Jakarta is not That Bad

After having lived for more than a year in this city, my perspective towards Jakarta has more or less changed.

Living in the city can either feed your soul or drive you mad.

Talking about Jakarta, this city had never been in my option to move and settle. Several times went to this city for a short trip gave me bad impression. The traffic was fucked up, severe pollution, rude people, temperature was too hot for me, food were bad, everything was pricey.

Some of things remain the same until now, but Jakarta is full of surprises. Luckily, I have always lived in strategic neighborhood; Cipete (South Jakarta), then moving to Bendungan Hilir (Central Jakarta), both are near the MRT station. I can imagine how chaotic it was, for about five years, when the construction was still going. Fortunately, after four months I moved here, MRT were finally ready to operate. What a savior! MRT is truly a reformer.

Frankly speaking, I do not know whether I can feel the same way or not if I live in the other part of Jakarta, let’s say West, North, and East Jakarta, because the best urban living is at the heart of Jakarta, along the MRT’s railway. Let me highlight what Jakarta offers at its best;

Vibrant and Fast-Paced Environment

There is something in Jakarta which I could not find in Bandung. Something that makes your energy pumping when you wake up in the morning and are ready to start your day. People say that energy is contagious, yes, I may say that it is true. There are always people around doing something, and that can be exciting.

Watching people rushing their walk to the office somehow injects the energy and makes you feel stimulated. This fast-paced environment unconsciously makes you love having a compact “to-do-list” and become more productive. At a glance, this may look very stressful, especially from people who come from a relaxed city like Bandung. However, to be honest, for the young professional or at least for myself, the working environment in Jakarta is more stimulating than in Bandung.

Public Transportation

The public transport goes better and better. In Bandung, I can only rely on Gojek or angkot because Damri’s routes are limited and cannot be tracked. For example, in Bandung, I used to spend > 30k a day for commuting between home and ITB (approximately 7 km). In Jakarta, commuting between kost and office only took 7k a day by Transjakarta. How convenient and cheap. Another option, I can use MRT from Bendungan Hilir to Dukuh Atas, then continue taking Commuter Line from Sudirman to Cikini, this took 12k a day.

Ofttimes, your commute feels like a spiritual journey. You put your headphones on, start playing your favorite songs or podcasts while looking at the window, realizing how busy this city is or just enjoying the design of built environment, either landscape or the skyscraper. Another thing, you can try to learn about people in the bus and train by observing; their fashion style, their job, their mood, their political compass (lol), their struggle, etc. This is interesting enough, then you finally make a reflection upon your life. It is also funny that you frequently spot the same stranger in your bus.

Besides, I have always loved walking. In Jakarta, it is even more fun and my daily steps are increasing. Thank God I live in the center of activity where public transport and its supporting infrastructure are very decent. Those things really support me to walk.

Endless Food Choices

Well, sorry, I think I was too quick to judge. Maybe you will not find the Sundanese Food that taste more superior than in Bandung, especially dishes like baso tahu, seblak, or gorengan like cireng. They are awful here (lol). However, since Jakarta is the place where people are coming from any part of Indonesia, and even from any part of the world, Jakarta has a lot of delectable food on offer. I found many hidden gems from “Dari Halte ke Halte” Instagram Account. From the street food stalls selling the local food, legendary eateries, to enticing cafes. I can get various Indonesian cuisine easily in Jakarta and Javanese food taste better here, of course with a lot of choices. Besides, do not forget Korean, Japanese, Brazilian, Moroccan, Vietnamese, Thai restaurants, etc.

Both Cipete and Bendungan Hilir are renowned for their food, either street food stalls, restaurants, or cafes. Yes, food is also one of my considerations in choosing a neighborhood to live. Thus, if I am hungry in the night and no more food left in my fridge, I can just walk to the main road having late dinner or just buying my comfort food. When I lived in Cipete, I usually ate one of my favorite dishes once a week after office hour, it was between Pecel Boma and Bakmi Jawa Mas Wahyu.

Anyway, there are still a lot of places to eat that need to be explored!

Diverse

Metropolitan city gathers the people from different culture and background. Living in a diverse environment can expand your horizon, to be more tolerant, more understanding, yet more firm towards your beliefs. Most of the working environments in Jakarta are quite liberal, you can get along in a celebration party that most of the people there are drinking but you can be just cool and holding your boundary, knowing it is a personal choice.

I love living in a place where everyone is different, especially if they are willing to strike up a conversation. I am an introvert tho, but having a conversation with strangers most of the time always been very eye-opening. I started to love this kind of environment when I spent three months in Kuala Lumpur. I was wonderstruck by how Kuala Lumpur’s cultural diversity shaped the city in such colorful ways, not only diverse ethnic group but also races. Despite the clashes that frequently appear in mass media, the diversity in Jakarta still holds the beauty in it. The marches that voice the issue were enlivening, the pagoda in Glodok that held the event for “buka puasa bersama” in Ramadhan was enchanting, even the demonstration carried out by the students somehow was beautiful, it portrayed another side of Jakarta and its people.

The last Christmas vibes here was pleasing, there were choir groups spotted at some public spaces. People who crossed by were enjoying their performance regardless the background. I saw their performance at Dukuh Atas Tunnel and sidewalk near Bendungan Hilir MRT Station whilst commuting. One of the old woman asked me to take a group photo together after they finished their performance. Well, it was a warm feeling, like celebrate our diversity. I‘m looking forward to Ramadhan and Eid Al Fitr vibes!

“You can find anything here”

“Energetic, young, and free” people should have been in love with a lot of activities and events offered in Jakarta. From live theater to museums to malls to gardens and everything in between, Jakarta is plain fun that you will never be bored living here. You can find seasonal sports event, public discussions, concerts, dance party, art club, workout communities, courses, walking open trip, and well I guess anything, if you persistently search for it.

It is true that living in a big city gives you a lot of privileges; the access and getting exposed to everything. You can find the brands that are not available in your hometown (clothes, groceries, and even convenience store like FamilyMart), many hassle-free services that can be ordered by just one click away through your phone, the novel activities that you will be curious to try, and other fun things await.

Thanks, Jakarta.

Jakarta, 3 April 2020
During COVID-19 self-quarantine