Selamat! Hello from Jakarta!
After an exciting (and long) 5-month wait, I have finally arrived to my home away from home and I have to admit, it feels like home already.
“The Big Durian” is what most people call Jakarta and that is because like the fruit Durian; a yellow, thick skinned fruit that is extremely sweet, rich, sulfury and poignant, people either love it or hate it. I HATE the fruit and couldn’t stomach it when I was in Yogyakarta in 2016 but I have to say I love the city and I think I know why.
Before coming to Jakarta, I had a lot of people tell me a lot of things about the place. Some people liked it whilst others preferred a more quiet town but every single person told me that there is nothing like it. So with all these different opinions in mind, I came into Jakarta with no expectations of the city. However, within the first hour I had decided that I liked it and that it was so much better than the fruit!
Jakarta is chaotic at most times. I arrived during their holiday break so I haven’t yet experienced the crazy traffic or ‘macet’ as I used to say to Pak every time I was late to Indonesian class in Australia! (Macet meaning traffic jam!)
I have so many things to do and see; I want to hit up a rooftop bar just for the city skyline. I want to eat my weight in Satay (something I thought I’d never ever say; how times can change within 6 months!). I want to explore the towns of Bogor and Bandung, hike Gunung Krakatoa and Gunung Batur and relax in the tranquility of Ubud (whilst probably writing an essay!).
The past several days that I have been here have been filled with starting university, meeting incredible like-minded people, exploring the city by foot and craving Satay every night and never actually eating it!
The next couple of months are going to be the most hectic, fast-paced weeks of my life. I know I’m going to be on a flight back home before I know it. Between university and work, I just want to make the most of this incredible opportunity to travel, explore and immerse myself into the culture and life of Indonesia. So with that in mind, I shall now go to find a kost to live in and officially meet my new work colleagues!
Sampai lain waktu,
Teesh
Adventures of a Blonde 