The International Schools Review Forum

Anyone have any info on this school? I have an offer from them. The interview went well and the principal seems like a great guy. It's not an IB school but they offered to let me teach IGCSE in the second year.

One of my only hesitations is my wife (or soon to be wife, to be more accurate). We just got back from Bali and she did not like Indonesia at all because of all the smokers and people constantly in our faces trying to sell us stuff. I will have to convince her that Jakarta is quite different.

Their website:

www.binabangsaschool.com

The smoking she'll have to get used to, as you would in 85% of the world.

The constant harrassment to buy something is more a product of the tourist industry and very easily avoided when you live there. Were you staying in Kuta?

Ubud, Lovina, a few nights in Kuta, and Gili Meno. Dirty smokers in our faces, people trying to aggressively sell us stuff, I think she'd be miserable to be honest.

If she is put off by 'aggressive' people in Ubud, Lovina and the Gilis, then she will likely have trouble in many parts of the world (the Gilies, aggressive? Really?). Kuta can be an issue, but that is a major tourist area, and it is to be expected (I personally wouldn't stay in Kuta). Remember though, you won't be living in a tourist area, so that kind of behaviour isn't likely in your daily lives. Mind you, if she didn't like Bali, she almost certainly won't like Jakarta.

I grew up in Jakarta, and in the twelve years I lived there, was in Bali many times (spent two summers there...).

The aggressive selling in Kuta is unique to that location. You won't get that in Jakarta. You will get, sometimes, aggressive panhandling though. You'll also get smokey situations (the smell of clove still brings me back 20 years. That, diesel fuel and large trash dumps...).

Jakarta is a loud, polluted, crowded, hectic, hot, sweltering, frustrating place that can drive soft tourist mad. I loved it and still consider it home in many ways. The Indonesian people are incredible, the friends you'll make will be life-long friends and you'll come to appreciate Jakarta in many ways. Bali is definitely not Jakarta- and I couldn't live there.

Don't know anything about the school, but Kuta and Lovina are both tourist traps so I can't imagine everyday life as an expat in Jakarta (which sees few tourists except for those passing through) being anything like that. It has been years since I visited Jakarta but I don't remember anyone there hassling me to buy stuff.

As for the smokers, it's Indonesia and there isn't going to be any escaping that aspect of life. My wife hated the smoking too, but we found Sumatra to be much worse than Java or Bali for second hand smoke. But again, as expats living there I'm sure you guys will find ways to avoid it somewhat.