Life in Indonesia: Taking a big spoonful of guilt...

I am most definitely someone who is prone to thinking about the future and things I would like to achieve. The general gist of my thoughts are: What countries will I go to in the future? Where will I live? What job do I want to do? Will I buy a house? So it goes.. 

Quite a few years ago, I had a realisation that these type of thoughts were the privilege of a tiny majority of the world; namely, people with disposable income. Living in Indonesian only rams home this point.

It's easy for me; I guess for all of us, to get wrapped up in our own problems without considering how very lucky we are. We can also neglect the bigger issues of the world.

Indonesia has an incredible wrap-list of problems which I will write about in a different post. These issues aren't at the top of the priority list for many Indonesians and this becomes easier to understand when you consider one of the most fundamental needs for human beings: food.

Napoleon is famously supposed to have said: "An army marches on its stomach." I feel the same holds true for a populace. Indonesia is a developing country. How can someone put energy into saving the environment and stopping corruption when they are worried about putting food in their stomach?

Recently one of Jakarta's major daily newspapers had the headline: "117 Juta Orang Indonesia, Sangat Miskin" (117 Million Indonesians Very Poor).. It takes about five seconds walking a typical street in Jakarta to confirm how commonplace poverty is.

The very poor of Indonesia come in many different forms. There are those who sit on street corners with their hands out including children carrying babies, old people with no teeth and amputees.
There are those who sell drinks and other goods at small stalls and people who collect rubbish for a pittance. What they all have in common is they make between 10,000 and 30,000 Indonesian Rupiah a day (between $1.20 and $3.50 USD).

On my campus at the University of Indonesia there is a group of about 10 boys aged between 8-15 who sell newspapers. All of them have left school already and they sell the newspapers for about 25 cents each. They want to make money and be independent but without an education, they will probably be destined to a life of menial labour. It is common for them to work six days a week, 12 hours a day.

The problems of who to give to, how much to give, and how to make a difference can at times be overwhelming. Directly across the street from my apartment is a narrow alleyway that leads to my University. There is a boy aged around 12 who always wears a black T-shirt and camo-coloured shorts.

The first time I saw him he was crying his eyes out, wailing.  It was a distressing sight. I asked him what was wrong.. "Aku lapparr" (I'm hungry) he said. I asked him where his parents were: "Nggak ada" (I don't have any) he murmured. I told him that if he had any family members I would call them for him. He just kept crying so I just gave him a bit of money and was on my way. Since then I've seen him a bunch of times and sometimes give him a bit of food or small change. He is just one of millions.

I found out that there is a bit of an organised crime element to the beggars, much like what you see in Slum Dog Millionaire. I watched as a very impoverished looking beggar who I'm used to seeing as he was handing over a small wad of notes (probably just a few dollars) to a guy who I can assume was the boss of the area.
As for stealing for a living: people who rob here and are caught are usually seriously beaten or killed by the people (seemingly anyone) who catch them, so it's not a safe option for people who are starving.

Some of the poorest people I've ever met are warm, humble and friendly. They have a very tough life though.

It's incredibly cliched' to be young and idealistic but I at least hope in my life I can do something that makes a meaningful difference to some people.  Giving some poor Indonesians a bit of money isn't going to lift them out of poverty but I'm sure some of them will use the money to buy food and that, at least, makes me feel a little better.

Questions and comments welcome

Advice for negotiating some of the world's craziest roads

Negotiating your way around the highways of a foreign land can be an intimidating experience for the uninitiated.

To take a leap from the comparatively deserted roads of New Zealand (especially Dunedin where it takes less to half an hour to drive nearly anywhere in the city limits) to some of the busiest roads in the world takes some adjusting.

I've been fortunate enough (or unfortunate, depending on your view) to drive in both Jakarta and Bangkok, which are two of the busiest cities in the world. I haven't driven in India or China which I hear can be quite perilous as well.

What follows are some observations and tips which will hopefully see you right when you hop onto a scooter/motorbike/rental vehicle of some description in said countries. I won't claim to be an absolute expert on the matter but I didn't crash in either place which must count for something, right?

I should note that I actually had a lot of fun driving in both of these places. You have to keep your wits about you though, because the roads are quite different to the West.

*In Bangkok, during rush hour the public transport such as the free public buses, the MRT and the Subway are the best option to avoid driving and getting caught in gridlocked traffic.

*In Jakarta, the public transport system is seriously lacking, and the footpaths are mostly terrible and sometimes non existent. So have a crack at driving yourself - expect a lot of traffic though.

*Direction:
In Indonesia and Thailand they drive on the left side of the road and the steering wheels are on the right, just like in Australia and New Zealand, so no problems there. In other parts of Asia they drive on the right.

*Licenses:
Technically you should get an international driver's license before driving away from your home country but I didn't. In Phuket a cop stopped me on a scooter and seemed to accept my New Zealand driver's license. I've heard of people being harangued by police in Bali for bribes from minor infractions so I guess there is no solid rule.

*Traffic:
There are a shit load more cars on the road. Like ten times as many. This means more traffic and generally more frustration. Bring a book for those long journeys (such as the trip to the supermarket around the corner). Scooters are good cause you can weave around cars a lot of the time and save yourself time. Just don't fall off.

*Air conditioning:
It's a must in hot climates. Make sure to close the vents inside your car or you will be breathing in a lot of exhaust from the car in front of you.

Lack of indication:
Generally, indicators are underused. Often a car will begin merging with little warning so be super vigilant.

Motorbikes and scooters:
They are everywhere.. Especially in Jakarta. Check your mirrors because often a guy, or a whole family may be just centimetres from your vehicle.

Sudden stopping, overuse of hazard lights:
In Bangkok, a lot of taxis seem to just stop in lanes of traffic, put on their hazard lights and pick up or drop off people (a lot of the roads don't have an area to pull over, just high curbs). This creates traffic buildup and eventually cars start weaving around the stopped vehicle and into other lanes of traffic. This is a prime spot for accidents so be careful.

Aggression:
Don't expect people to give way. After a couple of weeks of driving you'll understand why. When people spend approximately ten times longer in traffic than they'd like; they become a bit frustrated. They are not prone to letting others in front of them because there are so many damn cars around. It's like opening the flood gates. Being considerate is great, but expect to be taken advantage of.
After a few weeks in Jakarta I was opportunistically cutting people off like everyone else. Why? Because it seems you could die waiting an intersection waiting for someone to let you in.

Driving the wrong way up a road:
This is common. Especially for motor bikers, they will usually stick to the very far right side of the road coming towards you. Again, stay alert.

Safety, or lack thereof:
You will see many things on South East Asia Roads that would make a safety minded bureaucrat run for the hills. Backs of pickup trucks crammed with workers, scooters overloaded with families, people texting while driving, children who are clearly too young to have gotten their licenses with no helmets, giant trucks or vehicles with loads that are so precariously balanced that look like they may fall off at any moment. Get used to it. The police do their job, sometimes. I hear that they are grossly underpaid and as a result corruption is rampant.

Speed:
Some places have speed limits, others do not. In reality, there is so much traffic in most places you'd be happy doing 40 kph.

In sum, it is quite a transition from a quiet, regulated Western road to a big, pulsating mass of traffic and frequent bad driving (I am not implying there's not plenty of bad driving in the West by the way).
BUT, it can be fun driving in Asia and you should give it a go if you can.
I would not suggest driving during peak hour traffic because that it would more accurately be described as sitting stationary in your vehicle with the engine running. It can take literally hours to drive a couple of kilometers during peak hour. At those times, best to grab a tuk tuk or ojek - have fun!

If anybody actually reads this, I would be interested to read about your driving experiences abroad....

Some thoughts on living in Indonesia

I wrote this just after I returned from Indonesia in February... I was there for nearly two months. Makasih banyak untuk membacar ini.


Indonesia is one of the most populated countries in the world and the region with the most Muslims, and yet it's a place that I think few people in the West know much about.

The chance to travel and discover a new culture is something that I always jump upon so when the opportunity to go on a journalism practicum in Jakarta came up, I went for it.

The impression one would get from the media was that Indonesia was full of danger, terrorism or environmental disasters. While these things were relevant issues they are far from the full picture. I felt safe and welcome during my entire two month trip.

My friend and I arrived at Soekarno-Hatta International at the end of 2009 with open minds but little idea of what Jakarta would be like. Our pre-departure guide went into great detail about things to be aware of but was light on photos.

As we walked from the plane towards the customs area of the airport we were greeted with the cheerful sign warning us that drug trafficking was punishable by death.

Two friendly girls from the University we were to attend greeted us at the airport and instructed us about how much money we would need for the first few days. One of them advised me that 250,000 Indonesian Rupiah (about 27 USD) should get us through the next few days. I was dumbfounded.

The taxi driver back to our Kos (accommodation) introduced us to the chaos that is Jakarta traffic (in Indonesian "macet"). He flashed his lights and honked his horn with gusto. Motorbikes weaved within centimetres of the car and an assortment of vehicles from the very flash to the should-be-banned-from-the-road filled the jam-packed highways. The noise was incredible. (I was to learn that even a short journey by taxi can take thirty minutes).

As the taxi approached came the city I was surprised by the immediate contrasts. We passed by densely populated areas of rusting, corrugated iron houses surrounded by rubbish that were just metres away from luxury highrise buildings.

To get to my kos we travelled down an extremely narrow streets lined with vendors selling fruit, cellphone credit and nearby there were performing monkeys (topeng monyet) that were cruelly beaten into wearing masks and performing tricks. My kos had a large security gate but as one of the young guards pulled it open and let us in he gave us a big smile. The hospitality from the locals was amazing.

A group of about 10 New Zealander's and Australians including myself, walked from our kos to uni each day. During this walk locals would often wave, stare and ask; "How are you Mr?" Being one of the few white faces in the city was an experience because you are the focus of so much attention.

Some people asked for photos with me and would enthustically say "bule" (the exact definition is in dispute but it ranges from "foreigner" to "whitey" to "albino").
Getting across the major roads is a daunting challenge. There are few crossings and the ones that do exist are usually ignored by cars. Generally, you just raise your hand and walk out onto the extremely busy roads. Cars will usually wait for you and motorbikes will weave around you.

In a country where the minimum wage is about 110 USD a month, a person with a modest income from the West can live very well. A decent meal costs between three and six dollars and warung's (street vendors) are even cheaper.

It can be tough seeing the suffering that some of the people living in Jakarta endure. Many of the luxuries that we take for granted in the West are made possible because poor countries like Indonesia have factories that produce goods for poverty wages. Outside of the luxury super malls that Jakarta has so many of, there are often young children holding umbrellas to walk you through the rain for 20 cents or beggars, missing teeth or limbs sitting looking desolate with their arms outstretched.

While I already aware of these problems, seeing the desperation of these people for myself made it more personal and real.

There was a resilience and inherent friendliness from many of the locals who have so little but are so generous which I found touching. On many occasions where I found myself lost, I would have no problem finding someone to help me out.

A big cultural difference from the West was the Muslim religion. Going into shopping malls and walking past rooms full of people kneeling in prayer was not something I was used to. Similarly, at the designated times throughout the day, the sad wailings of the mosques would blare from the loudspeakers which was both beautiful at times and occasionally trying (especially at 5 am in the morning).

Learning the language at a local University was a fantastic introduction to the country because I got the chance to interact with locals my own age who had as much curiousity about me and my culture as I did about theirs.

Jakarta is a place that often gets a bad wrap from travellers but it has great spots to hang out if you know where to go. I was very lucky to become friends with students from Atma Jaya University, some tourism ambassadors for the city and to stay with Indonesians in different parts of the country. I also became close with the family of the woman I was seeing there and being welcomed into their family gave me an insight into a completely different way of life.

Aside from Jakarta I travelled right through Java and Bali but I really only scraped the surface.

Indonesia is not a place that is easy to summarise because there is literally so much happening at any one time. As an emerging democracy and a country that just 12 years ago, was controlled by a dictator there are many issues they have yet to tackle. From corruption, to poverty, to environemtal degradation, public transport - the list goes on. But for all of that - the country, the people are beautiful and fantastic and it was an unforgetable and character building experience. I highly recommend a visit!

Aku cinta Indonesia sangat banyak dan akan segera kembali ke sana lagi