I've been having this love-hate relationship with my home town. It's no longer safe there, and I despise the goverment, corruption, etc, but I love it. Still. Hey, however, it is the land where I grew up. And, here, I dream about home a lot!
So, I just wanna share this one link about non-Indonesian living in my country and how a culture-shock Indonesia is for them. But, see, Indonesia does grow on you after a while.
There, we have the biggest mosquitos. And even bigger after they bite us and suck our blood. So, it's either spray lots of mosquito repellent (and get ourselves killed breathing it) or get bitten by them & get itchy & swollen. It's a lose lose situation. You have to be an Indonesian to really master the way out. And that is to train the speed of your movement until it almost reach the lightning speed, to clap your hands and get the mosquito squashed in your hands. And after a while, your hands will operate by themselves, just out of reflect, they will clap mosquitos while you sit out in the living room watching TV.
Another thing about Jakarta is that your neighbor might have a rooster or two. It doesn't apply to most people, but, lucky me, my neighbor has a few. So on the wee hours everyday, they'd wake you up. Screaming on the top of their lungs.
The McDonald's there sell rice and fried chicken. And the crazy traffic (believe me, LA & NY are nothing) will drive you nuts. I ate in some very questionable small kiosks built on the pedestrian passage with, I can assure you, very dirty utensil & e-coli-inhibited ice tea. But, they have the best food. I'm not sure if my digestive system can still handle them anymore, but the next time I go home, I'll surely go back there.
They are are another million things to talk about Jakarta. It's a never ending list.
I hate the terorists there, intoxicating the mind of the uneducated people. It's a shame. It really is a shame.
But I think, I'm going home next year, to visit the roosters and re-train my hand-clapping a bit.
Besides it's been a while since I take a ride in one of these.
3 comments:
Jakarta eh? He..he...he... I must admit that I also have the love-hate feeling with the city... and in a broader term, Indonesia.
I hate it, corruption, the legislative who are like a pre-school kids, the overall goverments who always acts silly.
But then.... I can't afford to hate it either. The country has bunch of lovely scuba diving site. And the food..... aggree with what you said.
Besides, I can't find other country which is 'perfect'. Singapore is almost perfect, except.... it is too good to live in. The US... I don't like their pension system, plus several other factor. European? They full of old people with old way of thinking.
BTW, come back home, I'll take you to Mangga Besar, looking for Kweetiauw, Crab Noodle, or maybe some Satay?
It's a date!
I miss your big unruly hair, Dude!
Say hi to your girl.
Hey Nessy,
Bali is great! :):):) Been there several times and I'll go there again definitely!
Ah... love and hate....
Aren't we all have love-hate relationship with our home?
^____^
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