Colm Downes
@ColminIndonesia
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Project Management, Diplomatic Training, ELT & Climate Change Education specialist. Author ‘Cambridge English for Job Hunting’. Tweets about #jakartalife
Jakarta, Indonesia
Joined October 2007
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One of the things I love about cycling around Jakarta is that I sit higher up than when I’m on my Supra.
If you ever see me riding around the city, come over and say hi 👋
I’m the bule in black on the bike 🚴🏻
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If you think you understand Indonesia - you’re not trying hard enough.
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There are plenty of differences between the 🇬🇧 and 🇮🇩, but having a great (dark) sense of humour isn't one of them.
Exactly 100 days after a railway station escalator stopped working commuters held a condolence ceremony and laid flowers.
Well played Bekasi 👏
#bekasilife
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Dispelling a few myths about Indonesia. Some people still think I live on a small, underdeveloped island.
The other night I left Starbucks in Semarang just after 10pm and drove to Jakarta. I arrived just home just before 3am. There is a lot more to this story. 1/17
#Indonesia
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Diving with Rahma.
Meet Rahma, the best divemaster I have ever been diving with.
Rahma is a 22-year young Muslim woman from a traditional fishing village called Warloka, about 45 min south of Labuan Bajo by boat.
Rahma is the youngest of three siblings, she has two older
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Congratulations to
#Indonesia
on successfully hosting the
#G20
meeting in Bali this week. I hope the world knows Indonesia a little better now. However, just in case – here’s a thread...
There’s a lot more to Indonesia than Bali. 1/25
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I love Indonesia to pieces but...
...somedays the level of corruption and bureaucracy in this country are truly soul destroying.
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Before you even finish peeling a banana, Veddriq Leonardo has already reached the top of the climbing wall and won the gold medal 🥇🇮🇩
VEDDRIQ LEONARDO! FIRST GOLD OF PARIS 2024 FOR INDONESIA! 🥇🇮🇩
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There is something amazing about the kindness of strangers in an emergency.
This is a story about Indonesia 🇮🇩
This is a story about people 🤝
This is a story about technology📱
And this time, this story is about me too.
It all started 24 hours ago...
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Here's a list of things which Rizki Juniansyah 🇮🇩 could lift above his head:
Honda Supra motorbike ≈ 2 motorbikes
Adult goat = 4 adult goats
Baby goat ≈ 8 baby goats
Coconuts ≈ 114 coconuts
Bananas ≈ 1,481 bananas
Gold medalist 🥇, Olympic Champion, Total Legend 👏
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A photograph of an intense card game in Bogor, Indonesia has won this year’s CEWE Photo Award, beating over half a million other entries.
The CEWE Photo Award 2023 photo competition had 10 different categories celebrating the theme '‘Our world is beautiful’. This week, the 10
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TOP TIPS TO BEAT THE "MACET" IN JAKARTA.
After 3 years of riding my Honda Supra 🛵 around Jakarta, here are my top tips for getting around the Big Durian by motorbike - either as a passenger or riding yourself.
*Macet = Traffic jams / congestion
#Motorbikes
#Martabaks
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Did you know Indonesia's Presidential Election tomorrow will be the world's biggest one-day democratic election ever. 🇮🇩 🗳️
Tomorrow, on Feb. 14, 204.8 million Indonesians aged 17 and above will have the chance to vote for the next president and vice president of the world's
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If headgear were an Olympic sport Indonesia and the Catholic Church would both win a medal.
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Meet Tono from Tasikmalaya, West Java, Indonesia 🇮🇩
Tono is a "Starling" coffee seller.
"Starling" is an abbreviation of two words: Starbucks + Keliling, which means "Mobile Starbucks".
According to Kompass there are over 1,000 Starling traders working in Jakarta. Many of
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Walking around Singapore.
I don’t think I have ever walked around a city quite as quiet as Singapore.
But then again, this might just be because I live in Jakarta.
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An updated list comparing Indonesia with the UK.
🇮🇩 Indonesians are generally better at:
· Being patient when stuck in a traffic jam
· Reverse parking into tight spaces
· Carrying entire families on one motorbike
· Having entire conversations via WhatsApp voice notes
· Eating
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Ok, I'll admit it.
For a very long time, I thought there were A LOT of doctors in Jakarta called Gigi.
#Jakartalife
#notthesmartesttoolinthebox
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My Gado Gado Dilemma…
Without the peanut sauce and krupuk udang my Gado Gado seems pretty healthy. However, the peanut sauce and krupuk are the most enak bit.
Question: Is Gado Gado healthy?
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I’m confused. I thought PDIP were going to go with either Anies or Ahok.
I thought they wanted to win?
#jakartalife
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Admiral Malahayati (fl. 16th century) was a heroic woman who served as an admiral in the navy of the 16th century Aceh Sultanate. She led the ‘Amada Inong Bale’ - the Widow’s Armada - a fleet of battleships crewed by 2,000 brave female warriors.
In November 2017, President Joko
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One day I'm going to write a book about Indonesia and this is going to be the title.
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Indonesian politics has got more plot twists than Game of Thrones it seems.
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Carbon capture & storage.
Worth remembering, Indonesia is already home to the most effective carbon capture & storage invention ever.
> 90 million hectares of tropical forests
> 3rd largest area in the world
> 10% of the world's remaining tropical forests
#DebatCawapres
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Some people still think I live on a small, underdeveloped island. I should invite them to visit. They might be quite surprised.
#Indonesia
#g20
#Wilson
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Thanks for all the comments. I’m glad this photo has triggered happy, nostalgic memories for many people.
I hope the Roti Anget sellers have a great day today. Track them down whilst the bread is still hot.
Selamat makan semuanya.
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For those keen to see the ‘Christopher Nolan’ edit…
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In Indonesia, it’s common for truck drivers to personalise their trucks.
Many drivers paint a picture of their wife or girlfriend on the back, often with a few sweet words, to keep them smiling when they are on the road.
…at least I imagine it’s wives & girlfriends.
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Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Fufufafa.
Fufufafa who?
Once again trying to explain what's going on in Indonesia to my British friends - and it's getting complicated.
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A couple of months ago an English teacher from Baru Island, Maluku reached out to me via Twitter to ask if I would talk to her students for some speaking practice online.
I said yes - it was great fun.
Today, I received eucalyptus oil from Maluku in this box as a thank you.
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Hotel Majapahit, Surabaya, Indonesia.
Beautiful old hotel in East Java at very reasonable rates - just as long as you don't believe in ghosts.*
* There may be a connection here...
The Hotel Majapahit is a historic luxury hotel in Indonesia's 2nd largest city.
The hotel was
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Kenapa roti anget tidak pernah kesepian? Karena selalu ada dalam 'hangat-hangatnya persahabatan!
ChatGPT may have helped me with this joke. I hope it works.
I think I need a sweet roti anget to get me through the rest of Monday afternoon work.
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Pope Francis arrives in Indonesia today 🇮🇩
Pope Francis lands in Indonesia this morning, marking the first papal visit to the country in 35 years. His tour will later extend to Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea, and Singapore.
Key Highlights of the Visit:
> Arrival in Jakarta:
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I once asked a friend “What food do you add ‘kecap’ too?’
He paused, and then replied “Sate… But, to be honest most things taste better with kecap.”
Now I’ve got to go back and ask him which kecap is the best?
Koleksi kecap Nusantara terlengkap sepertinya ada di Grand Lucky, Jakarta (ini foto di Radal)
@arieparikesit
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Well, this escalated quickly!
Thanks for all your comments and likes.
It’s been very…uplifting.
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At 6.40am I took this photograph.
20 mins later I was driving to Lembang, and still in time for my 8am meeting.
Indonesia - a country where you can break down on a motorway in the middle of the night and be back on the road with a new clutch before breakfast. ❤️ - 10/10
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About the same distance as London to Tashkent as the crow flies. 5/17
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My journey home (439 km) was almost entirely along a modern smooth toll road, about the same distance as London to Newcastle. Most vehicles on the road consisted of big SUVs, shiny new coaches covered in bright neon lights and a surprising number of classic Toyota Corollas. 2/17
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Where shall we meet?
At Mie Gacoan
Which one?
The new one
Where?
Near Indomaret
Where?
Opposite Alfamart
Where?
Close to Mixue
#Jakartalife
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I love Indonesia to pieces...
...but my goodness, how is it possible to spend ages queuing for something, like buying coffee, or an ice cream, or a banana, and then when it's your turn to pay, suddenly go 'ohhhh, what shall I have?' and then take forever to decide.
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And you know what the hardest thing is…
…trying to do things right, and get something done by yourself without paying a bribe or an agent.
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The distance from Los Angeles to New York is 3,944 kilometers. 6/17
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Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world. It consists of five major islands and about 30 smaller groups. There are total number of 17,508 islands of which about 6000 are inhabited. Taking a closer look at some of these islands… 8/17
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Indonesia is the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, home to an estimated 231 million Muslims. It is a secular democratic country. The Indonesian constitution guarantees all people in Indonesia the freedom of worship according to his or her own religion or belief. 13/17
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Here's a quick list comparing Indonesia with the UK.
🇮🇩 Indonesians are generally better at:
· Being patient when stuck in a traffic jam
· Reverse parking into tight spaces
· Using mobile phones to do almost anything
· Cooking with tempeh
· Fried chicken
· Speaking indirectly
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Loving my new 'made in Indonesia' MILLS tracksuit 🇮🇩
For years I bought international brands, not as I particularly wanted to be covered in logos, but because I trusted these brands for quality. I still do.
However, recently I've been discovering local brands here in
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Sadly my entry "Warung Starbucks – a place where middle class Indonesians meet and drink overpriced coffee" was not selected as winner.
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I'm telling you
If finding ingenious ways to transport large objects by motorbike was an Olympic sport.
Indonesia would win gold, silver and bronze.
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Ipswich Town have now scored 80 goals this season. It's the middle of March.
Ipswich have scored more than any other club in the UK, and perhaps more than any other team in Europe?
Ali Al Hamadi has scored 4 goals for Ipswich in 108 minutes, from the bench.
#itfc
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Badak tastes a bit like Dr Pepper mixed with licorice, and a hint of listerine. It's got a real kick to it - in a good way. I like it.
#jakartalife
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Thanks everyone who has liked and retweeted my story about Rahma. I agree she is an inspiration.
Some additional information:
1. Education. There is a new junior high school in Warlocka now. These days the children from villages like Warloka go to towns and cities like
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The last leg of this drive took me up onto the Jakarta-Cikampek II (Elevated) Toll Road – a flyover which is 36 kilometers long. 36 kilometers long!! Further than Ipswich to Colchester (I grew up in Suffolk). The M4 Chiswick flyer in London is just over 2 miles long. 3/17
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What do you call a really fast escalator? An escasooner...
I’ll see myself out.
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The current population of Indonesia is 278,815,763 and rising. Indonesia is the fourth most populous country in the world, behind China, India and the United States. This is more than the combined population of Germany, the United Kingdom, France and Italy. 7/17
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The median age of Indonesian citizens (29.7 years) is relatively young. However, this 'demographic bonus' will only be an opportunity if the younger generation are equipped with education and skills necessary to realise their potential, both as employees and entrepreneurs. 4/22
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Whilst there is still huge wealth disparity in Indonesia, there are over 100,000 millionaires and more than 1000 people with net worth of more than $50 million. There are more than 170 shopping malls in Jakarta alone. 15/17
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This sounds like a long journey, and it was. However, from East to West Indonesia is more than 5000 kilometres. 4/17
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To be honest my favourite bit of this meal was the rogue ‘Emping’ cracker.
I have got a serious weakness for Emping. Once you Emping, you just can’t stop.
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On Monday President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and First Lady Iriana Jokowi hosted a spectacular gala dinner for leaders of the
#G20
. 2/25
If like me your invitation went missing in the post. Don’t worry you can watch it all here:
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Kalimantan is the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo. Kalimantan "burning weather island" is the proposed site of the new Indonesian capital. Kalimantan covers a total area of approx. 539,237 km². By comparison the UK covers an area of approximately 242,495 km². 9/17
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Sumatra is a large Indonesian island west of Java and south of the Malay Peninsula, known for its rugged tropical terrain, wildlife and smouldering volcanoes. It covers an area of approximately 473,481 km². By comparison Japan covers an area of approx. 377,975 km². 10/17
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In Papua the official language is Bahasa Indonesian. Estimates of the number of local languages in the region range from 200 to over 700. The predominant official religion is Christianity, often combined with traditional practices and beliefs, followed by Islam. 12/17
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4) Police Sirens
If you notice a siren or flashing blue lights approaching from behind, you must give way.
This will either be:
1. The Police
2. Someone important getting a Police escort
3. Someone not important who has fitted a siren and flashing blue lights to their car
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As I drove up onto 36 km elevated toll road heading towards the capital, I could see Jakarta’s skyline in front of me. There are 88 high-rise buildings in Jakarta taller than 150m, and 26 more under construction, including four supertall buildings taller than 300m. 17/17
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I myself live in Jakarta on the island on Java, the world's most populous island with a population of 147.7 million people. Driving home from Semarang during Ramadan-end ‘mudik’, I joined an estimated 85 million Indonesians on the move. 16/17
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By the way
@MahyarTousi
and
@TheRealKeean
- it’s called Batik and it’s awesome. I dedicate this thread to you. Come and visit and I’ll take you shopping for a shirt or two.
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Apologies for any mistakes. Mohon maaf atas segala kesalahan.
All the maps were created using - a truly fantastic website which I encourage everyone to visit and have a play with.
Information is Beautiful. Have a good weekend all.
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Indonesia is also home to about 28.6 million Christians, just over 10% of the population. Whilst the population of Indonesia is predominantly Muslim, the island of Bali is an exception where about 87% of its people identify as Hindu. There are >4.5 million Hindus in Bali. 14/17
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Western New Guinea, also known as Papua, is the western portion of the Melanesian Island of New Guinea which is administered by Indonesia. New Guinea is the world's second-largest island behind Greenland. In 2020, Western New Guinea had an estimated population of 5,437,775. 11/17
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@trussliz
Is that it?
Just quietly dropping this pitiful concession speech a day and half too late, whilst you know everyone is watching the football?
No apologies then Liz? No best wishes for the winning candidate? No grace or remorse?
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I love Indonesia to pieces, but…
If I’m going to shop in your shop, drink in your cafe, eat in your restaurant and park in your supposedly free car park, then I really do think that parking should actually be free.
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Indonesia is the 15th biggest country in the world covering a total area of approximately 1,904,569 km2. Argentina is the 8th covering 2,780,400Km2. Russia is by far the biggest covering 17,098,242 km2. From east to west Indonesia stretches over 5,000 kilometres. 3/22
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10) Maximum load?
You can carry absolutely anything on a motorbike in Indonesia. As a general rule of thumb the limit is simply your imagination.
If you think it's not possible to carry something by motorbike, you're probably wrong.
* Please share examples as comments below.
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I created this thread with the aim of spreading greater knowledge about Indonesia. I hope you liked it and learnt something new.
Here's a copy of my slides (with and without my added comments) if you'd like to use them or edit and make your own.
➡️
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This week at
#COP27
, The world’s three largest rainforest nations Brazil, Democratic Republic of Congo and Indonesia formally launched a climate partnership to cooperate on forest preservation. Together, they are home to more than half the world’s rainforest habitat. 5/22
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How well do you know Indonesia? 🇮🇩
Elizabeth Pisani, author of Indonesia Etc, once famously quoted an Indonesian businessman who called Indonesia “the biggest invisible thing on the planet”.
Read this 🧵 and find out more about Indonesia.
Indonesia is the 15th biggest country in the world covering a total area of approximately 1,904,569 km2. Argentina is the 8th covering 2,780,400Km2. Russia is by far the biggest covering 17,098,242 km2. From east to west Indonesia stretches over 5,000 kilometres. 3/22
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Delicious wood fired oven pizza last night in Pizzeria by Pizza Place, Kemang, Jakarta
Mother of Wolf Pizza: 115,000 IDR
Coca Cola: 17,000 IDR
Water: Free
Total: 132,000 IDR ++
#Jakartalife
#EnakSekali
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The best public swimming pool in Indonesia?
Crystal clear 50m Olympic pool in the middle of a forest 20 mins outside Ubud. Also, being in Bali it's naturally right next to a temple. A water temple.
Tirta Ayum Public Swimming Pool.
Entrance fee: 7,500 Rp (40p).
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I love GBK, but looking at the ⛈️ I’m happy
#EdSheeran
is playing at JIS tonight.
JIS is the largest stadium in Asia (second largest in the world) with a retractable roof.
Hope this roof closes tonight if it’s still raining.
#EdSheeraninJakarta
#Indonesia
🇮🇩
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3) Beeping your horn
If you forget to move the instant a traffic light turns green - do not worry, an orchestra of car and motorcycle horns will beep loudly to 'kindly' remind you to get a move on.
* Beeping is used in many ways. If in doubt beep loud and beep often.
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Another day, another Soto. This time I’m eating Soto Tangkar - it’s so good I almost don’t have the words. 🥣😋
If you like great food, you simply have to try this place. Soto Tangkar PCC, Jl Pluit Putri, Pluit, North Jakarta.
#EnakSekali
#Emping
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Thanks everyone who has liked and retweeted my story about Rahma. I agree she is an inspiration.
Here's Rahma in her own words being interviewed at home in Warlocka, during the pandemic.
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Ramadan Mubarak ✨🌜
Selamat menyambut bulan suci Ramadhan.
Annur Mosque in Cipete, Jakarta
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7) Smoke
When riding home in the early evening you may suddenly find yourself surrounded by smoke.
Do not fear you are not on fire; you are mostly likely passing a street food Sate seller. Stop and have a bite.
Sate = A tasty dish of seasoned, skewered, grilled meat.
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Enjoy your lunch semuanya. Today culinary adventure is Padang food at R.M. Sinar Minang in Gading Serpong.
Makan Padang Siang Siang
Rasanya Nendang Sayang
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“Whatever you think you can do or believe you can do, begin it. Action has magic, grace and power in it.”
Veddriq Leonardo believed he could; and today he won the gold medal and is the Olympic Champion🥇🇮🇩
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