Kaki Lima: To Market, To Market

  Preface 

KAKI LIMA: (Kaki = Feet/Leg; Lima = Five) In literal translation, Kaki Lima means five feet. In Jakarta, the term is often used to describe the ubiquitous street vendors who willingly push their three-legged cart with their strong two feet. With Tulisan, we take you to stroll and commute with us to the streets of the capital, to immerse in your senses and pay attention to the sight, sound, and scent beyond the cityscapes.

Kaki Lima: To Market, To Market

“To market, to market, to buy a plum bun,” was her favorite nursery rhyme growing up. As her mother went to buy her daily supplies of fruits and vegetables, she became accustomed to the aroma of home cooked meals and her mother spending the day churning up her favorite banoffee pie. 

Although juggling a cramped schedule occasionally calls for the convenience of supermarkets, she stills enjoy the prime luxury of knowing what goes into her meal. The ripeness of apples, the tenderness of poultry, and the dash of herbs chosen to her own preference. 

While it is easy to indulge in instant gratification, she enjoys the downshift of simplicity, taking the ra-ta-ta of bright orange bajaj, slightly slower than the average motorcycles and cars but always reminding her to slow down and surrender to the unknown alleys filled with the traditional ideals of living. 

Text by Athina Ibrahim
Photography by Gabriela Bhaskar

Tulisan’s Cruise Bag and Toy Box
Top by Proklamasi
Dilyana from Amore Models Jakarta