Okay. So I am in Jakarta and to be completely honest, it's not quite to my taste. It's too much like NYC for me. I grew up outside of NY and I want to be somewhere else now. Sooooo... we are flying out of Jakarta tomorrow afternoon for Yogya!! I am so excited about that!
The people in Indonesia, from what I have seen of them, are amazing. I am a complete East Coast girl in America, and people are not very nice on the east coast. Everyone here seems to be very, very nice.
EF doesn't have any open positions in Yogya, so I am going to have to see what else I can find!
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I would love to be neighbors with fellow teachers, even sort of! Haha. Solo does sound like a very nice area. Anywhere less polluted with a nice breeze to offset the heat/humidity is an ideal place. I've actually heard the same thing. Some people love it and have never had a problem living there. It's smaller and quiet, the locals aren't as in your face as the bigger cities. But on the other hand, it's very much like a small town with everyone knowing your business and there aren't as many big-city type of attractions, etc. As long as I have close access to the beach for my weekends, I'm fine. Even though I love big cities, like New York, I don't go out and party. I'm very much a homebody.
I've also heard that Bandung, particularly the north part of the city, is very nice. It's quite big, so there are lots of things to do. It has a lot of expat hangouts. I think Semerang is on my list of areas to check out. I've been reading about it on this forum: www.livinginindonesiaforum.org. They have a breakdown of places outside Jakarta, including expat community, restaurants, recreation, shopping, etc. It's been quite helpful. I really can't wait to get started on my TEFL course this summer. I'm basically just waiting for my financial aid to come in from school, and I can get started.
Solo is great. We would be neighbors! Kind of. I hear half and half about it. Some people love it because it is peaceful, others don't like it because it can be a little bit intense in a small town kind of way. It really depends on your personality.
I haven't been to Bandung yet, but I hear it is beautiful and there are some excellent teaching opportunities. Very expat friendly. I am familiar with the others but don't have any personal experience with them. Have you looked into Semerang? Quite beautiful, not very polluted, beach and mountain access and culturally diverse
I'm glad that you are enjoying Yogya, even though you are having immigration problems. That's good the school backed you up and is supporting your work there until your KITAS comes through. I hope it doesn't take much longer. That's unfortunate most of the schools there work that way. :S
Yeah, I'm definitely going to make sure everything is legally in order before I start working. The last thing I need would be trouble with the law in a foreign country. No thanks!
I'm looking into less polluted areas than Jakarta and Surabaya. So I've settled on a small list of areas: Bandung, Solo, Salatiga, Bogor, and Malang. I kind of want to stay on Java as I'm not very familiar with the other islands, with the exception of Bali.
Thanks for sharing your information and advice. I appreciate it! :)
Yogya is great and there are teaching positions but I have recently had some trouble with immigration. Meaning some of us were pulled in for questioning, shown a jail cell and threatened with imprisonment and deportation. The school where I work backed me and my KITAS is in process, but the headache is unbelievable. Most schools in this city do not give you a KITAS and straight out tell you that you are on your own if immigration comes in for a raid.
With the new immigration laws (starting this month) I would highly recommend that wherever you work in Indonesia, get your KITAS before you step foot in a classroom.
Having said all of that, yogya is good. It is a small city. Very polluted, but relatively socially progressive. Solo might be more of what you are looking for.
I also have spent my entire life just a few hours from NYC and going to the city quite frequently. I want village huts, a beach, and a slower pace of life. I already know, before I ever set foot in Indonesa, that Jakarta is not where I want to be.
How is Yogya? I looking into smaller cities and coastal areas.
hey hoped you packed your anthology for world playwrites, and also your lovely collection of short stories!
kmars.
Thank you for the well wishes! I love yogya!!!
I have some leads out with some of the local universities... I sent out emails late last night (jet lag is murder!!) and I hope to hear back sometime within the next few days. I know some people who worked with one of the english professors in America and in Indo during a cultural exchange program. It's not quite nepitisim, but hopefully close enough!
Hey,
Glad you got to Indonesia OK - have a safe trip to Yogya and good luck with your job hunt! Keep us posted with how you get on :)
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