https://www.scmp.com/rss/502278/feed Marcel is a Jakarta-based journalist and writer who covers everything from culture, lifestyle, to business for the Nikkei Asian Review, Rolling Stone, VICE, The Jakarta Post, and more. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com In late 2013, Mickey Oxcygentri and his wife were driving down a steep hill in rural West Java province, Indonesia, when they thought they saw a zombie. It was an hour past midnight near Cicurug village, in Sukabumi Regency, and the only light around came from a few houses along the road. Oxcygentri, based in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, was exhausted and at the end of a long day. He had driven up the hill to drop off a friend, who had warned him to be careful on the way back and to beware... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3116581/demons-zombies-jinns-ghost-hunters-use-photography-human?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3116581/demons-zombies-jinns-ghost-hunters-use-photography-human?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Jan 2021 17:15:05 +0000 “It’s a dream come true,” says Indonesian comic artist Ario Anindito. After many years as a professional cartoonist, this year he began designing elements of the latest chapter in the global Star Wars multimedia spectacular. The 37-year-old was an introverted child, frequently “daydreaming and getting lost in my own imagination”. At the age of six, he decided that drawing superheroes like Spider-Man and Superman would be his escape, and later his profession. Today, Anindito is one of a few... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3114185/working-marvel-comics-dream-come-true-how-two-artists-ended?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3114185/working-marvel-comics-dream-come-true-how-two-artists-ended?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Dec 2020 21:15:05 +0000 Shahnaz Aliyya Nurfauzi likes playing traditional Indonesian games more than anything she might find on a mobile phone. The seven-year-old from Jakarta likes engklek, which is similar to hopscotch – she needs only chalk to draw columns and numbers on the ground – and engrang batok, involving a balancing act on halved coconut shells. Aliyya was taught how to play her new favourite games by volunteers from Jakarta-based Komunitas Temen Main (Playmate Community), who encourage children to enjoy... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3113134/indonesia-unplugged-why-traditional-games-and-toys?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3113134/indonesia-unplugged-why-traditional-games-and-toys?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Dec 2020 23:45:10 +0000 Indonesians are often spooked by cemeteries, but the history enthusiasts in a group called Indonesia Graveyard like to visit them to learn more about the past and about themselves. They may get odd looks and queries, and face scrutiny from people who don’t understand their hobby, but they have never questioned their dedication and vow to continue. The key members of Indonesia Graveyard, which was formed in January 2017, routinely get together to visit various cemeteries in their hometown of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3110449/luxury-private-cemeteries-graves-piled-top-each-other?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3110449/luxury-private-cemeteries-graves-piled-top-each-other?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Nov 2020 04:15:14 +0000 Indonesian musical duo Bottlesmoker have always been peculiar. Performing instrumental electronic music that brims with gleeful melody and danceable beats, they use vintage toys and game consoles, transistor radios and home-made sound machines alongside modern synthesisers to make their music. These days, they’ve added something new to the mix: plants. Inspired by the experimental works of late Canadian electronic-music pioneer Mort Garson, particularly his 1976 album Mother Earth’s Plantasia,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3109086/music-plants-indonesian-band-using-sounds-and-frequencies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3109086/music-plants-indonesian-band-using-sounds-and-frequencies?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Nov 2020 04:15:13 +0000 Five years ago Yudist Ardhana was an Indonesian magician struggling in relative obscurity. A number of his magician friends had already found recognition through TV contest shows such as Indonesia’s Got Talent, but Yudist just could not get his big break. He was running his own magic store and performing the occasional show before a limited audience. But he wanted more, driven by the conviction that magic was his calling. Yudist, who grew up in Denpasar, Bali, yearned for recognition, and he... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3109020/how-magician-became-one-top-youtube-stars-indonesia-putting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3109020/how-magician-became-one-top-youtube-stars-indonesia-putting?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Nov 2020 23:45:11 +0000 Going from simple Instagram reviews of squeezable toys to a YouTube channel with more than 22 million subscribers, Ria Ricis is one of Indonesia’s biggest self-made celebrities. The 25-year-old, who moved from Riau province to the capital city of Jakarta with a dream of making it big, is Indonesia’s No 1 creator of gag videos, celebrity home visit videos, and reviews of soft foam toys – all while growing her popular brand of cutesy silliness. Like the best of YouTube’s content creators, Ria... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3104859/indonesian-youtube-star-ria-ricis-her-social-media-rise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3104859/indonesian-youtube-star-ria-ricis-her-social-media-rise?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Oct 2020 23:30:07 +0000 Atta Halilintar is Indonesia’s biggest YouTuber – but he isn’t as happy as you might think. With 25.5 million subscribers on his channel, Muhammad Attamimi Halilintar is a self-made celebrity whose every move makes the gossip columns. From his ever-changing hair colour and his trademark headband to his current romantic relationship with fiancée Aurel Hermansyah (the daughter of one of Indonesia’s biggest music producers), Halilintar lives his life under a spotlight. A brand ambassador for... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3101890/indonesias-biggest-youtube-star-atta-halilintar-fame?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3101890/indonesias-biggest-youtube-star-atta-halilintar-fame?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Sep 2020 05:15:08 +0000 Grotesque aliens and flamboyant robots may be the stuff of fantasy but, decades after first appearing on Indonesian television screens, they still captivate Komutoku’s thousands of members. Short for Komunitas Tokusatsu, or Tokusatsu Community, the group is a forum and meeting space for devotees of tokusatsu – a term that translates to “special effects” and means Japanese live-action films or television series that are big on special effects and superhero scenarios. They generally appeal to a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3094570/why-tokusatsu-power-ranger-style-shows-became-so-huge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3094570/why-tokusatsu-power-ranger-style-shows-became-so-huge?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Jul 2020 23:15:10 +0000 Seven passionate record collectors are helping to preserve long-forgotten Indonesian music of the 20th century with their archival project Irama Nusantara, Indonesian for “rhythm of the archipelago”. So far they have digitised more than 4,000 recordings, which are being streamed for free on their website for a new generation of fans. The project’s seven founders – Alvin Yunata, David Tarigan, Christoforus Priyonugroho, Toma Avianda, Norman Illyas, Mayumi Haryoto, and Dian “Onno” Wulandari – all... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3091655/indonesian-music-long-forgotten-pop-and-rock-traditional?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3091655/indonesian-music-long-forgotten-pop-and-rock-traditional?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Jul 2020 09:45:06 +0000 Kuntilanak, a long-haired, pale-faced woman with staring eyes, is peering from the shadows. Babi ngepet, a black-magic boar demon, snarls before a bloody attack. The pocong, a white-shrouded corpse, is coming closer and closer. These macabre characters are among the ghosts waiting for players of the video game DreadOut. Grotesque and haunting, DreadOut has made Indonesian independent gaming studio Digital Happiness one of the Southeast Asian nation’s few game developers to find international... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3088718/horror-video-game-ghosts-demons-indonesian-folklore?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3088718/horror-video-game-ghosts-demons-indonesian-folklore?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Jun 2020 12:15:10 +0000 In Indonesia, musicians have gone online to keep their fans entertained as stringent social distancing measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 continue. Last week, the lockdown and the mandatory work-from-home rule in the capital city of Jakarta were extended to May 22. Bands and solo artists have adapted by performing from their homes, playing songs and conducting live Q&A sessions, and offering other types of creative content on social media. The liveliness and spontaneity of the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3082022/iwan-fals-nidji-indonesian-music-stars-get-creative-they?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3082022/iwan-fals-nidji-indonesian-music-stars-get-creative-they?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2020 00:45:10 +0000 After a long stint abroad working as a waiter on cruise ships, Komang Sudiarta returned to his native Bali in 2005 to find the idyllic Indonesian holiday island swamped with rubbish – endless piles of plastic bags and cigarette butts. He was furious at the sight of trash piled up in temples and blanketing beaches, his favourite haunts as a child. Undaunted by the mammoth task at hand, Komang began attempting to clean it up. He took matters into his own hands, picking up rubbish by himself, but... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3076708/how-passion-one-man-bali-sustained-15-year-anti-trash-movement-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3076708/how-passion-one-man-bali-sustained-15-year-anti-trash-movement-and?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2020 23:45:12 +0000 An appreciation for tasty pork dishes has become increasingly visible in Indonesia, as diners share photos of their dinners on social media, and listings of restaurants and shops specialising in pork on food delivery sites run into the hundreds. It’s an unlikely trend in the world’s most populous Muslim nation, where almost nine out of 10 citizens – about 225 million people – and are not permitted to eat the succulent meat. Yet millions of Indonesian Christians, Hindus and non-practising Muslims... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3052098/five-indonesias-best-restaurants-pork-and-why-country-worlds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3052098/five-indonesias-best-restaurants-pork-and-why-country-worlds?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Feb 2020 21:00:08 +0000 Dino Michael has spent a lot of time looking up at the stars in the night sky, ruminating on the possibilities of life out there. If there were extraterrestrial life forms, what would they look like? What would they be doing? And, maybe most importantly, when would they make contact with humans? “Then I thought, maybe they already did and we just didn’t realise it. After all, there are historical notes that indicate this is the case,” he muses. Michael, a 49-year-old Indonesian office worker, is... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3050459/ufo-fans-indonesia-why-extraterrestrial-life-should-be-taken-seriously?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3050459/ufo-fans-indonesia-why-extraterrestrial-life-should-be-taken-seriously?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Feb 2020 21:00:10 +0000 Indonesians can’t get enough of their noodles. Available in a wide variety of styles and flavours, and served with extras ranging from bean sprouts and tofu to egg and chicken breast, they are a daily staple nationwide – from Aceh in the archipelago’s far west to Papua more than 4,500km (2,800 miles) to the east. One Indonesian collective, the Bakmi Club, comprises perhaps the country’s most enthusiastic fans of the stringy staple (“bakmi” means “meat noodles” in the Chinese Hokkien dialect, and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3049286/who-sells-best-noodles-asia-club-indonesian-noodle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3049286/who-sells-best-noodles-asia-club-indonesian-noodle?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Feb 2020 00:30:06 +0000 Startling images have swept the internet in Indonesia in recent years: photos of Indonesian President Joko Widodo as a spiky-haired punk rocker; of American celebrities Miley Cyrus and Megan Fox embracing a former Jakarta governor; and one of a handcuffed Angelina Jolie in the custody of the country’s police. All these photos are fake, the creations of Agan Harahap, an Indonesian artist who has made a name for himself by creating believable images of Western celebrities in humble Indonesian... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3046811/justin-bieber-leonardo-dicaprio-angelina-jolie-fake?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3046811/justin-bieber-leonardo-dicaprio-angelina-jolie-fake?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Jan 2020 21:00:06 +0000 Slapping their bodies and running in chaotic circles flailing their limbs, members of Jakarta’s controversial 69 Performance Club create confrontational shows that aren’t always easy to enjoy, but are impossible to ignore. The collective, whose members range in age from 17 to 50, have staged a number of startling productions, with scenes that can make an onlooker feel uncomfortable – as is sometimes the intention. “Performance art in Indonesia is a branch of art that is still quite ‘sexy’,” says... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3044836/indonesian-performance-art-club-shocks-and-startles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3044836/indonesian-performance-art-club-shocks-and-startles?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Jan 2020 05:00:06 +0000 As a young man, Yoyon Sukaryono used to beg his parents to take him to a psychiatrist, but they wouldn’t. Although he kept telling them about the voices he was hearing in his head, they were ashamed of his illness and wanted it kept quiet. “They were too embarrassed,” he says. “They didn’t want the neighbours to think I was crazy.” Sukaryono, from Indonesia’s second-largest city Surabaya, recalls how he had to live through most of his secondary school and university years trying to make peace... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3036343/youre-not-religious-enough-pain-indonesias-mentally-ill?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3036343/youre-not-religious-enough-pain-indonesias-mentally-ill?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Nov 2019 23:45:14 +0000 A cannibal, a conservative Australian politician wearing a burka and a Chinese vampire: it’s an unusual range of toy figurines and one that delights some collectors. Indonesian toy company GoodGuysNeverWin has developed a string of offbeat limited-edition toy collections since it was founded almost 15 years ago, often based on real-life criminals. Among them is Sumanto, arrested in Indonesia in 2003 for digging up an old woman’s body and eating it. Forget Batman and Wonder Woman, this company... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3032108/taboo-toys-criminals-politicians-and-ghosts-among-indonesian?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3032108/taboo-toys-criminals-politicians-and-ghosts-among-indonesian?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Oct 2019 21:00:10 +0000 A former school principal in Indonesia, Yudhistira has paid a steep price for his personal beliefs. He defied the inflexible religious expectations of his home country and tried to teach his students to think objectively about the world’s faiths. Angry parents confronted him, and now the 30-year-old, who lives just outside Jakarta, declines to reveal his surname because he knows how dangerous it could be. The owner of an educational business, and former head of a Buddhism-affiliated school,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3031261/surviving-indonesia-atheist-when-country-built-rigid-religious-traditions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3031261/surviving-indonesia-atheist-when-country-built-rigid-religious-traditions?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Oct 2019 00:40:10 +0000