Indonesian Maids, "I See Dead People"

Well that new maid that I mentioned last week… yeah, she’s already gone. Four whole days she worked for me. Apparently she quit cause she was afraid of something. This culture is very superstitious, and often they speak of magic, ghosts, and psychic abilities. Well, I’ve had about 4 maids and a roommate say they feel ‘something’ upstairs. The other maids did not leave because of this, but they were constantly afraid of being alone in the house. This lastRead more

Asian Fetish?

I just checked my website “stats” which lists how many people have visited, what country they’re from, and other various facts related to this blog. I was browsing through the section which shows the words that people typed into search engines to come across my site… at times it’s quite amusing. I came someone using these search words – “asians with dirty feet” What the hell is that? I mean c’mon guy! Get with the program! What kind of sickRead more

Expats On the Run!

It’s funny how so many expats bolt from Java as soon as they have a chance. As soon as we have vacation time, where do they run off to? The tropical beaches of Bali only an hour’s journey? Beautiful islands of Thailand nearby? Shopping in Singapore? Not a chance. Most of them return to the very place they were so eager to leave. It’s understandable that they would wish to see family and friends, but think about it – theyRead more

The Power of Color

The power of color. It’s unbelieveable how much colors can affect our moods. I decided to paint my house. It seems that most people feel that “white” is the best color for interior walls. It’s like they feel that it’s “better for resale“, or “nice and clean“, or “makes the room feel larger“. I’ll tell you what – coming from the all white school of thought, I now know that changing the colors of my walls has a dramatic effectRead more

Fake Plastic Christmas Tree

Apparently that’s what I’ll have this year. Believe it or not, it’s a bit tough finding natural 8 foot pine trees in Jakarta. Well, and the fact that the country is 90% Muslim. This will be the first time in my life when I’ll have to relinquish the smell of pine needles, the impossible task of balancing the tree, and the never-ending fight to give more water to the tree than blood from my arm getting scratched on branches. Somehow,Read more

Welcome to the Jungle

Home? Yeah, I’m wondering where that is. Is it Indonesia now? Is it America? Is it Cape Town? Well, at any rate, I’m back in Jakarta. The Marriot was bombed downtown only days before my return – how’s that for a welcome home! It feels a bit strange knowing that I was eating sushi in that hotel in June! I must be getting used to hearing these events because it didn’t even really surprise me. I’m buying a car nextRead more