Running Away from Jakarta

KOMPAS/DIDIE SW

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Jakarta is like a weird romantic partner. It is terribly annoying and yet wonderfully attractive at the same time. In recent years, many other Indonesian cities have begun to equal Jakarta’s charm. In this digital era, with the world having become borderless, are Indonesian youths still attracted to building their careers in the Indonesian capital?

“There are too many people living in this place,” said Irsyad Muhammad on Monday (18/6/2018). The University of Indonesia student said that Jakarta had completely worn him out. “It’s not just Jakarta. It’s the whole of Java Island.”

After graduating from college, Irsyad said he wished to pursue a master’s degree abroad, specifically in Germany. He said he was improving his German language skills to prepare for it.

“After finishing with my education, I want to be a researcher. Researchers can go anywhere they want. Hopefully, I can get out of the capital – even out of Java,” said the history student.

Jakarta State University (UNJ) student Latifah shared Irsyad’s sentiments, saying that she was tired of all the hustle and bustle in Jakarta. She said that people should really think twice before deciding to reside in the city, as Indonesia nowadays had many modern cities other than Jakarta.

Latifah said that she was personally attracted to Yogyakarta. She said she wished to build her career there while seeking new environments as well. “My skill is in writing. So that’s what I’ll do in Yogyakarta. The point is to get far away from Jakarta, even if I’m still connected to the city through work,” she explained.

Afrian Mahendra Nur Saputra feels the same. He said that Jakarta was no longer conducive to career-building. Massive urbanization in the city has made it stiflingly hot for him.

The Gunadarma University student said that he dreamed of living in Yogyakarta, where he could have a peaceful life away from the capital’s maddening crowd. “Perhaps I’ll just be a freelancer. I love peacefulness, including in my work.”

Afrian said he resented Jakarta’s constant din and traffic, with snarls of cars and motorbikes not only on major thoroughfares but also on smaller, “alternative” roads. Some have even said that working in Jakarta makes people “grow old on the road”. This is why many youths nowadays are thinking twice before settling down in the city.

Quydo Ihya Iqrazi, 19, is among the Jakartans who are exhausted in dealing with the city’s traffic every single day. He said that after graduating from tourist school, he dreamt of opening a café somewhere outside of Jakarta.

He refused to even consider having a desk job with strict office hours. He said that he did not have the energy for it, as it would force him to go through Jakarta’s ungodly traffic jams twice a day.

Compromise

Such hopes and dreams usually change upon graduation. Professional demands often force people to “make peace” with various discomforts, including traffic chaos. Whether through misfortunes or otherwise, Jakarta is known for testing people’s ability to make compromises.

Ahmad Latif, 23, feels this. Six months ago, he chose to settle in Jakarta. “The city has more opportunities,” said Ahmad, who previously sold local delicacy pecel lele (fried catfish with chili and raw vegetables) in Kampar regency, Riau.

It was his first time moving to another city, after having graduated from high school in Tulang Bawang, Lampung. He could not enjoy the luxury of going to college as he had to earn a living on his own.

After having difficulties competing with other roadside sellers for three years, he chose to stop selling pecel lele and try his luck elsewhere. He said that his business partner ran away with his money. Latif then applied for a job as a security guard in an apartment in Kuningan, South Jakarta.

After three months on the job, he found that he disliked it. He said that he was often working overtime, carrying out tasks outside of his main duties. “I parked cars and delivered water gallons to tenants. My friends did not have to do such work,” he said.

Now, he traverses Jakarta’s streets as an ojek [motorcycle taxi] driver for a ride-hailing transportation service company. He brought his own motorbike from Lampung. He eats Jakarta’s traffic jams for breakfast. “Indeed, Jakarta’s traffic jams are out of this world. However, by working as an ojek driver, I have good income. It feels like I’m my own boss,” he said.

Jakarta is now 491 years old. Governor Anies Baswedan recently said the city was an economic hub not only for Indonesia but also for Asia (Kompas, 23/6/2018). Infrastructure development has sped up, including in mass transportation, hotels, shopping centers and tourist destinations. Hopefully, development programs will improve not only physical facilities but also quality of life.

(HEI/**)