How’s this for the last post of the year? Roll back to the year 2000. I got my first cellphone (oops, I mean handphone). It was rare among my friends to have one, and so therefore, I felt just a little bit cooler than them. Yeah I know, now they’re a dime a dozen, but back then it was more of a time for pagers and answering machines. Keep in mind this was in the States, and we’re at leastRead more
Posts filed in: Bule Behavior
Indonesian Maids, "I See Dead People"
Well that new maid that I mentioned last week… yeah, she’s already gone. Four whole days she worked for me. Apparently she quit cause she was afraid of something. This culture is very superstitious, and often they speak of magic, ghosts, and psychic abilities. Well, I’ve had about 4 maids and a roommate say they feel ‘something’ upstairs. The other maids did not leave because of this, but they were constantly afraid of being alone in the house. This lastRead more
Expats On the Run!
It’s funny how so many expats bolt from Java as soon as they have a chance. As soon as we have vacation time, where do they run off to? The tropical beaches of Bali only an hour’s journey? Beautiful islands of Thailand nearby? Shopping in Singapore? Not a chance. Most of them return to the very place they were so eager to leave. It’s understandable that they would wish to see family and friends, but think about it – theyRead more
The Power of Color
The power of color. It’s unbelieveable how much colors can affect our moods. I decided to paint my house. It seems that most people feel that “white” is the best color for interior walls. It’s like they feel that it’s “better for resale“, or “nice and clean“, or “makes the room feel larger“. I’ll tell you what – coming from the all white school of thought, I now know that changing the colors of my walls has a dramatic effectRead more
Nakal
Why is it that anytime we learn a foreign language, the “dirty†words are the first to be learned and never forgotten? Is it because we are all perverts? Cause we are fascinated by the sound of swearing in a foreign language? I think that guy had it right in the movie “Matrix Reloaded†in the scene where he swore all in French – sometimes it just sounds better. I know that I simply enjoy being able to shock theRead more
Fake Plastic Christmas Tree
Apparently that’s what I’ll have this year. Believe it or not, it’s a bit tough finding natural 8 foot pine trees in Jakarta. Well, and the fact that the country is 90% Muslim. This will be the first time in my life when I’ll have to relinquish the smell of pine needles, the impossible task of balancing the tree, and the never-ending fight to give more water to the tree than blood from my arm getting scratched on branches. Somehow,Read more