Food for Thought

I'm lucky to be living within walking distance of a good bookstore, QB World located along Jalan Sunda near the Sarinah departmental store.It is one among many of QB World's expanding chain of bookstores here in Jakarta, the largest is located in Pondok Indah. Being a bibliophile, QB World is definitely one of my favourite haunts in Jakarta. And having purchased more than a million rupiah worth of books within a month, I have also qualified myself as a QB World member, entitling me to 10% discount on all my book purchases.

When I first decided to move to Jakarta, the availability of good bookstores was a bit of a concern for me. I have seen a couple of Times and MPH bookstores around but they do not seem to carry a comprehensive enough selection. Four years in Singapore with Borders and Kinokuniya have spoilt me a bit. It was therefore with great joy that I discovered that at that time QB World has just opened their first two stores - one in Plaza Senayan and the other in Pondok Indah. It's not in the same class as Borders, but it is good enough. I can find most of the books that I'm looking for, they provide good service and they always have the latest releases in hardcover.

QB World also organizes many literary and artistic activities such as movie screenings on weekends, talks and book signing by authors. I had my copy of The Year of Living Dangerously autographed by the author Christopher Koch here at the Jalan Sunda branch of QB World.

One can find great food stalls everywhere along the streets in Jakarta and I am pretty fond of the local fare here - soto betawi and soto sulung being my favourites. But books are food for the mind without which its growth will stagnate. British soldier, Sir Spencer Chapman, in his classic on World War Two guerilla warfare, The Jungle is Neutral, accounted how he suffered from a lack of reading materials during the 4 years he spent in the Malayan jungles. Available books were read and reread again. That's one advantage books have over food - they can be "re-eaten" again. Sometimes tasting even better.

I know how torturing it can be to be stuck in some dingy waiting room without reading materials. That is why I always bring a book with me wherever I go in Jakarta. I can "snack" on my book during those snippets of time I have while waiting for food for to be served in a restaurant. I'm glad QB World is around to serve me the nourishment that my mind needs. I know I'll never be hungry in Jakarta.