Part 1: Jakarta
Let's see... It really is hot and humid out here. really, it is very humid out here. I come from the dry desert! So I feel like I am sweaty and sticky all the time. But that helps the reality of me being here kick in. :)
I think I will just give a series of little observations. Sorta stream of consciousness, bear with me. :)
There are these really neat little gecko/lizard things,a bout 3 or 4 inches long, that hang out on the ceilings. They are sort of a glow-in-the-dark color, though they do not glow in the dark, of course. They are quite cute!
Crossing the street is scary! I find myself running across... once I
start there is no looking back but I just run, and feel like I am on a
roller coaster, or something. I don't feel unsafe, it's just a little
scary. I suppose I will get used to it!
This city is LOUD. And it is very polluted. You see these littel vehicles.. name escapes me... they are like motor-tricycles with orange-red shells around them that sorta make them look little cars. They are little taxis, apparently. And they are loud. ANd many of them have big puffs of smoke. The city is quite polluted.
Anyways, things are dirt cheap here for an American. It is crazy how different the currency here is. Sometimes things like that really make me wonder.
The people here are wonderful. I have seen good friends, which is very nice. I have also seen a baskin robbins, which was weird. I did not have any cause i am trying to avoid sweets and dairy products so that the mosquitoes will avoid me! :)
I don't want to write too much for now. So I will check in again tomorrow with more news.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to drop me a line at brigitte@jiwarecords.com
The pollution really is incredible. I just can't believe the lack of emissions standards. Seems like every third vehicle is trailed by a big cloud of smoke. Walking down the street this morning was kind of gross cause of the bad air. This would explain the FAT layer of smog I saw flying in.
Yesterday I had my first run-in with a cockroach here. I opened the door to the toilet/shower room and there it was, in the doorway, this big brown bug. And really long antennae! The antennae were moving around and I think that maybe that was what scared me most. I just kind of froze and watched it for a while. Oh, yeah, it must have been at least one-and-a-half inches long... I know they come much bigger... Well, anyways, I kinda guessed it was a harmless cockroach but I also decided it would not hurt to ifnd out. So I found my friend Odette and she came up to check it out along with two Indonesian guys. I think they thought it was funny, which of course it was. Well, one of them ended up flicking the roach off the wall and at his friend. Odette and I let out these girly screams, and felt very silly. The poor thing was on its back. But oh how gross. I learned, that yes, this was a cockroach, and yes, they are harmless. And don't I wish I were in Kalimantan where the bugs get even bigger? :)
Last night I went to an opening of an exhibit at the S Widjojo building. To get there a group of us took a bus. We were standing on the sidewalk, waiting for a bus, when this bus just stopped for us. It seems that generally there aren't any real but stops, but buses are hailed much like taxis. So, this bus just stopped for us. We were actually kind of ignoring it, it seemed to me, but the conductor and driver were asking us where we were going and it almost seemed like they offere to take us there even though it wasn't exactly their route? But this is all conjecture. It was a nice full bus. One of the ones with air conditioning. And not one of the ones without doors but people just hanging out of the bus. :) And perhaps the nicest part of the ride, for me, was this busker coming aboard to sing three songs. He had a very nice and strong voice. I was impressed.
Oh, yeah, I found out about those orange little motor-tricycles. The name
is bagag (pronounced bajaj), and they are apparently imported from India.
They make a lot of noise.
I guess I should explain the culture shock/jetlag thing... It is just that I am pretty tired, even though I have energy. At 7 pm last night I was COMPLETELY exhausted. And things here are quite different so there is a lot to digest. Things move a lot slower than I am used to. I know all about patience, but maybe I am not always so good at it. But this is all just part of the process of course. :)
That is all for now.
I have been disappointed to spot not only Baskin robbins, but also Dunkin Donuts (many of them), Chilis, Tony Romas, and Amigos. On the one hand it is nice to have English all over the place, but on the other hand, it just makes me a little sad to see how the world seems to be slowly (or quickly?) converging to this mass multi-national corporation culture. Yuck. And I will take the opportunity to mention that I did NOT eat at the McDonald's. It was just a good place to meet.
One more quick thing about the McDonalds... I did not check out the menu, but I did see that they have an internet area there, and a big birthday party area there. Actually there was a big birthday party in progress. It was pretty sweet, all these Indonesian kids with matching paper caps singing songs in their high voices in Indonesian.
One last thing -- it is quite surreal to wake up at 4:30 am to hear this singing... there are mosques all over the place and people there are singing their prayers every day. I did notwake up last night but the night before. And I was only in this half-asleep state, hearing this singing, it was really surreal.
That's all for now. :)
Yesterday as I was driving along in a taxi, I actually saw a demonstration. The people were wearing red shirts with black bull heads in circles. I later found out that these were Megawati supporters. The demonstration was pretty friendly, mostly young people, with some music. MY friend told me that he has seems demonstrations where the police joined in the music and it was just a big party. On the other hand, in LOs Angeles, at the Democratic National Convention he was badly bruised by an officer's baton (he is a photo-journalist and was wearing all his cameras...)
One thing that really amazes me about this place is how SLOWLY everything moves. It just seems to take me forever to get anywhere and to get anything done. It is a great contrast to the rush of Los Angeles, where I can get a lot done in a short period of time.
Well... the question of the day is: Could I live here? And that is a lot to think about. :)
The other big thing has been the rain. When it rains it literally pours here. I mean, I finally understand the expression about pouring like buckets of rain. It is soooo intense. And of course not without lots of lightning and thunder. Real tropical rain. WOW. And we are supposed to be in the dry season. :)
Other than that, I think I may finally be de-jetlagged. And I think I am slowly but surely getting de-culture-shocked too...?
Oh, yeha, I took a ride in a Bajaj! It felt like a Disneyland ride. Real loud, kinda smoky (the driver was smoking)... and very little grunt ("are we gonna make it?"). But it was a nice little adventure. :) Oh, yeah, and I found out that Bajaj is pronounced bajay (where the ay is like the i in like).
Last night I had a great conversation with some locasl about the traffic here. I really can't get over how interesting it is. Yesterday I was in a taxi and we were making a right turn, which is like making a left in the US (Cause they drive on the left side of the road here)... and, the driver only looked one way! When the right lane was clear he went right into it, driving on the wrong side of the road, and then made his way over to the correct side of the road, without really looking then either. Peple here hardly use rearview mirrors. They just honk a lot. So, if you see someone cutting in front of you then maybe you honk and maybe they get over. BUT having said all that, I don't see too many cars around that are all dented. So, the system seems to work... sorta... :)
The prices here are controlled. Well, some of them. For example, a couple of days ago the gas prices went up. Beforehand there had been some protests. But it was all regulated. The taxi rates are somewhat regulated too, I think.
One last thing... I went shopping yesterday and got totally confused.
The organization in the stores does not make sense to me. I tried to find
Saltines in a grocery store. There were lots of aisles that had different
sorts of crackers and they would be all mixed up. Lots of sweet crackers
with Ritz crackers in one aisle. Then the same thing in another aisle,
but maybe slightly different things. Weird. Then in the department
store, the place was split up by brand names. But there would be small
sections for each brnad. If you want to find button down shirts you would
have to wander all over the place searching trhough one brand after
another, rather than going to the section that has this kind of clothing.
Then when you choose what you want, you get a little slip from the people
in that section, you take the slip to the cashier (one per floor) and pay
for it, then you go back with the slip, now stamped, to pick up your item.
Oh, yeah, and the pants are all sorta long, well, yeah, I am petite, but
so are lots of Indonesians! I don't feel short here. But when I went to
the store, I just didn't get it. Maybe I just didn't know how to ask for
the petites section. Well, it's all good. :)
I don't really have much to say this morning. Late last night I went with some friends to this warum, a little food stand, where they had food and I sat (cause I had already eaten and it was late). These two really sweet and cute little boys sang some tunes! They were aawesome. They even sang La Bamba. I couldn't help but wonder where their parents were at this late hour, though. Hmm... :)
Other than that, I seem to be having lots of little ups and downs, but I think I am adjusting to being here. It has actually been nice and cool lately. Life is good. NOt much to say right now.
Yesterday after I checked my email I had a little adventure... I decided to finish my roll of film by taking some photos of traffic. As traffic was jammed across the street, I went there to get better pictures. I was feeling a little bit shy about it. I went across and happened to be in the midst of a caravan of Megawati supporters heading off for a protest. I was a little bit scared at first but they quickly showed they were just having fun and were very happy for me to be taking their photos. In fact, I found that almost everyone was wanting me to take their photos. People seemed to be hurt when I didn't. :) So, I got some good shots.
I also saw some kids who were all spray-painted, and were graffitying. I found out later on that this is a tradition here. When kids graduate from high school, they paint up their uniforms to celebrate.
I am definitely getting acclimated. As a matter of fact, yesterday I thought it was pretty cool out here. :) Well, I hope you enjoy the photos.
One comment I thought would be worth making is that I am staying in somebody's home right now, and it is really nice. However, it definitely takes some getting used to for me to have servants around. I am not accustomed to it at all. More than with anything else, I feel like I must be making all sorts of faux pas... But I must also admit that it is very nice to have people there who can help with the things you don't feel like doing. Hmmm... Still not sure about it all. :) Guess I am learning!!
It has definitely gotten cooler since I have gotten here. Or is it just me acclimating? I am still not sure. But it doesn't seem that hot to me now. :)
Here are some thoughts... First of all, the cats I wrote about yesterday are called "musang." Secondly, I had a very interesting juice: avocado and mango. And it was so incredibly rich. It was crazy... intense. Whoah...
The big question for me is how differently I am being treated because I am white. When I walk down the street, past stalls, or bikers, people say a lot of stuff to me. I don't understand most of it. And I wish I could go in disguise as an Indonesian to see how I am treated differently. Or as a man. Or maybe older. I just want to know why people act they way they do: is it just the way people interact here? Or is it cause I am different? Do people here think because I am a white woman I am easy? What is the deal exactly?
Another thing I think about here that I hardly think about at home is: change. Change seems to be a real commodity here. And if I buy something I try to use the biggest bills always cause people seem to run out of change. And I try to figure out where I can get my big ATM bills (worth $10 or less) changed without hassle... It is different for me to have to always be aware of this. Sure, it happens in LA that a store happens to be out of ones, but so rarely in comparison to here!
Yesterday I got a map of Jakarta and I was so happy to finally see everything laid out, to see where I have been and how everything fits together. What a difference that sort of thing makes to me!
Last but not least, I would like to mention that I have had my first little tummy upset. Nothing real bad, but uncomfortable. Nothing a little Pepto Bismol can't handle! (so far at least... :) )
I am going to include an interesting excerpt from an email from Olivia Panopolous, who read my website. (I hope you don't mind, Olivia.) It was enlightening about the little gecko/lizard things:
Well, that's all for now. I shall dash off... and hope my belly stops being annoying (it's not too bad, just a little uncomfortable and annoying). :)
I went with a group of friends to this place called Sukamulia VERY early this morning. Two hour drive and then the sunrise. It was soooo beautiful!! Banana trees, rice paddies, corn, flowers, women with those great, wide, straw hats. Wow... such a breath of fresh air!
Coming back to the pollution and pace of Jakarta was not really that easy for me. I definitely want to see more of the countryside here!
Yesterday I had a great day exploring Jakarta with a friend. The biggest treat for us was a really nice meal: Fresh green salad with freshly baked bread and imported cheese. Oh, yeah, and some black forest cake for dessert. It was sooo good. I mean it really hit the spot after all the Indonesian food. Don't get me wrong, the Indonesia food is really excellent. It's just that I am not used to having so much of this kind of food. I was getting desperate for some variety. And so this meal was quite pricy, but not when you think about how much it would have cost in a place like London. Being here you really start to see money differently. $1 becomes a lot to pay for things that would have ben at least $5 at home. If I pay $2 for a meal here then that is kind of expensive! It's like a different language.
Something interesting I have been meaning to mention is that I learned that in Indonesia if you don't show up for work for five days in a row (without warning or explanation) then this is considered equivalent to submitting a resignation. Not a big deal here. Wow.
Anyways... I need to go take care of myself. Eat. Sleep. Etc.
Oh! Just one more thing! Since I last wrote I have had several experiences with authentic Indonesian squat toilets! Fortunately I had a roll of toilet paper with me. Cause when you go in they often either hand you limited amounts of paper or don't have any at all. Anyways, on the road on the way back we stopped at one rest stop where they had a squat toilet. Next to it was a basin of water with a little cup. This is how you are supposed to clean yourself (but I had toilet paper!)... The thing had no handle for flushing so the cup of water is also what one uses to get the toilet to flush. It was an interesting experience. Not nearly as bad as I expected. Don't hold your breath for photos... though I did try to take a couple... :)
I haven't been feeling so great lately, on a physical level, and so I have been forced to take it really slowly. I have also been learning about myself in the process... about how I force myself to do things that aren't right for me. And I do them in a way in which I am pushing myself with a feeling of guilt... It is that whole Puritanical thing coming out, because people in Indonesia are definitely not Puritans. So, it is not that I want to become inactive, just that I want to listen to my inner voice and do things in a positive and healthy way. Being in a coutry with such a different perspective and way of doing things forces me to reconsider my ways... and hopefully I will be able to make progress and achieve a better balance.
Yup. That pretty much is what I have been up to. And I slept A LOT, after not sleeping nearly enough. :)
I am heading off to Bali first thing tomorrow morning. I am really looking forward to going there. Being in a hotel so much it is a shock every time I step out the back door and smell Jakarta. This particular spot behind the hotel smells particularly bad. Probably it is the sewage stream thing that is just sitting there. Yuck!! But at least I am appreciating the outside weather more now... Why is it that hotels are always ridiculously over-air conditioned?
Well, I have been learning a lot about taking care of myself. Just trying not to get angry about the fact that I can't be having as much FUN as I would like to be having. Feeling like such a lame-o for being in bed when I am in INDONESIA. I feel like I SHOULD be out there exploring and being like the Energizer Bunny... but this little battery needs recharging. And I wish that were easier for me to handle. BUT for me travel is all about learning and this is a big one for me to learn. :)
Today I am going to check out the old Dutch harbor area. I am looking forward to it. :)