"I've always respected the system in Indonesia

and I've always encouraged Australians to believe in it....

Mr Howard


The Indonesian legal system has come under question in Australia after Gold Coast beauty student Schapelle Corby was sentenced to 20 years in jail for drug smuggling but radical Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir received only months for inciting the Bali bombings.Mr. Howard now thinks differently.  Source: Bomb sentence promotes confidence: PM (The Age)

 

'Detainee' in airport plunge
A STUDENT on his way home to Indonesia was airlifted to hospital in Sydney after he plunged from the third floor of Sydney Airport's international terminal. The Department of Immigration (DIMIA) denied claims by Greens senator Kerry Nettle today that the man may have been in the custody of the department when the incident occurred. (the Age)

Indonesia fuel payout for poorest
Indonesia is to give cash to millions of its poorest people to help them cope with imminent fuel price rises. Some 60 million Indonesians, living in 15.5 million households, will receive a 300,000 rupiah ($30; £16) subsidy over three months, the government said. (BBC)

Battle-hardened Aceh rebels in tears after long ride to devastated city -   Battle-hardened separatist guerrillas wept when they prayed at Aceh's main mosque for the first time in years after arriving in a tsunami-ravaged provincial capital that bore no resemblance to the one they saw so long ago. (Yahoo)

BuGils Staff Prepares for Southeast Asia Tour
Next week Monday 12 girls, one toddler and one Dutch Bar Manager will leave for Kuala Lumpur for their half yearly outing. From Tuesday till Friday the group will stay in Singapore near the Clarke Quay. Many expats in KL and Singapore have written emails, eager to know which bars the BuGils girls are planning to visit. If you want to know the details, send an email to info@bugils.com with in the subject line: BuGils Destruction Route 2005. The BuGils will not close during this period. Some 'oldies' will take over the bar. Come to BuGils next week and your nightmares will turn into reality... (BuGils Daily)

BuGils Music Program: Tonight (Thursday): Dony & The Jaya Pub Band) and coming Saturday: SONGS FOR THE DEAF - an all expat band playing a mix of favorite rock songs. The profits from this evening will go the BuGils Staff outing.

Separatist rebels in Indonesia's Aceh province handed over their first batch of weapons Thursday, a key part of a new peace deal that has brought hope to the tsunami-ravaged region. The handover was witnessed by international monitors overseeing the deal signed last month in Finland.

FULL STORY (CNN)

 

FROM THE EDITOR:

I now drive this open truck car as it is handy for my side business; the beer home deliveries. The satpams (security guards)  at the gates of my apartment had their eyes on the beer cartons already for a long time. 'Minta satu dong!',  was the standard greeting every time I would come home late. Especially the late night shifts, bored to death, always tried to get one or two bottles for free. I knew that once I would give in to it, I would have to give them on a daily basis. So I never did.

But last week when I parked my car in the basement in front of the elevator doors to unload some cartons, I made a big mistake. It was late and I was too tired and lazy to move the car away from the entrance. I left it there overnight. The next morning it had a one meter long scratch over the left side. Somebody clearly had been not happy that I had parked my car in front of the doors.

Three (!) days later this Satpam comes knocking on my door, with a wide grin on his face and some papers in his hand. 'Mister, your car was parked too close to the elevator last Saturday night. Why?', he asked me. The word 'mister' and the word 'why' were probably the only two English words he knew, because he kept on repeating them a few times.  'Why, mister? Why?' A bit irritated as that mistake had resulted in a scratch on my new car, I grasped the papers out of his hand. "What is this? Procedure? What procedure!? Somebody scratched my car and the security didn't see it because they were sleeping!' The smiling satpam turned into a surprised satpam. 'Loh, mister yang salah. (you were wrong!) You shouldn't have parked there! The commandant wants to know why you parked it there!' I was fed up with it. And that doesn't happen often. My pregnant babysitter and her pretty replacement from Solo quickly moved into a backroom, fearing the worse. 'Tell your commandant that his staff are alcoholics! They are always asking for free beers!' Now the surprised satpam turned into an angry satpam.  'Mister jangan begitu dong! (don't say that) Mister is rich, we are poor. We have to support our family. You understand?' I knew I was at the losing end again. If I didn't calm down, there was the risk of having more scratches on the car the next day or maybe some flat tires. 'Ok. I am not going to fill in these papers and I don't want to see your commandant. After all, it happened three days ago. Why did it take you three days to ask for an explanation!?' The satpam turned on his smile again. He relaxed his position. A slow and soft 'he, he, he...' indicated an  'I can help you out'  offer. 'My commandant found out that you are the man with the beer truck. I think he only wants to have a few bottles and he is ok again. He, he, he....' Even after 15 years of Indonesia, the surprises continue almost on a daily basis. I handed him the papers back. Without saying anything further I got some beers out of the chiller and gave them to the uniformed satpam. He was happily surprised by the sudden turn of events. A final 'Thank you Mister!' and he disappeared quickly.

When I closed the door, I couldn't help but smile. What a great way to get rid of my expired beer...  -- Bartele

ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD: 

Singapore bets on 'big wheel' lure -- Singapore is seeking to boost tourism with a giant Ferris wheel that planners say will be 43 meters taller than the London Eye, a similar attraction beside the River Thames. The Singapore Flyer project will be 178 meters (587 feet) high when it is completed in early 2008, and visitors will be able to see as far away as 45 kilometers (28 miles), with views of neighboring Malaysia and Indonesia. (CNN)

Hold your horses! Stallion in stud mix-up - In a case of mistaken equine identify, one of the world's top stallions earmarked for stud in Australia was sent from England to a farm in Ukraine, and a lesser known steed came to Australia in his place. (Yahoo)
 

Indonesia's Pertamina, Exxon to sign deal (Reuters)
ST. LOUIS  AND BOGOR SIGN AGREEMENT TO BOOST RELATIONS
INTERVIEW: Indonesia PLN May Get Double Subsidy In 2006
Indonesia's Mandala Airlines To Buy New Aircraft (Yahoo)
Indonesian oil hunt for Exxon

Missteps on fuel subsidies hit Indonesia’s credibility  - At just 24 cents a litre Indonesia has some of the cheapest petrol in the world and would continue to do so if government-set prices were hiked 50 per cent. But any such move is likely to be grudgingly accepted at best, and could lead to protests. That is because Indonesia’s subsidies have caused a strangely mutated public debate as well as distorting prices and causing a massive misallocation of budget resources. (Financial Times)

Katrina Is Felt From New Orleans to Jakarta
While the rise of crude oil in New York to a record $70.85 a barrel sent shockwaves around the world, few economies were more affected than Indonesia's. Its currency and stock market went into a freefall amid concerns that rising oil prices would derail Southeast Asia's biggest economy. (Bloomberg)

FOR SALE: STELLA ARTOIS - home delivery-free stroopwafels!

Rp.375.000,- for 24 bottles home delivered.  Order now and receive a pack of stroopwafels for free. Just send me an email with your address and when you want to have it delivered. Many other beers for home delivery available, like Kriek Bellevue, Hoegaarden, Duvel, Leffe, Asahi and others. bartele@bugils.com PS. If there is any beer that you would like to see available in Indonesia, please let me know.

Turbulence in Indonesia's skies
The crash of a commercial jetliner last week in Indonesia has focused to an unprecedented level public attention, and that of authorities, on air safety in a country where the crowded and competitive market has forced most carriers to cut costs and fares to avoid bankruptcy. Metro TV, which provided most of the on-the-spot televised coverage, warned, "In Indonesia it has become a common matter that passengers, including safety, are being sacrificed."(Asia Times)

HOTEL CRYSTAL is organising their 7th Charity Golf Tournament at the Jagorawi Golf Course on September 30th. All money raised through the entry fee, and auction will be donated to three worthwhile charities: KAMPUNG KIDS, HOGS ( Harley Davidson for cleft palette operations) and Old Folks Home in Ciputat. More info: Mark Aitken - satulagigolf@yahoo.com

The International School of Bogor (ISB)

is an international school offering high quality education, based on the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program, to children living in Indonesia. ISB offers a warm and friendly community minded atmosphere, excellent academic standards and a commitment to a multicultural education. Classes start at pre-school through high school with low student teacher ratios. Instruction is given in English and the school represents 17 nationalities.

Located just 50 minutes by car from Jakarta and at 270 meters above sea level, Bogor is a pleasant, cool and green get away from Jakarta. Many parents of children at ISB locate their family in the comfort and security of Bogor and commute to Jakarta to work.

With very attractive fees, ISB offers one of the most affordable ways in Indonesia to educate your child to an international standard. Indonesian and Expatriate children welcome. Trials are available. Contact: Chris Rawlins – Principal 0251 328 512 or visit the website: www.isbogor.org

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