The Indonesian Tourism Way

You can tell you're in a tourist trap by the number and variety of people who approach you after hanging around for some time.

One hour at Bandung's train station:
- Newspaper sellers: 2 times.
- Shoe polishers: 8 times.
- Religious book sellers: 3 times.

One hour at Jogjakarta's Malioboro:
- People offering becak rides:17 times.
- People offering becak rides and bakpia: 11 times.
- People offering delman rides: 8 times.
- Street merchants: 58 times.

If the dictionary defined a term called "offline spamming." Indonesia would've been a good example.


IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER

In one local reality show where they auditioned for the "Next Indonesian Supermodel", the first test was a height measurement. Every participants have to either be at least 170 cm high, or go home. During one of the interviews, a candidate said, "I've just failed the measurement test for the fourth times. But I'm going to try it again in five minutes. Who knows?"

Yeah. Who knows she'll develop brain cells.