In addition to art performances and cultural exhibitions, residents are willing to queue for hours to enjoy typical Indonesian food, such as satay, rempeyek and Padang rice.
Dangdut and traditional Indonesian songs alternated with the strains of gamelan, kolintang and angklung, as well as Acehnese and Balinese dances, reog Ponorogo, fashion shows, and a carnival of hundreds of young Indonesians wearing various colorful regional clothes, as well as the presence of famous musicians and singers such as Andien, Stephanie Putrie, Aurelie Moeremans, Kristin Delaware and Ronald Steven, as well as famous saxophonist Yuyun George enlivened the two stages of “Wow Indonesia.”
The first stage was directly in front of the U.S. Capitol, while the second stage was on 7th Street, which borders Pennsylvania Avenue. For the first time in decades of relations between the two countries, four blocks of Pennsylvania Avenue in the heart of the American capital were closed for the event.
Between the two stages on the street, there are around 100 stalls selling typical Indonesian food, traditional clothing and fabrics, cultural knick-knacks, and even SMEs and large companies, some of which are imported directly from the country.
Indonesian Chargé d'Affaires Ad-Interim of the Indonesian Embassy in Washington DC, Ida Bagus Made Bimantara, said that for one day all American citizens can visit Indonesia without a passport.
“This festival will showcase the best of Indonesia. No passport is needed to enjoy it. All activities, games, carnivals, products on display, food served and sold, or even music and performances, all can be enjoyed by anyone who comes to Wow Indonesia.”
FM: Inter-individual Relations are Strong Foundation of Bilateral Relations
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, who flew for more than 20 hours with SME Minister Teten Masduki, to open the “Wow Indonesia” grand event in DC, praised the event which is part of the celebration of 75 years of Indonesia-US diplomatic relations.
In a special interview with VOA after opening the event, Retno Marsudi said that in maintaining close diplomatic relations, there is one thing that is often forgotten, namely the relationship between individuals. “We often take for granted that we know each other. In fact, it turns out that we don't, if we examine further, we need efforts so that the community can understand each other because if they understand each other, it will be a very strong foundation for the government's efforts to get closer and strengthen bilateral relations.”
Director General of Foreign Affairs at the Bureau of Global Talent Management, U.S. Department of State, Marcia Bernicat, praised the strong diplomatic and people-to-people ties between Indonesia and America. “This event is an important platform to demonstrate the depth and closeness of our people-to-people ties, and indeed the relationship between our two countries,” she said.
People Spill Out
Susi Haworth, an Indonesian citizen who has long lived in the US, believes that this festival will make Indonesia a household name. “Wow Indonesia, which is held for the first time on Pennsylvania Avenue, the main street in DC, will make Indonesia a household name, famous.”
Clare Wolfowitz, the former wife of the former US Ambassador to Indonesia, said the same thing, wearing a kebaya and red shawl, dancing and joining in the cultural carnival.
“Indonesia and its people are like family! My own immediate family. We take care of each other. There are times when we have disagreements, but in the end everything will be fine because we are all family. Family will continue to love and take care of each other.”
Seeing the long queue of visitors wanting to enjoy satay, some of whom even had to queue for up to 1.5 hours, Clare was worried that those who came later would not be able to enjoy the delicious satay or her favorite peanut crackers.
Likewise, Christian Chong, a Canadian citizen of Chinese descent, and his family had planned well in advance to come to “Wow Indonesia.”
“As soon as we found out about this event, our family already made plans to come to Washington DC, spend the rest of the summer break and come to Wow Indonesia. I am from China, but I know Indonesian culture and I think Indonesian and Chinese culture are almost similar. So I want to bring my children who grew up in Canada, to come here and see Indonesian culture firsthand.”
Indonesian Ambassador/Deputy Permanent Delegate to UNESCO Prof. Ismunandar assessed that events such as “Wow Indonesia” are “very good for promoting Indonesia in a simple way, through food, batik and traditional fabrics, arts and culture and the hospitality of its people.”
He recalled a similar event a few years ago, which took place in cities, and hoped it could be continued.
As of this report, “Wow Indonesia” is still ongoing and US citizens appear to have not left even though most of the food stalls have been sold out. Some are sitting around relaxing in the grassy park around Pennsylvania Avenue enjoying the Indonesian singers who are still entertaining. (em/jm)
