Staying Safe on Your Travels
This is the time of year when many of us are travelling on leave and staying in hotels. I have...
Observations
With or Without You
Ipoeng was a good driver. Punctual, dependable and presentable, he had only one glaring fault and that was his memory....
Lutfi the Law Clerk: Finding Peace at Ramadhan
Sahur, the pre-dawn meal Muslims take before the first call to prayer during Ramadhan is tricky. Most Indonesians wake...
Sailing the Spice Islands
The great arc of the Indonesian archipelago starts north of the island of Sumatra and curves south and east until...
Everything to Lose
As Indonesia’s most important presidential election ever nears its climax, there has been no end of deception aimed at swaying...
Beer Goggle Bikers
I believe there is a strong argument for the ‘cooling off period’ law when people want to buy guns. Instead...
There’s Gold in them thar Hills
The western foothills of the volcano look rather desolate, consisting largely of dry shrubland with a few stunted trees. During...
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 Big Noise
Jakarta is not the ideal domicile for a person fond of peace and quiet. It is packed with roaring vehicles,...
The Jakarta Expat Pool League
I’ll be honest with you, I have never really taken to pool. It’s all the rules I can’t handle. You...
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...
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...
An Institution of Relaxation: Face Bar
Wednesday night at around 7pm usually means business for Face Bar. This cosy joint at the end of Jalan Kusuma...
Adapt – The Content Expat
The key quality necessary to become a content expat is having the ability and openness to adapt. As people, we...
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...
2014 Indonesian Presidential Candidates
While we?re waiting for the legislative election results to come out, some presidential candidates have made announcements about their nominations....