Things that make you go Ahhhh?
I’m so glad I came to Indonesia. I was pure luck I ended up here really. Had the friend I...
Comedy
Agony and Irony
In the early days of the Jakarta Comedy Club, I was fortunate enough to host a radio show every Friday...
One for the Bucket List (and Bring the Bucket)
Munich, the capital of Bavaria and the third largest city in Germany, is home to the Oktoberfest, one of the...
2.5 Men Jumps the Shark
When Charlie Sheen got fired and written out after season eight as an “exploded bag of meat” under a Metro...
Hold Still, Dumbo
There are very few things more therapeutic in the morning than a cup of coffee (and even fewer you can...
Daisy Luck Strikes Again
I love the way the Indonesian language and the English language have blended over the years. For example, many non-Indonesians...
With or Without You
Ipoeng was a good driver. Punctual, dependable and presentable, he had only one glaring fault and that was his memory....
Beer Goggle Bikers
I believe there is a strong argument for the ‘cooling off period’ law when people want to buy guns. Instead...
A Really Scary Thing
In 1995 I was the tour promoter for the Philippines leg of the Asian tour of the British band The...
Hello, statue’
I was working long-term on a construction project in East Java and it suited my purposes and circumstances to rent...
Long Live the Hamster
When my youngest daughter was about five years old she asked me if she could have a hamster. Not an...
A Mended Broken Promise
I arrived in Indonesia more than ten years ago and then duly scarpered back to England. After a year of...
The Curious Case of the Innocent Driver
The university city of Oxford in which I am fortunate enough to have been born, raised and schooled, attracts approximately...
The Big Noise
Jakarta is not the ideal domicile for a person fond of peace and quiet. It is packed with roaring vehicles,...
Parlez Vous Bahasa?
For most people, the Indonesian language is without doubt one of the easiest languages to learn. It has very simple...
On Deadly Roads
I’ve never felt so close to pounding someone’s face with my knuckles. How has road behaviour degenerated to such mindlessness,...
Playing with Fire
The swiftest punch in the face I’ve ever received came from a dense fist of tobacco smoke. I was in...
Meet Boris de Koning
Meet Boris de Koning, a funny Dutchman with gold teeth who enjoys life in Indonesia, especially in the peacefulness of...
Can You Talk?
My dear old granny was a spritely 97 years and 7 months old exactly when she decided she’d had enough...
Inside Story
When I was in my twenties, I spent some time in prison and I can honestly say it was one...
Honesty is the Best Policy
The British Fire Service uses an excellent and unique shift system to provide the British public with emergency cover 24...