davita

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Mar 13, 2012
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I'm on the last couple of chapters of reading this new 500 page book (Julia's Jihad) that I'd like to recommend to our members with an interest in her progressive Muslim and Female ways of telling her tales.
The author (Julia Suryakusuma) is a 58 year old daughter of an Indonesian Ambassador and has thus travelled with her family. She is Muslim and devout but sees the hypocrisy and amusement in some of their actions that she is quite adept at taking the mickey at some of the absurd.
She has been writing weekly columns in The Jakarta Post for many years and the book is a compilation of those and therefore easy to read as they are in short diverse chapters.
If new to Indonesia this can explain, in a simple and comedic way, some of why 'the Indonesia way' appears as an absurd country to us Bules

Well worth just under Rp200,000 from Gramedia
 

davita

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Mar 13, 2012
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Markit...its early I know....but surely even you could discern that if a book is a compilation of articles written in the Jakarta Post....what language it would be written.
Anyway, just in case anyone is confused, the book I read is in perfect English but, in the footnotes, it says versions of it were printed in Korean, Indonesian and a French version is in the works.
I re-iterate....this is an easily read and informative book and written with great humour. As a professor footnoted "You keep laughing until you realize what she is writing about is not funny but very, very serious".
I'm amazed at her ability to vilify all politicians from Sukarno to SBY, whom she calls 'hudontknow', with apparent impunity...in Indonesia!!!
 

Markit

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Sep 3, 2007
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Karangasem, Bali
It's getting earlier all the time...

I have not for many years and probably will never again take a "newspaper" as I prefer, along with billions of others to get my news from the aggregatores such as google or to simply go to the paper's website. Unfortunately the Jakarta Post is not one of those organs.

Anyway thanks for the tip.
 
Feb 15, 2013
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Jakarta
It's getting earlier all the time...

I have not for many years and probably will never again take a "newspaper" as I prefer, along with billions of others to get my news from the aggregatores such as google or to simply go to the paper's website. Unfortunately the Jakarta Post is not one of those organs.

Anyway thanks for the tip.

Markit, don't say no till you've had a taste of Julia. Here is a typical example of her articles.

Viewpoint: Blasphemous bras, heretical heels, yoga and me | The Jakarta Post

No need to thank me for broadening your horizons in literature. A kilo of biltong will suffice.

I used to read her monthly (or was it bi-monthly articles going back 6 or 7 years, but when I started getting my news online I lost track of her. Many thanks Davita for bringing Julia back into focus for me.
 

davita

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Mar 13, 2012
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Joji...thanks for your post #5 and your search for the JakPost link.
I wanted to post a selection of her funny comments but refrained....because....

1. I read the copyright law and the possibility of a 5 years jail sentence, especially in Kerobokan, where I may have to build my own cell, was frightening ....... and
2. I'm clueless about how to even copy from a book to a forum!

So, thanks for the input; you picked a good one. Now back to chapter 97.
 

Markit

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Sep 3, 2007
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Karangasem, Bali
"Markit, don't say no till you've had a taste of Julia. Here is a typical example of her articles"

Markit never, ever says NO to anything until he's tried it several times, usually. Many thanks for sharing her with me I will now try and find some more on her and of her.

Clever and very, very brave lady. Don't you wish women ran the planet? I sure do.
 

davita

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Mar 13, 2012
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Clever and very, very brave lady. Don't you wish women ran the planet? I sure do.

I would suggest if Julia Suryakusuma and Sri Mulyani Indrawati (her friend according to one chapter) were to run for the next RI election....they might sweep the top two jobs!