That means "success." Our immigration trials and tribulations are over! It worked. We had a final scare when one of the officers disappeared with JM’s passport, but he brought it back after 10 minutes, and it was all set, so…
The Primus song continues: "Now life’s a bowl of bagel dogs, but there are unpleasantries:Cold toilet seats, dentist chairs, and trips to Kantor Imigrasi." Let us give you an update on our travails since Monday. 1. Monday. Went to…
We’ve had a couple of inquiries from friends about where to send donations to quake victims in Indonesia. So far, we don’t know of any institutionalized clearing house for donations specifically for this calamity, but we do know that the…
This earthquake business is nuts. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has declared a three-day national mourning period for the victims. In our apartment complex we saw the Indonesian flag at half-mast–we thought that was only a Western thing, but apparently not. …
We are fine and safe here in Jakarta after yesterday’s earthquake off the coast of Sumatra. It’s about 1000 miles away from where we are, and we didn’t feel a thing. Also, the island of Sumatra blocked any waves that…
That of course, means Merry Christmas! We are sitting here looking out at the rain streaming down the windows– just looking outside we can pretend that it’s actually chilly. However, when we do eventually make it outside it’ll be as…
I (TP) went to the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta today to see about a visa for our six months in Malaysia. You see, the embassy is technically part of Malaysia, so technically I’ve now been to Malaysia. OK, whatever. Things…
The Freedom Institute will be closed on the 23rd and 24th…let it not be said that Indonesia is not eager to maximize days off when holidays fall inconveniently on the weekend. So here’s an early "Happy Holidays" from both of…
One of the attractive features of the Republican Party is the supposed commitment to fiscal discipline and economic efficiency. The ideology behind this view is a belief in the strength of the market and the invisible hand. Not only does…
You’d think that in a majority-Muslim country, Christmas would not be such a big deal, but you’d be wrong. Although perhaps 90% of Indonesians are Muslim, and there are substantial Buddhist and Hindu minorities, there are still approximately 20 million…
