Indonesia's Floating Paradise: The River Markets of South Kalimantan




Thousands of Indonesians travel to Thailand each year to see the renowned Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. Little do they know, there is a floating market closer to home, located in Banjarmasin, the capital of South Kalimantan. 

Early Morning ‘Fortune’ 

It was raining hard in the pre-dawn hours. The call for morning prayer had not been made yet. The city of Banjarmasin was still in deep slumber, but I was already up and ready by the side of the main road, waiting for any transport that could take me to the morning Kuin floating market. 

Having my previously arranged tour suddenly cancelled due to an insufficient number of guests to fill the quota, I was forced to make last-minute travel arrangements to the floating market. I was sleepy, soaked and disoriented. Looking at the empty road, I began to think that going to Thailand’s floating market is a better idea. At least the logistics in tourist-friendly Thailand would have been easier to arrange. 

Luckily for me, Indonesia is filled with friendly people who are always ready to lend a hand to others. 

Banjarmasin was deserted at dawn with no sign of taxis, ojeks or any other vehicles passing by, but an old man took pity to me. He helped me wake up a taxi driver, who was sleeping in his taxi, and asked him to take me to the Kuin Market Dock, where I would be able to rent a klotok (small traditional boat) to cruise around the floating market. 

The driver wasn’t thrilled to be woken up so early, but as Indonesians say, “You can’t and shouldn’t refuse rezeki [ fortune destined by God], especially that which comes in the morning.” So he drove me through the rain and darkness, all the way to the dock. 

Once I was there, I faced another problem. Where were the klotoks that I could rent? The rain must have already halted business for the day. 

Walking down the dock, I finally found a single boat. The captain, Utuh, suggested Rp 150,000 ($16.38) for the rental, which would include visits to some surrounding islands, but I haggled him down to Rp 100,000. It was fair enough for both of us. 

I hopped on and he immediately sailed along the Barito River. After a short ride, he stopped the boat in the middle of the Kuin River and asked me to wait for the floating market to emerge. Emerge? From where? There I was, clutching my umbrella tightly, my mind filled with expectations but my eyes weary with exhaustion. I gave into a quick nap. 

Emerging Market 

Soon after the call to morning prayer sounded, Utuh woke me up from my little nap. He told me the market was coming. “Coming” was indeed the right word. As I pulled myself out from the canopy, I saw several canoes carrying fruits, vegetables, and fresh goods, making their way to the center of the watery area. The petite canoes, locally known as jukungs, were overflowing with the vibrant colors — bananas, cucumber and spinach were , stacked in the front of the boat. The vendors were mostly women energetically steering their jukungs with wooden paddles. Their heads were covered in distinctive traditional headware, round hat made from bamboo. 

As the sun slowly rose, the activity at the Kuin floating market increased. Arriving from various small canals linked to the Kuin river, buyers started arriving, paddling to their desired vendors. Once they were close enough, the haggling take place. 

The radio in my klotok played some traditional Banjarese music as I sat outside watching the market with growing fascination. It was hard to believe this well-preserved tradition still exists in the era of shopping malls and on-line commerce. As the sun rose in the sky, new boats began arriving with eager tourists snapping away with their cameras. As the second largest floating market in the world, the exotic Kuin attracts many amateur photographers. 

With the morning hours passing by, the sellers eventually finished their business then steered back to the canals from where they came. Utuh said they were off to smaller floating markets in remote areas along the Barito or Kapuas rivers to do more business. Life is still centered along the rivers in Banjarmasin as most of the population lives along the river banks. 

After I finished sightseeing, it was time to have some breakfast — a floating breakfast. 

We glided slowly through the hordes of canoes as Utuh steered our boat to one particular klotok that was actually a floating cafe. As we got closer to his boat, the vendor tied our boat with a rope linked to his. I guess this “anchor” also functions as a security measure to prevent his clients from doing an eat-and-run. 

Packed in his half-meter wide boat, the man displayed a selection of dishes, from a heavy breakfast combo of rice wrapped in banana leaves to different kinds of traditional donuts, fried bananas, paes singkong and paes pisang (traditional banjar cakes of cassava or banana mix wrapped in a banana leaf). 

I decided to try a local delicacy so I went with rice with spicy egg. As soon as we ordered, the vendor used a wooden stick with a nail attached at its edge to harpoon our wrapped meal. He passed the food to us with the stick, too. This was a very clever technique as it would be hard to maneuver around the tiny boat to serve customers. For a three-course breakfast that included several cakes, we only paid Rp 25,000. 

Monkeying Around 

Our next stop was an island, Pulau Kembang, which is home to the lutung and l o ng-nose bekantan, both rare specie s of monkey. I didn’t have a good first impression of the island and it only went downhill as the visit continued. P lastic rubbish was scattered everywhere around the place and it seemed neglected and ghostly. 

Although it is endorsed as an official Taman Wisata (Tourism Park), the Rp 5,000 admission only gets you a view of monkeys hanging out by a gazebo. Also, the monkeys were rather aggressive, which made the recommendation that I buy peanuts to hand around seem suicidal. I rushed back to the boat in fear of my life. 

But the m orning got better after that and I enjoyed floating on the calm Barito River and se e ing the serenity of local life unfold. It was much nicer than fending off hostile monkeys. 

Historic Mosque 

Back on land, I followed Utuh’s suggestion of visiting the oldest mosque in South Kalimantan, which was located just a five-minute walk from the boat dock. 

The mosque was built by the first Muslim king of the Banjar Kingdom, Sultan Suriansyah, as a way of promoting Islam across the region. 

The design of the building was adapte d from the Demak Mosque in Central Java, with the roof styled in tiered layers following the principle of Meru, the sacred mountain that leads heaven and is often found in the architecture of religious buildings in Java and Bali. 

As with Demak, the entire building is made from wood and painted green, the color o f Islam. Adorned with intricate carvin g s of Banjarese flowers and plants, the mosque brings a sense of serenity and comfort. Added to the feeling is the fact that the wood construction absorbs heat, making the inside cooler. 

The laughter of local children playing football also found its way into the mosque. It made me calm; I felt safe in this house of God, which has survived for many centuries. 

Another five-minute walk brought me to the tomb of Sultan Suriansyah. The complex serves as the final resting place for the sultan, his queen and several others prominent Banjar Kingdom figures. The place has become a favorite for local and regional pilgrims. 

Though it was surely an interesting place to visit, a lack of signage and information made the mosque visit not as interesting or significant as it should have been. It would be nice if the government would invest in maintenance so that visitors could learn the history of this unique mosque. Remember that if you come, you must bring properly modest clothing as it is considered a sacred place by most Banjarese.

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/lifeandtimes/indonesias-floating-paradise-the-river-markets-of-south-kalimantan/508350

Train Rides

I love travelling by train, some interesting trains that I have caught;  


The metro train in Dublin to Dalkey is very scenic, hill side views along the edge of the bay, only costs you a couple of euros. 

The Heathrow to Cardiff train is very easy and comfortable.

I've also caught a train Hanoi to Hue in Vietnam

Trains in Thailand north to Chiang Mai and south to Samui. 

The Ghan from Alice Springs to Melbourne

Jakarta to Bandung

Guangzhou to Hong Kong

Jakarta - Yogyakarta

And technically it is not a train, but a tram, but the Hong Kong Peak Tram ride is a classic.

Mountain hiking in Indonesia

Indonesian Hiking in the Bag
Catriona Richards | January 30, 2012

 

For anyone looking for a challenge in the New Year, here’s a record to beat: British hiker Daniel Quinn climbed 14 mountains in Indonesia last year, bringing his total number of conquered peaks to 49 since he arrived here three years ago — and that’s not including the 21 hills, volcanoes and other peaks he attempted along the way. His motivation? To upload information on Indonesia’s lesser-known hiking spots to the Web site Gunung Bagging (gunungbagging.com), started by Quinn and fellow hiker Andy Dean in 2009.

The name comes from the century-old British tradition of “mountain bagging” (gunung is the Indonesian word for mountain), whereby hikers challenge one another to conquer a checklist of peaks categorized by topographic prominence. It is called “bagging” because each peak conquered is another one “in the bag” for the hiker.

GWK : Garuda Wisnu Kencana (Huge Balinese Temple)

The beautiful and serene park, overlooking Jimbaran Bay, was originally meant to be the best cultural park in Indonesia, and maybe, one day, the world.

The 100 or so visitors milling around the 20-hectare Garuda Winsu Kencana cultural park in Jimbaran looked small in comparison to their surroundings. “It’s like visiting a cemetery,” said a young girl watching the sunset from the park, which sits on a hill south of Denpasar.

But now it is just another remnant of the New Order regime, part of an ambition to build world-class landmarks to compete with iconic structures like the Statue of Liberty in New York. Under the auspices of Soeharto, local artist I Nyoman Nuarta was commissioned to create a huge statue of Wisnu, the god of creation, sitting on Garuda, the mythical bird that carries him, with a final height greater than that of the Statue of Liberty. The project was started in 1996-7 and came to an abrupt halt on the 14th of May 1998 when the Rp collapsed along with the government.

The park was also to be equipped with a performance center with 7,500 seats, and ampitheather, a street theater, galleries, restaurants and other artistic attractions. Problems began to emerge almost as soon as construction started in 1997, with the budget ballooning to hundreds of billions of rupiah.

The park was initially the idea of the Garuda Wisnu Kencana Foundation, a grouping that included then minister of tourism and telecommunications Joop Ave, then mining and energy minister IB Sudjana, along with Nuarta and several other influential individuals and businessmen close to Soeharto.

It was to be built in the rocky and hilly area of Jimbaran, which present new logistical problems. The hills had to be cut flat to create the area required for the statue, which is still not finished today. Only the head and torso of Wisnu have been completed.

Land clearing was also an early problem. A 250-hectare plot of land, 100 hectares of which belonged to Badung regency, and the rest to residents, was required. Ten years later, there are still disputes over the matter.

“The clearing program with the local residents has not yet been solved properly,” said Anak Agung Ngurah Rai Riauadi, the park’s public relations manager.
Management of the park’s construction was not effective because so many people shared their ideas and wanted to see them put in place, “which were of course very difficult to accommodate,” he added.

The monetary, social and political crises between l997 and l998 worsened the situation. The fall of the Soeharto administration badly affected the project badly. Today, only 20 percent of the original project has been completed, and construction was halted entirely in September 2004.

Only a few years ago, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono promised to find investors to continue the project. “I promise to you that we will finish the project. It is the pride of the nation,” the President said in a speech. Nothing has happened since then.

I Made Mangku Pastika, former head of the Bali Police, was then appointed chairman of the foundation, while Edi Sukamto, owner of the Kuta Galeria Shopping center, was made the park’s director. “We will continue building the park in May 2008 to commemorate National Awakening Day,” said Mangku Pastika.

However, money will always be a lingering problem for the project. Only a very few investors are eager to invest in cultural projects.

The Use of Shoes Made in Indonesia Campaign

Bandung. Some civil servants in West Java are welcoming a proposal barring foreign-brand shoes at work — even if the provincial governor floored others by proposing push-ups as a penalty for defying the rule.


The plan, set to take effect on July 1, was meant to encourage the use of locally made footwear at government offices, based on a 2009 presidential decree promoting domestic products.

“I am [not afraid of the] sanctions that come with the rule because I already use locally made shoes every day. I have three pairs,” said Nana Adnan, secretary of the province’s animal husbandry office.

“There are many upsides to the policy — helping entrepreneurs, encouraging purchases just right for civil servants’ pockets,” he said. “And quality-wise, they are not inferior to imported products.”

Ade Sukarsah, employed at the provincial headquarters in Bandung, also said he was in the habit of going to work in plain-toes from Cibaduyut — a shoe-producing subdistrict.

“I don’t have many [foreign-label] shoes, maybe only two pairs,” he said on Saturday, a day after the proposal was announced.

“But if it’s for work, I only wear shoes made in the country,” the officer added.

West Java Governor Ahmad Heryawan had said on Friday that routine shoe checks would be conducted at government offices once the plan was implemented to ensure that the thousands of provincial-level employees would abide by the new policy.

The newly launched campaign was dubbed “The Use of Shoes Made in Indonesia.”

But the exact punishment for violating the rule had yet to be worked out, he said.

“The penalty can take various forms, including push-ups,” Heryawan said. “What is important is that there will be sanctions.

“This way, we are asking all people, especially civil servants, to side with the people” who work in local shoe manufacturing, the governor had said.

He said it would be up to officers-in-charge to ensure that their employees were toeing the line, adding that checking shoe brands would be “easy.”

However, Heryawan said district- and municipality-level officers will not be required — but encouraged — to follow the rule.

Ali Rahman Sidik, a cobbler in Cibaduyut, said he supported the initiative, but lamented that the government could have helped the industry more by specifying shoemaking districts where civil servants could buy shoes.

“I expect revenues [for Cibaduyut producers] to rise by around 25 percent [with the new rule],” he said.

“But if our subdistrict had been specifically mentioned in the circular as a place to support, revenues could rise by up to 75 percent,” Ali added.

Cibaduyut has 460 shoemaking businesses which produce an average of 4 million pairs of shoes a year and employ around 3,500 workers.

The shoemaker also said he hoped the same policy would be implemented at schools in the province and nationwide because this could boost the domestic shoe industry further.

Special Report: Cruelty Behind the Mask of Jakarta’s Monkey Circuses

It is a pitiful sight, but one that Jakarta residents are used to and that tourists encounter within days or even hours of arriving.

By the side of the road, a small, skinny monkey, sometimes fitted with a grotesque mask and garish costume, juggles or rides a toy bicycle or rocking horse, all the while tethered by a chain to a handler squatting in the shade a meter or two away, waiting for the occasional coin tossed from a car window.

In one South Jakarta spot, a nursing monkey is forced to perform, her infant clinging to her desperately while suckling, as motorists line up to enter the toll road. Every minute or two, her leash is yanked and she remembers that it’s time to change the act.

The sight of topeng monyet, or masked monkeys, is so familiar, and the long-tailed macaques trained to perform like this often seem so world-weary, that it is tempting to imagine that they have always been around.

But the monkey acts really only began in the 1980s as traveling shows to entertain poor kids in the kampungs. Only in recent years have monkeys been seen in the city center.

Since then their numbers have grown steadily, and as their visibility has increased, so too have concerns about the welfare of the monkeys.

For this special report, the Jakarta Globe looks behind the mask and investigates the hidden suffering and torture that the monkeys endure — suffering that becomes more and more entrenched with every Rp 1,000 note that passing drivers hand over.

Where It All Begins

The story behind the often light-hearted shows starts in the East Jakarta slum area of South Cipinang Besar, famously known as Kampung Monyet, or Monkey Village, where at least 150 macaques are kept in cramped wooden cages.

After having endured hours of agonizing “training,” the monkeys sit stuck in cages, waiting for their turn to be taken out to the street to perform. They live among the roughly 200 households in a shantytown built on disputed land behind the Prumpung toy market. The majority of residents in the area work as monkey handlers.

Cecep, one such resident, shows the Globe the grotesque way that a monkey that normally walks on four legs is taught to stand upright.

Behind a shanty on a riverbank filled with garbage, Cecep puts a metal ring around the neck of Toal, a male macaque with a broken arm from a previous training incident. Two ropes tether the ring to poles erected on either side of the monkey. Cecep also ties Toal’s arms behind his back while the monkey screeches in pain.

This “hanging the monkey” method, Cecep says, forces the animal to rely only on its feet to get better footing on the ground, strengthening the monkey’s leg muscles and giving it an erect, human-like posture.

“We usually hang the monkeys for half a day before we release them for a few hours to feed them and let them rest,” says Nanang, another handler.

“After that, we hang them again for a few hours until the day’s training is over and we put them back in their cages.

“But we have to hit them, too, sometimes.”

Cecep says some handlers let their monkeys hang all day without feeding them or giving them breaks, risking medical problems or even death.

The hanging training begins as soon as a monkey stops nursing, or when it is at least a year old. It takes a week to a month for a monkey to get through this basic training, the handlers say.

Cecep, who has been in the trade since 1999, says peranakan monkeys, those born to performing monkeys, have a better chance of surviving the training than monyet pasar, or those caught in the wild by poachers.

“The peranakan ones can take a week to train while the monyet pasar take at least a month,” he says. “Sometimes they don’t make it and they die.”

The peranakan monkeys are considered more hardy than the pasar monkeys because trainers can be sure they have finished nursing. Monyet pasar, on the other hand, might not have had the chance before they were snatched by poachers. As a result, they tend to have less strength and stamina.

Once the monkeys have passed the hanging training and can walk upright, the handlers train them to use various toys and props, such as a toy motorcycle, for their performance.

“We also train them to lift toy weights to check if they can really stand erect,” Cecep says. “If they can’t, the toy training period takes longer.

“We don’t teach them to use all the toys at the same time,” he adds. “Once the monkey knows what to do with a toy gun, for example, we start training it with another toy.”

Dying in Training

Cecep and Nanang both claim a success rate of 60 percent in getting monkeys to complete the two phases of training.

“The other 40 percent [of monkeys] end up dead,” Cecep says. “If they’re not physically strong enough, they die during the basic training, though some die later in the toy training phase.”

Cecep thinks of himself as being gentler with his animals than the other handlers.

“If I fail and one of my monkeys dies during training, I give it a proper burial,” he says.

“Many others just toss the monkey’s body into the river or a garbage dump.”

He adds that he has had two monkeys die on him during training. Then there are the non-lethal training accidents, like the broken arm he gave Toal.

Cecep demonstrates how he has trained another of his monkeys, Odon, to ride a small wooden motorcycle and salute a flag.

As Odon walks back and forth with the toy motorcycle, Cecep gives the command for it to perform by yanking on the chain attached to a collar around the monkey’s neck.

It’s “normal” to pull hard, he says, and there’s a certain way to do it without breaking the animal’s neck. “I don’t give a sudden jerk while the chain is lax,” he says.

“I pull the chain straight first and then I slowly yank it to signal to him to start. That way, it doesn’t hurt his neck and he doesn’t lose his balance.”

Cecep and the other handlers train their monkeys to play with the props or perform other stunts in whatever free space they can find. Often this means the training occurs in the narrow alleyways of their neighborhood, among residents milling about and stacks of monkey cages.

Some of the smaller cages house two or more monkeys each, while the larger ones cram up to 15 monkeys together.

One of the caged animals is a female macaque named Atun. She is carrying a nursing infant on her neck.

“Atun is probably eight years old and she has had three babies, but one of them died after it got sick from being bitten by another monkey,” says another handler, Dede Irfan Saputra, who has just returned from panhandling with another monkey and is undressing it before caging it.

Cecep says the bigger cages are owned by the local “monkey bosses” who rent out the primates to handlers for Rp 15,000 ($1.70) per monkey per day, with the basic props of a mask and a costume.

The monkey owners charge an additional Rp 20,000 to rent out extra props such as a toy bicycle or musical instrument.

Handlers like Cecep and Nanang can expect to take home Rp 50,000 to Rp 70,000 after several hours of daytime performance on the sides of some of Jakarta’s busiest roads.

“That’s the net amount I get after transportation and monkey rental,” Cecep says, adding that he can make a little more during weekends.

Most of the time, the macaques’ diet consists solely of plain white rice. During performances, however, their handlers give them pieces of fruit or snacks that passersby hand out.

Both Cecep and Nanang say a distressed monkey poses some level of danger to the humans around it.

“The monkey can be dangerous if it’s handled by an unfamiliar handler who doesn’t deal with it on a daily basis like we do,” Cecep says.

“Unlike us, the foreign handler won’t know if the monkey is stressed, hungry or tired,” he adds. “Sometimes the monkeys can get irritated when children make fun of them. If we understand the monkeys, they will understand us back.”

Ending the Cruelty?

Pramudya Harzani, a spokesman for animal rights and welfare group Jakarta Animal Aid Network, is campaigning to put an end to the cruelty.

Pramudya says JAAN is frequently contacted by animal lovers indignant about the way the monkeys are being exploited in what is essentially a panhandling scheme.

Members of the group have traced the monkeys and their handlers to Kampung Monyet and identified at least three major bosses who own several monkeys that they rent out.

“Those monkeys go through hell to be trained to perform,” Pramudya says.

“They’re even poached from their mothers while they’re very young. This is obviously against the five principles of animal welfare,” he adds.

These five principles are guidelines relating to freedom from thirst and hunger, freedom from pain and disease, freedom to live in a suitable environment, freedom to express normal behaviors and freedom from fear and distress.

“We are very concerned about this situation. This is not entertainment, this is cruelty to animals,” Pramudya says.

He says it is important that people stop giving money to the monkeys or their handlers because doing so only encourages the practice.

He adds that JAAN has tried to raise the issue with the government by pointing out that ignoring this situation could have an adverse effect on human health, given that monkeys are potential carriers of numerous infectious diseases.

The long-tail macaques are not categorized as a protected or endangered species in Indonesia, but Pramudya says this is no excuse to overlook the trade and leave it unregulated.

“Don’t wait for them to become endangered or to cause a bigger problem before regulating them,” he says.

source

Indonesian Car Troubles

My car will not start this morning, grrrr, it was just at the bengkel (service station) yesterday. Ho hum, Mrs has to take a taxi to work. The driver called a tow truck already.

Yikes, I panic, but he explains you get a free tow to the service centre in Indonesia, thank goodness, because in Australia to would cost you hundreds of dollars.

Actually, the driver also knows the problem ? Oh yeah ? Masuk Angin. Now I've heard of masuk angin before, literally it means air has entered, more specifically it refers to any manner of non-specific ailment, such as a cold or flu or generally unwell. But I have never heard of it in relation to a motor vehicle before, perhaps my car has 'gone native' also!

haha.

Diving courses, Liveaboard in Sunda straights

http://www.kristalkleardive.com/

I want to go diving again, I havent been for a number of years, which is crazy considering that I live in one of the best diving places in the world. I just found this place, so that my better half can get her licence also.

A basic certificate is called an Open Water course, takes two half days in the swimming pool plus a weekend in the thousand islands. Not bad for $500 or so.

Then we can join on a trip on the Cecilia Ann, :)

And trips up to Manado for some of the best diving in the world

Idul Adha: a time of sacrifice and sharing

This goat will have been sold and already sacrificed for Indonesia's Idhul Adha ceremony (last Friday), in memory of biblical Abraham's readiness to sacrifice his son to God. The meat is then distributed to poor people. I like this concept.

More information here.
Under the Knife For Islamic Holiday

Asep Syaefullah is quite renowned around the streets of Bendungan Hilir in Central Jakarta. The 53-year-old has worked as a caretaker at a privately-run high school in Benhil for 33 years — but it’s not his day job that has given him special status among Benhil residents.

For the past 15 years, Asep has been moonlighting as a butcher, particularly for Idul Adha. On this day, Muslims around the world sacrifice animals to commemorate the willingness of the Prophet Ibrahim to surrender his son, Ismael, to God.

It is said that the prophet dreamed he had killed his son. Believing it was a command from God, Ismael asked his father to carry out his dream. Just as Ismael lay down to be killed, God told Ibrahim not to do so and to sacrifice an animal instead.

“Go to Pak Asep. He’s the man for the job,” said a member of the Idul Adha committee at a Benhil mosque, when asked if he knew of any butchers in the area who would slaughter an animal as a sacrifice.

A young mother gave the same answer.

“Just go and see Pak Asep. He lives over there in the school compound,” she said.

Short and stocky, with a mustache and beard, Asep seems to fit the general stereotype of a butcher. Together with his younger brother, Usman, the father of two has been a member of the Idul Adha committee at Muhammadiyah secondary school for years.

“It’s pretty simple,” said Asep when asked about preparing for Idul Adha. “Just sharpen the machete. That’s all.”

He said a well-kept machete was the most important tool when slaughtering an animal. The animals, he added, should not suffer too much and a keen blade helped to hasten their death.

“You know how it feels when you accidentally cut your skin on bamboo? The animal should not even feel pain like that,” he said. “That’s why it is very important to prepare the machete.”

Asep has a special way of checking to see if his machete is up to scratch, one he said he learned from other butchers many years ago.

“Just run the blade along your hair like you are trimming it,” he said, his right hand drawing the machete over his head. “If you can cut some hair, then you can be sure the machete is ready to use.”

When slaughtering a goat, he said, one slash is usually enough to cut its throat. But it can take twice the amount of force for cows.

“A cow’s skin is very thick. You have to slash it a couple of times,” he said. “I can slaughter a goat by myself, but for a cow, I need at least three people to help me.

“A cow will struggle to free himself. And that’s when they can kick you really hard.”

Asep knows this all too well. During last year’s Idul Adha, he was kicked in the chest by a cow.

“[The bruises] didn’t fade for weeks,” he said with a rueful grin.

Every year, Asep slaughters no less than eight cows and 40 goats on Idul Adha, which falls on the tenth day of Zulhijjah, the 12th month of the Islamic calendar. The backbreaking work is usually completed within three hours.

“There are two important things when slaughtering an animal for Idul Adha. First, we direct the head of the beast toward the qibla [the direction of the Kaaba, the sacred building in Mecca, to which Muslims turn for prayer]. Second, we have to say ‘Bismillahi Allahu akbar’ [‘In the name of Allah, Allah is great’]. These two things are compulsory.”

His main duty as a butcher is to slaughter the animals, and he leaves the other tasks, such as skinning and cutting the meat, to other members of the committee.

“But when I’m done with slaughtering, I can help them with that, too,” he said.

Krisnandana, a veterinarian from the Veterinary Public Health division at the Ministry of Agriculture, said the ministry recommended butchers follow its guidelines for Idul Adha.

“In general, the slaughter of an animal should be conducted in a slaughterhouse. However, for religious or personal reasons, it can be done outside, but it should be supervised by a qualified person, such as a veterinarian.”

He added that the slaughtering should meet the ministry’s hygiene and sanitation requirements: The area should have clean water and holes dug in the ground for blood drainage and to bury the entrails.

Before Idul Adha, the committee at a local mosque registers the names of poor families in the neighborhood and distributes coupons so that they can receive the meat of the slaughtered animals. The members of the committee are also given some meat for their efforts.

On the night of Idul Adha, many people use the meat to make holiday dishes, such as sate kambing (skewers of meat with peanut sauce) and goat’s meat and bone soup.

In addition to Idul Adha, customers also call upon Asep to slaughter goats for aqiqah, the Islamic ritual of shaving a baby’s hair for the first time, usually on the seventh day after birth.

Asep’s skills with a knife have also taken him further afield, to Bogor, as word of mouth advertises his reputation for slaughtering animals.

“People tell other people,” he said.

However, Asep has one rule — he never charges his customers.

“But they always give me money for doing it,” he said.

When asked to slaughter a cow, he said, he usually receives Rp 200,000 ($20), and a minimum of Rp 50,000 for goats.

“But really, I don’t ask for money, let alone set prices,” he said. “It’s for lillahi ta’ala [for the sake of Allah Almighty].”

When asked if he ever felt bad for the animals, Asep smiled and shook his head.

“I guess it is part of their fate as an animal,” he said. “I know that slaughtering an animal is part of Islamic teachings, so I don’t regret doing my job.”

Asep Syaefullah is quite renowned around the streets of Bendungan Hilir in Central Jakarta. The 53-year-old has worked as a caretaker at a privately-run high school in Benhil for 33 years — but it’s not his day job that has given him special status among Benhil residents.

For the past 15 years, Asep has been moonlighting as a butcher, particularly for Idul Adha. On this day, Muslims around the world sacrifice animals to commemorate the willingness of the Prophet Ibrahim to surrender his son, Ismael, to God.

It is said that the prophet dreamed he had killed his son. Believing it was a command from God, Ismael asked his father to carry out his dream. Just as Ismael lay down to be killed, God told Ibrahim not to do so and to sacrifice an animal instead.

“Go to Pak Asep. He’s the man for the job,” said a member of the Idul Adha committee at a Benhil mosque, when asked if he knew of any butchers in the area who would slaughter an animal as a sacrifice.

A young mother gave the same answer.

“Just go and see Pak Asep. He lives over there in the school compound,” she said.

Short and stocky, with a mustache and beard, Asep seems to fit the general stereotype of a butcher. Together with his younger brother, Usman, the father of two has been a member of the Idul Adha committee at Muhammadiyah secondary school for years.

“It’s pretty simple,” said Asep when asked about preparing for Idul Adha. “Just sharpen the machete. That’s all.”

He said a well-kept machete was the most important tool when slaughtering an animal. The animals, he added, should not suffer too much and a keen blade helped to hasten their death.

“You know how it feels when you accidentally cut your skin on bamboo? The animal should not even feel pain like that,” he said. “That’s why it is very important to prepare the machete.”

Asep has a special way of checking to see if his machete is up to scratch, one he said he learned from other butchers many years ago.

“Just run the blade along your hair like you are trimming it,” he said, his right hand drawing the machete over his head. “If you can cut some hair, then you can be sure the machete is ready to use.”

When slaughtering a goat, he said, one slash is usually enough to cut its throat. But it can take twice the amount of force for cows.

“A cow’s skin is very thick. You have to slash it a couple of times,” he said. “I can slaughter a goat by myself, but for a cow, I need at least three people to help me.

“A cow will struggle to free himself. And that’s when they can kick you really hard.”

Asep knows this all too well. During last year’s Idul Adha, he was kicked in the chest by a cow.

“[The bruises] didn’t fade for weeks,” he said with a rueful grin.

Every year, Asep slaughters no less than eight cows and 40 goats on Idul Adha, which falls on the tenth day of Zulhijjah, the 12th month of the Islamic calendar. The backbreaking work is usually completed within three hours.

“There are two important things when slaughtering an animal for Idul Adha. First, we direct the head of the beast toward the qibla [the direction of the Kaaba, the sacred building in Mecca, to which Muslims turn for prayer]. Second, we have to say ‘ Bismillahi Allahu akbar ’ [‘In the name of Allah, Allah is great’]. These two things are compulsory.”

His main duty as a butcher is to slaughter the animals, and he leaves the other tasks, such as skinning and cutting the meat, to other members of the committee.

“But when I’m done with slaughtering, I can help them with that, too,” he said.

Krisnandana, a veterinarian from the Veterinary Public Health division at the Ministry of Agriculture, said the ministry recommended butchers follow its guidelines for Idul Adha.

“In general, the slaughter of an animal should be conducted in a slaughterhouse. However, for religious or personal reasons, it can be done outside, but it should be supervised by a qualified person, such as a veterinarian.”

He added that the slaughtering should meet the ministry’s hygiene and sanitation requirements: The area should have clean water and holes dug in the ground for blood drainage and to bury the entrails.

Before Idul Adha, the committee at a local mosque registers the names of poor families in the neighborhood and distributes coupons so that they can receive the meat of the slaughtered animals. The members of the committee are also given some meat for their efforts.

On the night of Idul Adha, many people use the meat to make holiday dishes, such as sate kambing (skewers of meat with peanut sauce) and goat’s meat and bone soup.

In addition to Idul Adha, customers also call upon Asep to slaughter goats for aqiqah , the Islamic ritual of shaving a baby’s hair for the first time, usually on the seventh day after birth.

Asep’s skills with a knife have also taken him further afield, to Bogor, as word of mouth advertises his reputation for slaughtering animals.

“People tell other people,” he said.

However, Asep has one rule — he never charges his customers.

“But they always give me money for doing it,” he said.

When asked to slaughter a cow, he said, he usually receives Rp 200,000 ($20), and a minimum of Rp 50,000 for goats.

“But really, I don’t ask for money, let alone set prices,” he said. “It’s for lillahi ta’ala [for the sake of Allah Almighty].”

When asked if he ever felt bad for the animals, Asep smiled and shook his head.

“I guess it is part of their fate as an animal,” he said. “I know that slaughtering an animal is part of Islamic teachings, so I don’t regret doing my job.”


Goat Seller Makes A Killing on Holiday

An elderly woman stopped by a bamboo pen filled with goats. She stood for a while, her eyes roaming over the beasts.

“A few days before Idul Adha, people will just look around, comparing prices, but they don’t usually buy until two or three days before the big day,” said Abdul Hamid, a goat seller in Benhil.

Pak Haji, as he is known by his regular customers, has been selling goats for Idul Adha for 15 years. Throughout the rest of the year, the 45-year-old sells chickens in Pasar Benhil, a traditional market in the area.

About 150 goats are brought from his hometown in Cirebon, West Java, usually five days before the festival. The goats, brought to Jakarta in large trucks, are purchased from a middle man who buys them from individuals in several villages in Cirebon, he said.

Abdul said that over the last 15 years, he had only once failed to sell all of his goats for the Muslim holiday.

“I guess I just bought too many at that time,” he said. “I don’t know why I insisted on buying more than 200 [goats] that year.”

The prices, he said, range from Rp 800,000 for goats weighing 15 kilograms and Rp 2.5 million for those between 50 and 60 kilograms.

“I don’t actually like to play with prices with my customers,” he said. “But I know they like negotiating, so I usually add Rp 200,000 [$20] [to the original price] at the start of bargaining.”

Over the years, Pak Haji has gained a following of loyal customers who return year after year for the holiday.

“An Islamic foundation in Manggarai [South Jakarta] purchases 30 to 35 goats every Idul Adha,” he said.

“But all customers are the same,” Abdul said. “Selling all of my goats is what matters the most.”

http://thejakartaglobe.com/culture/under-the-knife-for-islamic-holiday/343771

http://thejakartaglobe.com/home/meat-flukes-and-runaway-cows-all-on-the-menu-for-idul-adha/344212

Did they really say that?

And in part 735 of 'Did they really say that?' I bring you a story told to me today.

A local landlord of a western style bar here noticed one day that a workman was standing on a ladder fixing an outside light, in pouring rain.

So, he queried the manager allowing this to happen, you know electricity and water and all that dangerous stuff.....

They reply was, "Oh, it's ok, we have another guy here just in case"

!!!

my boat

this is the life aint it?

Playing Rugby in Balikpapan

French froggy frogs get beaten 10-0 playing Rugby union against my Aussie rules football team!

Did I mention the friendly rugby game that we put on, aussie rules blokes vs the french bastards? and that we won 10-0 !

Suramadu Bridge - connecting Java and Madura

Crowds swarm ahead of RI's longest bridge inauguration

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Wed, 06/10/2009 10:26 AM | National
Hundreds of local residents were swarming the Tambak Wedi area in Surabaya, East Java ahead of the inauguration of the Suramadu bridge – Indonesia's longest and first-ever toll bridge – on Wednesday morning.

Antara state news agency reported that people, coming from Surabaya and its surrounding area, had started to arrive at 6 a.m., although they were not allowed to enter the inauguration ceremony area.

“It’s fine. It's enough for us to be able to see the bridge,” said Lukman, who came from Driyorejo with his family.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is scheduled to inaugurate the 5.4-kilometer bridge at 10 a.m. in a ceremony expected to be attended by 6,500 people including foreign guests, state officials and religious leaders. (dre)

Krakatoa volcano trip

Krakatoa Volcano, probably the most famous volcano in modern history, it exploded in 1883, the resulting sound and waves observed in countries halfway around the globe, allegedly disrupting the earths climate for several years. It is now a World Heritage Site, and thus worth a visit if you are in Indonesia.

wikipedia tells me this ...

Quote:
With a Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) of 6, the eruption was equivalent to 200 megatons of TNT—about 13,000 times the yield of the Little Boy bomb (13 to 16 KT) that devastated Hiroshima, Japan during World War II and four times the yield of the Tsar Bomba (50 MT), the largest nuclear device ever detonated.

The series of islands above are the remnants of the Krakatoa that exploded in 1883, the grey smudge in the centre is Anak Kratatoa, (son of Krakatoa), like a phoenix rising from the ashes is growing anew, reportedly at a rate of 5 metres per year. The islands are the edges of the caldera, measuring about 7kms across.

We left from Kalianda, but you can also do the same sort of trips from Anyer, Cerita, or Tanjung Lasung, since Krakatoa is in the middle of the choppy Sunda Straits separating Sumatra from Java.

Of course, it aint cheap or easy. Your looking at 3.5 million rups ($350) for a boat for a day plus lunch, entry fee and guide, a speed boat will seat 4 people and take 2 hours each way or an older wooden fishing boat will seat up to 10 people and take 4 hours each way.

Our first sight of the Volcano, in fact, it is actually, Anak Krakatoa, (son of Krakatoa) was impressive, a belching, smokey grey smudge on the horizon. You can see the other islands, that are part of the caldera.

The volcano, erupted silently, billowing clouds about every 5 minutes or so.

The west side of the island is slightly more sheltered, and has a variety of plant and animal life, growing on soft, black sand. Albeit punctuated with the odd hardened lava flow.

We ate some lunch and set of on a hike up the mountain side. Through the trees which thin out quickly and then onto baking hot scoria and black ash. The views back down were nice though.

this recent activity started in 1994 and according to Reuters Indonesia's Krakatau roars, dazzles with fireworks | World | Reuters

Quote:
A vulcanologist monitoring Anak Krakatau said the volcano was likely to rumble and roar for some time.
"It is still at the third level of alert. It is safe and there aren't any problems. There were approximately one hundred explosions yesterday," Saut Simatupang, head of volcano observation in Bandung, told Reuters.

However, the rangers, told us that someone died last October, walking too close to an explosion.

Anyway, we continued walking up the hillside, baking black scoria, verdant oceans, blue blue skies, all the while Anak Krakatoa belching ominously in the background. Strangely enough, these cloud belches did not make any sound.

We got to about 100 feet shy of a ridge top, close to the mouth, and suddenly with a strange whooshing sound, it sent up a burst of fist/head sized rocks with the gasses and ash, we watched the rocks like slow motion, rise up and begin coming down towards us, I started thinking about needed to dodge this flying debris, Key was just frozen in shock.

Fortunately, much like my fielding skills, I had misjudged the distance these rocks had traveled and we were never in danger of them reaching us, that time. Our ranger/guide was not quite so blase about it, nor MrsKW, with some urging I suggested it would be a shame to climb so far, and not make it 100 feet more.

OK, you have about 10 minutes here and then that is it!

It was worth it, another shower of rocks or two, and then we began the trip back down.

Was there are strong smell of sulphur and what are the chances of another eruption?
not much smell at all.

As we were walking back down, I heard an almighty boom, much like a thunder clap, unfortunately (I thought) we were in the trees, and could not see how much rock or ash had been thrown up this time. But it did cause much excitement, we heard another just before we left as well. I just loved the feeling of being so close to raw power.

this is the volcano saying goodbye to us as we left.

As to the chances of another explosion, who knows really? even the vulcanologists will admit they dont really understand when and why they happen. Apparently some scientists are suggesting that we stay at least 3 kms away from the volcano

An interesting factoid from Wiki:-

The most literal meaning of blue moon is when the moon (not necessarily a full moon) appears to a casual observer to be unusually bluish, which is a rare event. The effect can be caused by smoke or dust particles in the atmosphere, as has happened after forest fires in Sweden and Canada in 1950 and, notably, after the eruption of Krakatoa in 1883, which caused the moon to appear blue for nearly two years.

You could actually do it in a weekend, though a long weekend or week trip might be better.


FRIDAY: Arrive Jakarta airport early evening. Rental car (probably best pre-arranged) pick up airport and drive to Anyer/Cerita which is west coast of Java. There is plenty of resorts/hotels along this area. (about 3 hour trip) or 5 hours to the resort I was staying at in Sumatra, or indeed, catch a second flight to Lampung (30 mins) then 2 hour drive by taxi (cost $25)

SATURDAY: boat trip to Krakatoa leaves after breakfast, returns mid afternoon.

SUNDAY: travel back to jakarta.

or stay a few more days, there is canoes to hire, swimming pool, bicycles, camping trips, ropes course, etc other places of interest include a national park, a beach area called pasir putih that has boats trips to islands and coral reefs etc.

I stayed at a resort called Travellers Krakatoa Nirwana Resort - decent rooms and restaruant a week of dinners, alcohol and accomadation cost about $500

travellers_resortkalianda[at]yahoo.co.id
Welcome to Krakatoa Nirwana Resort Website
+62 727 322 888, 322 900

The resort even had free wireless internet at the dining areas.

‘Tangerang searches hotels for liquors’

Dangerous stuff: A custom officer holds two bottles of liquor seized during an operation in an illegal warehouse in Jakarta. (JP/J. Adiguna)Dangerous stuff: A custom officer holds two bottles of liquor seized during an operation in an illegal warehouse in Jakarta. (JP/J. Adiguna)

Banten’s Tangerang administration is holding a search operation on hotels suspected of having illegal prostitution or receiving couples who were not married. Secretary of the Tangerang city administration, Harry Mulya Zein said the city public order agency had held raids on “adulterers” in hotels of the area. “Almost every week, the officers searched for hotel guests who were not husband and wife,” he said, as quoted by Antara.

from http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/02/28/%E2%80%98tangerang-searches-hotels-liquors%E2%80%99.html

Bloody hell, that's a customs official???

Balaclava and submachine gun ?

:(

One of those crazy teaching stories

At work today, I got one of those dreaded cover classes, the bane of all teachers. Never mind, I generally dont mind them, and I do not really get them that often, however, a quick check showed that not only did I have a cover class on but I had also been the lucky recipient of an exam supervision....at the same time. Doh, whoever organised that had not checked their own work properly.

I visited the administrator in question's office and politely let him know of his error. He asked me to do the cover class and he would sort out the exam supervision. Next problem, turns out the teacher missing the class had forgotten to set some work for the students and write out the class instructions.

It was an IT class, so I wander up to the room, the year 7's were out the front lined up, the previous class was just finishing up, and the teacher of that class, a regular IT teacher, invited me in.

I invited the year 7's asked them to continue their work and got to some of my work also. Roughly 15 minutes later the same IT teacher came back into the room to talk to me a confused look on his face.

IT teacher: "you have my class"
Me : "Have we both been put on the same cover then?"
IT teacher: "No, this is my regular class"

WTF?

turns out the cover class, I had been given wrong room number, but why on earth would a regular teacher just give me his class without question ? the class i was supposed to cover was next door.

Made me laugh.

Road Rage - Wonder Warrior

I hate leaving late for work, the traffic gets blocked up, if i leave at 6.30am the red route outlined is basically empty, if I leave at 6.45 the the traffic is backed up at least as far as the start of the red lines i've indicated.

The road leaving the roundabout has enough room for one car lane, the road entering the roundabout has room for 2.5 cars.

I'll let you figure what usually happens. Anyway today I'm just about to enter the roundabout and some Indo clown comes tearing up the inside lane, he had to stop right next to me (but had jumped at least a half dozen places in the queue.) So then its stop start with the car in front of me, and him trying to push his way in front of my car.

In indo its all a game of bluff, dont hit the other cars, but try and get your car as close as possible to the car in front, dont even leave a 30 inch gap that the other car can nose into.

Anyway, the inevitable happened, our side mirrors brushed, he had to give way, since he was hard against the shoulder, and I was slightly in front.

Nothing more said or down, in fact when we had brushed I'd looked over at him, and he just stared straight ahead, no acknowledgment no eye contact. Mind you he probably cannot see into my car, it has very dark tinted windows.

Ten minutes later, I am turning into my workplace so indicate early, I suddenly hear all this commotion car horn blowing and blowing, someone screaming, I look in the side mirror this same bloke is hanging half way out his drivers window wearing a shit eating grin to flip me the bird, up and down up and down like a fuckn deranged yoyo all the while leaning on his horn as he goes past me.

WTF?

Too scared to make a fuss until he knew I was gone?

Suddenly just thought of that reaction ?

He'd been stewing on it for the last 10 minutes and just suddenly snapped.

The security at my work asked me if they wanted them to stop him, but i dunno what for, extract some money, he has scratched my car after all.... but its only the plastic side mirror. I told them not to worry. I'm wishing i had not now, I should have go them to stop and detain the idiot, and I could have demanded money from him .... (well, maybe i'm dreaming, its always the westerners fault)

I was just too surprised to do anything, and by the time i realised it was me it was pretty much too late.

What would you have done?

Contact Sports: Fun or too dangerous ?

I was playing football (aussie style) over the weekend. Towards the end of the game, one of the fellows injured himself, I was nearby, didnt quite see what happened, I think he just fell funny.

However, he didn't get up, so wandered over to help, his foot was at a 90 degree angle sideways, the tibia bone pointing up. Ouch. It looked like one of those horrible worst sporting injuries emails or youtube videos. (out of respect for the guy we didnt take pictures of him.)

It did get me thinking though, over the years, I've seen a number of damaged knees, torn or stretched hamstrings, a team mate had his head caved in (needed 3 plates in it i think) a few dislocated shoulders, broken nose, and a few concussions.

Makes me wonder, is playing footy (or rugby) worth it? I enjoy the sport, I enjoy playing, I enjoy the contact. But makes me worry about getting a serious injury.

Perhaps I should just work on my golf or cricket instead....

Junior AFL footy in Indonesia

Junior footy surge in Indonesia

12:19 PM Wed 12 November, 2008

AFL in Indonesia

Chris Bandy has been in the job as Head of Australian Football Development in Indonesia for a year, after an Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development grant allowed for the introduction of Australian Football into Indonesian Schools.

The initial results have been highly encouraging, and it is expected that a fully-functional junior competition will be set up in Jakarta next year. worldfootynews.com recently interviewed Chris on his adventures in what is a challenging, but most interesting and rewarding environment.

WFN: Well Chris, what is you footy background and how did you get into this?

I am from Perth and have played football since I was six years old. I started with the Scarborough junior football club and moved on to the Marist junior football club where I finished my junior career. After that I moved to Claremont football club in the WAFL, played Colts for three years and seniors for two.

As one of those strange serendipitous things in life, through my university studies, I had to take a year off from football to participate in a student exchange program in Yogyakarta, Indonesia where I studied at an Indonesian university and taught English for a year.

It was during that time that the then coach of the Bintangs, Matt Stephens, contacted me to come and play with the team in Jakarta. From that moment I was a Bintang and was lucky enough to participate in the 2005 Asian Championships in Manila and that is still one of my fondest football memories.

Until you play football in Asia, and participate in an Asian Championships you really don’t appreciate the extent of the game here, and the passion possessed by the participants.

The Bintangs had previously had some reasonably successful, though piecemeal development programmes, and were looking to put a more formal programme in place. Whilst I was interested in this I had to return home and finish my university degree. The Bintangs hadn’t given up however, and when a role with the Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development (AYAD) came up and the Bintangs nominated me as their preferred candidate, I accepted and here I am.

WFN: The Australia Indonesia Institute, Bintangs link, how did that come about?

Given that the largest Australian Embassy outside of Australia is based in Jakarta, there is no shortage of diplomats and aid workers that either play with or are associated with the football club. A proposal was developed by the Bintangs to the Australia Indonesia Institute (AII) for a grant to develop the game in Indonesian schools.

Whilst the full proposal was not approved the AII did accept a lesser proposal which included a grant and supported the club’s application for a full-time youth ambassador from Australia through the AYAD program.

WFN: What’s been done so far, where are we today?

The first thing we did, we were able to get on-side three Indonesian development coaches, Boy, Ardy and Rian, and with the help of these native Indonesians we have entered and conducted clinics in nearly 50 schools and had almost 6000 kids, boys and girls, exposed to the game. From this we have obtained a core group of between 200-300 children who regularly come to training at various grounds we’ve hired in the greater Jakarta area. Signs are promising for the establishment of a fully functioning schools based league by the end of next year.

Aside from the Indonesian component and Indonesian schools which comprises 90% of the work we undertake, we’ve also been involved in coaching an under 16 team from the British International School who play under the moniker of the ANZ Jakarta Bulldogs.

They recently travelled to Singapore with the senior team, where they won the inaugural Asian Under 16 Championships. Comprising players from England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Indonesia, Finland and of course Australia, this is yet another way of expanding our game globally.

The only issue with these lads is they have do not have enough competition. Their enthusiasm is tremendous, they just need to be able to play more often and that is going to be one of our challenges.

We’re in the process of putting a new proposal to AII and it is hoped that we may be able to secure more funding from them for another year.

WFN: I can imagine the challenges going into the Indonesian school system. How have you managed to penetrate that?

On the one hand Indonesian kids, boys and girls are screaming out for the opportunity to play sports. I believe sports and physical culture comes naturally to all kids on the planet. So getting kids interested is the least difficult part. The biggest challenge is the language barrier, however, due to my own extensive time in country and with the help of three full-time Indonesian Football Development Officers, this hasn’t been a major issue for us.

Moving forward, we will need to look at getting training material, videos, booklets etc printed or dubbed in Bahasa Indonesia, and that is one area for potential sponsorship.

Having said that, development of a junior competition isn’t difficult from a participation perspective, it is however from a monetary one as the majority of these kids are from poor socio-economic backgrounds and as a result there is a real opportunity for sponsorship, which given the way these kids take to the game, and the fact that they are the nation’s future, I am sure will be repaid in full many times over.

WFN: What about Auskick?

Auskick is a great thing but is more geared to the younger kids. Auskick has been taking place for over two years here with ex-pat kids but due to the transient nature of the ex-pat family, numbers have fluctuated. We’re hoping by next year with an increased emphasis on junior development, the next footy season produces a lot more national and foreign kids, enjoying Auskick and learning the game.

After our recent grand final function there was a lot of interest and it is hoped this transfers into solid participation for the club. Again this represents a great sponsorship opportunity.

WFN: And has it been fun? Where do you see it going?

For me, the greatest challenge and the greatest satisfaction has been getting something going from scratch. I’ve had great support from the Bintangs and AII and without that we’d struggle to maintain any sort of programme. We are pleased with the success so far, but see it as a launching pad for a programme that I feel will not only be highly successful and beneficial in Indonesia but will also see our game grow internationally.

All we need is a chance to make this happen. We have the infrastructure in place, the people are willing and the programme will be pursued. Some committed sponsorship would definitely assist, and of course we would like to get both credibility and support from the AFL. Whilst I recognise the AFL is focused on getting things going in South Africa as a priority, let’s face it, Indonesia has a bigger population and is right on our doorstep.

My personal feelings at this point are ones of accomplishment but also anticipation for the future. If we maintain a positive mindset and realise the potential of this untapped market the future is unlimited

WFN: Within South East Asia the Bintangs have always been at the forefront of youth development. Most of the other countries are now starting Auskick and Junior programmes. What advice would you give them?

My advice is to have a crack. If you don’t give it a go you’ll never know what could’ve been. At least if you fail trying something you can’t die wondering. If you think there is even remote interest in a junior program, put out some feelers because I dare say there are plenty of blokes like me who’d jump at the chance to do what I do. Our vision is to use Australian football to promote health and fitness, self-esteem and give children the opportunity to play our great game and learn more about our culture.

Sport is a great leveller and there are no such things as class, poverty, social hierarchy etc and as a result, everyone is equal whether you’re from an international school or a poor third world country. It is what I love about our game, anyone can achieve greatness no matter your background. We’re just trying to give these kids a chance to experience a sport a lot of us grow up taking for granted.

WFN: Thank you very much, Chris and we will follow developments in Indonesia with interest. Hopefully, the other established clubs in Asia will pick up the cudgel and it won't be long before we will see international carnivals for Auskick and junior football playing a major role in the Asian Football Calendar.

Source: Graeme Carey, www.worldfootynews.com

Exclusive to AFL BigPond Network

Padang - Travel in Sumatra II

Having spent a lazy week or so in Bukkittinggi we travelled back via taxi to Padang. (apparently the lonely planet tells us that there is a tourist train that does this trip, on sundays only, we arrived sunday, left.... hmmm. friday I guess.....)

Padang is supposedly a largish centre on the ocean, so much hotter, but it rained almost every day.

Public travel is quite easy in small vans called Angcots. They like to 'pimp' them up a bit....(though why spend good money on spoilers, body kits, deafeningly loud stereos and large exhausts etc on a clapped out van that is prolly worth less than $1000 is beyond me...

the waterfront in padang had some stalls that you could eat lunch by the seaside (where is the whoopee-doo smilie?) they were not real nice. beach was dirty and rocky.

scenery was lovely, the town was a dump. and quite provincial, dozens of people stared at me, and called out Bule. I just called out Indo and pointed back at them.

I read in the lonely planet that you could get a boat across the river at the south part of town and then walk around past a chinese cemetery (whoopi-doo) to Air Manis ( a famous beach area 10km south )

10 km sounded a bit far for us to walk.... we found a taxi and began negotiating. ( I physically had to pull my partner away from the first one, who insulted her after she told him what she thought of his fare costs...)

agreed with the 2nd one for 120,000 rupiah ($12 return) who told us it would take over an hour each way ( 10kms? turns out LP was wrong) and indeed it did, over a winding mountain road and much traffic, including us driving over a 2 metre embankment after begin stuck on a railway line with train bearing down on us but nowhere else to go due to traffic jams!)

once there, we joined a million other Indonesian tourists to wander in between the cars and stalls selling mama noodles, coral :( or hermit crabs..... :(

Not relishing the prospect of the taxi ride home (no aircon either) we found a boat doing 10 minute joy rides and negotiated a price to take us back tp padang beach instead (200,000 Rupiah or $20) my partner had a fit when I told her the price, but i wasnt too concerned.

was ok but We hired the same boat guys again the next day and spent the day on Palua pisang besar - an almost deserted island (apart from 3 families who rent it for $300 per year) - i'd love to buy it.

one of the local kids climbed the tree and cut down some cocnuts for us to drink from ( 10,000 rupiah or $1)

Padang has a large, well all areas in Indonesia have a chinese influence or area. Kampung Cina Kota (Chinatown). This included a rather picturesque Chinese temple.

outside of Padang (about 10 minutes in a car) we stopped at a little roadside stall for a drink and a wee gander at the view....