Job Discussion Forums

littlejamtart · Joined: 17 Jun 2009 Posts: 7

Hi everyone. This is my first post and I hope that one of you guys with lots of experience can illuminate the darkness for me...

There is a lot of info about areas around Solo, but I can't find posts from anyone actually living there now. Maybe some of you have visited, lived there or even passed through? It'd be great to hear some impressions or opinions, as I will be there shortly. Loved it? Hated it? Felt nothing for it?

If you have a spare minute I would be really greatful for any advice or information.

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

It's somewhere I quite like to go for an occasional weekend though I've never lived or worked there. You have more chance of encountering Solo residents on the Indonesia Expat forum at www.livinginindonesiaforum.org

It is a fairly relaxed place with a compact city centre and one of the few cities where becak (bicycle rickshaws) are feasible because the land is flat and there are some special lanes for becak. There is a shiny new mall not far out of town for home comforts, and plenty of flights to Jakarta and even Singapore. There is a train service to Jogjakarta. The historic palaces etc are a bit grubby these days but the place at least gives an insight into how life was in Java a century ago.

In answer to your question - yes, I would consider living in Solo but that would depend on having a decent job there.

littlejamtart · Joined: 17 Jun 2009 Posts: 7

Thanks very much, Malu! That is just the kind of information I am looking for. I have found a good position (I think/hope!) and will be arriving in early July. It seems like Solo is quiet-ish and centrally located, so it'll be easy to get away on weekends if I need a break. That link is really helpful as well.

Gajah Oling · Joined: 28 Feb 2005 Posts: 62 Location: Jawa

I lived in Solo for a year.

I loved Solo, but like all cities, it's not for everyone. It's far less cosmopolitan than Jogja. There is an expat community there, mostly ex-oil engineers and people involved in furniture and textiles. There's also an ISI school there and young westerners come through to learn music and dance. But unlike Jogja, unless you seek these folk out, you'd hardly know there were any other bule there. Which, personally, I liked.

Are you considering EF? If you want I can put you in touch with someone still teaching at that school.

PM me if you have any specific questions about Solo: where to get sate babi, the best soto ayam, best medical lab, best place to buy liquor, best road side cobbler that can re-sole your size 46 shoes with car tires, etc.

littlejamtart · Joined: 17 Jun 2009 Posts: 7

Hi Gajah Oling. Thank you!

I THINK I will like being off the beaten path (My last teaching job was crazy, busy and stressful and I was surrounded by expats. That may have been part of the problem!). Still, everyone needs a bit of companionship, so I hope that I will make some friends there. I won't be working at EF, but may like to meet some of those teachers. I don't know if there is even a place where foreigners congregate on weekends. Ah well, I suppose I will figure that all out when I get there.

btw I am a total newbie. I've never taken part in any forum. Ever. I don't know how to PM. I also don't know what any of those foods(?) might be. I KNOW I want to meet the cobbler though, preferably on my way back from the best place to buy liquor.

Gajah Oling · Joined: 28 Feb 2005 Posts: 62 Location: Jawa

Expats can oft be found at Happy's. I can't remember the name of the street it's on, but it's across the street from the train tracks. Kind of a sports bar (all the expat places are big on sports.) A new hamburger joint opened up last year out near imigrasi. It's a bit far out there, but they have good burgers (hard to find in Solo) and a driving range! Lots of older expats go there (retired oil engineers). O Solo Mio is Solo's premiere Italian restaurant, but not much of a hangout. There's others that are slipping my mind. I didn't really go to any of the expat hangouts much.

PM is Personal Message. At the bottom of this and every post there's a button to send a personal message to a board member. At the top of this thread where there are the various FAQ, Search, etc links you'll see one for viewing your personal messages.

PS: I know teachers at some of the other schools too, if you're curious to find out more info on their reputations.

littlejamtart · Joined: 17 Jun 2009 Posts: 7

H again,

Thanks for the tutorial. You have the patience of Job. I haven't posted enough to be able to PM you, Gajah Oling. But I will try later.

Maybe you or Malu could answer me this:
On a few info sites Solo was called, I'm paraphrasing here, the epicentre of Muslim radicalism in Java. Does this mean that I should be careful to dress more modestly, or in any other way modify my behaviour? I don't get the impression that Solo is in any way dangerous, don't get me wrong, but is this something of which I need to be aware?

Gajah Oling · Joined: 28 Feb 2005 Posts: 62 Location: Jawa

You'll be fine. Solo is about the safest city I've ever lived in. I lived about a kilometer from Ngruki, the school run by Abu Bakar Bashir, and never even sensed their presence. Those "radicals" would be loathe to promote violence in their own backyard.

As far as dressing modestly, anywhere in Indonesia it's not considered in good taste to show too much skin (especially navels) unless you're a becak driver. I saw people wearing shorts (though Indonesians can get away with that easier than foreigners) and I wore short sleeve t-shirts all the time. The more skin you show the more attention you'll draw to yourself in the way of locals pointing and laughing at you. If you can handle that, you'll be okay.

Gajah Oling · Joined: 28 Feb 2005 Posts: 62 Location: Jawa

You'll be fine. Solo is about the safest city I've ever lived in. I lived about a kilometer from Ngruki, the school run by Abu Bakar Bashir, and never even sensed their presence. Those "radicals" would be loathe to promote violence in their own backyard.

As far as dressing modestly, anywhere in Indonesia it's not considered in good taste to show too much skin (especially navels) unless you're a becak driver. I saw people wearing shorts (though Indonesians can get away with that easier than foreigners) and I wore short sleeve t-shirts all the time. The more skin you show the more attention you'll draw to yourself in the way of locals pointing and laughing at you. If you can handle that, you'll be okay.

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

Solo is surrounded by wahabi islamic boarding schools but their influence in the city itself is negligible. Solo is the epicentre of traditional Javanese custom in which Islam is mixed with a lot of much older heritage and you won't find much sympathy amongst traditional Javanese for islamic extremism.

The students of Solo like to wave banners and yell though bullhorns at various protest demontstrations but these are easily avoided.

I'd forgotten about O Solo Mio which is probably the best (and most expensive) Italian eaterie in Java. The city has no shortage of nice places to eat.

All this talk about Solo has reminded me I haven't had a weekend there for a while so I'll just go and check the room rates at the Novotel...

littlejamtart · Joined: 17 Jun 2009 Posts: 7

Thanks a lot for the info, guys.

It makes me feel better. There's a lot to learn when going somewhere new and, even though I can't really prepare for what I'll find, it's reassuring to try to sort out all of the mixed opinions and details about Solo on the net.

I've got my plane ticket in hand and will be leaving soon. People with experience (like you guys) make it seem like less of a leap into the abyss. Your advice is very much appreciated.

I've been told Solo is very boring. Would either of you agree?

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

I disagree with that. I guess if you are someone who needs lots of frenetic nightlife then you will be disappointed but Solo has a lot going for it as somewhere to actually live. And Bali and Jakarta are but a flight away if you want a little more hedonism in your holidays.

littlejamtart · Joined: 17 Jun 2009 Posts: 7

Hi guys!
It's been some time since I last posted, as I was moving and settling in. I think I am in the right place. This may be a honeymoon period, but I love Solo so far. You guys were right about the food here- amazing. The locals are very friendly, slow moving and polite, and their smiles reach their eyes. It is quiet, but not boring. My school is great, students are polite, and the salary is huge in comparison to cost of living, so I'll be able to travel around and see some of the country. I haven't met any other expats, so if anyone out there wants to meet for coffee, I'm open.
I am living next to one of the schools which were mentioned in the earlier posts. You were right about the average Javanese lack of patience for this kind of radical version of Islam. They speak derisively of the "long beards", but one man I had dinner with lowered his voice to a whisper when talking about Bashir.

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

Nice to hear your feedback! I'm sure you will endure some level of the 'shock' phase of culture shock but it soon passes with the right attitude. For the most part Solo people are cool.

littlejamtart · Joined: 17 Jun 2009 Posts: 7

Thanks Malu,
Doesn't your username translate as "shame"? For why? (just curious, none of my business really).
I'm sure you're right about the culture shock. I'm getting used to the hugemf@#$@#ingcockroaches with whom I share my bathroom. At first I screamed like a little girl (they fly, as I'm sure I don't have to tell you, and one particularly evil *beep* jumped from the top of the door down into my long hair), but now I take great glee in squashing them.
The people seem very cool, and appear to be open and more welcoming if I compare them to the Koreans (spent 9 years there). That's a generalization, and true, this is a smaller town and I was in a large city, so that might account for some of it. I like that the students are so polite, even little ones saying "Thank you, Miss" at the end of the lesson.
I guess you have probably been here for a long time, and so don't remember much about how you felt when you first arrived? The smells and sounds really strike me, still. I can see how some people come and then just never leave...