the mission
1-2-1-4, a rap, the gold-plated numbers instantly swung open.
Me, surprized, stepping back.
Wolfgang Tessler, beamed, pumped my hand, pulling me into the hotel suite.
I first meet Wolfgang in Manila, being head of the mission and having a PHD in education.
We instantly bonded, with Wolfgang inviting me to his house, to meet his four kids and Philippino wife.
Deloris, of all names.
We talked until the early hours, fuelled by various beverages, our value systems chiming.
So here I was in Jakarta, standing in his suite, being briefed on the task ahead, surrounded by 12 other mission members.
My head bobbing like a noddy doll, as I was fleetingly introduced.
The team with expertise ranging from foreign affairs, quantity surveying, education, engineering, with me being the least qualified in the room, a lowly architect master planner.
The mission!
To assess Palembang University’s application for a US$45 million grant from the Asian Development Bank, to significantly expand the university.
After a summary, Wolfgang launched into the meeting with a comprehensive overview of the mission’s objectives and programme, issuing a briefing paper to read on the plane tomorrow.
Wrapping it up, Wolfgang took us all to dinner, hitting the streets of Jakarta, which he knew well.
It was a good opportunity to feel out the rest of the team, Finance and Education being the prime drivers.
At that stage I had lived in Malaysia for 3 years, I was complacent, I had sampled iced Kacang, many times, literally iced beans as a sweet.
A big mistake, that I only started to understand at 3 in the morning.
I was sick all night.
Pulling myself together, I was on the morning flight to Palembang, reading the briefing paper as a distraction, between visits to the loo.
Palembang was the capital of the Southern Sumatra Province, a river port on the Musi River, being one of the oldest cities in Indonesia.
Originally being a Chinese Protectorate in the 14th century, to being a Malay Sultanate.
It was sacked by both the Dutch and then the British, to control initially the Dutch’s monopoly on the pepper trade, then the palm oil trade for the British.
With the discovery of oil and then two refineries, Palembang became one of the primary objectives for the Japanese to control during their invasion in 1942.
Both the British and the Americans tried to bomb the refineries into oblivion, but the Japanese always got them back up and running quickly.
In short Palembang was a major economic force on the Indonesian peninsular.
The proposed new university being a high priority.
Just making it to the hotel room for a total release in private, wondering, why, after three years in Asia I was sick now!
Trying to prepare for the welcoming dinner with the Indonesian Minister of Education that night, the hotel came to the rescue with some tablets.
Sitting through the dinner was an ordeal.
There was about 25 people in the function room of the hotel, with everything laid on, including the speeches.
I sat tense, trying to control myself, breaking out in sweat in the chill of the aircon.
The sweat running down my face and back, while labouring over a very forced, polite conversation with the people either side of me.
Until the tablets started to kick in!
Gaining some kind of control during the night, I gave breakfast a miss.
Then onto the bus for the start of the university briefing and site visits.
Over a three-day period, it all became a bit of a blur.
Experiencing a series of shivering episodes and outbreaks of sweating, while doing the rounds of the petty officialdom of the university, assessing the existing buildings and infrastructure.
Trying desperately to hold it together.
After the third day, the tablet taking regime started to take control.
Feeling OK, I looked forward to the final banquet in Palembang, which ended up in Wolfgang’s hotel suite late in the evening, for a debriefing session with the team.
Each of the disciplines had had individual briefings with the necessary department heads, so this was the time to bring it all together.
After Wolfgang’s education briefing, we moved into finance with an update on the current situation.
The Indonesians do not have a good track record with the ADB, the majority of loans that were given to Indonesia, either were never spent, just being left in limbo as they tried to get their act together or in some cases, the money was siphoned off by the political elite.
With very little of the funds fulfilling its original purpose.
They also have a poor record in repaying the loans.
The team discussion, after several drinks, descended into a moralistic argument, Wolfgang and I chiming in unison.
If this is the record, how can we in good conscience, recommend this loan?
The international relations and finance team bounced back.
If we do not fund this loan, it would set a precedent internationally.
The consequences being significant!
Certainly, more than their jobs were worth.
With the passions stirred by interjecting alternative scenarios, each time, ratcheting up the temperature.
The International relations and finance guys digging in.
Wolfgang and I, at about three in the morning, unannounced, spontaneously leapt to our feet, emotionally embracing each other in the middle of the room, in tangible expression of moral solidarity.
The team cracked up!
The debriefing drained into sober disillusionment.
We all knew the expected outcome.
Next morning, nursing a headache and in a lather of sweat, it was off to the airport.
Sitting in Departures for the flight back to Jakarta, the announcement came and everybody else started to board.
Except us?
We all looked at one another, realising everyone else was on the plane, which was sitting on the tarmac.
Wolfgang went in search of the Airport officials.
An hour later, with the plane still sitting on the tarmac, Wolfgang ran back, marshalling everyone onto the plane.
The plane was packed!
Filing down the aisle, we all got disgruntled looks, as Wolfgang and I sat next to one another.
Buckling up as the engines roared, as we immediately started to taxi for take-off.
Wolfgang was furious, he blurted out.
The bastards, as we were an international delegation, the Airport officials were not allowing us to board the plane, unless we paid a bribe to the airport staff!
Wolfgang had made a few calls, pulled rank and eventually got us into the plane.
We all had connecting flights back to Manila, it was cutting it very fine.
Holing up in a hotel room in Manila, getting more drugs to counter the shakes and sweating.
I finished my part of the report and stumbled onto the plane to Oz.
Feeling completely drained
Flying into Sydney, after many years, then getting a taxi home, as the family had forgotten to pick me up.
The realisation set in.
Nothing had changed!
The slide into depression was not helped, when found out I had Hepatitis C.