Sins of the Father
“The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father.” – Bible: Ezekiel 18:20 When I was 17 in mid-sixties...
History/Culture
Roehana Koeddoes: A Heroine of Education and Journalism
In Indonesia, Mother’s Day is celebrated on 22 December. Although it is neither a major celebration nor part of the...
Galungan: Biggest Day of the Year
Celebrating the creation of the world by the supreme god and the victory of goodness or virtue (dharma) over evil...
Comedy, Comics and Sketches of Real Life
You might already be familiar with Sacha Stevenson’s How to Act Indonesian YouTube videos in which Sacha makes some astute,...
Changing Faces of Batik
I first met Serbian artist Mikro Kosmos (Miroslav Dukic) in Borneo earlier this year. He played a didgeridoo which he...
Java’s First Photographer: Kassian Cephas (1845-1912)
The first rather rambling title for this article ran nearly three lines as it tried to convey that Kassian Cephas...
The History of Coffee in Indonesia
Imagine a world without coffee! Even if you are not a coffee drinker, imagine the shopping centres and high streets...
Embracing the Spirit of Ramadhan
The Muslim fasting month of Ramadhan is now in full swing. For recently arrived non-Muslim expatriates in Indonesia, it can...
Lutfi the Law Clerk: Finding Peace at Ramadhan
Sahur, the pre-dawn meal Muslims take before the first call to prayer during Ramadhan is tricky. Most Indonesians wake...
Lempad, a Timeless Balinese Master
Thirty six years after his death at the age of 116, the first complete presentation of the works of I...
South Solok: a Place with One Thousand Rumah Gadang
South Solok, located along mountain ranges of Sumatra, has a cool climate. While taking a trip from Padang city to...
The Salvador Dali Quest
After living in Southeast Asia back and forth for over twenty years, I have come to realize that most of...
Sailing the Spice Islands
The great arc of the Indonesian archipelago starts north of the island of Sumatra and curves south and east until...
Isen Mulang – A Cultural Extravaganza
A very special event occurs in Central Borneo on May the 18th each year. Thousands of Dayaks converge on the...
Mount Bromo: Where Heaven and Hell Meet
Mount Bromo (Gunung Bromo), an active volcano two hours’ drive east of Surabaya, East Java, is by far the most...
The July 9 Election: a Toss-up
One month before the July 9 presidential election day, a poll held by Kompas showed that about 40% of voters...
Selamat Pagi, Malam: Good Morning, Night
Jakarta is so much more than meets the eye. Behind all the night lights and afternoon smoke of pollution and...
Adventures into the Heart of Borneo with Michael Palmieri
Borneo is the third largest island in the world, which is politically shared by three countries, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei....
Rut Dini: the River Guardian
Dini is a passionate defender of the rivers of Borneo, which is not surprising, as her memories of growing up...
The Kangaroo & the Komodo
?Australians remain wary of Indonesia,? declared a headline on the eve of Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott?s recent meeting with...
Take a Tour Down Moke Land, Flores
I had come many times to Indonesia and had visited islands and places all the way from Sabang to Sumbawa,...