5 THINGS I WISH I HAD KNOWN BEFORE COMING TO TEACH IN INDONESIA

I consider myself a blind eye traveler. Being from Florida, I am naturally a beach goer, so the thought of me teaching and having the sand between my feet overthrew all logic regarding what I really should have considered before landing in Jakarta. As we all know, hindsight is 20/20. I am approaching the end of my contract year for EF Indonesia and I will take all of the memories and lessons learned with me to mold me into a better person and a more skilled educator. What I really should have learned while in the states (before coming here).

Indonesian rupiah is very different from the Euro, Pound or USD. To hear that you have spent 10 thousand on two bottles of water is quite alarming at first, however, if you mentally convert it…it's less than 2 US Dollars. Know your numbers and how to mentally convert. It will save you money in the long run.

In America, we don't apologize…. unless we really mean it. Most people are over-apologetic and I had to learn that its considered culturally polite to start and finish with “I'm sorry”. It made me realize that it's an expression of politeness and should be taken as such. Perhaps we Americans are a little ruder than the rest of the world.

Yes, it's true we are here to teach English and several people in Indonesia speak English well. However, it helps when you want to explain something in a phrase like “no chilies please” or “hold the sugar” …small phrases make a huge difference.

Ok as you all may know, I am from Florida and just about anything goes in regards of how to dress. Culturally, I was aware that the town I taught in was very conservative. I try to warn the new-comers that long skirts and dresses is the way to go here. Each town is a little different, but to be on the safe side…. cover up!