On Sundays, Jalan Sudirman in Jakarta—the capital of the Republic of Indonesia—belongs to pedestrians. Sudirman, one of Jakarta's main roads, is a car-free day. No vehicles are allowed on the road, only pedestrians and bicycles.
Weekends, aside from national holidays like Eid al-Fitr, are a time when we can experience clean, pollution-free air. On busy days, you know, Jakarta is one of the cities with the highest levels of pollution in the world.
That morning, I woke up late because I'd been watching movies and chatting with friends until the early hours. I was staying at the Sahid Hotel in Jakarta, one of the elite hotels.
In the past, the Sahid on Sudirman was considered a luxury hotel. But now many new hotels have sprung up, although the Sahid Jaya is still a five-star hotel.
I enjoyed my stay at the Sahid Jaya Hotel, although I found some corners to be outdated. Without office activity, I noticed the hotel was starting to become quiet, especially during this time of economic turbulence due to geopolitical conditions.
The sun was already shining warmly when I joined the pedestrians who had already crossed the road. Some were walking alone, some were running, unconcerned with the heat, and some were walking in groups.
At several points, several organizations were holding events, offering door prizes to participants. They seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves.
Several organizations hosting the door prize events used loud sound systems, blending in with the surrounding noise.
Then it dawned on me. On weekends, Jalan Sudirman isn't completely pollution-free. While there's smoke pollution, there's noise pollution.
Besides the sound system disrupting the silence, there were also groups running and singing. They included a group of soldiers, singing as they ran happily.
I tried to enjoy it all. I suppose that's the dynamic of a weekend, when pedestrians dominate the streets, a rare sight in Jakarta.
As the sun set and I walked further away from the Sudirman Hotel, I returned to the hotel. On the way home, I once again enjoyed the car-free streets, and it was a joy.
