New York City Photo Blog

“Hellooo, Mister!” is the usual greeting called out to tourists by kids on the streets of Java in Indonesia. I was slightly put out at first, questioning my femininity in the comfortable, baggy boy shorts I had bought for travelling, but soon realized that the title is intended for males and females alike! Away from the streets, in the mountain areas of Sulawesi, yells of “Belanda” echo over the rice terraces. A former Dutch colony, Belanda is the Indonesian word for The Netherlands and was a term used for the Dutch colonists. Nowadays, children in rural regions, who often have no television and are less accustomed to tourists, still use it to call out to any Western foreigner they see. Continue reading →