Note: This article used to be located at http://www.cometojakarta.com/InterviewwithMyIndocom.html.
CometoJakarta.com is no longer online. I am now storing this interview on MyIndo.com.
10 Questions for Fairy Mahdzan for the CometoJakarta.com
Interview
(28-July-2004)
1) Being a Malaysian,
what inspires you to write about Indonesian Culture?
Indonesia first caught my eye when I was 15. At first it was just fun to observe
Indonesia and make casual comparisons with Malaysia since we had many things
in common like language and culture. But as time went on I felt the need to
publish my thoughts and experiences on a website and share them with people
who had similar interests in the large archipelago. What really gets me going
is when folks write and thank me for showing them the side of Indonesia that
they sometimes take for granted or paid very little attention to.
2) Which is your most favorite article you have ever written for your
website?
Wow, that’s like asking a parent which of their 200+ children they love
most! However I do have to say the articles that are extra special to me are
the ones that cause my readers to gasp in disbelief or laugh out loud as I evoke
some sort of a distant but vivid memory for them, like The Unforgettable 12-Hour
Train Ride to Jogjakarta for instance. Otherwise, I enjoy writing all my articles,
as kooky as they are. Just to break the monotony and humor myself, I do write
about other offbeat topics such as junk food reviews.
3) Would you share your most memorable best and worst incidents experienced
in Indonesia?
The best memory I have of Indonesia is landing in Jakarta for the first time
in almost 20 years back in 2002 when I was finally making my own money and could
pay for my own trip. It was an overwhelming experience to finally be in a place
that I had only admired from afar for so many years. I don’t have any
unpleasant experiences in Indonesia so far, or maybe that’s because I’m
just so oblivious to them because I go mad with excitement every time I go there.
4) Which part of Indonesia are you fond of the most?
I definitely dig how friendly Indonesians are, they really are nice
people! I deeply admire how they seem how to enjoy life, even when the going
gets tough. And have I mentioned how extremely friendly their sales people are?
I definitely do all my shopping there now!
 |
| Fairy Mahdzan interviewing Kris Dayanti in Singapore (06/2004).
–Photo by Indi Soemardjan |
5) You are a great fan of Indonesian music; have you ever personally
met Indonesian artists in Malaysia or Indonesia?
I have been extremely lucky in this aspect of my Indonesian interests.
I have had close friends who worked in the Indonesian music industry and I’ve
worked for a huge broadcasting company in Malaysia; both of these privileges
have opened me doors to meeting some of my favorite Indonesian musicians and
artists. I’ve met them in Indonesia, Malaysia as well as Singapore.
To date I’ve met Sheila on 7, Gigi, Dewa, Slank, bip, Naif, Nico Saputra,
Padi, Base Jam, Yovie Widianto (Kahitna), Ruth Sahanaya,
Project Pop and most recently Kris
Dayanti during her Cahaya concert in Singapore (June 2004).
6) Your love for bakso has inspired you to write one article about your
eating experience in Indonesia. What is your motivation behind your food articles?
Food, especially from street vendors, is a very prominent part of daily
pop culture and seriously it is the easiest and most pleasing type of articles
to write because everyone can relate to them and the research portion is fantastic
because you get to eat what you plan to write about! The types of food in Indonesia
definitely differ by leaps and bounds and it is only expected that I document
my finds. Besides, it’s sort of fun to make people drool in front of their
computers!
7) We heard that you were planning to publish a book of your articles
on Indonesia, is that true?
It’s just a personal project I wanted to embark after I had a
few people asking me if they could get copies of my writing in hard copy. The
plan was just to compile some of my favorite articles, print and bind them on
my own. It’s not a big deal really. Now if only I could get started…!
I haven’t done anything thus far except collect a list of names of people
who are interested to own a copy.
8) Do you speak Indonesian in Malaysian Accent tone? How do your friends
react to that?
I come from a culture that tends to conform to the other person’s
way of speaking, an accommodating trait which I find common among Malaysians.
I do speak Bahasa Indonesia in the most Indonesian accent my tongue can muster.
It’s hard not to, I enjoy it because it’s simpler to speak and definitely
different but not impossible to learn seeing that it’s also based on my
Malay mother tongue. Bahasa gaul (Indonesian street talk) is a lot of fun to
learn and speak. My Indonesian friends sometimes forget that I’m actually
Malaysian. But of course when I just can’t roll my R’s hard enough
like the Indonesians, it’s a dead giveaway…!
9) What would you comment on the travel warning that are imposed on
Indonesia by some countries?
I’m sure those warnings have some logic for existence and it’s
hard not to understand why some countries, especially Western ones, would impose
them: Indonesia has not exactly been portrayed in positive light in the media,
what more with what happened in Bali in 2002 and JW Marriott Hotel Jakarta in
2003. I however close my eyes to those types of warning; I’d still go
to Indonesia, even when other people say it is dangerous to do so. There is
nothing to fear but fear itself.
10) Would you like to share your future plans to promote Indonesia
and its culture?
I’m just going to continue what I love doing most: write about Indonesia
on MyIndo.com, and carry on telling my stories.
If I do any more than that, then I assure you’ll be one of the first ones
to know!
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