Hi everyone,
If love can move mountains, it also makes people move abroad, in countries such as Indonesia.
Following your life partner in a country with different customs and rules is an act of absolute trust and may require a period of adaptation.
This is why we would like to have your opinion to answer these questions and thus help future expats who are preparing to follow the same track by moving in Indonesia.
What preparation do you have, or do you advise, to do before your departure in order to make the best of this experience?
What challenges have you faced? In what areas (finding a job, socialization, well-being)? How did you overcome them?
What is the outcome of this experience for you? Would you do it again if the opportunity arose?
Has your relationship with your beloved changed since your expatriation in Indonesia? Do you have any advice on this subject?
If your expatriation involved children, how did you manage to maintain a family balance in the face of this life change?
Thanks for your contribution!
Loïc
Following your life partner in Indonesia
I met my Indonesian wife while I l was iving in Malaysia. She was a designer and production manager working for a firm in Jakarta at the time and we met at an exhibition in KL and was introduced by her boss who I had already met in Hong Kong at another exhibition. We married in BSD City and she quit her job and came to live with me in Kuala Lumpur for around 7 years. After living in Malaysia for 12 years I started to get bored and we moved to Indonesia as a family.
The move to Indonesia was very easy since I have lived and worked in Indonesia over the years. Even my sister worked in Jakarta for a few years so Indonesia is pretty much like a home to me. Life for our kids is pretty much the same since they went to Montessori schools in both KL and Indonesia and they now go to an English speaking school.
We haven't really faced any challenges except that in Malaysia I took care of the bills and here she takes care of bills.
I am used to living and working overseas so the move here was really easy. There was no culture shock at all. The one single issue was with the immigration department but they have cleaned up nicely over recent years.
The first thing we have to do is define 'Partner'.
A gay (foreign + local or 2 foreigners) couple won't have any legal status at all, and could possibly lose their immigration status (KITAS for work or whatever) if they upset anyone. Gay relationships aren't actually illegal as such, but such things are not exactly popular.
As for a local + foreign couple that wants immigration status for the foreign half, they must be legally married. If they are to marry within Indonesia, they must be the same religion.
What preparation do you have, or do you advise, to do before your departure in order to make the best of this experience?
Pack an open mind - You're going to need it
What challenges have you faced? In what areas (finding a job, socialization, well-being)? How did you overcome them?
Jobs can be hard to come by unless you have a skill (or can teach
yourself one) as immigration rules make that hard work for many. You can run a business in your spouse's name, but hide yourself away from eyes as you might upset someone.
What is the outcome of this experience for you? Would you do it again if the opportunity arose?
Pretty good as I have a lifestyle I enjoy, and there's bugger all point in a life you don't enjoy.
As for doing it again - ABSOLUTELY
Has your relationship with your beloved changed since your expatriation in Indonesia? Do you have any advice on this subject?
For me, nothing that I wouldn't have done anyway, except changing citizenship as that makes everything easier for both me and my family.
If your expatriation involved children, how did you manage to maintain a family balance in the face of this life change?
Our kids were born here so no issues. However, for many, school fees might prove a shock.
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