Jakarta

National Monument (Monas), Jakarta

It is the city where I grew up…  

It is the city with many challenges; daily traffic, pollution, big flood once every 5 year, hectic life, etc…

Still it is where my family and friends are… 

These “15 fun facts about Jakarta” was written for my blogger friend @herdailydigest in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.  Check her cool website: http://herdailydigest.com/



... here are those fun facts: http://herdailydigest.com/2013/01/17/15-facts-about-jakarta-indonesia/

1.  What is the world's most active Twitter city?  Surprisingly it is Jakarta, Indonesia!  See this link by Forbes.com

2.  More and more Jakartans have two phones and one of them is BlackBerry.

Fatahillah Museum, Old Town, Jakarta

3.  The best time to enjoy Jakarta is during Idul Fitri (Eid al-Fitr) Muslim Holiday when most of Jakartan is away.  The city is quiet, less polluted, less traffic and we can see the blue sky!

4.  During Idul Fitri Muslim Holiday, hotels in Jakarta are occupied by families whom domestic helper/babysitter is away for the festive season.

5.  Friday evening is identical to unfriendly traffic in the business district.  Rain will make traffic worse, heavy rain may cause flood and more traffic.

6.  A few minutes after the rain starts, especially in the business districts, there will be many children from the surrounding areas offering the umbrella services (ojek payung).

Ragusa Ice Cream, @ Jalan Veteran, famous local ice cream shop

7.  Better traffic is expected during school holidays!  However in generally, heavy traffic starts anytime from morning to early evening from Monday to Friday.

8.  The blue taxi, Blue Bird, drives everyone around the city.  It is a reliable taxi company that most people use.

9.  More and more Jakartan likes to do “Gowes” which means cycling. On a regular basis, the main street down town is closed on Sunday morning for car free day.

10.  Shopping malls is the number one destination for family weekend gate away.

11.  Most people in Jakarta (and Indonesia in general) takes shower twice a day (morning and late afternoon/evening) due to sunny weather.

Those bikes & Indonesian flags, Segarra beach, Ancol, north Jakarta

12. Indomie (instant noodle) with an egg is a simple breakfast consumed by many people at home and work.

13. Kopi tubruk (black coffee without separating its residue) is still a favorite for many people especially smokers.

14. “I don’t feel well, I have ‘masuk angin’.” Masuk = to get in. Angin = wind. It is the common Indonesian's term for feeling unwell.  It is a symptom of getting sick (feeling dizzy, cold like a fever, sick inside stomach, wanting to throw up, having cold sweats).

15.  The newly elected Governor and Vice Governor are very supported by the Jakartan.  The Governor is recently named Third Best Mayor in the World for 2012 by World Mayor Project.

Lots of jokes about Jakarta…

Kejamnya ibu tiri tak sekejam ibu kota… (ibu: mother. Ibu tiri: step mom. Kota: city. Ibu kota: capital city). 

How cruel a step mom is, she is not as cruel as the capital city.  

“.... Ke Jakarta aku kan kembali…. walaupun apa yang kan terjadi…” a famous song by Koes Plus.