As I mentioned last week, I�d like to get involved in helping out by giving back to a local orphanage. There are millions of Indonesians living in sheer poverty in conditions most Westerners cannot begin to fathom � where do you start? I�ve decided that if I can focus on helping one particular orphanage, I can help make a difference without facing the feeling of being utterly overwhelmed by a large charity organization. I support their efforts, but would preferRead more
Posts tagged: #expat
Random Thoughts
This post is going to be all over the place, as I’ve had enough caffeine to make a cappuccino nervous. As I was strolling through the insanity of one Jakarta’s mega-malls this afternoon, two completely different thoughts crossed my cortex. One – Being an expat (or tourist, traveller) staying in a country that speaks something other than your first language, you tend to have much more time to think while in public. Instead of picking up on the conversations ofRead more
High in the Sky
Talk about a trippy trip. That had to have been quite honestly one of the oddest flights I’ve been on. I suppose it all started when shortly after take-off there appeared to be a heavy fog falling from the air vents above our heads. I’m sure it was simply the cooler air mixing with the sticky heat onboard. Normally, I would have dismissed this as nothing special (perhaps it wasn’t fog considering I ate the entire in-flight meal so vigorously).Read 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
Making an Ass of Myself
Well I may as well break up the seriousness of some of my writing by explaining how much of a jackass I can be. This is something that happened when I first arrived in Indonesia in August… but failed to tell many people. I had only been in Indonesia for a few days, and decided to finally venture out into the city… After an exhausting night in this crazy city, I took a shady looking taxi home. The driver didn’tRead more