Dancing Fountains in Jakarta? Wet T-Shirt Contests Daily?

I was all set to applaud the latest Jakarta improvement plans announced by Governor Ahok, but it seems I misconstrued the essential outline of one of the key plans that he envisages.

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Central Jakarta to have dancing fountain, wider sidewalks

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Skip the wider sidewalks – walking along Sudirman last night, the crackpot bikers were still zooming along areas clearly designed for pedestrians, as they have been doing for years…

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Not only on Sudirman, but in Kota too..

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….so without guarantees on effective policing of these new wide sidewalks, I reserve judgement!

Moreover…

Unlike my optimistic interpretation of a ‘dancing fountain’  – impressive jets of water spraying to and fro, in which dancing girls might frolic, in t-shirts and or bikinis...

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… it turns out the Guv’s version of ‘dancing fountains’ is less invigorating.

To revitalize the area, the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle (Bundaran HI) in Central Jakarta will soon encircle a dancing water fountain, which will stand within view of a park that will be built on the grounds of the former British Embassy.  http://www.thejakartapost.com/travel/2016/10/18/central-jakarta-to-have-dancing-fountain-wider-sidewalks.html

Aaah, never mind.

Whatever, the Governor’s plan will undoubtedly prettify the city. And after all, I should have remembered that puritanical streak which mars Ahok’s otherwise sensible approach to things. 

”Outrageous” Activity in Jakarta Pools? OMG – BIKINIS!

On the other hand, maybe he’ll reconsider.

A frolic fountain of the sort I’d imagined would at least have the merit of upsetting kill-joys, the fun-haters, of the sort we read about, bleating in the distant, intolerant climes of Aceh…

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Aceh’s Mad Mullah – ‘Dancing is EVIL – It Involves Body Movements!’ 

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…where such bizarre assertions as ‘dancing is evil’ hold sway.

Carburator Springs Cafe – A Hidden Gem in Bintaro!

A very pleasant day out yesterday, encompassing a variety of agreeable experiences, all in South Jakarta.

But I’ll focus on the least demanding, lunch at the Carburator Springs cafe in Bintaro.

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Never even knew of it till invited yesterday, as Bintaro is not an area I frequent, and even were you to take a drive down the main road, the venue is at the end of a side-street.

But it has real style, a bikers’ hang-out, with a (regrettably non-operational) old-fashioned juke-box…

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…almost identical to that which I used to gaze up at in admiration, in Comley’s corner store in Stratford, Ontario about sixty years ago!

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And it has a bike exhibit to adore, even if, like me, you’re not a biker.

Anyway, we sat down together and enjoyed a wide-ranging chat, two Indonesian gals, one English one, plus me and an Indonesian bloke. Much interest in my explanation of the James Dean portraits adorning the walls.

The menu is not extensive, but who cares when it’s not expensive. The Londoner and I ordered sausage and chips!

Only Rp.35K, and not bad at all, the chips not exactly resembling those you’d get in the Old Kent Road, but intriguingly battered.

There were no obvious members of the biking fraternity present, but we were informed that on weekend evenings it’s packed out, with live music to enjoy…

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• …plus biker chicks to admire – if you dare!

They tend to be accompanied by biker guys!

Address – Jl. RC Veteran Route 66 No. 13 Tanah Kusir Bintaro. 021   7379378.

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