Bombs in Jakarta

This Friday morning, July 17th, two bombs exploded in downtown Jakarta. The Ritz and Marriot were targeted and several fatalities have been reported thus far. This post is intended to let you all know that we are safe and unharmed. Our house is south of downtown in a secluded, secure location. We have planned a weekend getaway to Malaysia and will be out of Indonesia shortly.

Please pray for those who have been injured in the blast and for the families of the deceased.

Sad Monkey Slave

Beggars of all sorts can be found throughout Jakarta. Among the most tragic we've seen are old, crippled women; 2 year old children; burned, maimed, naked or blind people; and monkey slaves.

Here's a video of the Sad Monkey Slave...





Every day we see something new on the streets of Jakarta. Below are a few pictures to give you an idea.

Modes of Transportation: Jakarta Style

Beautiful Indonesia

I had no idea what to expect when we first came to Indonesia. My uneducated impression was that we would be in an impoverished, underdeveloped nation - plain and simple. Admittedly, most Indonesians live well below Western standards of living, but that's not to say that Indonesia is not a beautiful country. First of all, the people are beautiful in that they are very friendly, respectful, and accommodating. We have a few locals around us daily that are wonderful people and they have been a blessing to know. Although they live with fewer possessions, they don't seem to miss the clutter that westerners often accrue. Their lives are simpler in some respects.

Indonesia is a tropical island nation with nearly 250 million people. The people are scattered over some 13,000+ islands (some books say 17,000) and live in diverse geography. Although locals may have a more simple life with fewer possessions, the high population for an island-based nation is challenging. Overcrowding occurs in many cities and other places are so remote that the locals live in tiny villages that have no connection with the outside world. That extreme difference is as significant as the geographic diversity of Indonesia. The country boasts some of the world's finest beach islands - Bali for example - some volcanic islands, and some agricultural islands. The lush tropics bloom with unique trees and an abundance of beautiful flowers and creatures. As we posted after the trip to Malaysia, here are a few photos of some of the flowers we've seen in Indonesia.

Taman Safari

Zoos in Indonesia aren't like they are back in the States. They are hands on, literally. If you want to see a Komodo dragon... you can go in it's cage, pet it, ride it or feed it a chicken! Want to see a lion? Well, just take your car and drive it through a lion's playground.

View the video of our up close and personal experience with the wildlife at Indonesia's Taman Safari (Safari Park).

Jakarta Traffic - "Macet"

Jakarta traffic has a bad reputation. It gets a really bad rap... some of it justified, but not all. High population is only one of the issues that causes congestion on the streets. Here are a few observations that may shed some light on the big, bad, evil traffic, or "macet" (pron. Ma-chet). Other Bahasa Indonesia words are in parentheses.

Uneducated, pushy drivers are a big problem. Follow along with the above diagram. In Jakarta, drivers have to force their way across traffic to make turns. The worst traffic jams that we've experienced happen when drivers force their way across traffic, blocking it completely, while other drivers down the road do the same thing, creating a block in both directions. The result? Nobody moves. If the drivers blocking traffic would simply say "hey, I'm blocking traffic" and back up, things would flow. But, no. Nobody ever backs up to unblock traffic. Instead, more cars coming off the side streets try to cut across the same lanes and compound the problem even more. I've seen it happen and it made me want to pull out what little hair I have.

Roadside markets impede the flow of traffic. Most people (orang) here are entrepreneurs in some respect. They all have their trade and many establish their businesses extremely close to the street (jalan). These vendors draw shoppers, pedestrians, and tail-less cats (kuching) that swamp the streets. To complicate the matter, some vendors carry their inventory or push it on a cart through main lane traffic. As you may have guessed, walking vendors don't move as quickly as cars, therefore slowing traffic. Although these vendors often jam traffic, they do deserve much credit for working in less than favorable conditions. It's what they have to do to provide for their families.

While you're sitting in traffic, you can purchase just about anything. Vegetables and crafts are abundant in these markets. One can also score a pet rabbit or maybe even an endangered baby sea turtle. That's right, according to a recent newspaper article, one street vendor is selling extremely endangered and fragile baby sea turtles for US$3-$6. So although you may add to the traffic jam by stopping, feel free to shop while your creeping the streets.

Van taxis (taksi), buses, and motorcycles are abundant here. The bikes are a better alternative than everyone having their own car. Some families have one motorbike that must be used for the whole family. It's not uncommon to see dad (bapak), mom (ibu), brother, sister, and pet bird all on one little motorcycle. But hey, it gets the job done. Mass transportation is also a better option than everyone having their own car. However, the demand for mass transit is high and these vehicles constantly stop and start and - you guessed it - jam traffic.

VIDEO - Home Away From Home

New Destinations Revealed!

Our schedules have been pending, but that is the case no longer! Here's a look at our next destinations:

Kyra is Dubai, UAE bound on May 10th. She plans to stay there for 2 weeks before traveling to Aberdeen, Scotland for a week. From there, she will fly straight to Singapore to meet me on May 26th. I, Austin, will be flying to Perth, Australia for 5 days of solo time beginning on May 7th. Then it's back to Jakarta for a few weeks before flying to Singapore on May 26th.

Racial Profiling

If you were to visit Jakarta, the locals would almost certainly tell you about a place called Bandung. Roughly a two hour drive from Jakarta, Bandung is home to some of the most classic shopping anywhere on the planet. Clothing and apparel retailers like Versace, Burberry, DKNY, Abercrombie & Fitch, Espirit, Kenneth Cole, Ralph Lauren, and many more have products manufactured in Bandung. As a teaser to get you back, let's just say that the deals are epic. But that's not the topic of conversation today.

Let me tackle the touchy subject of racial profiling. As foreigners in Indonesia, we stand out like sore thumbs. The stares are constant and uncomfortable, but we cope. That's not to say that the people here aren't welcoming and wonderful because they most certainly are. But when a foreigner walks through a market or visits a site, the prices immediately spike north. Hence, racial profiling. One comedic event happened on the outskirts of Bandung as we visited an active volcano. Let me set the stage here - we took one car to Bandung. Our driver and two friends are native Indonesians. The other 3 of us are American. As we arrived at the foot of the volcano, the park entrance had a price list. Standard pricing is very reasonable. However, a conveniently located sign just beneath the normal price list says "Tourists" and lists a price 3 times that of general admission. Isn't that special? So one security guard and 3 park workers tried to convince us that the 3 white people needed to pay the "Tourist" rate while our local friends get the general rate. We'll see about that. Of course our arguments were legitimate because we do, after all, live in Indonesia. We aren't just touring through. After a brief exchange, the security guard asked us to pull forward to the left. He approached the vehicle and yours truly rolled down the window to have a friendly chat. In a completely controlled, yet firm manner, I proceeded to point to my white arm and tell this security guy not to judge me by the color of my skin. "Don't be a racist man!" Okay, I didn't say that, but I thought it. Some in the car would later claim that because this security gentleman didn't speak English, he surely thought that I was threatening him with my muscles by pointing to my arm and speaking forcefully. One way or the other, it worked. He huddled with his coworkers and the price came back down. We got the fair deal!

Another quick story. At the summit of the volcano, a vendor was attempting to sell a stuffed, foot-shaped pillow to Kyra. His opening price, 150,000 Rupiah (about $15) for ONE item. Kyra was mildly interested in his product, but not his price. Before this vendor gave up, he had followed Kyra for about 100 yards and brought his price down to 50,000 Rupiah for TWO items. She didn't bite. We got a good laugh from this. It taught us a lot about bargaining.

Indonesian Article

We are blessed with a short work week this week. Thursday and Friday are holidays (because Thursday is my birthday... well, actually because of the election) and we are jetsetting to Malaysia for the weekend. My lovely wife planned a little birthday getaway for me. As you well know, we'll have lots to share about Malaysia. Neither one of us have been there before, so adventure awaits!

Until then, here's an interesting article from CNN about the Indonesian election: http://tinyurl.com/cfn4lu

Change and Hope! It's Election Season!

Traffic in Jakarta used to be bad. Bad just got worse. The streets are even more congested with the presidential election coming in the first full week of April. The last election was in 2004. This year there will be an election on April 9th to elect both the President and Vice President for the next five years. The streets aren’t only filled with people and political rallies, but are also covered in signs and posters like the ones pictured here.

Eighteen people are running in this year’s presidential election. Two of them are women and a few of them are former presidents and vice presidents. However, presidents are limited to two 5 year terms. In pre-election polls, current Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono received 43% of the votes and former Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri received 19%. Those two candidates are the favorites. None of the remaining 16 candidates received more than 5% in the polls. So although many candidates are allowed to run, it’s still a race primarily between two candidates.

Part of the reason there are so many candidates running for president is because there are 44 political parties in Indonesia. Parties supporting communism, socialism and democracy are all running in this election. Here is a shortlist of some of the contenders and pretenders: National Awakening Party (Partai Kebangkitan Bangsa), National Mandate Party (Partai Amanat Nasional), Crescent Star Party (Partai Bulan Bintang), Prosperous Peace Party (Partai Damai Sejahtera), People's Conscience Party (Partai Hati Nurani Rakyat, Partai Hanura).

Luckily, Austin and I will miss the election chaos because we will be flying to Malaysia for his birthday weekend!

How Sweet Are The Deals?

We've stumbled upon some pretty great deals here in Jakarta. The marketplaces are swamped with clothing, shoes, bags, wallets, perfumes, phones, and much more. One particular spot known as "Block M" has proved to be especially fruitful. We purchased some much needed items like bags, shoes, and wallets. The high-end name brands and apparent high-quality of some of these items is astonishing. All at minimal cost.

I know what you are saying right now: "Come on! You know those 'name brands' are fake!" Maybe so. But keep in mind that Indonesia is a manufacturing mecca and many of the name brands that we purchase in the USA are made in this part of the world. We aren't paying to cover freight, labor and the premium pricing that comes with US sold goods. So who knows if these name brand items are the real thing or fakes?

Not convinced of the great deals? Try this. Pictured here is a 5 GALLON jug of Dannon water. You all know Dannon. They make yogurt and have a water line as well. You can't really dispute whether this is real Dannon water or not. It just is. My point is this: I've purchased many single gallons of water at grocery stores back home. I know that an off-brand water costs about $0.99 per gallon. So tell me why this 5 GALLON jug of Dannon water cost us $1.25 for purchase AND delivery. That's right, it came straight to our door after one phone call and cost us only $1.25.

In my mind, this is a clear demonstration of reduced production costs in developing nations.

Culture and Creatures of Indonesia

Let's lead this entry off with 2 updates. First, our internet has been spotty at best. This delays many of the blog entries, but we don't expect it to be a long term issue. Second and most important, we'd like to welcome our new nephew into the world! Zachary was born on Friday, March 27th and we are celebrating his arrival from here in Jakarta! Congrats to Stephen and Carrie! We are thrilled!

So what's going on in Indonesia? Well, we love it here. Indonesia is a Southeast Asian nation and it is a melting pot of culture and people. There are roughly 240 million people in this country, 15 million people in the capital city (Jakarta), and 13,000+ islands comprising Indonesia. You read that correctly - 13,000+ islands. With that many islands and a blend of numerous Asian nations, Indonesia is rich with culture.

This past weekend, we visited a park that displays "villages" that represent individual regions of Indonesia. The architecture is fascinating. Many of the buildings are decorated with hand painted siding and have concave straw roofing. Several of these are pictured here. The creations are representative of common family housing, temples/mosques, stores, and even theaters. One of the most fascinating representations that we saw was of Borobudur, one of the 7 wonders of the world. It is an enormous Buddhist temple that was unearthed in the 19th century. It was built in the 9th century and eventually abandoned as Islam gained traction in Indonesia. Since the "rediscovery," Borobudur has been restored and is now a place of pilgrimage for many Buddhists and tourists. The replicas are fascinating and we are considering a drive for a look at the real thing.

Beyond the fascinating people and culture, Indonesia is also home to some impressive animals. Tigers are one animal that seem to fascinate westerners. Sumatra is one of the Indonesian islands and many of you have heard of the Sumatran Tiger. It is estimated that fewer than 1000 Sumatran Tigers live in the wild today. Another fascinating creature is the Komodo Dragon, the world's largest lizard. I had a once-in-a-lifetime experience with a Komodo. Take a look...

Jakarta Dam Break

Our family reached out to us early this morning to ask if we are okay. The answer is yes. A dam broke in Jakarta and a lake came rushing through part of the city, killing 75+ people. We have been physically unaffected by the event, but our hearts go out to the families that lost loved ones and/or homes in this tragedy.

Drug Dealers Beware

Drug dealers beware. Not that any of you need to worry about this. But for those that enter Jakarta with drug dealing on the schedule, the death penalty awaits their capture. As you step off the airplane in Jakarta, Indonesia, customs officials point all foreigners to the visa desk, which sits directly beneath the sign shown here.

That was surely an interesting introduction to Jakarta. In our first week here, we have discovered that the city and people are equally as interesting. Life here is significantly different than in the USA. Broad estimates from locals place 15 million people in Jakarta and the traffic supports that. Another estimate from locals states that 90% of the driving population rides motorcycles for transportation. Once again, the traffic supports that. “Chaos” is a gentle description of the roadways here. Fortunately Kyra and I have a driver that masterfully maneuvers the narrow streets filled with motorcycles and pedestrians. His name is Dasmin (pronounced “daz-meen”) and he does not speak English. We’ve learned bits of the local language, Bahasa Indonesia, and have found ways to bridge the communication barrier. Transportation, language, food, and culture combine to make Jakarta a fun and challenging city for foreigners.

Learning the ropes is all part of the adventure. We enjoy the adventure and we have found comfort here. We currently reside in a 12th floor, 2 bedroom apartment on the south side of town. We plan to be here for another 3 weeks before shifting to a beautiful home nearby. For now, our apartment is comfortably furnished and offers some amenities that make it feel more like home. There is a fitness room, salon, pool, and a store on the grounds here. We spent Sunday afternoon relaxing for an hour of massages in the salon for $5 each. Asia is known to have cheap, hour long massages. The US dollar goes a long way in Indonesia and we have already landed some awesome deals on items that would be much less affordable stateside.

With 5 more months of time here, we will pace the descriptions and adventures of Jakarta. You can expect more frequent posts as we mix our home life with travels to Singapore, Malaysia (newly added), Thailand, Bali, Hong Kong, Dubai (again), Scotland (just Kyra), and possibly Australia. If you have questions or would like to read about something specific, please don’t hesitate to post your comments and we will do our best to share the answers!