Meet Jez O’Hare
Meet Jez O’Hare, the adventurous aerial photographer, whose work you’ve probably already seen in books and magazines. You were...
Feasting With Panthers
An Englishman living in Jakarta, never a fan of intimate female companionship, made the mistake of accepting an offer from...
Meet John Falch
John Falch, better known as Uncle JC. After years of radio and TV stardom here, he has written a book...
Beware the Bule Conman
Scammers come in all shapes, nationalities and professions. Christopher Linn Shields (35) is a toad-like American expat who scammed his...
Crooks in Uniform
Heading home after a late night out, I was pulled up in West Jakarta by two apparent policemen. At such...
Drugged Drinks
An attractive woman in a Jakarta bar looks around for the drunkest and most clueless unaccompanied male foreigner –...
The Power of One
Most expats who have lived in Jakarta for any length of time will have a story about electricity problems. From...
Scams in the City – Internet Boyfriends
Nigerian Sweetheart Unlike most scams coming from Nigeria that rely on greed, the Sweetheart Scam preys on heart-strings to loosen...
Cheap Frying Oil or Orangutans?
There are two schools of thought regarding palm oil. First, that it’s unhealthy and oil palm plantations are pushing orangutans...
Scams in the City
Being scammed by a confidence trickster is one of the most embarrassing things a person can admit to – apart...
Plunder Vs Ethics for Shipwrecked Treasure
Ancient shipwrecks on Indonesia’s sea floors have become just another resource to be plundered – often resulting in the loss...
Valentine’s Day
Indonesia’s top Islamic authority deems Valentine’s Day haram (forbidden) on the grounds that it is an infidel celebration promoting sexual...
Tintin in Indonesia
Belgian reporter Tintin is one of the world’s most enduring comic book characters, especially in Indonesia, which was the setting...
Festive Feasting
If you’re yearning for a festive feast with all the trimmings but you lack the inclination to cook at home,...
Something Wicked This Way Comes
Belief in black magic is a psychological condition that afflicts millions of people who are susceptible to the power of...
Sex, Drugs and Other Diversions
If Jakarta is the city that never sleeps, not least because of the rousing pre-dawn call to prayer blaring from...
Cautionary Tales
There are countless horror stories of expats who invested in property and started businesses in Indonesia only to lose everything....
Environmental Crusader – Robin Marinos
Robin Marinos is living proof that one person can change the environment for the better, although his campaign to protect...
The Jaksa Position & Jl. Palatehan
Jalan Jaksa and Jalan Palatehan have been serving the needs of tourists and expatriates in different ways for decades. Jaksa,...
Not Losing Their Religion
How many people know there’s an Indonesian god at Jakarta’s oldest Chinese temple? And who knew the city’s oldest church...
Dying For a Drink
The Indonesian government claims that its high taxes on alcoholic beverages discourage heavy drinking but the reality is that many...