An Expat’s New Year’s Resolution
I told my Facebook friends that I was writing an article about New Year’s resolutions, and asked them for inspiration....
Outreach
A Rare Christmas Treat
I woke up early on Christmas day 1984, seriously hung-over after an inpromptu party the night before. The planned party...
Are you Mr Magoo, too?
As I slide at break-neck speed down the slippery slope of life towards the age of 50, I can’t help...
Party Animal
One Friday night when I was 15 years old I persuaded my folks to let me go to my first...
Blind, Bamboozled and Big
For me, travelling is as much about the journey as the destination. One of the things I enjoy most “en...
The Battle of the Beer
It was Christmas Eve 1984, and, just like I did every year in those days, I was running around the...
The Bargain Tree Hunter
If you plan on walking into a department store this week and dropping Rp 3.2 million on a six-foot tall...
Have Yourself a Grumpy Little Christmas
Guys, I am back to my grumpy old self. In the last article, “Solution to the Global Crisis”, I tried...
Deck the Malls
Criticising Jakarta’s shopping malls for their ostentatious Christmas displays is too easy. We can feel sickened by the crass commercialisation...
Darryl Patton: Godfather of the Expat Bars
Darryl Patton, 1941-2011 Englishman Darryl Patton was the innovator behind many of the early expatriate bars in Jakarta, pioneering much...
I Hate Spas
Most people like massages and spa treatments, but I am not one of them. All those ‘SPA-aholics’, addicted ladies, always...
Le Souq C’est Chic
Literally translated as “Arabic Market”, Le Souq captures the young and vibrant spirit which is somewhat lacking in Jakarta’s interior...
I love Indonesia
I was on my way to Jepara (the biggest jungle furniture centre in the world, around 2,500 different small, medium...
Living a Greener Life in the Big Durian
Imagine if you could turn your home in Jakarta into a modern tropical paradise. Imagine it was like staying in...
Disneyland Bali
I know, I know, the expatriates in Bali are such an easy target to laugh at, but still… As I’ve...
Understanding Today’s Young Indonesian Consumers
Let me start with a big disclaimer- the following commentary on today’s young consumers of Indonesia is not based on...
To my Expatriate Friends who always Complain (Including me!)
It’s a bit of an international sport or hobby for expatriates to always complain about how things are better in...
Religious Affairs Indonesia Moving
Easter recently came and went and so, with contrition on my mind, I took myself along to the Easter Sunday...