27 May
Meeting Real People
Saturday's Jakarta Highland Gathering was a reminder that on one day a year it is possible to have random encounters with folk you haven't met for a while – years even – probably since the last time you went to the Highland Gathering.
For 'Er Indoors and your correspondent, it has been something like six years, when it was held in the grounds of Pelita Harapan School, so visiting the Imperial Golf Club in Lippo Karawaci was something new.
(Once a year you can spend 24 hours in Disneyland. If you want to spend your entire life in somewhere similar, try Lippo Karawaci because it is all new. And ugly.)
As we motored down the jalan toll out of Jakarta I made a note of some of the banners and hoardings erected to distract motorists.
The first to catch my eye was put up by PT Jasa Marga, the toll road company part-owned by Suharto's daughter Tutut. However, it was put there in the guise of supporting Aksi Cepat Tanggap, or Care For Humanity, a presumably legit outfit who collect funds for Indonesia's disaster victims, a private Red Cross as it were. However, this still has me boggled.
The next one was put up on a construction site; the company claims it's …
BUILDING HOMES AND PEOPLE ACROSS THE NATION
A bit later a company called Paramount Serpong claims it's …
BUILDING HOMES AND PEOPLE WITH HEART
And then we came to Lippo Karawang which is dominated by these two towers, modelled no doubt on the Transformers and built out of Lego. (And don't tell me that they can't be; after all, if they can build a model of St. Pancras station in London ….)
The Lippo Group says they are Impacting Lives – with an orgasmatron in every fitness centre?
We parked on a vacant lot and wended our way into the golf course grounds past loads of folk leaving, presumably because they'd seen enough timber hewing, tugs-of-war and highland flings danced by lads and lasses dressed in tartan skirts. Or perhaps they'd heard enough from the bagpipe bands.
I really don't know because I wasn't concerned with any of the Celtic celebrations; I was so busy meeting and greeting that it took me well over an hour to circumnavigate the site.
One of my first ports of call was the Jakarta Expat 'pavilion' where I was roped in to have my photo taken in a silly hat so that I could be considered for a later front cover as 'Expat Of The Year'. Mr. Reticent, that's me, so I hope I'm relegated to the Classified (secret) pages. However, it was all in a aid of very good cause, which I said I'd plug here.*
Taman Bacaan Pelangi (Rainbow Reading Gardens) is a non-profit social project to establish children's libraries in remote areas of eastern Indonesia. We aim to encourage and nurture children's interest in reading by providing access to good books. We believe this is critical for a child's education, and broadens their horizons and opportunities. Through learning, we encourage children to realize their ambitions, develop skills and expertise to benefit their local community, break the cycle of poverty and lay the foundations of peace.
Book donations can be sent to Jl Taman Rawapening I No 19, Bendungan Hilir, Jakarta 10210.
They should be children's story books for ages 5-13 years.
Type of books: folktales; fairy tales; fables; adventure books such as Tintin comics, children's magazines and encyclopedia.
Email for further information.
I avoided most of the corporate stands, especially this one 
because of the sheer hypocrisy of the statement.
One particular feeding pavilion had bread and butter pudding, almost as good as my mother used to make. What is particularly noteworthy about that is that it is made with leftover bread and was a staple back in Blighty in post war years and is probably again now as the country goes through a major austerity era. So I find it ironic that it is now a staple in some of Jakarta's upmarket restaurants, albeit without a sprinkling of nutmeg (pala) on top, the Indonesian spice my mother used.
I was very grateful to eventually get to the feeding and quaffing area where Kilkenny beer was on draft, and in a buy 2 get 1 free promo. That first promo went to Dale Mulholland, the national rep of Super Skills Soccer, "an individual skill mastery and sport education system."
Thereafter, I only left to watch the closing ceremony and the fireworks ….
… before returning for further conversation with friends old and new, enlivened by an amazing singer, Liza Soul from Flores, and her incredibly tight band. Listen here to some of her repetoire, which one friend described as "gay disco". It isn't studio quality, but with luck, or whatever it takes to promote talent, she is surely deserving of better gigs than the "weddings, birthday parties etc." she is currently booked for.
The lady has style a-plenty and I hope she serenades us again next year.
To sum up, it was a day which started with dystopian visions but ended up among people with heart.
……………………………..
*My 'portrait' is on page 14.
