5 Things That Moving Overseas Taught Me

I knew I would love living in Asia. My job as Business Director of an Innovation Lab in Cambodia was a dream come true, and I had lived the majority of my childhood in Asia so developing countries were nothing new to me. I’ve had a long-running love affair with Philippines, so I wasn’t expecting any real culture…

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Registering the Birth of My Son in Philippines

In the first post of this series, I shared the story of my son’s birth in Philippines. After his birth, the next steps were to register his birth, obtain a (valid) birth certificate, apply for a Philippines passport, acquire his Australian citizenship, and finally apply for his Australian passport. No big deal! On the day of his birth…

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Giving Birth in Philippines — A Father’s Experience

I woke up just after 5am on Monday 17th August. My partner was already awake and standing up. She’d apparently been awake for a while, but I’m used to that — I don’t know how she always gets up so early every morning! Our 5 year old son starts school at 7am, and the Filipino habit of cooked rice meals…

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Puttin’ on the Ritz

A farewell is as good an excuse as any for an extravagant luncheon experience at one of Jakarta's elite 5-star hotels, and thus I found myself invited to the Ritz Carlton's Pacific Place Restaurant today. After a slightly confusing passage from the Pacific Place shopping centre carpark below, skirting the grand building, and through a security check complete…

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Travelling through Manila’s airports

I love the Philippines. The people, culture, and natural beauty (outside Manila)... but my love for the country stops at the airports. If you're travelling to or from Manila, you'll most likely pass through NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport), or if travelling on a budget carrier such as Air Asia you may fly into Clark's Diosdado Macapagal International…

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KL Sentral

KL Sentral is the hub of Kuala Lumpur's transport system, making it a very convenient location from which to get to any of your destinations. It also has a number of 5 star hotels beside the Sentral Terminal/Station, and when you head West from Sentral you'll find Brickfields, which is substantially Indian (Tamil) with heaps of cheap Indian…

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Read more about the article A thoroughly culinarily disappointing New Years Day
Seafood Platter for Two

A thoroughly culinarily disappointing New Years Day

New Years Day in Jakarta is frantic, frenetic, hectic, and every other tic that denotes crowded and intense public spaces. Asians have a tendency to eat out far more than Westerners, and shopping malls in particular attract huge crowds on significant days such as New Years. In Central Park, this was further exacerbated on 1st January 2011 by…

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Phloey Suan Thai in Sudirman, Jakarta

Phloey (Suan Thai) Thai Restaurant Panin Center Building, Basement, Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 11, Sudirman Jakarta, Indonesia I was invited to Phloey (Suan Thai) restaurant this evening by a group of friends, and this was perhaps the most enjoyable dining experience I've had so far in Jakarta. The range and quality of Thai food was excellent, the service…

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Read more about the article Confessions of a coffee addict in Indonesia
Spinelli Coffee Company, Plaza EX, Jakarta

Confessions of a coffee addict in Indonesia

I admit it, I've got a stronger than average obsession with coffee. There's rarely a day goes by when I don't have several café lattés. If asked to associate a word with me, most friends, colleagues and clients would probably nominate 'coffee' first. And needless to say, I have strong preferences in this regard. For those of you…

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Aston Bali Resort and Spa

Bali is a popular holiday destination for Australian families due to it's relatively close proximity and (potentially) low cost. If you've never visited Bali before, it pays to do your homework in advance and set your expectations accordingly. Bali is an entire island, and you have many options as to where to stay and visit. Your plane will…

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