Jakarta the sequel

Not sure what to say about this 2nd trip to Jakarta other than the fact that I spent 2 full days at an office trying to understand some people’s operational problems. I was there representing my dad, which was an effort considering the people I had to deal with were as old as he is. You don’t know what its like to sit in meetings where people spoke a mix of broken English and Mandarin laced with a thick Javanese accent.

All was not lost though. For some strange reason Indonesia always makes me hungry and I had a feast for the 3 days. The people there seem to have a love affair with chillies and they put it in everything they eat. If you think its the same in Malaysia, wait till you see people carrying around a packet of raw chillies for a snack, like popcorn.

One thing I must say, their Chinese food tastes a little weird. Here’s a version of their wantan mee.

I’m sure a person from Xiamen will have the same sentiments about Malaysian wantan mee.

Here’s more food in a Veitnamese cafe in Block M, the equivalent of KL’s Lot 10 which was near the hotel I was at.

The only night I was free to roam, I spent at Citos or Cilandak Town Square, a heavily guarded R&R place catering mainly to expatriates. Come to think of it, it reminds me of the Curve.

Jakarta’s a city of contrasts. Some parts of it would blend right into New York City and some looks like the poorest sections of Sierra Leone. Its very crowded but not as bad as Hong Kong. Maybe in my next trip I’ll have more leisure time to get a more balanced view of the place.

Anyway while at Pondok Indah Mall, their equivalent of 1-Utama, I came across this interesting sign. I’ll leave you to your imagination as to what the sign is about.