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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The Honda Tiger 1997 and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Logic presumes a separation of subject from object; therefore logic is not final wisdom. This is Zen. This is my motorcycle maintenance. 
> Robert M. Pirsig (Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values) 

Back in 1997 Honda launched the single cylinder 197.00 ccm Tiger 2000. I bought one straight away. Over the years, this trusty motorcycle has served me well and saved me many hours that would otherwise have been wasted in soul-destroying traffic jams. 

 She is very reliable (always starts first time) and is never prone to ailments like PMT, MT or post-MT (although her carburetor did leak fuel for a while). This is the point where I could throw in some smutty innuendo about “what a good ride she is” but I won’t go down that particular “route” (or should that be root?)

When it comes to motorcycle maintenance in Indonesia the key is to focus on the basics and never to overlook stuff like regular oil changes; keeping the tires well inflated; and even keeping the bike clean and free of dirt. 

 It’s truly the important things in life that matter; everything else is superfluous. And no need to get your hands dirty. Just bring the bike to a regular bengkel (workshop) and they’ll take care of everything. 

 Yep, this is the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance in Jakarta: like pretty much anything else in this waCky city, forget about the ethics and just pay someone to do it for you!

Honda Tiger 1997 Honda Tiger 1997 Honda Tiger 1997

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