Indonesian, male, 43 years old, lecturer
1. What’s the average earnings and basic living costs of food?
| Average salary | 4-5 million Rp/month | $300-373 |
| Milk, 1 liter | 20 000 Rp | $1.5 |
| Rice, 10 kg | 100 000 Rp | $7.5 |
| Chicken, 1 kg | 30 000 Rp | $2.2 |
| Pork, 1 kg | 50 000 Rp | $3.7 |
| Beef, 1 kg | 80 000 Rp | $6 |
| Egg, 1 piece | 1 200 Rp | $0.09 |
| Mango, 1 kg | 20 000 Rp | $1.5 |
| Watermelon, 1 kg | 5 000 Rp | $0.4 |
| Pineapple, 1 piece | 5 000 Rp | $0.4 |
| Durian, 1 small piece | 25 000 Rp | $1.9 |
2. What celebrations and festivals do you have in your country?
| Independence Day | 17 August |
| Christmas | 25 December |
| New Year | 1 January |
| Hari Raya Nyepi (Silence Day) | 28 March |
| Hari Buruh (Labour Day) | 1 May |
| Hari Raya Waisak (Buddhist New Year) | 11 May |
| Hari Lahir Pancasila (5 principles of Indonesia: belief in one God, just and civilised humanity, unity of Indonesia, sovereignty of the people, social justice) | 1 June |
| Sumpahpemuda (Declaration of fighting against Dutch) | 28 October |
| Heroes Day | 10 November |
| Hari Raya | Different date every year |
3. What’s the weather like in your country?
| Raining season | September – December |
| Dry season | January – August |
4. What’s the local cuisine and the dish of the day?
Every day food: rice, vegetables, fish, meat, eggs, milk, juice. And also:
- Nasi Goreng (fried rice)
- Mie Goreng (fried noodles)
- Lontong (rice cake with vegetables in coconut milk)
- Ayam Goreng (fried chicken)
- Soto (Indonesian traditional soup)
- Grilled fish/chicken
- Rendang (beef cubes with herbs, boiled in coconut milk until it’s dried)
5. What expectations do you have for your grandchildren?
I wish them to be better than me and their fathers & mothers, become successfull businessmen, doctors.
6. How did you furnish and design your place? Is your house big/small?
Modern style. Flat screens. Wooden furniture. Paintings. 2 stair house.
7. Is there anything unique created with people’s hands in this country?
- Ulos (a long scarf for special occasions)
- Batik (Indonesian traditional shirt)
- Cupboard, frames for paintings, baskets, tables, chairs made from Rotan
8. What pension are you entitled to in this country?
The pension age is 55 years for both male and female.
| Government officers (teachers, lectures), 60 years old | 3 million Rp/month | $224 |
| If a male (who worked) died, then his wife (who didn’t work) gets 50% | 1.5 million Rp/month | $112 |
Sometimes when you get retired, you get a big amount of money and nothing afterwards.
9. How much would I be expected to pay for the following: land, house, apartment?
| Land in a village | 600 000 Rp/m² | $44 |
| 450 m² (15×30 m) | 270 million Rp | $20 149 |
| Land in Medan city | 1.5 million Rp/m² | $112 |
| 450 m² (15×30 m) | 675 million Rp | $50 373 |
| House in Medan city | 1.325 billion Rp | $98 881 |
10. How much would I be expected to pay for an apartment + energy bills + internet + other utilities monthly?
| House taxes | 2 million Rp/year | $149 |
| Electricity | 1 million Rp/month | $75 |
| Water supply | 800 000 – 1 million Rp/month | $60-75 |
| Internet (unlimited) | 400 000 Rp/month | $30 |
11. What expectations do you hope to achieve for the future?
I want to serve people, share my knowledge/skills to students, create new comfortable facilities for students (restaurant, bar, kitchen). I want my students to speak better English. I want people to be smart.