Dian Kuswandini

The Masks Parade

The Festival Topeng Nusantara has just kicked off with colors!

Photos and texts: Dian Kuswandini

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Jokowi doesn't speak (good) English? So do other world leaders

Paris, 25 July 2014

“For (the next) five years, I must accept to have a president (who speaks) slipshod English,” wrote music composer Tya Subiakto early this week on her Twitter account, venting her disappointment over Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s winning in the Indonesian presidential election. The message is clear: Oh Indonesia, we finally have a president who doesn’t speak good English!

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It's just funny how many Indonesians don't know the fact that other world leaders don't speak good English either. From Vladimir Putin to Angela Merkel, Nikolas Sarkozy to François Hollande, Xi Jinping to Shinzo Abe, and Matteo Renzi to Mariano Rajoy -- all of them have a limited proficiency in English and rely so much on their translators.

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