Asking for trouble

As I didn't want to spend all day cooped up in my hotel room and after I found myself procrastinating from work too much in there, I relocated to the nearest Starbucks. I felt irrationally nervous knowing the January terrorist attack in Jakarta had targeted some 'symbols of the West' including a UN building and a branch of Starbucks (the most evil capitalist beacon of them all). Starbucks temporarily closed their branches city-wide after that event to ensure no further capital damage was done (*sorry, as a mark of respect to the victims).


The only free table was right by the front window, and I will admit to occasionally darting my eyes skittishly to activity outside. Completely ridiculous behaviour as security concerns rarely faze me overseas, and the city is hardly paralysed by fear. The only time I have ever seen an Indonesian fazed by anything is last October when I was in Aceh and there was an earth tremor.

An evening with a colleague and some of her friends from the days when she lived in Jakarta. Fascinating to hear liberal Indonesians' views on religion and other things. As a foreigner it would be a lot easier to closely befriend Indonesians than it is to befriend Cambodians in Phnom Penh.