'Jakarta Jive', an expat's story of survival in the city of upheaval

'Jakarta Jive', an expat's story of survival in the city of upheaval

Dewi Anggraeni, Contributor, Jakarta

Jakarta Jive; By Jeremy Allan; Metaphor Publishing, Jakarta,
2001; 225 pp

It is hard to know what to expect when confronted by a book
written by an expatriate promising a chronicle of jaman edan, the
months following the fall of president Soeharto in May 1998.

Many Indonesians, myself included, often become defensive when
reading an account of Indonesia by a foreigner or an expatriate.
A generous sense of humor, a preparedness to be exposed, an
anesthetized sense of identity, primed with a readiness to learn
about oneself, are definitely prerequisites before even opening
such books.

Having psyched myself into that mode, I began reading Jakarta
Jive. I was pleasantly surprised. True, it is an expatriate's
account, but the author does not speak from a platform above the
world he describes, nor is he looking down, giving a supercilious
running commentary. He tells the story as he explores the world,
entering as he is, boots and all.

Jeremy Allan is no dollar-earning expat, immune from the
economic crisis of the late 1990s. He was, in fact, caught in the
whirlwind of krismon, the local term for the monetary crisis,
buffeted left, right and center. And all the while, gasping, he
kept his eyes, ears and even his heart open.

The reader benefits from Allan's observations, as well as his
trials and tribulations, which he describes in his raconteur
style. And no less important, as he paints a particular view of
Jakarta life, the picture develops depth beyond the initial
visible aspects, simply because Allan combines a refreshing
boyish curiosity with a well-developed, mature humility. His own
willingness to learn is disarming to any defensive soul with
residual nationalistic fervor.

This does not mean, however, that Allan tones it down when
depicting or commenting on events during that time, which often
reflected deep-seated sentiments long held by Indonesians of
various ethnic groups. If you are an adherent, or at least an
aficionado of Jungian philosophy, it is easy to believe that
these sentiments have been subliminally passed on for
generations.

If Jakarta Jive were a painting, the background color would be
Allan's interactions with a number of recurring characters, who
become his informants as well as sounding boards for his own
ideas. These multidirectional communications spark up colorful,
insightful and often painful stories, which make this book hard
to put down.

We make the acquaintance of Monica, an ethnic Chinese
economics student turned professional photographer-cum-social
activist, whose is determined to find out the truth behind the
reports of mass rapes.

We also follow Allan and his partner Siti's experiences with
their housemate Adam, an American academic specializing in
Javanese gamelan music. Adam's curious adoption of Javanese
aristocratic mannerisms inevitably causes tension and difficulty,
not only with the house staff, but with Allan and Siti
themselves. This is told in tones ranging from humorous to full
of exasperation.

There are also touching stories about a young couple, Heri and
Yani, Pak Trisno, Pak Ade, Pak Tatang and Inem, while the
author's loyal friend, Farid Baskoro, is never far in the
background.

Trying to explain how he came to write this book, Allan
recounts how after he witnessed the riots of May 1998, he had
found it difficult to explain to a Canadian radio reporter what
was going on in one or two sentences. This reductionist attitude
common among journalists chasing a hard-hitting story -- in turn
pursued by deadlines -- drove him to write Jakarta Jive.

What Allan has written is certainly not an academic thesis on
the sociopolitical background of the fall of Soeharto. However,
it has sociological elements without being ponderously
analytical. In some parts, it is unpretentiously hard-hitting.
What is more, it is extremely readable.