Taxis in Manila – why we need a car (aka white whine)

We’ve decided that we need a car in Manila. As metropolitan and accessible this city is, we’re feeling confined and limited in our options with using taxis. Many expats don’t feel a car is necessary, or even desired when taxis are such an easy part of getting around. I beg to differ. The last straw came yesterday when, after waiting for 30 minutes in a taxi stand line, we hopped into a run down taxi, exhausted from carrying 70lbs ofRead more

Manila, Philippines – our new home in the sky

It’s now been a week since our arrival in Manila, Philippines. To cut to the chase; so far we love it. Our new apartment is fantastic; a high rise right in the heart of Makati – the business/expat area; all very upscale and metropolitan. We spent seven years in our home in Jakarta, so apartment living is a new thing for us. Our place is quite high in the sky and very spacious; 4 bedrooms, 4 1/2 baths not includingRead more

Leaving Jakarta

Well this is it. We’re leaving Jakarta, moving to Manila. I’m typing this from a speeding BMW at 3am. The carefully composed post summing up my years in Indonesia will have to wait I guess. I simply ran out of time trying to spend time with everyone. We’re excited for this next chapter in our lives to unfold but are sad to leave our beloved Indonesia. It’s been a life-changing 7 years.Read more

Packing up, books vs Kindle, and the joy of dead trees

The movers are here today, shipping our belongings to Manila. We spent the week packing up and sorting through dusty memories. It’s really hard to narrow your life down to only 12 cubic meters; especially considering I arrived in Indonesia 7 years ago with only two suitcases. What goes? What stays? What gets donated to charity? What gets trashed? I don’t want to become a pack rat – I enjoy simplicity and minimalism to a degree. However, I do haveRead more

Shipping my life from Jakarta to Manila

I’ve begun seeking quotes for shipping my belongings from Jakarta to Manila. It’s not easy to figure out what to bring and what to leave after 7 years. I arrived in Indonesia with two suitcases and a smile – I’m leaving with 12 cubic meters of ‘stuff’. (well, and Novita) I’ll have to sell and give away many items just to reach 12 cubic meters (most of my friends ship less than 4); any thoughts on how to best sell/advertiseRead more

Moving to Manila, Philippines

My previous post was titled, “Life 2.0” for a reason; we’re moving to Manila, Philippines in July. This newly created future was unplanned until very recently. Forgive me if some of you feel ‘left out’, but I wanted to make sure everything was 100% before announcing anything. This post has been difficult to compose, as many of you may realize I’ve spent a quarter of my life in Indonesia, and have had more dramatic changes occur in that timeframe thanRead more