Features
Kartini Day Commemoration: Beyond the Ritual
Based on a Presidential Decision issued by President Sukarno in May 1964, 21st April is celebrated as Kartini Day in Indonesia, to honour the national heroine recognised as a pioneer for female emancipation in the country. School girls and sometimes female office workers would dress up in kebayas, to go to school or work, similar
Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr: Reflections on Spirituality, Community, and Gratitude
For Muslims around the world Ramadan is a special moment provided by Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala (SWT). It marks a month of virtue, more so than any other month. Muslims who sincerely take part in Ramadan worship commit to be pious behaviour and firm religious practice, and when the moment of Eid al-Fitr 1445 Hijriyah arrives
East Meets Wines: Pairing with Asian Cuisine
Leading up to this year’s Chinese New Year celebrations I received many questions about what wines pair best with Chinese food. As you can imagine, many dishes from this rich and flavourful cuisine won’t find a good pairing, but a handful result in some surprisingly delicious combinations! Firstly, let’s get to back to the fundamentals
The Ambassadors Round Table: Edition 1
The Ambassador’s Round Table highlights the important diplomatic relationships Indonesia has with the global community, made possible through well-established, Jakarta-based embassies. Hosted by NOW! Jakarta Founder, Alistair Speirs, this forum gives a platform for prominent Ambassadors to Indonesia to share more about their respective country’s programmes and on-going objectives here in Indonesia. Edition 1 welcomes
Indonesian Democracy in Process: A Historic & Contemporary Review
On 14 February 2024, Indonesia held its simultaneous general and presidential elections. This has attracted global attention as it is the largest democratic process of its kind in the world; whatever opinion one might have on its outcomes, the sheer scale of its process is without a doubt an impressive feat. The geographic and demographic
The Evolution of Chinese-Indonesian Rights and the Sign of a New Indonesia
In the Indonesia we see today, one might take for granted the freedoms and liberties we currently have. However, older generation Chinese-Indonesians are one group that certainly do not take this lightly, many of whom continue to live with the mental and emotional scars of the country’s darker, discriminatory past. The open cultural celebrations of
From Fantasy to Fact: The Making of the New Capital IKN
The debate over the transfer of the national capital from Java to Kalimantan ended with the passage of Law Number 3 of 2022 concerning the National Capital (IKN Law). This law was signed and officially published on 15 February 2022, which established the Nusantara Capital Authority, a ministry-level organization that oversees the Special Capital Region
Skal Spectacular at Singosari
Skål is a professional organisation of tourism leaders around the world, promoting global tourism and friendship. It is the only international group uniting all branches of the travel and tourism industry. Skal members, the industry’s managers and executives, meet at local, national, regional and international levels to discuss and pursue topics of common interest. History
The Evolution of Jakarta’s Transport
Oh! We are all such suckers for nostalgia, but as they say ‘Nostalgia ain’t what it used to be!” Sometimes looking back, we tend to romanticise our memories. I will try not to do that, especially about transport, but you never know! Let’s start with the demise of the simplest, non-polluting, form of transport you
Jakarta Today: A Tentative Love Letter
Those who have spent most of their lives in Jakarta may feel the changes around them to be gradual, a slow and perhaps even unnoticeable evolution of their environment. One may have a myopic perspective to these changes, focusing on the immediate inconveniences such developments may cause to day-to-day life, rather than noticing the macro-transformation
Jakarta Then & Now: A Personal Recollection of 44 Years in the Capital
Arriving in Jakarta in December 1978 to start work in the rather undeveloped Indonesia insurance industry was an absolute culture shock, especially after the refined and gentrified world of Lloyds of London and a flat in New Kings Road. The plane arrived in Kemayoran Airport, which is now a centre for business and conventions (but
Reflecting on 15 Years of NOW! Jakarta
I perhaps should not tell you this, but I didn’t really want to start NOW! Jakarta! I was perfectly happy publishing a marvellous magazine called Jakarta Java Kini, or JJK, but my partner at the time had other ideas and took over the company, leaving me with a bit of a dilemma since I had enjoyed
Preserving Linguistic Heritage: An Interview with H.E Padraig Francis, Ambassador of Ireland to Indonesia
“Tír gan teanga is tír gan anam”, a country without a language, is a country without a soul. This age-old Irish proverb in the Irish language, or Gaeilge as it is called in that language, carries a profound truth that is often overlooked by the world. Far beyond the assumption of a predominantly English-speaking Ireland,