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

Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand? Help!

I’m staring at the calendar. I have three and a half weeks of vacation time coming up at Christmas. What to do? I am facing three options: America. Indonesia – most likely Bali (again) and possibly Lombok or other islands. Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand. Jakarta – absolutely not. The first and last option are much more expensive propositions, but have serious advantages. America – I haven’t been back to the States in a year and a half and am feeling likeRead more

Earthquake and Devastation

I have friends visiting Sumatera and Phucket, Thailand. They were planning on diving off the coast of Phucket, and it’s been reported that 40 to 100 divers are missing or trapped. I have no way of contacting them and haven’t heard any word from anyone yet. There is an echo of September 11 in the surreal feeling of watching the events unfold on BBC and CNN. My home is only 2 miles from the coastline in North Jakarta – aRead 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