Why I Don’t Want to Leave Indonesia
One night, I had dinner with my dive buddy, Dave (American, who lives in Makassar), his girlfriend and his friend who is Indian origin. Dave asked us where we would live outside Indonesia and , we all said we don’t want to live elsewhere and we are happy in Indonesia. Now, Dave was surprised. We finally said “Vietnam is maybe ok”, after Dave made us to think really hard, after…about an hour or so.
In another occasion, a friend of mine, who is doing very well in her company and just got promoted, also got proposed by his boyfriend who lives in Switzerland. Now she is confused, whether she should sacrifice her career and independant lifestyle to follow her boyfriend where she will be a full time housewife in a developed country. I think she should read this blog before she makes any important decisions.
I often get asked why I don’t go out of ’disorganized Indonesia’ and find a job outside the country. For example, to KL (did interview with Petronas just to know how much they are willing to pay, Boy, they are cheap! I get paid more in here). Or to the Arab countries (whaaa…?) or Australia (this was made by an expat, who for some twisted reason, thinks that my life as a single woman here is pathetic and I can find lots of guys in Australia that will be more than willing to date me).
Why do I don’t want to leave Indonesia?
First of all, I have to agree and quote my other friend’s answer. She said, she’d rather be a first class citizen in a second class country, than a second class citizen in a first class country. Now this, is a brilliant answer, that I have to quote (sounds snobby but true).
Second of all, all my family and friends are here. And it is not easy finding really good friends like the ones I have here, especially in the western countries.
And the most important things of all, there are just things that I cannot live without, where I couldn’t get it anywhere else. Besides all my family and friends are here, below is the list of things that I won’t get living elsewhere (mind you, this is in “On the light side…” category so it is meant to be that way).
- Jajanan yang lewat2 dan tinggal panggil dari halaman rumah. Imagine tukang satay, sekoteng panas in Bandung, siomay, bakpao, mi tek-tek, es tung-tung, bakwan malang, ketoprak…just yell from your porch “Bang, ketoprak satu, jangan terlalu pedas….”
- And you can have these food while you are having manicure, pedicure, and/or creambath. Creambath: head massage, down to shoulder and if lucky, down to back) massage with a hairspa product. 1 hour session, and your hair will be smooth as silk when you are done, and relaxed). And I can pay ‘only’ Rp 100,000,- for the whole service, including the nails polished and blow dry. Or, at the most, Rp, 4000,000,- in a fancier beauty salon. Toss another Rp 30,000,-, you get foot massage. (1 USD = Rp 9200).
- I can call tukang pijet (masseuse) and have a nice 2 hours massage after a long day at home. Only for…Rp 110,000 (including tips). For body scrub, it’s the same price. All service at home sweet home. Pretty good after a hard work out at the gym.
- I can stop a cab anywhere. Unlike in Singapore.
- I can stop to buy bubble gum, cheap bread, bottled water in the warung, anywhere, just stop my car on the side of the road.
- Spa and facial is cheap. And it comes with different treatments, like mandi bunga (flower bath), mandi susu (milk bath).
- Babysitter is affordable. Maid is affordable. Women can pursue their career and be a good wife.
- Tukang Ojek (motorcycle taxi) is the solution to get to a place faster
- Cheap softwares and hardwares (and pirated ones…ck..ck..), electronics, and always someone that can fix your gadget with cheap price. The pirated DVDs, by surprise, not only Indonesians by them, you can spot expats buying them, too.
- When I get lost, I just open the car window and ask the people sitting at the warung. Guarantee, they will kindly answer.
- Factory outlets in Bandung, which is only 2 hours drive from Jakarta. Keep wearing good quality stuff with relatively cheap price.
- Easily, and relatively cheap to call tukang benerin AC, kulkas, TV…(i.e. handyman)
- It is always an art to have transaction with tukang sayur (the vegetable guy) in the mornings, where he brings all the fresh fruits and veggies right in front of your doorstep, while you are still wearing your batik daster!
- Tempe and tofu is cheap. Indonesia is heaven for vegetarians.
- For seafood lover, too. In Ambon, a big lobster is only Rp, 50,000 (US$ 6), allready cooked. Jakarta is a bit expensive but you can go up to Muara Karang, pick your food and have it cooked there, fresh.
- One of my bad habit (and I’m not too proud of it): it’s not difficult to smoke around.
- Lots of seasons (musim): musim hujan, musim kemarau, musim durian, musim mangga, musim rambutan…
- Heaven for divers. Warm water, sun all year around, and the dive guides and crews friendly, mount your gears and carry your tanks (and local hunks running around exposing their sixpacks…a lot of them in Bali and Bunaken. Eye candies while doing your surface interval).
- Shrinks are cheap, Rp125,000,- per one hour session.
- etc…etc.
Feel free to add to the list. Here is a link where Anita writes about whether living abroad is better than living in Indonesia: http://anitacarmencita.blogspot.com/2007/10/living-in-foreign-country-dream.html
And what am I suppose to bitch about if everything is too perfect anyways?
November 2, 2007 at 10:59 pm
Ah Parvita,
You make me drooling, thinking about batagor kingsley and rujak cingur….
November 3, 2007 at 12:02 pm
Parvita, I think every country has a positive plus minus. Comparing the way things actually are in one country with the way things should be in another is perfectly unfair. While I enjoy the conveniences provided in a big city like Jakarta, I also do wish things are better managed here. I wish we have a better public transport system, a better public service (such as making KTP, passport etc…aren’t our policy here, whoever pay bigger get the service faster???), a better access to information (how many public libraries are there in Jakarta??? it is almost non existent as far as I know), a friendlier places for kids (how many of us like to go to parks and museums and appreciate what this country inherited??? I think the percentage is very small). Yes…food and shopping/beauty care wise…we’re extremely pampered for they are not as expensive as in the western countries. But do we live on those conveniences only???? As for job finding, I have a filipina friend who worked as an IT manager when she was in Manila and now holds more or less the same position in Utrecht, Netherlands. I dont think people regards her as a second class citizen there. I do admire her for learning and understanding Dutch language in a short period of time while she has no knowledge of Dutch language before. And yet managed to work her way up to get the position she held before as well. I think a life without challenge, without pain, would be less fun, we would not grow wiser. Just my 50 rupiahs, I hope I do not offend you. Thank you.
November 5, 2007 at 8:11 am
Elyani, I agree on the park, would be nice if Jakarta has more green and I blame our stupid corrupt government for this. Not many parks or playgrounds in Jakarta and the little kampungs, the kids play on the streets, or a little space in their kampungs. The good thing is, most suburbs in Bintaro, Cinere, Cibubur, has a playground for kids (and dogs). This is where the young families live anyways, not in the middle of the city. Outside Jakarta, the kids play out in the nature. Bali kids play soccer on the beach. Kids in other places plays in the clean river. Us, in Jakarta, are doomed. But this is about Indonesia. Not only Jakarta.
Public library: Warnet is almost on every district (and taman bacaan is quite popular now, even the mobile ones). I wonder if there is Warnet abroad…only for Rp 6000,-/hour. Books are cheap here. Unless you are looking for the imported ones.
I have never bribed anybody to make KTP and SIM. To pay car tax I use a service company, which is reasonable price.
Passport: Average Indonesians don’t need passports. Those who need passports are those who goes abroad (i.e the rich ones). Poor people that goes abroad are the TKIs, their distributor takes care of their passports. The rich ones, they use service companies, they don’t mind paying for quicker services, but I’m sure they miss the Indonesian food when they are out there. For me and my colleagues, my company takes care of our passports. And there are service companies, (not calo’) that can arrange that with reasonalble service charge. So your argument on the passport..which segment are you representing?
Living abroad: For experience, yes. Forever, nope. That is me. Maybe your friend’s has major problems, like my Chinese female friends that decided to live in Canada in the late 90s (but she’s back and enjoying the food and weather here). Btw, This blog is called Why I don’t want to leave Indonesia. I don’t know and don’t discuss about others.
Why do you think expats love it here and don’t want to go back home?
It is easier to set our mind on unpleasant things. I choose to manage it, get used to, or get around it, instead of moan about it. Like, last saturday I had my mani-pedi-creambath session with scrub and had Yamin noodle, all for less than US$20. You go to an upscaled one, you still pay less than US$50. A little pampering, so worth it after 5 days of driving in the traffic. How much will this cost in the west?
November 5, 2007 at 4:17 pm
When I lived in foreign country I always remind myself that it will only be for temporary.
Nothing beats living in Indonesia, although we need to define carefully what “Indonesia” that we are talking about, if it’s Jakarta then you are right.
In Jakarta, even as middle manager, you can hire housekeeper and driver to keep your life a little bit more manageable
You can’t do that elsewhere.
November 5, 2007 at 4:36 pm
i miss indonesia very much!
and you just make me feel bad here!
November 6, 2007 at 6:22 pm
You are right, Jakarta is not the best place to live, but imagine this simple things just an hour away from Jakarta. Very simple things:
-Eating indomie telor pakai kornet dan keju serut dikit, early in Sunday Morning at one of the warung at Puncak, watching the clouds floating behind the mountains…drinking kopi tubruk…or…
-Makan Jagung Bakar, atau pisang bakar pakai coklat mesis atau susu kental manis coklat…dengan teh manis atau kopi tubruk…atau…
-Makan poffertjes atau pancake di Puncak Pass pagi2, abis jalan2 di kebun teh sama Yayang…
Duh Anita, Monday kemarin orang kantor gue bawa Batagor Kingsley ke kantor, dan juga brownies kukus dan pisang molen.
Dan sekarang lagi musim mangga boooowwww…..
Drool, Baby, drooooool….(sorry to write in Bahasa, it will just loose the ‘umph’ if it’s in English!)
November 6, 2007 at 8:56 pm
Parvita, sorry I didn’t mean to take the post off-track. This thread is actually very enlightening, and I will spread your wisdom far and wide. cheers.
November 7, 2007 at 7:18 am
Hi Elyani, no need to apologize, what you posted is honest from your point of view. I hope I didn’t offend you with my counter though…(I do sometimes sound harsh…probably dealing with too many drillers lately, haha).
I’ve seen so many blogs that complains about Indonesia. Really, as a middle class citizen in Jakarta, we share same frustration because we’ve seen better things outside our country. The traffic, policies, people, corruption, buerocracy (I never can spell this word), but for some reason we get used to it, work around it. Maklum gitulah. There is always 100 other blogs about complaints about Indonesia (usually championed by expats…let’s see what this statement stirs up!) over one that tells good one stuff. And we forget to bless the small things, the things you miss when we go abroad.
Like you said, every places have it’s good and bad. It depends on us how we want to see it.
~ta
November 7, 2007 at 10:39 am
No worry, Parvita. I think a large part of being “happy” anywhere you live is your basic disposition. How about a dose of reality —most days I like living here (food/clothing are cheap), some days I hate it (bureaucracy, macet, pollution), some days I love it (tax is not as strict as in another country)—:)
I am Indonesian and I love Indonesia just as much as you do. This country is a great place to live, it’s not perfect but where is?
November 7, 2007 at 5:46 pm
man, i really want to add some stuff to your list… but then again i could go on and on and this will be a comment too long. so i agree with you parvita. living in Indonesia -jakarta in particular- is better than anywhere else, especially if the government finally decides to finish those busway projects faster, lower telecommunication rates and reduce the post-lebaran migrations. oh one can only hope. great blog you got here
November 8, 2007 at 8:32 am
One more:
We have OB here (Office boy) who can help to pick your spectacles that you left in MIGAS office and the fact was that your eyeglasses were left in your pocket (sigh) :-p , imagine if you work in other country, who the hell is going take it without any complain?? hahahaha PISSS
November 8, 2007 at 8:46 am
Fitra:
office boys can buy our lunch and they will never complain because they will get free lunch ya!
Another thing: “WC Mall”. Itu lho, yang kalau di restroom perempuan suka ada yang jual2an (di BEJ, Menara Mulia, Kuningan Plaza…). From kain, baju, parfum, accesories to diamond. Can also call a tailor to the office.
November 8, 2007 at 6:46 pm
I’ve been suffering from frustration as well, it’s weird how in love we are with this chaotic country, despite all the crap we must deal with every single day..Watching the news is frustrating, dealing with the traffic is frustrating, but there’s always something in our own country that can’t be found somewhere else. Nice writing Parvita, salam kenal yah..:) Vinta
November 9, 2007 at 8:52 am
Well, you make me think twice to live aboard he..he…
nice writing Parvita, and again living in this chaotic country has its own plus and minus like others already said. This morning when i walked through Ratu Plaza until senayan city i surprised that you are hardly find a dustbin…!! no wonder that lots of people throwing away rubbish anywhere. And by the same time i feel bless its easy to find my breakfast start from chicken porridge, gorengan…just name it…!comparing if you live in your neighborhood country
November 13, 2007 at 9:04 am
I won’t swap my life in Sydney for anything. It was the best decision I’ve ever made to move here.
I disagree with what your friend said. But, that’s her. Everyone is different. I never feel like I am a second class citizen and I havent been discriminated against (except when I went to Melbourne and was shoe shopping…duno what her probelem was…repeat…MELBOURNE). It’s the opposite. I feel I am treated as equal. I love my job. Unlike when I lived in Jkt, how I couldnt even walk on the street unbothered by mas2 nongkrong di jalan, suit2 ga jelas. Siang2 pula!! Not to mention the bike riders who use the trotoar as their track!!! What’s with that?!??!?!
I guess food wise, it’s pretty easy too in Sydney. There’s pretty much everything from everywhere. My taste buds go crazy each time I try food from different country. And I am able to learn a lot from other people from different countries first hands. If it takes me 20 minute drive to get my somai then so be it, at least the traffic move
… I feel safe here. I can catch a bus at 2 AM and know I’d get home. I do my own mani-pedi, and will train my boyfriend to give creambath, even better huh? Free creambath. I guess the only thing I do miss or wish I had it is pembantu, sometimes I just can’t be bothered doing the dishes, laundry, etc. But definitely dont miss the traffic, stupid bike riders, preman, heat, debu, etc.
I guess it’s a matter of choice and whether you can afford it. You (we) are lucky to have a good job that pays that enables you to do what you want, travel where you want, buy what you want, etc. But I am sure if you lived anywhere on a minimum wage, your life would suck more.
In the end is where you are happy. As you said P, life is too short to be sad. Be happy. Right?
November 13, 2007 at 9:07 am
Oh yes, right Jeni…
And I sooooo dont miss the sampah everywhere. When will people learn that the banjir is their karma for littering the earth?!??!?!
November 13, 2007 at 1:12 pm
@Lisa: Hi there, thanks for stopping by my blog. Sounds like you are describing Jakarta. Yup, have to admit the trash. But not all Indonesians are educated though. It is a pitty.
Good that you enjoy your life in Sydney. I’ve never been to Australia and it’s good that you are treated equally like other Australians there.
Every place have their own problems, including Indonesia. But everybody has their own system of survival to get through their daily lives. And there are plenty of stuff that you just can’t get, or pay an enormous amount of money, to get it.
November 13, 2007 at 4:11 pm
Mmmm…winter gets copable as the years go past. I didnt like it either. But now cant wait til May!! I love the cold. I can’t stand the sun. Actually Sydney’s winter is very mild. The coldest I’ve felt is 5C. That’s nothing. You’d be frozen if you went to Japan in January!
, -20C, now that’s cold! But I loved it.
But I do love ice tea and can drink that anytime, winter, spring, hot, falls, bring on the ice tea!
You should come visit Sydney, seriously, food is not a big issue here. I just bought, abon, somai, bumbu pecel, teh botol, mi goreng. Wah banyak. Kemaren Minggu blanja. Sometimes when I walk around I even wonder if I am in Sydney…every second person is an overseas person. Asians, Europeans, African. Name it. It’s there. Let me know if you’re coming.
We do need to educated the school kids about the rubbish. Something so simple and but so hard to implement and yet it’s damn important. Well, 4 more years til the seasonal banjir.
November 16, 2007 at 9:22 am
@Lisa: Everybody here will agree that there are lots of things to be fixed. If everything is perfect, like, maybe, Sydney, this blog wouldn’t be interesting as it is. You are pretty much describing Jakarta, which has its own problem as a big, metropolitan city, like anywhere else. Jakarta is just part of Indonesia. Jakarta is getting, I admit. Crime, trash, flood, traffic, etc. Everybody that visit this blog notice that, so there is nothing new on your posting.
The point is, despite of all the things, there are little things that we often not notice, but we miss it when we are away from home for quite a while. We sort of ‘adapt’ by finding our little treats. Which are, things that I mentioned above. Despite of little glitches in our daily lives, amazingly we get around it. Little things, like calling tukang ketoprak or rujak from the front of our terrace, 365 days a week. Pay cheap price for being treated like a queen during the weekend. Even there are food you can get like you mentioned, the environment of nongkrong di warung with friends cannot be traded for anything.
It will be a hard sell to be able to move me out from Indonesia. And I suppose everybody has their own list of things that they miss, or will miss if they leave their home country for quite a while. And whenever I feel stuck in the traffic, or frustrated, I look at my list and smile.
November 20, 2007 at 7:52 am
@miund: I don’t know about living in Jakarta, I still think that there are other better places in Indonesia to live. But when the job is in Jakarta, what can you do?
Interestingly, this posting has been linked by an expat living in Indonesia to his site, in which he said that this posting is shallow, self centered, not living in a real life, etc. Some says that I’m having a good time ‘on other people’s expense’ (interesting!). We can giggle and smile reading this post, while others take it seriously and judge it (even though this section is located in “On the light side…” category. Sigh.).
I’ve checked his blog, he’s got nice pictures, most of his postings are complaints, complaints, and complaints about Indonesia (if he hates it here, so much, why doesn’t he just leave?) and sadly, nobody hardly leaves any comments on his tons of articles.
November 20, 2007 at 5:37 pm
I didnt mean come and live. I meant just for a visit. Hehehe I just like taking/showing tourist around. It gives me an excuse to go back (memory lane) to my early days in Sydney.
As I said, it’s where you are happy. Although I reckon if you could live under water you’d prefer that, together with the fish, etc.
November 21, 2007 at 7:03 am
@Lisa: I’ll let you know when I swing that way. Dollar Australia hitting the ceilinglah…! Thanks
November 21, 2007 at 1:07 pm
hey parvita.. how r u? accidentally bumped into your blog. yes petronas.. they are cheap *sigh*. i’m here in jakarta but will be back in 2 weeks time to kl. i love indonesia. the shopping in bandung.. the roti bakar in the morning with strawberry and choc for just Rp.2000. the tailor who can make my kebaya for Rp.80 000 (while in kl its RM150 in not a well known boutique). the super cheap mani + padi. the night dives and macros in tulamben. the extremely cheap shoes and dresses and tshirts and pants and BAGS (cheapest Rp.10 000.. i can’t be serious?!) the cheap angkot (around Rp.1500 to UI from my host family’s house). the hot bubur ayam for breakfast (Rp.4000). the ganteng Bandung guys. the cafes which serve food with good presentation, my fav sup buntut black paper for only Rp.18000. the no cover charge for clubs (cause I’m not local, yeay!). the ayam kampung used in every dishes instead of ‘ayam inject’ in malaysia. the shorter daytime. the friendly people. people selling almost everything almost everywhere (clothes, shoes, bags, tv remote controller, hairpin, scissors, glue, umbrella, dvds, on my way to uni’s jalan tikus, in the train, on the sidewalk, on the road). its a good place for a shopaholic cause you can buy things all the time. overall, i like this place but nowhere like home should also apply here. i can’t stand the sampah as well. and people spitting everywhere.. (why they have to spit btw). they shouldn’t use ‘buang sampah pada tempatnya’ cause its tempat sampah everywhere in jakarta. should be ‘buang sampah ke dalam tong sampah’. even educated people in my uni didn’t know the meaning of cleanliness so i should comment on your not everyone is educated enough. it’s the matter of their attitude.
November 21, 2007 at 1:53 pm
@Hi Fahan, I hope it was a nice accident. You remind me of my college time in Bandung, when late at night, me and my friends were doing our homework and tukang sekoteng passed and we bought some. Nice and warm in the chest in the midst of chilly Bandung night! Or, go to pasar simpang in the midnight to eat nasi goreng. Gosh, Bandung is wonderful for food lovers.
Yes, sampah is one thing I’m not too keen about. It’s the matter of having a strict law for those who litter. And teach the kids early on about it.
November 22, 2007 at 1:25 pm
This will seem very strange but here goes….. It seems to me that most of you Indonesians have missed the point of living in jakarta and Indonesia. Its…the PEOPLE….blended into an extremely interesting set of locations and cultures. If the national territories of Indonesia were populated with e.g. Russians (melancholic, miserable, lazy etc) then it would be a place to avoid. But it isnt; Its populated with people who maintain a smile in the face of adversity and poverty. Indonesians work hard for little (its a pity that its a necessiaty), the family is still important, poverty means that people help each other out, chaotic street layout and signage and lack of cheap maps means that everyone helps wonderfully with directions because they know that they they will need to same help in future. Try that in Paris!
Every advantage has its mirror image disadvantage. E.g. lack of rule of law also means that it does not have a “nanny state” mentaility. Cheap creambath also means low wages. Corruption also means that you pay a fine and dont have to attend court or lose your drivers license.
Make your choice – appreciate the good – accept the not good – live your choice.
And remember that its the PEOPLE that make this place special. Jakarta is a very ordinary town – its only the people that make it special.
November 22, 2007 at 3:06 pm
@Kindred: You are probably right; some people may forgot. I thought everybody knew by default that it’s the people that makes a place wonderful.
This might sound subjective, but I find Indonesians are really friendly and helpful, especially those who lives outside the big cities. Smiles everywhere. Compare Indonesia to Singapore, let alone Paris.
But I’m an Indonesian, Indonesia is home. I like living among my own people, who are nice and friendly. And pretty much share lots of basic things no matter how different backgrounds we have. Don’t everybody feel that way towards their countries? That’s why I didn’t post it because it is out of context.
I like how we cope with our day to day lives, which I cannot find elsewhere (different way of other people cope with their lives out there). Indonesians are actually laid back (in a good way) and enjoy living the fullest. And there is no such place like home.
Thanks for reminding, Kindred. Cheers.
November 28, 2007 at 7:57 pm
You are right. From the time I spent in Indonesia I don’t understand why middle class people would want to leave. But two close friends are leaving Indonesia within the next 6 months (as soon as their Australia visa is approved) because they don’t want to raise their kids in Jakarta. They want their kids to run around in green parks in fresh air. I wonder if Australia and Indonesia will allow citizen exchange visa – I’ll go to Jkt ha ha.
November 29, 2007 at 6:26 am
@Daniel: You are right, Jakarta is getting worse when it comes to clean air. I still find it difficult to find a place to jog on daily basis-gym should do for now and some long jog outside Jakarta during the weekends. We sure can use some parks.
September 1, 2008 at 9:08 am
Hi!,
September 28, 2008 at 12:18 am
Hi Parvita,
Salam kenal.
I found your blog coincidently. It’s facinating. I live in Australia (Perth) for almost 4 years. I enjoy my live here. but, I do terribly miss Jakarta everyday (even though I go home every three months). I was teary when I read your blog. Well, I was (honestly) crying. I’ve got to admit it, there are lots of good things that Australia has and Indonesia doesn’t have. The grass is greener, we all know that. But, life in Indonesia (particularly Jakarta) is more pleasant than anywhere else (I mean it).
Enjoy your weekend.
DM