The city in Jakarta: Indonesia # 2

History

The history of Jakarta dates back to at least the 14th Century with the development of a small port of Hindu Pajajaran Kingdom at the mouth of Ciliwung River. Searching for the fabled "Spice Island", the Portuguese were the first Europeans to arrive and establish a fortreess on the site in the early 16th Century.

The old port was attacked by a neighoring sultanate under leadership of Prince Fatahillah. After the assault, the Portuguise navy fleet was destroyed. Fatahillah changed the name of the Sunda Kelapa port to Jayakarta, meaning "Total Victory", commemorating the defeat of the local Hindu Kingdom and their European allies. According to some historians, this event took place on June 22, 1527, a date which later was officially recognized as the birth of the city of Jakarta.

It was to this town that Dutch spice merchants came in the late 16th Century and began a trading association with Europe that was to dictate the history of Jakarta, and Indonesia as a nation, for nearly 350 years. Under the aggresive leadership of Jan Pieterzoon Coen, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) proceeded forcibly to take possession of the town of Jayakarta, renaming it Batavia in 1619; from here they ruled Indonesia for more than three centuries. Following the Japanese invasion and rule of the country from 1942-45, on August 17, 1945, Indonesia's first President Soekarno proclaimed Indonesia Independence and Jakarta became the accepted nation's capital.

Geographic Location

Jakarta is located on a wide, flat alluvial plain on the north coast of western Java. It covers 650 square kilometers of land which rises from five to 50 meters above sea level. Thirteen major waterways flow through it and empty into Jakarta Bay. Time is GMT plus 7 hours.

The city is bound to the north by the Java Sea, to the east by Bekasi district, to the south by Bogor district (these districts lie within the province of West Java) and to the west by Tangerang district (lie by the province of Banten). The city boundaries blend imperceptibly into the neighboring districts, when much of the city's industry is being developed and large numbers of the workforce are located. These greater Jakarta conurbation is known by the acronym Jabotabek (Jakarta-Bogor-Tangerang-Bekasi).

Climate

Lying near the equator, Jakarta is hot and humid year-round. The long rainy season falls between late October and early May though rain occurs throughout the year, averaging 1791 mm. Rain tends to come in short heavy bursts, but even during the rainy season it doesn't rain every day. It rains on only a handfull of days during the dry season from July to September.

Afternoon humidity averages around 70 %, but is higher during the morning. Temperatures are fairly even throughout the year, averaging nearly 30°C maximum and 25°C minimum. Jakarta gets a steady supply of 12 hours daylight throughout the year, in the dry season the skies are clearer. Mornings are sunnier than the afternoons.

People and Culture

The city's dominant populations come from the surrounding areas of Java, many parts of Sumatera, Bali, and Sulawesi. Also making themselves known are those hailing from Papua, Indonesia's most eastern province, and Kalimantan, home of the Dayaks and one of the largest rainforests in the world. Over the centuries, these groups have kept their cultural roots, yet some have also inter-mixed, including with non-Indonesians, to form a special group of their own known as Orang Betawi.

Jakarta has its own special Betawi culture, which suggests the string of influences that reached the city's shores over the centuries. A long process of selectively borrowing and uniquely blending Chinesse, Arab, Portuguese and Dutch elements with native ingenuity has produces the colorful, composite Betawi culture. The word "Betawi" is derived from Batavia, the old name of the capital during the Dutch administration.

Pockets of Betawi life are still culturally alive throughout Jakarta with celebrations of wedding and the rhythms of a distinctive style of music. From the Betawi wedding dress alone one gets a glimpse of the many influences that passed through the gateway of the nation. The Betawi bride wears a gown inspired by the Chinesse ceremonial dress. Although there are many variations of the wedding costume, all feature tassels covering the face and a red dress. The bridegroom - in striking contrast - dons a costume derived from Arab and Indian Sources.

Government

Due to its very extensive size and population, Jakarta has been given the status of province, similiar to the other 33 provinces throughout Indonesia. As a province, Jakarta is headed by governor who is directly responsible to the President of Republic via the Minister of the Home Affair. Holding the dual position of city province and capital city, Jakarta is considered a Special Region (Daerah Khusus Ibukota - DKI).

Jakarta is further broken into five municipalities (kotamadya) and one regency (kabupaten) : Jakarta Pusat (central), Jakarta Utara (north), Jakarta Timur (east), Jakarta Selatan (south), Jakarta Barat (west ) and Kepulauan Seribu district administration (kabupaten). Each of these is headed by a mayor (walikota) and for regency is headed by regent (bupati). Each municipality is comprised of a number of kecamatan, headed by a camat, and each kecamatan is divided into kelurahan or 'village' level.

In many ways Jakarta is still just a collection of villages, with neighbourhoods providing the basic services such as garbage collection and security. This is organised by the Rukun Tetangga (RT - Neighborhood Head), who is an unpaid, elected official and carries out a number of duties. A neighborhood usually consist of around 20 households, and the RT is the head of this neighborhood watch system, carrying out registrations for residents and visitors, and keeping records of births, deaths and marriages for the government. A group of RT neighborhoods form a Rukun Warga (RW), wich is the next level below kelurahan.

Business Hours

Government offices are open from 8 am to 4 pm from Monday to Thursday; from 8 am to 2 pm on Friday and close on Saturday, Monday and holidays. Business offices are usually open from 9 am to 5 pm, and are generally closed on Saturdays. Banks are usually open from 8:30 am to 4 pm and close on Saturdays. Moneychangers are open longer hours.

Shops open around 9 am and shopping complexes, supermarkets and department stores stay open until 9 pm, though smaller shops may close at 5 pm. Sunday is a public holiday but many shops and airline offices open for least part of the day.

Welcome to Jakarta: Indonesia # 1

Jakarta is the dynamic capital city of the Republic of Indonesia, a country composed of more than 17,000 islands with a population of over 200 millions. Comprising more than 300 ethnic groups speaking 200 distinct languages and dialects, the Indonesian population exhibit incredible diversity in its linguistic, cultural and religious traditions. As the nation capital, Jakarta is truly a "meeting point" of representatives from troughout the archipelago.

Jakarta is the lively social, cultural, economic and political hub of the nation, carrying a legacy of more than 30 years of largely uninterrupted economic expansion. It is home to many of the country's finest research institutions, educational facilities and cultural organizations, and uniquely serves both as the seat of national as well as regional government.

Strategically positioned on the west side of the island of Java, the Capital City is the principal gateway to the rest of Indonesia. From Jakarta, sophisticated land, air and sea transport is available to the rest of the country.

Over the last several decades, Jakarta has proudly developed into one of Asia's most prominent metropolitan centers. With a current population of over nine million people, Jakarta has undergone dramatic growth.

Thai New Year “ Songkran Day”

1. Songkran is the traditional Thai New Year. The festival offers not only the fun water throwing but also other interesting activities such as merits making and house cleaning, considered a way to help protect the environment.
2. The purpose of bathing or splashing water in the Songkran Festival is to give and request for blessings through water, not for the rigorous water war.
3. Applying soft chalk powder called "Din Saw Phong" on one’s face or body is traditionally an individual’s choice of dressing and, thus, a personal business. You should not offer unsolicited help with it. To touch others without their permission is considered an ill manner by civilised Thais.
4. The proper bathing is divided into two categories: - The bathing rite for the elders (aged over 60 years old, according to the old custom) as a tribute of respect and for blessings. As a youngster, you can pour scented water onto the hands of the elders without pronouncing any blessings. The elders in return will bestow their best wishes upon you. – The bathing rite for the peers or juniors. You should ask for permission before gently pouring the scented water over the person’s shoulder and down his/her back and uttering words of blessing for the New Year. However, if you are close friends, you can enjoy splashing water on each other as you wish yet with appropriate manners and moral and safety cautions.
5. The water used for bathing and splashing is regarded as sacred. Thus, it must be clean water, "Nam Ob" (water saturated with perfumes, either of Thai or Western origin) or scented water with floral pedals, and NOT dirty water or ice.
6. Traditionally, upon the bathing ritual, the elders are presented with toilet items, namely clothes, “Pha-hom”, “Pha-nung” (loin cloth), handkerchiefs, towels, soap, perfumes and powder. However, not every aforementioned article is required. You can prepare the toilet gift set as you see fit and may or may not add other presents such as flowers and sweet.
7. Making obeisance is the highest form of respect by prostrating oneself with palms pressed together and then bowing until the pressed palms, arms and forehead touch the floor in front of the person or the image one pays respect to. The palms must be kept pressed together and separated when making obeisance to the Buddha image or monks only.
8. To bathe the Buddha image or any idol, it is more appropriate to pour the scented water on other parts of the Buddha image than on its head.
9. “Rod Nam Dum Hua” or paying respect through the pouring of Songkran water is the northern Old Lanna custom. The ceremony is different from those in other parts of Thailand in some details. The term ‘Dum Hua’ is dialectal and may present a wrong meaning if employed for the Songkran ceremonies elsewhere in the country.
10. Songkran is the custom of all Thai people regardless of religions. Those who are not Buddhists can make merits on this occasion based on their religions and beliefs and also enjoy other activities of the Festival.
11. The Songkran festival is held only once a year. We would like to invite all Thai people to come out and celebrate the festival in Thai traditional costume to preserve our glorious culture. Besides, our costume is cool!

More information visit: www.songkran.net

Resource: Young Travel Magazine // April 2007

Why visit Bangkok (Thailand)? # End

WHERE CLASSICAL SMASHES HEAD ON INTO CONTEMPORARY

One thing many love about the Thai capital is how so many aspects of original Bangkok co-exist side by with it’s globalize contemporariness. These juxtapositions stop Bangkok from becoming just another Asian megalopolis and remind visitors and locals alike why they fell in love with the city in the first place. Here’s a random sampling:
- It’s pure pleasure to shop for every local and imported fruit and vegetable imaginable at snazzy downtown food emporia such as Food Hall at Central or Gourmet Market at Paragon. Yet if you yearn for a glimpse of local produce in its original none shrink wrapped state, head for Pak Khlong Talaat, a decades-old wholesale market housed in ancient Chinese go downs on the Chao Phraya River near Wat Po. Open 24/7, it’s less frenetic during lazy afternoon when workers are picking chili peppers, snoozing in their individual stalls, offering incense to the many shrines and generally going about their lives. Long before the advent of fancy international coffee chains, there was kafae thung, a cheap and cheerful coffee concoction made by pouring water over grains in a cloth strainer and adding obscene amounts of sweetened condensed milk. Some of the multitudes of Thai coffee entrepreneurs whose stands dot the Bangkok landscape now use espresso machines instead of cloth filters. Either way, the resultant down-home brew stays true to its literally bittersweet origins.
- There are many huge fans of the cool, comfortable and reliable Sky train and MTR underground public transportation systems. Those non-air-conditioned green minibuses still careening around Bangkok streets belching smoke are a constant reminder of how much the city has progressed.
- Every downtown office building apartment complex and trendy neighborhood mini mall worth its salt now offers a fitness centre, often with specialized aerobics and Bikram hot yoga classes too. The many health conscious Bangkokians who can’t afford club membership fees ramp up their heart rates and sweat glands at free outdoor aerobics classes conducted in municipal parks or in the parking lots of supermarkets and government buildings. Under the setting sun and the blare of makeshift music, nobody cares about wearing name-brand exercise gear or executing flawless dance moves. They’re just enjoying the timeless and unpretentious Bangkok fun that modernity can’t surpass.

HAPPY FEET

Perambulating around Bangkok can take a toll on your feet. Fortunately, outlets for relieving foot stress are nearly as common as the uneven pavement itself. Priced to fit any budget, and inevitably cheaper than anything available in your home country, a relaxing foot massage will gently or hardily knead those toes and calves back to functionality. At the top end of the foot massage spectrum are treatments in any of the cities many hotel and stand-alone spas. Hair salon in up-market shopping malls dispense podiatric bliss on leatherette recliners with free cappuccino—you can even go so far as to request no-foam, if desired—and the latest fashion mags from overseas. Meanwhile mid-budget kneading is available at countless ordinary malls and shops throughout central Bangkok and, knowing a great business idea when they see one, even at Chatuchak Weekend Market. Traditional Thai masseurs who work on the second floors of the herb stores near the Grand Palace administer no-frill and highly effective massages in delightfully unpretentious communal settings. Your feet, we must say, will thank you.

THESE SIDEWALKS WEREN’T MADE FOR WALKING

With a panoply of pavement motifs in various states of repair, the city’s so-called sidewalks from a backdrop to a range of fascinating activities, none of which relate to locomotion. Once you transcend the western notion that sidewalks are for pedestrians, you begin to appreciate the Bangkok version as an endlessly mutating living theatre. An abbreviated list of things you might encounter includes several layers of advertising signboards, telephone booths that connect with nowhere, stairs to pedestrian overpasses, escalators to the Sky-train, hand-holding friends, usually females, perambulating very slow four abreast across the with of the pavement, motorbikes—if the street traffic is terrible or they want to drive against the direction of a one –way street—and, above all, vendors. Sidewalk vendors sell their wares from clothing racks, card tables, three-wheeled carts, squares of fabric, upturned plastic boxes and woven panniers, to name a few. On sale is food of every description; new and used clothing; shoes; handbags; jewelers; flowers, baskets; souvenirs; lottery tickets; music; electronics; and much more. For years the local government has tried to legislate against selling on the pavement. On Mondays, the only day a selling prohibition is strictly enforced, you can get a sense of how boring and lifeless Bangkok would be without its side-walk vendors.


NEVER MIND

Visitors are charmed by the Thais’ relaxed approach, epitomized by the oft-heard phrase mai pen rai or “never mind”. It’s an attitude that offers a refreshing alternative to the stresses and constraints of more pressurized societies. It suggests the carefree, optimistic nature of the Thais who do not ask for more from life than it can give. Do not brood over the past, but set out on course for a better future. Some even call it a warranty of a free and happy lifestyle. Yet there is another side to the expression; it can also surprise. Try observing, for example, that it could be dangerous to have five people riding on a moped, a common Bangkok sight, and you may be met by a well-meaning look, and the words: “You take life too seriously”.

CALLING IN HOMESICK

What do you miss most about Bangkok when you’re away? Cheap food, cheap drink and cheap movie ticket. That is, cheap food that’s almost always delicious and served pretty much an-where you care to be, cheap drink served in a cool bar on a hot day in the city, and cheap movie at plush theatres featuring the most comfortable, if not state-of-the-art, seat. Such essentials in life—yes, of course drink and movies are essential—are on offer at the lowest of costs in the Thai capital.

THE BENEFITS OF BEING FOREIGNER

In Bangkok the notion of service with a smile far eclipses the standard public relations patter about how Thais are so friendly and accommodating. Just about any place not specifically aimed at tourists is somewhere you can meet and ordinary Thai who’ll go out of his or her way to help you. Do watch out for touts with broad smiles and offers of assistance, who hung around tourist spots, though; sometimes they have hidden agendas. Spend any length of time in Bangkok and you’ll amass a book’s worth of tag-at-your-heartstrings experiences with ordinary Bangkokians, most of which would be unimaginable in the west. Ask a humble sidewalk shoe repairman for a bit of liquid glue to mend an expensive bracelet and there’s a good chance that, without hesitation, he’ll pour a hugs dollop into a small container and act genuinely offended if you try to pay him for his generosity. Chance upon the Chatuchak Weekend Market branch of the wonderful Doi Tung, a coffee shop run by the royal-sponsored Mae Fah Luang Foundation to discover that their brew is made from locally grown beans, tastes as good as anything available at all those international chains and costs less too. No-foam lattes with extra-hot milk—just try saying that in Thai—might not exactly be standard coffee fare in Bangkok so your order might take some explaining and gesticulating. Yet return a few week later and before you can utter “large latte”, don’t be surprised if the serve recites your order back to you perfectly. A stunning turn of events once you consider how many gazillion orders for caffeine probably filled since last you met

Resource: Sawasdee Magazine / April 2007

Why visit Bangkok (Thailand)? # 3

FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD

Where else but in Bangkok can you eat either on or off the street virtually 24/7 and be 99 per cent guaranteed of having a fabulous meal? There’s so much good food here that substandard restaurants only survive if they’ve got some catchy non-food related gimmick, such as free drink for fashion models or bars made of ice that turns them into trendy status symbols. But the hottest new restaurant-of-the-moment won’t last because dinners ultimately reject mediocre cuisine no matter how dazzling the décor. Many favorite hole-in-the-wall eateries have been here much longer than many residents and still look pretty much the way they always did. Unlike those residents, alas. Thais also have a microscopically calibrated appreciation of what makes food good without fetish sing it as is so often done in the West. It’s not the provenance of the papaya or name of the range on which the chicken roamed freely that gets people flocking to a Som Tam or a grilled chicken outlet. Bangkok foodies choose their eateries based on the quality of the food and the je ne sais quoi of the preparer, not on rave reviews, two-month reservation waits or star ratings, all nonexistent here anyhow. A better indicator is the size of the crowd waiting patiently for a table.

THE RIVER

As easy it is to get around Bangkok thanks to the efficient combination of the modern Sky-train and the even-newer subway, nothing beats the Bangkok traffic like taking a river boat. The Chao Phraya River remains one of the best alternatives for getting around town quickly and offers a fantastic glimpse into the life of the old city. Both the commuters you’ll meet and the sights you’ll see will be etched into your memory. Not only has that, traveling on the river offered a breath of fresh air, a break from the hot and crowded city.

A FETISH FOR ALL THINGS FOREIGN

There’s no question that Thais are very proud of their heritage but they aren’t above a little fun when it comes to foreign influences. Italian restaurant in Bangkok are nothing short of excellent, and daily speech is littered with American slang. And these days, one definite double take occurs outside places like the Mahboonkrong shopping centre if you happen across those teens and 20-somethings who dress to impress as Japanese. Straight out of Harajuku or Omotesando, these cross cultural dressers have the look and the eyeliner perfected to the point that they might be mistake for locals in Tokyo. Until that is, fluent Thai comes pouring out of their mouths.

CHILL OUT

Maintaining your jai yen—literally cool heart or calmness—is crucial to surviving in vibrant, pulsating Bangkok. There are innumerable opportunities daily to practice this crucial life lesson which, alas, many outsiders who call Bangkok home have yet to fully master. Take crossing the road. Pedestrians occupy the bottom rung in the hierarchy of Bangkok road users, below bicycles, motorbikes and cars. Before stepping out onto a crosswalk, Thai pedestrians hang back to ensure no cars are approaching. One “modus Crosse Randi” is to point an unfurled black umbrella towards the oncoming traffic, assume an imperious air of rectitude and march full tilt ahead. Eventually, drivers will stop. A pedestrian victory indeed.

Resource: Sawasdee Magazine / April 2007

Why visit Bangkok (Thailand)? # 2

WHAT EXACTLY IS A FIVE—DAY WORK WEEK?

Thais embrace holiday. Who else do you know celebrates the New Year three times in four months—Western, Chinese and Thai? On the local calendar Thais highlight all the Buddhist holiday, which is not so surprising, but also traditional holidays such as Christmas holidays, bank holidays and if you are willing to own up to it, even your birthday. And if any of these fall on weekend, the working day enters the equation as a substitute break.

THE SIAMESE DOUBLE TAKE

The country has always been totally at ease injecting foreign traits with a local colour to make them uniquely Thai. Double takes for the first-time tourist include bumping into Thai classical dancers in the McDonald’s outlet next to the Erawan Shrine or on their state-of-the-art mobile phones. The English language becomes Thai with words like “dern” (modern) and “inter” (international) added to the lexicon. Thai food is a bubbling pot of Chinese, Burmese, Malaysian, Portuguese, Indonesia and countless other influences. Oh, and the tuk tuk is originally Japanese.

SOIS WITH IT ALL

Bangkok has many streets dedicated to a particular trade or service, such as the gold shops and host of mechanics that line the thoroughfares in Chinatown, and the religious paraphernalia shops found in Phra Nakorn. So it shouldn’t come as any surprise that, when the talk turns to modern nightlife, things are no different. The appeal of bars grouped in single areas such as the lively Silon Soi 4, the always evolving Lang Suan and Soi Sarasin with its collection of old stand bys is obvious—if nothing shakes your booty in one, just slip next door until you run across something that does. The commute is minimal. Yet, the mother of all after-house strips these nights is Royal City Avenue, better know as RCA, which contains some of the largest clubs in the city, along with a few oddities thrown in for both good measure and good times such as a bowling alley, go-kart racing and small watering holes such as Prop Bar. Multi-room venues like Flix offer a choice of hip hop and house—in all their sub genres—and live pop-rock bands in a pub-style interior. Also check out Astra, Route 66 and Zeta, which is woman-only. Just don’t be too put off if you feel the years a bit more than in your run-of-the-mill hotel cocktail lounge: RCA definitely represents a younger take on the city’s nightowls, which is why it’s a forever-changing spectacle after hours.

JUST SAY ”JJ”

Thailand has developed affection for breaking world records, most notably with anything big. That might explain Chatuchak Weekend Market. “JJ”, as it’s known locally, is only open at weekends, but its 9,000 stalls attract nearly half a million visitors a week. There is a floor plan of sorts, with sections loosely divided by product type, but even locals can get lost in these labyrinthine alleyways. So the best plan is to be adventurous and follow your instincts. Just remember to purchase as you go since your instincts won’t necessarily come in handy when you try to remember where the woman with the vast wooden chopstick collection was. Sections 22 to 26 are good for home interiors, with loads of antique furniture, textiles, art and décor. Try section 24 for clothes, 19 for ceramics and 13 for dogs, cats, snakes and turtles. You can also buy amulets, books, glassware, orchids, gemstones and ethnic items from Laos, Burma, China and Cambodia. When you need a breather—and you will—there are plenty of food stalls, even some with air-conditioning in a section called Chatuchak Plaza. Oh, and before we forget, in a weird twist of fate that could only occur in Thailand, it’s also possible to buy copies of Sawasdee for 20 baht at the back of the Dream Section almost as quickly as they appear on the planes.

Resource: Sawasdee Magazine / April 2007

Why visit Bangkok (Thailand)? # 1

Yes, yes, you’ve been before, you’ve seen the sights, eaten the food and been shopping. But have you played takraw with the locals, got lost at JJ, been confused with guava, celebrated a holiday you’ve never heard of, joined in the pre-dawn exercises at Lumpini Park, taken in some contemporary art, made an offering at shrine, weighed in on where of find the best Som Tam, smiled at complete strangers, wandered around Pak Khlong Talaat at 6am.or watched the sun set over the Temple of Dawn? No? Then it’s time for another visit

HOT, HOT, HOT—SO WHAT

What tolerably hot and what’s too hot is a matter of familiarity when it comes to the weather. Since the World Meteorological Organization dubs Bangkok as the world’s hottest large city, it’s no secret that the thermometer is a daily topic of conversation. Thais have long taken refuge in the ironic joke, which has over the years acquired a semblance of truth, that there are only three seasons in this country: hot, hotter and hottest. Sure they complain when it gets stifling, but they still manage to play football at 3pm, go to shopping at outdoor markets and nonchalantly eat the food that’s even hotter than the weather.

SOMETIMES IT PAYS BE THAI

Being Thai in Bangkok allows you the trifling advantage of strolling into a restaurant and ordering the dishes marked with three chilies without batting and eyelid. The red chili warning system—one for merely hot, two for searing three for blistering—was invented by some culinary genius to protect the delicate palettes of foreigners’ uninitiated to the mortal thrill of Thai cooking. But for Thais, well, they normally laugh it off and proceed to enquire whether a place has any four-chili offerings. Or make it five. But perhaps the best advantage of being Thai in Bangkok is the ability, which comes with the years, to feel content. With the weather. With the traffic. With the inefficiency. With the state of the nation. Thais care, and try to make things better, but they’ve also learned to be happy with they’re given. Sometime Bangkok screams at you. Non-Thais could lose their heads, but if you want to be like a local, just keep cool.

WHEN YOU SHOULFN’T THINKS LIKE A GUAVA

Visitors to Bangkok should remember that Khao muang ta liew, hai liew ta tarm, roughly the equivalent of “when in Bangkok, do as the Bangkokians do” The saying is literally translated as” When entering the city where the people squint their eyes, squint your eyes like them” The ancient origin of this phrase is obscure, but you can be sure that nobody squints his eyes in Bangkok these days. So the contemporary interpretation should be simpler: when entering the city where the people live a relaxed life and enjoy simple fun, have funs with them. But you have to be careful not to get into unnecessary trouble by har hao sai hua—to look for fleas on others because you’ll get them on your own head. Otherwise you’ll find yourself rong hai nam ta pen pao tao—crying your eyes out. Oh, and don’t forget farang means both guava and foreigner.

Resource: Sawasdee Magazine / April 2007