Shifting countries again
Warren | Tuesday, May 18th, 2010 | No Comments »
I will be moving back to South Africa and leaving crazy, dirty Jakarta behind. I have spent a year in the Indonesian capital, I am here because my girlfriend was offered a very attractive contract with an oil and gas company. There are parts of this country I will miss and there are some that I wont.
Indonesia is home to some beautiful landscapes, beaches and natural wonders. I sadly did not get enough time to go scuba diving in Raja Ampat or go looking for Mola Mola in Bali. I did however manage to see an amazing explosive volcanic eruption, scuba dive in one of less famous areas, experience an earthquake (not very cool), explore some of the islands and coastlines and I think most importantly make some new friends. On the other hand I have found the cities, villages and even the beaches and oceans infested with litter. It seems to me that the Indonesian people do not care about the environment and think that if they throw something in the river or ocean it will just disappear and they wont have to deal with it again. I recently went snorkeling at the Gili Islands, famous for its high number of sea turtles. We saw 6 turtles in the space of a couple of hours, it was amazing, but we also collected a lot of plastic that was floating in the ocean. This is supposed to be a pristine island destination and yet we offloaded handfuls of rubbish into the boat after our swim.
When you walk through Jakarta you can’t help but notice the festering storm drains clogged up with rubbish and decaying animals. The stench from some of the canals and rivers is quite overwhelming at some points. I once read somewhere that Jakarta is crippled by its own selfishness. Traffic is a nightmare, people are always trying to push their way into a queue with persistent horning. It seems that all the drivers are only concerned about themselves. People litter because of their own selfishness, corruption is widespread, officials, police officers and customs officers are in it for themselves. I was asked by a customs officer to give him money so he would stamp my passport, he noticed that I was on my third tourist visa and decided to give me a hard time. I did not bend and he stamped it in the end. There are some wonderful people in Jakarta and I have made some good friends, but when you step back and look at the city as a whole, you see a selfish animal.
I have done my time here and don’t think I will be back to live, to explore some underwater worlds… perhaps.
Looking forward I will be returning to South Africa, Durban to be exact. from there I will be planning a move to Cape Town and the possibility of setting up a studio space geared towards producing higher quality microstock photography. South Africa is a beautiful country, but the crime is a big problem. Perhaps even a bigger problem than the festering rivers of Jakarta. In Jakarta I did not fear being mugged or having my house burgled. In South Africa I would need to take measures of protection. House alarm systems, steering lock for vehicles, tracking systems in a car just in-case it gets stolen. You need to know which areas are the dodgy parts, where you can walk at night… the list goes on. It often saddens me to see such a wonderful country under siege by criminal attack. Recent racial tensions are also a worry, it seems like the “rainbow nation” is at war with each other. I love my country, don’t get me wrong. I just wish it was a safer and happier place. The world cup will put a global spotlight on the country and I am interested to see what transpires.
A positive attitude goes a long way and I hope to be a part of change in South Africa. Working together with fellow countrymen, black, white, yellow, brown, pink and blue to help move forward. Looking forward to the change, looking forward to Cape Town, looking forward to all the possibilities that lie ahead.
