NYE: I think one of the big things to do in Indonesia for New Years is go to Ancol (pronounced AHN-chole)... there's a beach there... bars... and Disneyland. I didn't go there. Apparently, you have to head over in the morning on New Years Eve or you just can't get in. Either they close it early or the traffic is impossible - I didn't get a clear answer. But there was a wedding rehearsal that morning so it wasn't meant to be. Instead, my sister, a lot of cousins, and I went to Kelapa Gading, a mall.
Going to the mall is THE thing to do in Indonesia and going on NYE was no exception. We had dinner in the food court :) This mall had a "Creating Food Adventure" section where you put money on a card and swipe it at different vendors selling anything from an iced mung bean banana thing (es kacang hijau) to satay kambing (goat shishkabob). I chose vendor Pangsit Njonja Njoo for no other reason than that the sign read "since 1938." I ordered the Mie Babi Tjintjang and the Pangsit Kuah ... something like ground pork over noodles and wonton soup.... It was probably one of the best meals I've had on this trip, and for only about $3.30. My sister, on the other hand, chose wrong: For some reason, she got the Chicken Piccata - enough said.
After dinner, we pushed through the crowds towards the entrance of the mall's big NYE show.... It was hot and crowded and not where any of us wanted to be. I was thinking to myself "really? NYE at a mall?!" (Boo!) The show also cost 100,000 rupiah (~$10) to get in-which is relatively expensive here; we opted instead to buy some beer/wine and go back to my uncle's apartment.
It was close to 11pm at this point and we couldn't get a taxi. We also didn't know where to buy alcohol! My cousins don't drink .... my sister and I are the naughty kids from America who do lol. Our uncle came to pick us up because a taxi tried to charge us a "ridiculous" flat rate of about $4. But once in the car, at 11:40pm or so, traffic completely stopped. I don't know where the traffic started, but we were completely stuck as far as I could see in front of us and behind us. NYE stuck in Jakarta traffic... somehow very appropriate ... it ended up being awesome!
It was everything I wanted... to watch fireworks in a crowd of people and celebrate with my sister. Close to midnight, we got out of the car and joined other people to watch fireworks exploding right above our heads. Incidentally, Indonesian people do not count down... So, my sister and I had our own mini countdown about two minutes past midnight when we realized it wasn't happening. Immediately after the fireworks show ended, horns started blaring as people were ready to be on their way. It was a good night! In summary: first dry NYE in seven years, no countdown, midnight toast with iced lemon tea, closer to fireworks than i've ever been and a pretty awesome night :)
A Wedding: The morning of Jan 2, two women came over to the apartment to do everyone's hair and makeup. A wedding is a big deal here. My uncle said that you see pictures of people in albums that look nothing like them because they are so made up... big poofy hair, fake eyelashes etc.. So everyone got dressed and made up and went to the church for a two-hour Catholic ceremony. I didn't understand much of what was happening. Some observations: the groom kisses the bride on the forehead instead of on the lips, people pray (seemingly) spontaneously, and a lot of songs are sung throughout the ceremony. We got snackboxes as wedding favors... awesome!
The reception was scheduled for four hours after the ceremony...still slightly jetlagged, my sister, mom, and I took a nap messing up our poofy hair. But back at the apartment, everyone was getting touchups and changing into evening attire. Most of the women wore long ball gowns circa prom (for me) 2002-2004. Both the bride's mother and groom's mother wore a lot of jewels to represent wealth and prosperity for the newlyweds. My cousin said that approximately 600-800 people would attend the reception. Here is how they all fit: the reception was basically standing-room only and people migrated from one food station to another. The food was really good - lontong cap gomeh (sticky rice with five different sauces), dim sum, and satay especially.
Right at the start, the bride, groom, and their families made their entrance and there was a small "show." The bride and groom kissed (on the lips this time) while flares fired and cheesy music played. Then, the bride and groom slowly brought a knife down the side of a fake cake. Not sure why. They each took a bite of their own cake, but since there was no real cake to speak of, no one else got cake. There were tons of desserts, but I guess in Indonesia, there's not one cake that everyone shares. Next, the bride and groom each poured one bottle of wine down a stack of champagne glasses. Why? I don't know. They didn't drink any of that wine. The toast was dry for everyone except immediate family. But, since no one really drinks alcohol, they each took a tiny sip and that was pretty much it. I don't know why but this tendency towards sobriety fascinates me! First dry wedding I've ever been to! Wedding in summary: No alcohol, no cake, and aching feet from standing, but wonderful to see all my family dressed in their sunday best and it was also probably the best wedding food I've ever had! Cheers to the newlyweds :) Can't wait for my next Indonesian wedding in hopefully November of this year.
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