Wonders and curiosities

[snpark]

I used to run an expat (and repat) meet-up, that I managed to keep 100% clear of bule hunters (and the like) and through it met half of my friends in the city (mix of locals and foreigners).
The others ones are not so good in my opinion (maybe I'm biased), because my one was always run by women it kept the bule hunters away (plus we vetted anyone joining who didnt fit the criteria). I get the impression some of the hosts in the other ones are making money from doing it somehow.
I keep saying I'll do the events again but honestly - it's so much work. Making sure a group of 30+ strangers are enjoying themselves is hard work. Making sure everyone pays their bill is a pain in the arse too.

So an expat group where membership is vetted? What were the criteria? Just whoever you didn't like the look of? Education level? Salary?
Bit weird to run an expat networking group and not let anyone join

 

[gemima]

Well, come on. Do it. Maybe my wife can help. She is professional enternainer.

Our major stumbling block is that we don't want to have a cover charge - so it needs to be somewhere that will manage the billing well (when we started we used to get one big bill and we hosts would always get left with a few juta people skipped out on).
We had an arrangement with McGettigans that everyone got 1 free drink (they gave us vouchers to give out to the guests) and then their staff handled all the subsequent separate bills (even with this I did have to pay for people skipping out a few times).
Mcgettigans is a casualty of covid and I havent bothered to look for an alternative (somewhere that's not noisy/ that will do split billing for a group of 20/ 30 people, not too upscale so all budgets can come etc.). Coffeebeerian fits the bill but my co-host doesn't like beer so I can't convince her to go there.

 

[snpark]

The bule hunters are what make it fun and more attractive to attend, who wants to talk to a load of old men all night? I can do that in Eastern Promise

 

[gemima]

So an expat group where membership is vetted? What were the criteria? Just whoever you didn't like the look of? Education level? Salary?
Bit weird to run an expat networking group and not let anyone join

Vetting was not based on salary - it was making sure people were expats or re-pats. Making sure they could speak english. Making sure they weren't turning up to sell stuff to bules (this has happened to me in the past in other groups), or to date foreigners. Meetup has a questionnaire for new members to fill out for all groups, we just used that for the vetting process and if we had doubts had a call with the prospective new member.
We had over 100 members (honestly it was prob over 200) and regularly held groups with 30+ attendees for years.

 

[gemima]

The bule hunters are what make it fun and more attractive to attend, who wants to talk to a load of old men all night? I can do that in Eastern Promise

If you want to hang out with the bule hunters they are easy to find all over the city - and in most of the expat hangout groups. Ours was appreciated for not having that element (so lots of single women felt comfortable coming to our events - and the single men appreciated that - we have had a few weddings out of the group!)

 

[snpark]

I havent bothered to look for an alternative (somewhere that's not noisy/ that will do split billing for a group of 20/ 30 people, not too upscale so all budgets can come etc.)

Surely that is any and every bar? Everyone pays their own bill?
They come in, register, get a ticket for a free drink, and then pay their own after?
No one minds a cover charge if its not exorbitant, Alpenstamtich used to be completely free, with free buffet and 50% happy hour 7-9
Now he asks for a minimum donation of 100rp to his charity and marriott still give free buffet and 50% drinks etc
Everyone has their own bill
Internations is the rip off one, with a membership fee then an event fee and pay to attend etc albatross member blah blah or non members pay more on the night and boring people and no incentive to go, was obviously just a money spinner and that is supposed to be a global networking thing

It is very easy to organise an event like that these days with very little effort and any bar now would welcome a group of 20-30 people from 6-9 on a weekday with some free nibbles and discounted drinks to showcase their venue and menu


Anyway up to you

 

[snpark]

BTW before everyone bans me, I am not picking a fight I am just asking legitimately why and what was the point to vet new members etc

So you had to speak English?
What were they selling? Theres a quite well known Indonesian or Filipino lady always attends these things always marketing her office space Regus etc
Does that count?
Isn't the whole point of networking to sell yourself and your company and products to others, business cards etc or you mean they turned up with a load of home made jam to sell?

 

[gemima]

BTW before everyone bans me, I am not picking a fight I am just asking legitimately why and what was the point to vet new members etc

So you had to speak English?
What were they selling? Theres a quite well known Indonesian or Filipino lady always attends these things always marketing her office space Regus etc
Does that count?
Isn't the whole point of networking to sell yourself and your company and products to others, business cards etc or you mean they turned up with a load of home made jam to sell?

Yes - we wanted everyone to be able to speak English. The point of the group was to make friends in the city, especially for new arrivals 9or people returning from living abroad).

No soliciting was allowed during our events or on our group whatsapp (we kicked out members who broke that repeatedly). I have had previous groups I joined spammed to hell with people selling cakes/ agents offering their services for x/y/z.

The group was probably not your sort of thing - that's fine, we can all go to/ create our own events/ groups.

 

[Samoerai]

The point of the group was to make friends in the city, especially for new arrivals

Yes, I like that .. just to make friends and get to know others with similar interests.

 

[snpark]

Problem is as you know the number of bule here is drastically declining

The ones with knowledge and experience are married with kids and don't go to networking events or even "out" so much

No one has time for the cocky new kids launching digital apps and know it alls who want my list of rich clients so they can tap them up for investment

Nor do I every week 20 times have to run through my life story and CV of what I do, where why who what because as I say either you won't believe me or you call me a show off

So I play the game of giving them 5 options and let them pick

Then they wonder why I am an introvert and private guy and only gob off behind the security of the interweb thingy
Actually quite a few members here I have met over the years, some knew and some didn't hahaha
Not hard really to work out who I am, not many bars or hotels in Jakarta where people don't know me by my alter ego nickname

To be fair to Josef his was a good event, just times have changed and its quieter but its still the best one, Wednesday JWMarriott etc all the proceeds to a real charity, some nice people go, free buffet (not as huge as it used to be) and half price bar for 2 hours

But the other ones nah, gave them a wide berth, everyone too stuck up and sombong for me, maybe its my fucked up personality, patient but to a degree only, no bs straight talking and dry sense of humour
Almost to a level of sarcasm. Like Jimmy Carr but less personality hahahaa

But my wine events are fun, maybe thats because I am the only bule surrounded by beautiful indonesian professional woman lol
That is the one where we meet every full moon in Bogor at 11a.m behind the Alfa Mart community centre - don't come and steal my place as #1 bule gadun in my group wkwkwkwkwk

OK back to being an ar5ehole again

 

[Samoerai]

Not hard really to work out who I am, not many bars or hotels in Jakarta where people don't know me by my alter ego nickname

I already know your alter ego nickname. As I said tracking you down, was easy: Om ...

 

[Samoerai]

I am the only bule surrounded by beautiful indonesian professional woman lol

True, but mine is more beautiful.

 

[Helpful Herbert]

The number of bule declined a lot from 2015-2019 and then most without family left during Covid. But I would say there are a lot of new ones coming now, so since 2022 the number is going up. Probably won't get back to what it was pre-covid though for a while.

 

[snpark]

Equal chance for every child to education, development, dignity and hope for the future

is at the core of ISCO Foundation's philosophy and JW Marriott Jakarta continues to support the cause

through the commitment to local community.

We are extremely proud of our partnership with Marriott for the last 13 years. This partnership is a true testament of commitment, passion, and courage, to overcome any challenges.

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We are inviting you all to join us for Alpenstammtisch International (ASI) networking event again.

On Wednesday, November 29th, 2023

starting at 18:00 until …

at Blue Martini Bar - JW Marriott Jakarta, Mega Kuningan

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We are also selling high quality ISCO T-shirts for IDR 500.000 (each is financing 1 ISCO child for 2 months)



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[snpark]

Om telalat om

 

[Samoerai]

Om telalat om

 

[snpark]

Beep beep

 

[pantaiema]

What goals is this group aiming to achieve ?? How does their mission benefit society, and those in the bus, their journey is hindered, leading to delays?

 

[snpark]

What goals is this group aiming to achieve ?? How does their mission benefit society, and those in the bus, their journey is hindered, leading to delays?

the trend of om telalat om is years ago my friend, its when you try to get the bus and lorry drivers to honk their horns, no groups, no demo, nothing just fun and was years ago passed

no drama no delays its just a funny saying for a bule to joke in a taxi when all the macet beep you say to the sopir om telalat om and usually he laugh

 

[Samoerai]

Today went to Ashta, the mall where upper (middle) class hangs out, for lunch. Got depressed. All "orang dari kantor ... "taking a lunch break" in groups. Air of "gengsi" all around. And they are taking their time, like 2 hours easily. No seats available in the restaurants. Not that there are a lot options in Ashta, by the way. Around 2 pm we just left. Also noticing that after "orang kantor sudah makan" they go sit in the cafe for their "ice cappucino". Huh? That's what you get when there is no "mandor" to supervise . If those orang kantor get paid 60 juta or more monthly, it is way too much ...