Small world. Saturday, I get a call from a friend, “Hey you know Racquel?” Yeah, I do, but only on Twitter. She helped me with various questions regarding moving to Manila from Jakarta. She was a fantastic resource and very helpful. “Well, she’s here hanging out if you wanna drop by.” … huh … ? Turns out Racquel’s fiance was in my friend’s wedding – as his best man. They were over at his place hanging out and apparently theRead more
Posts tagged: #expats
Miserable
I’m not in good spirits today. In fact I’m feeling a bit ‘miserable’. My blog, my name, and my writing has been taken out of context and used to help spark a discussion about ‘miserable people’. More specifically, “Whether westerners and expats in Indonesia are miserable and unfriendly people.” Unfortunately, they used me as the target in this case. Hopefully those of you who have known me through the years on or offline can testify to the fact that thisRead more
Expat experiences: making new friends, approaching foreigners
The other day at the gym, a Chinese/Indonesian woman I know comes up to me and says, “Why don’t you ever talk to anyone at the gym?”, “And you always wear headphones, so no one can talk to you. And when you workout you don’t smile.” Those of you reading this from the States or similar countries will agree with me that this isn’t exactly something a gym-friend would normally ask you in America. (gym-friend is a term I coinedRead more
Ella in kebaya / getting into more portraiture
I’ve been doing portrait work for some friends. It’s something I’ve been meaning to do more of anyway, so this is a decent, mutually beneficial way of breaking new ground. One of the two friends likes more natural images, whereas the other seems to enjoy much more heavy manipulation. Hope I can please them both. I’m actually considering doing more of this type of a thing on the side to help support my lens lust. (currently dreaming of a CanonRead more
Gettin Poked
That sounded bad. Sorry. Today I got jabbed with a needle twice – once for the flu vaccine and once for a typhoid update. A doctor from Global Doctors was kind enough to come to work to offer vaccines for whoever wanted them. I know what you’re thinking – the flu vaccine has nothing to do with protecting against avian flu. True, however, I’ve heard from a number of ‘professionals’ (in a calm, yet warning tone) that if you’ve hadRead more
Kabar Magazine – My Submissions
There’s a new magazine in town called “Kabar” – geared towards the English speaking residents of Indonesia, but not necessarily expats. I’ve been in contact with the editor, a very cool cat named Avi, and have contributed some material for this month’s issue. If you happen to see the magazine around (bookstores, cafes, hotels, fitness clubs?), you may recognize the cover – the blue warung boards I shot a few weeks ago. Inside, there’s an article with photos that IRead more