Turkey Day...Just not the same

1 Dec 2013

Creative...but most likely not edible

                Another funny Indonesian observance…Have you ever gone into a restaurant/fast food joint, asked for something and then was told that they are out of that product or food item?  This happens very rarely in Indonesia, because if they are out of an ingredient, they will just substitute something else for that ingredient and hope you won’t notice.  Case in point…there I  was…at a Pizza Hut off of Jalan Jenderal Sudirman (General Sudirman Street), which is a very popular and busy street.  There are numerous restaurants and malls, so it wasn’t like this Pizza Hut was in an isolated area.  I kept it simple, ordered a cheese pizza and some bread sticks.  Apparently, some of the pizza served here uses Thousand Island Dressing instead of Marinara Sauce, and that day happened to be the day they ran out of Marinara, so they used Thousand Island to make up for the lost ingredient.  I was quite surprised to bite into the cheese pizza and come across the “special sauce”.  I questioned the waiter, and he explained to me the situation.  It was a trap, and I fell for it.  I did not return the pizza, but instead hesitantly devoured the whole thing…I just imagined it was a Big Mac from McD’s.
              
 Part of my immersion experience is getting involved in the military to military engagements.  Last week I had the opportunity of visiting the Indonesian military headquarters, specifically to meet with the Indonesian Navy to discuss foreign military sales and training.  Every year the State Department is given a certain amount of money to help foreign militaries modernize their equipment and get their folks trained.  In many instances the militaries use American companies to further expand their military research and development, so it is a win-win for both parties.  The thing is, this meeting was supposed to be very small and only encompass a few folks (the decision makers) to plan out some things for the future.  The total opposite happened.  We get there, and we were invited out to the patio to have coffee, juice and snacks (almost like a continental breakfast).  We then go back into the briefing room and there are probably close to 50 Indonesian Navy staff officers.  There was a female MC, which opened the meeting, and then the guy in charge went through and introduced everyone.  He then proceeded to outline the agenda, and we got to the meat and potatoes.  The meeting lasted about 2 hours, and we were then invited to eat lunch afterwards and take pictures.  So, a meeting that should have only involved maybe 5 people and last 45 min to an hour, turned out to be a big production.  This was definitely way different than from what I am used to in the U.S. military.
                I have spent Thanksgiving in 4 different countries in my adult life, and this season really makes me homesick, because no matter what you do, nothing can beat Thanksgiving in the great U S of A.  I was fortunate enough to get invited over to eat Thanksgiving dinner at the Paul residence.  They have really opened their home to me during my stay here in Jakarta, and I am so thankful for that.  The dinner was outstanding: mouth-watering turkey, delicious stuffing, a very yummy carrot soufflé, pumpkin, pecan, and apple pie, you name it, it was there…  I did miss the football (both playing and watching), and I really missed my family.  Indonesians really don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, and the Canadians do their own thing in October, so I knew that if I stayed home that day, it would have been rice and maybe some Rendang (like a beef stew)…turkey was most likely not going to be on the menu.
             

 

No smoking and no riding on top!

On Fri (Black Friday), instead of early morning shopping, I fought the crowds in another sense (Jakarta traffic), and hopped on a train to Bogor.  Jakarta is a metropolitan area known as JABODETABEK…kind of like DFW.  The “BO” is Bogor, which is south of Jakarta.  So, I have the taxi cab experience, the city bus experience, and now I was hopping on the all too famous KRL (Kereta Api Rel Listrik)…electric train.  Although I was going the opposite direction of the usual morning commute crowd..it was still packed.  I have read stories that in the past, the train crowdedness was so bad, that people would sit on top of the trains.  I did not see anyone doing this, but I could definitely see why they would want to.

                Bogor is known for its botanical gardens, and I will say, I was quite impressed with this place.  Now, just like everywhere else in this area, there was trash, but the groundskeepers do a pretty good job of keeping it to a minimum.  It was nice to get away from the traffic, and to actually hear birds singing…very serene and very relaxing.  After lunch I decided to go find the bengkel Gong, pabrik Gong, or what is better known as the Gong Factory.  I was a little disappointed with myself though, because it is closed on Fridays.  Luck for me, the gentleman were still willing to let me see a little of the “cradle-to-grave” gong operation.  At the Gong factory you can custom order a gong, and actually see how it is made.  The whole thing can take up to 3 days, so if I am ever stationed here, I will definitely be making another visit to the Gong Factory.

Not a gong...I guess they don't make them on Fridays

                With a 4-day weekend, I had quite a bit of time to see and experience many things.  On Saturday I decided to head over to the Pacific Place Mall and visit the @America club.  This club is supported/funded by USAID, and is used as a vehicle to educate Indonesians (in particular Youth) on the United Sates and its role throughout the world in helping developing countries.  The topic for the day was how youth can reduce/prevent HIV in Indonesia.  It was set up like a talk show, and each of the panel members provided a brief introduction and gave their expertise on the topic.  The female panel member, Eli, was married to a man who had contracted HIV from a surgical procedure (most likely due to equipment that was not sanitized), and had died without realizing he had the disease.  Her story was very eye-opening and emotional, and I think it really made an impact with the youth in the audience.  There was then a question and answer period, and I really liked what the PhD had to say in regards to the ABC’s.  He said that the focus should be on A (abstinence) and B (be faithful…aka one partner), and as a last resort, it is important to know about C (condoms).  However, if a society relies on C, and leaves A and B on the wayside, then the disease will never go away.  He also used an analogy of getting dengue fever…you don’t know which mosquitoes are vectors for the disease, so it is best to avoid the threat completely…especially at a young age.  The session also emphasized the importance of not discriminating and helping those affected, to lift them up in every way possible.  Very edifying and I now have a new respect for USAID programs like this one.

  It is in Indonesian, but the link is here if you are interested: http://www.atamerica.or.id/video/detail/821/The-Role-of-Youth-in-Preventing-HIV-and-AIDS

Picking up the Jokis while not getting eaten by sharks...

24 Nov13

So, besides the close to 2 hour commute each day, the Embassy portion of this immersion has been very satisfying.  I have learned quite a bit, and I have only been “shadowing” for a week.  I see the State Dept in a whole new light, and I have come to somewhat understand why sometimes it seems to be a broken operation…especially from the point of view of the military.  They have to coordinate with so many different offices: US govt, Indonesian govt, Non-government organizations, International organizations, and the standardization is just completely different from that seen in the military working environment.  For the most part, it is a lot more laid back…even in the defense/military section.  I shouldn’t get too excited about working in an Embassy though, because that usually does not happen until a much higher rank.  It is rewarding though, to get this opportunity to see the inner-workings of an Embassy Operation.

Indonesia has some of the weirdest occupations I have ever come across…(however, nothing will beat those guys walking outside the perimeter in Afghanistan, sticking walking sticks in the ground at a certain angle to detect and mark land mines…that’s for sure!)  Jakarta has HOV lanes, just like the big cities in the U.S.  And like the US, you have to have a certain number of people in the vehicle to drive in that lane, or you can get a ticket…in Jakarta the magic number is 3.  The purpose is to keep the numerous motorcycles, bajajs (three-wheeled motorized taxis), ojek (motorcycle taxis), and any other weird transportation source out of the fast lane during rush hour.  So, if your driver and you and looking at getting in the fast lane during rush hour, you may have a problem, since the lane requires 3 people.  But not to worry, because you can pay people along the side of the road, to hop in your car and become that third person.  This is what a “Joki” or jockey does…they hitch-hike and then you pay them to ride in your car.  I was a little hesitant at first, but it can cut my 2 hr commute down to 1hr, and the people have all been very friendly.  It just amazes me how creative some of these jobs are.

With the Indonesian work force, there is something else that must be understood.  It takes anywhere from 5-6 people to do one person’s job.  For example, say you go to a bar (just an example that all the “bules” tell me…I don’t frequent Indonesian bars), and you order a drink.  Usually, a bar tender will take the order, make the drink, take the money, process the bill, and wah la!  In Indonesia, each of those steps requires a different person.  I really noticed this when I was at the movie theater…I think there are more employees than patrons.  It makes sense, because this city is so densely populated, and it is a pretty cheap labor source.  I will say, with the numerous employees, there is rarely a instance of poor customer service.

The other thing that I have been struggling with here is the uber-niceness of Indonesians.  It’s to point where it can actually piss you off, because their kindness can start impeding you from doing things your way.  Saturday I went to SeaWorld to check out the place and to also scuba dive in their main aquarium.  The whole experience was great, and for $30 to do all of that…not a bad deal!  I was able to swim with the fishes (to include “wanna-be” sharks) in the aquarium, which is something I had never done before.  Visitors can walk through a U-shaped tube that is surrounded by the main aquarium, so they get a really good view of the fish and in this case, the scuba diver guests.  It was cool gliding over the tube and seeing the reactions of the people, especially the kids.  There were also a couple of opportunities where I was able to “photo-bomb”…when the people in the tube realized I was in their picture, they just laughed…but I digress…

There were two of us guest scuba divers, and I started talking to the other guy and we found we had a lot in common.  He used to be in the Indonesian Air Force special forces, had just had a kid, he was going to CA to get FAA-certified to fly planes for Lion Air in Indonesia…you know, the planes that hit cows and land in the ocean.  Anyway, he offered to (what I originally thought) to give me a ride home, which would have saved me a $10 taxi cab ride.  I thought his friend had a car, but to my surprise when we met up with his friend outside of the SeaWorld, there was no car.  My new “friend” wanted to pay for my transportation home, and since he was paying, he chose the mode of transportation.  In this case it was the TransJakarta bus, which I had no problems with, because that it what I usually use to get around J-Town.  When he got up to the desk to pay for the tickets, he was told that the card he was trying to use was the incorrect credit/debit card.  So I said, hey, let me just pay for a taxi, and we can split it later.  He of course declined, and then proceeded to jump on the back of a motorcycle taxi to go back to the park area to pull out money from the ATM.  So, close to an hour later we get on the bus to make our trip down to South Jakarta.  I think it was nice that he paid for my transportation home…it was just really inconvenient.  I think I need to either be more assertive or just stop making friends.

Dave's going-away...and yes, he loves Indonesia that much!

Trash...I mean Scuba Diving!!

17 Nov 13

Some of the crew, plus family and guests

            So, I have been spoiled over the last month, and it looks like I get another month of the same treatment.   I have failed to introduce the crew though.  Adi, Tono, Engkos, and Henri are the young men who do most of the cleaning and maintenance.  Every morning I usually work out, chat with Gretchen and family and then go eat breakfast.  Sometimes I take 30 min to eat breakfast and sometimes 10-15 min.  However, it never fails that those guys seem to have the bed made, bathroom cleaned, and floors swept, before I get back upstairs…they could make it big in the NASCAR pit crew world.  Sometimes I come home from class and my laptop screen is clean, all the cords to my mouse, headphones, etc. are wound up, my dirty clothes are taken, TV controllers are back in their original place, I mean you name it, and it is done.

            In the kitchen are Narti, her daughter Dia and then another girl named Nia.  They do such a great job and they make sure that I never leave the table hungry.  In fact, if I don’t finish my breakfast, they are kind enough to “brown-bag” it so I can have it for lunch.  Last week I mentioned the BBQ that we had and they were able to take a break.  Whenever there is not a lot of work to do around the house, Mel and Nana usually take them places for shopping and hanging out.  It is a very platonic boss-servant relationship.

            The traffic in Indonesia is so bad…(how bad is it???)….It is so bad, that additional help is needed to assist cars doing U-Turns, turning on busy streets, and of course parking.  I remember seeing the Amazing Race episode where they are in Yogyakarta (another large city in Indonesia) and have to choose between parking motorcycles or street dancing.  Parking cars is a very lucrative process and all you have to do is flag cars into a parking area and then guide them into a crammed parking spot.  Now, they don’t get tipped a whole lot, but over a day it adds up.  Of course, if you ding someone else’s car, you just pay the “tukang parker” (parking assistant) so he does not report you…aww corruption at its finest!  To completely avoid this (in particular the larger malls), you just get a valet to park and retrieve your car.

            Friday was my last day of class for the learning portion of my immersion.  They were very happy with my progress and said that I have improved in all areas.  I really don’t think there has been much improvement, but it may be something that will be more evident in the future.  I will have to say that I am a much better at Indonesian than I was last November J.

            Saturday I had the opportunity of heading out to the Thousand Islands (not the salad dressing) or Kepulauan Seribu for my scuba diving trip.  We got to the pier at around 7:15am, but our high-speed motorboat did not depart Jakarta until closer to 9am.  I was thinking that the boat ride was going to be like a city bus…crowded, but surprisingly it was not too bad.  There were quite a few people going out to the islands (I imagine) to get away from the city, and relax.  The boat trip was about 90 min, and as we passed the various islands near Jakarta, you could see the trash floating and in the background was the smoggy skyline…what, were you expecting blue skies and crystal blue water?  There was one spot where the boat had to adjust its course so some debris/trash would not get stuck in the propeller.

            Arriving at our destination, we saw the blue water, but one thing that we did not get away from was the trash.  It is funny, because there will be signs like “No Fishing,” but in that same body of water there are plastic bottles, cans, cartons, etc. just floating along.  Once we met our dive master, he got us out on a smaller wooden fishing boat, and we went out to our first spot.  This spot was about 2 km (1 mile for you Westerners) north of Pramuka Island, which was nice because the water was really blue and as far as I could see, there was no trash.We got under the water and one of the first things we came across was a sea turtle.  I have never seen a sea turtle in the wild, so that was really cool.  I must say, once we got under the water, the trip was all the better and well worth the $160.  All in all it was two dives and I saw a total of 4 Sea Turtles, a lot of beautiful fish, collected a couple of shells, and only saw maybe three pieces of garbage.  The best thing about scuba diving is that it can be raining but it doesn’t matter because you are already wet and under the water.

Where are all the dogs?

10 Nov 13

            So there has been something weighing on my mind since I have been here.  It has been almost a month and I have only seen maybe 2 dogs.  When I was in Guatemala, I was immediately attacked by street dogs, and so I was prepared to dust off my old “dog repellant” techniques that I learned on my mission.  I have seen a lot of cats, but no dogs…Why?  So, I have asked around, and the only thing I have been told is that dogs are very dirt and Muslims are very conscious of cleanliness, and if a dog licks you, then you are dirty.  However, if you go to other parts of Indonesia there are dogs.  The reason why there are dogs in other parts is because the dogs are used as tools…not pets.  It then dawned on me that I had learned a lesson quite a long time ago in one of my Intl Relations classes…I don’t know if you’ve heard, but Mohammad had a cat, you know.  Since this is a largely Muslim country, it makes sense why there is not a large population of street dogs.

            The people at church have really opened up their arms of fellowship, as well as their homes.  Last Tuesday I was invited by the Relief Society president over to her house for a birthday celebration and the fact that they had the day off Tuesday due to the Arabic New Year, they held a bar-b-que.  Several people in the ward work for Conoco/Exxon and have been all over the world.  It rained pretty hard that day, but I was still able to catch a cab and attend the bar-b-que..  I must say, these Conoco folks are living life nice.  They have very glamorous houses, furnished with very beautiful furniture, and usually there is a pool in the back.  This particular family has been all over the world and their house is full of souvenirs from places like Doha, Germany, Japan, etc.  After dinner we played some good old-fashioned “Mexican Train Dominos.”  It was a really good time.

            

Over the last couple of days, I have had the opportunity of watching different Indonesian-produced movies in class.  The focus of all of these movies has been the issue of education, and how it has affected the overall development of the country.  It is very common for a child to not attend school, and this really hurts the country’s future.  These films have enlightened my understanding to the different efforts that have been taking place in this country to improve education.  Probably one of my favorite films is called “Laskar Pelangi” or “Rainbow Troops.”  It is about this tin mining town in the 1970’s that has several different elementary schools.  But the oldest Islamic school is “out-dated” and on the brink of falling apart.  It shows the contrast between a well-funded school and a school that suffers just to get chalk, but the school that lacks funds has children that really want to learn, and go to great lengths to attain their elementary school education.

            This weekend, the Breau family (Homestay I am staying at) held a party for friends, family and their servants.  It was really cool to see the servants kick back and not have to be working.  I was able to get to know them a little better, as well as meet some new people.  I had a chance to Facetime with Gretchen and I got to take her on a tour of the house…I could hear Elise in the background talking about the “mansion.”  I feel very fortunate and lucky to be staying here.  I will definitely request this Homestay for future trips and they will get a pretty sweet recommendation from me on Trip Advisor...

Taman Mini!

4 Nov 13

Sacha Stevenson...a really funny "Bule"

So, some may be wondering what “Boolay” means.  It is spelled as “bule” and it basically means “white person.”  Since I am easy to spot in a crowd, that is what I usually hear on the streets of Jakarta.  I have been very fortunate to be staying at this homestay known as the “Pesona Guest House.”  It is owned by Nana (who is Indonesian) and her Canadian husband, Mel.  When I first got here I was surprised to meet them…in fact, initially I spoke Indonesian to Mel and he gave me a weird look.  He doesn’t speak a “lick” of Indonesian and his wife speaks English pretty well.  They also have a 12 yr old daughter named Mita, who acts just like an American teenager and speaks English very well.  Her conversations include the boy band “One Direction,” (which I know nothing about), Marvel movies, and The Walking Dead.  To me it is like a parallel universe, and I am learning a lot about both Canada and Indonesia from the Breau Family.

"The Pesona"...nestled in Cilandak, South Jakarta

            Mel’s son, Desmond runs the Language Studies Indonesia school, so it happened that this homestay was located right down the street from the school where I am studying.  The faculty are very easy-going and I have had some very interesting cultural and religious discussions with them.  They are very interested when they find out I am Mormon.  A lot of Indonesians are not too familiar with the LDS church, and some get so excited when they meet a Mormon.  It’s funny, because Religion and Politics are “Taboo,” but it seems to be the root of all the discussion questions in my classes.

           

On Friday evening I was able to get a sneak peek of the new Thor movie.  Once again, I was quite amazed at the facilities that they have in these malls.  I went to yet another mall called “Kemang Village,” which was built on a cemetery.  In fact, if you look at the location on Google Maps, all you will see is a cemetery…this Mall/Hotel/Plaza is pretty new.

            On Saturday I went to indulge myself in (what so far has been) the ultimate cultural immersion experience.  The place is called “Taman Mini,” and they have everything from museums to water parks.  It cost like $0.75 to enter, and then you pay for things like the museums, sky lift, water park, IMAX, etc.  However, there were plenty of things to see that were free.  It is set up to represent each province/region of Indonesia, so theoretically, you can travel through the entire country of Indonesia and somewhat get a taste of the culture from those respective areas. 

Each region had replica houses, worship places, buildings etc. with museum-like exhibits inside.  It was cool traveling through the different parts and seeing the different architecture and cultural elements.  Probably the pinnacle part of the experience is taking the skylift across the park.  You get a really cool view of the mini-map, and it was well worth the $3 price.