By Ian Williams, NBC News correspondent
JAKARTA, Indonesia – They were dancing in the rain in the school yard when Barack Obama’s victory was announced – scores of children from the Menteng Elementary School in Central Jakarta, where Obama studied for two years during his four years as a child in Indonesia.“He’s so smart, so smart,” said one little boy.
“He’s made our school famous,” said a young girl, as the children crowded round a large projector to watch Obama’s acceptance speech in Chicago.
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| Reuters |
| Students display a picture of U.S. President-elect Barack Obama and react to the announcement of his victory, at his former school in Jakarta on Wednesday. |
Few of them understood much of what the president-elect said, but still they cheered, taking their cue from the American crowd.
The headmaster took a call from the Indonesian president, congratulating him, while old classmates, who’d set up a fan club for the boy they all knew as “Barry,” could hardly believe the news.
“I am speechless. So proud, and so happy that he has achieved what he set out to do,” said Rully Dasaad, the club’s coordinator, as he bounced between press interviews.
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