Relocating back to Jakarta from USA

Welcome home(?)
Jakarta is a wonderful city, so I'm sure you'll get back into the swing of the place in no time.
Are you returning to a job here, or just needed a change of scenery?

Have a look at this, it might bring memories flooding back.

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.p … 573#527221

Claudia, hopefully your experiences living in the US for 13 years will serve you well when you get back home to Jakarta…thinking specifically about job and career opportunities.   

I hope New Jersey was good to you, and that you have many fond memories to cherish.

Good luck with your return to the Big Durian! 

Cheers!

Hi Fred,
I have some personal stuff to take care of in Jakarta plus it's time to have a change of scenery lol
it's time to pulang kampung hehehe

Hi Ubudian,
I love it here in Jersey and would love to come back sometimes in the future but for now it's time for me to come home. I will be living in Jakarta and I'm nervous about the crazy traffic there lol I'm so spoiled here in the Jersey-Philly area where the traffic jam only happens few hours of the day on I-95 

Listening to you is bringing back a lot of memories of heading down the Garden State Parkway on the way to Cape May.

As you well know, New Jersey gets a bad rap from folks who don't know all the hidden gems to be found there...and I don't mean Cap May Point diamonds either.   

A change of scenery can bring a bit of excitement and fun back into life.
Have you plans for work, or just going to hang around on the $ millions you made in the states?

Ubudian wrote:

Listening to you is bringing back a lot of memories of heading down the Garden State Parkway on the way to Cape May.

As you well know, New Jersey gets a bad rap from folks who don't know all the hidden gems to be found there...and I don't mean Cap May Point diamonds either.   

I'm living in south jersey and already have to deal with the bad rep from ppl because of the reality tv show "the jersey shore" where they're actually ppl from upstate new york (long island,staten island,etc) 
I love cape may but usually every summer I go to wildwoods beach,I love the board walk lol
I think what I'll be missing the most when I go back to jakarta is the blueberries picking every summer,but I will be munching on buah duku and rambutan for a change 

Fred wrote:

A change of scenery can bring a bit of excitement and fun back into life.
Have you plans for work, or just going to hang around on the $ millions you made in the states?

bahahahhahahaha...you're making my cheeks hurt from laughing. I have plans for what I'm going to do in Indonesia but it can always change. I'm a very modest and laid back person here in the states. Always in my flip flops during the summer seasons. Never a fan of branded clothes,loves wearing my rock bands t-shirts. I don't know if I can keep up with "the jonas" aka my friends in Jkt and I would rather not.

Welcome to jakarta.. Please prepare for the bad traffict and a lot of surprises. So far, we like jekarrrdaaahh....

strawberrycakelover wrote:

Never a fan of branded clothes,loves wearing my rock bands t-shirts. I don't know if I can keep up with "the jonas" aka my friends in Jkt and I would rather not.

Ah, a real girl, not one of those plastic ones you see shopping in expensive fashion shops.
Excellent stuff, as is rock.
I'm into AC/DC, motorhead and the like, but I'm old and fat, so can't get into this modern stuff - it's just a noise to me.
Kids today - no idea what real music is.

"Kids today - no idea what real music is."

Really?

Don't say that to my good friend Putu Krisna Purpa: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0d8lurH9CMhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHBQ-pK … pK0plw#t=0

Silikan! 

And this…my favorite, Sabar:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dsmz-4qyeIE

In the West, this song is the equivalent of a Platinum record. 

Hard to find an Indonesian under the age of 60 who hasn't heard it many times.

Bella_Shu wrote:

Welcome to jakarta.. Please prepare for the bad traffict and a lot of surprises. So far, we like jekarrrdaaahh....

Yessss...that's what everybody is telling me. I guess I will never be ready until i'm stuck in one lol

Fred wrote:

strawberrycakelover wrote:

Never a fan of branded clothes,loves wearing my rock bands t-shirts. I don't know if I can keep up with "the jonas" aka my friends in Jkt and I would rather not.

Ah, a real girl, not one of those plastic ones you see shopping in expensive fashion shops.
Excellent stuff, as is rock.
I'm into AC/DC, motorhead and the like, but I'm old and fat, so can't get into this modern stuff - it's just a noise to me.
Kids today - no idea what real music is.

awww Fred, can't imagine you try to wear those skinny jeans lmao
speaking of AC/DC I was actually lucky enough to have seen them in concert a few years back in Philladelphia, Angus still rocks. Funny facts,I swear to God,I didn't see any other asian in the venue, And I'm not talking asian women just asian in general lol I wonder why? lol

Ubudian wrote:

"Kids today - no idea what real music is."

Really?

Don't say that to my good friend Putu Krisna Purpa: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0d8lurH9CMhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHBQ-pK … pK0plw#t=0

Silikan! 

And this…my favorite, Sabar:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dsmz-4qyeIE

In the West, this song is the equivalent of a Platinum record. 

Hard to find an Indonesian under the age of 60 who hasn't heard it many times.

Nice music Ubudian, I should listen to Indonesian music more often 

I love all genres of music,from Beatles,Johnny Cash the original man in black,rolling stones to gosh...aerosmith lol
But my love is for punk rock like the classic Ramones to the skate punk pennywise and blink 182.
Any good indonesian punk rock band you recommend?

Ubudian wrote:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0d8lurH9CM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHBQ-pK … pK0plw#t=0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dsmz-4qyeIE
.

The first one is an ideal song to commit suicide to.
The second was slightly more exciting than watching paint dry.
The last wasn't my cup of tea, but it wasn't horrible.

This is classy. Warning - this tune will seriously damage your hearing if you play it at the volume you should. That's so loud, you can't hear the neighbours banging on the wall, or the police sirens.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAgnJDJN4VA

And this is so chilled, you could paint it white and keep beer in it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_IWlPHMziU

"The last wasn't my cup of tea, but it wasn't horrible."

Hmmm, I only wonder if your "tea" is produced by civets, much like kopi luwak?   

Ubudian wrote:

"The last wasn't my cup of tea, but it wasn't horrible."

Hmmm, I only wonder if your "tea" is produced by civets, much like kopi luwak?   

Your subtlety is only surpassed by your sarcasm.

“Your subtlety is only surpassed by your sarcasm.”   

Speaking of that my good friend, please do forgive me for making daily offerings to the Gods in thanks that you don't advise to the Ministry of Culture.      

Cheers!   

strawberrycakelover wrote:

Bella_Shu wrote:

Welcome to jakarta.. Please prepare for the bad traffict and a lot of surprises. So far, we like jekarrrdaaahh....

Yessss...that's what everybody is telling me. I guess I will never be ready until i'm stuck in one lol

hahahahaha, exactly! just 2 months after we arrived in shanghai, my husband start talking about jakarta. He said "well, I miss jakarta" Lol.. Lol..

strawberrycakelover wrote:

Hello all,my name is Claudia.
I've been living in the US for 13 years now and will be relocating back to jakarta in 4 months.
honestly I'm very nervous of the reverse cultural shock. I haven't been back to Indonesia for so many years.
Hopefully I can meet and be friends with fellow expats living in Jakarta especially the ones from the US so I won't be feeling "homesick" that bad. It's funny how I use the word homesick when I'm an Indonesian but I consider US as my 2nd home so please,get back to me if you would like to be friends.

Gracias!

It is an exciting move. Hoping you will find Jakarta better than when you last lived there.

I moved back here from the Jersey Shore too. Good Luck! Hope you find some things you like/missed!

I've been here about a year now and am coming to realize that I really miss the connection to the outdoors that I grew up with....

Welcome Back!
I moved back to Jakarta from US 3 years ago too, and yes it takes sometime for me to adjust too, as Jakarta has alot of change now. I used to live in Cali, and yes Flip flop , Shirts and shorts are my fave and it still is now.

Bella_Shu wrote:

strawberrycakelover wrote:

Bella_Shu wrote:

Welcome to jakarta.. Please prepare for the bad traffict and a lot of surprises. So far, we like jekarrrdaaahh....

Yessss...that's what everybody is telling me. I guess I will never be ready until i'm stuck in one lol

hahahahaha, exactly! just 2 months after we arrived in shanghai, my husband start talking about jakarta. He said "well, I miss jakarta" Lol.. Lol..

Hah...who would've thought. I'm sure you were surprised to hear him said that lol

rossbach.e wrote:

I moved back here from the Jersey Shore too. Good Luck! Hope you find some things you like/missed!

I've been here about a year now and am coming to realize that I really miss the connection to the outdoors that I grew up with....

I'm sure that's what I will miss the most.
How long has it been since you moved back?

Michelle2013 wrote:

Welcome Back!
I moved back to Jakarta from US 3 years ago too, and yes it takes sometime for me to adjust too, as Jakarta has alot of change now. I used to live in Cali, and yes Flip flop , Shirts and shorts are my fave and it still is now.

Long live sandal jepit hehehe...
which one you like better,living in jkt or cali?

Ubudian wrote:

“Your subtlety is only surpassed by your sarcasm.”   

Speaking of that my good friend, please do forgive me for making daily offerings to the Gods in thanks that you don't advise to the Ministry of Culture.      

Cheers!   

Calm down boys lol

Have no worries strawberry...Fred and I are good friends enjoying a tad of sparring now and then.  And our sparring is always without the need of a referee. 

Roy is correct - no ref needed as we kick each other between the legs before the ref enters the ring.

You'll be shocked alright. I've been here for the past 11 years and have seen quite a change in terms of infrastructure but, unfortunately, some of the mindsets have remained quite the same while others have been quite vocal.

You'll get used to it quickly enough.

Okay peeps....I'm officially in Jakarta now. Have been living here for 2 weeks. Been busy taking care of the little one,poor kid is sick due to the different climate and time difference.