Step Into the Ring

E – Day is upon us. The way that I feel about this election – To be completely honest I don’t feel as if either candidate is what America needs right now. I will not state which one I would vote for, as it’s not worth the backlash that I would receive either way. Once again, the election has come down to harsh words, untrue statements, and childish name calling. We have to ask ourselves, “Is this really the bestRead more

Frost on a Rose

After a battle with my travel agent, and losing, I will no longer be going to Lombok for Idul Fitri. Gone are the thoughts of basking in the equatorial sun and damaging my skin beyond repair. For those of you unfamiliar with Idul Fitri (don’t you love it when a white dude explains Muslim holidays) – it symbolizes the end of Puasa (the month of fasting) and generally includes a week of holiday. Luckily I work for an organization thatRead more

March of Time

The most magical drive occurs between north and south Java, slicing through the rolling volcanoes. Passing coconut plantations, rubber trees, cocoa, and tea plantations as far as the eye can see, squeezes amazement out of me without fail. Wondering through the hills we encounter villages every few minutes which offer a glimpse of the life these unique people live. For them, even Jakartans are tourists, and the big city a whole world away. The spectacular drive affords time to beginRead more

State of Who's Union?

I guess once again, both of my “homes” are in the world’s spotlight. President Bush had the courtesy of naming them in Tuesday’s State of the Union Address. We made the top of the list apparently by order of threat. “Our greatest responsibility is the active defense of the American people. Twenty-eight months have passed since September the 11th, 2001 – over two years without an attack on American soil – and it is tempting to believe that the dangerRead more

… Will Work for Handphone

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