Tag Archives: Jakarta

Time to move on from #kitatidaktakut and other hashtags?

There was a time when Unspun would have reacted to events like last Thursday’s terrorist attack with, among other things, a hashtag, either to show defiance, sympathy or solidarity. Unspun had felt like he was doing something about the situation, taking action and being part of something larger than himself. Lately, however, Unspun seems to have […]

The sad old town of Jakarta

A feeling of sadness always descends on me when I travel to the old, colonial part of Jakarta, Kota Tua. It was once the busiest part of Jakarta since it was close to the sea and port. Many old buildings stand there still. A few have been restored well, some have been mangled by modern […]

How the Foke solves traffic problems

Unspun thinks that critics are unnecessarily unkind to Jakarta Governor and gubernatorial candidate Fauzi Bowo, aka The Foke. The man is beleaguered by the problems of a huge megapolis that are not easy to solve but when confronted by a problem he wastes no time to rise to the occassion. Take, for instance, his resourcefulness […]

Why Fauzi is being Foked on social media by the Jokowi crowd

The video below that is well produced and catchy with a huge dose of humor is yet another reason why the incumbent Jakarta Mayor Fauzi Bowo is losing out big time in the popularity stakes to challenger Jokowi and his running mate Ahok. Joakowi supporters and his camp are proving very adept at using social […]

Therefore vote Fauzi Bowo

Because his political party, The Democrats, are as unimaginative and uncreative in problem solving as him Because under them the traffic jams in Jakarta would get worse since it is an inevitably Because they have no vision and no determination to improve living conditions in Jakarta beyond their own greed And they get surprised when […]

Jakarta at 484 – alright if you have escorts through the traffic

Yeah, if you expect a 484-year old to be stricken with arthritis, osteoporosis and other ills of old age. The fact is that Jakarta is quite dysfunctional and quite unnecessarily so many-a-time. Take, for example, traffic. Sure there are more cars than there are roads but the cause of much congestion and traffic jams often […]

Does Indonesia Suck as a tourist destination?

@anakcerdas just alerted me to this blog posting in Travel Blog with the terse and succinct message: “Memalukan yah” (Shameful, isn’t it?). Yes, it is indeed shameful if even half of what the blogger, Mike Foster, says is true. As someone who’s adopted Jakarta and Indonesia as my home I feel duty bound to defend […]

A good ride spoiled on Sudirman-Thamrin

Ever since young Unspun has loved cycling. What’s great about being on a bicycle is that sense of freedom, with the wind blowing past you. On one level you could take it easy, paddle along and watch people and buildings go by. On another level you could push yourself, feel the burn in the lungs […]