How Backstreet Bali Money Changers Cheat
Unseasoned visitors to Bali, relieved they’ve safely negotiated Ngurah Rai’s fickle Customs and Immigration, suddenly get hit by the cacophony...
Observations
Writing the Indonesian Experience
When I first arrived in the early ‘90s, it was close to impossible to find any English language books about...
You Can Check Out Anytime, but You Can Never Leave
There comes a time when we all need a break from the carbon monoxide and burning plastic smoke that drifts...
The TV Set
Transgenderism has been hitting the global headlines of late, and Indonesia is a nation with its own cross-dressing traditions. Whilst...
Crossings
Daniel Pope remembers some of his international comings and goings. In 1986, while the cold war was still going on,...
Bali and the World – We Have a Problem!
I first came to this Island of the Gods on my honeymoon in 1988. The marriage did not last long,...
Are We the Maritime Axis Yet, Mr. President?
Amidst widespread problems of human rights, poverty, and rampant corruption facing Indonesians as witnessed on daily news reports, hope emerged...
Property: Nightmare or Sound Investment?
Will Rogers (the actor, writer and real-life cowboy) said it best: “Don’t wait to buy land. Buy land and wait.”...
An Appeal for Neil and Ferdinant
The phrase “this is a nightmare” is so often tossed around for events and occurrences that often have minimal impact...
Indonesian Critters
You don’t need to watch a scary movie to make your flesh crawl, as Daniel Pope explains. A fellow English...
Education is Life
“Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” – John Dewey (1859 – 1952) Psychologists will tell you...
The Straight and Narrow
The neologistic acronym LGBT has been hitting Indonesian headlines this month, as the nation continues its ill-advised trudge towards good-time,...
Swipe All My Tears Away
Internet dating has seemingly got the whole world by the proverbial short and curlies, and Indonesia is no exception. Sites...
The Imposter
Daniel Pope muses on how sometimes it’s better to tell fibs when you want to fit in with the culture....
Almost the Last Laugh
Three British expats share a near-death experience on a trip to Kuala Lumpur… A few years ago I was hosting...
What’ Up, Doc?
Bapaks in white coats continue to put the fear of God up Indonesia’s expats. “Doctor, Doctor, I’m at death’s door!”...
Health and Safety Indonesian-Style
A few years ago, my father told me that he would like to come and visit me in Jakarta. Wonderful,...
Coincidental Christmas
As I write this I am sitting on a Cebu Pacific flight back from Manila, Philippines, having just attended...
Marching Orders
An army marches on its stomach and so does an English teacher, as Daniel Pope found out. Despite my earning...
Damp Spirits
Praise the Lord, for the rains have finally arrived. And so we find ourselves moving and gathering momentum towards the...
App Fap: App-Based Transport Solutions
New application-based transportation solutions are taking Indonesia’s jammed boulevards by storm. Last time out, I gnashed my teeth at the...