Modern Slavery
She was promised a well-paying job as a waitress-receptionist in Batam. The establishment, although Chinese-owned, was fully halal, so, no...
Featured
Where are Indonesia’ Top Football Players to Come From?
In the game of football, FIFA counts over 300 million players in 2012, mostly men and boys, but an increasing...
Miracle on a Bali Beach
The one hundred and eight passengers and crew onboard the Lion Air flight from Bandung to Bali on Saturday afternoon...
Arema Three Muskateers
It’s not just oil and gas, English teachers and missionary types who like to call Indonesia home. Despite all the...
Caring for the Sentinels of The Deep
Much of Indonesia’s seas are being “watched over” by friendly creatures whose underwater singing and dancing never cease to melt...
Earth Day Bali Style
Two of the many environmentally concerned groups on the island of Bali have come up with some great plans to...
An Insight into Plastic Pollution
Plastic pollution is reaching very high levels in Bali. Almost 30 million plastic bottles are used every day and disposed...
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...
Can it Work? A Progress Report on Saving Indonesia’s Precious Forests
As a child, my nightmares weren’t like other children’s. They didn’t have monsters, ghosts, or terrifying creatures, instead, they came...
Places to be Gluttonous
Gluttony is my favourite sin. Indulging in a calorific piece of kobe beef, an extra helping of bacon on your...
Street Food is Fast Food
Ubiquitous, cheap, filling, and, most importantly, delicious. Street food and Indonesia are often seen as one and the same. They...
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...
Food for Thought
In this 21st century, Bali is rarely referred to as a paradise. Aldous Huxley in the mid-20th century wrote a...
Joko Widodo and the Importance of Being There
With a reputation for hands on leadership, in less than a decade Joko Widodo has risen to become Indonesia’s most...
I Made Mangku Pastika: A Governor of the People
The story goes that when I Made Mangku Pastika was a young boy, a neighbour hung himself over his gambling...
More Mangroves, Less Flooding
Did you know there is actually a mangrove plantation in Jakarta? You probably have driven by it many times and...
Once Upon a Sinking City: The Perpetual Floods of Jakarta
It is said that in life only two things are certain: death and taxes. But if you live in Jakarta,...
Nyepi: Parade of the Demons
Work has already begun on a mysterious five metre tall creature hidden behind a huge tarp with Styrofoam shavings lying...
A Model for Rehabilitiation
The children’s penitentiary in Karangasem primarily houses young boys aged 12-18. It is a model for juvenile rehabilitation. Governor Ketut...
Bali’s Sashimi Tuna Journey to the World’ Biggest Fish Market
Five local Indonesian wooden longline vessels enter Benoa harbour within the space of two hours. They have been fishing for...
Cinema Driving Debate on Interfaith Marriage
As Indonesia develops, its people are becoming more transient. Jakarta is a melting pot of people of various religions and...