Job Discussion Forums

[Amani Renas]

What has been your strangest/more interesting experience in Indonesia so far? I'd offer one, but I've never been!

-Amani

[Chancellor]

[hairyrambutan]

MOD EDIT

Most of the strange things I've seen have involved English teachers and alcoholic misadventure and are not suitable for retelling on this family friendly website.

[guruengerish]

Gosh. where would one start?

At my first school, the classroom next to mine would often be the scene of people hurrying about, and quiet whispering as they passed my door, but the view was limited....

Turns out the teacher, a youngish guy, often had these 'allergic' problems, and had to be carried down four flights of stairs and a taxi would take him home, and the DoS would take over his class.

After this had repeated itself a few times, the teacher was asked to leave. A bit heavy-handed I thought, but it turns out that his 'allergy' was alcohol related.

At my next school, the teachers' house was rat infested; they were everywhere. So clever me, goes and buys a packet of RATKILL or whatever, and put this in a few strategic places.

A few days later, there's an odd burning smell, and this was tracked down to our front gate. The neighbours had piled up the dead rats and were burning them. I think they were sending some sort of message. I cleaned up the ratkill and used traps after that.

I'll give the cockroaches a miss this time 'round.


How's that for starters??

[TEAM_PAPUA]

But by using traps, you were still left with the problem of rat corpse disposal. What did you do?

Strangest thing in Indonesia? Everything.

[Mr. Kalgukshi]

Several postings have been deleted for being off-topic. If you want to criticize spelling, grammar or punctuation, please do it with your students and not here. The next instance of it here results in a sanction that will be grammatically correct and to the point.

[guruengerish]

to answer the rat problem: the poisoned rats were gasping their last at the various neighbours' houses.

I declined to use the 'rat glue' which everyone uses, so I stuck to old fashioned spring traps.

They ended up in a hole in the garden and no more offended neighbours.

Speaking of rat glue: I needed some contact adhesive for a pair of sandals, so I went to the hardware store and looked for something like 3M bear brand glue. No luck. they did have fox brand glue, but that wasn't the same.

Then I sighted "Lem Tikus". 'Aha' says me, 'that looks interesting', so I pointed to my floppy sandal and then the lem tikkus. Half the store collapsed in laughter.

As you old hands will know, lem tikus is spread out on a board or paper, and allowed to cure to a very sticky substance. The poor old rat wanders across this, and gets stuck. Needless to say, the rat is most unhappy about this situation, and squeals loudly until disposed of. Not a good way to get some sleep.

[Atoms for Peace]

[tanyakenapa]

haha...thats too funny... !

The strangest or most idiotic thing would have to be.....

putting padlocks on womens pants at the massage parlours...

FFS what will they think of next!

[basiltherat]

Many, many years ago when buses had holes in the floor through which you could see the road wizzing by; a young scruffy man with rough features whom I was sitting next to, late at night said, in eloquent English, and I quote ..."Hey ! you f@#$%ing bule. Why you f@#$%^ing no look at me ?"

I was aghast. I got off at the next stop.
best
basil

[Amani Renas]

[hairyrambutan]

Many of the buses still allow you to see the road beneath you - they are very likely the same ones.

It's also not uncommon to see a driver stop a bus during heavy traffic, then get out and urinate behind one of the wheels.

[malu]

At my previous school one of the drivers - Pak Herman - had some kind of bladder problem. Invariably, and without warning, he would suddenly stop half way to your destination and pee against the wheel arch of the minibus making grunts of relief as he did so.

One learned to bury one's head in the Jak Post and pretend it wasn't happening.

[laughing_magpie06]

Padlocks on undies, $50,000 to marry a local chick, all their pornography laws, attacking Playboy in Blok M while blue movies are being sold on the same patch, banning you tube and my space on the off chance that someone might watch 'Fitna' while defending terrorist's rights to free speech. The whole Indonesian Government is a joke.

[Atoms for Peace]