Bali

I had four events in Bali. The first was at Udayana University in Denpassar. This was a a little different because it was broadcast to two other Universities around Indonesia. Their grasp of the technology is very impressive and it went off better than I bet it would at an American University. There were about 40 people in the audience and maybe 5 to 10 at each of the other Universities.

The Hindus almost never asked about US Foreign Policy. All of those questions came from the TV screens behind me (there were two, one broadcast the other two places, the other screen my powerpoint) -- from Muslim students. The Hindu's tended to ask about our election, the hopes for their democracy, race and american politics, etc.

After Udayana University I had a television interview. They gave me six questions ahead of time. Four for me and two for Caryn McClelland, the Consul General out of Surabaya. The interviewer was the "face" -- I don't think he really knew what was going on and he conducted the interview in English. He plowed right ahead asking questions about Indonesian democracy which I wasn't really qualified to answer and then, predictably, asked me the Consul questions "Will the US build a new Consular Office on Bali?". I said, "That's not up to me, I don't work for the Government". and "Will the US have a consular officer on Bali" and I responded "I'm available, but, again, I don't work for the Government.".

The consul was not pleased (not about me) with the interviewer and the kid lined up again and asked her those questions and a few others.

One night I went to dinner with three (I think three) guys from PKS which is a Muslim political party -- a distinct minority in Bali -- and they said that "tensions had settled down since the Bali bombing'. Tourism is the economy on Bali and so far the people don't seem to resent it as residents in tourist areas sometimes do. So the Hindu majority was angry with the Muslim minority after the bombing -- which isn't fair as they had nothing to do with it -- but still a part of human nature. The site of the bombing has not been redeveloped. When I drove by there was an interfaith group singing peace songs -- but in the standard confused travel world I wasn't sure if that was the site but my driver vaguely suggested in English that it was.

My second larger event was on the other side of the island. The traffic was faster but the roads no wider -- and we went over very large hills in this case so it was always exciting. Very beautiful volcanic island. Around the top there were a number of monkees -- which I, as tourist loser, did not photograph, so you will have to take my word for it.

The University was in a non-tourist area and it was the first place I visited that was large and open. it was very beautiful. We met with the rector and had tea and entered the lecture hall. There were about 130 students and professors -- all of the students dressed in light blue and dark blue uniforms. This is the lecture hall with the offering on the floor. There were a few questions on the electoral college, Obama, race, and one odd question on "nude beaches" but maybe not so odd.

One of the parts of my talk is that Americans, and people everywhere, argue about Money, Security, and Identity. Money involves economic issues; security safety at home and abroad; and Identity questions about who we are as a people. Gun control, gay marriage, etc became much clearer to Indonesians when explained as identity issues because they have a lot of them as well. Both share a mutual suspicion that identity questions are used by politicians to hide failures in the other two areas but any intelligent observer has to admit that identity issues "who we are as a people" are real and important to many people.

So on Bali a lot of tourists sunbathe nude or partially nude and some local people find that offensive. it is a question of 'who they are and can they control that" thus, it has meaning to many people. I suggested that most people look better with their close on and, after a delay for translation, that got a really big laugh. People talk about overweight Americans --- I hear it from Europeans all the time -- but that must be because they have shipped all the fat europeans to Bali.

The rest of my two days there involved trying to run in the heat, getting sick. laying in the sun, reading, and taking my tour with Ratna Haris.

I went for a run along the beach. There just is NO place to run in the cities and the beach had a very nice brick runway that went a few miles in either direction. I hadn't run for two weeks and it was about 90 degrees so I thought I would take it easy. unfortunately, on the way back, I spaced out, and ran right past my hotel. it extended the run/walk by about 45 minutes. Despair set in.

Off to Bali

I left Jakarta and flew to Bali on "Garuda" airlines. In one of those little things that throw you off, Indonesia has a dual security system. You go through a metal detector at the gate area but the actual gate is also an enclosed room and you go through it again. Like the anal american I am I wanted to be at the gate about 40 minutes ahead and discovered I was the only one there. Everyone, for some reason, likes to think their flight isn't "full" so I was low level happy about that.

But when it came time to board, Indonesians just appeared from everywhere. The plane was full. I was seated early. One good thing about Indonesia is that the anxiety of "Oh please don't let the huge guy sit next to me in the center isle" is greatly reduced. In fact, I think people looked at me that way.

Of course the logical reason behind the appearance is that they don't want to get to the gate and want to get up, walk around, and then have to go through gate security again. So they go into the enclosed gate at the same time boarding is taking place. This is a nice little cautionary about giving another culture advice -- you have to know all the little details of why people act as they do (logically at least within their systems of incentives). More serious comments on that and Indonesian campaigns later.

Embassy People

I already mentioned my friends who took me all over Jakarta and Ancol (Sila, Hikmah, Yus, Saara, Shadli, Ika) and allowed me to see the city in a way that I never would have alone. I also want to mention the State Department people.

It is an interesting contrast between people and organization. Diplomacy and War are among the oldest functions of government and our state department our "senior" cabinet post. It was here that Jefferson served as our first Sec. of State. I'm not an expert at this subject but I would imagine that of all the departments speaking with "one voice" is critical while, recruiting top people is as well -- they move all over the world, need some facility with language and are required to do a remarkable array of tasks. Our Foreign Service, and the accompanying Civil Service are incredibly competent and qualified. But they operate within a pretty comprehensive bureaucracy that often makes simple things fairly difficult. The contrast between the talent level and the bureaucracy sometimes jarring.

I also want to mention the local people who work for the Embassy. These are often people (and the same was true in Russia) with wide experience in other fields, language skills, and managerial talent. I don't know for sure but I would guess that in a country with strong economic opportunities for people (Sweden?) the Embassy might have a harder time recruiting - but in Russia and Indonesia, countries with a strong educational system and a talented population, they have an chance to pick the best people -- and the embassies would literally fall apart without them.

Robyn Remeika and Fira in Jakarta (and I met Toto, Shita, and Ann Grimes there as well); John Taylor and Este in Surabaya and Bali, and Rachma Jaurinata in Sumatra all made the trip efficient and, I think, effective for themselves as well. I couldn't begin to record all they have done. I don't think Fira wants to run for office but I have worked hard on getting Este and Rachma into running for office -- they are the kind of candidates Indonesia needs. Este and Rachma were also my translators and did an outstanding job (I think). Talking to them after a presentation made my talks better and gave me a lot of insight into the issue behind the questions. I think they also blunted some of the hard edges of my answers (answers tend to get blunter by the time you are into the 15th repetition). Rachma was the only person from the Consulate I met in PekanBaru (sumartra) and she not only ran the program she, at my request, set up evening dinners with local party people that were very informative -- and I think interesting for them as well.

Final Days in Jakarta

My final days in Jakarta saw me go to the Foreign Ministry to talk to their North American group, a non-governmental democracy organization, a newspaper interview, and the US Indonesian society. These were very different audiences from students.

I was surprised when I went to the Ministry that there was much less security than at my hotel. There was almost none I could detect. We pulled right up, I walked right in. No badge, no ID check. Can you imagine walking into the State Department like that?

My hotel has built its entrance out 50 feet from the actual lobby door. Your car has to go through a gate where the hood is opened and the undercarriage checked with mirrors and bomb detection devices (this was not true outside of Jakarta). When you get out you have to walk through a metal detector. The hotel was bombed a few times a little ways (years) back.

Humans are poor planners but good responders. Many here think that only westerners are targets because, well, that has been true -- but the local terrorist cells (of which the Indonesian government has been pretty effective in reducing and eliminating) are no happier with Indonesian foreign policy (the reality not the rhetoric) than with US foreign policy. If they were ever to gain strength again I would guess they might change tactics. The "shoe bomber" has now forced americans (no where else that I have found) to take off their shoes at airports -- thank god he didn't hide the bomb in his underwear.

The groups listed above were all educated, well informed about the US elections, and had strong views of the US foreign policy. The questions were the same but, for the first time, came not just the Jewish Lobby question but the "Jewish lobby influencing the campaign" question -- in this instance against Clinton. I will post my answer later in an "here is what I said feel free to disagree post".

US Indo was a very interesting group -- people who had the time to attend and had, for the most part, done very interesting things with their lives. More questions there about the technical aspects of elections and more at the Ministry about domestic views on foreign policy. There were almost thirty questions in all between the two groups.

The democracy group reminded me of similar groups in Russia. It was a little hard to determine their role and funding. They operated out of what appeared to be a house and had a nice meeting room and a very nice little library. The library was full of books on political philosophy, government, policy, etc. They had Habermas, Marx, Burke, Foucault, and a hundred other writers -- all available for student research. They also provided computers. The place was packed with researchers. Very impressive.

Their session was a little different with people presenting longer comments rather than questions and more of a discussion -- which sometimes didn't seem to ever touch -- ensued. One man asked a question so long that, in the course of it, I changed my mind as to whether he was a socialist, a communist, or a right wing fanatic twice in the course of his talk. At the end I just said "yes" and there was about a three second delay and then laughter.

The newspaper wanted to know who was going to win and why they were weak. Almost no one asks anything about McCain -- it is like he doesn't exist here -- it is all Clinton and Obama -- and Clinton only exists as a person that is currently making Obama more interesting by staying in the race.

Books

I like to go into bookstores and see what the "hot sellers" are because they tell you a lot about what an area is thinking. I can't read Bahasa but some of the books don't take much imagination and once I had a translator.

The hot books in indonesia are about love, weight loss, being more religious, gossip, health, parenting, and making more money -- just like in the United States.

The difference is in the political book section. There the books seem to focus on how awful the US is, how great Ahmadinejād is, and Barack Obama.

One shelf featured five books (prominent -- I wasn't searching in the back) in order

Bush/Hitler a Comparison
a translation of Obama's memoirs "The Audacity of Hope" which translates into "The Audacity of Hope"
A book called "Ahmadinejād" Nuclear Savior
An Ahmadinejād comic book for kids
A book covering the mass murders caused by American presidents since Truman

Tour of China Town

Jakarta is a business city -- a place people at every end of the economic chain find themselves in because they are there to make money. My understanding of the history of the city (which is weak) is that the Dutch built it up as a port to -- make money.

The older part of the city (which I heard referred to as Kuta, China Town, and the old city) is being redone as a tourist area but that is only the dream of some planner right now (and her imagination must be tremendous). You can hire a guide to drive you around (I suppose walk too but that option didn't occur to anyone) and point out things.

We went into two buildings -- a bank built by the dutch and a watch tower -- built by the Dutch. You could get a feeling for the early construction and the fort patterns used by the colonists but all was a confused jumble of shacks, trucks, and trash. One of the museums had come down in the rain. At the end of the town, on the ocean, is a working port and the combination of a (small) working port and the aspiration to be a tourist place has not worked well. Still, there is potential. One square had been nicely redone and given time it might turn into a nice area with some historical worth to both visitors and residents.

University of Indonesia
Al Azhar was new and shiny. University of Indonesia was older and not as shiny but still a good University. Indonesian students often live at home and commute to school. They find the American style of the child going to college at 18 and being “on their own” to be strange, especially for women. This, no doubt, has economic and social roots. So the schools are commuter schools.

I still haven’t figured out the educational hierarchy with Rectors, Vice Rectors, Deans, teachers, professors, etc – but a lot of them have been to the U.S.. We all met in a small conference room before the meeting. Food, coffee, and tea are served and an introductory discussion initiated.

I’m always in a hurry. Indonesians, once off the scooter, are usually not, so there is a little dance. If it is a 9:00 talk I want to get there at 8:50 so I can set up. They want to get there at 9:15 and assume their technical people will set up for me. This almost never works but I will say that between the MAC PC issues, flash drives, speakers, etc. we have figured it out every time.

The classroom at UI looked just like a U.S. classroom – not a lecture hall but a room with desks seating about 40 people. The students looked just like US students – jeans, Tee Shirts. There was not much traditional muslim dress but Indonesian women, although they wear clothes very tight, do not show much skin – and comment about how their friends who have gone to America or become American dress in a more revealing manner.

My talk lasted about 50 minutes and then three students in the International Relations club gave a talk that lasted 10 minutes about U.S. Foreign Policy. They don’t like it. The usual questions appeared but they were very detailed. One student wanted to know about Barry Goldwater – I didn’t expect that. A female student questioned whether Obama being black would affect his governing were he elected. I said I didn’t think so and it might even be useful overseas to show a different face for America.

Students at both Universities were of the highest quality. Their questions were excellent and they were genuinely interested. There is a very different quality to Indonesian students. They are less “world weary” (how can you be world weary at 19?) and are more than happy to ask to take a picture with you and not at all embarrassed to send a follow up email or ask a question.

Boys usually ask the first questions but, with encouragement, women ask just as many. Both classes had a roughly equal number of men and women.

The Foreign Policy question always follow a pattern. I say I’m not a Foreign Policy expert but they ask and I give my opinion. I make it clear it is only my opinion and many in the U.S. would disagree with it and, in fact, on some issues I may be a clear minority. They appreciate that my answers are blunt and detailed and not particularly diplomatic. They are interested in:

1) The US/Muslim world relations in general
2) Palestine/Israel
3) Iraq
4) And to a lesser extent foreign trade/barriers

First Few Days and Al Azhar

The first few days were very busy. In Jakarta I have spoken to the United States Indonesian Society (a group of people devoted to furthering connections between the two countries); the National Democratic Institute, the University of Indonesia, Al Azhar University, and the Foreign Ministry (equivalent to our State Department).

The University of Indonesia is a public school and Al Azhar privately funded.

I am here to talk about the American campaign and I have a computer presentation. In Jakarta the talks are not translated but I go very slow.

I have also created a presentation that is almost all pictures and numbers so my talk with it is very different from my talk without it so there is always a lot of fussing with technology.

In the other places they will be translated which means I have to cut them down in half. One important part of the talk are TV commercials I have for all of the major candidates – except for Governor Romney. I forgot those.

The Huckabee/Chuck Norris commercial is always a huge hit. Huckabee serves two purposes – the ad is really very funny and illustrates a lot about American politics (gun control, immigration, religion, the desire to like the candidate) AND everyone here knows Chuck Norris. He is more recognizable than all of the candidates except Obama.

The routine in Jakarta is to leave with plenty of time to get thru traffic. I didn’t find the people in Jakarta to be “late” or on “Indonesian Time”. People were early or late depending on traffic conditions. If you could improve the commute you would be president for life.

On arrival the driver negotiated a parking space with the person “in-charge” of the lot. Lots are unbelievably cramped and Indonesians may be the most talented parkers in the world. In fact, their driving skills in-toto are impressive. I have never seen anyone lose their temper in the face of the worst mess you have ever seen and driving is very aggressive. People pass all the time and EVERY Indonesian signal – flashing light, horn, whatever – means “I’m not slowing down.”. But they navigate in remarkably good humor. Its an odd combination of the calm and the frantic.

Parking lot people have vague functions. They wave you in various directions and sometimes the driver pays attention. They help you into the space even if you don’t need it, and they get a tip. They probably also watch over your car. In a city with 20 percent (estimates vary), such jobs are critical.

On arrival you are greeted by or taken to the people in charge. You sit down, exchange cards and talk. This is very helpful to a speaker because it gives you a chance to really know what people are interested in. A lot of Jakarta intellectuals have studied in the U.S.

My first trip was to Al Azhar University. It is a new school that combines Islamic Character education with Business and Engineering degrees. Companies donate to the school because they are looking for people with such skills. It is really an act of genius to combine the two – it makes everyone feel good and they raise a ton of money. The facilities were all new and the lecture hall was better than most at UMass.

The officials at Al Azhar had degrees from USC, MIT, and, I think, Ohio State. One had lived in Iowa in the Sixties as an exchange student and another had lived in Dayton Ohio for ten years. He had worked at the same place my father had.

The audience was about 50 people which included students and professionals. One former Indonesian Ambassador to the U.S. and various and sundry former cabinet officials were there. To my surprise (and joy) two of our Teacher Alumni were there so I didn’t feel so alone. I was a little nervous.

There was the usual fuddling about with technology. I have a Mac and they are all set up for PC. I also have commercials to show and need sound as well so there is always a little anxiety but people are very technically competent and I’m used to this part of the deal so we started on time. I spoke for 45 minutes on the structure of US elections, the candidates, the “two” campaigns, the candidates, advertising, voting, and, yes, the electoral college.

To explain the electoral college I had a slide with three blocks representing the states of Java, Sumatra, and Borneo – all with 1000 voters and 3 electoral votes and I worked out the situation if someone won two of them by 2 votes and lost the third by 600. They got that for the most part.

At the end the questions were taken by a moderator. In a lot of cases they take three questions at once and you then answer – this is pretty efficient.

Like academics everywhere they take a long time to ask the question and it is often in the form of “I have one question, but it has three parts”.

The first days questions were similar to what I got the rest of the time. Here is a flavor from Al Azhar University.

Will race hurt Obama?
Will gender hurt Clinton?
What are he strengths and weaknesses of the candidates?
Will American foreign policy change? (this was always hopeful)
What is the Electoral College again?
What about Native Americans?
Are the recent shootings of students at US colleges political?
What do you think about Indonesian democracy?
What could Indonesian democracy do differently?
Does the Jewish lobby have too much influence?
Why do Americans own guns?
What is the method of fundraising in the US (and the role of money in politics)?
Who will win?
Is two parties enough?
What are the differences between Republicans and Democrats?

Method

I don’t remember where , but I read that irony was part of the post modern consciousness because we had so much information we were at the point where everything had been done and you had read about it. Knowing that everything you were doing had been done by someone else (and probably recorded in a more interesting way) forces you to bring something new to your experience and that is often an ironic distance. You know and you need to show you know – thus ironic distancing.

This is overdone but there is a feeling for me, as a traveler, that someone has always been there before, seen things more originally, and written about it in a more clever and entertaining manner. This isn’t the humble statement at the beginning of the note – it is just always there, making you worry if your experience is real, new, or original. This thought must drive a lot of adventure travel efforts (see the back of “Outside Magazine”).

The good of this drive for originality is that some writers do force us to see the world in a different way but part of this is that they combine doing something new with seeing it in an original manner. They try, with greater or lesser degrees of success, to see through a child’s eyes.

We have all had the experience of a little kid asking a question like “can you hit the moon with a rock?” The adult laughs and explains in a level of detail matched to the current adult energy level. But there is a thought that starts. How far away is the moon? How old is it? How did it get there? What is it? We can certainly find the answers to those in a book, and some people know them all, but the question serves to remind us of the power of wonder. The same effect happens when you travel in the U.S. with an international visitor and they ask a question about something you take for granted. You are forced (if you have any imagination – more about that later) to see it through new eyes.

So my goal here is to try to record things without irony. As a modern resident of a western nation that will be impossible – and in some cases irony is the only possible way to talk about a thing (like certain aspects of Indonesian and American politics. I will also try to not write as if I know more than I do. As an academic that may be impossible as well.

So from now on I’m going to try (it will be impossible) to capture what I’m doing and seeing with a “child’s eye”. I’m sure I will drop into American irony but you are what you are.

First Days

The twelve hour time difference is a lot but at least you know the time is the same number at home -- just not the same am or pm.  

On a vacation you aren't expected to function much but this is a high function expectation trip. With the confusion that attends jet lag layered on top of new money, lack of general physical orientation, different plugs and currents, the difficulties of communicating with home just getting your stuff together takes time.  

I also have to make  sure my handouts, computer program and presentation, videos, flash drive, MAC adapter, etc are always ready to go and  try and keep up with the news.  So life is always moving little things around from one place to another.

My first meeting was a small one -- a group of party leaders and academics.  We met at the hotel and I talked for 10 or 15 minutes and then we opened it up for questions.  They were very well informed.  A few had lived in the U.S. -- some for many years -- and their questions proved to be a nice introduction to future questions.  They asked:

1) Will the next President change American's foreign policy. Foreign Policy means, to them

a) Relations with the Islamic World

b) Iraq

c) Palestine/Israel

d) Trade policy and multi-lateralism in Southeast Asia

2) Race and Gender in the American Elections

3) The electoral college

4) Money in American Elections

5) My thoughts on the applicability of the American model of democracy in Indonesian -- which is sometimes a sub-set of a larger question "hey, what is the deal with this democracy thing anyway"

I will cover all of these in more detail later after I have a few more meetings -- but there is one question that comes up all the time and I find it a little strange -- "What is the power of the Jewish Lobby" in the United States and one of the reasons is the nature of the question. The power of lobbies; and the power of foreign lobbies, is a legitimate one but the question often seems to be hinting a the "jewish worldwide conspiracy" question.  It is also a little jarring given that, in almost every other way, the people I have talked to are better informed about the election than Americans.

My Friends

In my "first observations" note I described Jakarta but I did not come close to doing the city or the Indonesians justice. They will be the first to admit they have tremendous challenges -- they don't lack a sense of reality -- but it is a remarkable country and people.

The Civic Initiative has managed a number of programs for teachers and legislators in the US. People stay with us for six weeks weeks or so and the effort is intense for everyone involved. 

 Of the 24 teacher alumni, 23 have contacted me about my trip. They have taken me out every night I have been her, bought my dinner, purchased a phone and gave it to me, and showed me all over their city.  They brought me food, umbrellas, and beer (quite a touching effort for an Irish American to receive beer from friends in a muslim country).

This paragraph above doesn't capture their kindness. Driving is always a challenge and they have driven me all over. Money is an issue  but they have insisted on paying for everything. They have taken me to local eateries and ordered my food -- like people everywhere they are excited to show their country, their food, their daily life. They have organized my communications and made my stay here immeasurably better.  

As teachers they have stayed out late on school nights (they get up at 5 am) and, even after dropping me off at 10 or 11 still face a long commute home.  My friend Shadli (not a teacher -- a translator and pursuing his Masters in Economics has taken me all around and still remains one of the most acute political observers I have ever talked to.

Two of my friends came to my first talk and turned what could have been a nerve wracking experience into a near homecoming -- people were very surprised I knew people in the audience.  

There is already an organized event to go out in Surabaya with four or five other teachers (Surabaya is another city on my stop) and one teacher is flying, with her husband, to Bali -- for one day -- to have breakfast with me -- again -- this is not an easy thing for them.

They have also shown me that what often appears a chaotic to an observer has a purpose, a history -- and isn't always changed so they have been the best tour guides possible.

The old joke

Heaven is:

Where the police are British,

the chefs are italian

the mechanics are German

the lovers are Irish-Americans

and everything is organized by the Swiss

should have the addition "and the ambassadors are Indonesian"

So to my Jakarta friends Ika, Saara, Hikmah, Shadli, Sila and Yus (Yus who, after seeing me, took 9 hour bus ride to a ferry; a ferry to Sumatra, and a 2 hour motorcyle ride home) you have taken a trip and turned it from an interesting opportunity into a lifetime event.  Thanks!

First Impressions

The trouble with traveling in the modern world is that everyone has been everyplace and written reports more exciting than the reports you will probably write.  Magazines like "Outside" always publish incredibly interesting stories about incredibly interest people who traveled "extreme" like boating to New Guinea in a reed boat so they could take Psychotropic Plants during an Aboriginal ceremony before taking a fishing boat to Myamar and fomenting rebellion.

I flew from Hong Kong to Jakarta and landed on the 17th.  Not only did I not build my own reed boat, but the state department picked me up and drove me to the hotel.  Given the traffic that was probably a good thing. Cities like Lagos, Mumbai, and Jakarta are, and have been, growing beyond the physical space or government's capacities. For me to write about it leaves me open to the charge "wow, Mike went to Jakarta and realized it was large, chaotic, and poor."  Well, I knew that but seeing is a different order from thinking.

The city has 12,000,000 people. Much of the growth has come since the 1980's. The population is very young and growing rapidly. Current estimates put Indonesian economic growth at 6.3%, which isn't bad, but the unemployment rate is 30%.

The cities physical resources are stretched to the limit.  The roads are packed with cars, motorcycles, scooters, cabs, big buses, little buses, bikes, and small three wheeled orange transport vehicles.  You can flag anyone down for a ride, at almost anytime, but with variable results.  There are few traffic lights and drivers haven't fully grasped their purpose. This is just a blog where I'm typing quickly, and its purpose isn't to talk about traffic, but it is impossible to overestimate the chaos of transportation -- two political observations about it.

1) Mayors in the U.S. have known for a long time -- successful ones -- that gun control, war, and abortion get a lot of headlines but the day to day frustrations of a person's life has more of a political impact on opinion. People in Jakarta, without exception, talk about the traffic and it is a major frustration. No one knows exactly what to do about it, but it is on everyone's mind. Other daily frustrations include clean water, minor corruption (someone told me that Indonesia doesn't have organized crime, they have the police), and slow progress on construction projects.

2) People deal with it. Human beings are remarkably flexible and Indonesians -- and this is the most important point -- are very innovative. Scooter drivers will take people places for a negotiated fee -- there are all manners of transports and people know how to get around -- I wouldn't recommend experimenting for a tourist but if you live here -- well, you know how to live here -- and this leads me into the political part with one final observation --

2a) The place has an incredible amount of energy and a mixture of hope and disappointment.  People are very proud of being Indonesian and the local area they are from, as well as being from Jakarta. All of my friends want me to like their city -- they are not blind to its faults -- but they also understand that there is hope.  People start businesses everywhere -- there is a large, literate population, a decent education system, strong family culture, and a willingness to innovate at the individual level. Businesses are everywhere -- skyscrapers, malls and -- right next to them -- street huts with vendors selling everything from peanuts, boiled eggs, noodles, toys, and pirated viagra.  

Small c capitalism is evident.  In a city with millions of scooters there a also a lot of tiny -- tin three walled huts really -- that fix scooters.  They are right on the road.  A quick glance would reveal very little relationship with an "american business" -- we are talking about 5 x 10 at the most -- but I had a chance to talk to one guy for a while and it was fascinating.  He has most of his own tools but scooter maintenance doesn't take much (there are a lot of reasons people have scooters). His rent is nearly zero because he isn't supposed to be there but moving wouldn't be difficult when required.  He is right on the street and people can scoot in, have a seat -- he has a couple of stools -- get some noodles and meatballs or tea/soda at the stall next door -- and read a paper (people do a lot of newspaper/magazine reading) and scoot out.  Because most of the traffic is either commuters or people taking commuters (or students) they follow the same patterns on the road every day and know where to find their mechanic -- so service does keep people coming back.  Service, relaxation, a paper, low cost, high volume, and location.  People figure things out.

I don't in any way mean this as an "everything is ok" note but writers so often focus on the negatives -- and often that is just because they don't spend enough time to see through chaos -- chaos is generally just one person not knowing what is going on yet -- and look to see where the people take their chances.   I did visit a very poor area (I'm trying to avoid the word "slum" it is overused and people bring with it their own images). People lived, literally, on the margin. 

It is the rainy season so puddles are everywhere and in this area they accumulated filth right away. People lived in huts constructed of metal, wood, or whatever else might be found. There was some electricity pirated off of local poles. Water was (and I never figured this out) either from a local well where people waited in line, a group shower -- again where people waited in line -- or collection systems to process rainwater.  Jakarta is mostly BELOW sea level (think about that) and so you don't have to go down very far in your water search to find brackish, not fresh, water. There is no discernible pattern (again, to me, a quick visitor -- people knew where they were) and a lot of people with very little to do.  Basic sanitation was an issue.

All of this is old news but, again, to see it -- and have a guide so you could talk to people -- was, at least for me, different.  No one knows who will decide "the future of the world" or even whatever the hell that means -- but as much of the world looks at Bush, Kosovo, Terror, elections, etc. a lot of our the critical issues of our time ==  environmental questions; issues of political stability; demographics, health and disease and the romantic drama that can always be played out between the demagogue and desperate -- is happening in these megacities. George Orwell said "To see what is in front of one's nose needs a constant struggle." so I feel a little less guilty making some observations that so many have made before me. 

Draft Schedule

Below is my draft scheduled for a trip to Indonesia. The trip is sponsored by the State Department. I will be addressing the general topic of campaigns in the U.S. and the 2008 presidential election more specifically.

In this blog I will record trips and events but I want to focus on the challenges of talking about the U.S. form of campaigning to an international audience and sharing the kind of questions that come up in each session.

Mike

Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, is home to over 13 million residents. Jakarta represents the diversity of Indonesia’s ethnic groups, it is a city teeming with activity.

Sunday, Feb 17

1:15 PM Arrive Jakarta on CX 777 from Hong Kong.
Met at airport by Assistant Cultural Attaché Robyn Remeika with
Embassy’s driver and vehicle, proceed to J.W. Marriott Hotel.

Accommodations: J.W. Marriott Hotel
Jalan Lingkar Mega Kuningan, Jakarta
Tel: (62-21) 579-88888, Fax: (62-21) 579-88833
Cost per night: $121.00 net
A breakfast buffet is included in the cost of your room.


Monday, Feb 18 (Presidents’ Day Holiday)

09:00-11:30 AM. Discussion and meeting at the Center for Strategic &
International Studies (CSIS)- (to be confirmed)
Inviting policy institute scholars, political parties,
election commission members, social activists, NGOs, and media
journalists.

Venue : CSIS Office. Jl. Tanah Abang III/23-27
Telephone: (62-21) 3865532 / 35
Contact: Mr. Bantarto Bandoro – Director of Operational,
Inquiring the Possibilities (mobile: 0818 48 3461)

12:00 PM Lunch


2:00-4:00 PM Discussion at the Freedom Institute (to be confirmed)

Address: Jl. Irian No.8 Menteng. Jakarta Pusat
Telephone: (62-21) 31909226/7
Contact Person:
Mr. Hamid Basyaib – Program Director (0816-1302-379).
Bp. Aan – Program Administrator (0817-851-050)


Tuesday, Feb 19


10:00 AM Guest lecture at Al Azhar University (to be confirmed)
Audience: 80-100 Graduate students, lecturers, and researchers.

Al Azhar University
Contact: Dr. Ir. Ahmad Husin Lubis, M.Sc. – Vice Rector for
Academic Affairs (Mobile: 0816-115-8834)
Follow-up with Bpk. Lutfi (staff)
Address: Jl. Sisingamangaraja, Kebayoran Lama, Jakarta Selatan
Telephone: (62-21) 7279-2753
Fax: (62-21) 724-4767

12:00 - 1:30 PM Lunch


2:00 – 4:00 PM Interactive discussion at Department of Foreign Affairs (DEPLU)
P3K2 Amerop (The Centre for Policy Analysis & Development on
American & European Regions) (confirmed)

Audience: 30 – 40 DEPLU mid- to high- level staff members and
selected individuals from political think tanks, political parties,
polling bodies, etc

Address: Ruang Sunda Kelapa, Gedung Utama DEPLU
Jl. Taman Pejambon 6
Contact person:
- Shirley Malinton, Deputy Head of Centre for American Regions
(0856-156-6878)
- Cahya : Staff P3K2 (0815-7459-7249)

Office Phone: (62-21) 3844584, 344-508 ext.5646

5:00 – 6:30 PM Guest lecture at University of Indonesia (confirmed)
Faculty of Social and Political Science (FISIP)
Audience: Approximately 100 Post-graduate students, lecturers,
and researchers.

Contact: Drs. Zainuddion Djafar, MA – Chairman, Dept of
International Relations, FISIP
Lina / Itje (staff)
Address: Gedung Paska Sarjana FISIP HI Lt.2&3
Universitas Indonesia, Jl. Salemba Raya.
Telephone: (62-21) 314-2285
Fax: (62-21) 314-2285


Wednesday, Feb 20

7:00 AM Media program (Possible live Metro TV interview) – (to be arranged and confirmed with IO Section)

10:00 – 11:45 AM Discussion and meeting with Mr. John A. Prasetio, Chairman of
International Department of Indonesian Chamber of Commerce
(KADIN). (confirmed)
Economic Section will join (name tba)
Venue: Menara KADIN Indonesia, 17th Fl
Jl. HR. Rasuna Said Blok X-5, Kav 2-3

Contact: Titi (Secr) – (62-21) 2553-5699
Ponny Widjaja (PA) – (62-21) 2553-5683/0818-893930

Status: KADIN has confirming its participation in the program,
will wait for the confirm time & format by 1ST of Feb.

12:00 PM LUNCH

2:00 - 3:30 PM Media roundtable with editorial board members at Kompas or
other media outlet (to be arranged and confirmed by IO Section)



Thursday, February 21

6:30 AM Leave hotel for airport with Embassy’s vehicle

8:10 AM Depart Jakarta for Denpasar on GA 402
10:55 AM Arrive Denpasar, Bali
12:00 PM Check in hotel

Accommodation:



12:30 - 1:45 PM Lunch

2:00 – 4:00 PM Udayana University, Denpasar

4:30 – 5:30 PM Media event (talk show at a local radio or TV), at radio Cassanova or RRI Bali


Friday, Feb. 22

7:00 – 10:00 AM Depart Denpasar for Singaraja

10:00 AM - Program at State Education University of Ganesha (UNDIKSHA)
12:00 PM Singaraja

12:30 – 2:00 PM Lunch with local KPU (General Election Commission) members and local politicians

2:00 - 5:00 PM Depart Singaraja for Denpasar



Saturday, Feb. 23 BALI - rest



Sunday, Feb. 24

4:00 PM Depart Denpasar for Surabaya by GA 3434:10 PM Arrive Surabaya

Accommodations: Majapahit Hotel (Confirmation No 177535)
Address: Jalan Tunjungan 65, Surabaya
Room rate: USD 90.00 net inclusive breakfasts
Hotel telephone: (62-31)5454-333, hotel fax (62-31)5454-111


Monday, Feb. 25

9:00 – 11:00 AM Guest lecture at International Relations - Airlangga University

11:30 AM – 12:30 Lunch

1:00 - 3:00 PM Presentation hosted by Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) of East Java

4:00 - 5:00 PM Talk show at JTV or SBO TV or Suara Surabaya Radio.


Tuesday, Feb 26

7:30 AM Leave hotel for airport

9:00 AM Leave Surabaya for Jakarta on GA 30910:20 AM Arrive Jakarta11:30 AM Leave Jakarta for Pekanbaru on GA 174
1:05 PM Arrive Pekanbaru

Met at airport by --- with

Accommodations:
Address:
Room rate: USD - - net inclusive breakfast




3:00-4:00 PM Presentation on
Candidates and Campaigns in U.S. Elections
Venue: Universitas Riau
Participant: Students and Activists

____________OR_________________

4.00 PM Interview with local Riau Post on U.S. Election 2008
Venue: Riau Post

7.30 PM Dinner with Local Political Party Leaders
Venue: TBD


Wednesday, Feb. 27

9.30 AM Session I Presentation on:
Voting Demographics: Using What You Know About Electorates
Venue: Public Library
Participant: Political party cadres

12.00 PM Lunch

1.30 PM Session II: Workshop: Effective Campaign Communications
Venue: Public Library
Participant: Political party cadres

TBD PM Live Radio Broadcast: Campaign 2008 – The U.S. Presidential
Election
Venue: TBD Station


Thursday, Feb. 28

9.30 AM Session I Presentation on Congressional Elections in the United
States
Venue: Riau Provincial Information Center
Participant: Public Services, Public Leaders, KPU, LSI

12.00 PM Lunch

1.30 PM Session II: Workshop: Q&A: The U.S. 2008 Presidential Election
Venue: Riau Provincial Information Center
Participant: Public Services, Public Leaders, KPU, LSI

TBD PM Local TV Broadcast Campaign 2008 – The U.S. Presidential
Election
Venue: TBD Station


Friday, Feb. 29

8.00 AM Breakfast with Leading media editors

9.30 AM Visit to Elephant Sanctuary, arranged by Chevron (optional)

12.00 PM Lunch with Chevron and Singaporean Consul (optional)

5.15 PM Depart Pekanbaru to Singapore with GA 844
7:15 PM Arrive Singapore