There's no such thing as a free lunch...Or is there?

Image
It's official. The next president of Indonesia is former army general Prabowo Subianto. Quite how the next five years will pan out is anyone's guess but hopefully the foreign pundits who always bring up his dodgy human rights record will be proven wrong. Nonetheless, on policy making, Prabowo's popularist move to literally offer the poor 'a free lunch' every day of the week does not augur well for the future. Such a policy - if it ever came to fruition - would cost a phenomenal amount of money and likely lead to huge inefficiencies (food waste) and poor incentives (make people lazy). Another concern is Prabowo's strong nationalist bent. Thus, in the possible event that he finds himself with his back against the proverbial wall in the face of stern economic challenges, there is a big chance that he will simply scapegoat foreigners. But he will have to be careful. Construction of the new capital city, Nusantara, for example, is highly dependent on foreign in
Post a Comment

Jalan Jaksa vs. Gang Poppies

In 2008 Jakarta won four Adipura awards for being a clean and green city:

South Jakarta ranked second after South Sumatra's Palembang, followed by West Jakarta, Surabaya, North Jakarta and Central Jakarta. The four municipalities' victories left East Jakarta and the Thousand Islands regency off the winners' list.

Now it could be that the judges are wearing rose-tinted spectacles. Either that or they are just blind of course. But it’s still an interesting idea: awards for cities and all that. But what about specific streets? I mean we all know about places like Jalan Jaksa.

Jalan Jaksa
But how does this famous back backing street shape up in the great scheme of things? And how does it compare to Indonesia’s other famous backpacking street: the legendary Gang Poppies in Kuta, Bali?

1. The vibe. Gang Poppies is never dead, Jalan Jaksa is virtually never alive.

2. The bars/beer: Jalan Jaksa may be the cheapest place in Jakarta for a beer, but Gang Poppies still comes up trumps with prices lower than in some supermarkets. In Kuta they put bottles of beer in an ice cold freezer but in Jaksa you get ice in your beer - if you are lucky - and warm beer if you are not. Gang Poppies has vibrant bars with gut-thumping sound systems and mega size flat TV screens. And Jaksa? Well, they have Romance…


3. The merchandise . Gang Poppies has CDs, DVDs, sunglasses, clothes, beachware, surfware, excellent second hand book shops etc etc. But if you’re at Jaksa all is not lost – just head for Sarinah…

4. The hotels. Plenty of dingy mosquito infested dives on Jaksa whereas Poppies has a good selection of hotels, most with Balinese gardens and a swimming pool.

5. The locals. Being pestered at Gang Poppies is all part of the experience. They just want to sell you something. At Jaksa, the locals only want to sell you one thing. It’s not worth it. Really.

6. The beach at the end of the road. At the end of Gang Poppies there is a pretty decent beach for surfing. At the end of Jaksa you still have to walk for another three hours before you arrive at the turdgid waters of Ancol beach. Need I say more?!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The 10 best plus plus massage spas in Jakarta

Image
UPDATE 12/10/2018: due to the large number of hits this page has been receiving of late, readers should note that two of the spas on the list are, alas, no longer with us. They are: 1) Hotel Alexis , which was closed down for political reasons by the new Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan and 2) Illigals , which was "closed" and promptly reopened with a new name due to its reputation as a drugs den. In place of Hotel Alexis, therefore, I would instead put Classic Hotel on the list - a real humdinger of a joint in this madcap city! A list of the top ten plus plus spas in Jakarta? Okay, without further ado (or should that be aduh!!!) here it is: 10. Malioboro Spa . Over cynical and commercial yet fun if you stick with it – a bit like watching Chelsea on one of their better days. Hey that’s a point – even Torres could score here! Hahaha! Wallet damage: Rp1million ++ 9. Emporium Spa . Overpriced but the facilities are pretty good. Go for the “one hour special package” if yo
Read more

20 things you should know about Indonesian women

Image
1. Unlike Western women who can’t drive to save their lives, Indonesian women are the best drivers in the world. I know this because my woman overtakes other cars at 130kms/hr on the inside safety lane of the Jakarta-Bandung toll road while, at the same time, keying in SMS text messages. 2. Indonesian woman love shopping. Indonesian woman love shopping. Indonesian woman love shopping. 3. According to the Indonesia Bureau of Statistics, 43 percent of 18- to 34-year-old Indonesian women live with their parents. So be very very careful if she invites you back to her place or you might get much more than you bargained for. 4. Indonesian women think dark skin is bad, but they still adore Anggun . 5. Thirty-two percent of women in Jakarta now color their hair, according to Estee Lauder (who are obviously hoping they can peer-pressure the other 68 percent). 6. Jakarta women can't live without tension. Every once in a while she's gonna pick a nasty fight with you for no reason whatsoev
Read more

The comfort zone (Jakarta hotel and spa)

Image
Yet another Indonesia WTF moment. And this time on the net. What are these girls employed as? - “Guest relations” officers - Tour guides - Personal financial advisors - Therapists - Security consultants Well, I’d have put my house on “guest relations” officers myself, but I’d be wrong. Cos these girls are, in fact, therapists . So if you fancy a difficult afternoon with one of these girls - who will undoubtedly do her utmost to delve deeply into the furthermost recesses of your mind - then you might like to pay a visit to one of the spas owned by the Comfort Group . But why the hell they have 65 therapists on their payroll is way beyond me! Services offered include both traditional and Shiatsu Massage, refleksi (foot massage), a hot and cold water pool, sauna and steam room and a mini bar and lounge. So why not finish your tiring day with a happy ending?!!!   Also see: The 10 best plus plus spas in Jakarta Contact details for the spas managed by the Comfort Group, undoubtedly some
Read more