Over Coffee #15: Regional security developments and Indonesia’s G20 updates

In this recap, I cover recent developments of regional security in the Indo-Pacific, which includes the Solomon Islands and China bilateral security cooperation agreement and the possible expansion of the Trilateral Cooperative Agreement (TCA) between Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Then, it’s on to Indonesia’s ongoing quest to build its new capital city and its precarious position as the president of the G20.

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2 April 2022 0

Over Coffee #14: Indonesia and South Korea politics updates

In this recap, I cover some democratic shenanigans in Indonesia as the domestic political elites dangerously entertain a motion to allow the incumbent head of state to extend their term in office. Then, I move over to South Korea, where a new president has been elected. Finally, some updates on the effects of Western sanctions on the Russian economy.

But first, coffee. This week’s recommendation is again from 20mL Coffee’s (at this point, they should sponsor me) Corta blend, which is their proprietary blend of East Nusa Tenggara, Bali, and West Sumatran Arabica beans. I’ve brewed these beans using a V60 and a mokapot, with the mokapot brew served with frothed milk. The V60 brew had a subdued acidic flavor with a rather distinct hint of spices (can’t really tell which spices though, but it does remind me of cloves). The mokapot-brewed white coffee, however, had strong hints of chocolate with low acidity.

Now, on to the recap.

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18 March 2022 0

Over Coffee #11: Domestic reactions of Indonesia’s shopping spree

This week I want to focus on domestic reactions of Indonesia’s fighter jet shopping spree. This will then be followed by some interesting updates this week presented in a rapid-fire style. But don’t worry, next week, the usual weekly update will resume.

Speaking of coffee, I’ve finally found the time to visit one of my top 10 cafes in Jakarta, Blacklisted. Though it’s a bit on the pricey side — and I begrudgingly had to settle for the place since I found out Angel-in-us at Lotte was permanently shuttered — their flat whites are top-notch and they have a decent selection of food. I paired it with a chocolate-orange cake (it’s a cheat day!) and had a nice morning snack. What keeps me going back to the place, despite it’s rather premium price tag, is that it isn’t too crowded, and there’s this nook with a chair that I provides maximum comfort for reading and journaling.

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18 February 2022 0

Over Coffee #10: Indonesia and France ties, and Indo-Pacific updates

This week’s recap covers new developments in Indonesia’s “Papua strategy”, which has been predominantly militaristic in nature, and some good news on the development of Indonesia and France defence ties. There are also some updates on the Indo-Pacific.

I’m not actually trying any new brands of coffee this week. So far, I’ve been enjoying last week’s batch of wine-processed Gayo beans. Turns out I just needed to adjust the grind size and amount of water. Right now, I’m using a 16:1 ratio of water to coffee. While some might decry this as a travesty since it dilutes the coffee a bit too much, I find this is to be a tolerable ratio simply because the Gayo is just a tad too strong for my taste.

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11 February 2022 0

Over Coffee #8: Indonesia and Singapore ties, and some Myanmar updates

This week’s buzz is mostly over meeting between Joko Widodo and Lee Hsien Loong, which has been expected to propel bilateral ties further. And that it did, with the retreat (which was postponed for two years due to the pandemic) producing three major agreements. Other stories include Indonesia’s rising Omicron cases, naval hardware progress, and its plans for increasing health resilience as G20 chair. Then, there are some updates on the situation in Myanmar.

So, one of the good things about being a teacher is I sometimes get gifts from students who have graduated. This time, it’s Papua Wamena beans from Arvac, which has a distinctly bold (on the verge of being overpowering sometimes) character. It’s not too sweet, has a rich body (even when filtered) and there’s definitely a long lingering aftertaste. Definitely recommended if you like your coffee with some heft.

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28 January 2022 0

Over Coffee #6 – Indonesia and Myanmar updates

This week’s recap mostly covers updates happening in Indonesia and Myanmar. Indonesia’s delayed ratification of RCEP sheds some light on its bureaucratic inefficiencies, while its fluctuating coal export policies raise concerns of Indonesia’s commitment in transitioning to green energy. Indonesia also announces its free booster rollout amidst rising Omicron cases.

Coffee first as usual. I bought another batch of beans from 20mL, this time some Kintamani beans. Being Balinese, I pretty much grew up on this variant of coffee. But, I never thought I’d discover a sweet, berry-flavour with some hints of cloves Kintamani beans. It goes well with the Toraja beans I bought last week.

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13 January 2022 0

Indonesia’s foreign policy aspirations in 2022

The recent press conference conducted by Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, provides some bearings on the direction of Indonesia’s foreign policy in 2022. In this post, I summarize the press release (check against delivery here, English subtitles provided) and offer some thoughts on Indonesia’s plans for 2022.

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10 January 2022 0

Over Coffee #5 – ASEAN coast guard cooperation, Indonesia’s Indo-Pacific strategy, and Myanmar updates

A Happy New Year to all of us!

It’s a rather slow week, which might be a good sign. However, regional politics waits for no one. This week, I highlight some incremental regional developments in Southeast Asia, which hopefully might blossom later in the year. There are also some updates on a regional approach to Myanmar.

Once again, coffee beans from 20mL take the spotlight, but instead of a blend, I decided to purchase some single-origin beans from Toraja. I’ve always had a soft spot for Toraja beans because I like the flavor profile. These beans are from Pulu-Pulu village, which I’ve never tried. Since they were single-origin, I decided to brew them using a V60. The result was a bright coffee with hints of spice and a mellow aftertaste. It was different than what I was accustomed to, but perhaps my previous Toraja beans were roasted too darkly.

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6 January 2022 0

Over Coffee #3 – U.S-Indonesia relations, the death of a giant, and some other Indo-Pacific stuff

This week is abuzz with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s maiden visit to Southeast Asia. His first stop is Indonesia. The visit coincides with a visit from the Russian Security Council Secretary. We also lost a towering and inspirational figure in International Relations this week. Plus, a lot of other stuff happening in the Indo-Pacific. This week’s recap comes a bit early as I wanted it to be more timely.

As usual, coffee comes first. My recommendation this week is Mochademia, a house blend of Toraja and West Java beans from 20mL, a local roaster based in Denpasar with a certified Q-grader with 13 years of experience under their belt. When paired with milk, it results in a smooth, velvety, and sweet coffee which reminds me a Snickers bar sans the copious amounts of refined sugar. As usual, I am not affiliated with any third-party products mentioned here.

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15 December 2021 0