Things Indo Shopkeepers Say That Puts You Off Shopping

Indo shopkeeper can be very friendly (when they want to). However, they sometimes can't filter what they say...

In a clothing shop trying on jeans
Me: It's too small, I can't zip it up. Do you have one size up?
Shopkeeper: No, that's the biggest one. It's because your butt is big.
Me: -__- not buying anymore.

Got a text message when I got to department store from Skinfood about 50% off today (sometimes it's scary how they know where you are and text you special deals once you step your feet into the mall. Or parking lot of the mall... I wonder if Indo has privacy law in place). So I went.

Me: *browsing through the skin care products*
Shopkeeper: Hello...
Me: Hello.
Shopkeeper: We have special offer of 50% off skincare today.
Me: oh yeah, ok, thank you.
Shopkeeper: Sis, this product would definitely suits you very well. I guarantee it! *smiling widely while pointing her finger to a range of products targeted for acne prone and troubled skin*
Me: Wth... Let's go -_-"

My mum took us shopping pyjamas at the market as we needed some clean pyjamas for staying over at my bestie's. While looking, my mum also took a look at the range of nighties the seller had.

Mum: Do you have anything that's a bit wider from waist down? Nowadays the nighties are not as wide as they used to be at the bottom... (This is actually true. I noticed that too since I like flowy and loose nighties).
Seller: Ah, can't be, they are always the same size. Your butt must be the one getting bigger ma'am.
Me and mum: -.-
Me: Sir, you better not say that kind of thing to your customer if you don't want to drive them away -_-!
Seller: hahaha...

Jakarta Flood

I don't currently have anything I passionately want to talk about. However, I'm on my way to work and have neither reading material nor movies to watch. Well, I have mockingjay to read, but I don't want to regret later on to finish the book before the movie is out, so I better not read it. So let's start my random blabbering :)

Jakarta Indonesia is in flood. As always. I would be surprised if they don't have one in a year. The timing is correct as usual too! Just a week before the Chinese New Year. I don't know why, but the flood never fails to come before Chinese New Year. Maybe the Rain God does his spring cleaning and throwing all the mopping water to the earth?

This year's flood makes people complain about Jakarta's current governor Ahok. One of the promises made when he and Indo's current president were campaigning to be Jakarta's leaders was to fix the flooding issue. People are saying, "Didn't you say if you were a governor, Jakarta won't experience flood anymore? You are just big talk and no outcome!" Etc... Etc...

Well, I think he's been in Jakarta only for 2 years? And people expect him to fix 40 years of flooding problem in 2 years. You tell me, aren't you crazy? I personally don't expect Jakarta to be flood free after he became the governor. Now, read with singlish accent, "You think he is god meh??".

However, he's been doing great work so far. And the most important thing is, he did DO work. Unlike the other governors who I can't recall their names simply because they didn't do anything noticeable.

My home is in East Jakarta. And I have seen the difference in the area.
1. The river along Pasar Mester/Bukit Duri has been cleaned up. Illegal housings torn down and the not illegal stores along the river have been torn down too because it's dangerous to have them there, and because they need to do some work to that area to fix the issue. My friend was actually one of the victims of that clean up. She posted so many status updates on Facebook complaining. She felt it was unfair. She grew up there all these years and suddenly was forced to leave. She said they were told just days before the day so they didn't have time to prepare. However, according to my mum, they have got the letters months before, but they ignored them. I don't know which one is right, but that area is now clean and rubbish has been taken out of the river too.

2. My parents' store used to be in the area where it's the first to be flooded (Legok, Kampung Melayu), and the one that got hit the worst. However this time, she had to call people who still live in that area to check if it's flooded. That area was not mentioned in the news. Turns out, weeks before this flood started, people have been sent out to this area to clean the sewers. Total of 7 truckload of sand/mud/i don't know what else were cleared from the sewers! So, after about 20+ years, that area is not flooded!! *tears of joy lol*

Surely he did other things in other part of Jakarta, but I'm not going to talk about them. The funny thing was, he cleaned the dam in Pluit, north of Jakarta, and added so many pumps to have the water pumped out to the sea faster. However, when water started to rise at the beginning of this week, you know what happened? The electricity was OFF!!! ROTFL :P of course those machines couldn't work -.- the generator can only make 2 of the 9 pumps available work. Therefore, the flood started. Apparently the National Electricity Company turned off the electricity supplies to that area to avoid electric shocks (before the flood happened). Surely they should be able to still supply to the important ones, shouldn't they? When I heard the news I was half laughing half banging my head to the desk lol. He, was furious and went on requesting the president to give the order to make the dam a special area and electricity supplied 24 hours. Just like the presidential palace.

Unfortunately the weather forecast for Jakarta today and tomorrow is rain again. In addition, the neighboring city, Bogor, who every year shares their abundant water supply with Jakarta whether we like it or not, is having the same forecast. So, most probably Jakarta will be flooded again tomorrow, be it due to rain or due to Bogor sending us their love with water -.-