliative care is unheard of. In Indonesia, where people are inclined to avoid discussions about death and pain, palliative care is often misconstrued as care given only for the dying, while in reality it helps people with life-limiting conditions to alleviate pain or symptoms. The idea of palliative care is for people to be able to live life to the fullest from the moment they are diagnosed until they die. As a matter of fact, the term ‘life-limiting’ is not restricted to terminal patients. Conditions concerning the physical, emotional, social and spiritual wellbeing of a person also come into play. A person who has diabetes or hypertension, for instance, can be classified as someone with lifelimiting conditions. When a person must control his or her diet, or relies on insulin, then his or her activities become limited. Ultimately the other three components play out as emotional need comes in, when the person diagnosed submits to fear of losing his or her life; starts wondering about paying for treatments (social); or perhaps becomes closer to faith (spiritual). What’s more is that these three components also apply to families and friends of the diagnosed, all of which are embraced by palliative care. Familiarising palliative care turns out to be a greater challenge than it may seem. When founder of Rachel House, Lynna Chandra, first built the palliative care service, she struggled with the community’s, and even medical professionals’ acceptance. Due to palliative care’s misconception as a treatment frequently associated with the dying, referring a patient to palliative care might symbolise failure.

Lynna Chandra

from HIV and cancer. The determination to alleviate pain and suffering is what drives Rachel House to continue trying to get the community, professionals and the Government involved. The motivation behind founding Rachel House came from Chandra’s friend Rachel, who, during her last days, was in need of financial resources. This led Chandra to wonder how sick people, especially children, spend their last days. A visit to a hospital, during which she encountered children screaming in pain due to the hospital’s inability to buy pain killers, encouraged her to build a hospice. It was later reconceptualised into home-based visits, where nurses instead come to the children, make assessments and communicate with doctors about their conditions.

“For doctors, admitting and referring a patient to palliative care means that they have lost the battle because doctors are trained in medical school to save lives. Palliative care is the antithesis of that.”

The reconceptualisation occurred because the hospice failed to attract patients, as children preferred to be home with their families. A bigger issue was identified when Chandra realised there was a need for retraining doctors and professionals to start acknowledging pain. The lack of knowledge about palliative care at the time meant that medical professionals did not receive proper training on symptom management.

As the first palliative care service in Jakarta, Rachel House cares for children from marginalised backgrounds who suffer

Furthermore, people’s sentiment towards pain hinders the chances for palliative care to be discussed as we are not accustomed to

Dua Tangan Cukup

Helene Boscardin

“For doctors, admitting and referring a patient to palliative care means that they have lost the battle because doctors are trained in medical school to save lives – palliative care is the antithesis of that.”

addressing pain. “When somebody is sick in Indonesia, they have this attitude of pasrah (giving in),” explains Chandra. The tendency of mystifying death and pain by medical professionals may consequently diminish child patients’ rights to a fulfilling life in their final days. What children require the most, according to Chandra, is the knowledge that they will not be left to suffer alone because no human deserves such a thing. “I thought, as children they didn’t ask to be born. And they didn’t ask to get HIV. And there is no reason why children should actually be left alone,” Chandra says. For that reason, Rachel House develops programmes to train professionals and bring palliative care to light. In order for people to start talking about this sensitive subject, Rachel House are working on a campaign called ‘The Living Wall’. This student-led campaign works by building walls in the form of a board or banner in their schools, where people can cherish their lives by completing the phrase: ‘If I had one more day to live’.

The youth play a pivotal role as advocates to triggering conversations about palliative care. One of the volunteers of Rachel House, Helene Boscardin, emphasised how palliative care highlights the importance of adding life to one’s remaining days. “Our focus really is more about how today is precious, because not everyone has a tomorrow.” The campaign tries to spread the message that for children with lifelimiting conditions to be able to enjoy today, they need palliative care. Boscardin hopes that in return people will stop pretending that child suffering is not real and ask for palliative care. All it takes is for us to start acknowledging pain and normalise discussions about death so that we can deal with it. If we neglect this, we will be depriving people’s rights to both the life and the death they truly deserve. As Chandra says, “We know that first and foremost death exists. Patients do die. But how do we make sure that in their final moments they are able to actually have the best quality of life?” To support Rachel House and the Living Wall, please visit: www.rachel-house.org Twitter: @thelivingwallid Facebook: The Living Wall - Indonesia

Causes to Support from Across the Archipelago

The People of Riau are Fighting for Their Rights to Clean Air As Riau is struggling under a shroud of haze, many of its victims are voicing out their disgruntlement over the lack of the Government’s contribution towards settling the issue once and for all. In a strongly pressing tone, Rahmi Carolina, a university student from Riau, expressed her demand to President Joko Widodo for the right to breathe clean air through change.org, an online petition portal. Carolina’s petition is titled: ‘Kembalikan Hak Masyarakat Riau Atas Udara Yang Bersih’ (Return the People of Riau’s Rights to Clean Air). On her petition page, she lists incidents of extreme haze pollution in Riau and recalls a time during a drought where she was forced to bathe at her neighbour’s house because her well had dried out. Over the last 18 years, the consistent trends of wildfire and worsening air quality have taken their toll on people’s health in this region.

According to Riau Health Agency, since early September, 25,524 residents have suffered from ailments ranging from respiratory illness, skin and eye irritations, asthma to pneumonia. Riau’s air pollution status is at emergency level. It was also reported that the president invited Riau’s Governer Arsyadjuliandi Rachmad to discuss the issue. Carolina points out, “The people of Riau have lost many of their rights, while ‘they’ do nothing.” With over 15,000 people supporting the petition, Carolina calls for the Government and the president primarily, to fulfil Riau’s right to clean air and a healthy way of living, free from the deadly haze and forest fires.

Help Carolina and the people of Riau by signing the petition to President Joko Widodo: https://www.change.org/p/jokowi-bravonur-cabut-izin-dan-pidanakan-pembakar-hutan-dan-lahan-melawanasap

Indonesia expat issue 151

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Rickshaw Charity Ride from Aceh to Jakarta Has Taken Off from Aceh Tsunami Museum

SUMATRA Scott Thompson has started his BecakTerus journey, leaving The Aceh Tsunami Museum on Sunday September 27, 2015, an iconic building that stands as a reminder of the Aceh tsunami disaster in 2004. The BecakTerus kick-off was attended by Reza Pahlavi, Head of Tourism and Culture in Aceh; Muhammad Farhan, Secretary General YCAB Foundation/Project Director of BecakTerus; and Tomi Mulya Hasan, General Manager of the Tsunami Museum. This event was also attended by children of YCAB Foundations Learning Centre at Pidie city, Aceh, who supported Scott by singing ‘Indonesia Pusaka’. Additional representatives of Wisma Cheshire also attended this event and gave prayers for the journey of their beloved ‘Bule Gila’. Scott is scheduled to arrive at The Breeze in BSD City on Sunday, October 18, 2015. "We invite the biking and running communities to join and give support to BecakTerus and Scott Thompson by riding alongside him as he makes his way to the finish line.

Fairmont Offers New Hangout Joints for Jakarta’s Glitterati JAKARTA Recently opened Fairmont Jakarta Hotel in the Senayan district of South Jakarta offers new alternatives to Jakarta’s bountiful nightlife scene. Starting at K22 Bar, a semi-outdoor bar overlooking Jakarta on the 22nd floor, guests can enjoy creative culinary cocktails to kick-start the night’s festivities. Up next, Fairmont invites guests to visit View Gastro Bar, serving an experience of the senses with both its cuisine and floor-to-ceiling window-views of Jakarta. Fairmont also offers the Barong Bar to office-goers in the area; a masculine and intimate bar with signature drinks such as the whiskey sour and the Manhattan.

A Taste of France at Oakroom Restaurant & Bar JAKARTA As part of Oakwood Asia Pacific’s chef exchange programme, Oakroom is pleased to present Executive Chef Jerome Cartailler from Oakwood Premier Joy Nostalg Centre, Manila, for a week-long visit to introduce ‘A Taste of France’ at Oakwood Premier Cozmo Jakarta. Chef Jerome was born in Grenoble, France to a family who loved fine food and cooking. He spent his early years in Africa then went back to France to attend college at Lycee Hotelier de Chamalieres. Upon receiving his diploma, he moved within Europe where he worked for the Bayerischer Hof (Munich, Luxury Hotels of the World), InterContinental Luxembourg and Sheraton Stockholm Hotel. In 1992 he was part of the magical opening of Euro Disney, Paris. Soon after, he assumed a position at the Sheraton Dubai then decided to accept new challenges and opportunities in Southeast Asia. This took him to Cambodia, Taiwan and the Philippines. From October 5 - 13, he will be preparing classic French cuisine at Oakroom Restaurant & Bar at the Oakwood Premier Cozmo Jakarta, with the same dedication to quality and passion for cooking that has made the Oakroom International Restaurant a by-word in Manila, the Philippines.

Martial Arts RockStar Gym launches Brazilian jiu-jitsu programme JAKARTA Rockstar Gym recently launched a new programme for their active kids: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). This class is for kids aged 7-16 years and will be based on the International Brazilian JiuJitsu Federation (IBJJF) curriculum, which is also combined with a fun way of teaching a positive attitude, discipline, sportsmanship, and the practice of skills in a safe environment. BJJ is a martial art and combat sport that teaches a smaller person how to defend himself against a larger adversary by using leverage and proper techniques. The founders of BJJ modified Judo and traditional Japanese Jiu-Jitsu to create an art form. RockStar Gym’s BJJ will focus on three major skills that will be trained that mutually support each other; selfdefence, sportsmanship, as well as a fun martial arts activity for tweens. Matt Sung Lee, a professional martial arts athlete with huge passion for Taekwondo, Judo, BJJ, Muay Thai and Boxing is the leader for RockStar Gym BJJ. He said, "RockStar Gym Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu will empower kids to be happy and healthy by giving them tools to deal with life’s obstacles through martial arts." Last but not least, to maximize this launching event, RockStar Gym offers a BJJ semi-private coaching programme for adults and kids.

ONEFC Mixed Martial Arts Championship Electrified Jakarta Audiences JAKARTA Asia’s largest mixed martial arts (MMA) organisation, ONE Championship™, returned to Jakarta with an electric event at Istora Senayan on 27 September. 10 battles wowed audiences from all over the world, the main card of the evening crowning Marat Gafurov the new interim ONE Featherweight World Champion. Marat Gafurov made quick work of Martin Nguyen in the main event of the evening. From the opening bell, Nguyen initiated the takedown but it was Gafurov who reversed the position and wound up on Nguyen’s back. He sunk in the rear naked choke in the 41st second of the first round, and a new interim champion was crowned. One of the evening’s most exciting fights saw Roger Huerta and Koji Ando go head-to-head in what could

possibly have been their best performance of the year. In one of the most exciting rounds of the year so far, Ando relentlessly stalked Huerta with a steady stream of punches, Huerta’s chin held high as he continued to trade blows with Ando in a wild brawl. Both Huerta and Ando gave their all in a spirited performance which Ando won by unanimous decision from the judges. The final card saw an all-Indonesian fight, with local Sanda champion Sunoto up against mixed martial artist Mario Wirawan. Drawing the loudest cheers of the night, the two Indonesians clashed in a battle that saw Sunoto dominating with takedowns as Mario continued to press the pace of the fight. After three rounds, Sunoto took the win by unanimous decision with the crowd chanted his name.

issue 151 Indonesia expat

Catching a Flick

* Answers in the next edition!

LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

CROSSWORD

By Eamonn Sadler

aching ribs and sore cheek muscles. It is so fantastically non-PC and so obviously pokes fun at America that an Englishman has no choice but to love it. See if you can get the uncensored version – you’ll know why when you see it.

I like movies that are either funny or true, meaning I don’t generally see the point of letting precious minutes of my life tick by while I learn nothing and/or get no enjoyment from something that never actually happened. My kids know this very well, so if we’re in a mall and they notice there is a movie playing that they want to see, they just ask me if I feel like a nap. In my view there are so many absolutely amazing true stories out there that there is really no need to resort to making stuff up unless it’s for the purpose of making people laugh. Yes, I know there are things to be learned from clever fiction but why bother when you can learn from actual history? At the very bottom of my list is the horror movie in all its forms. I really cannot for the life of me understand why anyone would choose to be scared witless or watch acts of extreme violence for entertainment – and they are generally far too noisy to sleep through. But this column is intended as light entertainment, so I’d like to leave out general non-fiction and share with you, in no particular order, some of my alltime-favourite funny movies. The best comedy often comes from the most unexpected of sources. Who would have thought to pair Michael Caine and Steve Martin in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1998) other than the great director Frank Oz? The screenplay was based on the 1964 movie Bedtime Story starring David Niven and Marlon Brando, and believe it or not the lead roles were originally intended for David Bowie and Mick Jagger! I am English, so it is impossible for me to make a list of my favourite funny movies without including something by the Monty Python crew, even though to be honest I don’t actually think most of the Python movies are all that funny in the mainstream sense of the word. In my opinion most of them are only funny because they are Python. Being funny in the mainstream sense is different and that’s why it is The Life of Brian (1979) that makes my list love or hate Python, it’s still funny. If you haven’t seen Team America: World Police (2004) I won’t spoil it for you, but I will say that I would never have imagined that a movie made entirely with visiblystringed marionettes could leave me with

My kids know this very well, so if we’re in a mall and they notice there is a movie playing that they want to see, they just ask me if I feel like a nap. There are not many comedy movies I can watch over and over again, but There’s Something About Mary (1998) is definitely one of them. Anyone who has seen the movie will remember Cameron Diaz’ famous ‘hair gel’ scene, but one of the funniest moments for me comes as a result of Pat Healy (Matt Dillon) trying to impress Mary (Cameron Diaz) by telling her he is an architect who also does voluntary work with people we refer to today as differently abled. Pat Healy: I work with retards. Mary: Isn't that a little politically incorrect? Pat Healy: Yeah, maybe, but hell, no one's gonna tell me who I can and can't work with. Sometimes just plain silly movies really work for me, but it takes a great script and 100 percent commitment from the actors. One of the best examples of this is Dumb and Dumber (1994) with Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels. There are several laugh-outloud moments, but if I had to pick one it would be when Lloyd (Jim Carrey) and Harry (Jeff Daniels) have infiltrated a high class fundraiser in order for Lloyd to get closer to his love interest Mary Swanson (Lauren Holly), and they realise they need to be on their best behaviour in order to fit in. Lloyd: All we need to do is show a little class, a little sophistication, and we're in like a dirty shirt. Harry: No problem, Lloyd. We can be classy and sophistic...oh, check out the funbags on that hose hound. Space prevents me from listing many other great comedies in any detail, but I feel compelled to at least mention Meet the Parents (Robert De Niro is brilliant in this and the sequels), Hot Fuzz (I love Simon Pegg), Borat (although everything after it was disappointing), The Hangover (even the sequels were surprisingly good) and Airplane! (one of the first and certainly my favourite of the parody movies). That’s a wrap!

Eamonn has lived and worked in Indonesia for over 20 years but doesn’t understand the country at all and now realises that he never will. He is an entrepreneur, businessman and writer, lead singer with expat band Xhibit A and the owner and operator of The Jakarta Comedy Club and The Bali Comedy Club.

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Indonesia expat issue 151

Across 1. Status (8) 5. Platform (4) 9. Arithmetic etc (5) 10. Keyboard instrument (7) 11. George IV, before he became King (6,6) 13. Group of six (6) 14. Harmless (6) 17. Preparation claiming to reverse alopecia (4,8) 20. Grapple on canvas (7) 21. Hanging cloth (5) 22. Elizabethan stringed instrument (4) 23. Full of beans (8)

DOWN 1. A few (4) 2. Disease associated with sheep (7) 3. Shatter (12) 4. Five cents (6) 6. Stage whisper (5) 7. Close examination (8) 8. Machine for preserving sounds on cassette (4,8) 12. Avoidance (8) 15. Imprecise (7) 16. In the Land of Nod (6) 18. Inactive (5) 19. Gone to meet one's Maker (4)

ANSWERS OF ISSUE 150

ACROSS — 1. Opening gambit 8. Defence 9. Grand 10. Vary 11. Shrapnel 13. Credit 14. Gloria 17. Virginal 19. Edge 21. Rabbi 22. Taxicab 24. All-in wrestler DOWN — 1. Old 2. Enforce 3. Iona 4. Goethe 5. Arguable 6. Brain 7. Tidal wave 10. Vice versa 12. Sicilian 15. Radical 16. Master 18. Rebel 20. Axis 23. Bar

I'm only talking to head.

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HUMOROUS OBSERVATIONS Currently in Bandung, Simon J. Still is a middle-aged person with a degree and English teaching certificate. And if it wasn’t for his wife and family, that would be his whole life story.

What’s App-ening in

By Simon J. Still

Seeing Bandung by murderous GPS When growing kitchen herbs, I generally read the packet then enjoy acquiring new knowledge through trial and error. Some people, however, prefer to download an app that will remind them when to water their plants and what’s going on with the soil and so forth. When I look at the stars, I like to see how many constellations I can recognise and go on a reverie of all the pleasant but useless knowledge acquired from a Classics Degree. Alternatively, my friends point their phones aloft and their apps give them an instantly forgotten tour of the cosmos. To teach my daughter, we sit with videos and books and communicate. Now there are apps for this, too. When we go some place new, I dislike asking for directions and was unusually enthusiastic when my wife purchased a new i-Phone with talking GPS. With this little tech miracle, Bandung would be our oyster.

“Turn right at the front!” “What do you mean right at the front?” “At the front!” “I keep telling you, there is no at the front! Say ahead! How far ahead?” “700m.” “We’ll, why the hell tell me that now?” “You want me tell you, I tell you.” And on it went with such classics as: “Go right now! You too late! Oh my God!” “I can’t just bloody turn! Give me some warning, for God’s sake!” “Turn there!” “Turn where?” “There! Where I’m pointing at!” “You’re flaming sitting behind me and I’m wearing a helmet!” “Ugh! You too late again!”

It wasn’t until our knees were scraping the sides of houses while facing down on-coming bikes that I realised what I’d become – one of those people who follow their satnav into a field or quay.”

All the while our children were sandwiched between with ambivalent expressions. The GPS eventually took us up, maybe Jl. Ganeca. ‘A shortcut’ I was assured. More invisible pointing ensued and barked orders to turn like a Tron bike. We ended up doing a wide circle in static traffic and rejoining Jl. Dago at red lights measuring the passing of ages. It would have been frustrating if it had only been the once, but the GPS conspired to take us round the same loop four times before we found the shortcut. We’d missed the turning because it had been microscopic, and as we entered it only got tighter, like Alice entering Wonderland. It wasn’t until our knees were scraping the sides of houses while facing down on-coming bikes that I realised what I’d become – one of those people who follow their satnav into a field or quay. There were actually points where the road/ledge dropped into a turbid river. We arrived 27 May from a visit to the UK; a country obsessed with demonizing cigarettes and alcohol in the stolid belief that if you don’t smoke or drink, you’ll never get ill and die in your sleep – and if you get cancer, you must have something wrong with you – and we really do drink a mind-boggling amount of tea. We returned to Indonesia to start fresh in a new city, and our first purchase was a new Honda motorbike. I then acquired two adult helmets, a plastic ‘Frozen’ helmet for my six-year-old and a moulded bit of crap for our one-year-old – safety first. All set, we hit the roads in search of a mall or market that’d sell us furnishings. For the first few days, we navigated by asking directions and trailing behind kind people happy to show us the way, which must have added minutes to our journey. Then came the i-Phone with satnav; the 21st century. Bandung nestles in a basin at 700m. We reside atop Jl. Dago, the posh bit to the north. It clings to the steep hillsides with houses giving each other piggy back rides. The road to my house is a coiling bit of spaghetti draped at 45°s and barely wider than my elbows, with vertical drops into the valley. You need a stiff drink before contemplating drink driving. One morning, we set off for the mall. Deposited from the writhing intestines of our new neighbourhood, we descended the congested main roads of Jl. Dago and Jl. Ir. H Djuanda. Easy peasy. Then wife began her navigating.

We were spat out of the kampung right outside the mall, on a one-way street, and had to go another several miles round the houses to get back to the entrance. And to add diatribe to injury, the mall was horrible. Several days later, and with suicidal amnesia, we struck out to explore Lembang and the volcano beyond. Same story. The app tried to fool us into another steep and narrow kampung before beckoning us up the backside of the volcano and into a tea plantation on a road of treacherous scree. Again lost in the ‘pung, we even had to pay to get into the plantation, whereupon the app said we had to cut through the verdant terraces to achieve our destination. And we almost did it. We almost did as it demanded because why would something without a soul lie to us (disregarding politicians and lawyers). And it was then I realised: either I was really, really stupid, or the GPS was trying to kill us. Saddle-sore to the point of walking like fans at a John Wayne convention, we gave up. During our first forays, it had cost us 15 minutes to ask directions and trail people around. Then, with the satnav app, it’d cost us hours of our day, haemorrhoids, our self-worth and almost our lives. The gadget put me in mind of that classic 80s horror: Christine, the possessed Cadillac that killed all but its crazed owner. Perhaps that would be the perfect followup; Christine Returns with satnav installed. Or perhaps given Bandung’s topography, an installed GPS would be the perfect storm for Herbie to truly go bananas. Either way, at the end of it all, we got to see a lot of Bandung, and I can confidently add GPS to the comprehensive list of apps I hate.

issue 151 Indonesia expat

If you want your event to be posted here, please contact +62 (0) 21 719 5908 or e-mail: events@indonesiaexpat.biz

EVENTS

JAKARTA Community Indonesian Wealth Management Forum

Clean Up Jakarta Day 2015 18 October 2015 Back for its third year, Clean Up Jakarta Day is an annual event that gathers communities, schools, businesses and individuals through the tradition of ‘gotong royong’. Approximately 15,000 volunteers from all walks of life will be cleaning up the streets of Jakarta at around 50 locations in an attempt to raise awareness about the problem of rubbish, as well as educate about the need to practice the 3 Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Volunteers will gather at their sites from 6am, and the cleanup will run from 7-9am. For the centrally-located sites, a Post Event from 10am-12pm for 600 volunteers will act as a place to gather and share experiences. To register and find out more, visit www.cleanupjakartaday.org Sports

Mandiri Jakarta Marathon 25 October 2015 The Mandiri Jakarta Marathon will start and finish at Jakarta’s Monas. 50 countries took part i n t he ma rat hon la st ye a r, 1,200 out of 14,120 participants were from other countries. The international event consists of three categories: full marathon (42,195km), half marathon (21, 10 and 5 km) and children’s sprint. www.thejakartamarathon.com Conference

Financial Insights Financial Services Summit 22 October 2015 This October, IDC ASEAN is organizing this conference that will allow participants to partake in panel interactions, workshops, a nd p o s t e r pr e s e nt a t ion s . Delegates will benefit from the opportunities to discuss subjects concerning stability, achievement of long-t er m su st a i nable grow th, and optimisation of performance through technology. Singaporean Managing Director at IDC Fi na nc ia l Insig ht s, C y r us Dar uwala , w ill ser ve as one of the speakers, with expertise in financial service and understanding in business, market, and other related issues. Other speakers include research manager Agus Kurniadi and r e s e a r c h d i r e c t or M ic h a el Araneta. For more information please visit www.asean.idc.asia

Indonesia expat issue 151

22 October 2015 One of the best wealth management forums hosted by Hubbis will be coming to Jakarta. Leading practitioners in the wealth management community including executive directors and president directors from prestigious institutions, namely A N Z , S t a nd a rd C ha r t ered , Citibank, Bank Internasional Indonesia , and more — w ill converge in this one-day event as speakers. Subjects that will be discussed include insurance, wealth management and preservation, client education, product oppor tunities in Indonesia, and many more. For more information please visit www.hubbis.com Arts & Culture

Indonesia International Filmmaking Resources 15–17 October 2015 Local and international compa nies w ill gather in Filmares, an event primarily focusing on f ilmmaking that offers products and ser vices from the media and advertising industry. This exhibition gives visitors the chance to witness, learn, and also evaluate any product, service, and supplier they find in the exhibition. Workshops and demonstrations will also be conducted during the event that is set to take place at The Hall, Senayan City, Jakarta. For more information, please visit www. filmares.com

Indonesian Contemporary Art & Design 2015 28 October – 30 November 2015 Artura Insanindo & grandkemang Hotel Jakarta presents Indonesian Contemporar y Art & Design 2015, held at the Grand Kemang Hotel Jakarta. Open daily from 10am-8pm, this contemporary art exhibition is held annually to explore the richness of Indonesia’s local wisdom in a contemporary way. The exhibition lasts six weeks with various programmes mainly related with design and art. ICAD always introduces inspirational people with their brilliant and inspirational works to be shared and to be experienced by the public. For more information please visit www.arturaicad.com

The 90s Festival 7 November 2015 Get ready to take a trip down memory lane in a throwback extravaganza as the 90s Festival

assembles dozens of both local and international artists and musicians in this year’s theme ‘Big Reunion’. The festival will include artists like Frente, Base Jam, P-Project, Coboy, and plenty of upcoming artists yet to be announced. For more information please visit: www.the90sfestival. c o m . Tw i t t e r , F a c e b o o k , Instagram: @the90sfestival.

07-09am every Wednesday at Mamma Rosy, Kemang and every Thursday at Mercantile Athletic Club, WTC, Sudirman. RSVP: info@jbnetworkers.com Music

Trenggono and Made Wianta will also present their creations for auction. The charitable night will serve guests with pre-dinner c ock t a i ls, t h ree - c ou r se s of gourmet dinner, dessert, and also Petite Four. Price: Rp.1,500,000. For more information, visit: www. balipinkribboncharitydinner.com Sports

a private master class led by Fakhri. Afterwards, the event continues with a performance and will be concluded with a buffet dinner. For further information contact +62 361 300 5503 or e-mail: secretary.thelagunabali@ luxurycollection.com Festival

High Hill’s Jazz

Multi Culture Party Carnival Kemang 2015 7 – 8 November 2015 Known as Jakarta’s melting pot, Kemang is defined by diversity. For that reason, the people are holding Multi Culture Par ty Carnival that will see a variety of cultural performances, such a s ondel- ondel , ba r ong s a i , lenong and wushu. Additionally, people can also enjoy purchasing items from the exhibitions. For more information visit: www. carnivalkemang.com

14 November 2015 Marking its debut as an annual music festival, High Hill’s Jazz is coming this November to give us the ultimate jazz experience. Artists set to take centre stage include The Groove, Dira Sugandi, and Maliq n D’Essentials. They will perform at Sentul City, a perfect location that marries music with nature, as audiences can enjoy the views of Mount Pancar while ‘jazzing out’ to their favourite tunes. For more information please visit www. kiostix.com

MAGELANG Sports

MesaStila Challenge & Ultra 2015

Jakarta Biennale 2015 15 November – 17 January 2016 Jakarta Biennale is an art event that focuses on international contemporar y ar t. With this year’s theme of ‘Got Forward, Backward Taxable: Learning in the Present’, the event will observe the present, past, and future, through the three elements of: international context in current Jakarta; Indonesia in the 80s; and current young Indonesian ar tists. A r tists, curators, and researchers from various disciplines and backgrounds will partake in this event to evaluate an array of art projects involving citizens and communities. www. jakartabiennale.net

9–11 October 2015 The MessaStila Challenge is an exciting event for those who are up for an off-road running race of 13km, 21km, 42km, 65km and 100k m. The race star ts in Ambarawa and f inishes at MesaStila, crossing one to five mountains surrounding MesaStila Resort, with idyllic rice paddytracks, coffee plantations and jungle trails. Athletes, local communities and spor ts enthusiasts all over Indonesia are expected to participate in this 5th annual running event that is also associated with a charity programme. Phone: +62 21 719 4121. Email: intouch@ mesahotelsandresorts.com. Web: www.mesahotelsandresorts.com/ mesastila

BALI Charity

Networking

Jakarta Business Networkers Make the right connections to help develop and grow your business over br e a k f a s t . At Ja k a r t a Business Networkers (JBN), all attendees are encouraged to help other attendees by exchanging referrals and introducing them to their target audience. JBN is all about helping you grow your business. Promote your business, personal brand or portfolio each week to the rest of the attendees and explain to the group the type of referrals you would like to receive. JBN professional networking sessions are from

Bali Pink Ribbon Charity Dinner: Supporting the FIGHTERS, Admiring the SURVIVORS, Celebrating HOPE 23 October 2015 This fundraising event supports the Bali Pink Ribbon Foundation, a n orga n isat ion t hat helps Balinese women f ight breast cancer. The dinner will be joined by a number of both local and international artists, including Ba linese g uit a r ist I Waya n Balawan collaborating w ith Australian musician Chelsea Wilson. Local painters Sasya

Bali International Triathlon 25 October 2015 Nusa Dua will be home to the eighth ‘Triathlon with a Soul’, a race that has won numerous awards, including ‘Best Destination Tr iathlon’. The event comprises a full Olympic Triathlon, a half-triathlon and a 5-kilometre fun run. It is expected to draw over 1,000 athletes from 30 countries, including more than 500 Indonesian triathletes. The race w ill beg in shor tly after sunrise with a swim in the tranquil waters of Jimbaran Bay, followed by a bike sprint to Nusa Dua and finishing with a road race. Participants can now register online through the official race website: www. balitriathlon.com

Nusa Dua Fiesta 2015 9–13 October 2015 The annual festival of Nusa Dua returns this October to celebrate Bali’s cultural vibrancy. Nusa Dua Resort hosts the event to express its identity as the ultimate Balinese resort. Visitors will have the chance to capture Bali’s multicultural spirit through displays of artwork, performances such as ballet, traditional music, and many more. For more information, please contact +62 361 771010 or visit www.fiestanusadua.org

Arts & Culture

Ubud Writers and Readers Festival Pullman Exhibition 2015 26 August–29 November 2015 ‘Unusual Abstract Painting Exhibition: Secret of Nature Part II by Zulman Damanik’ will showcase exceptional talent from local artists through abstract paintings displayed all the way from the lobby to the corridors. This is the second time Zulman Damanik collaborates with the hotel to demonstrate his artistry. For more information visit www. pullmanbalilegiannirwana.com

28 October–1 November A Pulitzer Pr ize-w inner, an OBE, a 1m+ YouTube star, an Oscars contender, a North Korea defector, a rebel, a yogi, an Italian blockbuster and a Reverand will all be descending on the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival, with many more of the world’s best writers, thinkers and artists. Purchase your 4-day pass and gain access to 85+ main programme sessions. More info at w w w. ubudwritersfestival.com Golf

Spirit of Smiles Golf Tournament An Evening of Music & Cuisine Featuring Violin Virtuoso Fakhri Bagus Pratama 30 October 2015 A n evening that combines a celebration of talent and support for a good cause, The Laguna Bali collaborates with one of Indonesia’s f inest v iolinists, Fakhri Bagus Pratama, to raise funds for the UNICEF Check Out for Children Programme. A g roup of 20 young v iolin students will be selected to join

31 October 2015 Accor Hotels presents the 'Spirit of Smiles' Golf Tournament, a fundraising event that will take place at the Bali National Golf Club, Nusa Dua, Bali. The event will be joined by 144 registered participants, with the purpose of building an education centre for underprivileged kids. For registration, please call +62 361 300 7080 or e-mail: thierry.Gasnier@accor.com

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issue 151 Indonesia expat

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Indonesia expat issue 151

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Automotives For Rent: 2015 Toyota Fortuner V NT Diesel Rp 8.5/mo. Call 081228091978 or 081290455501 For sale Mitsubishi lancer. SEI, 2003, AT triptonik, limited edition, red metallic, complete le t t er, smo ot h c ond it ion s , the price of Rp. 95 Million, negotiable. Phone: 081318747770 For sale: Nov 2013 Nissan Serena – 1 owner, asking 260,000,000 IDR (negotiable if payment in Euro or USD). Black, registered till 12/2013. 1997 cc engine. Low mileage 12,000km. Automatic transmission. 2 zone air conditioning (rear cabin control) Ser viced according to m a nu f a c t u r e r. Ve r y g o o d c ond it ion. Remot e c ont rol DVD player with two screens. 5 seater but easily convertible to a 7 seater (perfect family car). Grace to excellent suspension very comfortable on Jakarta bumpy

roads. Contact me for pictures baerbel.ritzmann@gmail.com or 0811 9420090

Always wanted to have a Classic Land Cruiser you see driving around at Mount Bromo? We are selling our 1969 fully restored but still original Toyota Land Cruiser Hardtop FJ 40 because of change in hobbies. Ready to use on a daily basis or just for fun/weekends/ trials etc. The car seats 6 adults or 2 adults with max 6 children - Gasoline 4.0 6 cilinder - Colour White, spotless paint over whole car - Black/White Interior - Full serviced AC - Audio / Video / TV - Power steering - Power brakes - Lots of extra’s on the car (like jerrycan on the back, long antenna for shortwave radio etc) - New Battery - Tyres in perfect condition Car has original Jakarta plates and STNK is paid for. Ready to be driven by its new owner. Asking price 77 million IDR or Euro equivalent. For pictures/ viewing in Kemang area. Interested? Text message only to 081199 54860 since taking phone calls during the day is difficult. Property For rent 300 houses at Kemang, Cipete, Cilandak, Jeruk Purut, Pondok Indah. Big gardens, swimming pools, USD 2,000 5,000. Phone: +62 (0) 816 859 551 or +62 (0) 817 009 3366 Nice house 2 storey furnished, one large joined pool, 24 hours security compound, approx 250/ house w/1Ha m2 land. Located at jln Ampera raya. One block to Simatupang CBD and Cilandak Commercial Estate. @US2000 per month with minimum one year lease. If interested contact Indra Darwis. 0816790342 or 0818873440. T h e E a s t To w e r, E s s e n c e Apartment, Jalan Darmawangsa, Kebayoran Baru. New unit, fully furnished, 180 m 2 , 3 + 1 bedrooms, 11th f loor, nice view to Sudirman area. Minimum 1 year rent. Call 0812 1096 0829 For rent, two bedroom apartment at Setiabudi Residence, a vibrant area in the south of Jakarta. Fully furnished, 2 bed, 2 baths, 99m2. Call 0811983908 for price info. For rent, two bedroom apartment at Kemang Village, Cosmopolitan Tower, a convenient location in Kemang Area. Fully furnished, 2 bed, 2 bath, 127m 2 . Call 0811983908 for price info. Fully Furnished Apartments for Rent at SCBD Area: Private Lift Sudirman Mansion 2 BR or 3 BR - SCBD Suites 2 BR 185sqm with spacious Balcony & wide kitchen - Residence8@ Senopati 1BR 76sqm Luxurious

& Elegant Interior, More Info : 0812.100.8927 maharaniproperty Sahid Sudirman Residence for Lease. Min 1 year: 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms ( 1 with bathtub ) 3 ACs, fully furnished & modern interior design. Only need to bring luggage. Gross area 90m 2. Big balcony. Parking space. Facilities: Gym, Swimming Pool, Bank, Restaurant, Laundry, Close to Hospital, next to Intercontinental Hot el a nd w it h i n 5 m i n t o Bunderan H.I. Heart of the CBD. Rental : USD $1800/mth nego Will be converted to Rupiah at deal of transaction. O.N.O (serious deals only) Maintenance Fee included. Whatsappp +65 9449 2445. Email: stephanie@ ekakarta.com

Hou s e for R ent . L o c at ion: Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta Access: 10 minutes driving to Senayan Cit y Ma ll or Pla za Senayan, 15 minutes driving to Gandaria City, 25 minutes driving to SCBD area, 20 minutes driving to Blok M, 20 minutes to Permata Hijau area (normal condition). Condition : Very good. House information : Land 145m, building 189m, 2 floors, Facilities: 1 master bed (king size, serta), 1 double bunk bed (single size), 1 single bed (for house assistant), 1 book rack, 1 tv table, stove, kitchen utensil, 1 long chair, 1 rocking chair, 1 ceiling fan, 1 AC. Price: Rp 145 mill / year. Contact: amalia.frese@gmail. com or 08111490400

For lease beautiful house in Bumi Serpong Damai very strategic, near from malls and city center . 375sqm. Fully f urnish. 4 b e d r o om s , 3 b a t h r o om s , 1 bedroom for maid, Kitchen set, LCD TV, TV cable & Internet ready to hook up, AC, refrigerator, water dispenser, water heater, backyard, Facility: 24 hours security, swimming pool and gymnasium. Call 0817-116-798

For L e a se , L at e s t lu x u r y Apartment located at Jl Senopati, the best address in Jakarta, just steps to Sudirman CBD area, Plaza Senayan etc. Surrounded by prime offices, foods, international schools. Modern luxurious fully furnished, 167 sqm, 2 bedrooms and one study room, Kitchen set, LCD TV, TV cable & Internet ready to hook up, AC, refrigerator, water dispenser, water heater, ba lcony, Fa ci lit y: 24 hours security, swimming pool and gymnasium. Call: 0817-116-798

RIVER VALLEY new lux 2f lrs residence in a cluster complex high on a hill in beautiful location near jl. Simatupang/pondok indah, 210mtr, 3+1 bedroom attached bathroom, 4 telpon and 4 TV connections, jl. P Dan K Lebak Bulus Rays, Cilandak, south Jakarta No. AH05/03. R E N T USD2 ,000 or SA L E 5.5billion. Clubhouse facilities gym, swim, jog track, riverside barbecue, minimart, etc. contact Johnny Kirpalani 0816812612, 02198856790 and 0216540888. Kemang mansion apartment for rent. 2 bedrooms and bathrooms, 146 m2, fully furnished, $2900/ month. Contact me : cat0376@ yahoo.com or 081363016393 (Erin).

students come from International Schools (JIS and BSJ). Please call me (Raúl) +62 (0) 821 1050 2786 Email: unascartas@yahoo.com Spanish/Indonesian translators: If you need experienced and native translators to translate in this language pair (both ways) please call us (FNA) +62 (0) 812 8821 5625 Email: elejakarta@ gmail.com Learn Bahasa Indonesia fast with flexible time at our place/office/ house for expats. call 0811 899 864 or sinta.deka@yahoo.com

Welcome to Jakarta! If you haven’t already discovered the expat website, come visit. September 1st marked our 18th year providing a wealth of practical information for newly arrived expatriates through our in-depth articles on medical, housing, schooling, social life and more. Living in Indonesia, A Site for Expatriates www.expat.or.id

or development as a boutique hotel. Located on the Ay ung River near Sanur. 30 minutes from the Airport, 30 minutes from Greenschool. Contact me directly with any enquiries. Lucy Mitchell, tel 0815 85117108 or amolongo@ hotmail.com

expat family and okay with a pet dog - recommendations required. English f luency not required. Competitive compensation and includes roundtrip f light for annual holiday home.Please contact Leslie - lesliemitchell3@ gmail.com

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Others Moving Sale: Have a couple of strong shelving units and kitchen racks (ace hardware). Fauzia fauzia1961@gmail.com

Services Hydrotherapy classes: swimming, brain gym, super brain yoga for baby /kids/moms/elderly Come join hydrotherapy classes consist of swimming, brain gym, super brain yoga with stimulating your brain's power, contac t whatapp : +62 857 2237 7575 or call/sms +62 813 2003 7103 at place: sport centre cilandak town squares and Kemang Studio - south jakarta. Stimulate your brain for concentration to learn or work, delay ageing, relaxation, disability learning, disability disorder, etc. Spanish Tutor: Learn Spanish at your place with a DELE-certified examiner from Spain. Most of my

Need rent a custom for your “HALOWEEN PARTY”? please visit our store on Jl. Gandaria 1 No. 5-6, 2nd f loor. Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta Selatan or visit our website at www.splendor. co.id . We provide customs for your events, contact 0811 816 007.

Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist. English & Bahasa Speaking. Highly confidential. Appointment based. 081286739918

Leather L-shaped sofa and chair for sale. Size L-shaped: 3.50 m x 2.65 m. Size Chair: 1.50 m (wide) x 1.00 m (deep). Materials: Leather (front), imitation leather (back) Color: beige, Features: reclining headrests, two pull-out side tables, pillows included. Price: Rp.7,500,000 Maythee Castro maythee66@hotmail.com

For sale five-star luxury resort at Jimbaran Bay with 3 spacious bedroom suites, a fully-fitted modern kitchen, a large openplan living and dining room with seamless f low outdoors to the beautifully landscaped terrace, pool and garden. Featur ing 297sqm of f loor spa ce over two f loors and air-conditioned throughout, the Villa is offered fully furnished and would be ideal as a no-maintenance, private residence or as a holiday rental property. Call 0817-116-798 Stunning Eco-Villa for Sale in Bali: We are selling our awardwinning property in Bali. It's a great investment as a home, rental

LittleCare Foundation in Jogja is look ing for a responsible volunteer to help manage our two Childrens’ Creative Centres in Pakem, Sleman, Jogjakarta. The Indonesian children aged 7-14 are learning English, with other educational activities. See our website on www.littlecare. org. Seriously interested? Please contact us on pukaanna@yahoo. co.uk

West Papua Jobs Available Seeking to hire a full-time nanny/ pembantu. We are looking to hire a fulltime nanny/pembantu to start in February 2016. Position location is in Papua. Must be comfortable and experienced working with

Discover Villa Gamrang. Experience our hospitality and the complete privacy of your own beach house. Villa Gamrang (Cisolok beach, 4 hours’ drive from Jakarta) is designed to offer guests a wonderful and luxurious holiday with beautiful and natural surroundings. Stylish interior, several outdoor terrace’s, sea view, spacious garden, swimming pool, 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, complete kitchen, cable television, internet (WiFi). Idyllic place for couples or one or two families. Staf f and in house cater ing ava ilable. At tra c tive pr ices starting from IDR1,800,000 per night. Most of our guests visit us again. Reservations www. villagamrang.nl or just mail us at villagamrang@gmail.com

issue 151 Indonesia expat

Indonesia expat issue 151

issue 151 Indonesia expat

Indonesia expat issue 151