Hello my friends, this is Yuyun again. Today I am going to talk about some of the cultural differences that you will probably notice here. The people are definitely different and may I say friendlier. You will see broad smiles everywhere you go. I do think that Indonesians generally must be somewhat gullible. Recently there was a man arrested after he took money from many people after demonstrating that he could burn a 1,000 Rupiah bill and turn the ashes into a 100,000 one. Then there was an insurance company that pretended to sell insurance but just kept the money and never really insured anyone or paid any claims.

If the television ads are anything to go by, seems like you can sell people anything... so-called slimming tea that, if you drink some, you can eat whatever you like without ever putting on a single gram; energy drinks that, even if you are falling asleep, will give you instant energy that will have you running and jumping: perfumes, that will have every member of the opposite sex falling all over you etc. They push children’s drinks that are supposed to give them mental and physical power far in excess of their peers. It appears that there are no regulations concerning what one can claim in TV ads. Recently they have started pushing instant foods which they present as having a wonderful taste...probably because they are all laced with Monosodium Glucomate (MSG), considered in many quarters to be a worse poison than mercury, something that they omit to mention. There appears to be some laws concerning cigarette advertising inasmuch as they have to show a warning of the dangers of smoking but obviously there is no stipulation as to how long it must be displayed. Thus the advertisers flash it on for about one tenth of a second to ensure that nobody can actually read it!

Here you will see many houses with caged birds hanging from the eaves or on tall poles. The people believe that having a bird in a cage at their homes will keep evil spirits away. Many people visit so-called paranormals who are the Indonesian version of fortune tellers. If someone does something to them that they don’t like they will hop off to the paranormal to put a curse on the perpetrator. There is a totally black chicken breed here called Cemani. which is considered to have magical properties. It is believed that the blood of this bird will cure almost any disease. My father really believed in paranormals but I don’t. He used to think that they would cure his stomach pains and often brought home “magic” stones. Last year he died of cancer!

When anyone here buys a new car or motorbike they have a little ceremony to ensure that they will not have any accidents. This does not appear to do much good as 82 people die on the roads each day!

You probably know that Indonesia is a mainly Moslem country. However it is a very moderate one. There are no religious police roaming the streets like in Saudi Arabia. As I probably mentioned before there are several other religions here all living in relative harmony. Unfortunately the Western media has not shown Islam in a very good light. Some of the blame must rest on the few fanatical groups that we have here but hey, there are fanatics all over the world. My husband tells me about Western groups like Klu Klux Klan, anti-abortion and animal rights that he says are fanatical. The media always like to display sensationalism so they pick on one small episode and make it seem like it is rampant. Generally life is extremely peaceful here. Virtually all our friends and clients who visit here don’t wish to leave. My husband tells me that, compared to Indonesia, the UK is like a police state. There they have speed cameras, sales tax, TV and fishing licenses, parking attendants, compulsory insurance etc. Riding in the back of a pickup is not allowed; neither is more than two people on a motorbike. Nothing like that here!

So now you know some of the difference that you will find here but when you come to think of it, virtually everyone in the world despite cultural differences wish for the same things...a family and a happy life. This you can obtain here easily.

Until the next time...Very best wishes...Yuyun

Poems

I have written several poems, if you can call them that. What they are really are my thoughts in rhyme. One of my pet hates is hypocrisy and I see it so many areas, particularly in respect to politics and religions. So called modern man in my humble opinion, is still in fact living in the Dark Ages what with religion, astrology, fortune telling and all that rubbish. Yes I know that I am grossly outnumbered but I like to think of myself as a thinking person and find that not too many other people are. I also have several articles on various subjects, floating aroung the internet. If you would care to read some of my stuff, you can find it at http://www.indonesian-wife.com/article.htm As the name suggests, the webpage, run by my wife, matches up Westerners with beautiful Indonesian women for marriage.

You Can Make Money in Indonesia

    If you have a little capital, you can make money in Indonesia. even though basically many of the people are very poor here. Here are a few suggestions for you. We are always available to answer any questions or to act as your agent here.

   

1. There is a shortage of beef in Indonesia. Thus breeding cattle can be very lucrative. One way would be to have a farm but the start up expenses would be high. A hectare of land here costs around $30,000, then you would have to do some construction. There is a better was which has zero operating expenses. The system is to place a couple of calves with various families. They will gather the food from the countryside and take good care of the animals for say a year. At that time, the bulls are sold and the keeper is paid about $100 per animal. There are several breeds of bulls here. The common Indonesian variety which are low priced and easy to sell: the Brahma, which is used for ploughing etc and the large Limousin which is the most expensive. One of these calves costs about $500 and sells for over $1,000 when mature.

   

   2. As you wander through town here, you will notice that one particlar type of shop always appears to be busy. This is a shop that sells gold. You may wonder how, in a poor country, people can afford to buy gold? The thing is that only half the customers seen in the shop are buying. The other half are selling! The people here use the shops as a kind of bank. When they have money, they buy gold and when they are short, they sell it back to the store. Thus the gold stores make a profit coming and going! The bad news is that, starting a gold store here with the present gold prices would be extremely expensive.

   3. Farming can make money here. The workers, like the bull carers, don't get paid until the crop is sold. The main crops in our area are corn and  rice for which there is a ready market. Peppers, tomatoes, squash are also cultivated. Once again, one would have to purchase land initially.

   4. Inter-city buses are usually rented out to the driver for about $100 a day. That's over $30,000 a year. An older, used bus could be purchased for about $10,000 but would need a lot of servicing. A new bus would cost around $50,000 so the first couple of years would not show a profit. Instead of renting the bus, one could just employ a driver and helper but they would not have as much motivation as the renters would.

   5. There are many fantastic products manufactured here in Indonesia including furniture, arts and crafts, shoes etc. Many items sell for ten times the cost in the West. The only problem is the shipping. It would not be feasible to ship single items, so this business requires the importation of a complete container full.

   6. Houses are very cheap to construct here and they are all made of bricks, not wood.You can build a small house for about $7,000 and a luxury one for $25,000. In spite of the low cost, most buyers finance their houses, usually for fifteen years. The banks here charge about 20% per year. If you had capital or could obtain it from a Western bank at a low interest rate, you could make money on building the houses and also on the financing.

Down to the Nitty Gritty

OK guys. Here is a Sari. A very good friend of ours who is looking for a husband. Apart from being beautiful, she is a real sweetheart. Have any of you ever slept with an Asian female? I don't know about other Asians but the girls here in Indonesia have virtually no body hair. I can't tell you what a fantastic turn on that is. After five years of marriage, I find my wife Yuyun just as exciting as when we first met and you all know how exciting a new woman is! That's the good news. The bad news is that you are not likely to find out unless you marry them. Generally speaking, the girls here don't sleep around. On the other hand if you want to meet and marry your dream girl, get in touch with us and we'll make you an offer you can't refuse. 

Want a laugh? Read This!

“He who makes his companions laugh deserves Paradise.”

 

There was a man who owned a small whore house. He wanted to expand but didn’t have the capital so he contacted the local mafia who lent him the cash that he needed. Business started to boom but then the local bad guys began to visit regularly, never paid for the girls and sometimes beat them up so after a while most of the girls left and the business collapsed which only goes to show that TOO MANY CROOKS SPOIL THE BROTHEL.

 

 

During the French revolution, the peasants captured a rich Count. They tortured him, trying to get him to reveal where his treasure was stashed but he would not tell them. They decided to scare him just enough to get him to talk so they led him out to the guillotine and placed his head on the slab. They told him that they would kill him if he didn’t answer but one of the guards accidentally pulled the rope and the Count was killed proving that you should NEVER HACHET YOUR COUNTS UNTIL THEY’RE CHICKEN

 

In Canada a dentist used to go fishing in a stream frequented by dangerous grisly bears. When asked how it was that he was never attacked he replied that he injected some fish with sedatives and threw them to the animals, adding THERE’S SAFETY IN NUMB BEARS

 

There was a small country where the king was overthrown. After the revolution, the people were searching for him because he had gone into hiding. One of his close friends allowed him to hide in the greenhouse of his country home. The king had insisted on taking his gold throne with him and enjoyed sitting in it in the greenhouse, thinking of better times. One day a passing peasant noticed him and reported him to the authorities. The king was arrested and executed which goes to show that PEOPLE IN GLASS HOUSES SHOULDN’T STOW THRONES.

 

In Saudi Arabia a company was prospecting for oil and instructed the manager to check ten wells. The manager started with the first well and came up with nothing. The same with the next and the next etc for several months until at the last well he finally struck oil. He thought that the boss would be happy with him but instead he was fired. The boss told him that he had wasted too much time because he should have known that THE OIL WELL ‘S THAT END WELL.

 

 

President Bush visited a naval station to inspect a new warship and expected to receive a hero’s welcome. Instead he was booed and given rude signals by the whole crew. He was so incensed that he ordered two crew members to be immediately sent to solitary. The rest of the crew was not discouraged. They insisted that it was WORTH TWO HANDS TO GIVE BUSH THE BIRD.

 

A rich man had a lot of sympathy for the Spanish Basques. On a visit to one of their enclaves, he offered to build them a large auditorium where they could hold meetings etc. As soon as the building was completed they held an opening ceremony there and the place was packed. During the ceremony, somehow a fire started and in the ensuing panic many people were killed trying to get out through the front door which was the only way in or out.  One should remember to NEVER PUT ALL YOUR BASQUES IN ONE EXIT.

 

The prince was given a magic goblet by a friendly wizard. “Remember.” he was told. “This goblet will dispense magic potions and will be your assistant in running the country but it will not work until you are proclaimed king because IT NEVER POURS UNTIL IT REIGNS.”

 

The millionaire’s wife was late for her hair appointment so hired a helicopter to rush her into town. As she remarked, “THE WHIRLY BIRD GETS THE PERM.”

 

The local headmaster had political ambitions and borrowed heavily to make a run for office. Unfortunately nobody voted for him and he ended up losing his home and all his possessions. HE SHOULD HAVE QUIT WHILE HE WAS A HEAD.

 

It appears that having sex uses about the same amount of energy as a long brisk walk so remember… A MISS IS AS GOOD AS A MILE.

 

Peter Wise and his wife Penny were walking through a bad area of town when a man mistook her for a rival gang member and started to beat up on her. Her husband drew out a gun and told the man that he had made a mistake and said that it was FOOLISH TO POUND PENNY WISE.

 

Mick Jagger was strolling across the brow of a hill when he spied Kate Moss below. Trying to impress her, he lay down and rolled down the hill arriving at her feet. Kate

was not impressed and just strode away from him. You see A ROLLING STONE GATHERS NO MOSS.

 

One of the studio underlings was insanely jealous of the star singer.

He decided to substitute his throat medicine with water so that he would be unable to perform. However the star’s voice was not unduly affected so the show went on normally. You see YOU CAN HAVE THE LEAD DRINK WATER BUT YOU CAN’T MAKE HIM HOARSE.

 

 

The airport traffic was severely disrupted when the blonde, female controller failed to turn up at the tower but instead was seen walking around below holding up an “ON STRIKE” placard. The manager went down to talk to her. “What is it with you Mary?’ he complained. “Our union went to arbitration and got a good salary for you and we have a nice bunch of people here working with you. What exactly is your problem?”

   “Well, explained the girl,” I was doing my laundry early this morning and at the same time reading the pamphlet that you gave to us about work attitudes. I read about keeping your best foot forward and your shoulder to the wheel and then I came to STRIKE WHILE THE IRON IS HOT

 

Albert Ree was a nice fellow who was a photographer for a major magazine. On an assignment to the jungle of Colombia he disappeared. Several search parties were organized but to no avail. Several years later, another photographer who knew Albert slightly was working in the same area. Straying from the beaten path in search of anything interesting, he wandered into a clearing where he spied a man feeding the chickens. Although this man had a long beard it was obvious that this was in fact Albert. The photographer rushed up to him joyfully proclaiming “AH, SWEET MISTER REE OF LIFE, AT LAST I’VE FOUND YOU.”

 

A burglar broke into a house looking for money. He noticed a cupboard with many gold chains in it. He opened the unlocked cupboard and grabbed the gold but was unaware that it was connected to a high voltage source which immediately zapped him. When he woke up the house owner was standing over him and said “SORRY, IT’S BETTER THAN TO BE A SAFE.”

 

Penny Jones treated her weak husband so badly that he finally summoned up the courage to walk out on her. After he got a divorce, he left town and started a new life, finally meeting a really nice girl who he proposed to. In the middle of the wedding ceremony, his ex-wife turned up shouting and screaming, completely shattering the calm of the wedding. You see A BAD PENNY ALWAYS TURNS UP.

 

The golf club was having a big problem with vandals who were bent on destroying the turf. The manager decided to circle the entire course with a strong chain link fence. However the vandals managed to cut through some weak parts and continue their destruction. A LINK IS NO STRONGER THAN ITS WEAKEST CHAIN.

 

A group of kids wanted to hold a rave but didn’t have any money. They approached one of the local rich kids and convinced him that if he financed the gathering they would provide him with a bunch of beautiful girls who would do his bidding. The rave took place but the kid never got the girls. You see A FOOL AND HIS MONEY ARE SOON PARTIED. 

 

A man wanted to have some fresh fish but the local stores were closed and he didn’t like to eat in restaurants.  He called a lady friend who offered to cook a nice meal for him. You see A PLAICE IS IN THE WOMAN’S HOME.

 

The three film stars and their entourage were traveling in Italy when the engine of their car blew up. Their only way of proceeding for the last few miles was on horseback. You could say that ALL LEADS RODE TO ROME.

 

Nine sailors were in big trouble when their sail ripped apart on the high seas. They searched everywhere in the hold but could not find anything useful to make the repair. Finally they came across some old magazines and sewed those together to make a temporary repair and then limped back to port. You see sometimes A STITCH IN TIME SAVES NINE

 

Two men were on a small boat on the high seas when it capsized and sank. They both managed to swim ashore but to two different islands. One man was hated by his family and when they heard he was missing, celebrated and didn’t lift a finger to help him. The other man was adored by HIS family and they raised enough money to search for him until he was found. You see IT’S BETTER TO BE LOST AND LOVED THAN NOT TO HAVE BEEN LOVED AT ALL

 

The ace football player was invited to a team party but decided that he didn’t want to go. The team captain was furious with him and immediately went to his house to inform him that ALL GOOD ENDS MUST COME TO A THING

 

The nurse was surprised when she opened a large cupboard in the doctor’s office and found that it was stuffed full of fruit. It appeared that THE DOCTOR KEEPS AN APPLE A DAY AWAY

 

The prisoner convicted of sexual offences spent his entire sentence stitching mailbags because AS YOU RAPE, SO SHALL YOU SEW

 

Returning from a trip, the owner found the house was so dirty that she immediately fired the maid. GRIME DOES NOT PAY

 

The young man had been going out with his girlfriend for a few months when, one day he developed a really big sore on his thigh which confined him to his bed. His girlfriend took such good care of him, washing and feeding him that he realized that he really loved her and asked her to marry him. You see, ABSCESS MAKES THE HEART GROW FONDER

 

The Eskimo was really fed up with the constant cold so went to visit the local fortune teller. “Drink this magic potion” he was told, “and the sun will heat up, the ice will disappear and it will be extremely hot. The man went home and drank the liquid but nothing happened. ONE SWALLOW DOES NOT A SUMMER MAKE

 

A man was sitting at home waiting for his blind date to arrive. Just as she rang his doorbell, the power went out. He staggered over to the door, fumbled with the lock and let her in. “What’s your name?” he enquired. My name is Dawn,” the girl replied. “I might have guessed,” muttered the man. “IT’S ALWAYS DARKEST BEFORE DAWN.”

 

After he broke up with his girlfriend, she ran her truck into his car, shot his dog and then set fire to his house. Attempting to locate his ex, the man went with the police to the girl’s mother and explained to her what had happened. She wouldn’t believe that her daughter had done such a thing, telling him “Hell, a woman scorned hath no fury like that.”

 

The charity organization decided to donate a dental surgeon’s services to a poor country. All the media gathered there to watch the man perform on his first patient. Unfortunately the dentist developed a terrible cold and sore throat preventing him from operating. A HOARSE GIFT NEVER LOOKS IN THE MOUTH.

 

The president of a large corporation was involved in a big scandal when it was discovered that he had a young, male lover living in her apartment. The story was all over the newspapers including the corporate name. A COMPANY IS KNOWN BY THE MAN HE KEEPS.

 

The homeless man was discovered living on the beach in a large structure, complete with moat and towers that he had made out of sand. You could say that A MAN’S CASTLE IS HIS HOME

 

A visitor from Czechoslovakia was at the Bronx zoo when he slipped and fell into the lion pit. He was immediately devoured by one of the lions. Witnesses were not sure whether it was the lion or the lioness that ate the man, so the investigators decided to use an x-ray. Their final decision was that it was in fact the lion that was responsible. You could say that THE CZECH IS IN THE MALE.

 

The king was holding court surrounded by his jesters. One of his enemies attempted to assassinate him, firing an arrow from the tower but hit one of the jesters by mistake. As the king said, your must KEEP YOUR WITS ABOUT YOU

 

A man traveling in the back of a jeep on an African safari, bounced out of his seat into the road and was devoured by a bunch of lions. Sometimes a FALL COMES BEFORE A PRIDE

 

The occupants of Fort Blanche were going crazy, Every night they heard a voice repeating…one, two three, four…First of all they thought that someone was hiding in the moat so they drained it but the voice kept on …seven eight, nine, ten… Then they thought that maybe the guards were responsible so they executed them…twenty one, twenty two, twenty three…Finally they went to the high priest who explained that this had been going on for centuries and that they should understand that IT’S THE FORT THAT COUNTS

 

“Thank you,” said the prostitute as her client left and handed her the money. “IT WAS A BUSINESS DOING PLEASURE WITH YOU.”

 

After a series of robberies, the police arrested the occupants of a duplex who were working together. They believed that GOOD NEIGHBOURS MAKE GOOD FENCES

 

A man was driving down a country road, when his car hit a large rabbit. He got out of the car and saw the animal writhing on the ground. He couldn’t decide whether to try to help it or to kill it and put it out of its misery. Just then another driver stopped his car and came over. He took one look and went back to his car and returned with a bottle and fed the contents into the rabbit’s mouth. Immediately the animal jumped up and ran off into the woods.

   “That’s fantastic,” exclaimed the first man. “You must be a veterinarian. What did you give the rabbit?”

   “Actually,” came the reply, “I’m a hairdresser,” as he showed him the bottle of HAIR RESTORER.

 

Last week there was a robbery of Viagra and other sex drugs from a chemical warehouse. The big knobs at the police, who don’t want to pussyfoot around and blow the case, claim that the thieves are hardened criminals who gained entry via the elevator shaft by removing several screws. The case is a little prickly as there is not much known about the men involved. Witnesses stated orally that one man was holding the rear door of the van erect as the other one loaded the boxes into it and that they overheard the men talking and using the names of Dick and Rod. There could be other men in the gang as one of the thieves was saying that the job wasn’t worthwhile without Sid or Phil. There may also be a woman involved as one of the men was heard stating “I’ll try see Alice later.” When they are apprehended they will receive a stiff sentence under the Penal Code

 

A man visited a fortune teller and held out his palms to be read. “I have some good news for you,” smiled the gypsy. “You are going to come into a lot of money today!” The man stood up and slapped the woman across the face. “What the hell are you doing?” she demanded. “Well,” replied the man calmly, “I was always told to STRIKE A HAPPY MEDIUM.”

Do You Really Want To Marry a Woman Who Wants To Be Treated Like a Man?

I was born in the UK and have lived in several other countries including France, Canada, USA, Bahamas, Jamaica and Colombia. I am now residing in Indonesia where I hope to remain for the rest of my life. I am, at the time of this writing seventy four years old...UGH and supposedly retired but try to remain physically and mentally as active as possible.
You can imagine that, as a world traveler and single, I had more than my share of romantic affairs with girls from various cultural backgrounds. As a young man in the UK we used to go to the dance hall every night, not to dance but solely to pick up willing girls. My peers and I would promise them anything to get them into bed and spend whatever amount of money it took to achieve that end. Five years ago I married an Indonesian girl who is now twenty four years old. Now before you go off half cocked about me being a dirty old man, let me explain that I certainly did not intend to marry someone so young and that this age difference is not the point of this article or in fact recommended by me. Our relationship is kind of a “one off” situation.
I was brought up in a typical Jewish family where my mother called the shots. I have vivid memories of constant nagging and complaining. Personally whatever I did was wrong and all I heard was “Why can’t you be like your cousin Philip?” Father, who believe it or not was an ex champion boxer, never uttered a word of protest.
Maybe it was this childhood experience that influenced me but throughout my life I have never been able to put up with nagging women. Out in the mainstream British life, the men generally DID control the household much more than in the USA for example. There was a joke going around that in Britain, the men always have the last word: and it’s usually “Straight away Dear.” But speaking seriously, in the homes of most of my non-Jewish friends the men were definitely in charge.
As the Women’s Liberation Movement takes hold in the West, there is constant talk of “Equality.” To me, that is fine when it comes to equal pay for equal work but, when you come to think of it, the male of the species is physically stronger than the female. I wonder if Western men really are happy with the arguments, shouting matches and tension found in many homes It appears not, as the divorce rate in the UK and the USA is close to 50%. Maybe they have never known any other life? Does a man REALLY want to come home to a business woman who relates all her company’s woes to him? Does he really enjoy being told to help wash the dishes, take out the garbage etc? Wouldn’t it be nicer to be greeted by a feminine, loving, happy woman who would make him feel relaxed and wanted?
Unfortunately generally speaking the above is the Western culture but in Indonesia, it is totally different. In the five years that we have been married, my wife Yuyun and I have never had a single fight or argument. She is constantly happy and smiling. Our life is filled with love and understanding.
We have a webpage and receive countless numbers of emails from Western men relating that they are sick of the selfish and demanding attitudes of Western women. That explains the proliferation of Asian introduction sites on the Internet. We have many friends from the West visit here and they all tell me that they would give anything to have a wife like mine. Often we find them one.
So, my advice to all men who think the same way as I do is...”Go east young man!