Dalton Tanonaka: People Power And Perceptions

The Jakarta Post   |  Thu, 01/24/2008 11:39 AM  |  Chit + Chat

It just doesn’t stop. Indonesia’s already battered international image has been getting more bruised than a banana in a street vendor’s cart. It’s like a bad hair day for Donald Trump, or Posh telling Becks she actually hates L.A. If being a land of tsunamis and earthquakes doesn’t color global perceptions enough, selfinflicted wounds paint a disastrous picture. Take the case of the Adam Air plane that disappeared on New Year’s Day. In all my years of journalism, I have never heard of a government official announcing wreckage had been found with 12 survivors, then having to retract the entire statement the very next day. Unbelievable, especially considering the agony passenger families were going through.

And don’t blame the media for the message. It was the messenger who already made what will likely be the year’s biggest news blunder. Friends abroad called me to ask, “What kind of country are you living in, and who’s running that place?” What about the latest outbreak of the health threat that has folks scared around the world? Indonesia’s publicly stated goal of zero bird flu deaths in 2007 flew out the window within days of the turn of the new year. A reactive backyard ban on poultry came only after the foxy H5N1 virus was already in the henhouse. No one at the highest levels of government seems to consider this enough of a national priority to take coordinated, preemptive prevention measures. So when a group of Americans was invited to participate in a benefit music event in Jakarta, what do you think they said? “Right. And I also want to schedule a stop in Baghdad on the way back,” said one.

“Can we do this by Internet?” asked another half-seriously.

“Will the terrorists know we’re coming?” piped in a third.

There was legitimate fear in their questions, because the only images they had of Indonesia were negative. The Americans were musicians based in Hawaii, asked to perform in an international goodwill concert to help raise awareness about bird flu.

It took awhile for members to say yes. “The invitation to go to Jakarta wasn’t appealing,” said bass player Brian Umamoto. “I didn’t respond expediently. I wasn’t sure I wanted to risk my life on a trip.” “I thought of images of terrorism in Iraq,” said guitarist Ronald Nakagawa.

“I pictured performing at the outdoor concert and a bomb goes off and kills us all.” “Everyone that I had talked to about going to Indonesia seemed to have the same dim view about that country although they had not been there themselves,” added trumpet player Rodney Kaneshiro. After reassurances by event organizers, the band committed to come. Still, when they hit the ground, concerns about security and health weighed heavily. “It’s a dirty city, but with so much potential if the time and effort are put into it,” initially observed singer Juli Kam. “There’s a lot it has to offer.” Then people power took over. From the driver of their bus, to hotel and event staff, all helped turn the visitors’ preconceptions and attitudes around.

“The most positive thing I took away with me is the friendliness of the people,” said singer Lori Matsumoto. “Our driver always had a smile on his face, even after driving through all that traffic. I would be a wreck!” “The biggest surprise was when the lady who owns the hotel we played at (for a pre-concert party) thanked us and told me “God bless you!” remembered keyboardist Dwayne Higa. “I didn’t know what to say back. That brought a smile to my face.”

Coming from a place known for its warm, genuine spirit, band members know “aloha” when they see it.

“The people, in many ways, were like people in Hawaii,” said Nakagawa. “They were welcoming, friendly, humble, and had many of the same restraints that you see in people in Hawaii.” “The trip was beyond my expectations,” added Umamoto. “I mostly enjoyed the people I met in Jakarta. Everyone was friendly and accommodating. Yes, I would visit again.”

Kaneshiro summed up the experience for a formerly reluctant group of travelers who now look forward to returning.

“What I found there was a people and a culture so different from what I had anticipated, a land so foreign from my own and yet so familiar,” he said. “In a city of millions, the people are still so warm and friendly, they smile easily and were so very tolerant of the differences in our ways and language. “I came to Jakarta fearing the worst, and through the warmth of the people, left having one of the best experiences of my life.”

Hawaii native Dalton Tanonaka is the co-anchor of Metro TV’s Indonesia Now program, seen on Friday nights at 7:30 p.m. He can be reached at dalton@metrotvnews.com

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