Malls packed with shoppers as New Year approaches

Malls packed with shoppers as New Year approaches

Dewi Santoso, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Various promotions offered by malls and shopping centers across
the capital have prompted Jakartans to spend their time there
during the holiday season after Christmas Day and ahead of the
New Year.

Lisa, a visitor at Taman Anggrek Mall in West Jakarta, said on
Sunday she took her seven-year-old son Jimmy and five-year-old
son Joshua to the mall to ice skate at the arena.

"My husband and I had planned to go to Bali to celebrate the
coming year but we couldn't get any tickets. All the flights were
booked out, I guess. So we could only bring our children here to
enjoy the holidays," said the 35-year-old mother.

The mall was packed with dozens of people, trying their skills
at ice skating, buying personal gifts for the New Year's
celebration, or just sightseeing.

Inside the mall's games center Timezone, the situation was not
much different as loud sounds of the games that were played and
dozens of people -- children and adults -- were busy playing
numerous games such as bowling, basketball, pinball machine and
Daytona racing car.

At the Karawaci Supermal in Tangerang, dozens of people also
packed the mall's recreational area, where a variety of games
were available.

Vincent, a visitor, said that he took his six-year-old
daughter Tiffany to enjoy the games there.

"It's still the holiday season and I want her to enjoy the day
and have fun because I can't take extra days off to go out of
town," said the 31-year-old private banker.

Besides malls, other recreational sites such as Taman Mini
Indonesia Indah (TMII) in East Jakarta also offered numerous
attractions including traditional food and beverage bazaar,
handicraft and tourism exhibitions -- not to mention a fireworks
display.

The TMII head of public relations, Markus Legimin, said there
would also be traditional and contemporary art performances such
as West Java's traditional Jaipongan dance, East Java's
traditional drama Ketoprak, West Java's Wayang Golek (puppet
show), Central Java's Wayang Kulit (leather puppet show),
Betawi's Wayang Kulit and a dangdut music concert performed by
the famous king of dangdut, Rhoma Irama, and other noted singers,
such as Evi Tamala, Meggy Z., Mansyur S. and Cici Paramida.

"Thus, visitors will be able to enjoy the whole day of
entertainment," said Markus as quoted by Tempo Interaktif.