Monthly Archives: October 2013

Jakarta’s festive, grisly holiday

Posted on October 18, 2013 by Katherine

On Tuesday, Indonesian Muslims sacrificed animals to please Allah. In doing so they remembered the story of Abraham from the Quran, who was willing to sacrifice his own son for God, and they remembered God’s kindness for providing a sheep … Continue reading →

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Streetside livestock bring redemption and risk

Posted on October 14, 2013 by Katherine

Once a year New York City sidewalks fill up with pine trees for sale. Once a year Jakarta sidewalks fill up with livestock for sale. As Muslims plan to sacrifice them in Allah’s name – as I wrote in our … Continue reading →

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In Jakarta, surge in urban husbandry precedes day of sacrifice

Posted on October 10, 2013 by Katherine

As I’ve mentioned, Jakarta is a city of strange juxtapositions. Our lovely housing complex is surrounded by a wall; on the other side, just behind our house and slightly uphill, is a quarter-acre lot that until last week was vacant, … Continue reading →

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Reckless bus drivers make headlines

Posted on October 9, 2013 by Katherine

As a follow-up to my previous post about transportation: Jakarta bus drivers made headlines this week. The Jakarta Globe reported that “almost half of Jakarta’s 28,000 public transport drivers are either not in possession of a motor vehicle license or … Continue reading →

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In the absence of public works, Jakartans cope with a daily slog

Posted on October 5, 2013 by Katherine

Traffic is the unifying element in Jakarta life; it’s effect on the lives of all Jakartans cannot be overstated. Unless you have been in it, Jakarta traffic is difficult to understand. Each day, 28 million people go to work and … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Indonesia, Our Daily Life | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments