Forever Foreign in ASEAN and what it means to be Pribumi
“You can’t simply decide to be Asian. You must have an Asian culture. This means, for a start, changing your...
observations
Expats in Indonesia, Have You Hit the COVID-19 Panic Button Yet?
Kenneth Yeung contemplates the credibility of claims that Indonesia could erupt in civil unrest because of coronavirus. “RETURN HOME NOW.”...
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...
Coping in the Big Durian
Jakarta isn’t a city for everyone. Many of the problems aren’t unique to large cities in emerging economies: poor sanitation...
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...
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...
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...
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....
What’s 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!”...
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...
Burnin’ Rubber Time
Jakarta isn’t looking so hot at the moment, what with streets being torn up left, right and centre in a...