Babe(s) in Jakarta

Greetings!!!


It's been some time since I post a "decent" entry on this blog. Anyway, hope you like my new self-portrait - taken outside my cousie's house in Jakarta. Ok... I know... I know... I'm such a cam-whore :p

Jakarta's more or less the same after 5 years. My trip there wasn't too affected by the flood but I've heard stories of distant relatives whose houses were plundered of all furniture and many things precious by the sweeps of waves. The tradition of 送旧迎新 couldn't have been more painfully embraced than this Chinese New Year...

I wonder how the locals survive. The average guy earns about S$200 per month and the cost of living isn't exactly low. One fish soup meal (1 bowl of soup + 1 bowl of rice) can cost $5 per person; a pair of shoes ala Charles & Keith standard costs an average of $35!





My uncle, aunty + cousies stay in the suburban Serpong/Tangerang area which is less affected by natural calamities. The sleepy town could bore me to tears if not for my cutie 表-niece, the occasional shopping at the uninteresting malls, the sub-standard food that's supposed to be great by the locals' definition and the old folks who have really aged over the last 5 years.

I ended up not buying anything much except for discounted pieces of sewn cloth to cover my twin peaks. With so much left-over rupiah, I ended up buying my Indo folks a meal at Coca and it costs me only $50 for 7 of us!


I'm this bored.


The houses at Alam Sutera, Serpong






Old babe + cutie babe 表-niece Ling: she's got really beautiful eyelashes and very pinchable cheeks just like a walking doll!


Cutie 表-niece with one of her many boyfriends Ben








Can't get enough of my cutie 表-niece! She's very sensitive to the camera and is ever-ready to pose. I so love kids :D

The locals of middle-class and above fuss damn a lot over their lil' ones. For those families who can afford, there'll be one baby-sitter (donning nurse uniform) to every kid. I hope my 表-niece grow up to be an independent, lovable gal, not bratty and pampered. She's very clever for her age with lotsa potential if groomed rightly.

And here's a photo of my closest uncle, aunty and their family. Ling is the result of my cousie Mega + her hubby's (on extreme left) union. I've a feeling my offsprings' gonna be good-lookers too, given my cutie pie looks. Besides, according to my hunch, my husband's gonna be cute too!!! :D



Another off-the-plane-window shot added to my collection:



Check out what lulls me to sleep every nite in Jakarta:

Never like this song as much as I like it recently.

Till the next trip.

I'm Going Jakarta

What could be more exciting than visiting a place I used to visit nearly on an annual basis until recent years, when my last stopover was in 2002? *droops head*

It's been nearly 5 years and I can almost smell the polluted air of Jakarta in my imagination now. Obliged by duty and a genuine sincerity to pop by and say hi to my beloved uncle, aunty and cousies, I had to give in to my ma's powerful 'coercion'.

Hope the flood has subsided. And I'm crossing my fingers that its aftermath won't spell D.I.S.E.A.S.E.S. I'm coming back to start new job one leh.

Special invitation to PALS (read PALS only - if you're unsure of your friendship status with me, please consult me.): Drop me a msg if you want me to get you anything from DFS. I'm flying off T1. We'll settle payment when I'm back ;)