Tj. Balai Karimun –the island that God forgot–

As a regional marketer I need to spread up my wings, now my target is Quarry production at Batam and Tj. Balai Karimun Islands. I already went to Batam several times so I can say that I know the situation very well but Tj. Balai is a very different story.

For the first time I stepping my foot at the marina I already feels a different atmosphere here. First the weather is so hot, so goddamn hot even for tropical country like Indonesia. It can make you feels that your whole brain was condensed so you cannot think anymore, and than during on my way to the hotel I saw tens small hotels and massage parlors. On the street you can see many girls on her sexy dress, chatting, smoking, laughing and sometimes luring the person who passing by. And these things happened in the afternoon!!!

The next day I went to Quarry Mining to do some inspections. The weather remains the same, hotter than yesterday I though and the sun shines very bright so you cannot see clearly. At some area it’s totally blinding. There isn’t much you can do at the situation like that; it’s really not a good time and place to work.

At sunset we drove back to the hotel, my friend already waiting for me. I call him yesterday evening; he is my university friend which I didn’t saw for so many years. Tj. Balai is his hometown, so I asked him to guide me to looking around. According to him basically this island got the major income from quarry, prostitution and gambling business. Gambling? Yup, at that night we went to casino … can you imagine casino in Indonesia? And it’s not a illegal casino, cause you can enter it very easy, just open the door and hup .. you got there.... just like that.

Everywhere you can see many old Singaporean and Malaysian people who came here for cheap chicks and gambling. It’s a very poor situation and it happened in my beloved country who claimed based on believe in the one and only God. That’s why I called this island ‘The Island that God forgot’.

Pyuh … just hope that someday there is someone who can change this situation.

Btw, I also have a good time with my old pal here. He still the same like I remember, nothing’s changed except now he works for government as a city planner. No wonder he know exactly the situation at this island. Hope someday he can at least bring some changes to his hometown.

Hmmm .. I must continue my trip to Singapore, to see my yayang..
So, let’s ride again….

Tj. Balai Karimun
April 12-14, 2005
joeffry

ps. it's really really nice to meet u again DQ