Last week I spent five days gallivanting around the streets of Jakarta Barat, known as the Mangga Besar area. No shopping whatsoever. Just visiting musuems and taking pictures of the Dutch colonial buildings in Kota Tua. Believe it or not. Tidak berbelanja di mana-mana supermall yang tumbuh melata di seluruh kotaraya tersebut. It's like saying "I went to KFC but only had some Mirinda oren."
And language was also a tricky issue. Once, in a restaurant, I ordered a dish and when it came, the waitress asked, "Apa Ibu mau sendok juga?". I simply nodded while imagining the humiliation of shoving food down my throat with a big senduk but a few minutes later she came with a spoon. Owh. So I learned a new word.
The next day I had lunch at another restaurant. This time I decided to practise the new vocabulary. I asked the waiter near the counter. "Bisa berikan saya sendok satu?" (very awkward bahasa Indon I know tapi dah excited punya pasal tak kisah la).
The boy looked at me and smiled. Then he said "Akak nak sudu eh. Jap nanti saya tanyakan sekali. Saya pun nak order air ni."
Aisey. Pelancong Malaysia da. Tapi rupanya tidak ubah seperti rupa seorang lelaki Jawa tempatan. Pendek, berkulit sawo matang dan berhidung pesek. Akak keliru!
And language was also a tricky issue. Once, in a restaurant, I ordered a dish and when it came, the waitress asked, "Apa Ibu mau sendok juga?". I simply nodded while imagining the humiliation of shoving food down my throat with a big senduk but a few minutes later she came with a spoon. Owh. So I learned a new word.
The next day I had lunch at another restaurant. This time I decided to practise the new vocabulary. I asked the waiter near the counter. "Bisa berikan saya sendok satu?" (very awkward bahasa Indon I know tapi dah excited punya pasal tak kisah la).
The boy looked at me and smiled. Then he said "Akak nak sudu eh. Jap nanti saya tanyakan sekali. Saya pun nak order air ni."
Aisey. Pelancong Malaysia da. Tapi rupanya tidak ubah seperti rupa seorang lelaki Jawa tempatan. Pendek, berkulit sawo matang dan berhidung pesek. Akak keliru!
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