Indonesia Expat - issue 275

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cr ip bs su ISSUE NO. 275 | AUGUST 5 – SEPTEMBER 1, 2021

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE E-life in the Pandemic Era Embracing Solopreneurship Blockchain and AI Technologies for Tourism … and many more

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Indonesia Expat Issue 275 | August 5 – September 1, 2021

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Dear Readers,

06

SALES & ADVERTISING

Dian Mardianingsih (Jakarta)

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Businesses around the world need to react sharply and decisively more than ever. Indonesia’s recent alarming mortality rate and active cases have put further business plans, among other aspects, on hold. It’s a paradigm none of us can avoid. One thing this pandemic has opened our eyes to is being vigilant and open to seeking out and seizing opportunities during hardships as well as recovery.

VACCINATION How I Got Vaccinated Against COVID-19 in Indonesia

08 TECHNOLOGY E-life in the Pandemic Era

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Collecting data and insights on lessons throughout the pandemic is one way to enhance business value and construct strategic durability in the long run. It can act as a great stepping stone amidst the growing opportunities that are emerging.

If you want more insight on business, e-commerce, and finance, pick up this month’s issue! Use it as a reference to build your business and rise up from the current circumstance. Indonesia Expat features stories on investment, digital business, e-life, business politics, and many more.

Don’t forget to check out our daily news updates at indonesiaexpat.id. Follow our Instagram @ indonesiaexpat and Facebook @indonesia.expat to stay updated on the daily COVID-19 case numbers and news, as well as attractive promotions from your favourite hotels, restaurants, and schools across the country. Now, you can access Indonesia Expat on the Tripper app, available on iOS and Android for free.

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13 BUSINESS PROFILE StarWORKS Global – Integrating Blockchain and AI Technologies to Aid Tourism

FREELANCING Embracing Solopreneurship, Ditching the Nine to Five

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12 LOCAL INVESTMENT Bali Investment Club – An Economic Vision for a Post-Pandemic Bali

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10 DEMOCRACY Young Entrepreneurs and Politics

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6

vaccination

Indonesia Expat Issue 275 | August 5 – September 1, 2021

How I Got Vaccinated Against COVID-19 in Indonesia Kenneth Yeung explains how it took a few attempts to get vaccinated against COVID-19 in Indonesia.

I

Third Attempt Next, I asked my employer’s human resources director about the possibility of getting vaccinated through the company.

He said they had received a limited number of doses and that full-time staff were given priority, and the next round of vaccinations, not due until September, were still only for full-timers. As a part-timer, I couldn’t rely on help from the office. That’s not entirely accurate. I asked about my NIK, which is part of the Residence Certificate (SKTT) issued for all foreign workers and usually held by their employer. Human resources sent me an image of my SKTT with an NIK different to the one on my tax card.

n recent days, the foreign media has painted a nightmarish picture of Indonesia as the global epicentre of COVID-19 death, despair and overflowing hospitals. The Australian media, in particular, is reporting that its terrified citizens cannot get vaccinated in Indonesia and are stranded because no f lights are available until next year.

I’m an Australian living in Indonesia. I’m not over 60, I’m not even over 50. I’m not a teacher and I’m not working for the embassy or any international development agencies – so I didn’t qualify for a vaccine when rollouts started in mid-January 2021. I managed to get my first shot of AstraZeneca free of charge by mid-June and my second shot is due in early September. I’m not panicking or trying to f lee Indonesia. The lack of flights to Australia is because the Australian government has severely capped the number of arrivals, making it unfeasible for airlines to fly to Australia.

Many of Indonesia’s hospitals designated for the treatment of COVID-19 patients are indeed at capacity and facing oxygen shortages, but the non-COVID hospitals aren’t crowded or full – so people can be treated for non-COVID ailments ranging from a broken leg to tuberculosis.

In early March 2020, an American friend received his first Sinovac jab, arranged by his employer. Later that month, an English pal received his first shot because he was over 60 and worked as a teacher.

Then a Canadian friend paid Rp1 million to get two jabs of Sinovac from a hospital in Depok. Many others had similar stories.

And some expatriates don’t want to be vaccinated because they believe COVID-19 is a conspiracy.

Here’s how I got vaccinated in Jakarta.

First Attempt A family friend instructed me to visit a certain public health clinic on the morning of April 3 and receive my first Sinovac shot, free of charge. One of the nurses was a friend of a relative and could get me on the list. Great. I arrived at 8am and received a number, 45 (of 200 shots being administered that morning). I filled out a form, had my blood pressure tested and the nurse complimented my good health.

Most of those seated in the outdoor waiting area looked over 60 and some were frail. It wasn’t bustling with activity. I was the only foreigner. After about one hour, my number was called. I went inside and handed over my form and my temporary residency visa.

I also had my Indonesian driver’s license, my tax number card and my passport.

The lady entering my data on a computer said there was a problem with my “NIK” (Nomor Induk Kependudukan, which can be poorly translated as National Identification Number). The only NIK I had was on my tax number card and it was a duplicate of my passport number. The lady told me to go back outside and keep waiting.

The queue thinned. A nurse mentioned that fewer than 200 people had showed up, so there were spare doses. Some people started calling younger family members, who soon arrived and were promptly registered and vaccinated. I kept waiting.

After three hours, I was informed: “Sorry, we can’t register foreigners on the system.”

A wasted morning, but I was inured to disappointment. Then I had a message from the nurse – she could visit my house later that day and give me a vaccination. “Would I be registered?” No. In that case, perhaps foolishly, I declined.

Second Attempt

By June, social media channels in Jakarta were inundated with flyers announcing free vaccinations at various locations at specified times and dates. There was also a widelyshared message offering two vaccinations for Rp1.65 million (US$115) by some profiteers using a Gmail address. I was keen for AstraZeneca, as it’s more internationally acceptable than Sinovac and considered more effective. But many claims were circulating about “dangerous side-effects” of AstraZeneca, so Jakarta had a glut of doses that needed to be used before expiration. I headed to a walk-in vaccination centre in Central Jakarta, joined a long queue and was eventually informed my NIK could not be entered into the system because I was a foreigner.

The ‘Didn’t Bother’ Attempt After two knockbacks, I considered approaching the Australian Embassy in Jakarta, but then checked online and saw that Australia’s vaccination program “doesn't include Australians overseas”.

Australia does allow halfwit foreign “reality TV celebrities” and beloved cricket commentators to jump the queue of limited arrivals, but such privileges don’t seem to be extended to ordinary Australians. Not being a complete halfwit narcissist, I didn’t stand a chance.

Fourth Attempt Armed with my proper NIK, I asked my Jakarta apartment’s management if they could assist me in getting a vaccination.

“Yes, we can help,” said the lady. I didn’t get my hopes up. First, I had to produce proof of a year’s rental, some domicile letters signed and stamped by local officials, plus photocopies of various types of ID. Within a mere 24 hours, the apartment management had typed a short letter, confirming my identity and domicile, and recommending I be vaccinated against COVID-19. I was instructed to take the letter to the local “kantor lurah” – the urban village head’s office. There, the woman in charge of vaccinations informed me that all foreigners from my apartment were ineligible. “The vaccines are only for Indonesian people.”

Fifth Time Lucky Upon leaving the lurah’s office, I walked through some crowded back streets to get to my local subdistrict Puskesmas – the Public Health Clinic. Hardly a mask in sight until I reached the clinic. A couple of friendly guards glanced at my letter and told me I could get vaccinated with AstraZeneca tomorrow morning – at a nearby state elementary school, which had been transformed into a vaccination centre.

The guards advised me to be there at 7am sharp. I arrived at 6am, just to be first in line. Over the next hour, more people started showing up. The school gates remained locked. One rather haughty woman arrived in a vehicle with her driver and maid, looked at the crowd with disdain, and ordered her maid to get three numbers.

At 7:10am, a health vehicle arrived with three officials. One official walked to the school gates and held up a wad of 200 numbered squares of paper. He asked the crowd to form an orderly, socially distanced line. Many of them mobbed him, snatching for numbers. He shouted for order. They ignored him. I was pushed aside by the frenzied jostling. The official put the numbers back in his pocket and again yelled for order and distancing. He explained that it’s dangerous to crowd so closely during a pandemic. Begrudgingly, the mob formed a line that resembled an extended lineout tussle at a rugby match. I received number 35. Then came the maid, who asked for three numbers. “Only one number per person!” the official told her. Later, I observed the

haughty lady return and berate the maid for getting only one number. She took the number and sent the maid and driver away to wait.

When all of the numbers had been handed out or snatched away, the gates were opened and we made our way to separated chairs in front of the school. The most seniorlooking official spotted me and inquired where I was from. I told him and showed him my documents. He informed me that foreigners are ineligible. I politely countered that foreigners are eligible under the latest government policy. He didn’t tell me to leave. Soon my number was called. My details were taken down on paper, then I had to wait briefly in another queue for online registration, a blood pressure test and some perfunctory questions about allergies, illnesses, current medication. Then a very quick shot in the arm. Then to a classroom for confirmation processing and 15 minutes of observation. In groups of about six, people received their certificates, complete with a reminder to return for the second dose.

Each person was given a tiny bag of two paracetamol tablets “to counter any side effects”. An official told us: “No coffee and no alcohol for the next three days. Come back in 12 weeks or slightly sooner.”

I had spent over an hour waiting for the vaccination centre to open, but the process itself took under an hour. The public health officials, in general, were wonderfully efficient and friendly, dealing politely with impatient people and answering all manner questions with a smile. A few hours after being vaccinated, I experienced mild fatigue and a headache; possibly just a consequence of a long week. I took the paracetamols and was fine by the following afternoon.

Gratitude Most of my non-Indonesian friends and acquaintances here have also been vaccinated and are taking sensible precautions while going about their business.

Many of those on extended tourist visas (now converted to B211 sociocultural visas) in Bali have been vaccinated with two shots of AstraZeneca, free of charge, at local health clinics because they are in a tourism green zone. “I think the Indonesian authorities have been pretty accommodating. We are really grateful for how we were treated here,” said a South African, who lives in Bali and was vaccinated free of charge along with his Australian partner.

An economist named Jackie Pomeroy has long been running a Facebook page that provides advice on how and where to be vaccinated in Bali. Thanks to her efforts, many foreigners have been vaccinated free of charge. But that doesn’t make for very sensational news for foreign journalists intent on portraying Indonesia as a disaster zone with a collapsed healthcare system.

The maxim that “anything is possible in Indonesia” is true. With the right attitude and some perseverance, a vaccination is not impossible. Certainly, getting a f light from Jakarta to Australia presently entails great expense and f lying multiple routes and stopovers. But that’s Australia’s fault, not Indonesia’s problem.

8

technology

Indonesia Expat Issue275 275 | | August 5 – September 1, 2021 Issue

E-life in the Pandemic Era

BY PRAMOD KANAKATH

W

hen the new school year started recently, I asked my students one of the cliched classroom questions – whether they keep track of news and events, and if so, how?

After a few seconds of indeterminable silence, the first response came. The student who responded first noted Instagram as his favourite way of keeping himself up to date with things happening in and out of Indonesia.

That answer showed a sea change from my own interactions with my teachers in the 1990s, when I responded by naming a few physical newspapers we used to subscribe to and read on a daily basis. The timeline of this transformation would take one from newspapers to websites, to emails, and finally giving in to social media platforms in an age where time is a luxury and fast food as a way of serving things being the norm, and that is where gadgets hold an indispensable proposition.

It is one of the most striking differences in the ways of growing up as far as Millennials and Gen Z is concerned. We’ve moved from paper to gadgets and from page-turning to scrolling.

Talking about the importance of gadgets, nowhere has it been more crucial than in this pandemic era, where they have been playing the role of mediator between people.

As the world went into lockdown, businesses dropped, the sale of mobile phones and computers slumped drastically. Records

released between March and August 2020 show that demand for such gadgets fell very sharply as people started saving money. Both Apple and Samsung reported losses or very slow sales in February 2020 in comparison with February 2019. Research firm Strategy Analytics found that shipments of phones fell by 38 percent year-on-year, said to be the biggest fall since the appearance of the smartphone.

Despite the losses in the early days of COVID-19, both the tech giants braved to promote and even release new products – Samsung with its S21 line and Apple with a new iPad Pro and a new MacBook Air. There must have been a clear prediction of prolonged stay-at-home periods as more and more countries went into lockdown across the globe.

As the situation is still evolving and the future looks uncertain, our e-life is set to continue, at least for the foreseeable future.

The moves were not misplaced. The first and the second quarters of 2021 saw the two big players reporting very high profits. The profits had been pronounced from the third quarter of 2020 as companies and schools went online and work and study from home became the new normal. Mobile phone donations and the setting up of smartphone libraries by schools with a view to helping out the needy, added to the companies’ steady sales growth.

The tech giants, especially smartphone and PC developers, owe plenty in terms of sales spurt to online meeting platforms like Zoom, MS Teams, Google Meet, and Facebook’s own Messenger app that features meeting rooms. When the hardware section tried to reach out to diverse populations in towns and villages, the software consorts complemented that by arranging convenient meeting facilities.

Established institutions like multinational companies and international schools were significant entities that made the most of these platforms.

Zoom has been dominant from the start, as revealed by records from the first quarter of 2020 till now. The platform has as many as 300 million daily participants and is one of the highest. A rival, Microsoft Teams, is not far behind. Its surge that started in August 2020 seems unstoppable now, and with more and more educational institutions adopting it as the virtual classroom, it has the potential to give Zoom a run for its money. With its features including file

References: www.bbc.com/news/technology-51981841 www.bbc.com/news/business-56924158 www.techrepublic.com/article/watch-out-zoom-microsoft-teams-now-has-more-than-115-million-daily-users/ www.insideradio.com/free/radio-s-digital-revenue-rose-12-in-2020-to-1-1-billion/article_18eed7ba-69e7-11eb-a118-eb1b46817fb8.html

storage, scheduling assignments, and a virtual class notebook, Microsoft Teams has a definite advantage over other players.

Schools that initially used a combination of Zoom and Google Docs – one for meeting and the other to send and/or share files have switched to Microsoft Teams, where everything can be executed in one place.

The radio may not sound as electronic as the glitzy gadgets we have been talking about at this stage of the 21st century, but it has sent out strong signals of its crucial role during the pandemic. UNICEF arranged radio lessons in different parts of the world, focusing on remote corners of countries in Asia and Africa. This has been a boon to many children who cannot afford to buy smartphones and whose regions do not get coverage from mobile phone service providers. It wasn’t just the less privileged, but also well-to-do city dwellers who benefited from listening to radio programmes by making it one of their very few options for entertainment during lockdown days. Reports suggest a remarkable growth in radio listening in 2020 and 2021.

As the situation is still evolving and the future looks uncertain, our e-life is set to continue, at least for the foreseeable future.

This has been allowing more players to come into the market to meet the diverse needs of an infinite variety of customers. The driving points when it comes to customer satisfaction are cost, features, and userfriendliness. Companies must play around with this formula to up their sales as much as possible during the pandemic era and beyond. And that means that e-life is here to stay. The numbers may not be big, but some countries, including Singapore, are mulling work from home as a long-term option in fields where it is feasible.

Hygiene Theatre: Is Disinfection the Key?

O

ur daily activities used to comprise of getting ready in the morning for work, heading to the office using various transportation modes, sitting for hours and hours in an office or a meeting, then travelling back home or heading out for some entertainment. Nowadays, we do everything indoors, at home.

The occasional trips to our favourite restaurants, cafes, cinemas, and shopping centres still exist in our lives, but they depend on the constant evaluation and regulations put in place by the government.

We’re now in an age where almost everything - payments, menus, shopping, etc. – is now contactless and accessible online. Moreover, disinfectants are sprayed on all surface areas and hand sanitisers are always in our bags while as well as being provided in public areas when washbasins aren’t around.

We feel a sense of security and relief from taking precautions and following the health protocols because we’re taking actions to minimise our exposure from others and most importantly, COVID-19. What if you were told this is all an illusion?

The lowest risk of transmitting COVID-19 is through fomites, which is the transmission that occurs due to touching objects or surfaces contaminated with the virus by an infected person. The World Health Organisation (WHO) wrote that the “Three Cs”; crowded places, close-contact settings - especially where people have conversations very near each other and confined and enclosed spaces with poor ventilation are the settings where the COVID-19 virus spreads most easily, especially when two or three of these criteria overlap.

However, cleaning efforts are often focussed on disinfecting the surface, meaning its effects are merely temporary.

Excessive disinfectant usage leaves behind

residue, causing harmful side effects to the health, such as triggering irritation, causing odour, and interfering with breathing.

Few people know with any certainty whether they’re positive or negative for COVID-19 on a daily basis – unless they have an at-home test, but that in itself isn’t 100 percent reliable. When a surface or room is contaminated by an infected person after the disinfection process is complete, the risk of transmission returns and the effect of the disinfectant is no longer valid.

Quoted from The Washington Post, “the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in April 2021 said that contact with a contaminated surface has less than a one in 10,000 chance of causing an infection — a smidgen higher than a person’s lifetime chance of being struck by lightning.”

Now, imagine going to a new dinner spot where you see the tables and chairs are disinfected before you’re seated comfortably and place your order. As you’re getting ready to eat, alcoholbased cleaning fluids for cutlery are often distributed by the waiter. Instead of cleaning, however, the chemical residue left on the cutlery enters your body and becomes dangerous to your health.

Eventually, you’ll remove your mask to eat and chit-chat the night away. This becomes dangerous; people are careless and the risk of transmission through droplets and aerosols are highly possible.

This illusion, as noted earlier, is hygiene theatre. The Atlantic explained that hygienic measures actually don’t have the effect of preventing the transmission of COVID-19. In other words, hygiene theatre offers little prevention against the coronavirus except to simply make everyone less anxious by creating an illusion of a sense of security that can instead cause harm or even make one careless.

UBC Clinical Psychologist Steven Taylor concurred that hygiene theatre still has value to create calmness. “While erring on the side of caution isn’t a bad thing, there are drawbacks if you take it to the extreme,” reported the Canadian news portal City News 1130. “Going overboard with the cleaning, that’s disruptive and expensive. Those resources could be spent on better things.”

“More and more studies point to airborne transmission, either via droplets or aerosols, as the main channel of transmission. Indoor locations, where there is poor ventilation, are riskier than outdoors. Activities where more particles are expelled from the mouth, such as singing or breathing heavily during exercise, also increase the risk of transmission,” she continued.

Since science declares otherwise, how can we take the right precautions?

The CDC and many other studies have estimated that about 50 percent of people living with someone who has COVID-19 will be infected — usually in less than five days, if no intervention, for example, selfisolation is taken.

Don’t stop using disinfectants altogether.

Use them correctly to periodically clean surfaces that are more at risks such as doorknobs, elevator buttons, or light switches. While on a personal level, adhere to the mandatory health protocols, namely wearing masks, keeping a distance, and washing hands.

Take it up another notch by maintaining good and clean air quality from viruses and pollution. The use of indoor air purifiers, whether at home, in the office, or in public areas, is the most adequate form of anticipating virus transmission through aerosol transmission – remember WHO’s Three Cs? The CDC recommends the use of air purifiers for closed rooms with capacity per the volume of the room, namely by matching the value of clean air produced (CADR) from AHAM. Combined with wearing a mask, turning on an air purifier in a closed room can reduce the risk of transmission by up to 90 percent.

Director of PT Higienis Indonesia; distributor of air purification systems, Blueair and Stadler Form, Justi Salusiana explained that any situation in which people are in close proximity to one another for long periods increases the risk of transmission.

Justi went on to emphasise that we should not neglect that air pollution, especially in big cities like Jakarta, is a serious problem affecting our health and wellbeing. “While the focus is mostly on virus filtration during the pandemic, the benefits of using an air purifier, therefore, go beyond,” she said.

Make sure you are using an air purifier with honest and reliable information. “Logically, we have to reduce the virus concentration in closed rooms or any indoor settings.

Through ventilation, fresh air enters to ‘dilute’ the concentration level, or to reduce it by filtering the air with a quality air purifier that is equipped with efficient filter as well as able to produce high CADR,” concluded Justi.

Aside from helping to reduce transmission potential, taking these measures also protect ourselves and our families. We may be unable to control air circulation in public areas, but starting from home is better than nothing.

Keep viral load indoors at bay with a quality air purifier, like Blueair HealthProtect, that produces high CADR.

10

democracy

Indonesia Expat Issue 275 | August 5 – September 1, 2021

Young Entrepreneurs and Politics

BY DONNY SYOFYAN

AFP Photo/Adek Berry

O

nce an election is approaching, we will spot many large billboards along the road displaying faces of the candidates ready to fight for the Democratic party. Like it or not, people are suddenly faced with politicians they might not be familiar with. Though they have been elected, their works remain unheard of for having a non-populist track record. In the last elections across the archipelago, we found a growing trend of young businessmen trying their luck in politics.

As a teaching staff at a university, I am amazed by young people being successful entrepreneurs. Seeing my former students thriving in businesses makes me proud. I am not jealous to know that they earn 10 or 100 times my income. However, I feel dejected when the young entrepreneurs began to flock to political parties instead of expanding their capacity to become big businessmen and conglomerates. This nation is getting away from the hope of creating a tough business class in the future. How can true entrepreneurs emerge from the beginning if they are stuck in political preference as opposed to devoting themselves to spreading the spirit of entrepreneurship across the country among young people?

The young entrepreneurs’ decision to make a sudden swerve to be young political candidates falls into a fallacy because it will make the ethos and dynamics of entrepreneurship run in place, a mere discourse that’s no longer moving.

Entrepreneurship can play an important

role in promoting youth independence. In fact, countless young people are at the top of various sectors such as business, ICT, education, energy, and entertainment.

Despite their young age, these people are veritable reservoirs of inspiration to many youths in the country. It becomes more relevant when the wealth or fame they achieve is closely related to their independence and not to their parents' wealth. Hendy Setiono, Raffi Ahmad, Atta Halilintar, and Gilang Widaya Pramana represent a small number of young people who have succeeded in standing on their own two feet as entrepreneurs.

Therefore, the decision of numerous young entrepreneurs to enter the political arena will probably close their chances off of being high-class entrepreneurs and conglomerates in the future. Chairul Tanjung, Chairman of CT Corp, and Basrizal Koto, CEO of the Basko Group, could position themselves as crazy rich people today, not start their careers as politicians at a young age. Instead of being preoccupied with shaping a political party, Chairul Tanjung, better known as CT, has been chased by many parties as a supervising board and presidential candidate. CT does not budge and is growing his conglomerate bigger and bigger instead.

These young entrepreneurs might take MNC Group CEO Hary Tanoe and Lion Air President Director Rusdi Kirana’s cases as precedent for business people going into politics. Both comparison and justification seem irrelevant and forced. Both MNC

politicians to affirm their groups’ interests and ignore the needs of different groups.

The choice of young entrepreneurs stomping out of the business world and coming into politics implies that they have lost their priorities. and Lion Group are well-established conglomerates, characterised by a solid system, not relying on the CEO figures and having thousands of employees. When the business has been in an established position and achieved the point of no return, the departure of a CEO or company owner to explore other ventures would not have a huge negative impact on the business.

The choice of young entrepreneurs stomping out of the business world and coming into politics implies that they have lost their priorities. In many ways, politics cannot be separated from economic issues. However, for the sake of national independence, economic issues, entrepreneurial ethos, and competitive climate need to be strengthened holistically and fairly. In this context, politics often backfire, given the tendency of

The politicians’ exclusive ways of thinking and acting are in stark contrast to the way businessmen think and work, closer to inclusivity. An entrepreneur operates on the principle of “seeking as many friends as possible and reducing as many foes as possible”. In business, seeking foes is tomfoolery. For entrepreneurs, everyone is a consumer who must be respected because they are the main target of the products for sale and services to offer. The cordial attitude of businessmen evokes a friendly nature in anyone. Their experience in dealing with the diversity of consumer behaviour makes them treat visitors in full nuance, not black and white. The necessity of placing consumers as assets encourages businesspeople to get used to fulfilling consumer demands like entertaining visiting guests.

Before it is too late, we hope young entrepreneurs will not be lulled to change the course of business they have set. Politics does not interfere with their business is a misguided thought because there will be a conflict of interest. Stay focussed again. Just because you feel successful in one area, it does not mean that you will be capable of doing things in another one.

The writer is a lecturer at Faculty of Humanities, Andalas University

12

local investment

Indonesia Expat Issue 275 | August 5 – September 1, 2021

BALI INVESTMENT CLUB

An Economic Vision for a Post-Pandemic Bali

BY ERIC BUVELOT

S

invest in people. We need here to override the logic of outright profit and give our trust to the people,” says Tom Courly. Everything in a spirit of collaboration is outlined by the Indonesian concept of “gotong-royong”, that BIC has made its own since the public launching of their activities last June in Pererenan, Bali.

ince the COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged our economies worldwide, there has been much speculation about what our world will be like tomorrow.

While some believe that once the “plague” is over everything will return like before, some others are betting on a radically different outcome. So different, in fact, that prominent US news magazine Foreign Policy has already come up with a new word to define this new era of economics: fuzzynomics. An era of more awareness and less greed, where people will have greater control over what they consume and what investments will really mean for the longterm wellbeing of communities.

Wishful thinking, you might say! Here in Bali, BIC (Bali Investment Club) is already working to build a different entrepreneurial model for the iconic tourism island. This new model will broaden sources of income to avoid repeating errors of the past. It’s a scheme that doesn’t only apply to Bali, but to many other parts of the Indonesian archipelago as well. “The last thing Bali needs in the future is another five-star hotel,” says Tom Courly, co-founder of this new financial entity which claims to be the first-ever to set foot in Bali. Before the pandemic, tourism accounted for about 70 percent of the island’s GDP. Now, it’s been one and a half years since holidaymakers deserted the Indonesian island paradise, leaving local communities in disarray.

Consequently, some in the local administration have already figured out, like SMESCO, a private branch of the Ministry of Cooperation and SME, what the economic future of Bali could look like with far fewer tourists. “Their office has contacted us recently and after our first meeting, we both admitted that our purpose was similar,” further explains this Frenchman.

He was brought up in South Africa and holds an MBA, along with 10 years of experience in advertising, consulting, and entrepreneurship. “We have the same vision about Bali; a vision that encompasses many transformations, where the island would become a new economic zone,” he asserts.

But how does Bali Investment Club work?

It is mainly a financial proxy between expatriates, locals, institutions and businesses. It is a social club, but one with a mission; and some human values that are duly served by its own specific jargon. “We seek high-net-worth individuals, meaning, somebody with around $1 million in liquid financial assets to join our ‘angel network’.

We are a hybrid. We sit between venture capital and a social club,” adds the young manager. So far, BIC has managed to attract all sorts of investors: foreign individuals, Indonesians, and sovereign funds, that is state-owned investment funds that deal in real and financial assets with public money.

Not to forget the usual venture capital funds possibly joining as one-shot associates on a particular bargain.

Mostly Targeting SMEs If you have between $100,000 and $2 million to invest in a sound project with positive social and environmental impacts in Bali, this is the investor club to join. If you have even more money to invest, BIC offers a hedging strategy as well, a tactic aiming to hedge one investment by making a trade-in another. Another way to say you must not run the risk of putting all your eggs in one basket. On the other hand, if you have only $20,000 in your purse, that will do too, as BIC is mostly targeting SMEs. It is a way to reconnect to Bali’s true economic scale but also to adjust to the very cautious forethought of today’s so-called new normal.

BIC doesn’t bet on radical expansion, like tourism in the past, but on diversification.

“Our approach to the island economics is holistic,” he articulates, once again saying a word rarely used in the world of finance.

“Bali needs economic stability where tourism will just represent an added income.

Bali doesn’t need big international players, but small and medium enterprises which

The pandemic has brought up a crucial need for change everywhere, we can fairly admit.

“We also Do Monitoring and Act as Mentors” Who are the investees targeted by BIC? Any local startup company with “good ideas” about the economic restructuration of Bali.

The startup must have completed the “seed stage”, meaning it has already started to prove itself in the real world. It must also be committed to innovative entrepreneurship with added value for the people at the bottom of the economic pyramid and/or the environment. If your business is looking for some growth equity (expansion capital), then you should contact them to progress through their steps. “We don’t just act as bankers to the companies. We also do monitoring and act as mentors once a deal is made. It’s very strategic in a sense, as we help the business to succeed, hence we’re able to remove some risk from the investment,” details the young manager.

Bali Investment Club is a financial tool adapted to the tiny size and huge fame of the island. It pays homage to the unparalleled shine of this mythical place with a distinctively soft approach. It claims core values that are defined in three simple words, “truth, trust, and faith”, and BIC intends to have every stakeholder consider these ideals. It wasn’t always the case in the past. Do you remember the start of mass tourism with the mammoth Nusa Dua complex in the early 80s or the failed Dubai-style polderisation of Benoa Bay more recently? Will the under-construction Kura Kura Bali project that is starting a Balinesevalue-based hub for the future in Serangan really be different? Time will tell….

For the time being, BIC is betting on Bali becoming an epicentre for emerging ideas; a hub for new networks, systems, communities, and projects that redefine the way we relate to each other and the world, says its website. From a rural society thrown alive to the big mouth of mass tourism a few decades ago, it is now time to consider Bali with a different perspective on its future. A more respectful one that takes into account the people in a sustainable environment.

Will investment clubs like BIC be the key to the metamorphosis? The pandemic has brought up a crucial need for change everywhere, we can fairly admit. Like Tom Courly likes to say with sincere simplicity, “invest in the change you want to see.” https://baliinvestment.club

Indonesia Expat Issue 275 | August 5 – September 1, 2021

business profile

13

STARWORKS GLOBAL

Integrating Blockchain and AI Technologies to Aid Tourism across the various products and services within our StarWORKS Ecosystem.

For example, our StarX token has been developed upon the Ethereum Blockchain ERC 777 token standard. We are also integrating various technologies into our StarTR AV ELLER membership-based online travel club, StarPOINTS, our blockchain-based loyalty and rewards program and many more that will benefit the travel, tourism and hospitality industry.

Troy Bradbury

T

he tourism industry has never faced its deprivation as it has during the COVID-19 pandemic. Having 20 years of involvement in the industry, StarWORKS Global is taking it up a further notch by developing and integrating blockchain, big data and AI technologies to help Bali’s and other worldwide favourite tourist destinations stand tall and thrive.

Troy Bradbury, the CEO of StarWORKS Global, has chatted with Indonesia Expat on adopting new technologies that can help the industry in post-COVID recovery and how to take part.

Hi, Troy! Where are you from and what’s the reason behind your move to Bali?

I first visited Bali over 30 years ago and immediately fell in love with the land, the people, the culture and the easy-going lifestyle. My wife and I married in the beautiful Uluwatu in 2011 and later moved to Bali with my family in 2015.

As the CEO, tell us more about StarWORKS Global.

StarWORKS Global has a rich history in hospitality and tourism, having been involved in the industry for the past 20 years. Our offering encompasses luxury villa accommodation, spa and massage, nightclub, entertainment, cafe culture, food and beverage and others, with our head office being located in Seminyak, Bali.

Currently, we are operating, integrating and upgrading our businesses with blockchain and AI technologies as we develop products and services from our Ecosystem and commercialise and introduce them into the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry via our StarONE Initiative program. We are also in the process of listing our StarX utility token (the native currency of our Ecosystem) on the LATOKEN exchange. So we have many innovative products and services that we are excited to bring to market.

Briefly elaborate how blockchain, big data and AI technologies are used within StarWORKS. We have a very talented team of blockchain and software engineers who are developing and integrating innovative technologies

What’s the significance behind the development of products and services, primarily for the hospitality and tourism sectors, using blockchain, big data, and AI technologies?

By adopting innovative and smart technologies we believe the industry will benefit immensely, particularly with the current impact of COVID-19. Our world has changed and we need to adopt new technologies that can help the industry in post-COVID recovery. These technologies can help businesses to survive and thrive by streamlining processes, become more intuitive and competitive, offer better cost efficiencies, create new opportunities, be more sustainable and provide customers with more personalised offerings, greater value and ultimately a more enhanced experience.

Bali’s hospitality and tourism are highly impacted by the pandemic.

Having an office in the island, in addition to Singapore and California, what steps are taken to aid Bali?

As we all know COVID-19 has devastated the global travel, tourism and hospitality industry, of which Bali, in particular, has been heavily impacted. Our business employs many local Balinese people and has done so throughout the pandemic. Our StarONE Initiative marketing program will deploy many of our products and services directly into the Balinese market which will, in turn, help local businesses involved in the industry to grow and build a more sustainable and prosperous future. In turn, as our business grows, we will continue to employ, train and nurture new staff.

Do you think blockchain and cryptocurrency should be prioritised to recover the hospitality, tourism and economy sectors worldwide?

I think a more pressing priority at the moment is for a global recovery with respect to testing, vaccinations, assistance and education so there is a semblance of "normality" again whatever that may look like in the future. Ultimately this will be the largest catalyst to help the recovery of our industry.

In saying this, no doubt blockchain, crypto and technology applications can and should be adopted to help rebuild the industry and overall economy, given the benefits they can provide. This is why now is the perfect time for us to launch our StarX token and StarONE Initiative program so the benefits for the industry are there when the world emerges from the post-COVID apocalypse.

We are driven by the demand of course, which will only continue to increase in the future.

StarWORKS developed and issued the StarX token, a native currency within StarWORKS Group of business, business partnerships and affiliates based on Blockchain ERC777 token standard. How can investors jump in?

We will commence an investor funding round for our StarX token with LATOKEN in mid-August and anticipate being listed and trading on the exchange by mid-September. Our whitepaper can be

downloaded from our website www.starworksglobal.com. We are now in the process of a pre-IEO (Initial Exchange Offering) and investors can contact us at StarX@starworksglobal.com.

How do investors manage their StarX with the StarWallet?

Our StarWALLET is an ERC 20 compatible wallet where users can store their crypto assets. It incorporates a layered security program and is intuitive and easy to use.

The registration process is quite easy and a video tutorial is available online at www.starworksglobal.com/starwallet.

Speaking of travelling, StarTRAVELLER, an exclusive membership-only online travel club, entrusts savings and simplifies travellers on their holidays. What are the requirements and benefits of becoming a member?

Our StarTRAVELLER travel club is a revolutionary offering in the travel and tourism industry as it offers huge savings to members and a raft of other features and benefits on an easy to use or navigation platform. These include up to 80 percent savings on hotel bookings backed by a price guarantee, options from over one million hotels and properties, integrated reward points, personal concierge, a onestop booking platform for flights, car hire, accommodation, tours, activities, travel insurance and much more.

Even though COVID-19 has impacted our industry so heavily, there are still countries where domestic tourism is quite strong.

So, for these regions, StarTRAVELLER is a great product to use now, but even more so when international travel does return.

More information is available at www.starworksglobal.com/startraveller.

We’d love to know more about your story, Troy.

I grew up in Melbourne, Australia initially having a career in architecture. My career path then changed to a sales and marketing focus, international trade and business management. I have founded several businesses over the years before joining StarWORKS. I am married to my beautiful wife Jodie who is a professional actress and we have a 9-year-old son who is quite theatrical in his own right.

Mention a fun fact about yourself.

According to my 9-year-old son, I can’t sing, beatbox or whistle to save myself. However, all seem to dramatically improve after a few Espresso Martini’s… well, at least I think so!

How can our readers get in touch with StarWORKS Global?

Readers can visit our website for more information at www.starworksglobal.com or email info@starworksglobal.com.

We are currently establishing a global network of affiliates to promote the products and services within our Ecosystem. For those interested, further information can be found at www.starworksglobal.com/affiliates or email us at info@starworksglobal.com.

Thank you, Troy. Stay healthy and safe!

14

freelancing

Embracing Solopreneurship, Ditching the Nine to Five

BY MIRELLA PANDJAITAN

A

lthough the traditional nineto-five grind provides timely pay checks, streams of benefits, and overall stability and security, many are choosing to ditch it and dwell on solopreneurship.

Solopreneurs, a business owner who works and runs their business alone, has increased. For instance, in the USA alone, as stated by independent and non-profit media organisation NPR, “two million Americans have started freelancing in the past 12 months of 2020, according to a new study from Upwork, a freelance job platform. And that has increased the proportion of the workforce that performs freelance work to 36 percent.”

It could stem from the working hours, no clarity on salary raises, loss of interest in the job desk, wanting to try something new, and so on. Regardless, freelancing offers f lexibility and variety. The Freelancers Union and Elance-Desk stated that 77 percent of freelancers are making the same amount of money as they did in their previous jobs and 42 percent say they are even earning more money.

It’s not just for millennials though.

According to MetLife’s Annual Employee Benefit Trend Study, as reported by Forbes, “52 percent of employees view a healthy work-life balance as crucial to their success and ability to thrive in the workplace, only trailing hard work as the most popularly referenced key to success.”

You know you want out. You’ve been rattling the deep interwebs, listening to podcasts, and reading books on developing your own business. You’re probably agitated to take a leap of faith as well. What’s next?

Set a Schedule, Make Goals, and Plan!

Without structure, you won’t be able to fully integrate as a solopreneur. Setting a schedule of taking the big step of solely focussing on freelance jobs needs to be done first-off.

Since you’ll have freedom of working hours, organise your schedule accordingly, too.

Being over-booked is good in one sense, but it can drain you out. Moreover, seeing a deadline written in your calendar keeps you focused and on time.

With your “why” in-tact, brainstorm your major and minor goals that you’d like to achieve. You’ll stay accountable and motivated throughout the course. Once your goals are clear, it’s time to plan out the execution.

Start researching the industry and study other businesses to ensure you’ll make a living from it.

Steps to Take Research what you want to do, especially when pursuing your passion. We mostly spend time blindly doing what we love, but to incorporate your passion as a product or service, start researching the industry and study other businesses to ensure you’ll make a living from it.

You can also leverage your previous work experience. You might have contacts in a certain field. Moreover, we tend to pick up some valuable lessons while working for other people, be it work-related or personal. Think of how you were working then. It could be about your working habits, interpersonal skills, time management, reaction towards stress, and so on.

Then, set your rate which matches your effort, service, and, most importantly, a sense of financial security to allow you to take a breather in the future. Offer some work exchanges for a testimonial or referral to create a track record and client base. Despite the wonders of digital marketing, good old word-of-mouth is one way to captivate new clients. Referrals from friends or trusted associates are held dearly.

It’ll establish your credibility as an expert in your field, thus enabling you to increase your rate. Don’t be hesitant to charge what you’re worth!

You’ll get noticed through your content.

Imagine meeting someone new. You both discover your mutual interest in food and start talking about the hottest restaurants

Indonesia Expat Issue Issue 275 275 || August 5 – September 1, 2021

in town or share recipes with each other. If you take it online, we are firstly presented with content. A friend once said, “how you present yourself on Instagram should follow your interests and draw the kind of person you are.” Content brings people together.

According to Entrepreneurs Handbook, staying away from your nine to five grind requires three investments: in yourself by educating and enhancing your skills to allow yourself to grow and gain more opportunities from online resources; in assets that make you money such as stocks, bonds, gold, digital currency or real estate; and in your money-making platform, for example, your website, so that your audience can grow.

Don’t neglect to save either. Save at least three to six months’ worth of your income for any emergencies, unsteady sales, and client attenuation into a separate account.

After all, the pandemic has opened our eyes to the importance of savings in times of uncertainty.

Hardships and even failure may appear, and that’s no problem. This means you need to make some adjustments. A lot of trial and error will happen, but only then will you realise what works for you and your business. Yet, if it’s too risky to immediately jump-start, do it as a side hustle first while you’re still employed at your full-time job.

The commitment isn’t startling, yet bear in mind that laziness and procrastination can deplete your drive in one way or another.

Either way, it’ll make your leap easier.

Remember: having steady gigs and sales don’t ensure anything in the next month. Have a strategy in place when a client decides to move on without you.

Be friendly - even to trolls -, be genuinely open about yourself, negotiate fair prices, and most of all, be humble. Nobody wants to work with a selfish and unreliable person.

Indonesia Expat Issue 275 | August 5 – September 1, 2021

consultancy

15

Creating Unique, Memorable Brands

BY NICK PEGMAN, AFFINITY BRANDS

Welcome to the Experience Economy Today, brands are not controlled by organisations, but live in the hearts and minds of customers and are shaped by their ongoing experiences, requiring a great deal of continuous work to build and maintain.

The airport scored and is still scoring very well, on its aesthetics, design, and hardware of course. Where the brand is now scoring extremely well is on what we brand, people call the “emotional part of the promise and value proposition”. The humanistic part of the overall experience when engaging with “brand Changi Airport” being the “heartware”.

Strong brands build trust and esteem with positive experiences by being original, relevant, emotionally engaging, authentic, personal, and honest.

There has been significant ongoing training of all employees from senior management down, front-liners, service staff, to even the cleaning people, in how to deliver the new brand, focussing on delivering a softer, friendlier, and more humanistic experience all around the “Connecting Lives” central brand idea and supporting values.

To achieve a compelling brand experience, it’s important to see the brand in the right context and understand how it connects to and engages with all of its stakeholders.

Branding is not just part of a marketing strategy. It’s far more complex than this.

It's actually the foundation that helps create a positive image and unique identity of every place, every location, and every experience.

It defines what will remain in people’s minds and memories.

Branding is not about pretty logos and visuals, hollow poetic taglines, or cliched catchphrases, nor is it about an exhausting ad copy or an award-winning television advertising campaign. It’s not a labelling exercise. It’s actually a lot more.

The Central Brand Idea The kind of branding I’m writing about involves a holistic, 360-degree approach to crafting, developing, delivering, and then nurturing a unique identity for the destination, according to key elements such as its value proposition - what makes the brand uniquely special and why it should be chosen, brand positioning - what it wants to stand for relative to its competition, and defining the core of the brand – its central idea, identifying its essence, creating its personality, and of course, enhancing its values.

It’s all about creating something that’s going to light up people and light up the market!

Once established, the brand must be the foundation, walls, and roof for all marketing activities designed to promote and market the brand to attract new customers, keep loyal customers, engage with communities, or help drive and enhance government programmes and initiatives. All aligned, all focused on a central brand idea.

A well-defined, targeted, and clearly differentiated central idea, brand promise, values, and essence are absolutely pivotal to delivering a successful brand. With the central idea being an emotional link with all audiences, helping to build positive, trustbased, and lasting relationships.

When developing a “new” brand, it’s critical to get everyone together to discuss, engage, and align to what the central brand idea could be. This includes business leaders, employees, investors, community

representatives, property owners, local government, partners, residents, customers, and even lapsed or lost customers. Get everyone’s input and get them engaged.

Getting them to own the brand concept and central idea from the get-go will help later on when the brand is operationalised.

Relevance, Not Just Differentiation The key is to secure a competitive differentiation in what, in most cases, are very similar “products” vying for the same set of customers.

With most brands just saying the same thing about themselves, any brand promise must be unique, compelling, relevant, and, of course, it must be true. It must be a promise that’ll hopefully resonate with all stakeholders and it has to be able to be delivered constantly and consistently.

Successful branding is all about discovering what the brand currently stands for - the gem, the nugget - and then crafting this into a singular idea with clarity and total focus.

A single brand idea!

A well-considered, well-constructed brand built out of data and critical insight means a brand then has the ability to stand the test of time and the ability to remain truly competitive, all the while, still being innovative, dynamic, and agile as markets change, competitors reposition, and customer’s needs, desires, and wants evolve.

Here, I’ll brief ly review a rebranding/ repositioning programme I consulted on for a destination most readers will be very familiar with: Changi Airport.

The Challenge The Changi Airport Group was formed to better manage the transition of Singapore’s airport from a government-owned to a commercial business and to develop it as a global air hub. At the same time, it was to grow its business as a provider of development and management capabilities to airport owners and operators worldwide.

The challenge was for it to move away from a purely operational, functional mindset trying to differentiate itself based on typical Singaporean functionality and utility, nice buildings, efficiency, and reliability - and that was it.

The challenge was to find something which would help the airport to clearly differentiate itself and offer the opportunity to future-proof itself, beyond just great hardware.

One initial idea proposed was to embrace a much more customer-centric culture with a human touch - humanising the brand, but how?

The Insight Research we conducted revealed that more than being an efficient manager of travel operations, Changi played a critical role in connecting people, business, and commerce on a daily basis and fulfilling the aspirations present in every journey.

This resulted in a new focus for all airport functions expressed in a new central brand idea and value proposition of “Exceptional People, Connecting Lives”.

This expressed the idea that every individual and each journey is deeply unique; each experience has a purpose.

This was then further crystallised into an employee value proposition that was cascaded to all levels of operation and translated into service-quality initiatives for Changi’s then 30,000 workers. All these were also embodied in a vibrant brand identity system applied across the airport’s operations to reflect the new essence, vision, values, and brand personality.

The Impact The new brand as well as identity was successfully implemented across the airport and resulted in a return to a no.1 global ranking for Changi across all service metrics.

Brand Strategy is Business Strategy People always ask me, what’s the difference between business strategy and brand strategy. Actually, they’re one and the same thing. It’s just that business is really all about driving all the capitals in the business, whereas brand is all about delivering customer and stakeholder capital.

It’s about making sure you can deliver unique, relevant, and engaging experiences constantly and consistently. Where each brand experience must positively reinforce what your brand stands for, the promise, its personality, and its essence.

It’s not about what makes it different to competitors but what makes it better, not only incrementally better but significantly so. The result from all of this will be a differentiated, well-positioned brand with both functional and emotional equity supporting it. Creating brand reputation, delivering a brand image, and, of course, building value.

Finally, we always advise clients to always be evolving their brands – never be static – think about new ideas, new opportunities to keep the brand alive and fresh.

Affinity Brands is a brand consultancy focussed on helping our clients to engage, adapt, and stay relevant in Indonesia and beyond. We’ve helped companies from a wide range of industries address their most challenging growth challenges.

From leisure and hospitality to consumer brands and retail , we leverage a multidisciplinary approach for clients to respond to change.

Check us out at www.affinity-brands.com or contact nick@affinity-brands.com for more information as to how we can help you engage, adapt, and stay relevant.

16

education

Indonesia Expat Issue 275 | August 5 – September 1, 2021

Meeting Different Learning Needs At Jakarta Intercultural School, individualised learning is at the heart of every classroom

N

o two children are alike, and this is especially true for the way they learn and develop their foundational skills. While most will be able to follow the developmental milestones of their age group at their own pace, some may need additional support and attention.

Thanks to critical advancements made in special education, schools are making more room in their curriculum to cater to students with various learning differences.

“The brain develops in different ways [...]

Children and adolescents are very diverse, and their neurodiversity — their ability to have strengths in their learning and areas that they need to grow on — is probably seen in most of us. What is more pronounced is that there is a subset of children who may need support for a while to help them develop certain foundational skills,” explained Maya Nelson, the interim head of school at Jakarta Intercultural School (JIS) and an expert in special education with three decades of experience as an international educator.

“And then there are children who may learn differently and who may need support for a longer time.”

Understanding the importance of providing a truly inclusive learning environment for students of various developmental challenges, JIS employs a Support Services Team (SST) of specialists who are dedicated to supporting the needs of every individual child, from Early Years (EY) up to Grade 12 in high school.

The terms used to describe what these children experience have evolved as our

understanding of neurodevelopment grows. Perhaps the most commonly known is “learning diff iculty”, but growing in prevalence are learning needs, neurodiversities and learning differences.

“This includes children [...] who are on the autism spectrum, who have speech and language needs, who may need support with learning because of motor difficulties or motor delays, as well as students who may have a hearing impairment or visual impairment,” Nelson said.

Many schools now have dedicated professionals who are able to work with all of these diversities, Nelson added, “with the main goal of supporting children in the development and acquisition of skills so they can succeed in school”.

“The beauty of a program like the [JIS SST], the beauty of having different minds think about what works for children and adolescents as they grow and develop in their academic skills and other skills is that they have different perceptions and different understandings of how neurology evolves over time, how motor skills evolve over time, how the body develops and how to best support those needs,” she said.

The SST at JIS comprises learning specialists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, school counsellors and a psychologist. They work closely as a cohesive team and with teachers and parents to monitor students who may show signs of delay or struggles in their learning or developmental milestones, then analyse their needs and strategise an individualised treatment plan.

Many schools now have dedicated professionals who are able to work with all of these diversities with the main goal of supporting children in the development and acquisition of skills so they can succeed in school.

“What happens for one child can be very different from what happens for another,” Nelson said, emphasising that some children may simply need more time acquiring a specific skill, some require only short-term support, while others may need consistent treatment in the long term.

She pointed to disf luency — or what is perhaps better known as stuttering — as an example, explaining that repetitions or disruptions in speech were typical for certain ages. If the behaviour continues, especially beyond the age of 5, the child may need the help of a speech therapist.

Other difficulties that may manifest at an early age include language and speech delays, motor difficulties and different

attentional patterns. As the child progresses through elementary school, they may have trouble with reading or mathematics, serious signs of which may indicate dyslexia or dyscalculia.

At this stage, Nelson said, greater attention is needed from both parents and teachers as children have the ability to adapt and use various strategies — both consciously and instinctively — to essentially cover up their learning difficulties.

“Some kids are so adept at using their strengths to overcome that they can hide the things that are difficult. For example, children who are very bright, curious kids who might be dyslexic — have a reading disability — can fake it through school because they know enough, have enough thinking skills, have enough knowledge to pretend [reading] through a book or through a page.”

Parent participation and vigilance, therefore, are also crucial. As a parent herself, Nelson said she understood that the process of being able to see or accept your child may have extra needs can be scary.

“But the best outcomes always come from teachers and parents coming together and working collaboratively for the child.”

18

insight

Indonesia Expat Issue 275 | August 5 – September 1, 2021

Looking for Business Opportunities? Think Digital

A

big part of what we do at Seven Stones Indonesia is geared to helping and supporting individuals and businesses interested in investing in Indonesia. This has taken different shapes and forms over the years from simply purchasing property to establishing companies, representative offices and creating Business Chambers for foreign entities looking to establish a foothold in what is widely considered to be a very lucrative market for a wide range of industries.

But a lot has happened in the last year.

Economies around the world are suffering and many businesses have been forced to adapt or die as lockdowns have restricted travel, threatened supply chains, and compromised health and education. We think it’s fair to say the train has definitely left the station and there is no going back to what some refer to as a ‘new normal.’

Making the Right Choices This doesn’t really present itself as a time of opportunity, but it can be. We have choices to make; if we let fear control our direction and decisions we can expect more of the same and then be surprised when we end up with the same result - that’s Einstein’s definition of insanity by the way – or, we can learn and grow.

Jack Welch is the man Harvard Business Review say transformed General Electric (GE) from “a company known for appliances and lightbulbs to a multinational corporation that stretched into financial services and media as well as industrial products.” When asked about this success, he said, “an organisation's ability to learn, and translate that learning into action rapidly, is the ultimate competitive advantage.” It’s

worth noting that Mr Welch did not take single-handed credit for turning GE around, he built a team around him and “spent more than half his time getting the right people in the right places and then helping them to thrive.” His message still rings true – learn and act quickly.

So, what can we learn here? Then, what do we do with what we learn?

Indonesia’s Digital Landscape A recent McKinsey Global Institute article titled “What’s next for consumers, workers and companies in the post-COVID-19 recovery” suggested that as a response to the current quandary “companies moved rapidly to deploy digital and automation technologies, dramatically accelerating trends that were unfolding at a much slower pace before the crisis. Work went remote, shopping, entertainment, and even medicine went online, and businesses everywhere scrambled to deploy digital systems to accommodate the shifts.”

Work went remote, shopping, entertainment, and even medicine went online, and businesses everywhere scrambled to deploy digital systems to accommodate the shifts. across… are those that previously did not exist,” according to Antara News.

Innovate, Collaborate and Adapt

A couple of years ago, before COVID-19 came to town, we wrote a number of articles and blogs based around a “Google and Temasek 2018 E-Conomy SEA Report,” which looked at e-commerce transactions in Southeast Asia using Gross Merchandise Value (GMV). According to the report, “the Indonesian internet economy, the largest and fastest-growing in Southeast Asia, reached US$27 billion in 2018 and is poised to grow to US$100 billion by 2025.” And that translates to “US$4 out of every US$10 spent in the region.”

Sandiaga Salahudin Uno, Indonesia’s Tourism and Creative Economy Minister, delivered a positive message along the same lines at the opening of “Glints X Virtual Career Week” recently, where he called for those in Tourism and the Creative Economy to pay attention to digital solutions and “perpetually innovate, collaborate, and adapt.” He went on to say that the current crisis has “forced us to broaden our skills, as 60 percent of the job offers we will come

Remember, that report was published before the COVID-19 scare, which two years later has driven almost everything we do from ordering food to online schooling and Zoom meetings to a more digitally dependent society. I’m sure there are those who would’ve preferred less of a quantum leap, but it’s the reality we now have to deal with. And that’s the point; it’s the reality we have to deal with.

This is certainly true in Indonesia where growth and opportunity seem to be clearly focusing on e-commerce, digital solutions, sustainability, and training a new generation to be able to deal with these parameters.

That’s a colossal opportunity for us all and why we’re collaborating with Nordic House to open an office in Jakarta in August to offer value-driven support and affordable market entry business services - including business representation, for those entrepreneurs, start-ups, agencies and community-focused business initiatives who share this vision of Indonesia’s potential.

Doing Good is Always Good Business But we must also learn from our mistakes.

We want to create a better world by focusing on doing the right thing and on what matters most to people today. At a time when fear drives agendas, we believe collaborating and creating opportunities and hope will help us all.

A case in point is Seven Stones Indonesia’s recent partnership with All Solar Lights, a company dedicated to empowering communities and small businesses in offgrid areas with affordable and sustainable access to electricity, internet and digital services. A core aspect of this is the Putri Matahari initiative, designed to empower women through these high-quality and affordable Solar Home Systems (SHS’s.)

It’s a big task but for us, it’s also a win-winwin because it embraces technology and supports local communities in areas that need the most help.

If you’d like to join us on our journey, or you’d like to find out more, we’d love to hear from you. Feel free to get in touch with us today by sending an email to hello@ sevenstonesindonesia.com.

Sources: Harvard Business Review, Antara News, McKinsey Global Institute, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Globe, Santander Trade, Gapura Bali

lockdown

20

Indonesia Expat Issue 275 | August 5 – September 1, 2021

NOT BUSINESS AS USUAL

BY DANIEL POPE

B

The blood still Like in a bunged-up pipe The heart a lifeless lump Valves empty and dripping The skin frigid, indifferent Layers of switched-off nerves The brain pitch-dark Not a sound to be heard

efore COVID-19, “lockdowns” only happened in tough, maximumsecurity prisons in response to an emergency such as a prison breakout.

Sirens wailed, metal doors slammed shut, and armed guards boomed orders. The new “lockdown”, the social restrictions that we’ve all come to know, may well be a less violent event but it hits many people with the same dread as the deadening banging of prison doors. Indeed, it’s a kind of imprisonment.

The lips terse and thin Like a stretched-out worm The tongue deathly slumped Undelivered words strewn and crumpled in the mouth The throat an abandoned wind tunnel Its last sound a strident scream The soul an extinguished candle Yet, flickering

If businesses get closed, especially restaurants and cafes, it can be especially distressing, as a void replaces the morning coffee, the afternoon tea, the evening beer. At most, you’ll be able to purchase a takeaway, scurrying away with your latte in a plastic beaker like a squirrel with an acorn.

What do you do to pass all the extra time that the pandemic has heaped on you? Here are some ideas, all of them virus-proof, meaning that they won’t be affected by the current state of the world.

You could even write a poem about the latest pandemic statistics. You just need to find a word to rhyme with “56,000”, which is the latest number of daily cases as I write this article, bringing total cases to 2.67 million.

You may also wish you were wondering lonely as a cloud with numbers like that.

early efforts come out looking more like a straitjacket. Keep it. You might need to wear it if the pandemic goes on for very much longer. While wool, the customary knitting material, is totally unsuitable for Indonesia’s tropical climate, you’re not confined to knitting garments.

You can knit other articles too, like tea cosies, mobile phone cosies, television cosies. The list of cosies is endless. You’re not restricted to using wool, either. You can knit with string, with wire or dental floss, even with tape measures. Yes, knitting can be freakin’ mad! Ultimately, It’s the pattern that counts, be it traditional diamonds and stripes, a scene from Alice in Wonderland, or even magnified COVID-19 viruses lined up like a row of arcade space invaders.

Take up Bird Watching Collecting birds’ eggs, or, from a bird’s point of view, stealing the kids, has been illegal in the UK since 1954, and egg thieves have had to turn to a less harmful pastime. Bird watching is, like train spotting, a solitary, nerdy hobby that requires patience and just a touch of whatever it is that makes somebody with compulsive-disorder-syndrome tick.

Indonesia has a frightful diversity of birds, such as the spotted whistling duck, the plumed whistling duck, and the wandering whistling duck – not “quacking” ducks, you should note. Incidentally, Indonesia’s national bird is an eagle, which derives from Garuda, the mythical bird vehicle of Vishnu in Hinduism. Garuda is also the name of the national airline, so you could do some plane spotting while you’re at it and multiply your nerd credentials.

Start Knitting A dropped stitch may provide the ultimate moment of drama in knitting, but this pastime is more interesting than it looks and should be learned at leisure. Once you’ve bought your balls of wool, needles, and creaky rocking chair, it’s best to begin by creating itty-bitty baby booties and progress gradually to more complex creations like cardigans. Don’t worry if your

Try Painting For some people, enduring lockdown may be as boring as watching paint dry, but not if the paint in question comprises the masterpiece you’ve just produced on canvas. Painting is immensely cathartic, be your soul tortured by Jakarta’s pandemic turmoil, inspiring you to produce Zdzislaw Beksinski hellscapes, or uplifted by the national stoicism, inspiring you to paint Van Gogh sunflowers. Don’t have a paint prick of talent? Never fear. Modern art to the rescue.

Splash your canvas with several murky colours and, while the paint is still wet, get a dozen COVID patients to repeatedly cough on it. You can call your artwork Big Spotty Feet and Uncle Ya-Ya.

Write Something

Learn a Musical Instrument

William Shakespeare was affected by the bubonic plague throughout his life. It killed many members of his family and outbreaks of it closed the theatres where his plays were staged. I’m not saying you should knock off a quick Henry VI Part One whenever there’s a lockdown, but how about trying poetry? You don’t need to be a Wordsworth or a Larkin.

Poetry, like any other art form, can be great, good, or rubbish. Any sequence of words can be called poetry, just as any sequence of notes can be called music. Then, after plenty of practice and with your first “There was a young man from upfront” limerick behind you, Covid-induced nightmares could have you delivering verses like this anonymous piece:

While no significant songs have been written about the virus, except perhaps for the eerily prophetic Rocking All Over the World by Status Quo, plenty has been written over the years about having a miserable fever and wanting to die. These are love songs of course. Other signs of love, especially unrequited love, can also be mistaken for symptoms of COVID-19, such as a continuous dry cough as you discreetly attempt to attract the attention of your stubbornly indifferent beloved, a change to your sense of smell and taste as you hoover up their phonemes, muscle aches – particularly the heart muscles – and shortness of breath from longingly murmuring their name over and over. Unfortunately, there is no vaccine against love, no anti-aphrodisiac. Music can however ease the pain. You can even try the age-old romantic tactic of serenading your beloved from below their window. Be sure to choose a gentle instrument though, like the violin or f lute. Avoid brash, crashing instruments like bagpipes or cymbals, whose racket will only convey an uncontrolled and wholly unromantic infatuation.

The mind frozen Like an ice-age sea The jaw stiff Teeth a crooked row of stones The eyes wide Balls of unseeing gel The ears numb Hearing not these words

22

Indonesia Expat Issue 275 | August 5 – September 1, 2021

JAKARTA

SIS Group of Schools Provide 10,000 Complementary COVID-19 Vaccine Doses To support the government's program in eradicating COVID-19, SIS Group of Schools in collaboration with Polda Metro Jaya and Capitol Group will provide free Sinovac vaccinations to Jakarta residents, starting from 6th July at the SIS Kelapa Gading school in North Jakarta. SIS school students located in Jakarta and aged 12-17 years can directly contact their school to get a vaccine schedule for them.

For the event to run smoothly and in an orderly manner, all participants must adhere to strict health and safety procedures and pre-register online through the link https://www.loket.com/event/gerai-vaksin-presisi-sis-kelapa-gading.

BOGOR

The Alana Sentul Presents Box To Go The Alana Sentul presents the “Box To Go” menu, a practical rice bowl dish in great demand by culinary connoisseurs. Each rice bowl features warm rice combined with protein, fibre and various seasonings.

Priced from Rp30,000 per bowl, Box To Go can be enjoyed with various flavours, including crispy chicken, sauteed squid salted beans, original chicken, smoked beef and grilled chicken completed with a choice of sambal matah, sambal bawang, and sambal kecombrang.

“For those of you who want to enjoy the Box To Go menu and also other menus, you can order directly to Green Canyon Restaurant for takeaway or through The Alana Sentul delivery service order for customers whose residence is located in the Sentul area and its surroundings. The delivery service applies to all existing menus with a minimum order of Rp150,000 nett,” said Herik Kurniawan, the Food and Beverage Director at The Alana Sentul City.

Please visit sentul.alanahotels.com, email sentulinfo@alanahotels.com or contact +622184280888 for reservations and more information. Also, follow Instagram @thealanasentul.

How to Cope with COVID-19? Can I Still See My Doctor?

COVID-19 Testing? Health Certificates?

A lot of information is available on COVID-19. For those of us who are living in Jakarta or elsewhere in Indonesia it is important to stay as healthy as possible. GOOD PRACTICE provides information on COVID-19 on line. We have organised health talks and webinars for international schools and embassies. Send us an email if you want to know more.

GOOD PRACTICE PROVIDES NON-INFECTIOUS STERILE CONSULTATION HOURS.

HOUSE CALLS ARE PROVIDED FOR EVERY CONDITION INCLUDING VACCINATIONS AND CHILDHOOD IMMUNISATIONS.

Are your vaccinations still up to date? Did you get a flu vaccination?

How are your other conditions controlled? If you are suffering from hypertension or diabetes for instance, you have to make sure those conditions are managed well. Please make sure you have your regular check-ups and that your supply of medication is sufficient. You can even consider an immune boost, which we can also provide at GOOD PRACTICE.

Best of all is that you now can have a consultation with anyone of our medical team from whatever location. We have introduced TELECONSULTATIONS. Via an app, GP Now, you can connect with us directly.

Identify a clinic that you can turn too with your concerns. A clinic that can advise you about your symptoms. Now it is especially important that the communication between your good self and a trusted medical practitioner is well understood.

Basically, you let us know what time you would like to consult a doctor and we will appear on line at the desired time. If any medication needs to be provided, we will arrange this to be sent out to you.

What to do if you have any symptoms? Talk to a trusted medical practitioner. Also, if you consider that you need COVID-19 testing, you should talk to a medical practitioner. Please note that we offer both PCR swabs and Rapid COVID-19 tests and serological antibody testing.

GOOD PRACTICE can help you with all the above. We now also provide you with direct contact to our medical practitioners from any location in this world!

GOOD PRACTICE is open as usual. We provide house calls and we also provide COVID-19 testing (we can also come to your house for testing). HEALTH CERTIFICATES can be provided by GOOD PRACTICE.

Dr Steven Graaff, MD, MRCGP, the founder of Good Practice Clinic is a graduate of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Before completing his formal training in General Practice in the UK, he worked in several hospitals, occupational health and general practice in the Netherlands and the UK. As a medical professional with international experience,Steven decided to start his own clinic – Good Practice, in Jakarta

Just send GOOD PRACTICE a simple email to info@goodpractice. co.id and we will send you the link.

It is important that you identify a clinic that you are comfortable with. GOOD PRACTICE has patients from 71 countries (Jamaica and Namibia have been added to our list). Our all English speaking team implements international guidelines. We provide highly personalised care. Try us!

Jl. Bangka Raya #106B Jakarta 12730 Tel. +62-21-7183140 info@goodpractice.co.id

www.goodpractice.co.id

Indonesia Expat Issue 275 | August 5 – September 1, 2021

23

Expat Advertiser

Send your classifieds to: info@indonesiaexpat.biz Next Deadline: August 26, 2021

JAKARTA Automotive For sale: 2015 Toyota Innova V automatic. Asking price IDR 220 million or £11,000.

Full-service history at Toyota dealership. Diplomatic car but tax paid. Only 73,000kms.

Immaculate condition inside and out. DVD Player with rear screen, seven seats.

Reluctantly selling due to move. Contact Chris or Melba via WA +628118747827 / +6281218143274 or email to: mdocdoc04@yahoo.co.uk

strategic location in the Pondok Indah area, a clean, leafy environment and equipped with very complete facilities.

This apartment is located in an area close to strategic locations.

Such as shopping centers, malls. Schools, and public transportation. Green View Tower B 2nd Floor B-023 A & B Bu i ld i ng a r e a : 1 9 0 m 2 .

Bedroom: 3+1. Bathroom: 2. View Swiming Pool. Fully furnished. More information: https://bit.ly/InterestedIn GreenViewApartment Call: +6281316661597

Services Fat loss personal trainer for age over 35. I’m a Jakartabased internationally certified personal trainer and nutrition coach with 10 years of coaching experience. I’m looking for men and women ages 35 and above who are looking to lose weight, feel great and boost their immune system in a safe and enjoyable manner from their home. If you’re struggling to keep up with regular exercise and healthy eating habits during the pandemic, or you’d like to optimize your current health and fitness regime while living in Indonesia, then I might be able to help you. I offer both in-person and virtual coaching. For more information about my services and book a free consultation (or trial lesson,) go to ==> https://www. jakartafitnesscoach.com

EleVee – Penthouses & Residences. A masterpiece development of Alam Sutra, a trusted Developer since 1993.

Elevee is a premium residential located in heard CBD of Alam Sutera, a lively environment w it h ele v at e d fe at u r e s suppor ted by 40+Worldclass facilities; sport, kids, gardening, working, family, meditating, rooftop and pet facilities. Enjoy direct access to the large scale of 4-acre forest park also one tower Pet-friendly and an extensive pet yard for your beloved pets.

Consist of 6 towers. Now, Tower 1 & 2 open for sale. Tower 1 is a pet-friendly tower and has a large pet yard also. Its groundbreaking on Nov 2021.

EleVee provides : Multi-type units of 2 BR, 3 BR & 4BR. Unit size: 2 BR (87.8 sqm to 228.5 sqm, Good-Quality of semifurnished. More info: https:// linktr.ee/Eleveelavieestbelle or +628118494995.

For Sale

“PROMOTION PRICE” during PPKM. Learn Piano/Music/ Vocal at home with a very flexible time schedules.

Classes for Kids & Adults!

Music teacher from Latin America with more than 20 years of experience in the Music Industry. Keep your kids busy during this PPKM by learning Music in a fun way via Zoom using a set of 2 cameras & free software which you can download to interact in realtime for reading and writing music.

Choices of Subject • Piano/Keyboards • Basic Vocal • Music Theory • Music Composition Classes in English or Spanish.

For mor e i n for m at ion , please contact Jav ier at +6287882524965.

Life Fitness 95Ti Treadmill.

Price: Rp28,000,000. Excellent condition, 220 Volt. Life Fitness recumbent bike 95Ri. Price: Rp15,000,000. Excellent condition, self powdered. For photos - WA: +62811870544.

Email: itemsforsalejakarta@ gmail.com. All reasonable offers will be considered.

Piano for sale. Electric piano YA M A H A bra nd (L IK E NEW) including the chair for Rp8, 500,000. Brand new price Rp15,500,000 (official store). Please contact +6281314554209 (WhatsApp) or Email akaki_dvali@yahoo. com for more info.

Property For rent Rp15 million/monthly.

Apartments with classic and modern designs are in a very

Safe - Solid with Combination + Key! Due to the pandemic situation, we are closing our silver jewellery shop in

Serviced Office • Virtual Office • Meeting Facilities • Company Incorporation Located in Kuningan Business District, integrated with shopping mall and residential enable you for a more convenient and easier way of doing business in Jakarta. With flexible lease terms, ready to use office suites, immediate office setup, daily receptionist and maintenance services, 88 Service Office leaves you free to run your businenss without the day to day hassles of managing a conventional office space. "At 88 Service Office, we enable you to focus on your core business with friendly professionalism and affordability flexibility."

Jl. Raya Casablanca Kav88 | Phone: 021-29631688 Email: sales@88office.co.id | Web: www.88office.co.id

Kemang. This is your chance to acquire a commercial safe at a low cost. It is very heavy with thick protecting walls. Price: Rp6,000,000. Contact WA: Nia: +6281286001075 - Vibeke: +6281318951904.

Household Staff Looking for a part-time maid in Pejaten Area required Monday, Wednesday and Friday for cleaning, dishes, laundry and cooking Western and Indonesian if can prepare Indian that is a plus. Please contact +6282112701195 on WA, if interested or know of someone who is available.

Driver required! Jakarta-based driver required for both city and frequent journeys within Java (Semarang and Surabaya), we are based in South Jakarta.

Must be a professional and careful driver, have excellent spoken English and also be able to agree to strict Covid Protocol. Ideally aged 30-45, Good health. If interested please contact +628194000078 either by WA or SMS.

BALI Property Villa Canggu Berawa - walking distance to The Finns Beach.

Details: land size 750m2, built size: 545m 2 , 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, IMB 2010, separate maid room, garden, 2 level, AC, 2 living areas, 2 dining areas, kitchen, 12 x 4 m of swimming pool, storage, water source

from deep well, electricity 13,200VA, generator, internet, SHM + IMB, parking area and security in the house. Call: +6281353373333.

YOGYAKARTA Property

Location: Jl Griya Taman Asri N0. 88, Pandowohardjo, Sleman, Indonesia. Land size 1,059m 2 . Ground f loor: open kitchen with cabinets and fixtures; dining area; living room; office corner; one bedroom with attached bathroom and access to garden and pool area ; guest toilet. 2nd f loor via single staircase: 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. 5. garden path leading to openair antique pendopo (70m 2) with original kunci tegel.

8,800kWh electricity. Water heaters for bathroom showers.

SHM (Freehold Title) and IMB (Building Rights Title).

Contact: r.w.wintgens@gmail. com