This is my second day in Jakarta, after spending Thursday in Singapore. We have been on a number of excursions the last few days and my reaction is always the same. I feel like one of the those cartoon characters with eyes the size of saucers and their head on a swivel. This is one of the most Asian of the large Eastern cities and everything is very different from what I know. In order to orient and begin to understand, one must adopt completely new vision. When you let go of preconceptions, things start to slowly come together and make sense. It's like beginning an intricate multi-colored jigsaw puzzle with no decipherable design and no picture to guide you. It will be revealed - it just takes patience and determination.
Curb appeal is a rather foreign concept here. The outward appearance of a many homes and businesses is of much less concern than what is hidden inside. The contrast between the external and the internal can be profound. The picture above is the street outside Polly's house. Below is the view from her back door.
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| The View From Polly's Back Porch |
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I could write for days about the contrasts and surprises that I've encountered both on this trip and the one last spring, but I think I will just be content to post impressions as I go.
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