Indonesia is one of those places I could never get tired of – it is large, almost as large as America, and yet we Americans know so little about it. Thankfully for us in Chicago they have a large official presence and there are many opportunities to encounter it, even if we’re on the other side of the world most of the time.
Indonesian Consulate
The center of it all is the Indonesian consulate, which recently moved from the Loop to the hip Fulton Market. This is the place to go for consular services, and the staff is omnipresent at Indonesia themed events around the city.
Indonesia Trade Promotion Center
The ITPC is a nonprofit operated under the Directorate General for National Export Development (DGNED), which is supervised by the Ministry of Trade. It’s one of 19 ITPC offices around the world (and one of two in the US). The Center arranges trade shows and booths at conventions for Indonesian businesses – including a large booth at the International Home and Houseware Fair. The centerpiece for them in Chicago is the Remarkable Indonesia Fair, which happens every July at Navy Pier. I’ll be there – come on by and say hi!
Being held concurrently with the Remarkable Indonesia Fair is the Indonesian Diaspora National Convention – at least it was last year. We’ll see if it happens again.
Indonesian Cultural Center
Indonesia is one of a handful of countries with a space for cultural events related to them. Their center at 711 W. Grand Ave. holds classes and events celebrating Indonesian culture – Gamelan performances, dance, painting and so on. Regrettably they don’t have a large web presence, but you can reach out to them at icc@indonesiachicago.org and ask what’s coming up.
Beyond That
The travel agency Tedjo Express has been providing Americans with travel services to Indonesia since 1970. They are based in California but have a prominent office in Chicago. They also maintain a blog highlighting Indonesian events in the Chicagoland region.