Ask any random person living in Jakarta what bugs them most about the city, and the answer "the horrendous traffic" will most likely be on top of their list.
I can't blame them: it is extremely difficult to get from A to B, unless it is a Sunday or some time 3.30 in the morning when the rest of Jakartans is finally asleep.
It gets worse when it rains: as soon as the first raindrops start pouring down, more often than not, the traffic system has a complete breakdown, and many people get stuck or stranded wherever they are in that moment, and it can take a couple of more hours until they reach their final destination.
I have tried to make the best out of this: whenever I leave my house, I take my iPod, my Blackberry, and paper and pen with me.
So if I am stuck in traffic, I can either listen to soothing music, or use the extra time to do some work by writing (either typing on my Blackberry or take handwritten notes).
This might sound crazy, but I believe that the traffic jams in Jakarta have helped me become a much more patient person.
But actually, I try to avoid traffic as often as possible and take the transportation that I have always liked best - my own two feet.
Luckily, my office is not too far away from where I live, and that's why I very often simply walk home from work.
This habit has earned me strange looks and raised eyebrows from many of my (Indonesian) colleagues, who are maybe not used to go on foot.
It can be quite tricky: since Jakarta is not a very pedestrian-friendly city, one has to look out for potholes, construction sites and other obstacles. At the same time, however, it is fun and feels like a small workout.
Walking is, however, not an always option when my destination is far away. But I don't shy away from going long distances on foot. (I don't care if I get a tan, or if I look a bit sweaty)
The day the last Harry Potter movie premiered in Indonesia, I wanted to meet my cousin at the cinema directly after work.
I left the office 90 minutes before I actually had to be there - and what a wise decision it was!
Since it had rained earlier, it was impossible to get a taxi. The buses were either too crowded, or the queue was so long that I feared I might end up waiting for hours.
The ojek drivers (motorcycle taxis) were jacking up the prices to such ridiculous heights that my pride forbid me to go with them.
Instead, I started walking.
I walked, and walked, and walked, while answering worried text messages from my cousin who already thought about selling the tickets to someone else. After exactly 87 minutes, I arrived at the cinema. My cousin had already bought some french fries and a bottle of water for me - so we were ready to start the Harry Potter adventure.
Other people I know were stuck in traffic for hours that day. I saw them complaining on Twitter and just smiled and thought: see those DocMartens I'm wearing? Well, these boots are made for walking, baby.
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Katrin Figge
@katrinfigge
