READ NOW - Jakarta Magazine

kids & education 

MAY 2011 

Jakarta Highland Gathering 

LIFE IN THE CAPITAL 

kids & education 

HOLLAND in Indonesia 

ISSN 2086-2520 

9 7 7 2 0 8 6 2 5 2 0 2 4 

MAY 2011 

RP. 30.000 

www.nowjakarta.co.id

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JAKARTA HIGHLAND GATHERING 

A UNIQUE DAY D FOR ALL THE FAMILY 

Sunday, Sund 29 May 2011 • 09:00 - 18:00 

Tickets are a available at the gate: 

Rp 30.000 / adult adu 

• Rp 10.000 / child under 12 

Come and jo join the fun... 

• Highland GGames 

attractions, the Heavies, 

pipers & dru drummers 

• Team sport sports, woodchoppers, and tug-of-war 

competition 

competitions 

• Cultural pe performances and Pasar Skotlandia Bazaar 

• Kids games 

and Food Festival with all day 

live entertainment 

enterta 

• Burning of 

the Viking Boat ending with spectacular 

firework firework 

And many more... m 

All for a ggoo 

good cause… 

The net proce proceeds will be donated to selected charities. 

Airline Sponsors: 

Open for public. Everyone is welcome! 

Corporate Sponsors: 

Main Sponsors: Sp 

Media Partners: 

Accomodation Sponsors: 

To join in or for more details, please visit: www.jkthighlandgathering.org 

With the support of: 

SCOTLAND IN 

CONCERT 2011 

(PART OF THE 

32 nd JAKARTA HIGHLAND GATHERING) 

Come and enjoy an evening of good food, 

good drinks, good music, and good fun! 

There’s classical music, cultural performances, 

choral group, rock music, drama, comedy, 

and the massed pipes and drums, 

all in one fantastic show. All profi t will be donated 

to our chosen charity organizations. 

Book now and be part of this special evening. 

7.00 PM cocktails 

8.00 PM dinner 

9.00 PM show 

Mandarin Oriental Ballroom 

Friday, 27 th May 2011 – 7.00 pm 

Rp. 850.000,- per pax all inclusive... or.... 

Rp. 8.000.000,- per table of ten 

In association with 


Sunday 29 th May 2011, (10.00 - 18.00) 

Imperial Golf Club, Lippo Village Karawaci 

4 | MAY 2011 www.nowjakarta.co.id www.nowjakarta.co.id MAY 2011 | 5 

Book through: 

Phoenix Communications (NOW! Jakarta Magazine) 

Aghie or Emil at (021) 7813 212 

“Sign up your team of four players to 

play in one of Jakarta’s most exciting 

golf events and help support the worthy 

cause of the Highland Gathering” 

In association with 


Sunday 29 th May 2011, (10.00 - 18.00) 

Imperial Golf Club, Lippo Village Karawaci

contents 

may 2011 

8 Soapbox 

10 Calendar of Events 

13 NOW! & THEN 

24 NOW! People 

27 EAT & DRINK! 

28 Restaurant Review 

30 A Taste of Holland in Jakarta –Petty Elliott 

41 SHOPPING! 

42 Adorable Items for Your Little Darlings – 

Susanna Tjokro 

45 HOLLAND IN INDONESIA 

46 Interview: H.E. Mr. Tjeerd de Zwaan, Dutch 

Ambassador to Indonesia 

49 The Netherlands shares its expertise to help 

Indonesia 

56 INA (Indonesian – Netherlands Association) 

58 Erasmus Huis: The art of attracting a mixed 

audience 

67 NOW! Do it 

69 The Tee-Setters: More on Golfing! 

70 Action from Fez by Aphrodite Jakarta Rugby 

XVs Championship – Round II –Steve Barber 

75 URBAN CHAT! 

76 Tea Time –Kelly Bennett 

78 Minke and The Age of Enamel Advertising –Amir 

Sidharta 

80 Time Crusader –Rizal Iwan 

81 The Education –Craig Money 

82 May Music –John Paul 

83 KIDS LIFE 

84 International Education – Dr. Christian Barkei 

88 Raise Children to Thrive –Fransisca Restiawardani 

90 Building Passion for Achievement 

96 JSFA –Brian Dallamore 

100 Have Fun, Go Mad: Kids Entertainment Guide 

104 Technology and Your Child: Raising the Net 

Generation –Kindra Cooper 

106 Family Guide to Jakarta 

119 TRAVEL! 

120 Istanbul Diaries : Part I -- Alistair Speirs 

124 Diary of A Pampered Princess: Royalty Treats at the 

Majapahit Hotel, Surabaya –Risti Brophy 

126 A Piece of History on A Roll: Surabaya’s House of 

Sampoerna –Risti Brophy 

134 Travel Diaries –Made Wijaya 

136 NOW! Profile 

Correction: April 2011 issue, page 14 

Photo accreditation should have gone to 

Komunitas Salihara/Witjak. 

Cover photo: 

Highland Kid, 80 x 125cm, oil on canvas 

A Painting by Sudigdo 

PHOTO: AGUNG NATANAEL 


Kids - No Longer Seen 

But Not Heard! 

This issue has some interesting themes: Kids, 

Surabaya and Holland. All are important but 

to those of us who are parents there is nothing 

more important than our children. 

But you can’t separate education from children 

or children from education and that’s why we 

have included education as part of this special 

section. And we are lucky here in Jakarta, 

certainly for the international community and 

increasingly for those able to afford private 

education we have a very good choice of schools, 

some of which are featured in this issue. 

The problem for kids in Jakarta is not school but 

what to do after school and at the weekends. 

That’s why we have put together a whole article 

about pastimes, sports, games, holidays and amusements that don’t revolve around 

computer games and TV! Yes we know that today’s kids will dive on their computer or 

DS the minute we turn our backs. So we need to take great care. 

Kids need to be inspired, stimulated and challenged and we must not leave that to 

the schools alone. So to all parents out there – visitors to Jakarta and residents alike 

– think hard on what it is your children need – not what they want – and see if you 

can deliver it consistently. I’m still trying. 

One outstanding example of success in kid’s sport is the Jakarta Schools Football 

Association which organise the CocaCola League and the Greenfields Cup. From 

nothing just five years ago to an astonishing 2000 kids from 60 schools playing a 

three month season is just amazing. Our congratulations go to Brian Dallamore and 

Marc Sprakel and their team. Well done! (See page 96) 

For our honored visitors to Jakarta, 90% of whom are here on business, please forget 

the traffic and enjoy Jakarta for what it is. You certainly can find fantastic shopping, 

dining and nightlife here, possibly the best in S.E. Asia so dig in to these pages – and 

to our website www.nowjakarta.co.id and plan your evenings and spare time around 

some great food and fun experiences. 

ALISTAIR SPEIRS 

Our country feature this month is on 

Holland which has a very long common 

history with Indonesia, first as a colonial 

power, and latterly as a major partner, 

donor, mentor and benefactor. Some of 

the multitude of projects undertaken 

by the Dutch here are featured in this 

section together with a frank interview 

with the charming Ambassador. 

We are delighted that the present 

relationship is so positive. 

We also take you to the industrial city 

of Surabaya where some of Indonesia’s 

biggest industries are located, and which 

is home to some great hotels. We also 

visit the fascinating House of Sampoerna 

museum. It’s well worth the trip. 

Read on and enjoy. 

Phoenix Communications 

Publishing Division 

TECHNICAL ADVISOR: Alistair G. Speirs 

EDITOR AT LARGE: Risti Brophy 

ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Fransisca Restiawardani 

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: Myrda Lelyasti 

CREATIVE: Melvyn Christianova Kippuw 

ART DIRECTOR: Sudigdo 

PRODUCTION: Djoko Prayitno 

SALES: Benny Amilie 

Lisa Kuswanda 

Maya Lolang 

SALES SECRETARY: Naftalia Louise 

MARKETING & PROMOTIONS: 

Olivia Marzuki 

Emil Kharis 

Richieta L. Aretha (Aghie) 

FINANCE: Eva Marliyana 

DISTRIBUTION: Denny Syafitri 

ExECUTIVE SECRETARY: Clora Matondang 

CONTRIBUTORS: 

Amir Sidharta – Art 

Craig Money – Music 

Dan Delaney – Aussie Rules 

Jim Shon – Features 

John Paul – Culture 

Krystyna Krassowska - Travel 

Made Wijaya – Travel 

Petty Elliott – Cooking 

Rizal Iwan – Movies 

Steve Barber – Rugby 

Susanna Tjokro – Shopping 

William Woodruff - Dining 

PHOTOGRAPHER: Agung Natanael 

Head Office: Jl Benda Raya No. 98 A-B 

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BALI OFFICE MANAGER: Weni Ariasty 

Advertising Sales: sales@phoenix.co.id 

Editorial Enquiries: editorial.nowjkt@phoenix.co.id 

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magazine are those of the writers and the publisher does 

not accept any responsibility for any errors, ommisions or 

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No part of this publication can be reproduced in whole or 

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DIRECTOR: Barbara Janthy Nihardjo 

PT. Phoenix Communications 

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calendar sunday, 

THE BEST THINGS TO SEE AND DO THIS MONTH! 

BUSINESS 

GATHERING 

saturday, 7 tH 

Maridaje with tequila by 

the spanish speaking 

Women’s association 

(ssWa). Maridaje is an 

event in which a Mexican 

Chef pairs Mexican food 

with tequila. Places are 

strictly limited to 100. 

Venue to be advised. 

For information and 

reservations, email Anita 

Paez at paezanita@hotmail. 

com, or Betty Acuna at 

menabet3@yahoo.com, or 

Elia Lopez at elopes_6@ 

hotmail.com. 

tHursday, 12 tH 

amCham networking 

Cocktail. Venue to be 

advised. For information 

and reservations, email 

director@amcham.or.id. 


ICCC Biztro networking 

Cocktail. The ICCC brings 

Canadian and Indonesian 

business people together. 

Venue to be advised. For 

reservations, email iccc. 

secretariat@gmail.com. 

CHARITY 


taste of Jakarta 

‘an evening of Fine 

International Food 

and entertainment’. 

Proceeds from the event 

to to Yayasan Kampung 

Kids. Tickets priced at 

Rp 1,000,000. Venue to 

be advised. For more 

information, call Beverly 

Wortham on 08111006847 

or email thetasteofjakarta@ 

gmail.com. 


BritCham Charity Gala 

dinner in support of 

BritCham’s ‘Giving Kids a 

sporting Chance’ --a great 

evening for a very worthy 

community cause. Places 

are strictly limited to 250. 

Special guest is Phil Neal, 

Liverpool’s most decorated 

player ever. Admission fee 

Rp 850,000. Venue to be 

advised. For reservations, 

email events@britcham. 

or.id. 

saturday, 21st 

‘urban Fusion’, British 

Women’s association 

(BWa) annual Charity 

Fashion show. The BWA 

Fashion Show is iconic in 

Jakarta, as it is the highlight 

of the BWA social calendar. 

Venue to be advised. For 

more information, call Janet 

on 082114754581 or email 

ticket@bwafashionshow. 

com. 

CONCERT 

Wednesday, 11 tH 

‘the Black star tour’, 

avril Lavigne Live in 

Jakarta, at Kartika Expo 

Center Balai Kartini, Jakarta. 

For more information call 

+62-21 58900100 or visit 

www.rajakarcis.com. 


sara Bareilles Live in 

Jakarta, at Indoor Tennis 

Stadium Senayan Jakarta. 

Tickets available at Java 

tuesday, 10 tH 

an evening with 

Paganini, at Erasmus 

Huis Jakarta, presenting 

Robert Brown (violinist) 

and Lianto Tjahjoputro 

(guitarist). The concert 

is presented by the 

Italian Institute of 

Culture Jakarta under 

the Patronage of the 

Embassy of Italy, in 

collaboration with 

Erasmus Huis. Starts 

at 7:30 p.m. Free 

admission. For more 

information, call +62-21 

524 1069. 

MAY 

2011 

Musikindo office only at 

Plaza Mutiara 2nd Floor, 

Suite 201, Kuningan, 

South Jakarta. For more 

information call +62-21 5798 

8623 / 4 / 5. 


Belle du Berry & david 

Lewis, at Teater Salihara, 

Jakarta. Starts at 8:30 p.m. 

Tickets priced at Rp 50,000 

for adults and Rp 25,000 for 

students. Seats are limited. 

For more information call 

+62-21 789 1202. 

DINING OUT 

sunday, 8 tH 

Mother’s day 

Celebration Lunch, at 

Pacific Restaurant & Lounge, 

the Ritz-Carlton Pacific 

Place, Jakarta. Chef Sean 

Macdougall will prepare a 

selection of specialty dishes 

including Crunchy Topped 

Crabmeat Salmon, 7 Layer 

Lindt Chocolate Cake, Sticky 

Toffee Foie Gras Pudding 

and Bittersweet Chocolate 

Pie. Lunch from 12 noon 

to 3 p.m. at Rp 348,000 

++ per adult with a free 

flow of juices and iced tea, 

Rp 158,000++ per child 

aged five to 12 years old. 

For more information and 

reservations, call +62-21 

2550 1993. 


Wednesday, 25 tH 

Jakarta Highland Gathering Charity Golf 

tournament, at the Imperial Klub Golf, Lippo Village 

Karawaci. Sign up your team of four players to play 

in one of Jakarta’s most exciting golf events and help 

support the worthy cause of the Highland Gathering. 

Registration starts from 11 a.m. Shotgun starts at 12 

noon. Format: 4 Man Team Texas Scramble. Price: Rp 

600,000 per person and Rp 2,400,000 per team of 

four, inclusive of light lunch, drinks on course, dinner, 

awards and giveaway prizes. For more information 

and reservations, contact Gerald A Sanders +62-21 

085711073096 or email tgpgas@aol.com. 

FrIday, 27 tH 

scotland in Concert 2011 Gala dinner --part 

of the 32 nd Jakarta Highland Gathering, at the 

ballroom of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Jakarta. Come 

and enjoy an evening of good food, good drinks, good 

music, and good fun! There’s classical music, cultural 

performances, coral group, rock music, drama, 

comedy, and the massed pipes and drums, all in one 

fantastic show. Book now and be part of this special 

evening with admission fee Rp 850,000 per pax or Rp 

8,000,000 per table. The event starts at 7 p.m. with 

cocktails, dinner at 8 p.m. and the show starts at 9 

p.m. All profits will be donated to selected charity 

organizations. For more information and reservations, 

call +62-21 781 3212 or email to vlapian@gmail.com. 

sunday, 29 tH 

32 nd Jakarta Highland Gathering 2011, Jakarta’s 

biggest and most unique expat event returns at the 

Imperial Klub Golf, Lippo Village Karawaci! Come 

and join in the fun of Highland games attractions, 

such as the Heavies, pipers and drummers. Watch 

the team sports, woodchoppers and tug-of-war 

competitions. Look at the cultural performances and 

shop at the Pasar Skotlandia Bazaar. Kids can have 

fun with games and there’s all day live entertainment 

at the Food Festival. But most importantly, don’t 

miss the burning of the Viking Boat which ends with 

spectacular fireworks. The net proceeds will be 

donated to selected charities. For more information, 

call Olivia at +62-21 781 3212 or email jhg@phoenix. 

co.id. 

1 st - tuesday, 

31 st 

seafood and alaskan 

King Crab Festival, at The 

Olive Tree Restaurant, Hotel 

Nikko Jakarta. Lunch buffet 

at Rp 228,000++/person 

inclusive of a glass of draft 

beer. For more information 

and reservations, call +62- 

21 230 1122. 

Monday, 23 rd - 

tuesday, 31 st 

rice dumpling delight, 

at Shang Palace, Shangri- 

La Jakarta. Celebrating the 

Dragon Boat Festival, Shang 

Palace presents a variety 

of rice dumplings made 

from savoury glutinous 

rice with delectable fillings. 

For more information and 

reservations, call +62-21 570 

7440. 

EXHIBITION 

sunday, 1 st - sunday, 

15 tH 

‘Sikka’s Ikat’ Hand 

Woven Cloth exhibition 

in cooperation with 

Bliran sina Community, 

at House of Sampoerna, 

Surabaya. For more 

information, visit www. 

houseofsampoerna.com. 

sunday, 1 st - 

tuesday, 31 st 

enamel exhibition at 

Erasmus Huis Jakarta. The 

exhibition reveals a layer 

of the history of modern 

advertising in Indonesia. 

For more information, call 

+62-21 524 1069. 

SPORT 


2011 Crown Jakarta 

Komodo 10s, a Jakarta 

Komodos RFC (Rugby 

Football Club) event, at the 

International Sports Club of 

Indonesia, Jl. Ciputat Raya 

No. 2, Jakarta. Overseas 

teams are welcome. 

Tournament entry 

fee US$650 per 

team. For more 

information, contact 

Gareth Rae via email 

at grae@benline. 

co.id. 

WINE & 

CHEESE 

FrIday, 13 tH - 

sunday, 29 tH 

Wine and Cheese 

expo 2011, at 

Multi Purpose 

Hall La Piazza, 

Kelapa Gading. 

Enjoy wine tasting, 

wine workshop, 

wine dinner, wine 

and food pairing, 

Indonesia’s best sommelier 

competition as well as 

cheese discovery. For more 

information, contact Sisca 

Erika at +62-21 453 1101 

ext. 401. 

@WhatsNewJakarta 

WhatsNewJakarta.com 

For more information on these events and others, 

please visit www.WhatsNewJakarta.com. 


Best Western International – Already the Biggest, and to Get Even Bigger! 

The Highland Gathering: celebrating Scottish and Celtic heritage in Jakarta. 

Jakarta Welcomes Minotti’s Mono-brand Store. 

14 AMERICAN 

CHEESE 

16 SALON 

CuLINAIRE 

17 EP NEW 

WEBSITE 


BY: KINDRA COOPER. PHOTO: VASTUHOME 

Fusing the worlds of 

art and design – is 

the result clash or 

chemistry? Italian artist 

Thomas Diego Armonia 

and Vastuhome Furniture 

combined creative forces 

to roll out a new furniture 

and accessories line 

featuring the design motifs 

of the eminent artist. 

Vastuhome’s Pakubuwono 

showroom was opened to 

Vastuhome Presents 

thomas diego armonia 

the public from 24th-31st 

March for the exhibition, 

entitled ‘Eighth Wonder of 

the World, The Woman’. 

Armonia’s paintings are 

of renowned female 

figureheads in history 

such as Marie Antoinette, 

the last queen of France, 

and Lucrezia Borgia, the 

illegitimate daughter of 

Pope Rodrigo Borgia. 

The exaggeratedly large, 

mirror-like eyes of the 

artist’s subjects is his 

attempt to magnify the 

beauty and strength of the 

women; while the use of 

veils and images of men 

performing violent acts 

illustrates the oppressive 

forces, violence and sin 

that formed part of their 

reality. 

The idea of combining art 

and interior design was 

spawned when Vastuhome 

met Armonia at one of his 

exhibitions in Singapore. 

The exhibition in Jakarta 

readily attested to the 

compatibility of Armonia’s 

art with Vastuhome’s 

designs; Armonia’s paintings 

juxtaposed seamlessly with 

Vastuhome’s interiors. The 

paintings gave the ‘rooms’ 

atmosphere, while the 

furniture designs made the 

features of the painting 

pop. Armonia’s paintings 

have been incorporated 

onto Vastuhome’s rugs, 

lampshades, and upholstery. 

These ‘functional’ objects 

being injected with artistic 

value shows the world that 

art is a feature of everyday 

life and that fusing the worlds 

of art and design results in… 

chemistry – not clash.

California 

Cheeses 

showcased 

In Jakarta 

Cheese lovers in Jakarta 

were in for a treat 

when the California Milk 

Advisory Board (CMAB) hosted 

a series of pizza cheese 

training sessions and cheese 

receptions in town recently. 

The cheese receptions were to 

share the importance of highquality 

cheese exports to Asia 

from California for the pizza 

market. 

“In recent years, the total US cheese 

exports to Asian markets have 

increased at double digit rates,” 

explained Mark ‘Cheese Dude’ Todd, 

a culinary expert who works with the 

CMAB on its pizza cheese program. 

Mark Todd has more than 15 years of 

experience in the wine and cheese 

businesses, and was the guest 

instructor at the pizza trainings held 

in a series of cities in Asia during his 

visit. 

Photorealist painter Chusin 

at Galeri nasional 

The history of art indicates that from the 

invention of the first camera, photography 

took over from painting in capturing a 

realistic depiction of an event or subject. Yet, 

many painters have continued with realism as an 

artistic expression. In fact, they continue to make 

breakthroughs in composition, color, and the 

language of painting. 

We Came From the east 

“ 

Indonesia was Atlantis...” -- this 

was one of several controversial 

statements made by Jecko 

Siompo, a talented young Papuaborn 

choreographer, at a press 

conference on 7 April in GoetheHaus, 

Jakarta, less than a week before 

the performance of his latest 

contemporary dance creation, ‘We 

came from the East’, took place. 

Jecko also announced to the press 

that day, his claim that Hip Hop 

originated from Papua. 

One can recognise Jecko Siompo’s dance 

characteristics from the energetic animalinspired 

movements which the artist refers 

to as Animal Pop. Explaining his statement 

that Hip Hop originated 

from Papua, Jecko shared 

with the press, his belief 

that Atlantis was the 

origin of world’s existing 

cultures, including Hip Hop, 

“The basic movement of 

Papua animal dance can 

be found in hip hop...I 

believe that Hip Hop dance 

is the modern version 

of the animal dance, 

with a faster tempo and 

focus on the technical 

One of these artists is Chusin 

Setiadikara, a Bandung-born 

photorealist painter, now resident in 

Bali. Chusin showcased his paintings 

of life at Kintamani market, Bali at 

Galeri Nasional from 15 to 25 March. 

It was riveting. Chusin, who is known 

for his precise details, is said to be a 

human version of a high-resolution 

camera that can capture every detail 

of an object. Yet, he is different 

from most photorealist painters. 

He doesn’t simply copy the actual 

objects onto the canvas, he plays 

with them. After he captures the 

side”. Jecko brings his discovery into his 

choreography for ‘We came from the East’, 

which incorporates hip hop, animal dance 

movements from Papua; with little touch of 

Sundanese as well as old Indonesian pop 

music. 

We came from the East was a 

remarkable success at its first performance 

on 12 April in GoetheHaus, Jakarta 

and at the subsequent performance in 

Kampagnagel Theater, Germany, on 20-22 

April which attracted an audience of over 

2000. The dance was performed by 10 

dancers, two of whom came from Berlin and 

Leipzig. According to Jecko, the diversity of 

ethnicities among the dancers underscores 

the multiethnic society of Atlantis, where 

people coexisted in harmony. 

objects with his camera, he recasts 

these objects onto the canvas, 

into an entirely new arrangement, 

which differs from the original 

composition. 

Chusin’s painting exhibition 

entitled Chusin’s Realistic Painting; 

a Thesis, showcased about 20 

paintings the artist had created 

over the last three years in Bali. 

The exhibition highlighted Chusin’s 

consistency in his approach to 

realism which he is opening up to 

new ways for development. 

BY: RISTI BROPHY, FRANSISCA RESTIAWARDANI. PHOTOS: AGUNG NATANAEL, GOETHE BY: HAUS. FRANSISCA RESTIAWARDANI. PHOTO:SALIHARA 

grandkemang Hotel 

the royal Party: Hotel sultan 

There comes a time to count your blessings; even if you are 

the largest hotel in Indonesia. On the 1st of April, The Sultan 

Hotel Jakarta hosted an ‘appreciation night’ entitled ‘The 

Royal Party’ in its Golden Ballroom to honour stakeholder parties 

across the spectrum that had helped the hotel reach its eminent 

status. Given particular credit were the hotel guests, for whom 

hotel manager I. Nyoman Sarya and his management team 

expressed his quintessential gratitude. Other parties deserving of 

thanks included corporate clients, travel agency representatives, 

media partners and embassy staff who thronged the event, 

reaching over 200 in number. 

A Gala Dinner kicked off the 

festivities and was graced with 

performances by Indonesian 

vocalists Ruth Sahanaya and 

Ari Kirana ‘Warna’, an angklung 

performance by Mang Ujo, and a 

most vibrant fashion show. Hardearned 

awards were doled out 

towards the end of the event to the 

top 10 corporate clients and travel 

agents who held the largest stake in 

the hotel’s continued success. 

earth Hour 

at Vin+ arcadia 

Having first opened its doors 

in March 2009, Vin+ Arcadia, 

a second branch of Vin+, 

has become one of Jakarta’s most 

recognised wine merchants. Its 

commitment to providing large 

wine selections and mouthwatering 

cuisine in a comfortable and elegant 

atmosphere has proven successful, 

so that Vin+ has been able to open 

franchises in other major cities in 

Indonesia. As one of the pioneers in 

the wine business in Jakarta, Vin+ 

has given significant contribution to 

the rapid development and growth of 

wine culture in Jakarta. 

On 26 th March, Vin+ Arcadia partook 

in Earth Hour for the second time. 

For an hour - from 8:30pm to 9:30pm 

- the only lighting in the venue was 

that of candlelight. It was Vin+ 

Arcadia’s way of encouraging its 

guests to make changes in the fight 

against global warming. 

Vin+ arcadia 

Plaza Senayan Arcadia 

Jl. New Delhi No. 9, Central Jakarta 

T: +62-21 5790 1477 

14 | MAY 2011 www.nowjakarta.co.id 

www.nowjakarta.co.id MAY 2011 | 15 

BY: KINDRA COOPER, FRANSISCA RESTIAWARDANI. PHOTOS: AGUNG NATANAEL, SULTAN HOTEL. 

The egg-laden tree towering in 

the center of grandkemang 

Hotel’s lobby was a spectacle - if 

not an oddity - to behold. The ‘Easter 

Charity Tree’ was erected in honour 

of fundraising efforts for the nation’s 

cancer-afflicted youth. In conjunction 

with Tomato Art School and 

Yayasan Pita Kuning Anak Indonesia, 

grandkemang Hotel held a Dinosaur 

Egg Painting Competition from 

1-24th April, inviting participants 

ages six to 12 and 13 to 18 years to 

purchase a Styrofoam ‘dinosaur egg’ 

and decorate it to their fancy using 

a medium of their choice such as 

oil paints, pastels, or watercolours. 

Separate judging panels for the two 

age groups convened to decide 

which egg was deserving of the big 

prize: Rp 12 million in prize money. 

The competition took place on 

three separate days, with the final 

round occurring on the 24 th of April, 

on Easter Day. That same day, a 

Charity Easter Brunch was held at 

the Sperta all-day dining Restaurant 

and 20 percent of the income 

generated was donated to Yayasan 

Pita Kuning Anak Indonesia, for their 

continued efforts to fund treatment 

for the financially-incapacitated 

at the children’s oncology ward 

at Dharmais Hospital. The Helping 

Hand Community put their oar in by 

coordinating a Garage Sale at the 

hotel’s poolside, with all resultant 

The Sultan Hotel Jakarta is 

located in Senayan, the hub of 

Jakarta’s CBD and ‘Golden Triangle’, 

and is committed to synching Royal 

Javanese hospitality with unrivalled 

five-star service. The hotel’s three 

towers comprise 694 guest rooms, 

nine banquet rooms, and manifold 

facilities such as a shopping 

arcade, jogging track and fitness 

center. 

proceeds being donated to the 

worthy cause. Selected eggs from 

the Easter Charity Tree were held 

for auction; it is hoped proceeds this 

year will top last year’s Rp 78 million. 

Yayasan Pita Kuning Anak Indonesia is a 

non-profit organization whose philosophy 

is to not only provide funding but to help 

enliven the child’s spirit and zest for life by 

involving them in handicraft, storytelling, 

and other collaborative projects. It is hoped 

that with a positive mentality, medical 

treatment will be better received.

Women’s International Club 61 st anniversary 

Age is only a perceived barrier 

to happiness and vitality. The 

Women’s International Club 

is an embodiment of this adage. 

Members, ranging in over fifty years 

of age, juggle careers and volunteer 

work with socializing and raising 

families. The WIC celebrated its 61st Anniversary on the 24th of March 

Best Western International – 

already the Biggest, 

and to Get even 

Bigger! 

The world’s largest hotel chain, Best 

Western International, this year adds 

three new hotels around Indonesia 

to its already-impressive inventory; one 

in Serpong and two in Bali, in the area of 

Tuban and Sunset Boulevard. Best Western 

International is an affiliation of hotel owners 

and hospitality professionals, and operates 

4,000 hotels in 80 countries across the globe. 

The company entered the Indonesian market 

in 2004. Its focus for 2011 is on improving its 

local market presence, starting with its Best 

Western International Indonesia Gathering, 

which took place on the 23rd of March 2011 

in an effort to promote networking with the 

media, travel agents, and other corporations. 

Best Western International aims to operate 

16 additional hotels across the archipelago 

by 2012. 


at the Hotel Ciputra 

World Marketing Gallery 

to commemorate the 

years of friendship, 

giving, and sharing of 

cultures and ideas for 

which the non-profit 

organization stands. 

Current and former 

presidents and vice 

presidents of the WIC 

were called onstage to 

assist in the traditional 

cutting of the WIC 

birthday cake, heralded 

by a smattered 

rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’ and 

‘Potong Kuenya’. A lively program 

of music and dance performances 

followed, which saw even the 

Golden Age Ladies, some over eighty 

years old, shimmy onstage in daring 

dresses. A particular hit was the 

tor-tor Sumatran hand dance. WIC 

members were clad in their best 

attire – shimmering kaftan dresses 

and some even in kebaya, to show 

their love for Indonesia. 

The Women’s International Club runs 

classes in foreign languages, yoga, 

scrabble and much more. Regular coffee 

mornings and luncheons allow the ladies to 

acquaint and form friendships across age 

and cultural divides. The rest of the time, 

members engage in social welfare projects 

supporting orphanages, senior citizen 

homes, and institutions for challenged 

children in Indonesia. The leaders of the 

language classes came onstage and 

wished the WIC a happy 61 st Anniversary 

in their own language. The leader of the 

Japanese class thanked the audience for 

the contributions people gave for her 

country after the Sendai Earthquake on the 

11 th of March. The event concluded with 

an expansive buffet lunch featuring dishes 

from all over the world. Regardless of age, 

girls know how to have fun! 

Winners at the 8 th 

Indonesian salon Culinaire 

The Jakarta International Expo, Kemayoran, was host to a 

successful 8th Indonesian Salon Culinaire. The country’s 

most celebrated chef competition held from 6 to 9 April 

drew participants from numerous four and five-star hotels from 

Jakarta, Bali, Singapore and Dubai, among others0. 

Bali’s team for Salon Culinaire 2011 swept first place wins in the categories of 

Bocuse d’Or Asia Selection Indonesia, Asian Pastry Cup - National Selection, 

ASEAN Junior Culinary Challenge and MLA 

Black Box finals Indonesia. 

Meanwhile, some of Jakarta’s best 

teams including Mandarin Oriental Hotel 

Jakarta team took home four silver 

medals for the Pasta Culinary Junior 

Challenge (for chefs under 25), the Five- 

Course Set Dinner Fine Dining Menu, 

the Inspiring Dish Individual Hot Cooking 

Challenge and the Team Hot Cooking 

category. Hotel Indonesia Kempinski 

won two silver medals and two bronze 

medals, while Hotel Borobudur Jakarta’s 

culinary team managed to garner eight 

medals and two awards for Best Culinary 

Team and Best Pastry/Bakery Product. 

Congratulations to all! 

BY: FRANSISCA RESTIAWARDANI, KINDRA COOPER. PHOTOS: AGUNG NATANAEL, BEST WESTERN, HOTEL KEMPINSKI.

BY: FRANSISCA RESTIAWARDANI. PHOTOS: AGUNG NATANAEL, GLOBAL ASSISTANCE, HOTEL KRISTAL. 

Eastern Promise, 

Just a Click Away 

After 22 years, Eastern Promise 

(EP), one of the oldest 

pubs in Jakarta, has finally 

got a website! By visiting www. 

easternpromise-jakarta.com, EP 

customers can get updates on 

the latest EP promotions, monthly 

specials from the menu, as well as 

upcoming events at the pub. 

As exciting as EP is as an establishment, 

there is not better way to describe the EP’s 

website other than ‘fun’. If most websites of 

restaurants or waterholes in Jakarta boast 

of their mouthwatering 

menu items as well as 

distinctive interior design, 

Eastern Promise website 

comes with a confident and 

playful layout, as if there is 

no need for EP to promote 

its already famous menu 

items to its regulars. The 

website draws a smile from 

visitors with its odd-butfunny 

promotion banners at 

the top of the home page, 

or at photos of EP patrons 

acting silly during a visit to 

the pub. EP definitely makes 

people loosen up! 

Global Assistance Medical Centre 

G lobal 

Assistance Medical 

Centre, which is part 

of Global Assistance 

& Healthcare ® , has been 

established to provide the best 

up to date care in a family 

medicine environment in 

Jakarta. 

The 24-hour medical centre caters 

for both Indonesian and expatriate 

patients and has been appointed 

by several embassies and large 

corporations (oil and gas, mining, 

banks, insurance) as the preferred 

provider for occupational heath and 

preventive medicine programs as well as 

the day to day care of their employees and 

families. 

Staffed by full-time medical staff 

and visiting specialists with overseas 

experience, all focus on preventive and 

evidence based medicine as well as 

rational use of drugs. Certified in ATLS 

Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) and 

Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), 

they also can count on the expertise of 

our new expatriate quality assurance 

technical advisor who is a family physician 

with qualifications in pediatrics and 

The EP website was officially launched 

on 6 April at Eastern Promise’s Music 

Garden, an outdoor patio situated at the 

back of the venue. The event began with 

free draught beer from 7 to 8 p.m., along 

with 50 percent discount on lychee martini 

and frozen margarita for the ladies. Sexy 

dancers hypnotised EP regulars who came 

as guests, as they danced on stage to the 

accompaniment of the popular single by 

Edward Maya, Stereo Love. Like most nights 

at Eastern Promise, the website launch 

event gave its guests absolutely nothing but 

fun times. 

Eastern Promise 

Jl. Kemang Raya No. 5, South Jakarta 

T: +62-21 7179 0151 

W: www.easternpromise-jakarta.com 

prenatal surveillance and care. 

In addition to day to day primary 

healthcare by the family physicians, the 

facility provides occupational health plans 

for companies. This can include pre- 

employment, pre-placement and regular 

medical check ups, immunization programs, 

health education programs and much more. 

Our medical check up standard has been 

certified by the United Kingdom Offshore 

Operators Association (UKOOA) or now 

known as Oil & Gas United Kingdom (OGUK). 

The management welcomes visitors 

to visit the facility for a guided tour from 

In Support of 

Earth Hour 2011 

– Hotel Kristal 

This year’s Earth Hour on 

the night of 26 March saw 

businesses, governments 

and individuals across the world 

power off for an hour in support 

of the WWF climate change 

campaign. One such participant 

was Hotel Kristal Jakarta. All 

peripheral lighting in the hotel 

and gardens was switched off 

from 8:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m., and inhouse 

guests were encouraged 

to limit in-room electricity 

use during that period. Hotel 

Kristal endorses the importance 

of sustainability through its 

thoughtful use of energy and 

resources. All outgoing emails 

are affixed with the slogan, 

“Go Paperless, Go Green,” in a 

bid to remind the wider public 

that we are all stakeholders in 

this global issue, and that the 

simple act of sending an email 

as opposed to using paper-based 

communication media, can make 

an impact. 

which you will witness the comfortable 

atmosphere and up-to-date medical 

services provided. Please contact 

marketing.clinic@global-assistance.net for 

your inquiries. 

Global Assistance Medical Centre 

Cilandak Commercial Estate 

Unit 111 GC 

Jl. Raya Cilandak KKO Jakarta 12560 

Medical Centre: +62-21 299 78988 

Alarm Centre: +62-21 299 78999 


The Highland Gathering: 

celebrating Scottish and 

Celtic heritage in Jakarta 

By: OLIVIA MARZUKI CROWLEY 

Highland Games or Highland Gathering are events held throughout 

the year in Scotland and other countries as a way of celebrating 

Scottish and Celtic culture and heritage, especially that of the 

Scottish Highlands. Certain aspects of the games are so well 

known as to have become emblematic of Scotland, such as the bagpipes, 

the kilt, and the heavy events, especially the caber toss. While centred 

on competitions in piping and drumming, dancing, and Scottish heavy 

athletics, the games also include entertainment and exhibits related to 

other aspects of Scottish and Gaelic culture. 

The Cowal Highland Gathering, better 

known as the Cowal Games, held in 

Dunoon, Scotland every August, is the 

largest Highland games in Scotland, 

attracting around 3,500 competitors and 

somewhere in the region of 15–20,000 

spectators from around the globe. 

Worldwide, however, it is dwarfed by two 

gatherings in the United States: the 50,000 

that attend Grandfather Mountain in North 

Carolina and the even larger gathering—the 

largest in the Northern Hemisphere—that 

has taken place every year since 1865 

hosted by the Caledonian Club of San 

Francisco. This event is currently held Labor 

Day weekend in Pleasanton, California. 

Highland games are claimed to have 

influenced Baron Pierre de Coubertin when 

he was planning the revival of the Olympic 

Games. De Coubertin saw a display of 

Highland games at the Paris Exhibition of 

1889. 

Highland Games in the Tropics 

It is reported in numerous books and 

Highland games programs, that King 

Malcolm III of Scotland, in the 11 th century, 

summoned contestants to a foot race to 

the summit of Craig Choinnich (overlooking 

Braemar). King Malcolm created this foot 

race in order to find the fastest runner in 

the land to be his royal messenger. Some 

have seen in this apocryphal event the 

origin of today’s modern Highland Games. 

In their original form many centuries 

ago, Highland Games revolved around 

athletic and sports competitions. Though 

other activities were always a part of 

the festivities, many today still consider 

Highland athletics to be what the games are 

all about — in short, that the athletics are 

the Games, and all the other activities are 

just entertainment. Regardless, it remains 

true today that the athletic competitions 

BY: JIM SHON, DENI MARTINI (50mm) 

are at least an integral part of the events 

and one — the caber toss — has come to 

almost symbolize the Highland games. 

The Jakarta Highland Gathering is 

the largest in Asia and attracts 1,000 

competitors and up to 10,000 spectators. 

Welcome to the record books! 

Although quite a range of events can be 

a part of the Highland athletics competition, 

a few have become standard: 

• Caber Toss: A long tapered pine pole 

or log is stood upright and hoisted 

by the competitor who balances it 

vertically holding the smaller end in 

his hands. Then the competitor runs 

forward attempting to toss it in such a 

way that it turns end over end with the 

upper end striking the ground first. If 

successful, the athlete is said to have 

turned the caber. Cabers vary greatly in 

length, weight, taper, and balance, all of 

which affect the degree of difficulty in 

making a successful toss. Competitors 

are judged on how closely their throws 

approximate the ideal 12 o’clock toss 

on an imaginary clock. 

• Stone Put: This event is similar to the 

modern-day shot put as seen in the 

Olympic Games. Instead of a steel shot, 

a large stone of variable weight is often 

used. There are also some differences 

from the Olympic shot put in allowable 

techniques. Most athletes in the open 

stone event use either the “glide” or the 

“spin” techniques. 

• Scottish Hammer Throw: This 

event is similar to the hammer throw 

as seen in modern-day track and 

field competitions, though with some 

differences. In the Scottish event, a 

round metal ball (weighing 16 or 22 lb 

for men or 12 or 16 lb for women) is 

attached to the end of a shaft about 4 

feet in length and made out of wood, 

bamboo, rattan, or plastic. 

• Weight Throw, also known as the 

weight for distance event. The weights 

are made of metal and have a handle 

attached either directly or by means of 

a chain. The implement is thrown using 

one hand only, but otherwise using any 

technique. Usually a spinning technique 

is employed. The longest throw wins. 

• Weight Over the Bar, also known as 

weight for height. The athletes attempt 

to toss a 56 pound (4 stone) weight with 

an attached handle over a horizontal 

bar using only one hand. 

Many of the Heavy Events competitors 

in Scottish highland athletics are former 

high school and college track and field 

athletes who find the Scottish games a 

good way to continue their competitive 

careers. 

We are delighted to welcome 

outstanding heavy athletes and axemen to 

the 2011 Jakarta Highland Gathering : 

1. Jeremy Kane Hogg (Australia) 

2. Aaron Neighbour (Australia) 

3. Garry Hagan (Scotland) 

4. Neil David Elliott (Scotland) 

5. John Coffey (Australia) 

6. Adam Arbuthnot (Australia) 

7. Brett Cole (Australia) 

An Event You Shouldn’t Miss 

The Jakarta Highland Gathering was revived 

in 2010 after a two year hiatus due to the 

global financial crisis and attracted over 

5,800 people through the gate. Thanks to 

the generous sponsors, the event proceeds 

were donated to Rawinala School for the 

Blind and for this year the Committee are 

targetting four charities to benefit from 

the Gathering. Having reviewed the 2010 

gathering in detail, the Committee intend 

to set up better, more focused site plan this 

year for the benefit of both the exhibitors 

and visitors, with better weather protection 

and easier access. 

Utilising the same tent facilities 

and overall set up, the first day of the 

Gathering will be dedicated for community 

development program, where there will 

be free professional coaching provided to 

thousands of deserving Indonesian children 

in various fields of sports. This first day 

program, which is an initiative of the Jakarta 

Highland Gathering together with the British 

Chamber of Commerce and the British 

Council, is organized to allow Indonesian 

kids to learn different sporting games, stay 

fit, and get inspired by their sporting idols 

–thus keeping up to its name “Giving Kids a 

Sporting Chance”. This initiative is expected 

to generate positive media exposure and to 

promote the London Olympics in 2012. 

The second day of the event will 

continue to feature the classic Highland 

Games, where there will be simultaneous 

competitions and shows from morning till 

evening, including the “Heavies” (weights, 

caber toss, shot put and so on), Scottish 

pipes and drums, also contingent parade, 

Burning of the Viking Boat, tug of war, 

folk dance, Indonesian and other cultural 

performances (Barongsai, Belly Dance, Latin 

Dance, Dayak Dance, Jaipong Dance, etc.) 

and the spectacular finale and fireworks. 

The Main Arena Coordinator of Jakarta 

Highland Gathering, Shona Benton, says 

“Highland Gathering is about music, as 

well as sport, and this year we expect 

over eight bands from around the Pacific 

rim competing for quintets, piping and 

drumming awards.” Bands from Australia, 

Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore add 

to the colour and spectacle and will be 

particularly magnificent leading the parade 

as a massed band of, nearly, 50 musicians. 

This year, Jakarta Highland Gathering 

will have the first ever heavies/axemen 

challenge; an event designed by the ever 

popular axemen from Australia themselves, 

to provide a fair test and an overall 

Champion. 

For the whole day, visitors will get 

to enjoy special promotion deals from 

corporate sponsors who will showcase 

their products and services in the 

hospitality tents. And while mums get 

busy shopping in the Pasar Skotlandia 

Bazaar, dads can indulge in a wide array 

of food and drinks available at the Food 

Festival Area serenaded with endless live 

band performances. We have over 20 F&B 

exhibitors this year, making it a very busy 

and tasty event! While the parents enjoy 

an all day dining at the main arena and 

Food Festival area, the children can get 

entertained in various fun and educational 

activities in the specially designed Kids 

Tents Area all day long. 

The Jakarta Highland Gathering is 

definitely an event you should not miss. We 

need as many people as possible to be part 

of this great plan, either as sponsors, main 

arena participants, performers, volunteers, 

or just as visitors. Make sure you are in 

town on the last weekend of May. Jakarta 

Highland Gathering looks forward to 

welcoming you soon. 

For more info, visit our website 

www.jkthighlandgathering.org or 

contact Olivia at 62-21 781 3212, 

email jhg@phoenix.co.id 


Jakarta Welcomes 

Minotti’s Mono-brand Store 

When you can actually afford a superlative living experience, would 

you not desire a living space replete with the finest, most elegant 

and modern facilities? Now in Jakarta to help you live that dream is 

Minotti’s first mono-brand store, which has outlets in more than 60 countries. 

Elegant and modern, Minotti 

mono-brand store in Jakarta is 

a two-storey shop with a floor 

space of 450 square meters. It 

boasts a spacious showroom 

LUV Models 8Delapan Management 

1 st Anniversary 

LUV Models and 

8Delapan DJ 

Management celebrated 

its first anniversary on 

25 March at the LUV’S 

Bar & Dine, Jakarta. The 

company, founded in 

February last year, offers 

a novel and attractive 

form of entertainment, 

which combines music 

and modeling, where DJs 

collaborate with models 

in fashion shows held at 

various clubs in Jakarta and 

out of town. 

The LUV Models and 8Delapan 

DJ Management takes pride 

in its mission to develop the 

skills of new disk-jockeying and 

modeling talents. The company 

with the latest Minotti 

collections on display. 

The most notable among 

the collections displayed at the 

Minotti Jakarta is the Senza 

hones the skills of budding 

models and DJs to meet the 

needs of the highly developed 

entertainment industry in 


The first anniversary of 

LUV Models and 8Delapan 

DJ Management featured 

models from LUV Models and 

CnC Models Management 

who donned a collection of 

Tempo, a collection 

of sofa sets, beds and 

home accessories. 

The furniture is made 

in natural colours, the 

design is timeless, 

and only high quality 

fabric is used. Simply 

put, it is understated elegance. 

Minotti furniture is also 

known for its flexibility. It can 

be combined with other interior 

items of any style or color that 

you currently have in your 

home or office. Minotti furniture 

can also stand alone. A Minotti 

sofa set in your living room 

already makes a statement 

and elevates the room without 

the need to add other interior 

accessories. 

sexy and futuristic clothes 

by a local designer. Also on 

stage was DJ Natalie, one 

of the mainstays from a line 

of DJs who are under the 

management of 8Delapan. 

DJ Nathalie collaborated with 

Considering the long history 

of Minotti as one of world’s 

best furniture and accessories 

manufacturer for both homes 

and commercial properties, 

it’s the Minotti mono-brand 

store that you should look to 

when you want to elevate your 

lifestyle. 

Minotti Jakarta 

Jl. K.H. Wahid Hasyim No. 55A 

Menteng, Central Jakarta 

Galactic Odyssey at Immigrant 

2 nd Anniversary 

Immigrant, one of Jakarta’s best night clubs, held the Galactic Odyssey, a twoday 

celebration to mark Immigrant’s 2nd anniversary. The event which was held 

on 25 to 26 March featured numerous prominent DJs including DJ Chocolate 

Puma from the Netherlands. 

talented violinist Nia and Moza 

Simanjuntak as the live PA. DJ 

Getty of Eighty Eight Bali also 

performed as guest star. 

The anniversary of LUV 

Models and 8Delapan DJ 

Management marked the 

merger of LUV Models and CnC 

Models into one management, 

renamed as LV Models 

Management. 

BY: FRANSISCA RESTIAWARDANI. PHOTOS: AGUNG NATANAEL, MINOTTI. 

Gandaria City Superblock 


BY: KINDRA COOPER. PHOTOS: GANDARIA CITY. 

G 

andaria City Superblock represents the answer to the manifold needs 

and desires of the modern city dweller condensed into 750,000 sqm of 

land. The mammoth building houses the Gandaria Heights apartment 

block, Gandaria City Hotel, Gandaria 8 office tower and Gandaria City Shopping 

Centre; all interconnected via walkways dense with foliage to network you 

with your living, work and leisure demands. The project is founded on a 

‘botanical’ concept – modern facilities recessed into landscaped gardens 

provide inner city functionality while minimizing our carbon stamp to the 

farthest possible extent. 

Gandaria Heights’ 696 condominiums 

are up for lease but in high demand; 

their distinguishing factor is in having 

struck equilibrium between city-center 

connectivity and being a serene haven for 

those seeking respite from the pressures 

of urban life. The units are luxuriously 

furnished in a minimalist yet classic style 

and permit an extensive view of Jakarta’s 

skyline. The bedrooms, bathroom, living 

room and kitchen are partitioned by glass 

dividers, giving your living space a lofty 

feel. Gandaria Heights’ rooftop infinity 

pool and lush garden is testimony that 

the city lifestyle need not compromise 

our appreciation of nature. The interior 

décor is themed old Hollywood glamour; 

the apartment’s grand, two-storey lobby 

certainly exudes the impression. For your 

security, residential units are accessible 

only from the lobby and two levels of the 

multi-storey car park; for which an access 

card is requisite. Further recreational 

facilities include a tennis court and 

children’s playground. 

Gandaria City Shopping Center, one 

of the largest malls in Jakarta, boasts 

over 500 retailers, including 400 specialty 

shops, and anchor tenants such as 

Metro Department Store, Studio XXI, Ace 

Hardware and Paperclip. The mall’s Main 

Street is one of its premier attractions for 

its being a throwback to old-timey Batavia 

with its grand archways and balconies and 

reminiscent of upbeat New York in terms 

of ambience. Innumerable restaurants and 

food & beverage outlets span the brightly-lit 

30,000sqm strip, leaving even discerning 

foodies indecisive. 

Gandaria City Superblock is located 

along one of Jakarta’s busiest roads, with 

international schools such as BINUS and 

JIS close at hand, in addition to shopping 

centers such as Senayan City and Senayan 

Plaza; and high-end residential areas the 

likes of Permata Hijau, Pondok Indah and 

Senopati. The project was conceived under 

the auspices of Pakuwon Jati, one of the 

country’s leading property developers with 

a 25 year repertoire in land acquisition, 

design and operational management.

ALTERNATIVE MEDIA GROUP 

Pioneer & Leader Digital Outdoor 

Media Advertising in Indonesia 

The urban lifestyle of a 

megapolitan city such as 

Jakarta sees its residents 

spending most of their time 

not at home watching TV or reading 

newspapers, but out of their 

homes – out and about in the city, 

conducting business as usual. 

Most of Jakarta residents would leave their 

homes early to beat the morning rush-hour 

traffic to get to their office, usually located at 

a high-rise building somewhere in town, and 

the rest of the day in and out of buildings to 

go to meetings or conduct other activities. 

The Alternative Media Group (AMG) 

sees this urban lifestyle as a window 

of opportunity to promote out-of-home 

advertising through a series of their services. 

Under the group there are four business 

units to cover different market segments. 

Focus Media Indonesia specializes in 

placement of LCD displays at office buidings, 

apartments, hotels, hospitals, gyms and 

entertainment centers (clubs, bars etc), while 

Point of Sale Media Network serves the minimarkets 

(currently available in 500 Alfamart 

chains and over 130 Circle K outlets). The 

Digital Frame Indonesia provides still images 

or ‘running slides’ to display inside elevators, 

whereas Airport Media Network is intended 

for display of promotional materials to 

travellers at airports. 

According to Davy Makimian, Managing 

Director of the AMG, although the current 

advertisement spending still sees the 

biggest portions going to TV and print media 

respectively, the trend is towards digital 

media advertising. At the same time, the 

small portion for other types of advertising 

still does not provide clients with many 

alternatives. This condition, paired with 

the urban lifestyle of Indonesia’s big cities 

residents who spend their day ‘lifecycle’ in 

and out of high-rise buildings, mini markets 

and airports, makes out-of-home media 

advertising a great promotion alternative for 

clients which gives a more comprehensive 

and effective outreach to their targeted 

market. “TV may still be a popular option, but 

the audience behaviour is that they tend to 

flip through the channels during commercial 

breaks due to the variety of channels 

currently available”, said Davy. 

Research also shows that in general 

people spend more time outside their homes 

during the day– waiting for the lift on their 

way up to the office or visiting a client, 

going to the gym, going to mini market, 

going to a doctor’s appointment at the 

hospital, even when returning home - to 

their apartment. 

It is this ‘day life-cycle’ that makes the 

main target of AMG’s digital outdoor media, 

as it gives room for an effective medium 

for promotion, reaching a larger number 

of target audience. “So long as people still 

spend their time outside their homes, outof-home 

media advertising will continue to 

grow,” said Davy further. 

Idle moment when waiting for the 

lift, queuing cashier, at boarding lounge is 

the targeted display time of AMG’s media 

advertising, as the audience has no other 

options to ‘kill time’ while waiting and 

therefore a repetition of a promotional 

display of a product through the LCDs 

proves to be an effective reminder of the 

products. 

Travellers also make a good target 

audience, and AMN reaches them through 

display at airports. Currently LCD displays 

are available at all terminals in Soekarno- 

Hatta Airport, and it is expected that by the 

end of 2011 it will be available in all major 

airports in Indonesia. 

The variety of services offered by the 

AMG means that clients can have different 

options of where they wish to promote their 

products and to whom. AMG provides a 

unique service to the clients, in which they 

provide a recommendation of the most 

effective combination of the different media 

for different types of brands and products 

for different market segments. 

When asked about how to choose the 

best locations for their display equipments, 

Davy explains that in principal the locations 

must have a good flow of traffic in order 

for the promotion to be effective. In this 

regard, Focus Media works with various 

groups of property development companies 

to provide their services in all high-rise 

buildings within the group. One apartment 

may have 60,000 tenants, and currently 

there are over 100 apartment towers in 

Jakarta, Bandung and Surabaya – which 

shows the enormity of the market. The 

exact placement of the equipment is done 

following the guidelines from their principal 

in China who, within a span of a few years, 

managed to be listed on NASDAQ – the 

first outdoor media advertising company in 

China to do so. 

During its initial operaiton, the AMG 

was faced with many challenges. The new 

concept of media advertising raised a lot 

of questions – the most common being 

“Is it effective?” This type of skepticism 

has encouraged the company to find ways 

to convince clients of the effectiveness 

of this new media. AMG works with 

clients directly and through advertising 

agencies to provide information about 

how effective this new concept of 

BY: RISTI BROPHY. PHOTOS: FOCUS MEDIA. 

advertising is. A huge investment was 

made to hire third-party consultants to 

conduct market research in order to 

measure the effectiveness of the media 

advertising. Client trust is gained through 

a follow up service which includes, afer 

a client has done a 3-month campaign, 

and in collaboration with various research 

institutions, conducting a survey on 

the audience with specific questions to 

measure the effectiveness. 

But proving the effectiveness is just one 

of the challenges that AMG experiences. 

Another challenge lies in how it can 

continue to come up with the latest in 

technology to ensure of the effectiveness 

of its system and efficiency of its operation. 

Another large investment has been made 

to upgrade its operating system in all office 

buildings to be online. Previously the system 

used memory cards with a weekly schedule 

to change the display contents. With the 

new online system, clients can have more 

flexibility in changing their display contents 

through the AMG. A company that needs 

to change the content of their media 

promotion due to an emergency situation 

can now do it at ease. 

In addition, the online system has made 

it easier to provide client with an accurate 

log proof, and any problems with the 

equipment can be more easily detected and 

managed or repaired within 24 hours. 

The AMG team also frequently visits 

various technology exhibitions around the 

world to keep up to date with the latest 

advancements and trends in technology to 

be applied in Indonesia. 

Innovation in services is also given 

a great deal of attention, with a service 

called ‘brand activation’ being introduced to 

complement clients’ media promotion. The 

brand activation is done by framing the LCD 

screen with the client’s brand, making the 

LCDs more eye-catchy to the viewers, i.e. 

tenants of the office or apartment buildings. 

In future, once the online technology 

is implemented, clients may request for 

their promotion material to be displayed at 

certain time of the day, provided that the 

slot is still available. 

Clients can also conduct direct selling 

to tenants and visitors of the buildings 

through AMG. These innovations in services 

result in a complete promotion package for 

a product, from the display of the ‘branded 

frames’ through LCD framing and stickering, 

airtime of promotional contents, to 

sampling and direct selling of the products. 

Davy Makimian sees that there is 

still an enormous opportunity for outof-home 

advertising in Indonesia, ”And 

we will definitely take advantage of this 

opportunity by extending the outreach 

of our services so that clients’ promotion 

can be more effective. We realize that we 

may not replace TV and print media, but 

our products can complement clients’ 

promotion and provide them with a holistic 

promotion campaign through the variety of 

media available in the market.” 

AMG’s services are available in Jakarta, 

Bandung, Surabaya and Bali, but it will soon 

be available in most cities in Indonesia. 

Currently, with more than 2600 screens 

placed in more than 1,356 prominent 

locations, AMG has managed to reach more 

than 2,000,000 people on daily basis. 

In order to enhance the effectiveness 

of out-of-home media advertising, Davy 

advises that clients produce promotional 

materials which are specifically designed 

for this type of platform. “To encourage 

our clients, we annually conduct the AMG 

Gathering in which we present an award for 

the most creative advertisement specifically 

produced for our types of media,” said Davy. 

For more information on how to 

promote your products effectively through 

out-of-home media advertising, please visit: 

Alternative Media Group 

The Capitol Building, 1st Floor 

Jl. S. Parman Kav. 73, Slipi 

West Jakarta 11410 

T: +62-21 2929 7729 

F: +62-21 2929 7739 

www.focusmedia.co.id 


PEOPLE 

BritCham’s Formal 

Launch of GBBI 

(Guide to British Business 

in Indonesia), 

16 March 

at the British Embassy. 

BRITCHAM DUTA FINE ARTS FOUNDATION 

@WhatsNewJakarta 

WhatsNewJakarta.com 

Hester Tjebbes – 

Ceramic Creations 

on Bali, 

5 April 

at Duta Fine Arts 

Foundation. 

For more photos and information on these events and others, 

please visit www.WhatsNewJakarta.com. 

PHOTOS: AGUNG NATANAEL, IIE MAULIDIA-MASAPUTRA. 

Jakarta Comedy Club 

10 th Anniversary, 

First Annual Internations 

Jokers’ Ball, 

8 April 

at Mandarin Oriental 

Hotel Jakarta. 

JAKARTA COMEDY CLUB AMCHAM YOUNG PROFESSIONAL 

AmCham Young 

Professionals, 

30 March 

at Café de Burse Jakarta. 


PHOTOS: IIE MAULIDIA-MASAPUTRA

A Taste of Holland in Jakarta. La Brasserie’s New Revamped Look at 

Le Meridien: Gearing up for Le Tour de France Culinaire. 

NOW! Jakarta Best Bar & Restaurant Award 

fashionably oriana 

ask the new chef at 

shangri-La hotel’s italian 

restaurant, Rosso, to 

choose between fashion 

and food – and find yourself 

immersed in a lively discussion 

with the stylish chef who has a 

larger-than-life personality. 

starting her career as a stylist for 

Gucci, chef Oriana tirabassi was in 

fact a fashion designer before her 

passion for food won her over; a 

strong influence from her family’s 

involvement in the food business. 

Gaining her inspiration from her 

nonna –who, at 94, never misses 

her lunch-time glass of red wine- 

chef Oriana credits her outstanding 

cooking skills to her grandmother, 

whom she considers the best chefs 

in the regions where she grew up. 

Oriana’s knack for all things 

stylish, paired with her unending 

creativity and professional 

qualifications have gained her a 

sucessful career as international 

consultant for culinary business, 

32 Munchies 

33 canteen 

38 De Panna 

specialising in restaurant start 

up. Over nearly two decades, chef 

Oriana has opened more than 200 

restaurants worldwide, including 

three of her own. 

Oriana’s journey has seen 

the world-renowned italian chef 

–formerly a teacher at a.P.e.s. 

in Milan, one of only 12 in italy- 

spreading her wings to many 

five-star hotels and restaurants 

worldwide, where she always bears 

the responsibility of being the “face 

of italy” with pride. From Germany, 

hong Kong and singapore to india, 

three months ago Oriana’s journey 

finally brought her to indonesia. 

now, in between her hectic 

schedule, when not cooking for the 

world’s celebrities or heads of states, 

you will find Oriana passionately 

sharing her knowledge with her staff 

at Rosso, ensuring they understand 

every detail of her authentic italian 

creations. Believing that cooking and 

art are inseparable; in which both 

require a certain level of creativity 

in order to ensure innovation, chef 

Oriana’s motto is, “art is in our 

hands. it is up to us to give it a face.” 


BY: RISTI BROPHY. PHOTOS: SHANGRI-LA HOTEL.

Robert Johnson’s famous 

song ‘cross Road Blues’ 

has inspired so many 

blues and rock numbers since 

the 1930s that many call him 

the father of the blues and all 

the music that shares its roots. 

Legend has it that as a young 

man living on a plantation in 

rural Mississippi, Johnson was 

branded with a burning desire to 

become a great blues musician. 

he was “instructed” to take 

his guitar to a crossroad near 

Dockery Plantation at midnight. 

there he was met by the Devil 

who, after playing a few tunes 

on Johnson’s guitar, gave him 

mastery of the instrument in 

exchange for his soul. through 

his deal with the Devil, Robert 

Johnson created the ‘Delta’ 

blues for which he became 

famous, but only well after his 

death at 27, supposedly at the 

jealous hands of the juke-jointowner 

husband of his amorous 

focus at the time. 

after that kind of a story, any place 

named crossroads has a reputation to 

live up to and the one in Kemang takes a 

RESTAURANT REVIEW 

no need to sing the blues 

at crossroads 

pretty good shot at it with good food, icy 

cold beers and, of course, great music. 

While hardly a juke joint, crossroads 

is tucked away at the far end of a 

dusty dead-end street and its glowing 

marquee is a beacon of light on a dark 

monsoon night. if you like disco or any 

techno-house thing like it, crossroads 

ain’t your style. in fact it can be a bit 

sleepy when i get there for an afternoon 

tipple, but by the shank of the evening 

the place gets busy with folks playing 

on one of three pool tables, hanging 

out by the well-stocked bar or enjoying 

the extensive pub grub menu, from 

antipasti bruschettas to prawn mee, 

lamb goulash and crispy pizza. Often, 

a multi-page menu with too wide a 

variety of choices is not a good sign, but 

crossroads offers a selection of asian 

and western favorites that would be 

popular in Johor Baru or new Orleans. 

Much of the menu, including tom yam 

soup, bee hoon and laksa comes from 

the ‘hawker’ food styles of singapore 

and Kuala Lumpur. Other items such 

as gehakt ballen, Dutch meatballs, 

reflect a european touch. Perhaps the 

menu also reflects the culinary choices 

of charles and Rina hoeden, who have 

a hand in everything from the kitchen, 

to keeping the staff at their best and 

hosting pool league nights with teams 

competing from around Jakarta. 

For starters, try the sausage rolls, 

curry puffs, fried popiah or bitterballen 

with a cold draft or two. in fact, have 

several coldies no matter what you eat, 

as crossroads has some of the chilliest 

beer in town and the draft never 

seems to have that ‘pipey’ taste that 

unfortunately spoils the brews at some 

other places where they 

don’t pay attention to the 

right details. next, try 

the seafood hor fun with 

kway teow noodles or 

the indian mee goreng 

or hokien mee, also 

tasty noodle dishes. if you’d rather go 

western, try the chili con carne, with 

more beer, or the BBQ beef ribs, also 

with more beer. 

crossroads actually has two menus, 

one with the aforementioned selections, 

and one with all italian offerings. i’m 

partial to the Diavola pizza, with salami 

and jalapenos (highly recommended 

with beer) and the prosciutto e funghi, 

with mozzarella, smoked beef and 

mixed mushrooms. the pasta alla 

boscaiola, with sausages, mushrooms 

and cream is a good choice along with 

several other pasta platters such as the 

gamberi e pomodorini, with shrimp and 

cherry tomatoes. 

Because of its proximity to the keg, 

i tend to wolf my food at the bar, but 

for the more civilized, the dining area 

at crossroads even has tablecloths 

and is sufficiently far enough from the 

clacking of pool balls, but not so far 

that you are neglected by the friendly 

waitstaff. On occasion a large screen 

projector features sporting events in the 

same area, but only by prior request. a 

smaller room near the back has a few 

stools and a deep-seat couch which is 

sometimes hard to get out of after too 

much cheese-stuffed ravioli and, you 

guessed it, beer. the back area also has 

a couple of wide-screen monitors, but 

they are not the focus. 

the focus is more on a convivial 

atmosphere where expats and 

indonesians come to mix it up and have 

a good time, but without the noise and 

crowds of some of Kemang hangouts. 

it’s a place Robert Johnson might have 

enjoyed while wandering through and 

playing the street corners of Mississippi 

delta towns. Johnson supposedly had 

an uncanny ability to establish a quick 

rapport with his audience and would 

establish ties to the local community that 

would serve him well when he passed 

through again. he would be pleased 

to call in on crossroads, a place that 

serves his musical reputation well, not to 

mention some pretty good food. (ww) 

Crossroads Café and Pub 

Jl. taman Kemang, no. 29 

t: +62-21 718 3007 

Located almost at the end of the road 

that is perpendicular to the Mansion/ 

Kem chicks. 


CULINARY ADVENTURES 

a taste of holland in jakarta 

teXt PETTY ELLIOTT 

The 

Netherlands 

is wellknown 

for 

its colourful 

tulips as well 

as being a country of 

fishermen and livestock 

farmers; a rich country 

with rich pastures. There 

is an abundance of highquality 

dairy produce 

which goes into the 

famous cheeses, cream, 

butter and yoghurt. 

Dutch cheeses are 

mostly hard or semihard, 

the most popular 

ones being Gouda and 

Edammer, and some 

have added spices such 

as cumin and mustard 

seed. Gouda cheese is 

relatively easy to buy in 

supermarkets here in 


The classic foods of the Dutch 

are raw, smoked or salted 

herring, soups, croquettes 

filled with meat, cheese with 

or without potatoes ; French 

fries (patat frites), meat, 

sausages and many different 

cookies, bread and desserts. 

Due to its close 

relationship with Indonesia, 

with the Dutch occupying the 

country for many centuries, 

the influence of Dutch 

cooking is strongly present in 

Indonesian cuisine, mainly in 

Manadonese, Moluccan and 

Javanese cuisines. 

The Dutch contributed 

much to Indonesian kitchens; 

carrots, potatoes, cabbages, 

lettuce, green beans were 

brought by the Dutch, as 

were coffee and cocoa plants. 

They left behind the rijsttafel, 

a rice dish with 8-10 small 

portions of various dishes from 

vegetables, fish, meat and 

sambal. They also left behind 

the rich legacy of sweet cakes 

and cookies, soup and many 

savory dishes. Lapis legit, a 

delicacy made of layers of rich 

thin spiced sponge cake is a 

popular treat from Surabaya. 

Other popular ones include 

Kaasstengels which are cheese 

sticks, and kue dadar gulung or 

pancakes. Perkedel or frikandel 

is very popular all around 

Indonesia, and is similar to 

croquettes with a firm texture, 

but without the bread crumbs 

coating. 

Other popular dishes with a 

Dutch influence are Speculaas, 

or chocolate cookies with mix 

spices, klappertaart which is 

a type of tart made of young 

coconut with custard filling, 

zoete brood or sweet white 

bread known as brudel; and 

among the most popular 

ones is the red bean soup, 

bruine bonen, which is very 

well known in Manado, North 

Sulawesi. Soes, a type of choux 

pastry with cream filling is wellknown 

in Bandung, West Java. 

Nowadays, many Dutchinspired 

dishes can easily be 

found in some of Jakarta’s best 

restaurants such as Kembang 

Goela and the Huize van Welly. 

For this month’s column, I have 

prepared two recipes inspired 

by the influence of Dutch 

cooking in Indonesian food. 

Enjoy! 

Choux Pastry 

with cream filling 

(Slaagroomsoes) 

The choux pastry adopts very 

similar names both in Dutch 

(soes) and in Indonesian (kue 

sus). The snack is very popular 

in Holland, where it is usually 

enjoyed with a dollop of 

whipped cream and a touch of 

sugar. 

Although we don’t have 

fresh cream here in Jakarta, 

we can still use long lasting 

cream and add some fresh 

vanilla to give it a wonderful 

flavour. For more sensational 

flavour, I also added dark 

chocolate sauce. 

PHOTOS: AGUNG NATANAEL 

To make 18 choux pastries 

125ml water ; 125ml milk 

75gr cold butter, cut into small 

squares and melted 

125gr flour 

3 eggs 

2 tablespoon icing sugar 

A pinch of salt 

For the vanilla cream: 

200ml whipped cream 

1 vanilla pod 

2 tablespoon caster sugar 

For the chocolate sauce: 

100gr dark chocolate (70% 

cocoa solid), break into small 

pieces 

75ml cream ; 25 gr butter 

Directions: 

1. First, slice the vanilla pod 

into half and scrape the 

beans 

2. Put the sugar, vanilla beans 

and cream into a large 

mixing bowl. Using an 

electric hand mixer, beat 

the mixture until soft peak 

forms. Set aside and put in 

the refrigerator. 

3. Pre-heat oven to 160°C. 

Put the milk, water, butter, 

sugar and salt, and bring to 

boil in a low heat. Add the 

whole flour and mix quickly 

with a wooden spoon. Turn 

the heat off. 

4. Turn the heat again in low 

heat and keep stirring the 

mixture until it becomes dry. 

5. Turn the heat off, add the 

beaten eggs a little at a 

time until the mixture 

becomes a soft dough 

which sticks to the fingers. 

6. Transfer the mixture to a 

piping pastry bag, fitted 

with a plain nozzle, 1 cm 

diameter, and pipe small 

pastry balls, around 2cm in 

diameter, onto a non-stick 

baking tray in small bun 

with a round shape. Make 

sure to have plenty of space 

in between as they will 

swell during baking. Place in 

the oven and cook for about 

20-25 minutes or until the 

buns have turned golden. 

Turn the oven off and open 

the oven door to cool the 

choux. 

7. To make the chocolate 

sauce: heat the cream (just 

to the boiling point) in a small 

pan in medium heat and add 

the chocolate. Turn the heat 

off, add the butter and keep 

stirring until the chocolate 

and butter are melted. Stir 

well and set aside. 

8. Transfer the cold whipped 

cream to a piping bag. Cut 

the middle part of each 

choux half way. Fit the 

pipping bag with smalldiameter 

fluted nozzle. Fill 

the bag with custard and 

fill the choux buns with the 

cream. 

9. Arrange the choux on 

a plate, dust with icing 

sugar and drizzle with 

chocolate sauce. Add 2 

or 3 strawberries. Serve 

immediately. 

Potatoes and Beef 

Croquettes 

Served with mix salad 

There are many different 

variations to making croquettes. 

The most popular way is to use 

white sauce or bechamel sauce 

with mushroom, fish or meat, 

but the bechamel sauce can be 

replaced with pureed potatoes, 

which I use in this recipe. The 

potatoes make the delicious 

snacks crunchy on the outside 

yet soft and silky inside. 

Croquettes can also be 

served as a meal, not just as a 

snack, by serving it with a good 

portion of salad. 


Serves 4-6 

500gr potatoes, peeled, cut into 

four parts 

50gr butter 

125gr minced beef 

1 tablespoon of vegetable oil 

and 10gr of butter 

2 cloves of garlic, peeled, 

crushed and finely chopped 

2 eggs, separate the yolk 

100gr bread crumbs 

2 tablespoon flour 

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg 

Salt and black pepper to season 

1 liter vegetable oil for deepfrying 

1 teaspoon mustard and 2 

tablespoon mayonnaise, mix well 

Directions: 

1. Cook the potatoes in 1.5 

liter of salted water for 

20-25 minutes or until soft. 

Drain the potatoes and dry 

them out by returning into 

the pan and turn the heat 

on low. 

2. Put the potatoes into a food 

processor while still hot 

and puree. Add the butter, 

nutmeg and 2 egg yolks. 

Mix well and set aside. 

3. Heat a frying pan. Add 1 

tablespoon of oil and butter 

and add the garlic. Cook 

until golden and add the 

beef and keep stirring to 

break the lump of the mince 

beef. Cook the beef for 

around 10 minutes. Keep 

stirring to a fine texture. 

Season with salt and black 

pepper. 

4. Transfer the beef into the 

potatoes mixture. Don’t add 

the juice of the beef. Mix 

the mixture well and season 

with salt and black pepper 

if necessary. Spread the 

mixture in a dish and leave 

to cool completely. 

5. First, dust your hands with 

flour. Shape the potato 

mixture into a ball then 

into a long narrow cylinder, 

about 6cm long, then round 

slighlty. Repeat until all the 

mixture are finished. 

6. Roll each of them in flour, 

coat each of them in 

egg whites and roll over 

breadcrumbs. 

7. Heat the oil in a pan in 

high heat. Deep-fry the 

croquettes for 2 minutes or 

until golden brown. Place 

the croquettes in a plate 

with a kitchen towel to 

absorb any excess oil. Serve 

hot with a teaspoon of the 

mustard and mayonnaise 

mix for each portion, and 

with a small portion of mix 

salad. For salad dressing, 

use extra virgin olive oil and 

lime, or a mix of mustard, 

honey, vinegar and extra 

virgin olive oil.

native indonesian cuisine at 

novotel jakarta mangga dua square 

new taste sensations at 

munchies 


in a bout of patriotism 

novotel Jakarta 

Mangga Dua square 

has decided to revive 

traditional indonesian 

dishes and has rolled out 

a new menu comprising 

distinctly indonesian soups, 

appetizers, main dishes 

and desserts. the variance 

of the dishes showcases 

indonesia’s indigenous 

diversity, and selections 

consist of culinary staples 

from regions all over the 

archipelago. Begin the meal 

light with crispy corn fritters 

dipped in a healthful peanut 

sauce, or Perkedel Jagung 

dengan saus Kacang. Warm 

up your palate with soup 

selections of the month – it’s 

Open your mind to new tastes --that’s the rule when you 

visit Munchies restaurant and bar. avoid prejudice. When 

you are offered, let’s say, grilled salmon served with green 

mango rujak –indonesian traditional salad, just be open to 

it. Munchies, which bravely injects indonesian flavours into Western 

style cooking, offers delectable culinary surprises. 

Munchies was founded in 

early December last year 

by hamid sugianto, Jason 

aditya and Budi Kurniawan. 

young and eager to make 

culinary breakthroughs, 

these under-25 year old 

foodies-turn-restaurant 

owners are trying to prove 

that indonesian-Western 

fusion cuisine can become 

a popular choice of comfort 

food. 

a toss-up between the spicy 

sup Marica tongkol, proteinrich 

sup Khas Pekalongan 

(made with fermented soya 

beans) and refreshing sup 

Lelawar, which is teeming with 

fresh vegetables. 

the Gulai Birah, a chicken and potato 

curry, is an exquisite assimilation 

of spices and tastes. those who 

relish seafood will love the Gindara 

Bakar Pacak, served with a turmeric 

coconut cream sauce. to end the 

meal are desserts you’ve likely 

never stumbled upon before: the 

Putri noong cassava cake, which is 

laden with fresh grated coconut and 

palm sugar syrup, and es Podeng, 

featuring avocado and sago pearls 

crowned with kopyor ice cream. 

Dishes start from Rp 25,000++. 

Munchies’ iconic items are its main 

courses. Only at Munchies, a main 

course consists of two different main 

items. “sometimes at restaurants, 

people want to taste several items 

from the menu, at once. however, the 

normal portion of main course makes 

it impossible for a person to order 

more than he can chew. in Munchies 

this is possible. With a main course 

serving, you can have two types of meat 

at once on your plate. you choose the 

meat combination from the four types 

of meat we offer”, hamid said. the 

four options are beef, salmon, chicken 

and fish. each is served with different 

choices of sauces. at now! Jakarta’s 

visit to Munchies, we had a combination 

of beef steak and grilled salmon. We 

chose the sweet and sour rujak sauce 

for the salmon, which surprisingly 

complemented the salmon. Delicious. 

there are many more surprises 

awaiting you at Munchies. Whatever 

you choose, whether it’s salad, pasta, 

sandwich, or even 

mocktail or cocktail, will 

introduce new sensations 

to your palate. Visit 

Munchies on the ground 

floor Mainstreet Gandaria 

city, south Jakarta. 

Follow Munchies on 

twitter @munchiesbistro 

for updates on daily 

promotions and for 

reservations, 

call +62-21 2905 3076. 

BY: FRANSISCA RESTIAWARDANI, KINDRA COOPER. PHOTOS: AGUNG NATANAEL, NOVOTEL.

BY: KINDRA COOPER. PHOTOS: HOTEL BOROBUDUR 

hotel borobudur introduces 

new master chef 

Spearheading Teratai 

Restaurant at Hotel 

Borobudur is Chef Zhang 

Xiu Lan, who assumed 

the post of Master Chef of the 

luxury Cantonese eatery in 

March 2011. She brings topnotch 

know-how and experience 

from her previous position at 

Hu Bin Mei Zhi Lo in the Yuyuan 

Garden in Shanghai, where 

she worked for 20 years. Her 

expertise in the field bodes 

positive auguries for her 

career in Teratai. Her forte 

is her handmade Xiao Long 

Bao – steamed dumplings 

filled with vegetables, meat 

and soup – as she is able to 

achieve skin of a silken yet 

firm consistency; and harmony 

between the sweet and 

savoury elements of the dumpling. 

Her skillfully-prepared noodle 

dishes and Dim Sum are also to be 

revered. The lobby-level restaurant 

is open for lunch (11:30 a.m.-2:30 

p.m.) and dinner (6:30 p.m.-10:30 

p.m.) seven days a week. 

Hotel Borobudur, nicknamed Jakarta’s 

‘Grand old lady of hospitality’ features 

695 guest rooms and suites. The hotel’s 

five restaurants serve Italian, Chinese, 

Indonesian and Japanese cuisine. 


la brasserie’s new revamped look at le meridien: 

gearing up for le tour de france culinaire 

BY Risti BRophy 

Business has 

been picking 

up well for Le 

Meridien Hotel 

in the past few years, 

so much so that the 

need arises for the 

exotic hotel -known 

for its flare in mixing 

European and local 

tastes harmoniously- to 

add an extension to its 

popular coffee shop, La 

Brasserie. 

A new section has recently 

been completed, adding 

the much needed floor 

space and expanding the 

seating capacity to 250 from 

previously 170. The main 

entrance has also been 

renovated, with large glass 

walls and dark wooden 

frames bringing in light and 

a contemporary ambiance. 

Light wooden patchwork 

details adorn the walls and a 

touch of terracotta and ochre 

yellow on the chair cushions 

make the setting comfy as 

well as cheerful. 

Overlooking the pool, 

La Brasserie now has an 

expanded food station 

area, allowing guests 

to browse around more 

comfortably. Executive Chef 

Thiery Guineau continues 

to maintain his signature 

touch of French cuisine 

in the extensive buffet 

selection, with mouthwatering 

appetizers which 

include a variety of homemade 

terrines, puff pastries 

as well as salads with an 

endless option of dressings; 

and main course selections 

which include, among others, 

the delectable Chicken 

Belle Femme, lamb roll and 

breaded veal – all classically 

French. But those with a 

palate for Asian tastes need 

not worry. The charming chef 

ensures that a selection of 

Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese 

and more traditionally 

Indonesian dishes are also 

on the menu. Even the 

locals would jump for joy 

to know that the all-time 

favourite ‘Mie Bakso’ (noodle 

with meatballs) is always 

available at La Brasserie. 

But no visit to La 

Brasserie is complete without 

a trip to the dessert station. 

Brace yourself if you’re on 

an extreme diet, as once the 

sight of Le Meridien’s famous 

mille-feuille catches your 

eyes, there is no going back! 

Other luscious items include 

blueberry cheesecake, a 

variety of mousse, puddings 

and sweet pastries, as well 

as the crepes section – with 

all sorts of fillings including 

strawberries, choco chips, 

nuts, etc., topped with a 

deadly chocolate sauce and 

paired with milky vanilla ice 

cream. 

Also available at La 

Brasserie are the latest 

breakfast recipes of three 

Michelin-starred Chef Jean- 

Georges (JG) Vongerichten, 

famed for his innovative, 

ground-breaking cuisines. 

At all Le Meridien outlets 

worldwide, the breakfast 

ritual features the unique 

‘JG Eye Openers’, which is 

a refreshing blend of juices 

with a twist. There are 7 

options to help guests start 

the day off with a bang, 

including carrot-orangepassion 

fruit, strawberrybanana-lime 

and raspberrypineapple-clove. 

Another signature JG 

Breakfast Menu presents 

guests with 6 different 

items of which 2 variants 

are available each day 

and includes items such 

as smoked salmon and 

steamed silken tofu with 

fresh raspberry vinaigrette, 

buckwheat crepe with 

spinach and herbs, as well as 

the classic croque madame. 

With its new revamped 

look, La Brasserie is gearing 

up for its much-awaited Le 

Tour de France Culinaire on 

2-24 July, in conjunction with 

the famous French cycling 

race. Starting from Passage 

du Gois La Barre-de-Monts 

in Vendée, this year’s journey 

will travel through Italy and 

across 10 regions of France. 

During Le Tour de 

France Culinaire, held in 

collaboration with the CCF 

Jakarta and is a part of the 

annual French festival, Le 

Printemps Francais, Chef 

Thiery Guineau and team at 

La Brasserie will showcase 

signature dishes from each 

of the 10 regions: Pays de la 

Loire, Bretagne, Normandie, 

Centre, Auvergne, Aquitaine, 

Midi-Pyrénées, Languedoc- 

Roussillon, Rhône-Alpes, 

Italy and Ile-de-France. 

Definitely a great way to 

mark the 100th anniversary 

of Le Tour de France! 

For more information please 

visit: www.lemeridien.com/ 

jakarta 

PHOTOS: AGUNG NATANAEL. 



easter cooking class at 

the ranch market 

cooking school 

Ranch Market Cooking School, Pondok 

Indah, in cooperation with Costadoro 

Coffee and Betty Crocker held an Easter 

Cooking Class on 16 April, with Chef de 

Pastry of Ranch Pastry & Bakery, Chef Steve 

Diaz. 

The concept of the cooking class was of a coffee break. As 

class participants listened to Chef Steve Diaz who shared 

canteen introduces 

new menu & new chef 

Canteen Plaza Indonesia, a casual restaurant 

widely known for serving simple, tasty and 

well-crafted European and Pan-Asian dishes, 

is rolling out a new menu created by its new 

head chef, Chris Moes. 

Previously Sous-Chef at the celebrated Amsterdam restaurant 

DE KAS, Chef Moes has arrived at Canteen to revamp its menu, 

introducing fresh, new dishes while reinvigorating Canteen’s 

popular favourites. 

Chef Moes’ creations are both simple and sophisticated 

without being fussy, concentrating on using the freshest 

ingredients available locally. They consist of classic, honest and 

wholesome dishes, reinterpreted in a modern way. 

Take the Goat cheese salad, simply prepared with char 

grilled eggplants, crisp salad leaves, roasted walnuts and 

light raspberry vinaigrette. There is a succulent Rib-Eye steak, 

accompanied by a classic Béarnaise, crispy asparagus and a 

creamy and rich potato gratin. The Roast Chicken, meanwhile, is 

perfectly moist and tender, juicy and flavoursome. 

Then there is dessert. The selection is compact but 

thoughtful. One particular stand out: Lemon pie with burnt 

Meringue, its texture smooth and silky with a balanced taste of 

sweet and sour. Indulge your senses at Canteen Plaza Indonesia, 

5 th Floor, Central Jakarta. For reservation, call +62-21 315 6537. 

the secrets of delicious cup cakes and apple 

crumble pies, they enjoyed Italian Costadoro 

coffee and Ranch Pastry’s cookies in the 

classroom. 

Chef Steve Diaz who has 20 

years experience as a pastry 

chef in leading hotels including 

the Grand Tikal Futura Hotel 

Guatemala City and the Sheraton 

El Gezira El Orman, Giza, taught 

the steps and methods of making 

Bunny Cup Cakes and Apple Pie 

Crumble - the latter a Ranch 

Pastry customer favorite. Although 

the purpose of the class was to 

demonstrate that cooking is fun 

using a ready-to-bake pie crust 

as well as cake mix from Betty 

Crocker, Chef Steve gave a bonus 

lesson on how to make one’s own 

crust and batter which didn’t seem 

at all difficult. 

Ranch Market Cooking School, which is 

located at the back side of Ranch Market Pondok 

Indah, holds cooking classes every week, with 

different and interesting topics each time and 

brings in experienced chefs as instructors. This 

is the place to go should you need to hone your 

cooking skills. 

For more information on Ranch Market 

Cooking School‘s class schedule and 

reservations, please contact Ranch Market 

Pondok Indah at Gedung Plaza 6, Jl. Sultan 

Iskandar Muda No. 21, Arteri Pondok Indah, 

South Jakarta, T: +62-21 7590 8112. 

BY: FRANSISCA RESTIAWARDANI. PHOTOS: AGUNG NATANAEL. 


four seasons hotel 

jakarta mother’s day 

package 

Declare your adoration this Mother’s Day with 

a grand gesture; take the leading lady in your 

life for a day of well-deserved indulgence at 

Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta. Condition her for 

a day of relaxation and pampering at the Four Seasons 

Spa, where the dual-component spa treatments of 

an anti-ageing facial and reflexology will divest her of 

stress and worry. The foot massage utilizes soothing 

spearmint and icy sand crystal mud to deliver a 

calming sensation of menthol coolness. 

Treat your mother to brunch at the Seasons Café; 

she will love the Barramundi with Saffron Sauce, or 

she may opt for the OP Prime Rib Roast. She will be 

spoiled for choice over dessert at the Praline and 

Chocolates Gallery buffet. 

The Mother’s Day Brunch is served on the 8th 

of May at Rp 415,000++ per adult and Rp 195,000++ 

per child. The Me Time Mother’s Day Spa Package is 

available from 2-31 st May at Rp 1,000,000++ per person. 

acoustic ladies’ night at 

pastis kitchen & bar 

Aston at Kuningan Suites 

brings you a formula of music, 

merriment, and quality food 

at its award-winning Pastis 

Kitchen & Bar. Every Wednesday night 

from May 4 onwards is Acoustic Ladies 

Night featuring the BIG BROTHERS 

at the restaurant’s adjoining alfresco 

lounge, Backyard. The ambience 

is redolent of a backyard barbeque 

party, with the added pleasure of 

Pastis’ expansive buffet comprising 

out with the new and in with 

the old at 

de’ panna bakery 

Reviving the old in the face of the new – de’ Panna 

Bakery’s formula unlocks access to a market soon to 

become a goldmine. Having become increasingly rare 

with the upsurge of Western influence in Indonesia, 

traditional goodies such as the coconut-filled dadar gulung, 

cassava getuk, sticky and fun kue mangkok and semar mendem 

reclaim the spotlight at de’ Panna. The menu extends to Dutchinspired 

snacks such as sosis bröod, söes, and roomhorn - 

pastry shaped like a trumpet and filled with chocolate cream 

– in addition to well-liked Western favourites such as chocolate 

soufflé, the Pink Lady, and Monkey Business. An emphasis is 

placed on using local ingredients and omitting all preservatives 

and artificial flavours/colouring. The de’ Panna outlet has a 

soothing ambience with its white wood paneling and sunlit 

French windows, and is interspersed with vases of fresh Ikebana 

orchids – also for sale – and paintings by local artists. The artist 

currently represented lives in Merapi, and proceeds from the 

sale of his paintings go toward funding aid relief for the victims 

of the Mount Merapi volcanic eruption in October 2010. Locally 

produced tea, coffee, honey and vanilla sugar packaged in dainty, 

ribbon-entwined jars are also available for sale, and tenun, 

traditional hand-woven silk, is available in a range of bright hues 

and can be made into clothing for men and women. The best 

of luck for de’ Panna in revitalizing the market for traditional 

Indonesian nibbles! 

assortments of imported seafood, 

Australian meats and a salad bar. 

Choices include Australian lamb chops, 

beef medallion, chicken and beef 

sausages – don’t neglect to leave room 

for desserts! Live performances run 

from 6 p.m.-10 p.m., and ladies receive 

a complimentary house cocktail and 

martini upon entry. Rates are 

Rp 138,000 per person. 

BY: KINDRA COOPER. PHOTOS: FOUR SEASONS HOTEL, DE PANNA, PASTIS KITCHEN & BAR. 


NOW! Jakarta best bar & restaurant award 

NOW! Jakarta 

is delighted to 

welcome back 

its annual Best 

Restaurant Awards for 

2011 – bigger and better 

than ever. 

BEst ChiNEsE 

REstAURANt 

1. PEARL CHINESE 

2. DIN TAI FUNG 

3. DUCK KING 

BEst Fish/sEAFooD 

REstAURANt 

1. BANDAR DJAKARTA 

2. FISH & CO 

3. AH YAT ABALONE 

BEst FRENCh/FiNE DiNiNG 

REstAURANt 

1. EMILIE 

2. COLVMBVS 

3. CASSIS 

BEst thAi REstAURANt 

1. LAN NA THAI 

2. BLUE ELEPHANT 

3. JITTLADA 

BEst iNtERNAtioNAL 

REstAURANt 

1. SAILENDRA 

2. SATOO 

3. OLIVE TREE 

The Jakarta Best Bar 

and Restaurant Awards 

were initiated by NOW! 

Jakarta publisher 

Alistair Speirs 16 years 

ago in a bid to increase 

competition between 

restaurants and bars 

and thereby quality 

in the same way that 

the highly acclaimed 

Michelin Guide Ratings 

are highly sought after. 

However recognising that 

Indonesia is not yet ready to 

be critically examined and 

that the level of objective 

expertise is still somewhat 

lacking from a judging 

perspective, NOW! Jakarta 

returns to the most objective 

judge of all – the public! 

The results of NOW! 

Jakarta’s Best Bar & 

Restaurant Awards are made 

based solely on readers and 

diners votes. With active 

participation by hotels and 

independent restaurants to 

get their diners to vote, as 

well as through our website, 

what’snewjakarta.com, and 

email databases, the votes 

came in their hundreds! 

With over 2100 votes in 

and eligible (which means 

that the voter had to fill in 

all categories not just vote 

for the restaurants they 

know well) this is a seriously 

credible result. While 

perhaps not reflecting “the 

best” restaurants and bars 

form a technical/expertise 

perspective, this is certainly 

a good valuation of “the 

favourites”. 

The Awards were 

presented in a lavish evening 

of fun and entertainment at 

Liquid Exchange, supported 

by Hatten Wines, Anker 

Beer, and a host of sponsors. 

The evening was attended 

by the crème de la crème 

of Indonesian restaurant, 

hotels, bars, clubs hospitality 

industry. 

Next month we will bring 

you full details of all the 

winners and nominees. 

Well done everyone! 

REstAURANt/BAR & CLUB AWARDs 2011 

BEst iNDoNEsiAN 

REstAURANt 

1. DAPUR SUNDA 

2. LARA DJONGGRANG 

3. BUMBU DESA 

BEst CoCKtAiL BAR/ 

LoUNGE 

1. LOEWY 

2. INDOCHINE 

3. BIBLIOTHEQUE 

BEst WiNE BAR 

1. DECANTER 

2. CORK & SCREW 

3. VIN+ 

BEst DANCE CLUB 

1. X2 

2. STADIUM 

3. DRAGONFLY 

BEst MoDERN AsiAN 

REstAURANt 

1. ASIA 

2. PENANGBISTRO 

3. GANG GANG SULAI 

BEst itALiAN/spANish 

REstAURANt 

1. LOBO 

2. PORTA VENEZIA 

3. TOSCANA 

BEst iNDiAN REstAURANt 

1. KINARA 

2. QUEEN’S TANDOOR 

3. HAZARA 

BEst AMERiCAN 

REstAURANt’ 

1. CHILI’S 

2. AMIGOS 

3. TONY ROMA’S 

BEst JApANEsE/KoREAN 

REstAURANt 

1. ASUKA 

2. SUSHI TEI 

3. NISHIMURA 

BEst pUB/spoRts BAR 

1. APHRODITE 

2. MANCHESTER UNITED 

3. CAZBAR 

BEst LiVE MUsiC CLUB 

1. HARD ROCK CAFE 

2. MISTERE 

3. B.A.T.S 

EDitoRs’ ChoiCE 

Best New Fine Dining 

Restaurant 

Amuz Gourmet 

Best New Bar 

Luna Negra 

Most Fashionable Chef 

Chef Oriana Tirabassi - 

Shangri-La Jakarta 

Best Live Music Venue 

Black Cat 

Best Happy Hours 

Eastern Promise 

Best Family Restaurant 

Gourmet World 

Best Comedy Bar 

MO Bar 

Discover where to buy various interesting merchandise for your little ones 

- educational toys, fashionable Teddy Bears, ergonomic schoolbags and fun 

costumes with our savvy shopper, Susanna Tjokro. 

A Tribute To Women 

- The TuDor ClAir De roSe 

42 ADORABLE 

ITEMS 

44 LG SMART 

TV 


BY: KINDRA COOPER. PHOTOS: TUDOR. 

A woman’s beauty has been paid tribute to since 

the beginning of humankind. Watchmaker Tudor’s 

interpretation of femininity is its Tudor Clair De 

Rose, its new line of feminine watches for 2011. 

Inspired by a world of reverie and moonlit nights, the 

timepiece is a nod to its emblematic predecessor, 

the Tudor Heritage Advisor model. The seconds 

hand of the watch, normally the least conspicuous, 

is in fact the focal point of the Clair De Rose as it 

is in the shape of a cut-out Tudor rose: the brand’s 

logo in the 1950s. The crown is emblazoned with an 

identical Tudor rose encased in a transparent glass 

dome. The dreamy cloud scroll motif of the motherof-pearl 

watch face evokes the ephemeral nature of 

dreams, and the opulent yet sophisticated pattern is 

echoed on the vintage stainless steel watch strap. 

As a whole the watch perpetuates softness, charm 

and refined vigour. 

The triple fitting attaching the bracelet to 

the case adds a mechanical aspect so that the 

timepiece evokes the delicacy of femininity in terms 

of aesthetics and tenacity in terms of its durability. 

Available in three sizes (26mm, 30mm, or 34mm), 

cases come in steel or steel with 18 carat pink-gold.

Adorable items for 

Your little Darlings 

BY: sUsANNA tJoKRo In line with NOW! Jakarta’s May theme, “Kids and Education”, in this 

article, you will discover where to buy various interesting merchandise for your little ones - 

educational toys, fashionable Teddy Bears, ergonomic schoolbags and fun costumes; I hope 

you will find something that tickles their fancy – happy shopping! 

Teddy 

House 

FASHIONABLE 

TEddy BEAR 

Established in 1997, Teddy House is 

Aladdin’s cave for kids who have a soft 

spot for Teddy Bear. Teddy House offers 

bears from the store’s eponymous brand, 

available in 11 sizes – the biggest is size 60 (152 cm or 6 inches). 

These Thai-made bears are offered in four types of fur: 

straight, curly, soft and mohair - prices start at Rp 57,000. Besides 

the classic soft cuddly bears, jointed Teddy Bear (its arms, legs 

and neck can be twisted) join the ranks as well. This brand also 

produces limited edition bears, made of real wool - priced from 

Rp 1,100,000 to Rp 3,550,000. 

Be dazzled by the colorful, trendy clothes and accessories on 

display. Browsing through the racks, I found fancy wedding dress 

(Rp 165,000), paramedic’s jacket (Rp 65,000), stylish batik shirt (Rp 

42,000), pretty kimono and cheongsam (Rp 160,000 each), winter 

jacket (Rp 85,000), groovy summer dress (Rp 43,000), chic bikini 

(Rp 53,000), panties (Rp 29,000) and many more! Moreover, jazz 

up your bears with fashionable accessories, such as cute bag (Rp 

34,000), eyewear (Rp 60,0000), camera (Rp 63,000), chic shoes (Rp 

50,000) etc. 

Besides the stuffed toy bears, Teddy House also sells other 

bear-related merchandise in various shapes and sizes, such as 

Teddy Bear keychain (Rp 125,000), and placemat (Rp 70,000). 

This brand wins parents’ hearts by using fire-retardant 

polyester fiber to stuff the bears and its merchandise carries the 

CE / EN71 marks, which ensures that the toys meet the strict 

European standards. Website: www.teddyhouse.com 

Teddy House stores: Senayan City T: + 62-21 7278 2260, Kelapa 

Gading 3 Mall T: + 62-21 4585 3750, Grand Indonesia T: + 62-21 

2358 1121 

Growing 

Fun 

EduCATIONAL 

TOyS 

If buying educational toys is on your mind, 

just pop into one of Growing Fun stores. 

Founded in 1992, according to 

www.growingfun.com, Growing Fun 

is a toy specialty chain store retailing 

in quality educational products from 

Europe, USA and Asia for newborns 

up to twelve-year-olds. Growing Fun 

ensures that non-toxic paints and other 

safety considerations are adhered to. 

Kids who are addicted to the adrenaline rush of doing any 

science-related experiments will find lots of interesting items at 

Growing Fun stores. They can make their own fragrance (Perfume 

Laboratory, Rp 201,500) or learn to be a topnotch detective (Detecto 

Lab, Rp 299,000). 

Eco-conscious kids may be interested in conserving or making 

energy from the sun; with the super-cool Solar Power, they can 

make various green items, including solar water heater that 

produces electricity components (Rp 385,000). For kids who love 

challenges, they can pick up “Thames & Kosmos learn physics by 

building models” (from wind power generator to Mars robot, among 

others) that costs Rp 495,000 – this one looks complicated to me. 

Those educational toys offer hands-on approach that give 

so much fun – the little ones may not even realize that they are 

learning! 

Note: Growing Fun offers merchandise in various shapes and 

sizes, including puzzles, finger puppets, doh-dough, magnetic blocks, 

music mixer, chess magnetic game, number-grid abacus and many 

more! 

Growing Fun: Senayan City T: + 62-21 7278 1618, Central Park 

Mall T: + 62-21 5698 5398 


McNeill 

GERMAN-MAdE 

ERGONOMIC 

SCHOOLBAGS WITH 

RETRO-REFLECTIvE 

McNeill’s products will truly 

delight health-conscious 

parents who consider sturdy, 

topnotch ergonomic schoolbags 

as worthwhile investment. 

Endorsed by the prominent 

orthopedic doctor from Germany, 

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Menke, McNeill 

ergonomic bags relieve pressure on 

the neck, shoulder, lower back, and put less stress on the growing 

spine to achieve a good posture. 

The polyester, lightweight and waterproof bags are free of 

AZO colorants, cadmium and PCP. 

The straps and padding help to distribute the weight evenly 

and the compartmental arrangement of the bags ensure optimal 

weight distribution to minimize pressure in the neck and shoulder 

region. 

Each school bag has two retro-reflective double trim stripes 

attached to all sides of the bag; hence, your child remains visible 

in poor light conditions. 

Your little ones will have a variety of trendy collections 

to choose from – such as World Champion (for football fans), 

Dinosaur, Monster Truck or the girly Pixie as well as cute Naughty 

Girl (the latter reminds me of manga, the Japanese-style comics) 

and many more. 

Limited edition McNeill schoolbags are also on display, 

including Princess (Rp 4,990,000) which comes with a drink bottle 

and a pencil case, among others (see photo). 

McNeill ergonomic schoolbags for children start at Rp 

2,899,000 and Take It Easy schoolbags (McNeill ergonomic bags 

for teenagers) start at Rp 1,899,000. 

For less expensive ergonomic goods, check out the made-in 

Hong Kong SPI (Spinal Protection Improvement) schoolbags – 

priced from Rp 1,199,000 to Rp 1,799,000. 

Note: McNeill non-ergonomic merchandise, from sling bags 

to pencil cases, is also available. 

Ergo World stores: Pacific Place T: + 62-21 579 73477, Artha 

Gading Mall T: + 62-21 4586 4262, Rukan Pantai Indah Selatan T: 

+ 62-21 559 66441 

Websites: www.my-ergoworld.com and www.mcneill.de. 

Children like dressing up and 

many of them like to dress 

up and act out as doctor, 

nurse, pirate, police officer, 

cowboy – you name it! If you are 

looking for a place which sells the 

costumes as well as their accessories, 

check out Early Learning Centre (ELC) stores. ELC sells a 

wide variety of toys at its eponymous stores. 

This UK-based toy brand offers various costumes 

for your little ones, including doctor, cowboy, fire 

fighter, police officer, knight, princess, pirate and more. 

Matching accessories are sold separately – for example, a 

paramedic’s jacket costs Rp 279,000 and its medical case 

is priced at Rp 299,000 (see photo). 

ELC also carries Cinderella-esque floor-sweeping gown 

(Rp 349,000) for your little princess. Whether your little 

darlings are girls or boys, they will find something that 

tickles their fancy at ELC stores! 

Note: The costumes are for one up to six-year-olds. 

Check out: www. elc.co.uk 

ELC stores: Pacific Place T: + 62-21 579 73477, Senayan 

City T: + 62-21 727 81159, Pondok Indah Mall T: + 62-21 

759 20554, Plaza Indonesia T: + 62-21 398 38245, Taman 

Anggrek Mall T: + 62-21 563 9211, Kelapa Gading 3 Mall 

T: + 62-21 4585 3674, Grand Indonesia T: + 62-21 2358 

1070, Gandaria City T: + 62-21 2905 3193 



STRIPES 

Early 

Learning 

Centre 

FuN 

COSTuMES

lG Smart TV: 

SimplY SmArTer 

Jakarta’s fashionistas 

and jeans aficionados are 

spoilt for choice with the 

recent opening of ‘Denim 

Destination’, the first 

and only store to adopt a 

special concept within the 

Debenhams Department 

Store Senayan City. Denim 

Destination features original 

EssEntials 

Meet LG’s latest smart solution, LG Smart TV. A cut above 

just any TV, LG Smart TV boasts a sophisticated Home 

Dashboard, a start-up screen which features all the premium 

online content and apps services the TV offers which the 

viewers can access directly. Premium online content can 

DeNim DeSTiNATioN 

The ulTimATe DeNim hAVeN 

premium denim, providing 

jeans lovers with world’s top 

brands that previously were 

not available in the country. 

Spanning an expansive 

floor space of 800 sqm, 

Denim Destination is located 

on the second floor of 

Senayan City. An impressive 

line up of premium denim 

include Movie VOD and 

Catch-up TV Services. While 

LG Apps services range 

from lifestyle interests and 

education to entertainment 

and games. On a single 

screen, the Home 

Dashboard offers simple 

access to the full range of 

entertainment options. 

The other wonder from 

LG Smart TV is its Magic 

Motion Remote Control. 

While many remote 

controls have as many 

buttons as keys on their 

keyboards, LG stripped 

the remote down to its 

absolute basics. Simply 

wave and click; there’s no 

need for viewers to take 

their eyes off the screen 

when choosing and 

activating their choice. 

In addition, a drag and 

drop function makes the 

control even simpler and 

more convenient to use. 

brands includes True 

Religion, 7 for All Mankind, 

Rock & Republic, Cheap 

Monday, Ben Sherman, 

DL 1961, Dr. Denim and 

many more. 

For its 

Autumn Winter 

2011 collection, 

top brands such 

LG Smart TV has a Smart 

Share function which allows 

viewers to wirelessly stream 

content from compatible 

devices for viewing on 

the TV screen. With Smart 

Share, viewers can directly 

transfer stored content 

from their PC, and access 

simultaneous meta data 

– including actor profiles 

and plot synopses – about 

whatever movie they’re 

watching. 

The TV platform which 

also includes the Web 

Browser is an added for the 

convenience of viewers. 

You no longer need to turn 

on your notebook to access 

the internet. With this 

feature, online content can 

be viewed directly on the 

television screen. Indeed, 

with LG Smart TV, the time 

has come to enjoy a world 

of infinite possibilities! 

as Handkerchief, BTI, Naked 

& Famous, William Rast and 

Wilt will also be available at 

Denim Destination. 

A whole range of items 

from cute tops, skirts, pretty 

dresses to accessories are 

up for grabs with a price 

range starting from 

Rp 300,000. 

BY: RISTI BROPHY, FRANSISCA RESTIAWARDANI. PHOTOS: LG & DENIM DESTINATION 

hoLLAND 

iN iNDoNEsiA 

The relationship between Holland and Indonesia stretches 

back hundreds of years, through good times and bad, and 

now has changed entirely in nature to one of mentor and 

benefactor on one hand and partner and host of many 

important commercial operations on the other. 

In this special country report we try to bring out some of 

the important aspects of this multi faceted relationship, 

looking at aid, trade, culture, business and social aspects. 

We meet the personable new Dutch Ambassador, and 

are brought up to date with the Embassy’s huge number 

of projects in Indonesia: in water, in education, in the 

environment, in good governance. 

We meet the cultural side of The Netherlands in Erasmus 

Huis and the commercial side in INA and some top 

corporate names. 

All in all an intriguing but very brief look at one of 

Indonesia’s most important partnerships, and one of 

Holland’s most important relationships. 

CoUNtRy REpoRt 


BY RISTI BROPHY. PHOTO: NOW! JAKARTA

hollAND in inDOnEsia 

AN iNTerVieW WiTh 

h.e. The AmBASSADor of The KiNGDom 

of The NeTherlANDS, 

mr. TjeerD De ZWAAN 

The history 

of the 

relationship 

between 

Holland 

and Indonesia is a 

long and sometimes 

difficult one. But 

now the roles have 

changed and the 

task of the Dutch 

Ambassador has 

become very 

important in 

diplomatic and 

commercial terms. 

The latest incumbent 

H.E.Tjeerd de 

Zwaan takes on 

this important role 

with dynamism and 

style, bringing his 

previous experience 

to bear on this 

crucial relationship. 

Now! Jakarta’s 

Alistair Speirs met 

the ambassador and 

heard his plans and 

projects first hand. 

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF NETHERLANDS EMBASSY 

When I interviewed your 

predecessor last year, 

he had just had a series 

of very senior visitors, 

indicating very high 

interest in Indonesia in 

The Netherlands. Is this 

interest continuing? 

Absolutely! The Netherlands 

considers Indonesia a strategic 

partner in the region and on 

top of that, many people in 

the Netherlands feel a special, 

personal bond with Indonesia. 

It is a forward looking 

relationship including our two 

governments, the academia, 

cultural, sports, business and 

people-to-people. These strong 

ties create opportunities 

among others for Dutch and 

Indonesian investors: the 

Netherlands and Indonesia are 

natural gateways to Europe 

and Asia. In short: I still 

see enormous potential for 

further growth in our already 

excellent relations. 

A “promising cooperation 

agreement” was signed 

on education. How has it 

progressed? 

In the field of education, 

our support to a number of 

basic education programmes 

of the Ministry of National 

Education is ongoing. Main 

areas of cooperation are 

early childhood education, 

teacher management and skills 

training for youth. 

We expect that this year 5 

new institutional cooperation 

projects will start between 

Dutch and Indonesian 

education institutions, in areas 

like agri-business, logistics, 

marine transport and training 

of civil servants. 

Furthermore, our Ministry 

of Education, Culture and 

Science recently approved the 

budget for a new 5 year phase 

of the Scientific Programme 

Indonesia Netherlands, a joint 

research programme. This 

support will be matched by 50 

PhD scholarships provided by 

the Indonesian Government. 

This is a very good example 

of joint cooperation with 

mutual interests and benefits. 

Besides this, we have our 

scholarship programmes 

which contribute to human 

resources development in 

Indonesia. 

The Netherlands also 

supports efforts to raise HIV 

and AIDS awareness among 

young people through the 

school system in Papua and 

West Papua, through a project 

with UNICEF in partnership 

with the Government of 

Indonesia. 

How would you 

characterize the last 

twelve months for the 

overall Holland-Indonesia 

relationship? 

The relations between the 

Netherlands and Indonesia 

are strong and very much 

focused on the future. For 

me, as the new Ambassador 

of the Netherlands in Jakarta, 

these past months have been 

incredibly interesting, both a 

challenge and an inspiration. 

We have seen a steady 

stream of high-level visits 

both to the Netherlands and 

Indonesia which we expect 

to continue. 

In February, Mayor 

of Rotterdam Mr. Ahmed 

Aboutaleb visited sister city 

Jakarta on the invitation 

of Governor Fauzi Bowo; 

they discussed among other 

things continued support 

from the Netherlands for the 

serious flooding problems 

in Jakarta. Last month our 

Attorney General visited his 

Indonesian counterpart to 

talk about legal cooperation, 

a niche for the Netherlands 

in Indonesia. Senior 

officials will meet in the 

framework of our structured 

dialogue mechanism. And 

we are looking forward to 

parliamentary exchanges. 

What effect has the 

cancellation of President 

Susilo Bambang 

yudhoyono’s visit to 

the Netherlands in 

October 2010 had on the 

relationship? Has a new 

visit been scheduled? 

The relationship between 

Indonesia and the 

Netherlands is strong and 

healthy. It is important that 

we should not focus unduly 

on this single issue as it is 

in no way a qualification of 

our bilateral relationship, 

which is broad and all 

encompassing. 

Has the continued 

economic progress 

resulted in greater 

investment and trade 

interest in Indonesia from 

Holland? 

Over the past years Indonesia 

has been demonstrating 

strong growth rates, which 

has resulted in an increasing 

interest of Dutch companies in 

doing business with Indonesia. 

The Netherlands has a large 

presence in Indonesia with 

over one hundred companies 

active with subsidiaries or 

through joint ventures and 

hundreds of Dutch companies 

that are regularly trading 

with Indonesian companies. 

The Netherlands was among 

the top ten foreign investors 

in Indonesia in 2010, with 

a total realized investment 

value of US$ 608 million in 

107 projects. The total trade 

between both countries has 

been growing, Dutch exports 

to Indonesia stood at EUR 

450 million last year and the 

Indonesian exports to the 

Netherlands amounted EUR 

1,9 billion. The role of the Port 

of Rotterdam as a gateway to 

Europe is also very important. 

Indonesian and Dutch exports 

are complementary and Dutch 

companies have much to offer 

to Indonesia, e.g. in the water 

sector, an area where the 

Netherlands has significant 

expertise. 

How did the 40 th 

Anniversary of Erasmus 

Huis go? Was this a great 

success? Is there still 

strong interest in the 

cultural links? 

In the anniversary year 2010 

we had a program with a lot 

of highlights, attracting an 

"…oVer oNe huNDreD DuTCh CompANieS Are ACTiVe 

iN iNDoNeSiA oN A permANeNT BASiS, eVeN more Are 

ACTiVe iN The imporT AND exporT SeCTorS." 

additional 30% visitors. Both 

artistically and in terms of 

response it was a success. It is 

encouraging to see so many 

young people, students and 

young professionals come 

to Erasmus Huis and our 

activities elsewhere in the 

country. I also note that some 

Indonesian performances, 

both classical and modern 

were very successful in the 

Netherlands: wayang by Ki 

Ledjar Soebroto, Theater 

Opera Jawa by Garin Nugroho 

and Nyai Ontosoroh by 

Institut Ungu. And there 

are many more examples 

of cultural cooperation 


hollAND in inDOnEsia 

such as cooperation on the 

accessibility of archives. 

How are dutch companies 

doing in Indonesia? Who 

are the new players? 

How are the old players 

managing? 

Dutch companies recognize 

the substantial progress of 

Indonesia, which is now a 

middle income country. As I 

mentioned before, over one 

hundred Dutch companies 

are active in Indonesia on a 

permanent basis, even more 

are active in the import 

and export sectors. There is 

enormous potential in export 


of machinery, especially 

for synthetic production, 

mining equipment and 

medical systems. Other 

promising sectors are energy 

and agriculture production. 

The Netherlands is a global 

leader in agriculture and food 

security and has expertise 

in infrastructure and water 

management. All in all there 

are plenty of opportunities 

for new players from the 

Netherlands in Indonesia. 

At the same time, Indonesia 

needs to be transparent and 

consistent in its investment 

legislation as an elementary 

confidence building structure. 

What exciting things 

are coming up over the 

next twelve months 

diplomatically and 

culturally? 

I already mentioned ongoing 

visits. In the diplomatic field, 

we are very much looking 

forward to the remainder of 

Indonesia’s chairmanship of 

ASEAN. Hopefully we shall 

be able to intensify relations 

between the EU and ASEAN 

and I think the Netherlands 

and Indonesia are in a perfect 

position to contribute to that. 

On the cultural side, I 

would like to mention the very 

special exhibition of classic 

enamel advertising signs at 

Erasmus Huis. They provide 

us with an insight of the times 

and tastes before today’s 

fast-paced-no-holds-barred 

world of advertising. They 

are artistic, pleasant to look 

at, with often striking designs 

and offer an interesting look 

at commercial history. I am 

also happy to announce that 

from the end of June, Erasmus 

Huis will host an exhibition 

of the Dutch architect Wolff 

Schoemaker, who worked in 

Indonesia in the first half of 

the 20th century and, among 

others, designed the famous 

Villa Isola in Bandung. We 

will keep inviting musicians to 

offer Jakartans jazz, pop and 

classical music at the Erasmus 

Huis. Furthermore we will 

support the conservation and 

use of certain characteristic 

assets of shared heritage, 

like the History Museum on 

Fatahillah square. 

you have arrived already 

a relatively short time 

ago. How are you and 

your family adjusting? 

What surprises have you 

had in Indonesia? Only 

pleasant ones I trust! 

Friendly people, fantastic food 

and a beautiful country with a 

fascinating culture. And I have 

also found a nation that is as 

crazy about football as we are! 

What’s your agenda for 

the next twelve months? 

To continue on my steep 

learning curve, and – in 

particular - to continue my 

travels. I am reminded of H.E. 

President Susilo Bambang 

Yudhoyono’s advice when I 

presented my credentials: I 

encourage you to go outside 

Jakarta as Indonesia is much 

more than its Capital city. 

Sound advice! 

Which parts of Indonesia 

have you visited so far? 

What parts have you liked? 

I’ve been to Semarang, 

Surabaya, Papua, Aceh, West 

Sumatra, Makassar. All have 

their particular beauty, interest 

and cuisine. Who could ask 

for more?

HoLLanD-InDonEsIa 

MuLtI FunctIEs saMEnWErkEn 

(MuLtIDIMEnsIonaL PartnErsHIP) 

areas. Due to the fact that a quarter of the country lies below sea level, Holland is an expert in water 

management. It is also the world’s second largest agricultural exporter. Learn more in this column about 

how the Netherlands is sharing its expertise in many areas to help Indonesia deal with its problems, 

including ‘banjir’ related issues as well as women empowerment and eradication of poverty and the fight 

against corruption, as presented by experts in various fields from the Netherlands Embassy below. 

Promoting Democracy and 

Good Governance in Indonesia 

By: WIcaksono sarosa, ExEcutivE DirEctor, PartnErshiP for GovErnancE rEform 

More than 

a decade 

has passed 

since the 

political 

events that gave birth 

to the reform era in 

Indonesia. Partnership 

for Governance 

Reform (Kemitraan 

bagi Pembaruan Tata- 

Pemerintahan) has 

supported Indonesia’s 

reform from the onset. 

The Partnership’s origin can 

be traced back to Indonesia’s 

economic and political crisis 

in the late 1990s. Eminent 

individuals from civil society, 

government, the donor 

community (including the 

Netherlands) and the private 

sector came together wanting 

to sustain the strong spirit of 

reform and the desire to advance 

democracy in Indonesia. Their 

collaborative relationship 

contributed to the successful 

and free general election in June 

1999 and provided an ideal 

platform to launch a mutual 

effort in promoting governance 

reform. A consultation process 

led by the UNDP leadership saw 

the creation of the Partnership 

for Governance Reform in 

Indonesia (Partnership), in 

March 2000. Initially lacking 

the institutional capacities 

and systems to independently 

carry out its broader tasks, 

Partnership became a UNDP 

project during its early years of 

operations. 

Both Indonesia and 

Partnership for Governance 

Reform have come a long 

way since. Partnership is 

now a fully independent and 

national entity, after being 

administered as UNDP-project 

until 2010. And while the 

reform process in Indonesia is 

still ongoing, we can look back 

at several major milestones 

in democratic reform: free 

general and presidential 

elections; the largest big bang 

decentralization process in 

the world; and a strong press 

freedom to name but a few. 

But our work is not done 

just yet. After all there are 

still challenges that need to 

be addressed if Indonesia 

is to fulfil its enormous 

potential. Partnership remains 

committed to promoting 

better governance, more 

substantive democracy, 

more comprehensive anticorruption 

measures as well as 

more sustainable development 

practices. 

Last year saw the launch of 

the umbrella program called 

Leveraging and Educating 

Accountable Democracy in 

Indonesia (LEAD Indonesia) 

2010-2014*. Working across 

a number of fronts, and in 

partnership with various 

government agencies and 

civil society organizations, the 

umbrella program has three 

main components. First is a set 

of projects that aim at helping 

to improve the functioning of 

democratic political systems. 

This includes facilitation and 

technical assistance in election 

reforms, building capacities of 

political entities, supporting 

the establishment of Schools 

of Democracy, strengthening 

the position and number of 

women in parliament and 

government, promoting 

MDGs, especially through 

civil society monitoring 

and participation and other 

relevant activities. 

Press briefing by Partnership on 22 December 2010 to discuss the reform of 

the Electoral Democracy System and the 2014 General Election bills. 

Second is a set of projects 

that aim at promoting the 

institutionalization of integrity 

systems and fulfilment of rights 

to basic services. This includes 

facilitation and technical 

assistance in formulation of the 

national and regional strategies 

for corruption eradication 

and prevention, development 

of integrity networks among 

universities and local 

bureaucracies, implementation 

of e-procurement and many 

other relevant activities. 

Third is a set of projects 

that aim at strengthening the 

policies and implementation 

of decentralized governance. 

This includes facilitation 

and technical assistance 

to the formulation of the 

Grand Design of Regional 

Arrangement, developing 

models of good village 

governance, special support 

for Papua’s empowerment and 

economic development, policies 

to improve the lives of the 

people in border regions, and 

various other relevant activities. 

With the above set of 

projects, it is expected that 

Indonesia’s democracy will 

be more meaningful and 

beneficial to the people. 

Indonesia’s democracy is 

a process, rather than an 

outcome, and by working 

closely with local partnerships 

- both within government, as 

well as civil society and the 

academic world - we hope 

to be part of building a more 

equitable democracy where all 

Indonesians are able to benefit 

from Indonesia’s development. 

* The Netherlands is one of several 

donor countries supporting the 

LEAD-programme 

PHOTO: COURTESY OF NETHERLANDS EMBASSY. The size of the Netherlands may be only as ‘small’ as Bali, but the country is a world expertise in many 


HoLLanD IN INDONESIA 

room for the rivers in the netherlands 

By: koEn ELscHot 

anD Lukas raHMIDIn 

nEthErlanDs EmBassy 

Giving land back to the 

water: Big turnaround 

for the Netherlands 

The Netherlands is a 

geographically low-lying 

country, about 25% of its area 

and more than 20% of its 

population are located below 

sea level. Moreover, more than 

50% of its area is lying less 

than one meter above sea level. 

The country became famous 

for its land reclamation, 

by which it gained land 

through an elaborate system 

of ‘polders and dykes’. 

Much of the Netherlands 

is formed by the estuary of 

three important European 

rivers, the Rhine, the Meuse 

and the Scheldt rivers that 

form a big delta within the 

country. Throughout the 

centuries, space for the rivers 

has become more and more 

limited. The Dutch rivers are 

wedged between high dykes, 

while the level of the land 

behind the dykes is dropping. 

To address flood protection, 

landscape considerations 

and the improvement of 

environmental conditions 

in the areas surrounding the 

rivers, the Dutch government 

has designed a plan to give the 

rivers more room. This is a big 

turnaround for a country that 

took land from the water for 

centuries. 

Flood protection 

necessary in the 

Netherlands 

Without an extensive network 

of dams, dykes and dunes, 

the Netherlands would be 

especially prone to flooding. 

As a predicted outcome of 

Global Climate Change, 

sea level rise could impact 

the Netherlands drastically, 

leading to social and economic 

devastation. The low-lying 

areas of the Netherlands 

include large parts of the 

densely populated and 

economically important west 

of the country where the big 

Vulnerable parts of the Netherlands to flooding without network of dams, 

dykes and dunes 

Image of a part of the measures that will take place under the project ‘Room for the rivers’ Economic 

cities, main ports and much 

of the agricultural production 

are located. Also land behind 

the river embankments is 

becoming more heavily 

used and populated. In 1993 

and 1995, floods devastated 

regions surrounding the river 

delta. The water level was 

extremely high and the dykes 

just managed to hold their 

own. Over 200,000 people had 

to be evacuated. Extremely 

high river discharges, due to 

heavy rain and snow melt in 

the upstream countries, will 

occur more frequently in 

the future. The decision was 

therefore made to find a way 

for rivers to cope with greater 

volumes of water in a safe 

manner. 

The government plan 

In 2006 the Dutch government 

proposed the Spatial Planning 

Key Decision (SPKD) ‘Room 

for the River’. The most 

important objectives of 

this plan are higher outlet 

capacities of the river branches 

by 2015, better quality of the 

environment around the river 

basins and more space for the 

rivers subsequent to expected 

climate changes. Measures 

of the plan include lowering 

the forelands of the rivers, 

depoldering and creating 

secondary or flood channels in 

the river foreland, displacing 

dykes further inland, lowering 

of groynes in the rivers and 

enlarging of summer beds. 

Moreover, because each 

stretch of the river branches 

has its own distinctive 

character, the basic package 

contains unique measures for 

every stretch. The basic idea 

of this plan is creating more 

space for the rivers in times 

of high water. Existing dykes 

will only be reinforced if other 

measures are too expensive or 

inadequate. These measures 

require space that now lies 

inside the dykes. In many 

cases, the measures will not 

be implemented for several 

years. Until that time, to ward 

against developments that 

could interfere with the river 

expansion plans, these areas 

have been reserved in the 

government plan ‘Room for 

the River’. Further measures 

to preserve safety may again 

be necessary in the longer 

term. In that case, greater 

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF NETHERLANDS EMBASSY 

areas inside the dykes will be 

required in some places. These 

areas are also reserved in the 

government plan. 

International 

Cooperation in Europe 

The ‘Room for the River’ plan 

encompasses four rivers: the 

Rhine, The Meuse, the Waal 

and the IJssel. The Meuse 

rises in France and the Rhine 

rises in Germany and both 

rivers flow to the Netherlands 

to form the Rhine-Meuse- 

Scheldt delta. The countries 

through which the Rhine and 

Meuse rivers flow collaborate 

closely on flood protection. 

One objective set by these 

countries is the Rhine ‘High 

Water Action Plan’ to reduce 

the high water levels on an 

average of 70 cm by 2020. All 

countries in the discharge 

basin are implementing 

appropriate measures. The 

Netherlands and Germany 

studied the effects of extremely 

high water in the border 

region. The volume of Rhine 

water that could eventually 

reach the Netherlands was also 

estimated. Both parties then 

investigated which measures 

could potentially provide 

flood protection for both the 

Netherlands and Germany. 

Both countries place a high 

value on coordinating efforts. 

Measures implemented in 

Germany, however, cannot 

adequately maintain the 

required level of protection in 

the Netherlands, but this can 

be achieved by the package of 

measures in the SPKD Room 

for the river. 

Implementation of the 

‘Room for the river’ plan 

The Dutch government 

has earmarked more 

than 2.1 billion Euros for 

implementing the basic 

package of measures. 

Alternative or supplementary 

measures could possibly 

be carried out at certain 

locations; ideas for such 

measures will be worked out 

by local authorities and other 

parties, including business. 

This is on the condition that 

the objectives of the ‘Room 

for the River’ government 

plan are not delayed by these 

measures and that the parties 

concerned can guarantee 

sufficient financing for the 

project. Before a measure 

can actually be implemented, 

it has to be worked out 

further in a planning study 

in which the exact location 

and details are determined. 

An environmental impact 

assessment is required for 

many of the measures, giving 

local residents, authorities and 

other stakeholders the chance 

to have their say. Permits 

must be obtained for the 

excavation and construction 

work depending on the type of 

measure. The Dutch Ministry 

of Transport, Public Works 

and Water Management 

will also create a project 

organisation to oversee the 

work. This organisation will 

ensure that the objectives of 

safety and environmental 

quality are achieved and that 

deadlines and budgets are met. 

Source: Rijkswaterstaat 

relations between Indonesia 

and the netherlands 

By: koEn ELscHot anD Lukas raHMIDIn, nEthErlanDs EmBassy 

The Netherlands and Indonesia enjoy strong economic relations. Around 

150 Dutch companies are active in Indonesia in the form of subsidiaries 

or through joint ventures, and hundreds more Dutch companies regularly 

trade with Indonesian companies. Once a year, since 1968, the Indonesian 

and Dutch Ministers for Trade and Economic Affairs meet to discuss trade 

and investment issues, as part of the so-called ‘Mixed Economic Commission’. 

Trade growing, great 

Indonesian surplus 

The Indonesian and 

Dutch exports are fully 

complementary: what the one 

exports, the other needs and 

vice versa. Therefore, there 

is great potential for further 

increases. In 2010, Indonesian 

exports to the Netherlands 

amounted to €1.9 billion, 

Dutch exports to Indonesia 

€0.5 billion. Like every year, 

Indonesia had a great trade 

surplus: €1.4 billion in 2010. 

Bilateral trade has increased 

over the past years, except 

for a small dip in 2009 which 

can be related to the global 

financial crisis. Imports of the 

Netherlands from Indonesia 

include crude palm oil, office 

equipment, furniture, coal, 

garments and footwear. 

For Indonesia, the Port of 

Rotterdam is an important 

‘Gateway to Europe’, so many 

imports continue their way 

to other parts of Europe. 

Exports from the Netherlands 

to Indonesia include transport 

equipment, organic chemical 

products, dairy products, and 

industrial machinery. 

Netherlands One of 

the Largest Foreign 

Investors in Indonesia 

The Netherlands is in the top 

ten of foreign investors in 

Indonesia, with investments 

cumulating to around US$ 

14.5 billion. In 2009 the 

Netherlands was the 2 nd largest 

foreign investor in Indonesia 

and in 2010 it ranked fifth, 

with US$ 608 million invested 

in 107 projects. The foreign 

Key economic indicators 

Netherlands – Indonesia 2010 

direct investments from the 

Netherlands in Indonesia are 

concentrated in the food and 

beverage sector, industries, 

trade, finance and oil and gas. A 

number of Dutch multinational 

companies like Frisian Flag, 

KLM, Philips, Shell, TNT, 

Heineken and Unilever, have 

become a part of the daily 

life of many Indonesians. In 

addition, there are many Dutch 

companies, such as Deltares, 

DHV, Royal Haskoning and 

Witteveen & Bos, which 

offer their expertise in 

important areas such as water 

management, flood prevention, 

sanitation, sustainability and 

energy efficiency. 

Population 16.7 million 237 million 

GDP 590 billion 536 billion 

GDP per capita 35,551 2,287 

Economic growth 1.7% 6.1% 

Total exports (world) 419 billion 110 billion 

Total imports (world) 378 billion 95 billion 



Indonesia Domestic Biogas Programme 

By: koEn ELscHot, nEtHErLanDs EMBassy 

Over 70 

million 

people in 

Indonesia 

do not have 

access to electricity, even 

more are lacking access 

to clean and safe cooking 

fuel. To meet their daily 

energy needs, they rely 

on traditional sources 

such as wood, agricultural 

waste, dried dung or 

charcoal. The collection 

of such traditional fuels 

and charcoal production 

gradually exhausts natural 

resources and damages 

the environment. 

The Netherlands has therefore 

started a programme to 

give people in rural areas in 

Indonesia access to energy 

in the form of biogas. The 

programme is implemented 

by the Dutch NGO HIVOS, 

subsidized by the Embassy 

of the Netherlands and 

supported by the Dutch 

companies Frisian Flag and 

Rabobank. These Dutch 

partners closely cooperate 

with Indonesian NGOs, dairy 

cooperatives, and the Ministry 

of Energy and Mineral 

Resources. 

Why biogas? 

By using biogas, many 

advantages arise. Biogas 

provides a sustainable energy 

solution for households 

with livestock to reduce 

dependence on firewood and 

expensive fossil fuels. Biogas 

is a gas that is produced by 

the biological breakdown of 

organic matter in the absence 

of oxygen. Domestic biogas 

plants convert animal dung 

and various other organic 

materials into combustible 

methane gas, also known as 

biogas. The gases methane, 

hydrogen and carbon 

monoxide can be combusted 

with oxygen. This energy 

release allows biogas to be 

used as fuel. Biogas can be 

used as a low-cost fuel in 

any country for any heating 

purpose, from simple gas 

stoves for cooking to lamps 

for lighting, especially in 

remote rural areas where 

reliable electrification does 

not exist. The slurry left 

over from this process is 

easily collected and can be 

used as organic fertiliser to 

improve crop yields. The CO2 

produced is equivalent to 

the amount of CO2 captured 

when the biomass was created. 

Biogas is therefore a CO2 

neutral source of energy 

or also called a renewable 

energy because the fuel is 

produced from renewable 

resources. It is therefore very 

environmentally friendly. 

Biogas plant: how does it 

work? 

- Organic waste, like animal 

manure and other organic 

material, is put into a sealed 

tank called a digester where 

it will be heated and agitated. 

In the absence of oxygen 

anaerobic bacteria consume 

the organic matter to multiply 

and produce biogas. The 

amount of biogas that can be 

extracted from organic waste 

depends on the waste itself 

and the design of the digester 

system. 

Benefits of biogas 

Domestic biogas plants 

convert livestock manure 

and various other organic 

materials into biogas and 

slurry, the fermented manure. 

On average, farmers with at 

least two cows can generate 

sufficient biogas to meet 

their daily basic cooking 

and lighting needs. The 

investment cost for a quality 

‘fixed dome’ biogas plant 

varies between Euro 400 to 

600, depending on the plant 

size, location of construction 

and country. Such plants 

have a life span of at least 

15 years, whilst operation 

is easy and maintenance 

inexpensive. For the user, 

biogas provides clean cooking 

energy, contributes to health 

improvement and reduces 

the time needed for biomass 

collection. The use of biogas 

brings along several benefits. 

The use of biogas saves time 

and reduces the workload 

especially for women on 

collecting traditional cooking 

fuels and the cooking process. 

The process is also free from 

smoke and soot which reduces 

respiratory and eye problems. 

Furthermore, the use of biogas 

reduces fossil fuel expenses 

for cooking and lighting. 

Examples of several other 

benefits: using crop residues 

for animal fodder instead of 

fuel, protecting forests, saving 

money, improving hygienic 

conditions, enabling local 

mechanization and electricity 

production, improving the 

rural standard of living 

and reducing air and water 

pollution. On top of that, 

converting cow manure into 

methane biogas instead of 

letting it decompose could 

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF NETHERLANDS EMBASSY. 

potentially help reduce the 

negative effects of global 

climate change. 

The Indonesia domestic 

biogas programme 

The Indonesia domestic biogas 

programme is managed and 

implemented by Hivos with 

technical assistance from SNV 

(Netherlands Development 

Organization), in cooperation 

with Raboank, Frisian Flag, 

Nestle and national and local 

stakeholders. The programme 

is funded by the Embassy 

supporting a Promising Generation 

By arnoLD van DEr ZanDEn 

The Netherlands 

supports 

Indonesia 

in its efforts 

to improve 

access and the quality 

of education in order to 

achieve the Millennium 

Development Goals 

(MDGs) and the 

Education for All (EFA) 

goals in Indonesia. During 

the past 5 years, the 

Netherlands has donated 

almost € 170 million to 

education programmes 

in Indonesia, in areas like 

early childhood education, 

teacher management, 

technical and vocational 

training, and higher 

education. 

The cooperation in higher 

education and science builds 

upon a long tradition of 

of the Kingdom of the 

Netherlands in Jakarta, for an 

amount of € 6.5 million from 

May 2009 until December 

2012, and was established in 

close cooperation with the 

Indonesian Ministry of Energy 

and Mineral Resources. 

The programme will create 

a market-based biogas sector, 

involving locally trained 

contractors and masons who 

are supported by vocational 

training institutions. The 

focus of the programme 

will be on clusters of high- 

cooperative relations between 

Netherlands and Indonesia. 

There are many institutional 

relations between Dutch and 

Indonesian universities. 

In 2011, a new cooperation 

programme called NICHE 

(Netherlands Initiative for 

Cooperation in Higher 

Education) will start. This 

density livestock areas and 

aiming at farmers with at 

least 2 or 3 stabled cows. 

The program started in May 

2009 and will initiate its 

activities in cooperation with 

local partners in at least 3 

provinces. The program aims 

to build ca. 8000 units of 

biogas installations, of which 

6000 units are located in Java, 

before the end of 2012. 

To reduce the cost-barrier, 

banks and micro-finance 

institutions will provide 

loans to the end-users. The 

programme will focus on 

institutional cooperation 

between Indonesian and 

Dutch knowledge institutes 

in areas of our bilateral 

cooperation, such as water 

management, judicial 

cooperation, agri-business, 

and marine transport. The 

Netherlands furthermore 

programme will offer an 

investment incentive of 

approximately 25%, which 

may be adjusted in a later 

stage of the programme. Endusers 

are protected against 

construction errors through 

a guarantee system. The role 

of rural development NGO’s, 

dairy cooperatives as well as 

governmental and private 

agricultural and livestock 

extension services are 

integrated in the programme, 

which will create new jobs and 

a new business sector. 

offers scholarships for Masters 

degree courses, short diploma 

courses and tailor-made 

training in the Netherlands 

to about 150-200 Indonesian 

mid-career professionals 

every year. 

The longstanding research 

cooperation between the 

Netherlands and Indonesia 

will be continued, amongst 

others through the Scientific 

Programme Indonesia 

Netherlands (SPIN), which 

was recently extended 

until 2016. This research 

programme involves world 

class researchers from both 

countries in areas of mutual 

interest. 

The exchange of 

knowledge and expertise 

in the field of education 

and research will remain 

an important aspect of the 

bilateral cooperation between 

the Netherlands and Indonesia 

in the coming years. 


PHOTO: COURTESY OF NETHERLANDS EMBASSY.


Preserving Heritage and culture 

By: PauL PEtErs, nEthErlanDs EmBassy 

Through the 

Press and 

Cultural Affairs 

department, 

the Embassy 

offers possibilities for 

funding of small projects 

in the field of: 

1. Shared Heritage (SHF) 

The Shared Heritage Fund is 

concerned with conservation, 

use, management and 

visibility of the shared Dutch- 

Indonesian cultural heritage. 

The programme includes a 

strong component of training, 

education, capacity building, 

or exchange of knowledge. 

Recent projects include the 

rehabilitation of the clock 

tower in Bukitinggi and 

consultancy on the renovation 

of the History Museum (Old 

Town Hall) at Fatahillah 

Square. 

2. Culture & Development 

(C&O) 

The programme supports 

projects for the promotion of 

the cultural identity by giving 

special attention to the arts 

sector and to preservation of 

cultural heritage by means 

of training and education or 

strengthening the cultural 

infrastructure in Indonesia. A 

case in point is the One Dollar 

For Music project, providing 

young musicians in Bali and 

Lombok with opportunities to 

carve out a career. 

3. Sport & Development 

(S&O) 

This programme is aimed 

at strengthening the sports 

infrastructure of Indonesia 

as a way to contribute to the 

development of Indonesia. 

The focus is on youth, girls 

and women, the promotion 

of understanding and 

cooperation between different 

groups in society, and 

capacity building. The Fund 

Inaugural ceremony of rehabilitated Clock Tower in Bukittinggi, 

22 December 2010 

Officials actively promoting women’s wheelchair tennis marking the conclusion of an Embassy sports project, including 

Professor dr Haryono Suryono, chair of the Indonesian National Council for Social Welfare and Mrs Ariani Soekanwo, 

chairperson of the Indonesian Association of Women with Disabilities (standing on the right) 

for Sports and Development 

has been used to support 

specific groups like athletes 

with a mental disability, 

women’s wheelchair tennis, 

deaf badminton players and 

kampung kids. 

4. Cultural co-operation 

projects initiated by 

Indonesian cultural 

organisations (PCAP) 

Through this programme 

support is given to small 

initiatives such as the 

organisation of seminars, the 

publication of books about 

cultural and historical topics 

and various exhibitions and 

performances related do 

Dutch culture. 

For more information 

and application forms please 

consult the website: http:// 

indonesia.nlembassy.org 

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF NETHERLANDS EMBASSY. 



Ina (InDonEsIan-nEtHErLanDs assocIatIon) 

BusInEss anD socIaL nEtWorkInG In Jakarta 

Already established for 

33 years as the official 

Benelux Chambers of 

Commerce in Jakarta, 

INA has become a popular source 

for business and social networking. 

The association aims to facilitate, 

encourage and support relationships 

and business cooperation between 

Indonesia, the Netherlands, Belgium 

and Luxembourg. Today, INA has 

more than 250 members who consist 

of both companies in Indonesia and 

abroad. 

INA functions not just as a bilateral 

Chamber of Commerce between 

Indonesian and the Benelux countries, but 

also offers highly valued business services 

and organizes popular business and social 

events like seminars, match making 

events, trade missions and gatherings 

combining business networking with 

social fun. 

We are intensively involved in 

improving the business climate at 

regional level in Indonesia and carrying 

out activities that help Indonesian 

starting entrepreneurs, farmers and 

activities that contribute to a better 

environment and social standards. We 

continue to work with the government of 

Indonesia and the Netherlands, Belgium 

and Luxembourg. 

INA Business Services 

Through a comprehensive set of services, 

a long experience and a strong network, 

the INA is well-placed to serve a very 

wide range of needs from Indonesian 

and Netherlands companies and 

persons in the various stages of business 

development. INA Services comprise of: 

• Establishing companies and/or 

representative offices 

• Market and industry surveys, 

company information in Indonesia 

and Europe 

• Work-and stay permits, visa and 

immigration procedures 

• Legal Advice 

• Information on Economy, law, tax, 

industry regulations and markets in 

Indonesia and the Benelux countries 

• Technical support programs 

• Company representative and tax 

administration 

• Finding buyers, suppliers and 

investment partners 

• Company administration, job 

mediation 

• Event Organization 

• New Clipping and Documentation 

• Many other services 

INA also carries out a number of 

programs that are aimed at strengthening 

the Indonesian economy through transfer 

of know–how in the areas of corporate 

governance, improving the investment 

climate, environmental sustainability, 

water management, clean energy and 

horticulture. 

Business and Social Events 

INA organizes all kinds of business and 

social events, enabling members and 

non members to expand and leverage 

their social network to facilitate business. 

Our quarterly gathering (INA Embassy 

Cocktail Gathering) takes place at the 

Dutch Embassy. The INA also works 

closely with other business associations 

in organizing joint networking business 

events. One of our annual highlights is 

the INA Open Golf Tournament. Every 

year this golf tournament attracts over 

80 players including a number of golfers 

from outside Jakarta. The tournament is 

hosted by the Riverside Golf & Country 

Club, Gunung Putri – Bogor. 

In an effort to further strengthen 

the relationship with our members, INA 

and the Embassy of the Kingdom of 

the Netherlands host informal cocktail 

gatherings scheduled regularly for 

members’ social gathering and European 

Joint Luncheon which features notable 

speakers as way to keep our members 

updated with business information as 

well as Indonesia’s economic and political 

situation. Arranging the meetings, seminars 

and exhibitions is also part of INA’s services. 

Newsletter & Magazine 

Our quarterly magazine is distributed to 

all members of INA, comprising the TOP 

Management of Indonesian, Dutch and 

Belgian companies in all sectors. INA 

magazine has proven to be a good media 

to promote your company and services 

among the target readers as it is the only 

printed media dedicated to Indonesian 

and Benelux business community with a 

circulation of 12,000 copies. In addition, 

INA also distribute weekly newsletter via 

e-mail to all members. 

Would you like to become a 

member of INA? 

Please contact 

INA (Indonesian-Netherlands 

Association) 

Indonesian BENELUX Chamber of 

Commerce 

Menara Jamsostek Tower A, 20 th Floor 

Room 2002 

Jl. Gatot Subroto No.38, Jakarta 12710 

T: +62 21 5290 2177 

F: +62 21 5290 2178 

E:ina@ina.or.id 

W: www.ina.or.id 

BY: INDONESIAN - NETHERLANDS ASSOCIATION. 

Rabo Bank 

ad 



ErasMus HuIs: 

tHE art oF attractInG a MIxED 

auDIEncE By: PauL PEtErs anD JEroEn GankEMa, Erasmus huis 

At 19.30, any random day 

of the week , chances 

are good that you’ll find 

a crowd at the Rasuna 

Said Kav. S-3 waiting for what is 

to come. It could be a Dutch artist, 

the opening of an exhibition, an 

Indonesian choir or a lecture. Fact 

is that the Dutch cultural center 

has over 180 events a year which 

have been attracting more and more 

visitors lately. 

Interaction with the public is one of features the 

artists are selected for. Singer Pax is reading 

his diary to the audience, telling about his 

experiences in Jakarta. After he says Terima 

Kasih, he waits for the expected “Kembali”. The 

percussionist is playing his gamelan, specially 

bought for the recording of their new album. 

Named after the 15 th Century Dutch 

humanist Desiderius Erasmus of 

Rotterdam, the Erasmus Huis is one of 

three Dutch cultural centers in the world. 

Another one is in France; and in Belgium 

you find a Flemish-Dutch cultural center. 

Over more than 40 years the Erasmus 

Huis has presented art and culture of a 

high quality. It has established itself as an 

essential destination for Jakarta art lovers. 

Although over the last years the 

number of options to experience art 

and culture in the capital has increased, 

the Erasmus Huis managed to keep 

its spot. But programming a cultural 

institute never becomes routine, times 

are changing and we have to rejuvenate, 

according to Paul Peters, the director. 

Originally, the center was established 

because of our shared history. We 

still welcome the people who speak 

Dutch because of historic ties and 

family connections. But quite a few 

have acquired the language themselves 

at a later age, studying here or in the 

Netherlands. Normally in our audiences 

the majority are non-Dutch speakers. 

And we explicitly want to cater for the 

young generation to show them what the 

Netherlands and Europe have to offer. Up 

and coming popbands have been added to 

the menu. 

Dutch artists, who are invited by the 

Erasmus Huis to perform, usually tour 

to our Indonesian-Dutch “partners”, 

cultural centers in Semarang, Surabaya or 

Yogyakarta. The artists are often invited 

to hold workshops or masterclasses for 

students or professionals. 

“These activities will create a better 

understanding of each other”, said Peters, 

who now after 5 years will be leaving for 

a new posting in Geneva. “I’m looking 

forward to my new job, but I will miss the 

enjoyable evenings at Erasmus Huis that 

somehow are also labeled work.” 

Concert in the Kampung 

Dutch popular music is now booming, 

so it’s evident that we invite fresh, young 

bands, deputy director Jeroen Gankema 

says. The Dutch band Within Temptation 

is number one in the US rock chart, jazz 

musician Wouter Hamel is top listed in 

Korea and Japan. This artist will come to 

Indonesia in 2011 or early 2012. “In the 

end, It is all about a good programme 

with talented musicians, who know what 

it takes to entertain a crowd,” Jeroen says. 

Perhaps the biggest talent currently in 

Europe is Tim Knol, the singer songwriter 

Tim Knol and IKJ musicians 

in his early twenties. During a truly 

successful tour in Indonesia, last January, 

he fell in love with Jakarta. So he already 

decided to come back with his band 

for a new tour. In 2012 he wants to do 

something special: give a free concert for 

the people in the kampungs. His trip to 

a kampung area made a deep impression 

on him. 

Tim Knol and band asked on the 

day of their arrival whether it would 

be possible for a number of classical 

musicians to support the melodic line 

in a few songs. After only one day of 

rehearsing four musicians from the 

Jakarta Art Academy (IKJ) played 

wonderfully in three of his songs. 

For the coming months the soul 

band Re-play will also return to 

Jakarta. Their smashing performance in 

November 2010 was the grand finale of 

one year of celebrating Erasmus Huis’ 

40th anniversary. The crowd got really 

excited. Now, they even produced a 

ringtone “Selamat Malam” which can 

be downloaded from the Erasmus Huis 

website soon. It’s just one of the examples 

of using new media. For instance, the 

album recorded in Indonesia for the 

famed “In a Cabin With Project” will also 

be free to download soon. 

Core business 

We do not forget the other sectors of our 

core business. Two evenings of modern 

dance 9 and 11 June staged by Noord 

Nederlandse Dans, one of the most 

exciting and original contemporary dance 

Members of the Komunitas Sepeda Tua at the 

opening of the exhibition of historic enamel 

advertising signs, April 2011 

companies working in the Netherlands 

today. 

Monday June 20th we expect a 

recital by Wibi Soerjadi, a worldfamous 

Dutch pianist of Javanese descent. In 

July Erasmus Huis presents the winner 

of the 2011 Liszt piano competition, the 

Japanese pianist Masataka Goto. 

Every last Saturday of the month a 

Dutch film is screened, for interesting 

artistic aspects or for sheer entertainment. 

Do not forget the library with 20,000 

titles in Dutch, English and Indonesian. 

There are special sections on history and 

law where people come to study an array 

of sources. 

Social Media 

In a city where Facebook is so extremely 

popular it was clear we had to adjust to 

this phenomenon. Now after one year we 

have over 5,000 followers, and counting. 

We are aiming for at least 15,000 friends 

in two years.. 

At every event guests are asked to 

enter their e-mail address in a laptop 

near the entrance. The day after, visitors 

receive a personalized “thank you for 

coming” message. It’s all about knowing 

your customers and to stay in touch with 

them. Lately we started to use Facebook as 

a management instrument. Based on the 

number of people who confirmed their 

attendance, we make an estimate of food 

and beverages needed, crowd control and 

working staff for that evening. 

We see that our approach is working. 

Last year we had 43,000 visitors, a new 

record. Success leads to more media 

exposure, leads to more visitors, leads 

to more friends, leads to more media 

exposure etcetera. 

Social media made things easy for 

us. Every morning and afternoon a staffmember 

checks Facebook and sends 

digital invitations and updates. A very 

effective way of informing our customers. 

We save money on printed flyers and 

postage. And don’t forget the time used to 

spend on filling all the envelopes. 

Making an opening of an 

exhibition into a Happening 

More then 150 bicyclists from Komunitas 

Sepeda Tua Indonesia (luckily not all 

10 million members ) showed up at the 

opening of the present historic enamel 

advertising signs exhibition. Many went 

to great lengths to sport charming historic 

costumes or orange attire. The eyeopening 

exhibition still can be seen until 

the 16 th of June. 



HELPInG to PrEsErvE InDonEsIa’s cuLturaL HErItaGE: 

akZonoBEL 

‘Adding Colour to People’s Lives’ is the slogan and driving force of Dulux, 

a product from AkzoNobel, the world’s largest paints and coatings 

company, in its efforts to preserve buildings in five cities across the 

country that form the pillars of Indonesia’s mesmerizing cultural heritage. 

You would be amazed to see the restorative merits of a simple coat of paint; 

Fort Rotterdam in Makassar had its former glory revitalized in 2010 and 

was the first of the project’s targets. The opening ceremony was attended by 

the governor of South Sulawesi, Syahrul Yasin Limpo and president director 

of PT. ICI Paints Indonesia (AkzoNobel Decorative Paints Indonesia), 

Jerry Goei who together applied the first brushstrokes of paint to the iconic 

building to ratify the inception of the initiative. The building was used as a 

defense fortress by the ninth King of Gowa, and was then named Benteng 

Ujungpadang, and in a later era as a center of commerce and governance. 

When the Dutch monopolized the building, it was given its current name. 

The target cities selected for the initiative 

included those whose governments and 

communities have showed initiative 

in preserving their region’s historical 

architecture; collaborating with the 

government is crucial to the projects’ 

success. Jerry Goei underscores the 

importance of colour in people’s lives 

and describes the initiative as “restoring 

the colours of a nation.” Jakarta’s 482 nd 

Anniversary, on the 22 nd of June 2009, saw 

the beginning of the restoration program 

in Kota Tua, (old city) the center of the 

Dutch colonial administration. The iconic 

Fatahillah Museum received a new glossy 

coat of Dulux WeatherShield – covering 

the entire building took 40 days of 

handiwork. Balai Pemuda in Surabaya has 

also received attention from AkzoNobel’s 

community outreach program, and 

buildings around Bandung, Kalimantan 

and Sumatra will obtain similar attention. 

Said Jerry Goei, “This program 

reinforces our mission in adding color 

to people’s lives. Our products and 

services help people make their lives 

more colorful and create living, working 

and leisure spaces that reflect who they 

are, who they want to be, and how they 

want to be seen.” The company believes 

that the nation’s historical buildings are 

the last keystones in a tapestry of fading 

history, and has been involved in various 

community outreach projects serving 

Indonesia’s less fortunate. Cultural 

preservation as a subset of environmental 

conservation and sustainability has been 

the underlying principle behind the 

project and the company’s ethos, where 

the continuous endeavour to find more 

and more sustainable business methods is 

uppermost in the company’s priorities. 

PT ICI PAINTS INDONESIA 

Sequis Plaza 5 th Floor 

Jl. Jendral Sudirman Kab 25 

Jakarta Selatan 12920 

www.dulux.co.id 

BY: AKZONOBEL. 



kLEynEnBErG & co. ExHIBItIon 

By BartELE GaLLEry 

Bartele Gallery is the only 

dedicated shop in Indonesia 

where you can buy original 

antique maps, prints and 

photographs, some up to 500 years 

old. Their first gallery was in Mega 

Kuningan, and they will be opening 

a new antiques gallery in Kemang 

very soon. This new gallery will be 

located at Jl. Kemang Raya No. 29A 

and promises to boast an extensive 

collection of antique maps and 

prints, along with genuine European 

antiques, including some very rare 

French art deco collectibles. 

If you are a photography lover and take 

an interest in the history of Indonesia, 

you can’t miss an interesting exhibition 

titled “A Glimpse into the Past” by 

Bartele Gallery held at Eastern Promise 

in Kemang. The exhibition was opened 

on the evening of the 28th of April to 

display original early 20th century black 

and white photographs published by 

Kleynenberg & Co. of Haarlem, The 

Netherlands, which were printed between 

1911 and 1914. These photographs were 

taken for the educational print series 

Platen van Nederlandsch Oost-Indie which 

consists of 171 pictures, 150 of which are 

of the East Indies, with the remaining 21 

being from the West Indies and Suriname, 

covering landscapes, culture, industries, 

people, and many more. 

The photographer, Jean Demmeni, 

was born at Padang-Panjang in West 

Sumatra in 1866, son of a French father 

and Indonesian mother. He entered the 

army in the East Indies and was assigned 

to the Topographic Service in Bandung 

in the early years of the 20th century 

where he perfected his skills as a surveyor 

and photographer. Between 1911 and 

1940, tens of thousands of pupils in 

Dutch secondary schools were made 

familiar with the customs, cultures and 

landscapes of the far away Indonesian 

archipelago through these attractive largescale 

photographs which hung in their 

classrooms. 

One hundred years later, the subjects 

and compositions of these photographs 

give present-day digital photographers a 

run for their money. It is easy to get lost in 

the feeling of nostalgia when marvelling 

at their beauty. 

At this showcase, guests will be able 

to purchase these original photographs 

which are individually framed and 

measure roughly 90cm by 80cm in the 

frames. Members of the public will also 

have the rare opportunity to bid for one 

complete set of the 150 photographs 

which focus on the East Indies from 

Platen van Nederlandsch Oost-Indie, along 

with the chance to bid for a smaller set 

which includes the first 50 photographs 

from this series. 

Bartele Gallery Showroom 

Kantor Taman E-3.3 Unit A1 4 th Fl. 

(entrance via Cazbar) 

Jl. Mega Kuningan 

T: +62-21 576 4575 

Opening times 10am - 5pm 

New Gallery Now Open! 

Jl. Kemang Raya 29A 

T: +62-21 719 0087 

www.bartelegallery.com 

www.facebook.com/bartelegallery 

BY: EASTERN PROMISE. 

GoInG DutcH at EastErn ProMIsE 

One of the oldest taverns in 

Jakarta and certainly the 

oldest in Kemang, Eastern 

Promise is a British Indianthemed 

restaurant and pub that has 

enjoyed an established reputation as 

a prime dining / drinking destination 

for the past 21 years. Offering flavorful 

dishes, interesting regular events, 

and a laid back yet respectful setting, 

Eastern Promise has maintained 

a strong base of loyal patrons for 

the past 21 years. Containing four 

distinct areas – Restaurant, Front Bar, 

Sports & Function Room, and Music 

Garden, Eastern Promise is a versatile 

venue that caters a variety of purposes 

and events. 

The Front Bar is popular for its Pressure 

Hour – a free flow of draught beer until 

someone leaves the room or visits the 

toilet, held every Friday from 5 to 6 pm. 

The beverage selections include tasteful 

signature drinks, Strawberry Margarita 

and Lagarita – a mix of lager and 

margarita. The Sports & Function Room 

accommodates private parties and viewing 

of televised sporting events on satellite 

dishes and Internet live streaming. The 

Music Garden is an alfresco drinking area 

with a retractable roof, hosting live music 

on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. 

Meanwhile, The Restaurant primarily 

serves a rich blend of Western and Indian 

dishes. It is known for its top-sellers, 

such as Chicken Tikka Masala and Balti 

curries. However, since its takeover by 

a Dutch management – keyed up by 

Bartele Santema, Lens ter Wee and Jasper 

Bouman – a tinge of Dutch flavors has 

also been introduced to the restaurant’s 

culinary repertoire. 

Popular Dutch meals and snacks, such 

as Frikandel Speciaal, Broodje van Dobben 

Kroket, Hutspot, and Dutch Erwten 

(Pea) Soup are among the favorites. The 

Frikandel is a Dutch pork sausage served 

with Dutch curry sauce and mayonnaise. 

Bitter ballen are savoury Dutch meat 

snacks made from minced beef, beef broth, 

and parsley. A Broodje kroket is a bigger 

version of the bitterbal served on a bun 

with mustard, while Hutspot is a Dutch 

version of bangers and mash, either served 

with a Unox rookworst (imported Dutch 

pork sausage) or a 200gr beef and pork 

meatball. 

The Dutch influence also manifests in 

the restaurant’s partnerships with a number 

of Dutch organizations. This includes 

a discount program for the members 

of De Nederlandse Club (The Dutch 

Club) and providing catering services for 

events like hockey tournament Zuid Oost 

Asie Toernooi, the Oranje Golf Days, 

and smaller parties at the Nederlandse 

Internationale School. Additionally, Eastern 

Promise regularly hosts Dutch traditional 

events, such as de Batavia Borrel. 

Eastern Promise offers a unique 

dining experience by offering bold and 

distinctive tastes and putting them in a 

perfect balance. 

For more information on 

Eastern Promise, please visit: 

www.easternpromise-jakarta.com. 


“A global company of leading businesses that develops 

meaningful innovations 

to improve peoples’ 

health and well-being” 

Our brand promise provides the framework for our transformation 

into a market-driven company; active in the areas of healthcare, lifestyle and technology. 

HEALTHCARE 

LIGHTING 

Key Business Areas 

• Imaging Systems 

• Home Healthcare Solutions 

• Clinical Care Systems 

• Healthcare Informatics 

• Customer Services 

Our Lighting sector is dedicated to introducing innovative 

end-user-driven and energy-efficient solutions and applications 

for lighting, based on a thorough understanding of the 

customer needs, both in public and private context. 


• Lamps 

• Professional Luminaries & Systems 

• Home Luminaries & Systems 

• Lighting Electronics 

• Automotive 

• Solid State Modules 

• Lumileds 

• Special Lighting Applications 

Health and Well-being 

A commitment to Healthy, fulfilled lives 

Our communities and societies Our world 

“sense and simplicity” 

What do we mean by this? 

advanced 

easy to use 

designed around you 

Our Healthcare sector is dedicated to providing solutions 

designed around the needs to our customers and 

patients. We believe we can make a difference by 

removing boundaries in healthcare with our innovative 

and affordable technology solutions throughout the entire 

care cycle. 

CONSUMER LIFESTYLE 

Our Consumer Lifestyle sector is 

dedicated to responding to the consumers’ 

aspirations all over the 

world. With the aim of improving 

their health and well-being. 


• Health & Wellness 

• Domestic Appliances 

• Shaving & Beauty 

• Television 

• Audio & Multimedia 

• Peripherals & Accessories 

Philips unveils a range of advanced consumer products 

that help people enjoy a better life in a simple way. 

Our brand promise provides the framework for our transformation 

into a market-driven company; active in the areas of healthcare, lifestyle and technology. 


Rp.900,000 

Superb Business Networking Event 

Full Buffet Dinner & Free Flow Drinks 

Book Early to Avoid Disappointment! 

Call PRUI Office at 021-3929027 

or Tito at 08129446910. 

DHL Indonesian Rugby Gala Dinner 2011 

Friday 10 June 2011 - 7.00pm 

SCOTT Quinnell (Wales, British & Irish Lions) 

OWEN Finnegan (Wallabies) 

Emcee - Justin ‘SAMBO’ Sampson 

/person 

Tickets purchased at the door will cost Rp.1,000,000 

Tables of 10 - Rp.9,000,000 

Sponsorship Packages Available Now! 

Contact: chairman@indonesianrugby.com 

Promoted By: 

Special Guests 

DO IT 

Westwood Back on Top. The Tee-Setters: More on Golfing! 

Action from Fez by Aphrodite Jakarta Rugby XVs Championship – Round II 

69 Tee SeT Golf 


pHoTo: AGUNG NATANAEL. 

WESTWOOD BACK ON TOP 

patience definitely 

pays, as english 

golfer lee 

Westwood proved to 

himself when he regained 

his world number one 

ranking after winning the 

indonesian Masters on 24 

April at the royale Jakarta 

Golf Club. 

Starting with a 5-shot lead, 

Westwood knew from his 19 

years of playing on Tour that the 

key was just patience, “Because 

i knew people would come at me 

because of my lead.” 

Westwood, who replaced 

Tiger Woods’ number one title 

earlier last year, lost his ranking 

to German Martin Kaymer, 

72 SporT 

CliniC 

but on the day that he won the 

indonesian Masters, fellow 

Briton luke Donald lost in a play 

off at the Heritage Tournament 

in the US, bringing Westwood 

back into first position. 

The victory earned the 

englishman over $100,000 in 

prize money as he celebrated his 

38 th birthday on the same day.

Indonesian Masters 2011 

With one more 

hole to play, 

the lightning 

and downpour 

in Jakarta had 

forced Westwood to return to the 

clubhouse when the fourth and final 

round of what is believed to be the 

first of many Indonesian Masters to 

come was suspended for more than 

one hour. 

Westwood returned to par the last hole 

and closed with a scorching 19-under-par 

269 total to win the inaugural Asian Tour 

event by three strokes. 

On second place was Thailand’s 

Thongchai Jaidee who closed with a solid 

65 at Round 4, while third 

place was shared between 

Asian Tour newcomers Park 

Hyun-bin of Korea and 

Thitiphun Chuayprakong 

of Thailand, along with 

Bangladeshi Siddikur and 

Australian Marcus Both, on 

275. 

Source: Asian Tour 

INDONESIAN MASTERS 2011 - FINAL RESULTS 

POS PLAYER R1 R2 R3 R4 TOT +/- 

1 Lee WeSTWOOD (eNG) 68 66 66 69 269 -19 

2 THONGcHai JaiDee (THa) 67 70 70 65 272 -16 

3 MarcuS BOTH (auS) 70 70 69 66 275 -13 

3 SiDDiKur (BaN) 66 72 69 68 275 -13 

3 ParK HYuN-BiN (KOr) 67 68 70 70 275 -13 

3 THiTiPHuN cHuaYPraKONG (THa) 68 68 69 70 275 -13 

7 KiraDecH aPHiBarNraT (THa) 69 68 71 69 277 -11 

7 PraYaD MarKSaeNG (THa) 67 70 69 71 277 -11 

9 DarreN BecK (auS) 68 74 71 67 280 -8 

9 HWaNG iNN-cHOON (KOr) 67 74 70 69 280 -8 

9 rOrY Hie (iNa) 68 74 69 69 280 -8 

9 PariYa JuNHaSaVaSDiKuL (THa) 72 65 73 70 280 -8 

9 LiN WeN-TaNG (TPe) 71 67 70 72 280 -8 

9 aNTONiO LaScuNa (PHi) 67 70 70 73 280 -8 

9 PrOM MeeSaWaT (THa) 70 68 69 73 280 -8 

16 Lee SuNG (KOr) 70 72 70 69 281 -7 

16 MiLeS TuNNicLiFF (eNG) 72 68 71 70 281 -7 

18 aNGeLO Que (PHi) 71 72 68 71 282 -6 

18 MarDaN MaMaT (SiN) 72 70 67 73 282 -6 

20 STeVeN TiLeY (eNG) 71 74 70 68 283 -5 

20 ScOTT Barr (auS) 73 67 72 71 283 -5 

20 GaGaNJeeT BHuLLar (iND) 71 72 68 72 283 -5 

20 SHaaBaN HuSSiN (MaS) 68 67 75 73 283 -5 

BY: RISTI BROPHY. PHOTOS: AGUNG NATANAEL. 

THE TEE-SETTERS: 

More on Golfing! 

Tee Set Golf is a social 

club which plays 

regularly every Sunday 

around the many 

fantastic courses that 

Jakarta has to offer. Mixing it 

up with a variety of games and 

competition, Teeset is a great way 

to relax and enjoy the weekend with 

friendly people and great courses. 

Membership is FREE, so join them 

for a swing. To tease your curiosity, 

find updates from their latest tee offs 

below! 

APRIL 3 NEwSLETTER: 

Kemayoran 

A busy Saturday night with various events 

such as Hogfest and the Johnny Walker 

Lounge Party had no doubt effected the 

numbers available for a round of golf the 

following day. The Kemayoran course is 

unique in that it has a very tough front 

nine and a very friendly back nine. Of the 

12 players that showed up, the average 

score on the front was 53 but on the back 

nine the average improved to 46. One 

particular flight made up of James Noller, 

Mike Taylor, Peter Reichlmeier and Sam 

Zappia had an average improvement 

between them of a massive 18 strokes 

per man. Tough competition for most 

improved but James won it in the end 

with 21. The most improved record was in 

fact established on this course by Shawn 

Berg on his first outing with Tee Set a few 

years back. The 26 stroke improvement 

achieved will be hard to beat in the future. 

Skirts were in plague numbers and mostly 

on hole #3 which is a horribly long par 5 

with the red tees about 180 yards ahead 

of the blues. Just when you thought it 

couldn’t get any worst the next hole is the 

longest and narrowest par 4 in Jakarta. 

Richard Rowe when last he played it took 

10 off the tee box. 


Cilangkap 

Last Sunday, with the absence of El 

Presidenti and his treasurer who were out 

of the country enjoying all that Thailand 

(golf…) has to offer, it came down to 

Mike Taylor and Liza to take over the 

running of Tee Set. They did a great job 

under very trying conditions. Firstly the 

starter whined about 9 groups showing 

up when we had only booked 5 (until he 

was tipped and then he was all smiles) 

but this paled into insignificance when 

it was discovered the course had run 

out of beer before we’d even got all the 

groups off tee box #1. I apologize to those 

few who might have enjoyed the course 

(if any?) but Tee Set will not return to 

Cilangkap during my tenure as President 

for such a fatal flaw in their management 

organizational skills as running out of 

aiming fluid. The course does have some 

pluses such as cheap green fees and ease 

of access from the suburbs but that’s about 

it. Sorry Dave. 

Nevertheless we had a great turn out 

with 34 players. New players (sorry for 

wrong spelling if any) were Brent Coller 

and John Herbert. Welcome back after a 

couple of weeks off or more were Pieter 

Groen, Dale Potter, Troy Stephenson 

(now a new father) Ed Bender Jr, Alinda, 

Marni Fisher, Robin James Martin, Alan 

Fenwick, Mel Meeds, Alex Holl, Sue and 

Marshal Jones, Anthony King, Frank 

Musgrove and a special welcome back to 

David and Dewi Ammerman who last 

played Tee Set four Presidents ago. 


Jagorawi 

Another great competitive day of golf 

at Jagorawi courtesy of the Interleague 

Committee and Jagorawi Golf Club 

management. Matt actually got the final 

team scores correct this time which makes 

it a first. Thanks guys for organizing 

the day and Jack for the Bloody Mary’s. 

However we did miss the Elton John 

renditions from Edwin, having to make 

do instead with Viggo’s tear jerking 

baritone ballads. Please Gary, remember 

to bring your iPod sound system next 

Interleague. Tee Set fought hard for the 

honors against the Sandbaggers but 

narrowly went down 4 - 6. Nevertheless 

we showed again that Tee Set is no push 

over. Mike Taylor got the nearest to the 

pin award on the day but still managed 

to miss his birdie putt. Lucky for the 

Sandbaggers he wasn’t in one of the match 

play groupings because he shot a nett 62. 

Tee Set showed up in numbers as usual 

with 25 players. Thanks Edwin for spiting 

the group onto two tee boxes to smooth 

the start. 

For more on golf, visit Tee Set at 

www.teesetgolf.com 


Action from Fez by 

Aphrodite Jakarta Rugby XVs 

Championship – Round II 

By TITO VAU, prUi GenerAl MAnAGer 

The hot Jakarta weather 

added to the scorching 

atmosphere of the second 

round of the “2011 Fez 

by Aphrodite Jakarta 

Rugby XVs Championship” held 

Saturday, 2 April at the International 

Sports Club of Indonesia (ISCI) in 

Ciputat. 

The scheduled first match between Jago 

Dulu and Bandung Rams had to be 

postponed due to player unavailability 

but to everyone’s delight, the second game 

between Jakarta Komodo against Jakarta 

Banteng delivered all the sizzling action 

one could hope for in a Rugby game. 

Banteng began proceedings with 

the kickoff and thunderously chased the 

ball to maintain pressure on Komodo. 

Some very good and tight defensive play 

managed to keep the Komodo from 

scoring in the early part of the game 

until the offloading experience of the 

Komodo finally managed to make a 

difference with Dan McNally scoring in 

the seventh minute of the first half. Daly 

Stead converted the try to give Komodo a 

7-0 lead and Banteng some time to think 

about their game-plan. 

For the next twenty minutes, both 

teams exhibited tenacious character, 

combining phase play with territorial 

kicking before Michael Bavin broke 

through the Komodo defense to score 

under the uprights and convert his own 

try to tie the game up at one converted try 

a piece. 

The Banteng celebrations had hardly 

subsided when Komodo winger Coleman 

scored for Komodo in the corner, 

followed not long after by a try by No. 8 

Tom Elliot. A conversion by Stead had 

Komodo up 19-7 at the break. 

As the sun set and the lights came 

on, the game just got hotter with Banteng 

No. 8 Scot Joyce scoring a try by busting 

through the middle of the Komodo line 

from a well executed rolling maul. M 

Thompson of Komodo would have none 

of it and was soon crossing the line for yet 

another display of Komodo experience 

over the Banteng pack. Sebastian Sharpe 

scored a try immediately after the return 

PHOTOS: PRUI 

kickoff which was converted by Alexander 

to give Komodo what looked like the 

beginning of another thorough mopping 

over of the Banteng. 

Play was slightly disrupted with a 

sending off of Banteng player Fendy in 

the 25th minute of the second half but 

rather than dampening their spirits, 

Banteng managed to keep the pressure 

on and score a try through flanker John 

Taylor which he himself converted to keep 

Banteng in the chase. 

A heavy tackle by Chris McCarthy 

forced the referee to award a second 

yellow card, this time to Komodo and 

with nine minutes to go, both teams had 

only 14 players on the field. 

With five minutes remaining however, 

Komodo fly-half Gareth Rae snuck in a 

try against the Banteng which Sebastian 

Sharpe converted to take Komodo safely 

ahead and take the game 38-19. 

The action continued on Saturday 9 

April at ISCI Ciputat as Jago Dulu faced 

Bandung Rams in the delayed game. 

Both teams had yet to win a match in 

this year’s competition and the encounter 

promised some tenacious action ahead. 

Bandung held their own in the early 

part of the game and through some 

excellent and opportunistic offloading 

and phase play managed to score the first 

try through No. 8 Florian. Heeding their 

wake-up call, Jago pounded away at the 

Bandung line until last minute addition 

Ed, playing at fullback, bobbed and 

weaved his way to score the equalizer in 

the 27 th minute. 

Despite matching Jago phase for 

phase in the next few minutes, Bandung 

conceded another try when Jago outside 

Warren Wilcox crossed the line six 

minutes later. Not to be outdone by the 

new edition to the team, Jago winger 

Matthias added a try to the tally to have 

the Jago leading Bandung 15-5 at the 

break. 

Following the break, both teams made 

major changes to their line-up including 

Jago scrum-half Mark Manderson, playing 

his first game in his fifth decade of play, an 

admirable achievement by any measure. 

Having a bench full of relatively 

inexperienced players, Bandung tried 

to take the game into the realm of the 

physical forwards but Jago matched 

them ruck for ruck and maul for maul, 

finally scoring a try in the ninth minute 

of the second half through their flanker 

Emmanuel. 

With a comfortable 20 – 5 lead, Jago 

let down their guard to let Florian of 

Bandung score his second try of the day 

six minutes later. 20 – 10 Jago lead, but 

Bandung were still in it. 

Some brilliant quick support play and 

devastating speed and agility of Jago new 

player Antoine led to Rizky scoring a try 

in the corner in the 19th minute of the 

second half. This followed some avenging 

play from the Bandung backline through 

outside centre Martinus & winger Frans, 

but with no luck adding to their point 

tally. 

Jago Dulu closed the scoring with 

supportive play and excellent offloading 

to lock Pim Vandercloser who crossed the 

line for his first ever Rugby try in the 23rd 

minute. 

Despite some promising breaks and 

continued gutsy performance from both 

teams, the score stayed at 30 – 10 for a 

Jago Dulu win. 

The Fez by Aphrodite Jakarta Rugby 

XVs Championship 2011 will continue 

throughout April and May and culminate 

in the Final Round on 4 June 2011 in 

Jakarta. The Championship is also used as 

a selection for the National Men’s Team 

– The Rhinos – that will be competing in 

this year’s HSBC Asian 5 Nations Division 

3 Tournament against China, Guam and 

Pakistan. 

The Fez by Aphrodite Jakarta Rugby Championship is one of the selections for the Indonesian Men’s National Team, The Rhinos. 


Sport Injuries: 

Prevention & Treatment 

When we exercise, we expect certain results. Some of us want to keep our body fit and healthy, 

while many others want to stay slim. Those who are overweight exercise rigorously to be 

slim, while others exercise to build particular parts of the body. Now what if the heavy 

exercise is not giving you what you wish for but, instead, it gets you injured? 

Mistakes that Lead to 

Sport Injuries 

Sport and exercise don’t always 

lead to good health. if not done 

properly, both can lead to fatal 

injuries that can change the live 

of the sufferer. The first mistake 

that frequently leads to sport 

injury is a wrong choice of sport 

or exercise. 

One can’t just decide which 

sport or exercise regime is best 

for them. Not only do you need 

to know and have the right 

equipment – ergonomicallydesigned 

bycicle, running 

shoes slightly larger than the 

size of your foot, or sweatabsorbent 

sport shirt- but you 

must also find out whether or 

not you have the proper health 

condition to do your chosen 

type of exercise. For example, 

the choices of sport for the 

elderly will be different than 

those for younger people. even 

two people of the same age 

may have different options of 

the types of sport that best suit 

them. The one with a weaker 

heart certainly should not 

choose running, unlike one who 

suffers from diabetes. 

The second mistake is 

the lack of knowledge to do 

sport or exercise properly. For 

example, let’s say one decides 

to cycle from home to the office 

in order to reduce body weight. 

When cycling on the highway, 

the person experiences pain 

after drinking cold water – so 

excrutiating as if there’s a 

splinter in the heart. Or a worse 

scenario would be if the person 

fainted, since he or she is not 

accustomed to long-distance 

bike ride under the unfriendly 

heat of the sun. The bottom line 

is sport can be dangerous if you 

do not know what you’re doing. 

For most athletes, the 

common mistake which could 

lead to injury is excessive 

training. it’s the most common 

cause of fatigue or overuse 

syndrome, which happens 

when certain body part is 

injured because of over training. 

For example, a runner who 

suffers pain in the knees and 

soles of the feet due to too 

frequent practice. 

in addition to all the above 

mistakes, there is also another 

cause of injury of which the 

preventive measure is beyond 

our humanly power. Some 

people call it bad luck. in highrisk 

competitive sports such 

as martial arts and boxing, or 

sports that require agility such 

as football and rugby, injuries 

are often difficult to avoid. 

Sport Injury 

Prevention 

To prevent injuries, it’s important 

to always start with a warm-up 

exercise before participating in 

technical sport, and perform a 

cooling-down exercise after. The 

use of proper sport equipments 

also helps, as well as knowing 

which type of sport or exercise 

suits our needs. For the latter, 

not all people know how. Not 

everybody knows where to get 

good advice from the experts 

about the right type of sport or 

exercise for us either. 

rS Premier Bintaro hospital, 

a member of ramsay Health 

care hospital group, establishes 

a Sport clinic which provides an 

integrated and comprehensive 

service for handling problems 

related to sport activities. The 

service includes consultation, 

examination and supervision 

on sport activities, in which 

guidance for the patient to do 

appropriate training is given in 

accordance with the patient’s 

physical condition - so that the 

risk of injury can be minimized. 

Sport clinic was supported 

by dr. Hario Tilarso, Sp.KO, 

FacSM, a sports physician 

and dr. Sapto adji H, Sp.OT, 

orthopedic sport medicine 

consultant. in an interview 

with Now Jakarta at the rS 

Premier Bintaro, dr. Sapto adji 

shared that the main purpose 

of the Sport clinic was 

education. 

“Sport and exercise have 

become a necessity”, he said, 

“But not every type of sport 

or exercise is right just for 

anyone. Sport clinic provides 

sessions for consultation with 

the doctors, so that the elders, 

as well as people with heart 

disease, lung or diabetes - 

just to name a few, can keep 

exercising in accordance with 

their health condition. We also 

give guidance on how to do 

BY: FRANSISCA RESTIAWARDANI. PHOTOS: AGUNG NATANAEL, RS. PREMIER BINTARO. 

sport properly and correctly to 

minimise the risk for injury”. 

Preliminary examination 

for athletes before they 

compete, or is more commonly 

known as pre-participation 

examination, is also performed 

at the Sport clinic. The health 

checks include x-rays, radiology, 

electrocardiography (ecG), 

blood chemistry tests, as well 

as physical fitness tests to 

determine whether or not the 

athlete is strong enough to 

compete. Through a series of 

tests, data on the atlethe’s grip 

strength, back strength, leg 

strength as well as flexibility 

and speed, among others, can 

be obtained. Based on the tests 

results, a solid conclusion can 

be made about what kind of 

training is still needed so that 

the athlete can achieve the 

maximum performance at the 

competition. This of course, is 

also to minimise the risks of 

injury. 

Treatments for Sport 

Injuries 

Before one goes to see a 

doctor to be treated further 

from any sport injury, dr. Sapto 

adji suggests that it’s helpful 

to know how to do the initial 

treatment first. an appropriate 

initial treatment prevents the 

injury from becoming more 

severe. “We observe that initial 

treatment for sport injury is 

still incorrectly performed. a 

traditional massage followed 

with a warm compress on the 

injured area is still commonly 

perceived as the right initial 

treatment. That’s wrong”, dr. 

adji explained. 

rS Premier Bintaro’s Sport 

clinic is consistently educating 

the public on the correct initial 

treatment for sport injury, 

namely the rice method (rest, 

ice, compression, elevation). 

For example for a knee injury, 

the first step of treatment is 

the rest, where the injured 

knee is rested and not used 

for walking before the swelling 

goes down. Second is the 

ice, where the injured area 

is compressed with ice or 

cold water to reduce pain as 

well as the swelling. Next is 

the compression, where the 

injured area is wrapped with 

a compression bandage to 

reduce swelling. Last is the 

elevation, where the injured 

person lies with the leg 

elevated to reduce swelling. 

after the initial treatment, 

doctors will analyse further 

before they perform any 

advanced treatment, only if 

necessary. For a difficult case, 

the patient’s situation will be 

studied at once by dr. Hario, 

and dr adji who all have 

different specialties. 

Hence, the conclusion on 

the situation as well as the 

solution can be obtained 

more quickly, and more 

effective treatment can be 

performed. “Muscle strain 

can be restored with drugs 

or physiotherapy. But if 

it’s ripped, the type of 

treatment will depend on 

the situation, whether or not it 

can be sewn back, or whether 

it needs to be replaced, which 

can only 

be done through surgery,” said 

dr. adji. 

if surgery is required, 

such as for muscle injury, 

Sport clinic can perform the 

most sophisticated surgery 

procedure today called 

‘arthroscopy’, a minimally 

invasive surgical procedure 

in which an examination 

and sometimes treatment 

of damage of the interior of 

a joint is performed using 

an arthroscope, a type of 

endoscope that is inserted 

into the joint through a small 

incision. This reduces recovery 

time and may increase the 

rate of surgical success due to 

less trauma to the connective 

tissue. 

Sport clinic rS Premier 

Bintaro is also supported with 

state of the art rehabilitation 

facilities, including the DBc 

(Documentation Based care). 

“it’s a physiotherapy system, 

where patients are given 

an exercise therapy using 

sophisticated equipments, 

with their progress monitored 

seamlessly”, dr. Hario 

explained. rehabilition plays a 

crucial role in the process of 

healing and recovering from 

injury where stretching and 

strengthening activities are 

only a few types of physical 

therapy exercises. Balance, 

joint control, and muscle retraining 

are other types of 

important physical therapy 

exercises. a success in surgery 

does not guarantee the patient 

will fully recover if not followed 

by appropriate rehabilition 

programme. 

With an integrated injury 

treatment at the Sport 

clinic, from the moment 

that the injury occurs until 

full recovery, a patient goes 

through appropriate and save 

procedures which lead to a 

more satisfactory outcome. 

For consultation about 

your choice of sport 

and exercise, physical 

examination, injury 

prevention or high 

quality injury treatment, 

visit the Sport Clinic at 

RS Premier Bintaro. The 

RS Premier Bintaro has 

achieved international 

accreditation from 

JCI (Joint Commision 

Internasional), a part 

of the Joint Commision 

on Accreditation of 

Health Care Organization 

(JCAHO-USA), which 

has entitled it to be 

recognized for its 

international standard 

quality health care. 

Jl. M.H. Thamrin No. 1 

Sektor 7 Bintaro Jaya 

Tangerang 15224 

T: +62-21 7455 500/600/700 

ext. 1000 

www.rs-premierbintaro.com 


These are the pages where ideas, opinions and questions about anything we 

FIND in Jakarta are shared. this is the section where you can enter the realm 

of our sharp-minded columnists who love to present their ideas to challenge, 

intrigue and sometimes even clarify what’s really happening! 

“Enamel advertising seemed to have reached its peak 

between World War I and World War II. As it became 

clearer that the second World War was approaching, 

metal production facilities were mobilized to serve the 

needs of the military, and therefore other means of 

advertising was pursued. Not long thereafter, offset 

printing became the main medium for advertising.” 

78 enAMel 

ADverTiSinG 

80 TiMe 

CrUSADer 

82 MAy MUSiC 


PHOTO: AMIR SIDHARTA

TEA TIME 

By: KELLY BENNETT 

An invitation from a friend to have “a cup of 

tea,” prompts a journey back through tea 

times past—specifically those shared with 

one brown, stubby and long snouted pot 

with a chipped lid. 

“Shall we have a cup of tea?” 

To three-year-old me, the 

question was so much more 

than an offer to share a cup 

of brown, flavored water 

and cookies. Couched in 

my grandmother’s crushed 

velvet tones, it was a magical 

ticket, a charmed elixir 

inviting me into her world. 

Nodding eagerly, I’d wiggle 

onto one of the smooth 

wooden benches lining the 

breakfast nook to watch the 

ritual unfold. First came 

the service, chosen from 

the assortment of cup and 

saucer sets holding a place 

of honor in the front row 

of the china closet. Nanny 

called them friendship cups, 

recalling a ladies’ club she 

had belonged to once. On 

special occasions, birthdays, 

Christmas, Valentine’s and 

May Day, members would 

exchange these flowery cup 

and saucer sets. My favorite 

was a gaudy combination 

of hot pink, lavender and 

gold leaf. To my puzzlement, 

Nanny favored a plain, white 

set with a fluted edge and a 

single violet blossom. She 

called it delicate. Next, a 

plate of cookies, napkins, 

spoons, the sugar bowl and 

creamer found their way to 

the table. Finally, when the 

kettle called, Nanny lifted 

her teapot down from its 

perch at the back of the 

stove. 

As teapots go, Nanny’s 

was not much to 

look at; it wasn’t 

delicate, or 

colorfully 

painted; nor was it shaped 

like a clock, a church, or 

Mama Rabbit. Nanny’s pot 

was brown, stubby and 

long snouted. Next to the 

fancy teacups it looked 

quite odd. I thought it the 

most exotic teapot in the 

whole world. It had traveled 

across the sea in a sailing 

ship, surviving storm-tossed 

oceans, the wrath of a greedy 

captain, mutiny, and a 

rough wagon ride across the 

prairie from San Francisco. 

Nanny’s mother, my greatgrandmother 

Ellena, brought 

the teapot with her from 

Portugal to California 

wrapped in a petticoat and 

tucked into a wooden trunk. 

The trunk is long gone. 

Nanny and the teapot 

were such old friends 

that she knew to the 

second, how long 

to steep the tea. 

When the time 

was right, Nanny 

lifted the pot and 

a graceful arch 

of amber liquid 

flowed. 

KELLY BENNETT 

Once tea was served, the 

exacting task of “fixing” each 

cup began. To me “fixing” the 

tea meant adding three sugars 

and a generous portion of 

milk to my cup, then stirring 

until the tea was lukewarm 

and syrupy. Nanny took hers 

with just a drop of milk. I 

practiced hard, but never 

mastered the art of adding 

“just a drop” or stirring 

without clinking. 

Sometimes the men 

folk joined us for a cup of 

tea, usually during a lively 

game of cards: nickel a 

hand, winner takes the 

pot. Or when the elements 

combined to create just the 

right combination of fog and 

cold, my grandfather would 

ask Nanny to brew a pot. 

“Nothing like a nice cup of 

tea to chase away the chill,” 

he’d say, digging his knarled 

carpet-layer’s fingers into the 

cookie jar. 

My mother didn’t share 

our devotion to teatime. She 

was more the Coca Colawith-lots-of-ice-and-lemon 

type, all jazz and fizz. “I’ll 

leave the tea to you la-laladies,” 

she’d say fluttering 

her eyelashes and flouncing 

away. Though I feigned 

disappointment, I was 

delighted to have Nanny to 

myself. 

In spring, birds hidden 

among the grape-like clusters 

of wisteria blossoms framing 

the breakfast nook windows, 

entertained us. Come 

summer, we welcomed the 

breeze that wafted in through 

those windows. Then, our tea 

was accompanied by thick 

slices of bread smeared with 

blackberry preserves—which 

tasted all the sweeter because 

we picked the berries, 

crushed, sugared and cooked 

them ourselves. 

When the leaves started 

falling, Nanny and I baked 

peanut butter cookies, 

pressed flat with the 

tines of a fork, 

to have with 

our tea. 

Sometimes my doll came to 

tea. Then, Nanny took a 

miniature, blue-edged 

tea set from the 

china closet and 

laid an extra 

place. 

Over the 

years, fate 

and fortune 

took me far 

from my 

grandmother’s 

kitchen. Each 

time I returned, 

a pot of tea was 

all it took for the 

miles and years 

separating us to melt 

like sugar crystals on a 

spoon. The type of tea was 

never as important as the 

ritual itself. We switched 

between loose leaf and 

bagged teas, exotic imports 

and homemade blends. After 

hearing how Nanny and her 

sisters had dried dandelion, 

clover and mint for tea 

during The Great Depression, 

I was inspired to create my 

own tea blend. I scoured 

the neighborhood for likely 

leaves to dry. Rose petals and 

hips, chamomile, geranium, 

all varieties of mint, lavender, 

sage, rosemary and even basil 

leaves found their way into 

our pot. 

Of all the teas we tried, 

one stands out in particular: 

Lapsong Souchong. In a 

high school literature class 

I discovered a Lapsong 

Souchong drinking writer 

named W. Somerset 

Maugham. I’d managed to 

find a box of Maugham’s 

preferred leaves and couldn’t 

wait for Nanny to taste it. 

With an enthusiasm that 

seemed to echo mine, Nanny 

steeped a pot of the dark, 

pungent brew. We sipped 

and nodded, agreeing that 

the new tea was different— 

interesting… We then went 

on to discuss Rain, my 

favorite of Maugham’s novels. 

Nanny had just delighted me 

with the news that back in 

the 30’s, Rain had been made 

into a movie starring Joan 

Crawford, when my brother 

burst into the kitchen. 

“What’s that disgusting 

smell?” He hollered, plugging 

his nose, “Who cut one?” 

We looked at each other 

and started laughing. My 

brother was right. Still 

laughing, we ceremonially 

dumped the rest of the tea 

into the compost heap. Suffice 

to say, W. Somerset Maugham 

lost most of his fascination 

that day. 

No topic was taboo 

during teatime. Nanny caught 

me up on friends, family, 

the neighbors and the soap 

operas. I in turn, spilled my 

guts about school, friends, 

boys—or rather, the lack of 

boys that liked me. 

We planned my wedding 

over a pot of tea. Choose 

baby names, shared 

mothering stories. My 

son, Max, tried his 

first sip of tea from 

Nanny’s cup (which he 

promptly spit back). 

His sister, Alexis, felt 

the magic of teatime 

from the first. The 

miniature blue-edged tea 

set came out of retirement 

for her second birthday. 

When an unexpected heart 

attack took my grandfather, 

I returned home to find the 

kettle empty. Days later, after 

the shock and the funeral and 

the visitors, Nanny poured 

herself a cup of tea. She drank 

it strong and black, from my 

grandfather, Poppy’s plain 

brown mug, and allowed 

herself to begin grieving for 

the strong, dear man with 

whom she’d made a life. 

The teapot was filled 

and emptied often during 

those last precious years 

we shared with Nanny. The 

“No topic was taboo during teatime. Nanny caught 

me up on friends, family, the neighbors and the 

soap operas. I in turn, spilled my guts about school, 

friends, boys—or rather, the lack of boys that liked 

me.” 

sudden reality of mortality 

allowed us to cast aside 

mundane concerns: ironed 

shirts, dust-free knickknacks, 

weeds, new magazines and 

tidy cupboards in favor 

of lazy afternoons spent 

stirring elixir and memories. 

If I hadn’t learned it before, 

Nanny taught me then: the 

magic of teatime is not in the 

teapot or well-chosen leaves, 

nor even in proper steeping. 

The magic is in time shared. 

Nanny’s stubby, long 

snouted teapot now stands on 

a shelf in my Jakarta kitchen. 

And yes, it still brews a fine 

cup of tea. 

Tea Time in 

Jakarta 

Tea Time is a delightful 

way to relax and refresh, 

catch up with friends, 

cast off the cares of the 

day. Several Jakarta 

hotels serve “High Tea” 

worth dieting for. Here 

are a few of my favorites: 

Hotel Indonesia 

Kempinski: Served in 

the comfy ground-floor 

lounge, it’s your choice 

for “High Tea”—sweet or 

savory. Sweet High Tea 

includes a selection of 

bite-sized desserts, and 

scones with cream and 

jam, of course; Savory 

High Tea features a variety 

of finger sandwiches and 

savory bites. 

Shangri-La Hotel: High 

Tea served buffet style. 

For those who enjoy 

many choices. Guests are 

treated to a smorgasbord 

of treats— sweet and 

savory—scrumptious and 

plentiful enough to serve 

as dinner. 

Hotel Darmawangsa: 

choose between proper 

english “high tea” or 

indonesian-style tea, both 

served with panache. 

Or, if you’re feeling 

naughty (or festive), skip 

the tea and go for one 

of the Darm’s infamous 

chocolate Martinis. 

Home sweet home: 

as my grandmother 

taught me, Tea Time 

doesn’t have to be a 

fancy affair. all one really 

needs is tea—the world’s 

finest is grown right here 

on Java—a teapot, cups 

(sans the pot if you prefer 

the Tea-bag method), 

hot water and, most 

importantly, a friend to 

share it with. 

Shall we have a cup of 

tea? 


ART 

MINKE AND THE AGE 

OF ENAMEL ADVERTISING 

By: AMIR SIDHARTA 

A 

charming exhibition of enamel advertisements, which emerged in Europe 

towards the end of the 19 th century, and also made its way to Indonesia, 

is currently being held at Erasmus Huis. The pieces in the show focus on 

enamel advertisements that were related to Indonesia, or the ‘Netherlands 

Indies’ as it was known at the time. 

For curator Enin Supriyanto 

the advertisements were 

reminiscent of the nuances 

that became the setting 

of Pramoedya Ananta 

Toer’s tetralogy: This Earth 

of Mankind, Child of All 

Nations, Footsteps and House 

of Glass, which were written 

during his internment as 

a political prisoner on the 

island of Buru between 1969 

and 1979. 

He quotes this passage 

from Footsteps: 

“Puh-Puh-Puh, look at how 

vast this Gambir station is, 

just like an entire village 

all under one roof. What 

do trains transport here? 

Of course no different that 

what they transport to 

Surabaya: the prosperity and 

happiness of the villages, are 

all exported. And imported 

as well: the goods to forget 

that prosperity and happiness 

have been pawned. You 

should always remember the 

character of large modern 

cities: they standing on the 

spills of traffic of prosperity 

and happiness.” 

This was what Minke 

--the main character of 

Ananta Toer’s tetralogy-- 

critically observed when 

he first arrived in Batavia 

around the turn of the 

20th century and became 

immediately amazed at its 

hustle and bustle. The city 

was merely an ephemeral 

platform for illusions of 

transient prosperity and 

happiness. 

Enin sees that the 

enamel advertisements 

became a part of all that 

was happening in the big 

cities then. Ananta Toer 

never specifically mentioned 

enamel advertisements in his 

novels. On the other hand 

an enamel advertisement 

PHOTOS: AMIR SIDHARTA 

for Fahrrad Import A-G, 

showing a young Javanese 

gentleman dressed in smart 

European attire: black suit 

and tie over a white top and 

pantalons, riding a bicycle, 

immediately brings to mind 

the figure of Minke of the 

Buru tetralogy. Indeed, 

in The Earth of Mankind, 

Ananta Toer tells about when 

Minke started his studies at 

the STOVIA medical school 

for the indigenous in the 

Kwitang area of Menteng, 

and bought a bicycle at a 

shop in the area known today 

as Jl. Ir. H. Juanda. Minke’s 

friends also followed his 

example and bought bicycles 

for themsleves as well. “We 

can imagine that enamel -- 

advertising with elegance and 

clarity of form and the words 

contained in it -- has come 

to take part in delivering 

and disemminating the 

knowledge and availability of 

the products, attract the eye 

of potential buyers, smuggle 

messages and images in 

their minds and their heads,” 

Enin notes in the exhibition 

catalog. 

There are many 

interesting social and 

cultural matters about our 

history that can be traced 

through these enamel 

advertisements. Enin shows 

how the advertisements 

provided evidence of a 

society becoming modern 

by becoming enthusiastic 

consumers of the 

development of technology 

and industrialization that 

affects the way we live. 

Other than that, the visual 

nature of enamel advertising 

made it appropriate for 

image-making. The enamel 

advertisements were 

designed to lure people 

into buying products that 

would make them become 

associated with a certain 

social image. He also points 

out that many of the enamel 

advertisements evidenced 

that thinking local was 

indeed an important aspect 

in the efforts of marketing 

global products. 

Enamel advertising 

seemed to have reached 

its peak between World 

War I and World War II. 

As it became clearer that 

the second World War 

was approaching, metal 

production facilities were 

mobilized to serve the needs 

of the military, and therefore 

other means of advertising 

was pursued. Not long 

thereafter, offset printing 

became the main medium 

for advertising. While 

the practise of publishing 

enamel advertisements 

were discontinued, the 

advertisements themselves 

were still admired as 

collectible works of art and 

is becoming more and 

more popular throughout 

the years. 

We should all be glad 

that there are still these 

artistic artifacts that provide 

physical evidence of the 

history of our way of life. 

I would be curious to see 

how our current lives, 

which exist partially in the 

virtual realms of twitter, 

Facebook, and YouTube, 

will be exhibited in future. 

For sure it will not only be 

linked to a tetralogy by just 

one writer. Rather, it would 

more likely be linked to a 

good number of blogs by 

various bloggers from more 

if not all walks of society. 

The Enamel exhibition at 

the Erasmus Huis continues 

until June 2011 


MOVIES 

TiMe crusader 

By: riZaL iWan 

KidsFest – a film festival at the end of last month, where kids got to clap 

and cheer with children-themed films from around the world – is just 

ebbing out, but the young ones who missed it don’t have to feel bad, and 

those who didn’t can still continue to keep that whimsical spirit alive, as 

Erasmus Huis is bringing us another entertaining kid flick this month. 

Crusade in Jeans, or Kruistocht in 

Spijkerbroek, is a screen adaptation of a 

popular Dutch novel by Thea Beckman, 

written in 1973 and has endured to be 

one of the most beloved Dutch books for 

the young at heart. 

The film centers on a sixteen-yearold 

boy named Rudolf, or Dolf, who, at 

the beginning of the film, screws up a 

very important football match. Driven 

by guilt, he sneaks into his mother’s 

laboratory, where an experimental time 

machine is being developed, and uses 

the device to go back in time and have 

the football match replayed. 

In a hasty action in fear of getting 

caught by the security guard, Dolf types 

in the wrong number and gets sent back 

to the year 1212. An incident, in which 

he gets attacked by some juvenile thieves, 

leads him to an encounter with Jenne, a 

pretty and feisty girl. Jenne, it turns out, 

is taking part in a crusade – a children’s 

crusade, no less – in which eight 

thousand children, called the Army of 

the Innocents, are marching to Jerusalem 

to free the city from the Persians. 

Dolf ’s encounter with Jenne leads 

him to tag along in this crusade. He 

joins the journey, marches with them, 

and be a part of their community. He 

befriends the crusade’s leaders, a teenage 

boy, Nicolas, and his father, Anselmus. 

After a while, Dolf ’s modern-day skills, 

knowledge, and gadgets – his watch, 

iPod, and mobile phone – impresses the 

troops because those things help them 

and even save lives in many occasions. 

He gains their respect and before long 

he becomes the informal leader of the 

crusade, although his modern way of 

thinking and disbelief in ancient magic – 

the leaders expect the sea to part to give 

way to them – almost gets him executed 

for blasphemy. 

So Dolf leads the children on 

adventures through mountains and 

terrains, fighting troops and knights 

along the way. However, soon, he realizes 

something fishy going on. Anselmus 

seems to have an agenda of his own, and 

uses the crusade to manipulate his way 

for some darker purposes. 

Fans of the book might find some 

principal differences in the screen 

adaptation. There is no football match 

in the book, and it is woven into the 

story only for the film; which is a good 

thing because it adds a dramatic drive 

and bookends the story pretty nicely. 

Surprisingly, Jenne, which appears to 

be an essential and indispensable part 

of the narrative, is also not found in the 

book. Originally, Dolf is accompanied 

by two sidekicks, one boy and one girl, 

in his adventures. The presence of Jenne, 

however, lends a romantic twist in the 

story and adds a little extra tension and 

complication toward the climax. 

Although a Holland production, the 

film is entirely in English, with British 

actress Emily Watson in the role of 

Dolf ’s mother. Made on a relatively low 

budget, the film manages to have some 

pretty slick production values – good 

cinematography, realistic set and special 

effects – and comes out as a nifty epic. 

It even won some awards along the 

way, including the Children’s Jury Award 

in Chicago International Children’s 

Film Festival, a Best Film award in 

Nederlands Film Festival, and a Young 

People’s Jury Award for Best Feature 

Film in Toronto Sprockets International 

Film Festival for Children. 

Part epic, part sci-fi, and altogether 

an amusing adventure, Crusade in Jeans 

will whet children’s appetite for thrills, 

heroism, and entertainment. 

Crusade in Jeans is scheduled to screen 

on May 28 in Erasmus Huis, Jl. H.R. 

Rasuna Said Kav. S-3, Kuningan. Call 

524 1069 or check out www.erasmushuis. 

org for further details. 

The educaTion 

By: craig Money 

Rod Stewart. Bee Gees. Linda Rondstadt. 

Music. This was my mother’s education into 

the English language back in the early 70’s in 

Indonesia. She, like many of her friends at 

the time, let music shape her escape and appreciation 

of language as a manner that spoke the most basic and 

purest of human emotions. If you had to choose 10 

albums that define you as an individual, what would 

they be? Better yet, take a moment this month to create 

a list accompanied with a note and send it to a friend, 

a loved one or as a keepsake for your children as they 

grow older. For music is an education unlike no other. 

Foo Fighters – Wasting Light 

RCA – Hard Rock 

While the Foo Fighters have always strived for 

consistency, they’ve also reserved the right 

to change their minds. And where rock has 

fallen by the wayside amidst the sea of R&B 

and digerati, Dave Grohl and Co. have taken it 

upon themselves to send a spectacular missive 

to the world reminding us all that the genre 

should never be dismissed. From the opening 

title ‘Burning Bridges,’ to the spectacular single 

‘Rope,’ the Foo Fighters have returned to bare 

their heaviest record in their 15-year existence. 

Their 7th album accompanies a film release of 

the making of Wasting Light that doubles as a 

retrospective history of the Foos’ improbable 

rise to their stadium heavy rock post Nirvana. 

MUSIC 

Alison Krauss & 

Union Station – 

Paper Airplane 

Rounder – Contemporary 

Bluegrass 

Alison Krauss helped bring 

bluegrass to new audiences 

by blending folk into the mix 

during the 1990’s. Her regimen 

for classical upbringing brought 

a precision to the fiddle that 

few could muster, but with 

thanks to the creative twang 

served by the mandolin, banjo, 

bass and guitar, she regimented 

a sound unto itself. From the 

highly acclaimed soundtrack 

to O Brother, Where Art Thou?, 

Krauss helped push the 

boundaries to country over 

the past decade with her band 

Union Station. This year she 

does it again with her fellow 

journeyman writers on a set of 

well-braced covers. 

Cold War Kids – 

Mine Is Yours 

Interscope – Alternative, 

Indie Rock 

The narrative of Cold War 

Kids reads like a band you 

would follow in your youth. A 

rusty debut with homage to 

their influences, a follow-up with 

yearning mightier than delivery, 

then finally a shockingly beautiful 

moment where the turf and toil, 

hours and touring, suddenly align 

to make the best original album 

of their career. Few albums unfold 

beautifully from start to finish and 

the Cold War Kids have arguably 

hit their collective sweet spot. With 

an earnestness of U2, a lilt of Bob 

Dylan, some Pixies, Radiohead and 

Jeff Buckley vocals, the band has a 

polish and maturity that will be the 

envy of indie music this year. 

Paul Simon – So 

Beautiful or So What 

Hear Music – Contemporary 

Pop/Rock, Singer/Songwriter 

“A man walks down the street and 

says, ‘Why am I soft in the middle 

now?, Why am I soft in the middle 

now, when the rest of my life is so 

hard.” 25 years on from Graceland, 

it seems Paul Simon has come out 

of any burgeoning midlife crisis 

with the ‘shot at redemption’ he 

was yearning for. From humble 

career beginnings in the 50’s in 

Queens, NY, to his pivotal role 

in music with Garfunkel, Simon 

has eclipsed a genre, generation 

and stature amongst the true 

traditional songwriters such as 

James Taylor, Cat Stevens, Carly 

Simon, Van Morrison, Billy Joel and 

Sirs Paul and Elton. On his latest 

release this is such a return, with 

a modern take on composing, but 

with a trademark methodology 

that is distinctly engaged in the 

present. This is 38 minutes of 

arresting storytelling from one of 

music’s true living legends. 


May Music 

By: John Paul 

Now, for those of us who are 

not new to the concert scene 

in Jakarta, Chamber Music 

Series is like a brand you can 

trust. Over the years it has 

brought us concerts by such 

fine musicians as the Doric 

String Quartet, the European 

Camerata and many more. 

This month, we will be treated 

to an all-Beethoven program 

performed by Tomislav Dimov 

(violin), Adelaide Simbolon 

(piano), and Leonard van Hien 

(cello). Wonderful! 

Beethoven is regarded 

by many as the greatest 

composer who ever lived, if 

not at least one of the greatest. 

This particular program is not 

just fascinating musically, as 

one can expect from anything 

composed by Beethoven, but 

also contains masterpieces that 

have interesting tales to go with 

them. Take for example the 

Archduke trio. It was premiered 

with Beethoven himself playing 

the piano part in 1814, the year 

he became completely deaf. In 

fact, some researchers say it 

was his last public performance 

in the role of pianist. Due to his 

hearing condition it certainly 

was not his best performance, 

though perhaps one of his 

bravest. 

Also in the program is the 

extremely demanding Kreutzer 

Sonata for violin. It was 

originally dedicated to George 

Bridgetower, a young and 

extremely talented violinist of 

British and Indian decent, who 

premiered it with Beethoven 

at the piano. Bridgetower sight 

read the piece on its historical 

first performance as Beethoven 

had only handed him the 

score the day before. I´m not 

sure which is the greater feat, 

memorizing a virtuosic fortyish 

minute long sonata or sight 

reading its premiere in front of 

CULTURE 

Andrea Bocelli is performing at the Ritz 

Carlton Ballroom on 15 May. If you are 

interested but don´t already have tickets, 

pray. Then get on your computer and go to 

this website ticket.plasa.com to purchase 

your tickets. You can call them at +62-21 723 2566. 

Godspeed! 

a royal audience while sharing 

the stage with Beethoven 

himself. Some accounts of the 

premiere say that apparently 

Bridgetower even dared to 

improvise by imitating on his 

violin a repeated passage 

which was supposed to be for 

piano only. The unexpecting 

composer looked up, went 

across the stage to embrace 

the violinist, returned to the 

piano and continued playing. It 

was a great success. However, 

the two later had a fallout 

which caused Beethoven 

to rededicate the sonata to 

Rudolphe Kreutzer, a more 

established violinist regarded 

as the greatest of his time. A 

pity, since he never did play 

the sonata, one reason being 

due to its difficulty. Fine music 

by musicians at a fine intimate 

venue, all for Rp. 50.000? That´s 

a fine deal. 

Date/Time: 

12 May 7.30pm 

Venue: 

Erasmus Huis 

Contact : 

Jakarta Conservatory of 

Music, +62-21 769 0470 

Beethoven´s works will also 

constitute part of the program 

for a highly recommended 

solo piano concert by talented 

Indonesian pianist, Mario 

Santoso. The program includes 

work by Brahms and Chopin as 

well. 

Mario completed his studies 

under full scholarship at Abilene 

Christian University in Texas 

and Indiana University. He 

completed his Master degree 

in 2006 with the highest honors 

and was immediately offered to 

continue to doctorate studies 

on full scholarship. However, 

he decided in favor of first 

more intensively contributing 

to the development of other 

young Indonesian pianists. Thus 

he served for some time as a 

lecturer in piano studies and 

head of the music department 

at Universitas Pelita Harapan 

Conservatory. He is currently 

undertaking doctorate studies 

in piano performance in the 

USA, where he has won many 

awards and competitions and 

performed extensively. 

Date/Time: 

27 May 7.30pm 

Venue: 

Erasmus Huis 

Contact: 

0816-721998 or 

0816-775380 


PHOTO: AGUNG NATANAEL 

A KID’S LIFE It is every parent’s concern to provide what is best for their children in 

their growing years in every aspect of life, whether it be education or 

entertainment. In this kids issue, we bring you integrated information 

on children’s activities, which your children can choose from and 

channel their interest and energy into. We discuss how to build their 

passion for achievement as well as an interview on raising kids in the 

computer age. We will also navigate you to where you can have fun with 

your little ones. 

Take a sneak peek at what’s inside! 

internAtionAl educAtion 

Parents should choose a school carefully, 

going beyond first impressions...and, most 

importantly, is it a school you feel that 

your children will enjoy and flourish in? 

–Christian Barkei, Principal of the British 

International School (BIS) –page 88 

soft sKills 

Those who can win people’s hearts rule the 

world. If that were not the case a political 

candidate would not need supporters to 

be elected president. Meanwhile, only 

those who have soft skills can win and 

influence people. Find out how you as a 

parent can enroll your children in a variety 

of interesting courses to develop their soft 

skills. –page 94 

Kids’ Achievements 

Never underestimate what children are 

capable of doing. There are lots of example 

of this, including the most celebrated 

participants of the Junior MasterChef 

Australia. Children aged eight to 12 prepare 

dishes that most adults could only dream 

of! What’s the secret? –page 98 

Kids’ entertAinment 

Where to go for some fun activities with 

your children? Indoors or outdoors? Let us 

navigate the way... –page 106 

Kids & technology 

What is there to fear about raising children 

in the computer age? Should we be 

concerned when we find that they are 

more interested in gadgets than in outdoor 

activities? –page 112 

JAKArtA’s Best schools 

Choosing the right school is an important 

decision. We know that. That’s why we 

feature the best schools in Jakarta to share 

why their students excel at school and what 

they have to offer you as parents who wish 

to give the best education for your children. 

–page 116

kids & 

education 

INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION: 

ONE wORLD wITh 

mANy OppORTUNITIEs 

In an economically 

and politically interconnected 

world, 

education still often 

appears to be one of 

the last bastions of 

national interest and 

identity. Every parent was 

educated and shaped by 

their own educational 

experiences (generally in 

a national system) and 

this in turn influences 

their own attitudes 

towards their children’s 

education. 

The concept of international 

education is a relatively new 

one and worth a brief discourse. 

Historically schools have 

followed the national education 

system of the country they 

were located in, with a few 

notable exceptions being the 

great public schools in England 

such as Eton or Harrow or 

more northerly ones such 

as Gordonstoun, who have 

essentially always followed 

their own path. 

As more and more 

professionals made their 

careers and homes overseas, 

so has the number of schools 

increased who offer a solid 

academic base and a link 

to the home country – and 

with the demise of Empire 

this phenomenon has spread 

beyond the traditional 

Commonwealth countries to a 

wide variety of areas. 

The ‘international’ nature 

of schools is of course more 

than a description of the 

student body, the origin and 

experiences of the teaching 

staff or the often exotic 

location. More and more 

schools aim to educate their 

pupils to be at home in an 

international environment, 

comfortable with a variety 

of languages and cultures, 

flexible and encompassing a 

sense of international or global 

mindedness. This should also 

be linked to a strong ethos of 

responsibility and duty towards 

those less fortunate. 

Parents who enrol their 

children in an ‘international’ 

school face a bewildering 

plethora of choices. Do we want 

our child to speak the language 

of the host country – or rather 

be educated primarily in the 

language of his or her parents? 

What if (as is often the case) the 

parents themselves come from 

different national backgrounds 

(or they themselves speak two 

or three languages fluently and 

are globally-based)? 

And what educational 

system do we choose for our 

children – if you believe the 

current hype surrounding 

the media myth of the ‘Tiger 

Mothers’- do we select the 

decadent, ‘soft’, Western 

school or the disciplined, ‘rotelearning’ 

Asian school approach 

or model? 

Much is made today of 

“international” education, but 

the fact is that most schools 

world-wide still essentially 

follow a variant of their original 

national systems of education. 

An American school in Asia will 

offer a curriculum (and tests) 

based on the US curriculum, 

whilst a British School in the 

same location will draw from 

the English National Curriculum 

and utilise tests originating from 

that country. A Singaporean 

school outside Singapore will 

try to stick to the Singaporean 

National Curriculum as far as 

practicable, and a German 

School will attempt to offer an 

education based on the German 

federal educational system. 

It can be tricky to navigate 

your way around the different 

systems, but generally speaking 

there are two main streams 

emerging in schools worldwide; 

a system based on the 

National Curriculum for England 

(commonly called a ‘Britishtype’ 

school) and one based 

on the system used in the USA 

(correspondingly called a ‘UStype’ 

school). 

What is common to all 

educational systems is that they 

generally involve teaching the 

core subjects (such as English, 

Mathematics and the Sciences), 

alongside other Languages, the 

Humanities, Arts, and Sports. 

Most systems have some 

external examinations at some 

point during the secondary 

school; most common are 

IGCSE examinations at the end 

of Year 11 (which equates to 

Grade 10 in the US System). 

All schools have external 

leaving examinations; the 

international version of the 

(originally English) A-Levels, 

the (US) Advanced Placements, 

or the IB (International 

Baccalaureate – developed 

by a group of International 

Schools in Switzerland). All 

reputable international schools 

will have these rigorous 

BY: FRANSISCA RESTIAWARDANI. PHOTO: AGUNG NATANAEL. 

externally-validated leaving 

examinations. 

On completion these 

examinations allow access to 

excellent universities worldwide; 

and generally school 

graduates can access a wider 

variety of universities than 

certainly their parents could 

choose from. Oxbridge or 

the Ivy League Universities 

certainly welcome and 

encourage applicants from 

abroad with the additional 

depth and different 

experiences these students 

bring to the universities over 

their domestic competitors. 

Do not assume 

however that the 

transition back to the 

mother country is 

going to be completely 

smooth if your children 

have experienced 

international education. 

In fact, once embarked 

on the international 

adventure it can be a 

good idea to stay on 

the international school circuit 

because as fee-paying schools, 

these institutions are very 

customer (i.e. parent) conscious, 

generally well-resourced and 

fairly selective (at least in basic 

socio-economic terms). This 

means better than average 

examination results, a low pupil 

to staff ratio, good resources 

and equipment and at least a 

fair amount of support when 

the graduating class make their 

choices and selections about 

which universities to apply to. 

It makes it a difficult decision if 

you need to leave. 

Parents should choose 

a school carefully, going 

beyond first impressions. Are 

the Admissions staff friendly 

and welcoming and how are 

your questions and queries 

dealt with; what do your 

children make of it all and 

how do existing students feel 

about their school? Are the 

examination results respectable 

and does the School send its 

graduates to a wide range 

of universities? And, most 

importantly, is it a school you 

feel that your children will enjoy 

and flourish in? 

A welcome aside is that 

children generally settle quite 

well into international schools; 

after all most of their new 

friends are just like them – fairly 

well-travelled, tolerant, flexible 

and friendly. It is an adventure 

in itself moving to a new 

country, and your children’s 

new school provides you with 

a ready-made support group of 

other parents you can link up 

with quickly. 

Dr. Christian Barkei 

Principal 

The British International School, 

Jakarta 



kids & 

education 

ThE IB CAs “sOLIDARITy sChOOL” sEkOLAh BIsA! – 

mAkINg ‘CAN’T, CAN!’ fOR 

INDONEsIAN ChILDREN 

What began as a 

radical idea in 

the minds of 

IB students at 

The British International 

School, hailing from 

9 countries (England, 

Indonesia, New Zealand, 

Holland, Australia, The 

Cameroon, Poland, The 

Philippines and Malaysia), 

and extended to include 

students from 5 IB 

schools, in Jakarta, and 

then evolved through 

a complex designbuild 

process, April 25 

assumed a final form: a 

unique, ‘wall-less’ school 

for Indonesian children 

whom, if it were not for 

Sekolah Bisa! would be 

without an education. 

The children enrolled 

at the school live in the 

Bulakan shanty, close 

to Pondok Ranji station, 

abutting the toll road to 

Pondok Indah. The site 

was already a focus of 

a project run by ‘Duke 

of Edinburgh Award’ 

students at BIS, who 

formed the Bulakan 

United team in this 

season’s Jakarta School’s 

Football League. Sekolah Bisa! 

emerged from the soccer 

initiative once students 

were aware that many in the 

Bulakan team had never been 

to school. So, what began 

with soccer, ended with a 

school. 

The project demonstrates 

extraordinary fortitude in 

young people, who proved 

undaunted in the face of a 

challenging and risky task: 

that of affirming the dignity of 

children who live in a shadowland 

of indigence and exclusion. 

It also reveals a capacity in 

young people to respond to 

fissures in society by proposing 

an equality of provision for 

all children, rather than few. 

Originating in the ‘Creativity, 

Action, Service’ (CAS) of the 

IB Diploma, Sekolah Bisa! is 

aligned to UNICEF and UN 

“Education For All” objectives 

as well as linked to Pendekar 

Anak’s “Champions of Children” 

mission. In other words, what 

the students proposed in 

Sekolah Bisa! dovetails with 

how social justice institutions 

articulate how the lives of 

Indonesia’s children may be 

made better. 

A group of students could 

not have made a more gamechanging 

proposition to the 

society in which they live than 

to propose a school. That they 

found practical means to effect 

their idea testifies to how CAS 

fosters a ‘daring-do’ mentality 

in those who are often accused 

of living solipsistically wired to 

ipods. In the case of Sekolah 

Bisa! students from 5 ‘solidarity 

schools’ – BIS, Bandung 

International School; BINUS; 

Sinar Mas and Global Jaya - 

wrung out of CAS its fullest 

potential for social change and 

so asserted a remarkable tenet: 

If I go to school, so should 

others! 

The earthquake-proof 

facility is ingeniously designed 

from steel and bamboo, 

with a winged roof, vividly 

referencing Javanese 

culture. It’s humanely 

conceptualized 

and intensely green: 

indeed, some of the 

‘walls’ are plants. It 

also heralds that if a 

will is there, all may 

assert a society more 

just, harmonious and 

inclusive. 

The students did not act 

alone: in fact the success of 

the project depends on the 

generosity of The Body Shop, 

which partners the students. 

Without The Body Shop’s 

provision of a beautiful piece 

of land and a commitment to 

pay the stipend of the teachercoordinator, 

the school would 

have remained an idea. Thanks 

in particular are due to Suzy 

Hutomo, CEO of The Body 

Shop, and her staff. Other 

partners also played integral 

roles in ensuring the school’s 

sustainability: Yayasan Rachel 

House, founded by Lynna 

Chandra, offered the teaching 

support of education expert 

Prof. Dedy Pradipto. Bapak 

Fendra, Principal of Amalina 

School, also supports the 

teaching. Parents and teachers 

at BIS sponsor each of the 26 

children as well as contributing 

to extra-curricula programs 

in art, music and swimming 

and funding the milk, fruit and 

lunches. And doctors in the 

community will run once-a 

month health checks. Sekolah 

Bisa! also supports the children 

in obtaining birth certificates 

and thereby affirms a child’s 

right to documentation 

attesting to his or her 

citizenship. 

The project can 

claim to be the first 

institution of its kind in 

the world: conceptualized 

in solidarity with the IB 

program and anchored 

to a community partner, 

The Body Shop. It’s 

also run according to 

the principles of the IB 

Learner Profile, the CRS 

of The Body Shop. The IB 

Mission Statement describes 

an intent to develop inquiring, 

knowledgeable, caring young 

people who create better, more 

peaceful communities through 

inter-cultural understanding 

and respect. Sekolah Bisa! 

exemplifies such an ethos in 

a practical, local, meaningful 

and sustainable manner. 

The school is open, and you 

are encouraged to contact 

the project coordinator, BIS 

student Gina Graham (gina. 

graham94@gmail.com) to learn 

more! Eventually, all children 

everywhere will go to school. 

Sekolah Bisa! proves that to 

be so. 

BY: ADRIAN THIRKELL - KINDRA COOPER. PHOTOS: IB STUDENTS 


kids & 

education 

RAIsE ChILDREN 

TO ThRIvE 

Academic knowledge 

alone may help 

someone achieve 

a dream job. But 

children who do well 

academically and also gain soft 

skills become individuals who 

thrive. 

What could be classified as a soft skill? The 

ability to listen well and to communicate 

effectively are soft skills. Soft skills also 

include the ability to remain positive, to 

handle conflict, accept responsibility, show 

respect, build trust, work well with others, 

manage time effectively, accept criticism, 

work under pressure, and last but not least, 

to demonstrate good manners. 

People are often late to realise that 

these skills are very important to learn. 

They start thinking about them when they 

are already in the workplace. They start to 

learn public speaking, take seminars on 

how to be good team players or even take 

an anger management class, with the goal 

of developing their soft skills; whereas they 

can actually start the quest to acquire soft 

skills early, i.e. from childhood. 

At this point, it becomes parents’ 

responsibility to make sure their children 

learn soft skills from early on. If we expect 

our children to be confident, creative, 

communicative and independent teenagers, 

we have to introduce them to activities 

where their soft skills can be developed, as 

early as possible. 

Summer Camp 

Summer camp offers an enjoyable learning 

environment for children where they can 

hone their interpersonal skills. Through 

many fun activities, children learn to 

socialize and navigate their interactions 

with others as well as to solve problems. 

They enjoy a stimulating community of 

peers, who often learn more effectively 

from each other than from adults. A 

self-centered child will learn to be group- 

centered here. 

Summer camp offers more benefits 

than a family vacation or the usual resort 

or island hopping. Perhaps these provide 

opportunities for children to enjoy outdoor 

activities, but it won’t provide them with a 

focused peer group and the co-operative 

learning chances of camp. 

Several schools and community centres 

in Jakarta offer summer camp programs for 

children. The American Club and the Jakarta 

International Community Centre hold 

such a program every year, as well as the 

Discovery Center Preschool which offers a 

summer camp for smaller children. 

These summer camps are where 

experiential and contextual learning is 

conducted. For example at Discovery 

Centre Preschool’s summer camp, specific 

learning opportunities that link to the 

school curriculum are provided. Through 

various activities including singing, children 

build their self-confidence in front of a large 

group. For bigger children, a camp also 

BY: FRANSISCA RESTIAWARDANI. PHOTOS: SCHOOL FOR BROADCAST MEDIA, KIDSUPFRONT. 

gives them a chance to learn to do things 

on their own, without their parents. They 

have to take responsibility for themselves, 

for their space, for their belongings, and 

their whole self-concept starts to improve. 

Public Speaking Club 

One of the best gifts you can give your 

children is an opportunity to develop a 

sense of self, self worth and self esteem. 

Assist them in this important part of their 

development by taking them to a public 

speaking club. 

A good public speaking club can help 

children to improve their communication 

skills. Articulation, posture as well as how 

to arrange speeches will be learned here. 

Not only will your children be able to face 

a large audience, they will become more 

proficient in expressing what they want 

to convey to others. They will not have 

difficulty at interviews or during class 

presentation. Thus they will gain confidence. 

Learning public speaking can also help 

children develop positive personality traits. 

First, they will be more flexible in dealing 

with others. Your children will also learn 

how to never undermine or belittle anyone 

-- as in order to communicate well with 

other people, one has to treat other people 

with respect and dignity. 

Once your children develop good public 

speaking skills, significant improvement can 

immediately be seen in their interpersonal 

skills. They will have healthier relationships 

with friends and members of family. This will 

carry on until they reach adulthood, when 

they start to enter the workforce. Your kids 

will know how to have effective interaction 

with their boss, clients or subordinates. This 

will increase their chances of attaining a 

very promising future. 

In Jakarta, we recommend KidzUpfront, 

a public speaking club where your child 

will be taught by Dinesh Vaswani, an 

accomplished public speaker, one of 

the most celebrated members of the 

Toastmasters International community. 

Other Activities that Suit 

Your Children’s Interests 

There are many other activities that children 

can do according to their interests. A nottoo-common 

option is a broadcasting class, 

where children receive basic knowledge of 

broadcasting. School for Broadcast Media 

provides a customised learning program 

for children. For a few days, children will 

learn in groups to deliver news on television 

as well as learn how to make a simple TV 

commercial. They will be taught to write 

a script, to direct, to get familiar with 

the camera as well as to understand the 

editing process. The knowledge they attain 

during the class will be forever useful, as 

children will also be taught to use their 

own camcorder to make their own movies 

after the class is over. It promises to be an 

exciting activity for children. 

Another alternative for developing 

motor skills is ballet, which can help to 

improve self discipline. Then there’s a 

golf school that can instill concentration, 

patience and self-reliance in children. 

Meanwhile martial arts can help children 

develop courage and strength as well as to 

learn to live with honor and integrity. 

Discovery Centre Preschool 

Jalan Haji Abdul Majid Dalam No. 28 

Cipete, Jakarta Selatan 

T: +62-21 765 7040 

The American Club 

Jl. Brawijaya IV No. 20 

Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta 

T: +62-21 726 4560 or 270 2439 

KidzUpfront 

Sunshine School 

Jl. Cempaka Putih Raya No. 21 

Central Jakarta 

T: +62-21 983 11069 / 0818 197784 

School for Broadcast Media 

Jl. Utan Kayu 68 A-B 

East Jakarta 

T: +62-21 8576847/8676850/8567550 

Ballet Sumber Cipta 

Jl. Ciputat Raya No. 1 

Pondok Pinang, South Jakarta 

T: +62-21 765 9467 / 769 0254 

The Commonwealth Bank Institute 

of Golf 

Jagorawi Golf & Country Club 

Cibinong, Bogor 

T: +62-21 875 2155 


kids & 

education 

BUILDINg pAssION 

fOR AChIEvEmENT 

A 

lack of motivation 

can turn even bright 

children from privileged 

backgrounds into 

underachievers. Research 

has shown that parents are a critical 

factor in contributing to a child’s 

achievement. Parents who can 

provide financial stability are not 

necessarily successful in raising 

their children to be high achievers. 

Children can end up being spoiled 

and lacking in character. 

To instill passion for achievement in 

children, start by nurturing your child’s 

interests. Provide opportunities for them 

to learn and explore their interests. For 

example, if your children love robots, get 

them to read books or see movies about 

robots. Encourage them to create their 

own robots using Lego. For a very special 

occasion when they achieve good grades 

at school, reward them by taking them for 

a summer holiday abroad to attend the 

annual Robot World Cup (RoboCup) event, 

where participants come from all over the 

world --- anything, to keep them intrigued. 

You can also motivate your children by 

showing them that there’s a connection 

between the work that they are being 

asked to do and their goals and interests. A 

child who wants to be a veterinarian should 

know that math and science are important 

in the job. 

Sometimes, children may lack 

motivation because they have not been 

exposed to what might be a life passion. 

Children who have an interest in music, 

but have never had the chance to explore 

it, will not be able to unlock that passion. 

That’s why parents should encourage 

their children to engage in various extra 

curricular activities. These can include 

participation in competitions suited to 

the children’s interests, as competitions 

increase their understanding of their own 

abilities and limitations. They will learn 

to set goals, handle loss as well as 

develop skills. 

Various competitions for children are 

held every year in Jakarta; by schools, 

companies and foundations as well as 

communities. Java St. Andrew Society, a 

non-profit organization catering to the 

needs of people of Scottish heritage 

living in Jakarta, holds the Jakarta Schools 

Photography Competition annually, which 

has attracted hundreds of entries from 

participants from various schools. Winning 

photos are exhibited in a public 

space such as a gallery and are 

even published in a magazine, 

in this case our magazine, Now! 


Yayasan Akar Wangi, an 

independent not-for-profit 

foundation which strives to 

preserve Javanese heritage, also 

holds an annual batik design 

competition for children. The 

competition held for the first time 

last month, earned exceptional 

feedback. The foundation 

received over 900 contemporary 

designs from participants from all over 

Indonesia with the youngest participant 

only seven years old. The nine winners 

who are children of 12 years and below, 

proved that children can have remarkable 

achievements if they are given the 

opportunity and encouraged. 

The options for sports competitions 

are even bigger. Your child can join the 

Coca-Cola Schools Football League, Asian 

Australian Football Championships, U-15 

National Championship for cricket to 

junior golf tournaments. The bottom line 

is, whatever your child’s interest is, make 

sure you support and encourage them to 

develop their potential. And don’t forget 

to praise them once in a while, because 

children are just like us. Sometimes 

recognition is the strongest motivation 

for achievement. 

BY: FRANSISCA RESTIAWARDANI. PHOTOS: AKARWANGI, NOW! JAKARTA. 

JIS ACADEMY 

Summer Program 2011 

th th 

For more information on our wide range 

of Summer Programs, please contact: 

Diana or Cicilya 

Phone: (021) 769 2555 ext. 20110 or 

Email: jisacademy@jisedu.or.id 


kids & 

education 

gLOBAL IssUEs NETwORk (gIN) CONfERENCE: 

AgE DOEs NOT mATTER 

TO mAkE A DIffERENCE 

Each generation faces 

different challenges of 

their era. During the war, 

the youth were sent far 

away from home and 

many never came back. In the 

‘60s, the remarkably violent years, 

when President Kennedy was 

assassinated, Reverent Martin 

Luther King Jr. was shot, when 

war erupted again in Southeast 

Asia and when British Government 

sent troops to Northern Ireland to 

restore law and order in what was 

said to be a “limited operation”, 

the youth started making their 

voices heard. 

Today the world has changed so much 

and now the young generation faces new 

challenges. Not only global warming, but 

also many other troubling issues such as 

the uneven distribution of natural resources, 

poverty and human trafficking among 

others which, if not faced, would threaten 

the survival of the now as well as the future 

generation. 

“We need a revolution. It’s time for 

young people to stand up because we 

matter...” –this is a piece of Alec Loorz’s 

speech. Being a 16-year old American 

teenager, Alec is celebrated as ‘the next Al 

Gore’. He was presented on stage at the 

4th Annual EARCOS Global Issues Network 

(GIN) Conference 2011 which took place 

at JIS central campus in Cilandak. His 

moving speech earned standing ovation 

from the young audience, who crowded JIS’ 

auditorium where Alec delivered his speech. 

A new movement has risen, it seems, a 

strong response to what have been the 

source of the current generation’s fears. 

And this movement is led by the youth. 

As Thomas Jefferson once said, “Every 

generation needs a new revolution”. 

The 4 th Annual EARCOS 

Global Issues Network (GIN) 

Conference 

The Global Issues Network was initiated 

by a group of students and teachers in 

Europe who were inspired by the 20 Global 

Problems, 20 Years to Solve Them, written 

by former World Bank Vice President- 

Europe Jean-François Rischard. The network 

aims to empower the youth to develop 

and to implement sustainable solutions for 

humanitarian and environmental issues, 

which has since spread to Asia, the Middle 

East and the U.S.. 

JIS, a member of the East Asia Regional 

Council of Schools (EARCOS), hosted the 

4th Annual EARCOS GIN Conference. The 

event was held from 8 to 10 April and 

attracted 400 students - representatives 

of the 42 attending schools which consist 

of international schools in Indonesia and 

from outside the country who came to learn 

about global issues and how to combat 

them, as well as to build networks with 

students of other schools. 

The three-day conference took a year 

of preparation by a student committee 

consisting of JIS’ high school students along 

with their faculty advisors. The three days 

were filled with various workshops, bazaar 

and cultural entertainments. The conference 

was also designed as an environmentally 

responsible event, in which several 

initiatives were implemented to achieve 

this, and include using a digital conference 

program to save trees. Nearly 100% of 

the activities were conducted inside the 

campus to reduce pollution generated 

by transportation to and from the school. 

Participants were also asked to bring their 

own water bottles and refill on site, while 

participating students who stayed at the 

Hotel Kristal located near JIS walked to and 

from the venue instead of using cars. 

Participating students from other 

schools did not just come to the GIN 

Conference to merely watch and learn. 

Many of them actively participated by 

conducting workshops about global issues 

for other students. “There were two 

types of workshop and one of them was 

student workshop”, said Jackie, JIS student 

who acted as one of the GIN Conference 

Ambassadors. “People choose the global 

issue they feel they are least familliar 

with and they can go to that workshop 

presented by other attending schools so, 

effectively, the youth learning from the 

youth...” 

Combating global problems may 

sound so grandiose to be done by kids, 

but that’s exactly what was about to be 

proved through the GIN Conference, that 

kids can actually do something about it. 

“The major component of the workshops 

is that students share ideas about 

community service...”, said Priscilla, one 

“GIN CONFERENCE IS TO EMPOWER YOUTh AGES 14 TO 18 

REGARDLESS OF ThEIR SEx, BACKGROUND, GENDER. WE WANT TO 

EMPOWER ThESE YOUTh TO CREATE A LARGE NETWORK OF PEOPLE 

WhO EvENTUALLY WILL BE ABLE TO COMBAT GLOBAL ISSUES ON A 

LOCAL LEvEL AND LEAD TO INTERNATIONAL GLOBAL ISSUES SOLvING” 

of the JIS student spokespeople at the GIN 

conference, “...so you’re not only learning 

about the global issues, but you’re learning 

more importantly about what you can do 

to address at the local scope and that’s 

one of the goals of GIN conference.” This 

statement was agreed by Jose, JIS student 

who acted as GIN Conference Ambassador. 

“GIN conference is to empower youth 

aged 14 to 18 regardless of their sex, 

background, or gender. We want to 

empower these youths to create a large 

network of people who eventually will be 

able to combat global issues on the local 

level leading to international global issues 

solving”, he said. 

Aside from student workshop, there 

were also the Core Workshops which 

enabled its participants to engage in more 

depth in interactive activities based on, or 

related to a global issue. A core workshop 

by Mr Scotty Graham, ‘Lens on Kampong 

Life: 20/20’, which was held three times 

–once at each day of the conference-- 


took participants to explore Rischard’s 20 

global issues through the lens of a camera. 

Participants walked through a kampong 

close to the JIS campus to take photos 

of what they think have something to do 

with the global issues. Upon return to JIS, 

participants downloaded their photos and 

selected their best set of photos for viewing 

during the conference. 

Also presented for the core workshops 

were young speakers who were invited for 

their well known commitment in making 

the world a better place. Among the 

speakers was Alec Loorz, who at his tender 

age of 16 has spoken to more than 100,000 

people worldwide and was awarded 

the 2008 Earth Charter Award for Youth 

Activist and the Environmental Defense 

Center’s 2009 Young Environmental Hero 

Award. Other speakers were Sheena 

Matheiken who through her Uniform 

Project (see www.theuniformproject.com) 

provided for 287 underprivileged children 

to receive education; Robert Burroughs, 

the international director of the KICK-AIDS 

campaign; 13-year old Zachary Bonner who 

founded the Little Red Wagon Foundation 

that aids 1.3 million homeless children in 

the United States; and Maricel Macesar, a 

social activist and entrepreneur. 

Prithika, Amanda, Jose, Priscilla and Jackie 

All workshops were designed to 

give participants an idea for sustainable 

solutions for global issues, at a level that 

they can act upon. “We try to make them 

more practical. More hands on to make 

things, doing things...”, said Trish Davies, 

JIS’ service learning coordinator whose task 

was to assist JIS’ students organized the 

conference. 

To add to the children’ perspectives 

on how to tackle global issues, Yayasan 

and NGOs were also called in to present 

discourses on various environmental and 

social issues. 

Even now when the GIN conference 

has concluded, the GIN spirit remains. 

“We don’t separate the GIN conference 

as the service that we do. It’s what we 

maintain throughout”, Jose said, “Because 

even before the GIN conference we have 

different service clubs --humanitarian & 

environmental. So after the GIN conference 

we continue with these clubs. It’s not as if 

we take a step out of our lives and do some 

service. We maintain it throughout.” 

GINDO is the Global Issues 

Network Indonesia 

JIS students will continue to make positive 

changes for the world. They have started 

at the local level by establishing the 

Global Issues Network Indonesia 

(GINDO) in 2009, not long after several 

of JIS students returned from the GIN 

Conference 2008 held in Beijing. “After 

(attending) the GIN conference in 

Beijing, the students who represented 

JIS came back”, Priscilla said, “They 

were inspired and wanted to recreate 

this conference at the local level, 

because there wasn’t really a medium 

for students who didn’t know about this 

global issue, so we created a conference 

called GINDO.” 

Prithika, JIS student and co-founder 

of the students’ group of GINDO now 

serves as its President. She said, “The 

main focus of GINDO is to take lessons 

about global issue and to combat them 

through simple ways and take that 

to the local community.” At GINDO’s 

first conference in 2009, 220 students 

of national plus schools attended. 

GINDO conference will continue to 

be held every year by involving local 

schools, so that they are aware of the 

environmental as well as social issues 

around them and know how to address 

them. 


kids & 

education 

A vIRUs ThAT INvADEs ThE mIND 

“I’m hoping during this conference that you’re going to catch a 

virus. That you will all be infected deeply –and for your entire 

life- with this virus; that there will be no antidote available – it 

will never be developed; that this virus will spread like wildfire 

throughout the world; that people will catch this and understand 

that our world is in peril...” 

The above paragraph is fragments of a 

speech that might scare people, if it was not 

from Tim Carr, JIS head of School, who 

delivered it at the opening ceremony of the 

4th Annual EARCOS Global Issues Network 

(GIN) Conference. Mr. Carr didn’t talk about 

a biological weapon that terrorists might 

use. He was talking about another virus. 

You mentioned about a virus that 

you wished people to catch at the 

GIN conference. What virus is it 

actually? 

First of all an awareness of the problems 

in the world. Some of the biggest global 

issues like poverty and the distribution 

of resources, the access to clean water, 

spread of desease, etc. So an awareness 

of those problems. And then it’s also an 

awareness that we can make a difference 

and that each student can make a 

difference about those problems even 

when they are in school. So the virus that 

we want is the GIN conciousness. It’s a 

combination of awareness, the problems, 

the capacity that each individual has, to do 

something about it and then taking action 

and trying to address that problem. 

Do you think the GIN Conference 

has spread a strong enough 

virus? 

I hope so. I think it would help, because it 

created a condition for the virus to spread. 

And I think it created a lot of enthusiasm. 

They were feeding the students for feeding 

off one another. The 

ideas that they were 

distributing infected 

them all the more now. 

So I think the condition 

for the virus to spread 

was passed on. 

Knowing that the 

world’s condition 

is getting worse, 

is this the point 

of the GIN 

Conference - that 

kids must not 

wait? 

I think that’s one of the 

big points, that they can 

take action now. They 

don’t need to wait and 

no matter what age they 

are, students can make 

a significant difference. If 

they are five years old, or 

even younger than that, 

it’s the conciousness, 

that they’re looking 

outside of themselves, 

they’re looking to the 

needs of other people 

around them, and 

changing their own 

behaviour so they can 

address these problems 

and live a more 

responsible lifestyle. 

During the GIN Conference, JIS 

became an environmentally 

responsible campus. Is this 

condition still maintained? 

This behaviour is going to need to evolve 

with time. I don’t think we are exemplary. 

I don’t think we are as strong in our green 

effort as we could be. But we just had an 

Earth Day celebration just last week after 

the GIN conference. And the Earth Day 

was influenced by the conference. So we 

did really interesting things on campus in 

each one of the divisiond in the elementary 

school, in the middle school, high school… 

Lots of hands on, (students) get their hands 

dirty trying to make things better. They learn 

how to compost, go to the local kampong 

here and find out what they can do to 

help their environment, or what they can 

improve a little bit. It’s already growing. It’s 

already been a catalyst for a change. 

What does the GIN Conference 

mean to JIS? Is it a part of the 

curriculum or school program? 

We are increasingly hoping that it will 

be a part of both the curriculum and cocurricular 

activities. So things that they 

choose to do outside the school, we try to 

weave it into the curriculum too. And that’s 

hard to be honest… It’s not easy to figure 

out how that will work at each grade level, 

and how we are going to weave in these 

global issues, but that’s what we are 

trying to do. 

What are the reasons for JIS to 

conduct the GIN conference? 

We are a part of the mission of our school 

that says ‘to be the best for the world’. 

So it’s really the core of what JIS is about 

as a school… It’s so that we can help 

these students to go and make significant 

differences in the world to make it a better 

place. That’s why we are here. That’s the 

mission of JIS. 

Is GINDO the extension of GIN in 

Indonesia? 

That (GINDO) was a creative idea. You should 

ask the students about this. I believe they 

(were the ones) who came out with this, 

‘Let’s spread it around to local Indonesian 

schools and see if we can get them engaged 

about this issue’. And I think what they 

found is lot of interests, from Indonesian 

schools, national schools, national plus 

schools to participate in GIN-like activities. 

To do the same sort of thing, to identify 

global issues and then develop service, 

action and projects to address them. 



kids & 

education 

JSFA: 

Another FAntAStic SeASon 

oF FootbAll 

BY Brian Dallamore 

April 30 th sees the end of the Jakarta Schools Football League 

season for 2011 with the highly impressive Gala Day Awards 

ceremony hosted at The British International School in Bintaro. 

This event has, since the leagues inaugural season back in 

2005, become a major highlight in the Jakarta schools football 

calendar as some 1,500 players and parents assemble in the BIS world 

Theatres to receive winner’s trophies and medals, sportsmanship awards 

and the like. The awards themselves are interspaced between highlevel 

entertainment from a variety of performers which this year again 

features PJ Roberts from ESPN TV in Singapore, Indonesian national team 

players and the now institutionalized array of dancers, drummers and ball 

jugglers to name but a few. 

Like the League itself, the Gala Day awards 

extravaganza seems to grow every year 

as more and more schools participate 

from just about every aspect of life in the 

city. Whether it’s the high-end and large 

international schools such as JIS or BIS, 

or faith schools like Al Azhar Bekasi or Al 

Rahman School, or the emerging National 

Plus schools like Sinar Mas World Academy 

or Dian Harapan School from Ciputat, you’ll 

find them all there every Saturday morning 

between January and April cheering on 

their teams to victory - and sometimes 

defeat. 

2011 will go down in the annals of the 

JSFA as an outstanding season in a number 

of ways. 

This has been the largest football 

program ever staged in league history 

with close to 700 matches played over 

the 22 separate divisions at 7 different 

venues, involving some 2,000 registered 

players. The league maintains a panel 

of 50 referees who officiate each week 

in front of an estimated average parent 

attendance of approximately 750 across the 

various grounds. In the opinion of the JSFA 

committee ‘Big is Beautiful’ and it is difficult 

to see where the League will go from here. 

One important aspect of 2011 has 

been the involvement of children form 

the under-privileged community in using 

football as a medium to bring kids together 

from the vast divide of opportunity in 

Jakarta. Very much at the forefront of this 

has been the highly active Community 

Action Service (CAS) program run at The 

British International school whereby 

students create and manage teams 

drawn from orphanages, local kampongs 

and even street scavenger kids. These 

teams receive school sponsorship and 

League support extending to food, 

football kit, transport and, even for some, 

free education. 2011 reached out to 75 

children in this way and forms a template 

for further schools to embrace a wider 

community spirit through sport. 

So who has done well this year? The 

big schools tend to have an advantage of 

course, particularly in the top divisions, 

where JIS and BIS together with Al Azhar 

and STB-ACS feature strongly. However, 

there are a lot of new names emerging 

in B, C and D divisions where smaller 

schools who have less students to choose 

from have done particularly well. It is one 

of the redeeming features of this league 

that less able schools due to size have an 

opportunity to compete on a level playing 

field together with larger schools 2 nd and 

3 rd teams in addition to schools of equal 

footing. In fact BIS even fields an All Girls 

5 th team in the Under 12 age category 

albeit that they had a very difficult 

season. 

League Winners/Runners-up in the Coca-Cola League was as follows; 

Under 8A Winners Jakarta International School 

Runner-up British International School 

Under 8B Winners Jakarta International School PEL 

Runner-up Sekolah Global Mandiri 

Under 8C1 Winners British International School Blue 

Runner-up Global Jaya International School 

Under 8C2 Winners NIS International School 

Runner-up Madania Progressive Indonesian School 

CUP U 8 Winners BIS Red v JIS PEL 


Runners Up 

Under10A Winner British International School Red 

Runner Up Al Azhar Bekasi 

Under 10B Winner Sekolah Global Mandiri / Jakarta International School PIE 

Runner Up Mentari International School Jakarta 

Under 10C1 Winner Global Jaya International School 

Runner Up Al Rahman Islamic School 

Under 10C2 Winner National High International Prestige School 

Runner Up British International School White 

Under 10C3 Winner Sekolah Victory Plus 

Runner Up Singapore International School Kelapa Gading 

CUP U10 Winners JIS PEL v JIS PIE 

Runners Up 

Under 12A Winner Jakarta International School 

Runner Up British International School Red 

Under 12B Winner Mentari International School Jakarta 

Runner Up Jakarta International School / British International School 

Under 12C1 Winner Deutsche International School 

Runner Up Singapore International School Kelapa Gading 

Under 12C2 Winner Dian Harapan School 

Runner Up Bulakan (CAS) 

Under 12C3 Winner Binus International School 

Runner Up Singapore International School Pantai Indah Kapuk 

CUP U12 Winners BIS Red v JIS 

Runners Up 

Under 14A Winner SMPI Al Azhar 

Runner Up British International School Red 

Under 14B1 Winner British International School Blue 

Runner Up Sekolah Global Mandiri 

Under 14B2 Winner Sekolah Victory Plus 

Runner Up Singapore International School Pantai Indah Kapuk 

CUP U14 Winners JIS A v AL Azhar 

Runners Up 

Under 16A Winner Sekolah Tiara Bangsa ACS/Al Azhar 

Runner Up Jakarta International School 

U16B1 Winner Sekolah Global Mandiri 

Runner Up Kampung Jombang Boys (CAS)/Madania Progressive Indonesian School 

U16B2 Winner Sekolah Global Jaya 

Runner Up Mahanaim 

CUP U16 Winners JIS v STB-ACS 

Runners Up

Pulling 

together 

as one! 

While the emphasis at BIS is on the 

academic excellence of our students, 

the concept of internationalism, 

understanding and working together 

as a team permeates all aspects 

of life throughout the school. 

The result? Con� dent, bright and 

stimulated students who enjoy the 

whole learning process and gain a 

sense of belonging and community. 

For 2011/2012 enrollments, please contact Admissions today. 

Te l : ( 6 2 - 2 1 ) 7 4 5 - 1 6 7 0 • F a x : ( 6 2 - 2 1 ) 7 4 5 - 1 6 7 1 

e - m a i l : a d m i s s i o n s @ b i s . o r. i d • w w w . b i s . o r. i d 


kids & 

education 

hAve Fun, Go MAd: 

KidS entertAinMent Guide 

Kids can have fun in Jakarta, big time. Whether it’s outdoor or 

indoor activities, Jakarta has all it takes to get children out of 

the house, to have a blast, and maybe meet new friends. We 

have listed some child-friendly places and activities that they 

will love. Don’t forget to bring your camera so you can record 

these fun moments together. 

TODDLERS LOVE IT 

the Playground 

Jl. Kemang Dalam III B 

South Jakarta 

T: +62-21 719 6962 

The major difference between ‘The 

Playground’ and other playgrounds in 

Jakarta is the attention to cleanliness, and 

child safety, which is given top priority. 

Your children are free to play at The 

Playground for an entrance fee Rp 65,000 

per child. Built outdoors, there are wet 

and dry playing areas with various play 

structures. In the wet area there are two 

mini water slides, one suitable for children 

of four years and up, and one for toddlers. 

There’s a kiddie pool at each end of the 

slides which are lined with inflatable 

cushioning to guarantee children’s safety. 

There are interactive fountains and a water 

bucket -- a small bucket mounted on a pole 

and when it is filled with water, children 

can pull it so it will spill. Throughout the 

wet area, the floor is covered with a mat, 

which is soft enough so that children can 

run safely and if they fall, they won’t suffer 

any injury. 

The dry area offers two different play 

structures that link many different pieces of 

equipment, including slides, beams, spider 

web, seesaw and swings. The floor in the 

dry area is also covered with a mat which 

makes the playground safe for children. 

There is also a sand pit outside these two 

areas where your toddler can play happily. 

Giggle the Fun Factory 

fX Lifestyle X’nter, f5. 

Jln. Jend. Sudirman, South Jakarta 

T: +62-21 2555 4142, 2555 4600 

Having succeeded with ‘one stop kids 

shopping and edutainment’ at Plaza 

Indonesia, Miniapolis presents another 

huge indoor playground, that is Giggle 

the Fun Factory. Strategically located at 

fX Lifestyle X‘nter, Giggle is very easy to 

access from anywhere in Jakarta. With 

entrance tickets priced at Rp 85,000 for 

members, Rp 95,000 for non members and 

Rp 20,000 for parents, children can get lots 

of fun experiences here. 

Within its 4,000 square metre area, 

Giggle offers a variety of exciting activities. 

At the front side there is the Water Works, 

the first indoor water play arena in Jakarta. 

The various aquatic play structures include 

fountains as well as water tunnels. Other 

than that, there’s Wacky Wagon, a mini 

sized mine train which offers the little ones 

a fun and safe ride around the Giggle area. 

There is also the Little Zoo, a zoo-themed 

play area for kids under one meter tall. Here 

children can have fun with their tricycles, 

while they can also slide, ‘dive’ into a dry 

ball pool, swing and do a lot more other 

fun activities. If you want to introduce your 

little ones to the world of arts and crafts, 

bring them to Doodles, where your children 

can explore the fun side of being creative 

and imaginative through various activities 

include painting, writing and crafting. 

Giggle The Fun Factory comprises not 

only a playground; it also offers a range of 

supporting facilities for children, including 

a child salon, a toy store, food court and 

preschool. The integrated facilities are 

provided to cater to children’s needs; to 

play, socialize as well as to learn. 

KIDS LOVE IT 

Kidzania 

Pacific Place Shopping Mall 6 th Floor 

Jl. Jend. Sudirman, South Jakarta 

T: +62-21 5154 888 

Kidzania is a recreation centre with a 

unique edutainment concept for children 

aged four to 16 years. Specifically built 

to resemble a city – kids’ size that is --, 

Kidzania is complete with roads, buildings, 

as well as a variety of vehicles that run 

around the city. 

Inside the mini city, there are various 

buildings that are normally found in a city 

such as a hospital, supermarket, salon, 

theatre as well as fire station, to name 

a few. Here children play adult roles 

while learning about different jobs and 

professions. They can choose whether 

they want to be a doctor or pilot, or even 

a construction worker, or perhaps, private 

detective, archaeologist or F1 racer. They 

wear different uniforms according to their 

chosen profession. Guided by Kidzania staff, 

the children learn about the profession they 

want to have when they grow up. They will 

BY: FRANSISCA RESTIAWARDANI. PHOTOS: AGUNG NATANAEL, ARTHAYASA, DUNIA INLINE SKATE. 

also learn how to appreciate the value of 

money just as in real world, through the use 

of Kidzania’s currency, that is ‘Kidzos’. 

In Kidzania, children earn Kidzos after 

completing a certain task assigned to 

them according to the type of profession 

they choose. They can use this ‘salary’ to 

purchase goods or to use services available 

in Kidzania. There are over 100 types of 

professions that children can choose to 

explore in Kidzania. 

Arthayasa Stables & 

country club 

Blok Tengki, Desa Grogol 

Kecamatan Limo - Cinere, Depok 

T: +62-21 754 7024/5 

How do you get your children to go out of 

the house for some fresh air? One of the 

easiest ways is by taking them horse riding. 

It shouldn’t be too difficult to convince 

them, because which child does not want 

to see a horse up close, or even ride one? 

Introducing your child to horse riding 

while enjoying the fresh air outside the 

city is best done at Arthayasa Stables & 

Country Club. Here, the well-bred ponies 

are well trained and friendly. They will carry 

your little ones safely around Arthayasa’s 

stables amid fresh cool air and natural 

surroundings. 

Equestrian activities offer numerous 

benefits for the development of a child’s 

character. In Arthayasa, children learn not to 

afraid of horses which are bigger than them. 

Children will be taught how to be close to 

their horse, starting from how to approach 

them. They will learn how to rub the horse’s 

head as well as its back and how to clean 

its feet. These actions are meant to build 

closeness between the ponies and the 

children. It is also helps the children build 

confidence. 

In addition to the recreational facilities, 

Arthayasa Stables also offer an international 

riding school for children aged seven years 

and up. The school provides experienced 

and certified riding instructors as well as 

excellent riding experiences with wellmannered 

well-bred stallions. 

Make a point of visiting Arthayasa 

Stables sometime with your kids. It’s open 

Tuesday to Sunday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. The 

horses and ponies here rest from 12 noon 

– 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. 

– 1 p.m. is a very busy time in the club so 

private lessons during these hours are not 

guaranteed. 

dunia inline Skate (d.i.S.) 

Kompleks Keong Emas 

Taman Mini Indonesia Indah 

East Jakarta 

T: +62-21 9025 7282 

If you‘re trying to find ways to move your 

children off the computer or TV and to 

enjoy some outdoor activities, inline skating 

or rollerblading is one attractive option you 

can offer them. 

Take them to Dunia Inline Skate (DIS) 

–which can be literally translated as ‘The 

World of Inline Skating’-- where children 

can skate on a safe and clean skating track, 

amid green surroundings. There’s still a lot 

of fresh air for your children here due to 

DIS’ location which is far from the hustle 

and bustle of the city, within the Keong 

Emas (Golden Snail) Imax Theater complex 

at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, East Jakarta. 

DIS boasts a five-metre wide, 100 metre 

long oval track, which is built of concrete 

with a level of refinement that almost 

meets the international standard. It’s a safer 

track for children than the ones made of 

asphalt. 

DIS offers several payment options. If 

your child is already adept enough to be 

able to use the track you need only pay Rp 

15,000 and your child can play for as long 

as he wants during DIS’ opening hours on 

that day. If your children don’t have their 

own skates or safety equipment, you can 

rent them from DIS, which charges Rp 

35,000 for the equipment plus the use of 

the track. 

If your child has never used inline 

skates before, DIS provides an introduction 

class. It’s offered as a package, namely 

Paket Coba-coba or ‘Trial Package’. The 

price is Rp 50,000 for one hour practice 

with an instructor plus for the time to play 

afterwards. If your child wants to continue 

to have private lessons to be a more 

proficient skater, DIS provides a Paket BSB 

--Belajar Sampai Bisa-- or Learn-Until-You- 

Can Package, with four practice sessions 

and a test priced at Rp 300,000. Children 

will get a certificate once they pass the test. 

DIS is open from Tuesday to Saturday 

from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. On Sunday DIS is 

open from 6 a.m to 6 p.m. 

Senayan bowling 

Parking Area Plaza Senayan 5 th Floor 

Jl. Asia Afrika No. 8, South Jakarta 

T: +62 21 5790 0151 

Senayan Bowling was built in 2000 and is 

one of the bowling alleys in Jakarta that 

has stood the test of time. It provides 30 

bowling lanes, of which 10 are special lanes 

for children, with a bumper system to make 

sure that every ball thrown will hit the pins. 

Nobody wants a sad child. 

Considered as one of the most 

convenient bowling alleys, Senayan Bowling 

has been chosen to host the Indonesia 

International Open Bowling Championship 

several times. It offers a cozy ambience 


kids & 

education 

with its bright coloured interior and nonsmoking 

area for children. In addition, 

it’s spacious, accommodating up to 150 

persons. Well-trained attendants are 

on hand to help with basic lessons for 

beginners. And if your children wish to excel 

in the game, Senayan Bowling provides 

private tutoring with registered coaches. 

Even for children under seven, there is a 

wooden slide where they can put a bowling 

ball on top and let it go to roll down toward 

the pins. 

laser Game indonesia 

Jl. Kemang Raya No. 16A 

South Jakarta 

T: +62 21 718 1918, 718 1921 

For kids, the idea of having a war with 

aliens on a planet somewhere within the 

galaxy is thrilling. Give them this thrill by 

taking them to Laser Game which is located 

within the busy Kemang entertainment 

area. 

Laser Game is a high tech shooting 

game center which boasts a futuristic 

space battle ambience that will make 

any kid goes gaga. As the only laser tag 

game center in Indonesia, Laser Game 

uses a combination of sensors, infra red 

technology, and customized software 

to make the experience as surreal as a 

computer game. The briefing room where 

the kids are prepared before they start 

the war resembles the interior 

of a space ship and features 

specially designed vests that 

have blinking sensors that kids 

will wear during the game. 

With the rising popularity 

of shooting games such as 

paint ball and air soft gun, Laser 

Game provides a safer option, 

and yet is still challenging. No 

paint and no pain is its slogan. 

TEENS 

LOVE IT 

PitStop Karting circuit 

Jl. Pantai Indah Selatan I 

Pantai Indah Kapuk, North Jakarta 

T: +62-21 7029 8888 / 7031 8888 

Go-kart racing is challenging and fun. 

Racing lines, overtaking maneuvers, record 

time, go-kart features and track condition 

are taken seriously by players as these 

determine the excitement players will get 

out of the race. 

Pitstop Karting is one of the best gokart 

circuits in Jakarta. The race track is 

made of asphalt that gives the go-karts 

a better grip, although it also makes the 

go-kart handling heavy. This puts Pitstop 

a cut above the rest of go-kart circuits in 

Jakarta, which generally offer concrete race 

tracks. The circuit is 800 metres in length, 

long enough for beginners to deal with the 

pressure of gravity (G) force. Meanwhile, 

it is six metres in width, which gives 

moderate space for passing and wheel to 

wheel racing. It’s a pretty challenging circuit 

with a combination of straights, curves 

and corners. To provide live, immediate, 

accurate race results and lap times, a 

transponder installed in each go-kart sends 

signals to the sensor at the finish line. You 

can ask for the printed race result from 

Pitstop. 

When it comes to safety, Pitstop takes 

it pretty seriously. Safety equipment for 

players includes racing suit jacket, crash 

helmet, gloves and balaclava. Before the 

race begins, go-kart features as well as the 

safety rules in racing will be explained. 

Pitstop is open from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. 

Monday to Friday; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on 

Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. If 

you take the Soekarno-Hatta airport toll 

road, Pitstop Karting is not far after you exit 

the Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK) exit toll gate. 

Subtitles dvd & viewing 

room 

Dharmawangsa Square - City Walk 

Basement Floor 

Jl. Dharmawangsa VI–IX, South Jakarta 

T: +62-21 727 88336/7 

Subtitles was at first a DVD rental company. 

Now, in addition to the DVD rental service, 

Subtitles provides viewing rooms which 

are available to rent. The movie viewing 

experience here is very different from 

watching a movie at home, with state of 

the art sound system and screen. It’s also 

very different from the XXI cinema, as you 

can choose your own crowd to watch the 

movie with you. For your teenagers, this 

can be a fun activity to do together with 

friends or even with members of the family! 

Subtitles has its own movie collection 

--high quality movies but somewhat rare as 

they are not mainstream. These movies are 

available for rent to be watched at home as 

well as to be watched at Subtitles’ viewing 

room. Your children can also bring their own 

DVD to be screened here. Just make sure 

that it’s not pirated, or you will have to let 

Subtitles confiscate the DVD. 

Subtitles boasts three regular viewing 

rooms and one High Definition viewing 

room. Each viewing room has a maximum 

capacity of eight people. For a larger crowd, 

an additional fee of Rp 10,000 is charged 

to each extra person. There’s no limit of 

crowd size so one can have a good movie 

time with as many friends as he/she likes, 

except in the High Definition viewing room, 

which has a capacity of only two people. 

The viewing room rental rate ranges 

from Rp 75,000 to Rp 150,000 per movie 

screening. 

PHOTOS: DENI MARTINI (50MM), NOW! JAKARTA. 

roArinG Good tiMe 

At tiGer iSlAnd 

BY Risti BRophy 

If you often find yourself 

wondering where to take your 

flock for an easy getaway from 

Jakarta, you are not alone! It 

seems that the options are 

quite limited these days, especially 

with the ever elongated traveling 

time due to Jakarta’s worsening 

traffic condition. 

But a trip to Tiger Island off the north 

coast of Jakarta may be the answer to 

your prayers. An easy 1+ hour ride from 

Ancol’s Marina on a comfortable, airconditioned 

speed boat, it sure matches all 

expectations of an idyllic island getaway. 

The package on offer includes practically 

everything –return boat transfers from 

Ancol, accommodation in one of their 

9 open-plan cabins, 3 delicious meals 

a day prepared using only the freshest 

ingredients, a free flow of tea/coffee/ 

juice, as well as an abundance of activities 

guaranteed to keep everyone entertained. 

The only thing not included in the 

package is the alcoholic drinks. But the 

fact that you can still enjoy a freshly-mixed 

cocktail while waiting for the sun to set at 

the comfort of your private hut is well worth 

the modest price! 

Once arriving on the island, a choice 

of activities awaits you. Island hopping is 

by far the most popular. The experienced 

guides will happily take your group to one 

of the surrounding desserted islands -by 

engined boat, canoe, kayak, rubber dinghy, 

or a combination of them- where you can 

snorkel all day. These small islands are so 

near to each other that on a really good 

day, you may even be able to swim or walk 

across! 

For a group as small as 4, the dynamic 

duo, Rod & Marc, as in Founder Roderick 

DesTombe and General Manager Marc 

Zwyer, would be happy to arrange an 

array of activities for the kids. Being 

intended as a model for sustainable 

island development, various eco-friendly 

activities are available. The kids will have 

fun learning how the island captures 

rainwater to grow the organic farm, or 

how the solar panels practically run the 

whole island, as well as the importance 

of caring for the coral reefs. For those 

interested in craftmanship, a workshop 

can be organized where children can learn 

how to create beautiful furniture for the 

cabins using driftwood. 

Space can fill up very quickly due to 

the relatively small capacity, so book well 

in advance to avoid disappointment! 

Ring their reservation office at +62 21 765 

8010 or email info@zevillages.com. 

For more info please visit: 

www.pulaumacan.com 


PHOTOS: tiGER isLAND.

kids & 

education 

technoloGy And your child: 

rAiSinG the net GenerAtion 

To your child, the internet spells ‘gaming’ and ‘chatting 

with friends’. He may not realize the enormity of the web; 

that it is a portal to a global network. Is his ignorance a 

blessing or a danger? 

Good parenting consists in knowing how to 

confide in your children the revelations that 

hallmark ‘growing up’. When children surf the 

internet and use portable devices, there is a 

dilution in control of parents’ ability to decide 

when their children learn about such taboo 

subjects as racism, violence and pornography. 

The highly impressionable nature of a young 

child’s mind means that his way of thinking, 

and even disposition, can be conditioned by 

the media to which he is exposed – even 

adults subconsciously look to the media to 

define the standards of society. The advent 

of technology has hence raised the bar on 

what it means to be parents. We need to be a 

more integral part of our children’s lives than 

ever before, but at the same time know when 

and how to empower our children to grasp 

the opportunities technology purports. For 

that, you need to thoroughly understand your 

child’s experience of technology. 

The Wild, Wild Web 

Know What is Out There 

Most of the threats posed by the internet 

stem from advertisers exploiting the 

commercial potential of the web – many 

of whom rely on spyware. Spyware is a 

software which, when installed on a personal 

computer, gives feedback to the spyware 

operator of the users’ online activity: which 

websites are visited and how often. The 

spyware operator then sells the information 

to advertisers and corporations, who use 

the data to deduce current consumer 

interests and societal trends, and then 

bombard your computer with corresponding 

advertisements. These advertisements may 

contain links to websites with content that 

is inappropriate for your child. Another way 

in which advertisers may try to hook an 

unsuspecting child is through spam or junk 

mail. These emails may even advertize where 

to buy drugs online, or else contain offensive 

images or information. Be consoled that 

worried parents like you are not the only 

ones who have child safety in mind: internet 

security software is now widely available 

and is an umbrella solution to the dangers 

of spyware, hacking and the promulgation of 

computer viruses that can disrupt the running 

of your computer and even delete all your 

personal files. In brief, the software performs 

regular scans, raking all files and programs on 

your computer’s hard drive for threats. 

Disciplining your child’s use of the 

internet 

Anti-virus software may keep your 

computer armed against all manner of 

cyber threats, but running afoul of the 

internet can also be user-induced. Your 

children have an insatiable curiosity, and 

there is no better place to slake that 

curiosity than on the internet – where 

answers are available at the touch of a 

button. You can use parental controls or 

filtering software to predetermine the 

websites and online games your child 

can access, and dictate how long your 

child uses the computer; these are widely 

available on the internet. 

What about violent video 

games? 

If you are going to buy your child a games 

console, do it when he is still young. At 

that age your child is still receptive to 

your input, that way you can recommend 

educational, non-violent games for him, 

as well as dictate how much time he can 

spend playing. As he grows older his tastes 

will inevitably mature and he may disdain 

your intervention, but he is more likely to 

feel an affinity for quality games rather 

than violent ones. Always remember how 

impressionable a young child’s mind is. 

The Benefits of Instant 

Messaging 

People are now privy to the minutest details 

of their friends’ day-to-day lives by virtue 

of status updates on social networking 

sites. Teenagers have remarked that this 

makes friendships tighter; when meeting 

face-to-face, friends will make reference 

to something that had been discussed the 

night before on Yahoo Messenger. Since 

they are able to share with friends what 

they are doing at any given moment, the 

subject matter of their conversations is 

more intimate and personal: they talk 

practicalities rather than just generalizations. 

A Final Note of Advice 

The dangers of the internet are a virtual 

analogy of the dangers of the real world. 

Teaching your children to stay safe online by 

not being too forthcoming with strangers, 

not passively accepting information, and 

understanding how his actions impact 

others is a valuable life lesson that can be 

used in many situations. So do your children 

need to know? Yes, they do – but most of 

all, they need you. 

Technology is only a threat if we 

misunderstand it, because misunderstanding 

leads to misguided action. 

BY: FRANSISCA RESTIAWARDANI, KINDRA COOPER. PHOTOS: NOW! JAKARTA. 

children And the World oF technoloGy: 

WhAt iS the role oF the PArent? 

There is still a lot of fear and concern out 

there concerning children and the potential 

negative influence of the rapid development 

of technology. It is a classic issue that is a 

challenging topic to discuss, as everyone 

has a different stance on the matter. We 

asked a young parent, a teacher and a techsavvy 

yuppie to share with us their different 

perspectives on raising children in the 

computer age. Should technology be feared 

or embraced? 

Issue Ida Pardede/ parent Kenneth McClure/ ITGS teacher Aidan Thomas / techie 

When is the right time I cannot say when is the right From the age they start school or slightly I think as long as their parents 

for a child to have time, but I would introduce him before; but through the developmental can provide parental guidance, 

access to the internet? to the internet when I know that years, they should have heavy supervision by at least blocking mature 

he is ready and has started to and a clear objective for using the internet content on the net, they can 

show responsibility. until they learn the benefits and dangers. do it as early as fifth grade. 

What is the proper age When I can trust him enough There are a lot of benefits for children Considering that a cell phone 

for a child to have her/ to be responsible with what he having cell phones that are often is a way to connect parents 

his own cellular phone? is doing. overlooked. If my child is spending a long with for them to have one. 

Why? time away from me, I would like him to Some want one soon. Some 

have a cell phone so that I can locate him just don’t. So it’s up to the 

if he is in any danger. parents and children. 

What do you think It depends on how you treat your child. I would start off by finding out what kind I guess most kids find both 

about children who are If your children see you are more into of games the child is playing, because some indoor and outdoor activities 

more likely to play your smartphone or computer then children socialize via games. So while appealing. They need to have 

computer games or don’t expect them to prefer bike socializing is an extremely important part balanced activities. 

operate a smartphone riding or swimming over computer, of a child’s development, a lot of that takes 

than ride a bike or go TV or even smartphone. They copy place online these days. But I would 

swimming? what their parents do, don’t they? encourage them to mix the two. 

Technology dependent Their parents allow that to If I said to a fourteen year old that he Their parents let that happen. 

children. Why do you happen. It’s as simple as that. would have a choice between no internet 

think this happens? or no food for a week, that could be 

a very tough decision for him. 

Children and Facebook. Why not? As long as you are It’s unrealistic to think that children below There’s no right or wrong! 

Right or wrong? Why? able to monitor your child. 13 (the age limit for Facebook) don’t have Used properly, Facebook can 

an account. A lot of children know the be great for children and adults 

dangers – they’ve learnt about it in school alike. However, children will need 

– and they can recite them almost to be warned and educated 

robotically, but I don’t think enough of them about the internet properly 

actually follow the guidelines. first. Facebook has been used 

as a tool to bully and has even 

been used by a pedophile to find 

victims If parents can tell their 

children what to do and not do 

on Facebook, they should be fine. 

What do you think about I used to be a teenager using These days, in certain groups, if a child My personal opinion dictates 

teenagers using a hand phone back then... doesn’t have a phone, that can lead to him that one should own a 

BlackBerry? it’s fine. feeling excluded. Choice of cell phone and BlackBerry when they can buy 

choice of network can be very important one themselves. It’s a business 

to a child’s social status. phone. 

Children will always be More advanced? I don’t think so. There is a massive generation gap at the I disagree; it depends on what 

more advanced than us Perhaps the parents are just too moment, but to make it an advantage, why you mean by technology and 

in catching up with lazy to catch up with new technology. don’t younger people see it as a children at what age. Parents 

technology. This is The point is, today we can’t raise responsibility of theirs to educate their who know nothing about 

inevitable. How can we children with the ‘parent-child’ parents about these things? I’ve started to technology might have children 

make sure they benefit method anymore. Parents should be do this with my parents, who are in their who become victims of techs, 

from it positively during able to position themselves as parents seventies. I’d like them to be able to stay in through gadgets and new 

their growing years? as well as their children’s friends. contact with the family better. unimportant inventions. This 

When I was young, I was very afraid of most likely occurs because 

my parents and that made me parents don’t really care about 

rebellious. Today parents simply need technology, while children have 

to be smarter in telling kids what they nothing else in their minds. 

can and cannot do for their own sake. 


kids & 

education 

choice educAtion 

BY: DiANNE NEwtoN 

From the moment they arrive in this world, our lives are never 

the same. We begin to hope, dream and live for our children. 

As they begin to develop, it is only natural we strive to find the 

best teachers and schools for them. For us, the opportunity to 

visit schools and help our children to begin a wonderful new journey of 

discovering and learning is such a privilege - and the varied choices of 

campuses in Jakarta are amazing. 

Family Guide to Jakarta has this opportunity 

to bring you small slices of life from expats 

who have already done the hard yards 

to visit, decide and send their children to 

schools here. We hope this may help to 

shed some light on the many opportunities 

and facilities available to you and especially 

your children’s education in Indonesia. 

Academic Colleges Group 

(ACG) - SIMONE 

When we moved into our home in Jakarta 

we decided the location of both schools 

suited our family and the feel at ACG was 

important to us. My husband is Australian, 

I’m German and an International school was 

where we preferred to send our children. 

ACG has a school uniform which makes it 

easy to get the kids dressed in the morning 

& a bus service in our area so the mornings 

are very stress free. 

How important were the staff, student 

facilities & after school programs in your 

choice of campus? 

The ACG staffs are welcoming and friendly. 

The principal, Chris Rawlins always has 

an open door for parents. A newsletter is 

sent out regularly to keep parents aware 

of the happenings and upcoming events. 

Parents are welcomed to be part of the 

community and encouraged to offer their 

time to volunteer. ACG have their own pools 

and swimming is part of their curriculum. 

They have playing fields and a playground, a 

variety of after school activities and a good 

library and computers for their learning. 

There are more than 28 nationalities at the 

school which makes for a great experience. 

It is also comforting to know that the 

standard of education is equal to that we 

would be receiving at home in Australia. 

British International School 

(BIS) - CLAIRE 

BIS is the first school that my son has 

attended where he hasn’t suffered any 

separation anxiety. I owe all of this to 

his teacher who has really encouraged 

him to grow and has kept up his level of 

enthusiasm. Every school has its’ good 

areas and areas for improvement, but 

overall I’m extremely pleased with the 

choice we made. Ideally we would have 

chosen a school closer to us, but we are the 

last bus stop before school so timing wise it 

doesn’t take too long. There is also a school 

uniform which helps in the morning. 

Can you describe the attitude of the school 

community, the facilities & academics 

available? 

I have never met the Principal, however the 

staffs seem extremely friendly and I have 

been very pleased with the teachers I’ve been 

in contact with. In terms of facilities, I always 

like to see a good library system and as my 

son also swims on Saturdays, I am really 

pleased with the pool. I think my son would 

be able to fit very comfortably back into the 

system at home, one of the reasons we chose 

the school was because we anticipate that 

we will always live in a country where there 

is a British School and so he should have no 

issues with the curriculum. 

Deutsche Internationale 

Schule (DIS) - AMANDA 

We are an English family, just the one 

child, but lived in Germany for a very 

long time before moving to Jakarta. The 

German school in BSD have a programme 

for children who come from families 

where German is their second language 

so we didn’t look to any other schools. 

DIS offer various activities ranging from 

sport, theatre, music and art but sadly no 

school uniform. All parents are encouraged 

to help out with after school activities, 

school outings and special events. DIS has 

a fabulous fenced garden and pool for 

the Kindergarten as well as great sports 

grounds, hall and pool. There are libraries 

for both primary and upper school. 

Let’s talk security… 

Security is present on the outer and inner 

gate. Private cars must be registered and 

have a special sticker to enter. 

How would you summarise your school & 

the impact it has had on your child and your 

family since being in Jakarta… 

It is all consuming, even though we don’t 

live near the school at all. We have made 

PHOTOS: FAMILY GUIDE TO JAKARTA. 

lots of friends, been on holidays with some 

of them and spend time socialising. 

Having a school-age child here makes it 

easier to meet people if you are willing 

to offer your time. We definitely made 

the right choice in school and our son is 

extremely happy there. 

Jakarta International 

School (JIS) - TANYA 

We are a family of five with three children, 

aged 13, ten and seven, my husband is 

British & I am Chinese. Our most important 

consideration was finding the right school 

for our children to attend then found a 

house close by to avoid the traffic as 

much as possible. JIS offers both American 

curriculum and the IB program, which 

will suit us fine if we do have to return 

to the UK. There are many after school 

activities offered by the school but the one 

downside is uniforms are not required, I 

would much prefer a uniform. 

Let’s talk security and facilities… 

I have never felt threatened personally or 

for my children. The security measures 

in JIS are fine and they have pretty tight 

policies on letting students in and out, I 

am happy about that. There are libraries, 

computers, playgrounds, sporting 

facilities and pools and the school will 

also soon launch a 1 (computer) to 1 

(student) program. 

How would you summarise JIS & the 

impact it has had on your children and 

your family since being in Jakarta? 

I would say JIS is an excellent school 

with very capable and caring staff. 

The school’s program is International 

(with some units emphasized more on 

American culture) and the teachers 

are of diverse nationalities which offer 

very broad learning experiences to my 

children. My children never complain 

when it is time for school, I guess that 

says something! 

Netherlands International 

School (NIS) - ALISON 

We are British and it was important to us 

that the person teaching our daughter 

spoke English as a first language. The 

International stream nursery teacher at 

NIS is Australian & like many families in 

Jakarta, our family shares one car, so 

location was a big consideration for us. NIS 

is a short walk from our home so I know 

I will always be able to drop off and pick 

up without any problems. They teach the 

International Primary Curriculum (IPC) so 

this should make transition to a UK or other 

International School using the IPC easier. 

Let’s talk security… 

The school feels safe and secure with 

restricted access to vehicles and security 

guards on the gate, but without feeling 

intimidating. 

How important was your initial contact with 

the Principal and staff? 

The Principal is lovely, especially with 

the children, and took time out to give 

us an enthusiastic and personal tour of 

the school. We receive daily updates in a 

communication book and her teacher is 

also always happy to have a quick chat 

about what she has done during the day. 

Were facilities an important factor in your 

choice of school? 

NIS has all the facilities that you would 

expect from an International school; shaded 

playground and climbing frames; a gym and 

two swimming pools. They also have weekly 

music classes, a well stocked library and 

computer lab. 

New Zealand International 

School (NZIS) - MELANIE 

We’re an Australian family with two 

daughters, three-years-old and eight months. 

We sent our eldest to school just after the 

arrival of our new baby. We felt we needed a 

school that was highly accessible for me as 

I don’t always have the car available to use. 

It made sense to find something close to 

home that we could reach on foot or bicycle. 

The NZIS has been a fantastic introduction to 

learning for our daughter. 

How does the school involve parents and 

are you satisfied with the facilities? 

We get a weekly newsletter from the 

class teacher and also a weekly school 

newsletter from the Principal with a range 

of notifications. They have weekly sessions 

at the library and the computer lab, play 

outdoors on the equipment and even 

offer ballet lessons at school as an extracurricula 

activity for the pre-schoolers and 

Kindy kids. Swimming lessons are offered 

from First Grade. 

How would you describe your child’s 

attitude towards school? 

The most telling sign about her attitude are 

the tears when I go to pick her up… she just 

wants to stay at school! I’m thankful that in 

all the time I’ve taken her she’s not once had 

an issue when I’ve dropped her at school, 

she just can’t wait to get inside and play. 

www.familyguidetojakarta.web.id 

This article has been brought to you 

by The Family Guide to Jakarta, an 

online website directory developed to 

support expatriate families relocating 

to or already living in Jakarta. The 

Family Guide to Jakarta is a non 

profit website with all proceeds from 

advertising revenue going directly to 

Yayasan Balita Sehat (Foundation for 

Mother & Child Health). 


kids & 

education 

inStillinG PoSitive 

diSciPline in children 

BY: JULiA GABRiEL 

At a workshop conducted for parents last month at the Julia 

Gabriel Centre for Learning, specialist early childhood educator 

Julia Gabriel shared her knowledge on how to instill positive 

discipline in children. 

She started by asking the parents to create 

a vision of their child 5 years from now, 15 

years from now, and then as an adult with 

children of their own. 

According to Julia, every child has 

a right to respectful, nurturing care 

and guidance. We look at why we 

should implement discipline rather than 

punishment and how to do this in a 

successful, positive way that will help 

create these future children and adults you 

have just envisioned. 

Julia recommended the following steps 

to guide you towards establishing positive 

discipline as a culture for learning, at home. 

1. Understand your child: 

Know your child’s temperament. That is, 

their mood, persistence and attention 

span, distractibility and their sensory 

threshold. By recognizing these it will help 

you to know what to expect of your child in 

different situations and how to support his 

or her needs. 

2. Understand yourself: 

Different parents have different parenting 

styles and it is important to recognize yours. 

• Autocratic – a control freak or 

perfectionist. Children raised in this 

way tend to develop a poor relationship 

with the parent and may become 

materialistic, reward driven and 

inflexible. 

• Permissive – an avoider or spoiler. 

Children raised by such parents are 

more likely to lack self-control and 

respect for others (including their 

parents). They may also tend to function 

poorly in structured settings such as 

school or work. 

• Balanced parenting – positive 

discipline requires a balanced mix 

of both autocratic and permissive 

parenting styles. Children raised 

like this are self-disciplined and 

self-motivated, are able to make 

responsible decisions and can handle 

independence. 

3. Recognize the difference 

between discipline and 

punishment: 

The effects of punishment are long-lasting. 

Punishment is over controlling and harsh, 

decreasing children’s self-esteem and builds 

a child’s resentment towards the parent. 

Discipline is kind, but firm! It develops 

respect, responsibility, self-discipline and 

self-control. 

4. Aim for cooperation rather 

than obedience: 

Offering children choices, within reasonable 

limits, enables them to cooperate and make 

their own decisions. Positive cooperation 

promotes teamwork, self-responsibility and 

mutual respect. On the other hand, children 

raised with rigid limits or few choices, are 

unable to think for themselves and begin to 

obey out of fear. 

5. Develop a tool box for 

positive discipline: 

We need tools of prevention for use 

before incidents of misbehaviour occur. 

Some of these include being a role model of 

disciplined behaviour yourself; be interested 

in your child; let your child know when 

they are doing good; give clear, specific 

instructions; be aware of underlying needs 

and feelings; and establish routines and 

follow them. 

Tools of guidance can be used during 

inappropriate or anti-social behaviour. 

These include offering choices within limits; 

communicating your own feelings and 

validating theirs; use positive language; and 

physically remove or restrain your child if 

necessary. 

Implement tools of consequence to 

help children learn after things go wrong. 

Strategies include showing children how to 

make amends; allow natural consequences 

to occur; and use self-control time-out. 

6. Take action! 

It takes a great deal of awareness, preplanning 

and collaboration between parents 

to establish a culture of positive parenting. 

However, it is a more rewarding way to live 

... and it is not too late to start now. Positive 

discipline starts with YOU!!! 

Julia Gabriel is a specialist early 

childhood educator who has a Masters 

Degree in Early Childhood Education 

from University of South Australia. She 

is also a fellow of the Guildhall School 

of Music and Drama in London. She is 

the founder and director of the Julia 

Gabriel Centre for Learning with centres 

in Singapore, Delhi, Jakarta, Kuala 

Lumpur and Shanghai. 


kids & 

education 

SPh internAtionAl 

KeMAnG villAGe 

BY: DAviD MichEL – AcAdemic PrinciPAl Of SPH inTernATiOnAl KemAng VillAge 

At the beginning of the day students are welcomed and greeted by the principal. 

SPH International Kemang 

Village operates from 

a Christian perspective 

offering the best in 

international education with a solid 

grounding in Indonesian language 

and culture. The school vision 

statement is True Knowledge, Faith 

in Christ and Godly Character. 

The school mission is developing 

leaders with a Biblical Christian 

Worldview. 

We believe in holistic education that 

includes an emphasis on academics, 

athletics, arts and spiritual programs; and 

that is designed to produce students who 

graduate with skills needed to be prepared 

for post-secondary and beyond. Our goal 

is to equip students to be highly effective 

citizens and to help them determine 

direction and purpose in their lives. 

We suggest you consider the following 

key questions when considering the right 

school for your family: 

What are the most important things I 

want in a school? Will this school support 

the way that I want my child to grow? Will 

people in this school care for my child? Will 

my child receive guidance for the future? 

Is the curriculum suitable for my child? Is 

this a high quality school as determined 

by external agencies with an excellent 

reputation themselves? How many 

students proceed to further education after 

graduating from school? What creative 

opportunities are offered? Are students 

encouraged to use their abilities in practical 

situations? Does each student feel secure 

and included in the school community? 

Is there an environment of compassion 

and fairness? Do people like being at the 

school? Are parents a vital component of 

the school’s operations? Are teachers highly 

qualified and warmly relational? 

We invite you to find out more about 

our school as we can provide answers to 

the above questions. 

Grade 7 students in humanities class. Class 

discussions are strongly encouraged to make 

learning more fun and meaningful. 

Kindergarten students at their Christmas 

performance. The school gives many opportunities 

for students to perform. 

7 

reasons to 

send your child to 

SPH International 

Kemang Village: 

1. A well-designed campus with 

excellent facilities and conditions 

which makes learning a pleasure. 

2. A strong Christian ethos within the 

school, a well-developed Biblical 

Studies program and insistence on 

high moral and ethical standards. 

3. A holistic and transformational 

approach to education. 

4. A caring environment and good 

pastoral care. 

5. A mix of Expatriate and Indonesian 

teachers who are highly educated 

and well trained. 

6. A continually developing partnership 

with parents to ensure students 

develops their full potential. 

7. A wide range of extracurricular 

activities. 


kids & 

education 

diScovery center 

At Discovery Center, 

children develop 

academically at their own 

speed, so that learning 

is a natural process. Our teachers 

know how to tap into the natural 

curiosity of each child. During 

preschool, the approach is to 

engage children in 

activities that are 

spot-on for their 

development, by 

recognizing that even 

children of the same 

age have varying 

innate abilities and 

experiences, and 

some may not speak 

English at home. For 

instance, one child 

may just be learning 

to hold a pencil while 

another may be ready 

to compose his own 

story. Experienced 

rAFFleSiAnS continue to Secure ScholArShiPS 

to Study in toP SinGAPore SchoolS 

This year, five students from 

the Raffles International 

Group of Schools continue 

the fine tradition of securing 

scholarships to study in Bukit 

Panjang Government High School, 

a top Singapore school. The School 

Based Indonesia Scholarships are 

offered by the Chinese Chamber 

of Commerce, Singapore and 

administered by the Ministry of 

Education Singapore together 

with Bukit Panjang Government 

High School. 


teachers observe each 

child and record his/her 

progress, introducing 

sequentially more difficult 

tasks as each new task is 

mastered. 

Since 2007, the students from the 

Raffles International Group of Schools 

have been selected and offered places 

to study in Singapore. This prestigious 

four year scholarship is awarded to well 

rounded individuals who are academically 

gifted and talented, presenting them with 

opportunities to interact with scholars from 

all over the world. This is testament to the 

quality, world class education offered by the 

Raffles International Group of Schools. 

Our scholars continue to 

perform extremely well in the GCE O 

Level Examinations in Singapore, with 

3 of them scoring 8 

distinctions and 2 scoring 

9 distinctions. The 

students have gone on to 

join top Junior Colleges 

like Raffles Junior College 

and Anglo Chinese Junior 

College. Our heartiest 

congratulations to this 

year’s cohort of scholars 

and keep the Raffles flag 

flying high. 

2011 School Based (Indonesia) 

Scholarship Awardees 

• John Amadeo Daniswara - Raffles 

International Christian School 

• Jessica Sentoso - Raffles-PSB 

Singapore School (Kelapa Gading) 

• Stefany Felicia - Raffles-PSB 

Singapore School (Kelapa Gading) 

• Stanley Arvan Wijaya - Raffles-PSB 

Singapore School (Kebon Jeruk) 

• Chelyne Dimiati Hasim - Raffles- 

PSB SIngapore School (Kebon Jeruk)

Singapore School, Kelapa Gading 

Affiliated to Singapore International School (Indonesia) 

CharIty Walk “Walk For a Dream”, 7 th may 2011 

Beneficiary of the Charity Walk: MI 

Al Istiqomah Primary School in 

Pulogadung 

1. Improvement of school’s second floor 

2. Supplying laptops and colour printer 

3. Supplying wall shelves for classroom 

4. Improving stairs to second floor 

5. Improving their one and only toilet 

6. Supplying wall fan in teachers’ room 

7. Supplying school supplies like pencils, 

writing books, textbooks 

How can we help the school? 

1. Pledge to donate (from 7 th March 

till 15 th April 2011) 

- Primary 3 till Secondary 4 each 

will get a donation card 

- Students can ask for donations 

from friends, relatives and 

neighbors 

- Any amount is acceptable 

- Cannot go from door to door 

collection 

2. Pledge to walk (on 7 th May 2011) 

- Get friends and relatives to register to 

walk 

- Rp 50,000 to walk 

- Free T-shirt and goodies 

- From SIS-KG school gate towards 

the MKG from Gate 3, turn right at 

roundabout, U-turn in front of BII and 

back to school ending at school gate. 

www.sisschools.org 


kids & 

education 

PromotIng learnIng 

In young ChIlDren 

Parents and Early Childhood 

Educators have a common 

goal: making sure that 

they do their utmost 

to ensure each child’s success 

in the world. Naturally, both 

parents and teachers emphasize 

the fundamental skills children 

need to excel in primary school: 

reading, writing and mathematics 

(the 3 R’s). Unfortunately, it is not 

uncommon for many schools to 

give very young children repetitive 

“rote” learning tasks that simply 

keep the children busy but do not 

allow much of a creative process 

on the part of the child. 

Tutor Time International Preschool 

& Kindergarten, now celebrating its 

fifteenth year of operations in Indonesia, 

understands the importance of helping 

children become active, inquisitive and 

creative problem-solvers with the overall 

aim of encouraging “life-long learning”. 

Tutor Time schools give children the ability 

to acquire the skills necessary for entrance 

into international and local primary school 

programs; and at the same time helps them 

develop “multiple intelligence” in areas 

that are often overlooked by traditional 

learning curriculums. The StartSmart TM 

and LifeSmart TM curriculum at Tutor Time 

encompasses the eight areas of multiple 

intelligence cited by Dr Howard Gardner. 

The aim is to encourage children to learn 

about the things for which they have a 

natural curiosity or are most passionate 

about. Tutor Time children can thus 

build on individual problem-solving skills 

independently and progress more rapidly 

than children confined to traditional 

classroom settings. 

An example is Jessica, four 

years old, who has a natural 

instinct for discovering “how 

things work.” She can spend 

her time freely stacking and 

restacking wooden blocks 

as she builds a “house” in 

Tutor Time’s Design Center. 

An experienced staff member 

carefully observes and records 

her activities while encouraging 

and asking questions that permit 

Jessica to build her vocabulary 

through self-expression; the staff 

member also determines her math skills by 

asking Jessica to figure out how many blocks 

she may need to complete her imaginary 

building. This type of activity is markedly 

different than children sitting in rows of 

desks repeatedly tracing the same number 

symbols on photocopied worksheets. 

Meanwhile, other children interact 

together in the school’s Pretend Center. 

Here, the teacher can help to instill social 

skills and foster character building among 

the children. Children learn to recognize 

acceptable behaviors, the importance 

of sharing and develop self-control and 

self-discipline. These crucial life skills help 

children make sense of the world and 

build positive relationships with others. 

Interpersonal intelligence is an integral 

fabric in our society, and at Tutor Time, 

children learn how to solve problems and 

work together on a daily basis. 

This comprehensive approach to 

teaching and learning is representative of 

Tutor Time’s continued dedication to being 

the leading Early Childhood Education 

organization of choice for parents around 

the world. The innovative curriculum, safe, 

secure and clean learning environments, 

caring and enthusiastic instructors 

all assure parents that their children 

are receiving the highest standards of 

education available in Indonesia today. 

Over the summer period, Tutor Time 

provides exciting and challenging learning 

opportunities for children at several of 

its campuses. These weeklong “themed 

activities” offer children the chance to 

enjoy fun activities such as cooking, arts 

and crafts, sports and science projects with 

their friends and our qualified Tutor Time 

teachers. Parents can rest assured knowing 

that their children are engaged in exciting 

and stimulating learning activities in a safe 

and secure professional environment while 

their children take part in Tutor Time’s world 

of “Summer Explorers.” 

BY: TUTOR TIME INTERNATIONAL PRESCHOOL. 



kids & 

education 

an eDuCatIonal Walk DoWn 

Jalan SeSama 

JALAN SESAMA is an 

Indonesian adaptation of 

the US children’s TV series, 

Sesame Street, targeting 

3-6 year old audiences. The 

educational show teaches children 

positive morals with the aim of 

helping them learn basic cognitive 

and life skills. The show addresses 

issues specific to the region and 

encourages young children to 

protect the environment and 

appreciate the indigenous cultural 

and biological diversity. 

JALAN SESAMA has aired three production 

seasons, each consisting of 52 episodes. 

Having premiered on February 18, 2008, 

JALAN SESAMA hopes to continue 

educating and entertaining children around 

Indonesia – and help them to reach their 

highest potential. The show is co-produced 

by Creative Indigo Productions Indonesia 

and Sesame Street. 

THE ELEMENTS 

Educational Objectives 

Each of the various segments within the 

half hour episodes is designed to present 

a single educational objective derived from 

the Statement of Educational Objectives 

(more commonly referred to as the 

“Curriculum”) – which is the educational 

framework for the project. The curriculum 

was developed by Indonesian educators 

and child development experts and 

addresses the universal educational needs 

of children as well as reflecting local values 

and educational priorities. The curriculum 

covers six broad developmental areas: 

1) Physical, 2) Cognitive, 3) Emotional, 4) 

Social, 5) Aesthetic, and 6) Moral. 

These six educational aspects 

are introduced in conjunction 

with a central theme. The central 

theme is decided upon at a 

curriculum workshop that is held 

prior to the production stage. 

Previous central themes 

have included: Literacy, 

Character Building, 

Environmental Awareness, and Diversity 

– all of which are closely correlated 

with local issues affecting children in 

Indonesia. 

Show Format 

The JALAN SESAMA program features 

stories and songs that are all presented in 

Bahasa Indonesia. Each episode consists 

of studio segments which are locally or 

internationally produced and feature the 

JALAN SESAMA muppets and the Sesame 

Street characters; the Live Action Film 

segment (a short film on culture and 

the lives of Indonesian children) and an 

animation segment. 

Each episode of JALAN SESAMA is 

broken down into independent segments, 

and each segment teaches one 

educational objective. This way, children can 

enjoy and benefit from the segments even if 

they only watch parts of the episode. 

Characters 

The studio segment of JALAN SESAMA is 

the program’s main feature. The segment 

tells the story of four muppet characters 

that live on JALAN SESAMA: Tantan, 

Jabrik, Momon and Putri, each with a 

distinct personality and talents. Peripheral 

characters include Secret Agent 123, who 

helps children learn basic arithmetic using 

his “secret recorder”; Gatot Kata, who 

introduces the ‘letter of the day’; and the 

universally-adored Elmo, who poses as a 

hapless newcomer eager to learn about the 

customs and people of Indonesia. 

Take your mind and your eyes for a trip inside our travel pages, where 

you will be taken to peek at many amazing places around the world, which 

hopefully will inspire you to have a bit of adventure. 

124 Bali’s 

Booming, 

Be 

Careful! 

130 get Your 

rewards 

134 travel 

diaries 


www.nowjakarta.co.id MAY 2011 | 119 

PHOTO: ALISTAIR SPEIRS 

“The vibrant Spice Market combining modern 

commerce with ancient trading traditions illustrates 

perfectly the allure of Istanbul as a destination.”

Istanbul Diaries: 

Part I teXt & PHotos BY: ALISTAIR SPEIRS 

“Madam, madam, come inside” cried the handsome smartly dressed 

shopkeeper in the Grand Bazaar, “Come inside, and let me sell you 

something you really don’t need”. And with these words the true 

enjoyment of our Istanbul adventure were sealed, says Alistair Speirs 

after four days in Turkey’s vibrant mega-city. 

“Let’s go to Istanbul! I said to my dear 

wife”. “Sure” she replied, not thinking 

I was serious, “Let’s go this weekend”. 

So we did. And with the combined 

assistance of Turkish Airlines and Renk 

United Travel we had four extraordinary 

days of constant fun and stimulation in 

one of the best cities in the world for 

tourism. 

Here are a few of the places we 

visited, on just the first two days. More 

to come in Part II! 

Hagia Sophia 

Everyone has heard of the massive 

Church-which-became-a-mosquewhich-became-a-museum 

but few are 

prepared for its astonishing age, its 

amazing size, its awesome decoration, its 

aura of mystery, its fascinating history 

and the thrill of entering for the first 

time. I certaintly wasn’t, but I came away 

impressed. 

The entrance is well organised, as 

are most attractions in Istanbul, with 

efficient ticketing and good security. The 

grounds are well kept and clean. But it’s 

inside this enormous structure that the 

excitement begins. 

I wasn’t anticipating the size of the 

main room, with its multitude of half 

domes and roof structures. I was amazed 

at the lights hanging low on forty metre 

cables. I was impressed by the mozaics 

which are still nearly intact after 1500 

years of history. 

First built by Constantine in 360 AD 

it was burnt down in 404 and rebuilt by 

Theodosius II starting in 405 but was 

destroyed again in 532 AD. 

The third construction was started 

immediately by Justinian and took 

10,000 people to build the incredible 

structure that still stands today. It was 

finished about 550, and was the centre 

of Orthodox Christianity for 900 years 

till 1453 when it fell into the ottoman 

empire’s hands and became the grand 

mosque; and remained an important 

centre of Islamic worship for 400 years. 

It officially became a UNESCO 

World Heritage site in 1985. 

Topakapi Palace 

Close by Hagia Sophia lies the 

sprawling complex called Topakapi. 

Overlooking the Bosphorus, this was 

the focal point of the Ottoman Empire 

for 4 centuries. This is where the Sultans 

and their many courtiers lived, worked, 

played and often died without leaving 

the grounds. 

There is an extensive series of rooms 

containing a mind-boggling array of 

jewelry, clothing, furniture and valuables 

collected by the Sultans, with the most 

amazing being original religious artifacts 

including the cloak of the Prophet 

Mohammed, his sword, his teeth and his 

beard! Sadly no photography is allowed 

in these rooms. 


That was not the case for “The 

Harem” where we gleefully snapped the 

opulent rooms of the private quarters 

of the sultans’ wives and concubives, 

gold trimmed, embroidered and with 

a wonderful array of ceramic tiles 

throughout. Fascinating for their design 

and their colourful past! 

Shopping 

In our next installment I will cover the 

showcase shopping centres of Istikal 

Street and the Grand Bazaar, here I just 

want to give a quick note on the fact that 

Istanbul has a huge variety of shopping, 

from the marvellous Spice Market to 

sumptuous antique and carpert stores. 

The heritage Spice Market is an 

enthralling traditional bazaar, crammed 

with shops selling Turkish delight, 

ceramics, lamps, silver, textiles, fruit, 

flowers, carpets, coffee, silver and 

-of course- spices! Far from being 

pushy and aggressive, the vendors are 

charming, amusing and welcoming. It’s 

an absolute must on anyone’s agenda but 

decide first: shop or look, or you 

will get confused. I recommend 

you shop! 

Did you know tulips 

originated in Turkey? Me 

neither! But seeing the 

abundance of them in the flower 

markets gave us a clue. The 

flowers and gardens produce 

in the local markets were 

outstanding. 

There are a large number of 

really wonderful antigue and 

carpet shops dotted around the 

old city. Enter if you dare. The 

pictures tell the story of serious 

temptation! Credit cards sadly 

are accepted everywhere. You’ll 

need them. 

In my next installment: the 

mosques, Dolmabahce Palace, 

the Grand Bazaar and dining 

delights. For now, farewell 

from Istanbul, a city of serious 

surprises! 

FAST FACTS: 

Getting there: 

Turkish Airlines flies daily from 

Jakarta to Istanbul. 

Jakarta Office: 

Prudential Tower, 19 th floor 

Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav.79 

Jakarta 12910, Indonesia 

T: +62-21 5795 7666 

F: +62-21 5795 7667; 

www.turkishairlines.com 

Panorama Tours organise 

excellent tourism services, 

hotels, tours, etc in Istanbul, 

through their representatives: 

Renk United 

T: +90 216 357 40 46 

F: +90 216 302 28 91 

www.renkunited.com 

Panorama Tours 

Panorama Building, 

Jl. Tomang Raya No. 63, Jakarta 

T: +62-21 2556 5555 

F: +62-21 2556 5556 

www.panorama-tours.com 

We stayed in Cartoon Hotel, just 

off Taksim Square which was 

comfortable and friendly. 

T: +90 212 238 9328 

F: +90 212 238 52 01; 

www.cartoonhotel.com.tr 

C 

M 

Y 

CM 

MY 

CY 

CMY 

K 



Diary of A Pampered Princess: 

Royalty Treats at the Majapahit Hotel, Surabaya 

BY RISTI BROPHY Once upon a stressful week, NOW! Jakarta’s Risti 

Brophy arrived in Surabaya from a physically-draining 

business trip with one mission in mind: indulging in total pampering at the 

majestic Majapahit Hotel. Here’s the diary of the pampered princess! 

Sleep deprived and completely 

exhausted after my previous trip, it was a 

welcoming sight to find an immaculately 

dressed driver waiting at the arrival hall 

of Juanda International Airport - a big 

smile on his face. Maybe it was a blessing 

in disguise that it was no horse-driven 

cart that he rode, as within minutes this 

urban princess was fast asleep in the 

back of the comfortable car, oblivious to 

my surroundings. 

Upon arrival at the magnificent 

Majapahit Hotel, another welcoming 

surprise awaited. A soothing lemongrass 

ginger drink was at the ready at 

reception, along with a nice, cold 

towel. Barely a minute passed by when 

the cheerful GRO escorted me to my 

Executive Suite to check in at the privacy 

of my beautiful room -decorated with 

the finest of antique wooden furnitures, 

beautiful tapestry and superb paintings 

and old photographs of the historic city. 

SURABAYA 

All checked in and ready to crash, 

so far things were going so effortlessly 

well, and it continued on as I saw on the 

coffee table in my living room a selection 

of chocolates and fruit basket beckoning. 

But, trying to shake off the exhaustion, I 

headed to the bathroom instead and was 

pleasantly surprised to see a huge, bath 

tub with charming brass fixtures in one 

corner and an antique wooden vanity in 

the middle with separate compartments 

and an assortment of amenities. The 

expansive bathroom also features a large 

shower and separate toilet – the antique 

black and white tiles adding a perfect 

touch of grandeur. 

Now feeling fresh after a relaxing hot 

bath, I rang up room service and was 

soon sitting at the comfortable chaise 

lounge of my living room watching 

AXN, accompanied by a nice glass of 

red wine. Although the massive bed 

looked enticingly inviting, I resisted the 

temptation and decided to check out 

the lobby lounge. An acoustic band was 

playing and -another glass of Merlot 

later- I was happily crooned by the 

Santana wanna-be’s. 

But the exhaustion soon caught up 

and though I truly enjoyed the beautiful 

surroundings of the hotel’s manicured 

garden, with its soothing fountains 

and regal colonial design, I decided to 

call it the night and headed back to my 

comfortable giant bed. 

The bed proved to be just the 

remedy I needed. I remember lying in 

it thinking about the beautiful windows 

that line up the hotel’s white walls; how 

romantic they look against the green 

grass of the courtyard. Minutes later 

–or so I thought- I sat awakened by the 

sound of the phone ringing. Completely 

disoriented, I was ready to complain 

about the late night call, only to find a 

smiling voice on the other side politely 

reminding me that it was 9 am and that I 

had an appointment at the hair dresser’s 

in 30 mins! 

When I finally came back to the hotel 

that afternoon after a nostalgic tour 

PHOTOS: MAJAPAHIT HOTEL. 

around Surabaya’s old town, a hot latte 

accompanied me as I sat looking over 

the hotel’s majestic ballroom. The high 

ceilings, huge pillars, antique cast iron 

chandeliers and heavy teak doors make 

the perfect backdrop for an intimate, 

grand reception for up to 300 pax. 

Jim Costa, my charming host and GM of 

the Majapahit Hotel, shared good news 

of a planned restoration of the hotel 

which would include a new executive 

lounge and English bar to be completed 

by September. A great reason to plan 

another visit! But soon I was reminded 

of my mission, and the spa seemed to be 

the perfect next stop for this pampered 

princess. 

Managed by Martha Tilaar, the 

manager of the Majapahit Spa suggested 

that I try the ‘Chocolate & Rose 

Treatment’. A 2-hour long of indulgent 

treatment, it started with a 

soothing massage using rose 

and sandalwood oil to de-stress 

and calm the muscles, followed 

with a steam bath to open up 

the pores. A chocolate scrub 

then ensued - and this diva 

can definitely do with a bit of 

Godiva! Meant to moisturize 

the skin and with a detoxifying 

quality, the scrub left my skin 

feeling smooth, yet fresh and 

relaxed at the same time. 

The chocolate bath which came 

later smelt of -guess what- 

sinfully delicious chocolate! A lovely 

treat indeed! 

The spoiling did not stop there 

however, as my visiting friends and I 

headed to “Sarkies”, the hotel’s authentic 

Chinese restaurant, named after the 

Armenian brothers who started the 

whole family empire of magnificent 

boutique hotels including the Majapahit 

in Surabaya, the Eastern & Oriental in 

Penang, the Strand in Myanmar and the 

Raffles in Singapore. 

The Historic Majapahit Hotel 

The Majapahit Hotel is a silent 

witness to many historic 

events taking place in Surabaya 

during the fight for Indonesia’s 

independence. Built in 1910 by 

Lucas Martin Sarkies –the son 

of the Raffles Hotel founder- it 

was initially named the ‘Oranje 

Hotel’. During World War II, the 

name was changed to Yamato 

Hoteru (Hotel Yamato). The 

Sarkies Brothers returned to 

the hotel management in 1946 

Everything that 

was put on my plate 

was of superb quality; 

from the tenderloin 

with black pepper, 

the duck, prawns and 

sauteed vegetables. 

Finishing off with a 

deadly combination 

of mashed avocado, 

chocolate sauce and 

thick cream, the meal 

was definitely fit for a 

king, errr, princess! 

Another round 

of drinks with my 

lovely hosts at the 

lobby lounge seemed 

the perfect call to end 

the night, and soon 

we were sipping our 

Surabaya Slings happily, cherishing the 

disappearing signs of stress - and my new, 

refreshed look; a healthy glow thanks to 

the chocolate and rose scrub at the Spa, 

the coconut milk pancake with fresh 

tropical fruits that the Executive Chef had 

prepared especially for me that morning, 

... the list just goes on and on! I was very 

proud to conclude: mission accomplished! 

To plan your pampering stay, please visit: 

www.hotel-majapahit.com 

and changed the name to Hotel 

L.M.S. (Lucas Martin Sarkies). 

Mantrust Holdings Co. became 

the new owner in 1969 and it 

was then that it adopted the 

name Hotel Majapahit, after the 

single most enduring kingdom of 

ancient Indonesia. 

In September 1945, the 

Majapahit Hotel was the 

backdrop of what was to be 

one of the most memorable 

moments in Surabaya’s history, 

when thousands of young 

Surabayans stormed the 

hotel’s lobby and climbed up 

to the roof to tear off the blue 

section of the Dutch’s redwhite-blue 

flag, turning it into 

Indonesia’s red and white flag. 

Indonesia had just declared its 

independence shortly before, 

and when words spread that 

a Dutch flag was hung instead 

of the Indonesian’s red and 

white flag, the angry mob soon 

Events at the Majapahit 

Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoyed 

my stay at the Majapahit Hotel. To 

think that such a royalty treatment 

can be yours for a fraction of what 

it would cost at other Sarkies’ 

properties! The Majapahit is offering 

a Weekend Package of 4 days and 3 

nights stay at the Executive Suite for 

only Rp 2,000,000++, which includes 

a free welcome fruit basket, usage of 

gym, sauna and whirlpool, as well as 

breakfast at Indigo Cafe for two. 

The hotel is also cooking up an 

exciting event, especially for those 

planning to tie the knot in the near 

future, when the ballroom and various 

venues within the hotel’s premises 

will be transformed into wedding 

venues – both indoors and outdoors 

– so the brides- and grooms-to-be 

can envision what a romantic and 

grand wedding they can have at the 

Majapahit. Check out their website for 

more information. 

gathered at the Majapahit to 

get down to business. 

Maintaining a 100+ year old 

property is definitely no easy 

task, and I must take my hats 

off to the Majapahit Hotel’s 

dedicated team, for every corner 

of the property is immaculately 

looked after. The Majapahit 

is best enjoyed at a leisurely 

tempo, when one can take time 

to savour its entire splendor in 

no rush. 


A Piece of History 

on A Roll 

Surabaya’s House of Sampoerna 

BY RISTI BROPHY As the second largest city in Indonesia, Surabaya is 

the gateway to many travelling to the eastern part 

of Indonesia. Direct flights from Asian cities like Singapore, KL, Penang, 

Bangkok, Hongkong, Taipei and Bandar Seri Begawan also frequent 

Surabaya’s Juanda International Airport daily – exposing the city to 

international business travellers and tourists alike. 

Capital of the East Java Province, 

Surabaya is probably best known for 

its role in history, as it was here that 

the Battle of Surabaya took place on 10 

November 1945, earning it the title of 

the ‘City of Heroes’. 

Surabaya’s rich history also includes 

the ‘flag incident’ taking place at the 

Majapahit Hotel, when local youngsters 

stormed the hotel to tear off the blue 

strip of the Dutch red-white-blue flag, 

turning it into Indonesia’s red-and-white 

flag, shortly after Indonesia had declared 

its independence. 

In the past, many visitors came to 

Surabaya in transit to Mount Bromo 

– famous for its majestically amazing 

sunrise, but another popular travel 

destination in Surabaya was born with 

the opening of the House of Sampoerna 

in 2003. 

© PT HM Sampoerna, Tbk 

Touted as currently one of the most 

popular tourist attractions in Surabaya, 

the House of Sampoerna stands proud 

in the heart of the city’s north district 

-the ‘Old Surabaya’- where many old 

colonial buildings, legacy of the Dutch 

reign, can still be found around. This 

stately Dutch colonial-style compound 

had initially been used as a boys-only 

orphanage (jongens weezen inrichting) 

by the Dutch, and was purchased in 

1932 by Liem Seeng Tee‚ the founder of 

Sampoerna‚ with the intent of it being 

used as Sampoerna’s first major cigarette 

production facility. 

Built in 1862, the compound 

consists of a large central 

auditorium which now houses 

the Museum, a smaller building 

where the Cafe is located, as well 

as numerous large‚ single story‚ 

open-space structures behind 

the central auditorium. It is the 

central complex that has now 

been open to the public since its massive 

restoration started in 2003. True to the 

family tradition, the right-wing of the 

compound is still used as the family 

residence until now. Meanwhile, the 

large warehouse-like structures were 

used to accommodate facilities for 

tobacco and clove processing‚ blending‚ 

hand-rolling and packaging‚ printing 

and finished goods processing. 

Today‚ the compound is still 

functioning as a production plant for 

Sampoerna’s clove brand -Dji Sam Soe- 

and more than 2,500 women still work 

at the factory, hand rolling the sticks at a 

lightning speed. A display of their rather 

unusual skill is proudly showcased to 

visitors, as I watched in awe that day; 

500 skilled women, many of whom are 

the fourth generation working for the 

company, rolling 325 sticks per hour 

skillfully yet so effortlessly. Loud dangdut 

music is played every now and then, and 

the ladies happily move to the beat while 

maintaining their steady rhythm with 

the rolling, cutting and packing. Simply 

amazing! 

The House of Sampoerna opened its 

doors in 2003 with the objective to not 

only provide shelter for the hundreds 

of historic memorabilia that were the 

pride of the Sampoerna family, but also 

to promote a love for art and, most 

importantly, to grow public appreciation 

toward the city’s heritage and promote the 

history of Surabaya in order to preserve it. 

The Museum itself offers a unique 

experience for visitors. The exotic smells 

of clove and other spices fill up the air 

upon entering the tall main entrance, 

where the story begins of how founder 

Lim Seeng Tee, himself an orphan after 

losing both parents at a very young age, 

has started the family business empire 

from a very modest beginning –selling 

hand-rolled cigarettes door to door. 

As part of its program to preserve 

culture and history, in 2009 the House 

of Sampoerna introduced its now wellaccepted 

‘Surabaya Heritage Track’, 

for which a custom-made tour bus 

resembling the old tram that used 

to roam Surabaya’s streets has been 

procured to take visitors on a guided 

tour. I joined the lunch time tour around 

Chinatown, which includes a visit to 

Hok An Kiong Temple. The guide, well 

spoken and confident, took us through 

the stories of the many historic buildings 

along the route. From time to time we’d 

stop to enjoy the sight and take time to 

The House of Sampoerna has successfully 

pioneered the birth of a new concept of 

museum recreation previously unknown 

to the local public. The usual image of a 

grotty, damp, almost derelict old building 

with boring shelves displaying some 

missing items is replaced with the inviting, 

cozy ambiance of an immaculately 

maintained building which has a 

welcoming, homely feeling. Every detail 

is given a great deal of attention; items 

on display show a picture of a happy 

family home, proudly showcasing their 

most memorable moments. Although the 

buildings are over 140 years old, modern 

comfort is not forgotten with the Cafe 

digest the information given. Later on 

in the tour, we were taken through the 

Arab neighbourhood, where trading still 

takes place up to this day. 

Back at the House of Sampoerna, 

after a spot of delicious lunch and 

latte at the Cafe, I browsed through 

the art gallery which regularly houses 

exhibitions by renowned artists both 

Preserving History, 

Empowering the Next 

Generation 

To assist the 10,000+ visitors 

who visit monthly, the House of 

Sampoerna employs university 

students from all around Surabaya 

as its part-time tour guides. The 

program is intended to provide 

an opportunity for them to build 

confidence, improve their public 

speaking skills as well as lay a good 

foundation for career preparation. 

Students are encouraged to apply, 

but they must give a comitment not 

to let the job affect their grades – 

on the contrary it should promote 

better grading. 

‘Museum Entertainment’ Made Popular by House of 

Sampoerna 

offering popular local and Western dishes 

... and good coffee too! A souvenir shop on 

the upper floor of the Museum provides 

a variety of local products, including the 

bold-coloured batik from East Java. This 

commitment to assist with the promotion 

of museum recreation continues with 

the launch of www.wisatamuseum. 

com, a website managed entirely by the 

House of Sampoerna which provides 

museum enthusiasts and visitors with 

a broad range of information about 7 

partnering museums which were the 

icons for Indonesia’s Visit Museum Year 

2010, museums in Surabaya, as well as a 

directory of other museums in Indonesia. 

from the local and international art 

scene. At the time I made a visit, a 

painting exhibition entitled “Impressions 

of Surabaya and Other Landscapes” by 

John van der Sterren was taking place. 

An upcoming “Sikka’s Ikat” Hand Woven 

Exhibition, in cooperation with the 

Bliran Sina Community, was to follow 

until 15 May 2011. 

With so much to offer, and an 

enviable passion to promote Surabaya 

and its rich history, the House of 

Sampoerna has definitely been successful 

in reliving a piece of history - on a roll! 

House of Sampoerna 

Taman Sampoerna 6, Surabaya 60163 

T: +62 31 353 9000 F: +62 31 353 9009 

E: hos.surabaya@sampoerna.com 

Admission is free and no prior reservation 

is necessary, but group of 25 or more 

should notify the staff in advance. The 

Surabaya Heritage Track tours are also 

free of charge, but reservation is on a first 

come first served basis. 

© PT HM Sampoerna, Tbk 

Touring Surabaya’s Old 

Town with the Surabaya 

Heritage Track 

The Surabaya Heritage Track (SHT) was 

launched in 2009 and now offers three 

regular tours daily for visitors of the 

House of Sampoerna. The ‘trackers’ 

are transported in the comfortable, 

air-conditioned SHT bus, custom made 

for the House of Sampoerna. Big, dark 

windows allow for better vision, and the 

friendly tour guides provide bilingual 

explanation. In additional to the existing 

routes to the Heroes’ Monument, City 

Hall and Chinatown, the House of 

Sampoerna periodically arrange themed 

tours around the city to commemorate 

certain holidays and celebrations – such 

as the upcoming ‘Museum Tours’ during 

the month of May to coincide with the 

International Museum Day celebration, 

which will take the trackers on a tour to 

several museums in Surabaya. Do check 

their website for more details: www. 

houseofsampoerna.com 


© PT HM Sampoerna, Tbk

A Home in Ubud 

In a market filled with luxury and service, with star ratings and users 

reviews, there is a place for down to earth, straight forward, sticking 

to the basics, keeping it simple accommodation, and when you find it, 

grab it, as it is something that’s a delight to come across. So says Now! 

Bali’s Alistair Speirs after staying in D’Omah in Ubud. 

Some thirty years ago a young 

entrepreneur from Australia set out to 

make his fortune in Indonesia, and in 

the course of time founded Indonesia’s 

biggest travel agent (Pacto), created a 

major handicraft industry exporting 

from Java, helped many deserving 

causes, and then decided to get into the 

hotel business. Now with two properties, 

one in Jogjakarta and the other in Ubud, 

the latest dream is developing. 

For those who don’t know, Ubud is 

the centre of arts and culture in Bali (at 

least as far as the visitors are concerned!) 

and has always been considered to be 

somewhere to seek peace and quiet. 

This has led to the development of many 

luxury boutique hotels, mostly at the 

very top end, in contrast to the basic 

homestays where the travelling public 

used to have to stay in since there was 

nothing else. 

Enter D’Omah, nicely bridging the 

gap with a truly “Ubud” hotel that is 

more like a village than a hotel, with 

plenty of space and leafy walkways, with 

villas dotted about like village houses, 

with charming relaxed staff who make 

you feel at home, with an unpretentious 

air and an unhurried atmosphere. 


The villas are simple, homely, wellfurnished 

and comfortable. It would 

be hard to find something lacking in 

the amenities and furnishings but it’s 

family style so don’t expect a six star 

experience, that’s not what we are here 

for. We are here to experience Ubud at 

its most relaxed. 

The food is organised by the 

personable manager Mendez, who 

also has his own restaurant around the 

corner, Warung Mendez. And it is more 

than sufficient to start the day well and 

ensure you don’t need to move if you 

don’t want to. But in a village populated 

by some very fine restaurants, that’s hard 

do! 

But a hearty breakfast, served in 

your villa, starts the day off well. A swim 

in the large, cool pool keeps the blood 

flowing, and a relaxing massage in the 

cute, little spa at one end of the property 

should leave you fit and ready to face 

Ubud’s galleries, musea and shops. And 

the location, just up behind Blanco’s 

Museum, ensures you are in the action 

in minutes while still being off the 

beaten track. All in all, a good choice 

for a value-driven family seeking an 

authentic experience. 

PHOTOS: D’OMAH


BALI 

The Art of World-Class 

Cooking at Mozaic Bali 

Looking for some ideas to spend an afternoon in 

style but productively? Join Chef Chris Salans at 

the famed Mozaic Restaurant in Bali and learn how 

you too can apply Mozaic’s world-class Modern 

French cooking techniques at home! 

Famed for the outstanding 

quality of its exquisite dishes, 

Mozaic Restaurant is part of 

an elite group of restaurants 

considered as some of the 

best in the world. Ranked in 

the top 5 and 6 in the Miele 

Guide in Asia for 2009 and 

2010, Mozaic’s world-class 

reputation has also earned it a 

place amongst the prestigious 

Grande Tables du Monde by 

Traditions et Qualité, the first 

restaurant in Indonesia to 

have achieved it. 

In 2007, a modern and 

unique culinary school 

and lifestyle venue was 

added to the restaurant’s 

facilities. Designed as 

a cooking school for 

recreational classes and 

also for professional chefs, 

The Workshop is a place for 

culinary arts development 

and exchange, training and 

development. 

Chef Chris 

Salans’ The 

Workshop presents 

recreational 

cooking classes 

for group or 

individuals of any 

level, from the 

food enthusiast 

to the fervent 

cook. The cooking 

classes offered 

vary in theme 

and techniques 

explored: learning 

the subtle use of 

Asian Ingredients 

for the food 

of Mozaic, 

using precious 

ingredients like 

of foie gras, or 

a Spa & Health 

Cuisine theme, guests enjoy 

a variety of subjects which 

can be experienced along 

with an alfresco lunch, for 

half or full day formats. 

Whether you are looking 

for a perfect afternoon to 

discover Bali through its 

produce, in search of a prewedding 

family activity, a 

corporate team building 

activity, the classes all 

concentrate on the art of 

discovering the freshest 

Balinese ingredients and 

apply the philosophy of 

Mozaic Restaurant through 

cooking techniques of 

Modern French cuisine. 

Classes are held 

every Wednesday at Rp 

900.000 ++ per person, 

but can be organized daily 

with a minimum of four 

participants. 

www.mozaic-bali.com 

BY: MOZAIC RESTAURANT BALI. 


Yab Han Wei, 

Chef de Cuisine For 

Chinese Specialty 

The Laguna, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Nusa Dua, Bali is 

delighted to announce the appointment of Yab Han Wei as the new 

Chef de Cuisine at the resort, specialising in Chinese cooking. 

Chef Yab is no newcomer to Starwood 

Hotels & Resorts; he has enjoyed a 

successful career with the hotel group 

for almost 5 years at several properties 

across the region. These include The 

Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa – 

Malaysia (formerly Sheraton Perdana 

Resort Langkawi) and Four Points By 

Sheraton Kuching Sarawak – Malaysia. 

With more than 20 years in the Chinese 

culinary world, Chef Yab has also had 

experience in various renowned Chinese 

restaurants in Malaysia. 

Chef Yab brings a wealth of 

experience in Chinese cooking from 

Ma Joly, 

luxury resorts and renowned restaurants 

in Malaysia and Bali. Under the 

guidance of two award winning culinary 

leaders, Oscar Perez, the Director of 

Kitchens – Complex and Executive 

Chef I Made Putra, Chef Yab will be 

responsible for preparing daily the 

restaurant’s Chinese specialities, in-room 

dining and other special Chinese cuisine 

enquiries at the resort for special events 

such as weddings, meetings and Chinese 

set menus. In addition, Chef Yab will 

also be responsible for wedding and 

meetings set Chinese menus for The St. 

Regis Bali Resort. Chef Yab’s specialties 

perfect for corporate functions 

Overlooking the tranquil waters of 

Tuban Beach and located just 7 

minutes away from the airport, 

Ma Joly renders an ideal location and a 

blend of French, continental and local 

cuisines. The fine-dining restaurant is 

perfect for occasions ranging from a 

casual cocktail gathering to a formal 

corporate function. Serving fine-quality 

buffets and set menus, Ma Joly is also 

open to customizing menus as well as 

decorations for themed events. Along 

with functions, there is also a variety of 

entertainments on request such as live 

include Dim Sum, lobster porridge, 

Peking duck, dried scallops X.O. sauce 

and many more. 

A Malaysian national, Chef Yab is 

fluent in English, Hokkien, Cantonese, 

Mandarin and Bahasa Malaysia and 

enjoys soccer and badminton in his 

leisure time. 

For further information please contact: 

The Laguna, a Luxury Collection Resort 

& Spa, Nusa Dua, Bali 

T: +62-361 771 327 

www.luxurycollection.com/bali 

acoustic or jazz music, Balinese Dance, 

Kecak, Trio Batak and a Fire Dance 

display. With a capacity of 280 pax, 

Ma Joly certainly offers an ideal venue 

and food for an intimate, or a formal 

gathering with your loved ones. 


Last month I went to Hyderabad for the 

engagement party of Mallika Reddy, 

daughter of GVK boss Sanjay Reddy, with 

Siddhart. 

GVK has just been awarded the job 

of renovating Bali’s airport, after their 

successes in Mumbai and Bangalore. 

The party was completely over the top: 

jewelry-clad socialites with the extended 

Reddy clan who played host to half of 

Hyderabad). 

The evening started with a ‘choir’ of 

Brahman pre-teens (from the local Hindu 

‘pesantren’) reciting Vedic hymns on the 

covered lotus pond; behind them, a giant 

screen showed the arrival of the fat cats in 

big cars. 

� Taj Khrisna waiter stands guard in the moghul 

pavilion. 

The house, and the bride-to-be, had been 

decorated, lavishly, by Sandeep, of Abu and 

Sandeep, Mumbai’s top couturiers. 

In the ‘Moghul Garden’, which I had 

designed some years ago, I found some 

topiary-style Indian musicians (after Jeff 

Koon) in a marble pavilion, attended by one 

of the Taj Khrisna’s elegant, orange turbanclad 

banquet staff. 

• • • 

The day after the party I visited Priya 

Paul’s latest ‘design hotel’ — the S.O.M 

designed Park, Hyderabad, a master piece 

of modernism. Miss Paul has asked various 

Delhi designers and artists to do the interiors 

which have a refreshing, exotic Indian look. 

• • • 

From Hyderabad I travelled to Kochi to 

start work on a new Banyan Tree hotel on 

an island in the backwaters near Kochi — a 

resort that promises to be spectacular, with 

a Venetian-style canal entrance ‘drive’. 

• • • 

On the way to the site I spotted a Keralastyle 

mosque complex — a tiered roof 

� Dia Reddy (left) and her sister-in-law Mallika 

Reddy at the engagement party. 

timber structure that lead to a stepped tank. 

Connecting the tank and the handsome 

19th century mosque was a curved corridor 

cum ablutions block (for the Muslim wuduh 

performed before prayers) that was also 

a ‘masterpiece of modernism’, only more 

inspiring than SOM’s Park Hyderabad. Truly 

angelic Mopla Muslim schoolboys in white 

turbans — from the local Madrasah — 

completed the atmosphere of perfection 

and old world charm. From Kochi I took the 

train to Kasargod in North Kerala, to the 

site of the Taj Bekal, the superb boutique 

� The lobby of the smart new Park Hyderabad 

hotel, Skidmore Owings Menil of the U.S.A. 

� The choir of chanting Brahman schoolboys in 

front of the big screen at the Reddy’s house. 

beach resort which nears completion 

under the able stewardship of Bali-based 

architects and landscapers. Oddly, Indians 

are coming to Bali to build tropical airports 

and the Balinese are going to India to show 

them how to do tropical gardens. 

The seven hour train trip went quickly, 

passing though some delightful towns and 

countryside along the Malabar coast. An 

exquisite teenage Punjabbi ‘Sloane ranger’ 

joined us for the last half of the journey 

and enchanted the coach-load of merry 

Malayalees. 

In Bekal I witnessed the last night of a 

series of demonic possession rituals called 

� (Top) The pool at lobby level at the Park 

Hyderabad; (bottom) the lobby lounge, by Delhi 

designer Presha Baid (Flowers by Blossom of 

Hyderabad), at the Park Hyderabad. 

Jlema Lengeh at a local temple. There was a 

lot of slaughtering of animals and squirting 

of blood which seemed unnecessary. After 

Bali, the Hindu temple rituals of India seem 

chaotic, if heart felt. 

The next day I spent a few precious 

minutes documenting worker fashion in the 

workplace, for my coming book. 

It is a fact rarely noted that the Indian 

workers on construction sites, from 

Singapore to Libya, are very stylish — the 

most stylish being the Malayalee (Keralites) 

and Tamils, whose darker complexion takes 

bright colours wonderfully. 

• • • 

My next ‘pit-bull stop’ was Mumbai where I 

stayed at the truly remarkable Grand Hyatt, 

designed by yet another venerable N.Y. 

firm of architects and interior designers, 

Kohn Pederson Fox. The collection of 

contemporary Indian sculptures, part of a 

hotel-wide art consultancy by Delhi-based 

Rajiv Sethy is awe-inspiring. 

� A Punjabbi beauty on the train from Kochi to 

Kasargo, Kerala, India. 

Mumbai was in the grips of World Cup 

fever — with headlines such as “Born to 

lead” and “No fly zone over stadium” — so 

I was glad to leave Sydney on Singapore 

Airlines heavenly early morning flight that 

gets into Singapore at three and connects to 

Sydney on an A380 at 8 p.m. 

6th April 2011, Sydney: A chance 

encounter with two living treasures: 

Early April saw me back in Sydney for the 

sensational Amie Leibowitz exhibition at the 

Museum of Contemporary Art, and to take in 

� A painter in Jackson Pollock inspired T-shirt at 

the Taj Bekal project site. 

� The view to lake Hyderabad from the pool deck 

of the Park Hyderabad. 

some nature, generally, after three months in 

the urban sprawl of Asia. 

Sydney and Melbourne really are the 

perfect antidote for Sprawl-itus, and for 

the early onset of bloody-mindedness 

— there are so many fabulous arthouse 

cinemas, and theatres, and concert halls, 

and VIEWS. 

Living in South East Asian cities — 

Singapore being the exception — one tends 

to forget about the joy of ocean, harbor and 

mountain views so immersed is one, almost 

constantly, in traffic. 

Walking in the Whitely Gardens in 

� Young Muslim students at the heavenly 

mosque near the Banyan Tree Kochi jetty, Kerala, 

India. 

Lavender Bay I happen across celebrity 

gardener Wendy Whitely and famed 

author Nicholas Rothwell, with his partner 

Aboriginal Australian politician and painter 

Alison Anderson Nampitjinpa. 

Alison is having a solo exhibition at the 

gvh gallery tonight and I am invited back 

to Wendy’s home, the ‘Taj Mahal’, to see a 

DVD on Alison’s work, and her community of 

artists, near Darwin. 

The film featured painter-women doing 

extra-ordinary pointillist works while saying 

mundane things (“Edna just bashed Gwen 

on the head there was blood everywhere”). 

There was quite a bit of spirited dancing 

(while holding fistfuls of gum leaves) which 

I loved. The Northern Territory landscape — 

the background to the plot, and to Allison’s 

art — is sublime. 

When one has an Indonesian-islander 

perspective the Aborigines’ sound a tad 

“sacred and secret” when talking about 

their (threatened) culture. The people of Alor 

� Tough worker in chic Malayalee (Kerala) day 

wear (Lughi and Paul Smith shirt) on the Banyan 

Tree Kochi project site. 

share many cultural traits with their distant 

cousins in Australia but they don’t sound 

pious and New Age when explaining their 

culture, just child-like, like the Balinese High 

priests. 

No one wants to go wading into a 

mine field of mystical metaphor but one 

thing is for certain: the attachment of the 

indigenous Australian to their land and 

their worship of nature is intense — a 

lesson to us all. 

� Australian Parliamentarian Alison Anderson 

Nampitjinpa giving a speech at the opening of her 

Solo art exhibition in Sydney. 


“I believe I am the first child of a JSAS Chieftain 

to be elected – hopefully, the first of many!” – 

What brought you to Jakarta and 

what keeps you here? 

We first came to Jakarta in 1969 when I 

was a small (very small!) child, from Brunei. 

Although I was soon to go to school, and 

then University, in Scotland, my sister and I 

travelled back and forth for the holidays. 

Following University, I came often to 

visit Dad, latterly with my two children 

and during one such holiday, in 2007, to 

encompass the Jakarta Highland Gathering 

of that year, I met the CEO who was to 

become my boss. With two daughters, 

Brionna, then 16 and Ayley, then 14, 

entering crucial exam-filled years at school, 

this was a bit of a crazy move! However, 

they have really loved their time at BIS and 

agree that this has been a tremendous 

opportunity for them to experience a 

different lifestyle. 

We understand you have been 

recently elected as Chieftain of the 

Java St. Andrew Society. What does 

this mean and why is this special to 

you? 

Agreeing to stand, when appealed to by 

some members, was definitely a matter of 

heart over head. My head is (still!) saying 

‘you must be crazy’, I have other priorities, 

but my heart said ‘aye’. Being an ex-pat 

child, seeing Dad, Gordon Benton, going off 

to be Chieftain in KL, Singapore and Brunei, 

before the Java St Andrew Society in 1973/4 

(I think I thought he was always Chieftain!!), 

I would never have believed it would one 

day be me. I do feel very honoured and 

conscious of the weight of history, of a 

society founded in 1919. 

We understand you are also involved 

in organising the Jakarta Highland 

Gathering. What is this and what do 

you do for this event? 

I’ve been helping in the Jakarta Highland 

Gathering for a couple of years. This is a 

very special event for me since Dad was 

one of the initiators, back in 1975 and I 

helped, and competed in, the first few 

annual events. 

It’s changed somewhat since that time 

and we no longer have to bang in our own 

fence posts on the JIS playing fields, worry 

about how to import a caber or rely on a 

local ‘Heavy’ out of the Sumatran hutan 

in a batik kilt to toss it, but the original 

philosophy remains. 

It is a unique Indonesian, and Scottish, 

day-long event in the Highland Gathering 


SHONA BENTON 

tradition, with multiple competitions and 

performances of sport, music and dance, all 

happening simultaneously. Affordable ticket 

prices enable up to 10,000 Indonesians 

and Ex-Patriates, alike, to attend, spectate 

and take part. Located in a stunning island 

location in the middle of the beautiful, green 

and traffic-free Lippo Village (Karawaci), only 

a step along the Merak toll from Jakarta, the 

Highland Gathering is a wonderful day out 

for all the family. 

I coordinate the Main Arena team, 

who are responsible for bringing in the 

competitors from Scotland, Australia 

and South East Asia, well as locally, from 

Jakarta and Banten. They plan, design 

and manage the whole programme of 

day-long entertainment, and competition, 

through to the grand finale of the Fire 

Festival. I also manage the volunteers on 

the day and do other bits and pieces, like 

documenting the ‘lessons learned’ (issues) 

from previous events in order to ensure 

continual improvement in successive 

years. 

That’s a lot of commitment for 

someone to undertake, what else do 

you enjoy doing apart from looking 

after the Scots in Indonesia? 

Obviously, my family and my work are 

my first priorities. But, apart from those, 

and the activities mentioned above, I 

am also about to complete my Masters, 

with only the dissertation to research 

and write up. I enjoy going out to Events 

in Jakarta and especially the Scottish 

evenings on Thursdays where I can 

catch up with good friends. My main 

relaxation, if only a few minutes per day, 

is reading, mainly non-fiction these days. 

I enjoy learning more about work related 

topics and Scottish history, especially 

the clearances, the enlightenment and 

incredible engineering innovations, such 

as the Falkirk wheel and the Stevensons’ 

lighthouses. Also Indonesian, and Far 

East Asian, history, including the 2nd 

World War and events surrounding 

the Burma-Siamese railway, where my 

paternal grandfather died.

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