Dranks

I've done my fair share of complaining about restaurants here in Jakarta, but there are many things at which restaurants here excel.

For example: decor.  The decor at restaurants here is insane.  Funky, coordinated, modern.  I love it.

Also: presentation.  The food is generally presented in a really cool way... fun dishes, neat arrangements, etc.

Pitcher of fresh minty limeade, complete with accompanying mini-pitcher of simple syrup.,

Finally: drinks.  The array of options for interesting non-alcoholic beverages here is outstanding.  I guess when the majority of the country (or at least this island) doesn't drink alcohol, restaurants have to come up with exciting ways to entice diners into buying a fancy non-alcoholic drink with their meals rather than sticking to water.  As opposed to the U.S. where your non-alcoholic options are typically limited to soda or overly sweetened iced tea, here they go out of their way with fresh squeezed juices and smoothies, fun virgin cocktails, refreshing sparkling lemon or limeade drinks with fresh juice and herbs. 

Plus, on top of that, they typically let you sweeten your own iced tea or lemonade with simple syrup served in a cute, tiny pitcher.  This is awesome.  I hate in the U.S. that either the drink is pre-sweetened and it's far too sweet, or you have to stir in crystallized sugar that never really dissolves into your iced tea.  First world problems, indeed. It's so easy to make simple syrup!  Even the Starbucks here have it here as the default sweetener.  I love it, as you can probably tell.  It's a simple (har har) thing, but it's a really nice touch. 

First World Problems

Up until last week Tim and I hadn't experienced too many cultural misunderstandings or major frustrations over here, mainly because we'd been generally following the advice of seasoned locals and long term expat experts.  However, for some reason, once we moved and started trying to arrange and/or buy things for our new apartment, we started having more First World Problems in Jakarta... in other words, we had trouble finding, or at least procuring, Stuff White People Like. 

Par example:

Sheets: Apparently it is impossible to buy bed sheets in Jakarta.  At least no one will sell them to us.  [Also, as an aside, sheet sets here do not include top sheets, and yet include 2 bolster pillow cases.  Who even owns a bolster pillow, let alone multiple bolster pillows?? I don't even own a gun, let alone many guns that would necessitate an entire rack!]  We went to several different stores and encountered several issues when attempting to purchase sheets for the bed in our guest bedroom (which we're sleeping on until our shipment arrives).  Here is a non-exhaustive list of the ways in which our interactions with sheet salespeople have gone sour:

•  Example 1
• Salesperson:  Those sheets are on sale!  50% off!
• Me: Excellent!
• Salesperson: Would you like to buy them?  I will hold them (ed. note: reason they have to take the sheets I want to buy is unclear).
• Me: Ok.
• Salesperson leaves and returns several minutes later with different sheets.  Salesperson: Would you like these instead?
• Me: No, thank you.  I would like the ones I picked out.
• Salesperson: Ok.  But you must pay cash to me for the ones you picked out.  Here.  Not at the register.
• Me: Um...  really?  
• Salesperson: Yes.
• Me: Sigh.
• Example 2
• Salesperson:  Those sheets are on sale!  50% off!
• Me: Excellent!
• Salesperson: Would you like to buy them?  I will hold them.
• Me: Ok.
• Minutes later, at the register, sheets ring up at full price.  Salesperson:  There is no sale today.  Maybe tomorrow?
• Me: Sigh.
• Example 3: 
• Salesperson:  Those sheets are on sale!  50% off!
• Me: Excellent!
• Salesperson: Would you like to buy them?  I will hold them.
• Me: Ok.
• Salesperson leaves with sheets and then returns several minutes later.  Salesperson:  These sheets are not for sale.
• Me: I thought you said they were on sale.
• Salesperson: They are not for sale.  You cannot buy them.
• Me: Sigh.

Pre-move in apartment maintenance: We worked with the manager of our apartment to try to get several things fixed before we moved in since the apartment was already vacant.  Their interpretation of what needed to be done differed from ours in several key ways:

• Us (well, mainly Mr. Tim, as the apartment manager guy wouldn't address me directly, and if he did refer to me, called me Mrs. Tim or Mr. Tim's wife [Tim thinks I should embroider "Mr. Tim" and "Mr. Tim's Wife" on our Christmas stockings]):  We'd like a thorough cleaning of the whole apartment, new blinds installed, and a paint touch-up in the common room, please.
• The day before we moved in.... Apartment manager guy: We painted the maid's quarters!  And put up new wallpaper on one wall in the bedroom! That's it!
• Mr. Tim: Sigh.

Restaurant ordering:  Always choose a back-up order at the restaurant.  And maybe a second back-up order.

• Waiter: Have you had time to peruse our 27 page menu?
• Mr. Tim: Yes, thank you.  I would like to order the roast duck.
• Waiter: I'm sorry, sir.  We are out of that. Habis.
• Mr. Tim: Ok, then I'll take the black pepper chicken.
• Waiter: I'm sorry, sir.  We are out of that. Habis.
• Mr. Tim: Ok, then I'll take the nasi goreng.
• Waiter: Ok.
• Mr. Tim's wife:  I will also have the nasi goreng, please.
• Waiter: Ok.
• 25 minutes later.... Waiter:  I'm sorry, but we only have one nasi goreng.
• Mr. and Mrs. Tim: Sigh.