This is What Jakarta Means to Me
This is what jakarta means to me.
a love letter to an unforgiving city.
I’m going to tell you a little secret here: not everyone who says they’re from Jakarta is really from Jakarta. If you miraculously have the map of Indonesia, get yourself a good roll of tape, and use that as guide to draw a circle. That area there? That entire circumference outside of Jakarta? That’s kind of, sort of Jakarta.
So what is it about this city? Beyond being the epicentre of breadwinning, what is this throbbing, magnetic quality about it that makes us all want to say, “I’m from Jakarta”?
Jakarta is grit and adaptability.
It’s that picture of a satayman going straight back to fanning his skewers right after an explosion at Sarinah. It’s the risk of drowning by 2030, or…maybe right this very moment; it’s the feeling that the political sphere is up in flames and the government digging up archaic colonial-era reformations that send us back to the stone age; it’s yet another group of men whistling sweet baby-s making women hold their keys in the space between their fingers (“just in case”).
But it’s also small acts of environmental consciousness; it’s taking it to the streets, tear gas and all; it’s confronting that man head on to put him to shame, realising that he is weak and we are here to witness. Jakarta is learning to jaywalk (a k a cross the street because there’s no such thing as a zebra cross) at six with your mom waiting at the other end; “Walk with confidence,” she says, “Do not hesitate,” she says. Jakarta is unforgiving but that force straightens up our posture and gives us the courage to say, “we’re not having it”. Jakarta is not complacent. Jakarta will chew you up once you are, so eyes wide open, child (look left, look right).
Jakarta is the familiar comforts, just how you like it.
It’s waking up to the knocks on bamboo of the ketoprak man and his cart, or bubur ayam, or whatever savoury, flavourful breakfast options we have right at our doorstep, for only $2. It’s asking your exact order: "a bowl of porridge, extra chicken, extra sweet soy sauce, less normal soy sauce and chilli, extra crushed peanuts, oh wait could you double the peanuts, oh and could you make an extra order but the reverse of everything I said?" and having the porridge man smile and genuinely say, “Of course, anything for you,” because we’re Indonesian and that’s what we do for each other. It’s saying hi to produce man who’s known you before you learnt to walk, and then getting your jeans hemmed by the tailor man at his cart without even leaving your street. It’s being cradled and taking the gloves off when you’ve had them on for a bit too long.
Jakarta is…oh wait, it’s now this.
Jakarta evolves with every heartbeat. Step outside the city for a moment and when you return, there’s somehow an entirely new vocabulary of slang you need to update yourself with to understand what on earth anyone’s saying, and a hot new street food trend with it’s own accompanying theme song. Oh, and sprinkle in a skyscraper or two. It’s dynamic, it keeps you on your toes. The internet may be slow in some places but look around, everyone no matter their monthly income owns a smartphone. Social media penetration is off the charts and we’ll tell you the artist you’d probably get to know in six months. Put us on an S-Curve and you know we’re right in front. Jakarta is hard to please. Jakarta is a bored teenager scrolling through her phone. Jakarta is, “so you think this is IT? Next.”
Jakarta is calling home.
Jakarta is going outbound filling our luggage with comforts: Indomie, tolak angin (and I’m not even going to try to explain what ailment that solves), among others. Jakarta is having your entire extended family wave goodbye, reminding you to wear a scarf, and getting 200,000 rupiahs slipped to your backpocket (“Grandma I can’t get anything with this money there,” but you smile and say thank you anyway). Jakarta is making time to call home, and knowing that no matter the timezone you could feel it on the other end of the line. Jakarta is being thrown to a bigger pond knowing that it has taught you enough grit, hustle, and compassion to thrive. Jakarta follows you wherever you go, like an amulet, a lucky penny.
I carry it with me.
written by Nadia Pritta Wibisono
photographs taken with Fuji Simple Ace Disposables
Note: Jakarta flooded on my very last full day home. This sadly happens every year but this year was one for the books. Many lost their homes and their lives. I think she deserves better, we deserve better. In the spirit of the city’s grit and warmth, consider donating what you can, paying it forward where ever you call home, and holding your loved ones a little tighter tonight.