Something I hadn't expected about Jakarta is the entrepreneurial spirit that pervades the city. I guess it makes sense that, in a place where the official average income is about the same as a couple of coffees per day back home, people will find any way they can to make a living. The jobs I've seen people do range from the novel, funny or bizarre to the truly awful.
Many legitimate jobs seem to consist mostly of people spending a lot of time doing not much - our driver gets paid to sit and chat to other drivers for at least 80% of his days. Most shops seem to employ at least two staff members per aisle of products, to prevent theft or assist shoppers I'm not sure. I think there are two so they don't get too bored when customers are scarce. Similarly, at petrol stations there is one attendant per pump, something I'm sure my mum would completely approve of! Even the police find ways to supplement their income (I've been told that the police are only publicly funded 60%, the rest needs to be found from external sources - sounds familiar!). Many provide security at hotels or shopping complexes, others find more inventive ways of generating revenue, such as providing police escort to those who want a fast trip home (approx. $50/day gets you two motorcycle outriders), or even closing the main road for a few hours to allow a resident to enjoy the full performance of his lamborghini!
There are other jobs that fulfil cliches - I have seen gardeners cutting grass around the edges of paths with small pairs of scissors, a particularly pointless exercise although I am sure the results look good. There are also the guys who perform security checks on your car as you enter hotels or malls - the ones with the mirror on the pole to look under the car, a job they often do while smiling at you the whole way around (wouldn't be much point actually looking at the mirror right?). Or those that you couldn't find in any Australian (or other western) city, but are frankly kinda cool, like the chap riding his bike with a helium tank on the back selling balloons and other party decorations, the guy walking around with baskets of baby chicks dyed bright orange, green or blue (why, I have no idea!) or the man with a handcart full of ladies underwear. In fact, you can buy most things from carts or pushbikes - fruit and veg, buckets, mops or brooms, goldfish, beach balls...whatever you fancy!
Then there are those who make their living in slightly more ad-hoc fashion, like jockeys, who for a small fee, will ride with you to ensure you have the 3 people required to use the high occupancy vehicle roads (if you're driving yourself, you can get one with a baby to make up the numbers!). Or the traffic directors who assist drivers onto roads or through intersections by standing in the road to force a gap in the traffic (for a small gratuity). There are bus buskers who will sing for you at your seat until you get off or pay them to stop! At the less savoury end of the spectrum there are the jobs no one would want by choice - people who wade through the canals sorting the waste and rubbish for anything that might have further use.
Probably the most amazing thing I've noticed is that no matter what their means of survival, the people here seem to be happy with their lot. They're almost invariably ready to greet you with a cheery hello and a smile.
There are other jobs that fulfil cliches - I have seen gardeners cutting grass around the edges of paths with small pairs of scissors, a particularly pointless exercise although I am sure the results look good. There are also the guys who perform security checks on your car as you enter hotels or malls - the ones with the mirror on the pole to look under the car, a job they often do while smiling at you the whole way around (wouldn't be much point actually looking at the mirror right?). Or those that you couldn't find in any Australian (or other western) city, but are frankly kinda cool, like the chap riding his bike with a helium tank on the back selling balloons and other party decorations, the guy walking around with baskets of baby chicks dyed bright orange, green or blue (why, I have no idea!) or the man with a handcart full of ladies underwear. In fact, you can buy most things from carts or pushbikes - fruit and veg, buckets, mops or brooms, goldfish, beach balls...whatever you fancy!
Then there are those who make their living in slightly more ad-hoc fashion, like jockeys, who for a small fee, will ride with you to ensure you have the 3 people required to use the high occupancy vehicle roads (if you're driving yourself, you can get one with a baby to make up the numbers!). Or the traffic directors who assist drivers onto roads or through intersections by standing in the road to force a gap in the traffic (for a small gratuity). There are bus buskers who will sing for you at your seat until you get off or pay them to stop! At the less savoury end of the spectrum there are the jobs no one would want by choice - people who wade through the canals sorting the waste and rubbish for anything that might have further use.
Probably the most amazing thing I've noticed is that no matter what their means of survival, the people here seem to be happy with their lot. They're almost invariably ready to greet you with a cheery hello and a smile.
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