Job Discussion Forums

[Flicka]

So, I'm off to Indonesia in a week or so's time and feeling pretty ready (been waiting a while for the visa to come through!), all the injections have been done etc but now just idly wondering about the whole toilet thing...

I understand many are squat toilets, which is fine, and that they don't usually use toilet paper. You wash yourself with water instead, with the left hand, isn't it? So is there provided a container to fill with the water to take in the cubicle? And how do you dry off afterwards? Carry around a piece of cloth for this purpose? Drip dry? Or?

Forewarned is forearmed n all that!

Oh, what voltage are the sockets there? Same or different from the ones in England?
How expensive are mobile phone simcards? Do you get contracts or pay as you go?

Cheers,
Lizzie.

[Demigod]

Usually, you can find western style tiolets along side the other kind.
I think it depends on the location. Carry around toilet paper ..just to be safe lol.. I have noticed that the hot air machines in the Mall are usually out of order in Bogor lol... drip dry..

XL sim cards are one dollar in Sukabumi
Simpati can cost you about ten dollars.
I believe the price vary from city to city.
I prefer to pay as u go.

I am moving to Jakarta soon and I was told that
you can find 220 voltage in most of the apartments.
I recently saw a 110 v Nintendo for sale at the Mall..
So I remain confused about this issue.. I hope someone
can clarify this in detail.

Hot water are showers are nice..
I dislike heating up water and using
a pail to wash and rinse..

[flingwing]

Voltage is definitely 220V, countrywide. Plugs are almost always the 2-pronged, round-plug type.

Sometimes, though, large appliances may come with the British-style, 3-pronged-with-a-large-blade type plug. So, that type socket sometimes can be found in houses and workplaces. However, adapter plugs - to change from any type plug to another (incl. the US type) - are available in electrical stores everywhere.

If you use any 110-volt appliance here you'll need to buy a small transformer (about $30) to step down the wall voltage to 110V.

[Ozindo]

A few words of warning for the unwary.
The voltage is 220v, but - at least in some areas - it can fluctuate with power surges not all that uncommon.
Also, some homes have on;y limited power supply. If you are trying to run a fridge, TV and computer you may trip the circuit breaker if you then try and plug in an electric fan.
For newcomers, it may be a good idea to ask the landlord before you seal an agreement to rent.
Also, its a good idea in Jakarta area (especially Bogor) to turn your TV, computer etc off before you leave the house. Lightning strikes can cause a lot of damage. That assumes that if you are home in a severe tropical storm you would turn them off.
You;ll probably take some time to get used to power points that have no switches, and the average Indonesian's almost cavalier (by western standards) attitude to electricity in general.

[Demigod]

I posted a new topic on this matter.

So, I have to buy a few power strips to prevent the power surges?
I also have to unplug everything during storms and time away
from the apartment?

[malu]

I confess I watch satellite TV in Bogor (thunderstorm city) in all weathers and I leave appliances plugged in though my maid sometimes unplugs them as Ozindo suggests - and I'm sure it is the correct thing to do, by the way. There have been a couple of occasions when nearby lightening strikes have made the phone ring briefly.

After almost six years here I am still regularly amazed by Indonesian attitudes to electrical safety. If a circuit breaker keeps tripping because of a fault within the circuit, the standard Indonesian solution is to ignore the fault and uprate the circuit breaker.

If you follow the news in Indonesia you'll notice that fires due to electrical faults are very common indeed.

[flingwing]

Years back, I figured leaving your computer on during a storm didn't matter. Lightning strikes only happened to other people .

The first time it happened at my house some small part - I forget what now - of medium expense needed replacement. For a long time after that, though, I turned off my computer whenever I heard thunder.

However, after several years of no more trouble, I sometimes kept working despite the lightning.

Then, sure as you'd expect, it happened again. This time it was a new external modem that got fried. Again, I started always turning off the computer during thunderstorms.

I admit that now, several more years later, I'm starting to get lackadaisical again, like during today's rain in Jakarta. But, I can't say I don't know better or that it won't happen to me <grin>.

I guess whether or not you turn off your computer during electrical storms depends on your need for the appliance and the amount of money in your pockets.

[travelNteach]

i have been really lucky. i have never unplugged anything or turned anything off and havent had any electrical items damaged. the only time i unplug anything is when i am leaving on a 4/5 week holiday.

turning things off during the rare electrical storm wont really help because the electricity here is not grounded. you would need to unplug them. also the majority of "surge protectors" here are merely extension cords. you may be able to find the real deal at Ace Hardware or comparable store.