CultureShock! Jakarta

Terry Bacon Derek & Collins

Description

CultureShock! Jakarta is the definitive guide to living and working in the capital of the largest archipelago in the world. This book imparts to readers essential tips for survival in this hot and bustling city. All you need to know about renting an apartment, getting a driver's licence, using public transport and other nitty-gritty details of everyday life are found in this humorously written book. Providing more than just facts and practical tips, the authors give insider knowledge that cannot be found in other books. Discover the diversity and richness of Jakarta and immerse yourself in the culture, traditions and lifestyle of the locals. If you are planning to live or work in Jakarta, CultureShock! Jakarta will help you hit the ground running the moment you step off the plane.

Sujets

• Indonesia
• Indonésie

Informations

• Publié par: MarshallCavendishM
• Date de parution: 20 août 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• EAN13: 9789814435567
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

This 2nd edition published in 2011, reprinted 2013 by: Marshall Cavendish Corporation 99 White Plains Road Tarrytown, NY 10591-9001 www.marshallcavendish.us
First published in 2007. Copyright Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited All rights reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Request for permission should be addressed to the Publisher, Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited, 1 New Industrial Road, Singapore 536196. Tel: [phone], fax: [phone]. E-mail: [e-mail]
The publisher makes no representation or warranties with respect to the contents of this book, and specifically disclaims any implied warranties or merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose, and shall in no events be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damage, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.
Other Marshall Cavendish Offices: Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited. 1 New Industrial Road, Singapore 536196 Marshall Cavendish International (Thailand) Co Ltd. 253 Asoke, 12th Flr, Sukhumvit 21 Road, Klongtoey Nua, Wattana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand Marshall Cavendish (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Times Subang, Lot 46, Subang Hi-Tech Industrial Park, Batu Tiga, 40000 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Marshall Cavendish is a trademark of Times Publishing Limited
eISBN: 978 981 4435 56 7
Please contact the publisher for the Library of Congress catalogue number
Printed in Singapore by Times Printers Pte Ltd
Photo Credits: All black and white photos by Derek Bacon except pages x , 20 - 21 , 30 - 31 , 95 , 197 , 209 , 218 - 219 , 230 - 231 and 248 - 249 (Photolibrary) and page 127 (Ian Viney). Colour photos from Photolibrary. Cover photo: Getty Images.
All illustrations by TRIGG except pages 137, 151 and 213 (Derek Bacon)
ABOUT THE SERIES
Culture shock is a state of disorientation that can come over anyone who has been thrust into unknown surroundings, away from one s comfort zone. CultureShock! is a series of trusted and reputed guides which has, for decades, been helping expatriates and long-term visitors to cushion the impact of culture shock whenever they move to a new country.
Written by people who have lived in the country and experienced culture shock themselves, the authors share all the information necessary for anyone to cope with these feelings of disorientation more effectively. The guides are written in a style that is easy to read and covers a range of topics that will arm readers with enough advice, hints and tips to make their lives as normal as possible again.
Each book is structured in the same manner. It begins with the first impressions that visitors will have of that city or country. To understand a culture, one must first understand the people-where they came from, who they are, the values and traditions they live by, as well as their customs and etiquette. This is covered in the first half of the book.
Then on with the practical aspects-how to settle in with the greatest of ease. Authors walk readers through topics such as how to find accommodation, get the utilities and telecommunications up and running, enrol the children in school and keep in the pink of health. But that s not all. Once the essentials are out of the way, venture out and try the food, enjoy more of the culture and travel to other areas. Then be immersed in the language of the country before discovering more about the business side of things.
To round off, snippets of basic information are offered before readers are tested on customs and etiquette of the country. Useful words and phrases, a comprehensive resource guide and list of books for further research are also included for easy reference.
CONTENTS
Introduction
Acknowledgements
Map of Indonesia
Map of Jakarta
Chapter 1
First Impressions
Terry
Planet Jakarta
Derek
Airport
Chapter 2
History, Geography and Politics
Weather
Heat
Natural Disasters
History
Kampung
Architecture
Monas
Westernisation
The Cendana Clan
Time of Crisis
Dollar Naik, Rupiah Turun
Acts of Rebellion
The Electoral System
The Present
The Future
Chapter 3
Jakartans
Betawi
Children
Beggars
Amateur Police
Real Police
Umbrella Boys
Having Things Done
Pembantu
Everyone Else
What Makes a Jakartan a Jakartan
Chapter 4
Fitting into Society
Faux Pas and How to Almost Avoid Them
Titles of Respect
Marriage
Sex
Bule
Making Friends
Hassle
Privacy
Other Westerners in Indonesia
Corruption
Vigilantes
Getting into Trouble
Transvestites
Homosexuality
Chapter 5
Settling In
Visas and Immigration
Accommodation
Local Government
Floors and Furniture
Hotels
Ailments
Doctors and Dentists
Hospitals
Alternative Medicine
Jamu
Stress Relief
Water
Mandi
Toilets
Banking and Money
Clothes
Shopping
Media
Telephones
Internet
Harsher Realities
Wildlife
Sounds
Smells
Crime
Drugs
Getting Around
Transport-Public and Others
Chapter 6
Food and Entertaining
Eating In
Rice
Fruit
Coffee
Eating Out
Non-Indonesian Food
Drinking
Smoking
Chapter 7
Culture and Travel
Pursuing Culture
Street Furniture
Kites
Music
Highland Gathering
Spare Time?
National Holidays
Weekend Retreats
Photography
Chapter 8
Communicating in Jakarta
Language
Learning the Language
Swearing
Non-verbal Communication
Chapter 9
Doing Business
Adjusting to Different Norms
Overview of Recent Developments
Indonesian Law and Legal Certainty
In the Office
The Local Community
Contacts
Chapter 10
Fast Facts
Culture Quiz
Do s and Don ts
Glossary
Resource Guide
Further Reading
About the Authors
Index
INTRODUCTION
Viewed from a safe distance, it s easy to assume that these days it s just one bad thing after another in Indonesia. How terrible must this place be to actually live in? How on earth do people manage to live there? It s easy for the outside world to get a distorted view of life somewhere, when all that seems to come from there is bad news. But these are just events, little blips that get reported along the way. It s in the moments between these events where the real picture lies, where day-to-day life goes on, apparently as normal. If you want to stand any chance of knowing Indonesia at all, you ll need to be there at ground level, with it whizzing all around you.
Towering well over 1.83 m (6 ft) tall, my co-authoring friend Terry Collins is definitely at ground level. In this reworked version of CultureShock! Jakarta , Terry brings our picture of Jakarta bang up to date. With 20 years of Jakarta living under his belt, he is well qualified in shifting the story forward. And, crucially, he still has enthusiasm for the Jakarta life. He may of course completely deny this, but it s this very enthusiasm that has helped paint this much fuller picture of the city, and one too that helps guide us through the often confusing decade of change (or non-change) since President Suharto made his dramatic exit in 1998.
So here then is Jakarta today. It s big. It s frustrating. It really is a monster. Don t say we didn t warn you.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
It is often the Jakarta way to beg, steal and borrow ideas and information, so much of what you read here is available under the Creative Commons licence or is otherwise in the public domain. If anyone should feel that there has been a copyright infringement please contact Marshall Cavendish.
That said, an enormous acknowledgement must be made to the Living in Indonesia website- www.expat.or.id . Much of the factual information we offer may appear to be the same as theirs, and it is-but the opinions are ours. For example, you may find the Indonesian Highway Code elsewhere. I wrote the version you read here in Chapter 5 , circulated it to magazines but, as it remained unpublished, in March 2004 I resorted to putting it online on my blog Jakartass . It has since been plagiarised but, hey, I don t mind if it makes the living easier.
This edition is not so very different from the last edition in 2007, which had Derek s original tome, published in 1999, as its core. So the first big personal thank you goes to him for that and, above all, for the many years of friendship.
I d be remiss if I didn t thank the following, listed in alphabetical order, for help with this edition, for increasing my knowledge of Indonesia, or for no other reason than just being there (or here).
Anita and Nick Fenton, for this and that.
Dan Quinn for Gunung Bagging ( www.gunungbagging.com ), a heightened knowledge of Indonesian music, particularly gamelan but not dangdut , and many pleasant shared Bintangs.
Dave Jardine, for being there.
Gary Dean ( www.okusiassociates.com ) for reviewing Chapter 9 on the business labyrinth.
Leonardo Pavkovic ( www.moonjune.com ) for encouraging Indonesian ethno-jazz .
Maureen Rohn ( www.tatterscoops.com ) for TMII.
Malcolm Johnson, for continued support, especially when my computer goes awol.
Martin Jenkins, long time friend, for sharing insights.
Patung ( www.indonesiamatters.com ) and his vocal readers.
Pedro Fauquex ( www.yaudahbistro.com ) of Ya Udah, for a pleasant watering hole.
Riza Arshad for his overview of the current Indonesian jazz scene and some great gigs.
Rob Baiton ( www.therabexperience.blogspot.com ), for his perspective on things.
Sam Collins ( www.ethostravel.co.uk ), Son No.1, for taking me places.
Simon Pitchforth ( www.metromad.blogspot.com ), for his perspective on things.
Thomas Belfield ( www.tbelfield.wordpress.com/ ), for his more academic insight into the city s mysterious (mal) functioning.
Treespotte