An Inharmonic Rant
When I was a scabby-kneed schoolboy interested in geography, I used to slowly rotate the classroom globe with my fingers,...
Daniel Pope
Nature’s Hounds
Ready to recycle more and drive less? A green lifestyle generally prompts a healthy one and taking care of yourself...
Lost In Bali
Daniel Pope recalls a new year that didn’t begin well I am a mobile technology geek. As well as carrying...
Return of a Friend
Jakarta’s Jalan Jaksa was once a great place for making odd, surreal and semi-imaginary friends, as Daniel Pope recalls. When...
Crossings
Daniel Pope remembers some of his international comings and goings. In 1986, while the cold war was still going on,...
Indonesian Critters
You don’t need to watch a scary movie to make your flesh crawl, as Daniel Pope explains. A fellow English...
The Imposter
Daniel Pope muses on how sometimes it’s better to tell fibs when you want to fit in with the culture....
Marching Orders
An army marches on its stomach and so does an English teacher, as Daniel Pope found out. Despite my earning...
Medical Anomalies
When well-off people in Indonesia need medical treatment, they often head off to Singapore. Daniel Pope thinks he knows why....
Fun With Weapons
Daniel Pope contemplates whether a foreigner could get away with murder in Indonesia. My local hangout in Jakarta in the...
Jakarta, Rattle and Roll
Not long ago, I watched Dawn of The Planet of the Apes in 4-D at a Blitzmegaplex cinema complex in...
Making the Possible Impossible
Any foreigner who has dealt with a government department in Indonesia—whose offices maintained a 1960s atmosphere of clattering typewriters and...
Getting to the Other Side
The safest time to cross the street in Jakarta can be when the city is at maximum danger level, as...
Water, Water Everywhere
A weekend getaway to the Thousand Islands brings these seafaring friends more than they bargained for. No other start to...
For Whom the Beer Froths
Had you needed to take refuge from a local war a decade ago when the city’s foreigner hang-outs were livelier...
Love Thy Neighbours
Indonesians are among the friendliest people on the planet, keen to avoid confrontation at all costs. Just don’t ever give...
The Big Drink
It was breaking point for Jakarta. Days of torrential rain and years of incompetent urban planning were about to exact...
The Big Noise
Jakarta is not the ideal domicile for a person fond of peace and quiet. It is packed with roaring vehicles,...
Playing with Fire
The swiftest punch in the face I’ve ever received came from a dense fist of tobacco smoke. I was in...
Trains, Planes and Other Perils
As a lifelong train enthusiast, I felt a great sense of achievement upon making the journey across Java by all...
The Long Way Home
English teacher Daniel Pope recalls his 1997 nightmare journey from Bintan to Jakarta - It began with a motorcycle accident....