Wonders and curiosities

[Samoerai]

All for publicity.
Meanwhile his airline sucks and is slowly collapsing

 

[pantaiema]

I believe that some specific categories of protected characteristics in other countries, such as marital and civil partnership status, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and gender reassignment, LGBT will qualify as wonders and curiosities among Expats indo members, along side Indonesian society. These topics have been the subject of numerous discussions and debates.

For instance in this thread

Are you ready for Jokowi-Prabowo 2024?

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/most-racist-countries-survey-study-discrimination-uk-b1077399.html

www.expatindo.org

 

[Bob]

All for publicity.
Meanwhile his airline sucks and is slowly collapsing

How is it collapsing? I don't keep up with them.

 

[Bad_azz]

What's the next step? Massage in public with happy ending?

Whoa, MOOBS :O
I would not be impressed if I went to a meeting & there was someone there half-naked having a massage. I would get my ass outta there & tell him to grab me from the nearest cafe when finished - & if a male boss ever asked me to massage him I would pour kayu putih down the crack of his arse.

 

[snpark]

How is it collapsing? I don't keep up with them.

No one flies AA any more

 

[Bad_azz]

It seems UPS is having similar problems.

 

[Samoerai]

It seems UPS is having similar problems.

Interesting report of this UPS-pilot. However, I think there is more to it why revenues are down at UPS. He is saying that people (in USA) are not buying as much because of student loans pay backs. How about the competition? Also people buying more local stuff? Relocation of factories back to USA?

 

[Samoerai]

Happened in China, not in Indonesia. Although I would not be surprised ...

This gives the term 'golden yellow rascal' a completely different meaning. One of China's largest beer makers has launched an investigation into a factory worker after a video of him urinating on a stock of barley malt in a warehouse went viral.

 

[harryopal1]

I think I detect a slight.... vinegar flavour? And perhaps a woody taste? but definitely a superior beer.
Anyway, millions of Indians drink urine as a preventative against disease including a former prime minister and many other notables.

 

[fastpitch17]

On the final day of the years classes, one teacher's students bring gifts for her. Many times the gifts are based on the parents lines of work.

She call on Sally. Sally brought her gift forward and the teacher said, I bet it's flowers since Sally's parents owned a flower shop. Yes mam, Sally replied. That was a good guess.

Next the teacher called on Danny. Danny brought his gift forward and the teacher said, I bet it's box of fresh fruit since Danny's parents owned the fresh produce store. Yes teacher, Danny told her. That was a good guess.

The teacher went through her students and since she was aware of parents occupations, she was guessing them all.

Finally she gets to Amelia. Amelia brings her gift forward and the teacher guesses. The box was leaking and since Amelia's parents owned a liquor store, the teacher tasted what was leaking and said she guessed it was a bottle if wine. No, said Amelia, it is not wine. The teacher took another taste. Confused the teacher had to admit that she couldn't place the flavors so can not guess what is in the gift box.

It's a puppy exclaimed Amelia.

 

[Samoerai]

In the news
Angry parents claimed that a restaurant added a $50 fine to their bill for 'poor parenting'... now the restaurant owner wants everyone to know the truth of what happened!

Couple says restaurant fined them for ‘poor parenting’ – the restaurant owner then reveals the truth - Daily Stories

Georgia Restaurant’s ‘Parenting Fine’ Sparks Debate A Restaurant Policy Like No Other A North Georgia restaurant, Toccoa Riverside Restaurant, has stirred controversy by allegedly charging parents for their children’s unruly behavior. The restaurant, located just outside of Blue Ridge, has left...

new24.info

Good idea to implement in restaurants in Indonesia

 

[Samoerai]

Yesterday I had dinner with Aiko Kurasawa. She is a professor at the University of Tokyo. She is a member of a Japanese research group. They made some interesting observations of the consumption in Indonesia. Their observations are bundled in a book.

 

[harryopal1]

Yesterday I had dinner with Aiko Kurasawa. She is a professor at the University if Tokyo. She is a member if a Japanese research group. They made some interesting obeservations of the consumption in Indonesia. Their obesrvations are bundled in a book.

Few of us are going to rush out to buy the books. What do you regard as the most interesting points?

 

[snpark]

Is the book free or does one have to purchase said tome to learn of the capitalism and consumption problem in Indonesia

The irony is ironic n'est ce-pas?

 

[Samoerai]

Few of us are going to rush out to buy the books. What do you regard as the most interesting points?

I am currently in the process of reading. I will post some of their observations later this week.

So far I agree with Aiko's observation about consumption in Indonesia made by 'pseudo middle class' or 'wannabe' middle class people, meaning they don't have the money, but desperately want to belong. The restaurants, shops, car motor dealers make it possible for them to buy on credit or at lower prices (and at lower quality as such). I am saying this in my own words. Aiko describes this more eloquently. Also in relation to the 'gengsi' culture in Indonesia, meaning middle class people are expected to have 'prestigious' lifestyle that suits their status. Lifestyle being defined as "patterns of consumption".


I don't know if the book is available in the book store. A got the book as a gift from Aiko.

This research group from Japan wants to make a contribution and tighten the relationship between Indonesia and Japan.

Topics in the book are about 'over consumption', 'disneyfication of perumahans' (meaning concepts of neighborhoods developed and designed with particular themes such as "European Style", " Wild West", "Japanese Style" and the houses inside being sold as industrialized mass products), malls ...

 

[fastpitch17]

Yesterday I had dinner with Aiko Kurasawa. She is a professor at the University of Tokyo. She is a member if a Japanese research group. They made some interesting observations of the consumption in Indonesia. Their observations are bundled in a book.

The book is available on all the web seller sites from Rp40,000 to 60,000. I just ordered it on Tokopedia for Rp40,000 plus shipping.

 

[harryopal1]

As we are on the topic of books and ideas I hope you don't mind me stretching it a bit. Just finished Gorbachev's 960 page memoirs. Written in 1996 his very last paragraph says, "Democracy is the only way to Russia's revival, to a life of dignity for its great people and, eventually, to prosperity in the community of other civilized nations."

Well Mr Putin put and end to that fanciful notion. Although I suppose it is a kind of democracy where everyone can vote for him but perhaps ill advised to campaign against him.

 

[Samoerai]

Yesterday I had dinner with Aiko Kurasawa. She is a professor at the University of Tokyo. She is a member of a Japanese research group. They made some interesting observations of the consumption in Indonesia. Their observations are bundled in a book.

I am far from finishing this book, but I realized that the research done by these Japanese authors is 10 years old. However, so far I must say that the observations they made are crystal clear.

E.g. regarding the 'pseudo' middle class and consumption: "Economic factors are not the only determinants of the pseudo-middle class. What is more important, and even vital, is that they imitate middle class lifestyle and have strong aspirations for climbing the social hierarchy. Aiko Kurasawa says: With those understandings, I propose that it is this large 'pseudo' middle class that supports the enormous and ever increasing consumption in Indonesia, which in turn, animates the Indonesian economy in general. The desire of members of the pseudo middle class to get status symbols goods is very strong (because of the gengsi culture) and they force themselves so buy those things despite their financial inability."

E.g. regarding the 'disneyfication of perumahans' and mass consumption.The majority of respondents in a survey done in 2011 reveals that 91% prefers a landed house and only 1% hopes to live in apartments. Viewed against the already for mentioned gengsi culture, "It is easy to see that a house can function as one of the clearest index to show the social status of the inhabitant. One can distinguish oneself from lower class by where he lives, and what kind of house he lives in."
... There are many ongoing new-satellite-city projects in the Bodetabek area. Today, the life in the new satellite cities embodies a very typical or representative way of life in contemporary Jakarta metropolitan area. The biggest project, BSD city, sold more than 28,000 houses on 1500 ha of land on the east side of the Cisadane River. ...Sinar Mas Group is the largest player in the satellite-city development business in Jabodetabek. The most decisive momentum for the group was the development of Kota Wisata in Cileungsi, Bogor (however, people usually mention Kota Wisata as a project in the Cibubur area). The first characteristic of Kota Wisata is that the whole project is comprised of discrete clusters (gated communities). ... Asia economic crisis, widespread urban riots in 1998 all gave strong sense of insecurity for people so that Kota Wisata's gated community got very enthusiastic response from consumers. ... The second characteristic of Kota Wisata is that each cluster is given a certain theme of specific foreign city or country: Monaco, Madrid, Paris, Kyoto. ...The third characteristic of Kota Wisata is that it combined themed cluster housing, commercial property (Kampung Cina) and amusement park (Fantasy Island) to maximize synergy effect. ... The influence of Kota Wisata on other projects has been immense. ... Many other developers have tried to imitate. E.e. Citra Raya, a satellite city developed by Ciputra Group in Cikupa. ...Moreover, Dinar Mas Group has greatly expanded its business since 2000, acquiring projects as BSD City and Grand Wisata. ... theming a cluster or grand cluster is one of the marketing gimmicks for developers. ...

I think this research / book can be updated, regarding the time frame (2010- 2011) of their research.

1.
The gengsi culture causes not only lower class to imitate middle class lifestyle. What is said about the "pseudo middle class" could also apply to the "upper middle class". They want to belong to the upper class (gengsi apply to them too), buying luxery goods, like luxery cars, playing golf etc, but actually cannot really afford that lifestyle of the upper class. I think an update of the research is an opportunity, including the rise of services like Go Food, Go Car, Tokopedia, Sayurbox, ... Go Pay, Grab, Easycash, OK bank, ... meaning the easy access to buy goods online and pay per month, week (cicilan).

2.
Update with recent real estate developments, like PIK and Swan City (clusters Lavon 1, 2 and 3).

I am in the process of reading the book I will come back with more later on.

 

[Helpful Herbert]

A lot has changed since 2011. There were no online taxis or food delivery services. Life is completely different now.
Every country has upwardly mobile middle classes, I don't think Indonesia is any different from other countries.
In terms of clusters of houses, down in Bogor for example in some clusters more than half of the houses have been empty for over a decade, they never managed to sell them.

 

[harryopal1]

In many countries there are growing number of downwardly mobile middle classes. Australia is a classic example where out of control rental increases and inflation are having a massive impact. While there is much talk about creating more affordable accommodation it seems Federal and State governments have yet to appreciate just how critical these social problems are.