Well, here am I back in Malaysia, just in time to catch a breath to blog about it finally. In this city of massive population (almost that of whole Malaysia) where most of them are millionaires (in rupees of course), things are more congested and chaotic than I would have imagined. A steep contrast to the slumber land I came back from.
To be honest, I didn’t like the place one bit. Perhaps I was biased and judgemental as I didn’t really had a fair view of the city, 80% of my trip was business and conference anyway. Besides a shopping mall or 2, I didn’t manage to go to any tourist location spots, which is a shame. Despite its short comings, I had a few insights from this hectic experience.
First, I learned that Jakarta is such and inefficient city and that I have a very low tolerance for inefficiency. The traffic jam there is godly. If you think KL jam is terrible, you are just seeing the tip of an iceberg there. A 15 mins journey can easily turn into a 2 hours stuck in a van. Imagine wasting 4 hours of your life daily going to and from work. Having more than 2 business appointments in a day is impossible there. In my short 7 days trip, I can safely say that I have spent no less than pure 24 hours in a vehicle. Ouch to that!
Second, if you can drive across the busy streets in Jakarta, you can drive ALMOST anywhere in the world. Nuff said.
Third, money is king. Literally, you can live like a king there if you have the money. Things there are cheap, dirt cheap. And so is labour cost as well. It is an ideal place to set up a factory for its low production cost in the SEA region, but don’t put high hopes in quality or its logistics. It’s trade off.
Fourth, people there are really hardworking. I believe in an adverse condition of scarcity and dissatisfactions, people tend to work harder, think harder, and be stronger. They become innovative in means of earning and improvise and adapt to many difficulties. That's why I think that for one to improve and grow, one should always be out of their comfort zone, fighting. Always be hungry! =D
I guess this trip change my perspective in life in a few aspects. I believe, everyone have as much time on their hand as anyone else. The differential key is how you use the time, and how efficient you make it. Time is liken water to a boat, it can make it rise or fall depending on how you control it. It also gives a glimpse of how different in value each person’s life is worth just across a border. Many preach that all life is equal but it is but a distant dream. You can ‘purchase’ a month of a labourer’s life for a mere rm700 there, and it cost rm1700 in Malaysia and rm4800 in Australia. A mix of currency, economical state, and labour supply makes it happen and this is one of the reasons we call this world unfair. Lastly, I see that the value of things lies not in its price or its currency. In Jakarta, everything is in thousands and millions, but it’s in fact cheaper than those in Malaysia.
Sorry, no camera, no pics!
Okay, time to buck up, get a job and enjoy my holiday! Not in that order! =p
No comments:
Post a Comment