One friend at Quora ask me an interesting question.
“What can you do in Jakarta besides going to endless cafes, restaurants, movies and mall hopping?”
I think about it a while. Assumptions come to my head that he address this question after doing some research on the mind-blowing facts of Jakarta.
But I don’t want to be involved in misconception. So, I want to make it clear. So, here my answer goes.
Yes, traffic jam in streets of Jakarta is annoying. Public transportation is not yet well-managed. Hence, going to cafes, restaurants, movies and mall are reasonable choices for many of citizens who are willing to find some fresh air and space.
At this point, it looks like we are stuck in jail. Is Jakarta as crowded as in jail where we can not go anywhere? Yes. And because it is like being a prisoner in space, it is like being a free people in terms of thinking.
But if we put that question in a broader sense, simply replacing “Jakarta” with any name of the city all over the world, then the answer will be applicable everywhere. By reviewing where your routine has brought you in; what you can do in Jakarta, you can do it as well in Surabaya, Medan, Bali, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo or New York (maybe).
Seriously? Yes, I am not kidding. Simply because what you can do is not only as narrow as what you see, but what you can think as well. It is that simple.
While waiting for a ride of public bus provided by Trans Jakarta, you can spent your whole almost-wasting time to almost-quality time by reading books or listening to your music pads.
If you want to try two-wheel, you can book Gojek, an Ojek for every need or pick a GrabBike. You can compare them by clicking on this interesting article.
It is not my business when you are asking me what you can do by your private bike or cars. It is your stuff and it is your business.
You can think everything while enjoying the ride, aren’t you?
While being in a traffic jam no matter what transportation mode that you use, and it seems you can not do anything, you can think everything. You can even train your observer-analytics skill.
Stop complaining, start thinking
Just watch everybody.
Listen to anything that people talk about.
Hear what Jakarta’s people are chattering.
Look how far this city has emerged.
Notice how far this has brought its people into an a very vast variety of citizenship perspectives’ level.
You can think this and that.
And the litany goes on.
For a thinker and observer, Jakarta is really a heaven. Why? Simply because “Hell for senses is heaven for mind”.
