Category Archives: Politics

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

Hitler in Indonesia

Posted on July 21, 2013 by Katherine

Bruno and I saw a shocking sight while walking through a street market in Yogyakarta a few weeks ago. For sale at one stand, amid posters of Bob Marley, Asian boy bands, Spanish soccer teams and former Indonesian leaders, there … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Indonesia, Politics | 6 Comments

Training for tourism

Posted on April 6, 2013 by Katherine

In 1908, under President Eloy Alfaro, Ecuador’s railroad from Guayaquil to Quito was finished. It was widely known as the most difficult railroad in the world. Some 2,500 workers died building it, including one of its chief engineers (John Harman, an American … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecuador, Politics | Leave a comment

Today in Ecuador, I voted!

Posted on February 17, 2013 by Katherine

Elections in Ecuador are very different from those in the U.S. To begin with, Ecuador does not have a long history of democracy; we only restarted democratic elections in 1979, after a series of dictators.  Since then, democracy has not … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecuador, Our Daily Life, Politics | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Roads to nowhere

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Katherine

Roads play a vital role in the development of any country – without them, no goods can be transported, whether agricultural or industrial, whether to local markets or for export. A number of academics have demonstrated and quantified the importance of roads for reducing poverty. … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecuador, Our Daily Life, Politics | Leave a comment