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You Might be an American Expat in Indonesia, If ...
- You think the lines painted on the roadways mean something.
- You think 5-6-97 is actually May 6th.
- Your Bahasa Indonesia vocabulary consists of four words, “Mas, mas! Satu lagi”, which you learned in a bar at Blok M.
- Your two best Indonesian friends are your driver and your housemaid.
- You wonder if it is possible to boil the air.
- You think all the security guards in Jakarta work for the same company.
- You inquire about a tanning booth before your first trip to Bali.
- You make wise cracks about the pictures on the Rp 500 and Rp 50,000 bills.
- You tell the boss what you really think.
- At lunch you ask for a knife.
- Your favourite place to go for Indonesian food is Planet Hollywood.
- Your breast pocket contains a small yellow book.
- You think the small hose in the bathroom is for cleaning the floor.
- You tip waiters at restaurants.
- You wake up at 4:30 a.m. thinking you left the television on.
- You notice footprints on your toilet seat after your guests leave your home.
- You keep your shoes on when you are in the office.
- The translation you are given for hari nahas is 'a bad hair day'.
- In an emergency you go to dial 911 but you don't know the number.
- You show up for meetings on time.
- You tuck the tail of your batik shirt into your pants.
- You walk close to little old ladies when crossing Jl. Gatot Subroto.
- You go to a magazine store and ask for the latest copy of Playboy.
- Every time someone lights a cigarette you think of baked ham.
- At restaurants, you ask for catsup and get kecap.
- You enjoy going to China, especially Singapore.
- You wait for everyone to get off the elevator before getting on.
- You use the last name when looking up a friend's telephone number.
© Bob Bissinnar