Archive for May, 2007
More and more people today are increasingly concerned with the atmosphere of a restaurant than with its menu. In fact, it is atmosphere that has attracted thousands of tourists, mostly from Jakarta, to spend their weekends in Bandung.
In its pursuit, tourists do not mind crawling through the traffic on Jl. Juanda (also Dago) at weekends or over a long holiday. They are only after a unique dining atmosphere at an altitude of over 800 meters above sea level.
Boemi Joglo is one such restaurants, found at some 1,000 m above sea level on a gravel road in Rancakendal Luhur, Dago, a place rather difficult to reach. Its name consists of the Sundanese word boemi and the word Joglo, a kind of Javanese roof.
It is crowded with guests, although its menu is quite modest.
“We have only 20 tables and 100 seats,” said Badar Rahman, the 23-year-old manager of Boemi Joglo and the owner’s son.
Although the restaurant has been in operation for three years, Badar said, it is yet to expand its seating capacity.
This is because the slope of the terraced Dago hills are at a 30 to 45 degree incline, which makes any construction proceed slowly. Many visitors thus have to wait or make reservations to dine at this restaurant, particularly on weekends.
The restaurant only boasts a total of 15 dishes, such as rice, chicken, toast, French fries, spaghetti and fried tofu. The menu also includes 21 standard beverages. However, the delicious dishes at affordable prices are a great lure for guests.
Favorites include Sate Maranggi from Purwakarta — roasted skewered meat served on a hot plate — and mendoan, a unique dish of lightly fried battered tempeh from Banyumas, Central Java.
“All the dishes here are specially prepared by my mother and are quite different from similar dishes you can find in other restaurants, as these are family recipes,” said Badar.
The recipes are a result of a cooking experiment carried out by his mother Dedeh Rahman, who “recruited” her husband Rahman Kosasih and their two children as food tasters.
The restaurant offers two kinds of steamed rice: steamed rice with salted fish and pete (a kind of smelly bean) and steamed rice with chicken and mushrooms.
His mother, Badar said, prepared the rice by combining the steaming methods of Solo and that used at Islamic boarding schools. Usually, the rice is cooked in a steel pot — or kastrol in Sundanese — on a stove. Dedeh, however, prepares it in a covered clay pot.
After the rice and other ingredients are cooked on the stove, the clay pot is then placed on an open fire. It is served with slices of red or green pepper and fried thin slices of onion.
The amount of steamed rice served depends on the number of guests, and ranges from Rp 25,000 for two and Rp 125,000 for 10 people.
“Steamed rice is my favorite dish here, aside from mendoan,” said Sastia, a 21-year-old French literature student at Bandung’s Indonesian Education University. She often eats at Boemi Joglo with her parents and elder sister.
Mendoan is prepared in a slightly different way from the original Banyuman recipe. The tempeh is sliced thinly and coated with a batter then fried in hot cooking oil, and served with thick soybean paste. One portion costs only Rp 6,000. As for the Sate Maranggi, a portion costs only Rp 15,000, with a choice of either beef or goat meat.
Badar said he had learned how to run a restaurant in the Rancakendal area from the manager of Warung Lela, a neighboring home-cooking meatball restaurant that is always packed.
“He advised us not to set our prices too high. And that it is not necessary to advertise our restaurant in the newspapers or on television, as it is costly. Let the guests promote the restaurant by word of mouth,” said Badar, a management graduate of Widyatama University.
As there are only 100 seats at Boemi Joglo, it can only accommodate about 400 total guests at weekends. During peak times, its turnover reaches Rp 7 million a day.
Guests can also get lucky and come across popular entertainers from Jakarta, among whom Boemi Joglo is a favorite. Entertainers like Luna Maya and Titi DJ, and Foreign Minister Hasan Wirayuda are said to have dined here.
Sastia said the only weakness of Boemi Joglo is its limited seating capacity and small parking area.
At a glance, the restaurant looks like a house with a narrow yard for parking. The structure has no eye-catching colorful ornaments.
Badar said his parents, who love traditional furniture and antiques, erected the 200-year-old Joglo house in the Jepara style. The building was formerly a residence and then a gallery.
Today, this house is the main dining area with the conventional interior of a family home.
When Rahman retired, the family thought about starting a business in antiques.
“We had to make money to cover daily expenses but if you sell antiques, you cannot be sure that there will be a buyer every day. How could we survive then?” said Badar.
Finally, it occurred to them to use their yard, covered by leafy trees, to build a restaurant.
True to the original concept, almost all structures in the restaurant compound — the residence, the employees’ dormitory and the kitchen — are in the Joglo design.
Knowing very well that their plot was located in an area prone to landslides, Badar’s family has kept the trees, which cover almost 60 percent of the compound. These trees have become a special attraction to guests, who can sit and dine at tables laid out among the greenery or in a corner of the garden.
Boemi Joglo thus provides a rather intimate ambience, even if the city lights are not clearly visible at night, blocked by the Dago hills.
But diners can expect a new attraction soon — the family plans to build at least four guest houses and a new restaurant specializing in European cuisine.
Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung
May 23rd, 2007
PULAU AYER, Indonesia - Indonesia has so many islands it has not been able to count them all and is having a hard time finding names for them.
From coral-fringed atolls to jungle-clad volcanoes thrusting up from the ocean, its chains of islands sprinkled along the equator make up the world’s biggest archipelago.
Officially there are about 17,000 islands, but that number may drop as one minister fears hundreds of islands might vanish because of rising sea levels from global warming.
So, before it’s too late, the country aims to complete its first detailed survey this year, spurred on by worries ranging from sovereignty disputes to climate change.
Even near the capital, there is confusion over the numbers.
Pulau Ayer, or Water Island, is one of a string of islands just north of Jakarta. This tiny dot of an island is part of a chain called Pulau Seribu, or Thousand Islands. Depending on who you ask, there are between 100 and 145 islands.
“How can you manage the islands if you don’t know the identity of the islands?” questioned Alex Retraubun, a government official in charge of small islands and leader of the survey.
“So this agenda is quite important, quite strategic, to smooth your policies in the future,” he added, speaking in his office in the ministry of marine and fisheries in central Jakarta, with a large map of Indonesia pinned to the wall.
The issue has become a hot topic after Indonesia upset neighbouring Singapore recently by banning sand exports to the city state, blaming sand mining for literally wiping some of its islands off the map.
The government says it has 17,504 islands, but Retraubun said not all officials are clear about the numbers.
ISLAND-HOPPING
“If you pay attention to our important persons’ speeches sometimes the number of islands varies with the speakers. We really need to make sure we have a definitive number.”
Retraubun was born on a small island in the remote Moluccas region of eastern Indonesia. He went on to study coastal management at Britain’s Newcastle University.
His team is on the last leg of a three-year project to visit every island in Indonesia. Going to the islands, he says, is needed to ensure something is actually an island rather than a clump of mangroves partly submerged at high tide.
According to the U.N. convention on the Law of the Sea, an island is a naturally formed area of land, surrounded by water, which is still exposed at high tide.
The survey team takes the coordinates of an island it visits, notes what is there, whether it is occupied and, if so, what is the makeup of the community. The team interviews the inhabitants.
Far less than half of Indonesia’s islands are inhabited and it has yet to officially name more than half.
A marine ministry official said satellite data shows at least 700 are occupied. However, highlighting the sketchy data and hazy definitions, some sources put the number at about 6,000.
Under U.N. rules, the name of an island can be recognised if it is known by at least two local people.
Problems arise, though, when islands have the same name.
“You find almost, let’s say, seven islands with the same name and that is confusing,” said Retraubun.
In another case, he said an island in West Nusa Tenggara province was being renamed because the western name it had did not sit well with the Muslim population in the outlying area.
Nationally the island has been known as Pulau Sofia Luisa.
“Once we finish this survey then all the names should be standardised.”
He also noted the importance of naming islands, or even just rocks, particularly in disputed border areas.
“If that rock is in a border area that is quite strategic because from that rock you measure your maritime border.”
Retraubun said Indonesia had learned a lesson from a dispute with Malaysia over sovereignty of the islands of Sipadan, a popular diving resort, and Ligitan in the Sulawesi sea.
The International Court of Justice ruled in 2002 that the islands belonged to Malaysia, based on evidence that Kuala Lumpur was doing more on the islands to indicate its authority.
TOURISM AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Retraubun believes there is still huge potential for tourism, pointing to successful Dutch development of eco-resorts in the diving area of Raja Ampat off Papua province.
“If you’re talking about tourism then the isolation is actually an asset,” he said.
In contrast, Pulau Ayer’s proximity to the teeming capital means that the sea around the palm-fringed beaches of the resort island, which can easily be walked round in 10 minutes or so, is often murky and strewn with rubbish.
Retraubun said he wanted massive investment to come to the small islands, but was realistic about the challenges.
Indonesia’s environment minister Rachmat Witoelar in January said the country could lose about 2,000 islands by 2030 if sea levels continued to rise.
World sea levels are likely to rise by up to 59 cms (23.2 inches) by 2100 and bigger gains cannot be ruled out if ice in Greenland and Antarctica thaws, the U.N. climate panel said in February.
Nicholas Stern, author of an acclaimed report on climate change, has also pointed to Indonesia’s vulnerability.
“Island states are very vulnerable to sea level rise and very vulnerable to storms. Indonesia with 17,000 islands of course is particularly vulnerable,” he said on a recent visit to Jakarta.
Retraubun said that with the majority of small islands in the country only 1 metre above sea level, there was little Indonesia could do if sea levels rose dramatically.
“I think … we just pray.” (Additional reporting by Mita Valina Liem)
Source: Reuters By Ed Davies
May 22nd, 2007
Bandar Seri Begawan - APEC has launched an authoritative Tourism Risk Management Guide and training package to help businesses dependent on the tourism trade to survive natural disasters and crises.
According to APEC news release, this is the first time that formal risk management processes have been applied to the tourism sector. The materials are now freely available for government and tourism industry organisations around the region to use, reproduce and distribute as required.
Launched on May 14 in Gold Coast, Australia, the programme was developed as a direct response to the damage inflicted upon the tourism industry by disasters, which include the Indian Ocean Boxing Day Tsunami, the Bali bombings, Hurricane Katrina and the 9/11 attacks. The Information Guide and training programmes have been researched and published by the APEC International Centre for Sustainable Tourism (AICST), in association with the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, the Pacific Asia Travel Association and the Australian government.
Available in five languages, the APEC Tourism Risk Management Guide is designed to enable national and regional governments and tourism organisations to help tourism destinations and tourism-related businesses plan and deal with crises more effectively when they strike.
AICST Chair, Sir Frank Moore, said that the experiences of recent years, when thousands of lives, business and jobs were lost as a result of both natural and man-made disasters, have provided numerous lessons from which the region must learn.
“Nothing good comes from disasters such as tsunamis and bombings, but we owe it to those who have suffered to learn from their experiences to reduce harm in the future,” Sir Frank said at the launch of the programme in Gold Coast yesterday. Sir Frank said Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei
Darussalam have grown as important tourism destinations in a region that has also seen its share of disasters and crises, which have cost lives. “We need to learn from the crises that have hit the region, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, terrorist attacks and other disasters, so that damage is minimised, should they occur again,” Sir Frank said. “TIYe guide and the training materials are available in Bahasa as either a printed or downloadable series of guides and workbooks.
“When implemented within destinations and by both small and large tourism operators, the Tourism Risk Management approach will help prevent business and job losses, as well as reduce loss of life and injuries in the event of a disaster. The businesses that will benefit from the programme include not only those directly servicing visitors, but also operations that provide supplies, support services and other inputs such as bakers, taxi drivers, printing companies and laundries.”
The training programmes include Instructors’ Guides and Workshop Participants’ Workbooks that cover issues such as developing risk assessment and management strategies before a disaster strikes, dealing with a disaster when it occurs and recovery after the threat has passed.
Sir Frank said that it was important for tourism operators too have an understanding of how risk management can improve their businesses.
“Planning for all eventualities is essential, no matter if it is a disaster such as an act of nature or terrorist attack or a longer-term crisis, such as an avian influenza pandemic. “This includes identifying opportunities to improve business planning and policies through methods such as maintaining contact with the media to provide essential information on tourism facilities and services.
“Importantly, in times of crisis, both residents and visitors need firm leadership and direction, and this requires adequate pre-planning.”
By Amin Hosni — Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin
Brudirect.com News
May 21st, 2007
If you are a sakura lover but have no time to fly to Japan, look no further than the Cibodas Botanical Gardens in Bogor.
Plans to develop a 2.5-hectare garden in which to exclusively grow the sakura tree, otherwise known as the cherry blossom, are currently underway at the gardens and are expected to be completed next year.
Head of the gardens, Holif Imamuddin, said that the development of the sakura garden will enable the gardens to expand their sakura collection. Sakura trees usually blossom in April and September.
“The first cherry blossoms in Cibodas came from the Himalayan Mountains and were carried here by a Dutch researcher in 1936,” Holif told reporters Saturday.
Sakura is indigenous to the Himalayas and areas in east Asia including China, Korea and Japan. Japan has a wide variety of cherry blossoms with more than 305 species. This is due to the fact that many species were artificially hybridized or grafted by the Japanese centuries ago.
The blossoming of the tree has been celebrated by the Japanese for many centuries and the sakura assumes a prominent place in Japanese culture. Most cherry blossom varieties bloom for just a couple of days in spring in Japan.
The Japanese celebrate this time of the year with hanami, special picnics under cherry blossom trees.
In Japan, sakura trees are often located at castles, temples or shrines and are especially beautiful in such surrounds.
Holif said that some varieties of the sakura tree in Cibodas are from the Tokyo botanical gardens.
“The Japanese government presented sakura trees to former president Megawati in 2003,” he said.
Sakura trees were also presented to Governor Sutiyoso after the establishment of sister city relations between Jakarta and Tokyo.
Holif said that Indonesia and the United States were the only countries in the world which paid special attention to the cultivation of the tree.
“I was inspired to develop this sakura garden after visiting a similar garden in Washington, D.C.,” he said.
According to Wikipedia, Japan presented 3,000 sakura plants as a gift to the United States in 1912 to celebrate the growing friendship between the nations. These trees line the shore of the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C.
Theresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post, Bogor
May 21st, 2007
MONTPELIER – In a bittersweet ending to the drive to compete internationally as a tourism destination, Vermont’s downtowns lost out to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef in competition at the World Travel & Tourism Council on Friday in Lisbon, Portugal.
“I would say (competing was) wonderful exposure for the state and since this is an international competition, it puts Vermont on the map,” said Erica Housekeeper, director of communications for the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing.
Bruce Hyde, the department’s commissioner, traveled to the 7th Global Travel & Tourism Summit in Lisbon to represent Vermont as one of three finalists in the “destination” category.
The announcement marked the end of a three-step process that began with an extensive application, entering Vermont’s 22 designated downtowns. On the list were Montpelier, Barre and Rutland. That effort landed the Green Mountain state in the final running.
The second step was a site visit by a WTTC representative in February, the results of which were reviewed by a panel of judges who made the final call.
“Being a finalist is an honor in itself and we’re thrilled about that,” Housekeeper said. “And I think the WTTC recognized Vermont’s commitment to preserving and enhancing the vitality of our downtowns.”
The award – one of a package known to insiders as “the Oscars of the tourism industry” –recognizes “responsible tourism,” which is defined by such qualities as the walkability of downtowns, revitalization projects and cooperation between town agencies.
The application was submitted by the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing and the downtown program in December for the first time since the inception of the award three years ago. It included questions about impact on the natural environment, natural and cultural preservation efforts, educating visitors and impact on the local economy.
The Downtown Program has been working since 1994 to revitalize downtown economies and has 22 Vermont downtowns registered including Montpelier, Barre, Rutland, Randolph, Waterbury and Burlington.
The effect the Downtown Program has had on Vermont’s economy is exemplified by statistics that were included in the initial application for the award: “Statewide, the meals, rooms, and alcohol receipts for the time period of 2000-2005 increased by 16.5 percent while the average growth for communities in the downtown program was 22 percent.”
Vermont was chosen as a finalist out of 130 applications from 40 countries.
There were four categories with three finalists each. For the Destination Award, Vermont’s downtowns were up against the Greenbox, Ireland, in addition to Australia.
The Aspen Skiing Company won the Conservation Award; the Nihiwatu resort in Indonesia won the Investor in People Award; and Lindblad Expeditions, USA and global, won the Global Tourism Business Award.
The WTTC awards were sponsored by media businesses such as National Geographic Adventure, Newsweek, The Travel Channel and BBC World.
Housekeeper said she didn’t know if Vermont would enter next year’s competition, but said the overall experience was a good one.
“We received a lot of media coverage, which was great, and it reminded Vermonters too about how great our downtowns are for visitors and Vermonters,” she said.
Contact Daphne Larkin at daphne.larkin@timesargus.com.
By Daphne Larkin Times Argus Staff
May 18th, 2007
These days, the scent of roses and burning incense permeates the interior of Jogja Gallery.
The gallery’s latest visual art exhibition, The Thousand Mysteries of Borobodur, is all about recreating the mystique that surrounds the world heritage monument — the largest Buddhist temple in the world.
In the middle of the exhibition room sits the ancient Unfinished Buddha statue, from inside the temple’s main stupa. It is here in front of the statue that the pungent odor of flowers and smoke originates.
“We just wanted to show respect to the Unfinished Buddha while it’s here. This is how the statue was treated when it was at the Karmawibangga Museum at the temple,” exhibition curator Mikke Susanto told The Jakarta Post.
The exhibition, which opened officially on April 20 and will run through May 9, boasts some 50 visual artworks on display.
The works range from ancient 8th-century creations, such as the Unfinished Buddha and the egg-sized stupa Stupica, to contemporary comics and videos.
“Through the exhibition we want to create a forum for interpretative dialog about Borobudur, using visual art as the medium for revealing the mysteries surrounding the temple,” said Mikke, adding that the exhibition was also intended to be a meeting point for classical and modern works of art.
“That way, we are also trying to describe the development of visual art in Indonesia, from an ancient statue like the Unfinished Buddha, to a very contemporary one like Sebuah Pencapaian (An Achievement), both of which depict the same subject, the Buddha,” Mikke said.
The ancient statue of Buddha, which was discovered during the first restoration of Borobudur Temple in the early 20th century, is also known locally as Mbah Belet. The statue is believed by many to possess supernatural powers.
“Even in the present, the statue continues to be surrounded by mystery. No written record of it has been found so far. No one can tell us about its existence… about who made it, about why it was inside the main stupa when it was first found, and why it was unfinished,” Mikke said.
Sebuah Pencapaian is an installation by Magelang-born artist Ismanto, 39. The installation depicts how the mysterious, inner energy of Borobudur Temple has shaped it into a beautiful structure.
The work, an arrangement of flat stones into the shape of a cone topped with a sculpted Buddha’s head, also won the competition held between Feb. 1 and March 5 to select contemporary works for the exhibition.
The organizing committee selected 20 works from the competition, which was jointly organized by Jogja Gallery, the Jakarta Office of the United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
“We received a total of 360 works by 170 artists from across Indonesia,” said Mikke, adding that the program was also held in cooperation with state-owned PT Taman Wisata Candi Borobudur-Prambanan-Ratu Boko, Yogyakarta’s Gadjah Mada University and the Borobudur Center Foundation.
Five of the 20 paintings, photographs, installations, sculptures, graphics and videos that made the short-list were selected as winners at the competition.
The other winners are Mengikat Pondasi Sebuah Peradaban (Heri Purwanto, Yogyakarta), Batu di Atas Batu (Toni Ja’far, Pasuruan, East Java), Filosofi yang Membatu (Riduan, Yogyakarta), and Panji Cakrawala (I Made Supena, Bali).
Mikke said the exhibition moved beyond the so-called conventional fine arts of paintings and statues to other modern forms such as sketches, maps, comics, posters and photography.
This explains why the exhibited works also include a comic narrative describing the construction of Borobudur some 13 centuries ago, sketches of figures who have contributed to unraveling the mysteries of Borobodur, artistic maps of the possible existence of a prehistoric lake around the temple, posters by UNESCO, old books on Borobudur, and Borobudur’s Gargoyle drainage system.
“We also screened documentary films about Borobudur during the exhibition, including one on the official launch of the temple in 1983 by then president Soeharto following the completion of its second massive restoration,” Jogja Gallery executive director Indro “Kimpling” Suseno said.
Support programs for the exhibition have also been arranged, including public readings of old books on Borobudur by experts from the Borobudur Conservation Office, dialogs and seminars, an essay-writing competition and teacher training workshops.
Speaking at the opening ceremony on April 20, UNESCO Jakarta director Hubert Gijzen said the exhibition had been specially designed to allow people to participate in creative learning activities.
Through the exhibition, he said, his office also made available to the public the process of restoring Borobudur over the past decades, as documented in the publication The Restoration of Borobudur. The UNESCO publication was launched internationally in April 2006 the international organization’s Paris headquarters.
“We hope this exhibition will instigate and inspire all of us to safeguard this (example of) the rich cultural heritage of humanity, so that it will last for another thousand years and beyond,” Gijzen said.
Sri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta
May 18th, 2007
Many in Indonesia may never have heard of Azerbaijan, a beautiful country in the South Caucasus region. This former republic of the defunct Soviet Union is also absent from many maps published in this country.
However, thanks to the efforts of one man, many people in Azerbaijan are familiar with Indonesia.
Prof. Habib M. Zarbaliyev is the only Indonesianist in Azerbaijan and has devoted most of his life to learning the language, literature, history and culture of Indonesia and introducing the country to his compatriots.
“I have been promoting Indonesia in my country through mediums such as television and radio programs, seminars and cultural programs for a long time. I have written about 60 articles to date on Indonesia in various newspapers, magazines and academic journals,” Zarbaliyev told The Jakarta Post recently in Baku, Azerbaijan’s capital, speaking fluently in the Indonesian language.
“Every Lebaran we organize a small get-together with the Indonesian community in Baku,” he said, adding that there are around 25 Indonesians, predominately working for oil and gas companies, currently residing in Baku.
Zarbaliyev initially studied the Indonesian language in Russia.
“At first I joined the Faculty of Arabic Literature at St. Petersburg University in Russia. But I was attracted to the beauty of Indonesia after reading a few Indonesian short stories and decided to transfer my studies to an Indonesian language course,” he said.
According to Zarbaliyev, Indonesia and Azerbaijan share many similarities, especially in the areas of language and culture.
“The majority of people in both countries are Muslims. There are so many similarities between our cultures. There are also strong Arabic and Persian influences in both the Indonesian and Azerbaijani languages,” Zarbaliyev said.
“Both languages use words such as salam (greeting), kitab (book) and istirahat (rest). We have around 2,000 root words in our language which have the same meaning as Indonesian words.”
Zarbaliyev graduated in 1981 and obtained his PhD from St. Petersburg University in 1985. Between 1982 and 1987 he worked as a lecturer at St. Petersburg University and as a research fellow at Azerbaijan’s Academy of Language Science. Between 1987 and 1991 he was a research fellow at Leiden University in The Netherlands and between 2001 and 2002 was a research fellow at Malaysia’s Literature and Language Council.
After becoming a professor in 1998, Zarbaliyev transferred to the language department of the Azerbaijan State Economic University where to this day he continues to teach the Azerbaijani language, a member of the Oguz subdivision of the Turkic language family. He is also currently teaching at the Azerbaijan University of Languages.
Besides teaching the Indonesian language at various universities in Azerbaijan and abroad, Zarbaliyev, a great fan of Indonesian writer Pramudya Ananta Toer, spends much of his time writing books and translating the works of several prominent Indonesian writers into the Azerbaijani language.
In an effort to further promote Indonesia in Azerbaijan, Zarbaliyev, who will turn 54 this September, has also been dedicating much of his energy to two special projects.
One of these projects involves opening an Indonesian language department at the Azerbaijan University of Languages in Baku and the other is to write a comprehensive book on Indonesia in the Azerbaijani language.
“These projects have been my long-time dream. Luckily, they will be materialized very soon. Insyallah (God willing), if everything goes according to plan, we will open the Indonesian department in September this year,” Zarbaliyev said.
He said that in the initial stages, he and one of his four children will teach Indonesian in the department.
“My daughter Laura Zarbaliyev is currently studying in Yogyakarta. She will complete her master’s degree in August or September. We will both teach Indonesian,” he said.
Laura, a recipient of Indonesia’s Non-Aligned Movement scholarship, said she is looking forward to teaching Indonesian in the new department.
“It was my father’s idea that I should learn the Indonesian language. In the beginning it was a bit difficult, but now I can speak Indonesian fluently. I enjoyed residing for almost three years in Yogyakarta. I will be returning home soon to start my new job,” Laura, a postgraduate student in applied linguistics at the Yogyakarta State University, told the Post via telephone from Yogyakarta.
Zarbaliyev has visited Indonesia on four occasions, but has never stayed in the country for a prolonged period of time. He admits that it is difficult to master the pronunciation of a language outside the country in which it is spoken.
“I used to practice speaking Indonesian in front of the mirror. I definitely think it would be beneficial if there were one or two lecturers from Indonesia teaching in the new department,” Zarbaliyev said.
He is confident that the Indonesian government will help in this regard.
“We have already sought the help of the Indonesian government and the Language Center (Pusat Bahasa) in Jakarta. We want at least one lecturer from Indonesia to teach the Indonesian language to Azerbaijani students. We hope they will help us,” Zarbaliyev, who is married to a Russian language expert, said.
He said he hopes his new book will be published in 2008.
“My new book, Indonesia, will be approximately 500 pages in length. It will contain information about Indonesia’s history, geography, literature, language, ethnography, culture, arts, politics, economy and state structure, among other topics,” Zarbaliyev said.
Veeramalla Anjaiah, The Jakarta Post, Baku
May 16th, 2007
Indonesia has an opportunity to boost national development, especially in rural areas, through tourism.
To boost the number of foreign tourist arrivals in Indonesia the government is extending the visa-on-arrival (VOA) facility to include the citizens of 11 more countries, in addition to the 52 countries already enjoying the privilege. Citizens from Algeria, the Czech Republic, Fiji, Latvia, Libya, Lithuania, Panama, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Tunisia will now be permitted a VOA.
This follows a recommendation submitted last year by the Culture and Tourism Ministry to the Justice and Human Rights Ministry, for the extension of the VOA facility to include 19 more selected countries with the aim to increase tourism in Indonesia. However, government officials recently approved only 11, while the other eight countries remain on the waiting list.
As a major international tourist destination, Indonesia should prepare for the next decade, during which the tourism industry and international travel are projected to grow by 4.5 percent annually.
The tourism industry in Southeast Asia is one of the fastest growing in the world, and is expected to grow by an average of 10.4 percent during the next decade, only one step behind North America’s 11 percent. Last year, 56 million international travelers visited countries in Southeast Asia, an 8 percent rise from the previous year.
Indonesia is expected to cash in on these positive developments. As in many other countries in Southeast Asia, however, Indonesia’s tourism development is not without problems and challenges that must be addressed. Aside from strong competition from neighboring countries like Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, Indonesia is experiencing other problems. The country is still facing the threat of contagious diseases, like avian influenza; a pollution-haze problem; impact of natural disasters; security threats and the perceived lack of safety of the country’s air-sea transportation. These are some of the factors behind a decline in the number of tourist arrivals in Indonesia.
Indonesia has splendid tourist destinations scattered all over the archipelago that can be easily promoted in other countries. However, tourists are also looking for quality tourist-related services and facilities such as transportation, hotels and food.
Many questions can be raised about Indonesian tourism: Are the accommodations offered to tourists up to standard? Are tourists convinced of the safety of Indonesia’s air and sea transportation amid reports of major accidents in the transportation sector? Are effective promotional campaigns being carried out abroad?
It would do a great deal of good for Indonesia to once again have a successful travel and tourism industry, which at one time was second only to oil and gas as a source of national revenue. It is still possible for Indonesia to develop a tourism sector that can become one of the country’s economic engines and help alleviate poverty in rural areas? In order for this to happen, the tourism sector must be managed properly.
This year, the number of foreign tourist arrivals in Indonesia is expected to rise to six million, despite widespread pessimism in the light of Indonesia’s tourism woes. In 2006, foreign tourist arrivals in Indonesia dropped by 2,61 percent to 4,87 million, from five million in 2005.
These figures pale in comparison with those of Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. Last year, Thailand had about 15 million foreign arrivals, Malaysia 17 million and Singapore 12 million. These three countries have been very proactive in promoting their tourist destinations in the European and American markets.
Since tourism is everybody’s business and is a perennial activity, the government and all tourism stakeholders need to find ways of transforming problems and challenges into opportunities for development through creativity and innovation.
Indonesian foreign missions abroad, especially the embassies and consulates, have been vigorously promoting Indonesia’s tourist destinations and are making a substantial contribution. Therefore, tourism-related agencies in Indonesia need to establish cooperation and partnership with Indonesian foreign missions overseas.
The government recently announced that it will soon open (and, in some cases, re-open) a number of Indonesian tourism promotion offices abroad. This will be positive for the development of Indonesian tourism, especially when combined with the offer of the visa-on-arrival facility to tourists.
However, the opening of new offices abroad and the granting of special visa facilities to foreign nationals will not guarantee an increase in tourist arrivals for Indonesia. Good service and facilities and better infrastructure is also required. Above all, tourists who visit Indonesia need to feel safe and have confidence in the mode of transportation they are taking while enjoying the tourist attractions of the country.
The writer is working for the ministry of foreign affairs. The views expressed here are his own. He can be reached at basnur2002@yahoo.co.uk.
Al Busyra Basnur, Jakarta
May 16th, 2007
Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono has called on Indonesia’s younger generations to play a more active role in expanding the domestic science and technology industries to shore up both military and non-military national security.
Addressing a graduation ceremony at Pancasila University here Thursday, Juwono said the 2002 Law on State Defense identified human resources as being the most valuable asset for maintaining national security and key to ensuring the country’s existence.
“With the main concern having shifted from physical threats to non-military ones, such as health, intolerance and energy, it is time for the youth to defend the country in ways beyond going to the battle field,” he said.
Indonesia’s strategic location in the global trade corridor is let down by its considerably weaker economic and resource capacities when compared to its neighboring countries. The role of intellectuals, Juwono said, would therefore be essential in using science and technology to take full advantage of global competition.
“It’s a battle of science and technology out there … and we need the young and the universities to join hands with the government to produce skillful science that is applicable, including to develop the defense system,” he said, adding that the Defense Ministry was intently associating with other ministries to strengthen such non-military components of security.
Focused efforts with the industry and research and technology ministries, he said, were inevitable to discern how the military’s needs for weaponry could be fulfilled domestically by promoting growth in the national defense industry.
Juwono said his office, in coordination with the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, is watching over energy usage both at home and in exports to ensure the availability of energy in the long run.
“With China and India using up a lot of energy in the world to boost their speedy growth, we must be sure that our share is secure,” he told over 900 graduates.
Close work conducted with the Health Ministry, Juwono went on, would also contribute toward effective bio-defenses for the nation.
“We’re seeing which age groups are most vulnerable and are working on that. Those between the ages of 17 and 35 will be the determining group, as they’ll be the ones running the economy and the country,” he said.
As unlikely as it could be, Juwono admitted, working with the Culture and Tourism Ministry was also a high priority.
“It’s how to maintain values and how they come out into nothing but unity and tolerance. Tolerance is the magical power of unity (of a state),” he said.
Such non-military avenues, along with the military’s well-integrated three forces, are essential to Indonesia’s efforts to build a sufficient, budget-based defense system with an essential minimum force.
“I believe education is the answer to all these challenges in our defense building,” Juwono said.
Indonesia, which has around 220 million people, has this year earmarked a gross income of US$365 billion, with military spending at $3.3 billion.
Comparatively, Singapore, with just 4.4 million people, is looking at a $180 billion gross income and $4.4 billion in military spending. The U.S., meanwhile, is seeking $12.5 trillion and $550 billion, while Japan has set the figures at $4.5 trillion and $46 billion respectively.
Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
May 15th, 2007
The Foreign Ministry intends to play a greater role in promoting trade, tourism and investment on the international stage by holding a series of investor forums to showcase the untapped potential of Indonesia’s regions.
“Through these forums, we are hoping to use our diplomacy to promote mutually beneficial economic transactions,” Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda said Thursday during the launch of the first “Update from the Regions” forum.
“This forum will also promote interaction between the diplomatic community, businesspeople and local administrations,” he said.
The launch of the forum was attended by ambassadors from some 30 countries, mainly from the Middle East, Europe and Africa, as well as representatives of national and international business associations.
Riau province, located near Singapore, has been chosen as the first province to be featured by the forums, which are to be held regularly.
Riau, which produces oil, gas, crude palm oil, and pulp and paper, has become a major destination for foreign and domestic investors.
According to data from the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), foreign investment in Riau amounted to about US$1.8 billion last year, the second biggest amount among the country’s 33 provinces. Meanwhile, domestic investment in the province reached Rp 20.8 trillion (about $2.3 billion), the third biggest.
Riau Governor Rusli Zainal said that his administration had taken steps to create a more favorable climate for investment, including the setting up of a coordinating team to handle all bureaucratic problems.
The team, which comprised representatives of the provincial administration, the police, and immigration, customs and tax services, would work together to ensure that the province would become widely known as a good place to do business.
“We have also established a program called ‘Riau Vision 2020′, which focuses on poverty eradication, human resources development and infrastructure improvements, so as to support economic growth in our province,” he said.
He added that his administration planned to organize an investment summit in the provincial capital, Pekanbaru, in September to provide more detailed information on investment opportunities in the province.
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
May 14th, 2007
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