On my first business trip to Indonesia, the company contacted a local Chinese and rented an apartment as an office space. The landlord appointed a driver to meet me at the airport and take me back to the city.
On the way from the airport to downtown, I saw many people riding motorcycles. After entering the city, the speed slowed down until they stopped. In the crowded traffic, motorcycles shuttled between cracks, and some people knocked on the windows to sell small commodities.
When turning at the intersection, the opposite car blocked the intersection. There are no traffic lights and no traffic police to direct traffic. After waiting for more than ten minutes, I didn't turn. Suddenly a man with a red flag appeared in the opposite lane, stretched out his hand and stopped the opposite car, leaving us a corner. I asked the driver who they were, and the driver said you would know later.
The man followed us all the time when our car turned the corner. After turning the corner, he reached out and asked the driver for money. It turns out that many local people make a living by it. After paying some tips, the man left with a smile.
After stopping for 2 hours, I finally came to the apartment. I chatted with the landlord about the road at dinner. The landlord said that he would get used to local traffic jams in the future. He also said that the driver who picked me up is his full-time driver, and he is also responsible for picking up the children from school. Only 2000 yuan a month, and the nanny who cooks less than one month 1000. I didn't expect to hire two people to take care of my daily life for about 3000 yuan.
The landlord also said that hiring drivers and nannies in Indonesia is not for the rich. Ordinary people will also hire drivers and nannies, and they can also find people with cheaper prices. The local people are used to the lifestyle of having a nanny.
The minimum wage in Indonesia ranges from 770 yuan to 1.600 yuan, while the minimum wage in Jakarta is 1.900 yuan, and the per capita monthly income is around 1.600 yuan. Jakarta has the highest average wage, reaching 2500 yuan. The monthly income of 5,000 yuan is two to three times that of most people, which is definitely a high income in the local area.
Indonesian restaurant waiters earn less than 1000 yuan a month, and many people live on tips. The monthly income of construction workers is above 1.200 yuan, factory workers 1.400 yuan to 1.800 yuan, nurses 1.400 yuan, and the bank is about 2,000 yuan.
Indonesians generally work five days a week and eight hours a day. Few people will work overtime and pray on time during work. They pray five times a day. By Friday afternoon, many companies will leave work early to facilitate employees to go back to Friday's worship activities.
One bottle of Indonesian mineral water 1.5 yuan, one liter of milk 10 yuan, instant noodles 1.5 yuan, and one catty of rice 3.2 yuan. Alcohol in Indonesia is more expensive, and local beer 1 1 yuan.
A kilo of tomatoes is 4.65 yuan, carrot 5 yuan, potato 7.5 yuan, watermelon 4.2 yuan, banana 5.8 yuan and apple 8.5 yuan.
Eggs 1.2 yuan, chicken 12 yuan a catty, beef 30 yuan a catty, many kinds of seafood, the relative price is not high, a catty of fish or shrimp from 40 yuan.
A cup of coffee 3.5 yuan, a bowl of meatball noodles 5 yuan in the night market, a curry rice 7.5 yuan, a Big Mac burger set 35 yuan, and a steak set 80 yuan for one person.
Renting a house in Indonesia is not cheap. One bedroom in downtown Jakarta costs 2,000 yuan a month, and two bedrooms cost more than 3,500 yuan. The local average house price is 20,000 yuan per square meter.
Although the climate in Indonesia is hot, when I went out, I found that many locals were wearing tight clothes, and long-sleeved trousers covered everything that could be covered. Locals don't like being tanned by the sun. In fact, their skin color has turned black.
Many Indonesians wear traditional clothes to work every Friday, which is called Badik. Badik for men and women can distinguish between men and women in the pattern. Badik patterns of women are more regular, while Badik patterns of men are more complicated.
In the streets of Indonesia, you can see that there are no tables and chairs in the roadside food stalls. Usually, a large piece of cloth will be spread out by the roadside. After choosing the dishes, people take off their shoes and sit cross-legged on the cloth, and then grab them directly with their hands.
When eating in a restaurant in Indonesia, there is a bowl of water on the table, and sometimes a lemon is put in it. This bowl of water is not for people to drink, but for washing hands when eating, so it is not easy for rice to stick to its hands when it is stained with water.
Most Indonesians have limited family conditions. They will build a reservoir in the bathroom at home. Usually, they turn on the tap and let the water drop into the reservoir. After going to the toilet, they will use the spoon in the reservoir to scoop water for washing.
Indonesians take a bath twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. They don't have the conditions to take a bath. They just stood by and watched the water tank in the toilet and the water scooped on them. People who don't take two baths will be considered unclean by others.
The bus in Indonesia can't be turned off during driving, because people will always stand at the door. Local bus drivers don't stop and stand, but slow down to make it easier for passengers to jump up and down. Sometimes the car is crowded and someone will climb on the roof.
Indonesians are used to carrying a cardboard box when traveling. At airports and railway stations, you can see many people pulling or holding buses such as cartons. They think cardboard boxes can hold more things than suitcases, which is convenient for long-distance travel.
Indonesians generally don't eat much, saying that eating is like eating cat food. Many people are squatting on the roadside to eat, holding a small bag of rice wrapped in palm leaves or banana leaves, with several vegetables and dried fish on it.
Indonesians are used to barbecues, and fried snacks are sold at every stall. As long as the locals eat, the first consideration is frying, and the oil pans on the food stalls are all thick with oil.
Indonesian takeout is packed in plastic bags, whether it is rice or soup, daily drinks are also packed in plastic bags. On the road, locals can see bags filled with colorful drinks with straws in them.
Indonesians can see a lot of food that they dare not eat. Locals like to eat bats, ant eggs and all kinds of insects. They feel afraid to go in at first sight, but they are often swept away as soon as they are released.
Indonesia's favorite means of transportation is motorcycle. In the heavy traffic, motorcycles occupy the space between cars. During rush hour, at first glance, helmets are everywhere, and people with intensive phobia will feel numb.
Sitting in the car, I often hear the roar of motorcycle engine in my ear, and then I see a black shadow galloping by. The red light turned green, and countless motorcycles started at the same time, which was shocking enough.
Indonesian motorcycles have special taxi software. Wearing green vests and helmets, they shuttled through the streets. The traffic jam in Indonesia is very serious. Choosing a motorcycle in time is faster and more convenient, and motorcycle drivers are very popular in the local area.
It is normal to see two people riding a motorcycle in Indonesia, and it is also common to see several people sitting together in a family. Their motorcycle cargo capacity is also amazing. No matter how big things are or how much they cost, local people can always pack them with motorcycles. Television, refrigerator, sofa and even a cow can be carried by motorcycle.
At the wedding scene in Indonesia, the bride will invite her ex to be present and hug her ex to express her gratitude. The groom will also thank her predecessor.
Newcomers in Borneo, Indonesia, can't leave home for three days after marriage. Even more amazing is that they can't go to the toilet for three days. It's hard to imagine how they can endure three days.
In the tribes of Indonesia, tusks are considered as the embodiment of beauty. Women grind their teeth when they grow up, and so do women who marry in the local area. In the tribe, there are workers in charge of grinding teeth and special tools for grinding teeth.
There is a festival in Indonesia that cannot be celebrated on the same day. You can only stay at home, don't go out, don't turn on the lights indoors, and have no entertainment. This is a local retreat.
Indonesians celebrate the New Year by blowing horns. Every few days before the Chinese New Year, the street is full of stalls selling horns. Speakers made of colored paper come in different sizes and can be heard all day.
Taxi drivers in Indonesia don't give change, and the extra money is a tip for them by default. If they ask the driver for change, they will open their hands and say no.
In Indonesia, durian should be eaten now, not taken away. Durian is not allowed in local taxis and buses, and durian is not allowed in public places like hotels.
Indonesians like to use perfume. There are many shops selling cheap perfume along the road. Locals often buy perfume by the catty, and when they pass by, they will smell a perfume mixed with sweat.
When sitting in Indonesia, don't point your feet at others, and don't cross your legs, because your feet are dirty. It's impolite to show your soles to others.
The way for Indonesian couples to express their sweet love is that their boyfriends raise their arms, and their girlfriends will stick their arms to smell their boyfriends' armpits, indicating that they accept everything from their boyfriends.