Baku got Hall of Famed because it dominated the meta too hard, that one.
/s
Not Ulaanbaatar. Because the winters are stupid cold and the air is unbreathable.
The suggestions are appreciated! I know Indonesia mainly through its Chinese minority; go figure, that's who I bump into here. Wonderful tales and pictures, and I've enjoyed the Indonesians I've met, but I'm leery about the religious element. That's a factor for me with Central Asia too, but a few of the Indonesian groups seem to take it further. Madagascar sounds like one I should follow up on, I seem to keep answering Mauritius in the various "If you could live anywhere in the world" threads. Madagascar would put me in the neighborhood. Bolivia has been sort of off my radar since South and Central America get their own flow of expats, while my background is stronger for Asia or Europe. I'll have to do some research and keep it in mind.Originally Posted by Thekri
With COVID-19 making its impact on our lives, I have decided that I shall hang in there for my remaining days, skip some meals, try to get children to experiment with making henna patterns on their skin, and plant some trees. You know -- live, fast, dye young, and leave a pretty copse. I feel like I may not have that quite right.
I can't speak about Bolivia and Madagascar, but I know Indonesia intimately.
Jakarta sucks. It is loud and crowded, traffic jam 24 hours a day, flooded street every time it rains, hot & humid when it is not raining, hot & swamplike when it rains, perpetual gray sky due to pollution, 150 AQI is a good day in Jakarta. One thing you do not have to worry about is the religious element. Every time Muslim fundamentalists wanted hold a rally in Jakarta, they had to import a lot of people from the outside Jakarta, even from other islands. Not to mention that the country just reelected Jokowi as president. He is highly secular and received full support of the Chinese minority.
I highly recommend Bali, either Ubud, or you can further north from Ubud to Tegalalang or even Besakih at the foot of Mt. Agung. The air quality rarely go over 30 AQI. Plenty of blue sky, except during the afternoon thunderstorm. Still humid, but relatively cool because of the elevation. Lots of breeze. Very beautiful area. Plenty of restaurants, coffee houses and yoga studios (everywhere). Nicest people in the world. Also, Bali is a Hindu island. Here is a link to a facebook group for renting and buying properties in Ubud.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1523008504577896//
At the current exchange rate, you can get a 2-bedroom house with pool and a.c. for around $800 a month in Ubud. If you go further north to Tegalalang and Besakih, the price dropped because they are more remote. We have a two-story house in the middle of Tegalalang rice terrace (look it up for more photographs of the area) and we love it there. When we built the house in 1995, we picked an open design, and did not bother with a.c. Even my wife, who totally hates heat and humidity, never had any problem sleeping at night. Or any time of the day for that matter.
Last edited by Rasulis; 2019-05-09 at 06:32 AM.
Oh, cut the bullshit. It's the normal Muslims that's the problem for us non-Muslims here, not the fundamentalists. The ones you call "moderates". They don't consider us to be equal to them. If not for being pregnant, I'd be harassed by people for not fasting like I have in the past even though I'm not Muslim.
They'll also use the blasphemy law against minorities.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-04-...ction/10984958
Indonesia's Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by a woman whose complaint about the volume of mosque loudspeakers led to an 18-month prison sentence for blasphemy.
Last edited by Heran; 2019-05-09 at 08:53 AM.