“Central Jakarta, here I come!”

Honestly, I am waiting for this adventure with our buddies, for we are now going to Central Jakarta where all the attractions that I am eyeing are located. This has been a wonderful opportunity because the day that we went is a holiday due to the celebration of the Lunar New Year.

After Miss Fauziyyah Isra and I went to Cibubur Junction, I went to PGC to meet Dinda Asyifa and the SEA Teachers from the Mariano Marcos State University: Twinkle Joy Bautista, Samantha Nicole Tagari and Jessa Mae Banquirig. PGC (Pusat Grosir Cililitan) has been known to the presence of shops that offers lower prices on goods, especially on clothes. This is also the reason why I met them at this place because Twinkle, Samantha and Jessa bought their souvenirs. After this, we rode the TransJakarta Bus going to Monas.

Bus TransJakarta is only of the many options of public transportation in the city. It has different lines that passes in different bus stops. They are also maximizing the latest technology in sustaining the tickets through tap cards and systematic management of the flow of the people inside the stations.

I am excited to go to Central Jakarta because I was looking forward to see the attractions and to know its historical significance, since that it is the center of governance where the offices of the ministers are found and where they displayed their development through the tall buildings that we saw.

After an hour of travelling and two transfers for the route of the TransJakarta Bus, we arrived at Monas at around 3:00 pm. The National Monument, famously called as Monas by locals, is a tall tower located in Central Jakarta which symbolizes the independence of Indonesia from foreign invaders. It has been an attraction from daylight until the night where it flashes different colors of light. There is also a museum inside and visitors can climb to the top to see the full view of Jakarta. However due to the time because it closes in the afternoon, we were not able to enter the monument and instead, we decided to be there until the night to see how beautiful Monas is while waiting for our friends to come who were from Ancol, a beach in North Jakarta.

While waiting, we decided to roam around the souvenir shops where we bought pens and keychains at a cheaper price to be brought to the Philippines for our friends. After this, we met Ralph Benjo Azas and Ma. Lourdes Heyres, together with our buddies from UHAMKA – Cocom, Rosalina and Nuke Dhelta Pabelia Carl at the food center inside the compound of Monas where we tried different Indonesia cuisine such as the Mie Ayam which I ordered, Nasi Goreng, Nasi Lele and Satay Ayam. Even though that the sambal that is always present in meals is spicy, the food tasted good.

After we eat in which the MMSU students left to prepare for their final evaluation the following day, we see how beautiful Monas is at night for it flashes different colors and is pleasing to our sight. We took photos in front of it and after that, we went home through riding again the TransJakarta Bus.

Monas symbolizes the urge of the citizens of Indonesia for freedom, and this can be instilled in through the buildings and monuments which attracts its citizens to not only see it, but also to reflect on the foundation of identity as a nation. In this, I realized that seeing my own contribution as a citizen of my country must be done because our actions has an effect to the good of my own community.