Indonesia Expat - Issue 180

I S S U E N O. 18 0 | 14 D E C E M B E R 2 016 – 17 J A N UA R Y 2 017

J A K A R TA • J AVA • B A L I • LO 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 UA

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

How to Have an Urban Holiday in Indonesia's Megacity

A Year in Review: Top News Stories of 2016 Every Day is Christmas for a Digital Nomad

issue 180 Indonesia expat

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Indonesia expat issue 180

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Letter from the Editor Issue 180

Contents

Dear Readers, Chief Editorial Advisor

Leighton Cosseboom editor@indonesiaexpat.biz

Marketing Consultant

Edo Frese edo@indonesiaexpat.biz

Editorial Assistant

Caranissa Djatmiko letters@indonesiaexpat.biz

Sales & Advertising

Dian Mardianingsih (Jakarta) Ervina Tambun (Jakarta) Wahyu Atmaja (Bali) ads@indonesiaexpat.biz

Distribution & Admin

Juni Setiawan admin@indonesiaexpat.biz

Finance

Lini Verawaty finance@indonesiaexpat.biz

Contributors

Nadya Joy Ador Nick Andrew Angela Jelita Tinnike Lie Grace Susetyo May Tien Kenneth Yeung

Editorial Enquiries

letters@indonesiaexpat.biz

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If you are like me, then you tend to get so wrapped up in work and day-to-day life in Indonesia that the holidays you once took for granted back home come to pass without much ceremony in Jakarta. The fact that there are only two discernible seasons in Southeast Asia (hot rain and dry heat) also warps the perception of time passing for expats who are otherwise used to four seasons.

Back home, this was my favourite time of year. After rubbing dirt and fake blood all over myself and ripping up my T-shirt (the annual last-minute zombie costume) on October 31, I would count the days until a tryptophan-induced turkey coma. After that, it’s all about tying up loose ends at work before taking a much needed break to go snowboarding with friends and drink single malt scotch in the evenings because, what the heck, there’s no work tomorrow. It’s family time.

With this in mind, our editors want to remind you that even though you’re overseas, the holidays should still be special. In this issue, Kirstienne Toledo makes her debut in Indonesia Expat with a roundup of the most important news happenings in Indonesia during 2016.

Caranissa Djatmiko shines the spotlight on five great holiday retreats in Bali but also muses on what an urban holiday really means in Jakarta.

Fresh-faced contributor Tinnike Lie interviews an expat entrepreneur who is permanently on holiday in Ubud, while Grace Susetyo reflects on her year of travelling across the country.

Angela Jelita is back with an in-depth exploration of what 2016 has meant for Indonesia and global warming, as Kenneth Yeung provides insight into counterfeit cash in the nation.

Our team also chats with an expert about how technology has changed the way we travel – particularly during the holidays. As the year winds down, sit back, kick off your shoes and embrace the festivities.

Events

Cheers, Leighton Cosseboom

events@indonesiaexpat.biz

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Feature Story

Indonesia: 2016 in Review

Expat Business Featured Top Five Holiday Retreats in Bali Info for Expats A Digital Nomad Permanently on Holiday in Bali

Expat Lifestyle Food and Drink Top Holiday Treats and Feasts in Jakarta Travel Reason for the Seasons: A Portrait of Indonesian Spirituality Gems Adventure, Relaxation and No Need for Bali Scams in the City Dirty Money Holidays The Curious Case of Holidaying in Jakarta Networking A Business Club to Guide Your Growth in Jakarta

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Environment What Has 2016 Meant for Indonesia and Climate Change?

Worthy Causes Why There's More to Travel Memories than Just Tech Announcements Hotels Jamal Hussain: The Blessing and Curse of Running a Hotel in Bali Events Business Directory Classifieds

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Feature Story

Nadya Joy Ador is a Philippines-based journalist and editor for Content Collision. She routinely covers business, news, and human interest topics. For more information, please visit www.ContentCollision.co

Indonesia: 2016 in Review The good, the bad, the funny, the ugly, the most loved and most hated, the biggest, the loudest and everything in between – here are the stories that made it to our list of top headlines for the year of 2016.

BY NADYA JOY ADOR

January

Indonesia started the year off with a shock after a series of coordinated bomb and gun attacks rattled the capital’s downtown area on January 14. Five of the seven people killed were the attackers themselves.

The two others were an Indonesian police officer and a Canadian tourist.

When Higher Education Minister Muhammad Nasir ordered LGBT organizations in January to stay off University campuses and accused the minority group of undermining Indonesia’s “standards of values and morals”, local gay rights activist Hartoyo told Indonesia Expat about the possibility that the government is using LGBT issues as a scapegoat to divert public attention from larger, more important issues.

April

The blasts were centred in the Thamrin area, Jakarta’s major shopping and business district, close to the United Nations offices and foreign embassies. Islamic State militants claimed responsibility for the assault, which President Jokowi described as an “act of terror.”

On April 18, President Joko Widodo arrived in Berlin, Germany, which kick-started his five-day presidential tour in Europe. Part of the Indonesian president’s itinerary was to meet local officials and businessmen for a deliberation on the Indonesia-Germany cooperation on educational and vocational industries.

February

The case against Canadian Neil Bantleman and Indonesian Ferdinand Tjiong made waves in Indonesian history. The Jakarta Intercultural School teacher and teaching assistant were initially sentenced to prison on charges of sexually abusing kindergarten boys between January 2013 and March 2014.

Jokowi met with Germany’s President Joachim Gauck, Chancellor Angela Merkel and other European leaders, and was able to successfully address the pressing issues of extremism and terrorism across the globe, asking for help and requesting that peace and tolerance be continuously promoted.

out the trapped water from buildings and basements when water was not fully drained the following day.

September

including worker exploitation, unethically low wages, child labour and hazardous working conditions.

Based on interviews conducted with workers at two plantations, a report on the complaints was released by Indonesian labour rights group OPPUK, Washingtonbased International Labor Rights Forum and San Francisco-based Rainforest Action Network.

July

Eastern Indonesia Mujahideen leader Santoso was killed in a firefight with troops on July 18, which finally ended the years-long hunt for the Islamic State militant group supporter.

Santoso was shot dead in mountainous Sulawesi, where he was last reported to be hiding in the jungle with his band of followers. The death of the IS supporter was described as a considerable win for the country’s authorities who had pursued the extremist leader for more than five years.

Indonesia and Denmark made history when they sealed an agreement on September 19 on a project to develop the country’s first 60-megawatt wind farm in South Sulawesi. Minister of Indonesia’s stateowned enterprises Rini Soemarno and Denmark’s Energy Minister Lars Christian stood witness to the agreement signing in Copenhagen. The formal negotiation sealed the partnership between Indonesia’s national electric company PLN and the Danish corporation spearheaded by Equis, one of the world’s leading renewable energy developers and investors.

October

It was an eventful month for true crime related to Indonesia. On October 24, Cambridge University graduate and British banker Rurik Jutting pleaded not guilty despite the shocking video shown to a Hong Kong jury during his trial for the murder of two Indonesian women he picked up at a bar in 2014. The video showed a shirtless Jutting saying his name and claiming he had murdered the woman whose lifeless body was seen lying on his bathroom floor. On October 27, Jessica Kumala Wongso was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment by the Central Jakarta Court for poisoning her college friend and killing her. The Indonesian court’s decision finally ended the dramatic case that gripped the country for months. Wongso remained expressionless while the verdict was read.

May

While they were originally sentenced to ten years in jail on April 2015, both were acquitted on August 2015 by the Jakarta High Court after being behind bars for almost a year. On February 25, however, Indonesia’s Supreme Court overturned the acquittal and ordered that the two teachers serve 11 years each in prison, one year more than their original sentence.

March

As the country with the world’s largest Muslim population, Indonesia continues to face intense public debate on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues, permeating the country’s media, business and politics. Key personalities and public figures made bold accusations and audacious claims against the archipelago’s LGBT groups.

Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia agreed on May 5 to establish coordinated maritime patrols following a series of ship hijackings by Islamist militants in the southern Philippines.

August The militant group Abu Sayyaf, which operates out of lawless Philippine islands, is responsible for most of the piracy activities in the region. Indonesian authorities would like to be fully prepared in the event that the problem reaches larger proportions. The issuance of permits to ships transporting coal through the southern Philippines was stopped by Indonesian port authorities because of the attacks.

Indonesia expat issue 180

Heavy rains that relentlessly poured down in South Jakarta on August 27 drowned the Kemang region in floods, making Jakarta’s upscale district look like a scene straight out of the movie Waterworld. Thanks to the area’s underdeveloped drainage system, Kemang was hopelessly flooded in just a matter of hours after the torrential rain.

June

A two-month investigation discovered “a disturbing system of abuse” at palm oil plantations operated by a subsidiary of the archipelago’s famous food and beverage corporation Indofood. Activists accused the Indonesian affiliate of food and beverage giant PepsiCo of employing malpractice, 6

Santoso was known for recruiting and training militants across the archipelago.

Having pledged allegiance to IS in 2014, Santoso was listed among one of the most wanted global terrorists by the United States.

Rising water levels caused major roads and highways to be blocked off. Parts of The Mansion Apartment, Tamani Restaurant, Pop Hotel and Kem Chicks supermarket were submerged. The city’s disaster response team came to help pump

November

The entire world stood stunned and still when Donald Trump won the majority of the votes required from the Electoral College to win the presidential race in the recently concluded US elections. President Joko Widodo promptly congratulated the new American president-elect on behalf of the Indonesian government and people. Jokowi told the media that election results were a reflection of “the will of the majority of American people.” Trump’s victory has been widely described as a historic event that will be considered one of the most divisive times in US history since the Civil War.

December

A 6.5 magnitude undersea earthquake rocked Indonesia’s Aceh province early Wednesday, December 7. Indonesia’s disaster management agency has recorded the death toll at 102 on Thursday, December 8, with dozens more missing, more than 700 injured and thousands left homeless. The most recent 6.5 magnitude quake was the biggest disaster to hit Aceh, a province on the northern coast of Sumatra island since the massive Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 that killed more than 120,000 people in the region alone.

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EXPAT BUSINESS FEATURED

Top Five Holiday Retreats in Bali With luxurious hotels and villas permeating every space on the island, you’re probably wondering which ones would best suit you and your family’s preferences this holiday season. Here are our top five picks for the best holiday retreats in Bali’s most popular spots.

BY CAR ANISSA DJATMIKO

W Retreat and Spa, Seminyak Unlike hotels that aim to provide some privacy and a more relaxed ambience, the W surprises guests with its vibrant concept. Those who are familiar with the area know that Seminyak is a hotspot for creative souls, where designer boutiques, art galleries, cool restaurants and stylish cocktail bars are ubiquitous. To adapt to this strong ambience, the hotel features over 150 retreats and suites with interesting design and colourful interiors that will never leave you bored.

Maya Sanur Resort and Spa, Sanur The Mulia, Nusa Dua This five-star hotel is situated right along Nusa Dua’s bay, and it has been winning accolades since 2012. The nearly 75-acre property is comprised of three hotels, which include The Mulia, Mulia Resort and Mulia Villas. Each of them offers a distinct concept, yet with the same amount of luxury. The Mulia impresses with its stunning beachfront where visitors can have some time to relax and reflect on their journeys. The Mulia Resort features stunning pools, including an oceanfront pool and the children’s splash pool.

It offers more fun with its variety of beach activities like windsurfing and canoe trips.

One of the area’s most popular resorts is Maya Sanur Resort and Spa. The property has not only one, but four on-site restaurants and bars in addition to an outdoor pool. What is also interesting about Maya Sanur Resort and Spa is its strategic location, located 30 minutes from Ngurah Rai International Airport by car. It takes 25 minutes by car to get to downtown Kuta and 30 minutes to get to Seminyak. Guests are provided with several conveniences, including a TV, private bathroom and fitness centre.

Meanwhile, the Mulia Villas are known as the largest on the island, drawing visitors with sophisticated facilities like private pools, massive bathrooms and furnishings that will take you to a whole different dimension. Keep in mind that the villas are quite far from the beach and the resort’s restaurants. But no need to worry. You can always call for someone to pick you up with a golf cart to get you to those places.

Do expect some nice culinary offerings in the resort’s restaurants. Graze serves international dishes, Kuu Izayaka will delight those who like Japanese treats, Reef greets guests in the morning with breakfast, while the Tree Bar is where you can have some good times with a glass of wine and cocktails.

Rest assured there will be plenty of space here for you to set up a tree and watch your family unwrap gifts.

The resort is a great spot for large family dinner gatherings during the holidays.

For more information, please visit www.themulia.com/ bali-resort

For more information, please visit www.mayaresorts.com/sanur

What is also uniquely fun about this spot is the fact that it caters to not just regular visitors, but also professional recording artists. Recently, the hotel opened its first planned private music studio, in addition to a writer’s room for musicians on the go.

The W is definitely not your conventional type of resort in Bali, but it’s perfect for holiday goers who want to get wrapped up in their own creativity during their time in Bali.

For more information, please visit www.wretreatbali.com

Padma Resort, Ubud One of the toughest things to do is to pick just one hotel as the best holiday getaway in Bali’s cultural capital. Ubud is known as the most exotic area in Bali, and is therefore a huge draw for international holiday goers. We chose Padma Resort because of its undeniably stunning river valleys and bamboo forests.

Pan Pacific Nirwana Bali Resort, Tanah Lot This sprawling resort is set away from the tourist spots, but offers a secluded world that visitors can enjoy on their own. Pan Pacific Nirwana has 278 rooms, suites and villas, in addition to nice swimming pools.

But the most interesting site of the resort is its golf course, designed by Australia’s professional golfer Greg Norman. Sports enthusiasts will have a good time here, as

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the course includes five ocean-side holes, three cliff-to-cliff tee shots and eight holes set up into terraced rice fields. Other facilities include a yoga room, gym, tennis courts and squash courts.

This getaway is perfect for families that want to eat well but still be active during the festivities.

For more information, please visit www.panpacific.com/en.html

Padma Resort has more than 149 rooms that are divided into three types: premiere, premiere deluxe and premiere club. There is also a fitness centre and spa where guests can experience a top-notch Asian massage.

Moving away from the beach scene, visitors can embrace the island’s nature in this hotel.

Here, guests can observe how local villagers live their lives in the rice fields. If you are up for an authentic Balinese experience for the holidays, this is definitely the place to be.

For more information, please visit www.padmaresortubud.com

CELEBRATE THIS FESTIVE HOLIDAY SEASON WITH AN EDIBLE STORY OF INDONESIA NUSA Indonesian Gastronomy has been buzzing around for almost a year. Officially opened during the celebration of Indonesian Independence Day on August 17, 2016, NUSA Indonesian Gastronomy’s noble mission is to use the best Indonesian harvests, to cultivate them using authentic cooking processes, and to display them in an artfully original way without leaving their real tastes and genuine characteristics.

“It is not solely about combining classical heritage with modern elements, but at the same time it also respects Indonesian culture through the creation of contemporary pieces,” said Chef Ragil Imam Wibowo, the founder and head chef behind NUSA’s concept. With the aforementioned background, NUSA Indonesian Gastronomy exposes Indonesia’s culinary traditions in a different light and places the latter on a global field.

Offering three-course and five-course with a selection of the archipelago’s authentic dishes of appetizers, main courses, and desserts, food lovers are always indulged with a complete package of welcome drinks, Amuse Bouche, sorbet, sweet closings, and a choice of freshly brewed coffee or tea. Representing the best quality produce, NUSA Indonesian Gastronomy’s menu is printed daily, ensuring you with a different experience at every visit.

Celebrating the end of the year, NUSA Indonesian Gastronomy presents a special package of eight-course culinary delights exclusively for this joyful occasion. As a part to uncover the holiday spirit, NUSA Indonesian Gastronomy’s showcases cuisine from Eastern parts of Indonesia, combining the selections along with Betawi’s traditional celebratory dishes.

Among the exquisite dishes produced specifically for this merry month of year is the Bebek Sangsang. This traditional dish from North Sumatra is slowroasted duck cooked in paddy husk and served with chili, shallots, and papaya flowers. Daging Babanci, a Betawi renowned dish, is six-hour stewed beef mixed with coconut flesh and sugar cane flower; the savored dish has a tinge of sweetness once it melts in your mouth.

Closing the eventful dinner, you get to choose between Bola Salju and Klepon. Bola Salju is an Ambonese cherished dessert of old style poffertjes filled with rum custards, topped with Flores chocolate mousse. Klepon, originally a Central Java’s traditional market’s snack, is served in a creatively fresh transformation at NUSA Indonesian Gastronomy: a three-layered ball cake of pandanus white chocolate, pandanus mousse, and brown sugar syrup serves with sorghum sponge cake, coconut gelato, and coconut water jelly.

Giving a divine variety to uplift your holiday spirits, NUSA Indonesian Gastronomy holds true to its purpose, reflecting the country’s diversity through high quality ingredients and immense selections of the archipelago’s authentic dishes on a plate of mesmerizing stateof-the-art presentations. During this limited time, indulge yourself and your loved ones in NUSA Indonesian Gastronomy. Savor every bite of delicious culinary and create unforgettable moments this delightful December.

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EXPAT BUSINESS INFO FOR EXPATS

A Digital Nomad Permanently on Holiday in Bali

BY TINNIKE LIE

Ten years ago, working from anywhere, anytime we wanted, seemed like an impossibility. We didn’t have many enablers to let us execute tasks and collaborate with colleagues outside the office. But today, thanks to fast technology adoption around the world, we are able to make the dream come true. While remote work is still not for everyone, the trend is developing.

Nick Martin is a Danish-born entrepreneur living in Bali. His typical day starts with looking at the rice field outside his window, followed by a quick swim in the pool of where he lives and works; a co-living and co-working space in Gianyar called Livit.

Martin doesn’t spend much time commuting between home and office like most people do. But when he does go out, he heads straight to the beach and works from there.

“I was a bit naive, always open, always willing to take risks and try stuff ”, he says.

With this in mind, Martin’s experimentalist mentality, coupled with an aptitude for the internet, led him to build over a hundred small and medium-sized websites since then. In one capacity or another, Martin has developed e-businesses for clients around the world, ranging from affiliate marketing portals to members-only websites, and everything in between.

Martin holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Economics and Computer Science from Copenhagen Business School, and a master's degree in Computer Games Design. After graduating, he started a career as a business analyst at a local bank in Copenhagen.

Then, after working for five years at the bank, Martin saw that the job got very repetitive and it was time to do something radical about it.

To be able to work from a paradise island is a dream for many. But for Martin, it’s a reality. Martin’s entrepreneurship journey is not an ordinary one. He is the co-founder and CEO of Magloft, an online softwareas-a-service startup that helps independent publishers create fully branded magazines on iOS, Android, desktop and web apps.

He had to come a long way before setting up shop in Bali.

“It was a great job, with amazing colleagues and everything was good. I had the nice salary, a ton of benefits, a car, and an apartment – those things were all there,” he tells Indonesia Expat. “But at the end of the day, I knew that the nine-to-five wasn’t for me. Although I was having a great time, I knew that wasn’t my future.”

Martin’s first venture that he can remember, he admits, likely resembled more of a pyramid scheme than an actual business.

As a youngster, he got interested in the idea of an email chain letter, but it wasn’t long before he realized the idea wasn’t sound.

At the same time, his friend introduced him to Project Getaway organized by Livit, formerly known as Contenga. It is a 30day programme for entrepreneurs to work together on different projects in Bali. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect for

SNIPPETS: JAKARTA'S BUSINESS BREW

Batik Air Plans New International Routes to Pull in Tourists

Batik Air Indonesia, the full-service arm of the nation’s largest budget airline Lion Air, says it will open four more international routes by June of 2017 as part of its expansion to attract foreign tourists to Indonesia.

The company will fly to Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai in India, Perth in Australia, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and Shenzhen and Guangzhou in China. Batik now has permits from the Australian aviation authority to start flying from Denpasar to Perth starting in February. Direct daily flights from Jakarta to Kuala Lumpur, Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai should be available by late December. China routes are set to start as early as June of next year.

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Indonesia expat issue 180

Batik Air’s president director said the company is doing the right thing if it hopes to pull in more foreign tourists, in line with the government’s targets of reaching 20 million by 2019.

China and India are among the most promising tourism markets for Indonesia.

Many Chinese tourists came to Indonesia in the first nine months of this year. The official number reached 1.1 million, up 25 percent from last year, according to data from the nation’s Tourism Ministry. Close to 273,000 Indians came to the archipelago in the same period, rising 28 percent from one year ago.

Central Bank Says More People Are Taking Out Loans

Indonesia’s central bank believes loan growth rebounded in October, up from its lowest level since 2009. Bank Indonesia (BI) executive director of economic and monetary policy told reporters that based on reports from the nation’s commercial banks loan growth has likely jumped back to 7.5 percent and could ramp up to 8.3 percent once the November reports come in and are analyzed.

In 2016, BI cut its benchmark interest rate six times. It relaxed lending rules and trimmed banks' statutory reserve requirement ratio. This was all in an effort to get banks to lend more and therefore boost economic growth.

Regardless, bankers have expressed concerns that rising bad loans have made them more careful in giving out money. The director said the trend of rising nonperforming loans reached its peak recently and has begun to come down.

"This year, many companies were consolidating [and] banks [were] too. But the NPL ratio has improved now and companies have finished their deleveraging process.

They are now ready to take on more leverage," he said at a press conference in Bali.

Martin to start his life-changing journey. He initially applied for a job in the company and quickly heard back from Livit’s founder with an invitation to visit the island. It was in 2011 when he finally stepped off the plane in Bali and found what he had been looking for.

Two years later, the idea of building Magloft was born when Martin wanted to create a digital magazine on iOS for his business.

The problem was, he had no clue about how iOS worked and later found out that the tools available to create a digital magazine were extremely expensive or technically challenging back then. He soon met his cofounder and CTO, and together they built the company which now has six full-time team members. Today, Magloft serves highprofile clients such as Yahoo and Prudential, among others.

Magloft will soon launch new service called blog2app, which will empower bloggers to convert their blogs to native apps. Martin says that putting blogs into native apps is better than the status quo in three separate ways. First, native apps enable push notifications which have proven to increase reader engagement. Second, native apps load content instantly, which prevents the readers from abandoning the site because they have waited too long. Lastly, native advertisements inside apps can’t be blocked (which is attractive to advertisers) and also offer a better experience.

The company has partnered up with Prudential to build an enterprise solution that aims to improve its internal communications across Southeast Asia.

“Prudential used to send PDFs by email and had no clue if anyone was reading or liking them, but now with their own internal app, they can see exactly what issues are being read, the number of page views, time spent in issues, page likes, and more. With this

information, the company can send feedback to the editorial team,” he says.

Martin says that Magloft’s main target users are bloggers, publishers, agencies and enterprises. The good news is that the company offers completely free native apps for independent bloggers. “For traditional publishers, we offer the most affordable and still competitive solution for transitioning them from print to digital. For agencies, we offer a unique opportunity to take advantage of the blood, sweat and tears we have poured into our digital publishing solution, by implementing app publishing as part of their portfolio,” he adds.

Apart from already having big clients on board, Magloft has won awards, including third place in the Seedstars World Pitch Competition and The Red Herring Top 100 Asia 2016. The company has been actively participating in startup events across Indonesia, including the Tech in Asia Jakarta Bootstrap Alley tour in November.

Martin is proud that he could build a solid and sustainable business without any external investment. The fact that he and his team can do the work without the demanding hype of living in a big city is also important, he believes. “I can choose whenever I want to go on vacation – that’s the right kind of freedom for me,” he says.

Martin’s lifestyle has given him more excitement to look forward to in life.

He mentions that as much as he liked his previous job, he wouldn’t be willing to come in earlier or stay late in the office.

But now, the job is part of his life.

Martin works at least 12 hours a day, yet he does it all in a nine-house luxurious villa, where people go for a vacation. So for Nick Martin, Magloft is essentially like being on a permanent holiday.

Singapore Fund to invest US$260 million in Cinema 21 Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC will throw down US$260.7 million on Indonesia's largest movie theatre chain Cinema 21. The deal is the latest large-scale foreign investment in the archipelago’s growing film industry.

"The investment by GIC reflects our confidence in Indonesia's long-term growth potential," GIC said in a joint statement, adding that Nusantara Sejahtera Raya (NSR), the company that operates Cinema 21, Cinema XXI and The Premiere brands across the nation, stands to benefit from a fast expanding consumer class and economic development in the nation.

Indonesia’s cinema market, one of the several industries that the country liberalized in early 2016, is becoming increasingly interesting to overseas investors. In the past, Indonesia’s Negative Investments List barred the space to foreign players.

In August, South Korea's CJ CGV dumped US$25.4 million into CGV Blitz, upping its ownership to about 23 percent. issue 180 Indonesia expat

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EXPAT LIFESTYLE FOOD AND DRINK May Tien is an award-winning home cook and champion of dispersive cuisines.

Top Holiday Treats and Feasts in Jakarta

The Raffles Jakarta

BY MAY TIEN

Want to help the less fortunate as you make your special holiday purchases? At the Raffles, with every purchase of a festive hamper, they will donate Rp.50,000 to Yayasan Sinar Pelangi on your behalf. In return, you will receive a handcrafted gift created by the children that you support.

Choose from one of their signature festive hampers or customize and personalize them.

It’s that time of year again. As Jakarta’s shopping malls’ halls are decked with boughs of plastic holly, carols are played in heavy rotation in every shop one dares to wander into, and tanned Santa Clauses sit happily atop colourful winter wonderland displays cuddling little angels and cherubs. We look to another year of divine overindulgence with our friends and family. Below is a compilation of the most unique treats and delicious holiday feasts in Jakarta. Happy holidays.

Elf Hampers are Rp.850,000 and include large macarons, mince pies, cheese grissini, cinnamon stars and Awani jam. Santa Hampers start at Rp.2,000,000 and include truffle sling, mixed nuts, assorted olives, Awani jam, homemade candles, wine, cheese grissini, cinnamon stars, large and small macarons.

To reserve a hamper, call 021 2988 0888 or email dining.jakarta@raffles.com.

JW Marriott Hotel Jakarta

The Fairmont Hotel Jakarta The Christmas “WOW” factor is in full force at the Fairmont.

There will be a wide choice of exceptional delights from the festive afternoon tea set at Peacock Lounge to exquisite brunches, and even a children’s choir all available at the hotel.

In addition to a classic Christmas Eve and Day buffet at Spectrum Restaurant, Sapori Deli will be transformed into a vibrant Italian market-like dining venue for Christmas, showcasing humble traditional Italian cuisine in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Guests can enjoy delectable dishes from the Italian buffet on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day brunch starting at Rp.388,000++ per person. On Christmas Day, the children’s choir will visit each of the restaurants to entertain guests with Christmas carols.

Set foot inside the lobby of the JW Marriott this year and be enchanted by the magical Santa’s House filled with favourite Christmas goodies. Then, celebrate at Pearl Chinese Restaurant for a Cantonese twist on the classic Christmas meal, and enjoy an enticing array of yum cha on Christmas Day brunch starting at Rp.398,000++ per person.

Show your loved ones, friends or business associates you care with a thoughtful gift from the JW Marriott’s culinary team.

Select from a wide range of cakes, macaroons, ginger cookies, along with a nice bottle of red wine. Pick and choose your own style of hampers and grab everything you need from Santa’s House. For more information and to make a reservation, call 021 5798 8888.

Keraton at the Plaza, Jakarta Keraton Lounge presents a special Christmas-themed high tea set. The Christmas High Tea will feature delicacies of Christmas from all around the world carefully selected by the culinary team. High tea includes scones, macaroon with chicken liver pate and crispy parmesan fillings, homemade smoked salmon, Chinese burger bun, vanilla swan choux, Christmas pudding, pina colada and a pot of tea of your choice. It is available throughout December at Rp.360,580 nett for two people.

The Grand Hyatt Jakarta If you are searching for a real gourmet meal this Christmas, C’s Steak and Seafood restaurant will indulge diners with all of the festive favourites. Fresh salmon, lobster and roasted meats will be complemented by indulgent highlights such as homemade French foie gras terrine, salmon carpaccio and roasted pumpkin soup, traditional oven-roasted turkey, slowbraised lamb shank and Lobster Thermidor with double cream sauce. Save room for the traditional Christmas yule log, white chocolate parfait and eggnog ice cream for dessert – all on the dinner menu for Christmas Day. For reservations call 021 2992 1283 or e-mail cs.ghjakarta@hyatt.com.

From 7:00pm and on, Bengawan’s Christmas Eve Dinner Buffet will feature live music entertainment and an endless photo print at Rp.955,000 nett per adult, inclusive of a free flow of non-alcohol beverages and welcome cocktail. Delight in a splendid array of international delicacies with the most elaborate seafood station including crayfish, oyster, mud crabs, escargot, Norwegian salmon, just to name a few.

Hotel Indonesia Kempinski Jakarta Both Signatures Restaurant and OKU offer special Christmas Eve and Day buffet brunches with a wide array of Indonesian and Western classics at Signatures and modern Japanese creations at OKU. OKU offers an eleven-course Japanese style Christmas Eve dinner at Rp.1,400,000++ per person and an eleven-course Christmas Day lunch or dinner at Rp.1,400,000++ per person.

For reservations, call 021 2358 3896 or email oku.jakarta@kempinski.com.

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As an addition to this year’s Christmas Eve dinner, Chef Gennaro has also prepared a live grill station offering endless servings of Lombok lobster, prawns, red snapper, squid, Kobe beef, lamb chop, marinated chicken, and beef tenderloin with varieties of condiments to choose from.

For further information or to make a reservation, contact 021 5030 2993 or email bengawan. keratonattheplaza@luxurycollection.com.

Kempi Deli and Sweet Boutique also offer festive hampers, which include Christmas cookies, vanilla kipferl, oat ginger raspberry cookies, white rocher, caramelized almonds and much more. You can also create your own personalized hamper with prices starting at Rp.440,000.

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EXPAT LIFESTYLE TRAVEL Grace is a freelance writer, former TV journalist, and aspiring documentarist with a passion for Indonesian history and culture. Contact her at g.c.susetyo@gmail.com

REASON FOR THE SEASONS

A Portrait of Indonesian Spirituality

BY GR ACE SUSE T YO

Travelling throughout Indonesia, religious affiliation is a question I’m frequently asked. My forename gives away my Christian background. Lately, I view Christianity less as a definition of my personal faith, and more as my “mother tongue” of spiritual languages, which I use to express my spirituality and relate to fellow “native speakers.”

Sumbawa. “Even after Samawa converted to Islam, we continue to believe that owning four buffaloes is the key to afford building a house, university tuition, and a pilgrimage to Mecca. In Sumbawa, when we find someone irritatingly foolish, we call him or her kebo balamung - a buffalo in clothes. But this minifest literally dresses the humble buffalo, to celebrate the prosperity and spiritual enlightenment this animal has enabled humans to attain.”

Recently, I concluded a Nusa Tenggara pilgrimage for my travel writing project Di Antara Nusa-Nusa/Faraway Isles.

Though I’ve always been aware of the diverse spiritualities represented between Bali and Timor, encountering them firsthand becomes an invaluable experience of understanding the significance of human spirituality to the Indonesian identity.

Ardiansyah is currently on a multi-faith spiritual pilgrimage between Bali and Toraja. Along with Literasi Sumbawa Institute, Ardiansyah is preparing a museum of Indonesia’s diverse faiths in the Gulf of Saleh’s Gili Dewa. There, he plans to fly flags of the 16 nations reached by the ashes of Tambora’s 1815 supervolcanic eruption.

Bali

Nusa Tenggara Timur

My visit to Karangasem coincided with Galungan – a holiday celebrating the triumph of dharma (good) over adharma (evil). Set by a lotus pond outlooking the Indian Ocean, the ornately sculpted stone temple breezed with the fragrant incense of offerings. Dressed in vibrant-coloured festive sarongs and sashes, families came to pray together and bless each other with holy water.

I felt slightly guilty for being a gazing tourist in a sacred space, but found solace in “praying with my camera” – commemorating expressions of the primal human urge to communally worship some form of Higher Power, cherishing the beautiful cultures born of these shared faiths, and recognizing spiritual experiences which parallel my own in different spiritual languages.

That evening, I made new friends, swimming over the sunset on the shores of Candidasa. Agus, Kadek, Hendra and Yogi normally study or work elsewhere in Bali, but were home to visit their parents in Karangasem for Galungan. They invited me to dinner – barbecue chicken under the stars by the sea, with rice and sambal on a shared banana leaf – and offered me a ride to the seaport when I left a couple days later. Many weeks later they still said hello, telling me stories of more reunions revolving around Hindu rituals and offering me prayers for my safety.

Nusa Tenggara Barat Predominantly Muslim neighbours Lombok and Sumbawa have contrasting cultural perspectives on Islam. While the Sasak of Lombok received Islam through trade and royal wars related to Java and Bali, the Samawa and Bima of Sumbawa converted through the colonial powers of South Sulawesi’s Gowa-Tallo maritime empire.

I spent Idul Adha in Sembalun, East Lombok. Often compared to Easter and Passover, Idul Adha commemorates Abraham’s obedience to God’s command to sacrifice his long-awaited only son, and the son’s eleventh-hour salvation by a God-sent ram to take his place. Though my host wasn’t comfortable letting me join shalat Ied, I was allowed to take distant photographs of the veiled women bowing before a scenic backdrop of Rinjani’s sun-kissed hills in the morning light. The imam led prayers for the Hajj pilgrims in Mecca.

Lombok’s Islam incorporates Wetu Telu, an ancient Sasak philosophy of social order. Often misunderstood as a heretical form of Islam that performs three daily prayers instead of five, Wetu Telu is in fact a triadic worldview revolving around the Divine, the natural world, and human communities. Environmental activists in Lombok seek to collaborate with local Muslim leaders to revive Wetu Telu’s awig-awig: a customary law concerning environmental conservation through a sustainable system of community leadership.

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Buffalo farmer and his cattle at the Kebo Balamung parade in Empang

Boasting no memories of pre-Islamic local wisdom, Sumbawa claims to have been “thoroughly Islamised.”

“The Samawa identity is Islam,” said Sukri, the Customary Secretary of the Sumbawa Sultanate. Simultaneously, he accounts the harmonious co-existence of 19 ethnicities in Sumbawa Besar, and the Sultan’s gift of land and assets to local Christian churches.

This October, as Festival Moyo paraded human beings to entertain government officials in Sumbawa Besar with cultural performances, cultural activist Syamsu Ardiansyah initiated an alternative grassroots festival that celebrates the Gulf of Saleh’s buffalo-driven agricultural heritage.

“Throughout Nusantara, buffaloes are believed to be a vehicle that brings humans closer to the Divine,” Ardiansyah explains his Kebo Balamung minifest in Empang, central

“Typing this under the Christmas tree in my parents’ home in Jakarta, with the television broadcasting live news of religious hostility, I take a deep breath and remember moments where my eyes have recently met those of fellow Indonesians.”

Staying true to the traditions of Timorese spirituality revolving around the natural world, this grotto is set in a natural cave and home

NTT’s traditional belief systems are generally based on worshipping the Divine (usually represented by a Heavenly Father above all Creation), caring for the natural world (usually personified in a life-giving Mother Earth), and honouring the intergenerational legacy of life (usually expressed in culture and ancestral worship). Today, NTT Christians continue to worship the God of their ancestors as Jesus Christ, express devotions to Mother Earth as Mary if they’re Catholic, and practice traditional stewardship of the natural world.

My mother’s Rotinese family gives credit to the Dutch Protestant missions for education and progress. “In the 18th century, Roté has become home to Nusantara’s first charter school,” said Rotinese historian Matheos Messakh, describing independently run local folk schools funded by the Dutch missions. “In the 1930s, many Rotinese rose to prominent positions in the Dutch East Indies. They were not necessarily aristocrats, because Roté got educated ahead of other Indonesians. Unfortunately, education in Roté lost funding and manpower when Indonesia gained independence. Consequently, most Rotinese today equate success to exodus, because they think their little home island has nothing to offer big achievers.”

I’d planned to finish this trip celebrating Christmas in my grandmother’s hometown in Roté. But since I first visited relatives in Timor in 2013, I’d begun questioning the premise that the only reason my grandparents left was to start a better new life in Java. Recently, new friends throughout Flores and Timor – who share my grandparents’ cultural roots – have been suggesting that my search for other answers might be opening a Pandora box my elders would rather keep shut.

So I finished on a late November morning over Portuguese rosary devotions at a coastal chapel adorned with fiery flamboyant blossoms in Larantuka. I’m missing the Catholic town’s Pre-Christmas Advent rituals, but by then I’d be with my extended family in Java, hoping to gain their blessing to reschedule a proper homecoming to Roté in 2017. “Come visit us next year for Semana Santa,” said my friends in Larantuka, inviting me to their annual Easter parade.

Typing this under the Christmas tree in my parents’ home in Jakarta, with the television broadcasting live news of religious hostility, I take a deep breath and remember moments where my eyes have recently met those of fellow Indonesians through caring prayers, kind deeds, and sheer reverence for the Universe’s life energies. At a time when it’s easier to judge and dehumanise other people’s political religious interests, I give thanks for the rare privilege of walking my recent Indonesian pilgrimage between faraway isles. In the meantime, I echo after the angels in Bethlehem, “Peace on earth, and goodwill to humankind.”

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EXPAT LIFESTYLE GEMS

Adventure, Relaxation and No Need for Bali

BY NICK ANDRE W

remotest require clambering over rock outcrops, fording streams and detouring around headlands through forests and plantations. It’s not for the faint of heart and you need a guide, but the rewards are worthwhile. The foothills of Gunung Halimun Park, northwest of the town, offer higher elevation hikes. These pass through traditional villages but also rubber, clove and lontar palm plantations. They also traverse rice paddies and over rivers with steam vents that show off the volcanic heritage of the archipelago. A local guide is necessary for most of these hikes, but they are available at reasonable cost. Gunung Halimun National Park, with its endemic Javan gibbon and silvery leaf monkey can be reached and explored.

For the less strenuously inclined but equally adventurous traveller, charter a local fishing boat along the coast and view all these sights from the “comfort” of a wooden perahu.

Stops can be made on some of the beaches for a swim or a picnic. Perhaps try your hand at line fishing along the way.

For more genteel pleasures, try the local Hot Springs (Air Panas) experience. It is spectacular and certainly hot.

It’s also an introduction to a typical local tourist site.

The infrastructure is old and shabby. Forego the pools and baths and go straight for the jets of steam that blast up from the riverbed. Be advised, these are superheated so keep a safe distance.

LEGON PARI BEACH (IMAGE BY CEPDANIE | PANORAMIO)

Pelabuhan Ratu town sits in the armpit of the eponymous bay, on the ruggedly beautiful and sparsely populated south coast of West Java. The town is the new administrative capital of the Sukabumi regency with associated economic prosperity, but its history is aligned with thriving fishing, harbouring and tourism industries.

It makes for a great weekend or holiday getaway from Jakarta and offers relaxation, as well as many and varied adventure activities. The surfing along the coastline west and south of the town is world-class, with famous breaks at Cimaja, Indicators, Loji’s, Suwarna, Karang Haji, Ocean Queen and more. These spots attract experienced surfers from all over the world, but beginners can find surf schools and sites to suit their abilities too, or enjoy swimming and boogie boarding. Always take advice on local safety as the area is notorious for rips and undertows at some beaches.

Depending on the weather conditions, some spots work better and some less well.

White-water rafting is also in the world-class category.

The Citarik river, which cascades down from the mountain Gunung Halimun to eventually disgorge into the Mandiri river and harbour, hosted the 2015 world championships; testimony to its fierce rapids. Depending on the section chosen, this activity can suit first timers too. There are half a dozen companies operating commercial rafting on the Citarik, all professional and safety conscious. They offer a valet service so you can put in at Cikidang and raft all the way down to near the town. Again this activity is weather dependent, but since Java had no dry season this year, great rafting has been on tap all year.

The deep trench off the south coast of Java is the source of the nutrients that foster a myriad of wonderful sea life in the bay and further south. See sharks, sailfish, marlin, tuna, mahi-mahi and wahoo in the fish market. Better still, take a fully equipped trolling boat out for a 12-hour day and catch all of the above.

Hiking is great fun and varied. You can walk west along the coast, passing pristine white sandy beaches, frothing churning fissures, blow holes and craggy headlands with no one around. Stop at one of the swimming friendly beaches and let the crystal clear seas invite you in. You can access some of these with a drive and short walk, but the best and

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LOCAL FISH MARKET

PELABUHAN RATU BEACH

MOUNT HALIMUN NATIONAL PARK

The bat cave disgorges over a million insectivorous mammals every evening, for their nightly hunting and feeding. Plan to be in place by late afternoon, or you will miss the exodus, and be prepared for a strong stench of ammonia; the floor of the cave is thick with guano. Long lines of bats stretch out as far as you can see to the ocean.

They will spend the night on the wing and return pre-dawn.

Exploring the local markets is fun too. The fish market is at the busiest from 3 am to 4 am, but there are offerings all day long, displayed colourfully and neatly on tables and in ice boxes. Buy seafood for a BBQ and take it back to your villa or hotel to cook. Ask the chef to cook your purchase to your liking. Walk around the harbour, adjacent to the fish market, to see the variety of boats that brought in this catch, all brightly painted and industrious. The inland side of the road hosts extensive traditional “dry” markets, interesting for their locally grown spices, herbs, vegetables and tropical fruits. You can hone your bargaining skills here, as most will not display fixed prices. If they do, they will likely be willing to negotiate down from them.

Getting to Pelabuhan Ratu is still tiresome, but the road is in the best condition it has ever been. Ironic as the toll road from Ciawi to Sukabumi is finally under construction.

Take the Jagorawi toll road south to the very end at Ciawi, go straight on for some 32 kilometres and turn right where signposted to Cikidang. Do not pass through Cibadak, as this is the main road taken by heavy vehicles. Google Maps will help, and check out detours through Lido lakes to avoid traffic jam hotspots like Cicurug. After making the turn off, the road is delightful, passing through plantations and other agricultural areas. You will see why only light vehicles use this shortcut, as it has some very steep sections. Timing, like driving around in Jakarta, is critical, so use Google Maps again for planning and time estimates. Early departures are generally preferable, both outbound and inbound.

Stay at Ocean Queen Resort, 17 kilometres west of the town centre. They have self-catering, but fully serviced bungalows where you can BBQ the seafood bought at the fish market, or caught on your fishing trip. Enjoy the swimming pool and kids' pool as well as the beach and ocean. The resort can help with guides, rental equipment and suggestions. For more information, visit www.oceanqueenresort.com

“The bat cave disgorges over a million insectivorous mammals

every evening, for their nightly hunting and feeding. Long lines of bats stretch out as far as you can see to the ocean. They will spend the night on the wing and return pre-dawn.”

PULLMAN BALI LEGIAN NIRWANA

OUR NEW PLAYGROUND Hotels in Bali are known to be exceptionally enchanting. After all, who would not want to wake up in the morning to the sound of the ocean waves and spend the entire day relaxing in this beautiful island? But a hotel experience is defined not by its mere location but by an interesting play of a lot of elements.

Here is everything you need to know about Pullman and why it might redefine your ideas of staying in the archipelago’s most famous tourist destination.

ACCOMMODATION Pullman impresses with as many as 351 rooms and suites, and they are all about ‘the space.’ Each of them feature cosy balconies, along with bathrooms that are complemented with full amenities. The rooms feature large LCD televisions that comes with interactive TV and cable channels in addition to WiFi access. Guests might also be surprised to find their names on the TV screen as they activate the room’s smart key for the first time.

Set right at the heart of Bali’s entertainment and shopping district, Pullman Legian Nirwana is surrounded by the island’s hangout places and nightlife. The property is a 20-minute drive away from Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport and a 6-minute walk away from the Kuta Beach – and is therefore easy to find.

What’s even more interesting is that guests will be able to maintain their healthy lifestyle by using the available fitness and yoga kits available in their very own rooms. The one or two-bedroom suites are especially recommended for honeymooners or those who come with their families and are in it for the long stays – as they offer extra space and amenities, including tea, espresso machine and DVD players.

DESIGN AND CHARACTER

SERVICE AND FACILITIES

LOCATION

Style is of primary importance for Pullman Bali. The hotel has a strong paradise concept as it is beautifully constructed with the frangipanishaped architecture that conveys the vibrant charm of beach life.

Pullman caters to guests who come for business and leisure purposes, better known as ‘bleisure’ travelers. Those who mix business with vacation time would sure expect a convenient yet unconventional hotel environment that Pullman have been designed to provide.

The service and facilities available at Pullman certainly do not disappoint. The hotel has not one but three swimming pools (including the infinity pool bar overlooking the gorgeous view of Indian Ocean), a lobby bar, a garden bar, kid’s entertainment room and a gym.

Spa is also available for guests who decide to stay in for the day, as they can choose either one of the famous Balinese massage therapies: shirodara, hydrotheraphy and singing bowl therapy, all of which works to revitalize one’s body, mind, and soul.

For business meetings, the hotel provides a wide range of facilities, including the advanced technology in audio-visual systems, wireless technology, LCD projectors, broadband access and secretarial services on demand.

As for larger events, Pullman invites guests to its pillar-free 325 square-metre ballroom that accommodates around 300 people, in addition to a foyer area that can accommodate up to 100 people.

FOOD AND DRINK Every hotel will not be complete without its culinary offering. Here in Pullman, The Deli Restaurant serves guests with both international and local cuisine in indoor and outdoor setting. Deli is helmed by an English head chef who makes sure that all food is cooked using locally sourced ingredients from Bali farmers in a bid to promote self-sustainability. To reserve seats, please contact h6556@accor. com or +62361 – 762500 Pullman Hotels and Resorts caters to the new generation of hyperconnected and sophisticated travelers. The hotel appeals to their professional guests, known as the ‘global nomads’ by providing the best business and fitness facilities, functional contemporary design, as well as fine food and beverage. Pullman is part of AccortHotels international brand that houses over 95 hotels and resorts across the globe. For more information please visit pullmanhotels.com and accorhotels.com

GRAND MERCURE MAHA CIPTA JAKARTA KEMAYORAN

Jalan Benyamin Suaeb Kav. B – 6 Superblok Mega Kemayoran | Phone : 021 2260 1111 | Fax : 021 2260 2222 | www.accorhotels.com/9896 | www.grandmercure.com issue 180 Indonesia expat

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Kenneth Yeung is a Jakarta-based editor

Dirty Money When buying votes or buying sex, some people resort to using counterfeit cash. Results can be fatal.

BY KENNE TH YEUNG

Police found Ano was carrying 16 counterfeit Rp.50,000 notes. He complained of a pain in his head as a result of the beating. Rather than take him straight to hospital, police first searched his house and seized a printer he had used to make the counterfeit.

Local media reports said Ano had often used fake money in stores in Tangerang and West Jakarta, usually shopping at night to purchase drinks and cigarettes. Police said he could face up to seven years in jail under the Currency Law. After Ano’s condition failed to improve, police on October 25 took him to Kramat Jati Police Hospital in East Jakarta.

He died about two hours later. His family declined to have an autopsy performed.

Mob justice against men who seek to short-change sex workers is not uncommon in Indonesia. There have been cases of expatriates in Jakarta being attacked by young thugs for failure to provide sufficient payments to brothel workers.

Dumai Surprise In February 2016, police in Riau province uncovered a counterfeiting operation after a sex worker from the redlight area of Ampang-Ampang in East Dumai district complained that two men had been paying prostitutes with fake money.

© Lensa Indonesia

The precise amount of counterfeit money in circulation in Indonesia is difficult to gauge, but police and central bank officials have been warning that bogus rupiah and dollars are more likely to circulate during elections.

On December 9, Indonesia held provincial, district and mayoral elections across nine provinces and 266 regencies and cities. Further local elections will be held in 2017 and 2018. Vote-buying has long been a feature of such elections, with some unscrupulous candidates providing cash in the hope of being elected. The amount may be just Rp.50,000 in an envelope, handed over early on the morning of the election.

At a larger level, Jakarta gubernatorial candidate Agus Yudhoyono has denied that his campaign’s promise to give Rp.1 billion (US$74,550) to each of the capital city’s approximately 2,700 community units (RW) is votebuying. At least Rp.2.7 trillion (US$201.2 million) would be required to fund the pledge. That’s about 4.3 percent of Jakarta’s 2016 budget of Rp.62.9 trillion (US$4.69 billion).

In recent weeks, Bank Indonesia (BI) representatives in Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan, Papua and Maluku all warned that counterfeit circulation would increase around elections. They urged people to be wary of fakes and to avoid conducting transactions in dim light.

Rejecting “money politics” would also help people to avoid ending up with bogus currency.

Simple forgers use basic colour printers, while more sophisticated operators are able to replicate security threads and watermarks. BI Deputy Governor Ronald Waas in September said police had this year managed to bust two major counterfeit syndicates. A third syndicate was busted in the Central Java capital of Semarang in October.

The gang’s leader was reported to be an inmate at Bali’s Kerobokan jail, where he is serving time for a similar case.

More recently two men were arrested in Aceh province for producing fake Rp.20,000 and Rp.50,000 notes. Under Indonesia’s 2007 Currency Law, the maximum penalty for counterfeiting is 15 years in jail.

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The central bank records only reported and confiscated fake money. But not everyone who unwittingly ends up with bogus cash reports it to police or BI. In 2014, BI recorded 122,091 fake notes – or nine counterfeit notes in every million. In 2015, the number leapt to 319,681 (21 in every million). In the first eight months of 2016, the number was 158,426 (ten in every million).

In addition to counterfeit concerns, BI recently had to quash social media claims that the latest version of the Rp.100,000 note features the hammer and sickle communist symbol on its upper left corner. An official said the symbol actually represents BI’s logo and is an additional security measure.

East Dumai Police chief Commissioner Ade Zamrah said the suspects, C.G. (29) and R.A. (25), were arrested red-handed at the brothel area. C.G. told police he had received the money from his stepfather, who in turn had obtained it from a friend, who had paid Rp.30 million for Rp.90 million in fake bills from a counterfeiter in Jakarta.

Play Money Sometimes, men attempting to fleece sex workers do not even bother trying to obtain realistic counterfeit.

On October 27, 2015, police arrested a 60-year-old grandfather after he tried to pay a 28-year-old sex worker with children’s play money.

Fatal Beating On October 22, residents of a red-light area in West Jakarta fatally beat an unemployed man after he paid counterfeit money to a sex worker.

Ano Bin Aman (32), from Tangerang in Banten province, was attacked by locals in the Jembatan Genit locale of Grogol after the sex worker, identified only as A.S., raised the alarm that he had given her fake money.

Tanjung Duren Police chief Zaky Nasution said Ano was in poor condition when the mob delivered him to police. “He was battered and smelly because he had escaped by jumping into a river. When he surfaced, he was seized by the mob and taken here,” he said.

Subakhir, a resident of Jepara on the northeast coast of Central Java province, took a bus to Semarang, where he soon met a friendly woman named S.A. at Terboyo Bus Terminal. After brief negotiations, she agreed to provide him with “short time service” for Rp.100,000 at the nearby Hotel Handayani.

After they concluded the physical side of their transaction, Subakhir hastily exited the room. S.A. pursued him and demanded payment. He offered her Rp.16,000, which she refused on the grounds it was insufficient. He then offered her some play money featuring superhero characters from the Power Rangers children’s television show, prompting her to fly into a rage.

The hotel’s receptionist held Subakhir until two policemen arrived. They searched Subakhir and found the old man had only Rp.16,000 in genuine cash and hundreds of pieces of play money in denominations from Rp.2,000 to Rp.100,000, totalling more than Rp.28 million.

Subakhir and S.A. were brought to a police station for questioning. The investigating officer determined there was no criminal element in the case, as the money was clearly marked “play money”, so the two were soon released. S.A. was still fuming until a police officer generously provided her with some genuine cash for her trouble.

EXPAT LIFESTYLE HOLIDAYS © Dino Adyansyah

The Curious Case of

Holidaying in Jakarta

Behind Jakarta’s chaotic exterior sits an alternate world that might just get you to fall in love with the capital all over again this holiday season. Caranissa Djatmiko muses on the idea of an urban holiday for expats in Jakarta.

BY CAR ANISSA DJATMIKO

Most locals tend to stress out when they think about Jakarta for the holidays. They would rather have the perfect beach getaway to Bali or Lombok instead. Indeed, the city is inseparable from its mind-boggling political drama and crazy traffic, which ultimately makes it a less than ideal place for a vacation.

But for some – myself included – staying in Jakarta this holiday season can actually be exciting. Here’s how you can treat yourself to an urban holiday in the Big Durian.

Artpreneur at Lotte Shopping Avenue) and exhibition hall (The Kasablanka Hall at Kota Kasablanka), where interesting events often take place.

Many people, however, admit that malls are the only available places for them to spend leisure time in Jakarta, while they also significantly contribute to locals’ so-called ‘consumer culture’. The lack of alternative entertainment venues in the city has in turn concerned those who wish to have a more financially-friendly vacation experience. But with the holidays already upon us, plenty of Jakartans will be taking to the malls. It’s more than just retail therapy, after all, it’s a place to spend quality time and get some good peoplewatching in.

A burgeoning arts and culture scene There is something about megamalls.

Just embrace them.

They are not just malls, but they are called ‘megamalls’ and Jakarta has about 170 of them. Jakarta’s megamalls have all kinds of facilities including cinemas, supermarkets, karaoke parlours, restaurants, gyms, art galleries and nightclubs. So why are people in Indonesia so enamoured with malls while their western counterparts usually wouldn’t be caught dead in the food court on Christmas holiday?

In a recent article, The Guardian journalist Kate Lamb wrote that megamalls have become the ‘pseudo public spaces’ for locals in Jakarta. This means that people go not only to shop and splurge, but also to spend some quality time with their families and friends, catch up on gossip and escape from hectic daily routines.

Admittedly, each mall works its own charm to lure customers. Grand Indonesia, for example, attracts visitors with its massive movie screen, while BSD City’s Aeon Mall impresses with its unique Japanese concept.

Others also have their own theatres (Ciputra

Arts and culture have indeed become an integral part of Jakarta’s urban lifestyle.

From the city’s most prominent cultural centre Taman Ismail Marzuki to the multifunctional art gallery/café Dia. Lo.Gue in Kemang, we are certainly learning that the city’s existing – albeit quite limited – creative hubs are becoming more active.

One of Jakarta’s iconic cultural spaces Komunitas Salihara, for example, recently wrapped up its biggest event of the year, Salihara International Performing Arts Festival, or better known as SIP Fest.

For around one month, the festival held a series of theatre, dance and other art performances led by 14 local and international art communities in a bid to foster the nation’s art scene. Speaking to Indonesia Expat, Salihara’s Programme

© Emjay124

Director Nirwan Dewanto explained why it is important for the archipelago to have more spaces for artistic and cultural events.

returned to Jakarta admits that martabak was the thing she yearned for the most while studying abroad.

“Art spaces like Salihara are the centre of creative arts in Indonesia [...] but it is not just a centre, it must be proactive in drawing creativity while providing initial support for production funding. The more art spaces [built] the better – every space develops its own criteria to foster local arts,” the programme director said, adding that spaces like Salihara usually have great holiday events planned for urbanites.

“Usually, I celebrate my arrival in Jakarta by getting martabak as soon as I land. As you know, martabak vendors are open until late [...] There was even one time when I ate the entire box of martabak in one night once I got back,” said Nabila Ramadhyan.

Jakarta also prides itself on a number of museums. One of the most popular ones is the National Museum that has been around since 1868 (formerly known as Gedung Gajah or the Elephant Building). The museum has collected a staggering 66,500 artefacts in total from all over Asia.

Other top museums include Museum Fatahillah, or the Jakarta History Museum, and the Museum of Fine Arts and Ceramics, both of which are located in Old Town (Kota Tua). So for those who feel like channelling their creative spirit this holiday season, it’s worthwhile to check out these cultural sites.

But discovering street food in Jakarta is not just about the food itself. It is also a great way to learn about the diversity of its people and culture. The food selections you find in mobile carts along the streets of Jakarta in fact present a distinct combination of Chinese, Betawi and European influences that reflect the city’s rich history.

The city that might surprise you

Admit it. If you’ve lived in Jakarta for more than a week, you have likely used every offensive word you can think of as you cope with traffic. Some of us even vow to move out of the city the minute we find a more habitable place to live in. But even with this in mind, it appears to be a love-hate relationship, as more people flock to the capital each year.

In 2014, the United Nations announced that 54 percent of the world population inhabited urban areas. That figure will increase to 66 percent by 2050. The report suggested that by 2030 there will be 41 megacities across the planet.

Street food galore

Jakarta has been known to produce some of the most interesting creations when it comes to street food. Some of us might still remember when Roti Bakar Eddy opened and everyone instantly rushed there to try the assortment of toast. Another top street food fusion is Kue Cubit (pinch cake), which recently gained popularity after flavours like green tea and red velvet were added to the traditional meal. And of course, there is martabak, the pancake that has been causing quite a competition among street food vendors across the city.

Street food in Jakarta has won the hearts of locals and is often missed by those who are away from the city. A recent graduate who

UK author Leo Hollis wrote the book Cities Are Good For You, where he reveals how the way cities work has been misunderstood for too long. Rather than focusing on the problems commonly found in a metropolis like Jakarta, he chooses instead to celebrate the spirit of it. He reminds readers about the upside of contemporary cities and how living there can encourage residents to be creative, intelligent and happy.

So if you are stuck in big, bad ‘JakTown’ this holiday season, do trust that the city might still surprise you. But only if you give it a chance. As famous urbanist Jane Jacobs once said, “By its nature, the metropolis provides what otherwise could be given only by travelling; namely, the strange.”

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EXPAT LIFESTYLE NETWORKING

A Business Club to Guide Your Growth in Jakarta Jakarta Business Networkers is a club for entrepreneurs and professionals to come together and create new opportunities in Indonesia. The group just celebrated its third anniversary and is gearing up for a challenging year.

If you’re new to Jakarta and its professional hustle, then you’re likely overwhelmed by the chaos of traffic in the streets, coupled with all the new names and business entities you must try to memorize in your first week on the job. Additionally, the business culture in Indonesia’s capital city is not always straightforward, with many companies having subtle and complex relationships and others being staunch adversaries.

When you’re the new kid on the business block, it’s important to build your network on the ground as quickly as possible.

Enter Jakarta Business Networkers (JBN), a regular gathering in the city to help attendees make professional connections that will develop and grow their businesses. Recently, JBN celebrated its third anniversary at the Hard Rock Cafe in SCBD, the city’s downtown business hub. The first JBN session was held on December 3, 2013, with nine expats attending the breakfast. Since then, the club has grown to include thousands of local and expat attendees.

In its first year running, JBN formalized its breakfast event and gathered more than 500 networkers. In its second year, JBN launched two chapters in Central and South Jakarta and brought out more than 1,000 attendees via events featuring the likes of McKinsey, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Colliers and more. In its third year, JBN transformed itself from a networking breakfast to networking lunch session. It opened its third chapter in West Jakarta and brought together 1,500 people. Online networking giant LinkedIn even got involved with JBN in 2016.

Looking back on the journey of JBN, the club’s organizers Nick Blake and JP Beraud can’t help but feel nostalgic.

“We promote a culture of giving referrals to others rather than just self-promotion because we believe that giving is the new selling,” says Blake. “JBN welcomes networkers from all walks of life that share the same mission of growing networks and referring the right people to the right businesses.”

That said, the 35-year-old serial entrepreneur believes that JBN’s mission is only just getting started. According to him, Indonesia’s business culture is getting increasingly frenetic and noisy. This means it's becoming more difficult to know who the serious players are on the ground. For this reason, JBN will only see more activity as time goes on.

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Indonesia expat issue 180

“We now have more than 3,000 professionals in our database and with all our lunch networking events planned in addition to the special events next year, 2017 looks bright.”

Beraud adds, “While Indonesia remains a very attractive market for local and foreign investment, the feedback from our regular networkers suggests that 2017 will be a challenging year ahead. We expect a wellattended 2017, with companies focusing on developing and expanding their businesses through shared contacts and referrals at our sessions.”

Next year, JBN plans to hold 25 sessions, with between 30 and 50 people at each.

Each event has a networking and referral exchange session and a keynote speaker, followed by a luncheon. Blake says that JBN’s current demographic consists of local and foreign men and women aged 25 to 40, who own or operate small and mediumsized businesses. JBN members have backgrounds in a variety of service-based companies, including spaces like logistics, financial services, recruiting, real estate and petroleum.

However, Blake says JBN welcomes new members from all walks of business.

“JBN’s value is in business referrals. We actively promote a culture of exchanging referrals among networkers, rather than simply inviting self-promotion. We live by the mantra that giving is the new selling and that by instilling a culture of referring others, we all grow together,” he says. “In addition, we help our members gain valuable insights from speakers of interest to Jakarta professionals; insightful keynotes so far from McKinsey, LinkedIn and PWC have added real value [...] We look at referrals and in turn business generated by the session as a measure of success.”

Beraud adds, “We now have more than 3,000 professionals in our database and with all our lunch networking events planned in addition to the special events next year, 2017 looks bright.”

Blake and Beraud invite more business professionals to join JBN’s first session of the year on Thursday, January 19, 2017.

For more information, visit www.jbnetworkers.info

EXPAT OUTREACH ENVIRONMENT Angela is a freelance journalist based in Jakarta, keen on travel, human rights and health issues. Please reach out to her on angelajelita@gmail.com

What Has 2016 Meant for Indonesia and Climate Change?

BY ANGEL A JELITA

2015 was a devastating year for global greenhouse gas emissions, with Indonesia ranking fourth on the list of top emitters after vast forest fires released 1.62 billion metric tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Under immense pressure at the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris (COP21) last year, Indonesia announced its commitment to reduce its emissions from peat land fires. Now that a year has passed, do experts believe the government is doing enough to prevent future cataclysmic events from happening?

What actions should be taken?

COP22 ran from November 7 through 18 in Marrakesh, Morocco and was centred on the implementation of the Paris Agreement of 2015. Indonesia’s Minister of Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya spoke at the conference about how Indonesia – throughout 2016 – has taken many operational steps and policies that have had a direct impact on the reduction of emissions.

Nurbaya listed Jokowi’s moratorium, the restoration of peat land, the control of forest fires, and the prevention of deforestation as part of the measures being taken to reduce carbon emissions. According to the Minister, these actions have clear indicators that “can be measured, monitored and verified”.

Recent data shows no signs of deforestation slowing down, which is a direct contradiction to Minister Nurbaya’s speech at COP22. While independent scientific sources indicate a strong increase in deforestation over the last decade, the Ministry of Forestry reported stable deforestation levels and emissions.

© COP22.MA

A weak commitment Environmental activists on the ground believe Indonesia’s commitment is weak and not ambitions enough. Annisa Rahmawati is the Forest Campaigner for Greenpeace Indonesia. She was shocked to hear the government is planning an increase in global greenhouse emissions of around one third by 2030. “Deforestation and peat land destruction accounts for approximately 60 percent of Indonesia’s emissions, but Indonesia’s measures to protect peat lands are insufficient,” she told Indonesia Expat. “The government is even planning 13 million hectares of further deforestation in the next three decades as revealed in the INDC.”

An ineffective moratorium

Deforestation on the rise Indonesia’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC), released in September last year, includes an unconditional 2030 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target of 29 percent below business-as-usual (BAU) and a conditional 41 percent reduction below BAU by 2030 (with sufficient international support).

In stark contrast, according to independent scientific analysis consortium Climate Action Tracker, “Indonesia is the only main deforesting country where a strong increase in deforestation emissions can be expected in the period to 2030.” The group claims that Indonesia has a contradictory climate policy, where renewables are being pushed to play a stronger role in the energy mix, while a growing demand for coal is leading to continually rising emissions. They predict a 70 percent increase in emissions above the 2010 level by 2030 from energy and industry sectors.

Jokowi’s moratorium on new palm oil concessions, according to Rahmawati, up until now still has no legal binding form, rendering it useless. “The President’s ban on new developments on peat land seems not to be obeyed by the industry, and the lack of law enforcement has added to its complication,” says Rahmawati. The problem is, “The moratorium is not permanent and doesn’t apply to land where permits have already been granted.” According to Greenpeace, there are approximately 10 million hectares of forest currently under threat in existing oil palm, pulp and mining concessions.

Like Rahmawati, Kalaweit believes the government is not doing enough to prevent further peat land forest fires. He has observed that many landowners are converting their land status to Areal Penggunaan Lain (APL) or Area for Other Uses, which is exempt from the moratorium, allowing them to continue as palm oil plantations. What he believes should be done to prevent further fires is 1) focus prevention funds on peat land forests only, 2) prepare water pumps at every problem area, 3) forbid any form of fire creation in the dry season in peat land areas, as he says they do in Europe in pine forests. Kalaweit also believes the government must forbid the opening of large-scale land in any APL region.

Both activists believe in order to prevent future fires, the plantation industry must move away from peat lands and start to remedy the damage that has already been done.

This can be done through blocking canals and rewetting as a first step to restoring peat lands to their natural condition – an effective measure based on Greenpeace Indonesia’s experience in Riau and Central Kalimantan.

Ambitious plans of bringing together land use, land tenure and other spatial data into a singular incorporated database for Indonesia, known as the One Map initiative, began under the previous government, but has yet to be completed.

Rahmawati believes that without transparency of baseline data and methodology, enabling independent monitoring and accurate calculations about what is actually happening on the ground – while understanding who owns the land and who is responsible for fires and environmental destruction – both the moratorium and One Map policy “will be meaningless”.

In the length of time it took to write this article, the Global Forest Watch reported that Indonesia received 174 fire alerts (see map). 42 percent of the fires occurred on indicative moratorium areas.

Environmental activist Chanee Kalaweit, who works saving animals in the fire hazard zones of Kalimantan and Sumatra, believes the peat land fire threat is still very much alive. In 2015 Kalaweit became a household name when his video addressed to the president taken from the thick of the forest fire haze in Kalimantan went viral. He believes the only reason we are seeing fewer fires this year is because of the La Niña weatherfront, not because of any measures being taken by the government.

“This year it’s La Niña, which always comes the year after El Niño,” he tells Indonesia Expat. “We are experiencing a lot of rain with no real dry season in Borneo. Next year the dry season will be normal, and every year it will be longer until the next El Niño in 2020/2021,” he warns. Kalaweit believes the next El Niño will be catastrophic in terms of forest fires and Indonesia’s contribution to climate change.

In the space of seven days, Indonesia received 174 fire alerts, 42 percent occurring on indicative moratorium areas. Courtesy of Global Forest Watch.

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EXPAT OUTREACH WORTHY CAUSES

GETAWAYS

Why There’s More to Travel Memories than Just Tech Tony Wheeler set up the world’s largest travel publisher in 1973 with his wife Maureen before selling it to BBC Worldwide in 2012. At this year’s Ubud Writers’ Readers Festival (UWRF), Caranissa Djatmiko sits down with the 69-year-old man to find out what it really means to travel in the digital era.

MENJANGAN DYNASTY RESORT

‘Glamping’ on the Bay in Northwest Bali

BY CAR ANISSA DJATMIKO

about Indonesia or Bali. And I started to think: Why am I thinking about Bali. There turned out to be an Indonesian stand nearby and these people were smoking kretek (these were the days when people could smoke indoors). My mind thought of Indonesia before I even realized what the connection was. It’s strange, smells are very much that way.

They do take you to a place that other things [like technology] don’t.

The digital revolution has made quite an impact in the travel industry. But co-founder of Lonely Planet Tony Wheeler thinks that it has not really reoriented the way people adventure these days. During the UWRF, I had the chance to sit down with Wheeler to discover what it really means to travel to a new place.

But rather than focusing on the debate on whether or not Facebook and travel blogs have revolutionized the way we experience adventures, he chose to reflect on a number of reasons why people decide to embark on a new journey to begin with.

Wheeler finds that most of his travel memories are not entirely supported by technology. Instead, for him it was the moments and mental experiences created from visiting new places that truly counted.

According to him, this was all possible long before the digital era began.

What motivates you to travel?

Very often it is something about the place which just fascinates you. I mean the wackiest place I went to this year was Chernobyl and it’s like this ghost town beside the nuclear reactor. It’s quite safe now.

You’re not going to get radiation poisoning going there. You know, it was one of those things that brought the Soviet Union down. It was this sort of tale of craziness and mistakes, which started as an individual mistake on the day, but later turned into a big mistake in the Soviet Union.

And then another place I’ve been to this year was the Panama Canal. It’s an interesting time to be there and then I managed to go there just when the Panama Papers scandal broke. So then there was another element to being there that made it interesting. But then I didn’t realize how it’s sort of the narrowest point between North and South America, that’s why they built the canal there. It is a meeting point, so you get all these amazing birds.

I spent a day with a birdwatcher and he was pointing out, ‘Well that one’s come down south from North America, that one’s come up north from South America,’ and suddenly there was this whole other perspective to it.

It’s just that one thing that inspires the visitors.

And I think that sometimes you see a photograph in a book and you go to a museum and you see something, then you think: I want to go there, I want to experience that. That one little spark, that’s the interest.

It’s interesting how the panel discussed a lot about whether or not technology dictates your travel experiences. But do you think technology is the most important part in creating memories?

You know kretek cigarettes are from Indonesia? You can be anywhere in the world but once you smell that, you immediately think Indonesia. I was at this conference in Germany and for several days I’d be walking along and suddenly something hit my mind 22

Indonesia expat issue 180

Regardless, technology somehow still contributes to the way we travel, right?

These places do get richer and bigger [with the help of tech as you travel] because they are not just a map. We touched on these things in all sorts of different ways. You spend some time there and find that they are indeed a much larger dimension [than they appear], which is good.

You are currently in the process of making books.

Can you tell us a little bit about that?

I’m actually writing a book right now for the National Library of Australia about the islands there. I couldn’t believe how many islands Australia has when I started this. Australia has 8,000 islands and it’s unbelievable. This time it is not like writing a guidebook, a lot of it is just research and then I come back to the libraries because there are things you cannot find on Google. But I spent a lot of time working on Google too. It has really opened my eyes to lots of things and I really enjoyed it.

How often do you travel?

I have got two homes. I’ve got a home in England and I’ve got a home in Australia, so I travel in between these two. You know I could probably say I spend one third of the year in Australia, and one third of the year everywhere else.

What does being a traveller mean to you?

Once upon a time you used to say, ‘Oh I’m not a tourist, I’m a traveller’. There were these two different things. I think sometimes we do need to be travellers and we do need to be going outside of our comfort zones. And it’s a good thing. Sometimes you need to be surprised by things and other experiences that you wouldn’t have otherwise known.

How exactly do you define a tourist and a traveller?

In some ways you can say the days you wake up, and talk about this in this panel, but you don’t know where you’re going to be staying. You’re confident that you’re just going to find a place, wherever you might end up. And that’s a real travel experience, not knowing where you’re going to turn. You can be a tourist and not know where you’re going, but still have an attitude about, and interest in, what you experience. That makes you more of a traveller.

I don’t think it necessarily has anything to do with money. Particularly for young people, it is important to travel poor. Because travelling without money pushes you to walk more or take the local bus more.

It gives you more experience. Sometimes you find people who go straight to the hostel because it is comfortable, but they end up only talking to the same people. So it isn’t necessarily being short of money that makes you more of a traveller, but it is a factor in the equation.

This transcript has been condensed and edited.

One interesting word we’ve come across is the term ‘glamping’.

Never heard of it? That’s probably because only recently has the global trend caught fire. The concept of ‘Glamourous camping’ is meant to offer outdoor enthusiasts an experience of ‘roughing it’ but with all the amenities of a resort stay. It’s a new word for a new kind of travel.

In Bali, Prime Plaza Hotels and Resorts recently opened the Menjangan Dynasty Resort, Beach Camp and Dive Centre, a tented boutique retreat, resting on 16 hectares of land, beside Banyuwedang Bay in Northwest Bali. The glamp resort aims to cater to outdoor adventure enthusiasts, who also have an appetite for indulgence. The safari-style tented rooms and villas, combined with a series of communal spaces crafted from bamboo and alangalang thatch, present a curious alternative in architectural style and five-star service.

Accommodation at the resort includes 24 Beach Camp Tents, two one-bedroom Cliff Tent Villas and a pair of two-bedroom Cliff Tent Villas. The air-conditioned interiors of the tents are meant to capture the ambience of the classic safari club style with glass doors and natural materials.

The resort’s Pasir Putih Spa by Ambiente is a cliff-top facility that supports the glamping theme with a tented spa, offering reflexology, a manicure and pedicure deck, and two private waterfront spa pods that overlook the bay.

Communal facilities include a 158 square-metre cliff-edge infinity pool, which at 3.3 metres deep also serves as a dive training pool.

The resort’s Pasir Putih Beach Club, which is now open to the public, incorporates a restaurant and bar, an open kitchen with French Food & Beverage Manager Philippe L’Obry at the helm. The club features a 32.5 square-metre beachside swimming pool, flanked by bamboo cabanas and beanbags on the beach.

“Menjangan Dynasty Resort is already slated to be the choice of savvy travellers who are seeking a totally different experience, combined with outdoor activities and a high level of service,” said Resort Manager I Kadek Susastrawan (Dede). “We are very much looking forward to welcoming our first guests.”

Menjangan Dynasty Resort opened its doors (or rather its tent flaps) on September 1, 2016, and will be celebrating by offering special opening rates and packages to its guests online. For more information, visit www.menjangandynasty.com.

London School of Public Relations Sees Off Graduates LSPR was also proud to honour the first graduate with special needs, Kouji Santoso Eto. The student studied advertising in the school and even produced a book with the title Aku Asperger (I Have Aspergers) as his final project.

Jakarta This month, the London School of Public Relations (LSPR) celebrates the graduation of more than 1,000 students in a special ceremony. The graduates earned both Bachelor and Master degrees and are expected to become the nation’s next leading public figures. They include actor Michael Lucock, musician Febrian and a finalist in the popular competition Asia’s Next Top Model, Rani Ramadhany.

“Kouji’s learning process was not easy. It required full support from the lecturers, staff and friends at LSPR who needed to constantly explain his condition to those who had just started the new semester, so we could create a conducive learning environment for all students,” said LSPR representative Prita Kemal Gani.

Also present at the event were none other than the Director of British Council Indonesia Paul Smith, Mayor of Bandung Ridwan Kamil and CEO of CT Corporation Chairul Tanjung. The ceremony took place at the Ritz-Carlton ballroom.

On this occasion, Mercure Serpong Alam Sutera was awarded as ‘The Best Hotel in South Tangerang’ for two years in a row. Business practitioners and tourism experts played the roles of judges when deciding which hotel deserved the recognition.

The award was presented by South Tangerang Mayor Airin Rachmi Diany and Vice Mayor Benyamin Davnie.

It was received by Cyril Mas as the General Manager of Mercure Serpong Alam Sutera.

Bali

This holiday season, the hotel aims to provide guests with a unique experience. Guests will be delighted by the hotel’s bohemian feel that is shown by a number of artworks displayed throughout the hotel created by local artists. The rooms are filled with sculptural lamps and stone slab tables made from fossilized wood to further add an ethnic touch to the space.

Jakarta On November 22, the government of South Tangerang hosted the ‘Adi Karya Wisata 2016 Award’ event at Mercure Serpong Alam Sutera Ballroom. The awards were handed over to tourism businesses that aim to make positive contributions in the region.

Tijili Hotel Aims to Promote Identity and Concept As one of LeBoYe’s latest projects, Tijili sets out to create a clear identity and concept for the hotel. In order to achieve this, the hotel collaborates with architect and Mayor of Bandung Ridwan Kamil, interior designer Alex Bayu and also Hitakara Development.

Mercure Serpong Alam Sutera Wins New Award

During the evening, guests can also hang out at the hotel’s Krakatua Restaurant to get their favourite cocktail. In addition, Tijili is just walking distance from Seminyak beach and is set on Bali’s streets where stylish restaurants and shops predominate. Hence, guests will always have something to do while staying at this boutique hotel.

For more information please visit www.tijili-hotel.com/ seminyak

"We are always committed to provide the best quality and service as well as presenting a variety of interesting events for our guests, and this award will motivate us to be better and better in the future" said the General Manager.

Mercure is a four-star hotel brand under the international scale of the AccorHotels Group, which hosts over 7,000 hotels in 50 countries. Under a variety of systems, the hotel offers an authentic experience for guests, whether they come for business or leisure.

Winter Wonderland Christmas Eve Dinner at Alila Seminyak

The edge Bali Wins Conde Nast Johansen Reader’s Award for Excellence

A Turquoise-Purplish Christmas at Hotel Borobudur in Jakarta

Bali

Jakarta Celebrate the festive month of December at Jakarta’s five-star luxury iconic hotel. General Manager Patrick Beck is pleased to announce the different holiday celebrations. As a French national, Christmas is the best time of the year for him, and together with the team, Hotel Borobudur presents a new concept of celebration, blending the local culture with turquoise and purple as the main colour theme in the lobby.

Festive celebrations start December 1 at the Bogor Café lobby with the launching of Indy Barends’s Signature Christmas Log in the shape of a vintage radio, accompanied by a ribbon cutting ceremony for the giant Dutch windmill gingerbread house.

Bali Alila Seminyak in Bali is planning a special Christmas Eve dinner, so save the date. Experience the magic of a wintry white Christmas at Alila Seminyak, festooned with white decorations, a white Christmas tree, ornaments, stockings, and a sprinkling of snow.

Get into the spirit of the season with a four-course, traditional, family-style dinner featuring a Christmas selection of food and beverages, accompanied by the resort’s resident singer Lydia Rose performing carols.

A visit from Santa is sure to surprise your little ones.

Bring warm clothes – it will be chilly at Alila’s tropical North Pole.

The edge Bali was voted to receive the Conde Nast Johansen Reader’s Awards for Excellence this year. The awards are based on responses from online voting, guest feedback, and local expert reports drawn from the hotels featured in Conde Nast’s most recent Guides. Conde Nast Johansens, from the publishers of Vogue, GQ, Conde Nast Traveller and Glamour, is the premier reference guide for independent travellers.

The programme released the following statement: “The dramatic, cliffy south-western corner of Bali is the stunning setting for the exceptional edge villas. Aptly named for its elevated position 80 metres on the Uluwatu cliffs, with the crashing Indian Ocean below (popular with experienced surfers), this is a seriously exclusive destination providing a new level of luxury.” issue 180 Indonesia expat

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EXPAT OUTREACH HOTELS

JAMAL HUSSAIN

The Blessing and Curse of Running a Hotel in Bali Earlier this year, it was predicted that the number of hotels in Bali will see a 100 percent increase compared to 2015, with around 50 new properties set to welcome tourists. With the growing competition that hotels must tackle, we sit down with Nusa Dua Beach Hotel’s General Manager Jamal Hussain to find out how his team is holding up and what it is like to run a hotel on the island of the gods.

BY CAR ANISSA DJATMIKO

Would you say that the competition of the hotel industry in Bali is high?

Definitely. Competition is very tough but having said that each property tries to carve a niche market for itself. Some use their location, others their ballroom (MICE market), some their spa, others like us – our heritage and being predominantly “Authentically Bali”, whilst yet others offer unique entertainment and etc.

Hi Jamal, thank you for taking your time to have this interview with us. Let’s start by introducing yourself.

I am Malaysian and have been in the hotel industry for about 35 years starting in junior positions and then working my way up into management. I did my hotel education in Salzburg, Austria and started my vocation in Vienna, Austria.

I have also worked in several Asian countries including Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Maldives and of course, Indonesia. This is the 4th hotel in Bali that I am managing and I have been in Bali (off & on) for about 12 years and in Indonesia for about 17 years.

How would you describe the hotel industry in Bali?

Very competitive. Hotels are aggressively promoting their properties and claiming their market share.

Rooms inventory increase year on year also results in price wars where ultimately the guest or consumer wins.

Can you share with us your experience of running a hotel in Bali? How has it been different compared to other places or countries?

Each destination has its own unique characteristics as well as its challenges. Bali offers almost everything to everyone: culture, sports, meditation, spa, ocean, hills, shopping, entertainment, nightlife and more. To successfully run a hotel in Bali one has the added challenge of understanding the unique culture of the people and how to interact positively with all of them.

“To successfully run a hotel in Bali one has the added challenge of understanding the unique culture of the people and how to interact positively with all of them.”

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Indonesia expat issue 180

What are the challenges of running a hotel in Bali?

And how does Nusa Dua Beach try to overcome them?

Running a hotel in Nusa Dua is a blessing as it is well known for its beach location and relatively quiet surroundings and great accessibility. Being also home to two large convention centres, the events boost occupancy when it happens. The real challenge however is to differentiate your product from all the other hotels in the area.

In your opinion, what do guests expect when they stay in hotels in Bali?

In Bali, guests generally expect to see some form of authentic Balinese culture in the form of temples, local food, offerings, a wedding ceremony, a holy procession, or a typical Legong or Kecak dance, etc. Besides the immersion into culture there is always the need to “chill & relax”, enjoy the beach and ocean, enjoy the warm weather, try different food varieties and take lots of photos. Of course they also expect to experience the authentic and warm hospitality of the Balinese people in the resorts they stay in.

What are the latest trends that hotels in Bali are currently picking up? How does Nusa Dua Beach maintain its authenticity?

Well the trend is that more hotels are still being built in Bali, all with restaurants, bars and swimming pools. Some are even focusing on having a shopping mall attached or close by for customer convenience. With operational costs on the upswing, hotel owners and operators are also looking into architecture & planning that can support productivity and require less manning.

How do you see the future of the hotel industry in Bali?

Would you possibly still be around to see it for yourself?

I certainly see a bright (but indeed challenging) future for hotels in Bali for many years to come. I am confident that tourism infrastructure will further improve, arrivals will increase, new international markets will venture into Bali as their holiday destination, as has been the case over over the last 20 – 30 odd years.

I certainly hope to be around to either participate in the changes or just sit back, relax and have a coconut whilst enjoying the wonderful transformations that Bali will definitely offer in the future.

* Answers in the next edition!

CROSSWORD Across

DOWN

1. Scarcity (6)

1. Desert – flaw (6)

8. Animals (5)

3. Headdress (5)

4. Sour (6)

2. Of water (7)

9. Resistant to discipline (7)

5. Person often shedding tears (7)

10. Curved sword (7)

6. British princess (5)

11. Stun (5)

7. Old-fashion geezer (6)

12. Disaster (9)

9. Spoken witticism (9)

17. Higher (5)

19. Large-stoned pear-shaped fruit (7) 21. French port, scene of a 1940 Allied evacuation (7)

22. Supposedly “responsible person (5) 23. Cheat such as the creator of Piltdown Man (6)

24. Feel intense sorrow (6)

13. White ant (7) 14. Evaluate (7)

15. Seclusion of women as religious practice (6)

16. Push and elbow roughly in a crowd (6)

Found on Twitter

Send your funny pictures to letters@indonesiaexpat.biz

18. Endangered bamboo eater (5) 20. Currently broadcasting (2,3)

ANSWERS OF ISSUE 179

ACROSS—1. Scrimp 4. Hicup 9. Magenta 10. Inner 11. Antic 12. Tugboat 13. Icebreakers 18. Rematch 20. Aroma 22. Drama 23. Painful 24. Ensign 25. Wherry DOWN—1. Sampan 2. Right 3. Minicab 5. Icing 6. Candour 7. Pirate 8. Battleships 14. Compass 15. Knavish 16. Bridge 17. Galley 19. Twang 21. Offer

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If you want your event to be posted here, please contact +62 (0) 21 2965 7821 or e-mail: events@indonesiaexpat.biz

EVENTS

JAKARTA

arts & culture

networking

4 Projects for Development 23 June—31 December 2016

Jakarta Business Networkers Every Tuesday and Thursday Make the r ight connections and grow your business over breakfast. At Jakarta Business Networkers (JBN), all attendees are encouraged to help others by exchang ing 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 7-8.30am every Tuesday at Sapori Deli, Fairmont Jakarta, and Thursday at Mercantile Athletic Club, WTC, Sudirman.

RSVP: info@jbnetworkers.com

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Indonesia expat issue 180

The Embassy of Italy and the Italian Cultural Institute Jakarta a nd the It a lia n Ministr y of Foreign Affairs and International C ooperat ion a re present ing the exhibition ‘4 projects for development’. The exhibition is in collaboration with the Agenzia Contrasto and seeks to highlight It a ly ’s c om m it ment s t o the nation’s foreign policies through its development programmes.

4 Projec t s for Development showcases images taken by four notable photographers from Magnum Agency: Abbas, Jerome Sessini, Jean Gaumy and Stuart Franklin. The photos are taken from their cooperation projects in Ethiopia, Guatemala, Kenya, and Senegal. The exhibition is open for public. For more information please visit www.itacultjkt.or.id International Ballet Star Gala 3 - 4 February 2017 Indonesia Dance Society (IDS) w i ll be br ing ing the most talented dancers from prestigious companies across the globe in a ballet gala. The event w ill include cla ssical reper toires

from Swan Lake, Don Quixote, G i s el le , C a r men a nd o t her neoclassical and contemporary pieces. The prog ramme w ill also hold workshops and meet and greet sessions. The main event will take place at Teater Besar, Taman Ismail Marzuki where audience can watch the special ballet performance. For more information, visit www. indonesiadancesociety.com education

would like to have, and be a part of the Rumahku Committee to arrange events and w r ite newsletters accordingly. This November, Erza Setyadharma will serve as a guest speaker to share his story about his career as a creative consultant, classical music, opera producer, as well as a writer. Registration is made under first-come and first-served basis. The event costs Rp.50,000 (for IHS members) and Rp.75,000 (for non-members). For more information please visit www. heritagejkt.org/lectures/rumahku

BALI arts & culture

Devdan Show – Treasure of the Archipelago 1 May–31 December 2016 Indonesian Heritage Society’s Morning Talk Series November 2016 – February 2017 Indonesian Heritage Society (HIS) returns with Rumahku morning talks this November.

The event is open to members of the non-profit organization and is held on Thursday mornings where participants can engage with one another over tea, coffee and snacks. Rumahku is held to introduce potential members of HIS and those who take an interest in the programmes it offers. Guests are welcome to suggest topics and speakers that

Devdan Show is one of the most impressive per for mances in Bali that features dance, along with stunning costumes and hitech special effects. The show combines local dance traditions with contemporary moves into an aerial acrobatic attractions.

For 90-minutes, audience will get to travel across the Indonesian archipelago, starting from Bali, Sumatra, Java Borneo, and all the way to Papua. Devdan Show is performed four times a week at one of Bali’s most renowned entertainment areas, Nusa Dua. Tickets are available at https://

www.bali.com/shop/devdan_260. html. Price: US$40 (normal) US$20 (children)

Bali Spirit Festival 19 – 26 March 2017 Bali Spirit Festival is a global c elebrat ion of yoga , d a nc e , music and well-being. Set in the beautiful island of Bali, the festival will invite performing arts enthusiasts and spirituality seekers from all around the world to gather and send each other positive energies. The five-day festival will include an array of inspirational workshops such as yoga, martial arts, African dance, ecstatic dance cr ystal bowl sound healing, breathwork and meditation. There will also music performances featuring international artists to light up the nights during the festival.

Bali Spirit festival will take place at Bhanuswari Resort and SPA. For more information, visit http:// www.balispiritfestival.com holiday 9th Annual Christmas Bazaar 16 December 2016 Canggu Club will be presenting its annual Christmas Bazaar. Those who are still looking for ideas to decorate their house or do not know what to give to their loved ones should visit this event. The

bazaar is also open to people who are interested in being a vendor.

Registration deadline for potential vendors is on December 10. For more information please visit http://www.cangguclub.com/9thannual-christmas-bazaar/

New Year’s Eve at Cocoon 31 December 2016 Get ready for the wildest party of the year because Cocoon Beach Club w ill be bringing one of New Zealand’s most celebrated producers Jolyon Petch. The producer is known for his single Fast Car and his latest release M1-Emotions. Grecian DJ Ahmet Killic will also be joining the celebration. With the theme ‘Cocoon Goes Wild’, the beach club will also be serving guests with dinner, VIP day beds with full bottle service and general admission party tickets. For more information please visit http:// cocoon-beach.com

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The Ubud Sanctuary for Solo Travellers Solo travellers looking to have the ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ style holiday experience should consider staying in this secluded luxury villa, located in Bali’s cultural capital.

We all know that Bali is Indonesia’s most popular tourist destination, but how many times have you visited the Island of the Gods on your own? When was the last time you brought a diary with you as a guidebook in exchange for an itinerary? And when was the last time you decided not to do anything for the entire day but to settle in a nice villa somewhere in Ubud? If you have yet to experience any of this, then you will most likely be interested in what we are about to say next.

Last year, Visa Global Travel Intentions Study revealed that there was a rise in the amount of solo sojourners, as 24 percent of them chose to explore the world without a companion. Another study conducted by travel inspiration website 101 Holidays also suggested that most of these solo travellers happened to be female, with 58.3 percent. So what is it like to travel all by yourself, especially in a place like Ubud?

Think of the experience as a spiritual detox. You are in an area that was named as Asia’s Best Destination in 2010 by American Conde Nast Traveler, so there are plenty of ways for you to enjoy your time. But in case you are wondering how you can channel Elizabeth Gilbert, who is searching for a meaning in your life, then the best thing to do is to relax.

In Villa Alamanda, you can sure get the ultimate rest and relaxation retreat. The four-bedroom property is set right on the outskirts of Ubud and is the perfect place for those who seek tranquility.

Surrounded by jungle-like gardens, Alamanda attracts guests with its tropical and traditional concept.

The rooms are all furnished with king-sized beds, wooden furniture, alang-alang ceiling, glass sliding doors, and of course, large exotic bathrooms. Each of them also offers a unique design. The

master bedroom, for one, boasts artifacts and artwork that are especially created by local artists, giving you the immediate feel of Ubud the first time you walk in. These are highly recommended for honeymooners.

The cinnamon and red room, on the other hand, offers a similar design, but features bright red lamps and paintings that showcase a more seductive feel into the space. And lastly, the garden suite is a separate pavilion house that features its own private deck for guests to lie down and immerse themselves in the quite surroundings.

Aside from the fancy rooms, guests can also take a swim in a pool surrounded by tropical trees. And while the rooms do not have their own televisions, there is a specific media venue for those who wish to stay entertained every once in awhile. They also do not have to worry about the food as the villa provides in-house chefs and staffs that will make sure that you are taken care of.

At the end of the day, Villa Alamanda is a paradise for solo travellers who wish to be left alone. This time it is all about you.

It is about focusing on what you want and going after it. So go and live in the moment.

Villa Alamanda is a Balinese-style property that attracts guests with its wooden and traditional material furniture. The villa is 15-minute drive away from Ubud, while it takes 1.5 hour to get there from Ngurah Rai International Airport. Sightseeing arrangements and car rentals can also be made upon request.

For more information please visit http://www.alamandabali.com

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JAKARTA automotive HAVE SOMETHING TO SELL? Looking for something to buy? Looking for staff? Selling property?

Or need a place to live? Why not place your classified ad with Indonesia Expat! Your classified will be placed once for 2 weeks online and once in our printed version which has a circulation of 16.500 copies bi-weekly.

Next deadline: 9 January 2017 CONDITIONS Personal classifieds Commercial classifieds

Free of Charge (50 words max) Rp. 100,000 (0–50 words) Rp. 200,000 (50–100 words)

Property listings are considered as Commercial.

Adding an image incurs an extra charge of Rp.150,000. Business Listings can only be placed on the Business Listings page (p.30) Send in your classifieds to ads@indonesiaexpat.biz

services

Expat is renting out his Toyota Avanza Type G luxury 12-2014.

Perfect condition. Price is 4.5 million Rupiah monthly including insurance. Very economical in petrol usage. Please contact amalia.frese@gmail.com TOYOTA Innova K ija ng 2.0 G, 2011 model, manual, silver metallic, serviced at TOYOTA Jakarta, new battery, new front brakes, 52,000km, STNK until 02/2017, very good condition - 155 million Rupiah - Pictures email: kemangsaleitems@yahoo.com or Whatsapp: +62(0)8118677819 Car for Sale: IDR 300,000,000 or highest offer. Model: Toyota Fortuner 2013 VNT Turbo, 2.5G Diesel, A/T. Kilometres: 20,700 C o l o u r : s i l v e r .

Features: Add-on’s Reversing Camera & Leather Seats (original fabr ic se at c over s i nclude d) Area: Cipete Selatan. Car owned from new.

Full dealer service record with free service vouchers remaining for Fatmawati Astrid Toyota dealership.

Tax paid to February 2017. Available from Saturday 17th December.

View Photos: https://drive.google. com/drive/folders/0B8yeTf5fLIN EOUdHV0RrRG51am8?usp=shari ng. For queries and interest contact Caspar on +62(0)8112209875 jobs available NodeJS Developer needed! I am based in US and am looking for a NodeJS developer for a project work. This can convert into a full time requirement. Please email me your resume, skype id and contact number and we can take it from there. From: Raj Thakkar : rthakkar2005@gmail.com Virtual Assistant in Recruitment I am looking for candidates who have worked as an Technical Recruiter. This is an remote work from home opportunity. Desired skills are: • You should be really good in recruiting people • You have least 1 year or experience in working in US recruitment or Call center.

• Experience in IT recruiting is a big plus.

• Good written and spoken English skills.

• Experience working with Staffing company is desired.

Please send me your C V so I can contact you. Raj Thakkar (rthakkar2005@gmail.com) We are looking for a personal assistant/ translator for minimum 6 months contract and potentially full-time at a later stage. Must be fluent in both English and Bahasa.

Office based in Jakarta Barat (near Central Park). Email jason.hue@ gmail.com for further details.

The International Wellbeing C e n t e r , J a k a r t a' s p r e m i e r counseling and coaching

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Indonesia expat issue 180

center, is currently recruiting experienced Expat Counselors and Psycho-Therapist. KITAS provided. Please email info@ internationalwellbeingcenter. com for more information or to submit an application.

Ja k a r t at ut or s .c om: S c ho ol Holiday is Coming very Soon..Its Time to Prepare Yourself Better for Next term by Joining our Tutoring Program and get Disc Only for School Break Session ( Dec 1 st 2016 - Jan 2 nd 2017).

Program available for Pri-High School levels.Cambridge and IB Program are available.Contact us soon to Meet the Chance Getting the Best Tutor of the Year.Interested?Please contact our administrator Ms Yasmin +62(0)811119405 Bahasa Indonesia lessons for expats living in South Jakarta, Kuningan, Country Wood, BSD, given by instructor with 20 years experience. Flexible schedule.

Plea se c a l l Pa k Cha ir uma n +62(0)8121037466 or email chairuman1942@gmail.com The International Wellbeing C e n t e r, Ja k a r t a's p r e m i e r counseling and coaching center, is currently recruiting experienced Expat Counselors and Psycho-Therapist. KITAS provided. Please email info@ internationalwellbeingcenter. com for more information or to submit an application.

A full time Bahasa Indonesia instructor has some openings for expats interested to have Bahasa Indonesia lessons. Please call +62(0)82211128346. I have tailored syllabus and lesson plan.

English Conversation Classes with Native Speaker. I am an Australian female offering private English conversation lessons for 1-on-1 or groups. I have years of teaching experience, highly qualified, with a natural, clear accent. Improve your speaking skills now! Affordable rates and flexible location. Email: imelda_ steinberger@hotmail.com NATIVE ITALIAN TEACHER in JAK ARTA. Private lessons at your home/office. More than 10 years of ex per ience w ith students of all ages. Grammar and conversation lessons. Email me at sean.silla@gmail.com or Whatsapp +62(0)81298177496 HABL A ESPA ÑOL! Spanish language teacher in Jakarta.

Private lessons at your home. More than 10 years of experience with students of all ages. Grammar and conversation lessons. Email me at sean.silla@gmail.com or phone/ Whatsapp +62(0)81298177496 Spanish Tutor: Learn Spanish at your place with a DELE-certified examiner from Spain. Most of my students come from international schools (JIS and BSJ). Please call me (Raúl) +62 (0) 821 1050 2786, Email: unascartas@yahoo.com EINSTEIN PRIVATE TUITION (The Very Best and Experienced teacher will come to your place).

Help you with your Mathematics , Sciences , Economic, Accounting

and Bahasa Indonesia. All level (primary/secondary/university) , all curriculum (IB/IGCSE).

Fee is affordable. Satisfaction g u a r a n t e e d . P l s c a l l . M r.

Fernando +62(0)85214071300 / +62(0)857 1 9205508, WA +62(0)85867041499 F u l l T i m e a n d Pa r t T i m e vacancies are now available for experienced English language instructors for corporate courses around Jakarta. Competitive rates and travel allowance are offered. Please send your CV to recruitment.kpiconsultancy@ gmail.com New in Indonesia? Find it hard to interact with local people because of the language? You can now learn Bahasa Indonesia at your convenience! Weekend or evening classes only. Bahasa Indonesia lessons for foreign beginners, low fees. Email: bahasaprivate@ gmail.com French and Bahasa Indonesia lesson at your place,For children adult & International school students. Novi +62(0)816704370 Virtual Assistant and Business Support Service: I help expatriates especially to settling and do business in Indonesia w ith hassle free.I'm doing virtual assistant and business support consultant based in Jakarta, Indonesia since i see there's a lot of expatriates who get confuse to come here, to do business in here, need any kinds of arrangement, project management, hard to find something (items, house, apartment, office, restaurant, even as simple as send documents because you are abroad) and hard to find information (legal, market research and internet research to support your business). Therefore, I would be happy to help you with ease and free up your precious time so you can focus on business, not busyness. You can contact me at bunga.feby@gmail.com My name is Lina. If you would like to learn now to play piano please feel free to call me. I don't do this for living i simply have some free time and don't mind teaching those who has a desire, so price is negotiable. Kids or adults - all welcome. My location is in Villa Cinere Mas. +62(0)81292698129 Playing Tutor - Child Minder: Chemie Tutor-K ids Div ision proudly announce our University Grad Tutors Working as a playing tutor for your toddler/preschool/ kindy/PRI School. In order to help busy mom facilitating their kids with young professional educator who has passion to work and spend time with your Kids.Hourly package is ver y competitive.

More info pls chat Ms Yasmin +62(0)811119405

Special Education Teacher in Jakarta. If your child has AD/ HD, Autism, PDD/NOS, Down Syndrome, Non Verbal Learning Disability (NVLD), or a specific Learning Disability (LD) and needs home support to cope up with school work, please feel free to contact Teacher Jun at teacher. specialeducation@gmail.com for an appointment.

PRIVATE AT HOME PERSONAL FITNESS TRAINER helps you achieve your fat loss and fitness goals faster with fun, personalised w or ko u t s i n y o u r h om e or apartment. Get full details and a no-obligation FREE TRIAL session now, v isit ==> w w w. jakartafitnesscoach.com 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)816859551 or +62(0)8170093366 For rent: Casablanca Mansion 3BR Furnished - largest/76.5m2 ; lowest price USD 1,100/month include maintenance.c.p : Vero +62(0)81285242709 (Whatsapp) Email: nica.apts@gmail.com For rent one unit large apartment, 3 bedrooms, size 190M2, 17 th floor @Nirvana Apartement in Kemang, available Jan 01, 2017 @ USD 3,000, - per month with one year in advance rental minimum.

If interested, please contact Pak Pandu +62(0)81808503813 or at the office tel. +62(0)2129971303 Loved and spacious family home for rent. Located on Jl. Denpasar 3, Kuningan, Jakarta Selatan.

Land size 400 sqm, building size 500 sqm. 4 + 1 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, living room and dining room, bright and well ventilated. Front garden and backyard. 2 car garage. Maids quarters with own kitchen. Rent: USD $3,600 per month. Pictures request / viewing appointment - please WA / call Chrissa at +62(0)8128257123.

For Rent (or Sale) by Owner: Modern Large Family House located in Bintaro Jakarta Selatan 10 Mins from Pondok Indah Toll Road. Close to Hero, malls, International Schools (Global Jaya, British IS, Japanese IS etc) Land 870 Sq. m, house 300 Sq. m.

4 bedrooms (1 ideal study/office) 3 bathrooms, dining room, western, kitchen + pantry, maids living area with own bathroom, kitchen and pantr y, liv ing room, T V room, reception & guest toilet, big garden child friendly and safe, triple garage. Quiet area.

Rental USD 2,600 per month, or purchase Rp 5.8 billion. Please WA owner Fifi in Bahasa or English on +62(0)81288129280 for details and pics (no agents please)

Brand New Furnished Apartment for Rent at Nifarro Park. Jalan Raya Pasar Minggu. 77 sqm (16th floor). 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms + 1 powder room. Living, dining, kitchen, laundry room. Rent: USD $1,100 per month (inclusive service charge). For appointment: Siti +62(0)8176481800 House for sale at K av. Polri A mpera Kemang asking pr ice IDR 4.25 Bio. Secure environment, easy access, no f lood, 2 story, 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, maid, garage, car port, 7 ACs, electricity 7,700 VA, jet pump, good condition, no leak. Direct Buyer Only. SMS/ WA: +62(0)818247247, mail: knugraha@gmail.com House for rent, Pondok Indah Jakarta, Jalan Taman Kencana Permai III no 8. Land size 370 sqm,building 300sqm, w ith 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, whirpool, living room, pantry & k itchen,Pictures request/ viewing appointment. (owner) Lina +65(0)98484450 by WA is ok. Email: linabasuki@hotmail. com looking for work Female looking for work. Job experience background: Senior Marketing Proper t y ER A in South of Jkt and Marketing Communication Supervisor in A I A Financial. Membership Toastmaster International at E x per t Club (Kemang), etc.

Educational background: S1 (Bachelor degree) Communication of Moestopo Universit y. For more information: marsanda@ gmail.com or call/tex t: +62(0)8129479801 for sale Business on offer; Alis Bar, Jalan Jaksa No. 25, Jakarta, Operating since 2001, Fully Equipped Bar with fittings, Male/Female Toilets, Office, Dance Floor, Full A/C, Sound & Lighting Systems, DJ Area, Seating 50+. Recently Renovated & Refitted, Ground floor of Building rented from the Indonesian Government. POA, (See http://www.jakarta-tourism. go.id/virtual-tour/336) ; Contact; e4peter_brown@hotmail.com or ”Alis” Cannonda le Slice Tr iathlon Bike: 54", All Carbon, Dura Ace Components, Shimano 105 Pedals, Excellent Condition, $1,250.

Message Bill at 0859.2056.7402

iMac 27”, Late 2013. Processor 3.2 GHz Intel Core i5. Memory 8 GB 1600 MHz DDR3. Graphics N V I DI A G eFor c e GT 755M 1024MB S er ia l Nu mber: C02P70NVF8J4 – Many upgrades – OS X Yosemite Version 10.10.5 LIK E N EW - 3,750,000.00 Rupiah. Call: +62(0)81311678834 or +62(0)81298730436 (Steveo Leny) I would like to sell 2 brand new retro mini cabinets that were too short for my bed for 1,5 mills

Rupiah and IKEA dining table with 4 chairs for Rp. 600,000.

Email me tarra_a@yahoo.com or text to +62(0)81287419718 for pictures. household staff available I am looking a job as a nanny during December-mid January 2017 due to my family will back home for Christmas. If you need my help you may contact me by email to bolumato@yahoo.com Pak Nandi has worked for us from June 2015 until we left in November 2016. We hired him as our nightguard, but he was more than that. He always came to work early and cleaned the front yard, especially on weekends when our gardener was off. Pak Nandi was great with our son and both of them had a lot of fun playing outside. He is always smiling and just a pleasure to have around. Pak Surono is available immediately and is looking for a full-time liveout position, preferably around Kemang. You can contact me (sophie@die-zimmermanns.de) in case of any questions.

Good and reliable driver available for hire: We are leaving Jakarta soon and would like to help our driver Pak Suleiman f ind another job. He has worked for us for close to 3 years and is a good and hard working driver, p ol it e a nd c ou r t e ou s , w it h excellent knowledge of roads and locations in Jakarta. He speaks decent English and doubled as a translator for us whenever needed.

We found him to be gentle with children and our two small kids loved him. He is available after 22 nd December. If interested, please contact Pak Suleiman directly at +62(0)81293286014, or us at +62(0)82111225241 if you need a reference. looking for household staff Urgently seeking honest, reliable and hardworking pembantu to join our family. We are looking for an all-rounder to LIVE IN whose primary responsibility is looking after our 14 month old son while we work, and also helping with cleaning and cooking. The right person needs to meet the following criteria: •A ble t o l ive -i n (we l ive at Palmerah) • Great with young children • Able to handle a high level of responsibility • Clean, tidy and organised with attention to detail • Diligent and able to show initiative • Have references we can check • English is NOT essential We will pay a good, above average salary for the right person.

Please contact Ibu Simone via Whatsapp on +62(0)8121205042 if you have any recommendations or would like to come for an interview.

: career@nusaduahotel.com and cc to: mashaning@nusaduahotel. com Urgent! Need personal assistant for v illa at Umala s,English, Computer, Administration , book keeping, customer service , Housekeeping, honest, experience, work with team. Please contact : pa for v i l la@ya ho o.c om or +62(0)82147605147 Looking for wedding coordinator : • Fluent in English • Budgeting skill • Internet outlook, excel and word skill • Extremely creative to create concept, especially wedding & event • Experience and able dealing with vendor • Experience wedding & event • Good team work and able to work long hours Contact us now at: recruitment@ yourbaliwedding.com.au property

Bali Legian/Seminyak Studio apa r t ment ( le a se 26ye a r s).

New studio apartment (45m2) with shared pool (26yr lease) for sale Bali, Legian/Seminyak area. Excellent rental potential. $80,000 - email to: cnnrhughes@ gmail.com Beautiful beauty salon 400 million only. Full training provided, trained staff, top machines, good location, customer data bases, nice job, nice customers , please contact : +62(0)81353380058 House for sale: Jl. TPA Temesi, G i a ny a r B a l i , l a nd 10 0 m 2 , Building 60m2, PAM, PLN 1,200 VA, Garage, SHM Certificate , the offering price is Rp. 450 million, for visit please contact direct to the owner : Pak Dewa +62(0)857 39399888 / +62(0)8155700315 services Learn Bahasa Indonesia with a professional teacher, please email to: kububahasa@gmail.com or call +62(0)81236313451 Private diving lesson pick up & return. The lesson will be for 2 hours Rp. 200,000. Available for Denpasar, Sanur, Kuta, Nusa Dua, please call : +62(0)85238007282

LOMBOK property

BALI jobs available Ma rke t i ng C om mu n ic at ion Executive. Young and extroverted candidate wanting to join the vibrant Nusa Dua Beach Hotel & Spa. Be part of our dynamic team. Similar experience (1 year) is desired. Immediate start, email

A nema Resor t sell v illa one bedroom bea ch f ront Gili L omb ok f r e e a l l f r a c t iona l price IDR. 476,000,000. Call: +62 (0) 87862 5 18555 . w w w. anemaresortgililombok.com

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