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laughing_magpie06 · Joined: 14 Sep 2006 Posts: 282

Well guys, 3 and a half years and many blogs later, I will be leaving Indonesia and returning to my native soil Australia. I have found life here rather interesting but now my wife has her PR and my son is 13 months old, we are ready to move on.
To sum up where I have worked and a rating-

EF Meruya (West Jakarta)2/10-don't do it unless you are desperate and facing starvation. They are utter ****s

Berlitz 4/10- working with adults is refreshing and interesting but the contract there didn't leave many positives for a teacher. Also local teachers getting more classes than natives when they promote themselves as offering native only is a downer and caused much friction between both camps. Sometimes also can't seperate their heads from their hearts when making decisions.

EF Cibubur 5/10- Usual low salary but in the beginning not a bad place to both live and work. Were fair and impartial but changed management and went downhill from there. Having a non native as DoS is a truly backward step.

Wall Street 8/10- Easily the best of the bunch. High quality learning centre with motivated adult students.

As I said, the country is interesting and a good adventure but not a place I could recommend long term. Most 'bules' I meet who have been here too long are at the point of no return or beyond. As other posters have mentioned previously, Indonesia is regressing as the world is moving forward. Don't get caught in the black hole. Leave while you are ahead. Some have been here so long they are teaching and unable to save enough to start afresh elsewhere. Rupiah can get you places within the country but wouldn't buy a decent lunch in the west.

Nabby Adams · Joined: 08 Feb 2008 Posts: 215

Good farewell post Magpie. What awaits you career wise in Australia?

Can't help agreeing with you that for many reasons paradise is slowly being turned into a rundown, septic childrens' playground.

Were you ever tempted to try outside Jakarta, even Java? Perhaps it would offer some viable alternative?

malu · Joined: 22 Apr 2007 Posts: 1344 Location: Sunny Java

laughing_magpie06 · Joined: 14 Sep 2006 Posts: 282

Hi Nabby,

I have a few ideas for when I get home business wise but intend to have a nice break before getting back into the swing of it.

I never ventured outside of Jakarta as I didn't see much I liked in the way of places to settle in Java and Bali, while being a great holiday spot, doesn't seem to have many places to work teaching wise. Also my wife's family are all in Jakarta and have helped us particularly with our son in his early days.

TEAM_PAPUA · Joined: 24 May 2004 Posts: 1679 Location: HOLE

reddrake · Joined: 04 Apr 2008 Posts: 47 Location: Riyadh

laughing_magpie06 · Joined: 14 Sep 2006 Posts: 282

reddrake, interesting post but that last line is a bit of a worry. could you elaborate a bit? are the bad points pretty similar to indonesia's?

malu · Joined: 22 Apr 2007 Posts: 1344 Location: Sunny Java

reddrake · Joined: 04 Apr 2008 Posts: 47 Location: Riyadh

[quote="malu
NOOOOOO-O-O-O!! Don't even think about it. I made that mistake. TeamPap made the same mistake once, too. I'm escaping back to Indo next month. Only live in China if you are tired of living. It has all the same bad sh1t as Indo and very few of the advantages.

Don't do it.[/quote]

Actually, i was there before. In some cases things are worst than Indonesia, but in some other is better.

guruengerish · Joined: 28 Mar 2004 Posts: 424 Location: Australia

I recently had a 2 week holiday in Indonesia, catching up with old friends and schools.

My honest opinion was that things have not improved at all. The traffic was worse, the airports were chaos, the pollution bad. worst of all were the trains.

Travelling 'Eksekutif Klass" was a laugh. I'm sure it was the same carriage I was in in 2003, and the sliding doors were still jammed! I dared to have a drink and eat on the train, and had the next 5 days 'on the move'. Embarassed

Sad to say, I don't think I'd go back.

malu · Joined: 22 Apr 2007 Posts: 1344 Location: Sunny Java

hairyrambutan · Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 1:26 am Post subject:

If I went out a little less, only ate Asian food when I went out, and always drank at home, I would be rolling in it by now.

I am a frequent passenger on the Argo Muria train and I have few complaints about it, certainly far fewer than I have about air travel.

laughing_magpie06 · Joined: 14 Sep 2006 Posts: 282

Found the comparison of China and Indonesia rather interesting. Would have thought the culture would be interesting being such a large country with a fascinating history but maybe it has moved too quickly. I have an Aussie friend there who loves it and said it was a notch above Indo.

Some of the reasons I am leaving Indonesia though are the negatives spoken here about China. Xenophobia, propaganda, religious disharmony are rampant here too.

Anyone care to disagree?

hairyrambutan · Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 3:56 am Post subject:

Religious disharmony is a clear and present danger.

I don't have any thoughts on propaganda - it hasn't been notably present in my life here. Maybe I live a naive and sheltered existence.

As for xenophobia, I tend to agree with the stereotype of Indonesians being curious and open to foreigners. Easily much more so than westerners.

An obvious example of overly high expectations concerns language. Indonesians bend over backwards to try and learn English, yet on several occasions I've seen expats expressing their disbelief at the inability of the locals (cigarette vendors, MacDonald's employees) to speak sufficient English, while they themselves can't speak enough Indonesian to buy a pack of Marlboro lights.

guruengerish · Joined: 28 Mar 2004 Posts: 424 Location: Australia

An obvious example of overly high expectations concerns language. Indonesians bend over backwards to try and learn English, yet on several occasions I've seen expats expressing their disbelief at the inability of the locals (cigarette vendors, MacDonald's employees) to speak sufficient English, while they themselves can't speak enough Indonesian to buy a pack of Marlboro lights.

Be fair! the poor guy is trying to get enough breath to gasp out the question. Laughing

In regard to the comment on xenophobia etc, it cuts both ways. I had a close friend who was 3rd generation Chinese/Indonesian, and he did everything possible to avoid the folk with the 'little black hats', (his quote) and suggested that I do the same.

I totally ignored his suggestion.

Another point raised was that of the Chinese and their rudeness. I did wonder if this was typical of the Chinese of was it just the Singaporeans last month, but I've never had so many people bump into me, nor let large glass doors go in my face. Maybe they have their heads in their phones so much they don't notice. Idea