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Continue reading →: Jakarta landlords play by their own rules
The first time someone asked me for two years’ rent upfront in advance my jaw dropped. I just don’t keep 55 grand lying around. In my financial accounting class perhaps the most important principal was: Money now is worth more than money later. That is the whole idea behind paying…
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Continue reading →: Shine on for the appreciation of fellow bloggers
We were truly flattered to receive a nomination for the Shine On “award” from Every Day Adventure in Asia, a wonderful blog. The nomination tells us that someone (other than our parents) is reading this blog and getting something out of it. After searching for the origin of the Shine…
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Continue reading →: This cat is not meant to be a pet
At the Bird Market in Jakarta, you can find (and buy) hundreds of domestic cats. This cat is not one of them. The man who was selling it called it a “forest cat,” but we believe it’s an Asiatic Golden Cat, a species of small wild cats found in Sumatra.…
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Continue reading →: As birdsongs fill Jakarta’s streets, Indonesia’s forests fall silent
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 every kind. Oddly, this obsession with birds originates in an…
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Continue reading →: A tale of two Jakartas
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, we saw the vast swampy slum that lies just outside.…
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Jakartans mark end of Ramadan with family and forgiveness
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Continue reading →: Jakartans mark end of Ramadan with family and forgivenessLebaran (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 larger fireworks lighting up the sky. Today millions of Muslims…
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Continue reading →: Doughnuts for Ramadan
Since Lebaran is pretty much the only thing going on in Indonesia for the next week, we will continue to share small tidbits about what it is like here. I think our comparison to the popular culture around Christmas continues to…
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Continue reading →: Fed up with thuggery in the name of Islam, Indonesians push back
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.
Hello,
I’m Katherine
I started this blog while living as a single expat more than 20 years ago. Now with husband and two kids in tow I’m keeping the adventures alive. Follow along for travel tips and life detours!
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