ronald darmawan - writing sample

8/7/2019 Ronald Darmawan - Writing Sample

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Ronald Darmawan

Writing Samples

* General Writing (COM 359)

Jakarta: At a Glance

Jakarta is very much a city of two halves. On the one hand, this Old Dutch administrative center

is packaged full of gorgeous colonial buildings as well as housing the largest ethnic Chinese community

and its accompanying colorful temples. On the other hand, Jakarta is a vibrantly modern place that

reflects Indonesias 21st

century aspirations. High-class hotels, luxurious malls and restaurants all stand

proud on the bustling streets throughout the city.

The most famous attraction in the city is the National Monument Monas. Located at the

center of Jakarta, the 433-foot-tall tower topped by a flame covered with gold foil, which symbolizes the

fight for Indonesias independence, enables visitors to see the entire city. Going five miles west of

Monas, one finds the impressive Istiqlal Mosque, the largest mosque in terms of capacity in Southeast

Asia (120,000). The oldest and largest cathedral church in the country was built by the Dutch just across

the mosque. These two buildings symbolize the national motto: Unity in Diversity.

The next place to visit is the Kota Tua (Old City), a group of Dutch administrative buildings from

thr 1890s, currently undergoing some much-needed renovation. One side of the Kota Tua has already

been spruced up and a rusty old steam locomotive has been placed in the forecourt, reflecting the

buildings former role as the officers of the Netherlands Indies Railroad Company. The renovation may

be completed soon as the building definitely worth a few snapshots.

A few minutes from Kota Tua, one of the busiest business districts in the city, China Town

(usually called Kota or City by local people), welcomes you. China Town is the center of electronics

and cheap clothing business in Jakarta or even in Indonesia that supports almost half of the citys

economy. In the next neighborhood lies another business district, the metropolitan side of Jakarta. High-

rise buildings, five-star hotels and upscale malls stand next to each others; from high-end cinemas and

branded boutiques such as Hermes, Chanel and Louis Vuitton are there.

After the Maghrib prayer, Jakartas business is now dominated with food and pleasure

businesses. Hundreds of food and market stalls spill over the pavement of Sudirman Road, selling from

traditional Gado-gado to New York Tenderloin Cut that costs only $3. The Food Festival, as many localscall is always super-crowded every day by hungry visitors even during rainy season. The most famous

food stall in the area is the traditional AyamGorengKalasan (Kalasans Fried Chicken) owned by Mdm.

Kye. Kye, who is still cooking the food herself, can sell up to 500 pieces of chickens in one night.

Five hundred is the average per day, sometimes more, sometimes less, said Kye. The only dip was

when Mr. President came to visit, he stayed for a long time and ordered quite little.


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When the sky goes completely dark, the dominant business is prostitution. An area of 30 acres

near China Town is dedicated to prostitution. Although the legalization of the business is greatly

opposed by major Islamic groups, prostitution is currently the fastest-growing business in the city that

employs more than 2,000 sex workers every night. The largest brothel Heaven on Earth that employs

women from all over the world makes about $100,000 each night, according to Indonesias Business

Magazine.

At night, Jakarta also serves some unique attractions for the daredevils. You can walk through

the underpass of Tanah Abang Road where the most vicious bandits wander around every night, most

notably the bullet-proof Mr. Hercules and the Gang, said to possess black magic. Alternatively, some

people, usually youngsters, also visit Tanah Kusir Cemetery to see supernatural sightings. Abdul, 60-year

old cemetery caretaker, said that a lot of people came and waited for hours to see Kuntilanak (a female

ghost with white dress and ling hair) or Pocong (traditional shrouded ghost).

Sometimes, they appear from the banyan tree and all those kids run in scare, said Abdul.

Notes:

1. The prostitution issue is greatly exaggerated.

2. Mr. Hercules did exist in the past and he was bullet-proof.


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* Press Release (COM 359)

Seattle, Washington (October 31, 2010) Young high-school students in King County will be

given an opportunity to gain experience next summer.

Students are normally less busy during the summer, this is a good opportunity to gain work

experience and earn some cash, said King County Executive Dow Constantine.

Constantine is finalizing a partnership program with companies and profit/non-profit

organizations to provide job opportunities for the students. The program will allow the students to work

from 10 to 20 hours per week at $ 10 per hour.

Roger Dubuis, McDonalds (a participating company) CEO, encourages every student staying in

the county during summer to participate.

Its such a rare opportunity, the paying is good and there is no tax, said Dubuis.

The program is open to every student in the King County that meets these following criteria:

* A U.S. citizen; Legal Resident or Green Card holder

* Age 12-18

* Never been convicted of a felony

Students interested in the program can fil l an application form which can be downloaded from

www.kingcounty.gov/youth/summer11/application/form.html and submit the form online before

Dec 31.

A public meeting regarding the program will be held on Sunday, Nov 7 and 14 at 2 p.m., Key

Arena, Seattle. Students can meet with officials from participating companies and organizations for

further details about the program.

For more information about the program, visit the King County website, under Summer Youth

Employment or call 1-800-666-KING.

* Newsletter (COM 359)

Organization: University Presbyterian Church


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Our Save North Korea missionaries will depart Seattle for Danding, China, on Dec 1. They will

stay in the border of China-North Korea to temporarily help the North Korean refugees. Our missionaries

will spread the words of Jesus Christ and guide the refugees to Seoul for new life. Our mission is

extremely dangerous; we need you prayer and support to succeed.

Join our service on Nov 30 at the University Presbyterian Church to meet our missionaries inperson and find out more about Save North Korea.

Donation can be made during the service or through our online website.

Organization: Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity International (HfHI) will organize a fund-raising street fair in University

District, Seattle, to help the Mt. Merapis eruption in Central Java, Indonesia. The multiple eruptions that

started on Oct 25 have killed hundreds of civilians and left about 350,000 people homeless. HfHI will

start building around 3,000 houses for the victims in January next year and one house costs about $300.The street fair will include food booths, live performances and parades.

For this event, the University Way will be closed on Dec 3 to 5 from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Reroute schemes

are available online.

ronald darmawan - writing sample

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