The Menteng Heritage Society and the Fight to Preserve Jakarta’s Historic Homes
On Saturday, 20 April 2024, the Menteng Heritage Society, Indonesian Heritage Society and Tugu Kunstkring hosted the first ‘Menteng Open’, a walking tour and lecture event focused on the heritage houses of one of Jakarta’s oldest districts, Menteng. ‘Minting’, as it was then called, was already scribbled onto old Dutch maps back in 1695. What

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

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

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

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,

Hopes and Dreams and Wishes: The Story of Christmas
Every parent has hopes and dreams for their children – that they will be happy, that they will be physically and emotionally and spiritually healthy, that life will be fair to them, that they will have friendships and relationships that are life-giving, that they will find fulfilling and satisfying employment, that they will be people

Annual NAS Bazaar 2023: A Year-End Community Celebration
On Saturday, 25 November 2023, Nord Anglia School Jakarta (NAS) held their annual community event, the NAS Bazaar, bringing students, parents and faculty together at their campus in Jeruk Perut, South Jakarta. Always a highlight of the year, the 2023 Bazaar was considered a hit amongst all who attended. Visitors, who included the school community,

HRH Prince Edward, The Duke of Edinburgh, Makes Royal Visit to Indonesia and British School Jakarta
On 24-25 November 2023, Indonesia welcomed a rare visit from a member of the British royal family, Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh. The purpose of the Prince’s visit was to personally present young Indonesians with ‘The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award’. The awards presentation took place on 24 November 2023 at British School Jakarta,

A Splendid Spanish Dinner With La Chaine des Rotisseurs Jakarta Bailliage
La Chaine des Rotisseurs Jakarta Bailliage scored another triumphant success with a marvellous dinner hosted by H. E. The Spanish Ambassador to Indonesia Francisco Aguilera and Mme. Gemma Caminada at their beautiful residence. The evening started in true chaine style, with a selection of delicious canapes accompanied by a fresh chilled sparkling Cava, as the

Indoswing: A Swing Dance Community in Jakarta
Java Jazz Festival, Prambanan Jazz, and many jazz bars permeate Indonesia’s musical interests, but who here knows what the Lindy Hop is? Whilst the enthusiasm for jazz is alive and well in the country, the accompanying dances aren’t nearly as popular. Indoswing is here to change that. Indoswing is a community built around the Lindy

Indonesian Comedians Take Stage at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2023
Indonesia’s stand-up comedy industry reached a new milestone in 2023 as a delegation of local comedians led by veteran comic Mo Sidik represented Indonesia at the world-famous Edinburgh Fringe Festival. This momentous achievement served as the international launch of Indonesia’s forthcoming IndoFringe Festival of Performing Arts, scheduled for November 2023, which will put a spotlight

Indonesian Heritage Society: Preserving Culture Through Community
The Indonesian Heritage Society (“IHS”) is a non-profit organisation established in 1970, by Indonesian and ex-pat volunteers, providing support and assistance to Indonesia’s cultural institutions. The 60s was a challenging period for the history of Indonesia. The instability of the era narrowed the government’s focus on pure survival and financial development. Thus, there was very

The American Women’s Association of Indonesia: Building Community Together
The American Women’s Association (AWA) has long been a favourite organisation for American expatriates living in Jakarta. Over the years, the Indonesia-based AWA opened its arms to a wide variety of nationalities, and not just women, but anyone looking to engage in cultural activities and help social welfare programs whilst meeting others through a variety