Fred went a wandering.

Small roads are commonly surfaced with bricks.
Fine if motorbikes are using it but they damage very quickly if cars travel along them.
Cars usually use such roads to avoid traffic jams.



The work is back breaking but money is money; more so when you don't have much.
However, the Indonesian national hobby of trying to produce the happiest smile is never forgotten.



Even these guys, working like donkeys in terrible conditions, manage a happy smile and a wave to the foreigner.
That's much of the reason I love Indonesia.

Middle class and up pay for rubbish collection. The costs varies from three quid or so per month, upwards but not that far up.

Poorer people and people in areas not covered by a collection service have to sort their own out.

This usually means tossing it away by the side of a road or burning it.

Life in Indonesia is all contrasts.

A woman, wearing a traditional hat,  tenders the grass on the central reservation. She'll be on minimum wage and be forced to work to help support her family as her husband will probably also be on a very low wage and that just isn't enough in a city.



This guy sells pineapples from the back of his motorbike.
I have no real idea what sort of money he can expect to earn but he won't be looking to buy a BMW this month.





But big business is also in Indonesia, as we see with this coca cola delivery truck.

Building a school requires a lot of material taken upstairs.
If you haven't got the cash for a real crane - make one.







Electrical safety



Veggie markets in the street.

Building is commonly a cowboy job. This bridge may or may not be safe.

Street traders sell pretty much everything

Mosques vary a lot here but a lot are open air style as there is a lot of sun and just as much rain but not all that much wind.
That means, you need a roof but don't much care about walls.

Unlike in some places, women are just as much a part of mosque life as men but men and women have separate doors and separate preying areas. The two areas are visible to each other but there's no physical contact.

The mosque



Men's and women's entrances





Ritual washing area.



the praying area.

The roads are amazingly terrible out here so there's always something new to find.

Spent whole day reading your thread. Interesting. Thanks for sharing. But feel so sorry for the poverty. This is the biggest problem in many Asian countries. Education is the only bridge to across. But who explain that to the poor kids?? Sad!!!

Spent whole day reading your thread. Interesting. Thanks for sharing. But feel so sorry for the poverty. This is the biggest problem in many Asian countries. Education is the only bridge to across. But who explain that to the poor kids?? Sad!!!

I Agree, Mas Fred has shown the viewers here on Expat.com how Indonesia really is and the reality that exists out there.

About education being the only bridge to cross, i agree with this however its not a case of just explaining to these kids as i'm sure some of the kids would love to attend school but school fees cost money and some families don't have money to send their children to school. So these poor kids are forced to work to put food on the table. Although, i've never been to Indonesia, i know this is the case in some Asian regions..

It is the case here as well.
I had an idea that's unlikely ever to happen but...you never know.

A mandatory IQ test at the youngest possible age with the top X% given free education up to and including uni.

I see people playing chess, not a game for the less than bright, but they live in rubbish dumps.

Wasted brains.

For the poor,"Entertaining with talents" in a good manner is ok!  but begging is disgusting and irritating. It is still a problem in some parts of my country. In buses, Some  sings to earn money. They have no talent to sing. So the output is 'something' that makes the tired passengers so nervous and irritating:)

Its so sad still people use that much risky vehicles for public transportation. Dont you have a transport controlling authorities? My God, they are playing with the life of passengers and pedestrians. It seems that no Public Health Inspectors, either.

Begging (specially using kids for begging) must be strictly prohibited! What the lil ones know? They are new to world.  They are just beginning life. These poor kids know only if raising hands can have easy money for food.
Dont you have free education? ( Fortunately, our education system is free. And its strictly prohibited to keep children at home without given education and kids under 18 of age can not be employed or no license is given to drive/ride so no drive/ride under 18. Fine is big, so no bikers without helmet:)
I think beggars must be rehabilitated and trained for an employment and the poor must be supplied with a kind of shelter.
Elders must be given a pension. Health hazards must be identified by relevant authority.

Fred is doing a good job and this is a good starting point to open the eyes of authority.
Problem is..... will they happen to read this??

I should be clear.
This isn't political in any way or intended to make the Indonesian government do anything.
It would be nice if they can help but I'm a guest in this country so I have no right to dictate.

I just take snaps of real life.

I understand! I note their constructions of buildings or roads are very attractive and quick. They have spent a lot on infrastructure facilities for building cities. Living is also inexpensive. Foods are very cheap. Country is a good tourist destination- means money! The thing I dont understand is, why the majority are still poor? Not because the lack of education?

I can only speak for Jakarta, but the majority here is still poor is because there is not enough jobs- if they DO have job, the wage is really low.

The reason is because a lot of people currently living in Jakarta are actually from other provinces, which are fine, but the problem is they move to the city hoping to find jobs without any planning whatsoever, and they tend to have very minimal education.

An example on the education front, I went to Gunung Kidul in Yogyakarta to do some surveying/research on schools and students in the area. Some of the schools don't even have textbooks or enough teachers. The price of their tuition was only about 2000-5000 rupiahs a month, but some of the parents do not make enough money to pay even that. The students would only bring one or two notebooks filled with different subjects, some of them only use loose leaf papers. What was really I find curious is they still have to take the national standardised tests by the end of their school year... if they can afford it.

On the economy front: I teach street kids in Jakarta so I was able to talk to some of their parents. Apparently, many them already moved to Jakarta many years ago, when things were cheaper and they could afford 1 way ticket to the big Durian. So as the recession hits etc, they become REALLY  poor but still have kids, so their kids remain poor and so on (lack of education and proper job education). Some of them will try making business such as 'angkringan' or hawker food stalls, gorengan etc (those are a very Javanese origin ), but a lot of them end up being beggars, pengamen and the like.

There exist slding scale or even tuition-free schools (you just have to buy necessary tools such as notebooks etc on your own), but for some reason, some of the parents don't think it's necessary for their children to do so, especially if they have only daughters... which honestly breaks my heart !

It is very complex issue and the problems and reasonings actually run deeper than that, but I don't think it will be wise for me to hijack this wonderful thread any longer than this However, I will be happy to discuss it some more and hear others people's thoughts if anyone wants to continue it elsewhere

Mas Fred, I really enjoyed your photos and I find your little notes also delightful, it does paint a clearer picture of both sides of the coin! I hope you will keep posting them.

Guys lets move all this discussion off this thread because the thread is too good to go off topic. The Jakarta Mas Fred pictures is fantastic and I think long winding comments and discussions here unwanted and not necessary and ruin his work and his observation on life.

The odd comments are great but it may be better if threads were started on longer subjects - just to keep the thread uncluttered.
However, I'm really pleased people are interested in the plight of the very poor and, as with plaindot, are doing something good to help out.
I've just got some snaps of big business helping the less well off as I wandered this afternoon.

Fishing is very popular here but not for sport.
It's free food.

This dude sells toys and fireworks. I saw him selling mini bangers and mini rockets to kids.



The rockets are potentially very nasty; the kids hold them in their hands, light them and let them fly.

Food, glorious food - well, BBQ fish

This old dude collects rubbish in an attempt at some way to make money. That drain was full of something smelling suspiciously like poo but he was in there anyway.
I suspect you'll do a lot when the other choice is starvation.

There must be millions of street places selling drinks but I won't use them.
You have no idea where the water for the ice comes from.



This was less then mouthwatering but he was using it to melt down the surface of the ice as he cut it.

A sugar distribution warehouse.
Warning to the girls - You may giggle and go weak at the knees, especially if you're in HK.

With a strong Muslim tradition and a growing population, there's a need for many new mosques.

Pedicab drivers at rest.

Happy Birthday Fred!

Thank you

Happy Birthday too Fred.. Hope you have a nice birthday.. 

@mal - thanks for remembering Fred's Birthday.

Keep the pics coming in Fred. This is one picture book of Indonesia that i dont think i'll finish reading as the pages just keep on coming in.

J

War is short for, Warung (a shop)
Tel is short for, Telepon (Telephone)
Wartel is short for a shop that's pretty much like a big telephone box.
These used to be very popular but mobile phones have killed most.



Smoking is a bad habit and a common hobby in Indonesia. Many western restaurants have smoking and non smoking areas but there are very few smoke free zones except kids' play areas.



A common habit with rubbish is, toss it in the river and it'll go away.
Of course, it doesn't go away, just moves.



I love my push chair.

Born to a rubbish collecting family, will grow up without education in a rubbish collecting family and probably die after a shorter than average life as the father of a rubbish collecting family.

jazzy851 wrote:

Happy Birthday too Fred.. Hope you have a nice birthday.. 

@mal - thanks for remembering Fred's Birthday.

Keep the pics coming in Fred. This is one picture book of Indonesia that i dont think i'll finish reading as the pages just keep on coming in.

J

Thank you. A quiet birthday but I quite enjoyed the Indian meal we went out for in the evening.

A train



the level(ish) crossing.



Street bands usually hang around at traffic lights in the hope of getting paid by motorists waiting for a green light (in the few places anyone bothers what colour the lights are).
They more commonly get paid to bugger off than they get paid because they're good entertainers.



This one was really tired.

Another rubbish collecting family.
They sort out the plastics and sell it to recycling firms. Hard, dirty work with little pay.
There are thousands of families like this in Jakarta alone. Many are from Java and come to the capitol in the hope of a better life than they can have in the villages.
Without education or skill, they either end up doing this sort of thing or some poorly paid job with no future.

On a slightly brighter note (and in the spirit of communism and/or religion), it's Ramadan at the moment (Muslim holy month) so many more people than usual are engaged in charity work.
Big business often do a little something as in this case.
The bags contain a couple of KG of rice, some cooking oil and various other bits and pieces.
This company sells them to the villagers at Rp25,000 (about $2.5), far below retail price.
The residents have to give in the voucher and you get the voucher from the local official by showing him/her your ID card.
Each area has a village head and local officials working for him that take care of their few streets.
Many still wear the Surhato era uniforms but that's falling out of favour in many places.

People in England commonly take their dogs for a walk but this is Indonesia.



Four kids on a bike. Traffic laws are a bit of a joke out here.

This guy is not young but will probably work until he either drops or simply can't any more.
Far too poor to afford any sort of pension so that'll be the plan for what's left of his life.



These kids will have about the same to look forward to.



Yep, he did ride it on the road.

People in England commonly take their dogs for a walk but this is Indonesia.

I guess no one will mess with him then

Four kids on a bike. Traffic laws are a bit of a joke out here.

I saw similar things when i went to India -

This guy is not young but will probably work until he either drops or simply can't any more.
Far too poor to afford any sort of pension so that'll be the plan for what's left of his life.

This is really sad when you see how this old guy is working away to survive.

These kids will have about the same to look forward to.

I feel they dont have much option there?

Give a man a fish.....

This guy learnt a little something from beavers. He build a dam across the river then set his net up in the only place the fish could pass.





I've seen a lot of things sold from bikes but this is the first time I recall seeing a letter box salesman using one.

A man with a smartphone camera.



a less than smart man with a phone.



A policeman without a phone



but the traffic cops carry guns so it's better not to get ratty with them.



A car that was being driven by the less than smart man who was being questioned by the policeman without a phone and being photographed with a smartphone.



Assuming the man with the smartphone was correct (he was the landscaper that has to replace the tree), the man's insurance will cover the car but may not cover damage to the tree so he may have to shell out for that out of his own pocket.

These guys look tyred.



This guy is really old and tired so begging is about all that's left for him.

A famous pop star......or, judging by his lack of large car and hoards of screaming fans, maybe not.