Hunting for unique but cute mementos<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): You have a flight back home in the next couple
\nof days, or tonight maybe, but still have not got something to
\ngive to your family and friends. Don't worry. You can still do
\nsome last-minute shopping at Jakarta's malls and catch some nice
\nIndonesian traditional mementos for everyone.<\/p>\n
Jakarta is a heaven for domestic and foreign shoppers with its
\nhuge and attractively decorated malls. For foreigners, Jakarta's
\nmalls are the perfect place to buy genuine branded items at madly
\ncheap prices thanks to the downfall of rupiah against U.S. dollar
\nas the result of the 1997 economic crisis.<\/p>\n
Shopping for traditional mementos at Jakarta's malls is
\nconvenient because you can find sophisticated Yogyakarta
\nsilverware, colorful Balinese carvings or antique Papuan
\nartifacts without having to travel hundreds of kilometers to Kota
\nGede, Sukawati Art Market or Hamadi Market, where the handicrafts
\nare originally made.<\/p>\n
Below, are some of the malls and department stores in Jakarta,
\nwhich generally open for business from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., where
\nyou could find traditional souvenirs.<\/p>\n
Sarinah<\/p>\n
Being the oldest shopping center in the country, Sarinah is
\nnot as huge and shiny as most if the newer malls. But it has a
\nreasonably good range of products and easy-to-rummage-through
\ndisplays. And it's also located right in the heart of Jakarta on
\nJl. Thamrin, under the same roof as Hard Rock Cafe.<\/p>\n
So, without having to waste time and torture your feet, you
\nwill find in Sarinah, which is actually named after Indonesia's
\nfirst president Soekarno's nanny, the sorts of goods you want --
\nsmall or big, cheap or expensive, stone or silver -- and have it
\nwrapped or put in nice gift boxes.<\/p>\n
Sarinah dedicates its third floor for various handicrafts and
\nthe fourth floor for traditional fabrics, mostly batik. Check out
\nthe detailed and colorful floor guides right next to the
\nescalator to find out the exact location of the goods you are
\nlooking for.<\/p>\n
The first things to see on the third floor are collectibles
\nand jewelry made of gold or silver, with or without local
\ngemstones, and pearl ornaments. There are also ceramic and clay
\nproducts, wayang (Indonesian puppets), made either of leather or
\nwood, and wood-based products.<\/p>\n
On the fourth floor you will find heaps choices of apparel or
\nfabric from many batik producers, including famous batik czar
\nIwan Tirta and established batik makers Danar Hadi and Batik
\nKeris. Silk hand-painted neckerchiefs from Iwan Tirta are
\navailable from Rp 100,000, while batik-printed tablecloths and
\nnapkins from other brands start from Rp 60,000 per set.<\/p>\n
Pasaraya<\/p>\n
If you are not in a hurry, it would be better to go hunting
\nfor gifts at the Pasaraya department store at the long-
\nestablished Blok M shopping district in South Jakarta. With its
\nhandicraft floors twice the size of Sarinah's, Pasaraya has the
\nmost complete collection of handicrafts and traditional souvenirs
\nin town.<\/p>\n
All the batik-related goods and traditional fabrics are
\ndisplayed on the fourth floor. There are bedspreads, tablecloths
\nand bags made of batik cloth. Also some collectibles, boxes,
\nbowls and statues made of wood painted with colorful batik. And,
\nof course, batik clothing ranges from neckerchiefs, shawls,
\nskirts, shirts to pants.<\/p>\n
Bored of batik? Check out the traditional hand-knit woven
\nfabrics called songket and ulos from North Sumatra and tais and
\ntenun Sumba from Nusa Tenggara regions at the Rineart outlet near
\nthe escalator in the west wing. The fabrics are used as stoles,
\nbedspreads, tablecloths or for wall hangings.<\/p>\n
Up on the fifth floor you can get a nice small rounded box of
\nThai ebony with a silver wayang figure embedded in the top for Rp
\n75.000 from the Kirana outlet. From the leather and wayang
\nsection you can get bookmarks made of cow leather painted with
\nwayang figures, typical souvenirs from Yogyakarta, for Rp 10,000
\neach.<\/p>\n
If you fancy gemstones, you can buy your lucky stones, ruby,
\nsapphire, topaz or emerald mined in Kalimantan, in their natural
\nform or already made into pendants or rings. A ruby pendant with
\nan 18-carat gold chain will cost you about Rp 2 million.<\/p>\n
Sogo and others<\/p>\n
There are two Sogo department stores in Jakarta -- at Plaza
\nIndonesia, Jl. Thamrin, and Plaza Senayan, Jl. Asia Afrika. Go
\nfor Sogo at Plaza Senayan for more and better choices of
\nhandicraft and art goods.<\/p>\n
The handicraft section is on the fifth floor. There are
\nstunning plate and glass mats made of looking glass with
\nimplanted silver wayang figure each sold at Rp 88,000 and Rp
\n17,500 respectively.<\/p>\n
Unique napkin rings made of coconut shell are available at Rp
\n165.000 for a box of six, while bowls and vases made of soft wood
\npainted with colorful delicate batik patterns are available from
\nRp 100.000 each. Wrapping is available next to the cashier.<\/p>\n
If you're in Plaza Indonesia, Sogo has all its handicrafts and
\nbatik items hidden away in a corner of the third floor, next to
\nthe Kinokuniya bookshop. At both Sogos there is a small but very
\nexclusive batik outlet, Obin House. There you can get batik and
\nlinen ladies sleeveless tops from Rp 300,000 and shawls from Rp
\n125,000.<\/p>\n
These three places, Sarinah, Pasaraya and Sogo, are the best
\nmalls to visit in town for handicraft hunting. Other malls like
\nPondok Indah and Taman Anggrek do not have specific handicraft
\nsections.<\/p>\n
Occasionally, however, some malls invite independent stalls to
\nopen along the walkways to sell art works and handicrafts at more
\nattractive prices and are sometimes open to bargaining. There are
\nsome stalls offering handicrafts at Taman Anggrek's UG, L2 and L4
\nfloors until the end of the month.<\/p>\n
At the stalls, you can bargain for some of the goods such as
\nAcehnese embroidered bags, hats and wallets, which are offered
\nfrom Rp 25.000, limited batik silk collections from Rp 50.000 and
\ncotton t-shirts printed with traditional patterns at about Rp
\n60.000.<\/p>\n
On a permanent basis, there is a small corner of Galeria
\nMatahari, also at Taman Anggrek, which has, among other things,
\nYogyakarta and Balinese wooden statues, pens and key rings, and
\nphoto frames, ashtrays, spoons and bowls made of sea shell. But
\nthe quality of the goods is only second or third class.(Chris
\nTumelap)<\/p>",
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