Good News From Indonesia

You, me, all of us, wanna Indonesia to become a respectable power in the world, Indonesia certainly has a very rich past. It was because of its richness, Indonesia was prone to invasion of other countries innumerable times, and its wealth was plundered.

It is also world’s most diverse country. There is not a single country in this world with so much diversity. I am still aware of many mysteries and I am sure my whole life won’t be sufficient to know everything about Indonesia. Indonesia is my country, and I am proud to be Indonesian, so very proud.

I was born in a village called Wonosalam, at the slope of Merapi mountain in the north of Yogyakarta town. I can still clearly recall how simbok simbok (elderly women) walking for long in the mist of a dawn going to traditional market, selling vegetables, eggs, or kerupung. I can still recall I went to Kuning river and jumped on river stones and into the fast-flowing clear water. I can still recall my village was surrounded by green paddy field, I can still recall cows and sheep were released freely to on the farm, i can still recall, people were laughing, smiling, joking, talking about how good Indonesia was. I can still recall people in my village always working collectively to build new homes, clean up roads, or to prepare community events, i can still recall many many many beautiful memories.

Now… things have changed, everything is different now. I have lost my strength to say what have changed, i can only say that we must go back to the line which will lead us to our national dream.

I was asked by a pedicab driver in Surabaya few days ago, “Do you think we can restore the good old days?”. “Certainly, we can build better new days”, I replied. As I expected, he continued by asking “HOW?”. I smiled to him, because it’d be too long to elaborate on how to develop such a big country like Indonesia.

The next day, a preacher in a mosque said to its audience that if it’s too hard to plan something, dream about it first. Aha… Dream!

My dream for my country is for it to become prosperous and peaceful and a pacesetter in all aspects of nationhood in the world. We have the resources – both human and natural – to become a great nation, if only all of us would put our minds and hearts into getting this country to where it belongs.

I dream of a peaceful and progressive country; contented smiles on people’s faces everywhere; a government free of corruption.

I wish for Indonesia to further strengthen its bilateral democratic relations with other countries; to make itself progressive in the local, national and international economies, in the United Nations, for the Indonesian economy to boost itself; for Indonesia to have a brilliant and strong government who is without the stain of corruption and will emulate high qualities of honest and quality governance, good spiritual foundation, and good visions towards prosperity; for Indonesia to reach the stature of highly-developed, highly progressive and affluent countries; and for Indonesia to emerge and become a stronger force in the whole world.

I dream of Indonesia entering World Cup.

I dream of Garuda Indonesia acquiring Qantas or British Airways.

I dream…

(Akhyari Hananto)

Popularity: 4% [?]

For a newspaper columnist, I’ve spent a lot of time over the past week in the emotionally charged world of television news.

Each of my interviewers was incredibly thorough, preparing and framing questions, discussing with producers and calming guests all at the same time. Each interview was a unique scenario.

While many outsiders tend to see media outlets as vessels that are ready to spring on the ill-prepared and foolhardy, I’ve always viewed it — especially in Indonesia — as an intensely competitive, individualistic environment. In short: You generalize at your peril.

Najwa Shihab, the host of the Metro TV current events program “Mata Najwa,” is delightful and extremely gracious. Rosianna Silalahi, formerly of SCTV, has a razor-sharp mind acutely honed toward politics.

Her new production, the “Rossy Show” on Global TV, is not for the evasive.

Meanwhile, TVOne’s Tina Talisa is indefatigable — buttonholing Asean Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan for an interview upon meeting him.

Karim in one interview session

I should add that she was also in the middle of interviewing three other guests on Indonesia-Malaysia bilateral relations.

So, Indonesian journalists are obviously as diverse as the rest of the country. They can also be pretty demanding. While they strive to put you at ease, the expectations for guests are high.

Indeed, in the background, you can sometimes see the producers and assistants shaking their heads when someone misses the point or pontificates.

Having completed four separate sessions on Indonesian television in the past few days, I have to confess that the experience was as challenging as it was enjoyable.

The reason behind my sudden exposure to the world of TV news began on Aug. 13 when three Indonesian fisheries officers were detained by Malaysian police. I had initially expected the matter to be settled amicably.

However, the timing was very unfortunate, just days before Independence Day celebrations on the 17th.

Understandably, Indonesia’s media went into overdrive and the issue quickly developed its own momentum.

In the ensuing controversy, the public became increasingly incensed at what was perceived to be a series of deliberate slights.

The first was the perceived “barter” transaction — that the Indonesian officers had been released in exchange for seven Malaysian fishermen who were detained earlier.

Subsequently, it was alleged that the Indonesian officials had been poorly treated while being detained.

In the following weeks, certain Malaysian politicians unfortunately chose to adopt aggressive tones just as President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono seemed to step back from taking stern action.

At the same time, Malaysians were disturbed when demonstrators threw human excrement at their country’s embassy in Jakarta and by the apparent belligerence of Indonesia’s media.

Amid this highly volatile environment — and because Malaysians were in short supply — I made my halting and ungrammatical appearances on national TV.

In the past I’ve tended to see these bilateral problems as the preserve of politicians and diplomats. However, this time around, I felt I had to add my voice to the debate.

At the same time, friends in Jakarta-based media were desperately looking for a Malaysian — any Malaysian — who could provide an alternative perspective.

So what did I learn? Well, for starters, TV, especially live TV, is about human emotions. Yes, you must be clear in what you say, but the way you say it and the reactions from your fellow guests as well as the all-important interviewer are critical.

Second, you have to remain calm, however provocative or heated the discussion might get. Equanimity is critical.

Third, when you are in someone else’s country you have to pick your words very carefully — all the more so since you’ve still got to return back to Kuala Lumpur at some stage and Malaysians, especially the government, are less tolerant of critical views in the media.

Sadly, back in Kuala Lumpur we’re still in an era similar to Suharto’s New Order — with no reformasi on the horizon.

Which brings me to the last point: namely that the vastly different political cultures of our two countries make a swift resolution of outstanding bilateral issues difficult if not impossible.

In Indonesia, media are mirrors of the nation’s complexity. In Malaysia, control and regimentation mean we often forgo our diversity in the quest for discipline. Still, one must hope that cooler heads will continue to prevail.

Karim Raslan is a columnist who divides his time between Malaysia and Indonesia.

Source: The Jakarta Globe

Popularity: 7% [?]

Baliem Valley and the Dani tribe waited a long time to be discovered. Papuan highland belongs to one the most recently explored New Guinea areas. The tall mountains in west Papua (Irian Jaya) were generally considered as uninhabited. No sooner than 1398 did the pilot Richard Archbold notice that there was something special about the deep, and large valley situated among the four-thousand meter tall mountains. In the valley there were clearly recognizable fields, similar to those he knew from Europe. The Baliem valley and Dani tribe were discovered by pure luck.

Baliem Valley, inhabited by the Dani tribe, is the most fertile part of the highland covering the west of the New Guinea Island – Papua (Irian Jaya). Baliem Valley lies about 1800 m above the sea level, and it is surrounded by a crest of mountians some of which reach up to 4500 m. There are even some fish in the Baliem River which flows through the valley. The area covered by the Baliem valley is not large, roughly 60×30 km.

If somebody dies, Dani women color their body with mud Mrs. Jitka peeling sweet potatos with Dani women in Baliem Valey

The first missionary, Loyd van Stone, parachuted there as late as 1954. Only then did the civilization of the Baliem valley, and Dani and Lani tribes, begin. Since then, the Baliem valley has become a gate for discovering the west of the Papua highland. No road has been built there yet, but in Wamana a large airport was built, and supplies are now transported by large freight airplanes. American Hercules planes brought vans and construction machinery. Thanks to this, a large network of asphalt roads could emerge, brick houses were built, etc. Despite all these developments, the Baliem valley is still dominated by the straw roofs of the Dani tribe.

Dani Tribe – West Papua Head-hunters

Danis are an indigenous tribe, which dwelled in the Baliem valley in the time of its discovery. Danis belong to some the “most decorative” tribes in the west Papua.

Their fondness for “dressing up” shows the most during the time of war. You have probably seen the famous photos of Dani tribe members with boar tusks in their noses, and headdresses made of Paradise birds feathers. Dani men only wear long and thin kotekas. The women Danis wear short skirts woven from orchid fibers, decorated with straw, and with indispensable woven bags called “noken” across their backs. Similar to the women of the Yali tribe, the Dani women wear short skirts below their butts.

Despite the fact that Danis were discovered quite late – in 1938, they became one of the best known tribes in New Guinea. Dani occupied one of the most fertile parts of Papua. As a result they often had to fight for their territory. There were also frequent wars among the Danis themselves. They were the most dreaded head-hunting tribe on the island, which is even more remarkable if we consider that they did not eat their enemies, like the majority of other Papuan tribes did.

Dani build round or oval huts, and their villages are enclosed by fences. They are farmers, and their small fields are distinctly bordered. This is what helped Richard Archbold spot them from the plane. The Dani tribe’s customs and culture are very rich and interesting. Several pages could be written on these topics.

The main reason that the Dani tribe is so well known, is that the Baliem valley where they live, is relatively easy to reach these days. Wamena was a point of departure for many expeditions. The Dani villages are visited by virtually every tourist who sets out in west Papua. Some villages even show their original customs and hold mock wars.

Another thing which brought fame to the Dani tribe are the several hundred years old ”smoked” mummies of famous tribesmen. Two of them can be seen in the Baliem valley – in Akima and Jiwika villages.

Extracting salt by immersing banana stems in salt lakes is another relatively well known custom. The Dani tribe is also notorious for the following custom that if someone dies in the village, then each of his female relatives will have a segment of their finger cut off. The mutilated hands of women can still be seen in Dani villages, despite the fact that missionaries tried to purge them of this custom.

Source : http://www.papuatrekking.com

Popularity: 5% [?]

I must admit, I was a bit taken aback to find that a “cigarette museum” was on the list of places my guide wanted to show me in Surabaya. I’m not a smoker and I don’t like being around it, but the guide assured me I would like the museum so I went along for the ride.

The grand facade of the House of Sampoerna Museum in Surabaya

Despite its common name, the House of Sampoerna Museum as it’s properly called is actually devoted almost entirely to the history of Sampoerna, one of Indonesia’s largest companies and of course primarily involved in the production of cigarettes. It’s a classic “rags to riches” story revolving around the company’s founder Liem Seeng Tee. The orphan Tee started out selling snacks on trains as a young boy. After saving up enough money for a bicycle, he used it to go into the charcoal business. Eventually he founded Sampoerna, which was recently purchased by international tobacco giant Philip Morris for a staggering 5.2 Billion dollars.

inside

When you first enter the museum, you’re hit not with the smell of tobacco, but the aroma of cloves. The main product of Sampoerna is the uniquely Indonesian kretek cigarettes, made from a blend of tobacco and cloves. The museum displays various memorabilia from the company’s past, such as the push-carts originally used to sell products, old printing presses and even that old bicycle that got Mister Tee his start in the charcoal business.

The view from the second floor of the museum, out to the factory where cigarettes are still made by hand

Curiously, the old factory building which houses the museum actually started out as an orphanage built in 1858. There are three long buildings which must have originally been dormitories as part of the complex. In between the three factory buildings are two small structures. When Sampoerna acquired the compound in 1932, the smaller buildings were used as the family homes, and one of them continues to serve that purpose to this day. The other house is now a cafe and gallery.

The building that now serves as the museum was surplus to requirements when Sampoerna first purchased the factory, and so was turned into a theater. Charlie Chaplin performed there some time in 1932, and it was here that the future president Sukarno made speeches in 1932. The museum is laid out over two floors. The first floor is a series of galleries covering the history of the family, the company and memorabilia from the company’s early days.

The second floor holds a surprise. On reaching the top of the stairs, you’re faced with a large glass wall that looks out over a still functioning factory where the House of Sampoerna still makes its premium cigarettes by hand. The scene is a little bit surreal, as the hundreds of ladies’ hands move faster than the eye can follow. A small area of the second floor allows you to see a smaller group of ladies work close-up as they roll, clip and box cigarettes at the rate of about 4,000 per person per day.

The museum is open every day. Admission is free.

For more information, you can visit the museum’s web site at www.houseofsamperna.com.

Popularity: 2% [?]

‘Confidence in the Economy Is Driven by the Woman’

Economists trying to map the global economic recovery tend to focus on demography. The key players at the moment, says former Indonesian finance minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, are women, who may hold the most potential for jump-starting global growth. Indrawati, now managing director of the World Bank, sat down with NEWSWEEK’s Daniel Stone in Washington to talk about the role of women as key drivers of the recovery. Excerpts:

How do you view the role of women in global development?

So much research has been done showing that the woman is the most vulnerable but also the biggest strength leading to economic progress. This crisis alone is going to create an additional 50 [million] to 60 million poor people, which if you combine with the [global] target to reduce poverty by half by 2015, the woman alone is going to be a huge driver for many countries.

Because of their role within families?

Usually when you target [government money] for women, they’re really going to use it for their children. In much of my experience, the males, when they receive government money, buy something that mostly serves their own interests. This is very generally known by many development experts as well as policymakers.

How can you use this research in structuring a global recovery?

The ability to recover from the crisis depends on how much confidence can be established. The confidence is really driven by the woman—whether she can have the confidence that there will be enough earning or income to finance all the domestic spending—but also by the middle-income class, which for many Asian countries has become the growth power for the economy. They are the ones who can drive growth and create consumer confidence.

The United States has staked its future on rebuilding a middle class. How does that strategy translate in countries that don’t have a middle class?

This is exactly the challenge. If you look at the composition of the global economy now, those from developed [versus] developing countries are now almost 50–50. Some of these countries really need to design their policies to create this middle-income group.

How has the success of microcredit affected women?

There’s broad recognition that you really have to put the money where people are going to self-manage. Usually [funders] are going to approach the women in a small city. The role of access to credit, combined with the approach to the gender base, can provide a very powerful impact in terms of economic activity.

We’ve seen ambition in developing countries to be a powerful force—in some cases outpacing the West. What’s driving that?

Many developing countries are enjoying demographic changes. They have a younger demographic composition so they’re not burdened by legacy policy. Now, if you combine this with a good macro policy and ambitious structural policy, those countries are able to move more flexibly and be more agile.

One of the biggest effects of this recession is China’s continued rise. What will the global ripples look like?

I think the implications for the rise of China are huge, in terms of the political landscape, economic balance, de-velopment thinking, and the environment. That needs to be managed and responded to in a more constructive and positive way. Every decision made by them will have a huge impact, both regionally and globally. This kind of recognition has been growing in Asia.

You mentioned that women are vital to the recovery. Who are the other important demographic players?

China, India, Europe, and the United States are all providing quite a lot of very important signals where this recovery is going to be sustained. But there are quite a lot of studies showing that many countries now are investing in the right activity—for example, protecting the social safety net. Within that social safety net, the role of women [in particular] is usually very important.

(Newsweek)

Popularity: 4% [?]

Indonesia’s very own minimarket brand, Alfamart will soon investing $$$ to neighboring countries as it now has strong presence in Indonesia and capital to expand further. Alfamart owns more than 4,300 Alfamart stores nationwide and plans to open at least 10 Alfamart stores in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City by the end of 2010. This is paving the way to a crowded market that has been ruled by Seven Eleven for years.

Alfamart will also open up stores in Singapore and Malaysia next year, which seems to be tougher to penetrate.

Indomaret, plans to expand overseas too

Indonesia is home to minimarket brands with total revenue of billions of dollar per year, Indomaret is Alfamart’s most serious competitor. I heard that Indomaret will also expand its wings to neighboring countries.

We’ll see.

Popularity: 4% [?]

I read in newspaper about Dewaruci’s adventure in Europe  recently, I was deeply touched by the fact that Dewaruci ship has became legend not only in Indonesia, but also elsewhere in the world. In Amsterdam, many people were crying when the ship (with young Indonesian navy cadets on-board) leaving Amsterdam port, many event tried to stop the cadets from boarding. When it passed Dutch’s naval base, they gave it salvo cannons, no other participant got such farewell salutes.

Dewaruci was clearly standing out among other participants at Sail Amsterdam 2010 events, you may Google or YouTube about how people started to weep when it waved farewell to the Amsterdamers.

At Antwerp Harbour, Belgium

Dewaruci also visited Belgium, Greece,Germany, and other countries.

I quoted this from local newspaper:

“The fleet said their goodbyes to Antwerp this afternoon with approximately two hundred thousand visitors lining the quaysides and river banks.  The ships made their way steadily out into the river throughout the day having worked their way through the various bridges and lock systems.  With perfect weather conditions for sailing, many vessels managed to set a number of sails, which made the event all the more spectacular.

The final ship to slip her mooring was Dewaruci (Indonesia) who, having entertained the crowds since they arrived, left in great style with the band playing Auld Lang Syne while the cadets waved and danced on the yards.  When they finally moved away from the quay a huge spontaneous cheer went up from the crowd.”

In Greece, Dewaruci won The Best Ship In Crew Parade in Lavrion.

Dewaruci at Lavrion, Greece

In Germany, it got another huge greeting from the Germans. I quote this from local newspaper:
“Wunderbar ! Toll…Super… exclaim the Germans when they saw the Dewaruci on the first day of the Sail Bremerhaven. The enthusiastic German crowds were lining up for a chance to see RI’s grand ship up close.

The KRI Dewaruci may be smaller than other vessels in the event, yet her capability and illustrious history, not to mention her crew’s competence in sailing the grand old ship through such a distance, were enough to lure the crowd to see the Dewaruci with their own eyes, even when they had to stand in line from morning till night.”

Dewaruci at Bunaken water, with Indonesian Airforce passing by.

From wikipedia:
“The KRI Dewaruci (sometimes spelled Dewa Ruci or Dewarutji; KRI: Kapal Perang Republik Indonesia) is a Class A tall ship owned and operated by the Indonesian Navy. She is used as a sail training vessel for naval cadets and is the largest tall ship in the Indonesian fleet. The Dewaruci also serves as a goodwill ambassador for the country of Indonesia to the rest of the world.

Built in Germany by HC Stülcken & Sohn, the Dewaruci is a barquentine. Construction on the Dewaruci began in 1932, but was suspended due to the outbreak of World War II, which caused heavy damage to the shipyard where she was being constructed. She was finally completed in 1952 and launched in 1953. Since then, she has been based out of Surabaya on the Java Sea. Her name and figurehead represent and display the mythological Indonesian god of truth and courage.

Until now, KRI Dewaruci is still operational and periodicaly visits other foreign countries to meet other tall ships around the world.

The Dewaruci also participates in tall ship races and events around the world. As a unique feature, the ship has her own marching band. In 2010 the “Dewaruci”‘s marching band delighted and entertained the crowds in Hartlepool at the Tall Ships Crew Parade. Their energy, enthusiasm, and skill won them the prize for the best crew in the crew parade.“

Popularity: 11% [?]

JAKARTA, Indonesia – Scientists using cutting-edge technology to explore waters off Indonesia were wowed by colorful and diverse images of marine life on the ocean floor — including plate-sized sea spiders and flower-like sponges that appear to be carnivorous.

They predicted Thursday that as many as 40 new plant and animal species may have been discovered during the three-week expedition that ended Aug. 14.

More than 100 hours of video and 100,000 photographs, captured using a robotic vehicle with high-definition cameras, were piped to shore in real-time by satellite and high-speed Internet.

Verena Tunnicliffe, a professor at the University of Victoria in Canada, said the images provided an extraordinary glimpse into one of the globe’s most complex and little-known marine ecosystems.

“Stalked sea lilies once covered the ocean, shallow and deep, but now are rare,” she said in a written statement. “I’ve only seen a few in my career. But on this expedition, I was amazed to see them in great diversity.”

Sea Spider

Likewise, Tunnicliffe has also seen sea spiders before, but those were tiny in comparison, all around one-inch (2.5 centimeters) long: “The sea spiders … on this mission were huge. Eight-inches (20-centimeters) or more across.”

One animal captured on video looks like a flower, covered with glasslike needles, but scientists think it is probably a carnivorous sponge. The spikes, covered with sticky tissue, appear to capture food as it passes by.

Deap Sea Lilies

Scientists used powerful sonar mapping system and the robotic vehicle to explore nearly 21,000 square miles (54,000 sq. kilometers) of sea floor off northern Indonesia, at depths ranging from 800 feet (240 meters) to over two miles (1.6 kilometers).

The mission was carried out by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s ship, the Okeanos Explorer. An Indonesian vessel, the Baruna Jaya IV, also took part, collecting specimens that, together with all rights for future use, will remain in the country.

Confirmation that a species is new involves a scientific peer review and other steps and can take years.

(source)

Popularity: 4% [?]

Think about big cities like Bangkok, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, or Singapore. The traffic is very much congested; the land and transport authority plans to add more roads/flyovers, but they are worried that the construction process will only add more burden to the traffic. There should be a way to build flyovers, without adding more disruption to current traffic. The solution came from Indonesia. The technique is called Sosrobahu (a Javanese word for a Thousand Shoulders).

Manila Skyway

Sosrobahu is a construction technique which allows long stretches of flyovers to be constructed above existing main roads with a minimum of disruption to traffic. The technique was designed by Tjokorda Raka Sukawati and involves the construction of the horizontal supports for the highway beside the existing road, which are then lifted and turned 90 degrees before being placed on top of the vertical supports to form the flyover pylons.

This technique is of considerable value in increasing road mileage in large cities where there is restricted space for new roads and where the closure of existing roads for the length of time to build a flyover using normal construction techniques would impose significant economic costs.

In November 1989, President Soeharto of Indonesia gave the name Sosrobahu to the new technology. The name was taken from a character in the Mahabharata, and derives from old Javanese for thousand (sosro) shoulders (bahu).

Tjokorda’s invention was used by US engineers in the construction of a bridge in Seattle. They placed the oil under a pressure of 78 kg/cm² (7.6 MPa) as per Tjokorda’s original theories. Tjokorda himself wanted to investigate further the limits of his invention and built himself a laboratory where he successfully tested the LPBH to a limit of 78.05 kgf/cm² (7.654 MPa).

Patents have been granted for the invention from Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, and the Philippines, and has been applied for in South Korea. The Indonesian patent was granted in 1995, while the Japanese patient was granted in 1992. The technology has been exported to the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore. The longest stretch of overpass built using this technique is in Metro Manila, Philippines at the Villamor/Bicutan link located at the southern part of the metropolis. In the Philippines, 298 supports have been erected, while in Kuala Lumpur, the figure is 135. When the technology was introduced to the Philippines, the President of the Philippines, Fidel Ramos commented: “This is an Indonesian invention, but is also an ASEAN invention”.

A second version of the technology has been developed. Whereas the first version used a steel anchor inserted in a concrete base, the second version uses a single plate with a hole in the middle which is not only simpler, but also significantly speeds up the time it takes to erect a pylon from 2 days to 45 minutes. It is expected that the lifespan of flyovers constructed using the Sosrobahu method will be approximately 100 years.

Now, you can see many flyovers decorating cities like Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Manila, Seoul, Seattle, Tokyo and others. Sosrobahu helped them ease the traffic.

Credit : Wikipedia -> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sosrobahu

Popularity: 10% [?]

Did you know, that all planes used to have 4-5 crews in the cockpit? They were the Pilot, Co-pilot, Navigator, Telecom, and Technician. Now, planes only have two men, much more simple. How come?

In 1983, Mr. Wiweko Soepono,  at the time Director of Garuda Indonesia, brilliantly came to Airbus bringing an idea of Forward Facing Crew Cockpit. Mr. Wiweko reduced the number of crews in the cockpit of 4-engined Douglas DC-8 from 5 to only 3, as he thought that flight radio operator and navigator were no longer needed. Airbus adopted his idea and released world’s first two-cockpit airplane Airbus A300B4, and Garuda Indonesia was the first to fly this newly released airplane.

Airbus A300B4

Mr. Wiweko was actively involved in designing the Airbus new cockpit arrangement. He, with another aircraft maker Beechcraft designed and prepared Beechcraft Super H-18 for himself to make solo flight crossing Pacific ocean. Mr.Wiweko flied 60 hours, refueling in Hawaii, Wake Island, Guam, and Manila.

Beechcraft Super H18

He was the first man in Asia to fly solo crossing the pacific on light aircraft.

(Credit : Wikipedia –> http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiweko_Soepono)

Popularity: 12% [?]