Help me learn more about contemporary Indonesia!
May 13, 2013 9:04 AM Subscribe
I'm trying to learn more about contemporary Indonesia, and I'd love book & essay recommendations, especially of narrative non-fiction with a strong first person narrative voice! (But I'd also love suggestions of fiction, good travelogues, podcasts, blogs, zines, films, academic articles--really anything that doesn't demand prior in depth knowledge.)
For me the most engaging way to learn about a place's history, culture, & ordinary life is through reading narrative non-fiction with a strong first person narrative/authorial voice. For example, for the past couple years I've been crazy about Peter Hessler's astute accounts of contemporary China (plus his ability to make fun of Chinese culture without coming across as a naive or culturally insensitive outsider is particularly great.), & I just finished a great, super-engaging anthro text about the Chungking Mansions as a nexus of so-called low-end globalization called Ghetto at the Center of the World by Gordon Mathews. In general I love thoughtful accounts of life in other places--especially when it goes beyond the standard received tropes and delves into nuances of history and subculture without becoming dry or pedantic. I'd love to find some books & shorter prose that paints a compelling and nuanced portrait of contemporary & modern Indonesia & is similarly accessible yet rigorously researched and information-dense (but also any other media is great). Thank you!
For me the most engaging way to learn about a place's history, culture, & ordinary life is through reading narrative non-fiction with a strong first person narrative/authorial voice. For example, for the past couple years I've been crazy about Peter Hessler's astute accounts of contemporary China (plus his ability to make fun of Chinese culture without coming across as a naive or culturally insensitive outsider is particularly great.), & I just finished a great, super-engaging anthro text about the Chungking Mansions as a nexus of so-called low-end globalization called Ghetto at the Center of the World by Gordon Mathews. In general I love thoughtful accounts of life in other places--especially when it goes beyond the standard received tropes and delves into nuances of history and subculture without becoming dry or pedantic. I'd love to find some books & shorter prose that paints a compelling and nuanced portrait of contemporary & modern Indonesia & is similarly accessible yet rigorously researched and information-dense (but also any other media is great). Thank you!
Best answer: This is the travel blog of a former health researcher who loves Indonesia. It's not updated much, but it's exactly what you want.
posted by tintexas at 10:03 AM on May 13, 2013
posted by tintexas at 10:03 AM on May 13, 2013
It's one small part of your discovery, but read this Metafilter FPP How to write about Indonesia as a westerner
posted by lstanley at 10:08 AM on May 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by lstanley at 10:08 AM on May 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Not really answering your question about contemporary Indonesia, but films would be a good and easy start to get to know Indonesia in general.
All of the movies below should have English subtitles, and can be found from Amazon or elsewhere in the Internet. Keep in that that social realism is often sacrificed for theatrical impacts :)
The Year of Living Dangerously -- hey, Mel Gibson ! If you watch nothing else in this list, watch this.
Merantau -- a lot of fighting, but shows the 'seedy' side of Jakarta pretty well.
Java Heat -- 0 realism, but Indonesia is portrayed to be a rather exotic location here.
Laskar Pelangi -- might be hard to find the one with English subtitle ?
The Raid -- best action movie of 2012, surprisingly set in Indonesia ! Expect lots of blood and violence. I guess you can hear 'contemporary' Jakarta slang spoken here.
Gie -- again, this is more historical than contemporary. It's a quite interesting depiction of a turbulent time during the Indonesian history.
posted by joewandy at 11:49 AM on May 17, 2013
All of the movies below should have English subtitles, and can be found from Amazon or elsewhere in the Internet. Keep in that that social realism is often sacrificed for theatrical impacts :)
The Year of Living Dangerously -- hey, Mel Gibson ! If you watch nothing else in this list, watch this.
Merantau -- a lot of fighting, but shows the 'seedy' side of Jakarta pretty well.
Java Heat -- 0 realism, but Indonesia is portrayed to be a rather exotic location here.
Laskar Pelangi -- might be hard to find the one with English subtitle ?
The Raid -- best action movie of 2012, surprisingly set in Indonesia ! Expect lots of blood and violence. I guess you can hear 'contemporary' Jakarta slang spoken here.
Gie -- again, this is more historical than contemporary. It's a quite interesting depiction of a turbulent time during the Indonesian history.
posted by joewandy at 11:49 AM on May 17, 2013
« Older Any resources for meal ideas instead of just... | How much is too much when trying to ask a girl out... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Rash at 9:42 AM on May 13, 2013