the gargantuan mall

my hotel in jakarta is located in a giant mall.

8 endless stories with a popeyes, pizza hut, a sizzler, fake reebok store, fake dolce & gabbana store (pretty much everywhere there are total knockoffs), a taco joint, hoka hoka bento! which i would have eaten at if it didn't have a ridiculous long line, and the rest are all teeny tiny stores, such as sexxx symbol and playboy that sell shoes. there was some sort of bazaar on the bottom floor - i could have bought everything i needed for my trip. i should get a sweater because the A/C is so damn cold.

i almost ate at a "crepe" place that had real french crepe makers - but they fill them with fried beef, tuna and mayonnaise. almost french, uhhh but not really.

i wandered through the wasabi pea aisle of the supermarket, smelled the wafting air of the durians. in the pharmacy, all the face creams are whiteners. maybe that's why everyone was staring at me. the place was packed at 8pm on a sunday, everything open. i was overwhelmed by the choices and wouldn't know where to start if i wanted to buy something, which is pretty much why i hate malls. here, every thing is bright, super intense and loud, like a japanese webpage - not exactly what you're looking for after 50 hours of travel. every kiosque and restaurant has someone who grabs your arm to lure you in. apparently, this is only like, the 4th largest in jakarta. i'm terrified to see what the others look like. i could only get half the floors in this picture. unreal.