Teroka

Sitting in front of a computer after spending a day in some part of Jakarta alone has been great. I didn’t do much, or went anywhere from that matter but its already different from what I expects it to be. Actually, I didn’t have any..

You see, Jakarta is one of the places I never thought I’d go to, since its just another city, with bad vehicle traffic, massive human traffic, which in some part is even worse.

I got lost instantly in this huge city, literally, after arriving late last night. Went straight to some bad neighbourhood area, and it was dark. The taxi driver could have taken me anywhere, and I wouldn’t have known. This would be the first trip that I actually had no idea where to go and what I ought to do while I’m here. I was taking it for granted that maybe simply because I understand their language, it wouldn’t be that hard to get around.

But me understanding them is one thing, and them understanding me is another. And having those extra 0s in their currency definitely don’t help.
I’ve learn that Jakarta is huge. And some of the places are named with very local flavour such as Kota, Tebet, Menteng, Kelapa Sunda and Semper. And I love it.

Today I had the opportunity to actually explore a small section of Jakarta near the place I’m staying, and I opted to walk (sebab malas sangat nak deal taxi etc) but I really do want to go on the Bajai?! and the Mini Metro. Not that big of a deal, just something different I guess.

At first (as funny as it seems) I thought Jakarta’s landscape was rather decent. The roads that is. It seems that you can do just about anything on the highway. Being the rather old-granny driver that I am, I know I won’t in a million years drive in Jakarta during peak hours. Anyway, I thought, near this place I stayed at, the place was kind of ‘green’. I mean, there were a lot of trees and flowers planted by the roadside. Of course it was at night and I didn’t get a good look at it.
So when I walk pass by this place, I saw it was actually a nursery, underneath the fly-overs, on-ramp exits and stuff. In Malaysia, we have it underneath the tiang-tiang elektrik TNB to give the plant a dose of radiation. But here, nothing like a little bit of fume here and there to make the green greener..

There were the usuals la, stalls by the road side. And I have to be honest, I love them, as unhealthy and an eye-sore as it is to many. They have fruits, bottled drinks, etc. I walked back home an hour after it gets dark. And I got this different feeling walking pass people waiting to go on the Mini Metro, at the roadside, near the badly-lit stalls having Coke.

Most people I know have really bad thoughts about the locals. But I’m impressed at how far they’d go to make a living. Some would cheat, and most would lie, but still, they work, and some of them work like hell

I guess that’s it for now.. Sleepy. And missing my family and good friends as well..