BMTH live in Jakarta 2024

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This time around Ravel gets it right and BMTH (Bring Me The Horizon) are headlining the Nexfest festival in Jakarta which also features Babymetal. In this format there is no seating - which makes for a much more intimate experience - although you do have to arrive really early if you want to pick a spot right up close to the stage.  We arrived about six hours before BMTH were scheduled to start their performance and bought plenty of drinks to stay hydrated in the tropical afternoon heat (mind you, some of those were Iceland vodka mix!) This was a gig I had long been looking forward to - especially after the debacle last year. Not everyone likes BMTH of course. For deathcore fans the band sold out. For metal heads the band is not purist enough. And for the wider mainstream audience, the band is too heavy. You can't please everyone of course but there are few bands in the rock world which can match the sheer emotional velocity of BMTH. To bring metal and even aspects of metalcore t
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Lost ATM card in Indonesia (aka The Indonesian Way)

About three months ago I rather stupidly lost my BNI ATM card. 

I immediately had it cancelled of course, and then went into my local BNI branch to get a new one made. But I never did though – the girl said I had to get a letter from the police – so since then I have been withdrawing my cash by going to the teller instead. 

But this week a bombshell hits: Bank Indonesia has just come out with a new regulation requiring bank customers to show their ATM card when making a withdrawal at the cashier or when making any other type of transaction - even including the transfer of money to another account! 
 
Me: I’d like to withdraw Rp5 million please. 
Teller: Can you show me your ATM card? 
Me: I don’t have one. But here’s my proof of ID (showing her my passport) Teller: I need to see your ATM card. 
Me: I’ve lost it. 
Teller: You can make a new one. 
Me: Ok. Fine. 
Teller: To make a new one, we will need a letter from the police. 
Me: But I don’t want to go to the police. I’ll waste half a day. Even more. Can’t I just make a new one anyway? 
Teller: We need the letter from the police. 
Me: Do we? Why? 
Teller: It’s the regulation. 
Me: Look can’t I just withdraw my money. It’s MY money! MY money! 
Teller: You need to show us your ATM card. 
Me: (thinks) Ok. I’ll close down my account and open a new one. That’ll be quicker and less painless than a visit to the police. I can do that can’t I? 
Teller: Looks at me, says nothing. 
Me: Or perhaps I could close the account and take the money to ANOTHER bank. 
Teller: Says nothing. 
Me: Look. Okay. Let me think about it. I’ll come back tomorrow. So the next day (Wednesday) I go back, walk up to the customer service desk where a young lady is sitting. 
Me: Hello. Selamat Siang. I’ve damaged my BNI ATM card and I threw it away by mistake. I’d like to make a new card please. 
Teller: Of course. Please sit down and fill in the form…

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