Jakarta, the first day in Java
Heat lighting at night, and the air during the day is thick. Even thought it is technically the dry season, it rained this afternoon, a downpour which we sought shelter from in a restaurant called “Cali Deli.”
We are still shaking off the effects of jet lag, and so today was a slow start. We are staying with our family friends, the Salims, in their house on the outskirts of the city. The house is spacious, and when I woke up, everyone was in a different room, or out on one of the porches surrounding the different levels of the house. After a lingering breakfast of mango, orange, fries bananas, singkong, and, eventually, mie pangsit (a noodle served with boiled greens and chicken, with a broth ladled over to the consumers satisfaction), we set off for the antique market on Jalan (street) Surabaya Menteng.
One side if the street was mostly empty, with a few men lounging or carving wooden statues, but the other was occupied by a seemingly endless row of single story garage style shops. The mishmash of contents spilled out onto the narrow sidewalk, forcing passersby to walk single file to avoid tripping over the cases of coins and bangles, dusty wooden masks, candlestick telephones, and scratchy victrolas which broadcasted muffled records as the nearby shop owners nodded along to the familiar song. One seemed to specialize in antique books, all in Dutch. Another contained an astounding collection of crystal chandeliers and steamship engine room telegraphs. One corner shop contained nothing but antique electric fans in various states of disassembly. Many had similar collections of South East Asian wooden figurines, brass teapots and bowls, lamps, and grungy locks in the shape of turtles or lions.
Near the end, the content of the stalls changed to cheap/fake brand handbags and luggage, and the drizzle became a downpour. After waiting in the cafe for several cups of iced tea and plates of fresh spring rolls, we dropped off my parents and Marlene at a Bikram yoga studio, while Lily, Brea, Brenda, and I went to see X-Men: Days of Future Past at the Premier Theater.
When I told my friend from Malang, Rizal, that I was going to the movies, his response was “What? Don’t they have movie theaters in America?” While they may have movie theaters, they don’t have Premier movie theaters, which means no seats which recline into beds, no cozy blankets, and, most importantly, no Indonesian fried rice and Belgian waffles a la mode served directly to you while you watch Wolverine, Professor X, Magneto, and Mystique battle it out for the fate of the mutants. I highly recommend the experience. Also movie ticket prices in Indonesia are cheaper than in America, so there’s that.
Who knows what tomorrow will bring. I’m trying to meet up with 3 different people from 3 different contexts, and then my parents are also probably making other plans. The jet lag is no help, and on top of it is the fatigue of a foreign language. I’m at the point where I can’t turn off my comprehension, even if I don’t full understand it all, but it really is a lot of work to have two simultaneous languages. I love it though.