Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about beginning research in the world’s largest Muslim nation, in a lively essay, “Indonesian Dungeons and Dragons,” appearing in Nowhere magazine’s blog.

“FOR NEW SCIENTISTS, ENTERING THE INDONESIAN PERMITTING PROCESS RESEMBLES venturing into an omnivore’s lair: narrow openings, uncertainty, dank corners. I’ve known colleagues who have nearly abandoned their field research and forfeited grants, overwhelmed by the mire of archival complexity, bureaucratic pit-falls, and the occasional snarling official out for blood.”