It all starts out with S. asking me to leave my bag and wallet in the car. Then we make our way through a narrow street full of street vendors, beggars, bearded men who have just left the mosque, motorcycles, auto-rickshaw’s, bicycles, and people, people, people. S. seems quite worried whether or not she may be able to maneuver me through this stretch.Then we meet a group of people which S. knows and together we make our way through a gate and an even narrower street. Left, right, above – flowers, pieces of cloth, food, books. At some stage we are asked to leave our shoes. Oh my goodness, how would one ever find them back…?On bare feet we go on.   Not quite the immaculate marble your feet have always looked forward to… then there is a small tomb. I am told that this is the grave of one of the country’s biggest poets - Amir Khusro.  To go inside I have to borrow my friend’s sari to cover my head. Even men need to do so – which makes them tying a handkerchief around the...

Life goes on... Those who think that being religious by default means being old fashioned may get a little confused by this. No idea how this plays out for Christians, Hindu’s, Buddhists… but Islam nowadays is increasingly being marketed, definitely in countries like Indonesia and India.From televangelists to Islamic fashion magazines, online fatwa to billboards advertising for the sharia debit card – Islam and ‘modern life’ are by no means contradictory and, in some cases, Islam simply sells.The Islamic economy may not be immediately visible to the foreign tourist – even though one cannot miss the enormous shopping malls of Jakarta. Having read ‘Expressing Islam’ edited by Greg Fealy and Sally White, however, I curiously keep an eye on shops, magazines, TV…  It may not be your taste, but just google  ‘Islamic fashion images’ – it’s not what you may call cheap or boring!Fealy and While give a lot more examples: Islamic preachers in soccer stadiums and on TV that have acqui...

If you live in Surabaya, Eastern Java (Indonesia) and you are expecting a child you might soon be helped by a list of state approved names of what to call your baby. A legislator of the 5.6 million city wants to introduce a bylaw that guides young parents as to not forget their identity as citizens of Surabaya. The councilor dislikes the popular habit to give foreign names such as Michael, Roberto or Abu – he rather had Jumanto or Paiyem, the Jakarta Post writes.The quoted residents disagree: I gave my child a foreign name because such names are sophisticated and might boost the child’s confidence, one says. Another: this way I feel that I can fulfill my wish to become part of the world community.Whatever you may think of it – let it be… Or not? Passing through a city like Jakarta with all its English billboards and shopping windows…  ‘Switch the flavor – regular or menthol’! ‘Gratis Service, spare parts’! ‘Kingdom Pet Shop and Pet Care’!   ‘Veggie – The...

The Indonesians get a little tired by their president it seems. Talking to people here in Jakarta – whether on religious tensions, Papua, corruption or poverty – one thing keeps popping up: SBY has lost a lot of credits in the country. And now it even seems that he considers it more important to boost his musical talents than do what he is supposed to do… The Jakarta Post brought a biting article yesterday criticizing how a president can spend his time recording songs when the country has piling problems. Supposedly Yudhoyono has composed a song – which will be the official music for the upcoming SEA Games – in September when the country was amidst spiraling sectarian conflict in Ambon, alleged corruption cases and severe infrastructure problems in preparation of the SEA Games. SBY is becoming a ‘figure of ridicule among his political rivals’ the paper says.

What do Jupiter, Smash, Shogun and Beat have in common? They are all popular types of motorcycles used in Jakarta. In rows of 4 they squeeze through the traffic only to be stopped (and in that sense beaten by the Toyota’s and Kia’s with a roof) when the next big-drop rain shower hits the road. I feel intrigued by the thought of who they are.Would it be anything similar to the small men’s taxi for which they have a specific name and respective mentality in Uganda – the boda boda? I wonder… As far as I can see, they seem to be used by one person only…Neither does this look like the vespa culture of the modern urbanites – which amazed me last year in Yogya. Here the ‘Smashes’ and ‘Shoguns’ seem to be used by poorly clothed men – or is it the dust and rain that makes them appear like the working class type? In any case they seem to appreciate life: hardly anyone dares to hit the road without a helmet.