Things to do in and around Jakarta on Idul Fitri Weekend

(Steve) Hi Miree, I have only been in Jakarta a couple of months so I am still getting thefeel for the place. My parents are coming to visit for 3 day from the14th till the 16th of October and I would like to show them around. Ihave been told that that is a very bad time to visit Jakarta becauseeverything is closed but unfortunately they were fixed with their dates.What will Jakarta be like over the Idul Fitri weekend? Can you recommendany attractions around Jakarta that I show my parents. I have heard you can do a day trip to Krakatau, take a boat out to theisland, climb the volcano, do some snorkeling etc. Do you know if thiswould be possible to do on either the 14th or 15th October and if so howcould I organise it? Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated.

(Miree) Hi Steve,Thanks for your email. Yes, Jakarta all but shuts down over Idul Fitri, which this year is falling 12-16 October. It is the best time to actually get behind the wheel and drive around Jakarta - however many expats choose to take the opportunity to escape somewhere and do some travelling (also existance here without a maid or driver also forces many people to escape!). Anyway here are some options for you -

Anyer - Pelabuhan Ratu : Easy to get to (though leave early - or very late - if you can to escape traffic). Getting a tour to Krakatau should not be a problem either - I can suggest you have a look in this blog http://carita-anyer.blogspot.com/2007/07/pulau-umang.html

Bali is alway a good option but be warned during this peak holiday period, flights and hotel room prices escalate dramatically!

Hope this helps and I hope you parents enjoy their Indonesian experiance here!

Looking for Intership

(Laura Deetman) Dear Miree,I am an Asian Business student from the Netherlands and I just finished myexchange period at UPH in Jakarta. I am currently still living in Jakartaand looking for an internship. (preferably in marketing)I have had contact with several Indonesian companies, but so far nothingyet.So my question is if you know any people i can contact (by myself or by you)for an internship in Jakarta?Thank you for your help.

(Miree)Hi Laura,Thanks for your email and nice to hear from you!I have 2 suggestions for you.(1) Send your details and your interest in doing an internship(preferably in marketing) to all the business chambers. These chambersnormally send out regular newsletters to their members - which coversmost of the multi-national companies in Jakarta. You can obtain thedetails of these chambers at WhatsNewJakarta.com under "Clubs &Associations".
(2) There is also a company in Indonesia that specifically findsinternships for young expats, mostly from the Netherlands - suggest youcontact Azzan Goeting at Junior Expat - azzan@juniorexpat.com I hope this helps you!

What an expat girl do there for fun?

(Shaima Faisal) Dear Miree,I hope you're doing well.
finding your site was a heaven sent..!! i'm going on a 6 month assignment in Jakarta starting sept 1st. I don't know anyone there, what can a single 28 year old arab/american girl do there for fun? is there a way i can meet other people in my age group to hang out with and help me get to know the place better. any tips ,advice and suggestions you can make is very much appreciated.thank you so much..oh did i menion it's my first time to go to jakarta? i didn't.. well it is.. so i'll need all the help you can give me. thank you again

(Miree) Dear Shaima,

Nice to hear from you! As you can see from WhatsNewJakarta.com - there are plenty of events to go to in Jakarta so you wont have to look far for places to go to meet people! This is what WNJ is intended for - to help bring people together. Actually most people find it much easier to meet new people in an expat environment like Jakarta compared to back home.

Keep an open mind that Jakarta will be unlike anything you have probably experienced before. Some things which are easy back home will be difficult here - and visa versa. Aside from the pollution and traffic of Jakarta, this place can be a wonderful experience. And Bali is only a short plane trip away if you need to get away for a weekend!

Feel free to ask any other questions you may have about Jakarta. Also feel free to contact me after you arrive so we can organise for you to meet some people.

Talk to you soon!

Best Regards

Miree

Graphic Designer Job in Jakarta

(Daisy) Hi Miree, after living in the State for almost 10 years, I decided to come home to take care of my parents. The problem is that my boyfriend wants to come with me to Jakarta and look for a graphic design job. He's currently working for Bath and Body Works Inc. as internal graphic designer (a really nice job actually!). He really wants to know what options that Jakarta can offers him in relation to Graphic Design job and competitive salary for expat. Thanks!

(Miree) Hi Daisy, I have contacted my friend Shashi from JAC recruitment company in Jakarta regarding your matter and his response are ;
(Shashi) I will have to know how senior this guy is as the package completely depends on the experience and expertise. However, from my point of view, the Graphic Design demand is quite high now days as the industry itself is growing, but so far the request is on local employees. Our local people are becoming experts in this field nowdays.

Perhaps, we can help by promoting to our clients once we have his resume.
Hope this answers, Thanks.


Shashi Mulani (Mr.)
Executive Consultant
Skyline Building 19th Floor
Jl.MH Thamrin No.9 Jakarta 10340, Indonesia
Telp: 6221-3159504 / 06 ext.106
Fax: 6221- 3147785
Mobile: +62-817 822 733
Email: shashi@jacindonesia.com
http://www.jacexecutive.com/

Sugar Thermometer

(Dave) Hi Miree, I am trying to find a sugar thermometer here in Jakarta. Have tried a few places that seem to stock cooking stuff but can only find meat ones. Hope you can help?

(Miree) Hi Dave, Have you tried any of the Ace Hardware Stores? I have found a lot of unusual kitchen items in the Ace Hardware in Fatmawati in the past, so maybe it's worth a look.

Indonesian Food Cooking Classes

(Ian Fleetwood)I am a keen cook here in Australian and am now retired. I have been travelling a bit recently and do cooking classes wherever I go....I just love it. I love Indonesian food and am wondering if you know of any home style cooking classes that teach Indonesian cooking in Jakarta?

I am looking at doing 2 possibly 3 day classes and prefer learning one on on. Whilst it is typically a little more expensive this way I find that it is more rewarding as you get to learn what you want do rather than a fixed dishes menu. However if this is all that is available in Jakarta then I would go with this without any problem.

I am struggling to find with my net searches any suitable solutions and am hoping that you being on the ground there you might know or can find some cooking classes there.

Appreciate that fact that you make yourself available at least to be able to ask the question, I hope to hear from you.

(Miree) Dear Ian,
Thank you for visiting WhatsNewJakarta.com!
Regular Indonesian food cooking classes are held at

Jakarta International Community Center
Jl. Kemang Dalam IX No M6 Jakarta 12730 Tel: 0062-21-71793035 email : jicc@cbn.net.id
For futher information you can contact directly to Ms.Endang.
Happy cooking!

Gymnast

(Mara) My grand daughter is coming to visit from London in July . She is only
seven but a very keen gymnast. She trains normally 3 times a week. She
needs bars to do handstands, wall bars beams vaults etc.
Do you know anywhere she can do this in Jakarta?
Hoping you can help.

(Miree) To my knowledge, the only venue in Jakarta offering complete gymnastic facilities is the Jakarta International School. Feel free to contact them to enquire about access to their facilities -

Jakarta International School
Pondok Indah Campus
Jl. Duta Indah III
Pondok Indah
(62-21) 769-2555 parentnet@jisedu.org
Best wishes!

Jakarta or Surabaya?

(Arnold) I am a 43 yr old active South African moving to Indonesia from China. I have a choice to live in Jakarta or Surabaya. I am in sales, so I do not go to an office.
My fiancé will be joining me at the end of the year.
I have spent a fews days in Kemang but find the constant traffic terrible. The fumes are bad.
I know it is an unfair question, but could you recommend other areas in Jakarta that would be more suitable for a bule or is Surbaya a better bet. I like city “action” but also sport, outdoors etc

(Miree) I assume from your email that you do not need to go to an office and can work at home?

Most expats in Jakarta choose to live either downtown (Menteng, Kuningan etc.) so as to be close to their offices. Others, usually families, choose locations further south (i.e. Kemang, Pondok Indah) which are closer to the international schools, a is easier to find large houses with back yards. However in these locations traffic and pollution are unavoidable. Others who choose to escape the city-area choose outside area's like Sentul or Karawaci or even Puncak. The air is not as polluted and traffic is better - it is just not that conveniant if you need to go to downtown Jakarta.
Surabaya is considered a nice city to live in, though the expat community is quite small and it is a little quiet.

Have you considered Bali as a potential location to live? Most of us would choose Bali if our career's allowed us to.

I hope this helps - however I am more than happy to help you further if need be. Don't hesitate to contact me again.

PS - And dont forget to ask Santa Fe to help you move from China!

Barbie Doll Factory Tour

(Sherry) A bunch of my friends and I want to go to the Barbie Doll factory for a tour. I know this is possible, but I have lost the contact name and #. Do you have an idea of who would have that information?

(Miree) Hi Sherry,
Yes you can organise tours directly with the Mattel factory -
PT Mattel Indonesia
Industri Utama, Blok SS kav 1-3
Kawasan Industry Cikarang Tahap 2
Tel: +62 21 893 4044 / 893 6580
I hope this information helps and that you enjoy your tour!

Tatler Magazine

(Bambang Priyono) Thanks for the inclusion of the Talisman Stampede Stomp night in the WNJ. That is great!
Now, I am looking for a link to another magazine called “Tatler” but I got all sorts of unrelated items when I tried the internet. I wonder if you know who/which organization runs this magazine so that I can be more focused with my search.
Thanks again! Have a great weekend!
(Miree) Hi Bambang,
You are most welcome!
You can contact the Tatler magazine office at :

PT. Dayakomunikasi Mandiri
Jl.K.H Wahid Hasyim 318, Menteng
jakarta 10350, Indonesia
telp : 021 315 1421
info@indonesiatatler.co.id
Director : Millie Stephanie

Good luck!