(pic: Sweet desserts at Tanah Abang food court)
Talking about Indonesia, Bali and Yogyarkarta might be two of the most interesting and beautiful places you can think of. Jakarta, on the other hand, is not a place that would come across your mind easily, if you’re a tourist.
Unless you’re a party animal or a boring tourist, Jakarta is truly a bad choice for holidaymakers.
Hi-Lites
OK, maybe it’s not as lousy as I’ve stated.
There are still some pretty interesting stuffs that you can find in Jakarta, like the three-wheeled, two-seater vehicle (dubbed the ‘bajaj’) that chokes out dark mini clouds of fumes terrorising the streets with its noisy engine.
The sight of hundreds of locals grouping at the entrance of Tanah Abang mall, mostly waiting for their friends or family members to finish their shopping spree, was simply mind-blowing.
And locals taking a walk or playing football in the middle of the road (the police blocked the roads so that citizens can have leisure activities there - what privilege!).
‘Round We Go - No trains??
Getting around the metropolis is slightly tougher than any other cities like KL, due to its poor transportation system. They do have taxis in all corners. ‘Bajaj’ can be found in the city vicinity - they don’t travel far tho’.
Buses are everywhere. But they do have a slightly better bus system - Busway - where one lane of the road is dedicated specially for its buses (cost 35.000Rupiah/ person for all stops).
Something is missing in the picture tho’ - trains. Where are they? We have LRTs in KL, MRTs in our neighbouring country, Spore, MTRs in HK and Subways in NYC.
So, is there a rationale behind the absence of trains in this metropolis?
According to a friend who got this from a local taxi driver, that, if there’s a train system in Jakarta, it’ll lead to the reduction of buses and taxis, which means the increase of unemployment.
When more people are jobless, what’s going to happen? Bingo! The crime rate will escalate. The government’s main concern - sustaining social stability. And, they’re doing just that.
The High Low
Since the labour in Jakarta is surprisingly cheap, having a driver of your own and a few maids is a common sight.
If you’re rich, you can enjoy extreme luxury in Jakarta than any other places you’re in.
While waiting for my friend’s friends (who came with a driver in an Innova) to come pick us up at the lobby, we saw a man (in his 30s) got down from his car, carrying his baby, and together with him were his maid and his caddie (as presumed by my friend).
He’s got his own driver too.
Luxury doesn’t have to come with age. It’s never too young to experience a luxurious life in Jakarta.
It’s true. I’ve seen young housewives with at least one maid with them in shopping malls. While they were busy getting new clothes for their wardrobe(s), the maids were busy taking care of the babies.
What lucky mothers!
Oh, one more fact for you - Girls marry young in Jakarta. Therefore, it’s not surprising to see young mothers in clubs and discos, partying all night thru’.
So Boys, don’t be dumbfounded if you find yourself surrounded by kids the next morning! (info from a friend who’s working in Jakarta)
The Down Low
“While the rich is getting richer, the poor is getting poorer,” replied a taxi driver when I asked him about the gap of the society classes: borned-rich class, working class, just-enough-to-survive-another-day class.
Yea, it’s a cliche. We hear this everywhere, mainly in developing countries. People are suffering.
What I’ve seen in Thailand is similar in Jakarta-Bandung. Small kids gently knock on your car window and point to the items they’re selling, sometimes, begging you to buy something from them, in the streets.
Young men play their guitars and sing nice tunes right at your car window, when they’re supposed to be working in offices. I saw a shameless aqua dressed in pink with heavy make-up on, making girly gestures right in front of my tour van.
What does the future hold for these people? Really.
It’s really chaotic to see people walking in the streets, showing no concerns for their safety. Motorcycles zooming past every second. Notorious traffic jams. Car drivers driving recklessly, stopping anywhere they like.
The metropolis is insanely-overpopulated and the government’s not doing a very good job in giving what’s best for its citizens who’re working their asses off to make ends meet.
Huh? What talking you?
No, I haven’t lost my sense of speech. I’m talking about Indonesians and their passion for their language - Bahasa Indonesia. English, as proclaimed by my tour guide, is like ‘ghost’ to them.
(pic: Pizza Hut delivery machines lining up in front of the fast food chain)
They don’t use foreign language in their daily conversation; many do not use it in months or even in years. They understand each other very well in B.I.
A girl, who's a friend of my friend, who only speaks Hokkien and B.I. (not Bahasa Inggeris, mind you) told us about her lone-trekking expedition to a foreign land - S’pore.
She has travelled to all places in Indo and some parts of M’sia too. One time, she was in S’pore and was enjoying the time she had on a sandy beach when she realised all buses had stopped their services.
That left her with no choice but to ask around how she could get back to her hotel.
She had to ask each person she met, in Hokkien, “Eh hiao gong hokkien bor?” Finally, a man who understood her drove her back.
“If I knew English or Mandarin, I would’ve had gone to China and Europe or somewhere farther,” she said in Hokkien (a language which I can understand fairly O.K.).
For the love of their language, they’ve abandoned the very important language that would get their messages across the globe - English.
That’s a really big mistake. It might be the root of their underdevelopment.
No, I haven’t lost my sense of speech. I’m talking about Indonesians and their passion for their language - Bahasa Indonesia. English, as proclaimed by my tour guide, is like ‘ghost’ to them.
They don’t use foreign language in their daily conversation; many do not use it in months or even in years. They understand each other very well in B.I.
A girl, who's a friend of my friend, who only speaks Hokkien and B.I. (not Bahasa Inggeris, mind you) told us about her lone-trekking expedition to a foreign land - S’pore.
She has travelled to all places in Indo and some parts of M’sia too. One time, she was in S’pore and was enjoying the time she had on a sandy beach when she realised all buses had stopped their services.
That left her with no choice but to ask around how she could get back to her hotel.
She had to ask each person she met, in Hokkien, “Eh hiao gong hokkien bor?” Finally, a man who understood her drove her back.
“If I knew English or Mandarin, I would’ve had gone to China and Europe or somewhere farther,” she said in Hokkien (a language which I can understand fairly O.K.).
For the love of their language, they’ve abandoned the very important language that would get their messages across the globe - English.
That’s a really big mistake. It might be the root of their underdevelopment.
Shopping Haven - Bandung
No, no, no. ‘Shopping Haven’ is definitely not a phrase used solely by girls. Trust me.
I was there and I saw it all at the La Mode. Guys LOVE shopping too.
I was taken to Chilampelas the first time I was in Bandung. Chilampelas a.k.a the jeans street is a street full of street shops selling street T-shirts and jeans.
If you’re a fashion chic on a shoe-string budget, this is the place to get not-so-bad quality clothes.
Even if you’ve got a fat wallet, you might want to consider just walking along the street to see the efforts of each shop to be the most appealing one, in terms of signboard designs, etc., which can be quite enthralling.
The appealing side of this street is not the clothes that are exported out of the country, but the creative signage of each shop to attract patrons.
La Mode Outlet
Let’s get back to the La Mode, shall we? It was crowded! Damn crowded.
People kept swarming the place like there was Super Mega sales goin’ on. I was one of the drooling patrons too. Well, why wouldn’t we?
We could get MNG, AX, CK even LV at low prices or factory outlet prices. Bandung’s attraction - factory outlets! It’s insane. There are various outlets and one day’s just ain’t enough.
The prices are attractive, but you might be disappointed when you can’t find the right size or the perfect piece.
Some of the pieces might be torn or buttons missing or dyed in red. Oh, you know…all the rejected stuff. Still, you can get great bargains. There’s just something for everyone. ;)
Pricey Tour Package
The Indos laughed at me when they heard that my tour package included Chilampelas (not the outlets) and they laughed even louder when they found out that my Bandung trip cost USD95.
To think of my Bandung tour is really…Pissing Me Off. So much for so little.
Nonetheless, the sight of the enormous crater is just magnificent. It was breathtaking.
What I can tell you about my experience watching the crater?
“There’s nothing much.” Sometimes, it’s best not to expect too much. Just enjoy the scene.
Bandung shares resemblance with Bali - stunningly beautiful green paddy terraces. But what Bali doesn’t have that Bandung has are tea plantations that stretch across the hills of Bandung.
Bandung nestles at a higher altitude and therefore, the air is much clearer and fresher and cooler compared to Jakarta. It’s something like Genting Highland, only with not much entertainment.
Bandung - Yes. Jakarta - Depends on the purpose of your visit.
FYI:
ReplyDelete1. busway in Jakarta cost only 3,500 IDR not 35,000... 3,500 is about MYR 1 and 35,000 is about MYR10. Not even all local Jakatarians could afford a MYR10 bus ride, and most of the busway riders need to connect with trains or buses that would extend all the way to the outskirts of Jakarta (about 1 - 2hours ride). Yes! they spend 1/6 of their time on the road, commuting.
2. Jakarta is a vibrant city, it's a mixture of everything. In the mornings there are malls, markets, museums and other historical designations, Barrack Obama studied here as well. At night the city changes color.\
3. English language is not used as a common communication medium outside of Jakarta or other tourist hotspots. Meet anyone in Bali for instances, they speak Spanish, Japanese, English (Australian accent), English (American accent), etc... Not everyone has a education systems that ensures a minimum level of education to all citizens.
4. Too bad you didn't stay long enough to see the true colors of Jakarta. :D
Grateful for your accurate infos! Haha. Yes, you, my friend, should've spent more time touring me around!
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