What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about Jakarta? Ask 100 different people, and you will surely receive 100 different answers. Jakarta, to some, is a city of hope, a place where they strive to make their dreams come true. Others feel that life in Jakarta is too exhausting,

I love the way the Indonesian language and the English language have blended over the years. For example, many non-Indonesians would have heard of the infamous spy Matahari long before they learned that her name is the Indonesian word for the sun (literally “the eye of the day”). And those who have not heard of

Back in April, two girls were inspired to do something: what they wanted to do wasn’t an original idea but the concept was new to most people here in Jakarta, and it touched many. Let me introduce you to the girls first: they are two fantastic people who I’ve had the pleasure of knowing. The

We average working class “westerners” are taught from a very young age that in order to be successful in our lives we must always plan for the future. We must get into the best school so we can go to the best college and then get the best job. We must work hard and climb

When people take a calculated risk while driving, it usually pays off. Our minds are amazing things that do calculations so quickly we don’t even have to think. We can immediately figure out if we can squeeze through a gap, overtake before a truck comes and generally weave our way through safely. But it’s when

Living in Jakarta isn’t an easy task. More often than not the monotonous humming of the idle engines can drive a person insane. Waking up in the morning to see a bleak sky isn’t great either, however we all make do to get by in the world. Luckily for us, the residents of Jakarta, we

“There comes a point when ‘Holy sh*t!’ applies across the board…” I was recently forced to do something that I have never really wanted to, and to my great surprise I found that it was actually one of the most amazing and enjoyable things I have ever done. It is something that I have avoided

I have been travelling in Europe recently and have seen some of the best – and some of the worst – examples of corporate responsibility in action as a counterpoint to Indonesia’s growing efforts to understand and put into action real practices to make companies responsible across a wide range of critical value areas, especially

One of the great things about Indonesia at a local level, away from politics andpower plays, is the tremendous community spirit, which especially express itself on 17 August every year when Independence Day is celebrated. For those lucky enough to have well organized local committees, and good parks or open spaces to enjoy, the celebrations

Even if you’re the most selfish person in human history, it’s still in our nature to give. We give different things, for varying purposes, to accomplish different goals. We gift a special someone a box of chocolates in hopes of receiving gratitude (maybe in the form of a kiss or a hug), or we invest

Did you know there are 24 public holidays in Indonesia in 2017? Yes I know it seems more – and so many of them on Thursday, Friday or Monday creating the inevitable long weekend! Since three fell on Saturday or Sunday that’s 21 working days or 8% of the working year. Now I know I’m

I am surrounded by experts. So many people I meet are start-ups, entrepreneurs, go-getters, amazing achievers, dedicated, visionary, brilliant, community-oriented and environmentally focussed. Everyone knows everything about sustainability, responsibility, CSR, recycling, repurposing, re-everything. There are more experts online, in consulting groups, in advisory companies, in multi-national’s, in CSR departments, HR departments, PR departments. It’s a