Brazilian soccer fans celebrate the third goal of their team against Croatia as they watch the opening match of the FIFA Brazil 2014 World Cup in a beach restaurant in Porto Seguro on June 12, 2014. While matches will be played in daylight in Brazil, fans in Indonesia will be watching in the wee hours of the morning. (Reuters Photo/Arnd Wiegmann)
Jakarta. I stayed awake until 3 a.m. on Friday and stumbled downstairs at home for the moment I was waiting for, the opening match of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
As I checked Brazil and Croatia’s formations on my phone, I fumbled with the remote to turn on the television. Then the unthinkable happened — a blank screen. I switched between ANTV and TVOne, the two official broadcasters, but to no avail. I scoured the Internet but all I could find was a laggy stop-and-start stream before calling it a night at half-time.
More than 2 million people live in South Jakarta and the Sudirman Central Business District. Many of them are football crazed fans who will flock to bars, restaurants, minimarts, and neighborhood alleys to watch games with their friends despite the early morning kick-off times.
Many Jakartans will watch at the local nonton bareng, which means “watch together” and is often shortened to nobar. Large screens are set up in open spaces, near convenience stores, or on side streets where the entire neighborhood can gather to watch. Here, the economic classes that divide the city dissolve. Everyone from the ojek driver to the man pulling up in a Mercedes join together to watch the game.
Nonton Bareng, a firm that seeks to develop the football community in Jakarta, has approved more than a thousand licenses to operate nobars across the country, with a majority located in the capital.
As Indonesia’s national team did not qualify for the event, the football allegiances of local residents span the globe. England is supported by many due to the popularity of the Premier League in Indonesia, as is Spain by fans of its top flight La Liga, whereas former colonizer Holland retains a strong support base in the city formerly known as Batavia.
The World Cup means a great deal to the thousands of expatriates who live in Jakarta, since many of the nations they left behind are vying for glory. Foreigners who hail for countries that did not qualify will undoubtedly take part in the global event regardless.
“I’ll be supporting England, because it has many Manchester United players and I’m a Man U fan,” says Abhay, an Indian student in South Jakarta. “I’ll be watching the games with my friends, probably in a bar or restaurant.”
Popular venues for expatriates include some of the more established bars, such as Cazbar in Mega Kuningan and De Hooi in Pondok Indah, as well as newcomer Beer Garden in SCBD.
Rahul Rangarajan, author of football blog Deutsche Football, said, “I’ll support Germany, because I’ve been following them since 2002.”
On what makes them his favorite national side, he said, “This year, they’ve got a blend of technical talent and physical presence which makes them one of the favorites to win.”
The wealth of mini markets that dot Jakarta have embraced World Cup fever. Japanese chain FamilyMart is operating a nonton bareng at all of its branches. Screens and informal gatherings will be set up around local 7-11s, such as the branch in Tebet that regularly shows English Premier League matches. Alfamart is even cashing in by selling officially licensed World Cup merchandise like keychains, mugs, caps, and T-shirts.
Sales of fake national team jerseys in street markets will surely soar, as will sales of TV antennas. Many cable providers do not display World Cup games despite including the two official World Cup channels, so residents resort to buying small antennas that yield grainy images.
I still remember watching a blurry Antonio Di Natale slot the ball past Iker Casillas in a group match between Spain and Italy at Euro 2012, as the pitch flickered gray and green.
Thankfully, this year it won’t have to be the same.
If you are still unable to find a place to watch, or prefer to enjoy the cup in the comfort of your own home, tune in to ANTV and TVOne, with replays of late games at 2 p.m.
But beware — make sure you have an antenna, or prepare to frantically find an alternative as the game ticks away.
The following is a list of more than 50 places in South Jakarta and SCBD where you can watch the matches, although not all venues will screen the games at 3 and 5 a.m.:
Mega Kuningan:
Cazbar (Jl. Mega Kuningan Kantor Taman E3.3 Unit A1)
Aphrodite (Plaza Festival Kuningan, Jl. HR Rasuna Said Kav. C22)
De Resto Asian Food (Plaza Festival Kuningan GF, Jl. HR Rasuna Said Kav. C22)
Jimm’s Sports Cafe (Bellagio Boutique Mall GF, Jl. Mega Kuningan Barat Kav. E4.3)
Dimsum Festival Plaza Festival (Plaza Festival Kuningan, Jl. HR Rasuna Said Kav. C22)
Setiabudi:
Pizza e Birra Setiabudi One (Setiabudi One GF, Jl. HR Rasuna Said)
Dapoer Nyonya (Kuningan Village GF, Jl. Karbela Timur No. 1)
Tebet:
Rick’s Cafe (Jl. Jend. Gatot Subroto No. 64)
The Forest (Jl. Tebet Raya No. 58)
Sudirman:
SATOO Garden @ Shangri-La Hotel (Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 1)
Tiga Puluh @ Le Meridien Hotel (Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 18-20)
Bacchus Bar @ Intercontinental Hotel (Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 10-11)
Prive Jakarta (fX lifestyle X’nter 8th floor, Jl. Jend. Sudirman Pintu Satu)
Sudirman Central Business District (SCBD):
Hard Rock Cafe (Pacific Place GF #G-05, SCBD Lot 3-5, Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 54-55)
Beer Garden SCBD (SCBD Lot 8, Jl. Jend. Sudirman)
Café De Burse (Equity Tower LG, Unit E, SCBD Kav. 9, Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 52-53)
Opera Blanc (Pacific Place GF, SCBD Lot 3-5, Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 54-55)
The Foundry #8 (SCBD Lot 8, Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 52-53)
Pho Bar (SCBD Lot 14, Jl. Jend. Sudirman)
Senayan:
100 Eatery & Bar @ Century Park Hotel (Jl. Pintu Satu Senayan)
The Belly Clan (Intiland Tower Lobby, Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 32)
QI Lounge @ The Sultan Hotel (Jl. Gatot Subroto)
Airman Lounge @ The Sultan Hotel (Jl. Gatot Subroto)
Vin+ Senayan (Plaza Senayan Arcadia, Jl. New Delhi Pintu 1)
Blackcat Jazz & Blues Club (Plaza Senayan Arcadia, Jl. New Delhi Pintu 1)
Melawai:
The Phoenix (Jl. Wijaya 1 No. 25)
D’Baron @ Hotel Ambhara (Rabobank Indonesia – Iskandarsyah, Jl. Iskandarsyah No. 1)
Sportsmans Bar (Jl. Falatehan 1 No. 8)
Senopati:
Fitzroy Gastrobar (Jl. Gunawarman No. 30)
Luc (Jl. Wolter Monginsidi No. 33)
Wolter Bistro (Jl. Wolter Monginsidi No. 59)
Panglima Polim:
Bite & Beer Cafe and Resto (Jl. Panglima Polim Raya No. 15)
Mamma Goose (Common House, Jl. Panglima Polim 9 No. 16)
Kemang:
Eastern Promise (Jl. Kemang Raya No. 5)
Murphy’s Irish Pub (Jl. Kemang Raya No. 11)
Fez @ Kinara (Jl. Kemang Raya No. 78)
El Asador (Kemang Point GF, Jl. Kemang Raya No. 3)
Beer Garden Kemang (Jl. Benda Raya No. 7)
Mamma Rosy Restaurant (Jl. Kemang Raya No. 58)
SHY Rooftop (Level 5 The Papilion, Jl. Kemang Raya No. 45 AA)
Hyde (Jl. Taman Kemang 1A No. 8)
Die Stube German Resto & Bar (Jl. Kemang Raya No. 2)
Vin+ Kemang (Jl. Kemang Raya No. 45B)
Black Canyon Coffee (Mall La Codefin, Jl. Kemang Raya No. 8)
Dragon Flames (Jl. Kemang Raya No. 29)
Lucro Kemang (Jl. Kemang Raya No. 12)
Dimsum Festival Kemang Jl. Kemang Raya No. 27)
Beer Brother Kemang (Jl. Taman Kemang 2 No. 28)
Cilandak:
Eclectic (Cilandak Town Square GF – D048, Jl. T.B. Simatupang Kav. 17)
Gandaria:
Pizza e Birra Gandaria City (Gandaria City GF, Jl. Sultan Iskandar Muda)
Camden Bar & Cafe (Jl. Gandaria 1 No. 336)
Pondok Indah:
De Hooi (Jl. Metro Duta Raya Blok B4 No. 31, Ruko Plaza II)
Lebak Bulus:
Biztro Graffiti @ Mercure Hotel (Jl. R.A. Kartini No. 18)
By Giacomo Tognini on 07:59 pm Jun 13, 2014
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