Sharing experiences: those who migrated to Indonesia

Sure. My first time was in 1981. I was based in Singapore and we flew in Trilanders to Balikpapan in East Kalimantan to work in the jungle to explore for oil and gas. We'd stay the first night at the Huffco base camp and the next morning take a helicopter out to the rig in the middle of the jungle. The roustabouts and roughnecks were friendly coming from all parts of Indonesia. Our living conditions were basic, something like a small portacabin with aircon. Food was basic, toilets were worse. After two weeks working in the jungle we'd spend a day or two exploring Balikpapan which at that time was a pretty small place with just one big hotel. But we'd hire motorbikes and drive along the coast and see some amazing coastline.

In those days all the locals in Singapore could speak Malay and I had learned enough Malay as a child to be able to speak a little, so I could communicate in very basic Bahasa Indonesia when I was in Balikpapan. In those days, anyone entering the country with music cassettes or anything written in Chinese would have them confiscated by customs. We also took quinine tablets before flying to Indonesia, and drank Schweppes Tonic Water because it contained Quinine.

I spent six years working in Indonesia, offshore Madura Island, offshore Jakarta and in the Natuna Islands as well as offshore Kalimantan. But my first experience was in Balikpapan, a beautiful part of the country with friendly people, but the worst place to work. I've worked and lived in many places in the world, but my heart has always been in Indonesia.

This could well be a good thread.
A better answer or million when I'm using a real computer.

I'm going to save myself a lot of time by not repeating what I've already written on this topic, and refer the OP to my interview with Expat.com earlier this year:

https://www.expat.com/en/interview/292_roy-in-bali.html

your life is full of adventure.   

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JCollins wrote:

We'd stay the first night at the Huffco base camp and the next morning take a helicopter out to the rig in the middle of the jungle. The roustabouts and roughnecks were friendly coming from all parts of Indonesia. Our living conditions were basic, something like a small portacabin with aircon. Food was basic, toilets were worse. After two weeks working in the jungle we'd spend a day or two exploring Balikpapan which at that time was a pretty small place with just one big hotel.

soo you are the Tarzan and is that your monkey.

Fred wrote:

This could well be a good thread.
A better answer or million when I'm using a real computer.

reply when u r using computer Mr. dancing sheep