Angie
Hi everyone, my name is Angie and I have just registered as a member to this site, although I have been reading it for several months and it has been most helpful. My pic is coming, still trying to find one without a stupid look on my face!!
Reading some posts here, it really surprises me how a lot of people seem to think they can just turn up in Bali and get themselves a job. I have started my own business with a partner which enables us to travel to Bali frequently. We hope that in time, the income will allow us to permanently move to Bali. When you consider the high costs of education, I have 2 daughters, 9 & 11, this could be a fair way off. In the meantime, I am learning the language, making contacts and generally gathering all the information I can.
I am interested to know what the expats reading this site did to prepare for living in Bali. Did you have employment/businesses set up in Bali before you came, or did you just turn up and try your luck? What else should I be doing, or am I already being too cautious?
Roy
Sama, sama with Bert. I came on what was supposed to be a one month stay, (fourth trip), and simply never went back! That was over five years ago and my only regret is that I didn't make that decision sooner in my life. As the saying goes, you only live once, so I say, make the best of it.
Bert Vierstra
Welcome and good luck with your picture!
[quote]I am interested to know what the expats reading this site did to prepare for living in Bali. Did you have employment/businesses set up in Bali before you came, or did you just turn up and try your luck? What else should I be doing, or am I already being too cautious?[/quote]
I just went here, tried my luck. Had a little income from "home", I am still surviving. My business, web sites, and real estate, is growing, I work a lot here, more then at "home".
Cautious should be your middle name. Don't take any big steps in the beginning. Look around, listen. You are a stranger in a strange country.
Pretend its a swamp. Put your foot down, but don't take the step. Even when you think you know you could stand there, take your foot back again. Try again, anything changed? There are many ways to go around a swamp.
newquay
Roy,
WOW!! That's scary. It will be my forth trip to Bali this year.
I made a joke with my sister the second time I went to Bali that if I ever made my fifth trip I would probably be married. Its not looking so unlikely now. :-)
I'm not sure you ever told the full story of how you met your wife? If you did, could you let me know where it is or send me a PM. It could make interesting reading.
Regards
Glen
Tracey
Hello Angie...
How are you? Hee funny meeting you here!!! Looking forward to your pic. Do you like the one Bert chose for me???!
I agree as with us hati, hati is best!!!
But ofcourse Good Luck!
Talk soon...!
Angie
Hi Tracey, it's not really so amazing to see you here, you know you are all over the web when it comes to Bali!! The story on your wedding posted by Nick at Baliblog comes up on a google search before our business website!!
Thank you everyone for your advice so far. Jen, I l especially loved your comments. My eldest daughter starts high school next year and if we were going to come over I imagine it would be in 2-3 years, which would probably be the worst time education wise. Things are just so much more complicated when you add schooling in to the picture. I had never really thought about it, but you are right, if it doesn't work out we can always come home!! Kind of puts it all into perspective really. I don't want to go through life wondering what if??
Jen
Hi Angie
You are heading in the right direction. You are learning the lingo, networking, obtaining information and slowly preparing yourself. I don't think you are being too cautious.
How old will the children be when you move? Schooling will have to be looked into I'd imagine. Expat schools in Bali are very expensive and from what I have heard from expat parents, they are not keen on local highschools. I would vist the schools, speak to teachers, check the curriculum and ask loads of questions with other parents. Many of my friends decided to move back to Oz when the kids reached high school age. They were very concerned about their lack of choices in Bali.
I obtained a job before I arrived in Bali. I was in the travel industry and let my contacts know I was keen to move and to let me know when something come up. My company arranged my visa, which I was very happy about. The visa situation is just one long headache really. Speak to the Visa People that has been mentioned on this forum to avoid untold confusion and fustration.
Many of my friends just arrived and landed a job through friends. No matter where you go in the world, its the ole "not what you know, but who you know". The longer you stay the better things get. At first you feel the whole system is against you and this is why many westerners return home, burnt out and let down. You just have to accept its going to be totally different to anything you have dreamt or imagined! No matter how much research or planning you do, I guarantee you will still be ripped off, stressed, fustrated and at times at your wits end.
My advice is to always take a holiday every year off Bali
Be fully insured (which goes without saying, but surprising how many expats try to cut costs and don't insure themselves)
Don't expect success and love and light all in the first few months! Slowly, slowly as they say in Bali.
Go for it, your on track. If all fails, just come back home, simple as that.
Tracey
Hey Angie,
We must catch up again soon, we might come over for a weekend in a few weeks or so once we have the other car sorted.
Schooling is pretty important, but I also believe learning about life & other cultures & different experiences can teach people so much more than school can teach them.
Mind you I left school as soon as I could year 9!
But I believe if you want to learn you will if you want to get out & work then do that. Your girls are pretty switched on & would learn alot from Bali & Indonesia, but also the vast amount of persons they'd meet.
Good Luck & talk soon.
Roy
Tracey! What a wonderful post! I also consider, “what is the importance of a western education?”
Is it really essential that all three of my boys go to either Harvard, Yale, or Princeton? Will that experience make them better young men, happier, or better enabled to have a good life?
Frankly, I’d be much more be happy if they all embrace their cultural roots, decide to live here in Bali, and devote themselves totally to preserving Bali for the Balinese.
I’ve been there, the Ivy League and the Wall Street job. In the end, the clothes are better on Wall Street, but you’re still wading through sawahs, in fatigues, waiting to get shot.
Tracey
Roy, I agree.
Life experiences out weigh a "poncy" education anyday!
I agree totally in preserving Bali for Balinese, but also the World as a much greater scale, of course!
But nothing in a book or on a blackboard could have taught me or prepared me any better for life, than travelling & meeting new people teaches you, social skills are more important & to be passionate about something, yet understanding & accepting of other peoples views & there is NO school that will ever teach anyone that!
Angie
Ok, I'm convinced . . . now where is my suitcase!! . . . :lol:
Tracey
Will it fit 2 adults & 5 yr old & a dog?????
Jen
Hi Angie
Was checking out
http://www.cyberbali.com and if you look under the
Employment icon, you will see a list of schools in Bali.
Thought might be helpful for you.
Angie
Thanks Jen, I had a look at that website. I will have some time Aug/Sep to check out the schools personally. A visit to Bali Ide is also planned to determine if I will be eligible for a work permit. My other option is giving the kids a year off formal education and letting them experience the "school of life" as promoted by Roy & Tracey! The girls are a year younger than their class room peers so this wouldn't disadvantage them at all and I am sure they would be all for it!!
drbruce
Thanks for the mention of my site, Jen. The choices of international schools in Bali is limited and generally expensive. I think that most foreigners who live in Indonesia spend a considerable amount of time thinking about what to do about school for our children. Two of mine started in the international school where I was the principal; they then moved to a private school in Singaraja after we left West Papua and moved back to Bali on a full-time basis. I was never particularly happy with that school. Upon taking up my position in Sumbawa, we enrolled all four children in the local public school - and we have generally been very happy with that even though the school has very few resources.
My feeling about schooling the kids here is that I can supplement their public schooling with instruction at home. The main thing, in my opinion, is to give them a decent fundamental education so that they have options about what to do once they get to be young adults- my eldest daughter who is just entering what we consider in the States to be middle school, wants to be a doctor so she is getting serious about school, the others are still kids and take things as they come.
While education in Indonesia has some very serious problems (which the education establishment here is quite aware of), kids can get a good basic education. International schools can be great and they can be mediocre. They are, for sure, quite expensive.
Bruce
Tracey
Angie,
Nice pic....
Angie
[b]Terima kasih[/b]
Thanks Tracey, its not as glamerous as yours but was the best I could do!!
Thanks Bert for helping me get it on line.
