Senayan Sports Center, a place to hang out

Senayan Sports Center, a place to hang out

JAKARTA (JP): The Senayan Sports Center in Central Jakarta,
where tens thousands of President Abdurrahman Wahid's supporters
will hold a mass prayer this Sunday, is indeed a popular site.

Every Sunday morning, people from every corner of the city
swarm the area to do their weekly exercise. For a few hours -
from early in the morning until noon - the site turns into a
fair, with dozens of vendors offering various kinds of
merchandise, from food and drink to souvenirs and clothes.

On weekend nights, try to effortlessly pass the sports
center's east parking lot, which is located opposite Taman Ria
Senayan Amusement Park.

You will see dozens of cars lining up in a long queue to enter
the venue. It can take you up to ten minutes or more to get
inside, and then even more time to find parking spot.

Nope. People are not coming to exercise, watch sports or see
concerts. They just come to have some fun and food.

There are many tents in the parking lot providing food and
beverages for mostly teenagers and young adults.

Surrounding the Gelora Bung Karno indoor stadium and the
swimming hall, the car park is a strategic place for several
outdoor activities.

The car park used to be teenagers' favorite space for learning
how to drive a car, or for children to go roller skating.

Starting around four years ago, when the country was facing
the economic crisis, the venue started to become a place to hang
out.

Not only in the parking lot at Senayan Sports Center, but all
around the city, food stalls, better known as kafe tenda, emerged
like mushrooms in the rainy season, offering food and space to
hang out with cheaper prices.

Although there are few of them remaining, the Senayan site has
never lost its enthusiasts.

Hundreds of people park their cars there. Some only have
snacks before going to discotheques, night clubs or to cinemas
for midnight movies.

Some stay there all night, or until early in the morning.
Groups of friends hang out together, play guitars, or crank out
loud music from their stereos, giving the city another outdoor
fiesta.

Erik, a 27-year-old from East Jakarta, said for the last two
years he has sometimes hung out with his friends there for a
snack before or after going to nearby Diva Bar.

"There is nothing really special about the place, but it has
become widely-known as a nice place to nongkrong (hang around),"
he told The Jakarta Post on Sunday afternoon.

Initially, Erik said, the car park was used by car-lovers to
exchange tips and information. Because of its spacious area the
venue was perfect.

"After a while, they ganged together and formed fan clubs for
the particular types of cars they owned," he added.

Everywhere around the car park there were rows of Volkswagen
Beetles , old Fiats, Suzuki Ferozas and the vintage 800 cc Honda
motorcycles.

According to Erik, some of the guys hanging out there used to
nongkrong in front of the Plaza Senayan shopping mall every
weekend, but then moved to the Senayan Sports Center for the sake
of convenience.

"They used to hold drag races along Jl. Asia Afrika after the
street was empty at around midnight, until the police started to
raid them one-and-a-half years ago," he added.

However, for those who want tastier food, the car park may not
be a good option.

Reta, a student, said she doesn't go there anymore.

"My friends and I usually went there by car. It was just our
transit point before going to other places on weekends. We just
ordered drinks. But now, I prefer to go to Jl. Bakti in Kebayoran
Baru. The food stalls there offer better food," she said.

According to the vendors, the site is not as crowded as it
used to be.

"Two years ago, when I started selling food here, it was more
crowded. But it's still not bad," said Sofyan, 27.

He said he used to earn more than Rp 100,000 (US$9.1), but now
he only takes in around Rp 60,000 to Rp 100,000 at the most.

However, it is not only the Jakartan youths who think that
Senayan Sports Center, which is almost 40 years old, is a
strategic place to gather.

Indonesia's largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama, has
also chosen the site for their mass prayer.

About 350,000 NU members and supporters from various regions
in the country are expected to participate in the mass prayer,
which will be held at Gelora Bung Karno. They will gather at the
eastern parking lot before entering the indoor stadium. The event
is scheduled to continue all day.

The organization's leaders affirmed that the mass prayer was
not meant as a forum to garner and publicize support for their
former chairman President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, but to
perform a ritual for the security of the nation.

Gus Dur is now facing the threat of impeachment following
accusations that he violated state guidelines and his
constitutional oath as president. (bby/hdn/rbw)