After a Long Two Years, Will Bali Be a Case of Paradise Found?
Where to begin? This is the dilemma vexing many first-time visitors to Indonesia and its vast, sprawling archipelago. With more...
Observations
Families and Education: Through Adversity Comes Strength
Indonesia’s Education and the world in general is and has been, facing Adversity never before encountered in modern times and...
Family Empowerment and Sexual Violence
— Content warning: discussion of crimes against children — The lecherous actions of Herry Wirawan, a teacher at the Manarul...
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...
Filling the Void: How to Cope Missing Your Family While Overseas
Being apart from family is one of the hardest things about being an expat. Everytime you miss a birthday, a...
Love and Freedom
Love stories are one of the most popular stories that adorn the course of human civilization. They are as old...
Why Do Expats Love Indonesia?
Indonesia is an expansive tropical archipelago with countless natural wonders, a rich history, strong culture, and affectionate people. Seeing pictures...
Do Condoms Fit Indonesian Culture?
While many countries in the Asia-Pacific have achieved progress in combatting AIDS, Indonesia’s number of cases is growing – thanks...
“What are you two marrying each other for?”
You’ve got nothing in common and it will all end in tears. So speak the foreboding words of warning for...
Chinese New Year, a Path of Social Cohesion
It was not until last 2014 I really fathom what Chinese New Year was like until one of my Chinese-Indonesian...
“Green” and “Sustainability” – Synonyms?
Moving into the third decade of the second millennium, society finds itself at a crossroads like never before. A glance...
Nature’s Hounds
Ready to recycle more and drive less? A green lifestyle generally prompts a healthy one and taking care of yourself...
The Happiest and Unhappiest Provinces in Indonesia
The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) has released the 2021 Happiness Index. The data includes a list of the happiest and...
Dangdut, Indonesia’s “Music of the People” – an Expat’s Take
In 1969, I bought a second-hand book in the Portobello street market in London, Two Faces in Borneo, written in 1928...
Jeff Hadler: A Scholar with Heart
When Jeff Hadler passed away a few years ago, I was a bit dazed to know it. A friend of...
Coping with the Loss of Loved Ones during the Festive Season
Christmas is just around the corner and it is bound to bring back feelings of loss and deep yearning for...
2021: Another Indonesian Year of Living Dangerously
While COVID-19 dominated the news in 2021, hundreds of Indonesians were killed by landslides, floods, and accidents throughout the year....
Quick Grub
When I was new to Indonesia and ordered a hamburger in a squalid Jakarta street-side restaurant, it was as if...
On the Outside Looking Back Aspects of The Pandemic In Indonesia
As an Indophile stuck in Australia during the pandemic, I’ve had a hard time making sense of what’s happening over...
Indonesia – Some Insights for Visitors
Let’s begin with some basic insights. First, Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world. And, as the Australian...
How Some Europeans Thrived During the Japanese Occupation
Should President Joko Widodo model any of his “Ten New Balis” tourist attractions on the mountain resort of Sarangan in...
