Photo Credits: The Independent
So it was my 2nd time in Jakarta. My 1st experience there was not good.. cos it was DBD (dominated by diarrhoea). This time I have a target: not to diarrhoea. Outcome: Target Achieved. I am half an Indonesian now! Wow! Ok not to scare anyone, actually Indo is a pretty nice place, but there will be cultural shock for most sheltered Singaporeans due to the competitive traffic and lack of hygiene in the water.
Hellen, being a incredible driver, was able to drive our family around to various locations (his dad [my dad now too] and his bro drove us around too]. The best shopping wholesaler paradise of Mangga Dua, the awesome malls such as Grand Indonesia and the nice theme park at Ancol. Of course, we were amazed by the slum areas and the poor people around too, and it was an eye-opening experience for my parents.
Hellen’s family are great hosts and we really did feel welcomed. I feel a bit bad that sometimes my family was not able to keep up as they are rather old and not really used to Jakarta. All in all, I really want to thank their family for taking such great care of us.
I loved Indo food by the way, especially the food at the restaurant Sara Kuning (??I think I spelled it wrongly!!). The best thing is that I did not become DBD.
On a side note, I had flu before I went to Indo, and because I did not see a doctor in Indo, I was feeling real sick throughout the journey (even if I acted OK). When I came back to Singapore to see a doctor, I had my medicine. But.. to cut the long story short.. Hellen got sick too and we were suspected of contracting H1N1… and we went for the throat swabs and got quarantine for a day.. oh well.. it’s ok now! We are healthy and we are not infected!
In spite of obvious short-comings, Jakarta can really grow on you and you will begin to love the city too. I love it more and more and I love Hellen more and more everyday too! So let’s continue our journey in Singapore, as we continue our preparation for our wedding!
Countdown to Wedding Day (19-06-10): 356 days
