At the Basula school and Menteny Elementary School in Jakarta, youngsters on Wednesday were prancing and cheering the success of a student who had once sat in their classrooms.

Europeans declared hope for improved relations with leadership in the United States. In Kenya and other parts of Africa, the election of Barack Hussein Obama as president of the United States was an event to celebrate.

But not everywhere in Africa, or the Middle East, or Asia.

In Egypt and Lebanon, media easily found skepticism that Obama's election means significant change in U.S. policies.

Egyptian journalist Abdel-Rahman Hussein observes: "There is an apathy among Egyptians regarding the U.S. election because many say it makes no difference who wins. The U.S. will always pursue the same policies in the region. . . . It is American - and almost by default Israeli - interests which will always come first." (english.aljazeera.net).

In Israel, there were doubts from the minority National Union, with Knesset member Aryeh Eldad warning that Obama "is prone to buying the Arabs' favor with Israeli currency."

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni of the ruling Kadima Party presented the positive version on Wednesday, anticipating "close strategic cooperation with the new administration . . . with the continued strengthening of the special and unshakeable special relationship between the two countries." But on Thursday, Livni warned Obama against opening talks with Iran, saying "Dialogue at this time is liable to broadcast weakness." (www.jpost.com)

While residents of Obama, Japan, danced in the streets and musician Akihiko Mukohama declared: "I really think this is going to change the world," background assessments from leaders in Japan displayed fears rather than hopes.

"Obama's win causes a large degree of uncertainty for Japan," the Mainichi Shimbun quotes an unnamed former secretary-general of the Liberal Democratic Party. While the Japanese government officially congratulates the new president and says it doesn't matter who had won, the paper reports leaders of the ruling party are expressing concern over Obama's positions on North Korea and China.

In Thailand, the Bangkok Post reported a fear that Obama means new U.S. trade policies affecting countries around Asia that profited under Republican advocacy for global free trade. In a story Wednesday (www.bangkokpost.com): "Deputy secretary-general of the Thai Chamber of Commerce Pornsil Patchrintanakul expected a tougher stance from Washington if Mr. Obama wins the election.

"Under Mr. Obama, labour standards, environmental issues and the violation of intellectual property rights would be increasingly brought into focus when the U.S. does business with other countries, Mr. Pornsil said."

The government of China was expansive and positive in official statements typically long on generalities and short on specifics in Xinhua news agency reports on Wednesday.

"China and the United States share broad common interests and important responsibilities on a wide range of major issues concerning the well-being of humanity," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang. "To grow long-term healthy and stable China-U.S. relations serves the fundamental interests of our countries and peoples and is of great significance to the maintenance and promotion of peace, stability and development in the world."

In the background, unnamed Chinese officials reprise Thailand's Pornsil's suspicions that President Obama might endorse protectionist trade policies. Asian manufacturers understand the Obama candidacy was supported by American labor and consumer groups advocating stronger standards in food safety, product quality and fair labor practices in trading partners.

Even in Europe, enthusiasm is tempered. Croatian writer Slavenka Drakulic offered his caution ("What Europe Wants from Obama," www.spiegel.de/international): "I am afraid that we Europeans tend to attribute too much personal power to the president of the United States. We might as well be Martians for all that we demand of the new president. We would like him to: stop the war in Iraq, divert funding from the military-industrial complex and use it to improve the lives of the poor, introduce national health insurance, sit down with Putin and discuss how best to bring peace to the world, persuade China and India to restrict dangerous gas emissions, get rid of the Taliban in Afghanistan, make a deal with Iran, sign the Kyoto Protocol, catch Osama bin Laden and, finally, bring peace to the Israel-Palestine conflict. . . .

"Being Martians, we can't see that the job suffers from obvious limitations and that no president is in a position, all by himself, to bring about substantial changes in politics or in the economy."

But Americans suffer from those illusions as well.

* Edwin Tanji can be reached at citydesk@mauinews.com. "Haku Mo'olelo," referring to a story writer, appears every Friday.