ANZA welcomes people of all nationalities

ANZA welcomes people of all nationalities

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Shelley, an Australian, came to Indonesia in the late 1990s. As a
university graduate, she planned to stay in Indonesia only for a
couple of months to master the Indonesian language, Bahasa
Indonesia. She flew to Yogyakarta, taking just one suitcase of
clothes and books.

"I spoke fairly good Bahasa. I had also read some books about
Indonesia and Java, in particular, when I was a student. It was
enough for me, so I thought," she told The Jakarta Post recently.

Unfortunately, it was not sufficient.

A friendly personality by nature, Shelley tried to interact
with as many Indonesians as possible. It proved to be the best
way to improve her spoken Bahasa, she added. However, as she
developed relations with them, she faced some cultural problems.

"One of my friends said she was insulted when I was frank
about my opinion of her. I, on the other hand, considered my
other friend disturbing as he came to my rented house anytime he
wanted without permission," she said.

Shelley, then in her early 20s, encountered further problems
and decided to prolong her stay in the country. The problems were
not always about culture, but also about practical day-to-day
activities such as shopping or meeting the appropriate physician.

Eventually, though, Shelley found solace in the Australian and
New Zealand Association (ANZA), a non-profit organization
committed to welcoming and assisting expatriates living in
Indonesia.

"They recommended some physicians to me. I also got useful
tips on how to behave here from ANZA members. Their information
was better than what I gleaned from books," said Shelley, who now
resides in Sydney after living in Indonesia for five years.

From the experiences shared by ANZA members, she learned the
differences in customs especially between the Javanese and those
of Batak descent.

"Javanese don't like to confront, so, you have to be
diplomatic; while the Batak people are more open," Shelley said.

Catriona McDonald, president of ANZA, said the organization,
which was set up in 1970, serves as a support network to help
families and individuals settle into the local community, a base
for community work and a networking forum for business
opportunities.

As a tool to connect its members, ANZA offers an informative
monthly magazine for its members: BERITA (News).

According to McDonald, ANZA provides a variety of functions
and activities for working and non-working members and their
families. She said that the activities were made possible due to
the support from to its enthusiastic members who donate their
time and efforts.

ANZA organizes regular activities and a few major functions
each year to enable its members and families to interact with one
another.

ANZA holds regular coffee and conversation mornings, BBQs, as
well as opportunities for bridge, mahjong and belly dancing.
Among major events organized by ANZA are the Charity Grand Ball,
the Melbourne Cup Luncheon in November, Mid-Year Bazaar and the
Christmas Bazaar in December, which is the most popular here.

As a means to connect its members, the events also serve as a
fund-raising for "the poor and needy" in the community, said
McDonald.

ANZA projects include a nutritious feeding program for babies
in Pasar Senen, Central Jakarta, and a poverty reeducation
program in Bali.

ANZA exists in many countries, including in Singapore, where
it has been for more than half a century, and in Malaysia, where
it takes a slightly different name: namely the Malaysia
Australian New Zealand Association (MANZA).

All around the globe, ANZA serves as a forum for Australians
and New Zealanders to meet and share experiences. But now, it has
opened its membership to other nationalities. In Indonesia, too,
the voluntary organization is not an exclusive group for
Australians and New Zealanders.

McDonald, an (Australian) education consultant who has been
living in Indonesia for 16 years, said that the organization was
open for people of all nationalities.

"As our home countries have vibrant multi-cultural
populations, ANZA welcomes people, both men and women, of all
nationalities," she said.