Oh The Things I Do for the Blog Followers...

FINALLY!! An internet connection in the hotel! I am amazed. So, knowing that you are all chomping at the bit to know what we've been up to, I'm sacrificing a nice cold shower and sleep time in my room to update the blog!!! Yee Haw!!

So, I'll start backwards and start posting some days from last week.

Wednesday - December 15 

We had a breakfast meeting at the hotel on Wednesday, December 15, with Bara Hasibuan, a member of the Partai Amanat Nasional (PAN) political party. He was educated in the US, as with many of the people we have met. Interestingly enough, Bara is not a Muslim and belongs to a political party which considers themselves to be moderate Islam (more to come on this later...today we met with another member of PAN and I asked him about how this affects the party interactions and overall agenda when non-Muslims are active in the party structure).

Then...as we went on to our next meeting and after quite bit of whining, it was obvious to our hosts that it wasn’t going to stop until we - at least - drove past the elementary school that President Obama attended while in Jakarta. We were originally just going to drive by, but after evening more whining, we managed to stop the transport van, check out a plaque and statute dedicated to Obama, and got a chance to peak in on the children ending their school day with some sort of game.

Then...we were scheduled to meet with the Vice Chairman of the Regional Representative Council (referred to as DPD). The DPD is comparable to the US Senate; however, they essentially have no power and do not enact laws. Simply, they serve as the link between the community/people and the government. Unfortunately, the Senator we were to meet with was running late as he was speaking on the floor. We couldn’t wait because of our next appointment. However, we did briefly enter into the Senate Chamber (very cool...that's my *official* assessment).

NOTE: Time in Jakarta. Traffic in Jakarta is horrible. They refer to a traffic jam as macet (pronounced ma-chet). It could take literally hours to go a very, very short distance. Their infrastructure is in desperate need of improvement and organization. Anyway, we kept looking at the clock in an effort to assist our hosts in honoring the times of our meetings. At one point in the transport van, someone looked at the clock and said “we’re late” and the response was, “no, as long as we make it within a half hour of when we said we’d be there, it’s okay.” That’s how everything is in Jakarta - time is highly affected by traffic which is consistently TERRIBLE.

Another NOTE: We have not had anytime to experience the villages or areas where *middle* class people live in Jakarta due to our busy schedule. The lack of seeing the true Jakarta gave me false sense that the prices in the area were extremely high, and I was having difficulty understanding how people could survive. I was then reminded that we are experiencing and interacting with the elite class in Indonesia. 

After we left the Senate, we headed over to meet with the Partai Deomkrasi Indonesia Perjungan (PDI-P) political party (also referred to as the Indonesian Deomcratic Party of Struggle). We were greeted by and had dialogue with Puan Maharani, Member of Parliament and daughter of former Indonesian President, Megawati Sukarnoputri. At this lunch time meeting, we also met with several other high-ranking officials from PDI-P including the oldest member of parliament, Sudarto. Sudarto is 75 years old and has been to the United States to train and interact with national law enforcement agencies. 

Of all the political parties we visited (and trust me, it’s been a lot), PDI-P was the first party to provide information about their party platform. Later on in the week, we learned that the three top political parties, which are the Democratic, PDI-P and Golkar, all run on the exact same platform. In Indonesia, many of the politicians are current and former artists, entertainers and other well-known people. If you thought the US political powers were a popularity contest, well then, you don’t know nothin’ ;)

Ah...interesting information: The PDI-P represents itself as the party of tolerance. For example, even though there are a small number of Christians in Indonesia, and the majority of them that are active in politics are members of the PDI-P. Some PDI-P members feel that their party represents tolerance (it's a bit more complicated than that, but this is a blog - not Wikipedia, or Zackipedia - which we've been consulting now for 10 days and he's pretty accurate :))

There's more to write for this day, but I'm outta here...everyone else is sleeping except for Zack and I - and we're both hunched over our laptops in the lobby typing away...and it's 11:15...we meet again at 8:30...

Sending you exhausted cheers!

Kimberly 

Washington State

PS...I tried to upload pictures...but no luck...sorry Charlies :(

If I only had an iPad...

I think it's only fair to blame the lack of detailed blogging on the mere fact that I don't have an iPad. If I did have one, I would be able to blog after each meeting while we travel to the next. Oh well, blame it on my friends and family who have them and wouldn't let me borrow it...you know who you are :)

Oh, FYI to all...I didn't change the date stamping on the blog when I left, so it's date stamping posts according to US day and time. But remember that we are 17 hours ahead of Seattle, WA so it's actually Thursday morning, December 16 for us. Including today we have two days left of programming in Jakarta and then we relocate to Bali.

I have been taking detailed notes so I remember what has happened and at some point you can expect a long detailed blog. But honestly, right now, we get back so late that I need to focus on resting...I would say the most rest I've had since we arrived is 5 hours sleep, and I'm beginning to feel the effects.
 
Ok - off to start another day.

Cheers!

Kimberly
Washington State

10 Days, 7 Hours, 49 Minutes...

...it's the countdown to Christmas.

Since we've been here, I've heard Christmas music (lots!), seen decorated trees, passedby ginger bread houses and chocolate Santa Claus' and even saw a carved wood replication of the Last Supper. For a minute, if you get caught up in it, you begin to lead your thoughts to draw a parallel to the freedoms of religion and others celebrations in the US. However, this morning's paper reminded me that I live in a nation where these threats are not imminent.

The Jakarta Globe: FPI Promises No Disruptions Over Christmas

Adult lesson learned, simple, but true...no one should have to live in fear, and I can help control that - merely by my actions. As an American, I need to remember, respect and actively help different cultures residing in the US experience the freedom on which we have built our nation. There's no room for something as simple as a judgment, even in my mind - my own personal thoughts.

Signing off for the morning...thankful for this wonderful experience.

Kimberly
Washington State

Things that make you go hmmm....

Today was a really long and exhausting day, especially because of the machet in Jakarta.

No Blog Tonight...

...Sorry Blog Followers, gotta get some rest.

We have an early day tomorrow, but if the jet lag gods have their way perhaps I will be able to catch up with the blog tomorrow.

Kimberly
Washington State

PS...It was another great day.

Video Feed

Dear Blog Followers:

Please accept my sincere apologies for not being able to upload the video feeds from yesterday.

I understand that this will severely impact your ability to live vicariously through the six of us. Oh well. You'll still follow.

:)

Sarcastic Blogger
Washington State

PS...for those of you who know me, you understand that my *blogging attitude* is more likely than not a result of jet lag :) (or not)

PPS...we are having a great time, but on behalf of the delegation, I am sending out big hugs to our loved ones...

*Ryan*

*Ray*

*Zach*

*Benson*

Video Problems...

...Yep, I know, posting problems with the video feeds in the previous blog. It's 1:39 a.m. and I'm not fixing it tonight :)  I'll see what I can do later.

MB
Washington State

To Blog or To Sleep, That is the Question...

...it has been a long day, and as my comrades are fast asleep in their little beds, I, martyr blogger, am carrying out my self-assigned blogging duties.

What a wonderful day. We are beat, but it was incredible. I don't think I can even begin to sum it up accurately, but I will try to give you an idea of what we experienced today.

Our first scheduled meeting was with Marzuki Alie, Chairman of the House of Representatives. He had to meet with the President, so we met with a Deputy Speaker of the House, Ir. H Pramono Anung Wibowo, MM (Master of Management). We met in a room that, for Indonesia, was comparable to the US Oval Office.

In Indonesia, the House of Representatives is referred to as DPR (Dewan Persakilan Rakyat). There are 560 members representing nine (9) political parties. The DPR is considered to be more powerful than the  Senate (which is comparable to the US Senate).

Here is some specific information we learned from Mr. Wibowo today:

• Currently, Jakarta is Indonesia's capitol city; however, among many factors, which include congestion and enormous size, there is serious consideration to relocate the Capitol. 
• Among one of the most relevant issues in Jakarta is transportation, which is essentially the responsibility of the governor. Transportation is at its peek Monday through Friday (even though at 12:19 a.m. I still see quite a bit if traffic out of my hotel window), with Saturdays and Sundays considered "car-free days." Many families can own up to 9 modes of motorized transportation (i.e.: car, motorcycle, moped, etc).
• Infrastructure concerns are also evident in this City, where such planning seems to be varied and inconsistent, even non-existent in many areas. 
• Indonesia's national motto is Unity through Diversity, and immigration rarely surfaces for discussion because it is not an issue. Usually, refugees are merely traveling through Indonesia in order to reach Australia as their ultimate destination. 
• The size of the seas surrounding the 18,000+ islands of Indonesia is also a relevant issue due to regulations of fishing vessels and other seaworthy travelers. 
• Elections in Indonesia are very complicated and expensive. At minimum, a three-tiered process exists wherein there is a primary, run-off and general election. 
• The last election was held in 2009, and those elected will serve a five (5) year term.
• 2009 was the first time Indonesia experienced a direct vote of the people. Prior elections were conducted by political party.  

Women play a strong role in the Indonesian government, despite a on-going struggle to reach such political power. In fact, by their own legislation, DPR requires that 30% of parliamentary members be women. Currently, 18% are women, up from 11% from the last election. Additionally, the former Indonesian President is a woman (we will meet her later in the week).

Speaking of strong women, it was by chance that we stopped to sit in a hearing regarding the Indonesian Constitution, and we had the pleasure of personally meeting with Parliament Member Nurul Arifin, S.IP., M.Si. The video below shows Ms. Arifin in action at the hearing.

After the hearing, she graciously spent time with us sharing the female struggle within Indonesian politics as well as some of the issues and challenges with which politically involved women face. Interestingly enough, this struggle doesn't lessen the importance or achievements of women in elected government positions, and the men we have met speak highly of the importance of women in government.

Our day ended with a formal private dinner hosted by Ms. Connie Rahakundini Bakrie, Executive Director of the Institute of of Defense and Security Studies (IODAS) and Mr. LTG (retired General) Djadja Suparman, Board of Advisory (IODAS) at the Hotel Dharmawangsa. The evening's discussion focused largely on maritime issues including shipping lanes and trade routes.

Okay, it's late, and tonight I leave you with this short video of Luthfi leading Nicole and I across the street in Jakarta. He is *shooing* the cars away. I thought life as we knew it was soon to be over, but we survived! Yay, Luthfi!

Cheers!

Martyr Blogger
Washington State

Salam Indonesia!

...that means Hello Indonesia for all you non-native Bahasa Indonesia speakers ;)

We have finally made it to our destination and we are all quite tired, but a blog post you do deserve. Here's a quick overview of today...

Our flight left Narita, Japan at 12:00 p.m. on December 12, 2010 (which is today for y'all). I believe we arrived in Jakarta sometime around 6:00 p.m., but there's a two-hour time difference, so the 5-hour flight we thought we had was actually 7 hours. However, I'm pretty sure we all thought it was worth it for two main reasons:

1. We are FINALLY in Jakarta and were greeted by our good friends Diah and Sidra - what a pleasant welcome to see their smiling faces - just as excited to see us and we were them.
2. We discovered PRETZ in Japan and I'm pretty sure we are all addicted, and can't wait to get to Osaka to get a ton of these yummy treats. If you're really bored, go to YouTube and type in PRETZ commercials...they are interesting, to say the least. Some website compared PRETZ to Pringles Stix in the US, but I haven't had those before, so I couldn't tell you if they taste the same or not.

After picking us up at the airport in a nice air-conditioned bus (it was 29 C when we landed, so mid-80's) they took us to Senayan, an Indonesian restaurant well-liked by Americans. It was DELICIOUS! (check out the photos page for pics of some of our food). The best part??? THE BILL!! About $45 for 8 people for dinner...e-i-g-h-t people!!! WOW!

After dinner we went to the hotel, where we are all looking forward to getting some needed rest (which means this blog is ending soon...). We will start our day off tomorrow with a meeting with Mr. Marzuki Alie, Chairman of the House of Representatives.

As today ends, I wanted to leave you with this...I am confident that I speak for my fellow delegates when I say how thankful we all are to have this opportunity to travel abroad to experience such a unique professional and personal opportunity. We all thank ACYPL for choosing each one of us to represent and participate in the Legislative Fellows Program as well as our employers, families, friends and colleagues who are supporting us during this journey.

Until Tomorrow...

Kimberly
Washington State 

We're finally in Jakarta!

We finally made it to Jakarta after a full 48 hours of travel.

Good Morning from Tokyo!

Hello Everyone!

Well, the six of us have made it safely to Tokyo (ok, ok, Narita, actually) and we are preparing for our departure to Jakarta in a few hours.

After everyone had their own mini-adventures prior to meeting up, we had our first group adventure last night (and we survived). We took the train into Tokyo which is approximately 40 miles from our hotel. We did well, especially when you consider the Tokyo transit map...

We never got lost, but we did have some challenges making sure we were taking the right trains on the way back...there's express, rapid, local, express-rapid, local-express, rapid-local-express (ok, I made some of those up, but you get the point. Although ticket agents and transit employees themselves seemed to have difficulty helping us, we did have two separate locals who assisted us once they saw we might be headed somewhere that was nowhere near our intended destination. They both assisted us while on the platform, and then they both found us in the train car to make sure we knew when to get off, etc. So, cheers to these two gentlemen, and next time you might be able to help a visitor understand a US transit system, take the time to do it. Not only will they be grateful, but the impression of your kindness will be priceless to them.

As for dinner, we found a little place that I could never get you back to if I tried, and we had some sushi and tempura. The staff was gracious, helpful and PATIENT! Here are the menus:

Okay, I gotta run...group meeting in the lobby in a short while to head to the airport. But I will leave you with this:

December 12, 2010 - Things of Note

• The Yen is stronger than the Dollar. Exchange rates are reporting 84 JPY to $1.00, but at the hotel we are getting about 73 JPY to the $1.00.
• The temperature is 13-14 degrees celcius (mid to high 50's).
• The weather is clear with white puffy cumulus present :)
• Fashion in Tokyo varies considerably from traditional to familiar American wear to what some websites refer to as the "Lady Gaga" look. Fashion ranges across the board, and is in no way boring! ;)

Cheers,

Kimberly
Washington State

Washington State Delegation Gifts

T-14.75 hours until take off...Destination - INDONESIA!

As our group wraps up the finishing touches of preparing for our departure, I thought I'd share some pics of the dignitary gifts that the Washington State delegates will be bringing. These gifts will be given to dignitaries that we meet during our stay.

Many people are curious of international gift giving and/or exchanges and why it is done, so here's a little background to shed some light on the tradition:

The gifts are given for, and meant to say, "because of our international meeting and relationship - both professionally and personally - we are able to prosper." The gift is a representation of the new friendship and cultural exchange, not necessarily between the individuals, but the organizations and cultures the individuals represent.

Given the tradition of the exchanges, we carefully choose gifts that were not only somewhat easy to travel with, but were an excellent representation of the Pacific Northwest. We choose five individually crafted, hand-blown glass mini floppy bowls designed and created at Seattle's very own Glass Eye Studio. As part of this wonderful work of art, Studio artists use ash from the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens in each piece.

Cheers!
Kimberly 
Washington State