008_al fresco bookshop

[Bandung] You may think there is nothing special about a roadside bookstall. Well, not for this one. Books and magazines here are displayed directly under the sun. Many of them have been exposed to sunlight for so long that the colours on the cover have all faded. Though the stall owner can get all these for very cheap but later they will have to be discarded unless offered at a very very low price. (It is already very low on their usual prices for imported magazines.) Imagine Barack Obama looking like Michael Jackson on the cover of Time Magazine. Would you buy that?

007_stack effect

If you have time please go and look for a local nasi padang restaurant. You will be impressed especially if you are a fan of MVRDV. From the outside of restaurant, in the display window, they stack empty plates up on top of each other. I have no idea why but it tells you that they are nasi padang restaurant. Once getting inside, don’t bother to order anything at all. The waiter will bring all the food they have out on your table. You just eat whatever you feel like to and they will charge according to the amount you ate. And let me tell you something, a waiter brought us the food you see on the table only within two rounds! Yeah, everything including the four plates of rice. You definitely need skill if you are considering having part-time job there.

006_sky shopping

jakarta's pedestrain bridges share a similarity to the ones in bangkok where i'm from. they are divided into 3 lanes, two for coming and going traffic, and one for shopping. in fact 4 if you wanna count the line of customers squatting down scrutinizing the goods. the distinguished characteristic of this type of vendor is speed. in the kung fu's world, speed determine the winner (world's no.1 killer, kung fu hustle, 2005), in the vendor's world, speed destine your financial status. this type of vendor can appear and vanish within a blink, mostly found in area not designated for street vending.

005_auto parts

remember i said people sell whatever they can? i really meant it. forget food vendors, they are old-fashioned. broaden your worldview with this car accessories stall! note the cart's wheel next to the guy with what-the-fuck-you-take-the-photo-for face. itsn't that cool?

004_7-11

urban theories say street vendors tend to appear along streets with high level of connectivity. another important factor is that there must be a poor community somewhere nearby because mobility of these parasitic programs is usually low. you can find all your basic everyday needs at these mini convenient stores. ever wonder how they get electricity for the fridge? check out the wire at the back of the stall. do you know what it's connected to? no prize for guessing.

003_indonesian idol

indonesia is not a rich country and has recently made worse by all sort of natural disasters. (tsunami, earthquake, volcanic activities, etc.) with such great economic pressure, the local people need to come up with various ideas for making money. they sell whatever they have and they do whatever they can to earn for their living. one of the most interesting professions that you may consider only if you can sing and dance is this nomadic artist. they hang around on streets waiting to jump on any buses to perform. by the way, check out the impressive decoration of the bus...

002_local artwork

it's normal to find roadside food stalls in asian cities but take a look at this. all of them come with this colourful painting of what suppose to be your meal. instead of showing the pictures of the dishes, they paint chicken, prawn, fish, and etc. to my surprise, all the stalls have the same style of painting as if they were masterpieces by a famous local artist. this kind of style perhaps could be called the jakarta school.

001_instant wealth

if you are a tourist travelling to jarkata, there is no other way to get to the city from the airport except for taxi. ok, here is tricky. most taxi drivers refuse to go by meter. they'd rather ask for a flat rate. the reason is they can earn more. so you really have to insist on using the meter. the starting fare for the meter is 4,000 IDR (indonesian rupiah), which is only about 35 euro cents. friends, if you want to be a millionaire but can't really make it in your own country, i suggest you come to indonesia. you can be an instant millionaire!