Woke up at around noon on our second day to go shop, eat and sightsee Jakarta. First stop was Tanah Abang Mall, something like Platinum and Pratunam Mall in Bangkok, but a less fancier version. 3 hours there and we did not buy a single shit because eventhough they were selling in bulks, the trends there were, to simply put, ugly. Note: Skip this mall entirely (it does not even have air con good god) and either opt for Thamrin City or fly over to Bangkok to shop. Jakarta is not really a destination for cheap and pretty things. We had A&W for lunch again though hehe. Now that was cheap. Then we headed down to their famous Istiqlal Mosque. That was the first time I have been to a mosque and it was huge! If I am not wrong, the tour guide said that it could accommodate over 100,000 people. No pictures though, my battery ran out.
My second day started off pretty lame and boring. But one thing was that I was able to witness the living conditions in Jakarta and it was not a nice sight. I will never forget that one time I saw three small kids carrying their individual plastic bags and begging for leftover food from roadside stall owners. I will never forget witnessing how the poor were selling the craziest of stuff just to get by. Toy airplanes, toy caterpillars, Garuda Airlines pillow covers and so much more. And it saddens me knowing that one, I did not need any of those and two, if I were to buy something from someone, more will come persuading me to buy theirs too. Note: I know this is fucking mean (even the tour guides advised us this) but always walk on and ignore if someone comes begging for money because others might “target” you. I felt so helpless and so ashamed to be complaining every other day about the littlest of problems I am facing in life when there were others who has it worse.
The realization dawned upon me when we went over to my dad friend’s house. He lived in the richer side of town, each house boasts their own sprawling lawn, their own set of bodyguards, fancy cars and swimming pools. The difference between the poor and rich was too drastic, it hit me hard. And it was sad because the government chose not to elevate the country’s situation. But anyway, they were our very friendly hosts for dinner! Nothing much happened during and after dinner but Asraff and I found out that all you need to have to own a fucking villa in Jakarta is 3,000,000 rupiah. Yup, convert that to SGD and we get our cute and little three and four room HDB flats hahahahaha wtf
Our last day was so much better! Had Nasi Minang for both our breakfast and lunch because they were so tasty and worth it. Our entire table was covered with plates! Note: These chain of restaurants (that you can find anywhere) will serve you a plate of rice for each patron and 10 over local malay dishes with it. Remember to put aside those you will not be eating so that they wont count them in your total bill! We spent about 150,000 rupiah for two. Happy tummies!
Finally, Asraff and I headed to Grand Indonesia while my parents went on to Thamrin City. Wasted time at their Starbucks Reserve Store because drinks and food there were so much cheaper as compared to Singapore outlets and their staff were really friendly! Window shopped before we all met up again to head to the airport together. Killed time at Starbucks again while I prepared myself for the turbulent night flight back home. It was a short holiday but it reminds me of how blessed my life is to be in a constantly safe and comfortable home and country.
Already missing their 30cents Teh Botol!!
/ Anyway, a month back I had to undergo an immediate medical procedure which was nerve-wrecking. I had less than two days to decide on my next step and I choose to believe that I did the right thing. Recovering from it took a huge toll on my mental and physical health and four weeks down, I am (almost) fully healed. Because of it, I decided to cut ties with some people, I found out friends who were not willing to help me when I needed it and those who stood by me no matter what, especially Asraff. Thank you!
