Sometimes we feel that we stuck (at least I had such feeling ;)) – maybe in the same job position, in the same surrounding. All the time going to same places, eating same food, doing same things and etc. And we don’t realize when it becomes routine.
When we are traveling and stay in one place longer, we see how we start to adapt to surrounding, do things which locals do (even if in our country it wasn’t common) and somehow it’s starts to look like routine as well ;).
So what are the signs showing that you are staying in Indonesia too long?
And maybe it’s time to consider moving somewhere else or at least changing something?
- You are driving motorbike like Indonesian: don’t show anymore turns; start to drive when traffic-light still red; not wearing helmet (at least for the short distance); on your motorbike take big amount of stuff (or big ones) or at least on motorbike already sit with 3 people; driving with slippers and dressed fully (even if outside so hot); when you are passenger, you don’t hold your hands in the back.
- When you meet a person in a street or in front of his home – you don’t get out of motorbike, you just shout to that person what you want to say (usually even without turning off the engine).
- You are crossing a busy street using your right arm to “stop” the traffic and go through.
- You don’t searching ”clean” or “aesthetic” places to eat but eat in small street “warungs” where sanitary condition not the best.
- Start to eat almost the same food – “nasi”, “sayur”, “ayam”, “tahu”,“tempe”, “nasi goreng”, “gado gado” and “soto”. As well can’t imagine food without “sambal”.
- You wash your hands after finishing the meal instead of before.
- You have your own rice cooker.
- You sleep soundly through the first call of prayer at 4:30 am.
- Indonesians no more asks pictures with you (they recognize by your behavior, attitude that you are staying already in Indonesia longer).
- You start do things in Indonesian style (wearing sarong, eating with hands…)
- When you meet foreigners you start to speak with them in bahasa Indonesia, at least use some Indonesian words in English sentences or in your native language sentences.
- You start to use expression “yah” (“yes”) almost in every sentence (“Makasih, yah?” – “Thank you, yah”?).
- You start to use question “apa” (“what”?) more often.
- Start to be late to the meetings at least 30 min.-1 hour.
- Even if it’s looks that you are doing something, most of the time you do nothing.
- Start to be a bit lazy to travel, find new places for activities, eating.
- You start to smoke or if you are smoker, start to smoke more.
- When you have possibility – you move to a cheaper living place even if there condition a bit worse than in previous place.
- In Indonesia nothing surprise you anymore.
- Start to ask yourself maybe it’s time to go home (or at least somewhere else).
After almost 2 years of staying in Indonesia, I already have almost half of these signs. So it seems I need to “work” on it harder and stay here longer.
And here is Tomas (from Belgium) thoughts how to know if you live in Indonesia for too long:
- at dinner, you automatically grab for a spoon first, then for a fork and you don’t even think about a knife.
- upon hearing the words “sakitnya tuh di sini” (“feels hurt in here”), you pump your first against your chest.
- you think car taxis are for pussies and you prefer an “ojek” (motorbike taxi) or at the very least a “becak” (bicycle taxi).
- you feel deeply unnerved when you haven’t had rice for a day.
- you hardly notice the “Hellooooo mister!”, “Bule! Bule!” or “Mau ke mana?” (“Where to go?”) anymore.
- a stop at “Indomaret” is an integral part of your evening routine.
- you think it’s outrageous to pay more than a euro for a haircut.
- you sometimes involuntarily shout “Allah Ou Akbar” (“Allah the great”) or “LURUS! LURUS!” (“straight, straight”) in your sleep.
- you feel more natural in a squatting position than on a toilet seat (but you still use toilet paper, because there are limits to your adaptability).
- you think it’s perfectly fine to eat noodles for breakfast.
- you wonder how the rest of the world survives without “Beng Beng”. Or “Es jeruk”. Or “Tempeh”, “Pop Mie”, “Roti bakar”. Or…
- you can scoop up “sambal” with a spoon as if it were ice cream.
- it upsets you if the gasoline price rises.
- you don’t count sheep when you can’t sleep, you count geckos.
- you’ve stopped using the letters ‘v’ and ‘f’ altogether and have replaced them with a ‘p’. You wonder how you’ll ever order a “kopi” in Europe again without being ridiculed.
- you can only vaguely recall the taste of cheese and you don’t even remember that there is such a thing as wine.
- you think it’s perfectly fine to put cheese on top of milk shakes, pancakes and fruit salads.
- you know that the last two points are not contradictory.
- you think it’s perfectly fine to drink from a plastic bag.
- you can easily distinguish between the different rings and tic-tocs from the passing street sellers and know perfectly well which ones sell “bakso”, “siomay”, ice cream or bread.
- upon seeing a white face, you have to refrain yourself from shouting “BULE!!” out loud.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS
- Which signs show you that you stay in Indonesia already too long?
- Do you think you could stay in Indonesia longer than only couple of months?
- If you lived abroad for a while, which signs there can show that you already staying in that country too long?
Interesting? Great! :) You might also like these:
Indonesian people lifestyle
How to do things in Indonesian style
First time in Indonesia
