Lessons from a Warung

Alas, the long weekend is coming to a close. However, I’ve come to relive that happiness in enjoying simple joys of being home. One of them, is actually walking to a nearby warung. A warung is a small, modest kiosk that’s usually owned by a family, selling sembako or groceries. These kiosks may not look like much, but they’re undoubtedly one quintissential aspect of Indonesian culture.

Warungs are more often than not, strategic meeting points for women in say, my or really any other housing complex. It’s difficult not to hear their lively chats from a distance as you walk, which usually revolve around daily occurences.

But what I marvel the most at is their natural ability to multitask by effortlessly picking out various ingredients for a dish they wish to cook for the day, while calling out exact measurements. It’s really, really mesmerizing. And me? Well, this morning, I stood there scratching my head as I fumbled over how many grams of garlic cloves would need for my mom to cook my favorite beef and carrot soup. Not to worry though, I finally managed to get them, and we both relished in a hearty lunch.

Now, I’m feeling extremely blessed for the opportunity to build a career in Jakarta. Still, these precious moments at home teaches me to not to fawn over the grandiose, but to be happy with not more, not less,

But enough.

Alas, the long weekend is coming to a close. However, I’ve come to relive that happiness in enjoying simple joys of being home. One of them, is actually walking to a nearby warung. A warung is a small, modest kiosk that’s usually owned by a family, selling sembako or groceries. These kiosks may not look like much, but they’re…