Istiqlal and Cathedral Church of Jakarta

They say, “Before chasing what is a far, try to appreciate what you have around you.” While I don’t entirely agree with the saying, I’ve been wondering that why for never once I’ve visited the landmarks in the city that I’ve lived for four years which have attracted so many foreign visits from various countries. I figure I should at least once witness with my own eyes some symbols of Jakarta as the capital cities of my own country. So after being planned for several weeks, it’s the high time for some national geography and historical lessons – by visiting the majestic Istiqlal – the largest mosque in Southeast Asia – and Jakarta St. MATH Cathedral church – built at 1901 -  of our very own.

As Herry – or famously known as Kobe – and me were for a while soaked in the rain and had to take shelter, before finally we managed to reach the Cathedral church before dark. The church was undergoing extensive renovation that you could find the brackets here and there covering the church. We took several photos and prayed in the Mary cave. A bit unfortunate for us that we arrived in the middle of holy mass that we couldn’t take some pictures inside. The architecture of the church is very gothic. You could also find an old huge pipe organ still playing.

A moment later, we had crossed the street to make our way to the Istiqlal and took some pictures outside of the mosque. Later, we were greeted in English by a tourist guide of Istiqlal that thought we were some foreigners. After explaining that we’re just some have-nothing-to-do Indonesians knowing nothing of their own country, he offered a tour inside the mosque. To our amazement, the mosque was really huge! It could even take 120.000 people at the same time! Most of the metal part of the mosques were made from stainless steel including the dome. The tour guide made some interesting explanations of the history of the mosque, features of the mosque  and the meaning of the Arabic inscriptions found on the wall. He explained to us during the Eid Al Fitr – Shalad Id -, some people opt to stay overnight just in order to be able to get the front row in the main prayer building which means they would be able to sit near the presidents and some VIP guests. Prince Charles of UK or the Sultan Bolkiah of Brunei ever visited the church.

After giving some donations to the mosque, we called the tour a day. I’ve been always thinking that it’s interesting that the most prominent mosque and church of Indonesia were built opposite to each other. Whether it was planned or just merely coincidence is very arguable, but I would love to think that it’s a symbol the religious harmony in Indonesia. Too bad, abiding by the fact, it’s still far to be obtained. Anyway, I already have some future plans in mind: the museum, the national monument, and the old city of Jakarta – Fatahillah. In the mean time, good night!

Pictures would come later once I feel like to upload them

Sandwich Tower Competition

Venue: Sandwich Time at Spin City, EX Ground floor, Jakarta
Date/Time: Mar 13, 2009, 19:00-19.05
Agenda: “I can eat sandwich in five minutes” competition
Prize: 2 million Rupiah

Although this kind of eating, trying to be a pig, competition is quite common, at least for me it’s quite interesting this time since two of my friends were participating.

The rules and the goal of the the competition were pretty simple:
- You have to finish the sandwich tower within 5 minutes and make sure there’s nothing left within your mouth
- You may start only when instructed
- You may improvise on how to eat the sandwich, per slice, sinkin the bread into the water first, or whatsoever trick you can think of

As it might sound easy, it might be not since the sandwich was not only huge but it was pretty hard to chew with the thin timeframe. As a result, none of the participant did win. The near miss one finished all the sandwich but sadly still had some within his mouth so he only got the award not the money prize.

Again, there’s nothing to lose since by the entrance fee of Rp. 25000 you’re getting the sandwich, normal price at Rp. 75000, plus Coca Cola.

Some pictures from the scene, enjoy!

The huge sandwich tower

The crowd!

A participant, namely Sumatris, is trying to hard to chew and finish the sandwich

Eat Eat! Chew Chew!

Opportunist hungry audience tries to satisfy his curiousity by grabbing some bite of the unfinished sandwiches

Insane audiences and participants allegedly addicted to the sandwiches afterwards

Morning trip on new busway route: Harmoni – Lebak Bulus

After quite a while since initiating its service on the Feb 21st, -which I turn out to have only noticed yesterday-, today I had the opportunity to give a try-out onto the new busway system, the corridor 8, connecting Harmoni through Pondok Indah to Lebak Bulus, South Jakarta. It was thanks to the bad internet at home which caused me miscommunication with my usual trip-to-office partner, that I had to make my lone trip.

Beginning the trip from “Kelapa Dua Sasak” station, I was welcomed with consideratebly acceptable stations, new buses, and moderate waiting time on the new route that my first impression was tolerant. The new buses and stations even had separate entrances and exits, and they no longer used the insert-in ticket but rather paper ticket obtained after purchasing at the station, unlike the older routes. It’s too bad I could already see some spray paints on the connecting bridge to the stations, yet-to-function in-bus-next-station-notifying-screen and voice system, and again the common problem that the special busway lane was entered by the not-supposed-to-enter private cars, motorcycles and even the other public buses like Metromini and Kopaja. In summary though, the travel time, the convenience, the crowdness were at acceptable level. Well, it was until I arrive at the Grogol II interchange station directing to Harmoni.

For route, please refer to http://www.rutebusway.com

There at the old route, I was back to the already overcrowding, older-untreated buses and stations, although their ages had not been that old. It’s another question, whether the newer routes and buses, even those who are yet to come under service will suffer the same fate? With the same society having the same destructive mentality as years ago, I guess we can’t expect much at the moment or blame unfairly to the operators of Trans Jakarta busway system. Think, those who sprays the stations, the motorcycles that drive through the connecting bridge at Pulogadung stations, those who push one another during the queue, those who litter here and there inside the buses and stations, who are they?

Eventually, as expected, I arrived at the office around 1.30 hour after beginning the trip. At the moment, I reckon it’s still very unworthy. I would still opt to give my cents for my usual ride, taxi, since it would have saved me one hour travel time. But as the Slipi busway route will open soon, things may get better. It doesn’t change the fact though, that Jakarta is in dire need of better public transportation system, as I’ve mentioned over and over in previous posts.  I’m honestly pessimistic with the upcoming MRT which is projected to open in 2015, but I can’t help to really expect it will make a dive to the goal.

It’s monday morning, two things that I detest, but still, happy working everyone! Long weekend is coming in Indonesia, something that many of us have been expecting.

Binus Street Musicians

The weather has been just so abrupt recently that the very lovely clear sky that tantalized me when I finally stepped back to Jakarta the last weekend is no more. The super sunny day can be followed by a sudden gush of water from the sky, photographers may have to again be drawn into disappoinments in their struggle to capture the blue sky of Jakarta. Inevitably, some of my closest people who are actually in their high time of their busy working schedule have to go down with sickness: fever, cold. The good news though, the anticipated long weekdend is just about to come. I can’t keep on making plans and plans although they may never work out in the end. Merely thinking is just already too fun!

Come to think of it, I’ve been living in Jakarta particularly in my residence in Kemanggisan, Binus for four and half a year. It’s never been a short time. So much has happened here, good or bad. I learn so much new things whether they are useful or not. I just can’t never imagine how hard it is gonna be if one day, in plan or not, I have to leave this city. The city has always been as chaotic as it had been, maybe even more. People come and people leave. New faces can be seen from time to time. Cute young female freshmen are just always attractive for the alumnis who are still residing in the vicinity of the always changing IT campus of Binus. Everything changes? Maybe not. Apparently. there’re also these some things that haven’t changed.

If you ever or still live or study in Binus-Kemanggisan area in recent long years, you must be very familiar with the below face. Yes, he’s the unknown street musician who has been lurking around for the duration that no one may ever know. He’s been here as far as I can remember about my life in Binus. Even according to Chandra, my senior, he has been here even during his time. For that very long period of time, he, with his tiny but cute ukelele – little guitar -, has been entertaining the Binusians (how the Binus students call themselves) with his only song, “Sepanjang jalan kenangan (Along this road of memory)”.

Unlike many other impolite, noisy street musicians, he’s always been giving utmost respect towards his audience and keeping very high demeanor to even those who refused to put money into his open hands. His old, static, but rememberable style is always with him during his performance, door to door and day by day. He is never abstain to bid “Excuse me!” in the beginning and “Thank you!” in the end accompanied by his ritual of bowing. He’s always been singing the very same song with listenable but never too loud, disruptive voice. Can you imagine that he’s been doing that for all years long, and he will keep continue? Just like his keepsake song, he may be one of the antique living proof of memories of the Binusians engraved along the road.

I really believe him, the unknown street musician, who can keep his standard for so long deserves an award -whatever the name of the award can be- for his relentless feat. Really, not many people can do that especially in this era of rapid changes where everything should change in order to survive. This post is dedicated for him. Good luck sir!

There’s this one far more recent street “musician”, unlike the antique old man from before, that has also been lurking around to earn money. Unlike his predecessor though, he’s singing, or shouting, or screaming, really i’m not sure what sorta of crazy monstrous sound coming out from his mouth which somehow if you listen carefully most of them are the current popular songs in Indonesian chart. I’m pretty sure that actually he’s quite unfortunate since his speaking ability is impaired and we’re also suspecting his mental and intelligence may not be of normal people. That even with such condition he’s still trying to earn money is one thing that should be appreciated. That is if you try to put aside the fact that it’s just helplessly annoying when he’s “singing” and his attitude to half-forcing people to give money to him for his “singing”. Ugh!

There are actually many other Binus street musicans with various singing abilities, performance style and attitude. Some of the are really good, even some forms bands of street musicians which are very entertaining since they carry around full set of musical intruments. But there are many others who are also so crazily annoying accompanied by super bad attitude even insulting for those who refuse to pay tribute to their performance. These various street musicians have been there so long in every part of this dynamic city and perhaps will always be there.

I’m still living in this city as of now and I should treasure my moments more to capture even more things, no matter how bad the city actually is. A bit early, but happy long weekend everyone. May everyone be blessed with happiness and smiles. For those who are entangled with sickess and stress of work, just remember, every night is followed just another dawn, no hardships that last forever . Good night!

Even taxi driver…

There was this strange occurrence several days ago when I was on taxi for my daily trip to the office. We were just caught inside with our conversation regarding mobile phones as one of the participant was thinking of the cell phone to replace her not-too-old-but-so-freaking-annoying N73 when suddenly the driver of the taxi stepped into the conversation.

Driver: “I’m sorry *pulling out his mobile phone* but could you help me with my cell phone? I need to have the messages deleted cuz I don’t want my child to read them since I’m asking him to get this into service center. The keypad is broken so I’ve been unable to perform deletions.”

Short of story, we were too busy later checking his mobile phone, passing to each other trying to figure out how to delete the messages. Supposedly even without the keypad, it has got to be easy since it’s an old P910i with touch screen. But then we found out there’s a part of the touch screen that also malfunctioned which was unfortunately the part where the yes or no should be pressed.

Well the driver had to be worried since when I (half) accidentally opened one of the forbidden SMS and took a snap on what’s written inside:
“Why haven’t you (bapak) activated your cell phone recently? If you (bapak) are bored with me already, please just let me know”.

I initially thought that the taxi drivers in Indonesia mostly were living in poverty. But then seems like it’s not entirely true. At least, this taxi driver could afford to cheat.

Well, in the end, none of us could help him to delete the messages until we got off the taxi. We only gave him the suggestion to try getting the mobile phone reformatted as it would delete the messages and maybe could help to fix the touch screen issue and maybe keypad (if it’s really only software issue).

The things left were the odd impression left by the SMS and also the fact that we had to pay a bit more than usual for our very usual trip with similar distance and traffic condition. There’s suspicion that he toyed with the meter when we were too busy with his mobile phone.

And next, what about marriage? Is it so hard in reality to have marriage without an affair? I used to ideally believe that marriage is sacred, one for a lifetime, that devotion is a must within marriage. Now, I still wish that I would be able to be a have such an ideal marriage. But then seeing more and more, the idea may not be that easy after all even when I’m only considering the strength of my own self, not to mention the partner.