Having a TV again for the first time in weeks I was mindlessly channel surfing and discovered English Bites.
English Bites
The show is on the Australia Network by the ABC, and delivers mini english lessons.
Education has replaced tourism as Australia’s number one service export. That is not surprising considering that Australia is the largest English speaking country in the region.
I’ve been staying at a business class hotel in Yogyakarta as part of a job. I like Indonesian guesthouses but it has been good to have access to free wi-fi from my room.
If it's Wednesday it must be Yogyakarta
Most of the international hotel chains in Yogya are out near the airport, which is about 8km from the city. They have a shuttle bus that runs to the city centre, so I have to plan my days activities around the shuttle or get a taxi.
One thing about this hotel is that its a plane spotters dream. I can’t help but look at a plane landing everytime I hear one coming.
Room with an airport view
Barack Obama lived in Indonesia from 1967 to 1971, and he attended local schools in Jakarta from ages six to ten.
Obama had stated that he was going to visit a Muslim majority country in his first 100 days of office. There was talk that the country would be Indonesia, but it turned out that Turkey got the honour.
In Indonesia have seen two Obama references that mark a shift in the general good will back towards the USA.
In Jakarta I found this “Obama Fan’s Club” bar.
Obama Fan's Club - Jakarta
In Yogyakarta I spotted this Obama stencil on a wall.
Obama Stencil - Yogyakarta
So a fan club and graffiti without any derogatory remarks for a US president, something you would not have seen a year ago.