the swamps in slingbacks, anyone?
if one trawls through the ladies' shoe section of various stores in indonesia, one might get the impression that all shoe manufacturers in indonesia have decided to specilize in open-toe slingbacks and sandals catering to 'ladies who lunch'. which doesn't make sense since a) only a handful of ladies in this country fit into that category; b) 99.8% of the indonesian sidewalks are potholed; c) 99.0% of the public transport is a hassle to get on and off; and d) 100% of the time the ground beneath our feet is either muddy (rainy season) or dusty (dry season).
i say this because every couple years i am tortured as i shop for 'sensible shoes', i.e. a pair that allows me to walk the markets of sumatra (crowded, wet), the governor's office in jayapura (posh), and the sidewalks of jakarta (life-threatening) with relative confidence. 2005 is such year, and today i'm only half done after 3 weeks (!!) of search in a city of 12 million people! that's a need of at least 12 million pairs of shoes! and i'm only half done since usually i like to find at least a couple pairs of these so that i do not have to go through this agony every year.
today i found a pair that meets the above criterion, but costing me an arm, a leg, and heart-wrenching guilt. in good years, i find reasonably priced models. in bad years, and i can tell this one is gonna be one such year, i'll spend equivalent to a month's groceries for an average indonesia family, for something i trod the dirt with. then to alleviate the guilt i'll cut down on haircuts, lunches, soap. soap!
i should just hoard a few pairs of the same model to minimize my agony in the future, but always i feel that something better (i.e. cheaper) will turn up (usually not, but hey, we are a pain-inflicting species).
why aren't these shoes being made in droves? am i the only one needing these shoes? is there something wrong with me? the answer, my friend, is lying in the potholes...
i say this because every couple years i am tortured as i shop for 'sensible shoes', i.e. a pair that allows me to walk the markets of sumatra (crowded, wet), the governor's office in jayapura (posh), and the sidewalks of jakarta (life-threatening) with relative confidence. 2005 is such year, and today i'm only half done after 3 weeks (!!) of search in a city of 12 million people! that's a need of at least 12 million pairs of shoes! and i'm only half done since usually i like to find at least a couple pairs of these so that i do not have to go through this agony every year.
today i found a pair that meets the above criterion, but costing me an arm, a leg, and heart-wrenching guilt. in good years, i find reasonably priced models. in bad years, and i can tell this one is gonna be one such year, i'll spend equivalent to a month's groceries for an average indonesia family, for something i trod the dirt with. then to alleviate the guilt i'll cut down on haircuts, lunches, soap. soap!
i should just hoard a few pairs of the same model to minimize my agony in the future, but always i feel that something better (i.e. cheaper) will turn up (usually not, but hey, we are a pain-inflicting species).
why aren't these shoes being made in droves? am i the only one needing these shoes? is there something wrong with me? the answer, my friend, is lying in the potholes...
posted by fantarara at 8:05 PM
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