[caption caption="with President Jokowi. Photo by Istana Negara/Kompasiana"][/caption]
On the clement weather of Jakarta, I kept walking steadily to enter the gate of president’s palace named Istana Negara. Without explaining, my smile could elucidate how excited I was to meet President of Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo commonly called Jokowi. I got an honour to be invited with other Kompasiana bloggers to experience the privilege of having lunch hosted by Mr. President.
Sensing the ambiance of the palace, my mind suddenly recalled the memory happened several years ago in which I got similar opportunity to dine with Jokowi. I could strongly remember, in 2007, when I was still a college student, I was invited by Jokowi, as Mayor of Solo city at that time. a At the Loji Gandrung, literally translated as Mansion of Love, the official house for Solo Mayor, I and some other college students could communicate easily with him without any border. We were selected as the committee of Solo International Ethnic Music Festival and had the chance to play important role in organizing that prestigious event.
Well, as student I had already heard couple times about Jokowi’s success in political lobbying in which his signature was inviting people to dine together. It was proven that the relax dine could effectively bring a friendly talk that eventually ended up in win-win deal. People would not easily forget how his 54 times dine lobby could successfully relocate a thousand merchants from Monumen Banjarsari Solo which supposed be public space to a new place in Semanggi Pasar Kliwon in 2016. However, at the moment I was invited to dine with Jokowi, as student I did not think about political matters. Simply I just amazed on how he could appreciate us as students in which we were mostly considered to have lack of experiences.
[caption caption="I and other college friends were invited by Jokowi to have dinner (2007 on the blurry photo)"]
For me, the dining table was not just inanimate object with foods on it. It was the witness on how Jokowi empowered us as students by trust and opportunity. During the dine, he motivated us to get involved in many events that government of Solo just actively created and enhanced. I never imagined before how I and college friends could be “so busy” in organizing huge events like Solo International Ethnic Music Festival, Solo International Performing Arts, World Heritage Cities Conference, ASEAN Paragames, and many other national and international events. We felt so empowered that we could extend our skill by doing practical stuffs. In fact, those experiences had enriched me that were culminated as my bullet when I applied a job in Jakarta.
Since I started working in 2012 in world biggest two-wheels automotive industry based in Jakarta as Corporate Communication, I realized that the experiences of handling events during my college time under the direct lead by Jokowi were significantly beneficial. His way of lobby also inspired me to always be creative in making approach with other people with the goal to make all stakeholders obtain the adavantages.
[caption caption="Being invited in luch hosted by Mr. President. Photo by Istana Negara/Kompasiana"]
At the first place, receiving the invitation to have lunch with Jokowi as president this December really made me curious. I was wondering to what extent the difference of moment to dine with him as mayor and as president. In fact, he was still the same humble person who could inspire, motivate, , and empower the people who met him. He encouraged us to spread the optimism for Indonesian people through our articles in blog. Indeed, he did his power to empower blogger as well by giving the opportunity of several bloggers to join him in his presidential visit in some spots in Indonesia. For me, once again, he gave us trust and opportunity to improve ourselves not only to be great bloggers but also to be inspiring bloggers.
Of course his way of lobby through dining table can lead a controversy. Anyway, by seeing the positive side of his effort to make closer with his people by dining together, we can understand that he does that for empowering us, for making us greater, for making us inspiring.
Good Luck Mr. President!
Special Thanks to Kang Pepih Nugraha, Mas Iskandar Zulkarnain, dan Mas Nurul.
