Ok, if you really can't live without your glass of wine every evening, then don't come to Jakarta. Unless of course, you are coming to work in a job with a massive salary and you really will not know what to do with your money every month. In which case, you won't mind spending €40 - €50 on a bottle of wine that would probably cost you a quarter of that back home. Being a teacher, I don't really have that option. No big salary equals no frequent purchasing of wine. What can I say? It SUCKS. I thought I could be one of those 'oh I don't need a glass of wine in the evening to relax me' types. However after two and a half months (only!) in Jakarta, I realise I was wrong. I am one of those 'I need a BOTTLE of wine in the evening to relax me' types. I miss wine. We could buy bottles of the stuff in Dublin for €7. Good, decent wine. Not possible here. Not ever! But yesterday, I had a moment of weakness and I caved in. It wasn't planned. We were at Bali Deli in Blok M and they were having 'specials' on the wine. I use specials here in the very loose sense because let's face it, if the prices they were offering here were called specials in Ireland there would be a riot! I bought one bottle for the grand sum of Rp. 199,000 which is equivalent to about €13. So not bad. I convince myself I am getting a bargain. I swear I carried the plastic bottle from the check out to motorbike to apartment like it was a crystal vase. I bordered on the neurotic. It was scary. Anytime the motorbike hit a pothole, I exclaimed 'protect the wine'. Yes, my friends, this is what two and a half months in Jakarta without wine does to someone. Frightening! Mind you, if you had to face the streets of Jakarta with such a treasured purchase you might find yourself doing the same. I hope Bali Deli has a few more 'specials' over the coming weeks!
