Catch the Past Before the Developers Cash In
A North Sumatra farmer caught a magic fish that turned into a woman. They married on condition that he wouldn’t...
What are We Going to Leave to Our Grandkids?
Dutch-born Professor Geert Arend, also known as Gerry van Klinken, is a late-arrival greenie—a person who campaigns for protection of...
Giving Naysayers the Boot
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s pleas to his nation’s investors to back Indonesian commerce made Greg Johnson yawn – the...
Daroessalam Syariah Heritage Hotel: Java’s Oldest Abode of Peace
Rich in beauty as well as history, this hotel, located in Pasuruan, East Java, is a slice of haven not...
‘Aceh Is Not Iran’: An Expat Observation
Visitors, foreign nationals, and even native Indonesians may have already had their ears ‘bashed’ – as the Australians would say...
A Grim Message from the Mountain
Remembering the late explorer and author Nigel Bullough. It was to be no foolhardy adventure. Explorer and author Nigel Bullough...
East Java Friends and How to Cope with a Go-Along-To-Get-Along Society
Joe Kirk does not use the words “foreigner” or “bule”’; the latter is the slang term in Java for Caucasians....
Love Me, Love My Vote
Pledges of love eternal flourishing on social media are like the vast east coast plains of normally arid Australia, saturated...
Mud Lady Makes Conservation Cool
She’s Indonesia’s Greta Thunberg minus the environmental activist’s Swedish scowl, replaced instead by a Javanese smile. Interpreting this as an...
The Final Question: Bury or Burn?
Many tourists in Bali will have witnessed “Ngaben”, the open-air Hindu cremations. Those for the rich and famous can be...
What You Hear May Not Be What They Say
I can’t tell you Bill’s real name but can authenticate he was a high-level Australian executive sent to Indonesia to...
The Searcher Who Cared and Shared
Through special visas, Sandiaga Uno wants to open the wallets of foreign “digital nomads“, Gen Zedders with laptops in their...
Indonesia’s Riches – Too Precious To Export
To the Europeans and before them the Arabs and Indians, the lure of the archipelago was resources and trade. That’s...
Planning to Live Stress-Free
It seems silly bordering on ridiculous to suggest that the Greek architect Hippodamus of Miletus (498 – 408 BC) influenced...
Maintaining the Melodies of History
Malang can mean “hapless” which is unfortunate as the East Java city is green, cool at 444 metres, rich in...
Aged Care ? Better Here than There?
Australian politicians like to parade their nation’s welfare and medical credentials, claiming a world-class government-funded system ensures the disadvantaged get...