Free Meatballs and \'Kapau\' Rice at City Hall Party

ANTARA FOTO/Reno Esnir

Jakarta governor-elect Anies Baswedan (left) and Jakarta deputy governor-elect Sandiaga Uno.

The public celebration on Monday (16/10) afternoon welcoming the inauguration of Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan and Deputy Governor Sandiaga Uno will be highlighted by a variety of entertainment, including free food, with several sidewalk vendors ready to volunteer their services.

"I’m contributing our food from my own pocket," Idham Kholid, 50, the owner of Bakso (meatball) Kumis at Blok S food court in South Jakarta, said on Sunday. He has prepared 100 bakso portions, each consisting of two mega-meatballs 7 centimeters wide.

Idham\'s initiative appeared when, a few days ago, a civil servant of Kebayoran Baru district visited Blok S food court to invited the vendors’ participation in the public celebration. He felt trusted, and considered the inauguration would further popularize his products.

Bakso Kumis produces about 500 meatballs that are sold out every day. Each meatball sells for at Rp 10,000 apiece.

Idham added that his contribution conveyed the appreciation of small-scale businessmen to the Jakarta Administration. He has been running Bakso Kumis for 30 years in Blok S. "Back when my father was still alive, my family was already selling Bakso in Blok S," said Idham.

Feri, 28, a Kapau rice seller at the PKLJP-34 temporary area on Jl. Kramat Raya in Senen district, Central Jakarta, also expressed his appreciation and gratitude. He was ready to volunteer 100 portions for the celebration. "We have been given a clean and comfortable facility," he said. Feri had formerly traded at Senen Market, selling his rice for Rp 25,000-Rp 30,000 per portion.

What will he serve? "They will be the complete [rice dish]," Feri said, indicating that he would provide different side dishes for each portion of Kapau rice served at the celebration.

"Each side dish will be different. There will be fried chicken, grilled chicken, jerked beef, fried lung, fish and other dishes," he said. He thanked the city administration heartily for providing a new location, even though it was only temporary.

The JP-34 temporary trading area occupies part of a sidewalk on Jl. Kramat Raya, Central Jakarta. Pedestrians still have a 1-1.25 meter space to pass along the sidewalks. There, traders of kapau rice and lemang tapai (glutinous rice with coconut milk and salt, cooked in bamboo) display their dishes along a 150-meter sidewalk.

"As the location is cleaner, buyers feel more comfortable enjoying their meals. They feel safer too," said Feri. This was very different from where he used to trade.

Now, the dishes are arranged neatly on tables along storefronts. There is no visible garbage, so there is no unpleasant smell. Instead, the air is filled with the delicious aroma of kapau rice and lemang tapai.

Two traders from the temporary location are ready to contribute to the public celebration, each serving 100 portions. Aside from Feri, there is Novi, 29, a lemang tapai vendor.

"Our participation constitutes our thanks to the outgoing leaders. We feel we were looked after. Our old location was dirty, now it’s much cleaner," Novi said. "Now we want to greet the new leaders. Hopefully, they will be able to continue what their predecessors initiated."

She usually sells one portion of lemang tapai for Rp 25,000, but it will be free for the public celebration.

According to the Central Jakarta head of the Cooperatives, Micro, Small- and Medium-scale Businesses and Trade Office (KUMKMP), Richard Hutagalung, 14 vendors from Central Jakarta, two from East Jakarta and one from South Jakarta will take part in the public celebration.

The 14 Central Jakarta vendors will come from 10 temporary locations, including the districts of Menteng, Tanah Abang, Gambir, Sawah Besar, Senen, and Cempaka Putih.

Afternoon start

According to the plan, the public celebration will be held on Monday afternoon after the inauguration of the new governor and deputy governor. The celebration will be held at City Hall and feature various attractions.

Earlier, the Jakarta government’s KUMKMP Office head said that the public celebration would see the participation of 50 vendors, including 25 official vendors and 25 others from the community.

A number of vendors do not yet know where to place their stalls. Idham, for example, simply said he would depart from his house on Jl. Bangka, South Jakarta, at 3 p.m. "I was just informed to serve the dishes after the maghrib prayer," he said, referring to the daily Islamic prayer observed at sundown. "What I know is that we have to get to City Hall," said Feri. He did not care about where the tables would be located to serve the free food.

Meanwhile, Yani, 31, a caretaker of the sidewalk food vendors at the JP-34 temporary location, said the traders would leave JP-34 to City Hall at 1 p.m. They would start preparing their dishes at 3 p.m.

They will have to be ready by 6 p.m.to serve their dishes to visitors of the public celebration. They were enthusiastic about taking part in their first-ever public celebration.

According to Richard, the sidewalk vendors will be accommodated in the City Hall courtyard.

The conversation with the three vendors shows their enthusiasm for participating in the public celebration. Their hope is that Jakarta will grow as a city of hope.

(DD01/DD16)