the writer's not much of a travel writer,come to think of it, not much of a writer neither. I am not the type of person who can relate the itinary, the food, the places, the travel in a good and tidy descriptive essay. I've tried, but invariably my attempts at travel writing end up looking like an answer to a upsr level guided writing question.
Yet, the prose continues. Returning from Indonesia has made me realise a few things about Malaysia.Namely, the language, traffic, and people.
Bahasa Indonesia is much more a part of indo daily life than bm is in Malaysia. Everywhere, people spoke Indonesian, be they the street urchins or the shop owners.
It may not be Bahasa Melayu (Bahasa Indonesia actually) utopia, but its close enough.
3 days there, was more thn enough to enrich my vocabulary with a host of newcoloruful and useful malay words (ie lajur for lanes, sabuk pengaman for safety belt). Though there do exist bm counterparts for the above, it is almost never used.
Of course, before anyone starts flaming me , I am aware that Indonesia is overwhelmingly Malay (or ethnically malay).
As I said, it may not be utopia, but its the closest thing to what should be the case in Malaysia.
Then there were the 'macet's.
Kl traffic cannot hold a candle next to jakarta's. With the delightfully
terrained roads, travelling through jakarta is both a bore and a sore.
You also have to tip the 'traffic lights' when you cross the street.
But everywhere in the cities and towns, you can see people.
Lots of people.
People standing, sitting, reading, walking, driving, hawking goods, busking, begging and some just plain waiting in every corner that you bother to look at.
Indonesia is also still a very poor country, but you have to admire their resolve even if it does get a bit suffocating at times.
At every tourist attraction, restaurant, even in the middle of the road, you will see people engaged in business transactions.
Of course, some are actually frowned upon, but one has to make a living no?
So that ,to me , was Indonesia. The End.
