Indonesia Expat – issue 137

ED UC AT E! I S S U E N O. 137

|

11 – 2 4 M A R C H 2 0 1 5

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

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

THE TABOO OF SEX EDUCATION IN INDONESIA FIVE TECH START-UPS LOOKING TO IMPACT LOCAL ACADEMIA MEET BRENTON HALL: PRINCIPAL OF THE AUSTRALIAN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL

PHOTOGRAPHING BIOLUMINESCENCE IN SULAWESI INTERNING IN PARADISE WITH JULIE VAN DER MEER MOHR

THE EDUCATION ISSUE

issue 137 indonesia expat

1

2

indonesia expat issue 137

issue 137 indonesia expat

3

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Dear Readers,

giving birth on more than one occasion, and at boarding school, we were shown a very disturbing video of an abortion of a 20-week-old fetus.

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”

I feel lucky to have received education on sexual health so extensively in school, and I believe this was a very important part of my adolescent years. Only international schools in Indonesia receive this level of sexual education – local schools are only given implicit teachings integrated into other subjects, where the message of abstinence is prevalent. Please turn to page 6 for the full story on sexual education in Indonesia’s local schools.

Editor in Chief Angela Richardson

Editorial Enquiries letters@indonesiaexpat.biz

Management Edo Frese edo@indonesiaexpat.biz

– Nelson Mandela

Sales Dian Mardianingsih ads@indonesiaexpat.biz

Distribution & Admin Juni Setiawan admin@indonesiaexpat.biz

Graphics Frederick Ng Katarina Anindita

Finance Lini Verawaty finance@indonesiaexpat.biz

Contributors Victoria Bannerman Bill Dalton Karen Davis Annali Hayward Gregg A. Hollomon Enricko Lukman Daniel Pope Eamonn Sadler Grace Susetyo Antony Sutton Kenneth Yeung

Subscriptions subscriptions@indonesiaexpat.biz

When talking about education, I feel so grateful to have attended international schools around Java, followed by a Protestant boarding school and then a liberal sixth form college in Cambridge, UK, finishing at university in London. I believe this diversified learning background has helped to mould me into the person that I am today. Sadly, so many children do not have the means to experience a good education in Indonesia, and although primary education is essentially free, extra fees for uniforms, books and the like make it very difficult for low-income families to keep their children in school.

for the boys and one for the girls—to discuss each group’s reproductive organs and what we were to experience in the coming years.

Then we were brought back together into one group, and the teacher talked to us about sexual intercourse and how that resulted in pregnancy, and eventually, a baby – all complete with diagrams. I don’t remember feeling awkward or embarrassed, however the lesson has always stuck out in my memory.

This issue I took it upon myself to write the feature story, which is about the taboo of sex education in Indonesia. I remember experiencing my first sex ed class at an international school in year five, where I was around 9-10 years of age. The teachers separated us first into two groups—one

Sexual health was reintroduced several times in high school, where teachers taught us about sexually transmitted diseases, as well as practicing safe sex – in one particular class, students were asked to put a condom on a banana. I watched videos of women

This issue we meet some very interesting educators: Brenton Hall, Principal of Australia International School in Jakarta, Julie van der Meer Mohr, Operational Manager of Internship Bali, as well as Lou Simpson, Non-Executive Chair of Foundation for Mother and Child Health Indonesia. In Business, we talk about start-ups looking to impact Indonesian academia, changing the way people approach learning in the archipelago.

As usual, this and so much more - we hope you enjoy this Education Issue!

Angela Richardson Editor in Chief

Events events@indonesiaexpat.biz

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Published by PT. Koleksi Klasik Indonesia Graha Eka Formula Building 3rd floor, #302 Jl. Bangka Raya No. 2 Kemang, Jakarta T: 021 719 5908 (sales/editorial) 021 719 3409 (admin/finance) F: 021 719 3409 Office hours: 09.00–17.00 Monday–Friday

INDONESIA EXPAT IS PUBLISHED

Dear Upset Anonymous in Java, Dear Editors, Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us.

In response to your article on the tightening of KITAS rules recently, I wanted to write in and share my experience. I am someone who has funnelled billions of dollars in foreign investment into Indonesia over the last 30 years, and given Indonesians and their families jobs and livelihoods, education and opportunities they would never have had otherwise. But now, I feel disappointed in the short-sighted nationalistic policies that seem to be coming to the fore.

BI-WEEKLY BY PT. KOLEKSI KLASIK INDONESIA. OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS PUBLICATION ARE THOSE OF THE WRITERS AND THE PUBLISHER DOES NOT ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMMISIONS, OR COMPLAINTS ARISING THERE FROM.

I love Indonesia, but like many others, I find myself now thinking whether the country is really interested in growing their economy or just in closing the doors to the outside world, by getting tough on exactly that which could bring future economic growth.

The KITAS article received the most reads and feedback of any article we’ve ever published. It is indeed a hot topic right now, and one that is upsetting many expats who have been calling Indonesia home for quite some time.

The fact of the matter is that Indonesia can’t afford to do anything that would jeopardise foreign investment, and could risk losing billions of dollars in lost taxes and royalties over the next few years from investors being driven away.

Yours is not the first letter we have received of this nature and we do hope that the situation improves. Please keep us posted.

NO PARTS OF THIS PUBLICATION CAN BE REPRODUCED IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN

Regards Upset Anonymous, Java

PRINT OR ELECTRONICALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHER. ALL TRADEMARKS, LOGOS, BRANDS AND

Many Thanks IE Editorial Team

DESIGNS ARE COPYRIGHT AND FULLY RESERVED BY PT. KOLEKSI KLASIK INDONESIA.

Indonesia Expat would like to apologise for a spelling mistake in Issue 136 in the title of the Meet the Expat interview of the Business Section. The correct spelling is 'Erin Lloyd'. Thank you for your understanding. - IE Team

The Cover Learning at Bantar Gebang

by Angela R.

4

indonesia expat issue 137

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 137

Contents

06

06

Feature Story Let's Talk about Sex: Are Indonesia's Youth Ill-Prepared?

Expat Business

08 10 12

14

Featured Five Tech Start-ups Looking to Capitalise on Indonesia's Education Industry Business Profile AIS Indonesia: A Lesson in Australian Education Meet the Expat Julie van der Meer Mohr: Interning in Paradise

Expat Lifestyle

Food & Drink Quality Coffee and Breakfast at Monolog

16

Travel Fairyland Express

17

Education Bali & Massachusetts: Two School Systems Worlds Apart

18

Fashion Glorious Indonesia Fashion Week

14

19

16

Scams in the City Swindling Starts at School

Expat Outreach

20

Meet the Expat Lou Simpson

21

Sports Rugby Expats Take the Game to Local Communities

22

Worthy Causes Healing Habitats: A Doctor's Conservation Mission

23

Announcements

24

Light Entertainment OMG Skool is Soooo Yesterday!

25

Observations Making the Possible Impossible

26

Events

27

Business Directory

28

Classifieds

issue 137 indonesia expat

5

FEATURE STORY

Are Indonesia’s Youth Ill-Prepared?

By Angela Richardson

Indonesia, the country with the largest Muslim population in the world, is not an advocate for teaching formal sexual education in schools. Instead, sex education is integrated into biology, social studies and religious classes in an implicit manner, including teachings on abstinence. There is an ongoing debate about the correct way to combat the spread of HIV and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), as well as preventing unplanned pregnancies, with disagreements generally taking place between the government and non-governmental organizations, religious leaders and sexual health experts. The question is, what effects are the decisions of today’s adults going to have on the children of tomorrow if they are not equipped with the proper information they need about sex?

A

ccording to a survey in 2011 by the Ministry of Health, only 20 percent of Indonesians aged 15 to 24 had comprehensive knowledge of HIV. This, coupled with information from UNAIDS that Indonesia is one of Asia’s fastest-growing HIV and AIDS epidemics, shows the urgent need to ramp up education about sex in the country.

Indonesia’s first case of the HIV virus was reported in 1987 and in 2012, 610,000 were estimated to be living with the virus according to UNAIDS HIV. In Surabaya, instead of pushing a sex education agenda, recent news saw Governor of Surabaya, Tri Rismaharini— through the Department of Trade and industry—forbidding the sale of contraceptives in minimarts and supermarkets to unmarried individuals and under-21s. The move was made in an effort to “protect children as the future generations, as well as minimize the negative effects of the misuse of contraceptives,” said head of the Department of Trade and Industry of Surabaya, Widodo Suryantoro, to Kompas.

Dewi Candraningrum is Chief Editor of Jurnal Perempuan, a publication aiming to educate and train readers of gender equality, opposing any forms of violence against women. Candraningrum believes that banning the sale of condoms to unmarried individuals in Surabaya is a bad sign. “This could lead to many unsafe abortions and unwanted pregnancies, which at the end endangers the lives of women,” she said. “Regulations are not clear in Indonesia. Sometimes they promote [the use of condoms], sometimes not; everything is so arbitrary if related to sexuality,” she continued.

6

indonesia expat issue 137

In January, East Java’s province of Jember announced a plan to carry out virginity testing to high school girls, not allowing them to graduate if they failed the test. The plan sparked widespread condemnation, especially among human rights and women’s rights groups, including Jurnal Perempuan. Indonesian officials have recently apologised over said proposal, after top Islamic clerical body, the Ulema Council, announced the tests were not compatible with Islam. The city council of Jember apologized for any offence caused to women and Indonesian students.

the life of girls.” The government and education institutions view sex education as promoting ‘free sex’, a term coined by conservatives in an effort to ban sexual education, which Candraningrum believes should be changed to ‘safe and responsible sex’.

In 2012, former Education Minister Muhammad Nuh said he objected to sex education being taught in Indonesia's secondary schools, stating that children don't need formal education about sex because they will learn it "naturally".

In the same year, the newly appointed Health Minister Nafsiah Mboi declared that the Education and Cultural Ministry should address the spread of HIV/AIDS by providing proper education for schoolchildren. Nafsiah, a Catholic, added that she would promote condomuse to youngsters, which resulted in backlash rallies by Muslim groups considering the move an act of promoting indecency among the country’s youth.

Consequently, several weeks later, Nafsiah withdrew her plan of kondomisasi (distributing free condoms), reported to have said: “With confidence, I do not agree with the distribution of condoms to our young people, absolutely not.”

Several countries in Asia have documented large reductions in common STDs through successful condom programmes. In a World Health Organisation (WHO) report, Thailand measured a 95% drop in common curable STDs during the 1990s, following introduction of the 100% condom-use programme, implemented by STD clinic staff working with sex trade establishments – in Indonesia we see 40-50 percent condom-use at best. Cambodia measured large decreases in STDs over five years following a similar intervention.

Namibia, a country that once had one of the highest rates of HIV, took aggressive action to reduce the spread of the virus.

In a five-year plan (2010/11-2015/16), in conjunction with the US government, life skills-based HIV prevention is being taught at secondary schools, more than 25 million condoms are distributed every year to the public sector, and over 60% of men and women aged 15-24 have advanced knowledge of HIV, compared to Indonesia’s 20%, mentioned earlier. Sex before the age of 15 has also dropped in Namibia, as has the percentage of people reporting multiple partners. Could Indonesia take a leaf out of Namibia’s book?

Nafsiah Mboi, Indonesian Health Minister

How can such proposals to combat the spread of disease and unplanned pregnancies be put forward in the first place, and could they be linked with the general lack of sexual health education in the country? Vidia Darmawi is an independent consultant for the evaluation and review of HIV programmes, having worked with Family Health International and AusAID on HIV projects in 20022010. She thinks “it is not because of loweducated local authorities; it's just that we don't have an enabling environment or support from the government.”

Sex education in Indonesia is considered a taboo and Candraningrum says that teaching it “is considered harming

In 2013, Terence H. Hull—Emeritus Professor at the Australian National University—along with Iwu Dwisetyani Utomo, Peter McDonald, Anna Reimondos and Ariane Utomo produced a report titled Sex Education: Do primary students understand how pregnancy can occur?

A comparison of "Bro, I got a free condom they were handing them out earlier. They say it's National Condom Week..."

"So, what are you going to do with that condom?"

"Ya, I'm going to use it, lah!

Why would they go to such efforts to hand out condoms if it's not to be used? Ah, hey babe. Let's meet up tonight."

Anti condom programme flyer by Umat Islam Indonesia Menolak Kampanye Kondomisasi (Muslims against a condom distribution campaign)

Studies in the West have proven that children have the intellectual capacity to understand the process of sex and reproduction by the end of primary school, and children as young as six are able to understand the fundamentals of how conception occurs. students in Jakarta, West Java, West Nusa Tenggara and South Sulawesi, Indonesia, to understand Indonesian students’ understanding of conception. The study covered students from a wide variety of backgrounds in four different regions of Indonesia with contrasting economic, geographic and sociocultural and population characteristics. 1,762 grade 6 students (11 to 12-year-olds) provided answers to the following list of behaviours and processes, indicating whether they believed each behaviour or process could lead to pregnancy: 1) When a man and a woman kiss 2) When a man and a woman hug 3) When a man and a woman have sex 4) When the sperm comes into contact with the egg.

Just over half of the students showed an advanced understanding of conception, correctly identifying that hugging and kissing do not lead to pregnancy and that sexual intercourse and the sperm coming into contact with the egg does.

An additional 16% of the students had a purely biological understanding of pregnancy, and the remaining third were categorized as ‘other’, indicating a poor understanding of conception. Students in general schools and those in toprated schools were more likely to have an

advanced understanding of the causes of pregnancy than students in Islamic religious schools and schools with average performance. Location also had a significant effect on the understanding of conception, with West Nusa Tenggara and South Sulawesi showing particularly lower odds in comparison with Jakarta.

Studies in the West have proven that children have the intellectual capacity to understand the process of sex and reproduction by the end of primary school, and children as young as six are able to understand the fundamentals of how conception occurs. Hull and co. observed “the obstacle to providing children with comprehensive sex education thus has less to do with the children’s ability to understand than it does with the strong apprehension of parents, teachers and policy-makers, to discuss sex with children...”

What happens when children are not provided with accurate information at an early enough age? They are most likely to turn to other sources, for instance their friends, the media and the everavailable Internet. Due to the quality of information available from these sources,

Twelve countries with highest HIV burden and new HIV infection trends

India* 2,100,000 Philippines 15,000

Trends in new HIV infections

Papua New Guinea 25,000

China* 780,000

Nepal 49,000 Cambodia 76,000

Malaysia 82,000

Increasing Decreasing No recent trend

Total people living with HIV in 12 countries

4,734,000

Indonesia 610,000

Pakistan 87,000

Myanmar 200,000 Viet Nam 260,000

Thailand 450,000 Source: UNAIDS HIV estimates 2012 * Estimates for China and India are based on 2011 national data

adolescents are increasingly at risk of practicing unsafe sex.

Much effort is needed to overcome challenges provided by Indonesia’s current decentralized school system. Due to decentralisation, even current topics such as HIV and AIDS, which are included in the minimum standards for the national curriculum, do not always reach the district or school levels and are not always adhered to by textbook publishers, as reported by UNESCO (2010). Teachers are often found to shy away from talking candidly about sex to pupils, due to the sensitive nature of the topic, and teacher training must be implemented. Darmawi would like to see the education ministry “equip selected teachers with good materials and skills on

how to convey [the message]” adding that “parents should also be involved in pre and post [class] discussions on sex education.”

Darmawi says, “In general, we’re really making progress in Indonesia compared to 10 years ago. HIV services can be accessed widely, information on safe sex can be more easily found in hotels (in red light areas), shops and posyandu (children and pregnant women clinic).” Hull and co.’s report concludes, “In the interim... for individual schools or districts, the local content curriculum provides some opportunities for including reproductive health material.” When asked whether any progress has been made since his report in 2013, Hull responded: “No improvement is likely.”

Indonesia visa stamps by Dcgreer

issue 137 indonesia expat

7

EXPAT BUSINESS FEATURED

5

tech Start-ups Looking to Capitalise on Indonesia’s Education Industry

By Enricko Lukman

With the power of the Internet, these start-ups are looking to impact Indonesian academia and change the way people approach learning in the archipelago.

Indonesia’s education industry is huge. According to former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, there are about 50 million students, 3 million teachers, and 200,000 schools in the archipelago. Indonesia’s population size of 250 million is a significant part of what makes it an attractive market for start-ups. It’s also safe to say that the potential for innovative education technology products has not gone unnoticed in recent years.

With the power of the Internet, Indonesia’s tech start-ups are looking to stir things up in the learning industry and change the status quo in the local education sector for the better.

In no particular order, here are five tech start-ups that aim to solve problems in Indonesia’s education industry.

RuangGuru If you’re looking for a private tutor who can help you learn Bahasa Indonesia at home, then RuangGuru might be a good place to start the hunt. Serving as a marketplace for tutors in Indonesia, users who are interested to become a tutor can place ads for their services on the site.

RuangGuru has already signed up more than 8,500 tutors, and it takes a 20 percent commission from each online transaction. To avoid disintermediation and backdoor transactions (i.e. teachers getting money directly from students without using the site’s escrow service),

RuangGuru offers a few added value services as incentives for users to keep using the site. One of them is providing substitute tutors for when a client’s regular tutor is unavailable.

The start-up was founded in April 2013

by Belva Devara and Iman Usman, two Indonesians who were working on master’s degrees in the US when they came up with the idea. In 2014, RuangGuru raised an undisclosed amount of seed funding from Singapore’s East Ventures, a venture capital firm that also aggressively invests in Indonesian companies.

HarukaEdu HarukaEdu is an online education platform for tertiary education in Indonesia. The company lets Indonesians earn degrees online, and helps colleges and universities build online degree programs from scratch.

Recently, the start-up partnered with The London School of Public Relations and Wiraswasta Indonesia University in Jakarta to offer an online degree in Communication Studies and Management.

The start-up also offers online technology entrepreneurship classes in Indonesia, and

plans to incorporate several other webbased certification programs in the future.

Co-founded by Jakarta Founder Institute director Novistiar Rustandi in February 2013, HarukaEdu monetises through a revenue-sharing scheme with its university partners. In November, the start-up raised an undisclosed amount of series A funding from CyberAgent Ventures, a well-known Japanese tech investment firm with an office in Jakarta.

Zenius This is the oldest start-up on this list. Established back in July 2007 by teachers Sabda P.S. and Medy Suharta, Zenius offers e-learning services in Indonesia in the form of educational videos, distributed online and offline. Offline, the videos are sold as CDs and DVDs. The company also runs an offline tuition centre in Jakarta.

Zenius claims to have more than 33,000 videos, which in total have garnered more than 30 million 8

indonesia expat issue 137

views. The company also has 1,500 exercise worksheets, which have aggregately been downloaded more than 2.7 million times.

The company’s CEO told local tech media Tech in Asia that Zenius generated US$446,000 in revenue between June 2013 and June 2014.

Apart from monetising via CD and DVD sales, Zenius also sells vouchers and premium membership for video access. The company has yet to receive external investment.

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.

Brainly As a social learning network, Brainly lets users crowdsource answers to homework problems online. After logging in, users can also rack up points by answering questions posted by others. Honestly, it’s a bit strange because the point system has no observable utility apart from just accruing social status and having fun on the platform.

Founded in September 2009 by a team of serial entrepreneurs named Michal

Borkowski, Lukasz Haluch, and Tomasz Kraus, this Poland-based start-up claims to have 40 million unique users each month from all around the world. In Indonesia, Brainly claims to have more than 6 million users, with about 650,000 active on the site each month.

Brainly has yet to monetise from its platform. Impressively, the start-up has been able to raise US$9.5 million so far from a number of investors including US-based General Catalyst Partners and Germany’s Point Nine Capital.

Quipper School With Quipper School, teachers can create educational content and assign tasks to students in an online classroom.

On the other hand, students can finish the assignments and go through the educational content with the start-up’s gamification system. The site turns learning into a game by allowing students to earn points for each activity and then they can spend these points on things like digital background and interface themes.

Quipper School operates in multiple countries, one of which is Indonesia. The start-up has 50,000 registered teachers and 250,000 registered students from 10,000 schools across the nation. About 60

percent of Quipper School’s users can be considered active each month. Its services are still free to use in Indonesia. In the future, the start-up plans to introduce premium paid content like online tutoring and national exam exercises.

This London-based education tech startup was founded in December 2010 by entrepreneur Masa Watanabe. Prior to Quipper, Watanabe also founded the famous Japanese gaming firm DeNA, which today is a publicly traded company.

Quipper has raised more than US$10 million from a group of investors which includes Japan’s Globis Capital Partners and UK-based Atomico. issue 137 indonesia expat

9

EXPAT BUSINESS BUSINESS PROFILE

A Lesson in Australian Education

AIS INDONESIA The Australian Independent School (formerly Australian International School) operates four sites across Indonesia, with over 700 students.

Brenton Hall is the Principal of AIS and also serves as Head of Campus for the Primary School in Kemang, Jakarta. Brenton shares with us his insight and experience.

By Annali Hayward

Let’s start with some background – what brought you to Indonesia, and what kept you here?

My background is teaching and working as a school councillor and administrator in Adelaide, Australia. In 2005 I took the opportunity to work as an Early Years Advisor on an AusAid project in Flores, where I introduced 500 schools to a new curriculum using Australian methodology – I was attracted to the opportunity to influence others in best practice. I joined the AIS in 2007, as Head of the Primary School in Kemang. In 2013 I took on additional responsibilities as Principal for all four sites. I guess you could say a love of Indonesia kept me here!

You mentioned Australian teaching methodology. What does that entail?

At AIS we have an ‘enquiry’ approach – meaning it is student-centred. Children are not passive learners – they are encouraged to follow their own pathways of thinking, within the structure of the curriculum.

We acknowledge our Australian heritage, observing holidays like Australia Day and Aboriginal Independence – but we also require all students to study Indonesian language and culture; it is important they know where they are.

What are your schools’ demographics?

We are known for diversity and inclusivity.

The students in the secondary school don’t distinguish between themselves based on nationality; they just want to be teenagers!

We have 35 nationalities in the primary school, and around 20 in the secondary.

The biggest populations there are Malay, Indonesian and Korean; in the primary, Australian, Malay and Korean. In both campuses the number of Indonesians is rising, as are South Americans and Japanese. Our Indonesian children usually come from families having some affinity with Australia—perhaps a parent educated there—so there is a respect for our system.

What is your position in the competitive ‘intercultural’ schools market and what sets you apart?

It is a competitive market but there are diverse options available. Taking distance out of the equation (we think ideally you should avoid having your kids travel if you can), there is good choice here, and we rank highly. In Jakarta, in terms of size and programmes on offer, we are probably just after the Jakarta Intercultural School and the British School. In comparison to other schools we offer an inclusive, family feel, with smaller classes, providing students more individual attention.

We are also the only school that offers Learning Support for those who need it in all campuses, as well as accepting English as Another Language (EAAL) students in all campuses, too.

Finally, our Social Welfare programme is well-developed, with students having ample opportunity to develop confidence

Expat life—especially here—has the potential for children to grow up with a sense of privilege. How do you keep

Indonesian manufacturing activity drop in February

The HSBC Markit Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for Indonesia fell to 47.5 in February from 48.5 in January, the lowest reading since the survey started in April 2011.

10

indonesia expat issue 137

What growth plans does AIS Indonesia have?

We are starting construction this year on a site opposite the Pejatan campus, which will be connected under the road by tunnel.

The primary school will move there and increase its size and programmes offered.

Long-term, we’ll continue to develop this site with state-of-the-art facilities whilst retaining our inclusive, Australian feel.

In Bali we are currently building a new pool and soccer pitch, and redevelopment of Balikpapan continues. These are our priorities before we consider any further expansion in Indonesia.

Intercultural schools have a reputation for being pricey; what do you say to that?

They do, yes! We are similar to other schools; we don’t charge anything unusual in comparison. With eighty percent of our revenue going to teacher salaries, and a policy of one expat teacher, one Learning Support Specialist and one Teaching Assistant per class, you can see where the fees go. Part of it of course also goes into the school grounds.

BUSINESS SNIPPETS

Indonesia's manufacturing activity constricted for the fifth straight month last month, with the headline index falling to a record low due to lower production and new orders, as shown by a survey by the HSBC Markit purchasing managers' index (PMI).

and leadership skills, whether via our Helping Hands Ambassadors programme, involvement in the Kampung Kids foundation, or even with refugees we help from Indonesia and abroad.

Manufacturers struggled to pass on higher import prices to customers because of stiff competition within Southeast Asia's largest economy, the survey said.

“As new orders fell at a survey-record pace, reflective in part of rising prices negatively weighing on demand, the near-term outlook for the sector remains a little underwhelming,” Paul Smith, senior economist at Markit, was reported to have said. Smith added that manufacturers continued to cut staffing levels due to concerns over falling demand and pressure on profit margins.

kids grounded in your schools?

Our kids see the local areas they are surrounded by. We take them on walks— not to the malls—but to real community areas. They go on camping trips and learn a number of skills there. They can get involved with our Social Welfare programme. They learn to respect others – including those with Learning Support needs; our culture is to recognise differences and respect everyone. I don’t feel our students could be called privileged – they’re just kids wanting to be kids, and to succeed.

What do parents look for in their child’s education today?

The main aim is preparation to enter any university worldwide. The key requirements for this today are firstly, a second language, and secondly, confidence that reaches beyond the academic. Children need to be global citizens, and not just on the surface but through participating in things like outreach programmes. Our secondary students do the International Baccalaureate, an aspect of which is community service – something we provide plenty of opportunity for.

What advice would you give to prospective parents on how to judge a school?

If your child is already there, ask: are they learning at the right rate, and are they happy? This is more important than grounds and facilities. For those choosing

schools, look at the programmes on offer, and find out about teaching methods.

An important question is whether the school wants you to be an active part of it or not – the answer to which should suit your preference. AIS encourages parents to be involved. Our Parents & Friends group is very committed, organising many fundraisers throughout the year and running special events, like International Week.

Security is one of the main things parents are concerned about. How does AIS handle this?

Two years ago we had a briefing from the Australian and US Embassies, and implemented all their advice. More recently we put in place further measures on another advisor’s recommendations.

Now, we scan parents and students in and out with cards – without photo ID there is no entry. We have strict service delivery timeslots, and lots of security personnel, with whom we enjoy low turnover. We understand security is a continuing concern and parents want their children to be as safe as if they were in their own care— whilst we cannot guarantee that, as things do happen here—we can guarantee we’re doing all we can.

Can you share with us your take on the recent events at Jakarta Intercultural School?

This unfortunate experience has taught us all that the media here is different than at home and we should deal with it differently.

As a Head, you’d like to think it didn’t happen, but the courts will decide. If it did, it is sad for the children of course, but it is also sad for the school. AIS now requires police checks for teachers in both Indonesia and Australia before employment. We also have CCTV in all rooms throughout the school and on buses, in all campuses.

Students learn ‘protective behaviours’ and we’re holding workshops for children, parents and teachers on this.

How do you ensure you have the right staff? Is this harder in some areas than others?

Our questioning when recruiting teachers from Australia examines ‘ability to live in Indonesia’. We don’t discriminate based on demographics or economics—we have a mix of staff with families and those without— we just look for the best, most committed, qualified person for the job. Although it can be harder to attract candidates to Balikpapan than elsewhere, we have never been in the position of having to accept just anyone to fill a slot.

Thank you, Brenton. To get in touch please e-mail: brenton.hall@ais-indonesia.com

vehicles there and eventually close its assembly plant at Bekasi by the end of June, thus leading to the layoff of 500 workers.

General Motors to stop production in Indonesia Share price of General Motors Company (GM) slipped 0.8% to $37.56 on Feb 26 after media reports revealed that the automaker will discontinue its manufacturing operations in Indonesia.

In light of the challenges faced by global automakers in the country, GM announced that it will stop the production of its

GM operates in Indonesia along with its Chinese partner, SAIC Motor Corp., and together, the companies plan to open a manufacturing facility near Jakarta to support the Wuling brand. GM is now shifting its focus to sport utility vehicles (SUVs) in Indonesia. The automaker will reposition the Chevrolet brand across Southeast Asia and emphasize on SUVs, including Captiva and Trailblazer. After the restructuring, the Indonesian unit of General Motors will only operate as a sales unit. issue 137 indonesia expat

11

EXPAT BUSINESS MEET THE EXPAT

Karen Davis is a NYC artist and writer

Interning in Paradise

JULIE VAN DER MEER MOHR Julie is Operational Manager of Internship Bali; an agency with a unique approach, placing students and growth-oriented individuals in exciting internships while meeting university requirements.

By Karen Davis

What is your background?

I was born and raised in Holland. My father has Indonesian roots so I was always attracted to this country. After having a few holidays here and spending several months volunteering with street kids in Lombok, I completed my Bachelors thesis interning with the Foundation Sjaki Tari Us from 2009 to 2011. My research was about children with mental disabilities and the knowledge and attitudes towards these disabilities in the local communities. The results of this research created information programs currently used by hospitals, teachers and parents. The next two years I was operational manager for Bali Eco Cycling Tours and in charge of guest relations, staff management, scheduling, marketing and public relations.

You have such a diverse background. When did you join Internship Bali?

I joined Theo Burggraaff, the founder of our organization, in September 2013. My background makes it easy for me to relate to our clients who apply to intern in many different areas and to mediate for our clients in the many different aspects of their experience here in Bali.

My personal mission with Internship Bali is to create better understanding between the western world and Indonesia. By bringing young knowledgeable people here to Bali, both parties can benefit from this.

What is your role as operational manager?

I find suitable placement for students and help them in their stay here. I am the contact person, mediator and account manager for and between the local companies, the students and the universities. We also arrange the practical side such as living arrangements, transportation and any other needs the student may require.

What are the most popular internships?

There are three main areas of internships: Health and Social Services — The students for these positions have already interned in their home countries and are extending their university experience in fields such as nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, social work and paramedics at hospitals and local foundations for onsite experience.

Hospitality — These internships are at hotels, restaurants, bars and other public venues. We get a lot of requests for these positions from all over the world. The positions involve facility maintenance, food and beverage management, direct operations, and customer services.

Business — The businesses involved range from surf companies to property rentals and sales to import/export and fashion. Bali is experiencing large economic growth and we see new businesses developing every year.

12

indonesia expat issue 137

In which areas of expertise are interns most needed?

Marketing and sales, especially when it is a company established for the international market.

What is the application process and the costs and criteria involved?

Interested parties may apply online at our website or on our Facebook page. Applications may also be made directly through the university a student attends. It is free to apply and pass the interviews. We charge only after the contract with the host company is assigned.

The criteria vary according to professions. For instance nursing applicants are placed in April and November of each year. We consider all professionals for placement in voluntary internships. Students must meet the standards that their respective universities require, as well as the host facility. I love to travel around Bali and am always looking for new internships for my students. I am always available to have personal conversations with students or interested professionals to connect them with suitable companies.

Skype is a great tool we use for personal communication between applicants and prospective companies.

What services does Internship Bali offer its interns?

Our basic package includes placement and ongoing guidance throughout their intern experience. We do the sponsorship letter for their visa. We arrange for airport pickup as well as accommodation, transportation, phones and most all necessary aspects of expat life here in Bali.

I am here to counsel and liaise whenever necessary, especially in situations which may arise between the intern and their sponsoring company or any problems they may have in adjusting to their new environment.

Many countries such as The Netherlands help students with agency fees and cost of living while doing an internship abroad, and students may actually save money by coming here!

What are the biggest challenges for new interns?

This is not Jakarta or a big city. It is Bali and things are done differently. Ceremonies and traditional culture will many times take precedence over work schedules. Companies here are still learning exactly what internships are. Interns work on points and reports for university credits.

Do you have any special intern experiences to share?

We had a physical therapist come here to intern with disabled people. He was shocked and described some of their culture-based beliefs and attitudes towards disabilities as “unbelievable”. He came to me quite distressed also by some of the methods implemented, which conflicted with his training in the West as a physical therapist. We had a talk about it all and he returned to work with more patience and understanding. He gained a propensity to share his knowledge in a way acceptable to all involved. It is a year later and he is back here volunteering while his wife is here interning as a nurse.

How do internships in Bali help students become better professionals and how do interns impact businesses here?

Interning abroad, especially in a place like Bali; rich in culture and diversity with a growth economy, will expand one’s outlook on life and teach interns to deal with more complex, complicated issues while still gaining knowledge.

Professionalism is experience-related. Patience is learned quickly. Students learn their profession in a holiday destination while still working, so they are not just tourists.

On their days off they are in paradise. The companies gain fresh, new ideas and input while learning different ways of dealing with growth through working with a younger, more western mindset. Interns share their knowledge of global trends and marketing. Both parties benefit and learn different ways of doing the same thing from each other. It is a win-win situation for all involved!

To get in touch with Julie, please e-mail julie@internshipbali.com

www.internshipbali.com www.facebook.com/internshipinbali

issue 137 indonesia expat

13

EXPAT LIFESTYLE

FOOD & DRINK

Monolog’s mission is simple: bring great coffee to this great, coffee-growing nation. Proud to be local, 100% of Monolog’s coffee is from Indonesia, and it is roasted, blended and ground on their own premises. We brunched there to see whether this Indonesian brand can compete with the cafes of Melbourne, Europe and Seattle.

By Annali Hayward

Coffee Croissant

“I love java, sweet and hot Whoops Mr. Moto, I'm a coffee pot Shoot me the pot and I'll pour me a shot A cup, a cup, a cup, a cup, a cup (yeah!)”

- The Ink Spots, ‘The Java Jive’ (1940)

Fans of Plaza Senayan and residents of the surrounding area will surely be familiar with the black-and-white signage of Monolog Quality Coffee Co., which has been open in the mall for over four years. Loyal customers know it’s a great place to grab a pick-me-up on the way to or from the office.

At the newer Pondok Indah location (open for around two years), the outdoor terrace is a good spot to sit and nurse a couple (or three or four) cappuccinos and laze over the weekend papers.

We visited the Pondok Indah branch on a bustling weekday, at prime brunching hour.

The first order of business at any brunch is to make pretences at being healthy before devouring some devilish concoction of eggs and syrup and pastry and all things bad for you. Hence, I ordered the ‘Green Detox’ juice: a refreshing blend of spinach, green apple, and lemon. It was pleasantly, moderately sweet, but still felt like it was doing my insides some good. Conscience— and tastebuds—satisfied, I moved on to deliberating over the main event.

Monolog’s menu at Pondok Indah has slightly more choice than their Senayan location. It covers a lot of bases. We’ll get to the all-day breakfast in a minute, but in addition to this, there are also all-day favourites, snacks, sandwiches, salads, soups, burgers and pancake/crepes on offer, as well as a tight edit of Asian favourites (naturally). All the pastries, cakes and breads are home-baked, and in Pondok Indah, they can whip up cocktails of a quality to match any of Jakarta’s mixologists. It’s a comprehensive offering, so whether you love their breakfast, their baking, or their booze – they’ve got you covered.

Since it was 11am (and I usually refrain from drinking until at least 11.59) I went the breakfast route. I love eggs benedict, and I hear that’s a very popular choice.

There is bircher muesli for something 14

indonesia expat issue 137

MONOLOG Street Gallery 1 Floor No. 101 B, Pondok Mall 1, Jl. Metro Pondok Indah Jakarta 12310 Phone: +62 (0) 21 2952 9775 st

Plaza Senayan CP 101 B, Palm Gate Entrance, Jl. Asia Afrika No. 8 Jakarta 10270 Phone: +62 (0) 21 572 5144 Web: www.monolog-coffee.com

Croque Madame

lighter, and you can of course get the full monty with eggs, (beef) brockwurst and ham, mushrooms and toast in their Sunrise Breakfast Set. I chose a nice middle ground, and the Monolog Croque Madame didn’t disappoint. It was somewhere between an American grilled cheese sandwich and the traditional French madame. The baguette was softened nicely on the grill and topped with a homemade basil pesto and a fried egg. Inside nestled layers of cheese, turkey ham, mushrooms and tomatoes. It struck that perfect balance between breakfast and lunch, being a satisfying meal yet still leaving me with enough room to sample an almond croissant afterwards with my cappuccino.

My companion tried the Monte Cristo French Toast, a slightly more unusual savoury turkey ham and cheese French toast sandwich served with a strawberry field salad – and she was very happy indeed with it. We finished up our mains and looked forward to our coffee and pastries.

Monolog will not entertain your requests for a ‘tall’, ‘grande’ or even ‘venti-ventisupersize’ beverage (seriously though, where are you actually putting that volume of liquid anyway?). They will not heed your pleas of ‘please sir, extra hot!’

You will be served your coffee the way you should be served it: the right way.

There is, in fact, a science to it. There is a correct proportion of water-to-coffee that to make that perfect inky espresso, and a correct ratio of coffee-to-milk to make

If you’re used to a bog-standard latte from a certain Seattle chain, I urge you to try a proper cappuccino here – it will convert you with its silky robustness.

each type of drink, from flat white to long black and everything in between. All these measures ensure that your coffee is wellbalanced, and not burned by overheating.

Only then can you really taste the flavour of the beans as the grower intended. The one concession they will allow is soy milk for those who are intolerant.

If you’re used to a bog-standard latte from a certain Seattle chain, I urge you to try a proper cappuccino here – it will convert you with its silky robustness. My almond croissant was flaky and fluffy and all the more yummy for a-dunking in the cappuccino. My friend tried one of their newest innovations, a Red Velvet Donut, which was a huge, sugary crowd-pleaser.

Monolog Pondok Indah has a funky, industrial-chic, urban feel to the decor, which is comfy enough for lounging around, but still with a buzzy vibe for when things heat up later on. They’re open late at weekends, with a chilled DJ on Saturdays and live music on Wednesdays.

It’s pleasing to see more and more establishments in Jakarta offering the type of coffee you would expect to find in the laneways of Melbourne or the piazzas of Italy (different though those styles are).

Monolog was one of the first to start this trend, and proper coffee is certainly what they do best. So go and get your caffeine on.

Annali Hayward is an expert eater, decisive drinker, fumbling fashionista and tasteful traveller, who writes to savour it all – preferably at once. E-mail her at annali.s.hayward@gmail.com

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Unlocking Your Child’s Potential

By Peter Wells

T

here are many different approaches to parenting for success, ranging from the stereotype of the “Asian Tiger Mother” through to the ridiculously ego-puffing parenting of the West that tells children “everyone’s a winner”.

Here we will consider some sensible, balanced approaches to bringing out the best in our children: 1. Every child has their own God-given potential.

The Bible tells us that humans are made in the image of God. Our children are born with unique potential to create, to strive, to care and to accomplish the purposes that God has prepared for them.

2. Nurture breadth and depth of ability. Let younger children experience a variety of opportunities spanning academic, artistic and athletic activities.

As we start to see their passion and hear their enthusiasm, we can tailor a program to suit their particular talents.

3. Encourage our children’s efforts. Let’s not give our children false praise or excessive criticism. May

our words be well chosen so we build a desire to achieve; when a parent values a child’s efforts, they will keep striving.

4. Balance discipline and freedom. We need to set timetables, have expectations about whatever fills the week. But if our kids never have the chance for unstructured, unscheduled play, they will miss the opportunities to learn through discovery.

Let’s ensure that our childrens’ week is full of quality experiences, some structured and some unstructured.

5. Make sacrifices. Achievement stems from character, and our children’s character is formed largely by our example as parents. Do whatever it takes to be your child’s best example of good character.

6. Demonstrate faith. If we really accept that our abilities come from God, we should not be driven to achieve by our pride, but rather a desire to honour God by doing our best with the gifts He has given us.

Peter Wells has degrees in Psychology, Education and Leadership from the University of Melbourne.

He is married with three boys. He is the Head of School at Sekolah Pelita Harapan, Sentul City.

issue 137 indonesia expat

15

EXPAT LIFESTYLE

TRAVEL

FA I R Y L A N D EXPRESS

Gregg Hollomon is a California native working as a professional geologist, residing in Jakarta.

Sulawesi: twice the size of the UK, volcanoes galore, uninhabited islands, strange creatures, boiling seas, electric clams and tons of bioluminescence, all wrapped up in Mother Nature’s blanket of beauty and sustainability.

Words and Photos by Gregg A. Hollomon

In January, we planned a dive vacation to Halmahera, but the Gamalama volcanic eruption nixed that in late December. The only positive aspect to the detailed planning and flight expenditures was learning how to spell words like ‘Halmahera, Ternate, Gamalama’ and why we shouldn’t cancel Garuda flights less than 72 hours prior to departure!

Once the ash settled and the Ternate airport re-opened, our chartered dive boat was long gone to North Sulawesi, with no return option.

Fate seems to have a way of working out problems here in Indonesia – our flights on Garuda Airlines went without a hitch, with all eight of us arriving to Manado from both Jakarta and Bali by mid-morning. From here, it was an hour’s drive east towards our liveaboard dive boat parked in Lembeh harbour. By 2.30pm we were steaming out in anticipation of our first dive.

This adventure took us approximately 100 kilometres north of Manado to many volcanic islands. We were fortunate to experience two spectacular night dives, one off the south shore of Bangka Island and the other within Lembeh Strait itself. On these dives I focused on capturing the miraculous marine bioluminescence common to these waters.

Most people have experienced luminescence of microscopic phytoplankton but what I am discussing is the actual light output from higher marine organisms such as corals, anemone and small critters when subjected to (or excited by) a spectrum of blue light. There have been a number of research articles written on this subject, but no one yet understands the real background purpose of animals exhibiting bioluminescence. Postulation focuses on defence mechanism (to confuse predators), reproduction (to attract a mate) or to attract prey. Communication may be a primary purpose for the deep sea creatures.

Bioluminescence is the world’s most efficient method of light production. Most of the light emitted is green, blue or reddish in colour. These are the wavelength colours which best penetrate sea water. Some of these organisms don’t actually fluoresce themselves but result from symbiotic hosts such as luminescent bacteria and/or algae (as in the case of coral). Researchers have studied marine luminescence since the early 1900s.

Sitaro

SULAWESI

Sitaro Island Regency Method to View and Photograph Marine Bioluminescence First of all, please keep in mind that bioluminescence is not phosphorescence. Phosphorescence is a release of light from oxidizing crystals which are activated by light or radiation, while bioluminescence is a complex chemical response which releases light when excited. Bioluminescence is highly evolved in the marine world but normally goes unnoticed, as the light emitted cannot compete with sunlight or a strong underwater torch. The equipment you need to scan for luminescent subjects is a dive light with either a UV option or with a blue filter placed over the lens. A better alternative is to apply a blue gel filter over your dive light and look through a yellow filter placed either over your mask or in a small frame. The yellow filter cancels the blue light but allows the luminescence to shine through. What you see using this method are only the luminescing subjects, while everything else will be completely dark. I use an 16

indonesia expat issue 137

◊ Fast Facts

Province North Sulawesi Province Land size 275.96 km2 Population 63,543 (2010) How to get there Daily flights from Jakarta to Manado with Garuda Airlines and Lion Air. Where to stay Liveaboards and land accommodation available in Lembeh Strait. Just search online.

What to do Diving, snorkelling, beach combing, volcano climbing and sightseeing.

i-Torch Pro-6 with the UV light option while diving to scan for subjects. The ultraviolet spectrum is not the best wavelength to ‘excite’, but it works fairly well as a screening tool. Fortunately, the UV lights up the surrounding area, making for a more comfortable night dive. Either method you use, try and divorce yourself slightly from the rest of your dive group (with their 2,000 lumen dive lights) in order to view these subtleties. Just enjoy the calm because you are basically swimming around in the dark except for these glowing creatures.To photograph subjects, you will need to attach a blue filter assembly over your flash or strobe and a yellow filter over the lens of the camera. You can make this or if you are lazy, like me, just purchase a NIGHTSEA Fluorescence Excitation Filter which screws into the front of the strobe. This commercially available filter screens out all light except that of the 510 nanometre wavelength. You will also need a yellow filter on the camera lens.

Once a critter or coral shows up as ‘popping’, come in close to compose the picture. It is best to have your dive buddy hold the UV or blue-filtered dive light on the subject to get a good focus. I use the focusing light on my fancy strobe for this. It is best to use a fairly high ISO camera setting (8001,500), as the blue filter absorbs much of the light from the strobe. I use a 60mm macro lens for this purpose. Shoot manual if your camera allows. Experiment a little and take multiple bracket shots to get the best exposure. Have fun!

Rule number one is not to lose your dive buddy (wife) as you diddle around. No matter how great your picture is, it’s not worth it. Instead, dive together and have her take the shot!

EXPAT LIFESTYLE EDUCATION

Bill lives on a farm with his Indonesian family deep in the countryside of west Bali.

Bali & Massachusetts

Two School Systems Worlds Apart Bill Dalton recounts his daughter Aysah’s unique but unenviable opportunity over the past ten years of alternating between two school systems in two separate hemispheres.

By Bill Dalton

Aysah first attended a private elementary school in the capital of the rice-growing district of Tabanan up to the age of five. In 2005, we flew the States and lived for four years in Massachusetts and Maine on the east coast of the USA, but returned to Bali in 2009. Soon after our arrival, the stark differences between the two school systems became abundantly clear, more profound than just the change of culture, social life, family environments and the weather.

Our bright ten-year old daughter, finding herself suddenly back in Bali, bore the brunt of the trauma involved in leaping from one school culture to another on the other side of the world. For openers, she had to learn Indonesian almost from a dead start. Although she knew some Indonesian words and phrases, she was at first overwhelmed with fourth grade-level work.

During those first several weeks, I could hear her crying quietly in her room at night.

Aysah soon learned that teachers in Bali rule with absolute and unquestioned authority. A teacher can do no wrong and would never admit it if they did.

Fluent in American English, for the next four years Aysah’s English teachers never gave her a 100% score on any English test, even though many of the questions were confusing, misleading and sometimes unintelligible.

Once, when Aysah informed her teacher that there’s a difference between a niece and a nephew, the teacher responded to this impertinence with: “Who is the teacher, you or me?”

The school’s large student body of more than 1,000 required students to attend classes in two shifts.

Class sizes were over 50 kids. At the top of her class in Massachusetts, she now had to struggle to remain in the same grade. Yet within six months she excelled and was even performing in the school’s Balinese dance performances.

Aysah, who struggled with maths in the States, soon became one of the best students in that subject because of the intense two hour personal tutoring she received each week. She also re-learned long division, geometry and the cardinal numbers not usually taught in US fourth grades, and she mastered the sempoa (abacus), a skill not taught in America outside of Chinatowns.

Since Bali schools are poorly funded and ill-equipped, students were required to buy textbooks and supplies, whereas in the USA all class materials are free. More emphasis is placed on spelling in the US. Aysah didn’t have one spelling test when she returned to Bali, perhaps because Indonesian words are spelled almost exactly the way they sound — it’s the ultimate phonetic language.

Once, when Aysah informed her teacher that there’s a difference between a niece and a nephew, the teacher responded to this impertinence with: ‘Who is the teacher, you or me?’

Another difference is that Girl Scouts are integrated right into the school programme on Bali. Unlike in American schools, where the sexes are segregated, girl and boy scouts learn together and compete in games, physical contests and woodcraft basics like tying knots and starting fires. It’s considered ‘uncool’ to wear your scout uniform in the USA, but in Bali pramuka are proud of their sharp brown uniforms adorned with whistles, military lanyards and little, round, brown straw hats!

Once when taking tests (ulangan) for 10 straight days, Aysah started having cold-water showers. She told me that all the kids in her class do the same and “they’re smarter than I am.” She believed that if she also took cold showers she’d do well in her tests, too.

Then things started getting even weirder. During the political campaign season, Aysah’s teachers would not show up in class for as long as four days running. The kids were required to sit at their desks the whole time and study “on their own”. Though my hardworking daughter got the highest Nilai Ujian Nasional (national exam scores) in

these final school exams, she was given only the 6th ranking in her class.

School enrolment was the final straw. In the spring of 2013, Aysah was not accepted in the best SMP (middle school or junior high) in our district. In her place, lesser ranking and lower performing students were accepted because their parents or uncles were fellow teachers, high-ranking policemen, bank managers, DPR members, lived next door to the school’s principal or made a hefty ‘donation’.

Many other parents felt bitter, as did I, about the grossly unfair malpractice and unmerited favouritism in the admissions process and complained, but it was infuriating not to be able to do anything about it. That injustice, more than any other event, galvanized me. I was determined to enrol her in junior high in the US. In the summer of 2013, I asked my big sister living in Massachusetts pointblank, “Can Aysah live with you while she’s going to junior high?”

Miraculously, she said, “Yes.” In the fall of 2013, after completing just her first year in SMP, I took my now 13-year-old daughter back to Massachusetts so she could attend Silverlake Regional High School that serves the affluent communities on Boston’s south shore, the ‘Irish Riviera’.

Within three months—after another bumpy transition, but more sure of herself this time—Aysah was thriving.

She was the best student in her Latin class, made three honour rolls, sang solo in the school choir and started wearing contact lenses. In 2014, her language, arts and science teachers loved her work — she began learning about the Renaissance in World History and represented her class on the student council.

Definitely not the athletic type in Bali, Aysah even joined the field hockey team. Miracle of miracles, she could run a mile in 13.8 seconds. She took part in pep rallies, chaperoned dances and team sports with her new girlfriends. In Bali, Aysah never helped out in the garden, but in Massachusetts her favourite class is horticulture, where she wears a helmet and safety belt and climbs trees!

Shortly after Aysah started attending school in the States, she started a new USA-based Facebook page, but kept her Indonesian Facebook page open. “I want to keep my friends in Bali. They are very sweet and always wish me the best,” she told me.

Replacing the cutesy pre-teen outfits she wore to school in the States, Aysah now had four school uniforms that she had to wear on different days of the week, depending on the activities and subjects she was taking that day. She says her different coloured uniforms made her look like a chocolate bar, a big orange, a bird and a candy cane.

Religious instruction classes were required in Bali — unheard of in the stateside public schools where religion and education are strictly separate. Aysah re-embraced Islam in Bali, a faith that had lain fallow during those years in the USA. She wore a jilbab to her agama class and greeted her teacher each day with As-Salamu Alaykum. She even dropped her birth name and started using the Arabic spelling — Aiysah. issue 137 indonesia expat

17

EXPAT LIFESTYLE

FASHION

Glorious Indonesia Fashion Week The curious, the fashionable, the movers and shakers of Jakarta, resplendent in all their finery, turned up in full force at Indonesia Fashion Week to observe and opine on the wares of the land’s great designers.

By Victoria Bannerman

Albert Yanuar's dress with skirt as a cape

With the sprawling hall bedecked in sleek black, the pomp and ceremony unfolded. There were ambassadors, speeches and presentations — I felt a strange sense of patriotism as the national anthem was sung. The beating drums welcomed all and signalled four serious days in the business of fashion.

DAY 1 Romantic Cotton showed us “A Picnic in Spring”. This was cotton-candy sweet, with almost edible pastels fashioned into skirts, simple tops and shirtdresses.

Retty Seyla took us down boho-chic lane, with whimsical chiffon and superbly embellished kaftans. This is Marrakesh meets Miami, just kissing Bedouin-chic.

“His pièce de résistance was a stunning gown, in which halfway down the runway, the model performed a Houdini and whipped off the bottom half, transforming it into a cape!”

Winny Nagawati —A City Movement Ivan Gunawan's seagreen dresses

Everlasting Batik by Elda Veronica saw colour-infused batik interpreted through 50s-inspired skirts and tops in tempting, gelato colours.

Rinda Salmun presented us with “Elevation”.

A monochrome-fest saw a sleeveless jumpsuit teamed with preppy lace-up/loafer-type shoes. A swirly, psychedelic top with a pair of ‘two-face’ trousers was sensational — the front of the trousers grey, the back black, with a pink tuxedo stripe just to complicate things! This was a collection of mish-mashed beauty.

The best piece was perhaps a trouskirt (trouser and skirt) — gorgeous slacks with a train attached.

Zikin – a homage to Paris. A classic black and white combo with an injection of red made this collection retro yet contemporary. Billowing flowing skirts, jaunty hats perched seductively on the models’ heads, corset tops and wide-legged trousers made for an elegant, quirky collection.

Sav Lavin – a moody collection, even though some of the collection was in clinical white. Symbols and signs adorned tops, some with honeycomb cut-outs. A grey, metallic bell-sleeved shift dress was simply exquisite and so too was a black dress with cage sleeves. The white dress with interesting quirks would be at home on Katy Perry.

Tyra Modeste presented a show of lush velvets in green and purple mixed with Aztec-like prints. The collection was clever in its simplicity and easy on the eye.

Dana Duryatna – enter into a world of cool. Full of fringing and tassels, necklaces, gold platforms and floating robes, this is very Elizabeth Taylor-esque.

Ivan Gunawan showed us why he is one of Jakarta’s most loved designers and personalities. Thalassa, the sea goddess, inspired his collection, consisting of shimmering, mesmerising silver, depicting the sunlight as it bounces off the waves — a vision both calming and beautiful. The sea-green dresses were, for me, the best part of the collection.

Wandering along the warren of designer house stalls, I discovered many a delight like jewellery designer Kayikala, whose designs are delicately subtle yet stand-out.

I stumbled upon Steven Huang. His designs are deliciously unique. At first sight, the dresses gave the impression of being crafted from paper, but of course, they are not. A strapless camouflage dress and an interestingly-cut top caught my attention, not to mention the snakeskin print padded tops and skirts.

DAY 2 Muslim-wear was at its best, with diverse and glorious ways of wearing the hijab. Observing tradition never 18

indonesia expat issue 137

DAY 3 Saturday night saw Stage 1 packed to the rafters. Three designers showed and the standout one for me was ALGARRY by Albert Yanuar. The captivating print, reminiscent of the dragons and floral motifs in Ming Dynasty porcelain was breathtaking. A full-skirted dress with blue panelling at the back was delightfully chic. His pièce de résistance was a stunning gown, in which halfway down the runway, the model performed a Houdini and whipped off the bottom half, transforming it into a cape!

Klé – this was chic, boho-Birkenstock traveller with a strangely quirky appeal – tunics over skirts and chunky platforms. Culottes in lime green, cropped tops, combatstyle and shin-length trousers in orange brought a bit of zest to an otherwise muted collection. If shorts over leggings are your thing, with oversized bomber jackets and random colours paired together, then this is for you.

Winny Nagawaty’s “A City Movement” sent the models down the runway in supreme colour blocking of black and white, yet popping it with colours like aqua blue in the form of chiffon jackets, shorts, skirts and trousers.

Later in the day Zalora, a fashion emporium, showed its wares. In many ways, the show did not excite – the redeeming feature was the soundtrack. If they aim to be Asia’s answer to ASOS then it has a way to go, but it is leaning in the right direction.

feather belt, pantaloon skirts and the dream catchers attached to the headdresses.

Dini Pratiwi Irawati's high- waisted jean trousers

DAY 4 Bintang MirA’s collection was batik — beautiful with embellishments and cleverly cut shapes. The checked material mixed with black and tan fabrics made for extremely wearable, cool ensembles.

Both Dhiantia and Francesca Irene produced worthy collections.

looked so beguiling. I adored the AIRA Muslim bridal wear; delicate and ethereal with an antique 1920s feel.

Vivi Zubedi – colour-blocking cover-up with ‘Aztec’ prints to give a pop of colour.

Kaimma Malabis made red the theme in this collection — long, flowing skirts and headdresses with flair.

Simply Mii – the collection was hip-cool with taupe and mint green making an unlikely coupling, bringing about a fresh feel. The cleverly cut trousers with ‘fake’ slits showed us just how not showing flesh but still looking sexy should be done.

The standout collection by a furlong was Dini Pratiwi Irawati. Never has denim looked so majestic and elegant.

The shredded-sleeve jacket was streetwise cool. I loved the high-waisted jean trouser – it would look great with a humongous-sleeved, blood-red chiffon blouse. Red carpet worthy.

Anne Avantie showed us how to do grandiose-simplicity to the nth degree. Her best collection yet; lighter, brighter and younger in style.

Peggy Hartanto’s collection – made well, wearable and original.

Monel – headgear was intriguingly stylish and the use of grey, cream, brown and sea green provided a scrumptious palette to feast on.

JenaHara bravely mixed Navajo with Muslim attire with spectacular results. I liked the little touches, such as the

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

Kenneth Yeung is a Jakarta-based editor

Sw in dling Sta r t s at Sch o o l

funding does not seem to be reaching the crumbling schools so often featured on TV news reports.

Indonesia Corruption Watch says there were 296 known corruption cases involving the education budget over 20032013, causing state losses of Rp.619 billion. That works out to about $4.7 million annually – and that’s only from the cases that were dealt with by law enforcers.

The government recently decided that national exams

It’s every parent’s nightmare: a phone call informing them their child has been in a serious accident and requires emergency surgery. Fortunately, it’s usually just a scam; one which has been doing the rounds for many years in Jakarta.

should not be the sole determinant of high school graduation. Instead, individual schools will also consider students’ attendance and attitude, in addition to exam results. This power could result in crooked schools offering graduation for a price.

Schoolbooks provide another avenue for corruption. The

Perpetrators of these hoax calls sometimes operate with

been astonishingly high over recent years, reaching 99.52%

Education Ministry has been trying to replace physical

inside information, such as a contact list for parents of

in 2014.

textbooks in schools with tablets and ebooks. The move upset principals and teachers who profit by receiving

an international school, including the names of their children. The scammer claims that a large sum of

Despite this phenomenal pass rate, Indonesia does not

commissions of up to 50% from distributors of compulsory

money must be transferred urgently before a hospital

shine in international education rankings. The Programme

textbooks. Several years ago, the Education Ministry

will provide a life-saving operation. The hope is that

for International Student Assessment, which assesses the

began posting ebooks on its website for free download. But

a panicking parent will make the transfer quickly

skills of 15-year-olds in various subjects, most recently

many schools still insist that students purchase physical

without checking the information.

ranked Indonesia second-last out of 65 countries for

textbooks, as the ebooks are unprofitable. This means

maths and science, and fifth-last for reading.

that children are still lugging heavy bags to school. Health experts warn that young children may suffer future back

Parents should treat such calls with extreme scepticism, and if worried, call the school or the hospital for

All too often, Indonesian students are provided with exam

problems if carrying bags that are more than 15% of their

verification. Scammers may give a contact number

answers in advance or allowed to view leaked answer keys

body weight.

for a “doctor”, who is actually an accomplice.

via their mobile phones. Many teachers are more concerned with producing high pass rates, rather than offering quality

Finally, the alleged rape case embroiling Jakarta

Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority (OJK) is this year

education and accurately measuring students’ competence.

International School (JIS)—which recently changed its

publishing a series of books for students from elementary to

High graduation rates will attract new enrolments, which

name to Jakarta Intercultural School—is viewed by some

senior high school to teach them of the risks of fraudulent

means more money.

as a witch hunt that was originally aimed at extorting the school for money. JIS charges annual tuition of over

investment products. The bland-looking book for high school students is titled Know the OJK and the Financial

In 2013, a teacher at Widuri Vocational High School in

$20,000 and has approximately 2,500 students, indicating

Services Industry. Material from the 51-page volume will

South Jakarta led senior high school students in a prayer

a yearly turnover of more than $50 million.

be incorporated into national economics exams.

session for good results in their final exams. Then he offered to sell them the answers for Rp.30,000 per student.

Despite a lack of evidence, and despite the alleged victims

Unfortunately, these new books don’t cover some of the

He claimed he needed the money to renovate a mosque near

changing their stories, two JIS teachers are presently

most common swindles in Indonesia. There are many

his house. After being exposed, the teacher apologized,

being tried at the notoriously corrupt South Jakarta

reports of teachers and even university professors being

explaining he only wanted to help the students to pass.

District Court on accusations of repeatedly raping three

scammed. One of the latest methods is an SMS invitation to attend a conference organized by the Education Ministry or a prestigious university. Such invitations include promised expenses of about Rp.10 million. Targets are told to go to their nearest ATM to check the money has

“Parents should treat such calls with extreme scepticism, and if worried, call the school or the hospital for verification.”

kindergarten boys. The mother of one of the boys is suing the school for $125 million.

One of the most bizarre claims in the case is the prosecution’s assertion that Canadian teacher Neil Bantleman “conjured a magic stone” from the air to

been transferred. Once there, the victim is given a series of telephoned instructions, which actually involve

In 2011, a teacher at Gadel 2 State Elementary School in

make the boys forget what happened. Five janitors from

transferring funds to the scammer’s account.

the East Java capital of Surabaya forced the smartest

the school were in December jailed for up to eight years

student in the class to share his answers with fellow

after being convicted of abusing one of the boys. A sixth

One victim was 61-year-old Professor Erlyn Indarti from

students during national exams. When the boy’s mother

accused janitor died in police custody.

the Central Java capital of Semarang. He received an SMS

complained about the mass cheating, she was attacked for

from someone claiming to be Professor Hertanto, deputy

harming the school’s reputation, forced to apologize, and

Education is desperately needed to save students from

rector of Diponegoro University, offering him money to

then she and her family were evicted from their house.

scams, superstitions and the notion that greed is better

attend a conference. The message included a phone number

The prevailing local opinion was that cheating and

than honesty.

for “Professor Purwanto of the Directorate General of

corruption are normal and must not be opposed.

Higher Education”, whom he was advised to contact in order to obtain the funds. Upon calling the number from

When students are being instilled with values that cheating

an ATM, Erlyn followed directions that resulted in him

is better than honesty, it’s little wonder that Indonesia faces

sending Rp.93 million to the scammer.

such an uphill battle in combating its culture of corruption.

School administrators are also targeted, receiving text

The Education Ministry this year begins trialling

messages that offer vast amounts of state funding—

computer-based national exams in selected schools,

purportedly from the Education Ministry—if they

replacing the paper-based exams. Education Minister

will first make a facilitation payment.

Anies Baswedan wants the new system to be implemented nationwide next year, so that schools can hold the exams

Scams and dishonesty often originate from schools. Fraud

simultaneously, thus reducing the risk of cheating. The

and cheating are common, from teachers using forged

problem is that many schools lack the necessary equipment

qualifications to leaking exam answers. The nationwide

for students to sit exams via computer – even though 20

pass rate for senior high school exams has

percent of the state budget is allocated to education. Such

Supporters of the accused in the JIS case

issue 137 indonesia expat

19

EXPAT OUTREACH MEET THE EXPAT

What is a key initiative of FMCH’s that you believe will make a real difference?

Continuing our health education programme, and starting to work more with pregnant mothers – especially to raise awareness of breastfeeding, which, according to UNICEF, is done exclusively by only a third of mothers in Indonesia in the first six months. We want to work with a number of factories to provide a place for mothers to breastfeed or express after returning to work.

Who are you donors? Is it hard to get them, and how do you do it?

Sixty percent of donors are corporations, thirty percent are individuals (mostly expats) and ten percent of our revenue comes from the products handmade by the women we help in our programmes. Individual donors here are similar to those I was used to in the UK – except there, they’re easier to get to via direct marketing, etc.

We’re working on building that here. Otherwise, working with local corporates as part of their CSR programmes is successful – we are about to launch a big campaign this year with one.

In 2005, expat women involved in FMCH collected their knowledge and published a guide, today known as Family Guide to Jakarta (www.familyguidetojakarta. com), with revenues going to FMCH. This is another way we raise funds.

Meet LOU SIMPSON Non-Executive Chair, Foundation for Mother and Child Health Indonesia Lou Simpson’s journey spans marketing and communications for theatres in London, studying and working for NGOs in Cairo, and now, a passion for helping Indonesia’s mothers and children. She shares her story with us and passes on some experienced, expat wisdom.

By Annali Hayward

Lou, you’ve worked for theatres in London, NGOs in Egypt, and obtained a Masters in Global Development. Phew! How did all this lead you to a non-profit in Indonesia?

My background is marketing and communications, working for Sadlers’s Wells Theatre and the Barbican Centre as well as non-profits in London. Working somewhere where the objective is not profit has always appealed. Somewhere in between jobs I backpacked around Java, Bali and Lombok.

After 9/11 I no longer wanted to do long-distance with my partner, so I moved to Cairo. Hating the ‘housewife’ label, I resolved to study a Masters and put it to good use, eventually working in communications for non-profits there. We left during the Arab Spring – it wasn’t frightening; only surreal telling my mother on the telephone that the bombs were just fireworks.

We chose Indonesia because of my travels – plus my brother had lived in Sulawesi. Looking for a way to use my Masters, I contacted the Foundation for Mother and Child Health (FMCH) offering to re-do their website. Things evolved from there: over three years later, here I am!

Yayasan team

What does FMCH do, and what is your role there?

FMCH began in 2001 when expat women in Jakarta reacted to the shocking figures of child malnourishment (one in three!) in Indonesia, opening a centre for women and children. Today we focus on health, nutrition, education and skills-building via projects like ‘The First 1,000 Days’, supporting women from conception through to weaning.

FMCH originated in mainly urban areas, but now is in periurban areas like Bojong Gede in Bogor. We’re also in West Timor since 2007, where malnutrition in rural areas is problematic.

My role involves communications, fundraising, and strategy for the development of the organisation. There is a team of about thirty medical and education specialists. In our Skills team there are women we helped as part of our programmes.

Lou with yayasan children

20

indonesia expat issue 137

There are many causes worthy of time, attention and donations in Indonesia today. How would you advise expats to choose where to put their resources?

Think about the issues that you are most concerned with – as a mother it was the plight of women and children in Indonesia that piqued my interest in FMCH. Find as much information as you can about the work an organisation does and how they do it. Drop in if you can or attend their events.

Finally, go with your instincts – you must trust your donation will be well used.

It would’ve been easy to think of these people as beyond hope — but they were normal people in a situation not necessarily of their making, making the best of it. And if FMCH can help a little bit with that? Good.

Tell us about a particularly inspiring experience you’ve had with FMCH? I visited a rubbish collectors’ community in South Jakarta with our medical team doing check-ups. I’d been to one in Cairo before but not here. I was expecting squalor, dirt and sadness. We arrived to a large group of smiling kids, then went inside a house made of corrugated iron and bits of wood. We expats live in these palaces, but I was amazed at how clean and organised everything was. The community was set up like a high street with shops and cafe areas. I expected the people to have little or no education but most spoke a bit of English.

There was equality—no head honcho calling the shots— so all the workers got the same, fair price for their goods.

It would’ve been easy to think of these people as beyond hope, but they were normal people in a situation not necessarily of their making, making the best of it.

And if FMCH can help a little bit with that? Good.

What do you do in your free time?

I think Indonesia is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. We’ve seen orangutans in Sumatra and Kalimantan, been diving in Raja Ampat, and met the Dani people in Papua. In Jakarta it is more about finding interesting places – not the malls! I like Pasar Santa; it shows Indonesians’ creativity. I love Kota but get sad thinking how much more could be done with it.

What recommendations do you have for expats?

With Family Guide, we are putting together a new miniguide for both the pre-move and the settling down stages.

Until then, I say get involved in some cultural association – the Indonesian Heritage Society is a good place to start. Fortunately, there is a lot of choice, whether you like singing or volunteering or being involved at school – it doesn’t matter what you choose, just do something to build a network and a routine. Finally, see it as an opportunity to reinvent yourself - like I did!

Thank you Lou. For more information please visit www.fmchindonesia.org. To get involved, subscribe to the newsletter via the website, e-mail: lou.simpson@fmchindonesia.org, or attend any FMCH event – donations are always welcome.

FMCH will be holding a Pancake Festival in March and April together with Nanny Pavillon. There will be fun challenges like eating, flipping and running with pancakes! For more info, see our Events page.

EXPAT OUTREACH SPORTS Antony is a freelance writer based in Jakarta.

Please send comments and suggestions to antony@ the-spiceislands.com

Rugby Expats Take the Game to Local Communities How a conversation in a pub, with a backdrop of Christmas carols, led to orphaned girls taking up the rough-old-game of rugby.

By Antony Sutton

Many of the girls from the Mama Sayang Orphanage come from very tough backgrounds, including those of neglect and, in some cases, abuse.

There is also a primordial Jurassic Park element to the game in its terminology. Scrums and rucks are par for the course, while hookers, five eighths and flankers have their own defined role on the pitch; hard though it may seem to a novice. And while American footballers need shoulder pads, helmets and high-fives to try and look tough, rugby players only need a bit of strategically placed Tupperware, a gaptoothed smile and a gum shield to face down opponents.

Enter a group of orphan girls, waifs from disadvantaged backgrounds, gathered by the indefatigable Mike Hilliard —the gentleman behind Mama Sayang Foundation in West Java—and given a new home and new skills.

Now, on one particular Christmas it so happened that Mike had taken his girls to a reputable drinking establishment to perform some Christmas carols. As often happens, he fell into talking with one of the regulars, a Stephen Barber, and Mike was opining how it was time his girls had something else to do with their time. The boys under his care played cricket and Australian Rules Football – maybe it was time for the girls to get busy.

Stephen Barber was interested. Heavily involved in the development of rugby in Indonesia, Barber immediately suggested the girls take up the game and it says much of the environment we inhabit that Mike didn’t even bat an eyelid. Orphan girls play rugger? Why not?

The plan formulated over a couple of cold beers, amid a fuzzy feeling of festive good cheer, sounding even better in the cold light of day and within a few weeks training had begun.

We have all heard those clichés about rugby. The hooligan’s game played by gentlemen – a teammate shows his value by getting stuck-in on the pitch and getting legless off it. There is a male camaraderie to rugby that you don’t find in other sports, a ‘mateship’ built upon tall tales of getting inebriated in sleazy parts of town and getting chained naked to a lamppost at 4am.

The bawdy songs and the tour gossip are legendary and legion with perhaps a tinge of Hans Christian Anderson added for good measure, but the image rugby likes to present is one of a bunch of chums having a good time —as chums usually do—with lots of raucous, goodnatured, chummy banter.

“In early 2013, David Nye helped me coach the girls, and his father's company Britmindo organised training clothes, boots and backpacks for the Mama Sayang Foundation girls. This was certainly a great way to get things underway. Jakarta Intercultural School (formerly JIS) also gave us access to fields to train on and this was very much appreciated by all involved, including the girls,” Barber takes up the story.

“For the most part, since the programme kicked off I have coached the girls on my own, receiving some assistance from David, Peter Klestov and in recent times Aaron Meadows,” Barber continued.

Within months, the team, which also featured some foreign girls as well as other Indonesian players, was ready to take on the world, heading to Bali to compete against their peers from around the region in a seven-a-side tournament. The

girls played against teams from Malaysia, Australia and others from Indonesia. While they were not worldbeaters, their spirited efforts did not go unnoticed by those in attendance and one of the MS girls, Dharma, was voted MVP of that tournament.

With many of the girls having come from troubled homes and carrying their own disturbing life experiences, Barber was keen to explain how quickly they had adapted to the game. “Many of the girls from the MS Orphanage come from very tough backgrounds, including those of neglect and in some cases abuse. Unlike them I was lucky to grow up in a family of care and love, so I believe that I—like Mike and Jev, who have daily care and responsibility for these young ladies—through rugby, can teach them what it feels like to be a part of family that cares about each of them as individuals and collectively as a group.

“I have observed over the past couple of years how Rugby has changed them through the core values of the game, such as camaraderie, teamwork, respect and solidarity.

As we all know, rugby is a rough sport, but one thing that sticks in my mind is how these girls don't mind a bit of rough and tumble. After all this mirrors where life has taken them so far and how each of them is determined to make things better for themselves and their friends,” explained Barber.

It is not just the orphans from Mama Sayang who are benefiting from rugby’s tender side. Like Barber, Scott Biggs is actively involved in promoting the game in Indonesia through his role at the Jakarta Komodos. At the start of the current season, the Komodos decided to engage more with the local community near their Jagorawi Golf Club base and sponsor a number of local lads to take up the game.

“One of our coaches, Agus Djamhoer, agreed to take the role as their coach. We now have 16 local lads from the kampung (Karangaan area) train as part of our regular junior rugby training every Saturday morning at 9am,” recalls Biggs.

Bapak Daud, the local RT (Rukun Tetangga) who arranged for the boys (all under 12 years) to join Komodos, is fast becoming a personality in his own right. Get down to Jagorawi early enough on a Saturday morning and you can see the gentleman marking the pitches or shifting the goal posts. The club have been so impressed by his zeal and involvement they gave him a Komodo shirt, which he wears with pride.

There are big plans for the youngsters. “The ‘big picture’ is to grow and develop these boys’ rugby skill levels and then have them ultimately join us as part of the regular team on one of our Junior Rugby tours to Singapore or KL, as well as trying to establish some local younger age group tournaments. Jakarta Komodos Junior Rugby Program will look at these during the next season, 2015-2016. Passports etc. always cause issues, but it would be great for these lads to tour and see rugby being played elsewhere in Southeast Asia,” said Biggs, looking to the future. issue 137 indonesia expat

21

EXPAT OUTREACH WORTHY CAUSES

Healing Habitats

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Tarsier / Children's book by primary students at Dyatmika School, Bali / Dr Ating and his wife and dogs

A Doctor’s Conservation Mission

By Grace Susetyo

The Togian islands are probably best known for serene white sand beaches and dive resorts. However, not as many people know of the rich terrestrial biodiversity these islands are home to. A medical doctor, also a conservationist at heart, decided to move to Malenge to design a children’s programme promoting the conservation of the island’s native primates.

Dr. Ating Solihin may not be your typical doctor. His Chinese ethnicity often prompts the question, “What’s your business?” to which he answers, “I don’t have one.” Actually, being a medical doctor was not his first-choice career.

“I got accepted in ITB (Bandung Institute of Technology) to become an environmentalist,” recalled Dr. Ating, who received top marks in high school. “But my parents wanted a doctor in the family. To please my parents I took the placement test and got an offer to study medicine in the University of Gajah Mada in Yogyakarta.

If I didn’t attend, my parents would cut financial support, so I obeyed. But then I thought, doctors can work in remote rural areas too. My parents had hoped I would become a specialist and make a lot of money in the big city. Instead, I left for the jungles of Papua for 12 years.”

That was in 1989, straight out of university.

He worked with the Asmat people for two years then pursued his masters in the US majoring in environmental health on scholarship from the SOS Clinic in Tembagapura. The scholarship required him to work in the Freeport area till 1995, but his work with the indigenous Papuans was frowned upon. After that he left for Wamena to serve as a voluntary missionary doctor, and later took up a medical research job in Jayapura where he did malaria mapping.

Since then Dr. Ating has moved to various parts of Indonesia: Flores, Bali, Wakatobi and Central Sulawesi for projects that combine conservation and his expertise in medicine and public health. His current home of Malenge Island is the heavily forested habitat of endemic tarsier primates and the black macaque Dua Tangan Cukup

monkey. “Legend has it that a pair of black macaques were introduced to this island by a foreign ship. Then to avoid a thunderstorm, the ship left in a rush, forgetting the creatures behind. That’s why Malenge is the only island in the Togians to have primates, or so the local people believe,” said Dr. Ating.

or America, and ones in Indonesia are likely to be in the big cities. If the rainforests disappear or a species goes extinct, it does not affect them.” So far the foundation is the sole work of Dr. Ating, as he is not yet in a position to pay employees.

“The best form of conservation is community-based conservation. But in practice this has been difficult when the locals do not understand the importance of conservation or have the initiative to make it happen,” said Dr. Ating. “In my case I’ve found what works is to buy and protect. But that takes a lot of money. My dream is to buy land where animals are likely to come and create a buffer zone of fruit trees I can protect that land.”

Whilst living in Bali, the Dr. Ating Dr. Ating finds that community-based Foundation was established in 2011 on the conservation can only be successful if it initiative of a Green School parent. The directly benefits the community in financial Swedish family’s children did not speak terms. He currently focuses his efforts on any English when they first arrived, and conservation education, collaborating often visited Dr. Ating who was with international and local the Balinese school’s in-house schools. He intends to adopt physician. Seeing Dr. Ating’s “The best form the model of Operation modest lifestyle, the parents of conservation is Wallacea in Wakatobi, where asked what his dreams were community-based international high school and that he currently could not university students live with afford to pursue. conservation.” locals for a small fee, opening up job opportunities for research “I said I wanted to work in nature, assistants, trekking guides and catering conserving animals and the forest. But I staff. do not have the educational background nor the funds,” said Dr. Ating. “So they “Unfortunately this only happens two went back to Sweden and established this months in a year during the summer school foundation. They didn’t even tell me until break,” said Dr. Ating. “Due to my lack of they already published it on the Internet. credentials, I am also unable to give the It was legally established in Sweden, but I visiting students academic credit for the told them we need it in Indonesia as well.” work they do here.”

Initially, the Foundation’s work started Because of this, Dr. Ating shifted his in 2012 in Lore Lindu National Park in focus to primary school students, where mainland Central Sulawesi, a biodiversity international students from big cities visit hotspot in the Wallacea region. In order to local primary schools in the Togians and sustain the project, Dr. Ating expanded to learn conservation skills and knowledge. the Togian islands where ecotourism is a rising industry. “Lore Lindu and Togian “That way internationals get to learn the can be reached in a day, and ecotourism is importance of tropical issues, and locals a potential alternative source of funding.” become more aware of what is happening in their backyard [sic]. Many local people Finding funding has been a challenge and here do not know about the tarsier primate.

Dr. Ating has resorted to selling t-shirts.

They catch the animal, feed it fruits, and it “Donors live far away in Europe

13 February 2015 marked the one-year anniversary of the eruption of Mt. Kelud in East Java. This day reminded us of the tragedy that took away people’s homes, animals, and farms – which were their livelihoods. This tragedy forced them to move to a safer place and leave everything behind.

Respiratory health problem also became one of their main problems, as smoke from the eruption clouded the area.

The catastrophic event also caused the travel industry in Indonesia, especially in Java, to suffer. Following the eruption, the volcanic ash disrupted both domestic and international flight routes, resulting in cancellations of travel plans, declining numbers of hotel bookings, travel warnings

indonesia expat issue 137

In 2013, Dr. Ating published a children’s book about tarsiers written and illustrated by third and fourth year students at Dyatmika School in Bali. He says he hopes such projects inspire children to do their own research in conservation and interact with their local and international counterparts in doing their part for the planet. “There’s more hope for children than there is for adults,” he said.

Dr. Ating does not buy into the idea that local communities are naturally guardians of their environment. “That’s a myth. In the jungles of Papua, indigenous peoples who do not have much outside contact kill any animal they meet. Now they have access to rifles and would shoot down any bird, regardless of whether it’s edible or not,” said Dr. Ating. In the Togians, coral bombing and animal poaching by locals are still common. “I believe animals have the right to live on this earth too, regardless of whether they are of direct use to humans.”

Since late 2014, Dr. Ating and his wife Meidy and two dogs live near Sera beach in a low-cost house made from old coconut wood and other local natural materials.

They get freshwater by digging wells in their backyard, electricity through a private generator and process their own waste disposal. This is the first home they have actually owned, though they do not own the land.

To learn more about the Dr Ating Foundation, visit www.dratingfoundation.org. When not in Malenge, Dr. Ating can be contacted at atingsolihin@gmail.com

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

Actions From Across The Archipelago

1,000 Trees Planted at MesaStila, Magelang

22

dies. They don’t know that tarsiers only eat insects and are active at night,” said Dr. Ating.

from some neighboring countries, and closure of tourist destinations such as the Borobudur Temple.

Moreover, rising temperatures caused vegetation on the surrounding areas of Mt. Kelud to be damaged. Plants were covered in ash and lava, causing them to wither and die. In an effort to restore the lost vegetation, the General Manager of MesaStila, M. Isa Ismail Rauf, initiated a program to plant 1,000 trees in the surrounding areas of the resort. He admits that the impact of this program on the environment’s restoration is still on a small scale, but he hopes that other hotels and institutions will follow in their footsteps.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

New business programme at Stenden University Bali BALI A new all-round Business Management and Entrepreneurship programme at Stenden University Bali is set to provide yet another high quality bachelor programme, as of September 2015. The new programme, International Business Administration (IBA), is a demanding course in the field of all-round Business Management and Entrepreneurship.

Semesters have topics such as management information, communication, leadership, business stimulation and strategic management, integrating national and international aspects.

The 4th year of IBA is dedicated to provide students with paid internships and job prospects with prominent international companies.

IBA will provide students with the tools needed to manage a business or a department within a large organization. The Dutch Bachelor in

Baywalk Mall’s Exquisite Lunar Festival JAKARTA The atmosphere of Chinese New Year this past February 19th could be felt in Jakarta.

Baywalk Mall (The First Iconic Seaview Shopping Mall in Jakarta) held a fantastic Lunar Festival with decorations and attractions.

To welcome the Chinese New Year, Baywalk Mall chose the "Exquisite Lunar Fest 2015" theme. Various events were held from 31 January to 1st March to celebrate the season. "Chinese New Year is always celebrated happily each year. As a shopping center in North Jakarta, Baywalk Mall welcomes the Chinese New Year celebrations with our exciting events," said Ellen Hidayat, Chief Executive Officer of Baywalk Mall in Jakarta.

The series of Exquisite Lunar Fest 2015 events was opened with a Chinese Costume Competition and a Lion Dance. "Chinese New Year is not complete without a lion dance,” said Ms. Hidayat.

Business Administration gives access to students to work at international companies worldwide.

As an add-on the local Sarjana Ekonomi degree is awarded additionally.

In order to get the Double Bachelor Degree, students are required to study for one year at Stenden University the Netherlands. The IBA programme in Bali uses the same accredited curriculum and education methods as the programme offered in the Netherlands, which makes it easy for students to switch to study there for one year. Besides that, international study experience will be very enriching and is highly valued by organizations nowadays.

Partial and full scholarships are available. For more information go to www.stenden.com/bali

Great Sale at Tauzia – 20% Off! BINUS Group Presents RISE Center in FX JAKARTA As part of its ongoing commitment to realize the vision of "A WorldClass Knowledge Institution", BINA NUSANTARA (BINUS) Group is collaborating with RISE Global to present RISE Immersive Subjectbased English (RISE) Centre at FX Plaza.

BINUS recognizes the importance of preparing a world-class generation that is not afraid to face challenges and global competition in the future. One of the ways to do this is by mastering the English language, not only in understanding the grammar and vocabulary, but also understanding the applied context of language in everyday life.

To tackle this, RISE Indonesia open its second centre, RISE Sudirman, on January 31, 2015 in FX Lifestyle X'nter, Jakarta. With an area of 686.8 m2, it is divided into seven classes, each with a capacity of 10-15 students with two teachers. RISE also provides a safe and convenient facilities for children, including a library, play areas, clinics and toilet.

RISE’s learning method is unique, offering a premium US curriculumbased programme that is used by five million children aged 3-14 years old in the US. In RISE children learn by immersing themselves in English, in four principal areas of study: Mathematics, Sciences, Social Studies and Literature. There is also an applied Leadership Training Programme to develop social skills in children.

INDONESIA Good news for business and leisure travellers: get ready to plan ahead for your vacation and business trips with Tauzia Hotels! Enjoy 20 percent off room charges throughout your stay in all Tauzia hotels: HARRIS Hotels, POP! Hotels, Eden Hotel Bali, Solo Paragon Hotel in Solo, as well as Pesona Alam Resorts & Spa in Puncak. The discount applies to bookings made from 3rd to 23rd March 2015, for stays between 5th March and 30th June 2015.

The discount is available for bookings through the hotels' websites at harrishotels.com, pophotels.com, myedenhotels.com, soloparagonhotel.com – as well as via Tauzia call centres and all other websites from partner online travel agents.

"With quite a few long weekends and other holidays coming up during the next few months, starting with the long weekend of Easter from 3-5 April, we believe this is the perfect time to launch this Great Sale campaign and offer customers an exclusive discount for staying in any of our almost 40 hotels over the next few months," said Yusuf IJsseldijk, Tauzia Hotel's Corporate Director of Sales & Marketing.

Visit www.tauzia.com for more information.

Indonesia and Netherlands launch large coastal safety initiative JAVA The Indonesian and Dutch government announced a fiveyear, multi-million public-private partnership initiative for enhancing coastal safety on the North Coast of Java.

It aims to build stable coastlines with reduced erosion risk through a unique integration of mangrove restoration, small scale hard-engineering and sustainable land use.

The initiative is financed by the Dutch Sustainable Water Fund and was launched on 3rd March during a press conference in Jakarta by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF), the Secretary of Central Java Province, and the Director of River and Coasts from Ministry of Public Works and Human Housing (PU) and the Dutch Ecoshape Consortium. The authorities are official partners in the initiative.

The 5 million Euro initiative is the leading international case of the “Building with Nature Innovation Programme”. This public-private partnership aims to stimulate sustainable coastal engineering approaches that make use of the natural protection provided by ecosystems like mangroves and salt marsh habitats.

It represents the transition of traditional infrastructure designs that typically fight against nature, towards solutions that work with and alongside nature. The latter are often more cost-effective, while bringing more prosperity to the local economy, such as through enhanced fisheries and carbon storage.

Visit www.wetlands.org for more information.

issue 137 indonesia expat

23

OMG Skool is Soooo Yesterday!

* Answers in the next edition!

LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

CROSSWORD

By Eamonn Sadler (www.eamonnsadler.com)

“I’m not a bloody taxi service, if you want a lift I expect money.”

Errrmmm… wouldn’t that make you a taxi service?

These dayz edukashun trewly is a compleet waist of time. Don’t need English anymore cz we alwz abbreviate and every1 understands anyway. Don’t need maths cz we hv calculatirs. Don’t need histarey, jeografy or syence cuz we hv Google.

So y r we still sending are kids to skool?

Here’s why.

Real Facebook and Twitter posts

“If baracco barner is our president why is he getting involved with Russia? Scary.”

So many problems with this, Gemma.

Go and get your nails done.

“He sprayed his colon on me so he is all I can smell.”

Well that’s understandable. Maybe some cologne would help?

“If u put 60 seconds on the microwave its different from putting 1:00 because if you add 1:00 + 1:00 = 2:00 but if u add 60+60 = 120 so 1 minute isn’t the same as 60 seconds because your food will cook less if you keep pressing 60 instead of 1:00.

I know its confusing.”

“How far of a drive is it from Miami to Florida?”

Across 1. Thing that belongs to another time (11) 9. Devices that connect (9) 10. Be in debt (to) (3) 11. Having a function (2,3) 13. Question traditionally coming on bended knee (4,3,5,2) 14. Serious mistake (6) 15. Abuse - defame (6) 18. See 13 20. Lift - pocket (5) 21. Aim - point - finish (3) 22. Standard - cheap tyre (anag) (9) 24. Trip to places unknown (7,4)

DOWN 2. The farmers' organisation (1,1,1) 3. Place of learning (7) 4. Fame (6) 5. Of the nose (5) 6. Plot of book etc (5,4) 7. Space that reflects sound (4,7) 8. What we all need at night to look our best (6,5) 12. Naive (9) 16. Look at closely (7) 17. Aerosol for use in winter (2-4) 19. Fungus used in brewing and baking (5) 23. The solver (3)

I think you’d be safer on the special bus with your friends.

ANSWERS OF ISSUE 136 ACROSS — 1. Mush 3. Aperitif 9. Nirvana 10. Brink 11. Panel 12. Random 14. Licence to kill 17. Turkey

The only thing that’s right is the last bit.

19. Dunce 22. Loser 23. Twiddle 24. Farmyard 25. Oral

DOWN — 1. Monopoly 2. Siren 4. Prairie oyster

5. Robin 6. Tripoli 7. Fake 8. Gallon 13. Bluebell 15. Courser 16. Ordain 18. Kerry 20. Nadir 21. Clef

“Does anyone know if the air from a fan can blow away the particles from wireless signal? Having trouble in my room.”

SPOTTED!

No it can’t. But it can blow your brains out apparently.

“Omggg, Sooo i don’t like dolphins anymore!! Squirrels are my new favorite reptile SOOOO CUTTEEE!”

“I woke up to gun shots this morning coming from my backyard! my 3 year old son have my 9mm GLOCK in his hand firing at some dog who got in are yard. my son hit him once. the dog will never come in my yard again. I took gun from my son. and change his pampers and gave him his sippy cup. wow!”

Agree. And squirrel eggs also taste so much better than dolphin eggs.

Let’s see: 1. Gun left lying around loaded. 2.

Three year old can reach the gun 3. Threeyear-old running round unattended. 4.

Apparently only the dog learned a lesson.

Good thing you weren’t having a family barbecue in your backyard at the time, mate. Or maybe it would have been better for everyone if you had been.

“Titanic must be fake how could someone record it because everyone was dead and drounding? :/” They gave the film crew scuba gear, darling.

“Does it take 18 months for twins to be born?”

Yes. Yes it does. And sextuplets take four and a half years.

And finally…

“Dear school why do you excist? suncerly me and about half the world” Nuff said.

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

indonesia expat issue 137

Send in the your funny pictures to letters@indonesiaexpat.biz and we'll publish them here for all to enjoy!

"Thangs you for come to fisiting us" was spotted by George T.

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

0821 1194 3084

IS MADE POSSIBLE BY:

24

WANT FREE TICKETS TO THE COMEDY CLUB?

Congratulations to jacky t. in bali!

You and a friend will be enjoying the next comedy cluB ON US!

ads@indonesiaexpat.biz for competitive advertising rates!

Get noticed through our printed publication, e-newsletter and on our website.

OBSERVATIONS

Daniel Pope is a part-time hedonist, residing mostly in Jakarta, where he still finds everything a bit of a rum do.

Making the Possible

IMPOSSIBLE

By Daniel Pope

Losing your cool with intractable Immigration officials may get results, but not the ones you want, as Daniel Pope explains.

Any foreigner who has dealt with a government department in Indonesia—whose offices maintain a 1960s atmosphere of clattering typewriters and twirling ceiling fans well into the twenty-first century—knows how frustrating the red tape can be. Extending a tourist visa-on-arrival, for example, can take three consecutive daily trudges to the Immigration office nearest to your hotel (often miles away) – first to submit your passport and forms, then to pay the fee, and finally to collect the passport. Your excursion to Krakatau will just have to wait. And this additional month is only available if you can rustle up an Indonesian citizen to sponsor you and countersign the application form.

Some years ago, my Australian friend Matthew, a long-time expatriate married to an Indonesian, had cause to reflect on the baffling workings of the Immigration Department while locked up in a cell in East Java.

His troubles had begun when he went to an Immigration office to collect his young daughter's first Indonesian passport. Upon being handed the document, Matthew fortunately—or perhaps not considering the outcome—gave the details a thorough going-over to ensure they were correct.

Now, Matthew has a posh double-barrelled surname. We'll call him Matthew Willis-Constantine.

He spotted a mistake immediately. And it wasn't a minor one. Because certain Indonesians, especially the Bataks of North Sumatra, have enormously long names that some Westerners find as tough to copy out as the names of chemical compounds, it might be assumed that the passport issuers could have managed to print 'Willis-Constantine' correctly.

But the hyphen had thrown them. On the data page of his daughter's passport was printed the chopped-and-changed 'MIDDLE NAME: Willis, SURNAME: Constantine'.

Disbelieving, Matthew pointed the error out to the clerk, who painstakingly read out the name. The man considered the implications and declared the mix-up to be inconsequential and the passport still valid.

Matthew pleaded with other officials in the room to do something about the mistake, even offering to pay to have the passport re-issued correctly. But the officials remained uninterested in having the hyphen reinstated.

“We can change the spelling when passport expires in five years,” declared one of them. Matthew envisaged a future

He raised the passport high above his head for all in the office to see and began ripping it to pieces. where his daughter would be doomed to forever tick the ‘Yes’ box for the question on Passenger Arrival Cards asking ‘Have you ever used a passport under a different name to enter Singapore?’ He explained this concern to the officials. They tried to usher him out the door. He persisted in asking for a new passport.

An Indonesian prison is a claustrophobic microcosm of all the worst in society and the establishment, and it begins at the gate. Prior to entering the building, visitors must sign a document that states in vivid red lettering (as you stand beneath large anti-corruption posters hung on the wall): THERE ARE NO FEES TO BE PAID FOR THIS VISIT. In reality, the fees start as soon as you cross the threshold.

You must pay the lackey—a privileged inmate who performs the guards' jobs—to fetch the prisoner from his cell. You must also pay for each 15 minutes of visiting time in a crowded hall. An extra fee will get you a private room, maybe even the governor's office.

As for the prisoners themselves, those who don't have a financial lifeline to the outside, are forced to live on what would barely keep a dog from showing its ribcage. Need to visit a hospital? You'll have to foot the bill for your transportation, and the armed escort.

The wall of intractable bureaucracy that Matthew was beating his head against eventually proved too much. He raised the passport high above his head for all in the office to see and began ripping it to pieces.

Matthew was lucky. He was placed not in a regular prison but in an Immigration detention centre, where he was to spend nine days. Here the regime was less harsh and the cells less austere. He had a bed. A window. A curtain. The chicken bones for lunch had meat on them. In fact, Matthew claimed the place was more comfortable than his usual lodgings in an alleyway off Jalan Jaksa.

What happened next was like a scene in a Hanna-Barbera cartoon, where a mob of police officers pounces on a victim and surrounds him, guns pointing downward at arm's-length at the now-prone figure. Judging by the way that every able-bodied official in the room had in a flash abandoned whatever they were doing and, in some cases leaping across desks, sped across the floor to apprehend Matthew, you'd have thought that he'd produced a bomb from his bag.

Figuratively he had.

Eventually, he was taken before a senior Immigration officer, who invited him to be seated opposite his desk. With this meeting having the feel of a parole hearing, Matthew laid it on thick, contritely explaining that family names in the West—especially those that boasted hyphens—were sacred matters of honour that kings and queens over the centuries had fought battles over. To break apart such a hyphenated name, as the passport had done, was tantamount to snapping in half the family's ancient ceremonial lancet. And so on.

I once saw an upset foreigner being roughed up by a furious crowd outside a Jakarta money changer. He had torn up an Indonesian banknote, an action seen as a colossal act of disrespect for the national symbols depicted on it.

The officer nodded sympathetically throughout, despite the badge on his chest bearing the uncomplicated name 'Budi'. But when at the end of the speech he shrugged, Matthew assumed that he was taking the error as lightly as his subordinates had.

However, the officer informed him that correcting the name on his daughter's passport would, unquestionably, have been a simple matter. So why the big tantrum?

But what Matthew had done was much, much worse. Right there, in the inner sanctum of Indonesian Immigration, in a room anointed by the presence of gilt-framed presidential and vice-presidential portraits, in a country where national pride is a sensitive issue – he had as good as set light to the nation's flag and trampled on it.

issue 137 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

7pm, Chand Garden (top floor of Kinara) , Jl. Kemang Raya no. 78. thejakartaplayers@gmail.com

Food & Drink

Jakarta in March. The beautifulhaired boys will rif le through their hits. Expect copious macet, ear-shattering screams, and lots of fun. Selamat Datang, 1D!!

Gelora Bung Karno Senayan www.1dindo.com.

Indonesia Wine & Spirits Expo 2015 31 March–2 April 2015 Indonesia is purportedly the fa stest-g row ing w ine a nd spir its market in Southea st Asia, due to the growth of the Indonesian middle classes. Big players in the market want to reach Indonesian buyers, and they need a platform to meet and participate in the growth of the wine and spirits business in the future. Bringing together certified and authorized importers along with manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, and distributors from all over the world, the event will be three days of exhibitions and workshops, blind tastings, cocktail demonstrations and even a wine auction. The event w i l l b e held at Sa mp o er n a S t r at eg ic S qu a r e , Ja k a r t a .

For further info email info@ indonesiawineandspirits.com www.indonesiawineandspirits. com. Tel: +62 (0)21 7917 0744 Business

Music One Direction — On The Road Again Tour 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

26

indonesia expat issue 137

Pancake Run Challenge, Pancake Flip Challenge, Pancake Eating Challenge (w ith a minimum spend), a s wel l a s enjoy i ng Fa c e Pa i nt i ng a nd a Phot o Shooting Booth. Enrolment is Rp.100.000pp for all activities and the proceeds go to FMCH. There’s a chance to win a big grand prize, and you can also enjoy a special ticket price on an Apron Set at Rp.100,000, with free personalized name embroidery (normally Rp.150,000). Broadway Stage, Summarecon Mal (Serpong) +62 (0) 819 08 999 777 www.nannyspavillon.com

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/ Charity

The 4th Asia Golf Tourism Convention (AGTC) 2015 27–30 April 2015 Jakarta’s golf courses offer some of the best hospitality in Asia, so this lively city is the perfect venue for the golf tourism industry’s premier event in the Asia-Pacific region. More than 4,000 meetings will take place between golf tour operators and golf resorts, golf clubs, hotels, inbound operators and tourist boards over two days. The AGTC attracts over 500 delegates from 32 countries, including some 150 golf tour operators, all selling Asia Pacific golf destinations, from all leading markets. During the event, golf resorts, golf clubs, hotels and other suppliers can have up to 38 appointments of 15 minutes with golf tour operators from over 30 countries. All delegates are invited to enjoy the Welcome Reception and Gala Dinner and can participate in the AGTC Golf Tournament on the final day. Balai Sidang Jakarta Convention Centre www.iagto.com/agtc

Jakarta Players Open Audition for 'Circle, Mirror, Transformation'

BWA Fashion Show 2015: Space Odyssey 9 May 2015 Get ready for an experience that goes beyond sight and sound with the 33 rd annual BWA Fashion Show! One of the most anticipated events in the expat social scene, it’s a dance/cabaret extravaganza, performed by BWA members featuring local designers, hair stylists, and makeup professionals.

A fabulous black-tie affair for guests, with a three-course meal, the event also includes free-flow drinks, an after-show party and midnight snacks! Tickets are Rp.1,650,000pp all inclusive.

You can buy at the BWA House on 11 March, when the association will host a guests-and-members coffee morning for ticket sales, starting at 10am. Don’t miss out!

For more information, please contact fstickets@bwajakarta.org www.bwajakarta.org Nanny’s Pavillon Charity Pancake Festival 5 April 2015 As part of a two month-long series of events in support of charity Foundation for Women and Children’s Health (FMCH), Nanny’s Pavillon will hold a funpacked pancake day from 2pm to 5pm. Take the kids to join in a fun

Nanny’s Pavillon 6th Anniversary Special 23 March 2015 As part of the same series of events in support of FMCH Indonesia, Nanny’s Pav illon w ill host a special Buy-1- G et-1-Free on pancakes at all outlets on this date! Get down to your nearest restaurant and enjoy their famous French-A merican pancakes.

Through the course of the event series, over 1,000 participants are expected to join in and raise over Rp.100,000,000 for FMCH Indonesia. +62 (0) 819 08 999 777 www.nannyspavillon.com Culture

AMAN 16th Anniversary Indigenous Peoples Talks 12 March 2015 S av i ng t he w orld’s f or e s t s is expected to be central to discussions among world leaders at the UN Climate Summit in Paris later this year. A series of events in Jakarta will preview those discussions, providing key insights into global action on forests, and highlighting successes and obstacles faced by indigenous leaders who are anxious to share new solutions.

O ne s uc h le a de r i s A b don Nababan, leaders of AMAN— the world’s largest indigenous group—which celebrates its 16th anniversary in Jakarta, marking a turning point in the history of Indonesia’s indigenous forest peoples. On this day there will be a ‘Case Study from Costa Rica’ (10.30am): Imagine communities and land-owners being paid by the government to protect their forests and natural resources.

Then at 3pm, hear from Candido Mezúa, Panamanian Indigenous L ea der who wa s present at AMAN’s first conference in 1999 and returns 16 years later. www. aman.or.id

21 March 2015 In June, Jakarta Players will be putting on a production of Annie Baker's CIRCLE MIRROR TR A NSFOR M ATION, a wonder f u l pl ay a b out fou r students and their teacher as they work through a series of creative drama workshops and grow and change as a result. There will be five roles up for grabs: Marty (female) the drama teacher, James, Marty's husband, Schultz, a lonely carpenter, Theresa, an aspiring actress and Lauren, a 16-year-old high school student.

Please come along and try out!

Starting at 3pm. Chand Garden (top f loor of Kinara) Kemang, Jl. Kemang Raya No. 78.Email: thejakartaplayers@gmail.com

BOGOR Sports

popular and accomplished local artist has been exhibiting solo and in groups around Bali and Java since 1992. This time the theme is one of an ‘Interior Journey’.

The evening will begin at 5pm, RSVP ASAP as above. RSVP to Mr. Hous by phone +62 (0) 361 762 500. Or email H6556-sl10@ accor.com Seasonal

Escape the Silence: Nyepi at Pan Pacific Nirwana 21 March 2015 Experience a f lawless Nyepi Day in the most space-luxurious resort in Bali. Sari Pan Pacific offers a rich, authentic cultural discovery with 19 temples within the resort grounds amidst lush tropical gardens, rice paddies and endless views of the Indian Ocean and Tanah Lot temple. Stay from 18 to 24 March 2015 (subject to availability) for a minimum of two nights and you’ll receive one lunch at Driftwood and one dinner at Merica for two on Nyepi Day, as well as breakfast, WiFi access, and daily access to the gymnasium, sauna, four-tiered swimming pools with a 54-metre water slide and Kokokan Kids Club for Children from four to 12 years old. +62 (0) 361 815900 www.panpacific.com

AMAN 16th Anniversary Indigenous Peoples Talks 13 March 2015 T he ne x t e v e nt s a r e ‘ Z e r o deforestation must mean Zero Violence and Zero Killings’ at 9.30am, which is titled ‘Dialogue with National Commission On Human Rights’. Followed by that, ‘Small islands and the fight for survival’ will be at 3.00pm, talking about two successful indigenous campaigns to save the forest from exploitation. www. aman.or.id

St. Paddies Fun Scramble 13 March 2015 St. Paddies Fun Scramble 2015 should be another cracking day of fun and golf. If you are interested in playing, sponsoring, please email murphysjakarta@gmail. com. All money raised will go to a local orphanage, Lestari Sayang Anak. To be held at Palm Hill GC Sentul golf course, Cijayanti, Babakan Madang, Bogor. +62 (0)21 87960268

Theatre

BALI

Travel

Culture

The Indonesian Heritage Society Evening Lectures 3–24 March 2015 The new Evening Lectures Series will be held on Tuesdays at 7pm, with Welcome Reception to open the series at 6pmTopics include ‘The Start of The Jokowi Era: What is to come?’, ‘Changing TransJakarta – What’s Ahead for a Busway in a Gridlocked City’, ‘Excellence, Entrepreneurship and Ecosystems – Protecting Papua’, ‘Wayang Kulit for a Modern Audience’, and many more. An entrance donation of Rp.50,000 (Rp.30,000 students with a valid student ID) is requested. Erasmus Huis, Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said www.heritagejkt.org or call +62 (0)21 572 5870, or lectures@ heritagejkt.org

Jakarta Players Club Night: A short-film screening 21 March 2015 Jakarta Players is an Englishspeaking community theatre g roup in Ja k a r t a . For your viewing pleasure, Filmmaker and TV, LSPR Film & Directing lecturer, Andrew Trigg, will screen a selection of entertaining, thought-provoking, and fun, short f ilms, spanning genres from comedy to drama to thriller. Some are winners of short film festivals and some are simply great little stories. There will be a quiz, an Audience Choice Awards, followed by general raucous socialising!

It's a great opportunity to meet other drama enthusiasts and get involved with Jakarta Players.

idGuides Easy Escape Jakarta Trek & Camp season

Interior Journey by I Made Mahendra Mangku 13 March 2015 The Pullman Bali Legian Nirwana is hosting an exciting fine art exhibition in conjunction with Tony Raka Art Gallery, featuring the works of Balinese artist I Made Mahendra Mangku. This

14–31 March 2015 Recharge for Easter by joining a unique fresh air family escape, 90 minutes’ drive from Jakarta.

Book a private family walk, half day or full day trek, any day of the week. Explore as many as 12 different trails, guided by one of idGuides famous Community Trail Guides. Visit Acacia Camp with family, friends or colleagues for a day BBQ or picnic. Check out our new website for details and learn how you are making a difference to local communities with each and every visit. 10% off during the season. www.idguides. net or email info@idguides.org

INDONESIA EXPAT DIRECTORY

INDONESIA EXPAT DIRECTORY

INDONESIA EXPAT DIRECTORY

INDONESIA EXPAT DIRECTORY

INDONESIA EXPAT DIRECTORY

INDONESIA EXPAT DIRECTORY

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’’

DB Schenker can handle your move smoothly and efficiently from A to Z. The DB Schenker relocation service handles the complete planning and organization of a move, and of course ensures it is completed on schedule.

DB Schenker relocations is your ideal moving partner with the competitive edge.

Contact: Ovilia Faratika Mobile: +62 81 8844 777 E-mail: ovilia.faratika@dbschenker.com E-mail: removal.jkt-id@dbschenker.com

INDONESIA EXPAT DIRECTORY

Relax. We carry the load. #1 CUSTOMER CHOICE ASIA PACIFIC REGION

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

INDONESIA EXPAT DIRECTORY

INDONESIA EXPAT DIRECTORY

UK Passport Renewal & Secondary Passport UK I Europe I Australian Visit Visas Settlement & Migration Visas British Birth Registration & UK Passport for Children Web: www.agsolutions.co.id E-mail: info@agsolutions.co.id 021-29023080 081287922260(WA/SMS/Call) BBM Pin 5244A2FA Facebook: AGSVisaSolutions Twitter: @agsolutionsid Instagram: agsolutionsid

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.

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

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

issue 137 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 March

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 available

Indonesia Expat is hiring an Events Organizer/Sales Executive (local)! The position will require organizing at least two events for Indonesia Expat in 2015, as well as selling advertising space in the publication and online. The ideal candidate will be a real gogetter, have heaps of personality, be very friendly, with a minimum of one year’s experience in events management. Very good verbal and written English is a must, as is the ability to multi-task.

The position will be full-time, based in South Jakarta, with a good basic salary and commissions to complement. If you believe you’re the person, please send your CV and cover letter to info@ indonesiaexpat.biz Only successful candidates will be contacted.

Full Time and Part Time vacancies are now available for experienced English language instructors for corporate courses around Jakarta. Competitive rates and travel allowance are offered. Please send your CV to recruitment@ kpiconsultancy.com German tutor for private classes for grade 9 needed. Please email at roshini.bakshi@gmail.com We are seeking to hire a driver for our family of four. We are located in Patra Kuningan, South Jakarta.

It is essential that he speaks some basic English, is mature, pat ient a nd ha s e x p er ienc e working with expat families. If you know someone who you can recommend please email me on admir_meko@yahoo.com or call/ sms on +628119703903. Many thanks.

Looking for young, energetic and dedicated live in pembantu who is patient and enjoys being with young children (when required).

Please contact +6281290931203 if interested or if you have any maids you wish to recommend/ help upon your repatriation.

L ook ing for a watercolour / art teacher for my 13-year-old daughter. Preferably female and can come to my apartment in Kuningan. shazsooz@gmail.com

28

indonesia expat issue 137

Looking for work If you are looking for someone to look after your yard, help with your pets and who can help with the chores inside the house, call on Kasidi. Kasidi has been with for us for the past 4 years and his work has been exceptional. He is reliable, trustworthy, a hard worker, honest, handy with tools and fixing things, and friendly. We are leaving Jakarta and want to help Kasidi find a good employer.

For more information, please contact Bernie at: bernie.geddes@ me.com. Or C ont a c t K a sidi directly at +62812 80409090 SERVICES CORPOR ATE VIDEO SPE C I A L I S T S: For a f r e e consultation on your Company Video Profile, Recruitment Film, Online Promotion, Training Film or Investor Profile please contact Ga r y Pla nt at P T. Net work Multimedia on +628118829933 or garyplant@gmail.com.

As a newcomer to Indonesia, Jakar ta , I seek adv ice from p r o f e s s i o n a l s i n ( h i g h e r) education internationalisation on oppor tunities here. A s a project management, capacity development, knowledge management, and public relations expert passionate about international education and ICT, I could help enhance your efforts in return. Looking forward to your email! Contact: leasimek@ yahoo.com Spanish Tutor: Learn Spanish at your place with a DELE-certified examiner from Spain. Most of my students come from International Schools (JIS and BSJ). Please call me (Raúl) +6282110502786 Email: unascartas@yahoo.com Spanish/Indonesian translators: If you need experienced and native translators to translate in this lang uage pair ( both ways) plea se c a ll us (F NA) +6281288215625 Ema i l: elejakarta@gmail.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.

Te a c h e r c a n c o me t o y ou r place: the best and experienced t e a c her w i l l help you w it h your Mathematic s, Science, Bahasa Indonesia, Accounting, and Guitar! IGCSE, IB, GCE, SAT, GMAT, ACT, Singapore curriculum. Easy to understand, make subjects become fun and interesting. For grade 2 to 12 . Fee is affordable. Please call +622196021800.

Learning Piano is So Fun and Benef icial! Private Classical P i a no L e s s on for C h i ld r en and Adults. Well experienced teacher willing to come to your place for the lesson (for South Jakarta area). Also provides the ABRSM Examination that are internationally certified. If you are interested, please contact +6281317810789.

Art therapy for children and a d ol e s c e nt s & c ou n s e l l i ng psychology for teens and adults.

Our highly qualified specialists treat a wide range of wellness mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, loss, abuse, marital issues, d y s f u n c t i o n a l f a m i l y, l o w self-esteem, bullying, Autism Spectrum Disorders, ADHD, Dyslexia amongst other special needs and mental illnesses. For further details and enquiries e-mail us at: hums34@gmail. com, anitanaseer@gmail.com Learn Italian the proper way from an Italian from Firenze.

My teaching method is perfect for who approaches the study of Italian for the first time. I also provide lessons of advanced italian for who has already some knowledge of the language and italian for business and for travelers. Learn how to interact with native Italian speakers from the first lessons! For infos: Riccardo +6281310881157 (whatsapp)

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

Senopati Townhouse A for Sale Walking distance to Senopati’s r e s t a u r a nt s . M i nu t e s aw ay from SCBD,Senayan,Kuningan & Kemang.High qualit y f inishes & env ironmenta lly sustainable systems.

Land:126.5m. Townhouse:190m.

3 levels,3 bedrooms,2 living,1 d i n i ng ,1 s t u d y,1 k i t c h e n ,1 l a u n d r y,4 b a t h r o o m s ,1 maid room,ba lcony,outdoor area,2+carport,vertical gardens.

Contact 08818179121 team@mtarchitect.com For rent, 300 houses at Kemang, Cipete, Cilandak, Jeruk Purut, Pondok Indah. Big gardens, swimming pools, USD3,0005,000. Phone: +62816 859 551 or +62817 009 3366.

PROPERTY B e verly Tower A pa r t ment , a dd re s s: T B si mat upa ng Simatupang street, Cilandak Barat, South Jakarta. All new fully furnished, 2+1 bedroom, luas bangunan 90m. Good location, on ly 10 minutes t o 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

Senopati Townhouse B for Sale Walking distance to Senopati’s restaurants.Minutes away from SCBD, Senayan,Kuningan & Kemang.High quality finishes & environmentally sustainable systems. L a nd:84.8 m² Townhouse:169.5 m².3 levels,4 bedrooms,1 living,1 dining,1 kitchen,1 laundry,4 bathrooms,1 maid room,ba lcony,outdoor area,carport,vertical gardens.

Contact 08818179121 team@ mt-architect.com

(no Broker/Agent), call owner +62811180605

TVs, running machine, cycling machine, barbell with plates, microwave oven, water dispenser, juicer, sandwich maker, mixer, computer with study table, bed and mattress, toys for k ids, electronic piano and more things.

Contact number +628111788868 a nd +62811 9413808. C a n Whatsapp or Viber.

BALI Address: Jl. Kemang Dalam VIII no F17; Land Size: 700sqm; Building Size: 700sqm; Bedroom: 5; Bat h r o om: 5; Fa c i l it ie s: S w i m m i ng Pool, Ga rage: 2 cars; Car Port: 4 cars. Condition: Superb. Inspection/Viewing: By appointment. Min contract: 2 years; Price: call for detail. For further details, please call Anis @ Mobile: +628176495888 or email: ahmad.anis31@gmail.com

Luxury home for rent @ Kemang.

Address: Jl. Kemang Timur IX no C6; Land Size: 1,115sqm; Building Size: 700sqm; Bedroom: 5; Bat h ro om: 5; Fa c i l it ie s: S w i m m i ng Pool, Ga rage: 3 cars; Car Port: 7 cars. Condition: Superb. Inspection/Viewing: 8am-5pm. Min contract: 2 years; Price: call for detail. For further details, please call Anis (owner): +628176495888 or email: ahmad. anis31@gmail.com AUTOMOTIVE

House for Rent: One nice house 2 storey, one large joined pool, beautif ul ga rden, 24 -hours security compound, no cement wa ll bet ween houses in the compound. Approx. 500m2 house with 1,000m2 land, located at Jl. Margasatwa Raya, 10 Minutes to Cilandak Commercial Estate.

USD3,000 per month with min. one year lease. If interested

201 2 N i s sa n G r a nd L iv i n a Ultimate 1. 5L . 24,400 K M, Black w/ Black Leather interior, Automatic, full service records.

OTHERS

PROPERTY

For Sale Villa in Denpasar, 200m2 land/280m2 building. 3 Bedrooms, 4 Bathrooms, Liv ing Room, Bathroom, Modern Kitchen, Pool, Garden, Fish Pond, Storage, Staff Room, Sertifikat Hak Milik + IMB, 4400 watt electricity. Price 5 Billion (negotiable). Contact: +62878 3530 0030 (please only direct buyer not property agent).

MUST SELL , SOLD TO HIGHEST BIDDER! BEAUTIFUL VESSEL. VERY WELL MAINTAINED SAIL / MOTOR BOAT. 39.8m long Citra Pelangi. Unique opportunity, now just: USD350,000. Phinisi Vessel is birthed in Bira/South Sulawesi – Ready for Inspection.

Any reasonable offer will be taken very seriously. Highest Bidder/ First Deposit in takes Vessel!

Household for sale in Pondok Indah: wardrobe, Organizer,

issue 137 indonesia expat

29

30

indonesia expat issue 137

issue 137 indonesia expat

31

32

indonesia expat issue 137