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[Cardinal Synn]

Things happen in Jakarta. Here are three little mini memoirs that spring to mind from my own experiences. I have many more but I don't want to be banned. Perahps some of you would like to share your own?

One very late night I found myself in need of a taxi in Tanah Abang. I stood there at the side of the road looking out for a decent company logo (Bluebird or whatever). I was getting bored waiting so I decided to hail any old taxi. This beat up old wreck stopped. The driver leaned across and opened the passenger door, beckoning me in. I shut the door and opened the rear door instead (I like sitting in the back of taxis) and was about to sit down when I realized there was a set of legs in the way. These legs belonged to a young guy who was lying across the back seat. He sat up nervously and told me to "get in get in". I did not "get in get in". Just before I slammed the door my eyes wandered down to a small dark stick or something on the floor behind the front passenger seat. I moved away quickly and they drove away quickly. I always travel in the back of taxis at night.

I'm sitting in a Bluebird. It's dark and we're just a few streets away from Sudirman. Another two blocks, a left turn and through the Pizza Man roundabout, then it's straight down to the Welcome Monument. I'll get out near McDonalds and walk the last hundred yards or so. I'm looking through the front windows, over the shoulder of the driver. There's a loud bang and some shouts from the street. A bus is coming the other way and it has a motorcycle embedded sideways across its grill. It reminds me of one of those big RVs you see with bikes strapped to the back. This bike isn't strapped to the back. It's stuck into the metal of the front of the bus. The bus is still moving. Suddenly we're past the bus and heading to Sudirman. I wonder where the rider of the motorcycle is.

I was in a Jakarta bar one night drinking with my pal. I zigged my way to the Gents, pushed the door open and saw this pretty girl about 19 year's old squatting on the floor of the men's toilet, taking a p1ss. I knew who she was. I said, "What the f**k are you doing?" It was a stupid question - there was pish streaming all over the floor. I was wearing open-toed sandels on my feet. I did a little dance. The pish avoidance two-step.
She gave me an evil glare, screamed, "F**k you!", pulled her knickers up and gracefully stumbled out the door.

[tanyakenapa]

Hi,

its not really a story, but right now its 11.02PM and im watching Lativi and currently there is a supernatural show on. I dont believe in this stuff, but sometimes I just watch it here, because im bored out of my brain waiting for my partner to get home from work...and well there's nothing else on tv... not even HBO is intersting.

Anyway, the first situtation was in some cemetary out in the kampung and that a spirit of a tiger they usually call it SILUMAN MACAN magically showed up for the cameras then turn into a human ghost who can suddenly fly up into the tree, then come back down again and dissapear behind the tree... I just have to laugh...it looks sooo fake.. why would it fly up to the tree for two seconds then drop straight back down to the ground? hahaa...

And now, just before the commerical break (gosh they are getting longer and longer on the local tv here) this guy owns a keris (traditional sword) and he believes it has a ghost of its own who controls it... so the "spirit leader" says a little prayer..then they leave the cameras running in the room... and suddenly the bottle starts moving around...with the keris in it.

Funny the that bottle only moves back and forth along the same path on the floor, why doesnt it fall over? Why doesnt it smash the bottle? Anyway after about 3 minutes of this "ghost" moving back and forth in the same spot, finally the bottle starts shaking and the keris falls out of it....then the cameras stop rolling... what good timing..

Fair enough its their culture, it just makes me laugh. I wanted to visit Bandung one weekend, but when I told my partner the hotel has been around since the Dutch ruled, he said...NO way..there'll be ghosts...

Or after my best friend passed away here in 1998... why did all the lightbulbs in her house fall from their fittings on the ceiling and not smash on the floor? ooooohhhhh how scary...

Ahh they love their ghost stories..

[drgonzo]

[Cardinal Synn]