I went to Giant

You know, I have no time to look for coupons. I live in a town house and saving for single family house...and I know when I go to...and that is why (according to a commercial running in DC area). Well, not really. I went to Giant, well, because it is here (dah) and also because it was on my way from the airport (last Saturday), and also because I am familiar with the store, already (which in all-estranged country comes handy, let me tell you). Yes, Giant is here, because it is Dutch chain of grocery stores (nope, not American) and Indonesia used to be Dutch colony. If you went to Giant in DC on Saturday afternoon, you know it is all family event; and same is here. Only, triple the amount of people doing shopping...and cars...and motorcycles. Products themselves are...hmmm...more Asian style, so to say. Lots of noodles, lots of different fruits and vegetables; not a big selection in meat (yes, I do miss pork) or salami, same in milk product section; a little bit limitted. There is a great variety in eggs, though. You can buy already pre-packed (same familiar boxes....hmmm...if there is possibly other way to pack these), or you can dig in a giant (Giant, really) box and get your own selection of eggs and put them in a..hmm... plastic bag, if you like. Giant here offers lots of non-grocery products - towels, pots and pans, some electric ware...So, I got what I needed there. I got exhausted too, before getting out and on top (store was 2 leves under)...on the street. And home in the usual traffic.

OK, this post will be about possible PROS and CONS of living in Jakarta (as I dont know the entire Indonesia, yet). It will depend on your own made-of-mind which one you will affiliate with and label one way or the other.

PROs: As I already mentioned before, ol' McDs delivers 24/7, but so does KFC and Pizza Hut (but these fine cuisine spots only 10/7). I have been in KFC only once in my life (in DC, accompanying a friend), and I have actually never been inside Pizza Hut (what for to get in?), but even I can notice the differences between these places here in Jakarta and in DC (US). Both are way much nicer; you feel like beeing inside a real Italian restaurant when entering Pizza H. and want to sit down and enjoy whatever they bring you on the table. I think, it will be my dinner spot one night (you know, just to get the experience...not sure with KFC, though). Furthermore, McDs has also a fancy McCafe spot. Yup, coffee from McDs is not only hot here, it is also tasty (hmmm..not exactly clear to me why the country of its origin gets only some naughty looking version of McDs). Who actually delivers as well is the famous liquer store in Kemang - Coswell (VIN+)! Now, that is a great business deal here. This place would be sooo popular elsewhere, both in DC and Prague. Coswell besides being a liquer spot also functioning as a deli of NY style. Tasty place. Well, this is a way how to make folks employed in high-unemployment rate country, let them deliver; and also how to make good money ...so, I hope, these delivery guys get pay a bit decently (right, most likely not). You know, we tend to think in bad terms about McDs expanding aggressively all over the world, but...McDs can get easily lost in street life here, in developing Indonesia. There is such a variety of local warungs and street carts, every step and breath you take...there is one. McDs just create one out of the zillion eating options here (and it even serves chicken and rise here together with FFs); if they only apply decent HR politics - the company is rich enough to pay decent salary and health care which would still be a bergain in countries like this. Well, there is one real small positive in this business - McDs is open to hiring deaf people here, usually... for cleaning job.

Clearly established PRO is the weather here - eternal summer. It is a bit humid, yes, but you can deal with it if you dont have to walk daily. White people here, if I will put it this way, practically never walk; they tend to have cars and/or drivers. Local folks might drive - car or motorbike (better situation), or not - taking a bus is rather CON (crowded, smelly, no AC).

Indonesia is a service society - I do not have to care about my trash, clothes and cleaning. All is managed by my landlord (or house-keeper). I just place the trash or clothes behind my doors and he will take care of it. When I get back home, trash is gone and my clothes are washed and even ironed. (When it happened for the first time back in Jogja, I got a bit emotional or overwhelmed by seeing my shirts ironed - for the first time ever! They looked soo cute). Now, one get easily use to this service, this is the scary part - not sure how easily I will get back to the routine in DC, one day.

As the infrastracture is not of high maintanance (delivered by government), the private buildings create a pleasure for your eyes. There is so many of great and architectonically interesting buildings (of course, with opulence of the opposite), one can be easily astonished and pleasantly surprised. Well, I hope that you see what I see.

The most important PRO for me is my way to work. Somewhat clean, lots of green plants, not very long and NO annoying traffic. I can say that I can really enjoy it - if I don't peek at drainage and if not before-the-rain moment (you need to read CONs to fully understand).

CONs: If you don't like to walk - this is the country to be. You really don't need to...and mostly, you dont want to (there is abundance of cabs, which would fell into PROs rubric). One starts to appreciate common infrastructure of developed world - such as sidewalks and trash bins. Sidewalks are mostly non-existent here. If there is, by some mistake, a sign of sidewalk it is usually taken by all present food carts or some carts with whatever that they have for sell (mostly, phone cards, drinks, cigarettes). Sidewalks are usually created by covering drainages; saying that and previous, drainages, then, are mostly not covered in Jakarta. Oh yeah, not covered. You can smell these badly, especially in the afternoon before rain. And usually, you dont need to be very lucky to see these long-tailed creatures running in and out of them. (Should I label them?) Now, drainage is not sewerage. I expect that you can distinct these two (open sewerage would be way much ...sheeetie...worst...and not only for yours - well, mine - nostrils). These drainages would not have to be neccessary that challenging if folks would not use it as public trash solution (trans bins); combination of water, garbage and hot weather....hmm....tidak bagus. Well, if I summarize aforementioned, you are better off not to be walking here, even if it means you will be dealing with almost unbearable traffic. Streeets are pretty tight in Jakarta (commonly, two ways only - one there, one back) and no where to expand for increasing number of cars and motorcycles. Sometimes, I am so scared that the driver will have to dump us into drainage because of meeting three motorcycles, one car and one walking street-cleaner dude, I am covering my eyes and..screaming, really. (I am sorry, and I know this does not help the situation a lot). I have nothing than endless endless admiration for my - HKI - drivers. I would have to quit ....hmmm...before I even starting (as I would be covering my eyes and screaming all the time...); and I did not even mention yet (today, that is) that they are driving on left which is only final nutty topping on this jam cake.

Now, do I need to cite here mosquitos? They are here, and they are difinitely bothering me, or better, if I may, sucking me. I do put anti-mosquito lotion on myself every day, repeatedly; yet, these suckers are ...well, natural suckers; they always discover my uncovered skin-spot. It is sort of safe here in Jakarta, no need to worry about malaria, at least; yes, it is only annoying. I am lucky to have an AC in my place and I try to keep the room temperature low enough so to be un-attractive for the bugs (well, this is my sound theory of general all-suckers house protection); I also purchased a little odor-producing device that should keep the skin annoyers out of my home (the odor is not irritating to me, thanks all-mighty). My place also came with more traditional anit-bugs protection - this fly-bug-flapper which was thoughtfully placed by my bed. So far, so good; still blood in my body.

Talking about animals, cats look like predators here. They tend to be very skinny (not sure why, cuz....you know...plenty of tailed features to chew on) and always...hmmm...ready-like to attack. I am veeeery cautios when passing them by. (Maybe they are even scared themselves, as "the other" animals are almost bigger than the cats, well fed from drainages...eeewww.) And not a big fan of them, once again and even more. Well, look for yourself - scary creature, isnt it?

What else??? That's for now....I will have more to discuss later on, I bet.