City that never sleeps

It has been three weeks since I came back to Jakarta, and although the city is so polluted and famous for its never-ending traffic jam, strangely enough, it feels like home. Well, I do miss the serenity of Perth every now and then, but I can’t deny that I love the buzz and energy the city gives me.

In those three weeks, my weekends have always been jam-packed with dinners, events, and activities. In that gap of one year after I left, there are a lot of new things happening- new malls, new apartments, new clubs, and of course, new restaurants. It is a breath of fresh air to see how Indonesian appreciates eating out, and to note that restaurants’ standard have gone up one level. Now, it’s not a hard thing to find good wine that goes with your food, and in my head I already have a list of new restaurants that was recommended. To name a few are Bistro Baron, Marmalade Pantry, Macaroon Tea House, and Kedai at Kemang.

Other than eating out, lately my group has taken the joy of staying in. Just last week, we had a pot-luck dinner at the newly wed (J&F)’s new house. Although we ended up eating a bucket of KFC, it was a fun night, and we are planning to do it again in someone else’s house in three weeks time.

As I’m writing this blog in my bed on a lazy Saturday morning (or should I say noon), I couldn’t help but wonder why I can feel at peace in this hectic city. I’m guessing Jakarta is not for everybody. But when you grow to love it, it is hard to grow out of, and to my father’s horror, I have fallen quite hard :)

xoxo

Carol