Moments, Memories and Indonesia

Jakarta Tales Vol 10: The End

2007-04-04T14:28:00.000+07:00

"We have left you,
The calm lagoon without a ripple,
Sheltered by a leafy mountain
From wind and storm,
For once we have woken up from a pleasant dream."

'To Sea, The New Generation' by Soetan Takdir Alisjahbana

The most unforgettable year of my life came full circle on 23rd March 2007 when I left Jakarta for a journey back home. Not that I won't be going back to Indonesia. I will. Very soon. In fact, I will be returning to the sun-kissed shores of Indonesia early May this year to resume my responsibilities at The Bakery. For how long? God knows. Forever? Certainly not.

A new beginning requires a new repertoire, of course. But for the hell of a year that it's been, it is only befitting that I break the nib for Jakarta Tales... today. And at this juncture, all I'd like to do is express my gratitude.

To each individual who I met physically or virtually - even if for a brief, split second - over the past one year, I'd like to offer a round of thanks straight from my heart. That's all I have left in me. For if it wasn't for each of those magnanimous souls, the last 52 weeks would have been worthless. They made it indelible. They made it so difficult to let go. They made it worth risking everything to do it all over again. They made me realize how beautiful life can be. They made me fall in unconditional love with the human race (women, especially ;) ).

They made it one year.

The unfortunate pauper that I am, I have nothing to offer them that would even remotely resemble the contributions they have made - knowingly and unknowingly - to my life. I pray that my few genuine words of "gracias" will suffice... as gruel. And yes, I faintly hope that I made a difference - even if petty - to their lives just as they so grandly did to mine. I don't know if they are reading this, but all I can say to them is, "Thank you."

I feel like Kevin Spacey in American Beauty, "Sometimes I feel like I'm seeing it all at once, and it's too much. My heart fills up like a balloon that's about to burst... And then I remember... to relax and not try to hold on to it. And then it flows through me like rain. And I can't feel anything but gratitude for every single moment of my stupid little life. You have no idea what I'm talking about, I'm sure. Don't worry... you will someday."

And hey, don't close this window or wipe your tears away just yet. The last edition of "Jakarta Tales" you'll ever see in your inbox would be incomplete without a huge round of applause (albeit only from me), a long bow (from me, again) and a deep-seated sincere cry of "Thank you" (from me, me, me) for you. Yes. You are arguably the most honourable attendee on the list of people I've mentioned above. Go ahead, pat yourself on the back for you've finally done something worthwhile for humanity :) And for once, I have no qualms in admitting that... you deserve it. Without a doubt.

Thanks for being such patient and loving readers. Thanks for bearing through my never-ending rants - including this one. Thanks for the criticism and appreciation. Thanks for making the last one year truly blessed. Thanks for being the inspiration for Jakarta Tales. In fact, thanks for being Jakarta Tales.

But don't let out all your sighs. For I'll be back. In another avatar. Or maybe the same one. But with a different song to sing and a new story to tell. Untill then...

Sampai jumpa
From your favourite Indian in Jakarta
Yousuf

Jakarta Tales Vol 9: All in a day's work

2007-03-06T19:50:00.000+07:00

Hi,

Ready with the coffee mug? Good. Legs crossed on the chair? Perfect. Cushion behind head? Superb! Is it raining outside? No? That’s okay.

I’m sure it’s a beautiful day nevertheless – blue skies scattered with fluffy white cauliflower clouds playing hide and seek, birds chirping (interrupted by noisy crows), faint sound of cars swishing by, chatting with old friends on MSN, remembering your best school trip or that wild night out, soft music playing on your mp3 player and grinning to yourself as you type “lolz”.

Mmmm, life and its little pleasures.

Why am I sounding so mellow? It will be a year in a few weeks’ time, that’s why. And it seems like it all began yesterday.

Now scroll down.

Since November, I've been to beautiful-but-boring Singapore twice (once for a beach rave called Zoukout! 9000 women in bikinis, do I need to say more? Umm, well, world-class DJs, music of a lifetime but nah, 9000 sexy girls!), made a genuine friend there in Made, went to Bali twice too but for religious and professional reasons more than a holiday, once more to Malang for Eid (my boss's family crosssed all limits of hospitality, I am so indebted to them) and onwards to Mt Bromo - Indonesia's answer to locales seen in Lord of the Rings and – arguably the most beautiful mountainous landscape I've ever seen, on a sailing trip to Sepa and an uninhabited island in the Java Sea, to Taman Safari - an open zoo and the world's first of it's kind drive in safari and... umm, I guess that's it.

I've run out of money so can't do more but am still keen on visiting Yogyakarta, the Borobudur Temples, Bunaken in Sulawesi (described by Travel and Living as one of the 3 best snorkel and dive sites in the world), Komodo island (the world's only natural habitat for komodo dragons), Flores (the island with Mt Kelimutu - the mountain with 3 lakes that change colour during the day!), Sumatra (for authentic Padang cuisine and visiting Lake Toba - which has an island the size of Singapore right in the middle of the lake) and... phew, the list will go on I guess.

Indonesia is such a beautiful country with so much potential. Can't help it. But Indonesians aren't that clever. That's for sure. The education levels, political and corporate setup and corruption prove sit. All the "comfort" is superficial and not for the masses.

More importantly, they haven't been able to market their country (arguably the most naturally endowed in SE Asia) to the rest of the world. In fact, let me ask you, how many of you had heard of the places above untill I told you? I guess none. Neither did I, until I got here myself. Worse, most Indonesian themselves, grappled with superstitions and fears after the tsunamis, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions and the erstwhile narrow-minded rule of Soeharto haven't ventured beyond Java or to visit the country's numerous natural bounties.

From the work perspective, we successfully setup a media-neutral, new media focused advertising agency called The Bakery. With God's grace and our efforts, we are doing considerably well having won 3 new accounts within a matter of weeks, lost many more but are turning into a happy family. Exigo is now focusing solely on brand activation and is also doing well with two new accounts under its belt. We are in the process of setting up a special retail management and channel activation unit called Barcode. It hasn't kickstarted the way we wanted it to but we are optimistic it will stand up on its feet given time, patience, hardwork and of course, money.

All of this is now being clubbed under one group - Marketing Kommunikasi Indonesia (MKI). The name is self-explanatory. We've grown from 5-15 people, but with a lot of chop and churn, new faces and revised responsibilities.

The Bakery comprises of Arya - an 8-year old veteran in the Indonesian ad industry having worked with agencies like DDB, TBWA, Leo Burnett - who now heads the brand team as Brand Director. Bobon - a master of the arts in the business with 13 years of wisdom from Lowe, Leo Burnett, Chuo Sen Ko - is our Creative Director, Fenny - this cute girl I have a crush on but she has a boyfriend - is our art director and her inseparable better half, Irvine (she's a girl) is our copywriter. Both were at Leo Burnett before but a passion for doing more and building an agency drew them to us.

Lino, my favourite Chinese friend (with friends like him, who needs enemies) and former art director has left us for taking up family business responsibilities. So has Rio, my support system, friend, enemy, airport pick-up specialist, DJ and bundle of insanity undefined. I miss his house music collection.

My boss's brother and events specialist, Deta is overall responsible for Exigo now. We have a new Account Manager - Adi (over 5 years into the BTL marketing business), a creative programmer - Shiela (from Unilever to Kraft, she is renowned for her expertise with execution), our very own 3-d designer - Daniel (former teacher at LaSalle College of Design Jakarta). Only one of the old boys, Andra, has remained in the core business. The admin team is unchanged.

I, for all that's worth mentioning, am now a Strategic Planner focusing on the specialised area of brand planning for all clients across the Group. Officially, I work for The Bakery but lend a helping hand to brands for Exigo and Barcode if they require some bullshit disguised as smart thinking thrown in. God knows why people think I'd be fit for the job. Maybe because they think I'm crazy.

On hindsight, I'm sure that's the only reason. I walk in late, talk a lot, ask too many questions, get lost while thinking, mumble to myself when making plans and blurt my heart out when presenting to a client - what else could be abnormal. I like it though. I've realised I was made for this. In fact, all my years at Bates and even after getting here, I was wearing two hats without realizing it. I worked as a "suit" or account management person but apart from managing the brands, I was also planning for them. And I didn't know that's what planners do. Aduh! (Damn!) What a late but satisfying realization :)

The most rewarding part of this new setup is when I look back at it and discuss it with my boss, at times. How did we start? We didn't have an organization structure the day I came in. And wow, where are we now? Been a long, tough, winding, satisfying way, hasn't it? For you too, hasn't it... reading all my outpourings since April 2006?

Anyways, I've been learning Chinese (Mandarin) since a few months now (explains why I know how to say Happy New Year). Christmas and New Year was in Jakarta and was fun (but should have been in Bali and Lombok had it not been for an unprecedented and unnecessary piece of esoteric thinking from a colleague! Aaarrgghh!).

Martin - my landlord - moved into a bigger house before 2007 dawned and I tagged along. Was a challenging experience too what with all the new stuff and adapting to do. Rushaid, my friend from Kolkata, arrived in Dec 2006 to start working for Allianz Indonesia. He and I've had our share of fun (oh, I forgot to mention earlier, on Christmas day he and I had a whale of a time at Ancol - the Jakarta Bay and at Dunia Fantasi - the theme park. Folks, try the rides, they are fucking wild!).

What else... ummm... yeah, my birthday. Nothing special. Lunch with colleagues, my face and clothes were drowned with cakes, eggs, coffee and everything edible, dinner party at home with friends, out partying to a new club - Public. Ah yes, that brings me to partying... have been doing that on and off, especially to my favourite club - Blowfish. Try it if you're here. You'll be back more than once, for sure.

Jakarta was flooded with 300 mm of water a few weeks ago. I'm sure you know about it. The Annual Calendar of Natural Disasters continues for this unlucky country. But it still got through it. I wonder how many would. Maybe all, maybe few, maybe none. Says something about the people though - no money but resilience. Maybe that will pay off some day. Anyways, we got through the floods without any water in the new house but our office couldn't escape the barrage of the overflowing river Ciliwang. So a Sunday went in cleaning the office. Was fun but the pest control and dengue scare that plagued the city’s Western areas psyched me out.

Ah yes, I attended this design seminar called Massive Territory here. Was fantastic. More so because I met and interacted with two people from my dream agency - Wieden and Kennedy. Eric and Gino - two delightful, brutally smart and incredibly interesting people from W+K Tokyo's office conducted one session at the seminar.

And we, at The Bakery, possibly lived a part of our dream by taking them out for dinner and getting to know them better. One of the most thought-provoking, introspective days of my experience here. In fact, for all of us it was an opportunity to stop time and ask ourselves where we were headed.

Maybe Eric didn't realise it (Gino, unfortunately couldn't spend much time with us due to an early flight) but his influence lingers on, will stay on. And it strengthened my resolve to make sure that I work with the W+K network at least once in my career. Have to, or else this life is a waste. Am serious about that. For those of you who don't know about W+K, I'm sorry but I don't want to explain. Firstly, it will be difficult for you to understand (no offense... actually, it's the truth) and secondly, if I start, I won't stop.

And yeah, Chinese New Year celebrations were fun. Jakarta's become less familiar though. Time spent has increased, time cherished hasn't. I’ve made lifelong friends in Darren (unbelievably nice bloke from Australia), Mirka (non-German sweetheart from Germany) and Willy (the most enthusiastic person and the first Bosnian I’ve ever met) but Dorien, Sebastian, Charlene, Luca... almost everyone I could call a dear friend has gone back to carry on with their lives. Was quite an emotionally provocative experience that, bidding farewell to everyone. I realised it could have been better had I not been under the illusion that this fairy tale is going to last forever.

And indeed, so isn't Jakarta Tales. Have been trying to get myself to write this line for the past few paragraphs. Just couldn't muster enough courage. Sorry for dragging the rant this time. Maybe the fact that this is the penultimate time you’ll see a subject starting with “Jakarta Tales…” in your inbox could appease you.

Yups, am bidding adieu to Indonesia and this experience in a few weeks’ time. What am I gonna do after this? Don’t’ know. Haven’t thought about it yet. Don’t want to. Just want to spend some time with family and friends back home. It’s been a while since I saw them. And yes, spend some time with myself.

I’ll write the final volume some time before I leave. Don’t know what else to say. My eyes are already getting wet. I started discovering myself during this past one year. Would have happened sooner or later but thank God it started 50 weeks ago. Thank God it happened in this blessed land. Thank God it happened along with some people worth remembering.

Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed your coffee.

Cheers
From your favourite Indian in Jakarta
Yousuf

Jakarta Tales Vol 8 (contd): PSFK Conference!! Golden Opportunity

2007-02-19T12:17:00.000+07:00

Friends, countrymen, marketers...

Lend your ears, eyes, minds and presence to the fantastic seminar PSFK is having in New York. Brilliant opportunity to get a look into the knowhow of marketing, advertising et al.

For more information, kindly log on to http://psfk.eventbrite.com

Cheers

Yousuf

Jakarta Tales Vol 8 (contd): The Krakatao saga continues...

2007-02-15T19:29:00.000+07:00

I told you I'd be back today, didn't I?

Anyways, without further ado, on with the unfriendliness of Mt Krakatao. Quoting from the book Krakatao by Simon Winchester, here goes, "In August 1883, one of the most cataclysmic events of modern history took place: the volcanic eruption of Mt Krakatoa. It resulted in the deaths of 36,000 people and sent shock-waves around the world. But what at the time was a mysterious, almost supernatural phenomenon has become, under the precepts of the contemporary science of plate tectonics, explicable if no less tragic."

"Eyewitness accounts by survivors and the limited scientific measurements of the time indicate, if not confirm, that the event is still the most violent explosion ever recorded and experienced by modern man. Six cubic miles of rock had been blasted out of existence, had been turned into pumice and ash and uncountable billions of particles of dust. Ash rained from the sky for three days."

"Yet words and numbers can barely hint at the scale of the calamity, which resulted in tsunamis that washed whole villages into the ocean and forever changed the very topography of the area. The effects were so extreme that they were heard and felt over ten per cent of the earth's surface."

If you're about to say "whoa", not yet. The epic tale continues. In 1927, a massive earthquake took place as a 250 metre volcano emerged from under the sea, a few hundred metres from the original Krakatao! Today, it is known as "Anak Krakatao" or "Baby Krakatao" and is one of the 3 most dangerous and active volcanoes in the world. In fact, that's the one you visit when you get to the area.

Today, when you visit Krakatao, the sight that greets you is the "mother" which is now just another dormant mountain, the "baby" which is all rock and ash, two small islands which were parts of the original mountain and a few pieces of rock strewn here and there in the middle of the sea. Do you now know why you don't feel welcome when you go to pay your respects to this mysterious artefact of nature?

Anyways, overawed by a version of this story from our guide, we pulled ashore in an hour's time. The place was deserted. No tourists except us. Nevertheless, we spoke to the rangers about climbing up to the crater and God answered our prayers. They said it was safe today as there had been no unusual movements on the seismograph installed near the crater. However, since the area is a protected national reserve and open only for researchers, we needed a letter of permission from the Ministry of Tourism. But this is Indonesia, friends. This is Asia. Every letter can be fabricated, right? Our guide had one. He had many, in fact. Photocopies of a letter used by a tourist group a year ago. All we needed to do was bribe the rangers.

Were we willing to do that? The ten of us discussed it. Some suggested we should try and make them understand we are tourists and refuse to pay. If they were scared we would return as disappointed foreigners, they would let us climb. The other suggested that considering the distance we'd travelled, they knew we were the ones desperate to climb and would not be willing to let go of the money. Moreover, they could report us for stepping onto a protected site without prior permission. We gave in. I don't know if we should have (I personally voted we pay because I was dying to get to the top after having got that close) but we did. A small amount but a bribe nevertheless.

We encountered a snake on the lower slopes, stopped for water-photograph-bathroom breaks due to the overhead sun shining with all its might and the "double length" we had to climb. Double? Simply because the mountain is all ash and loose rock so every step you take, you slip halfway down. Some of us couldn't make it all the way to the top due to fatigue, lack of breath and vertigo because the higher you go, the angle of elevation gets steeper!

But what a memorable moment and view it is when you get to the top! It's beautiful. It's surreal. When you're on a mountain or close to one, usually your comfort factor is the land around. But what do you do when all around you is the sea, all the way to the horizon in every direction you look?! And you know you're standing atop the crater that spills nothing but havoc when it does. That feeling gives you goosebumps as well as a sense of conquest and pride. When you look down, even the calmest of people could get vertigo because you see blue!

The climb down was worse, at least for me and a few other inexperienced climbers because you slip through the rock and ash. But that's the only way to do it. Bury your shoes into the gravel to ensure you don't fall off and gradually let your feet slide. Don't even dare look away from the mountain - the sea will psyche you out.

When we got back to sea level, all of us were starving, not just for food but for words. We were numbed or speechless, bedazzled by one of nature's most inexplicable yet luring marvels. We went swimming and snorkelling at one of the islands thereafter and in no time, were on the way back to Carita. Nature only got generous. The sea was at its calmest and we were greeted by two dolphins on the way! Wow, what a delightful experience it was to see these friendly creatures in the wild. One of them swam right under our boat and our guide/captain said, "It's a sign of good luck. They are wishing you 'Selamat jalan' or happy journey".

On that note, Selamat Jalan for now, wherever you are going. Will see you in a week's time. And that one is going to be quite an important one. Trust me on that. I can't tell you what it's going to talk about but you'll miss out on a key juncture in Jakarta Tales if you ignore that one. Btw, if you like what you saw above and in the volume below and want more, kindly go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/jakartatales

Untill then,
Adios amigo (Little Elias says that to me everyday when I'm leaving for office)
Yousuf

Jakarta Tales Vol 8: Time or memories?

2007-02-14T14:19:00.000+07:00

It’s been a long time coming. But here it is. A less longer – note, I didn’t say short – volume of Jakarta Tales. Number 8, right? Whoa, has it really been that long or is my memory giving me a hard time?

Anyways, lots has happened and hasn’t since I wrote Vol 6 and 7. I guess I covered my Surabaya trip there. And since there’s just too much to cover and I don’t want to be browbeaten by you, I’ll encapsulate all as briefly as I can.

Malang was great. It’s my favourite city in Indonesia. Green, clean, hilly, chilly, colonial leftovers, fresh, populated and polluted less (I was just trying to rhyme). I stayed at my boss’s house (he is plain and simple rich, I don’t think filthy or stinking does enough justice) and his family and dogs were really warm and friendly. In fact, I can almost say the only straw missing on this Indonesian saga of mine was a family I could call my own and I found it in my boss’s kin in Malang.

To top it all, the AIESEC in Univeristas Brawijaya reception was beyond my wildest expectations. I can now officially challenge Prince William for the throne considering the royal treatment I received from the AIESEC members. And that’s when the most important fact about AIESEC and life in general dawned on me – don’t give people just your time, but memories. It also made me question if I did justice to my stint in AIESEC. For how many trainees did I personally ensure a memorable experience, a life changing one?

I don’t want you to peek in there. If I start, I won’t stop. So let’s move on.

One of the most surreal and beautiful experiences of my life was my trip to Carita and Mt Krakatao. 10 of us from 6 different countries, loads of fun, unimaginable miracles of nature, one lifetime experience. Carita is a lovely little beach on the west coast of Java. We stayed over on the beach for a day and night there but only to embark on our quest to see and climb the legendary Mount Krakatao (Krakatoa in many books).

At 4am, we set out in a speedboat towards the iconic volcano. Why a speedboat? Because it’s right in the middle of the bloody Sunda Sea! Yes! That’s what’s insane yet charming about it. Our hopes of singing “In the moooorning, in the moooorning, in the mooorning by the sea” vanished as soon as they came when we realized it was going to be one bumpy ride considering the early morning tide. Trust me, those life jackets we wore and the supports we clung on to during the 4-hour journey was our lives we were hanging on to. We almost met St Peter when 2-hours into the trip, one of the dual engines ran out of gas and we had to stop in the middle of nowhere to refuel. Nothing to panic, it’s normal. But not when the boat is tossing 130 degrees from side to side!

The sun rose sometime later and the ensuing splash of orange formed a partially spectacular sky, thanks to the clouds who were more than happy playing spoilsport.

Honestly, it wasn’t a journey we were enjoying. It was evident. We’d been at sea for 3 hours, we hadn’t even seen a glimpse of the mountain, the sea was at its furious best, and you don’t really feel welcome about going to Krakatao if you know the stories surrounding it.

First, it’s one of the 3 most dangerous and active volcanoes on this planet along with Mt Fiji and Mt Vesuvius. Secondly, the 1883 episode gives you the goosebumps like The Ring. Why? All of it and the rest of the Krakatao saga in my next post – Vol 8 (continued) -- which is going to come tomorrow. That's a promise. No more waiting.

And btw, for all those who I haven’t spoken to since last year, happy new year. Considering it’s less than a week to go for Chinese New Year – Xin nian kai le! How did I know this? More on that too, in my next volume.

Cheers
From your favourite Indian volcano explorer in Indonesia
Yousuf

Jakarta Tales Vol 7: Coffee Mornings!!

2007-02-12T22:17:00.000+07:00

Good morning Jakarta! Selamat Pagi!

It's that time of day we are not very happy with in this part of the world. But from now on, there's gonna be something to bring a smile to all your faces: frappuccinos, macchiatos, talls, smalls and everything that your imagination is stirring up right now.

It's coffee mornings Jakarta! What in God's name is that? It's exactly what it sounds like, no rocket science: you come, we come, you talk, we talk, you drink coffee, we drink coffee, you pay, we don't! Nah, just kidding about the last bit. It's simply a get-together of like-minded people who have something to say about anything. To get us wide awake, we rely on caffeine.

Where and when? Starbucks, SetiaBudiOne, Friday the 16th (obviously Feb), 9am onwards.

What do you need to get? Just yourself and some thoughts... on hindsight, the latter's unnecessary too :)

Why do you need to be there? If you like people and coffee, you'll love to be there.

Your hosts for this wonderful morning are going to be Arya and me. Please call or email us for any clarifications or log onto our respective blogs.

Cya there
Let the frappuccinos flow
Yousuf

Jakarta Tales Vol 6 (contd)

2006-11-24T01:11:00.000+07:00

THE GREAT DICK... TATOR!

Whose fault is it? The 32 years of dictatorship by that bastard Soeharto who, under the garb of growing this country, grew only his personal wealth, centralized all control in Jakarta and left the country in tatters during the Asian economic crisis in 1998, all this thanks once again to the perpetually unwelcome but relentless support of our very own brothers of mankind – USA.

In fact, while I’m in this “kutte… kameene…” mood, here’s some startling information about Soeharto’s regime and the 1998 crisis (Wow, for once my blog is talking about some sensible stuff beneficial for humanity).

If you’re in Indonesia, you’ll often come across two eras in conversation – “those days” and today. “Those days” obviously refer to the pre-1998 days or the fairytale period when Indonesia and Malaysia were growing like Honey I Grew the Kids. Singapore was booming too like never before and all was merry in this part of the world. And then, the evil witch came and whacked everyone with her broom of economic crisis.

But lo, howcome Malaysia and Singapore escaped only with a few bruises while their Cinderella sister Indonesia lost her magic touch in minutes? The potion is called “sustainable development”. True, all three were growing like crazy but Malaysia and Singapore were “actually growing”, Indonesia was only pretending, or at least, those who were running Indonesia were. In Malaysia and Singapore, the purchasing power rested with the people, cash flow was well percolated and affluence wasn’t restricted to a privileged few. Transparency in decision making and “national development”, not “personal development” was at the forefront. It was an enjoy, let enjoy scenario.

But in our good ol’ Indonesia, it was “I’m enjoying, you can watch” kinda approach. I guess you see where the problem lay. Soeharto had banned all forms of protests, his was the final word and although things never got as bad as Saddam’s tyrannical ways, they were hardly better. The govt never revealed any reasoning behind policy. All major public service projects went to relatives, family and close friends. Freedom of press was curbed. The judicial system was bribed from top to bottom (something that’s disastrous for any country). Anyone who raised his/her voice was shown the way to the Pearl Gates.

The Chinese were almost driven out of the country because they were the only ones who made a little bit of noise. Those who didn’t or didn’t want to, converted to Islam and adopted Muslim names to get close to Soeharto and gain the fucking Lord’s blessings. Soeharto was such a despot he banned the teaching of Chinese as a language and spreading of Chinese culture. He blamed them for all of Indonesia’s troubles and sold this as opium to the vast majority of Muslims. The propaganda worked: love turned into hatred, brotherhood into enmity. The state’s coffers continued to be filled as generous infrastructure support poured in from Uncle Sam and cousins.

True, Jakarta grew during Soeharto’s tenure like never before. There was food on the table for everyone, the struggle for basic existence was minimal, he was instrumental in putting the city and country on the world map right in the line of competition with neighbouring KL and Singapore, he drove investment into the city and his pockets but the problem was, he treated the country like his family business.

So, when the disaster struck in 1997, people across Asia suffered, but it was the Indonesians who were devastated. Reality dawned on them – they bhad nothing to live with. Empty pockets, dry stoves, hungry stomachs. The youth had had enough. Bandung’s university students rose up in flames asking for Soeharto to step down. Other cities followed. The state’s corrupt ways and means were thrown out in the open. It was over.

But not yet. As poverty and hunger struck the once smiling and prosperous nation, suicides grew by the minute. Unemployment rose and the frustrated population took to the streets. The victim of their ire – the city where a despot promised streets of gold and money raining from the sky – Jakarta. Buildings were razed to ashes, houses were destroyed, businesses fled, people died, children cried and the riots continued in this vast capital for 3 days.

And worse, communalism had succeeded. Desperate, the vast majority of the Muslim population resorted to what Soeharto had preached for years – blame the Chinese. Most Chinese families in Jakarta and a few other parts of Indonesia lost their livelihoods, their families, their lives. In short, all that they had.

If you’ve read anything about communal violence, you’ll know that any such riot is impossible without state collusion anywhere in the world. It was no different here. The police were given orders not to stop any looting or killing for 3 days. On the third day, as Soeharto finally gave in with protests now going beyond control outside his luxurious presidential palace, the decree changed. TV stations were called to show how police were now controlling the violence and yes, shoot at sight incidents were captured “live” and telecast all over the country. The usually docile millions shuddered at the prospect of having to face the bullets. The violence came under full control within a week. Sanity prevailed.

When I was leaving my previous employers in India, some of my colleagues told me, "Indonesia is a fine country. The only problem is they are too volatile a populace." To everyone who agrees with this aforementioned statement and is reading this... YOU ARE SO WRONG! Indonesians are one of the most polite, calm, humble, warm and friendly people on this planet. But of course, watching what happened in 1998 and thereafter in the bomb blasts of 2002 and 2005 at Bali, who would believe it. Honestly, untill I came here, even I didn't.

Anyways, post 1998 restructuring efforts began soon and Indonesia is now back in action. Not as much as before but slowly getting there. And to everyone’s relief, most importantly, people from all religions have had complete freedom since then to practice and preach and the re-integration of Chinese culture in Indonesia has been in full swing. How do I know all this? General conversation and intrigue about what happened during those black, fateful days in 1998 and articles on the Internet.

In fact, there was this one article from the United Nations and World Bank that described the Indonesian crisis in 1998 as the “worst economic disaster in the history of mankind, next only to the Great Depression of 1929”.

Imagine, the Indonesian Rupiah fell from Rp 1300 to a dollar to Rp 13,000, nearly 25 million people lost their jobs in a week, several thousands were left homeless, the country’s GDP was behaving like the Bermuda Triangle when theoretically it went into negative figures, money had to be sold on streets, there was no national leader and the population below the poverty line slumped from 20% to 65% in a month’s time! Thank god an earthquake didn’t strike that very moment or it would have been “Ram naam satya hai” for the world’s largest archipelago.

But don’t get emotional yaar… things got better. In fact, that very article goes on to describe Indonesia’s recovery from 1998-2005 as “one of the fastest the world has ever seen!”

Yups, it’s true. Today, Indonesia is one of the world’s ten fastest growing countries with a GDP growth rate of 5-6% every year, it experienced the highest growth in GNI per capita income along with China from 1999-2003 and the population below the poverty line has gone down to 16%! Moreover, control has been gradually de-centralised and the entire country is now being injected with equal attention for progress. In fact, this year, for the first time since the 1960s, the number of migrant workers coming into Jakarta fell by more than 10%. Phenomenal, isn’t it!?! Let’s call it human spirit.

Of course, the country has its problems – some of them remnants of the dark days, some newly created. The populace and the authorities are battling hard against corruption, lack of education systems and unemployment and efforts to liberate and cleanse the infected judicial system from the government are continuously on. To make matters worse, of late nature hasn’t been too kind to the world’s fourth most-populated country. You all know why.

But it’s a start, nonetheless and a positive one. And which country doesn’t have its problems. We all do. Simply because we all have the will to find solutions.

The sad part is Indonesia has been thrown 8 years behind its neighbours and fierce tourism and economic rivals, Singapore and Malaysia. The government’s priorities don’t allow it to focus on building tourism. I don’t see how but that’s what the newspapers say out here. The good part is it’s not too far behind because for the first time in the last eight years, 2006 witnessed Indonesia’s GDP and tourism numbers in Bali growing more than Malaysia’s. Nothing personal with KL guys, just stating facts :)

Hmmm, so while I get on with writing another volume (I’ve made this one too long already), keep your eyes open to see how this grand oriental battle unfolds in this part of the magic continent – Asia.

Cheers
From ur favourite Indian political correspondent
Yousuf

Jakarta Tales Vol 6: Back in the Summer of...

2006-11-06T19:38:00.000+07:00

Hey ya aull and weilcome to the 6’ou clauck Jakartaa Tailes ait 9! (This one is dedicated to Texas, in sympathy for the Republicans (led by you-know-who) who were ruthlessly thrashed in the mid-term US Elections… may God protect the faithful departed) :)

Aineeways, whaaile da kondolainces (dat’s haw they spell da daimn thing, don’t ‘ey) keep flauing into Rumah Putih (White House in Bahasa), lemme tell ya aull how glad I am to be back! What’s maure, I have loooooooooooads to telllll. Feels good seein’ mai mail in your inbox, doesn’ it?! Yeah, yeah… smirk ais much ais you waunt, Ai know you miiiissed me :)

Alright, enough, it’s getting to me too. I remember I left off in the last edition at my Malang trip. Much has happened since then and you have a right to know. So let’s begin!

Work was going on in full swing in September and I was busy hunting down new business when we stumbled upon this lead for Bokormas Tobacco Company. It was a small manufacturer and seller of kretek cigarettes in East Java under the brand names Bokormas and Nine Milds.

My boss, his brother (who is our Below-The-Line Director) and I booked the earliest flight possible to Surabaya (Indonesia’s second city) to meet a Mr Martin Kroojnen who sounded like a grumpy old man on the phone but turned out to be a fine young Dutch man in his late twenties.

INDONESIA'S SECOND CITY?

We landed at Surabaya on a hot Thursday night and headed for the meeting next morning at 8. The meeting went off well and my boss and I were trying to show off all our tobacco marketing knowledge. I don’t know if Martin was impressed but we were satisfied on having put Exigo into his consideration for their next MarComm venture. We then headed out for breakfast while I kept dozing off in the car at every possible opportunity (something’s wrong ever since I’ve come to Indonesia. I feel like sleeping more than ever before… hehe).

Honestly, I wasn’t really interested in seeing Surabaya because it had disappointed me right from the time we had landed the night before. It was such a contrast from Jakarta! Phew! This was Indonesia’s second city? It was stuck between being a bustling metropolis and retaining the coziness of a small city like Bandung or Malang (which later became my favourite city in Indonesia).

In fact, this disappointment helped me answer a few questions about India and Indonesia. My friends from the Western countries doing similar internships in Jakarta have always asked me how different Jakarta/Indonesia is from India all throughout my stay here.

For them, Jakarta is, of course, a huge culture shock what with all its economic contrasts, chaos, pollution, corruption, etc and India is, today, the world’s second-fastest growing economy, a land thriving with culture et al. Indonesia, on the other hand, had its heydays. So they’ve always wanted to know how much of a shock it is for me to be here and I always found it difficult to clarify the exact differences until Surabaya happened.

If you ask me, is Jakarta more developed/ advanced than any city in India? I would say, YES. By a few years, at least. In what ways? The infrastructure, the systems, the standard of living, the facilities, the income levels, et al. Of course, this is a subjective opinion considering I come from Kolkata which is at least 5-6, not just a few years behind Jakarta.

But if you ask me, is Indonesia ahead of India? I would say NO, not at all. If Surabaya is Indonesia’s second city… no way because Surabaya is at least 8-10 years behind Jakarta itself! To me, Surabaya was like a Surat or Bhopal or Patna – dirty, too chaotic, without a character and forcefully thrust with the responsibility of being a BIG regional capital. Not the city’s fault I would say; blame it on the omnipresent lack of urban planning mentality with the powers that be across major cities in India or, for that matter, Indonesia.

So, while the quality of development seems to be better in Indonesia, it is restricted to one mother of a city called Jakarta. India (our very own bharat maiya), on the other hand, has 6 magnanimous Complan sons and daughters starting from New Delhi to Hyderabad, who are growing equally quick and don’t have growth differences as huge as the ones between Jakarta and Surabaya. It’s the quantity versus quality battle, my friend, and in today’s times, it’s Walmart, not Harrod’s that’s winning. And of course, no one doubts the quality of Walmart too, do they?

And this is where I'm gonna stop you for now. Cya soon with the whys and hows behind this

Cheers
Yousuf

Jakarta Tales Vol 5 (contd)

2006-09-30T23:56:00.000+07:00

YOU ROCKED MY WORLD, YOU KNOW YOU DID...

And now comes the really rocky part. I think 2006 is my Year of Accidents or the Year of Being Unlucky. And this is a precursor to either a really big calamity or a huge windfall that's heading my way. Obviously, I'm hoping for the latter. It's just that the signs seem to keep getting worse.

What would you expect from someone who has never lost a single penny, a wallet, a hand phone or any other valuable, as far as he can remember? Well, you should expect that after not having lost his first phone for 5 years, his 5-month old hand phone gets stolen - within a matter of minutes - outside the Pakistan Embassy in New Delhi in March this year. You should also know that he forgot his wallet (with Rs 1500) in a taxi in Kolkata soon after he returned from New Delhi.

This is just the beginning. Furthermore, you should also trust that this person would manage to lose his wallet in his boss's car in Indonesia when he thought he had it in his trouser's pockets all the time. It turned out, he had his boss's wallet and his own was missing. A few weeks later, he decided to move to a cheaper accommodation in hope of saving some money. The new house was more challenging than the previous one but not uncomfortable. His neighbour was a pretty Indonesian girl and his landlord was a friendly Indonesian too. He slept well the first night there. The next morning, he woke up when his hand phone alarm rang and went out 1 metre from his room to have a shower. He got back. His hand phone was gone. The friendly landlord and the pretty neighbour said they had no clue. The poor guy moved out immediately not wanting to live with people he couldn't trust if he stepped out just a metre outside his room.

He went back to his old kost. The sweet li'l caretaker was beaming when she saw him and said he never should have left. He thought so too. He tried contacting the landlady to tell her he was back and that he would pay again at the end of the month. But she was always away and also unwell so he informed the caretaker in his broken Bahasa. Although everything seemed perfect, something went wrong.

A few nights later, when this young man got back from work in the wee hours of the morning, he found himself locked out of his own room! There was a note from his friendly Austro-Indonesian neighbour saying that the landlady was upset that he hadn't informed her of his return. She thought he wasn't going to pay. He didn't have a phone so he couldn't call the landlady. Desperate, he somehow managed to wake up his neighbours and spoke to the landlady. His neighbours convinced the landlady to allow him to sleep the night. The landlady, however, made it clear she didn't want him the next day onwards.

So it was. The next day, even though this young Indian's boss, some of his AIESEC friends and he tried to enquire from the landlady her newly found cause for hating him, it didn't work. He stayed over at a colleague's house for the next one week. The colleague's old mother loved him. But that was exactly the problem. He didn't want to cause too much trouble to an old lady so he started looking for a new house. After 9 searches, none.

Finally, a ray of hope came in the form of Martin's Casa Grande :) a small little piece of paradise (at least for this young man) in Bendungan Hilir (also known as Ben Hil). Martin, a friendly German working for Allianz had a room empty amongst three. The young man asked if he could move in. Martin asked his Chilean wife and two darling little children. They said ok. He was in. A nice bar-b-q was organised as a welcome party for the young Indian. He was overjoyed.

Life was beautiful again. But just when things were looking too bright to be true, disaster struck without warning. At about 1am one night, this young man was going home from office. He was riding an ojek when a police officer stopped him. The cop asked the ojek driver where they were going and asked the Indian for his passport. The young man said he didn't have it. And in any case, what was the problem? The policeman, who obviously didn't speak much English, asked the young man not to question him and said if he didn't have the passport then he should come to the police station. The young man was shocked and also a little angry. Why should he go to the police station for not having done anything? He repeatedly asked the cop what was his fault. The cop did not reply, instead, he started searching the young man. The young man grew suspicious of the cop's intentions but didn't say anything. The cop pulled out his handphone and said he must accompany him to the police station to get it back. This was unbelievable. The Indian asked the cop to give him back the phone, but the cop refused to relent. Instead, he asked for 100$ and when the young man asked why, he pushed and kicked him on the legs.

This was getting out of control. The young man now really wanted to know what the hell was wrong. He threatened the cop to report him to the Indian Embassy. The cop seemed unperturbed. He wanted to hit the cop back but that was the last thing on his mind - imagine being in prison in a foreign country because you hit a law enforcer. So he offered the cop money, 1$ to start off with and then 10$. But the cop now seemed uninterested. He got to his bike quickly, asked the ojek and the Indian to follow and before the other two could say a word, he was gone. The Indian shouted for his phone but there was no one around. The cop had vanished, disappeared, evaporated, waned away. In short, he had fled.

The young man and the ojek sped around the neighbourhood as fast as they could trying to look for the nearest police station where they might find the cop. But everything was closed. There was no other cop on duty. They raced back to the young man's office. His boss immediately tried to call his phone. Switched off. They rushed to the nearest police station, lodged a report and they were told, "Tonight, there was no one on duty in the area you just mentioned. And it wasn't a cop who took your phone. He was a fake. There's been a few recent incidents involving girls and foreigners being stopped at night by unidentified policemen and their belongings have been taken away."

If things weren't bad already, then came the bureaucracy. They were told that the theft had happened in an area that wasn't under the jurisdiction of this police station. The young man, his boss and the ojek driver rushed to the one that had the jurisprudence over the area. They repeated the same story, for the third time now. The report was taken and they were asked to return the next morning.

The young man was there, bang on time the following day. He was told the officer on duty last night hadn't yet processed the report. To speed up matters, he was requested to go straight to the criminal reports department and lodge a fresh complaint. He did so, for the fifth time now. The cop on the other end of the table just grinned with a stupid smile and said, "We'll do our best". The young man gave up all hope. He knew nothing would happen. The bureaucracy and corruption in Indonesia is as bad or as good as in India. In fact, at times, its worse.

Since then, there have been no more accidents but you certainly hope there shouldn't be any more, don't you. And that's it. Now you know the "young man's story". What would you now say about my luck? But never mind, we all have our phases. And even though I was so angry that night I ended up cursing myself for having chosen to come to Indonesia, the country, the people and everything around me, I realised it was just a test of my patience and character.

Apart from life on the rocks, it's been pretty smooth otherwise. No complaints. Thank God for everything - the good, the bad and the ugly.

And finally, we come to the end of this manuscript. I thoroughly hope you enjoyed this rollercoaster and look forward to being part of it again. And yes, if you're ever in a situation like I was, listen to yourself, God and Louis Armstrong. It helps. Btw, to make my mails a little more interesting, I'm also sending two mails a few snaps post this one. Hope they really express what they are supposed to - a thousand words.

Alright then, sampai jumpa, and as I should have listened to everybody earlier, hati hati (take care).

Cheers
From your favourite "rocking and rocky" Indian
Yousuf

Jakarta Tales Vol 5 (contd)

2006-09-23T23:53:00.000+07:00

WHAAASSSSUP... NUTHING MUCH...

Apart from Bali, I haven't been doing too much because of limited funds. Had to really cut down on expenses to survive the month. In fact, had to borrow some money from mom and dad. They didn't mind, but I certainly did and will try not to do this again. I did go playing paintball which is awesome fun but hurts as well.. oooowwwww!! But you must try paintball if you haven't already. It's a fantastic sport! Of course, if you're a peace lover and against guns, then it's not really your cup of tea but if you're okay with guns as long as there's no bloodshed and you wanna fulfill your childhood dreams of making it to the army, paintball is the closest you'll get to it!! I went playing with my boss, his friends and a Swiss friend of mine, Fabian. And we had a blast. The arena in Serpong was great with three different fields, broken helicopters, army trucks and killing people was fun ;) well, not literally but get a shot on your butt and the mark stays and hurts for at least two weeks!!

I also went to the Botanical Gardens in Bogor (really beautiful, green, calm and peaceful), to Surabaya in August for an office trip and then to Malang (that was a memorable trip but more on that in the next volume) but that's it. Also, work has been killing so haven't had all weekends off to go out.

Bored
Yousuf

Jakarta Tales Vol 5 (contd)

2006-09-16T11:40:00.000+07:00

WELCOME TO PARADISE... BALI!!

Let's now move to my experiences in what was voted in July (Travel America survey in 88 countries) by 100,000 people all over the world as "THE WORLD'S BEST ISLAND" - BALI!!!! Yups, you can go green in envy. And believe me, if I were you, I'd take the next flight to this beautiful island and live the experience for itself.

Where do I start? It's just fascinating. The golden beaches (although some can be dirty), the blue water, the reefs, the volcanoes, the deep sea diving, the surfing, the culture, the dances, the food, the massages, the nightlife, the temples, the hotels, the markets and most importantly, the people (especially women in bikinis ;)) - Bali has something for everyone.

We (Btw, the "WE" in this Bali chapter are the notorious gang of four - Dorien, Sebastian, Sascha and me) started our trip on a Friday evening in July (don't ask me the dates, please). I was 20 minutes late in getting back home from work and boy, let me tell you that the Germans are very particular about time! Sascha was really angry with me because he thought we might miss our flight. Later, on our way to the airport, Sebastian told me that in Germany and, for that matter, anywhere in Europe, being 5 minutes too late is considered very rude and could raise tempers. I apologised even though it wasn't me but the Jakarta traffic to blame and that we still got to the airport well in time for our flight to Denpasar, Bali (I always knew we would... after all, try India's traffic and you know where you can be in how much time anywhere in the world).

After a small pre-takeoff technical snag, our Air Asia Indonesia (the Air Deccan of Indonesia) flight took off for Denpasar, Bali. The 1.5 hr flight was hardly memorable, except for two of the airhostesses who caught Sebastian's and my attention when they bent down with their low cleavages and short skirts (btw, this mail is for adults only, so children... its bedtime now!) to ask us if we wanted to order something from the food cart. We ended up ordering them.. oops, I mean a light snack to eat!

Soon we were about to land at the International Airport at Denpasar, Bali. Let me tell you something amazing about the Denpasar airport. When you're about to land (preferably during the daytime because you can see outside then), you get the feeling that the plane is about to land into the sea. The runway is so close to the water that you can see the waves crashing into the walls of the embankment. Needless to say, it's beautiful. At night, though, when we landed, the view was not so terrific but we could still see the white surf of the waves shimmering under the lights of the plane. Those who land during the day, of course, find it incredible.

We were picked up by an Allianz SUV (see, this is the advantage of having friends from companies like Allianz) and were swiftly driven to Sunset Villas, Seminyak. Btw, before I go on, I have to tell you about Bali's roads. They are awesome! It's unbelievable how clean and smooth they are considering it's such a small island. Of course, it's an international tourism hotspot so the infrastructure has to be world-class but considering Indonesia's maintenance levels in general - barring Jakarta - Bali is exceptional.

The joyride was just beginning. When we arrived at Sunset Villas, we realized our stay was going to be luxurious. It was actually the bungalow of the CEO of Allianz Indonesia and goes without saying... it was awesome! We got to stay there for quite cheap and thoroughly enjoyed the open air shower (not together) and chill out sessions by the pool.

The first day, we went for breakfast to the Kudeta, which is bloody expensive but worth every penny! It's a spacious open-air bistro-cum-lounge-cum-bar by the seaside. And though the Seminyak beach is certainly not the most breathtaking in Bali, it still offers a great view of the deep blue sea, the airport and the reefs in the distance. Following breakfast, we looked up the Lonely Planet (a helpful but expensive and biased way to know something you can easily find out from the locals) and going by our hunch, headed off to Sanur.

Sanur, initially, turned out to be quite a disppointment because although the water was crystal blue, the beach couldn't be dirtier (according to Bali standards). Hmmm, God does need some cleaning services in paradise, doesn't he? Anyways, we made the most of it by finding a relatively cleaner spot to lie down and soak up the sun. While Dorien attended to her feminine side by getting some manicures done, we - the boys - headed out for canoeing into the sea. It was the first time I did it and it was crazy fun! The water was calm 200 metres into the sea, the 3000 metres high Gunung Agung (Mt Agung) rose majestically above the clouds in the backdrop, and the 10ft high waves in the distance provided the perfect setting.

Slowly but steadily, we got really close to the waves and then Splaaaash!!! As the waves started getting bigger and bigger, we tried turning our canoes but in vain. It was the smallest wave that got us all and we all were in the water within seconds. It was hilarious to be drenched in the middle of the sea with our canoes overturned! I also hurt my knee a little and three tired rowers returned to the beach soon. After having spent the whole day at Sanur and then at a Bonsai garden, we returned home for dinner at the Kudeta (I repeat, really expensive) and then to bed.

The next day began with us heading off to the sea temples of Tanah Lot. Before we could get to the main temple, the exterior complex had us rooted to the ground: there was a man with snakes around his body! Well, not that this is something unusual for an Indian but I haven't seen someone kissing pythons right in front of my eyes, putting them inside his shirt, then getting Dorien to take a snap with one of them around her neck and then even putting one on my neck!!! Aaaarrrgghh!! I was so scared I screamed and ran!

Phew!! I told you I've had some rocking and rocky times but snakey, ooooooohhh, didn't expect that! After our rendezvous with the reptile world, we came to the main temples of Tanah Lot. Honestly, it's not such a fascinating piece of architecture (we have much more beautiful temples in India) but the landscape there is captivating. After a short tour, we headed back to the kitsch of the temple market where you can get everything from fake Billabongs to real farmer hats. If the snakes weren't enough, we were taken aback when - after our shopping spree - we saw a fruit bat hanging from a small tree right in front of a shop!! And what's more, we even fed it with some papayas! This country is unbelievable, believe me!

From Tanah Lot, we were off to the Monkey Forest where monkeys roam about in the open and gleefully accept all that you have to offer them and even what you don't :) and then to the greens of Ubud, aplenty with terraced rice fields, beautiful wooden souvenir shops (I must admit that Indonesians are very very good with wood. You give them any piece of wood and they can do wonders while sculpting it. In fact, they often don't cut a tree but just carve beautiful engravings in the shape that it is) and the ancient mountain shrines of Gunung Kawi. Again, not so impressive (Ajanta-Ellora are much better) but worth the time and fun, especially considering we were all wearing sarongs (like a lungi but colourful and shaped like a towel) and looking ridiculous! Also, what was impressive was the fact that while Islam has the undeserved reputation of being non-tolerant all over the world, this centuries-old Hindu shrine and many more have been preserved untouched and are respected in the world's largest Muslim country. On our way back, weathered and beaten, we were rejuvenated when we saw a traditional Hindu wedding procession on the road. It was heading to the Gunung Kawi shrines and was quite a colourful experience.

What was most conspicuous for me throughout the Bali trip was the difference in the way Hinduism is observed on the island. It is completely different from what we know as Hinduism in India. The temple architecture, the names of most gods and goddesses, their idols, the form of worship, the clothes for worship are so heavily immersed in Indonesian culture one could hardly call it Hinduism. For example, you can't go into a temple in Bali if you're not wearing a sarong. In India, I've never known any particular dress code for going into a temple!

Actually, this applies for the way all religions are observed in Indonesia. Even Islam! Yes, being a Muslim, the last thing I expected in Indonesia was a culture shock from the religious perspective... haha. But I did get one! Only 15% of the 83% Muslim population practices the religion, you can never tell from the name of a person if he/she is Hindu/Muslim/Christian/Buddhist and ask a Muslim in Indonesia what Shi'ite or Sunni is, and they'll ask, "Apa" ("pardon me"). Even the names for some basic rituals are different! It truly sets me thinking, "Are they right or we? Or are we both right in our own ways? And does it actually matter so much?"

Anyways, now back to Bali. We had dinner at one of the best Indonesian restaurants in the country - Warung Made, partied the night away at Club 66 and The Paparazzi, walked home by the beach and next day, we were in Dreamland! Yes, we truly were coz that's the name of one of the most beautiful, not-so-explored beaches in Bali and is true to its name. It's towards the southern coast and is actually hidden from the road. But when you decide to head off the beaten track down into the empty spaces near Griya Alam Pecatu, you discover Dreamland. The infrastructure is basic but the beach is heavenly - golden sand, green-blue water, surfers' paradise! Seriously, it is quite a sight when you see an army of surfers riding the 10-15ft high waves crashing into the shore!

We were so thrilled because we had finally found the Bali we had been looking for! We all tried out wave boarding and it was thrilling, to say the least! I almost drowned as well when I had gone far too deep into the sea and the waves kept pushing me further away from the shore. When I tried to swim back, my waveboard got entangled around my right arm and I couldn't move it. So I couldn't float on it and couldn't swim either. I cried for help and within minutes, an American and an Indonesian guy helped me out. Rocky and rocking, ain't it... An early dinner by the magnificent sunset, fishermen's boats standing out on the horizon against the orange rays of the sun and off we were. Dreamland had turned out to be the beach of our dreams!

We were told later, of course, that Amed, Nusa Dua and Jimbaran Bay are far prettier but we didn't have the time to go there. And of course, if you really want to see arguably the best in the world, then get out of Bali and head off to Nusa Lembongan, Lombok and the Gili Islands - pure, virgin territory with idyllic beaches and marine life you only see in films, books and fairytales.

We all slept on the late night flight back to Jakarta. That's it. We were tired. We were upset. We were worried. Jakarta, again? Monday, again? But there was something else in store, at least for me. Campione Del Monde!!! I headed straight from the airport to a sports bar and saw the soccer World Cup finals. And whoa! What a moment it was when Cannavarro lifted the Cup! I was in tears and couldn't stop crying. Had waited for this for God knows how long. '94, didn't happen. '98, didn't happen. Euro 2000 was cruel. 2002 and Euro 2004 were forgettable. But 2006 was the year of The Azurri. It was written. Marcello Lippi lived upto what Sir Alex Fergusson had once said about him, "He's the only man who doesn't need to step on the field to destroy you." Indeed, the world was at his feet that night. And if there's one person every Italian or Italian supporter missed at that moment, it was undoubtedly the legendary Paolo Maldini. This victory was for him. Cheers!!

Campione del Monde
Yousuf

Jakarta Tales Vol 5: It's getting rocky in here...

2006-09-07T16:05:00.000+07:00

Hello there!

Please welcome back the unannounced return of Jakarta Tales and give up a huge round of applause for Vol 5! Actually, I never announced any hibernation so the "unannounced" bit might sound strange.

As you know and have felt it, the sabbatical this time, has been longer. And I know you've missed me (alright, don't squirm, blame it on my bloated ego - the one that I don't reveal too often). And since my absence from your inboxes is directly proportional to the length of my emails and blogs, prepare yourself for a nice, long ride once again.

At times, I do feel it might be unfair for you to read so much at one go, but the brighter side is that I don't write so often. So instead of reading many not-so-long mails at frequent intervals, you get to read an epic once in a blue moon, except that this moon is not so blue and does show up once in a month or two.

ROCKING OR ON THE ROCKS?!?

Anyways, let's get on with it. The past two months have been very interesting and challenging. Rocky and rocking is how I would really want to put it. In other words, I went from "wow" to "what the bloody hell" in a matter of days.

Let's start with work, for a change. I hope you remember that we were facing financial issues at Exigo. Although we did manage to get one client to survive July, we didn't get another. In fact, one of our apparently most-likely-to-stick clients decided to part ways with us in mid-July. And believe me, it wasn't a pretty day that it happened.

There was something unusual about that morning. I woke up late - even though I knew we had an early morning meeting, skipped breakfast, had a fight with a bajaj driver, another one with a tarif lama (old tariff) cab driver who refused to start the meter (the first one like this I've met in Jakarta), then took the right cab but the wrong road so ended up in a traffic jam, was upset with myself so missed the client's office building (even though it's a towering 30-storeyed skyscraper), I ended up paying 60% more than I should have, didn't have change so had to broker the money for smaller notes, was in a massive hurry so took the wrong lift that led me right up to the top floor when I needed to go to the 10th, came back to the ground floor, took the right lift, got out on the right floor, walked in to the meeting 45 minutes late and the client said, "Welcome Yousuf, I was just telling Dacil that unfortunately, we won't be able to continue working together." I almost ended up saying, "Perfect! Thanks Mr Irawan, that's exactly what I needed to make my day better."

Honestly, had never felt so disappointed during my entire stay here. I felt it was my fault that we lost the client. My responsibility at Exigo is to consolidate the existing base of brands/clients and acquire new business and strengthen that base too. But one of our most trusting clients (although they didn't pay so much) had chosen to say goodbye. Why? Was it me? Was it Exigo? I was furious with my team when we got back to office. My boss calmed me down saying there's a lot more that went in (client team politics, lack of our resources, etc) behind that decision. He said he knew that and, in fact, he was happy they left us because he was really frustrated with the way they used to operate on shoestring marketing budgets and conservative thinking.

From that perspective, he was right. We realised it gave us more opportunities to explore better and bigger brands in the real estate sector. The market was booming but because we were stuck with this client, we could never approach any other. This is changing. Now, after a month of trying we have almost been assigned to launch one of Jakarta's most premium residential apartment projects.

Moreover, I was determined to get the old client back, even if on a project basis. So, two weeks ago, we decided to proactively provide them with a concept, design and implementation plan for an event that's coming up. And believe me, the client loved it! They weren't so thrilled with the budget, as usual, but we don't mind giving up on some of the bucks if they decide to do this project. Will be moral victory for us and more importantly, the idea really is special. So, will get the market bees buzzing about which agency did it.

There's lots more action that's been happening at work. We decided to invite some investments from some interested family members of my boss and our financial boat is sailing again. Not for long, though. We need to keep acquiring new business every month to generate hefty returns for our new investors lest they decide to withdraw thinking its a failed enterprise.

For that, I've put myself into "bullfighting" mode. Wherever I see opportunity, I charge! In fact, we all do. My teammate, my boss and myself have got hold of a usually elusive business directory. Everyday, we look up a company listed in it, do some basic research on it and call or email their chief marketing personnel to try and fix up an appointment to introduce ourselves and make a credentials presentation. We've had mixed results so far.

We did manage to meet Adidas Indonesia (the brand manager we met had such a cuuuuuuuute smile, I almost ended up falling in love with her during the meeting and I was foolish I decided to concentrate on the meeting and not her... haha), La Salle College International and a medium-sized tobacco manufacturer/seller in Surabaya (East Java) but we've faced closed doors with all others. The good news is that La Salle was pretty impressed, invited us for a pitch last week, we slogged our asses off for it and they said we really went beyond the brief and did much more than expected. So there's a darn good chance of us getting it!! And this one is big!!

The workstation Mahabharata doesn't end here. In fact, it gets better and more interesting now. No, there's no Shakuni Mama or vastra haran scene of Draupadi, but a fascinating tale nevertheless. Personally speaking, I finally faced what I had expected would happen some day or the other: lack of team bonding due to communication and cultural differences.

For a few weeks, I could sense a vibe that some of my colleagues did not associate with me even one bit. And I was right. Misunderstandings began to take place, tempers began to fly and work and productivity began getting hampered. We started talking lesser and that too, only about work-related stuff. Before this phenomenon could take mammoth proportions, we all decided to kill it. A small late night introspection session and everyone came out with everything.

I, in particular, faced a lot of criticism for pushing everyone too much to work faster when that's really rude according to Indonesian culture (I think Indonesians are very very slow), being too high-handed and inaccessible that made my team members hesitant to talk to me and share their professional/personal problems with me (now this was really surprising because in my past experiences at AIESEC and Bates, I've been told by people that they can really trust me and pour their hearts out. Not to boast but I have received great compliments on my leadership style) and that I was too work-focused and serious, never chilled out with my colleagues or made an effort to hang out and be part of team Exigo.

Of course, I had my side of the story too. I am new, I would take time to dapt to the culture, the surroundings and the city. And I also don't wanna spend 23 out of 24 hours everyday with my colleagues. That's not what I came to Jakarta for. I want to meet new people, make new friends, learn about other countries and cultures and that can only happen if I hang out with other people, obviously not my colleagues. And what about the quality of people I have been given to work with in my team? They can't understand what I want to say, how will they work and have fun with me? How am i supposed to give my teammates freedom to do whatever they want when they don't even understand "brands"? What about the number of people? How am I supposed to chill out with my colleagues when they are never ready to travel or go out (except the first few weeks when everyone was really excited)?

Anyways, the conversation ended on a positive note with all of us accepting that we all had made mistakes somewhere down the line. We promised to make more efforts to understand one another and in fact, for the past month have been chilling out a lot more (playing pool, going clubbing, shopping, coffee sessions, etc).

What is intriguing about this experience is what it has taught me. What works in one country may not in another. Well, everyone knows that... so what's the big deal, you might ask? The difference is what you do about it. More often than not, I was trying to steer everyone's thinking to what I thought was right. And on most occasions, it was influenced by past experiences in India. THAT IS WRONG! The best way to deal with such kind of situations is to let people work the way they do and try and mould not their thinking or actions, but their results in a manner such that it is mutually beneficial for you and for them. How? Just be around, identify what you don't know and don't interfere. When you know what you didn't, verify your initial suggestion with the current reality and then suggest or implement. Sounds like rocket science? It isn't. You'll get to know this like the back of your hand if you're studying or working abroad. Ahemm... I take cheques so please send me your fees for this free lesson in "managing cultural diversity" to my bank account in India... hehe :)

Honestly, team management in a foreign country and culture is tough, bloody tough! I thought I was a good team leader and manager. Maybe I am. But in an alien environment where I needed to adapt myself to the surroundings, adjust to the people and then build a team according to the local culture, I think it took a lot more doing. If you still ain't convinced, try it. Cultural diversity/sensitivity is the worst fucking bug that ever hit management sciences. And I rarely see B-school text books or any management guru doing something about it. Maybe I should. What do you people suggest?

And yes, there is a lack of resources at Exigo and I'm also getting drained out with the late nights every week, but it's challenging and fun in its own way. I wasn't expecting this back in India and I'm not really enjoying it all the time but it's enriching my understanding of how small units can be started and more importantly, be managed on a profitable basis.

The last most interesting thing about work right now is the future of Exigo. It seems it couldn't be brighter. A friend of my boss quit TBWA Indonesia a few weeks ago because he was getting bored with the kind of work he was doing: clients always complaining about hefty agency budgets with little returns and compromising on the quality of advertising. He wanted to do something pathbreaking and put Indonesia on the global marketing map.

So, he came along with this idea of merging Exigo with an international agency. Why? Are international agencies scared of us? Certainly not. It was to set up Jakarta and Indonesia's first digital marketing agency as the international technology and new media arm of any reputed international agency. The digital agency's core work would be to use technology to improvise conventional advertising media, utilize new mediums (mobile phones, Internet) of communication for marketing and also develop newer mediums. My boss was excited. This would be a giant leap... IF we took it. He discussed the entire proposal with us. We did take it! (PLEASE NOTE THAT THE NAME OF THE INTERNATIONAL AGENCY HAS BEEN EXCLUDED FROM THIS BLOG BECAUSE OF PRIVACY CONCERNS. THAT'S THE SHITTIEST AND MOST COWARDLY THING I'VE HEARD IN AGES NOW AND THE INTERNATIONAL AGENCY AT WHOSE BEHEST I'M DOING THIS, I THINK, IS STILL LIVING IN THE STONE AGE! I MEAN CMON, THIS IS BLOGGING! IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE MY SPACE, I CAN WRITE ANYTHING! WHERE ARE IPR IN THIS COUNTRY! AND IPR WATCHDOGS ALL OVER THE WORLD, PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THIS!

Investment talks are now in progress, strenuous day-long business plan meetings are on and I'm certainly going to be proud of my CV next year when it reads: Founding Member of "XX INTERNATIONAL DIGITAL MARKETING AGENCY" Jakarta. But I'll hold on to my horses just yet and so should you. Hopefully, the merger will be finalized by November 2006. And when it is, I'll certainly let you'll know.

Phew! Work is exhausting, ain't it. Even when one writes or reads about it :)

Disappointed with "this international agency"
Yousuf

Jakarta Tales Vol 4 (contd)

2006-08-29T11:15:00.000+07:00

THE INTERNATIONAL INDIAN DINNER, THOUSAND ISLANDS AND THE 2ND BANDUNG TRIP

The international Indian dinner, the Thousand Islands and the 2nd Bandung trip undoubtedly, have been the best days of my life in Indonesia so far, at least when it comes to travelling, meeting new people, making new friends, understanding small cultural differences and learning to respect different-minded people, and yes, marketing to them :)

It all started 3 weeks ago with the arrival of Dorien - one of my really good friends now, a sweetheart at heart and a really tall Dutch girl (she's 180cms and I'm only 165... haha). She is an AIESEC intern at Allianz Indonesia and will be here till December 2006. She was followed by Sebastian and Sascha, two really nice and friendly German guys who also work at Allianz and who are also my really good friends now. Another typically rigid German guy, Franz who was "studying Indonesia" was also part of our hulabaloo but he's gone back to Germany now.

Together, whoa, we've had a blast! We've been to Italian and French coffee shops, shopping centres, playing soccer, swimming, clubbing, snorkelling, jet skiing and... the list never ends. Let's just say, this was the last straw in making this experience complete.

Ladies and gentlemen, meet Dorien, Sebastian, Sascha and Franz.

A Business Administration student back in Groningen, The Netherlands, Dorien has an early spring smile, a really friendly nature and a very talkative tongue :) She is working in the marketing department of Allianz here and before this, has done all sorts of things like studying in Finland, working as a cab driver and bartender. The guy with the numbers is Sebastian. A Maths student back in Cologne, Germany, he is really not a typical math guy. He is as genuine as a kid, really funny when it comes to posing for snaps, travels more than airlines do and goes snow boarding more than the Swiss. And yes, he also works with Allianz here. Sascha is the dry humour, natural expression, sometimes quiet-sometimes talkative German from Hamburg. He also works with Allianz here (haha, it seems more like an Allianz expedition). He has a daughter back home (he's quite young though and unmarried) who looks like an angel and so Sascha is smoking here as much as possible coz he can't do that back home with his daughter around.. haha. Franz is the... well,, he's not the Allianz guy :) He doesn't talk too much, is always complaining about the pollution, population, food, traffic, weather, Asia... everything. The strange part is, he loves Indonesia?!?!! His aunt is Indonesian and he loves the language and country and although he's gone back to Germany now, he will come back to settle down and start working here.

Before I move on, I must tell you the difference that exists between Asia and Europe. Or at least the way I see it. For all my European friends, Indonesia is really loud, polluted, strange. It seems like they've come to another planet. They love it but they are really shocked. The smells, the noises, the number of people, everything is different. The coin reverses sides when I come into the picture. For me, the infrastructure is hi-tech, traffic is organized because people use indicators to turn, they don't honk or abuse each other while driving and the stalls on the road, the noise, the pollution, the number of people is all part and parcel of Asian culture. For them, Jakarta is 10 million people! For me, Jakarta is only 10 million people. Kolkata is 15 and the numbers get bigger when we move to New Delhi or Mumbai. In fact, I wonder what they would say when they see India (none of them have) hahaha!

The interesting part is how all of us are united when it comes to being treated as foreigners and how the culture, food, language is different, very different. The problems we face and the solutions we find are similar.

Anyways, now it's time for the international dinner at Kinara (the bloody expensive Indian restaurant!). It was 3 Germans, 1 Chilean, 1 Icelander, 1 Dutch, 1 French and 1 Indian (that's me) sharing a really expensive Indian meal (dal makhani, chicken reshmi kebab, the works...) The menu was decided not just by me but by Francois Xavier as well, the French guy who has been working in Pune for the last 6 years now. He's the only "Indian" with his "thora thora" French-Hindi and a lot of Marathi that I've met here so far. The dinner was excellent, truly Indian (I miss home food) and so was the bill... so much so that we almost fell short of cash! The classic case of dinner planning gone wrong, it was hilarious when we were counting Rp 1000 bills (Rs 5 in India) to add up to the total and with everyone fishing for coins and all that they had in their wallets and purses... haha! But it was fun when we finally achieved the golden figure, there was a yippee feeling that we all had :)

Dinner done, the next weekend we headed to the Thousand Islands. Pulau Seribu (Thousand Islands) is an archipelago of 1000 small and big islands filled with golden and white sand, tropical trees and swamps and surrounded by the corals and crystal clear blue waters of the Java Sea... in other words, it's tropical paradise!!! We went to an island called Sepa and had the time of our lives! We went Snorkelling, jet skiing, sunbathing and accidentally, even spotted a biawat. What's a biawat?

Initially we thought it was a komodo dragon but later discovered that it's part of the komodo family... a la Lata and Asha style. What a sight it is! Being part of the komodo family (the world's largest lizards) makes it one of the few surviving descendants of the dinosaurs. And what we saw on day one was a baby biawat: at least 5 ft in length, it swam through the water and walked on its feet when it came out. As it went into the woods of the island, it slithered its two-forked tongue out and hissed. Wow, I can't describe how it felt. The next day, we saw its mother who hissed really loud and scared the shit out of us when it looked at us and sent us scampering to our rooms!

The snorkelling at Sepa, so far, was one of the highlights of Indonesia for all of us. Imagine how you would feel is you saw fishes swimming with you as if they were your friends or right past you as if you didn't exist. Imagine how you would feel is you saw fishes that shone under the water, whose violet fins contrasted its black body, or who had the colours of the rainbow, or clown fish, or tiger fish, or green fish, or starfish, or flat fish, or baby sharks with cleaning fish, or sea urchins, or squids, or the most beautiful of corals that move and breathe. That's how we all felt. It was unbelievable that such a beautiful place could actually exist. And if this we thought was beautiful, we were told we were wrong. Sulawesi has one of the best corals and reefs in the world and Pulau Seribu, the locals say, is a child compared to it! Hmmm, will God stop making us feel so petty or do we just need to accept that only he can create such beauty?

From below the sea to 6600 ft? Yes, it happened when we went to Bandung last week. This time, my experience was much better. The skies were clearer, the temperatures were perfect and I really saw Bandung. And yes, this time we went by train so the views were even more breathtaking. The Argo Gede trains, btw, are really luxurious and well, they are not so fast (150 kms max) but they are very comfortable.

The first day, we went to see a small waterfall and were dead tired after the trek up and down Curug Dago. We followed it up with a dinner at The Peak and saw the Germany match there. Since our cab arrived 2 hrs late, we were treated to some lovely rock by a band that was playing there. The fire urns brought in the warmth and the evening was perfect. The next day, we started early to go to Tangkuban Prahu. I used my Indian barganing prowess (believe me, it works!!) to get us a cheap angkot and off we were. We didn't do much at the top but the best was yet to come. We decided to trek down to Kawah Domas and it was an incredible experience. It was through a dense, tropical rain forest (I can hardly say tropical because it was 6000 ft high and was freezing) but it was quite an adventure going through fallen trees, unmarked trails, watching insects inside tree barks, the sunlight creeping in through the dense trees and watching chimpanzees jumping from one tree to another. And although the few artefacts sellers were really annoying, the journey down to the crater was fantastic.

The sight at the crater was even better. To put it down in words maybe an injustice to it. Hot boiling water springs where we actually boiled eggs, sulpur caves, steaming rocks and chilly winds, limestone rocks, stones with sulphur crystals... whoa, the list goes on. It's indescribable. How else can one explain the feeling when a chilly breeze blows past you and your feet are next to a small pool of boiling water. But boy, was the trek back to the road a tough one. We were so tired we wanted to go and sleep. But we decided to go to Ciater Hot Springs and the Maribaya waterfall. Honestly, we wished we hadn't gone because both the places were really disappointing.

Phew! That's it. Yes, that's it. I've finally come to the end of this mail. I know you want more and that this one wasn't really well written but the next one is going to be better. I promise you :) And with all the German and Dutch I'm learning these days, I'll be sure to add a touch of that in the next volume :)

Untill next time, selamat malam (good night), hati hati (take care) and live life kingsize!

Sampai jumpa
From your favourite Indian in Jakarta
Yousuf

Jakarta Tales Vol 4 (contd)

2006-08-27T11:09:00.000+07:00

WORK... FINALLY!

Work is going as good as ever. We are always pitching for one client or another, considering the small size of our agency. We aren't winning a lot of them but we are growing, slowly but steadily. What I love is the role I need to play at Exigo. I don't think an AIESEC "traineeship" can always provide you such a challenging job role and a chance to be part of senior management. I guess I'm lucky to have got such a brilliant professional experience at this age. The money ain't good. In fact, it's basic. I would easily get 3 times more if I was playing the same role in a big agency. But the haplessness, fear of risks and self-constructed rigidity of big corporate structures is such that I wouldn't get to play such a role in a big agency until I had at least 7 years of work experience. I had to choose. The bread or the meat. I don't have to feed a family yet, so I chose the meat. And the experience has 5 stars written all over it. I go beyond "brand" and deeper into "business" issues and it really is equipping me with the knowledge of how small units can be started, run and slowly built... one day at a time.

However, I must tell you, at this stage, that everything isn't so rosy though. It's challenging in a way, but it's also scary. The fact is our agency is running short of cash. And really short. If we don't get 2 new clients this month worth 20,000 US$, we don't get our salaries. Not because we want to work for free but because we would have no money to pay with. And the responsibility of getting these new clients rests entirely on my and my boss's shoulders. So it's time for some guerilla marketing, aggressive fire fighting and also a little bit of luck :) The good news is we already have one new client and they will stick with us for a long time, hopefully. The bad news is, the chances of getting the second one are dim. I have the assurance from my boss that I get paid, come what may but I don't wanna be the prince when everyone else around me is turning pauper.
So let's see how things shape up.

About other facts-worth-mentioning, my Bahasa is getting better day by day so communication problems at work are getting lesser and lesser. The funny thing is I think I'm forgetting my Hindi and Gujarati a little bit coz I haven't met a lot of Indians and my tongue isn't rolling the way it should. A simple sentence like "Ghat ghat ka paani peena chahiye" made me think if I was pronouncing it the right way. The issue isn't so bad but it did worry me. Alien at home? Eeks! I wouldn't wanna feel that way! :)

Long live languages
Yousuf

Jakarta Tales Vol 4 (contd)

2006-08-25T11:05:00.000+07:00

THE WEEKEND BLASTS!

The weekend blasts have really been nothing more than partying at F-Bar, Bugil's, CJ's and The Venue. But what made the partying really interesting and fun was the international nature of it. One night, we were three of us from three different countries and each from a different continent: Latin America, Europe and Asia. Another night, it was all German, Dutch and Indian. And along with Jakarta's vibrant and world-class nightlife (over 300 nightlcubs, lounges, bars, pubs; excluding the 50-odd strip clubs and body sushi clubs) I am enjoying the international experience!

Ciao, khuda hafiz, shubh ratri, sampai jumpa, doie!
Yousuf

Jakarta Tales Vol 4 (contd)

2006-08-24T10:56:00.000+07:00

THE YOGYAKARTA EARTHQUAKE...

The Yogyakarta (pronounced Jogjakarta) earthquake, indeed, was the most shocking incident I've come across during my stay here so far. You'll know the details of what and how it happened so I'm not gonna waste time doing another BBC. But what I'll utilize my time doing is describing how the feeling was being right in the country where it happened.

Initially, I hated myself and a lot of Jakartans for being so oblivious to it. Most people got to know of the quake only when the news channels flashed it all over the world. And even then, there was no sense of remorse or grief. It was a weekend so everyone was still partying as ever. In fact, I didn't know untill 12 hours after it and was so ashamed of myself and my colleagues who didn't know a thing either.

But don't judge a book by its cover. Once the news had spread like wild fire, Jakarta was a city possessed. While Indonesia's disaster management teams worked round the clock (and they are quite efficient according to Asian standards), people of Jakarta chipped in like never before. Money and medical supplies were being collected door-to-door, makeshift booths came up on major street crossings where the rich and the poor alike were contributing all-you-ask-for like mad and literally every one was up in arms for beloved Yogya. An NGO called Dompet Dhuafa was the most active with banners all over Jakarta saying "Love our Yogya".

In fact, our office also contributed money to set up 20 relief camps for the survivors and a month's salary and I was happy I could do my bit, however small it was. And that's what made me appreciate the city. It seems, with natural disasters becoming part of the Indonesian annual calendar of events, Jakartans have taken catastrophes in their stride. While they may seem untouched or made-of-stone, they know what to do, when to do and how to do it. And they don't make much ado about nothing. You wouldn't blame them or any other Indonesians for that matter, would you. It's a country that's been hit by a tsunami, landslides, bomb blasts, plan crashes and an earth quake all within 15 months!! It still stands... and it stands tall.

I was desperate to go to Yogya to see how the situation was but the government strongly advised laymen against it. Only national and international aid workers and relatives of victims and survivors were permitted. In fact, a colleague of mine was in Yogya for 2 days after the quake because he lost his cousin when his house collapsed. I wished I could go with him but alas, no chance. But what I observed and genuinely saluted was the relief efforts. No bureaucracy (although Indonesia is as bad or as good as India when it comes to it), no government delays and no scams. All foreign aid was quickly rushed to as many places as possible (it truly is remarkable considering the number of people who were affected). I felt really proud when PM Manmohan Singh ordered some ships in the Indian Ocean to change their course and head with relief material straight to Jakarta.

The magnitude of the Yogya tragedy was doubled due to its timing. All these days, the whole country was anxiously anticipating Mt Merapi to erupt. Indonesia's most unruly volcano had been raging for almost a month and the meteorology department had put it on the higest alert status. Evacuations had been carried out when the mountain spewed clouds of gas and rocks 4 kms down its 8000 ft slopes only a few days before the quake struck. Mt Merapi is to the north of Yogya. The earthquake struck the southern part of the city and came from under the water. People thought it was another tsunami and when they had to flee their homes, they had literally nowhere to go. The only option was to leave the city and go to neighbouring Solo. But that's where the relief operations' organizing headquarters were and if everyone was allowed in, the process would have gone haywire. In despair, people took to the streets spending the night and the following days thereafter in cars and on the sidewalks. Yogyakarta's infrastructure isn't impressive or scientific as Jakarta's so the 140 aftershocks that hit the region and Merapi's heighthened activity after the quake added to the fear of further collapse. My colleague showed us photographs and the only question I had was, "Why God, why?" And then it dawned on me how petty we all are and how mighty nature is. 15 years, or how many? I don't really know how much time it takes for man to build a city and in 15 seconds its all rubble? We truly become what we come from no matter how modern we may try to get, don't we... ashes to ashes, dust to dust?

For once, I was relieved... because the quake hadn't struck Jakarta (although I got at least 10-15 frantic calls and even more emails from India) and that I was alive. Believe me, you might think I am exaggerating but at that moment, I really thanked God for everything he had given me, including such caring people who called or emailed me thinking I might have been a recipient of nature's fury. The thought of something happening here scared the daylights out of me and I realized how much of a comfort zone my family, friends and city provided me in my daily life back home. Moreover, I also saw my destiny playing a part here. I was planning to go to the Budddhist temples at Borobodur (one of the old Seven Wonders of the World) that very weekend but my colleagues and friends dissuaded me. And why is it destiny? Because you can't get to Borobudur without going to Yogya.

The only piece of comforting news to all Indonesians was that Borobudur was mostly untouched. Except for a few small carvings that fell out, the ancient shrines at the temples there were intact, and they still are. I pray that they may forever be. Remnants of our past, they deserve this planet as much as, if not more than, we do. Hopefully, it should be safe to go to Yogya in 3 months' time and God willing, I might be able to visit the heritage site of Borobudur before I come back to India.

Honestly, I also want to go to see the Merapi but its unsafe and no one is allowed to go near the mountain. Imagine what a feeling it would be to see golden red lava flowing down the slopes. Whoa! What an experience!! Excited?!?!?! So was I. But this is where you should slap your selfish self just like I did and think for a moment. The other side of the story is the devastation it could cause to the neighbouring villages if it erupted. The last time it erupted it killed 64 people only with the steam emanating from its crater.

That's it for now
Yousuf

Jakarta Tales Vol 4: Return of the Storyteller

2006-08-21T12:30:00.000+07:00

Hi,

I'm back. After a long sabbatical, though not deliberate, I am back. Since the last mail I wrote was more than a month back, let me keep you under no illusion about the length of this mail: long, really long. And honestly, this time I AM going to give you choices about what you wish to read from the following sections:

1) The Bandung trip and the long weekend
2) The Yogyakarta earthquake and the aftermath
3) The weekend blasts (no, not bomb blasts, the party blasts)
4) Work and the interesting challenge
5) The international Indian dinner, the Thousand Islands and the 2nd Bandung trip

Well, my intention was to give each section such an interesting header that you wouldn't be able to resist going through each one. Alrite, I know it's a cheap shot but c'mon, I'm a marketing person... I have to sell :) I suggest you get yourself a nice big bag of chips or snacks and some soda or tea/coffee while you read this one. Trust me, it's going to be like watching a long film... lolz...I also suggest you read it in parts. That will give you time to soak it all in and then maybe you could form a "Yousuf's Mails Fan Club" and keep mailing me all your words of appreciation ;) Oooooooh, I can already see you saying, "Huh!"

BANDUNG AND THE LONG WEEKEND...

A few weeks ago, AIESEC in Universitas Indonesia invited me to attend an AIESEC national conference in a city called Bandung. I couldn't go during the week owing to work but I decided I would go for it on the weekend. Not only would it allow me to attend my first AIESEC conference in Indonesia (I miss the ones I attended in India during my AIESEC years) but the chance to visit Bandung.

And doing that would make me a true Jakartan :) How? Because Bandung is what Khandala is to Mumbai (although Bandung is a proper city and much bigger than Khandala). It's up in the hills, much cooler than Jakarta and every weekend, it becomes the motto of one in every 5 Jakartans to go to Bandung to escape the humidity of the capital and also gives them a chance to pollute beautiful, "green grass-blue skies" Bandung. In fact, you can see it. The freeways leading to and from Bandung are filled with cars numbered "B" - which is Jakarta's code and inside Bandung, traffic jams are common.

So, I was on my way on a Saturday morning at 9am. Ono (really chubby and plump Chinese girl from AIESEC) was sweet and kind enough to organize the coach for me to go to Bandung and accompanying me was someone from the other end of the world - an Icelandic guy. Let me introduce you to Thomas Christiansson. Thomas is all of 22 and he's already visited 26 different countries. He's just finished his graduation, just finished a mini world tour, has worked with AIESEC in Iceland and the United Nations in the past and is now in Jakarta to work with the National Committee of AIESEC in Indonesia for a year. Whoa! Talk of achievement! Honestly, he really is a highly talented guy with great future potential and management seems to be in his blood.

Anyways, so off we were after I landed 5 mins late at the coach station, the coach had left and had to come back to pick me up (Siddhant, if you're reading this, don't laugh... I am improving on my punctuality).

The 2.5 hr journey to Bandung was a smooth ride and dotting both sides of the freeway are tea gardens, steep mountain slopes and orchards. And the journey seemed really short because while everyone else on the coach slept, Thomas and I kept talking till we arrived in Bandung.

And boy, what an interesting experience that was! I learnt a little bit of Icelandic and believe you me, it is a tough language. I taught Thomas some Hindi and he was really bad at it. But what we both learned about each other's cultures, countries, economies was what was fascinating. Did you know that Reykjavik - the capital - is the world's 2nd most expensive city after Tokyo? Did you know that Icelandic business houses own half and more of Harrod's, Vodafone and other such major English, Swedish and Danish companies? And that Iceland's population is only 300,000 although it's area is bigger than France and England?

300,000?!?! We wouldn't even put it on the map of India! And Thomas knows that. I told him so... haha! The most surprising thing he told me was that in winter in Iceland, the sun rises at 11am and sets at 2pm and during the summers, the sun never sets... even at midnight!

Anyways, three beautiful girls from AIESEC in Bandung picked us up from the coach station and we headed straight for the hotel where the conference was being held. Btw, we got to know that the conference was not exactly in Bandung but slightly higher up in a hill station called Lembang. Good, I thought. The higher, the better! On the way, we met Fahmi, another interesting guy. Fahmi is Indonesian and was an exchange student in Brazil for a year. So till the time we reached the hotel, it was Samba talk all the way :)

The hotel, indeed, was perched high up on a hill and gave us a beautiful view of the valley below with clouds floating past, a la Lord of the Rings (but I've seen better views on my Shimla-Manali trip). Thomas and I were given a rousing reception in true AIESEC style and after a long time, I was blushing, or let's say, slightly embarassed. I had almost forgotten to be a public speaker in the last few years and the AIESECers were nice enough to warmly appreciate the little Bahasa I spoke. They loved "Bissu peeke than" and joined me in the "than"... haha! Thomas, of course, got an even bigger applause for his "roll call" as he is on the National Commitee.

I didn't do much in the conference except talk to a lot of people who were keenly interested in India and my experiences in Indonesia. Come Saturday night, it started drizzling, temperatures fell further and a few of us were out for dinner to "The Peak" - a beautiful restaurant on a hill offering a breathtaking view of Bandung below, illuminated by night. Now that is some view! Honestly, you don't want to leave the quietude and the warmth of the fireplace as the chilly breeze blows past and the city below looks like a galaxy of stars.

The drive we went for afterwards gave me a culture shock. While we were driving through one of the streets, Fahmi pulled down his window, said a "hi" to two girls who were standing on the sidewalk and asked them if they wanted to join us! The girls smiled and said, well, not that night because they had other plans but if he gave them a call later, maybe they would. And they exchanged phone numbers! And the girls weren't prostitutes. They were English speaking, well dressed, beautiful girls. To my surprise, the others in the car said this was Bandung culture. Bandung, they told me, is called "City of Flowers" because "flowers" has a pun. It refers to the numerous bonsai plants, the orchards and gardens in the city yes, but it also means "beautiful girls". Later, I found out that the most beautiful women in Indonesia come from Bandung :) The night lasted long as we played "Chabo Chabo Cha Cha Cha" and partied hard.

The next day we began early. I went to see a strawberry farm and had my first violin lessons. Actually, a girl called Karin was at the conference and she plays the violin as if she communicates through it. So, I thought, what better than someone so skilled giving me basic lessons in my favourite instrument and that too, in such picturesque locales. It took me 2 hours to learn the grip, the poise and the first note. I thought I was horrible but Karin said I did pretty good for a first-timer (She is now helping me find someone in Jakarta who can teach me the violin professionally. Please pray, ladies and gentlemen that I find someone soon).

The conference got over that afternoon and while it was raining heavily, I decided to go to Gunung Tangkuban Prahu... alone. No one was willing to come because they had other plans. But I was intent on seeing the volcano at any cost. So I thought, better late than never.

Off I was in an angkot (a small van like our very own shuttle Omnis in Kolkata). The rain stopped, the skies started clearing slowly and an hour later, I was at 6600 ft and at the top of the crater of Gunung Tangkuban Prahu.

Gosh, it's incredible! At the top of the crater, where tourists stand, the temperature is 12-15 degrees centigrade, the wind is chilly, vapour comes out through your mouth and clouds float past you like sheep. And just 100 metres below, inside the crater, you can see yellow-pale green sulphur burning and boiling at 120 degrees and steaming rocks! That's when you start wondering at God's power of creation and nature's unbelievable bounties. At times, you feel the mountain is talking to you when it rumbles and grunts. But I was diasspointed I couldn't get to Kawah Domas (the other crater) because it was already too late and the way to is through a forest.

The local vendors kept chasing me and other foreigners to buy some traditional handicrafts and I eventually bought two wooden pens, a beautiful Javanese painting made from dry banana leaves and paddy paper and rushed back to Bandung where Thomas and the other AIESECers were waiting and worried that I hadn't returned till sunset. We left for Jakarta at 7.30pm.

And now here comes the interesting part. While on our way back to Jakarta in the coach, we all slept but when we woke up, I had this strange but nice feeling when in the distance, I could see tons of cars. The smell of gas and petrol filled the air and instead of being irritated with it or getting the "oh no, not again" feeling, I felt like I was back home. A warm feeling rented my heart and it was as if I was saying, "Good ol' Jakarta..."

Anyways, now for the long weekend. I thought India was a lazy country but Indonesia is not far behind, or let's say, quite ahead in these matters. But it's nice because it resulted in a long weekend holiday from Thu-Sun without a big festival or reason ;) A few weeks ago, there was a national holiday on Thursday for the "Ascension of Jesus Christ". Fair enough, offices were closed. But then, the government declared a holiday on Friday too so that everyone could have a long weekend and offices resumed work only on Monday! But the government is hapless in these matters because on all such occasions, everyone either applies for leave or reports sick. So what the heck, give everyone a holiday, solve the problem! And I utlilized this weekend in pure indulgence. I spent a lot of money eating at the malls, listening to music, going to see films and hanging out just doing nothing. Ah, what a feeling it is to be idle... haha!

Sampai jumpa

Yousuf

Jakarta Tales Vol 3 (contd)

2006-08-18T10:37:00.001+07:00

BEHOLD THE MAJESTIC CAFE BATAVIA...

Moving away from my health tips, time for some sightseeing. Last week, I went to Old Jakarta (Kota)with an interesting group that organizes "anti-mall weekend" excursions to heritage sites (explored and unexplored) in Jakarta and Indonesia And being a foreigner, I got a 100% discount! That's Rs120 (US$ 3 saved) :)

I visited the Taman Fatahillah Museum (erstwhile Dutch fort and house of the ruling Dutch Governor-General replete with the gallows, underground dungeons/prisons, execution swords et al), the Wayang Museum (wayangs are Indonesian puppets) where I also saw a wayang mahabharata show (each of the pandavs has a unique crown which distinguishes them), the Keramik Museum (Oriental ceramic pottery, cutlery and sculpture) and the Council Hall (the court during the Dutch colonial period).

On the tour, I met Arthur, a Dutch guy who is actually from Spain and lives in Paris (I thought the Dutch were from The Netherlands...hehe) and is here to teach the Dutch language at Universitas Indonesia. And yes, he made me feel really proud. He said that he was really impressed when he visited India (Rajasthan and New Delhi) a few years ago. I also met his Indonesian friends, Ike and Elvira, who work at the Dutch Embassy in Jakarta and who actually speak more Dutch than Bahasa... lolz... The reason why I'm mentioning them is because I owe them the visit to Cafe Batavia.

After the tour i was heading home but Arthur and his friends persuaded me to come with them to Cafe Batavia. Cafe Batavia... what do I say about the place. Oh, it's just lovely. It's the oldest cafe in Jakarta but it's been evergreen ever since it was born. It has this old world charm that attracts both, the young and the old. The architecture is a fusion of Dutch and Indonesian motifs while the ambience is downright sophisticated. It has a live band in the atrium on the ground floor that plays soft jazz with elegance that can make the depressed smile and the smiling smile even more. There is a quiet newspaper/book reading section on the first floor where you can find people puffing away at their cigars and pipes while they browse through words.

And when the jazz band stops playing, an old gentleman on the first floor stirs up some soulful music on the old piano. A la Ritz Cafe di Casablanca? U got it right mate! In fact, it's much better than the famous cafe in the renowned film and the real one in Casablanca, as Arthur confirmed (he's been there). And on the walls, there are rare, exclusive portraits and snapshots of the world's most memorable celebrities right from Abraham Lincoln to Princess Diana, from Mahatma Gandhi to Pete Sampras. "Permissi mas, can we have the menu please?" And the waiter pulls out 4 portraits from a pillar, turns them over and hands them to us. Yes, that's it. The menus are on the reverse of each portrait, enough for one person each when the Cafe is full (that's about 150 people, I guess). What a novel idea!

To end my romantic soiree with Cafe Batavia, am letting you know that I have discovered there exists an India Town here. It's called Pasar Baru (Pasar=market, Baru=new). Will go there sometime soon, especially since they have a multiplex there that screens Indian films (right now they've got Pyare Mohan... it's a Vivek Oberoi film so I'm sure it's a "hey-look-at-me-i-am-trying-to-act" kinda film and so don't wanna watch it). But am eagerly waiting for the next change in June coz its... subhanallah, subhanallah! You know which film I'm talking about. Have downloaded all its songs, promos and I recommend visiting its website via http://www.yashrajfilms.com/.

And yes, go watch MI3...the film rocks! It still aint as good as the thrill of the MI tv series and the 1st MI film but its worth the money and the time...

This one's longer than the last one so might send it to the Guiness Books :)

Sampai jumpa
From your favourite Indian in Jakarta
Yousuf

Jakarta Tales Vol 3 (contd)

2006-08-11T10:33:00.000+07:00

TRAFFIC ON THE ROAD, TRAFFIC AT WORK!

Anyways, the last two weeks have been just as good as the previous ones. I realize one month has already gone by and I'm thinking I need more time here :) Work's been very very hectic and equally exciting so haven't had much time to do anything else.

Our agency is now growing like never before. We've had 3 pitches (the non-ad guys don't even bother figuring out what this means;)) in 3 weeks, 2 prospective biz opening-meetings and 5 new biz opportunities are on their way next week - one of them being Coca Cola, the other SmithKline Beecham (below-the-line activities for both, again non-ad guys, I know this is Greek to you but I'm enjoying making you feel ignorant...hehe, hmmm, I never knew I was a sadist). So late nights, no nights (we went home at 8am next day) are now becoming part and parcel. This excludes weekends because no one works on weekends in Jakarta.

Now, for some culinary delights. I've become addicted to Bakso (meatball curry), Nasi Goreng Kepiting (Crab Fried Rice) and Wendy's hamburgers, A&W Chicken and iced tea. Btw, this might sound surprising but the reason why Coke is looking for new, aggressive marketing is because it's losing market share steadily and has been running losses for the last 3 years! Coke... and losses? And to whom? To Pepsi? No. Because Pepsi has very low market share here. Coke is losing out to iced tea, juices, energy drinks, mineral and ionised water.

And it's not just in Indonesia. All over SE Asia, the cola giants are getting flushed down the toilet (and literally) simply because people are waking up to the fact that colas can now be used to clean their toilets (a TV expose in Singapore revealed that colas and aerated beverages contain ingredients that kill bacteria thriving on urine and human excreta!) Secondly, Indonesia is the world's second fastest growing market for energy drinks. People out here are health conscious and that's because the energy drinks add lesser calories than colas and are good for the body. So goodbye colas, hello health drinks!

A healthy goodbye
From ur favourite diet watch expert
Yousuf

Jakarta Tales Vol 3: From traffic, more traffic to Cafe Batavia

2006-08-02T12:20:00.000+07:00

TRAFFIC... THERE'S ONLY A RED!

Hi,

Before I begin an account of events since Vol 2, here are two contests you can enter to win some great prizes:

1) Entries are open for solutions - ones that work - for Jakarta's chronic traffic problems!! Anyone with an idea that's not flyovers, freeways, MRT/LRT, oganized bus networks, no-car days (all these have been tried and tested for the last 16 years:)) is welcome to send in their entry to any CITIZEN IN JAKARTA!! Prizes include the status of President, Master for Life and GOD! Rewards include free, genuine worship by 10 million residents and 1 million foreigners who are fed up and have resigned to the fate of being stuck in traffic throughout the day.

2) Entries are open for more traffic solutions!!

Believe me people, I've never seen so much traffic in my life! Going out for a one-hour meeting from South to Central Jakarta could mean being on the road for 4 hours. But thank heavens the traffic here is organized. People drive in a straight line and don't honk or else one could go deaf on the spot or get killed in an accident what with so many vehicles. The problem? Too many cars. Jakarta has more cars than the whole of Indonesia put together! On an average, a friend told me, each family that can afford it has at least 2 cars.

And why? Simply because while there are organized govt bus networks (the comfortable, air-con, cheap TransJakarta busway) they cater only to certain parts of this teeming metropolis. The private buses are as bad as or even worse than Kolkata's minibuses so people choose not to travel by them. The other options are ojek (motorcyles, but the ojek drivers are obsessed with imitating F1 races so there is the danger of a rendezvous with St Peter at the Pearl Gates before you can say "stop").

Then comes the bajaj (the govt hates it because of the pollution it creates and so its not allowed everywhere but its the poor and middle-class's vehicle so people do use it) and then there's the cabs (very comfortable but expensive for daily use). The MRT (mass rapid transportation) is under construction (will take at least another 2 years before beginning operations) and there's already too many flyovers and freeways so there's no space to build any more. So what do people do?!?!?! They use cars. Phew! Just talking about it makes me dread Monday morning traffic at Kemang (my office area).

I'm off for the moment, see you guys in some time...
Yousuf

Jakarta Tales Vol 2 (contd)

2006-07-18T10:22:00.000+07:00

ALL WORK AND NO PLAY? NO WAY!

Now, for the highlights...

Jakarta truly is a city of surprises. There are 75 malls here and 38 golf courses (23 courses and 15 driving ranges)! In fact, they have distinctions.. super premium malls where you have the likes of Cartier, Cesare Paciotti, Yves Saint Laurent, Versace stores, hep malls that are designed specifically for the 18-30 age group and down market malls a la Fancy Market in Kolkata.

Last Saturday, I went to the Universitas Indonesia to attend the LCP Elections for the LC from that University. The fact that they have bus stops, taxi services, etc inside the University campus should tell you something about its size. And it's beautiful. Oh, there's some architectural information you should know. Indonesians use a lot of sloping red roofs, the kind we rarely do because they are used for slums. But out here, it's the most common sight across all kinds of houses, including the fashionable mansions.

Anyways, the elections went off really well. Their process is quite different from what we have in India. It's not so formal (people come in casuals, can come in anytime) but it was fun. They played "Tunak tunak tun" during the break and I had to do some "bhangra" as a traditional Indian dance.

With me at the elections was Thomas, an AIESEcer from Bayerheuth, Germany. He's training at Allianz here and is a really nice chap. In fact, we've become good friends. He left on Saturday to complete his graduation but before he did, we had a lot of fun at his farewell and the night before he left.

About the food, I love it! I love Bakso (meatball curry), Nasi Goreng (fried rice), Sate Ayam (bar-b-cued chicken), Tong Seng (sweet mutton curry with rice), Soto Ayam (Chicken soup), Bubur Manado (Fish and vegetables porridge), Bubur Ayam (Chicken porridge), Crepes (dosa-like pancakes with the option of sweet or spicy fillings inside) and everything!! I just don't like Lontong Sayur (Vegetable soup with boiled rice in Kasafa leaves) because the boiled rice is tasteless and IndoMie (that's Maggi out here and there's so much noodles anyways so who wants Maggi).

The only problem with all the food is that unlike back home, food out here is not ready-to-eat when it is served. There's a whole lot of sauces and peppers that need to be added. So, at times, I add too much and it becomes overtly spicy or at times its just too bland. Btw, they have dishes named Internet out here!

I also tried sushi (I had it once in India) and loved it! And people, those of you who think Indian food is spicy, try wasabi! Wasabi is actually supposed to be added to the sauce for the sushi and I tried to act smart, did not heed the advice of my friends who warned me and tasted one small dollop. Oh my god!!! It's the spiciest thing I've ever had! Initially, for a few seconds, I didn't feel anything and then, all of a sudden, there was a burning sensation in my mouth that ran up my nose and into my head. I felt like pulling my hair apart and water started coming out of my eyes! Phew! Thank god, I had ordered a glass of Japanese tea which is tasteless and is the best tranquilizer for raw wasabi.

And where did all this happen? We had gone to this sushi bar (it serves the sushi on regular tables as well as on a bar counter that revolves. You take your seat on a stool as you would for a drink in a bar, all the sushi dishes are placed in plates of different colours and they keep moving with the counter. You like something, pick it up and eat. Eventually, the bill is calculated depending on the plates you've taken and their colour).

For more surprises, listen to this... I can make delicious Aloo sabzi and mutton curry! Yes, its true. I made mutton curry last week and yesterday, and it turned out to be delicious! I made aloo sabzi today and it was yummy!!! I loved both. My neighbours hogged and hogged coz they all love Indian food. In fact, this Austro-Indonesian girl who lives on my floor ate more than I thought she would so I ended up going a lil hungry!

But the only thing that didn't work out was the rotis...Actually, the dough I made had a lot of water so it became too soft. And eventually when it did become right, I couldn't make the perfect circle and burnt all four! Don't laugh, they don't have rolling pins (belan) out here so was making rotis with a spoon. Yesterday, was too hungry so didn't take the risk again and just made some good 'ol rice with the curry.

Which reminds me about Indonesian food habits. 90% of all Indonesian meals are rice or noodles. Imagine, they have McD burgers with rice, A&W chicken with rice, pizzas with rice. The remaining 10% is food that should have had rice but possibly they thought of not making it so monotonous... haha...

And yes, the Indonesians love Indian food but it's their kinda Indian food... Roti only means bread and they have it sweet!!! Roti Bakar is grilled bread sandwiches with either chocolate, bananas or anything sweet! And Naan is baked like pizza and had dry with cheese or bananas or chocolate!! They couldn't figure out why naan/roti is staple diet in India and is not a sweet accessory but a spicy one :))

Oh yes, the Indonesians love India, Hindi films and Indians and respect them a lot. This might sound strange but Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, DDLJ, Lagaan and Kal Ho Na Ho are the most popular films out here! Shah Rukh Khan is next only to God. The women love him, the men admire him and the children adore him. If possible, they'd make him President. A stall owner at the INACRAFT exhibition actually replied to me by simply saying "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, I see 43 times" when I told him I was from India!

As an Indian, when you come to Indonesia, be prepared to answer 3 questions at every nook and corner. Firstly, why do all Indian films including action films look like musicals with song and dance sequences in the rain and around trees? Secondly, why don't we stop making bajaj (pronounced bajai) which is our very own auto - India's biggest export to Indonesia - and the most polluting vehicle out here. In fact, that's the only thing they blame India for. And thirdly, have we met Shah Rukh Khan?

Friday night was real party night! After Sushi Tei, we went to this really sophisticated jazz cafe called "Upstairs" where this local pianist/vocalist was in full swing with Louis Armstrong classics. In fact, that's another thing I love about this place. A live band at a restaurant, cafe, bar or club goes without saying. It's always there, except in a few cases. Even all the malls have a stage in the central atrium for live performances every day or every weekend.

And when you're at one of the local roadside food areas like Blok S, Menteng or Roti Bakar Edi, young boys with a guitar in hand or harmonica in mouth play for you in hope of some money. And mind you, it's not begging. The Indonesians are a very proud people and highly polite too. It's upto you whether you wish to pay him. If you do, it's mostly out of respect for music and appreciation of his talent and you pay him only after the song is over. You don't interrupt him during the song or shoo him away with a wave of the hand or unpolite words. If you don't want to pay him, you stand up a little, nod your head to thank him and wish him best of luck. That's it. The Indonesians also don't abuse too much and their slangs end at "fuck". Abusing in presence of women is considered insulting and embarassing and they don't use abusive terms involving family members. It might be hard to believe, but there are no words for that kind of language!

Something the world needs to learn from here.

Something more that India particularly needs to learn is how secularism should work. While the Western media continues to propagate Asia as a volatile region and countries like Indonesia are seen as "Muslim fundamentalist" or "terrorist", Andi Balarama, Heidi, Melinda, Devi, Susanti, Aditya Yono and Arjun happen to be Muslim names. It doesn't matter to them where these names come from. In the same breath, Arif, Lutfi and Grace happen to be Hindu names. And Tania and Yunita are Christian names. With an 87% Muslim population, the largest Muslim country in the world has no official religion, everyone knows the story of the Pandavs and Ramayan, the Central Business District of the city has a 30 metre long, 25 feet high statue enacting Arjun driving the chariot whilst Krishna gives him instructions from the Gita. Indonesia is a melting pot of diverse cultures just as India is. Just that no one spices it up once in a while for political gains out here.

To end it all, I can't describe my experience at Hard Rock Cafe. Oh my god, it's a rock lovers' paradise. I didn't wanna leave untill my friends dragged me out. It's a rock museum and deservingly so for the gods of rock whose autographed guitars, shirts, portraits hang on the walls as the ceiling-to-floor glass painting of The Beatles lights up with each song that the live band plays on the raised stage. For teasers to make you all envious, there's the original mask used in the film The Wall, there's rare snaps of Pink Floyd in concert, original records signed by Hendrix, letters written by McCartney, Bob Dylan and exclusive snaps of The Doors. The DJ counter says "Music for life", the bar reads "High on rock" and the bar on the gallery reads "Take time to be kind".

And yes, after "Upstairs", I headed to Vertigo with Thomas, a few other Germans, this really hot Indonesian babe, a Chilean girl, a Turkish guy and an English brat. Vertigo truly can give you that feeling literally because its on the 17th floor of Plaza Semanggi (a mall and office complex). The place has 2 floors - the one below plays hip hop and R&B and the one above plays techno and trance. And its huge. No, huge is an understatement. It's massive! And common to both these floors is a staircase surrounded by a glass chamber full of liquor bottles. The music rocks, the women are hot and at 3am, there still may be problems with entry because the place is so packed.

That's all folks, this is undoubtedly the longest mail I''ve ever written and the longest you've ever read. So while I prepare sending an entry into the Guiness Books, you take care and have fun, untill next time, sampai jumpa.

Loads of love

Yousuf

Jakarta Tales Vol 2 (contd)

2006-07-11T10:13:00.000+07:00

WORK

Work's been going great. So far, so good. As I've said earlier, it's a small agency and my role is big so am enjoying the pressure, the repsonsibility and the authority. And I love lunches at Mirasari... that's a nice traditional Indonesian restaurant opposite my office. In fact, we often have client meetings there... hehe. There's the option of sitting down and eating on a low table like the Japanese do and that's what I love the most!

Anyways, my colleagues are great and I'm already in the process of driving people to perform, be accountable and consolidate our key accounts. Have had meetings with all clients and they've all been great. It's funny when they try to speak English because it's as bad as my Bahasa but some Chinese do manage to speak it well.

About the language, believe me people, I'm lost in translation. Firstly, the Indonesians are a very proud people and they love their language so they prefer not to talk in English. Secondly, most of them don't know too much English! But that's the fun and challenge of going to a non-English speaking country and this is what I love. Everyday, I read one page of this "English-Bahasa" phrase book and apply whatever I learnt during work, travel, etc. And it works, my Bahasa is improving slowly although i can't figure out the grammar yet.

The learning here is the way communication works. It's opening up my mind so much and making me think so much more about people, their psychology and how things can either vary from country to country or be the same. At times, we feel we are right in our own ways and thoughts but that may not be true for someone in another country and at that stage, its a question of choosing between your thoughts and respect for the other person's culture and feelings. Customisation is the key. There are so many times when I try and tell my colleagues that this is how things should be done. But a second later, I realise that it might be different here and I should check on that first. If there's no problems, then go ahead.

At work, my colleagues who don't understand English make an effort to use Bahasa words that I know or use colours, sign language, write or simply ask someone else to translate. In return, I speak English slowly, I speak broken English at times or simply cut out the unnecessary words like "a, and, the, is" because for them, every word means something to be interpreted. I also use symbols, hand movements and actions and a little bit of Bahnglish (Bahasa and English) which draws everyone into splits of laughter and gives all of us a moment to unwind. This has also made me realise that I need to be crisp, precise and short with my communication since things need to be translated at times for me, meetings do take longer and tasks or info could get misinterpreted.

But the most fantastic language barrier-breaker is the way our office driver and office peon understand me. They don't speak English at all. Yet, they never make a mistake when I give them an instruction or try to explain something that needs to be done. Strange, how we think only words can express our thoughts and translate them into actions.

Honestly, I couldn't have asked for a better AIESEC internship!

The week was hectic but fun too. Had to work on a brand plan for a "natural detox drink" brand so stayed in office all night on Thursday and went home at 8am the next morning. We all did, actually. And the meeting couldn't have been better! And Friday night was one long party!!

More on that later...

Jakarta Tales Vol 2: From Exigo to Vertigo

2006-07-04T12:13:00.000+07:00

Two roads diverged into the woods,
And I took the bloody wrong one because I didn't know the right bus to take
And that has made me wiser - read what's written on the bus.

If you can't, ask someone, goddamit!

Well, Robert Frost certainly wouldn't be impressed with the slang but what the heck, that's the best way I think I could have described my stupidity last Monday while boarding a bus. I tried saving transportation costs, I ended up paying double the fare to office.

Anyways, welcome to Vol 2, Version 1 (Unlike Microsoft, I keep my versions to a bare minimum) of Jakarta Tales. Please choose from the following sections to save yourself the trouble of going through my entire mail:

Work
Play

So much for options.

PLAY

The last 2 weeks (you already know what happened in Week 1) have been exciting. I've started liking Jakarta bit by bit and I'm loving the people more and more. In a nutshell, it's work everyday, maybe some fun in the evenings, weekends is fun.

I started off my weekend expeditions two weeks back by visiting the Monas (short for Monument Nasional... believe me, the Indonesians use abbreviations for everything), the Istiqlal mosque and the Royal Dutch Cathedral.

Monas is a 100-something metre high tower in the heart of Jakarta Pusat (Central Jakarta), made of Italian marble and has a 30kg gold "flame" above it. It was constructed by Indonesia's first President, Soekarno as a symbol of Indonesia's independence. Unfortunately, I reached a lil later than the visiting hours so could not take the lift to the top or visit the museum inside. And I wasn't carrying any camera so don't have any snaps.

The Istiqlal mosque is bang opposite the Monas and is a beautiful, modern mosque with a capacity for 120,000 people at a time. That makes it the largest mosque in South and South East Asia. Again, no snaps. And lastly, the Royal Dutch Cathedral is bang opposite the Istiqlal mosque. it was built in the 19th century by the Dutch and is a beautiful piece of architecture. No snaps again.

Bottomline - have to go to these places once again to get snaps :)) Btw, this virtual tour you're taking costs eh... 2$ an hour... I'll take it when i come back.

My next stop after these was Giant - the superstore. And it is super, in size! Anyways, I did manage to find an "Indian section" where MDH, Everest, Pillsbury and the likes are doing very well and it warmed my heart to see them there... ah, mera bharat! I picked up groceries for the month and off I was.

Loads of love

Yousuf

Jakarta Tales Vol 1 (contd)

2006-07-02T10:01:00.000+07:00

I JUST WANNA FEEL...

Now to sum up my reactions. Honestly, when I landed here, I was disappointed and wanted to take the next flight back home. But the more people I meet and the more I am staying here, I keep postponing my decision :)

Actually, to be very honest, I'm not in love with the place. Not yet. It's not so international and hi-tech as I thought it would be and the stopover at Singapore really heightened my expectations. So at every opportunity, I keep comparing it to Singapore and feel let down. More so, because it reminds me of India so much. For instance, Jakarta isn't as polluted or dirty but it is to a certain extent. There are garbage dumps in the lanes and in contrast, Singapore is so clean you would want to check if your shoes are dirtying it. While Singapore and Jakarta are equally humid, you don't feel it in Singapore because everything out there is air-con. Out here, its' not.

And though the culture shock is huge and I desperately keep looking out for Indians and get frustrated on not being able to communicate when someone can't understand English, or when I have to repeat the simplest of things in English more than twice, or that I couldn't explain what "dal makhani" is, or that I am finding it difficult to pick up Bahasa, I still think it's not as challenging as I thought it would be. I mean, it's not something I wouldn't have found inIndia, except the people and food.

But yes, there's one thing I'm in love with and that's the people. No, not with anyone in particular but everyone. Strangers say "hi" to me on the roads. People are almost willing to drop me off to a place when I ask for directions and they respect the fact that I don't speak their language, yet. More importantly, I love the people am staying with and my colleagues. They've been so friendly and helpful and have been listening to my ideas already.

Finally, the end. The experience hasn't been overwhelming so far but I'm liking it. The more I stay here, the more I am growing accustomed to it. And although I terribly miss home, I think I'll manage this one year. With some hope and help from God. Andyou. Tolong permissi mas and 'mba, saya harus perggi (Now if you'll excuse me ladies and gentlemen, I have to go).

With every good wish
Your favourite Indian in Jakarta
Yousuf

Jakarta Tales Vol 1 (contd)

2006-07-01T09:50:00.000+07:00

HOME SWEET HOME?

After an hour and a half during which I didn't manage to find out where the "Transit Terminal Mall" ended, I headed for my Singapore Airlines flight to Jakarta. As usual, I was late (even though the flight itself was delayed...haha) and the last one to board the plane. The flight was great. It was short and with it, the hostesses got prettier. An hour and fifteen minutes later, the in-flight announcement informed me that we were about to land at Jakarta. My heart started pounding. I was finally getting there - the place I had decided to call home for the next year.

My first glimpses of Jakarta from the plane were impressive as well as disappointing. I could see several ships, cruises and speedboats below us heading out into the vast sea leaving a trail of white surf behind them. In the distance, I could see tall high-rises and further ahead, even taller mountains. And as we drew nearer, I could see slums as well.

Soekarno Hatta International is massive as well but nothing compared to Changi (the pilot took 10 minutes to find the right gate :) . One word of caution - henceforth, whatever positives I mention about Jakarta are to be multiplied 5 times to be compared to Singapore and twice to be compared to Kuala Lumpur. The only exception to this is when I talk about the people in which case you should reverse the equation.

Now let's get back to what I was saying. Inside, the airport is hi-tech and unlike Singapore, has a character of its own. While Singapore is too futuristic, the Soekarno Hatta International building is made like a "pagoda" in traditional Indonesian style contributing to the ambience of a country resort. I completed my formalities and headed out for the exit gate. The AIESEC Jakarta team was supposed to be there to pick me up and they came. 30 minutes late. I took this opportunity to go to a "warung" and call my family to inform them that I had reached safe and sound.

While I waited outside the McDonald's outlet near the exit gate, taxi drivers and car operators swarmed towards me like bees and I asked myself, "It happens only in India?"

The AIESECers came and off we were in a slick Toyota sedan. I must say, I was overwhelmed by their hospitality. They continuously apologized to me for being late and talked to me at length about my flight, my background and India. I felt like I was representing Brand India at a forum.

Along the way, I saw Mumbai. Yes, I am serious. I sawMumbai. Broad and smooth roads, expressways and slums. Carrefours, Giants, K Marts, Ikeas and slums. Skyscrapers, beautiful buildings and slums. Glitzy restaurants and roadside vendors. Limos and hand-pulled carts. My first reaction was "Oh shit, this is what I hadn't hoped for! What happened to the internationalism of Jakarta I had heard of?"

On enquiry, the three AIESECers responded in unison and confirmed what I had read about briefly in Lonely Planet in the run-up to my trip. From 1990 to 1997, the ASEAN capitals - Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta - were running neck-to-neck in terms of progress and development. But the 1998 Asian financial crisis plummeted the Rupiah and the Indonesian economy into a coma from which it is still recovering. While Singapore and Malaysia took the crash in their stride, Indonesia (due to its corrupt government and "rich vs poor" economy could not sustain it. The bubble had burst. The illusion that everyone was rich was gone. As if that wasn't enough, the Bali and Mariott bombings and the tsunami played their roles to add to the demise. For facts, the Rupiah fell from 1300 to a dollar to 12,000 in 1998. It has stabilized somewhat at 9,000 today.

An hour later, I was amused to know that we were still far away from my boarding house. There was little traffic since it was Sunday, we had been traveling at about 100 miles an hour so what was the problem? The distance. Jakarta is huge. Nah, its too huge. The airport is 80km from South Jakarta - the closest to the airport - and the city is divided into five parts:North, South, East, West and Central. It takes three hours by car to get from North to South or East to West with traffic and an hour without traffic. "An hour without traffic" is a distant reality the locals have been praying for the way they did for Moses to part the Red Sea. They hope, someday, it will happen.

We reached my boarding house that turned out to be twice as expensive (120USD) than what had been communicated to me by the AIESECers before I arrived here. They said the cheaper place did not have any spare rooms at the time so they had to go for this one. They were right. I checked out the other place before agreeing to go with this one. Eventually, I took it. I've decided to stay here for the first month. In the meantime, the AIESECers, my office colleagues and I are gonna look for a cheaper place that meets three criteria: a) it's in the same area as my office or closer to it than where I am right now, b) it's cheaper and c) it's as international and culturally diverse as the place where I'm staying right now.

It's not that I hate my boarding house. I like it. It's a 3-storeyed building with 3 rooms, a furnished living room with a tv, a kitchen and refrigerator and a bathroom on each floor. It's not too far from my office. It's clean and spacious. The rent includes laundry and ironing and the electricity bill. My room is on the 2nd floor and has an air-con like all the others. I can come in and go out anytime and most importantly, I've got wonderful dorm mates. There's a Korean guy and a Dutch guy and an Indonesian girl onthe 1st floor, a Canadian writer and an Indonesian girl and myself on the 2nd, two Indonesian guys and a Danish girl on the 3rd. There's a German guy moving in within three weeks on the terrace.

But, all said and done, it's expensive.

My tours of Jakarta, so far, have been limited to South Jakarta because everything else is so far away. And that too, I've just seen ¼ of the South. They've been mostly to "warungs" and "warnets" for calls and checking my mails; to Carrefour, Matahari, Starbucks, Gloria Jeans and California Pizza Kitchen (a 3-storeyed pizza place where each floor serves a different style of pizza) for my groceries, more groceries, coffee, more coffee and pizza; the Pondok Indah Mall (double City Centre, divide it into two blocks and put an expressway through it, then connect the two blocks with a travellator on the 2nd floor), the National Monument (nothing so impressive) and to the Cilanda Town Square Shopping Mall (sprawling, sprawling and sprawling).

With regards to the food, I've tried beef fried rice, sushi (I never knew it tastes so good) and prawn chips. Apart from that, I got to try out a Padang meal at a balcony party thrown for me by the AIESECers yesterday. And that was the best cultural experience I've had here so far. Those who would have delighted themselves in the fact that I hate spicy food, rejoice! If you thought Indian food was spicy, try a Padang meal.

Vegetarians, get ready to puke! Actually, I almost did too. The meal is a very interesting concept. 15-20 dishes are first laid out on the table. Each eating member is served a glass of hot green/jasmine tea and given a small bowl of rice. You can choose what to eat. Whatever remains is thrown away instantly so that Satan doesn't pamper himself! But what shook me was the dishes that were laid out: cooked squid, cow brain, cow intestines, fried and sauted crab, spicy fish, the leaf of kasafa (sweet potato that ain't sweet but spicy), duck soup and the works. I just helped myself to some bar-b-cued chicken and corned beef and politely declined the rest not wanting to insult my hosts.

And believe you me, the Indonesians love rice. All they eat is that. And fish and beef. Chicken is considered lowly and is the cheapest. I've already made friends with all my neighbours, Thomas - an AIESEC "intern" from Germany working in Jakarta with Allianz and Adrian from Mexico who works with the AIESEC Indonesia National Committee. He's from Mexico and a really nice guy. He stays just down my lane in another "kost".

Enough of sounding like a host on "Travel and Living", now for the most important part and the reason why I'm here in Jakarta - my work. Well, I came to office for the first time today and am right here. Yesterday was a national holiday here and I landed on a Sunday. My office is small (add creative and servicing at Bates minus the studio and corporate) but very interestingly done up. The infrastructure is slick and almost everyone has a laptop including myself.

I met my colleagues (Andi, Rayendra, Kevin, Dewi, Lino, Yanti (all Indonesian) and some others and was taken for an office tour. My immediate boss is traveling for work and will be back on the 14th. But he's done his homework. Or actually, he's left a lot for me to do. I've gotta work on a presentation and get it ready by the time he comes.

Cheers
Yousuf