The opportunity has recently arisen. Would love to hear any opinions on Indonesia. The Canadian travel advisory has noted that travelers should "exercise a high degree of caution" when visiting the country.
Of course they should have a high degree, they are going to a country where no one has one. You must have caution cause you are clearly north american. Fill your back pack, a book to guide you for the language, and a pair of water wings. If I had the chance id go.
i've never been there, but if someone offered me a job there it would be hard for me to turn it down.
Indonesia is a great place and I'm sure you will have lots of fun. The travel advisory comes because of a teacher at JIS (likely) wrongly convicted of child abuse in a political witch hunt.
Sounds awesome! I would totally do it, teaching English in Asia is so much fun, and I bet Indonesian food is amazing! Lots of places nearby to travel to as well.
I'd actually associate Indonesian food like ethiopean cuisine of Africa. That is, there's way better stuff out there. Indonesia is a very tourist country, you stick to those areas and you'll do fine. Stuff is cheap there too. They do highly frown upon drugs though and just because you're North American I don't think that means it's going to be a "hostel" movie kinda deal.
That teacher is from the city next door to mine. Seems as if some good news has surfaced though: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/news/neil-bantleman-civil-case-against-school-thrown-out-in-jakarta-court-1.3185210 I'll admit, this story has spooked me quite a bit as it hits close to home. This was put in a very blunt manner by the employer.
Hello, according to wikipedia, Indonesia has 0.6 homicides per 100k people, Canda has 1.6, the USA has 4.7 and Alemanistan has 0.8 homicides per 100k people. Regards Gyro
Then you need to come to NZ! We have the most delicious Ethiopian restaurant here I eat at all the time!
I've been to Indonesia... not Jakarta, but I started in Bali and got as far West as Yogyakarta. Sufficed to say, it's not like Canada... and while a lot of people are very friendly or at least civil to foreigners, there is a lot of poverty and yes, there are also radical Islamists, but I've heard they've cracked down on terrorism lately. Sufficed to say, most people do not become victims of false child sex accusations or terrorism, and you're not the only foreigner teacher in Indonesia and the odds of you having a great year are much much much higher... but this can also depend on the standard of living you expect to have or are used to. Have you ever lived abroad before?
In Kuta, quite a few dealers approached me and offered to sell me mushrooms. The penalties might be stiff, but I don't think they're always enforced-- just don't smuggle anything in or out or be an idiot about it and I'm sure you'll be fine.
Personally I would be more interested in teaching the Papua's english. But anyway, I also think most of Indonesia is a superb travel destination for the conscious and adventurous traveler (and certain parts are really awesome for the average tourist as well: beaches, historic sites, etc.). I would love to visit it myself, and ideally go to some areas less traveled too (into the bushes :-D)!
They have a fruit there that looks like a strawberry covered in brown leather. Open it all the way before eating as it might contain maggots. And the maggots can jump up to a meter vertically. Scary stuff. Maintain a low profile and don't express your "rights" or otherwise raise a voice in protest, that sort of thing will attract the wrong kind of attention. While personal assaults are not so common, getting ripped off can happen. If you scream and yell because your hotel keeper obviously went through your things, the police will see you as the problem. Don't walk around thinking you have western style rights there. Also, air pollution is terrible there. Not just because of vehicles, but because of the volcanoes. Take a water filter or two, the straw type. I was there for 3 weeks and the food was hit or miss. The service is excellent, but what they drop in front of you may not be. If you eat anything that looks like little disks of meat, as if maybe sliced from a sausage, it might be gonads. I lost 10 pounds that I later gained back in Turkey (OMG food is great in Turkey). On the way out be sure to get a couple of small bags of Luwak coffee for people you secretly despise (like a mother in law). I hear it's good coffee, I just don't care for how it's "processed", so I never tried it.
No. This position is a six month contract (I had the option of 6, 10, 12 months). I'm not too worried of homesickness. In all honesty, the thought of being on a plane over the ocean is what scares me the most. I'm aware of how irrational that is, however, I've never been on a plane before so starting with a trip to Indonesia (well, there's a stop in Hong Kong first) is probably a large feat to endure for a flight virgin. I've already had to quit smoking pot in order to pass a urine test. I don't think I'd have the balls to smoke there. I'm used to being able to just sit in my backyard with a group of people and smoke as if it were legal. I've checked out their laws regarding drugs (including pot) and quite frankly, it all seems horrifying. It's by complete chance that I know what that is. Good call. If it's allowed to be brought back, I'll for sure do it! :toilet:
I'm such a pessimist, but I personally would not go because I don't know the language, and don't know how safe it would be. I'm not much of one for adventure, but to each their own.
The flight is miserable, especially flying in zero-class (something I'm used to). Do a lot of stretching in the days or weeks leading up to the flight and get used to sleeping in a chair if you can, it's your only salvation. I've tried sedatives, but woke up with all kinds of joint and back pains (ok, I took a lot and chased them with scotch, so I didn't move enough during the flight). Also, tip the drink cart person on the sly and you'll never wonder where they are. And yes, you are correct, do not even be near any sort of illegal drug, it will not go well. It was SO hard to turn down hashish in Turkey and Ganja in Martinique, but I seriously didn't want to see their jails. If you can spring for it, and plan to move around the country a lot, get a Spot locator and give the link to everyone you know so they can see where you are. Carry at least 2 digital cameras and spare memory cards. International cell service is a total scam no matter where you go. Just landing in Rome or Paris causes my phone to be brutally assaulted if I dare to turn it on. It's also VERY tempting to snag a few flower seeds. If you do, don't package them. Let them settle to the bottom of your luggage with some lint balls, sand and gum wrappers (take some gum too). And last, carry whatever spices you can't live without and bring enough to share with the locals. Spices can be very endearing and of course there are plenty where you're going. But I never saw a can of Old Bay there beyond the ones I brought. Power can be precarious so have a couple of rechargeable flashlights (I refuse to say torch, long story). I carry a 5 watt solar charger but I admit I rarely use it and rely on rechargeable USB type batteries. Oh, coco grows all over the place, learn to make chocolate while you're there!
i understand the government there has a long history of militancy and corruption. not knowing the legal specifics, i wouldn't suggest walking around with any sort of mind altering substances on your person. never been there. but east timor was a part of it, which suffered genocide in order to suceed from it, what seems like only a hand full of decades ago. america has a history of supporting tyrannical governments there, on the bases of america's ideological prejudice. the island of bali, is or was, also a part of it, and gamalons (a kind of tunded percussion orchestra) are from there. shadow puppet theater also. its probably not a place to wear long hair or do drugs. i believe the dominant religion is islam, but without the burkinie. but with even stricter restriction on alcohaul, or any other such substance. but my undertanding is niether reliable nor up to date, it is only what i have heard over the years. so it may be worth little, but caution is always worth much.
