Jakarta Globe

Jakarta Globe (2013): Learning By Traveling

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/blogs/agustinus-wibowo-learning-by-traveling/ Agustinus Wibowo: Learning By Traveling By Annisa Dewi Yustita on 1:36 pm November 28, 2013. Category Blogs, Cultural Musings Tags: Indonesia author, travel Villagers traveling on the truck in Afghanistan western provinces. The central route of Afghanistan connecting Herat to Kabul is unpaved for about 900 km. (Agency Photo) Traveling is more than just spending time in a particular place. On a deeper level it enables us to learn many things from our destination, such as the language, culture and its people. Agustinus Wibowo is an Indonesian travel writer whose travel experiences have taken him through Asia and the Middle East. He said that he was fascinated by the world’s cultures and traditions and was curious about how the world works despite its historical and cultural divisions. Agustinus started his journey going around Asia with just US$2,000 from his savings during his study at Tshinghua University in Beijing, China. When he ran out of money, he stayed for a while with local people and worked with them to collect money and continued his journey again. “I loved traveling from when I was a student in China. I used to be a homeboy and scared of going around [...]

November 28, 2013 // 1 Comment

Jakarta Globe (2013): Detailing a Nomad’s Return to Point Zero

4 April 2013 http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/features/detailing-a-nomads-return-to-point-zero/583242/ Detailing a Nomad’s Return to Point Zero By Lisa Siregar on 3:24 pm April 4, 2013. Category Features, Travel Travel writer Agustinus Wibowo has walked many kilometers and dangerous turns during adventures in Afghanistan and across Asia — a long way from his childhood days in Lumajang, East Java, when he used to chase passing aircraft. After years away from his family, Agustinus eventually returned home to read the stories he had written about his experiences to his ill, bedridden mother. These previously unpublished tales of his journeys to Nepal, India and Pakistan, as well as the conversations with his mother in her final days, are the main themes of his new book, “Titik Nol” (“The Zero Point”, or “Ground Zero”). “To lose my mother is the worst thing that happened to me in my life,” Agustinus said at the launch of his book in Jakarta. “But I keep writing, because it is a spiritual healing for me.” “Titik Nol” is Agustinus’s third travel book. He has already published “Selimut Debu” (“Blankets of Dust”) in 2010 and “Garis Batas” (“Borderlines”) in 2011. For Agustinus, the zero point means self-discovery, which begins when one returns home. The [...]

April 4, 2013 // 0 Comments

The Jakarta Globe (2011): An Indonesian’s Lust for Asian Travel

An Indonesian’s Lust for Asian Travel Lisa Siregar | May 26, 2011 http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/lifeandtimes/an-indonesians-lust-for-asian-travel/443364 For Agustinus Wibowo, a travel writer who has explored and lived in some of the most dangerous parts of Central Asia, traveling is all about gaining fresh perspectives — even if it means going unshowered for months or getting kicked out of an Afghan man’s house for refusing the generous offer of a male prostitute. “It’s not about the number of stamps in your passport. It’s the traveler’s point of view that matters,” he said last week during the launch of his new travel book, “Garis Batas” (“Borderlines”). He showed up to the launch proudly wearing a white flowing tunic known as a shalwar kameez from Afghanistan, where he had lived for several years. Agustinus, now a translator based in Beijing, is famed for his travel columns published in Kompas newspaper as well as his first book, “Selimut Debu” (“Blanket of Dust”), published in January last year. Most people like holidays in luxurious, or at the very least comfortable, spots. Agustinus is a bit more adventurous. His new book, for example, details his sometimes nightmarish experiences in Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Once, his things were [...]

March 26, 2011 // 0 Comments