Envoys in friendly territory on English talk show
Envoys in friendly territory on English talk show
By Bruce Emond
JAKARTA (JP): Do not expect any diplomatic incidents during 30
Minutes with a Friend, the new talk show every Tuesday at 8:30
p.m. on TPI.
The show, consisting of half-hour interviews with foreign
ambassadors to Indonesia, gives the countries a friendly forum to
put their best face forward. The countries are shown in soft
focus, with host Brigitta Priscilla providing neat segues between
the topics.
Of particular interest is that the shows are in English and
are usually broadcast live. Locally produced English-language
shows are a rarity in Indonesia.
Brigitta, formerly a newsreader on SCTV's English-language
morning news, ably delivers the questions in American-accented
English. If anything, the show occasionally exposes the less than
proficient language skills of the foreign envoys.
Still, it is all in good fun. The ambassadors get the
opportunity to talk about their countries' friendly relations
with Indonesia, sometimes offering a little insight into their
cultures back home.
It's not all hard facts and figures. In one of the first
shows, viewers were treated to a traditional dance performance by
a pair of blond tykes from Finland as the end credits rolled. It
followed a lengthy discussion by the Finnish ambassador about his
country's expertise in forestry and how it was being used to help
Indonesia.
Despite the we're-all-friends-here nature of the show,
sometimes one wishes Brigitta would push the envelope just a tad.
Of course, it is not a matter of dredging up a country's sorry
record on human rights, or a major conflict raging on its
borders. Instead, it is about taking the discussion one level up
from the pedestrian.
For instance, when an ambassador talks about bilateral trade
relations, and reveals a huge deficit in his country's favor, the
inevitable question is what can Indonesia do to have a little
more business coming its way. It does not seem too impertinent an
inquiry, but it goes unasked.
Last Tuesday's show featured the ambassador of Morocco, who
ventured down the same path of his predecessors with a discussion
of the good relations between the two nations. It was unusual in
that the show was taped instead of being broadcast live.
The show, which uses the interesting advertising blurb of
featuring "performing (?) foreign ambassador from each country in
Jakarta", will next feature the ambassador of Switzerland, Gerald
Fonjallaz, on Aug. 8. Scheduled for coming weeks are the
ambassadors of the Slovak Republic, Canada, Chile, Denmark and
Bangladesh.
While Brigitta may not have the skills of an Oprah Winfrey or
Larry King (nor would one expect her to), she does what is
required to keep the show running along smoothly. 30 Minutes with
a Friend, while not the most riveting viewing on the tube, is
nevertheless a fine opportunity to hear a little bit of the
international language as it is spoken around the world.