We are hearing a lot today about Barack Obama's admirable grandmother, who passed away yesterday. I also had learned a lot about his brilliant father, Barack Sr., who obtained his PhD on scholarship in the US and was called back to Kenya to become finance minister. But I had not heard much about his mother, Stanley Ann Dunham - actually Dr. Stanley Ann Dunham. I was surprised that she also had a PhD (in anthropology), was an expert and pioneer in micro-lending in Indonesia, and spoke both the Indonesian languages that my wife speaks, (Bahasa Indonesia, and Javanese - I try and can do the Bahasa a little but the Javanese is still a mystery to me). She also worked to help, in southern Java, the makers of the famous ceremonial kris, as well as farm implements of iron (my wife and I stay in the same general location when we visit relatives there.) So, as they say, it is a small world. Anyway, the story of Dr. Dunham is fascinating and well worth reading for those interested in inter-cultural relations. The article is written by Obama's Indonesian half-sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng and is located at the following link:

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