Maxwell Air Force Base, 1972

   By mid-1972 I was sent by our government to the United States with another fellow officer of the Indonesian Air Force.

   It was a training program sponsored by the US DLG-MAP (Defense Liaison Group - Military Assistance Programs), where we were to attend the USAF Air Command and Staff College (ACSC) resident course held at Maxwell Air Force Base (AFB), an airbase located near the city of Montgomery, the capital city of the state of Alabama. During our stay there we lived on base in the Bachelor Officers Quarters (BOQ) with several other unaccompanied foreign students.

   Of course, we were supposed to possess good command of English, because before departing to the United States we had to pass an entry test at the US Embassy in Jakarta. Besides, we had also been given more practice on group discussion in English when attending a prepcourse for foreign students held at Maxwell's Allied Officer School (now: Foreign Officer School).

   So everything seemed to be running well until one day when my friend asked me to go with him to the local bank where he wanted to cash a check. The bank teller gave him a couple of brand new dollar bills at which he picked out one of them supposingly to check its originality. While holding the bill with both of his hands stretched forward and up to some light source, he told the teller probably to convince himself:

   "Ma'am, this isn't 'false' money, right?"
   "You mean counterfeit money, sir?" asked the teller with a smiling face.

   My friend blushed instantly like a shy child and when we left the bank, he seemed to blame on me for that.

   "Why didn't you tell me before?" he insisted on me.

   Hey, how could I? How should I ever know that he didn't know about such thing?

Bonus:
The Barber and His Customers

   One day a florist goes to a barber for a haircut. After the cut, he goes to pay the barber and the barber replies: "I am sorry, I cannot accept money from you; I am doing a Community Service." The florist is happy and leaves the shop. The next morning when the barber goes to open his shop, there is a "Thank You" card and a dozen roses waiting at his door.

   A cop goes for a haircut and he also goes to pay the barber and the barber replies: "I am sorry, I cannot accept money from you; I am doing a Community Service." The cop is happy and leaves the shop. The next morning when the barber goes to open his shop, there is a "Thank You" card and a dozen donuts waiting at his door.

   An Indonesian guy goes for a haircut and he also goes to pay the barber and the barber replies: "I am sorry, I cannot accept money from you; I am doing a Community Service." The Indonesian guy is of course very happy and leaves the shop. The next morning when the barber goes to open his shop, guess what he finds there....

   A dozen Indonesian guys are waiting at his door for a ...
   free haircut!

*Thanks to: Meydi ([email protected])