Fred went a wandering.

Lots of people selling petrol, usually out of bottles, but this one is really posh - they even have a pump.







.

The conversation went ........

Right lads, we need to make this road wider.

Great idea, we'll get on with it.

Hang on, have we worked out all the details?

Another local council meeting went like this.......

Lads, we have a problem with big trucks breaking the road up - got to stop them.
I know, put big, black and yellow striped iron height restriction bars over the roads - that'll stop them.

Better make them really strong - drivers around here are blind and stupid.
Right, heavy gauge bars, and bright as we can make them - no one will hit them.



OK, maybe one, but the rest will see the damage and think twice.
Maybe not....



Seriously, I watched this dude try three times before he gave up. I think he thought the bar would get higher if he hit it a few times.

Another, lighter bar didn't survive.



OK lads, epic fail, we'll have to think of something new.
Hang on, if they're high, they're usually wide as well.



Last night I noticed some had been replaced with massive concrete blocks.

I'm planning my next walk.
Train to Tanah Abang, then walk to Sunter.
Wander around, go to any electronics heaven, go home.
Maybe today.

That was a very long walk.
I hope the photos are good.

Sorry I haven't posted much lately - I've been really tyred

Apart from the motorbike going the wrong way and that truck's lousy parking, there doesn't seem much wrong here.



until you look closely and realise that microbus has stopped in the middle of a junction to pick up passengers.



These drivers have to be amongst the most dangerous in the world.

I went for a minor wander today, mostly to get my new ID card.
That done, I took the chance to a little jaunt in no special direction, until I saw a subject worth a snapshot.

This guy will have been working all day for not a lot of money, but still managed to raise a smile when I pointed the camera his way.
He was digging holes for new electricity cables.

If I've ever taken one photo that sums Indonesia up, this one is it.
The internet is rapidly improving in Indonesia, in part because of the installation of fibre optic cables. As we see in this snap, new cables are being laid as we speak, but the sign is home made crap.
Indonesia is being dragged into the twenty first century, the the village mentality won't be going away any time soon.
Of course, being Indonesia, they had to add a smile.

Wow ,, great pictures mas Fred
It's been long time since I last log in
How's my country doing?
Fiber optic??? That sounds good isn't it? By the time I'm back home I shouldn't have problem of slow net,,,!
What  would they say of slow loading??....."lemot " hehehe

Regard
Bidara

Your country, and mine in my heart, is plodding along, trying to improve as it goes.
I know Indonesia has its problems, show me a country that doesn't, but I see the potential here.
I love Indonesia.

Mini Fred with a dude from Papua.
This guy was in a mall near Serpong, and Mini Fred couldn't keep his eyes of him.
The music was pretty cool.

No idea how long it takes him to make up, but here's the dude strutting his funky stuff

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNbs_hoKIv8

Fred, I’m embarrassed to admit that I haven’t “checked in” on your blog in a while.

Ma’af, ma’af, ma’af…and satu ma’af lagi!  (Sorry, sorry, sorry and one more sorry).

IMHO, your presentation of this photo diary of life in Jakarta is the singular best thing I have ever encountered on the web relating to Jakarta, and surely at the top of the list when it comes to Indonesia in general.   

It’s not just your great photos, rather, of equal importance are your honest observations.

Selamat my friend, and please, please, keep up the good work. 

I haven't posted much of late because Charles takes up a lot of time, and it's unfair to leave my lady wife alone with all the work while I go wandering about.
He's getting a bit older now, and less work as he goes along, so I'm hoping to get out more soon.

After last years election, I visited a demo. It was interesting to see how the press did their work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8veWIqtF7E

Last Sunday was car free day in BSD, South Tangerang. This normally busy road is cut off once a month, all in an attempt to promote the non use of anything with an engine, then push health and fitness.
They have a lot of success as we'll see, but perhaps they should consider leaving a couple of stalls out next time.





I'm unsure these promote a healthy lifestyle.

Anyway, the road was closed off to traffic



but pushbikes were allowed



Yes, it's a bendybike - the bloke had amazing balance.

The mobile blood donor wagon was there, encouraging people to give blood - I saw quite a few do so



and a company decided it would be a good time to promote their mobile phones. The kids loved the robots, so no one minded them being there.

Those guys were promoting Ranadam, and how to behave during the Islamic holy month. Quite a few people stopped, chatted and passed the time of day with them, no one minded and they bothered no one.



But the main theme was heath, so the martial arts guys were out doing a demonstration



as were the dance fitness lot. I think there were five stages spread up the street.



The ladies on stage tend to wear tight clothes, not leaving a lot to guess at.



even the firemen were enjoying a dance with them

One thing I thought was really nice was the mobile library, and their kids' activities.

There was also a political Islam march, but no one actually listened to them (As you can hear by the music from one of the stages)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iikqpZDujzE

Ramadan is the Muslim holy month. Loads of stuff happening, but the big one is the fasting. The daytime sees minimal activity pretty much everywhere, and all the food shops closed. Early evening sees the preparation start, then people buying food to take home.
Fruit juices are extremely popular, as are small snacks. The pizza delivery people are rushed to crazy, as are all but the worst street vendors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M82npUSoO4I

I've posted part of this video before, but I've added to it.
And, before you ask, the ducks are alive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-Y2SmRU_FA

Mt Gopro with video light is proving to be really handy as more than an action cam. Its small size means I can get shots I'd have no hope of with a larger camera.

Fried noodles are very popular in Indonesia.
This video shows a typical street stall and the cooking process.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atX3ro6 … e=youtu.be

Fred wrote:

Mt Gopro with video light is proving to be really handy as more than an action cam. Its small size means I can get shots I'd have no hope of with a larger camera.

Fried noodles are very popular in Indonesia.
This video shows a typical street stall and the cooking process.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atX3ro6 … e=youtu.be

SHOCKING confirmation of how much oil is just poured down drains - somehow the whole of the region has got to stop this practice. Here in Malaysia the oil is recycled a few hundred times and becomes - well - "unpleasant" and has carcinogens.
.
Or are just being boiled in water?

In a country with no social welfare system, you do whatever you can to earn money.



Some are more organised than others.

Gravitas wrote:

.
Or are just being boiled in water?

The noodles are boiled in water first, then fried using a little veggie oil.

A very popular dish out here is known as Bakso.
It consists of meatballs (I'm unsure how much actual meat goes into them), veg, and a load of other stuff. Bakso stands and small stalls are very common, often several in one food court.
I don't eat it, but my wife loves the stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUqRUti … e=youtu.be

Another extremely popular Indonesian dish is Nasi goreng, or 'fried rice'.
There are thousands of street stands in the Jakarta area, many doing their own special version of this dish.
This one is in South Tangerang.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Expm-f … e=youtu.be

I hate the roads because of the mess, the lack of driving skills, and the massive number of total nut jobs on them.

I love the roads because of the mess, the lack of driving skills, and the massive number of total nut jobs on them; it makes for fun photos.

I don't do much tourist stuff, but I just had to.
This is the Indonesian national monument, known as Monas, in Jakarta.
The video shows you the top observation platform, and the views of Jakarta from there.

The music is the Indonesian national anthem.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw2R79L … e=youtu.be

The road into Central Java is long, so you might need to relax.
No problem.

When you go to Blackpool, you take a stick of rock back for your mates.
It's about the same here, but you take oleh oleh

You go to a shop like this



And buy stuff like this



I bought dried tempe kimul, a product unique to Wonosobo

Sate ayam is BBQ chicken, and very common in Indonesia.
There are many kaki lima (5 feet) stands wandering the streets in every town.
The '5 feet' refers to the two on the owner, + the three wheels on the cart.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Imerpo_ … e=youtu.be

Time marches on, my son has just taken his first steps at ten months old, I've decided my car is too small for four of us, a baby seat and a pram, so I'm thinking about a Daihatsu Luxio mini bus. They're about the size of a transit van, but can seat 8 people, all with loads of leg room, and there's still room for the pram in the back.
I think I just have enough under the mattress to buy it cash, but I want another few quid off the price - well, I am from Yorkshire.
Driving here is interesting, and many people are shocked at the state of the roads, but many expats out here hire drivers, and they rarely to never venture down the small side roads. The tiny road are known as 'jalan tikus' or rat roads. Fine for small motorbikes (I've sold mine), but can be a bit narrow if two larger cars meet up. Lots of minor bumps to be had unless you're really careful.
The video is running fast so the 20 minute trip takes 2 minutes to watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YeZ545 … e=youtu.be

Fred I first had bakso  13 years ago it was blue gray and very rubbery my brain said  no don't eat that my manners said you should I have never recovered haha but my wife loves the stuff.

Hmmm, bakso is a bit too mysterious for us, so we generally opt for sate in any of it's endless ingredients. 

There used to be seemingly endless bakso carts all over Bali...but not anywhere near as many as in days gone by. 

Hati, hati with those instant noodles (any brand of mie) too!  You must be sure to rinse all the wax off of them or you'll be having digestive tract problems if you eat them unrinsed too often.

Shopping centres are many and varied in Indonesia, so they're always looking for attractions. This one is hosting a Tai Chi event.

People smile a lot here, so dentists are very important people.
Hygiene is taken seriously, as you can see with the lady sweeping the place out.

Microbus drivers tend to park wherever they fancy, even in the middle of a junction.
Safety first - they always make sure the parking brake is on.