Entertaining Eamon - Part 1, Inside Fun

Six weeks in a hotel is a long time for an active 3yr old, especially when the hotel is right in the middle of a city of 20-some million people. Out the front gate are shopping malls, garbage canals and busy roads with no parks in sight. Suffice to say we've had to innovate in order to avoid insanity - or the worst of it anyway.

Since we are by no means the only parents bemoaning dearth of green space and outdoor play space the malls, in true capitalist fashion, have stepped into the void with a multitude of indoor playgrounds and activity centres of varying quality and entertainment value. Our current favourite is Lollipops at Gandaria City in South Jakarta where for between $8-12 (depending on the day) Eamon can run himself ragged in the five levels of netted play space, slide down huge inflatable slides and challenge himself on a high ropes course (complete with helmet, harness and flying fox). If that tires him out, he can then enjoy the quieter side with rides on those things we always tried to avoid paying for in Canberra shopping centres, a turn at air hockey or even fishing for goldfish to take home (something we've thankfully avoided so far!). There's also a toddler play area for the smaller folk that I'm sure Rory will love to explore now he's mobile.

 
Eamon on the high ropes course at Gandaria City - he handled the balance beams incredibly well despite being 3-4m up, and even paused to yell "Cheese" down at me!

We've also spent a fair bit of time at the carnival-style entertainment district in Grand Indonesia - primarily because it is the nearest place to escape to from the hotel. Unfortunately it's less of a place to run and play and more focussed on rides, but Eamon hasn't complained! We've been rather surprised to see him quite confidently tackling not just the high ropes course above, but also the rides below with no fear at all, and a great deal of enthusiasm. A different side of our usually fairly cautious little boy!

Eamon checking out the rides at Grand Indonesia. He happily rode the apple and bouncy camel by himself but took dad along for the flying butterfly bicycle thing to help with the pedalling (the more you pedal, the higher you go).

During the recent school holidays, many of the malls had special exhibits or events on to assist harried parents in entertaining their children. One even added a zoo to its fifth floor along with petting area, butterfly house and fishing! Another had marvellous displays and wonderful trees made of thousands of (artificial) butterflies, the purpose not entirely apparent, but the result quite spectacular. We even found a small squadron of full size sailing boats alongside one set of restaurants/cafes, complete with blue sky and clouds painted on the ceiling.

While I would never have considered myself a shopping mall kinda gal, I have begun to value these monstrosities, not for the shops, but for the desperately needed distraction they provide, for the air conditioning, and for the space to walk Rory in the stroller. The novelty is beginning to pall, even for Eamon, but with 73 shopping malls on my tourist map of Jakarta, I am hopeful that I can find new amusements to occupy us all until we can get a place of our own.

PS. for those thinking we have given up on outside time altogether, part 2 of this is about outside areas we've found to play.

Getting out of town - Bogor

One month in and still in the process of obtaining an apartment and vehicle, it was time to take a break and get out of the city, enjoy the countryside, and wander in the great outdoors - or as close an approximation as can be had from Jakarta in a rental car with two small people! A quick discussion on the relative merits of going Saturday vs Sunday (ie. which day was more likely to have slightly better traffic) and we bowed to local knowledge (otherwise known as the driver), and an early start Saturday was agreed. To maximise morning efficiency, a late night ensued readying provisions for the expedition. Obligingly the kids dismissed the need for alarm clocks and after the usual chaos of trying to feed, clothe and wash one 3yr old and an 8mth old the stroller was loaded up and transportation called. Safely ensconced in the car along with bike, ball, stroller, baby sling and new powered eski (chilly bin!) full of fruit and (turkey) bacon & egg sandwiches it was southward bound for Bogor!

Eamon enjoying Kebon Raya

Bogor is the town (city?) closest to Jakarta. In fact it is slowly being consumed by the metropolis and relegated to a suburb with new estates servicing the needs of commuters to the Big Durian (as Jakarta is also known - for those fortunate folk who have never encountered this tropical delicacy, it's a fruit roughly the size of 2-3 coconuts with the unappealing aroma of vomit. Supposedly it tastes good - I'm not in a position to comment....anyway, back to Bogor). Bogor is home to a couple of million people, the National Botanic Gardens (Kebon Raya), and the President of Indonesia. The gardens cover about 100 hectares and are a popular destination for locals & foreigners alike. The city (town?) is somewhere between 45 and 90 minutes from Jakarta (75 minutes the day we went) along a toll road modelled after the US interstates. In fact, aside from the banana trees and slightly dilapidated houses, it really could have been the highway from VA Beach to Richmond.

Security for President Yudhoyono's Palace

Cactus garden

Bogor was reached around 9am. Kebon Raya is easy to find although an open entrance gate may require a loop around the outside. The park was already quite busy, with plenty of people out and about enjoying the weekend and a number of different groups utilising the space for team building games, prayer meetings and warm and fuzzy get togethers for company employees. As Rory was somewhat over the car, we piled out along with all our gear (our driver helpfully ensuring that even those items we hoped to leave with the vehicle were piled into the stroller) and left him to find a parking space somewhere within mobile phone range.

Kebon Raya is a lovely break from the city. Although only a couple of hundred metres higher than Jakarta, it was definitely cooler, the air just that bit fresher and the chance to walk through green space something to be relished. Eamon had a great time zooming around the paths and roads on his bike and Rory enjoyed looking up at the trees and the chance for a nap. The park contains a number of features including orchid house, zoo (or possibly a zoo museum), small lakes, mosque, cactus garden and soccer field an can be explored on foot or by car. There is also a cafe which is supposed to be quite good - unfortunately the previously mentioned company love-in had commandeered it the day we visited.

Rory taking a turn pushing the stroller

A brief foray into the streets around the gardens resulted in a hasty retreat as we swiftly realised that Bogor (or this part at least) is no place for a stroller, particularly one laden with all manner of picnic-ing gear and a small bicycle. Sadly concluding that sustenance would need to be found in yet another mall (or the roadside rest area which was our driver's suggestion) we piled back into the car. The nearby mall, however, did at least, provide a slightly more authentic glimpse of Indonesia than you experience in malls in Jakarta. Our lunch, provided by a promising looking cafe was, unfortunately, accompanied by fairly poor service including a waiter who tried to argue that "with toast" in the menu didn't mean the scrambled eggs Eamon ordered should actually be accompanied by any bread products!

Street stalls outside Kebon Raya

After lunch we headed back to Jakarta, somewhat disappointed we didn't get the chance to explore the city properly. It also brought home that no matter where we go here, we are going to stick out like the proverbial sore thumb, and that exploration is going to be a very slow, limited process with two young kids in tow. Good thing we have plenty of time to return!

Sepeda Motor

They're everywhere. Big, little, for singles, doubles, families. Eamon's fascinated by them. Dubbed nyamuk or mosquito, motorcycles are the ubiquitous transport of Jakarta. The perfect answer to traffic, motorbikes duck and dart through the smallest gaps imaginable carrying not just people, but cargo of all shapes and sizes.

While in the car or walking outside, Eamon often points them out, crying "Mum, I saw a motorbike with a mummy and daddy with helmets and a little boy without a helmet" or "That motorbike had 2 big people and 2 small people on it". Surprisingly, helmets are fairly common (I have no idea if they are required by law or not), at least for adults. Given they are a popular mode of family transport, it is common to see mum and or dad with helmet, and one, two, three kids precariously perched, sandwiched or standing in front of the driver, peering over the handlebars, babies slung on hips all absent any headwear at all. But then, I suspect it is difficult to buy toddler sized motorcycle helmets!

My favourites are those carrying cargo (although the ones with pillion passenger seated sidesaddle also amuse me) - in particular, ice vendors (or so I assume), travelling along with one or more metre long blocks of ice tied across the seat behind them. Or those with boxes of all shapes and sizes attached by string to the back, making the bike rival our car in dimension. Or the chap happily heading home with a 42" flat screen tv in the hands of his passenger. I've seen them with a dozen pizza boxes, with crates of eggs, all manner of household goods and appliances!

I'm also intrigued by the refueling stations set up on the footpath (where there are any) or side of the road. No need to find a service station for a top-up, just stop at the table full of old water bottles, thriftily refilled with benzin (petrol) and off you go.

At traffic lights, a veritable mass of riders weave their way to the front and sit out into the intersection, never content to wait for cars if there is even a hint of a space around. Many treat all roads as one way - in the direction they are travelling - driving on the wrong side whenever oncoming cars allow. Seemingly invincible, motorcyclists actually comprise well over 90% of Jakarta's road accidents - over 1000 fatalities per year. They're also dirty and polluting - adding to air quality that is already a health crisis in itself.

But while the nyamuk, like their namesake, can be incredibly irritating while buzzing around, they do have one redeeming quality their insect cousins don't - they provide a constant source of interest, entertainment and, in Eamon's case, excitement to otherwise tedious journeys!

Caterpillars and Butterflies

Last week we looked at caterpillars and butterflies and had some fun learning about life cycles, singing songs and matching coloured caterpillars to the right butterfly. We even had butterfly fairy bread!
We started the week off by making a caterpillar out of pompoms and googly eyes. Next we made a cocoon for him by wrapping wool around a cardboard tube. The next step was to make a set of colourful wings from a coffee filter to complete the transformation, but Eamon didn't want his caterpillar to change, so he's stuck as a fluffy caterpillar with a lovely cocoon, but no hope of becoming a butterfly! He was happy enough to make another butterfly though and joyfully flew it around the room.

Eamon's butterfly

Another morning we worked hard making a butterfly life cycle book with beautiful drawings of leaves for the egg to sit on, a great caterpillar with lots of legs, another caterpillar in his cocoon, and a pretty butterfly carefully punched out of card.

On one of our outings searching for a playground we also happened across a butterfly house in one of the malls which fitted right in. There were eggs, a few caterpillars, lots of chrysalis's and plenty of butterflies hiding around if you looked carefully. Even some nice big stick insects!

A really fun set of activities. Next week is fishing, which Eamon loves, so should be good!

Staff

We interviewed our first potential staff member on Saturday....now there's an uncomfortable experience. Discussing with someone whether washing our floors, cleaning our bathrooms and doing our laundry was something they were happy to take on leaves me feeling elitist, lazy and fundamentally awkward. Add to that the fact that she would be riding her motorbike over an hour each way for the privilege, all for a ridiculously small salary in Australian terms and the whole things just feels like exploitation.

Unfortunately for me, having staff is an inherent part of the culture here. Those who can afford to employ those less fortunate, thus providing, in effect, a level of social welfare. For Westerners, it is expected as we are obviously better off than the general population and to abstain would be incomprehensible, if not actually rude. Already I have being looked at askance for venturing out with two children and no nanny in sight. People seem shocked to find me in the nursing room changing my baby's nappy, or struggling to manage the stroller, kids and groceries. Walking down the street invokes a flood of beeping as the taxis all try to garner business, since obviously I need a ride - who would walk?

Then there's the driver, who I'm much more willing to admit is indispensable. Not only have I no idea where I'm going 90% of the time, I'm 100% intimidated by the driving here. Being used to "country town" driving, I'm nowhere near assertive enough to drive in Jakarta. Put me behind the wheel and I'd be lucky to make it out the gate - even with the friendly security guard standing in the middle of the road with a stop sign! But, necessity aside, I still feel guilty wandering around the mall knowing someone is just sitting in the carpark waiting for me to finish (albeit he's probably actually chin-wagging with the other drivers and enjoying himself!). It's also hard to get used to the idea that he'd actually rather work & get the money - our first Sunday I thought I'd do the driver a favour and suggest we didn't need him (he might like some time at home with his family right?). Last Friday, he managed to convey to me that he was available, and would prefer, to work this Sunday.

Since we're looking to move into an apartment, we're saved from employed the other usual household helpers - day and night guards, gardener, houseboy, cook, maid, the list goes on! In fact, that may be one of the reasons we're looking at apartment living - hopefully we can get away with a driver and one household helper or pembantu....although the next one interviewed kept suggesting we should be having at least two, and probably three (apparently we definitely need a nanny)! We're stopping at one, and no nanny - we'll fit in with the system, but only so far! Oh, and she'll be banned from tidying up after Eamon (& Rory once he starts leaving his toys around) - I have no desire to become a full-time pembantu on return to Australia!!

Food for wimps

Since we've been here, I've been pretty wimpy with food. Or maybe it's just prudent given I'm usually trying to feed a 3yr old who doesn't like "spice" (a.k.a anything with flavour) and a baby who is just discovering there's stuff people want you to put in your mouth. Either way, I've been cautious of all the delicacies that I'm sure are just waiting for me in restaurants, cafes and street vendor carts. But I have been noticing them...

There's the cooked breakfast provided by the hotel each day which includes such items as "Gordon Blue Chicken", "Homemade Pastels" and "Spaghetti Neopolitan" which along with being funny to read, are interesting choices for first thing in the morning. Or the chaps by the street with buckets of fry-able goodies on top of their cart waiting in the sun to be cooked on demand. Or in the beverage line, the  men who peddle around on their bikes with packets of instant coffee, milo or tea dangling from the front basket and bottles or urns of hot water on the back, ready to make your morning brew. The shopping mall options are nominally a step up in quality, and have all manner of interesting items - "chicken floss" rolls being one that sticks in my mind (and no, I have no idea what that actually is!).

With the advice "if you can't peel it, cook it or boil it, don't eat it" ringing in my ears, and a kitchen stocked with two small saucepans, a frying pan and a microwave, ideas for eating in have been challenging.  Not to mention trying to identify some of the ingredients! Pasta and sauce we can do, although careful choice of the (not very cheap) sauce is required - my first attempt caramelised when I heated it up a little too much due to the sugar content! I've even managed a chocolate pudding or too (once I found something with "baking powder" in English on the side), but my repertoire is sadly diminished and we're all, I think, feeling the lack of veges. We are making progress however. I discovered fruit and vegetable wash the other day, so now have something made from citrus extract and olive leaves that is supposed to remove chemicals and other nasties from produce rendering it safe, or at least safer, to eat  - rinsed with bottled water of course. We're generally sticking to imported versions for now though so have been enjoying Australian grapes, NZ apples and Californian oranges alongside the local pineapples, melons, rambutan and snakefruit.

We've also found a few really tasty places to eat out. There's a fabulous Malaysian restaurant called Penang Bistro that does truly excellent roti canai (roti bread with curry sauce), crispy beef that Eamon loves, and even strawberry chicken which was very tasty. We have found through experience that it's not the place for Friday night take-out however - despite being about 4-5km away, Kieran & Eamon took over 2hrs to get there and back last week thanks to Friday night traffic! We were also invited to Sunday brunch (more like lunch) at the Hyatt yesterday which was really good, and a fantastic treat for Eamon as they have a whole kids area with playground, biscuit icing, colouring, balloons, even Barney! Not somewhere your wallet wants you to go every week, but a nice treat nonetheless.

In the long run, I can see we are really just going to become more adventurous or face several years of dietary boredom, not to mention miss out on the amazing cuisine this place has to offer. I just hope my stomach is strong enough!