Life of an American ExPat on an Indonesian Salary
Good Morning!
I guess I need to start my blog with a bit of an explanation. See, I'm an American ExPat now living and working in Indonesia...but with a twist. I'm doing it on a local Indonesian salary!
Let me clarify...most Americans working here come here because the local economy is SO low, that when making a normal ExPat salary they can live like Kings...living is spacious homes, have servants at there beck and call...and generally live the "Good Life" at a fraction of the cost of living back home.
I, on the other hand, am a bit different...I'm doing thi, living and working in a third world country, and doing it as the "locals" do...with a local paycheck. Why? Simple, if I wished to live and act like an American, separate myself from the local, and otherwise ignore where I am living, I might as well have stayed in the states!
My feeling is what can these other Americans *really* know and understand about the people and life of the average Indonesian...when they go out of there way to separate themselves from them?
Maybe I'm wrong...but money is not everything...but if nothing else, when it is all said and done, I'll have a hell of a lot better stories to tell! 
First you need to understand, a "white man" here is not that common. A white man here, alone, living like they do, is even more rare!
This makes for some interesting situations. Hopefully I can use this blog to tell you about them...and you can laugh along with me as I enjoy the ride...for at times laughing is the only way to keep your sanity here when the locals all think you are simply a "rich white man" and feel that it is there position in life to take advantage of you at every turn. It will help once I learn the language!
(that’s right...to add to the fun, I'm doing this and don't even speak the language yet! Talk about fun!)
So...with that said and done...today’s adventure I'll call.....
"The Hair Cut"
Being a white man in an Asian country has it's own unique problems. Being a white man with a BEARD simply compounds them!
It started like any other normal Saturday, with the days "mission" to get a hair cut. It had been weeks and both my hair and beard badly needed trimming...little did I know such a simple thing could become such a problem! Looking back, I should have guess it, as it seems that it's the simple things that seem to cause the most difficulties for me here...
A friend from work had agreed to come with me to help translate the simple things such as "Just a light trim" and "Don't carve your initials in my forehead with that straight razor"
Now, there are two ways for a white guy to get a hair cut in Jakarta...go to one of the 5 Star hotels that are more use to dealing with Tourist, and thus more experience cutting Caucasian hair...at a typical tourist price of around 150,000 to 200,000 Indonesian Rupiahs (around 21.00 US Dollars. which is not bad until you realize that the average local makes around 500.00 a month doing the type of work I do...which is considered a very good rate of pay!) OR seeing the "local girl" and paying around 5000 Rupiahs.
This, naturally is the way most locals go...and thus the way I too am forced to go....
Now, this is not a problem for a local...for these girls do a very good job of cutting their hair, but become very hesitant when asked to cut mine! It's when you realize that chances are, you are the first "white man" who has ever been in her chair that you realize the full extent of the challenge that faces you!
We make way to the first girl...see looks at me, slowly shakes her head "Umm..no...no can do".
OK...I can accept that....it's a big city, there are sure to be others!
Five girls later, and even as slow as *I* am, I begin to realize that this may be harder than I first thought!
Also, by this time the day is beginning to quickly pass, and I am no closer to getting my hair cut than I was in the morning when I first started out!
At the next girl we go to, with the same results, frustration sets in! I look at my friend and ask "What’s the trouble", where upon he tells me she's simply scared to try! I think to myself "What the heck, it's a hair cut for Christ sake...how bad can she mess it up!" If she screws it up too bad, I simply have her shave it down to a crew cut and wait till it grows back out...simple!
So, I tell this to my friend, and ask that she go ahead and try and that I'll not be upset no matter how it turns out....
He tells her this...she hesitates for a moment...and still shakes her head and says "No...no...."
What’s the problem now!
My friend talks to her for a bit...looks at me and tells me "It's the beard...she’s never cut a bread before...and doesn't have the tools"
Tools? What? She doesn't have a pair of scissors????
I look at him and say "What about this...she cuts my hair only, and lets me use her scissors...*I'll* cut my OWN beard!!!!
At least she agrees....so, here I am, standing in front of her mirror, trimming my own beard as half the people around stare in awe!
Ahhh...you've got to love it!
All in all, she didn't do a bad job....I did...but she didn't.
And thus ended the adventure of the hair cut....
I can't wait till it's time once again for another hair cut!
Ahhh...life in Jakarta...you have to love it.....
Good Day readers...."