The other day at the gym, a Chinese/Indonesian woman I know comes up to me and says, “Why don’t you ever talk to anyone at the gym?”, “And you always wear headphones, so no one can talk to you. And when you workout you don’t smile.” Those of you reading this from the States or similar countries will agree with me that this isn’t exactly something a gym-friend would normally ask you in America. (gym-friend is a term I coinedRead more
Posts tagged: #Asia
Figure this one out
I thought I’d see what kind of theories you guys come up with. I do, however, know what it means, having asked a local at the time. Gotta love Asia.Read more
Kabar Magazine – my cover and article
Kabar Magazine (published throughout S.E. Asia) released their latest issue a couple of weeks ago. Sorry, it slipped my mind to post this. The cover is one of my photos from last year, and the article is something I wrote to accompany the soccer photos taken a couple months ago. For those of you living in Indonesia, it’s available at most bookstores.Read more
Handphones are destroying memories (handphone cameras vs point and shoot cameras)
What a bold statement to make, right? Having lived in Indonesia for half a decade, I’ve witnessed a revolution in handphone/cellphone technology – a revolution which swept across Asia and throughout the world. Upon my arrival, handphones were something you used to call someone with – and that’s about all. With the arrival of video and photo capturing abilities built into these pocket rockets, there’s little need to carry other gadgets around – or is there? I cringe when IRead more
Letter to the Editor
I received this letter in the forum, and since it’s been asked numerous times since I started javajive in 2002, I thought I’d address it on the main page rather than in the forum. Often when people email me similar questions, I write them back instead of posting anything here. These are simply my opinions and don’t necessarily reflect a reality felt by other expats. 😉 Hi Brandon, I just arrived on your site and Indonesia looks so beautiful. SinceRead more
I'll Take a Massage, Hold the "Extra" Please.
I actually have to work harder at not getting “extra” with my massage, than accepting. They always look at me with a half grin, half agitated, “why not!?” face. And this is one of the legitimate places. Only in Asia.Read more