JAKARTA 101 FOR EPs

ICX GCDP in AIESEC UI

Jakarta, Indonesia!

Jakarta in a Glimpse

Jakarta is the Indonesia’s economic, cultural and political center.
It is the most populous city in Indonesia and in Southeast Asia, and is the tenth-largest city in the world.
It is seldom viewed as a center for tourism other than the old part of the city, which is a popular tourist destination. However the Jakarta authority saw the opportunity to develop the city's reputation as a service and tourism city. There are many new tourism infrastructures, entertainment centers, and international-class hotels and restaurants being built in Jakarta.
Jakarta also possesses many historical places and cultural heritage. Chaotic, crowded, and cosmopolitan, Jakarta, the capital of
Indonesia, is a city of contrasts. Home to millions of people from around the world, the city is a mixture of languages and cultures, poverty and wealth. The city boasts some of the best nightlife in
Asia and some of the worst traffic.

1. Weather in Jakarta

The weather in Jakarta is tropical with high humidity and lots of rainfall.
Jakarta weather really only has two seasons, with a rainy season
(November to June) and a dry season (July to October). Even during the dry season there are some rainy days.
Wet season
From November till June Jakarta experiences wet season. January is the wettest month of the year when it receives around 400 mm of precipitation. Moreover, the month witnesses only 92 hours of sunshine. Throughout the wet season the average high stands at 32°C while the low falls to 24°C. In fact, temperature hardly varies from season to season in Jakarta.
Dry season
The rest of the month remains dry in Jakarta. During Summer Jakarta remains hotter and humid with the average high of 34°C while the low stands at mid twenties. Rainfall is very much uncommon in the city but not rare as September gets around 29 mm of precipitation.

Source: http://www.worldweatheronline.com
2. Cost of Living in Jakarta
(Last update: September 2013)

Source: http://www.numbeo.com

3. Public Transportation in Jakarta

Commuter Line Train: KRL Jabodetabek serves commuters in
Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, Bekasi.
See http://www.krl.co.id/peta-rute-loopline.html to learn about the routes.
Fare: Rp 3.000,- – Rp 13.000,-/ride (depends on the destination) b. Transjakarta:
For tourist staying in the city center, they can move around the town (such as to Jakarta History Museum near Kota station,
Plaza Senayan near Bundaran Senayan station, and Plaza
Indonesia near Bundaran Hotel Indonesia station) easily. Now, the busway connect you to virtually any public places in the city such as Ancol recreation park, Ragunan zoo, to Blok M shopping area. You just need to study where you should study the transfer point and which station you should alight at.
See http://www.transjakarta.co.id/peta_rute.php to learn about the routes.
Fare: Rp 3.500,-/ride

c. Ojek (Motorcycle Taxi)
Ojek tend to congregate at Tjunctions on main roads and near smaller roads that are not serviced by bus routes. Ojek becomes the best choice when you need to beat the traffic jam.
Fare: Bargain before you get on is a must - ask a local what the price should be first.
d. Angkot
Angkot is smaller van/mini-bus that serves set routes on smaller main roads in Jakarta. The beginning and end points of the routes are visible on the front and back of each bus, along with a route number. For example: Tanah Abang – Meruya M11
Fare: Varies for distaneces
e. Bajaj

Bajaj seat two passengers comfortably and up to five passengers. Their areas of operation are limited to one mayoralty in the city. The drivers are not allowed to go out of their area and aren't allowed onto many main roads, so routes may be a bit circuitous.
Fare: Bargain before you get on is a must - ask a local what the price should be first.

Additional note:
As the most growing city in Indonesia, be aware that traffic jam is one of the things that you will commonly see in Jakarta. We suggest you to leave home early whenever you have an appointment, cause we can’t really estimate time precisely when

you have to deal with traffic jam. Taking Commuter Line train is one of the ways to avoid traffic jam.
4. Tourism Places in Jakarta
Kota Tua
Kota Tua (old town), is a small area in the western part of
Jakarta. It spans 1.3 square kilometers; consist of the city’s main heritages and museum, as it used to be the main point of
Jakarta in the colonial times.
Chinatown
The Chinatown of Jakarta began long before
Indonesia existed as a nation and was originally the
Chinatown of Batavia. This was the area where the
Dutch required the Chinese to live. Today, the whole area is called Glodok and includes traditional houses; markets, architecture and some very beautiful Chinese temples; the Da Shi Miao and the
Vihara Dharma Bhakti temples are both popular tourist attractions. The Glodok Market is one of the great commercial centers of Jakarta where you can buy everything from antiques to laptops
Museum Wayang (Puppet Museum)
Puppet Museum is a museum dedicated to one of Indonesia’s traditional Puppet, Wayang. Here, visitor could know more about wayang, watch the performance as well as learn how to make it in the workshop. Museum Tekstil (Textile Museum)
The textile museum exhibits many kinds of Indonesian traditional weaving such as Javanese batik, Batak ulos, and ikat. There are also displays of traditional weaving instruments and equipment for textile production. Pulau Seribu (Thousand Islands)
If you are in Jakarta over a weekend and don't want to spend it trailing around shopping malls, why not consider a short dive or snorkeling trip to the
Thousand Islands (Pulau Seribu).
There are several tour operators who can arrange this trip. Prices will include the boat transfer from Ancol marina
(fixed schedule) to one of the islands, which has a hotel on it.
Food and accommodation are also included in the package. If you wish to dive or snorkeling, that would also be included.
SeaWorld
Seaworld is a giant oceanarium with more than 4,000 fish and sharks from 300 species that can be experienced by strolling through 80 m tunnel.
Attraction features a theater which plays three educational films in English and Bahasa
Indonesia.

5. How To Dress
In the workplace: wearing semi-formal attire to respect your workplace is a must. Jeans is fine, but no t-shirts, tanktop, flip flops, and shorts.
Example:
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In daily life:
Dressing appropriately for the weather is of course important. This doesn’t mean that typical holiday attire is appropriate, however.
Women especially should bear modesty in mind, avoiding anything too tight, revealing, or sleeveless, as this may be considered inappropriate. Moreover, if you were to take any public transportation or going out at night, you are strongly suggested to wear clothes that cover your upper body and legs, because it’ll be pretty dangerous if you don’t.
Even though Muslim dominates Indonesia, it’s actually fine to wear shorts or tank top to public places (e.g.: shopping malls).

6. Social Customs
Though known as being friendly and open as a country and people, awareness of customs and traditions may ease any culture shock, and it’s always good to be shown making the effort. If coming from

a western country, you may find that much everyday behavior differ from those you are used to.
To avoid any faux pas or misunderstandings, have a look at the following examples to make sure that your actions won’t be misconstrued. a. Greetings
- When meeting someone informally, as an expat a simple ‘hello’ will often suffice, although if you want to take your language abilities further, there are a myriad of ways to greet people, depending on time of day, and who you are meeting.
- ‘Selamat pagi’ is used as an equivalent to ‘Good morning’, although only before 10am, after which ‘selamat siang’ would be more appropriate. Before names, different titles or expressions can be used depending on the gender and status of the person. ‘Bu’ refers to married women, ‘mba’ to younger, unmarried women. ‘Pak’ is a formal way of greeting men, whilst ‘mas’ is more informal.
- Most initial greetings involve a handshake, but don’t hurry it, as this can be seen as being disrespectful. In some situations you may notice Indonesians bow slightly as well, which should be seen as a sign of politeness. Taking the handshake further into one of the manly backslaps common in Europe and America is not a good idea!
b. Body language
- Indonesians are often taught from a young age to not get angry over little things and to avoid public disagreements. Body language and certain behaviors could be seen as representing anger, so you may need to make a conscious effort, at least at first, to keep yourself in check. Prolonging eye contact, for example, could be misconstrued as being a challenge or a form of aggression; best avoided! - Shouting or speaking loudly in public is another way in which offence could be caused, as Indonesians on the whole speak fairly quietly. Confrontations may often be counteracted with smiles, and offence causing is avoided to the extent that there are more than ten ways of saying ‘no’, and even more of saying ‘yes’ but actually meaning ‘no’. In a similar vein, publicly blaming or criticizing someone is a no-no, and it may take time to get used to a more

indirect way of communicating certain things. Gestures and body language can prove useful in interpreting the real meaning of a conversation. A controlled and gentle public manner, avoiding strong gestures and displays of negative emotions, are the way forward.
- Public displays of affection between members of the opposite sex are frowned upon, and in some greeting situations it may be wise to allow women to initiate the handshake. Avoid touching someone’s head, as it is considered sacred by some
Indonesians. However, you will likely see members of the same sex with their arms around each other or holding hands, as a sign of friendship. - The left hand is seen as being unclean, meaning you should avoid using it to eat or serve food, to give or accept gifts, to handle money or even to hand over a business card. Avoid pointing or calling someone over with one finger; this could be mistaken as an obscene gesture and it is better to indicate with an open hand.
b. Business etiquette
- There is a concept of ‘rubber time’ in Indonesia, and many social events are not expected to start punctually, however when it comes to business situations, it will likely be expected for expats to arrive on time. With this and other aspects of work-related social interactions, it’s best to know both what is expected of you as a foreigner, and what cultural customs you should be aware of.
- Entry into the meeting room may sometimes be according to rank, and meetings earlier on can be more about getting to know each other than about the business itself - time doesn’t necessarily mean money. Don’t cross the line between bargaining and putting pressure on someone; bear in mind the culture of wanting to avoid disagreements, read into the answers you are given and remember the virtue that is patience, as some agreements will take longer to complete than you may be used to.
c. Standing out
- Don’t let a call from across the street of ‘Hey, Mister!’ or ‘Bule!’ surprise or offend you, especially from children. The terms are often used in reference to anyone who looks Western or fairer-skinned and aren’t usually meant to cause offence. Similarly, you may find

yourself the object of more stares than you are used to at home, and it’s best to not let this faze you in any way.
- Indonesia has a strong belief in the implementation of norms. It is a must for you to act based on those norms during your stay in
Indonesia. We are also attaching some links that will help you to understand more about the social customs/cultural etiquette in
Indonesia.
http://www.justlanded.com/Indonesia/IndonesiaGuide/Culture/Social-customs http://www.ediplomat.com/np/cultural_etiquette/ce_id.htm http://www.aiccusa.org/culturaltips.html

7. Things You Might Find Interesting in Jakarta
Squatting Toilet
For Indonesians squatting (mejeng/jongkok) is a very natural and comfortable position and they can remain in such a position feeling totally relaxed for a long time. You will often see groups of men or children by the roadside just passing the time of day, smoking and chatting, and squatting.
They are trained from infancy to assume this position and do it with their feet flat on the ground – something that is very difficult for most westerners.
For most Indonesians this is also the most natural and comfortable way to use the toilet, hence the prevalence of squat toilets even in some luxurious shopping malls and office buildings.

‘ Hijabers’

In addition to the fashion growth in Jakarta, Moslem women who wear hijab (the veil that cover most of their hair and they can’t open

excessive parts of their body) found a new way of being fashionable and still wearing their veil properly. This new called fashion style (usually people choose to call them ‘hijabers’) is a new trend that happened a lot in Jakarta right now. You’ll see them starting to make impress people by how they wear their veil is. Don’t judge them to be introvert and unopened. People choose to wear hijab as part of their religion’s obligation so people will judge them not from their body.
Smoking
The vast majority of Indonesian men smoke, excessively! There are many public spaces where you will inevitably have to breathe in cigarette smoke. There is a general lack of understanding as to the detrimental effects on the health of cigarette smoking, and little consciousness of the dangers of inhaling secondhand smoke.
A law that banned smoking in transportation terminals, malls, offices, hospitals, schools, universities, places of worship, buses, trains and playgrounds has been in effect in Jakarta since 2006, but it is not enforced. Beggars and street Musician
Makeshift cover bands and guitarists with 4 stringed guitars will come to you like ocean waves rolling into shore. Some people sing poorly on purpose so you have to give them something small for them to leave. It’s not a bad idea to have a few 1000 Rupiah notes to get some of the most repugnant musicians to depart.
Other inspiring musicians are actually quite talented and might even deserve applause. Whether the music is good or bad, it does make for an interesting dinner or night of entertainment.

‘Hey Bule!’
Yes, we know, all foreigners are albinos (the actual meaning of the word bule). It is not uncommon for people to yell out “Hey Bule” when they see you … addressing the novelty of your appearance in their neighborhood. The best response is just to smile and nod your head, or ignore them! Most foreigners are also familiar with the common variety of “Hey Bule”, which is “Hey Mister” (most street children only know mister, not miss). These verbal pointing episodes are most common when there is a group of boys or young men congregating, often trying to one-up each other with their verbal acknowledgment of your presence. If you are a woman and their form of address is impolite, it’s best to just ignore them. Women should understand that dressing immodestly would undoubtedly result in more staring and more “Hey Misters” or other rude comments.
Remember, the average persons “knowledge” of western lifestyles and mores, is influenced by what they see from western TV shows and movies! www.expat.or.id 8. Living with Indonesian Family
Your host families are willing to have you stay with them even though they are not paid. They’re eager to teach you Indonesian culture and way of life. They’re expecting to learn about your country and culture through you, and of course, looking forward to meet you. So Please keep in mind that this exchange is a great experience not only for you but also for your host family. When you are having adjustment difficulties, try to think how you would react if you were hosting an exchange. •

Indonesian house

Most of Indonesian family lives in a house rather than an apartment.
Indonesian house is built from stone and has ceramic floor.
Commonly, you have to take off your shoes when entering the house.
You are supposed to dress appropriately in the house.

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Meals

Meals are taken three times a day, in the morning, at noon and in the evening. The staple of the Indonesian meals is rice. Indonesian people consider that they have eaten if they have eaten rice. Most of
Indonesian foods are spicy. Their taste is very strong whether it is spicy, sweet, or salty.
Food is a very important part of your intercultural experience, so taste every food before deciding whether you like it or not, even if it looks strange or if you haven’t heard of it before. Try not to ask your family for special foods, unless you have medical prescription.
Remember that Host family doesn’t serve food 3 times daily as you’re working so if they don’t cook, you need to eat outside.
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Parent – children relationship

In some families, university students are yet to be considered as adults. Parents consider their responsibility to protect and guide their children while they are dependent. Most of families have a curfew for their children. If you are considered to have that curfew, please always keep your curfew.
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Treating a guest

Indonesian people always try to make their guest to be convenient.
So, you might be treated as a guest in the family that they always want to ensure that you feel convenient.
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Family occasions

Indonesian people often gather with their big family. If they ask you to join the family gathering, it is better to you to join because it means that they want introduce you to their big family and they want you to be a part of their big family.