Indonesia Expat - issue 135

y!

Da in e' s

y

Va le nt

Go Fa ng C X & ai i pp Ha

ISSUE NO. 135

|

11 – 2 4 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 15

JA K A RTA • JAVA • BA LI • LOMBOK • K A LIM A NTA N • SUM ATR A • SUL AW E SI • W E S T PA PUA

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

Rp. 25.000

WHERE TO DINE THIS VALENTINE'S

MEET INDONESIA'S ONLY CERTIFIED MATCHMAKER, ZOLA YOANA

IS CHINESE BUSINESS A KEY PILLAR FOR INDONESIA'S ECONOMY? INDONESIA'S WAR ON DRUGS

WHY DO WE CHEAT? ORANGUTAN REPUBLIK FOUNDATION: VOICES FOR THE ORANGUTAN

The

Love Issue

issue 135 indonesia expat

1

2

indonesia expat issue 135

issue 135 indonesia expat

3

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Indonesia's Largest Expatriate Readership

Editor in Chief

Dear Readers, “Oh, if it be to choose and call thee mine, love, thou art every day my Valentine!”

Angela Richardson

– Thomas Hood

Editorial Enquiries letters@indonesiaexpat.biz

Management

of illegal substances and how the government, and President Joko Widodo, could better counteract the problem – Remko Tanis has the scoop.

For those looking for a romantic place to dine this Valentine’s Day, Annali Hayward spent countless hours staring into her husband’s eyes to bring you her top romantic restaurants of the capital and beyond.

Edo Frese edo@indonesiaexpat.biz

Sales Dian Mardianingsih Betty de Haan ads@indonesiaexpat.biz

Distribution & Admin Juni Setiyawan admin@indonesiaexpat.biz

Graphics Frederick Ng Katarina Anindita

Finance Lini Verawaty

finance@indonesiaexpat.biz Contributors Victoria Bannerman Bill Dalton Karen Davis Annali Hayward Tess Joyce Enricko Lukman Eamonn Sadler Simon J. Still Grace Susetyo Antony Sutton Kenneth Yeung

Circulation Enquiries info@indonesiaexpat.biz

Subscriptions subscriptions@indonesiaexpat.biz

Events

Like many special occasions in life, commercialism has turned Valentine’s Day ugly. We’re expected to spend money on a romantic gesture – lest we disappoint our significant other. I admit that I have sometimes fallen victim to St. Valentines’ ways, expecting my love to send me flowers and a nice card, and have actually found myself feeling upset if these requirements were not met. Is Valentine’s Day just a day that makes single people feel bad and couples feel even worse?

Men in relationships must really feel the pressure of such a day, dreading it for fear of never living up to expectations and letting the other half down and what that might mean. I do know of a few men who are quite the opposite though—absolutely adoring Valentine’s Day and everything it stands for— going above and beyond to show their special someone how much they mean to them. I often wonder how they’re able to surpass each preceding year’s bar when it’s been set so high to begin with.

Love should be celebrated every day and not just on special occasions like Valentine’s or anniversaries. And romance shouldn’t have a price tag.

So, as I weigh up the pros and cons of a day dedicated to romance, this issue we bring you a mixed bag of love. Our feature story delves into the more serious issue of Indonesia’s love

If you’re single and finding it hard to meet the right person, you’re in luck, as we interview Indonesia’s only certified matchmaker, Zola Yoana, founder of high-end dating and matchmaking service Heart Inc. If you’re in a relationship and have ever thought about breaking the rules, Tess Joyce has an insightful read on why people cheat.

As this edition also coincides with Chinese New Year, Enricko Lukman has a business piece for your reading pleasure, asking whether Chinese business is a key pillar to Indonesia’s economy.

Whether you love or loathe Valentine’s Day, this issue has something for you.

And to all who celebrate Chinese New Year, Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Angela Richardson Editor in Chief

events@indonesiaexpat.biz

Published by PT. Koleksi Klasik Indonesia Jl. Bangka Raya No. 2, 3rd floor Unit #302, Kemang Jakarta 12730 T: 021 719 5908 (sales/ editorial) 021 719 3409 (admin/ finance) F: 021 7179 3409 Office hours: 09.00–17.00 Monday–Friday INDONESIA EXPAT IS PUBLISHED BI-WEEKLY BY PT. KOLEKSI KLASIK INDONESIA. OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS PUBLICATION ARE THOSE OF THE WRITERS AND THE PUBLISHER DOES NOT ACCEPT

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Dear Angela,

Dear Inyigo,

I am happily surprised when I find Indonesian Expat Magazine available at a new place in Jakarta. Once you start to read it, you realize that the journalism behind the magazine is truly involved, as the band Pulp sings, with common people.

Thank you so much for your kind words and we are thrilled to hear you feel the content of the publication connects with you.

ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMMISIONS, OR COMPLAINTS ARISING THERE FROM. NO PARTS OF THIS PUBLICATION CAN BE REPRODUCED IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN

Indeed we do try to approach problems positively and bring readers honest stories that we feel will benefit them in some way.

I really appreciate the honesty of your news and the positive approach to common problems such as environment, security, work, art, and balancing the "drama" that the mass media spreads every day.

We hope you continue to enjoy reading our publication during your time in Indonesia, and even after that online.

Colors Inyigo Ardanaz

Many Thanks IE Editorial Team

PRINT OR ELECTRONICALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHER. ALL TRADEMARKS, LOGOS, BRANDS AND DESIGNS ARE COPYRIGHT AND FULLY RESERVED BY PT. KOLEKSI KLASIK INDONESIA.

The Cover Love is a universal language. Photo

by Angela R.

4

indonesia expat issue 135

Connect with Us Subscribe to our e-newsletter!

Scan the barcode to receive your free bi-weekly newsletter

www.indonesiaexpat.biz

@indonesia_expat

issuu.com/indonesiaexpat

/indonesia.expat

Now available on

WHEN YOU HAVE FINISHED READING THIS MAGAZINE PLEASE RECYCLE IT.

Issue 135

Contents

06

06

08

Feature Story Despite Killing Traffickers, Indonesia's Drug Use has Spiked

Expat Business

Featured Is Chinese Business a Key Pillar for Indonesia's Economy?

14

18

Fashion Animal Magic

19

Scams in the City Online Romance Extortion

20

Meet the Expat Federico Tomasi

09

Meet the Expat Thomas Tan, Finance Director and Board Member of PT Tunas Ridean Tbk

21

Expat Outreach

10

Business Profile Heart Inc: Matching Up to Love in Indonesia

22

Worthy Causes Voices for the Orangutan

23

Announcements

Relationships Why do We Cheat?

24

Light Entertainment They're Playing Our Song!

14

Food & Drink Romance to Order

25

Observations The Day We Put a Price on Love

16

Travel Tana Toraja: Love for the Departed

26

Events

17

Flowers Say it with Flowers

27

Business Directory

28

Classifieds

12

Expat Lifestyle

16

Sports Aussie Rules in Indonesia

issue 135 indonesia expat

5

FEATURE STORY

Despite Killing Traffickers, Indonesia’s Drug Use has Spiked

Remko Tanis is a journalist from the Netherlands, currently based in Singapore. He has spent the last 15 years covering news, business, and politics around the globe.

Indonesia executes drug traffickers, but it still has a narcotics problem. Transnational mafias are trying to meet the demand of a young and large population.

By Remko Tanis

I

ndonesia claims to be one of the hardest nations on drug users and traffickers.

However, according to recent statistics from the government, about 50 drug users die of their addictions in the archipelago each day. That’s roughly one every half hour, every day and every night.

to remind the public how seriously it’s taking the issue. Last month’s incident in Pondok Indah in which a 23-year-old student killed four people with a Mitsubishi Outlander, showed us that even exotic hallucinogens like LSD are circulating throughout the capital.

If what the government says is true, then drugs are rampant in Indonesia.

President Jokowi believes substance abuse is threatening to ruin the nation, having declared a state of emergency on illegal drugs in Indonesia. At the University of Gadjah Mada in Jogjakarta, he warned students to be on the lookout. “Thousands of tonnes of drugs have infiltrated our country,” said the president. “For me, this is an emergency.”

Drugs also permeate law enforcement. Just days after Indonesia executed one national and five foreigners for drug trafficking, five police officers were arrested in Jakarta for possession. One of them was even a member of a drug-busting unit. Close to 7,500 ecstasy pills and more than 700 grams of methamphetamine were found with the officers. Last month, authorities seized over 800 kilograms of methamphetamine that was being smuggled from China to Indonesia. It was a record bust, but also a reminder of the volume of illicit narcotics coming into the country, most of which still makes it onto the streets.

Local media like to remind Indonesians how present narcotics are on the streets of Jakarta, while the government wants

“President Jokowi has yet to announce investments

in prevention and treatment programs with a similar force with which he proclaimed his determination to deny clemency to any drug convict on death row.”

Indonesia currently clocks 4.7 million drug addicts, according to the National Narcotics Board (BNN). That number is expected to rise to 5.8 million by the end of this year.

Close to a quarter of these addicts are students. The rate of drug users among this group grew by a stunning 60 percent in 2013, according to BNN figures.

“This means we entered a crisis zone,” says Eko Daniyanto, head of Jakarta’s drug police. However, the problem is not limited to Indonesia’s big cities. Reports from rural areas show many people (especially those under the age of 30) falling victim to drug

addiction as well. Villages in Riau’s Kubu district see nearly all of their youth addicted to methamphetamine, ecstasy, and other narcotics, the BNN reports. Villagers claim sellers, buyers, and users of drugs have free play, as law enforcement and outreach education in the area are completely absent.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), all social classes of society in Indonesia use drugs.

“Heroin, which is commonly injected, tends to be used by an older generation while the synthetic drug methamphetamine is used by the younger generation,” says Jeremy Douglas, regional representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific at the UNODC. “Some expensive drugs like ecstasy are often above the purchasing power of the average citizen in the region and are used in upper classes.”

Overall, crystal meth is the number one drug in Indonesia. In Jakarta, the number of cases involving sabu, as it is known on the streets, increased 146 percent between 2013 and 2014, according to the police. Douglas says it’s hard to know if the narcotics problem in Indonesia is more prevalent than in other countries in Southeast Asia. However, he says, “It is fair to say large volumes of drugs are being trafficked to Indonesia by transnational organised crime groups in an effort to meet current or possible demand of a large, young population and a correspondingly large market for drugs.”

Photo by Henri Ismail (CC)

6

indonesia expat issue 135

Poor law enforcement is a big factor in the escalation of the nation’s drug crisis, the government says. Not just because police are ill-equipped and outnumbered, but because officers are directly involved in dealing narcotics themselves. Bribe-taking is an endemic. Nightclubs where drugs are openly used like Surabaya’s Stasiun and Jakarta’s now-defunct Stadium have been allowed to exist in one form or another because the owners were rumoured to pay off the police. Stadium closed last May when a police officer died there after taking drugs. The club had long been known as a hotbed of drugs and prostitution, one where the Jakarta police could also freely extort the club’s drug-using patrons. In some cases, police were said to have escorted

Attorney General Prasetyo believes the executions were needed to save the nation.

He estimates Indonesia takes up 45 percent of Southeast Asia’s drugs market. “We need to wage war and of course we can’t compromise. There is no forgiveness for narcotics criminals,” he told The Sydney Morning Herald.

Blue meth by Sally Crossthwaite (CC)

Drug trafficker warning by Jeroen Mirck (CC)

As far as Indonesia Expat is aware, Stadium has not reopened on the same premises since the shutdown. However, that’s not to say that the local drug mafia behind the operation is not running similar, albeit lower-profile rackets elsewhere in Jakarta.

BNN says every province should have at least one rehab centre to help addicts and reverse the trend of the archipelago’s growing number of drug users. The UNODC is inclined to agree. According to regional representative Douglas, the UNODC has advised Indonesia to expand prevention and treatment programs to educate the population about the dangers and risks associated with drug use.

A lack of rehabilitation clinics is another key reason the local drug situation is worsening. There are only four government clinics running or under construction in Indonesia, a nation with roughly 250 million people. The clinics currently have a combined capacity of a mere two thousand patients.

“It is very important for countries to have a balanced approach to the drug problem,” says Douglas. “They need to have an effective law enforcement and justice response and cooperate with neighbouring states to control drug production and trafficking. But they also need to have an equally effective health and education

intoxicated clubbers to ATM machines if they wanted to avoid prison time.

response to limit drug use. A balanced approach will help minimise the negative impact of drugs.”

Because government rehabilitation centres fall directly under the authority of President Jokowi, it would seem expanding them could be swiftly achieved. Yet so far, Jokowi chooses to position himself as a hardliner instead. He has yet to announce investments in prevention and treatment programs with a similar force with which he proclaimed his determination to deny clemency to any drug convict on death row. Last month saw the execution of six of them. Another 58 inmates are on death row, twenty of whom are scheduled to die this year. Most of them are drug convicts.

Dhira Narayana, head of Lingkar Ganja Nusantara (LGN), an organisation seeking to legalise marijuana in Indonesia, doesn’t believe in a hard-headed approach to the problem. Currently, the country puts cannabis in the same legal category as heroin, cocaine, and other hard drugs.

“The drug problem in Indonesia is getting bigger because all drugs are illegal,” says Narayana. “According to the data, 80 percent of people in jail are there because of drug-related offenses. About 70 percent of that group was sentenced because of marijuana use, not even for dealing.

And most of them are students.”

According to Narayana, legalising marijuana would free up law enforcement to focus on harder narcotics such as methamphetamine. “We are a big country.

It is impossible for law enforcement to stop each and every of the 250 million Indonesians from taking drugs,” says Narayana. “The better choice is to regulate and control the market [for marijuana].”

issue 135 indonesia expat

7

EXPAT BUSINESS

FEATURED Enricko Lukman is a Chinese-Indonesian journalist and former chief editor of Tech in Asia Indonesia. He covers a wide range of issues related to business, startups, education, and investments in Southeast Asia.

Is Chinese Business a Key Pillar for Indonesia’s Economy?

By Enricko Lukman

APEC CEO Summit 2014

by Gobierno de Chile (CC)

believes distrust hampers business between Indonesia and China. “We have such a historical burden to carry in our relationship. [...] To be frank, it’s because they don’t trust us yet,” Wanandi said in a discussion on Indonesia-China relations last month.

Although China planned to invest $18.4 billion in Indonesia in the last five years, its investment hasn’t been as significant as its trading activities with the archipelago.

“Ours has become one of the most dynamic and inf luential bilateral relationships in the Asia-Pacific region,” said Chinese president Xi Jinping to The Jakarta Globe in November. Indeed, both economies have enjoyed growing trade and investments with one another in the past decade, and it’s likely the bond will grow stronger in the coming years.

Indonesia is projected to be the world’s seventh biggest economy by 2030, according to global management consulting firm McKinsey & Co. By this time, China will have become the largest. It’s true, both nations are riding a mutually beneficial business relationship which has been running for around 64 years.

As Chinese New Year is upon us, Indonesia Expat takes the chance to highlight three key to know about between China and Indonesia.

There is a growing trade imbalance in favour of China Over the past decade, China has grown to become Indonesia’s biggest trading partner in Asia, surpassing Japan, Singapore, and South Korea. In that same timeframe, China has managed to turn the tables on its trade deficit. In 2003, China imported a total of US$3.8 billion worth of goods from Indonesia. On the other hand, Indonesia imported just US$2.96 billion from China.

The same year, China recorded a trade deficit of US$0.84 billion. Fast forward to 2013, Indonesia exported US$22.60 billion worth of goods to China, but imported a whopping US$29.85 million. This means that China enjoyed US$7.25 billion trade profit that year. Although the 2014 numbers aren’t in yet, there’s an increasing worry that the trade imbalance will increase further.

8

indonesia expat issue 135

This is also reflected in the nature of Chinese investments in Indonesia, which have increasingly focused on the archipelago’s energy sector, according to McKinsey. Growth in this sector also requires Indonesia to import more machinery and equipment from China.

This is one of the areas where the imbalance keeps getting bigger, as the number of employees in Indonesia’s energy space are outmatched by the number of jobs generated in China’s manufacturing sector.

In the past five years, China’s investments in Indonesia have not been deemed as significant as its trading activities.

Although China had planned to invest US$18.4 billion in Indonesia in the last five years, only US$1.6 billion (or about 8 percent) of it has actually materialised, creating a mere 40,700 jobs in the nation.

China stands in 13th position when it comes to the total direct investment made in Indonesia in the last half-decade. In contrast, Singapore, which stands in first position, has invested around US$26 billion into Indonesia since 2010.

Jusuf Wanandi, vice chair of the board of trustees at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Foundation,

Indonesia wants China to invest more in local infrastructure Under the new leadership of President Jokowi, Indonesia is looking to increase its annual economic growth to 7 percent.

To achieve that, the nation requires about US$740 billion worth of investments by 2020 for infrastructure projects. Jokowi isn’t shy about his message.

“We are waiting for you to invest in Indonesia,” said Jokowi in front of country leaders at the APEC CEO Summit 2014 in Beijing late last year. The day before, he held a meeting with the Chinese president, inviting China to take “more concrete” forms of action regarding strategic partnerships with Indonesia.

China—the country with the largest foreign-exchange reserves in the world, with as much as US$2.4 trillion—does have access to the funds that Indonesia needs. On January 27, the two nations pledged further cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, and infrastructure.

As per the agreement, China will help Indonesia build factories and production lines in various sectors. This, in turn, can also help promote Indonesia’s manufacturing space to the world.

Jusuf Winandi (courtesy of APEC 2013)

Indosat M2 on Huawei by Ikhlasul Amal (CC)

China’s tech giants are hovering over Jakarta Indonesia is a very promising tech market.

The country is projected to have more than 100 million smartphone users by 2018, a huge increase from its 38.3 million users today. There are about 72.7 million active internet users in the nation, and that still only accounts for less than 30 percent internet penetration.

Not wanting to let this opportunity slip, a number of Chinese tech companies have expanded their reach to Indonesia. In February 2013, China’s tech and media investment behemoth Tencent announced a joint venture with one of Indonesia’s largest media conglomerates, MNC, to push messaging app WeChat’s domestic growth. Shortly after, Chinese web browser Baidu came to Indonesia with a suite of mobile and web apps. Alibaba’s payment gateway Alipay, international marketplace AliExpress, and mobile browser UC Web have also made strong and decisive moves into Indonesia.

Huawei, Oppo, and Xiaomi are just a few Chinese hardware players hoping to capitalise on Indonesia’s growing and affluent middle-class tech consumers.

Huawei is playing a big part in Indonesia’s telecoms infrastructure sector, where it is now employing thousands of local workers.

Oppo claims to have employed more than 3,000 Indonesians and is planning to set up a smartphone factory in Tangerang city this year. Fellow Chinese comrades like consumer electronics firm Haier and telecommunications equipment company ZTE reportedly are also planning to open smartphone factories in Indonesia.

China will continue to be a very important partner for Indonesia’s economic development in the decades to come.

The larger nation seems to have the upper hand when it comes to partnerships, and Indonesia’s focus should lie in balancing the trade deficit.

EXPAT BUSINESS

MEET THE EXPAT

Annali Hayward is an English freelance writer based in Asia. You can get in touch at annali.s.hayward@gmail.com

Meet THOMAS TAN Thomas Tan is Finance Director and Board member of PT Tunas Ridean Tbk, the largest independent automotive dealer group in Indonesia, and a part of the Jardine Matheson group, a Hong Kong-headquartered diversified conglomerate.

Thomas takes the time to talk to us about his role, and his time in Indonesia.

By Annali Hayward

Thomas, thank you for your time.

Shall we start with your background and experience so far?

My family is Taiwanese on my mum’s side, and Malaysian on my dad’s. I was born in Malaysia, but my family moved to Australia when I was six. I did undergraduate degrees in Commerce and Law in Sydney, and my MBA at INSEAD. I am an Australian CPA, and prior to joining Jardines I spent ten years with ANZ Bank and Barclays Capital in Melbourne, London and New York. I joined Jardine Matheson in 2009 to pursue a career in industry back in the Asia-Pacific region.

Tunas sales promotion with Toyota—don't be a dinosaur, be quick so you don't miss it!

How did you come to be in Indonesia — what attracted you, and what has kept you here since then?

I was working in Jardine Aviation Services in Hong Kong when asked to consider a posting to Tunas in mid-2011. I met the founding family and was attracted to the dynamism of the company and Indonesia.

At the time, people warned me to lower my expectations about everything here. My experience of life and work in Indonesia surpassed that bar, and I discovered I actually enjoyed the adventure and surprises it brings.

What do you see as the key challenges facing the automotive industry in Indonesia today?

Short-term, overcapacity in car production in Indonesia and rising supply in the face of static demand has hurt car dealer margins. Longer term, more infrastructure to accommodate the growing automotive population will be key to sustained growth.

Increasing productivity faster than costs is also a challenge for maintaining profitability.

What does the Tunas Group do in a nutshell?

Tunas comprises three main businesses: automotive retail sales and after-sales for Toyota, Daihatsu, BMW, Isuzu and Peugeot cars, as well as Honda motorcycles; rental cars, for corporate clients; and the auto finance business MTF, which Tunas sold 51% of to Bank Mandiri in 2009, but which is still an important auto loan provider and close partner for us.

You’re in the automotive industry. What is your take on the recent developments with regards to fuel prices in Indonesia (and oil prices worldwide)? How does Tunas expect this to impact business?

It is fortuitous that oil prices have fallen so far for fuel subsidies to be cut without hurting consumers. Speaking in the interest of Indonesia, I think Jokowi should actually go further: keep the petrol price higher and scrap the diesel subsidy completely. A tax on petrol should be the ultimate aim, which could be adjusted downwards if needed as

What growth plans does Tunas Group have for Indonesia?

We see good growth opportunities for cars in the new suburbs of Greater Jakarta, outside Java for motorbikes, and in second tier cities for corporate rental. We will continue to add new branches where the investment case is good, which is now difficult to see in Jakarta due to high costs.

a cushion to future rises in the market price of oil. As for auto dealers like Tunas, I don’t think moderate rises in fuel prices will impact overall demand, as long as public transport remains a bad or non-existent alternative. Cars are also an aspirational goal for most Indonesian families. People will still buy despite increases in the cost of ownership, although higher fuel prices may shift consumer preferences towards more economical cars.

Indonesians are people first. Smile and enjoy their warm company. Don’t impose your notions of quality and performance. Whatever issue arises, it can be worked out amicably.

What do you think the automotive industry here will look like in ten years?

There are strong growth fundamentals.

As Indonesia prospers, car penetration will keep rising. More sales will come from outside Jakarta, which today still acccounts for almost 40% of national car sales. I believe Japanese brands will continue to dominate the market for both cars and motorbikes. Local production will rise, and should be competitive in the export market and future AEC. The Tunas Group is an Indonesian company with strong ties to Hong Kong via Jardine Matheson. What is it like working with both cultures?

Jardines provide strategic oversight and advice on best practices and governance, but otherwise Tunas operates autonomously.

Day-to-day, I am part of the Tunas fabric and I adapt to its culture and environment in order to be effective. Tunas has a good relationship with the Jardine group, which helps me ensure that differences of view are quickly understood and reconciled.

What were your first perceptions of the key differences between working here and working in a highly-developed Asian country such as Hong Kong, and have those changed for you over time?

I found that people in Hong Kong were more efficient and required less followup and training than in Indonesia. That has generally stayed true, and I adapt accordingly. On the plus side, I find Indonesians nice to work with, respectful and naturally positive. In Hong Kong, people seemed unhappy about the things they didn’t have. In Indonesia, people are happy with the things they do have.

What have been the key challenges of living and working in Indonesia as an expat for you?

Once I overcame the language barrier, the key challenge became to constantly check my expectations and be calm and respectful, no matter the circumstance.

What advice would you have for expats coming to work here from other Asian countries?

Indonesians are people first. Smile and enjoy their warm company. Don’t impose your notions of quality and performance.

Whatever issue arises, it can be worked out amicably. Read Indonesia Etc. by Elizabeth Pisani — a great book that encapsulates the trials but also charms of Indonesia.

What’s the best part of your day at work?

When I first arrive in the office, we greet each other with our company salute: the Salam I-Care. It’s a little corny for expats, but I love the spirit of these gestures and the gusto with which we sing the company anthem and solemnly recite our vision/ mission.

Outside of work, what do you do for fun to get the most out of your Indonesian experience?

It’s important to have a good social network, and I enjoy the company of both expat and local friends. In Jakarta, I like exploring new places and spending time with my girlfriend, doing Bikram yoga, and trying my hand at indoor gardening and cooking new dishes inspired by local ingredients. For weekends away, I can’t get enough of climbing Indonesia’s majestic volcanoes and exploring the myriad islands.

Thank you, Thomas. To get in touch, please e-mail: thomas.tan@tunasgroup.com

issue 135 indonesia expat

9

EXPAT BUSINESS

BUSINESS PROFILE

HEART INC.

Matching Up to Love in Indonesia Heart Inc is a leading matchmaking company in Indonesia and was founded by Zola Yoana, Indonesia’s only certified matchmaker. Established in 2013, Heart Inc provides exclusive, high-end matchmaking for Jakarta’s busy professionals looking for serious and committed relationships.

By Angela Richardson

What was the reason for starting Heart Inc? What’s your background?

My background actually isn’t in matchmaking, it’s in International Relations. I took a course for Matchmaking at the Matchmaking Institute in New York and I learned a lot about how to set up a business, integrating what the love industry is, with role-playing, etc., and after I returned to Jakarta, I founded my company.

What’s the main reason for getting into the love industry?

Passion: I love to make other people happy.

My happiness is when I see people find their happiness. Before, I used to enjoy matching people, like my friends, and they used to come to me for advice. I love when people find each other naturally, but I’m here for the people who don’t have a chance to find love.

How did you realize that this passion could be turned into a viable business?

It’s a unique business, which I refer to as ‘the happiness business’. It’s very common in the United States of America, but not yet in Indonesia. I’m the first and only certified matchmaker in Indonesia, which is why I felt it was necessary to start this business here. I don’t mind if a competitor one comes along, but I’m proud of being the pioneer in Indonesia.

Could you walk us through how matchmaking at Heart Inc. works?

We offer several services: matchmaking, dating coaching, overseas dating, image consultancy and events. For matchmaking, the process works by first registering with us, after which I will meet with each person for a one-on-one, so that I can get to know them individually. I need to know their desires, backgrounds, and previous love lives before I can sign them up as a client.

If I like the person and they really need my help, then I will take them on.

A successful applicant will need to pay the administration fee and we’ll arrange to meet up for a second time. For this second meeting, they need to fill out a client form, which is a very detailed questionnaire about themselves and their potential match. Then we’ll set up the dating, according to their schedules.

Before the date takes place, the client will be able to see the profile of their date first, which explains personality, work and background, so when they meet, they can just focus on seeing if there is chemistry between them.

How do you know which person to match with whom?

This is why I need to meet each client one by one, so that I can understand

their personality in order to make a good match. It’s more personal; I’m your love consultant. I use my intuition, then I match them by hobbies, interests and compatibility for long-term relationships.

I also do background checks to ensure all information given to me is truthful.

How much are your fees?

A six-month membership gets you five dates, including coaching on the dos and don’ts when dating, at US$1,800. Then we have a one-year membership at US$3,000, which gives you unlimited dates within a year and you’re entitled to relationship coaching, a makeover and access to our events, which include speed dating and singles mixers.

What is your mission for Heart Inc? I want to see people happy. I don’t just want to match my clients, but also give them knowledge about love, educating them on what relationships and love really is. Getting married is easy, but what happens next? I want my clients to understand what it takes to make it last.

What does it take to be one of your clients?

I’m looking for independent, strong and financially stable men and women, mostly in their 30s or above, who are ready for love. I don’t accept desperate people. People don’t want to meet desperate people. I tell my clients they need to have the four Bs: balance, body, beauty, and brains.

Do you think it’s difficult for single people to meet potential partners in Jakarta?

It’s quite tough because Jakarta is full of traffic – there’s a saying that goes ‘you get old on the road’. People also tend to have friendship circles within their industries, so when they hang out, they’re not meeting potential matches.

Do you have expatriate clients?

Yes, I have clients from the United States and Scotland.

Do your clients often look for an expatriate match?

Yes, they do. Indonesian relationships can be complicated because of the families and high expectations from them. Most of my

BUSINESS SNIPPET

Sorry, no more beer in your local minimart Patrons in Indonesia looking to buy a cold beer from one of the country's minimarts will have to look elsewhere.

Since the end of January, shops are no longer allowed to sell alcoholic beverages.

Trade Minister Rahmat Gobel was reported to have signed a regulation that will ban minimarts from selling

10

indonesia expat issue 135

such drinks, including beer and pre-mixed drinks with less than five percent alcohol.

The regulation, which was reportedly signed by the minister on 16 January, does not affect supermarkets and hypermarkets, which will still be able to sell alcohol, the report said.

Deputy Chairman of the Indonesian Retail Business Association, Tutum Rahanta, said he was disappointed with the regulation as it could potentially harm certain sectors of the economy, such as tourism. "Retail businessmen rely on the sale of alcoholic beverages to accommodate foreign tourists' needs," Indonesian website Tribunnews. com quoted him as saying. He said local governments should be given the power to regulate the sale of liquor in their areas.

“I’m looking for independent, strong and financially stable men and women, mostly in their 30s or above, who are ready for love. I don’t accept desperate people.” women clients are looking for expatriate men because they think they’re more openminded and not complicated with regards to culture and age.

the right woman. It can be challenging when I meet clients with very high expectations or clients who aren’t ready to be open and honest with me.

What are your male clients looking for?

Generally they’re looking for smart women who dress well and aren’t complicated. They just want someone who they click with and shares chemistry that they can be with for the rest of their lives.

Could you share a success story with us?

One of my clients is from Singapore and their potential match was Indian but from Indonesia. On their first date, they didn’t feel any chemistry, but they were still keen to try a second date. On the second date, they felt something click and they got married last July!

How long does it take for us to feel attracted to another person?

Women only need 95 seconds to know if they like a man or not. Men need only 90 seconds because they fall in love with their eyes. Women fall in love through their ears; they don’t care as much about looks, as long as the man is nice and sweet.

How’s business going?

Very good and it’s getting better. I have just under 500 members, who are high quality singles and are candidates and potential matches to my clients. We will continue to grow by opening in Surabaya and potentially abroad. In the future, I will be more active as a love coach, and conduct group sessions as well as one-on-ones.

What challenges do you face?

I have a client who is Indonesian but doesn’t want to date Indonesian women, only Brazilian, Russian or Eastern Europeans. I have to collaborate with matchmakers abroad to try and find him

Do you also cater for gay and lesbian couples?

Not yet, but I’m open to that in the future.

What do you see as being the key points of a successful relationship?

Trust, respect, and the ability to support each other. Relationships can bring out the best and the worst of you, but the right person will bring out the best and encourage you to be a better person.

Any advice for singles out there?

Learn to love and appreciate yourself first before you meet someone else – people will be attracted to the fact that you appreciate yourself. Also, be open-minded, as you never know who your true love will be.

And finally, get your flirt on!

To get in touch, e-mail: zola.yoana@heart-inc.co or visit www.heart-in.co

issue 135 indonesia expat

11

EXPAT LIFESTYLE RELATIONSHIPS

WHY DO WE CHEAT?

By Tess Joyce

Cheating is not a laughing matter in Indonesia and people can lose their marriage, reputation, family and dignity over a fling. In the province of Aceh, adultery is punishable with up to 100 lashes of the cane – the previous law included stoning by death, which was eventually overturned because of human rights protests. Divorce rates and incidences of infidelity in Indonesia are increasing – in 2014 there were 333,000 divorces and in 2013 three out of ten marriages ended in divorce.

B

ut why do we cheat? When I first arrived in Indonesia, my young female friend, who was married at the age of 17 and had a child, revealed to me that she had already engaged in various affairs by her early twenties. She had not married for love, but at the advice of her family. Her story reminded me of Khalil Gibran’s classic The Cry of the Graves, about the problems of arranged marriages of young girls to older men in Lebanon. The story’s condemned protagonist became an adulteress in her pursuit of love after abandoning her arranged marriage.

But what if we do marry for love and we discover that our partner has been unfaithful? Or what should we do if the love vibrations begin to dwindle and temptation starts to lurk in the void?

I interviewed Indra Noveldy, author of Menikah Untuk Bahagia (Marrying for Happiness), who offers marriage counselling in Jakarta. He aims to find solutions by helping his clients to work hard for their happiness and address their repressed feelings and feels that this problem in Indonesia often relates to psychological issues stemming from problematic parenting styles. With his wife Nunik Hermawati, he runs Sekolah Pernikahan, an online marriage school aiming to help the lives of one million people across Indonesia.

“Does anyone have a goal to cheat when they are getting married? Certainly not! But why the affair? Simply put: because there are needs that are not being met. Poor communication is an ideal recipe for the affair and wanting to solve everything too fast only exacerbates the situation: “Because I can’t get it at home, I’ll look for it outside,” said Indra.

“Many problems occur in married life because of the lack of science (knowledge) about married life. It often happens that after being married for many years, it turns out that they do not know each other. Sometimes they even do not know themselves. Ego is another big problem—emotionally immature, not having a clear goal in building a married life, heavy/bitter past—are just some of the problems. Amongst these problems, the most influential factor is communication and the willingness to hear,” continued Indra, who experienced many problems during his first seven years of marriage with Nunik, where they almost divorced on several occasions.

Realising that there were many people facing similar marital problems in Indonesia, they decided to share their experiences in their book. “The divorce rate in Indonesia is quite high and from our own experience and observation, we realized that existing knowledge about marriage is low. Many will 12

indonesia expat issue 135

Indra Noveldy, author of Menikah Untuk Bahagia and his wife Nunik Hermawati

Kahlil Gibran

refer to financial readiness, job, house and other issues when talking about marriage. In fact, mindset is very important. This advice is always provided when I give counselling. However, we realize our limitations - what about those who cannot afford the fee for counselling? What about those who live far away from Jakarta?” explained Indra. For these reasons he established an online marriage school for anyone to join and share their experiences and knowledge with other members.

Why is infidelity and restlessness a problem in Indonesia? You may have heard of the brothels which masquerade as karaoke bars, or the famous Dolly Street in Surabaya. Is the topic of sex brushed under the carpet and, therefore, do people try and find other outlets to fulfil their suppressed desires? How can couples reconcile and learn to become more content and appreciative of their partner?

A writer and social activist from East Java offered the following commentary on the subject: “To talk about infidelity means to discuss the position of the marriage institution in a culture; how does society value this institution? Is it something sacred or dogmatic, or profane and transactional? This will also depend on the society in which it is installed – is it conservative or liberal? The villages in Indonesia form networks of a ‘big family’ where everyone carries responsibility for each other; this means that an affair becomes a family affair. Honour and accomplishment are collective possessions and need to be held high. The cities are made of complex social layers, in which individuals hold

“When I first arrived in Indonesia, my young female friend, who was married at the age of 17 and had a child, revealed to me that she had already engaged in various affairs by her early twenties. She had not married for love, but at the advice of her family.”

contrasting values, and there are fewer family bonds. This forces the city people to become more individualistic and their interaction pattern is more transactional – the social cement does not exist or is not optimally functioning. This does not necessarily mean that city marriages are sterile of romanticism and commitment.

“In the city, when the couple love each other and their guardians permit it, marriage can follow. While in the village, many aspects need to be included, like the kyai (Islamic priest), priest, elders and family network. This causes the village marriage institution to have more supervisors, which narrows down the possibility of an affair in the future. In short, I think that infidelity is something that might happen to anyone. But if communication is always going well, if both sides openly and honestly explain what they want or do not want from their partner, I think the chances of an affair are slim.”

Yet it takes time. Indra believes that patience is the key in developing more trust, intimacy and commitment: “If we are indeed worthy to be trusted, we do not need to demand to be trusted. We need to continue to deliberately grow the vibrating love between husband and wife. Marriage to a partner is just a possibility, yet loving the person we marry is a decision.”

Visit www.sekolahpernikahan.com for more information.

Tess Joyce is a writer from the UK but currently lives with her husband in Indonesia.

Her writings have appeared online for OFI .

issue 135 indonesia expat

13

EXPAT LIFESTYLE

FOOD & DRINK

ROMANCE T O

O R D E R

Annali Hayward endured hours staring into her husband’s eyes to bring you our definitive list of Indonesia’s most romantic restaurants. Pick one of these and you’re golden for another year.

By Annali Hayward

Emilie's pigeon breast with smoked pigeon consomme

Emilie Restaurant

www.emilierestaurant.com Jl. Senopati 39, Kebayoran Baru Jakarta 12910 T: +62 (0)21 5213626 Château Blanc

Warning, big statement: Mr. Yen at Emilie may just achieve the highest standard of cuisine in Jakarta today. If any Michelin inspectors accidentally found themselves this far south of Singapore, they’d make a beeline for this place and immediately grant what he deserves.

Simply put, he knows what he’s doing and executes it flawlessly.

Not for him, the inexplicable stacks of mismatched ingredients with artistic dribbles of sauce-on-a-slate in the name of modernity – a malaise now tainting even these shores. Instead, Emilie serves considered, well-balanced, original dishes.

It’s French, but this is not ‘French classic with a twist’—a shudder-inducing menu descriptor if ever I saw one—it’s better than that.

We started with Hokkaido scallops which were—hallelujah!—perfect to the millisecond, with crayfish and local baby beetroots on a sea-urchin royale. A delight on both plate and palate. The classic Provençale snails in garlic butter were tastily tender, not at all the little bullets you get at the hands of lesser mortals. These, along with the orange-infused crème brûlée for dessert, proved the kitchen’s ability to stay true-to-form with French classics.

Do me a favour, order something different for your main here; don’t plump for the de rigeur steak—though undoubtedly divine— when there is pigeon, duck and lamb on offer. The herb-crusted lamb saddle was one of the most well-conceived dishes I’ve tasted recently. Every element, from the Romanesque cauliflower (a real find here) to the fondant potato, layered beautifully over the garlicky-mint flavours. The pigeon was superb in its consommé of smoked pigeon stock, fennel and a hint of cumin.

Just the right side of unusual for the Jakarta dining scene and I urge you to try it – it even came with a delicious surprise: a whole confit pigeon leg.

When customs are cooperating there is excellent cheese to savour. Besides the crème brûlée we sampled a perfect, authentic tarte au citron, alongside a selection from the luxury teas and coffees on offer.

14

indonesia expat issue 135

The extensive wine list is by region (even the Champagne), and is quite rightly geared to the Old World. By the glass the quality is better than most and the price reasonable.

Although Emilie is just one standalone restaurant, service here is of a standard to comfortably compete with the top hotels and bigger restaurant groups of Jakarta.

The Jaya Ibrahim décor creates an intimate, sophisticated atmosphere perfect for your tête-à-tête.

ROMANCE-O-METER

GO FOR: The Fantastic Food

Château Blanc

www.chateaublanc.co.id Jl. Senopati Raya No. 38 Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta 12930 T: +62 (0)21 722 9738

The fine-dining jewel in the Mount Scopus Group’s crown, Château Blanc approaches French cuisine differently. Here, the opulent Louis-XV décor does a lot of the talking: gold, silver, brocade, candles, flowers and marble abound. The designers spared no expense, and with Georges Brassens and Edith Piaf crooning in the background, this unmistakeably Gallic ambience is tailor-made for l’amour.

Chef Ivan Tarrago is actually from Barcelona, and I think he’d agree there’s a Mediterranean influence in his menu, which utilises both classic and modern French techniques. I also detected the faintest nod to Asian ingredients and tastes.

Take, for example, one of our main courses, Atlantic scallops: these were speared with Flores vanilla pods, which pleasingly did not overpower the saffron risotto cake and green-pea velouté.

First was a superb asparagus gazpacho, with gorgonzola sorbet stirred in – very refreshing. Next, perfectly al dente ravioli stuffed with a surprisingly sweet corn filling, complemented by black-truffle butter and parmesan foam. These two dishes display that Mediterranean flair

– gazpacho and ravioli being originally Italian. But it works in the ambience and was consummately executed.

Along with the scallops, we enjoyed roasted Australian lamb ‘rack’ (really more of a cutlet), with lovely baby girolles and broad beans, Merguez sausage and a curry-leaf infused jus. Again, these latter ingredients were suggestions of the exotic rather than overwhelming flavours—though the Merguez was spicy—and it worked for me.

of Italy, with its miles of Mediterranean coastline. Not surprising then that seafood features so heavily in this Northern-Italian menu – and Orlando is a stickler for crustacean quality. Like all chefs in Jakarta he imports a lot (look out for the Fine de Clair oysters on the Valentine’s Day menu), but he also gets his sea urchin and octopus from Lombok.

Dessert exhibited Tarrago’s creativity and modernity: tea and milk-chocolate ‘smooth cream’, grapefruit jellies, caramelized hazelnuts and hazelnut dust.

The techniques and skill on display here are impressive, and the dish appealed on texture as much as taste.

The wine list is mid-to top-end, and naturally heavily French, particularly reds.

With such a beautiful VIP room available, it’s not surprising General Manager Andrea Giannini relates with excitement of opening a few bottles of Pétrus in his time here.

Service was great too. Overall a special choice for Valentine’s Day. ROMANCE-O-METER

GO FOR: The French fine-dining ambience

Gaia by Oso Ristorante www.gaia-indonesia.com ALTITUDE, The Plaza, 46th floor Jl. M.H. Thamrin Kav. 28–30, Jakarta 10350 T: +62 (0)21 2992 2448

We sampled the Valentines’ Day menu.

The starter’s winner was the home-smoked, beetroot-marinated salmon. This was accompanied by a scallop in the shell with caviar and dill, plus asparagus and truffle hollandaise – a real aphrodisiac appetiser! Next we were pleased to see angel-hair pasta in a good lobster bisque sauce, with a raw amaebi prawn and—a nice touch—caramelised chilli. For the main, a generously-sized beef tenderloin was topped with a seared piece of succulent foie gras, adorned with figs and green beans on a bed of polenta and a port-andtruffle gravy. A decadent main course fit for the occasion – hence the light zabaglione for dessert was a good contrast.

At Rp.1,000,000++ per person, this is also one of the better value-for-money options for the 14th.

In need of a show-stopper to impress on Valentine’s Day? This could be the spot.

Altitude, the 46th-floor development opened in April 2013, has three restaurants. The Italian offering, Gaia, has 120 covers but despite its size can still feel intimate – especially if you snag a corner table by the floor-to-ceiling windows and drink in the sparkling lights of the Big Durian, laid out in 180-degree splendour beneath you.

For Jakarta standards the food was well executed and the service not bad; one can only imagine the challenges of managing a large kitchen for so many covers here.

But Chef Orlando’s enthusiasm for his work was infectious – he’s the perfect host for a romantic night.

It’s not all about the view though. Chef Nazario Orlando is from Puglia, the ‘heel’

GO FOR: The stunning view

ROMANCE-O-METER

Lontong Sumpil Blitar Lara Djonggrang

Lara Djonggrang www.tuguhotels.com/restaurants/ jakarta/laradjonggrang Jl. Teuku Cik Di Tiro 4, Menteng Jakarta 10350 T: +62 (0)21 315 3252

Asian cuisine is not often first for romance.

Between fish sauce and stinky tofu, parts of this culinary canon encourage distance rather than canoodling. But there is something sensual about teasingly proffering your loved one a stick of sate, sweet with spicy sauce – especially in the surroundings of Lara Djonggrang.

The very name of this place breathes passion into the evening’s proceedings. The greatest romances are often the tragedies, and this story of the heartbroken princess and lovecrazed prince opens the menu.

The restaurant’s ‘imperial’ Javanese cuisine aims to recall the legendary Majapahit era. They certainly succeed in ambience, with many nooks and crannies in the interconnecting, regal rooms in which to hide and behave badly.

The food, though not quite all Javanese, is imaginatively presented and on the whole well-flavoured. We chose Sop Buntut: fragrant and nourishing. Sate Ayam came on a wooden boat with sambal-filled shells, and was skilfully spiced. Beef rendang was unctuous and rich as expected, though perhaps a little oily. A pleasing contrast was the Karedok Sunda; very sweet, but refreshing. We tried Serabi Pandan Wangi Sore for dessert—coconut-pandan pancakes in a sweet soup—which was light and aromatic.

If you’re full of foie gras and past pasta, this is a great alternative for V-Day, when they will serve a special menu including wines for Rp.750,000++ per couple.

ROMANCE-O-METER

GO FOR: The dark corners

PICKS OUTSIDE JAKARTA: MEDAN • Say it with steak: Prime Steak House, J.W. Mariott Medan, +62 (0)61 41006600 • Fusion for two: The Edge, Swiss-Belhotel Medan, Jl. S. Parman Medan, +62 (0)61 4576999 SURABAYA • Home of hip: Domicile Kitchen & Lounge, Jl. Sumatera 35, Surabaya 60281, +62 (0)31 5016900 • French-y feast: Citrus Lee, Jl. Kutai no. 12, Surabaya 60241, +62 (0)31 5615192 YOGYAKARTA • Indo intrigue: Gadjah Wong, Jl. Gejayan Soropadan 79-D, Sleman, Yogyakarta 55281, +62 (0)274542815 BALI If you can’t find a romantic restaurant in Bali, there’s something wrong with you! But if you really need our help, top picks are: • Fine-diner flair: Mozaic, Jl. Raya Sanggingan, Ubud, Kecamatan Gianyar, Bali 80571, +62361975768 • Coastal cosy: Kisik Bar & Grill, Ayana Resort & Spa, Jl. Karang Mas Sejahtera, Jimbaran, Bali 80364, +62361702222 issue 135 indonesia expat

15

EXPAT LIFESTYLE

TRAVEL Grace is a freelance writer, former TV journalist, and aspiring documentarist with a passion for Indonesian history and culture. Now in her 6th year in Jakarta, Grace has lived in various countries and looks forward to exploring more places. Contact her at g.c.susetyo@gmail.com

TANA TOR A JA

LOV E F O R T H E D EPA R T ED Grace always knew that honouring the dead is central to Toraja culture. But on her second visit to Tana Toraja during the festive season, she learned surprising perspectives on what this really means.

By Grace Susetyo

keletons in rock caves decorated with tau-tau ancestral figurines; tongkonan traditional houses and corresponding rice barns, decorated with horns of bulls slaughtered in burial feasts; baby graves in tree trunks: it seems that the Toraja people live in constant reminder of how finite life on earth is, and spend this life preparing for the next.

Kete Kesu, a traditional Toraja village

Visiting with family and friends during Christmas time, we started our day at the buffalo market Pasar Bolu, which trades every six days. The slaughter of buffaloes is an essential part of the Toraja burial ceremony, as they are traditionally believed to be the vehicle, which escorts the departed into eternity.

Ordinary black buffaloes cost 20–70 million rupiah. The most expensive breed is tedong saleko, the black-and-white mottled buffalo with yellow horns, blue eyes, and white legs, priced between 200 million to well over a billion rupiah.

Since evangelisation in 1913, most Torajans today are Christians, but these burial traditions stem from their ancestral religion Aluk Todolo. Though polytheistic, Aluk Todolo also recognises a Supreme Creator called Puang Matua, and most Torajans do not appreciate the label “animism” on Aluk Todolo.

Ancestral worship—central to the religion—draws on Chinese influences. Along with the Batak of North Sumatra and Dayak of Kalimantan, Toraja are descendants of the same branch of the ancient Chinese migrants from Yunnan.

BORNEO

Tana Toraja A wealthy family with high social status may slaughter up to 28 buffaloes in a ceremony. That said, success among the Toraja community has also made these ceremonies competitive - it is not uncommon to find those that sacrifice more than 100 buffaloes. This does not include the pigs, which may cost between 3 to 7 million rupiah each. On top of that, the family has to pay for the elaborate tongkonan-shaped coffins, construction of the ceremonial grounds, and food for those who help out with or attend the funeral.

Tana Toraja ◊ Fast Facts

Country Indonesia Province Sulawesi Selatan (South Sulawesi)

“Why go through all this trouble and financial tension for a dead person?” one may ask. According to local guide Nathan Salenna, “It is our expression of delivering the absolute best in paying the final respects to our parents, those who gave us life. As they settle in the afterlife, may they receive these offerings and arrive there happy.”

Land Area The Toraja Regencies — 3,205,77 km2 Sulawesi Selatan — 46,717.48 km2 Highest Elevation Sesean — 2,100 metres amsl

Christmas happens to be the time of the year when most diaspora Toraja return to the homeland to perform rituals.

It is common for a funeral to celebrate someone who has passed away months or even years ago. In Tana Toraja, a burial ceremony is more than just a show of wealth and prestige – it is a time to reunite with relatives and friends not seen very often throughout the year.

Largest city • Rantepao — now capital of Toraja Utara regency, tourist central • Makale — capital of Tana Toraja regency Population 437,843 (2010 estimate including both regencies) How to get there Flights from most major cities to Makassar daily. AviaStar flights twice a week from Makassar to Makale or eight-hour drive from Makassar to Rantepao Toraja ladies in traditional ceremonial attire

The ceremonial house

A traditional Toraja tomb

What to bring Hat, sunglasses, sunscreen lotion, camera — rainproof cover or dry-bag optional, black attire and change of clothes, money for ceremonial offering (couple hundred thousand rupiah)

“Islam didn’t penetrate Toraja successfully because it doesn’t allow us to continue our ancestral rituals and animal sacrifices, which includes pigs. That said, out of tolerance to our Muslim brothers and sisters in Toraja, we usually set aside one buffalo in a ceremony for halal slaughter,” said Nathan.

I attended a burial ceremony in Sangalla, and in the ceremonial grounds, a female ceremony leader was praying a Christian prayer in the Toraja language. The ceremonial house was ornately decorated in red and gold – somehow it felt a little bit like Chinese New Year, except that instead of having knots and lanterns, it had parang (Toraja daggers) and buffalo horns.

Barefooted men clad in mostly black, young and not-so-young, took their places to carry the coffin. It was covered in fancy red and gold textiles, decoratively sheltered under a red buffalohorn roof characteristic of traditional Torajan houses.

A parade leader led the chants, which the mourners sung along to in canon. The parade stopped often for the coffin bearers to do a little dance. At first I assumed they did this to rest from carrying such a heavy coffin, but it was always at the most awkward places, with icky mud squished between their toes.

As we got near the rice fields by the side of the main road, it became clear that my assumption was wrong.

Within seconds, I was soaking wet in buffalo-poop water from the rice fields. There was chaos all around. The coffin bearers stomped harder in the puddles to wet the mourners.

The mourners retaliated by jumping in the rice fields and splashing them with the same poop-water that got me seconds ago. Within a few blinks, buckets and bowls started appearing.

Moving the coffin forward became a game of stop-and-go doused with generous water fights, chanting, and laughter.

“Oh, they got you too!” some old women started laughing at me. The fact that I wore a pink quick-dry sports shirt didn’t help—I ran out of black and ended up sporting a dead giveaway that I wasn’t local. “Watch out for your camera! Here they come again!”

I spent the remaining hours damp, cold, smelling like manure, and laughed at by my family and friends. But if there’s something I learned from a Toraja funeral, is to move on. As Nathan puts it, “After mourning comes joy. As we believe the departed has arrived happily in their eternal home, we honour them with a celebration of love and laughter. If you got splashed, that’s not for you to get upset with. They’re just cleansing you from their mourning spirits to make way for a new and happy beginning to carry on with this life. It is a shower of blessing.”

16

indonesia expat issue 135

EXPAT LIFESTYLE FLOWERS

Say it with Flowers S

pirits dominate everything the Balinese do. Offerings are presented every day, every full and new moon and whenever there’s an event taking place in the banjar or at the temple. At least 30% of the average Balinese woman’s life is spent preparing for a ceremony, participating in a ceremony or cleaning up after a ceremony.

So ardent is the practice that it has brought about what some have called the culture of ritual poverty. Frangipani blossoms, at Rp.80,000 to Rp.100,000 per kilo, are worth even more than recycled bronze and brass scrap on Bali! Since Balinese housewives need at least a pound of flowers each week to meet their ritual obligations, it is little wonder that flowers are grown everywhere.

It is from the widespread tradition of giving offerings that a unique and thriving commercial flower industry has emerged.

Floral arrangements, in countless designs and styles, combine tropical and temperate flowers such as roses, as well as organic materials and found objects like seedpods and driftwood, to create fanciful and utterly delightful compositions.

From petite bouquets to extravagant wreaths, the variety is mind-boggling.

The usual price for a professionallyexecuted flower arrangement is Rp.800,000 to Rp.1 million. But for something more extravagant, measuring up to 1.5 metres wide by 2 metres tall, you can easily spend Rp.1.5 to Rp.2 million in the florist shops of Bali’s tourist areas.

Denpasar’s Flower Street Along Denpasar’s colourful Pasar Kembang (Flower Market), less extravagant compositions cost as little as Rp.100,000–Rp.200,000, including the vase! Located on the south side of Jl. Sutoyo (one street south of Tiara Dewata), this short, busy street is lined with flower shops selling southern Bali’s cheapest freshly cut red roses, white roses, chrysanthemums, carnations, asters, orchids, small bouquets (rangkaian) and posies, and also indigenous flowers.

Individual flowers may also be bought.

Many flower arrangement designs can be ordered for birthdays, bouquets to chaplets, congratulatory floral presentations, funerals, grand openings,

By Bill Dalton

Martha Florist Jl. Sunset Road 7 X, Kuta +62 (0)361 864 7039/0361 737 236

weddings, automobile decorations for weddings and any other imaginable memorable occasion. No parking available, so go at off-peak hours (after 6 pm). Most of the flowers sold on Flower Street come from Jakarta, Bogor, Bandung and the Malang area of East Java. The gorgeous sedap malam stems are from Bali’s Bedugul area, Tabanan Regency.

This small shop sells fresh flowers for hotels and weddings. Has much the same tropical flowers and wonderful arrangements as Heliconia, but cheaper. Choose indoor or outdoor compositions from their albums.

Also sells glass and ceramic vases and unique wooden tableware.

Candikuning Market, Bedugul Another great place to buy flowers is in the back of Candikuning market in Bedugul. Upon entering Bedugul, as the road descends and makes a right-hand turn down to the lake, you will find this traditional fruit, vegetable and spice market on the left. Pull into the main parking lot and walk through to the back, or take the side road on the left and park in the back. Four shops sell tier upon tier of fresh flowers – hydrangeas, begonias, cempaka and lovely mountain orchids, as well as potted plants, trees and ferns.

This is the best place on Bali to buy white calla lilies (Zantedeschia), a symbol of purity and innocence.

While you’re in the vicinity, just up the main road (south) from Candikuning market is the start of the 2.5 km road up to one of Bali’s most popular destinations for flower lovers, the sprawling Kebon Raya Eka Karya Botanical Gardens, arboretum and housed mountain orchid collection. This extensive 130-hectare park, situated on the hilly lower slopes of 2,065-metre-high Mount Pohen is like a huge, beautifully landscaped, cool, green and inviting country estate, a superb place for a picnic or shady stroll with that special person.

Flower Outlets Bali International Flora Jl. Mertanadi II 9 Sunset Road +62 (0)361 743 7475 info@floristbali.com www.floristbali.com Since 1996, BIF has grown flowers for the Bali market on six hectares of gardens in 1,300-metre-high Batu, East Java. Specializes in fresh gerbera, rose and Chrysanthemum hand bouquets and creative indoor or outdoor floral decorations for corporate events, luxury hotels and villas. Explore their website for floral designs. Excellent customer service.

Flower street

Tara's Flowers Jl. Raya Kuta 81, Tuban +62 (0)361 745 0695 Wedding decorations, hand bouquets and a wide variety of fresh flowers. Free online consultation: made.black.1@facebook.com or 24 hours SMS: +6281338338219.

Bali offerings

Flamboyan Indah Jl. Mayjen Sutoyo 38, Denpasar +62 (0) 361 221 491 Floral arrangements, wedding decorations, bouquets and fresh flowers.

Puri Bunga Frangipani Jl. Jayagiri XVI No. 5 X, Renon, Denpasar +62 (0)361 245 418 Bouquets, fresh flowers and numerous designs and styles of flower arrangements from petite bouquets to extravagant wreaths.

Hand bouquette (Courtesy of Bali International Flora)

Heliconia Jl. Raya Basangkasa No. 88X, Seminyak +62 (0)361 732700 gundul@eksadata.com Established by Michael Pritchard, who trained under floral designer Michel de Jong in Holland, this florist is top-of-theline. Designers combine such organic and natural materials as terang susu (cow teatshaped orange fruits), coconuts and multicoloured leaves from Bali and Surabaya, as well as blossoms imported from as far away as Australia and Europe. Heliconia is a major supplier of arrangements to such upmarket hotel properties and restaurants as Bulgari, Como Shambala Estate, Four Seasons Jimbaran and Ubud, and Ku De Ta.

Bali Orchid Garden Jl. Bypass Tohpati, Kusamba 1, Denpasar +62 (0)361 466 010 www.baliorchidgardens.com This beautifully-landscaped one-hectare garden, situated within the city’s green belt close to Sanur, grows and sells tropical flowers year-round. Open for individuals, groups and private functions.

Bill Dalton has been writing travel features, book reviews, interviews and guidebooks about Indonesia for more than 40 years, starting with his groundbreaking Indonesia Handbook first published in 1976. Bill lives on a farm with his Indonesian family deep in the countryside of west Bali.

issue 135 indonesia expat

17

EXPAT LIFESTYLE FASHION

2 3

Clockwise from top left: 1. Animal print (Spring trend updates) 2. Fall-Winter 2014/ 2015 print trends—animal prints 3. Leopart print watch (available at Guess) 4. Altuzarra python print leopard skirt (available online at Net-a-Porter)

1

ANIMAL 4

By Victoria Bannerman

In a bygone era, the colonisation of Africa and Asia brought bountiful riches of unimaginable grandeur and beauty to Europeans. Kings were indeed sovereigns who lived to the full, ruling vast empires and the lives of their privileged subjects.

The days of Empire epitomised the sheer unashamed flaunting of opulence, decadence and wealth. Films like Out of Africa and White Mischief captured the times when trophy hunting was de riguer for the upper class and royals alike. The carcasses of exotic creatures such as lions, zebras, leopards, tigers and crocodiles would be brought back, stuffed and placed proudly for all to see.

It is the beautiful patterns of these skins that lent themselves to decorative furnishings and then, eventually, to prints on materials that we have grown to love today. We simply can’t get enough! It is crass-cool and so over-the-top—here to stay— transcending all trends.

their sales are a shopping addict’s dream!

The dress fits perfectly and can be worn to a raunchy, debauched party or a respectable wedding in the Hamptons! See how clever animal print is? Being rather brilliantly imaginative and canny, I hit upon the idea of turning this dress into two!

I went out and bought a few metres of clashing animal-print chiffon and asked my lovely seamstress to add a delectable detachable train.

As you can imagine, it evolved into a delightful alchemy of sexy jungle prints. It rocks.

The king of trashy-respectable is Roberto Cavalli; he of superoctane sexuality with dresses slashed here, there and everywhere, exposing flesh in a sensuously provocative way. His collections are a

18

indonesia expat issue 135

You can use scale prints to roughen, toughen and add edge to your outfit.

A simple pair of black ankle-revealing trousers and a crisp white shirt teamed with growling snakeskin heels, a lick of red lipstick, slicked-back hair and you are done. The skin just takes the look to a whole new level.

I own a multitude of skins in the form of watches, shoes, dresses, scarves, jackets and bags! My favourite is a hideously beautiful pair of scary skyscraper Louboutin heels. They make me feel Amazonian and all I have to do is team them with a simple dress and I am kickass! I have a beautiful kaftan with a snakeskin hue of blue and pink and it always draws compliments.

There is something decidedly sexy, sophisticated and downright trashyyet-respectable, about animal print ensembles. From leopard to snakeskin, we want it on our bags, shoes, belts, dresses and shirts! I have to confess, although these prints are synonymous with vulgar inelegant individuals, I simply love them. They add a certain something to your outfit, I think.

I own a heavily discounted Marc Jacobs strapless snakeskin print dress, courtesy of Net-a-Porter—

smorgasbord of opulent polychromatic prints in bejewelled chiffon with every range bearing an animal print somewhere, even if in abstract. Ladies-who-lunch, rock chicks, the bourgeoisie and even mere mortals love his use of animal print. Others plagiarise the look. In St. Tropez, where yachts are laden with lithe, beautifullyproportioned bodies, free-flowing vintage champagne and all the decadence money can buy, you will see a skin print and 90 percent of the time it is Mr Cavalli’s — well, on his yacht anyway!

My Marc Jakobs snakeskin print with added detachable train

Prints can be worn in a complementing way. A leopard print shin-length trouser, black shirt tied at the waist, killer heels and a red silk scarf as a belt is all that you will need. Dive into your prints with abandon; you can street it, power dress it, casual it any which way you please.

Being around glamour all her life, Victoria developed a sense of style that has led her to fashion styling, journalism and designing her debut collection. Email her at tori@toribannermanlondon.com

Go bold, trust me you really can do headto-toe print — mix pony with python, clash leopard with cow. Dare to be different — prints never go out of fashion and each season all it needs is a little updating! Team a pair of vivid red or black trousers with an animal print shirt and funky print trainers — check out Elena Lachi’s Carioca trainer shoe. Cool personified.

If you are of the curvy variety, then hunt for a pencil skirt in python skin and wiggle à la Marilyn Monroe — the boys will watch you go by and drool. If you are brave then Diane von Fürstenberg (DVF) has a gorgeous and flattering snakeskin catsuit, and smashingly sexy it is. Hurry though as I recall there were only a couple left and it may be that you will have to trawl the net to find one.

If you are no wallflower and possess a wickedly mischievous side, then a whole trouser suit in python, leopard or tiger print could put you head and shoulders above the pack!

If the idea of prints makes you want to run screaming from the safari, then try small items like a watch — Glamrock do belts, scarves and bags that will keep you looking wild!

If you want to look hot-to-trot and dazzle the fashion troop then take a leap, scale those heights and ambush the animal-print party - looking like a seductive, venomous vixen.

Get timeless glam and seriously feral-cool.

Saeful Husen (left) a conman preying on women through Facebook from his prison cell in West Java.

Online Romance Extortion Should you ever have the misfortune to become an inmate of an Indonesian jail, you quickly learn that regular funds are required to survive within the crooked penitentiary system. One prisoner made money by using a bogus Facebook account to lure lonely older women into sharing nude photos and videos, and then extorted them.

Prison inmates are not allowed to have mobile phones or laptops, but money can buy you just about anything in jail, even weekend leave, provided you take along a couple of guards as escorts and look after them.

Saeful Husen (26) is serving a sentence of nine years and six months at a jail in West Java province, for narcotics offenses.

Convicted in May 2010, he had been due for parole next year. In October 2014 he created a Facebook account under the alias T. Rizal Maulana, posing as a shipping executive based in the East Java capital of Surabaya. To attract female friends, he used photos of a handsome Filipino man wearing a uniform of the Philippine Nautical Training Institute.

One of Saeful’s victims was a 50-year-old school teacher from the West Kalimantan capital of Pontianak. Flattered by his online compliments and text messages, she soon fell in love and began sending him photos of herself via WhatsApp. When asked to send nude selfies and videos of herself performing sexual acts, she consented.

Saeful then threatened to publicly upload the images and videos unless she transferred money to him.

The teacher ended up making transfers totalling Rp.80 million. With no end in sight to the blackmailing, she bravely reported the matter to police on January 8.

Police initially had no luck in tracking down

‘T. Rizal Maulana’, until they traced his internet protocol address to Subang Class IIA Penitentiary at the end of January.

Police discovered that Saeful had at least five other victims in different provinces.

All had transferred funds to a bank account held by the girlfriend of Saeful’s cellmate.

The cellmate had received a 10% cut of each transfer.

Prison authorities punished Saeful by confiscating his smartphone and giving him six days in a special ‘punishment cell’.

He has also been denied family visits for one month and will likely be denied parole.

ByKenneth Yeung

the pair only as witnesses pending further investigation.

In the North Sumatra capital of Medan, a man named Johan Ang (31) managed to convince at least 20 women he met via Facebook and BlackBerry Messenger to send him nude photos of themselves.

He told them he could use his magical powers to remove “negative auras” from their bodies, provided he could see them naked.

The women believed this

“He told them he could use his magical powers to remove “negative auras” from their bodies, provided he could see them naked.”

West Kalimantan Police Chief Brigadier General Ariel Sulistyanto said the case should prompt stricter supervision at prisons to prevent inmates from using prohibited items, such as mobile phones, as they could be used for criminal purposes, including drug trafficking.

In Bali, a female student was befriended on Facebook last year by a man who gave himself the name Putu Agus Sadi Artana and claimed to be 23 years old. Although they never met in person, the student fell in love and routinely transferred money to her ‘boyfriend’ for various purported expenses, such as medicine. She also sent him nude photos of herself. The man then demanded more money or he would release her photos.

She transferred a total of Rp.40 million.

The girl confessed her problem to her parents, who last month contacted police.

Officers discovered the money had been sent to the bank accounts of two men–G.N. Gunawan and Kadek Diari Arsana–both of them inmates at Bali’s Karangasem penitentiary. Police have so far named

superstitious nonsense.

Aura cleansing is a total scam, perpetrated by charlatans pretending to be psychic.

Johan blackmailed the women by threatening to expose their naked photos.

He routinely demanded sums ranging from Rp.158,000 to Rp.5 million. One of his victims, a 20-year-old woman, complained to police, who then apprehended the conman in a sting operation last October.

Neighbours were surprised by the arrest, describing Johan as a quiet man who lived with his parents. Police said his victims were from Medan, Kalimantan and Jakarta. He was charged with extortion and fraud, which carry a combined maximum sentence of nine years behind bars.

Some scammers pose as talent agents to persuade aspiring models and actresses to send nude photos. A paedophile named Tjandra Adi Gunawan, who worked as a manager of a Jakarta shipping company, posed on Facebook as a female doctor under

the pseudonym Lia Halim and befriended at least six young girls, whom he convinced to send sexual photos of themselves. He then sent the photos to the girls’ parents and demanded money.

In response to online romance scams, some Indonesian women have formed a Facebook community page called ‘Waspada Scammer Cinta’ (Love Scammer Alert), posting photos used by scammers and providing support to victims.

Online dating scams have been around for a long time, but people the world over keep being duped. Australians last year transferred $23 million to romance scammers, mostly based in West Africa. One high-profile victim is Maria Exposto (51), originally from East Timor. She recently travelled to Shanghai in the expectation of meeting her online boyfriend, whom she thought was an American soldier. Instead, a different man gave her a bag to take to Australia, claiming it contained documents for her boyfriend’s retirement. During a stopover at Kuala Lumpur on her way back to Melbourne, the bag was searched and found to contain 1.5 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, for which Maria could receive the mandatory death penalty.

Some Indonesian scammers go beyond just using photos of soldiers and police to attract women. Akbar Paputungan (23) from West Sulawesi posed as a member of the Army in order to seduce women. He met a 29-yearold woman via Facebook, lived with her for two months and borrowed her money.

He promised to marry her, but she became suspicious because he never worked and always needed money. She reported him to police. He was arrested last week and now faces four years in jail for fraud.

Kenneth Yeung is a Jakarta-based editor

issue 135 indonesia expat

19

EXPAT LIFESTYLE

MEET THE EXPAT

Karen David is a NYC artist and writer

Meet FEDERICO TOMASI Federico is a Stockholm-born artist, who grew up in Italy and now lives in Bali. He speaks to us on art, love, and life.

By Karen Davis

What do you most love painting?

People — they are so complicated, with so much potential and so many layers. In my earlier works, I painted only from my imagination. Now I also incorporate my photography to catch certain images, such as a certain person, a face, an emotion. I am a filter of what I see. Reality is a central reference from which I work to express human feelings and emotions in today’s world.

How do you feel about all the changes we see here?

Bali is an example of the entire world — like evolution, bad or good marches on. I do not complain or compare to the past. The whole world has been changing exponentially and all the modern ills we see so clearly here exist all over the world. The plastic and garbage is in our face rather than trawled out to sea and creating an island bigger than Australia — and that is just in the Pacific!

We have gained many good things; technology and healthy food. I would like to see Bali never compromise its beautiful culture, which embraces the beauty and the strangeness of life simultaneously. What will the next generation do here? It is sad to see the young people follow western trends so closely and rejecting their own culture. But I also see young Indonesians embracing a new collective culture, using the new technologies and incorporating traditional ways to achieve a better world.

You have been based in Bali for the last seven years.

What is your background?

I was born in Stockholm in 1974. My family moved to Italy when I was 13 in 1987. I attended the International School of Art in Riccione, Italy. After art school, I never really thought about being an artist although painting was always my passion. I went into the fashion industry in Milano and worked in haute couture with the house of Lorenzo Riva. I worked the shows in Paris, Rome, and Prêt-a-Porter in Milan. It was a great education but I understood it was not my thing!

My father lived in Singapore at the time, so I went there as a fashion stylist and opened my own company. I set up shoots for Marie Clare and other top clientele. I started to come to Bali every month and I was inspired by the Balinese. It was a simpler time in Bali and I was deeply influenced by the simplicity of the Balinese people’s lives and the dignity with which they carried themselves. They did not have much materially, yet lived such rich lives.

The people here were proud and happy with so little.

I started to look at my life and look within.

Inspired, I went back to Singapore and painted more than twenty pieces. Friends loved them but I was still shy about my work. I painted murals and eventually was asked to show my works at the opening of a restaurant.

The Italian Ambassador and many other dignitaries were present and I sold out. Galleries approached me and soon I had a one-year contract with a gallery and my paintings went up in value.

Which of your international exhibits has been the most important to date?

The next one! As an artist I am always looking forward to the next painting. When an artwork is finished, it is done and I move on. But I must say the Biennial of Venice was a great honour.

20

indonesia expat issue 135

The Dalai Lama recently expressed it is up to artists and musicians to reveal the light and inner truths to people so consciousness may be changed. What is your response to that?

I agree that the arts may give people experiences they otherwise would not have had. I do believe the artist has a responsibility to be true with his creativity. A work may affect different people in different ways, but it makes them look at themselves and their relationship with the world around them. The arts are so important in society and in the end it is their retrospective qualities which make them powerful. Albert Einstein once said that imagination is more important than knowledge generally, for knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there will be to know and understand. People have to do things for love, and pure passion, not profit. If you are pure and honest, it comes back to you. The most important part of my art is the process rather than the end product.

Is everyone an artist at birth?

Yes, but few people make it through childhood with their creativity intact. It is educated and programmed out of us in the first decade of our lives. But we all have that creative energy; a bit of ‘God’ within us which we all have the potential to express through creativity. In education, we are taught to only use six senses; to limit our experience and focus on making money in an unsustainable way in contrast to the sustainable lifestyles we can achieve by being more creative. We certainly have all the tools and technology to achieve that. It is one of the things which impressed me so much in the early years here in Bali. Everyone was involved in some sort of creativity; making their own offerings every day and offering them up to the universe — everything was handmade. In the West we use art as a therapy because it is so lacking in our lives that exposure to it heals people of many illnesses, both physical and psychological.

Niina 150cm x 200cm Year 2014

Isa 140cm x 180cm Year 2014

It is a shame that huge parts of the culture are gone forever, such as the subak system of water which worked so well for so long. There is a rice field behind me where the farmer was forced to stop planting because there is no more water from the old system. This is a country of such diverse and rich cultures. My hope is that they will learn from the mistakes of the West and make that leap into the future with its possibilities of sustainability and clean, free energy and water. We have to have dreams!

Thank you, Frederico! Visit www.federicotomasi.com or his Facebook page: Artist Federico Tomasi.

EXPAT OUTREACH

SPORTS

Aussie Rules in Indonesia

By Antony Sutton

It shouldn’t come as a surprise, given the close proximity of Australia to Indonesia, that Australian Rules Football, better known as AFL, has quite a following here. And not just among the beer-swilling, akubra-wearing, stubbie-gripping hoards that descend on Bali, but also among the expat community.

Aussie rules football Wikipedia (CC)

I

t is the expats who are spreading the word of that strange game played on an oval by men in exceedingly tight shorts and sleeveless shirts—vests, as they are known to the faithful—to our host community. While we are unlikely to see Aussie Rules become the nation’s most popular sport any time soon, there is no denying it is getting more and more popular.

It was only last August that Indonesia’s national team, the Indonesia Garudas, jetted off to the sport’s spiritual home of Melbourne to experience the city’s famous climate changes and take part in an international footy event.

It was a harsh introduction for the young players. In their first game they played Nauru Chiefs and came off second best on the wrong side of a 35.17.227 to 1.1.7 mauling. To explain the scoring for the uninitiated, 1.1.7 refers to one goal, worth six points, one behind (nearly a goal) making a grand total of seven points.

John Eddy, chairman of the travelling party, found solace in the fact the Indonesia Garudas were up against such a strong team. “Nauru Chiefs were way too big, strong and disciplined and had winners all over the ground, including a fast-leading full forward who bagged nine goals and probably missed another six or seven fairly easy shots.”

In their second game, the Garudas were on the receiving end of another thrashing, with 32.15.207 against 0.0.0 from a powerful Fiji side. Things improved somewhat in their third game on the day before Independence Day, France managing 16.14.110 against the Garudas’ four behinds.

Perhaps the celebrations of the holiday helped raise the spirits in the camp because against Sweden a few days later they turned in a much better performance, narrowly going down 9.6.60 to 4.8.32, and come their final game against India, they were able to record their first victory, 9.6.60 against 1.2.8.

While the overseas trip by the Garudas attracted a lot of good publicity for the game in the country, most of the activity still revolves around the expat sides and their exploits, both locally and internationally.

Indonesia Garudas playing against Nauru

Indonesia Garudas playing in Melbourne

The Bintangs, Jakarta www.bintangs.com

The Bali Geckos, Bali www.baligeckos.com

The Bintangs are perhaps the stars of the Aussie Rules format, in Jakarta at least. Today, the Bintangs boast a thriving club and—perhaps more importantly—social scene, but it wasn’t always like this. Initial attempts to get a league up and running back in the early 1990s floundered on apathy and not even a meeting in a then-popular hostelry could engender any enthusiasm in the game among the expat community.

The Bali Geckos were born in a fit of local pride brought on by too much beer. Legend has it a Jakarta-based player, basking in the glow of the newly formed Bintangs, was propping up a bar stool in Bali one day, and the talk turned to AFL.

A couple of years later and the arrival of a chap named Bruce managed to kick-start the game and a practice session was scheduled for the field in Blok M, coincidentally close to a number of watering holes. Their first game of note came against a visiting Singapore side and though the hosts were given a thrashing, all present knew it was the start of something special, and they were not just referring to the post-match party.

Today the club are in training for the new season, their 20th anniversary, with sessions being held midweek in Senayan.

Home games are played in Cibubur, at a field they share with teams from the Jakarta Cricket league, and as is always the case they would be happy to welcome new members who fancy their chances.

Among the highlights of their calendar were the recent Australia Day celebration and their big knees-up where they go all posh, book a room in a hotel and watch the AFL Grand Final. This latter event is held every year on Grand Final Day.

Jakarta-based expat told the bar full of country bumpkins, surfers and tourists that of course the best AFL team in the land was Jakarta. How could it be anything else? Shocked at the gall of the tourist, the Bali-based expats let their beer-fuelled indignation take over and they decided there and then, amid the detritus of bottle tops and lurid stubbie holders to form their own team and challenge the upstart from the big city across the water.

Being Bali-based, they have made a couple of changes which could well have traditionalists choking on their beer. For one, they have dispensed with the oh-so-tight shorts and donned board shorts. They do, after all, live in Bali and they know that for all the whinging from other sides, they will never be short of opponents no matter what they choose to wear.

Hence, the Bali Masters and the Bali 9s are key events on the calendar of Asian-based AFL sides!

They also have a thriving junior section that train at 5pm, Thursdays at the Geckos Club, part of the Canggu Club. The older Geckos have their turn an hour later.

Borneo Bears, Balikpapan www.borneobears.com Based in Balikpapan, the Borneo Bears too trace their roots back to a beer binge on an evening when it seemed like a good idea at the time. The club was formed, the name was chosen and a decision was taken to help fund a local conservation that supported Sun Bears, a symbol of the city.

If you want to get involved with AFL in Indonesia, then feel free to visit the team websites. www.aflindonesia. org acts as an umbrella for the game here, while www.afl-asia.com covers the game throughout the region.

If you are interested in catching AFL games from Australia in a bar in Jakarta then the Jakarta Hawks meet in Eastern Promise every match day. You can follow them on Twitter: @JakartaHawks

Antony is a freelance writer based in Jakarta. Please send comments and suggestions to antony@the-spiceislands.com

issue 135 indonesia expat

21

EXPAT OUTREACH

WORTHY CAUSES

A feeding orangutan on Kaja Island, Central Kalimantan by Angela R.

Dr. Gary Shapiro with Princess, an orangutan who adopted him as her father

Voices for the ORANGUTAN

organizations were born of the belief that saving orangutans can only be ensured by the people of Indonesia and Malaysia.

By Angela Richardson

Seeing an orangutan in its natural habitat is a rare and magical experience that, for many, will only happen once in a lifetime. 96.4 percent of our genetic makeup is shared with these Great Apes found in the wild on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo only. Due to mankind’s continued encroachment of their natural habitat—particularly for palm oil plantations, hunting and capture for the illegal wildlife trade—the Sumatran Orangutan population sits at critically endangered (6,500 left in the wild), and the Borneo Orangutan at endangered (54,000 remaining in the wild). Although they are protected by Indonesian, Malaysian and international laws, it is estimated that between four and 5,000 wild orangutans disappear every year.

Dr. Gary Shapiro was the first person to teach a symbolic communication system to an orangutan at Chaffee Zoological Park, California, and the first person to teach sign language to orangutans in their natural environment in Indonesian Borneo (Kalimantan).

“When I spent two years in the forests of Indonesian Borneo teaching sign language to a group of formerly owned “pet” orangutans that were learning to return to the wild, I became much more interested in the species and their plight,” Dr. Shapiro tells me. One particular orangutan named Princess adopted Dr. Shapiro as her father. “We did many things together as she learned her signs and became a freeranging juvenile orangutan. It was during that time I knew I would devote my life to helping the species survive.”

At the time, Dr. Shapiro felt that not enough money was being spent on education and community outreach to address the root cause of the orangutan's dilemma.

It was clear to him that more had to be done to educate people about the species and their plight, which is why the Orang Utan Republik Foundation (OURF) was founded.

OURF works towards saving orangutans from extinction in the wild by funding education and outreach programs in Sumatra and Kalimantan, through the Orangutan Republik Education Initiative (OUREI), an Indonesiaregistered non-profit project active since 2004. These

Dua Tangan Cukup

One of the foundation’s unique programmes is university scholarship funding to Indonesian students of biology, forestry and veterinary science. Students receiving these scholarships are required to work with local organisations, becoming more knowledgeable about orangutans during their schooling. They graduate as advocates for orangutans.

Another OURF project is Orangutan Caring Clubs of Indonesia, where the message of conservation is brought to schools, government offices and the wider community.

Outreach projects include visiting schools in Jakarta and Medan with film and education materials, engaging local and national government officials in conservation issues, and recently, partnering with other orangutan advocacy groups to fund an educational forum with environmental advisers to the Indonesian presidential candidates.

Ridhwan Effendi is Director of OUREII and ensures all aspects of their programme run according to plan. He feels that due to ignorance, there is no sense of urgency among Indonesians to protect the orangutan. “Orangutans are an endemic species to Indonesia, but many Indonesians are not even aware of them,” he explains. “They often see the orangutan as a problem that must be eliminated, causing damage to crops and plantations. Even at managerial levels of palm oil plantations in Central Kalimantan, they consider the orangutan an enemy.”

Although the government has passed laws to protect the species, Effendi believes the problem remains in law enforcement. In 1990, the government passed UU No. 5 1990, article 21, where it states that a sentence of up to five years and a fine of 100 million rupiah will be given to those who capture, harm, own, kill or sell a protected animal, including orangutans.

In 2011, instructions were passed down from the president (Intruksi Presiden No.10 tahun 2011) to stop any further destruction of rainforest and peat land, however there has been no follow through — in the first three years since its passing, 6.4 million hectares of protected forest were cleared. Effendi believes the new government is more focused on political issues rather than the environment.

“It does not seem that the new government is doing anything yet to protect the remaining rainforests and natural habitat of the orangutan. According to national statistics, 48.8 million hectares of ancient rainforest

indonesia expat issue 135

According to Dr. Shapiro, we can each help to make a difference by paying attention to the contents of our grocery shopping. “Stop buying products made of conflict palm oil, which is produced under conditions associated with the ongoing destruction of rainforests, expansion on carbon-rich peat lands, and human rights violations, including the failure to recognize and respect the customary land rights of forest-dependent communities and the use of forced labour and child labour,” he says.

Choosing products that are orangutan-safe will require some investigation, but Dr. Shapiro assures us that there are guides and apps available to help us.

Partaking in ecotourism can also make a difference.

Dr. Shapiro urges us to join small groups that visit orangutan viewing areas near and around national parks in Kalimantan and Sumatra, as this helps to support families and small businesses that have an economic interest in keeping forests and orangutans alive. He adds, “It also sends a message to local officials that forests are worth saving for their tour value.”

For those in Bali who would like to help support the orangutan, OURF will be holding a fundraiser, Voices for the Jungle, on March 6th in Seminyak. Contact balifundraiser@orangutanrepublik. org for more information. If you can't attend, please make a donation online: http://orangutanrepublik.org/donate-now Visit www.orangutanrepublik.org or www.orangutanodysseys.com for more information.

Actions From Across The Archipelago

Donating Hair for Cancer Patients in BINUS School Simprug

22

remain on Kalimantan, however Greenpeace’s figures are much lower, at 25.5 million hectares,” he tells me.

Although it may feel like a lost cause, due to the hard work that non-governmental organisations such as OURF and OUREII do, there is still hope. “For every person who might have purchased an orangutan and decided not to because of our programs, six to eight orangutans may have been saved,” Dr. Shapiro explains.

“Our field education program helps save individual orangutans that might be killed as pests when they wander into a farmer's garden or orchard. Peoples’ attitudes have changed and many who would have poached or killed an orangutan are not doing so anymore.”

chemotherapy process with hair-loss side effects encouraged her to hold the event. With supervision and support from Miss Suryanling, her Personal Project Teacher, she started to socialize SHAIR through posters in the school. In addition to the hair donation, donors can also donate some money for this activity.

Service to the community is one of BINUS School Simprug's missions, to inspire the learning process of its students.

With the School Mission in mind, Grade 10 students held hair donation “SHAIR” in January, to make wigs for cancer patients.

The donors required to cut their hair at least ten centimetres, which will then be given to the wig manufacturers. For this action, Antonia cooperates with IRWAN TEAM Hairdesign to help trim the hair. In two hours, four hair stylists cut the hair of twenty registered donors.

SHAIR is actually a combination of two words “share” and “hair”. SHAIR was initiated by Antonia Asta Gaudi, a Grade 10 student of BINUS School Simprug. Her concern for cancer patients who are struggling to recover and undergo

Hair donations will be dedicated to children with cancer at the “Rumah Anyo” by Yayasan Anyo Indonesia. Rumah Anyo is a temporary shelter for children with cancer from various regions in Indonesia who came to Jakarta to outpatient or inpatient at a referral hospital.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Fairmont Jakarta opens in the capital JAKARTA Luxury hotels group Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has opened the new Fairmont Jakarta in the heart of Indonesia’s capital in January. Carlos Monterde, General Manager, Fairmont Jakarta, said, “The Fairmont Jakarta experience is unlike any other in the city thanks to our thoughtfully designed guestrooms, remarkable views and wide array of innovative dining options. We look forward to showcasing the very best that this luxury hotel and Jakarta has to offer to visitors and locals alike.”

With unrivalled views of the Jakarta skyline, the stunning property is located in the centre of Senayan Square, a ‘one-stop’ complex in Jakarta's Central Business District that combines high-end shopping, entertainment, offices and apartments. The hotel offers superb space for meetings and events, five restaurants and lounges, gym, pool and spa (opening soon). The guestrooms are remarkably spacious with plush bedding and elegant Japanese spa-inspired bathrooms and state-of-the-art in-room technology, complete with premium amenities for both business and leisure travellers. www.fairmont.com/jakarta

The first Favehotel opens in Lombok LOMBOK Archipelago International’s popular select service hotel brand, Favehotel, made its debut on the flourishing island of Lombok in February with the opening of the Favehotel Langko Mataram – Lombok. It presents a vivid alternative for business and leisure travellers seeking a reasonably priced, yet modern, comfortable and professionally managed hotel.

With Mataram being Lombok’s commercial centre and seat of government, the hotel aims to bring a breath of fresh air to Lombok’s limited choice of business traveller-focused accommodations offering 117 functional and modern guest rooms in the for Favehotels typical edgy and cheerful design, four meeting rooms, ample of parking space, an eclectic café shop / restaurant and of course as in every fave, truly high speed, complimentary and reliable Wi-Fi throughout the entire property. www.favehotels.com

Louvre Hotels Group opens 3rd hotel in Equator City PONTIANAK Louvre Hotels Group, the 8th largest hotel group worldwide, proudly announces the opening in February of Golden Tulip Essential Pontianak. The hotel is strategically located in the heart of Pontianak city’s business and entertainment district (Jalan Teuku Umar No. 39), and is the perfect choice for business travellers.

It is the chain’s third hotel in Indonesia.

The hotel’s 186 rooms (Deluxe and Junior Suites) have modern and stylish designs, equipped with free Wi-Fi, 40” LCD TV. Six function rooms with capacity up to 750 persons can cater for meetings, seminars, social events and also luxury weddings in a beautiful ballroom.

Branche Restaurant, Bar & Lounge, as the brand’s signature restaurant in the lobby level of the hotel, offers a unique culinary experience with ‘fun-dining’ concept that combines the design of tea lounge and restaurant with wide range of dishes and drinks to satisfy the appetite. www.goldentulipessentialpontianak.com

Paulaner brings new brew to Jakarta’s best-loved bräuhaus JAKARTA Weissbier, well known among connoisseurs, will become a brewhouse staple at Jakarta’s Paulaner Bräuhaus, the only authentic microbrewery in the city. Weissbier, or wheat beer, has an outstanding reputation among beer lovers, not least in Germany where it has earned the distinction of being among the country’s best-loved brews.

The beer, which has an alcohol level of 4.7%, is naturally cloudy and silky gold in the glass, under a strong head of foam. At the first mouthful, this classic weissbier has a mild aroma of banana. Finer palates will also detect a trace of mango and pineapple, and the fine balance between sweet and bitter. Beer connoisseurs, meanwhile, appreciate the fine note of yeast and the mild but sparkling mix of aromas.

The brewhouse is particularly proud of its unique Paulaner brewing technique with “yeast in suspension”, which guarantees the uniform slightly cloudy appearance, the constant high quality and the unique taste of the beer.

The weissbeer is available at IDR 64,000 for 0.31 litres and IDR 79,000 for 0.51 litres.

Hotel Kristal Jakarta Supports Yayasan Wisma Cheshire JAKARTA For the past 16 years Hotel Kristal has hosted a Charity Golf Tournament with the intention of raising much needed funds to support and assist underprivileged with their health and education. Over the 16 years thanks to the extraordinary generosity of sponsors and players, a total in excess of US$ 1.200.000 has been raised. Hotel Kristal recently presented Rp.100,000,000 to Yayasan Wisma Cheshire located in Cilandak, South Jakarta.

Wisma Cheshire is part of the worldwide NGO, Leonard Cheshire Disability (LCD). LCD campaigns for change and provides innovative services to give disabled people the opportunity to live life their way. Hotel Kristal will continue to raise money for worthwhile charities.

Located in the heart of South Jakarta, Hotel Kristal is the perfect place to stay or as a meeting point with business colleagues. www.hotelkristal.com

issue 135 indonesia expat

23

They’re Playing Our Song!

* Answers in the next edition!

LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

CROSSWORD

By Eamonn Sadler (www.eamonnsadler.com)

Every couple has a song which means something special to them. Maybe it’s the song that was playing when they first met or when they had their first dance, maybe it was playing the first time they kissed – but every couple has one.

I don’t know what happens in lesbian or gay relationships, so I can’t comment on that, but I do know from years of my own experience and from talking to other straight men that the female in a heterosexual relationship will generally retain a lot more information about the history of the relationship than men will – but for some reason “our song” also seems to stick in even the most forgetful man’s mind. It can be a rock song or a ballad, a pop song or R&B, it doesn’t matter.

What matters are the romantic memories that it evokes.

I have been performing and writing music since I was 15, so I tend to listen carefully to lyrics and analyse them.

Sometimes there is great poetic merit and deep meaning, sometimes there is little or no poetic merit and a hidden meaning. Sometimes it seems the artist doesn’t care about poetic merit as long as the words rhyme, and sometimes there is no attempt to hide the meaning.

Have a look at the following lyrics and judge their poetic merit and/or meaning for yourself. I hope none of you describe any of these as “your song”!

Guess which Beatle wrote this: (I’ll give you a clue: it wasn’t John, Paul or George.)

“I'm sorry that I doubted you, I was so unfair, you were in a car crash, and you lost your hair.”

Don’t Pass Me By from the White Album

Awwww… This is so sweet.

“She was a catch, we were a match, I was the match that would fire up her snatch.”

Mermaids by Australian band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds I wonder what this guy’s girlfriend gets up to now that we have digital cameras...and what kind of shirts does he wear?

“You got me to hitch my knees up, and pulled my legs apart, you took an instamatic camera, and pulled my sleeves around my heart.”

You're Gorgeous by the UK’s Babybird

IS MADE POSSIBLE BY:

24

indonesia expat issue 135

Looks like an evening in the kitchen for this couple!

“Love me like your favourite sweet, your just desserts and more, cover me in cheesecake mix, swallow me up whole.”

Torture by UK 80s band King Guys, dedicate this song to your woman if you want a punch in the face.

“You never want to know how much you weigh, you still have to squeeze into your jeans, but you're perfect to me.”

Little Things by UK heart-throbs One Direction Oh this is clever… I wonder what he means?

“Hike up your skirt a little more and show your world to me.”

Crash Into Me by soppy old sausage Dave Matthews (US) I guess these guys took the day off sick.

“Thinking of you’s working up my appetite, looking forward to a little afternoon delight, rubbin’ sticks and stones together makes the sparks ignite, and the thought of rubbing you is getting so exciting.”

ACROSS 1. Vegetable — crush (6) 4. Second planet from the Sun (5) 7. Sixth planet from the Sun (6) 8. Drink of liqueur poured over crushed ice (6) 9. Male suitor — dandy (4) 10. Half-clothed (8) 12. Our sun and all its planets (5,6) 17. Upbeat (8) 19. Fourth planet from the Sun (4) 20. Seventh planet from the Sun (6) 21. Fruit with a wrinkled shell (6) 22. Third planet from the Sun (5) 23. Dazed (6)

DOWN 1. Ability to maintain one's balance on a ship (3,4) 2. Rare (7) 3. Style of typeface (4,5) 4. Giuseppe _____, composer of "La Traviata" (5) 5. Eighth planet from the Sun (7) 6. EU member country (6) 11. Pilgrim Fathers' vessel (9) 13. Outdoor (4,3) 14. Interval between connected events (4-3) 15. First planet from the Sun (7) 16. Apportion blame (6) 18. Coarse (5)

ANSWERS OF ISSUE 134 ACROSS — 1. Brusque 8. Aquaria 9. Spirals 10. Eclipse 13. Ipso facto 15. Fantastic 18. Ad-lib 21. Art deco 22. Whippet 23. Brocade 24. Lanolin DOWN — 1. Basil 2. Unity 3. Quadrilateral 4. Easels 5. Qualification 6. Tropic 7. Gazebo 12. Aura 14. Taxi 15. Flabby 16. Nation 17. Trowel 19. Lapel 20. Baton

Afternoon Delight by ever-romantic Starland Vocal band I think there would be a major investigation if this song were released today…

“Never gonna stop, give it up, such a dirty mind, I always get it up for the touch of the younger kind.”

My Sharona by The Knack (who I hope were over 18 years of age when they wrote it) Do you think they got stuck for a fourth word that ends in “ate”?

“You let me violate you, you let me desecrate you, you let me penetrate you, you let me complicate you.”

Closer by the lovey-dovey Nine Inch Nails Sing this to your lady and you’re guaranteed a night on the couch.

“Remind me of something James used to say, I like 'em fat, I like 'em proud, ya gotta have a mother for me, now move your big ass 'round this way so I can work on that zipper, baby ‘cause tonight you're a star and I'm the big dipper.”

Get Off by Prince (Judging by the lyrics I think he’s using the other meaning of “get off”.)

Happy Valentine’s Day!

WANT FREE TICKETS TO THE COMEDY CLUB? SMS YOUR NAMES FOR A CHANCE TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO JAKARTA OR BALI COMEDY CLUB!

SPOTTED!

Spotted by Annie in Kemang, Jakarta Send your funny pictures to letters@indonesiaexpat.biz

0821 1194 3084 CONGRATULATIONS TO PAK BUDI. IN JAKARTA! YOU AND A FRIEND WILL BE ENJOYING THE NEXT COMEDY CLUB ON US!

ads@indonesiaexpat.biz for competitive advertising rates and get noticed through our printed publication, e-newsletter and on our website.

OBSERVATIONS Simon J. Still is based in Makassar. Visit his websites: Indonesia-truly-easier.webnode.com and cptsjkirk.wordpress.com

THE DAY WE PUT A PRICE ON

By Simon J. Still

basis. It is the wheat and barley of our time, the mead and sour wine. How perked up do we feel each time we get an erect thumb on Facebook and the like, and how much time do we spend searching for it, sure that we have something brilliant to say because, on social networks, who doesn’t love us? I’ve often wondered where that happy thumb is really intended for.

I have vivid memories of my early years, and no trouble recalling my first Valentine’s Day. I may have been six when our modest school became a-buzz with its own internal postal service. Big red boxes covered in hearts had been installed the previous week and Valentine’s cards poured forth from sticky craft lessons. So, with trinkets and tokens made and bought, English classes were then given to learning how to adorn them with correctly spelled names and even more sticky sentiments.

Of course, being at such an age, addressing cards to girls wasn’t deemed cool, so all our romantic prose went to the friends we sat with.

Then came the day of days, a Friday morning after a fun assembly when the post boxes were raided and individuals preordained to become prefects and members of university student unions delighted in controlling the mail. I remember the cards deluging tables and the pecking order of popularity being laid out for the next 15 years of our academic careers.

Needless to say, I averaged around two cards a year, which went into rapid decline after our first sex education lessons, and then dropped into minus figures when I blossomed with acne. For such reasons are my memories of my early years still vivid. I’m approaching 40 and Valentine’s Day still gives me the shivers.

Still, at least I never went home with armfuls of cards from people named Darren and Gavin.

Then I went to other countries. And no wonder. It was an eye opener to see how things were done on this day of days in South Korea. I’d been quite sternly raised by society to believe

that Valentine’s Day had a definite romantic connection.

Therefore, as a teacher, it felt a bit awkward receiving cards from kindergarten students. Then to see students writing Valentine’s cards to their brothers and sisters and mothers (never their dads, strangely), I just wanted to break up proceedings and explain a few fundamentals. But I found the same in Morocco and Greece and had to wonder.

Then I twigged. It’s all crud.

The Greeks have a bunch of words for love which escape me, but I know they at least cover: Romantic love as expounded in Disney cartoons and somehow encapsulated in Italian cooking, represented by roses and that muscle for which we spend half our lives in fear of giving out.

It is this love that supports whole economies with the blessing of wholesome religious establishments.

Love of family, which as stated above, is paid homage to once a year with a pink card.

Mature love, as with spouses in old age. There’s no market for this.

Unconditional love, such as for your children after they put you in a home.

Love of self (not just narcissism, but the positive selfassured kind). This is the free love available to us on a daily

Flirtatious love, which has sexualized minors for commercialized ends. My own daughter is in awe of all things fairy and princess, but these aren’t the same beasts as I grew up with. The Winx Club, for example, are basically mixedrace pole dancers below the age of consent, running endless airborne battles with their shallow and twisted counterparts, while wearing next to nothing. Before I get carried away, I’ll leave off with how some parents like to dress their daughters for a simple trip to the mall, or perhaps how some daughters like to be dressed after watching Winx Club.

I give up with it. It’s all too much. I prefer to do Valentine’s Day the other 364 days of the year. Then, I’m free to take pause and watch people who are really in love with life’s less obvious moments: a poorly-paid denizen taking his lunch break at a bakso stall, radiating contemplative inner peace as he bends to the noodles, dissects the balls and slurps the water. Of all the swanky restaurants, I’ve never seen anyone love their food so much as with a bowl of bakso.

And then there are the smiles, neighbourly interest and easy laughter, the revelations and wonder on the exhale of a rancid kretek; and people bringing souvenirs every time they return from afar. My wife’s family certainly don’t need a special day written on the calendar to pass gifts, and I’ve done very well out of the old cap tikus and home-grown pineapples (though I really wish they’d ease up on the sago cakes).

And at each the beginning and end of life, there are fanfares which are tenderly shared. Newborns are celebrated without Valentine’s permission, and oldens—like my grandmother-inlaw—are watched over in their hospital beds day and night, her daughters never leaving her side. Where I might spend a week comparing nursing homes, these guys are there until the end, repaying in kind those who were there at the beginning.

My quasi-humorous observation is this: there’s the song, I Wish it Could be Christmas Every Day. What a dreadful thought! But if Valentine’s Day held the devotion of how my wife’s kin journey from the well-spring to the estuary of life, or the reflective patrons of bakso stalls everywhere, then maybe having Valentine’s every day wouldn’t be so bad. The way it’s actually done, however, even just once a year, leaves me wondering if the more we sell it, the less it’s really worth.

Or maybe I’m just bitter (seriously, two cards!).

issue 135 indonesia expat

25

EVENTS

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

JAKARTA

Food & Drink

Business

One Direction – On The Road Again Tour Social Media Week Jakarta 23–27 February 2015 Social Media Week is a global tech conference that celebrates the impact of social media and technology in the way people live, work and create. For the first time in 2015, Jakarta will be host city along with New York, Milan, Hamburg, Lagos and Bangalore. The week will be held in partnership with Pacific Place Mall. Everybody from marketing professionals, branding and social media strategists, brand managers, tech entrepreneurs, students and government officials can attend and be inspired by how Social Media create a better Jakarta. www.socialmediaweek. org/jakarta

25 March 2015 If your (or your teen daughter’s) nerves can stand it, the chance to bathe in the presence of the golden ones of pop will grace Jakarta in March. The beautifulhaired boys will rif le through their hits at Gelora Bung Karno Senayan. Expect copious macet, ear-shattering screams, and lots of fun. Selamat Datang, Harry and co.! www.1dindo.com

Music

Java Jazz Festival 2015 6–8 March 2015 The jazz festival going strong in the capital since 2004 is back in March this year at the JIExpo in Kemayoran. Confirmed acts so far as usual include a mix of local and international musos, to name a few: the Benjamin Herman Quar tet, Blue Note Tokyo All Stars, Brad Mehldau, Courtney Pine, Harvey Mason, Hendrik Meurkens, Michael Lington, Akiko Tsuruga, Alain Caron, Jumanee Smith, Luca Carla & Chris Jarret, Warren Hill, and Jarrod Lawson. http:// www.javajazzfestival.com/2015/ ticket.php Buy 1 get 2 tickets with BNI at http://t.co/W6N6bOdzuS

Lenny Kravitz: Strut World Tour 2015 26 March 2015 Another major star is drawn to Indonesia’s burgeoning gig-going fanbase in March, in the shape of gorgeous American god of rock, Lenny Kravitz. No doubt thrilling the crowds with his electric riffs, moves and choruses the world over on his Strut tour, Lenny is set to bring his special brand of devil-may-care charm to the Big Durian, to the delight of fans. Book now! http://variantentertainment.com/ Fashion

Networking

The Year of Goat Celebration at DoubleTree by Hilton Jakarta— Diponegoro Various dates DoubleTree by Hilton JakartaDipenegoro host s severa l celebrations for the Year of the Goat. The Restaurant and T Lounge will spread cheer with a variety of celebratory menus.

A Special Chinese New Year eve dinner buffet on the 18th February 2015 (6pm-finish) is Rp.318,000++ per person with free flow of Chinese tea in OPEN}.

On Chinese New Year’s Day, there’s brunch (Rp.328,000++ per person and half price for children 6-12 years), with free flow of Chinese tea from 11.30am to 3pm. During the week before New Year’s Day, the lobby and T Lounge areas will be filled with Qu-Zheng, a traditional Chinese instr ument a l per for ma nce.

Dining reservations: +62 212 985 7093

World Education Festival 2015 27–28 February 2015 The W E Fe s t , or g a n i se d by AGOR A Indonesia and MSW Globa l, a ims to showc a se educational institutions (as well a s selected companies from the private sector) from home and abroad. The aim is to help young prospective students and employees to make solid decisions to prepare themselves for the world of further study, and of a working life beyond. http://www. worldeducationfest.com Tel: +62 21 293 19384

14 February 2015 Smooth crooner Keith Martin w ill make you swoon on the Day of Love at the Riva Bar & Lounge at the Park Lane Hotel, Jl. Casablanca, Jakarta. Keith w i l l per for m roma nt ic love songs Because of You, I’ll Never Find Someone, Love of My Life and many more, followed by the Resident DJ Aiu Kandi’s performance.

26

indonesia expat issue 135

Indonesia Fashion Week 26 February–1 March 2015 With 32 fashion shows, 665 brands, and 1,920 outfits to see over four days, IFW is not to be missed by any fashionista worth their sartorial salt. The Jakarta Convention Centre will be taken over by international and local designers, retailers and more, to celebrate and showcase all that the growing Indonesian fashion industr y ha s to of fer. w w w. indonesiafashionweek.com/

IABC Members Gathering 25 February 2015 The Indonesia Australia Business Council will hold a gathering for members and non-members alike involved in bilateral business between Indonesia and Australia.

The venue is still TBA but the event will be from 6:30 – 9:00 p.m. and is usually very well attended. Cost: Rp. 250.000/person (Members), and Rp. 400.000/person (NonMembers). RSVP: functions@ iabc.or.id

Charity

'Voices for the Jungle' Orang Utan Fundraiser 6 March 2015 Orang Utan Republik Education Initiative Indonesia (OUREII) presents a fundraising event for those most-loved of jungle creatures, Ora ng Uta ns, on March 6th 2015 at Warehouse82, Seminyak from 8pm. Receive a welcome jungle cocktail, a shor t mov ie, an ar t auction, danceshow and raffle draw all to jungle sounds from the DJs. Meet conservationists who work with the organisation in Sumatra and learn about what we can do to raise funds and awareness for these critically endangered beauties. www.orangutanrepublik.org

OneFc: Odyssey of Champions Boxing Match 14 February 2015 Mixed Martial Arts is another sporting trend gaining traction in the archipelago, and the Istora Senayan w ill host an extravaganza for enthusiasts

cancer, Four Seasons Resorts Bali is hosting “Bali Hope for Life”, on Sunday, 1 March 2015.

All proceeds raised from Bali Hope For Life will be donated to Yayasan Kanker Indonesia and Yayasan Kasih Anak Kanker Indonesia. Everyone is invited to take part in the 5 km fun run, starting at 6:00 a.m. The route begins and finishes at the Lapangan Puputan Niti Mandala Renon, Denpasar. A celebratory party will follow the challenge, providing a light snack and live music. Tickets are available at Rp 100,000 per person at either Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay or Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan, or call the number above.

Call Dewi Fadmawati at (0361) 701010.

Food & Drink

BALI

Education

Sport & Health Riva Bar & Lounge presents Keith Martin

in February. Thousands of fans can enjoy 10 boxing matches of world-class action, spearheaded by local hero and host Fransino ‘The Pitbull’ Tirta, who fights against MMA legend, American Jens ‘Lil Evil’ Pulver. Sure to be a knockout. http://www.kiostix.com

Four Seasons ‘Bali Hope for Life’ Fun Run 1 March 2015 Bringing hope and inspiration for people in Bali who are battling

Valentine's Day at Le Meridien Bali Jimbaran 14 February 2015 Have a romantic celebration at either Bamboo Chic, in the comfort of a luxurious room or by the rooftop Celebration Pavilion (limited to 5 couples only). Indulge in a 4-course dinner promising a romantic evening for just the two of you. Available Valentine’s Day 18.30-23.00. IDR1,100,000 net per couple at Bamboo Chic and IDR1,250,000 net per couple at either Celebration Pavilion or in-room. Includes dinner, two glasses of sparkling wine, chocolate praline and a rose. www.lemeridienbalijimbaran. com

Health

ReTreat Yourself 5–14 March 2015 This is a 10 - day retreat for the purpose of rela xing and exploring the Balinese culture.

Pa r t ic ipa nt s w i l l h ave t he beautiful opportunity of doing daily meditations, daily yoga with health coach Jennifer Moore, as well as enjoying bike rides along the rice paddies of Ubud and raw food classes with Avara Yaron, founder of Living Food Lab. This retreat is priced at £1,450 with a monthly payment plan available up on r e que s t . R e g i s t er by emailing healthcoachandcook@ gmail.com or v isiting w w w. healthcoachandcook.com.

A Healthy Woman is a Happy Woman Retreat 7–14 March 2015 G ek ko Re t re at s pre sent s a program based on the Mulier Art of Health from European holistic healing expert Meri Bura. Yoga and nutrition-led, the course draws on the female archetypes hidden in all women, to ‘wake the goddess inside’ – from wife to seductress to amazon.

Personal health evaluation and medical check-up included. The activities leave plenty of free time to enjoy the resort too. Find your inner goddess this spring! http:// gekkoretreats.com/holiday/ healthy-woman-is-a-happywoman/

JOGJAKARTA

Connected Communication Workshop Say it with Dinner at the Pullman 14 February 2015 This Valentine’s Day, surprise your loved one with an extravagant five-course dinner under the stars, with an ocean breeze overlooking t o the Ind ia n Ocea n at the Pullman Bali Legian Nirwana.

A French-inspired Infinity Pool side 5-course sumptuous menu by our Chef includes Yellowfin tuna tartare, crayfish on lobster bisque, pan-seared Wagyu beef, and a Lava Chocolate cake. A delicious way to celebrate special occasion and to fall in love. Bookings: +62 361 762500

21-22 February 2015 Learn about the new generation of human connection and peacemaking skills that are changing the way we think about conflict, compassion and our future. Follow a 2-day foundation Connected Communication Workshop, based on the teachings of Nonviolent Communication, which w ill present the basic concepts and tools. You’ll get enough info & practice to start using Nonviolent Communication effectively in your daily life - professional or personal. Price: Rp.900,000 per person, including lunches. www. soulliving.info

INDONESIA EXPAT DIRECTORY

INDONESIA EXPAT DIRECTORY

INDONESIA EXPAT DIRECTORY

INDONESIA EXPAT DIRECTORY

INDONESIA EXPAT DIRECTORY

INDONESIA EXPAT DIRECTORY

Relax. We carry the load.

TV Karaoke. Disco Lights. Bar Fridge. Toilet. 20 pax City tour? Hen's or Buck's Night? VIP Airport Pick-up? Birthday? Wedding? A Company Event?

#1 CUSTOMER CHOICE ASIA PACIFIC REGION

CALL: 021 987 92877 E-mail: info@royalevipbus.com Web: www.royalevipbus.com

Jakarta: (021) 780 7851 Surabaya: (031) 749 8377 E-mail: info@alliedpickfords.co.id Web: www.alliedpickfords.co.id

INTERNATIONAL, DOMESTIC, LOCAL, OFFICE MOVING, STORAGE Call Francois 085 8838 98678 E-mail: francois@safeway.co.id or Firdaus: 0812 945 6005 E-mail: firdaus@safewayrelo.com Website: www.safewayrelo.com “RELOCATION MADE EASY’’

INDONESIA EXPAT DIRECTORY

Santa Fe provides moving services — International, domestic, local & office, document storage & management services, real estate, property management & maintenance, orientations, visa & immigration and home contents insurance.

Executive Search Recruitment Services Translations & Interpreting HR Consulting Payroll & Accounting Service

Call us Jakarta: +62 21 2961 2990 Balikpapan:+62 542 713 4334 Bali: +62 811 889 2445 Surabaya: +62 812 304 4775 or E-mail: indonesia@santaferelo.com and visit our website www.santaferelo.com for more information

For more information: www.jac-recruitment.co.id indoexpat@jac-recruitment.co.id Phone: 021-315-9504 / 9506 Mobile: 081-672-8653

INDONESIA EXPAT DIRECTORY

INDONESIA EXPAT DIRECTORY

INDONESIA EXPAT DIRECTORY

TO BOOK SPACE ON THIS DIRECTORY PAGE CALL: 021 719 5908

issue 135 indonesia expat

27

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: 18 February

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

JAKARTA JOBS Jobs available Looking for a very professional n a n ny f or my b a b y : G o o d command of English; Experienced and have reliable/contactable reference letters from previous families; Honest, trustworthy, patient and pleasant attitude.

Please text me if you know a good candidate. 08151804160.

Driver Wanted Menteng Area: We are currently looking for a responsible driver for our family that is able to work in the Menteng area Monday through Saturday.

If interested, please contact Heidi at hlndlp@yahoo.com or call/text me at 081314305915. Start date February 17, 2015.

Need a trusted good driver. Need a driver urgently who I can trust with my child. Please contact me immediately on roshini.bakshi@ gmail.com Experienced secretary/Personal A s si s t a nt for E x pat (US A) urgently required in South Jakarta. Send your resume or CV with photos - interviews will be in Mid Feb 2015. Please email to Learning_Edu@yahoo.co.id Looking for work My name is Sugiarto, I am looking for a job as a driver. I live in Mampang, South Jakarta. My age is 35 years old, date of birth 10-11-1978. My work experience: PT. British Petroleum 2007-2011, PT. Weatherford 2011-2013. Basic education is senior high school. I can speak a bit of conversational English. If you need driver for personal or office driver contact me please: 0817129515.

pla n n i ng & stor y tel l i ng.

Market research. Competitive rates. Excellent references.

Tel: 0812 1070 111. Email: paulkanwar@gmail.com PROPERTY For Rent: A One -Bed Fu lly Fur nished Apar tment for short or long term. Included in Apartment’s facilities: swimming pool, 24-hour security system and support. Located in South Jakar ta , close to Kuningan, Casablanca, and Pancoran area.

Further information contact Ms. Siti: mobile 0812-800-6245 email: Saniz2015@yahoo.com.

N E E D A N A PA R T M E N T TO RENT OR BUY? We have g reat selec t ion of ava i lable apartments in South Jakarta Area that will suit your needs and budget. We currently have units in Pakubuwono Residence, Pakubuwono View, Pakubuwono House, Dharmawangsa Essence.

Please contact me, Melati, on 081317810789.

FOR R EN T: Taman Rasuna Apartment 2 Bedroom, 74 Sqm, OK Price. Price Range: R.8-9 million per month. Minimum Contract: Monthly/3/6/12 Month.

Pay in advance. Please call Novie: 081399077888 / 081511886789.

At Rasuna Said - KUNINGAN Area, For RENT/SALE, 1,2,3 B e d r o o m s Ty p e , T A M A N R A SU NA A pa r t ment , 18t h R e s i d e n c e , T H E WAV E Apartment, FULLY FURNISHED C o n d i t io n , A F F OR DA BL E PRICE. Hurry up! First come first served rule is applied. Please Call : 085219553888 / 087889888016.

Email: propertysisco@gmail.com.

I am looking for work as a cook or housekeeper, live out position in Kebayoran, Kemang area & surroundings. I am fine with dog and I have good references from previous employers. Please write me: wati1547@yahoo.com should you be interested.

E x p er ienc e d Wr it er & Marketing Man Kick off 2015 with a sharper message to sell your product/service and shake up your competitors, permanently. Copywriting: Company profiles, Annual reports, Corporate videos, B i o ’s , P r e s s r e l e a s e s , etc. Ma rket ing Strateg y, Br a nd i ng, S o c i a l me d i a

28

indonesia expat issue 135

B e v e rl y Tow e r A p a r t me nt , a dd r e s s: T B si m at upa ng Simatupang street, Cilandak Barat, South Jakarta. All new fully furnished, 2+1 bedroom, lu a s ba ng u n a n 90m . G o o d location, only 10 minutes to Pondok Indah Mall, 10 min to

Pondok Indah Hospital, 5 minutes to Siloam hospital, 5 minutes to toll road Jorr. The location in between JIS school and Don Bosco school, 10 minutes to Citos mall. Facilities: swimming pool for kids and adult, sauna room, f itness room, laundr y room, mini market and private parking USD 1500/ month (negotiable), contact Eva: +6281806502709 or +6281315972494 House for Sale, Jakarta: Rasamala - Pa t r a K u n i ng a n , B e h i n d Bidakara Building. Certificate : SHM. Land Size/Building : 177/300m2. Total Bedroom : 4 bedrooms and 2 maid bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, garage for 2 cars.

Has music rooms area. Price Rp. 4.900.000.000. Please contact Soraya at 087893161002 if you required to see the house.

SERVICES 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) +6282110502786 Email: unascartas@yahoo.com.

Bahasa Indonesia lessons for expats living in South Jakarta, K u n i ng a n , C ou nt r y Wo o d , BSD, given by instructor with 20 years’ experience. Flexible S c h e du l e . Pl e a s e c a l l Pa k Chairuman 08121037466 email chairuman1942@gmail.com Private Classical Piano Lesson for Children and Adults. Teacher willing to come to your place for the lesson (for South Jakarta a re a). Wel l e x p er ienc e d i n teaching piano for children, adults and music theor y a s well, also provides the ABRSM Examination that Internationally certified, if you are interested, please contact 081317810789.

Do you need to translate documents from Danish i nt o Indone sia n la ng uage?

Ju s t c ont a c t me a t e m a i l: kristinabudiati@gmail.com.

I am ready to help you!

Learn BAHASA INDONESIA. You can learn the lang uage fast and easily, tailored for Foreig ners/ E x patr iates at your place/house/office. Flexible timing. Call: 0811 899864 / sinta.permadi@yahoo.com

GET YOUR WEEKLY ORGANIC V E GETA BL E BA SK ET. No artificial fertilizer, no pesticides.

From a certified organic garden in Bogor that was started to promote healthy food and to help the surrounding community.

Contains a variety of veggies, every week something different: Salads, carrots, cabbage, tomatoes, pumpkins etc. Order weekly before Saturdays 6pm.

P ic k up Tue s d ay mor n i ng s (7.30am-1pm) near Jl Ampera Raya (South Jakarta). No home delivery. For more info: Nancy Fox orgvegjakarta@gmail.com Driver available. My driver is look ing for a job. Pa k Dido speaks no English but has great knowledge of Jakarta's streets and short cuts. He is trustworthy and loyal to our family since 6 years ago. My kids are bigger now and they only have activities after school around at the school area, so I don't need any extra help anymore. For reference please email tarra_a@yahoo.com or contact Pak Dido 081283055480 for any inquiries.

Hi everyone, Yanti works as a house cleaner for me twice a week, and she's looking for more work, preferably in South Jakarta. She's great and amazing. You can call her directly (she speaks English) at 08 13 19 55 77 83, or call me - 08 78 89 44 20 28.

OTHERS Looking to buy a Samsung Galaxy Mini phone. Please include a picture and your price in your response. Please send replies to emercogan@hotmail.com I would like to buy used barbell and plates (about 40-50kg). Please contact me by email tanjahar@ gmail.com.

Two items for sale: 1) Brand New Single Bed for Sale. Excellent condition, never been slept in 200cm x 122cm. Complete with base, headboard and mattress.

On ly 3m i l lion OBO, a nd 2) Treadmill for Sale, Very Good Condition, Brand: Sports Art, Model: 1060, Only 3.5million OBO. Contact Adam at djjock21@ yahoo.com for viewing For sale in Pondok Indah: 1) Rp.400,000 IKEA Balancing Chairs (cover can be taken off), 2) Rp.600,000 Original Sacco Beanbag for youth/adult , 3)

an Indonesian. My phone number (087725346210).

BALI PROPERTY

Villa for sale in Denpasar: Lt. 200/lb 280, 3 KT/4KMD Family room, Modern kitchen, Dining room, Pool, Garden, Storage, Staff room, Hak Milik certificate + IMB, electricity 4400. email: 087835300030.

Rp.100,000 Of f ice Chair, 4) Rp. 800,000 Gaming Chair with Speakers and Inputs, 5) Rp.500,000 Nautica Queen (US) Comforter Set, 6) Rp.2,000,000 Blue Ember Gas Grill. For photos and more items SMS only to 0811 8608 027 or email to knardals@ yahoo.co.id L ook ing t o buy a ga s BBQ , medium size, in good condition and at a reasonable price. Thank you to send photos via SMS or whatsapp 0811 158 43 08 I am looking for a baby high chair in good condition. Prefer Stokke or peg perego (siesta).

Please text me if you are willing to sell (08151804160) BR A ND NEW sealed in box w it h Indone sia n g ua ra nt ee from Samsung: Samsung 40 inch LED uHDTV. Smart TV with internet capability, model UA40HU7000W. Rp.8,850,000 in electronic city (021-500032).

Selling for Rp.8,000,000. Email to gtmnn@yahoo.com. Pick up Kebayoran Baru.

New George Foreman Indoor/ O ut door Gr i l l. Used t w ic e.

A sk ing Rp 1,000,000. Sms/ Whatsapp 081287621190. Pick up in Kebayoran Baru.

Items for sale! Nice Garden set including cushions: 4,5 jt. Big sofa (three seats and almost new): 5,5 jt. Washing machine (Bosch): 3,5 jt. Mattress King Size: 2,5 jt. Pick up in Kemang. If you are interested, please contact MajJenz@gmail.com or 0812 829 10980.

Kashmir-Tour, Leh & Ladakh Tour, Maldives Tour etc... At affordable cost. If you want any information please contact us : Phone : +62 21 6387 1667 Email : indo@magadhtours.com Web : www.bestindiatrip.com For Sale: Three adorable and healthy male Siberian Husky pups are looking for a loving home. They are 4.5 months old, pedigree certified, and vaccinated for Rabies and Distemper. Housetrained. Rupiah 3.6 million O.N.O. Contact: Glenda 0877-88131788.

Villa for Sale or long-term rent.

2 large bedrooms and living area in 176 msq with glistening pool on 426 msq area , par t Balinese style with glass and fine wood creating warmth and character. West of bypass in villa complex. SMS 081999 571288 for more info.

HOUSE FOR SALE, Tanah Lot - Yeh Gangga, Bali. Price: Rp. 230 Mio / are. Land size: 50,95 are, subdivided in 2 certificates.

Location: Tanah Lot, 3.8 km North of Tanah Lot`s Temple.

Status: FREEHOLD.

PELABUHAN RATU PROPERTY

2 cute kittens (born in November 2014) still waiting to be adopted together: frende888@gmail.com/ sms 081290231199 Looking for second-hand IKEA Kallax shelving unit, preferably 16 - h ol e s . A l s o lo o k i ng f or second-hand f iling cabinets in good condition. Please sms 08111490400.

PERSONAL Hi, I’m an Indonesian w ith eng i ne er i ng de g r e e , I l i ke interacting w ith many kind of people from dif ferent background/culture, providing private school assistance for students in mathematics, science, etc. A lso prov iding Ba ha sa Indonesia lesson for foreigners.

Further information contact Ms. Siti: mobile 0812-800-6245 email: Saniz2015@yahoo.com.

Looking for boyfriend: I'm Annie Julia. I'm looking for boyfriend or life couple. Western men only.

I'm 23 years old single and I'm

Discover Villa Gamrang.

Experience our hospitality and the complete privacy of your own beach house. Villa Gamrang (Cisolok beach, 4 hours’ drive from Jakarta) is designed to offer guests a wonderful and luxurious holiday with beautiful and natural surroundings. Stylish interior, several outdoor terrace’s, sea view, spacious garden, swimming pool, 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, complete kitchen, cable television, internet (WiFi). Idyllic place for couples or one or two families.

Staf f and in house cater ing ava i lable. At tra c t ive pr ices starting from IDR 1,800,000 per night. Most of our guests visit us again. Reservations www. villagamrang.nl or just mail us at villagamrang@gmail.com

DIPLOMATIC CAR FOR SALE. Model: Toyota Rush 2009, Colour: Black. Mileage: 53,000 KM. Price: USD 9,000 o.n.o. Availability: February, 2015. Well maintained and in excellent condition. If you are interested, please contact Youri at yourigoudswaard@ yahoo.com or 0811 8777 876.

Looking for IKEA MALM chest of 6 or 4 drawers white, IKEA HURDAL chest of 9 drawers Nat u r a l i s , IK E A K A L L A X shelving unit white. Please send sms to: 0811 1806150 or mail to: minjakarta@gmail.com.

Pilgrimage Tourism in India:- We provide Pilgrimage Tourism in India like Buddhist-PilgrimageTour, Golden-Triangle-Tour,

issue 135 indonesia expat

29

30

indonesia expat issue 135

issue 135 indonesia expat

31

32

indonesia expat issue 135