Indonesia In-depth

From a small town in Central Java to a high-profile political court case in the nation’s capital; Trisno, a young boy trying to make a living as a housekeeper, is suddenly fast-forwarded into Jakarta life. Between internal turmoils and drastic life turns, he soon arrives at his boiling point.

How does he end up jump-starting his coming of age journey at a place so foreign, a place he least expects?

Listen to Trisno. Coming soon on Indonesia In-depth.

Coming from two generations of high ranking military leaders, Dimas grew up wanting nothing else than to become a soldier too. But it was only when Dimas moved to Hawaii in the late 1990s that he unexpectedly found a way to channel his patriotic side. 

In this episode, we follow a story of the first Indonesian to become a pro wrestler in the U.S. Donning an army character from Indonesia, Dimas recounts the serendipitous events that led him to become a wrestler, coming to terms with his family who were adamantly against his childhood dream, and an unexpected turn in his career after 9/11 happened.

Though Indomie is one of Indonesian's most iconic brands, its true origin is largely misunderstood. As Indonesians began to accept wheat-based products as part of their daily diet, instant noodles manufacturers flourished--beginning with Supermi. But it was Soeharto's masterplan with establishing Bogasari, a flour milling facility, that paved the way for Liem Sioe Liong (a.k.a Soedono Salim) to come onto the instant noodle scene. With the help of Soeharto and his institutions, Salim wrestled control over the Indomie brand from the inventor and eventually dominate the entire instant noodle market in Indonesia until today. This is the true but unfortunate story of the original founder of Indomie and how he steadily, but unwillingly, disappeared from history.