It's evolution, my genes cannot help it!

The perfect excuse for cheating men and single men who prefer to pay for sex rather than enter into long-term relationships has just become available courtesy of a study conducted by Michael Gumert of Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. Gumert studied the behaviour patterns of long-tailed Macaques monkeys in the forests of Central Kalimantan...The study found that on average the female of the species had sex or offered sex at a rate of about 1.5 times per hour. However, this is not the most interesting part of the study!

The study found that the rate increased significantly if the female had been groomed by the male Macaque seeking the sexual favour...Yet, the study gets even more interesting when it explores the basic economics of supply and demand in sexual transactions. Simply, when there was an over-abundance of females in the immediate vicinity the cost of sex would drop to eight minutes of grooming. However, when there were limited females present in the area the female understood the value of her service and the grooming required before sexual favours become available jumped to 16 minutes.

I wonder does dinner and a movie equate to grooming in the Macaque? If it does then I guess a great majority of us would be guilty of either paying for sex or accepting payment for sex...then again if the courtship is a lot longer than one dinner and one movie maybe then both parties are entitled to a long-term monogamous partnership / marriage? Maybe I should have continued in my psychology studies after the first year of university way back when so that I could be a chance of figuring this out...Nevertheless, sexual behaviour of humans has been well-documented, particularly since the release of the Kinsey Report in 1948.

So, what does the study tell us? That sex for money is not only the oldest human profession but perhaps the oldest profession amongst our primate relatives! But is it really as simple as economic principles of supply and demand; do Macaques really care about economics?

It seems the perfect excuse has been found--it's in the evolutionary genes, men cannot help themselves (well, maybe some can but there are always exceptions to the rule, right?)...To each their own. I guess if you need an excuse you now have one!

Soeharto + Generosity

Soeharto has always been pegged as a very generous man if you happened to be the right person, in the right place, and at the right time...there are numerous media reports of his alleged cronies becoming obscenely wealthy. Thankfully, some have done prison time.

Although it seems like the old man himself is likely to escape prison time through a combination of advancing age (the old fella will die sooner or later) and declining capacity (although some would argue that his capacity has not diminished and this is just another part of a deceitful plan). Strangely, enough he was not too senile to instruct his lawyers to commence a defamation action against Time Magazine. It is unfortunate that the allegations against the old fella will never be fully tested anywhere other than the court of public opinion!

I have written on this in a previous post. The function here is merely to update that post. The earlier judgment awarded the former dictator USD 109 million (with interest it is already up to USD 111+ apparently).

The lawyers for Time, led by Todung Mulya Lubis, are in the process of finalizing what is said to be a more than 100 page brief to the Supreme Court as part of the judicial review process of the earlier Supreme Court decision. In spite of the drama of the language being used to highlight this case, a fight between good and evil, the reality is the judicial review has the potential to impact upon the prevailing definition of 'freedom of the press' in Indonesia, particularly whether the press is free at all!

The importance of this judicial review case will be to determine whether Time complied with acceptable journalistic ethics and principles in publishing the report that it did. If the Supreme Court decides that Time did in fact comply with prevailing journalistic standards, then the decision must be overturned.

The case is to come before a judicial review panel of the Supreme Court sometime this month. What is the likely outcome? Who knows! Much will depend on who here's the case and the expertise that they bring to decision making process. Defamation is not an overly complex field but it is a little more complex than deciding that a negative article based on verifiable sources defames the subject of that article.

Generosity...if the judicial review process affirms the earlier Supreme Court decision then the old fella has stated that 65% of the damages award will be provided to the poor and the remaining 35% to the State. Seeing is believing! Also it would be interesting to see how much of a cut his lawyers are taking for their services, particularly whether it is a 'capped rate', an 'hourly rate', or a 'success fee'.

Esquire Indonesia

If anyone is interested, I make an appearance on page 126 of the January 2008 issue of Esquire Indonesia. Unfortunately, the website remains 'under construction', so you might have to just buy the magazine (35,000 Rupiah) or duck into somewhere and bust open the plastic cover for a free read!

It is just me being me, and giving my take on legal education in Indonesia through participation in mooting competitions. Does someone interviewing me for an article in Esquire magazine mean that I am moving up in the world?

I think it is worth a read!

Batavia Cafe

Although this posting is a little late in being written, it relates to Christmas Lunch, I guess it is better late than never, right?

I had not been to the Batavia Cafe for a number of years, the last time I was there was also for a Christmas Lunch. The Batavia Cafe is located in the old part of Jakarta at Taman Fatahillah. The old part of Jakarta, formerly known as Batavia, is worth a visit at any time. Aside from the obvious attraction of the Sunda Kelapa port there are also myriad of other attractions such as museums, China Town (in and around Glodok), and restaurants.

Back to the point of this entry. The Batavia Cafe is renowned as a late night hangout and is open 24 hours on weekends. The bars are great with a wide-range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages available for order. The food is always excellent.

The Batavia Cafe is famous for a few things such as the 6-person serving of ice-cream, but it is some other features that draw many more vivid memories for visitors. The Cafe is full of old pictures collected over many many years. Yet, the most intriguing feature for male visitors is the bathroom. The urinal is fronted with a full wall mirror. So, whatever it is that you take out of your strides is their for all to see. Well, at least the fellas standing on either side of you. This has contributed to the rumors and gossip of the Batavia Cafe being a gay venue. And the fact that they have "gay nights" probably also adds to the rumour mill. However, the Batavia Cafe is far from being a gay venue!

Let's face it there is no sign on the door stipulating you must be gay or lesbian to get in, and you are not asked what your orientation is before being allowed to get in. A true gay & lesbian club or venue would at least pose the question to you. I know this because two years ago in Washington D.C. some of my friends and I, walking home after a night on the town, passed a place and thought we would grab one more cold ale for the road, only to have our way blocked by this really muscular young woman, who in no uncertain terms informed us that it was a lesbian club and we did not qualify! She was right, but we got in anyway, because men were allowed if the manager/owner agreed. This only happened after pleading my case in my best Australian accent about being a travel writer and I would be sure to give the club a good write up.

The Batavia Cafe is a venue for all no matter what your orientation. So, enjoy the good food and beverages on offer.

Your best bet for the old part of the city is to make it a day trip. The fun is walking around looking at all there is to see. The Government of Jakarta has committed itself to renovating the old part of town, some might say it is about bloody time, which is a good move considering the rich history that it contains and the integral role it has played in the development of Indonesia.

Once you're done walking and are in need of a cool ale or some other refreshment, then duck into the Batavia Cafe. If you are a little peckish or really hungry then grab a feed. The menu contains plenty of options including classic Indonesia favourites such as Ox Tail soup. For those a little less inclined to sample the local delicacies then there is plenty of other Asian and Western choices on the menu.

May be I should send them this Blog entry and try and score a free feed!

Some Positive Thoughts for the New Year

Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.
- Robert F. Kennedy (1925 - 1968)

Action makes more fortunes than caution.
- Marquis de Vauvenargues (1715 - 1747)

There is no education like adversity.
- Benjamin Disraeli (1804 - 1881)

A relaxed attitude lengthens a man's life.
- Proverbs 14:30

Do not be afraid to take a big step if one is required. You can't cross a chasm in two small jumps.
- David Lloyd George (1863 - 1945)

No one ever hurt their eyesight by looking at the bright side of life.
- Anonymous

With malice toward none, with charity for all.
- Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865)

One man with courage makes a majority.
- Andrew Jackson (1767 - 1845)

By his deeds we know a man.
- African Proverb

Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice.
- William Jennings Bryan

Some men see things as they are and say 'Why?'
I dream things that never were, and say, 'Why not?'
- George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950)

Excellence is to do a common thing in an uncommon way.
- Booker T. Washington (1856 - 1915)

Fear is never a reason for quitting: it is only an excuse.
- Norman Vincent Peale

Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names.
- John F. Kennedy (1917 - 1963)

Knowledge is power.
- Francis Bacon (1561 - 1626)

Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth.
- George Washington (1732 - 1799)

The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure.
- Thomas Jefferson (1743 - 1826)

Man's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.
- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (1809 - 1894)

You will give yourself peace of mind if you do every act of your life as if it were your last.
- Marcus Aurelius (121 - 180 AD)

A Happy New Year!

To all my readers, all be it a few dedicated souls, I wish you a happy new year!

This evening is usually a time for reflection on the year just past and resolution for the year ahead...I trust the year just past was a good one and the resolutions for the year ahead make it an even better year than this one.

Be safe and well in this festive season!

Peace to all!!!

Home

A personal musing about life, my life to be precise, and the challenges of living abroad.

I have been living on and off in Indonesia for almost 15 years now. More on than off but still a relatively long time.

Home. I consider Indonesia to be home in the sense I have more roots here than in the land of my birth, Australia. My family lives in Australia but I have family in Indonesia too. So, Indonesia is where I consider to be home. People often ask me how often I go home. The answer is simple, I go home every single day. Or another classic is where are you from? The answer to this is simple too, I live in Bekasi (a satellite city of Jakarta). Yet, I will always be a foreigner no matter what.

I speak the language with the accent of a local, I am as familiar with culture and customs in Indonesia as some, possibly most, locals. But, I will never be local which is fair enough. That said it does get a little boring always being either the tourist or the expat because I am neither. I am definitely not a tourist and I am even more definitely not an expat.

I work for a local company on a local wage and without any of the perks enjoyed by expats. I rent a house at my own expense, I have no car and my company does not supply one or cover taxi costs, I do not even get return airfares at the end of each year of service. I am not doing it tough but I sometimes wish people could appreciate the fact that I am not here for the money.

If I was here for the money I would be even more twisted and bitter than I am now :) and would have surely moved back to my own country many years ago and to never return to these tropical shores.

Over time it is the little things that I notice more and more. People wanting to talk to me or say stuff to me just because I am not Indonesian. Security guards who completely ignore Indonesians but cannot help themselves when I go past...it is not stuff like 'good morning' or 'how are you?' but stuff like 'where are you going?, what for?, what do you want to do?, do you want to buy a watch?, or the age old classic "Hey Mister, money!"'...I am sure you get the picture. I am happy to be civil but most often I just want to be treated like everyone else. I guess I stick out so that is never going to happen, is it?

Speaking of the land in which I was born and raised...I miss certain things, obviously not enough to return on a permanent basis, but I miss them all the same. For example, the cold. I would love to just be able to go outside in one of my Nan's hand-knitted jumpers (a sweater to all you non-English speakers of English) or walk down the street without being noticed or relatively good and accessible public transport.

To be clear, this is not a whinge and it certainly is not a complaint, but rather a series of musings about how things work for me at the moment. But when it is all said and done, life goes on! And as Ned is alleged to have said, "such is life!".

Law in Action

A solicitor in NSW found guilty of a fraud totalling AUD 95,000 has won a stay against the Law Society of NSW. The stay prevents the Law Society from cancelling his practice certificate even though he has been jailed for two years. This means that he can continue to practice law until the appeal is heard and decided.

The story is not so simple as fraud, trial, conviction, and sentence. There are a number of interesting elements such as alleged blackmail and the complainant being forthright in proclaiming that both he and the solicitor involved 'hate each other's guts'. Despite the conviction and the sentence the solicitor has been granted bail as new evidence has come to light. This new evidence, at least in the opinion of a Judge of the Supreme Court, gives rise to a good prospects that the solicitor will succeed in any new trial.

This is law in action. It is not over until the fat lady sings - for want of a better cliche.

Industrial Action & the Qantas Response

Keeping on the theme about the right to protest and to strike (just one of many forms of protest and demonstration). A news bite from Australia has Qantas, the national flag carrier, lining up engineers that it has retrenched over the past couple of years, some as recently as last year, with outrageous salary proposals in order to break a strike.

So, I guess even in some of the world's oldest surviving parliamentary democracies the right to strike and to protest remains...just the means that businesses employ to get around the inconvenience becomes a little more devious and in some cases silly because the potential outlay here on rehiring retrenched engineers who might not even get to work is going to be huge. If I was a shareholder I would want the Board explaining the numbers to me on this one.