Indonesia: Day 1

Monday, January 24, 2010

I’ve arrived safely in Jakarta, Indonesia, where I’ll be staying with my dad for the next couple of days before flying up to Macau, China.

As I said before, the flight here was very long, so it’s great to be settling down. I’m so thankful to be staying with my daddy, especially to help the adjustment into Asian culture.

For those of you who don’t know, my father works for the US Embassy in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. It’s been very interesting stepping into my dad’s life overseas, which is something I’ve never been able to do before. Now I can understand why he and his friends have all seemed to wind up here. Jakarta is such an interesting and unique place! The city itself is a mixture of modern and traditional. Tall skyscrapers sit next to small residential slums, all among lush, green trees and exotic plants. From my dad’s patio you can see it all, with a bit of a sketch neighborhood right next to his apartment, a ton of skyscrapers, small two-story buildings, A LOT of trees, and even a large cemetery next to a bustling street.

My first impression when arriving at the Jakarta airport was how humid it is! It is the rainy season right now, which helps the heat cool off, but the humidity makes it seem hotter than it actually is. Not to mention it makes my hair super curly and frizzy. : )

The ride back in the “Taksi” from the airport gave me my first real experience with Indonesian traffic. I’d heard the stories from my dad and my uncle and his family, but I didn’t actually believe it until I saw it. There is really only one word to describe the traffic here: a mess. Most streets don’t have lane lines, but when they do there really is no point. People cram their cars as tightly as they can together and completely ignore the concept of staying in their own lane. It’s an anything goes mentality here when it comes to the traffic. Motorcycles and “bajajs” wind in and out of the traffic. There are so many of them because their public bus system keeps downsizing. It’s a lot like Phoenix in that there is a public transportation system in place, but it isn’t really effective because it can’t cover the entire city efficiently. There are also traffic police EVERYWHERE (there is always an officer in sight from wherever you are), but as my dad said, they don’t do anything and are pretty useless.

We arrived at the Shangri-La Hotel and Residences, where we had to make our way through the tight security before entering the premises. Security guards will not open the gate until they’ve checked under the hood, in the trunk, and your glove compartment. We finally got in and passed the hotel lobby in the “taxsi,” but had to go through another security gate to get to the residences next door. The driver gave the security guards his identification before we passed through the gate and dropped us off.

A concierge was there to greet us when we were dropped off and helped get the luggage out of the trunk. We went in and took an elevator up to the 22nd floor, which opened directly into a private entry hall to my dad’s apartment! We went inside, and I cannot believe what a cushy lifestyle my dad’s living in! I’d say it’s more of a penthouse than an apartment, if you ask me. It has three bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, plus an extra for guests. There’s a large living room, an ultra-modern kitchen, a laundry room and a back room, plus a nice-sized patio overlooking the city.

The first thing I heard was the Islamic Call to Prayer (thank you, Prof. Hamill, for teaching me this in World Music class), which echoes and there’s even a mosque that you can see from my dad’s patio.



After my dad and I set up blowup mattress in one of the bedrooms (a.k.a. my dad’s closet), the first thing I did was take a shower! It was pretty awesome to get all the jetlag grime off of me.

Jerry, a long-time friend of my dad, met us for dinner, and we all drove over to the local Chili’s. Although I was wanting to try Indonesian food during my visit, I was starving and pretty thankful that we were able to eat in a familiar place. The menu is exactly the same as the ones back home, so I had my usual: Chicken Crispers with a Strawberry Lemonade. The food tasted exactly the same, except for the ketchup and the lemonade. The ketchup tasted only slightly different, but not in a bad way, and the lemonade tasted the same except that the texture was more of a melted smoothie than regular lemonade.

One thing I made sure to do was not order ice with my drink, because the water quality here is not as good and could give you a nasty bug. I have my Cipro medication on hand, just in case I do get a yucky stomach bug from the water. My dad’s had it a number of times, my mom had it on her recent trip to Bali, my Uncle Harry has had it, and almost all my father’s coworkers and friends who have traveled abroad here have had it. When I’m in Macau I will also have to be careful about the water. I’ll need to brush my teeth with bottled water, not tap, and be careful about opening my mouth in the shower! It will take some getting used to, but if I’m smart and aware I can hopefully avoid it.

On our way to the restaurant I also saw some familiar places. There are ads all over for McDonalds, which has a 24-hour delivery service! I saw a Pizza Hut, which looked more like an upscale restaurant than anything. There was also a Starbucks, a Sizzler, and even a Shell gas station! You can find almost any American restaurant or hotel chain here, which makes me feel a little better about the adjustment to a new culture.

We got back at about 7:30 pm. I got into my pajamas and brushed my teeth (with bottled water) and settled into bed. I finished the last few pages of my book (which I started at the airport in Phoenix) and wrote a little bit in my journal (see previous post). I was out before 9:00.