Okay, so that title was meant kind of literally. Here I am at our local key maker.
Translation of his kaki lima (5th leg)
"Keys duplicated"
"House"
"Car"
"Motorcycle"
So it is a little difficult to make keys here. But only if you aren't from around here. It's not convenient as going to your local Walmart, or Lowes, or Home Depot... I guess for Indonesians it is more convenient, because these guys are generally located in normal heavily trafficed areas. I just don't usually go to those areas.
We have a little bedroom community outside the main city, and there are no key makers here. There are hardware stores, there are 'general stores' but they all look at me like I'm crazy when I ask about making keys. Of COURSE they wouldn't make keys. They have pipe, bricks, cement, glue, wood, etc... but you have to go to a key maker for keys. Key makers are specialists.
We had been thinking we needed keys, but never got around to it until I locked my keys in our vehicle... for the second time. This is an adventure in itself, too. There are no locksmiths here. And when you call friends and colleagues that have been here a while about what to do when you lock your keys in the car they all tell you "see if you can find a metal ruler... now wiggle it down in the window for a while...."
So, chalk it all up to new experiences... so many cultural things like this that help us see how life here is so very very different.