Indonesia Expat – issue 143

EE FR I S S U E N O. 14 3

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

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

ROHINGYA REFUGEE CRISIS TRAVEL: BLITAR & PRIGI BEACH

THE FAKE RICE SCAM PENCAK SILAT MARTIAL ARTS WAYANG KULIT OF JAVA MEET PENNY ROBERTSON: SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS NETWORK IN ASIA

THE ISSUE

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Dear Readers, Editor in Chief Angela Richardson angela@indonesiaexpat.biz

Editorial Enquiries letters@indonesiaexpat.biz

Management Edo Frese edo@indonesiaexpat.biz

Sales Dian Mardianingsih ads@indonesiaexpat.biz

Distribution & Admin

Welcome to the first of our Indonesian regional series, exploring different parts of the archipelago. We start with the island of Java.

Juni Setiawan admin@indonesiaexpat.biz

Graphics Frederick Ng Katarina Anindita

Home to 57 percent of Indonesia’s population, Java is, astonishingly, the world’s most populated island. Its history is rich, once home to the powerful Buddhist and Hindu Empires, not to mention Islamic Sultanates, and the centre of the colonial Dutch East Indies.

Finance Lini Verawaty finance@indonesiaexpat.biz

Contributors Victoria Bannerman Stephanie Brookes Terry Collins Bill Dalton Karen Davis Annali Hayward Michael Hession Simon Pitchforth Eamonn Sadler Graeme Steele Antony Sutton Kenneth Yeung Resty Woro Yuniar

Along the slopes of the Solo River in East Java was also where the oldest Hominin fossils were found: Java Man (Homo erectus erectus). The fossil was estimated to be between 700,000 and 1,000,000 years old, taking us back to a time when Java was teeming with rainforests and wildlife, where rhinoceroses, tigers and elephants reigned. The Javan tiger and elephant are, sadly, now extinct and there are only an estimated 44 rhinoceroses living in the Ujung Kulon National Park in West Java.

This issue we travel to the birthplace of Indonesia’s founding father Sukarno, Blitar, East Java, to discover its mysterious ancient temples and hidden charms.

Java is home to countless stunning beaches, and we take you to Prigi Beach in East Java, coincidentally a stretch of sand I have many fond memories of as a child.

The road to get there may be long and

windy, but it’s worth it once you arrive at its white, sandy secluded beaches.

In Business, Resty Woro Yuniar discusses that good old cup of Java and if the commodity will fare better in 2015. According to the Association of Indonesian Coffee Exporters (AEKI), Indonesia harvests about 700,000 metric tonnes of coffee beans each year, with a growth rate of 1 to 2 percent annually. Is now the time to get on the Java trade?

In our Feature Story, Kenneth Yeung brings you an in-depth read on the plight of the Rohingya and Bangladeshi refugees.

What is Indonesia’s refugee policy and will they ever find a real home?

As the Javanese say, monggo dinikmati…

Angela Richardson Editor in Chief

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Dear Angela,

Circulation Enquiries info@indonesiaexpat.biz

Subscriptions subscriptions@indonesiaexpat.biz

Events events@indonesiaexpat.biz

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

Dear Michael,

Do you have any information on the reasoning behind the behaviour of the local immigration officials who carried out raids throughout Indonesia, last week checking on individual’s immigration paperwork?

Whilst I applaud any steps taken to stop illegal entrants, and workers, to Indonesia the Gestapo-like tactics of those involved in these raids does little to encourage people to want to work here, visit here on indeed invest here.

The silence from the Ministry has been deafening - is it not time that we, as an expat group, stood together against these strong-arm tactics? Civility costs nothing; even Indonesian local imigrasi officials can afford it.

INDONESIA EXPAT IS PUBLISHED BI-WEEKLY BY PT. KOLEKSI KLASIK INDONESIA. OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS PUBLICATION ARE THOSE OF THE WRITERS AND THE PUBLISHER DOES NOT ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMMISIONS, OR COMPLAINTS ARISING THERE FROM. NO PARTS OF THIS PUBLICATION CAN BE REPRODUCED IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN PRINT OR ELECTRONICALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHER. ALL TRADEMARKS, LOGOS, BRANDS AND DESIGNS ARE COPYRIGHT AND FULLY

Why not gather together individual case histories and then approach the Minister to express concern at how these individuals are interpreting the "law", and carrying out their "duties", particularly the insistence that originals, not photocopies, should be carried on one’s person at all times, despite national Consulates advising against such practices on safety grounds

In Cirebon, a well-known local factory owner, a resident and provider of work to thousands of local people for the past 28 years, was detained in an unannounced raid and treated like a common criminal for not carrying his original passport and Kitas with him. As the originals and copies of his passport and Kitas were safely secured in his safe in his home in Bali, his wife had to come post haste to meet a 9am deadline the next day to avoid him being deported - as it was he was subjected to a hefty ‘fine’ for this heinous offence! Another was told that the Kitas applies only to the immediate place of work and that meeting clients away from the office was an offence, even if carrying a passport and Kitas!

Where do they get these interpretations from?

Whether we are tourists, workers or investors, should we not be treated with civility when being asked to produce official paperwork, instead of being treated like common criminals? And Jokowi has aspirations to increase tourist visitors and export levels - seriously?

Thank you for writing.

Immigration in Indonesia has been conducting sporadic raids for many years, demanding to see work/residency permits and passports from foreign workers.

Such raids used to be extremely racist, targeting Chinese and Africans. Today it seems that many more foreigners of different nationalities and ethnicities are being targeted and expected to pay bribes.

We will be publishing an article about these recent raids, including stories of the victims and hopefully some quotes from immigration, very soon. We hope this will help to shed some light on the situation.

Many thanks, Angela and IE Team

This is likely to happen again and again, so maybe now is the time to start acting.

Kind Regards, Michael L.

RESERVED BY PT. KOLEKSI KLASIK INDONESIA.

The Cover Penataran Temple in Blitar, East Java by David Metcalf

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Issue 143

Contents

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Feature Story Rohingya Refugee Crisis

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Fashion The Sun is Shining: Summer 2015 Trends

Expat Business

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Scams in the City The Fake Rice that Never Was

Featured Indonesian Coffee is Heating Up: Is Now the Time to Get in on The Java Trade?

Business Profile Astagatech: Web Design with the X-Factor Meet the Expat Oliver Mathieson: Profitable Development

Expat Lifestyle

Food & Drink Culinary Creativity at Colonial Cuisine & Molecular

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Travel Prigi: Where Java Meets the Ocean

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Culture The Mysterious, Phantasmagoric World of Javanese Wayang Theatre

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Travel Blitar: Hidden Relics of the Past

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Expat Outreach

Sports Pencak Silat: More than Just a Fight

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Meet the Expat Penny Robertson: Effective Advocacy for Inclusive Education

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Worthy Causes Indojazzia: Indonesian Jazz is Going Places

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Announcements

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Light Entertainment Incredible Java

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Observations We'll Be Right Back After These Messages

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Events

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Business Directory

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Classifieds

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FEATURE STORY

Photo courtesy of Links International Journal

Rohingya Refugee Crisis More than 1,000 persecuted Muslim Rohingyas from Myanmar (Burma) and about 800 people from Bangladesh, most of them seeking better lives in Malaysia or Australia, have ended up in Indonesia over recent weeks. Thousands more are waiting on crowded boats at sea. The Government and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will struggle to find a lasting solution to the crisis.

By Kenneth Yeung

ASEAN’s long-held policy of nonintervention within member states is partly to blame for the current refugee crisis. Mostly to blame though is Myanmar’s military-backed government, for failing to protect or even recognise its own citizens.

Myanmar’s generals, keen for international business dollars, have been on a plodding path toward democratisation since late 2010, following decades of military rule.

The latest exodus of refugees stems from the long-standing oppression of the ethnic Rohingya Muslims. These are people whose ancestors came from neighbouring Bengal (which is now mostly Bangladesh) to the northeastern Burmese coastal state of Arakan (now called Rakhine). Many were encouraged to move there as agricultural labourers when Britain ruled Burma as a province of India from 1826–1948. Burmese Buddhists opposed the Muslim migrants, resulting in ethnic tensions that continue to this day.

Rohingyas have been denied citizenship in their own country since 1982. Myanmar classifies them as stateless Muslims from Bangladesh. Persecution of Rohingyas is state policy and thousands have been expelled. In June 2012, three Muslim men raped and murdered an ethnic Rakhine Buddhist woman, sparking ethnic clashes that killed about 150 people and left over 100,000 Rohingyas displaced.

In the aftermath of the riots, many Rohingyas fled southward on boats, paying people smugglers to take them to Malaysia, where they hope to work illegally. A major stop-off point was the jungle-covered border area between southern Thailand and northern Malaysia.

Thai people smugglers kept the refugees and economic migrants in appalling conditions, holding them prisoner and demanding their families pay ransoms of up to US$2,000. Those whose families could not pay were beaten and/or starved.

Females were allegedly raped. Thai authorities suddenly cracked down on the overland smuggling in early May, after the discovery of mass graves of refugees. This

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was followed by discoveries of mass graves on the Malaysian side of the border. Human rights groups say military officials must have been complicit in the prison camps.

The crackdown prompted people smugglers to abandon possibly as many as 7,000 migrants in crowded boats. Indonesia and Malaysia initially refused entry to boats that arrived and instead provided them with water and provisions, before turning them back. Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said Indonesia believes that most of those stranded at sea are illegal labourers from Bangladesh and not genuine Rohingya asylum-seekers. Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir later said almost 50% are economic migrants from Bangladesh.

Fishermen from Indonesia’s Aceh province on the northern tip of Sumatra have rescued hundreds of emaciated and diseased migrants from some boats. Others have swum ashore. Survivors recounted deadly fights over insufficient food and water supplies as they drifted at sea for weeks or even months.

“Indonesia’s National Agency for Disaster Management last week put the number of recently arrived refugees at 1,810, comprising 1,328 men, 244 women and 238 children.”

The Indonesian Government last week said it would accept some refugees for up to a year, provided the international community supplies financial support. Social Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa said the Government has so far allocated Rp.2.3 billion (US$175,000) to provide the refugees with tents, medical care and food.

She said the assistance is only for the Rohingyas, whereas about 800 Bangladeshis would be sent home within weeks because they are economic migrants.

Indonesia is now working with the International Organization of Migration and the United Nations Refugee Agency to

ascertain who can stay and who should be sent home.

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno warned of future social and economic problems if Indonesia accepts thousands of boatpeople. “We help the Rohingyas in the spirit of humanity. Those who have entered, we are looking after them well. But that does not mean that we should invite those who are still at sea. Not so.”

Poor Indonesians would become jealous, he said, if they see idle migrants being supported and fed for a long period of time. He said the Government is considering whether to house the refugees already here on an island.

Indonesia’s National Agency for Disaster Management last week put the number of recently arrived refugees at 1,810, comprising 1,328 men, 244 women and 238 children. They are spread across six shelters in Aceh, while 96 are in the North Sumatra capital of Medan.

Several Islamic boarding schools in West Java and East Java have offered to adopt any Rohingya orphans in Indonesia. Some Islamic groups have been raising funds for the exiles. Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly Zulkifli Hasan, a former forestry minister, last week spent Rp.5 million on seven garish agate rings at a fund-raising auction at Muhammadiyah University in Aceh. He failed to visit any of the refugee camps, citing a lack of time.

The US Ambassador to Indonesia, Robert Blake, praised Indonesia for offering to shelter the refugees and said his country would contribute humanitarian funds, if requested by the UN. Indonesian politicians and religious groups have come up with a range of suggestions to resolve the crisis. Some called for greater diplomacy with Myanmar. Conversely, the youth wing of the country’s largest Muslim organisation, Nahdlatul Ulama, demanded sanctions against Myanmar and the expulsion of its ambassador.

The Indonesian Buddhists Association and the Indonesian Ulemas Association issued a joint statement calling for ASEAN cooperation to deal with the crisis. They also politely asked Myanmar to cease persecuting Rohingyas. “Without interfering in the domestic affairs of Myanmar, we call on the government of Myanmar to take a fundamental attitude toward its citizens, so there is no more continuous exodus of boatpeople.”

Singer Rhoma Irama, who tried to run for the presidency last year, called on Indonesian Buddhists to provide assistance to the refugees in Aceh. He said Indonesian Muslims and Buddhists can set a good example to Myanmar that followers of the two faiths can live in harmony.

The next ASEAN Summit will be hosted in Malaysia over November 19-21, which is too far away to be of any use to the thousands of ailing boatpeople. There is no simple fix to the crisis. Any plan to permanently resettle present refugees in third countries will likely spark more waves of boatpeople. Diplomatic efforts may be insufficient to convince Myanmar to stop oppressing Rohingyas.

The Director of Indonesia’s Centre for National Policy Studies, Guspiabri Sumowigeno, said Myanmar’s leading opposition politician and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi should take an active role in resolving the Rohingya problem. He said her silence on the issue is deplorable, given that she is an international figurehead of human rights and democracy. He suggested that Myanmar should give the Rohingyas an independent state if it refuses to grant them citizenship. That’s unlikely to happen.

Any political solution depends on Myanmar and Bangladesh. Meanwhile, ASEAN members can stop putting profits before people – by ceasing support for people smugglers – and instead conduct search and rescue missions for boatpeople. But no one wants to do that unless someone else will pick up the bill.

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EXPAT BUSINESS FEATURED

INDONESIAN COFFEE IS HEATING UP

IS NOW THE TIME TO GET IN ON THE JAVA TRADE?

By Resty Woro Yuniar Photo by Sarah Ackerman

At the end of 2014, Indonesia experienced a sharp drop in coffee exports partly due to unfavourable weather conditions. Will the commodity fare better this year?

I

ndonesia’s coffee sector may flourish this year thanks to improved weather in production areas across the country.

But the increased output may still not be enough to satisfy foreign and local demand, which is both currently on the upswing, analysts say.

According to the Association of Indonesian Coffee Exporters (AEKI), the country harvests about 700,000 metric tonnes of coffee beans each year from 1.3 million hectares of cultivation area, with a growth rate of 1 to 2 percent annually. Export turnover from the commodity, dominated by the Robusta strain that’s normally used in instant coffee, is up to US$1.5 billion, the trade group claims. Indonesia is the world’s second largest Robusta bean producer.

The strain grows densely in South Sumatra in places like Lampung, Bengkulu, and other nearby provinces, while the pricier Arabica bean mostly grows in North Sumatra and Java.

“Indonesian coffee beans have higher quality and value compared to coffees from Brazil and Vietnam,” says Irfan Anwar, AEKI chairman. “Our coffee is now exported to 100 countries, with our biggest importers coming from the US, Europe, and Japan.”

Industry experts project Indonesia’s coffee crop this year will grow to 800,000 tonnes.

But harvest season is predicted to be later than normal due to mixed amounts of rain in some key crop-growing areas.

“Lack of rain could push back the harvest, while too much rain could degrade the quality of the beans,” says Armia Zuhri,

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director of the Sumatra Permata Gayo Cooperative in North Sumatra. “Lack of rain [in Aceh] in December and January means the harvest was pushed back to February, so [beans] are piling up this month.” Zuhri’s cooperative produces 100 percent organic Fair Trade Certified coffee, and exports about 1,500 kilograms of coffee each year. Last year, the cooperative collected US$10 million from about 2,600 members, whose crops were mostly exported to the US, Europe, and Australia.

Last year, Indonesia and neighbouring countries such as world’s second largest overall coffee producer, Vietnam, faced climate anomalies caused by El Niño.

This ultimately led to a decline in exports.

While prices for Indonesian coffee beans in the global market fluctuated, Anwar says that the price tag for the archipelago’s beans at the moment is “more expensive” than Brazilian coffee, with the South American nation’s Arabica selling at US$6 per kilogram, and its Robusta at US$2.5 per kilogram.

The numbers at home are promising, too.

Coffee exports may have fallen 20 to 25 percent to 475,000 tonnes last year, but higher local consumption may help offset the loss in 2015. AEKI predicts that local demand will jump 20 percent annually from currently 1.3 kilograms per capita to 1.56 kilograms next year. This sharp uptick is driven by a newfound fondness of a great ‘cup of Joe’ – particularly one brewed from single-origin specialty variants – among the country’s increasingly wealthy middle-class. A variety of upscale

Coffee drying. Photo by Victor Ulijn

cafes can now be found in Indonesia’s big cities, usually selling bags of specialty beans harvested from provinces like Flores, Gayo, and Toraja.

planning to double its number of stores in Indonesia from the current 200 to 400 outlets in five years’ time, according to Starbucks Indonesia COO, Anthony Cottan.

“The trend is good in helping local farmers distributing their coffee,” says Veronica Herlina of the Sustainable Coffee Platform of Indonesia (SCOPI), an organisation that promotes Public-Private Partnership in the coffee sector to bolster sustainability of the local commodity. “Indonesia has the most specialty coffee in the world, because every soil, culture, every [piece of] land, helps form these beans’ characteristics.” Singleorigin specialty coffee also helps increase the country’s coffee quality, she says.

The trend is good news for all stakeholders in the industry, but new players may think twice before entering the country’s already crowded Java business. If entrepreneurs took the traditional approach, they would compete head-to-head with veterans and household names like Kapal Api Global, Sari Incofood Corporation (the owner of Indocafé), and other multinational coffee players such as Italy’s Illy and Japan’s Ueshime Coffee Co.

Coffee giant Starbucks also wants in on the action. The Seattle-based company is

However, Indonesia still needs to wake up and smell the coffee. Analysts and industry watchers believe that local farmers may not

Resty Woro Yuniar is a Jakarta-based reporter with The Wall Street Journal. Follow her on Twitter @restyworo.

For more information visit www.copycollision.com.

be able to meet increasing demand in an industry that’s largely unsettled by climate change and lack of sustainability programs.

Indonesia produces about 750 kilograms per hectare and is the world’s third biggest coffee producer behind behemoths Brazil and Vietnam, which produce four tonnes and two tonnes per hectare, respectively.

Southeast Asia’s biggest economy is always sprinting with Colombia, where the annual yield is roughly on par with Indonesia’s.

This means that the number three position largely depends on weather conditions in both countries, year after year.

“We aim to increase output to one tonne per hectare, or about a 25 percent increase from our current output by 2018 or 2020,” says Anwar. “I believe that it’s a realistic target.”

To help achieve the target, AEKI recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Vietnam Coffee-Cocoa Association. Under the MoU, the two nations will exchange information on coffee prices between the two markets, as well as share techniques to increase productivity and profit, according to Anwar.

“Indonesia and Vietnam are the world’s leading coffee producing countries, so we need to advance our cooperation,” explains

Anwar. “We can learn how to increase productivity and better marketing from Vietnam.” Vietnam’s total cultivation area is smaller than Indonesia, with only a little more than 600,000 hectares, but the country’s productivity and export levels are higher. Each year, Vietnam exports one million tonnes of coffee beans, with a turnover of more than US$3.4 billion.

To increase productivity, however, farmers, coffee companies, and stakeholders in the business also must ensure that their farming practices are sustainable. According to a research note released last year by TechnoServe and Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH), Indonesia has three times as many smallholder coffee farmers as Vietnam, but only one third of the coffee yield: “Low farmer output and the highly fragmented nature of Indonesia’s production base make sustainability programs significantly more expensive than in Vietnam.”

The researchers also estimate that only seven percent of Indonesia’s coffee exports are currently certified as “sustainable”.

If the Indonesian coffee sector doesn’t change its current course, and with exports declining in significance, “sustainability efforts are likely to plateau,” says IDH.

Photo by McKay Savage

coffee exports may have fallen 20 to 25 percent to 475,000 tonnes last year, but higher local consumption may help offset the loss in 2015.

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To help welcome non-Francophone families interested in French education for their children, LFJ will now offer a French intensive beginner program starting in September 2015.

Main Goal A new intensive ten months class-based program will give international children a good grounding in French, eventually allowing them to fully participate in classes taught in French.

Target The class is targeted to students aged between 5 and 8 years old (Grades 1 to 3 in the French elementary system).

Content Each student will follow a specific program focused on oral language. A team composed of the school head and a group of French language teachers will carefully monitor each student’s achievements to ensure real progress in relations with the student’s family.

Organization Students will be registered in an age-appropriate class and will participate in a 24 hour per week French language program from early September 2015 to end of June 2016.

Children will divide their time between their language integration class and and a mainstream class, initially participating in activities that do not require a high level of French language comprehension.

If you are interested to joining our program or would like further information, please contact: Lycée Français de Jakarta Louis-Charles Damais Jl. Cipete Dalam No. 32 – Cipete Selatan – Jakarta Selatan | Telephone: +62 21 750 3062 E-mail: secretariatprim@lifdejakarta.org | Website: www.lifdejakarta.org

Subscribe before June 30th 2015 and get 10% discount on our integration class issue 143 indonesia expat

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EXPAT BUSINESS BUSINESS PROFILE

W EB DE SIGN W IT H T HE X- FAC TOR

astagatech

Astagatech is a full service web design and development company priding itself on developing elegant, user-friendly and mobile-responsive websites, on time and on budget. We meet with General Manager, Andy Roberts to find out more about the world of web design and build and Search Engine Optimisation.

By Angela Richardson

When was astagatech established and why did you feel the need to launch a web design and development company in Jakarta?

We started up fairly recently, in 2014. We were already working on cool designs for some other online startups of ours, and had a really good team together. We could see there was a huge gap in the market for funky, elegant web designs that took full advantage of open source technology to cut down on both price and development time.

We’ve come a long way in the last five years in Indonesia in terms of internet speed, availability and the design and functionality of websites. What issues do you still see in Indonesia today with regards to web design?

I think companies are still getting their heads around the concept of ‘mobile first’.

Every single one of our sites is mobile friendly ‘out of the box’, so to speak. Google has recently implemented ‘mobilegeddon’ into its search algorithm, which means non-mobile-friendly sites are automatically pushed down the pecking order. However, so many companies still put out sites that are non-mobile responsive. It’s crazy, especially with the amount of smartphones versus laptops/desktop PCs in Indonesia.

What do you do at astagatech to really get to grips with who your client is and what their brand represents?

We always run a business analysis first, and figure out what your metrics of success are for the website. In other words, what will get you promoted? Whether it’s sales revenue, branding, unique visitors, sessions or page-views, or even Facebook shares – we gather an understanding of what your key drivers are before we even consider the technologies that might help.

Let’s talk about the name of your company. Was there any particular reason why you chose the Indonesian word ‘astaga’?

Yes! We also own the astaga.com domain, so that was the initial inspiration. I also like the energy you get from the ‘astaga’ part (for those non Bahasa-speakers, a loose translation is “oh my God!”).

Can you give us a brief rundown of your web-design and build process from beginning to end?

Well, we always scope out the client, their business and their clients to begin with.

Often, depending on how large the job is, we will split it into stages, with the ‘must have’ portion delivered first, and the ‘nice to have’ parts delivered in subsequent stages.

How many people do you have on your team today? On what basis do you hire your web developers and coders? What coding abilities must they possess?

We’re rapidly growing – we currently have around eight people working full-time on astagatech. We also have around five other startups operating out of the office, so it’s starting to get a little crowded.

We try to use open-source platforms such as WordPress or Joomla! as much as possible, depending on the client’s requirements. It means that there are a tonne of cheap plugins that can do amazing things, as well as giving the client options to move to another web designer without having to re-do the site from scratch.

Luckily, none of our clients have ever left us, but it just gives them that transparency.

We have a mantra here – we don’t hire jerks! First and foremost, you need to fit into the company culture, which is about innovation, inspiration and being proud of the work you do. Obviously design and coding skill is extremely important, but we’d rather hire someone who is a little more inexperienced and full of passion rather than someone who is technically brilliant, but jaded and lacking spark.

‘Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance’ is a motto your company lives by. Do you feel these five Ps differentiate your company from the crowd?

Yes – that was a motto one of my old IT managers had back in Australia. Ex-army

BUSINESS SNIPPETS

Indonesia plans to allow foreign ownership of apartments In support of Southeast Asia’s economic growth, Indonesia plans to amend its regulation regarding foreign ownership of luxurious apartments.

Currently, foreigners are only allowed to purchase strata title-type properties. The right to use the building is granted, but it rules out the ownership of the land. The extendable SKBG (building ownership certificate) is valid for 25 years, although foreigners are able to purchase properties using a local resident’s name.

Wikipedia commons

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The local property sector has been in low

demand due to the economic downturn which results in stricter mortgage regulations from the central bank. The new policy is expected to boost the economy by loosening the loan-to-value (LTV) regulation and entice the demand for property and land.

Bambang Brodjonegoro, Indonesia’s Finance Minister said the new policy would be “good for supporting the property sector”. The Indonesian Real Estate Developers Association (REI) backed the plan with assurance that the regulation will not disrupt overall property market

Keep it simple and visual. No one has time to click through mountains of text, and we often ‘eat with our eyes’. guy. I’ve kind of stolen it (thanks Ian!) since it really does save time and money. If you’re not 100% sure on how the job will proceed, don’t send out the quote.

You use ‘sprint methodology’ to communicate extensively with your clients. Can you explain to us what this is and why it’s an integral part of your business?

Sprinting is a term used in the Agile method of software development. In plain terms, it means that we split projects up into short sprints of a week or two each, culminating in the completion of a certain part of the job. Some jobs are completed within a single sprint, whereas others may take a few. The overall goal of this method is to agree on what needs to be done over a short period of time, and just get it done! If it looks like we are falling behind on a sprint, that’s when we put the afterburners on and clock some overtime.

This means that jobs are generally completed on time, since we don’t allow blowouts along the way.

In your expert opinion, what is the most effective way of delivering a message to targeted audiences online today?

Keep it simple and visual. No one has time to click through mountains of text, and we often ‘eat with our eyes’. Also, it’s worth understanding that different demographics have different browsing habits.

What’s the most challenging part of building a website?

I’d say communication, which is something we work very hard at. So many clients get upset at their web designer since their communication has been off since the beginning. Sometimes the client doesn’t really understand what they want.

I remember a client back in Australia asking “Can I please just have more, you know..” and breaking out into ‘jazz hands’, snapping her fingers. It’s then my job to break that down into tangible goals, often by asking the client to show me websites they think nail this indefinable aspect.

How do you ensure that your projects are completed on time?

Sprinting and ensuring we communicate well within the team. Don’t tell me something is rusak near the end of the sprint – let me know immediately, and we can try to mitigate the problem and come up with other approaches.

Your company also focuses on Search Engine Optimisation. What kinds of things should we be doing as website owners? For instance, what’s a good goal to set for our SEO? Always use plain text URLs and ensure your XML sitemap is updated properly.

Be mobile friendly. For example, we’ve just finished a promotion on our yacht charter site for the Thousand Islands (www. spiceislandcharters.com/pulauseribu) with some decent text, and it’s already showing up in Google organically a week later.

What about SEO has changed in the last few years?

There used to be a huge amount of black hat ‘link builders’ operating all over the world who would create dummy sites linking to yours in order to raise your search engine ranking, often with just the same keywords repeated over and over again. The web was in danger of sinking under a pile of meaningless garbage.

Google cottoned on to this and stamped on it with a couple of updates that caused these dodgy companies to pretty much go bust overnight, along with penalising the websites that were using this method.

Google is getting better and better at spotting real vs. fake content. It’s almost scary – it can’t be far away from ‘Skynet’ stage. In any case, the real secret to SEO is no secret – it’s dynamic, engaging content that people can share on social media.

And let’s finish with a personal question.

What attributes do you believe are important to being successful at business in Indonesia?

Patience, tenacity and a high tolerance for being stuck in traffic.

Thank you, Andy! To get in touch, please email: info@astagatech.com

Photo courtesy of homedesignfind.com

prices and middle-segment demand, as the government plans to set a minimum price for foreign ownership.

REI chairman, Eddy Hussy said that foreign ownership of property will create a multiplier effect and add value to the economy, because we will see more foreign money coming into the country.

The improvement of the domestic property market is pointed out by Jones Lang Lasalle. Based on its data, condominium supply for the 2015-2018 period is estimated to reach 57,000 units, approximately 60% of the existing supply of 93,639 units. The new supply will have a take-up rate of 97.5 percent, with sales likely to reach 80 percent. issue 143 indonesia expat

11

EXPAT BUSINESS MEET THE EXPAT

Profitable Development

Meet OLIVER MATHIESON Oliver Mathieson is Country Manager of GRM Indonesia, a leading international development management company specialising in the provision of project design, management expertise and technical assistance to development projects. The company has worked in over 120 countries for private, government, bilateral and multilateral clients.

By Annali Hayward

Oliver, tell us a little about your background.

I’m from Aberdeenshire in the North East of Scotland. After University in Scotland, I worked with NGOs in the not-forprofit sector, gaining valuable field experience in Africa and the Middle East, mostly in rural development. Midway through my career (around 12 years ago), I took an MBA to gain better understanding of the corporate side of society.

Afterwards, I started in the commercial consulting sector, in international development. Since then I’ve consulted for clients like the British Department for International Development, the Asian Bank and the World Bank.

Did you always know you wanted to work for the good of others in some way?

Early on, I developed a passion for poverty reduction and improving the livelihoods of the poor. At 18, before University, I was lucky to work as a volunteer in a school for disabled children in the apartheid homelands of South Africa. Sister Mary Paul, my boss, was an exceptional woman. For the first six months we battled with each other as great enemies. I felt she singled me out with unfair tasks – when a pupil sadly died, I had to take his body back to his family’s village whilst everyone else went surfing. Eventually I realised she was mentoring me; challenging me with experiences a weekend’s surfing couldn’t provide. I found my calling: on arrival at University, I promptly changed my management course to anthropology.

You joined GRM in 2008. What areas have you focused on since?

After setting up the company’s technical practice, I have focused on how businesses can be supported in such a way as to create opportunities for the poor. This area (‘M4P’: Making Markets Work for the Poor) is about harnessing private sector power and creating sustainable results that have scale. GRM can find ways for development assistance to leverage bigger returns. For example, we work with a large agribusiness supplier, who produce farming inputs like seeds and pesticides. We’re helping them apply basic, safe products to mango trees to lengthen their flower period, so that farmers can sell outside the peak season and therefore achieve better prices.

How do you go about getting business?

Firstly, through formal procurement processes where we compete against other consultancies for bilateral or multilateral agency work. Elsewhere, like any normal professional services marketing approach: via direct contact 12

indonesia expat issue 143

AIDS commission on policy; in Education supporting some clients to monitor and evaluate primary and secondary education in Indonesia; and in agribusiness.

Early on, I developed a passion for poverty reduction and improving the livelihoods of the poor. with senior executives in business, and word-of-mouth.

GRM’s technical services are recognised as of value, and clients come to us for specific projects.

Professionally what are your passions – what gets you going in the morning?

Apart from M4P, the passion comes from the people I work with. GRM is an incredibly can-do business, never backing away from challenges. It is filled with people who don’t believe there are any problems too big if you work hard, honestly, and keep learning and improving. We also focus on tangible results in the real world – we’re not a think tank; we really produce.

You’ve worked in a lot of different countries. What was a particularly memorable experience?

I was fortunate to work with Médecins Sans Frontières in Afghanistan during the Taliban period. I had to go to Hazarajat in central Afghanistan, where there was little international presence at the time, to meet a commander and get his permission to send a team in to provide medical support. My small team and I were taken to a hilltop (a former Soviet military post), into the basement of a bunker.

We sat on cushions surrounded by nearly 100 heavily-armed frontline Taliban soldiers. I realised the meeting had better go well! It did; my interpreter probably didn’t say a word of the script I’d prepared – he was the brains; I was just the frontman. At the end of the meeting, the commander gave him a hug around the waist, signifying he was the senior in the relationship’s hierarchy.

What are some of GRM Indonesia’s key projects?

We work with the central Government, helping to improve policy and service delivery for poverty reduction. Around 250 GRM staff work on this, and in one area so far we’ve helped secure $150 return benefit for each dollar of taxpayer support for poor households. Elsewhere, we work with the national

From your perspective, what are the major challenges facing Indonesians at the moment, and what needs to be done?

The Government has achieved a huge reduction in the poverty rate since the ‘90s, but the challenge now is to help the extreme or chronically poor, who are much harder to lift out of poverty. One-size-fits-all doesn’t work in a country as large and diverse as Indonesia. Related to that is the widening of the gap between rich and poor – the Government recognises this as an area of focus. Finally, maternal and child health; Indonesia lags here behind other countries at similar levels of development.

In future, how might you reflect on your time living and working here?

I’ve been impressed with the level of hard work, good grace and fun of my teams here, having worked in often hostile environments elsewhere before. Personally I’ve also learned how to handle things differently – I’m starting to understand how to be a bit more Javanese myself!

Outside work, what do you like to do to enjoy your time in this part of the world?

We love our life in Jakarta but recognise it’s a microcosm of a very diverse and interesting country. Stomaching the traffic to the airport, we love to get out and experience other parts of country; it’s easy really to get on a flight, or a train to Bandung or a bus to Bogor. We’ve just been to Solo and visited a village where they’ve made gamelan for generations. We saw them being made, starting from melting the copper and tin down. Indonesia is full of these opportunities and I’ll always remember that experience.

Thank you, Oliver. To find out more please visit www.grminternational.com

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

ROCKSTAR GYM’S

SECOND ANNUAL RECITAL A recital is a programme or concert in the form of a dance or music performance by the students, to demonstrate their achievements or progress. Rockstar Gym recital will show the public, especially the students’ parents, the successes of our students in demonstrating their individual achievements, since they have joined Rockstar Gym. After the first annual Rockstar Gym in 2014 titled ‘A Big Apple’s Dream’, a New York City theme, this year we will be bringing the second annual recital, ‘Once Upon A Time’, with the theme of fairy tales. Through this event, we hope that our students will have more courage, enthusiasm and experience to perform in front of a large audience whilst delivering the moral of the story: ‘keep the faith and believe, love, be creative and imaginative, live beyond limits’.

Rockstar Gym was established in March 2011, with its first location in Plaza Indonesia, Jakarta. Within four years, Rockstar Gym has six locations in Jakarta: Plaza Indonesia, Gandaria City, Mall of Indonesia, Kota Kasablanka, Bintaro Xchange, Cinere Bellevue, and soon to be opened in Pluit Village. Rockstar Gym is a physical development and education centre for kids and teens, where they can engage in lots of fun activities and develop physical skills and emotions in a safe and positive environment. Through self-development and exploration, children aged six months to 16 years are able to build their confidence and appreciation for an active and healthy lifestyle.

Rockstar Gym’s classes are well designed, emphasizing safety, as well as a variety of attractive and innovative options for children, with one affordable monthly payment. Rockstar Gym offers many options such as Gymnastics, Ballet, Dance, Martial Arts, Fun Fit and Sports.

Students, aged four to 16 years old will be selected from the audition week in June 2015, and they will have intensive rehearsals to prepare for the big day. Skills, technique, self-confidence, discipline, teamwork, attitude, focus and commitment are several factors practiced during rehearsals.

Rockstar Gym will train 150 students for their best performance to entertain approximately 450 audience members, including parents, media, talent agents, and VIP guests.

To carry on our tradition of pioneering and leading in the fitness industry for kids, teens and youth in Indonesia, we organized our first annual recital back in 2014. This event was a great success and we will be continuing to launch exciting events such as the Second Annual Recital in 2015.

‘Once Upon A Time’ is based on the Hansel and Gretel story, combined with other tales such as Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Beauty & the Beast, Peter Pan, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, and many more. Our students will be trained by our professional teachers for months and will bring these stories to life with different genres such as Ballet, Dance (Hip-Hop, Jazz, Broadway, Modern Dance), Parkour, Gymnastic and Sport performances. Rockstar Gym, as one of the pioneers of Asia’s children’s physical education centres, is getting ready to make another great success of their second recital that will be held this November.

For more information about Rockstar Gym Recital, please email: corporate.affairs@rockstar-gym.com or check out our website www.rockstar-gym.com issue 143 indonesia expat

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EXPAT LIFESTYLE

FOOD & DRINK

CULINARY CREATIVITY AT COLONIAL CUISINE & MOLECULAR Colonial Cuisine & Molecular in South Jakarta is the epitome of contrast: old classics jazzed up by new techniques; antiquated interiors offset with cutting-edge mixology, and a chef at the helm who isn’t afraid to mix it up.

By Annali Hayward

It was a fiercely stormy night when we visited Colonial Cuisine & Molecular in Lippo Mall, Kemang. The wind threw lashings of rain in sheets against the tall buildings, which bore multiple lightning strikes throughout the course of dinner.

The electric atmosphere enhanced the darkly sophisticated surroundings of the restaurant, and deterred none of the guests on the covered terrace outside.

In stark contrast, the big, ready smile of Chef Zulkamain Dahlan warmly welcomed us to our seats. Chef Zul, as he is known, cut his teeth partly in Jakarta but most notably at Joël Robuchon Restaurant in Singapore. It is clear his love of French cooking, as well as innovation in cuisine, comes from this experience. He is now dedicated to bringing this passion to Indonesia.

Looking around, the décor suggests nostalgia via modern sensibilities: tonguein-cheek bowler hats on the staff; framed faux-antiques and doily-like tablecloths give it enough chichi to pass muster for even the fussiest of Jakartan hipsters. The showstopper is the chemistry lab on the bar: bells, whistles and test tubes are tinkered with by achingly cool mixologists, who can turn a margarita into a sphere of delicious drunken jelly at the drop of a hat (OK, in 20 minutes – but this is molecular mixology, after all!). This supremely 21st-century effort juxtaposed against the interior’s ‘colonial’ charm is the harbinger of the restaurant’s overarching themes: divergence and experimentation – something we discovered was thoroughly recognisable in the food.

We needed little persuasion from Chef Zul to try his Escargot à la Bourguignonne (Rp.120,000), whilst deliberating over the carefully-constructed menu. Two dozen snails is a generous portion for sharing, but the presentation was spot on in a pipinghot, authentic terracotta snail dish – imported along with the escargots. They were beautifully soft, and less garlicky than others I’ve had in the city; which was not necessarily a bad thing. But this dish, unique amongst the starters we tried, was a straightforward French classic – no sign of experimentation here: just successful execution.

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indonesia expat issue 143

THIS SUPREMELY 21ST-CENTURY EFFORT JUXTAPOSED AGAINST THE INTERIOR’S ‘COLONIAL’ CHARM IS THE HARBINGER OF THE RESTAURANT’S OVERARCHING THEMES: DIVERGENCE AND EXPERIMENTATION – Escargot à la Bourguignonne

WHICH WAS THOROUGHLY RECOGNISABLE IN THE FOOD.

Homemade Smoked Salmon Salad

Chef Zul changes his menu frequently, but each time assiduously preserves a certain element of surprise in his creations. A great example was one of our starters, a new menu item: Prawn & Crab Daikon Ravioli (Rp.110,000). This was an open-faced ‘ravioli’ in which the pasta was replaced by perfect discs of sweet, miso- and soy-marinated daikon. The use of a humble Asian veg contrasted against a fine, creamy remoulade of crab and shrimp meat is exactly the type of nuance Chef Zul is building his reputation on.

The dish worked very well.

Alongside this we also enjoyed the Homemade Norwegian Smoked Salmon (Rp.110,000). This was simple, yet slightly elevated above your usual smoked salmon starter. It is smoked in-house, and came with sliced urap and a honey-mustard dressing on tangy watercress – interesting.

Valrhona Manjari Chocolate Fondant

Crème Brûlée

So far, the Plats Spéciaux section of the menu delivered on taste, so we continued the successful streak with Chef’s Zul recommendation of his Confit de Cuisse Canard (homemade French duck leg confit, Rp.195,000). He was – rightly so – proud of this dish. A lovingly, painstakingly prepared confit is a beautiful thing and this one was up to scratch. Chef Zul’s flair for the unexpected came through again in the tamarind-apple coulis that adorned the dish.

Chef Zul loves to sous-vide things. For the uninitiated, this technique involves sealing whatever it is you’re preparing in an airtight bag, which is then gently cooked in a water bath at a low temperature for a long time,

before final preparation – for example, chargrilling, if it’s a piece of meat. The end result should be a tenderer, evenlycooked item. Our Pan-Seared Australian Tenderloin 180g Sous-Vide (Rp.315,000) was exactly that – soft and perfect on the inside, but without sacrificing any of the flavour on the outside. Highly recommended.

Even the desserts got in on the water bath action. A crème brûlée (Rp.75,000) was served wittily in a little mason jar, having been subjected to the sous-vide system beforehand. I confess, I’m not quite sure exactly what the treatment did for this dessert, but it was a decent crème brûlée nonetheless and we had no complaints wolfing it down.

Desserts at Colonial seemingly afford the kitchen the chance to be even more creative, evident in the Valrhona Manjari Chocolate Fondant (Rp.90,000). This was almost like a science project: a little chocolate volcano surrounded by ‘choco soil’, strawberry ‘worms’, crackly sesame tuille and a warm turmeric crème anglaise.

Admittedly there’s a lot going on here, both visually and on the palate, but the fondant was good, as was the soil, and top marks must be awarded for ingenuity.

It is pleasing to see a local talent like Chef Zul given the chance to really explore the bounds of his creativity and have his voice expressed to the local market. The themes of old versus new; familiar versus fresh, and even West versus East are all ably matched by Colonial’s competent cooking and service, and agreeable atmosphere.

All in all, a pleasing little package. I will be interested to watch how the restaurant continues to fare in future.

Colonial Cuisine & Molecular Lippo Mall Kemang, Avenue of the Stars, UG-OD-11, Kemang Village, Jakarta 12730 Phone: +62 (0) 21 2905 6891 Web: www.colonial-jakarta.com

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

EXPAT LIFESTYLE

TRAVEL

Prigi Bay

PRIGI

be found at Karanggongso beach (be sure to try the smoked mackerel which is skewered on sticks and smoked whilst you wait), and a wider choice of food is available along the length of the main town beach, Pantai Prigi.

Where Java Meets the Ocean Prigi on the south coast of East Java is a beautiful, unspoilt place to enjoy fine beaches, fresh seafood and a picturesque setting on a bay protected from the Indian Ocean.

KALIMANTAN

Prigi JAVA

Text and photos by Graeme Steele

If you’ve got a few days to spend and don’t mind an adventurous drive from Surabaya, Prigi and the surrounding areas offer an idyllic hideaway stay on East Java’s Indian Ocean coastline. Prigi offers the visitor that postcard picture view of a tropical island paradise to rival anything in East Java.

Taking the road southwest of Surabaya, you drive through Mojokerto, Jombang, Kediri and down to Tulungagung. Drive on some 20 kilometres westward towards Trenggalek, and at the small staging post of Durenan, turn south. Here, the traffic on the roads abates and the scenery improves. As you wind your way down from Durenan through the villages of Bandung and Watulimo, the views change from the mesmerizing flatness of fluorescent green rice paddies to the ruggedness of limestone hills peppered with caves. En route at Watuagung you can stop off and explore the Goa Lowo caves, which offer a rather mystical experience of the Earth’s nether regions.

along the bank, on which neatly arranged rows of anchovies dry in the sun. The smell is rich and intoxicating. The view, though, is splendid. The simple beachside restaurants offer a good variety of fish: mackerel, tuna, red snapper, barracuda, sea bass and pomfret, freshly drawn from the sea at prices which will make your mouth water.

There is accommodation in Prigi town, but a better, more scenic location is found some five kilometres round the southwest peninsular; the pretty little road via a colourful local market to the left and through a state teak forest, past the Pasir Putih Beach, popular with Sunday trippers from Trenggalek and Tulungagung, and onwards to the tiny hamlet of Karanggongso. Here, almost cut off from Prigi by the forest, the locals have a life distinct from the town and it seems that all males from their early teens find lucrative work fishing here.

Karanggongso Beach is scattered with boat IF EVER YOU DOUBTED craft, ranging from The drive becomes JAVA’S BEAUTY, HERE small canoes carved steeper as your car IS A PLACE OF PERFECT from a single tree climbs ever higher to trunk, to the larger, the rim of mountains, TRANQUILITY AMID pretty perahu hiding the steep PICTURESQUE SCENERY adorned in their descent to the ocean TO RESTORE THE MOST splendid livery of below. Although the primary colours. The surface of the roads could JADED OF SOULS. beach is safe to swim at be better, the panorama and the several small rock of views is stunning; great outcrops in the bay add interest sweeps of steep, cultivated land to the scene. At sunset, the shimmering spiralling ever downwards towards water speckled with boats reminds one of the ocean.

Venice and its gondolas. Rows of colourful bamboo houses built in the traditional style At last we come down to sea level and reach give the place a timeless quality, and the the small town of Prigi, busy in a quiet local inhabitants seem very relaxed and far way with its fishing port and the hordes of removed from the pace of the city. brightly painted perahu (wooden boats) moored alongside. Here you are in a calm, sheltered bay looking outwards to the wilder Pondok Prigi Cottages, in two locations along the length of the Karanggongso Beach, Indian Ocean. Prigi’s town beach, known offer a range of attractive accommodation as Pantai Prigi, is an enormous crescent of to suit all budgets. Number I has the added sand rimmed by rows of coconut palms. It attraction of a restaurant, air conditioning is also a centre for the cottage industry of and speed boats for hire, while Number II dried fish processing, and as far as the eye is more secluded and rustic. Warungs are to can see, bamboo tikar (mats) are laid out

Prigi Beach ◊ Fast Facts

Country Indonesia Province Trenggalek, East Java Getting there Five hours’ drive southwest from Surabaya, or take a Surabaya–Trenggalek bus to Durenan, alight there and take a ‘Colt’ minibus to Prigi Accommodation Pondok Prigi Cottages I & II Jl. Pantai Karanggongso, Prigi, Watulimo Tel: (0355) 551187

For the energetic, a 20-minute walk from Pondok Prigi II down the Karanggongso beach towards the heads, over outcrops of fallen rocks and occasionally up off the sand along a dirt track, takes you to the most exquisite little cove. With its bleached white sand and over-hanging trees, it offers a welcome respite from the relentless sun and this is an excellent spot for a swim or a secluded picnic.

A very fine beach with safe swimming is Pantai Damas, across the bay from Karanggongso Beach and easily reached by car in about 20 minutes. It’s considered remote by domestic tourists, so you will have it to yourself. The road leading to it takes you through carpets of green rice paddy fields and over a steep hillside, offering fantastic views as you descend to the bay.

If ever you doubted East Java’s beauty, here is a place of perfect tranquillity amid picturesque scenery to restore the most jaded of souls.

Recommended restaurant Depot Lumintu (ex-Hong), Pantai Prigi

Graeme has been writing on Indonesian travel destinations for 25 years including for the Rough Guide to Indonesia. He believes East Java and Madura have much to offer the visitor. Contact him at graeme@authenticjavatours.com

Smoked mackerel

Goa Lowo Caves

Fishing port issue 143 indonesia expat

15

EXPAT LIFESTYLE

CULTURE Bill Dalton has been writing travel features, book reviews, interviews and guidebooks about Indonesia for more than 40 years, starting with his groundbreaking Indonesia Handbook first published in 1976.

THE MYSTERIOUS, PHANTASMAGORIC WORLD OF

Javanese Wayang Theatre

By Bill Dalton

The morality and messages conveyed in Wayang Kulit plays still permeate Javanese thought and daily life.

The spellbound audience is the best show of all. A wayang show is like eavesdropping on neighbours, or more accurately, friends and relatives. I’ve seen thousands of Javanese sit up all night in an overflowing theatre reeking of clove cigarettes, with babies fall asleep on mothers' laps, people tip off chairs in hysterical laughter, children alternately sleep and come awake, giggling in front of or behind the screen until dawn.

The audience already knows all the stories and roles by heart.

Though they're constantly moving around eating, sleeping and talking, they never lose the thread.

You probably won’t be able to follow all the wayang stories, but you can't help but be infected by the supernatural atmosphere.

The messages conveyed in the 3,000-year-old works of myth still apply to this day. It's living and dynamic – more of an electric and kinetic exchange than film can ever be. The audience loses all sense of time as the gods themselves – not merely their shadows – are felt to appear on the screen.

A DEEP PRE-ISLAMIC HISTORY A Javanese word meaning literally ‘shadow’ or ‘ghost’, wayang is a theatrical performance of living actors, three-dimensional puppets or shadow images projected before a backlit screen.

The word can also refer to the puppets themselves. In most forms, the dialogue is in Javanese or Sundanese; sometimes Indonesian is used. Most often the chants are in Kawi (Old Javanese), as archaic a language on Java today as Shakespearean English is in Great Britain.

All wayang drama forms reflect Javanese culture. Characters are judged not by their actions but by their devotion to what is appropriate to their castes and by their predetermined roles in the drama. Gestures are given more weight than common sense, style more than content. Courage, loyalty, and refinement always win out in the end. Fate is accepted without question.

But the wayang plays do not just show the direct victory of good over evil. They also display weakness as well as greatness in all the characters and, by implication, in society as a whole.

Today there are at least 10,000 individual performers of the wayang kulit shadow play on Java and Bali. In addition, there are wayang orang dance plays and wayang topeng masked dances.

The Sundanese prefer wayang golek, carved wooden puppets, to the flat leather figures of the wayang kulit. It's believed wayang golek is the last development of all the native wayang forms. In addition, there are a few rare, vestigial and refurbished forms: wayang beber, a narrated presentation in which drawings are unrolled and new forms such as Jakarta's garapan sedalu ‘all night’ style pioneered by dalang (puppeteer) virtuoso Purbo Asmoro, and Bali’s wayang tantri which features Indonesian fables presented by Wija. On Madura, one troupe of wayang orang wears masks covering only the top part of their faces, exposing their mouths to speak freely. The Chinese of Java have their own form of wayang golek, performed only in temples.

Besides the abbreviated tourist performances held in Jogjakarta and Solo, wayang is staged whenever an important transitional event occurs in a person's life: birthdays, weddings, important religious occasions, or as ritual entertainment during family feasts or selamatan. Coming of age (puberty), circumcision, a promotion, even the building of a new swimming pool – all could be grounds for putting on a show. While providing entertainment, wayang also teaches the meaning, purpose, contradictions, and anomalies of modern life. The policies of the government are even explained in terms of wayang theatre, not only by the puppet masters, but in newspaper editorials and even in government statements. For example, the character of Krishna, the most widely venerated Hindu deity, has sometimes been compared with that of Indonesian presidents.

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indonesia expat issue 143

Wayang dates from before the 9th century BC, preceding Indian influence. In ancient, pre-Hindu times, wayang puppets were perhaps corporeal manifestations of deceased ancestors who came down to Earth during the performance to visit and communicate with their descendants. Wayang’s function was to placate and please the gods so as to increase fertility and exorcise or propitiate ghosts and evil spirits. Since the moving, flickering silhouettes were considered the very souls of the dead, the dalang was originally a shamanistic priest, a medium between the dead and the living.

Wayang’s function was to placate and please the gods so as to increase fertility and exorcise or propitiate ghosts and evil spirits.

With the arrival of Hinduism from India sometime after the 1st century AD, the dramatic Ramayana and Mahabharata epics were incorporated into existing wayang dramas, to this day by far the most popular form of wayang. During the time of intense Hindu influence (8th-15th C.), Hindu teachers used wayang as a vehicle to propagandize and popularize their religion. Indian heroes, gods, demons and giants eventually began to supplant the ancestor figures. Indonesian backgrounds were supplied for the Indian epics.

Themes are usually variations on the struggle between gods and demons, with people choosing sides, sharing glory with the gods, helping the gods ward off demon attacks or being ultimately destroyed by them. The original epics brought from India were translated into Kawi over 1,000 years ago, but were only adapted for Javanese theatre in the 19th century. For many Indonesians, these classic stories, and not the Quran, are the true holy books. In fact, wayang mythology has been called ‘the Bible of Java’ because it alludes to a time when the gods were still on Earth; a time when they established the great universal rules and traditions of life.

Wayang shows have also had a strong influence on HinduJavanese sculpture. On 13th-century bas-reliefs at Panataran temple, you can see figures similar to wayang puppets of the time, portraying all the same characters and events found in wayang today.

When Hinduism started to give way to Islam in the 13th century, Javanese Muslims simply turned Islamic literary personalities into puppet characters. Shadow plays were used by sultans to flatter themselves and their retinues, to glorify and perpetuate the feudalistic court rituals of Javanese royalty. Wayang, by reinforcing the class system, kept the masses in their place.

Because Muslims banned the reproduction of the human form, both good and evil puppets were made ugly and grotesque so they wouldn’t resemble living beings. The faces, colouring, hairstyles, clothes and jewellery of the puppets are still so strongly stylized that they are more symbols than actual human figures. Wayang puppets remain the only surviving figural representations from the graphic arts of the early Islamic period.

EXPAT LIFESTYLE

TRAVEL

The mystical lake at Rambut Monte is believed to be home of the Fish God

Blitar

HIDDEN RELICS OF THE PAST Words by Stephanie Brookes | Photos by David Metcalf

One exquisite structure, the largest ancient Hindu temple in East Java, Candi Penataran, can be found just 12 kilometres from the township of Blitar, and for something totally different you can arrange a candlelight dinner on the grounds of this beautiful temple.

Candi Penataran is best appreciated in the evening. It is one of the finest temples in East Java and sits at the foothills of Mount Kelud.

By special arrangement, a magical event takes place, and the Hotel Tugu Sri Lestari, Blitar can arrange a ‘Lost Temple Dinner’. It is one of the most unique dining experiences in all of Java, and it’s worth going to Blitar just for this experience. It’s a weekend jaunt from Jakarta.

Falling into history and stumbling upon ancient relics is what is in store for you when you take a journey to the far east of Java. The 80km stretch from Malang to Blitar reveals weathered stone shrines and alluring temples from the Majapahit Kingdom, which ruled eastern Java from 1293 to the 1500s.

STRANGE SWIRLINGS ON THE LAKEBED, HOWEVER THERE DID NOT SEEM TO BE

Blitar

ANYTHING CREATING THE

JAVA

SHIFTING OF SAND ON THE BOTTOM OF THE LAKE.

Blitar

◊ Fast Facts

Candi Penataran

As the dark sky drew down on this mystical evening, the temple features fell softly into the night. Shadowed by the tall sculptured faces on the walls, hundreds of flickering candles danced in the dusty light.

A romantic setting indeed.

City Province Country

Blitar East Java Indonesia

Population

131, 968 (2010)

Blitar is a small, quiet town. It is the birthplace of the first president of Indonesia, President Sukarno (1901–1970). You can visit his childhood house, his tomb and the Sukarno museum, which has an intriguing feature and draws a crowd.

Getting there Daily flights are available to Malang with Garuda Indonesia, Citilink, Sriwijaya Air, and Wings Air. Continue by car for 81.5km to Blitar.

At the entrance to the museum, a beautifully framed portrait of Sukarno is on display. This is roped off, and if you stand at the side of the rope and view the painting from this angle, the canvas pulsates at the heart level of the President. There is no draught or air-vent blowing on the painting, and it appears that his heart beats on.

Next on the discovery trail, about halfway between Blitar and Malang, you will find an 11th century Ganesha statue. This beautifully preserved statue is carved in the standing

I SAW WITH MY OWN EYES, KALIMANTAN

As the sun was setting, I followed a trail of bamboo torches along a winding pathway through the grounds of the grand temple. In front of it a beautiful candlelit table was laid, with a variety of cutlery and glasses to match the seven-course sumptuous meal. As the wine was poured, a lone flutist played a lilting melodic tune, and one felt slowly transported back in time to another place fringed with romance.

serene beauty of this lake and the surrounding wispy trees resemble the growing hair of the Gods that reside here.

Accomodation Tugu Sri Lestari, Blitar, East Java www.tuguhotels.com/blitar Local Guide & historian Hery Kurniawan harinathjii@hotmail.com +62 (0) 81223314594

At Rambut Monte, a nearby little town, more mystical powers are at play. A beautiful bluegreen lake, surrounded by a forest is not only a lovely picnic spot, but there is also a hidden mossy temple to discover.

This temple keeps watch over the beautiful lake where a strange event takes place. I saw with my own eyes, strange swirlings on the lakebed, however there did not seem to be anything creating the shifting of sand on the bottom of the lake. It is said to be the home of the Fish God and it is forbidden to swim in this lake; the locals believe that spiritual fish live in the waters.

Many people claim to have seen the magic fish or fish gods with skeleton bones and translucent bodies swimming in the lake. Rambut means hair, and it is said in legends that the natural

position, overlooking the thick jungle and a raging river gorge in the village of Karangkates.

The unusual thing about this relic is it is one of the few standing Ganesha statues in Java. Most Ganesha statues assume the sitting pose and no one seems to know why this one is standing.

From fish gods to romantic temple dining, Blitar reveals many treasures and can easily be done in a weekend. Why not go somewhere new and discover the beauty of this lesser-known Javanese town and its mystical surrounds?

Stephanie is a professional travel writer and co-author of 'Indonesia Hidden Heritage'.

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EXPAT LIFESTYLE

FASHION

THE SUN IS SHINING

Summer 2015 Trends

With the urgency and joie de vivre of a couple in their first throws of passion, fashion’s love affair with the 70s and bright colours continues.

By Victoria Bannerman

Beyonce wearing Zadig & Voltaire

Monochrome is probably the easiest and flattering of all style trends to adopt. It will make you look effortless and chic. We all have something black or white in our wardrobes – all you need is an update of sorts. Get ready to swathe yourself in lush velvet. I am rather fancying having an outrageous huge lapel 70s style suit made in hot Mexican pink velvet!

Get over to Iroo, who have made great strides in offering some key pieces that will see you through the season at very affordable prices. You will look as though you are dressed in upscale designer clobber; just accessorise cleverly.

Iroo has an impossibly chic and tantalising tuxedoinspired monochrome shirt. If the Rat Pack had an honorary female member, this would be the shirt of sartorial choice. It is sexy yet masculine with a collar that mutates into a scarf; leave a button or two undone, showing off a sexy bra while throwing the scarf around your neck. Tie the scarf in a pussy bow or let it hang in an urbane manner. Use it as a jacket or team it with a pair of luxe tracksuit bottoms, platform trainers, monochrome shoes or flat gladiators and that all-important celebrity favourite - a fedora! “I know I look cool” is what you will be conveying.

If you suffer from chromatophobia or worse, xanthophobia, then get a hypnotherapist now! The colour yellow is currently big news!

Although is not everyone’s cup of tea, yellow can be worked into your wardrobe by way of accessories. There is a smorgasbord of shades to bask in from Mikado yellow, chartreuse, citrine, jonquil to sunflower yellow - there is a hue for you!

Fly down to Pacific Place and hit the ground running in pursuit of something yellow! Galeries Lafayette houses a shedload of labels and there you will find the most gorgeous of yellow ensembles on offer. One from the French brand Sandro is a sexy and versatile dress.

It has the obligatory cut-out bits to show some flesh and takes it one step further with two side slits. It can work for a wedding, tea, cocktails or a raucous night out!

If showing your leg does not appeal, then show your fashion mettle; look no further than the luxe sports/ trouser suit combo by Zadig and Voltaire. It ticks all the right boxes. It comes in an eye-watering, screaming happy yellow! This getup is nonchalantly flattering and chic. Dressed up or down, you will still turn heads. Be brave and splice it up with a fuchsia pink or lime green top. Right in the middle of that entire colour mosh pit, cause an explosion and throw on a pair of Vagachina mules by Christian Louboutin, Coline metallic snake effect gold mules by Giuseppe Zanotti or anything by the zany cordwainer Sophia Webster.

Alternatively, add a huge yellow artificial flower to your shoes of choice to make it au courant. I own a vintage pair of yellow Chloe courts and monochrome Alexander McQueen heels, bought many fashion moons ago, 18

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Kate Hudson in gold Michael Kors dress

knowing they would come in handy at some point! I call these purchases my PFBs (Present Future Buys). I will be dusting off these two oldies, resuscitating them and giving my platforms a brief but well-deserved rest!

Later on in the year the trends hustle back a decade to the 60s. So you can still rock the monochrome/stripe look. Get your black jacket and change the buttons to cool white and voila, you will be Autumn/Winter 2015 right on trend.

The gold rush is looming, so be ahead of the curve and add an element of gold into your wardrobe as this is still a

“Monochrome is probably the easiest and flattering of all style trends to adopt.”

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Charlize Theron in a stunning yellow Dior dress

Do not forget that kimono, another trend which is rather timeless. You can throw it over all your clobber and look cool. Wear it as shirtdress and cinch it in at the waist. Use oodles of velvet to make your very own obi and make for a modern sexy geisha. Vamp this outfit with platform boots, chunky trainers, impossible wedges or pencil-thin stilettoes.

Dress your noggin with a trilby. Alternatively, grab a beret and splash it with tulle, making shapes while attaching broaches to give it some suave and sparkle.

Deep in the 70s funk heyday, we had our very own coollooking Jakarta rock band, God Bless. They were rocking the style like no other, with one member sporting an uber dawg on fro! Make them your reference on how to do style.

Well, I suppose you had better get a move on then. Fashion waits for no one!

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relative 70s disco theme and will take you way into the festive season when the bells chime into 2016! Saint Laurent 2015 did it the best so take your cue.

Suits are big next season, so find a tailor and get yourself suited up. Wear the trousers now with your platforms and a monochrome shirt or a yellow top. If you want to be a little outré, get a two-tone pin stripe suit made. Try these combos: dark stripe in the front, light stripe at the back, dark grey/light grey together, or jet black/charcoal. You will look mighty fine. For real sophistication, mix it with an Iroo style blouse and add a fedora to give you an air of Michael Jackson’s ‘Smooth Criminal’. Check out Ralph Lauren tailoring for Autumn/Winter 2015 and be inspired.

1. Vintage Chloe yellow suede & satin shoes 2. Zadig & Voltaire yellow trousers 3. God Bless Indonesian rock band

Arty and vintage prints are in with a 60s vibe for later in the year. Get an A-line skirt made with a vivacious batik print, patchworked with modern prints, and hit the road with your platforms and your suit jacket. No rules here!

Work your flares with your suit jacket too and add a velvet scarf tied round your crown, giving you a constructed boho look as you dip your toe into the velvet trend.

Remember I mentioned animal prints a while back? Well get ready to roar, as leopard will be huge in the latter part of the year. Immerse yourself in a fever of jungle hysteria, unleash those prints now and smash it up with your Mikado yellow. Watch the hoi polloi admire you.

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. E-mail her at tori@toribannermanlondon.com

Cindy Octavia My style mantra is “minimalist and practical, yet edgy” Top: Knitwear by Bershka Jeans: American Apparel Shoes/Loafers: Zara Bag: Zara Necklace: Gift

Kenneth Yeung is a Jakarta-based editor

The Fake Rice That Never Was Lazy journalists, racist netizens and opportunistic politicians almost convinced the world that Indonesia was facing a plastic rice scare.

Wikipedia Commons

On May 5, a YouTube account called LiveLeak Channel uploaded a 2.29 minute video clumsily titled “Rice fake from plastic in china” (www.youtube.com/watch?v=haSsXxxQBSo).

The noisy video shows what appears to be a polyamide nylon factory making granules of plastic, possibly from recycled material. There was nothing – apart from the misleading title and description – to suggest it was making fake rice.

Other nonsense uploaded by LiveLeak Channel includes a video titled “NFL Draft Nerves Cause Baby Squirrel to Stress Eat” – showing a squirrel nibbling breakfast cereal and being fed milk as player selections for America’s National Football League are announced. Other clips on the channel show violent accidents and assaults. LiveLeak is hardly a reputable source of news or information.

But some people are dumb. And many people, unfortunately, love an excuse to criticize China. On May 13, a YouTube channel named Destry Z re-uploaded the “fake rice factory” video, giving it the title: “AWAS!!!! Beras Palsu buatan Negara China!!! (BEWARE!!!! Fake Rice made in China!!!).” The video soon gained over 392,000 views and was re-uploaded by dozens of Indonesian YouTubers. The clips elicited many derogatory comments about China, although some netizens pointed out that it was just a regular plastics factory.

On May 15, the Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) said it had not received any complaints from the public regarding fake rice. Nevertheless, YLKI’s legal affairs and complaints officer Sularsi called on the Trade Ministry, government agencies and the public to be on the lookout for counterfeit food imports.

separately by state-owned certification company Sucofindo, the National Police, the National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM), the Trade Ministry and the Agriculture Ministry.

Sucofindo was quick to announce the results of its tests, on May 21 claiming the rice contained traces of polyvinylchloride (PVC), a synthetic compound which is usually used to make pipes.

Specifically, it had found traces of three types of plasticizers used in the manufacture of PVC: benzylbutylphthalate (BBP), 2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and diisononyl phthalate (DINP). It did not state the percentages of the synthetic materials it had found.

Meanwhile, lazy reporters found an old online news article from South Korea from 2011, claiming that rice made out of plastic was being “massively” sold in China. The report, citing unnamed media sources from Singapore, said “plastic rice is made by forming potatoes and sweet potatoes into rice-like shape, then adding industrial synthetic resins.” It warned that “eating three bowls of plastic rice is the same as eating one vinyl bag.”

These ‘facts’ quickly made their way into Indonesian and Malaysian media reports. Even before Sucofindo had released its results, the Jakarta division of hip regional city news network Coconuts.co on May 20 proclaimed: “Plastic rice is real, as shown in this video of its production in a Chinese factory.” Oh dear. An accompanying article on http://jakarta.coconuts.co claimed “this video at least confirms that plastic rice is a real thing”. Utter garbage.

On May 16, the Harian Terbit newspaper published an article warning that China was producing fake rice. The report urged Indonesians to be vigilant, although it admitted there was no certainty that plastic rice was being circulated in Indonesia.

On the same day, MNC Media’s Global TV broadcasted the YouTube video and claimed the factory was making fake rice – despite not having a shred of evidence to prove its allegation. Later, Metro TV aired the same video, claiming it showed a counterfeit rice factory.

On May 24, Home Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo, a long-time loyalist of former president Megawati Sukarnoputri, claimed the ‘distributor’ of fake rice may be attempting treason or sabotage to bring down the Government. He demanded the State Intelligence Agency investigate the case.

All of this ‘news’ of fake rice filtered through to the community.

On May 18, a rice porridge vendor from the West Java city of Bekasi, Dewi Septiani (29), declared she had unwittingly purchased and consumed some plastic rice.

There were unsubstantiated claims that a girl who fell sick in the North Sumatra capital of Medan had eaten plastic rice. “A 10-year-old girl was rushed to hospital… after suffering from a swollen stomach caused by eating rice contaminated with synthetic materials,” cried The Jakarta Post. The same newspaper reported that several tonnes of synthetic rice had been confiscated in Papua province.

Police questioned the vendor and one of his suppliers, and closed his shop. Dewi’s porridge shop was also closed pending investigations. On May 20, samples of the rice – including some cooked by Dewi – were taken by police for tests, conducted

So why had Sucofindo come up with different results?

Badrodin said Sucofindo may have been using different analysis methods or contaminated equipment.

BPOM head Roy Sparingga confirmed that his agency had found no synthetic polymers or heavy metals in the rice. He said the World Health Organization’s International Network of Food Safety Authorities had informed BPOM there were no recent cases of synthetic rice in other countries.

Trade Minister Rachmat Gobel said his counterparts in China and Malaysia had assured him there was no fake rice in distribution in their countries.

Home Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo, a longtime loyalist of former president Megawati Sukarnoputri, claimed the ‘distributor’ of fake rice may be attempting treason or sabotage to bring down the Government.

She had bought six litres of rice on May 13 from a vendor at Tanah Merah traditional market for Rp.8,000 per litre.

She claimed the rice did not turn into proper porridge but instead became congealed, making her, her younger sister and nephew sick after they ate it. Having seen the YouTube clips and the news reports, she assumed they must have consumed synthetic rice.

Screenshot of YouTube Video on LiveLeak's channel of alleged plastic rice factory in China

Two politicians who called for calm and common sense over the scare were President Joko Widodo and Jakarta Governor Basuki ‘Ahok’ Tjahaja Purnama.

On May 26, National Police chief General Badrodin Haiti, after a meeting with the president and other top officials, announced that all of the other tests were negative, so there never had been any plastic rice. He advised the public to stop panicking over the issue.

Legislator Firman Subagyo, a member of Golkar Party, said he suspected the fake rice hoax was masterminded by “the food mafia” seeking to benefit from public concern ahead of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadhan, which starts about June 18 this year. He said police should investigate whether Dewi, the porridge seller, had a hidden agenda in making her claims about plastic rice.

Dewi said she was merely a concerned mother who had no intention of scaring people, but merely wanted them to be careful when buying rice.

It’s understandable that people were quick to suspect China might be making fake rice. China does not have a sterling record when it comes to food production. In 2008, at least six Chinese infants were killed after drinking powdered milk adulterated with melamine – an industrial chemical used in plastics and insecticide.

Indonesia’s plastic rice scare distracted the media and the public from more important issues, such as police dropping a corruption investigation into their deputy chief, Budi Gunawan, and a Jakarta court trying to throw out a massive case of alleged bribery involving former taxation director general Hadi Poernomo.

It never hurts to be on the alert for contaminated or counterfeit food. It also doesn’t hurt to think twice when the media presents unverified rumours as facts.

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

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

PENCAK SILAT

More Than Just a Fight Explore your inner self through the grace and beauty of a martial art so tightly woven into the fabric of local culture.

By Antony Sutton

A pencak silat camp in Cikaramat, West Java

Indonesia, with its myriad of ethnicities and languages, has developed indigenous martial arts, with different variants in different regions. Pencak silat is one such artform: ‘pencak’ referring to the performance aspect, while ‘silat’ to the essence of fighting and self-defence – and for the practitioner, one cannot exist without the other.

CIGONDEWAH Developed by Mama Marzuki from the Cigondewah village, Bandung, that combines elements of Kari, Madi and Syahbandar pencak silat. In modern times the style has integrated spiritualist practices involving ritual supplications and séances at Mama Marzuki’s grave.

The origins of this type of combat are lost in the mists of time, but a number of legends from the Sriwijaya Empire tell of a woman who witnessed a fight between a tiger and a large bird. She was so taken by the choreography of the fight, of the combatants’ movement in attack and defence. The legend says one night she was attacked by a group of drunken men, but she was able to fight them off using the skills she had observed from watching the big cat and the bird.

CIKALONG From the Cikalong district of Cianjur, this style was developed by the aristocrat Raden Haji Ibrahim (1816–1906) after studying under a number of teachers, including Bang Kari and Bang Madi. One of the most influential styles in West Java, it places an emphasis upon the development of heightened sensitivity in the hands and forearms in order to read and counter an opponent’s moves.

A similar tale exists around the archipelago. The Sundanese people of West Java believe the woman witnessed a monkey and a tiger on the remote island of Bowan, north of Madura.

Pencak silat spread around the islands, as traders and seafarers moved from Sumatra to Java to Sulawesi and back again, and as time went on the sport took root in different soils. Locals added elements of their own cultures to give the different regional variations we see today.

CIKARET A style incorporating elements of Cikalong and Cimande developed by Haji Ahmad Sanusi, a student of Raden Haji Ibrahim. Haji Sanusi established a pesantren (Islamic boarding school) in the Cikaret area of Sukaraja, West Java, during the late 19th century, where pencak silat training was combined with religious learning.

CIMACAN Also known as silat maung, this style simulates the movements of a tiger. Reputed to originate from the Mount Gede region near Bogor, the practitioner can embody the spirit of a tiger.

For all the differences at its heart, pencak silat focuses on strikes, joint manipulation, throws and bladed weaponry and has become an internationally CIMANDE recognised sport.

From the Cimande district of Bogor, FOR ALL THE DIFFERENCES reputedly first developed and spread Anthropologist and one-time member

by Abah Kahir in the late 18th and early AT ITS HEART, PENCAK SILAT of the Australian pencak silat team, 19th century. Generally considered to FOCUSES ON STRIKES, JOINT Ian Douglas Wilson, sums it up as be the oldest and most influential MANIPULATION, THROWS “a form of traditional education, a style in West Java. Focuses upon armAND BLADED WEAPONRY performance art, a component of ritual based counter-offensive techniques as AND HAS BECOME AN and community celebrations, a practical well as dance known as ibing penca.

INTERNATIONALLY form of self-defence, a path to spiritual RECOGNISED SPORT. enlightenment, and more recently, as JALAKRAWI a national and international sport; From the Banten region, this style — in pencak silat is in many respects unique.” contrast to the majority of West Javanese styles — focuses upon kicks and other leg “The philosophy of pencak silat is contained within movements possibly due to Sumatran influence. movement. This philosophy can be at the level of a selfdefence strategy, but it can also be used in the everyday KARI as a method for living an ethical life,” says Yosis Siswoyo, Named after Bang Kari, a pencak silat master reputedly the head of the Bandarkarima Pencak Silat School. from Jambi, who moved to Jakarta around the end of the 19th century. Kari is a hard and aggressive style that “For example, there are Suliweh steps and Jurus steps,” emphasizes fast combinations of offensive movements.

Siswoyo continues. Jurus means honest and straight. “This means you must move on and on, straight to the point KUNTULAN without any improvisation.” Suliweh means moving to the Style from the town of Cirebon on the north coast of side so an opponent can pass, and you can keep moving.

West Java.

During his time in Indonesia, Wilson spent several years studying and practising pencak silat, and based upon his research in West Java, identifies a number of different strains: BANDRONG Local to the Banten region and heavily influenced by Sumatran pencak silat.

BENJANG A form of wrestling originating from the Ujung Berung district of Bandung. Elements of Benjang have influenced West Javanese pencak silat.

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MADI Named after Bang Madi, a native of Jakarta in the late 19th century. A horse trader by trade, Bang Madi was renowned for his close-range fighting skills, and his ability to follow and anticipate an opponent’s movements.

NAMPON Developed in Bandung by Uwa Nampon in the 1930s, this style combines pencak silat movements with breathing techniques to develop inner power, referred to as spierkracht.

SANALIKA Cikalong and Syahbandar derived style, developed by the Cianjur aristocrat Raden Utuk Sumadipraja and formally established as a pencak silat school in 1926.

SERA Developed by Wah Sera, reputed to be a student of the Cimande master Abah Kahir. Most prevalent in the Bogor region and Jakarta.

SYAHBANDAR Developed by Mama Kosim (1776–1880) a native of Jambi in South Sumatra who moved to Purwakarta in West Java, becoming a student of the Sufi teacher Ajengan Cirata.

Syahbandar technique is renowned for its soft evasive movements.

TAJIMALELA Developed in Bandung in the early 1970s by Raden Djadjat Kusumadinata. A new style not tracing links to any existing pencak silat lineage. Initially focused purely on self-defence, it has been adapted with great success to the sporting competition forum.

TERUMBU From the Banten region, reputed to have been developed in the 17th century, making it one of the oldest styles in West Java.

TIMBANGAN Style technically and philosophically similar to the Japanese martial art Aikido, developed by Raden Anggakusumah in Bandung in the 1930s. Without kicks, punches or other offensive techniques, the style involves using an opponent’s energy against them.

ULIN MAKAO A mixture of Chinese and West Javanese styles, developed in Pandeglang, Banten. First taught by Ki Abu Arwanta in the late 19th century, who combined techniques learnt from a Macao martial artist whom he defeated in a challenge.

How to Get Involved www.persilat.org The body that oversees Pencak Silat in Indonesia – the home page has been hacked and the site outdated.

http://forumsilat.blogspot.com/p/tempatlatihan-silat-di-jakarta.html List of places to train in Jakarta.

http://baktinegara.com A pencak silat camp in Denpasar, Bali, open to all who wish to learn the martial art.

Alternatively, the South East Asian Games takes place in Singapore at the end of this month with Indonesia taking on its rivals in ASEAN for bragging rights. In the 2013 SEA Games in Myanmar, Indonesia topped the pencak silat medal table, lifting 11 in total, including four golds. For the really keen it may offer an opportunity to meet and greet people actively involved in the sport.

EXPAT OUTREACH MEET THE EXPAT

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

Effective Advocacy for Inclusive Education

Meet PENNY ROBERTSON Penny Robertson founded the Australian International School in Indonesia in 1996 (now the Australian Independent School) with a group of parent educators. The first campus in Pejaten had 11 students. Today, Penny is renowned throughout Asia for her work in inclusive education, and in April was awarded the 2015 SENIA Asian Advocacy Award (the Special Educational Needs Network in Asia) at the joint EARCOS and SENIA Teacher’s Conference held in Malaysia.

By Annali Hayward

What does the SENIA Asian Advocacy Award mean to you and why is it important?

It is a huge honour to receive the Advocacy Award from the Special Educational Needs Network in Asia; I am thrilled. To see the SENIA organisation grow so quickly and bring together so many people working for inclusive education is very exciting. When interested professionals come together to share and exchange ideas it acts like an accelerant to change, and the change is often quite fundamental.

How did your journey into advocacy for special educational needs begin? What was your background in education?

I was a geology lecturer and high school science teacher in Adelaide until my second daughter, Shona, was born with Down Syndrome, which was the start of a long and extremely interesting journey for the whole family. Shona started early intervention when she was about a week old, and it proved to be a whole new educational experience for me as well. The whole process of breaking a task into simple manageable chunks makes teachers with special education skills better at imparting the essence of any subject. I was a teacher before my daughter arrived and I became a much better teacher after I benefitted from the early intervention programme my daughter was enrolled in.

How did you come to be in Indonesia originally, and how long were you here for?

My husband’s job took us to Jakarta with UNDP in 1994. I remained in Indonesia until I retired. I still visit regularly and have strong ties to many communities, including the Australian International School community.

When we arrived in Jakarta I was rather surprised to find that no international school would accept my daughter as she had just attended her local primary school at home in Australia. My plight was not unique as I soon met many families whose children were locked out of places in Jakarta, as schools could afford to be very selective given the demand on places during the Asian economic boom.

A small group of us formed a yayasan and we borrowed some funds to pay the rent

on a house. Sabam Siagian, who had just returned from Australia as the Indonesian Ambassador, agreed to become our legal protector (pengawas). 19 years later he is still in that role. We opened the school in July 1996 with 11 students and five teachers. It grew rapidly to over 300 students, but by the end of 1997 the economic crash had occurred and we lost 60% of our students over the Christmas break. I was obliged to retire five years ago when I turned 60, as expats cannot get a work permit beyond that magic age!

Since you founded AIS in 1996, what changes have you seen in Indonesia with regards to inclusivity in education?

The changes in inclusivity have been enormous. They were very slow in the beginning as community acceptance of people with disabilities was not great when we arrived in 1994. It was a bit like the western level of acceptance 30 years ago. The attitude within the community has changed so much; the visibility and even the services available are steadily growing day by day. It is heartening to see all this change and we have met so many people who are working every day to develop new services and build a supportive community. The biggest challenge is still community acceptance, and media stories of people with disabilities making their way in life do a lot towards making people aware of their situation and changing community attitudes.

What do you think the major hurdles facing inclusivity in education are in Asia/worldwide? Are they present in Indonesia too, and do you feel they are surmountable?

Probably the biggest challenge, both here and worldwide, is public education. People seem to fear that having their child in a class with children with special needs will mean that their child will not receive the attention that they deserve. There is also the fear that the disability may be ‘catching’ or that the behaviours of the child with a disability may have a negative impact on their own child’s behaviour. In fact the research has shown that this is not the case at all. Children who are in an inclusive class actually do better, because the teacher has refined skills that benefit all children; and students who are involved in peer tutoring demonstrate a better understanding of the skill they are learning than those who cannot explain it to someone else.

Children who are in an inclusive class actually do better, because the teacher has refined skills that benefit all children; and students who are involved in peer tutoring demonstrate a better understanding of the skill they are learning than those who cannot explain it to someone else.

In Indonesia it has been relatively easy to implement programmes of inclusive education, as we have had a great pool of Indonesian teachers who have been open to the special needs training that we have instituted in the school and they have been a great source of support to our expatriate teachers trained in the Australian curriculum.

Special needs training courses now exist in Indonesia and that is a really positive development. The formation of parent organisations, which offer support for one another, the establishment of early intervention programmes, and the establishment of the Special Education network in Asia are all positive developments.

The area you work in must be very challenging at times. What keeps you going?

My children would say that it’s because I’m stubborn – that may in part explain why I took on the challenge of creating an opportunity for children with special educational needs, but I had a very strong, vested interest in the form of a 13-year-old daughter with no school and no hope of a basic secondary education. I also have a strong belief in social justice and I guess my circumstances have allowed me to direct this belief into achieving a better quality of life and greater acceptance for a number of children with special needs.

What are some of the things you regard as your biggest achievements in the course of your work in Indonesia?

Setting up the school has been my most memorable achievement. No matter what difficulties we experience, such as frequent changes in regulations and changing reporting requirements, whenever I walk through the playground and see the happy

faces of students playing together from every culture, every ethnicity, every religion and ability, I feel a real glow and a sense of pride.

Lobbying to getting the UN to recognise World Down Syndrome Day on March 21 (i.e. 3-21 or trisomy-21) each year has also had to be a highlight of my life in Down Syndrome.

What would you wish to tell parents of exceptional children today regarding their education?

I would tell parents that all children benefit from being in an inclusive educational setting and I am very keen to see more schools take up this policy. However, inclusive education must be done properly, and that means ensuring that all teachers have the requisite skills. This takes time, and it means that change does not happen as quickly as we would all like. However, parents have a role here in that they need to be advocates for their own children and must make it known to their children’s school that access to education is a right for all children.

I can now rejoice in the fact that my daughter with an intellectual disability has the skills to get a job which she loves, get married, live in her own flat, put her thoughts and dreams on Facebook and organise her own money. When she was born 34 years ago, I would not have believed that possible. I am extremely proud.

Thank you, Penny. To get in touch, please e-mail: penny.robertson@ais-indonesia.com.

Visit www.senia.asia or Down Syndrome International for more information: www.ds-int.org

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EXPAT OUTREACH WORTHY CAUSES

Terry Collins, aka Jakartass, is a freelance writer, and co-author of Culture Shock! Jakarta.

INDOJAZZIA

Indonesian Jazz is Going Places With the news that 11-year-old Indonesian pianist Joey Alexander’s first album, My Favourite Things, topped the jazz charts in the first week of release, the Indonesian jazz scene seems to be in quite a good place in the jazz firmament.

By Terry Collins

Jack, was to follow suit. Balinese guitarist Dewa Budjana, mentored by Indra, replaced the deceased saxophonist Embong, and the group forged a catalogue of tunes based not only on technical ability and melodic sense but also their different ethnic backgrounds.

The first JakJazz festival in 1988, coordinated by guitarist Ireng Maulana, was notable for easy listening artists such as Lee Ritenour and Phil Perry, with but a few truly creative groups such as Itchy Fingers from the UK and Kazumi Watanabe from Japan. Ten years later, President Habibie's initiative to dissolve the Ministry of Communication may have been the trigger which released jazz, the music of creative improvisation, of play. With access to the Internet and the growth in Indonesia’s economy since then, ‘jazz cafes’ have proliferated urban centres and festivals are held throughout the archipelago. Universities and music schools have established jazz departments staffed by professional musicians, many of whom were mentored by their ‘seniors’.

Joey is undeniably an incredible talent, a prodigy as confirmed when I saw him in concert in 2013. Much is made of his extreme youth but sadly for us, Joey has been fast-tracked for an O-1 visa "for individuals with an extraordinary ability" and can no longer be regarded as Indonesian.

However, there have been, and are, many outstanding jazz musicians here. In the 50s, Bubi Chen (1938–2012), the pianist widely recognised as the 'Godfather' of Indonesian jazz, spent two years in the USA studying jazz piano under the tutelage of Teddy Wilson, sometimes accompanist for Billie Holiday. Two young drummers, Demas Narawangsa and Sandy Winarta are currently studying jazz in the USA; pianist Nial Djuliarso studied at both Juilliard and Berklee College of Music. Moreover, several talented musicians, such as Sri Hanuraga, Adra Karim and Elfa Zulham, have completed their jazz studies at European universities.

Indonesian jazz is a tale of generations, politics and class structure, a history as yet untold.

I arrived in Jakarta at the tail end of 1987 and as an inveterate seeker of jazz, progressive rock and 'world music', I soon discovered the pirate cassette scene. I travelled widely through the archipelago in my prefamily days, from North Sumatra to the Molluccas, and made a point of collecting cassettes recorded locally. I came to appreciate that each region had its own music traditions, with a range of particular instruments, often including electric keyboards. I also discovered that such jazz as existed appeared to be formulaic; piano, guitar, bass, drums and maybe saxophone, backing a pop singer whose melodies and lyrics, with the word 'cinta' sprinkled generously throughout, were invariably sugary.

According to Professor Royke Koapaha at Yogya ISI, in the 50s and 60s classical music was considered high class and Dua Tangan Cukup

jazz "low class"; to be caught playing it invited scorn. There was also President Sukarno's mid-sixties 'war against the Beatles' and other western influenced music. Was the jazz I was hearing 'subversive'?

Soeharto's accession to the presidential seat in 1966 let the shackles off anti-west sentiments. The following year, having played at a jazz festival in Europe, the Indonesian All-Stars, comprising Bubi Chen on piano and kecapi (Sundanese zither) Jack 'Lemmers' Lesmana (guitar), Marjono, saxophonist and suling (bamboo flute), Jopie Chen (bass), and Benny Mustapha van Diest (drums), recorded an album in Austria with Tony Scott, the American jazz clarinettist and arranger. Djanger Bali is now recognised as a seminal album in Indonesian jazz history.

After that, there appears to have been a lull in the jazz scene. Psychedelic music captured imaginations for a while, and then Jack Lesmana is credited with introducing jazz rock music in the early 70s. This was followed by a progrock scene which has lasted to this day. Notable names included Sukarno's son, Guruh, who, in 1976, played gamelan on a recording with a group called Gypsy; the album, Guruh Gypsy, is now regarded as a classic.

In 1989, ethno-jazz re-emerged. Bubi Chen, “credited with adding an Indonesian flavour to jazz music especially at a time when President Sukarno despised western music”, may have been the catalyst with the release of his cassette only album, Kedamaian. Accompanied by zither and bamboo flute, his playing flows over Sundanese melodies.

In the early 90s, Krakatau, a fusion jazz group led by classically trained pianist Dwiki Dharmawan, incorporated Sundanese percussion and wind instruments, with western instruments tuned to slendro and pelog scales. The group Java Jazz, formed by keyboardist Indra Lesmana, son of

Jazz is about community, not about individual celebrity status, and mentoring through the generations has been a notable feature of its current dynamism, for example: Jack Lesmana to Indra to Eva Celia; Benny to Barry and Utha Likumahuwa. Riza Arshad, founder of ethno-jazz group simakDialog, says that he is particularly proud to have played with Bubi Chen. Riza also studied with Jack and Indra Lesmana; and in turn he has mentored pianists Joey Alexander and Sri Hanuraga.

Recently, a few artists such as simakDialog, Dewa Budjana, and Tohpati have had self-produced albums released internationally on the MoonJune label based in New York.

They have also recorded albums in the USA with A-list western jazz musicians. What is particularly encouraging is the release on MoonJune of self-produced albums by I Know You Well Miss Clara, Tesla Manaf and the power trio Ligro, who truly stretch the genre’s boundaries.

However, few local jazz musicians have an outlet other than occasional gigs where fans can buy recordings.

IndoJazzia has been established to support the Indonesian jazz community at large by offering access to information and resources on a communal basis. The website (http:// indojazzia.net) also offers a portal to the many musicians seeking international exposure as well as jazz aficionados abroad newly aware of the astonishing creativity to be discovered here.

A start has also been made on a major project: ‘The History of Indonesian Jazz’. With early pioneers reaching the evening of their days, this is intended to be an audio visual documentary and book, with the possibility of the release of hitherto non-digitalised albums, concert tours and other associated activities.

We welcome all contributions. Please contact us via email: admin@indojazzia.net

Actions From Across The Archipelago

POP! Hotel Hardys Singaraja Square cleans up local beach On 9 May 2015, on the occasion of celebrating the 58th anniversary of Singaraja KODIM (District Commander of Military), the entire team of POP! Hotel Hardys Singaraja Square employees participated in a ‘Beach Clean Up’ programme, alongside local citizens of all ages.

“At exactly 7am, all participants – ranging from students to government officials – gathered at Mandala Yuda Beach near the harbour of the town of Singaraja to partake in the official ceremony, as well as to listen to a few words from the commander himself,” added Gusti Muchlis, Assistant Hotel Manager of POP! Hotel Hardys Singaraja Square.

“Soon after, they all disperse to several spots which were predetermined to complete the task. The event ended at approximately 9am.”

This event was certainly not the first initiative of its kind by POP! Hotel Hardys Singaraja Square, and it was therefore no surprise that the hotel received an exclusive invitation

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indonesia expat issue 143

directly from the KODIM office to participate in this environmentally-conscious event.

In addition to active participation, the hotel also provided all the necessary equipment such as trash bags to carry out the beach clean-up. Carrying out clean-ups are an important way of educating volunteers about the detrimental effects of littering, not to mention is a great team-building and bonding exercise.

Thank you to everyone at POP! Hotel Hardys Singaraja for organizing this event, and thank you to all the volunteers for helping to make a change!

What’s your Dua Tangan Cukup action? Send them to: letters@indonesiaexpat.biz and we’ll share them here for everyone to see!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Crowdfunding campaign raises money for mobile blood donor buses

Japanese cultural festival entertained mall-goers in North Jakarta JAKARTA Japanese culture continues to trend in Jakarta. Seeing this phenomenon, Baywalk Mall, the first sea-view shopping mall in Jakarta, held a festival about Japan in May titled Hi! Nippon Fest.

Baywalk Mall featured a variety of Japanese arts and culture, ranging from traditional to modern, enjoyed by all mall-goers, both adults and children.

"Hi! Nippon Fest lasted four days and was the first Japanese Festival at the Baywalk Mall which aims to introduce the culture and traditions of Japan to all Jakarta residents who visited Baywalk Mall with loved ones," said Promotion &

JAKARTA In collaboration with Kitabisa.com, Indonesian Red Cross Society (PMI) launched ‘Portraits for Life’ – a gotongroyong movement, where the power of the public creates change and saves lives.

Kitabisa.com and PMI started the campaign in 2014 with the aim of raising money to purchase mobile blood donor units. Donors who contribute more than Rp.100,000 will have their photograph displayed on the side of the bus. Hundreds of selfies were seen at the launching on 12 May. Daily Executive (Acting) Chairman of PMI, Ginandjar Kartasasmita said, “According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the ideal number for blood donations in Indonesia is 2%

Event Manager of Baywalk Mall, Franciska Renny.

Entertainment included Umaku Esia Taiko (Japanese drums), Shishimai (Japanese Barongsai), Koto performance, Yasakoi Dance, and a cooking demonstration by Chef Harada. Shodo (Japanese calligraphy) was exhibited by Japanese calligraphy artist Nachu.

of the total population, which means around 4.8 million bags per year.”

Currently, only around 70% of blood needs are met. PMI has been focusing on attracting people to donate blood - on top of operating the mobile blood donation buses in city centres, they also approach public places such as mosques, churches, and office buildings.

Purchasing a blood donation bus relies 100% on corporate funding. Through the crowdfunding campaign on kitabisa. com, the number of blood donation buses can be increased, leading to reaching more donors. This campaign has successfully managed to raise funds of Rp.525,000,000 through corporate and individual donors.

Pullman Jakarta focuses on MICE by unveiling new horizons of meeting experience facilities with innovative concepts, especially designed for prestigious gatherings in the most prime business location in Jakarta.

JAKARTA Pullman Jakarta Indonesia, a vibrant and cosmopolitan 5-star hotel situated alongside the bustling Thamrin Road, is pleased to introduce PRIME and THE LINKAR, new meetings and events

MesaStila Trail Run & Coaching Clinic 2015 MAGELANG, CENTRAL JAVA On May 15, MesaStila held a Coaching Clinic to offer training for runners who would like to join the MesaStila Ultra Challenge (MSUC) 2015.

For this event, participants were trained and guided through a 42K route, and joined seminars to be given advice about Ultra Trail running.

The seminar was led by Indonesian professional runners, Hendra Wijaya, Aki Niaki, and Arief Wismoyono (Winner of MSCU 2014).

This year’s Coaching Clinic was joined by 36 runners. The 42Krace started at midnight from Wekas Ngablak through Mt. Merbabu, and finished at Cuntel. 12 hours later, Furqoni Syabana from Jogjakarta was the first runner to reach the finish line.

PRIME and THE LINKAR both serve as a modern and versatile setting created to harbour today’s robust and growing markets of Indonesia. With heartfelt hospitality, upscale services and the lavishly renovated facilities, both meeting concepts are perfectly positioned to offer the ultimate meeting experience for both business and leisure.

“It was great to see such great enthusiasm from all participants for this year’s Coaching Clinic.

We could feel the excitement in the air when the race was about to start. It seemed like they just couldn’t wait to embark on a remarkable journey in their life. I hope this event will better prepare runners for the MSUC later this year,” said M. Isa Ismail Rauf, the General Manager of MesaStila Resorts.

This year, MesaStila Resorts & Spa will hold their prestigious annual event, MesaStila Ultra Challenge on October 9–11. To add more excitement, they have added a new 100K challenge to the race, trailing through five mountains, including Mt. Andong, Mt. Telomoyo, Mt. Gilipetung, Mt. Merbabu, and Mt. Merapi. This category receives two points from Ultra Trail Mont-Blanc rating in France.

issue 143 indonesia expat

23

LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT * Answers in the next edition!

Incredible CROSSWORD

By Eamonn Sadler (www.eamonnsadler.com)

Very few people are fully aware of the huge impact Java has had on the world as we know it today. Without Java, much of what we take for granted as we go about our daily lives would be very different, and certainly many of the simple functions we carry out as a matter of routine would be far more complicated.

I Googled to find a simple layman’s explanation of Java and here is what I got from techterms. com: “Java was originally designed for developing programs for set-top boxes and handheld devices, but later became a popular choice for creating web applications. The Java syntax is similar to C++, but is strictly an object-oriented programming language. For example, most Java programs contain classes, which are used to define objects and methods which are assigned to individual classes. Java is also known for being stricter than C++.”

Ah. Syntax similar to C++ but stricter. Why didn’t you say so?

I remember being totally awestruck by the Internet and all the things it can do. My first email address was eamonn@usa.net and to my amazement it was free. I remember discussing it with a friend in the pub on the day I got it.

I said “I got a free email address from usa. net today!” My friend said, “What’s email?”

So I explained that email is a way of sending computer messages to people via the Internet and the ‘e’ stands for ‘easy’. He said “What’s the Internet?” I cracked a wry smile, shook my head slightly and explained it to my technicallychallenged friend as simply as I could. “It’s a very big computer in America,” I said. “Like a big post office and library combined.” He back-peddled slightly, not wishing to seem ignorant. “Ah, yes,” he said. “I think I saw something about that on the telly.”

As my interest in the big computer in America grew, I started to study Hypertext Markup Language, or ‘HTML code’ as it is more commonly known, because I could see that this was the language of the future. I took me quite some time to get to grips with it because

I had no formal computer training whatsoever, so unfortunately by the time I was even close to understanding it, I didn’t need it anymore because some super smart, super nerds skipped a tea break and wrote programmes that could create all the code for you. You just had to tell it what you wanted to do. It’s all even simpler now of course, and magical things like Java have made the Internet even more amazing.

(Fun fact: the name of the world’s first publicly available web-based email is derived from the letters HTML – HoTMaiL.) My first exposure to the word ‘Java’ on a computer was probably the same as yours; messages popping up in the corner of my screen while I was surfing the big computer in America telling me I didn’t have ‘JavaScript’ or it wasn’t enabled. Then a few minutes of fumbling about clicking on things I didn’t understand, followed by a phone call to someone who did understand. Of course, the first thing that person had to do was tell me how to undo all the damage I had done by clicking on things I didn’t understand. Now my approach to computers is the same as my approach to cars.

I can drive them, I kind of understand how they work, but I’m not going to mess about under the hood. (Yes, nerds I know, Java and JavaScript are not the same thing – at least I do now that I’ve Googled it.)

THEN A FEW MINUTES OF FUMBLING ABOUT CLICKING ON THINGS I DIDN’T UNDERSTAND, FOLLOWED BY A PHONE CALL TO SOMEONE WHO DID UNDERSTAND. Hang on, my editor is calling me. “Hi Angie, how are y… Yes I remem… Uh huh… Uh huh…

Oh I see… Java the island… Ah… No I’m not stu… Well there’s no need for that kind of language… Hello? Hello?”

Java is a very big island in Indonesia. I live there and it’s very nice.

Across 1. Ineffective (6-5) 9. Keeps down (9) 10. Remains (3) 11. Lift up (5) 13. Ring-shaped (7) 14. Of horses (6) 15. Child's dog (3-3) 18. Deadlock (7) 20. Rowing crew (5) 21. Nonsense (3) 22. Viral complaint (9) 24. Miscellaneous items (4,3,4)

DOWN 2. Mischievous creature (3) 3. Citadel (7) 4. Sycophant (3,3) 5. _____ Welles, director and star of "Citizen Kane" (5) 6. Scamp (9) 7. Ebullience (4,2,5) 8. Means (11) 12. Proclaimed loudly - made the noise of an elephant (9) 16. Employ too much (7) 17. Cause to lose sense of hearing (6) 19. From the country of cheese, banks and cuckoo clocks (5) 23. Head gesture (3)

ANSWERS OF ISSUE 142 ACROSS — 1. Sasquatch 8. On air 9. Holding 10. Voice box 11. Zone 13. Anyhow 14. Abloom 16. Raid 17. Fried egg 19. Cochran 20. Three 21. Exemplify

DOWN — 1. Surveyor 2. School 3. Ugli 4. Trigonometry

5. Hugger-mugger 6. Nouveau riche 7. Family circle 12. Abjectly 15. Brunei 18. Grip

SPOTTED!

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

An unusual mural. Spotted at the Jakarta Zoo by Shahzad Zaman Chaudari Send your funny pictures to letters@indonesiaexpat.biz

0821 1194 3084 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.

IS MADE POSSIBLE BY:

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indonesia expat issue 143

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

OBSERVATIONS Mr. P abides.

WE’LL BE RIGHT BACK AFTER THESE MESSAGES

By Simon Pitchforth

Forget Pacquiao vs. Mayweather.

When advertisers take on viewers, the gloves come off…

The recently televised boxing match of the century/ millennium/all time (take your pick, punch up fans) afforded me the opportunity to cultivate a little bloodlust and sublimate some of the simmering tensions that have gradually built up between myself and the audio engineer down at my local neighbourhood house of worship. And so it was that as the fight unfolded, I found myself sitting on the sofa in front of the TV, occasionally jabbing at the air and aiming wild haymakers at an imaginary Manny Pacquiao, who bore an uncanny resemblance to the local taxi driver who had shortchanged me the previous week.

About halfway through the bout however, the target of my general ire and discontent began to shift imperceptibly towards Indonesia's corporate advertisers and their lapdogs in the TV One studio. Every last possible inch of floor and garment space, not to mention airtime, had been saturated with adverts in a bid to lure in the country’s millions of armchair pugilists.

How successful this campaign of commercial carpet bombing will ultimately prove to be, however, is debatable, as, like me, Indonesia’s prizefight enthusiasts were no doubt engrossed in the bout to the point where they too were fantasising about laying someone out on the canvas (only the imaginary recipient of their uppercuts would possibly be a big-nosed Westerner as opposed to devious Express drivers).

Chief among the semiotic polluters this time around was a new over-the-counter wonder drug called Viostin DS, a veritable panacea for the joints and a certified worker of orthopaedic miracles. These mountebanks of medicine had totally covered every inch of studio and screen space with their logo, although they had clearly missed a beat, as the perma-chirpy TV sales girl didn’t appear to have ‘Viostin DS’ tattooed upon her eyelids.

Also among the most annoying commercial culprits were the companies which – rather than producing a normal 30-second advertisement for their no doubt world-beating sandals and sugary confections – could instead only be bothered to produce a ten-second commercial which was then played twice or even three times back-to-back upon each airing. Maybe those

watching at home are being subliminally programmed to buy three of each product (which could become confusing where sandals are concerned). In any case, every time one of these micro-trilogies fired up, my perception of time became so rattled that I thought I’d washed up in some time-loop themed episode of Star Trek, during which the crew of the enterprise beam down to some ghastly industrial estate on the edge of Tangerang. Phasers set to stun, naturally.

The stupefying banalities of our modern advertising-mediated culture and the Satanic realm known around the globe as the public-relations industry were first formulated by a man called Edward Bernays back in the early twentieth century.

Bernays (correctly) surmised that by playing on the public’s unconscious desires and fears, he could manipulate them into buying certain products.

Bernays’ first great achievement was to persuade American women to take up smoking by craftily eliding the obvious phallic symbolism of the humble cigarette with the ongoing quest for female emancipation. Thus cigarettes, in reality a major cause of heart disease, lung cancer and emphysema, were reborn as glorious “torches of freedom”. The result was that women felt empowered, female lungs became blackened with tar and the profits rolled on down at the big tobacco companies. And it’s been downhill ever since, as ever more extravagant ads are filled with celebrity endorsements and utopian visions of the good life in a bid to get you to choose one product over its virtually identical rivals.

This process of persuading people to act and purchase based upon appeal to their unconscious desires, as opposed to their more rational side, has been likened to psychoanalysis in reverse, which is particularly fitting as Edward Bernays was the nephew of that famous Viennese quack, Sigmund Freud (who would no doubt have been utterly horrified at how young Edward was applying his theories in the real world).

Manipulations of the unconscious mind aside though, a cursory flick through Indonesia’s various TV channels will always turn up some hugely mirth-making advertising gems.

All of the usual tiger-wrestling, hang-gliding, 30-smokesa-day heroes are perpetually present and correct, of course, but it is the lengthier, painfully low-budget infomercials that provide the real fun.

New to me last weekend were the products produced by a company called Jaco, whose infomercials raise the credulity bar to absolutely stratospheric levels. First up was the firm’s Therapy and Slim Sauna, which resembled nothing so much as a camper’s sleeping bag made out of curtains. Apparently one simply slips inside this snugly fitting sack and stroke, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes and even insomnia are all history. I’ll take a dozen! Viostin DS is so last year….

But there was more, because the good folk down at Jaco can also miraculously cure your myopia through the therapeutic application of what appeared to be a cheap set of plastic binoculars tarted up to look like a virtual-reality headset.

The importance of such a product cannot be underestimated though as, according to the ad, many professions don’t accept applicants who wear glasses. Well, quite. Who wants a four-eyed cripple hanging round the office? They should gas them like badgers, in my opinion.

Resistance is clearly futile, though. In 2015, an eye-watering US$592 billion will be spent on advertising worldwide and a more colossal waste of money you’d be hard pushed to find in my view. The industry is currently being driven by mobile advertising growth and by 2018, mobile ads will account for almost a quarter of all advertising. At least when I’m online though, I can press my ad-blocker browser plug-in into service, an innovation unfortunately not afforded to viewers of TV One and their big-fight coverage, where Viostin won by a technical knockout.

This process of persuading people to act and purchase based upon appeal to their unconscious desires, as opposed to their more rational side, has been likened to psychoanalysis in reverse. issue 143 indonesia expat

25

EVENTS

JAKARTA

go on sale on 8 May online as well as at Disctarra outlets and major ticket boxes in Indonesia. Get on down there and see if you’ve got your own ‘Moves Like Jagger’! www.maroon5jakarta.com

Richard Clayderman Live in Jakarta

Circle Mirror Transformation 5–7 June 2015 For the first time in Indonesia, the Jakarta Players presents Circle Mirror Transformation, the char ming and highly entertaining play by Annie Baker.

The story offers up a gentle and fascinating mix of laughs, longing and heartache when an unlikely collection of strangers sign up for an ‘Adult Creative Drama’ class: a recently divorced carpenter, a high school junior, a former actress, and the teacher's husband. Unfolding like a charmingly funny indie film, the group plays the teacher's imaginative (and sometimes awkward) theatre games. But as their relationships develop over the course of the summer, the seemingly silly games generate some real-life drama. Proceeds from the shows go to Taman Bacaan Pelangi. Come along and support creativity in Jakarta!

Tickets at www.ticketbase.com. www.jakartaplayers.org Music

5 June 2015 The French pianist legend will be back with his concert: Exclusive Concert Richard Clayderman 2015 at Balai Sarbini. Harmonious compositions will be presented in an elegant show programme i n c ol laborat ion w it h loc a l musicians. Tickets are sold on Disc Tarra, rajakarcis.com, Indotix, and mahanalive.com.

Pentatonix Concert 3–4 June 2015 In their first concert in Indonesia, the award-winning acapella group from A merica w ill entertain Jakarta audiences. This Youtube sensation won a Grammy Award for t he ‘Be st A r ra ngement , Instrumental or Acapella’. On top of their original songs, they’re famous for their own unique rendition of popular songs and medleys, as well as beatboxing. www.rajawaliindonesia.com www.loketics.com

has been missing the past couple of years. The first event features Berlin born deep house DJ, Jacob Dilßner or better known for his stage name WA NK EL MU T. He rose to fame for his remix and 'One Day/Reckoning Song' and his single 'My Head is a Jungle'. For more info about this event follow @hypemusicasia on Twitter or Facebook.com/ wankelmut.berlin Pets

Cesar Milan Live: Love Your Dogs Tour 2015 14 June 2015 International dog behav iour expert Cesar Millan is bringing his brand new educational and entertaining live show to Jakarta.

Dog lovers will be inspired by Cesar Millan’s, as he reveals the key to happier, healthier relationships between humans and their canine companions.

During the show, Millan will share valuable lessons and perform live dog demonstrations such as reading your dog’s body language in order to prevent and resolve behaviour problems, techniques to fixing common dog misbehaviours and many more. Tennis Indoor Senayan Jakarta Selatan www.rajakarcis.com Carnaval

Jakarnaval 2015 14 June 2015 Jakarnaval is an annual event organized by the Government o f J a k a r t a / To u r i s m a n d Culture Off ice of Jakarta in commemoration of the city’s 488th anniversary. This event i s w i l l i nc lude c om mu n it y performers decorating the streets on parade floats. www.Jakartatourism.co.id

Maroon 5 World Tour 23 September 2015 Live Nation Indonesia proudly announces the upcoming concert by mu lt i-plat i nu m- sel l i ng , Grammy Award-winning rock band Maroon 5, set to perform in Jakarta in support of their fifth studio album, V. The gig will take place at Indonesia Convention Exhibition (ICE) with special guest act Dirty Loops. Tickets

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indonesia expat issue 143

Kemang invite you to a fundraising event for the victims of the Nepal earthquake. Two world-traveller photographers, Sim F & Timur Angin, will exhibit and donate their photography works captured during their travels to Nepal.

The more you bid, the more help can be given to victims of the devastating earthquake. Kindly RSVP to Kay (081294026635) or kaytadjoedin@yellowkorner.com

KALIMANTAN

Artention of Soundnesia will be the first music festival especially focusing on traditional stringed instruments in Indonesia. The event will be jazzed up with per for ma nc e s, ex h ibit ion s, i n s t r u me nt w or k s hop a nd symposium. The performances will aim attention at introducing t he r ichne ss of Indone sia’s traditional music to the public, new creations that helps preserve it and collaborations of musicians from different parts of the country. Soundnesia will show that traditional stringed instrument can be conceptualized w it h c ont emp or a r y mu sic . www.festivaldawainusantara. com

MALANG

Bali Kite Festival

Festival of the Land of Raflesia June 2015 (date tba) Bengkulu. The annual event is known as Festival Bumi Raflesia.

The icon of the Bengkulu province, the Raflesia Arnoldi flower, is the largest flower in the world. The continued preservation of the Rafflesia flower and its careful conservation in its forests is the main attraction of the festival.

The festival will feature a variety of programmes and activities that will present the best of Bengkulu.

Last year, the festival held a mass batik painting event, a triathlon, national off-road competitions, art and cultural performances, s ong w r i t i ng c omp e t i t ion , a t our ism pagea nt , ba za a r, exhibition, and more.

Sabang Fair Festival

Photography TRUST 12 June 2015 TRUST is the answer to Jakarta's Deep House/Techno events which

Oriental Sensibilities Exhibition

Artention of Soundnesia: Festival Dawai Nusantara

23 May–23 June 2015 YellowKorner and TreeHouse

5–7 June 2015 Taman Krida Budaya Malang

BALI

SUMATRA

Erau and International Folk & Art Festival 6–14 June 2015 Teng ga r ong c it y. ' E r a u' i s derived from the Kutai word 'eroh', which means joyful or crowded. It specifically relates to a group of people celebrating something sacred, doing a ritual or entertaining. The tradition is conserved as a festival and will be held alongside the International Folk and Art Festival. A parade i nvolv i ng t r oup e s f r om 30 traditional art groups from Kutai Kartanegara and delegations from 17 other countries w ill beg in the cultura l f iesta .

Bulgaria, Hungar y, Estonia, Latvia, Slovenia, Germany are among the 17 countries. This is a perfect opportunity to enjoy traditional Kutai and Dayak e t h n ic c u lt u re a nd va r iou s cultures from all over the globe. eifaf.visitingkutaikartanegara. com

contemporary dances, traditionalmodern fusion with ethnic music and musical poetry. In addition, Cagok, an Acehnese traditional comedy competition will also enliven the festival.Aside from involving 23 cities and regencies from across the Province of Aceh, delegates from neighbouring countries such as Penang and Langkawi (Malaysia), and Phuket (Thailand) will also participate. http://sabangfairfestival.com

1–7 June 2015 The festival will showcase the cultural r ichness of Sabang Town and the Aceh Province.

Competitions on art performances will feature new creations of

18–20 July 2015 Padang Galak, Sanur Beach.

Bali’s beautiful sky will look even more stunning this July. When you watch the clouds come and go at Sanur beach, expect a myriad of colourful kites in different sizes and shapes. The kites are f lown by teams of kite f lyers from the villages of Denpasar.

They compete at Padang Galak’s rice fields every July, the month with the best wind condition to fly kites. Other than the kite festival, Padang Galak offers tourist attractions such as open stages for both traditional and contemporary art performances and laser light with waterfall as the background. www.disparda. baliprov.go.id

If you would like your event to be posted here, please contact (+62) 021 719 5908 or e-mail: events@ indonesiaexpat.biz

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

1 pack/ quantity of 8 pieces regular plain (9cm) for Rp. 60.000 1 pack/ quantity of 8 pieces regular choco (9cm) for Rp. 65.000 Call: 021 766 4465/ 081 114 90400 or e-mail: info@altjebakery.com

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.

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

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

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

INDONESIA EXPAT DIRECTORY

INDONESIA EXPAT DIRECTORY

INDONESIA EXPAT DIRECTORY

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

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

Next deadline: 9 June

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 a Sales Executive (local)!

The position will require selling advertising space in the publication and online.

The ideal candidate will be a real go-getter, have heaps of personality, be very friendly. 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 let ter to info@ indonesiaexpat.biz Only successful candidates will be contacted.

OPPORTUNITY TO UPGRADE YOUR CAREER IN USA. Would you like to live and work in USA? If yes, kindly send your cv/resume to gatepetrojoboffer@usa.com Looking for work Go-Getter moving to Indonesia Moving to Indonesia for good w ith my Indonesia n w ife to build a family, I am looking for a stimulating environment that will excite me to wake up every morning! I spea k English & French, a little Mandarin and

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I am looking forward to learn Indonesian. I have work for big corporations such as Xerox in Canada and Start-ups as well. I am confident that my experience, my positive a nd cont ag ious energy will help you to make your company more profitable.

Feel free to contact me quickly at francis_dostie@hotmail.com for a Skype interview. See you soon!

SERVICES Tutor. I've lived overseas few years and I'm able to help with your Bahasa learning conversationally sms 081314895690 Private Lesson. Learn Indonesian or Bahasa for kids until adults or Preschool till Secondary. Call 082244442732 only around Rp.60,000 Bahasa Indonesia lessons for expats living in South Jakarta, Kuningan, Country Wood, BSD, given by instructor with 20 years experience. Flexible Schedule.

Plea se c a l l Pa k C ha ir uma n +62 (0) 812 103 7466 email chairuman1942@gmail.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) +62 (0) 821 1050 2786 Email: unascartas@yahoo.com Spanish/Indonesian translators: If you need experienced and native translators to translate in this language pair (both ways) please call us (FNA) +62 (0) 812 8821 5625 Email: elejakarta@gmail. com

PROPERTY

House for Rent. One nice house 2 storey, one large joined pool, b e aut i f u l g a rden , 24Hou r s security compound, no cement wa ll bet ween houses in the compound. Approx.500 m2 house with 1,000 m2 land, located at Jl. Margasatwa Raya, 10 Minutes to Cilandak Commercial Estate. @ USD 3,000,- per month with min. one year lease. If interested (no Broker/Agent), call owner 0811180605

These villas located in Ubud.

Only 15 minutes from Ubud Palace and 2 hours from Ngurah Rai international airport. An outstanding blend of modern B a l i ne s e a r c h i t e c t u r e a nd comfortable tropical living. Set on 1,700 sqm of land, single storey, consist of 6 unit villas two villa 2 bedroom private pool, 3 villa 2 bed room without pool, and one villa one bedroom without pool. A ll v illas w ith private entrance, spacious living and dining room, modern kitchen and fully furnished. Other facilities: swimming pool and pool bar, lobby, kitchen, restaurant, office dan parking area. With income $ 25,000/month. Sell pr ice

US$1,500,000. Inspection please call +62(0)87861053599 or email mangkuproperty@gmail.com

For Lease 1 Bedroom Apartment at Denpasar Residence Ubud Tower. Ubud Tower 9th Floor. Fully furnished 1 Bedroom Minimalist design apartment with pool view and spacious kitchen. Size 59m2.

1 Car park, Security Access Card.

Whatsapp: 0813 8285 8888.

N E W HOUSE FOR R E N T: Location: Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta. Access: 10 mins drive to Senayan City Mall or Plaza Senayan, 15 min to Gandaria Cit y, 25 min to SCBD area , 20 min to Blok M, 20 min to Permata Hijau area (normal condition). Condition: Very good.

House information: Land 145m, building 189m, 2 floors. 1st floor: 1 bedroom + 1 bathroom (shower), Living room, Kitchen, Storage area. Utility area, 1 bedroom + 1 bathroom for house assistant, Garden. 2nd floor: 1 master bed room, 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom (shower). Park : 1 car, Electricity : 2200 watt (token basis). Facility: 1 master bed (king size, serta), 1 double bunk bed (single size), 1 single bed (for house assistant),

OBITUARY

A Tribute to

Alan Nye Written by Michael Hession and friends

Alan Nye passed away on 16 May 2015, a day after his 67th birthday. He was born in the United Kingdom and also lived in Australia and Indonesia. He had six children from three marriages. His love of rugby meant he played all his life. Yes, that's right - he was still playing at the age of 66! His love of nature, history and exercise was reflected in the fact that three weeks before his death, he walked the Kokoda track in Papua New Guinea. He contracted a bacterial infection on or soon after this last epic adventure. Sadly, it was this infection that ultimately led to his passing.

To all who met Alan Nye, he was a gentle, cheerful, intelligent man. To all who knew him well, he was all of that and more; he was a hero to many. He was incredibly loyal to his friends; generous, caring, and enthusiastic about life. Problems were mere speed humps in Alan's life, matters to be negotiated with caution – or speed – so they did not impede success.

1 book rack, 1 tv table, stove, kitchen utensil, 1 long chair, 1 rocking chair, 1 ceiling fan, 1 AC. Price: Rp.145m/year. Info: Call or WA to +62 (0) 87884026911 BR A ND NEW HOUSE FOR RENT at Jagakarsa, 5 BDR-4 BTR, Modern Classic Design, Home theatre billiards area, m a rble & s ol id t e a k f lo or, ultra modern kitchen,highend bathroom fitting big landscaped grdn,pool, balcony,BBQ Area, on a quiet st, walking dist to zoo. Ideal for working in TB Simatupang & schooling at JIS. Call Owner: 0811833810 For rent: beautiful bedroom in house with pool and garden in Cipete, South Jakarta (for women only). Rent for 500 $ per month. It includes laundry, cleaning service, electricity, water, WIFI, cable TV, security, garbage fee, pool and garden service. https://www. flickr.com/photos/131514511@ N08/. Contact Nadja: 081116 28 049, nadjacipete@yahoo.de AUTOMOTIVE

1997 BMW 735 il long wheelbase Black paint. Excellent chrome.

Light tan interior (unmarked) 60,000 original km. V-8 engine smoothness. Upgraded headlights upgraded stereo. 20 inch BMW wheels plus originals. Good tires original window screens. Excellent paint. New belts, hoses, German battery. New rear suspension and

tie rods. Reclining and adjustable rear seat. This is a great looking and ver y comfortable classic for daily use. American owner moving. 0812 9101 5663 For rent, new Toyota Fortuner diesel automatic transmission, year 2015. Price Rp.13.000.000 per month. Call 081228091978 or 082113195734 or 021 8201488

PELABUHAN RATU PROPERTY Discover Villa Gamrang.

Experience our hospitality and the complete privacy of your own beach house. Villa Gamrang (Cisolok beach, 4 hours’ drive from Jakarta) is designed to offer guests a wonderful and luxurious holiday with beautiful and natural surroundings. Attractive prices starting from IDR 1,800,000 per night. Most of our guests visit us again. Reservations w w w. villagamrang.nl or just mail us at villagamrang@gmail.com

BALI 1973 BMW Bavaria 3.0 with A lpina selec t ed pa r t s. Fu l l documents. 4 speed transmission M a r o on p a i nt i n e xc e l le nt condition. No rust anywhere. black leather interior. 4 Alpina w h e e l s/g o o d t i r e s . A l p i n a steering wheel. Alpina cam covers Weber triple downdraft carbs.

Modifications: enlarged radiator and fan upgraded air conditioning New: battery, belts and hoses, alternator, tie rods, boot rubber seals, carpets. This is a fine classic ready for Jakarta road conditions.

Fast. American owner moving 0812 9101 566

PROPERTY For sale villa at Karma Jimbaran.

Size 385sqm, 3 bedrooms (1 master bedroom with terrace),2 bedrooms, living room, dining room, kitchen, garden with lazy bale, a luxury pool with waterfall, high standard fully equipment, SMEG appliance, expose ceiling, marble flooring, big wooden and glass sliding doors and windows, fully secured. Contact: tiwi@ trustcapital.co.id

He loved his rugby – both codes – because of the camaraderie it brought and the tales it peddled.

Indeed, few, if any, have matched his emotional, physical, technical and financial contribution to Indonesian rugby. Many of his friends will remember him for rugby and others will remember him for his enthusiasm for life.

Alan loved to climb a mountain, ride a bike, take a long walk - anything that kept him active and in good company where he could spin a tale, tell a bad joke or tackle the most complex philosophical discussion.

Alan had a playful wickedness about him that could be infuriating and endearing.

When things went wrong for which he was clearly to blame, he had a tendency to tell only half the story and then claim innocently that he did not complete the tale because he wasn't asked. For example, his sons, Stephen and David, tell of Alan's advice to their mother, Sue, in the 1980s when he had gotten a job at Blair Athol. For the UK-based family, this did not appear too much of an issue until they realized Alan had been talking of Blair Athol coal mine in Queensland, Australia - not the distillery in Scotland. Years later, Alan would cheekily grin that he never told the whole story because the family never asked.

As hard as it must have been at the time for his family to leave the UK, we are grateful that he took that turn in life because it eventually led him to Indonesia. Over the

past 25 years, he built a reputation within the Indonesian mining community and eventually established Britmindo 11 years ago. Later with his sons Stephen and David, they continued to grow the business into the Britmindo Group of today, employing over 120 Indonesians. He was known for his integrity and passion for doing a job well, whether it was training a new, young recruit or working with a multinational.

Alan was well read with an eclectic range of interests, including a love of plants and flowers, poetry, philosophy and, of course, geology. He was a simple man. He had only one watch, a phone that was very modern 10 years ago, and a fashion sense that required lots of attention. But he never sought more than he needed. Among the things he never wanted was sympathy.

During a long rugby career, which he played well into his 60s, he had multiple injuries, including a broken neck, collarbone and ankle.

He also survived prostrate cancer.

None of these mere setbacks diminished his love for action or for life and his determination and perseverance had him coming back for more. He exercised every day and was fitter than many men half his age.

This heroic exuberant thirst for life defined him to many; he was always ready to come back for more. That is why we all miss him so much – we all expect him to burst into our lives, ready to do it all over again!

Alan is survived by his parents, Bernard and Betty, his brother Eric, wife Cynthia and twin daughters Allys and Allyn, as well as Annisa and Adam from his second marriage and eldest sons Stephen and David from his first marriage. Alan also has three grandchildren, Mikaela, William and Aidan.

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