In Indonesia, Obama is the pride of the students of the school in Jakarta where he was in class when he was little. [© Bay Ismoyo / AFP]

In Indonesia, Obama is the pride of the students of the school in Jakarta where he was in class when he was little. [Photo: Bay Ismoyo / AFP]

The Indonesian childhood of Obama

Corinne Bourbeillon·6 November 2008

Dear English-speaking readers, this page is an automatic Google translation from a post originally written in French. My apologies for the weird sentences and the funny mistakes that could have been generated during the process. If you can read French, the original and correct version can be found here:

Français

Pine

Between Two Journeys

Barack Obama embodies new hope for Americans and the world. The 44th President of the United States is also proud of an Indonesian school in the Menteng district of Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, where he was in class as a child.

In a school in Jakarta

I found on YouTube this report in Jakarta, in the school of Obama, shot at the beginning of the year 2008.

I do not tell you the pressure for these young Indonesian students ... Realize, a president of the United States has used his short pants on the same benches as they!

The classes were suspended this Wednesday morning (November 5, 2008), to allow the 250 schoolchildren to follow the electoral evening live. "Obama's example serves to motivate students to achieve success"said Senior Deputy Akahmad Solikhin.

But will Barack Obama someday, during his presidency, visit his former Indonesian school, as the principal has suggested to the children?

Four years in Indonesia

Barack Obama lived in Indonesia for four years, from 1967 to 1971. He arrived at the age of six, his mother having remarried with an Indonesian. His friends at the time called him "Barry".

During the campaign, these former classmates made the photo below, to express their support. They even went up a fan club Obama.

It's amusing, that sudden revival of Indonesia's love for America ... Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of course called Barack Obama to congratulate him on his victory, and said in a press conference: "I am convinced that we can improve our bilateral relations. "

Fun, too, this testimony of a deputy of the Indonesian parliament, Dewi Asmara Oetojo, who was in the same primary school as Obama when he was little: "It's just amazing! At the time, we were so young that we never imagined he had the qualities of a leader. He said, however, "I want to be president." That made us laugh ... "

And Oetojo adds that he hopes Obama will remember his youth to be "A different American president" and "To enable Westerners to better understand Asians".

My faith ... "Yes, we can! "

😊

Added on 21/12/2008: It is to Indonesia that Barack Obama will probably book his first official trip to a Muslim state. We will have confirmation soon.

Between Two Journeys

Pine