To be honest, I haven’t watched that movie, but the title seems fitting, because privacy is not something that Indonesians value. To keep you from being enraged already (although at some point, it will probably happen, as my views are not the most positive), you might lose the sense of privacy, but you do gain warmth and friendliness. There were plenty of times, people I’ve never met in the past offered me food and insisted in me taking it, even after I refused. They had no ulterior motives, no poisoned apples, just the need to share and connect.
As you gain that, thought, as I mentioned, you lose your sense of privacy. People will find it normal to ask you very personal questions, like your age and you religion and they will always approach you, always. People here seem to constantly be doing things in groups and that somebody always knows where they are. If you miss a class in the university, even if it is not obligatory to be present (which I think for some reason it always is), you need to give a reason and take permission, which in my eyes is odd.
However, let’s get one thing clear, I find their way of doing things invasive and sometimes even rude and I will admit that, but I also know, that, it is mostly because I am used to something very different. Cultures are not inherently good or bad, polite or rude, we grow up to understand that certain behaviors are rude, but depending on where you grow up that varies.
So based on my greek and somewhat western ideas, Indonesia is not a country for the private souls, nor for the socially anxious ones. It is for the ones that want to get fed, even when they don’t know that themselves. So socially adjust people will find it easy (and not draining) to live here. Naturally friendships are easy here, too, right? Well they could have been, if not for one, major thing. Continuing next time.
The Indonesian Chronicles 