Jakarta: 1986 vs 2016

(Preface to my regular readers - I've written this for a very particular audience: expats in Jakarta)

In 1986, at the tender age of 16, I arrived at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta to begin a one year experience as an exchange student. During that year, I came to know the city fairly well, and by the time I left, I had 'gone native' to a certain extent. For 30 years, I've carried around these memories of my time there, and although I've had tons and tons of other experiences since then, I'll always look back fondly on my first overseas adventure, the people I came to know during that time, and the city that served as a backdrop to the whole thing.

30 years later, I'm living and working in Southeast Asia again, and have taken a vacation back to the island of Java and the city of Jakarta. First time I've visited since 1990. This may sound cliché, but so much has changed, while at the same time, so much has not.

Maybe by giving examples I can make things clearer

Four things that haven't changed in Jakarta in 30 years which I thought might have-

Bajaj (pronounced Bajai): These sturdy Indian-made three-wheeled taxis dominated the roads of Jakarta Selatan during the 80's. If ever you wanted to go anywhere, you grabbed a beat up, orange Bajaj. You could fit three adults in the back, fares were negotiated, and they were just narrow enough to get through some of the gaps in traffic that cars couldn't. I saw one Bajaj in my first day in Jakarta. Just one, and it was blue. Then I got to Jakarta Selatan and went to Blok M. Now that's Bajaj territory. They aren't as beat up as they were back then. They're blue now instead of orange, and they seem to all be licensed and

registered. I took one from Radio Dalam to Blok M, and seeing the driver work those Vespa-style gears, it brought back fond memories.


Metro Mini: Again, transport surprised me. Of course Jakarta still has buses, but it was cool seeing those same stenciled letters “Metro Mini” on the same red medium-sized buses. Like the bajaj, they're not as dented and beat up as they were back in the day, but they're probably pretty much the same on the inside.

Kaki Lima: One of my favorite parts about Jakarta in the 80's was the food vendors wandering the neighborhoods. If you were hungry, just listen for the sound of your preferred vendor as he patrolled the streets and you could have anything from baso, satay, and siomay to roti, ice cream and martabak.
You don't get this kind of food service in Bangkok or Yangon. Hanging out a friend's house the other night, we heard a “TAY!!” from the road out front. “Hey, Joko, would you like some satay?” Hell yes.


Blue Bird Taxis: They seem to have expanded in both market directions, but it's nice to see an honest company built on not ripping people off still thriving. In fact, I've noticed that the beat up, old, yelly “Presidents Taxis” are gone. Good riddance.

Four things in Jakarta that have completely changed or are new since 1986

Gojek & Grab: Again, I seem to be focusing on transport, but I find it fascinating that Jakarta has an app with which you call a motorcycle taxi on your smart phone. The motorcycle taxi is the best way for a single person to go short distances in several Asian cities, but they don't have this app in Bangkok. I think it's really neat.

Becaks: They were trying to get rid of the pedicabs in the capital back in the 80's, but with limited success. I remember a story about how the police confiscated thousands of the sturdy, 3-wheeled bicycle cabs from all over the city, dragged them out into the Java Sea and dumped them in hopes of their acting as the basis for an new artificial coral reef. Instead, local fisherman went out, dragged them up off the bottom of the sea and sold them back to the becak drivers. Now that I'm out of town, I see them here, but they seem to be finally gone from the city.

IndoMaret and AlfaMart: My God, they're everywhere. In my first video of this Java Journey series, I noted how I saw two IndoMarets on ly three doors away from one another. AlfaMart is similarly ubiquitous. Where did they all come from? What impact are they having on the struggling mom and pop warungs? Back in 86, the very first convenience store chain was just to appear: Circle K. They were wonderful as they were the only places in town where you could buy ice cold beer any time of the day or night. Now, neither IndoMaret nor AlfaMart, nor Cicle K or 7-11 for that matter, sell beer.


Hijabs: I can't recall the Indonesian word for the Moslem headdress that women wear, but I think it's Jaelbob... Anyways, back in 80's, few Jakarta women wore the Islamic garb when they went outside. They'd wear it to pray, but otherwise no. Maybe 1 in 10 women out in public wore the hijab. Now, it seems like the majority of women are wearing the headdress. Advertisements on TV feature ladies in the Islamic hijab. I don't know if it's a reflection of a change in culture or a change in fashion, but there's a lot less hair seen on the streets of Jakarta today.

Joko's Java Journey 2: The Old Neighborhood

Sometimes you have to lie to get what you want, and as long as that lie isn't actually hurting someone else, I don't see anything wrong with that... now. See, it was my reluctance to lie which is wreaking havoc with the itinerary I had planned for this trip. It's now day four of the trip, and I'm still in the capital, Jakarta.

Jakarta, Cengkawan District

In the previous blog, I related the story of how a rental agent told me he had bikes for rent, and then on second thought, stopped answering my calls and turned his phone off. Yesterday, same story. A guy who had said he would have something ready for yesterday would not pick up his phone and eventually set it for straight-to-voicemail. Errrgh! The frustration.

I was starting to see a pattern here. I had been told there were bikes available and then the story changed after they had asked me what I'd be using it for. See, as was later explained to me, they don't want to rent to people who are taking it on a road trip all through the countryside. Puts a lot of wear on the motorbike, they think. Also, Indonesians have a very indirect way of communicating. They don't like saying 'no'. In fact, I've noticed that they answer “not yet” when they mean to say “no”. In any case, turning off your cel phone is a very indirect way of saying no. If I had lied to the first guy on day one, I'd be on a boat right now on my way to see the Anak Krakatoa Volcano or enjoying a beach on the Sunda Straight.

I got to ride as a passenger on a motorcycle taxi
..ordered by smartphone app!

The hotel I was staying at was quite nice, but knowing I'd be spending yet another night in Jakarta, I decided to relocate to some place cheaper. I didn't need luxury. Furthermore, as I had yet another night to kill, I decided I'd now have time to visit my old neighborhood where I lived back in 1986-87.

There were some familiar sights as I wound my way through the open air market adjacent to the old neighborhood. Most of it though, was totally different. The old windowless, poured-concrete structure that served as the bazaar was gone, replaced by an indoor mall. I was happy to see that the tiny department store I used to buy clothes at was still there, and I bought some clothes there just for the sake of saying I'd shopped there 30 years apart. And I could use another pair of shorts; I'll be needing laundry along my way on this trip as 2 weeks of clothes don't fit in a small backpack.

Buying clothes from the EXACT SAME STORE I
bought clothes 30 years ago

Finally, I got to Dempo Street... err streets. Like a lot of streets in Jakarta, one name goes for lots of connecting roads, they just add a Roman numeral to the end of it. I wasn't really expecting to encounter anyone I remembered or who remembered me... What happened? Well, I'll let the video tell the ending of this story. 




 

Joko's Java Journey - Part One

Me in 1986

Jakarta is called by some "The Big Durian", a fitting description for a big place that's somewhat stinky, not for everyone and at the very least, an acquired taste. I really enjoyed my time living there as a teenager in 1986-87, but Jakarta was just the beginning of my journey; I did not intend to linger there. I hoped that perhaps I'd be able to secure transportation quickly enough to allow me to visit my old neighborhood, but I wasn't optimistic that I'd have time to see much of Jakarta.

The journey started off well. For the first time, I was

Having it my way.

departing through Yangon's brand new international Terminal One. Therein, Myanmar's one and only Burger King restaurant can be found, and I'm a Whopper fan.  It is strange that as it's located in the departure lounge, you need a ticket out of the country to visit BK.

Torrential rainfall delayed the flight. It was raining so hard that the incoming plane couldn't land and we were 90 minutes late departing. My new arrival time for the transfer in Bangkok was 4:30. The flight to Jakarta began loading at 4:30... It was going to be tight. Serendipity struck as it turned

Once again, I get entrusted with
the emergency exit seat. I exude
competence and a need for extra
leg room.

out that the Jakarta flight was similarly delayed! Yay! I've never cheered a delayed flight before.

After some confusion with my free hotel airport shuttle (I was waiting in front of the wrong information counter), I settled into my hotel near the airport ready to begin calling around to secure a motorbike rental the next morning. As you hear me explain in the video, it didn't work out very well. I ended up having to spend an addition night (last night) in Jakarta. At least the hotel I had planned on staying in in Bogor allowed me to cancel my booking at no charge.

Cengkareng

So last night, I got to wander around an area of Jakarta I'd never visited. It's called Cengkareng, and it's an odd little armpit on the edges of the city. Lot's of colonial architecture, which I can't tell if it's actually old or not, lots of unused commercial space and lots and lots of massage parlors and karaoke bar.

Again, the first day didn't go as planned, but it least it had a happy ending.

Indonesian food is a happy ending.

Now, I've got to check out from my hotel and still no word from the motorcycle rental guy.

Enjoy the video.

The Java Journey - Prologue

The power is out. I've got most of my bag packed, but was leaving some to the last minute stuff until this morning. Now, it's uncomfortably clammy and its hard to find stuff in the dim light. If this is the biggest problem I run into these next two weeks, I'll be a happy man.

Today marks the beginning of two weeks vacation, and I have a flight booked for this afternoon from Yangon to Jakarta. Tomorrow, I'll go in search of a suitable 2-wheeled vehicle (I'm thinking I'll be getting something with a little more power this time) on which to travel the hinterland of West and Central Java. It's the Tour d'Joko: Java Journey. My itinerary is comprised of the 2000 kilometer loop you see below. (I can't get the picture function to work)




http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/jokolondo/West%20Java%20route_zpslalnnbfe.png




I lived in Jakarta in 1986-87. Thanks to Google Maps Street View, I've checked out my old neighborhood, and it doesn't look that different after 30 years (except for the fact that the house I lived in has been torn down and replaced by shops!). Of course, the question is whether or not any of the people remain that I used to know. I'll find out soon.

By contrast to my recent voyage to Borneo, I expect this loop to be far more... umm... dense. There's 141 million people living on Java, more than twice that of the UK on an island half the size of Britain. It's the northern plains where most people live; my plan takes me along the southern coast and zigzagging through the volcanoes of the interior.

Ah. Here comes the power again. Time to go back to last minute preparations. I can't decide whether or not to bring two things: a jacket and a ukulele. I

Olympicat!

It's less than three weeks until my next motorcycle journey in West Java, Indonesia. It does kinda say something that my life is measured by how long it is until I get my next vacation. Things have become somewhat of a grind.

Things are changing here in Yangon. The pace of development has increased significantly. I see things changing so rapidly. There's half a dozen HUGE building projects in progress right now. It won't be until 2017 until they're done, but their potential for changing things looms large.

For me, of course, the biggest change has been Badger, the kitten I adopted 3 weeks ago. Oh, you should see all the scratches I've got. It's been a challenge to train this little guy that my hands are not playthings, and my legs are not trees to be climbed.

It's also Olympics time. I enjoy watching these international competitions, and my satellite TV package gives me plenty of feeds to watch. For example, this evening I watched China play Venezuela in basketball. Badger kitten enjoyed it too.

Can't let what might be determine the now

Wow. I've just looked at my 'posts' and saw that it's been 7 weeks since I've last posted on my blog. That's a long time! I apologize to my half-dozen readers for the lapse. I've been doing creative stuff in my YouTube page, and my blog on Ajarn.com and have been neglecting my own personal blog.

So what's new?

The phototherapy is working on my psoriasis. On the 20+ patches of the condition on my body where it was relatively mild, after 7 weeks of treatment, the UV light has practically eliminated the symptoms. On the big patches on my shins, that's gotten better, but it's going to take some time.

Tomorrow, I'm adopting a kitten. I've been thinking about this for some time, weighing the pros and cons. I've always been a cat guy, but a nomadic life is incompatible with cat ownership, so I haven't gotten a kitty in Asia. After 2+ years in Yangon, I think I'm starting to feel settled in enough that I can adopt a kitty. If later I decide to move, I'm encouraged by the story of the woman who has been taking care of my kitten's momma. When she came here from India 6 months ago, she brought her cat with her. Myanmar isn't too restrictive about importing house pets. I can't imagine any country I would travel to next would be all that restrictive either. Badger, that's his name, is 9 weeks old now, old enough to be away from his mom. I went to visit him a couple weeks ago... When he crawled up on my foot. Yeah, see for yourself.

It's been a tough decision because work keeps telling me I might be going back to Naypyitaw soon... if we get such and such contract. I wouldn't mind going back to Naypyitaw. In fact, I'd like it. But I've heard this before, and nothing came of it. I've decided that I can't let what might happen next in life can't control what I do now. If my company wants to send me back to Naypyitaw, they will have to arrange housing with a hotel that allows pets.

In other news, this last Tuesday, Myanmar celebrated Martyr's Day. It's a national holiday recognizing that tragic day in July, 1946, when the soon-to-be ruling cabinet of an independent Burma was meeting and a gang of assassins burst in and killed them all. Of them, the man considered to be the founding father of Myanmar, Aung San, and the real life father of The Lady, Aung San Suu Kyi, was killed. Many have speculated how the fate of Myanmar would have been different had General Aung San not been tragically killed a month before his country regained its independence.

I had Martyr's Day off. I should have mentioned it in the video, but I forgot. It was a bit of a first for me. It was the first time I tried to sing a song in Myanmar language. I think it worked out okay.

The End of the Tour d'Borneo and New Beginnings

I have a chronic disease for which there is no cure. It's called psoriasis and I've suffered from it for 20 years. Every few years, I give the medical world a chance to treat it, but almost without fail, what the doctors have proscribed has had no effect.

Mind you, psoriasis is not a dangerous condition. The swaths of skin I have which are covered by pustulous, white, placquey lesions may itch a bit, but they don't hurt me otherwise. I've learned to live with people staring at my shins when I walk by while wearing shorts. I've come to accept being disfigured.

To make things worse, psoriasis is extremely rare amongst Asians, and so as I walk down the street in Yangon, no one has ever seen anything like my psoriatic skin. 

My psoriasis

 Yesterday, I decided to give Myanmar medicine a chance to help me out. I went to what I had been told was the best dermatologist in the country. I mentioned that doctors have never really been able to help me out with my condition, but there's been one exception. Two and a half years ago, I became a patient at the Thailand Dermatology Center in Bangkok. Over the course of a few months, with a combination of topical steroids and phototherapy, my symptoms were reduced by 95%. The psoriasis was practically gone. 

Phototherapy is the treatment of skin conditions with ultraviolet light. The symptoms of psoriasis can be reduced by exposure the UV light in some patients. I am one of those patients. 

This method is preferable to other recently developed treatments to psoriasis, i.e., pharmaceuticals. See, psoriasis is essentially a hyperactive disorder of the immune system. The psoriatic dermis, AKA our skin, thinks it's in constant need of replenishing itself because its been damaged when it hasn't. My skin is constantly replacing itself when it doesn't need to. So, drugs have been developed which suppress the immune system and this helps with the skin's hyperactivity. As you might imagine, there's dangers involved with suppressing one's immune system, and so drug-based psoriasis treatments require constant monitoring to make sure you're not subjecting yourself to lots of other diseases while making your skin more pretty. 

Furthermore, anti-psoriasis drugs are really hard on the liver. Anyone with a shaky liver shouldn't take them. 


So, when I went to the dermatologist yesterday, she ordered the full assortment of blood and urine tests. She needed to know how healthy I was before proceeding with any treatment. I haven't had a full panel, a full assessment of my health in several years. I was a bit nervous about the results which I picked up this morning. 

I have high cholesterol and my liver function report was well well outside (on the dangerous side) what is acceptable. 

I could have guessed that was coming. I know I'm fat, eat too much red meat and fried food. I probably drink too much too. 

Anyways, the pharmaceutical path towards alleviating my psoriasis is out of the question. My liver is a beaten pup; it can't take much more. 

There are two upsides to these last couple days. 

First, I feel, for the first time in years, that I need to pay attention to my diet. No more massive quantities of meat and cheese (cholesterol). I gotta cut back on the drinking (liver).

The second upside was that I learned from my dermatologist that there actually is a phototherapy facility here in Yangon. She's on the staff of the clinic there. See, these phototherapy machines are outrageously expensive and given that Myanmar is, well, Myanmar, I didn't think there'd be anyplace in town that had these machines. Unfortunately, the clinic is all the way in Downtown, but at least I know the one thing that's helped me in my life with my skin condition is available here in the backwaters of SE Asia. 

I start treatment on Thursday. 

______

In addition, the Tour d'Borneo is ending with this blog. Please watch the final episode of what was an incredible journey.