" Hi, me and my wife are looking for people who work and live in Indonesia and particular in Jakarta. Everything is welcome. How is the contact with the local people? Is the cost of living expensive? What have we to think of before moving to Indonesia? Realy all information is welcome... If you want to mail us, k.demaertelaere@euronet.be , is the adress. Many Thanks Koen & Veerle "

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" Dear Koen & Veerle Congratulations on your impending move to Indonesia. I have lived in this country for the last 4 years, I am originally from England. Jakarta at the moment is quite tense with the presidents accountability address to the government due shortly, and the new presidential election due in November, my initial advice is to wait until after both these events before moving to Jakarta. Aside from the political agenda''s Indonesia is a beautiful country and the people are always willing to help. It pays however to consider some basic pointers before arriving. The first advice when arriving here is only to use ""Silver Bird"" taxis, they cost a little more than the usual private hire firms but the cars are clean and comfortable and the drivers are trustworthy. Just go to the Bluebird taxi stand situated directly opposite the baggage pick up area and order a silver bird. Money; Be careful with your money, use only the banks to change your currency, and do not go around with wads of cash in your pocket, whilst using ATM''s are a good idea, when you have 2 million rupiah(the maximum daily withdrawal amount) in 10,000 rupiah notes on you (this is the equivalent of around 250 US dollars), not a lot in western terms but around a full years salary for the well paid Indonesian, the temptation may be too much for them. Therefore use your credit card as often as possible to buy goods and only carry around 250,000 rupiah in cash with you at any time. Always carry a copy of your Passport and your work permit with you. You will be stopped by the Police hovering at the roadside in Jakarta and be expected to pay from 10 - 100,000 rupiah in handouts for apparently no reason, my advice is to just pay it and get out of there, consider that the average police sergeant gets paid around 40 us dollars a month for standing all day in the heat and pollution, he may have 3 or 4 kids in school and a wife or two at home to feed, how else is he to cope? Living Costs In Jakarta are higher than the other rural areas in Indonesia, but the standard of living is also better, go to Kemchicks in Kemang for a good selection of imported food. If you consider your average weekly spending in Europe you should be saving around 50%. Language; Bahasa Indonesian is probably one of the easiest languages to learn, I recommend that you get a local to come around to your house and teach you, find some other expat who uses this service and take a referal from him. Maids; Most expats have a maid and this again should be arranged on a referal basis, the cost in Jakarta is around 300,000 rupiah per month and she should live-in. Driver: Your company should provide you with a driver and car, if not then I strongly recommend that you arrange one yourself, again take referalls and references. Security; It is a good idea to have a night guard at your house and if you are away most of the day then maybe a 2 shift 24 hour guard system is best. Religion; 90% Muslim, so respect it and you should be ok, muslim people respect other religions as a matter of course, so simply respect their religion, dont complain to your staff if the azhan is too loud (the call to prayer), remember always your staff are local people and they talk to the other local staff as and when they can. You will find your time in Indonesia enjoyable so long as you get out of Jakarta at the weekends, the traffic congestion will drive you crazy in the capital city, for example there is a lovely train ride from Gambir train station in Jakarta to Bandung with some great photo opportunities, you will see what Java is all about, the trains are air-conditioned and in great condition, take the trip and stay in the Papandayan Hotel in Bandung for very reasonable rates, this was one of the highlights of my 2 year stay in Jakarta. Many other trips are cheap and your travel agent will help you. Bali is only about 1 hour away by Garuda airlines and although US dollar rates are charge "

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" Cecil and I just moved to Jakarta in July, so maybe we''re not the ones to give you advice. You generally have two choices for housing, apartments or lease houses. Two of the major hotels have apartment buildings, and there are several others. If you decide to go the housing route, you should start looking right away. It''s not unusual to look at 100 houses. Most leases are for two/three years, and are paid up front. When you find a place you are considering, you should drive to and from work during rush hour, and visit the location during call to prayer. The masque you don''t see is the one that will wake you at 4 a.m. Even though Jakarta is a major city, everyone here keeps roosters. They also give a pretty early wake-up call! Almost everything is available in Jakarta, for a price. We have really enjoyed access to fresh veggies, but everything has too be cooked or peeled. The tap water is not potable, but 5 gallon bottles are delivered to your door. Almost every country has a Woman''s Association, join yours, or seek them out for info. They''re very informative. Good Luck Lydia Lydia O. Chopin Jakarta Indonesia chopin@idola.net.id "

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" The Indonesian Expat Newsletter is a good source of information. You can subscribe at http://www.bugils.com Regards, Bart "

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" Yes, that''s true. The indonesian Expat newsletter is absolutley the best source of daily information. "

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