Photos of Indonesia

From the discussions related to this previous post, I’ll take the time to answer the question here, so it doesn’t get lost in the mix. How about pictures of other islands in Indonesia? Seperti Sumatra, Kalimantan, dan Irian Jaya (They are not small and rich of cultures as well). And how about the one close to home? I havenÂ’t seen Javanese dancer and much of javanese cultures in your gallery (Seperti Tari Jaipongan dan tari bondan–those are popular too). …Read more

Protests Spread in Indonesia Over Caricature

Protests spread in major cities over caricature The Jakarta Post, Bandung, Semarang, Surabaya Despite calls for restraint, protests intensified in the country’s main cities Monday over the publication in European media of caricatures depicting the Prophet Muhammad. Protesters in most of the cities decried what they considered the use of freedom of the press to justify insulting Islam. About 200 protesters from the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) in West Java town of Bandung threatened to conduct searches for Danish nationalsRead more

Good to be Home?

Oddly enough, this was one of the first times I’ve returned to Jakarta without dreading it. Usually, as our plane breaks through the blanket of pollution protecting The Big Durian, it just puts a somber mood in the air to see the sun’s clarity disappear into a smog of acrid brown. This time, however, it was good to be ‘home’. Three weeks in Bali was wonderful – perfectly relaxing, and yet, three weeks of living out of a suitcase doesRead more

Giving Back to the Community

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

Gettin Poked

That sounded bad. Sorry. Today I got jabbed with a needle twice – once for the flu vaccine and once for a typhoid update. A doctor from Global Doctors was kind enough to come to work to offer vaccines for whoever wanted them. I know what you’re thinking – the flu vaccine has nothing to do with protecting against avian flu. True, however, I’ve heard from a number of ‘professionals’ (in a calm, yet warning tone) that if you’ve hadRead more