Closer to God

When you are closer to sin you are closer to god

Just as a thief might be intimate with the criminal justice system.

Genocide

Genocide is not just about people killing but story killing

Raja Ampat Baby!

I wanna go!!

Where I live II

Click this link to see the picture!

Sis on Veils

From our correspondent in Belgium.

Thanking People in Indonesia

I remember the venerable Ausdag posted on the same topic years ago.

Nevertheless a good read!

iPhone 4

Looks like I can get an upgrade for $18.

Decisions, decisions...

Flash

I have stopped using flash on my browser.

Way too many flash security issues and viruses out there.

Youtube has a html5 video version which should more than suffice for my needs.

Facebook

I quit!! I only ever joined to see what all the fuss was about. Now I know.

Where I Live

99 Problems

Another hat tip is required - just can't figure whom to!

Link.

A Kite with a Broken String

[...] he appeared tearful at times when the subject turned to his family and he described seeing their shoes when he returned to his Beijing flat for the first time on Tuesday.

"I completely lost control of my emotions, because to me these are the three dearest people in the world and now, we're like a kite with a broken string," he told AP.

The Big Durian

I read this and it struck a chord. There is something about landing back in Jakarta. A feeling. A fantastic feeling.

Nevertheless, I can understand a few of this Australian travel blogger's points!

I remember three pals and I went to Bogor in October. We ended up eating at an outdoor stall - and embarrassingly for me, all I could do was think of the hour long train ride back and the possibility of getting the runs. What a whimp!

If you plan to visit Jakarta you need to be sometimes brave, sometimes inquisitive and most of all open minded!

I Wish I Learned this...

...while I was a little younger!

God v Satan

God is bad ass!!

[Btw, not 100% sure where I got this link from - hat tip is in the post...]

The Devil's in the Detail

While on the topic of food, in Bukittinggi Delvi and I had lunch at a Sunda restaurant.

I love Sunda food - I reckon it would go down a storm with hip westerners - it's such a fresh smorgasbord of a cuisine.

In any case Delvi told me how the local Minangkabau never really got Sunda food and the restaurant was mostly empty.

I chuckled to myself. West Java and West Sumatra seem so similar to this person that lives on the other side of the planet. It reminds me of my Korean pal who told me (straight-faced) that Ireland and Germany were pretty much the same.

Minang Asli

I went to a restaurant called Minang Asli in Queens last weekend.

I surprised myself at how excited I was to eat Indonesian food.

My date and I had...

1) Pempek Palembang. Is there any other type of Pempek?

2) Sate kambing. Which was translated as lamb satay. I am not sure whether it was a translation error or whether they were trying to fool the Westerners - or maybe they were trying to fool the Indonesians (suspect goat meat is hard to find in NYC).

3) Nasi goreng with ikan asin - fried rice with small salty fish.

It was all delish and I was so happy. So much better than the last time i went to an Indonesian restaurant in Queens - Upi Jaya. Although I should really go back to Upi Jaya and make sure it's not as good. Then I'll also go to Minang Asli to be doubley sure which is best : )

Eleven Years of Erlang

Nice article about my fave programming language.

Century Bank Fallout Article

SBY smelling of roses?

Wild and Whacky Stuff in Indonesia

When people ask me about Indonesia I want to tell them about the bizarro, whacky mind altering stuff (at least to the average Westerner) that happens over there.

So the list could include something about how the Minangkabau is a matriarchal society - I need to learn more about Minangkabau culture!!

How the Timorese rever chickens (at least I think they do).

Or how everything can be eaten with a chocolate and cheese topping.

Any ideas?