After much umming and arring, I finally took the plunge and bought an Ipad about 6 weeks ago.  A decision I don't regret one bit.  I'll be the first to admit that I'm a bit of a geek and have spent far too much time trying to get the most out of my new fingerprint covered purchase.  In the interest of helping some of you guys out (and a shameless experiment to see if an Ipad post will boost hits), I've compiled this list of what I believe are some of the best apps out there.  Ones I can't live without.

Atomic Web ($0.99)

What was Apple thinking of when they decided not to include tabbing with their default Safari web browser?  Thankfully Atomic Web lets me wake up in the morning, load the Jakarta Globe website straight from the toolbar at the top of the browser and open all the bad news stories that interest me in different tabs.  Corruption, officials getting away with breaking the law, SBY urging people to follow the law and religious intolerance.  I can get through it all in half the time thanks to Atomic Web.

River of News ($4.99)

I read a lot of great blogs, mylifejakarta.blogspot.com, spruiked.posterous.com, jakartass.net, pelopor.nl, therabexperience.blogspot.com and treeatwork.blogspot.com are my favorite ones at the moment and River of News does a great job of letting me read my google rss feeds with its slick interface.  To be fair though, it was a tough choice between this and Reeder.

Evernote (bugger all)

This is the best way I've found to keep track of all the random thoughts that pop into my head.  It's free for a basic account, and I can sync my notes between my Ipad, Itouch, Blackberry, home desktop and work laptop.  There is a downside though, with the basic account you can't edit notes if you're not connected to wifi or 3G.  It doesn't really affect me much, but for the few times it does, I just jot stuff down in the standard note app and copy and paste to Evernote when I am at home or work.  Easy.

Osfoora ($3.99)

I have to admit that I prefer my Blackberry when I want to use Twitter as it's more of a 'on-the-go' thing for me.  However, I'm pretty impressed with the layout of Osfoora and find myself using this more and more when I'm at home.

Air Video ($2.99)

Now this app is the dogs bollocks, the mutts nuts if you will.  You're probably like me and have huge library of videos on your home PC that never get watched.  For me it's because I hate being confined to my computer chair at the back of the house while watching the latest episode of Eastenders.  Air Video streams any video saved on my PC to my Ipad via the house's wi-fi so I can catch up with what's happening in Albert Square while I'm in bed all snug under my duvet. Other benefits include me being able to be with the wife, without actually being with her.

VLC (bugger all)

Cue angry comments.  I have to say that I'm not a big fan of the Ipad seriously restricting the types of video it can play.  When I first bought my Ipad I couldn't be bothered to convert all my videos to am Apple friendly format, then sync them through Itunes to the Ipad.  The whole process was just too clunky.  VLC to the rescue.  This video playback app has been able to play every video I've thrown at it, and transferring videos onto my Ipad is as simple as searching through your hard disk via Itunes.

TuneIn Radio ($1.99)

As an Expat living in Indonesia, who likes to listen to English radio, this radio app gets a hell of a lot of use.  I usually listen to pre-recorded Chris Moyles shows on demand, or pre-recorded shows from the TWIT network.  You can also listen to over 40,000 radio stations live via your wi-fi or 3G connected Ipad.  The real magic happens when I plug the Ipad into my living room TV or Hi-Fi to get amplified radio throughout the house.  Housework has never been (so much) fun.

IBooks (bugger all)

Another brilliant app which I use mainly for consuming magazines and photography Ebooks. At first it was a bit strange reading on an Ipad, but after a few minutes I totally forgot that I wasn't reading a real book.  In fact I love the way I can copy important passages and paste them into Evernote.

Deadball HD ($1.99)

This falls into the bizarre category of 'games that I'm addicted to that others think are shit'. I don't know what it is that keeps me coming back to this game where all you do is flick a ball into a goal, but It has got me well and truly hooked.  Other games in the 'GTIATTOTAS' (don't think that'll ever catch on) category include Crackdown 1 for the Xbox 360.

So hopefully that has helped some of you guys squeeze a little more out of your Ipads. Do you agree? I'd love to hear what you guys use.

Against my better judgement, I went into Body and Soul this afternoon to buy a scarf type thing as a surprise for the missus.  I remember her commenting on one she liked a few weeks ago.  So being the good man I am, decided it would be a nice thing to do for her.  However, being a man means I have the memory of a sieve and forgot which one she'd pointed out.  I had a general idea and managed to get it down to two candidates, but as you know... fate dictates that I'd definitely choose the wrong one.

So I asked the shop assistant if she could help me out.

Can I buy the one I think it is, and if it's wrong, return this evening and swap it for the right one? (same price)

"Can't mister"

Ok.  Can I take a quick picture and send it to the wife over bbm and she can confirm it's the right one? (a little disappointed cos the surprise would be gone)

"Can't mister"

Ok.  I'll just take the risk and get this one.  Here's my Permata card.

"Sorry, we only take BCA"

I had no cash on me, and to be honest wasn't really in the mood to go to the ATM and withdraw money for a shop that created so many barriers for me to give them my business.  

So I went to the frame shop downstairs, got a nice one, and went home to finish editing a picture I was working on for the wife.

Fifteen minutes later I printed it, put it in the frame and now I'm waiting for her to get home from work :).  I know you'll see many better pictures out there,  but I enjoyed making it and that's enough for me.

I just hope she likes it, and she doesn't read this before she gets back.

 

 

Just throwing some stuff at you guys to see what's really going on.

Both of you who follow my blog will know, that my holiday consists of gym, reading at Starbucks, then home to see the wife. Well Starbucks doesn't have toilet facilities of it's own, so I have to risk my belongings with the staff and waddle off, with turtle's head (tmi?), to use the mall toilets.

Culture and greed dictates that I have to pay 1000 rupiah for the pleasure to urinate under the watchful gaze of the toilet cleaner, both of which I'm used to and don't even think about anymore.

Which leads me to my question...

When I hand over my 1000 rupiah note before entering the toilets a lady (always the same one) will happily take my money but not rip out a ticket to give to me. The first few times I noticed this was going on, I asked for my ticket to which she got visibly annoyed and acted like I was seriously inconveniencing her.

I've mentioned this to a few friends, who seem evenly divided:

We've got the 'yes, she's keeping the money for herself. So ask for the ticket everytime, cos if you don't, am helping her steal' camp.

And the 'yeah, there's probably something going on, and by asking her for the ticket am calling her out. She's on a low wage and getting screwed by her fat cat corrupt boss. So just turn a blind eye to it' camp.

This must be happening all over the country. Why is she not giving me a ticket? Is it so she can pocket the ribu? After all, no ticket ripped out of her little book means there is no record of my money. Is it an open secret that they skim money and share it with the cleaners or other people? Do I think too much and let all the negative press influence my perception on Indonesia and am simply jumping to conclusions?

Anyway, even if she is on the take, should I insist on the ticket? and get the dirty looks while calling her out. Or do as most others do and let it slide?

If I call her out am I just another bule with his westernised principles who stresses over everything and should just let things go? If I let it go, am I just someone else who turns a blind eye to corruption, therefore perpetuating the problem?

What would/do you do?

It's holiday time again at work which means colleagues jet off to the more interesting parts of the archipelago to enjoy their freedom. I'm not saying Surabaya is mundane...

Well actually I am.

But no jet setting lifestyle for me. Seeing I'm the best husband in the world, my holidays consist of lazing away the afternoons in Starbucks until the missus gets home from work.

In fact I'm there now and have just had a ten minute wait to get served because the woman in front needed two minutes to decide what she wanted, then another minute to decide what credit card she wanted to use, and then half way through the transaction she suddenly remembered her special Starbucks discount card, which meant everything had to be cancelled, needing another employee to come out from the back and take over.

But, you know what? I ordered my usual Americano and walked away happy because the cashier smiled and apologized for making me wait.

Am I too easily pleased these days?...

The next couple of months could be HUGE for the image and future of Indonesia.  The National Police will get a new Chief, the last Chief post will be filled in the KPK, and there will be a new Attorney General in the AGO.  If the right choices are made, it could be the start of real progress in such a troubled country.  If the wrong choices are made, it will just be business as usual.  It's basically make or break time.

President SBY, is expected to name his sole candidate for the National Police top job to the House Of Representatives this Thursday. The house will then examine his track record and make a decision whether he's suitable or not.  

There are two front runners for consideration, Comr. Gen. Imam Sujarwo and Comr. Gen. Nanan Sukarna.  If reports are to be believed, Imam seems to be edging in the lead and enjoys a relatively clean reputation.  However controversy has reared it's ugly head again with reports that Imam is distantly related to the President, which in turn is causing suspicion into Imam's recent promotion to Three Star General, a prerequisite for consideration for the Chief Post.  The National Police say the promotion is merely routine, but they always say that, even when it's painfully obvious it's political.        

You won't be surprised to read that I've a lot more faith in the KPK selection process to fill the last of their five Chief Posts.  It seemed a lot more open and transparent from the start, and importantly was open to outsiders.  

The two candidates officially proposed by President Yudhoyono to the House Of Representatives are Busyro Muqoddas, the incumbent head of the Judicial Commission, and Bambang Widjojanto, the former chairman of the Indonesian Legal Institute Foundation.  Let's hope the House chooses the best candidate based on merit, and not by their stance on the Bank Century bailout case.

Let's also hope the new Chief has the courage and will to combat corruption.

Most interestingly, in my eyes, is who will get the new Attorney General position in the Attorney General Office (AGO).  It seems to be a case of 'outsider vs insider'.

Ask anyone with common sense who should get the job and they will say an outsider should get it. Ask anyone with vested interests in keeping the current system riddled with corruption and abuses of power and they will say it should go to an insider.

It's a shame, and I wish I was surprised to hear, that current Attorney General Hendarman Supandji has already proposed eight candidates to SBY, all of which come from within the AGO.  If this wasn't enough to confirm resistance to change, any talk of an outsider heading the AGO is being fiercely rejected by career prosecuters. Both giving out a bad impression to the public.

I'm sorry, but their reason that only an insider knows the Judicial System enough to be effective doesn't cut it with me, a shit system is a shit system and needs a mayor overhaul - ideal for an outsider without interests and who is in debt to noone.

The final decision rests with SBY, and for me is a no-brainer.  For a President so concious about his image and one who is trying to convince the Indonesian public he's committed to fighting graft, it would speak volumes if he went for an insider, there's just too much at stake.  Mr Teflon's not looking so great these days and Indonesians are starting to find their metallic spatchulas.

So the next few months could be critical.  Imgine If all three major institutions get the right kind of leaders, then we could see some real progress in Indonesia. Imagine if all three could work together in combatting corruption, instead of against each other like what we see all too often in embarrassing power plays.

Add that to rumoured cabinet changes and it could be heaven.

Or am I just dreaming.

It's 6.30pm and I'm eating Sour Sally, I was supposed to be at the other end of the mall at 6 to meet my friends for a leaving party at Pizza Hut. Why am I leisurely enjoying frozen yoghurt when I know I'm half an hour late?

Because I'm in Indonesia.

I quickly caught on to the concept of 'rubber time' when I first arrived here. There is no point in being punctual for a social arrangement as you will just end up waiting around looking like someone being stood up.

So I've decided to go at 7.

Funny thing is, I'll still be the first one there, and the other guys who are joining are probably in other parts of the mall doing the same as me.

Tonight seems to be a night of firsts. I'm typing this on my phone and will post to my blog via email when I'm done. If everything works as advertised, then it will open up a completely new way of blogging on the go.

Tonight's also the first time I'm writing while under the influence of a few bottles of Bintang - an unfortunate by-product of being on teacher's wages.

And tonight was also the first time my wife's ever been to a bar. My plan was to show her the bar I like to watch the premiership in isn't full of lecherous perverts, and is anything but the Coyote Ugly atmosphere she envisioned.

So anyway, we went around 8, and now I find myself, with wife, at our local supermarket doing the weekly shop before it closes at 10.

If you find my balls please send them to...

I'm looking through some of my old photos I took when myself and a few colleagues raised money and visited those left homeless in Lapindo.

I don't want to turn this into a Bakrie post, but my heart really does go out to those genuine people who lost their homes and livelihoods and are struggling to live.  They didn't have much before, now they've got even less.

My heart doesn't go out so much to the self-appointed 'representatives' who said they were in charge of contributions and started taking their share (and tucking into the food) even before it was divided up.  They obviously weren't struggling, and I hope our contributions eventually got to the people who needed it most.

Anyway, I'd like to share this:

Let's hope there's light at the end of the tunnel.

The festivities of Ramadan are over and I've bagged myself a week holiday, which means one thing - I'm back to being a house husband again.  Any romantic thoughts of not having a maid to ensure us newly weds have some privacy (read: having a tiny house and being stingy) are slowly being replaced with a twinge of what can only be described as pure lazy regret.

Giving the house the occasional 'man clean' still leaves me with a bit of time to play blogger again.  Actually, I've been wanting to post a few times in the last month but stopped myself, as everything I typed seemed a bit too negative.  There's an alarming amount of things in the news recently that's irked a lot of people, me included, but reading, analyzing and writing about it was putting me in a shitty mood, which isn't me at all.

I remember a conversation I had with an old friend when I first arrived in Indonesia.  He openly admitted that Indonesia was a mess, but he had absolutely no desire to do anything about it, preferring to bury his head in the sand instead.  He said that he couldn't change anything, and it's just the way it is, so instead of stressing over everything, he said he'd prefer to concentrate on his own life and be as happy as he could.  At the time, I remember thinking that it's no wonder Indonesia has so many problems, if everybody had that attitude, nothing would ever change.  

But now, in all honesty, I'm finding it harder and harder to not start subscribing to his point of view.  

Indonesia is a country where those in power hold the whole deck of cards, and only throw common folk the occasional joker.  Indonesia is a country that finds selectively punishing people who break the law acceptable, but outlaws taking a cheeky peek at a porn site.  It's a country where logical reasoning isn't winning the war, in fact illogical reasoning and open abuse of power displayed by the corrupt and self serving isn't even being hidden from us any more.  Maybe it never was.  

When I started blogging 51 posts ago, I had a sincere hope for Indonesia.  I knew we had a silent leader in SBY, but thought surely he must be working hard behind the scenes to make Indonesia a better country. Even if it was only to repay the millions of people who gave him their votes, not once, but twice.  I could put up with his silent stance on a lot of issues and felt mildly content because at least not responding to pertinent issues could be seen as being better than openly abusing the system, Suharto style.

Now I know that's not good enough.

Only just recently the Indonesian public's been treated to reports of a growing number of groups, with fuses the length of pubes, who think it's ok to take the law into their own hands by using violence to get what they want.  And until The National Police and top level government take real action them they will simply continue to push the boundaries.  The Christian stabbing in Bekasi and SBY's lack of meaningful response (note: I understand The President condemned the attacks yesterday, but he also condemned them on August 10th. Firm, unambiguous leadership is sorely needed now, not just mere lip service) is dominating the news at the moment.  Personally, I'm glad the irony of The Indonesian President writing a letter to Barack Obama only a few days before asking for intervention in the proposed Koran burning saga wasn't lost on a lot of political observers here.

Good news in Indonesia's media is hard to find at the moment.  We still have a Chief of Police who is laying low, avoiding any responsibility over the 'fabricated' Anggodo recordings until his retirement in October.  A President, who continues in vowing to combat corruption, whose actions are doing anything but - a glaring example is granting generous remissions to convicted grafters serving time in prison.  SBY's government cutting his eldest son's father-in-law's sentence to only 14 months for 'misusing' 100 billion rupiah sends out seriously contradictory signals, and only enforces the fact that I'm in the wrong job.  That's a staggering 238 million rupiah per day.  We are also blessed with a bunch of lawmakers who can't pass any laws, because they are too busy trying to push through projects and schemes that benefit themselves.  That's when they decide to turn up to work.  

All of this, unfortunately, is going unpunished and is such a shame because the Indonesian public deserves a lot more.

So yeah, I'm beginning to realize why so many subscribe to my friend's philosophy.  

I can honestly say I've got a newfound respect for those who have been, for years, blogging about Indonesian reform and have stuck to their task.  If you ever find yourself in Surabaya I'll buy you a beer.  How do you guys remain optimistic?

On a brighter note, I'm going to show my ignorance when it comes to coffee.  As I type this I'm enjoying the atmoshphere in a Starbucks in Java, and just about to order my second Americano.

Now that's a good house husband.

National News 19 Aug 2010

Joyous celebrations could be heard around Police Stations around Indonesia last night upon hearing what could only be described as a 'surprising discovery'.

At 4pm yesterday, Prita Yapmono (46) from Banguwangi was working in her back garden when she found a few plastic cases.  Unsure what they were, she called her husband Kefas (52) over to see if he could identify them. 

“At first, I thought Prita unearthed some old mix tapes but on closer inspection we realised that she’d found the wiretapped conversations between the KPK and Anggodo's middleman .  Look underneath here, you can see the titles on them.”

Prita added “After hearing of Bambang's faliure to present their 'evidence' in court, I thought he was just lying.  Goes to show just how wrong you can be.”

Minky warden from Human Rights Watch was disappointed upon hearing the news.  “It’s not good at all! Bambang has the perfect response to what he thinks are personal attacks, and things that can directly affect his image.  Now we have no chance of fixing some of Indonesia’s real problems, like corruption and freedom of religion.  We have no hope”

Tiki are in charge of the transportation of this ‘special package’ back to Jakarta and promise to handle them with extreme care.  They will be flanked by a convoy of armored vehicles and are under strict instructions to be on the look out for ‘KPK Konvict Korruptors’ and other vigilante groups with vested interests of seeing the tapes destroyed.

Lawyers say we should be seeing the tapes in court in 3-4 weeks, but first the prosecution has to get their evidence ready.

 

 

Ass Covering: This article is not true and HEAVILY edited to the point of not making any sense.  

The original may make a comeback when 'satire' is understood as a form of humor.  People stop thinking because someone is a President, they should be immune from critisism, when in fact the opposite should be true.  People don't get insulted by hideous profanities such as 'balls' and 'nuts', and hypocrites don't spit out their dummies when a foreigner uses humor to get through a very real message about the 'State' of Indonesia - and it is in a state...