Author: Bama

The Dutch Charm in Jakarta’s Old Town

Indonesia was once a Dutch colony for about 350 years. Yes, three and a half centuries! So, no wonder there are many Dutch remnants in this country, notably the buildings. Jakarta (formerly Batavia) was the center of the Dutch East Indies and now serves as […]

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Dvarapala: The Guardian Statue

Dvarapala is a guardian statue which can be found in many Hindu and Buddhist temples/holy sites. In Indonesian ancient temples, usually a pair of dvarapala statues guard the entrance to the temple. Traditionally they are portrayed as scary-looking creatures, holding a club and with fat […]

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Intramuros: The Heart of Spanish Manila

The Philippines was once a Spanish colony for about three centuries. This has influenced many aspects of Filipinos’ life, including religion (more than 80% of the Filipinos are Roman Catholic), culture and architecture, to name some. Even until now, beautiful old buildings from Spanish era […]

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The (Friendlier) Face of Jakarta

Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, has been occasionally reported on the international media for bad news, such as terrorist bombing, devastating flood, intoxicating air pollution, paralyzing traffic congestion and so on and so forth. Well, most Jakartans share the same feeling about the city though. […]

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Jogja: The Soul of Java

A few days ago I went to Jogjakarta (officially Yogyakarta) to attend a friend’s wedding. Being in Jogja (Jogjakarta’s nickname) is like being in the center of Javanese culture. The province of The Special Region of Yogyakarta is actually the only province in Indonesia which […]

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