Fred - wandered around Indonesia

[fred]

If this guy were in England the police hotline (999) would be red hot, but it's nothing to care about here.











and lots of people buy. A knife costs around a quid if it's a good one.

[fred]

I went shopping in a very good local supermarket this morning.
Supermarkets here are pretty much the same as large places in the UK but they do tend to sell a few items we don't see in western countries.
Indonesia is a still a new country, only having kicked the colonialists out after WWII, and that means developing in many ways, including wealth.
The majority of middle class Indonesians are still only one or two generations removed from the villages their families came from, and that means traditional foods are still popular.


Kulit ayam - Chicken skin





Kaki ayam - chicken feet





Don't forget the head

[fred]

The way to get a driving licence used to be wait ages in a queue or pay and not wait in a queue but that's changing rapidly.
The upshot is it's harder to get a licence without knowing how to drive and everyone has to wait in a long queue.
It's going to take a long time before the roads are sorted out, but it's on its way.
But, and there's always a big but - 12 year old kids ride motorbikes on major roads.

[fred]

Sorry I haven't posted for a while, things have been crazy busy.


Today sees the preparations for a wedding in a small village close to my place.
They sweep the roads, burn all the stuff and erect a tent for the festivities.

[fred]

The rain won't stop this guy from trying to earn a living. He won't be on much of a salary doing that work but you have to respect the effort he puts in.

[fred]

A river opposite McD's in Bintaro sector 9





Hang on, is there someone in the water?
I have no idea what this guy is hunting for but it involved sifting trough the mud.

[fred]

This row of shops is only a few years old but most are empty.
Businesses move in with happy smiles that soon turn to frowns as they realise they can't cover the very expensive rents. At least one is on its third failed business and even 7/11 has closed down.
No one will believe me when I say Indonesia is on the verge of a financial crisis, or at least a serious slowdown, but it's already happening.

[fred]

Indonesian food varies a lot but his stuff is amazing.
It's fruit served with strong home made chilli sauce.

[fred]

Indonesian ladies are so pretty

[fred]

Indonesias, in general, are lovely people.
There's one group of let's say more on the edge types I'm less bothered about.
Luckily much of their popularity is in their own minds.

[fred]

Many of the small alleyways (known as gangs) are tiny roads with no hope of anything bigger than a motorbike ever going down them, so what do they do if a fire breaks out?





Sorted

[fred]

Neither did I, that's why I wander.

[fred]

You just have to love (or hate) the roads here

[fred]

Business is business .. but I'm unsure these kids escorting people to their cars in the rain is a good business.

[fred]

Petrol stations aren't always handy when you need one so a lot of these things pop up.
They all used to sell petrol in litre bottles, but more and more are using these mini pumping stations.