My Date with Jakarta

Ondel-ondel Betawi, the Jakarta traditional giant doll. They are one of the icons of Jakarta.

I’m leaving this city in two days and yet it still giving me surprise. After the antiquities, I was actually in doubt about going home or continue my photo hunting at national monument. It was quite hot today in Jakarta but after the surprise from the world police marching band parade, then completed my mission to shoot some pictures of antiquities at Jalan Surabaya, I don’t really care that I didn’t wear my motorbike mask during the trip. I know I’ll go dark but again I was too happy to cover my face.

So, yes, I set my mind to go to the national monument park to take some pictures. There, again, I saw flock of people. Hundreds of motorbike filled the parking lot. I hardly find a shady location to put my bike. Oh well, I’m getting darker anyway.

Parking the bike was not a problem at all. The only problem was that you have to walk a bit far to reach the entrance while tens of street hawkers with their sumptuous goods were calling you along the path in reaching the gate. Again, my heart said, “what’s going on here? Normally, not too many street hawkers here, especially they sell traditional Betawi foods which usually exist during Jakarta’s anniversary.

Traditional hawkers food	Fresh cold mangos to cure the heat

Too many people inside the park. Families with children from around Indonesia, I can tell from their accent and dialect when they spoke. They were doing picnic and stuff. My purpose is to shoot the monument with the grand Istiqlal mosque behind it. That’s all. No more, I said to myself because I can’t stand the heat.

So, I shot some pictures of traditional Betawi dolls called “Ondel-ondel”. Then I walked into the shadow of the trees to cool myself while looking at the street merchant selling traditional children toys. I couldn’t get the mosque behind the monument and that I have to walk further, closer to the monument. Then I saw tents with loud music. I was wondering what it was. I feel lazy to walk because of the heat but then  I said “oh well, I’m here, so why don’t I go and check what the tents are”.

Traditional Betawi costumes

As I came closer I realized that the tents were part of the city occasion to celebrate “Lebaran Betawi” or Islamic celebration in Betawi tradition. Betawi is the name of original tribe who lives in Jakarta long time ago. And this is their tradition to celebrate the occasion. In this park, there are six pavilions which represented six districts in Jakarta (Kepulauan Seribu, East, West, North, South, and Central) and each pavilion gave away free food.

Oh la la free food!

Nobody wants to miss it. There are also a sample house of Jakarta legendary hero, Si Pitung, and also some traditional show. People dressed in traditional Betawi clothes and there were also traditional music Marawis and Batavian traditional orchestra,Tanjidor.

Our new famous governor, Mr. Jokowi

One surprise was I got the chance to meet the famous new governor of Jakarta, Mr. Joko Widodo or also known as Jokowi. Haha! It’s a struggle to take his picture as I must fight and pushed with the other old “colleagues”, the journalists. I felt like I was in a duty to make news report and to take pictures. I guess I miss my old job as journalist. To close the photo hunting session, I treat myself a traditional ice which I used to eat when I was a child. It is called Es Goyang or literally means Shaking Ice in english, is traditional hawker food in Jakarta. It was called this way since they shake the cart to make this kind of ice.

Es Goyang, my favorie ice when I was a child.

My date with Jakarta was over and I realized that despite of many problems that this country is facing of, I saw there are still many smiling faces around me today. It doesn’t have to be in a fancy restaurant or big mall, just over the shady trees, friends and families enjoying Sunday morning.

Well, Jakarta, not always have negative things. It is crowded, yes, but, if you can see in a positive point of view, this city really is beautiful and the good thing is all of these attractions are for free. Well, readers, I hope you had a blast Sunday too!