Knowledge
– your other passport
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| From left: Kenny Watono, Fachrul Sugiyanto, Klara Dalay, Komang Anita Andriani, Amaliah Fitriah and Angela Roswita Hartono. |
They are
among Indonesia’s most incandescently bright. Their English is accented but
close to perfect for non-native speakers.
The
tertiary education teaching system they’ve encountered is radically different
from past experience. They’ve had to
adjust and make sacrifices.
On the plus
side these student members of the Republic’s diaspora in the South Pacific have
learned to be independent and disciplined, even to cook. None reported discrimination. They’ve overcome communication hassles,
alien values and worrying lifestyles.
“New
Zealand has legalized same-sex marriage,” said language studies student Kenny
Watono, 21, from Malang and who lives in a hostel. “Seeing couples of the same sex is an eerie thing for me because
I come from a country where it’s prohibited.
“Kiwis’
drinking and partying habits are not nice for people who don’t do such things.
Now I think: ‘So what? I don’t care.
They’ll move on.’”
There are
upsides for people like Amaliah Fitriah, 40, (left) who is working towards a doctorate
in development studies. She brought her
husband Rudi Kurniawan and two daughters on her NZ scholarship.
“Overseas
studying has changed the way we live,” she said. “Now we have time for quality
family life. In Jakarta Rudi and I saw our children briefly as we rushed to
work early and came back home late and tired.
“In NZ we
are much closer. We employed a maid in
Indonesia; here my husband shares the housekeeping and child rearing. He’s an engineer but in NZ his
qualifications aren’t recognized so works part-time in a supermarket. I’m so lucky to have such a supportive man.”
Kenny and
his colleagues hanker for Indonesian food. For international relations student
Fachrul Sugiyanto, 21, from Garut in West Java, the need is halal
ingredients. He plans to work for the
United Nations or a non-government organization.
Most miss
their friends and families and shiver more than they sweat in the cool
climate. Not all are in a rush to
return home after graduation.
Klara
Dalay, 20, will eventually be a nurse; her qualifications should help her don a
white uniform in most Commonwealth countries and the Middle East.
“I want to
work in NZ for the next couple of years and see where it goes,” she said. “I’m not intending to go back to Indonesia
for now.”
Angela
Roswita Hartono, 22, also from Jakarta, hopes to get into a NZ –based food
manufacturing company. She’s bought a
car, useful in a country where public transport is limited. Her parents were against her studying in the
US because of that nation’s gun culture.
“If your
ultimate goal is to get a job here then the NZ government’s skills shortage
list [published on the Internet] is a good place to start,” she said.
Most
Indonesians are studying at Massey University; it was founded in 1927 and has a
purpose built mosque. Its main campus
is in Palmerston North.
This is a
city of 80,000 two hours drive north of Wellington, the NZ capital; it’s the
center of rich farmland served by the Manawatu River and an education hub with
students from around the world.
At least 80
are Indonesians. They’ve formed an
association to maintain their culture and help new arrivals.
Of the six
who spoke to The Jakarta Post, five have part-time jobs even though NZ
has a 5.8 per cent unemployment rate, higher in rural areas.
The work
they’ve found has seldom been in the professional fields they’re destined to
enter. They serve in restaurants or do
menial retail jobs. Shops close around 5 pm – an annoyance for Asians used to
unregulated trading hours, but a boon for staff keen to have an outside life
beyond labor.
The minimum
wage is NZ$ 14 [Rp 125,000] an hour, less tax of 10.5 per cent. “With that amount of salary students can
cover their needs,” said Kenny. He wants to teach English, though doesn’t know
where.
“We can
trust the police because they are usually honest and cannot be bribed. We can
sue our employers if they pay below the minimum rate.”
The
students said the Indonesian system of school leavers going direct from
classroom to campus is flawed because many were immature and uncertain about
career possibilities.
NZ high
school graduates often take a gap year, locally known as OE [overseas
experience] before returning to learning with a wider knowledge of the world
and a sense of direction.
However
Bali-born Komang [Anita] Andriani, 21, knows where she’s going once she
graduates in international business studies.
“I want to
move to the big cities like Wellington or Auckland and find a job in a bank or
insurance company,” she said. “Later I
can set up an on-line clothing shop in NZ.”
Amaliah
will be heading for Jakarta when she graduates in 2017 to pick up her career
with the Ministry of Education and Culture.
Like other
professionals she knows that’s not always easy. Jealous stay-at-homes can block
prospects for the glamorous returnees with their higher skills and smart
ideas. Indonesian wages will be much
lower and commuting stressful.
Scientists
who rely on high-tech equipment may find the gear they used in NZ isn’t always
available back in their old labs.
A
particular concern is fitting back into Indonesia’s hierarchical status system
after experiencing NZ egalitarianism.
“I
experienced some culture shock, such as how straightforward Kiwis are to each
other,” Amaliah said.
“Indonesians
tend to be more subtle. Students here
call senior lecturers by their first names, while in Indonesia we use
honorifics like Sir and Madam.”
All urged
others to travel to learn. Because
Massey is multicultural the Indonesians say they’ve formed bonds with people
from countries apart from Kiwis.
“Studying
overseas has forced me to be more independent and responsible,” said Klara. “I
know I’ve grown so much as a person.”
Added Anita: “Knowledge is your
other passport to the world.”
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(First published in The Jakarta Post 14 September 2015)
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