This handbook is a work in progress. Please note any questions you have or suggestions for the future additions to this book below. If you have any pages missing hey will be added shortly! Pease write down your comments and questions right away. It’s amazing how quickly we forget what it is like to first arrive! Thanks! I hope this make the transition easier!

Teacher Orientation Handbook Index

Pembantu (Helper) Information

Neighborhood Information

Expenses

Water

LPG

Extra Keys

Gardener

Driving

Mail

Errands

Transportation

Cultural Tips

Indonesian Tutoring

Everyday Indonesian Phrases

Shopping Hints

International Measurements

Churches

Internet at home

Insects and Pests

Places in Salatiga

Places in Semarang

Places in Solo

Places in Yogyakarta

Favorite Vacation Spots

Pembantu (Helper) Information

Teachers hire helpers/ pembatus privately. They are your own employees, and you are therefore free to set up your own terms and conditions of employment. The following is listed for your general guidance since some customs and expectations of employment may be different here. Note: most helpers speak limited (or no) English. If you need help communicating with your helper, esp. at first, see Pak Nosh or Ibu Dewi.

Hours: Most of our household helpers work five days a week, eight hours a day, but you are free to negotiate your own arrangement. (Six days a week is more standard in the wider community.)

1.      You need to give your helper Red Letter Days that pertain to their religion. Some families choose to give more days off, but it’s up to you.

2.      Your helper will get 2 weeks vacation in the summer. She may decide to take them all at once or spread them out over the course of the summer or the year.

3.      If you go on vacation you can usually hire your helper to take care of your house while you’re gone. The salary is to be determined by you, but generally around 10,000 per day/night.

Salary: Salaries (gaji) are negotiable, but increase with years of experience.

1. Helpers are usually paid twice per month (15^th and 10/31^st). You can ask the office for a copy of the current salary scale for dorm workers for comparison.
2. Most salaries are arranged to include money for lunch and transportation (if appropriate).
3. Every July, your helper will get a pay raise, to be determined by you.
4. It is customary to give a yearly bonus equivalent to one month’s salary. Ask your helper whether she would rather have this bonus in December (for Christmas) or I June (to help with children’s school expenses).
5. Work out your own plan to assist with medical expenses. The school’s medical assistance plan is included in the teacher’s handbook for your reference, incase you wish to provide similar benefits to your worker.

Severance: When a helper completes her service for a teacher (either because the teacher is leaving or because the helper has quit, been fired, or been transferred to another teacher), a severance pay of one month’s salary for each year’s service is given.

1. Single teachers who split the helper’s salary between roommates should pay only their portion of a month’s salary for severance.

Vacations: Our helpers usually receive two weeks per year, to be arranged between you and your helper.

1. These need not be two weeks; it maybe one day a week for 10 weeks, for example. You should discuss it with your helper and arrange a time to suit your needs.
2. Her vacation should not be while you are away unless you have arranged to have someone else come to watch your house in the daytime.
3. If you are leaving at the end of the year, plan to give your helper her vacation before you leave. Since the helper typically guards the house in the daytime while it’s empty during break and then goes straight to work for a new family, it is the previous employer’s responsibility to arrange for vacation.
4. If you are leaving at the end of the year make surer that the housing director or someone else knows what vacation, salary, and other arrangements you have made with your helper before you leave.

Miscellaneous:

Shopping: Most helpers shop at the pasar (market) weekly. Give her the weekly shopping money, making sure there is enough for transportation. Set up an accounting system to keep track of how the money is spent. You might have to keep the leftover money in a special place so that she has that money available if she needs more next week.

Key: Your helper should have a key to your house.

Contact: Make sure you know the address and phone number of your helper.

Birthdays: You might wish to give your helper a gift for her birthday and/or the birthdays of her husband and family (if the children still live at home).

Pembantu Information:

The name of your pembantu is: __________________________ Birthday: ____/_____/______

What do her neighbors call her? ______________________________

Husband’s name: ­_________________________________ Birthday: ____/_____/______

She has _____ (#) children:

Name: ­­­­_________________________ Birthday: ____/_____/______

Name: ­­­­_________________________ Birthday: ____/_____/______

Name: ­­­­_________________________ Birthday: ____/_____/______

Name: ­­­­_________________________ Birthday: ____/_____/______

Name: ­­­­_________________________ Birthday: ____/_____/______

Name: ­­­­ _________________________ Birthday: ____/_____/______

Address ______________________________________________________________________

Phone number: _______________________ Hand phone number: ________________________

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Neighborhood Information

            Each neighborhood (R.T.) has local fees for various services, including trash collection, community celebrations, etc. This is a personal teacher expense. When you first arrive into a new community, you need to report to the R.T. Pak Nosh will assist you with this.

Your own home address: _____________________________________________________________________

Phone number: _____________________________

Name of R.T.: _________________________________________

Neighborhood or school Trash Pick-up

            When: ____________________

            Where: ___________________

            Pay who/ when: _________________________________

Neighborhood meetings

            When: _________________________________________

Government Tree: There is a Gubernur for every region, with the exception of Yogyakarta, Aceh, and Jakarta. These cities are a region in themselves.

Also, it’s interesting to note that in Central Java, the R.T. and R.W. are not paid. It is considered a position of respect and honor.

Why do I need to report to the R.T.?

They keep track of where everyone is in the country for various reasons. For detailed information in this area, talk to Pak Nosh or Ibu Dewi.

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Expenses

See the housing Policy, Benefits Plan, and Directive for School Vehicle for more detail.

School’s Responsibility

• House rental and basic furniture set up
• Utilities (water & electric) for your home  (up to Rp 100,000 per month)
• Garden work (a couple hours a week)
• Painting (approx. every 3 years) and repairs as approved by the facilities director
  • NOTE: Neutral colors only

Personal Responsibility

• Food
• Helper salary and benefits
• Personal phone expenses (monthly bills at your house and individual calls from school)
• Car fees (for personal use)
• Driver fees for overtime only (This may include a meal stipend ~ Rp. 10,000)
• Light bulbs, gas (LPG), and other household supplies
• Stamps and post office fees
• Neighborhood (R.T.) fees (trash collection, community fees and contributions)
• Airport and Exit taxes
• Utilities over Rp 100,000
• Housing fee

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Water

You should have at least two drinking water jugs (Aqua bottles) for your house. When they are empty, take them to the teacher’s room at the secondary school and they will be refilled and delivered to your home.  Mountainview does not provide new or replacement Aqua containers.  These can be exchanged for deposit (10,000 to fill and 30,000 deposit) at many local stores.

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LPG (liquid propane gas)

You should have at least two LPG tanks at your house for running your gas stove and gas water heater(s). Your helper can call to replace them when they are empty. Refills cost approx. Rp. 58,000. The phone number is 324-307.

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Extra Keys

Make sure to give someone an extra key to your house! The school also has an extra key in either the business office or in Yohanes’ house.  If you lose your keys, you are responsible to replace locks and keys.

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Gardener Information

The school provides a gardener for teachers’ houses. He is scheduled to work for you one day or half a day per week. The school pays him. You can ask your pembantu to communicate requests to him, as he usually arrives and leaves when you’re not there.

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Driving

After 6 months in the country, you are allowed to drive school vehicles. For driver’s license information and instructions concerning using school vehicles, see Sid.

• You must be cleared through the Business Administrator or Superintendent to drive school cars.
• The cost for an Indonesian driver’s license (for a car) is approx. 400,000.
• The cost for a motorcycle license is also approx 400,000.
• When driving school cars, you will pay mileage.
• School cars must be parked at the school every night.
• School business always takes precedence over personal use. 

For more information, see the Policy for School Vehicles in the Teacher Handbook.

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Mail

You may order stamps from Ibu Nana in the high school office. Stamps are usually ordered on Tuesday. She can also help you with information for mailing packages.  Send money with the order.

When people in your home country are mailing you packages, there are some things that will help the items get here in good condition and with minimal taxes. Here are a few tips:

-  Packages should ALWAYS be labeled “gift” and “No Resale Value.”

-  If there are new items, have them taken out of the original packaging and remove price tags.

-  Gift wrapping items inside the box sometimes help avoid taxes, although the gift wrap will usually be opened by customs inspectors.

-  Anything that can leak or be damaged by something else in the box that leaks should be sealed carefully in a Ziploc bag. 

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Errands

The school has workers who run errands for school business. He can do just about anything (i.e. making copies downtown, getting things laminated, picking up pictures, sending packages, etc.) During the summer he works form 7-4 and during the school year he works in the afternoon. Take any requests or items for errands to Ibu Endang (Documentation office).  Other than post office needs, please limit your errands to school business. During your school tour you will be shown here to put your items, or ask in the HS office.

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Transportation

Angkota (angkot):  blue mini-bus with numbers – They travel locally.

Tips:

1. There is no published schedule or route map for the angkot, but you can learn where they usually go.
2. Every angkot ands up at the Ramayana mall at some point!
3. The number 9 goes by Mountainview.
4. Usual starting time is around 6:00 am and the last angkot to town is a little after 5:00 pm.
5. If need be, you can hire the angkot to take you to your house or wherever it is you want to go! This is generally expensive, unless you’re a good bargainer!

Cost: 2,000.  (It might cost less if you go for a shorter distance. It depends on the driver.)

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Dokar:  Horse and carriage

Tips:

1. Dokars are available all day until late in the evening.
2. They are hard to find going to town, but are easy to find in town.
3. More expensive at night because there are only 2 modes of transportation (no angkot at night).

Cost: Menawar (Bargain!) or you can just ask him to take you where you need to go and pay accordingly (not advised because they can rip you off). Take into account how far, any hills (or dips), if it’s raining, and/or if it’s night time. Example: Town to Mountainview with 2-3 people pay ~ 7,000 – 10,000.

Becak:  bicycle carriage or pedicab

Tips:

1. The best way to take a becak is to tell the driver where you want to go and then bargain from there. Bargaining can be stressful, but it saves you lots of money.
2. Becaks are also available from morning until evening.
3. Becaks are hard to find going to town, but are easy to find in town!

Cost: Menawar (Bargain!), but the base price is 4, 000, depending on weight, distance, hills, rain, and daylight.  Example: from town to Mountainview (depending on weight) ~ 6,000 - 8,000

Inter-city bus:

Tips:

1. You can only catch these on the main road – Jl. Osamaliki
2. There are different classes of busses:
   1. Economy – Be ready for lots of stops and people selling stuff – Cost: 3,500. Be careful, there are many thieves (pencuri) on the economy bus.
   2. Business (or AC) – air conditioned – cost 6,000.

Parkirs:  Parkirs are the guys who help you pull out into traffic and the also watch your vehicle while it’s parked. Their fee in Salatiga is Rp. 500 for cars and Rp. 200 for motorcycles.  Fees are higher in big cities.

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Cultural Tips

Try NOT to…

• Touch, point to, or receive anything WITH YOUR LEFT HAND! (including communion)
• Shout or laugh loudly (central Java)
• Lose your temper
• Stand with your hand on your hips ( this means you’re angry)
• Blow your nose in public (however, picking is fine!)
• Walk alone after 8:00 PM
• Make the “OK” hand sign
• Display affection in public (especially between sexes – even if married)

You should…

• Take off your shoes at the door when entering someone’s home
• Give a gentle hand shake (more like a connection of the hands)
• Bend down with your right shoulder when walking between people
• Smile and nod a lot
• Address an Indonesian by Bapak (Pak), Ibu (Bu), Mas or Mbak along with his/her first name (if known).

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Red–Letter Days

In Indonesia, holidays are called Red-Letter Days (Tanggal Merah). For many Indonesians this means that they get the day off of work or school depending on what the holiday is and if the Government has declared it a Red-Letter Day. As far as days off for your helper, you usually give them the Red-Letter Days off that are for their religion, along with Independence Day (August 17) and Idul Fitri. (Note that while Idul Fitri is a Muslim holiday, it is a time for family gatherings for all Indonesians—like Christmas in America.)  For example, in addition to Independence Day and Idul Fitri, a Christian would get Christmas, Good Friday, Easter, and Ascension Day; a Muslim would get Idul Adha, Idul Fitri, Mohammed’s birthday, etc. It is up to you to work this out with your helper. At the school we take mainly the Christian holidays but also Idul Fitri. The other Red-Letter days are made up to the school workers during breaks or summer months.  You will find mutually convenient ways to “make up” other red letter days to your helper, too—like giving them time off when you will be at home and want the house to yourself or when they have a personal family need.

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Language Blending

When you first move here you will notice that the londos who have lived here awhile will campur their language. This is biasa.

(Translation: Londo=white person/foreigner, campur=mix, biasa=normal)

While this mixing of the two languages can be frustrating for the new person on campus, it can also be seen as an opportunity for you to learn some new words in Indonesian. Don’t be afraid to ask someone to clarify or translate what they are saying. Most people are not doing it to make you feel left out, but it is just a habit that they have gotten into.

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Indonesian Tutoring

Indonesian tutoring is available free of charge by Pak Nosh, Ibu Dewi M, or Ibu Maria. In fact, the school expects new teachers to study Indonesian for at least a couple of sessions per week.  You will need to arrange this on an individual basis. In the mean time…

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Everyday Indonesian phrases

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Shopping Hints

1. On the streets you can usually bargain, and actually you’d better bargain, unless you want to spend an outrageous amount! I’ve been told that people actually like it when you bargain!
2. In the stores there are set prices, usually, but you can always ask if there is a discount! If you don’t ask, they won’t offer it.

Phrases for bargaining:

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International Measurements

Oven temperatures:

The following are common temperatures called for in American recipes with their Celsius equivalents.

Temperatures:

To convert to Fahrenheit to Celsius: subtract 32, multiply by 5, and then divide by 9.

To convert to Celsius to Fahrenheit: multiply by 9, divide by 5, and then add 32.

Centimeters/Inches:

To convert inches to centimeters: Multiply by 2.54

To convert centimeters to inches: Multiply by .39

There are roughly 30 cm in a foot. A meter is a little more than a yard.

Kilometers/Miles:

To convert Miles to Kilometers: multiply by 1.6

To convert Kilometers to Miles: multiply by .6

Kilograms/Pounds:

To convert kilograms to pounds: multiply by 2.2

To convert pounds to kilograms: multiply by .45

Liter/Quarts:

To convert liters to quarts: multiply by 1.06

To convert quarts to liters: multiply by .95

With time you will get used to buying gasoline by the liter, eggs by the kilo, and fabric by the meter!! Have fun!

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Churches

English and Bilingual Services:

SIF – Salatiga International Fellowship

            Meets in the high school auditorium

            Service times: Sunday 10 AM

Gereja Bethany

Main street downtown

Services at 7 AM and 9 AM

Indonesian Services:  There are many Indonesian churches in town. Ask around to find out.  Some of our teachers and most of our national staff attend Indonesian church; any of them would be happy to have you join them!

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Internet at Home

Telkom sign-on information (Note:  this is affordable for email-only use.):

When you have a telephone line, you do not need to create a “membership” with telkom for internet access.

You simply need to set up your modem to dial the number: 080989999

All users have the same name:  telkomnet@instan

All users have the same password:  Telkom

The charge comes on your monthly phone bill, beginning on the first of each month and ending the last day of each month. The usage fee is Rp. 165 per minute.

Local ISP’s:  If you want to use the internet for extended browsing, you are better off signing up for an Indonet (or similar) account, which is a local ISP.  You will have a separate billing for this service.

Mountainview Wireless:  If you are into spending hours and hours online, you may consider setting up a wireless connection to the school, but service on this is limited and you will need to pay 100% of your equipment costs.  Once set up the service is free, but Mountainview cannot guarantee connection and does not have the staff to set it up for you.  You also need to know that the equipment needed for this is very vulnerable to lightning strikes.  Most folks who use this system have bought several sets of equipment!  You are always welcome to use the computers and internet connection at school for free.

If you have a question about setting up your internet connection, contact Pak Immanual.

Note:  This is not America.   Internet is slow.  Take a step back in time!  High-speed here is comparable to dial-up in the States.

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Pests

There are various ways of dealing with the many different pests you will encounter living in Indonesia. Here are some suggestions.

Mosquitoes, Ants, and Various other insects:

• Baygon and Raid sprays
• Baygon has various other products available.
• “obat nyamuk” – a coil of incense that burns during the night. Very effective for both mosquitoes and ants.
• There are companies you can hire to come and spray your house – check with the office for this info.

Mice and Rats:

• Mouse traps usually don’t work well.
• “Lem tikus” – “Mouse glue” – is applied to a board w/ some food.

Cockroaches:

• Cover your drains with screens that can be found at a hardware store.
• “Cockroach Cookies”
  • 1 lb Boric acid (4 cups) – can be found at an Apotik (drug store). Ask for “Boricum Acidum Kristal”
  • 1 lg. Onion, grated
  • Milk to make paste
  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 Tsp. sugar
  • Make paste, smear backs of furniture or make balls and put in corners of drawers, bathroom, etc. The recipe is 100% effective for about 6 months.

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Salatiga

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Semarang