Today was the last day of formal presentations in Indonesia. It was a killer day with four presentations and two meetings with the press. I was even interviewed for television. Since this will be on Indonesian TV and in the language of Bahasa Indonesian, I probably won’t see it.
The first presentation was at the State University of Batam. The campus was much prettier than the other campuses I have visited. I entered into a very unique presentation hall. The students were seated in a sort of balcony while the faculty and administration sat on the same level as the dais. The presentation went as planned and was followed by lots of pictures and promises that I probably will not be able to keep.
We had to rush to the second presentation at Politeknik Batam. This campus was also quite nice. This technical college offers programs in electronics technology, and information technology. I had a smaller audience than expected – only about 35 students, but the students said they didn’t need translation so I was able to just speak. It is really much easier to give a talk without having to share the podium with a translator. I also think that the speech is more interesting.
Lunch was at a seafood soup restaurant. While that doesn’t sound too appetizing, I had a shrimp soup that actually was good. They serve the soup with a scoop of rice on the side. I added the rice to the soup and had a fairly good lunch.
Presentation number three was at the Batam International University. This new private institution was modern and inviting. The rector had been educated in the US and was very happy to welcome us. Since this was an international university, English is important. I was allowed to give my speech without an interpreter. I was presented with several small gifts such as a plaque, pen, and pad of paper.
No, the day was not yet over. The next stop was a presentation and discussion with the Vocational School Teacher Association. There were a about 30 teachers in the audience. At the end of the program I was given a stack of certificates to sign. It appears that I was faculty development and that the teachers would get some kind of credit for attending.
The last responsibility was to have a tea with the media. I was so tired that I asked the interpreter to just talk to them. Rachma had heard my talk so many times that she didn’t need to hear it from me again. Yes, there were a few questions that Rachma interpreted but I just let her take the lead.
Before I end my entry I want to say a few words about some disappointments. I am disappointed with the level of corruption that hinders development. I am told that almost any endeavor requires a pay off to somebody. I am also disappointed with the labor laws. Workers here are hired for three year contracts only. The labor laws dictate that if an employee works at a company for more than 3 years he/she is entitled to some severance pay. So, what the employers do is fire everyone after 3 years so that they do not have to pay the severance later. There is an oversupply of laborers and a shortage of jobs. So, employers can find a ready stock of workers. Further, I am told, that employers generally will not hire anyone over 25. Many of the women cannot find work. Or after a few of those contracts, they become too old to be hired. Many of these women are forced into the only occupation available that will allow them to eat. Hence, Batam serves as a major location for men from Singapore, Malaysia, and other places to find prostitutes. I am also told that children are for sale too. Our driver said that they call the “red light district” of Batam the “foreigner’s area” because that is where so many of the foreigners go.
Rachma, my interpreter was telling me about some of the problems she has had with maids. It is very common here for women of even modest means to have a maid. But Rachma told me stories of how the maids sometimes rent their children to beggars who will drug them and hold them in the streets while they beg for money. A mother with a small baby is more likely to receive a donation.
I also learned that because Batam is so close to Singapore and Malaysia it serves as a convenient location for some men keep their “second wives.” I learned that having multiple wives is permitted in Islam. While this is not a popular practice, apparently some men do practice polygamy.
So in addition to providing an education in Indonesia, it seems that I have also received one.
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