Robert Cribb
Tell us about yourself!
I grew up in Queensland, the son of two botanists. We spent a lot of weekends and holidays in the bush, in mangrove swamps and on the Barrier Reef, so that was the start of my interest in natural history. But we travelled to Europe for a year when I was 8 and I was fascinated by the history there and by the range of languages. From then on, I wanted a career that included both history and languages.
Where does your interest in Indonesia stem from?
My high school history class included a couple of weeks on Indonesian history, and not long after completing that segment we visited Java and Bali on a tour. With the knowledge from my history class fresh in my mind, I found the place fascinating. My teacher also recommended Chris Penders, who taught Indonesian history at UQ, so I decided to follow my interest and to focus as much as possible on Indonesia as an undergraduate. I didn’t regret it. I was lucky to study before universities were under pressure to cancel small-enrolment courses, so I was able to cram my program with courses on Indonesia specifically and Southeast Asia more generally.
What is the nature of your engagement with Indonesia – are you an academic, a professional, an alumni?
I’m an academic. On the one hand I get a kick out of finding things out, sorting out difficult historical puzzles concerning what happened and why; on the other hand, I always enjoyed teaching – the challenge of working out how to make sense of what I know to a broader audience. I tell my own students that they should aim to produce new insights into the world rather than simply correcting people who are wrong, but the reality is that quite a bit of my research and teaching has aimed at refuting what I think are misconceptions about Indonesia’s past. Indonesian history is remarkably under-researched given the country’s size and importance and I can’t imagine ever running out of important topics.
Have you ever been to an Indonesia Council Open Conference and if so, what is your fondest memory?
My fondest memory was attending the ICOC when I was President of the Asian Studies Association of Australia. In that capacity, I’d attended the Chinese Studies and Japanese Studies association conferences. Without wanting to denigrate my Chinese and Japanese studies colleagues, I found the atmosphere at ICOC dramatically more friendly and dynamic.
How do you think organisations like Indonesia Council can improve Australia-Indonesia relations?
I think we have to take a broad view. It’s a mistake to imagine that we can transform the world dramatically through the work of an organization like the Indonesia Council. But ICOC in particular has always been a remarkably effective forum for direct dialogue between Indonesian and Australian scholars of Indonesia. It’s an important way in which we bridge the gap between our two worlds. I think that there is always some risk that, in reaching out beyond the core task of academic dialogue, we weaken our attention to that fundamental task.
What are some of the challenges and opportunities in the Indonesia-Australia relationship?
The disparities between Indonesia and Australian in terms of wealth, size and social structure continue to provide grounds for misunderstanding. On the other hand, the overall levels of general understanding of each country in the other are now higher than they have ever been, despite the decline in Indonesian language study here. There is a much stronger sense now than in the past that the two countries face common global issues. Those issues are often highly political, but the political lines are gradually starting to cross national boundaries, rather than aligning with them.
Tell us about your favourite Indonesian food experience
When I first lived in Indonesia for my PhD research, I made a point of trying Indonesian snacks. I still remember discovering how delicious were usus ayam goreng (deep fried chicken intestines). I’d learnt from my parents to be willing to try all sorts of food, but I hadn’t expected chicken guts to taste so good.
(For non-native Indonesian speakers) Do you speak Indonesian and where did you start learning it?
UQ did not teach Indonesian language when I was an undergraduate, but I enrolled in an adult education course and by the end of three years I could have a reasonable conversation. I did a lot of reading of 1940s Indonesian newspapers before I began my fieldwork in Indonesia, so my spoken Indonesian has always been a bit old-fashioned.
What’s your favourite Indonesian food and why?
Number 1 is rendang. There is nothing to match that combination of spice and the succulence from coconut cream. I can’t manage anything beyond moderately pedas, so every now and then I am frustrated by not being able to handle something I know would be delicious.
What’s your favourite Indonesian music/song/writer?
I have a soft spot for early Rhoma Irama and I find Indopop very easy to listen to, but my single favourite song is Jangan Ditanya Kemana Aku Pergi by Ismail Marzuki (covered by many artists). It always brings home to me the heart-wrenching personal dimension of the revolution.
What’s your favourite Indonesian idiom?
Nothing dramatic here: I can’t go beyond translating belum as ‘yes, but not yet’. I wish we had a way of saying that in English.
[Last month’s PAY IT FORWARD question]:
Do you follow any sports in Indonesia? If so, which one/s, and why?
Oh, no! I am absolutely the wrong person to ask this question. I’ve never been interested in competitive sport. I am happy to explain cricket to people from non-cricket-playing countries, but I pull my head in as soon as anyone with even modest expertise appears.
?PAY IT FORWARD: Finally, it’s YOUR turn to ask a question… Please suggest a question we can ask our next member!
Have you had any exciting encounters with Indonesian wildlife?