Job Fair, Plaza Semanggi, 3-4 October

Dua Misteri Jakarta – FoodMarket Semanggi, Jembatan Polda…

I had to meet up with various people in two different, but not distant, locations yesterday.

First stop, Plaza Semanggi.

After a chat and a coffee in JCO, we went our separate ways, but before leaving that mall, I wanted to see if the new supermarket, advertised as being open ‘soon’ when Giant closed…

Misteri Gunung Semanggi – Kemana Raksasanya? A Giant Vanishes! 

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…had indeed opened, because that sign was erected last September, and ‘soon,’ to me, and to most people, surely, means a matter of weeks or maybe a month or so. 

But not in PS, as I learned back in January, for, after almost five months, back I went, and lo… 

Plaza Semanggi Gives New Meaning to The Word ‘Soon!’ 

…no sign of any new place to shop for discounts! So I haven’t hung out much at Semanggi since then.

It’s now almost the end of April, so THIS TIME I fully expected to find brisk business being done.

Ha!

STILL no store. But another sign was up…it would be open in APRIL, which, if I’m not wrong  (“thirty days hath September, April, June…etc.”)> ends tomorrow!

Will they get the shelves up and stocked and lots of cute cashiers ready to take my shopping money within the next 24 hours?

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I’m thinking of submitting this to the new store’s management as an ideal uniform for their front-line staff

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Who knows?

But my disappointments were not over.

I next had to get to the Hotel Sultan, which is also at Semanggi, but diagonally opposite PS, which, if you don’t dwell in our fair city, you might think makes it easy to get from one to the other….

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Hotel Sultan                                                                                                                     Plaza Semanggi

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…yeah, right!

So I figured the best way was to get on the Busway and go down one stop, to Polda, where I could easily alight and use the Busway bridge to reach the far side of Sudirman,  where the hotel is located.

Yeah, right!

I duly alighted, exited the Halte Busway and reached the bridge.

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Polda Busway Bridge in happier (pre-amputation) days.

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Half of which was missing. Yes, the wrong half.

I stood there, peering southwards to see if there was another one any nearer than the NEXT bus-stop.

There isn’t.

So down to the pavement, where I hovered till a bold band of locals assembled in sufficient numbers to challenge the menacing traffic flowing in both directions.

ZOOM!

Much waving of ‘the magic hand’ – that custom among Jakartans by which they wave gently, palm downwards ( I am told they don’t hold their hands palm outward as that would be deemed ‘impolite!’) to indicate to motorists that they are determined to get across a busy street.

It works!

But I hope the authorities will soon return the missing half of that bridge.

Plaza Semanggi Gives New Meaning to The Word ‘Soon!’

I’ going out now, but not to Plaza Semanggi!

I did go there recently, and thought to inspect the new food market in the basement, which was promised as a replacement for the quite good Giant Supermart, where useful discounts were often to be had.

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Looking back on previous posts…

Misteri Gunung Semanggi – Kemana Raksasanya? A Giant Vanishes! 

…I see that particular promise was dangled back last year, about FOUR MONTHS AGO.

Hence, imagine my chagrin when I travelled down the escalator only to see the same boring sign, announcing it would open ‘soon!’

I went there to seek a new battery for my wrist-watch.

Once upon a time, PS had lots of little shops where bargains were available, if you persevered.

No more, not if a watch-battery’s what you’re after. I went to the only watch-shop I could find downstairs – there was one at ground-level, but its exterior was so glitzy, I took one look and concluded it wouldn’t be within my price-range – and after deep discussion, the proprietor offered me a battery for Rp.85, 000 – which I naturally spurned.

I knew that the honest orologists at Permata Hijau would do better, but since yesterday I was at Citraland, I tried there…

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Citraland

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Yesterday’s visitor had confirmed my belief that Rp.50K was the most I should pay, so I wandered hopefully into the first promising store and asked.

Rp.150,000!

I wandered back out, disgusted.

Only three or four doors down, heading towards the Hero supermarket, there’s another little shop. In I went, and emerged five minutes later with a working watch, the battery having cost me exactly what Wonder-Visitor had predicted.

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AND I got eggs in Hero on 50% discount!

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Hurray!  

Today’s traditional Sunday breakfast is a sure thing!

Misteri Gunung Semanggi – Kemana Raksasanya? A Giant Vanishes!

Sad to see the handy Giant Supermarket at Plaza Semanggi is no more.

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• It was a useful shopping centre, often with excellent discounts, two loaves for the price of one (same offer for yummy donuts!) plus eggs at 50% the regular price, and often chicken legs, breasts and other interesting parts at similarly reduced prices.
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• Alas, it’s gone, maybe forever, though of that I can’t be sure.
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When I went in there last month, the shelves were virtually bare. The security man on duty confirmed my worst fears, ‘closing down,’ but only this branch, he added, so I suppose I can venture to Slipi Jaya’s Giant. Used to shop there a lot, because my then co-shopper favoured it, but co-shoppers change…or rather, we do change our co-shoppers from time to time!

It turns out Giant is owned by Hero, who also have supermarkets in their own name, which I also patronise because they sell cat-food at reasonable prices. Hero say they’re not closing down branches, simply moving them. Yet no info on where they are moving to!  http://bisniskeuangan.kompas.com/read/2015/08/11/114600926/Hero.Akan.Pindahkan.Gerai.Giant

I further learned that Plaza Semanggi is owned by the Lippo Group, an outfit indelibly associated with the ghastly Clinton family!

Lippo also own Hypermart…

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The Clinton connection, and the icy temperature they insist on maintaining in at least one of their outlets…

Astaga! Makanan Kucing Kampung, Rp. 19,900? 

…makes me reluctant to shop there unless absolutely necessary!

So will Hypermart decide to occupy the vacant space!

Let the mystery unfold!