Living in Indonesia

Your Indonesian experience will be greatly influenced by where you are situated. We have attempted to keep the following information as general as possible but please realize that with great variations in culture and religion across the many islands, some information may be more applicable to one region than another.

Living in Indonesia offers you the opportunity to learn and experience a great number of things.

Surfing at Batu Karas, near PangandaranJust remember that not all of Indonesia is palm-fringed tropical beaches. Oh, they are here but often they take a bit of getting to! But isn’t that half the fun?

Like most other places, the majority of the population lives in cities and some of the cities here are huge with all of the things that go along with big cities. Don’t let this put you off though. Just do a little research and know where you are coming.

Generally speaking, there is an experience to suit almost everyone. You might be someone who comes just for a year and has the time of their life, or, you might be one of those people who like it so much you can’t leave.

Some general truths

• Indonesia is probably more crowded than where you come from.
• It often takes a long time to do things here.
• Depending on where you live, your normal lifestyle may inadvertently conflict with certain aspects of Indonesian culture and customs. This is not to say that you should immediately go out and change your lifestyle, simply be aware.
• Indonesia is quite mono-cultural. You will stand out as different. The further you are from major cities, the more attention you are likely to receive.
• There are huge differences between rich and poor in Indonesia. Regardless of how your salary here converts into pounds, dollars etc, compared to an everyday Indonesian you are well off.
• There are many preconceptions about foreigners in Indonesia. A lot of opinions Indonesians may have about visitors from overseas come from film, music and other mass media.

Some golden rules

• Don’t try to set your expectations too high in terms of how many things you try to get done in a day. If your aim is to do your banking and you get that all done, quit while you’re ahead!
  Teacher Osep and his children
• Ideally, have a good reason to come. Everyone who comes to Indonesia has a slightly different motivation for coming whether it’s for the culture, the scenery, the lifestyle, the weather or the language. This all gives you the chance to meet and hang out with some interesting people who may not necessarily be the same as the people you hung out with back home. However, without such an interest to keep you upbeat when you are having a rough day, it may all seem a bit much. Remember, you can drink cheap beer and watch pay TV in lots of countries!
• Leave the crusader attitude at home. Indonesians, like all other peoples don’t necessarily take too kindly to visitors rubbishing their country (but they are generally too nice and hospitable to say anything to your face!). Sure, Indonesia has its shortcomings but there are good reasons why things operate like they do here. They may not necessarily fit with your belief or value system but living in other countries is about experiencing different ways of life. If you are already sure that your home country is prefect, you may want to reconsider travelling at all.
• Do some research into Indonesia before you arrive. After all, you are considering living here for a year. If you simply cannot deal with the idea of squat toilets, cold showers or mosquitoes, think again.

The language

Learning a few basic phrases before you arrive will get you off to a great start. Being willing to try to use them after you arrive is even better. Furthermore, if you’ve never really learnt a foreign language before it’s a great way to put yourself in your students’ shoes.

Indonesian is easy to get going on the basics because it uses the Roman alphabet and Indonesians are really tolerant and patient with people who are learning their language and don’t really mind how you order a sentence or how badly you pronounce something (This may be why many people say Indonesian is an easy language!).

As a language teacher, it also offers you the insight into some of the mistakes common to Indonesian learners of English and why these occur.

Some schools are willing to facilitate informal language classes for new teachers. Otherwise, have a chat to one of the Indonesian teachers and see if they are willing to do a deal for a crash course.

At any rate, if you are keen to make your life here easier by learning a few basics, you will have no shortage of people willing to have a chat with you. Do a bit of travel in taxis, busses and trains and within a couple of weeks you’ll have scores of people telling you how good your Indonesian is! A great ego boost!

Who you surround yourself with

An adventurous and optimistic outlook on life’s ups and downs is possibly one of the most vital things to bring with you to Indonesia.

Sisca extends a helping hand at Tangkuban PerahuSurround yourself with people who like Indonesia and can show you the ropes, preferably someone who has been here for a year or longer. They will be able to point you in the right direction and probably save you a lot of time and stress in regards to many of the points mentioned below.

From food to doctors to taxis to travel agents, the easiest way to get something done is by a referral from someone in the know. Ask this person how much things like a bottle of water, an ojek (motorbike taxi) or becak (pedicab) ride, phone card etc should cost so that you have approximately the correct money prepared when you want to buy something from somewhere other than a supermarket or department store. This will help you avoid the dreaded and sometimes infuriating rip-off or “bule” price!

Teachers Denise and Dela, fast friendsMaking Indonesian friends is also a great way to start exploring more of the city and to learn about Indonesian people. Students are often keen to socialize with their teacher outside of class.

Avoid surrounding yourself exclusively with other westerners who are either too afraid or unadventurous to venture out of the house or from the safety of the nearest 5-star hotel swimming pool. Not much point traveling all this way only to realize that after 6 months you haven’t seen or done anything at all.

Health

You can be reasonably assured that sometime during your contract you will become ill. Hopefully this manifests itself merely as the infamous “sakit perut” or upset stomach. For the majority of people, as uncomfortable and annoying as it may be, this is the worst it gets. If you are one of the people who is unlucky enough to get something slightly more serious like Typhoid or Dengue Fever, be reassured that while quite exotic to a newcomer to Asia, these are in fact relatively run of the mill in Indonesia and hospitals are quite adept at dealing with these complaints.

As mentioned above, ask other teachers whether they can recommend a doctor. Your criteria will probably be; English speaking and is willing to listen to your explanation of the symptoms.

The medical profession in Indonesia lacks strict regulation so beware of doctors who automatically prescribe antibiotics for any ailment. You may end up taking a lot of different drugs before you eventually find one that does the trick.

If you become seriously ill, notify your Director of Studies so they can advise you of the best local hospital. Ideally, ask someone from your school, preferably an Indonesian, to accompany you to check yourself in and to assist with health insurance details in order to avoid financial problems later.

Most guidebooks contain sound advice about precautions to take as far as what you eat and drink.

Safety

Luckily for all of us, Indonesia would have to be one of the safest countries around in terms of day-to-day safety. Providing you follow some simple tips your safety is virtually assured.

• Avoid demonstrations
• Sit up the front of busses, angkots (minivans) to avoid pickpockets. Place your valuables (ie. purse, backpack) on your lap. Mobile phones and wallets are obvious targets. If you think someone is trying to pickpocket you, draw someone’s attention to it by shouting. The person will normally quickly desist as the punishment for theft is often a mob beating.
• Use only reputable taxis.
• Like anywhere, avoid the really rough parts of town especially at night.
• Never, under any circumstances, get involved in a physical altercation with an Indonesian. Forget the ego and walk away with your body intact. There is no such thing as a fair fight here.
• Check you have taken your card when you leave an ATM – sounds silly but sometimes the money comes out before the card here so it’s easy to forget.
• Know who comes in and out of your house. Parties are often an occasion when things go missing.

Attention or “Hey bule!”

Indonesia can be great for the ego. You are always different here. People will look at you probably admiring your beautiful skin and hair. As mentioned before you will receive attention at times from the never-ending groups of people (usually men) sitting on the footpath with not much to do. The sight of you simply walking down the street carrying your shopping will be the most interesting thing they may see all day. Accepting it, smiling and continuing happily on your way are the best ways to deal with it.

The same applies for the infamous cry of “Hey bule (or Mr)!” or literally translated “Hey foreigner/visitor/person with pale skin!”. Generally this is said with no ill feeling intended. It is just a way to attract your attention. From many years of experience the best thing to do is either to ignore it or to acknowledge it with a smile.

It has to be said that women probably receive more of this unwanted attention than men. If you are experiencing problems with someone following you, head for the nearest mall, restaurant, security post, office building. It’s unlikely the person will follow you inside and there should be someone willing to help you call a taxi or a friend.

The roads

To a newcomer, Indonesian roads look like utter chaos. The basic rule is that the biggest vehicle has right of way.

When crossing roads, do so slowly and steadily as opposed to running across. If you run, drivers will panic.

If you want to ride a motorbike while you are here, buy a good helmet and have an international license at the very least.

If you are in a taxi or have rented a car and the driver is driving too fast or dangerously tell him to slow down or you will not pay. This will almost always work.

Travel tips

First-person view of rafting in KalimantanThe best advice here is to travel. Don’t let delays, cancellations or 48 hour bus trips put you off! These are all part of the adventure. A little patience will go a long way while traveling in Indonesia.

Some quick tips:

• Fly Garuda and Merpati where possible
• If you’re in Java, the most value for money way to travel is by train. Executive class is air-conditioned.
• Book any ticket, plane, train, bus in advance to avoid disappointment.
• Cancellations, delays and nightmare traffic are a reality. Don’t count on all your connections working out.
• Lebaran is very congested on the roads, fly or take a train if possible. Book well ahead!!
• Negotiate and agree upon a price with anyone you are dealing with to provide transport before you depart.

Some things to remember when you are having a rough day/week/month

(not year – if you’re having a rough year leave and try somewhere else!)

• Why you decided to work overseas in the first place.
• Sometimes (insert your country) is boring/wet/bureaucratic etc.
• Sometimes (insert your nationality) are rude/selfish/impolite/bad drivers etc.
• Haggling over a thousand rupiah (10 cents US) may be more trouble than it’s worth. I know it’s the principle, but try to think of it as your own personal contribution to charity.

Finally and most importantly, enjoy your time here!