Category Archives: Culture

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 →

Posted in Culture, Food & Drink, Indonesia, Religion | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

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 →

Posted in Culture, Indonesia | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

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

Extremists’ moral muscle forces detour for female stars

Posted on September 29, 2013 by Katherine

Jakarta is no stranger to major international events and concerts, such as a recent Metallica concert and the Mixed Martial Arts (cage fighting) world championship. But many events planned for Jakarta are canceled on short notice for vague reasons; some … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Indonesia, Politics, Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

As birdsongs fill Jakarta’s streets, Indonesia’s forests fall silent

Posted on September 8, 2013 by Katherine

A noisy chorus of birdsongs enlivens Jakarta’s dirty, crowded streets. In this city, birdcages hang from telephone wires, tree limbs, and awnings. I see dozens of caged birds a day in Jakarta: canaries, thrushes, doves and lesser-known wild songbirds of … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Indonesia, Nature, the environment & landscapes | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

A tale of two Jakartas

Posted on August 21, 2013 by Katherine

We have moved into our new house recently. We were lucky to find a gated community with good security and quiet streets that we could afford, but as Bruno and I peeked over the concrete wall that surrounds our neighborhood, … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Indonesia, Politics | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Jakartans mark end of Ramadan with family and forgiveness

Posted on August 8, 2013 by Katherine

Lebaran (aka Idul Fitri), the end of the Muslim Month of fasting called Ramadan, is finally here. Last night, Jakarta was full of sounds, with Koran readings blaring from the megaphones of mosques, small firecrackers popping in the street and … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Indonesia, Religion | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

More Lebaran Cheer

Posted on August 1, 2013 by Katherine

In the interest of sharing a little more on the last post, “It’s beginning to look a lot like Lebaran” (see below), I thought I would share these photos of the Lebaran excitement. We took these one evening in a … Continue reading →

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It’s beginning to look a lot like Lebaran

Posted on July 31, 2013 by Katherine

Much like Christmas in the U.S., Lebaran in Indonesia has been co-opted somewhat by commercial interests. Just as Christians do, Muslims get swept up in the shopping and the pressure to spend money for their biggest holiday of the year. Continue reading →

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Fed up with thuggery in the name of Islam, Indonesians push back

Posted on July 28, 2013 by Katherine

This year, during Ramadan — for perhaps the first time — Indonesians are standing up to a group known to terrorize the country during the holy month. Continue reading →

Posted in Bureaucracy, Culture, Indonesia, Politics, Religion | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment