It was the 13th of July 2011 when Ryan Adriandhy first brought me to an “open-mic” in Comedy Cafe, Kemang, Jakarta. I had no idea what an open-mic was. Apparently, it is a live show where people who are present in the venue could perform at the microphone. However, in regards to the stand-up comedy world, it is the place for stand-up comedians, or comics, to practice and test their new materials (commonly known as “comedy bits”), to an audience prior to performing in a bigger crowd.

Although Comedy Cafe routinely holds open mic sessions, the one on the 13th of July seems like a game-changing one. A few days back, Ryan told me he was going to do an audition to be one of the finalists of “Stand Up Comedy Indonesia” (SUCI), a show that has a similar model to NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” produced by Kompas TV. In the audition, he met Ernest Prakasa, another contestant aspiring to be a comic, just like Ryan. Both of them initiated to attend the open mic, inviting friends like Isman H. Suryaman, Pandji Pragiwaksono and eventually, one of Indonesia’s most successful comedy writers, Raditya Dika. The community of Indonesian stand-up comedians, under the name of StandUpIndo, was born that night.

Now, less than one year after that historical day, almost everything has developed into more fantastic terms. Ryan has attained the title of “the first professional stand-up comedian in Indonesia” given by Kompas TV after having championed the competition, Ernest is going on his endeavor by holding the first stand-up comedy tour in Indonesia with the name of “Merem Melek Tour”, Isman. has just secured a place to be one of SUCI’s second season’s finalists, Pandji has held the first stand-up comedy special in Indonesia “Bhinneka Tunggal Tawa”, while Raditya Dika is going to be one of SUCI’s second season’s judges.

Ryan Adriandhy rehearsing for “Koper”

A few weeks ago, Ryan brought me to another stand-up comedy performance, called “Koper”. It was actually a combination of stand-up comedy and theatrical play. That evening, I witnessed something that opened my eyes about the Indonesian stand-up comedy scene.

“Koper” featured 8 comics, all with different backgrounds and distinctive personalities. The line-ups are Sam D. Putra, Ernest Prakasa, Boris T. Manullang, Miund, Ryan Adriandhy, Soleh Solihun, Sakdiyah, and Insan Nur Akbar. I have seen their performances in different off-air and on-air shows, but not until that day have I noticed the characteristic that most Indonesian comics share in common. Almost every issue discussed on stage depicts the life and the concerns of Indonesian middle class society. A performance with diversified comics like “Koper” could give a preview of how Indonesian middle class perceive its nation and its surroundings.

To the international society, the nation is often branded as the “third largest democracy in the world” with such a big number of Muslims living in the country. I have heard so many times of how some people brag about Indonesia’s (supposedly) democratic system, especially by pointing out that we once had a female president and by restating that usually, democracy and Muslim citizens do not usually live side by side.

The concept was continually countered by many comedy bits. Such as the one addressed by Sam that Indonesians believe there is a joke consists of three letters: S, B, and Y; and how the government has made it difficult for poor Indonesians to claim that they are living under the poverty line. It is interesting to hear so many people laugh about the three-letters-joke, especially as soon as we remember that those three letters are also the initials of the president that more than 60% Indonesian voters voted for back in 2009.

Sam depicted his character as a successful person from the upper middle class society. Just like most middle class Indonesians, he has achieved so many things in his career. Yet, he was still unsatisfied and unhappy with his life and his wife. Sam’s bits are consistently featured with political concerns and sex, two things that most of middle class society also frequently discusses about. Similar matters are also brought up by Insan Nur Akbar, the runner up of SUCI’s first season, which was discussed in a slightly different point of view. By comparing the way Sam and Akbar discuss the issues faced in daily life, including the political issues, we can learn how 134 millions people who belong to the middle class category might face the same issues seen and solved in different ways.

As every comic must have a persona and style on stage, if we have frequently seen these comics performing, it would not be very difficult to guess what things they would discuss about, nor the perspective used to address these matters. Although every comic has different roles in the play and different bits, most of them still address ideas under a similar theme, which are the ones they know most and feel concerned most about. By only reading the line-up, I already knew that the show will include these issues: stereotypes given to Chinese, Bataknese, and Muslims; political issues; sex and relationship; also social media. Apparently, it was all true. Despite this, all comics pulled it off and did not fail to amaze the crowd, as no matter how generic or usual the personal themes might be, some comics still could offer slightly fresher bits.

Ernest, for example, was given the role as a cleaning service staff in the station. He still discussed mostly about the perks and drawbacks of being a Chinese living in Indonesia, now in the eyes of a cleaning service staff. Such as the stereotype of many Indonesians that “Indonesian Chinese must be rich” and how, as a Chinese, he has grown immune to anyone making remarks about his slanted eyes. Along came Boris, acting as a Bataknese pickpocket. Embedded with a noticeable Bataknese accent, he addressed all the characteristics that fall into the stereotype of other Indonesians to Bataknese. From being closely associated with pickpockets and public transportation drivers, having a very sturdy physical appearance as well as way of communication, to Bataknese food and how its supposed to be enjoyed. From these two performances alone, we could see that although Indonesia has the “Bhinneka Tunggal Ika” slogan, the diversified culture and ethnicities living side by side will always generate stereotypes, yet most of them consist of common misconceptions. At the same time, even with this happening, there are still plenty of Indonesians with so many differences among each other can live together harmoniously. It has been proven in all stand-up comedy shows held here by having so much diversity in one show.

Ryan and Miund, coming up as a pair in the play, shared the perspectives that most younger generation of the middle class society have in common. Much about love life, fashion, lifestyle, and of course, something you cannot miss from Indonesian middle class society: social media and its impact in our lives. Both of them ranted on how bad mobile telecommunications connections are in Indonesia, the expenses of being in a relationship and being a middle class having to afford some certain lifestyle, and how women and men can never seem to understand each other. Sounds familiar? The absurd relationship of men and women is always a sexy field for comedy bits to be created upon, as these issues are faced by everyone and anyone could understand it thoroughly.

Nonetheless, there is no single bit crafted without a message behind it. Ryan’s complaints about the absurdities of life he finds every time, for instance, has been a tool for him to remind the audience on how we often overlook the little things in life. We share the pie of being a part of middle class society in Indonesia. Even so, most comics see the things in lives discretely. How could the words on shampoo packaging remind us to appreciate the little things – if not addressed by these comics?

Soleh Solihun then performed on stage. Despite discussing mostly about Indonesian politics, Soleh, as usual, included a lot of remarks related to Islamic values, and once rebutted what Sam shared about Christianity. Similarly, Sakdiyah discussed about herself becoming a Muslim living in Indonesia, commenting about other Muslims not wearing helmets because they have worn kopiah and how the practice of taaruf should have more benefits than most people are aware of.

Sam, Soleh, and Sakdiyah shared their deeply personal values, which are related to their religious beliefs. Although in countries like the U.S. and the U.K. religious beliefs are often specifically addressed as well, the way of addressing this matter in Indonesian stand-up comedy scene is quite different. It might be quite difficult to perform something as controversial and as sensitive as George Carlin’s bit “Religion is bullshit”. However, in regards to religions, most comics who discuss it take it from the perspective of the ridiculousness of religious practice in Indonesia. Such as how Indonesians with Arabic ancestry are always perceived as “religious” people or how some “religious” people sometimes claim to have the privilege to do things that other people cannot do (such as, riding on a motorcycle without wearing a helmet).

The fact that so many people from different religious beliefs are living side by side in Indonesia is one of the essences of living in this country. I am wowed by how these comics, coming from a variety of backgrounds, are able to discuss these important and sometimes overlooked matters in fresh, funny ways. Comedy is about telling the truth, it is about getting your point across. With these issues brought up almost every day on open mics and stand-up comedy shows, I have no doubt that stand-up comedy is going to be one of the most effective tools to open people’s minds.

When other people might only say that Indonesia is a successful democracy, then pointing out the amount of Muslim population, and how we are able to live harmoniously with no problem, Indonesian stand-up comedians share what we all experience. That to reach the state of democracy, we are still learning on a long journey. That to live harmoniously with different ethnicity, culture, race, and religious beliefs, some misconceptions, stereotypes, and negative remarks might still be there and should not prevent ourselves from making peace with one another. That being successful is not only about money, but also the relationship with other things, other people, and things within ourselves. That one day we would be able to reach the state of “success” and “happiness” if we let our eyes and minds open to change, which might be sensitive and controversial, but necessary.

Apabila sponsor belum melunasi “janji”-nya di hari yg ditentukan, kita berhak bawel. Bagaimanapun juga, itu adalah hak kita, sudah ada perjanjiannya, dan harus dilunasi. Tapi, jangan lupa untuk menuntaskan semua kewajiban kita juga. Misalnya, kita sudah berjanji mau mention akun sponsor di Twitter, jangan sampai kelupaan.

Banyak yang tidak mau berada di Divisi Sponsorship karena katanya “berat”. Padahal, ada begitu banyak ilmu yang bisa didapat, seperti network & negotiation skills. Selain itu, pas Hari H, Sponsorship adalah divisi yang paling nggak sibuk! Pas Hari H, tugas kita di Divisi Sponsorhip adalah menjaga perlengkapan sponsor (seperti banner, umbul-umbul, booth) supaya nggak rusak. Kita juga harus menemani perwakilan sponsor yang menghadiri acara kita.

But… What happens when we still don’t have any sponsor at all one month before the event? What should we do?

Di #IYC 2010, akhirnya SEMUA panitia mencari sponsor! Kami pernah menyelenggarakan garage sale, tapi hanya berhasil mendapatkan dana sebesar 0.007% yg dibutuhkan. Semua divisi juga berusaha untuk memotong pengeluaran. Jika kita kreatif, kita pasti bisa membuat acara yang keren tanpa budget besar. Waktu itu, pitching juga dititikberatkan pada in-kind sponsorship (karena relatif lebih mudah untuk didapatkan). In-kind artinya sponsorshipnya bukan dalam bentuk uang.

Untuk tempat pre-event (press conference, IYCPitstop), IYC tidak pernah mengeluarkan biaya. Kita bisa melakukan hal itu karena mendapatkan in kind sponsorship dari venue. Pemilik venuenya juga pasti senang kok kalau kita bisa membuat banyak orang datang ke sana melalui acara kita.

Nah, setelah acara selesai diselenggarakan, kita harus segera membuat LPJ (Laporan Pertanggungjawaban) bersama panitia yang lain untuk dikirimkan ke sponsor, termasuk foto-foto acara kita. Jika sponsor puas dengan profesionalisme kita dan acara kita tersebut, sangat mungkin tahun depan acara kita akan disponsori oleh mereka lagi.

Semoga apa yang saya bagi ini berguna ya. Selamat mencari sponsor!

I remember when I was a kid, I used to spend time with my cousin, Didiet Maulana, and see him (who was still in high school) making fashion sketches. He then continued his endeavor studying Architecture in Universitas Padjadjaran, working for MTV and now PT GAP. However, now I am in university, Mas Didiet has finally reached his dream, to become a fashion designer and have his own fashion line. It is called, IKAT Indonesia.

Didiet and his muse, Izabel Jahja

IKAT Indonesia aims to re-introduce Indonesia’s traditional fabrics, especially tenun ikat, in a fresh, chic, modern way. Please have a look at IKAT Indonesia’s Facebook page to browse more of its collections. Or, visit the place and meet Didiet, at Jl. Dempo I No. 59, Mayestik, Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta.

To close the post, here’s me in IKAT Indonesia at the launch of its first collection. :)

No, I don’t define “beauty” only as how someone looks from the outside; and no, I don’t think we should splurge on cosmetics. However, I  believe some “beauty” products are there to keep our skin healthy, also, they really help when we need to meet some important people but we have just cried overnight, pulled an all-nighter, or been sick and might look pale. Well, you know.

Therefore, I think it won’t be a sin to share what are the products I love the most, and sometimes “can’t live without”.

Ristra Trustee Sulfur Soap Plus and Anti Acne Cream. I have a ‘combination face’ and a lot of acne/blemish problems. These two products really help me to conquer those problems. My mother used to be a loyal patient of dr. Retno Tranggono (the founder of Ristra), and my first facial experience was at House of Ristra. It’s pretty difficult to find the Sulfur Soap Plus now though.

Maybelline Volum Express Waterproof Mascara Hypercurl and Clear Smooth Minerals BB Cream. I technically don’t have eyelashes, so this hypercurl really helps my eyes to look “lively”. The BB cream is something really revolutionary, for me. Usually, heavy foundation brings acne breakouts to my face, but this cream covers my skin problems pretty well without causing more acne to come, moisturizes, and protects using SPF 26. Oh, and I also use Eye Studio Brown Gel Eyeliner. The last one is not available in Indonesia. :(

Hot by Benetton. First came out in 1997, this eau de toilette has been used by many. I was looking for a fresh – not romantic, nor sensual – perfume. Of course – who would not love to have YSL Parisienne that smells like Barbie’s hair? But, it was just too costly for me. So, Syarafina Alfiansyah recommended me this perfume, and I loved it. At C&F it only costs Rp120.000,-. Saviour!

Pourvous. I discovered this brand a few weeks ago while I was browsing through Female Daily. It’s 100% Indonesian – some call them “the Indonesian version of The Body Shop”. The headquarters are in Surabaya, but it provides free shipping to anywhere in Indonesia. All Pourvous products are paraben free, lanolin free, PABA free, color free, methanol fragrance free, and halal. They were not tested on animals either. Products can be purchased on mypourvous.com or on their Multiply page. My favourite product now is the cooling foot spray! Really helps my feet to relax after a long day full of driving.

What’s your favourite beauty products? :) Happy holiday!

I traveled out of the city for a conference sometime ago for approximately 5 days. Everything I had to bring (including business attire) fitted in a small luggage and a small backpack. My friend brought two big luggages, one travel bag, and one carry-on women handbag. I can never travel like that. :p

I usually travel alone – yes, just like Ryan Bingham on “Up In The Air”. Here are some basic tips from me – especially if you are going to travel alone for the first time.

1. Travel light - Yes, it is one of the most important things. If you want to have a fun trip, do not bring too many items (especially clothes). You won’t suffer wearing the same jeans, shoes, and jackets/coats everyday. It would be difficult to travel on your own if you bring so many luggages. Only bring what you can bring while traveling a far distance on foot. Before I pack, I always go to this website: The Universal Packing List.
2. Research - Read a lot about the place you are going. Almost everything can be found on the Internet. You can also buy books about those places. Before I travel somewhere, I usually read about it on a number of websites. Here are my favourite websites: WikiTravel, TripAdvisor, and VirtualTourist. Also check about the public transportation and its costs.
3. Re-check your documents - Read again! Do the names on your passport and ticket match? Do you need a visa to visit the place? If you do, have you applied? How long is the visa application process? Make copies of them and put these copies in all bags you bring.
4. Prepare your cash - Some people choose to exchange their money abroad. Truth to be told, Rupiah is not that “internationally renowned”. It is never listed, therefore it can be assumed, people don’t ask for Rupiah and it makes Rupiah depreciated. We might lose much by exchanging our cash abroad. So, exchange your cash here (and not in the airport though)! I recommend Dua Sisi Money Changer (they have branches in Grand Indonesia, Senayan City, Plaza Senayan). They are very helpful, offer good rates, and sometimes have the currency others don’t. My family relative recommended Bali Inter, but they once sold CHF on IDR 10,000/CHF and wanted to buy my CHF for only IDR 8,000/CHF. What a rip off. Good thing Dua Sisi saved the day by buying my CHF at IDR 10,000/CHF.
5. Prepare your cards, too - Your ATM card is probably accepted overseas. BCA is a part of the Cirrus and Maestro network, Mandiri is a part of Visa, and so on. Check your bank’s website to know how much will it cost to withdraw your money abroad (for emergency situations). However, I was advised that using credit card overseas is better than using debit card – because credit cards have fraud insurance. I once withdrew my cash using my Mandiri ATM card in London. I withdrew GBP 30. When I already arrived in Jakarta, I received a message (Mobile Banking), saying there is a debit transaction worth a few million Rupiahs for around 3 times. Apparently someone “recorded” my card details and used them to shop in Tesco, London. I lost my entire savings worth more than IDR 8,000,000. I then contacted Bank Mandiri in Jakarta and claimed, because I still had my card with me in Jakarta and had proofs that I was not in London; so then Bank Mandiri accepted my claim and returned my cash.

Last but not least… Have fun! What’s your traveling tip? 

Hari ini, salah seorang teman saya menceritakan mengenai 3 orang yang telah mengabdi kepada komunitasnya melalui berbagai bidang. Orang-orang yang telah melakukan banyak hal yang berguna bagi komunitasnya, tetapi belum banyak menerima dukungan dari orang lain (bahkan, ketika saya coba Googling, hampir belum ada media yang merekam cerita mereka). Padahal, bagi saya cerita mereka menarik sekali untuk disimak.

See the full gallery on Posterous

Yang pertama, ada Endang Mintarja, yang akrab disapa “Kang Endang”. Pengabdian Kang Endang dimulai dari penunjukkannya untuk menjadi salah satu pengurus Rumah Singgah Anak Tersayang yang berada di kawasan Kwitang. Setelah mengenal lebih jauh mengenai konsep ini, Kang Endang menjadi salah satu pimpinan rumah snggah lain, yakni Rumah Singgah Sakinah. Ia pun mengembangkan rumah singgahnya denga menyelenggarakan berbagai program baru, seperti melakukan perlindungan bagi anak jalanan yang terjerat hukum, dengan bekerjasama dengan Lembaga Perlindungan Anak (LPA) Jakarta. Ia juga melakukan pendampingan terhadap anak jalanan melalui program “Kembalikan Senyum Kami”.

‘Satria’ kedua adalah A. Syarifudin, yang awalnya bercita-cita untuk menjadi seorang hakim tapi akhirnya justru menjadi seorang guru. Sejak tahun 1999, ia membina anak jalanan, namun akhirnya mulai mengajar paket C SMP-SMA, diikuti dengan mengajar di SMP. Syarifudin pun lalu mendirikan sebuah SMP bagi anak putus sekolah di Jatinangor. Pada awalnya, ada bupati yang berkenan meminjamkan ruko miliknya kepada Syarifudin untuk melakukan kegiatan belajar mengajar; tapi sekarang ruko tersebut tidak dapat digunakan lagi. Awal tahun ini, ada orang yang mewakafkan tanahnya agar Syarifudin dapat mendirikan sekolah. Tetapi, karena keterbatasan dana, Syarifudin belum dapat mendirikan bangunan tersebut dan membutuhkan bantuan dari teman-teman. :)

Yang terakhir adalah Yulianti Muthmainnah yang memperjuangkan hak-hak perempuan dan melawan kekerasan terhadap perempuan. Ia kerap menyelenggaakan pembinaan bagi perempuan korban kekerasan melalui Lembaga Bantuan Hukum Syahid. Selain itu, ia juga melakukan advokasi bagi kasus pelecehan perempuan yang diselenggarakan oleh LBH APIK di Jakarta selama tiga tahun. Setelah itu, Yulianti masuk ke lembaga Program Pemberdayaan Perempuan bagi Kepala Keluarga (PEKKA) yang didedikasikan untuk pemberdayaan dan advokasi pada kasus-kasus perempuan yang mengalami kekerasan. 

Sebenarnya teman saya tidak cerita sedetil itu, tapi justru memberitahu saya link menuju situs www.3satria.net. Situs ini menjadi semacam platform bagi 3 ‘satria’ untuk membagi cerita mereka. Di situs tersebut, kita bisa menunjukkan dukungan kita dengan klik tombol ‘Dukung’, atau langsung membagi cerita mereka melalui jejaring sosial seperti Facebook dan Twitter dengan tombol yang disediakan. By sharing what they do, we might be able to change more lives too :) Akan ada lebih banyak orang yang tau, dan lebih banyak orang yang memberi dukungan mereka. 

Selain itu, seandainya kita mau memberi dukungan secara materil, kita juga bisa menyalurkan donasi untuk mendukung aktivitas mereka. Donasi bisa dikirimkan melalui rekening berikut:

BCA: 878177170
Mandiri: 1030000170817

Let us spread the word. Maybe we can’t give them our money but we can give them our empathy. We can share.

This is how they give back to others. How do you give back to others? 

Hari Sabtu, 11 Desember 2010, saya diundang oleh Speak dan Transparency International Indonesia untuk ber-”orasi” di acara SpeakFest Music Concert, Panggung Terbuka GOR Bulungan. Acara ini merupakan acara puncak dari SpeakFest, juga untuk merayakan Hari Anti Korupsi Internasional. Walau ada beberapa kesulitan, termasuk di antaranya: berada dalam perjalanan dari Puncak ke Jakarta dengan bus selama 7 jam, perubahan rundown berkali-kali, menghadapi fans Superman Is Dead, tidak bawa baju ganti, dll, akhirnya acara berjalan lancar. Ini posternya:

Di bawah ini, teks orasi saya kemarin. Silakan dibaca bagi yang tidak sempat datang ke SpeakFest Music Concert.

Selamat malam semuanya.

Pertama-tama, gue belum pernah orasi sebelumnya, dan belum punya cukup banyak pengetahuan untuk berorasi. Jadi, hari ini gue mau berbagi cerita aja. Mungkin kita udah sering dengar bagaimana sekumpulan anak muda membuat perubahan, tahun 1928, 1945, 1998… Jadi gue mau cerita tentang hal lain.

Raden Ajeng Kartini, pada akhir tahun 1800an, percaya bahwa seharusnya kaum perempuan diperlakukan secara sama atau setara dengan kaum laki-laki. Ketika ia baru berusia belasan tahun, ia sudah mulai berkirim surat dengan sahabatnya di Belanda. Lalu, Kartini mulai membangun sekolah untuk kaum perempuan. Berkat perjuangannya, derajat perempuan meningkat. Kartini, sendiri, mengubah suatu bangsa.

Bayangkan apa yang bisa terjadi apabila puluhan, ratusan, ribuan anak muda berniat mengubah bangsanya. Menghapus korupsi endemik, misalnya.

Saat ini sebagian orang memandang Indonesia masih sebagai negara yang buruk dan lemah. Di sisi lain, ekonomi kita maju dan berkembang, tetapi masih banyak yang hidup di bawah garis kemiskinan. Bayangkan apa yang bisa terjadi jika kita semua, minimal yang ada di sini, minimal beberapa ratus dari yang ada di sini, berjuang untuk menghapus aksi korupsi. Bagaimana bangsa ini akan berkembang? Bagaimana nyawa-nyawa di bawah garis kemiskinan bisa terselamatkan?

Kalau bukan kita yang percaya bahwa bangsa ini bisa berubah menjadi lebih baik, lalu siapa? Jangan cuma bisa jadi pemuda yang kerjaannya cuma menuntut perubahan. Ayo, jadi agen perubahan!

Semoga kalau ada orasi berikutnya, bisa jauh, jauh lebih baik dari orasi kemarin. Mohon maaf kalau masih ada kekurangan ya, teman-teman. :)

I am nothing compared to brilliant economists out there, but I would like to share my perspectives as a young person who studies business, and of course, the economy. This is the paper I wrote for one of my finals in February 2010 (things have changed, yeah). Happy reading, friends! (More after the jump)

Chairul Tanjung, Anthony Salim, James Riady, along with other executives and senior government officials of Indonesia, clustered themselves into an organisation that has been planning for a project called “Visi Indonesia 2030” or “Indonesia’s 2030 Vision” (Davies, 2008). It endeavours to reach a goal of making Indonesia one of the globe’s five leading economies in two decades, as well as having 30 business firms in the Global Fortune 500 (Davies, 2008). The plan seems attainable by linking it to some pleasant facts about Indonesia. For example, a number of US analysts stated that the BRIC economies, which consist of Brazil, Russia, India, and China, must now include Indonesia (Ichsan, 2009). At the same time, a securities house has labeled Indonesia as one of the three Asia’s economic barricades, alongside with China and India (Ichsan, 2009). Indonesia is also included in the Next Eleven (N-11), 11 countries grouped by the Goldman Sachs according to its high potential in becoming the world’s most significant economies in this century (O’Neill et al., 2005).

Nevertheless, we still cannot ignore the fact that Indonesia was the country that suffered the most when Asia had to go through the regional financial crisis over a decade ago. In that period, the value of Rupiah was lessened by 35 percent in 24 hours. The exchange rate of US Dollars elated from around IDR 3,000 to 16,800 in 1998. According the World Bank’s data, the economy shriveled by 13% due to the fall of Suharto’s regime. Both the regional crisis and the political instability became the reasons why investors deserted the country. Hence, there are still plenty of things that ought to be done to realise the plan, other than the ambiguous “hard work and collaboration by all of Indonesia’s people”, which became Tanjung’s answer when he was asked on how to realise the ambitious “Visi Indonesia 2030”.

It is not exaggerated at all to say that Indonesia already has all of the potentials to emerge into a regional economic powerhouse, but at the same time, it still has millions of people living below the $1.50 poverty line everyday. Where did all the money go? What has all of the profit of selling extracted natural resources turned into? One of the most unfortunate facts of Indonesia is that it is notorious for the corruption, which exists in almost any foundation. Corruption has soaked into both Indonesia’s culture and system, which makes it more or less related to the weak bureaucracy system. So, in order to realise its goal on becoming Asia’s economic powerhouse in 2030, Indonesia should optimise its potentials by eradicating corruption and conducting bureaucracy reform.

As we all have known, Indonesia is rich in both natural and human resources. It also has more than 230 million people as citizens of the country, making it as one of the five most-populated countries in the world. In 2009, Indonesia’s stock exchange (IDX) index once ascended by 95 percent (Ichsan, 2009). The figure has turned it into the bourse that has performed best in Asia, yet also becomes the second-best in the world. By having these marvelous facts, Indonesia must have attracted foreign investors to start investing in the archipelago again, promising more and more profit with a relatively lower minimum wage for local labours than the ones other countries have.

In addition, it has a lot of factors that is going to promise bigger things for investors. Indonesia has gradually gained political stability, which is also one of the most important things to be considered by foreign investors, after it became a fully democratic country through having the general elections in 1999. The result of the last presidential elections, resulting in the re-election of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who is now teaming up with Boediono, has also played an important role in bringing former investors back to Indonesia and keeping the ones who are already here to stay.

In his past five-year term, President Yudhoyono has ingeniously created positive changes to support investors, including his anti-corruption programs as well as tax reforms. It can be interfered that investors believe these changes would continue to the next level, as he was being re-elected. Moreover, the fact that a former governor of Bank Indonesia became the vice president of Indonesia, also implicitly promises something good to business executives, because he is going to be coordinating the next economic lineup.

If we see a little further to the past five-year term of presidency, Indonesia has reached an undeniably good position in the global economy. Based on the third-quarter’s “2008 Monetary Policy Report of Indonesia”, while other countries are suffering due to the global financial crisis, Indonesia’s economy recorded a positive growth because domestic consumption is one of Indonesia’s main economic pillars, dominating the whole income by 60 percent. In 2008, Indonesia had a safe and sound balance sheet consists of $52 billion of assets, as well as having its government debt as much as only one-third of its GDP, making it the lowest compared to other countries in Southeast Asia (Wirjawan, 2008). It continued to the first semester in 2009, where Indonesia’s GDP growth was the third highest amongst the G-20 countries at the rate of 4.2 percent (Ichsan, 2009).

Sadly, only by living a normal life in Indonesia, we can all agree that Indonesia’s growth is not evenly balanced. While there are hundred thousands of people like Chairul Tanjung, Anthony Salim, and James Riady living in big cities, there are millions of people who still live below the poverty line in villages and remote areas, or even in the capital itself. This reality can probably the biggest barrier to achieve the “Indonesia’s 2030 Vision” plan.

Particularly, the endemic corruption and ineffectual system are two of the biggest problems that are going to be faced in realising the plan, which includes rising per capita income to $18,000. According to the World Bank’s data, Indonesia’s per capita income in 2008 was $2,254, which is still inevitably very far from the target. Analysts think that real growth will have to be 8.5 percent in average to actualise the plan. On the other hand, Fauzi Ichsan, an economist who now serves at the Standard Chartered Bank as its Senior Vice President, believes that Indonesia can probably be in the G-7 in 2045, 15 years later than the deadline of the plan, by only growing with the average annual rate seen in the past 10 years. We can positively say that the goal should be able to be reached in two decades if we can eradicate corruption and conduct bureaucracy reform.

In Indonesia, corruption used to be seen as a habit and part of a tradition, instead of a crime. In 32 years, ruled by the military regime of Suharto, corruption has become something that is very common to be done. In this country, gaining promotions, getting good grades, to releasing yourself from being captured by the police can all be done only by giving money. President Yudhoyono realised that corruption is the root of every economic and social welfare problem in Indonesia. For this reason, he has put anti-corruption drive on his top priorities since the beginning of his presidency.

A decade ago, the Law 31 on Anti-Corruption Acts was legalised, covering not only those who bribe public officials, but also people who benefit themselves or others resulting in loss of the economy of the state, with death penalty as its top punishment (Juwana, 2008). In 2003, the government established the Anti-Corruption Commission (KPK) that has showed great achievements in capturing a large number of white-collar crime villains. Eradicating corruption does not only mean to prove this country’s integrity nor to put the laws back on its foundation, but it also means to catalyse positive change to investment, business, and the economy in general. Stamping corruption out will benefit businesses by pressing down the high-cost economy in Indonesia.

For decades, it has been a common knowledge that in the country, we have to concede an amount of money to maintain relationships with other professionals or government officials. It also has to be done when we would like to obtain documents like business permits, construction permits, or even driving licenses. These facts are contrary to the theory that to create a conducive investment environment, a strong and credible legal system is very much needed. As indicated by the 2008 Corruption Perceptions Index released by Transparency International, Indonesia ranked on number 126. It is on a par with Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guyana, Honduras, Libya, Mozambique, and Uganda, making it as the 54th most corrupt country in the world. If by being as corrupt as that can make Indonesia one of the 20 world’s biggest economies, imagine what can be achieved if its people can eradicate corruption until its core. For these reasons, the government should empower KPK more, as it is now being juggled upside down by other institutions, including the media.

Eradicating corruption is closely related with reforming the bureaucracy system. As it has been stated above, a credible legal system is needed to build the economy through investments by both local and foreign investors. Based on an interview conducted by Reuters in 2007, former Vice President Jusuf Kalla said that the government aimed to provide “good regulation for investors” (Davies, 2008). It leaves a big question mark: what has been done by the government in order to realise the statement?

A good example has been set by the city of Sragen, where its mayor, Untung Wiyono, established an innovation called One Stop Service Center to reform bureaucracy. In Sragen, getting an ID only takes two minutes of our time, whilst it takes at least three days other cities. It only takes 15 days to get a construction permit and 7 days to get a working permit. The success of One Stop Service Center has raised investment by Rp634 million Rupiahs from 2002 to 2004, resulting in the creation of new 3,781 jobs for the society (Herdjoko, 2008). Other cities, or even the central government itself, should replicate the passion of Sragen in creating a new system of bureaucracy.

The knotty bureaucracy in Indonesia seems to be slowing down the economy in becoming the regional economic powerhouse. It takes months to get a working permit, an investment permit, and even businesspeople still need to get thousands of other permits. Despite all the promises that have been given by Indonesia to the world, its bureaucracy is still a nightmare for investors. Establishing One Stop Service Centers can be a solution. Although it is going to take weeks or months to get those required permits, at least investors only have to come to one place to take care of everything they need. It can as well gradually eliminate corruption, since having a One Stop Service needs less workers. It can be started by giving disciplinary sanctions to workers who work inefficiently, or even diminish them from the list of employees if the amount of employees exceeds the workload.

Fortunately, it has been done in a few government institutions. Just like Wiyono, the Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani knows that bureaucracy reform is one of the most important things that have to be done in order to put Indonesia’s economy on a better position. Investigation within the Ministry of Finance conducted by the end of last year brought sanctions to more than 1,950 employees and dishonourably discharged more than 150 employees (Pasandaran, 2009).

As have been stated by both local and foreign economists, Indonesia is an emerging economic powerhouse that has whatever it takes to become bigger as time goes by. This country has already been included as one of the world’s 20 leading economies, and it is very likely to rank higher in the upcoming years with all of its potentials. However, the “Indonesia’s 2030 Vision” and its other ambitious goals would never be achieved if the powerless legal system is not being exterminated. In order to develop into Asia’s economic powerhouse in two decades, Indonesia needs to eliminate corruption and restructure the bureaucracy scheme. If Indonesia can be included in the G-20, BRIICS, and N-11 in only one decade after being labeled as “the sick man of Asia”, we can all be pretty optimistic about its future if it struggles for more and more development and growth.

References

• Country Brief of Indonesia. (2009). Retrieved February 3, 2010 from http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/EASTASIAPACIFICEXT/INDONESIAEXTN.
• Di Sragen buat KTP selesai dua menit. (2006, May 10). Gatra. Retrieved January 31, 2010 from http://www.gatra.com/2006-05-10/artikel.php?id=94381.
• Directorate of Economic Research and Monetary Policy. (2008). Monetary Policy Report Quarter III-2008. Jakarta, Bank Indonesia: Author. Retrieved February 3, 2010 from http://www.bi.go.id/web/en/Publikasi/Kebijakan+Moneter/Laporan+Kebijakan+Moneter/.
• Herdjoko, S. U. (2008, January 7). Bupati Sragen Untung Wiyono: Bila cerai didenda tanam 25 pohon. Sinar Harapan. Retrieved January 31, 2010 from http://www.sinarharapan.co.id/berita/0801/07/hib07.html.
• Ichsan, F. (2009, September 11). Indonesia: Asia’s emerging powerhouse. The Jakarta Post. Retrieved January 11, 2010 from http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/09/11/indonesia-asia039s-emerging-powerhouse.
• Juwana, H. (2008). Fighting corruption for the good of business. Globe Asia, 2(12). 124.
• O’Neill, J., Wilson, D., Purushothaman, R., & Stupnytska, A. (2005). How solid are the BRICs. Global Economics Paper, 1(134). 7.
• Pasandaran, C. (2009, November 21). Sri Mulyani aims for overhaul of Indonesia’s bureaucracy. Jakarta Globe. Retrieved January 31, 2010 from http://thejakartaglobe.com/home/sri-mulyani-aims-for-overhaul-of-indonesias-bureaucracy/342938.
• Wirjawan, G. (2008). Surviving the credit tsunami. Globe Asia, 2(12). 20-22.

Attached is the data and analysis I presented in the Global Changemakers at the London Summit 2009 in April 2009, where youth representatives from G-20 countries met and discussed possible recommendations for the G-2o communique. We produced our own communique and handed it to David Milliband, who back then was the Secretary of State for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs, before the real communique was produced.

Yes, it’s been a long time.

@VanyaViranda once asked me on Twitter about internships and how to become an intern in a magazine. I hope that I can share my experience with everyone.

Becoming an intern may means a lot of things, it depends on what you do, and how your company ask you to do it. I have tried a number of different kind of internships. From being a volunteer, flexible part-timer, and a full-time staff.

For your consideration, I’ve been a freelance writer for several magazines, including Gogirl!, Hai, and kaWanku. I also contributed for 21-Degrees for several months and sometimes write for JakartaConcerts.com. I contributed in one of Provoke!’s Student Editions and I have authored two books. All of them gave insightful, different experiences for me.

The real work? I worked for the marketing division of Millions Pictures for 6 months. They are the ones who made Queen Bee movie. I also worked as an intern for (almost) one month in Business Relations Division, British Council Indonesia.

If you want to be a freelance writer, it is actually very easy. You only need to write your own piece about anything you like, the things you are passionate about – like music or films or fictional stories, and then send it to a magazine that you think would publish your work. Before we send our work, we have to learn the characteristic of our target magazine. For example, if you want to write about life lessons in a girl’s point of view, you can not send it directly to a magazine. You have to learn the characteristic of each magazine. In my opinion, Gogirl! is more into trends and fashion, CosmoGIRL! is more into self-esteem campaigns, and kaWanku is more ‘think globally, act locally’ campaigns. Now, see the difference? The next thing you ought to do, is only to look around the magazine, find the office’s address (or e-mail!), and send your work. That easy. Wait until you get a call about your work. If not, go write another piece, try to write things that are more appropriate to be placed in that magazine.

Being a contributor is another thing. I got the chance to write for 21-Degrees and JakartaConcerts.com because I tried to maintain my relationship with them. I first met 21-Degrees’ Chief Editor when he went to my school and wanted to featured my school’s achievements. I shook hands with him and tried to get the opportunity to write in his magazine, and I succeeded. You guys should do the same. If one day you meet Anita Moran or Widi Mulia, ask them, “How can I write in your magazine? Because I want to, and I know I can.” It might be successful. If not, they won’t remember your name anyway, don’t be embarrassed. About JakartaConcerts.com, I knew Ryan Novianto & Dimas Wisnuwardono from my friend, Suryo. We chatted for quite some time and I decided to help them by writing for JakartaConcerts.com. I don’t get paid, even till now. But I do it with my heart, to help my friends, not for money. It’s all worth it. God will pay you back, no worries.

In Million Pictures, I was offered the job because they knew that I blog! So, I think you guys should start blogging seriously. Some people says that it’s a waste of time but I don’t think so. In British Council, I applied for the internship slot there. I chose two fields: Business Relations and Creativity. But, the BR team ‘stole’ me from Creativity. Anyone can apply for the internship position by logging into their website.

I don’t know what else to write but I am going to write a few things… I think you should do if you want to be an intern, especially in media our journalistic field:

1. Research! That’s the first thing I’d like to advise. Write everything you need to know, and ask the things that you haven’t known yet. I have met tons of journalist who ask ‘What do you do?’ and ‘What is your cause?’ and ‘Where do you go to school?’. Didn’t they do any kind of research before? Come on, this world has Google.
2. You have to be able to write things from different point of views. Not from your point of view, but from your company’s point of view. This is very important. You don’t want people to read your piece as if it’s your diary, right?
3. Make sure that you write the ‘right’ thing. Ask your resources if needed. It pisses me off when anyone writes incorrect details about me, especially when they have interviewed me.
4. Don’t think about money. Interns who are paid Rp100.000,-/day… are in heaven already. There are people who pay us Rp25.000,- or Rp50.000,- a day, it depends on what you do, and of course, how you do it. Some of them doesn’t even give anything to us, and be happy with it. The most valuable thing you get from becoming an intern is the experience.
5. Take the bus. Bring your own lunch. Don’t even think about taking a cab or buying your lunch in the canteen. Waste of money. Save it for something, like, maybe, BlackBerry or MacBook :D
6. Be friendly to anyone. One of the main aim of becoming an intern is to get the connections, expand your network. Talk to these people you are working with, with enough respect and enough friendliness. They are eager to help interns like you though they seem ‘scary’ at first. Talk about what you do (and say it excitingly and interestingly), and give them a clue that you need their help. That’s what I did in British Council. I asked these people’s help for IYC!
7. Critical thinking is needed! Let them know what you think about what they do, give feedback, they really appreciate it. It’s time for our voice to be heard, right?
8. Never give up. I have sent more than 100 applications in my life, to different institutions: to apply for internships, competitions, ask for sponsorships, ask for support. Some of them got back to me, the rest didn’t, and no hurt feelings. They are busy, just like us.
9. Stop thinking that you can’t do something. YOU CAN. If you try. I hate listening to people say that “I cannot do this and that”. All you have to do is sit in front of your laptop and type something in Google. That’s how I got some things. That’s how I knew that British Council calls for interns. That’s how I found out that there’s is such thing like JakartaConcerts.com. If you only wait for people to tell you to do things, you won’t achieve something big.

Hmmm… Again, I don’t know what else, but let me know if you want to ask anything, I’d be glad to help :) I hope what I’ve written will give insightful knowledge for you, especially about internships in journalism.

Yes, the new theme lasted for a very short amount of time. I’m not a fan of pink actually, but I thought it might bring a new ambiance to my blog. Apparently, there are a lot of people who doesn’t like it and I think a dark theme (with my favourite colour, blue!) is waaay better for now. Did you know that a dark colour can save the energy?

A search engine tool, Blackle, has saved 1,2 Megawatt hours! Blackle is a black version of Google. It was created by Heap Media and is powered by Google Custom Search. According to this, “A given monitor requires more power to display a white (or light) screen than a black (or dark) screen.“ That’s why I set my homepage to Blackle, and changed my theme back to black. Small steps do matter, don’t they?

Anyway, Year 12 students are having a couple of exams to go. Hope we all would do well. I don’t really care about exams right now. Days have been very difficult to me. Everything from different directions are moving towards me. Pushing me. Not that I can’t accept it, but I just need a break. People acts as if they understand me, but they just don’t. Because things like these don’t happen in everyone’s life.

Lucky me that God is testing my strength, and I hope that what He does will make me strong gradually. Now you know that my life is not perfect. God is just. Believe me, people whom you think is perfect or ‘only’ very lucky… they are not. So, don’t be envious. Just be happy with your life, enjoy it. Don’t ever wish you were someone else.

And to recharge my energy, if I could do anything I want to do, I would say I need:

1. A sleepover with my girlfriends.

2. A night of Thirteen* with neighbours

Last but not least,

3. A great dinner with cousins

What do you do to recharge your energy? :))

PS: A little note for you, who addresses yourself as a me.

“Anger is just a cowardly extension of sadness. It’s a lot easier to be angry at someone than it is to tell them you’re hurt.”- Tom Gates

*) Thirteen in Indonesian means CAPSA! :B