After a long time of traveling around in this blog, we are back to the root of its name, Indonesia. I have probably refereed to Indonesia as a land of the scorching sun before and yes, the temperatures are not fun, but surprisingly (no, not really) there are things about it that don’t suck. In fact one can say I even tend to like them. So let’s explore the fun of this land together.
A Mini Waffle In Frozento
Flavored Milk Yes I know that Indonesia is not the sole owner of milk that tastes like red velvet, but it is the first place I came to contact and fell in lactose coma with it. In Greece you will be lucky to find strawberry chocolate milk. In fact it was such an innovative product when it was released that they made a whole advertising campaign based on the new strawberry chocolate milk. Here whatever you want you can have it, magnum, banana or mango, you can easily buy on the street or in the supermarket and I love it.
Food Everywhere I am a gourmand person and I will never deny it. Munching on snacks is my hobby and Indonesia helps me realizing it. Walk a few steps from your home, wherever that is (yeah even if you live in the middle of nowhere) and you will find fried bananas, meatballs, ice cream, milk, tofu and many many other things. That doesn’t help my beach body but it does help for a happy tummy. The only problem is that these places tend to be the same, but this is a positive article, so moving on.
The Moon Yes, the one you know, that tends to be earth’s satellite. I have been looking at it since forever, like most of us and I was always thinking that it would be the same everywhere. You know the corny saying that no matter where you are in the planet we are all looking at the same moon? Well we are not, cause here the moon is horizontal not vertical. It seems like such a small thing, but it is amazing how something so common can be different and I enjoy seeing it in the night sky even after six months of living here.
Green-green Nature Even in the city the nature is green and full of color and splash. Banana, Mango and Dragon fruit trees are everywhere and it is honestly a joy to observe. And that’s all about it, nature is green and pretty, not much to say.
People Indonesian people are a whole chapter on their own so for now I will be brief. They might be nosy, but they are also willing to offer you food and hospitality without even knowing you. They will always help and care and their homes will be open for strangers like you and that’s why I can’t help but put them in the things I tend to enjoy here.
Many Dayak Hats at the Borneo Festival, October 2019
There you go then. These are the things I like about Indonesia, there might be more, but five is a good round number, so for now I will stick to that. Maybe in the end I will come up with more for a part two. As always stay tuned.
Last stop in this long trip is Bangkok. After a refreshing taste of winter and almost three weeks of traveling I came back to the tropics to explore the capital of Thailand. Spoiler alert: I was not impressed.
The Damnoen Saduak Floating Market
Bangkok had more tourists than any other place that I have visited. That was not the main issue, however, I don’t want to be one of those people complaining about the amount of tourists like I am not one of them, like I have always been a part of the local ecosystem. If you are going to a popular place, don’t complain that it is indeed popular, you are one of the many, as well. The issue was that the locals knew that they have a lot of tourists and it felt like they did everything to exploit it. That was most apparent in Khao San Road. In every step you will find someone offering you a massage, which for some reason people were willing to take, even if that meant having your spine manipulated on the side of the street in front of everyone. There were so much street food, which is not necessarily bad, but most of the things were pretty similar. Similar were also the shops there, all catering to the westerner who went to Thailand to experience a freedom they can’t have in their countries. Bugs and crocodile meat was also on the menu, but if you wanted to take a picture of them, you had to pay, a clear sign of exploitation if you ask me. In general you can also easily find overpriced tours, offering just a ride and taking plenty of money, sellers that were not even interested in selling but mostly in you getting out of their store as fast as possible, tuk tuk’s all over, that felt scummy so I didn’t try and lots of sweat forming on your upper lip from the heat.
Outside of Siam Paragon Mall
Being from Greece I have experienced the suppressed tourist who vacates in hot places with the only intention of getting wasted every night and act like the civil manners they acquired in their lives are not needed. You can easily spot them passed out on top of their vomit every night in many Greek islands, or groping each other publicly in the streets of Bangkok, thinking that no one is watching. Well, people are watching and they are not pleased. This goes mostly to western tourists, because mostly them show such behaviors -east asians are just interested in taking as many pictures as possible before their phone, power bank and transportable socket dies- (yeah I know, a racist generalization) stop it! Stop visiting places just to let loose, get drunk and get on top of each other in public. People live in these places and no one, except for you, enjoys this behavior. If you want to be your freer self, then be, but keep some grasp on the fact that you are not a child of the jungle, so act like you grew up in a place surrounded by people.
China Town in Bangkok
Bangkok is also hot and humid. Take two steps, get two centimeters of sweat. There is public transport but for where I lived it wasn’t very convenient, except for maybe buses which I tend to avoid, as their stops are not as well documented as an MRT or BTS, so I walked to most places. I was stopping every five minutes to buy water and an ice-cream from seven eleven or a similar store to survive the heat (thanks for the extra weight Bangkok!). From all the places I visited, it also felt the most sketchy. Not over the limit dangerous, but cat calling and petty theft seems to be common (that shouldn’t be a reason to stop you from going there though, there are many others). It is also very devoted to their king (at least in appearance) as there were statues, posters and pictures of him literally every five walking minutes. Speaking bad about the royalty is not an option. Also, I know I said that we shouldn’t complain about over-tourism, but I have to mention the smothering atmosphere of the China Town. You could literally not walk more than 500 meters per hour with all the people coming from all directions, it was pure insanity.
A Futuristic scene at the gate of Lumphini Park
So what was good about it? The temples! The buddhist temples were amazingly beautiful, Wat Pho and Wat Arun being the highlights for me. The mastery with which they were made is evident and their golden and marble arcs will leave you breathless. The Wat Arun temple is across the river, so you have to find a ship to cross. There is one, that is almost free, but very fumbly, the ride is short though, so you will probably survive. Siam Paragon Mall is also nice to walk around, especially when the inevitable tropical rain comes (in the rainy season at least) and from there you can walk to Lumphini Park, which is a pretty green oasis in the middle of Bangkok. The floating market of Damnoen Saduak is pretty interesting, with plenty of coconut ice cream and some snakes. It is super touristy however so you have to go early. I booked a cheap tour there from my Hostel which was convenient, even though the tour guide was less than welcoming. The buddhist culture is very apparent there, which is interesting to see. They have signs that instruct you to give your seat to monks in public transport, they don’t appreciate Buddha tattoos and even their year is not 2020 but it is according to their calendar. It is also pretty surreal to see a monk, dressed traditionally, reading and listening to music in a public library. Lastly, Bangkok is pretty cheap, with the exception of places like the Madame Tussaud’s museum, things and food are affordable.
Wat Pho TempleSunset in Wat Arun Temple
Is Bangkok worth visiting? I would really say, no. It is crowded, hot and it feels very unauthentic, as the whole city seems to be build to cater to tourists. The only thing I found to be worth the trouble and that you can’t find elsewhere, easily, are the temples. But is it worth enduring everything else to see them? Maybe…that’s for each person to decide. Besides someone might find Bangkok amazingly freeing and charming, which I am sure a lot do, given the number of tourists. I, however, will not be returning back any time soon.
A very cliche title indeed, but I couldn’t escape the cliche of this song, like I couldn’t escape singing it in my head, when I was in Japan. Our next destination is Osaka and Kyoto, so strap in.
A very Color-coordinated Stand of Pocky
I decided to visit Osaka in Japan and not Tokyo, because second biggest cities start to interest me more lately. They are not as well known, so there are less tourists, less crowds and generally retain a sense of authenticity big cities seem to loose in their vastness. Plus you get the sense of exploring something not that much explored before. Of course many people have been to Osaka, it is not like I discovered a small village in the outskirts of Hokkaido, but still it felt more hipstery than Tokyo. Anyway Tokyo would need more time and money than what I had and Osaka is close to Kyoto, so two birds with one stone (a rather violent expression that is).
A Giant Octopus overseeing a Food Store
The first destination when arriving in Osaka can only be one, Dotonbori. I mean you can choose whatever you want, but the place with the Glico Man sign, which looks like a miny Times Square, the extravagant store labels and the many-many delicious food choices, seems like the right way to start. That gives me a way to talk about food in Osaka. Second cities seem to have more of a culinary tradition than the first ones. It might be because big ones tend to be more multicultural and their cuisines are a mix of smells from all over or other reasons, but Osaka is definitely the place to eat. Osaka is the birthplace of Takoyaki, Okonomiyaki and many other yaki, which are there to be tasted and admired. Although the admiration might not always be because of the taste, but more likely because of a «Why did they though putting octopus in a ball of dough would be a good idea»? Anyway Dotonbori is amazing and marvelously lighted, so you have to go. Don’t necessarily enter the ferry wheel however. It is impressive to look at, but the ride is a bit of a bore.
The Kiyomizu-dera Temple
Next day was Kyoto time. I hopped in the Shinkansen and arrived in fifteen minutes. Generally the Japanese metro and train system might not be as easy to navigate as others, but it is available in English and most people will be happy to help you, even with basic English, so if you don’t speak Japanese don’t fret. When I arrived in Kyoto, I was rather disappointed. Instead of being surrounded by beautiful Shinto temples, I was smothered by grey buildings and no light or color. It was not the city’s fault of course, Kyoto is indeed endowed with many beautiful temples, but to expect to step into a land of the past when leaving the train is just foolish. Kyoto is breathtaking -in parts-, the Fushimi Inari Temple with its many orange arcs, the Kiyomizu-dera and the streets with the traditional shops around it (where you can find the cutest Starbucks shop ever) are indeed a treat and absolutely worth visiting, but Kyoto has many sides and not all of them are encompassed with the glory of the past.
The Arcs of Fushimi-Inari Temple
Kyoto also has a lot of great food. I tried a sake ice cream and ramen, picked from a machine as the highlights of many many things. I was pleasantly surprised when the ramen was accompanied with tea, for free. I was also happy to see the comfort in being on your own, that existed. There, you can find many cute cafes, like the Shiba Inu dog cafe where you can hang out with these little mochi creatures. Kyoto was, however, expensive, like Osaka. If you are thinking of having a budget travel, good luck. Food is expensive, things are expensive and going around is expensive, the only thing not expensive are the hotels (at least in comparison). You can’t find anything cheaper than 100 yen which is around 1 euro. To go back I picked the normal train, which is much cheaper but three times slower. Don’t miss the Shinkashen to save money however, it is an experience that is worth it.
A Tasty Melon Pan with Ice-cream
Next day was another one for Osaka. First I visited the Osaka Umeda, two tall buildings connected with an impressive escalator. I have visited many tall buildings in the past, but for some reason this one made an impression. The architecture was very futuristic, the padlocks in perfect order and the crowds to the minimum, so the serenity of seeing things up high resonated well. Next I visited the Osaka Castle, a very beautiful site and area on the outside, but not that much worth the inside visit. There I saw a man taking a walk with his pet owl. Back to Dotonbori I went to the Kamigata Ukiyoe Museum, a complete disappointment, so I left quickly. I ate a delicious melon pan (which I though would taste like melon) and a great shrimp burger with rice patties from MOS burgers and I headed to Tsutenkaku, a place similar to Dotonbori, filled with signs, lights and crazy mascots. A marvel for the eyes to be sure.
The Gardens of the Kyoto Imperial PalaceThe Tsutenkaku Area
So that was my trip to Japan, but there is so much more to it. I have to mention the myriads of vending machines selling drinks, ice cream and more, the capsule toy machines selling from sushi-cat key chains to questionable 18+ things, the shops full of claw machines and so many others. My walk from Dotonbori to Tsutenkaku where I encountered many anime figures in safe and NSFW situations should be a story on its own. I know I will not win any award for originality for saying that, but Japan is truly a world on its own, impressive, weird and tasty and always worth going and returning (I still prefer Seoul more though).
At least that’s what RM says in his song «Seoul», cause I could never say that I hate Seoul or anything negative about it. Well maybe one small thing, but more to that in the end…
Cheonggye Plaza Waterfall
Going to Seoul, I knew I was going to like it. The Kpop (or more likely BTS) craze has reached Greece sometime ago and Indonesia even before that, Parasite and the Train to Busan where mainstream successes and generally everyone seemed to get more more excited about South Korea. I was a bit hesitant in my excitement though, too much expectation usually leads to disappointment. Seoul, however did not. Even the cold I was scared for, turned out to be a very welcome change to the scorching heat of the trips of the recent past. Although I was honestly wearing all my clothes and anticipating my limbs to froze solid and to be in need of an amputation (that’s what the internet had prepared me for).
Christmas at the N Seoul Tower
Going to Seoul I knew my first targets were material ones. I went to Myeongdong, which was near to where I was living (great place to stay by the way) in search of heat packs, banana milk and the line friends store. I found all of them, the banana milk was disappointing, although I ended up drinking at least two every day, just because Jungkook liked it (cause I am that king of person), but the heat packs are the best invention in the history of inventions and I don’t know why it is not more widespread. After the small shopping spree and the realization that Myeongdong is awesome (at least for someone who loves seeing colorful shops and cutesy things) I starting walking to my next destinations.
Dongdaemum Design Plaza
Walking through the city was a brilliant experience. Seoul is a proper metropolitan with all the tall buildings and unique architecture a person can ask for. I went a few days after New Year’s Eve so the glimmer of Christmas was still on the streets. After hitting up a few more Seven Elevens for food and milk, I went to Seoul Plaza and Jogyesa Temple, a mix of modern and traditional sprinkled with the grey of the city and baked in 0 degrees Celsius, just the way I like it. Then I want to the Kimchi Museum in which I could actually taste different kimchi. I tried all they had to offer, even though you might be suppose to taste just one. The museum is close to Insadong street, which has some many cute and unique shops. Especially in the Mal where the Ddong Cafe is, you can find the most beautiful shops, they even sell hand-made glasses in the most peculiar shapes and sizes. After that I went to the National Palace Museum of Korea, which was free to enter, but not particularly interesting and then the Bukchon Hanok Village, which was also free but meh.
Jogyesa Temple
Next day I visited the N Seoul Tower. The initial plan was to walk up there, but my inability to wake up early, led me to take the cable-car. A good experience overall, the area was full of people enjoying their Saturday morning and full of heart-locks, enjoying the fact that the relationships they are suppose to lock together almost never succeed. After a couple of walks, I visited the Dongdaemum Design Plaza, a truly impressive site of engineering. I walked back to a colorful Myeongdong and went to sleep, after consuming more banana milk. Next day was Gangnam style day, as I crossed the river to discover the neighborhood of Gangnam. I went to the «I Seoul You» sign, which was empty due to the cold, to the Lotte tower, which was beautiful due to architecture, to the K-pop street, which was great due to BTS, to the Starfield Library, which was cozy due to the books and generally around the block. That was my last day in Seoul, the next day I had my last banana milk and boarded a plane to a land where the sun shines first (at least that’s what they say).
Starfield Library with Christmas Decoration
My trip to Seoul might seem a little lacking and that’s because I didn’t mention a big part of it, my hunt for cute cafes. Seoul has so many unique cafes and I had to visit most of them, so a lot of my time and money was spend there. I started from the Ddong Cafe or Poop cafe if you would like, which was as it is implied, poop themed. I thoroughly enjoyed drinking out of a toilet shaped mug. Then I visited cafe Bora, which served sweet potato soft ice cream. The ice cream was weird, as a sweet potato ice cream should be, but the atmosphere was cozy. The next day the 2D cafe, called 223-14, followed. I slipped into the pages of a book, enjoying a great red velvet cheesecake. Zapangi and its amazing sweets were next, I entered there through a vending machine. Finally I visited Bistopping cafe, where you can pick the toppings for your ice-cream, so naturally I made one with dinosaurs and sea shells. All these cafes were very pricey and don’t expect to spend much less than 10$ in each one, but they were all unique experiences worth having. After all that’s what money are good for.
A Rose Latte served in a Toilet at Ddong CafeThe Entrance to ZapangiMy Seafaring Dinosaur in Bistopping
The only bad thing I could say about Seoul is that solo traveling might be a little more difficult. No, you will not face any harassment and the city is very safe, but eating out alone can be a hassle. I was never denied entry from anywhere, but I could see that not all cafe owners were happy that I occupied a table on my own. Besides that Seoul is an amazing place with great shops, great food, great architecture great great great… I could not only see myself going back but even living there. However it is a place for city dwellers, if you are a child of the forest you might want to consider incorporating suburbs and other areas into your travel plans. And when you are there, drink some more banana milk for me.
This article is not going to be amusing, read it more as a love letter than anything else. It is hard to be funny when you are being positive, it is easy to be corny though. Unfortunately, Taipei didn’t give me much to make fun of, it gave me a lot to love and want to go back to.
The National Palace Museum of Taipei at Night
I expected to like Taipei. I didn’t have as high expectations as I did for Japan or Korea, but it was a modern city with high buildings and nice architecture, mixing traditional with modern, just my cup of tea. Taipei did, however, exceeded them by miles. Arriving at the airport I was thrilled to be surrounded by characters in a language I couldn’t read. There is a certain beauty in being embraced by the unknown. Going to my airbnb I was welcomed by streets with neon signs and colorful lights, just like I have seen in the photos and a light breeze that gave me the first chill of the year.
Dried Flowers in a Mall in Taipei
The next day was even better. It was New Years Eve and like I was planning to spend it at the Taipei 101 light show. Prior to that I walked around the city, saw the 2/28 Peace Park and Chaing Kai-shek Memorial Hall. I was overwhelmed with joy and beauty and happy that it was finally cold. At night I went up the Taipei 101, which given the price of admission was the only disappointment, and then went to the street to wait for the show. The streets were naturally packed with people celebrating with friends or getting their cameras ready to capture magic. Although it was the first New Year’s I would be spending alone, I never felt like it at all. Many people were also on their own and the sheer number of total strangers around me, made sure I never felt like I was solo. Soon enough the light show came and it was fantastic. In this case a video of it on YouTube will convince you more than words on paper.
Cooking Meat in the Shilin Night Market
The first day of the year began with a hike on elephant mountain. The view was covered with mist giving glimpses of the high buildings in the city, where they were mixed together with the green of the mountain. I followed that with a trip in the Miniature Museum, which was quite the amusing experience. Who doesn’t want to see a tiny bakery anyway? My last day in Taipei I visited the Beitou Hot Springs, which was an oasis right next to the MRT, the National Palace Museum, which has a tiny cabbage as its most prized possession and the Shilin Night Market, where I ate stinky tofu and it wasn’t bad at all. After that I left Taipei feeling somber that I couldn’t stay more as it was a city I now truly admired. Boarding my next flight I knew I had to be back. Maybe I will be back on Taipei on the next article too, as there are so many more to cover, like the food and the people.
The many televisions or a TV studio, from my intern days in ERT3 (Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation)
Warning: This article has no purpose! If you are looking for anything other than reading about someone’s frustration and maybe in the end agreeing with it, then don’t waste your time. This article cannot give any solutions or any profound meaning to your life, it is just thoughts put on paper with no conclusion. However, I think they need to be heard. So after this caution, let’s get to it. Oh by the way it is loosely related to Indonesia as well.
So, in the country of the many islands (the poetry is back) and temperatures that can always fry your eggs with salmonella, we are organizing an event, so naturally we are looking for media partners. Therefore we, happy and bright eyed kids went to a local television station to talk about a potential partnership. The first thing the fine gentleman ,who wants to call himself a journalist, tells us is that he wants to present the event as something good for Indonesia and Indonesian, and not as an event run by foreigners who destroy their culture. He was sort of saying Indonesia for Indonesians, although I guess that might have been too much even for him. I mean, he did, interview us on a festival, but then we were praising the culture and saying how much we enjoy it. So us filthy foreigners are good for something after all. He then continued by telling us that he cannot support us if we dare to bring anyone who will speak against the government or the common beliefs of people. Let’s say that we bring a person who has been discriminated upon by the state because he didn’t belong to one of the five recognized religions. That would be unacceptable for him, since it might make some people angry or make them realize that because they live in a comfortable reality does not mean that everyone does, and that is something that a journalist should never do, right?
Everyone, who has a job description of telling the truth, like lawyers and journalists, start by wanting to do just that. You will see many, still pimply, faces in the university auditoriums every new academic year, eager to fight for what they think is right. Most of them will of course understand that the simplicity of telling the truth is not really fitting for our world. Your truth is not mine and connotations and semiotics can completely change the meaning of anything. Furthermore television stations, radios, newspapers and even YouTube channels cannot survive by eating morality and a clean conscious, so constantly going against the grid and what people and governments want to hear will have you shut down pretty quickly. It seems like I am contradicting myself but I am not. The answer is not saying whatever you want, cause «that is freedom of speech and that will change the world». All that would do is make people close their ears shut. But as someone who wants to call themselves a journalist, putting a muzzle in everything you don’t want and acting as a soundboard, definitely makes you the opposite. Being a journalist is a privilege and responsibility and if you don’t act like it, then you should go work in advertisement.
So, is there an answer? A golden ratio? As I said this is not an article with answers, mostly just questions. But if a solution hides somewhere, then it is probably in the balance. The balance of satisfying your audience while reporting on what is happening and letting voices to be heard. But that balance is for each one of us to find.
A land covered in mist and forest, might have been a good tourism slogan from Brunei, although they probably have one already and I bet it is better (that’s why nobody is hiring me to write slogans). But really, I don’t think many know much about Brunei, it is a small country in the island of Borneo and it is not very easy to reach, at least without paying a lot of money. Unless of course you are in Kuala Lumpur with an AirAsia ticket, like me and so the journey begins…
A Moon Construction in Mahkota Jubli Emas Park
Actually, I can barely call it a journey cause I only stayed one day in the country’s capital. Actually Brunei is so small, that the capital is the majority of it (I assume, it is not a fact, don’t quote me). Although from all of my trips, that had me the most concerned. Brunei is a muslim country under sharia law and a constitutional monarchy. The monarchy was not as concerning, I had just been to Malaysia and it is not a democratic country either. The sharia law on the other hand gave me second thoughts. The fact that I accidentally booked the tickets one month after the date I actually wanted and I had to pay a lot to reschedule (always double check) could have been seen as an omen, but I don’t believe in omens. I do, however, believe that ignorance can make your mind create horror scenarios and fear when there should be none. I was imaging the strictest security checks to get into the country, women only allowed to walk accompanied and of course dressed from head to toe, even after reading stories from solo female travelers explaining that there is really nothing to worry about. Until I entered the country, I had to constantly remind my self that I was being idiotic and prejudiced (because I was) and that my fear was not based on reason but irrationality harbored by the negative press countries like that have been getting throughout the years. Of course blaming the media is a low hanging fruit, cause we all know about critical thinking and blah blah, but when the sirens are singing it is hard to ignore them and there is this little voice in the back of your head whispering «What if they were right», even when the front is trying to suffocate it with a pillow. Seeing however is indeed believing and what I saw was a country, in which, at least I, as a tourist, could easily enter, walk wherever and dress however I wanted. I didn’t feel restricted at any point (I know that Brunei has passed some unforgiving laws in the past years, for example against homosexuality and whether they actually applied the law or not, these are actions to be condemned, but here I am only describing my experience as a tourist).
Jame’Asr Hassanil Bokliah Mosque
Another thing I didn’t expect is for Brunei to be actually quite beautiful. I had already seen the Mosques online and they seemed and were impressive, but their harbor, floating village and parks were also great to walk in and explore. However Brunei doesn’t seem to have much for the tourist to do for more than two days. My biggest problem, though, was walking. Yeah who would have thought that an ability mastered by humans since we learnt to walk in two legs would be my downfall. Brunei like Indonesia is not a country made for walking, like the infamous boots. It is too hot and humid for one, but most importantly even though it had pedestrian streets everywhere, it took more than five minutes for me to reach the highway (it really is a small country) and walking on a highway alone with just the company of speeding cars that can turn you into a yummy mush when trying to cross is not the best idea.Oh and let’s not forget about the crocodiles, cause, like a sign informed me, there were in that area so people should be careful (it was mostly referring to the actual river though). So walking embraced by the sound of car engine and the terror that a crocodile can jump at me at any minute (can crocodiles jump?) I decided that going to places by foot is not really recommended. Despite that I made it from one mosque to another, but my trip from the second mosque to the night market was cut short by another highway. After that I just walked until the internet, ordered a car and slept the night away at the airport, which was quite comfortable I have to say, although frigid.
Same Mosque, Different Angle
So if you are planing to go to Brunei, I say go ahead. Except for the implications of kinda supporting financially a morally questionable institution, there is nothing to worry about. Just make sure you have a vehicle or you can rent one. There is public transport but I don’t think it is the most trustworthy or punctual, so taxis are your best bet if you don’t want or can’t rent. The only online app they have now is called Dart and it works like all the others (Uber, Grab etc). Make sure you have date before though, cause free internet is not easy to find. And as a last info, Brunei is not particularly expensive, at least for transportation, food and sightseeing, so breaking the bank for those will not be necessary.
Whenever you read, people will say that there is no need to spend much time in Kuala Lumpur. Not much to see, not much to do and if you are living in Indonesia not much to eat either, cause the food is pretty much the same. Well, let me tell you all these people saying that, were actually right. Yeah, not here to debunk anything or give you a view of KL tourists never seen before, cause I am a pretty basic tourist myself anyway (or traveler if you want to be more Instagram friendly). My trip mostly consisted of the Petronas Towers, which were indeed impressive, but for how long can you stare at two towers? Oh, and the Mall near by, which was perfect to escape from the hellish reality called tropical climate (If you like it, the more power to you, but it is really hot to stay out for a long time). Most other tourists seemed to have the same plans as me, cause the most people I saw, were taking pictures in front of the Towers. There were also the most street vendors/ annoying voices selling you extra cameras for your camera, didn’t buy.
A monkey in Batu Caves, Malaysia
So, yeah except for the Petronas Towers and the area around, the KL tower and Merdeka park area there is not much more to see in KL and you can go around all that in one day or two. You can also see awful hostels, that you have paid, but don’t have a room for you, because the changed owners, so their previous bookings are all invalid somehow (very general example, not a specific experience or a story for another time at all), but I am not sure that is something people seek for their holidays. And the Batu Caves, which are truly and without any hint of sarcasm amazing and something unique in Malaysia (at least for me). It is very easy to reach them too, with the MRT. They, also, have monkeys, what place can be bad if there are monkeys?
A misty scene near Merdeka Park, KL
However, KL is perfect as a hub city. Their airport has cheap flights for all over Asia, even for small countries like Brunei (is that a teaser??). So the best plan for KL is to go there, spend a couple of days, and then book for a cheap flight anywhere else you want. And in general KL has good spots and it is not expensive at all, but it can be too hot and too not interested for many days.
A Sunset (the better sun situation) in an island near Bontang, Indonesia
The first night in Indonesia, I was woken up a little after four by the first call for prayer for the Muslims. I have been to other muslim countries before, so that was not a surprise. Coming from a country, where everyone says that is religious, but almost no one goes to church if it is not Easter or they’re not over 60, I assume that surely, a lot of them don’t wake up at 4. I mean, even if they do, as they seem to be more openly devoted than my fellas, they go back to sleep. Because who wakes up at four? I mostly go to sleep at four.
Then the first night I spend in the same house with Indonesians in Indonesia, I experienced the biggest culture shock of my life. I was sleeping, heard the morning prayer and went to sleep right away. After a while I was woken up again by talks and I noticed that everyone was outside eating and chating. Great, I overslept, they will think I am a sloth for sleeping that much. I immediately looked at my phone, cause as a proud millennial or gen z-er ( not quite sure), it is the first thing I do in the morning and it was actually six in the morning! Six in the morning! My grandma, who goes to take care of her garden, sleeps at 11 pm and doesn’t need more than seven hours of sleep is not always up at six. I couldn’t and still can’t believe that people were up from so early.
Now, being with Indonesians for the whole duration of days, I don’t really know when they sleep. You text them at 2am, they reply, you want to stay out until midnight, they do too, but they are always up at four. Four is so early, that not even the sun is up. I once saw the sunrise, because I was up that early and it was such an achievement that I narrated it to my classmates as a story. They were equally amazed.
Naturally, the annoying part it is not that they are up, before the light of the day begins to exist (although wtf?), the annoying part is that some will judge you if you are not. Nine in the morning is a perfectly respectable hour to wake up, but here it is too late. When I tried to explain that in Greece most people are waking up after seven, I was met with gazes of disbelief. I mean they wake up for prayers and zumba at 5, how can they believe that at that time, the only thing I can do is change sides in the bed?
And now for the educational part of the essay: You don’t choose your bedtime, your DNA does. Yes, you can’t train yourself to sleep and wake up in certain hours. I mean you can, but there will be some hours for sleep that fit you better and that can’t change. Our evolution made sure that some people would be up at night, to protect the rest of the pack, those people are nowadays the lovely night-owls. And anyway, you loose the day, you gain the night. So stop trying to wake me up, because «that’s how it should be» if there is nothing to do (or if there is zumba), cause I will snooze you, like I do my five alarms.
A floating village near Bontang, Borneo, Indonesia
To be honest, I haven’t watched that movie, but the title seems fitting, because privacy is not something that Indonesians value. To keep you from being enraged already (although at some point, it will probably happen, as my views are not the most positive), you might lose the sense of privacy, but you do gain warmth and friendliness. There were plenty of times, people I’ve never met in the past offered me food and insisted in me taking it, even after I refused. They had no ulterior motives, no poisoned apples, just the need to share and connect.
As you gain that, thought, as I mentioned, you lose your sense of privacy. People will find it normal to ask you very personal questions, like your age and you religion and they will always approach you, always. People here seem to constantly be doing things in groups and that somebody always knows where they are. If you miss a class in the university, even if it is not obligatory to be present (which I think for some reason it always is), you need to give a reason and take permission, which in my eyes is odd.
However, let’s get one thing clear, I find their way of doing things invasive and sometimes even rude and I will admit that, but I also know, that, it is mostly because I am used to something very different. Cultures are not inherently good or bad, polite or rude, we grow up to understand that certain behaviors are rude, but depending on where you grow up that varies.
So based on my greek and somewhat western ideas, Indonesia is not a country for the private souls, nor for the socially anxious ones. It is for the ones that want to get fed, even when they don’t know that themselves. So socially adjust people will find it easy (and not draining) to live here. Naturally friendships are easy here, too, right? Well they could have been, if not for one, major thing. Continuing next time.
The Indonesian Chronicles 