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malu
Joined: 22 Apr 2007 Posts: 1344 Location: Sunny Java
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Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 6:50 am Post subject: Happy Ramadhan |
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Ah, the old traditions... Today we received a visitation from Imigrasi and tomorrow will be the turn of the manpower ministry. Expecting a 'site visit' from the education dept before the end of the week, too.
The two weeks before the Eid holiday must be the busiest time of year for all these officials as they dash around the province collecting seasonal gifts and 'expenses'. |
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Wilkor
Joined: 18 May 2008 Posts: 20 Location: Perth
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Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 12:53 am Post subject: |
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So do you have to personally bribe them? Or do they shake down the school itself?
In the instances where your paperwork actually is in order, what do they get you for? |
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Atoms for Peace
Joined: 06 Feb 2006 Posts: 135 Location: NKRI
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Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 1:30 am Post subject: |
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Wilkor wrote: |
In the instances where your paperwork actually is in order, what do they get you for? |
They will stay until they find something. With so much paperwork for every foreigner, they will find something simply because it is almost impossible to obey all the rules. And if all else fails, they'll make something up.
By the way, with an election next year, given that 'foreigner bashing' is a vote winner, standby for the revival of ideas like foreigners having to learn Indonesian if they want to live here... |
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malu
Joined: 22 Apr 2007 Posts: 1344 Location: Sunny Java
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Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 2:33 am Post subject: |
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The long-fingernailed officials in question rarely even see the bules let alone extract money from them. The traditional way involves said officials turning up (giving highly pious muslim greetings and seasonal felicitations), sitting in the boss's office listening to the boss sigh and moan about falling revenues and inreasing costs, while passing compliments on anything that looks remotely expensive in the boss's office.
After a while they will get an extremely brief walkaround - remember these guys are pious muslims who are fasting, so let's stick to the ground floor - by which time a selection of seasonal gifts in their traditional brown envelopes will have amassed in the office like toys under a xmas tree. Visiting officials will express mock surprise at such, erm, unexpected generosity, and will call in their driver to collect the large baskets of goodies which are much more minor gifts than those in the brown envelopes.
They only fish for problems when such traditional approaches fail. |
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TEAM_PAPUA

Joined: 24 May 2004 Posts: 1679 Location: HOLE
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Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 5:36 am Post subject: * |
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The long finger nail is for itchy arses, right? |
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basiltherat
Joined: 04 Oct 2003 Posts: 952
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Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 2:24 pm Post subject: |
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Quote: |
The long-fingernailed officials in question rarely even see the bules let alone extract money from them. The traditional way involves said officials turning up (giving highly pious muslim greetings and seasonal felicitations), sitting in the boss's office listening to the boss sigh and moan about falling revenues and inreasing costs, while passing compliments on anything that looks remotely expensive in the boss's office.
After a while they will get an extremely brief walkaround - remember these guys are pious muslims who are fasting, so let's stick to the ground floor - by which time a selection of seasonal gifts in their traditional brown envelopes will have amassed in the office like toys under a xmas tree. Visiting officials will express mock surprise at such, erm, unexpected generosity, and will call in their driver to collect the large baskets of goodies which are much more minor gifts than those in the brown envelopes. |
Wonderful description. Yes, ye old brown envelopes and mock surprise. But you can actually see their eyes light up when it appears if you concentrate. You've clearly been in Jakarta long enough to realize all this.
Difference is, I got tired of all this fake / pretentious nonsense and quit the place. Enough's enough !
best
Basil  |
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Wilkor
Joined: 18 May 2008 Posts: 20 Location: Perth
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Posted: Sat Sep 20, 2008 4:15 am Post subject: |
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Atoms for Peace wrote: |
By the way, with an election next year, given that 'foreigner bashing' is a vote winner, standby for the revival of ideas like foreigners having to learn Indonesian if they want to live here... |
Not exactly a difficult language to learn. And I wouldn't like the idea of trying to live in Indo without some basic language competency, though I guess it might be possible in Jakarta. |
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philbags
Joined: 13 May 2006 Posts: 149 Location: 1962-69
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Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 6:45 am Post subject: |
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How much do you think the TOIFL cert would cost? say if I couldnt be bothered to actually learn the language and just 'knew somebody' in education. |
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malu
Joined: 22 Apr 2007 Posts: 1344 Location: Sunny Java
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Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2008 12:07 am Post subject: |
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philbags wrote: |
How much do you think the TOIFL cert would cost? . |
My guess - $200. |
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tanyakenapa
Joined: 06 Feb 2007 Posts: 180 Location: Batavia
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Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2008 2:24 pm Post subject: |
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Was just speaking to a workmate via telephone who had returned from Singapore last night, where he had a triple bypass surgery.
His MERP had expired on the 4th of September (which happened to be the day of his operation) and also he had only 14 days extra left on his passport before the "6months" validity rule.
What did immigration do? They told him to pay 10million rupiah, or they would take his KITAS away (which doesnt expire till early next year)
Sooo eventually after a long debate... they paid 3million and were allowed back in late last night. |
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