Singaporean Expat Living in Indonesia - Interview with Cassandra Riene

Cassandra is the writer behind Mummynista.com. She is a Fashion grad. Advertising professional. Service critic. Self-taught cook. Closet musician. Expat wife. Mother-of-two. She writes about her lifestyle, dining and family experiences in Jakarta, Indonesia. Cassandra Riene's expat blog is called Mummynista (see listing here)

Here's the interview with Cassandra Riene...

Where are you originally from?
One of the world's smallest but wealthiest country- Singapore. And no, it's not part of China.

In which country and city are you living now?
Where everything goes and only happens if god-willing- Jakarta, Indonesia.

How long have you lived in Indonesia and how long are you planning to stay?
Oh wow 16 months already. I am quite ready to move on to a next challenge.

Why did you move to Indonesia and what do you do?
We moved away from Singapore in support of hubby G’s new role here and I am currently employed as a CMO- Chief Mother Officer.

I was previously working in advertising when we were in Singapore.

Did you bring family with you?
As much as my parents love their grandkids, I doubt they would be impressed if we leave my toddler with them. So yes, we brought our toddler with us to Indonesia.

And we decided parenthood is so fun that we made another copy to keep us busy. Ha ha.

How did you find the transition to living in a foreign country?
I think I went through a range of process. The beginning was fresh because of the novelty of being in a totally different environment- you can call that the honeymoon phase. Anyone who knows both Singapore and Indonesia, would probably understand the stark difference between these countries. One with too many rules and the latter with none.

However after the honeymoon phase, comes the homesick and also comparison of both countries. This is really then a reality check period where we start asking ourselves if this current city is a place where we do see ourselves staying for long?

Was it easy making friends and meeting people; do you mainly socialise with other expats?
Yes it was very easy making friends and meeting people. However, it is not easy to meet like-minded people who you would want to hang out frequently with, if you know what I mean.

I started of going to associations and clubs to find friends but wasn't too successful. I find that I met more compatible people through introduction from friends. You may want to check out the post I wrote about how I searched for friends here- http://www.mummynista.com/2013/10/finding-friends-in-jakarta-or-any-new-city/.

I hang out with both expats and the Indonesian Chinese who are mostly my neighbours or friends of friends.

What are the best things to do in the area; anything to recommend to future expats?
Spa is the cheapest thing to do in Jakarta. I do enjoy cafe hopping in Jakarta as well. However there's a lack of green places or pedestrian-friendly areas to walk in Jakarta.

Jakarta would be a better place for expats without young children, as it is not so children-friendly.

What do you enjoy most about living in Indonesia?
I appreciate my home country Singapore and other cities a lot more after living in Jakarta.

How does the cost of living in Indonesia compare to home?
Many people believed that Indonesia is way cheaper than Singapore. This is true to certain extent.

If you compare cost of living of the poor-middle class living in Indonesia and Singapore, Indonesia does seem to be half the cost, however also half the quality.

However if you compare expatriate living in Jakarta to Singapore, I find that the cost is comparable. Imported stuff is crazily taxed in Indonesia.

What negatives, if any, are there to living in Indonesia?
Every country tax you in some ways. US taxes citizens on income, Singapore taxes on consumption, Indonesia taxes you on your time.

You spent half your time in Jakarta waiting. Most locals have no sense nor respect to time. Waiting in the slow moving traffic, waiting for the servers to take your order, waiting for the servicemen to come to your place, etc.

Well I guess to think positively, we can all have patience of Buddha or Jesus after leaving here.

If you could pick one piece of advice to anyone moving to Indonesia, what would it be?
Speak to a few Indonesians who are living abroad, ask them about their country. Believe that they are not exaggerating. Think if this is the type of culture you can integrate easily into.

I spoke to couple of Indonesian friends before moving to Indonesia. However I always thought they were exaggerating things about their country..to only realise that they are not after staying here for a while.

What has been the hardest aspect to your expat experience so far?
Understanding the culture of the locals.

While the locals are friendly and easygoing; I had a hard time understanding why locals do certain things they do, their motivations in life and their behaviours.

The conclusion is that some cities' cultural fit is more compatible to one than the other. You know like some companies you work in just have a great culture fit to your personality and work philosophy while in some, you just find in hard to fit in?

When you finally return home, how do you think you'll cope with repatriation?
I think I will run for grassroots. Just kidding.

I am definitely going to be more appreciate and understanding to what's working and what's not in Singapore or any other city I go to.

What are your top 5 expat tips for anyone following in your footsteps?

1. You don't need many friends in Jakarta as you probably won't have too much time to go around each day. You just need a few really good friends who live close by to you. Good friends who you can run your daily routine with or have deep conversations over coffee.
2. Save and maximise time in Jakarta by planning what you need to do in advance.
   
   For example, I would drop off my husband at work in the morning and head to the cafe just across his office; this allows us to spend more time together and maximise the time when we are stuck in traffic. I would then catch up for lunch with friends near the cafe, again save travelling time.
3. Always have a backup plan. Do not over-rely on your employees whether at work or at home.
4. Get friends visiting from abroad to bring in imported stuff for you. Do not attempt to ship things from abroad into Indonesia. The last time I tried to buy something that is only 60bucks from Amazon, I got charged 100usd for shipping and then another 100usd for tax.
5. Read my blog! I write about my encounters in Jakarta as well as some survival guide to where to find stuff and cope, for example: http://www.mummynista.com/2014/11/moving-to-jakarta-nobody-told-you/
   
   Warning: No sugar coating and sometimes sarcastic and blunt.

Tell us a bit about your own expat blog.
Mummynista.com is the fastest growing expat lifestyle blog in Jakarta. It records my journey as an expat mom, wife and aspiring female explorer while I navigate my way through mostly Jakarta and other cities.

You will find genuine thoughts and advice on various topics- Lifestyle, Dining, Beauty, Fashion and Motherhood.

How it all started.

I started writing a lot more after arriving to Jakarta after I find there is a lack of detailed information online for expats and mothers like myself. So many times I found that reviews are misinformed or too politically correct. As a consumer, I would like to know exactly what I am buying into and I thought… perhaps there are others who would appreciate that as well!

How can you be contacted for further advice to future expats coming to your area?
Drop me an email or a note on my blog! I actually made couple of good friends from expats reaching out to me through my blog :)

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