Embassies unmoved by World Cup fever

Embassies unmoved by World Cup fever

Muhammad Nafik
The Jakarta Post
Jakarta

The live broadcast of the World Cup on television will soon be
upon us. For many Indonesians, the one-month-long competition,
due to start on Friday, will be an exciting time and is likely to
disturb many people's daily lives.

Jointly hosted by Japan and South Korea, the live broadcast of
games will be on air from the afternoon to late evening between
May 31 and June 29.

Employers and decision makers are apprehensive that the day-
time viewing hours will prompt less productivity or even
absenteeism.

But it is apparently not the case for many foreigners living
in Indonesia. Embassies and community clubs asked by The Jakarta
Post gave the impression that life would be business as usual.

Definitely, there will be no changes in working hours.

Diplomats and staff officers at the Japanese, British,
Italian, Brazilian, German, Argentinean and French embassies,
said there would be no World Cup-related activities hosted by
their offices.

"We don't have any program held in our office to enliven the
big event in my country," said one Japanese diplomat, who, like
many members of staff from other embassies contacted, requested
anonymity.

However, the Japanese Embassy will entertain questions from
Indonesians seeking information concerning the World Cup through
its website, he said.

Mitia Musar, a senior Indonesian official at the Italian
Embassy, said her office planned no activities linked with the
games.

Ambassador Alessandro Merola will fly home next month as his
term of office in Jakarta ends, she said.

"His homegoing has nothing to do with the World Cup," she
said.

The German Embassy also has no special programs to hail the
World Cup.

"Working schedules here remain unchanged," said a female staff
officer.

Asked whether diplomats and other officials in her embassy
will be allowed to watch the German team playing, she simply
said: "TV sets are not available here".

The Brazilian and Argentine embassies, among the world's
soccer super powers, have not arranged any special program
either.

Asked whether they thought watching soccer games on television
alongside Indonesian fans would be an interesting program, a
staff member at the Brazilian embassy said: "Most people already
have a TV at home here".

The South Korean Embassy seems to be the only embassy holding
some activities ahead of and during the World Cup.

It hosted a soccer match between junior high schools for
expatriates in Jakarta in March, in which an Indonesian team won,
said Jeung-Chil Song, the press and cultural attache at the South
Korean Embassy.

He added he would be visiting big cities across Indonesia to
promote his country as the World Cup matches are being played.

During these trips, he said, he would distribute World Cup
souvenirs and leaflets to Indonesian journalists and soccer fans.

Some international organizations based in Jakarta also seem to
have no special program either.

"We don't have any activities here to celebrate the World Cup.
Everything will proceed as normal," said M. Zakih, an employee
with the International Sports Club of Indonesia (ISCI).

A man, who claimed to be a security guard at the Jakarta
International School, said no special program was planned by his
office to welcome the World Cup.

"As far as I know, we don't have such an activity," Amaludin
said.

Kaori Yajima, secretary of the Japan Club, said her
organization would carry on its own regular daily activities
during June.