So the other night I pulled into my neighborhood. Driving down the palm lined street, I came to an intersection loaded with people, media vans, and police. I had no idea what was going on, but living in Jakarta for half a decade has taught me to hide my white-ass when I come upon such a scenario. I put up the heavily tinted windows of my Honda, and after I arriving home forgot the entire thing.

The next night, I pull in to my street, and the same thing is going on. This time it clicked – I had forgotten that there’s some Indonesian celebrity that lives down my street. (forgot his name or why he’s famous). I figured he must have been in the media for some reason, hence the crowds.

Turning on the TV, Novita informed me of the real reason. A (singer?) / celebrity, named Alda Risma had turned up dead in a hotel room. Apparently it was an overdose, but the truth has a way of shape-shifting here – foul play has been discussed. In the story I gathered, an unidentified (at the time) man had dropped her off at a hospital, left for dead.

Where does my neighbor come in? Well, it seems that the unidentified man is a monk, whose brother-in-law is my neighbor. Apparently he used my neighbor’s car to drive the woman to the hospital – seems a bit shady.

If anyone has further insight, please share. I do find it morbid that they’ve been showing her body on the news. In a country where the local grocery store plays songs declaring, “Lick my p*ssy” from rap artists over the loudspeakers unknowingly while you’re strolling the cereal isle (Sogo MKG), and sensors huge chunks of nude scenes from R-rated blockbusters, you’d think they’d be less intent on showing death and carnage in its full visceral nature to the 5 year olds at home.

Never a dull moment here, that’s for sure.