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gugelhupf
Joined: 24 Jan 2004 Posts: 575 Location: Jabotabek
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Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2004 9:43 am Post subject: Questions, questions |
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I am planning to look for a teaching job in Indonesia later this year - preferably somewhere like Bandung, Bogor or Yogya.
I'd be grateful if any current expats could help point me in the right direction on a couple of issues. Firstly, I am mad keen on motorbikes with a full UK/EU bike and car licence. Am I entitled to ride in Indonesia? I do have some idea of the hazards posed by local drivers already...
I understand that it is possible to open a dollar (or even Euro?) bank account in Indonesia - how easy or practical is this?
Finally, I speak reasonable Bahasa Malaysia so have few problems actually reading Bahasa Indo. but is my spoken Malay likely to be understood easily?
Very grateful for any advice you guys can offer. |
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ls650
Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia
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Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2004 3:27 pm Post subject: Re: Questions, questions |
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gugelhupf wrote: |
I am planning to look for a teaching job in Indonesia later this year - preferably somewhere like Bandung, Bogor or Yogya.
I am mad keen on motorbikes with a full UK/EU bike and car licence. Am I entitled to ride in Indonesia? I do have some idea of the hazards posed by local drivers already...
I understand that it is possible to open a dollar (or even Euro?) bank account in Indonesia - how easy or practical is this?
Finally, I speak reasonable Bahasa Malaysia so have few problems actually reading Bahasa Indo. but is my spoken Malay likely to be understood easily? |
1) Once you have a KITAS (foreigner with permission to work) card, getting a motorcycle licence is easy. You may have to find yourself an 'agent' to help you though - and expect to pay something like 150,000 to 250,000 Rp...
2) Again, once you have a KITAS, no problem.
3) The languages are virtually identical. If you can speak decent Malay you should have no problem communicating in Indo. |
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guru
Joined: 27 Jan 2003 Posts: 156 Location: Indonesia
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Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2004 12:36 am Post subject: |
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200 cc is the biggest beast you can ride in Indonesia. You can't ride on tollways! You are allowed to go thru red lights, ride on the wrong side on the road, not use lights at night, you don't have to indicate when turning and you can turn anywhere....if you are a local. remember that if anyone crashes into you, you are at fault because you are a westerner. It's more enjoyable riding a bike out of Jabotabek then in. |
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gugelhupf
Joined: 24 Jan 2004 Posts: 575 Location: Jabotabek
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Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2004 8:36 am Post subject: |
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Ha ha, Believe me Guru I will be wearing a decent skid lid and some (well ventilated) body armour to ride! Bit of a disappointment about the 200cc limit, however, but there again think what carnage the local boy-racers could inflict with a 900cc superbike. |
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ls650
Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia
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Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2004 10:55 am Post subject: |
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gugelhupf wrote: |
Ha ha, Believe me Guru I will be wearing a decent skid lid and some (well ventilated) body armour to ride! Bit of a disappointment about the 200cc limit, however, but there again think what carnage the local boy-racers could inflict with a 900cc superbike. |
The reason it's near impossible to get a larger bike is because no one really needs it: the roads are so bad and the traffic so snarled and chaotic that anything bigger than a 125cc is a waste... |
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Winmar
Joined: 11 Feb 2003 Posts: 125 Location: Melbourne
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Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2004 9:32 am Post subject: |
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It depends on where you live. I had a 125cc bike in Bandung, which was fine around town. However, it was a real pain in the botty when riding in the hills north of the city. How I wished for a 200cc then! I never actually got around to getting a SIM, but only got fined once. I've got an Australian bike licence now though.
You should be fine with your Malay. There are vocab differences, but it shouldn't take you too long to find out what they are and adapt accordingly. |
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