AFP, JAKARTA
Flushed and sweating, 31-year-old Annisa Enggracia Fidel runs back and forth to defend her fort from invaders — hundreds of fellow adults all beating the blues by playing a nostalgic Indonesian children’s game.The tech professional is a member of Jakarta’s “Playing Community,” a group that gathers after work every Friday to let off steam in ways not usually associated with grown-ups.Similar get-togethers have sprung up elsewhere in the Southeast Asian nation, as larger numbers of burnt-out workers seek novel solutions for handling stress and maintaining mental health.
A member of the “Playing Community” group takes part in lompat tali karet (rope skipping) at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium compound in Jakarta on May 22.
“The more energy we exert, the more we sweat, the more our stress is released,” Annisa said at Jakarta’s main stadium, where about 500 people had come together.“Of course, our happy chemicals are released too — endorphins — and that’s what makes us feel more energized and motivated,” she said after her game, which was enthusiastically cheered on from the sidelines.
Rapid urbanization has transformed Jakarta’s metropolitan area — now recognized as the world’s biggest, with more than 42 million residents.
