M-whY

The pollution had another negative effect. The city felt a lot warmer than it was. My room didn't have air conditioning, plus air circulation was poor, so during the day, it felt like a sauna. The solution was to pretty much hang out in department stores and internet cafes, where the air was kept at a much more comfortable level.

On the ride here, my train had TV screens, on which American and Indonesian music videos were played. Coming from Yogya, where everyone seemed more conservative, it was a bit shocking to see midriff baring pop stars dancing sexily. I had glanced around to see if anyone was offended, but my fellow passengers acted like this was normal. Wasn't I in a muslim nation??

In Jakarta, I noticed more of the same liberal mindset. Tank tops and tight fitting clothing were back in fashion. Short skirts and high heels made a comeback. A good thing too. Some of the women had really nice figures! (See what sort of thing a male mind notices?)

Another thing I couldn't help noticing were these orange, three wheeled rickshaws that were seemingly everywhere. Powered by noisy engines, the bajaj looked absolutely absurd, putt-putting around Jakarta's modern buildings. Given that regular taxis were just as common, it made me wonder: Other than tourists, who would want to ride in such a thing? Taxis would be much more comfortable.

As I mentioned, I spent most of the day seeking out air conditioning. The department stores weren't too dissimilar from what I might find elsewhere, except the prices were very low. I didn't need any more clothes, but I picked up another notepad to write in. (I filled my old one up already. I'm so proud of myself, I managed to hang onto it for two months without losing it!) McDonald's enjoyed a lot of business. Their menu had the usual Big Macs and cheeseburgers, but also had a several fried chicken combos (fried chicken is so popular, it must be the national dish). I was also pleased to find some semblance of a dollar menu. A McChicken only costs 9000 rupiah!

In my wandering, I also came across a supermarket. Supermarkets are always an interesting place to look around. (Remember the kanga bangas?) This time I didn't find anything I hadn't seen before. But I did find something I had seen. Back in Bali, I was told that snakefruit was uniquely Balinese. Although much smaller and not as healthy looking as the specimens in Bali, there they were, sitting in the middle of the fruit section. That just goes to show, the information I receive from tour guides is not always the most accurate.

That's pretty much how my day went. For dinner, I again ate at one of the small street stands. I wanted to try some pecel lele, which I think translates to fried fish? Now I know eating seafood from a streetside vendor probably isn't the best idea, but yesterday my stomach took the fried chicken pretty well, so I thought I'd have no problem with this. Later on that evening, I didn't feel so good.

Lesson learned. My stomach can't handle everything!

Thanks to everyone for their support and comments! Knowing people are reading keeps me motivated to continue the updates!