21st March 2004
Diaries are strange. Personal yet public. Did Pepys write his because he was forgetful or because he knew that he was living in interesting times? Is it a quest for immortality or a search for personality?
And why am I asking these questions?
This is my first attempt at a blog so I’ve a steep learning curve. My words can be found on the Net and I’ll feed those links in when I feel like it, but meantime I’d better work out what I’ve got to work out.
First off, I’m a Londoner now living in Jakarta ~ and we’re living in interesting times. There’s an election on which is adding to the traffic chaos but little to expectations of an improvement in living conditions.
I’ve been here for over 16 years and the Net keeps me in touch with what makes me a Londoner.
Charlton Athletic are doing better than most of us could have wished for and Europe beckons for next season. Shame about the last minute goal at Liverpool and Robert’s dive for Newcastle yesterday, but ‘little’ Charlton, like
AFC Wimbledon, are proving that football is both by and for the community. At least, in SE London, (if not SW).
And the Net keeps me in touch with folks who are great fans of the so-called ‘Canterbury Scene’ ~ Soft Machine, Caravan and the
various offshoots through the past 35 years. (Is it really so long?) Music is also a personal diary so I’ll definitely be adding links as stuff passes my way. Some of it is sent by my good mate, a once and future expat here,
Del. And some of it comes from
Leonardo who’s hoping to get some gigs organized here.
Above all, I hope this diary gives a flavour of life here in Indonesia. There are some good online information resources for
intending expats, for those interested in
teaching English here, and for those who are what my mother termed
lotus eaters.
I’m staying here but I’ll be happy if this all leads somewhere. Let me know at my temporary, for this blog anyway,
e-mail address.
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