Travel to Jakarta May 2006 - KangGURU Travels in Indonesia

KangGURU Travels to Jakarta, May 2006

Kevin travelled to Jakarta in late May 2006 to attend a special AusAID Meeting. Kevin also was lucky enough to have a 30 minute interview with Anggun. Kevin's last engagement for the trip was a Reception at the Australian Ambaassador's Residence in Menteng.

The Director General of AusAID Canberra, Mr. Bruce Davis, was in Jakarta on the 22 nd of May to deliver the Australian Government’s WHITE PAPER to Indonesia’s aid community. AusAID Jakarta invited team leaders of their AusAID projects and activities to Jakarta to meet Bruce. Hence Kevin represented KGRE and went to Jakarta to attend the Monday morning meeting at the Ritz Carlton Hotel.

But while he was in Jakarta Kevin also gave a KGRE presentation to mentors involved with the IASTP 3 project – a very large AusAID project. IASTP 3 means the Indonesia Australia Specialized Training Project. This mammoth project has been running in Indonesia for well over 8 years training Indonesians in all sorts of areas including Governance, Law and Medicine. Check out their website for more information.

On several occasions in the past Ogi and Kevin had discussed that it would be great to get someone such as Anggun on KGRE. In February when Anggun was last in Jakarta, Ogi tried to make contact with Anggun’s management to ask for an interview. No such luck on that occasion unfortunately. However last Saturday in Jakarta was a different story. Ogi had told Kevin that Anggun was in fact staying at the same hotel as he was. After checking in on Saturday afternoon, Kevin contacted Anggun’s PR (Public Relations) people and pushed for an interview. Anggun had had a full press conference the day before at Hard Rock Café but on Saturday she was giving private interviews at the hotel to selected journalists. Ria, her PR person was very helpful and cooperative and managed to add one more ‘journalist’ to the group and that was Kevin.

Kevin and Anggun chatted for thirty minutes or so. Anggun's English is wonderful and she certainly is a lively, bubbly sort of person who just loves to talk - and talk. They discussed learning languages as Anggun told Kevin that at the moment she is trying to learn Italian. They also talked about her music, her travel experiences plus her favorite cities in the world.

Check out the interview with Anggun on KGRE radio beginning in July and she will also be in the next magazine.

Anggun after theinterview at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Jakarta

Anggun has been the best-selling Asian artist outside Asia since 1997. In 1998 her single 'Snow On The Sahara' became the most played single of the year on French radio and was a number one hit in Spain, Italy and Eastern Asia, while reaching the top 5 in the UK Club Charts. In the United States, her debut album made it into the top 20 on Billboard's Heat Seekers chart.

Anggun has won various awards, including the Chevalier des Arts et Letters from the France Culture Minister and the Cosmopolitan Asia Women Award. She has also recently accepted the role of spokesperson for the UN Year of Microcredit.

She has released 12 albums, the first launched when she was only nine years old. Anggun is in Jakarta to promote her latest album, 'Luminescence'. Her concert is on May 25th. During the show, her fans will get the chance to watch her sensual video clip for Saviour, the theme song of Transporter II. On her album 'Luminescence', one of the songs is titled 'Cover'. It's the first time Anggun has written a song about Indonesia.

On Monday the Director General of AusAID, Mr. Bruce Davis, was special guest at a meeting held at the Ritz Carlton Hotel. The purpose of the meeting was to present The White Paper on Australia’s Overseas Aid. In the evening Kevin attended the Australian Ambassador’s residence in Menteng. Mr. Bill Farmer hosted the evening for participants in the White Paper discussion held earlier that day and on the following day as well.

Fron left to right: Russell Keogh from IAPBE, David Spiller from ADS and the Australian Ambassador to Indonesia, Mr. Bill Farmer. Aren't their KGRE Badges fantastic!

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