I Want to See The World ! : December 29 already..... geezh

Nothing like yummie and cheap breakfast within walking distance..
This lady still remembers me from last January!

December 29... First day in Jakarta.... and without change of clothes nor undies.... Hehe ^^ . Woke up at 0500 and already the birds started chirpin. Made my coffee (kapal api without sugar nor cream) then sat outside with my ciggy writing this next blog. By quarter to 6, usually it's already bright, and everyone started doing chores around the neighborhood. Most people has a maids here, they usually already start cleaning the house, the garden, do laundry, etc by 0600. Viv, of course, still sleeping.

And these are the food she sells (^^)

And Lontong Sayur I bought from her.... Rice cake and vegies
in spicy coconut cury

Today's agenda? Try to get my luggages back! We also have to exchange money and get local simcard for the blackberry (which Viv called whiteberry now because it's white :D). Having an unlock phone is a great for travelling, because you can put local simcard into your phone and recharge as needed. So those will be today's agendas, and of course.... meeting with the rest of the family. Apparently a cousin I haven't seen in.... ummm.... maybe 2 decades.... is here and he's going back tomorrow, so we're having a family get together.

And these too.... stuffed tofu... complete with tea!

I went to get a simcard at a nearby place. In Indonesia it is ridiculously easy to get cellphone and sim card. The girl has a little corner at the front of some internet place, few simcards, you tell her which ones you want and how much money you want in there, and that's it.... you got local number! The thing is, the signal lost frequently, not from the provider but I think it's the stupid blackberry. I'm not sure why some people really like them, but going from iPhone and using blackberry, it's very..... ummm.... frustrating. Especially in Indonesia, blackberry is very popular and considered... cool thing to have..... How I know it's the blackberry and not the signal provider, it's because my iPhone always picks up the signal when the blackberry totally lost in the system.... errr. To get signal back, I have to shut off the blackberry and turn it back on..... what a pain in the bum.

Another convenience... Security office right across from my street ^^

As I was walking back to my dad's house, I realized how convenient people have it here..... Laundry place that charge around $1 per kilo to wash, iron and fold your clothes (including underwear and socks.... no shit.... ironed and nicely folded underwear!) within walking distance, food vendors every 5 steps you took (or pass by right in front of your house), pharmacy, doctor, local morning market...... everything within walking distance where ever you are.... funny thing is, most Indonesians they don't like to walk.... they'll ride their motorbike everywhere. On the other hand, these convenience only meant something if you have the money. The rich are extremely rich, and the poor.... sometimes I have no clue how they survive day to day. My dad is considered middle class, so life is good in Jakarta.
So, as some of you already know, wifi is not something that's part of the household here, and even when you find a wifi connection, either you have to pay for it, or it's for customers only.... the process at starbucks was quite something just to obtain internet access. Since my dad was going for a swim anyway, I went with him because there is wifi at the hotel. The hotel was suprisingly nice, I remember when I was living here, the hotel wasn't that nice for sure, and the area wasn't full of houses and roadside food vendors. Basically all the areas that used to be empty lots here, I didn't recognize them anymore because things were built on them. The wifi at the hotel.... of course I have to get username and password for it.... the not very smiley receptionist gave it to me with no questions ask (and for some reason she kept speaking english to me even when I spoke Indonesian to her ). I definitely will buy my dad a router....... Because it's long overdue.... I mean, none of his kids live in the country, so wouldn't that make it easier if he has wifi so he could communicate with us easier? ^^
Then off we went to pick up our luggage. We called prior to, and even though there is an option to have it delivered to our house, we figured since this is Indonesia, the luggage may take longer than it should to get to our house if delivered. The process wasn't too bad actually, mabe cuz I made sure I have my bubbly big smile pulled on my face and held on by safety pins when I ask questions to the securities and customs people there..... And then I got my luggages back! Yippie! I decided a nice cold bath will be a priority at this point, so we went to Carrefour to get shampoo and conditioner, it's like... ummm... maybe superstore in canada. The supermarket itself located within a huge cheap retail/wholesale place for everything you need, from underwear to electronics. Big mistake..... the place is packed, as always... ummm.... just imagine christmas shopping time or boxing day shopping day in saskatoon with 10 times more people in one place.... most days of the year! So waited at the long line up.... for 3 little items :D..... When that was over I was glad..... Lesson learnt? Cheaper items don't worth the huge mob of people :D. Maybe convenient stores is the place to go next time (in Indonesia, Indomart and Alfamart is every 10 steps seems like.... more convenient of stores than any convenient stores in Saskatoon :D)
Had my nice cold bath and off me go to my granny's. Met my cousin that I haven't seen for 2 decades and his family. All of us had a good visit as always, and it was so nice to have my cousin as an excuse to visit Eastern Kalimantan on my next journey..... Apparently there's quite the beautiful diving place there, full of penyu (sea turtles), still untouched by many dirty tourists hands (i.e drunken loser tourists that went to third world country thinking they could get laid just because they're tourist with money and do whatever their beerguts wants and treated local people like shit). Seen many of this kind of tourist in Kuta, Bali. My grandma, of course she made the best meal ever as always! By the end of yesterday I had quite the happy belly! (maybe a bit of a Buddha belly too :D)