LifeInContrast.com

Okay, here are my Top Ten reasons in favor of moving to Indonesia.

10. No more rat race. Apologies if this offends anyone, I’m not trying to sound smug. But I’m really not going to miss budget sheets, status reports, goal-setting sessions, HR nonsense… I could go on…

9. Mmmm, tea. I love tea, and I love the idea of getting it straight from the source. There’s a decent chance that there will be tea plantations near my house (see pic above - click to enlarge).

8. Spicy foods. There are literally dozens (maybe hundreds) of unique and exotic dishes that are completely new to me. I can’t wait! The hotter the better, and Indonesians eat a lot of chiles. Bring it on!

7. Warmer weather. Okay, I realize that “heat” was on my reasons not to move to Indonesia, but it’s on this list too. I like the heat! Seattle can be really cold sometimes, and this winter was too long.

6. Swimmable beaches. I’ve missed swimming in the ocean while living in the Pacific NW. I tried swimming once here, and the seaweed almost pulled me under. Not before I froze my ass off first though. I can’t wait to surf in Bali.

5. Slower pace of life. As my new boss stated, “If your aim is to do your banking and you get that all done, quit while you’re ahead.” Things just move slower, and I think I could get used to that. I’d like to age at a normal rate for a little while.

4. Lower cost of living. The US dollar converts into roughly 9,000 Indonesian Rupiah, and a lot of buying power. It costs around $1500-2000 USD to rent a 2BR house for a year in Bandung. A meal for two in a nice restaurant will cost roughly $10 USD. And a hotel room is $5-10 USD per night. Then again, I’ll be getting paid less than $12k USD per year. Ouch.

3. It’s a melting pot. There are Muslims, Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, and animists in Indonesia. There are also Chinese people, Arabs, Indians, Malaysians, Australians, and many different Indo ethnicities with 700 different languages. And they all appear to get along reasonably well, with a few rare exceptions. My opinion on this may change after I get there, but it’s my perception right now that Indonesia is a melting pot, and I’m looking forward to being a social observer.

2. Incredible natural beauty. Check out the picture above, and others at thejavajive.com. They were taken by a professional photographer and may have been touched up… but even so, the stunning biological diversity of Indonesia is well-known. From the jungles of Borneo and Sumatra, to the beaches of Bali, to the smoldering volcanos of Java, my eyes will be amazed and my spirit will be lifted.

And finally… the number one reason I’m moving to Indonesia is…

1. It’s completely different from everything I’ve ever known! I’ve only been to Asia once, and it was to Korea and Hong Kong about 14 years ago. This will be very different, less sheltered. I’ve never been to a Muslim country. I’ve never been in the southern hemisphere, where the water swirls the opposite way down the drain. Madness! But seriously, this is going to shake me out of my rut, out of my comfort zone, and force me to grow.

Okay, these are just the first 10 that jumped to mind. There are lots more… like going to soccer matches, snorkeling, hot springs, great Chinese food, the rainy season, Javanese shadow puppets, gamelan orchestras, etc. But I’ll save those for another post.

-Billy