Love In The East
The early days of the expatriate in South East Asia back in the 16th and 17th centuries were fraught with...
History/Culture
Zheng He, The Chinese Muslim Eunuch
Zheng He is renowned today as a great explorer, honoured by both Chinese and Muslims throughout South East Asia. But...
Uneasy Money
Gambling, like prostitution and corruption, is an age-old vice that is part of Indonesia’s culture. Despite being criminalized in the...
Treading in Jogjakarta’s Ancient History
Jogjakarta and its Hill of Stones Anyone with but the flimsiest knowledge of Indonesia will know the pivotal role Jogjakarta...
Art and Revolution
S. Sudjojono, 1913-1986 One of the ultimate tools of revolution is art. So, too, revolution ideas often stimulate revolutionary visuals...
Did You Know??
In 1602 eight early British expats were dropped off in what is now known as Banten Lama by the first...
The Origins of the Piggy Bank
In the west the Piggy Bank has long been a time-honoured rite of passage, a whimsical but didactic tool for...
Indonesia’ First Celebrity Artist
Raden Saleh Boestaman (c. 1807-1880) This well-known photo of Raden Saleh, Indonesia’s ‘first’ western-style painter was taken in 1870 when...
Staying in Town for the Holidays?
Let’s face it, Julia Roberts’ “Eat Pray Love” was just way too glib to get the old heart racing. An...
Gereja Sion
Back in the middle of the 17th century, Jl. Pangeran Jayakarta was one of Batavia’s hottest addresses. It was a...
Batavia – A Chinese Town Under Dutch Rule
No-one knows when the Chinese first hit what was to become Jakarta. Certainly, when the Dutch first arrived, in 1596,...