I deal with the hustle and bustle of Jakarta on a daily basis. We still don’t own a car, so I use taxis to go everywhere. Since sometimes it’s faster to walk, I walk. This is a photo I took when I was on a street looking for a cab. Below is photos I took on one of the major and busiest streets in Jakarta called Jalan Sudirman.
One day last week I went to Cahaya to buy a lamp shade. I introduced Cahaya here on my blog about a month or so ago. I will eventually post about my daughters’ bedroom and you will see their new lamp shade there.
I walked into the store, bought a lamp shade, paid for it, and got out of the store. Even though it was less than 5 minutes, by the time I got out of the store, it started raining. I was outside the store trying to catch a cab, but I was unsuccessful. There is simply no taxi available when it’s raining! The store owner, Frida, noticed that I was trying to hitch a cab in the rain. She popped her head out of the front door and invited me in to her store to wait inside. She is so kind.
I walked inside and started talking with Frida, who is on the right side of the photo below. The girl on the left side is Rosa and she has been at the store whenever I have visited there before and she has also been nice, helpful and friendly. They both are wonderful people.
I asked Frida how she started her business. She told me that ever since she was little, she was always fascinated with lamps and started collecting different lamp shades. She has always loved seeing different patterns and shapes. When she lived in Australia for her college education, she bought even more lamp shades. Upon her return to Jakarta after having completed her education in Australia, she opened her lamp store in Kemang, South Jakarta. It is the business that was born from her passion for lamps. I was fascinated with her story.
It is hard for me to not own a car in Jakarta, but that day, it made me think that it wasn’t too bad sometimes. At least this time, it gave me a valuable opportunity to sit down and talk.
Cahaya
Jl. Kemang Timur 35B
Jakarta 12730
(021)7181718
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