Seriously? Did I just ask you on how to actually spend a weekend? Uh-oh.

It’s hard. Seriously. To spend your weekend wisely.

I’ve been in town (read: Jakarta) for about a month and I am desperate to fill my Saturdays and Sundays with more useful activities. My Saturday consists of eating out, going to the cinema, eating out for the second time, going home, and sleep. The same thing goes for Sunday. Is there much more to weekends than just this? I wonder.

During my brain damage period, I ask some friends on what they do on the weekends. Answer?

Chilling out with friends. Movies. Going to the malls. Window shopping.

On a particular healthier note, one male friend says soccer. And then it goes back to eating out, movies, eating out, and window shopping.

I used to have things in store for the weekend. Like this Sydney Opera House trip. I used to live an exciting life... (photo by Eddie Mnt)

What about going to events or even out-of-town getaways? As you know, traffic in Jakarta is as bad as it can be. Going out far away from your house means new sceneries, but higher stress level. Eating out? It always ends up in thinner wallet and bigger tummy, which is not always a good thing. Movies? After watching three movies in one week for a couple of weeks, I don’t think there’s any movie left in the cinema that I haven’t watched yet.

So here, with my own emphasis, is the one-billion-dollar question: What should you actually do on the weekends?

Read a book. If I am being given the freedom, I think I would prefer to go to a cafe, drink coffee, read a book, and write. But weekends in Jakarta means spending time with your family as it is not wise to coffee-ing alone without your parents. You may fancy your alone time, but what are they going to do, then?

Do sports. I am considering to join my old Badminton coach’s program again. Don’t look at me like that, I know I haven’t been exercising regularly lately, but there’s always a second time to make amends, right?

Join a course. I am (again) considering whether to take a lesson in public speaking. If I do, I will have my Saturdays filled up for the next three months, which is not that enticing as well. But maybe it’s better than spending money again and again. Seriously, Jakarta needs a new lifestyle.

Invest in your friends. Great advice! Although, I am officially friend-less for the time being. Most of my friends reside in Melbourne, and most of my high school friends are still somewhere around the globe. The end line is that I need to make new friends, something that I am not really fond of but is necessary to do.

Find a full-time work. Yeap. Not a bad idea. Not bad at all, in fact. I should have filled my Saturdays pitching out stories to 100 different publications and sending my resumes to 200 other different companies. Gulp.

But seriously, what should I do on the weekends? Now that housework’s gone, I am spraining my brain muscle to fill a day’s activities. Oh well.

Maybe you brilliant readers have a better advice for me?