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Stalking Leopards

I was contacted by a reporter for the International Herald Tribune last week. She had come across my blog and asked if I’d compose an article for publication. The focus of the article was to convey expat experiences with having guests stay with you, “quirky, extreme, or unexpected stories”. So, for better or worse, here’s one of those stories I wouldn’t usually share! Jakarta. Famous for political strife, bird flu, and harboring terrorist cells, it’s also the gateway to Indonesia.Read more
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Black Magic and a Brat's Holiday Remorse

I’m experiencing a bit of holiday remorse. Four weeks in Bali was almost too much of a good thing. In fact we changed our tickets and returned 5 days early to Jakarta (DOH!). That plan bit me in the ass for reasons I won’t go into at the moment. I’m coming to the conclusion that perhaps 1-2 weeks of an amazing holiday would be more worthwhile than four weeks of moderation. This is not an invitation to receive criticisms forRead more
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Ubud Festival 2006

We were lucky enough to hit Ubud just as the city’s annual festival broke into full swing. On the opening day, the streets were swarming with energy. Thousands of people were lining every path, every street, and every inch of sidewalk. I’ve never seen such crowds in Ubud. They were all in anticipation of the parading artists and dancers, each offering a different style of dance and all heading to the football fields for a final display. We made ourRead more
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A Change of Pace

Awake. Eat. Read. Swim. Sit in the sun. Read. Go into town. Eat. Sleep. Repeat. Now that’s more like it. This is definitely a welcomed change of pace for this Jakartan. My biggest ambition for the day has been to drive anywhere. The house we’re staying in is situated right on the splendid rice fields just outside of Ubud. The only sounds at night are that of the crickets, frogs, and the occasional falling coconut that’ll scare the crap outtaRead more