I've long been a fan of board games. They're a great way to stay entertained and develop mental skills while socializing with friends. The name "mental sports" is kind of a tacky name, but it's kind of a good one, too. Lately, I have been revisiting a classic, Mahjong, and exploring a new-to-me game series, the Gipf project. The purchase of a special games table has been tremendous in reviving my social board game interest. When not in use, it conveniently lives under my couch, but is easily transported.

Dimensions: 86cm x 86cm, 72cm tall - 34" x 34" -- perfect for Mahjong and card games, but also quite suitable for tournament size chess boards (51cm/20"), luxury Backgammon sets (53cm/21"), or "universal" GIPF boards (46cm/18").

Continue reading...

As of May 1st, 2025, I've now been here for 3 years.

I'm not sure what exactly I expected before coming. For most of our long-distance relationship, my wife lived deep in the jungle, several hours drive away from a not-great city. So I saw a side of the world very different from my home, but also different from where I live now.

I came here during lockdown. Spent 2 weeks in Jakarta. I got the feeling that even if things weren't locked down, it's not the kind of tourist destination Seoul or New York City may be. Large, dirty, gray water sewers ran along the streets, constant traffic jams, heavy smog. The only things that really were appealing were the malls but they sold the same kinds of things you can find at every mall in the world.

Converted to Islam over Whatsapp, got mailed a certificate, brought that to the department of religious affairs, got married, got a marriage visa. The bureacracy was really straightforward and easy. The first Islamic wedding I attended was my own. I don't really have strong memories of it aside from thinking the ritual was a little strange, but it really made my wife's parents happy. I had to repeat the Arabic phrase three times before the priest accepted the marriage declaration as valid -- Arabic is not my strong suit.

My life is pretty comfortable. There are frequent blackouts and my city is underdeveloped, but I've made a ton of great friends. My city is safe. People are very friendly and laid back.

If you're tired of life in the West, you may enjoy life here. The language is pretty easy to pick up. Adjusting to a less developed city hasn't been hard for me -- the only thing I still struggle with on a regular basis is the oppressive heat.

Here's hoping the next 3 years are great, too...