I have had the same conversation with pretty much every taxi driver. After telling the driver where I want to go, the next question is inevitably "dari mana" (where are you from). Once I give the answer, America, the next phrase without fail is "Obama, Obama bagus (good)." Indonesian, particularly taxi drivers in Jakarta, have a fondness for the 44th President. As a result, you can find this odd little statue in front of an elementary school in Menteng (an upscale neighborhood in central Jakarta) that proclaims, " A young boy named Barry played with his mother, Ann in Menteng area. He grew up to be the 444th President of the United States and Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Barack Obama." After taking my photo, I was on my way again, jalan-jalan (walking walking). It took about 45 minutes to get there, after 6 weeks of trying, and I looked at the statue for a total of maybe 5 minutes. At least, I have my photo.
Here are some other highlights from this past week, which included completing the remaining Jakarta tourist attractions and listening to some jazz. Unfortunately, I was not able to take the elevator to the top of MONAS as it was being repaired. In Indonesia, you quickly learn that nothing goes according to plans or schedule.
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| Waiting to go into MONAS |
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| MONAS |
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| Inside the National Mosque |
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| Mom and Security Officer/Tour Guide |
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| Portuguese Church |
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| Happy Knife Sharpener who helped my mom and I cross the street. He also insisted I take his photo. |
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| Oran Etkins and Indonesian Friends - Saturday night jazz. |
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