Insert HTML hereTuris Kampungan Among the many train routes I have taken across Japan, the one between Uwajima and Kubokawa is, for me, the most scenic. The landscape along the Shimanto River felt more like China than Japan. I can run the scene from my train window through my head a hundred times. But there’s one moment…
Pompeii of the Animal Kingdom When I saw the dots of fire on the map of Kalimantan, my mind went straight to the animals. I ache to imagine how many endangered species have already been lost, and yet the fires are still burning. The national treasure and the pride of Indonesia—wooosh! Gone. I picture a…
Crossing the Line Besides sunrises and sunsets, when it comes to traveling, I’m especially keen on crossing land borders. Here is a short list of the land borders I have crossed. Singapore – Malaysia, by train.Malaysia – Thailand, by train.Thailand – Cambodia, by bus.Cambodia – Vietnam, by boat through the Mekong River.Vietnam – China, by…
A Criminal’s Mind When I was about 9 years old, my housemaid talked about an article in Kompas newspaper. It was about a lady who forced her housemaid to lie face down on an ironing board. She then ironed that maid’s back. Hearing that, I thought to myself, “How on earth could someone think of…
The Robbers I was so excited when I saw a pair of Kekeno fur seals dancing on the beach. I set up my camera and prepared to capture the best moments. Then a group of foreign tourists from the country of my ancestors ran onto the beach, with their thunderous voices. While splashing through the…
What is Your Life Made of? There are people who call themselves foodies, yet the food they seek can be completely different. Some travel from one Michelin-starred restaurant to another, or even set aside part of their salary each month just for the chance to dine at one. Others save their money to travel the…
Do You Remember When? Several days ago, I met up with old friends. For some of us, it had been about 10 years since we last saw each other. We first met more than 20 years ago during a journey across Indonesia. It didn’t take long for us to realize that we had a lot…
How Does Time Fly in a Butterfly? A few days ago, I watched a YouTube video about Jo Nagai (10), who discovered that butterflies can pass down memories to their offspring. But Jo didn’t arrive at this conclusion all of a sudden. It all began when he noticed that the butterflies emerging from the caterpillars…
Soar and Roar One day, I watched a documentary about a pet dog in America. Every morning, the dog acted as if he had completely lost his mind. He barked and barked—louder than a rooster waking the whole house. He jumped onto the sofa, barked at the door, crawled under the table, barked again, then…
Artificial Cleaning Service You might not believe this is Indonesia, but it is. With the help of Photoshop, I cleared the river and even “raked” the grass. Zooming in to 200%, circling one piece of trash after another, made me feel disgusted—as though I were picking up every piece with my bare hands. Three or…
