Tales from the Moluccas #3: Ibilihi’s Nutmeg
We pick up Ibilihi from his home on a narrow strand of yellow beach, backed by jungle sprouting out of coral cliffs, where he lives...
Tagged: single mother
Machete Lessons for Beginners
It would be fair to say that watching one’s nine-year-old son improve his machete skills while 8-12 hours from *any* form of medical care, however...
Tales from the Moluccas #2: Happiness on the Riverbank
Lima has just discovered clothes. Three months ago, in fact. Compared to the itchy bark loincloths he used to wear, they’re remarkably comfortable. An excellent...
Because Children Know No Cultural Divide
It never ceases to amaze me how children’s friendships cross cultural boundaries so effortlessly. We spent the Idul Fitri holiday in the Togian Islands, off...
Who You Gonna Call?
The following episode takes place between 9am and 10am on the day we were hoping to leave Manado. INT: A surprisingly posh hotel room. Z...
Rafting the Maiting River
We spent our last day in the Tana Toraja whitewater rafting. An activity, which in the mind of the child, now forms a kind of...
Eight Months, Seven Countries
As Z and I enter our eighth month of continuous travel, here’s one amazing thing we’ve done in each month of the year. January: Making...
Ramadan in Tarakan
Bobby’s minivan has a melodic horn, which intones a three note melody. “It is the only one in Tarakan,” he explains, tootling merrily at a...
Mr. Confidence
Sometimes, something happens which makes you look at your child with new eyes. This morning, Z and I were at Poring Hot Springs, the sulphurous...
Climbing Mount Kinabalu
Dali would have loved the summit of Mount Kinabalu, the highest peak between the Himalayas and New Guinea. Granite towers, horns and cowslicks protrude improbably...