It was the end of the school year, and everyone was signing each other’s yearbooks at school. When I got home, I read all the things my friends wrote on my yearbook, and a lot of them mentioned my smile, whether it’s ‘bright’ or ‘sweet’. Come to think of it, I always have the loudest laugh out of all my friends. (This is coming from a shy and quiet introvert)

Then, quite a while after that, my parents were talking about their friends. My dad mentioned that one of his colleagues said that my dad seemed to be a ‘happy person’ because he always smiles. My mom agreed, saying that once, one of her friends said that my mom ‘always smiles’.

I wondered if that just runs in the family or if that’s an Indonesian thing. I observed my mom’s Indonesian friends. Yes, they smile, all right. Quite a lot, compared to other people who I see everyday, and that’s a lot of different people from different countries.

So to expand my so-called ‘research’, I try to look for smiles whenever I go back to Indonesia during a holiday. I probably see it millions of times a day. But I exaggerate. I’m still pretty sure that everyone I meet in Indonesia greets me with a smile, though. And I always return the favor out of habit!

So is it just me, or are Indonesians naturally smiley?

First of all, my Social Studies teacher used to teach at Jakarta International School and he seems to be very, very fond of Indonesia. During class, he’s always talking about his experiences in Indonesia whenever possible. Whenever I’m wearing batik, he always seems to point it out to other students, which makes me both embarrassed and proud at the same time. But most of all, he’s always gushing about how great Jakarta International School is!

Just now, I found out that my band teacher is moving to Jakarta to teach at the same school. He seems very excited, too, and I spotted an Indonesian-English dictionary on his desk—the same one that I have at home!

Additionally, right after our winter break, I overheard quite a few people talking about their trips to Bali. The same band teacher mentioned above went surfing and came back with a story about a bunch of Indonesian who started to help him because of a gruesome surfing injury. A classmate of mine was wearing a Hard Rock Café Bali t-shirt while telling me that he went there. I also overheard the French teacher talk to another teacher about his trip to Bali. My geometry teacher was also asking me about Bali—apparently, he’s planning to go there for the next break.

This doesn’t just stop at my school—my dad’s work friends love talking about Indonesia, too. A lot of them lived in Indonesia before and they’re always eager to talk about their experiences around us.

So I guess the point of this article is… If you think Indonesia is not that famous internationally, think again. A lot of expatriates in Asia are very fond of this country, and we should all be proud of that fact!

Negativity, discontentment, racism, catastrophy-focusing, no interest in strangers. All this I know very well from home in Vienna but in Indonesia you can find right the opposite in the national spirit.

The Top 7 reasons to fall in love with Indonesia (for me it was love at first sight) deserve attention, because Indonesia as biggest Muslim populated country which had to face terrorist acts in past years isn’t used to good publicity…

To get to the obvious connection to micro-finance read to the end or skip 1.) to 4.)

1.) I started to notice that I am irritated if in a bus no one starts talking to me, asking where I come from, where I am going and saying that I am pretty (Dari mana? Mau ke mana? Cantik!). First I referred this acting to meeting interesting foreigners. But it simply reflects the incredibly friendly and sincere character of Indonesians. You don’t know each other but you talk without doubts what this person actually wants. Simply because of an interest in other people and because a funny situation tends to be even funnier when it is shared with someone (or an annoying situation can be much less annoying, like the bus breaking down). So it is interest in other people, easy communication and heartiness in Indonesia which will make it challenging not to provoke lots of confused reactions in Austria when I start talking or smiling at someone in the bus.

2.) On 2nd place is the truly healing cultural, religious and linguistic diversity vs. racism and fear of what is foreign. While traveling from one island to the next or from one province to another, sometimes it is hard to keep your jaw from dropping. Everything is different. The language is different (in Indonesia are about 300 languages spoken!), traditions, art and architecture is different, the predominant religion is another one, the people look differently. Diversity is daily business in Indonesia and “unity in diversity” is a common motto. Even with resistance against Chinese Indonesians in the 1990s, previous separatist movements in northern Sumatra and terrorist acts, unity and peace in diversity is the usual tone amongst people. To compare this with Austria almost hurts. The birth country of Adolf Hitler is getting deeper and deeper into racism again, although the national history makes this hard to believe.

3.) For a while I wasn’t sure whether it’s because I am the only obvious foreigner who even tries to speak Indonesian, when people always smile at me and every try to speak Indonesian is highly amusing. Now I am absolutely sure- Indonesian is synonymous with laughing a lot and approaching people as well as challenges with joy. On the third place is enjoying life vs paralyzing negativity and bitterness I know too well as a citizen of Vienna.

smiles everywhere

4.) “Do you know how to shit?” This was one of the first talks I had to an Indonesian in 2007. Her way to explain how to use Indonesian toilets kind of excited me in the most positive way. THAT frank only few Austrians would approach someone at the first meeting. Concerning body weight this way of frankness can be painful, but I wished all my friends would be that honest and that I could pop the usual questions in Indonesia “How old are you? Are you married? Do you have children? How many sisters and brothers do you have?” without stepping over the “western” privacy line of someone you don’t know well. In Indonesia borders of privacy are set differently and they will never be violated on purpose. On place number 4: Frankness and honesty instead of cumbersome politeness.

5.) So many times I got lost, took the wrong road, overslept in the bus, didn’t carry enough water, and every time someone was there to help me (again, no unique behavior for foreigners). When there is a street musician playing the guitar in a bus, people will listen with joy and give something. To help and support each other is one of the main reasons for success of group loans at the Kiva field partner Mitra Usaha Kecil (MUK). Again the comparison with Austria hurts. The ignorance you can meet at every corner in Vienna is only partly balanced through annual record donations to “Licht ins Dunkel” and the great work of many NGOs. The motto in Indonesia more likely is helpfulness and sympathies than ignorance.

6.) Especially when talking to borrowers of MUK in Bali it is seems that Indonesians are content with their life, although in the eyes of a foreigner who is used to much higher standards, there would be enough not to be content with. A developing country offers enough to worry about. But a small store in the own simple house and the (in Bali almost obligatory) fat pig in the backyard are enough to be happy as long as the basic needs are fulfilled. The typical Viennese complains about 2 minutes late public transport, the non-illuminated signs at the tram station are scandalous, the expensive car of the foreign neighbor must be stolen and in general everything is getting worse every day. Last but not least on the 6th place of most beautiful characteristics of Indonesia and probably the most important for micro-finance: Being content with your life and live a positive attitude vs. pathologically comparing, discontentment and catastrophy-focusing.

7.) Nature! This doesn’t need much explanation. Just visit another island or region to be in a totally different environment- jungle, mountains, volcanoes, beach, fantastic marine life,… nature in Indonesia is threatened but breathtaking.

I am aware of the one-sidedness of this post. Of course Indonesia is fighting a lot of challenges like every developing country. They are obvious every day and some are a heavy strain. Therefore micro-finance is one of the strategies very much needed to improve infrastructure and people’s living condition in Indonesia.

Still the challenges are not big enough to impress the Indonesian spirit and moral, because it is possible to focus on the positive side of life and to be happy with what you achieved as long as the basic needs are fulfilled. Micro-finance as step-by-step-support to improve the standard of living is falling on fertile ground in Indonesia, because of the willingness to face challenges in a constructive way.

I will carry Indonesia in my heart back to Austria (that I definitely love with it’s weaknesses and of course various strengths) and hope that I can share a bit of the Indonesian spirit with Austria.

Source: Fellowsblog.kiva.org

It’s hard to go anywhere in Jakarta, the nation’s busy capital, without seeing someone using one of these ubiquitous smart phones.

In the city’s shopping malls, the BlackBerry logo is advertised everywhere and sellers offer everything from the latest, the Blackberry Onyx, to much cheaper, older models.

In its battle with Apple’s iPhone, BlackBerry is the clear winner here. Sellers at one Jakarta mall told CNN they routinely sell about 5 or 6 Blackberries a day. In comparison they sell only one iPhone a day, at the most.

“BlackBerry phones are much more trendy and fashionable than the iPhone,” one seller told CNN. “Hardly anyone asks for an iPhone.”

So just why is the BlackBerry so popular in Indonesia?

One reason is price. Blackberry phones cost about $500 when sold new, compared to an iPhone that costs around $900. But if bought on Indonesia’s “gray market” — in order words, smuggled in tax free — then a BlackBerry can be purchased for around $300.

That caters not just to Indonesia’s high-end businessmen but also to the country’s growing and fashion-conscious middle class.

Another reason is accessibility. Indonesia’s Internet infrastructure is expensive and not always reliable. Getting a home broadband connection can cost as much as $100 a month. For many Indonesians, it’s easier, and cheaper, to get a web-enabled phone.

Used less for surfing the net than digital social networking, BlackBerry phones’ keyboards have also been a real selling point. The iPhone’s touch screen has less appeal in this respect. (Read more on the rise of social media in Southeast Asia)

“I’ve heard the touch screen isn’t so great,” one college student buying her first BlackBerry told CNN. “All my friends use the BlackBerry to email. That’s why I’m getting one.”

BlackBerry manufacturer, Research in Motion, wouldn’t release country-specific figures but said that Indonesia is an important part of its Asia strategy. Indonesia holds a lot of potential.

The ROA Group, a mobile phone research group, estimates that by next year half of Indonesia’s 250 million people will have a mobile phone.

But BlackBerry may not be on top for long. Local provider XL is now offering a service that gives mobile phone users limited web-access to Facebook, Twitter and Yahoo mail.

For many users, that’s all they need and the cost of the service is only about a dollar a day.

Source: CNN.com

An eagle-eyed resident snapped a picture of his transgression and posted it on the social networking site Twitter, where it was viewed by more than 10,000 people — many of whom vented angrily at the blatant flouting of the law.

The chastened minister, however, proved as media-savvy as his detractors, using Twitter to respond and apologise. “Thanks for all the responses and input on today’s incident,” he “tweeted”.

“It’s a valuable lesson for me and my staff. I would like to sincerely apologise … as a leader, I take full responsibility.” And so he did. The following day, al-Jufrie filed a report of his own wrongdoing at a local police station and was fined 500,000 rupiah ($55).

The incident shows just how powerful social media such as Facebook, Twitter and others have become in Indonesia, the world’s fourth-most populous country with 235 million people spread across an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands. Earlier this year, a report by the social media monitoring firm Sysomos ranked Indonesia sixth, accounting for 2.4 percent of Twitter users worldwide, after the United States, Brazil, Britain, Canada and Germany.

Thailand-based media consultant Jon Russell named Jakarta the “Twitter capital of Asia”. “With a population of 230 million plus, Indonesia is a huge potential market for social networking just in numbers alone,” he said, adding that Twitter’s popularity is largely due to the low cost of mobile internet and increasing demand for smartphones.

No topic is unworthy of a tweet in Indonesia. Last week, the resignation of Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati beat Canadian teen heart throb Justin Bieber in a list of top ten subjects as scores of Twitterers debated the significance of her departure.

“Finally, Justin Bieber has found a successor: Sri Mulyani,” tweeted one Indonesian. The medium has also caused some controversy.

Last year, Indonesian model and celebrity Luna Maya angrily lashed out on Twitter at paparazzi photographers after her partner’s daughter was struck by a camera in a media scrum. “Infotainment (journalists) are lower than commercial sex workers, murderers! May your soul burn in hell!” she told her 100,000 plus followers.

Kamsul Hasan, head of the Jakarta chapter of the Indonesian Journalists Association, reported Maya to the police for defamation. Maya tweeted an apology, and then closed her account.

Source: Browzz.com

The jail’s new wing was designed to accommodate 256 prisoners and is expected to be fully operational by next month, the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights said as it unveiled the facility on Tuesday.

The development of the new wing was prompted in response to public anger after a surprise inspection revealed high-profile graft convicts enjoying special privileges in jail.

The chief architect on the project, Purwo Ardoko, said the wing had two sections: 16 single cells, measuring six-by-four meters on the lower floor, dedicated for sick or elderly prisoners, and a second floor with seven-by-five-meter cells to hold up to five inmates.

There are already 20 inmates being detained at the facility, including businessman Anggodo Widjojo, former Health Minister Achmad Sujudi and former National Mandate Party (PAN) legislator Abdul Hadi Djamal. Anggodo is awaiting trial on charges of obstruction of justice and attempted bribery, while Achmad and Abdul Hadi have been sentenced to 27 months and four and a half years respectively.

Justice Minister Patrialis Akbar said the wing would eventually only house graft convicts who had exhausted their chances for an appeal. “We’ll conduct a trial run first, and once the facility is fully operational, we’ll begin transferring corruption convicts there.”

Among those due for transfer is former Bank Indonesia Deputy Governor Aulia Pohan. Aulia, serving two years for embezzlement, is the father-in-law of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s eldest son.

The country’s penal system was the subject of intense criticism after revelations that several high-profile inmates at Pondok Bambu Women’s Penitentiary, such as Artalyta Suryani, a businesswoman convicted of bribery in 2008, were enjoying special treatment and lavish facilities, including air-conditioners and LCD televisions.

Indonesia Corruption Watch researcher Febri Diansyah applauded the new facility, saying it would allow the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to monitor graft convicts and detainees, who are currently spread across 12 facilities in Jakarta and West Java.

“The penal system will finally serve as a deterrent against corruption,” he said. “Otherwise the same special privileges enjoyed by graft convicts are bound to pop up again.”

Teten Masduki, secretary general of Transparency Inter­national Indonesia, said the government should also consider raising the Rp 1 billion ($111,000) cap on fines for graft-related offences, as “prison isn’t a scary concept for people with money.”

Source: Jakarta Globe