Elton John�s Indonesian concert postponed

The Jakarta Post | Wed, 11/16/2011 10:05 AM

JAKARTA: Music legend Sir Elton John has postponed his much-anticipated concert in Jakarta until Nov. 17, 2012. The show, which was scheduled for this Friday, Nov. 18, was to be his first Indonesian concert.  

Michael Rusli, whose company Big Daddy Live was in charge of the event, said he received the news from Sir Elton’s management last week.  

Rusli said that Sir Elton sends his regrets to his fans in Indonesia.    

“The Greatest Hits Tour Elton John & His Band would like to officially apologize to their Indonesian fans. But they will come to hold a concert on Nov. 17, 2012,” Rusli said.  

He said those who bought tickets don’t have to worry about refunds, as his company has an integrated system set to ease the refund process.  

“Those who purchased the ticket online through MyTicket Indonesia will get their refunds starting Nov. 17. They will have the money transferred to their bank accounts,” he said.

Meanwhile, those who bought tickets manually can fill in refund verification forms available at www.myticket.co.id starting Nov. 17. Refunds will be sent after Nov. 23 for manual purchasers who have completed the verification form.

Indonesian Muslims celebrate Idul Fitri on different days: Expert

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 08/29/2011 1:08 PM

While Muslims across the archipelago started Ramadhan this year on the same date, different groups may end the fasting month on different days, an expert says.

Some may say that the end of Ramadhan is on Tuesday while others may say it ends Wednesday, National Aeronautics and Space Agency (LAPAN) research professor Thomas Djamaluddin said Monday.

“The difference occurs because until now most Muslim mass organizations in this country have no agreement on which criteria to use to determine the beginning of hijrah [Islamic year] months,” Thomas said as quoted by kompas.com.

At least two criteria are used: hisab, which is based on mathematical calculations, and rukyat or direct observations of the lunar cycle. Both methods are used to determine the emergence of the first crescent moon at the beginning of hijriah months, known as hilal.

If hilal can be seen on Monday afternoon, Muslims will mark the next day as Idul Fitri. If, however, hilal can not be seen then the fasting month will be extended to 30 days and Idul Fitri will fall on Wednesday.

All eyes on Indonesian Contemporary Art

Ika Krismantari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 06/17/2011 10:01 PM

Sara-swasti II, (2000), an installation made of dried banana tree trunks, fiber glass, by Mella Jaarsma. JP/PJ Leo

Indonesian contemporary art is about to woo art connoisseurs from around the world, this time with an exhibition bound for London that will present works from some of the archipelago’s most noted artists.

The “Indonesian Eye: Fantasies & Realities” exhibition, which brings together masterpieces of 18 Indonesian up-and-coming and famous artists, will be traveling from Jakarta to London, and maybe other parts of the world.

Currently on show in Jakarta until July 10, the works will also be on display in one of the world’s most established contemporary art gallery, the Saatchi Gallery, in London, from Aug. 27 to Oct. 9.

The event, believed to be the first major exhibition of Indonesian contemporary art in the UK, aims to promote Indonesian contemporary art overseas and introduce it to as wide an audience as possible, the organizer says.

 “The main objective is to take Indonesian up-and-coming as well as prominent artists and help them have their works seen overseas,” said David Ciclitira, the founder and initiator of “Indonesian Eye”.

Three famous international curators were involved in selecting the artworks, Nigel Hurst, the CEO of the Saatchi Gallery, Tsong-zung Chang, a China Art Academy guest professor also director of Hanart TZ Gallery in Hong Kong, and Serelella Ciclitira, a curator with an international reputation, who is also married to David.

The selection process, which took one year to complete, also involved local curators Jim Supangkat, Asmudjo Jono Irianto and Farah Wardani.

“Indonesian Eye” is actually a follow-up from a similar program the Ciclitira couple organized with Korean art.

The pair initiated the “Korean Eye” series in 2009, which was deemed a success in promoting emerging Korean artists internationally. After landing in Korea and the UK, the exhibition also traveled to places such as Singapore and the United Arab Emirates.

Noting the success of “Korean Eye”, the couple embarked on a similar program involving Indonesian art.

 “Indonesia is a special country, home to 240 million people and boasting an extraordinarily diverse culture spanning from Jakarta to Bali. There is an effervescent contemporary art scene, which has provided us and the team with a wealth of talent to work with,” David said.

The Post Modernist (2011), five cloaks of embroidered emblems, by Mella Jaarsma. JP/PJ Leo

He said him and his wife had spotted Indonesian art’s great potential during the “Korean Eye” exhibition in Singapore in 2010.

“We met many Indonesian artists, whose passion and ability made Indonesia a natural successor to the Korean initiative,” he elaborated.

Sharing the same opinion as Ciclitira, Hurst also highlighted the country’s cultural diversity as the key strong point of the local art scene.

 “It is really diverse and hybrid in the best possible sense… There is a lot of energy there. There is a real melting and blending that is very interesting. It reflects the multicultural side you have,” he said.

Hurst was referring to the rich mix of modern and traditional cultures found in Indonesian artworks, where the digital and computer gaming world is combined with more historic elements such as shadow puppetry (wayang) or batik.

Hurst also pointed out that artworks here had the basic criteria needed to attract the attention of international audiences.

 “The most and the foremost is that they [artworks] have to be visually arresting,” he said.

Looking at the 18 artworks featured in the exhibition, Hurst’s point was immediately obvious with all the bright colors and intriguing figures that seemed to dominate the collection.

Brush! (2008), scanography, print on transparency, by Angki Purbandono. JP/PJ Leo

Most of the artworks selected for the exhibition feature distinctive and gigantic shapes as well as shocking colors with a strong amalgamation of traditional and modern elements.

Artist Nindityo Adipurnomo, for example, exhibited a piece titled Tradition and Tension, featuring a gigantic konde (traditional Javanese hair bun) decorated with a bottles of shampoos neatly arranged in the center of the bun.

Artist Heri Dono’s paintings depict figures and elements from folk traditions combined with bright colors to represent Indonesia’s current political and social system.

However, the representative for Indonesian curators, Jim Supangkat, believes it isn’t just Indonesia’s rich cultural diversity that sets it apart on the global art scene.

Indonesian artists have already secured global recognition with their artworks displayed in various countries in Asia, Europe and Australia.

According to Jim, Indonesian artists’ impulsive creative process is one of their strengths.

“Most of the artists here work with their heart. Their artworks cannot be easily explained because it is spontaneous. This kind of thing is still rare in the art world,” he said.

Commenting on the exhibition, Jim lauded the project as an important step forward for Indonesian contemporary art.

 “We can see a bright future for our artists because of this kind of exposure,” he said.

A book titled Indonesian Eye, Contemporary Indonesian Art, which presents over 500 works by 74 Indonesian artists, was also launched at the exhibition.

The book will be distributed worldwide by top publisher Thames & Hudson.

Indonesian Eye: Fantasies and Realities

Jakarta Exhibition
Ciputra Artpreneur Center, Jakarta
Until July 10
Opening hours: 9 a.m. – 9 p.m., 7 days a week
Admission: free
 

London Exhibition
Saatchi Gallery, London
Aug. 27 – Oct. 9
Opening hours: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., 7 days a week,
Admission: free
www.indonesianeye.com

Trinity: Heroine for Indonesian tourism

Ika Krismantari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 06/17/2011 9:55 PM

JP/Ika Krismantari

Amid chaos in the country’s tourism management, one person has risen to save the day and help Indonesia be recognized as one of the most interesting tourist destinations in the world.

Meet Trinity.

But don’t be mistaken. She is not the heroine with martial art skills from the Hollywood science fiction epic The Matrix.

Trinity from Indonesia lives in Jakarta and doesn’t possess any super powers, even though she confessed that the name was a pseudonym inspired by the movie.

But behaving like a superhero, Trinity refuses to reveal her real name.

“Just call me Trinity. People are already familiar with that name,” she said in a recent interview with The Jakarta Post.

On first impression, Trinity is like any other young, active Indonesian woman in her thirties.

After spending almost an hour talking with the cheerful and easy-going mannered lady, the Post understood that people do not need superpowers to be a hero or heroine: All you need is determination and guts.

The Trinity Indonesians know is the avid travel writer committed to promoting Indonesia as a tourist destination the world.

She has traveled to 44 countries, 30 provinces in Indonesia and published three best-selling travelogues that are said to have changed Indonesians’ view about traveling.

People here used to believe that traveling was the preserve of the wealthy. But Trinity’s books show it is financially possible for everyone to travel.

Trinity’s books, which received praise from Lonely Planet founder Tony Wheeler, have also been eye openers for locals and foreigners unaware of the country’s beauty.

Trinity has introduced remote places in the archipelago as new tourist destinations; treasures for the Indonesian tourism sector. Thanks to Trinity, places such as Komodo Island, in East Nusa Tenggara, Derawan Island in East Kalimantan and Cubadak Island in West Sumatra have become new hot spots for travelgoers.

From her experience in various countries, the recipient of the 2010 Indonesia leading travel writer award still thinks Indonesia is the best destination for tourism.

“We have it all here: Culture, the people, nature and the weather. We have sun all year around,” she said.

However, the government’s inability to promote tourism successfully and its stifling bureaucracy, Trinity believes, mean the country’s potential remains untapped, and she wants to be behind the change.

“I want to become the culture and tourism minister,” she said.

Trinity believes there are many things the government can do to maximize the country’s tourism sector, including building a solid network between ministries and initiating good promotional programs.

“Despite the government’s massive efforts to promote tourism, the public has never been involved,” she said, referring to tourism campaigns in Thailand and Malaysia that have attracted 15 and 20 million foreign tourists every year, respectively, more than twice the number of tourists visiting Indonesia each year.

Given the local government’s inability to promote tourism here, it seems that Trinity has brought new hopes for the future of the country’s tourism sector.

Apart from writing, the editor-in chief of the Jakarta-based travel magazine Venture has promoted
Indonesia using other ways, including spreading information about Indonesia to strangers when she travels abroad.

Her next mission is to endorse Indonesian tourism in Namibia, where she will be a speaker at a tourism conference.

“I feel that is the least I can do when I go anywhere, by becoming the ambassador for Indonesia,” she said.

Judging by her achievements, mission and dreams for Indonesian tourism, Trinity may well become the ideal candidate for the position of tourism minister, and change the fate of the country’s tourism sector.

However, no one could possibly guess our heroine was once a 9-to-5 corporate slave.

The former marketing communications officer quit her job to follow her dream of being a writer and a traveler after completing her masters in management in Manila, the Philippines.

One of Trinity’s professors inspired her to follow her dream.

“My lecturer said follow your passion and success will follow you. And here I am living my dream job,” said the woman regarded as the most influential travel writer in the country.

She began writing diaries when she was only small. Her first article on traveling was published in the teen magazine Mode, in which she shared her experience visiting the US during high school.

In 2005, to accommodate her passions both in traveling and writing, she started a blog under the name Naked Traveler (naked-traveler.com) that contained her travel experiences. This blog gave birth to her travelogues that share the same title.

“I wanted to name it something that was catchy and I realized Indonesians are fond of porn. That’s why I choose the word ‘naked’,” she said jokingly, adding that from a philosophical point of view, the name referred to travel stories that are honest and blatant, different from the ones found in major publications that mostly write only about the good stuff.

Raised in an adventurous family, Trinity has traveled around Indonesia and abroad since she was a child.

“My mother and my late grand mother are travel maniacs. At the age of 70, my grandmother still traveled around Europe. When we get together, we talk about traveling,” she said.

This supportive environment enabled the young Trinity to become an expert when it comes to traveling.

She started traveling and putting together travel itineraries since she was in junior high school.

“My parents told me to make proposals containing the detail of my trips, the destination and budget,” said the woman, who went backpacking to Europe for six weeks while she was at college.

And what’s her next travel plan?

The woman, who wishes to visit every country in the world says she is planning to take one-year off over the next two years to travel to South America.

Even a heroine has the right to take a break. Doesn’t she?

Saudi Arabia urged to stop recruiting Indonesian workers

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 02/16/2011 12:10 PM | National

The Saudi Arabian National Recruitment Committee says it has asked local authorities to temporarily halt the recruitment of Indonesian workers.

The committee (Sanarcom) was quoted by arabnews as saying the authorities should stop further recruitment Indonesian workers beginning Monday.

It also suggested the Saudi government stop issuing working visas to Indonesian workers, saying the visa’s cost a lot to issue, but the workers were of a poor quality, kompas.com reported.

Head of Sanarcom Jeddah, Yahya Hassan Al-Maqbool, said the request had been issued following reports in Indonesia about the abuse of Indonesian workers by their employers in Saudi Arabia.

The head of the National Board for the Placement and Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers, Moh. Jumhur Hidayat, said the decision to stop recruitment was up to the Saudi Arabian authorities.

He also said Sanarcom had requested that in the interests of improving coordination there should be one association instead of three to manage the placement of Indonesian workers in Saudi Arabia.

The three associations currently performing this function presently are Apjati (Association of Indonesian Worker Service Companies), Himsataki (Association of Indonesian Worker Recruitment Agencies), and IDEA (Indonesia Employment Association).

Indonesian ex-cop given 10 years on terror charges

NiniekKarmini, The Associated Press, Depok, West Java | Wed, 01/19/2011 7:32 PM | National

A former Indonesian policeman was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in prison for supplying weapons to a terrorist cell allegedly plotting a series of attacks on foreigners.

Sofyan Tsauri, 34, was arrested after security forces raided a militant training camp in the westernmost province of Aceh one year ago.

Judge Dwiarso Santiarto told a district court on the outskirts of the capital that Tsauri was guilty of selling dozens of assault rifles, revolvers and other weapons to the previously unknown terrorist cell called "Al Qaida in Aceh."

The militant group was allegedly plotting Mumbai-style gun attacks on Western hotels and embassies in Jakarta.

It also allegedly wanted to assassinate President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and attack security forces to punish the state for lending support to the U.S.-led anti-terrorism fight.

Tsauri, fired from the police force in 2009 on charges of desertion, bought the weapons from two officers who were working at a police warehouse, the judge said.

The two were given jail time in separate trials last week.

Indonesia, a predominantly Muslim nation of 240 million, has battled extremists since 2002, when members of the al-Qaida-linked network Jemaah Islamiyah bombed two nightclubs on the resort island of Bali, killing 202 people, most of them foreign tourists.

Since then, members of an offshoot of the group have continued to carry out near-annual strikes on various targets, including a Western embassy, beach-side restaurants and upscale hotels, killing more than 60.

Tsauri is one of more than 100 alleged members of the Aceh terrorist cell to have been captured or killed since February. His lawyers said he would appeal the verdict, which was five years less than prosecutors had sought.