Lumajang School Spreading the Spirit: Madura Island

May 2nd, 2007 | By Barrie | No Comments »

The sound of children can be heard coming from inside Busthanul Athfal, a small mosque in Tegal Randu village on Madura Island in East Java province. But as soon as Matruki enters the wooden structure, the dozens of children fall instantly silent, their gaze focused on the 59-year-old man. Matruki sits cross-legged on the floor, with his grandchild on his lap, as the children sit around him in a semi-circle. “Have you all contemplated what you have done today?” he asks in Madurese.

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Image of the Day: Cabe, Yogyakarta, Central Java

May 1st, 2007 | By Barrie | No Comments »

Go to any market in Indonesia and you will find the fiery cabe (chilli) for sale. Colourful and very hot to the palette, this delightful additive is used in practically all Indonesian cooking

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Discrimination Against the Chinese Still Remains

April 11th, 2007 | By Barrie | No Comments »

Being married to a Chinese-Indonesian I get to hear of the hurdles and discrimination faced by them in all facets of Indonesian society. This has been going on for decades and, even tough the recent reforms have assisted in relieving certain amounts of discrimination, Chinese-Indonesians are still restricted. Here is an interesting article from the Opinion in the Jakarta Post regarding this matter:

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Durian – Deliciously Smelly!: Indonesia

January 25th, 2007 | By Barrie | 1 Comment »

I remember the first time I ever set eyes upon this fruit, the nectar of some crazy god. It was way before Candika and I were married and I visited her in Yogyakarta at her house. Candika and her brother had just purchased two Durian and were in the process of opening them up.

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The Danger of Fundamentalism: Indonesia

January 19th, 2007 | By Barrie | No Comments »

It seems to be a fact of life wherever we travel in the world these days; the threat of danger from radical groups bent on the destruction of the western world. Sounds harsh I suppose, but, it is fact.

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Dealing with Dengue Fever: Indonesia

September 6th, 2006 | By Wombat | 1 Comment »

You have heard about dengue fever — demam berdarah (bleeding fever) or “break bone” fever. You probably know people who have had it. You know it is in Jakarta and it is a little dangerous. But you may do not know what you can do about it.
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Satay - Satisfaction on a Skewer: Indonesia

August 26th, 2006 | By Wombat | No Comments »

At most “commercial” Indonesian restaurants you will surely find satay on the menu. There are many different types of satay to choose from. Chicken or beef satay is the most popular, but you might also find seafood satay or tempeh or tofu satay for vegetarians.
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Maize: Columbus’ Cuban Discovery

August 16th, 2006 | By Wombat | No Comments »

Never did Christopher Columbus expect that one of the grains brought back by two of his Spanish sailors from Cuba, where they weighed anchor in 1492, would become a popular foodstuff in Southeast Asia — the region he actually wanted to discover.
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Bakso - Meatballs on the Go: Indonesia

August 15th, 2006 | By Wombat | 1 Comment »

One of the foods with Chinese culinary overtones is bakso, which literally means pork ball in some Chinese dialects. Originating from northern China the pork meatball came rolling down into Southeast Asia and set foot in Indonesia some 20 years ago.
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Shake a Coconut: Indonesia

August 13th, 2006 | By Wombat | No Comments »

The water of young coconuts, which has a delicate nutty flavor, is one of the most popular natural thirst quenchers in the tropics.
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