My name is Muhammad Fakhran al Ramadhan, but you can just call me Fakhran. I was born and raised in Jakarta, and I’m 28 years old. After finishing high school, I studied English literature at the University of Jakarta. I consider the mix between British and Indonesian literature and culture very interesting. I then pursued a master’s in cultural studies, and now work as an English lecturer. My research interests are youth subcultures, popular music and urban studies. I’m looking at Muslim punks and extreme mods in Bekasi. At night, I perform in my punk band No Slide. Some might think that you are not supposed to be a punk and an academic, but I am working hard to erase that preconception.
Because I live in Indonesia, I read the Guardian online. I started in 2010. It’s interesting to learn about other perspectives on my country. Guardian Jakarta live was the series I was waiting for, telling you everything you need to know about Jakarta as a megalopolis. My parents don’t read the Guardian – they listen to Indonesian news on the radio. Unfortunately, a hard copy of the Guardian is not available in Jakarta, but I always tell students to access the Guardian online to read about the UK and to learn about the culture, lifestyle, music and fashion there and compare them to what they have seen in Jakarta. Surfing the Guardian website is a form of cultural studies. I am grateful to globalisation and technological innovation for opening up the world.
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