The alleyway in front of the tenement-like houses was filled with locals

Local people hanging out in the lane in Jakarta — Local people hanging out in the lane

The alley I was walking down led to a series of tenement-like houses. There were a number of motorcycles parked in front of the houses, making the alley even narrower. In Jakarta, as in other Southeast Asian countries, the average citizen is more likely to ride a motorcycle than a car. Although this country has the largest car market in ASEAN, it is needed to have to pay a luxury tax to buy a car.

It wasn't just motorcycles that I saw in front of the houses. A lot of locals were also hanging out there. As I made my way through the densely populated residential area, the locals looked at me curiously. But they never approached me. They must be genuinely curious.

Among the people hanging out in the alley, I could see women and men, adults, and children. An older woman doing housework had her hair uncovered, but a young man sitting on his bike was wearing an abaya, hiding her hair. In the back, I saw someone wearing a songkok. Just walking around the town does not feel much Islamic atmosphere, but it was wafting slightly in this lane.

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