Job Discussion Forums

[Chester]

Having left Indonesia, with my lovely wife a few years ago, we watch the Indonesia news on local TV each day. and its kinda, like nothing changes, infact things seem to go backwards.
no news of investment, job creation, development, education funding, economic growth, building of roads and bridges, progress in general. just stuff about soya beans, floods, and illegal logging and and and.

my Indonesian wife laments at the pathos.

We know that the media is government controlled, but it really looks like the country is slipping further and further back in the civilised world.

a country of basically good, kind people, I hope this is not true.

what is the impression of the ex-pat teachers who have been doing the "hard yards" for some years?

is the ill-fated mono-rail the saviour of the indonesian economy? (sic)

[wailing_imam]

[Chester]

great response.
thanks for that.

well done indeed.

[laughing_magpie06]

Well said Chester, I couldn't agree more. However I might add that I feel the people are part of the problem as most don't appear to have any backbone or willingness to change anything. Most will complain and tell us how much better other asian countries are but get very sensitive when bules tell them the very same thing. Also I have many thinking that we are all dying to live here and have a fantastic life (maybe better than most locals yes) but most don't consider there are thousands more in most neighbouring countries. Where I live for example, I can't see another bule for miles, have to go to Jaksa. It also doesn't help that the majority still cant afford decent education and have little in the way of internet access meaning learning about the outside world is much harder. Plus the million rupiah fiscal tax which discourages people from travelling elsewhere.

By the way Chester, how did you find the re-adjustment back to western life? let me know as I have the same plan in a couple of months.

[Chester]

re-adjustment is really difficult.
it was tempting to make an excuse and run away again.
employers frown on time out of the country.
also paying "catch-up" with finances and cars and houses at an age when most have financial security is really difficult.
I am fortunate to have my wonderful Indonesian wife who is also working in a professional capacity, who gives me motivation.

i had had enough of being poor. now i pay more in tax than i grossed as a teacher in Indonesia. not that people teach for the money, or the standard of living, or the prestige, or the lifestyle, or.....

I had to tell a lot of lies to get a decent job after teaching in thailand, korea and indonesia for 5 years. teaching just didnt cut it on the CV.


If i had stayed away longer I would have been unemployable in australia.

I have a few CV tips for anyone in a similar position.

cheers to all in jakarta, we are never coming back.

[guruengerish]

I know just how you feel Chester. The people in Indonesia are very kind, generous and no doubt you have noticed the traffic back here. Always impatient, rude gestures, foot flat on the floor - I'm not talking about JKT taxi drivers, but the hoons on the road in rural Australia.

Yes, the daily Indonesian news is depressing, and recent pictures of floods showed the mountains of garbage blocking the drains. It takes folk at the top to do something about this, but they don't really seem to care.

Last I heard about the mono rail was that the Japanese declined to go ahead with building it, although the expressway into Bandung has been finished for some time apparently. Depends a lot on who is affected I suppose.

I'm looking forward to meeting the very nice folk in the little village I lived in, near Jogya in a few weeks. I certainly miss that place!

[workingnomad]

Do male English teachers go to countries like Indonesia more than female do?

[guruengerish]

some English schools I've been at, the expat gender ratio was 50/50, but in others it was about 75% female.

[tanyakenapa]

At my workplace... only two female expats.. the other 9 are guys..