Indonesia: Chili Self-Sufficiency...Grow Your Own!

The price of one of Indonesia's staple foods, the humble chili, is rocketing up the charts. If it was an album it would be platinum many times over already. The price of a kilogram of the spicy peppers has gone over IDR 100,000. This is an increase of some five times the price this time last year. The rising price of the chili is one of the factors that are contributing to an overall rise in food prices which in turn is driving inflation in Indonesia.

The chili pepper is versatile and can be eaten raw with tahu or tempe or just about anything one wants to eat it with really (having a moment here reminiscing about raw green chilies and bakwan and tahu Sumedang) or it can be ground up into a paste and form the base of a whole variety of Indonesian sambals. Sambal Bali is a favourite of mine and my mother-in-law is a bit of legend when it comes to putting it all together.

But I digress.

There are probably a lot of factors that are causing the price of the chili to spike, which in turn is causing the temperatures of the masses to increase as well, but mainly the government is attributing the poor production on global weather patterns, La Nina to be exact. So says Hatta Rajasa anyways.

Rajasa's plan to combat rising prices is for Indonesians to get pro-active and plant chili plants in their yards; front, back and sides. Perhaps, residents could co-opt medium strips in the centre of roads into little chili farms and establish neighbourhood cooperatives to provide a steady supply to all who live close by. Rajasa has the full support of the Minister for Agriculture, Suswono in this drive to localise production of the humble chili in every Indonesian household.

The plan is not as far-fetched as it sounds. The government has already made provisions for chili seeds to be distributed to some 100,000 households in the provinces of Lampung, Banten and Jakarta. According to Suswono, chilies are easy to grow in Indonesia's tropical climate. Hey, Mr Minister of Agriculture, chili plants are pretty easy to grow anywhere, I have one in my front yard at the moment.

The surging chili price is just the tip of the iceberg. The reality is that the government is also making provisions to import another of Indonesia's staples, rice. The State Logistics Agency (Bulog) is responsible for collecting harvested rice. It has fallen well-short of its target.

The imports will be coming in from Thailand and Vietnam. The need to import rice and for home owners to grow their own chilies begs the question, "what are Indonesia's prospects for long-term food security like?" This is particularly so when one considers the inability to maintain food self-sufficiency in 2010 and 2011.

While the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs and the Minister for Agriculture are promoting programs that encourage individual Indonesians to become food self-sufficient starting with chili production, the President, SBY, is pushing through regulations that are designed to make it easier to free-up land for agricultural production. Unfortunately, ensuring food security and self-sufficiency is not as simple as setting aside some land for agricultural production. The land does need to be brought into a productive state. The president was a little less clear on how production was going to be improved during these times of extreme weather conditions.

I reckon it would be pretty hard for some Indonesians to come to terms with the idea of having a meal that did not include chilies in it somewhere.

Show Me Your Breasts, Now!

This is one of those moments where you find yourself shaking your head and reconsidering whether or not you want to travel to or from the US.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is between a rock and a hard place with respect to enforcing enhanced security procedures at US airports irrespective of whether it is trying to marshal people through new full-body x-ray scanners or the overly-zealous enhanced pat-down procedures which gives them the right to "feel you up".

Yet, there are those occasions where you wonder what some of these TSA people are thinking.

Cathy Bossi, a breast cancer survivor and a former flight attendant, was subject to both the x-ray scan and an enhanced pat-down. When the x-ray scanner shows up something unusual or 'suspicious' then a pat-down is mandatory. For Bossi, the x-ray scan showed up a prosthetic breast. This suspicious item mandated an enhanced pat-down. The enhanced pat-down involved the TSA officer touching her breasts and then asking "what is this?" This happened in North Carolina, or at least was reported in North Carolina.

When Bossi responded that "it is a prosthetic breast", the TSA officer demanded to see it. Seriously, does the TSA have a prosthetic fetish or does the TSA truly consider that prosthetic breasts are the Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) of the future? Imagine the future here for a moment; have we really progressed to a point where "Show me your breasts" or other body parts is a legitimate question in order to board an aircraft? Have we really reached a point where it will be quicker to take your prosthetics out or off and ship them to your destination rather than try and board an aircraft with them?

In any event, be aware, according to the TSA, they have the right to inspect prosthetic devices. The TSA are not allowed to ask you to remove them, but they are entitled to physically inspect them. I wonder if passengers with silicone implants will be required to remove them before boarding an aircraft? Or if the silicone gel is greater than 100ml whether they will have to bag and tag the implants or ship them in their baggage?

To be sure, I am happy that the relative authorities are taking security seriously. But, even for the die-hards who think that just about any intrusion for the purposes of safety and security is warranted might be starting to re-think their position.

Can anyone else imagine a time where we will get right back to how things were before self-conscious morality took over and we started wearing clothes? Are we all that far away from a time where people will be required to board public transport in the nude in order to ensure that no one is hiding a bomb in their underpants? I guess naked travel only leaves cavity searches!

X-Ray Scanners, Naked Images, Child Porn, and Airports...

Manchester Airport is trialling an X-ray machine that is being used to scan passengers before they enter the departure lounge of the airport. The scan takes a few seconds and are expected to do away with the need for a physical frisk of the traveler as they go through security checkpoints. There would apparently be no need to empty your pockets as the scanner would identify all and sundry in your pockets or take off your shoes.

It seems that the scanners can do a little bit more than that, as they will also identify any implants a traveler has. So, anyone with breast implants or a little uplift in the buttocks area will find themselves subject to a few smiles no doubt from knowledgeable scanner operators.

However, in an interesting twist, some child advocacy groups have wondered out loud whether the "naked images" that these scanners are capable of, violate child pornography laws. Airport authorities are saying that they do not, and in any event the images are immediately destroyed if there is no reason for them to be saved. Although, faces and skin color might not be identifiable in the scans, the genitals are clearly outlined in the x-ray scans.

The outlines of a child's genitals would seemingly be a violation of most child protection laws throughout the world. These laws, generally, make it an offense to show or make and indecent image of a child. The outline of a child's genitals would conceivably, and arguably, be an indecent image. The UK child protection statute even includes the term "pseudo-photograph" which a scanner image arguably is.

This story will undoubtedly continue to develop as the legal issues are further explored.

Sperm Smuggling

A murderer has been able to smuggle his sperm out of jail and have it transported interstate and then inseminated into his girlfriend. The girlfriend has then become pregnant and given birth to a son. Are congratulations in order here?

The NSW prison security system at one particular jail obviously leaves a little to be desired. However, any security system is only as good as the people who work in it or run it, and in this case it seems that neither worked well. The jail cannot be identified according to reports. Nevertheless, word of mouth will probably see the identity of both the jail and murdered concerned revealed at some point.

This kind of breach usually sees heads roll, and this case has been no exception with three members of the prison management team being stood down. A doctor and nurse have also been stood down. It is alleged that the doctor and nurse were instrumental in the deed.

For those of you who are wondering, sperm can survive outside of the body for up to 48 hours if kept at body temperature. So, the actual smuggling of the sperm out of jail and keeping it viable is not so difficult if the security gods align in the right way. It seems that the gods aligned themselves in the right way for this murderer and his keen girlfriend.

Qatar, Doha, and Qatar Airways

I had the pleasure of flying with Qatar Airways all the way from Jakarta to Washington DC. You can probably guess that this is going to be positive in terms of the comments about Qatar Airways.

Qatar Airways bills itself as the 5-Star Airline and this is probably apt based solely on my only experience with the airline and this is in spite of a delay in Doha.

The planes are new so this is always a good start as this means that the comfort level is likely to be good. I was not disappointed on this front. Although, more leg room would never go astray.

The service was first rate. The food was 5-star. It really was like eating at a hotel, Parmesan covered chicken breasts with roast pumpkin and beans...awesome. Even more fun was that when the lights went down there was a self-service option. That is, the staff provided hot and cold sandwiches, as well as drinks. You just meandered your way back to the galley and helped yourself to whatever you wanted - very cool.

The flight was long, so it was nice that the service and food was excellent.

I did not get to see any thing much of Qatar and Doha, except what I could see from the terminal and flying in and out of the airport. However, I got to see more of the international terminal in Doha than I wanted to.

For an international airport that is supposedly a hub for those travelling in the Middle East then it still has a fair way to go on that front. There is probably a litany of complaints in this regard that I should keep to myself, but hey, that would not be me.

For an international airport there is next to nothing in the terms of duty free shopping. There is really only one shop and this is hardly duty free. I was looking at buying a real camera (real being something other than point and shoot) however the duty free price in Doha was the equivalent of IDR 3 million more expensive than what I could pay for it at a legitimate electronics shop.

However, such is life on that front. That, though, was not the big thing for me. The toilets / restrooms were of a quality that made the restrooms at Soekarno-Hatta look like a 5-star joint. Each of the toilet facilities at the terminal required one to have Jesus-like skills, particularly the ability to walk on water. And, at least two of the restrooms were under repair. For me this is just crazy for what is supposedly a 5-star airport. Nevertheless, on the positive side the water was hot which meant there was a certain enhanced cleaning possibility if you know what I mean.

The security at the terminal was interesting to say the least. I am all for enhanced security if this means that I am guaranteed of flying safe. As someone transiting through the airport the security was pretty strict. To get of the plane and into the terminal required all of your stuff to be x-rayed, this included taking off your belt. However, this was ramped up on getting into the lounge to reboard the plane. What made this experience even less fun was that the security staff were scary in an agressive way.

Getting into the lounge required not only the belt to come off again, but the shoes, face towels, hankies, laptops, cameras, coins, keys, mobile phones, and the list goes on. This is part and parcel of an increased security presence however getting shoved against a wall and yeleed at not to move while your stuff goes through the x-ray machine is a little disheartening.

So, in short Qatar Airways service and food was excellent! The terminal at Doha was a little less than expected.

Rhianna in Jakarta -- Canceled?

Rhianna, or at least her management, have decided to cancel the concert scheduled for Friday night. The local promoter is suggesting that the concert is not canceled but rather postponed to sometime in January or February.

The reason is that Rhianna and her team allegedly have some security concerns. These concerns are supposedly heightened security alerts for the country. The speculation is undoubtedly going to be on the recent executions of the Bali Three (aka Amrozi, Mukhlas, and Samudra). However, my understanding is that this is mere speculation and the concern was security in general.

The promoter has allegedly sent representatives to Singapore to lobby Rhianna's management for a change of heart. However, with the concert to be held tomorrow a pretty quick change of heart is required in order to make the logistics work.

The promoter seems to be concerned with the billions of Rupiah in losses that will be sustained if the concert does not go ahead. Now, here's the thing. If you are a music promoter in Indonesia, I would have thought that it would have made good business sense to get insurance for this very thing. It is not like it is the first time a world class music act has pulled the plug because of security fears / concerns.

It seems ticket holders need not fear, as the promoter has guaranteed that all ticket holders are to be refunded. I am sure they would have preferred to see Rhianna in concert though. May be in January or February!

Privacy -- The Virtual Strip Search

The privacy theme is one that resonates in all manner of places and in a large number of countries. Australia is currently trialling body scanning technology at a small number of airports with a view to providing enhanced security for flights.

I have written on this previously here. The privacy issues here are that the technology does not have the ability to blur the genitals of the people that it screens. More accurately, it does have the ability to blur the genitals but the powers that be have decided not to. So, in essence the person sitting behind the monitor will be viewing you in all your glory. I wonder if they are taking volunteers for these screening positions.

The picture leaves very little to the imagination. It is worth noting that in this picture I can make out what appears to be bones in the lower legs and the knees of the person being screened. The idea is that the x-rays used are at the lower end of the spectrum and would require up to 10,000 screens before you would be in danger of excessive radiation exposure.

So, if you are a domestic traveller leaving Melbourne Airport over the next six weeks you may well be asked to test new x-ray scanners and not only be exposed to the x-rays but be exposed in other ways too.

The new X-ray backscatter body scanner has been described by some critics as a "virtual strip search". Looking at the image above you can see why. The trialling authorities have made it clear that they are not going to blur the images of the genitals. However, the technology has been set up so that faces are automatically blurred.

The blurring of the faces is an attempt to try and avoid claims that the technology violates privacy. Probably more important is that there are very explicit regulations in place with respect to the storage and access to any images that are saved. Even with faces blurred, the mere thought of these images appearing online in some porn site would bother many people.

The current procedures are that once a person walks through the scanner and they are clear of any nasty stuff like explosives, the screener presses a button and the image is automatically deleted. Sounds fair enough assuming that the screener is deleting the images.

Happy traveling!

Jakarta Shopping

I have decided that I must make a mental note to take my little camera with me every day and start taking happy snappies of my travels. Most days it is just between home and the office. However, there are some days where I take the plunge and branch out into the big bad world of Jakarta shopping malls. Yesterday, was one such day!

It was decided that I would meet my better half at Pacific Place down in the Sudirman Central Business District. Pacific Place forms a sort of mega-shopping-hotel-center. There is a Ritz Carlton Hotel there. I have been there once before but it was not really ready for business. Yesterday was my second trip to view how the other half lives. It is probably one of those places where you could get lucky if you are into celebrity spotting or something. This is not the reason for the camera though.

I actually went there because the better half had just finished dinner with a friend and I figured there was an Optik Melawai there and I need a new pair of glasses as I am getting blind in my old age.

Anyways, I was surprised to find airport type security in order to get into this huge shopping center. There was none of this hand-held metal detector stuff here. They have a metal detector gate and an x-ray machine. Yes, shoppers, an x-ray machine. I was carrying two bags, a laptop and another bag with some paper based files so off they went through the x-ray machine. I wandered through the metal detecting gate to the tune of many beeps. Back I came and my keys and mobile phone had to get x-rayed too.

I was waiting for him to ask me to take my shoes off and place them in the basket for x-ray as well. Fortunately he did not ask.

I guess there are many people who see this as the cost of safety and security, and do not mind the inconvenience. Others just go through the motions as if you want to get inside then you have to jump through the hoops provided. For me it is just sad. It is sad that the world we live in and inhabit now requires such levels of security.

The reason for the camera was to photograph the x-ray machine so everyone could see.