"if the man goes home, the lady gets a small house, that is good isn't it?"

Indonesia's vice president Jusuf Kalla


Kalla saw nothing wrong with Arab men paying local women to marry and then divorcing them
days or hours later, and suggested the practice _ dismissed by critics as legalized
prostitution _ could boost tourism. Jusuf Kalla made the off-the-cuff remarks at a travel industry
seminar on how to attract more Arab visitors to Indonesia. It was not clear whether he was joking,
though his comments caused laughter in the audience. Kalla said that many Arab tourists currently
traveled to the hill town of Puncak near Jakarta to enter into short-term marriage contracts with
Indonesian women. "We need different kinds of marketing campaigns, more targeted.
At the moment most Arabs go to Puncak. If they go there looking for widows or divorcees that is not our
business, it is not a problem," he said Wednesday. Source: Leader praises 'legalised prostitution' (Scotsman)
 

Arabs encouraged to pay for sex with women in Indonesia
Indonesia's vice president said he saw nothing wrong with Arab men paying local women to marry and then divorcing them days or hours later, and suggested the practice -- dismissed by critics as legalized prostitution -- could boost tourism. (newsinf)

Indonesia suspects Playboy editor, model
A Playboy magazine editor and a centerfold model who appeared in the first edition in Indonesia were named by police Thursday as suspects in an indecency case, a move praised by religious hard-liners in the predominantly Muslim country.(Yahoo)

Indonesia 'failed inits response to bird flu' (Financial Times)
New prisoner deal may not help Corby, Bali nine
Bogus asylum claims 'won't be tolerated' (The Age)
Indonesian police use global system to combat online child exploitation
Australia, Indonesia police bust major drug ring
Indonesia promises less hazy year for SE Asia


 

World Cup causes woes for Indonesian power firm

A man walks by a billboard advertising soccer broadcasting in Jakarta. World Cup fever in Indonesia is causing headaches for the state-run power company PLN, which expects to end up more than a million dollars out of pocket as fans stay up late to watch matches.With capacity already overstretched by massive growth in domestic consumption, PLN has had to generate the extra energy being drained from its system using costly fuel. (Yahoo)

Photo in the News: "Chameleon" Snake Found in Borneo Forest
A newly discovered snake species from Indonesia can switch from brown to white in a matter of minutes, WWF researchers recently announced. (National Geographic )

A Nuclear Future For An Earthquake Country?
Indonesia is pressing ahead with plans to construct a nuclear power plant on the densely-populated slopes of Mount Muria – a dormant volcano in Jepara regency on the northern coast of Central Java – despite concerns over the enforcement of safety standards and the area’s susceptibility to earthquakes. (Paras Indonesia)

FROM  THE EDITOR:

Last night we were late for a Hindu wedding. Lens had to do a Podcast interview first. It is definitely worth to download, as it includes a live acoustic version of the BuGils song (which is becoming fast one of the most downloaded songs of Indonesia!). The above link will bring you to the live interview with Indonesia correspondent for Time Magazine Jason Tedjasukmana and the free download of the BuGils song. Check it out at http://www.EquinoxDMD.com/podcast.html

I decided to share a car with with my friends Lens and GG. It was the Hindu wedding of Suppy and Chris, who met each other in BuGils a year earlier. Finally,  out of the Semanggi traffic jams, we jumped on the toll road in the direction of this Hindu temple in North Jakarta. However, only after a few minutes, the car started spluttering. The  driver slowly bowed forward over the steering wheel to check out his dashboard. GG, who was sitting next to him, also looked over. 'What's up?' he asked the driver, 'a problem?'. The driver didn't reply anything, but in the meanwhile the car started shuddering more frequently. 'Out of petrol maybe?', I asked quietly.  'You didn't fill it up, did you?', GG asked his employee in disbelief . The car was now almost coming to a standstill. The driver bowed forward again and spoke in a dry tone: 'lampu itu dari pagi udah nyala...' (that light has been burning since morning...). With a few firm shocks the car came to a final stand, just on top of the overpass between Grogol and Latumenten. In total disbelief we were all silently looking at the driver, as if he would come with an immediate solution, a few abracadabra words, so we could get the show rolling again. But he didn't say anything. He just sat quietly in his driving seat while trucks and busses dangerously maneuvered around us in full speed, pressing on loud horns. 'Why didn't you fill up the tank this morning!!?'. GG asked the poor man. Suddenly the driver mumbled something unclear and jumped out of the car. 'Where is he going?', asked Lens. All three of  us turned around to see where the driver was going. At the same time the car started rolling. He was pushing it while nobody had taken over the steering wheel yet! GG quickly pulled the handbrake and moved over the driving seat. The poor driver started pushing again, and a few minutes had passed before we actually realised our disgusting colonial behavior; we should help the poor man to push the car. (not sure what we would have done if it would have been raining though). And so we did.

It was an example of one of these seldom moments where we, expats in Indonesia, have to solve something ourselves with an actual physical effort. Normally, when you have a flat tire, it is just so easy to give a few rupiahs to a nearby local and ask him to organise it. You want a coffee? Don't even ask; your servant has it ready for you. Even in the bar, where waiting expat customers will ask the waitress: 'Do I have a wooden mouth or what? A beer and quickly please.' You try that back home. No, you wouldn't even dare.

Lens is new in the bar business and he is doing all right. But the mood in Indonesia is shifting and he realised it all to well two days ago. He had repeatedly told the staff in Eastern Promise to lit candles, to create a more cozy atmosphere. When he came in and saw that the candles were not yet burning, he told the staff: 'I want to see candle light!' The staff understood the message and went back to work and only one minute later one staff member came with a matchbox that she silently put on the table in front of him. Now what would you do, dear expat? Tell them to light the candles immediately or would you silently grab the matches and do it yourself? I tell you, the mentality is shifting and maybe it is a good thing after 60 years of freedom.

This morning I decided to take more tasks in my own hands: I made my own coffee. Even my daughter was staring at me. What is daddy doing?!? Is he ok? I will not even try to describe the look at the face of the servant. She probably thought she was about to be fired. I enjoyed my coffee more then ever for the simple reason I made it myself. Then I decided to wash my car MYSELF. That must have been 15 years ago! But I (luckily)  discovered I had no cleaning 'lap' so I keep that for another day. My point is that the expat mentality should change as well. We should push our cars if we are out of fuel. The driver is a driver and should stay behind the wheel. Its all fine with me...but only as long as it doesn't rain...  And from now on, it is self service in BuGils. Pour your own beer, you spoiled expat... -- Bartele

China soccer bias forces apology

Man pulls TV from house fire to watch soccer   - A Beijing soccer fan refused to let the small matter of his house burning down disturb his enjoyment of Tuesday's World Cup match between France and Spain. -  BEIJING (Reuters)

50 yuan for breath of "World Cup air"  BEIJING (Reuters) - A Chinese entrepreneur who once tried to sell land on the moon is hoping to cash in on China's obsession with the World Cup by offering fans bags of stadium air.

Operation removes lightbulb from anus

Fateh Mohammad, a prison inmate in Pakistan, says he woke up last weekend with a glass lightbulb in his anus. "Thanks Allah, now I feel comfort", Mohammad, a grey-beared man in his mid-40s, told Reuters. Mohammad, who is serving a four-year sentence for making liquor, prohibited for Muslims, said he was shocked when he was first told the cause of his discomfort. He swears he didn't know the bulb was there. MULTAN, Pakistan (Reuters)

BP Migas Says ConocoPhillips Still Keen on Aceh Field

Want to Job-Hop in Comfort? Move to Indonesia

It seems someone had simply forgotten to write into the labor code that employees were to be compensated if they're fired, not if they quit of their own accord. That oversight, of course, makes Indonesia an ideal place for job-hoppers. Except for company directors, everyone else is covered by a ``we-pay-as-you-go'' norm. With luck, one might even get a signing bonus from the new employer, making switching jobs an incredibly rewarding experience. I don't think I can begin to describe just how bizarrely one-sided the Indonesian labor laws are. So what happens when someone is really sacked? Read here... (Bloomberg)

ANALYSIS - Indonesia's corruption fight boomerangs on economy
When President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono came to power in Indonesia vowing to stamp out corruption, sceptics scoffed it was an impossible task in a country where bribes are demanded from the cradle to the grave. (Reuters)

The older we get, the more we suspect Indonesia: poll
SUSPICION towards Indonesia strengthens with age, according to a poll that finds the young are twice as likely as the elderly to hold a positive view. (SMH)

Spread of Islamic Law in Indonesia Takes Toll on Women

To a passer-by, the dress and demeanor of Lilis Lindawati would have attracted little attention as she waited in the dark in this busy industrial city for a ride home. In a now widely recounted incident, Mrs. Lindawati, 36, was hustled into a government van that clammy February evening by brown-uniformed police, known as tranquillity and public order officers. Mrs. Lindawati insists she is not a prostitute. (New York Times)

Cleaning Up the Mess

THE Bakrie family are being pressured to compensate the losses incurred in the East Java mudflow disaster. The thousands of cubic meters of hot mud that buried three villages, left dozens of hectares of rice fields destroyed, forced several factories to close and thousands of residents to evacuate, came from Lapindo Brantas Inc.’s improper drilling activities. The drilling contractor is Alton Intl. Indonesia, a subsidiary of Alton Intl. Singapore. A careful investigation reveals that both Lapindo and Alton have a connection to the Bakrie family... (Tempo)

In Remotest Indonesia, Unfinished Business
Here, in the chilly central highlands of Papua, Yumbologon Wandikbo wears nothing but an orange-beaded choker and a covering known as a penis gourd, a custom of his Dani tribe. "When we get freedom," he said with a hint of defiance, "I will put on clothes." (Washington Post)

Indonesia: Discovering Lombok

Lombok promoters believe that plans to improve the island's accessibility -- including a new international airport -- will bring them a bigger slice of the burgeoning tourist trade in Asia. (Miami Herald)

THE BUGILS STADIUM! 3500 LIMITED SEATS. FULL=FULL.
 

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JOB OFFER  - We are looking for a self motivated individual who is ready to be a part of our success, growth, and advancement opportunities in the entertainment industry. Our bar and restaurant chain in Jakarta is to expand our direct sales force to accommodate our ever-growing client base. Excellent interpersonal, communication and negotiation skills is a must for success. Restaurant industry experience a plus. Your task will be to drive sales, dealing with enquiries, promotion, organising events and building a customer database. For more info, email info@bugils.com               

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