Vacation in My Mind

If you’ve noticed, I’ve strayed from the world of prose lately, posting only photos. Reason: We had a 9 day break for the Muslim holiday, Idul Fitri. Only, um, I didn’t go a.n.y.w.h.e.r.e. ADUH! I did manage to really concentrate on ways to improve my photography. Am I a geek? Probably. I lived on the ‘net self-educating as much as I could. More about that later (tomorrow maybe). A few days I went around taking pics in the kampung (village)Read more

Western Men, Indonesian Women.

Thang D. Nguyen has written an interesting post and subsequent discussion in regards to Western men and Indonesian women. I’ll leave my own thoughts out of this one, but would be interested in hearing how Indonesian women feel after reading this. Here’s an excerpt from his post: As my friend and I sipped our coffees last Sunday afternoon at Plaza Indonesia, he asked, “Don’t you think that many of the Indonesian women that white foreigners (buleh) go out with orRead more

Doctors Diggin for Gold

Acupuncture is only $5 here, so I’ve gone a few times recently just for kicks… As I took a seat in the waiting room, I picked up a magazine to pass the time. There were only a few other people around, and most were absorbed in the Indonesian Soap Opera on the waiting room’s television. Glancing up, I noticed that the guy in jeans sitting across from me was eagerly engaged in some serious nose-picking. I’m not talking about theRead more

Quarter Life Crisis: Part One (Life as an Expat)

So begins a new phase in my life. My Quarter Life Crisis has officially commenced. I suppose a good way to deal with this is with some introspection, reflection, and a good round of bullsh*ting about whatever spills out of this confused mind. Without further ado, let the rambling begin. Life as an expat moves through a number of phases. There’s the initial, “Wow, it’s so different and interesting!” first few months of bliss with our newfound relationship with aRead more

Bule Behavior Defined.

My gym is on the second level of a newly constructed urban jungle called “The Piazza”. To get to that second level, I have two options: the stairs or this hi-tech tunnel with a flashy escalator. I almost always opt for the escalator as it’s closer to the parking area (ok and it’s got the Knight Rider feel). A couple months ago, the escalator stopped running for no reason. They didn’t attempt to put any kind of “Under Repair” signRead more

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