~Apartments offer privacy, security, comfort living
~Apartments offer privacy, security, comfort living
T. Sima Gunawan Contributor Jakarta
Seeing a young woman returning home at midnight or at dawn, many people might frown upon her, wondering what she has done and have a negative feeling about her. The idea that a good girl should not go out at night still prevails in the country, even in a metropolitan city of Jakarta.
That's why Tisa TS, 27, is happy to know that her neighbors do not make a fuss about her activities late at night or at wee hours.
"Sometimes I have to work until 3 or 4 in the morning, editing (films), previewing..." said Tisa, a scriptwriter of teen TV series Di Sini Ada Setan/ (Satan is Here) and Kapan Kita Pacaran Lagi (When We Date Again).
Privacy is one of the advantages that she enjoys as she lives in Kedoya Elok Apartments in Kedoya, West Jakarta.
The other things she took into consideration when she decided to live in the apartment is because it is just next to Plaza Kedoya Elok, where Sinemart, the production house that makes her films, is located. Besides, it has good security measures.
Nani Budiman, president director of an IT company, and Eko Utomo, a lawyer, have similar reasons behind their decisions to live in an apartment.
Nani used to live with her parents in Pulo Mas, East Jakarta, and it took her some 45 minutes to go to her office on Jl. Gondangdia, Central Jakarta.
"Now I need only 10 minutes, and I don't have to experience traffic jams like before," said Nani Budiman, who lives in Imperium Apartments in Kuningan, South Jakarta.
She earlier rented her apartment unit to a foreign embassy. Last year, when the rental period was over and the tenant returned to his home country, she decided to taste the experience of living in the apartment.
"It turns out that living in the apartment is really convenient. Besides the strategic location, it also has good security measures. For the time being, I don't think I will rent it," she said.
She has no worry about any stranger who tries to break into her place and if there is a guest, she can see who is coming from the TV in her room.
Eko, who formerly lived in Jatibening in Bekasi, moved to Rasuna Apartment in Kuningan, South Jakarta, in 1998. The apartment is really close to his then office, PT Freeport Indonesia, and sometimes, as he was tortured by the traffic congestions along Jl. HR Rasuna Said, he even went home on foot.
Living in an apartment becomes a choice of many Jakartans as it also offers comfort and practicality, which is in accordance with the demand of a modern society. Many apartment buildings started to grow in the city in the past decade and more and more apartments are being constructed to meet the high demand from the society. Some buy the apartment to invest their money and others buy it because they really want to live in the apartment, either temporarily or permanently.
Despite the many benefits of living in an apartment, some inconveniences may also take place. People who used to live in a big house with a garden might find an apartment unit stuffy. It is common for an Indonesian family to have several domestic helpers, who are ready to serve the whole family from early in the morning until late at night. Due to the limited space, most apartments have only one servant room.
Eko, who remains single, said that there is a housemaid who comes two or three times a week to do the household chores. Nani does not have any housemaid and has to do everything by herself as she also lives on her own.
Nani recalled that when she lived with her parents, she did not have to think about the meals, as good food was always ready on the table when she returned home from work. Now, she does not have time to cook and she often buys her meals.
Another thing Nani, as well as Eko and Tisa, miss is garden. To bring freshness in their apartment, they grow plants on pots.
But what Tisa really misses is her dogs.
"I love pets. I have four dogs, but I can't bring them here. Well, there is always a balance. Everything has the advantages and the disadvantages," Tisa said.
Nani also recalled how arduous it was when she moved into the apartment because every time she wanted to bring in her belongings, she had to ask for the management's permission and filled in forms. The management has tight regulations about nuisance and allows the work to be done only on weekday from 9 to 5.
"So, on Saturday, you can't put a nail on the wall because it will disturb the neighbors," she said.
How about cooking salty fish or other food with strong smells?
"I think there is no problem, our apartment has good air circulation," she said.
Living in an apartment, one has to spare a sum of money for the maintenance, depending on the size of the apartment unit and the luxury. Eko pays around Rp 800,000 a month for the maintenance fee of the common area, water and electricity, while Tisa spends between Rp1 and Rp2 million. Tisa's apartment unit measures 114 square meters, which is much bigger than Eko's, which is only 58 square meters, but it is much smaller than her parents' house, which is built on a 500-square-meter plot of land.
"If I have children, I might buy a house, and live in apartment only as a 'transit'," she said.