Jakarta trip highlight
Jakarta is a fascinating place. I didn't really have much expectation for it coz it's an indo place, but how wrong was I proven! Perhaps my view of indo is restricted to what I see in my own province, which is completely dwarfed by what Jakarta offers. The cosmopolitan feel of certain places there is of a totally different league compared to the rest of indo & even sg. Huge mansions, presumably owned by the biz elites & 'well-paid' government officials, are spread through certain posh areas, some numbering more than 3000 well-designed houses in a single area.
There is probably nowhere in indo that the disparity between the richest & the poorest people are so evident. Northern & southern jkt are filled with beautiful houses that belong to the ultra rich, but the western and eastern sides are littered with plank-built temporary quarters, which will be demolished when some rich investors buy over the land for commercial use. These places are also dangerous as there are always instances of daylight robbery & carjacking. They could hardly be blamed bcoz the minimum wage there is less than 200 sgd/mth, & 1/2 of the jkt population probably lives on that. Survival is a big issue because the living standard in jakarta is the highest of any indo cities when the wage is the same everywhere.
CBD area in jakarta is a joke. I took a taxi there in the morning & it took me around 20 mins to get there, but when I went back in the afternoon it took more than 3 hrs bcoz of the chronic after-work jam! Shopping wise, south Jakarta has much more to offer with its series of huge, posh & organized malls that is a rarity compared to the rest of Jakarta (& batam for that matter). Ok, call me sua ku coz I haven't been out of my province @ indo before, but jkt is really the place to be if one aspires to become the typical rich indos that u see walking down orchard road or swanston st =)
Overall, this trip really broadened my view on what are the possibilities & chances that exists in a developing country. Seeing how some of my relatives have made it huge @ indo, it leaves me wondering what I could do to emulate the same success. I think I have much more at the start compared to them: education & opportunities, but not being there means I'll miss out on many chances that might come my way had I stayed. That's a consideration I need to weigh before deciding whether to set foot on the indo soil again permanently (& I probably have to le-learn indo before I could do that anyway *frown*). It's gonna be a tough choice, but right now I shouldn't focus on short-term gains. Instead, I'll have to put what I've learnt so far to good use: multinational style of management and financing options. That's why I'll have to ply my trade at MNCs, before I give myself the option of whether to go back in 3-4 years time. Dad is always telling me even if I have to put in long hours of work, it's nothing compared to their early days of carrying rice sacks up & down planks in the harbour, which is true. If I have to work hard for 3-4 years to realise my dreams in the future, I will do it w/o hesitation.
A few successful friends I've asked for advice did the same thing in the early part of their career: getting work experience before going out to set up their own bizs, so I guess there's no shortcut to my dream. So, next time don't be surprised if I announce that I'm working in a 9-5 job, or in sg terms 8.30 am - 6 pm. Possibility of 8 - 9 p.m. working time also exists. & this will mean the next time u see me is probably the last time too till 4 years later =(
There is probably nowhere in indo that the disparity between the richest & the poorest people are so evident. Northern & southern jkt are filled with beautiful houses that belong to the ultra rich, but the western and eastern sides are littered with plank-built temporary quarters, which will be demolished when some rich investors buy over the land for commercial use. These places are also dangerous as there are always instances of daylight robbery & carjacking. They could hardly be blamed bcoz the minimum wage there is less than 200 sgd/mth, & 1/2 of the jkt population probably lives on that. Survival is a big issue because the living standard in jakarta is the highest of any indo cities when the wage is the same everywhere.
CBD area in jakarta is a joke. I took a taxi there in the morning & it took me around 20 mins to get there, but when I went back in the afternoon it took more than 3 hrs bcoz of the chronic after-work jam! Shopping wise, south Jakarta has much more to offer with its series of huge, posh & organized malls that is a rarity compared to the rest of Jakarta (& batam for that matter). Ok, call me sua ku coz I haven't been out of my province @ indo before, but jkt is really the place to be if one aspires to become the typical rich indos that u see walking down orchard road or swanston st =)
Overall, this trip really broadened my view on what are the possibilities & chances that exists in a developing country. Seeing how some of my relatives have made it huge @ indo, it leaves me wondering what I could do to emulate the same success. I think I have much more at the start compared to them: education & opportunities, but not being there means I'll miss out on many chances that might come my way had I stayed. That's a consideration I need to weigh before deciding whether to set foot on the indo soil again permanently (& I probably have to le-learn indo before I could do that anyway *frown*). It's gonna be a tough choice, but right now I shouldn't focus on short-term gains. Instead, I'll have to put what I've learnt so far to good use: multinational style of management and financing options. That's why I'll have to ply my trade at MNCs, before I give myself the option of whether to go back in 3-4 years time. Dad is always telling me even if I have to put in long hours of work, it's nothing compared to their early days of carrying rice sacks up & down planks in the harbour, which is true. If I have to work hard for 3-4 years to realise my dreams in the future, I will do it w/o hesitation.
A few successful friends I've asked for advice did the same thing in the early part of their career: getting work experience before going out to set up their own bizs, so I guess there's no shortcut to my dream. So, next time don't be surprised if I announce that I'm working in a 9-5 job, or in sg terms 8.30 am - 6 pm. Possibility of 8 - 9 p.m. working time also exists. & this will mean the next time u see me is probably the last time too till 4 years later =(
posted by leonhart @ 12:50 AM
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