The afterwork culture in Indonesia

No it isn't like that in reality. We just live our lives and fit in with the way things go over here. Anyone who needs help or struggles to cope with living overseas as an expat should perhaps return to their own country. Being an expat means having a sense of adventure otherwise don't do it.

This is very much down to the individual and who they work with.

I do hang around with a few of the guys from time to time, but not all that often.

The office sets up a bash now and again, but very few people are interested. Everyone leaves as soon as possible.

Other people might well party 24/7 minus working hours

@Cheryl

When and where do afterworks usually take place?

An excellent venue is Loewy’s Bistro bar in Mega Kunningan.

Whenever I’m in Jakarta ( will be in November) this is my favourite watering hole. An amicable gregarious crowd who its a pleasure to mingle with especially if you are a solo vistor.

An elegant long bar to nurse a libation and people watch after a hard days work and perhaps enjoy a dish off the mouth watering menu.

Oh and the music feed is to die for.

    Hello everyone,

Living in Indonesia is a unique opportunity to discover the different aspects of the local culture and way of life. Today, we would like to invite you to explore the afterwork culture in Indonesia and how locals get to unwind. Whether it's about meeting people, relaxing, or bonding with your coworkers, it is also a great way to get to know the local customs and habits.

Here are a few questions to start with:

What are the most popular afterwork activities in Indonesia?

When and where do afterwoks usually take place?

What main cultural differences have you experienced?

How did afterworks help you with your professional and social integration?

Share your experiences, anecdotes and tips to help fellow expats.

Thank you for your contribution.

Cheryl
Expat.com Team
   

    -@Cheryl

For me the most common activity is going to a coffee shop (Warung Kopi) or restaurant or cafe & chatting with friends or some times have a schedule to do sports activities with friends after work. Sometimes there are several people who have the same hobby doing that activity, for example playing music, photography, etc. Sometimes fellow Muslims carry out worship activities.

Anytime & more often in an area not far from the office. Chatting doesn't have to be in fancy & expensive places. It's more comfortable in ordinary places. Because sometimes fancy places are just for prestige. But in ordinary places like WarKop (warung kopi), we can be ourselves.

However, for some people, every Friday or approaching the weekend they will go straight home to their main residence after work. Because for example in Jakarta, many people from other cities work at Jakarta. On the day approaching the weekend they return to their hometown. And now I also experience like that, where I go back to my house at the Bogor area. Yeah, I'm still relatively close Jakarta. I have friends whose houses are at Yogyakarta, etc.

I don't think it's too different, many of my colleagues from other countries also do gathering activities with their friends. But maybe the places to gather are different. Local people gather more in non-alcoholic areas.

Sometimes gathering with friends after work is a moment where we can share life experiences, share complaints at work or share tips & tricks for doing something.  Sometimes we can also get new relationships or even new projects at that moment. Sometimes gathering after work, building new chemistry between superiors & subordinates or teammates where when outside the office, we loosen a little the boundaries that we can't do in the office. For example: When working, superiors tend to be strict or sometimes seem fierce. Well, outside of work, those superiors tend to act like friends. Where it can often reduce anger or not infrequently & some times can also eliminate resentment towards superiors. The impact is that it can build our togetherness in the work environment. After work is sometimes a moment to thaw the tense atmosphere in the office.

I work from home out in the Jakarta suburb, so integrating with people can be a bit of a problem. Striking up casual conversations can be a challenge due to my limited language ability, as well as not being overly into football, cars or religion. Bars are few and far between out here, so I tend to drink my beer at home.

My saving grace has been the opening up of a new board game cafe just five minutes away. Lots of nice nerdy people (just like me). Now I go there once a week and stay in touch with friends via WA in between. An organised hobby allows for lots of new faces, language exposure and just plain fun.

Yep - Coffee shops are a common hangout.

Starbucks and the other silly expensive places aren't as popular as local shops that are way cheaper and have much bettter coffee

I'm a family man, so I guess the OP's questions are geared more towards single men and women.