The city is always a good place for the alternative crowd to find freedom, open up and make peace with their identity, as well as connect with others in the community. The Q! Film Festival, blowing a refreshing breeze into its seven birthday candles this year, is just what this is all about. From August 8 to 16, ending on an intriguing symbolic note just before the Indonesian independence day...more

The fascination with nature's most unpredictable beasts has often persuaded some people that they are so well equipped with mastery of their subjects that they do not seem to be in any peril. We have seen, however, with the recent deaths of Steve Irwin...more

There are so many reasons to love this city. Business. Pleasure. Opportunity. The thrill of living a day that will be different to any other. Like any perception it all depends on who you ask. Some will tell you that Jakarta is a city designed for those who like to push the limits and break the rules...more

Situated in Wisma BNI 46, Fonzu was established six years ago. This Japanese restaurant is popular amongst young executives in the Sudirman area. Fonzu specializes in shabu-shabu and Korean grill...more

The common M.O. in this article has been for me to tell you not only about the performances but also a little about the performers. Well, sorry, but that's the way it shall continue. In my mix of apathy and admiration towards prodigies, however, I shall ever so mercifully permit one of this month's performers to introduce himself...more

Those of us living in Jakarta have love and hate affair with this sprawling city. Once upon a colonial time it was known as 'Batavia' and hence the Betawi or Jakartans, are the true born and bred locals. And for the many who grow up here, there is nothing to compare Jakarta with, simply because they have not lived anywhere else...more

Ting! Ting! Ting! the bell sings as I edge my tire through a group of pecking chickens. I lean into the old, creaking, Chinese-made bike and grind the gears. I'm going no faster than a duck's waddle, but here in the village – that's the pace of life...more

Home is where the heart is! And no matter how grand or humble your home may be, it's your little corner of the world, your little haven away from all the madness of the city. It's where you live with the most important people in the world - your wife and children - and for now, it's probably the closest you can be to heaven in this chaotic mortal world...more

Exhilarated kids shoot out of the tunnel like ping pong balls from an assembly line. A sign reads: Work is where you play. There is pop-up furniture, and private chambers called 'pods.' And if I squint real hard, I can see up the skirt of a woman standing seven floors above me. Am I dreaming? What's going on? ...more

The City has its charms. Whether it is London, New York or Jakarta, everyone wants to be in the centre of the adrenalin rush with its enticing restaurants, bars, nightclubs, shopping and never ending social activities. Carrie Bradshaw and her girl friends in Sex in the City completely epitomize what it is like to live in the city, but there are some points to be kept in mind...more

In Thailand recently, I visited Wilding Golf Performance Center that is founded and operated by renowned Australian golf coach Shane Wilding. The center is staffed by a team of professional instructors and operates 4 golf simulators as well as a so-called "putting studio" where the art of putting can be perfected...more

A few weeks ago the travel editor at the Financial Times, my main employer, asked me to write an article entitled "What I love about living in Jakarta"...more