Page 47 and a strange fruit.

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Staying with important road safety measures.
After heave rain, it's common for small sinkholes to appear, and it's very important to mark them in order to protect motorists.
As you can see from this well lit, highly reflective warning table, safety is taken very seriously out here.

 

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The Aston at Anyer had a few very minor niggles, but it's not even officially open yet, and it's pretty great.
I'll be visiting again.
I will now shut up about my lovely holiday ... until I make the video.

 

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Guys sell semi precious stones all over the place here - even setting up outside police stations.
I'm not really into bling bling, but they do a reasonable trade.

 

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To repair a road.

Toss a load of stones into a hole.

Leave them there as a danger to passing motorcycles, but only untll you get around to the next bit.

Get tarnac and a shovel

Dump the tarmac onto the stones.

 

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When you've done all that, smooth off the tarmac

Then jump up and down on it ...... ner, use this thing.

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Then move on to the next lot of holes - loads to go at after rainy season.

 

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People often ask me why I want to stay here, rather than a much more developed western country.
One of the many reasons is crime - or the very low level of it.
I'm not claiming Indonesia is free of crime, but it's nothing compared to the UK.
Try leaving this lot hung on a motorbike whilst you go shopping in any English city; it won't be there when you get back, but it's very common to see this here.

 

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No unemployment benefits means people work - or starve.
No need for debate, but people will and do have a go at anything to make money.

Delivering newspapers.

Selling plastic stuff.

or open a market stall. Many towns have markets - the roads remain open, if you can get through.

 

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Lots of people selling petrol, usually out of bottles, but this one is really post - they even have a pump.

 

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The conversation went ........

Right lads, we need to make this road wider.

Great idea, we'll get on with it.

Hang on, have we worked out all the details?

 

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Another local council meeting went like this.......

Lads, we have a problem with big trucks breaking the road up - got to stop them.
I know, put big, black and yellow striped iron height restriction bars over the roads - that'll stop them.

Better make them really strong - drivers around here are blind and stupid.
Right, heavy gauge bars, and bright as we can make them - no one will hit them.

OK, maybe one, but the rest will see the damage and think twice.
Maybe not....

Seriously, I watched this dude try three times before he gave up. I think he thought the bar would get higher if he hit it a few times.

Another, lighter bar didn't survive.

OK lads, epic fail, we'll have to think of something new.
Hang on, if they're high, they're usually wide as well.

Last night I noticed some had been replaced with massive concrete blocks.

 

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Sorry I haven't posted much lately - I've been really tyred

 

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Apart from the motorbike going the wrong way and that truck's lousy parking, there doesn't seem much wrong here.

until you look closely and realise that microbus has stopped in the middle of a junction to pick up passengers.

These drivers have to be amongst the most dangerous in the world.

 

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I went for a minor wander today, mostly to get my new ID card.
That done, I took the chance to a little jaunt in no special direction, until I saw a subject worth a snapshot.

This guy will have been working all day for not a lot of money, but still managed to raise a smile when I pointed the camera his way.
He was digging holes for new electricity cables.

 

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No idea how long it takes him to make up, but here's the dude strutting his funky stuff

 

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After last years election, I visited a demo. It was interesting to see how the press did their work.

 

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Last Sunday was car free day in BSD, South Tangerang. This normally busy road is cut off once a month, all in an attempt to promote the non use of anything with an engine, then push health and fitness.
They have a lot of success as we'll see, but perhaps they should consider leaving a couple of stalls out next time.

I'm unsure these promote a healthy lifestyle.

 

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Anyway, the road was closed off to traffic

but pushbikes were allowed

Yes, it's a bendybike - the bloke had amazing balance.

The mobile blood donor wagon was there, encouraging people to give blood - I saw quite a few do so

and a company decided it would be a good time to promote their mobile phones. The kids loved the robots, so no one minded them being there.

 

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Those guys were promoting Ranadam, and how to behave during the Islamic holy month. Quite a few people stopped, chatted and passed the time of day with them, no one minded and they bothered no one.

But the main theme was heath, so the martial arts guys were out doing a demonstration

as were the dance fitness lot. I think there were five stages spread up the street.

The ladies on stage tend to wear tight clothes, not leaving a lot to guess at.

even the firemen were enjoying a dance with them

 

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One thing I thought was really nice was the mobile library, and their kids' activities.

 

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Ramadan is the Muslim holy month. Loads of stuff happening, but the big one is the fasting. The daytime sees minimal activity pretty much everywhere, and all the food shops closed. Early evening sees the preparation start, then people buying food to take home.
Fruit juices are extremely popular, as are small snacks. The pizza delivery people are rushed to crazy, as are all but the worst street vendors.