INDONESIA 1993 – THEN AND NOW

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Thu, 05/22/2008 4:33 PM  |  Dalton Tanonaka

My very first visit to Indonesia was back in 1993, when I was working and living in Tokyo and seeking new adventures every vacation I could manage.

I remember my newsroom travel colleagues, most of whom were native Japanese, saying we should try “exotic Bali,” which was just taking off in Japan as a popular tourist destination.

“Let’s do it,” I said. “And since we have to transit in Jakarta, let’s spend a day or two there as well.”

Following that fun and memorable holiday, I wrote my impressions in a newspaper column that is an interesting snapshot of the times then. And how things didn’t quite turn out as many expected 15 years later.

The most glaring paragraph matter-of-factly states “… the World Bank projects Indonesia will be an industrialized middle-income nation by the turn of the century.”

Huh?

“If you look at it, there was a lot of self-interest, meaning leaders were more interested in personal gain,” says Ron Mullers, the Sumatra-born entrepreneur who founded the Papa Ron’s Pizza and Amigos restaurant chains.  We were high school classmates in the United States, and visiting with him was the main reason I wanted to overnight in Jakarta that initial trip.

“A lot of bad decisions were made after that, and that meant projects were delayed or went to the wrong people,” says Ron, a tireless promoter of the country who would make a perfect tourism minister in anyone’s administration.  “Because of that, Indonesia never achieved all the predictions.”

“And, of course, there was the Asian financial crisis in ’97 and the fall of Soeharto a year later,” he says.

I wrote about the endless number of construction projects I noticed underway, from “high-rise hotels … terraced office complexes … and heavy-density shopping plazas.”

Today, the boom appears to be restarting, but no one’s predicting “developed nation” status anytime soon.

“You can still feel the effects. It’s difficult to do business here, but Indonesia still has enormous potential,” says Ron.

Besides the business commentary, I wrote about the social aspects of the city that started at Ron’s flagship restaurant at the time. His Green Pub was a hugely popular hangout for fun-loving locals and homesick expatriates, situated in the Sarinah retail development.

Fifteen years later, a coffee shop occupies Green Pub’s space, with the trend-setting nightspot having relocated and transformed into the Amigos brand that’s soon to open its first outlet in South Korea.

“I’ve always felt blessed,” says Ron.

After listening to Andre, the “pony-tailed leader of the Alamo Riders”, sing Kenny Rogers at the Green Pub, I then wrote that we wanted to get musical ourselves.

Ron suggested we go “Downtown,” a karaoke establishment in the heart of Kota that no longer stands to dazzle impressionable Japanese visitors.

I wrote that we were definitely pleased by one of Jakarta’s many pleasure palaces that have grown to even greater luxuriousness – just look at Sun City and Raja Mas.

“I glided my way to the disco (side) while the boys absorbed more native (karaoke) culture,” I wrote. “The evening ended much too soon.  And it cost 10 times less than a comparable evening in Tokyo.”

“That was great,” sighed (colleague) Toshi.  “Enjoyable to sit with beautiful women, plus karaoke and too much beer.”

Some things, thankfully, don’t change.

My column back then had begun with a long-distance warning from my mother, whom I noted probably wasn’t sure what she meant.

“Watch out for Bali-Bali girls,” said Elsie.

I kept that in mind as my travel gang descended upon the resort island that soon would be winning every resort destination award in sight.

“We scorched the upper layers of our epidermis in the super boogie-boarding waves at Kuta Beach, and the relaxing in-pool bar at the Bali Hyatt,” I recorded.  “We reveled in the advantageous exchange rate, and came away with omiyage (souvenir) bargains …

“And the vacation was capped by an unbelievable 17-course feast served by a human buffet line,” which referred to the formal Balinese tradition of an army of food servers.

I find that Bali 2008 remains more true to itself and destiny than Jakarta.  Attitude, service and beauty are still the jewels of the archipelago, even as pollution, infrastructure problems and higher prices creep into the picture.

But unlike then, when my “worry-wart” mother raised the red flag over “Bali-Bali girls,” I’m looking to meet one soon.  She’d be close to a tropical island product that would suit my Hawaiian roots and taste. And I’ve come to truly appreciate the inherent sweetness of most Indonesian women.

And I’d settle for a two-course meal.

 
Hawaii native Dalton Tanonaka is the co-anchor of Metro TV’s "Indonesia Now" program, seen on Saturday mornings at 7 a.m. and Sundays at 1 a.m.  He can be reached at dalton@metrotvnews.com.

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