Religion is important
Dating in Indonesia is easy in a way to meet up people. Giving phone number and meet up can be done very fast, within the same day even. They like foreigners and many are interested in them. However be aware of the ones that are seriously/fanatic Muslim.
What I mean with that is that dating and even when they visit your house, without any physical intimacy happens can be a problem. This can be a problem in the neighborhood, while the head of the area (RT), of neighbors know they me and my date are not married and have suspicions you can get into trouble. If you cannot handle this way of dating then in Bali the Hinduism’s are more free and open. Bali is like a place where it is allowed what god forbids in their minds.
Family interference
Even when the family of the date finds out. It happened that the brother and sister came angry in front of my door when they found out the address. Angry about I not being a Muslim and their sister is in a man’s house without being married??
This kind of culture is still very available in here. The best way to avoid this, I to stay in an apartment, where nobody knows or cares/checks who lives together. I think because there are so many couples it is too much work to keep an eye on all of them. Most people in apartments, especially in Jakarta are very individual. Nobody really wants to know anything about each other. The opposite of kampong or housing complexes.
Family for one is very important in Indonesia. In the west families are much more distant. When parents got old the children puts them in a senior care establishment. These things will rarely happen in Indonesia. Everybody want to make as much children as possible. When they grow up then it is common in the culture to provide their family financially, while in the west they have social security etc.
Marriage and children.
Most of the girls you are dating, want to marry and have children. All of them want children. So just having a short time relationship, or close friendship with fun, is very uncommon in Indonesia. And remember if you marry a girl, you marry their family too. The family might interfere in the raising of the children. This can be religion, cultural etc. Be careful. I have been there myself. Eventually if you really love the kids, you want to children to get the best and it becomes personal. Well the court will eventually decide who gets custody etc. In my opinion and advice is NEVER MARRY IN INDONESIA.
They whole big family wants to decide everything, unless you give them money to shut their mouth.
