VIVAnews – After decades of absence from Jakarta, US President Barack Obama could still utter a few words in Indonesian and has recollection of his old neighborhood.
When the new President was visiting the US Department of State, and shaking hands with the staff members, on Thursday, 22 January, someone uttered an Indonesian phrase that means “Good Afternoon, Sir.”
As seen on ABC News, Obama turned and spontaneously, almost instinctively, replied, in Bahasa Indonesia, “Thank you.”
When he spotted the man, Charles Silver, a Department of State staff member who had been stationed in Indonesia, he asked, still in Bahasa Indonesia, “How are you?”
They then continued a brief conversation in English. Silver held the position of Chancellor for Public Affairs at the US Embassy in Jakarta before he was assigned back to Washington D.C. several years ago.
Silver told Obama that he had been stationed in Indonesia several times. They then talked briefly about where Obama grew up. Silver mentioned something about hoping to be there when Obama visits Indonesia, and Obama responded by saying “We’re gonna have to go to my old neighborhood.”
“I used to live in your neighborhood,” said, to which Obama responded, “I wasn’t in Menteng; that was the rich section. I was in Menteng Dalam, which means below Menteng.”
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