Jakarta during the Pandemic

National Monument or Monas, one of Jakarta's landmarks, which looks deserted.

Hi, everyone.

Hope you all are okay!

I believe you are staying at home to ensure you are safe and healthy during this hard time.

COVID - 19 is still out there and addressing pandemic is not that easy at all.

We are forced to change the way we live and not all the changes are easily managed.

But we have to stay optimistic and positive.. that we can fight the virus back.

Indonesia is no exception.

We have seen the soaring numbers of confirmed cases lately as we have more tests being conducted.  It is better to know those who have been exposed to people suffering from the infection and treat patients under investigation with the full protocol. But of course, stronger discipline is the key. 

We have many new policies being in place in order to ensure that the spread of Corona virus is not getting worse and worse. Stay at home, work from home and study from home are all effective now. All my diplomatic training sessions, including all the tests are conducted online and still packed with sessions and papers or assignments.

It was quite a big adjustment for almost everyone but that's the best we can do at this point.

In Jakarta, PSBB or Pembatasan Social Berskala Besar, literally translated as Large Scale Social Restrictions, has been implemented since Friday, April 10, 2020.

Although it was a long weekend, as Easter starts to be celebrated, the streets was mostly empty and quiet. Only limited business sectors (14 sectors if I'm not mistaken) are allowed to open during this two - week curfew, including food and beverages (only takeaways, no dine in), groceries, hospital and pharmacies, gas station, and important services. Strict implementation of physical distancing, even in the car, is strictly imposed as well. 

The parking lot...which is never empty before..

I still have to go to my clinic and hospital for my monthly check up and get my medicine.
We have similar appointment method but we also have to follow a strict procedure at the hospitals, particularly as they become the centers of treatment for COVID - 19 patients.
I guess with social distancing, they significantly reduce the number of appointments in a day as it make the hospital less crowded as well.

I am on my way to my doctor.

Mask has to be worn and social distancing is strictly practiced, including in the waiting lounge and at the elevator.
Hand sanitizers are provided but you are encouraged to wash your hands properly with soap and running water and bring your own hand sanitizers in case of low supplies at the health clinic or hospital.
Chairs are clearly marked to give enough distance among the patients and less direct contact is made while processing documents or medicine.

At the elevator...keep your distance.

And I go out to get groceries once in a week or two, depending on our supplies.
Once we went out to go to the hospital and  get my medicine and we passed Gambir train station as well as my office and the surrounding areas.
It was almost deserted.

The gates at Gambir Train Station are locked

I have never seen Jakarta, the capital city, like this before.
The streets are almost empty.
Of course we still have a few people on the streets, many of them are the officers, but still it is eerily empty.
We passed the streets which were always be the worst traffic spots during regular time, like Pramuka, Pemuda, Cikini, Gambir Station, Pejambon, Medan Merdeka, and the surrounding areas.

Aku sebelumnya ngga pernah lihat Jakarta sesepi ini.
Bahkan saat lebaran, di mana jutaan penghuni Jakarta mudik ke kampungnya masing - masing pun tidak pernah sesepi ini.
Paling tidak, jalanan masih dipadati orang - orang yang memang sengaja menikmati kelengangan ibukota.
Tapi kali ini terasa sangat lain.
Sepi yang mencekam.
Tanpa bermaksud lebay, aku malah agak sedih melihat Jakarta yang sunyi senyap seperti ini karena terbayang banyak mereka yang dirugikan dengan kondisi sekarang.

Tugu Pembebasan Irian Barat in Lapangan Banteng..so empty!

But I have to admit I love to see the clear blue sky!

With less traffic, the sky is returning to its prime state and it will certainly benefit everyone.

I sincerely with we will be able to keep this beautiful sky even after the pandemic.

Can we do that? I honestly don't know.

Yang pasti aku sangat menikmati langit biru, udara yang relative lebih bersih dan juga jalanan tanpa macet. Nyaman sekali memang, walaupun sekarang ada ancaman virus yang tak terlihat mata. Semoga sesudah pandemik ini berlalu kita bisa tetap menjaga keindahan dan kesegaran alam Indonesia.

In front of my office, Jl. Taman Pejambon

Rawamangun Bus Terminal. Also empty..

So sad to see how horrible the impact of Corona virus to many of us.
Especially to those who are depending their lives on daily basis.
I mean, Jakarta is no longer suffering from crazy traffic which is good of course, but it also means that people are having issues staying at home without any assuring income for their family.
I am glad the government is working extra hard to make things better.
Although of course it might not please everybody but at least helps and assistances are provided to those in need. I really hope those programs will work.

I also sincerely hope the pandemic will end soon and we all can enjoy our healthy and social lives again. Let's fight it together!

Stay safe and healthy everyone, wherever you are!

Wonderful Wednesday with My Purple World, Oh My Heartsie Girls, and Friends

Hi everyone.

I know many  us have seen staggering numbers of victims of COVID 19 and frankly, I have to say it's depressing. Let alone the horrifying impacts of the spread of the virus..not only on the economic sector, but almost in everything. 

I went out to get my medicine and I saw lines of taxis, online ojek or motorcycle taxi, bajaj (another traditional transportation mode id Indonesia) and more, waiting for customers which are almost non-existence. It's so sad to think how they will cope with day-to-day life if they have no income :(. I imagine their wives, kids, parents, family at home waiting for them and they just can't bring enough money. This virus has horribly effected each and everyone of us and it is not that easy at all. 

I believe, in this time of crisis ,we have to stand hand-in-hand and help one another to cope with this virus. We have so many great initiatives here and there to help those who need the most, like our doctors and medical staff, those depending their lives on daily income, and more. I sincerely hope we can work together during this hard time. So many heartbreaking stories but this too shall pass.

Let's fight COVID 19, Jakarta!

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WW: More Spring to Celebrate

I know many of us are now in confinement, either practising social and physical distance or even lock down policy.

Corona virus is still rampantly out there and the best way of keeping ourselves and others safe are by staying healthy and try not to get infected. I know it's so easy to say that but we can definitely try our best to do it!

Meanwhile, I have decided to celebrate spring, which is blooming beautifully out there. Again I have some photos taken years ago and I just love to put it here in my blog so that we can keep our hopes up. Seeing the colorful world is indeed my mood booster.

Jakarta has been very humid lately.
Sometimes it''s raining cats and dog although it's only fo a while.
Thunders are joining few times although it's not that terrifying. 
Except for my cats :), which seems to be longing the world outside as well.

But I love the rain.
It keeps the earth cool and hydrated, the flowers are blooming as well.
I love the smell of the earth during and after the rain.
So fresh.
And I can enjoy this wonderful, simple thing as I have some times to pause for a while and observe the nature.

Sometimes, I think what we have now is just a little break everyone , and probably everything, is needed.
The earth desperately needs a break from that shattering, non-stop abuses we do in the name of modernity and industries.
We need a break from the living -in-a-fast-lane mode that we are frustratingly doing on daily basis.
Even the sky can use this little break, too. 
Bringing back its clear, blue canvas, along with the fresh air we crave.
And life continues in a a different direction.
At least for now.

cheers from my mini front yard :)

 So I won't be complaining for now.
I will just cherish the moment that we all are rarely given to further contemplate of what the world is trying to tell us through this pandemic.
And we will stay strong and healthy until the end of this trying time.
Here's for more springs ahead!

Stay healthy and safe, everyone

What have you been doing lately?
Do you keep your productivity on top gear while staying mostly at home?
Stay safe and healthy wherever you are!                                                   

Spring time in Japan

Staying at home for two full weeks, although amidst never ending home works for the kids and my own assignment, makes me take the liberty to dig up my files and post some old photos and videos. I realised I have tons of them even from 10 years ago, when we lived in Geneva, Switzerland , and took so many photos during our road trip to more than 20 countries in Western and Central Europe. Well, let's see whether I can bring them back alive and put them in My Purple World.

One thing for sure, it is now spring in many parts of the world, particularly in the western hemisphere. In Indonesia, spring is probably all year long, as we only have dry and rainy seasons along the year. 
And I love spring.
It always brings back the colors and the fun after a long, dull, cold winter.
It brings hope for new beginning, a new chapter of life.
Something to look forward to.

Well, as we are now fighting the pandemic, wherever we are, we long for that beautiful and warm spring, don't we? But as many of us are practising physical and social distancing, some are even in lock down, let's celebrate spring virtually. 

Morning cherry blossoms walk in Ueno Park, Japan

I still have so many photos of spring that I haven't really put here.
Including those from Spring time in Ueno, Japan, back in March 2018.
I transited in Tokyo on my way to Noumea, New Caledonia in the Pacific.
It was two years ago but it felt like yesterday.
That was also my first time coming to this Land of the Rising Sun.

I just managed to make the video of my spring trip to Japan.
I know..it's been too long but not that long enough to forget how lovely the trip was.

Feel free to enjoy the photos as much as I do and tell me what you think about spring.

I did manage to go to Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden as well to see more cherry blossoms and enjoy more spring in Japan.

But hey, spring time in New York City is also beautiful.
We had so much time enjoying the cherry blossoms in Brooklyn Botanical Garden, the UN Rose Garden, and Flushing Meadow, Corona Park, Queens.

Cheers from the Brooklyn Botanical Garden

Now I kinda miss the UN Headquarters which looks lovely every spring due to those beautiful lines of cherry trees blooming in the Rose Garden, against the background of East River and the Queensboro Bridge. Well, you can see how I miss those places!

Happy spring, everyone!

So how do you enjoy spring in your place?
Is it your favorite season?

Meanwhile, wherever you are, stay healthy, happy and safe!
Happy spring and cheers..

Corona Virus and How to Tell the Kids about it

Work From Home and School From Home Week #2.

How is everyone surviving?

We certainly have to listen to the authorities, come to our senses and try to cut the spread of Corona Virus or COVID - 19 by staying at home and practicing social distancing, as well as trying to keep our immune system strong and healthy. In Indonesia, the number of the confirmed case is still rising but I applaud the government to work faster in dealing with it. Wish us luck! We have learnt a lot from China as well as Italy and other places which are fighting the same fight. Let's cut the transmission chain and flatten the curve!

Meanwhile, for the last week and another week to go, my kids are regularly supplied with materials and exercises as well assignments by their teachers. Regardless of the joy of staying at home with gadgets around and non-stop wifi, the kids do miss their schools, especially their friends. They sometimes ask me and quarrel why they cannot have their friends come over to the hour or work on their group project of making movies. They have been assigned to make one but since the pandemic, they are strongly advised to stay at home and avoid the crowds. So it is suspended for a while.

But kids are kids. 
No matter how comfortable the home is, they do miss going outside.
Well, we the parents also miss those rituals of going out like dining out, going out for groceries, walking around in the park, going out to the movies, play dating with their cousins, hitting the beach and so many more. We need to explain to them why those simple things can not be done now, not until the cure for COVID - 19 is found and we all can be free from it.

I have found a very helpful e-book about Corona Virus called COVIBOOK that you can download for free at https://www.mindheart.co/descargables. 
Have you seen or read this before?

It is distributed in many Whatsapp group and I have visited the Instagram account of the author, Manuela Molina at @mindheart.kids (https://www.instagram.com/mindheart.kids)  to say thank you personally for preparing this book and asking for here permission to write about it in my blog. 

She has written this simple, pictorial book about COVID - 19 that is very child-friends. I guess it will help us explain the situation we are facing now the kids easier. It also asks the kids to take simple steps such as washing their hands and stay at home in order to help stopping the virus. It is also calming as it says that the parents and adults taking care of them will take good care of them. Go check it out yourself. 

In Bahasa Indonesia

She has many versions of the e-book, from Spanish to English, from Polish to German, Portuguese, French, Russian, Turkish, Greek, Serbian, Croatian, Hebrew, Danish, and Bahasa Indonesia! Very handy indeed!

I sincerely hope you can benefit from this lovely e-book and it will help the kids to understand and take necessary actions to help us fight this virus!

Stay healthy and happy, wherever you are!