Expatriation
Standing on the edge of the highway I held a sign that said “London”. It was cold, early spring, and...
Observations
Top Unusual Traditions You Can Only Find in Indonesia
Besides its breathtaking nature, like beaches, mountains, and historical sites, Indonesia is also well-known for its richness of cultural traditions....
Makan Bajamba, Minangnese Dining Tradition
Almost all regions have a communal dining tradition in Indonesia, including West Sumatra. For Minangnese people living in West Sumatra,...
Beat the Bulge and Enjoy Holiday Foods, Guilt-Free!
Here’s to a New Year, and a New YOU! 2023 is just around the corner. Happy December! That time of...
Bali’s Heavenly Hidden Spots
Bali has always satisfied its many tourists with its beautiful panoramas. Some natural spots such as the beaches, waterfalls, and...
Expat in Surabaya – Indonesia the Tenth Year
“Everyone is good at the honeymoon.” Have you ever heard of that? Recently some friends in the states moved to...
Crank Up the Holiday Season
As we approach the end of the year and the onset of the festive period once more, I have to...
Ten Biggest Indonesian News Stories of 2022
Ten Biggest Indonesian News Stories of 2022 – They’re not all entirely negative. 1. Regent’s slavery and lethal torture On...
Indonesia’s Riches – Too Precious To Export
To the Europeans and before them the Arabs and Indians, the lure of the archipelago was resources and trade. That’s...
The Curse of Corruption
“From education and business to sport, the government and the judiciary, corruption remains a curse in Indonesia, as indicated by...
Verbs and Tenses Matter
Most of us, in our childhood, watched the moon and thought it was a piece of white blob tossed on...
Art, History, and Entertainment: Changing Horizons
The past two-and-a-half years have thrown challenges that we never could have thought we would have to encounter. Most important,...
Rough Street Crime
Going off the straight and narrow can be costly in Jakarta, as Daniel Pope recounts. The last time I was...
Back To Bali
For two solid years during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bali was closed to the world, causing many of us to leave...
The Expat Life: Changing Times Mean Changing Expectations
Growing up, I never expected I would become an expatriate. I always assumed that like most people, I would graduate,...
Bundo Kanduang and Entrepreneurship
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) chairwoman Megawati Sukarnoputri expressed her concern that the Minang people had changed a...
Broken House Blues
COVID immigration regulations have largely been lifted and foreigners are being allowed back into Indonesia. This includes for business purposes....
An Inharmonic Rant
When I was a scabby-kneed schoolboy interested in geography, I used to slowly rotate the classroom globe with my fingers,...
How COVID-19 Raised Indonesian Society’s Awareness of Green Architecture
The world we live in is on its way to recovering from one of the massive outbreak events in human...
Planning to Live Stress-Free
It seems silly bordering on ridiculous to suggest that the Greek architect Hippodamus of Miletus (498 – 408 BC) influenced...
Maintaining the Melodies of History
Malang can mean “hapless” which is unfortunate as the East Java city is green, cool at 444 metres, rich in...