The Fire This Time

Eri Suheri can be seen most mornings in the same spot in front of the Metropolitan Medical Center, an upscale hospital located in the heart of Jakarta's Kuningan business district. A skinny twentysomething with a toothy smile, Eri stands next to his motorbike, hoping one of the stream of patients, relatives and medical staff emerging from the hospital will dole out 10,000 rupiah—about a dollar—for the privilege of being ferried through the city's notoriously snarled traffic on the back of his bike. Last Thursday, Eri slurped down a late morning bowl of breakfast noodles at a street-food stall situated between the...