Couch Surfing in the City
Hostels, dive hotels, volunteer flats, and a handful of airport floors have provided the bulk of my overseas sleeping arrangements, but this trip I yearned for something different. I wanted to surf...couch surf that is.
For those of you not familiar with couchsurfing.com, it is a website designed to connect travelers with potential hosts in the countries they will be visiting. Couch surfing enables travelers to experience culture and local people on a more personal level, along with helping to save a few accommodation bucks along the way.
It's easy. Type in a destination, input your travel dates and prepare to ride the cyber wave. Dozens, sometimes even hundreds of local couch surfer hits emerge. Who to stay with comes down to their profiles. Profiles reveal everything from age and occupation to religion and beliefs. They also list linguistic abilities, travel histories and reviews posted by previous couch surfers. Basically, if a hosts "hosting" ability leaves a lot to be desired, you will know about it thanks to these public remarks.
Profiles even display specific accommodation details. Ranging from your very own spare bedroom to BYOB, Bring Your Own Bed. A quick message to your potential CS host and you're well on your wave...I mean, way.
My host, Melita (Mel for short) and I corresponded a few times on CS but aside from brief, "about me", statements and a couple photos, we were perfect strangers. I literally arrived in Jakarta with a name, a phone number, and an address.
For those of you not familiar with couchsurfing.com, it is a website designed to connect travelers with potential hosts in the countries they will be visiting. Couch surfing enables travelers to experience culture and local people on a more personal level, along with helping to save a few accommodation bucks along the way.
It's easy. Type in a destination, input your travel dates and prepare to ride the cyber wave. Dozens, sometimes even hundreds of local couch surfer hits emerge. Who to stay with comes down to their profiles. Profiles reveal everything from age and occupation to religion and beliefs. They also list linguistic abilities, travel histories and reviews posted by previous couch surfers. Basically, if a hosts "hosting" ability leaves a lot to be desired, you will know about it thanks to these public remarks.
Profiles even display specific accommodation details. Ranging from your very own spare bedroom to BYOB, Bring Your Own Bed. A quick message to your potential CS host and you're well on your wave...I mean, way.
My host, Melita (Mel for short) and I corresponded a few times on CS but aside from brief, "about me", statements and a couple photos, we were perfect strangers. I literally arrived in Jakarta with a name, a phone number, and an address.
Greeted with a big smile and warm hug, the online Mel became real. A flight attendant for Saudi Airlines, Mel is now based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, but visits her home in Jakarta every few months. My surfing request just so happened to overlap one of these return trips. Raised by her three aunties (all referred to as "Mom") Mel splits time between their homes. By far the best location, I was lucky enough to stay with Auntie Ade in Central Jakarta. The 29th floor of a glass and marble encased high-rise, complete with roof-top pool, sauna, and bell hop. Who needs the Hilton when you have Couch Surfing? |
Savvy international travelers themselves, my new Indonesian family spoke impeccable English. Sometimes a little too much…as I soon learned. The only thing Auntie Lily loved more then herself was talking about herself. "Darling...when I was your age..." Yeah, you get the picture.
And meeting a host’s family is just the beginning. In many cities, like Jakarta, Couch Surfing has exploded onto the social scene! Conceived to bring about unity among surfing hosts and provide comfort and ease for their couch surfers, CS Jakarta (Couch Surfing Jakarta) was born. CS Jakarta coordinates dinners, small trips to nearby islands, and has even established a, “back-up buddy system”. Say your current host cannot fulfill their “CS duties”, i.e. need to work during the day or have a prior engagement, dormant CS hosts will step in to show their couch surfers around town. As luck would have it, my first night in Jakarta overlapped with one of these monthly CS dinners. Why not continue the couch surfing novelty with an inaugural Couch Surfing dinner? Each time another couch surfer arrived, a verbal bomb detonated in our tiny sushi room. All the CS hosts erupted with greetings and questions. Where are you from? Why Jakarta? Do you like it? What started with 6 soon grew to over 30 attendants. |
After dinner, it was Karaoke time!
Jakarta's never-ending traffic jam loomed before us, but CS Jakarta once again swooped (or should I say, zoomed in) to assist. Jumping on the back of other hosts "ojek's" (motorbikes) we effortlessly, although some might say, carelessly, zig-zagged around buses, taxi cabs, and nasi goreng food carts, arriving to the club in record time. Karaoke has never been my forte but with CS Jakarta, singing is obligatory. Expecting to enter a dark, crowded room with a couple wanna be "Indonesian Idols" dominating the stage, I was received by the exact opposite. A small, padded room, lined in comfortable couches and bathed in vibrant hues of red, with a 72-inch plasma screen focusing the rooms attention forward. A reserved karaoke room for 14. Who knew? |
Maybe it was the comfort associated with a private room, or singing to a room of complete strangers, or maybe still it was following multiple Indonesian accented versions of Bob Marley, but for whatever reason I managed to do the impossible. Sing in public.
Belting out my favorite Whitney track, I lit up the stage, well, couch anyways. And receiving a 97 out of 100 (presented by the karaoke machine itself) more then made up for the outrageously priced drinks.
Belting out my favorite Whitney track, I lit up the stage, well, couch anyways. And receiving a 97 out of 100 (presented by the karaoke machine itself) more then made up for the outrageously priced drinks.
And this was only my first night in Jakarta. The next three days exposed a side of Jakarta most travelers never experience. Offering a series of religious and cultural lessons that museums and guide books could never compete with.
One of these lessons, in particular, spurted from the most peculiar origins. There we were, Mel, Mom’s (3) and Me gossiping about movie stars and fashion while eating left over Ramadan cookies, when suddenly I found myself in the middle of a prayer-time highway.
Muslims are called to pray 5 times a day and those 5 times must be completed between certain hours of the day. In this case, it was time for early evening prayers (supplying the shortest time span for prayer completion). Each Muslim woman has her own Mukenah (traditional Muslim prayer dress) at home but since only Auntie Lily's was the only Mukenah present, an unanticipated prayer relay race kicked off.
One of these lessons, in particular, spurted from the most peculiar origins. There we were, Mel, Mom’s (3) and Me gossiping about movie stars and fashion while eating left over Ramadan cookies, when suddenly I found myself in the middle of a prayer-time highway.
Muslims are called to pray 5 times a day and those 5 times must be completed between certain hours of the day. In this case, it was time for early evening prayers (supplying the shortest time span for prayer completion). Each Muslim woman has her own Mukenah (traditional Muslim prayer dress) at home but since only Auntie Lily's was the only Mukenah present, an unanticipated prayer relay race kicked off.
Instead of passing off a baton, they exchanged the Mukenah. And instead of setting the best time, they only aimed to finish within the allotted time. After offering their abbreviated prayers quietly in the next room, they would scurry back across the living room floor, undressing as they went, so to quickly pass the Mukenah onto the next. And it wasn't until the awaiting woman was properly dressed in the Mukenah that she could begin prayers.
How we went from mindless gossip to such a traditional Muslim prayer ritual proves just how harmoniously liberal, modern life co-exists with tradition and religion in Jakarta. |
Batik Friday was another cultural highlight. Hitting up mall after mall, Mel and her Mom's mission was to find the perfect batik dress to convert this Bule into a Batik Beauty. Not a style, but instead a clothing pattern with hundreds of renditions, Batik's famous origins are claimed by both Indonesia and Malaysia. Jakartan's are asked to wear Batik every Friday as a sign of patriotism and unity, but personally, I think the dual with Malaysia is the prime reason for Batik Friday. Whatever the reason, I joined in the effort with a beautifully designed, ultra-conservative, Batik dress.
A final two Jakarta highlights were of a more indulgent nature.
At Bandar D’Jakarta, the fish do not come to you, you go to the fish. Coolers of tiger prawns, squid, oysters and mussels lined the floor, while giant grouper and snapper swam around in the adjacent tanks. Lobsters and crabs were not far from the action either, struggling to escape their watery cells. Everything is priced per kilo so just choose your favorites and leave the rest up to the chef. Green chili grouper, barbeque tiger prawns, crunchy calamari, spicy mussels, and mounds of rice. No skimping on this order. The total = 300,000 Rupiah (30 USD), split between 6 people, that's 5 USD per person. Capped off with an immaculate view of the sea and live entertainment, what more could you ask for? |
Finally, to round off my time in Jakarta, Mel and I decided to treat ourselves to a half-day spa session. Complete with full body scrub, 1 hour deep-tissue massage, facial, and avocado/ginseng hair cream treatment. This is more directed at you ladies (because I know you men don't care) but all this for under 25 bucks! Yeah, I bet that turned a few of your heads. Ready to come visit Indo yet?
Goodbyes are never easy, and although I plan to see Mel's Mom's again on my way out of Jakarta (in a few months time) my goodbye to Mel resonates deeper. Then again, Jeddah is not too far for a visit…just kidding Mom and Dad.
Mel, Terima Kasih untuk sentiap! Kamu mantap! Saya Rindu Kamu! Peluk dan Cium!
Sumatra, here I come!!©
Goodbyes are never easy, and although I plan to see Mel's Mom's again on my way out of Jakarta (in a few months time) my goodbye to Mel resonates deeper. Then again, Jeddah is not too far for a visit…just kidding Mom and Dad.
Mel, Terima Kasih untuk sentiap! Kamu mantap! Saya Rindu Kamu! Peluk dan Cium!
Sumatra, here I come!!©