A Traditional market and a kitchen in Jakarta…

my kitchen

It is monday morning, and again, we have to get up from our bed and go to the office. Ah, I wish all day is weekend, so I don’t have to drive my motorcycle slowly through the traffic jam of Jakarta.

Talking about weekend, I just realized how worth weekend is, especially since I live at my own house. There are always something new that I can do at home. After getting bored gardening or bored having a coffee or tea while reading weekend-newspaper, now was the time to keep myself busy at the kitchen, trying cuisine that I have just asked from a friend.

I have to say that I am very lucky to have that house, which is only one step from the traditional market. I have only recently realized how worth is having a traditional market, especially in Jakarta where the Hypermarket and Mini market are spreading like mushroom. Like yesterday, when I was trying to find a coconut milk at that market. I thought that I would get an instant sachet coconut milk, but I was wrong. I found that the seller asked me ” half or full coconut?” while showing me the whole coconut ball. Apparently they only sell the original coconut, and they will only press the milk if the buyers buy. With my mouth half open thinking whether I am in Jakarta or at the remote village, I finally asked for the half coconut.

And when I walked back at home I already brought the spices, the fish, and the coconut milk in my hand with total only US$1 (Rp 11.000). Isn’t this very cheap and very HEALTHY? Having an original spice without MSG or whatever taste-addition that the factory usually put on every sachet-spices? Indeed, once again, having that house make me feel happy and grateful eventhough I am living in the most polluted and horrible city in the world!

Carpe diem!

Ahmad Zae

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