Quiz Result - President Sukarno

Congratulations to the 70% of you who correctly identified Sukarno as the first President of Indonesia, in the most responded to quiz yet! He was in office from 1949 to 1965, and both Jakarta airport and the national stadium are named after him.

Less impressive the two readers who answered SBY. My cheif suspects either work with me or are related to me; neither of which is especially reassuring!

New quiz to follow soon.

Angkot, Bogor and Karaoke

Having received an official invitation, with my name written on it and from a person I actually know, I was especially keen to attend the wedding of Andreas and Devi in nearby Bogor. A swift train journey from Kota Station on Saturday morning brought us to the small but busy city of Bogor, famous for its botanical gardens, near daily rainfall and good food.

Almost before I could take in my surroundings my companions leapt though the miniature door of a passing vehicle and so began my first confrontation with the Angkot, the small bus-like form of public transportation that is pretty much the only way to get round Bogor. Your average Angkot is a fraction larger than a Volvo estate and waits at set points round the city. Once filled to bursting point it will hurtle off in a presumably designated direction dropping people off on request for a 13p fare. I squished my way through an opening about a third the size of my body and joined the fourteen other people sharing the tiny space.

Fortunately the journey was short, and after a quick meal of pork related dishes we reached the church for a mixed catholic / protestant ceremony. Having survived the thirty minute sermon, which judging by the reaction of the congregation was not a great deal more interesting if you could speak Indonesian, I was a little disappointed by the post vows kiss: once on the forehead and once on each cheek. Indonesian’s are famously reserved with public affection between couples; but from the look on the bride’s face, he definitely left her wanting more.

The reception involved a feast of different dishes and numerous photos. Then back to Jakarta to unwind English style watching Birmingham v Sunderland with a beer.

Sunday was relaxed and a suitably Indonesian day of badminton and karaoke.

Visit from Home

In case you hadn’t already heard, last weekend I was lucky enough get my first visit from the lovely Donna (especially lucky seeing she traveled such a long way for a relatively short time). We made a return to my new favorite place: Gili Trawangan, a beautiful and relaxed island just of the coast of Lombok. Two great days were spent snorkeling, diving, strolling the beaches, and eating delicious fresh fish (and a sneaky pizza).

Sadly it was all over too quickly. But Donna did have time to return to Jakarta for a day and to meet the team from work. Attached is a picture from our lunch together.

Presidents

Yesterday Jakarta saw the inauguration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (affectionately known as SBY). The presidents of both Australia and Malaysia were both in town to see SBY start his second term on the back of a big mandate following a sweeping election victory. Indonesia is one of the most democratic countries in Asia, and SBY is now the 6th Indonesian president following liberation from colonialisation.

I was lucky enough to be invited to a not entirely unrelated dinner on the same evening and there was much discussion about the future of Indonesia, its gifts and its failings. The most optimistic dinner guest carefully explained to me that Indonesia is in fact heaven; blessed with 15,000 beautiful islands (17,000 at low tide), warm weather, friendly people and every possible natural resource - all spread across a distance the equivalent of London to Moscow. Hard to argue. But it would be nice if the phones worked too.

P.S. Well done to 50% of you who identified Java as the island home of Jakarta. Keep trying the quizzes!

Jakarta Farter

After almost a month in Jakarta of eating nearly everything you can imagine, my stomach finally met its match on Friday. The suspected aggressor? A Wendy's Cheeseburger...

Sadly this meant that I missed my planned trip to Karakatau. This volcano is famous for one of the most violent eruptions the world has ever seen (in 1883). Not entirely missing the irony, I opted for a weekend of recuperation and took the opportunity to make some long awaited improvements to my apartment.

In fact the last week has seen a number of small victories on the domestic front:

1. Hot Water: I now have a heater installed. This plucky number can reach heat setting "2" before fusing the electrics, and contributes to a noticeable reduction in water chill.
2. Bedside Table: Snapped up for a mere 85,000 at the local hypermart, it offers shelves on three levels and boasts a pleasant pastel blue colouring.
3. Letterbox Key: A month down the line I can now open my letterbox. It was empty.

Everyday is a small step. But thankfully I am now healthy, rested and cheerful.

The Wedding

On Sunday night I was kindly 'invited' to an Indonesian wedding reception. I'm not sure whether the bride and groom were aware of my invitation but it was great to be there to experience a traditional Ache ceremony. Ache is found in the north of Sumarta, and the reception was lavishly decked out in gold and velvet, with traditional costumes and dancing.

My understanding is that Indonesian weddings usually take up the whole day from around 5am (or sometimes many days), and the reception in the evening is the chance for all friends and family friends to come and give their best wishes. The bride and groom were led into the room by the Ache dancers, and took their place on two thrones on the stage. After some short announcements guests were welcomed up in an almost orderly fashion to great the happy couple and their parents. Then followed the main event, a buffet feast with numerous different foods on offer to try and devour.

Oh, and there was time for many photos. This one is the brides ex work collegaues ... and me.

Monsoon Football

Yesterday saw my first experience of eleven-a-side football in Jakarta, from the safety of my starting spot on the bench. About five minutes into the game we felt a few drops and then - boom - the sky opened. I have never seen rain like it; streams poured off the roof like a waterfall, and the players on the other side of the pitch disappeared into a haze of pounding puddles and mist. The pitch was waterlogged in minutes with the ball vanishing in a puddle soon after. Match abandoned!

Such was my baptism into Indonesian football. And so it was an early start for one of the team members birthday celebrations at a well known expat bar!

This evening I am invited to a local wedding. More to follow...

Indonesia is a big place

Morning all. Am about to dash off to the immigration office but wanted to reassure you that I am safe from the recent earthquake. The centre was in Sumatra and we didn't even feel anything in Jakarta.

A not so impressive 50% of you identified Indonesia as a former Dutch colony – and so I felt some further education was needed:

Indonesia was formerly a Dutch colony known as the Dutch East Indies. Following occupation by the Japanese during WWII, Indonesia declared independence under the leadership of Sukarno. The Dutch tried to re-establish their rule and an armed struggle followed ending in December 1949, when the Dutch formally recognised Indonesian independence.