Jakarta metropolis is like a big durian

Jakarta. Of all the cities in the world, why does it have to be Jakarta? For some Westerners, it is a shock to hear that they are going to be sent to Indonesia's capital, even if it's only for a short time.

In the last five years, the number of foreign visitors has clearly declined and this has started to create a problem for Jakarta's hotel industry.

Filled with horrifying stories about one of the dirtiest cities in the world and particularly panicked by news of political and social unrest in the country of the world's biggest Muslim population, for many expatriates they have already made up their minds about the city before they arrive.

Leaving the secure and air-conditioned terminal at Soekarno- Hatta International Airport, the hassle begins. Thrust into Indonesia's humid heat and put at the mercy of all the so-called agents and taxi drivers, people from non-tropical countries immediately start sweating profusely. It feels like somebody has punched you in the stomach.

The next shock comes when you get on the toll road: This is not what you would call traffic anymore. It is just one endless snake of heated metal, disappearing in a huge black cloud of dust. Every day, every hour.

For a lot of visitors, this is already enough for them. They are fed up after the rallies -- which they will most likely see when they stay in one of the big hotels on Jl. Jend. Sudirman or Jl. M.H. Thamrin -- not knowing if they were organized by a radical Muslim party or a group of housewives.

As soon as they get the chance they will leave for Bali or other more relaxed places. They will refuse to spend more time than necessary outside the air-conditioned shopping malls or hotel bars, where they gather with other expatriates. As a result, they never get a real taste of what life in Jakarta is like, which is actually a pity because it has very rich and exciting cultural and social aspects.

Those who do look for it can see it almost every day in interesting political discussions, theater or dance performances or the opening of an exhibition.

In Jakarta, not only does the diverse culture and social traditions from all over the huge archipelago come together, but they also mix with western and other foreign influences, and sometimes show amazing results.

Some events have such a huge offering of programs that it is hard to decide where to go.

A case in point happened one month ago with the JakArt Festival, which offered a long list of events, packed with international guests from all over the world. At the same time there was the French and Dutch film festivals, as well as the opening program for Goethe-Haus. In addition, besides the regular schedules at Jakarta's theaters, there are galleries and public places, such as those at Gedung Kesenian or Komunitas Utan Kayu.

Once joining the cultural scene of this huge metropolitan, you will find it very easy to get in contact with the people who are involved in organizing the events.

Indonesians are generally very hospitable people and the more a visitor shows interest, the more response he will get. The invitations will come on their own, if you don't forget one rule: Respect demands respect.

The biggest problem is to get rid of any prejudice or fears about the unknown. Jakarta is not easy to like. It is a very dirty, very crowded and very loud city with a big crime rate. Nobody can blame people who didn't choose to live here. They try to make themselves as comfortable as possible and keep a distance to all the dirt and poverty which exists on the streets. But they definitely will miss something, for Jakarta is also a very diverse, very moving and a very exciting city.

Maybe it becomes easier to understand the people by seeing how they live. Just take a glance from the top of the National Monument. Of course you will see the nightmare, like traffic jams on Jl. M.H. Thamrin and Jl. Menteng Raya. You will see all the high-rise buildings on Jl. Jend. Sudirman and Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said. But if you turn around just a little, you will recognize something else: There are spaces in between.

These areas in between are actually the parts of the city where the biggest part of Jakarta's population lives: small kampongs with houses crammed together. From a bird's-eye view, it appears like a mass of red and gray rooftops in between the multitude of antennas and shrubs.

Foreign visitors rarely go astray in these narrow gang (alleys). If it is already hard to find the way in these labyrinths it might not also be very secure to walk there without a local guide.

But if you have the chance to enter the gang of such a kampong, you will experience a life absolutely different from the one close to the main roads of the metropolis. Without the cars and crowds, the chaos of the big city has been left behind. The reward is the social control of people living so close to each other and, of course, the dust and the smell, the pollution of the canals going through these kampongs are an ecological tragedy.

But here you find the roots of Jakarta's cultural and social life: Kids playing in front of the houses, teenagers sitting together and playing the guitar, while their parents gather at the warung (food stalls) to philosophize not only about their own lives but about religion, politics and life in general.

People staying only in the so-called expatriate ghettos -- big hotels or expensive shopping malls -- will never learn about the heart of this city.

They will never experience a spontaneous performance of the present or former students of Jakarta's Institute of Arts by drinking a beer in front of the banners at Taman Ismail Marzuki. And they will never taste the best gado-gado (vegetable salad mixed with peanut sauce) of the town at a small warung just around the corner of their temporary home.

Jakarta is often compared to durian. One who is not used to its strong smell feels disgusted only by passing by. But those who get accustomed to its delicate taste cannot get enough of it. Most Westerners hardly ever try durian. They call it the stinky fruit or a little nicer: Cheese fruit. But only a few dare to get the real taste and to get, maybe, even addicted to it.

-- Christina Schott