Life in Indonesia

The view of Mother Krakatoa Mountain from the top of Child Krakatoa Mountain.

Intrigued by the fact that travelling teaches a lot, I took up another venture to make Jakarta my home for the next 8 months.

So the plan was that I would be travelling to Jakarta initially for a month for the preparatory and assessment phase, come back to India for 2 weeks and then travel again for the next phases of the project. The plan sounded right; It would give me time to know about the country, weather, food and people and help me pack my stuff for the longer stint in a better way. It was a Yes from my side. I was ready for the new experiences in the world’s biggest archipelago country, Indonesia.

Finally the ticking of clock came to an end and I boarded my Malaysian Airlines flight. During the transit period at the Kuala Lampur Airport, I made sure to check out the airport and the duty free shops (always my best activity to kill time at the airports).  I was stunned by seeing the number of Indians (especially from the Southern India) at the KL airport. No wonder Tamil is the second language in Malaysia (A proud Indian moment).  And after an hour long flight, here I was in the capital city of Indonesia, Jakarta.

On my way to the hotel, I stuck my head out of the window of the cab to feel the fresh air of the new land on my face. Mesmerized by the tall buildings and long flyovers, I brooded over the thought of living a new life in the new country. Soon I reached my apartment hotel ‘The Ascott’.  How much ever weird the name it may sound but it was a posh hotel in the prime location of the city. It was located just beside the biggest mall in Jakarta, The Grand Indonesia Mall. The hotel also had a big gym and a swimming pool and above all the warm and humble staff with a pleasant smile on their face to greet you always.

Morning view from my studio.

I got my studio at the 20^th floor of the building and the view was amazing. It was a real bliss to wake up seeing the sunrise and the tall skyscrapers. It inspired me to rise above all odds and start my day with fresh and positive energy.

Every day I would get up around 6:30 AM, prepare breakfast for myself and then walk for 15 min to the office. I would usually start my day around 8:30 at work. It was a challenging project but working for Indonesia’s largest conglomerate had its own advantages as well as sky high expectations. I learned a lot from the project and the people. I enjoyed working there even though it was a sheer test of my problem solving and client handling skills. I admired the working culture in Indonesia. People used to come early to office and leave early. They always spoke with respect (a lot of respect) even at times when they disagree on something with someone.

Following is the rule of thumb that has to be followed in Indonesia: Prefix someone’s name with BU if that person is lady and older to you, prefix someone’s name with PAK (pronounced as PAA) if that person is a man and older to you, use MBAK (pronounced as BAK) if that person is lady and younger to you and use MAS if someone is a man and younger to you. Not using these prefixes is considered rude. Talking with respect is of utmost importance in Indonesia. Being an outsider if you use these prefixes, you will be admired and loved by people there.

My client team. From left to right: Me, Pak Handy, Bu Fina, Pak Ruben, Pak Nyoman and Bu Meriko.

Indonesians are very warm, polite and simple people. They are genuinely good at heart and have great love and respect for their guests. They are friendly and are crazy about their love for Bollywood. Apparently ‘Chaiya Chaiya’ and ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ are very famous songs in Indonesia.  

Life in Indonesia was lot of fun. Specially trying out new Indonesian and Japanese cuisines was a fun activity. Over the time I developed my love for Nasi Goreng Ayam (Indonesian chicken fried rice) and Sashimi (Japanese raw salmon). Every weekend would be a new adventure for my taste buds.

From top left grid in clockwise direction : Nasi Goreng Ayam, Salmon and Sea Weed Sushi, Fish Skin Crackers, Various Indionesian food, Chili and Tofu, Various varieties of Sushi. 

It was during to slack time of the project, I decided to call my mom to Jakarta and then go to Bali and Yogyakarta for a vacation. It was the first international trip for my mom and I wanted to give her the best of experience on her trip. Soon I booked the Singapore Airlines ticket for her and soon she was in Jakarta. She was petrified at first as she was travelling alone but soon her face was beaming with happiness to see me at the airport after 4 long months.

See how my mother's face is beaming with joy after meeting me after 4 long months.

Our first destination was Yogyakarta. It’s a very historic city.  Good food and beautiful temples is for what Yogyakarta is famous. The gigantic Prambanan temple and the Borobudur temple were a treat to the eyes. Sitting at the foot of the Mirapi Volcano and enjoying Satay Ayam (Fired Chicken), Nasi uduk (Rice cooked in coconut water), Soto Ayam (Chicken Soup) and Sambal (Red chilli chutney with jaggery and peanuts) in the wonderful weather was a pure bliss.

Borobudur and Prambanan Temples

Our next destination was Bali. I booked a Sea facing room in the Pullman Hotel, which was located opposite to the beautiful Legian Beach. We went to street shopping, visited the Ubud Monkey forest and Rice Fields and did various water sports on the Nusa Dua Beach. Trying out different restaurants on the Nusa Dua Beach for delicious sea food is a must TO DO in Bali. The intricate details and the jaw dropping beauty of the temples in Bali are really praise worthy. The Tampak Siring (Holy spring temple) and Tanah Lot temple were some of the few temples we visited. One full day we just relaxed, soaking in the sun by the Legian beach, taking the Balinese massage and eating good food. Talking about food in Bali, trying out Nasi Bali Champur is must.   

The Balinese welcome and the view from the Pullman Hotel room opposite Legian Beach.

 My adventure in Indonesia did not end here. I went to a trek on an active volcano called Mount Krakatoa. It’s a 5 hours drive by road and water to reach there from Jakarta. Turquoise blue water and pristine black sand beaches and the smoke oozing volcano were a site I would never forget. After 3 hour long trek to reach the highest permissible point to trek on the Mount Krakatoa, I saw some mesmerizing views of the beautiful islands which were looking like tiny green dots in the vast blue ocean.  After the trek, I went on to do snorkeling and relaxed myself in the cool water and admired the beauty of the rich and unadulterated marine life.

The Summit Selfie, The Starting Point of the Krakatoa Trek and The View of the Nearby Islands. 

The chapter of Indonesia would be incomplete without the mention of some important friends: Dinesh, Marci and Emerson. These 3 pals were my companion in every new adventure of food and places. I learned a lot from them professionally and personally. Never thought Dinesh and I would be successful in making Marci and Emerson fall in love with Indian food. Now I can say even Filipinos love Indian food.

Go Live celebration party. From Left to Right: Me, Dinesh, Marci, Pak Nyoman and Emerson. 

I cannot forget to mention Sunil, some deep conversations with him were really helpful in getting over few things.  Places get their charm by the people and Indonesia was wonderful because of these 4 folks.

I feel I have grown a lot as a professional and as a person in these 8 months of my stay in Indonesia. I am really thankful that god has always flooded my life with positive and motivating people. I wish this blissful adventure continues and life continues to surprise me in its own unique and positive ways.