Our Obsession with Birds – The Sad Words of the Yellow-Crested CockatooTess JoyceJune 25, 2015August 4, 2017 by Tess JoyceJune 25, 2015August 4, 201701905You many have heard about the recent shocking photographs of at least 21 yellow-crested cockatoos smuggled in plastic bottles in...
The Pasola Festival of Sumba | When the Worms Didn’t ComeTess JoyceFebruary 23, 2015August 23, 2017 by Tess JoyceFebruary 23, 2015August 23, 201701694In 1994, when travel journalist Ron Gluckman observed the Pasola ritual in Sumba, all of the “signs” were good –...
Why do We Cheat?Tess JoyceFebruary 9, 2015September 5, 2017 by Tess JoyceFebruary 9, 2015September 5, 201713491Cheating is not a laughing matter in Indonesia and people can lose their marriage, reputation, family and dignity over a...
A Raw Insight into Diet and Biting Down on Cancer in IndonesiaTess JoyceJanuary 12, 2015August 8, 2017 by Tess JoyceJanuary 12, 2015August 8, 201701099There are many heated debates at the moment about diets – things have changed significantly over the last century and...
The Art of HappinessTess JoyceDecember 12, 2014September 5, 2017 by Tess JoyceDecember 12, 2014September 5, 201701235At a recent peace gathering in Jakarta hosted by the organic restaurant Burgreens, I saw a talk by holistic healing...
Comedy, Comics and Sketches of Real LifeTess JoyceDecember 1, 2014August 8, 2017 by Tess JoyceDecember 1, 2014August 8, 201702011You might already be familiar with Sacha Stevenson’s How to Act Indonesian YouTube videos in which Sacha makes some astute,...
Vegetarian, Organic Restaurants: Bali, Jakarta and JogjakartaTess JoyceNovember 3, 2014August 8, 2017 by Tess JoyceNovember 3, 2014August 8, 201701372Although Indonesia is a great place to find vegetarian food with plenty of soya bean options and vegetable side dishes...
Plasticology – Saving Bali, One Artwork at a TimeTess JoyceOctober 20, 2014August 8, 2017 by Tess JoyceOctober 20, 2014August 8, 20170890Tourism has impacted on the traditional Balinese way of life and changed the dynamics of this idyllic island and still...
Changing Faces of BatikTess JoyceOctober 7, 2014August 8, 2017 by Tess JoyceOctober 7, 2014August 8, 201701057I first met Serbian artist Mikro Kosmos (Miroslav Dukic) in Borneo earlier this year. He played a didgeridoo which he...
A Weekend Trip to Gunung SalakTess JoyceSeptember 8, 2014August 8, 2017 by Tess JoyceSeptember 8, 2014August 8, 201702952Just two hours away from Jakarta, Gunung Salak is a large volcanic range in Halimun National Park (the largest tract...
The Village that Saved its Culture, Leatherback Turtles and its Coral ReefsTess JoyceJune 2, 2014August 8, 2017 by Tess JoyceJune 2, 2014August 8, 201701389There are only a few beaches in the world on where the giant leatherback turtle lays its eggs. The leatherback...
The Yoga Bomb – Can it Explode with Flowers?Tess JoyceMay 20, 2014August 8, 2017 by Tess JoyceMay 20, 2014August 8, 201702092There seems to be a lot of confusion, everywhere. No-one quite knows what to believe in anymore. There’s just so...
An Endangered Creature called GambuhTess JoyceMay 6, 2014August 18, 2017 by Tess JoyceMay 6, 2014August 18, 201701437If you have ever been curious about Indonesia’s Majapahit Kingdom, you might like to see a performance of Gambuh -...
Permablitz Bali: Making Circles of Seeds and FriendsTess JoyceApril 8, 2014August 23, 2017 by Tess JoyceApril 8, 2014August 23, 201701445On past weekends I’ve often woken up with a hangover – my day’s almost over and I’m feeling too lazy...
Eat, Pray, SmileTess JoyceMarch 25, 2014August 18, 2017 by Tess JoyceMarch 25, 2014August 18, 201704004“Ketut Liyer? You mean Ketut Liar?” is apparently a commonly repeated joke in Bali, although I did meet a couple...
Dangerously Nice: Kretek CigarettesTess JoyceFebruary 25, 2014August 11, 2017 by Tess JoyceFebruary 25, 2014August 11, 20172 10834I was a kretek (clove cigarette) smoker for almost two years. When I first started smoking clove cigarettes in Kalimantan...
A Tibetan Moon: Shamanistic Indie DesignersTess JoyceJanuary 13, 2014August 23, 2017 by Tess JoyceJanuary 13, 2014August 23, 20170827I recently had a good, earthy chat with a couple of indie jewellery designers who showcased their work at the...
The Christmas Spices of IndonesiaTess JoyceDecember 17, 2013August 16, 2017 by Tess JoyceDecember 17, 2013August 16, 20170986If you enjoy baking festive treats at home during the Christmas season, you may have noticed that imported foods such...
Seeing the World through Performance ArtsTess JoyceDecember 2, 2013August 16, 2017 by Tess JoyceDecember 2, 2013August 16, 201701084For eight years, Indonesian performing artist Melati Suryodarmo, studied under Marina Abramovi?, whose students undertake a strict schedule of fasting...
Development and Shifting Cultures: The Papuan KotekaTess JoyceNovember 18, 2013August 16, 2017 by Tess JoyceNovember 18, 2013August 16, 201703706Perhaps the most iconic and essential item of clothing worn by the Dani and Yali men is the koteka or...
Rise of the Eco-WarriorsTess JoyceNovember 7, 2013August 16, 2017 by Tess JoyceNovember 7, 2013August 16, 201701363In 2010, students bashed their heads together at Microsoft’s Regional Innovative Education Forum and decided that they wanted to tackle...