to Jakarta

In about a month time, we are going to Jakarta and plan to stay there for about a month time. I am excited as well as nervous at the same time. I am excited because I have plans to see friends and family that I have not seen for a while and catch up with them and not to forget to visit restaurants and places that I used to go.

I am nervous because, I don't think Jakarta is a good enough place for Caden to stay (even for a while). Living in USA and Singapore, changed my whole view about Jakarta.

Jakarta now for me is

1. a very polluted city (I watched a documentary movie not too long ago and it said that Jakarta only had 5 good air days in 2006), therefore is not a good place to raise children, if you have an option to stay somewhere else like me,
2. the place for traffic jam = waste your time (destination that can be reach in 30 minutes, could take up to 2-3 hours at peak times),
3. not a fun place for children to stay. Here in Singapore, I can take Caden to the garden and pool area below our condominium or I can take him to the nearby park. I can also bring Caden to many enrichment centers that are not offered in Jakarta (or you choose not to take it because you might be wasting your time for the hours and hours journey to reach the place and back!)
4. Because of the Government lack of control, some of the food products are not safe to eat and difficult to find a fresh ones like in Singapore.
5. a place where Caden may fall sick expecially flu!

Anyway, despite of that, Jakarta is still my country where I was born and stay for my first 14 years of life. Many of my relatives are still living there. So we have to visit Jakarta every so often, and Caden has to adjust to the super dirty and polluted air and not so clean environment.

I have prepared myself with our trip to Jakarta. I have bought all kinds of medicine just in case; diarrhea, flu and cough (from doctors and organic ones), vomiting, mosquito patch (100 patch in all - about 3 a day), fever, and medicines for blocked nose.

I am also bringing Caden's formula from here because I heard the one in Jakara is different (although the same brand), just to make sure Caden won't get diarrhea. I was thinking of bringing meats and vegetable from here but I think it's a crazy idea..... but I will bringing his brown rice from here though.....^_^

I just hope Caden will cope well there and hope all the preparation that I have done, will make this travel to Jakarta easier for him.

PS: A friend told me that babies at the age of 6-18 months don't like to travel, they like routines very much and different environment and different routines will confused them which could results in refusing to eat or difficult to sleep. I pray hard that this won't happen!