Opinion


Hospitals from Hell

Monday, February 8th, 2010, by Ross. 20 Comments

How some Indonesian hospitals treat complaints & the poor, kidnapping & false imprisonment.


Bulwom: Bule Women

Thursday, February 4th, 2010, by Dikkiman Sujengkol. 28 Comments

The types of Bulwom in Indonesia, bule women, and how they fare in attracting local men.


Surya Paloh & Nasional Demokrat

Thursday, February 4th, 2010, by Ross. 8 Comments

A new mysterious political movement led by Surya Paloh, Nasional Demokrat, launches.


Interesting Times

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010, by berlian biru. 23 Comments

A smouldering civil war among the elites, Army power plays, and Chinese scapegoats.


Forbidden Hair Styles for Women

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010, by Ross and Patung. 44 Comments

hairWomen's hair issues dominate discussions at an East Java clerics' meeting.


Djinn Spirit Impregnation

Monday, January 18th, 2010, by Ross. 50 Comments

DjinnA school principal blames a djinn spirit for an alleged sexual assault on a student.


Artalyta Suryani & Prison Luxury

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010, by Ross. 19 Comments

The 'sel mewah' scandal, rich convicts like Artalyta Suryani living in luxury in Jakarta's prisons.


A Shadow Falls

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010, by firefly. 29 Comments

A Shadow FallsMystics and Islamists battle it out in a Javanese village, Andrew Beatty's "A Shadow Falls".


Jakarta Hotel Security

Friday, January 8th, 2010, by The Righteous Dude. 8 Comments

Jakarta HotelSix months after the bombings, is it "business as usual" for Jakarta hotels' security?


Great Barrier Reef, Maldives, Aceh

Tuesday, December 29th, 2009, by The Righteous Dude. 36 Comments

DivingThe BBC says Pulau Weh in Aceh is the next great location for diving enthusiasts.


Holiday Reading List

Friday, December 25th, 2009, by timdog. 69 Comments

Suggestions to while away the lazy holiday days engrossed in worthy tomes of literature.


Jakarta Taxis

Tuesday, December 8th, 2009, by Ross. 22 Comments

Jakarta TaxiTravelling about Jakarta by taxi, Bluebird, Express, Trans Taxi, the good, the bad, and the ugly.


SBY & Bibit-Chandra Case

Friday, November 20th, 2009, by Ross. 14 Comments

Cicak BuayaPresident Yudhoyono's attention focus, the Bibit-Chandra case vs electricity crisis in Jakarta.


Save Dangdut! (TM)

Monday, November 9th, 2009, by Achmad Sudarsono. 12 Comments

Evie TamalaAn impassioned plea for dangdut music on TPI and an ode to its earthy soulful charms.


KDI TPI & Dangdut Mania

Monday, November 2nd, 2009, by Ross. 30 Comments

Whither dangdut mania? Financial woes of TV station TPI puts dangdut music under threat.


Indonesia’s Best Beverages

Thursday, October 1st, 2009, by The Righteous Dude. 24 Comments

Quench your thirst, a survey of Indonesia's tastiest drinks and beverages.


Funeral Rites & Etiquette

Thursday, October 1st, 2009, by Ross. 18 Comments

The protests and furore over allowing the burial of killed extremists in and around Solo.


Clouds & Silver Linings

Saturday, September 19th, 2009, by Ross. 21 Comments

Two clouds with silver linings, Tommy Suharto's bid for Golkar, and sharia stoning laws in Aceh.


Free Speech & Begging

Monday, September 7th, 2009, by Arie Brand. 38 Comments

BeggarJakarta's anti begging law in the light of constitutional freedom of speech.


Fatalism & Will of God

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009, by Ross. 123 Comments

Other worldly factors in climate change, are Indonesian students right?


Short Stories

Monday, August 31st, 2009, by Ross and timdog. 78 Comments

Short story competition on the culture wars, Timdog and Ross go head to head.


The Mothering Instinct

Monday, August 31st, 2009, by Ross. 37 Comments

Have the wealthy women of leisure in Jakarta lost their mothering instincts?


Film Merah Putih

Monday, August 24th, 2009, by Ross. 107 Comments

Review of film Merah Putih, evil colonialists & brave patriots.


Seeking Inspiration?

Monday, August 24th, 2009, by The Righteous Dude. 14 Comments

KelimutuTRD finds it atop Mt Kelimutu, in Flores, Nusa Tenggara Timur.


Tangerang, City of Shame!

Monday, August 17th, 2009, by Ross. 69 Comments

Ross finds shameful bigotry in the fair city of Tangerang.


Lombok Shame Continues

Monday, August 10th, 2009, by Ross. 14 Comments

Ross rails against continued neglect of Ahmadiyah people in Lombok.


Little Wonder

Friday, August 7th, 2009, by The Righteous Dude. 13 Comments

Flores HobbitTRD visits the only hobbit cave this side of Middle-Earth.


Indonesian Airline Safety

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009, by The Righteous Dude. 17 Comments

EU lifts Indonesian flight ban, international media and public wonder about the reality.


Hot Stuff Coming Through

Wednesday, July 15th, 2009, by The Righteous Dude. 4 Comments

TRD visits Lusi, the hot mud eruption site in Sidoarjo, East Java.


Tarekat Naqsyabandiyah

Tuesday, July 7th, 2009, by Ross. 19 Comments

A branch of the Sufi sect Tarekat Naqsyabandiyah is the latest target of the MUI.


‘Homicide’ – Anarcho Punk Rock

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009, by madrotter. 47 Comments

Madrotter on Bandung rockers "Homicide", their music and battles with the FPI.


Televised Election Debates

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009, by Ross. 4 Comments

Lacklustre televised presidential debates are a ruling class ruse, rails Ross.


Debt Collection, RCTI Reality TV Style

Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009, by Ross. 16 Comments

Ross rails against hospital debt collectors on reality television.


Non-visiting Friends & Relatives

Wednesday, May 27th, 2009, by The Righteous Dude. 16 Comments

TRD wonders if expats don't get (m)any visitors from home.


Frequent Fl(a)yers and Brand (dis)Loyalty

Thursday, May 21st, 2009, by The Righteous Dude. 8 Comments

Frequent FlyersAre frequent flyer programs here the world's lamest, or just the least used?


300 – Achmad & Ross Insult Duel

Tuesday, May 19th, 2009, by Patung. 147 Comments

The long wait is over, Achmad & Ross finally face off in 300.


Women, Power & Politics

Monday, May 11th, 2009, by Ross. 57 Comments

More women politicians is what is needed, some say.


Note-worthy Highlights of Indonesia

Wednesday, May 6th, 2009, by The Righteous Dude. 12 Comments

RD consults another source for travel advice.


Jakarta in Top Ten Worst Cities

Friday, April 24th, 2009, by Ross. 91 Comments

Is Jakarta one of the worst third world hellholes?


Plane Sailing? Booking Indonesian Flights Online

Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009, by The Righteous Dude. 25 Comments

A comparison of Indonesian airlines' online booking websites.


Aceh Politics

Tuesday, April 14th, 2009, by Ross. 15 Comments

AcehWho is behind the recent violence in Aceh, and the sharia laws.


Desperately Seeking Seclusion?

Thursday, April 9th, 2009, by The Righteous Dude. 18 Comments

AcehWant to get away and lie on a beach? Read on.


‘Hareem’, Harem Love Stories

Wednesday, April 1st, 2009, by Ross. 15 Comments

What's the worst sinetron ever? Ross reels at the sight of Hareem.


Visit Lamongan

Monday, March 30th, 2009, by The Righteous Dude. 7 Comments

The Righteous Dude receives travel advice from his local caleg.


Get The Amazing Race – Tourism Promotion Ideas

Thursday, March 19th, 2009, by The Righteous Dude. 26 Comments

The Righteous Dude lobs a few ideas for increasing the number of tourists visiting Indonesia.


Prosperous Justice Party

Wednesday, March 18th, 2009, by Ross. 26 Comments

Ross sees parallels between the Justice Party/PKS, and the PKI of old.


Tickets to Ride – Train Travel in Indonesia

Friday, March 13th, 2009, by The Righteous Dude. 20 Comments

The Righteous Dude recommends inter-city trains for tourists, and maybe locals too.


Land of the 5-Star Resort?

Sunday, March 1st, 2009, by The Righteous Dude. 11 Comments

The Righteous Dude wonders about travel writers’ priorities when selecting Indonesian tourist attraction highlights.


Physical Appearance & Work

Tuesday, February 17th, 2009, by Ross. 55 Comments

Ross finds fault in employers' obsession with physical appearance.


CIA & FBI Conspiracy Theories

Friday, February 6th, 2009, by Achmad Sudarsono. 205 Comments

Achmad wonders what is behind Indonesia's trail of natural disasters.


Indonesian & Palestinian Refugees

Friday, January 23rd, 2009, by Ross. 12 Comments

Ross rails that faraway refugees in the Middle East excite more sympathy than refugees in Lombok.


Mediation Process

Saturday, January 17th, 2009, by Ross. 10 Comments

Mixing Sundanese disco music and Islam invites bigotry and later "mediation" in West Java, as Ross finds out.


Evictions of Small Traders

Thursday, January 8th, 2009, by Ross. 19 Comments

Ross calls for a boycott of Blok M Square, as small traders are driven out.


Gestapo Tactics & Interrogation

Monday, January 5th, 2009, by Ross. 12 Comments

Ross rails that Gestapo style methods of interrogation are used by the sharia police in Aceh.


Examples of Media Bias

Tuesday, December 16th, 2008, by Ross. 23 Comments

Bias in the media, examples of Islamist bias on television have Ross railing.


Diabetes and Obesity

Thursday, December 4th, 2008, by Guest Writer. 54 Comments

Purba on eating habits and foods of Indonesians, prevalence of diabetes and obesity.


Religious Differences & Pluralism

Saturday, November 29th, 2008, by Ross. 30 Comments

Ross on the bigotry of teachers of religion in Islamic schools, ideological jilbabs, and Dewi Persik.


Saving the Planet?

Monday, November 24th, 2008, by Guest Writer. 57 Comments

Willie Soon & Christopher Monckton, climate change sceptics, on temperature levels in Indonesia and the "saving the planet" mantra.


Lexie M. Giroth

Tuesday, November 18th, 2008, by Ross. 3 Comments

Ross rails forth on the ex faculty deacon of IPDN, Lexie M. Giroth, murder cover up convict and now promoted professor.


The Jakarta Globe

Wednesday, November 12th, 2008, by Patung. 30 Comments

Another English language newspaper launches, the Jakarta Globe.


Pro The Death Penalty

Friday, November 7th, 2008, by Guest Writer. 81 Comments

Treespotter looks at capital punishment around the world, and an argument in favour of it.


Barry Soetoro

Thursday, November 6th, 2008, by Guest Writer. 267 Comments

Purba on Barry Soetoro aka Barack Obama's Indonesian connection.


Single Mothers in Yogya

Wednesday, November 5th, 2008, by Guest Writer. 98 Comments

Clare recounts his daughter's experience of having a child out of wedlock in Yogyakarta.


Tim Pembela Muslim

Tuesday, November 4th, 2008, by Ross. 3 Comments

Ross lambasts the legal profession for its tolerance of the Tim Pembela Muslim (TPM), the Muslim Lawyers' Team.


Justice & Injustice

Monday, November 3rd, 2008, by Ross. 12 Comments

Ross bemoans the fact that FPI leader Habib Rizieq was only jailed for 18 months.


Timor Leste Relations

Wednesday, October 29th, 2008, by Guest Writer. 57 Comments

Purba Negoro sees broad sunlit uplands for East Timor-Indonesia relations, and current Australian nefariousness.


Bali Culture

Thursday, October 23rd, 2008, by Guest Writer. 43 Comments

Questions about Balinese culture from Rayner.


Monarchy-Sultanate Form of Government

Tuesday, October 14th, 2008, by Ross. 47 Comments

Ross defends the monarchical principle and the Sultan of Yogyakarta's authority.


Popular Myths & Madura

Friday, October 3rd, 2008, by timdog. 30 Comments

Timdog on popular stereotypes about Madura and the Madurese, and the rumoured sexual prowess of the women.


Idul Fitri Celebrations

Wednesday, October 1st, 2008, by Ross. 15 Comments

Ross rails against the minister of religion over dictating what date Eid Al Fitr celebrations should be on.


Perceptions of Current Threats

Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008, by Guest Writer. 26 Comments

Purba Negoro on perceived threats to national unity.


Wahidin Halim, Tangerang

Wednesday, September 17th, 2008, by Ross. 10 Comments

Ross on sharia lite in Tangerang and Mayor Wahidin Halim's re-election bid.


Kevin Bloody Wilson

Thursday, September 11th, 2008, by Achmad Sudarsono. 95 Comments

Achmad appreciates Australian popular culture, in this case the songs of Kevin Bloody Wilson.


Dutch War Crimes

Tuesday, September 9th, 2008, by Lairedion. 546 Comments

Lairedion on the Dutch state being sued over war crimes at Rawagede, West Java.


Proper Etiquette for Ramadan

Tuesday, September 9th, 2008, by Guest Writer. 37 Comments

Ramadan etiquette for unbelievers, by Purba Negoro.


Jakarta Hotels

Grand Kemang Hotel
Grand Kemang, 10% off

JW Marriott Hotel Jakarta
JW Marriott, 20% off

Bali Hotels

Padma Resort in Legian
Padma Resort Legian, free night

Champlung Sari Hotel in Ubud
Champlung Sari Ubud, 10% off

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