"It is much cheaper for new airlines  to get

pilots by hijacking them from the Garuda.."


Ari Sapari, vice president for the flag carrier Garuda

Ailing national carrier Garuda Indonesia is undergoing a steady loss of scores of pilots to competitors who can offer better salary and work conditions. They may have lost some 120 pilots since 2004. Garuda currently employs around 580 pilots. Garuda is struggling to pay off its debts, which cost the airline some US$110 million a year in principle and interest payments.

Bali drug supplier suspect wasn't followed

INDONESIAN police said yesterday a Thai woman suspected of supplying the heroin to the Bali Nine got away because they did not have enough officers to track her in Bali. Resources were already spread thin tracking the nine Australians. Insp Gatra was testifying at the trial of three Australians facing a possible death penalty over charges of conspiring to export 8.3kg of heroin to Australia. (Herald Sun)

After mistakes, home construction on track in Aceh: WBank The construction of permanent homes for victims of a devastating tsunami in Indonesia's Aceh province is proceeding well after early mistakes in the reconstruction effort, the World Bank said.(AFP)

Also:  · One year on, tsunami survivors remember...and rebuild  · Former Aceh rebels in last weapons handover phase  · Indonesia Telkom, Russia's RSCC Sign Cooperation Agreement

Jakarta Expat Hockey Team wins international tournament

Against all odds Kombinasi, a Jakarta based Dutch-German field hockey team, secured a heroic victory at the International Tournament ZOAT 2005 in Bangkok. After beating last years winner China in the semifinals, Kombinasi outclassed archrival Singapore 2-0 in the final on November 27. It was the first win ever for Kombinasi since ZOAT started some twenty years ago. (BuGIls Daily)

BuGils All Stars impress in Phuket, Thailand

A group of regulars from the well known BuGils bar in Jakarta flew to Phuket recently to join in a football tournament. The shortage of players - a few of them missed the plane after an intensive quiz night in BuGils - was easily filled up with two Thai taxi drivers. They were also the only players to score a goal for the team that normally never wins. But never say never as they did manage a win against their fellow Jakarta rivals Do It United, who could not be reached for comments.


Indonesia, Russia mull satellite launch from island near Papua
Muslims will guard churches in Indonesia at Christmas

FROM THE EDITOR:

The new bar in Mega Kuningan had a rocky start. Besides the expected struggles with the local authorities in the area, there was the Clash between BuGils Staff and the Cazbar Staff. Where I had hoped on a friendly co-operation between the two groups, it escalated in a war. And as real generals they fought the battle while I was out of the country. The Cazbar lost the first major battle. The newly formed team had no chance against the well organised veteran team of BuGils. Three of the new Cazbar staff members retired immediately, not before slightly injuring one of the BuGils waitresses who infiltrated the Cazbar territory and tried to influence the Cazbar policies. Now all parties have retreated and it seems peace has returned, although Rock the Cazbar of The Clash is the favorite tune in BuGils nowadays.

When my father once met this man named Backandforth, he jokingly concluded to the man that he was better off being named 'Back and forth' than 'Up and down'. I remembered this when Leila (ex-BuGils staff) ask for a job in the new bar. I asked her what she was doing at the moment. She said she was working in the stock trade, trying to get people interested for the Hang-sang index. 'Good business?', I asked her. 'Muaah.... You know... Up and down... Hangsanglah.... A bit boring. Up and down, up and down...', she answered, clearly tired of her job. I hired her.

It is not always that I hire them because I think they look good or because they are experienced. Sometimes I give a job to someone because they need the job. I don't say this because I think I am Father Teresa, but I do think there has to be a balance. You hire one because you they can add to your business success, but you also hire to contribute to somebody's development. But now there is this one girl that I hired that starts to freak me. Cazbar in the early hours (open for breakfast from 07.00 AM onwards) is quiet. Often I am sitting alone at a table, reading a paper or eating a stroopwafel. Sometimes you just know when somebody is staring at you. This new girl is staring at me all the time. When I turn my head slowly in her direction, she will just stand there behind the bar, glazing at me with sleepy eyes. It makes me feel very uncomfortable. And every time a customers orders, she looks at me with almost desperate eyes and asks me 'Apa?'. I then repeat the order from a distance and she writes it down. A bit embarrassing, but Ok, she is new and needs to learn the trade.

Last week I took one of the funkier new waitresses to the studio (for the BuGils-Cazbar Calendar 2006) and she told me something that made me even more worry. Apparently, the particular waitress that likes to stare at me, freaks out every time I pick up my handphone!  'Oh no! Oh no! He is going to write another SMS to his friends telling them how bad a waitress I am!', she would panic to her fellow colleagues. When I heard this I thought it would be a good idea to praise her a few times, hoping it would make her feel more relaxed. And it did. It sure did.

A few days ago, I was the only person in Cazbar, having a coffee and reading the latest print-out of the Guardian. I was relaxed till I felt this cold chill again. I slowly looked to my left and there she stood again behind the bar: motionless. But this time she nodded friendly in my direction and she showed a very small, confident smile. I felt like shouting in her direction, just for once to see another expression on her face, but naah... It would take the poor girl ages to recover from that. I tried to ignore her and continued reading the newspaper. Then my handphone rang. After a short conversation I hang up. Suddenly I freaked out. She was standing right next to me! 'What!? What do you want?', I asked her. She quietly picked up the empty coffee cup. A short silence. Then, in a very innocent voice, she asked: 'Siapa tadi?' (who was that?) 'Uh.. That was uuh....' Just in time I realized the absurdness of the situation. Who was she to ask me to who I was talking too!? 'A friend', I said and I moved closer to the table again, waving her away. She returned to the bar and positioned herself in a staring mode again, probably trying to think who that friend could have been. She is now working in the evening shift.

The story is almost finished, but just not yet. Last night I left Cazbar with a friend to go to a gig of Superman Is Dead in Kemang (SID is playing in BuGils this Saturday night!). At the moment I left, the waitress that freaked me out so many times, quickly opened the door for me. 'Mau kemana?' (where are you going?) she wanted to know. 'I go to the moon', I answered. 'Oh...', she said understandingly but then quickly followed with: 'Mister Bart, aku mau tanya...' I stopped. 'Yes, what do you want to ask me this time?' 'Just now I gave a customer a bill and he said 'puk off! What does it mean, puk off?' I turned around and looked her in the eyes. Her eyes were big and innocent. She really had no idea. 'Mister Bart? Koh Mister Bart is staring at me?' I turned around and left quickly.

It was after midnight when I came home. The security guard in the apartment complex  checked my car.  'How is business?', he asked me. I shrugged my shoulders. 'My business is bar business, you know... In and out..., in and out...'. He probably didn't understood what I was saying but he smiled and greeted me once more. 'Have a good night, Mister Bart. Everything is safe here.'  He closed the car door again and I listened to the last few lines of Paul Simons' Slip Slidin' Away. Another day had safely passed...

Cheers, Bartele

Some more info: This Saturday SUPERMAN IS DEAD performs LIVE in BuGils. Big Dony and the Jaya Pub band will kick off this music night after which SID will perform later in the evening. No entrance fee. Please also note that the BuGils Birthday Party is scheduled for January 14th.
 

The Cazbar is located opposite the exit from Hotel Ritz Carlton, just accross the road on the corner of a building named Kantor Taman. Cazbar is in unit A1. Tel. 021-5764582

Open from 07.00 AM (breakfast) till midnight. Happy Hour Prices for beer until further notice. The second floor with bar, pool table and big screen can be rented for parties, launchings, etc. Contact bartele@thecazbar.com for more info.
 

ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD:

Canada's PM raps aide for "beer and popcorn" quip  Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin rapped a top aide on Tuesday for saying an opposition proposal to hand out cash for child care would merely result in parents spending the money on "beer and popcorn."

2005 Offers Fresh Tales of the Bizarre  NEW YORK - The Easter Bunny was hopping mad but kept his cool after being socked by a boy, a Wal-Mart greeter was sacked for showing a lot more than customers cared to see and a prep football coach was reprimanded for some eccentric licking.

German duped into paying thousands for 'exorcism' BERLIN (Reuters) - A German woman lost more than 5,000 euros ($6,000) after a would-be soothsayer convinced her she was possessed by evil spirits and prescribed an expensive exorcism as a remedy, authorities said on Wednesday.

 

Indonesia's Urea Stocks Too Low To Allow Export: Minister Indonesia's production of urea fertilizer is estimated to reach only 5.47 million tons, falling short of consumption of 5.49 million tons in 2006.

Indonesia Jan-Nov foreign investment up 21 pct y/y (Reuters) - Foreign direct investment approvals in Indonesia rose 21 percent to $11.69 billion from January to November from the same period in 2004, the state investment agency said on Thursday.

RECENT EDITIONS:

http://www.bartele.com/newsletters/Nov21nl2005.htm

http://www.bartele.com/newsletters/Nov10nl2005.htm

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