So I knew about this, but I had forgotten until it came up the other day in my Indonesian class.
















In the 70's Suharto's wife (first lady Tien Suharto) came up with the idea of creating a mini Indonesia as a kind of theme park. $26 million US, multiple acres and several years of building later, it was completed. Taman Indonesia Mini Indah lies just outside of Jakarta and is said to depict all of Indonesia's provinces, just slightly smaller (ive been told it no longer does, and it also still includes Timor, which is also no longer Indonesia’s, but I suppose these are minor (or mini, if you will) details). I still cant figure out what the exact scale is though, as I couldn’t find any pictures with any people in them. Just buildings. I was reminded of it's existence and got super excited to go see it. Jakarta’s a huge dense urban city and I am glad at the prospect of having other places to go while I clear up visa issues my first few days in town.

















But as we were talking about Taman Mini Indonesia Indah i couldnt help but think of the images from my first moments in Indonesia - also right outside of jakarta, speeding in a cab toward Jalan Jaksa (main tourist street and site of a string of super budget hostels) and watching through the window as i passed miles of encampments made of corrogated materials and burning trash and the air having a slightly hazy brownish tinge.
In Taman Mini there is a theater called The Theater of My Nation. Who is this for, the locals or the tourists? There is also an aquarium, a series of gardens, etc. Its one of indonesia's biggest tourist attractions.
Im not sure yet what this trip is about for me, but if i could answer that question i dont think id be going. And i was reminded after reading my friend nicole marroquin's blog the other day that in all this global moving around and ‘what does this mean’, ‘who am i in this place’ mental weightiness, there is also the everyday. the finding yogurt (also something my friend kat mentioned as a comfort while traveling in ethiopia for the past month/s few) - things like buying a new toothbrush. watching kids play. this is the everyday and these are also things that happen. and probably/maybe serve to define the "who am i" more than any passport label or national title can (unless the national title is the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest Champion Title. then youre pegged for awhile.)
(Taman Mini website - http://www.tamanmini.com. Check out the skyride animation.)