14 Jun
2 Highs and 1 Low
As I’m not here to offer any wonderful prose, and I don’t really think that ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’ – although there’s a case to be made for abstinence – I’ve pre-programmed this post.
Two are emails with bits of self-advertising from fellow Brits in Jakarta and the other is from Brits in Britain who have a project about Indonesia.
The first is from a friend here.
The first Gunung Bagging expedition will be taking place later this month, in conjunction with a hiking club from Tasikmalaya, West Java.
One of the most famous mountain areas in West Java is the large massif north of Tasikmalaya and east of Garut which contains two popular craters – Talaga Bodas in the north and Galunggung in the south. The latter has been in the news a lot recently – since the Icelandic volcano caused no-fly zones to be imposed around Europe – because it was the Galunggung 1982 eruption which forced a plane to make an emergency landing in Jakarta due to volcanic ash.
The highest point of the mountain massif is called Gunung Beuticanar but very few people visit it and any paths are long since overgrown. The only group known to have climbed to the peak (via a third, dormant crater where you can apparently play football!) are the Tasik hiking club Napak Rimba. They think it is only visited perhaps once a year, and because of this, the trail becomes quickly overgrown and impassable again. It is hoped that if other hikers know about our expedition to reopen the summit, they will be able to do the same hike and the trail will remain open rather than once again becoming overgrown.
In September, another unusual expedition will be taking place, again with local help, this time to reopen the summit area of Papandayan volcano, also in West Java. There are currently spaces available on this trip, contact via Gunung Bagging if interested in joining.
It’s free but a donation towards the machete-wielding local help is more than welcome.
Sorry, but I’m past my peak when it comes to mountain climbing.
Ross McKay is certainly not a friend, but somehow he got hold of a relatively defunct email address of mine. He is well-acquainted with and writes about the seedy side of expat life in Jakarta, and in particular the backpackers street of Jalan Jaksa. Strangely, the only time I think I’ve met him was at a meeting in the British Embassy, which is somewhat upmarket from his usual haunts.
Jakarta Suckers!
(Yet) another Jl.Jaksa story from Ross McKay (yawn, yawn)
In this latest Jakarta adventure, Ross McKay adopts a somewhat different approach, a first-person narrative, by Barrie , a character whom the author describes as ‘an agglomeration of personalities I’ve met in recent years.’
Fighting his advancing years, Barrie goes off the rails with a nifty Jaksa chick, but his troubles are only starting. Losari has a big mouth, which is only handy in certain circumstances.
When she sees somebody she shouldn’t in a dodgy situation and blabs about it all over town, nemesis descends. Barrie charges off to the rescue, and finds himself in a maelstrom of violence.
………………………………………..
Once you’ve read this book, you’ll feel as though you’ve hung out on Jalan Jaksa all your life!
Well, that’s a wasted life, Ross. And from the gossip I’ve heard from those who’ve had the misfortune to read it, you don’t have much sympathy for those interesting characters who you do meet on your regular forays. Maybe they have ended up down on their uppers, but don’t forget that there but for your (inherited) fortune could have gone. I certainly won’t bother reading your voyeuristic tripe, but for those who are in need of some crap to read whilst having a crap, here’s some “good news for all you overseas folks.”
“Jakarta Suckers! is now in an easily sent format. We can email it, if you have the PDF Adobe facility!
“No more postal costs doubling the price, and because it is not hard to copy, a special price for all overseas customers!
“UK – £5
Canada/ USA/Australia/NZ – $12
Other countries – we’ll quote you on application! ”
But to counterbalance the bad taste, here’s a job advert from the more down to earth folk at – erm – Down To Earth, who publish reports about Indonesia from their base in Surrey, UK.
Job vacancy: programme worker – agrofuels.
Down to Earth, the International Campaign for Ecological Justice in Indonesia, is looking to recruit a programme worker based in the UK.
We are looking for a committed and highly motivated person with the right skills needed to undertake research, information sharing, advocacy and capacity-building work on agrofuels, with a focus on links between UK, Europe and Indonesia.
The successful candidate will be part of our UK and Indonesia-based team which works on a range of climate justice and sustainable livelihoods issues.
Salary: up to GBP 28,000 pro rata. Initial 6 month contract.
Part time: Three days a week
Further details, including key skills required, can be obtained from the job description here.
How to apply
Please email your CV and a covering letter explaining your suitability for the post to Carolyn Marr at DTE.
Deadline
Friday 30th July 17:00 2010, UK time.
It's always been a mixed bag of reasons why people come to Indonesia and why they stay. Your post illustrates that very well.
Poor Ross.
It's perhaps not so much a case of why folk come to Indonesia as why they stay, Steve.
There's endless fascination in 'studying' this, but with a clear, perhaps detached, viewpoint. The beef that most people have with Ross is that he is possibly the most judgmental person we've come across. His books and frequent posts on Indonesian Matters ~ such as this one ~ are clearly the ramblings of an isolated individual who hasn't adjusted to Indonesian 'norms', even though he's been here a number of years..
Sad really.