Official Affair

Dufan - Jakarta's Fantasy World

Pelabuhan Ratu - Harbour of The Queen

The Harbour of The Queen used to be the prime tourist destination in West Java, Indonesia.
We had a 3 days vacation there during the last long weekend.
We went for surfing, eating lots of seafood, and swim in the hotspring pool.
We had it planned to do some diving,
but since it was raining pretty hard on the first day, it's not so wise to continue the diving plan.

Dilemma of The Five Legs

Chicken porridge is one of my favorite dish and for the past 11 years I have them for breakfast on a regular basis be it when I was in Bandung until now in Jakarta. They are usually provided in some mobile food stalls ingeniously named kaki lima (five legs) patrolling across the streets from rural urban area to the shadow of skyscrapers in the central business districts, offering various kinds of food and drinks or even cigarettes and boozes.

The term Kaki Lima were given because some say that they seems to have five legs (if you count the owner’s) and seen from a distance. But another source argue that Kaki Lima was a phrase given to the five feet pavement between the building and streets in the city which were supposedly for people walking. Now this is where the dilemma begins, as I ponder the fact that my favorite chicken porridge stall has moved his dolly near a garbage shoot. I was slightly reluctant eating my albeit delicious dishes amongst sea of flies and the invigorating smell of landfill site.

As the nature of kaki-limas to operate in a lane where it is theoretically reserved for other functions, they’re often deemed as an intrusion for the public facility and city regulation. Another point is that, most area in Jakarta still has no proper sewage system, while the habit of these kaki-limas is to chuck their waste to the gutter and is one of the contributors for the clog in sewers all around the city, though not necessarily the sole reason of flooding in Jakarta if rainy season comes.

Because of the aforementioned grounds, several times a week there are inspection and raid held by the city taskforce to the thousands of kaki-limas. Occasional corruption happens here, where as a opposed to being chased like animals, the kaki-limas just offered bribes for the officer so that they walk away with their notorious loudspeaker. This is very unfortunate for the kaki-limas because even though they have bribe one task force the other would follow suit, yet still there is no guarantee that they could operate everyday, especially when the big fishes, aka the really important officials (minister or president) pass their street. Illusion that everything still clean and under control is still the best option for these bootlicker officials.

Some of the raids was totally inhumane though, I even saw it with my own eyes how these people were hunted down and kicked, their cart and dolly was shredded apart, or taken custody as a ransom for some large sum of money. Beauty versus poverty, what a pity. I know it is important to have a beautiful city, yet it’s been widely known that majority of the Jakarta citizen is poor. And I really believe that kaki-limas could be one of the solution to increase independency and entrepreneurship amongst the people. Last year alone thousands of new unemployment flog the city and it’s better for them to become small entrepreneur than beggars or even thieves.

I realize that it is not been easy, for example if you have a five feet pavement along the street, all five feet will be filled with cart and dollies if a certain measure not taken. Plenty of traffic jam has been caused by the expansions of these informal sector, yet from my observation, this is the fruit of the government’s policy to only pay attention in building malls and plaza for bigger business yet ignoring city plan for smaller enterprises and ventures which proven to be of a much larger quantity and in correlation with larger scale of population.

Middle class citizens like me can only afford eating regularly in the streets. You try to look away when they wash their platters hastily in a suspect looking bucket near the gutter. Or pay no attention when the piece of cloth they use to clean the dish fall to the brownish paving below, but find it hygienic enough to still use it. I remember at early weeks I stayed in Jakarta having to endure plenty of food poisoning before I became immune to them nasty germs. Hopefully no long terms effect damaging my poor sensitive stomach.

Dang, I’m gonna have to find me a new chicken porridge.

Sundanese Wedding

The Fame Game

Ain’t living in the internet era is a grand. People can always do some
online test, and put it in their blog, journal, site, or whatever and
proclaimed that they’re this and that. We bypass these thousands of
years proven tradition of socializing. Back when people judge and mark us by
our ability to perform and act in real life. Now we can always tick
some boxes and easily claim that we are a benevolent leader, a
charitable creator, a great kisser or summat. We do it colorful and
frequent enough people might starting to believe it.



I wonder why we do it. I guess so that when we’re online and check our
inboxes, we can see the little flashing icons. And we go, all right,
messages. People apparently need that. It's very important for human
beings to feel popular and well liked amongst a large group of people
we don't really care for.



Everybody like to think that their life is worthy of a story, of a
sitcom, or even movie. Everybody think that what they've going trough
should be put in broader audiences and be appreciated and applauded.
This is in no way a bad thing. It can be a very good phenomenon. Again
I drew parallel that back then someone became famous because they were
special. Now people are considered special just for being famous. That
is why everybody would do just about anything to be famous, even on the
internet. We have these Most Famous Friendster, Multipliers, or
whatever networking website there is. And we admire them and think that
they are special because hey, he’s got 500 contacts you know ;) That’s
quite a special achievement.



Oh by the way, this is an auto critic mostly directed at me (and some
other distant net user far far away from my contact list) and in no way
directed at you, my friends who sometimes visit my pages. And I humbly
appreciate you coming and comments on some of my rants really. Please
do come again soon :) I enjoy your company and thank you.

Places to Eat

Fix You - Coldplay

Fix You - Coldplay
When you try your best but you don't succeed


When you get what you want but not what you need


When you feel so tired but you can't sleep


Stuck in reverse




And the tears come streaming down in your face


When you lose something you can't replace


when you love some one buy it goes to waste


could it be worse?




Lights will guide you home


And ignite your bones


And I will try to fix you




And high up above or down below


When you're too in love to let it go


But if you never try you'll never know


Just what you're worth




Lights will guide you home


And ignite your bones


And I will try to fix you




Tears stream down on your face


When you lose something you cannot replace


Tears stream down on your face


And I




Tears stream down on your face


I promise you I will learn from my mistakes


Tears stream down on your face


And I




Lights will guide you home


And ignite your bones


And I will try to fix you.

Of Cancer

A
short message early in that morning from my sister deliver the
ill-fated news. One of our closest aunt has passed away after months
struggling from cancer. I was deeply saddened because it’s just no more
than two months ago she was bursting in tears hugging me on her
wheelchair when I visit her during my holiday. She could barely moved
at that time, her usually lively and cheerful self has gone.

 

Their
son Rafi, is often seen as a replacement son for my father and mother,
because I’ve always been away from home since junior high. He is about
my age and have a very pleasant demeanor about him. Always handy and
willing to help us and others, be it friends or relatives. For example
when my mum was sick while my dad was away, he always be the one who
took her to the hospital even late at night taking care of everything.
Especially during the passing of my sister, how he’s running errand
here and there helping my family. Don’t know how to thank him enough
for that. Sometimes I pity the fact that I am so far away from family
especially during these hard times.

 

I
remember the day when I reluctantly have to get back to Jakarta, my
late aunt and family (who live nearby our home in Makassar), woke up
early in the morning and then walk me to the car as we head to the
airport. I recall saying how we’ll meet each other again next year and
she replied with an Insya Allah remark. It’s happened that this time
God didn’t permit us to meet again. May she rest in peace, and God give
strength to her family in this time of grieve.

 

This
very morning Leysus - an Indonesian comedian has also passed away of
cancer. So did Bastian Tito, the author of Wiro Sableng yesterday. It
all made me realize once more how cancer is truly a deadly illness.
Like a bad luck or a stray of typhoon landed in our back yard. Lately
the media coverage has confirm my burgeoning suspicions about formalin
and all sort of hazardous preservatives addition to our daily food.
Usually when I bring this to any conversation, people would just
dismiss it as hearsay and unfounded rumor. Well, in the interest of
self preservation it’s always better for us to watch where and what we
eat and drinks, because we never know.

 

It’s
a shame and somewhat irritating really how some people lack respect to
other’s health and safety, and I fully support all the institutions who
finally investigate this formalin gate. I mean, for one, the package of
the substance has already marked with red skull and the word ‘danger’
typed in bold red, if it’s not complete ignorance then I don’t know
what else to call it.

 

It’s been one sad journal. A poem by John Donne
perhaps suitable at this moment, because although death is a certainty
to all, maybe we can take strength from the courage showed behind these
verses.

Death be not proud, though some have called thee  

Mighty and dreadfull, for, thou art not so,  

For, those, whom thou think'st, thou dost overthrow,  

Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill me.  

From rest and sleepe, which but thy pictures bee,          

Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow,  

And soonest our best men with thee doe goe,  

Rest of their bones, and soules deliverie.  

Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men,  

And dost with poyson, warre, and sicknesse dwell,

And poppie, or charmes can make us sleepe as well,  

And better then thy stroake; why swell'st thou then;  

One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally,  

And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.