Wellness

She’s not fine: What years of dismissing women’s pain cost

Sheena Suparman

For 15 years, everyone told me the pain I felt every month was normal. Turns out, it wasn’t.

Arts

Why this unusual exhibit on waste really wasn’t about waste

Aqraa Sagir

At Erasmus Huis, a cross-cultural exhibition asks Indonesians to rethink their relationship with waste, starting at home.

Currently Obsessed

Two girls, two worlds, but one message from Indonesian cinema

Aqraa Sagir

One grew up in 1960s Surabaya, the other was born on Mars; both have something to teach us about facing an uncertain world with open arms.

Weekend Five

5 shows not from Hollywood that you can relate to

Reza Mardian

From Seoul to Mumbai, these five Asian titles capture everyday emotions that feel closer to home than most Hollywood shows.

Conversation

The more Indonesian her stories are, the further they travel

Siti Syafania Kose

Intan Paramaditha's novels raise questions that transcend nationalities, despite writing unapologetically Indonesian stories.

Currently Obsessed

‘Enough’: The greenest choice in a world of more

Marlistya Citraningrum

I've spent years studying the climate crisis. It took my mother's permanent marker on a 25-year-old fridge to show me what I was missing.

Culture and Entertainment

Have we entered an era of happy love songs again?

Felix Martua

After years of craving catharsis through mournful ballads, Indonesian listeners appear to have moved on with an emotional reset.

Culture and Entertainment

The final chapter of ‘Danur’, and the actress who refused to let it go

Reza Mardian

Prilly Latuconsina spent a decade protecting a role most actresses would have left behind. 'Danur: The Last Chapter' is her reward and her goodbye.

Warm Takes

When a gift is never just a gift

Michelle Anindya

We exchange gifts thinking it's a showcase of care. But somewhere between the ribbon and the Instagram story, it can become a form of debt.

Features

Idul Fitri without the excess: Finding the real meaning of Hari Raya

Adelia Anjani Putri

We're scaling back the festivities and finding more meaning this Idul Fitri.

Warm Takes

Performing hunger: Notes from behind the café curtain

Josa Lukman

Is restraint without intent inherently noble in the eyes of the divine, or are we just hungry for the optics?

Warm Takes

Sorry for eating: The month of restraint and our urge to control

Lutfiya Tussifah

Ramadan asks us to practice restraint. But somewhere along the way, we started asking everyone else to practice it too.

Living Spaces

When clutter becomes a relationship problem

Michelle Anindya

It's just old clothes and boxes that our loved ones refuse to throw out. But why do they become a source of conflict?

Market Pulse

The need to read: Why Jakartans are going back to bookstores

Aqraa Sagir

As reading enthusiasm rises, bookstores are turning into the city’s community-driven third spaces.

Style

Beyond performative: Is he a threat or just a man with a mirror?

Ainur Kiki

Self-expression is about breaking boundaries. Maybe judge him by his character, not his closet.

Warm Takes

A pick-me girl: The woman who wasn’t like other girls

Siti Syafania Kose

How do you learn to pick yourself when you’ve spent your whole life performing for someone else’s approval?

Features

Show up, show off and call it self-care: Strong is the new flex

Adelia Anjani Putri

With toned arms as the new status symbol, maybe it’s time we rethink why we come to the gym and pick up those dumbbells.

Warm Takes

The hidden burnout behind self-care

Haekal Husain

From early morning routines to endless wellness trends, the pressure to recover properly may be exhausting us even more.

Currently Obsessed

I'm a grown-up who found a new music obsession: J-pop boy bands

Felix Martua

Turns out, you are never too 'mature' to be a stan.

Warm Takes

Growing in love, shrinking in self

Haekal Husain

When your relationship reshapes your habits, preferences and identity, how do you know whether you’re growing together or if you’re just disappearing?