Money Politics
Vote buying is risky business, especially for candidates who fail to get elected and cannot repay their debts. Yet the...
History/Culture
Meet Nathalie Hocquart
Meet Nathalie Hocquart, the woman who turned her patisserie into the hot new venue for international and Indonesian artists. Wide...
Parlez Vous Bahasa?
For most people, the Indonesian language is without doubt one of the easiest languages to learn. It has very simple...
Vivienne Kruger: Balinese Food
Vivienne Kruger first visited Bali on a week-long overland trip from Jakarta in 1993. For five years, starting in 1999,...
An Endangered Creature called Gambuh
If you have ever been curious about Indonesia?s Majapahit Kingdom, you might like to see a performance of Gambuh -...
Hope for the Children of Sumbawa
For several years 33-year-old Carlos Ferrandiz worked as a lawyer in Spain,but in 2010 he decided to quit his job...
For a Walkable Jakarta: Safe Steps
Picture yourself walking from your office or home to the nearest ATM or minimart on Jakarta’s sidewalks; it would not...
Playing with Fire
The swiftest punch in the face I’ve ever received came from a dense fist of tobacco smoke. I was in...
Can You Talk?
My dear old granny was a spritely 97 years and 7 months old exactly when she decided she’d had enough...
Invisible Migrants: Indonesians Abroad
Imagine if three Dutch, American, or Germans died abroad every day? The outrage and international attention would be astounding. The...
Understanding the word ‘Bule’
According to Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia or KBBI (The Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language), bule is a word used...
John H. McGlynn – The Lontar Foundation
For much of the world, Indonesia is an exotic country next to Bali, and Java is where coffee comes from....
Linda the Tsunami Survivor
Linda’s story is somewhat of a reflection of Aceh itself, sad but uplifting. Her life was changed forever a little...
Inspiration Comes in all Shapes and Sizes: The Madura Library Project
Inspirational adults striving to make a difference in their communities are out there. Inspirational teenagers, however, are not as easy...
Pulau Kotok – In Conversation with Nature
Travel and tourism have become so jaded these days that few places evoke the sense of calm, peace or romance...
Eat, Pray, Smile
“Ketut Liyer? You mean Ketut Liar?” is apparently a commonly repeated joke in Bali, although I did meet a couple...
Meet David Metcalf
Meet David Metcalf, aka Dayak Dave, a photographer and author whose passion for Indonesia gives back to the people he...
A Satirical Guide to Indonesian Politicians: What are their chances in the 2014 Elections?
A while back I was watching this Metro TV program called Kick Andy and on it there was this impoverished...
Solid as Rock: Mama Aleta, Guardian of Timor’ Sacred Towers
Fine sunrays kiss the pine-covered hills and lush grasslands as our motorbikes swept through the rural dirt roads. There’s...
Cheating on the Buses
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Transjakarta busway: a public transport system beset by financial scams. Even before...
Meet Dr. Titus Leber
Meet Dr. Titus Leber, an Austrian filmmaker who transformed Borobudur into interactive multimedia....