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The House That Carried Us Forward

I don’t think I’ve ever written about the government housing provided by the Air Force where we’re currently living. We’ve been here for almost half a year now—since June, to be exact. I still remember the day we left Malang for Jakarta: the kids and I ended up crying together. Strangely enough, that move also happened in December, as if the month itself always carries a bittersweet turning of seasons for our family.

But life moves forward, and so must we. Our first home in Jakarta was in Lubang Buaya—a small house, roughly 108 square metres, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. My mother-in-law had lived there ever since I married her son in 2014. My husband and I bought the house using a mix of our parents’ support. Technically, we still owe my parents the remaining balance. Lol.

After living in Jakarta for about two and a half years, we decided to move into what we call the Panggon, or rumah dinas—a service house provided by TNI AU. Since it isn’t a Rumah Jabatan <Official Residence or Government Quarters>, we had to pay a certain amount to the previous occupant. He had already retired and moved to his private home outside Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base.

For context, the amount we paid is nowhere near the cost of buying a private house in Jakarta. The payment is more like compensation for all the renovations the previous owner invested to make the house livable and comfortable. And of course, there’s no fixed standard. Some service houses cost less, others significantly more, depending on their condition and history.

In our case, the price was relatively low, especially considering the many valuable items and well-maintained features we inherited. I’ll share some photos on my blog soon so you can see the corners and angles of the place we now call home.

This house also has three bedrooms and two bathrooms, similar to our place in Lubang Buaya, but the difference in space is remarkable. Every room feels much larger and more breathable. Our friends, our children’s friends, and anyone who visits always comments on how comfortable it feels just to sit or even walk around. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention: our private house in Lubang Buaya is currently rented out. Thankfully, the timing aligned perfectly, the moment we moved out, new tenants moved in. The rental income really helps with our bank payments for the amount we had to pay the previous owner.

“Well, at least the bank still trusts you enough to lend you money. Keep that confidence in yourself,” my mom always says. I’m still not sure whether she means it as a joke or something else entirely, but knowing her, it’s probably a mix of both. Lol.

Anyway, that’s all for now. I still haven’t bought the accessories for our Christmas tree. Gotta run. Cheers.






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