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Jakarta 2010 recap

After only a week in Jakarta, we’ll head back to Manila tonight at 1AM. It’s been a very different kind of holiday (well, compared to Boracay), but good nonetheless. There’s definitely a different feeling to Jakarta when returning as a tourist. Most of my friends have moved on to other countries, and Novita’s family was quite busy to hang out much. I ended up spending a lot of time in Kelapa Gading simply because it’s the area I know best.Read more
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Heading to Jakarta, Indonesia tonight

We’re leaving tonight for Jakarta. We’ll be there for a week visiting family and friends. Fortunately, one of my close friends will also be in Jakarta for a couple of days. When he first got to Indonesia, he actually lived with me for 5 months; haven’t seen him in 4 years. Novita will have a chance to be with her family, friends, and her beloved spicy sambal, while I catch up with friends and visit my old stomping grounds. WeRead more

Presenting for Apple as an Apple Distinguished Educator

The past 10 days have been a whirlwind of activity. I presented on behalf of Apple Asia as an “Apple Distinguished Educator” at the Shangri-La to a diverse audience of educators, superintendents, principals, and owners of universities throughout the Philippines. It went very well, and was a fantastic experience for personal growth. I became an ADE in December, 2007 – in the first group in Asia. What is ADE? “The Apple Distinguished Educator (ADE) program is a relationship program focusedRead more
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2009: A year of change, travel, and adventure

One of my greatest interests in life is to travel, experience, and learn more about other cultures. There’s nothing like soaking up all that a new country has to offer. I feel immensely thankful that my career allows us to travel extensively (always wish it could be more but don’t want to be greedy). 2009 was a year of drastic, yet positive changes with our move from Indonesia to Philippines. Change is what defined this year. 2010 should be moreRead more
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7 years of blogging: The Java Jive turns 7.

This month marks the seventh year of this blog. A tremendous amount has changed in these seven years, and through it all, I’ve kept this old thing running – something I never envisioned in 2002 as a naive, fresh-off-the-plane expat. In many ways I supposed I’ve “grown up” in front of anyone who has followed this blog; writing styles have changed, perspectives altered, and life experiences have dramatically morphed my views of the world. The archives aren’t functioning ideally atRead more