Boys playing at the state-run SDN Menteng 01 school, where US President Barack Obama was educated as a child in Jakarta. (AFP Photo)
Children Plan Gifts of Bakso and Rambutan For Obama's Visit
Students at SDN Menteng 1 Elementary School in Central Jakarta have prepared welcome gifts for when their favorite alumnus, US President Barack Obama, visits Indonesia in March.
A seven-year-old student named Nanda told TV One that she wanted to give him bakso, or meatball soup, one of Obama’s favorite foods in Indonesia.
“I want to say, hello my name is Nanda and I want to give Obama a bowl of bakso,” Nanda said.
Another student named Bunga had a different gift in mind.
“I’m very happy that he is coming because he used to study here. I want to give him rambutan fruit,” Bunga said.
Obama studied at the Menteng elementary school in the 1970’s after his mother, Ann Dunham, moved to Indonesia with her Indonesian husband and Obama’s step father, Lolo Soetoro. Prior to studying in Menteng, Obama, fondly known as Barry, studied at the Santo Fransiskus Asisi Elementary School in Tebet for three years. In 1971, Obama returned to the US to live with his grandparents in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Obama’s ties to Jakarta have lent him some support among Indonesians. The 2008 US Election and his inauguration in January 2009 were widely covered by the Indonesian press and sparked “Obama mania” in Indonesia. A number of national television stations broadcast both events live. Obama’s childhood friends and teachers set up a huge screen at the school to celebrate their former student’s victory.
In December 2009, the Friends of Obama organization erected a bronze statue of a young Obama in Taman Menteng. However, the statue triggered controversy and last week the governor of Jakarta decided to move it to his elementary school.
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Roland
9:21 PM February 9, 2010Barry ("as Indonesian know him fondly") aka Pres. Barack Obama might not even visit his old school (probably due to scheduling reasons or just for safety's sake) so I would say it is a bit of a bubble this school gets into with the assumed planned visit and the school children will be disappointed! Well at least the statue will be standing in the school square (Thanks to Governor Fauzi - he can put it in the future as THE single most outstanding completed achievement as acting governor in his CV) and I saw a picture which shows that the entrance of the said school already has a marble covered entrance gate with gold letters explaining that "Barry" went to school there.
i have to check my elementary school in my old home town once - maybe, just maybe I got a statue already too....who knows!