Is there a middleclass in Jakarta
Today we arrived in
Jakarta. At the airport we were picked up by a local guide who will take us on a tour all over java. The moment we stepped into the car he started talking, not stopping before we went into the elevator of our first hotel.One thing he said today kept pondering in my mind. We drove past by the outskirts of
Jakarta and the slobs next to an open sewer as he said that there is nothing in between rich and poor. He said there is no middleclass in
Jakarta.Tomorrow we go on a city tour and I will try to find out, is there a middleclass in
Jakarta? There must be. I cannot see the world in black or white, there are always shades of grey. To find the answer at first I must define what middle class means? When are people part of a middle class? And is middle class in
Indonesia different to middle class in
Europe? We strolled a little through the town tonight and we walked the car and scooter mechanics street. The differences were great. From a solid brick building with a real tool shop to a few square meters covers by sheets of plastic and a pile of second hand car tires. What determines whether someone is part of the middleclass? Is it possessions? Is it being self employed because the two men collecting and sorting garbage I saw definitely do not fit into the projection I have for middle class. So collecting garbage or running your own tire shop underneath a tent and sleeping on the same peace of ground next to your tires does not make you part of middle class. The most simple way to determine if someone belongs to a middle class is split up the population into three groups of earnings. High, low and middle income. Tomorrow we will find out how much people make.For now: salamat soree
