Preserving Pastimes

Often when I see local people's #ootd photos on Instagram, they tend to go to cafés and/or hip-and-happening installation exhibitions created solely as backdrops. When a location is hyped on social media, you can be sure to find tons of people taking photos there in no time. It's not unlikely that they had to pay a certain amount of money or wait in a long line to do so. But I feel like places like that can be found pretty much anywhere on earth. For me, local aesthetics always feels a little bit more enticing. Often I would prefer taking photos at old museums and galleries, preferably with a post-colonial vibe to them—perhaps mixed with some close-to-nature approach of local styles. However, sometimes a simple spot like this alley at the market can attract my eyes. It's located very close to an MRT station and so, as I walked out and spotted this gem of a backdrop, I was smitten. It may not be very pretty or even very clean, but it really shows Jakarta in its truest form—reflecting the chaotic and can-do attitude of its residents. If one day I were to leave Jakarta for good, I feel like I would miss places like this one.

Thrifted shirt + loafers // hand-me-down bag + skirt // photos by my sis

This city is rapidly evolving—a fact I had to learn quickly when I came back for good 5 years ago. It was a culture shock, since development in Germany wasn't as rapid—at least not in my neck of the woods. Roads I often went past back in the day became unrecognisable. Routes I used to take to get to a place lead to somewhere new. Buildings I remembered one way now look entirely different. Not going to lie—it brought me to tears the first few weeks after Firu left. These were places abundant with memories of us together and now they don't even look the same anymore. With these thoughts in mind, I suddenly find the urgency of taking as many snaps as I possibly can of places I would normally take for granted. This market, in particular, bears no significant meaning for me, to be honest. It was the scene itself, which is quintessentially Jakarta, which brings warmth to my chest—men setting up their food cart in a deserted market come twilight, a couple eating their food on plastic chairs and a makeshift table with puddles of water around them. Then there's my sister and I, always on the move—like most Jakartans.