Jenny’s Journies

Thursday, 18 January 2007 @ 7:43pm.

Here are photographs from my recent trip to Singapore. I was only there for one day (Tuesday) on a visa run, but managed to see some of the sights Singapore has to offer:

First stop, the famous Merlion, the symbol of Singapore:

Nearby across the water one can see the Durian-shaped building:

Here is a photograph taken in Chinatown of various stalls:

This is Sri Mariamman Temple, the oldest temple in Singapore (built in 1827). Dedicated to the Mother Goddess, Sri Mariamman, it often provided shelter to Indian immigrants:

Here is a picture of ornate gold jewelry for sale in Little India:

The day before I arrived, there was the Pongal (South India) Festival in Little India. Though I missed it, the organizers still left the special cows around so families could visit them. I got to pet these baby cows.

This is a Chinese memorial I came across near Little India:

Since I hadn’t been out of Indonesia for almost a year, I did experience a bit of culture shock in Singapore: Everyone spoke English. Public transportation was a dream! I got to walk around everywhere. The streets and sidewalks were clean. I saw people from many different Asian cultures. Many signs were in multiple languages. People walked at crosswalks. Cars stopped for pedestrians! Singapore also felt less crowded. It was an interesting experience overall.

January 29, 2006. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! May you have good fortune this year and always!

January 30, 2006 @ 4:35pm. Saturday and Sunday were busy for me. I attended a workshop on the domestic and foreign policies, specifically regarding terrorism, of Indonesia and the United States. The workshop was held at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. It was a closed meeting, however, so I can’t give any quotes without the permission of the participants. I can say that I met some very interesting, influential people and heard diverse opinions on a range of issues related to security, education, religion, mass media, and the state.

FYI: “The Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Jakarta is an independent, non-profit organisation focusing on policy-oriented studies on domestic and international issues. It was established in 1971.” More information may be found at http://www.csis.or.id

I went to another workshop this morning at one of the Muhammadiyah (one of the largest Muslim organizations in the world) buildings. The panels focused on “Religion, Radicalism, and Multiculturalism: Indonesia and the UK Experience.” The discussions tended to center on multiculturalism more than the radicalism part, though. There were speakers from the British Council and British Embassy. The Indonesian speakers were from Muhammadiyah, Nahdlatul Ulama (another of the largest Muslim organizations), and scholars from local universities. One important question raised by an audience member (and heard previously at the CSIS workshop) was the meaning of “pluralism.” For example, is pluralism the acceptance of or simply respect for multiple truths? This is an issue because many Muslims believe that Islam is THE truth. If they are made to accept other faiths, they are not being true to their own religion. If it’s a matter of respect, not necessarily agreement, then perhaps there is more room to negotiate boundaries and relations with others.

At both workshops, I was a quiet observer. I am taking in all that I can and trying to process it the best I can. Though I have already been asked to provide my personal opinion on a variety of topics, I am holding back because I want a clearer, more complete picture of my environment before I speak, and I think it will take a long time for me to develop my positions on certain issues, particularly controversial political matters.

On a more personal note, I am happy to report that I got a new mattress. I thought it was going to take a lot longer than it actually did to get a new bed, so I feel pretty lucky. The original one was too old and sank in the middle. In the grand scheme of things, this is probably not a big deal, but sleep is important and this felt like a small victory.

I also had a great time last night hanging out with some new friends for the new year. We went to a mall, a special traditional Chinese restaurant (Babah Restaurant), and spent some time at the Millenium Hotel where one of the workshop participants was staying. The hotel had barongsai (dragon) dancers and musicians for Chinese New Year. It was loud and fun!

January 27, 2006 @ 4:02pm. I haven’t heard the term “formaldehyde” used in a very long time. I probably heard it last while in high school in biology class. It turns out that formaldehyde is a hot topic in Indonesia right now. Though there has yet to be a formal government warning, rumors have spread about the dangers of formaldehyde-treated food. Certain fish (e.g., salted fish), tofu, meatballs (made from mixed meats or seafood), and noodles (think “Ramen”) - all major foods for Indonesians - may be treated with formaldehyde at some point during processing. It is not yet clear how “contaminated” the food is or what the consequences are for people who ingest such food. I have heard that the fear is negatively affecting local food vendors and fishermen. I’ve also heard that this isn’t a new controversy, but it has taken on a more serious tone this time around. An interesting note was included in a letter to the editor in the Jakarta Post today: “Some people call Indonesia a ‘formaldehyde country.’ It is worth noting that in the U.S. half a century ago, formaldehyde was used to preserve cow milk.”

I’ve also heard through the grapevine that there are plans in the works for a monorail in Jakarta. Wouldn’t that be something? There are concerns, however, about the potential effects of monorail construction and maintenance on the local environment and people.

I had a productive meeting today with Professor Liddle. I really need to work on narrowing my topic and research questions down, though. I have a lot more reading and brainstorming to do…

January 26, 2006 @ 3:07pm. I’ve had a busy past two days. I only had to go to one office yesterday - Immigration - but the process took forever. We first had to ride a taxi there and the traffic was awful. After arriving and submitting my paperwork, we waited and waited and waited some more. Rizma eventually had to return to the AMINEF office, while I stayed behind. I waited through the office lunch break and stayed put until my name was called. The office was very busy and people couldn’t really leave and come back since your name could be called at any minute (or hours in my case). The wait would not have been so bad had I not seen several people arrive after me, but leave earlier because they paid “extra money.” I was frustrated to see my folder get moved to the bottom of the pile repeatedly as others cut in front of me. After I finally paid all the appropriate fees, signed various documents, and got fingerprinted, I was told I could come back next week to pick up my papers and passport. As a side note, it’s weird not having my passport on my person right now.

After the immigration office, I was very happy to meet up with another Fulbrighter and good friend who is also from the University of Michigan. We met up at Plaza Senayan, which is a mega-mall and super-fancy (e.g., marble floors). The first stores I saw were Dior and Louis Vuitton! We went to this mall, however, because it’s relatively close to where he lives in South Jakarta, not too far from the immigration office, and there’s a huge bookstore inside. There were so may books I wanted to purchase, but left with only a map of Jakarta. We had lunch at the mall, too, at a Japanese restaurant, but it wasn’t that good unfortunately. One thing we both noticed about the mall, which we found unusual, was the many red and gold decorations for Lunar New Year. There were Chinese characters on posters, holiday sales, and the like. Seeing such items told us that (1) Jakarta and maybe other places around Indonesia are perhaps opening up further and tolerance is growing for the Chinese, a minority community, and (2) the commercialization of cultures abounds.

I eventually took a taxi back to Central Jakarta and returned to the Freedom Institute for an evening lecture/panel. There were some VIPs present and it was a lively discussion. I didn’t follow everything, however, since my Indonesian is poor when it comes to certain topics like economics. I have a hard enough time understanding things like “capital outflow” and “emerging markets” in English! The main speakers were Professor Liddle, Mohamad Sadli, M. Chatib Basri (Dede), and Thee Kian Wie (the book editor). The moderator was Hamid Basyaib. The discussion centered on the book launch of “Recollections: The Indonesian Economy, 1950s-1990s ” in Indonesian (it was previously published in English).

I was exhausted when I finally made it home around 10pm. Being so tired helped me sleep, though, so I’m slowly getting over my jet lag.

Today I returned to the Department of Home Affairs to pick up some paperwork. I have a day off tomorrow since I have to wait a few days to a week for the various offices to process things. There is also a holiday - Lunar New Year: Year of the Dog - next week, which may extend the wait.

My general work has been settling in (biggest task!), reading, and chatting with colleagues so far. I can’t get started on my other more formal research methods until I hear back from the Institutional Review Board at U-M. I recently submitted revisions, so here’s hoping that the approval comes through soon.

January 24, 2006 @ 1:56pm. Mission impossible appeared to be finding an umbrella yesterday. Believe it or not, I actually had a difficult time locating an umbrella despite the fact that it’s the rainy season here. I went to two malls and looked on multiple floors. I also looked in small stores nearby. I finally found one at an electronic store of all places. I also bought an iron so I can iron all of my collared shirts and long skirts. I generally get to wear blue jeans when I want to, but I need to dress nicer when it comes to the government offices and going to work at the Freedom Institute, hence the need for an iron. I don’t mind dressing up, though, since I don’t get to do it often back home.

Yesterday, I also had the pleasure of meeting up with one of my mentors, Professor Bill Liddle. He is from The Ohio State University and happens to be here for a month. We have been in touch for some time, but this is our first face-to-face meeting. We’ll wait to have lengthier discussions about our research after we’re over our jet lag. Professor Liddle is set to give a speech on a panel tomorrow for a new book launch at the Freedom Institute. The book is a compilation of work by Indonesian economists and historians.

I continued my office runs today. I returned to the police department to pick up some paperwork, but they made a mistake with the dates, so we had to wait longer than usual. After the correction, we brought the document back to the LIPI office, where we received more documents. We then headed to the Home Affairs Department and dropped off some of them. We’ll return tomorrow morning if all goes well. If we’re lucky, we can go to the immigration office the same day. It has been wonderful having Rizma, an assistant with AMINEF/Fulbright, bringing me around Jakarta and helping with the papers. I feel like this time around is much easier than last July. Perhaps it was good I had such a difficult time in the summer; I don’t have high expectations going in this time.

I still have jet lag unfortunately. The weather is hot and humid, too, so that adds to it.

So far so good with the food. On past trips to Indonesia, I get a stomachache during the first week, but I’m taking it slow with the spicy food this time. I want to eat more because it’s all so tasty and full of flavor, but know I need to pace myself in the beginning.

Before I forget, if you happen to want to send mail instead of or in addition to email, please send it to the following address:

Jenny Epley
Freedom Institute
Jl. Irian No. 8
Menteng
Jakarta Pusat 10350
Indonesia

Mail usually takes up to two weeks. Though I would love to receive packages, please do not send anything unless it is really important and/or you are really patient. Packages can take up to several months to get here.

January 23, 2006 @8:49am. I am waiting for a ride to head to LIPI (research approval office) this morning. I hope to also go to additional offices today provided my paperwork is in order. This process could take a couple of days or the whole week. Wish me luck!

I moved into my kos (room within a large house) yesterday. It’s like a dorm room and I have my own little bathroom, which is a plus. The condition of the place could be better, but compared to other places I’ve stayed, it’s up near the top. The two best parts are the AC and it is within walking distance of the office where I’ll be working. I also have a little television, and though the reception is fuzzy, it’s a luxury. The Ibu (woman/mom/lady) of the house is familar with foreigners - all of her rooms are full right now, mostly with Germans, she says, but I haven’t seen anybody out and about.

The weather is cloudy and raining. At least it’s warm, so I don’t need a jacket.

With the jet lag and morning sounds of the area mosques and caged birds, I have been up at 4am each day. I hope to sleep in a bit more in the coming days.

Everyone has been so nice so far… The most popular greeting from people who know me right after “Hello” has been “Wow, you look so thin now.” It’s a nice, albeit blunt, complement of course, but it is also a reminder of how unhealthy I was during the early part of graduate school — I’m glad I have my health back (I think I feel even better actually!) since I’ve been really working hard this past year and a half.

I ran some errands yesterday for supplies I needed. There’s a shopping mall named Sarinah nearby, about 15 minutes or so. I got the all-essential bug spray, a dustpan and brush, toiletries, laundry detergent, hooks, and the like. I feel a little like a freshman in college preparing my little room.

I haven’t taken any pictures yet, but when I do, I’ll post them.

Take care for now.

Hi all. I’m back to blogging and it just so happens that I’m starting again while in transit at the Changi Airport in Singapore (love the free internet access!). I’m tired since it’s after 2am here and the flight from Detroit to Narita (Tokyo, Japan) was 13 and a half hours long. The flight from Tokyo to Singapore was about 8 hours. This next flight from Singapore to Jakarta will be about 2 hours. I don’t actually depart for quite some time, though, so I’m trying to keep myself occupied by blogging, emailing, reading, and walking around the airport. I wanted to use the fitness center, but it’s over my budget. There are also a ton of duty free shops to walk through, but I’m pretty sure I won’t be needing any Chanel no. 5, cartons of Marlboro, or Chivas Regal anytime soon.

I hope folks will keep in touch while I’m abroad. Feel free to use my University of Michigan or Yahoo email accounts. I’ll try to answer in a timely fashion, but please do be patient in case I can’t email right away.

I hope 2006 is off to a great start for everyone. May you have lots of fun and adventures, big and small, this year.